#❪ — ii. meme / all i want right now is one more prompt. ❫

[priestbitmoved]

                                  [ ˑ ˑ ˑ ]          𝑷̲̅ 𝑹̲̅ 𝑰̲̅ 𝑬̲̅ 𝑺̲̅ 𝑻̲̅ 𝑩̲̅ 𝑰̲̅ 𝑻̲̅          :     AN INDEPENDENT, SELECTIVE,  AND PRIVATE WRITING BLOG FOR DONOVAN "DONNIE" WATTS,  AN ORIGINAL CHARACTER INSPIRED BY SOUTHWESTERN GOTHIC,  HORROR,  AND HEAVY METAL.     21+ ONLY, MINORS DNI.     TRIGGERING AND ADULT CONTENT MAY BE PRESENT,  PLEASE BE ADVISED.

                        SLIDES   .    SIDEBLOG   . PROMPTS . METAS .

I )     this is a private writing blog for an original character, donovan " donnie " watts. any headcanons, lore or npc’s that you see crop up on this blog belong to me and i ask that you do not steal or copy them. be assured that i will know if you do attempt to do this. donnie and his extended universe are being worked into a novel i’ve been working on for well over a year now, as such, my in character writing here will be scarce. my main focus on this blog is to develop donnie’s character and his setting. meta, headcanon and development posts will be far more frequent here than any writing will be. i am also in full-time work, where my job is to spend my day writing. so, this blog will be in a state of permanent low-activity. this means i will likely take a long while to get back to thread replies or meme responses on the dash, though i am always available via the tumblr messenger to plot and to keep in touch. i value my friendships here and the development of ic interactions above all else. the writing is for fun and keeping up with my writing skills, and shall be treated as such.

please note that any in character writing will be in the past tense, and will be written in the same style i use for my off-tumblr projects, as i find that sinking into the habit of writing in overly flowery prose can often harm my writing overall. so, i will be looking to unlearn this habit.

II )     this blog is highly selective, and very mutually exclusive. i will be keeping my dash small and my following count the same. i frequently clear out my following list by softblocking. i want to make this blog as stress-free and as friends-only as i possibly can. i value my friendships here, i do not engage with the 'you don't owe anybody anything' mindset that seems to be so popular, because i believe that at the very least, you owe people your kindness, your compassion, your empathy, and your respect. i would ask that if you disagree with that, don't follow me. i also ask that minors dni. basically, if you’re under the age of twenty - one, i won’t be interacting for my own comfort!

i do not interact with anybody that insights hatred of any kind: this includes racism, ableism, antisemitism, homo / trans / xeno / islamophobia and any other forms of bigotry. if you, the mun, express any republican, tory, or right-wing views then you can kindly see your way off my blog. you’re not welcome here.

i will not be engaging in vague-posting or dash drama of any kind, though i will keep my ear to the ground about harmful individuals and block them. if any callouts of an extremely harmful nature cross my dashboard, i will act accordingly. i do not agree with petty callouts or cancel culture as a whole, so keep that away from my dashboard, i don't want to see it. if you have a problem with me or something i've said then please make an effort to reach out before posting a vague or attempting to involve others. i'm all about peaceful resolutions, i promise i'm not going to hold it against you if you’ve got a problem with me or something i’ve done or said. i only ask that you come to me and discuss it privately so we can resolve the issue like adults.

 a note for if i raise an issue with anybody:  i promise you that any issue i raise with my mutuals isn't intended to be a personal attack, regardless of my tone or my emotion in that moment. it is meant to communicate and open a discussion about said issue so we can work through it and resolve it as and when we can (as i 100% understand that talking about things going wrong can be mentally taxing and that we may need to take breaks to accommodate that. i would ask that we communicate that with one another instead of leaving things hanging in silence for prolonged periods. for me, that kind of thing is triggering. i come from a very loud, turbulent household where people don't healthily communicate their feelings and resort to guilt-tripping and anger to resolve things. i come to tumblr to escape this kind of energy. say how you feel. be upfront. i promise you i'm not going to take it personally if you do.) i'm not an unreasonable person. if i ever make a mistake i will 100% own up to that mistake, apologise and adjust my behaviour accordingly. i expect the same level of respect i give to be returned regarding this, especially with friends. acting like a teenager about any of this, and ignoring any attempts i make to reach out to you, will result in a block. if you're not willing to fight for the friendship, or even make an effort to communicate with me, then i will block you.  

i will not shy away from defending myself or my friends. we should be a community that supports and uplifts one another, and as such, this is how i'll be conducting myself.

III )     general rp etiquette applies to this blog. don’t forceship, don’t godmod, don’t send anon hate. don’t be a dick. basically: treat me like an adult and with general common courtesy and respect and i’ll do the same for you in return. i’m here to have fun above all else. i'm liberal with my block button, if i get a whiff of any of this behaviour, or if you vague-post about me or my friends, or if you've proven to me that you're not a healthy influence in/on my space, or if your blog is continually involved in petty drama, you're blocked. gone. i'm too old to deal with petty drama or taking sides. and if i do block you, for whatever reason, don't circumvent that or throw a fit on the dash in the form of vagueposts. respect my boundaries and respect your followers, they don't want to see that.

IV )     nsfw content is likely to crop up from time to time, as i am of age and am completely comfortable with that kind of content. though i will be selective with who i write it with. it will always be tagged, and under a read more if it is excessively explicit. i absolutely will not be participating in anything nsfw that involves underage muses under any circumstances. my nsfw writing won't just be contained to sundays either. i will only write nsfw content with people i know well and feel comfortable with, communication is key when it comes to such topics and unless we're talking, i won't feel comfortable enough in knowing your boundaries, or your muses' boundaries to write it with you. basically, unless we're talking ooc, i won't write any nsfw content with you.

shipping is going to be highly selective on this blog too. basically, if we gel together as muns and the muses are showing chemistry together and i can see that you'd be willing to plot out dynamics with me, then i'll be more than happy to ship with you. donnie isn't here to add to your tally of ships or faceclaims, and i will not appreciate it if you attempt to collect me in that fashion. any attempts at forceshipping will result in a block, as will any weird behaviour shown towards shipping in general.

V )     i personally don’t have any triggers that would need tagging, but i would ask that people do not spring unexpected pregnancy/pregnancy plots on me or go into detail about pregnancy with me. i would also ask that if you’re looking for a plot that features lots of angst and triggering topics that you discuss it with me first. especially if we’re going to be touching on topics of unhealthy or abusive relationship dynamics ( the dynamic between a villainous character and their romantic partner, for example. ) these kinds of plots can be taxing for me mentally and i don’t want to engage with them 24/7, i am a horror writer and i love writing about the worst of humanity as much as the next guy, but i don’t want to be in that headspace all the time. so, please be mindful when talking to me about these plots.

some heavy trigger warnings apply to donnie’s story, they are as follows: religious trauma, religious horror, discussions of the catholic and baptist faith that won’t be in a strictly positive light, death, loss, grief, animal death, child neglect and abuse, homophobia typical of the time period, mentions of underage drinking, addiction, gore, mentions of postnatal depression and psychosis, and others. please be advised! i want my followers to be safe. everything will be tagged accordingly always, though i do stress that i sometimes forget and will always edit the post to add the tags the minute i notice. my tags are formatted like this ‘ trigger here // ’ for the ease of blacklisting.

a note for how i go about researching serious/triggering topics:  i am always researching the most respectful and authentic ways to talk about donnie's mental health ( most notably, his c-ptsd, ptsd, and his adhd ) and his struggles with addiction. it's a big part of his character that i've been looking into for a long time, and i strive to explore it as sensitively and as realistically as i can. my perspective on his mental health and his struggle with addiction have been informed both by strenuous research and my personal interactions with both. if anyone spots me not doing my job right with this, then please feel free to reach out, i'm always happy to learn.

VI )     i tend not to interact with "like to stay mutuals!" posts and other posts to that effect, they are anxiety inducing for me and i often miss them. my presence on the dash and online in general is next to non-existent. i would recommend not following me if this bothers you. if you have any questions or concerns about this or any of my rules or anything on my blog, then please bring them to me privately and off anon. i would also like to stress that i as the mun do not excuse the actions of any muse that i write nor of the muses of my partners. if any character i write or my partners write bothers you then please either blacklist tags, softblock me, or block me. do not stir up drama or send anons or other people into my messages over the matter of a fictional character. DO HOWEVER send messages to me off anon, or through the askbox if we're not mutuals, if you think i’ve overstepped a line in any way shape or form, i am open to adult discussion and education regarding these matters always. any attempts at guilt-tripping, vaguing and general pettiness will be blocked. no exceptions.

VII )     general faceclaim dni applies, please use your common sense, if you know your faceclaim ( or indeed your muse ) to be problematic in some way, then i will not be interacting with you. don’t follow me if you’re an eternals blog, a harry potter blog, a teen wolf blog, a supernatural blog, a stranger things blog, or an mcu - based blog (comic - based blogs are more than okay to follow me. )

VIII )     the psd used on this blog is ‘ me and my husband ’ by ariapsds, and the icon border used is ' boyfriends ' by b1gtimerush. anything else found on my blog has been sourced and edited by me unless stated otherwise. do not steal anything.

IX )     finally, if you've made it this far, thank you for reading my rules. welcome aboard! my name is bramble (bram for short), and i’m twenty - four, and i go by she/they pronouns. i'd prefer people use both sets when referring to me unless we know each other well. i am non-binary and i do not appreciate having this aspect of my person disregarded, anybody who doesn’t respect this will be blocked. i know these rules are a lot to get through and i promise i'm actually way more chilled out than how some of these rules are worded may suggest that i am. i'm just making sure i've set my boundaries in the clearest possible terms. again, thank you for reading these, it means the world, and i'm looking forward to writing with you! 💕

[night-fallz]

XY’s Muse

Based on this prompt

Like I have stated before, this is my first fanfic. Please let me know what you think of it. Any kind of criticism will be welcome.

uploaded on 01/23/21

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Ao3 // Wattpad

previous II next

Chapter 2

XY was staring at the ceiling. A week has already passed. And he still couldn't stop thinking about the day he spent with Marinette. It was the most fun he'd had in a while.

Before the whole Silencer fiasco, his father would not stop pressuring him to produce a new song. So when they met up for dinner and his dad came up with the idea of stealing someone else's music, he couldn’t bring himself to decline.

XY knew it was wrong.

But all he wanted was the chance to finally impress his dad. Bob Roth might not have the best attitude towards him, but he was all XY had left.

Xy already lost his mom. He would not lose his dad too.

At least, that's what he believed. He should've known that his father was just using him for money. According to his dad, money was the most valuable thing in life.

XY scoffed. He should've known better. He should've known that all his father thought of hi-

He felt a buzz in his pocket and his face immediately brightened. Marinette just texted him!

Marinette: what's up?

Marinette: have u been inspired yet?

Marinette gave XY the idea to just sit back and let inspiration hit him. It was a common idea but it was one that most people tend to forget in the long run.

XY: nothing much

XY: and nope.

XY: my dad has been pressuring me to come up with something tho

Marinette: ignore him

Marinette: he's just mad cause he can't get any ladies

The three dots popped up on his screen.

Marinette: OH CRAP I'M LATE

Marinette: TTYL.

XY rolled his eyes and smiled.

They've been texting back and forth these past few days. He's learned so many things about her and vice versa.

It was nice. It's been a while since XY has had a friend.

Maybe she'll be even more, XY couldn’t help but think as he ran a hand through his hair.

"Huh," XY said out loud. "Even more"

And just like that, inspiration for his next song hit him.

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Marinette was thinking of a certain blonde-haired, blue-eyed musician when she heard her phone ring.

"Tikki!" she screamed, staring at her phone as if it was Hawkmoth himself.. "He's calling me. XY is calling me."

Tikki sighed and floated next to Marinette, "Maybe you should answer it. It would be pretty rude to keep him waiting."

"Right, right," Marinette answered his call and hoped her voice didn’t sound as squeaky as she thought it did.. "Hey."

"Hey."

There was a moment of awkward silence.

Marinette didn’t know what to do. She glanced at the small goddess.

Tikki rolled her eyes at their awkwardness as she gestured to the phone. Ask him why he called you, she mouthed to Marinette.

Marinette nodded. That was a smart idea. "So," Marinette cleared her throat. "Why did you call me?"

"Right, Uhm." Marinette heard him shuffling around his room. "You know how you've been asking me if I was inspired and stuff?"

Marinette's eyes grew wide and a huge smile took over her face as she started to nod before remembering that he couldn't see her. "Yep." she eagerly said, "Did you find any?"

"Yes!" Marinette could hear the excitement in his voice. "I was actually wondering if you wanted to design the outfits for my music video."

Marinette's eyes looked shocked. "Yes!" she jumped around in excitement before remembering she was still in a call with XY. "Why me though?"

XY’s voice sounded confused.. "What do you mean, why you? You're literally perfect for it. You're talented. Plus, everyone loves your designs."

Marinette’s cheeks resembled a tomato. She has never been more thankful for the fact that he couldn't see her right now.

"Thank you." Marinette managed to mumble. "That really means a lot."

"You're welcome." XY said. Marinette had a feeling he was smiling though. "I have to go and have my dad listen to the demo. But I'll text you later, okay?"

"Yep," Marinette whispered and gave Tikki a cookie. "Good luck. I know that whatever song you came up with is gonna sound good. No matter what he'll say."

Marinette heard a faint "Thanks" from the phone before the call ended.

Marinette screamed into her pillow and looked up and saw Tikki look at her with amusement. “I think I like him.”

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"So, what do you think?" XY asked as his father finished listening to his song. "Is it bad? Do you think people will like it?"

Bob Roth grinned at his son. "This is a Masterpiece. Where did you find this?" He gestured to the video of XY singing the song, "Who did you steal this from?"

XY's proud smile immediately turned into a scowl. "What do you mean, who did I steal this from?" He yelled at his dad, his blue eyes glaring at him as he grabbed the demo from the table. "I made it. I came up with it myself." XY felt his eyes tearing up. "Something you would actually know if you thought of me as something more than a money-making machine."

How could he? XY thought as he climbed up the stairs. Is it that hard to believe that I could come up with something good?

XY slammed his door shut. "All I wanted was to prove to him that I wasn't a talentless son." XY put his hands on his face. "I just wanted to make him proud."

XY felt a buzz in his pocket and immediately knew that it was Marinette. After all, she’s the only one that ever texts him.

Marinette: how did it go?

Marinette: did he like it?

XY wiped away the tears that were starting to come out of his eyes. He couldn't help but smile. Marinette certainly had an effect on him.

XY: he called it a masterpiece

Marinette: yes! I knew he would like it.

XY: yeah

XY: but then he asked me who i stole it from

Marinette: THAT JERK

Marinette: WTF

Marinette: THAT's SO MESSED UP

Marinette: HOW COULD HE-

Marinette: DO YOU WANT ME TO BEAT HIM UP FOR YOU????

XY laughed at her text messages. He only started to text her and he already felt better.

XY: no, it's fine

XY: i actually yelled at him

Marinette: ...

Marinette: do you feel better?

XY: actually, yep.

XY: he's a really sucky father

Marinette: for some reason, a lot of the blondes i know have a toxic parent

Marinette: it's kinda sad

XY: maybe it's a paris thing

They texted back and forth, XY laughing at the memes Marinette sent.

XY: You're definitely a daughter of Athena

Marinette: ( ⚆ _ ⚆ )

Marinette: is that a percy jackson reference i see

XY: yep

XY: have u read the books?

Marinette: duh

Marinette: you haven't lived til you've read the books

Marinette: sadly, the movies sucked tho

XY: I KNOW

XY: ANNABETH WASN'T EVEN BLONDE

Marinette: EXACTLY!!

Marinette: SJSJSJSJSJSJ

 Marinette: THE MOVIES SCARED ME FOR LIFE

XY: oh yeah

XY: before i forget

XY: what's ur insta?

Marinette: which one

XY scrunched his eyebrows up in confusion.

XY: What do you mean by which one?

Marinette: i have two

Marinette: one as my personal one and the other one for commissions and stuff

XY: ohhh

XY: smart

Marinette: i know ;)

Marinette: my personal one is @Mdupaincheng and the one for my commissions one if @MDCdesigns

XY switched his apps and searched up Marinette's personal instagram. He clicked on the first result that came up.

The profile picture was Marinette in a blue, silky dress that went just above her ankle. There was a slit on her left leg that showed her knee. It was nighttime and Marinette was practically glowing under the city lights. She was staring at something on her right side, with one hand running through her silky black hair which was down for once.

She looked hot.

After XY stopped admiring her profile picture, he finally noticed her follower count.

She had 200,000 followers. 200,000.

It wasn't as high as XY's follower count, that was still quite a lot.

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XY: i didn't know u were insta famous

Marinette: wdym?  

Marinette: which acc

XY: ur personal one

XY: u have over 200k followers

Marinette thought that she read his text wrong. There's no way that Marinette had that many followers. 200,000? There was no way.

Marinette: ur lying

XY: I'm not.

XY: check ur acc

It's been a while since Marinette has logged onto her personal account. The hate she got the last time she's been signed in was too much for her and when Alya told her to log out and just focus on her other account, @MDCdesigns, she couldn't bring herself to argue against her.

Marinette hasn't even thought of that account since that day. So when she logged in and saw that XY wasn't lying, she accidentally dropped her phone in shock.

Tikki looked at Marinette with a questioning look.  

Marinette ignored her kwami and texted the blue-eyes boy back.

Marinette: HOLY SHIT

Marinette: I HAVE 200k FOLLOWERS

Marinette: HOW TF DID THAT HAPPEN

XY: when was the last time you checked ur acc

Marinette: about 3 months ago

Marinette: the media thought i was adrien's gf and his fangirls came at me

Marinette: i got a ton of hate and a friend of mine told me to log out and just focus on my @MDCdesigns acc

Marinette: so i did

Marinette: i haven't thought abt that acc since then

XY: the fangirls were probably just jealous

XY: it's been months so they probably calmed down

XY: I'm looking through the comments rn and so far the latest hate comment you've got was about 2 weeks ago

XY: you've got a bit of a fanbase yk

Marinette: WHAT DO I DO

Marinette: DO I JUST CONTINUE NOT TO POST OR SHOULD I POST SOMETHING ON MY STORY ABT HOW THANKFUL I AM FOR 200k

Marinette: HOW COME NONE OF MY FRIENDS TOLD ME ABT THIS

XY: don't post anything rn

XY: post a picture of yourself and the caption it something that shows ur thankful for the number of followers u received

XY: OH

XY: a few hours before u post the picture, make sure u post on ur story abt how ur back from ur break on social media

XY: that way ppl will understand why u haven't been active

XY: it'll also have ppl prepared for ur post and they'll be waiting for u to post it

XY: that'll give u more engagement and stuff

Marinette: thank u

Marinette: that was really helpful

Marinette: when should i post something?

Marinette: AND I STILL DONT KNOW WHY MY FRIENDS DIDNT SAY ANYTHING ABT THIS

XY: u told ur friend that u were taking a break from social media right?

Marinette: yes

XY: then they probably weren't expecting u to post anything so they weren't checking ur insta

XY: u should post something on the weekend

XY: that way ppl wouldn't bother u during school this week

XY: if u want i can help u come up with ideas tomorrow?

Marinette: yes, please!

Marinette: do u wanna come over

Marinette: we can plan it in my room so that ppl won't overhear us

XY: guess I'll see u tomorrow then

XY: just text me the time ur available and I'll be there

Marinette: make sure to wear a disguise tho!

Marinette: we got lucky last time and no tabloids caught us

XY: ur right

XY: we must've been really lucky if no one got a pic of us

XY: but okay

XY: I'll wear my best disguise

XY: goodnight, princess

Marinette blinked a few times, making sure she read the text correctly.

Princess.

Marinette: goodnight ♥

previous II next

This is the first chapter of the story. Please let me know what you think

1,967 words

Tag list:

@iglowinggemma28 @mica-aa @lady-bee-fechin @maskedpainter @snnoww26 @ravenr22 @spiritofchaoticdreams @ravennm84 @heaven428 @finn-cipher @peterxwade24 @aliceofice22 @queenamongthorns @captainmac6

[spiderling-space]

Could I please request MC as that conspiracy guy with the hidden mickey’s? I saw it on your prompts list and I am still laughing at the possibilities!

Thank you Rell for asking this when the inbox was open and finally igniting green light for me <33<33

I decided that this idea is too crack to only apply to numbered characters so this is going to be a mini-series and crossposted on AO3. This mini-series is based on this prompt I have.

There will be 9 chapters in total including prologue and epilogue. I can’t promise any update schedule, I go with the flow. A meme to summarize the fic.

Special thanks to @serenitystarrie for allowing me to utilize their perfectly organized Hidden Mickey Mouse locations.

The Prologue's Locations #1 and #2. Spoiler yourselves on your own risk.

Italics indicate thoughts

Everywhere I Go, I See His Sign

Prologue

No one could blame (Y/N) for occupying themselves with something else to stay awake during Trein’s class. It wasn’t their fault at all, there was just something in Trein’s voice that made people want to sleep. So they just tried to focus on everything but Trein and to be the only one who managed to stay awake in their friend group. At first, (Y/N) just stared outside through the window get got bored and started to count the bricks on the wall but there weren’t much to begin with and their endeavor ended quickly. Their eyes flicked to the bookshelf, it was impossible to read the titles from where they were sitting, hence that didn’t hold their attention for long.

Maybe I should start listening to what Trein is saying, I might learn something.

Not a minute later, (Y/N) was yawning. So much for trying… They decided listening to the professor wasn’t going to work out, in order to stay awake, they continued where they left off. On the top of the bookshelf, there was a purple globe and golden signs on the surface, curved lines and a couple of dots. I bet there are more than 10 dots on it. 1…2…3…4… (Y/N) stopped counting when they noticed an abnormality on the globe. There was a shape that didn’t follow the pattern, two small circles were connected to a bigger one. That’s strange… Everything is in perfect condition in the NRC… Maybe they didn’t notice something as small as that. Either way, there was no point of thinking about something as trivial as that. Though, it was way more entertaining than the history class.

(Y/N) poked Ace, “Shhhht, how many minutes left until the class is over?”

Ace opened his one eye and glared at them for waking him up. He took a peek at his phone told them that 13 minutes left then he went back to sleep.

13 more minutes… It seemed like they started the class hours ago and it still had 13 more minutes. As (Y/N) waited the time to pass, they kept glancing at the globe above the shelf as if the abnormal mark on it was calling for them.

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Finally, the class was over and it was lunchtime. The gang went to the cafeteria and was waiting in the line, chatting about the assignments Trein gave after he saw people sleeping. (Y/N) was having fun at their expense because they didn’t get an assignment for being awake during the class. Ace, Deuce and Grimm were complaining about the amount of pages they were going to write, which was making (Y/N) crack. They turned their head to the side to conceal their chuckle. While they were turning back, a shape on the wall caught their eyes. There on the wall between the torch and the column stood the 2 small circles being connected to the bigger circle, just like the one they saw during the class. This one was bigger since it could have been seen from distance.

Before (Y/N) could dwell on the shape anymore, the line moved and it was their turn to grab the food. They dismissed the thoughts about the shape, thinking that they saw wrong. It was food time and there was no need to think about anything else.

After getting their lunch, the gang went over to sit at their usual table. “I think you should have gotten an assignment too, (Y/N).” Ace talked before taking a bite out of his meal. “You weren’t sleeping but you weren’t paying attention either. Right, Deuce?”

Deuce was in the middle of chewing his meal when Ace tried to include him in the discussion. He answered after gulping, “They managed to stay awake. I think that deserves an award.”

Ace’s face cringed, “Traitor.” He then turned to Grimm tp get his support. “C’mon~ You must agree with me.” Unfortunately for him, Grimm was too busy chunking the food down his throat, completely ignoring Ace who finally shut up after getting no support.

“I’ll help you pick up the books since I’m a supportive friend.” (Y/N) said cheekily, chuckling afterward. They really needed to go the library too. Grimm needed the books to finish the assignment and he wasn’t capable of carrying them with his tiny paw-paws.

Their stomach grumbled, reminding them to eat sustenance. After (Y/N) finished eating, they pushed their tray further onto the table so they could have space to put their hands on while they waited others to be done with their food as well. There, on the table, was another symbol, the 3 circles one looking almost identical to the others they saw. They openly stared at the symbol, tracing the outline with their fingers. Am I imaging things? The one on the globe could be a stain and the one on the wall could be the deformation of the brick. And this one… Maybe a mistake of the carpenter. Though, it is strange to see mistakes such as this in the NRC.

They must have zoned out too much because Deuce was tapping them on the shoulder. “Our next class is about the start.”

“If you want, we can leave you alone with the table. Seems like you are falling in love with it.” Ace quipped as he took his tray from the table and started walking to the trash.

“Jerk…” (Y/N) mumbled under their breath.

“Hey, henchperson!” Grimm was pulling their sleeve. “Carry me!” It was annoying that Grimm was giving them comment but he was small and cute so they didn’t mind carrying him occasionally. They allowed Grimm to climb on their shoulder and took both his and their trays to throw away the trash and put them to where the dirty trays are collected.

After putting the trays, they exited the cafeteria, then changed into the sports uniform in the locker room. The moment the bell rang, Vargas told everyone to start doing warm-ups, followed by 10 laps around the field and 30 pushups. (Y/N) held themselves back from groaning, not wanting to increase the number of laps or pushups.

(Y/N) was only human and not the most athletic person in the world and they doubted even the most athletic person could run 10 laps without stopping for a moment to take a breath. They sat on the grass, trying to adjust their breathing as they were looking around. They had to admit the sports field had a perfectly splendid sight with all the shades of green.

They were about to get up and continue on the track when they spotted a sign on one of the bushes. 3 circles again? It was dark green colored, standing out on the bushes. Was it always there or is my brain playing tricks on me and making me see things? They decided to check the sign from a closer distance to make sure it is real.

“(Y/N)! 2 more laps for trying to sneak away!” (Y/N) startled as Vargas’ voice boomed on the field. Damn it! They just got punished because the sign distracted them. “You will have two more if you keep standing there!”

(Y/N) knew there was no point in arguing against Vargas unless they wanted to add more laps as punishment so they ignored the sign and went back on the track. I will take a closer look after the class.

--------------------

Unfortunately for (Y/N), they were too exhausted to move a finger, let alone have the energy to examine the weird symbol after the class ended. They just wanted to get back to Ramshackle, take shower, eat junk food and never get up from the bed but they still had one more stop to make, the library. Because of Grimm’s actions, they needed to walk more. God damn it… I can’t feel my legs.

Finally, they reached the library and began browsing for the book. Grimm started looking at the book on the computer and find which aisle it was located, meanwhile (Y/N) sat on one of the seats as they waited for him. Yeet, I hope we don’t need to get one of those floating books. What is even their purpose? Students would spend extra effort to see the title of the book and waste time. Or are they here for aesthetics? They sighed, lowering their head. What an unnecessary way of using magic… They had to admit the library was impressive, having all those books while looking at the endless corridor of the library. As Grimm was still looking for the book, they turned their attention to the other objects of the library. None of the lamps were in the same shape and the columns had different designs. One of them had frequent dots while the other more scattered dots. Their attention turned to the other column between Aisle I and II which had larger dots than the others.

Wait for a second… Is that? (Y/N) got up from their seat and stepped towards that column, crouching to see the sign better. Are you kidding me? Here too? Nope! This is just some random symbol, there is no way, it is the same one I saw in other places. Besides, all other columns have dots. Coincidentally, this one had two circles connected to a bigger one. (Y/N) was determined to just forget about it since they knew it would be a ridiculous idea for these signs to have a pattern.

“Hey Henchperson, I found the name of the book now bring me it.” Grimm ordered them as usual. Normally, (Y/N) would teach him some manner but they were too tired to care so they asked which aisle the book was in so they can grab it and go back to Ramshackle.

As soon as Grimm told them the number of the aisle and the book and the color of the book as well, (Y/N) didn’t wait for Grimm and just went to grab it. They were looking at the shelf numbers in that disorganized aisle. Libraries are supposed to be tidy and organized. Why is everything in this school so chaotic? And who even color codes the books?! This should be a crime!

“Alright green color and number 4…” They whispered faintly, looking at all the shades of green and number 4 then checking the title. After checking a couple of books, their attention turned to 3rd shelf. “Ah there you are, The Developments in the Last 100 years. Finally, I can go to my bed.” Whilst they were reaching for the book, the red book with golden marks caught their attention. The book wasn’t titled, having only shapes on it, that 3 circles shape was one of them. Maybe the book is about the meaning of this symbol. I’ll check it out after resting. They grabbed both Grimm’s book and the red colored one and walked towards Grimm. Together, they checked out the books from the librarian and head over to Ramshackle.

---------------------------

(Y/N) couldn’t wait to get read the strange book so that they would know they aren’t seeing unordinary things. As soon as they entered their dorm, Grimm dashed to the kitchen saying that sports class and the library made him hungry. They were also hungry and would never say no to some snacks. They put the books on the coffee table in the lounge before joining Grimm.

Grimm and (Y/N) brought their snacks to the lounge and sat on the couch, chatting while eating their respective food though Grimm tried to take what’s on their plate 5 times at least. After finishing their food, (Y/N) leaned back on the couch and stretched themselves out. Then they just looked around the lounge. It looked way more different than the first night they stayed there. Now everything was tidy and organized. Dare they said, it was cozy and the fireplace just increased the coziness of Ramshackle.

Hold up… The clock on the fireplace caught their eye and they got up to see it better. This age-old clock has that symbol too. I can understand the others since they are fairly new but this dorm hasn’t been occupied for decades. They wondered if there are more signs in the lounge so they turned around, their eyes scanning the room quickly. There was another mark in the lounge, on the painting hanging above the door. Hmmm, that could be the painter’s signature or something.

“Why are you acting weird?” Grimm asked after burping. Ew!

“Nothing nothing… I’ll just go take shower then nap. You do Trein’s assignment. I’m not going to lower my score because of you.” (Y/N) wasn’t going to tell Grimm about the symbols before they were certain that there was a pattern with it. Now they were going to search upstairs if there were more signs while Grimm was busy downstairs then took shower because the smell of sweat was killing their nostrils. “And don’t even think about slacking off or you won’t sleep on the bed tonight.”

With that, (Y/N) took the red book and headed towards their bedroom, putting the book on the small table near the armchair. Then they took off their shoes to not make noise as they searched the rooms for that damned sign.

Here I go…

[momentofmemory]

FICTOBER 2020 - day twenty-five

Prompt #25: “Sometimes you can even see.”

Fandom: The Old Guard

Characters: Nile Freeman, Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani

Words: 1937

Author’s Note: In the aftermath of a rough mission and all the philosophical questions it entails, Joe takes Nile to the Aarhus Art Museum in Denmark. All pieces mentioned were displayed in the Objects of Wonder: From Pedestal to Interaction exhibit, which ran from Oct. 2019- March 2020. Nile POV.

>> the sweetness remains

Nile scrolls mindlessly through Pinterest, wishing for not the first time that she’d been allowed to recreate her socials.

Copley had barred her from practically all of the actually useful ones, but she’d bullied him down to just having an account on Pinterest, with the argument being that no one cared about the site. Granted, she doesn’t really want to be on Pinterest either, but sometimes the comfort of an app with infinite scroll is all she’s looking for in a distraction.

And right now, she really, really needs to be distracted.

Overly photoshopped cat pics.

Memes ripped straight from tumblr or twitter.

The most white girl aesthetic imaginable.

Three slugs ripping through her abdomen and spitting her liver out the other side—

Nile breathes in sharply. Exhales.

Her thumb resumes scrolling.

Photos of downtown that feel like home.

Recipes for harvest butternut squash soup.

Tips for keeping braids fresh longer.

Nile scrolls, and scrolls, and breathes.

Her abdomen still aches every time her lungs expand, even though she knows it really doesn’t. It’s perfectly healed; not even a scar for her troubles. But it’s hard to forget how her instincts had screamed that a gut shot like that shouldn’t be survivable, even as she pushed herself towards the next target.

(She didn’t survive it.)

(She didn’t survive the next half dozen times it happened, either.)

“Did that phone of yours do something to offend you?”

“Whoa!” Joe’s sudden appearance next to her only makes her clench her phone tighter. She forces out a laugh and eases the tension out of her fingers. “Feel like you should know better than to sneak up on someone that’s part of a bunch of immortal warriors.”

“Most of them would have caught me coming long before you did.”

Nile snorts. She scrolls a few more seconds, then closes the app and opens Temple Run. The game’s ridiculously old, but she’s a millennial. Sue her for being nostalgic.

She can feel Joe watching her as she starts the round.

“Am I correct in thinking you enjoy the arts, Nile?”

It’s not the question she was expecting, and she winds up tilting the screen to the left a half second late, and her character falls off the bridge.

It’s okay though, because she can just use a gem and respawn in the same place, so it’s basically like not dying at all.

Right?

“Uh, yeah,” she says. She winds up restarting the round entirely. “The military was supposed to pay for my degree, but I don’t think I can cash that if I’m technically KIA.”

“That would present a certain set of problems,” Joe agrees. “Andy talk to you about that?”

“Yeah.” Nile’s stomach twists. “Guess it depends on how easy it is to schedule classes between firefights.”

She’s practically laying the opening for a talk out herself, but Joe seems uninterested in taking it.

Instead, he shifts beside her, propping an elbow on his knee. “What kinds of art did you want to specialize in?”

She dies again. This time, she begrudgingly uses the in-game save. "I prefer classic sculpture, but I’m not against modern.”

“You like what was modern art for me, then.”

Nile rolls her eyes. “I dread the day I become as weird as you guys.”

He laughs, patting her on the shoulder as he stands. “I suspect by that time you’ll be too busy tormenting our next recruit. But unfortunately, the exhibit we’re going to will be more in the contemporary style.”

It takes Nile a half second to register his words. “Wait, what?”

“The description said it would be 1960s to the present only. If it suits you, we could hold off on our discussion of it for another thousand years or so. I’m sure we can claim it as classic at that point.”

“What?” Nile locks her phone and zeros her attention on him, registering the mischievous glint in his eyes this time. “Museum?”

“The Aarhus Art Museum has a special exhibit on loan from the Tate Modern at the moment.” He glances down at her phone, the corner of his mouth forming a grin. “I’m told its purpose is to help move its audience’s attention from their devices.”

Nile scowls and looks back down at her phone. “I died a dozen times yesterday. I’m allowed my coping mechanisms of choice.”

And.

Whoops.

“Of course you are,” Joe says, offering his hand to her, and she’s once again surprised he doesn’t force the conversation. “But phones are portable. You can take it with you to the museum.”

Nile worries at the edge of her lip with her teeth. She doesn’t really want to go anywhere right now, but…

But Joe’s brown eyes are warm and welcoming, and his callouses help steady her when she takes his hand.

“You said contemporary sculpture?”

The grin he gives her is blinding. “For now.”

_________________

It’s a twenty-five minute drive from their safe house to the museum, and the route takes them next to the Bay of Aarhus for most of it.

Nile stares out at the water, determined to not give Joe any more ammunition for making fun of her regarding her phone.

It’s hard. She’d never considered herself a technology addict—never had enough time to be one—but she really, really wants to stop thinking about the fact that she knows what the inside of her liver looks like.

Or did look like, she guesses.

Nope, nuh-uh, not going there—

“D'you know about the Ship of Theseus?” She spits it out before she can decide against it. She figures if she’s thinking about it, she might as well talk about it. “And don’t say you were there for it. You’re not Andy and I at least know enough about you to know when you’re lying.”

The grin on his face tells her that he was very much intending to before she called him out on it. “It’s a thought experiment. The character Theseus owns a ship that, over a long span of time, has all of its parts replaced, until nothing of the original still remains.”

“Yeah, and so then the question is, is it even the same ship,” Nile finishes.

Joe weaves in and out of traffic, a pensive look on his face. “I assume you aren’t asking simply to test my knowledge of early western philosophy.”

“No.”

Nile looks down at her hands. She can still remember how horrifically mangled they were from her impromptu dive off a skyscraper, but at least—at least she’s pretty sure they’re the same ones she had before.

Though that might not last long.

“In your opinion,” she says, cautiously, “if—if there’s nothing left of the original—if you have to rebuild something that many times—”

“Nile.” The sound of the car’s turn signal distracts her spiraling thoughts. Joe nods towards the windshield. “We’re here.”

It’s a large, red brick square building, fairly nondescript but for the circular and multi-colored glass walking track at its top.

“Come on, he says, parking the car. “I find physical objects superior to mental ones for solving such issues.”

Nile doesn’t understand why the one time she wants to talk about something like this is the one time Joe decides to go full mysterious.

She climbs out of the car and follows him inside.

Despite her misgivings, she quickly discovers Joe was right. The exhibit is genuinely incredible, and there are pieces from multiple names she recognizes—Anish Kapoor, Donald Judd, Rasheed Araeen—and pieces she finds herself strangely moved by, such as Damian Hirst’s Away from the Flock, Richard Long’s Red Slate Circle, Rachel Whiteread’s Airbed II. Nile stares at that last one in particular for a long time: a concrete casting of an airbed, the artist’s presence made known in the negative space where her body had pressed the material down.

Joe, however, seems to be moving with a specific purpose in mind, and it’s not until they round one of the walls of the orange-pink room that Nile has a guess as to what it is.

In the far corner, bathed in the additional light of a single fill light, is a massive pile of multicolored cellophane wrapped hard candies.

Joe walks her over to it, an almost reverence to his steps.

“Untitled: Portrait of Ross in LA,” he says. “Are you familiar with the piece?”

She shakes her head, bending down to inspect it. It doesn’t look like much more than what she’d seen from a distance—candy, multicolored, on the floor. She looks to Joe for an explanation.

“Felix Gonzalez-Torres’s partner died from AIDS,” Joe says. The grief on his face is hard to look at. “To honor him, he made this as a portrait—one hundred and seventy-five pounds of candy, representing Ross’s weight from when he was still healthy.”

Nile looks at the pile—it’s a lot, but it’s not a hundred and seventy-five pounds worth of a lot.

Joe notices her confusion and smiles. “Take one.”

“What?”

“Take one,” he repeats. “The purpose of the work is to invite you to partake in both enjoying his presence and lamenting the lack of it. A sort of communion—choosing to take part of his body into your own. It was a powerful statement when so many were afraid to even be in our presence at the time.”

Nile looks at the pile again, and just like with Airbed II, her heart aches at what isn’t there, rather than what is. She selects a red piece and brings it out of the pile, cupping it in her hand and considering its weight.

“What happens when it runs out?”

Joe selects his own piece—a green one—and it rolls around in the palm of his hand. “It has. Many times. But that’s the beauty of it—it’s the curator’s responsibility to replenish the pile, metaphorically granting immortality and new life to the loss.”

The cellophane crinkles in Nile’s hand as she unwraps the piece. “How do they decide where to get the candy from?”

“The only firm rule is the original weight. Outside of that, there are no set instructions for the candies themselves.” He chuckles, threading his fingers behind his neck and leaning back against the wall. “Sometimes you can even see these strange combinations of greens, oranges, and purples.”

Nile considers the candy. “Not your favorite?”

“It has an almost Halloween quality to it. I tend to prefer the rainbow.”

The candy in her hand feels heavier than it did before—weighed down with the knowledge of what it represents, what it’s taking away.

She slips the candy into her mouth and her eyebrows raise in surprise. “It’s sweet?”

“It’s candy,” Joe says, unwrapping his own piece. “Did you expect something else?”

“I thought it’d be…” She pauses, trying to parse out her feelings. “Bitter. Or sad, somehow. Considering.”

“It could have been,” Joe agrees. “But the portrait isn’t meant to represent just grief and loss. Candy is a happy thing—a reward for yourself, or a lover’s gift on Valentine’s. And even when it’s gone, the sweetness remains. Still lingering on the tongue, or dwelling in the mind. It is the love of friends and partners that keeps the memory alive—and what keeps this the same portrait, even though its pieces have been cycled through many times.”

The candy melts away on her tongue, and she closes her eyes in grief for its loss, appreciation for what it was, and hope for the pieces that would come after it.

She swallows the last piece of it down.

Her stomach settles.

[scoundrels-in-love]

for the ask meme: 9, 32 & 49 please!

It’s only been 10 days... It’s only a guess which ask game you sent this for...! ^^; (I am basing it on the fact I read the questions and mused about them for this whole time so I am probably right about the game.) @nossbean

9. What are your favorite fanfics?

Oh no. Oh no. I could and should write POSTS upon POSTS about this.

But I haven’t, because I don’t have the energy to. So you get a cheat version of some of my random favorites from my last pages of my AO3 history. And few special shout outs.

@angel-deux-writes Worth is a wholeass gem and I haven’t commented yet, but I binged it basically today (with exception of first chapter) and I can’t stop yelling about it internally, because the way she says things!! She always has some of my favorite Brienne characterization I get so envious over. There is strength and pride in it, and vulnerability and fear and the acknowledgment that her self-loathing is unfounded yet how hard it is to defend yourself, even knowing all that. I could write essays about it and Angel’s stories in general. Anything by her is a treasure trove, truly.

@samirant Rush Me All Night Long is a fascinating concept, so very well executed and absolutely captivating. Makes me go slack-jawed with awe with how seamless it is. And beyond the craftsmanship of the story form itself, the contents are absolutely epic, too. Intrigue, growth of relationship, dash of humor that is right up my alley, lot of good other characters with their wonderful insights... Nothing to add or take away. Just great. And you KNOW you should check rest of her writing out, too. You won’t regret it.

@ajoblotofjunk is back with another subtly, but powerfully in-depth world story with Baby I Will. How many professions has she gotten degree in already? Because the way she weaves art of playing in bars is so organic. And oh, the connection between Jaime and Brienne... Electrifying, a storm that starts as static sparks as they brush past each other. And I can’t wait to watch it grow. (Also shout out to her absolutely beyond epic gift to me, Petrichor. Which is mindblowingly great and written at haste I cannot comprehend. It couldn’t be more tailored to me and I tear up just thinking about it.)

LadyRhiyana’s Stray Sparks II is the perfect example why I tell someone at least once a week “I wish I could LadyRhiyana this”. Her absolutely amazing skill to capture a whole setting, a whole world of emotions in sometimes as few as 5 to 10 sentences (and not the 30 word sort!) is just... Mesmerizing. I admire it so much and am typically absolutely enamored by her stories. Crossover is also in my history and I am absolutely head-over-heels for it.

@kurikaesu-haru Thirsty is the most endearing, captivating way to combine the two meanings of the word and I adore it to pieces. It’s fun and emotional and hot, and everything it could possibly need to be and then some, in best way possible. And her works contain more and more of gold mines, truly.

@firesign23 is a treasure, to this fandom and to me in particular, for many reasons. But her skill to devastate me with short stories is truly something else.  Odd Socks (link to one of my favorite of the lot, but do give them all a read if you haven’t!) is what I have in my history, but I rec her as a writer 1000%. Her prompt fills are always poignant and not shy of ache and I can only marvel at them all. But also how could I miss out on mentioning her two breathtaking recent stories for fic exchange? Hold Steady is a Journey without ever leaving Winterfell, but the miles traveled by weary, worried, longing hearts in it... Oof. And, of course, I have to mention by hearts and hands made fast because it’s for me and it made me cry real tears more than once (!) and actually yell in real life, like no other story. Real and complicated as the characters deserve to be told, painful and comforting, absolutely breathtaking in the prose... I could rant for days, truly. And truly, wherever you look at her work, you’ll find more of it.

@aviss Skin Deep is just gem, gem, gem. Am I biased because she wrote for me, in a sense? Maybe. But she ACED it in ways I can barely comprehend. Everything I could wish for in the concept is there and more. Sweet pining, absolute besottery and realistic realizations and then hot, earnest resolutions... What a gem. As is rest of her works, really!

32. Past or present tense? 

I used to be such a past tense snob. Nothing else for me, no sir. But now I write almost exclusively in present tense. I can’t tell when the shift happened, I think when I was 20 or few years older than that, and I don’t know why, I think I read a good fic, like really good one, and also was trying to bypass my writer’s block by switching it up. And I found a certain freedom in it. A sense that it makes sense for me to go deeper, to be in present turmoil and wax poetics about it for few paragraphs. Because it’s currently happening, instead of retelling if something that has been. It freed me more in past tense, too, though.

It’s odd I don’t remember how and why the shift happened, almost makes me feel sad.

Nowadays I mostly write in past tense because I get too caught up in flashback sort of sequences and can’t make it grammatically correct anymore so I switch everything to past tense. Tomorrow (with you) is prime example.

49. Where do you draw inspiration from? 

Anything. The other day, I was bitterly laughing with a friend I could write a piece about stain on floor, create whole 1-3k word story about someone thinking about the stain, etc. Doesn’t matter if it has funny shape or not, known origin or not.

Most often, though, it’s prompts, it’s song lyrics, it’s some kind of thought/belief I have for character that I want to express/see them through some kind of event in way I think they would. Sometimes, it’s specific setting or watching something. Like, there was one (1) almost head-kiss in a kdrama with secret identities and I created a whole 10k word worth story idea off of it... Sometimes, it’s honestly even just a dumb, dumb post. But yes, music/feelings/prompts, I’d say are the main thing.

And as for inspiration drawn for writing itself... That’s a difficult question for me, right now. In kindest, non-rambly way I’d probably say what other people have lived and written.

Send me fanfic question?<3

[authenticcadence18]

30 Questions About Me

THANKS FOR THE TAG @bugaboo-n-bananoir ILY!!!!

(Nick)name: Cadence

gender: cis female

Star sign: Pisces

Height: uhhhhh I am not sure, it’s taller than 5ft at least

Time: night! (Well I wrote most of this last night, but now it’s the evening of the next day!)

Birthday: well I’m a Pisces, so my birthday is between Feb 19th and march 20th!

Fave band/group: Pentatonix! Or For King and Country. Or the piano guys, the vitamin string quartet, Voctave.....also Phineas and the Ferbtones👌

Fave solo artists: I really like Lauren Daigle, and Jackie Evancho used to be my FAVE. Aaand idk if this counts but Michael Giacchino! love his scores, especially the score for Inside Out. There’s also this guy called Clay Kramer on YouTube who makes KK Slider covers of popular music, his stuff gives me so much seratonin😅

Song Stuck in my Head: Well I’m listening to music rn and “I’m Me” from Phineas and Ferb is on so I’ll say that! (I’ll revisit this one when I finish the list and update it with whatever song i’m listening to/is stuck in my head then) (ok the music has since been turned off and now I have “Status Quo” from High School Musical stuck in my head so! There ya go!) (now it is the next day, and I’ve got “when the party’s over” stuck in my head...i think these three songs are an accurate reflection of my taste in music🤣)

Last Movie: uhhhhh oh yeah, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice! It was SO GREAT because Jay Baruchel plays the main character (and the main character is super awkward), so I felt like I was watching Hiccup from the How To Train Your Dragon franchise learn magic and it was GLORIOUS. And also Nicholas Cage is great. And I liked the love interest in the movie as well!! She had a role to play in the story and felt authentic and genuine, which I appreciated!

Last Show: ok well the last show I watched by myself was Phineas and Ferb! Specifically, the episode with the Mardi Gras block party and then the one where Candace and Stacy compete in an obstacle course against Isabella and Ginger (omg wAIT ginger and Stacy are sisters and Isabella and Candace are GOING to be sisters mY HEART I—AH🥺). I hadn’t watched those episodes in forever, so they were really fun to revisit! I think the last actual show I watched was Kids Baking Championship or something, lol. (Those kids are AMAZING. So skilled!)

When i created this blog: November 2019! It was riiiight after the season 3 finale of miraculous aired and absolutely wrecked my emotions. I had some fanfic written that I’d never posted and had been thinking about making a tumblr/ao3 for awhile, and seeing the finale made me finally go, “.....you know what, yeah. The finale is aired, no more spoilers.....it’s time to make a blog.” So I did! And I posted my first fic! And I’m so happy i did :)

What Do I Post: a bunch of multi fandom stuff XD. This blog started off as 90% Miraculous, 10% other fandoms I like...but now it’s just kind of a hodgepoge of my favorite fandoms (with a focus on Phineas and Ferb, lol). I reblog a lot of posts, and then I post original stuff too! I write fanfic, nowadays for Phineas and Ferb but for Miraculous in the past (and probably in the future!), I draw art (mostly Phinabella art because I’ve been drawing them since i was 11 and it feels good to return to my roots), and OCCASIONALLY I will write an analysis post (I’ve got one in the works rn actually 👀), attempt to make a meme, or dip my toe into salt just SLIGHTLY before quickly backing away, lol. If I were to list the fandoms I post about in the order of how frequently I post about them, I’d probably say: Phineas and Ferb, Miraculous....and thennnnn everything else is pretty random and depends on the day, lol.

Last thing i googled: Jay Baruchel 😂. Couldn’t remember how to spell his last name!

Other blogs: this is my only blog! Sometimes I think about making a separate blog for my art and writing, but I am not sure if I should or not....maybe I will someday, but idk. I also have an AO3 for fanfic and an Instagram for art! All are under the name “authenticcadence18.”

Do I get asks: sometimes, yeah!! Sometimes I reblog ask games/prompts and get some asks for those (I’ve got so many prompts in my inbox I want to write/draw things for...ah it’s fine, I’ll get to it eventually😅), and sometimes lovely people will leave thoughts or nice messages in my inbox🥺💕. I’ve got a specific tag for all those nice messages so I can read back over them whenever I need a boost!

Why this url: it’s a music pun! When a song/section of a piece of music ends with a dominant chord resolving to a tonic chord (if you’ve read a certain fic of mine you should know allll about dominant and tonic chords👀🤣), it’s called an authentic cadence! There are different kinds of cadences, and authentic ones are my favorite. One example of this is “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.” I also use this blog to be my authentic, fandom-loving self! So I like authentic cadences, and also, I’m Cadence and using this blog to be authentic! Woo! (And 18 is just my favorite number, lol) I’m glad I ended up choosing a name that doesn’t tie to a specific fandom becaaaaaause this ended up being a multi fandom blog!

Following: 232!!

Followers: 292!!! (THANKS SO MUCH Y’ALL ILY 💕)

Average amount of sleep: wellllll for the past week and a half I was sick so I was probably getting 9ish hours a night (because I would sleep in really late, lol). but NOW? In my immediate future? I suspect my average amount of sleep is going to go down because I’m really bad about staying up late even when I have to get up early😅. Hoping to be good about getting at least 7ish hours a night!

Lucky number: 18! But y’all probably already guessed that, lol.

Instruments: my voice, piano, ukulele, viola (but it’s been a HOT minute), aaaand i used to be able to play guitar but then I got a ukulele and forgot all the guitar chords. (I also dabble in songwriting! I primarily use voice and piano when writing music.)

What I’m wearing: my favorite sweatshirt (that was last night, rn I have on a tanktop), some leggings, and socks!

Dream job: I’m currently learning to be a teacher, and I LOVE teaching and working with kids so that is definitely a job I’m really excited about!!! I would also love to portray characters at Disney or something (well, maybe not at Disney because I hear they’re strict, but like....I want to be Rapunzel or Anna or something, that would be so fun). OR, I would LOVE to work in tv animation somehow, be it voice acting, writing scripts/music, and/or story boarding. basically if I could do what Dan and Swampy did for Phineas and Ferb/Milo Murphy’s Law, I would LOVE THAT. (Especially the writing music part. Getting to write music for established characters and get PAID for it would be SO COOL.!.!.!) Also I think it would be so fun to write Disney storybooks! Like, those books that are about Cinderella baking a cake or Ariel befriending a seahorse, stuff like that. Those brought me a ton of joy as a child!

Dream trip: I want to visit alllll the Disney parks someday😅. (Not right now because, ya know, Covid...but someday!)

Fave food: uhhh i really like pizza. And popcorn. Also hummus and guacamole!

nationality: American

Fave songs: “Times” by Tenth Avenue North; “Can’t Help Falling in Love” (I made an entire playlist of just this song when I first started writing my fic of the same name, so I like the original and a ton of covers of it!), “Show Yourself” from Frozen II, “What Might Have Been” from Phineas and Ferb (and lots of other songs from that show, i made a whole post about that once but I can’t find it, oof); “Rescue” by Lauren Daigle; “Thank You” by Pentatonix; “I See the Light” from Tangled; “Your Hands” by JJ Heller; “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran.....i like a loooot of songs so this is just the tip of the iceberg, but I think that’s good for now, LOL! (As soon as I post this I’m going to remember another song I love, lol)

last book: I got the book Unbirthday for Christmas! It’s basically Disney’s Alice in Wonderland, but if she’d never gone to wonderland and things went horribly wrong there. (I think, I’m not that far into it yet, lol)

Top 3 fictional universes I’d love to live in: 1. DANVILLE, PLS. Especially as a kid, I SO would’ve loved to hang out with Isabella and Phineas and the rest of the gang! Danville is so vibrant and unique and people are always randomly breaking into song there, that’s my kind of place! 2. Fairytopia (from the Barbie movies!) because I could be a fairy OR a mermaid OR BOTH and eat seeweed to breathe underwater even if I wasn’t a mermaid. Like, that’s the dream right there. (I’ve always loved mermaids and fairies, lol!) 3. Maybe San Fransokyo from Big Hero 6? All of the technology in that universe is really cool! And I would love to eat a noodle burger, lol .

Oh! That’s the last one! Wow! This was so FUN!!!!!!! Thanks again for the tag, Maddy!!!! :)

I’ll taaaag @sketchy-panda @macaronsforchat @simplynewyorkbound @inkjackets and anyone else who’d like to do this! (And pls don’t feel pressured to play at all, or answer all of the questions! I was definitely vague with a few of my answers, lol)

[aerielz]

1, 2, 3, and 4 for the writing ask meme!!!

So many!!! You are the nicest person!!!

Here we go!

Tell us about your current project(s)  – what’s it about, how’s progress, what do you love most about it?

Geez. Ok. There’s about a million things going on right now, bc I can’t control myself.

- The Gaza Arc AU: originally a prompt from @donnaslyman​, it became a whole thing. Josh doesn’t quite leave when Donna tells him to, in Germany, and from there their friendship deepens even further when she’s forced to deal with the consequences of what happened to her. Josh has some experience in trauma himself, so... maybe they can help each other. Or not. I think what excites me the most is to FINALLY have them talking about it.

- The Rosslyn Arc AU: Ah. The one that started it all. It’s Donna shot at Rosslyn instead of Josh, and then all kinds of hell break loose. Josh deals with it the worst way possible and everybody’s been shot at, too. Part II will feature a lot of bad jokes and sad people screaming at each other and writing that is so so so so fun.

- Yet untitled smutty thing. Maybe?: Should I tell people about a thing that might never happen? Better yet, is this the place to be telling people about NSFW stuff? Suffice to say it’s about reaching new levels of intimacy, and about discovering new things together. Probably a lot more romantic than smut about tying people up should be, but I’m a sap, so...

Tell us about what you’re most looking forward to writing – in your current project, or a future project

For sure the CoS!Donna AU and our scenes inspired by Much Ado! I’m absolutely going nuts with the fact that I haven’t been able to start work on those two yet!

What is that one scene that you’ve always wanted to write but can’t be arsed to write all of the set-up and context it would need? (consider this permission to write it and/or share it anyway)

oh. god. ok, there’s a few of those. Here are the highlights:

- I once heard that whenever POTUS has to enter an elevator somewhere, there’s A BUNCH of secret service agents in the elevator control room bc, as it turns out, being in in the control is the best way to cause problems. Of course: I would love to write a fic in which problems happen. Jed gets trapped inside an elevator with Josh, who is absolutely loosing his mind. It’s supposed to be funny and kinda sweet.

- a scene in which josh finds out donna talks in her sleep and then proceeds to hold an entire conversation with her. the topics range from absolute nonsense to the very very cute.

- there’s absolutely no way I could make this scenario work but i wrote dialogue for a scene in which donna is some hotshot congresswoman. it’s all hate-date, and they really dislike each other at first, but after a while they start dating and cj finds out through the press room.

“Donnatella Moss, Joshua?,” she cries out, hitting him with the clipboard at every syllable. “Why do you do this to me?” “Hey-- I-- It was an accident!” “What, you’re gonna pull a Sam Seaborn on me, now, and tell me you didn’t know who she was? Or, what, you just happened to fall with your--” “Oh god, please don’t finish that sentence.”

Share a sentence or paragraph from your writing that you’re really proud of (explain why, if you like)

Silence falls over all of them. Surrounded by that heavy blanket, the cold rage that she feels evaporates all at once. CJ watches as Josh’s eyes immediately fill with tears. She feels her own do the same.

Thanks so much for asking~!!!!

[supergenial]

[translation+lyrics] ニワカ三年オタ八年、インターネッツはforever  by ななひら

Nanahi just uploaded this! Definitely my favorite track from her 2016 album “Sleep”. When it came out back then I wasn’t all that sure what it was about, I could only make out that it was about a cringy otaku using way too much internet slang, but now that I take a closer look at it... Yep, that is exactly what the song is about, big relate. Also love (hate) having to open a bunch of pixiv tabs to catch up on already dead memes, real neat stuff (not). Lyrics down below and see you next time!

--------------------------------------------------------------------

ニワカ三年オタ八年、インターネッツはforever

(Niwaka san nen ota yanen, internets wa forever

An otaku, not a hipster, internets are forever)

Composer: Camelia

Vocals: ななひら

[keep in mind she’s constantly doing a flustered laughter so it’s a bit hard to follow along]

sessha, otaku de wa gozaran... ho, hontou de gozaru! hontou de gozaru!! sono me wo mukeru no wo yamete hoshii de gozaru!! shinjite hoshii no de gozaru!! ho, hontou de gozaru yo~!!

me, I am not an otaku.... r-really! r-r-really!! don't look at me like I'm one of them!!! You have to believe me!! I really mean it~!!

soiya sa! soiya sa! haihaihai soiya sa! soiya sa! yoo hai! soiya sa! soiya sa! haihaihai soiya sa! soiya sa! yoo hai WASSHOI yo! WASSHOI wa! hasuhasu WASSHOI yo! WASSHOI wa! kitakore

utagawanai de hoshii de gozaru, mataari sage shinkou suishou de gozaru yo!! reisei ni kangaete sessha ga otaku toka uke mi aru de gozaru na [laughs] riyuu is nani eh? seme... no hantai...? [laughs] gumon de gozaru [laughs] sore wa touzen uke de gozawa!!! (kuchisuberi shinitami tsunori mou damepo)

pay no mind to that accusation, just sage and hide the thread just think of it calmly, what could possibly prompt such a belief eh? what's the opposite of a seme [laughs] no doubt [laughs] it's obviously an uke! (ah, my tongue slipped, desire to die intensifies, just kill me)

BBS SNS IRC kokkyou wa Web no ue ni ari kinki no waado wa kurenai no tsukiyomi (nandeya! chuubou no koro no Handoru Neemu kankei nai yaro!) toutoi hakadoru hontosuko buhireru botaku babu mi ari goigahentteku kanjiru (WA BI SA BI) kiwame yo otaku michi gyaku kapu, itte yoshi

BBS SNS IRC are the remnants of the old web  but the taboo word is ―――†Crimson Poem†――― (what the hell! don't bring up my old username!) Delete This, Big Mood, Same, hhhnnnggg as your vocabulary worsens you ascend towards nerd-doom (rarepairs are welcome)

demo bareru no saketai uchi akerarenai obon to nenmatsu oyasumi shita sugiru (yuukyuu kudasai, nandemo shimasu kara!) [koushite te ni shita kyuuka, sessha wa shugyou ni hagemu no de gozaru... sou, otaku shugyou zettai saikou na yatsu ni shiyou de gozaru na...!!!!!]

but you must avoid being found out, do not confide in anyone if you want to meet the year's end peacefully (and make sure to get paid by all means!) that one vacation is extremely needed for training Yes, otaku training! to become the greatest there is!

mezase TO: akihabara (hai!) tsukame kaisen (haihai!) WiFi nai to jinkennai (aboon) tsunagitai (hai!) tsunagaritai (haihai!) akashiku rekoodo ni (konekushon) towa ni (towa ni) towa ni tsutsukeyo wareware no (moretatsu no) yume no (yume no) umareru tokoro koko, intaanetsu (hai! hai! hai! hai!) sou forever...

let's go to: akihabara, get on that train with no wifi or human rights I want to connect, I want to be connected, to this akashic record forever, forevermore we will be in here in this place of dreams, that is the internet forever...

soiya sa! soiya sa! haihaihai soiya sa! soiya sa! yoo hai! soiya sa! soiya sa! haihaihai soiya sa! soiya sa! yoo hai WASSHOI yo! WASSHOI wa! hasuhasu WASSHOI yo! WASSHOI wa! kitakore

kore ga kuuru japan de gozaru ka~! ii jidai ni natta de gozaru na! n? cho, chotto matsu de gozaru, sore wa... sessha no usuihon! sonna mono yushutsu saretara kurorekishi zensekai daikoukai de gozaru! otonashiku kaesu no de gozaru!! eh? sonna mono tsukutteta no katte? ahh kikoenai aa! socchi wa sessha no chuunibyou jidai nooto, socchi mo hito ni mise wa ii mono de wa gozaran! mou yurushite kureyo!

This really is Cool Japan! What a time to be alive! eh? w-wait a minute, that's my smut! how can my dark past leak out like this to the whole world! give it back to me! eh? you were wondering if I made these? no don’t read it to me! ah! that's my cringe notebook from my teens, don't let anyone see it! have mercy!

pokita! w pokita! mazaingo!!?!? iisami no fukami ga DEEP DARK FANTASY ponaka shuchite kan'in shite mirou kara no seiku kara no misainin niku... sore ijou ikenai sori! sori! sorisugite sonri ni natta! hagedou hon sore guu seiron sore de wa mugen ni neri wo shimatsu poyashimi~ (yuushou!!)

alert! alert! this is bad!!? they've gotten a hold of my DEEP♂DARK♂FANTASY a tale of 3 guys drinking each other's... let's stop here but yes, it’s so good! I can fap to this, couldn't agree more now then let's aim for infinity! good night (victory!)

ROM NDK KSK ikiteru dake de hometekure gacha hiite bakushi de fute ne no ruutiin (honma kire mou shita! omae no ID hikaeta de gozaru!) pyon pyon gorigori ganbaruzoi girigiri desu ne, wakarimasu samurai ninja mo sensha de GO (O O A RA I) kiwame yo otaku michi [seichijunrei shita no ka, sessha igai no tomogara to]

ROM NDK KSK please praise me just for being alive pulling from the gacha has turned into my shameful routine (friend list is full though so hold your ID) pyon pyon gorigori let's do our best samurai, ninjas and tanks (OOARAI), gotta learn it all to be an otaku (if you ever want to hang out, then go find someone else)

demo anime tairyoku nai enban katte tsumu nou zero paasen de onna no ko miteitai (VR kuukan de bishoujo mamire no mama ikisasetekure ~tanomu~) [koushite isshou dennou kuukan de ikiru koto ni natte shimatta sessha... gendaiban shima nagashi de gozaru (munen..)] demo kocchi no sekai...  hikae me ni itte... saikou de gozaru na~!!!

though I don't have the energy for 25 hours of anime, bought a recorder, want to watch brainless moe (just let me live drowning in cute girls in VR please) truly I was meant to live in cyberspace so it's regrettable that I don't however this world... has it's flaws... but it's truly the best!

sagase IN: akihabara chuuoudoori manga ni guzzu senrihin (u~suihon) kangaenai kangaetakunai gunshikin no zankin niji wo niji wo koero yo wareware no (moretachi no) kokkyou sodatta tokoro koko, intaanetsu sou forever...

let's search in: akihabara's main street for more manga goods (porn) i don't want to think, don't ever let me think, of how much war funds I’ve got left let us cross over that rainbow (drooling ones) for I was born and raised here on the internet forever...

[laughs] ougi gokuatsu tenohira tsubame gaeshi

[laughs] Secret move: fiery handheld feint reversal!

mezase TO: akihabara (hai!) tsukame kaisen (haihai!) WiFi nai to jinken nai (aboon) tsunagitai (hai!) tsunagaritai (haihai!) akashiku rekoodo ni (konekushon) amaneku intaanetsu yume no intaanetsu bikkuri suru hodo yuutopia owaranai owariganai jouhou oobaadoozu (adicction) towa ni (towa ni) towa ni tsutsukeyo wareware no (moretatsu no) yume no (yume no) umareru tokoro koko intaanetsu sou forever...

let's go to: akihabara, get on that train with no wifi or human rights I want to connect, I want to be connected, to this akashic record too much internet! dreamy internet! it's so utopic it will shock you I don't want it to end, don't let it end, this info overdose (i’m addicted!) forever, forevermore we'll go on in this ideal place we were born and raised that is online forever...

soiya sa! soiya sa! haihaihai soiya sa! soiya sa! yoo hai! soiya sa! soiya sa! haihaihai soiya sa! soiya sa! yoo hai WASSHOI yo! WASSHOI wa! hasuhasu WASSHOI yo! WASSHOI wa! kitakore

dou mite mo otaku desu. Hontou arigatou gozaimashita.

No matter how you slice it I'm an otaku. Thank you for your time.

(oh yeah, Liberties Were Taken for sure on this one, if you’re wondering about the soiya verses it’s basically generic cheering, don’t think too much of it)

[the-minyard-twins]

Andreil Fic Rec

I’ve always wanted to do a fic rec so here we are! I’ve read a lot of Andreil recently and these are my top 28 favorite Andreil and AFTG fics

1. Trust Fall (And Welcoming Arms) by SpangleBangle

85k | Explicit

Life goes on after the Foxes win the championship, and for Andrew and Neil it’s uncharted territory with only each other for guides. Maybe it’s time to put away some of those hard edges, and learn how to touch more softly, and speak more honestly. And if they falter, they have their family to help them get back on their feet.

2. Learning To Feel (When You’ve Forgotten How) by thegirlwiththeprettybrowneyes

43k | Teen | No Proust AU

On the night before his first day of therapy at Easthaven, Andrew blows out his legs and decides he isn’t going to bury his feelings anymore, consequences be damned. In return, he gets a schedule change, and a very strange new therapist. /////// “Doesn’t mean I wouldn’t blow you,” Andrew finished, looking anywhere but at Neil’s face. Neil looked like he had just realized the sky was blue. “You like me,” Andrew sighed. “Yeah,” he said, resigned “Yeah, Neil, I like you,” /////// No Proust AU

3. Broken by Jeni182

34k | Explicit

Andrew attempts suicide and he and Neil try to navigate his recovery and healing together.

4. Waves by Jeni182 (sequel to Broken)

94k | Explicit

Broken Part II - Neil and Andrew try to navigate life post Andrew’s suicide attempt now that he’s in Denver and Neil’s in his last year at PSU.

5. Funky Happenings with the Fox Family by dobbypussypopper

29k | Teen | text!fic

naughtygayweedcrime: did I rlly just see neil say woke

naughtygayweedcrime: what a surreal timeline we live in

dumbfool: allison is trying to teach me how to meme so I can get hip

naughtygayweedcrime: bless your poor soul

davidwymack: sometimes I regret living

davidwymack has muted exyllent, damnwilds, + 7 others for 30 minutes

6. Something in Return by reaching _my_summit

31k | Mature

“Andrew Minyard, how will you celebrate winning your final college Exy championship?”

“I’m going to Disney World,” Andrew deadpans.

- - -

Andrew’s final year at Palmetto State comes to a close. His future is upon him and there are plans to be made. Years ago, Neil asked Andrew to stop smoking in exchange for something. Andrew finally knows what he wants in return.

7. The Unloved Kids by AlrightDarlin

35k | Not Rated

“I intend to treat them the same. I need strong athletes, not toddlers,” Wymack starts, but sits back with a sigh, running a hand over his face. “But hypothetically, if I had to look after a bunch of toddlers on the weekends…”

Betsy’s eyes crinkle with her smile. “Are you asking advice?”

“They’re screwed up enough,” Wymack says, “I’m not trying to make it worse.”

(David Wymack takes his little nightmares and does his best to corral them and love them within an inch of their lives. He can’t change what happened to them, but he can be there for them now.)

8. Turn it Off by elawless

10k | Mature

“It hurts…so much…too…much” He choked out between breaths. “I want to let go so…bad. I am so close”. He lifted his head to look at Andrew and saw no blue in his eyes and believed Andrew was real, but the rest of the pain was. It was just enough for him to trust Andrew with what he would say next.

“Stay. Give me Neil back. Don’t leave.” Andrew could no longer cover all of his desperation, his voice seemed to crack on the last word.

“Just let me turn it off. Just for today. Neil will come back. Bring him back, for the both of you.”

9. VW Actually Means “Very Weird” by exyjunkies

15k | Gen

If it was just going to be the two of us, then why bring the Volkswagen?

So that if I end up murdering you on this road trip, I’ll have enough space for clean-up.

Neil and Andrew take on the Pacific Coast Highway over the span of two and a half weeks, with a surprise for one of them at the very end.

10. Puzzle Pieces by Nikotheamazingspoonklepto

59k | Explicit | Series

Neil’s life is a puzzle, the people in it are the pieces that give everything meaning. Together they make a picture of happiness.

11. diet mountain dew by reaching_my_summit

2k | Teen

neil thinks andrew is very pretty. he tells andrew exactly that.

12. For Science by ClockworkDragon, DeyaAmaya

8k | Explicit

“Here’s what I propose: we’ll play a game, and I’ll even let you pick which one, but we’re going to set some stakes. I’m not going to let you talk big and walk away free of punishment if you lose.” Without hesitating, Kevin asked, “Fine, I choose Trivial Pursuit. What are the stakes?” Allison put a finger to her lips and tilted her head, as if she was actually thinking of a response and didn’t plan this whole thing days ago. “Hmm, did you know the spirit store recently added fox themed thigh-high socks to their stock? They’ve become quite popular amongst cheerleaders.” This statement seemed to throw Kevin off because he just stared blankly at Allison until she continued. Andrew was not, however, an idiot. He could see where this was going. “How about whoever loses has to wear the socks for an entire school day; including morning and evening practices?” “Holy shit,” Nicky whispered. “You are one devious bitch.” Allison winked.

13. ain’t no rest for the wicked by dearhappy

8k | Teen | Lucifer!AU

“You really expect me to believe that?“ Neil asks, "Especially when his girlfriend said that he’d always been worried about what you’d ask for in return, and that he called you the Devil.”

“I don’t lie,” Andrew says simply. “You can think whatever you want.”

“Why was he so worried if that was all it was?”

“He made a deal with the Devil,” Andrew says, “Tell me you wouldn’t be worried about that.”

14. Not Damsels, not Knights by my_unlikely_hero

93k | Mature

Neil is not a damsel, Andrew is not a knight, Riko is not a dragon. Nobody gets saved. Not really.

Or: Riko goes too far, and Neil is left in pieces.

15. The Continuing Adventures of the Nine-Nine by gluupor

48k | Gen | Series | Brooklyn 99!AU

A series of short, ridiculous, mostly plotless stories featuring the Foxes as the cops of the Ninety-Ninth Precinct.

16.  Not Only You and Me by orphan_account (part of a series)

18k | Explicit | Porn!AU

Andrew, Neil and Kevin film Foxy’s first gay threesome porn scene.

Cue the feelings.

17. High School Science by fuzzballsheltipants

30k | Teen/Explicit (parts 1-3 are Teen and part 4 is Explicit) | Series 

High School!AU

18. False Equivalence by sunrise_and_death

22k | Teen

Some part of her had known it would come back to Neil. He was the one who had cracked the twins the first time. Of anyone, he was the most likely to have a solution for this as well.

Although the events of the previous year resolved a lot of issues, Katelyn quickly discovers that not every problem has been addressed. As she attempts to map a future in which Aaron has both her and his family, she finds herself once again working with Neil Josten—to unexpected results.

19. trans andrew by aceaaronminyard, autisitcandrewminyard

30k | Explicit | trans!Andrew

a fanfic series for a tfc au where andrew minyard wasn’t registered into the system as andrew doe but as erin doe.

mostly set post-tkm. mostly porn.

20. Advice and Amusement by Autumnalhogwarts

11k | Teen

After a series of failed attempts to woo Renee, Allison turns to Andrew for help. As Renee’s best guy friend he’s in a unique position to offer advice. However, that doesn’t mean he’ll be willing to.

21. Kidnapped by Shell_Writes

21k | Explicit

Neil and Aaron get kidnapped by four deranged men while the team is on a camping trip. shit happens and they have to escape this horror house. together.

22. Return of Dad!Mack by SensationalSunburst

14k | Gen | Series

Dad!Wymack & Mom!Abby

23. For He’s A Jolly Good Felon by gluupor

4k | Teen | Felon!Neil

What’s a guy to do when he’s forced to go to his conservative, homophobic aunt and uncle’s for Thanksgiving dinner?

Why, invite along his ex-con, tattooed, argumentative roommate as his fake boyfriend, of course.

24. make my heart shake (bend and break) by WaifsandStrays

4k | Explicit

Aaron develops a fascination with Kevin’s dick, has a sexuality crisis and feelings and fails to process any of it.

25. Across the Water by transandrewminyard

13k | Teen | trans!Andreil

Perhaps several years too late, or maybe right on time, Neil Josten runs away from home and tries to dream a new life for himself. How poetic that his first night out on his own would deliver him to a stranger who seems to understand everything he’s been through, and then some?

26. Prompt: Andrew and Neil get to babysit Sophie by orphan_account

14k | Mature | part of a series

What it says on the tin, basically.

Aaron and Matt leave for a few days and ask Andrew and Neil to babysit Sophie. Baby-sized exy is involved. Also lots and lots of angst. But there is a happy ending!

27. Salt Bros and Roller Derby Vixens by moonix

14k | Teen | Series

Roller Derby!AU

28. Absinthe Makes the Heart Grow Fonder by priorwalter

12k | Teen | Felon!Neil, Author!Andrew

“So,” Neil asks as he washes his paint-covered hands in the kitchen sink, “Christmas.”

Andrew glares and says nothing. This year, Neil and Andrew are spending Christmas with Andrew’s brother, Aaron Minyard. Aaron Minyard, Andrew’s twin whose existence was unknown to him until two months previous. Aaron Minyard, an orthopedic surgeon with a wife (an oncologist, naturally) and two daughters. Aaron Minyard, who grew up with a mother that chose him.

**

Andrew Doe has survived until age twenty-nine without any biological family, and his life turned out pretty good, considering all of the reasons it shouldn’t have. At age twenty-nine, Andrew’s book becomes a bestseller and leads his long-lost twin brother to him. Familial drama ensues.

[luthienebonyx]

16 for the prompt meme?

16: A Doomed Kiss

This was supposed to be a ficlet but it is NOT a ficlet, because apparently I’m not capable of those - or at least I’m not capable of them right now, anyway.

This first part is a prologue. Part II, complete with doom and kiss, should be along in a day or so.

A Doom Unescaped - Part I

They probably wouldn't have noticed the tent if Addam hadn't staggered out of the Gravitron and been noisily sick all over Jaime's trainers. Dragging Addam out of the way of the people queueing for their turn on the ride, Jaime had kept going until the two of them were around the corner, where he found a patch of grass that he could wipe his shoes - rather futilely - on. Beside him, Addam sank to the ground and sat with his head between his knees, taking great heaving breaths.

The day was not turning out quite as Jaime had anticipated. He'd turned thirteen the previous week, and somehow - he still didn't quite know exactly how - he'd managed to persuade his father that this meant he was old enough to attend the annual Lannisport agricultural show and fun fair without adult supervision. Tywin Lannister's only conditions had been to 'take your cousin with you, and don't do anything stupid!' Neither of these had seemed like particularly difficult requirements at the time. But that was before he and Addam had used some of Jaime's birthday money from Aunt Genna to eat their way through every food stand they could find, and then gone in search of the rides. That had been a mistake. Or, at least, those last four corn hounds on sticks that Addam had eaten had been a mistake. And the lemon cakes that he followed them up with probably hadn't helped either.

"Urk, I need something to drink," Addam said, when he finally raised his head.

"Just still water," Jaime said firmly. He didn't want to imagine the likely outcome, let alone be within range, if Addam tried drinking anything fizzy right now. He hauled Addam to his feet, and they wandered down to the drinks stand in the midst of the sideshows. Jaime bought two bottles of water; one for Addam to drink, the other for Jaime to use with a paper napkin to try to get the worst of the stink off his shoes. He didn't really have much success, but at least he got rid of the remaining chunks.

He chucked the now bright yellow napkin and the rest of the water into the bin next to the stall with the row of laughing jesters' heads, their open ceramic mouths rotating back and forth as they waited to be fed the balls that might or might not result in a prize. Jaime had a sudden mental picture of the jester heads spewing the balls back up. He shuddered inside, turned away - and spotted the tent, lurking right at the end of the row of sideshows. 

It seemed like a strange sort of thing to be grouped with the jesters and Tully's magnetic fish pond and the wildling hi striker. Unlike most tents Jaime had ever seen, it was made out of what looked like silk rather than canvas, and its walls were the same deep crimson as the field on the Lannister coat of arms. The tent was covered in gold stars both large and small. Gold, like the Lannister lion. There was a sign above the door that said, in extravagantly curly writing: "Madame Maggy, Your Fortune For a Price."

Maybe it was the Lannister colours of the tent that drew Jaime's curiosity, or maybe it was simply how out of place it looked. It was tacky, yes, but tacky in a completely different way from the attractions that surrounded it. Whatever the reason, Jaime went to have a closer look, with Addam tagging along behind, complaining that fortune tellers were boring girly shit, and that they should try out the Kraken next.

"You go on the Kraken," he told Addam, digging in the pocket of his jeans for some silver stags and stuffing them into his cousin's hands. "I'll catch up with you in a few minutes, and then you can go on it again with me." Apart from anything else, it wouldn't hurt if Addam emptied whatever might be left in his stomach when Jaime was nowhere nearby.

Addam didn't need to be told twice. "See you in a few!" he yelled over his shoulder as he raced off in the direction of the Kraken, whose great metal tentacles could be seen swooping above the people queueing next to the entrance gate.

There was no queue outside Madame Maggy's tent. There wasn't a single other person waiting, so Jaime ducked in through the opening in the silk that served as a doorway and called, "Hello? Is there anybody here?"

"Good day, young man," said a voice so weirdly croaky that Jaime couldn't tell if the speaker was a man or a woman. He was standing in an outer room of some sort, but there was no sign of anyone else. There were a couple of chairs by the wall that must have been set there by some optimistic person who expected that there would be at least two people waiting their turn at some point today.

Long strings of multi-coloured crystal beads and little gold bells hung in the interior doorway on the other side of the room. They clinked and jangled as Jaime pushed them aside and entered the tent's main room.

The inside of Madame Maggy's tent was swathed in long bolts of black and yellow fabric, alternating with others in green and silver. A heavily scuffed carpet in a murky shade of green covered the floor. Overall, it wasn't very Lannister-ish, so it didn't call to him the way the outside of the tent had, but he didn't spend much time thinking about that because right then he noticed the person sitting at the small round table in the corner. Even looking right at them, Jaime couldn't tell whether they were a man or a woman. He was barely certain that they were a living person. They were covered from head to - presumably - toe in voluminous black robes, and their face was yellow, like the faded pages of an old book, or one of the dummies in the waxwork museum he'd visited the last time he'd gone to King's Landing. There was also a huge, horrible wart with a long black hair growing out of it right in the middle of one wrinkly cheek.

"I am Madame Maggy," the person - well, probably woman - said in a raspy sort of voice, and cackled. 

Jaime had never heard anyone cackle before, but he knew one when he heard one. He watched, fascinated, as she took a set of false teeth from a very ordinary looking glass of water on the table beside her and pushed them into her mouth. He'd only ever heard about toothless crones in the stories that Tyrion's nanny sometimes told, but he knew one of those when he saw one, too.

"Come. Sit," Madame Maggy commanded, indicating the rickety wooden chair opposite her with an imperious wave of her hand - though it was so gnarled and bent that it looked more like a claw. Her words sounded a lot clearer now that she had teeth in her mouth, at least.

A Lannister never does anything just because someone tells him to - unless that someone is me. Jaime heard his father's voice, as clearly as if he'd been standing right next to him, and stayed where he was.

"Well? Are you going to just stand there? Why else did you come in here if not to have your fortune told?"

It was a good point, and anyway, Jaime had never been very good at doing what his father told him. He went, and sat.

The crone held out a claw. "It is customary for one seeking his fortune to cross my palm with silver, but I think the price for a Lannister must be gold."

Jaime didn't ask how she knew who he was. She was a fortune teller after all. Even so, he didn't like the thought of being cheated, and yet he'd given all his silver stags to Addam. All he had left in his pocket were gold dragons and a few copper stars and pennies. Clearly, Madame Maggy somehow knew that, too.

"Okay." Jaime reached into his pocket and pulled out a small handful of dragons. He placed them one by one on her upturned hand. It wasn't a large hand, but still, for seven gold dragons his future had better be filled to the brim with good fortune.

Madame Maggy's talons closed shut as swiftly as the jaws of a steel trap, and only the jingle of the coins as she secreted them in some hidden pocket of her robes proved that they'd ever been there at all. She turned and took a shallow bowl from the shelf behind her. Setting it down in the middle of the table, she filled it with water from the jug sitting beside the glass that had held her false teeth. Jaime hoped that none of the water in the jug had ever been anywhere near those teeth.

"Your hand, young Mr Lannister."

Jaime was feeling more and more that this hadn't been a good idea, but it was too late now. He firmed his lips, determined, and held out his hand. Madame Maggy took it between her own, paper dry ones. She was wearing a number of rings on her left hand, he saw now, silver rings sporting huge, mysterious stones so dark that in the dim light of the tent they appeared black.

Madame Maggy ran a fingernail down the centre of Jaime's palm, and he shivered, as if he'd just felt a knife between his shoulder blades. 

The old woman lifted her hand and jabbed her pointed fingernail right into the centre of his palm.

"Ow!" Jaime yelled, and pulled his hand back.

"Hold your hand over the bowl," Madame Maggy instructed, "and let a few drops of your blood flow from your veins into the water. Then we shall see what it has to tell us."

Jaime should have left. He knew it. It was the wise thing to do. But no one had ever accused him of being wise. He held his hand over the bowl, watching as his blood welled from the small wound and dropped into the water once, twice, and then again.

Madame Maggy pulled out a small plastic strip from somewhere.

"Look," she said, waving a hand above the bowl with a flourish while Jaime pressed the plaster to his still-bleeding palm.

Jaime looked. He expected to see a few small red splotches in the water, but instead the drops of blood had turned into swirls that looked almost like bright red snakes.

Madame Maggy tapped her finger - the same finger that she'd attacked him with - against the side of the bowl. The water swirled gently, and the snakes did too, slowly chasing each other around the bowl.

"You will travel," she said.

Well, that was disappointing. Jaime could have told her that himself for free. He'd already been to almost all of the Seven Kingdoms, and to Essos twice.

She tapped the side of the bowl again, twice this time. The snakes started moving a bit faster.

"And you will rise, so very high, and you will shine, golden lion of Lannister, as brightly as your house sigil, before one you trust implicitly betrays you, and you fall."

Jaime felt suddenly cold. "Are you saying someone's going to kill me someday?" he demanded.

The old woman looked at him unblinkingly, and tapped the side of the bowl three times in quick succession. She stared down at the snakes, which were moving rapidly now, seeming to twist and writhe in the water. "In the Riverlands you will meet your doom."

"So someone's going to kill me in the Riverlands?" Jaime felt sick to the stomach. He wondered what would happen if he threw up on the table and all over that bowl. If three drops of blood could do this, what could a stomachful of vomit achieve? Maybe at the very least it could stop the evil old crone's prediction from coming true.

The old woman didn't answer, but instead reached out and tapped the side of the bowl four times. As Jaime watched, the water turned completely red - the colour of his blood - and then black, and finally clear again. It looked just like it had when Madame Maggy had first poured the water from the jug. She picked up the bowl and emptied it into a bucket on the floor next to her chair.

"The waters have revealed no more," she said. "Good day, young Mr Lannister."

"What?" Jaime said. "That's it? You can't leave it there. Here, I'll give you more gold." He was already reaching into his pocket for some more dragons but the old woman shook her head.

"The waters show what they will, and only once. There is no changing it, and no explaining it. You may only learn the future in full by living it."

"Or dying in it," Jaime muttered. He got to his feet, and glowered down at her in what he hoped was a good imitation of Tywin Lannister at his most dangerous. Then, without another word, he turned and left, pushing the stupid crystals and bells out of the way as he went. 

He emerged blinking into the sunlight, still feeling like he wanted to be sick. He wished he'd never come here. He wished she'd never come here. He could do something about that, he realised - about Madame Maggy being here in the future, anyway. The fair was on Lannister land and, well, a Lannister always paid his debts, didn't he?

He didn't look back as he moved quickly past the sideshows, and didn't stop, or even look to right or left, until he found Addam waiting for him near the front of the queue for the Kraken.

"You got here just in time!" Addam said.

"How was it?" Jaime asked.

"Brilliant! I can't wait to go again."

"Did you throw up afterwards?" 

"What? No! Well, not much," Addam admitted. "I don't think there's anything left now."

"Good," Jaime said. 

"How was the fortune teller? Are you going to meet a tall stranger in the future who's going to sweep you off your feet?" Addam asked, fluttering his eyelashes at Jaime.

Jaime punched him in the shoulder. Not really that hard but:

"Oww!" Addam complained.

"No strangers. Someone I know is going to betray me, after I travel and… rise and shine?" 

"Sounds like too many early mornings to me."

Jaime ignored that. "And I'm going to be killed in the Riverlands."

Addam stared at him. "Wow," he said. "That's much cooler than I was expecting."

"Cooler?"

"It's better than dying in bed after a long, dull life. And anyway, it's easy to make sure that that last bit never happens."

"Is it?" Jaime frowned at his cousin.

Addam rolled his eyes. "She said it was going to happen in the Riverlands, right? Just make sure you never go to the Riverlands and you'll be fine!"

Jaime blinked. "That… makes sense," he said, surprised. Addam wasn't exactly known for being a deep thinker - or any sort of thinker.

The ride slowed and stopped before them, then. They waited impatiently while it emptied of people and then the ride operator opened the gate to let them in. They clambered into two seats at the end of one huge tentacle and strapped themselves in, and before long they were swooping up and down and around and around. It was exhilarating and terrifying and fun - but a small voice in Jaime's head kept insisting the whole time that Addam's solution to his problem wasn't really a solution. If Jaime was meant to die in the Riverlands then fate would make sure he would get there one day.

The Kraken started slowing down, and after it finally came to a shuddering halt, Jaime and Addam jumped down and staggered back out of the gate.

This time Jaime was the one who threw up all over his cousin's trainers.

[retro-rudy]

Logic- No Pressure Album Review

In summation of Logic's career, the foremost qualities that can’t go unnoticed is the dedication, respect and admiration the man has always had for the art of hip-hop. From the beginning, dating back to his Young Sinatra mix-tape series, in an era where trap beats were overtaking hip-hop, Logic arrived as a breath of fresh air with his conscious driven lyrics and entertaining flow, fueled by the boom-bap style he enjoyed from earlier influences such as Wu-Tang Clan, A Tribe Called Quest, and Mos Def. Logic lived up to the hype and expectations by delivering a successful debut album and painting a promising future, in which, considering how the industry measures success, Logic went onto surpass by reaching the heights of mainstream play and various award nominations with his next 2 studio albums. Amid the commercial success came the broader spotlight, the very one that emphasized his every move, and drew fluctuated criticism to an all-time high for the Maryland emcee. The challenges for Logic however were not the subjective opinions people had towards his music, but rather stemmed from the more personal jokes, memes, and the non-music related opinions that seemed to overshadow the music he was creating for audiences. In 2019, these unfortunate circumstances led Logic to step away from music and social media for some time with no public explanation to the reasoning of his hiatus. That was until the ever so unpredictable 2020 saw Logic emerge with a staggering album announcement accompanied by an unexpected retirement announcement.

Logic, returned in 2020 as many anticipated, with his 7th and final studio album, No Pressure. The joint announcement of album date and retirement came on July 16th, just one week before the set album release date. While the announcement was abrupt and left many with lingering questions, the 1 week wait would eventually lead fans to the clear reasoning of his decision through No Pressure’s foundation of honest and convincing lyrics.

Right out of the gates, Logic sets the tone and premise of the direction he will take the album on the opening track, No Pressure Intro. Logic applies audio from the famous Orson Wells “The Hitchhiker” introduction, which Logic chops and edits perfectly to bring us into the album. Within the edits, Logic cites No I.D and The Incredible True Story to give the intro a fun twist that adds the thematic touch many have grown accustomed to in Logic’s discography. The fundamentally ear-hitting boom-bap beat produced by NO I.D could not have been curated any better for Logic on the opener. Logic and the instrumental go hand in hand as he delivers bar after bar for over a minute and a half before reaching an abrupt interruption that catapults you into the next track. “B*tch I’m too alive, like twins in a womb, come hither, consume” and “But it cost a fee to be the boss it cost to be, over possessions like an apostrophe.” are some of the more standout bars on this intro.

           On No Pressure, Logic’s overall mood comes off positive, natural, motivated and unforced which benefits each song on this record in its own way. On songs such as Hit My Line, Celebration, and Amen, Logic’s unhinged and unpressed mind state injects everlasting life and validation to the long peace, love and positivity advocate. Logic’s comfort with his current-self shines through on Hit My Line with a confident, worry-free chorus and candid verses as he persuasively calls on god for a fixing of humanity. Logic’s positive drive has been a stapled message within his raps since the beginning of his career and the messaged remains well intact on Hit My Line and the entirety of this project. The confidence he shows when he says, “They say they don’t want messages in rap, it ruins the art. Well here I am people, yeah, now tear me apart.” further endorses his attempt of leaving it all out for this record with no regrets. Even on the track, Celebration, where Logic taps into his braggadocio side of rap to pen out the worry-free mindset he now has and how there is nothing for him to prove to anyone, you can hear the freeing mentality he has as he spits:

“It’s been a minute now; my style is feeling infinite now. Used to people pulling me down, it ain’t shit to me now. Don’t let it get to me now: threw out my phone, they can’t get to me now.”

These tracks dwell on a cheerful and flamboyant tempo that Logic ceases throughout the entirety of the tracks. The same can be said for songs like Dadbod, Perfect, and 5 Hooks, that show versatility in terms of beat choices and the ability of Logic to naturally execute each varying flow that comes off as effortlessly in this stage of his career.

           Meshed in with the collection of the more upbeat and elated-expressive tracks, Logic sprinkles in tracks built off well executed hip-hop samples that serve up a heavier dose of conscious articulated bars. Dating back to the Young Sinatra mix-tapes, Logic has never been shy to wear his influences on his sleeve, and tracks like GP4 and Man i is prove this to the be the case in present day. GP4, a nostalgic tie-in with Logic’s Growing Pains’ song collection, which we last heard on Under Pressure, contains a sample constructed from OutKasts’ Elevators song from ATLiens. Given the track record of various and well-respected hip-hop samples Logic has placed on each of the Growing Pains’ tracks, this one fits cohesively with the bunch. Much like the previous Growing Pains’, Logic leans on his story telling to paint witty and mental pictures of a variety of thoughts floating in his mind. From adolescent memories, to admitting his once determination of becoming the greatest rapper alive now being inessential, Logic goes onto acknowledge how the greatest rapper alive might not even be rapping and is instead stacking groceries at an ordinary 9 to 5 with no care in the world, resembling much how Logic feels at this point in his career. On Man i is, Logic’s maturity and growth flourishes among the inspired instrumental created out of an iconic mashup consisting of OutKasts’ SpottieOttieDopaliscious, Tarika Blues’ Dreamflower, DJ Screw and Pimp C. Logic self-reflects as he looks back on where he came from and what he endured, to which through it all has led him to this point in life where he can confidently say he is sincerely proud of the man he has become. In hip-hop it’s made well-aware that high expectations are to be met when paying homage to classics and Logic absolutely fulfills the task on this one in a form that without a doubt places Man i is among the most prominent tracks within his discography. Open Mic\\Aquarius III keeps Logic on the lyrical prowess and serves as a bridge for fans to connect with the bar for bar artillery the emcee has long had. The beat switch that takes place in this track is superb with the pure hip-hop cypher sound of Open Mic interestingly transitioning into the more jazzy and mellow Aquarius III. The high-volume of bars continues immediately on the following track, Soul Food II. The deserving sequel to one of Logic’s held in high regards track off his debut album Under Pressure. Logic retains the format of spitting a series of bars as he did in the original Soul Food. It’s warming and evident to hear the growth in both, his mentality as a human and abilities of his craft as an artist when you hear both songs in sequential order. In Soul Food II, mentally, Logic remains as humble and passionate as ever while sonically the tone and delivery of his raps resonate with the listener enough to have them capture and break down his every word. This along with the metaphors within this song is what prompts Soul Food II to standout on its own and give its predecessor a run for its money, and dare I say, maybe even edge out the original.

           On the last leg of the album is where I find Logic taking the listener towards the conclusion of the album on a pure, passion driven energy specifically due to the openness of Dark Place, and the spiritually motivating Heard Em Say. Dark Place is the first of its kind for the emcee as it is by far the most personal track Logic has ever released. While Logic has been open about personal situations before, it has never been to the degree and sentiment he lets out on the track. What was meant to remain an unreleased and personal track shares a transparent view of his feelings regarding the real toll the amount of negativity and criticism took on his mental state.

“Writin’ rhymes was easy before the fame. Now I’m constantly overthinkin’ every line, it’s a shame. Rap used to fill me with joy, now it’s nothin’ but pain. I’m stuck in the game, tryna get back from where I came.”

 The entire song contains some of Logic’s most honest and heart-breaking lyrics that transport you directly to the most difficult year he experienced as a mainstream artist. “I’d love to end this on some positive shit. Hit you with punchlines instead of some derogative shit, but it’s okay to be sad sometimes and tired of shit.. I guess.” Logic becomes as relatable to the listener as ever with his sincerity on here. And while the song might show vulnerability, it’s okay. In the end the fan and artist label are irrelevant compared to the human label we all fall under. Another evident example of the earnest connection between Logic and his Rattpack. Fittingly so, the best in my opinion is saved for last. Heard Em Say easily ranks in the top 5 of Logic's entire released discography for me. From self-producing the song, to writing one of his most heartfelt verses, the song sums up as one of Logic’s most range defining cuts from an artist standpoint. The 3rd verse on Heard Em Say is one of Logic’s best verses from his discography, and impressively so isn’t due to the depth of lyricism, but due to Logic’s infinite passion heard throughout the verse. Logic grabs you with every word and instills raw emotion and inspiration with a hopeful send off in quintessential fashion Logic has long been known for.

After Confessions of a Dangerous Mind failed to reach favorable appreciation within hip-hop enthusiasts, and his fan base respectively; the project left many wondering if perhaps Logic’s better days were behind him. With unfavorable reviews and criticism weighing heavily on the emcee, Logic spent the better part of 2019 and 2020 writing raps vigorously on his Louis Vuitton rhyme book as he mentions on the freeing Amen. Logic stated in an interview with Nick Huff Barili of Hard Knock TV, that No Pressure essentially came to fruition out of his essential love for hip-hop no longer being intact, before coming to the conclusion of ending his career and delivering a final project in the form of which he came into the game with, a project he would give his every ounce of love for hip-hop to, to showcase pure hip-hop built on a foundation of bars and verses made up of the emcee’s best abilities. With executive production from No I.D, No Pressure achieves this and sees Logic set the record straight in his place among hip-hop. In retrospect, while the time apart might have been difficult, I believe both Logic and fans of Logic in the long run reached a perfect ending of a prominent and inspiring career. No Pressure serves as a celebrated accumulation and reflection of the inspiring emcees’ hip-hop career, the final chapter that gives the fan closure and comprehension for his farewell. Logic is now free of pressure and has found happiness by obtaining the greatest blessing in life, family. Thank you for delivering us this classic, and the best of wishes on your future endeavor Bobby. Final rating: 10

[beatrice-otter]

Longfic Recs, Part III

The Rich Are Always Respectable:  Rosemary (13571 words) by Elizabeth Chapters: 9/9 Fandom: Pride and Prejudice Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Darcy/OFC, Georgiana/OMC, Bingley/Jane Characters: Fitzwilliam Darcy, Georgiana Darcy, OFC, OMC Additional Tags: Angst, Alternate Universe - Canon Series: Part 1 of The Rich Are Always Respectable

Summary:

Without Lady Catherine's interference, a family catastrophe throws Darcy and Elizabeth down wildly different paths.

So We Meet at Last (758 words) by thisbluespirit Chapters: 1/1 Fandom:Miss Marple - Agatha Christie,Dracula & Related Fandoms,Dracula (TV 1968) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Characters: Jane Marple, Count Dracula, Abraham Van Helsing, John Seward Additional Tags: Community: fan_flashworks, Crossover, Women Being Awesome, miss marple is awesome, The Author Regrets Nothing, Alternate Universe

Summary: Two genre legends meet.  The outcome is inevitable.  Someone really should have warned the Count never to trifle with fluffy old ladies. Hearts'-ease, by theficklepickle Henry V, AU, Henry/Montjoy. What infinite hearts'-ease must kings neglect That private men enjoy?

Whispers In Corners, by Esama. Harry Potter/Sherlock, AU, Harry/Mycroft. Everything started with a stumble - his new life in a new world as well as his surprisingly successful career as a medium. Realizations, by wishweaver. Harry Potter AU Harry returns to Privet Drive after 4th year and finds it...empty!  What do you do when you can't go to your friends for help? Of Muggles and Magic, by Aurette Harry Potter Regency AU, Hermione/Snape A witch struggles to conform in a society that restricts her.  A wizard   thinks he has nothing to offer anyone but his duty and, ultimately, his life. Maria, by Judith Brocklehurst Mansfield Park futurefic, But the outstanding question for Mrs. Rushworth's connections was: where   could she be placed? What could be done with a woman who, at twenty-two years old, had so disgraced her family, so alienated her friends, that no-one, except her doting Aunt Norris, wanted even to see her, let alone  house her?  Maria, now divorced, starts a new and independent life. Letters from a Smallville School Nurse, by Russell Saunders Superman, humor, outsider perspective, short All But Name, by Mirror And Image Star Wars, AU, Anakin and Obi-Wan, "You will be a Jedi, Anakin. I promise you. In all but name."

5 Times the Raptors Tried to Kill Miriam, and 1 Time They Didn’t (22937 words) by JulisCaesar Chapters: 6/6 Fandom:Jurassic Park (Movies) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Characters: Original Female Character(s), Original Male Character(s) Additional Tags: Blood, Minor Character Death, Science, Like a lot of science, Dinosaurs, Period-Typical Homophobia, AIDS mention, Antisemitism, Asexual Character, medical shenanigans, I beat up the MC a lot ok

Summary: Miriam thought the job working for InGen sounded perfect. Tropical island, good pay, first dibs on publications… At least, she thought so until she found out that she was the only behaviorist on staff. Once the eggs hatched, it became all she could do to keep up–with the dinosaurs, the science, and her health.

Maggie Fitzgerald and the Saltwater Drip (79626 words) by antistar_e Chapters: 1/1 Fandom:The Amazing Spider-Man (Movies - Webb) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Relationships: Peter Parker/Gwen Stacy Characters: Gwen Stacy, Peter Parker, Mary Jane Watson, Flash Thompson, Miles Morales, Harry Osborn Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies

Summary: Google politely tells her there are no poisonous spiders in Manhattan. Judging by her symptoms -- fever, superstrength, newfound desire to shove herself into small dark spaces, and sudden reputation as a masked vigilante -- Gwen would beg to differ. [Spider!Gwen AU.]

Enigma (11297 words) by Yahtzee Chapters: 1/1 Fandom:X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom,X-Men - All Media Types Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death Relationships: Erik Lehnsherr/Charles Xavier Characters: Erik Lehnsherr, Charles Xavier, Logan (X-Men), Mystique, Edie Lehnsherr, Original Female Character, Sebastian Shaw, Emma Frost Additional Tags: Alternate Reality, Fix-It, Kink Meme, World War II

Summary: Written for the following prompt: Erik dies, or finds a reversey-time mutant, or a magical time travelling device, and wakes up in the past. This time, though, it's before he ever met Charles - in fact, it's before his mother died.

He can save his mother that one time (thanks to his mastery over powers carrying back), but what does Erik do after that? Does he stick around, or escape and run to find Charles again (and hope everything doesn't go wrong)?

Je vois ma vie en rose (79404 words) by lilacsigil Chapters: 10/10 Fandom:X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom Rating: Mature Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage Relationships: Erika Lehnsherr/Charlotte Xavier, Harriet McCoy/Raven (X-Men) Characters: Erika Lehnsherr, Charlotte Xavier, Harriet McCoy, Raven (X Men), Alex Summers, Amparo Muñoz, Angelo Salvadore, Sabrina Shaw, Emory Frost, Marcus MacTaggert, Azazel (X-Men), Jana Quested, Shannon Cassidy Additional Tags: Genderbending, Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Big Bang Challenge

Summary: "Je vois la vie en rose" is a full-cast gender change. Canon male characters become female, and canon female characters become male or genderqueer. The only exceptions are real people and background military/government characters.

The CIA's Marcus MacTaggert attempts to recruit Doctor Charlotte Xavier and her sibling Raven to assist in the capture of suspected Communist Sabrina Shaw and her unusual associates. Thrilled at the thought finding of more mutants, Charlotte and Raven agree, but are soon put off by the CIA's misogynist attitude and decide to track down these other mutants by themselves. They do find more mutants, but not the ones they were expecting.

Charlotte starts to build a community of mutants but Raven finds that many of them can't even accept themselves, let alone someone who doesn't belong within familiar definitions of gender. Erika's determination to kill Shaw, Shaw's quest to recruit more mutants, and world-threatening political brinkmanship collide with deadly consequences: Charlotte, Raven and Erika must decide what kind of world it is that they want to create.

Unalienable (65554 words) by Basingstoke Chapters: 38/38 Fandom: Highlander (1986 1991 1994 2000 2007),X-Men (Movies),Highlander: The Series Rating: Explicit Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Relationships: Duncan MacLeod/Methos, Jean Grey/Scott Summers, Erik Lehnsherr/Charles Xavier, Jean-Paul Beaubier/Piotr Rasputin, Bobby Drake/Rogue, Remy LeBeau/Rogue Characters: Charles Xavier, Logan (X-Men), Duncan MacLeod, Methos, Scott Summers, Ororo Munroe, Rogue (X-Men), Piotr Rasputin, Tony Stark, Yuriko Oyama, Kenny (Highlander), Kurt Wagner, Jean-Paul Beaubier, Jeanne-Marie Beaubier, Warren Worthington III, Grace Chandel, Arclight, Elektra Natchios, Connor MacLeod, Jubilation Lee, Artie, Joe Dawson, Kitty Pryde, Mirage, Bobby Drake Additional Tags: Crossover, Kid Fic, Decapitation, Medical Trauma Series: Part 26 of Author’s Favorites Summary: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

D'Ancanto (49868 words) by xenokattz Chapters: 8/8 Fandom:X-Men (Movies) Rating: Mature Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Characters: Rogue (X-Men), Charlotte Jones, Remy LeBeau, Ororo Munroe, Logan (X-Men), Warren Worthington III Additional Tags: Cast of dozens, Samuel L Jackson-level strong language & also violence, GQBAMF in a line behind me bitches, Old enough to remember Charlotte Jones Series: Part 1 of D'Ancanto

Summary: Drugs. Multi-state gangs. Mutant-killing virus. Civil unrest. Plot to assassinate a racist senator. Just another Tuesday for Marie D'Ancanto, NYPD detective in the country's first Mutant Crimes Task Force.

If We Never Got This Second Chance (50419 words) by Pookaseraph Chapters: 1/1 Fandom:The Losers (2010),Marvel (Movies),Marvel Rating: Mature Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark Characters: Steve Rogers, Tony Stark, Jake Jensen, The Losers - Character, The Avengers - Character Additional Tags: Romance, Time Travel, Surprise Family, Father-Son Relationship, Happy Ending, Angst, Internalized Homophobia, Alternate Universe - Canon, Character Death, Many Worlds Time Travel, Terrorism

Summary: When Tony and Steve’s son from the future, Jake Jensen, arrives at Avenger’s Tower, the two of them are forced to confront some hard truths: Tony that he might not actually become a horrible father, and Steve that he might not be able to set aside his discomfort with sharing a child with another man. When they both get a second chance at a first try at fatherhood, it’s up to the two of them to learn from their own future's past.

Freezer Burn (194186 words) by Domenika Marzione Chapters: 28/28 Fandom:The Avengers (2012),The Avengers - All Fandoms,Captain America,Captain America (Comics),Marvel Cinematic Universe,Captain America (Movies),The Avengers (Marvel Movies),The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types Rating: Not Rated Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Characters: Steve Rogers, Nick Fury, Tony Stark, Maria Hill, Bruce Banner, Peggy Carter, Natasha Romanov, Clint Barton, Thor (Marvel), Pepper Potts, Red Skull, MODOK, Maya Hansen, Hydra Agents, The Wrecking Crew (Marvel) Additional Tags: sorta comicsverse sorta movieverse it's all getting jossed anyway right?, hail HYDRA, Steve Rogers as chorus girl and company-grade officer, Clint and Natasha think they're hilarious, Action/Adventure, Thor is an alien prince and not an idiot, Peggy Carter can still kick your ass, barf cannon, superhero foodies, Tony Stark Has Issues, Tony's really not that bad at the business thing, Team, Team Dynamics Series: Part 2 of Freezer Burn

Summary: The adventures of Steve Rogers, defrosted soldier, who is missing time but not really all that lost. He's got a surprisingly broad knowledge of lettuces, a working grasp of modern technology, and may or may not be using both to mess with his teammates and save the world.

Exclusive (30833 words) by copperbadge Chapters: 3/3 Fandom:Marvel,The Avengers (2012) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Pepper Potts/Tony Stark Characters: Steve Rogers, Tony Stark, Natasha Romanov, Clint Barton, Bruce Banner, Thor (Marvel), Pepper Potts Additional Tags: POV Outsider, News Media, Slice of Life, Interviews, Snipers Series: Part 1 of Magazineverse

Summary: Heroes In Manhattan: From Captain America's Hidden Talents To The Truth About The Hulk, We Debunk The Myths And Expose The Daily Lives Of The Avengers.

I (created from fantasies) exist solely for you (62917 words) by Mizzy Chapters: 1/1 Fandom:The Avengers (2012),Marvel Cinematic Universe Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark Characters: Steve Rogers, Tony Stark, Don Blake, Thor (Marvel), Natasha Romanov, Clint Barton, Pepper Potts, Maria Hill, Phil Coulson, Nick Fury, Norman Osborn Additional Tags: Identity Porn, Alternate Universe, marvel-bang, Podfic Available, Comic book office au

Summary: Six years ago, without the Avengers Initiative there to save the day, scientist Dr. Eric Selvig sacrificed himself to save the world, the almighty demi-god Thor was lost to a terrible storm, and vigilante Iron Man – spotted with a nuclear weapon trying to take advantage of the situation – was forever labelled an enemy of SHIELD.

This is a comic book office AU, where Steve is defrosted a year too late, Thor has forgotten who he is, and no one knows Tony is Iron Man.

Also includes: office pranks, inappropriate post-it notes, and superheroes who like pina coladas and getting caught in the rain.

Widow's Weeds (4333 words) by Mhalachai Fandom:The Avengers (2012) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Characters: Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanov, Tony Stark Additional Tags: Steve/Natasha friendship, It happened in a graveyard, Trust Series: Part 1 of A Widow's Tale

Summary: Their secrets have secrets. Steve's starting to figure this out.

Mountains, Molehills (1175 words) by lalaietha Chapters: 1/1 Fandom:Lilo & Stitch (2002) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: David Kawena/Nani Pelekai Characters: Nani Pelekai, Lilo Pelekai, David Kawena, Jumba Jookiba, Pleakley

Summary: Technically, David doesn't live here, but that "technically" is starting to get real thin, and he knows it. Which is why he chokes a bit when Lilo puts her elbows on the table, her chin in her hands, and says, "Are you going to ask my sister to marry you, or what?"

Here, where the world is quiet (6408 words) by busaikko Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling Rating: Explicit Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Remus Lupin/Severus Snape Characters: Remus Lupin, Severus Snape Additional Tags: Child Death, Character Death, Werewolves, Boarding School, Post-Canon, Zine Chocolate and Asphodel

Summary: After the war, Severus became head of the Scrimgeour Lycanthrope Academy.  His mandate was simple: Provide them with Wolfsbane and daily occupation.  Teach them as you see fit.   Report any violent outbursts.  Keep them away from regular people.

Dudley's Memories (11650 words) by Paganaidd Chapters: 5/5 Fandom:Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling Rating: General Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Dudley Dursley/Undisclosed Characters: Harry Potter, Ginny Weasley, Lily Luna Potter, James Sirius Potter, Albus Severus Potter, Dudley Dursley, Original Characters Additional Tags: Canon Compliant Series: Part 1 of Memories and Dreams Summary: Minerva needs help delivering another letter to #4 Privet Drive. At forty, Dudley is not at all what Harry expects. A long overdue conversation ensues. DH cannon compliant, but probably not the way you think. Prologue to "Snape's Memories".

You'll Get There in the End (It Just Takes a While) (33437 words) by seperis Chapters: 1/1 Fandom:Star Trek (2009) Rating: Explicit Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: James T. Kirk/Spock, Spock/Nyota Uhura Characters: James T. Kirk, Spock, Nyota Uhura, Leonard McCoy, Christopher Pike, Spock Prime Additional Tags: First Time, Pon Farr, Telepathy Series: Part 1 of The Reboot Series

Summary: "Spock.  Just say 'I don't trust Starfleet not to mess up the only captain in the fleet who I can train up to my expectations and enjoys running into danger wearing a blindfold as much as I do'."

Qui Habitat (133190 words) by domarzione Chapters: 20/? Fandom:Stargate Atlantis,Stargate SG-1 Rating: Not Rated Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Characters: John Sheppard, Elizabeth Weir, Rodney McKay, Cameron Mitchell (SG-1), Jonas Quinn, Teyla Emmagan, Ronon Dex, Steven Caldwell, Radek Zelenka, Evan Lorne, Original Characters Additional Tags: Apocalyptic, Alternate Universe - Dark, Ori, Religious Themes & References, Atlantis Alone, Action/Adventure, Alien Invasion, Colonialism Series: Part 2 of Qui Habitat

Summary: An SGA/SG-1 AU that spins off from the Ori arc that runs through Seasons Nine and Ten of SG-1 by changing one simple thing: the Ori don't lose. Earth is the last significant planet to fall in the Milky Way, but fall it does. Hard.

After Earth's fall, a large resistance movement was active, utilizing the Daedalus, the only surviving SGC carrier, as it's main instrument. Running raids in the Milky Way and bringing refugees and supplies to Atlantis, the Daedalus was the only lifeline between the two galaxies. Eventually her luck ran out and she was nearly destroyed by an Ori armada; after limping back to Atlantis, she is no longer flight-worthy and Atlantis is finally truly alone.

Over in Pegasus, Atlantis was first a long-distance witness and then a rear echelon for the escalating fight with the Ori over the Milky Way galaxy before becoming the final retreat for those who survived. Cut off from Earth and forced to revert to its (Season One) status as isolated outpost responsible for its own needs, Atlantis still has the responsibilities it has assumed in Pegasus -- defeating the Wraith and protecting those who can't help themselves -- while also awaiting the inevitable arrival of the Ori.

Rock Happy (141680 words) by ArwenLune Chapters: 31/31 Fandom: Generation Kill,Stargate Atlantis,Stargate SG-1 Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Characters: Brad Colbert, Nate Fick, Laura Cadman, Evan Lorne, Sam Carter, John Sheppard, Teal'c (SG-1), OC: Darren Avery, OC: Dr Fournier, OC: Lee Brittner, OC: Will Meyers, Daniel Jackson, Dusty Mehra, Tony Espera, Timothy Bryan, Ray Person, Mike Wynn, Nathan Christopher, Gabriel Garza Additional Tags: Crossover, Whole lotta fuckin' swearing, You want to recruit me for WHAT?, I wanna be there when they tell Ray about the space vampires, Daily life on Atlantis, original characters of colour, Women Being Awesome, POV Outsider, Brad Colbert has adventures IN SPACE, Team, Marine Corps, Wordcount: Over 50.000, Wordcount: 100.000-150.000, Women in the Military Series: Part 3 of Rock Happy 'verse

Summary: "You want to recruit me for what? You want me to go where?"

Sgt. Brad Colbert has been on a lot of strange missions, but this promises to be his most out there yet: Atlantis

This is not a story about falling in love. This is a story about falling in team.

Out of Season (26987 words) by Elizabeth Culmer Chapters: 1/1 Fandom:Chronicles of Narnia - C. S. Lewis Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Characters: Shezan Tolkheera (OFC), Marigold Beaver (OFC), Axartha Tarkaan, Prince Rabadash, Ilgamuth Tarkaan, Hkreegah the Gull (OFC), the Tisroc, Ahoshta Tarkaan, Malindra Takhun (OFC), Peridan (Narnia), Susan Pevensie Additional Tags: Slavery, planned sacrifice of a sentient being (Talking Beast), Religion, Religious Themes & References, Worldbuilding, Canon Character of Color, once you create the rest of the world it has to count as much as your special country Mr. Lewis, POV Outsider, Calormen, Women Being Awesome, Female Protagonist, Narnia Fic Exchange 2011, Fictional Religion & Theology Series: Part 1 of Out of Season

Summary: In the fourteenth year of Rishti Tisroc's reign, a demon in the shape of a beaver is captured and brought to Tashbaan.  Shezan Tolkheera, high priestess of the goddess Achadith, is given the responsibility of guarding the demon until its sacrifice at the Spring Festival.   Complications ensue.

Carpetbaggers (119268 words) by cofax Chapters: 10/10 Fandom:Chronicles of Narnia - C. S. Lewis Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Characters: Peter Pevensie, Lucy Pevensie, Susan Pevensie, Edmund Pevensie, OFC Series: Part 1 of Carpetbaggers

Summary: The day after Aslan left, taking the magic with him, just about everyone else left, too.

After the coronation festivities, the real work begins.  During/post "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe".

Play It Again (63206 words) by metisket Chapters: 3/3 Fandom: Teen Wolf (TV) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Relationships: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Stiles Stilinski & Laura Hale, Scott McCall & Stiles Stilinski Characters: Stiles Stilinski, Derek Hale, Scott McCall, Laura Hale, Sheriff Stilinski, Peter Hale, Allison Argent, Lydia Martin, Danny Mahealani, Erica Reyes, Isaac Lahey, Vernon Boyd, Talia Hale, Chris Argent, The Hale Family - Character, The Argent Family - Character, Alan Deaton Additional Tags: Pre-Slash, Magical Stiles Stilinski, derek's mad planning skillz, magical objects and their insufficient warning labels, laura's in charge, making the most of your afterlife, oh look here's a lower place, Alternate Universe, Dimension Travel Series: Part 1 of play it again

Summary: In which Stiles goes along with one of Derek’s plans and ends up in an alternate universe as a result. He should’ve known better. He did know better, actually, and that means he has no one to blame but himself.

“Laura wants to lure the kid in with food and kindness and make a pet of him, like a feral cat. Derek wants to have him arrested for stalking. They’re at an impasse. (And the rest of the family is staying emphatically out of it in a way that suggests bets have been placed.)”

Coming Undone (57618 words) by KouriArashi Chapters: 11/11 Fandom:Teen Wolf (TV) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Characters: Stiles Stilinski, Scott McCall, Sheriff Stilinski, Derek Hale, Allison Argent, Chris Argent, Lydia Martin, Gerard Argent Additional Tags: Stilinski feels, Hurt Stiles, Hurt/Comfort, all the feels, Pack Dynamics, PTSD, Plot sneaks in, BAMF Stiles Stilinski, Mystery Series: Part 1 of The Sum of Its Parts

Summary: Stiles deals with the aftermath of being abducted by Peter Hale and left for dead. It's harder than he would have thought to accept his place in the pack when he's convinced that he's the 'weak one' and can't protect himself. Fortunately, Scott and Sheriff Stilinski are there to help, and to nag Derek until he helps, too.

Locked Inside the Facade (60245 words) by Dragonbat Chapters: 8/8 Fandom: Batman (Comics),Nightwing (Comics) ating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death Relationships: Barbara Gordon/Dick Grayson Characters: Bruce Wayne, Renee Montoya, Crispus Allen, Jason Todd, Alfred Pennyworth, Dick Grayson, Tim Drake, Barbara Gordon, Thomas Elliot, Roman Sionis, Rachel Green, Romy Chandler, Michael Akins, Jim Gordon, Roy Harper, Grace Choi, Michael Holt, Helena Bertinelli, Connor Hawke, Dinah Lance Additional Tags: Character Death, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Tragedy, Angst Series: Part 1 of Locked-Verse

Summary: A sudden shock in Batman's life leads to his apprehension at the hands of the GCPD.

Victory  Bonds (39617 words) by copperbadge Chapters: 6/6 Fandom:DCU Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Clark Kent/Lois Lane Characters: Clark Kent, Superman, Bruce Wayne, Batman, Alan Scott, Green Lantern, Lois Lane, Diana (Wonder Woman), Robin (DCU), Perry White, Lex Luthor Additional Tags: Alternate Universe, 1940s, Alternate Universe - 1940s, PostWar, Nazis, Daily Planet, Spies & Secret Agents

Summary: The year is 1947, and Daily Planet front-pagers Clark Kent and "Louis" Lane are about to get the story of their careers, courtesy of the fledgling Justice League: the enigmatic Superman, the spy-turned-vigilante codenamed Bat, intelligence agent and newly minted Green Lantern Alan Scott, and Ambassador Diana, Princess of Themyscira.

Some Friendlier Sky (124800 words) by Hammie, AMarguerite Chapters: 24/24 Fandom:Les Misérables - All Media Types,Les Misérables - Victor Hugo Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Courfeyrac/Cosette, Cosette/Courfeyrac, Joly/Musichetta Characters: Cosette, Courfeyrac, Valjean, Combeferre, Joly, Bossuet, Enjolras, Jehan, Feuilly, Marius, Toussaint, Bahorel, Bahorel's Laughing Mistress, Javert Additional Tags: Hijinks & Shenanigans, Romanticism, lots of musings on popular Romantic literature

Summary: Courfeyrac falls through the roof of no. 7 Rue de l'Homme Armé, taking down not only the ceiling, but the carefully built walls Valjean has constructed around himself and Cosette. Wacky hijinks ensue. Thanks to Hammie for beta-ing.

Poster Boy (8162 words) by Sarah1281 Chapters: 1/1 Fandom:Les Misérables - All Media Types,Les Misérables - Victor Hugo Rating: General Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Cosette/Enjolras Characters: Jean Valjean, Enjolras (Les Misérables), Euphrasie "Cosette" Fauchelevant Additional Tags: Crack Pairings, Happy Ending, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence

Summary: Valjean knows that he must confess the truth of his past to his new son-in-law and he thought he had prepared  himself for all possible reactions. He was mistaken, however. Enthusiastic condemnations of the old regime and praise for his 'revolutionary spirit' were not something he knew what to do with.

A Deeper Season (117605 words) by lightgetsin ,sahiya Chapters: 19/19 Fandom:Vorkosigan Saga - Bujold Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Gregor Vorbarra/Miles Naismith Vorkosigan Characters: Gregor Vorbarra, Miles Naismith Vorkosigan, Ivan Vorpatril, Cordelia Naismith Vorkosigan, Aral Vorkosigan Additional Tags: First Time, Romance, Action/Adventure, a deeper season, Alternate Universe, Don't copy to another site Series: Part 5 of A Deeper Season

Summary: Take one Miles, a hapless cousin, Cetagandan social politics, a galactic conspiracy, a scientific discovery, a lot of firepower, and an unexpected declaration. Mix well and step back quickly.

The Long Road Home (95516 words) by Scribblesinink Chapters: 22/22 Fandom:Lord of the Rings (2001 2002 2003),Lord of the Rings (Novel) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Characters: Faramir, Aragorn, Boromir, OFC, OMC Additional Tags: Adventure, bookverse, movieverse, Future Fic, What-If, Alternate Universe, Boromir!Lives AU Series: Part 1 of Long Road Home (LotR)

Summary: Against all odds, Boromir survives Amon Hen. Ashamed and filled with remorse, he goes on a quest for redemption. Bound by his promise to a sick man, Faramir keeps the secret of his brother's survival. But as secrets are wont to do, the truth comes out eventually and Aragorn journeys north to bring Gondor's prodigal son home.

The Price of Freedom by Erin Lasgalen Lord of the Rings, Eowyn, post-series. AU/Adventure. In the aftermath of the War of the Ring, Eowyn comes to the painful realization that the wounds of the heart she still bears cannot be healed by going back to the cage, however gilded, however loving the master. Four years and hundreds of leagues later, her past is about to catch up with her in more ways than one.

Charmed Life (95300 words) by Fyre Chapters: 85/85 Fandom:Once Upon a Time (TV) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Mr Gold/Mary Margaret Blanchard Characters: Rumpelstiltskin | Mr. Gold, Snow White | Mary Margaret Blanchard, Emma Swan, Evil Queen | Regina Mills, Prince "Charming" James | David Nolan, Abigail | Kathryn Nolan, Henry Mills Additional Tags: Alternate Universe, Complete Summary: When Regina toyed with the lives and memories of the people of Storybrooke, she was especially careful with the people who had been her bane in the the Enchanted Forest

Don't You Shake Alone (62189 words) by Dira Sudis Chapters: 1/1 Fandom:Generation Kill Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Brad Colbert/Nate Fick Characters: Brad Colbert, Nate Fick, Ray Person Additional Tags: Kid Fic, Babies, Cuddling & Snuggling, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, First Time

Summary: Nate looked exactly like Brad always pictured him: exhausted in the full life-in-a-combat-zone sense of the word.  (Don't forget the sequel)

Performance In a Leading Role (156714 words) by Mad_Lori Chapters: 21/21 Fandom: Sherlock (TV) Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson Characters: Sherlock Holmes, John Watson, Irene Adler, Harry Watson, Greg Lestrade, Sally Donovan, Molly Hooper Additional Tags: AU, Meta, Hollywood, Real Person Cameos, Romance, Show Business, Coming Out, Secret Relationship, Behind the Scenes Series: Part 1 of Performance in a Leading Role

Summary: Sherlock Holmes is an Oscar winner in the midst of a career slump. John Watson is an Everyman actor trapped in the rom-com ghetto. When they are cast as a gay couple in a new independent drama, will they surprise each other? Will their on-screen romance make its way into the real world?

[punkinroses]

Yugioh Season 4 Quotes Prompt Meme

I am stressed, tired, sick of my job and needing a brain break. Yugioh Abridged is my go to for that at the moment. So. Have a sentence meme thing. Feel free to reblog, change pronouns, etc. Go have fun kids. Be wild. Be gay. Do crime. Love you

“The whole saving the world thing really eats into your study time.” “But my teacher gave me, like, a bunch of gold stars! And an A+ in trying.” “I already know everything I need to know about mathematics from playing card games.” “I was also thinking about doing some of the drugs later.” “(name)’s hand is on fire!” “That sounds like a commotion! .......Yes. Definitely a commotion.” “Well, I’m sure the city can defend itself.” “Those neutral motherfuckers. I never cared for them.” “How the hell did you people get in my house!?” “I’m not sure I like the rich douchebag channel.” “We figured you had more of an emotional connection to these.” “Damnit, (name), we agreed I would do the monologuing.” “My spirit guide has once again served its purpose.” “It’ll be called the bitch ass retirement plan. Named after you, ya bitch ass!” “That’s some OP bullshit right there.” “Broseph...Brosephine...Bro DiMaggio.” “I’ve got shoulder pads!” “Now what are you gonna do, Bromeo and Juliet?” “It’s not often I get to hear the worst insult ever coined by a human being.” “Yeah, they once sucked out Channing Tatum’s soul as a joke.” “I have nothing else in my life, please!” “So you’re someone I haven’t seen in a really, really long time? .........Are you my parents??!!” “Stop abusing the concept of friendship!!” “You must have spent YEARS researching this! Even though you can find this exact information on the back of any Yu-Gi-Oh! DVD!” “King of doors, bitch!” “That’s two points for Middle Earth, zero points for (name).” “I was not prepared to watch this today.” “Okay, so, you’re a lost cause.” “If even one of you makes a Sharknado reference, I will end you so hard.” “Try this on for size, you Sauron-looking motherfucker!” “I thought we had an agreement! You agreed to not be a little bitch, but now you’re being a little bitch!” “Maybe they’ll take someone’s soul that we don’t care about this time.” “Goddamnit, you never help me, ever!!” “Alright, douchebags! I’m sick and tired of us not being on top!” “These meetings get fucking weird.” “How much more specific can I get? SOMEWHERE in CALIFORNIA.” “I wonder if there are card games on the moon.” “I knew it. This is just some cheap trick to get me to come see you, so you can hit on me with a bunch of cheap innuendos, isn’t it?” “And, to think, people call you a diluted egomaniac.” “That’s not possible! I’M the adorable one!” “For some reason, cruising for chicks has caused me to become severely injured.” “I would be so turned on if that wasn’t such a huge waste of trading cards.” “I’d like to spread some vegemite on those things.” “You left me on a blimp with a known psychopath, while I was in a coma, so you could go off and play video games.” “So, in other words, since we’ve never seen your balls drop, we can assume it hasn’t happened?” “My douche-senses are telling me that (name) is mocking me somewhere.” “Should I remind you to tell them to go fuck themselves when we get there?” “He will eat you with his crocodile face.” “Okay, did you have to include the part of the story where they insulted me?” “Hey, a sword! I can stab people with this!” “Seriously? That was your one Koala joke?” “Try believing in the heart of the cards.” “Quiet, you sorcerer.” “If you’re seeing this, (name), it either means I’m dead, leaving behind a very fabulous looking corpse, or my soul has been captured.” “Maybe it had something very kinky on it and 4Kids had to censor it.” “I’ll leave that up to the fanfic authors.” “I’ll write a highly unfavorable research paper about you! With inconclusive findings!” “I feel like I should be concerned, but I just can’t stop thinking about how Copernicus is such a stupid name for a horse.” “You know that thing takes people’s souls and I found it on a dead guy, right?” “That was acting, children! Bravo for me!” “According to my research, I’m in a crapload of pain.” “Learned that trick from playing Super Mario World.” “I’ll just be over here wibbling to myself. Please, pay me no mind.” “Okay, everyone. I’m going to go scream into a pillow for the next five minutes.” “Are you telling me that we can't build an elevator into space?! Because that sounds like something a guy who doesn't want to keep his job would say!” “And let me tell you one last thing. All those times I got angry and declared that I would have my vengeance on you: I WAS FAKING!” “I'm glad we spent all our money on this bag of potato chips and generic brand soda.” “By the way, I memorized several dozen dinosaur puns, just so I could use them in this.” “The only reunion that’s about to happen is my size ten up your buttocks!” “Dorō! Monsutā Kādo!” “You're right, (name). I lost control. At the end of the day, this is just a game.” “We’re going to disturb the spirits of the dead! Yay!” “What the fuck even is this season!?” “Won’t somebody fetch me some ice cream!?” “I’m old and I hold a stick. That automatically makes me the wisest person in the valley.” “It’s a good thing I played all that Assassin’s Creed!” “It’s a good thing I played all that Banjo Kazooie!” “Oh, thank God, because I really wasn’t listening to any of that. Any of it.” “Now, I have to go back down there and challenge that vulture to a card game.” “Okay, (name), I’m going to level with you; I may have lied about the pizza.” “It makes me look really bonkers cool while I kick the shit out of you.” “Actually, he says his name is Cornelius Jr. and he wants to play basketball, just like how his father wanted him to.” “You can talk to snakes!?” “Hey, are you sure it’s safe for us to fly straight into that strange weather phenomenon?” “I guess we’d better confront whatever villain of the week that is.” “Well, these buttons look important.” “We mostly get by using our street smarts and ingenuity.” “No, I'm mad because I never wanted to know what one of Hideo Kojima's wet dreams looked like, and now I do, so thanks for that.” “I swear on my life we didn't keep a single flying war machine of death.” “Well, it would be way more intimidating if its face wasn't so damn adorable.” “Yeah, they’re dead. Dibs on their crappy broken stuff!” “Did you guys notice that this episode had the exact same ending as Bee Movie?” “I'm also glad we're not going to Florida as it means that we are not going to Florida.” “OK, but wait! I'm almost to the part where we met two ghosts in the California desert who just happened to be related to the guy we're fighting. Oh God, you're right; it's all just bullshit, isn't it?” “Breaking stuff will fix it!” “I'm bi a lot of things, but lingual is not one of them.” “Welcome back, asshole.” “Hey (name), wanna reenact a scene from Back to the Future Part II?” “I'd rather throw myself off the roof.” “Damn you, Microsoft Flight Simulator!” “Yes, but you had to steal my catchphrase to do it! Is nothing sacred to you?” “That is the single most offensive thing anyone has ever said to me.” “OK, children, from now on, everybody uses the Buddy System. When I say "Go," I want you all to choose a buddy and form an everlasting and inseparable bond between them 'till death do you part. OK, go!” “(Name), remember, whatever happens, you mustn't become an evil little sh*thead.” “Suckers! Consider yourselves ditched.“ “Well if any other anime in existence has taught me anything, most of the drama tends to happen on...the roof.“ “Just my luck. Dork Fest continues.“ “No! It's got a scythe. The deadliest farming implement known to man.“ “This heavy-hearted metaphor was brought to you by Da, a subsidiary of Doy, Inc.” “OK, this is also total BS. When I came back from the dead, I didn't get a chorus of heavenly music and a light show.“ “It's a good thing I'm so buff or that fall would've killed me.“ “(Name), promise me you're not going to embarrass me in front of the U.S. Military.” “ Guys, I think we took a wrong turn, because I'm pretty sure this is the Chamber of Secrets.” “Those aren't Funko Pops! They're much more disturbing!” “Yeah, makes your measly five thousand years look like a five thousand years of being a bitch, bitch.“ “Okay, but why are we in space?” “I have no idea who that is. You are talkin' fucking crazy right now, man. Are you okay? Do you need water? How long were you in the desert for?“ “For the record, I was dressing up in suits of armor before it was cool.“ “(Name), this is like, the third time you've tried to murder one of my friends, stop it!” “Nah. As a teenager with unlimited access to the Internet, I get to do that every day.” “As I was saying, (name) is a damn handsome and valuable person. Thank goodness for them.” “They died as they lived... pissing me off.” “Okay, who let the posh shithead in here?” “I'm so happy you escaped the cold embrace of death so that I could experience your deathly cold embrace again!“ “Wow. My eBay sensors are tingling.“ “You know, we really have no idea where this portal will take us, but I have total confidence in this decision.“ “None of this matters to you! You're already dead! Blah, blah, blah, omae wa mou shindeiru.” “Glad we came all the way up here so that we could not know what was going on.“ “Does this mean I can take back all the nice things I said?“ “I'm not doing any of those things. I'm just enjoying being with you.”

[aboldclaim]

#37 for the soft asks if it appeals :)

Soft™ fic prompt meme - ‘i missed you’ (david/patrick) 

i. 

He’s the one in blue. He’s the one in the dark blue jeans and the light blue button down, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, the muscles in his forearms straining against the weight of the box he carries up the sidewalk towards the store. Two takeaway cups are perched on top of it, a little precarious, but he seems just fine and there’s a lightness about Patrick he envies, a cool determination he admires. David thinks he could pick him in any crowd. David thinks he missed him last night.

He tries to dismiss the thought as rapidly as it appears, showing up unannounced and sucker punching him with the feeling of missing Patrick, because he’s right there, because it’s dumb. They saw each other yesterday, and what right does he have to go around missing him anyway? They’re not in love, or anything. He’s not his boyfriend he doesn’t think, he’s pretty sure, they haven’t even had a second date. He’s not even sure their first date counts, if he didn’t realise until half way through that it was one, so they haven’t even had their second half of their first date, they haven’t slept together, he could count on one hand the amount of times they’ve kissed.

It doesn’t make any sense that it would feel weird going to bed without him last night, if he’s never gone to bed with him. He’s got nothing to compare it to, nothing to miss, has been going to bed without him his whole life and he never felt like that with any of the others, if they stuck around that long. It wasn’t about bed anyway, with them, with the others, in the sleeping sense. It was about sex, about bodies, about games, rules, unspoken codes, social morays he became adept in - if he should stay the night, if he should leave before they wake up, if they might leave before he does, and when should he call, and what if they don’t, and what if they do, and what is it they want, what is it he wants.

It’s not that he hasn’t thought about it, what it would be like, with Patrick. Sex, with Patrick. His body. Their bodies. All sweat and sheets, awkward limbs, nervous laughter, expletives unfamiliar to his gentle mouth. Obviously he’s thought about it, thinks about it, wants it - knows Patrick thinks about it too, knows he wants it, too - but it feels different, feels novel; because he really, really likes him. He doesn’t like him because he wants to have sex with Patrick, or because he knows Patrick wants to have sex with him. It’s more like, he likes him, and he wants to have sex with him, wants to wake up with him, go to bed with him, make him come, make him happy, make coffee for him, make dinner for him, trek out to the fucking farmers’ markets with him. The sex feels peripheral, felt peripheral last night in his bed, in the motel, without him; and it’s weird, and he doesn’t want to think about it, so he’s not going to think about it.

Instead he fishes his keys out of his pocket, puffs his chest with a bravado he doesn’t feel and hurries across the road, to meet Patrick as he nears their store. He worries briefly that he’s interrupting, invading on a moment of peace before they spend the rest of the day together, but Patrick pauses, breathes out a smile, gestures to the four or five people on their slow journey to work.

‘Hell of a commute.’

‘Rush hour. Hi.’

‘Hi,’ Patrick tries to lean forward then, but is buffered by the box and two coffees which bump uncomfortably between them. David shuffles out of his way, then, uses the advantage of his height to kiss him hello with a level of casual self-assurance he certainly doesn’t feel. ‘You’re in early.’

‘Sometimes I’m in early.’

‘Which some times are those?’

‘Okay,’ David attempts to bristle, feels fit to burst instead, fumbles with the keys in the door so Patrick won’t see how endeared he is, or that David thinks he likes him far more than previously anticipated, or that he missed him last night, but he knows, David knows he knows. ‘Sometimes you’re not very nice.’

David chews at his lip, presses himself up against the door, so Patrick can move past him into the store, but he pauses, shoulder brushing his chest, head cocked to the side so his warm breath plays on David’s neck. He leans closer, and David’s heart crawls into his throat, like it is wont to do, when he flirts with him, and it occurs to him that Patrick might have been flirting with him for a while, actually. Before his birthday, maybe. Like from the start, possibly, he might have been flirting with him.

(He was flirting with him.)

‘Oh?’ Patrick’s voice is soft, and low and curled around a smile. ‘When am I not nice?’

Turns out it’s early early, like well before nine o’clock early, and the prospect of attempting to keep his cool in the hours before customers, of trying to maintain an air of winsome charm so Patrick doesn’t regret the mess he’s got himself into, is entirely too much. He’s itching to run away, spend the day hiding amongst cardboard, avoiding feeling this thing he’s been feeling, or thinking about feeling the thing he’s been feeling. He skirts behind the register while Patrick is preoccupied with the box, picks his way through the storeroom, as far back as he can go, tucks himself between boxes of sweaters and containers of tea, tried to stay there as long as he can.

It’s just that the longer he stays there, the more he realises that he will have to come back out at some point, if he wants coffee.

Really, the longer he’s back there alone, and the more he thinks about it, the more he misses Patrick, like last night, misses having him around, wants to be around him, and maybe it wouldn’t be too bad for him to know, somehow. Maybe he missed him too.

He picks his way out to the counter, peers at the coffee with his order scrawled on the lid. He wants to tell him, wants to explain, but every variation sounds too serious, sounds like some sort of declaration, and he lingers awkwardly, tries to figure out some way to say he missed him that doesn’t come out idiotic.

‘You okay?’ Patrick offers eventually, bless him, frown crawling across his forehead.

‘Yeah,’ he thinks he should just leave it there, maybe Patrick will read between the lines. Except, well, he did ask, and he doesn’t think he was super convincing, and there’s something about the way Patrick looks at him now, teetering between shrewd and shy and soft that makes him think maybe he could tell him, or half-tell him, or trust him, a little bit. ‘I kinda missed you, last night.’

‘Oh’, Patrick says gently and David feels warmth blossom in his cheeks as he watches him, expression unreadable for a moment before it softens entirely. Patrick is unguarded in his affection, wide eyes and smile lines and bravery and it should make David feel a bit safer, but instead he feels a little exposed. It’s a nervous habit he hopes he’ll grow out of, but for now he bites at his lip, tugs at his sweater, peers at his feet. ‘Kind of?’

‘After a fashion.’

‘After a fashion?’ Patrick repeats with a laugh, and David chances a look at him.

His smile is bright and teasing and David starts to find his feet again in their back-and-forth with a roll of his eyes, a casual shrug.

‘You know, in a way.’

‘I know what it means,’ Patrick shifts from where he leans on the island bench, makes his way to David. He stands close, close enough to touch him but he hovers, hesitates instead, waits for David to reach out first. He hooks a finger through a belt loop and play nervously with the denim there, and a smile bubbles on Patrick’s lips, teasing, endeared, as he catches David’s eyes. ‘I guess I missed you too. You know, somehow. In a way. After a fashion.’

Patrick leans forward then, stretches upward to kiss him, a teasing smile and his black coffee, three sugars, staining his lips. They’re still a little unpracticed, still a little new to this, but David doesn’t mind, revels in the clumsiness of it, the novelty of it, letting his nose bump awkwardly against Patrick’s, letting the kiss linger, easy, tender, until it becomes familiar.

‘You taste like coffee,’ David says as he pulls away, and fumbles blindly for his own cup, body still flush against Patrick’s, and he’d happily stay here for the rest of the day. ‘Thanks for mine, by the way. You’re very nice.’

ii.

It’s well past midnight by the time Patrick gets home.

He knows Patrick’s home, to their home, their new home, when a large crash sounds near him. He’s wrenched from his early night’s sleep, sits up on an elbow and peers, bleary-eyed, at one of the many packing boxes towered around the bed now at Patrick’s socked feet.

‘Hi.’

‘Hi,’ Patrick whispers, panicked, turning the box upright. ‘Sorry. Go back to sleep.’

‘Drive okay?’ David asks, letting his head fall back on the pillow, pulling the duvet around his neck. Patrick’s wearing pajamas, so he must have got in a little while ago, poking around in the dark so he didn’t wake David, and he loves him for it. He’s been gone a few days, opted for a late night drive home so he didn’t have to spend another night in some out of town conference hotel, with, by all accounts, the dullest people in the state, and David loves him for that, too.

‘Fine. Long,’ he hears Patrick mumble, feels the mattress dip beneath his weight, feels his chest, warm and solid against his back. Patrick’s fingers find the hem of his sweater, and when they slip beneath it, he can’t help but to flinch at the cool metal of the thin gold band (second finger, left hand), against his stomach. ‘Sorry.’

‘Sh,’ David presses his hand over Patrick’s, atop the sweater, when he begins to move away. He doesn’t want him going anywhere, again, for a while - no conferences, no work, no leaving this bed - until he doesn’t miss him so much, miss him while he’s here. He thinks it’s only when someone comes back do you think about missing them, and what they took with them, and what they brought home, but he could be talking nonsense. He’s too sleepy. He missed him. ‘I missed you.’

He’s already starting to doze when Patrick shifts from where his chin rests on David shoulder, turning so his face is buried in his neck, and he’s followed into sleep by Patrick telling him he missed him too, punctuated by his mouth, pressed in a kiss against his bed warm skin.

[holyxvi]

* ( HOW I RUN MY BLOG.

tagged by : I stole it from @bloodfcst​ tagging : IDK who to tag, free game.

WHO AM I : My name’s Denoriel, but you can call me Den or Denny ( or dumbass ). I’m 22, I go by either she/her or they/them, and I will Not Shut Up About Final Fantasy II and you will never get me to Shut Up About Final Fantasy II on this blog as long as I live. I have all the free-time in the world and half of it is usually procrastinating or doing more worldbuilding than necessary ---- which means you can also freely contact me when you’d like, I don’t bite....maybe. Kinda. Sorta. ( I really don’t though, I promise. )

SPEED :This is the absolute worst question to ask, because if you’re expecting me to be speedy and jumping up on any asks / starters / replies / ect. at the drop of a hat, you are unfortunately half wrong. I am as slow as they come, sometimes you’ll get a reply right away, maybe it’ll take a few days, maybe never at all because I actually forgot about it ( which if that’s the case, you should probably DM me about it ). I have a lot of issues that fiddle-fucks with my focus, so that’s why things tend to be slow around these parts too.

REPLIES : It depends on my muse and the certain level of interest I have for it, and since I don’t use the Draft function like any other sane roleplayer, I end up digging through my blog or notifications for threads I may owe. I tend to forget, a lot, and sometimes our threads may drop unexpectedly --- if you want to continue those, just DM me please, my brain is very sporadic and I can only keep track of so many things ( and it’s why I don’t take on many threads on here in the first place! I just do a ton of asks with a thread here and there ).

STARTERS : Let’s get one thing straight that I’m sure all of you are going to relate with: I am not good at starters, I will only write starters if there is a plot we’ve talked about involved, I hate “follower starters” where you get an instant starter the moment you follow someone, and usually my starters are pretty low grade.

Interacting with characters outside of II and Final Fantasy in general can be really hard for me sometimes, especially if I know the character. I am very self conscious about my portrayal and sometimes I may just watch you for a bit before approaching and trying to figure out what we could do together.

INBOX : I do not get much activity in my inbox, but you have no idea how happy it makes me when I get an ask related to any HCs I have or just asking about Mateus in general, because I have a head full of ideas and all I want to do is spill. Now granted sometimes the inbox becomes a home for meme prompts I eventually forget about but....hey I’m trying here.

SELECTIVITY : When I first started, I used to be open-to-all and not give a shit about who came my way, I just wanted to roleplay like any other person. Of course, it takes a few bad apples to spoil experiences and long story short it’s why I’m private and HIGHLY selective ( although I might just end up following you regardless ) now. Crossover, OC, or even FF muse, I can all be picky with them sometimes because I want to follow people that I can either a) jive with or b) watch on my dash and we greet each other like neighbors at times. I somehow keep saying it, but I am very self conscious about how I play Mateus, so if anything, I also look for people ( or try to ) that I believe will be nice to me....I guess...?

Basically I just sit in my little corner, I’m just the Mateus blog that Exists.

WISHLIST :  Kinda Cracky DISSIDIA plots, Mateus discovering what stuff is, if the light in the refrigerator turns off. Prying open things like clocks or cell phones and scaring the ever-living hell out of the person next to him. Mateus trying new things and over-all being in a better headspace, even if for awhile. I don’t have a lot to put here, despite all the ideas I may have, because it’s hard to find someone who’ll partake in some ideas without wanting to turn it into a big romantic, overall fluffy thing and completely disregarding Mateus’ inner workings.

HONEST NOTE :  Shout-out to the fellas that deal with all of my weird OOC posts firstly, like I know you didn’t come here for that but I try not making OOC after OOC post I promise, I just have a lot on my mind that I can’t find the strength within myself dumping somewhere on discord.

I’ve been working on Mateus for....three years, expanding not only his lore, but the world around him as well and I very much enjoy it, it’s all I spend my time doing really. I don’t understand how 100+ of you can deal with my constant rambling and the ideas I spout off like a rocket, but I appreciate you sticking around all the same. I really like playing Mateus, he’s my outlet, he makes me feel good and I’m glad I can share that.

Now can 2020 be the year where I don’t have any issues with muns disregarding his sexuality or just trying to get down his pants in general? I’d like that thank you.

[saltypeepo]

writing prompt meme? – Val and.... 37?

things you said with the tv on mute

this was super fun, thank you!!

i. sept 27, 2008. 

Things had always been complicated for Valerian. Well, complicated would be a fairly nondescript word for the sea of contradictions that buzzed around in her skull. She couldn’t keep them to herself, but she couldn’t keep others away either. Her psyche would often drift, brushing against the monotony of the average mind. It was dull & terrible & all too familiar. 

Valerian would never be that. She was something better & would be something more. She had switched her small television on, switching it to see whatever tragedy had stricken her city today. Some nutcase had made some sort of vaporizer in the shed behind his house. He was unleashing his wrath on the other side of the city & no one had been able to touch him. 

Well, until the rangers showed up. They were glamorous really, charge being her favorite. There was something so addictively powerful about the way she carried herself into a fight, ready to take on whatever life had to throw at her. Valerian wanted to do that. She wanted to be more than the obscurity she had faded into in an attempt to escape her demons. 

“ I can do that. “ it was a promise to herself

ii. dec 19, 2010

Valerian had taken the time to review the footage of a fight she had been in recently. She had been rewinding it, analyzing it & thinking of how to improve. It was strange to see herself fighting alongside others, being apart of a team. She & charge had worked so effortlessly together, it was fun to watch. 

She had never intended for it to go this far, but she was running with the big leagues now. Valerian becker had shifted from obscurity to vigilante, snarky & valuable in her own way. Charge. Julia? She would never be used to calling her that. Julia had found some sort of light in valerian that no one else could see. She had trusted valerian.

Valerian had never really thought herself to be a people person. In fact, she was quite the opposite. Though she could not handle the boredom accompanied by isolation, she could not claim to understand those around her. She could brush against their minds, pull the right words to spill from her mouth to keep them comfortably at bay… anything to avoid the truth. She had forced herself to be comfortable with her loneliness, despite the ache that accompanied it. She had lost her light a long time ago. The shadows were where she had learned to be safe.

But Julia? She sparked something within her. Something bright, made her want to be more than a solo act. She did good with the rangers, despite the tension between her & steel. She almost wanted to be a better person. It was terrifying. 

She watches the fight over & over, mulling over her thoughts. She finds herself paying less & less attention to the footage & she runs a hand through her thick, red hair, “ this was a mistake — this… it’s dangerous. “ there is something dangerously exposed about her voice. She sat in silence for the rest of the night.

iii. october 23, 2011

She was in too deep. This wasn’t what she wanted, this wasn’t what should have happened. Valerian had seen people die. She had played a part in saving so many, but had she done enough? Surely the rangers could have done more, she could have done more. The volume on her television was broken, but she had taken to switching the subtitles on & watching whatever was on. Right now it was a rerun of the andy griffith show, something she could zone in & out on & still follow.

She could imagine their voices, trying to fill the silence. Instead, her head fills it with breathing. Heavy breaths in the shadows of her room, the final breaths of those torn apart by the nanovores. She remembers they way they felt against her mind, unlike anything she had ever felt before. The nanosurge was where she had to draw the line. 

She feels irritation spark in her chest in response to the despair, something meant to take the edge off of the pain. It was easier to be angry, to be angry at the rangers. To be angry at the nanovores. To be angry at herself. She takes a deep breath & her silent television turns on & off on it’s own, taking a moment to do so. 

“ shut the fuck up. “ she yells a little too loud for someone sitting alone in their apartment.

iv. january 14, 2017

Things are different than she remembers. Valerian has found herself in a small apartment, beaten & rundown. The name on her lease is Andrea & her neighbors keep to themselves. They’ve all found themselves somewhere no one looks, somewhere no one wants to see. They stayed there for a reason. She’s huddled on her broken in couch, trying to ignore the perpetual smell her apartment had harbored since she had moved in. It was somewhere to sleep, somewhere to plan. Valerian had plans & her plans could not wait. They would not wait. 

She wonders vaguely why she wasn’t dead. That would be the easier thing, right? If she were to have died with sidestep, all those years ago. That would be a fitting end to a particularly uninteresting story. The she had nearly been a hero, that she had cracked under the pressure & become a cautionary tale. 

But instead, valerian had survived. She had survived, but she was not the same person she had been. She didn’t want to find the light, instead opting to shut it out entirely. The darkness was safer, the anger was safer. It was hot & furey & it burned away the fear. It made her forget, if only for a moment. 

She nearly forgets about the cigarette in her hand as green eyes settle upon a silent television screen. It was the first time she had watched tv in a while, but it was all the same. The cities heroes were scattered about everywhere in the media, showing them to be invincible. Had they forgotten so easily?

  “ You can’t forget me. “ a new promise. One she would fulfill.

v. november 10, 2019

Everything would be ready soon. Valerian had been so careful, she had taken so much time. She had faded into anonymity once more, biding her time & waiting. The boredom was everlasting. She was watching the news again, watching some footage focused on lady argent. She was an ethereal sort of warrior, powerful in a way that sidestep never had been. 

Silver skin seemed invulnerable, but what about her mind? There were few known telepaths last time valerian had checked so what reason would she have to be prepared for an attack? Or any of the rangers for that matter? Her plans would come to a head soon & any one of the city’s heroes could become a martyr. She was done being a tragedy. It was her turn to write one. 

She takes a drag off of her cigarette, letting herself become engulfed in the pleasant burn inside of her lungs. It was a nasty habit, but one of the few things that brought her peace. She watches the way lady argent catches a car on whatever show was flashing noislessly on her screen. 

“ you won’t be ready. “ her voice is low, the rage she had learned to harness boiling dangerously below her words.