rat_jam | Let the Promptathon Begin!

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promptathon

Let the Promptathon Begin!

To join the battle, all you need to do is pick a prompt from below (any prompt, even if it's your own) and write/vid/manip/icon/draw/whatever the most creative bit of whatever you can create! And remember - PLEASE feel free to vid or icon or manip or do something non-written. We love ALL kinds of creative output equally!

When you've written/painted/made it, paste it into the comments here. Once you've done that, you can post it wherever else you want.

You may enter as many times as you like, so long as each entry is completely separate (not a series of linked pieces). Also, please do not link to old work - this should be something new, produced for the challenge, based on one of the prompts.

THE RULES

1. It must fit in one comment, so the limit is 4,300 characters (there's no minimum limit). It can be part of a longer piece that you may post elsewhere, as long as it's something new and based on one of the prompts, but all we want here is the part that you are most proud of. If you make art, if it's larger than 350 px wide, please use a thumbnail linking directly to the piece (directly to the artwork, not a post or site). The thumbnail can be up to 350 px wide, and 300 px high, and should include as much of the art as possible. If it is a vidlet or something else requiring dowloading, like a fanmix, please post the link to where we can download. Feel free to post a teaser image, but please confine yourself to the artwork preview rules.

2. Important! Please use the subject line of your comment to identify the snippet, like so: Title, prompt, rating (i.e. Fandom, Pairing, prompt word, rating system of your choice). For example, I might write: "Staying Awake, One Tree Hill, Lucas/Nathan, rain, R", or "The Sun Has Gone Down, Crossover, Torchwood/Stargate Atlantis, Jack/John, under fire, for all ages".

3. You have one week – the post will close for new entries next Sunday, April 1, at midnight eastern standard time. PLEASE be certain to check the World Time Clock to verify the deadline time in your area.

4. Don't forget that these prompts are only written as character one/character two for convience, NOT because of any requirement to make it a relationship story! Gen and friend are very welcome here. They can be interpreted in ANY WAY, so just imagine the FUN possiblities. You can take one prompt and write it, draw it, icon it, fanmix it, AND vid it. (Although if you have the time to do all of that in the week that these prompts are open, I might just have to kill myself out of jealousy :o) And you can use the characters in a different way each time. Don't be afraid to think outside the box!

5. Please don't post anything but your creations or feedback/feedback replies (to individual stories) here. If you've got any questions or comments, please leave them on this post right here, NOT on this post that you are currently reading. We'd like to keep this purely for the creative output (and feedback on the creations - readers/voyeurs, please do show the writers/artists much love for their creative offerings).

The prompts are right here
Thanks SO much to

sageness for coding and lending hosting space on her site!

The prompts using only one character were listed first, followed by the prompts for more than one character. ALL crossovers are under both fandoms, so you don't need to worry about looking in multiple places for your crossovers - those listed under Smallville are the same listed under Supernatural, if you are looking for prompts for a Smallville/Supernatural crossover.

Finally! Warning: ALL ratings are acceptable here, from the things that you would show your aged grandmother, all the way up to to the things that would make a sailor blush. Use your own discretion, and please label your stories, art, and other creative output accordingly.

Thank you kindly!

rules stolen from

oxoniensis and her AMAZING porn battle

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Lovely. You can feel the UST.

meep and also YES!

*hearts Casey*

It crept up on him slowly, like an autumn rain – he could see the clouds rolling in, and yet it surprised him all the same when he wound up drenched.

It was always about competition with Ethan, before friendship, before anything else. He remembered the first time Ethan really seemed to respect him, an image that was burned into his memory for one reason or another: Ethan, looking up at him with a bloodied nose and a somewhat wild smile, Rupert looking down at him, fist clenched and a little sore, breathing hard. Still smiling, Ethan said with perfect equanimity, "Well then, Ripper."

With anyone else, it would seem there ought to be more to that, but with Ethan, that was all he needed to say. Rupert watched him for a moment, feeling his blood pulsing with adrenaline, and flexed his hand. He'd won something, however briefly, in a game with Ethan he hadn't known he was playing. He liked that feeling.

Rupert held a hand out to help him up, the adrenaline and anger cooling, and Ethan took it, getting to his feet. The anger faded. The fierce rush of pleasure at having won didn't.

They kept testing and pushing each other's limits from there on, in little, subtle ways no one else would notice. Simple things – who could learn spells the fastest, perform them the best, who could push the other the furthest before he snapped and it ended up, as always, with someone's bloodied nose or a blackened eye. And before long it turned to other things, that felt so much darker and more dangerous than the rest of it.

Rupert's eyes were closed as he intoned the harsh-sounding, accented syllables of the spell, candlelight creating a warm red glow through his eyelids, voice rising steadily as he went on. He heard Ethan move, but it sounded like a mere shift in position, and Rupert didn't open his eyes. Then he felt Ethan's breath on the back of his neck, and he stumbled over the words, starting a bit. Ethan ran his tongue over the shell of his ear, then murmured in a low voice that made Rupert's stomach drop, "Finish the incantation, Ripper."

He almost asked, While you're doing THAT?, but then he recognized it as a challenge, same as any other, a test of wills. He swallowed hard, eyes still closed, and continued the incantation through gritted teeth, trying to ignore Ethan's mouth moving down to his neck, biting softly at first, then harder, and oh God, it was so hard not to gasp or squirm or whirl around and grip his wrists and pin him down and...

He managed to finish, opening his eyes as light incandesced before him, and Ethan pulled away, settling back into his position across the circle from Rupert – really just a line, with only the two of them. Rupert ignored the urge to reach up and rub at his neck, just as he ignored the knot of desire twisted in his stomach. Games of power, same as any other. He thought he'd won this round.

The next round was his move.

He waited a week to make it – patience ever was a part of their games – but when he made it, it was with all the fierceness and abruptness that had earned him his name. Ripper. Ethan pushed him just far enough, taunting words he wouldn't even remember later, and Rupert shoved him into the wall. Usually, on a normal day, that would be the end of it – in the unspoken rules of the game they played, Rupert had broken first, so Ethan had won.

Rupert held on to him, though, fingers digging into his shoulders, and kissed him hard, and that was nowhere in the rules.

Ethan kissed back roughly, his hands rising before Rupert gripped his wrists and pinned them to the wall. He pressed his knee up between Ethan's legs, relishing the soft groan that got from him. He could feel Ethan smiling into the kiss, like he'd won some victory, the damnably cocky smirk that always got under Rupert's skin, so he bit his lip, not entirely gently. The smirk disappeared, with a soft noise from Ethan.

Rupert released Ethan's wrists at last, dropped his hands to swiftly unbutton his pants, while Ethan's hands ran up under Rupert's shirt, and none of this was in the rules either. This one they might have to call a draw.

This is great! I love the thought of the two of them going head-t-head.

Mark held his breath as the nurse unlocked the door for him, and didn't let it out until he'd already taken several steps inside and the actual place hit him. He'd expected the psychiatric unit to be loud, chaotic, frightening... It was quiet, except for music he noticed playing from some unidentified source. A large room with couches, television, ping pong table, someone's pathetic attempt at a welcoming space. His eyes shifted around the room, automatically cataloging patients (half of them hollow-eyed with the look of detoxing junkies), nurses (in blue or green scrubs, one nearby dismissing medications), doctors (a pair of them in white coats, in deep conversation as they passed him)... He seemed to be the only visitor.

"Which patient are you here to see?" the nurse asked, as the door closed behind her with the sound of a lock clicking. Mark turned back to her to respond, fighting to focus thoughts that had become increasingly fragmented by one thing after another, April's suicide, Roger's diagnosis, Roger's overdose and all the shit that went with it...

"Uh, Roger. Roger Davis."

She nodded. "He's in the back," she said, pointing him in the proper direction, and departed without another word. Mark glanced after her for a moment, took another breath, and headed down the hallway that led back, a long row of doors opening to patients' rooms. Glancing in, Mark noted that they looked almost like small hotel rooms, with the same sense of false welcome, just suicide proof, as most hotel rooms were not.

He would have expected Roger to be in his bed, staring despondently out the window, or maybe sleeping, but as the nurse hadn't directed him to a specific room, Mark followed the hallway to its end. Another large room, though smaller than the first, and a row of padded green chairs facing a plexiglass window looking out over the East River. A piano in the corner – Mark glanced at it, recognizing that as the source of the music he'd noticed before, then froze, recognizing the man who played it. Almost recognizing, half recognizing. Not quite, though. He seemed changed since the last time Mark had seen him.

Mark found himself holding his breath as he watched Roger play, completely unnoticed. Roger's fingers danced across the keys with a delicate ease Mark had seen before, but that was with a guitar. He'd never known Roger could play piano. The tune was familiar, and gradually Mark realized where it was from – one of the operas April had so loved. Mark swallowed back an involuntary sob as that realization hit.

The music ended without flourish, and Roger simply sat there in the silence that followed, eyes closed, fingers still on the piano keys. Mark took a few cautious steps forward, and said softly, "I never knew you could play piano."

Roger didn't jump, which seemed strange to Mark. Under the circumstances, he should have been high-strung, but drugged as he probably was... He turned around slowly, unsmiling. "You never asked," he said, and paused. "And we don't have a piano."

Mark sighed and shook his head and said simply, "Yeah," though he was distracted by wondering how many things about his best friend he'd never know because he never asked, never knew the questions to ask. None of that came out, as he pulled a chair up beside Roger at the piano, and smiled faintly. "I missed you."

Roger nodded, with the same hollow-eyed look Mark had seen from the other junkies, and Mark couldn't say why it horrified him, because why would Roger be any different from the rest of them? "Yeah," Roger said, without meeting his eyes. "I know."

That should be 'head-to-head', sorry *g*

Four hours to go and I have two more prompts started and another two or three I was hoping to get to too. *dies* I'm thinking I might leave it at an even 10 for SN plus 5 one-of fandoms and leave the remaining ones until another non-deadline-y time. Beddddddd.

*hearts Danny buoy* *cringes at pun*

Paul's used to people leaving, one way or another – sometimes it's a willing letting go, sometimes it's kicking and screaming. April is the only person who's ever left him twice, and that's entirely unsurprising, because April always was entirely singular, perfectly unique, and she always did step away from the beaten path.

The first time it was with a kiss and a smile, and a promise to keep in touch. She'd clasped his hand, and for a moment he'd thought – hoped – she wouldn't let go. Then she did, and turned to walk away, and he held his breath almost until she was out of sight.

The second time he didn't hear her goodbye – he got it in a letter, addressed in a handwriting he didn't recognize, return addressed to a Mark Cohen. He opened it, and the letter inside was unsigned, addressed only to Paul. It didn't need any more. The only things that mattered were the first sentence and the last – I'm sorry and I love you.

Yay, thank you!

Ooooh, exhibitionism and voyeurism all in one neat and steaming hot package!

Oh, very sexy! And I like River's possesiveness.

Willow knows she's not a Slayer or anything, but she likes to think sometimes she's more or less capable of taking care of herself. Still, when Buffy offers to walk her home after a late night of research, she feels infinitely better. She's not scared (well, maybe a little), but that extra security doesn't hurt, and she walks as close to Buffy as she can get, their shoulders occasionally bumping into each other.

When they stop at Willow's front door, Willow wishes inexplicably that Buffy would kiss her goodnight – which is silly, they were out researching serious demon stuff, not on a date ,and it's Buffy, not some boy or anything. Still, the wish is there.

She'll have to make do with a quick wave and a "See you tomorrow."

*g* Yay! Thanks!

:D

Thank you!

*g* Thanks! And thanks for the recs too!

I love Saffron in this, and how it gets at how really creepy River can be.

OMG. *thunk* *is ded*

Mal's not overly fond of history. Not that it doesn't have its uses, not that he's got anything against them as like such things, but he doesn't want much to do with it himself.

Maybe it's that he knows you get to looking to the past too much, it trips you up, you can't find the path to the future.

Maybe it's that his own history's to be viewed as just as an interesting point in the history of the war, the Alliance, the verse, and he can't look too much at history without thinking how many other lives got swallowed up in that story called history.

"What do you think about fjords?"

"Fjords? Like in Norway?"

"Is that where fjords are?"

"Somewhere like that. I think I'm more or less neutral toward fjords..."

"I'm just saying, fjord is a funny word."

"Yes, it is. Is this going anywhere?"

"Probably not. I'd just like you to appreciate the oddities of the English language."

"Fjord isn't English."

"...No."

"I'd imagine it's Norwegian."

"Yes."

"Took the wind right out of your sails, didn't I?"

"Yes."

"Sorry."

"Oh, it's okay. I'll just sit here with my wounded pride and think of other funny foreign words you won't appreciate."

"Or you could do your job."

"Yeah, but do you think that's gonna happen?"

"Nah."

"Me neither."

All her dreams when she was in the box were black and white and shades of gray. Some were clear, in focus – dreams of childhood, of Simon and her mother and father, of the Tam estate, of dancing and knowing every step as if by instinct. Other's weren't as focused – blurry forms and shapes, muffled voices she couldn't make out, monsters lurking in corners, but they always went away, because Simon had promised he'd keep her safe now.

And then she dreamt in color, a splash of blood amidst all of the black and white and gray, and woke up screaming.

Awwww...I love this!

"Come here. Dance with me."

A hand outstretched in silent demand, palm up, slender and graceful.

"I never learned how to dance."

"You don't have to learn. You just do it."

Slender fingers twined around a delicate wrist, pulling gently.

"Maur, I really don't think that–"

"Hush. I'm going to lead, all you have to do is follow, okay?"

Hands on hips, bodies pressed together, at once sensual and innocent.

"Okay. Just–"

"What are you afraid of? Someone finding out you're not perfect at something?"

Teasing, confident smile that vanishes a moment later.

"No. You."

Thank you so much! And, yeah, I like to think that Hiro has a crush on Ando, but it is sort of sad because Ando is totally the kind of guy who would be oblivious to that.

Thanks! I really have a soft spot for characters who have unrequited crushes and have kind of adjusted to the unrequited-ness of it. It makes feel all warm and fuzzy :D

Step One: Everything is done in style.

She knows it unnerves Benny a little, that she's always so perfect, so collected and controlled. She knows he's not used to that, coming from the East Village, coming from his friends.
She knows most of the time he can see past it – flawlessly styled hair, makeup, five hundred dollar pants suit, chilly smile – but sometimes he can't see past the mask. She knows those times, he starts to wonder.

Step Two: Everything happens for a reason.
Corollary: Those reasons are never your fault.

"They can't blame you," she tells Benny with a sigh.
"I did promise them–"
"That's very nice, but they have to understand this is reality, they can't just get a free pass, even if you were friends."
"Are."
"Right."
Benny doesn't get it. He sees friendship, but she knows it's business. He sees poverty, and to her it's just laziness. He sees disease, and she recognizes it as nothing more than justice.

Step Three: Never let anything get under your skin.

There's a letter sitting beside the sink as she applies her makeup. It has no return address, it's signed simply "Angel", and it begins with the words, This isn't for you, or Benny. This is for Mimi's sake. She's been trying to ignore it, but it's still there.
Finally, she sets it down and says in a soft, cold voice that masks all possible hurt and sadness, "Benny? We need to talk."

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Page 20 of 26

Let the Promptathon Begin!

Re: Sliver, due South, Fraser/Kowalski, unsaid

Re: Start Spreading the News, Sports Night, Dan/Casey, New York, G

Power Play, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Giles/Ethan, power, PG-13

Re: Outmatched, Firefly, River/Saffron, read your mind, PG

Portrait of a Junkie, Rent, Roger, portrait, PG-13

Re: Outmatched, Firefly, River/Saffron, read your mind, PG

Re: Start Spreading the News, Sports Night, Dan/Casey, New York, G

Two Goodbyes, Rent, April/Paul, leaving, G

Re: #1 Crush, Heroes, Hiro/Ando (unrequited), Secret, G

Re: All the World's a Stage, RPF, Paul Gross/Martha Burns(/CKR), audience, NC-17

Re: Belonging, Firefly, River/Saffron, belong to me, PG-13

Wish and Want, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Buffy/Willow, goodnight, G

Re: Final Wager, Green Wing, Guy/Mac, jelly, PG

Re: #1 Crush, Heroes, Hiro/Ando (unrequited), Secret, G

Re: Downtime, MAS*H, Hawkeye/BJ, still, G

Re: Outmatched, Firefly, River/Saffron, read your mind, PG

Re: All the World's a Stage, RPF, Paul Gross/Martha Burns(/CKR), audience, NC-17

Historical Footnotes, Firefly, Mal, history, G

Fjords, Norway and the English Language, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, Matt/Danny, fjord, G

Dream in Color, Firefly, River, dreams, PG

Re: To The Right, Firefly, Mal/River, dark and bright, G

Dance With Me, Rent, April/Maureen, pirouette, PG

Re: #1 Crush, Heroes, Hiro/Ando (unrequited), Secret, G

Re: #1 Crush, Heroes, Hiro/Ando (unrequited), Secret, G

How to Be a Grey, Rent, Alison, how to be a Grey, PG

Let the Promptathon Begin!

Re: Sliver, due South, Fraser/Kowalski, unsaid

Re: Start Spreading the News, Sports Night, Dan/Casey, New York, G

Power Play, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Giles/Ethan, power, PG-13

Re: Outmatched, Firefly, River/Saffron, read your mind, PG

Portrait of a Junkie, Rent, Roger, portrait, PG-13

Re: Outmatched, Firefly, River/Saffron, read your mind, PG

Re: Start Spreading the News, Sports Night, Dan/Casey, New York, G

Two Goodbyes, Rent, April/Paul, leaving, G

Re: #1 Crush, Heroes, Hiro/Ando (unrequited), Secret, G

Re: All the World's a Stage, RPF, Paul Gross/Martha Burns(/CKR), audience, NC-17

Re: Belonging, Firefly, River/Saffron, belong to me, PG-13

Wish and Want, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Buffy/Willow, goodnight, G

Re: Final Wager, Green Wing, Guy/Mac, jelly, PG

Re: #1 Crush, Heroes, Hiro/Ando (unrequited), Secret, G

Re: Downtime, M*A*S*H, Hawkeye/BJ, still, G

Re: Outmatched, Firefly, River/Saffron, read your mind, PG

Re: All the World's a Stage, RPF, Paul Gross/Martha Burns(/CKR), audience, NC-17

Historical Footnotes, Firefly, Mal, history, G

Fjords, Norway and the English Language, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, Matt/Danny, fjord, G

Dream in Color, Firefly, River, dreams, PG

Re: To The Right, Firefly, Mal/River, dark and bright, G

Dance With Me, Rent, April/Maureen, pirouette, PG

Re: #1 Crush, Heroes, Hiro/Ando (unrequited), Secret, G

Re: #1 Crush, Heroes, Hiro/Ando (unrequited), Secret, G

How to Be a Grey, Rent, Alison, how to be a Grey, PG

Re: Downtime, MAS*H, Hawkeye/BJ, still, G