#mota advent

[mota-collab]

🎶✈️LCAPT Masters of the Air

Artist: collected by @onyxsboxes

Artist note: I'm happy (and very excited) to present you our new “Let's create a playlist together” Masters of the Air 🥳. Thank you for all your participation and support. It was a delight to read all your recommendations, your little comments and to chat with you. I hope you will (like me) rediscover some songs in a new light thanks to this playlist.

You can also listen to the playlist on Deezer or other plateforms here

[avonne-writes]

Mota Advent Banners - Week 1

The lovely @carnevol encouraged me to post the banners I made for the Mota Advent 2024 event separately as well ❤️ Because of Tumblr's image limit, I will post them in three installments (after they have been revealed in the event itself). In a reblog, I will also add their icon versions.

If anyone wants to use these or the icons, please feel free! 🥰 Go check out the @mota-collab blog to see all the advent treats we made together.

[onyxsboxes]

Thank you for organizing the amazing advent calendar and for all of your hard work! It was so wonderful to see every day!

Thank you, I'm so happy you liked it 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

I had so much fun doing it with everyone, and I'm glad I got to share this little 'family' tradition with you.

It was really nice to exchange with everyone, to see all the artwork being created as well as the lovely greeting everyone gave to the calendar. Everyone on the blog, @mota-collab, has been amazing, and it's thanks to them that we've had so many wonderful treats!

I can't wait for the next event 🎉

[mota-collab]

A new beginning

Artist: @avonne-writes

Word count: 847

Artist note: this is part of an AU of mine where John is a selkie.

It's the salty breeze blowing in from the ocean that dries Gale's tears. Their tracks feel sticky on his cheeks, pulling at his skin when he grimaces, ashamed by this sudden burst of emotion that overcame him when he sat down on this empty beach. What is he even doing here? Running away from what he has always known into an untethered existence, an abyss. No family, no nothing. Just a beat-up old car that barely carried him from Wyoming to California.

He just wanted to see the ocean.

There's no one else around. Not another human in sight. Not this early in the morning at least, when the sun is just peeking over the horizon and painting the waves as they come rolling over soft sand, a lazy ebb and flow, shimmering gold over white foam and the darker depths of the bay. Gale finds comfort in it, somehow. The sound of the water hitting the shore, rhythmic as if the ocean was breathing with him, washing away this annoying, inexplicable sorrow that gripped Gale's heart when he got here.

That was his only thought when he threw his life into a suitcase and drove away before the old man could change his mind about where he stood with Gale. He just wanted to see it once before he faced reality on his own again.

He has a new job. A new place, small and unfurnished it may be, but a place to sleep nevertheless. He should be excited to start over. But all that keeps him going on this new path is his hatred of his old cage. He doesn’t really want to be here, he doesn’t want to be anywhere - the only place that doesn’t feel like a prison is this beach.

A splashing noise and a blob of darkness in the corner of his vision make him whip his head around sharply, and his eyes land on a huge seal suddenly perched in the sand only a few feet away from him. It stares straight at him with its big, dark eyes.

His travel mug sits untouched in the sand beside him. He figured he’d drink his coffee while he walked along the beach, but he got only as far as this spot. The beauty and pain of sharing his solitude with nature compelled him to sit and let it all flow out of him.

How long has he been sitting here, letting the wind comb grains of sand into his hair? Pins and needles sting his legs, making him wince as he stretches them out and tries to shake off the pain. He wants to smack himself for the clever idea of wearing jeans to the beach. He really doesn’t belong here, does he?

Frowning, Gale tries to keep his calm. The truth is, he doesn’t know anything about seals. Perhaps this is just a regular sized specimen. The fact that it's still staring at Gale is probably normal, it must be scared of him. Its grey body is covered in spots, with a peculiar pattern around its mouth looking like a mustache.

After a few more seconds of staring, the seal makes a barking sound that reminds Gale of a dog, then throws itself down on the wet sand, rolling on its back and wiggling as if scratching an itch on its back. It looks almost like it's smiling, eyes blinking closed and open to stare at Gale upside down. It continues making noises, playful calls, snorts and grunts that don't seem threatening at all, but Gale's still wary to see where this goes. Should he get up and walk away? Should he make some noise to scare it away?

With the motion of it rolling around, the seal inches closer, pausing sometimes to look at Gale again. As if checking if it frightens Gale, or if they can be friends. Gale begins to wonder if the animal is used to humans feeding it. He grabs his travel mug to put it out of sight quickly.

He can’t help but smile when the seal turns to its side in the sand and his fat squishes into several rolls around its rotund neck.

Gale sighs, but it's no longer out of pain. When he breathes in, he feels like the air fills his lungs properly again.

“You’re a chubby one, aren't you?” Gale says out loud, smile widening when the seal barks at him, as if in protest.

They spend another moment like that, just him, his curious little friend and the calm morning waves, before the seal flips itself on its stomach and scoots back into the ocean, disappearing under the surface.

He doesn’t know how long he stays sitting there, contemplating his life, but when he spots the first human he has seen that day, he makes a move to get going. The last thing he needs is for the hot, shirtless guy running down the beach to stop and ask if he's okay. He is okay. Or he will be. He just has to hide the cracks until they heal.

[mota-collab]

Easy, darling

Artist: @avonne-writes

Characters: Gale Cleven/John Egan

Word count: 512

Artist note: Moodboard for Gale's first heat shared with Bucky in my buff omega Gale AU. And a short drabble about the evening before Gale goes into heat.

Glasses clink against the wooden table, sounds swallowed by the warm rumble of the bar. Laughter breaks out above the ebb and flow of conversation and the music thumping through the crowded space. Tucked away in a corner, their booth buzzes with excitement. John's friends are just as chatty as he is, and they're all several drinks into the night already. It's a delightful chaos, one that Gale's content to watch unfold from his cozy space nestled under John's arm.

John's fingers curl around his biceps casually, his thumb tracing absentminded patterns over Gale's arm. The warmth of his palm seeps through Gale’s shirt. He’s talking to Curt sitting across from them, but his embrace keeps Gale pressed close, like John wants everyone to see that they're together, like he’s proud. The idea of that sends a sweet, warm sensation through Gale’s entire body, settling deep in his abdomen like a yearning, an ache. It feels so unbelievably good to belong.

When Curt gets up to buy another drink, Bucky shifts towards Gale and noses playfully at his neck.

“God, you smell heavenly tonight.” He murmurs into Gale's ear.

The tickling caress of his words draws a flush to Gale's cheeks. His heat is going to hit by tomorrow. He can feel it thrumming under his skin, raising goosebumps to the surface when he's touched, he can feel it in the electric thrill he gets when John scents his neck, and in the haze that drapes over him lazily when he leans into John's solid body.

He drops a hand to John's thick thigh and strokes him through his jeans. “Let's go home, John.”

“Yeah?” John breathes out through his mouth like he’s trying to curb the anticipation vibrating in his chest. He knows what Gale means, he knew the time would come tomorrow or the day after. They had everything arranged - the sick days, the food, the nesting materials. They're ready. It’s going to be the first heat they spend together, and they both know that it can make or break their relationship, but Gale finds that he’s not worried. For the first time in his life, he feels like he might get through this without feeling drained, frustrated or embarrassed. John's presence always feels like safety and home. Why would it be different in his heat?

Smiling like he just can’t contain his giddiness, John gives Gale a chaste kiss, then presses their foreheads together. “You feelin’ okay?”

Gale hums. “I'm good. Just ready to leave.”

From this close, it's evident how John's scent intensifies, and Gale’s body responds to it like it’s a call to wake up all his primal instincts. He can feel his heat simmer, the rhythm of his want accelerate. If John pushes the right buttons once they're back home, it might even hit early. Gale never thought he’d say this, but he can’t wait.

John rubs the back of Gale's hand, then curls his fingers around Gale's and moves to stand up. His steady grip feels warm and comforting. “All right. Let's go home, doll.”

[mota-collab]

Meant to be

Artist: @avonne-writes

Author's Note: moodboard for my HS AU - the boys spending Christmas together in Milwaukee in their junior year of high school

[mota-collab]

Lean On Me

Artist: @emmaannaelisabeth

Characters: Gale Cleven, John Egan

Artist note: Gale isn’t feeling too well during the march and he leans on John, and John clings to his faith to keep going for them both.

Inspired: The artwork is inspired by this pic of Austin and Callum, and it’s also another addition to my collection of angsty stalag art. Find part one here☺️

[mota-collab]

Fallen Angel AU art

Artist: @emmaannaelisabeth

Artist note: This art piece is inspired by @avonne-writes Fallen Angel AU and illustrates a scene from this drabble😇 Go check it out!