Kick at the darkness until it bleeds daylight

To the new followers:

[gif: John Oliver saying “Welcome to whatever this is...”]

Here's the readme, don't be a dick.

TERFs, SWERFs, racists, authoritarians, and (fandom) neo-puritans are not welcome here.

I will drift in and out as real life requires. I don’t believe in queues because if you see things from me all the time how will you ever miss me? 😘

Sometimes I write fic and put it on AO3 or Tumblr. Very occasionally, I vid. I also do things with embroidery floss or cloth.

While I have your attention:

Coming back to the same place

--

On land, there is satisfaction in seeing your hard work pay off in a way it doesn't at sea. Perhaps it's because you're tied to one place. Or if you fuck it up, you're going to have a real hard time. Ed thinks it's because he's building this life with Stede.

It's amazing how doing the same thing every day isn't boring when it's for their benefit. Doing a little at a time until they have something.

The first thing they built together was the bed. For practicality, but also symbolism. The best part, of course, was breaking it in.

This is Amber. As you can see she rules the place.

(I did indeed survive the dolls. We have established detente.)

I HAVE TO SLEEP HERE THIS WAS A MISTAKE

AVENGE MY DEATH IF I DO NOT RETURN FROM THE GREAT WHITE NORTH

Hello my doves,

By the time you see this I will be on my way to Alaska to fulfill familial obligations. I do not know if I will be too busy to keep up or if I'll be so bored I'm here more than usual.

If Samba posts another BTS thing please let me know. I will still be checking messages and such.

Don't burn the place down while I'm gone!

How would you end XXX/Would you change the ending of XXX?

Oh god. There are so, so many things.

I think that's everything I can think of!

I am glad to be able to share "zaddy" with you tonight, my fellow deranged nerds. The world's fucking shit, but there are little bright spots we must enjoy so we have something to get us through the shit.

Thank u Samba for these morale boosting dopamine hits.

Sorta instigated by @blakbonnet 😘

--

“Olu, can I ask you a question?” Stede has that very solemn, earnest look about him, the one Oluwande has learned will lead to either the deepening of a connection or oversharing and irreparable psychic damage. He never knows which. 

“Sure.” He takes a sip from his water bottle.

“What’s a ‘zaddy’?” 

Olu didn’t think spit takes were actually a thing until he saw water all over the table. He grabs a towel and cleans up the mess, if only so he doesn’t have to answer Stede immediately. 

“Um, well. Do you know what a daddy is?” He prays he doesn’t have to explain this to Stede too.

“I’m assuming this is not about having sired children?” Well, it’s a start.

“That’s a DILF, it’s not the same thing!” Archie calls from where she’s sweeping the floor. 

“Not what we’re talking about, but thanks!” Olu calls back. He returns his attention to Stede. “Anyways. ‘Daddy’ is… a vibe. Usually in reference to older men but not always. A zaddy is… Okay. Do you know who Christopher Meloni is?” He’s grateful for Lucius’s prattle about pop culture nonsense, because he did remember this. 

Stede shakes his head and takes out his phone, doing the older adult hunt and peck on his keyboard. His eyebrows raise when whatever he’s looking at loads.

“So I’m guessing it’s complimentary?” He’s got that little smile on his face, the one that reminds Olu Stede’s still adjusting to people finding him attractive. It's cute.

“Wait, somebody called you ‘zaddy’?” Archie’s materialized across the room. “Let me see!” 

Stede sighs dramatically, terribly put-upon. “If you must.” He brings up an app on his phone, tilts it so Olu and Archie can see.

Archie gives a low whistle. The guy messaging Stede is hot. Long silver hair, big brown eyes, leather pants, a not quite slutty purple crop top that exposes a bit of tummy. (Look. Olu is happily taken, but he has eyes, okay?)

“Stede, if that’s the guy messaging you, I think you should let him call you whatever he likes.”