#(I LOVE THIS AU IDEA SO MUCH TALIS THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BRINGING IT BACK UP)

[enchantedchocolatebars]

You know that AU idea you had where Evelyn kidnaps baby Alma and Philip goes after her?

I thought of some scenarios for that:

1. Luz finds her first and desperately tries to persuade Evelyn to not kill Alma and to give her back to her family, that this blind revenge isn’t worth the pain.

2. Philip learns as much magic as he can to beat Evelyn and keep his family safe, even if it meant getting that curse or making a deal with Papa Titan.

3. If Camila comes along, she’ll want to learn magic too so she can personally fight Evelyn for taking her baby away.

Ah, that was Kid Alma!

"Alma" is Camila and Beardo Philip's daughter.

And YESSSSS @ ALL THOSE SCENARIOS!

1. Evelyn's teeth would be tightly clenched as she scowls at Luz, hot tears brimming in her eyes as the human girl's words remind her so much of what the man she loves would say, his life brutally taken away from him by his so-called baby brother. She will always consider him unworthy of such a title.

2. We feel a strong attachment to a man with a beard who prioritizes his family and is willing to obtain curses or travel to purgatory to negotiate with deceased gods who have beef with him on their behalf. ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ 🫶 🫶 🫶

3.

Camila: (*Strikes Evelyn with her initial magic attack*).

Luz and Beardo Philip:

[eyessharpweaponshot]

hi there!! are there any fics you’re reading right now that you would recommend? i need something good after the season we’ve been given so far 😣

hello there!

I agree, this season has been disappointing - especially considering it’s the last one. but thankfully, our fandom is full of amazing writers that serve us goods regularly. I have so much to recommend, it’s a joke. so prepare for a long fic rec. In no particular order, let’s begin:

1. Chasin’ You - @burninghoneyatdusk

okay. you’re gonna see a bit of a theme with me in these fic recs because the authors I mention are some of my favourites in the world - sam being one of the TOP TIER ones. this fic is a modern au, written about clarke and bellamy as exes (a favourite trope of mine) that have went their separate ways. clarke has moved away and hasn’t kept tabs on bellamy but he's soared to the top as a country star, his hit single being about her and what they had. if there’s any fic from this list you need to start reading, it’s this one.

2. Voices in the Water - @burninghoneyatdusk

It’s the canon version we all wanted. set on earth, clarke’s aunt (nia) forces her into an arranged marriage with king bellamy to unite the clans. but under it all, nia has tasked her to kill him. obviously, as clarke falls in love with bellamy, it’s the one task wanheda probably can’t complete. I'm in love with the imagery and descriptions in this fic. there are honestly some lines that sam writes that I want to frame and put up in my house. absolute brilliance.

3. All Because of You - @burninghoneyatdusk

*sheepishly raises hand* - hi, it’s me again, fangirling over another one of sam’s fics. if you have followed me for a while, either here or on twitter, you’ll have seen me screaming about this fic. I've pulled over while driving to read an update that came through to my email. no lie. I don’t say this lightly but it is definitely in my top 3 favourite bellarke fics of all time. sam DELIVERS with this one. bellamy knocks up his sister’s best friend when they’re both young and they grow together in raising their daughter. this fic flashes between present and future in the most seamless way and we see how in love they were back then but too scared to admit it, combined with how in love they are now that they are mature and older - but yet can’t seem to take the leap. I can’t tell you enough how good this fic is. I'm in love and it’s one of those fics that I would happily have as a book on my bookshelf, the pages worn and falling out from the amount of times that I re-read it.

*I just want to note that sam is doing a fantastic job at running @bellarkefic-for-blm. This is an opportunity for the bellarke community to directly support the Black Lives Matter cause through reading and writing fanfiction. For every fanfiction prompt a participating writer receives, they ask that you donate to an organization that supports the BLM cause. This initiative includes non-bellarke the 100 ships and requests for other content (e.g. gif sets, icons, moodboards, fanart). please check them out and request a prompt (this also includes updates for the above mentioned fics)*

4. Count Your Teeth - @icantloseyou-too

let me tell you, you guys will be well fed after reading this fic. It’s one of the most original idea’s and we get so much bellarke and the blake siblings in this one. bellamy is a treasure hunter and married to clarke, after leaving his thieving days behind him. that is until his past comes knocking and drags him back into that world again - and clarke along with him. absolute chefs kiss!

5. Cups and Sorcerers - @icantloseyou-too

again, such a unique plot with just the right amount of fluff. clarke is a witch who owns a coffee shop and she ends up meeting someone just as unique as her. I’m invested in this to an embarrassing degree and it always puts me in a good mood when this fic is updated. such a light and heart filling read and ciara does a fantastic job of world building in this fic.

6. Paint me in Trust - @pawprinterfanfic

I'm sure this fic needs no introduction. everyone and their mother has heard of it and if you haven’t read it yet, believe me, you’re missing out. a harry potter au that runs alongside the last few movies without being involved with the main characters. essie manages to make an already existing world so different, thrilling and gripping. it emotionally upends you and takes you along for the ride without any intention of letting you off. I'm just in love with it and rightly so!

7. When the Wolves Come Home - @pawprinterfanfic

I don’t know how people aren’t RAVING about this fic more because I certainly am. it’s massive for me to even say this because I love all of essie’s work but it’s my favourite fic that she’s written. I can’t describe the feeling I get when I read how she’s written bellarke in this. it’s a percy jackson au but you don’t need to have knowledge of that world to enjoy this. I actually started reading the books because of this fic. essie writes it so well and incorporates a lot of fantastic elements from greek mythology while also keeping me on the edge of my seat with bellarke’s journey. HERE FOR IT ALL THE WAY.

8. I’ll Find You in the Morning Sun - @cominguproses13x

I’ve never seen a fic talked about as much as this one. with 60 chapters, it’s bound to satisfy any hunger you have for bellarke. it’s set in a post apocalyptic world and it is beyond a shadow of a doubt, my favourite setting to read bellarke in. I've actually stopped reading this fic on chapter 5 because im currently writing my own post apocalyptic au as it was a trope on my bingo card and I don’t want any subconscious spill over, but I fully intend on reading the rest of the fic in one go once my fic is published and done. it deserves all the praise and hype.

9. For Blue Skies - @kombellarke

kayla’s fics make me actually weep. her writing style is just unbelievable and she sucks me into stories so fast. this one is no different. I live and breathe for bellarke as exes and this fic is one of my favourites. it’s a modern au with clarke as a mother and she cascades back into bellamy’s life without warning. perfect angst and anticipation. in love.

10. Love Like Fools - @talistheintrovert

the way I love talis with my whole heart. I'm always obsessed with her fics and the way this one was written was just magnificent. enemies to friends to lovers, roommates, angst, emotional comforting? SIGN ME UP. the perfect mix of all of those and I felt so good after reading this. always a fan.

11. It Had To Be You - @useyourtelescope

I had the honour of pre-reading some of this fic before it was published and I felt so privileged. a regency au with a prank war sprinkled in? perfection. hana honestly writes this so beautifully and I can’t recommend this enough. it’s so unique and we are all so incredibly lucky that there’s something in the bellarke fic world for everyone.

12. Veni, Vidi, Vinci - @carrieeve

Again, proof of the pudding that there’s something in fic for everyone. I’ve never read one like this before and it THRILLED me. murphy and bellamy working together to steal a Vinci? it was the fic I never knew I needed. the bellarke interaction in this was beautifully written and I am just completely obsessed. we really struck gold with the bellarke big bang works this year.

13. A Twist of Fate - @queenemori

let’s be honest, soulmate au’s are always wanted and needed in this fandom and kara does an excellent job of serving us this one. we got some team cockroach in here along with some top tier quality bellarke. what more could you ask for? if you haven’t read this fic yet, you need to. so thankful for kara being the absolute gifted babe that she is.

14. Power Over Me - @sparklyfairymira

okay, if you recently watched the witcher on netflix like I did, believe me, you NEED to read this fic. if you haven’t watched the witcher, this fic will make you want to watch it. the smut in this, the plot, the WRITING. absolutely phenomenal. have I mentioned how lucky we are to have such fantastic writers in this fandom?

15. There’s a Serpent Lying Deep Down in These Still Waters - @shaeheda

post apocalyptic au? SIGN ME UP. bellarke thrown together in unkind circumstances? SIGN ME UP. this magnificent human writing a fic? SIGN ME THE FUCK UP. I'm so in love with this fic already and I haven’t even finished it yet. as I've said, I've stopped reading fics in this genre until my own is completed but I’ve read enough to tell you that this needs to be on your next to read list. forever in awe of the talent here and this fic makes me feel so lucky to be part of something so great.

I hope this satisfies you for a while and that you enjoy all the bellarkey goodness that comes from these fics. I'm gonna drop some of mine below because why not? just in case you’re in need of something more.

1. I Found Peace in Your Violence

clarke griffin has it all. she’s popular, an artistic prodigy and has a wealthy family to boot. so when her perfect world comes crashing down around her, it’s time to sink or swim. she tests positive for the Homicidal Tendency Syndrome gene, also known as the kill gene. clarke is plucked from her comfortable life and placed into a school with people just like her - carriers, delinquents. when she meets bellamy blake there, he looks like everything they say HTS carriers are. a monster, a criminal. yet, he’s the one who protects her.

2. I Am Lost This Time

a void!bellamy fic that we all deserved to have happen in canon. an au where bellamy hears clarke’s radio calls from earth, sees her memories in m-cap and where she really is the key: the one that unlocks his memories and brings him back to her.

3. Purple, Blue, Orange, Red

bellarke are childhood friends and teenage lovers, reuniting in the midst of the same grief that tore them apart.

4. Devil Side

post apocalyptic setting and my favourite fic to have ever written. both of them coming together to survive and protect those in their family, including two small children. bellarke started out as strangers, who would have thought that they’d end up co-parenting in the middle of a world that is too dangerous to survive out in the open?

5. Waste It on Me

a soulmate/reincarnation au that I wrote based off my own breakup and feelings. probably my most popular fic and should keep you going in terms of bellarke feels.

[duchesschameleon]

what if - chapter 1

summary: a long lost letter leads to an adventure in Italy for three people who find love and healing along the way. a letters to juliet au

pairing: Aaron Hotchner x GN!Reader words: 1871 a/n: the first romcom au! and this is also a birthday present for the amazing and masterful tali (@winterscaptain) have a wonderful, wonderful day dear! thanks to @qvid-pro-qvo and @writefasttalkevenfaster for the beta

You take a deep breath and turn your face towards the sky, letting the warmth from the sun soak into your skin. It’s hard to believe you’re actually in Verona, you’d talked about it so much and for so long.

It’s hard to believe you’re here alone.

You’d talked about this trip with your partner often, making plans for a “pre-wedding honeymoon” and talking about all the food you’d eat, wine you’d drink, the sites you’d see together. All of the plans you’d made were together and now it’s just you.

You shake your head, bringing yourself back to the present, and look around. Dwelling on the past does you no good, so you search for signs to orient yourself and set out to explore Verona.

--

The bells are tolling, pulling your attention from your notebook. You look around you and see the courtyard clearing out as visiting hours for Juliet’s Balcony ends. There are some teary-eyed women walking past you and you raise an eyebrow, looking around for what could cause them to be so emotional. As the crowd thins out, you see a woman picking pieces of paper from the wall and putting them into a basket. Your eyes scan the wall and see a bunch of pieces of paper folded into the cracks of the wall beneath Juliet’s balcony. Love letters, your mind supplies and it clicks into place.

Once the woman has all the letters in her basket, she walks out of the courtyard and down the road. You follow her, your curiosity getting the better of you. Some things never change, you hear a familiar voice whisper in the back of your mind. You smile bittersweetly and continue following the woman with the basket. She leads you to a restaurant in a nearby piazza and you steel your nerves before walking inside.

“Hello?” you call out, looking at a table with four women seated around it pulling letters from the basket. “I, uh, I’m just wondering why you took those letters from the wall?”

The woman you’d followed stands up and approaches you. “Are you the translator I asked for -”

“Oh no! Just, visiting. And curious,” you explain.

“Ah, so you’re a writer?” she asks and you frown, silently asking how she knew. “Your notebook, and the pen. So, a writer?” You nod. “Then join us. We are the secretaries of Juliet. We take the letters the heartbroken leave at Juliet’s balcony and we respond to the ones we can,” she explains. She introduces herself as Isabella and the other three women - Francesca, Maria, and Donatella - as well as which letters they respond to. You’re blown away by the whole process, the whole system they have to respond to these letters and give lovers advice or in some cases, closure. Isabella invites you to sit with them and read the letters, to learn about the secretaries and if you feel like it, respond to a letter.

You settle into their rhythm quickly, laughing with the women and occasionally throwing in your two cents for a reply. You’re comfortable with them and enjoy spending time with them when you aren’t walking around the city. When the bells chime at five, you know you’ll be meeting Isabella in the courtyard to grab the days’ letters and bring them to the restaurant.

It’s your fourth day in Verona when you find it, a letter hidden behind a loose rock. It’s dated from the 1960s and written in blocky lettering that can only belong to a man.

“I didn’t go to her Juliet, I didn’t go to my Carolyn. Her eyes were so full of trust, I promised I’d meet her and we would run away together. But I didn’t go. I left her under our tree and now I’m in Verona. I return to the States in the morning and I’m so afraid. Please, Juliet, tell me what I should do. My heart is breaking and I have no one else to turn to. Love, Dave,” you read aloud. There’s a hush in the room as everyone takes in this letter that’s been hiding and waiting for years. 

“I have to reply,” you declare.

“Then write,” Isabella says, passing you paper and a pen. You focus on the letter and work different versions of a reply for hours. It takes time, but you get there. A reply that feels worthy of this long a wait and a letter of this magnitude. You hope that Dave still lives in DC, where he said he was going back then. You hope he gets your letter and it brings him some peace.                                       

--

“Excuse me, is one of you Juliet?” a strange voice asks. Isabella stands up and responds to the man standing in the doorway. You can only see his silhouette, the evening sun blocking out his features, but you can tell he’s tall and the accent is American, something familiar after almost two weeks in Italy.

“We are the secretaries of Juliet,” Isabella explains, “how can we help you?”

“I’m looking for the person who wrote this letter to Dave Rossi.”

“I did,” you say, raising from your chair. “Did he get-”

“Did you think for a moment before writing and sending that letter? Did you think that since he’d written that letter and left it here he’s lived a life? A great life by the way, and now he’s uprooted everything on a whim and come to Italy to search for someone who’s also lived a life since he last saw her,” the man rants.

“Wait, Dave’s here? In Italy?” you ask, unable to hide your excitement.

“Yes he is, when he should be back home in DC but he’s here following the advice from your letter against everyone’s better judgement!”

“Where is he? I’d love to meet him,” you say walking towards the door.

“What? No! You can’t meet him, I’m convincing him to go home, he’s lived a life, he can’t be doing this,”  he says indignantly. “Besides, I don’t even know your name.”

You stand before the man and introduce yourself, holding out a hand for him to shake. You can see him now that the sun isn’t blocking him out. He has brown hair, tamed with gel you think, and he’s thin but sturdy. He’s attractive you notice, but his face is arranged into a frown, definitely disapproving and based on the lines on his face, he doesn’t smile very often. He breaks your train of thought when he takes your hand, “Aaron Hotchner. I wish I could say it’s a pleasure to meet you, but I wish I wasn’t here,” he says bluntly.

Your eyebrows rise to your hairline. “Well, I’m sorry it's such a burden for you to be in Italy,” you scoff. “Now that we’ve been introduced, can I meet Dave? I’m a little shocked that my letter reached him so quickly.”

Aaron turns away and heads down the stairs in lieu of a reply. It takes you a second to recover from your shock before you’re following him. He’s walking out of the restaurant and heading on a familiar route, going back to Juliet’s balcony. You follow, a few steps behind him, and when he turns into the courtyard you see the man who must be Dave Rossi sitting on a bench. Aaron leans down to talk to him and you hesitate before approaching.

“Dave Rossi?” you ask. He nods and you introduce yourself, explaining that you wrote the letter to him. His eyes light up and he immediately turns towards you, leaving Aaron out of your conversation.

“Your letter, I can’t put into words how much it means. That even after all this time, you think Carolyn is out there and I can find her,” Dave says, grabbing your hands.

“Of course. I couldn’t let your letter go unanswered, no matter how much time had passed.”

“You could have. Easily. It’s been years. Everyone involved has lived their lives and left that summer in the past. Left each other in the past. It’s the logical thing to do,” Aaron interrupts.

You turn to him and say dryly, “Oh sorry, I didn’t realize true love had an expiration date.”

He scoffs at you before addressing Dave, “We should get back to the hotel and get some rest. It’s been a long day. And then we can talk about getting back home because this whole thing is ridiculous.”

“Ridiculous to you, Aaron. Not to me. And you’re the one who insisted on tagging along.”

“Someone has to look out for you Dave.”

You smile at their banter and take a step back, moving to return to the secretaries. Dave calls out your name when you’re almost out of the courtyard and you turn. “Aaron’s making me turn in tonight, but how about we grab lunch tomorrow? Talk some more?” You nod in response and Dave gives you their hotel name and you promise to meet them there. There’s a hopefulness blooming in your chest as you walk back towards the restaurant, a levity that’d been missing for some time and you feel a smile tug at your lips. Adventures in Italy, just like you’d promised.

Lunch the next day includes a lot of the same bickering. Dave wants to follow the advice from your letter, to go look for Carolyn where he first met her and Aaron is staunchly against the idea. When Dave gets up from the table for a moment, Aaron turns to you, brown eyes sharp.

“He can’t do this. You have to stop convincing him that this is a good idea,” Aaron spits out.

“And why can’t he do this? Don’t you want him to be happy?” you shoot back, crossing your arms over your chest.

“Who’s to say he isn’t happy already? That he hasn’t already found his love and lived out his life?”

“But is that person his true love? Did you even read the original letter, he loves Carolyn! Still does after all this time I’d say, given that he’s here in Italy to find her!”

“Don’t you understand? Dave found love in DC. He had a wife, Hayden. They had a daughter together and now he has a grandson. He doesn’t need this and he certainly doesn’t need you meddling in his affairs,” Aaron hisses as Dave walks back to the table. You try to relax your features, to look less like you want to murder Aaron, but one look at you and Dave knows. He sighs and folds his hands together on the table.

“You know, I was hoping the two of you would start getting along Aaron,” he says, facing the other man, “especially since I’ve decided that I want to ask our friend to join us on this adventure. That letter made this whole thing possible, I think it’s only right, wouldn’t you agree?” he asks, looking pointedly at Aaron.

Aaron sighs and rubs his face with one hand. You cock an eyebrow at him, waiting patiently for his response. He slowly turns back to you and meets your eyes. “Yes, it’s only right you join us,” he grits out.

You smile and wink at Dave. “Well then, sounds like an adventure.”

taglist: @qvid-pro-qvo @averyhotchner message me to be added!

[swaps55]

I'm an anon from earlier-I didn't expect your answer so quickly, thank you :D I don't want to spam on your tumblr blog so I logged on my old account and omg! There is a chat now? Last time I was here we didn't have such luxuries! I feel old. Anyway, for now I just want to ask two questions: 1. Why fics in your Opus series are titled after musical forms(I suck at music so probably I miss something obvious)? 2. Do you write smth original with OC? Your charachters seems alive, I bet it'd be awesome

These are such fun questions, thank you for asking!!!

1. Why fics in your Opus series are titled after musical forms?

Don’t worry – you are not missing anything. I do not come from a musical background either, and this has an answer I find very amusing. 

The short version: It’s all songfic! Every chapter of every story in Opus has a song that is tied to it, hence the soundtracks. This is something only I really care about, but I care about it a lot. Therefore every story has a music-themed title, and each chapter title is derived from a lyric of the song it’s tied to. 

The long version: Sam and Kaidan’s adventures started because I went to visit @makoparkingonly in the Before Covid Times, and as we do, we hung out at Starbucks and doodled fic. She had put together an OTP playlist and had the lovely idea to write a quick one shot for each story on the playlist.  

HOW FUN, I thought. I SHOULD DO THAT, I thought. It’ll be quick and simple and fun, I THOUGHT. (Ok, it’s fun, but definitely not the other two things). Next thing you know this playlist had a chronology to it. And narrative arcs! “I will tell Sam and Kaidan’s entire story, from when they met before the Normandy to their happily ever after! And since each story will be based on a song, I’ll give the series a cute music-themed name.” I went with Concerto, because, and I am not kidding, there was a racehorse I really liked in late 90s who was named Concerto. 

So, while working on this now-spiraling out of control series of stories, I got stuck. And joked about writing a fake dating story. The fake dating story went from a one-shot distraction to a 77k fic before I could blink, and then I had a problem, because what was supposed to be an AU of my mildly-AU series was now suddenly full of the best character development I’d ever written, and I couldn’t just…leave it out of Concerto. And it didn’t fit in Concerto. It was very much its own story. 

SO, to make a long story even longer, I named the fake dating fic Sonata, because it was still songfic, and decided to break Concerto up into multiple stories so I could wedge Sonata in where it belonged. 

In some cases, there is a vague attempt to make the music term somehow match the subject matter. In the case of Sonata, it just sounded cool. In the case of Fugue…well, how do you resist that. 

2. Do you write smth original with OC? Your characters seems alive, I bet it'd be awesome

Thank you!!! I have written original fic before, but I am a terrible world builder. I love being handed a world and being creative within it vs being in God Mode and making up all the rules myself. But I do spend a lot of time developing the OC characters in my fic, and often they take on traits or aspects of people I know in real life. Lora Alenko, for example, is a very odd blend of several people I know plus shit I just made up. 

I think the secret to making them feel alive is to really think about how who they are and the perspectives they bring can change and impact a story. How can their character arc both support the plot while also recognizing that character is on their own journey independent of the main protagonist? I’ll stick with Lora because she’s such a good example. Tali, though not an OC, is another one.

The trick to bringing Lora to life (and it took me several tries) was really thinking about how this story looked through her eyes. Is she invested in the main fake dating plot? Well, yes, but not in the same way Sam or Kaidan or the Normandy crew are. So why would she be invested in Kaidan being with Sam? This is the conclusion I came to:

Kaidan is her only child, and she’s missed a lot of his adult life. I thought a lot about what it would feel like if your kid walked out the door at 17, and is now 32, and in that intervening time, she’s seen him twice. She would barely know him. After knowing every little thing there was to know about him growing up, now she has to not only learn who he is now, but reconcile that with the person she used to know. That would be hard. Especially for someone like her, who is intent on fixing all the world’s problems.

So why is Sam important? He’s Lora’s missing link! Sam has a ton of Kaidan’s history she’s missing. She’s invested in them being together because Sam can help her rediscover her own son. In some ways, it’s a selfish act. When this all starts, she doesn’t really care about Sam so much as she cares about what Sam can give her, and the happiness he can give to Kaidan. That’s what she cares about, and so when we’re in her POV, that’s the story she’s telling.    

What this means for the fic is that I have a fully realized character who puts a new perspective on the plot because she has her own motivations. 

I cannot wait until y’all get to see more of her in Fugue. She is, quite simply, a motherfucking hero. 

I am so sorry I wrote this much. These were great questions and I really love to talk about this stuff.

[noxperditus]

So, a little while ago Zarkon’s blog hit 200 followers...unfortunately I was sick as all hell and I couldn’t do much besides sleep and be miserable. So we’re a little late on the milestone, but hey! Any excuse to share some love.

LOYALISTS -

-Those who have proven their allegiance//Friends & fun people, in no particular order

@paterfamileo - Tali, holy crap. You are one of the people who has most affected my portrayal of Zarkon. From silly things like his (anti-)social drinking problem to the true depths of his possessive type of affection, your input has really helped me shape the muse. And your Alfor? He is perfection, I love him so much. Beyond Voltron, we’re into so many of the same things - from HZD to LoZ, I have so much fun talking to you about every little thing. I feel lucky that I can call you a friend.

@ograndsovereign - Devil, I’m gonna eat your delicious brain. You have NO IDEA how hyped I was when we started talking about Zarkon. I was practically vibrating in my chewed-up computer chair just... SUPER hype to talk about Zarkon with someone else who adores him. I love the differences and similarities between our Zarkons - and I still have that babby Zarkon starter in my drafts! - and our headcanons. We’ve talked about silly things and salted enough to season like a thousand pounds of steak. I love the way you write, and I love hearing your thoughts on the Galra. You’re also a very patient and understanding person, at least in my experience. I’m glad we met. Next on the docket for myself; downloading Warframe.

@bladechosen & @leaderchosen / @starchosen - Ari and Seka! Putting you two in the same paragraph since you’re like, inseparable entities in my mind. You two were some of the first to engage and plot with me on this blog, and I’m super happy you did. You’re both sweethearts, and I love the way you portray Keith and Shiro - and though it’s slowed down over the holiday season, I’m grateful you offered to help with the event I had planned. It’s still gonna happen if you’re still up to it, but there’s no rush on anyone. Ya’ll are also angst connoisseurs after my own heart. We haven’t plotted or talked that much recently, and that’s partly my fault for falling off the face of the earth. When you guys are feeling up it, I’d love to get back into things with you. Maybe a Discord group chat would be easier than separate tumblr chats?

@neurotiickind / @willowedpaladin / @terraveined / like a million other blogs - ALLY. Ally, you are a fucking gift unto this world. You’re hilarious and sweet and so easy to talk to. You were the first person to interact with me on this blog, and I’ve always been super grateful for that. I’m pretty sure I said it before in an ask, but you really helped me get comfortable in the VLD community. And holy shit, every muse you play you play them so well?? Hunk is the one I’ve interacted with most, and he’s such a cinnamon roll - but you know to let him have faults, and how to balance out his character. I love the way you write him, and I love his interactions with Zarkon - both crack and serious rp. The crack gives me life though, ngl.

@two-paladins - Ah yes, the culprit behind me developing a love for Zarkon/Trigel, both platonic and romantic. Dude, I was so hyped to see an active Trigel, and I LOVE plotting with you. And then you added Blaytz to your muse roster, because you were fucking sent from the heavens to bless us with that good OG Paladin content. Our first thread (which I have in my drafts, sorry for all the wait) was instrumental in developing the depth of Zarkon’s devotion to his Paladins. I just... I’m super glad we got to meet, man.

@voidborneleones / @devourer-heir - And here we have the other person who has most affected Zarkon’s development. Your take on the Lions is so deliciously creepy - I love how similar Black and Zarkon are in their obsession with and devotion to each other. We’ve made so many cool AUs, everything from Black returning to Zarkon’s side to the Voidtouched AU where she takes him as a child. I just love all the creepy, unsettling places we can go with them. And when we talk about them... gosh, it just sends chills up my spine.

@lionessofthestars - I was hella surprised when you followed me. Looking through your blog like, how did this quality writer find me?? You haven’t been as active recently, and I hope you’re doing okay. I loved talking and plotting with you, and I love how sassy your Blion is. It makes me smile to think of Blion climbing up onto Zarkon for mandatory cuddle times - and man, the pain she must feel seeing what he is now. There’s so much to explore with these two.

@viridisborne / @solumperditus - I mean, do I even have to say anything? You’re my best friend, and I wouldn’t be where I am today if you hadn’t reached out to check on me - at the time a total stranger - several years ago. We’ve been through a lot since, and you’ve helped me become a better person. I’ve never felt more at home and safe than I did those weeks I spent at your place.

@freedomsought - King! I see you haven’t been too active of late, so gonna assume hiatus. Hope you’re doing okay! I had a lot of fun chatting with you in IM, everything from plot to salt to stupid silly shit. I just...such a quality Shiro. I can’t wait to see our muses beat the shit out of each other some more.

@grievousdivinity - I don’t know if you want your identity revealed, so I’m just gonna tag you on this blog. We haven’t done much IC, which is totally fine - no rush. But with your writing skill, I have total faith that you could write a killer Haggar. OOC is a different story, however. I really enjoy talking to you on discord, and now that I’m done dropping off the face of the earth I look forward to talking more~

@v-oidheart / @leaderwarrior - We ship a lot of the same terrible things. Delicious sin. It’s wonderful. Ship stuff aside, I love roleplaying with you. Your responses are always so well thought out and written, with insight into how your characters are thinking. I’m hype to get the event done and kick off the connecting AU - ‘cause playing Shiro and Kolivan opposite evil Zarkon is great, but man would I love to see how they react to a Paladin Zarkon. Particularly Kolivan.

@goofbcll & @galra-druid - Putting you two together because y’all were so kind enough to include me in a verse! You both fed my need for that unholy dark content. Like seriously, give me all of the corrupted Paladin plots. I’m already rubbing my tiny evil hands together at the thought of all the chaos a corrupted Hunk can bring. Ash, your OC is super cute and super creepy, and I love how she internally freaks out around her God-Emperor. And goofbcll (can’t recall your mun name, sorry!) I love how you write Hunk’s internal struggle. He is corrupted, but pieces of him remain deep down.

@suppressicn & @indcmiitable / @warbcund & @lifebcund - You two were some of the first to actively interact with me and Zarkon, and it was hella fun. I still have one thread in my drafts (because Zarkon is an uncooperative prick.) Ya’ll are also super sweet - you’ve checked in on me a few times when I wasn’t doing so hot, and it was very much appreciated. You two were hella fun to have on stream too - I hope you join the next time I host a movie night!

@depthsbled - So we haven’t talked too much, but I just wanted you to know that our thread (which like most is...sitting in my drafts) is one of my favourites. Lance doesn’t even know it but he is hurting Zarkon so much and it’s beautiful. I love the way you write Lance - I can hear his voice in the dialogue.

CHAMPIONS - 

-Those who have left an impact//Interaction has been minimal, but very much enjoyed!

 @iincendixm - @vrepit-sa - @beryllion - @haxuss - @cruxsought - @princesaleonaa - @silentconfliction - @galacticdemon - @pinkformourning - @rahbarii - @compassionateretainer - @intelsought - @takashi-s-g / @kings-virtue - @the-lost-lieutenant - @conqueror-heir - @iustuseo - @lnstinctive - @starredsouls - @officialmemekinglotor - @wxterbonded

SOLDIERS - 

-Those I have seen from afar//We haven’t interacted or spoken yet (or if so, very little) but I am interested in interaction should you ever wish it!

@ambiinchious - @blazerought - @battlethought - @invitoduce - @princepsstella - @el-tira-dor - @kogane - @astriium - @stasismort - @exiiledbrat - @impxriium - @exiledprincelotor - @inspireloyalty - @crueldiplomacy - @marksmcn - @galrheir - @luneleia

Alright, I think that’s everyone. Just to be clear, if you haven’t been listed it does not mean I do not want to interact! The people listed above are people I get along with, or people who have writing styles I find interesting and/or play characters I would love to interact with - and they play them in a way that sticks out in my mind.

Suffice it to say, if I follow you it’s because I want to try interacting.

So, thanks for 200+ everyone! See you at the next milestone~

[safitheartist]

Writing this took me way longer then it should have, but here is more redemption au for Talia. Talia hurried around her living space, making sure everything was set accordingly. There were Damian's favorite snacks were on the kitchen table with a variety of movies to chose from. The newly brought gaming console was installed, age appropriate games were stored on the shelf, pillows and blankets were distributed on the couch and the food she prepared earlier was on the kitchen table. So far, everything was perfect. "You're throwing a birthday party and didn't invite me? How mean Tali!" The voice made her jump, she swiftly grabed for her blade ready for a fight, until she realized who the intruder was. "Harleen, what are you doing here." She asked the woman who was sitting one her window slide as if she owned the place. The fake blond smiled at her waving a stack of papers around, "Pam told me to drop these off. So what's up with all of this?" She asked, Talia took the files and swiftly flew over them, she frowned, already being able to tell that the other biologist didn't have any luck it either. Harley looked over her shoulder curiously and Talia droped them onto her desk, planing to take a look at them later. "So? I was asking a question, you know." Talia sighed, "Sorry, I'm a bit on edge right now. My son is sleeping over tonight. It's the first time since..you know." The other woman beamed, wrapping Talia into a tight hug. "Aw, I'm so happy for ya Tali!" She exclaimed, Talia smiled as her friend planted a wet kiss on her cheek. "Thank you. Any advice?" "I think you'll be just fine." With a last peck on her cheek Harley said goodbye and Talia was left alone, the heavy feeling on her chest suddenly seemed a bit lighter. She took a deep breath, wondering if she forgot anything. The doorbell rang and Talia jumped, she hurried to the mirror, making sure her hair was sitting right. She felt silly, it was just Damian and his friend Maya after all, but she couldn't help herself. She was glad she did it in retrospect though as she discovered the red lipstick stains on her cheek, she quickly wiped them away with a wet cloth and hurried to the door. "Sorry for keeping you two-" She started to say as she opened the door, but paused as the person next to her son wasn't who she was expecting. Damian gave her a apologetic look as the older teen next to him glared at her. "Maya couldn't make it, I hope you don't mind me bringing Duke instead." - "So, make yourself at home." Talia said as she showed the boys the room she prepared for Damian. Damian looked around and raised a eyebrow at the cat themed bunk beds. "I had a bit of help deciding on the furniture." She admitted, Duke didn't say anything as he droped his bag on the top bunk. "Not fair! It's my room! I should decide who gets which bunk." Her son exclaimed, the older boy gave him a amused stare, "You would fall out of it." He said and Damian's face turned red, "Don't be ridiculous Thomas!" He exclaimed. "Yes you would," Duke insisted, "You fall out of your bed at home all the time." "I do no such thing!" Her son exclaimed in annoyance but there was amusement in his eyes. Talia stood in the doorway, suddenly feeling out of place. "I'll be in the kitchen." She said as the boys started to rough house playfully. She breathed a sigh of relife as she entered the kitchen, she could handle this, she told herself. This was a new beginning, Damian changed a lot, it was normal that she felt awkward. She missed a lot but that was fine, she told herself, she will catch up soon enough. Talia tried to distract herself by starting to warm up their dinner. "-TT-, Umi!" Damian suddenly exclaimed from the doorway, "Duke and me will play some video games." Talia smiled, "Dinner will be ready in a bit, don't spoil your appetite. Also, you might want these." She motioned to the two soft drink bottles on the kitchen table and felt pleased with herself as her son's eyes lit up, "Boga Cidre. I haven't had this since we were in Tunesia 6 years ago!" Damian hurridly took the bottles, "Thank you!" He said before running out of the kitchen. Talia stared after him, not used to see her son act so...childish. All of this was unfamiliar for her, a life she never really experienced before. It was a bit perplexing, but it wasn't bad. - The boys were in the middle of playing 'Cheese Vikings: the Gouda returns' when Talia came to get them for dinner. She stared at the TV screen for quiet some time, trying to figure out what even was going on, they seem to be fighting a cheese dragon, didn't the guy at the store claim it's a platformer?? "Wouldn't the fire melt the cheese?" She asked absentmindly, "No, it's magic." Damian answered without taking his eyes off of the screen. "The fire?" "No the cheese." So apparently her son liked a game about Vikings and magical cheese. Well then. "Dinner is ready." She announced and that gained her two sets of groans. "We are in the middle of a boss fight! If we stop now we won't be able to defeat him and will have to do the entire level all over again." Talia raised an eyebrow at that statement, weren't there suppose to be checkpoints before bossbattles? "We probably will have to do it anyway, I suck at this game man." Duke chimed in, lying the controller down after pausing the game "Traitor." Said Damian as he took a sip from the Boga bottle. Talia took a look at the screen, the energy of the boss already seemed to be half way down. Talia sat down between the boys and took Duke's controller, earning her two very confused looking stares, "If I can slay these kind of creatures in real live a video game won't be a problem. You don't mind, right?" She asked Duke who just numbly nodded before scrambling over to Damian's side, pretending he wanted some of the soft drink, which already was half empty. Talia only felt slightly hurt. "Are you sure about this? It's harder then it looks mother, you know?" Talia gave her son a confident smile, he really should know better then to underestimate her. - "Where did you learn this." Her son demanded to know as they were sitting at the table, Talia loaded his plate with the cuscus she prepared earlier, "Seriously though, I was 5000 points behind and on my last life, how did you manage to beat Damian's score and beat the boss almost single handly?" Duke threw in and Talia smiled, "The battle system is similar to a game I used to play a lot when I was in university." Damian stared at her like she grew a second head, "You used to play video games? As an adult." "Watch your tone. And yes, my roommate got me into it. It helped me relax." And avoid tackling her work load. She added in her mind. "I had no idea you have a degree." Duke admitted as Talia gave him his plate, "Carefull, it's hot." She told him as she handed the food over. "I have several degrees, biological engineering, mechanical engineering, clasic literature, ancient history, art, business and several others." Duke stared, "How old are you?" He asked perplexed. Talia just smiled as she started eating. "What about you?" She asked, "Any plans for college?" Duke seemed uncomfortable, "Well, I was thinking maybe something in the medical field." He answered. Damian raised a eyebrow, "You tried to fix a gun wond with a band aid last week." He pointed out and Talia couldn't help a chuckle escape her mouth as Duke tried to kick Damian under the table for revenge. "Also, aren't you really into literature? I thought you would want to do something with that." "Damian, drop it." Duke said, clearly not comfortable with discussing his future right now. "Doing what you love and sharing it with people can already make a big difference mister Thomas." Talia said, "Art can give people hope and hope is something very valuable in our world." Duke stared at her as Talia took his plate to give him a second serving, "Or at least that's what my psychologist told me. Wanting to help others is a nobel cause but if you abandon what you love for it you will just cause pain to yourself." The young man seemed taken a back by her advice. "Um thanks." He said, avoiding eye contact, "But can we maybe talk about something different right now?" Duke looked visible uncomfortable now, Talia was worried she might have oversteped her boundaries in that conversation. "Um. I spent the week helping a friend exploring the old sewer system of gotham." Damian said to change the topic. Talia blinked, "Aren't those a giant maze?" Duke asked, clearly also wondering who in their right mind would even attempt navigating through them. Talia remebered how she herself tried to make sense of the old tunnel system, but it seemed to change everytime she thought she had figured it out. "Not for her." Damian simply answered, "She has the whole thing maped out. I honestly don't know how she managed to do it." "Oh, that sounds like she is a valuable ally. Have I met her yet?" Talia's interest was peaked. Duke and Damian exchanged looks, "Well um, she isn't really *Robin's* friend, well at least not a close friend, you see." He started, not looking at her directly, "She is however *my* friend....I would rather she keeps out of the entire hero thing....at least as much as possible with her." Damian said and Talia felt a pit in her stomach. "Sorry.." he said, Talia reached for her cup, trying to swallow the lump in her throat. She knew what he was apologizing for. 'Sorry, but you aren't part of that life.' "Um," Duke said, "How about we watch a movie? I brought Princess Mononoke with me." - Talia watched as the movie neared it's end, she had to say, Duke sure had a good eye when it came to movies. Of course she heared of Ghibli movies before, but she never really found the time or desire to watch one before. She regreted that now. She has come to regret a lot of things recently. Talia directed her attention to the two boys next to her which were a tangle of limbs and a blanket which was half way to the ground. Talia smiled, she didn't really know when the boys fell asleep but she had to admit they were adorable. She got up and readjusted the blanket, adding her own for good measure. There were ups and downs that night but overall the sleepover seemed to have been a success. She reached for the pillows to make sure they are more comfortable, but then it happened. "Mom." It was a mumble, bearly audioable, but Talia hearted it and felt her heart sink. Duke shifted in his sleep. Suddenly Talia didn't see a young man, but a child. She thought back to their conversation from earlier, of course he would want to chose a carrier in the medical field, how could she miss something so obvious? Talia looked at her desk, the files Harley brought over earlier, what the hell was she doing? - Duke woke up with a mop of hair in his face, he gently shifted so Damian's head would role off of his chest and on the pillow next to them. He stretched, feeling sore from sleeping in such a awkward position. He took a look around him, wondering what had woken him up. He spots a light from the corner of his eye and heared a hushed curse word. Talia was sitting at her desk, hunched over a bunch of papers which were scattered around her working space. She was talking to somebody on the phone, Duke realized, as she continued to speak in a hushed voice. "Are you sure you can't- yes, I know how late it is, please I-...." The conversation broke off as Talia turned twoards him, noticing he was awake, "I will call you tomorrow. Thanks you again." She said before ending the call. "Sorry. Did I wake you?" She asked and Duke shakes his head despite her really being the reason he was awake. He got up and made his way over to her, taking a scrap piece of paper out of her hair. He never saw that woman so ungrazefull before, so human. "What are you working on?" He asked, wondering what case could suddenly be that important for her. "I..." Talia trailed off but Duke didn't need her to finish that sentence anyways, he saw the files often enough. They weren't identical to the ones they had in the bat cave, there were more pages and a bunch of hand writen notes, but Duke would recognize them eitherway. "You are analysing Joker toxin?" Talia nods, she seemed uncomfortable. "I'm trying to find out how it works. That way we might be able to find a way to treat people who suffer from long term consequences." People like his parents. "I'm sorry." She said, avoiding his questioning gaze, "I should have spent the night doing more research. But instead I put my personal affairs before this. I just was so excited about spending time with Damian and-...." Talia trailed off and Duke couldn't help staring. For a second it wasn't Talia sitting there, it was Damian, who put everyone else above himself and constantly felt guilty when he couldn't handle something alone, trying to disguise it with pride. Duke smiled, he had to have got it from somewhere he guessed. "You put Damian before this Talia, I would have been furious if you didn't." He explained. Talia smiled a bitter smile, "I'm happy that there are people like you in my son's life. I haven't been the best parent and I still have a lot of unlearning to do before I can be fully part of it again, so knowing he has people who care about him that much is a huge relife." She admitted. "Thank you for being there for him when me and his father fail to." Duke smiled. "Well, I'm his big brother, so that's kind of my job now." He said light heartedly, "But...I have to say sorry myself." Duke added. The older woman gave him a questioning look, "I misjudged you. You aren't a bad person Talia. You actually remind me of my own mother." There was a while of silence where the sentence hang in the air between them. Duke couldn't say what Talia was thinking but he himself felt a bit embarrassed about his admittion. "I will carry Damian to his bed." He declared, finding a easy way out of that conversation. Talia nods before directing her attention back to the papers. "Talia." He said before scooping Damian up in his arms, "If you consider spending time with us and taking care of yourself selfish, then please, for your family's sake, be selfish now and then. Get some rest, I don't want to use sleeping drugs on you like we do on Tim." With that Duke made his way to Damian's room, leaving a smiling Talia behind.

[aksannyi]

To keep you busy; I, M, N, O, T (and really, anything else you feel like answering because I like all these questions)

I: Do you have a guilty pleasure in fic (reading or writing)?

Lately it’s been mad kinky Captain Swan stuff. Nothing really on the Tiva end of things, though I keep coming back to Not Feeling Like Myself Today which is so totally ridiculous but idk it’s also just really sweet and funny and there are parts of it that just pull at me.

M: Got any premises on the back burner that you’d care to share?

As I said before, I’m really protective of my ideas, but I’ve been working on a few really great longer AUs that I’m sure you’ll all love, and also you guys can always troll through my prompts tag and beg me to write certain Things (can’t say I will do it immediately but it might push me). I kept Hungry Eyes a secret from everybody and it blew people away and I really loved that.

N: Is there a fic you wish someone else would write (or finish) for you?

Already answered this one. :)

O: How do you begin a story–with the plot, or the characters?

Already answered this one too!

T: Any fandom tropes you can’t stand?

Oh god, you really stepped in this one.

First of all, if you want a more comprehensive list wrapped up in a neat little satirical bow, please go read A Study of Cliches because tbh, almost all of the fanfic tropes I HATE are in there. But a few that I must mention from there that are still huge fucking peeves of mine are over-zealous Ziva malapropisms and the baby names thing. And yes, it fucking drives me crazy that the writers themselves named the Tiva baby Tali because it just seems so overdone and cliched but now every time I write a kidfic I have to use her and she’s adorable and perfectly casted and I love her but still it grates on me.

Okay, what else???? The idea that Tony, Ziva, and Tali are in Paris still. NO THE FUCK THEY ARE NOT THEIR VISAS WOULD NOT ALLOW THEM TO STAY THAT LONG UNLESS ONE OF THEM GOT A JOB AND THEY WERE ALSO MARRIED (WHICH THEY WILL BE EVENTUALLY BUT THEY DON’T HAVE TO BE RIGHT AWAY THEY CAN TAKE THEIR TIME OKAY). Look at immigration laws. They’ve come back to the States. They may have chosen another place to stay and they may very well visit Paris regularly but they are Not. Still. There.

And just, fandom’s insistence that I keep Gibbs, Abby, and McGee in my fics? Like a lot of my reviews request their reactions to things and I’m like … I don’t fucking wanna write about these characters. Reviewers, please stop asking me to add these people to fics that don’t need them thanks. This is less of a problem with McGee than the other two because I don’t hate him. I can’t stand Abby (and by extension, PP) and I can’t stand Gibbs. I don’t want them in my fics unless they’re necessary for plot (which they sometimes are, but they often aren’t). Character-wise, neither of them seemed to give much of a red fuck about Tony or his pain, or Ziva having FUCKING LEFT except when it was convenient for them. Like if you want to make a headcanon about my fics where Abby and Gibbs are present and caring then go ahead, but this is my fucking fanfiction and I’m not obligated to include characters I don’t like and characters who I feel don’t respect the integrity of the characters I love.

Oh that brings me to another. Grandpa Gibbs.

Look, five years ago I’d have been all aboard this train. I thought Grandpa Gibbs fics were the bees knees. But now? Same concept as before: Gibbs showed no real interest in Tali or in Tony’s shift to fatherhood and his lack of regard for Ziva in the early part of Season 11 just grates on me. You’d let this man watch your child? A man who, in the past what - 14 years - has not changed even the slightest bit or softened even a little? Sorry, he doesn’t seem very grandfatherly to me. And also - Tali has a grandfather. His name is Anthony DiNozzo, Sr. He’s a sweet slightly problematic (but at least trying) cinnamon roll who just wants his son and his granddaughter to be happy. Let him be grandpappy. Or I think I called him Papa but I’m not married to that.

Hahah holy fuck this turned into a rant.