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#prompt no. 15
ice-cap-k · 7 months
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Silent Squeak
Cross-posted to AO3 here: Silent Squeak
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“Do you want the veggie rolls or the dumplings?”
“Dumplings, please. Whatever recipe you use tastes amazing.”
“Thanks. Just give me a moment to plate it.”
The smell of warm dumplings made Owen’s mouth water. He was starving and knew that the meal about to be served would be worth every second of the wait. Everyone knew Scott was the best cook in the attic. Between the farm fresh veggies he had managed to grow in his makeshift indoor garden to the hours spent perfecting his craft over a hot pot, the field rat had refined his talent to a peak. And that worked out perfectly since few other rats were so interested in the culinary craft.
Owen could manage a few of the simpler things. His own veggie rolls and grilled steak turned out edible, at least. Maybe a little chewy, but that just added to the experience. They were rats. Chewing through stuff was in their nature.
“Here you are.” A plate clatters onto the tabletop in front of Owen. The smell of the broth hits his sensitive nose, and the spoon is in his hand in an instant. The first bite almost burns his tongue, but he doesn’t care. The warm food tastes like the most amazing thing he’s had for a while.
“You know,” Scott says with a smirk as he slides into the booth on the opposite side of the table. “You could always try to make something with the food you steal from the pantry instead of eating it plain.”
Owen pulls the spoon out of his mouth and uses it to point at the farm rat. “That’s what I have you for,” he says around a mouthful of dumpling. “Why would I cook when I could just ask you to make something for me?”
He rolled his eyes. “And here I thought you visit so often because you enjoy my charming personality.”
“It can be for that too. You’re a really good friend, Scott. Who said it can’t be both?”
“Oh. Well, I really appreciate the visits.” A little smile appeared between Scott’s whiskers. His eyes dropped to his own bowl of dumplings and the spoon in his hand. “I don’t mind cooking, though. If it wasn’t so cold outside, I could have brought the food to set up a picnic on your balcony.”
“You wouldn’t have had to bring food,” Owen said, shoveling another spoonful into his mouth. 
Scott’s eyebrows shot up. “How else would I make something for us to eat?”
Owen had to think about that for a moment. “Well, we could try cooking at my place.”
“But you don’t even have a kitchen in your clock tower,” Scott said incredulously, gesturing to their surroundings with a free hand. 
Scott’s home was admittedly one of the most complete in the attic. Many rats had plenty of rooms and accommodations. Some had even built up storefronts and businesses outside of their personal nests. Owen’s clock, though, was hollowed out with a mindset more focused on convenience and his own personal interests. There was a small mudroom at the base of the clock, and if you climbed the gears he could reach his tinkering workshop and bedroom behind the clock face. A simple hallway led to an elaborate balcony, but that had admittedly been built by Scott. And that was it. There wasn’t much else that could fit inside.
The grandfather clock didn’t have things like kitchens, cozy living room seating spaces, or teal and orange booths set in the wall where he could eat with company. 
Although Martyn’s Bar did have most of that. He supposed that was always an option.
“Fair enough. By the way, how are you feeling?”
Scott’s ears twitched to match the confusion that crossed his face. One ear pressed flat against the back of his head, the other swiveled forward to catch Owen’s words. “What do you mean,” he said, blinking blankly.
“That janitor really got you the other day. We were all scared for you. And when the Mom of the house let you go you were shaking. So I thought I’d ask you how you’re feeling now that things have died down a little.”
The spoon dropped from Scott’s claws. The sudden clatter made Owen flinch. “Sorry,” Scott said hurriedly, scooping up the spoon and shoving another bite of food into his mouth. He looked away as he chewed. One claw shot out, indicating to Owen to wait while Scott finished. 
By the way, Scott’s face grew a few shades paler, though, the tinker rat figured that this was more of an attempt to stall. “Scott?”
“Sorry…” Scott took a moment to swallow. The food must have gone down heavy because Owen could hear the gulp from across the table. “Of course I’m fine. You don’t have to worry. It’s not like I’m the only one who’s ever gotten tossed in a cage around here.”
“No, but I’d imagine your experience was a bit rougher than average…” “I said I’m fine.” Owen was surprised by the forcefulness in Scott’s tone. The farm rat was usually so quiet and polite. It wasn’t exactly impolite, but he had made it clear that he wasn’t interested in discussing further. “Although, speaking of which,” Scott continued with some of the curiosity and lightness returning to his voice as he changed the subject. “Any news on the recovery of that crow the daughter was taking care of? Were they able to put a splint on their wing?”
“Oh yeah,” Owen perked right up as memories of today's event started replaying in his head. “They managed to bandage up Kara’s wing a little better. It seems our attempt at first aid was a little lackluster. The wrapping had started coming loose.”
Scott nodded along, fully absorbed in this new conversation. “Well, none of us are medical professionals. How long will it take to heal?”
“I’m not sure, but-”
They carried on like this for the rest of the meal, discussing the day’s events and plans for the Christmas celebration. There was a lot of planning and things to look forward to, and Owen completely forgot about Scott’s dismissive response when he brought up the incident with the cage.
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“Under the table! Under the table! Quick! QUICK!!”
“He’s right behind us!!”
Owen dove nose first under the coffee table left out in the entryway. Claws scrabbled at the tiled floor as he pressed himself beneath the bracers connecting its legs where the butler wouldn’t be able to reach him. As soon as he was out of harm's way, he turned to check if Scott had made it as well.
“Owen!”
His best friend was reaching out to him. His eyes were round with terror as he leaped for safety. “SCOTT!”
A large hand swooped down and the other rat disappeared behind massive fingers. Scott let out a strangled squeak as the human’s grip tightened around him.  His muffled voice faded as the hand carried him back up into the air.
“Drat. He got Scott.” Owen watched from his hiding place as the butler made for the lounge. There would be a rat trap in the back corner, nestled up against the fireplace. He’d been caught and tossed in that trap countless times. Once the coast was clear, he could run in and let Scott out. He would just have to keep an eye out for the cats. 
Moments passed, and eventually, the disgruntled butler left the lounge empty-handed. Owen couldn’t speak human, but he could tell by the tone of their voice that the butler wasn’t happy. But he was leaving and that was what was most important. That meant the clock was ticking on the opportunity to get Scott out of there.
He pulled himself out from under the table and tore across the linoleum. Please don’t let there be cats. No cats. No cats. No cats. 
Luck was on his side today. No big hairballs were prowling around the lounge. It was a straight shot to the fireplace.
“I got you, Scott.” With one great leap, Owen launched himself up onto the platform the cage was resting on. He shoved down the lever on the latch. The metal door fell open with a clank. “Let’s go before he comes back.”
He turned to jump back off the countertop but stopped when he didn’t hear pawsteps behind him. When he looked back, Scott was still inside the cage. He was looking down at the bars on the floor, one hand gripping a wire making up the wall. 
“Scott?”
Owen padded back, but Scott still didn’t make any move to leave. “Everything alright,” he asked, ducking into the cage with his friend. 
“I’m fine.” Scott’s voice was small. He usually was pretty soft-spoken, but this was even quieter than normal for the farm rat. Now that Owen was closer, he could see Scott’s shaking shoulders and hands.  
“Are you sure…” 
“I’m sure.” With a deep breath, Scott squared his shoulders. The shaking stopped as a big, empty smile stretched across his face. “Thank you for saving me.” With that, he scampered out of the cage, leaving Owen to follow after.
Owen blinked with surprise. “Hey, wait for me,” he shouted before jumping down after his friend. 
Scott looked over his shoulder as he ran on all fours. There’s mischief glinting in his eye. The smile on his face began to look a little more real. “Last one to the attic is a rotten cat!” he calls. 
“Hey!” Owen pushes past his concern for his friend. Scott wouldn’t want to talk about it anyway. He was okay now. Everyone got spooked when the humans caught them. That was all it had been. It had to be.
Owen was generally bigger than Scott. Faster than him too. Scott may have a head start on him, but there was no way he was losing this race. “I’m going to make you eat those words!”
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“Hey, have you noticed anything off about Scott lately?”
Owen put the glass in his hand down on the bar counter. Only half of his drink had been emptied, but Martyn was already pouring him another glass. He nodded his thanks, wrapping his fingers around the base of the cup without really lifting it off the bar. “What do you mean?”
It was just the two of them at the moment, but it was getting late and the other rats around the attic would start filtering into the bar sooner or later. That was fine by Owen, it had been a long day. He could sit back and enjoy the warm atmosphere and excessive amount of Christmas decorations Martyn had set up around the business. It was one of the more elaborate builds in the attic and a good place to kill time now that Owen was no longer banned.
“Maybe ‘lately' is the wrong word,” Martyn said, crossing both arms and leaning against the counter from the server’s side. “It’s been going on for a bit, but hasn’t he seemed a bit more twitchy whenever the other humans are passing by?”
Owen smirked and rolled his eyes. “I would hope everyone is twitchy around them. Not keeping your guard up will get you captured. Or dead.”
Martyn shrugged. “Yeah. I mean, you’re not wrong. It just seems to me, like, whenever one of us gets into trouble, Scott immediately is there. He’s always the first to jump when one of us gets caught. He’s almost always the one to flick the switch. And when he gets caught… Well, I’ve never had a panic attack myself before but it sure does make me think of one. I can get freaking out when you’re in one of those cages, but it’s like Scott just… I don’t know. Shuts down?”
Despite himself, Owen couldn’t keep his ears from drooping at Martyn’s words. The other rat’s eyes followed the small movement. How could he not? They were a dead giveaway to Owen’s own thoughts on the matter. “I see. So you’ve noticed it too.”
It shouldn’t surprise the tinker rat that the others would have caught on as well. 
“He doesn’t want to talk about it.” Owen stared down at his own reflection in his glass. It looked back at him with a somber expression. “It’s been happening ever since the basement blew up and the janitor caught him. I’ve tried asking him if he’s okay, but he just says that he’s fine. I don’t think he’s actually fine.”
“So what are you going to do about it?”
Owen shot a glare at the other rat. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me. It’s you two who are all buddy buddy all the time. Surely you’ve got something in mind.”
“I don’t,” Owen admitted. “Not really. I guess I’ll just keep being there for him if he needs me. And if he wants to talk about it, then I’ll listen.” 
Martyn smiles. He uncrosses his arms and pushes off the bar as he reaches for another glass. “Good plan. And if you want there’s always the option to get him drunk and see if he’ll talk then, huh?”
“Martyn,” Owen hissed in disdain. “Don’t talk like that. That would never work.”
“Well, you might want to tell him that,” the older rat says, wiggling his eyebrows mischievously. Owen was about to ask him what he meant by that when Martyn’s attention shifted from him to something behind him. “Hey Scott,” he called, holding up the glass. “What can I do you for?”
“Hey Martyn,” Scott’s voice drifted from the direction of the doorway. “Don’t mind me. I’m just here to see if Owen wants to grab a bite to eat.”
Owen’s breath catches in his throat as he whirls around to see his best friend stepping into the room. “Hi…” He breathes, feeling somewhat panicked. How much had Scott heard? By the serene smile on the farm rat’s face, he hoped the answer was ‘nothing.’ Scott didn’t look like he had heard anything from that conversation. “Hi,” he replied back. “Are you hungry?” “Huh? Oh, yeah. Actually. I’m famished. I just… let me just finish-”
“You know,” Martyn cut in. “I did just pour one out for Owen, and I have plenty of leftover steak I swiped from the pantry earlier today. How about I throw some on a plate for the two of you? On the house.” 
Owen shot the other rat a pointed glare, but Martyn was outright ignoring him. The older rat kept his eyes glued on Scott, who perked up at the idea. “That’s really nice of you. Thank you, Martyn. Here, let me pull up a seat.”
“Sure, and let me pour you one of your usuals to go with it.”
“Aww, thanks!”
Owen tried to stare down Martyn. Signal him with his ears or eyes. Something to get the other rat’s attention and get him to stop whatever he was getting at. Martyn noticed him. He smiled at Owen but continued to ignore him as he slipped into the back room to get the steak.
“This is nice,” Scott said, slipping into the stool beside Owen. “It’s been a while since we’ve eaten out or got drinks together. Hope you don’t have any plans after this, because if he starts playing Christmas tunes over the speaker we are doing karaoke.”
“Sure,” Owen said, nervously taking a drink from his glass. He was going to need it. “Let’s see where the night takes us.”
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starry-bi-sky · 3 months
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“Your brother is adorable.” The cashier cooed at Danny, peering over the counter with a smile. “What’s his name?”
Danny looked down to the surly, scowling little de-aged Batman currently holding onto his hand, glaring up at the cashier with bright blue eyes.
Things had already been bad enough when he’d gotten caught in a fight in Gotham, but things went from bad to worse when a magician had hit Batman with a de-aging spell and then shoved them through a portal.
Into a different fucking dimension.
Because of course neither of their lives could be easy. And now the two of them were stuck in Iowa in the middle of nowhere, at a truck stop gas station, trying to go on a cross-country roadtrip to reach the nearest hero city and get home.
He looked up and smiled awkwardly, trying to come up with a name off the top of his head — one of the heroes called Batman ‘B’ when he got hit right? B for Batman, right. B… B… Bee… Bees.
“Buzz.” He said, and tried not to grimace as the cashier’s face warped with surprise. “Like the astronaut.”
This was gonna be a long trip.
#dpxdc#dp x dc#danny fenton is not the ghost king#dp x dc crossover#dpxdc crossover#dpdc#older brother danny except its BRUCE’S TUUURRRB#why are they in another dimension? because otherwise they’d be found too quickly :)#danny has a backpack on him and irs currently holding bruce’s batman suit#bc ofc he’s not gonna leave that in a cornfield for someone to find#he’s extremely weirded out and antsy by the fact that he can see batman’s face#despite being a kid. it Feels Wrong. its respect for the secret identity#how old is bruce? younger than 10#dpdc prompt#dpxdc prompt#older brother danny in progress#danny’s like. 15-ish thats why he’s so anxious#confident danny is fun and all but nervous danny ftw#none of their tech works bc they’re in a different dimension#its their ‘zuko life changing adventure’ trip. the cross country is vital to the bonding experience#nothing says ‘brotherly bonding’ like being forcibly shoved i to the next door dimension and going on a cross country road trip to get help#danny being a random dead kid hero. nobody important other than to his city and now he’s gotten himself involved with batman and co#danny: his name is buzz :) *internally screaming*#bruce is wearing stolen kid clothes they both look homeless#danny doesnt know bruce’s secret identity and vice versa#this is gonna be so fun danny’s gonna keep forgetting that bruce isnt actually a kid#bruce has the memories of his adult self but everything is kid-sized including his brain#so he’s not developmentally an adult all. his brain is that of a kid’s#starry says its bruce’s turn with the big brother >:((
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falsesecuritysketches · 5 months
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Repetition is the key to success.
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skylersprompts · 8 months
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DC X DP Prompt *2*
Danny was tired. Do this, do that. His parents wanted him to study harder. Jazz wanted him in therapy. His friends wanted for him to keep heroing. His rogues wanted to fight him or in Vlads case also as his son. And the last few month the observants were breathing down his neck, because they wanted him to do his kingly duties.
It was just to much.
And as much as he loved most of them, he was about to snap. It isn't that he didn't wanted to do most of those things. It was just to much at once.
So he wrote a note and left it for Sam and Tucker to find.
His next stop was Clockwork. The ghost of time may drive him up the walls from time to time, but he also knew what would be best to do.
Since CW didn't deter him from his plans, he pushed forward into the next best natural portal he came across...
The Wayne's looked owlishly at the small white haired child on the dinner table. The boy dropped unceremoniously through an swirling lazurus green portal.
He appeared to be around 5 years old and looked just as confused as them.
Until his mood shifted and a scowl appeared on his tiny face.
"He knew this would happen and didn't tell me! This asshole!"
"Language, young sir", and of course Alfred was the first to compose himself.
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mischievous-thunder · 7 months
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One of the most important revelations from S2 E4 has to be the fact that Mobius loves to download and play unauthorised games that have the potential to corrupt system files. The way he denied repeating his mistake is extremely suspicious. It's impossible not to love this man.
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youneedsomeprompts · 1 month
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~ I LONG FOR YOU ~ LONG DISTANCE PINING PROMPTS
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requested by: anonymous request: Any chance you could do some long distance pining? Like, one person has a crush on the other but they only know each other through online stuff and feel hopeless that they could ever be together
Feel free to use and reblog!
spending hours daydreaming about the other
the hours of long distance talks/chats create much deeper connections than with people they see every day
'let me tell you about my greatest fears and darkest childhood traumas while we both lay in our comfy beds many miles apart'
not sharing a single aspect of their daily lives, they consider how the other would react to this aspect or that aspect if they were with them for the day
*oh, [person B] would love how silly that cute dog looks! I have to tell them later!*
the other knows everything about your home/home town/the people you meet every day because you told them about every smallest detail
they're connecting mostly about shared thoughts and sentiments because that is what best translates over large distances
ordering the same food so that they can eat together and pretend they're on a real date
"Describe to me exactly where you're at, how you are. I want to feel like I'm right there with you."
"You're the only one who truly gets me."
"Imagine how unstoppable we were if the universe put us on the same spot on earth. We'd be too powerful, that's why we have to suffer this separation. It's only for the best of the others."
"Ugh, it just sucks that I can't hug you right now! I need to be in your arms."
"I hate that I can't promise you it'll get better. I don't know if there is ever a way for us to get over this long distance issue."
"I know you even though I never met you, and I don't think I can say that about anyone else. I don't know anyone, and no ones knows me. Only you. You know me."
"I've got a surprise. I'm coming over." "You're lying. I know you can't come over." "But what if I can?"
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Phantom: *Kicks down the doors of the Titans Tower*
Titans core four: *Getting ready to fight"
Phantom: Which one of you is Superboy?
Kon:
Kon: Me obviously *gesturing to the large S on his chest*
Phantom: Cool. What custody days do you want?
Kon: You're going to have to explain
Phantom: *partially unravels the bundle of blankets to reveal a baby with kryptonian blue eyes*
Phantom: Congrats! You're a dad!
Kon: Oh god the card I got in the mail wasn't a prank
Phantom: Nope. Help me name him.
Tim: I have so many questions
Phantom: I have so few answers
Cassie: Thats not comforting
Phantom: I woke up in a mad scientists laboratory 200 years in the future to find out i have a clone baby with someone I've never heard of and everyone I knew and love is likely dead.
Kon:
Cassie:
Tim:
Phantom: If anyone needs comforting here its me
Nightwing: *the only adult in this situation* Okay, how about we talk about this. I'm sure the Justice League will be happy to help you and your baby
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dumplingsjinson · 7 months
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Character A separates from Character B to take a breather from the kiss, only to laugh in surprise when Character B starts pulling them on top of them.
"What are you doing?" they question, straddling Character B; feels Character B pressing against them. They blink, swallowing heavily; it doesn't take much for them to understand what that means, as they cautiously grind their hips down against Character B's, testing the waters.
Character B's hands sneak up their torso, hands cupping their clothed breasts, massaging them gently as Character A lets out soft little sighs and breathy moans, hips quickening with speed; ducking down to bury their face on Character B's neck every now and again out of embarrassment and to muffle the noises they were making.
"Wait, wait, wait," Character B breathes out, holding onto Character A's hips to stop them from moving. Character A sits up, looking down at them, heart skipping a beat at the way Character B stares up at them with hooded eyes. "We shouldn't be too loud, yeah? How about we go somewhere else?"
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lumpsbumpsandwhumps · 5 months
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Maybe this is too hyper-specific but I just fucking love??? the stance??? of whumpee lying on the ground and whumper standing over top of them???
"But Danny that's so generic--" yes, okay, but listen. Listen...I am talking about whumpee on the ground, injured, unable to get up, had probably just been crawling away before the last of their strength gave out. And then there comes whumper's legs into view. Whumpee doesn't even have the strength to look up, doesn't know if they'd even want to. And here's where the good shit comes in:
Whumper nudging Whumpee's side with their shoe like they're playfully checking if they actually died, or maybe really checking, or maybe just testing to see if there's any fight left
Whumper kicking a weapon that had been mere centimeters from Whumpee's reach, bonus points if they purposely catch Whumpee's hand under their foot and bear their weight down
Whumper using their heel to kick Whumpee's shoulder and force them to roll over on their back, now forcing them to look up and see Whumper (plus the beautiful imagery of Whumper leering down at them while Whumpee is symbolically beneath them...*chef's kiss*)
Whumper straddling their feet on either side of Whumpee's hips, or chest, or head; anything to have them confined between Whumper's legs from where they stand
Whumper suddenly dropping down into a crouch when Whumpee had only been able to look at their shins before, startling them, now hyperaware how close Whumper has made themself to accommodate this new position
Whumper instead continuing to go about their business, completely ignoring Whumpee on the ground, who can now only helplessly watch their retreating form as Whumper carries out whatever they originally had planned before Whumpee got in the way
Whumper stepping on fresh wounds, stepping on Whumpee's neck to choke them, stepping on Whumpee's head and holding their foot in place until they're done speaking whatever it is they want to say
Whumper that asks "are you done?" "that's it?" "so, was it worth it?" because if Whumpee is already at their feet, they might as well grovel a little
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(The whole thing about ghosts and liminals having fast metabolisms and resistance to chemicals, making Danny have to take way higher dose of things like medications, caffeinated drinks, and other substances for them to even do anything.)
Danny’s in Gotham and goes to get coffee from a random cafe. He asks the barista what the caffeine content of their strongest drink is and lets out a disappointed sigh when they tell him. (It wouldn’t do anything to him and would just taste super bitter)
Danny proceeds to order some super sweet and sugary drink with multiple pumps of flavored syrup and drizzle on it. And when Danny gets his drink he takes out a canister of white powder and dumps a whole tablespoon of it into his drink and stirs it.
Danny after drinking some of it and being more awake he realizes that most of the shop saw what he did and that an unknown white power in Gotham is usually something illegal. Danny knowing his luck doesn’t want to risk even the slightest chance someone decides to do something about the teenager with a container of unknown white powder just straight up tells everyone it’s pure powdered caffeine.
This somehow causes an even more dramatic reaction, after all no normal human can survive that much caffeine.
Tim who both saw the whole thing and ordered the strongest drink they made: That’s like 75 cups of coffee… should I order caffeine powder?
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Bruce regrets sound proofing all his children’s rooms
There are some things parents don’t want to know or hear when it comes to their children and it seemed like a great idea at the time.
That being said, as he looked down at his tired youngest, bottle feeding a baby in a way that seems to be half muscle memory, with a look on his face that can only be encompassed by the sentence “oh shit.”
Bruce was suddenly wondering if he made the right call.
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teaah-art · 11 months
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Desi LGBT Fest 2023 (hosted by @desi-lgbt-fest)
Day 6 : 5+1 Things
The mental gymnastics one has to do sometimes in Asian households to present information is truly something
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drawnfamiliarfaces · 6 months
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Ninjavember Days 13- 17 -19
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laundrybiscuits · 1 year
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Eddie’s doing some dumb trick with a couple of wooden spoons, clever hands making them move through the air in improbable ways, and Steve’s about to bite his whisk in half. 
He’d thought for sure that Eddie would be going home the first week; Edward Munson, 29, bartender/musician from Brighton with mismatched tattoos and wild hair, seemed like exactly the kind of pretentious asshole who would flame out early with some ill-advised hipster experimentation. If Steve (28, social worker from Indiana, USA) had been a complete asshole, he’d have said that Eddie didn’t have the fundamentals. That he was all sizzle, no steak. 
It’s a good thing Steve’s not a complete asshole, because Eddie’s been blowing the technicals out of the water so consistently it’s actually pretty fucking embarrassing. His signatures and showstoppers are making a very respectable showing too, except for the time he tried to incorporate some fresh pandan extract and fucked up the liquid ratio, leaving him with a dripping mess that Mary’d declined to even try. 
Afterwards, Steve had seen him leaning against a tree and struggling to light a cigarette. Steve went over for no particular reason, flicking on his lighter and holding it out like a peace offering. Eddie looked at him warily, but bent over the offered flame. 
“Can’t believe I made it through this one,” Eddie said after a moment, white smoke curling out of his mouth.
“Yeah, I feel like that every week.” Steve leaned against the tree next to Eddie. It was a big tree, the kind that’s probably been growing in this field since before England was even England. 
“Nah, but—c’mon, you know what I mean.”
“You had some bad luck with your showstopper. Happens to the best of us, man. Your signature hand pies looked sick as hell.” Steve’s own hand pies had turned out pretty well, so he was feeling generous. It had only been the third week; plenty of time for Steve to snag Star Baker, though even by that point, Steve had been getting the creeping feeling that he was being a little too American about the whole thing. Everyone else seemed to think competitiveness was some kind of deadly sin. It was—actually kind of nice, to get the same kind of nerves he’d always gotten before high school basketball games, but know that he wasn’t really fighting against anyone except himself in the tent.
Anyway, the very next week, Eddie had done some kind of kickass gothic castle with a shiny chocolate dragon and gotten Star Baker for the second time. Steve had clapped him on the back, appropriately manly. Eddie had pulled Steve into a real hug, arms tight around Steve’s shoulders and his whole lean body pressed up close and warm. It had only lasted a moment, and then Eddie had bounded over to Mel and Sue, both of whom he’s been thoroughly charming since the get-go. 
Steve thinks that when this season—or, uh, series—airs, no matter where Eddie places, the entire country is going to be just as charmed. Eddie’s going to get whatever kind of cookbook deal or streaming show he wants. Sponsors will take one look at that handsome face and charismatic grin, and a whole world of possibilities is going to open up for Eddie. 
Steve’s not in it for any of that, of course. He’s here kind of by accident, because Robin pushed him to apply, and it’s a goddamn miracle he’s been holding his own. Hell, it’s a miracle he’s in this country at all. When Robin had started looking at the Cambridge MPhil program in linguistics, she’d said wouldn’t it be great if and he’d snorted, yeah right, like I could ever get whatever job I’d need to move to another freaking country, but then—well. Things had happened the way they’d happened, and now Robin’s almost finished with her degree and Steve is taking time off from the London charity he works at in order to be on Bake Off. 
He’s told all this to the cameras, plus the stuff about how baking started as a way for him to connect with the kids he used to babysit in Indiana, blah blah blah. He thinks it’s probably too boring for them to air, but he gets that they have to try to get a story anyway. 
Eddie Munson, on the other hand, is probably going to be featured in all the series promos. Steve is rabidly curious about what Eddie’s story is, but he hasn’t worked up the nerve to just ask. It should be the easiest thing in the world. They’ve got kind of a camaraderie going, the two of them; a bit of a bromance, as Mel’s put it more than once. 
It’s true they get along pretty well, and the cameras have been picking up on it: on the way Eddie’ll wander over to Steve’s bench like a stray cat whenever they get some downtime, how they wind up horsing around sometimes, working off leftover adrenaline from the frantic rush of caramelization or whatever. There’s the time Eddie had hopped up on a stool to deliver some kind of speech from Macbeth, of all things, and overbalanced right onto Steve, who had barely managed to keep them both from careening into a stand mixer. Sue had patted Eddie on the shoulder and said, “Well, boys, that’ll be going in the episode for sure.”
They both get along with the other contestants just fine, of course, but they’re two guys of about the same age with no wife and kids waiting at home. It’s only natural that they’re gravitating together, becoming something like friends, Steve figures. It’s pretty great that he’s getting at least one real friend out of this whole thing.
It would be even greater if Steve could stop thinking about Eddie’s hands in decidedly non-friendly ways. With all the paperwork he’s signed, he can’t even complain to Robin about how Eddie looks with his sleeves pushed up to show off the tattoos on his forearms, kneading dough and grunting a little under his breath with effort. Steve had almost forgotten to pre-heat his oven that day. 
Two benches away, Eddie fumbles the spoons he’s been juggling with a clatter, and he bursts out laughing, glancing over at Steve like Steve’s in on the joke. Steve grins back, heart twanging painfully in his chest, and thinks: well, fuck. Guess this is happening.
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Fifteenth Day of Gift-Giving
Fifteen Fluffy Moments
each quietly doing household chores, meeting each other every now and then in a room, giving each other a smile or kiss while passing by
going on a walk together, walking their usual route, hand in hand, talking about work, friends and whatever they have on their mind
reading together on the couch, one lays their head on the other's lap, getting their soft hair played with
winning at game night, the tension during the game and the laughter when they realize one won by a small margin
napping together, either in bed or on the couch, just deciding that now is the perfect moment for a nap, enjoying each other's closeness
sharing their clothes, one wearing the other's sweater, the other one only going out with the other's scarf wrapped around their neck, smelling so lovely
reading the newspaper for the person who's making breakfast, telling them about the latest news, until they decide it's too sad for an early morning and switch to the quiz page
working on their hobbies next to each other, each doing their own thing, showing off what they've done from time to time, praising each other on what they've accomplished
fighting over the blanket, pressing their cold feet against the other's calf, cursing and play-fighting until they settle back down, holding each other close
doing each other's hair the way they like it the most, not letting the other one sneak a peek at the mirror
sitting in the car and singing a song together, both trying to outshine the other
bringing each other flowers without having a special occasion, just picking up a small bouquet from a vendor on the streets and bringing them home
cooking together, bumping into each other while going from the fridge to the stove, each knowing their parts, letting the other taste the food before deciding that it's perfect
showering together, washing each other's hair and trying to keep close to get some of the warm water
kissing each other goodbye, in the morning before work, when one goes on a short trip, when one goes out for the night with some friends
24 Days of Gift-Giving
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mischievous-thunder · 6 months
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Loki's been perfecting his skills and techniques for centuries. He's probably gone through this particular scene thousands of times. But for Mobius it's the first time every single time. He's equally stunned and enraptured by Loki's beyond perfect scientific knowledge which from Mobius's perspective has developed probably in less than a minute. Nevertheless, when the initial shock is over Mobius instinctively trusts Loki with his life.
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