Dinosaur Hands

Boldly going where probably only a few thousand have gone before, but with dinosaur hands.

[gettingbyi]

WIP whenever

It's Sunday, it's WIP day!

So, the bookshop AU is still a thing (and you can all thank the extremely kind and even smarter @staringintothewind for making it ten times better), but let's have a break with a very normal fic about very normal knots, okay? :D

(kinda mature themes below) (but really I'm just taking silly precautions)

"He refuses to respond when we contact him in any official capacity." Ms. Novák's laugh is a derisive one. "Can you blame him?" The line between Akram's eyebrows furrows, but she doesn't elaborate, shaking her head as if to make the reproach disappear. "Have you tried gaining his trust instead? Meeting him on his own territory?" "Mr. Stevenson does not answer his door." "No, not…" She sighs, puts the ropes aside. "Okay. You just want to talk to him, right?" They both nod, but Carl isn't sure their witness is even aware he's in the room with Akram, sitting on the other end of the couch. Maybe he could try and get closer to his DI, just to be noticed. You know, as the official investigator on the case. "There's usually a munch with benefits at the end of the month." She lifts her hand before Akram can ask. "A casual meeting between kinksters at a bar; they usually privatise the room downstairs for people to practice a light version of the kink of the month. He usually makes a beeline for the basement. Let me just check, for this month…" She looks at her phone, half a smirk playing at the corner of her lips. "Oh, okay. Have you ever tied someone up?" Carl chokes on his tea; Akram only produces an apologetic smile. "Never in… pleasant settings, I'm afraid." The smirk turns into a wide grin. "Kinbaku emerged from hojōjutsu, a restraining technique which was everything but pleasant, as you say." She hands him one of the ropes she's been tying. "You're probably halfway there." As they leave, Carl's eyes catch a spreadsheet on the corner of a desk. A list of clinically described activities, accompanied by willingness rating. Most of the names, he understands. But he's pretty sure figging is not about figs.

No pressure tag but pleading eyes towards @greenapricot, @endlessbluesky, @thewhiterabbitsthings, @swimmingfoxsticks (PEOPLE! Go read their original fiction!!), @staringintothewind, @thecharmingquirksofothers, @themisanthropiclycanthrope

And anyone who wishes to participate, of course! (even outside of Dept Q, we all need enrichment!)

[staringintothewind]

@gettingbyi is truly the best in the business, who works so hard to make this fandom a kinkier place.

[gettingbyi]

I always see posts celebrating writers and people who comment and kudo, and rightfully so.

But I don't see enough talk about beta readers, the people working hard behind the scenes and never getting enough credit. People who can turn plot bunnies into actual works, rough lines into pleasant reading, and impenetrable paragraphs into actual explanations. People who help cover plot holes and add their own culture, skill and sensitivity to improve everything.

Casual readers probably have no idea how much their experience is improved by this silent crowd. Know that when you see a thank you note for a beta, they're probably one of the main reasons why you like what you read.

Just give beta-readers (and adjacent) some love today 💕

[staringintothewind]

🩷🩷🩷🩷

[gettingbyi]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Fandom Dept. Q (TV) Rating Teen And Up Audiences Warnings No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships Carl Morck/Akram Salim Characters Carl Morck (Dept. Q), Akram Salim Additional Tags Hurt/Comfort, Pre-Relationship, Aftermath of Violence, Angst, Traumatized Akram, as usual, Suicidal Ideation Summary Akram has been kidnapped. Carl is too close to lose it when he finds him.

[staringintothewind]

It was such a pleasure to beta this! @gettingbyi is one of the truly good ones out there. An intelligent writer trying to do smart characterful stuff and a lovely human to boot.

Go and enjoy the whump! Its plentiful.

[inogart]

Cark x Akram kiss requested by gettingbyi <3

doodles for ko-fi goal

[gettingbyi]

Because every kiss (and more) with them should include lanyard, right @staringintothewind?

[staringintothewind]

Is it even Akram if he's not wearing a lanyard?

[gettingbyi]

WIP *day

As usual, @codswalloping asked, so I have to answer.

Even if I'm still on the same WIP since forever, it seems. But it's starting to end, and greatly, greatly improved by the brave and patient @staringintothewind who powered through a very rough draft when words didn't mean anything anymore (also. Go check her fics. They're amazing).

Here's to some comfort (?) after all the hurt.

"Akram—" "Home," he whispered. "I am home." "Yeah, the fuck you are." Carl's smile was trying to be reassuring and only made him look more anxious. "Okay. I'm getting some sugar in your system." It was a process. Carl wouldn't leave him alone, even from the kitchen, and kept asking questions. Some of them were too precise, sending him off balance. What's this drawing about? What's your favourite dish? Answer me. Where were you born? And this one, Akram couldn't say. Something in his brain refused to say. I'm fucking throwing that glass at you if you don't answer. Akram hummed something, the name of a town in Iran. He'd never been there. Carl didn't notice anyway. Where the fuck is your sugar?

I'm not tagging anyone since December is BUSY, but please send your WIPs. Or last lines! Or 7 sentences! I want to know <3

[staringintothewind]

This fic is going to be so good!!!💃

[galileosballs]

Academics work so hard to be taken seriously that we can't even acknowledge the fact that one of the biggest and most important science journals is called PNAS. We just need to keep submitting to PNAS and citing PNAS and doing review work for PNAS as if it's nothing.

[staringintothewind]

In my neck of the woods, we also have AAS.

[codswalloping]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Dept. Q (TV) Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Carl Morck/Akram Salim Characters: Carl Morck (Dept. Q), Akram Salim, Jasper Stewart Additional Tags: Established Relationship, Developing Relationship, Sleepovers, Quiet Sex, Top Akram, Bottom Carl, Awkward Conversations, Teasing, Love Confessions, Kissing, Carl needs to be tenderly railed, Akram is secretly Fond, Porn with Feelings, Jasper is not going to be traumatized in this story don’t worry, E rated but it’s pretty soft focus tbh, Light Angst with a Happy Ending Summary:

Carl and Akram’s knack for nonverbal communication is put to the test when they find themselves less alone in Carl’s flat than they’d planned on.

(Qvember day 30, triple prompt: “Not a single word spoken,” “Trapped,” and “Fuck around and find out.”)

[staringintothewind]

This is absolutely gorgeous. Go read!!!

[gettingbyi]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Fandom Dept. Q (TV) Rating Explicit Warnings Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships Carl Morck/Akram Salim Characters Carl Morck (Dept. Q), Akram Salim Additional Tags Under-negotiated Kink, Under-negotiated everyting really, Impact Play, pain play, Implied/Referenced Torture, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Akram ‘I am very much in control’ Salim is not so much in control, Carl is having a great time though Series Part 2 of Strange Love Summary

In Akram’s dreams, there are small, distinctive bruises on Carl’s hips.

Akram is the cause of most of Carl’s bruises these days. He’s also the one suffering from them.

(Qvember Day 23: Bruised and Battered)

—

Can you hear my heartbeat was hell to write. So of course there’s a follow up now. I don’t know if the biggest masochist is Carl or me at this point. 🤦

Noticed how most of my previous contributions to Qvember were light-hearted? (let’s not mention Soldier On). Yeah, that’s because all the darkness went in this one. And I’m kinda happy about it xD

Mind the tags, people!

[staringintothewind]

*shouts out the window*: you there boy, what day is it?

Boy: its gettingbyi's posting day

They all cheered.

[staringintothewind]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Dept. Q (TV) Rating: Explicit Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Carl Morck/Akram Salim Characters: Carl Morck (Dept. Q), Akram Salim, Akram's lanyard Additional Tags: PWP without Porn, lanyards, Knives but not knifeplay, Light Dom/sub, Top Carl Morck, Bottom Akram Salim, the smallest amount of fluff, Praise Kink Summary:

'There was belligerence and then there was whatever Akram was doing. Carl squinted in case he was mistaken but he wasn’t. Yes, that was a knife in his hands.'

(Qvember Day 23: Bruised and Battered)

[ultimatespider]

the pros of reading ao3 fics in public is that their layout is so clean and simple that people would think you’re reading some academic researches when you’re in fact reading a 50k fic. the cons is that you need to control your face all the fucking time

[fuckyeahisawthat]

An additional feature: the layout is clean and simple BUT anyone familiar with AO3 will immediately recognize it. Pro or con? You decide.

[lynati]

If they know it enough to recognize it on sight, they probably aren’t going to be judging me about it.

[staringintothewind]

Do a day job that involves occasionally writing scholarship on fanfiction as an adaptive form? Plausible deniability, baby!

[staringintothewind]

WIP Wednesday

You asked for this @gettingbyi, so you only have yourself to blame....

~~~

The more Akram told Carl about himself, about his past, the gentler Carl became with him. It was as though Carl couldn’t stand the thought of touching him like they had. Like Akram had all the men before him, until he had taken their place.

Now, Carl kissed him as though he was something precious. He held Akram’s hands, the lines and marks that punctuated his body, like the finest porcelain. And Akram wished desperately that Carl could see how pointless this was. There was nothing worth saving beneath the deadened flesh of scar tissue. They commemorated nothing. There was no new life growing beneath the soil, only gravestones that marked the places where he had been too slow, too trusting, too sure of himself, and his country had punished him.

What beauty could be found in these failures?

Akram didn’t want or need tenderness. He couldn’t stand it.

Carl had got it right to begin with — to treat him with violence. It was the only thing Akram thought his body truly understood or was good for.

He didn’t need sympathy or softness. What was done was done. The only thing Carl could give him back was the quiet that silenced his greedy body from demanding more than it deserved.

~~~

[gettingbyi]

WIP Wednesday

Again, @codswalloping asked for WIPs. Again, I can't say no.

There are many WIPs getting crazy in my head, some of them I've even talked about with some people, which means I am now contractually obligated me to finish them (poor me). So of course I had to start a new one this morning, 'cause I'm sane. Here's to whumped Akram (like, real, CW for description of injuries, whumped).

He'd tried to remove the zip ties, but the men knew what they were doing. One of his wrists was probably broken; he didn't seem to be able to get it to move correctly. The chair wouldn't break even if he toppled it over. He'd been on borrowed time since Syria anyway. Since he left the country. Or since his wife died. Or since he discovered what he didn't want to know about the government he'd given so much. Borrowed time, and now he had to pay back. Akram believed in retaliation. Now, maybe, was the time. Now, everything hurt. He knew about pain. This wasn't the worst he'd been through, nor the worst he'd caused. This wasn't the lowest either. He'd already spat a tooth. Another one would probably follow suit, soon, but soon didn't exist anymore. Broken rib, judging by the way every breath hurt. His head was pulsing, a sharp pain on his temple where one of the men had hit him, radiating through his whole skull, a dark ghost whose contours he could have drawn, whose yell he could have told if his mouth wasn't so dry.

I have no respect for anyone's tranquility, so, @greenapricot, @staringintothewind, @endlessbluesky, what do you have? (no pressure <3)

[gettingbyi]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Fandom Dept. Q (TV) Rating Explicit Warnings No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships Carl Morck/Akram Salim Characters Carl Morck (Dept. Q), Akram Salim Additional Tags PWP, Established Relationship, Dom/sub Play, Qvember (Dept. Q), Qvember 2025 (Dept. Q) Summary

“You know, there are sentences I’m not sure I can find on Babbel.”

Where Carl wants to learn a new love language, and is not being subtle about it.

(Qvember Day 16: Learning Arabic)

—

Just smut for today. Because who didn’t think of porn with this prompt 🤦

[staringintothewind]

Learning a new language is meant to take up to 600 hours. Carl disagrees.

This is absolutely brilliant smut. Read it now!!!

[ahotknife]

i love the point in the hero’s journey where he gets bent over and railed until he cries

[noctthedoor]

Don’t leave this in the tags

[plague-flowers]

[ID: Tags reading "I think it's called the climax". End ID.]

[one-time-i-dreamt]

I loves her

[one-time-i-dreamt]

[staringintothewind]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Chapters: 8/8 Fandom: Dept. Q (TV) Rating: Explicit Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Carl Morck/Akram Salim, Akram Salim & Original Female Character(s) Characters: Carl Morck (Dept. Q), Akram Salim, James Hardy, Rose Dickson Additional Tags: Angst, Dom/sub Play, Under-negotiated Kink, Affairs, Emotional Infidelity, Racism, Internalized Homophobia, God this sounds bleak, AND IT IS, but also cute stuff happens, Implied/Referenced Torture, Non-Linear Narrative Summary:

"‘So, Akram…?’ Carl raised his eyebrows, shoulders and hands in the universally recognised gesture for ta-dah. ‘I don’t give a fuck who you’re shagging…’ Hardy repeated, ‘except for when it’s Akram.’"

~~~

It's hard trying to pursue a closed-door thing with Edinburgh's most guarded man. This is somehow a surprise to Carl Morck. A slightly time-wimey picture of a failing relationship from (a not really-) end to its beginning and everywhere in between.

[hometoursandotherstuff]