#(I say having written an AU like that with aeri)

[llitchilitchi]

im so sorry but i really hate the fanfic trope where it's not just the characters on the dsmp and instead theyre like actually countries with other citizens

i think it can be written really interestingly and also be done well (ive seen it before) but most ppl just use it to call cdream a tyrant and lmanburg "fighting against injustice" ;-;

i feel like there was one fic everyone mustve copied from where lmanburg was a small faction on the edge of the "esempi" that dream didnt care about and kept on getting not enough supplies and it sucked to live there until wilbur soot decided to fight for independence since dream didnt care about them anyway and then dream sends in his army to fight them

this is such a specific trope but ive seen it so many times heh??

(sorry for the long post)

okay but this is such a good take. this trope could be utilized Really Well and I believe Wilbur said that he liked the idea of DSMP having more "citizens" and a lot of dsmpsonas were created on that basis (which: can we bring back the dsmpsona trend? it was so fun) and it could be utilized in really interesting ways in soooo many fics

alas, it's only used in the anti c!Dream propaganda

[stabbyfoxandrew]

Hi Aerie!

Could I request my weekly arsonist Neil/firefighter Andrew? I'm so excited for the meet-up hehe : )

I hope you have a good day too!

PS: my treat today was the first tangerines of the season (my fave winter fruit)

WIP Wednesday (11/13) | Arsonist Neil / Firefighter Andrew AU (Part 261)

"I got here ten minutes ago," Neil admits, then nods to the back seat. "Threw my keys back there just in case."

"In case of what?"

"You know," Neil exhales. He can't look directly at Andrew. He's too close and he's wearing the sweater Neil likes. It's too much. "In case I got the urge to run."

"You didn't." Andrew says. "If you'd gotten the urge you wouldn't be here."

"Yeah." Neil blinks and looks down at Andrew's lap, where he's holding something wrapped with newspaper. "That for me?"

"See for yourself," Andrew says, passing it over. Neil takes it, his cold fingers brushing Andrew's warm ones, and sets it in his own lap. He's about to rip into it when he notices a peculiar headline mentioning him and his third favorite past time. He stares at it for a moment too long because Andrew sighs, "Are you waiting for a formal invitation?"

"As a matter of fact, I was."

Andrew's lips twitch. "You are cordially invited to open your gift."

With that, Neil slips a fingernail under a piece of tape and pulls the paper away to find a picture frame. It's upside down, with -Andrew written on it with black marker. He gives Andrew a look, surely he doesn't know how much Neil liked that photo— surely he doesn't know Neil made it the background of his new phone— but the firefighter just flicks his fingers at the frame. 

"That would be the back, 10." Andrew says. It's jarring for him to say a number when they're a foot apart but when Neil turns it over, his mouth falls open.

It's a signed photo of Kevin Day. Neil's eyes go wide and he brings it closer to his face to analyze the image. It's printed professionally, a picture of Kevin in mid-swing. After analyzing the colors of his opponents' uniforms, Neil looks back up at Andrew.

"Is this the winning shot he made during that game against—"

"Yes."

"Wow..." Neil runs his finger over the signature. He has a print-out of it in his binder, but this is obviously the real thing. "You really know Kevin."

"Unfortunately." Andrew says, unimpressed by the extraordinary. He clicks his tongue. "Kevin said to tell you 'Happy Christmas', by the way."

"Really?" Neil's eyes must be huge, but he can't help it. He stares at the photo for a few seconds, then turns to Andrew. "Thank you, this is amazing. Really. I think this is the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me."

[cactusspatz]

March recs

Much delayed by travel and post-travel virus that turned into laryngitis (yayyy), but please enjoy!

DCU

All gen unless marked otherwise.

Say Uncle by Megaerakles

Tim is prepared to take the steps necessary to ensure that Bruce will not feel obligated to adopt Tim when a comatose Jack Drake inevitably dies. But what could be better than preventing Bruce from ending up with a son he doesn't want? Bringing back the one he does.

Jason agrees to the Replacement's stupid, stupid plan to invite some strange adult man he's never met to come live with him, if only to keep the idiot alive long enough for him to serve his purpose in the Great Red Hood Revenge Scheme.

Might this new roommate situation have an impact on either of their worldviews? Surely not...

Tim, why are you LIKE this.... *facepalm* I really didn't think the Fake Uncle Scheme TM could get any more insane but this fic does it with style. (thanks to @smilebackwards for the rec! and the next one lol)

The Seven-Layer-Dip From Hell by Oberon Bronze

Jason enlists Tim to help him through the stages of a 48-hour fear toxin trip in exchange for a favour, on one condition -- Tim can't call any of the bats for help, no matter what happens. Tim, thankfully, will do quite literally anything to get his family all under one roof again.

Emotionally messy delicious h/c, and the sequel doubles down on the goodness.

Prince of Foxes by poisonivory/ @pluckyredhead (Roy/Jason)

Once upon a time, Roy Harper almost had a mate.

Years later, he's kidnapped for a deadly game where shifters are forced to fight to the death for the entertainment of the humans who despise them. All he wants to do is escape—that is, until he recognizes one of the other shifters: a feral wolf who, a lifetime ago, was his best friend's little brother. Until he died. Until Roy lost him.

But no force on earth is taking Jason from him again.

Well-written shifter AU with a great look at their relationship over the years (and Jason's death), culminating in a tensely-written period of captivity in a shifter fighting ring (which also has some amazing pit fights).

GAME OF THRONES

So apparently four years is finally enough time for me to read GOT fic again without being swamped by annoyance at the series finale - at least, as long as the fics are VASTLY AU. Which both of these stories are!

The Right Question by Aviss (Jaime/Brienne)

In which Ned asks the right questions at the right time, and Jaime keeps most of his vows. The important ones at least.

aka the one where Jaime hides Elia Martell and her children on Tarth. Very satisfying!

Our Scars Make Us Golden by K_R_Closson (Jaime/Oberyn)

Jaime Lannister drives her sword through Aerys's back to save a kingdom. When her father's armies sack the city and kill those she was sworn to protect, she flees King's Landing, unsure what to do. On her way to Dorne, she runs into Ned Stark who hands her a baby and a purpose, protect the Targaryen heir.

Interesting genderswap AU with a badass Jaime.

MISC

A Light in the Dark by @glimmerglanger (Star Wars, Cody/Obi-Wan)

Sometimes, it seemed Obi-Wan only saw other people across the field of battle.

The only reliable source of contact he had with other living beings - for the past year - had been during a fight. And he had not been able to enjoy such contact, had not been able to sink into the Force and refill his reserves, because all of the men he fought were trying so desperately to kill him and all the people he was trying so hard to protect.

OR, the one where Obi-Wan serves the Republic, Cody serves the Separatists, and they find a way forward anyway.

Loved this! The army-swap AU premise, the captivity h/c, and the hope of the resolution.

The Emperor Gregor Vorbarra special exhibit of the Vorbarr Sultana Fibrecraft Institute by rattyjol (Vorkosigan Saga, gen)

NARRATOR: No record survives of precisely when or how Emperor Gregor first picked up knitting. The first public acknowledgement of the Imperial Hobby was in the thirty-eighth year of his reign, when the Emperor was forty-three. However, it is abundantly clear that the Emperor had been knitting for some years before this. Throughout this audio tour, alongside clips and reenactments, you’ll be hearing reminisces from Princess Olivia herself. Here’s one now:

P. OLIVIA: My father knit almost constantly inside the private Residence. I remember him reading me and my brothers to sleep as children: he would balance the handreader on his knee or the arm of his chair, and go on knitting over top of it. Never dropped a stitch, never skipped a line. And his character voices were legendary.

This is SO sweet, and a great use of fake-documentary style.

[phosphorus-noodles]

a shipping ask game u say. well i say jizzie and joli

AAA AERIE ILY I WILL HAPPILY OBLIGE <3

i DO ship both of these i basically invented one of them /hj

Jizzie:

What made you ship it?

ok so funny story-

my first interaction with knowing joel was 3rd life, but it was only bc my friend and i were obsessed with flower husbands at the time and when it switched over to empires we put him in the role of couples therapist solely for the reason that he was the only other person that was on both servers and would know them. but we also made him romance-repulsed aroace bc hehe funny aroace couples therapist

... and then i realized that his Real Life Wife was also in the server and i didn't have the heart to make her crush unrequited so i went "... guess he has feelings for people then :( ... but also he's so bisexual-"

What are your favorite things about the ship?

gosh,,, they're just so married, innit? bi4bi, t4t, they really do it all <3

also they're both just. absolutely insane. like they're both so bloodthirsty but they're also so goofy and in love together and joel gets so flustered around his wife sometimes and it's so funny ?? truly girlboss x cringefail and i love that for them

Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

hmm... they're better than gem/pearl /j (but also GO VOTE JIZZIE!!!)

Joli:

What made you ship it?

... you REALLY don't wanna know /lh

(it was a crack-ship-turned-serious situation and goodness it really is serious now huh,)

What are your favorite things about the ship?

GRRHHH SO MANY THINGS AND NONE OF THEM MAKE SENSE !!!

for one thing- i ship them both platonically and romantically! they're soulmates /r but they're also soulmates in the sense that they're british pals connected by strings of fate yk

they're so silly to watch together on streams and whatnot bc their banter is so funny but they also say deranged things like THIS (???!?) but you can also tell that man,,,, they're such buddies :] you can just tell how close they are yk

and then there's the au i write my fics/usually post about and MAN... GOSH I LOVE THEM I'M INSANE ABOUT THEM,

they're the embodiment of strangers/enemies -> friends -> BEST friends -> lovers (alternatively: soulbounds (political allies) to soulmates (platonic/romantic lovers)) and it's like my favorite trope now. they're also so bi4pan and i love that. they love each other so so much and they're goofy and they're magical and i can't even. like. put my thoughts into words because i just care about them too much to even express it,,,,

(but they're such a niche thing that i can say that about other ships and people will be like "I GET YOU !!" but i say it about them and people are like "?? lol what who?" /silly)

Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

they should REALLY be more popular in my humble opinion... i've encountered maybe like... two? three?? people in the wild that also ship it that i didn't already know when i "came up" with it-

also like... i wanna read fics about them but the ao3 tag is atrocious right now tbh- as i'm writing this AO3 WON'T COME UP but last i checked i think there were maaaybe 7?? fics in the (romantic) joel/oli tag and one was mine, one was written to me lol, at least one was nsfw, and one had it tagged but it wasn't really mentioned in any way, so- gosh it just makes me sad. i can't read about my boys :(

(Edit: there are six fics. One is mine, one was written to me, one was tagged for reach ??, and the other three are nsfw. I am the ruler of a desolate kingdom 😔)

like c'mon. look me in the eye and tell me that oliver "that's really passionate, king" sound and joel "lizzie has left the room now, the sexual tension has appeared" smallishbeans wouldn't kiss ?? 🤨

man... i love these fellas. i will talk about them anytime. ty aerie <3

(Ask game here!)

[notenoughmuses]

hmm questions number 7 and 37 for Viserys?

WEIRDLY SPECIFIC BUT HELPFUL CHARACTER BUILDING QUESTIONS

What would you (mun) yell in the middle of a crowd to find them? What would their best friend and/or romantic partner yell?

I would yell....oh gosh there are so many things I could yell in the catagory of: alarming triggers like "Robert Baratheon has come for you" or "Daenerys Targaryen has been kidnapped (if he was alone at the moment) but nicer things "Warm beds and food to have. Free" or "Sellswords looking for work, will work for little gold" honestly if I found him, I would take him and Dany somewhere and hug them and take care of them. Vis needs someone to take care of him for a while after taking care of Dany for like almost 9 years on his own. Their best friend: You mean Dany? Cuz honestly.....That man in canon has no best friends besides his sister...so: "Vis! Lēkia !" (brother is Valyrian) His romantic partner: I feel like in any AU it's "Hey Dumbass get back here" xD lol jk

What’s a secret they haven’t told serious romantic partners and don’t plan to tell?

For almost all of them unless he feels 100% safe and sound, he wouldn't tell them about his full trauma, ALL of the things he had to do to survive, what exactly happened those days during the rebellion. (Canon sources even talk about how Viserys says he and his mother left at night but Selmey and others say it was not at night. Sooo def blocking out and misremembering past events. Which is why at times I write Vis loving and hating both Aerys and Rhaegar)

Like I don't think Vis would bring up things so casually like: I worked at a brothel for a couple of years at different ones and cities in Essos. He could have some bastards out there.....(I mean canon wise prob not but my HC are canon pretty much with how long I've written Viserys)

[deathcabindiagonalley]

Regarding the mention of misogyny - my bad, you didn’t mention it but the person I reblogged it from had mentioned it in the tags. That’s partly what I was addressing.

Also, I appreciate you disagreeing respectfully; I’ve put my responses under the cut.

I agree with a lot of what you’re saying, including the fact that at the end of the day, pretty much every woman is treated with misogyny in the books, including Daenerys. It’s a horrific, disgusting, misogynistic society that thinks women are second class, and every female character is treated that way. When I said it isn’t misogynistic to think about Daenerys, I meant specifically the idea that she might go mad, not her entire treatment.

I also don’t think Dany will definitely go mad, by the way. If you ask me, I genuinely hope she doesn’t. She’s been built up to be the most deserving ruler, is a descendant of slavers and has freed slaves, has learnt ruling the way others can only hope to. I hope with everything in my heart that she doesn’t go mad because, like you rightly said, we have Cersei already showing Aerys-like signs and we don’t need another.

But there’s a chance she might. It’s not hereditary madness, it’s a risk of incest. Joff went mad and his siblings didn’t. Rhaegar and Viserys both showed very different signs of the madness but they both had it. I get your point that it’s the intent with which people theorise about Dany’s madness - but depending on the way it’s written, if it happens, I don’t think it would necessarily be the most AU thing to happen.

Regarding whether fAegon will also go mad, you’re right that no one talks about it. But that’s mostly because a) the investment in him is really low atm, b) it’s fairly clear he will never actually sit the throne, and c) he’s almost definitely not a Targaryen - at least not as inbred as Daenerys as far as we know. With Jon, again, I agree - his family tree is the same as Dany’s and the likelihood of him going insane is just as high as hers and yet no one talks about it. We absolutely should.

Regarding theories of other dragonriders - yes, Bran is another common candidate, mostly because of Bloodraven’s comment of you will fly. It most likely refers just to the ravens and not a dragon, but I don’t necessarily think that speculating that Bran might warg into one necessarily takes away too much from Daenerys. There are two riderless dragons - for whatever reason, the only other foreshadowed candidates are men. (All the other characters you mentioned have to be crack theories because none of them make sense)

Finally, regarding the fact that the madness is foreshadowed. Again, the way the show did it was actually lazy writing imo. And if it happens in the book, it’ll take some really careful storytelling to ensure it doesn’t come across as a Reddit plot twist. Jon killing her and coming across like a tragic hero is one of the most garbage pieces of writing I have ever seen. I think people’s certainty of her madness is largely due to the fact that it happened in the show - that means nothing to me personally, and I still think there’s a very good chance it won’t happen. GRRM doesn’t do plot twists for the heck of it.

I think wanting Daenerys to go mad so that Jon/Tyrion/Bran save the day is unnecessary and a very shallow way of looking at the story. But speculating that she might, because even good people like Aegon V and Rhaegar showed signs of it, isn’t always biased.

The reason people want Dany to go mad is that she has the resources to solve everyone’s problems but she’s also an obstacle for a lot of the fandoms preferred endgames for their favs. Having her be a crazy evil tyrant lady is a convenient way to get her out of the way so that other characters can use her resources and still get their happy ending.

That’s why there are so many theories that involve other characters (usually the favorite characters of whoever made the theory) taking control of her dragons, and that’s why the show put the main conflict (the war against the WW) as a secondary conflict to the war over the iron throne. Use dany and her resources and then put her down like a mad dog so that the rest can get a happy-ish ending.

[egglands-worst]

I remember forever ago I asked if you had any good dadster fics to recommend since you are THE gaster artist and I love your interpretation of him. I can’t seem to find the ask anywhere thou

a- aaAHWWWOWEEE HHHUUUOOUUUUGHHHHH i wouldn't say I'm The Gaster Artist not in a longshot there's lots of other artists who do fantastic gaster stuff!!! but i am Flattered you say that!!

anyway you can't find it because it got sent to Tumblr Drafts Hell (aka i started it, saved it to go look for fics, and then completely forgot about it)

BUT IM DOING THIS ALL AT ONCE THIS TIME SO I DONT FORGET

Behold: a readmore

longer fics:

the doctor's fate series by @aeris-blue

weird old man ends up adopting a couple little skeletons. it's SO good soooooo SOSO so good 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺

Schrodinger's gate

gaster bounces across dimensions picking up children on the way. it's. I'm not one for much au crossover stuff but!! i really enjoy this one a whole lot!

A Year Every Minute by @askullandbones

this is a Classic(tm) to me. started being written Early fandom (crossposted to ao3 later) aaaaaand definitely influenced my own characterizations of gaster in little ways. it DOES get really angsty later on so be aware (whenever i reread it i usually just do the first eight chapters). this gaster is basically. like. makes a child for science purposes and gets way too attached

the life and two deaths of (dubiously a doctor) w. d. gaster by @saurosuchus-ostraviensii

(which!! updated just barely actually!!!! i still have yet to sit down and read it i just barely got outta class and did this)

i admit there's not actually any dadster in it yet. but the presence and Promise of dadster later on Is There and it's genuinely a Great read. i swear i have no biases because my friend wrote this

alphys bad dates fic papyrus chapter by @smells-like-mettaton

honestly this is alphys centric i just think gaster moment is absolutely hilarious

imaginary friend

frisk!!! frisk befriending some guy

and last but not least just look at all these dadster fics in my ao3 bookmarks

(there's probably a lot more dadster stuff that's just untagged)

[crash-hawk]

Life on the line, winner take all, ready or not, let’s begin...

In honor of the one-year anniversary of Third Life (hi!!!  I’m not okay!!!), have a Tumblr re-release of what I consider to be one of the finest one-shots I have ever written for any fandom. 

(Inspired by thcscus’s Aerie series, this fic is part of the Kaleidoscope AU, and can be read totally blind/as a standalone.  That said, I highly recommend checking out the rest of the series!  My co-authors are extremely cool and epic.) AO3 link can be found HERE for those who prefer!

Three

  If you come inside, things will not be the same

  When you return to the light

  And if you think you’ve won, you never saw me change

  The game that we have been playing…

  - Chris Cornell , “You Know My Name” ---------------------------------------------------------------

“So what do you do?” asks the young girl with the flower braided into her rust-red hair.  

There are twenty or more of them gathered around the huge campfire that’s been set up on the beach--not everyone who calls the island village their home, but a goodly number of them, ranging the entire gamut from masters and journeymen to the greenest of the new apprentices.  The young girl who’d spoken up is one of the latter, a bright-eyed young thing who’d come to learn architecture and botany, and who watches the two guests who’ve come to join their nightly get-together with eager curiosity.

The guest in question doesn’t appear to really hear her, looking over his shoulder back toward the lights of the village.  “Where in the hell did George get off to?” he wonders, a trifle irritably.

“He’s still off with Pearl, I think,” answers one of the others, smiling.  “Relax.  He’s not going to vanish or be eaten by monsters or fall off a cliff, not around here, I promise.”

Of all of them, he has been here the longest, long enough to remember when the island was nothing but empty plains and gnarled cypress trees and the occasional massive old oak.  They had been three when they’d first come, much like these three who’ve come to visit today, laughing as they’d sized up their new refuge and laid the foundations of their first homes.  One is gone, now, old age having claimed him decades ago, but pieces of his spirit are still scattered about the village: the great snarling beast of a tree, meant as a prank, that he’d loved so much he’d made a home of it; the wind-powered music machines that still play to this day; the old underground farm that still produces far too many potatoes for the village to eat, even at full capacity, but that no one has the heart or the inclination to replant with something else.

His wings are tucked safely out of sight tonight, out of an abundance of caution, although he’s certain his guests know they’re there.  He knows well enough what his guests are, and vice versa--but while he trusts Pearl’s quiet, gentle spirit-brother, god of the green places, so much like his old friend that his heart aches, he is not so certain about the other two.

“Oh, yes, he’s perfectly safe,” chimes another from beside him.  “Pearl’s night vision is  a-mayzin’,  she’ll spot any dangers a mile away, and I’m sure Grian’s cleaned up all of the traps...you  did  clean up all of the traps before company came over, right?”

“Traps?” queries one of the guests, eyebrows arching high over eyes as black as his hair.

“Shut it,” Grian hisses, elbowing his oldest friend so hard in the ribs that he doubles over, laughing and coughing at the same time.  “Don’t listen to him. There are no traps.  Why would there be traps?  We absolutely, positively do not build, lay, or arm traps anywhere in this village. In fact, trap-laying is punishable by summary banishment.  It’s in the village charter.”

That gets everyone laughing, residents and guests alike, and Grian relaxes a little.  He’s being paranoid, he knows, but he can’t help it.  It’s rare enough that visitors ever find their way to their place of safety...never mind visitors like these.

“I think the young lady was asking you a question,” says another of the trade masters, a genial man in black and gold with unruly reddish-brown hair who sits right beside the newcomers, tinkering with what appears to be an ornate clock.  Much like said newcomers and a few of his fellow villagers, his youthful face belies his true nature.

“Hm? Oh, you mean me?” asks the first of the two guests, the one who’d introduced himself earlier as Dream.

The red-haired girl smiles, nodding.  “It wasn’t terribly important.  I was just asking what you do.”

Dream smiles, shrugging a little.  “Oh, nothing very impressive.  Nothing like you all do here.  This place is really something else.”

Grian’s friend grins, twisting the old scars marring one side of his face.  “Flattery will get you everywhere, good sir.”  

That earns a snort and an eyeroll from Dream’s black-haired companion.   “He’s fishing.  His ego is the size of that bloody huge pile of rocks over there.  Why the hell is there a bloody huge pile of rocks over there, by the way?  I’ve seen castles that were smaller.”

“Are you insulting my bloody huge pile of rocks, Sir...Sapnap, wasn’t it?” Scar rumbles, mock-threateningly.

“Wouldn’t dream of it, and don’t call me Sir,” Sapnap retorts.  

“Did you build any of these?” Dream asks, still smiling at the redheaded girl.   Grian feels oddly disquieted, seeing that smile, but he keeps it off of his face.  Gods are proud, prickly creatures--he ought to know--and their village holds guest right sacred.  He won’t insult them.  

“Oh, no,” she denies with a giggle.  “I’ve only just got here.  But I’m designing a greenhouse.  As soon as Pearl approves of my blueprints, I’m going to start building it.  I’m Gem, by the way.”

“A lovely name.  Anyway, to answer your question, Gem, I write stories.”

“Yeah?” queries a wide-eyed, dark-skinned young man in a fuzzy green wool tunic, absently handing tools to the one working on the clock without bothering to look at them.  “Any good ones?”

“Well, I don’t know about  good,” Dream demurs, holding up his hands.  “I’ve written a lot of them, though, so one or two are bound to be, statistically speaking.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Sapnap mutters, annoyed.  “There are cathedral windows less transparent than you.  Tell the children a bedtime story and be done with it.  I’m going to go see if there’s anything worth hunting around here.”  He gets up, shaking sand out of his white cloak, and stalks off down the beach toward the nearest clump of trees.

Grian and Scar exchange glances, nonplussed, but Dream simply waves it off.   “Don’t pay any attention to him.  He has a short attention span and gets cranky when he’s bored.”  He smiles again, glancing around the fire before his gaze comes to rest squarely on the two of them.  “That being said... would  you like to hear one?  I promise it’ll be a good one.”

The villagers all voice their enthusiastic assent, and Scar shrugs.  “Sure, why the hell not.”

“Well...as long as it’s not a long one,” Grian acquiesces, not knowing why he feels so uneasy at the idea.  “It’s getting on midnight.”

“That’s the best time for stories,” Dream suggests with a grin.  “But don’t worry, it’s not a long one.  I’ll be done well before the moon touches the water, you have my word.”

“Alright, then,” Grian says, summoning a smile of his own and lowering himself to sit down cross-legged on the sand beside the others.  “Lay it on us.  And if Scar interrupts, you have my permission to throw rocks at him.”

“I,” Scar protests archly, “would never.”

“He would,” Impulse whispers theatrically in Dream’s ear.

Dream laughs.  “Don’t worry, I’m not overly concerned about that.  Besides, I think you’ll like this one.  I think you’ll like it just fine.”

A sudden gust of wind whips through, sending sparks spiraling up toward the stars, and Grian tells himself that it’s only the chill that it brings with it that makes him shiver.

Only that, and nothing more. -----------------------------------------------------------------------

“In the beginning,” Dream starts, “There was nothing but nothing.  A great Void, timeless and lightless and endless.  And then there was a flash, and nothing became something.  And that something resolved itself into  everything, into dust and stars and light and worlds...and stories.  The stories were here first, but they needed people to tell them.  And so the gods were formed.

“The gods all had their own stories that they presided over, their own domains.  Each had their part to play, working together in harmony.  But stories aren’t much good without an audience, either, and so mortals came next.  Their lives were short, trifling things, but they devoured the stories the gods told and passed them along, and together with the gods they created whole worlds.

“But the Universe had made a mistake: in creating the gods to write and to tell the stories, and the mortals to listen and pass them along, it had given them the freedom to do with them what they would.  The harmony began to fall apart.  Gods decided they weren’t satisfied with their own domains and looked to others.  The humans defied the gods and claimed that they should have control of their own stories, as if the stories were ever theirs to begin with.  They fell to squabbling, and war and chaos and tragedy followed, so much that they became the rule of the world.  And the God of Stories watched it all, and grew angry.

“Some particularly defiant gods caught his eye.  The God of the Stars, who abandoned his post to live among the humans, idling away the years in disguise as a king and holding grand tournaments that drew thousands to play and fight in frivolous games.  He took up with a mortal lover who caught his eye in one of these tournaments, uncaring that he was setting them both up for heartbreak.  The God of Sorcery, who perverted his art to grant immortality to his favorite and sold the secrets of enchantment to any mortal who came to him.  The Goddess of Decay and Rot, who thought to create instead.”

Dream pauses, as if for effect, gazing about at his audience, all of whom sit listening rapt, without a single interruption.  A slow smile spreads on his face at the sight.

“The God of Stories’ greatest ire was reserved for those who thought themselves above it all, who thought to separate themselves from all the chaos and turmoil of the outside world, as if they themselves weren’t a party to it: the twin Gods of Science and Invention, who taught secrets to the mortals that they were never meant to know; the God of Time and Travel, who helped the mortals find paths that they should never have found, and his friend the God of Calculation, who saw the rules of mass and motion, only to break them in ways the Universe never intended.  Worst of all, though, were the two tricksters: the one who cheated his way out from under the Angel of Death again and again and rooked the gullible with promises of commerce, and his constant companion, he who stole fire from the sun and made it his own and granted himself the power of flight, a power the Universe had reserved only for one.”

Grian’s eyes suddenly widen, trance broken, hackles raised.  He can feel every feather on his hidden wings lifting, puffing out as if in response to danger.  And there  is  danger here, Grian knows, every instinct screaming...yet he can’t move.

“Together, they and their mortal favorites created their own false world in microcosm, a place they believed was safe, where they could live and create and make their own rules, where they could teach the mortals how to become the authors of their own stories.  The God of Stories was very angry when he saw it, and set out to teach them a lesson.”

Grian can feel electricity crawling along his skin, crackling between the barbs of his feathers--his suddenly very  visible  feathers.  

“What are you doing,” he whispers, his voice little more than a husky croak.

Dream blinks.  “Telling a story, just as you asked.  Just as you all asked.”

With a tremendous effort, Grian manages to turn his head to look at Scar, who sits frozen beside him, eyes round and glassy.  Impulse, too, stares back at them from across the fire, still as stone.  All of the others’ eyes remain on Dream, transfixed, lost in the tale.

“So the God of Stories came up with a plan: he would weave a world for these renegades, these shirkers and usurpers.  A small world, with enchanted glass walls that no god or man could pass.  He would set them down in this world, along with those mortals they loved the best, and there they would play a game.”

Dream’s words echo from the waves, vibrating along Grian’s bones.  He can feel the world begin to shift and twist around him, the air encircling the captive audience by the campfire shimmering like a mirage.  Worse than that is the feeling of being trapped, pinioned, fixed in place when every atom of him is screaming to take to the skies.

“Stop it!!”

“Stop it?  Oh, come on, now, we’ve only just gotten to the good part!”  Dream grins, his eyes flashing green in the flickering light of the campfire.  

“Each of the players in this game would be granted three lives.  They would live in their glass box, free to make whatever they could of their little world...and each death, accidental or on purpose, would take a piece of their soul.  Each time they came back, they would come back a little less, stripped down closer and closer to base instinct, to kill or be killed.  Friendly pranks would turn deadly, alliances would turn into warring factions, lovers would watch one another die and burn the world to avenge them, until only one remained in the end.

“And when that one finally gave in to despair, left alone with the blood of his friends still dripping from his hands, the God of Stories would send them all back to their little haven--but wiser than when they left.  They would know that there was no true escape from chaos, that war and turmoil were inevitable as the tides, there was no love that would not end in loss.  They would look at their closest friends and know that they were one string’s pull away from tearing each other apart, that bloodlust lies just beneath the surface, waiting for the right motivation.  They could continue to build, to invent, to teach their little apprentices, and when the apprentices left to return to the wider world, the creations they brought with them would break armies and bring nations to their knees.”

“You’re wrong…” Scar grates out from beside Grian, and he feels a burst of fierce pride in his friend break through the leaden terror weighting him in place.  “You...can’t make us…”

“Oh, I can.  I absolutely can.  Don’t worry, though, it’s only a story.  You’ll wake up and it’ll be like it never happened.”  The Green God’s eyes glow brighter, until they’re almost too bright to look at, until they’re all Grian can see.   The eyes, and the smile.  “Well,  almost .”

“...how does it end?” a slurred, drugged voice asks from somewhere Grian can’t move enough to see.  Gem, the young apprentice girl, he thinks.  “...the game...who wins…?”

There’s a low murmur from around the campfire, a rustling susurration as the others join the chorus, hypnotized children waiting on bated breath for the storyteller to bring their tale to a close.

The Green God cocks his head to the side, as if pondering.  “Well, I could write the ending now, I suppose...but the fact is I won’t know until it happens, and it’s so much more fun to watch it unfold unspoiled.  After all, what audience doesn’t love a cliffhanger?” I won’t, Grian wants to scream, but the world is dissolving around him, the cold darkness of the Void slipping through his feathers as he falls. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Gods and humans in order of appearance in Dream's tale: Scott Smajor Jimmy Solidarity Rendog Martyn Littlewood ZombieCleo TangoTek ImpulseSV BdoubleO100 EthosLab Scar Grian

[woozisnoots]

hi, it's aeris!! for the ask game, 7, 16, 34, 43! - @ravixen

hi aeris @ravixen !! ✨ hehe tysm for sending these <3 i’m always so late in replying to these but i also think i used too much brain power answering 🫠

[ fic writer ask game! ]

7. do you prefer to read short fics or long fics?

yes i like to read B) LOL but fr i don’t really think i have a preference in length? i will admit though, if it tends to be a bit longer, i take a lot of breaks in between and that happens regardless of how immersed i am in the story 🐋 i don’t like looking at my phone/computer for a long period of time so therefore 😔

16. do you research for your fics? if so, how deep of a rabbit hole have you gone down by accident when researching?

i feel like i’ve experienced so little in the world that i end up researching ever little thing for my aus 😵‍💫 but it’s always the just general idea of things, i don’t usually add the tiny details and kind of let my fantasy run that part of the story. i find that sometimes when i research too much into smth, i lose track of my creativity and what i wanted to accomplish with the original story i planned :/

34. how much of yourself and your life experiences do you put into your writing? what do you think your readers' image of you is?

i don’t think there’s anything i’ve written that doesn’t have a piece of me or my life in it (did i word that write?) 🌱 this may sound so obvious and so cliche but… my stories are my stories, of course there’s going to be some part of me involved when i’m writing. i’m not exposing my diary 🥴 but there’s different aspects of me and my life that make it in my fics that come in different forms! the emotions i write and feelings that my characters go through, indeed i have felt. i probably copy and pasted exact words i heard from a mcdonalds drive thru into one of fics somewhere 🤷‍♀️ all the hyperspecific details in my fics are most likely huge tmi’s in my daily life that u guys probably didn’t need to know 🤪

honestly tho………. i just hope my readers’ image of me is. nice 👍 XCBXNCBXB LIKE. bonus points if you guys think i’m funny <3 but looking back at some of the things i’ve written, i really aim for comfort. so @ my readers, i hope you guys know that i am giving you the biggest warmest hug (achieved thru my writing) 🐘

43. talk about a positive experience with fanfiction or the fanfiction community that you will always remember.

this question makes me so :(( bc i remember when i first started writing and it was so much fun just creating smth and in the end, being so proud of yourself bc damn. i made that! 🌟 and it didn’t matter if it reached a certain audience, it only took a singular person that constantly loved my stories. praising and encouraging me to write more, fueling ideas out of me. that feeling is almost cathartic to me 🌌

beyond that, i have met some of my closest friends now through the fanfic community, readers and writers alike. gosh and when i tell you that these are some of the best friendships i could ever ask for 🥺 💥 literally unmatched. i could say so much abt the people i’ve met here, but i wouldn’t be the same person i am today without the help of some of the people i’ve met here on this platform. ♥️

[jimlingss]

Sugar and Coffee [19]

Chapter 18 - Chapter 19 - Chapter 20

➜ Words: 4.6k

➜ Genres: 99.5% Fluff, 0.5% Angst, Pâtisserie school!AU

➜ Summary: It isn't hard to be a pâtisserie chef, but it's not a piece of cake either. It seems like for you in particular, life keeps throwing in one wrench after another. It always finds ways to make your sweets bitter. The cherry on top is Jeon Jungkook — a rival with a sensitive sweet tooth who always finds ways to complain about you.

cr.

“You guys are together now?!”   There’s a high-pitched, deafening shout that has you flinching. On sheer instinct, you’re about to let go of his hand, but you feel Jungkook’s grip tighten on yours instead, squeezing your palm securely. You glance at him with your brows raised and he merely shrugs.    “What? This?” Jungkook lifts your interlaced hands up to your shoulders, showing it off right in front of Taehyung’s face. He teases, “Friends can hold each other’s hands.”   “You don’t let me hold your hand when I ask,” Taehyung argues with a scoff.    The tall brunette is left utterly confused and soon, Jimin is joining the trio. He greets all of you with a bright smile but almost immediately, his eyes stray downwards to your interlocked hands as well. Yet Jungkook shamelessly maintains it in spite of the obvious attention it's bringing, even to your classmates and acquaintances passing by the hallway.   Jimin’s grin widens. “Are you guys datin—”   “I already asked.” Taehyung cuts off. “They’re just being weird.”   “Oh.” The shorter man’s lips become lopsided with his frown and he sends an incredulous expression to Jungkook that only makes said man laugh. Jimin turns around anyhow. “Yoongi and Hoseok are already in the dining center. Do you guys have any classes today?”   “No, I think they’re just doing orientation for the newbies.”   “You weren’t this excited to tell your parents,” you lean over to whisper into Jungkook’s ear when the pair of you naturally fall behind the two boys.   “Well, they’re my parents. I’d rather spare the both of us from….that,” he explains and then smiles. “But is it such a bad thing if everyone here knows? It’ll stop people from making moves on you.”   “Moves on me?” You scoff. If anything, it should be the opposite. Jungkook’s always been popular with everyone without even having to try. But you suppose it would be rather helpful if everyone knew that he was taken. It might just save you from a lot of headaches. So you don’t protest further.   Yoongi and Hoseok are easy to find in the dining center. They’re at the usual table and it’s like time hasn’t passed whatsoever. Yoongi is picking at his food and chewing gingerly as if it's exhausting for him to do so while Hoseok is tapping on his phone.    They look up when you approach.   “Long time, no see.” Hoseok grins as Jimin settles beside him with an equally warm smile.   “What are you talking about? The group chat has been blowing up because of this guy.” He hitches his thumb to Taehyung who is wholly offended.   “It’s not my fault I want to share the cute dogs I come across with everyone.”   “Haven’t you muted the chat?” Jimin asks Yoongi with a small laugh, not expecting an answer when he already knows it.    Taehyung is exasperated that no one answered his messages during the last week of the break and that Yoongi could possibly have the heart to ghost everyone — accusations the sleepy man doesn’t even respond to. In the meanwhile, Jungkook sighs at how his friends are already making a loud ruckus and ruffles your hair as he gets up from the table. He asks what you want for breakfast and then returns shortly with two trays of food.   It’s when he sits down that Yoongi raises his head again.   “So, how long have you guys been together?”   “We’re not together—” Jungkook answers without missing a single beat.   “Cut the crap,” Yoongi deadpans, halting his chewing. “It’s too goddamn early for this bullshit.”   “What?” Jungkook’s grin is swelled across his face. “Can’t best friends kiss each other sometimes?”   Hoseok’s eyes are enormous, having no idea where this is coming from. Jimin is sitting on the edge of his seat, anxious for the transpiring events. Taehyung is utterly befuddled but Yoongi, on the other hand, wears a completely blank expression. The lethargic man is wholly unimpressed.   Jungkook bursts out laughing. “Okay, okay. It’s true. We’re dating.”   Immediately, there’s an uproar. But it’s mostly from Taehyung. “I knew it! I knew it!”    Jungkook laughs and argues back with a ‘no, you didn’t’.    At the same time, Jimin is smiling tenderly and giggling at his friend’s reaction. Hoseok is grinning as well and even the corner of Yoongi’s mouth quirks. The latter man mumbles that it’s about damn time and you’re sheepishly smiling as your face heats under the attention.   Jimin curiously asks, “When did this happen?”   “In Tahiti,” you answer. “Somewhere along there…”   “So it’s been like two months and you never thought to tell us?!” Taehyung is once again exasperated, shaking his head like he can’t believe it.   “It’s only been a month and a half,” Jungkook says as he throws a fry into his mouth, chewing in his cheek. “We wanted to see where it would go and stuff…”   “Obviously it went well enough that you two are still together,” Yoongi points out.   “I think it’s going well.” You turn to Jungkook. “Don’t you?”   “It’s been going awfully,” he remarks in sarcasm, making you scoff. Laughter bubbles out of his chest and he leans over to gently knock his head against yours. “I’m kidding. Kidding.”   “Wait, does this mean you two are going to be cute and gross together now?” Taehyung’s face wrinkles into a frown.    “Of course they are,” Hoseok laughs. “It’s a requirement.”   “No, we won’t make things weird,” you protest. “Promise.”   “They’ve always been gross together,” Yoongi mutters with his mouth-full, pointing his wooden chopsticks at him and completely ignoring what you’ve said. “Haven’t you noticed?”   “Congratulations, you two,” Jimin speaks sincerely with his eyes crinkled into half-moons.   “Thanks.” You laugh, leaning into Jungkook. “I lucked out, really.”   Your boyfriend clicks his tongue in annoyance. “I’m the one who lucked out.”   “Ugh.” Taehyung’s nose wrinkles and he feigns disgust. If anyone looked any more satisfied right now, it was him. You suppose to outsiders, your relationship with Jungkook was a long time coming. “They’re being gross already. Go get a room.”   You scoff at him and turn to Hoseok. “Is Aeri coming?”   “She isn’t,” he says simply without looking you in the eye, “She and I broke up.”   “What?” Several heads whirl over, the focus now brought onto him.    This was new news too — information that was much more bitter.   “Yeah, it happened during the summer.” Hoseok offers a tiny, reserved smile. He keeps his head down low and that’s only when you notice the darkened circle underneath his eyes, the sickly colour of his skin and his disheveled hair. “It just….didn’t really end up working out.”   “Oh.”   “Why didn’t you tell us?” Jimin asks gently as Taehyung automatically puts his brownie onto Hoseok’s food tray in an attempt to make him feel better.   “It just happened a week ago. Honestly—” He sits back. “—I’m still trying to process it, so yeah.”   Yoongi reaches over, stiffly patting him on the back. “It’s going to be alright, dude.”   The corners of his lips pull a bit. “Thanks.”   You could’ve never fathomed it. They got together long before you and Jungkook did, but you always thought that they would work out. Someone as bubbly as Hoseok with someone as kind and timid as Aeri, it seemed like a match that you wouldn’t think twice about.   To hear that they’ve split is shocking. But you don’t pry for details when it’s their personal business. You don’t try to figure out what exactly happened when it was the last thing you wanted to talk about when you experienced it yourself. But you’re also not sure how to feel.   And Jungkook picks up on it when you’re quiet for some time.   “Are you alright?” He syncs his slow steps into yours as the pair of you head back to your dorms together.   “Yeah, I’m fine. Just thinking.” After a beat, you turn to look at your boyfriend. Your eyes meet one another’s. “What happens if we break up, Jungkook?”   “Then we break up.” Jungkook takes your hand. “But we’d still be okay.”   “You think so?”   “I didn’t start off this relationship with being your boyfriend. Frankly, I didn’t want to be your friend at all—”   “Hey.”   “—but we were friends, so it’ll stay that way.”   You sigh, keeping your eyes trained forward. You squeeze his hand securely. “You make it sound so easy. It isn’t.”   “I know, but that doesn’t mean I won’t try to make things work.” He moves his fingers to interlace with yours and comforts your worries, “So you don’t have to worry. Every relationship is different, right? Ours is unlike anyone else's as theirs are not like ours...if that makes any sense.”   “No, it does.” You share a smile with him.   You don’t know if it’ll last — but at this moment, you want to savour every second with Jungkook.   //   You catch sight of a familiar girl across the dining hall during dinner, and with one glance given to your boyfriend, he responds with a reassuring nod, having already followed your line of sight.   So instead of sitting at the usual table, you confidently beeline straight for her. And you take your place across from the girl.   Aeri lifts her chin, surprise written across her expression. “Y/N?”   “Hey, how’s it going?” You smile, taking your utensils and beginning to eat. “I hope this seat isn’t taken.”   “N-No, it isn't.” She peeks over her shoulder for a second and then looks back at you, blinking several times. “It’s going well. How about you?”   “Same old, nothing really ever changes.” You backtrack when Jungkook sticks out in your mind. “Well….a few things, but anyway, how was your internship?”   “It was good. Great.” Aeri gives a softened smile that’s sad around the edges. She’s playing with her food without eating it. Her voice sounds thick like she’s been crying. “I learned a lot and the people there were pretty nice.”   “You worked at a restaurant, right?”   “Yeah.” She names it and some small talk is made about internships. Afterwards, you discuss your summers and how traveling went.    With time, Aeri seems to ease up again.   And when there’s a few seconds of silence, you decide to address the elephant in the room. “I heard you and Hoseok broke up….”   “Yeah, it was mutual.” The corners of her mouth move stiffly like she’s been training to smile naturally. Her eyes meet yours. “Thank you for sitting with me and keeping me company.”   “Of course I would. You’re my friend,” you reply earnestly. “Why wouldn’t I?”   “It’s just…” The girl shifts uncomfortably in her seat, not sure if she should utter the truth. “You’re friends with Hoseok too, so I thought you would side with him.”   You adamantly shake your head. “I don’t side with anyone. It’s not fair to leave someone out because of another relationship and plus, you were my friend first.” You place your foot down, fist slamming on the table and while it startles the girl, genuine laughter streams from her. “I know what it feels like too, so I would never do that to someone else.”   Aeri nods, eyes glossy. “Thank you.”   “It’s not a problem.” Your arm stretches over the table, hand placed on top of her’s. “If you ever need me, I’ll be here.”   It’s déjà vu. An out-of-body experience. To be sitting across from someone who’s gone through something akin to what you have, it feels like you’re looking at your past self. A reflection of you more than half a year ago. And you reach out to her as you wished someone did to you. As Jungkook had done to you.   You realize that he was there when you needed someone most and it makes you glad he became a part of your life when he did.

It’s another one of those days — of you and Jungkook lying on his bed, tapping away on your phones. The pair of you were cuddling until you each got bored and reached for your phones. And Jungkook got uncomfortable in his position and rolled over, so you’re both squished on his tiny bed, laughing every once in a while and showing one another funny memes or videos.   It’s a luxury that won’t last for long. Once you’re both into the semester, it’ll be textbooks in your hands instead of phones and you’ll be sitting up, scratching your heads, being driven crazy with theories that don’t make sense and forced to memorize countless recipes.   So you enjoy this sleepy relaxation while you can.   “Hey.” Your eyes stray away from your screen to his walls and your brows furrow as a question comes to mind. “Who do you like more? IU or me?”   There’s a long silence.   The silence draws on.   Your arm lowers and your head shifts onto the pillow to look at him. Jungkook is staring at the ceiling. And the silence continues. One second — ten seconds — thirty seconds...   Your brows lift. “Seriously?”   “What? It’s like asking me to choose between my mom and dad.”   “Did you just compare me to your mom?”   Jungkook laughs too loudly, too stiffly. “I-I’m kidding. Of course I would choose you.”   He reaches over to plant a kiss on your cheek, but you dodge, sitting up. You give him an incredulous expression, hovering over your boyfriend. “You’re a terrible liar.”   He grins, sitting up as well. “Are you jealous?”   “That my boyfriend would rather get together with a celebrity than me? Nope,” you pop the ‘p’ harshly, making him giggle. “Not at all. Why would I be?”   “Jieun’s been a part of my life for longer…..” Jungkook says, then laughs again and tries to backtrack. “But obviously I still love you more because you’re actually here.”   “But if she were here..?” you ask him and when it gets quiet again, you reach out to pinch and tickle his side. Jungkook squirms, laughing even harder while you grin.    It’s not like you were actually upset or irrational enough to be jealous over a celebrity crush. You’ve long known about his fanboying hobby and love for IU after all. It’s just fun to tease him. “You gonna ditch me for Lee Jieun, huh? You think she can put up with your shit like I do?!”   “Course not!” He grips your wrists so you can stop tickling him. “I love you. But if she were to kick down the door when we’re getting married, I might just have to go with her. Might.”   “Okay.” You relent. “Fine. I’ll admit, if she asked me to go with her, I’d go too, so she can be your hall pass.”   “Hall pass?” Jungkook grins. “Who’s yours?”   You hum, tapping your chin in contemplation. But it doesn’t take you long to choose. “Song Joongki. He’s handsome, he’s kind, he’s rich.”   “And how does that help?”   “Well, maybe he’ll fall in love with me and want to get married — then I’d get rich.” It’s his turn to be put in disbelief, but you have no reservations. “Song Joongki has great proportions too. Have you seen his legs? And have you seen his face? I wouldn’t be surprised if he was an angel who descended down on this planet to bless us all. He’s just so boy-next-door one second and then like handsome-handsome the next. I wouldn’t mind if he wanted to sweep me off my feet. He’s just so charming in everything he does, like—”   “Alright, Alright.” Jungkook puts his hand on your face. “I get it.”   You peel his palm off with a pout. “Hey, you get your crushes and I get mine.”   “I know.” He pushes your shoulder lightly and you let yourself fall back onto his mattress. Jungkook moves to hover over you, smiling at your quiet obedience in spite of your defiant exterior. You’re all bark, but no bite.    “Jealous?” You cock your head to the side, lip pulling up to a smirk.   Jungkook scoffs. “It’s not like you’ll ever get to meet him.”   “Don’t ruin my dreams.”   Jungkook smiles, unaware of how wrong he would soon be. But for now, there’s not a single ounce of worry or concern in him. He knows Song-fucking-Joongki would never know how amazing you are. And it’s unfortunate since you might actually blow the actor away.    He’ll never have you smiling at him, pouting at him, underneath him and crying out his name. But it’s okay — Jungkook doesn’t mind taking one for the team and having you all to himself.   //   There’s a loud ruckus and it’s early too.    Jungkook has never felt more like Yoongi. He wonders if this is how the man feels every single morning. Tired and exhausted and having to hear high-pitched screeches only irks him even more and unintentionally puts him in a sour mood. It was just too loud and too much of everything.   “What’s going on?”   Taehyung turns to him, arms crossed. For once, the brunette is wholly unenthusiastic. “Dude, I was texting you all morning. Did you not check your messages?”   “I might or might not have muted you like Yoongi did.” There are girls gathered and a few boys as well, a whole crowd of people standing together and blocking the way to the dining hall. The sound of murmuring fills the corridor. “Is someone giving out something for free?”   “No.” Taehyung sighs. “You know the actor, Song Joongki? He’s here.”   “What?”   “Beats me.” The tall brunette shrugs. “Apparently he’s sponsoring the university and making a donation to promote culinary arts. It probably has something to do with the commercials he’s been doing. I don’t know. They were trying to keep it on the down low but someone leaked it over Twitter that he was visiting and now everyone knows.”   Jungkook is stunned.   For a moment, he wonders if you’re actually a witch. It was just too convenient considering the jesting conversation he had with you nights ago. Or perhaps it was the damned world wanting him to eat his own words. But whatever the case is, Jungkook isn’t able to dwell for long.   Suddenly, the sea of students split, gasps and screams echoing down the hall. There are professors leading the way with the Dean, ushering students to move aside. There’s one or two bodyguards as well, their arms stretched to keep the actor safe. But as Jungkook stands there at a distance with his friend, he manages a far away peek at the dark-haired actor in his black suit as he passes with a small, polite smile and his head dipped.    Holy shit. You were right.   He’s handsome — but even more so in real life.   “Oh my god. Was that him?! I didn’t get a good look.” — “That was him!” — “He’s so cute!”   Everyone is fawning over Song Joongki. And even Jungkook, who doesn’t have a particular taste for men, can appreciate the actor.    “My mom loves him. Maybe I should get her an autograph.” Taehyung thinks about it for a second and then shakes his head. “Nah. That’s too much work. Let’s just go eat.”   The crowd moves past and Jungkook catches sight of a very familiar mop of head in the midst of the horde of people — a girl whose eyes are wide and excited.    But his own damn girlfriend doesn’t even notice him.    Instead, you’re holding Aeri’s hand and hopping up and down. “C’mon, Aeri! We’ll get a better look up front.”   Taehyung bursts out laughing as the corridor finally clears. “Was that just Y/N?”   Jungkook sighs lightly with a sheepish smile. “Yep.”   The dining hall has never been so quiet and empty. It’s eerie, almost like someone bought the place out to have a private buffet of sorts.   Jungkook finds Jimin, Hoseok, and Yoongi already seated at the table — somehow they had squeezed themselves through the crowd. Everyone greets each other with raised brows, silence desirable after the whole commotion. But Taehyung, on the other hand, is enjoying Jungkook’s astonishment too much.   “Looks like Song Joongki is also Mr. Steal Your Girl. Guess where Y/N is.”   “She left you?” Yoongi is stunned and then starts chuckling.   “She didn’t leave me.”   “Well can you blame her?” Hoseok pipes up. “He’s pretty handsome. My sister was a fan of him in Descendants of the Sun.”   “Really?” Jimin nods. “I liked him more in Innocent Man.”   “I said she didn’t leave me,” Jungkook repeats in exasperation. “And it’s whatever, he’s her hall pass anyway.”   That remark surprises all his friends. “So you don’t care?”   Jungkook shrugs. The boy slurps up his noodles, not paying much mind. “It would be fucking impressive.” And he means it. If his girl can charm on Song-fucking-Joongki, he’d be impressed.   You should do whatever it takes to live your best life and he’ll always root for you. Meeting Song Joongki is probably your dream come true anyway, so he has no reason to stop you and doesn’t want to. “It would be a one in a lifetime chance, so why not?”   “Wow.” Hoseok nods, impressed at the carefree attitude and how secure Jungkook is.   “Speak of the devil….”   You appear in the dining center, running at full speed, grabbing some toast. At the last second, you spot Jungkook and your eyes light up. You sprint over. “Hey!” You plop a kiss at the top of your boyfriend’s head, making him grin. “Did you guys see him?!”

“Sure did.”   “We saw him alright.”   “I’m just grabbing some food for Aeri and I but he’s going to the kitchens later and Miss. Kang says she’s going to introduce a group of us as the baking students!” You’re shrieking for joy, jumping up and down. Yoongi winces at the noise and gives you a dirty look, but it makes Jungkook giggle. You turn to him. “You don’t mind, do you?”   “Why would I?” He grins and encourages, “Go get it! I believe in you.”   You nod, running along and he watches your backside with a softened smile.   Out of nowhere, Taehyung snickers. “You are so whipped.”   “Fuck off.” He continues to slurp down his noodles.   //   Song Joongki doesn’t stay for long — but it sure feels like it. All of his social media is flooded with pictures and clips of the actor being taken on a tour around campus, snapping a few selfies with fans, and real life updates every twenty seconds. Jungkook even gets a call from his aunt who caught wind of what was happening.   Jungkook, himself, is kind of over it. He’s not so starstruck and dazzled like he was earlier, but he still checks his phone every so often for your texts. It’s been silent for the entire day and he can only wonder what ended up happening.   Luckily, he doesn’t need to wait for long when nearing his bedtime, there’s a knock at his door. Jungkook opens it to see your sheepish expression and your body clad in your cotton pajamas.   “Hey, thought I would stop by.”   “Did you sneak in again?”   “It’s not sneaking when no one notices in the first place.”    He notices that you’re shivering from the chilly air outside and quickly ushers you into his small dorm room. The corner of his mouth pulls when you automatically crawl into his bed and pull the toasty covers up to your chin like you were always supposed to be there.   “So…” Jungkook turns around after shutting the door, curiosity ebbing away at him. “What ended up happening?”   “What do you mean?” You blink at him.   “Did you end up….you know….”   “No.” Your expression is blank. “I really don’t know.”   He sighs, having to explicitly word it. “Did you bed Joongki?”   There’s a long silence.    The silence draws on.    You snort. “What? You thought I was gone all this time cause I was fucking Song Joongki?”   “Listen, we agreed on each other’s hall passes. I won’t get mad. Trust me, I’d be pretty impressed, but I want to hear all the details.”   “Well, sorry to say, captain, but there isn’t any.” You pull back the corner of the covers, patting the empty spot beside you.    Jungkook doesn’t hesitate slipping into his small bed with you and he finds a comfortable position. His arm drapes over your waist, allowing the soft yellow glow of his bedside lamp to cast your shadows on his wall. There’s a beat of quietness and then you’re laughing again.   “What?”   “I can’t believe you thought I slept with Joongki.”   “So you didn’t?”   “No.” You give an incredulous look, exasperated at how dumb your boyfriend can be at times. It’s not like you were any better, but still. “You really thought I could get close enough to sleep with him? He’s an actor! He practically had twenty bodyguards around. I barely got an autograph in — which I’m framing on my wall, by the way.”   “Oh.”   “Sorry that a famous actor didn’t fuck your girlfriend,” your voice drips of sarcasm. “I didn’t mean to be such a disappointment.”   Jungkook scoffs. “Why would I be disappointed?”   “Well, you’re acting like you’re let down that I didn’t get to use my hall pass.” You’re fiddling with a loose thread at the neckline of his cotton shirt while your other arm is folded underneath your head. He stares at you. “I wouldn’t want to anyway, by the way. Thought I would just mention that. Some things are better left for fantasy. And I have you. Why would I want someone else?”   His arms curl around you, pulling you into his body. Jungkook cuddles your frame and you melt against him, smiling. “I’m not disappointed,” he teases. “He could never treat you as well as I do.”   “I don’t know about that,” you chime. “He was really handsome though.”   “Was he nice too?”   “Super. I didn’t really get to talk to him, but he listened to Miss. Kang’s entire spiel about ovens.” You pull apart a little to see him, eyes meeting. “Apparently there are rumours Joongki might come back. Who knows, he might fall in love with me this time and we might get married. You’re not invited to the wedding, by the way.”   The boy feigns offence, eyes glimmering in the low lights. “Why not?”

“It’s weird if my ex is there. I’m sure Joong-bear wouldn’t like it.”   “Joong-bear?” He raises his brows.   “It’s an inside joke,” you playfully taunt. “You wouldn’t get it.”   Jungkook scoffs, then laughs. “You best believe I would kick down the doors to the chapel and object to the marriage.”   “And what if IU showed up?”   He hums. “Polygamy is underrated.”   You giggle. “So all four of us in one marriage?”   “Sure.” Jungkook shrugs. “Even if it’s just Joongki, I wouldn’t mind if it was us three.”   “Me too. Joongki, Jieun, and me. It’s perfect.”   “I meant me.” He starts to tickle you, laughing when you do. “Did you forget about me?”   “What?” You squirm against him. “Can’t hear you.”   It’s an absolutely absurd scenario, completely unfounded and ludicrous. But Jungkook loves to be ridiculous with you.   He holds you and his eyes stray upwards onto his wall. Beside his IU’s posters are pictures of you and him — polaroids taken throughout the summer to the one bigger frame that holds the photograph at the wedding. The one where you and him are staring at each other mid-laugh after he caught you in his arms.

[nautilusopus]

Hello! I don’t know much about Jewry, but I want to understand, why do you think that Aeris looks like a Jewith? thank you for writing on this subject, I really thought about it

FFVII has a lot of references to Judaism sprinkled throughout it. It's not unique in that regard; Japan did that a lot with the Judeochristian mythos for the same reasons we in the United States will utilise Greek mythology in our fiction, since it's a cool foreign thing that basically none of the population practises and thus will look suitably exotic. Besides things just thrown in for flavour with no wider thematic significance (for example Tifa), there's also a lot of references with actual plot significance.

If anyone wants the in-depth version (because there is LOADS of shit to get into), I've written posts about it here and here. Long story short, though, it's because Aeris is pretty clearly Jewish-coded*, so I figured I might as well have that reflect in a modern day AU where Judaism actually exists on Earth.

short overview though:

Promised Land as a concept, both as a physical location and a state of mind/the world that must be reached in order to actually find it

Cultural diaspora attempting to reach said Promised Land

She's got Jew hair (you said it, Anon, not me!)

Cetra lineage being passed down, and passed down fully, via the mother. Aeris is considered fully Cetra because her mother was one.

The whole "spark of the divine being in all of us" concept of God and him being omnipresent in every part of the world, rather than some guy just hanging out in the clouds (also some overlap with Shintoism on this one, albeit in a more literal sense)

Not to mention the whole thing with Jenova and Sephiroth. Hope this helps clarify,

(*This is not to say that I think Squaresoft had any commentary to provide by making Aeris Jewish-coded, I think they just did it for the same reason they threw in the rest of the Jewish stuff, i.e.: because they thought it looked cool.)

[stabbyfoxandrew]

Aerie (Kevin stripper anon here 😅)

I too have read your KevJean vampire au.

I would definitely read pt.2. I think the problem is not with the story or the style or anything but with the short involvement due to the reduced scene maybe?

The beauty of your wips resides in the depth of your characters, of their daily activities, thoughts and aims. In a sentence > we (readers) get really attached to them.

While a short scene doesn't always give you a chance to do the same job and that's not your fault!

Don't give up little angel, someone here loves your writing 😇

<3333 thanks anon

i think the main problem is simply that kevjean isn't the most popular ship and vampire aus aren't everyone's cup of tea? :') i mean, not to whine (says the chronic whiner) but wahhhhhh. i worked really hard on it :'))

actually i really like what i have written. from jean being changed into a vampire to riko finding out and being a massive cunt about it, to kevin finding out... like it's Good but man i spent so long on it that now i don't even wanna look at that doc :'))

i love you<3333

[vivilove-jonsa]

Young at Heart at Oldstones

Since we have some lovely Jonsa-themed WIP Wednesday headers for Modern and Canon fic both, I’m going to share a couple of different things that have been sitting in my big Maybe file collecting dust.  (You can find the Modern AU Headers here)

I don’t see much fic of Jon having a relationship with his grandmother so that was partly what sparked the idea for this one.  Someday, I’ll get enough of it done to start posting on ao3 but here’s a good little bit of it.  

****

“I don’t know about this, Mom.  We’ve not spent much time together since I was a kid.  What do I even say to her?” Jon asked as he had the phone cradled between his ear and shoulder, searching for a clean shirt.

“Just talk. She’ll be happy you came to see her.”

“Yeah but it’s going to be awkward after about five minutes.”

“You can handle a little awkward, can’t you? You’re not a kid anymore.”

She was right. He wasn’t. He was twenty-three and a graduate student at Riverlands University. He could give an hour or two of free time to his grandmother and not whine about it being a sacrifice. “I’m going…once I find a clean shirt.”

Lyanna laughed through the phone, making him smile to hear it. “I know it’s thirty minutes away but it’ll mean so much to her, Jon. I call her here and there but you know it’s…well, it’s awkward with us.”

He knew that. How could it not be awkward? Considering the circumstances of his conception and birth and the strained relations that had arisen between more than just his mother and father, he felt his mother was quite thoughtful for even bothering to call his paternal grandmother.

Speaking of which…

“You know, she has three kids who could visit her.”

“Yeah, she does and none of them visit. Your Aunt Dany is young…”

“Barely younger than me!”

“But she’s always been her father’s daughter at heart and she still blames your grandmother for the divorce.”

“Oh, yeah because Aerys is such a gem,” he said sarcastically.

“Families are complicated, Jon.”

“Tell me about it.”

“Anyway, Viserys can’t visit.” No, his sociopath of an uncle wouldn’t be visiting his mother.  Hard to do when you’re behind bars.  “And your father…”

“Is a self-absorbed asshole who found a retirement community for his mother four hours away from where he lives.” He heard his mother’s sigh and felt guilty for dredging up hurtful things. “Sorry.”

“It’s alright. You’re not wrong. She’s so excited you’re coming, Jon. I hope you can enjoy the visit, knowing that at least.”

“Yeah, I’m sure it’ll be okay. Love you.”

“I love you, too, sweetheart.”

** 

Oldstones Retirement Community was not a nursing home although he’d thought of it as one. He’d pictured some old depressing building resembling a hospital with blank eggshell white walls, dingy tiled floors and musty-smelling, hospital-style rooms.

Therefore, Jon was pleasantly surprised to see it was indeed a community, a neighborhood for the elderly with rows and rows of neat individual bungalows with their own little postage stamp yards spread out in an arch around a larger one level ‘community center.’

However, in order to get a pass to enter the gated section where those bungalows were, you had to check in at the center first.

Parking out front, he walked inside the center to get his bearings, the whoosh of the automatic doors giving him a blast of air conditioning on the exceptionally warm autumn day.

He caught sight of a young woman in navy blue scrubs holding the arm of an elderly man as they walked along. Thinking she might be an employee of the center, he approached.

“Hi. I was wondering if…”

His words and his train of thought were effectively stopped in their tracks when she turned towards him with forget-me-not blue eyes and waves of auburn hair.

“Oh, hello,” she replied, a musical lilt to her voice as she looked at him expectantly.

Damn, she was beautiful. She was around his age, maybe a couple of years younger. Could she already be a nurse? Or just an assistant here? 

There was a pattern to her scrubs, cartoon characters he recognized from childhood including Wiley Wolfe. It was cute. She was stunning.

The old guy beside her cleared his throat irritably and Jon realized he was just standing there staring at her and her scrubs.  It’s not like he didn’t know how to talk to women but he felt his mouth going dry while he was drowning in those eyes of hers.

Her expectant smile began to morph into one of concern as the silence stretched on. Say something! Use your words, you idiot!

So unfortunately, Jon blurted out the first words that came to mind. “I’m here to see Gamma.” 

Those were not the words I had in mind.

The beauty’s lips twitched and Jon felt heat flooding his face. Of course, he’d fall back to what he’d called Rhaella when he’d been two (not that he’d ever stopped calling her that when it was just him and her.)

“I mean, I was looking for my grandmother.”

“Oh, well…do you know which bungalow she’s in or…”

“Reception’s over there, kid,” the old man interrupted curtly. “My granddaughter doesn’t have your gamma hiding under her top either.”

“Grandpa!”

Jon’s red face was getting redder but now.  Hers was, too.  “I wasn’t looking!” Well, his eyes had lingered on her top for a minute there. “I was just…I like the wolf bit,” he said, nodding towards her chest. “Wiley was always my favorite.”

The wolf bit?!  ‘Wiley was always my favorite?’  Gods, you are such a dumbass, he thought, rolling his eyes at himself.

The old guy with his shaggy grey beard shot through with hints of red continued to glare at him.  He had a cane and Jon wondered if he was about to use it on him.  At least, she was smiling.

“I’m sorry for assuming. I just saw the scrubs and thought…”

“No, it’s okay. I’m a nursing student, thus the scrubs.  I just came by to see my grandfather today after my classes were done.”

“Checking up on me for your mother, you mean.”

“You know I want to see you anyway, Grandpa.”

She was still smiling but there was an edge of hurt feelings in her voice, too. Jon didn’t like the idea of anyone hurting her feelings although he didn’t even know her name. Yet.

The old man took the hint though and grasped her hand. “I know, darling. Sorry. They’ll help you out at reception, kid.”

“Yeah, okay. Thanks.”

“Who’re you seeing anyway?”

“Rhaella Targaryen.”

“Rhaella?” he said, his bushy eyebrows raised. “Well, that’s swell. I’m her neighbor, Hoster Tully.”

He held out his hand so Jon shook it.  “Jon Snow.” He looked hopefully towards Hoster’s granddaughter, unable to hide his grin.

“I’m Sansa Stark,” she said, shaking Jon’s hand as well, her cheeks still flushed a lovely shade of pink.  “And I’m glad you have such good taste in cartoons.”

“Yeah, thanks,” he said, grinning wider.  “It’s nice to meet you both.”  Especially you.

“Have a nice time with your gamma, Jon,” Hoster chuckled. Never living down that introduction then.  “The sweet shop’s open. You wanna ice cream, darling?”  

Jon smiled, thinking his grandmother would likely ask him the same question.

Sansa cocked an eyebrow at him and put a hand on her hip. “Do I want an ice cream or is it you who wants one, Grandpa?” she asked, clearly amused. 

“I’m sure you’ll be reminding me of the doctor saying to watch my sweets, huh?”

“Maybe.”

“I've been a good boy, I swear.  I also remember when you couldn’t say no to mint chocolate chip,” he added in a slightly pleading tone.

“I still struggle to say no to it,” she laughed. “Maybe they have a no-sugar alternative." 

"Blech.  Help me out here, Jon."

"I, uh..."  He looked between them both, Mr. Tully with pleading puppy dog eyes and Sansa with her hand still on her hip.  "I mean, one little scoop’s not so bad and I'll bet they have a variety of options with, um...different sizes and calories, sugar-free and...you know I've never been here before in my life, right?"

They both started laughing and he was mesmerized by the tinkling sound of Sansa's as her eyes sparkled.  

"Well, maybe we'll check out the varieties available, Grandpa," Sansa relented, giving Jon a wink.  Hot damn!  "It was nice to meet you, Jon. I hope you enjoy your visit.”

“Thanks. It was nice to meet you, too,” he replied as they continued down the hallway.

Sansa’s a pretty name. Where do you go to school? Riverlands?  Please, say Riverlands. They've got a nursing program there...I think.  Do you come here often? Can I buy you both an ice cream? Can I have your number? Do you have a boyfriend?  I really do like the wolf bit.  

Naturally, he’d think of a dozen things to say as she was walking away, not that he could say most of those things when they'd just met.

With a sigh, he headed towards the reception desk as Sansa and her grandfather disappeared from his view.

“Can I help you?” a woman wearing pink scrubs, a friendly smile and a name tag that said ‘Yaya’ on it asked.

“Yes, I’m here to see my gamma.” He groaned inwardly as her smile widened. “I mean, my grandmother. I want to visit Rhaella Targaryen.”

“Oh, Rhaella! What’s your name, honey?”

“Jon Snow.”

“Okay, Jon Snow, let’s take a look.” She opened a ledger to nearly the back page, her finger tracing downwards. “Do you have an ID on you, Jon?”

“Yeah.”

He grimaced as he pulled out his wallet. It was possible they asked this of all visitors but he had to wonder if his grandfather and uncle didn’t make this necessary for his grandmother. There was still an Order of Protection in place for his grandfather and Viserys wouldn’t be welcome lots of places, particularly around a potentially physically vulnerable population. Well, I’ll bet Old Hoster with his cane can take care of himself alright.    

Yaya looked it over and then smiled, passing him a slip of paper with a word written on it.

“Hippie?”

“Yeah, that’s the gate’s passcode.  Just use the alpha-numeric keypad to enter it and you can pull your vehicle through.”

“Okay but hippie?”

“The residents vote on it once a month.  They tend to go with something that gives them a chuckle.”

“What was last month’s?”

“Prunes.”

“No shit?”  Yaya’s eyes widened before she threw her head back and laughed.  Jon hadn’t meant to curse in front of a stranger but when he thought about the meaning there…  “Sorry,” he said, failing to stifle his answering laughter.

After they’d settled down again, Yaya asked, “Does she know you’re coming?”

“Yeah, she does.”

“Great. I know she’ll be happy to see you. She doesn’t get…” Yaya trailed off, a soft melancholy settling in her warm brown eyes.

“Many visitors, I know,” he said, shifting guiltily. He’d moved here six weeks ago. He could’ve come sooner. “I…maybe that’ll change.”

“I hope so, Jon. Have a nice visit.”

[phosphorus-noodles]

1, 6, 7, 8, 16, 22, 24, 28, 46, 49, 68? (if that's too many u can leave some out yesyes)

WAHH that's so many,, /pos

1 - Do you daydream a lot before you write, or go for it as soon as the ideas strike?

I usually get struck with a Vision and hurry and write down the outline of the thing I want to write with bits and pieces sprinkled in, and then I flesh it out with daydreams over time, so... both?

6 - What’s the last line you wrote?

Already did this one, but here's s'more context before it:

“Aw, don’t be like that, this will be fun! Besides, I promise it’s safe.”

“Promise, huh?” Joel’s tone is skeptical, but he’s smiling just as wide.

“I promise!”

7 - Post a snippet from a wip.

“Yeah yeah yeah, whatever, my maths assignment isn’t as important as time with my favorite person in the multiverse,” Oli says. “Besides, it’s due next week! I have pleeenty of time.”

“Favorite person in the multiverse?” Joel snorts a small laugh and shoulders his bag. “That’s sappier than fresh azalea honey.”

“Aww, but you liked it!” Oli says, lightly poking Joel’s cheek with his finger. “You’re all pink!”

(I just think this part is cute <3)

8 - Post an out-of-context spoiler from a wip.

Ohh... hmm that's tricky... probably. it was bound to happen sooner or later, right?

16 - Do you write by hand, on your phone, or on your laptop?

I usually record my Visions on my phone in a note and then transfer it to a google doc on my computer, but I write on my phone sometimes when I'm out and about too

22 - Do you title your fics before, during, or after the writing process?  How do you come up with titles?

It depends? Usually after, but my current wip I had the idea for a title and based the story around it kinda. All the titles in my current 'era' of writing have come from my au playlist ^^

24 - How do you choose whose POV to write in?

OHH I was thinking about this earlier... usually it's whatever character will lead to the better "reveal" if that makes sense?? Like in my last fic it was Joel, because Oli knew something he didn't, and it would be more interesting to read about piecing events together from clues Joel picked up rather than just knowing what happened automatically from it being Oli's pov. There's gotta be built up, y'know?

28 - What area of writing do you want to improve in?

Gosh... probably descriptions? And more natural word variations... I usually edit the same sentence over and over to make sure the structure and words are different from existing sentences, so I can fake it just by overanalyzing, but it'd be nice to come easier ahjfsdfh

46 - If you could only write one type of AU for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Hmm... probably soulmates, it's all I've written so far tbf /lh

49 - What fic of yours would you say is the best introduction to you as a writer?

Probably this one bc it's the only one right now that I don't have major problems with HAH

68 - Are there any fics that influenced you to write the way you do?

YOU!!! YOUR FICS, AERIE!!!

Every time I go to write about the Boys I go back and reread the snippets you wrote bc I love how you write them so so much and I Need to absorb your writing style right now !!! /silly

(Ask game!)

[jekkiefan]

Author Interview Tag

Tagged by @drama-queen-supreme Sorry you keep getting tagged in these writing things. Though if you ever wanted to pick up writing again I’d be willing to beta read.

Name: Mady (but ya’ll can call me JekkieFan)

Fandom(s): too many, but I’m currently obsessed with The Glass Scientists/Jekyll and Hyde/Gothic literature, Good Omens, Undertale, and Over the Garden Wall. Also Razia’s Shadow has been living in my head rent free for a few years.

Where you post: On ao3 mostly, but sometimes on tumblr

Most popular oneshot: “In Which Chocolates Are Given” is my most popular one shot. It’s a Good Omens fic of that deleted scene when Crowley gives Aziraphale boxed chocolate.

Most popular multichapter fic: “Let Our Walls Cave In” another Good Omens fic. This was for the GOmens Holiday Swap in 2019. I had SO MUCH fun writing it!

Favorite story you’ve written so far: Well, I’d have to say that it’s the script for my webcomic The Tale of Corsinby. But this interview seems to be fanfiction focused. I’d have to say either “Let Our Walls Cave In” or one of my Grillster fics “Orbiting the Sun”

Fic you were nervous to post: “Out of My Depth” for sure. This fic is part of a series, and I was so worried about the fic being as good as the one before it. The stress really got to me when I was writing the second half of the fic.

How you choose your titles: Lately I just figure out the theme, or reoccurring visuals. Then just kinda make that the title??? Though for a while I just used song lyrics lol

Do you outline?: Yes, but very poor outlines! I don’t usually stick with them either. Unless it’s for a prompt.

Complete: Yes! Well... except for that fic *has middle school flashbacks*

In progress: I have no fics in the works at the moment. But I am still writing my webcomic TToC

Coming Soon/Not yet started: This one Glass Scientists/Wizard of Oz AU I’ve been itching for write the final draft for five years now.

Do you accept prompts?: Yep! Might take me a while to write it, but I can do little oneshots

Upcoming work that you’re most excited about: Does The Tale of Corsinby count? Like it’s out now, but I’m super excited about it! But fic-wise I guess I’m looking forward to that Glass Scientists/Wizard of Oz AU

Tagging the following people: @drbibliophile @lordkingsmith @raevenlywrites @aeris-blue and @dietraumerei

[firesign23]

I saw you mention in discord a 10 things I hate bout u idea! 🙏

Okay, so first of all, you have to understand that that film is over 20 years old and I still quote it several times a week. It is that deeply embedded into my psyche. Second of all, you have to understand that I long ago swore I would never write a high school AU for anything, but after a year of occasionally tinkering and prodding the idea I would definitely write this one. And might, if I ever have the time. 😂

Right, so, the fic as I explain it to people (now under a cut for length):

Brienne and Selwyn move in her second year of high school, hoping to flee the memories of Brienne’s mother. Brienne is immediately befriended by Catelyn Stark, who at the start of their senior year declares loudly that she will not date until Brienne does. She means to draw Brienne out, is certain that she craves romance, and approaches it with the logic of a teenager. She refuses to back down. (I’m sorry if there are any teenagers reading this, but y’all are emotionally dumb. So were we.)

Enter Cersei. Cersei, who wants to date Cat. Cat who wants romance for her friend, and possibly to hate fuck the eldest Lannister in the girls bathroom after homeroom. Cersei, who hatches a plan--they’ll pay someone to date Brienne, and Cat is free and clear. But Cersei sure as shit isn’t spending her own money on this, and targets Joey Donner Petyr Baelish to bankroll the endeavour. They go through several potential suitors, but none of them are quite right.

Luckily for Cersei and Cat, Jaime is back after a year-long absence and Jaime would do anything for his sister. The real problem though, is that all of his money is going towards his university fund since Tywin won’t pay for it. He doesn’t have hundreds of dragons to drop on dates. Petyr is back in the game.

Combatant dynamic, blahblah, eventually Jaime gets past some of Brienne’s barriers and finds he likes her. They date for a couple of months--slow things at first, but as time goes on they bond over shared interests and griefs, slowly lowering the masks they hide behind. The first time they kiss is when Jaime brings Brienne to a fundraiser the charity set up in his mother’s name. There is something so contradictory between the sharp-edged Jaime she knows and the way he donates an odd amount of money, because that is what he had. (It is the excess from the date money from Baelish, though she doesn’t know it) She thinks she might be falling in love with him. 

And then... 

The “I’m not a virgin” moment comes when Brienne tells Catelyn about the Bet equivalent--she wasn’t unpopular at her previous school, not really, but she discovered that the flirtations and dates were about accessing her father’s money rather than a fondness for her, and she promptly decided that she would never let another man close like that, never let people have expectations about her--Catelyn realises that she has, whatever her intentions, fucked up severely and tells Brienne that she needs to talk to Jaime.

Whatever Brienne expected, it is not Jaime’s outpouring of regret as he explains that he had done this to help his sister, and yes the money helped, Tywin is refusing to fund his post-secondary choices (I’m pretty sure he wants to be a hospice nurse, remembering the ones who made his mother’s last days as comfortable as possible, and Tywin hates this on several levels), but it was mostly for Cersei but-- She never knows what it was he meant to say, because she walks away. She never should have let him close.  

Cue a longer break/emotional arc about getting back together where Brienne is mourning her relationship with Cat and Jaime, and questioning whether this defensive thing had made her happy, and Cat and Jaime both apologising in ways that respect Brienne’s boundaries, culminating in first a Cat and Brienne reconciliation and then an end of year photography project that is a quiet declaration of love:  All these pictures that are Jaime-adjacent, possibly juxtaposed by something of her mother's--either pictures her mother took fo Selwyn, or pictures they took together before she died, or a quote she would say about photography and love, and it is a very quiet declaration that Jaime understands

Brienne/Jaime and Cat/Cersei both attend prom, where Petyr Baelish tries to start shit. Catelyn punches him. Readers rejoice. 

Extra headcanons:

The Discord conversation the other day was because I’d written a snippet of Ms Tyrell’s bad romance novel. It is… well, see for yourself. Amor laid his maidenly wench upon the bed, removing her red crimson and gold cloak that marked her as his, and growled like the tiger of his family crest. "Oh, Amor! Your bratwurst is so tumescent, however will it fit?" she whimpered, and his member quivered hotly. "Open the lube, you wicked creature, and I will show you."

The sonnet scene was never going to be directly translatable given Brienne’s reticent nature, so when the photography idea came to me I was like “Of course!”

Aerys is Jaime’s Milwaukee--All these rumours he killed a man, joined the Secret Service, etc and really he was in rehab for a hand injury

As much as I love 10 Things, what drew me to it is that there are some really interesting Kat/Patrick and Brienne/Jaime parallels in regards to loneliness and the loss of their mothers and learning to let another person see you. It’s what made me keep coming back again and again.

He buys her a camera. Out of his own funds.