Safeshiptember Prompt List!
Hey everyone! As many of you may know, the current self.shiptember prompt list going around was created by/is being run by a pr*shipper, more information on that can be found here. Thank you to Chris for bringing this to the community's attention!
As a result, I wanted to make an alternative for those of us that still want to participate, but do not wish to associate with OP.
An important note: To avoid posting & associating with potential pr*shippers/etc. this event will be using the #safeshiptember & #safeshiptember2023 tags! Otherwise, go nuts, and tag me in your posts if you'd like!
Text version below!
01: Fall weather
02: Masquerade
03: Relaxing
04: Dressing up
05: Meet-cute
06: Role swap
07: Fantasy AU / Modern AU
08: Retro
09: Camp
10: Falling asleep
11: Magic
12: Decorating
13: Beach
14: Helping hand
15: Apple cider
16: Apology
17: Moonlight
18: Smile
19: Myth
20: Scary movie
21: Sleepover
22: Jukebox musical
23: Flustered
24: Cooking
25: Morning
26: Tomorrow
27: Friends
28: Game
29: Dream
30: Wild card!
Use #safeshiptember & #safeshiptember2023
Feel free to skip days & use any medium you'd like, including writing, drawing, rendering, & more!
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Title: To Tame a Lion
Word Count: 750
Ship: Mike/Pete Nelson
Description: For the safeshiptember day 1 prompt "first date/meeting." I've done a meeting.
With the limited profit Clyde Brent Circus had been making, it had been quite some time since anyone new had been hired. This is what struck Mike immediately about the curly-headed man and his goofy friend. Word around the other employees was that whichever was named Jerry had been hired as a lion tamer. Looking the two over as they received their blue jumpsuits, Mike could only figure it was the curly-headed one. He appeared at first glance to be stronger, braver, and less goofy than his friend.
The pair left to put on the jumpsuits, and when they returned they were assigned to clean by the elephants, a job Mike had often done.
Mike approached the pair. “Hi! I’ve worked here for some time now and I can show you where the elephants are if you like.”
On closer look, it seemed that the curly-headed one had brown eyes, very beautiful brown eyes.
“You must be Jerry, right?” Mike asked. “The lion tamer?”
He laughed. His eyes crinkled when he laughed, which somehow made them prettier. “Oh, no, he’s Jerry. I’m Pete.”
Mike looked at Jerry. He had a goofy but friendly smile and did not seem to have a lion tamer’s disposition. “You’re the lion tamer?”
Jerry nodded. “For now! I’m going to be a clown.”
“We already have our clowns,” Mike said. “Puffo’s our main one.”
“He’s a better clown,” Pete said confidently “He’ll show you.”
Mike shared Pete’s smile. “I’d like to see that. Anyway, the elephants are this way, if you’ll follow me.”
All the way there, the trio picked up whatever litter they found and put into their bags. Eventually they came to the elephant tent.
“This is one of the dirtiest areas, as you can imagine,” Mike said.
Jerry crinkled up his nose. “Smells like elephant booty.”
“You know that from personal experience?” Mike asked.
That got a chuckle out of everybody.
“Pete, why don’t you take up lion taming?” Jerry asked.
“You kiddin’?” Pete asked, slightly incredulously. “Work with those cats? Not me!”
Jerry made a disgruntled noise as he continued to pick up trash.
“You got nothin’ to worry about. You got moxie. So what if they’re wild, who cares? Once you get in there, you’ll control ‘em. Even though they’re” — Pete leans in close to Jerry, cupping his mouth — “Killers and man-eaters.”
Mike chuckled.
“Hotchkiss!” their supervisor, Sam, yelled eventually.
Both Pete and Jerry turned.
Apparently Jerry was Jerry Hotchkiss since Sam approached him and demanded “Report to Colonel Schlitz.”
“Colonel Schlitz?” Jerry asked.
Colonel Schlitz was the circus’ current lion tamer, an old German man.
“Oh, no! No!” Jerry said, beginning to panic. He dropped his things and took off in a sprint.
“Hotchkiss!” Sam yelled. He bolted after him.
“Crazy mixed-up kid,” Pete commented, while picking up more trash.
“So, uh, Pete,” Mike said awkwardly. “Did you come all the way out here just to see your friend get eaten by lions? You don’t seem like the circus type.”
“Well, I’m broke, I needed a job, and Jerry had an invite to work here at the circus,” Pete said. “Between you and me, I’m looking to move up.”
Mike chuckled. “Move up? I’ve worked here for two years. Same spot.”
He smiled. “I got my ways.”
“Oh, if you think you’ll get over on Jill Brent, think again.”
His eyes sparkled. “Get over on? I’m not gettin’ over on anybody. I think she’ll find I’m a great worker.”
There was something almost suggestive in that statement but Mike couldn’t put their finger on how or why.
“So, what did you do before you got here, Pete?”
“I was in the army,” he said. “I was a corporal. Honorably discharged.”
“Army man. That’s nice.”
“What about you, huh? What’s a pretty girl doing picking up trash in a circus?”
Mike scoffed. “Well, you’re wrong on two counts.”
“You’re picking up trash and this is a circus. So, are you debatin’ the pretty or the girl?”
“Both,” Mike said.
He smiled. “Well, what did you say your name was?”
Mike internally cursed at themselves. “Oh, sorry, it’s Mike.”
“Well, Mike, you can debate me on the girl but you can’t debate me on the pretty.”
He gave them another charming grin then turned. As he walked away to pick up trash in another spot, Mike was frozen in a state of shock. They couldn't help but watch him as he went further and further into the distance.
Maybe he did have his ways…
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