as we all know the april races in saudi arabia and bahrain have been cancelled because of the ongoing war. so, to make good use of this âbreakâ we decided to organize an event to make some fun art and support the people who are affected by this war.
To do so, we will do a commission style event where creators make art after proof of donation has been given to a select number of charities!
we have a collection of different artists who have already signed up to have commission slots open! (but if you still want to join you can sign up through this google form)
there isn't a minimum needed but we encourage to give as much as you can!!
now how does it work?:
step 1:
you donate to one of these charities and fill out this form.
(for fics it will be a 1 euro/dollar per 100 words, so if you want 500 words that is 5 euros/dollars)
step 2:
we close the forms on friday the 3rd of april and connect you to a creator that is participating, does your requested form of art and has also submitted one of your drivers
step 3:
we inform said creator who and what is commissioned and they start working on it, they can in this time contact you for any extra info if they want, at this point you will also hear what creator is connected to your commission
step 4:
the comm is posted under the #f1blrforaid tag or in the ao3 collection and we have cool new art and other people have gotten some help!
FAQ:
what if a creator wont be able to make the april deadline?:
creators will have your username and you will know what creator was matched to your commission sheet, through this you can stay in contact about the commission but remember that this is for charity and low stress!
can I commission/donate more then once?:
of course you can and its definitely encouraged! best way to go is to simply fill out the form as many times as you donated, that way they will all be processed as different slots and you will get matched to different creators
has anyone written a long ass slow burn forbidden lovers sebinis fic yet? because the potential is there. No way even wizards were allowed to just be gay in the 1890s, especially with Ominis' family?
Summary: Modern coffee shop AU; The ever lovely Garreth Weasley catches your eye from behind the counter of your local cafe. Pure fluff.
A/n: Once I got this idea into my head, it would not leave, so here we are. It's been edited, but only lightly. This is genuinely the longest fic I've ever written, I'm usually a sucker for short and sweet, but not in this case. I'm pretty sure this is gender neutral, but once again let me know if you catch a mistake. Also, the topic of the paper is incredibly self indulgent. With love, your friendly neighborhood anthro major <3
Word Count: 2897
You let out a sigh, fingers pressing almost painfully to your temples as you stared at the screen in front of you. Youâd been trying to write this damned essay for hours, but the words didnât seem to want to get out of your brain and onto the page. Not to mention that nearly every potential source you found was useless to you for one reason or another.Â
The article currently open on your computer began to swim in front of your eyes, words blurring together as you tried to read them. As much as you wished you could take a break, youâd procrastinated this paper for far longer than you should have, and you were now to the point of questioning if youâd even be able to get it done before the due date. The due date, you realized, that was now only six hours away. Whyâd your professor have to be special and make things due at 10pm on a Tuesday, instead of midnight on a Sunday like a normal person?
Dragging yourself out of your train of thought took more effort than youâd have liked as you once again tried to read through someone elseâs science. You were slightly more successful this time, but once youâd gotten through the next three paragraphs, you let out a frustrated groan. There was no sense to this studyâit ignored nearly all precedent and was trying to test a theory that anyone with common sense would know to be impossible.Â
You slammed your computer shut in mild frustration and closed your eyes, taking a breath to calm yourself down, only for your meditation attempt to be interrupted by a familiar voice.Â
âCareful now, doll. If you get much more frustrated you might start throwing things, and as much as I love having you here, Iâd hate having to clean that up.â Your eyes open and you glance up to look at the redheaded boy standing over you
Your face relaxes as your gaze lands on him. You couldnât be stressed when he was smiling at you like that.
The two of you had first met in this very coffee shop at the beginning of the termâhim behind the register and you desperately needing some caffeine to get through your first week of classes.
âGive me something strong,â youâd said when you walked up, and heâd given you a playful salute in response.
âYes maâam, one americano coming right up.âÂ
His playful demeanor and charming smile had you grinning right back at him despite your exhaustion. When heâd handed you your drink, though, you couldnât hide the grimace that crossed your face. You needed the caffeine, but boy did you hate the bitter taste that it left on your tongue.
âYou should have told me you didnât like it straight when I took your order.â You werenât expecting to hear his voice and you looked back at him.
âIâm sorry?â
âYou asked for something strong, but you didnât have to take my first suggestion if you knew it wasnât something youâd enjoy. Tell me what sorts of flavors you like and I can make you something youâll actually drink.â You could tell he was eager to make you something new, though you werenât sure if he actually wanted you to like it or if he just wanted to show off; either way, you rattled off your usual order, and some likes and dislikes, answering his questions when he asked and before you knew it you had a brand new cup in front of you.
This time when you took a sip, you practically moaned. It was spectacular. âHow the hell did you do that? I donât think Iâve ever had something this good in my life.â
His cheeky grin widened. âWhat can I say, Iâm great at what I do. Though if youâd told me from the get-go that you like it strong and sweet, I could have just given you my number and been done with it.â His wink that followed sent flames through your cheeks and youâd turned your head to try and hide them.
Despite his flirtatious remark upon your initial meeting, nothing more had ever happened. Well, except for you developing one of the biggest crushes you think youâve ever had in your entire life.
Against your better judgment (and to the chagrin of your wallet), you found yourself back in that cafe nearly every single day, always hoping to see his green eyes glittering at you from across the room. You knew the crush was stupid, but you didnât blame yourself for it. How could you? It wasnât your fault he was so ridiculously charming, and handsome, and kind. Nor was it your fault that he somehow always seemed to know exactly the drink you needed for your current moodâafter that first day, youâd never had him hand you something unsavory again⊠well, at least that was intended to be enjoyable.
Every once in a while youâd come in during a particularly slow spell, when there was no one else around and Garrethâalongside his coworkersâwere clearly extremely bored. It was days like these when youâd get to try his little experiments.
Youâd see him furrow his brow, deep in thought, and then wander from place to place in the store, tossing various syrups, powders, and milks together in incredibly interesting combinations. Yes, interesting was definitely the word to describe them; sometimes they were spectacular, but other times⊠not so much.
âOh my god, Gar, this is absolutely disgusting.âÂ
He had called you over a few moments prior, insisting you try his most recent mixture. You didnât know what was in it, but it wasnât good. It was almost slimy in texture, and the flavor certainly left something to be desired. Through your wince, you saw the twinkle in his eye. The bastard knew it wasnât going to be good but he had you try it anyway.
Attempting to hide the grin that threatened to poke through, his face had twisted into a look of mock betrayal. âHow could you say such a thing? I poured my heart and soul into this. You wound me, love.â
Your heart had nearly stopped at the nickname but you did your best to play it off, grinning at him. âWell, perhaps you should pour a little less of it next time, that might help with the texture issue.â Heâd scoffed at you playfully, and the memory of his playful expression is still one of your favorites.
His expression was eerily similar as he stood beside your little table, eying the books you had spread about from your research.Â
âGarreth! I didnât realize you were here, I never saw you walk in.â
He chuckled. âIâve been here for hours. I wouldâve said hello earlier, but you looked focused and I didnât want to bother you. However,â he paused, âit was about time for my break and I noticed you looked only inches away from violence, so I figured I should come intervene. Distract you with my relentless charm and all that.â His grin was contagious, and you found yourself smiling fondly at him.
âYou should well know by now that Iâm a pacifist,â you quipped back. âViolence would never be my first reaction. You wouldnât have anything to worry about until after Iâve wallowed in self despair for at least 30 minutes.â He sat down in the chair opposite you and itâs not until he placed the cup and plate on the surface in front of you that you realized heâd been holding them. âWhatâs this?â
âA refill, and some sustenance. Figured you could use them, based on the fact that I havenât seen you move in the entire time Iâve been here.â Your heart gives a little squeeze at the gesture as you take in the items. He had, in fact, brought you another coffee and the pastry that he by now knew to be your favorite.
âI canât accept this, Garreth. I didnât pay for them.â
âDonât worry about it, itâs on the house. Donât bother resisting, you know I wonât stop pestering you until youâve eaten.âÂ
You relented with a sigh, taking a bite. âHappy now?â you mumbled.
He smirked at you. âHappier. Now, why donât you tell me whatâs frustrating you so much. Maybe clearing your mind of it will help you make some progress.â
You proceeded to rant to the ginger about the articles youâd been reading, the roadblocks youâd been encountering, and the various other issues youâd been having.
âI donât know why itâs so difficult for people to have some common sense, yâknow? Itâs not so hard to realize âHey, perhaps if you canât sex an individual via this bone without population specific numbers, perhaps we shouldnât try to sex an individual of an entirely different species.â Youâd think thatâd be easy!â Garreth nodded along, a small smile playing at his lips. âAnd this one!â you gestured to an article on your computer, which youâd reopened part-way through your rant to show him evidence of your problems, âin this one, they try and argue that grave goods can be used to accurately sex an individual, which might be fine in some populations, but itâs a know fact that gender and sex variance is a common occurrence in this population.â
You finally paused to take a breath, and you realized that you didnât really have much more to say. âAnd⊠and yeah thatâs about it actually. There you have it.â You glanced up at his face, mildly surprised by the expression he harbored. It seemed to be a combination of amusement and⊠fondness?
âI do hope you know I donât know what any of that means. Do you feel better though?â He rested his chin on his hand, hair falling just slightly in front of his face.
You immediately nodded in response. âYeah, actually. Loads. Thanks.â
âMy pleasure, love. Now, I do believe my break is over, so I should get back to it, but good luck on your paper. I believe in you.â A wink was sent in your direction before he turned and walked back behind the counter, deftly tying his apron behind his back.
With that, you dove back into writing. You were almost surprised at how much easier the words came to you now that youâd gotten all the swirling irritations out of your brainâbefore you knew it, youâd surpassed the page minimum, wrapped up all your thoughts, and read through it a few times to make sure there werenât any errors. Thoroughly pleased with your work, you grinned and threw your hands up. âIâm done!â You turned your head around, searching for the smile Garreth was surely throwing in your direction. You werenât surprised to find you were correct. âAnd withâŠâ you turned back to check the time, â45 minutes to spare!â
Wait a secondâŠ
45 minutes to spare⊠that meant that it was 9:15. You turned to glare accusingly at Garreth.
âDonât you guys close at 9?â
He shrugged noncommittally. âTechnically, yeah. I was supposed to kick you out 15 minutes ago. But you looked so focused and I could tell you were close to done. I didnât wanna be the reason you lost your stride. Besides,â his usual cocky grin came back to his face. âIâm not sure you could rob this place if you tried.â
The boy turned back to mopping the floor, ignoring your huffed âheyâ in response. You began packing up your belongings in a hurry, trying to get out of his hair as quickly as possible. Despite your efforts, though, he had still managed to finish closing before you were completely ready to go.Â
âIâm so sorry Gar, I really should have been paying closer attention to the time. I didnât mean to be an imposition.â You rushed the words out as you exited the building in front of him. His only response at first was a small huff of amusement.
His words came a minute later as he turned back to lock the door to the building behind him. âAs if you could ever be an imposition. Any time spent in your presence is time well spent.â You couldnât even begin to process what those words meant as you took in the parking lot, empty except for one single car. A string of curses swiftly left your lips. If youâd thought yourself stupid earlier when you struggled to write your paper, it was nothing compared to how stupid youâd felt in that moment.
Youâd completely forgotten that youâd taken the bus today. And in your time-blindness, youâd also forgotten that the bus stopped running at 8.
You glanced over at Garreth beside you, and let out a frustrated sigh at his barely concealed laughter. He knew that you sometimes took the bus, and by the lack of car in the parking lot belonging to you, it hadnât taken him more than a moment to figure out what was going on.
âDonât look so down, itâs not like Iâd let you walk. Get in the car.â You immediately began protesting, not wanting to burden him any more than you already had this evening. âIt wasnât a question, get in the car. Itâs too far back to campus for you to walk during the day, let alone at night. Iâd be the worldâs biggest asshole if I let a pretty individual walk home alone after dark. Get in.â
You conceded with a sigh, walking around to the passenger side door. âYou think Iâm pretty?â you grinned, trying to joke away the nerves you felt at getting in his car.
Sure, youâd become pretty close throughout the term, but your interactions had always, always been limited to that building. And now here you were, getting into a car with the guy youâd been crushing on for months.Â
âIf youâre just now noticing, then maybe youâre dumber than I gave you credit for,â came his snarky reply. He got in the car and grinned at you over the console. You hoped he couldnât see your cheeks turn red in the dark. His gaze held yours for a beat too long and you looked away nervously. He cleared his throat before starting the car. âWhere to?â
You directed him to your place, basking comfortably in the silence of the car in between instructions. Against your better efforts, though, you also found yourself staring at him. It was such an odd thing to find attractive, you thought, but the sight of him driving made your heart do a flip.Â
You were admiring how his gentle features looked under the red of a stoplight when he turned to glance at you and caught you. âSee something you like?âÂ
âAnd what if I do?â You replied, lips quirking into a smile. You had no idea where this bold streak came from, but you werenât complaining. He didnât reply immediately, focused on turning into the parking lot of your building. He parked, and then turned to you.Â
âIâm less concerned about the âwhat if you doâs and more concerned about the âwhat if you donâtâs if Iâm being honest.â Your face twisted slightly in confusion as you tried to decipher his meaning.
âI- what? I donât understand.â Stumbling over your words, it took you far longer than it should have to realize how much closer heâd gotten to you.Â
âWhat I mean,â he said lowly, his voice barely above a whisper, âis that if you donât, you need to tell me now because otherwise Iâm about to do something really really stupid.â
Oh. Oh.
âOh,â you said in reply. âI see.â You wet your lips nervously but didnât move away from him, your gaze flickering between his eyes and his lips. âWell, thereâs not really a good way to know if itâs stupid or not until youâve done it.â
Apparently that was all the approval he needed, because the next thing you knew his lips were on yours and his hand was cupping the back of your neck and a low whine sounded in the back of your throat. This was happening. Oh my god this was happening.
He pulled back after a moment, panting just slightly. He was nervous, you realized. Youâd almost never seen him nervous before, but right now, in this moment, you were sure thatâs what the expression on his face was.Â
You let out a soft giggle that apparently eased his nerves, causing him to break out into a wide smile and tuck a loose strand of hair behind your ear. âWell, was it as stupid as I thought it was?â
âVerdict is still out,â you said with a grin. âIâll have to let you know tomorrow. You work?âÂ
âSame time as usual, yeah.â He chuckled at the smile on your face as you unbuckled yourself from the car.Â
âWell, I suppose Iâll have to let you know then. And maybe after youâre out, we could go get dinner or something. If the jury rules in your favor, that is.â You grin at him over your shoulder as you get out of the car.
The last thing Garreth sees as he pulls out of your lot is you pressing your fingers softly against your own lips, grinning like an idiot. And though heâd never admit it, in his head he was doing the same.
I totally was going to write a part two of this for Weasley Wednesday yesterday, but exhaustion got the better of me, so enjoy a (day late) reblog of part one.
I reread this one at least once a week because I loved it so much.
was gonna write something for Weasley Wednesday this week (I love AUs), thought up a whole idea, and then lost every inch of motivation to actually write it.