This is my first time requesting here, so...

Hi! Mind if I send in a request? Hear me out: the track club bois, the basketball club bois and the spelldrive club bois getting a kiss on the cheek from the reader after a successful game/track meet

A KISS FOR THE VICTOR

SUMMARY: After a successful club meet, you give them a kiss on the cheek! How do they react?

WARNINGS: Some of these may be out of character (I’m sorry I still have no clue how to write Jack, Leona and Floyd)

COMMENTS: Hi! Sorry it’s taken me so long to get to this request, there were a lot of boys hehe! I hope you don’t mind but since there are a lot I did shorter headcanons instead of a full thing for each boy. Also, since I have no experience writing kisses yet, I just did their reactions. I hope that’s okay! This is such a cute prompt though, thank you so much for requesting it!!

Also, if you enjoy this, please consider checking out my 200 followers event!

TRACK CLUB

Jack froze, his eyes going wide. He coughed into his fist and looked away, desperately trying to regain his composure. A herculean feat, considering how adorable you looked gazing up at him like that. He smiles at you hesitantly - a small, wavering smile, before his cheeks go pink and he turns away to talk to his teammates. Although it seems he does not care, a keen eye will notice how his ears won’t stop twitching and his tail keeps wagging. 

Poor boy stopped responding immediately. He tripped on the sidewalk and almost fell over, he got so flustered. He can’t concentrate on anything now. He’s really sorry, he’s trying his best to listen to what you have to say, but his mind is replaying that kiss over and over… He can’t look you in the eye for the next few days. The moment he gets to crash in his room, he calls his mum. He briefly talked about his match, but mostly talked about you. How does he talk to you again after that?? He might be a little awkward over the next couple of days, but know that you’re constantly on his mind and in his heart.

BASKETBALL CLUB

Oh? You’re gonna give him a kiss? Well tough luck, he expects one every match from now on! So what if he doesn’t win? He wants one anyway! That’s how you can cheer him up after a match from now on!  But in the moment, he’s picking you up and spinning you around. His face is very red - whether from the exercise or from you, it’s hard to tell, but the bright red ears are a dead giveaway. He’s not gonna forget what you did, and loves to remind you - in the hopes that you’ll do it again.

Time stops for him and he stares at you, dumbfounded. His face heats up and boy does he wish he had his hood right now. He can’t talk to you or face you for the next hour as he struggles to figure out what to say. He does however feel really smug. Everyone in the match did super well, but he was the only one who got a kiss! From you! Ha! …wait. He was the only one who got a kiss. From you. He’s confused and flustered all over again. Please confess to him before he goes insane.

Ehhh~? Shrimpy’s giving him a kiss? Only one on the cheek? Screw that, he’s gonna give you an actual kiss! And a squeeze to boot. The moment you give him a kiss he registers that kisses are okay in whatever relationship you and he have and boy is he gonna abuse that. What are the two of you? He doesn’t care as long as you don’t, but if he makes you uncomfortable then he wants to know. Like Ace, he’s going to be expecting one for every match now, but if you don’t give him a kiss for some reason that won’t stop him giving you one~!

SPELLDRIVE CLUB

You thought Ace was bad? Leona’s gonna be so much worse. He doesn’t tease you quite as much, but he’s going to be incredibly smug, both after the track meeting and for the next couple of weeks after. Please be prepared for suddenly more Leona in your life, as the moment you press a kiss to his cheek he’s going to take that as a rite of passage to be almost constantly around you. He will encourage you to ditch class with him as much as possible. He just wants to spend more time with you now, and after that kiss, surely that means you want that too, right?

Ruggie nervously laughs it off, his cheeks going bright pink as he fumbles for something to say. He honestly, genuinely wasn’t expecting it - you managed to catch him so off guard that he doesn’t quite know how to act. Ah, but he’s not upset! He’s exactly the opposite of that, if anything. Elated, maybe? Who cares, his crush just kissed him! He is going to be bragging so hard to Leona and anyone who’ll listen afterwards. Maybe he’ll start giving you a couple more snacks - with a kiss as payment of course! Shishishi.

LET’S FREAKING GOOO. wait. Did you just kiss me-? Epel was in such a good mood after his match that his brain didn’t fully register that you just kissed him. He takes a break from celebrating for a moment to double check. When you confirm that yes, in fact, you did kiss him, his cheeks go apple red and he starts celebrating way harder. Calm down? He can’t calm down, this is the best day of his life! He won a match and got a kiss from a cutie to boot! The only thing that makes him calm down a little is Vil threatening to smack him with his shoe.

♥Thank you for reading!! I hope you enjoyed it!!♥

Hewoo

I can't believe there are some scm fans here sjfjdjw😭💕

I really like your writings so is it okay if I request something for scm :'D?

If yes I wonder what kind of person is ideal for every guy ?ಥ﹏ಥ✨️

An Ideal Partner

Synopsis: Everyone has preferences when it comes to finding the perfect partner, face the facts. But do you think you have the qualities your god is looking for?

✨️Masterlist✨️

A/n: The scm fandom is small but present, so I do what I can to help us thrive! Let’s see if my views on the gods are fandom-approved… these zodiacs have too many feelings. –But I was honestly super excited to get this request because this feels like a rite of passage to me. This specific “ideal partner” prompt is in almost every fandom I’ve ever read fanfics for and I feel like I’m not servicing my fandom if I don’t have one. So thank you for the right of passage! I hope I passed the scm-baptism!

–Word Count: 5,182–

The gods of the zodiac have experience with all kinds of people, gods and humans alike. So they aren’t ridiculously picky with picking their partner or partners. Were there certain qualities they’d appreciate in a relationship? Definitely. Who didn’t have preferences? But all 12 of the gods came with their own baggage and experiences. They need a partner who can handle the personality range of a god who’s many centuries old. 

♌️♌️♌️

Leon has some particular expectations for a partner; and no, the expectation of physical intimacy is not one of them. What he really craves is a bold and strong partner, someone who isn’t afraid to tell him how things are. He wants a genuine relationship, not something shallow and filled with fake smiles. He wants to know how you really feel around him and he’s going to be genuine with you.

After he learns what love really is, you can bet that’s exactly what he wants. The ability to pleasure his partner is not love, he understands that. He wants a partner who can tell him when his god-complex is getting in the way, because at least he can acknowledge that he gets out of hand. In fact, if you’re looking to be Leon’s partner, you should probably consult with Karno; he’s a professional lion tamer.

But don’t forget, Leon’s also the Minister of Wishes(as well as the future King) and he knows very well that there are lots of people out there that would use him strictly for his power and position. Marrying a King sounds tempting, doesn’t it? But unless you can see behind his status, then you’re not the right one.

He wants someone he can spoil but who won’t completely rely on him for every little thing. This royal pain in the ass wants to be spoiled too, you know. If you can’t make him meatballs at his beck and call then what use are you? 

And I know I said he’d hold back on that expectation of intimacy… but Leon’s an intimate guy. His power is literally to pleasure people through touch. He won’t really show you his love in empty words and meaningless trinkets—he doesn’t believe in those sorts of things. As a god, he believes the only way to show you he loves you is by loving you very thoroughly. If he can’t do that, then how will he know you understand? How will he be able to tell that you really mean it when you say you love him? It’s okay if your beliefs clash when it comes to this sort of thing. As important to him as it is… there should be ways of going around it… right? 

When it all comes down to it, his ideal person just has to know how to handle him and his desires. If you can tame the wild lion of the heavens, then you’ll be a worthy partner to the future king. 

♋️♋️♋️

Karno is the kind Vice Minister of wishes, so suffice to say he wants a partner who’s always wishing to him—it doesn’t matter what it is, he’ll try to grant your wish. All he wants is for his partner to be happy. But as kind as Karno is… he’s also a very strict man, which is why he can get along well with Zyglavis. If you think you can walk all over him and get away with it, then you’ve thought wrong. Though, it’s not that hard to manipulate Karno’s feelings, so he definitely wants a partner who won’t abuse his emotions. He’d rather avoid the heartache.

When Karno loves someone, it’s a very pure love. He wants to be able to put his absolute trust in his partner and be able to allow them to trust him completely in return. Do you have any secrets? He wants to be the holder of every single secret you have. 

Between him and his partner, he’s a pretty materialistic guy just because of how interested he is in human creations. He’d like someone who’d spoil him with new and interesting human things. He promises he’ll give things in return, or grant a wish if he’s empty handed at the moment. 

He’s 100% for an equal relationship where he and his partner are on the same level. It doesn’t matter if he's a Vice Minister; he doesn’t want to be above his love. He doesn’t want his partner to feel inferior in any way. If he has to take his uniform off when he’s not working, he’ll do it. All he wants to be is a wonderful boyfriend, not a ‘sir-vice-minister-upper-ranking-god’ or whatever other titles he might gain. 

As sweet as he is, don’t forget he’s a man with needs. If you can’t handle him hugging you every time he sees you or holding hands when you're out in public, then maybe you’re not the one for him. He wants to be very open and proud of his relationship. But Karno’s tired from pulling almost all the weight in the Department of Wishes, so if he could have a partner to help him relax, that’d be perfect. 

♒️♒️♒️

Huedhaut would prefer a partner who can keep up with his mental level. If he cracks a smart joke, he expects his partner to be humored by his wit. In fact, if his partner is also witty enough, it’d be wonderful if they could share a teasing dialogue. But most importantly, he desires someone smart enough to understand what he’s gone through in life. This partner needs to know how really fragile he is when it comes to loving another person. You have to take care of his heart or he just might fall apart on you. Truth be told, he might fall apart on you, regardless. He needs someone there to help him pick up the pieces when his past comes to haunt him. (If he can find himself a therapist to date, that might be helpful.)

Of course, he will not expect a partner to be all give and no take. Though, don’t expect too many material things from Huedhaut… Unless he’s found someone who avidly enjoys reading books like he does. Then he might have more than a few material things to lend to you. But it’s also okay if his partner isn’t a fan of reading. People often have different ways of learning after all, no one shares the same brain. If he finds someone who enjoys listening to his voice, then he’d be more than inclined to read too many books. 

At least then he’ll never have to worry about stressing over a date. His plans: take his partner out to some pretty scenery and read to his heart’s content—or until his partner falls asleep, whatever happens first.

One thing that any potential partner has to understand… is that Huedhaut will love passionately to make up for his past losses. He won’t pretend that his partner is her… He could never do that. The same as he expects his partner to love him for him, he wants to do the same for you. He wants to love you. But he doesn’t want to miss a moment with his partner… which is why he’ll hold you tighter, longer, more desperately. He needs a partner who’s going to be able to handle him when he’s being too clingy, when he won’t let go, when he needs more. He just wants someone who won’t leave him—that’s all he really wants in a partner.

♉️♉️♉️

Teorus not only wants but also sort of needs a partner who’s going to accept that he has an enormous heart. Teo’s going to love his partner without a doubt. In fact, questioning him is going to make him think the relationship isn’t working. He’s one of the younger gods, so you’re going to need to understand that he’s still figuring himself out and what he wants in life. Being there with him for the journey is the least he could ask for. He’s always being compared to his father… So if he can find a partner who has no idea who his father is then that’s just a huge bonus! He wants a partner who cares about him not about who his stupid parents are. But if you want to talk to him about it… maybe he won’t shut you down. Just maybe.

And don’t think he forgot that he’s a wishes god and can grant your every wish. But, he’s the god of Taurus. And while he can snap his fingers… if he has a partner who can make him anything and everything out of milk then he’s ready for marriage. You need permission from the Fountain of Love? No, you don’t. Teorus already has the ring ready if you’re willing to commit your life and milk to him. 

One, his partner loves him. Two, his partner can make everything with milk. Three, his partner is female— …I mean, he’s okay with dating pretty much anyone who loves him… But if he’s being honest… he prefers females. Sorry if you’re a male, but, he likes boobs. So, pls grow boobs and try again later. :)

Or does he only like boobs because boobs can contain milk…………? OkAy…. That’s a new idea. [author.exe has stopped working]

Additionally, his partner absolutely must be okay with public displays of affection! If you can’t handle him flaunting you around the other gods like a little prize, then what’s the point? Besides, his partner should be happy to be flaunted around like a rare treasure. Rare treasure is exactly how he’s going to treat you too. He wouldn’t want you to feel like he doesn’t love you when there are goddesses in the mansion. Sorry, but he and Leon have a mission… Teo’s not saying his partner can’t be part of it if that’s what you’re into. Still, his partner better not get any ideas about any other gods. Just the ones he approves. His ideal partner is definitely polyamorous as long as you’re firmly dedicated to him as he is to you.

♑️♑️♑️

Aigonorus has more than himself to think of when considering a relationship. First, his heralds have to approve of his partner. His partner also has to accept his heralds(and not call them goats). Then, and only then will he accept having a partner of any kind. If his partner is curious as to why there’s this strange goat ritual to dating Aigo… let’s just say Aigonorus has learned his lesson about falling in love before everyone is acquainted with each other. 

In a way, his goats are almost like dogs. If they don’t like the partner or if the partner doesn’t like them, then that’s a huge red flag and Aigo wants nothing to do with you. In the case that you make it to the dating part of the relationship, Aigo expects his partner to be honest with him. Aigo’s one to bear his heart to his lover, after all. He expects this to go both ways. If his heart is going to be left vulnerable to you, then you better think of having the same thing. If not, then he might have to rethink this particular relationship…

But he knows he can’t control his partner’s feelings so what’s something else he wants? Lots of pillows. He wants a partner who has his kind of idea of what soft is. If it’s not on par with his preferred softness, then he wants nothing to do with it. He doesn’t care what it is, a pillow, a blanket, or the clothes his partner wears. It has to be soft.

His partner’s clothes also requires the same amount of softness purely because you’re going to have to be his pillow at some point or another and he’s not touching clothes that aren’t soft. …unless that’s how his partner plans for him to start removing clothes. Aigo’s not afraid to sleep naked, don’t test him if you want to keep your clothes on. So his partner better be okay with physical contact because it’s also a requirement to sleep in the same bed. Aigo needs his body pillo—er… Aigo needs his partner for a good night's sleep. 

♐️♐️♐️

Tauxolouve is a demigod, so he doesn’t have any heavy preferences over whether he’s going to be dating a human or a god. In the end, he came from both of them and would prefer to embrace both sides of himself. Though, in a partner, he’d like to be accepted for who he is. He always lived life thinking he was going to die, so his previous partners were always short-lived. Of course, he never left a relationship on an unpleasant note, but maybe it’d be best for future partners not to pry into his wild womanizing past, thanks.

Finding out that he was going to live a long life was quite the refreshing change for him. He wants to celebrate being able to live with a partner who appreciates life as much as he does. Now that he isn’t dying, he can pick up his hobbies and have a serious relationship for once. So, he needs a partner who’s going to put forth full effort with him, not someone who’s just looking for a handsome flirt from the Department of Wishes to spend one night with. He wants someone he can see every day and think that’s the love of his life. He wants a partner that he can plan to have an actual future with—he has a future now, after all, and he wants to use it. 

As for his hobbies, maybe he could have a partner that would appreciate his art. After all, he can only paint for himself so much. If he had a partner that appreciated his skills, then he could gift his art to you. Even better, if his partner does art then he can do art together with you. Wouldn’t that be fun? Still, it wasn’t a requirement for his partner to be able to do art. Besides, he could always teach an interested partner… 

As far as human or god partners go in a physical sense, he’d probably prefer a human that doesn’t want to kiss very often… He’s not too sure that he’d be a fan of watching his beloved die so often. On the other hand, there are other ways to show affection, so he’s sure they’d be able to find a way around it when it comes down to it. Not to mention that Tauxolouve is the maturely romantic god who might just romance his partner into bed. So potential partners better be prepared to be flustered in the face of this sweet-talking god.

♎️♎️♎️

Zyglavis is a straight-laced square. Why would he have preferences? Or maybe I should ask: why wouldn’t a man like him have preferences in a partner? Not only is he the minister of punishments, but he also has a ridiculously soft heart. So it’s extremely necessary for him to have a partner that won’t use him to their advantage. After all, it doesn’t matter who it is, if they deserve a punishment, he’s going to give one. Only… it’d be a whole lot easier on him to have a partner that simply won’t force him to weigh his options when it comes to his job. 

He’s done his best to protect the humans nearly all his life, even if it meant handing down harsh punishments. His partner should be fully capable of just simply existing with him. Zyglavis needs emotional support if he wants to be happy in life. He’s a terrifying minister who lectures everyone for little things, so he rarely receives any praise for his hard work. It would be nice if his partner could remind him he’s making the world a better place now and then. Even he needs some positive affirmation.

Another thing he’d look for in a partner is their ability to acquire chocolate… It doesn’t need to be homemade(though, that would be a very very very ideal situation). But he wants someone who can eat chocolate with him, because you can bet that’s what he’s going to want to be getting on dates. Aside from that, gods need little in terms of material items. So if you’re someone who likes pointless trinkets, then please don’t share them with Zyglavis. He wants a partner that specifically knows how to keep a space clean, yes that includes dust and pointless items. He can’t stand an untidy environment, you can ask any of the gods. 

Also, despite how he holds himself in such high regards, he’d like a partner who’s going to encourage a softer side to him. He wants someone to hug and hold on to after a rough day at work. He wants someone who’s going to take off his Minister of Punishments mask. Simply being able to bask in another’s loving presence is definitely an ideal dream for him. Love him, don’t fear him. He wants to show you he loves you too.

♏️♏️♏️

Scorpio isn’t one who’s going to think deeply about having a partner at all. But… if he had to… He’d want someone interesting. Scorpio doesn’t have time for people that let him trample all over them. God knows there are way too many people who are terrified of him. But, he wasn’t that bad, was he? Of course, not. Besides, his partner’s going to be strong-headed and be able to tell him things as they are. He doesn’t want some cry baby who’s going to tear up the minute he says something that comes out relatively mean. Everyone knows Scorpio doesn’t have a filter, so his partner better not expect him to develop one magically just because they started dating. You better have thick skin to date someone like him.

His partner should love him despite his role in the Department of Punishments. Though, he also knows he’s not too popular with the crowd in the Heavens because of his past form as a human. Who’d want a partner that used to be such a filthy thing?

If his partner can accept his past and his fiery attitude, then they might just suit him. But whoever his partner is, you better not expect him to lavish you in gifts and attention. Scorpio’s a busy man and would prefer his partner to respect that. Though… if his partner can make him those apple things… You know… those things! Don’t make him say it! If his partner gives him… rabbit apples… as offerings then he might be persuaded to spoil you with things you never even asked for. 

Scorpio also won’t appreciate a partner who’s overly clingy with him. He can’t stand constantly knowing what’s going through someone else’s mind. He wants to hear his own thoughts! Besides, if the thoughts running through his partner’s head are anything as romantic and filthy as what comes out of Partheno’s mouth, then he can glady live without it. He doesn’t want to hear any of that suffocatingly fluffy crap, even if it’s from your subconscious. 

On the other hand… Scorpio is a pretty lonely guy, deep down… So he’ll let his partner sleep with him. But don’t you dare get the idea that he’ll suddenly start hand holding and kissing and crap in front of those idiots from Wishes—especially not in front of some loud-mouth like Partheno!

♊️♊️♊️

Dui is literally a two for one deal. But both he and Shadow Dui can agree when they say they want a partner who’s going to accept both of them. This means that their partner has to be emotionally ready for a roller coaster. After all, Dui’s not always going to be around when Shadow wants a turn. 

Personally, though, Dui wants someone kind, who’s going to want to go on dates with him. He wants to take his partner around the Heavens or amazing places on Earth. He hopes he can get a cherry pie out of all his efforts… But if you can’t make food out of cherries, then he’s sorry, but you’re not his soul mate. Meanwhile, Shadow wants someone who’s going to impress him. I dunno, yell at Scorpio or something, impress him! Do something so stupidly amazing that’ll get his heart pumping! Don’t worry, he’ll step in if you get yourself into trouble, but if you can be stupidly brave on your own, then you’ll definitely be able to handle Shadow. 

As for material items… No. But Dui’s going to bring his partner cherries. Of course, they’re not for you, they’re for him. He just wants you to make something with them. On the other hand, if he brings his partner a gift… say a cherry pie or something or other… that’s for you to share. He wants his partner to love cherries as much as he does. Anything cherry flavored is an absolute must have. He’s going to engrave it into his partner's soul until every time his partner sees anything related to cherries your first thoughts are going to be of him and him alone.

His partner also has to be okay with being called a cherry. If you’re not his cherry then what’s he supposed to call you? If his partner hurts his feelings in any way, you can bet Shadow is going to lash out, whether verbally or physically—just enough to scare you, not do any real damage. Though, speaking of physical, Dui’s definitely a hand-holder. He’s going to want to keep you close during dates and make sure everyone knows you’re his little cherry. He’s also very content with kissing you in public, though, just hope Shadow doesn’t take over or you’ll be in for a really embarrassing treat. That’s why they need a partner who’s emotionally ready for the two of them. Don’t underestimate Shadow’s desire to tease the hell out of you. Dui can’t always reign his other self in. 

♓️♓️♓️

Ichthys is looking for a partner who can have fun with him! His partner has to be completely okay with pulling pranks on the other gods. You can’t be afraid of the consequences either. Questioning Ichthys’ methods will just get annoying after one too many doubts. Ichthys is very childish, so having a partner with the same mindset is a must-have. After all, Ichthys is bound to prank and play with his partner from time to time as well. His pranks aren’t reserved for his co-workers. 

But his partner has to understand… that he’s not doing all of this to just pass the time. He might be a mortal god with a timer… but he wants everyone to be happy. He’d hate to have someone following him around worried about his health all the time. He wants his partner to trust him wholeheartedly. If he says he’s fine, then that means he’s really fine. Don’t worry, he’ll open up if something’s wrong. Until then, he’s going to keep on doing what makes him happy. As long as his partner stays by his side, enjoying what he does then he’ll have lived a fulfilling life in the end. 

Being as child-like as he is, he’s also bound to offer toys and such as gifts. So, he’d like a partner who enjoys collecting trinkets with him. It doesn’t matter if their collection is in Ichthys’ room or his partner’s room, he just likes having various things to look at and play with. 

But he wants a fun partner who’s going to understand that dating him has to mean that they’re definitely going to be another fun toy for Ichthys to play with. If there’s one thing Ichthys loves, it’s seeing smiles on people’s faces after a funny prank. Though… few people enjoy what he does. His co-workers would rather he stop his pranks and he gets punished an awful lot for it… So he wants someone he can make smile with his efforts, even if it’s directed at you. He wants to laugh and smile and play with his partner. But don’t think that Ichthys doesn’t also have a serious side to him—or, at least, a semi-serious side to him. He wants a partner to love unconditionally and passionately. And when Ichthys is passionate about something, he puts his whole heart into it. So his partner best be ready for all of him.

♍️♍️♍️

Partheno wants a partner that won’t criticize him for his mistakes. He knows he hasn’t always made the right choices, but he’s trying to do his best. Isn’t that what counts? He might be the god of love and beauty, but he’s not restricted to those things, don’t you know that? He wants his lover to see beyond his seemingly ‘shallow’ titles. Everyone sees him as a womanizing pervert, but he wants a partner who’s going to see more than that and really try to get to know who he is. He’s not a demon, and he’ll do his best to respect his partner. Even if it takes him a few tries to get things completely right. You’ll give him a chance, won’t you?

But love is a big part of who he is as a person, so his partner can’t completely shrug off the fact that Parthenos is going to be giving everything for his partner. You want to look pretty? Partheno can do that. He wants to spoil his partner with anything and everything you ask for. Even if his partner isn’t asking for it, Partheno’s going to be providing his partner with the best of the best. If you’re dating the god of love and beauty, you’re going to look like it. I mean, if his partner looked like they just crawled out of a trash can, what kind of impression is that going to leave on him? He’s trying to get his reputation back, you know? His partner’s only going to be dressed in the most lavish clothes, all chosen and designed personally by him. In terms of clothes and beauty products, Partheno’s partner is going to be spoiled rotten.

But let’s not forget that Partheno’s also the god of love… and love has a lot of definitions. Partheno expects his partner to know well that he’s a physical god. He’s going to let you know he’s fully dedicated to you in his loving caresses and encouraging words. His partner isn’t going to be feeling neglected any time soon because Partheno has no shortage of positive affirmation. He’s the king of self-love and will make sure his partner doesn’t hold back either. If his perverted comments aren’t enough to warn you, then please, allow me to do the honors. This man is going to praise his partner’s body up and down. Physically, verbally, and any other way he knows how, he’s going to show you how to love yourself properly the way he does. His partner is required to have some kind of sexual drive to even try to keep up with him. Any potential partners, I wish you luck!

♈️♈️♈️

Krioff took quite a long time coming up with his idea of a perfect partner. After all, he doesn’t really think of people in that way. But… if he had the option, he wants someone who’s going to stand by him through all his troubles. Whether or not he opens up completely, he wants someone who won’t be scared off by his family. His dad could prove to be quite the issue in his love life, but if his partner could withstand that much, then maybe they’ll really be worth having around. 

If his partner can handle the unsettling relationship he has with his father, then he’d be more willing to explain the full story about what happened with him and his sister. He wants to be able to have a person to completely relay all of his feelings to. Usually, he’s such a quiet and reserved god who doesn’t involve others in his business, but if he could at least have that one person to place his life and trust in… Maybe then he wouldn’t feel so burdened with guilt. He needs someone who’s going to be by his side unconditionally… someone who won’t leave him again. Don’t worry, he’ll protect you with his whole heart if you can do that much for him.

He’s been criticized and looked down upon by many gods—even some of those who worked in the Department of Punishments. Being praised by someone who genuinely loves him would be a pleasant change of pace. If he’s going to be getting into a dedicated relationship, he might as well even start thinking about dates. He needs a partner who loves ice cream so that he can bring ice cream on dates and—his partner better not think it’s stupid—he wants to spoon feed his partner his favorite food. It wasn’t something necessary, but he’d seen some of the other gods doing that with their partners… so, it must be something his partner would think is cute. He’s not the type to be romantic or anything, so he’s going to do his best based on experience. 

He’s pretty dense when it comes to dating, so maybe if his partner could lead the way they might have decent dates. He doesn’t particularly need an experienced partner… You could always learn new things together if he finds himself with a partner as helpless as he is. 

One important note for him has to be that he’s nervous about physical contact. He’s always been wary of the power in his right hand. Given that his partner is encouraging enough, he might feel inclined to take on a more physical relationship. That’s exactly what he needs. He needs a partner who’s going to make him feel comfortable enough to use his right hand. After all… he doesn’t want to hurt you. Maybe after a couple caresses and a few hand-holds… Maybe a few kisses to his knuckles might make him feel bolder as well.

9: cross-cultural misunderstandings and morwen!

from this world building prompt list! still accepting them

thank you for the ask in case anyone was unaware I love Morwen so so much and I feel sad because I feel I have not written her well lately

here are some headcanons and also a snippet of writing

I have so many thoughts and feelings about the fact that Morwen at such a young age has to learn a new language, culture and geography, all in the afterlife of catastrophic destruction and grief and trauma. Like, it's not just that she's in a new place with new people, it's that her home and people and culture are lost. She was the last generation of Bëorian children to be born in Ladros, who would grow up at least partly within her culture! It kills me! And obviously aspects of Bëorian culture survive! But aspects and isolated customs shouldn't have had to be all that remained.

And this grief encompasses so so much, way too much for any kid (or adult of course) to have to deal with. It lives in so many small differences and changes, all of which mean the same to young Morwen; there is no going back, it is done and gone

Here is an incomplete list of some of the small differences in Hithlum that trouble young Morwen. I hope this is an ok use of the prompt!

Note: we have so little information about either Bëorian or Hadorian Taliska, that I more or less feel justified in inventing some of my own language differences! We know they are two distinct languages , though more related to each other than to the language of the Haladin. I have a few posts about Morwen's thoughts and feelings on learning Hadorian Taliska and more generally in the tag houseless for exiles.

Eating together at a table at a designated time is more common and more important to Hadrian culture. Depending on the status, work, and structure of families, they will try to have at least one sit down meal together per day though some have more. In Ladros, eating together is considered important but the time and place of meals is less so and formal meals are a much rarer event. Morwen highly dislikes having to attend these. The tradition is new, the conversation is confusing, the food unfamiliar, and the people often largely strangers.

Dark/deep red has different cultural meanings in Hithlum. The Bëorians associate it primarily with red madder which is essential in dying ceremonial fabrics and thus it is highly associated with Bëorian leaders and nobility. For the Hadorians it is associated primarily with well, blood. Also red madder is not cultivated in Hithlum, at least not among the humans there. Likewise, the common patterns Morwen grew up with are not often used in Hadorian art and clothing and she wasn't yet at an age where she could replicate it with the accuracy she'd want.

Hadorian culture is very related to their horses and due to the geography of Ladros, very few horses are kept by the Bëorians (some are kept in the highlands by the elves there and by some of the human soldiers but not where Morwen grew up). Many Hadorian expressions and phrases and sayings reference horses and their keeping. Many stories and songs involve them. Many rites of passage involve skill in riding and work with horses. Morwen has almost no experience with horses and knows very little about them, and also, even at this age, has an intense discomfort and dislike of asking for help or aid.

Even the names for flora and fauna that she recognizes are different. Names that had been precious to her, all the names she took pride in knowing. It feels meaningless now.

Greetings, farewells, inquiries, it's not just the words that are different but the customs and expectations around them. Morwen has had difficulty in the social customs she grew up in. Those in an entirely new place and language are even more difficult. Gendered roles and expectations are also somewhat different. Styles of arguments and understandings about when, why and how you challenge someone are different.

Burial practices are different in Hithlum but that hardly matters. Many died on the journey there and most of them cannot be buried and there is no time or energy to mourn them. I think that any of the comfort and familiarity Morwen might found in these tradition and rites prior to this is probably lost. She develops a sense of futility far beyond her years. 

(I won't go too much into this because otherwise I will ramble for paragraphs but when it comes to this I inevitably think about the potential for othering Morwen experiences in Hithlum even as a child and how that connects with the much more blatant and violent shunning and persecution she suffers later; elvenfair/elfsheen becoming witchwife and elf-friend, etc etc)

She braids Rían's hair as her mother braided hers until one day, one of the older women has done Rían’s hair differently. Her cousin seems not to notice, content to play with the new children and uncaring what her braids look like. Morwen does not play with the others, even when she has finished her tasks and chores. A few of them have tried to befriend her and she has spurned all of them. Most do not try again.

She spends her evenings in stubborn silence as her aunt tries to each her the new tongue, refusing to speak the words to practice. It is only after two moons have passed that she accepts that Beleth will not stop. She speaks the words then harshly, quickly, and finally the lessons end. She ignores most further corrections from the older woman and they speak less frequently from then on.

if ur still taking prompts, pre-relationship melissa/barbara where barb is getting jealous over mel’s new fling? could be a new teacher who’s a woman as well? thank you! i love how you write them, and your overall voice in your works. thank u for ur brain and ideas and love for these two!!! <3

Augh, thank you for the kind words, Anon!!! ;w; I'm so appreciative.

And, haha, I feel like it's a rite of passage in the Work Wives fandom to pair Melissa with another MILF of choice to make Barbara jealous. <3 My face claim is Alex Kingston. >:)

CW: Grief Mentions, Emotional Infidelity, Suggestive Content

AO3 Link

—

The new art teacher is named Ms. Avery Blackwood, and she just moved from Manhattan to Philly, quietly citing the need to not see her late partner in every sunset.

She mostly worked on commission in the Big Apple, painting murals and large portraits for well-paying clients, but she also did a lot of volunteer work, lending her talents to underfunded schools and women shelters when she could.

But Ava didn’t hire her for this impressive resume—(because that would be bordering on competency, of course)—but rather for the fact that the almost sixty-year old is a Pisces and quote—“damn, that’s kinda hot, not gonna lie”—end quote.

Avery drives a yellow Volkswagen that still has a faded Bernie 2020 sticker on the bumper.

She calls everyone darling and dear and likely has paint splattered across her black overalls at any given time. 

She tucks paintbrushes behind her ear and charmingly doesn’t remember that she’s done so in the first place.

But once she’s been told someone's name and attaches it to a face, she never, ever forgets.

And to top it all off, Avery Blackwood, along with these innumerable endearing qualities, is utterly breathtaking—all curly russet hair and pale hazel eyes, curves in gorgeous places, and an English accent delivered in a low, delicious voice. The kids love her for her whimsy and play. Janine’s already adopted her as her newest middle-aged mother. 

And Melissa.

Melissa is dating her.

Barbara didn’t realize this crucial fact until precisely yesterday when she was sitting in the lounge, trying her hardest not to stare at the empty seat next to her for well over half-an-hour. The younger teachers had gone to Pizza Hut for lunch, which made the absence of the second grade grade teacher all the more pronounced. A vacancy that was a presence. The ghost of a very alive person. Barbara’s daily crossword puzzle went untouched, her afternoon mug of coffee mostly full, as she mentally combed through the most rational possibilities in her head: Melissa catching up on grades, Melissa trying to get the blasted copier in the office to work, Melissa gone to grab a bite to eat all by her lonesome.

All reasonable and distinct options.

Still.

Barbara had glanced at her phone every few minutes to see if she had received a text confirming any of them, providing an explanation, an excuse, an apology.

Nothing.

Nada.

Zilch.

Just a voicemail from Gerald apologizing because sorry, honey, he’d be home late. 

Her husband is always late these days, though. His promotion’s been good for their finances—it even funded their lovely cruise this past summer—but it’s been less conducive to their relationship, disrupting every sturdy habit and rhythm they’ve cultivated together for well over thirty years. He is the indentation on the left side of the bed and the apologetic voicemails he leaves because of it. He is the hasty peck on her cheek before he leaves for work and the untouched coffee mug she instinctively sets next to hers anyway. What he fundamentally isn’t, however, is there, and she’s felt this new distance terribly, like a three-inch incision across her chest. She’s tried to bandage the untenable wound with other things—namely people. 

Namely one person. 

Namely Melissa. 

The two teachers have been spending a lot of time together lately, even out of school—getting their nails done or going to see Saturday matinees or shopping deals on school supplies together at Staples. So she’s gotten used to Melissa being around, has soothed her pathological need for routine because of this immutable fact. 

In the absence of Gerald, there has been Melissa.

A constant presence at her shoulder.

Never more than a text or call or short walk down the hall away.

Until yesterday.

Until Avery Blackwood.

At some point, she walked to the window as a preventative measure against impulsively marching to her friend’s classroom and demanding an explanation, and as she peered through the rain-splattered blinds, she saw them.

Melissa and Avery.

They were walking up the stone steps together, holding hands, and Melissa was laughing at a joke that the other woman had clearly just told, her smile impossible to miss even from a distance.

Even from another room.

Even at the ends of this world.

And Barbara’s stomach had clenched unpleasantly where she stood on the tiles, recoiling at the unexpected sight. And she had mechanically walked back to her seat and tried to sit with this feeling as it rose within her, snarling her carefully composed nervous system into disarray. She didn’t want to admit it, but in her heart of hearts—that forbidden tree she scarcely touches—she understood, even then, that this feeling was jealousy.

And it was irrational.

Ugly.

Perhaps even sinful. 

Thou shalt not covet thy best friend’s girlfriend.

Because Melissa undoubtedly deserves happiness.

And you already have it.

You are a married, Christian woman.

Barbara has known, for sometime now, that Melissa also dates women—mostly when she was younger and before she’d married Joseph—but now that she’s single again, having broken up with Gary the Vending Machine Guy a few months ago, she’s been getting into the swing of regularly dating again: a man named Thornton who had a Tom Selleck mustache, a woman named Selina who’d worked on a local mayoral campaign, a bartender named Layla. 

Barbara has hated all of her friend’s flings for completely valid and totally objective reasons, telling her as much—and in her humble opinion—doing the Lord’s work of helping her to see the proverbial light.

Gary was content to settle, never once trying something new. And while he was nice and funny and good, he took it for granted that Melissa wanted a staid and unchanging lifestyle too.

Thornton, well, he didn’t root for the Eagles, so that was a no-go despite his impressive mustache.

Selina, bless her heart, never stopped talking about politics.

And Layla—mmm, the nerve of her—didn’t care much about politics at all.

But Avery Blackwood, who is impossibly kind and witty and passionate about helping others, is perfect. There is nothing about her to nitpick and everything about her to root for. She’s probably good for Melissa.

Maybe she’s even the one.

And if jealousy was the awful feeling that Barbara had to swallow in that moment, then happiness was the emotion she had to hastily fake, capably simulating it with a porcelain facade of a smile when the two women finally made it into the lounge, still holding hands.

Melissa was self-conscious—as she always was when she was introducing her new partners to Barbara—her cheeks tinged rather pink.

And Barbara had been so perfectly gracious, as she always was when she was meeting Melissa’s partners—arranging her gritted teeth into a bright and pearly smile.

“You two are simply radiant,” she had mused, and it had broken something inside of her to do it.

She could not articulate to herself why.

She could not pray about it to God either.

—

It is Wednesday—the next day—and Barbara is sitting at her desk, savoring her second mug of coffee before the bell rings, when she hears a gentle rapping noise to her left. She looks up and over to see Melissa leaning against her open classroom door, her striking hair a little damp from the rain, spilling over her shoulders in dark, elegant waves.

“Hey, you,” she smirks, huffing a little, her cheeks flushed. Apparently, she’d jogged here, and the overall effect of all this—her wet hair and rosy face, her casual posture, the way the top two buttons of her shirt are carelessly undone, the vee-shaped divot suggesting the ample curves of those smooth, rolling—

—does nothing for Barbara.

Obviously.

“Hey, yourself,” she rasps hoarsely and hastily takes a throat-clearing sip of her coffee. Her damn sinuses. They always get to her at this time of the year. “What’s got you all flustered, Ms. Schemmenti?”

“Nothin’ in particular,” Melissa shakes her head, still grinning. “Just wanted to catch ya before the bell and apologize for yesterday. Sorry that I skipped lunch.”

And went out a date with Avery Blackwood.

And held hands with her. 

Maybe even kissed her.

Barbara imagines Avery’s fingers in her friend’s hair, twisted in those thick, scarlet tresses. She sees Melissa’s arms around the other woman’s curving waist, the space between their bodies negligible. Envisions them trading shades and flavors of red lipstick, can almost hear the sensuous heaving of their mingled breaths. Impatient grunts. Maybe even the occasional moan. And that same awful feeling that had consumed her as she had stood by the window yesterday begins to climb up the rungs of her throat, constricting it, choking what’s left of her resolve to maintain an impeccable front.

And it is initially rather oblique to her—incomprehensible and frankly terrifying—why she should be feeling jealous of the idea of Melissa kissing another woman. It is one thing to be saddened at the idea of losing time with her closest friend; it is another to want to wretch at just the mere thought of the second grade teacher’s lips turning into another art project for one Ms. Avery Blackwood.

But in the end... she supposes she just misses Gerald, his little romantic gestures, his chaste kisses, his once attentive care.

Maybe she’s just lonely.

“Pssh,” she forces herself to smile all the same. “no need to apologize, girlfriend… I was simply happy to see you so happy…”

“Oh, yeah?” Melissa’s own smile brightens, her blush deepening until her face is nearly as red as her hair. Barbara is uncomfortably aware that the other teacher likes receiving her approval, perhaps even hinges some of her self-esteem on it. It’s been this way since her divorce and Joseph wrapped a horrible bow on their marriage by finally cheating on her.

That betrayal had unraveled Melissa Schemmenti.

Had made her feel like she was impossible to love.

And Barbara had seen all of this very clearly, had done everything in her power to put her friend’s broken pieces back together again, laboriously reconstructing her by telling her—almost everyday—that she was so loved and so cared for.

Lord, and how she’d done everything shy of kissing her to prove it.

“Yes,” Barbara nods, softening at these memories, chastising herself for forgetting them in the first place. Her entire project these last five years has been to help Melissa find happiness again… even if it comes at the expense of her own. “I’ve missed seeing you smile like that.”

And it’s true enough.

For the first year after the divorce, Melissa didn’t smile all that much anymore. 

Not like she used to anyway.

And it had killed her inside, had hurt her and hurt her and hurt her, every single God blessed day to see the lifelessness in her eyes, to endure the unchanging monotony of her voice.

She remembers tearing up the first time she heard Melissa belly laugh again—maybe two years after the fact. They’d been at her house, making batches of Christmas cookies for their students, and Barbara had hastily opened a bag of flour, causing the dust to explode all over her face. Melissa had laughed and laughed and laughed some more at what was assuredly a hilarious sight until her own face turned red, the sound warm and vibrant and everything lovely in that dimly-lit kitchen.

And flour all over her cheeks and everything, Barbara had nearly wept, unhinged at that beautiful, nearly forgotten noise. Oh, God, how she’d pulled her friend into a hug then, smearing flour across her face too, kissing her—so very softly—on the crown of that vivid head.

Because Melissa was laughing.

Melissa was happy.

Maybe more accurately still, they were happy together.

“Smile like what?” Melissa tilts her head quizzically, her dark brow pinching somewhere in the middle.

“Like you’re at peace,” she says warmly and beneath her desk, digs her fingernails into the palm of her other hand. Because it stings—more than she ever thought it would—that her friend would finally find contentment in someone who wasn’t her.

Melissa opens her mouth and then abruptly closes it, rendered speechless with visible tenderness and delight, pink feathering her high cheekbones. 

Goodness, she’s radiant, Barbara thinks, continuing to grip her palm, idly clawing at it, grounding herself in the distant ache.

“It’s still early yet, Barb,” the younger woman finally croaks, attempting to be playful but clearly and audibly touched. “Don’t jinx us.”

“Ach, never,” she intones, clumsily disguising a sudden gasp of pain as a laugh.

When she looks down at her hands, she sees that she has nicked herself, has accidentally drawn blood.

—

Avery is the one who proposes it—a joint lesson where Barbara will read The Cat in the Hat to her kids, and Avery will help them with a coloring project shortly afterwards. She comes to Barbara’s classroom after school one day—perhaps a week after the kindergarten teacher first saw her and Melissa from the window—so they can plan the specifics. With her impossible hair tied in a messy bun atop of her head and the loosely rolled sleeves of her oversized shirt speckled with paint and her slightly lined eyes bright with infectious zeal, it’s easy enough to understand why Ava calls her a “fine ass Miss Frizzle.”

And in hindsight, Barbara now knows why Melissa had been the first to agree.

“Genius,” Avery enthuses, lightly brushing her shoulder against Barbara’s own. “I mean, absolutely bloody brilliant—do you really create vocabulary card decks for each book that you’re reading? And for every student? Because if you do, then Melissa was absolutely correct when she called you a god.”

Her cheeks darken at the excessively kind words—both the art teacher’s own but more so Melissa’s purported ones. She never admits it, but she quite likes receiving her friend’s verbal approval too.

“Melissa thinks far too highly of me,” she says diplomatically, though a pleased smile rises to her lips all the same. “But I suppose she probably says the same of me.”

Neither of them are particularly good at loving each other in moderation. Gerald once teased that she loved Melissa more than him, and Barbara had just as jokingly agreed.

“Something to that effect, yes,” Avery laughs, the sound jocular and lovely, though her playfulness somewhat quickly cedes to thoughtfulness. She regards Barbara with a fond expression, tilting her curly head as though she’s trying to figure out how to capture her best angles in paint. “Mel really does think the world of you, you know. Says that you were there for her when she was really going through it with her ex…”

“It’s what any friend would do,” Barbara says quickly, flushing a little, not entirely sure if she’s touched that Melissa would share such an intimate detail about their friendship or irritated that she did.

Partially thinks that sharing the fact takes some of novelty away from it.

Ludicrous, she knows.

Absolutely ridiculous.

She’s well-aware.

(What is awareness to raw emotion, though, intellectualization to the irrationality of her deepest and most detested feelings?)

“What a good friend would do, dear,” Avery corrects firmly, thankfully oblivious to her inner conflict. “It’s in times of crisis when you learn who your true friends are. When my… you know, when my Morgan passed, so many people I thought were in my corner suddenly poofed, vanished, disappeared into the aether. And the ones who stayed—who helped me through the darkness—were often people I least expected. But they were so kind to me. They held my hand while I was in the straits, and they refused to let me go…”

Even though Avery’s gentle expression remains unchanged, Barbara can see the sadness in the forest of her eyes, can hear its plaintive notes in her rich, lilting voice. She cannot begin to fathom ever losing Gerald, even as complicated as things are between them now. She still loves him, of course. He’s the father of her kids and the other person in their shared bed of thirty-four—nearly thirty-five—years. She’d simply be lost without him.

She thinks it would be the death of her to lose Melissa, to never see that bright, red mouth smiling crookedly at her from across the room again. They’ve only known each other for nineteen years, but it feels like forever. And if Gerald is the other person in her bed, then Melissa is the filled seat next to hers in the teacher’s lounge, the hip lightly brushing against her own, the leather-clad shoulder she knows she can always lean upon.

They’re her people—her husband and her work wife—and she’s absolutely selfish; she wouldn’t be able to easily let either of them go.

So she reaches out accordingly, placing a hand on the small of the art teacher’s back in this imagined empathy of total, devastating, and unrecoverable grief.

There would be no Barbara Howard anymore in the aftermath of losing her beloved Ger or her precious Mel.

There would only be an empty husk of the woman she once was.

Her unhallowed and hollowed ghost.

“I’m so sorry for your loss,” she offers sincerely—with everything in her—but Avery only shakes her head and smiles at her gratefully. Her innumerable curls shiver at the movement.

“It was a long time ago, and things are much better now,” she returns softly, reaching over and lightly squeezing Barbara's free hand. “I have my necessary distractions—a new home to ruin with all my artistic endeavors, a different job to brilliantly occupy my time, and, well, Melissa now.”

Barbara doesn’t discipline her immediate reaction fast enough, frowning deeply at the inclusion of her friend’s name on this particular list.

“Oh,” Avery says hurriedly, catching the microgesture in an instant, pops of color rising across her smooth cheeks, “I don’t mean to say that I’m using Melissa as a way of coping. I like her very much… she understands loss…”

“She does,” Barbara says, not exactly coldly, but perhaps with a touch of admonition, eyeing the other teacher carefully. She lets her hand fall away, primly templing it with the other. “She absolutely understands loss—perhaps far too well as you might know."

Her nana who practically raised her and so many other relatives besides.

An uncle who was killed.

Joseph, that awful man.

Their acrimonious divorce.

Her estranged sister.

“I do know,” Avery agrees, her pale eyes suddenly bright in the harsh fluorescence of the classroom. “And I didn’t mean to insinuate—I mean, I would never hurt her. Melissa is so dear to me."

“I believe you,” she smiles tightly but truthfully. She thinks the art teacher occasionally wears her emotions on her sleeves—as transparently as the paint that is already there—and she half-admires this vulnerability.

Could never be so candid herself. 

But she thinks it’s rather dangerous too, this capacity for laying one’s soul bare before another. Lesser people would take advantage, and they do everyday.

“Sometimes, though, we hurt people without ever really meaning to,” Barbara continues, taking on the familiar tone of Mrs. Howard.

Kind and didactic.

A little sanctimonious, maybe.

But well-intentioned.

Always.

She just doesn’t want to see Melissa hurt again.

“Even if we care about them—perhaps especially when we do."

The other woman flinches, as though she's been slapped, so Barbara hastily adds, "Not that you would, of course, but it’s something to keep in mind, yes?”

Avery is quiet for a long time after this, all of her usual mirth sieved from her, replaced with a world weariness and an aching, almost tangible sorrow. Barbara doesn’t think she did this to her, though; rather, she intuits that this is the person behind the painted smile.

This is the artist as herself and not as who she presents herself to be.

She feels sorry for her; she stands by her implicit warning all the same.

Melissa will always come first to her—her happiness, her security, her invaluable peace of mind—and she'll do anything to protect those holy treasures.

(She wishes—more than anything and with inordinate guilt—that she could provide them for her.)

"Fair enough," Avery eventually agrees.

Her ensuing smile is exquisite; it does not touch her eyes.

—

That evening, Barbara is curled up in her favorite recliner, watching Family Feud but not really seeing it, a glass of Prosecco idly supported between her fingertips. Gerald’s going to be late again—surprise, surprise—and she put on a whole pot of chicken and dumplings for nothing. 

Oh, sure, he’ll eat a bowl tonight when he gets home around eight or nine, but she’ll have already eaten herself and will likely be in bed to prepare for the school day tomorrow. And if she is, her husband might even sleep in the guest room tonight so as not to disturb her.

He’s polite like that.

But Gerald’s versions of politeness often leave her feeling lonelier than ever before.

So when her phone suddenly rings right at the commercial break, and Melissa’s smiling face washes over her screen—(a picture she’d taken on their most recent movie date)—Barbara is perhaps a little too eager to pick up the phone, pressing it to her ear like a lifeline.

She’s wholly unprepared for the greeting that follows.

“What the hell did you say to Avery?” 

“What?” Barbara splutters, uncomprehending and half-offended and so horribly afraid. She sits up abruptly, accidentally spilling a little wine on one of her favorite silk blouses. “What in Heaven’s name do you mean, Melissa? I didn’t—“

But the younger woman cuts across her viciously. “Things were all fine this morning, but then she goes to your classroom, and not even five minutes later, she’s in mine, tellin’ me we should take things slower!”

Barbara closes her eyes, suddenly and completely nauseous. The art teacher had apparently taken her words to heart, had evaluated them and perhaps found that they struck a meaningful chord. 

Avery is still grieving her partner.

And grief is a monstrous thing.

It colors everything it touches—thoughts, memories, conversations, and deeds.

Relationships too.

(Maybe even relationships especially.)

“Are you saying that she broke up with you?” She rasps, her voice choked, wrung with unspeakable shame.

And something else as well.

But that something else is far more insidious to ever name.

(Hope.)

(Self-righteousness.)

(Glorious, sweeping relief.)

“No, I’m sayin’ that here you go again, messin’ with my relationships,” comes a quick and scathing reply. “You didn’t like Selina or Layla or Thornton. Fuck, you didn’t even like Gary, and you set me up with him in the first place!”

Every word lands across her stomach like the entry of a new knife, gushing blood. It’s true that she’s voiced her reservations about each and every one of Melissa’s most recent partners, but not for any malicious intent. She’s only meant to help her friend, naming the flaws in these various flings that her friend couldn’t see. 

That is altruism from her limited perspective.

Meddling is a form of love.

“You’re being incredibly unfair,” she hisses, angrily wiping at the tears that have started to form at the corners of her eyes. “I’ve only wanted the best for you, Melissa, and you know that.”

And none of those individuals—as kind as they were or funny or sexy or available—were good enough for Melissa Schemmenti.

They were nice people.

That didn’t mean a blessed thing to Barbara.

“Yeah, well, from where I’m standing, you don’t give a rat’s ass about me—you just want me to be as miserable as yourself.”

And, oh, it is this indictment that is the cruelest of them all, and Barbara immediately wants to cry and shudder and scream so loudly that she can be heard from miles upon miles away. Another part of her still wants to fight back, teeth bared and hackles raised, wants to snarl so many unsavory things. 

That her marriage is none of Melissa’s business.

That if she was so uncaring, then who has unfailingly been by her side these past five years, fixing what Joseph Lombardo so callously broke?

That she loves her.

You know that I do, Melissa.

I have loved you far more and for far longer than almost anyone.

Do you not know that?

Have I not proved to you—over and over again—that I care?

“I’m not miserable,” she mewls instead, the words pathetic even to her own ears. She sounds like a petulant child, but her deepest honesty would be overwhelming and too much.

It would sound like a vulgar confession. 

A romantic one.

Her glass violently trembles in her hand. 

“Keep telling yourself that, Barbara," comes an incredulous, broken laugh, "but don’t talk to me about my shit again until you’re finally ready to be honest about your own.”

And with that searing proclamation, Melissa hangs up with a brutal click, leaving Barbara alone again in her big, empty house.

The abrupt silence bruises her.

Wraps its fingers around the pillar of her throat.

She sits in her recliner and simply suffocates—for minutes after that, and then hours, a monolith carved from stone as tears serpentine down the weathered crevices of her face like water over an ancient fountain. She wipes at them only every now and then. Can’t entirely bring herself to care.

Darkness falls through the bay window in the living room, laying across her like a steel cage. She drinks and refills her wine and drinks and refills her wine until the bottle is  empty, and her mind is a buzzing tape recorder, replaying that last conversation in her head until she’s making up replies that she didn’t say.

She is not miserable, Melissa.

She is a married, Christian woman.

She cannot fathom those two ever being one and the same.

Riri… your requests say open so I come with an idea!!! but feel free to ignore it haha sending requests make me so nervous 😅😅

Anyways just maybe someone running into Bo’s arms for protection?

just an interesting concept that I thought you’d do good with. again feel free to ignore it!! Hope you’re having a good day ❤️

aww anon ;-; ofc i'll do this!

ngl, i've been excited to touch this! it's a prompt that i've seen so many good bo writers take on, so i'm gonna do my best to put my own spin on it! also, sorry for kinda going off. my crush on this man is showing so fucking hard in this but i like what i said so it’s staying in lol

brightest stars are falling down 🕯️

SFW | Word Count: 1,122 | Bo Sinclair x GN Reader

contains mild paranoia, the horror of a town that never ages and a man who stagnated with it, etc etc

🎼: x

Ambrose was a strange little spot in the middle of desolate forest, but you could see the charm. Even as the Sun had sunk behind the tree line, engulfed by the rich greenery and pale grasses of the surprisingly lively flora, you found yourself leaning against the concrete fencing around this little house on a hill. It was separated from the rest of the small perimeter of town, looking down on it through a few heavy bushes and hanging trees.

It was a little odd that you had spent the entire afternoon (and now a good portion of the evening) within the confines, and only saw one or two people the entire time. Still, you knew small towns fairly well: some locals became agoraphobic with age, never came out unless they had kids dragging them out and breathing life into the place. One of the few people you had seen was actually the one who had been showing you around since coming in, now swiveling out the front door of the house and coming down the steps with his hat’s brim hiding his eyes. His tone was warm enough to soothe the uncanniness that came from that. It even made you grin a little.

“You ready to get a move on?”

“As I’ll ever be.” You pushed off the fence, smiling with crossed arms as he came to stand in front of you. He pointed at the plethora of supplies in some old plastic tub that had seen better days, something he hadn’t had when he went inside. You felt too nervous to follow, offering to wait outside for him much to his insistence you should come with. He had let you at the end of the day, swayed by the way you had made yourself look comfortable against the fence. He explained, hand pointing to the tub in the other arm, “I got some stuff to drop off at the garage if that’s alright. I’ll take y’back down, send you on your way.”

You beamed, “Sounds good to me, er…You said your name was Joe?” His eyes met yours, a glint of deep, bruising blue in the dark of his hat’s shadow. Still, his smile was uncannily white, straight and gorgeous. “Bo.” He corrected, and your immediate apologetic expression made the smile grow as he eased, “I mumble, so it happens. No big deal.”

Walking down with him, you found the dirt road harder to keep control on as it headed downhill compared to the original trek up. Bo seemed fit for it, holding his weight still in a strangely lopsided fashion while somehow keeping balance. You took a mental note at how his right leg sometimes hobbled rather than strode, but it was a very irregular gait that made you want to stare. You honestly could if you let yourself, tracing the details on him that had initially caught your eye. You had thought he was rather handsome in the glimpses that you had managed, and even while being preoccupied with stumbling through the dirt and an occasional rock or divet in the earth, you were trying not to quirk your lips at how curly his dark hair looked underneath his hat.

His right hand revealed a thick gold ring on the appropriate finger, a ruby-colored stone in the center. Almost looked like a class ring. You wondered if he went to school, and maybe that could be a conversation starter if you had the stomach for it. Your eyes then flickered to his jawline, which sharpened and released at intervals. Tufts of deep brunette sideburns were licking up the side of his face, stopping right at his ear and just as wild as the rest of the curls. Oh, he might be a teeth grinder like you. Eyes caught the resting pout on his face, eyes casted down still, but before you could fawn over that his head turned up and eyes once again became visible. You only met them for a split second before turning your attention back to the path in front of you with an alarmed, helpless lift of your eyelids. Fuck, did he catch you?

Not mentioning it, he hummed, “The town’s awful dark. Usually, the generator kicks on later in the night for the streetlights. Gets it on this old place so you can actually see.” You looked down a dark street as the dirt ended and the pavement began, feeling once again held tight by the run down buildings and the quiet ambiance. It was like a group was always just out of sight, turning your head to try and figure out where the subtle noise was coming from…

In a motion that shook you to the core, a flash of light assaulted your senses with a loud slam, bathing you in a kind of glow bigger than you or him and well over your head. Bo was stone still, eyes flickering upwards with a certain look on his face, his forehead wrinkling as his eyes caught the light with glowing familiarity – but to feel your weight collide with him made them quickly come falling back down.

You rocked heavily on your heels, gasping like a strike from an otherworldly force had caught you off-guard as you leaned into him. “Oh, fuck-“ You choked out, holding onto the front of his mechanic’s shirt, the rough fabric abrasive against your clammy palms. “S-sorry, I-“ He responded with a hover of his hand over your back, “No, it’s alright. That was sudden, don’t usually come on that quick.” He eased, shaking his head while staring down at the top of yours.

When you didn’t seem sure, not quite pulling off of him yet and hearing clicks and slams from every which side as the lights in the shop windows were now turning on, trying to understand why everything was coming on with such precise timing, he dared let his hand gently settle between your shoulder blades. Your breath hitched, feeling constricted by both the circle of lighting over your head and the circling of his arm around you.

“Hey. [Y/N], is that right?” Your eyes shot up again, and Bo murmured, “Promise it’s alright, it’s just a small town electrical fluke.”

That was right. You merely swallowed, rolling his arm off of you and trying to regain some form of dignity. Still, as he turned down the sidewalk and walked towards the garage with you, you found yourself tagging along much closer to him, meeting his charmed smirk with a nervous grin that hid the terror you still felt. Especially as you neared the doors, your mind began to collect itself and start thinking like a smart person again.

...Did I tell him my name?

I love your writing so much. If I could I would print all of your prompts just to have my own Loubbie book <3 I wanted to share this prompt, Lou and Debbie as horny teens, Debbie has just gotten her first car and Lou is like we have to complete this rite of passage and Debbie is like sex in a car is going to be uncomfortable as hell but with a few bumps down the road they get to be experts until Tammy finds out and refuses to get in the car again

Thank you so much! (I mean you're welcome to lol) But that's so sweet. I love that! Here you are:

“I can’t believe you got your own car,” Lou shook her head as she tossed a french fry into her mouth. “How jealous was Danny?”

“We both know my dad was just trying to buy me off,” Debbie rolled her eyes.

“Fuck Dennis,” Lou sighed. “Besides, Deb, it’s win-win. You don’t have to run shitty jobs with your dad and your brother and we can do our own thing. And now you have a sweet ride.”

“I guess,” the brunette sighed, kicking at her empty soda cup as the two watched it roll around the parking lot.

“I know one thing you’ll like,” Lou smirked, nudging the Ocean with her shoulder.

“What’s that?” Debbie asked, stealing one of the blonde’s fries.

“Car sex,” Lou shrugged.

“What?” Debbie shrieked, almost choking on the fry as she tried to catch her breath mid-laugh. “Come on, Lou. Nobody actually does that.”

“Sure they do,” Lou grinned, her shoulders shaking as she laughed at Debbie’s reaction.

“But it’s so tiny and cramped and just, I don’t know,” Debbie protested. “Weird. I feel like it’d be uncomfortable.”

“We’d figure it out,” Lou grinned. She hopped off the hood of the car and offered her hand out to Debbie. “Could give it a whirl right now.”

“Chivalrous,” Debbie snorted.

“You don’t want me to fuck you right now?” Lou asked, her voice going low as she raised an eyebrow at the brunette, knowing she had Debbie hooked.

“I mean,” Debbie drifted off, looking away from the blonde as Lou caught her face in her hand, turning Debbie to look at her before kissing her softly.

“It’s not the most romantic I know,” Lou hummed. “But it cuts out the hiding and the sneaking around we have to go through at either of our houses.”

“Keep talking,” Debbie laughed.

“And it is hot,” Lou whispered in Debbie’s ear. “Imagine me telling you to pull over because you just look so god damn good and I have to have you. Right. Now.”

“Right now?” Debbie gasped, her breath hitching as she felt Lou’s hand on her thigh, pushing her dress higher.

“Right now,” Lou murmured.

Besides some rug burn, a nasty bump to Lou’s head from a headrest and an unfortunate seat belt buckle meets Debbie’s ass incident, the pair quickly learnt the ropes and were happy to have a mobile escape for some alone time, even if it was threaded with giggles and minor injuries and Lou’s teasing that this had become one of Debbie’s favorite past times over the past few months.

“What time does the movie start?” Lou asked, looking over at Debbie in the passenger seat. More often than not, it was Lou who had taken over the habit of driving Debbie’s car wherever they went. Like the true New Yorker she was, Debbie seemed to like the idea of having a way to escape more than the reality that she actually had to drive it.

“Ten minutes,” the brunette sighed.

“We’re not gonna make it,” Tammy sang from the back as Debbie shot her a death glare and Lou rolled her eyes in the rearview mirror.

“You’re the one who wasn’t ready when we came to pick you up, Tam,” Debbie pointed out.

“Not all of us have girlfriends, Deb, some of us have to make sure we look cute when we go out. Never know who you’ll meet.”

“In a dark movie theater?” Lou snorted.

“Um,” Tammy spoke, clearing her throat uncomfortably. “Why the fuck is there a red thong back here?”

“A what?” Debbie gasped, turning around to look at Tammy before whipping back to the front, her face turning as red as the underwear.

“A thong,” Lou smirked.

“Don’t. Laugh.” Debbie hissed.

“Lou,” Tammy growled.

“Don’t look at me,” the blonde snorted. “Do you think I’d wear red lace underwear?”

“How do you know it’s lace?” Tammy balked.

“Who else do you think is taking my underwear off?” Debbie grinned, turning around to stick her tongue out at Tammy.

“Let me out of the car.”

“Never,” Lou sang.

“Grow up, Tam.”

“Oh my god I am literally sitting on top of where you’ve had sex,” Tammy squeaked. “And how do you even forget your underwear, Debbie?!”

“Oh, that’s my bad,” Lou chuckled, turning into the parking lot as Tammy made gagging noises in the back.

“I thought they were Debbie’s,” Tammy grumbled.

“They are,” Lou nodded, pulling into a parking spot with ease before she locked eyes with Tammy in the mirror. “I kept them as a memento though. You know, way too wet for Deb to put back on. Threw them in my pocket for later. Guess they fell out.”

“That’s worse,” Tammy groaned. “God, that’s so much worse.”

FREE RICKORTY+ PROMPTS!:

Seriously, if you wanna write any of these just go for it and then let me know. Spoilers for S5E10. Some are more gen but could also be shippy, smut encouraged but optional. All of these are definitely bottom!Morty btw. Others are straight up smut.

Non-rickorty prompts (really just Morty x Summer) are are the bottom.

PROMPTS:

Trapped on what remains of the Citadel, Rick confesses that he recently realized he’s in love with Morty and that he wants to be by Morty’s side forever - in whatever way Morty wants (as in be it romantic, familial, platonic, whatever, it’s Morty’s choice). How does Morty feel and what will he decide?

After the whole Planetina thing Morty gets much needed comfort from Beth. Tho he feels better after that, Morty feels the overwhelming need to be with Rick. As it happens, after that whole ordeal with Daphne, Rick feels an overwhelming need to be with Morty. Bedsharing and comfort ensue.

Morty notices that ever since the Citadel was destroyed, Rick’s been way more physically affectionate. Little touches, petting his hair, hugging, casually rubbing soothing circles on him when they relax, wanting to cuddle, affectionate kisses, handholding, even nuzzling him. Morty likes it. A LOT.

In a rare moment of relaxation, Rick and Morty snuggling up together, they share a kiss. Both are shocked but then immediately begin an intense make-out session.

Rick wants to make up for his prior mistreatment of Morty. Morty asks for something be never expected: A kiss. And Morty means a full on kiss - tongue included. Who is Rick to deny him?

Rick and Morty have a rather intense incest kink. Lots of dirty talk.

Morty finds out that Rick has feelings for him. Rick freaks out, feels like a piece of shit, and tries to run away. Morty stops him, clings to him, begs Rick to calm down and to not leave him. Rick is practically hysterical, Morty gets him to shut up and calm down the only way he can - a kiss.

Morty preys on Rick’s guilt for having mistreated Morty in the past by guilting him into having sex. Morty knows Rick doesn’t want it, but he’ll do anything Morty wants. Morty feels like shit doing this but he can’t get about of how good Rick feels inside him.

Morty royally screws up on an adventure, almost getting himself killed, and Rick opts for a good ol fashioned punishment - a bare bottom spanking. Aftercare happens because Rick was terrified for Morty and needs him to understand this is why he spanked him.

Rick suffers from Domdrop after a really emotionally intense session with Morty. Morty provides Rick with the aftercare he needs.

The family finds out about Rick and Morty’s relationship. Shocking everyone, it’s Beth who attacks Rick square in a blind rage. The whole time Morty is begging her to stop hurting Rick, who doesn’t even try to defend himself, and it’s Jerry and Summer who have to hold her back so she’ll actually listen to Morty.

Rick and Morty get married at the alien equivalent of Las Vegas. Summer was a witness and recorded the whole thing.

In another dimension it’s considered a rite of passage for a boy to have sex with the household patriarch when he turns 14. Morty never felt the need to do that but then Rick comes along and says that’s because Jerry wasn’t man enough to do it, so Rick takes it upon himself to do so.

Morty is attracted to Rick specifically because Rick is a dirty old man.

On the Citadel, some Morty’s are bred purely to be sex slaves for Rick’s. Bred to be more compliant, submissive, and who love Rick’s unconditionally no matter how badly they mistreat them.

Rick and Morty have an emotionally incestuous relationship. Basically: “when a parent or caregiver relies on a child for the support that an adult partner would usually provide. They may also treat the child like a romantic partner.”

Morty deliberately gets himself into trouble on adventures because Rick will, out of worry and adrenaline pumping through him, fuck Morty afterward like an animal. Like a twisted version of “glad to be alive sex”.

Rick and Morty have to hide in a tight fitting enclosed space while facing each other. Awkward boners and grinding / dry humping ensue.

Omegavese. Morty goes into heat and Rick knocks him up. It wouldn’t be so bad if Rick wasn’t seriously turned on by Morty being pregnant with his baby.

Omegaverse. Unclaimed Omega’s have it rough and are constant targets for harassment. One day Morty gets assaulted by some Alpha’s at school and before they’re able to violate and claim him, Rick shows up and makes them wish they were never born. Morty knew right then that Rick was his Alpha and begs for Rick to claim him.

Rookie Cop Rick x Cop Morty. Rick likes how chubby Morty is.

Toxic Rick x Toxic Morty. They’re both made up of the irrational attachments they have for each other. Without their healthier selves to reign them in they can’t keep their hands off each other. Basically, in between all the science, Toxic Rick fucks Toxic Morty and Toxic Morty can’t get enough of just how much Rick loves him.

Evil Rick x Evil Morty. Sometimes Morty lets Rick have control of himself again just so Rick will rape him like he used to before Morty took control.

Morty’s fantasy is for Rick to fuck him against his will while Morty cries and begs Rick to stop. Rick can’t deny Morty his perverted fantasy.

Rick goes on a rampage to save Morty and, by the time all is said and done, Rick is mildly wounded and is practically drenched in the blood of his enemy. And it’s the hottest thing Morty has ever seen in his life. Morty wants Rick to fuck him right then and there, raw and primal, using the blood as lube.

Morty’s just so small and cute. Rick loves it a little too much.

Rick loves to degrade and humiliate Morty in bed. Morty loves it too.

Breeding kink. They like to pretend Morty can actually get pregnant when they have sex.

OTHER:

Summer asks Rick to shrink her giant space incest baby down to normal baby size. Everyone tries to talk her out of it because she’s young and not ready to raise a baby, but she knows she can’t live without him and that she wants this.

Morty x Summer. It may have been under very weird circumstances but fact is they have a baby together. Summer says she doesn’t expect anything from Morty and is cool with it, but Morty wants to be involved. Raising a kid together can make you feel things you never expected to feel.

Morty x Summer. Morty liked attractive redheads and Summer is no exception.

Morty x Summer. After everything they’ve seen and done, sex with each other to relieve stress isn’t that noteworthy.

Morty x Summer. Summer is humiliated that she actually enjoys being fucked by her little brother. Worse yet, Morty knows it and taunts her with it while fucking her. Worst of all, him doing that makes it even better for her.

Morty x Summer. Set during the time Rick was in prison. They’re always fighting lately, sometimes to the point of physical aggression. One thing leads to another.

Morty & Summer. After the whole Morty Jr. thing, Morty isn’t sure he wants to be a dad again. But Summer is worn ragged with school, taking care of their recently-shrunk-to-normal-size space baby, and their family giving her crap for raising him instead of leaving him in space. And, well, he is responsible for the kid existing in the first place. Basically they raise their baby together.

Summer sees Morty getting picked on at school and she ends up beating up his bully half to death.

Morty x Summer. Something happens and they end up bound together face to face with Morty’s head buried in Summer’s boobs. They’re so big and soft that he gets aroused in spite of himself. Summer feels it, insults him like expected, but tells him just to hurry up and get rid of it by grinding against her thigh so they can start pretending this whole thing never happened sooner.

————

And that’s all I got for now, folks! I know it’s a long list and it’s all over the place but I have so many ideas in my head and the S5 finale just sent my imagination into overdrive.

So please, if you’re a writer, I hope these prompts inspire you. Let me know if you write anything, please!

WiP List

This is gonna be looooong (like, REALLY long), so I’mma go ahead and give you a cut here. But if you’re interested in what i’m working on, take a look!

Order purely based on the order my tabs are in. I’m only counting WiPs that actually have more than a paragraph written, because if I didn’t, this list would be even longer. Also, pls don’t judge me but what I name my WiPs 😂

Post-Coital Smoke

Kinda what it sounds like tbh. I just wanted Iorveth getting high and admiring Roche’s body and then Roche decided to be a tease. At some point, I assume there will be sex.

Angst: Sex object Roche

Iorveth’s POV of realizing that Roche hurts himself whenever he flirts at Iorveth. Premise is that Roche has been groomed (intentionally or not) by Foltest to be his. So when he feels attraction towards Iorveth, he needs to be punished. And obviously Iorveth helps him learn that no, that’s not okay and idk recovery???

Midwinter Feast

This idea was 100% spawned by me trying to write holiday fics, but Foltest hosts a Midwinter Feast where they close the city for 12 days, leaving Roche to get along with the Nonhuman/Scoia’tael(ish) delegation during that time. Also, Foltest might be using the feast as a delaying tactic to resupply his army. I legit have no idea where this is going, I just thought the idea of Roche and Iorveth stuck at a feast for 12 days was funny.

Solstice Feast aka To Birth a Verdant Future

This was actually an xmas gift for @lutes-and-dandelions, but I havent finished it yet 😓 But the premise is similar to the former in that it’s another solstice feast. But it’s set post-W3 with Emhyr as Emperor throwing a party in the new conquered capital of Vizima. Roche broods a lot about Foltest’s memory and how he hates Emhyr and decides to distract himself by hanging out with Iorveth and suggesting they follow an old elven tradition. And that’s all I’ll say. XD

Next Year (Solstice Feast sequel)

Literally set the next year. This time they merge their lives by merging their people’s traditions.

Lily Preserved in Amber

Okay, haven’t gotten very far in this, but I decided it was an elven rite of passage to go searching through the forest for a sign of your future. And Iorveth finds a piece of amber with a lily preserved inside. I haven’t decided if it purely means Roche or if it means his whole family with Roche and Boussy and Anais and all. So far, he hasn’t even found the amber yet lmao. But he did just discover music!

Character taking control of the other and Character B just letting go and enjoying themselves

Under the subheading “Porn Snips”, so uh, yeah. Starts with Roche and Iorveth fighting to decide who gets to top, involves Roche getting choked, and Iorveth ripping Roche’s pants off. Oh, also, they’re currently at a fancy party hiding somewhere in the garden lmao

Based on @moonlights-ordinance‘s art

Moonlight’s working on an adorable piece where Roche leans his forehead against Iorveth’s back between his shoulderblades. I decided to make it post-W3 with both of them working as paper pushers/administrators under Emhyr’s Temeria. And Nilfgaard does not believe in chairs with backs (or, really, Emhyr wanted to see how long Roche’s pride would make him suffer. It’s a long time). The idea is to show development over time as they slowly get more comfortable with touch and start using each other as backrests. And then the sweet scene Moonlight is drawing.

Eliza for @useless-empty-brain aka Can’t We All Just Get Oolong?

Next is Iorveth’s POV, but I legit cannot figure out where to start. But we’re gonna see some of his thoughts (like how Eliza volunteered him to stay in Vizima for an unspecified period of time and he said yes even though he can’t and now has to commute regularly because he doesn’t want to miss tea with Roche but also doesn’t want Roche’s spies to catch on lmao) and his curiosity about Roche and Foltest and what Roche’s mission is (which I... totally know.)

Roche’s Scars

@moonlights-ordinance sent me a great pic of a mod for Roche where he had some pretty vicious scarring/mutilation. So of course I decided I needed to tell the story of each one. But really, it’s a story about the stages of acceptance with scars. Both Iorveth and Roche start out hiding theirs, but eventually come to reveal them comfortably in public.

Vernon Roche of the Scoia’tael aka The Value of a Man

Does my title give it away? Oops? So, this is a found family fic where Roche is captured by the Scoia’tael and the elves and dwarves slowly come to see him as - well, I was gonna say human, but as a person, I guess. And start feeling really, really guilty, especially when some not great things happen to Roche. 

Oh also, Foltest is a giant dick and uh, SPOILERS he does not try to get Roche back. Which leads to a whole subplot that will end with a found family for EVERYONE, because they all deserve to be happy dammit.

All of that was just one document lmao. I have 24 documents, some of which have quite a few WiPs in them. 😱

Kiss Prompts

24. Deep kisses where they have their hands tangled in each other’s hair to pull them closer. AKA How to Fluster an Elf

When I got the idea for How to Fluster an Elf, I decided it was gonna fill the prompt dammit. And then it really, really expanded on me.

33. An unexpected kiss that shocks the one receiving it.

Roche dreams occasionally that Iorveth visits him and watches over him and sometimes speaks, but he can’t understand Elder Speech, so he assumes it’s all gibberish.

Then he finds out it’s not and suddenly he’s not so certain it’s a dream

16. One person pouting, only to have it removed by a kiss from the other person.

Okay, I literally just need to buckle down and write some good kissing. This is set in (Im)Perfect Strangers and Iorveth is pouting about them leaving the gardens, so Roche makes it up to him.

25. Wet kisses after finding refuge from the rain.

This one won’t actually be published with the kisses ‘cause it’s porn and the rest are T-rated lol. Buuuut Roche and Iorveth are trying to have a secret liaison in the forest when the rain starts. Featuring nature magic, tentacles, and Iorveth getting filled.

Scenes from Another World (aka AU premise)

Old Men in Vergen

Set during Witcher 3, but with an established relationship. Roche comes to visit Iorveth in Vergen to ask for advice on leading an insurgency. Iorveth just wants to feed Roche while he can now that he’s not the one starving in the woods.

Language Aphasia/Deal with the Devil

I wanted to write Gaunter! So I decided that Gaunter is in a mood for some mischief (he calls it being generous) and comes upon a traveling Vernon Roche who wishes that he could be understand Iorveth. Then Iorveth’s Scoia’tael find a passed out Roche in the woods and bring him to Iorveth for judgement. Only somehow, Roche only understands Elder Speech now. He can’t understand Common at all. The Scoia’tael find this very offensive and Iorveth is mostly freaked out that someone who can do THAT was wandering around his forest.

Bunk Beds: The Portrait of Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon

Based on a silly comic, Ciri convinces Iorveth and Roche to try to help her destroy the portrait. Geralt gets pissed and sends them to Bunk Bed Exile. Shenanigans ensue and somehow they start to get along.

Iorveth’s Scoia’tael Giving Him Shit For His Taste in Men aka The Lovestruck Fox

Right now, working on a piece from the POV of a new Scoia’tael recruit who is discovering that Iorveth’s Scoia’tael roast the fuck out of him over his crush on Roche. 

Speaking of, anyone have suggestions on prime roast material? I am not this creative.

Let’s Torture Roche!

No, really. This one is pretty dark. And told in kind of a different style than my usual, because I felt like it. So, premise is that Iorveth and Roche were a thing in the past, but then Roche was recalled to Foltest’s side and he went. So Iorveth is understandably pretty hurt and pissed (this was decided for a prompt of someone breaking down as soon as they’re behind closed doors). Buuut what he doesn’t know is that Roche is not with Foltest of his own volition. Hostages, blackmail, and torture are all involved and Foltest is a pretty horrible guy. But of course we need a happy ending, so eventually, Iorveth will rescue Roche and they get to recover together.

Life Debt aka Iorveth is an Asshole

The concept for this was that Roche saved Iorveth’s life and now that they were no longer enemies (set during Witcher 3), his honor demands that he follow Roche around until he can repay the favor. Featuring Iorveth being a trolling asshole, correcting the new Temerian Loyalist’s fighting abilities, and Roche being very, very tired. 

In application, it’s mostly angst so far, ‘cause I had to set up HOW Roche saved Iorveth’s life. And then I decided to really hurt Iorveth. But tbh I will probably skip ahead after establishing this stuff, because I just want shenanigans.

King and Country

I’ve got several WiPs for this one, including the Stripes’ recruitment, their decision to change sides, the Stripes being double agents, and of course, Iorveth and Roche’s developing relationship. But hey, I’ve skipped ahead to writing their wedding already, so... you know it ends happily ever after?

Friday Fight Night for Jan 29 (which I did not make oops)

So, this actually turned into a long piece that’s gonna be part of my Chronic Pain series. Basically, King Foltest is treating with the leaders of the Scoia’tael in Temeria and Iorveth is one of them. Unfortunately, he’s having a REALLY BAD pain day, but he’s also determined to be there to represent his people. Roche helps him see sense. Possibly forcefully.

Exhaustion Prompts

“If we’re both in this state, we both really screwed up somewhere huh?”

Iorveth and Roche are trapped in a dream and I got a little stuck creating the creature that trapped them there. But pretty sure Saskia is gonna interrupt their flirting by saving them.

“You were almost dead from pushing it too far!”

In which Roche has a heart attack from too much coffee. Yeah. He’s okay, though! But PT is about to blow a gasket and coffee will very much be disallowed.

Found Family Prompts

Taking Out the Trash for @useless-empty-brain

Literally a story about taking out the trash lmao. We’re gonna see if I can make this intersting.

Touch Starved for @mochii-girl

Honestly, haven’t gotten much done on this yet, but I’m thinking puppy pile cuddles in Corvo Bianco

Coffeeshop AU aka Brewing Romance and Dissent

Ooof I’ve got a lot of bits and pieces of this written, but nothing quite finished, except for the moment when things change from “we flirt as I order coffee” to “I make you special drinks and invite you to come visit me after hours”. Writing a canon coffeeshop au when I know shit all about coffee is HARD.

Curse Breaking

Omg this is one of the first WiPs I started for Iorveth/Roche, no joke. STILL WORKING ON IT! The premise is that Roche finds a feverish and dying Iorveth in an empty Scoia’tael camp, saves him with the power of True Love’s Kiss The Power of Strong Emotions, Like That Which You Might Have For Your Enemy. Then they team up to go save Iorveth’s Scoia’tael from a big bad mage and Roche invites Triss along for the ride, which totally doesn’t make Iorveth jealous. I kinda stalled out at the part where they reach the mage’s hideout and see the results of the mages failed experiments. On Iorveth’s people. It’s gonna hurt. A lot. But afterwards, there might be makeouts. And some sort of implication that they’re all down to do this (minus the horrible, traumatic parts) again.

Roche POV bloodplay

Roche’s POV starting from before his first encounter with Iorveth. Then he has a weirdly sexually arousing encounter with the elf, and tbh, that’s as far as I got. But Iorveth draws blood from Roche’s neck, presses his thumb to it, and then licks it off his thumb. Next, Iorveth was gonna be the one getting Uncomfortably Aroused, but I haven’t gotten that far. No idea where this is going overall.

Iorveth Investigates Roche

This kinda isn’t a real WiP in that idk if I’ll ever finish it. I mostly started it to do some worldbuilding about what public information there would be about Roche. 

Voyeurism AKA Eye on You

Yeah, I don’t have much for the next chapter yet, tbh. So premise is that Iorveth accidentally ends up watching Roche get off at the brothel and finds it really, really hot. Hot enough to get curious and go back for more. Next one is going to involve thigh fucking and Iorveth might possibly get pegged by Daph??? idk

Fake Relationship

Poor @lutes-and-dandelions has been waiting forever for this one and I can’t even find a place to end the scene and post what I have so far. Premise is that Iorveth and Roche are both investigating their missing men and the trail takes them to the Murivel Resort for Couples. So they go undercover. Featuring Roche’s POV of being doubtful, Iorveth using the excuse to flirt outrageously, strip gwent, and a magic amulet that hids Iorveth’s scar and that Roche hates.

Competitive Makeouts AKA The Chase

This was kissing practice and it turned into a casefic! Which is awesome because I love casefics even though I haven’t published any yet. So in this one, as Iorveth and Roche sneak off to makeout, they also end up investigating a conspiracy in the Temerian military. 

Iorveth/Roche(/Kayran) + Roche/Foltest aka Every Kiss Begins with Kayran

In which Roche accidentally walks in on Iorveth’s monthly fuck date with the Kayran and gets invited to join in. Then, somehow,  it starts to turn into a relationship. With an elf and a tentacle monster. And yet, somehow, this relationship is healthier than the one with Foltest. The contrast opens Roche’s eyes.

Pining and Poignards

In which Iorveth stabs Roche with his favorite knife and wants it back and is also maybe pining a lil bit. Meanwhile Roche is rather pissed, but also curious and begins to teach himself Elder Speech to try to read the inscription on Iorveth’s knife. I stalled out in the scene where Iorveth accidentally watches Roche masturbate in the bath.

Iorveth tittyfucking Roche

Look, it’s what it says on the tin. Roche’s POV of Iorveth’s fascination with his chest and how it makes him feel and then there is sex.

Dirty Gremlin Man

Iorveth gets off on Roche being a sweaty, stinky human. Roche pins Iorveth in a fight and Iorveth gets very distracted watching a drop of sweat trail down Roche’s face. So distracted, in fact, that he doesn’t think twice before stretching out his neck and licking it. Then, of course, he remembers where he is. Featuring a very confused Roche, a smidge of jealousy, and Iorveth stealing Roche’s sweaty clothing to do unspeakable things to it. And somehow they get together.

Want me to sit in your lap?

Geralt LEGIT says this to Roche like 5 mins into the Witcher 2 and it’s GREAT. So of course, I had to write a scene where he actually got to. This is set post Witcher 2 while Geralt, Triss, Roche, and Ves are headed back to Temeria. Triss offers Geralt a little stress relief - which involves warming Roche’s cock and watching Triss and Ves get to know one another.

Red is the Rose

So, Chapter 4 is set post-Witcher 2 and Iorveth is obsessing over the fact that the Rose of Remembrance still has not wilted. He wonders what might be possible, so when he hears a rumor that a certain Temerian Commander was taken captive by Dethmold...

Dethmold most definitely dies. But unfortunately, that doesn’t save Roche from the curses he cast. So they go looking for Geralt to find out how to fix it.

This has only been 9 of my documents, y’all. I think I have a problem.

De-Aged Fic aka The language of friendship is not words but meanings

Ugh, I lost my momentum on this one, which sucks, ‘cause the next chapter is so close to done. Iorveth just needs to do a little freaking out first. But then they will both be back to adults and have to DEAL with the fact that they made good friends and would kinda like that again. I think this fic is gonna be purely friendship for them, but they’re gonna get there.

Glory Hole

A fic for the @sugar-and-spice-witcher-bingo where Roche hears a rumor that some Scoia’tael go to this brothel on the outskirts of town and hey, he may as well check it out, right? By going undercover and working the glory hole, of course. He never ACTUALLY expected Iorveth would come, but his legendary mouth was enticing enough to draw the Scoia’tael commander out.

Snuggling

Thirteen “accidentally” handcuffs Iorveth and Roche together when they capture Iorveth. This leads to them lying on the cot in the Stripes’ holding cell, spooning. There is banter and tickling and escapes not attempted and also maybe some sex with Inexperience Iorveth (i say maybe because I already started the sex, but idk if it will fit in). 

Petals and Stripes

A weed is but an unloved flower

Okay, the Stripes are going to attempt to woo Iorveth during a battle. Also, there is a stabbing. And then a kidnapping. And then, miracle of miracles, someone actually tries talking!

One person's weed is another person's wildflower

Ves’s POV! She cleans up the mess her idiots make and terrifies the life out of one elven suitor, but first she’s gotta deal with her own conflicted feelings about her Boss, the guy she relies on to show her the shades of grey in the world, loving the elf she’s supposed to kill. 

After that, I’ve got 2 more fics planned in this ‘verse. One is gonna be a fluffy and/or sexy date after Iorveth and Roche have gotten together. The other is a Scoia’tael side story, featuring lots of gossip about the humans sending their Commander love letters.

Love Shack

The Better Part of Valor

Ugh, I’m stuck on the sex again. Roche is having a really shitty day, so he goes to the cabin and signals Iorveth that he wants a round. Iorveth offers gentle (for them) sex and praise. And at the end, there’s a very significant scene where Iorveth removes his bandana. Roche buries his fingers in Iorveth’s hair, but doesn’t actually see his face, as he’s laying on his stomach with Iorveth on top of him.

Medicine

The morning after! Roche wakes up to find Iorveth in the bath, facing away from him, and notices a new scar. Iorveth has to deal with actually revealing his scars in daylight and they discuss the significant differences in elven and human medicine. Hint: I turned my own medical procedures into elven medicine, so it’s pretty fucking good.

PWP Ovi

Set ambiguously late, maybe after Thou Art More Lovely and More Temperate. Iorveth and Roche explore what Roche can take. We start with overstimulation, go into consensual somnophilia, come inflation, breeding kink, and oviposition. Because elves reproduce by laying eggs, which is not at all the case purely because I started this WiP ages ago and was horny.

The Picture Says It All

There’s going to be 5 more pictures that Rinn draws for Iorveth. Next is Roche hard at work, hunched over a desk. Then we’re getting some shirtless Roche, for “research”, of course. Then Roche cuddling with PT and the rest of the team, about which Iorveth is not at all jealous. Then a face study of Roche during a fight and uh, Iorveth is uncomfortably turned on. And finally, a drawing of their cabin with a silhouette in the window. She knows.

Roche & Rinn: The Haunting of Barrack 8B

Oh man, I really want to finish the next chapter, because I already have the one after that done. But first, we get introduced to Adda! This ‘verse is going to feature Adda the White a lot more than any of my others have done so far and I’m very excited. Also, Silas continues to be terrified of the ghost and the ghost and Adda become girlfriends buddies.

Roche builds Iorveth a home

Set late in the ‘verse, after Roche knows his feelings, but they haven’t said them yet (not out loud, anyway). Iorveth takes a trip to go meet Saskia do things off screen and Roche ends up turning to his old hobby, carpentry, to keep himself from pining too obviously. So obviously he ends up builing Iorveth a solarium. And a pillow nest. And a scaffold so that flowers that blossom in the moonlight cover the glass and give them privacy.

I got stuck here because Rinn needs to give Roche a hint to get him to build the pillow nest, but I hadn’t developed Rinn and Roche’s relationship yet, so had to go back and do that. But eventually Iorveth returns and they have wonderful I’m-not-saying-it-but-i-love-you sex in the new pillow nest.

Foltest (WiP): Long Live the King

This is actually the last fic in the ‘verse, so I don’t want to give too much away. But actually, I haven’t figured out what the next chapter is, BUT I have the chapter after that started and it is GOOD, just you wait!! I’m very excited.

Don’t Cry For Me, Temeria

This ‘verse alone, I have 14 WiPs and a dozen more unwritten ideas.

(Im)Perfect Strangers

I am frustratingly stuck on this chapter. Theoreatically, we are going to have a check in on how the mountain and the rest of our cast is doing and then Roche launches his Wooing TM plan (aka dinner, gift, and dancing).

Between Two Fools

Yeah, Roche and Iorveth have very different understandings of what their gifts represent. There is some soft happiness and then a swift rug pulled out from under Iorveth’s feet, I’m afraid. BUT we are almost to the part where the two idiots sit down and actually talk properly.

Unlucky Number Thirteen

Not only do I have more of Thirteen’s story planned, but I have ideas for ALL the Stripes to have stories. We’ll see how that goes. But for now, Thirteen starts spying for Roche. A lot of still-nebulous stuff happens, including Thirteen’s first time, for which he asks Roche to help. Additionally, once we reach the (Im)Perfect Strangers timeline, Thirteen has a special story all his own. It involves learning to read and a secret I shall not yet reveal.

Silas

Like I said, all the Stripes are hopefully getting stories. But Silas’s is coming along nicely. He starts a new life as “Silas”, as a man, and joins the army. Boot camp is rough and awful and he’s not very good at any of it, but one day, Roche comes looking for a recruit. He needs a codebreaker to decipher Thirteen’s scouting reports (another one for pictures). So Silas joins the Stripes, but he’s still terrified that they’ll fnd out and think he’s been lying to them. Fortunately, they’ll be putting his fears to rest.

Stripes Sex aka Earning Your Stripes: The First Time

PT’s POV! The Stripes (pre-Silas) are all still getting comfortable with each other as a team. But Thirteen has known Roche the longest and in a specific capacity. So one evening when he needs to get out of his head, Thirteen asks Roche to dom him. PT is confused and scandalized and then jealous, but he gets to join in soon too. Meanwhile, Finch and Ves have fun with their bratty arsonist and Fenn is loving it.

break (v /brāk/): to destroy someone's resistance

This is very long and entirely build up to porn. And then lots of porn. A question during a random conversation leads Roche to make Iorveth ask him to take Iorveth utterly apart in a consensual non-consent fantasy set when they were still enemies in the forest.

Bath House

This was supposed to be a simple PWP where Roche talks dirty to Iorveth under his breath while the two of them are at the bathhouse with Boussy (who LOVES baths and brought them to the fancy bath house), Anais, and Thirteen (who HATE baths and react to water much like a cat). They kinda took over the story and there has been no dirty talk yet oops.

Iorveth POV: Tutti

Iorveth begins to reclaim his love for music and lets himself improvise and compose again. And he ends up writing a song that is the story of his and Roche’s romance.

Daggers, Dumplings, and Dresses

The Elihal/Hattori side story! Though we haven’t actually met Hattori yet. So far, Elihal is expounding on his past and his relationship with Iorveth (he used to make all of Iorveth’s fancy gowns for concerts). Elihal and Hattori won’t play a HUGE role in (Im)Perfect Strangers, but they will be appearing!

Ves and Ciaran aka The First Rule of Fight Club

Ves is stuck walking a very long way back to Vergen with the memory of Ciaran’s skin against her teeth. And even though elves lie like breathing, she can’t help thinking about what he said about Roche not being worth her loyalty. Slowly, she begins to work some things out.

Sex with Saskia/Dragonfucking

Yeah, it’s what it sounds like. Iorveth tells Roche that Saskia agreed to a threesome and where to meet, but he neglected to mention the rather large dragon that was currently rimming his ass. Roche gets distracted from his confusion by the hotness and watches Iorveth get fucked by a dragon (with 2 dicks to fit 2 holes, of course).

Come Inflation + Piss Play

Um. Yeah, it’s a PWP where Roche asks Triss for a potion that will make him come a lot. And then Iorveth wants more. No idea where it’s going, tbh.

Stripes vs Scoia’tael: Water Balloon Fight

Literally a water balloon fight. For morale.

Baby Mama

Uh, the title is a bit telling here oops. But let’s just say Iorveth and Roche go on vacation to the cabin on top of the mountain again when Iorveth is hit with the sudden extreme urge to breed. Roche is down, but at some point, they do actually need to talk.

King Roche aka fics where Roche is in charge and hates it. Some are more in line with this than others.

Post W3 Becoming Terrorists Together

Ah yes, the murder husbands fic. Literally, Roche gets stuck leading Temeria under Emhyr’s orders and he’s good at it, but he HATES it. Enter Iorveth, who both points out security flaws, joins Roche for a surprisingly unawkward bath, and proposes that they go hunting down war criminals on their own time. How can Roche say no?

Pre-W2 Ambassadorial AU

Different first meeting AU! In this one, Iorveth is sent as the elven ambassador to Temeria and it’s about as much fun as one might expect. Triss and Roche, the other outcasts amongst Temerian court, decide to befriend him. Well, try to anyway. idk where this is going, but it’s been fun. Also, Iorveth wears a fancy braid over his eye, because I said so. Also, I might be planning an OT3 porn scene at some point, because it turns out, elves are VERY sensitive to magic XD

Leap of Faith

Okay, yeah, this has nothing to do with King Roche, but it’s the doc I was working in when I got the idea. In this one, a mage captures Iorveth for Foltest and starts torturing him. Roche, without really thinking about it, decides the mage goes too far, so he kills them. Leaving him with an elven prisoner and a castle full of people who will consider him a traitor for that. They escape the city, but now Iorveth has gotta convince Roche that no, the King really won’t forget that whole murder and prisoner escape thing. 

The whole point of this fic was for me to write them jumping off a cliff lmao. When am I gonna get to that? Probably like last or second to last chapter, tbh. Which should be... after the next one? No, I lied, it’s next chapter! I need to get on that!

An ill-favour’d thing, sir, but mine own aka Possessive Sex

Piss Fic

Um. Yeah. Roche is really horny when Iorveth gets home and is on him immediately, which is great, but Iorveth has gotta piss. Which becomes less urgent as Roche is determined to have his face fucks, but after he comes all over Roche’s face, it’s VERY urgent and Roche is a fucking brat and won’t move out of the way. So obviously the response to this is to piss on Roche’s crotch - which Roche is apparently more than okay with.

Cum Dumpster Roche

Yeah, this one doesn’t have much yet, I literally just wanted Roche getting railed and claimed and L O V I N G it. 

Possessiveness

Iorveth spends a lot of time thinking about his enemy, his nemesis. He’s researched Roche extensively, spent hours thinking up tactics and strategies to outwit his nemesis. He literally knows what Roche named his stupid weapons, but he’s never actually met Roche.

But he’s dreamt about it. The Roche in reality doesn’t look like the assumptions he made in his dreams, but who cares about looks? Because Roche is his, and certainly not some dh’oine king’s.

Tentacles + Breeding

Gods, this one is SO CLOSE to being done dammit, I just gotta finish it!! But it’s a fun one. Iorveth and Roche are fighting, when Iorveth suddenly starts fighting plants, which are fighting back. Then the plants notice Roche and suddenly he’s tied up with vines and his clothes are getting torn off and uh, he’s not supposed to find this hot, is he? But he really kinda does. And then Iorveth goes and claims him and tries to protect him from a nearly-extinct non-sentient plant that sensed a warm spot to lay its eggs until someone else could come along and fertilize them. Iorveth is delighted to be that person.

Dream: Pleasure Slave

Yeah, Roche really likes getting claimed in these. In this one, he has a favorite dream setting where Iorveth rules some grand elven kingdom and Roche’s only role is to bring him pleasure. Not to deal with politics or nobles or policy, but just to make Iorveth feel good. So far, this features cock warming, come inflation, a leather cock cage (so to speak), prostate milking, and a very nice silver chalice that Iorveth expects Roche to fill before they’re done.

Roche wears a collar

This was gonna be a simple lil thing based on me creating Roche in heroforge and giving him a lil hidden collar. But then Iorveth decided to get really sappy and had to design and create the perfect collar for his enemy. And then, much to his surprise, he gets the opportunity to PUT his collar on Roche. Which is great, except the sight distracts him so much that Roche manages to escape.

But the next time they meet, Roche is still wearing that collar, hidden under his chaperon and armor. Iorveth has feelings about that.

Standalone

Crones fic aka And Ghosts Did Shriek and Shrill

So this is the angsty fic that started from a crack premise. Er, one of them. I seem to do that a lot. But in this one, Roche goes to the Ladies of the Woods and asks for his men back. The Ladies agree, in exchange for 6 lifetimes of service. But no creature can reverse death. Which leads to the Stripes coming back to “life” as ghosts - only Roche is the only one who can see them. Ves can’t (not at first). 

Believe it or not, the whole idea behind this was the Stripes roasting Roche as he tries to flirt (terribly) with Iorveth. But uh... somehow it turned pretty dark. Like, it’ll have a happy ending for sure, but it’s gonna be a lot about processing trauma and grief and building families and also curing a plague, because that’s the first assignment from the Ladies.

Stripes fics

Cuddles with the Commander

This is intended to be a sequel to The Pride of Temeria, but I kinda got stuck figuring out exactly how Roche should react. Tbh, I don’t have much of this written yet, but the goal is for Roche to approve cuddles with everyone lmao.

Fire Breating

Okay, this one started as crack purely because I love fire, but it’s actually been really fun. So, Iorveth and Roche are established and Iorveth has been invited to a family night with the Stripes, which is kinda a lil awkward. So they decide to showcase some of their talents - which includes Roche singing musicals and PT breathing fire.

Iorveth is horrified that humans have harnessed this skill.

Iorveth’s missing eye

This is really short and idk if I’ll continue it, but the idea was for Roche to really wonder what was up with the bandana over half of Iorveth’s face was about. And then, of course, to find out.

Iorveth Gangbang

Why is this under Stripes fics, you might ask? Well, I have great news for you. Guess who the gang is?

In which Iorveth and Roche are in an established relationship and Iorveth gets tied up in the middle of the Stripes’ camp while Roche orders his men to take him apart. Iorveth very much enjoys himself, and then when the Stripes are tapped out, Roche shows ‘em how it’s done.

Kink Bingo fics aka that event that I totally failed, but hey, prompts are prompts.

Age Kink

In this fic, Iorveth and Roche both end up captured by unknown forces and end up imprisoned together. I think the Stripes and Scoia’tael are probably working together to find them and save them, but in the meantime, Iorveth and Roche decide to get to know each other a bit better. Featuring muscle spasms, blow jobs, and pain kink.

Eskel/Lambert (okay, a little out of place here, but eh, it’s in the doc and I am still working on it)

Started for a prompt on tumblr, Eskel and Lambert end up fighting and, trying to keep the peace, Eskel casts axii on Lambert. Which leads to Lambert confessing that he bit Eskel because it’s the only way he could get his mouth on him. This leads to some dodged confessions, some frottage, and some snarky banter, because of course it does. 

Tempt Not a Desperate Man aka the Fuck or Die series that started with Devour What’s Truly Yours

Fisting

The next part of the series, where Roche struggles with the fact that he’s been high key horny ever since the encounter in the woods with Iorveth and nothing is satisfying him. Iorveth, on the other hand, is jealous and annoyed that Roche keeps going to the whorehouse.

Then Roche decides to make a potentially suicidal move and enters the forest to try to find the clearing from last time. And, as you might guess from my heading, fisting will be happening. 

Iorveth POV: The Chaperon

Okay, I don’t actually have much of this written, but it’s really cute so - Roche keeps using his chaperon as a cum rag, so Iorveth knits and/or sews him a new one.

“Human Bootlicker”

PWP where Iorveth jokingly suggestions Roche should surrender on his knees - and then Roche does. And asks Iorveth to take his prize. Featuring Roche coming all over Iorveth’s boots from getting his face fucked, then leaning down and licking up the mess while Iorveth watches and then comes over his face.

One Accidental Proposal and Five Attempts At Accepting

So one of the themes of this ‘verse is gonna be the Elven Baths where the Roses of Remembrance grow. As in, they decide to make the elven baths a place they meet up. This is the first time Iorveth takes Roche there, and Roche does not know what significance the roses have. But he DOES know that Iorveth blushes cutely when he tucks a rose behind Iorveth’s ear, so...

Iorveth would like to accept, only Roche doesn’t know WHAT he’s trying to accept.

The Legend

So in the game, there is a legend around the statue of elven lovers above the elven baths. “Legend has it the lover’s sighs are enchanted within these very stones, though only those in love can hear them.” 

Iorveth overhears his Scoia’tael gossiping about the legend and comes to an abrupt realization that Roche and him were the ones they were hearing. Oops?

Standalone Fics

Letters

This is kind of a bittersweet WiP that I mostly wrote in one go and then went to sleep and kinda lost the will for it. BUT the premise is that post-Witcher 3 Roche is in charge of Temeria and his brooding is interrupted when he receives a letter sealed with a forget me not pressed into wax. Iorveth continues to send letters describing his life as a “civilian” in Nilfgaard and how much he hates it and Roche relates a little bit too much. Then Iorveth decides to run away and live on the streets as a musician and he might inspire Roche to start learning the cello and presumably at some point, they meet.

Identity Porn

Iorveth and Roche have a meet cute in Flotsam’s tavern while the elf is listening in for local gossip and Roche is passing through on his way to meet with the other northern kings to get support in fighting against the new emerging threat of the Scoia’tael. Neither knows who the other is, but that doesn’t stop them from starting a relationship where they meet every time Roche passes through Flotsam. But their house of cards can only last so long, and at some point, they will meet as enemies. Who knows what happens then? idk, not me.

Gwent pinup calendar aka Cards Out for Your Country

Hahaha, so I started this series in response to some WONDERFUL art of Roche with his Tits Out For Temeria. And obviously we need more of that, so I created a list of 24 characters who are asked to pose for some pinup art, all in the name of Gwent. So far, I’ve only finished Dandelion’s pose/the introduction, but I do plan to do as many of them as I physically can.

Gwent Game in Corvo Bianco

Wow, I didn’t even remember this WiP, so uh... clearly I haven’t worked on it in a while. But it’s Iorveth’s POV of how surprisingly comfortable he is in Corvo Bianco and Iorveth and Geralt get drunk and play gwent.

Zoltan/Jaskier/Priscilla

A giftfic for Wibbly that involves Zoltan being sappy about his bards and then Priscilla dominates them. Featuring all my headcanons about dwarven genitalia (two holes, one with a retractible dick).

Dijkstra fics

Noticing Roche’s Fucked Up Relationship

Anyone else randomly finding themselves shipping Dijkstra/Roche? No? Ah well. For this one Dijkstra observes Roche and sees a few too many reminders of himself with Vizimir, except Foltest is no Vizimir, and Roche clearly hasn’t learned to set up boundaries. Dijkstra feels weirdly compelled to help him figure that out before Foltest destroys him.

Developing Respect Fic

Also known as “let’s torture Roche 1.0!” This fic switches between the present, where Roche has woken up in a cell somewhere unknown and it brings back far too many memories for him to be entirely sure of what is happening when. In the past, he was captured by Redania while on a mission for Foltest, long before he was anyone notable. Dijkstra comes to visit, curious about this prisoner who refuses to break, to even tell them his name or confirm his country (but he has a Temerian tramp stamp, so they know lmao). So Dijkstra decides that this is not a man who will be broken through torture and decides to try conversation instead. The idea is to show them slowly gaining respect for each other, but like, obviously Roche is still a prisoner. Eventually, he’s returned to Temeria in a prisoner exchange, but meanwhile, in the present, Roche is all alone, with not even guards around and no way to free himself.

and that’s all!! I am... legitimately scared to count, tbh. This post is so fucking long, the number cannot be good for my heart. But, that said, please come talk to me about any ideas you find interesting!! Or anything you have questions about! 

And if you made it this far down the list... wow. Thank you, you rock.

SWTOR Short Fic Weekly Challenge Prompt List

I found this list and was really intrigued by a lot of the prompts, they are really in depth and thought provoking. So, I linked the original location where I found them and am going to squirrel them away for those times when I really need inspiration. Or just really want to write in that fandom.

I’m wanting to write some Doc fic for @alyssalenko, but I can’t really get my brain in gear right now.

It is super long, so I tucked it under the cut.

SWTOR Short Fic Weekly Challenge Prompt List

Week of 6/1/2012 Culture Shock - The galaxy is a big place, and it's home to a wide variety of different cultures and species. It's not easy working with someone who may look similar to you, but comes from a radically different culture - not to mention being friends or even spouses with them Week of 6/8/2012 Allies - When something huge is going down, or just when you need a hand, who can you call that you know is going to have your back? Whether it's someone completely unlikely or exactly what you'd expect, who can you ultimately always rely on? Week of 6/15/2012 Confessions - Everybody has things they don't like to admit. Sometimes it's big, sometimes it's just something small. Sometimes it's nice to finally let it out. What does your character need to admit - and to who? Hidden Talents - All of our characters are good fighters, but people are good at more than one thing. What else are they good at - and how do their friends and family react to learning about this hidden skill?

Week of 6/22/2012 Rites of Passage - Sort of related to the cultural theme, there are tons of different rites of passage our characters go through. Some are common across cultures, like weddings. Some are specific to a culture, like coming-of-age ceremonies. And sometimes they are just an internal realization that your life has changed. Feel free to take this in any direction you would like. Week of 6/29/2012 Health - Jet-setting around the galaxy means exposing yourself to a ton of different viruses, bacteria, and parasites. Let's go, biology nerds! First Impressions - Our characters meet tons of people on their journeys. What are their first impressions of each other like? Are they accurate, or did someone put up a front? Write about it! Week of 7/6/2012 Communication Breakdown - Trying to communicate with each other when things are going well is hard enough, but our characters have plenty of other things that can get in the way. Bad com channels, language barriers, broken holo feeds - all those can mess up a conversation. Not to mention people who just plain don't understand each other... Week of 7/13/2012 Catching Up - Pretty much all of our characters have pasts that might catch up with them in the future. Sometimes that's not a good thing, like seeing an old enemy. Sometimes it's great, when an old friend comes to help you when you need it. Either way, it's bound to be interesting. Mix It Up - For this challenge you can write anything you like. The catch? Someone else's character has to be in it along with yours. It can be your friend's or someone else in the thread as long as you have gotten their permission and as long as your story involves your character and another player character that you don't play - NPCs, companions, etc don't count. Get creative with this one and see what cool stuff you can come up with. We have some really talented minds in here and I'm sure people will come up with some awesome stories. Week of 7/20/2012 Exploration - You could travel your whole life and not see all of Earth - so what about people who have an entire galaxy to explore? What new things have your characters uncovered along their journeys? Thank you bright_ephemera for this prompt. Dreams and Nightmares - Sometimes these are literal - a horrible nightmare or a pleasant dream that you don't want to wake up from. Sometimes it's a metaphor - your desires for the future or your greatest fear. Either way, they're a part of everyone's lives. Thank you Striges for this prompt! Week of 7/27/2012 Family - Dealing with a war sucks. It's already complicated enough, but family complicates things even more. Some of our characters' families are different species, or have different alligiances. How do they deal with the complications that family can bring? Suggested by Eanelinea. Discovery - In our characters' journeys, we make some surprising discoveries. Sometimes they're things about ourselves or our friends, other times they're discoveries about the world around us. Either way, they usually take us by surprise. Suggested by Crezelle. Canned Response - When we click on our companions, they give us one of a set of responses. Unfortunately, that's all the endgame interaction we get with them - but let's make the best of it! Pick a phrase (one or more) a favored companion says to you and write a fic around why they are saying it. Suggested by Morgani. Week of 8/3/2012 Celebration - There are many things to celebrate in life: from weddings to birthdays to holidays. Write about a celebration your character has been a part of. Prompt suggested by SveinEternity. Guilty Pleasures - We all have them. Does your bounty hunter love The Bachelor (or whatever the SW equivalent is)? Or your Jedi Consular love romance novels? What secret thing do they love - and would be mortified if anyone knew it? Week of 8/10/2012 Mission Accomplished - Ever wonder what exactly goes down when you send your companions on those crew skill missions? How does Khem handle diplomacy missions, for example? Write about your character sending one of his or her crew members on an assignment - your character can only appear when giving the mission; focus on a companion. Suggested by Morgani! What's In A Name - Names are special, they almost always have some meaning behind them. First names, family names, nicknames - none of them are ever arbitrary. Write a story explaining a name given to your character or a companion, whether it's their personal name, nickname, or alias. Week of 8/17/2012 What If? - Most characters have some major event in their past that changed the entire course of their life. What if that event never happened? Would they even take part in their class stories, meet all their companions, or be the person you played? Suggested by Morgani. My First - Firsts are usually special - first items, like Jedi and Sith's first lightsabers or an agent or smuggler's first gun. First times, like your first time connecting with the Force or your first time stepping onto your ship. Firsts can change a person and solidify who they are. Write about a special "first" in your character's life and how it shaped them. What's in a Name 2 - Extended for the week because it was so popular. If it still inspires you, keep writing it! All the stories were just that good. Week of 8/24/2012 Turning Point - Last week we wrote about what life would be like if major events didn't happen. This week, we're writing about major events that DID happen. Pick a particularly important moment for your character, one that solidified their path. Write about what they did and why that moment was crucial. Worst Day Ever - Everybody has a bad day. So do our characters. Maybe it was in their class story - like getting your ship stolen on your birthday - or maybe it was something that happened before or after. Whether it genuinely was the worst day or your character was just in a bad mood and something happened to make it worse, write about a day that made them call it "the worst day ever". Week of 9/1/2012 (Un)invited Guests - Things get complicated when you're visiting someone else, or have someone visiting you. Even if you want them there! Of course, things are extra complicated when your guest is someone you didn't want or expect to come around. ...Like No One's Watching - When we're alone we often indulge ourselves in things that might embarrass us if others knew. Bad music, bad dancing, whatever it is, we'd be pretty mortified if someone caught us. This time, write about your character's secret indulgences - and how they react when it's discovered. Week of 9/7/2012 Changes/New Paths - Week of 9/14/2012 Brotherhood/Sisterhood - Ceremony - Week of 9/21/2012 Parenthood - Many of our characters either have issues with their parents, are parents themselves, or both. Parents can make things complicated, whether it's simply the generational gap or the fact that they aren't great parents. Affection - It's more than just a game mechanic. How do your characters show it, whether to their lover or their family or to their friends? Does it always have the intended effect, or do things get lost in translation? Week of 9/28/2012 Fame - Your characters all end their class stories with a lot of newfound fame. How do they deal with it? Being recognized on the street, being on the news, finding themselves mentioned all over the HoloNet - it's got to be stressful. Alternatively, what if your characters met another famous person and had to deal with being starstruck? Bad Timing - Sometimes, the worst thing about something is when it happens. Even a good thing can end up being not-so-great if the timing is wrong. Write about a time when your character had to deal with something that just plain came at the wrong time. Week of 10/5/2012 Sacrifice - What are your characters willing to sacrifice to achieve their goals? Good/Bad Memories - Sometimes good memories can get your characters through hard times, sometimes bad memories are the extra push they use to move forward. What memories move your characters? Week of 10/10/2012 Teachers and Heroes - Everyone has someone they look up to, or someone who's taught them something important. Or a hero that they strive to be like. Who does your character admire and look toward when they're not sure what to do? Who has had an impact on making them the person they are today? Week of 10/17/2012 Xenobiology - Different species means more than different skin colors. It means different entirely different physiologies. Having friends whose bodies work so differently from your own can make things complicated, as everything from how you relax to how you dress and what your beauty rituals are (what is "lekku buffing", anyway?). How do your characters deal with differing biologies that they encounter? Best Day Ever - We've written about our characters' worst days; now write about their best days! A day when something wonderful happened, like finally beating your nemesis, or just a day when everything went really well for them, and how they reacted. Week of 10/24/2012 Disguises - Sometimes our characters have to gain entry to places that it's not easy to get into. What's a good strategy? A disguise, of course! Write about a time in which your character had to pretend to be someone or something else, and how they dealt with trying to be convincing. Worlds Colliding - Our characters fly all over the galaxy and meet people from many different worlds - metaphorically and literally. Relationships, friendships, and partnerships can develop, which often results in those two very different spheres of living coming together - which can be tough to navigate. Write about a time when your character's world met up with another's, and how they reacted. Week of 10/31/2012 Food - Everyone has to eat, and food is a major part of many cultures. It's part of your heritage and the memories you have of your family and friends. In a diverse galaxy, there are thousands of different things to eat and ways to prepare them, as well as traditions and customs involving food. Write about your characters' experiences in those realms. Loneliness and Solitude - Our characters end up with crews of interesting folks, but that doesn't mean they never feel lonely. When you're up against some of the biggest forces in the galaxy, it's hard not to feel alone. That said, sometimes being alone is a blessing - some well-deserved solitude is a wonderful thing when you need it. Write about a time in which your character felt lonely - or when they finally got some time to themselves. Week of 11/7/2012 Seasons - In space there are no seasons. But in a galaxy of thousands of worlds, it's every possible season at once, and not just the four temperature-variation ones. Write about some of the seasons your characters have experienced. Tools of the Trade - We all use tools in our everyday lives, whether it be a skill like one's persuasive powers, equipment like one's weaponry, or the right bit of knowhow to solve the problem without the need for that weaponry. Write about the tools that your characters depend on...or the ones they avoid using. Week of 11/14/2012 Deadly Sins - Everyone struggles with one of them at some point: wrath, pride, envy, lust, gluttony, greed, and sloth. Sometimes they spur us on to do good things. Other times, they hurt us and others. Write about your characters' struggles with the worst sins of them all. Seven Virtues - We're not just sinners, here. We all have our virtuous sides too, and many of our characters take one or more of the traditional "seven virtues" to heart: wisdom, justice, restraint, courage, faith, hope, and charity. Write about a time in which your characters embraced one or more of these virtues and how it affected them. Week of 11/21/2012 Home Ec - Our ships and everyday living arrangements have to keep running somehow. Maybe a slave or ship's droid handles it all for you; maybe...not so much. How do your characters manage cooking, cleaning, budgeting, ship maintenance, appliance repair, and more? Do the Math - On a more abstract level, tons of things in life can be reduced to, or perhaps just unhelpfully compared to, the math that rules our worlds. Write about your characters or things in their lives adding, subtracting, dividing, or multiplying. Or do they ever have to integrate? Or deal with binary logic? Or try to keep a limit on their eccentricity? Or handle something that's just...odd? Write about it! (Somewhat off-the-wall, but I hope y'all find something fun to play with in there, not necessarily strictly math-rigorous!) Week of 11/30/2012 I Love This Bar - We all do our time in the watering holes of the galaxy. What's your character's favorite memory of things seen, heard, done, purchased, insinuated, shot, kissed, imbibed, discombobulated, or otherwise rendered memorable in a cantina? Night of the Living Prompt - Remember all those ideas or half-finished scraps you had for earlier prompts? You know how it feels way too late to post it now? Resurrect your favorite prompt - let us know which it is! - and give us a story! (Kudos to kabeone for maintaining the master prompt list!) Week of 12/7/2012 As Time Goes By - No matter where you are in your character's story they are probably quite different from when they started. Maybe some are ready to settle down and others are starting to feel the passage of time. (All that Force leaping can't be good for the knees!) Has your character noticed any changes or have they stayed the same while others changed around them? Tell us about it. Week of 12/14/2012 First Day on the Job - Some of our characters have very long, very colorful employment histories. Others picked a job or had it picked for them when they were very young. Pick one of the jobs your character has held and describe the day they came to it. Loyalty and Betrayal - Two loaded words that can have major impacts on a person's life. Which characters of yours always follow orders? Which never compromise in loyalty to their friends or cause? How do your companions (not just that one) deal with challenges to their loyalties? Week of 12/21/2012 Laws and Governance - Our characters pass through a huge number of jurisdictions with a huge variety of regulations, forms of government, fine print, and - eek - legal penalties. Write about an interaction your character has had with government and/or the legal system. Failure - Our characters have flaws. They have bad days. They do it wrong. And sometimes they don't win. What failures have your characters experienced? What, if anything, did they learn from it? Week of 12/28/2012 Alternate Perspectives - Something a little different, most of the time we tell a story from a single character's perspective. But what were other characters thinking at the time? Rewrite one of your past pieces from another character's perspective or write a new fic from two characters perspectives. Use any prompt or just make something up. Week of 1/4/2013 Stomping Grounds - Our characters all have favorite places. Somewhere they grew up, somewhere they spent a lot of time, someplace that feels like home or might as well be. Someplace they’d rather be any day of the week. Somewhere they dream of when things go wrong. Tell us about your character’s favorite stomping ground. Week of 1/11/2013 Goals and Ambitions - Everybody has something they dream of, something they're working for in the future. For a lot of our characters it's a defining part of who they are. What are those goals? Who do our characters want to be? Behind the Scenes - Things aren't always as they seem, some events never look obvious, and wherever there's a curtain there may well be a man behind it. Write about what's really going on behind the scenes of your character's story. Week of 1/18/2013 The Story So Far - Let's step back for a moment to consider our universes. Write a summary for your characters, storyline, or entire universe as you would introduce them to a beginner. Week of 1/25/2013 Legacy - Legacy is an important part of the game, and a running theme throughout several of the stories. Is your character a part of a particular legacy, be it of family or ideology? What does your character want to leave behind when they're gone? Backfired Plans - ported from the AU thread. No good deed goes unpunished, and sometimes blessings come in disguise. What if something meant for good had bad effects, or vice versa? Week of 2/1/2013 LF1M - Dating site profiles are full of the good, the bad, and the ugly. If your character got lonely and tired of his/her designated love interest, what profile would you write for them to submit to the HoloNet's matchmaking services? Week of 2/8/2013 Climate - Our characters visit a dazzling array of planets, moons, and extremely large ships with a wide variety of climates and weather conditions. Write about a time when your character had reason to notice. Week of 2/15/2013 Working Out the Kinks - When has any device, excuse, or plan ever worked on the first try? Write about a time your character's efforts met reality and didn't go as perfectly as intended. Week of 2/22/2013 Enemies, Rivals, and Nemeses - Everyone has them. Each class story hands you a number of them, and we create more in our Legacies. So, how does your character deal with his or her enemies--quick death, public humiliation, something else? What about rivals, professional or otherwise? Does your character dream of destroying them or use them as motivation to exceed? Is there a nemesis lurking in the wings somewhere? Tell us about it! Week of 3/1/2013 Mirror, Mirror - Images and reflections can tell you a lot. Sometimes they give an accurate perspective on what's going on. But sometimes they don't quite reflect the truth of things. Distorted or un-, write about mirrors, reflections, or echoes that your characters have encountered or left. The Morning After - What seems like a good idea at night may turn out to be terrible in the morning. Or the other way around. Write about the morning after some event great or small that your character has experienced. Week of 3/8/2013 Life and Death - Throughout our stories in the game, some NPCs (and some of our own OCs) died and others survived. When did a critical death - or survival - make a difference in your character's tale? Your Song - Music is a tremendous force in many cultures, human and otherwise. Some people ignore it, some listen, some create, some sing really loud in the shower. Write something involving the music in your character's life. Week of 3/15/2013 To Market, To Market - To tread close to a game mechanic, or perhaps just to enrich/contextualize what game stuff we see: The Cartel Market brings tons of unique weapons, speeders, pets, funny-looking gear, and more to our in-game characters. Do any of those items have a story? Week of 3/22/2013 Myths, Legends, and Heroes - Everyone grows up with stories. Stories of fantastic people doing amazing things and having wondrous adventures. Our characters are well on their way to becoming heroes to the following generation. So who did your character look at as a role model? Whose footsteps did they want to follow? Whose stories did they read? Whose adventures did they follow on cheesy serialized animated holoprograms? Why are they so special to your character? Oh, Well That's Awkward - The class stories are full of interesting coincidences, especially when you take all the companion stories into account. Legacies, as part of the game structure, encourage even more strange situations and relations. So, what’s something about your characters’ legacy or story that makes family get-togethers interesting. Or impossible. Or just really unlikely. Week of 3/29/2013 Hide and Seek - Sometimes our characters need to find something they just don't have. Sometimes they need to keep something hidden from somebody else. Write about a time your character was hiding, seeking, hidden, or sought. Week of 4/5/2013 April Fool! - Some of our characters and companions enjoy jokes more than others. Has your character ever played a prank or practical joke? Did it work or did it backfire? Perhaps your character is the eternal butt of someone else’s pranks. Do they get even? How? The galaxy isn’t all doom and gloom; write about about fools, jokes, and general silliness. Week of 4/12/2013 Membership - Our characters grow into and out of all kinds of clubs, orders, cults, fellowships, schools, social circles, and professional organizations. Write about your character's membership in - or exclusion from - some group. Week of 4/19/2013 Children - we've had Parenthood, now look at it from another perspective: your characters may have kids or want them. What kids do they meet? Do their kids play nice together? What do their kids want and how do your adult characters help or hinder? Groomed - Presenting oneself to the world is a complicated thing. There are soap products to select, then hair to style, shaving to do, cosmetics to apply...alternately your characters might ignore some or all of the above. Write about your character's hair and/or grooming style. Week of 4/26/2013 Head of the Class - Our characters have been to academies, universities, boot camps, and the universal school of hard knocks: as students, as teachers, or maybe as maintenance, assistant, or thief. Write about your character's education. Week of 5/3/2013 Fashion - Most of our characters wear clothes. Do they follow fashion? Set it? Actively offend it? Are they more collars and cuffs or sweats and monkey-lizard slippers? What's their favorite thing to wear, what have they saved for years even if they don't fit into it, and what would they love to wear if they could just find the occasion for it? Write about your characters' clothing and how they relate to it. Prompt courtesy of iamthehoyden. Week of 5/10/2013 Planes, Trains, and Thrantamobiles - It's a big galaxy out there and we all have to get around somehow. Our characters encounter ticketing, hyperspace calculations, docking fees, late-running rides and more on ships, banthas, landspeeders, thrantas, troop transports, tauntauns, and/or whatever improvised modes of transportation they can get. Write about your character's transportation experience. Week of 5/17/2013 Cross My Heart - Honesty isn't exactly espoused by most organizations in the galaxy, but some individuals and groups still strive for it. Write about your characters encountering (or handing out) the right or wrong truth at the right or wrong time. Week of 5/24/2013 The Droids You're Looking For - One of the hallmarks of the Star Wars universe is the presence of droids: astromech, protocol, combat, and more. Write about the droids that support (our hinder) your characters. Week of 5/31/2013 Anniversaries - In honor of the SFC reaching the one-year mark, think about Anniversaries. Some dates are remembered and celebrated; others are remembered and reviled. From the fresh anniversary of something that happened just a year ago to the enduring remembrance of holidays for cultures and nations, people often mark the date and do something to observe the occasion. Write about an anniversary or significant holiday in your character's life. Week of 6/7/2013 Defenses - Sometimes our characters defend what's theirs. Sometimes they defend the things they care about. Sometimes they're asked to defend things they really don't like. Whether in combat or conversation, write about your character's efforts to defend something or someone. Week of 6/14/2013 Mea Culpa - Our characters have probably done a lot of wrong or perceived wrong, one way or another. Sometimes they think an apology is necessary. Sometimes they really don't. Sometimes they may want to apologize even when they didn't do anything. Sometimes the wronged party accepts it; sometimes they reject it; sometimes they're not there to hear it. Write about a time when your character or someone they know was prompted to apologize. Week of 6/21/2013 Animal Kingdom - Animals are all over in Star Wars, be they beasts of burden, metal-devouring parasites, mounts, showcase pets or underfoot vermin. Write about the animals your character has encountered. Week of 6/28/2013 Gifts - Gifts serve a multitude of functions, from hospitality, diplomacy, housewarming, affection, celebration, to manipulation or poison. They can be big or small, expensive or free, expected or surprising, public or private. Write about a gift your character has given or received. Week of 7/5/2013 Navigation - Our characters often find themselves navigating toward a goal by means of maps, tracking signals, advisors, or instinct. Write about some guidance that pointed the way. Week of 7/12/2013 Collections - This wide galaxy is a great place for hoarders...or definitely not hoarders, I don't know what you're talking about. Where would your character put all the random things you can accumulate, all the speeders, random pets, the copious crafting mats, countless outfits, armor sets, saber hilts.... or does your character only collect one thing in particular, a couple of things, or nothing at all? Prompt courtesy of Kitar. Week of 7/19/2013 Vacation - Our characters have traveled hither and thither over a dozen or more planets for work, politics, personal vendettas, and more. But where do they go to relax and what do they do when they've got some time to unwind? Write about your character's vacation time. Prompt courtesy of alaurin. Week of 7/26/2013 If I were a Rich Man - Our characters come from all walks of life. Were credits just a means to an end, or did they ever dream of wealth and how they might get it? Make it on their own (legal or otherwise), inherit from family, or play the Cartel Lotto and hope? In the course of their stories they become wealthy and powerful. What do they do with all those credits? Did money buy happiness? Did they fulfill their dreams, or was their monetary success empty and hollow? Prompt courtesy of Striges. Week of 8/2/2013 Lurkers - This is your chance to get in on the fun. If you’ve been reading this thread but never posted or commented, take a chance and post something! Write on anything you like, any length, any character, original or established in game. For inspiration, visit the prompt archive, but don’t feel tied to it. Not brave enough to share? Let us know what story (or stories) or character (or characters) you liked. Page one of the thread has several indices to the stories to help you. Out of the Limelight - his is the flip side of Fame. Through the course of their stories, our characters become famous. Household names, even. Would they have prefered to stay anonymous? What things are easier when no one knows your face? How do they deal with the need for privacy? Do they ever wish they hadn’t become heroes? What made them take the plunge instead of staying safely in the background? Veteran Writers - Tell the lurkers why you chose to post. What gave you the confidence to share your fiction with the community? Week of 8/9/2013 Wishes - Wherever our characters go, whatever they do, it's likely they have an eye on something more. Some people keep their fondest wishes a secret; others announce it to the world. Some wish on a star, a falling leaf, a found coin, or other totems. Some find a way to make it happen, and some haven't quite reached it yet. Write about your character's wish. (Prompt courtesy of Eversteam.) Week of 8/16/2013 Play Within A Play - (alternately titled My Immortal) - In a world where there are people, there are stories. And where there are stories, fandoms are likely to follow. And where fandoms go...well. Do any of your characters or their companions write fiction? Imagine what they would write in the way of thinly (or not at all) veiled fanfic. What stories do your characters tell about each other? (Keep it forum friendly, of course!) (I blame this prompt on kabeone.) Paying the Piper - There might be a couple different meanings to this, but in the end nothing comes for free, and one's choices have costs and consequences. Write about a time your character had to pony up the payment...or end up on the receiving end. (Prompt courtesy of Kitar.) Week of 8/23/2013 Mysteries - There's a lot out there we don't know. There's a lot out there some of us do know and some of us don't. Our characters are faced with many mysteries, some perhaps explainable by science or the Force or another sentient's mind, some not. What mysteries have your characters come across? Are they comfortable with not knowing or do they insist on uncovering the truth? Prompt courtesy of frauzet. Week of 8/30/2013 Competition - Life is full of competitions, formal and informal, friendly and unfriendly. Whether it's with siblings, neighbors, colleagues, or strangers met at the intergalactic traffic light, it's human (sentient?) nature to find something to try to be better at. Sometimes there's a clear goal, sometimes there's not. Sometimes there are rules, sometimes there aren't, sometimes there are but nobody follows them. Sometimes there's a prize at the end, and sometimes it's just about bragging rights. Write about a competition your character has participated in – or tried to avoid. Prompt courtesy of alaurin. Week of 9/6/2013 Technology - One of the great things about sci-fi is the futuristic technology. Star Wars boasts all kinds of innovations, from droids, tracking beacons, tractor beams, super lasers, lightsabers, blasters, and omnipresent (or not?) links to the Holonet. Some technologies date from ancient races, and their secrets are forgotten; some new technologies are just in the prototyping and testing stage; some are deployed on every street corner. Write about your characters' experiences with the tech of Star Wars. Prompt courtesy of Kitar. Week of 9/13/2013 The Sure Bet - Sometimes things just fall into place, and the goal is in easy reach just an action or two away. Sometimes there's a choice between long odds and a safe bet. Or sometimes a surefire proposition walks right up and make an offer. Write about your characters' experience with a sure bet. Did it turn out the way they expected? Week of 9/20/2013 Fitness - Let's face it, the jobs and adventures our characters go through are physically punishing. How do your characters hold up? Do they specifically work out and train, or do they rely on natural prowess? Do they ever fall out of practice? How do they compare to others, or do they go out of their way to avoid comparison? Prompt courtesy of Kitar. Week of 9/27/2013 Pimpin' Threads! - This week, a special one-time offer: Many of us have written additional SWTOR fic on this forum or elsewhere involving the characters that we've introduced or mentioned here on the SFC. Here's your chance to post a link and write a description about these extended stories! Please tag nsfw links as appropriate. Week of 10/4/2013 Words, Words, Words - It’s a big galaxy, and the big galaxy hosts a lot of languages. Some people are polyglots, switching among languages easily; some have enough trouble mastering one. Sometimes whole conversations go on in a foreign language, and sometimes only critical words that resist translation are used. Write about a time that certain words proved critical for your character. Week of 10/11/2013 Irresistible Urges - Cravings can happen for lots of reasons: addiction, pregnancy, a reminder of a favorite creature comfort, or it just being 2 AM right after all the takeout places have closed. What can’t your character do without? Write about a time when cravings struck. Suggested by irishfino, iirc. Week of 10/18/2013 Advice - In a galaxy this big there are a lot of problems to solve and there’s plenty of wisdom, given and received, to help deal with it. Your character is experienced. What advice would she give a newcomer seeking to follow her footsteps? What would he tell his children? Did a mentor give good advice? A rival? Did your character follow it? Was it useful? Prompt courtesy of Striges. Week of 10/25/2013 Superstition - Both cultures and individuals can hold superstitions, little practices and beliefs that are supposed to put some spin on reality, make good luck or ill. Then again, some people say it’s all nonsense, and some even tempt fate by crossing superstitious lines. What superstitions does your character hold to? Has any experience seemed to prove or disprove the rule? Week of 11/1/2013 Goodbye - Would you believe we haven’t had this prompt yet? Goodbyes come in many forms, from the quick “see you later” of an everyday contact to permanent loss. Write about a time your character said goodbye…or couldn’t. Week of 11/8/2013 Congratulations/Awards - Sometimes everything goes right, and sometimes our characters are recognized for it. Write about a time your character received an award or congratulations. Do they feel they earned it? Did it make a positive difference for others? Week of 11/15/2013 House of Something - The many and various worlds of Star Wars have many and various buildings (or large vehicles) that reflect their builders’ culture. Sometimes the style of architecture is really striking. Sometimes it’s less interesting than the events transpiring all over it. Write something involving a building or monument your characters have encountered. Week of 11/22/2013 Thank You - Gratitude is a big thing. People give thanks for gifts, social niceties, kind words, significant favors, for being offered company or for being left alone. Sometimes there are specific holidays or times dedicated to gratitude, and sometimes it just comes up on the way. What is your character grateful for? Do they admit it? Week of 11/29/2013 Shopapalooza - Whether it’s clothes, supplies, trinkets, spaceships, or groceries, our characters shop for a lot of things. Sometimes it’s a spending spree; sometimes it’s just window-shopping for what they can’t afford. It may be in a big chain mall, a backwater planet’s marketplace, an artisan’s gallery, or the Holonet. Write about your character’s shopping experience. Week of 12/6/2013 Heritage and Antiques - Star Wars is full of special things. Old things. Things with personal meaning, things revered as holy. The lightsaber your father wanted you to have when you were old enough. Your grandmother’s silver (or silver ship) you hope one day to give to your grandchildren. The insignia of your squad’s first commander, the one whose bravery won her (or him) a medal and gave your squad its reputation. The holocron that corrupted (or redeemed) your master. What things, places, or heirlooms are special to your character? Week of 12/13/2013 Signed, Sealed, and Delivered - Our universes see a lot of contracts made, whether verbal gentlemen’s agreements, electronic documents, or witnessed formal pacts. Sometimes contracts are entered into willingly; sometimes they’re coerced. Sometimes they’re broken; sometimes they’re protected against outside challenges. Sometimes old agreements come back at an unexpected time. Write about a contract your character made or avoided. Week of 12/20/2013 Snatched from the Jaws of Defeat - Our characters get into a lot of scrapes, a lot of desperate situations. Sometimes it may look like there’s no way to win…but a surprise might be in store. Write about a time your character had a success they weren’t expecting. Week of 12/27/2013 Altered States of Mind - Unlike dreaming, some altered states of mind happen while you’re wide awake and definitely doing things that affect the real world. Lots of things may affect the consciousness, from aggression-inducing biological agents to hypnotic music to spice to plain old alcohol. Write about your character’s experience with an altered state of consciousness. Was it fun or scary? Did it lead them to do something they always wished they could? Or was it more regrettable? Week of 1/3/2014 Why Are You Still Here? - Companions are bound to you in game but your head canon may be very different. Did a companion reach the breaking point with one of your characters? Did any of them leave or even subsequently rejoin your crew? Is there a particular reason an unlikely partnership is working, or a reason that a great-on-paper partnership gets badly strained? Prompt suggested by Striges. Week of 1/10/2014 You're Invited - Last week we talked about the companions who don't make much sense on our crew. This week let's look at other characters. We meet many NPCs during the class stories, and only some of them get to join our crews. Who would you have brought if the game let you recruit anybody? What NPCs did your character connect with but had to leave behind? Did you headcanon them as companions anyway? These need not be from the class story. Pick anyone and write about why they’re on your personal version of your character’s crew. Prompt courtesy of Striges. Week of 1/17/2014 Marketing - Somebody’s always trying to sell our characters something. Ads, promotions, coupons, flashy events, and more try to attract footsteps and wallets. Sometimes our characters are trying to sell something – be it services, unwanted equipment, or a cargo hold’s worth of hot merchandise. Besides all that, somebody’s got to be the face of advertising campaigns. Sometimes the advertising is right on and sometimes it’s…exaggerated. Write about your character’s experience with marketing. Week of 1/24/2014 Synchronicity - Sometimes coincidences happen up close and sometimes they happen lightyears away. Sometimes it’s a plan clicking into place and sometimes it’s totally unintended. Sometimes it makes things seem like they’re meant to be…sometimes it makes it seem like they’re really not. Write about a time very similar events happened to your characters at the same time and possibly at a distance. Week of 1/31/2014 Boring Conversation Anyway - Our characters talk to a lot of people. Sometimes these conversations end well. Sometimes they end...less well. Conversations may culminate in agreement, anger, happiness, thoughtfulness, kisses, or bloodshed…or get cut off before any satisfying conclusion is reached. Write about the way one of your characters' conversations ended. Week of 2/7/2014 Achilles' Heel - Our characters are powerful combatants, talented tacticians, clever diplomats and all-around legendary figures. However, everybody has that one "thing" that gets to them, that hurts them, or that proves their vulnerability in some way. A fear of heights... a particularly sensitive spot or old injury... an intolerance for bright sunlight... an irrationally severe dislike of womp-rats... what's the one thing that gets to your character, even on a good day? Prompt courtesy of TrystanLaryssa. Week of 2/14/2014 Love Letters and Secret Valentines - How do our characters stay in touch with the ones they love when they are far apart? Did they write romantic messages while they were courting? Has a new companion stumbled on some cherished correspondence with an old flame? Perhaps they never worked up the courage to express their feelings except in unsent letters or anonymous notes. In a romantic mood, what would your character write and to whom? Prompt courtesy of Alaurin. Week of 2/21/2014 Where are they Now? -- As our characters move through their stories they change the lives of many others, most of whom we never see again. The Force-sensitive Flesh Raider on Tython. Seh-run, the Abyssin on Korriban. Zi’am on Hutta. Paul and his elderly parents on Ord Mantell. That's just a few examples. Whatever happened to them? Did they became stalwart allies or bitter rivals? If they died because of our character’s actions, do they have relatives looking for revenge? We often remark about how characters from early on in the stories show up later to help or hinder our characters, or how characters from different class stories make cameos in others. How about some of these forgotten ones?

Week of 2/28/2014 Inheritance -- We’ve looked at antiques and heirlooms our characters possess. We’ve looked at legacies, both as a game mechanic and as something your character hopes to leave behind. But what about things they inherit? The things that follow them whether they like it or not. A noble or reviled name? Some nebulous family curse (mother never did say what it entailed). Maybe they’re heir to a throne they don’t want, or were passed over for one they desperately did. Perhaps it’s the family farm, the family business, or perhaps it’s literally nothing at all. What sorts of things or have your characters inherited, and how did they deal with them? Prompt courtesy of LaxKnight.

Week of 3/7/2014 Why They Fight--and Why They Don’t -- Characters manage to get into all kinds of altercations, large and small. Fights. But why? Not the easy answers: for the Empire, for the Republic, for family or the Force or bad luck any of the other reasons they might give to themselves or others. Why does your character choose to fight? Under what circumstances do they choose violence as a solution, and where do they draw the line? Even the cowards and the pacifists have reasons for their choices, and borders they will not cross. Explore it. Prompt and link courtesy of Kabeone. For a more complete essay, read Why We Fight by Michi on tumblr. Week of 3/14/2014 Life has no Reset Button -- Your character makes decisions every day, from minor ones, like what to wear, to vital important ones that change lives. Whether to capture or kill a prisoner. To stay with a partner or break up. To follow an order or disobey. They do the best they can under pressure and with limited information. What choices do they regret? Which ones might they do differently, now that they’ve had time to reflect? Would they make the same choice, knowing the consequences? Or are they even more sure now that they made the right decision? Week of 3/21/2014 This week, another prompt in two parts: Part One: Luminous Beings We Are -- Life is bound up, figuratively and literally, with light. Whether it's the physical study, the Light Side, or the dawning at the most unexpected times, we may find light altering the living space, illustrating the spirit, or showing the way. Write about your character's interaction with light. Prompt courtesy of BrightEphemera. *Sneak preview for next week: Darkness! Week of 3/28/2014 Forever Will It Dominate Your Destiny - On the other hand, darkness is the figurative and literal opposite and complement to light. Whether it's the physical state, the Dark Side, or some kind of ignorance, we may find darkness concealing what we need, dirtying what it touches, or hiding on the unexpected flip side of something. Write about your character's interaction with darkness. Thank you, BrightEphemera, for this pair of prompts. Week of 4/4/14 Passing On - “How we face death is at least as important as how we face life.” No one is truly immortal. Even those who have conquered aging and disease still have to deal with the inevitable dangers of combat and the perils of an adventuring life. What happens when death finally catches up with your character? Maybe a near miss gives her pause, an unwelcome reminder of mortality. Does he go out with a bang, a whimper, or quietly in his sleep? What happens to the ones left behind? This prompt courtesy of Mirdthestrill. (Quote courtesy Star Trek 2, The Wrath of Khan, at the risk of crossing fandom streams and interrupting The Princess Bride. It seems I picked the wrong movie to quote this week.) Week of 4/11/14 Laughing Fit- Humor is universal and yet also individual. What leaves one person in stitches falls flat for another for reasons of cultural or personal experience. Everyone’s funny bone is a little different. What about your characters? What makes them laugh? Do they have favorite comedians? Favorite parodies? Farce? Cat videos? There’s plenty of humor in everyday things as well. Maybe an amusing juxtaposition of events sets them off, a misspelled or misread sign, or a companion taking a pratfall. Write about a time when your character couldn’t stop laughing. Prompt suggested by Frauzet for Alaurin, who needs some laughter this week. Week of 4/18/2014 ...And Taxes- It’s said that death and taxes are the only certainties. We covered death in a recent prompt, so how about taxes? Both the Empire and Republic are huge, with countless fees, license requirements, and just plain old taxes. Hutt space is independant, but it still has to run. Does your character accept taxes as part of the cost of doing business, find ways to minimize the bill, or skip it altogether and hope no one notices? Write about your character’s encounters with taxes, fees, tariffs, and other means of government fund-raising. Week of 4/25/2014 Bushido - The seven classic Western virtues--see this week’s NotLP--are very individual-oriented. By contrast, the Bushido code stresses community and interaction: Rectitude (gi, righteousness or justice), Courage (yuu), Benevolence (jin), Respect (rei), Honesty (makoto), Honor (meiyo), and Loyalty (chuugi). Write about the presence or absence of bushido virtues in your characters' lives. Thank you, BrightEphemera, for this prompt idea. Week of 5/2/2014 Tests and Examinations - Tests are almost as pervasive as credits: Jedi or Sith trials, ship or vehicle operator’s license exams, weapons certifications, advanced intelligence analysis, basic maths. What kind of tests has your character taken? Did she prepare well or wing it? Pass or fail? What about retakes? Write about your character getting through some of the various testing and certifications he’s encountered. Week of 5/9/2014 Miracles and Wondrous Things - Star Wars is a universe with amazing high technology and an equally amazing mystical Force. Is there room between these two for a miracle? How would your character explain what defies explanation? Has he ever had to? What would she say to someone who disagrees? This prompt courtesy of Frauzet. Thanks, Frauzet! Week of 5/16/2014 Neither a Borrower nor a Lender Be. Whether borrowing money, your sister's clothes, your mother’s starship, or living on borrowed time, everyone borrows things. What happened when your character did? Did he lose it? Break it? Have a heck of a time giving it back in one piece? Or was your character the lender? Was the item ever returned or the credits paid back? What kind of condition was it in? Write about a time your character borrowed or lent out something. Prompt courtesy of Mirdthestrill. Week of 5/23/2014 Obsession: Everyone has interests. Occasionally, they devolve into fandom, or even obsession. What things obsess your character? Is it a favorite holoshow? A musical group? Perhaps swoop racing or huttball? Maybe something more esoteric--akk dog breeding, archaeology, perfume making, fine-tuning hyperdrive engines, or something else. Love feels a lot like obsession in the early infatuation stage. Or might it be a true obsession: intrusive thoughts or actions your character can’t ignore. Write about some of them and how they affect your character. Week of 5/30/2014 HAPPY 2ND BIRTHDAY SFC!!! Monuments: Beings everywhere create monuments. They can be statues or walls or great tomes or endowments to museums. Made to heroes, to wars, to governments, to benefactors, to saints, or even stupidity. They may be ancient or recent or forgotten. They may be revered or reviled, or maybe even both at once. Perhaps monuments to your character, desired or not, known or not. Write about your character’s interactions with monuments. Or: Serendipity: Merriam-Webster defines serendipity as “the faculty or phenomenon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for; also : an instance of this.” For many, stumbling on this thread was an instance of serendipity. Not all surprises are bad, and sometimes good things happen when you least expect it. When has your character experienced serendipity? Week of 6/6/2014 Something Borrowed-writers find inspiration everywhere, sometimes in other people’s fic. Not necessarily characters, though we had a prompt for that, too. Sometimes it’s a scene or a description, a side character or a setting. The name of a bureau, what the hyperspace vortex looks like, a slogan, or something else! We’ve been host to a number of collaborations recently, so let’s make it official. Write your story and be sure to note what you borrowed and from whom. Add a link to your inspiration if you can. Week of 6/13/2014 The Sounds of Silence-Tell a story without dialogue. Perhaps the characters are cannot speak or choose not to. Maybe the characters are incapable of speech. Maybe communications are cut off. Thoughts don’t count unless they’re audible in some way, and while journal entries or written correspondence fit the letter, they miss the spirit. Challenge yourself! Week of 6/20/2014 Background Music and Leitmotif: Imagine Darth Vader’s entrance without the Imperial March. It’s hard. His music is as much a part of his character as his black cloak and mask. Many writers have playlists for their stories, or at least particular songs that apply to certain characters or situations, or that help evoke a character or a sense of place as they write. This week’s challenge: Write a story and link the background music that goes with it, or a story centered on your character and link their leitmotif. Prompt courtesy of Mirdthestrill. Week of 6/27/2014 A Punny Story:-Often derided as the lowest form of wit, some of our most respected writers --like Shakespeare and Alfred Hitchcock--adored puns. Making and understanding puns requires a large vocabulary, a vital thing for writers. This week’s challenge: write a pun story; a story that exists for the sole purpose of setting up a pun. See this TVTropes link for some examples (click at your own risk), a wonderful music related one here by Peter Schickele (the story begins at 4:48, but the intro is totally worth it). Sadly, puns rarely translate well outside their native language. Regardless, if your story ends in a non-English pun, please include both the original and a translation/explanation. Week of 7/4/2014 Dialect and Accent: Everyone has one whether you're aware of it or not. Your words and how you say them reveal a lot about where you were born, where you grew up, what you like to read, or where and how you learned another language. What do your character's word choices tell about them? Does it mark them as ruling class, streetwise, coreward, rimward, immigrant, outsider, insider, or something else? Do they try to hide their unique pronunciation or revel in it? A source of shame or pride? Are they right and everyone else talks funny? Explore it! Week of 7/11/2014 A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words Pictures can also provide inspiration. A photograph, professional or otherwise, a scene in a movie, a well-known painting, a screenshot, a character portrait, if you’re lucky enough to have one. Write the “thousand words” (figuratively) behind the picture and share both if you can. Prompt courtesy of Jokad via the SWTOR forums. Week of 7/18/2014 There's No "I" in Team: As you play you pick up companions aplenty, maybe make friends in groups, and head-canon a lot of NPC involvement in your personal story. Over time, you wind up developing a team of players who work together in some fashion. Without that team, your character would never have the level of success they've achieved. Write about either how your team learned to mesh with each other, how they function as a unit now, or how they bond in the aftermath of a mission. Prompt courtesy of SillyMonkey71 via Tumblr. Week of 7/25/2014 Out of Time: Often, there seems not enough time in a day to get done what we need or want to do. Time management gurus to the contrary, sometimes there’s just too much going on. What about your characters? Everyone has to prioritize and has different reasons for setting priorities as they do. In fiction you can avoid all schedule conflicts, but where’s the fun in that? Write about a time your character had to make a choice about what gets done and what gets left for later, or not done at all. This prompt courtesy (in a roundabout way) of BrightEphemera. Week of 8/1/2014 Missing Something: We have things we’re good at and things we’re not. What happens to your character when something they rely on is suddenly useless or unavailable? The obvious is if your Jedi or Sith cannot call on the Force for some reason. But what about a sniper without their trusty rifle, a smuggler without their contacts, or a trooper without their squad? How did it happen? What does your character do? Week of 8/8/2014 Recurring Events: The rakghoul event is in full swing again. What other kinds of things happen to your character on a regular basis? Hyperdrive not working? Lightsaber lost? Ship stolen? Escape in the nick of time? Maybe something more prosaic, like problems with laundry. Give us a peek into one of those ongoing things your character deals with. Week of 8/15/2014 A Matter of Public Record: Every character is a wealth of information, and it's probably to someone’s advantage to know it. Everything from basic information like name, species, and gender, to more specific things, like school records, close relatives, or their favorite snack food. So what do they know about your character? What's on their public record and is any of it accurate? Has it been changed, erased, or confused with someone else’s? Who might want to know? Why? Week of 8/22/2014 Coming Home: With the advent of strongholds, what or where does your character consider home? Do they have an apartment on Coruscant, a stronghold in the wilds of Dromund Kaas, a sky palace on Nar Shaddaa? Is their ship their home, wherever it travels? Maybe home is more about the beings they’re with--their squad, their crew, their companions. We had a prompt for “Stomping Grounds,” which was more nostalgia, a childhood or imagined home. This is more at the present. At the end of the day, where does your character come home? Week of 8/29/2014 Can’t Get There From Here: Travel--or any plan--doesn’t always go smoothly. There are delays, changes in schedules, barriers blocking the way. What does your character do when their usual route is impassable? Do they follow the detour signs? Do they know--or think they know--a much better alternative route? What happens? Thanks to Frauzet for this prompt. Week of 9/5/2014 Downtime: Our characters have plenty of responsibilities. But what do they do when there’s nothing pressing? What fills those little spaces between committee meetings, the time between jobs or assignments, the days in hyperspace en route to the next big crisis? We’ve looked at both hobbies and vacations, let’s take a look at something a little less organized. How does your character fill their downtime? Prompt suggested by DoctorToDannyBoy. Week of 9/12/2014 Another Day on the Job: Our characters lead pretty interesting lives. Things they consider routine are anything but. So what does one of those days look like? What’s a regular day in the life of a special-forces trooper or Dark Council member? What problems do they face on a day-to-day basis? What unique occupational hazards do they avoid--or what perks do they enjoy? Even an ordinary day for your character is bound to be extraordinary in some way. Write about it. Week of 9/19/2014 Fish Out of Water: No one fits in everywhere. Even a well-travelled character, or one accustomed to shifting identities, can feel out of place. So how about yours? When has your character been in a truly alien, uncomfortable situation? Why were they so far out of their comfort zone? Did they wander into the wrong neighborhood? Did they miss important social cues or misinterpret what they saw? Write about a time when your character was the fish out of water. Week of 9/26/2014 Words of Wisdom: We’ve explored mentors and teachers and learning and advice. Now specifically: what words of wisdom did your character take to heart? Was there a particular quote he or she remembers? Why was it important? Because it proved true or was so abjectly wrong? Was it an intentional statement, or an offhand remark they’d be surprised anyone remembers? Write about it and why it’s important to your character. Week of 10/3/2014 Description: In the Short Fiction Weekly Challenge, we generally leap right into our characters, relying on quick sketches and familiarity to carry a reader. After all, that's how short stories usually work. How about we take a step back and really describe a character. How do they look? What kind of mannerisms do they have that a casual observer might notice? How do they dress? Go nuts giving a detailed description of what you'd see, looking at one or more of your characters. Week of 10/10/2014 Crossovers and Mashups: Imagine Captain America in the Clone Wars (Captain Republic and the Howling Commandos! Captain Empire!). Or the adventures of Han Solo, dashing rogue, and his best friend Chewbacca the genius-inventor-gorilla in a steampunk galaxy far far away. Padmé as Sleeping Beauty. Star Wars, the soap opera. Star Wars itself is a hodgepodge of bits and influences from ancient mythology, old-time serials, modern sci-fi, and everything in between. Explore some crossovers with other properties or genres and either OCs or canon characters. Week of 10/17/2014 Writer’s Revenge!: “Do not annoy a writer. They may put you in a book and kill you.” When looking for inspiration for a minor or background character, or even an important adversary, why not borrow the aggravating habits of someone familiar to you? The chatterbox co-worker who can’t stop telling stories--but none of them are interesting. The neighbor whose garage band meets daily--and loudly--at six in the morning. This week, take the best revenge on someone who irritates you: make them a character in a story. Death, of course, is optional. Have fun! Week of 10/24/2014 Write a Theme: Star Wars is unusual in its almost universal appeal, and much of its success has been attributed to the Lucas’ incorporation of universal mythological themes in the story. Good stories (and modern myths) often have these kinds of themes tying the narrative together. The fall from grace, the epic journey, love conquers all, finding hidden treasures, discovering inner strength. What recurring themes weave through your characters’ stories? Sometimes these ideas aren’t obvious at the outset, but become so as you write or review previous stories. This week’s challenge: pick one specific to your character and write a story featuring it. Week of 10/31/2014 Breaking the Fourth Wall: Addressing the Audience: Characters aren’t supposed to acknowledge their audience. Suppose they did? How would they speak to all those who’ve been reading and enjoying their adventures? What might they say to the complainers? Addressing the Creator: If your character could say something about their writer, what would it be? Would they complain about something? Take the opportunity to give you a piece of their minds? Maybe ask for a favor? Or would they be grateful and thank you? This one’s a lot more meta than we usually explore; roll with it and have fun. Week of 11/7/2014 That Didn’t Happen!: Or, alternately, It Didn’t Happen That Way! Whether you follow the class and planet stories in your fic or consider them more of a springboard, the dialogue wheel still helps tease out your character’s motivations and actions. And then, there are those other times. When none of the options are in-character. No matter how many times you exit out of a scene, what combination of responses you pick, there’s no way your character would act like that. This week’s challenge is to choose one of those moments and write what really happened. Inspired by Striges' own recent experience with a Bounty Hunter quest. Week of 11/14/2014 Exactly as Planned: Last week, the challenge was to rewrite an in-game event that your character would never do. This week, it’s the opposite. Were there any quests--class or otherwise--that fit your character’s story perfectly? Maybe something happened during combat or while exploring. Flashpoints? Even a bug, glitch, or mistake can become part of your character’s story. How did that go down? Write a story about a canon event that really is part of your character’s personal canon. Week of 11/21/2014 Weapon of Choice: Ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster: What weapons does your character favor? Is she a traditionalist or does she prefer the new hotness? Does he choose something typical for his class, role, or species, or something wildly different and unexpected? Why? From Corso’s Torchy to Lord Zash’s first saber, weapons play an important role in your character's story. Take a moment and share it. Week of 11/28/2014 Traditions: Everyone has traditions. Family, cultural, or personal. Some we keep out of habit or societal pressure, others because they hold special meaning. What about your characters? What traditions do they follow? Why? Something as complicated as an elaborate religious festival, or as simple as shredding every completed contract? Maybe your character specifically avoids certain traditions they grew up with. Or adopted new ones from an alien culture. Whatever the case, there's a story in it. Week of 12/5/2014 First Impressions--of someone else: Our characters encounter many others during the course of their stories. Some become strong allies, loyal companions. Others implacable enemies. Some end up just plain useless. Still, it’s hard to size up someone in a glance. Write about your character’s initial encounter with someone who becomes important later in their story. Week of 12/12/2014 Tall tales and exaggeration: Our characters’ adventures are exciting enough, but even the most entertaining true tale gets better with a little embellishment. Has your character ever improved on the original events for cantina entertainment? Or to impress someone? Enhanced their reputation by bending the facts a little? A lot? Or has someone else on their behalf? Is it odd overhearing someone else telling stories about them? Are the tales even a little bit true by the time they come back? This week, let’s have some boasting, aggrandizement, and hyperbole. Week of 12/19/2014 A Good Villain: Every hero needs an antagonist, someone who thwarts them at every turn. This week’s challenge: write a story centered on your character’s main villain. This might be an enemy the game made for your character or one you invented in your character’s story, but either way, this is their time in the sun. Make it good. Or bad, as the case may be. Week of 12/26/2014 Parties: Every culture has social functions. For celebrating holidays, for marking special occasions, for fun. What does your character think of them? Are they an avid participant or a wallflower? Throw their own party at the drop of a hat, or have to be dragged, kicking and screaming, to a not-exactly-optional affair? Arrive early and stay late, or put in a brief appearance and slip away as soon as possible? Are the parties they host the place to be seen, the talk of the town, where anyone who is anyone simply has to be? Or are they low key, private, and invitation only? What about crashing a party--or dealing with the crashers? A combination of any and all these things? In this week of celebrations of various kinds, write about your character’s social scene. Week of 1/2/2015 Resolutions: Has your character ever resolved to change a bad habit or start a better one? What prompted the impulse? Did they make a private vow or did they enlist the help of friends or family? Were they successful? Or did they slip back into old ways after a while? For this New Year Week, write about your character and resolutions. Week of 1/9/2015 Baggage: “What’s in there?” “Only what you take with you.” What kind of baggage does your character carry with them from early experiences? Good or bad. Are they mistrustful because someone took advantage of them? Insecure because of past criticism? Confident because they've overcome obstacles? Sure of their destiny- or afraid of their fate? The past shapes your character's present. Tell a story about how or why. Week of 1/16/2015 Colors: Republic Blue. Empire Red. Sith Black. Jedi Brown. We associate nations, religions, companies, families, and even emotions with certain colors. What about your character? Do they have a favorite color? Do colors mean much to them? Do they abide by the color conventions for their affiliations? Or do they choose something different because they prefer it? Why? This week, write about how your character navigates the visual spectrum. Week of 1/23/2015 Lifespan: A human in the Star Wars universe might easily live to 100 standard years. Wookiees live four times as long. Chiss, on the other hand, typically reach only 80, and Talz are luck to get to fifty. In a galaxy where beings of such differing lifespan can meet, interact, become friends, enemies, partners, or more, how do they deal with the knowledge that one of the pair will outlive the other? Perhaps by a significant amount? Does your character accept their (or a loved one’s) natural span or desire more? Were they reckless in their youth and less so in age, or the reverse? The Force is known to prolong lives--perhaps even to immortality or near-immortality. How does a character plan for that? This week, write about how your character approaches differences in expected lifespan. **Many thanks to Bright_ephemera for this handy Species Lifespan Chart! Week of 1/30/2015 Pick-up lines: Use them? Been used on? Turned down? Accepted? Laughed at? Good ones, bad ones, sincere or stupid and everything in between. Write about how your character deals with a classic (if dubious) way to connect with someone else. Week of 2/6/2015 Religious differences: Unlike most science fiction/space opera, Star Wars and SWTOR put religion and belief front and center. Jedi and Sith are the most obvious conflicting ideologies, but they are not alone. The Witches of Dathomir. The Trandoshan Scorekeeper. Voss' Mystics and the opposing Gormak Shaman. A quick perusal of Wookieepedia will find even more. How does your character view all these belief systems? Do they subscribe to any of them? None? How do they reconcile the differences among them? In a universe where the Force is undeniably real, where it inspires both hope and horror, what does your character think of those "hokey religions" and "sorcerer's ways"? Week of 2/13/2015 Cupid’s Arrow: According to legend, any heart pierced by Cupid’s golden-tipped arrow--human or deity alike--filled with uncontrollable, all-consuming desire. Classic love at first sight. But Cupid’s quiver also contained lead-tipped arrows with the opposite effect: provoking disdain and aversion. Has either arrow ever wounded your character? Or perhaps one of their close associates? An object of affection? Cupid’s influence covers the gamut of passions--from the sensual to unrequited all the way to bitter animosity. Tell a story where your character experiences irrational love or irrational hate. Or both. Week of 2/20/2015 Preparation: How does your character approach a competition, a blind date, or a delicate mission? Are they a meticulous planner? The one who has contingencies for the contingencies? Rehearsing their lines or moves until they can do them asleep? Or are they more of a “never tell me the odds” sort, walking in with an outline--if that--and winging it? Whether gathering intel and supplies or getting into the proper mental state, show your character getting ready. Week of 2/27/2015 Good/Bad Habits- We're all creatures of habit, whether it be actions (speaking before thinking, gambling, looking for all exits whenever entering a room), rituals (sleeping in the buff, wearing a particular color/article of clothing for luck), or substance use (caf, stims, alcohol, spice). Write about a habit your character has. Thanks to Alaurin for this prompt! Week of 3/6/2015 Propaganda: Regardless of their affiliations, it’s inevitable your character encountered propaganda or disinformation of some sort. Did they recognize it at the time? Later? Not at all? Did they challenge it or write it off as ridiculous? Were they offended? Shocked? Some classes--Agent and Trooper come to mind--might even be active participants. Write a story about your character and questionable official truth. Week of 3/13/2015 Who?: Remember that character? That original character? You know the one. The one you wrote a story for or maybe several and then petered out? That one. This week, resurrect them. We had “Night of the Living Dead” for prompts, this time, it’s Night of the Living Dead character. Pick any prompt and give a patiently waiting character a story. Week of 3/20/2015 What About That Guy?: Stories usually concern major characters. Sometimes the main plot is from the game, sometimes not. Regardless, stories also contain a number of incidental characters and minor plots as well. The guard at the door, the customs official who broke up the fight, a convenient corpse, the character (probably in a red shirt) who dies in the first scene to prove the situation is serious. Not to mention why was there a guard, how did the fight start, where did the corpse come from, what made the situation serious. Every story has places to explore behind the scenes. This week, pick one of your favorite works and fill in one or more of those spaces. (This prompt suggested by Feldraeth) (apologies to Galaxy Quest’s Crewman #6) Week of 3/27/2015 Incongruity--A wookie with curlers, troopers in armor dancing to a popular tune, a toddler with a lightsaber. Some things just don’t seem to go together. The result may be funny or tragic. When has your character encountered incongruous things or odd juxtapositions? Week of 4/3/2015 Japes, Satire, and Parody: Beings of every kind tell jokes, often about each other. What about your character? Do they delight in mocking those who desperately deserve it? Maybe they’ve been the butt of someone else’s spoof. Or perhaps they just enjoy seeing authority taken down a few pegs. This week, have a little fun at the expense of your character, their friends, or enemies. Week of 4/10/2015 Mistaken Identity: A classic literary device employed in drama and comedy alike. Has your character ever been mistaken for someone else? Have they made an error about another’s identity? What happened? Did hilarity ensue, or was it a more serious situation? Week of 4/17/2015 Paranoia: “Is it paranoia when they really are out to get you?”-- every Agent ever, and a healthy number of Sith besides. So how about your character? Are they reasonably cautious, just planning for the worst, or outright paranoid? Or is everyone really out to get them? Thanks to Frauzet for this prompt. (And credit to Joseph Heller for the paraphrased quote) Week of 4/24/2015 Scent: Humans as a species aren’t known for having a particularly good sense of smell. Despite this, perfumes and scents are incredibly popular, either to hide, replace, or enhance natural odors on both their person and possessions. Does your character care? Do they have a favorite scent? A soap, a perfume, an incense? Do their species’ preferred fragrances turn off others--or smell really good? How do their companions (some of whom may have better olfactory abilities) deal with the profusion of clashing or complementing scents? Or do they prefer your character au naturel? Credit to Alaurin’s story for inspiring this prompt. Week of 5/1/2015 Dance: We’ve had music prompts before, but what about dance? Whether formal or informal, group, alone, or in pairs, most cultures accompany music with dance. How does your character relate? Do they sit on the sidelines watching others or do they command the attention of all on the floor? It’s May Day! Write a story about your character and how they dance, even if it’s with two left feet. Week of 5/8/2015 Over Your Head- Interesting stories happen when your character is least expecting it, and least prepared. Maybe they misread the situation. Maybe their information was incorrect or incomplete. Perhaps an enemy (or friend!) arranged the whole thing. Or maybe they stumbled into the villain's lair on accident. Maybe the villains stumbled into theirs! What do they do? How does your character handle being in over their head? Week of 5/15/2015 Ships that Pass in the Night: Sometimes, two important characters miss each other completely. Perhaps they’re actively avoiding each other: hiding, in disguise, or incognito. They might notice one another, but without recognition. Perhaps their circles are so different they don’t realize who they've seen. Maybe they don't even do that much, passing like ships in the night. This week, write about the encounter that might have happened, but didn't. Week of 5/22/2015 You Can’t Always Get What You Want: Every character wants something. It might be tangible: food, money, an ancient artifact. It could be intangible: respect, success, fame or infamy. Often, their entire story is the pursuit of their desire. But something always gets in the way. What happens when something or someone thwarts your character? Gets in between your character and what they want? How do they deal with it? Week of 5/29/2015 Lost and Found--Characters lose things: keys, rings, treasures, friends, their way. They find things too: rings (again), companions, their courage. This week, write about what your character has lost, or what they found. Or both. Week of 6/5/2015 Happy 3rd Birthday SFC!!! Milestones:Milestones are more personal than Rites of Passage or Turning Points, both previous prompts. It's something significant for your character, something they might mark, independant of holidays, formal anniversaries, or rituals. The day your character finally paid off a loan--or the day they took one out to finance their dream. The first time your character felt like they belonged among their peers--or when they realized they never would. Their last drink, their first dance, moving out, moving on. Tell a story about your character reaching or remembering a personal milestone. Mixed Doubles: Combine any two prompts you like and write a story! For added fun, choose randomly. Three years of prompts means more than 150 prompts to pick from. Week of 6/12/2015 You Were The Chosen One! Or Were You?: Game stories often cast your character as The Chosen One, the One destined to Fix All The Problems. But not every character fits that trope, and not every one should. Does yours? Or not? Emphatically not? Or maybe they are, but not in the way anyone hoped. Bringing balance to the Force by reducing its practitioners to two Dark and Two Light certainly fulfils the prophecy, but probably wasn't what Yoda expected. Where does your character fall on the Chosen One continuum? Express it in a story. Week of 6/19/2015 Best Buddies: Does your character have a best friend? The one they’d like to hang out with just for fun, whether fun is cross-country skiing on Hoth or downing shots in a Nar Shaddaa Huttball cantina? The person who completed their sentences long before they met their significant other? Maybe became their significant other? Did your character stay in touch? Have they grown apart or away, the friendship almost remembered, but not quite important enough to restart? This week, write about your character being with, losing, forgetting, or reconnecting with their best buddy. Week of 6/26/2015 I Dare You!: Few phrases in the English language have gotten people into more trouble, except possibly “Hey watch this!” So how about your character? Do they feel obliged to accept any dare? Do they dare others? Or do they regard the whole concept as ridiculous, an excuse to overrule common sense in exchange for a fleeting moment of acceptance or popularity? I dare you to write about it. Week of 7/3/2015 Sight: Humans are a visually-oriented species, so sight is one of the easiest senses to evoke in a story and most writers use it automatically. We describe how a room looks or our character’s physical appearance. We tell the reader what our character sees. It is the most basic scene setting tool. This week’s challenge: make the character’s vision a central part of your story. Having trouble? Take it away. Maybe it’s too dark to see. Maybe they’re temporarily blinded. Maybe they’ve always been blind. Experiment! Week of 7/10/2015 Sound--Sound is the second most often used descriptor. At the most basic level there is spoken dialogue or ambient sounds. Beyond that, a character may have a distinctive quality to their voice: nasal, raspy, or with a peculiar accent. Maybe they yell. Maybe they whisper. Ambient sounds might be soothing--a waterfall, soft music, leaves fluttering in a gentle breeze. They might be loud--machinery, nearby traffic, raucous neighbors. Used well, sounds tell the reader about the setting and the characters without the writer spelling it out. This week, try to use sound in a creative way. Week of 7/17/2015 What an Incredible Smell You’ve Discovered!-Sense of smell. In the real world, scent can conjure up some of the most vivid memories and strong associations. It adds a dimension of realism to descriptions. At the same time it’s a very difficult sense to evoke in text. This week’s challenge is to make a scent important in your story, as well as doing your best to help the reader imagine it. It might be a perfume; an aroma specific to a place, thing, or event (pleasant or otherwise); or something with significance to your character. Some species or characters might be more aware of or sensitive to smells than others. Experiment! Week of 7/24/2015 Blech!--How you Get So Big Eating Food of This Kind? Sense of Taste: Taste is almost as difficult to evoke as smell, and just as subjective. A pleasant flavor for one character might be revolting to another. While this prompt ties to food, taste can also include medicine or even objects. Look beyond the obvious and try to use the sense of taste in a story this week. Week of 7/31/2015 It Doesn’t Feel Like Rock: Sense of Touch: Touch is a bit easier to evoke than smell or taste, but it’s often overlooked when setting a scene. Touch is a basic sense and every part of the body can experience it. How things feel help immerse a reader in your world and make it more real. Does your character’s armor fit well or does it chafe? Is the furniture smooth and well-polished, soft and padded, or rough and splintery? What was the food like--crunchy, spongy, chewy, tough, or silken? Does your character have a means of sensing or interpreting touch that is different from human? Explore it! Week of 8/7/2015 Followers, Companions and Hangers-on: Whether your character is The Chosen One or just charismatic, they’re bound to attract attention. How does this affect your character? Do they try to maintain their privacy, do they reach out to those interested in them like a group of not-very-close friends, or do they treat everyone like family? Maybe a particular follower (or group!) seeks to change the nature of their relationship with your character--wanting to become closer or move farther apart. This week, consider your character and the beings watching their adventures. Week of 8/14/2015 But I won't do that-is there a line your character won't cross ever? Some act they would never do under any circumstances? Has it been tested? Have they been dragged to and over each line step by step? Or did they hold firm? Even the bad guys have standards. What are your character’s? Week of 8/21/2015 Souvenirs: They’re everywhere. Especially at cultural or historical attractions. Models of famous buildings or statues, clothing with maps or slogans, super-slick guidebooks, posters or postcards. Things for visitors to take home. But at its heart, a souvenir is a physical reminder of another place or event. It might be Official or it might be something ordinary that reminds them of where they bought it. It might even be a scar or injury. What kind of souvenirs does your character have? How and where did they get them? Week of 8/28/2015 Distractions- Some characters are more focused than others but everyone gets distracted sometimes. It might be the garden-variety distraction--an urgent message, children, colleagues, someone who desperately needs six pig’s livers while your character is on their way to save the world. Or your character might distract themselves--endlessly exploring Encyclopedia Galactica instead of completing their research paper, or obsessing over shoe details rather than exercising. This week, write about how your character--Ooo, shiny. Week of 9/4/2015 Violence is the Only Option-When interests collide, some characters resort to violence to get what they want. Even if you want to avoid it, combat is inevitable. This week, write about a time your character has to fight with another in order to a to further their goal. Thanks to Oliverthefighter for this prompt.

Week of 9/11/2015 Change of Venue-Few characters--or stories--stay in one place. Your character moves from familiar places and things to new and strange ones. Does your character relish the excitement of change, or do they prefer the predictable? What do they do when they have to move, regardless of preference? This week, pick a new place for your character to be, or write about how they got there. Week of 9/18/2015 Fasting or Going Hungry - A character may go without food for a number of reasons: poverty, crash dieting, disciplines of faith or duty, declining weird alien food, forgetting to restock, or even forgetting to eat. What about your character? When have they experienced hunger? Was it intentional or accidental? Why? We had prompts for taste as well as favorite foods. This week, consider the opposite. Week of 9/25/2015 Looking Forward/Anticipation - There’s always something new on the horizon, be it an opportunity, an event, or even just a well-earned rest. What is your character looking forward to? What do they anticipate happening? Are they excited? Anxious? A little of both? Something else entirely? What future thing or event is your character eagerly awaiting? Week of 10/2/2015 I’ve got a bad feeling about this - Last week our characters were looking forward to something good. This week, they’re just as sure it’s going to be bad. When has your character known something wasn’t going to work out? How did they know? Past experience, premonition, general pessimism? Did events turn out as bad as they expected, or were they better? Worse? How bad were those bad feelings, and was it justified? Week of 10/9/2015 ...and counting- We’ve had prompts for math, but how about plain old counting and numbers? Does your character worry about how many ration bars they have? How many days (or weeks...or months!) since their last contract? Whether they have more artifacts than their nearest rival? Does your character have a lucky number? How do they show it? Maybe they just count their credits--but not before they’re in hand. Week of 10/16/2015 Promises - It seems like such a small social contract, but a promise can be a big deal. It might be a promise to a child for a treat, to communicate with a loved one on a regular basis, or to keep a secret--state or personal. How about your character? What promises have they made? Have they kept them? Did another character break a promise to your character? Some are quick to give their word and just as quick to break it. For others, their word is their bond and never given lightly. Week of 10/23/2015 Missing You: Your character relies on friends and companions, but they can't be there all the time. A companion takes a vacation. Maybe they had an appointment, ran an errand, or stormed off in a huff. Maybe they grew apart, took a job or a post in a faraway place. Maybe they just went to work for the day. Sometimes you don't realize how much you depend on someone until they're not there. Who does your character miss when they're gone and why? Week of 10/30/2015 Day of the Dead- celebrated in Mexico on the first and second of November, the modern Day of the Dead celebration has its roots in ancient Mesoamerican traditions. Returning spirits of the dead are welcomed and honored with food and stories. It is a happy festival, all about retaining and celebrating connections with family who have passed on and and less about mourning them. So who would your character remember and why? If, years after their death, your character’s spirit returned to their relatives for just one night, what would they find? There are story possibilities on either side of death’s gateway, find one this week. Week of 11/6/2015 Cheering Up- Into every life a little rain must fall, and our characters are no different. Who or what cheers them up when they're down? How would they help a friend with the blues? Whether as the cheer-er or the cheer-ee, write about some happy characters this week. Week of 11/13/2015 Strange Relations- Every character has an assortment of friends and companions. As writers, we usually pick types or occupations that fit logically with them. But what about an oddball? Obi-Wan Kenobi was friends with a smuggler-restaurant owner, hardly a likely pair. Who among your character's compatriots has unusual skills, occupations, or backgrounds? How did they meet and become friends? Why do they remain friendly despite obvious differences? Week of 11/20/2015 The no-win scenario - Sometimes, every choice is bad. Every option has unacceptable consequences. You're damned if you do, damned if you don't. Has your character faced such a situation? How did they deal with it? Did they pick the lesser of two evils or try to find a better solution? Or did they, like Kirk, cheat their way out? Do they regret their choice? Week of 11/27/2015 Insomnia - Everyone’s had a sleepless night. Maybe more than one. What about your character? Do concerns keep them awake? Are they too excited for sleep? Maybe they just chose the wrong time for a stimulant beverage. Perhaps they were so engrossed in an activity they only realized they stayed awake all night when the sun rose. A bout of insomnia could be a single event or a recurring problem. How does your character deal with being unable to sleep--assuming their species even needs to. Week of 12/4/2015 That's Cheating! - Some characters are honest and trustworthy to a fault. Others less so. The vast majority are somewhere in between. Where does your character fall? Do they play by the rules or make up their own? Have they been the victim of a cheater? At cards, a merchant, or even a relationship? Do stakes or situation matter, or will your character cheat (or not) any time? Week of 12/11/2015 The Mundane - Never mind flitting about the galaxy and fighting (or furthering) evil. How does your character handle buying supplies? Doing laundry? Repairing or replacing their gear? Homework? Housework? Reports? Letters? There's an awful lot of routine things in a hero's life that rarely make the big story. This week, pick one that should. Suggested by DoctortoDannyBoy. Week of 12/18/2015 The Times, They are a-Changin' - Even in a galaxy far far away, things change. The world, the galaxy, doesn't look the same as it did when your character was younger. How does your character feel about it? Do they take it in stride, or are they more a 'back in my day' lecturer? Was the past as good-or bad-as they remember? Or are those rose-colored glasses blinders? Week of 12/25/2015 Merry Christmas SFC! The Gift of the Magi - not the biblical reference but the short story by author O. Henry, describes gifts given out of true love and at great personal cost to the giver. Has your character given such a gift? Did the recipient appreciate it? Was your character the recipient? Did they understand the value of what they were given? Week of 1/1/2016 Happy New Year SFC!! Starting Over - Rarely, your character may get the chance to start over. To try again. Do it right this time, or at least differently. What would your character do with such an opportunity? Would they take it or are they content with their current situation? What might they pay, give up, to start over? Or have they already done so? Did it work as well as they hoped? In most cultures the new year is a time to get a fresh start. What about your character? Week of 1/8/2016 Return from Holiday - However nice the vacation, eventually your character comes back to their regular job. Is it a difficult change in mindset? Did your character leave the phone off the hook or did they check in all the time? What happened in their absence? Did everything fall apart? Did things hum along smoothly, no one noticing your character was gone? What do they find when they return? An emergency, a slow simmering crisis, or nothing at all out of the ordinary? This week, write about your character dealing with the transition from holiday to everyday. Week of 1/15/2016 Under the Weather-everyone gets sick, even the most hale and hearty character. How does yours deal with illness? Tough it out and hope no one notices? Or do they turn into a baby at the first sign of a sniffle? Whether the treatments in your world are high-tech or top out at chicken soup and herbal tea, write about your character feeling poorly. Week of 1/22/2016 Snappy Comebacks - in real life, people rarely have the perfect response to a rude question or comment. It usually occurs hours or even days after the conversation that prompted it. But fiction is different. Your character has the advantage of time-your time-to devise a fantastic zinger. This week, write about your character winning (or losing!) a verbal joust. Week of 1/29/2016 Bad luck- Sometimes things go wrong. No reason. It just happens. For some characters it's an occasional annoyance. For others, well, without bad luck they'd have none at all. Or, like Obi-Wan, your character might believe “there's no such thing as luck.” Given that for a writer, it's fun when our characters get into trouble, write about a time when things didn't go quite right for them, how they dealt with it, or how they felt about it. Week of 2/5/2016 Good Fortune- Last week we told stories about our character’s bad luck. This week, things are looking up. Maybe your character finally won the lottery, a game of poker or pazzak, or just won the flip and doesn’t have to do dishes. Maybe they found a parking meter with time left, or maybe they managed to catch the last transport off-world before the quarantine. Maybe something that looked bad on the surface turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Luck can be about big things or small. With Chinese New Year just around the corner, give your character some good fortune this week. Week of 2/12/2016 Star-Crossed Lovers - Back when most marriages were arranged, falling in love with someone wasn't always wonderful. It caused all sorts of complications. Love can be an all-consuming fire, beautiful and terrible at the same time. People in love were prone to ridiculous acts-and that hasn't changed. Cupid's golden arrow doesn't always choose a wise or appropriate match. This week, write about a time when your character or someone they care about loved not wisely, but too well. Week of 2/19/2016 Largess - A gift, usually of money, though in English the word retains its older connotations of generosity and charity. Characters often become wealthy over the course of their stories. Does yours spread the wealth or keep it for themselves? Do they make sure everyone knows all about their generosity, or are they quiet and anonymous? Maybe they were the recipient early in their careers. Did it help? Or do they see other's largess passing them by? Week of 2/26/2016 Losing Confidence - everyone has a crisis of confidence at some point. For a character, it might be a minor setback early in their story, setting them off on their path. It could occur later, where overcoming the self-imposed obstacle is the dramatic moment. Or it could even be a recurring theme throughout their story. This week, write about a time your character lost confidence in their skills or abilities, and what they did about it. Week of 3/4/2016 Theater - A movie, a play, a puppet show. A 3D holographic immersive experience. Their child's first school pageant. Your character's first school pageant. This week write about your character's experiences with the theater. Week of 3/11/2016 Taboos - some things are off limits, be it for cultural, personal, or legal reasons. How do they relate to your character? Do they not even realize the restriction? Notice, but abide by the rules? Or do they flout society's conventions and laugh? Why? Does their attitude cause trouble for them, or does it grease the wheels? Week of 3/18/2016 Pretty Things - They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and certainly people find beauty in different things. What about your character? Where do they find beauty? In artwork or song? Unusual landscapes? Stunning outfits? Well-crafted arguments, equations, or formulae? Animals, insects, or minerals? For this week's challenge, surround your character with pretty things, however conventional or strange they may be. Week of 3/25/2016 Cross Purposes - some characters are allies, others indifferent. Then there are the adversaries. And sometimes two character are at cross purposes and don't' even know it. Protagonist- antagonist is one of the most basic story structures. Give it a twist with two main characters working against each other, knowingly or otherwise. Week of 4/1/2016 Good Things Come in Small Packages: write a drabble, around 100 words, on any previous prompt or none at all. Some sources put drabbles at anywhere from 53 words on the low end to 500 at the upper end. While I don’t have BrightEphemera’s Massive Statistical Number Crunching Data of Awesomeness, I recall the majority of our stories being in the 500-1500 word range. Let’s push that lower limit. We had an unofficial drabble week a long time ago. This time it’s for real. Week of 4/8/2016 Bigger is better- write something long. 2000+ words. Use any previous prompt or invent your own. Long works have a different set of challenges compared to short ones. In the former, every word counts. In the latter, it’s hooking the reader and keeping them entertained for the duration. Go for it! Week of 4/15/2016 It Takes Two: Write a story in two parts. Use any previous prompt (or pair of prompts) or choose your own topic. The reason for the division is up to you. Switch perspectives, follow a different character, or leave the reader with a cliffhanger. Publish on successive days or in separate posts. Each section can be any length but they can’t stand alone! They must need each other to be complete. Week of 4/22/2016 Menage a Trois: Brevity is the soul of wit. Tell a story in three sentences. Stop reading and write! Week of 4/29/2016 Spring Cleaning: May Day is Sunday, time to clean out the WIP folder. Pick something and finish it, whether it’s old and cobwebby or just a few sheets down from the top. Even if you thought it solidified into a shale-like mass under the pressure of all the other WIPs. Crack it open and see. What’s inside that document you haven’t opened in ages? Sometimes pressure and long aging makes a diamond. All it needs is some polishing to shine. Week of 5/6/2016 The Hard Way--No one is good at everything, even The Chosen One. What skills or subjects did your character have trouble with? Did they work hard and eventually master them, or did they bail as soon as possible? What happens when they need to rely on that skill? Is it still a struggle for them, or have they incorporated it into their repertoire even though it’s difficult? This week, consider something your character had trouble learning or still finds difficult, and how they deal with it. Week of 5/13/2016 Nicknames--Does your character have an in-story nickname? How did they earn it? Was it accidentally bestowed or deliberately cultivated? Do they prefer it to their given name or hate it? Give it out or hope no one ever finds out? Do they even know they have one? Maybe their enemies (or friends!) only use it behind their back. Or is your character the one giving nicknames to everyone else? Week of 5/20/2016 Current Events--Events in the larger fictional world shape your character’s little slice of it, whether they want it to or not. What things are in the news for your character? What do they hear about on the Holonet or from the town gossip, read about in the paper or posted on boards? How do these events affect them? Are they concerned about current events or blissfully unaware of anything outside their immediate experience? Maybe your character is the one making headlines. Write about it! Week of 5/27/2016 Birthdays--Does your character celebrate their birthday? What do they do? Have a big party or an intimate gathering with a few close friends? Or do they hope no one notices? Perhaps they eternally claim some age they like the best, whether it’s a birthday past or one yet to come. Maybe they neither know nor care. Living another year might not mean much to them. Maybe they mark a day of different personal significance. Or maybe a significant other throws a surprise party whether your character wants it or not. Consider birthdays this week, and what they mean for your character. Week of 6/3/2016 Happy 4th Birthday SFC!!! Why Didn’t I Think of This Sooner? Character Version- Who hasn’t come up with a great idea well after it’s useful? Probably not your character, since they aren’t actually under real-world time constraints. What if they did? Characters can have regrets or second-guess themselves, too. Perhaps they come up with the perfect escape plan while fighting through guards they didn’t avoid. Maybe they wish they had bought the magical sword from the swordsmith. Maybe they remember the vital clue after setting off the trap. Consider this a chance to try some internal conflict for your character. What do they do when they realize they could have done something differently? Why Didn’t I Think of This Sooner? Author Version- Who hasn’t come up with a great idea well after it’s useful? Every writer ever. Maybe it’s a better way to relate your character to your world, maybe it’s a background event, maybe it’s a change to the world itself. But you already established all of these events. It’s ok: there’s Retcon. Writers retcon all the time. Sometimes it’s major--a reboot of the universe--sometimes it’s not--rewriting or throwing out an episode or scene or adding foreshadowing where you didn’t before. This week, make a change to something in your story you wish you’d done from the beginning. The new timeline can become your new canon or you can keep it as an AU (we have a whole thread for that, too). Stories aren’t finished until the writer says they are. Week of 6/10/2016 Scars--Reminders of old wounds. They might be visible--remnants of a childhood fall, a parent’s rage, an accident, a fire, a careless slip with a weapon or tool. The near miss that wasn’t quite a miss. But scars can be internal or emotional as well. A song that was a former lover’s favorite, a scent that summons a painful memory, a street or neighborhood your character refuses to travel. This week write a story about a scar your character bears. Consider how they acquired it, and how it affects them. Week of 6/17/2016 Special Delivery--Has your character ever ordered or commissioned something? A weapon, an outfit, a portrait, or a story? Are they patient waiting for it to arrive or be completed or do they inquire every day? Do they micromanage? Track their package down to the minute? Or do they forget about it entirely until it shows up? Perhaps your character is the one doing the delivery. Do they get lost? Wonder what’s in the mysterious box? Write about your character’s encounters with deliveries and orders. Week of 6/24/2016 Relaxing--When your character takes time off to kick back and relax, what do they do? Do they have to travel? Go somewhere where they can avoid pressure and constant requests for aid or advice? Do they escape into a good book or other entertainment? Perhaps they indulge in a hobby or visit a spa. What does your character do to relax? Or do they find it impossible? Week of 7/1/2016 Deadlines--Time is running out. Your character has something to do, to complete, to finish, to arrange, and their time grows short. What were they doing? Was it something they put off until it was critical? Did they plan for a long time and only now the pieces are coming together? Did the situation arise suddenly and demand a quick response before the critical time? Was it self-imposed or did another character impose it? A deadline is nothing more than a date or time by which something must be ready or complete. Write about it this week. Week of 7/8/2016 Overindulgence--It is possible to have too much of a good thing. The consequences vary, from a mere stomachache to a hangover to an arrest record or worse. Some characters are more prone to overindulgence than others. Has your character overindulged? Maybe they were the voice of reason while everyone around them consumed to excess. What happened? Did the incident become an embarrassing story? Tell it! Week of 7/15/2016 Wrong Size--”one size fits all” rarely does. Anything can be the wrong size: clothes, armor, weapons, starship or computer components, backpacks or duffels, the bowl of soup your character ordered. The incident could be a minor inconvenience or a major problem. The reason behind it might be a simple mistake or deliberate sabotage. Write a story where something was the wrong size, and how your character coped. Week of 7/22/2016 Lost in Translation--Some of our characters know many languages, some only one. Regardless, there will be times when a foreign concept is difficult or impossible to explain. Perhaps a term is untranslatable, words are insufficient, or maybe they’re using a bad dictionary. The results can be funny or tragic, or both in equal measures. This week’s challenge is to lose something in translation. Week of 7/29/2016 Piercing the Veil--When has your character seen things for what they truly are? Seen past the plots and the machinations of other characters to what was really going on? That sudden flash of insight when the pieces come together and everything makes sense. Was it real? How do they deal with their new-found insight? Do others believe them, or are they alone with the truth? Explore a time when your character’s intuition guided their actions. Week of 8/5/2016 Strength in Numbers: Some problems are too big for one person to deal with. Maybe your character needs specialized help; someone (or several someones) with particular skills to fill gaps in their own. They might want backup, or moral support, or someone to share the blame if everything goes south. Or perhaps they simply want confirmation that others believe they’re doing the right thing. This week, write about a time when your character found strength in numbers. Week of 8/12/2016 Camouflage: There’s more to camouflage than the standard brown and green irregular blobs. Some visual camouflage is meant to deceive cameras or other electronic sensors, not organic eyes. Other types disguise not the presence of an object or person, but its apparent movement. Even ordinary clothing can be camouflage if it lets a person blend in when they would otherwise stand out. At its heart, camouflage is concealment. Consider a time when your character needed some, or was fooled. Week of 8/19/2016 Sleeping Rough: Has your character ever been without a safe place to sleep? No money for a room, no one to share with, lost (urban or wilderness), or run away? Was it part of a training exercise, experiment, or mission and therefore only temporary? Was it indefinite, desperate, with no alternative and no end in sight? Was it voluntary and, despite the difficulties, still preferable to the situation they left behind? Have they been fortunate enough to never worry about housing, and how do they react toward another in poorer circumstances? This week, consider your character sleeping rough. Week of 8/26/2016 Can’t Live Without: Everyone has something, whether literal or figurative. Is is a person? A loved one? A pet? A country, a job, or a purpose? A moral conviction. Is it a medicine that holds a disease or condition at bay? Something less serious, like a favorite book, delicacy, or entertainment. A special item. What one person perceives as necessary someone else might regard as silly--but try taking away a toddler’s Special Blanket. Everyone has something. What is it that your character can’t live without? Week of 9/2/2016 Meeting Old Friends- Some old friends are nearly forgotten, others are close as ever. They might be separated by time and distance or right across the hall. This week, have your character meet with one of them. It could be a planned reunion, scheduled months in advance, as simple as knocking on a door for their daily tea together, or as accidental as running into them at the market. Write about a time when your character met with an old friend, however you choose to interpret it. Week of 9/9/2016 Small Victories--Not every success has to be a big one. The world (or galaxy, or civilization) doesn’t need to be saved from certain destruction every day. Some days, it’s the little things that matter. Your character’s child, who’s been struggling with something, finally gets it. The friend who’s always late, isn’t. The minor repair really was minor. Maybe the toast landed butter-side up. This week, celebrate a small victory with your character. The big ones might be more dramatic, but it’s the little ones that keep them going. Week of 9/16/2016 Promotions-- As characters advance through their stories, they often advance in their (fictional) organizations as well. Has your character gotten a promotion? Was it deserved? Did higher-ups pass over someone more qualified, or did your character work hard for their advancement? Additional responsibilities usually accompany a new position, how does your character handle them? Did they receive any extra training or were they thrown in the deep end? Did things work out for them? Are they pleased with their promotion or do they wish they could go back? Is it, as many things, a mixed bag? This week, give your character a promotion. Week of 9/23/2016 Lawbreaker!--Some characters break laws on a regular basis, others are more law-abiding. But most every character has crossed the line on occasion, if only in a very minor way or on accident. What about yours? Did they know they were violating a law? Why did they do it? Because the law is ridiculous, because it is inconvenient, because the law is wrong, because they knew they wouldn’t get caught, or do they simply not care? What law did they break? Did they pay a penalty? Personal or legal? Write about it! Week of 9/30/2016 Borders: In essence, borders are nothing more than imaginary lines between properties or political entities. Crossing the border might be little more than opening a gate or stamping a passport. It could be an all-day affair with questioning and bribery if the parties involved are hostile to each other. In space or a remote area, there are lots of opportunity for skirmishes. Someone thought the border was a light week over. The navicomp or maps are out of date and need calibrating. The patrol was supposed be gone by now. Those military exercises were planned for our side but someone got trigger happy. Transgressions could be real and deliberate, real and manufactured, or honest mistakes. This week, write about your character crossing a border, and what happened when they did. Week of 10/7/2016 Changes in Appearance--People don’t keep the same appearance their whole lives. We cut or grow hair, change styles, choose different clothes, sometimes even consider surgery, tattoos, piercings, or other permanent alterations to our appearances. Yet written characters often stay the same. This week, make a change to your character’s appearance and write about why it happened. There’s always a reason, and it’s bound to be interesting. Week of 10/14/2016 Coincidence--Coincidences that start or complicate a plot are often overlooked, but those that end it are not. Why? It feels fake. It breaks the suspension of disbelief. In an age of word processors, where adding foreshadowing is as easy as typing a new paragraph, it smacks of poor plotting. This week? Who cares. In a make-believe world where everything happens for a reason, this time the reason is because you need it to. Consider it an exercise in how not to tie up a story, or how to recognize what not to do. Sometimes it’s fun to write bad. Week of 10/21/2016 Forgetting--No one’s memory is perfect. Everyone forgets, even your character. A date or name slips their mind, the password or combination to a lock, maybe they left something at home. It’s not always a bad thing. Painful memories are sometimes best forgotten, or at least put aside for a time. This week, write about a time your character forgot something, and what happened when they did. Week of 11/4/2016 Burning the Candle at Both Ends--Too busy. There’s too much to do and not enough time to do it. Maybe it was bad scheduling or an accident or problems encountered along the way, but whatever the reason, your character has to work hard to do it. What was it? Why are they working so hard? What do they hope to gain? Is it temporary or a chronic issue for them? Can they prevent the situation, or will it happen again? This week, write about a time when your character burned a little too bright. Week of 11/11/2016 Formal Occasion--No matter how informal a character and their story, at some point they’ll probably have to dress up. Maybe it’s a formal dinner, a wedding, a graduation or promotion, or a date at the opera. Different cultures have different etiquette for these kinds of events as well. How does your character fare? Are they as home in formalwear and surrounded by numerous forks as they are around a campfire? Are they uncomfortable? Or are they most at home in high society? This week, put your character in formalwear and at a special function and see what they do. Week of 11/18/2016 Just Desserts--Everyone loves to see the villain get what’s coming to them. Maybe it’s your character who delivers justice. Maybe they’re on the receiving end. This week, hand out some just desserts in your story. Week of 11/25/2016 In A Rut--Doing the same thing over and over. No one wantS to be stuck there. It could be your character, dissatisfied with where their career is going. It could just as well be the writer, bored with what feels like the same plots and situations. Shake it up. Throw in something unexpected. Put your character in a place you never thought they’d be. Try something different and see where it goes. Or, alternately, let your character complain about the sameness. Week of 12/2/2016 Cooperation--Some characters are loners by nature but even so, they can’t do everything by themselves. They’ll have to cooperate with others. Whether it’s a willing partnership where they all gain or coerced and barely tolerated, there’s ample room for conflict. Maybe they plan to betray their partner at the first opportunity. Maybe they prefer to remain on good terms. Maybe it’s an alliance of necessity and they’ll part on neutral ground. Whatever the reason, whatever the outcome, this week write about your character cooperating with others to achieve a goal. Week of 12/9/2016 Trigger Warning-- Everyone--every character--has strong feelings about something. The old standby is “don’t discuss politics or religion” but there are many other options. What sets off your character? What’s that one topic they have to argue about? What’s their position and why? Is it rational? Was it learned and never questioned? This week, push one or more of your character’s buttons. Week of 12/16/2016 Limits-- No character is all-powerful, or at least interesting ones aren’t. There are limits to what they can do, be it legal, physical, mental, or self-imposed. What happens when they come up against them? Do they push past it, accept it, or back away? Limits are often there for a reason and breaking them can have consequences. Explore some this week. Week of 12/23/2016 Making a Mountain out of a Molehill - Some characters are more prone to blowing things out of proportion than others. Maybe it’s just certain situations. Consider a time when something that seemed insurmountable turned out to be minor. Was your character’s preparation or anxiety unreasonable? Or did their actions make the difference between a mountain and a molehill? Week of 12/30/2016 Not My Holiday - This week, most of the Western world is celebrating Christmas and the New Year but no holiday is universal, even on Earth. Are your character’s holidays in line with the culture they live in? Do they celebrate something different at a time no one else does? Do they feel left out on either occasion? Their reasons don’t have to be cultural; they might associate bad experiences with a popular holiday or good ones with something obscure. There are stories in any of the permutations. Write one. Week of 1/6/2017 Luxuries - It’s easy to think in terms of expensive things: fine wine, silk, exquisite meals, and panoramic views. Luxuries don’t have be expensive, or even things. One character might consider time alone a luxury. For another, enough to eat and a safe place to live. Yet another may relish the privileges their wealth affords them. What does your character consider a luxury and how do they indulge? Week of 1/13/2017 Omens and Portents - Whether being born under a Blood Moon or according to the signs in an ancient prophecy or just picking the winning lottery numbers two weeks in a row, our characters’ lives are filled with omens. Do they put any stock in the superstitions or consider it a bunch of baloney? Are the portents more important to their companions who expect them to be the hero? Is it a sign they should buy another lottery ticket? Omens can be good or bad, and the way your character deals with them likewise so. Explore it.

Week of 4/21/17 Constant Companions–Who’s with your character through all their adventures? Who’s their right hand, the one who’s always there? Who’s Samwise to your Frodo? Why are they there and why do they stay? This week write something featuring the person or people your character relies on most. Week of 4/28/17 Food on the Go–Everyone enjoys a quick snack. What’s your character’s favorite? What food stall do they have to hit whenever they’re in town? What take-away meal do they always bring home? What munchies do they pack along for a journey? Far from meaningless detail, something as mundane as food can tell your readers a lot about your character. Week of 5/5/17 Plants/Gardening–It’s hard to avoid plant life, even on a spaceship. In low-tech societies plants are recognized as sources of food and medicine. In more high-tech ones they provide breathable air as well as beauty. Whether your character has a green thumb or can’t tell a cabbage from a kitten, write some plants into their story this week. Week of 5/12/17 Irritating Habits–Everyone has them. What about your character or one of their companions? Gum-chewing, whistling, smoking, a preference for odiferous delicacies? Who annoys who and how? Consider, too, that rude, irritating, or just plain gross behavior in one culture may be perfectly acceptable or even polite in another. The converse is true as well. Week of 5/19/17 Forgotten Places–A ghost town, an ancient ruin, a hidden valley, an island settlement, now abandoned. Places where people were, but no longer are. What does your character think about them? When has your character encountered one? Did they stumble on it? Seek it out? Read or hear a tale about it? Does it, like El Dorado, exist only in stories? Week of 5/26/17 Titles–Queen, Lord, Baron, Senator, President, Minister, Director, Sir or Madam. A title might be formal, bestowed in a ceremony. It might be a basic term of respect or polite discourse. Or it might be earned by appearance, action, or affiliation: Erik the Red, Catherine the Great, Jabba the Hutt. What titles does your character have? Happy 5th Birthday SFC!!!!!! Week of 6/2/17 History–Personal or World, history informs your character’s actions. What part of the past shapes their present? Are they aware of it? How so? This week, consider your character’s history and its influence. Week of 6/9/17 Hope–Hope, the final thing in Pandora’s Box. Hope is what keeps people going when the night is dark and the journey is hard. Hope for a brighter day and a better way. Or just something different, some change. To fall in love, to find redemption, to find a purpose. Even a doomsday cult has hope, though outsiders don’t understand it. What does your character hope for? Week of 6/16/17 Challenge–If it were easy, everyone would be doing it. What’s hard for your character? What challenges do they set for themselves and what ones do they face? Difficulty often reveals a character’s true self. How do they face a challenge? Week of 6/23/17 Midsummer/Midwinter– It’s the turn of the seasons this week, the longest day for the northern hemisphere and the longest night for the southern hemisphere. What does midsummer or midwinter mean for your character? Alternately, write about your characters longest night or longest day. Week of 6/30/17 Curve Ball–as writers we plan our characters’ encounters. This week, throw them into something new. Something they didn’t expect. Something they never saw coming. Who panics? Who takes it in stride? Who stumbles but runs with it? Week of 7/7/17 Good News Everyone!: What would be good news for your character? Something personal? A promotion? A sale? A marriage, a child, a vacation? A divorce? Maybe something local: a tramway or road finishes construction, a botanical garden opens. Larger? Peace declared between warring factions or nations? War declared against an oppressive enemy? Is it something they expected or a complete surprise? Think of something your character considers good news and how they react to it. Week of 7/14/17 And Now, the Bad News: Something happened, and your character’s not pleased about it. Did they lose a promotion or sale to a rival? Is a local landmark shutting or being torn down? Is a plant or animal they’re particularly fond of in decline? Does an event confirm their pessimistic outlook, or crush their optimism? How did they find out? Are they shocked or resigned? No good news to soften the blow this time. Write about your character dealing with bad news. Week of 7/21/17 Looking Back: Whether it’s with fondness or relief, everyone thinks about their past sometimes. Something that held them back, or something that propelled them forward. They might consider time with a mentor, a formative event, or just a memorable vacation. Write about your character reminiscing. Week of 7/28/17 Looking Forward: No one knows the future, but that doesn’t stop us from imagining what it might hold. What about your character? What do they see in their crystal ball? Good news? Bad news? What do they see as the result of today’s decisions? Or do they live in the moment and deal with the future as it arrives? We’ve done Hope and Goals, let’s look at the pragmatic. Week of 8/4/17 Long-Distance connections – Your character’s friends, family, colleagues, or loved ones won’t always be close at hand. How do they maintain the relationship? Do they enjoy real-time, visual and audio transmissions? Is there a delay for distance – or surreptitious monitoring? Pre-recorded messages? Text messages? Letters? Maybe contact isn’t possible at all. What do they share? What do they hold back and why? Consider time as a separation, and how a character might stay connected to someone lost to them, or discover a connection to the past. Week of 8/11/17 Temptation: It comes in all flavors, all kinds, all things. And it need not be a physical thing at all, but an experience or emotion. It’s usually, but not always, a vice. What tempts your character? What siren song do they find irresistible? Do they crash on the rocks following it, do their friends help them avoid it, or do they manage alone? Not all temptations are bad, of course, and not all can be neatly avoided. Week of 8/18/17 Folk Tales: All cultures have folk tales–the stories people tell each other. The ones everyone knows, or knows a version of. They may be written down, or they may only be told around the campfire, the coffee pot, or in the chatroom. They may be cautionary tales, stories of heroism, or horror. Modern urban legends fall in this category. What ones does your character know? Where did they hear them? Which ones do they share and why? Let your character be the storyteller this week. Week of 8/25/17 Phobia: From Phobos, the personification of fear in Greek mythology, in English a phobia is more than just being afraid. Phobias are rarely rational. The brain is often eager to label anything as a terrible threat regardless of whether it’s logical. A true phobia can be debilitating, where the sufferer avoids any situation that might trigger their fear. Does your character have such a disability? What about one of their companions or someone they meet? Is it a common or reasonable thing to fear? Something others sympathize with even if they don’t appreciate the severity? Or is it something rare or mundane? Some thing or condition, made all the worse by the fact that literally no one else understands why it provokes such a reaction. How does your character deal with it? How do they help a companion through an episode? Week of 9/1/17 Windfall: Something good fell in your character’s lap, something they weren’t expecting. Does it come at an opportune time to fix a problem? Does it cause a headache (or heartache) down the road? Or do they make cider, as one does with windfall apples? Week of 9/8/17 Hero Worship: Who does your character think of when they hear the word “hero”? Is it a specific person? A type of person, or a person in a specific occupation? Have they ever met their hero(es)? Who sees your character as a hero–no matter how venal they really are? How do they show it, and how does your character deal with it? Week of 9/15/17 Flirting With Disaster: Even the most risk-averse character gets into sticky situations, or they should if you’re doing your job as a writer. Then there are others who live their entire lives on the edge. This week, write about a time when things were so, so close to going wrong. When the table shook beneath the house of cards but didn’t quite fall. Or maybe it did. Week of 9/22/17 What Goes Around Comes Around: If the Golden Rule is “treat others how you wish to be treated” then this is what happens when you don’t. Cheaters will be cheated, liars lied to, and bullies bullied. Write about a time when your character’s behavior came back to bite them, or when they had an opportunity to visit retribution on someone who wronged them. Week of 9/29/17 Frustration: Sometimes events (aka the writer) conspire to thwart your character. It might be a series of minor things–the coffee machine broke, the bus was late (so they caught it but were late anyway), and to top it off all the good donuts were gone at the meeting…where the project no one else wanted ended up in their lap. Yay. Maybe it’s a repeated error: the food stall never gets their order right, the clerk always mispronounces your character’s name. This week write about someone or something getting on your character’s last nerve. Week of 10/6/17 Conversion or Proselytizing: You! Yes, you! Can we talk for a bit about…what? What ideas does your character hope to pass on to others? What ideology moves them? Did they convert to their current mindset from a different one? How and why did they make the change? While religion and politics are most obvious choices with this prompt, consider also scientific theories, dietary or exercise regimens, brand loyalty, or comic book heroes. Which version was better, the movie or the book? Why? Does your character have to win the debate, or are they most invested in the discussion itself? Week of 10/13/17 Embarrassment: Everyone has that moment they’d rather forget. The time when every eye was on them, but not in a good way. What about your character? When has the glaring spotlight of public embarrassment shone on them and why? Is it a story they’ll never tell? Is it the hilarious tale told for laughs well after the fact? Or is it one of those things that slips out after too many intoxicants? Week of 10/20/17 Practice Makes Perfect: No matter how skilled your character is, there’s always room for improvement. What does your character do to keep in practice? Are they building on existing accomplishments or learning something new? Is it a skill they need for their main occupation, or something they do for fun? Are they edging toward perfection, or always terrible but having a great time anyway? Practice your own writing this week. Week of 10/27/17 Roadblock: Something’s in the way, physically or metaphorically. Something preventing your character from getting what they want. What is it? Why is it there? What does your character want and who wants to stop them? This week, throw a roadblock in your character’s path. Let’s see how they navigate it. Week of 11/3/17 Goals: Your character is nothing without goals. Pursuing their goal is what propels the story forward. Step back for a moment and consider how and why they set that goal. Did they wake up one morning and know what they wanted to do? Did it grow organically out of life experience? Did they go through a modern, goal-setting exercise? Is theirs a reasonable goal, achievable with a stretch, or are they unlikely to ever achieve it? Do they keep moving the goalposts? Does someone move them for your character? Set a goal this week. Week of 11/10/17 NO PANTS! Relaxing at home. Nothing planned, nothing going on, nothing pending, no crises. No pants. What’s that mean for your character? Is there any place or time when they can truly relax? Do they fantasize about relaxation while dashing between disasters? Are they stuck in the doldrums, praying for something–anything–to happen? Or do they take “no pants” more literally? Week of 11/17/17 Don’t Stop Believing: Countless writers guides council you to include the moment when your character considers quitting. For some stories, it’s the centerpiece, if not the center. Somehow, they go on. Complete the quest, finish the journey, save the world, make a difference. This week, write about your character facing such a moment, and not giving up. Finding the strength to go on. Week of 11/24/17 Success: It’s said that nothing worth doing is ever easy. Certainly your character’s journey shouldn’t be, or it wouldn’t have been interesting. And the writing of it might not be either, but now it’s done. Quest complete, journey over, book finished. How does it feel? Does your character celebrate? How? Is this success just a little one on a much longer road, or is it the big one they’ve been waiting for? If so, is there a bigger goal on the horizon, one they couldn’t even see until they got here? Let your character bask in success for a change, and think about whether their story is really over. Week of 12/1/17 The right way, the wrong way, and my way: It’s said there are three ways to approach a task. What does your character think? Do they follow the rules, willingly break them, or choose their own path? Maybe all three at different times in their story? What about teaching someone else? Are they as inflexible as the saying suggests or will they entertain new solutions? Week of 12/8/17 Accommodation: Does your character need something outside what’s considered typical for their species? Are they more at home in enclosed or darkened spaces–or the opposite? A special diet due to allergies or disease? Something more obvious, like ramps instead of stairs or fixtures and handles being at more convenient heights? What about something basic, like being left-handed in a right-handed world? Week of 12/15/17 Recurring Nightmares: An actual nightmare, one that isn’t real? Or a real nightmare situation occurring over and over? Write your character in a recurring nightmare this week. Or a recurring dream, if you’d prefer. Interpret the prompt as literally or loosely as you like. Week of 4/13/18 Smuggler’s Blues: Has your character trafficked in less-than-legal items? Even by accident or for personal use only? What was it? Drugs? Stolen merchandise? Banned books? People? Translated media that isn’t officially available in that language? Fruit, vegetables, plants, or animals that aren’t allowed to leave their country of origin, or aren’t allowed into the destination? Cheese? Maybe your character purchased smuggled items. Maybe they’re they’re the smuggler. There are plenty of reasons for someone to circumvent import restrictions here on Earth and at least as many elsewhere and when. Surely there’s a story in it. Week of 4/20/18 Hurts so Good: Pain is supposed to be the body’s signal to stop. Humans (and fictional species) often ignore it or even seek it out. Sure, sure, BSDM; look beyond the obvious. Think of hot foods–temperature hot or spicy hot, where the heat is a critical part of the enjoyment. An exercise program, where short-term muscle pain means you’re doing it right. A good roller coaster, haunted house, or horror movie is supposed to cause anxiety or fear and all their attendant sensations, things we usually find unpleasant or painful. Write about your character seeking, enjoying, observing, declining, or railing against such an activity. Week of 4/27/18 Reunited: Characters who spend time apart must come back together. Do they look forward to it? Dread it? Count every moment until they can reunite, or invent ways to prolong the separation? Do they have any special rituals? A particular knock or bell ring, a call to their partner, a hug or kiss? Furtively sneaking in and hope no one notices? How do they catch up? Long conversations? Bare mumbles? Did it matter for them how long they’ve been apart? Is a few hours separation as hard to bear as a month? Week of 5/4/18 Ordinary Heroes: Your character might be a hero in their own right, and they probably had many others to look up to. So who in their lives was a hero to them by being nothing other than themselves? Who did they admire as a person? Whose example did they hope to follow? Was it a relative who always accepted them, no questions asked? A shopkeeper who always had a kind word for everyone they met? A teacher who expected the best and wouldn’t take less–and who also helped students discover what their best looked like? Write a story involving an influence on your character’s character. (inspired by This Post. May the Fourth Be With You) Week of 5/11/18 Censored! [Redacted] Strikethrough! Restricted! Takedown!: When has your character encountered censorship? What was it? Something they wanted or needed but weren’t allowed? Why? Something they created that was blacked out, altered, or removed? Was it a report, a discovery, a work of art or fiction? Did they agree with the censor or fight the decision? What problems occured because of the restriction–or lack thereof? Week of 5/18/18 Favorite drinks: Living things eat and drink, and sentient creatures with cultures have a variety of beverages to choose from. With variety comes favorites–so what is your character’s? Cocktails automatically come to mind, but a favorite drink can be any beverage. Your character could have different favorites for different parts of the day–their favorite wake-up drink won’t be the same as their go-to wind-down libation. It might be something they grew up with, or something a loved one recently introduced them to. Maybe it used to be a favorite but they grew out of it, associated it with painful memories, or relocated and simply can’t get it or the ingredients. Expensive or cheap, rare or common, mind-altering or otherwise, share one of your character’s favorite drinks. Week of 5/27/18 Carry On: How does your character get back to “normal”? To recover from their injury, whether physical, mental, or emotional? Life goes on and so does your character. How do they do it? Some recover with barely a pause, others take longer. Not everyone has healthy coping strategies. Maybe they cope by moving through unhealthy or destructive habits before they can start to heal. Sometimes healing leaves scars that never go away. Write a story about your character carrying on. Keeping calm optional. Week of 6/1/18 Happy 6th Birthday SFC!!!!!! Mistakes Were Made: The perennial apology-not-apology. Someone made mistakes, frequently not the person making the statement. So what happened? Was your character the mistake-maker or the one wronged? Who is “apologizing” and for what? Will anything be resolved, or is this papering over a systemic problem? Again? Is it a way to give someone a well-deserved second chance, or a perpetual offender getting away? Week of 6/8/18 Skeletons in the Closet: What’s that thing your character hopes no one ever finds? Some shameful Secret they’d just as soon remain a secret? Does anyone find out? What happens? What does your character imagine will happen? Is it reasonable, overblown, or conservative? While there are loads of things a character can be ashamed of, consider that shame is personal. What fatally embarasses your character might be no big deal to others or society at large. Alternately, it could be even worse now than when your character hid it in the first place. Rattle some skeletons in your character’s closet this week. Week of 6/15/18 Tired: Sleepy? Overworked? Bored? Or really Done With This Sh*t? Everyone gets tired, physically and mentally. What is your character tired of or from? Why? Do they fix it? Can they, or is it out of their control? Just don’t be too tired to write it. Week of 6/22/18 Kissing Frogs: Fandom often revolves around romantic pairs, especially finding “the one:” your character’s soulmate. Surely they don’t find their soulmate on the first try. They must have had other relationships. Ones that didn’t work out or didn’t last. What happened? This week, write a story about one of the frogs your character kissed on the way to finding their prince/princess. Week of 6/29/18 Keep on Keeping on: Now that our characters have been on the job for quite some years, what keeps them going? What makes them do just one more job, instead of retiring, settling down, or doing something completely different? Tradition, momentum, habit, joy, satisfaction, can’t think of a reason to change or anything else they’re good at. Everyone’s reasons are their own. What’s your character’s? Prompt courtesy of frauzet. Week of 7/6/18 Set the Standards: What’s the minimum your character will accept, be it service, the kinds of jobs they’ll take, or the places they’ll go or stay? What about the people they’ll work with or date? Do they have standards for decency or conduct? How do they define them? What’s their reasoning for their personal limits? Have they ever been tested? Are they reasonable, inflated, underrated, irrational? Week of 7/13/18 Look Behind You: What’s behind your character, literally or figuratively? Where did they come from? What did they leave behind to get where they are now? A village, town, city, or planet? Family, lovers, friends, rivals, or enemies? Ideas or beliefs? Do any of them catch up or are they forever in the past? How does your character feel about that? Week of 7/20/18 Once in a Lifetime: Some things only come around once. A show, a natural phenomena, an opportunity. Grab it, enjoy it, experience it while it’s here or available, because your character won’t ever have another chance. What is a once-in-a-lifetime event for your character? Are they able to take advantage of, appreciate, or participate in it? What happens afterwards? Week of 7/27/18 Treat Yourself: Indulge! What’s a treat for your character? Food, a spa day, a movie/theater/holovid/musical? Surely they have something they love to do that they maybe don’t do often, something that makes them feel good about themselves. We torture our characters enough. This week do something nice for them. Week of 8/3/18 Friends: Our characters collect any number of friends and helpers during their adventures. In fact, few characters can do without friends. They’re part of what makes a story vibrant and alive. Friends don’t have to be sycophants; they can (and probably should) disagree with your character about things. Things that matter, not easy things like favorite foods or colors. Friends and companions breathe life into your character’s story. This week, write something where one of your character’s friends has an important role as well. Week of 8/10/18 Friends to Lovers: This one is almost a given in many stories. Many people enjoy reading (or writing) a story where the characters find their friendship growing into something more intimate. Whether it’s a coffee shop romance a super-slow-burn fic, write characters going from friends to lovers this week. Week of 8/17/18 Lovers Back to Friends: Then again, love doesn’t always work out. It’s easy to take the hostile view of a breakup. Where both characters end up disliking or avoiding each other. This time try something harder: they remain friends despite their previous intimacy. It needn’t happen right away. Few people are so mature. This time, imagine it does or has to and how your character handles it anywhere along the timeline. Explore what it means to retain real friendship, not merely stating “we’re friends.” Week of 8/24/18 Friends to Enemies: Hate is always easier to evoke than love or friendship, so easy prompt this week. Or is it? Imagine one of your character’s friends becoming an enemy. Why do they diverge when they obviously got along well? A slow drift or one inciting event? Losing a good friend hurts, and making one an enemy means the wound never really heals. How does your character live with it? Week of 8/31/18 Enemies to Friends: Occasionally, your character and an enemy end up on the same side. And beyond sharing a common goal or working together just this once, they begin hanging out and relying on each other. Why? What converts their enemy to a friend? Note: this is not necessarily a heel-face turn. If your character is villainous their enemy might end up on the dark side. They have cookies, after all. Maybe both decide the struggle is futile and retire together. What about your character’s other friends? Week of 9/7/18 How Hard Can It Be? Words usually uttered before discovering exactly how hard it can be. When has your character underestimated a situation? What thing looked easy then turned out to be less so? How did your character handle it? Did they rise to the occasion? Realize their error? Back out and try again? Fail completely? All of the above? Be as humorous or serious as you like, but this week have your character discover that the easy thing is, in fact, rather more difficult than they expected. Week of 9/14/18 What’s the Worst That Could Happen? Inevitably, not what actually happens. In life the real result may more often be better, but as writers it’s far more fun to make it worse. This week, put your character in a situation they’re sure they can handle, and make it worse. What’s the worst that could happen? Just let me get started. Week of 9/21/18 It’s All Downhill From Here! The situation is handled, crisis solved or averted, nothing left but the cleanup and a smooth glide to the end. On the other hand, maybe it’s more like a downhill slide into a swamp or off a cliff. It’s fun to shake up reader–and character–expectations. Throw up some roadblocks or dig some potholes in their easy ride. Make that smooth landing less so. Complete disaster optional. Week of 9/28/18 Never Going There and That’s Final! Until, of course, they have to. What place does your character avoid? Is it a single, physical place? A city, county, or planet? A type of place: Zoos, spooky dark forests filled with snakes, buffet restaurants? Why do they hate it? There must be a reason, however irrational. Now put them there anyway. Tell the story of why and how they ended up someplace your character swore they’d never go to under any circumstances, and what happened after. Week of 10/5/18 What Might Have Been: Almost everyone wonders how their life might have turned out if they’d made different choices, been born in different circumstances, or combination of both. How does your character answer this question? Suppose they were cast in a different role in your story or as another one of your characters? How would their lives be different? How would your story be different? Explore what might have been with your character this week, either as a dream, a discussion with another character, or a full-blown AU. Thanks to Lady_Thorne and Lord_Thorne on the SWTOR forums for this prompt. (Special message for the SWTOR crowd: thanks to everyone participating in what has to be the longest continually running forum thread in MMORPG history. Still going since 2012.) Week of 10/12/18 Listen: More important than being able to act, perhaps, is the ability to listen. To hear someone voice their concerns or point of view without filtering through their own experience or opinion. When has your character really listened to another one in your story? They need not be converted, but they ought to gain understanding. Some characters don’t care; that’s fine and valid. This week, let your character be the quiet one and really listen to someone else in the story, then show what they do with their new perspective. Week of 10/19/18 Oblivious: Not everyone is observant, and even the most vigilant character misses something on occasion. When did they miss something obvious? It could be a physical object or an idea. The proverbial elephant in the room or a solution that’s staring them in the face. Maybe your character just overlooks cues everyone else sees. What happens when someone else points it out? Week of 10/26/18 Comfort Food: It might not be a favorite. It doesn’t have to be from childhood, though it often is. It might not always be the same thing, depending on circumstances. Sometimes, preparation is as much a part of the comfort as consuming. When all else fails to dispel your character’s demons, what food(s) do they turn to for comfort? Week of 11/2/18 Voice of Reason: In every group, for every plan, there’s always one Voice of Reason, and their plan might be safest but not always best. Does your character listen? Do they plunge ahead anyway? Or are they the sane one trying to dissuade the rest from something reckless? Whose approach was right? What, in hindsight, might have been better? Week of 11/9/18 Ship of Fools: The colloquial meaning is that of one wise person surrounded by idiots, but the original allegory has everyone on the ship unable to navigate it, all the while vying for the chance, or to influence the one currently botching the job. Regardless, the ship goes nowhere, often with recriminations all around. When has your character sailed on a ship of fools? Were they the wise one dealing with incompetence? Or just as clueless but putting up a better front than the rest? Week of 11/16/18 Power! Given this blog started in a Star Wars fandom, it’s surprising this prompt never appeared before. What does your character consider power and how do they pursue it? Just as important: why? Some seek power for its own sake but most have an agenda. Are they a reformer? Do they want to change the system they’re part of to fit their vision? Do they want the ability to destroy whomever they view as enemies? A secure enough position to voice their opinions without backlash, or at least without fearing the consequences? Do they gain power despite not wanting it, because their fellows see them as a leader? Or are they seeking more mundane power? A ship fast enough to outrun the authorities? Superpowers: magic, reality-bending abilities, flight (if they can’t already), telepathy, or teleportation? Week of 11/23/18 Butterfly Effect: In essence, tiny changes in starting conditions leading to wildly different results. Modern behavioral psychologists contribute the nudge: a small push toward a desired behavior or goal. Our lives are filled with examples. How about your character? Is there a slight difference in their backstory–or current story–that could change it entirely? When did they receive a nudge and how did it shape them? What events pushed their later actions? We had a prompt for turning points, which was more about large, obvious events that put your character on their path. A butterfly effect might be so small as to go unnoticed at the time but proved no less influential. Week of 11/30/18 The Last Straw: Your character’s companions don’t rubber-stamp your decisions. They agree or disagree to a greater or lesser extent. And, sometimes, they leave. It’s unlikely to come as a complete surprise, but even so there was probably one incident, one particular choice, that drove them away. How does your character deal with it? Are they forgiving or vengeful? How does the companion make their exit? Do they confront your character or just leave without a goodbye? What are their reasons, and does your character consider them reasonable? What was the companion’s last straw? Week of 12/7/18 Paralyzed: Literally unable to move. Is it a disease? An accident? Are they completely paralyzed or does the condition affect only part of their body? What happened to cause it? Is your character paralyzed with indecision; all options equally bad (or good?). Maybe they’re overwhelmed and terrified to make any choice. Maybe they’re paralyzed both physically and emotionally. Or one and not the other. Paralyze your character this week, and write how they deal with it. Week of 12/14/18 Happy Together: Your character encounters numerous others in their story. Who’s special? Who is the one they just want to see happy, preferably with them? It could be their SO but it doesn’t have to be; happiness comes in all flavors and sizes and doesn’t have to involve romance. Or, for that matter, even being outwardly nice. There are lots of relationships (fictional or otherwise) where observers would never know how much the people involved respect and care for each other given how often they throw insults around. This week, write your character and another happy together, in whatever form that happiness takes. Week of 12/21/18 Good Intentions: It’s said the road to hell is paved with them. Most characters, outside of the truly villainous, want to help and to make things better. Usually we let them. Good intentions can backfire or have unintended consequences, some of which might be worse than the original situation. They can also be far better! It’s our story; we do what we want, and things need not always be bad. This week, begin with your character’s good intentions and tell us what happens. Week of 12/28/18 The Fine Print: Any Bounty Hunter knows better than to sign anything from Gault without reading it first, still there may have been contracts our OCs wish they hadn’t signed. What details did they miss? Was it something small and insignificant, even humorous? Something major and problematic? How did they inconvenience your character? Did they get back at the beings who made the contract and took advantage of them? Chalk it up to a learning experience and move on? Something else? Was the contract more akin to our familiar Terms of Service Agreements that no one reads deciphers anyway? Did they fulfill the contract or did they renege? Why? This week consider what may be hiding in the fine print and how it affects your character. Week of 1/4/19 Keep Grandma Happy: Okay, okay, not necessarily Grandma. Every family (or other social unit) has that one person whom you simply appease. The one you don’t want flying off the handle because it’s such a bother and not worth the resulting tirade and calming down process. Surely your character’s circle has one. Who is it? Is it your character? What’s their hot button and why? What do the other characters do to avoid it? How do they settle them down when, inevitably, it gets pushed? Does someone push it on purpose for the fireworks? (note: while the intent of this prompt is humorous, feel free to make a more serious case, i.e. trigger or content warnings. Polite characters avoid the topic out of empathy or compassion and only dickish ones bring it up.) Week of 1/11/19 If Wishes Were Horses: then beggars would ride. We often think of wishes as something for children, but everyone does it. Wishes can be for anything from a lucky chance through feasible-but-difficult to outright impossible. What things does your character wish for? Little wishes? Not much more than good luck? Middling-possible wishes? Things that could happen given some work and luck? Something that could never happen? Prohibited by the laws of physics or just wildly improbable? There’s nothing really wrong with wishes, however impractical or unlikely. Every so often, wishes come true. Week of 1/18/19 To Sleep: perchance to dream? Humans spend, on average, one third of their lives asleep. We have rooms, furniture, phrases and clothing all dedicated to this biological necessity. What does your character do to sleep? Do they have special rituals? Do they need a sleep mask and soothing music or can they fall asleep anywhere, anytime? Do they prefer near silence and darkness? White noise and a night light? Are they always uncomfortable in a strange place? Does having a familiar object–pillow, blanket, childhood teddy bear–make it better? Pets? What about snoring or tossing and turning? Do they have a bedmate (or housemate) to annoy, or who annoys them? Maybe their sleep schedule is at odds with the rest of the world for some reason. Maybe they don’t have a sleep schedule–their days are too erratic. Perhaps they don’t require sleep themselves but find it an interesting trait in their companions. Week of 1/25/19 Loyalty: True loyalty is a complex subject. Essentially, someone puts your character’s well-being equal to or exceeding their own. It doesn’t mean agreeing with everything your character says or does, but offering a different perspective when warranted. It contains elements of being a friend and a lover, without necessarily sharing the more intimate or personal components of those relationships. Though, one hopes that friends and lovers are also loyal. Perhaps this is why betrayal hurts so much; the one who had your character’s back had a knife all along. Other times we mistake a loyal character leaving for betrayal, when in fact they can no longer bear to watch someone they care about self destruct. Consider who’s loyal to your character this week, to whom your character owes loyalty, why, and what might happen to change those dynamics. Week of 2/1/19 You’re Not the One I Was Looking For: It’s fun to set your character up with the perfect match. The One They’ve Been Dreaming of. Hold that thought–what about someone else? Someone close, maybe overlooked. Someone who’s right for your character in all the ways that matter, but not necessarily the ones your character thinks are important. Maybe they catch your character on the rebound; maybe they’ve been there all along but never thought about your character in a romantic way. Maybe a casual hookup turns into something more. This week, consider your character finding, not the one they were looking for, but The One just the same. Week of 2/8/19 Bus Stop: How did your character meet their Love Interest? Blind date? Friend-of-a-friend? Co-worker? Professional matchmaker? Your world’s equivalent of a dating app? Chance meeting at a bus stop? This week, tell the story of how they met. Week of 2/15/19 Kiss The Girl: or guy, or nonbinary person; whoever or whatever it is that your character is falling for (and, we hope, is falling for them as well) this is it. The Kiss. The Moment you’ve been waiting to write. So write it! Make it the end after a slow burn, or start with the Kiss and move forward. Week of 2/22/19 Storybook Love: After it all, the meeting, the spark, and the kiss, how does the story go? What happens after? Or during? How does your character’s love become part of the rest of their story? Maybe their love is the whole story, the prime mover of the plot, but what else happens around them? How does their relationship affect the other characters and the larger story of their lives? Write some of the book around their storybook love Week of 3/1/19 When I’m Sixty-Four: What happens when the infatuation wears off? When the rush of novelty and discovery fades? What do your characters still love about each other? Why do they choose to stay together? It is a choice, after all, and they could decide otherwise. Perhaps they do. That’s a story, too. Week of 3/8/19 Forbidden Fruit: Something forbidden is often that much more desirable, a focus of obsession. What is something your character can’t have? Not something they’re not likely to get. Something they could have, or an activity they could engage in, but chose not to. What is it and why must they avoid it? What are the consequences if they indulge? Are they physical, social, or something else? Do they think about the forbidden thing constantly, desiring it even though they know they shouldn’t? Do they really not care about the thing? Have they tried it and discovered it wasn’t as good, as interesting, or as exciting as they thought it would be? Was it better than they ever imagined? Week of 3/15/19 Insulting: Our characters often get into physical altercations, but what about verbal ones? When was a well-delivered quip or challenge just right to take down an opponent? Who did they insult and why? What was the response? Your character might have disrespected an authority figure who’s so far removed as to neither know nor care–though in some societies they might care very much and deal with it harshly. Maybe your character was the one insulted. Was it deserved? How do they react? Most of all: What did they say? Week of 3/22/19 Injury: Since our characters do often get into physical altercations, what injuries have they suffered? In a cinematic world it might be limited to minor scrapes, or serious wounds that heal in no time and without a scar. More realistic stories may have more lasting repercussions. How are their injuries treated? Technology, magic, herbs and other ‘traditional’ remedies? Some of everything? How long is their recovery? How complete? Does it make a difference if they received aid right away or if it took time before they could do so? Do they avoid doctors? What are the doctors like in your world? Think about a time your character was physically hurt and the medical help they received. Week of 3/29/19 Lasting Repercussions: Every battle leaves a mark, every injury a scar. They might not be visible, due to magic or high tech medicine. They might be psychological, but no less real or damaging. They might be social: new enemies or a change in class or status. The entire world may have changed. All your character’s conflicts, verbal or physical, have repercussions. Write about one.

Week of 4/5/19 Evil Twin: A subset of mistaken identity. Suppose there was another character, related or no, who looked so much like your character that everyone assumes they are the same person? Further suppose that this doppelganger has the opposite personality of your character. What happens? Do people trust them when they shouldn’t, or get surprised when they’re generous? How much trouble do they make for your character? Does your character even know they exist? Do they figure it out? What happens? Week of 4/12/19 Idiot Helpers: your character has companions, friends, and underlings. No doubt most of them are competent, but even the most reliable companion messes up. Some of them might be constantly messing up, misinterpreting your character’s instructions, and running ridiculous (or even contradictory) side schemes of their own. How does this complicate your character’s life? How do they deal with that companion they can’t get rid of or can’t bear to part with, but who is laughably incompetent? What kind of harebrained schemes are they getting into and how do they complicate your character’s life? Week of 4/19/19 Devil Boss: Our characters aren’t always independent. Sometime they have to take orders. And sometimes those orders, the one giving them, or both, are impossible. How does your character deal with a ridiculous situation? One they maybe aren’t meant to survive, complete, or would have to be insane to attempt? Suppose the orders they get are incompatible or in direct opposition. Maybe the orders aren’t so bad but their boss is just a pain to deal with. This week, imagine your character dealing with their boss, or at least someone around whom they should tread carefully, but who isn’t at all obliged to do the same. Week of 4/26/19 Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time: Think Han Solo turning the corner into the stormtrooper barracks. When has your character done something that made the situation worse? Tried to roll with the situation, but ended up in hotter water instead? Stuck with the original plan even when events changed so as to render it useless? Maybe things didn’t get worse, but definitely didn’t improve at all and now there’s a different crisis. Write about an idea that seemed like a good one at the time, but turned out less so. Week of 5/3/19 Compromise: insisting on having everything their way all the time is a sure way for your character to lose friends and alienate allies. When have they had to compromise? Accept less than everything in order to get some of it? Negotiate a deal where everyone wins and no one really loses? It could be any kind of situation–from sharing a meal to deciding how to run a government. There’s bound to be some things they can’t bend on and others they may, and they have to negotiate similar stances with others. Write about a time your character needed to compromise and did, or didn’t, and what happened. Week of 5/10/19 Going Camping! Camp is everywhere this week. In its broadest definition, Camp is something so over-the-top, in poor taste, or ostentatiously awful it’s enjoyed as ridiculous or ironic. Ideally both at the same time. To say camp has no standards is to misunderstand its true nature: it’s not mainstream, doesn’t want to be, and is quite happy as it is thank you very much. This week’s challenge is to incorporate camp in your writing. Introduce (or bring back) a campy character. Include a campy setting. Tell a campy story. Write something campy! Week of 5/17/19 What is your Quest: A staple of video games and stories alike. In the most epic versions your character must retrieve/destroy an incredible artefact, thus demonstrating their worth and saving the world. A more mundane quest might be to get herbs from the neighbor’s garden…who happens to be a witch. Perhaps enough pig livers to make a pie…strangely, not every pig has a liver. This week, send your character on a quest. What are they doing and how will they get there? A quest can be an entire book or only one small part. Likewise, your story could detail the full quest, beginning to end, or one small but significant event during it. Week of 5/24/19 Under My Skin: Something latches on to your character and won’t let go. What is it? An idea they can’t stop thinking about? An offhand comment by another they keep mulling over? A slight, real or imagined, that wont quit ruining their day? A person who fascinates them–or drives them crazy? A literal parasite they picked up and really ought to have looked at? Week of 5/31/19 Games: Cards? Dice? Board? Ball? Video? Games of chance, games of skill, physical games as individuals or teams. Quiet pastime games, crowd-entertainment spectacles. Coliseums, pitches, dining room tables. Games for all ages, games for children, games for adults. Sentient species everywhere play all kinds of games and for various reasons. There could be no lasting repercussions, or it could be deadly. This week, make a game or its outcome important in your story. Happy 7th Birthday SFC!!!!!! Week of 6/7/19 Reports of My Death Have Been Greatly Exaggerated: Our characters lead dangerous lives. They’re sent on missions they’re not expected to survive. They’re gone for long periods of time and no one hears from them. They may have alternate identities or roles they don’t want to (or can’t) let loved ones know about. Sometimes reporting agencies get events wrong. Sometimes people make assumptions. Comic books aren’t the only places where death isn’t necessarily permanent. Write about a time when your character was declared dead but wasn’t and the complications that ensued, or when a close associate (enemy? !!) comes back to life after everyone believed they were gone for good. Week of 6/14/19 You’re My Only Hope: It is your character’s most desperate hour. They (and possibly their friends or organization) need help. The kind of help they can only get from one person, and they’re not at all certain they’ll get it. How do they convince the person to aid them? What kind of help is it? Why do they need it and why is this other person so special? What happens if your character fails to recruit them? Is their help really that crucial? Do they end up a liability afterward? Week of 6/21/19 Bodies: Everybody has a body, your character included. How do they take care of themselves? Are there features they like and ones they don’t? Things they change regularly? Others they accept as permanent? Do they make allowances for their own unique issues and inform others of their requirements? Do they try to hide what they see as imperfections? Compensate for a lack, reasonable or otherwise? What about upgrades or other alterations? A cyborg might replace parts for any number of reasons. In a magical or biologically advanced setting they might regenerate, regrow, or augment what occurs naturally. Alternately, they might be stuck with what they were born with, good and bad alike. This week, give some thought to how your character relates to their physical form. Week of 6/28/19 Vulnerable: Our characters aren’t always in charge of everything. Everyone has weak spots. Everyone gets In difficult situations. Consider a time when your character was vulnerable in some way. Physically– maybe they’re a prisoner. Emotionally–a loved one or dear friend took advantage of them. Spiritually–they discovered the universe doesn’t really work the way they were taught. Even the least introspective character has vulnerabilities. Peek through a gap in your character’s armor and find a story. Week of 7/5/19 Liability: A disadvantage or debt: a liability is something your character is responsible for, or something that holds them back. It could be a literal, monetary debt. It might be something they inherited but don’t want. Perhaps another character, who really ought not to be in that situation. Maybe your character is the liability, endangering the mission because of inexpertise or some other qually. How does everyone deal with it? Week of 7/12/19 Craving: Sometimes, you just gotta have it. What is “it”? We often think of craving in relation to food, but it can be anything: intoxicants, attention, validation, touch, or affection. Nearly anything can be desired intensely as to be craved. Write about a time your character craved something, how they went about getting it, and what happened after. Why was it so important, anyway? Week of 7/19/19 Forced Arrangements: A marriage, an assigned partnership, dormmates, weekend conference roomies, seatmates for a long trip or event, even a blind date. Sometimes your character has to deal with another, with little say in the matter. How serious is the situation? How long does it last? How does your character handle it? What happens afterward? Do they part as friends and keep in touch or never speak again? If permanent, how do they make it work? Week of 7/26/19 A Favor: Your character needs help, and someone owes them a favor. Perhaps your character is the one who owes a favor. These are social obligations with no clear monetary value, yet we seem to know instinctively when a request is reasonable. Even when it’s not, we may find ourselves honoring it. In some circles, a favor maybe more codified and ritualized. Yet while money may be involved, it’s never the real debt. Do your character a favor and write about them cashing in or fulfilling a social debt this week. Week of 8/2/19 Dear Diary: A diary, a journal, a personal log. Whether it’s a way of summarizing the day, a method for working through problems, or an aid to memory, people and characters find writing in a diary to be a helpful tool. What about your character? Do they keep a diary? What do they write about? Perhaps they find one belonging to a relative, a lover, a mentor, or even a stranger. Do they read it or return it? Week of 8/9/19 Dear John: before breaking up via text was a thing there was the “Dear John” letter. Has your character written one? Received one? Breakups are never easy. The letter (or text) means one person doesn’t have to face the raw emotions (and possibly violence) of the other. So what would your character write, or what did their letter say? Week of 8/16/19 Dear Mum and Dad: letters from camp: It’s summer in the northern hemisphere, time for Vacations and Summer Camp. Does your character send their children to camp? Did they go as a child? What about boot camp, or postcards from a trip to a distant locale? Who do they write to and what do they say? Do friends or relatives send messages to your character from their vacations? Business trips? Write some camp letters or postcards this week. Week of 8/23/19 Dear Editor: Prior to comment sections, there were Letters to the Editor, where newspaper or magazine readers made their opinions known, and sometimes were published. Has your character ever spoken their mind in this official way? What was the occasion? Do they troll everyone on every message board they can find? Disagree politely? Usually ignore it all but this..this cannot stand. Let your character rant in public this week. Week of 8/30/19 Dearest Love: In worlds where instant communication is the norm, there’s still something special about a love letter. Where letter-writing is the only kind of long-distance messaging they’re even more treasured. Simultaneously raw and full of heartfelt emotion and meticulously edited. Every word considered and weighed. They embody the uniqueness of love. Who might your character write a love letter to? Have they ever received one? What did it say? Were the feelings reciprocated? Week of 9/6/19 Playing for Keeps: A phrase originally from the game of marbles, if you played for funsies you went home with all the marbles you brought. When playing for keeps, you kept yours plus any you knocked out of the circle, even if they were your opponent’s favorites. You might even target those on purpose. Playing for keeps suggests a risk and a chance for genuine loss from which there is no recovery. An outcome which your character does not have full control over, and will likely change things for them. This time, someone loses. Things will not be the same in the aftermath. There’s no chance for de-escalation. This week, your character is Playing for Keeps. Week of 9/13/19 Adventure Time!: Adventuring isn’t a typical career. Most people stay at home with ordinary jobs, taking care of the farm figuratively or literally. What was it that changed your character’s course? Were they always adventurous? The first one climbing the rock or jumping in the pool since toddlerhood? Were they pushed into it by circumstance or a timely visit by a wizard? Gradually funneled into an adventurous life one decision at a time until they hardly recognize their lives? Explore your character’s first step off the ordinary path for the one less taken. What was your character’s very first adventure? Week of 9/20/19 Sole Survivor: Sometimes it’s a mission gone bad. Only one of the team made it back. Maybe no one was expected to return, but one did. Maybe it was a game, and they were the last one standing when everyone else got eliminated. If it wasn’t your character, perhaps it is a close associate or even a new contact. This week, consider a character who survived a situation when no one else did. How did they get there? Where do they go afterward? How do they deal with it? Has it happened before? Is the character considered Bad Luck personified? Are they Good Luck–guaranteed to win? Write about your character being the sole survivor, or encountering one. Week of 9/27/19 Hypocrisy: We’ve covered lying before but this time it’s a special kind of lie: putting up a virtuous front for public accolade while not actually believing in those virtues or actively violating them in private. Nearly every character (and person) engages in some hypocrisy, overlapping with those insidious little white lies told to keep the peace. Have they ever encountered some whoppers? In themselves or others? What did they do? What could they do? Who was involved? What was the outcome? Did anything change? If your character, they might be in for some soul searching assuming they want to atone. They might just as easily fight the one who uncovered them. Write about your character encountering blatant hypocrisy. Week of 10/4/19 Happy Place: When your character’s feeling down, frightened, or overwhelmed, where do they go? What’s their “happy place”? Is it a literal, physical location? An actual place they visit that never fails to ground them? Is it an object that brings soothing memories with it? A story, a book, or a piece of music? An activity that helps them refocus? Is their happy place a lie? A bar where they can drink away their feelings, a painful memory that crowds out the new one, a story, song, or activity that distracts but offers no real solace? This week, write about your character’s happy place. Week of 10/11/19 Inappropriate Attire: When has your character arrived for an event in the wrong clothing? Why? Was it a social gaffe? Did they interpret “fancy dress” as a formal affair when what was intended was a costume party? Were they told it was casual but not, apparently, that casual? Maybe they prepared for the wrong conditions–it’s never this hot (or cold!) this time of year! Those shoes seemed like a good idea at the outset but now, not so much. Who would have thought they’d need a high-visibility vest? Or that going armed and armored was such a faux pas? This week write about your character being completely inappropriately attired for the occasion and what happened after. Week of 10/18/19 Message in a Bottle: Has your character ever received a message from a stranger? Was it spam, and they decided to mess with the sender? Was it a misdirected communication, meant for someone else? Was it a blind message, sent without knowing who might receive it? What did it say? Maybe your character sent such a message. Did they hope for help? Were they seeking a random connection with someone else curious enough to answer? Open the bottle and write about the message inside. Week of 10/25/19 Lost!: Really, really lost. So far off course that they don’t know where the course is, let alone how to get back on it. The compass is gone or broken. The sun or stars are hidden behind the clouds. The radio dead or not receiving signal. How did your character get into this situation? Is is real–as in they are physically lost? Is it metaphorical–they’re in a completely unfamiliar situation with no idea how to get out of it. Most importantly: how are they getting home? Week of 11/1/19 A Matter of Life and Death: This week the stakes are high. Your character has to intercede or maybe they’re the one in the situation. It’s a matter of life and death. Whose? Why? How did the situation get this serious? Is there any way out? Is it really a Matter of Life and Death or did someone use the distress beacon to order pizza? Week of 11/8/19 Wrong side of the Bed: Every character can have an incident that ruins an otherwise decent day. As an author, that’s fun to write. What about those times when they just wake up in a bad mood? No reason, no inciting incident, They’re annoyed from the get-go. Those are usually the days that go from bad to worse. Does someone try to get them out of their funk? Are they usually bright and sunny and this is a noticeable change in disposition? Maybe it’s only a matter of degree and their companions are walking on thinner eggshells. This week, write about a time when your character got up on the wrong side of the bed and what the rest of their day was like. Week of 11/15/19 Love Language/Showing Affection: Every person, every character, has their own way of showing affection. There are culturally sanctioned ways, which often differ by gender and class. Everyone’s different, though, and how they show affection is often how they perceive their standing in another’s eyes. Write this week about your character showing affection in their own way, or recognizing another’s unique love language. Week of 11/22/19 Beauty: In the eye of the beholder and only skin deep? Or is there in truth no beauty? It’s more common to make our characters physically attractive than not, but modern human (and especially Western) standards are not universal. How does this play in their unique cultures? What does your character consider beautiful? Does it align with their society? What does beauty mean to them in the context of their story? Do they see themselves as beautiful? What would they do to become so, or more so, or do they care? Week of 11/29/19 Masks and True Faces: Some of our characters wear physical masks. Why? Do they protect their body against harm, their identity against retaliation, or hide something they are ashamed of? Some eschew protection and flaunt their identity, their face, their safety. Other characters take on new personalities and identities depending on who they’re with or the job they need to do. Not a physical mask, but protection just the same. Write about the masks your character wears and to whom, if anyone, they show their true face and self. Week of 12/6/19 Infodump: Writers often need to give the reader information. A lot of it. A backstory, a history, a strange device, a motivation. You need a character to monologue. This week’s challenge is to create a scene around explaining something important about your character, their world, or their current situation. Infodumps don’t have to be boring! They can be funny, ridiculous, serious, or even deadpan, all while still being interesting. Your infodump doesn’t even have to match the tone of the rest of your story. This week: tell, don’t show. Week of 12/13/19 Sweater Weather: It’s winter here in the northern hemisphere. Definitely time to break out the jackets, scarves, and long sleeves if you haven’t already. What does your character think of cold weather? Are they the ones wearing shorts in the snow, or are they always cold even wrapped in blankets? Do they come from a place with an actual winter, but now live elsewhere with different traditions or no seasons at all? Are they accustomed to an unchanging climate and the seasons always throw them off? What is this “winter” you speak of? Wait, there’s something besides cold? Of course, sweater weather also suggests cuddling, cups of hot chocolate, tea, cider, or even soup. Be romantic, dystopian, or anywhere in between this week. Week of 12/20/19 Festive Food: Few human holidays are celebrated without food. Special cakes or cookies, the bread that only comes out for the holiday, roasts, stews, vegetarian, carnivore, and everything in between. Some of the special foods are cultural: everyone all around you is making the same things because of course everyone makes them. Sometimes it’s a special thing in your family alone: Grandma’s holiday bread, Dad’s special cookies, Auntie’s secret-recipe casserole. Sometimes the special thing is special because it is part of a culture otherwise left behind: the thing no one makes here, but does where you’re from. What special food does your character associate with holidays and why? Do they make and enjoy it and share with their friends? Who likes it and who hates it? Does your character hate it, but make it anyway because reasons? Week of 12/27/19 Second Chances: Everyone screws up. Who gets a second chance? Under what circumstances will your character give another a second chance? Honest mistake? Unforeseen circumstances? Deliberate sabotage? Will some characters (main or otherwise) allow anyone a second chance? No one? Nobody is owed a second chance; no one can earn it. They don’t have to be forgiven for the initial wrong. Give someone in your character’s story a second chance this week. Or don’t. That’s a story too. Week of 1/3/20 New Year, New You: Make a new character, or write for a character you haven’t before. It can be a completely new OC, a new character in your game or story, or an established character in a property you like but never wrote them before. Write anything from a short scene to a complete fic or story. Week of 1/10/20 Face Your Fears: Write the kind of scene you find most difficult. Falling in love? Action? Smut? Exposition? Description and scene-setting? High emotions? Every writer has something they find hard to write. It’s only human to avoid including it. But at some point your story will need that kind of scene. Face your fear now. Week of 1/17/20 Travel Without A Map: This one is easy for those habitual pantsers out there. Write a scene or a whole piece without having any (or as little as possible) preconceived idea of where it’s going. Let your characters tell the story they want to tell. They might surprise you! Write the whole thing, beginning to end. Don’t go back and change things! Not even typos! Or try not to fix typos–that’s hard. The goal this week is a word-vomit, totally unplanned draft that nevertheless is complete of itself. Travel without a map or GPS, but do make it home at the end. Week of 1/24/20 Self Care: Write the kind of scene you need to write or read. Not necessarily the next one to finish your fic. The kind you need to write: fluffy happiness, cathartic violence, something silly, something deep and philosophical, something satirical and full of sharp cutting edges. This is for no one but you. There’s no obligation to share it with anyone, even SFWC. And if you prefer, take the week off and write nothing. Recharge. You have permission. Take care of yourself this week, however that looks to you. Week of 1/31/20 Complete Something: Remember that word-vomit first draft from a couple weeks ago? Edit it to completeness. Alternately, pick something from your WIP pile and finish it, whether it’s the first draft or final, ready-to-be-posted version. Choose a work that’s not done, and finish it. Move it from the inbox to the outbox. There are few things that feel as nice as finally finishing something. Wrap up the Month of Meta with that feeling of accomplishment. Week of 2/7/20 Right Person, Wrong Time: When has your character met another who could be a perfect fit…but not now? It might be a soulmate, a mentor, a social connection, or a patron. But your character isn’t ready for their help, guidance, friendship, or love yet. Maybe your character is, but the person they meet is the one at the wrong time. Why are “the stars wrong”? Does the relationship require a personal change on someone’s part, or are there social or cultural forces in play? Do they ever figure it out? Or do they remain out of sync for the whole story? Week of 2/14/20 Chocolate! It’s Valentine’s Day here in the US and everything is red, white, and shades of pink. And chocolate! Does your character’s world have a day for romantic love? Is there a food or treat associated with it? Is it like chocolate: sweet, creamy, indulgent and yet ordinary any other time? Is it actual chocolate? Who would your character give it to, or who do they hope to receive it from? What does that person mean to them? They don’t have to be lovers, after all. Or does your character ignore the whole meaning thing and use it as an excuse to stock up? All of the above? Week of 2/21/20 Found Family: Many of our characters collect a wide circle of friends and hangers-on. Do they have a closer inner circle that’s more than friends? A found family, a collection of characters that interact the way a tightly bonded family might but aren’t related? No one has to fall into stereotypical roles. There doesn’t have to be a “Mom” or “Dad,” “Kid Brother” or “Big Sister.” They don’t always get along, but they always support and care for each other. Write a story involving your character’s found family if they have one, or their adventure with someone who does. Week of 2/28/20 Ride or Die: Who sticks with your character for all their adventures, good or bad, boring or exciting? The one they call for a spontaneous vacation, to get them out of jail, or to help them move to a second-story walkup apartment. Hopefully their love interest (if they have one) qualifies, but Ride or Die is neither exclusive nor necessarily romantic. It doesn’t even have to be reciprocated. Write something where this relationship is front and center. The story doesn’t work unless the characters absolutely, unequivocally, have each other’s back, no matter what happens. Week of 3/6/20 Time Change: When has your character been out of sync with their surroundings? In space all planets have their own day-night cycles as well as years. Travel to a new place at light speed or more means having to adjust to a wildly different schedule upon landing. And what time does the crew keep in transit? Is there an agreed-upon standard or does every captain choose their own? Fantasy settings can still have abrupt time changes: long-distance teleports, extended sleep spells, world-altering magic. Does a place like Discworld have time zones? Maybe your character is the habitual early riser in a world or night owls, or the reverse. Week of 3/13/20 Bad Advice: What’s the worst advice your character received? Something so patently wrong they disregarded it immediately and questioned the giver’s sanity or intelligence? Something they thought was valid but proved less so in practice? Something they fervently believed in until their own repeated experiences made them change their mind? Write about your character and some colossally bad advice. Week of 3/20/20 Rock Your World: When has your character received unexpected, life-changing news? Was it good or bad? Both? Maybe they learned about an otherwise-unknown relative, received a large inheritance, or acquired a large debt. Perhaps they received medical news–positive or negative. A domestic animal showed up on their doorstep and decided it lived there. Whatever happened, their life is different from this day forward, and it isn’t their choice. What do they do? Week of 3/27/20 Forbidden Knowledge: The secret technique, a hidden history, a coded text. What does the secret technique do and why is it secret? What was your character taught, what really happened, who hid the truth and why? Is the code unbreakable or was the key lost on purpose? Is it really a code or is it actually a lost language? What does the text say? Worlds abound in knowledge that’s forbidden to to learn or at least difficult to find. Have your character search for, find out about, or discover some this week. Week of 4/3/20 Cooking: We’ve had several prompts about food, but how about its preparation? Does your character cook? Does their species prepare food at all? What counts as preparation--and how literally do they “gather” or “hunt down” ingredients? Do they like cooking but usually leave it to someone else? Are they terrible at it but clueless to that fact? Are they really quite good cooks, whether they enjoy it or not? Do they only ever prepare one certain dish? Or are they perfectly content to survive on their world’s equivalent of instant ramen, military ration packs, or cheap takeaway? Week of 4/10/20 Auto/Biography: We often write backstories for our characters with no intention of using the information directly in their adventures. But suppose someone in their world did? Who would write your character’s biography? What would your character want in it? What would they write if they did it themselves? Is your character protective of their legacy or are they willing to authorize a warts-and-all tale? Would your character exaggerate their adventures for the sake of a good tale, or downplay them as irrelevant to their later work? Do they want to be venerated as saintly and good, or feared as a tyrant no one would dare cross? Something in between? And who would read or listen to the tale? Week of 4/17/20 Won’t Get Fooled Again: Everyone’s been fooled sometime. When does your character notice a pattern? It is a similar scam, or the same person running a different one? What was it about the interaction that tipped off your character? Are they fooled, have they learned, or are they giving someone another chance? Is it worth it? Is the issue so minor that they don’t mind? Are they playing a game with a loved one or friend and fooling is the point? Is your character wrong and the exchange was on the level the whole time? Week of 4/24/20 No!: Not just no, but hell no. Absolute refusal, you can’t make me, never gonna do it. When has your character outright refused another’s request? What about orders? Demands? Did they agree and then think better of it? Did they go along and quit when they reached their limit? Did the request seem reasonable on the surface but turn out less so? Was it just awful from the get-go? Did they say no just for spite? What were the consequences for refusal? Week of 5/1/20 Relying on Technology: Regardless of setting, our characters rely on technological innovations. In a fantasy setting, those might be cunning spellwork or finely-crafted weapons. The far future could have memory-dubbing and cybernetics. In any setting, food production, travel, and medicine often employ technology we barely acknowledge. What technology in your character’s world do they absolutely rely on? What can they not get along without? Do they even realize how much they need it? What happens when something goes wrong in the way it functions? What if it breaks and can’t be repaired, or at least not easily or quickly? How much trouble do they have when the things they expect to work just...don't? Week of 5/8/20 Ever Your Servant: Who serves your character? Not their friend, lover, or companion, characters or NPCs intended as equals, but someone of lower social station. Someone who’s hired for their skills and paid for their work. A butler (hello, Alfred), a maid, the barista at their favorite coffeeshop. Perhaps a slave in societies that allow it or a droid or a golem in those that don’t. This week write a story concerning your character and another who serves them. Week of 5/15/20 Because I Can: When has your character done something just because? Was it a harmless act done on a whim? A luxury or trip they can finally afford? A crime they knew would go unpunished? A cruel act enabled by power? A heroic one, likewise enabled by power, lack of oversight, or cleverness? Something small that makes them happy? This week, write your character doing something just because they can. Week of 5/22/20 Bored: Everyone gets bored. Some more easily than others. When has your character been bored? They could be snowbound at home, waiting for an appointment, or a passenger in a vehicle with nothing to do. Perhaps it’s boredom spiked with danger. They’ve sent their distress signal and there’s nothing to do but wait. How do they keep themselves occupied? Do they bother? Can they easily escape their situation but choose not to? Write about your character dealing with boredom. Week of 5/29/20 Welcome Back/Welcome Home: Some people have fond memories of your character. Parents, old friends, or mentors. Others, perhaps, not so much: exes, enemies, people they've wronged. What kind of welcome does your character get when visiting them again? Is it what they expect or very different? Happy 8th Birthday SFC!!!!!!! Week of 6/5/20 Putting Up a Front: A character might feign bravery to convince themselves or inspire others. They might pretend a breakup doesn’t hurt. Putting up a front is performative; hiding vulnerability behind a mask a person hopes improves or maintains their status. Suppressing emotions comes naturally to some characters, less so for others. When--if ever--has your character put up a front and why did they do so? Week of 6/12/20 Do I Have To?: There are bound to be tasks your character needs to complete that they’d really rather not do. It could be anything from routine chores to some major (or expensive) repairs to their ship, home, or estate. It might be putting up with ridiculous demands from a boss or overlord. It could be something that goes against their moral code--wherever their personal moral compass points--that they nevertheless feel they have to do. It might be something they personally find unpleasant and no one else understands why. Maybe it’s something they’ve been putting off, or something they’ve only just been assigned. This week, write a story where your character asks, literally or figuratively, do I have to? Week of 6/19/20 Like a Child--No Inhibitions: We had the prompt Like No One’s Watching for your character indulging in some activity they liked but were embarrassed to engage in. This time, let them shed those inhibitions. Children do the things they love and don’t care who knows about it. Be it singing on the bus, wearing colors or patterns that “adults know” don’t match, eating the whole slice of cake because it tastes great, or making stories in their favorite make-believe world. This week, write a story where your character is going to have fun regardless of other’s opinions, or a time when they remembered being so free.

29 Day Whump Challenge - Day 13

[Masterlist]

[Challenge]

Prompt: Burned

This was a blast to write tbh.

cw: modern slavery, forced domesticity, burns, restraints, mentions of animal cruelty, torture (+ mention of medieval torture methods), humiliation, brief gore, defiant whumpee.

~~~

“Ever heard of firewalking?”

Wren frowns and shakes his head. Daniel smiles, not lifting his gaze from the book.

It’s a nice homely scene - the two of them sitting on blankets on the floor, listening to the fire crackling in the fireplace and basking in the warmth; Daniel is reading a book, sharing excerpts or comments every now and again.

“What’s that?”

“It’s something people used to do as like… a ritual? Oh, a ‘rite of passage.’ They’d walk barefoot over hot coals or stones.”

“Huh. And they didn’t get burned?”

“No. They did it fast. And there’s some scientific stuff about the coals not being hot enough.”

“Fascinating,” Wren mutters.

Frankly, he hopes this moment of peace and safety lasts as long as possible. His hands are cuffed, sure, and his right ankle is shackled to one of the couch legs, but that’s nothing new. At least he can sit down, leaning against the couch, and be almost comfortable.

“Got anything else in there?” he asks.

“Yeah, some medieval torture methods.”

Wren feels his heart skip a beat.

“The fuck kinda book are you reading?”

“Art of Pain Across the Ages,” Daniel replies and shrugs seeing Wren wince. “Kid, I’ve been here for fourteen years with not much to do. I’ll read anything Berkeley brings me.”

“You could leave at any time, though.”

Daniel flashes a broad smile.

“I’d rather stay here. Besides, now you’re here to entertain me.”

Wren forces himself to maintain eye contact, even though icy unease spreads through his body. Suddenly the situation feels way too cozy, and his body tenses, waiting for the moment Daniel moves closer and the dreaded touch returns.

Nothing happens, however. Daniel chuckles softly and goes back to reading, and Wren exhales, his heartbeat slowing down.

“This one’s interesting. Strappado. Ever heard of it?”

Why does he keep asking that?

“No. I haven’t.”

“The victim had their hands bound behind their back and then was suspended. Usually they ended up with their arms dislocated, and it hurt like a motherfucker.” He lifts his gaze and smiles again. “Guess our version is much safer.”

Wren nods, pressing his lips tightly together. He wants nothing more than to lash out and tear the book from Daniel’s hands, because he can already imagine him getting some ideas from it.

As if Berkeley couldn’t have given him some poetry. Or a detective story. Or a cooking book, or anything other than this.

Time passes, and still nothing happens. Wren is staring into the flames, listening to Daniel reading about the Rack, the Iron Chair and the Head Crusher, and soon he closes his eyes, the cracking of fire and the rustling of pages lulling him to sleep.

He dreams about being a medieval peasant accused of heresy, sentenced to death by the Head Crusher.

Before his skull explodes into a bloody mess, however, he’s awoken by the sound of metal hitting the floor. He groans and tries to roll over, but his eyes snap open when there’s a sudden familiar grip on his hair and he’s pulled upwards, immediately stumbling.

“Ow!” he chokes out and almost falls over when he’s pulled forward. “What the fuck?!”

“Nothing to worry about, kiddo,” Daniel replies with a laugh, shifting his grip to Wren’s wrists. “Just a little surprise for you.”

“I don’t want any fucking surprises from you,” Wren hisses, too confused by the sudden awakening for the fear to set in.

“That’s just too bad. And I put so much time and effort into it.”

Wren tries to pull away, but it doesn’t work - it never works, a mocking voice in his head reminds him - and he’s forced to follow Daniel out of the house.

When he sees the surprise, he stops dead in his tracks.

“No.”

“No? I think it’s rather interesting.”

“You sick fucking-” He can’t finish as he’s pushed down the stairs and falls on his back, a choked yelp escaping him.

“Take off your shoes,” he hears and props himself up, trying to crawl away in panic. “I said: take off your shoes.”

“What the fuck,” Wren pants, putting more distance. “What the fuck-”

Daniel closes that distance in a second, pinning Wren to the ground with one heavy boot, a sickening smile on his face.

“Don’t worry, I can do it for you if it’s too hard.”

Wren struggles, but that never works either, especially with the shitty canvas shoes he’s forced to wear. At this point he knows there is no avoiding his fate, so he turns his head to the side, taking in the surprise - a square bed of coals emitting a warm, albeit terrifying, glow, surrounded by stones.

At least it’s not strappado, he thinks as Daniel throws his shoes to the side and forces him to stand up again. Or any of the other ones.

“Wait here.”

Okay, okay. I’ll just do it quickly. That’s how it works, right?

But then he sees Daniel throwing a length of chain over a branch directly above the coals and his mind starts racing again, because that doesn’t exactly look like a traditional part of firewalking.

He takes a step back and looks over his shoulder, calculating his chances of escaping.

No. Not like this.

Not with his hands immobilized, not with Daniel a few meters away from him, not before learning more about the planet, not without a way of contacting Earth.

“Come here,” he hears and straightens his back before approaching Daniel, his legs threatening to give out under him.

Grow up.

He extends his hands to Daniel, who nods and attaches the chain before going to grab its other end. 

“Let me explain this little beauty,” he says and gives the chain a light pull, smiling with pride. “What you see here is a bed of embers like the ones used in firewalking. However, this is not what you’ll be doing today.”

Wren focuses on his breathing, staring at the coals, trying to imagine the nature of pain they will bring.

“Ever been to the circus, Wren?”

He swallows hard and shakes his head.

“Such a shame.”

“Just get to the fucking point!” he yells.

“So impatient! I just wanted to tell you about one of the ancient attractions: the dancing bears.” Wren inhales sharply when Daniel pulls the chain again, forcing him to stumble a step closer to the coals. “They were taught to do it since they were cubs. I think you already know how.”

Another pull and Wren reaches the edge of the bed, forced to stand on his toes as the chain strains his arms, urging him to take another step forward.

“The bears were made to stand on hot coals, and they were ‘dancing’ to escape the heat. Interesting, don’t you think?”

“No I don’t, you sick bastard!” Wren growls before shrieking in panic when the chain tenses, causing him to lose his balance and stumble into the very center of the bed. “No!” He tries to run, get back outside, but the chain stops him from doing so; his next instinct is to use the chain to his advantage, and he lifts his feet from the coals, bringing his legs closer to his chest, his weight resting entirely on the handcuffs.

It hurts, but he’s used to it, isn’t he? He’d been suspended from the living room ceiling before. He can do it.

“Clever,” Daniel says, coming into his field of view and crossing his arms. “We’ll see how long you can keep it up.”

In the living room he was hanging limply - but now he has to keep his legs up, and his abdominal muscles are in agony.

He lets out a choked sob when his body fails him and he’s forced to stand on the embers again.

It’s not that bad in the beginning. If it really was firewalking, he thinks he’d make it.

But it’s not, and he’s not supposed to succeed - he’s supposed to entertain Daniel, to be just like those bears in the circus.

“See, you’re dancing alright,” Daniel points out, amused, watching Wren desperately jump from one foot to the other as the embers really start to hurt him. “You know, that practice quickly got outlawed, and for good reason. Those poor, poor bears.”

“Fuck you!” Wren cries out, tears streaming down his face. He takes a deep breath before resting his weight on the chain once again, trying to focus on anything other than the pain, hoping it will allow him to last longer, but his muscles are on fire, as if there was currently not enough fucking fire in his life.

At one point – and Wren has no idea how much time has passed, too absorbed with the searing pain drilling into the soles of his feet - Daniel leaves for a moment only to come back with a folding chair and a bottle of beer; he sits down ostentatiously and raises the bottle.

“Cheers, kid! What a great show.”

Wren just sobs, his eyes closed, his entire body trembling before finally giving out. He stands on the coals, too exhausted to jump or lift himself up anymore as everything around him becomes a blur and he can’t even feel the pain anymore. He twitches weakly when he hears a whooshing sound and the heat under him dies down, and the next thing he knows the chain goes lax and he falls forward, half-conscious, a single thought resonating in his tired mind.

Those poor, poor bears.

Next

traditions (1/3)—nejiweek day 1

Day 1 Prompt—Tradition | Memory

—because my followers wanted angst

Out of all the traditions he dared to break, this was the one too precious to him to ever stop and he knows that he deserves the hurt she has caused him.

—see Concepts, my fic about Neji’s parents

—on FFn

Hizashi and Asuka Hyuga are the first people who introduce the concept of “tradition” to Neji. 

He is very young, but he can understand half of what they tell him. 

It is a tradition to eat jiaozi and wagashi on the Lunar Year. It is a tradition to wear yukatas during Matsuri. It is a tradition to eat osechi during New Year’s Eve.

He understands that tradition is only something enforced by the person who believes it, for it creates a sense of predictability and happiness. Traditions are made because people enjoy having them. They bring others together, connect people in a new way.

There are many more traditions that Neji has with his parents, such as eating soba on their birthdays, though they alter it to herring soba because his mother is so good at making it. Sometimes, traditions are less widespread, like how his mother and father participate in a four-way-spar with their sensei and their other teammate or go to one of their houses for dinner every month. He decides he likes traditions, likes the way they look forward to them, and the way it makes them all smile. 

There’s one tradition, however, that he has only heard of, but has never celebrated: Obon.

Obon is a holiday celebrated to honour departed loved ones, but his father despises the clan, loves no one who has died from it, and his mother is an orphan who does not know another family. They tell him that one day, maybe someone they love will die and it will be a tradition, but they don’t hope for it. Neji doesn’t hope so either.

Yet when his parents die, followed shortly by their team, Neji drops all traditions he has acquired over the years. He stops eating soba. He stops going to Matsuri. He stops smiling most of the time.

However, in the late summer following the death of his loved ones, he accidentally stumbles upon a girl who is staring at lanterns. She has two buns on the sides of her head and big brown eyes. Her money, a huge clump of coins she must have saved up the whole year for, is scattered across the ground. He feels slight remorse and watches as she scoops them in her arms, then suddenly smiles up at him. 

“Happy Obon!” she cries, full of vivid enthusiasm. 

He sees that there is no guardian in sight, similar to his situation. To his surprise, she hands the lantern she buys to him. Neji doesn’t know what to do with it.

“I don’t have a family,” she announces.

He raises an eyebrow. “I don’t either.”

“Oh,” she frowns and thinks for a moment. “Did you have a family?”

“Yes,”

“Well, I never did, so you can use the lantern for your family.”

“What do I do with it?”

“Just write a letter to them and send it down the river.”

So he does. 

It is the first time he finds a little peace in his family’s death. 

The next year, he studies how to properly celebrate Obon, but it is the only tradition he has. He buys an eggplant and a cucumber and puts sticks under them so his parents come home quickly and go back to heaven safely. Though he cannot see them, he half believes that their spirits are with him.

The girl with the twin buns is at the marketplace and once again, she buys him a lantern.

Over the years, Obon is the only tradition he dares to have, to let the girl buy him lanterns. He finds that she also is in the academy with him, her name is Tenten, and she’s average in everything. Neji doesn’t make a move to get to know her, she respects it. Yet it is a mutual agreement that the only interaction they will share is that she will buy him a lantern during the festival, but she lingers a little longer every year.

When he is placed into Team Gai, he finds himself gathering more and more traditions.

It starts off as team dinners every month, kind of like what his old family would do. The first dinner is undoubtedly the first time they became a team, then their first completed mission, when Gai sees drastic improvement, and the team dinners are always spaced out by around a month. Maybe it was for the sake of him because they knew that he wouldn’t dare admit having such frivolous routines, but it is only announced as a tradition a year into the formation of his team.

Another tradition is the three-way spars every season. It’s almost a rite of passage. Sometimes, they spend the week before it training alone with Gai-sensei just to prepare, for it feels like such an honour to win one. The event is unpredictable and sometimes people in the village gather just to witness it. Neji has won half of them, mainly because Lee and Tenten nearly always team up against him for they are better matched than against him. Yet there are occasional times where Tenten has to defend against her boys or Neji and Tenten start doing combination jutsus honed with all their sparring sessions. None of them will admit it, but part of the reason they are so determined to win this spar is that the winner is treated to a shopping spree of supplies. 

Then there are the New Year traditions. They go out for sushi, watch fireworks on Gai’s roof, count the seconds to midnight, and play cards. It is practically the ultimate form of team bonding, says Gai, but they really know deep down that New Year is really just spending time together as a family. He tells her about how his parents made him herring soba on his birthdays and she spends a lot of her time learning to make it.

Neji knows there are a lot more, but maybe the most meaningful one that Team Gai has brought him is the Lunar Year. His family, though they celebrated it, never did in the way that Tenten insists on. She makes the familiar jiaozi, she makes fish and pork and duck and a variety of roasted vegetables, she gives red envelopes to kids in the orphanage, and she drags the team into doing it with her. He starts looking forward to the Lunar New Year, especially when with the extensive knowledge of explosives, Tenten simply has the best firecrackers. 

The tradition of celebrating the Lunar Year with Tenten clearly means a lot to her, seeing all the preparations she makes. They know everything that needs to be prepared, helps her prepare it, even if the day doesn’t mean a quarter as much to them as it does to her. They always do it for her. But when he is fifteen and it is past midnight while Lee and Gai have to leave because Lee may have accidentally consumed a little sake, he and Tenten are left to clean dishes and the apartment by themselves.

She finds a small pack of sparklers that she never got to use and he suggests that they light them. They head to her balcony and she ignites them, watching as light explodes from them like water spurting from a broken hose. When she hands him one and he smiles, admiring the light that dances on her face. He finds himself captivated by her beauty, so much so that he cannot find words for anything. Yet Neji is too shy to make any sort of move on her so he just watches in content.

And so, this is the development of a new tradition, for Tenten and Neji. He stays with her every Lunar New Year and they ignite sparklers to watch. Each year they stand in silence, unspoken words heavy around them, but they wouldn’t have it any other way.

It goes without saying that probably the tradition still most sacred to him is still Obon. The first time she buys him a lantern as a teammate rather than a stranger, he opens up to her, telling her how his family died. Obon is the time of year where he is the most vulnerable and he trusts her with his emotional state. For Tenten guards him as he reunites with his past family. She doesn’t say anything as he talks to what appears to be thin air. 

She starts accompanying him to put offerings at the altar, to clean his family’s gravestones, and to watch the ritual dances. 

Tenten doesn’t understand how he can feel their spirits and talk to them but she accepts that he can. For his mother and father still have personalities, they tell him they love him, they tell him that she’s a good match for him. He always blushes at that statement but wipes it away, saying that they are ridiculous. His father likes Tenten. Neji makes sure she knows. She blushes at that too.

Years pass, wars pass, and there are traditions, even routines that he has to start breaking.

They start off small, like the fact that he can no longer walk Tenten home after a sparring session because he has to go back to the compound very quickly to help train Hanabi. She tells him she’s fine with it and he believes her. Then he is unable to go to lunch with her, he doesn’t meditate while she sharpens weapons. They start growing apart.

For the ANBU exams, it is a gruelling one-month process and he is pushed to his limit. They cannot have the monthly team dinner, and that one breaks many times more. And on one of his other missions, he is gone for three months, missing the seasonal three-way spar.

The year after that, he spends the New Year with the clan and Naruto, who has just gotten engaged to Hinata. Tenten is disappointed but she says nothing of foul words, even when he can see the hurt burning in her eyes. She tells him that it’s ok, that it’s just one time, right?

“Right,” he says, though they both know they are lying to each other. 

The Konoha boys throw him a surprise party on his birthday and he is told that reservations are already made at a sushi bar and a table is booked at a club, even though he is supposed to be with Lee and Gai and Tenten. But Lee just shrugs, saying that they wouldn’t refuse to let him go with the others and Tenten says he ought to spend a birthday without her horrible cooking. He is too afraid to tell her that her herring soba rivals the taste of his mother’s.

Guilt continues to overwhelm him and during Lee’s birthday, he has to leave early because his clan has set up a date for him, a marriage interview with a cousin he has never talked to. Lee is exuberant about it, tells him not to worry, and he thanks his teammate. However, he honestly would much rather celebrate with them than go on a date with someone he isn’t remotely interested in. Especially since his heart is set on someone else.

The Lunar New Year comes and Neji is ready to confess his feelings for Tenten. He has been preparing for weeks, is anxious to watch the sparklers with her, and to apologize for how distant he has been becoming.

Yet at the last minute, Hiashi sets him up with another girl and because not a lot of people celebrate the Lunar Year, his mother and Tenten being the few exceptions, he doesn’t have much of an excuse. After all, how would his uncle know of his affections for her? Why would he understand?

When he informs her of the situation, he swears he has never seen so much pain in her eyes. But Tenten is a strong kunoichi who doesn’t hide her feelings, and she smiles like she usually does, brushes it off as she positions herself in a stance to begin their spar. This is the first time Lee questions him abandoning all their traditions, the first time he questions Neji as a person since the chunin exams.

He has been questioning himself for ages, wondering if it is the right thing. Neji knows it’s wrong, he wants to break off the dinner, but that’s dishonourable to the girl he agreed to go on a date with. Yet as he slowly eats fancy sashimi with a girl who seems just as unenthusiastic as he is, he realizes how stupid he is being. Instead, he promises himself to see Tenten when it is over, for he knows that she will still appreciate it if he lights the sparklers with her. In the end, he cuts the date short anyways.

Yet when he arrives at her house, not even at midnight, she isn’t home. Her house is completely empty. When he goes to Lee’s house, he's not with her either and they have tea together. His teammate informs him that Tenten wasn’t feeling well and she didn’t think she should be outside that night, as it would make her worse. 

“I didn’t really believe her,” Lee admits, looking out the window in thought. “But she looked like she really wanted to be alone and I had to respect that.”

Neji rushes out the door and activates his Byakugan, searches everywhere for her chakra signature. 

He finds it at a bar and he’s there so fast that he doesn't remember stopping by a store and picking up a package of sparklers that are supposed to shoot out rainbows coloured sparks instead of warm yellow ones. This isn’t a part of the plan, this isn’t how he wanted to do this, but it is better than nothing, right?

As a shinobi, Neji should have known better than to have a plan in the first place.

The guy making out with her against a wall is not a part of the plan and the fact that her legs are wrapped around him very tightly certainly isn’t either. He squeezes the paper package in his hand and drops the sparklers. He can’t hear the sound of them dropping. Bile rises to his throat. His mind goes blurry in regret and jealousy, leaves the bar before he can do something stupid.

When he’s home he doesn’t feel anything, doesn’t feel it until he sees the team picture on his nightstand. Neji suddenly can’t breathe until his lungs give out with a frustrated scream because it hurts that he messed up this fucking badly. He punches a dent in the wall so powerful it could nearly be mistaken for an air palm. 

Hiashi thinks it was just that his date went badly but Hinata and Hanabi are wise enough to tell him to leave Neji to calm down himself. As far as they are concerned, if his uncle gives him a reason to, he will shred the man into sand. No one knows why Hiashi would ever send him on dates when the whole village knows of his affections for the Weapons Mistress but then again, people are too afraid of him to say anything.

Tenten doesn’t show up to training until mid afternoon and she tells them she felt sick until now. Neji feels a gaze burning into him and he meets Lee’s eyes, seeing the look of doubt. He can confidently assume that she’s hungover but they don’t dare to mention it. The environment between them is strained that day, they all notice it. Yet how do teammates who haven’t ever got into a situation like this address it?

He hopes, oh, Neji hopes so badly that things will go back to normal, but deep down he knows that he has shattered a piece of her so how is it ever going to be the same? 

From there on, he makes sure that none of his missions overlap with the traditions like the seasonal three-way-spar, but he hasn’t gone back to walking her home or having lunch with her. It seems that she no longer wants to see him anymore. This is made obvious when he realizes that she hasn’t barged into his room at the compound for months, a habit she always would pull. When she does come to drop off one of his weapons she mistook as hers, he knows that what they had is irrevocably broken when he realizes that she knocked.

Summer comes and Obon does too, but she makes no mention of it. He makes the cucumber horse who brings the spirits home quickly and the eggplant cow who leads them back safely. He brings food to the altar as offerings. He washes and sweeps their graves before sitting down beside them, waiting for their spirits to come back.

Neji meditates like he always does until he feels their presence beside them. His mother and father greet him with their kind smiles, love evident on their faces. He bows slightly and they look to his side, surprised.

“Tenten is not with you this time?” his father asks, already used to the presence of his teammate, even if she cannot see them.

He shakes his head. 

“How come?”

“I have not been a good friend or teammate to her.” 

His parents seem to understand with steady nods and Neji feels tears welling up in his eyes. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. He feels like a failure, wonders if they know how much he has failed them. When he lets the tears spill over his face, dripping onto his shirt as he ducks his head to hide his face. It’s strange to feel that his vulnerability, though in the same time of year, is now pain caused by her rather than the death of his parents. Funny how roles have switched as so.

They soothe him with comforting words, telling him he will fix it and that things will be fine. It is the first time in a while that he has felt safe, and it makes him regret that they only have a couple days left with each other. He doesn’t realize how alone he is until now and it hurts him all the more.

She doesn’t show up to buy him a lantern and he swears that his parents can see his pain. His mother looks like she is about to say something, but decides not to. He ignores their heavy stares as he buys the lantern himself and writes a message on it with his perfect calligraphy. 

Out of all the traditions he dared to break, this was the one too precious to him to ever stop and he knows that he deserves the hurt she has caused him

When he places the lanterns on the lake and lights the candle, his mother touches his shoulder and smiles softly. 

“When you break something, it’s usually hard to have it exactly the way it is again. But anything that can be broken can be mended and I don’t believe that it’s hopeless, Neji.” she kisses him on his forehead where his mark was.

She steps onto the lantern and his father takes her place. “Sometimes, mended things can be worth more than intact. It just depends on what you glue it together with.”

He blinks at the metaphor but thanks them anyways, waving as they disappear. Neji has tried unsuccessfully to go back to how things used to be, trying to keep most of the old traditions, making sure to visit on her birthday, buying the sparklers, but he was in the wrong so he can’t expect anything back. Only time will tell if he can truly mend what he has broken.

It wasn’t meant as an insult, and I apologize for that. That was a rude way to phrase it. You mention priesthood a lot and from an outside view, it does seem to be your focus. Paired with very little positivity for the organization.. easy assumption to make. I am genuinely curious if you do enjoy being part of KO though. It does seem you don’t want to be part of it, so why you stay on is a mystery to me. Is it even worth being part of? Or is it a waste of my time to look into?

I’m sorry that this is how I seem to be coming across, and thank you for the apology. Incoming wall of text, hah.

I feel like I do mention priesthood periodically, and there are times when it comes up more than others. Recently I’ve felt more of a nudging to refocus myself on becoming worthy of priesthood, and that was rapidly followed by it being announced in KO that it’s Wepwawet’s year. So priesthood came up recently. And in terms of text posts, it is one of the things that tends to prompt me to actually write, because it is one of the things that often grabs me by the scruff and settles me back on my path when I start to drift. If this means it seems to dominate my text posts, that’s unfortunate. It’s not reflective of my actual spiritual life, although obviously it is a focus that I have. Goals are a good way of keeping people on target.

As for positivity towards KO, I feel like this may be a misreading of my posts. My recent two posts for example I felt were more measured than negative. “Hey, there’s this thing you may want to be aware of” is not a negative comment. It’s informational and a net neutral. I try to make sure my posts are clear that there’s balance to these things. Like that there are positive and negative personalities within the temple, or that even the would be “cult markers” are not handed down from on high nor done deliberately or with malice. The reading I hope that people take from that is that the temple is full of lovely people who are ultimately trying their best, and yes there will always be bad apples, and yes there are a few interesting mechanics at work to be aware of, but the people are generally good souls.

If I didn’t want to be part of KO, I would leave. I have left before (at Wepwawet’s orders), and it taught me that I don’t need KO to have a fulfilling religious experience. I also don’t need KO to be a priest, or to have the title of priest as you put it in your last message. A priest is a person who performs priestly duties. If you do that, you are a priest, your title is priest. You may not be a W’ab Priest of Kemetic Orthodoxy, but you are a priest, a W’ab even by virtue of coming to shrine pure. To be technical, I have been a priest of Wepwawet already, although I have chosen to cease to be for the time being.

If you read my blog completely, without the colouring of negativity, you would see that I enjoy and actively participate in Kemetic Orthodoxy. From the simple but subtle things (my worship of Wepwawet, who is only my patron because Kemetic Orthodoxy told me he was), to the more obvious.

There’s my rash of posts about Wep Ronpet, which were done according to the KO calendar.

There’s my joyous and unrestrained practice of the Kemetic Orthodox rite of Senut.

My recommendation of Rev. Siuda’s Heka apprenticeship, which I surely wouldn’t do if I thought she was unsuitable as a teacher.

I’ve reassured people about the RPD.

Despite my caveats about the membership at times being varied (as you’d expect from its size), I’ve praised the temple and the religion itself.

These are just recent examples from scanning back very briefly.

It is worth noting, that I do consider my “measured” responses to be an act of service as a Shemsu-Ankh. Positive posts about KO can be found from almost any member, and they’re pretty much expected from anyone who’s Shemsu. What I feel provides value to people is for someone who’s been in the temple a while, and seen some of its mysteries, to provide information about what works for them, what doesn’t, and impartial advice as to what may not work for other people. That last part can come across as negative, I think. But when I’m saying “this may not work for you” or “you may wish to be aware of this”, I am not criticising or being negative. It’s just about awareness and information. I believe in assisting all parts of the temple community, and that includes newcomers, beginners, and those skirting the fringes. Sometimes that means providing information like I do. Gushing about the temple is minimally useful at times, tbh.

As to whether it’s a waste of your time to look into, I can’t answer that for you. I rejoined after about 8 years away, because it provided something I needed spiritually, and because I never un-swore my oaths of Shemsu-Ankhhood and so the community still felt like my own. I feel the temple has a lot going for it. It provides structure, ritual, community, rites of passage, offline and online events, pastoral guidance, and so on. But it’s not for everyone, so everyone has to come to their own conclusions.

If nothing else, the beginners class is free and no obligation. So you always have that option.

Crappy header image brought to you by the creepy and most definitely haunted old church in my hometown! 

It’s that time of year again, everyone! The best holiday known to man... Halloween! Last year we had a lot of fun by playing with prompts and writing spooky (or not so spooky) stories based on them, so I decided, why not do it again? 

Here’s how it’s going to work 

Rules:

Send me an ask telling me what number you want, if you’re writing gen or ship fic and which ship you’re writing for. Polyships are absolutely allowed. Genfic is also allowed.

You have until September 30th to claim a prompt.

Write the fic. Post by October 31st, 2018. If you need extra time, please let me know.

Tag your post with the tag “rosesficoween”, and with my url (“rosemoonweaver”). Also, please make sure to tag your post with proper content warnings (obvs.)

You should be following me to enter the challenge. It is for my followers, after all.

If you want to post to a side blog, please tell me that in the ask you send.

After your fic is posted, I will reblog it to my blog. After the challenge is over, I will compile a masterpost with all the fics in them. Feel free to go wherever your muse takes you. You’re completely welcome to write darkfic, horror, comedy, romance, etc etc. Just remember to have fun and enjoy yourself. All ships and all fandoms are welcome with the exception of RPS and fic that features extremely underage characters (13 and younger) in sexually explicit situations. 

See Under the Cut for Prompts and Formatting Guidelines 

Prompts

1) Life was normal for Character A until the new neighbors moved in upstairs. First, it’s the strange noises at all hours of the night, then it’s the smell of turpentine and smoke drifting down through the vents, then it’s the strange dreams Character A wakes up from nearly every night. But if that weren’t bad enough, no one else on the floor seems to think there’s anything odd going on at all.

2) The house down the street is rumored to be haunted. It’s practically a rite of passage for the bravest kids in the neighborhood to try to spend the night inside it’s decrepit walls. When Character A finally decides to prove how brave they really are they’d been expected to be a little creeped out, but they never expected this.

3) Being a vampire isn’t as easy as it once was. There used to be a time when seeing a creature of the night struck fear into the hearts of anyone who was unfortunate enough to see one, but nowadays everyone’s practically begging for a bite. It was fun at first but now it’s so passé.  Character A is a centuries old vampire and they’ve just run into their next overeager consort(s).

4) Character A is an author struggling to come up with their next novel. Luckily for them a gift arrives in the mail from their publisher: a fancy new notebook and pen set with a note that promises to “bring new life to your writing”. It’s all fine until Character A decides to write their grocery list in the back of the book… only to find the items have materialized in the kitchen. So, Character A is in possession of some freaky magic which could be pretty amazing… if it weren’t for the fact that they just started a new novel in that book and the contents are not something they want to see in this world.

5) All their life Character A hoped for a someone to take them away from their crappy life. They always hoped for a hero or maybe even a fairy godmother. That was, until they actually got one…

6) Character A keeps running into someone. It’s never for very long and always at the worst times: a brief glimpse as they walk in separate directions, across a crowded street, getting off the train as Character A gets on. The weird part? They look exactly like Character A. The freaky part? Character A was born with a twin who didn’t make it past birth.

7) Every fall new Halloween stores pop up overnight, almost like weeds. This one though, has all the best props and costumes and at prices that are actually affordable! The problem? There’s something... weird about this store and it’s owners. 

8) Everyone and their dog seems to have a zombie apocalypse survival plan. Some people account for damn near everything, but when it really came around there was one thing no one was counting on...

9) Character A and Character B have been invited to a dinner party. It’s nice and everyone is fairly pleasant but it’s boring as hell. They’re all a little too hoity-toity with a side of Stepford. After a few glasses of wine and the main course has been served, Character A blurts out “so, which one of you is the serial killer?” everyone laughs until one of the guests claims to be one.

10) There are always risks involved when calling on magical beings. Character A knows the risks, but this is important. They’ve run out of options and there’s no going back. Too bad they didn’t notice the typo in their incantation and they’ve summoned a much more powerful being than they thought and they aren’t interested in playing around.

11) Character A is convinced their partner is keeping secrets. There are nights when they don’t even come home and after calling Character B’s workplace, Character A knows they’re not actually working late. Character A has finally had enough and decides to follow their partner to work and then wherever else they disappear to at night. Well, the good news is Character B isn’t cheating. The bad news…

12) Pumpkin patches are all good-natured fun. Hayrides, pumpkin picking, candied apples, it’s always the best part of fall. Character A was expecting to find the perfect pumpkin for carving nestled in among the vines but they weren’t expecting to find…

13) Character A comes into possession of a poppet. They don’t really think anything of it, because everyone knows magic isn’t real. That is, of course, until Character B shows up and they have some issues with what Character A has been doing to them via the doll.

14) Character A is having a pleasant night at home until their partner bursts through the door, clothes torn and blood dripping down their front, eyes glowing yellow. Before Character A has a chance to react, Character B grabs them by the shirt collar and hauls them to their feet.

15) Sometimes it sucks being the older sibling. Character A gets stuck with the task of taking their younger sibling, Character B trick-or-treating with a bunch of their friends from school. It’s loud and tiring and a little annoying to keep track of this gaggle of children, but the budding little crush Character B has on one of their classmates just might make it all worthwhile.

16) A small animal follows Character A home one night. Character A thinks nothing of it, and lets the animal inside and gives it something to eat and a warm place to sleep. Pretty typical, right? Well, that would be until Character A wakes up to find their animal companion gone and a stranger standing in their kitchen. Naked.

17 ) Character A is no stranger to wild parties, but the previous night’s Halloween bash was a doozy. They awake with strange marks on their body and no recollection of anything before. Now they must piece together what happened while dealing with the worst hangover they’re ever had.

18) Character A came into possession of a beach house after a distant relative passed away and left it to them. The house is on a mostly isolated stretch of beach, but the water is clear and the weather is mild. It’s nice during the day, but something strange happens at night. It almost seems darker than it should be somehow, and strange noises can be heard out over the water. Also, there’s the fact that Character A keeps dreaming of a strange figure in the surf and they seem to be getting closer and closer to the shore every night.

19) Character A is in charge of bringing snacks for their child’s “fall festival” at the school/daycare/activity (such as scouts or soccer or whatever). It would be easy to just pick up soft cookies and a bag of candy at the store, but last year their archrival carved a cake to look like a real pumpkin and they’ve been insufferable about it ever since. Character A decides to make their own special fall treats for the kids and it’s definitely going to be better than their rivals. The only problem? They’re a disaster in the kitchen.

20) Some people have a thing about Christmas, but Character A is the king/queen of Halloween. It’s an unwritten rule in their neighborhood that no one does Halloween better than they do. That is until Character B moves in next door and challenges their title for unofficial ruler of all things creepy. It’s an all-out Halloween war and Character A isn’t going to lose, not over their dead body!

21) There’s nothing more fun than a scare walk. The illusion of danger in a controlled environment is one of the most thrilling things to do around Halloween, at least according to Character A. But what happens when they stumble across one that’s a lot more real than they bargained for?

22) Character A comes home to their partner after a long day at work. Then they get a phone call from their partner’s phone, despite the fact that their partner is right there in the other room, making a lot of noise. When Character A answers their frantic partner is on the other line, telling them to run.  

23) After Character A moves into an old farm house they begin to hear thumping and bumping in the walls. At first, they think it’s just birds or mice, or some other pets that have made the old place their home. That is until they find a trap door in the closet…

24) Character A is the worst kind of criminal out on the hunt for their latest victim. When pick Character B out as an easy target and stalk and corner them. Too bad Character B isn’t as defenseless as they initially seemed.

25) Character A is desperate. Their friend is ill and there’s nothing they can do but prolong the inevitable. As a last resort, they seek the help of a psychic healer, Character B. It turns out, however, that this kind of help has a steep price to pay. 

26) Couples costumes are generally all in cheesy good fun. If you can’t dress up as milk and cookies with your partner, what even is the point of a costume party? The issue is, of course, that there aren’t a lot of good “couple-y” costumes when you’ve got more than one partner. Your characters are trying to find the perfect matching set of outfits to wear at their next Halloween party. Who or what do they dress as? 

27) Character A wakes up in the wrong universe. 

28) Character A has always loved archaeology. Growing up, there was nothing more exciting to them than uncovering ancient secrets and lost civilizations. Unfortunately, reality is less Indiana Jones and more “sitting in the hot sun cataloging 16,000 pottery shards”. That is, of course, until the uncover something truly special. The inscription on an ancient grave site warn of dark magic and an ancient curse but the temptation to finally make a real discovery is just too great to resist. 

29) Character A has lived their entire life as a normal, boring person. They don’t know that their mother has good intentions, but she’s been keeping a secret from them. That secret is due to show itself on the first full moon after their twenty-first birthday. 

30) Character A talks to ghosts. It’s much less interesting than everyone makes it out to be, however. Ghosts don’t play by human rules and they get bored much easier than people do. Apparently, being dead for so long makes a person restless, mischievous, and meddlesome. Character B has been haunting Character A for quite some time now, and they’re getting tired of being ignored all the time. 

Format

Title: Rating: Ship: (if no ship, just label as General) Warnings/Tags: Prompt: External Fic Link (if there is one)

Fic (If you post the fic in full to tumblr, please keep all not-safe-for-work content under the read more. Also, if the fic is longer than 500 words, please put the rest under a read more.)

If you have any questions, feel free to send me an ask.

Don’t let an anon get you down! I agree with you 100%, I feel like fics get stale when writers repeat the same tropes as fic authors before them. It’s fun when writers add in their own unique and special headcanons and ideas! It makes me feel like I’m reading something fresh! Like you said, writers will never find their own voice if they just copy others, coming up with new ideas helps you grow... but that’s just my two cents!

Thanks, friend!! Yes, exactly! And to be clear, I’m not talking about “why does everyone and their dog write _____ AU.” I’m talking about “this ___ AU is so similar with almost the exact tone and dialogue and puns as everything else on my dash that I have to check the notes to see if I’ve read it before.” 

DO write tropes. The ill-fated toaster is practically a rite of passage for Tentoo writers. I’m not saying we should get rid of them. (Here’s a post on the good things about tropes.) But when you make a fruit-related punchline, do it in a new way, the way that reflects your sense of humor, your headcanons, not word for word what someone else already did last week and forever since the beginning of time. 

New writers might feel self-conscious, like they aren’t being unique enough, but the secret is, that’s when you have the most unique ideas! Because you haven’t gotten bored with it yet or fallen into the comparison trap. I really miss being new to the ship because while I wrote some things I now would do differently, my creativity wasn’t limited by “this is what’s done here” and “what is expected of me?” but seeing everyone else’s ideas was permission to put my own crazy ones out there. haha It’s not a bad thing to write the same ship or prompt or trope as someone else. (Please don’t let fear of doing the same thing as someone keep you from writing!!)  It IS a bad thing when you feel like you have to write something you don’t love because it’s what is making someone else popular and you want to be popular more than you want to write your own ideas. 

Anyway, thanks for the encouragement and I hope this helps clarify for anyone who was confused or hurt or feeling anxious or pressure. Just do you! That’s when you shine brightest!

Walk With Me Pt 5

This is my entry for @dinnafashsoldat POC Writing Challenge.

Prompts: “You’re not taking me to bed. Ever.” “Who said it had to be the bed?” and “I wasn’t lying when I said I loved you.” Mexican!OC

A/N: I am a Mexican girl so when I saw this writing challenge I had to get on board. It is going to be about a 5-6 mini series. I love Thor. He’s my favorite! Even over Bucky and Steve because he’s just so…perfect and needs to be protected

It’s almost done! Just one more chapter!

Soccer is life. Or at least it was my life. I truly, wholeheartedly, believed when I was eleven and twelve that I was going to be a soccer player. I lived and breathed for the sport. It was how my father and I got close. He would come to my games and cheered me on. It was how Ernesto and I bonded as well. He and I would talk about players like Americans talk about Football players. With my brother’s death, so did my love for the sport. I couldn’t watch a single game for years. I did move on and eventually watched a game, but it had been bittersweet. . So when I woke up I had a lot of mixed feelings. But I was also excited. Everyone in my family knew how competitive I was.

Then it hit me that not only was I home, but Thor was with me. I turned around and saw that his bed was empty. Panic shot through me as I thought of what could be happening. I heard music coming from the kitchen and almost everyone was up and already in their uniforms. Yes, our family had uniforms. Thor was talking to my brother, well, my brother was talking and Thor was listening. They were all on the round table we’ve had for twenty years and eating eggs with ham, which was what my mom made every morning before a game.

“You’re awake,” Thor beamed from the table his plate cleaned off. “I wanted to wake you, but you were so sound asleep I let you sleep in a little.”

“You sure her loud snores didn’t wake you up?” Betty snickered. I glared at her.

“Shut up.” I muttered and sat down across from Thor. My mom placed a plate in front of me and kissed the top of my head making me smile.

“I had to live with it for all my life,” Betty rolled her eyes.

“You were the crazy sleeper. You started at the top of your bed and somehow ended up at the foot of your head,” I muttered back.

Betty feigned a shock expression and then shrugged. “I still don’t snore like you. Thor, seriously, how do you deal with it?”

“Because your sister’s heart is made of gold and she is passionate about what she does,” he replied. I bit my lip trying not to blush, but it didn’t work. 

“Buenos dias,” my father walked into the kitchen.

“Buenas,” everyone replied as we all used to.

“Buenas,” Thor followed along.

My dad sat next to me and he had a plate in front of him immediately. I reached for the salsa and placed it next to my dad’s plate. He thanked me. I knew he ate almost everything with my mom’s delicious spicy salsa. Breakfast was pretty normal. Almost weird since it had been over six years since we all sat down together. Adding Thor to the mix was exciting.

“Do you remember when Dulce’s 15 it started raining during her pictures?” Junior laughed. “And… her….” he was laughing between words, “hair was…ruined and…she…legit cancelled the party?”

I rolled my eyes. “I tried to, but thankfully the venue let us move the party inside even though we had not paid for that cause it was cheaper to have it outside.”

“Fifteen?” Thor’s forehead crinkled.

“So in our culture—Mexican—and most latinos we have this…rite of passage for women. When they turn 15, we have a party for them to officially introduce them into society,” Betty explained.

“It was a way to let the town know ‘my daughter can marry now’,” Camila grumbled.

“Ay, Camila,” my mother groaned.

Thor still looked confused.

“Camila refused to have a 15th because she believed that it sent women backwards,” I told him.

“It does! Elizabeth is never gonna have one. Unless she wants one, but it’ll be her choice! That’s all I want. For my daughter to have choices,” she explained.

“That’s all we want too,” my dad chimed in. “Ahora, Dulce, cuando te vas a cambiar?”

“Okay, okay, ya voy,” I raised my hands in defense.

**

Once we were at the park the captains of the teams were selected. My brother and her fiancé were selected as captains. Since this whole thing was for them. A coin was tossed to decide who went first to select and my brother won. He took a moment to gloat and then pointed his finger at me. My future sister-in-law groaned.

“That’s not fair! We all know your sister is the star player.”

My brother winked at her. “You lost babe, now choose.”

Melissa crossed her arms across her chest and huffed but her eyes moved as I went to my brother’s side and fist pumped. My competitive side was coming out. Blood was pumping. It wasn’t surprise she chose Thor first since she thinks that because he is a god he is going to give her the advantage. But regardless of mortality he was going to get killed. Soon the teams were picked and I was with Camila. Betty was with Melissa. 

My dad was going to be the referee. There weren’t going to be rules like at a real soccer game but we weren’t allowed to pull on clothes or punch and that had to be a rule because of me. My brother got the team together and told them to clear the way for me. No one objected since they all knew how fierce I got. My blood started to pump faster. It had been years since I played but I had a feeling it was going to be like riding a bike. Thor stood a few feet away from me and I figured they would put the biggest guy to stop me. 

“This is a friendly game, no?” He asked and I shrugged.

“Depends on your version of friendly, Thor,” I watched as my brother and Melissa went to the middle of the field and my dad placed the ball in the middle. There was another coin toss that Melissa won. The ball was hers and then my mind switched. She passed it to Betty and I went after her. Thor was clearly behind me but I was too quick and maneuvered my way through everyone else it wasn’t long before I was by the goalie and it was Betty as the goalie. Her eyes widened at me, and my body moved on it’s own and I barely saw her cringe as I kicked the ball in her direction and she ducked because it was headed straight to her face. It went in and my team erupted in cheer. I waved at Betty as she glared at me. She knew that I knew that she would rather duck than let the ball hit her. 

“That was amazing!” Thor beamed. “I’ve never seen you move so fast!”

I winked at him and went back to my side. Thor did his best to kick the ball but he was using too much force and it would go way over the net. My brother had to go almost across the park to get the ball back. Thor was still on my trail when I had the ball and he did try to get it from me but I tricked him and kicked the ball between his leg and twirled around him and continued to go down to their post and made another goal. 

“Goooooooool!” My brother cheered and high fives me. 

All my brothers team had to do was pass the ball to me and I made the goals. Before half time we had 5. Then we took our break. I went over my to mom and she handed me a Gatorade. 

“Como siempre muy buen echo, mija,” she kissed my cheek. Her eyes widened behind me and then there was a shadow over me. I looked over my shoulder as I opened my Gatorade. 

“Is there something you haven’t told me?” He narrowed his eyes. My mom offered him a drink and he changed his demeanor and thanked her for being concerned. My mom blushed and giggled a “You’re welcome.”

I turned around with a smirk. “Is the mighty Thor hurt he is losing to a mere midgardian?”

“I am not ashamed to admit defeat when I know it is fair but you are moving as if you are gifted. Are you like Steve?”

I chuckled and took a sip of my drink. His eyes watched me and I didn’t back down. I finished and closed my drink.

“Thor, I am not a super soldier. I’m just simply using my god given gifts. Plus you’re a sore loser. You hate playing pool with Tony because he always beats you. And don’t get me started on Monopoly.”

“That game is evil!”

“Clint is surprisingly good at that game.”

“Yes he is.”

At the end my team—I mean my brother’s team won. Meaning I won. Thor was out of breath. I did admit that he picked it up rather quickly. It was fun to play against him. He was still a sore loser because when my father called the game was over. He still asked for ten more minutes, but we all needed to get home. On the drive back Thor was sulking.

“Are you really going to be like this?” I asked with a laugh.

“You have seriously held back from us, Dulce. You moved like…whoa…I bet you would give Steve…how do you say…a run for his money?”

I laughed. “That’ll be a sight to see. But I know you were holding back.”

“Okay maybe a bit, but you truly impressed me, Dulce. But your sister did mention she was surprised you were still good even though it’s been years.”

I looked out the window and sighed. “I’m sure you’ve deducted…what has happened…with my family. Why I understood you when you lost Loki. His name is—was Ernesto. He was the youngest.” I took a long breath. “He…died…in New York. He had gone with his high school friends and my parents didn’t want him to go, but I convinced them to let him go. I had missed out on my opportunity to please them and I didn’t want that for him. So he went…and he got…trapped under a building during…you know…” I shrugged. “He had gone back to try to help a friend from under debris and the building collapsed.”

I wiped away the tears. “He…his death…broke us. Broke me. I felt…guilty. I let him go and there was no one there to protect him.”

“Dulce,” Thor reached for my hand. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay. Look…my dad blamed SHIELD for my brother’s death. Once all the files became public, he was furious. And I had joined them and worked for them. He was even more livid that I didn’t come home straight after it was found out Hydra was behind Shield all along. But I just couldn’t go back.”

I stopped myself. I was oversharing and I felt like I was unloading on him. It wasn’t fair.

“That’s a lot for one person to keep to their-self. Have you talked to anyone else about this?”

I scoffed. “Not really. I mean I have my sisters and my brother, but I don’t think they understand what I felt when we got the news about Ernesto,” I looked down to my hands and played with the cuticles.

“We all deal with death differently. But I hope you no longer feel guilty about your brother. It had nothing to do with you letting him go. Knowing this I want to ask forgiveness from your family. After all it was my brother who brought chaos to New York.”

I blinked not realizing what he meant for a long moment and then it snapped. “Thor, I have never blamed you. I know you tried to stop him. Reason with him.”

“Thank you for your forgiveness, Dulce. And if Loki was alive, I would make him apologize to your family.”

“Just don’t bring it up, Thor. My family doesn’t like to talk about it. It starts arguments and with your presence it wouldn’t be pretty. Please let’s just enjoy the party tonight and then we can go back to the compound and put this all behind us.”

**

I shouldn’t have said anything. Once we got back home, I went straight to the shower. I was covered in sweat, mud and grass stains. It had felt so good to play again. I always thought soccer was going to be my life. I had breathed and lived for it. Then death sure makes you look at things differently.

It wasn’t like we lost someone before. I’ve had cousins and uncles pass away, but we all knew this was different. There was a reason our family didn’t stray too far from each other. If I had the time stone, I would go back and go to New York with Ernesto. I’d protect him. He had a brighter future than I did. He had the brains. He had dreams. I just wanted to play soccer. That wasn’t much compared to what he could have done.

That is what I felt guilty for. I felt like I had robbed the world of a brilliant mind. I always found showers to be the best time to have a break down, so I had one. I let out all of my frustrations. Lying to my family. Seeing Bruno so broken because of what I did. Reminding myself what my little brother could have done.

When I was done—I had changed in the restroom—I went back to my old room. I thought I would find Thor, but when I looked out the window I saw that he was helping set up. He was the tallest so they had him hold the balloons so they could tape it. I chuckled at the sight of Thor just casually holding the arch of balloons while my father was on a step ladder reaching on his tippy toes.

I watched for a while. Whatever my father and Thor were talking about was something good. My father was smiling and it had been a long time since I saw that smile.

“Mija?” I heard from my door. I turned and saw my mom with her makeup already one and the hot curls still on and in her robe.

“Hola, ma,” I went to her and hugged her tightly. Nothing like a mother’s hug to make things better.

“No te vas a poner lista?” she asked if I was going to get ready but I didn’t let go of her and she rubbed my back.

“In a bit,” I replied and placed my cheek on her shoulder and inhaled her scent.

“Estoy feliz que tienes alguien con quien eres feliz,” she said she was happy that I was with someone who made me happy.

“Ma…” I started, but then we were interrupted by Camila. I had wanted to come clean. I knew she would understand. But then I did have to get ready. This was for my brother. I knew committing was a huge thing for him.

I had to support him. I needed to put my own shit away. When I was doing my makeup Thor was back, but because he had been out in the sun he was sweaty all over again. I nearly dropped my blending brush as I watched him remove his shirt and used it to wipe away the sweat off his forehead, face and his neck.

He caught me and grinned.

“Your father was telling me you know how to play guitar. That he taught you.”

I half smiled remembering the lessons and how tough of a teach my dad was, but I truly wanted to learn because he was so good.

“Yeah, I do.”

“You should play tonight,” he smiled.

I shook my head. “No, I’m good.”

“Come on, do it for me? Your wonderful boyfriend?”

I raised an eyebrow at him. “Fake boyfriend.” I corrected.

“You owe me for this and the way to repay me is to hear you play,” he turned a little serious, so I sighed.

“Fine. You gonna shower now?”

“Unless you wish to continue googling me, woman,” he winked at me.

I rolled my eyes, but I felt the blush on my cheeks. I wish I had done my foundation so he wouldn’t have seen me. He got his stuff and a towel and left.

I released a breath. God, he made me so nervous. The butterflies in my stomach fluttered. I shook my head and got myself back to the present. But I did like that he made me smile. Made me forget my shit.

I finished my makeup and moved on to my hair. Half way through my hair Thor was back. And to think he looked sexy in sweat he looked even sexier with droplets of water going down his chest, between his abs, and pecs. Flashes of us fooling around in my bed went through my head. Passionate kissing and passionate lovemaking. Screaming his name. I wondered how big he was. Would I be able to take him? God, how long had it been since I got laid?

Years. I had toys, but I was sure whatever I had would never compare. Like he was reading my mind his eyes met mine on the mirror of my vanity. The air in the room changed. He smiled and I felt my insides melt. That smile of his was going to be the death of me. I jumped when there was a feedback sound. It brought us out of the trance, and I turned to my window.

The music was starting and I could smell the food as well.

“I’ll go get changed at the restroom,” he took his things and that might have been my chance to stop him, but I let him go. He gave me one more glance, but I kept my lips shut. I felt my heart sink. Did I just miss my chance? Probably. Maybe I just reading the signs wrong.

I finished getting ready. I got my dress and placed it on. It was heart shaped burgundy dress that reached my knees. I paired it with black heels. Since the party was right outside I didn’t take the coat I brought with me.

It had been ages since I went all the way for a party. Not even for Tony’s parties. This color of the dress reminded me of a coat Thor once wore. Right when Ultron attacked. I had admired him from afar. He had made that coat look so sexy. I chuckled to myself. Here I was pretending to be his girl.

I walked out of my room and ran into my brother.

“Whoa, look who is back from the dead,” he joked. I rolled my eyes at him. “Seriously, I hardly recognized you. Thanks for coming, Dulce.”

“Of course. You’re my brother. It was time to end the streak,” I shrugged. “I know how you feel about Melissa. She’s the one.”

My brother blushed and nodded. “Yes. she is. Don’t tell ma or pa, but…she might be pregnant.”

My eyes widened. “Seriously?! Oh my God!”

“I know! But we are not sure. If she is, we might just speed up the wedding, so she can wear the dress she wants. You and Thor gonna be free in a month or two?”

Answer all the asks please. If you don't have the mental spoons for it then that's ok

lmao sure, thanks friend!

moon: what is your astrological sign?

Sagittarius (not avery good one)

gingerbread: your moral alignment

Neutral good

birdseed: family or friends?

Friends,probably.  All the family I have time for are my friends anyway so

sheets: your sexual orientation

Bi if I’m with gaypeople or people who ‘don’t believe in labels’, queer with everyone else.

warm milk: when do you usually fallasleep?

About11:30-midnight, usually.  I do not function well without enough sleep so Ihave to go to bed earlier than I would like, but then it takes me an hour or soto get to sleep anyway. 

pot of honey: your gender identity

oh, it’s [loudnoise from passing truck obscures answer]. Gimme those they/them pronounsthough

snow: what is your favorite time ofyear and why

I like very earlyand very late summer.  I like the end of spring where the days arestretching out and weather starts being consistently (ish, it’s still scotland)not awful, and everything feels optimistic and brighter. And then I like theends of summer when the air starts smelling of bonfires and the days are warmbut the evenings grow cooler and everything feels like snuggling and settlingin

yarn: what are your most enjoyablehobbies?

Love me someknitting, it’s really relaxing and gives me something to do with my hands andalso you get cool stuff out of it.  Also I’m getting more into folkmusic/dancing recently - i was gonna say morris dancing but actually i don’treally like morris dancing as an art form, but I really like playing the musicand I love singing (hit me up for some filthy folk songs) and have gone to afew sessions and such which were really cool. And I really like folk danceslike ceilidh, bal and contra - I like the fact that each time I do it I’m lessshit. I am a bit of a baby on the scene but it’s still good, there’s usuallyalcohol to numb the embarrassment, and the people are really nice.

bicycle: what are you talented at?

Words. I am good atword-ing.  Writing stuff, reading stuff, copy editing, etc.  I am agood person for words.

folktale: what stories remind you ofyour childhood?

I read so much as achild and have so few memories of being a child in general that actually mostof the memories I have are mixed up with reading. But I guess some of thesignificant ones are Harry Potter (of course), Lord of the Rings, the VeryHungry Caterpillar (we did that as a school play and I was a strawberry), we’reall going on a bear hunt, His Dark Materials, the Earthsea trilogy, and Redwall.  Also the Houndsof Morrigan and the myth of Niamh of the Golden Hair.  Also, my dad was ahuge story teller.  He used to do stories more or less on demand - I’dgive him prompts and he would make them up to order.  Notable onesincluded one about a snail whose name I forget, one about the Penalty Fare, afunfair where people who committed civil misdemeanours went for punishment (ina masterful anticipation of Final Destination 3), and an ongoing series calledLittle Miss Good, Little Miss Bad and Little Miss Tries-to-be-good.  Idon’t remember any of them clearly, but they are wound firmly in with memoriesof my dad and my childhood.

woods: where do you feel at peace?

The sea. Always, the sea.  Anywhere quiet outdoors with big skies. GlasgowNecropolis.

chicken feet: what is your emotional“flaw”?

so many

red cheeks: what makes you nervous?

Was gonna say SOMANY but actually, not that much really? I draw a distinction between nerves and anxiety, which I have for daaaayyys(though not badly enough to be a major Thing). Mostly I get nervous about talking to my mum about difficult stuff, honestly.

sunflower: what do you love and cherish?

My friends, my mum, my Victorians, myPhD, my bisexuowls shawl, sharks.

bells: what sounds are your favorite or calm you the most?

The sound of the sea.  The sound of wind chimes.  The sound of the rain and wind.  I struggle to listen to music because itmakes me think too much but repetitive, soothing nature sounds shut my brain upat least a little.

turnip: what is a food you could eat everyday?

Garlic.  Doesgarlic count? it’s more an ingredient than a food but i’d happily eat it inmost things. As a first year in uni I ate so much raw garlic in a few days (cosI worked out how to make bruschetta) that I made myself sick, but these days Iwould garlic differently.  Not just eating clove after close of crushed garlic.

spit: do you get jealous easily?

Not really

mushroom:list unique things you like about yourself

This is really hard – especially the ‘unique’ bit.  I like that I’m an excellent speller and thatI have synaesthesia and that I have terrible handwriting. 

cupboard:a good childhood memory

We used to occasionally go to the Snowdon region of Wales as a family, cosmy mum’s best friend at the time had a cottage there so it was free, and weinherited a lot of their traditions, one of which was this hill that the friend’shusband used to race up and down with his friends from a nearby (now long-gone)hostel before breakfast, giving it the name Breakfast Mountain (its actual nameis Brin Brith in case any of you know it, it is a fairly unremarkable hill inall respects except it is cherished of my family).  We used to climb it whenever we visited,though not before breakfast.  I have alot of good memories of climbing it but in particular one time I rememberstanding on the top with my dad and he did that thing where you hold a child bytheir arms and spin so they like fly out, on the edge of the mountin, so Iremember the warmth of the sun and my laughter and my dad’s hands on my wristand the flashing alternation of the estuary, far below, and the mountain top grass,a few feet from my face.  I realise I’m talkingabout my dad a lot but I don’t remember a lot of my childhood and much of whatI do remember that is happy is either books or my dad.

eyebags:what do you think makes a person attractive?

God, it’s such a cliché but confidence can make a person attractive.  Being a nice/good person makes themattractive too.  So does beingfunny. 

fallenlog: something you’ve gotten over that you never thought you would

Coincidentally, I have just accidentally stumbled over an email chain ofthe aftermath of a fairly messy breakup – the end of a major, 3 year, late-teens,unhealthy, rite of passage, heartbreak and drama, serious relationship.  At the time it was a pretty big deal involvinglots of crying and a fair amount of drama, and thinking it would never end and I’d never be over it, but on looking back at the emails, Idon’t remember a lot of the gory details they allude to, and I have no feelingsabout it except relief that I ended it, albeit about two years too late. He’san MRA now so, bullet dodged

dagger:your worst fear

being completely unloved/losing everyone I love

whisper:do you have any secrets?

Yup.

wildboar: which person do you feel closest to?

I have a small collection of four people who are Very Important. Theyaren’t all friends with each other but they’re all people I’ve met in Glasgowand they are excellent in very distinct ways.  I’m not gonna name them but I like to thinkthey know who they are. The one I feel closest to at any point varies but it isalways one of those people.  

sweet:what candies or cakes are you fond of?

I like chocolate eclairs,  I likelemony things, and I like werther’s originals cos I’m a grandad

footprints:do you remember your past lives?

Not a thing, sorry

fur:name an animal you feel connected to

I feel very connected with rodents. Especially guinea pigs.  (aren’tyou surprised I didn’t say sharks)

vodka:do you drink?

Yeah!  I didn’t really drink regularlytill I got to Glasgow, then after a couple years I mostly stopped cos I was TooSad to drink and didn’t have fun drunk. But then I started again when I joinedMorris dancing because I got over the thing I was sad about and Morris is avery alcohol-oriented sport. The people I hang out with are really fun to drinkwith and it’s drinking as socialising rather than drinking to get drunk which feelslike a Better Choice.

sourcherry: an obscure tradition from your family?

We aren’t a huge family for traditions, honestly, but one that me and mymum do (mostly at my behest honestly) is get a Christmas decoration to remembermy dad every year.  He’s been dead almost20 years and we’ve been doing this consistently for about 15, so eventually thetree is going to be entirely eclectic stuff I’ve picked up over the years formy dad.

pineneedles: what is your favorite scent?

I really like rose, and I really like vanilla.  I am about as boring as can be. I do notcare.

heart-shaped:do you believe in love? are you in love?

I think it’s hard not to believe in love. There are people I love, inlots of different ways

home:where do you dream of living?

Honestly, I want to stay where I am now. While being by the sea or going to the Netherlands appeals, I love mycity and the life I have built here.

spice:list your favorite herbs

I actually tend to prefer spices to herbs – gimme all your paprika andVanilla (is vanilla a spice???) and pepper – but I like basil, rosemary,lavender, lemon balm and sage.

mud:something you’re insecure about but trying to love

My entire self honestly.

tobacco:do you have any addictions?

Nope

sock:how would you describe your clothing taste?

Predictable.  Give me a colourfulprint on a mid-thigh or knee length fit and flare or skater dress, and some blackleggings, and that is me happy.  That isalso the entirety of my wardrobe.

cuckooclock: are you a morning, a noon, or an evening person?

Depends on what youwant me for.  I’m best at productivity early in the morning, but terribleat social skills. I’m best at like, physical tasks and walks and stuff in theafternoon when I’m properly awake and feeling restless, and best at socialisingin the evening (but not too late cos my brain falls out at about 10pm).

woodenfence: a favorite memory

When I was in undergrad I fell, predictably, into the DnD crowd, and Ihave lots of really nice memories of that time. Including: sleeping over after dnd, which was basically not sleeping butstaying up talking quietly about the sort of thing you can only talk about onsomeone else’s floor at 4 in the morning, and not sleeping over after DnD, butwalking the 3 miles uphill from the town to the university, again quietlytalking, and if you timed it right you’d get to the top of the hill just atdawn and you’d see the sun rising over campus like a promise,  Seeing dawn from the ‘other’ side, going tobed after it rather than waking up before it, still feels really special to me.