#[ so threads would be cool someday. ]

[elfyelation]

𝐚 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐞 | oneshot

pairing—astarion x gn!reader summary—nightmares were nothing new to astarion, he’d been living one long before the tadpoles settled themselves inside your heads. now, however, it seemed there was something he feared even more than the possibility of returning to his former master… warnings—mentions of slavery, nightmares, indication of past abuse/trauma, mentions of astarion’s past, angst, some fluff word count—811 rating—teen

He tosses and turns in his sleep, another cruel nightmare tearing through his slumber.

You hear him mumble, hot sweat running across his creased brow, “No... M-master… please… No…”

His body is still trembling when his words trail off, the discomfort never leaving his face. His eyes squeeze themselves even tighter shut in a frail attempt to push the thoughts from his mind.

You were awake now, concern threading through your brow as you shushed him and ran a gentle hand over his cheek.

“Astarion? Astarion, wake up.” It is no use, your voice is but a distant echo — a whisper in the darkest depths of his mind. There is no way to free him, he is a prisoner of his own mind. All you can do is wait for him to open his eyes himself.

You sit up then, moving to pull his head into your lap. Quietly, you comb your fingers through his ice-white hair. His skin is hot to the touch as if he were stricken with a fever so foul it scorched from the depths of all hells.

Softly, you called out again, “Astarion.”

Still, he does nothing but stir, head rolling from side to side in agony.

Leaning down, you press a light kiss to his crumpled forehead and finally, his skin smooths out. It takes a moment but soon his eyes flicker open and look up at you with wide, startled eyes.

“It’s okay,” you remind him, continuing to run your fingers through his hair, “You’re with me, you’re safe.”

He smiles but it only lasts for a moment and his eyes close again as he readjusts to his surroundings. His hand reaches up to rub at the tense skin on his face and even he seems to be surprised by the heat he finds there. He was always cool to the touch, even on the warmest summer day. Another side effect of his foul affliction.

“It isn’t me I’m worried about,” he all but whispers, as if he is unsure whether he wants to show any more weakness in front of you.

Then he sits, lifting his head from its comfortable place in your lap, and turns to you. His eyes flicker over your body as if searching for wounds and he closes his eyes again as he takes in a deep breath. “You are safe, that is all that matters.”

When you involuntarily raise a brow in question, he sighs and returns to his charismatic persona. “I was dreaming of you, darling. Although that dream would not be my preferred scenario, I must admit.”

Still, you watched him, waiting until he was ready to tell you the full truth.

He knew what you were doing. He knew you too well. You did not need to say anything for him to know you were waiting for elaboration. He could confide in you, he knew that. It was just… difficult at times to speak it out loud.

He seemed to shrink as his eyes flitted away from you, glancing at the ground for a moment before he looked back up at you again.

“Cazador had captured you. Captured us both. Instead of hurting me, he was hurting you. He was hurting you to hurt me and I could do nothing but sit by helplessly as it happened.”

You reached out, placing a gentle hand on his cheek, and he leaned into your welcome touch.

“It was just a dream. I’m here and I’m safe. We’re safe. He can’t hurt you anymore. I won’t let him.”

Usually, he’d have laughed at your words and told you that you were a fool for thinking he was truly out of his former master’s reach. One day Cazador would find him for in his search he was relentless. He would not let even a single slave escape him, not while he still lived.

Someday Astarion would have to face the music but, until that day came he wanted to enjoy the time he had with you. And, after hearing you speak that way, sounding so sure of yourself, he found he wanted to believe it too. That you would be by his side when the day came and that the two of you would emerge victorious, standing over the vampire lord’s corpse.

Until then, he’d offer you an honest smile and wrap an arm around your waist, pulling you close to him as he pushed his lips to yours.

He wasn’t sure when he stopped being afraid for himself and rather became afraid of losing you but it was a small price to pay in comparison to the joy you brought him. You had given him a purpose in life. A purpose that was more than just survival. You had shown him what it was to truly love and for that, he would forever be in your greatest debt.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Do you have any headcanons or anything of the sort regarding Precipice Moirai/PreMo? I'd like to hear what your thoughts are about them!

I don't think about Premo a ton (for people who are confused, this is Idia's favorite idol group), but here's how I personally picture them:

They're sisters.

They look youngish (or "ageless") but they're actually a bazillion years old. Don't ask them about how old they are or they'll give you that smile that doesn't fully reach their eyes.

Because they're so old, they've seen sooo much and are thus easily bored. They live for listening in on drama and scandals because those can get so absurd it provides some fleeting entertainment to them.

In interviews and talk shows, they drop very archaic, outdated jokes and have refined manners of speaking. It's an odd mix of how your grandma might talk combined with modern anachronisms (slang). It's very "how do you do, fellow kids" energy.

They get along in public, but they constantly bicker and act overly competitive in private (usually over borrowed items).

They came up with a really complicated and dark “anime-esque” backstory for how their group got together. No one knows if the backstory is really true or if it’s something their marketing team came up with as part of their “lore”.

In some interpretations, the Fates are specified as Clotho (who spins the threads of fate with her spindle), Lachesis (who measures the threads of fate using a measuring tape), and Atropos (who cuts the threads of fate using shears). In other interpretations, Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos represent past, present, and future respectively.

I think of each girl as being representative of one place in time. For example, the Fate representative of the present may be a carefree party goer who wants to "live in the moment", without thinking much of the consequences (the future) or her previous mistakes (the past).

I see Premo banking on these themes as motifs or image items for the corresponding idol girl (so one represents the past with her spindle, one represents the present with her measuring tape, etc.). I also headcanon that the idols have their own merch and fandom hand signals which make reference to each Fate's respective task. For example, there may be scissors on a Premo T-shirt or a scissor-like hand shape or cutting motion made to signal that you stan "Atropos" of the Fates.

Eyes are a prominent motif and are more universally associated with the group as a whole rather than an individual member. (This is because the Fates were fighting over a single eyeball in Disney's Hercules.)

It’s implied that the girls wear black, but I headcanon that most of their outfits are monochromatic, save for like maybe a few colorful accessories.

It would be cool if they also incorporated elements of Japanese mythology into their group's theme. More specifically, I love the idea of the three girls wearing a red ribbon or some slash of red on their outfits each time they perform. This would be a reference to the "red thread of fate" which permeates many east Asian cultures. It is said that this "thread of fate" connects you to someone you are destined to meet someday, someone who will change your life in some significant way. Typically this means romantically (which would fit in the culture of Japan promoting idols as "pure" and "avaliable" to their fans), but it can also be interpreted platonically. I think this makes a lot of sense given that the Fates are marketed as "three girls bound by Fate".

They blend traditional dance and attire with modern practices. It's very important to them to retain their history and culture, as well as to share it with a new generation so that they are preserved for the future.

They partner up/collaborate with organizations and programs that seek to educate others about history, such as museums and restoration projects. Again, this is because Premo truly cares about preserving history and teaching it to others.

[cordate-chordata]

Hey this is a weird thing to ask but do you have relationship headcanons for knockout x soundwave

An unusual question to get, so it could be called weird, I suppose, but I'm happy to be asked this! My favourite kind of weird! :D I haven't drawn them in years, but it's still a ship I really like

Answer under the cut

I do have headcanons about them, I guess. They depend on the scenario they're in, though. Like, what their life is like. I most of all like assuming that Transformers Prime played out as it did canonically, and KO and SW then got together afterwards. The exact How and Why? That's more murky. There's multiple cool ways to go about it.

There's a narrative one could thread about KO helping SW get out of the shadowzone. Which is sweet and all. I prefer a narrative where SW gets out on his own. Which, honestly, makes it trickier to spin a narrative on how they ended up together. If Knock Out had helped him, that would have created a reason for why they were interacting already. Without that, something else needs to be the reason why they get in touch again.

Which brings me more into headcanon area and not just plot threading. One of my headcanons for KO is that he's not a particularly good fit for staying an autobot. I see him as someone who'd do good being a neutral faction.

Soundwave is a decepticon through and through, for multiple reasons - political ideals, sunk cost falacy of having lost his cassettes safe for Laserbeak, more of a fighter who sticks to his goals than KO, tunnel vision, etc. I headcanon him to be in a lot of emotional pain with the decepticons disbanding. I like the idea of him begrudgingly coming to Knock Out for help with something (i.e. the best option of a medic available to him), and as they get talking (one-sided talking (at first?)) Knock Out's disenchantment with any faction starts rubbing off on him, OR, starts disillusioning him from how highly he holds the decepticon cause in his mind. Soundwave seems stupid to me with how he keeps holding onto the war instead of noticing how it's never going to achieve his goal of equality between all Cybertronian castes. He's not seeing the full picture whatsoever. Well, "stupid"… mean to say when I believe his reasons are tied to being mentally unwell and traumatized from his losses. His judgement isn't sound; let's leave it at that.

So then they become a neutral duo. Yippie!!! Trio with Laserbeak.

I headcanon Soundwave to have a face under his mask, which is half broken. So it's funny KO has another partner with a broken eye, since I hc him to have been in a relationship with Breakdown. Also sharp-toothed Soundwave supremacy. Also on the broken side the fangs are always visible because his lips and cheek are gone there oops

Also I hc Soundwave to fully lay off his vow of silence, but still not talk much.

I hc Knock Out to be more into bulky mechs (Breakdown, Optimus), but he thinks Soundwave's sleek appearance is attractive in an entirely different way - assuming SW remains in his Prime form, WHICH I want him to because that's my fav Soundwave design, even if others are really good too. KO finds records of gladiator Soundwave someday, where he still looks bulky AF, and loses his marbles over it. Confronting Soundwave about it earns him the information that that look was due to still having had all his cassettes. That info is like a punch to Knock Out's face, making him feel like shit. It becomes a depressing moment lmao sorry

I hc Soundwave to be really old, one of the first Cybertronians to be sparked. Knock Out on the other hand is young in comparisson, having been forged not super long before the war broke out. I like to think he's only just finished with his medical studies and established himself a slight bit in the field up until that point. I don't hc this because of an age gap or smth. I just like viewing SW as this old entity who was still very raw in the way he came to be and took his shape. Since the birth mechanism of Cybertronians is very wishy washy in canon, I have my own headcanons about that: Early Cybertronian's sparks simply appeared randomly on Cybertron and gathered mass around them to form their bodies - Soundwave was one of those. This spontaneous creation became less and less, and when it did happen, it became harder for the sparks to find unused ressources to form a body. Existing Cybertronians started forging bodies for those sparks, and also (maybe; not sure if I'm satisfied with this idea) came up with mechanisms with which to channel new sparks, easing them onto the planet, as the perimeters for them to appear in "the wild" became worse over time. Knock Out's spark appears towards the end of a time where sparks could still be eased in and could be eased in semi-frequently, but not long after that they started to wane and stop appearing at all. So he's the result of a time where only a few Cybertronians were worried about too few new sparks, and then after he'd been alive for a bit, it became a big deal with less and less and then no sparks coming. He didn't care for it much because he was busy with other things and hadn't been around for long enough to see it as his issue. Also he's just not the sort of person to care about that. KO just... doesn't seem like someone who's been alive for ages, to me.

That's a lot of headcanons about their lives separate from each other. What about them together? I don't have many headcanons there, I suppose. I like to think they'd co-exist nicely together. Not a super duper over the top heart eyes for each other couple, but something more mellow, always there for each other but not broadcast as a huge deal. They become deeply tied to each other and do yearn for each other's company, but can exist just fine alone, y'know? Soundwave causes Knock Out to be a bit more serious and less vain sometimes, and Knock Out causes Soundwave to be more lighthearted and show his shitlord memer side more often, when they're around each other.

I can see Knock Out be very caring towards Laserbeak, even if, if pointed out, he'll deny any sort of motherly or fatherly energy he gives off when with the cassette. And yeah, I subscribe to Laserbeak being sentient. At some point I read that they're supposed to be a mindless add-on in Prime (or was it stated in the show?), but nuh-uh. That's a mute mini-bot with no humanoid form.

I think that's all I got! Thanks for asking!

[batcrooks]

THE BATCROOKS AWARDS 2024

After keeping meticulous notes on every Media Property™ I consumed in 2024, here is my roundup of the BESTS!! It should probably be one thing per category but I couldn't decide so it's lots actually. And I broke down video games into so many categories because I play a lot of video games!!!

Best Movie I Watched for the First Time in 2024 (Live Action and Animated Categories)

What I wrote about them: Parasite - sooo good so tense and dark and funny? Isle of Dogs - what a DELIGHT. it was so fun to watch this film, i didn't want it to end. the animation was so good. the logistics behind the making of this movie are simply unbelievable. i can't believe this isn't a more beloved film.

Best TV Show I Watched in 2024 (Broadcast and Internet Categories)

What I wrote about them: Severance - SOO GOOD what a FUN SHOW. it has all the good tenseness of a thriller but it's also so funny in its absurdity. i must know more!! the work is mysterious and important Game Changer (season 6) - this season is very high concept. there have been some very funny ones and a couple eh. Sam Says 3 and the one where they had to find the buzzers were both top 5 episodes

Best Video Game (Multiplayer)

What I wrote about them: V Rising - VAMPIRES!! i loved this game for its tight and unwavering focus on being about vampires. you could build a house but it was always, always a vampire house. you can have a horse but it is a vampire horse. incredible. pretty cool combat and magical spells, some questionable level-up mechanics. mostly fun boss fights almost completely ruined by the final Dracula fight being so so overpowered. really enjoyed this one thanks Abiotic Factor - this has been a very cool survival crafting game, maybe one of the best. it reminds me of a lot of different games. mechanically it feels a bit like Raft, in that it has very unique setting and base building and a narrative thread and handcrafted things to explore. of course it has all the half life vibes but also way more SCP stuff than i would have expected and that's great because it is always fun. as of writing we are doing the reservoir section, which has been a lot more stressful than previous sections, but i think we'll probably get through it alright. with only a few exceptions (how long it took to unlock food recipes for example), the progression of craftables has been good. for the mostpart, resources haven't been very annoying to obtain (other than silver and carbon). the vibes are just so good throughout and so many things have been delightful. since it is early access, i'm not going to knock a star off for the Issues. it is an optimistic five stars. about 52 hours and we have completed all the early access. genuinely sad to stop playing it so i guess it was good!! the last chapter was a bit stressful but it was fun how many new gadgets we got to play with for a little while there. anyway it is now tied with v rising for best multiplayering of 2024

(have a lot to say about video games)

Best Video Game (Cat Plays) (Games I Played With an Audience) (Of Sourdeer)

What I wrote about them: The Roottrees are Dead - so good, better than Hand With Many Fingers. hope more games like this keep existing. the amount of info you got to trawl through was so fun. honestly considering replaying it when the steam remake comes out someday, which seems crazy for a mystery game but there was so much i doubt i'll remember everything. Lorelei and the Laser Eyes - a little heavy on the kind of arbitrary spookiness? I dunno how to explain it but it just often feels like games are spooky Just Because sometimes. The same as feeling like this and other games try to tackle high brow stuff Just Because. and the control scheme is WHACK lol. if it just had a "back out" button it would be fine tho. but this is another game that has made me feel so clever very often. it helps to play with multiple people contributing to the tricksy puzzles. It does seem to be a very meta video game which would be fine but it actually doesn't seem relevant to anything? The instruction booklet, the gameboy game of the maze, the ps1 games, the implication that the video game we are playing right now is also licensed in universe. It's INTERESTING but what does it have to do with the auteur filmmaker and the death of materialism and whatever they go on about all the time. But I'm really liking it so far. A good variety of puzzlers and lots to look into, have only felt stuck a few times. Comically long to-do list though. Could have maybe used more elegant level design? Only deal with one floor at a time maybe? Or at least less. But maybe having so many floating mysteries is part of the vibe actually. in the end i think it is firmly in the second tier of plays game, Very Good with a few flaws. most appreciated for being a rather long puzzle game. more of those please

Best Video Game (Sour Plays) (Games Sourdeer Played With an Audience) (Of me)

What I wrote about them: Hypnospace Outlaw - watched sour play. what a WEIRD THING!!! it was so finely crafted which is funny to say about something so absurd, but they really didn't skimp on anything in this. it really rewards exploring everything, and while i feel like it was maybe a little too loose i think there was just enough guidance with the cases to get you through the story that was happening. very chaotic The Rise of the Golden Idol - while i think overall it is not as good as the first one, i think that is mostly just because the first one was a brand new thing that shocked and awed us. the art style was a bit of a downgrade but still had the expected Vibes and the mysteries were just as satisfying to put together (if not as Cool thematically). i'm very glad to have future installments to look forward to. i can't even rate it a star lower because the gameplay is so good. i love golden idol. I.D.O.L.

Best Video Game (Singleplayer)

What I wrote about them: Dredge - really good!! addictive. 100%'d it Arco - i really liked it!! it was like a combo of West of Loathing and Chroma Squad gameplay-wise. it was really good stories and characters i liked them a lot. the pixels were so cute. i accidentally devoured the whole thing (about 13 hours) so fast but i think theres some replayability there sometime. make a few different choices and see what happens. Animal Well - a DELIGHT!! this game had moments where you felt soooo clever but it did also have some times that were a little hard or fiddly. i loved how it had no (very little) music but so much atmosphere. it was very pretty to look at. the backtracking could be annoying sometimes. but i like that it explained nothing and you could still figure out so much. i've gotten to the credits now as of writing (7.5 hours) but i know there's probably a lot hidden around i will try to find some. i see you smiley faces. i just have to remember how to get back to you. 10 hours later: i have gotten all the achievements which is 100%. to me. sourdeer had to help me get the last ten eggs but i think that overall it was a good difficulty throughout. if you dont try to do the rabbits and all the stuff sour is telling me about that is after even the second credits. so a Nice Game, Brent (Billy Basso)

Best Book I Read for the First Time in 2024

What I wrote about them: Children of Time - considering making this a top ten book. i really liked this one. (editor's note: there are diminishing returns on the sequels. The first one is so fun and innovative, but I don't recommend them past that. The second one is OK) Return of the Thief - yaay a satisfying ending :) it was really bold to introduce an entirely new character to be the POV for the last book in a series but it worked out really well i thought. a good character. everything all tied up in the end :) sad to finish, these were a lot of fun. it is sad that not a single one of these had a female POV. Eddis and Attolia were great but compared to the towering amount of male characters it doesn't seem great. but it is forgiveable. finally someone was gay in this one. so that's nice lol. (editor's note: i read this entire series for the first time this year and have chosen the final as the representative.) Assassin's Quest - Oh ok we are serious now!!! Actually fundamentally a bit less serious because there are dragons now but it made it work. Ended really bittersweet and if I didn't know the characters will return someday I would have been pretty thoroughly bummed out about it. Excellent fun book really elevated the other two. Fantasy books really get you drinking the divine right of kings koolaid. Will start on the next trilogy now, have no idea what to expect from it except that it isn't about any of these characters afaik but same world. It has been a real treat to stumble on to long completed series this year. (editors note: final book to a trilogy)

And that's it!! If you want to see every media I consumed this year and my star ratings and comments about them, here's a link to them! (It's a spreadsheet)

[shaxxophone]

What to know about the newly published, fully revised version of TGCF

For starters, it’s exciting stuff, I’ll tell you that!!! While I go into detail, please keep in mind that the version I am describing is the censored Simplified Chinese version, the version that has been released in mainland China. There is an expectation that the uncensored version will be released someday, but there are no announcements about this, and any discussion on that front right now would be purely speculation. For now, this is all we have.

And it still seems really freaking cool!!!

Last year when we were learning about the audio drama, we heard that we would be getting an extra 100k words with the revised edition. MXTX confirms this in a afterword at the end of the newly published books

However, some people are saying what we have gotten is closer to an extra 140k+ words (source is a respected fan translator within the mxtx community, who translated the mdzs audio drama)

With the edits, along with new storylines and hualian content, there has been a character that was removed entirely— Lang Ying. I presume, the ghost Lang Ying. The reasoning is presumed that he is one of the things clipped out in order to streamline the book, as mentioned in the image above.

There is a new extra that has been written for this release— it is a common practice for censored publications, in order to make up for any removed content. This one is supposedly about 10,000 words long. (Source is the official english translator of TGCF. She typo’d in her first post but corrects it later in the thread.) I will not spoil what it is, but everyone’s agreed that it’s really good!!!

Last of all, due to the censorship, there has obviously been some changes in how hualian interact, but according to some readers, it still feels very hualian. From what I can tell, the kissing to exchange power has been changed into forehead kisses. So cute!!!

Alright folks, that’s all I got!! If anyone knows anything more, or has anything to correct me on, please feel free to do so!!! Lets share the hype for this together!! 😁

[akechi-stole-my-heart]

code violet annotations chapter 7

this chapter took me Forever to figure out. i almost didn't have sumi join the team against yaldy at all, but then i decided it was mean to exclude her like she is in canon when there's no good reason to. this was my opportunity to include sumi and failing to do that would be a huge disservice to her!! also, pushing her true awakening ahead in the timeline let me do some super fun things with her later down the line :)

it also took me Forever to figure out the deal with her personas. i did a ton of research trying to find a good fit for her, since i've never been happy with cendrillon as her true persona (it works Very well for kasumire but....not really her true self. someday i gotta write a meta on it). i waffled back and forth between all sorts of different figures, including keeping cendrillon, so much considering that in the end i ended up just going with my initial idea LOL.

it's been a very popular fanon thing to associate sumi with odile and odette symbolically. i believe it initially came from a twitter thread about it? so, i decided to do what i've thought would have been cool ever since first reading that- gave her odile for her true awakening, when she accepts her true self as the one who stole the perfect princess's identity. sumire isn't the princess, she's a villain, and she's going to embrace that fact about herself. and then for her third awakening, give her odette. odette symbolizes the balance between cendrillon and odile, the synthesis of her two halves. odette is kasumi, who she carries with her forever, honoring her by being herself.

see, i really like the idea of kasumi transforming into sumire's persona, but it happens too soon in canon. there needs to be a moment when sumi accepts her true self as sumire first, before she's going back to kasumi as her mask. there's no antithesis of "i am myself" to the thesis "i want to become kasumi" before we get the synthesis of "i will honor kasumi by being myself" so it ends up feeling like sumi is still repeating her old mistakes of acting like kasumi.

well, anyway, let's not get too far ahead of ourselves. let's read the actual chapter now, shall we?

[ontherocks21]

Someday I'll Write It: (Interlude, Chapter 10 Sneak Peek)

Anakin Skywalker is no stranger to perilous situations. He’s been shot at, shot down, strung up, chased, captured – a few times on purpose, a few times not - and survived so many other calamities, that now Danger usually just winks at him and strolls right on by.

Usually being the key word there.

This time though?  No, this time Danger takes one long look at the handmaiden fastidiously watching their approach and immediately about-faces, pulls up a chair, and reaches for a freshly made bag of bang-corn.

To any other curious onlookers, nothing would seem amiss. Hands folded in the front of her gown, posture impeccably straight, Padmé’s handmaiden is the portrait of calm, cool, and collected.  But beneath the serene façade, Dormé fumes, her tranquil Force pool taut with unbearable surface tension.

Padmé recognizes her friend’s seething first, slowing at Anakin’s side just enough to snap his senses into high alert. Even had he not been trying to memorize – surreptitiously, of course – every detail of Padmé’s dazzling smile, it would have been impossible to miss the sudden shift.  One moment he’s basking in her scintillating blue current, still effervescent from their clandestine rendezvous; the next, he’s gasping and shaking from an abrupt plunge into her polar waters.  

Warily, Anakin’s gaze flicks between the two women squaring off outside Naboo’s offices, at once fascinated and terrified of their mirrored ability to transform into physical and ethereal blank slates.

“The Supreme Chancellor requests your immediate presence, milady,” Dormé says, only a subtle tremor threading through the words of her direct greeting.

“Did he say what for?” Padmé inquires just as evenly. 

“He did not,” Dormé replies. “Just that it was urgent.”

Like a cloud eclipsing the sun, Padmé stows the remaining radiance on her face behind Amidala’s aloof mask, vanishing into the Force without a trace despite her very real presence at his side.  The last time Padmé had disappeared from him like this, Anakin had found her barely breathing and sprawled unconscious on the floor of the Endeavor’s infirmaryfresher.  He almost shivers as the bleak memory drags its icy fingers along the back of his neck until an errant indigo flare zaps him out of his reverie.

He just manages to catch Dormé’s line of sight rove him from head-to-toe, the movement so quick he almost thinks he imagined it, but then an uneasy silence settles among their group.  Anakin knows Padmé’s handmaidens are virtuosos in the art of politics and subterfuge, but it takes him much longer than he cares to admit to recognize the inaudible conversation they are having right in front of him.

“Later,” Padmé murmurs.

In the Force, Dormé bristles a brief but brilliant teal, but she only nods, “Yes, milady.”  Motioning the Senator forward, Dormé returns to business, smoothing tangled curls and tugging gently at Padmé’s crown of braids until the woven strands appear purposefully disheveled.

“Thank you,” Padmé mouths, bestowing her loyal friend with a lingering grateful smile.  Then, not even checking to see if he’s following, Padmé tosses a curt “Let’s go” over her shoulder, her pace brisk.  Anakin throws Dormé an apologetic wince that earns him a sideways glare, and hurries after Naboo’s Senator.

In less than three strides, Anakin catches up with Padmé’s rapid yet much shorter steps.  Three more after that, and he’s drowning in her growing unease. He hadn’t been blind to the three words at the end of the short exchange carrying more weight than the entire looming summons from the Chancellor.  However quickly the bursts of color had been smothered, Anakin had sensed the rift shimmering in the Force between the two women.  All he can hope now is that his spectral insight might settle Padmé’s inner turmoil.

“I get the sense she was more frightened than angry,” he says, after a few more strides of strained silence.

Padmé shoots him a quizzical look, before Amidala directs her focus forward again.  “Even so, she has every right to be upset,” she mutters.  “We were gong too long.  That was reckless.”

Anakin flinches at the harshness in her voice. True, they had lost track of time and there would undoubtedly be hell to pay for it later, but he would be damned if Padmé got it into her head that their moment of heaven in the hallway had been anything but worth it.

With a quick glance around them, Anakin boldly bumps her hip with his. “Don’t mistake bravery for recklessness.”

Padmé’s determined pace falters ever so slightly, a soft smile tugging appreciatively at the thin, hard line of her lips.  He’s basking in the warmth returning slowly to her edges when she startles, realization suddenly freezing her mid-stride.

“Wait,” Padmé says, turning to him fully, her face confused.  “That’s not how the expression goes.”

Anakin’s brow scrunches. “Really?” 

She nods. He shrugs. 

“That’s the only way I’ve ever heard it.”

Tilting her head, Padmé searches his eyes, narrowing them when Anakin can’t feign his perplexity any longer, his mouth twisting into a perfectly stupid grin.  For a moment, her small hands raise as if to shove his shoulder, but she remembers their public playground just in time, and turns away, resuming their trek.

“Somehow I seriously doubt that,” she teases.

“You know, come to think of it…” Anakin says, hot on her heels. “There’s a good chance I have been hearing it backwards this whole time since…” He pauses on purpose, dangling the end of his thought like bait.  “Master Yoda is the one constantly saying it to me.”

Amusement dancing in her eyes, Padmé rolls her lips to keep her laughter contained.  They’ve arrived at the Chancellor’s receiving chambers, and it would be a bit uncouth to enter a professional setting doubled over in giggles.  A bit conspicuous too, in all the wrong ways.

Nevertheless, the warmth blooming in his chest continues to grow even as Padmé’s mirth sobers.  Surprising him given their current location, she takes a step closer, her voice dropping to a husky whisper. Despite the levity still simmering between them, fear slithers coldly down Anakin’s spine even as her proximity makes a dangerous heat lick upward.

“I need to say something before we walk in,” Padmé says softly, pausing when a colleague walks past and only pulling her serious brown gaze back to him when the diplomat travels beyond earshot.  “I’m going to do my best to completely ignore you.”

“Ignore me?” Anakin tries not to sound affronted, but admittedly he is.  “Why?”

“You’re supposed to be my security detail, nothing more.”  Padmé hesitates, and Anakin practically watches the words roll around in her mind before she bravely steals another quick surveillance of their surroundings.  “Apparently,” she explains through gritted teeth, “I’m incapable of not blushing when anyone so much as mentions you.”

And that was a story he intended to ask about at another time.  For now, Anakin winks devilishly, stepping back and gesturing gallantly to the chamber door.

“Activating invisible mode now, milady.”

[unaloid]

i wonder how season 3 would've treated lord dominator from all the way from the beginning to the true series finale? mini-redemption while sticking to her normal self? some sort of revenge? change lf heart? idk? i hope for a true ending someday. all i know is i'd like to get her new threads and out of that bubble. 😭

one of the first things i drew after my rewatch was an idea for dominator in s3, basically she has to keep showing up bcuz she is forced to rely on them for help, as much as she hates it. idk if i still would do it like that since that was old but yea.

i would lovvvee her just showing up on whatever planet the main 4 are on and fucking wit them doing goofy shit, its rare we get to see her engage with anyone genuinely as an actual character rather than a threat. itd be alot of fun to see her on equal grounds to the others. or below them.

selfishly, i would like to see her spiralling, and not knowing how to function now that shes powerless. i want her in a really bad place, so that people take pity on her and help her even if she doesnt deserve it, this is definitely me projecting onto her tho. i could talk about this more becauuuuse i am crazy

it would be neat to see her building herself back up tho, im thinking of that comic someone made where shes in a hoodie trying to recruit peepers and i thought that was cool i cant find it rn. but she still ends up needing the help of someone else so thats progress for her ^_^

[hillbillyoracle]

Journal Hacking

I’m not sure if this will make sense to anyone else but I wanted to document something I’ve been trying lately with regards to planning/bujo/journaling type things. Even if only so I can go back and see what I did lol. 

So I have been bullet journaling in some form on and off since 2014. So it’s been a minute. And while I like it on the whole, it’s just not been working out for me lately. I tried a Hobonichi weeks mega and while I really like some aspects it’s just not enough room for me. My handwriting is not that small. 

I ran across a simplified GTD-like system called Ugmonk Analog and I liked the principles (even if I didn’t like the price tag) so I adapted it to my new journal. 

Ugmonk’s Analog system has three cards - Today, Next, and Someday. I’m just using notecards I have for this. I put the Today card on my cover with washi tape so I can see it without opening my notebook and easily write things down (my pen is in the loop to the side there). 

The Next and the Someday cards - along with some others are in the inside. I made the pocket by taping one of the notecards horizontally and taping the two outside sides. 

The long bit of text on the inside cover is the Heart Sutra. I like to write it on notebooks I’ll be using regularly so I pause and reflect on it more regularly. 

In addition to Next and Someday cards, I have a blank one for scratch paper and one with my ideal timelines for doing home and personal tasks. The personal side is lacking, I’m kind of in a state of transition on that so I’m unclear what I want to do regularly. The house stuff never happens all the way but I like knowing what I’d like to do when I’m adding tasks to my Today card. 

I think my favorite part of this system is the memory keeping part. It’s not super elegant or pretty but on the pack of each today card, I record any notable things about the day on the top (period, mood, fights, symptoms) with a hashtag, the weather, and then I fill the card with what I did that day. It’s been very helpful so far for jogging my memory throughout the week. I like that I can pull them out and see as many as I’d like throughout the week. I plan on digitizing them at the end of the year and keeping the last year as a hard copy. 

I keep the card in this little green box. Might decorate it soon. 

I don’t really feel like sharing my finished cards so hopefully this gives you an idea. I like that I can see what happened in a day and what I got done on one card. 

So yeah, I’m really liking it so far. I still do long form journaling (Morning Pages type things) in the notebook itself. I actually turn it so the short side is on the top and it’s kind of like writing on an A4 sheet of paper. I do that so I don’t start auto rereading old journal entries when I’m flipping through for other stuff. I index and thread anything that isn’t journal entries like I would a normal bullet journal. Right now I have some random notes for subject I’m studying, some pen and paper games I’m playing, and writing notes. 

I’m also going to add either an A6 monthly calendar or print my own calendar set up to add to the back pocket for scheduling things in advance. I know everyone uses Google Calendar but I never check mine much. So people can schedule things with me on my Google Cal but my source of truth will be the hard copy. 

Some resources I took inspiration from in setting all this up: 

- OG Bullet Journal - I’m surprised by how many people I’ve met who don’t know that bullet journaling isn’t just making your own pretty planner but an actual system (no shade to the art journaling folks, I’m just not one of them). When I say I use bullet journaling, this is what I’m using. Check for some of his more recent videos if you like it, he’s updated it. 

- Ugmonk Analog - slightly expanded to-do list system on paper; the product seems nice but they’ve actually been very supportive of people making their own knockoff versions for personal use which is cool to see

- Everbook - I think if I had more to juggle, I’d upgrade to something like this system. This guy has so many neat ideas sprinkled throughout the channel. He also really supports people making their own version. Love a good open source ethos. 

Anyways - hope this helps someone! 

[twidiarie]

my head hurts from the burden of my miles and miles of locks that hang on

by millions of threads weaved into my skull

a matted and tangled mess

I open the window of my towel, miles and miles above the ground

the grass, the dirt, the comfort of cool breezes and warm rays of sunshine

nature

freedom

the tower that mother built. strong walls, impervious to the elements, I tell myself.

in secretion, they can not find me,

the monsters outside

But sometimes I notice the cracks and the leaks

the harsh biting winds that freeze my veins and the beating sun that melts my insides, nature

freedom

and sometimes I notice that

the monsters are inside, too

mother isn't here. not right now anyway

mother pops in and out whenever she wishes

to scold me for entertaining thoughts of impulse, to fling myself into danger

she coaxes me back into safety

into the dark corners of these four walls

I stare back, away from the world into the world I've created

my bubble of unfulfilled dreams and fantasies

where day and night blend into each other seamlessly, with no perceivable dichotomy

paint splattering my walls that depict the emotions and the feelings and the universe and everything that I have ever known expressed through the hues I understand

and the splotches of ink that cement my existence, immortalize my mind, stain my parchment

lights illuminate the stage of where I prance and I sing and I perform, draped in the world's finest silks woven out of starlight

for imaginary spectators and crowds

all wearing my face

in these moments,

I am an artist! I am a thinker! I am an engineer! I am a maker! I am whatever I want to be! I am so, so human!

worlds within worlds,

a reflection of the inside of my burdened, heavy head

it would be so simple,

to cut my tresses.

the knife is somewhere, in the piles of my creations

to work through the mats, to braid the mangled mess into a rope

the rope I can toss out the window into the world

but there's so much to do, isn't there?

I should wait. I should bide my time

the prince, he's coming

my savior, my love, the one with the true rope.

hope.

surely, he'll be here, someday

when the prince comes, I'll be out into the world with him, and all my desires trapped into bubbles will go pop pop and explode like fireworks

and everything will fall into place

just like magic

just like those fairytales

And like that, happily ever after.

right?

[kafus]

okayyy so as for actual episode thoughts

grrr biting thrashing gnawing the bars so much is being set up and i really feel like this arc is going to get exciting. briar and sazare (perrin) both introduced in the same episode with clear and established roles in the plot… though i wonder what the hell carmine is going to be doing still?? her intro episode didn’t even seem to imply what on earth she’ll be doing but she has a whole sequence in the op so definitely… something…

i’ve seen some people take briar seeing a terapagos before and writing a book on it as proof that horizons is happening directly after the plot of the main games but i don’t personally agree, not that it isn’t possible but i just don’t think that’s enough proof. as far as i’m aware the anime has always loosely ripped on game plot threads without actually being in the game timeline and i don’t know why that would change now.

that being said knowing that there is, or at least was, another minimum of at least one other terapagos recently enough for briar to have personally seen one is a pretty big deal! terapagos’ whole thing in the games is that there is just one of them left, the one you catch is based pretty explicitly on Lonesome George (the last remaining member of the pinta island tortoise who went extinct in 2012) so like. cool to hear there’s at least a couple out there. could have lore implications

btw i try not to involve the games too much in my discussion of horizons in general just because i treat them as separate things more than other people i think, but it is worth acknowledging that the milotic that attacks you in SV is programmed to be tera ghost but never actually terastilizes, this was only found out through datamining... it makes sense with the whole Dead People thing but it's really odd that it never terastilizes. so i think it's interesting that it does in the anime and pretty much immediately too. idk how to elaborate on this i just thought that was Interesting. they referenced something from the games that doesn't even... happen lol

i thought for sure we were going to see the woman in the trailer for this arc/in the op at the shining pond this episode so i was surprised it didn’t happen. also, if they do end up only seeing her and not lucius, does that imply that lucius is somehow alive? or is it just coincidence? many questions of which i do not have the answers to… i'm so curious UGH and also the existence of hisui pokemon... dot acknowledges they SHOULD be impossible, so i'm really curious where they came from or how they survived... MAN

really loved dot in this episode, it’s fun to see her going out on her own and then interacting on her own, as per usual i feel like cheering seeing her do anything independently lmao. continues to be sweet how she’s so awkward but powers through on account of her interest in pokemon (which was brought up twice in this episode, first with briar where she talked about welcamo, and then indirectly with sazare. one of the most consistent things about her.) welcamo/kuwassu has always taken care of dot but it was cool to see her verbally acknowledge that kuwassu kind of Chose Her instead of the other way around. i really hope someday we get some sort of Dot Kuwassu Origins episode, i want to see how they met and bonded when dot wasn't interested in becoming a trainer herself

anyway liko asking dot if she's okay and sitting next to her at briar's tent send post

[crimeronan]

i love all the comics coming out about luz explaining bisexuality to hunter theyre all so fucking funny and choice. i gotta join the headcanon train i've been thinking about how this would go down and CANNOT stop imagining, just. like. god

hunter already knows he finds any gender attractive. however hunter did NOT know that there's a word for this. he basically asks luz why there's a word for "water is wet" and luz is like oh boy. alright i'm not explaining homophobia to you. but hunter are you. are you aware that.... that not...... not everyone. is bisexual

hunter was not aware of this. hunter finds this entire concept both baffling and vexing. so he immediately starts in with a million threads of "but HOW. but WHY. but that MAKES NO SENSE" that just get increasingly autistic. while luz is like I DUNNO DUDE. SEXUALITY IS FLUID I CAN'T WRITE YOU A THESIS ON IT RN I AM FOURTEEN YEARS OLD I'M JUST ONLINE

hunter's like "but that's STUPID!!!" luz is like my man. my guy. my dude my pal. you have No Idea how many microaggressions you're committing right now. Ohhh My God

then in trying to explain it Again, luz is very patiently like "well i like a lot of different types of people! amity likes girls exclusively though. it's just how she is"

which causes hunter to get caught in another loop of "BUT WHY THOUGH. THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH BOYS THEY LOOK NICE"

"she's just never liked a boy like that!"

"BUT WHAT IF ONE DAY SHE MEETS A NEW BOY AND THEN-"

"oh my god. hunter. you had no way of knowing this so it's okay but 'maybe someday you'll meet the right person' is like, the WORST thing you can POSSIBLY say. don't do that. it really doesn't matter That Much. you don't have to get it. it's fine"

hunter's like well okay fair enough i don't care enough about it to tread on people's toes. but also i hate this. i hate that you have cursed me with this knowledge and that i'm going to lay awake haunted for at least a week trying to figure it all out. why doesn't everybody in the entire world just do things that make sense to me, someone who is completely normal and rational about everything all the time

luz is like. alright drama queen. we can find some books and articles and stuff about it. is that cool??

hunter agrees to this and immediately perks up upon being told that there's an entire field of study just dedicated to stuff like this. but then after a second, still sounding just as vexed as before, he goes "i feel like i must be missing something obvious. i don't even know what gender MEANS"

"okay. what if.... i tell you...... that there are words for that, too."

"NOOOOOOOOOO,"

and basically all of this deeply silly nonsense resolves with luz just being like. alright my bisexual genderqueer weirdo broski whom i love so much. PLEASE ask me for etiquette tips before you go out and meet Literally Any gay people at all in the human world, anywhere, ever. i am Fucking Begging You,

[tj-dragonblade]

WIP Wednesday Accountability Version

As put in front of me by @seiya-starsniper - let's ignite some progress on some stuff!

Rules:

Post up to five (5) filenames of your WIPs; not titles, file names. Post a snippet from one of them. Snippet must be words you wrote in the last 7 days. We’re posting progress here. If you haven’t made any, go make some and come back to play! After you’ve posted, people can send you an ask with one of your file names. You must then write 3 sentences in that file and share by answering the ask. If the filename is one you can't share from (for example, an event or gift fic), write 3 sentences on it anyway, and then 3 more on another to share. You can make your own post or reblog from the original post if preferred. No tags needed, please run with this if you feel like it!

My five wip filenames, all Dreamling, all potentially explicit:

1889 rain kiss

Academic Conference AU

A3 Adoration

smapril treasure

Greek Vacation AU

Snippet of words written Monday, from #1:

~

The guilt curls deeper, drawing Dream's thoughts in with it. Hob is justified in holding such fears; if Dream is to name him Friend, he would do well to assuage them.

"You have carried this fear more than a century. It will not be dispelled in the span of mere months." Indeed, that is the point of this nightmare; but again. It is within Dream's power to offer at least an attempt at reassurance.

It does not come easily, as it encompasses admission of fault, but. He must try.

"Hob." He waits until Hob's wet eyes are fixed on him. "I am…difficult, and my temper is…volatile. It is very possible, perhaps even probable, that I will. Take offense where it is not meant, someday again, but know this." He can feel the truth of it settling into the core of his being before the words are spoken. "I will always return. To you. However long it may take my temper to cool. I will not forsake our bond so lightly."

"Our bond, huh?" Hob flashes a watery, lopsided grin.

"Would you not name it so? Is friendship not a bond?"

"Yes. Of course. My dear friend." There is something in Hob's smile now that is both pleased and sad, a bittersweet note that sings of take what is given and do not seek for more and Dream. Can feel the thread of it plucked throughout the dreamscape, resonating with the notes of do not push and do not invite rejection that sound within himself.

Is it possible, then—

Does Hob feel toward him. Any semblance, of what he feels for Hob?

[brandogenius]

Can we get pheobe with an artist!reader who’s always creating things and gift giving homemade art pieces to her and the boys? ( Artist! reader has 100% given Phoebe a glitter flower bouquet before omg)

-🐹

OMG!! hamster anon hi!! AHHH!!! my first phoebe request !! this is such a cool request what the heck??? i’m so excited to write this !!!

note: IVE COME TO EDIT THIS! this is so cute it’s my roman empire i love it so much omfg i want to write this into an au someday

‼️ RPF‼️

HC - phoebe x artist! reader

- phoebe has a little shelf on her desk dedicated to every little trinket snd craft you make her.

- your love language is gift giving, you go ALL out for birthdays and holidays. creating gifts for phoebe and the boys.

- some of your favourites crafts you’ve made for the boys and phoebe include a small trinket dish for phone. one you can put all her rings and jewellery into! made from clay it took you about three days to make

- another one was a small vase in the shape of a torso for lucy, perfect to hold flowers into.

- for julien it 100% had to be oil painting of her dog beans. it might’ve took you the longest to make but the reaction was 100% worth it.

- art is your favourite hobby. art supplies litter the small coffee table that resides in phoebe and yours apartment.

- phoebe occasionally goes off to the studio, coming back all giddy like a child who got their first candy bar, hands and pockets filled with various kinds of rocks she picked up off the road. “will you paint them for me? we could paint them together” obviously you could not say no to her

- you spend the night with phoebe on the floor, surrounded by blankets and paints, painting words onto the small smooth rocks your girlfriend picked up off the side of the road.

- you end up trading rocks throughout the night. the ones phoebe gives you are displayed proudly in your shelf whilst phoebe keeps the smallest one you gave her in her pocket at all time.

- “i can show everyone how talented you are” “phoebe it’s just a painted rock” “shh i know but look how beautiful it is”

- buying gifts is always nice but you prefer to make / refurbish gifts.

- you like to go thrifting for clothes, often buying something for yourself sometimes you may come across something pb would wear. you bring it home and get working on designing the back with embroidery thread or sewing hand made patches onto the sleeves.

- GLITTER BOUQUETS !! may be a nightmare to clean up but the reaction on phoebes face is worth the pain

- you like to make small little origami bouquets of flowers beside the small handmade dish you made, where phoebe puts her keys. whenever she has to leave in the morning she wakes up to a new bouquet of small paper flowers she totslly doesn’t tear up over.

- you teach phoebe how to paint

- pottery nights where you both make whatever you want. phoebe tries to make a mug but fails

- tries to be romantic and do something out of ghost but ends up giggling and ruining the moment

- “dude i wish i had the hands of a pottery god like you because this is some bullshit right here”

- phoebe may not have the talent in pottery but that’s ok. she’s good at many other things

- like making paper airplanes or painting rocks. you love all of them.

- lego. it may not be an artistic thing but you love making lego with phoebe. the lego flowers end up in a vase (multiple of your origami flowers end up there too)

- one of the paintings you’re currently working on right now is a surprise for phoebes bday. an intricate painting of one of the times you caught phoebe sitting on the couch, mindlessly strumming away on the guitar, seeming to be in her own little world.

[sterekbros]

time and a bottle of hope (1339 words) by Winchesterek

Relationships: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski Characters: Derek Hale, Stiles Stilinski Additional Tags: Established Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Mates Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Future Fic, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, FBI Agent Stiles Stilinski, True Alpha Derek Hale, Derek Hale Deserves Nice Things, Stiles Stilinski is a Nice Thing, Alternate Universe - Post-Canon For @sterekfests bonfire and @sterekweekly moon

The air was cool against his lips as Stiles sat in the dark, the only thing lighting their surroundings being the moon that was high in the sky and the bonfire blazing in front of them. The full moon would be a in few days and he couldn't wait for Derek to shift and run, letting himself free on their property.

Seeing him like that made Stiles feel like something right was happening in the world when all the darkness threatened to steal away any slice of happiness they had. But it hadn't been like that for at least a year now, even if Stiles felt like he was always waiting for the other shoe to drop. For something or someone to show up and take everything away.

He shifted when Derek came back and sat down behind him, blanket in hand.

“You know that you keep me warm enough and we have a fire, right?” Stiles asked with a chuckle.

“Well, you never know. I know you’ve been cold lately and I want to make sure you don't get sick. I still wish you’d get the bite, sometimes,” Derek replied as he scooted up behind Stiles, while Stiles settled between Derek’s legs and leaned back against him.

“Maybe someday. And you know I’ll only get it from you, right?” Stiles wouldn't have it any other way. He didn't trust anyone else to give him the bite and Stiles didn't want to be bound to anyone other than Derek, ever.

“I know. And I wouldn't want it any other way.” Derek opened the blanket and laid it over Stiles, tucking it around them. Stiles knew that soon enough he would be boiling under the blanket with Derek’s heat radiating off of him like it always did.

Stiles smiled, closing his eyes, and breathed deeply. He smoothed his hands over Derek’s arms as Derek hugged him close to his chest. He relished moments like this, feeling Derek’s love through their matebond. If they could stay locked away from the rest of the world forever, Stiles would do just that. It felt like they had over the last year.

“Beautiful night,” Derek said quietly as if he were afraid to break the fragileness of the moment.

“Not more beautiful than you,” Stiles teased as he opened his eyes and leaned sideways enough to look at Derek. He loved seeing Derek’s cheeks flush at something so simple as calling him beautiful.

“The full moon is soon,” Derek added, but Stiles wouldn't let him change the subject that easily.

“And you’ll be beautiful then too when you’re in full-shift running under the moonlight.” The tips of Derek’s ears were red and Stiles knew it wasn't from the cold. He really didn't know how to take a compliment, even if they were mated and practically married at this point.

“You really think that?” Derek asked softly.

“Of course. Why wouldn't I think that? You know I love your wolf. I love you in all of your forms.” Stiles leaned up to kiss Derek on the cheek, turning his head as Derek buried his face against Stiles’ neck with one of those happy rumbles that Stiles always teased Derek about because it sounded like he was purring.

“Thank you, for everything,” came Derek’s voice, muffled against Stiles’ neck.

They were words that Stiles had heard on more than one occasion and he kept reminding Derek he had nothing to thank him for, but he knew where Derek was coming from. And without each other, Stiles didn't think he’d have anything to be thankful for either.

“I love you.” Stiles’ hand moved out from under the blanket and threaded through Derek’s hair, scratching gently at his scalp. “Forever. You know that, right?”

“I know… and I’ll love you the same. Forever. Remember, that’s the whole point.” Derek pressed a kiss against Stiles’ mating bite and it sent warmth radiating through his chest as he felt the truth of Derek’s words there.

“Yeah, it is.” It wasn't the first time they’d made that promise, but Stiles knew they both needed the reminder sometimes. And he was more than happy to give it to Derek whenever either of them needed it.

Sometimes Stiles thought about what their lives might be like if it wasn't just the two of them. If they’d ever have kids or get married officially. He was happy with how things were now and he had no wants or needs that were being unmet, but he felt that they had so much love to share that he wanted more.

It was selfish, he knew, but Stiles couldn't help but want. “Do you ever think of having kids?”

The question would likely seem abrupt to Derek, but Stiles didn't think it would be an issue talking about it. Derek hmm’d against his neck and drew away to press a kiss to Stiles’ temple.

“I guess that was something I never thought about… after everything, I didn't think that was in the cards for me. But I never thought I’d have you either. Have this. Be happy.” Derek’s words sunk inside of Stiles and he wished more than once he could erase Derek’s past and take away all his pain. It was easier now, but he knew it was still painful.

“But now?” Stiles prompted, wondering if there was more.

“Now…” Derek was quiet as he pressed his lips against Stiles’ temple again, breathing deeply and running his nose through Stiles’ hair.

“Maybe… I think there’s a lot of stuff we’d have to do to have kids. We’d have to get a bigger house, for one,” Derek added with a chuckle. “But someday. If we’re adopting it’ll be a long process. Years.”

Years. Stiles had never thought about that. But he guessed Derek was right. They couldn't just pick up an abandoned werewolf kid somewhere and claim them as theirs. They still lived in the human world where laws ruled everything. There were legal things they’d have to do in order to have kids.

“Maybe we can get someone to have a baby for us. Like a surrogate. I wouldn't care if it were you or me that were the biological father.” It was something that Stiles hadn’t really thought of before…getting someone to have a child for him, but whatever got them a child that was theirs, he would be all for it.

“Maybe…” Derek replied and nuzzled the side of Stiles’ head. “We could look into companies that facilitate those services unless you have someone in mind.”

Stiles thought about the women in his life…Lydia and Allison. He wasn't sure that either of them would want to birth a kid for them but he supposed he wouldn’t know until he asked. “We should look into the services, I think. Just so we know what we’re getting into and how much it’s going to cost.”

“Cost isn’t an issue. If that’s what you want and what we decide to do as a couple, then I’ll pay for it,” Derek replied, running his hands along Stiles’ arms as he held him.

Stiles always forgot about Derek’s inheritance, or maybe neither of them wanted to think about it because it always seemed like it was blood money. Thankfully Derek made his own money renting out space in his building.

Money was something they’d never have to worry about even without Derek’s inheritance. Stiles tried to tell himself that he shouldn't feel bad about the money. Derek had always told him whatever was his, was also Stiles’ because they were mates.

“Something to think about,” Stiles replied softly, turning his head enough to kiss Derek gently, then nuzzling against him more.

“Yeah… we have time.”

It was something that Stiles never thought they’d have. Time.

Time together, time to grow, and time to have a future.

He smiled and closed his eyes, letting the moonlight shine down upon them and the fire warm his skin as he rested in Derek’s arms.

Derek was right. They had time.

[auroraknux]

If it is okay to ask a second time: 🤲, 🎉 and 🧠 for the fanfic game? (if not pls just ignore this ask ;) )

Oh that's totally fine! (Barely anyone is sending anything anyway.)

--

🎉 What leads you to consider a fic a success?

If it gets a decent amount of attention, I guess. Lots of views, comments, and/or bookmarks. (Warmth and Safety once got recommended twice in the same Twitter thread, so I'd definitely consider that a success lol.)

--

🧠 Pick a character, and I'll tell you my favorite headcanon for them.

You didn't give me a character, so I'll just pick the Bros lol. I love the really common idea that Mario protected Luigi from bullies growing up. (The movie even seems to support this!)

--

🤲 Would you please share a snippet of a wip?

Sure! I considered posting something from the eel scene rewrite (which I can still do if someone asks!). But instead, here's a snippet from the post-movie fic where Luigi and Peach bond over cake and trauma.

Please remember that this is part of an unfinished draft, and will get revisions when/if it's finished.

(For a bit of context: Peach has baked before, but it's been a long time since then, and she's very rusty.)

--

The timer dinged, shaking her out of her thoughts. She nearly forgot to use potholders when taking the cake out of the oven. Fortunately, she remembered before she could burn herself.

After the cake had a chance to cool, she tried a bite of it. It was crumbly, and fell apart at her touch. She frowned. What had she done wrong?

"Hey."

She whipped around, karate hands at the ready.

Luigi put his hands up. "Sorry, sorry! Didn't mean to startle you."

Peach relaxed. "It's fine." She smiled. "What brings you here? Where's Mario?"

"Mario's at his therapy appointment, so I'm by myself today." Luigi scratched his hand. "I'm…bored, I guess."

Peach figured it was more than that. She had noticed how the two were almost never apart. Apparently it had been this way since they were young, but they had become especially clingy after their adventure. Luigi was probably feeling anxious by himself. She could use the company anyway.

"I tried baking a cake today. It came out a bit…bad."

Luigi inspected it. "Hmmm…yeah, it looks a bit dry."

"A bit" was quite the understatement.

He stroked his mustache. "You might've used too much flour, or too little butter and eggs."

"Oh, was that the problem?" Peach smiled, an idea coming to her. "I have enough ingredients left to try again. Maybe you could help me this time?"

Luigi's face lit up. "Sure!"

Peach did genuinely want his advice, but that wasn't the main reason for doing this. She knew Luigi needed a distraction right now, and this seemed like the best way to do it.

The two set to work on the cake (after scraping the remains of the other one into the garbage). Luigi showed her how to properly measure the ingredients, and gave her other advice every now and then. Before long, they had another cake in the oven.

"Thanks for the help," said Peach. "Where'd you learn all of this?"

"My Ma. I've helped her out in the kitchen lots of times. I've always paid close attention to what she does. I want to be able to cook for me and Mario when we someday get our own place."

Peach smiled. She thought it was sweet how the brothers intended to stay together, even as adults. While she'd been raised alongside other children, she'd never had any siblings of her own. She wondered what it was like to have a bond like Mario and Luigi's. To have someone that had been by your side since birth, who understood you like nobody else. She was almost jealous of what they had.

"Thanks for letting me hang out," said Luigi.

“Of course. You're welcome here any time.”

The timer dinged.

Luigi grabbed the pot holders. "I'll get it!"

He opened the oven. His cheery face suddenly changed to one of terror. He screamed and scrambled backwards, bumping into the counter.