#(that said comments are lovely even if I rarely respond. I often go back to read old comments on completed fics)

[nonwal]

yes. yes. the problem isn't really that people are talking about fic in private instead of where the author can see it��the problem is how isolating it feels when people are willing to talk about you but no one wants to talk with you.

people generally don't publish fanfiction out of a desire to be on the lonely end of a parasocial relationship.

feedback and fic in fandom (3 f's of our own)

This conversation about feedback on fic says everything I’ve been wanting to say better than I could say it. But I’ll go ahead and try anyway.

Over the last five years or so there have been some great discussions around the rise of commodification of fanworks and decline of fandom community. This commodification looks a bit like enshittification of the internet: a cool site exists; its popularity makes someone realize they can get money from it; it has more and more ads; the site adds features to drive engagement, including The Algorithm; the things that made the site cool start to fall away. The site exists now as a vehicle purely to get clicks, and the people on it are on it solely to get clicks—to make money, to be successful, for some kind of social cachet.

AO3 doesn’t have advertisements. It’s not making money. But what is happening to fandom is proof of concept that enshittification changes the way we as humans engage. A cool website in 2004 was often a community space where you could meet people, have conversations, find cool things, and make cool things. A cool website in 2024 is either a content farm that will continually feed you enough content to hold your attention, or a social media site where your participation will come with stats to show you whether you are holding the attention of others.

AO3 wasn’t built to be a community space. It doesn’t have great functions for meeting people and having conversations. The idea was that, because fandom community spaces already existed, AO3 would serve the part of that community where you can find the cool things and store the cool things you made. It was meant to be a library in a city, not the whole city itself.

But it was also never meant to be a website in 2024, a content farm constantly generating content solely for your clicks and eyeballs and ad revenue, or a social media site where the content creators themselves vie for your clicks and eyeballs.

The most common talking point when people discuss the enshittification of fandom is the folks out there who are treating AO3 as that first kind of enshittified website: the content farm. This discussion is about how people treat fanfic as a product for consumption.

The post that kicked off the discussion on @sitp-recs’s blog was about someone who wasn’t getting very many kudos or comments on their fic, and was feeling pretty demoralized about it, then joined a discord server and found an entire channel dedicated to people loving their fic. But those on that server had never come to share that love with the author, which the author found really discouraging.

There are more and more stories like this. Someone on tiktok pulls a quote from a fic on AO3 and makes a 10-second video with them staring at a wall, the quote pasted at the bottom, music playing over it. It has 100,000 hearts, and 100 comments with people gushing over the fic, which has 80 kudos on AO3. Overall, people notice more and more hits on their fics, but fewer and fewer comments or even kudos. Fewer and fewer people seem to feel the need to interact with the author, instead treating the fic like a product to be used and discarded—which the enshittified internet (a stunning feature of late-stage capitalism!) encourages. The fandom community is dying, these stories conclude.

I agree. 100%. Both of the stories above have happened to me—viral tiktoks about my fic, secret discord channels to follow and discuss my fic—and let me tell you, it fucking sucks.

But from these observations about fandom enshittification, the discussion continues in a very odd direction. The solution to the death of fandom community is our favorite enshittification buzzword: engagement. We should engage the authors. They’re producing these products for free. We consume them at no cost. We must demonstrate our gratitude by paying them back.

It’s as though the capitalist consumption that the enshittified web encourages is so ingrained within us that we must think in terms of payment, in terms of exchange, transaction. Or as though, by forgoing payment, authors are some kind of martyrs defying capitalism, and the only way to honor their great sacrifice is comments and kudos.

Indeed, the discourse around this sometimes does veer away from capitalist rhetoric into something that smells almost religious in desperation. Authors are gods who bestow us mere mortals with the fruits of their labor benevolently, through love; the least we can do is worship them. Meanwhile the authors adopt the groveling sentiment of starving artists: I produce great art; I only humbly ask that you feed me in return.

These kinds of entreaties make my skin crawl for a number of reasons. I’m not a god. I’m not writing because I love you. I don’t expect your worship or even your praise.

I think the thing that disturbs me the most about it is that it suggests that authors (or, if the OP is feeling generous fan work creators) are the most important people in fandom. I’ve even seen posts stating that without creators, fandom wouldn’t exist—as though readers aren’t just as important. As though conversations where people discuss characterizations and plot points and randomly spin out interpretations and ideas and thoughts related to canon are meaningless. I’ve even seen people scramble to include folks having these discussions as “creators,” as though realizing that these people are necessary and integral to fandom communities but unable to drop the idea that the producers are the ones who are important. As though that person who just lurks can never count.

Is this what community is? When you join the queer community, are you expected to produce a product of your queerness? If not, must you actively participate and give back to the queer community in order to be considered a part of it? Or is it enough that you are queer, that you exist as a queer person and want to be around others who are queer, you want to be a part of something? What is community, anyway?

The problem with people raising the authors above everyone else in the community and demanding that tribute be paid is that they are decrying the “content farm” style of 2024 website out of one side of their mouth, but out of the other side are instead demanding that AO3 become a 2024-style social media website. Authors are influencers. “Engagement” and clicks are the things that really matter. They are in fact suggesting that the way to solve the commodification of fanfic is by “paying authors back” with stats.

Before anyone comes at me with the idea that comments aren’t just “stats,” I will clarify what I mean. There are literally hundreds of posts on tumblr alone claiming that any comment “helps” the author. Someone replies that they are shy to comment. Someone else replies that incoherent keyboard smashes, a single emoji, or the comment “kudos” are all that is required to satisfy the author, all that is required as tribute—all that is required as payment to keep this economy healthy.

I’m not condemning the comments that are keyboard smashes or emojis or a single kind word. I receive them. They make me happy. If anyone wants to leave such a comment on my fics, I’m really grateful for it. But this is not community-building. This is a transaction. In @yiiiiiiiikes25’s excellent response in the post linked at the beginning, they point out that “you have a cool hat” is something that is “perfectly nice” to hear from someone—and it is! We all want to be told we have a cool hat! But as they go on to say, what builds community is interactions that are deep and specific, interactions that are rich in quality, not in quantity. A kudos or a comment that says only ❤️are lovely things to receive, but they don’t build community.

My reaction, when I see people begging for kudos and comments as the only means by which to keep fandom community alive, is very close to @eleadore's. I want to say, “No. Readers do not need to comment or kudos. Believe not these hucksters who claim to know the appropriate method of fandom participation. Participate as you feel able, or not at all; nothing is required of you.”

I’ve been told before (several times) that I’m not qualified to participate in such discussions because I am an established author who has some fics with very high stats. It doesn’t matter that I have also been a new writer with almost no one reading my fics. It doesn’t matter that I still write in new fandoms where no one in that fandom knows me. It doesn’t matter that I, like any human being, still care about receiving recognition and attention and praise.

And maybe that’s correct. I personally don’t think that billionaires have a place in deciding the direction of the economy, and--if we're really going to consider fandom an economy--in fandom terms, if I’m not a billionaire, or even a millionaire, I’m definitely in the infamous “one percent.” So, just as no one wants to hear Elon Musk say “money isn’t everything,” maybe it’s not my place to say “kudos isn’t required, actually.”

That said, I’m not the only one who has a problem with the stats-based discourse around fandom community. However, the main counter-response to this discussion I see goes something like this: you shouldn’t be writing fic for validation. If you’re writing for attention, you’re doing it for the wrong reason. Authors should write fic because they love it without any expectation of return.

This is, in my opinion, missing the point of what is meant by fandom community.

I wrote fanfic before I knew that fanfic, as a concept, existed. I read books; I wanted them to be different; I wrote little stories for myself with new endings, with self-inserts, with cross-overs, with alternate universes. I did it for myself in the 90s. It never occurred to me that anyone else would do this, much less that people would share.

As @faiell points out—creating and sharing are two different things. I created fics for myself, but I decided to share them in the early 2000s because other people might like them, too. And of course, I wanted to hear whether other people liked them. How could I not? I might decorate my home just for me and not for anyone else’s preferences, but when people come over and say my house is nice, how can I not enjoy that? And if a lot of people think my house is nice, which encourages me to post pictures of it online, isn’t it understandable I might do so with the hope that more people will say my house is nice? And, honestly, if no one is appreciating my pictures, I probably won’t continue to go through the trouble of taking them and posting them. I’ll just enjoy my house that I decorated without sharing, the end.

When I found out there were whole fannish communities where people discussed canon and tossed ideas around about it, made theories and prompts and insights into the characters, fics they had written and recs for other fics and analyses of fics and art based on fics and fics based on art—I wanted to be a part of that, too. Now, sometimes, I write fic not out of an internal need to do so but out of a desire to participate in that community.

The idea that we write fic only for the love of it, then post it only because we possess it, is a process entirely centered on the self. It’s fandom in a vacuum. The idea that we share this thing, that we feel pleasure if someone likes it but feel nothing at all if no one says anything about it, that it’s completely okay to be ignored and unseen—that’s not what a community is either. That’s some weird sort of self-aggrandizement through self-effacement—because yes, there is often a weird kind of virtue-signaling in this kind of discourse.

I say this as someone who has virtue-signaled in that way: “some people write for stats, but I write for myself.” It’s bullshit. Sure, I write for myself, but why post it on the internet? Honestly, said virtue has a whiff of the capitalist machine, which would like you to produce for the sake of production, work for the sake of work. The noblest among us expect no recompense for that which they give!

The reason that I’m bringing this back around to capitalism is that capitalism actively works to dismantle community. The reason that folks are out here pleading for “engagement” in order to “pay back” authors for the products they give us “for free” is because people no longer even have the language to discuss how to participate in meaningful community. And frankly, how to build back fandom community, in the face of enshittification, is getting harder and harder to see.

But I do think that if we value fanfic and the fanfic community, it’s really, really not constructive to judge whether someone’s reasons for writing fanfic are valid. It’s also weird to me that it would be considered wrong that someone’s reason for sharing fanfic is because they would like to receive some recognition for it, when in fact that seems to be the most natural reason in the world for sharing something so private and vulnerable with the world.

Let’s go back to that idea of how hurtful it is to find out your fanfic is trending on tiktok without anyone from tiktok saying anything to you about your fic, or how it can be painful to find out there’s a secret discord channel dedicated to your fic. The people who respond to that with, “Ah, but you shouldn’t be writing to get attention!” are missing the point. The fic did get attention. It got lots. Attention obviously wasn't why the writer was writing--they were writing to participate, and they didn't get to. At all.

However, if your conclusion is that the author was upset because these particular stats were not accruing under this author’s profile, thereby preventing them from achieving the vaunted status of BNF and influencer—I don’t know, maybe you’re right. But I don’t think that’s why I, personally, have been hurt by these things, and I doubt it’s what hurt the people in these posts either. They’re hurt because they want to participate, and they have been systematically excluded by the very people they thought were part of the community they thought they could participate in.

Sure, if those folks from tiktok and the discord server all came and showered the author with kudos and comments that said “kudos,” the author might have felt satisfied enough with the quantity of this recognition that they would continue writing. But in the end, this still does nothing to address the problem of fandom community, in which the deep, meaningful recognition, interactions, and relationships in fandom are getting harder and harder to have and to build, as a result of how people now expect to engage in online spaces.

So, how to address the problem of fandom community? You probably read this long, long post hoping that I had an answer, and for that I must apologize. I don’t have solutions. My intent was to be descriptive, rather than prescriptive. I wished to outline the problems that I’m seeing in what was hopefully a slightly new or at least thought-provoking way, rather than offer solutions.

But, now that I’m talking about being prescriptive, maybe I can offer one suggestion, which is—maybe the solution to this isn’t about prescribing behavior. I do understand the irony in writing a prescription saying we shouldn’t prescribe people, but I’m going to write it anyway:

Maybe we shouldn’t be telling anyone the appropriate reasons for writing fanfic or for sharing it. Maybe we shouldn’t be telling readers they need to kudos or need to comment. If we’re going to go pointing fingers, we should be pointing at the institutions of capitalism that have made the internet what it is today—but I don’t think that’s going to solve the problem either.

But I do think that describing this problem, understanding what it actually is, not blaming readers for it and not blaming authors for it—I do think that helps. The discussion I linked at the beginning of this post is what I think of as the fandom I miss, the fandom that's now harder and harder to access, the fandom that is dying. That fandom was a social space where people had opinions and disagreed and went back and forth and gazed at their navels and then talked about Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

In the words of @yiiiiiiiikes25, it was a fuckin’ discussion about hats. And we’re hungry for it.

[cathnospam]

Thinking about doing one of those 21 sex questions for couples with canon!Katsuki Bakugo aka your boyfriend.

Black!Reader, Virginity Loss Mentioned, Canon!Bakugo, Mentions of Sex, Slightly Smutty, Bantering

He thinks it’s stupid at first. Not wanting to engage in such a dumb activity, “For fucking what? I already know everything about your body.”

Bakugo was always the type to tell you no, as he was doing it, but this suggestion did take a bit of convincing seeing as he was never the type to be very vocal about the intimate moments with you both.

“C’mon…” You whine holding his strong bicep he had curled in with the other. You almost get distracted by his strength and began lifting your legs to swing on him as if you were a monkey.

“ALRIGHT!” He shrugs you off, sucking his teeth seeing how excited you were to finally wear him down. “What are the questions, dumbass.”

You both lean on the headboard of your dorm bed and scroll through the several ads and comments to find the section of questions.

“Okay, first question; are you and your partner sexually active—“

“Obviously.”

“‘Suki…”

“What?! It’s a dumbass question.”

You roll your eyes and scoff at your pouting boyfriend still with his arms crossed and eye’ing you down and landing his eyes back to the screen.

“Does your partner know how to satisfy you?”

“Well yes, I believe you do.”

Bakugo blows out his nose and looks away, not wanting to answer you almost took offense and your face must have shown it, because he gestures his hand out to you, “Of course you do, dumbass why do you think we do it a lot.”

“A lot is an understatement.”

“What?! Not even you idiot!”

“When’s the last time we had sex, ‘Suki.”

“…”

“Hellooooo.”

“Am I answering your questions or the fucking websites.”

“Question 4: How often do you and your partner have sex.”

“DON’T SKIP 3–“

“QUESTION 4–“

“THIS FUCKING AFTERNOON WE DID SO WHAT?”….”You were practically begging for my dick.”

“I wasn’t the one humping your ass when I got out the shower—“

“SHUT UP. And I wasn’t humping you I’m not a fucking dog.”

“Grinding whatever, your dick almost slipped inside from what you was doing!”

“AND?!”

“We have had sex about 4 times this week. It’s only Tuesday.”

Bakugo shifts around, cheeks warming up, he can’t help it. Honestly, it shocked him how much he enjoyed sex with you, you took each other virginity and through out the time you both were just having casual sex it was a lot of learning involved and it became addictive to him. It started off as him just wanting to learn to be better, but now the improvement is what also motivates him.

The way you scratch his back, the way you cream on his dick, your soft plushy body against his, the faces you make are all because of him. You subconsciously stroke his ego when you do that.

You became his best worst distraction. The main reason it became embarrassing for him is because you brought it out. He loves and hates you sometimes for it.

“Then we’ll cool down. I told you to always tell me no if you don’t want to.” He deadpans trying to ignore how shy I’m his body language is becoming.

“Who said I wanted that? I never told you no for a reason. Blondie.”

“Don’t call me that.”

You giggle, looking back at the dimly lit screen to scroll for more questions, “What’s something or somethingS your partner does during or after sex you can’t get enough of.”

You wait, turning your head at your Blondie, seeing as he is looking at your first to respond, “Ladies first.”

“You—ugh fine.” You sit up from your bent over position and Katsuki’s eyes couldn’t tear from yours. In all honesty he was curious to know too. “I love those…rare moments when you’re directly in my ear and you moan my name, you don’t talk often during, but it’s …hot or whatever.”

He huffs out a chuckle looking away for a moment, he figured from the way you clench down everytime he does.

“Anything else?”

You pause, poking your tongue through your cheek. “Yeah. When you hold my hand when you go down on me, you always act like I would hate your sweat on your hands when I really love it.”

“Because you’re gross.”

“Oh shut up!”

“….what else.”

His voice grew soft. You didn’t want to tease him about it, but you also loved when he became attentive to what you said, you knew by the twinkle in his eye he wants to know more, mainly because he definitely will be doing all those things you love even more now.

“I love when you slap my ass. It hurts in a good way.”

“I do too. Next time I might land an explosion on it—“

“You bet not, you damn pervert.”

“Shut up, what else.”

“…um….it’s embarrassing.”

“Just fucking tell me it’s just us.”

“….When you clean me up after, y’know either with a towel or in the bath. And sometimes in the bath it lead to you to …”

“To…?”

“Finger me.”

You notice the curl in his lip, it’s kinda hot to him how you’re admitting all of this. He wants to pry more, but from your embarrassment he will spare you…for now.

“Well, I guess I like how you get so clingy when you’re cumming. It’s hot. You act like a fucking koala and you just won’t let go of me.”

“Just Like…?”

“Tch.”

You teased him, you knew that word love is still hard for him to say, and you both knew what he meant, but it was worth a try to get him to say it.

“I ….enjoy when you demand what you want. Like the other day when you told me to lay back so you can ride my thigh.”

“….” You couldn’t say much but smile and feel shy. Honestly it was something you were terrified to do because who on earth tells Katsuki what to do?

“Good. Glad y’liked it.”

“Don’t make it a regular occurrence though you not in charge here.”

“Shut up!”

“Also when you kiss me all over after cumming. You’re such a damn sap after getting your brains fucked out it’s kinda hot.”

“Y’know….”

“What it’s true, dumbass.”

“Anything else.” You sang, seeing his flinch at you coming closer to his face he groans, “That’s all you can’t get enough of?”

“Tch…I ain’t telling you all of ‘em.”

“It would take all night.”

Bakugo prayed you wouldn’t hear that last part, but you did. Knowing he would probably walk out the room, so you don’t tease him, “One more. Just one more.”

For the first time in a while you seen conflict in his eyes, also similar to when you first asked him if he was ready to have sex with you.

The silence was loud, not awkward but it was enough to make you want to move on until he spoke—-

“The way you trust me.”

“…”

“You let me inside you, touch you, and all that mushy shit we have read in those books and knowing you let me is fucking…hot or whatever.”

“….”

“I say bend over you do it, I make you say my name and you do it, I say on your knees you do it….you just….trust that I’m ganna take care of you. Like you depend on me.”

You still didn’t have much to say, you realized being dependent on Katsuki was something he always took pride in. He may “complain”, but deep down he loves knowing he is the only one that sees you at your most vulnerable.

Bakugo hates the silence, throwing up all of that love knowing damn well he struggles to even say the word, he groans uncomfortably, “Fucking say something—“

You lean over to him, lips crashing gently with his, you taste the minty mess of his breath as he slides his tongue inside your mouth, a natural reflex he has a habit of doing whenever you two kiss.

“Of course I trust you. You’re Katsuki.”

His eyes widen for a second before pulling away, “The hell thats supposed to mean.” He says light heartily .

“‘Means you’re worth trusting….I hope you trust me too.”

You idiot. If only you knew he trusts his life with you.

You stretch back on the headboard and exhale and ease the tension, “Been knowing you and ‘Zuzu since elementary of course I grew to trust you.”

Bakugo groans at the mention of Deku and that damn nickname. “Whatever.” He blushes. “What are the other questions.”

“Oh so noooowwww you wanna know—-“

“WHAT ARE THEY?!”

[kckt88]

Scorched Hearts XIV

Summary:

'We loved with a love that was more than love - Edgar Allen Poe'

Aemond wallows in his grief over Valaena.

Warning(s): Angst, Drama, Language, Uncle/Niece Incest, Kissing, Grief, Desperation, Heartbreak, Talks of Euthanasia, Attempt at Euthanasia.

AEMOND x O.C Niece

Word Count: 4465

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the House of The Dragon or Fire & Blood characters nor do I claim to own them. I do not own any of the images used.

Comments, likes, and reblogs are very much appreciated, do not copy/post to other sights without my permission.

Tag List - @jasminecosmic99 @kaelatargaryen @yesterdayfeelings-blog @immyowndefender @0eessirk8 @darylandbethfanforever9 @killua2dot0 @msassenach @xcharlottemikaelsonx @moonnicole

The days had blurred into an endless stream of anxious hours. Aemond stared wordlessly out the window, his gaze vacant, face drawn and pale.

It had been over two weeks since Valaena had slipped into unconsciousness, and each day she remained silent, Aemond felt himself slipping further into despair.

Gerardys attended to Valaena daily, meticulously ensuring she received nourishment and care, his expression tightening each time Aemond asked if there was any sign of improvement.

Lirri and Arro had taken to caring for the children, who missed their mother terribly, not fully understanding what was going on.

Aemond himself had hardly eaten or slept. His usually pristine silver hair hung tangled, his appearance dishevelled. He spent nearly every hour by Valaena’s side, laying beside her, listening to the soft, rhythmic beat of her heart.

Sometimes, he would clutch her hand and sob, his pleas spilling out in quiet desperation, “Please-please, my love, come back to me. I can’t live without you.”

Family and friends came often, each one sharing their love, speaking as though their words alone could bring her back.

Rhaenyra would sit by her daughter’s side, clutching her hand, and Daemon would stand nearby, his hand occasionally brushing over Valaena’s dark hair.

Jace and Luke shared stories, speaking of their own daughters and laughing softly, trying to bring warmth into the room.

Alicent held Aemond often, her own tears mingling with his as she begged him to eat, to rest, to care for himself.

But nothing anyone did or said could reach him.

Even his new, unnamed son, waiting to be held by his father, had yet to meet him.

Aemond refused to see him, insisting that he would wait until Valaena could be there too.

One afternoon, as Gerardys was finishing his usual checks, Aemond whispered, “Is there any change?”

Gerardys let out a weary sigh and shook his head. “I’m afraid not, my prince.”

Aemond’s heart dropped, his gaze fixed on Valaena’s still face. He hardly noticed when Gerardys left the room.

There was a knock on the door, and Aegon stepped in, his expression shifting as he saw his brother’s grief-stricken face.

“What did he say?” Aegon asked quietly, already dreading the answer.

Aemond’s voice was barely a whisper. “There’s no improvement. S-She still won’t wake.” His voice broke, and he turned away, clutching the edge of the bed as though it could anchor him. “What if she never does?” he gasped, his face crumpling. “I-I can’t lose her, Aegon. I just can’t.”

Aegon crossed the room, wrapping his arm around Aemond’s shoulders. “Hey-it’s okay,” he said softly, his voice gentle. “Let it out.”

Aemond resisted, but only for a moment before he collapsed against Aegon, his body racked with sobs.

“W-What if she doesn’t wake up. I can’t lose her” he choked, the raw fear and sorrow cutting through every word.

“You won’t lose her,” Aegon murmured, his voice steady even as his own heart twisted painfully.

He had rarely seen Aemond cry, and never with such anguish.

Quietly, he brushed his fingers through Aemond’s tangled hair, trying to comfort him as best he could.

“Is she not responding at all?” Aegon asked gently after a few moments.

“N-No,” Aemond replied, his voice hoarse “How am I supposed to live without her?”

Aegon took a deep breath and, with quiet certainty, said, “You won’t have to. Valaena will come back to you. She loves you too much to leave you—not after everything you two went through just to be together.”

“I-I just—”

“No,” Aegon interrupted, his voice firm. “You listen to me. Valaena loves you, and she will come back. She’s fighting her way back to you, I know it.”

Aemond took a shaky breath, nodding as he wiped his tears furiously. He glanced at Valaena, his heart aching with every beat.

“I hope you’re right, Aegon,” he whispered. “I really, really do.”

Days passed, and Aemond felt hope slipping through his fingers. Each morning, as he opened his eye beside Valaena’s still form, the weight of despair grew heavier.

His sister, Helaena, would visit frequently, talking in her quiet, lilting voice about crickets and how they would all sing together again.

Although he didn’t understand her words fully, he found comfort in them—a flicker of brightness in the midst of his grief.

Rhaegar and Elaena would bring small bouquets of flowers, placing them tenderly by their mother’s side.

Daenys, too young to understand, would pat her mother’s arm, murmuring, “Mama, mama,” in her small, confused voice.

Each of her innocent touches and soft calls felt like a dagger to Aemond’s heart.

He tried to stay strong for them, though with each passing day, it felt like his own strength was crumbling.

However, on one of Gerardys' routine visits, the tension reached breaking point.

Gerardys moved from one side of the bed to the other, checking Valaena’s pulse and her pallor.

His sigh was heavy, and his eyes held none of the hope Aemond longed to see.

“It has been over four weeks,” Gerardys said gravely. “And still, there is no sign of improvement.”

Aemond’s hands gripped Rhaenyra’s tightly, his heart pounding painfully. When he glanced at his good mother, he saw her own pain mirrored in her eyes.

“Is there truly nothing more you can do?” Rhaenyra asked, her voice strained with desperation.

“I am afraid not, Your Grace,” Gerardys replied, shaking his head. “I have tried everything within my knowledge and means. The princess simply does not respond.”

Aemond’s jaw clenched, and his voice came out rough, nearly a whisper. “If she doesn’t wake up what will happen to her?”

Gerardys hesitated, his expression a mix of compassion and sorrow. “If she remains in this state, it is likely her body will eventually begin to weaken, and she may pass away-but there are also ways to help her pass-to end her suffering”

Aemond's brow furrowed. “What do you mean, help her pass?”

Gerardys looked between Aemond and Rhaenyra who nodded before speaking. “The Queen and I, along with her council have discussed the possibility of administering a high dose of sweet sleep to the Princess. It would allow her to pass peacefully.”

For a moment, Aemond was too stunned to respond, his mind reeling. “You-you want to kill her?”

“Please, my prince,” Gerardys said, raising a placating hand. “Allow me to explain—”

“Get out” Aemond’s voice was a low, dangerous whisper, but his expression blazed with fury.

Rhaenyra reached for him, pleading softly, “Aemond, please. Try to understand that—”

“GET THE FUCK OUT!”  His shout rang through the room, raw and filled with rage and pain.

Without another word, Gerardys bowed his head and quickly left the room, and Rhaenyra followed after him, her shoulders slumped.

As soon as they were gone, Aemond rushed to the door, slamming it shut and locking it behind them.

He turned back to Valaena, his chest heaving. Sitting by her side, he took her hand in his, pressing it to his lips.

“I won’t let them- I won’t let them take you from me-” he whispered, his voice breaking.

Aemond clutched her hand, drawing it to his heart. He sat like that for hours, unmoving, praying that somewhere deep within, she could hear him.

Aemond barred the door to the room, turning away every visitor, every knock, every entreaty to let someone in. He didn’t want anyone near Valaena, didn’t want anyone near them.

He was done with their attempts to comfort him or, worse, convince him to let her go.

As he sat slumped against the wall, Gerardys’ words replayed over and over in his mind: that she may never awaken, that her body would weaken until eventually, she would pass.

The suggestion of sweet sleep to ease her passing had ignited anger so fierce it had consumed him, but now, in the stillness, that anger simmered into something else entirely—.

The ache in his chest was so raw, so all-consuming, that he felt as if he were being hollowed out from the inside, his heart twisted into a mass of pain he could barely breathe around.

The thought of her slipping further and further away, of her body growing frailer with each day, was like a knife twisting in his heart.

He didn’t want her to waste away; he didn’t want her to be in pain.

Slowly, he got to his feet and approached the bed, his gaze fixed on Valaena’s face.

She was so beautiful—ethereal, almost as if she were caught between this world and another.

Her skin was pale, but her features were softened, the gentle rise and fall of her chest was the only sign of life, and with every second, he feared it would be the last.

Even in this slumber, she was radiant, a vision of the fierce and tender woman he loved more than life itself.

It was almost cruel, the way her beauty remained undisturbed, untouched by the weight of what they were enduring.

He couldn’t look away; he was terrified that if he did, he’d forget this moment, the way she looked, lost in a place he could not reach.

In his mind, she was still full of life, laughing, fierce and strong. He closed his eye, recalling her strength, the fire in her gaze that had captivated him from the beginning.

Wanting to remember her as she was.

Aemond picked up a pillow, clutching it in his shaking hands. He remembered what she had said to him in their cabin.

‘Just promise me one thing. If I am to die, I would rather it be by your hand’

She’d made him promise. The thought of letting her linger in this half-life, slipping further from him, made him feel like he was failing her.

Taking a shaky breath, he lifted the pillow, his vision blurring as he held it above her face.

Every fibre in his being screamed at him to let her go, to do the one thing he could do to free her from this endless silence.

But standing here, the pillow shaking in his hands, he couldn’t bear it.

Looking down at her face, so still and beautiful, he saw the traces of her smile, the faint lines around her eyes from all their laughter, all the quiet moments they’d shared.

Memories surged forward—Valaena laughing, Valaena fierce and defiant, Valaena holding their children.

His hand dropped slightly, then his grip loosened, and the pillow slipped from his fingers onto the floor.

He stumbled back, horrified at what he had almost done. He pressed a hand to his mouth, his breath coming in sharp, shallow gasps.

“I-I can’t do it,” he whispered, his voice breaking. His chest felt as though it would shatter from the weight of it all. “I’m sorry,” he choked out, “I’m so sorry-”

Weakly, he lowered himself to his knees by the bed, clutching the sheets as he buried his face in them.

“Please come back to me,” he whispered, his voice raw with desperation. “Please, I can’t do this without you. I don’t know exist without you.”

After a long, silent moment, he pulled himself up, he leaned forward and kissed her gently on her lips before he laid down on the bed, drawing her close.

He wrapped his arms around her, pressing his forehead to her shoulder, feeling the faint warmth of her skin.

 “Sleep as long as you need to, love. I’ll be here when you wake up. I’ll take care of you.”

With his arms wrapped around her, he rested his head beside hers, feeling the faint warmth of her skin against his own.

As he drifted off to sleep, he let himself hope—fragile, desperate hope—that somewhere, somehow, she could hear him.

Aemond was soaring through a vast, endless sky, the blue stretching out forever above him, beneath him, and all around.

Vhagar’s mighty wings carried him effortlessly as he glanced over to see Valaena riding alongside him, Silverwing gliding through the air.

Her dragon’s silver scales gleamed in the sunlight, and Valaena herself was laughing—a bright, carefree sound that echoed around them.

Aemond felt joy fill him as he watched her lean forward, urging Silverwing into a dive. She tucked her wings close to her body and plunged toward the glittering sea below, the wind rushing past in a blur of motion.

At the last moment, Silverwing pulled up, wings slicing across the ocean’s surface so close that sprays of water fanned out behind her, shimmering in the sunlight.

Aemond laughed, his voice echoing with pride and exhilaration, as he shouted, “Show-off!”

Valaena threw her head back in laughter, her dark hair streaming in the wind, her voice bright and filled with a joy he hadn’t heard in what felt like a lifetime.

But suddenly, a flash of blinding light tore across the sky, so fierce that he instinctively shielded his face.

Blinking, he looked around in panic. “Valaena!” he shouted, desperation cracking his voice. “Don’t go towards it—stay by my side!”

Her laughter faded, replaced by a strange, echoing silence.

Then, her voice drifted through the air, soft but clear. “Is not my time,” she said, her words rippling through the air like a gentle breeze.

“No, not yet. Come with me,” he pleaded, his heart hammering in his chest.

Valaena hesitated, glancing toward the bright light in the distance.

But then she turned Silverwing, guiding her away from the beckoning glow.

She followed him, and together, they flew back toward King’s Landing, circling the Red Keep in unison before landing in a green, sunlit meadow just outside the walls.

Aemond descended from Vhagar’s saddle, climbing down the sturdy rope ladder.

He barely had time to turn before Valaena was there, sliding gracefully down Silverwing’s wing and landing with a soft thud on the grass.

Aemond felt his breath catch as he closed the distance between them, pulling her into his arms. He buried his face in her hair, breathing in her scent, feeling her warmth against him, tangible and solid.

He whispered against her ear, “I love you-”

Before she could reply, footsteps sounded in the distance. Aemond turned to see Helaena approaching, her eyes soft and distant, a serene smile playing across her lips. She tilted her head, meeting his gaze.

“The crickets will sing together again,” she said quietly, her voice lilting with a familiar, otherworldly calm.

Aemond furrowed his brow, confusion knitting his expression. “Helaena, what—?”

But before he could finish, she turned and walked away, humming softly to herself, her voice fading into the distance.

Aemond glanced back at Valaena, who simply shrugged and took his hand. She looked at him, her gaze warm and full of affection.

“Let’s go home,” she murmured, her voice soft and comforting, her words echoing around him as the world began to fade.

Aemond’s eye fluttered open, the remnants of the dream lingering as a dull ache in his chest.

For a brief, beautiful moment, he half-expected to see Valaena there beside him, her smile bright, her eyes filled with that warm, knowing light.

But as he blinked, the cold darkness of the room settled around him, and the fog of sleep cleared, allowing the painful truth to seep in.

It had only been a dream.

Reality crashed over him like a tidal wave, and he clenched his fists, feeling an unbearable weight in his chest.

The vividness of the dream—the warmth of her laughter, the thrill of flying together, the strength of her arms around him—had felt so real, so heartbreakingly close.

But now, she lay beside him unmoving, locked in a silent slumber.

Aemond let out a shuddering breath as he realized how foolish it had been, to believe even for a second that she might have woken, that she might be well again.

A faint spark of hope that had flickered in his chest during the dream faded, replaced by a hollow, gnawing grief.

He turned toward her, studying her face—the face that had smiled at him moments ago, so vibrant and alive.

But now, her expression was empty, serene but lifeless, her shallow breaths offering a miniscule amount of comfort.

He reached out, his hand hovering over hers, hesitant, as if to touch her would shatter the fragile illusion he’d clung to in the haze of sleep.

His fingers brushed over her cold skin, and he felt an ache so deep it threatened to unravel him.

Aemond drifted into another restless sleep, but a faint sensation roused him—a delicate brush of movement against his hand.

At first, he thought he was still dreaming, that his mind was playing tricks on him.

But the gentle twitch continued, soft and real, grounding him back in the present.

His eye flew open, heart pounding, and he looked in disbelief as Valaena’s fingers moved, curling ever so slightly against his.

He sat up with a jolt, staring at her face.

Her eyelids fluttered, and then they slowly opened.

 With a quiet gasp, he cupped her cheek, his thumb brushing across her soft skin. "I knew you'd come back to me," he whispered, voice breaking with relief and disbelief.

Tears spilled from his eye as he leaned down, pressing his face into the curve of her neck, his arms wrapping around her protectively. "Thank the gods-”

Aemond felt her hand, still weak, but unmistakably real, move to rest on his head. Her fingers stroked gently through his unkempt hair, a familiar, tender gesture.

A shiver ran through him as he held her closer, feeling the weight of his anguish begin to lift, replaced by an overwhelming wave of gratitude and love.

For a long moment, he stayed there, sobbing quietly, pouring weeks of heartache and fear into her presence.

Valaena’s touch anchored him, assuring him of her return.

When he finally looked up, her gaze met his, tired but warm, filled with a quiet strength. His heart clenched as he took her face in his hands, memorizing every detail.

"I was so afraid," he murmured, voice trembling. "Afraid I'd lost you forever."

She managed a faint smile, her eyes filled with the same love that had carried them through every trial before this.

 "I’m here," she whispered hoarsely, her voice barely more than a breath. "I’m here, my love."

Aemond kissed her forehead, then her cheeks, and finally her lips, a desperate and reverent touch, as though it might bind her to him forever.

And for the first time in weeks, he felt peace.

“Our son?” Valaena’s voice was soft, hoarse from the long silence she’d endured during her coma, but it was full of that familiar warmth Aemond had missed so much.

Aemond’s smile faltered, and he looked down at her. His heart ached to see the longing in her eyes, but he kept his voice steady as he responded, “I haven’t seen him, not yet.”

Valaena frowned slightly. “Why?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper, but her gaze searching his face for an answer.

“I-I wanted us to see him together,” Aemond said, his throat tightening at the memory of the promise he’d made to her, the one he had struggled to hold on to in the weeks since her coma.

Valaena’s lips curved into a gentle smile, a glimmer of her usual warmth returning. “Can we see him now?” she asked, her eyes softening.

Aemond nodded and stood up, walking toward the door. His heart swelled as he imagined the moment when Valaena would finally get to hold their child. He unlocked the door and called for Lirri.

A few moments later, Lirri appeared, her expression concerned as she saw Aemond’s face. “What’s wrong, my prince?” she asked quietly.

“Could you bring me the babe?” Aemond asked, his voice low.

Lirri nodded and, without hesitation, disappeared into her chambers. A few minutes later, she returned, carrying a small, swaddled bundle in her arms.

She gently placed the baby into Aemond’s arms, and he held the tiny form, feeling the weight of it settle against his chest.

“Thank you, Lirri,” Aemond said, his voice filled with gratitude. He shut the door behind her and returned to Valaena’s side.

With a tender smile, he carefully placed their son on her chest. Valaena’s breath hitched, her eyes wide with wonder as she gazed down at the small bundle, her fingers trembling as she lightly traced the baby’s tiny features.

“He looks just like you,” she whispered, her voice full of awe as she stared at the baby.

Aemond couldn’t help but smile as he looked at their son, his heart filled with a profound love that he could barely put into words.

He stroked his son’s cheek gently, his voice thick with emotion. “I’m sorry that I waited this long to meet you properly,” he murmured, regret lacing his words.

Valaena reached out, her hand taking his in a gentle, soothing gesture. She kissed his palm softly, and Aemond’s eye closed briefly at the touch.

When she pulled away, her gaze returned to their son, her expression tender.

“Does he have a name?” she asked, her voice quiet, almost like a prayer.

Aemond’s eyes met hers, his heart heavy with the weight of their shared decision. “No,” he replied softly. “I wanted to wait for you.”

Valaena’s lips curled into a small, affectionate smile. “I’d like to name him Aemon, in honour of his father,” she said, her eyes sparkling with love.

Aemond chuckled softly, shaking his head in disbelief. “Are you sure you want to do that?” he asked, teasing, though his heart swelled with affection.

Valaena nodded with certainty, her eyes warm with emotion. “I’m sure.”

Aemond stroked the baby’s soft silver hair, a tear threatening to fall as he marvelled at the life they had created together.

“Aemon,” he whispered, the name tasting like hope and promise. “He may look like me but he’ll grow up to be strong. Just like you.”

“Now’s not the time for Strong jokes my love” said Valaena,

“Time and a place. I know” replied Aemond smiling slightly.

Valaena shifted slightly, her eyes filled with concern as she looked up at Aemond. “You look so tired,” she said, her voice gentle.

“I haven’t been sleeping well,” Aemond admitted, his gaze dropping to their son. “Not since you’ve been in the coma.”

Valaena’s brow furrowed, and she gave a soft gasp. “How long was it?” she asked.

“Just over a month,” Aemond said, his voice tight as the pain of that time resurfaced.

Valaena’s eyes widened. “A-A month. What about our other children?”

Aemond placed a calming hand on her shoulder. “They’ve been well taken care of,” he said gently. “They visit often. The flowers over there are from Rhaegar and Elaena.”

Valaena nodded slowly, a single tear slipping down her cheek. She looked at the flowers with longing. “I want to see them,” she said, her voice breaking.

Aemond smiled softly. “Tomorrow, I’ll bring them to you,” he promised.

Valaena shifted again, the weight of the baby becoming too much for her.

Aemond gently scooped Aemon up, cradling him in his arms and rocking him softly as he looked at Valaena with concern.

“What’s wrong?” Aemond asked, his voice laced with worry.

Valaena’s gaze was sad as she watched Aemond care for their son. “I can’t even hold my son properly,” she murmured, the pain of her weakness clear in her eyes.

“You’ve just woken up from a month-long coma,” Aemond reminded her softly. “It’s going to take time to build your strength back.”

Valaena nodded, a sad smile flickering on her lips. “When will you tell my mother I’m awake?”

Aemond sighed, a small chuckle escaping him. “Not yet,” he said. “I want to keep you to myself for a little longer.”

The soft cry of their son brought Aemond’s attention back to the baby. He carefully opened the door noticing Lirri waiting outside in the hallway.

“Lirri,” Aemond said quietly, “He’s hungry. The wetnurse will need to be summoned.” As he placed his son gently into her arms

“Is my lady well?” asked Lirri.

“She’s awake”

Lirri smiled widely. “Does the prince have a name?” she asked softly.

“Aemon,” Aemond replied, a proud smile on his face.

Lirri smiled warmly “A good name-it suits him well”

“Don’t tell anyone that Valaena is awake,” he said softly. “I need a bit more time with her.”

Lirri gave a small nod. “I understand, my prince,” she said before slipping back into her chambers.

Aemond returned to the bed and sat beside Valaena, his heart light for the first time in so long.

He laid down next to her, his hand gently brushing her face. She was so tired, but there was a quiet contentment in her eyes as she watched him.

“I’ve been asleep for a month,” Valaena murmured, her voice faint, “yet I feel so tired.”

Aemond smiled softly, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “It’s okay, my love. Sleep. Rest.”

Valaena’s eyes fluttered closed, and she whispered softly, “I love you.”

Aemond kissed her forehead gently. “I love you too,” he whispered back, wrapping his arms around her, holding her close.

Just as the gentle rhythm of her breathing steadied.

"I dreamt we were flying," Valaena murmured, her words barely a whisper.

Aemond froze, his chest tightening at the sound. He looked down at her, her eyes closed, her face soft and peaceful as she rested.

The vulnerability of the moment struck him, but there was something else in her words, something that tugged at his heart.

"Flying?" Aemond whispered.

Valaena stirred slightly, the corners of her lips lifting as though recalling the fleeting images of her dream.

“Yes, with you,” she murmured, her voice still heavy with the weight of sleep. "You on Vhagar, me on Silverwing-The sky so blue and endless. There was a light, you wouldn’t let me go-and the crickets they sing together again"

Aemond’s heart caught in his throat. The images she spoke of mirrored his own dream so closely, it almost felt as if they had shared the same vision.

For a moment, he dared to believe that her mind was reaching out to him, somehow connecting in a space beyond reality.

Her hand twitched slightly in her sleep, and he gently took it in his, his grip tight, as if holding on to a memory, a hope that perhaps, just perhaps, she could hear him, could feel him there.

And as the weight of their shared grief, their joy, and their love settled over them, Aemond finally allowed himself to close his eyes, drifting off to sleep with Valaena nestled safely in his arms.

TBC

[agrlsname]

Thank you @therealsaintscully for the tag! I'm soon about to post what might be my very last fic, so it's quite fitting to look back on my journey now.

How many works do you have on ao3?

38 – all Johnlock, except for one GO fic. On New Year's Eve I will post number 39!

What’s your total word count?

371,360 (will soon top it off with another 221 words ;))

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

What Friends Do (by FAR), Who I Really Am (personal fave), The General Idea, Coldness/Heat, Tomorrow's Song

Do you respond to comments? Why/why not?

At first I responded to every single one! And I still try to respond to every single person. But now, I sometimes only respond to the last one if it's a reader who's commented on every chapter and I get all the comments at once. I like staying connected to the readers, that's one of the most fun parts about fandom!

What's the fic you've written with the angstiest ending?

It has to be This Is Your Song. I mean, there's another one within a series that end in an angsty cliffhanger, but MCD surely has to take the prize?

What's the fic you've written with the happiest ending?

Oh my, nearly all of them have happy endings – so what would count as happier than happy..? Maybe it's actually the one that isn't posted yet – stay tuned for the resolution of the New Year's Kiss series!

Do you write crossovers?

Nope. I've written a fusion though (Johnlock and Moulin Rouge!).

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Yup. Some people get really angry at John in What Friends Do and they take it out on me. It's interesting because many MANY others adore the story with all their hearts! I even wrote a sequel from John's POV just to try to get people to understand, but the haters didn't understand anyway.

Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Even though at the beginning I said I'd never, half of my works are now rated E or M. What kind? Um, is "emotional, gay sex" a genre?

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I hope not!

Have you ever had a fic translated?

Many of them, into five different languages! Coolest thing ever.

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No, I think I'm too pedantic for that. I've loved working with my beta on some poem translations, though, that The Sky is Full of Fiddles is based on.

What's your all-time favourite ship?

38 fics – you all know it's Johnlock, right? There are others that I love, but nothing can ever compare.

What's a WIP that you want to finish but don't think you ever will?

I don't have WIPs! I'm too much of a control freak and perfectionist when it comes to writing – I want to be able to change the beginning when I'm writing the ending. I don't even have unpublished WIPs – I hate the idea of leaving works unfinished. If I was still in those first years of writing frenzy, when I was single and didn't have a child, I'd have expanded on This Time – but as it is, I knew that I wouldn't have the time to do it justice. So I purposely ended on a cliffhanger that would still allow it to stand on its own the way it is.

What are your writing strengths?

Emotions, according to my beta! If you ask me, I'd say describing things – often emotions, I suppose – in new, poetic ways that play on different senses and therefore make them immediate. It's something I love reading myself, anyway, so it's something I've been practicing for... well, decades now. I'd like to think I've gotten at least somewhat good at it.

What are your writing weaknesses?

I'm weirdly bad at coming up with the small details that aren't important, but needed. A recent example is I needed a character to text another with an invented problem to try to get him to come over. It wasn't at all important what the problem was, but it also couldn't be just anything; it had to be in line with his character. I could not for the life of me come up with this problem myself – eventually my husband did it for me. So those kinds of details in my stories are rarely from my own brain!

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

Hmm, well, I've tried not to do that. As a reader I find it annoying to have to look things up, or scroll down to the notes. I have three fics in which characters aren't English; in This Is Your Song I added a couple of "Bonjour"s for flavour, which is about as far as my own French knowledge reaches... In the Fiddles series they're Swedes and speak my mother tongue, but I've written everything in English except for the words that English doesn't have (like for example "polska", a kind of dance), and at the very end, some song lyrics that are then translated into English in the end notes that come immediately after. I did want to add that song for flavour, but I didn't want it to be annoying.

What was the first fandom you wrote for?

Johnlock! I started in the aftermath of season 4 back in January 2017 and then couldn't stop.

What's a fandom/ship you haven't written for yet but want to?

I'm wondering whether I will come back to fic writing at a later point, but for another fandom. I've long wanted to write more for GO, although I already have written one fic. It would probably be a lot of fun to write for OFMD too. Doctor Who maybe? I don't know, it intimidates me to write for a new fandom where I don't yet know the characters as well as I know Sherlock and John.

What's your favourite fic you've written?

This question is too cruel! There are so many of them that I love. Maybe I have to say The Sky is Full of Fiddles, after all – it holds such a special place in my heart for many reasons that go beyond the story itself (although that's true for several fics). Other faves are Your Daughter, The Zebra Sheets and of course Who I Really Am, which I'm liking enough to turn it into a novel I'm now trying to get published. See, I couldn't pick one!!

I'm on Tumblr way too sporadically to have any idea of who's already done this and who hasn't, so I don't dare tag anyone... Feel free to take it and tag me if you feel like it!

[lorirwritesfanfic]

Ways To A King's Heart

Book: The Royal Romance Pairing: Liam Rys x MC (Jade) Rating: T Word count: 1138 Reading time: ~4min Summary: After a long and tiring week of work, Liam will be rewarded with two things he craves the most. Based on the prompt: @kingliamappreciationweek Day One: Baklava Author’s note:

Thank you so much to @lizzybeth1986 and @sazanes for hosting KLAW again 😍

This piece is set about a year after the wedding, before they have kids.

The sound of joints cracking echoed on the walls as Liam approached the Royal Apartment doors. The king and his wife would travel to Valtoria the next morning in hopes to have a quiet time away from the hectic life they have in the capital. However, it also meant working overtime and less time spent with his wife before the trip. He didn't realize how tense his back was until he stretched a bit before opening the door. After a long week of meetings, conferences and analyzing documents, he couldn't wait for his one week break in the woods.

As he opened the door to the Royal Apartment, a rich smell of nuts, spices and butter wafted Liam's nose. Traveling preparations to Valtoria often included Jade, Hana and part of the kitchen staff cooking many kinds of homemade pastries they'd take to Valtoria Community Center. Yet, this particular combination of smells ignited a feeling the king rarely gave in to.

"Jade?" He called, placing his jacket inside the closet.

"In the kitchen!"

On his way to the kitchen, his mouth watered, but he shook his head. "It can't be..." He thought to himself. She didn't know how to cook it. 

But as he stepped into the kitchen, his jaw dropped. Wearing a silk robe partially covered by an apron, Jade bent over to pick up a tray from the oven.

"Good evening, love." 

She smiled and proceeded to place a tray of brownies on the cooling tray.

"It sure is..." He mumbled, ogling his wife's round rear and toned legs as she bent over again to place a tray of cookies in the oven. 

"Excuse me?"

"I said 'good evening to you, my queen'." He smiled. "Is everything ready for tomorrow?"

"Yep," she answered, removing her kitchen mittens to set the oven timer. 

Liam eyed the counter with many boxes of sweets already packed to go, but no sign of what he thought she had prepared. Perhaps his senses have deceived him.

"Have you been cooking all afternoon?"

"Pretty much." She simpered and ambled over to him, wrapping her arms around his neck for a kiss.

"All by yourself?"

"No. Hana and Chef Nico were here earlier to help. Hana just left."

"Did they actually let you cook this time?" Liam joked.

"Hey!" She shoved him playfully. "Mind you, I did most of the cooking. I left just for a couple of minutes to shower and change. It was too hot in this kitchen."

His eyes traveled from her lips to her neck and décolletage as his hands rested on the small of her back. "It still is," he murmured.

"I know, right?" She fanned herself with one hand, apparently oblivious to the real meaning of his comment. "Go sit on the lounge while I grab some drinks for us."

Liam glanced at his wife one more time and left for the lounge slightly disappointed. Jade rarely didn't respond to his flirting and it only happened whenever she was mad at him. Was it too subtle? Had he lost his touch after so little time of marriage?

As soon as he sat on the sofa, his eyes widened in surprise. Carrying a tray with two glasses of wine and a large plate of his favorite dessert, Jade walked in with her robe open, revealing a sheer bodysuit underneath it.  

"I hope you like what you see..." Jade bent over, placing the tray on the coffee table.

"I honestly don't know where to look first."

A mischievous smile played on her lips. 

"You've been really busy and we've barely seen each other this week, so I thought you deserved a treat for your hard work."

"How sweet of you, my love," he said as his eyes followed his wife as she sat beside him. "But I'm having a hard time figuring out what's the treat here."

"If the baklava tastes good, it's the treat. If it doesn't, I'll stick to plan B."

"Which is...?"

"Abuela always says the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. But I wondered 'why should I take the scenic route if I can take a shortcut?'"

Jade then slid to the opposite side of the sofa, removed the hairpin tying her hair and it cascaded over her shoulders as she rested her calves and feet on his lap.

"Clever. Though I have to say the shortcuts you take always seem quite scenic to me," he said as his hands caressed her legs.

"Oh, trust me. It's so hard to make phyllo dough from scratch and it's so complicated to use it..." She grimaced. "Sex is definitely the shortcut."

Liam chuckled. "I think you did great so far. It looks and smells amazing."

"Now we need to know if it tastes good too."

"Okay."

The king then reached for the plate of baklava and put a small piece in his mouth. The flaky buttery dough with almonds and honey syrup perfectly blended in his mouth. Memories suddenly pervaded his mind: warm summer breeze, the nutty smell of almonds, kids' laughter, opulent table decorations, hiding under the table to steal baklavas from his mother's brunch with her friends. A smile spread across his lips and he took another piece.

"Is it good?"

"Good is an understatement. This is heavenly," he grinned, sipping his wine.

"Oh, thank goodness!" Jade sighed in relief. "Well, I guess I won't resort to plan B."

The queen then proceeded to close the robe around her frame when Liam immediately reached for her hands to stop her.

"I don't think we should dismiss plan B just yet," he said, lifting one of her hands to his lips before opening the robe again. 

"What?" Jade frowned, pretending to be wounded. "But you just said the baklava tastes heavenly."

"And I stand by my word. Your culinary skills soon will put the best pastry chefs to shame, my queen," he said, pulling her flush against him and gently kissing her lips. "But..."

"But...?" 

"One small piece of baklava has hundreds of calories," he murmured as he gently brushed her hair aside and leaned in to kiss her shoulder.

"Does it?" 

"It does." He whispered as he peppered kisses along her neck and jaw until he stopped just a inch apart from her lips. "We're going to have to burn all those calories somehow."

"I did find a great shortcut to your heart, huh?" She grinned.

"And you know it like the back of your hand, my love." 

Liam captured his lips in a long searing kiss as she unbuttoned his shirt and unbuckled his belt.

"What about the baklava?" Jade asked.

The king then reached for a piece and lifted it to her mouth, his eyes darkening as her lips   brushed against the tip of his fingers. "I think this plate is going to be empty very soon."

Sharing mischievous smiles and kisses, the couple continued to disrobe each other to savor a pleasant first night of their one week break.

[kyluxtrashpit]

AO3 Q&A

I wasn't tagged, I just stole this from some other fandom social circle cause it looked fun lmao

And my AO3, in case anyone is not aware

How many works do you have on AO3? 134

What's your total word count?

713,917

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Safe Harbour - kylux

Touch - kylux

Fractured - kylux

Powerless - kylux

Melt - kylux

(genuinely thought there'd be at least one non-kylux in there lmao as my top by hits is Kylo/KOR but oh well)

Do you respond to comments? Why/Why not?

I do! I used to be bad at it, cause it's hard sometimes to know how to respond to praise, but I really like showing my appreciation for the comments I get. People who comment are the people who keep fandom going. The only rare exception is occasionally I do get some weird comment I don't know how to answer (and it's like. It feels rude in some way but not overtly enough to yell at them for), but that's typically some fandom outsider and it's very unusual

What's the fic you've written with the angstiest ending?

Hmm I usually do at least reasonably okay endings, like even if it's not happy it's hopeful. There is Nightmares, the one benpoe/darkpilot fic I've written that has kind of a gut-punch ending. I also have Gloves from my dragon age days that's a canonical assisted suicide as a modern au. I have a few others with open endings that could be a bad ending but that's why they're open, to let your imagination make it worse ;)

What's the fic you've written with the happiest ending?

This feels difficult cause like I said, most of my endings are happy, or at least hopeful. I guess the one that's the most like, surprising in how it goes happy is Say It On Video? The trick makes it inherently schmoopier lmao

Do you write crossovers?

Not often, but I have. I think about them more than write them cause honestly it's a lot of work to wrangle everything lmao. I've done Ashes Among the Stars, a kylux and gundam crossover, and also that one time Kylo got facehugger-ed. There's also a wip from when I played Kylo in bg3 that may or may not get finished (post-game kylostarian hatefucking)

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Not really honestly? I got accused of plagiarism once because someone didn't realize emperor and hound is indeed a genre in kylux and not one persons fic lmao. If the accusation held weight, I would've addressed it, but it didn't in this case. I did get a weird comment on an original sci-fi horror thing I wrote a while back but tbh that was just someone who found the horror too horror-y so honestly it was kind of a compliment sdsld. But yeah I'm lucky, I haven't really gotten much that I can recall

Do you write smut?

Yep lmao. I like all ratings

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No, closest I've done is doing big bangs and bouncing ideas off my partner(s), or going back and forth on headcanons with friends in dms. Both of which are super rewarding, but idk, I'm probably too much of a control freak to actually co-write lmao. I could see if I did rp and then publishing that, but idk if I could co-write. I don't even know how it works like from a mechanical pov

What's your all time favorite ship?

Bold of you to assume I could choose just one

What's a WIP that you want to finish don't think you ever will?

A couple of year ago, I would've said Under Construction lmao, but I finished that one... over a year ago now. Feels like it was way more recent than that. Idk, I have a lot of wips, many of which may never be finished and some of which have been abandoned for a long time. But none of them are like. Super special I guess. I'd love to finish them all. I hope I will, but idk

What are your writing strengths?

I think POV and characterization - I get compliments on this stuff most often too. Like really getting deep into a characters' head so the emotions can hit harder, and cause I write fic, accurate characterization is my number 1 concern so I'm happy that I consistently get compliments on that!

What are your writing weaknesses?

I'm a big fan of deep POV and very like. Interior writing, that's what I like and am good at, but that does I think limit me in terms of making a Big story. My stories tend to be more deep than wide and while I do like that, sometimes I wish I could do something longer or more expansive. Actually do some world-building, get a real cast of characters going. Something like Under Construction for example could've been easily twice the length if I'd gone into more with the Resistance or the villagers. Should it have been? Idk, maybe, people probably would've liked it more at least. I do like a smaller, more detailed story, but it would be fun to pull off something more expansive someday. If I'd done that though I'd still be working on it now lmao. I am happy with how it turned out, it was just one example. Most of my fics could be made bigger

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

I think it should be done correctly, I guess - for example, not doing bad, inaccurate stereotypes of bilinguals and stuff. Also I think translations should be provided, either in text (if the pov character understands it) or in the notes (if it's just extra flavour that isn't needed to understand the story as the pov character does)

Funny enough, I did have an idea for a Kylo/Ren/KOR fic where they all speak a language he doesn't and so a horny game of training him literally like a dog by using simple commands he doesn't understand but has to learn if he doesn't want to be punished, but that would require a lot of assistance lmao cause 1) I'm monolingual, 2) the only language I know even remotely well enough to attempt this with is russian and I don't know it THAT well by far, and 3) it's harder to find horny translations than non-horny ones so like. I would need an entire other human to assist me lmao. And I know plenty of people who speak multiple languages but like. I never wrote the rest of the fic either so let's just say it's very likely not happening skdlsdk

What's the first fandom you wrote for?

Technically it was Gundam Seed, some weird reader-insert thing with no romance at all, only suffering sdklsds. That was when I was like 14 though and it's gone from the internet as far as I know (a shame, I'd actually love to find it again, but the site it was on is gone). Then I didn't write for years until I went nuts over dragon age in 2014

What's a fandom/ship you haven't written for yet, but want to?

Honestly I don't even know. At this stage I just want to feel The Urge again and just go absolutely insane over something lmao. I don't even care what tbh

What's your favourite fic you've ever written?

This is never an easy question, and I feel like I always default to 'whatever long thing I wrote most recently' lmao. And tbf I am going to do that again by saying Under Construction, but that one... may actually stay as the favourite for a long time or maybe even forever. Because it was so ambitious, it took me so long (nearly 4 years!!!) and it just. It's got a lot in it, a lot of emotions that I felt all throughout it's writing process, from 2019 through to 2023. There's bitterness and anger and frustration, but there's love and care and passion and just. I have a lot of feelings inside that fic okay lmao

There's one person whose comment included "This fic cares more about [Kylo's] character than the entire movie trilogy did" and it's like. Yes, yes, that's exactly the thing, that's the highest compliment you could give me, that's exactly where it came from. That fic is simultaneously my 95 theses nailed to canon's door, my manifesto directed at the fandom, and my love letter to the character himself as well as the ship. That fic is just so much to me and I really do love Kylo Ren as a character that much, it's honestly hard to describe how significant it is to me. I wonder if I'll ever be able to make anything with more of me in it than that fic

[end of questions]

Anyway, I stole this lmao but I'll still tag some people to keep it going @kylosbreedingkink @aptenodykes @eldritchmochi @iwishtocountthestars but if you see this and you want to do, you are also tagged, please make sure to @ me back so I can read yours!

[just-a-carrot]

Obligatory every now and then "thank you for making the games that you do" ask 😌 it is so rare to see queer and mental health representation as honest and in-depth as your games. A big reason I spend a lot of my time making whacky little OW drawings is because it always just brightens my mood, being able to draw little guys who are like me in a way a lot of ways I just don't see expressed often. As someone who is Rather Disabled and Rather Queer, it's nice to just... have games where being those things is okay. Seeing nonbinary representation as honest and open as Gidget honestly made me tear up when I saw it. As someone who has Been Through That Stuff (in places that were-- and probably still are-- life-threatening to be seen as queer), I felt so seen by them and what they've been through. (I also forgot to mention but I did get the Gidget haircut eventually 😌 gender/10) ANYWAYS. Sorry if this ask got too Personal or anything I am a horrible judge of stuff like that 😅 but I did want to say thanks. (Also while I'm at it, thanks for answering the many asks I send about incredibly random topics related to the blorbos. I get very anxious about sending them so I don't half the time [nothing to do with anyone, I am just Anxiety: The Rabbit], but for the times I do, thank you for entertaining the asks even if they are utterly ridiculous most of the time haha. (And thanks for the help/feedback on dev-related stuff too, it's appreciated 😌 the comment left on TRJ still brightens my day whenever I think about it because I thought while making it that no one would enjoy it... but receiving that shortly after publishing it assuaged my fears by quite a bit so I'd just like to say thanks for that too. (...Whoops I think I have made a message Utterly Too Long but I hope it gets the points across??? Maybe??? Hopefully???)

weep this is incredibly sweet???? 😭💕

it literally brings me the utmost joy when people can see parts of themselves in my chars or relate to my char at all or feel seen, etc. also because a big part of this game is based on my own experiences and struggles so it helps ME feel seen when OTHERS also feel seen because then we can all relate together and maybe feel a little less alone in the experiences we've gone through in life

LKDJALFKDSFADF PLEASE DON'T EVER BE ANXIOUS ABOUT SENDING IN ASKS I LITERALLY LOVE RESPONDING TO THEM????? (tho i get it it would probably make me anxious too now matter how many times someone said that LOL) but fr i love going through my ask box and answering silly little questions. especially lately my anxiety's been cranked up to 11 so getting to distract myself with silliness is oftentimes a lovely godsend 💕

AND OFC 🥺 i always want to help in any way i can and also just spread love as much as i can. being a dev in general can feel so isolating, especially when we're neck-deep in deeply personal projects that take a lot out of us to work on (no matter how much we love them lakdfad). it helps knowing we've got others out there that can support us and have our backs and a little community of small devs that can relate to each others' issues and boost each other up

LDKJFALDFKA DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT thank you so much for this sweet message!! i got a bit teary-eyed reading it sob 😭💕

[gardenerian]

I know you've been on Shameless and Gallavich tumblr for a while and I was hoping you could give me some advice. I hope this doesn't sound too pathetic.

I'm a massive Shameless and Gallavich fan. I have been here for nearly a year and I feel very excluded. I really want to connect with the others in this community, but it's not working no matter what I try. I don't write, draw, make art or create gifs. I don't have any creations to offer and share. I know those types of things would get me some attention and for people to notice and interact with me. I like and reblog a lot of other people's posts daily. I leave comments on people's posts as often as I can to praise their work or to share my thoughts but I rarely get any responses from the person. I post random Shameless and Gallavich thoughts and head-cannons with tags but they rarely get many likes and no one ever comments to strike up conversation. I take part in the tag games and tag others, but week after week never get tagged to participate, but I participate anyway. Still, I never get comments on the stuff that I share about myself to let others get to know me. I have tried sending ask to people about things they have posted to strike up conversation, but I either never get a response or it's a one time response that doesn't go anywhere after that.

I suppose the gist is that I keep trying to strike up conversations to connect with the people in this community and it falls flat every time. I'm simply at the point where it makes me sad to come on here and to see how tight-knit this community is and how much you all interact with each other, hype each other's posts and make posts for and mentioning each other like on birthdays. I know you are part of an especially close group so it seems like you might be just the person to ask.

I'm not writing this as a complaint or to accuse anyone of anything. It's the opposite. I want to join in in this community and feel included. I want to no longer feel sad and ignored when I am on here trying to participate and interact. Like I said, I don't write or make art so do you have any tips about how I can get noticed and accepted into this community? I just want to make friends with all of you and finally feel a part of this community.

hi there 😭 i am so sorry you're feeling this way. wanting to connect is such a human thing, and it's not pathetic at all to reach out. i think it's great. so thank you for coming to chat with me about it, and i hope i can help ❤️

excluding people is never something i want to do. i want to engage fully and enthusiastically - i think we all do! and while there are so many ways to get involved, i do think engagement around here (on tumblr as a whole!) is different than it used to be. for me personally, i was on tumblr 24/7 for a long time, but now that i am working again, it's a little harder for me to be present as much as i want! it comes and goes in waves, really. sometimes i am tagged in things that i don't get to, sometimes i forget to respond to asks, sometimes i miss posts that go around during busy times. and sometimes i think i'm following people when i'm not! this happens to me a lot and it's super embarrassing 😭 and i think these kinds of things happen to just about everyone! sometimes we just can't be here the way we want, even if we love it. and we do love it! so much!

i'm glad you're participating! and i want to make sure that everyone knows that making or posting things is not a requirement to be here. there's no entry fee to enjoy fandom space. if you want to give it a try, please do! but you don't owe us anything; your presence is more than enough.

for me the answer was just to keep talking. i wish i had more direct tips, but i just have not shut up since 2019. people started talking back, but for a while it did feel like i was just talking to myself. i know you've been putting yourself out there, and it's really brave and wonderful. i hope you'll keep trying. there are people that will love you, and i'm sorry if i've missed you so far. i don't want you to feel sad here. if you feel comfortable, shoot me a DM! tag me in things! i will hype you up, i promise. i want to hear what you have to say, and i want to get to know you. there are friends here for you 💓 edit: join the discord if you can!

anyone else with tips is welcome to chime in.

[nevertheblood]

i've been so awol that i didn't even realise i was tagged in a thing!! thank uuuu @ohhcinnybuns 💕💕

Fanfic Writer Interview

How many works do you have on AO3?

eleven 🥹 four ongoing, six complete, one sort of.... resting (I hesitate to say abandoned lol)

it's a small number but i never thought i'd get to this point so yay!!

Your top 5 stories by kudos/likes:

love in the vein (2,219 words) - M, skk, complete one-shot (albeit part of a larger ongoing universe), 18-year-old prince dazai and his fiancé (trans) chuuya make out in a garden and muse about love and trust 👀written for a valentine's day challenge!

so show me why you're strong (ignore everybody else) (15,490 words) - T, ambiguously platonic skk, ongoing. mafia executive chuuya meets suicidal cat hybrid dazai and tries to give him a better life (against dazai's wishes)

my candy boy, my baby (2,495 words) - T, sskk, completed one-shot. written for the same valentine's day challenge as love in the vein! atsushi and akutagawa go on a valentine's day date and try to manage sweet confessions amidst emotional awkwardness.

we burn our blue love for a while (8,668 words) - E, buraiha trio OT3, completed one-shot, VERY SPICY. ango has a really great recurring threesome going on and he thinks only about the inevitability of love and betrayal. pwp but angsty.

or so I’ve dreamed, since I met you (55,948 words) - M, skk, complete. artists AU set in 1910s paris - realist painter chuuya meets modern artist dazai, who has synaesthesia, and a sort of rivals to lovers story emerges. past buraiha trio ot3, some angst but with a happy ending.

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

yes! very rarely in a timely manner but I do try to. I spend a lot of emotional energy in my fics and I like to have discussions about it when people make comments c:

What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

probably we burn our blue love (mentioned above)... I think it's not necessarily angsty due to the events of the fic itself (which is mostly smut tbh) but due to what happens in canon later on and how it's alluded to at the end of the fic... bloohooohoooo i will never NOT be crying over the dark era!!!!

What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

apart from the aforementioned angst, all my fics have happy endings!! probably the cutest softest fluffiest is my candy boy, my baby (also mentioned above) just bc it's a valentine's day fic and it's so tooth-rottingly sweet uwu uwu

Do you write crossovers?

never properly written one but I do have a bsd x borderlands AU living in my head. I also have a bsd kpop AU waiting to be written, and that counts as a crossover bc i've written kpop fic before and also I said so

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

no, I keep to myself mostly... I'd like some of my works to get more love but I worry about reaching the wrong audience LOL it's a two edged sword fr

Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

yes but it's gotta have angst and/or pining and/or fluff attached to it lmao i am EMOTIONAL ALL THE TIME at my core

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

no~ not that I am aware of

Have you ever had a fic translated?

no

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

not technically but I've been back and forth with @nettlestingsoup and other irl friends on some delightful AU concepts before. should do that more often it's great for the brain

What’s your all-time favorite ship?

all-time gotta be royed. I am never leaving behind my funky little blorbos that got me PROPERLY into online shipping culture in the early 00s. they come back around every few years like a planet with a weird orbit and my singular remaining fma brain cell just buzzes like crazy and then goes dead again.

but rn I'm insane about skk since the last few years and I don't see that changing hehe

What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

oh.... my kryptonite question.....

Kid Gloves is probably dead now. it's just been too many years since its inception and the things that made me want to write it in the first place. plus, I think my writing has improved a lot since then and I sort of cringe looking at it now lol

I have a fuckton of skz WIPs as well but I maintain that one day I *will* finish them ?? (denial) (delusional)

What are your writing strengths?

i like writing fun or snappy dialogue, i think it comes very easily to me (especially with the kind of semi-antagonistic ships that I really enjoy) and I like to show off with lots of in-depth extended metaphors too

What are your writing weaknesses?

movement.... action.... i'm really struggling to make my scenes not static BWUH

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

im literally a polyglot and i'm afraid of it for some reason. don't perceive me. what if I actually can't speak the languages that i speak and people on the internet find out??

What’s a fandom/ship you haven’t written for yet but want to?

arcane........... stares with big eyes

also star trek voyager, i dabbled in pariskim during lockdown but i could really go for some j7 and i know @nettlestingsoup agrees with me

What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

or so I’ve dreamed, since I met you feels like my magnum opus, my first finished longfic with so much healing for dazai too.... and I had SO much fun writing and completing it;;; i wish everyone saw it through my eyes bc it is my precious baby of a fic..... 🥹

i think most ppl i would tag to do this have already been tagged?? but uh @nettlestingsoup even tho i tagged u twice already.... hands gently the thing (with no pressure)

[questforgalas]

In Brothers I Trust

Summary: On their way back to Coruscant after the events of Umbara, Anakin and Rex find comfort in sharing old memories and promises of brotherhood

Notes: This started as an idea to tell about Anakin and Rex's first meeting and then it just spiraled from there whoopsie. For some reason I love making Season 7 of TCW and the march on the temple even more painful for myself, so the last bit with Anakin's pledge and the promise of the 501st staying together is meant to directly foreshadow the events of ROTS. Thanks for reading!!! Comments and feedback greatly appreciated!!!!

Warnings/Tags: Angst comfort, post-Umbara Arc

Word count: 3.6K

Tay's Masterlist

On AO3

“Figured I’d find you here,” Anakin announced himself walking through the door into the meditation chamber.

Some might find it strange that meditation chambers were standard on most Venators. When thinking of a war class cruiser, meditation is usually on the bottom of the list when going through the necessary functions in order to win a war, but when Jedi are involved, the activity tends to make its way to the top. Hence, meditation chambers on every Venator.

What certainly wouldn’t surprise anyone is that Anakin Skywalker’s is the least used in the GAR. The haze of grey on its ledges is less to do with a design choice by the general and more to do with a dust layer that is rarely disturbed. That said, the chamber doesn’t go neglected. They may not be Jedi, but some troopers have found a retreat within the beige and wooden walls.

That’s where Rex found himself now, relishing in the rare experience that was complete silence. He didn’t meditate. That wasn’t a tool taught on Kamino, but Rex so rarely experienced complete silence that he found himself seeking out the solitary chamber after missions that, well, stayed with him a little longer. If he was honest with himself, it was more because he didn’t have the energy to face his brothers, knowing they’d look to him for comfort that he wasn’t sure he could offer. So, solitary-beige-completely-silent-Jedi-meditation chamber became his refuge. Or so it was, until Anakin Skywalker walked in.

Rex didn’t recover from his leaned position against the chamber wall immediately. They weren’t on duty, and, silently, Rex was annoyed that his hiding place was being disturbed. With half-hearted hope, he kept his eyes closed for a few beats longer wishing Anakin would get the hint. When the tell-tale “whoosh” of the door didn’t sound again, Rex internally sighed while opening his eyes and taking in his general next to him. Two years serving under Skywalker, and Rex is still impressed when the Jedi appears next to him almost like he came out of the walls. The silence a jedi could move with was unnerving, and at least now Rex was familiar enough with it that he didn’t react when his general or commander appeared by his side. To his annoyance, he knows Ahsoka owns some memories from early on of him throwing a datapad or two in the air out of surprise thanks to her.

“Sir,” he greeted Anakin. “What can I do for ya?”

“We’re not on duty Rex. You can drop the formality,” Anakin responded. He mimicked Rex’s relaxed position, putting his lower back against the wall, crossing his legs at the ankle. Folding his arms in front of him, he relaxed his shoulders and dipped his head towards Rex, amused twinkle in his eye.

“I feel too much like Kenobi when I call you Anakin,” chuckled Rex.

“Is that because it’s usually with a hint of exasperation?” Anakin lightly jabbed.

“Me? Exasperated sir? Never. Especially with your plans,” Rex joked back. He appreciated having a relationship with his general that allowed the banter. The battles that the 501st were often sent on required unconditional trust between Anakin and Rex in order to bring as many of his brothers back alive as possible, and the brotherhood that seamlessly formed between the two of them was effortless. Although, Rex remembers a time when a Jedi like Anakin was the least probable match he’d pick for himself.

As a cadet, he’d hear stories of the Jedi from his trainers, but the powerful warriors with the ability to manipulate the energy around them remained a figment of imagination until he was 10 years old. There was a ripple of energy throughout Kamino when word got out that a Jedi finally arrived to inspect the clone army. Rex remembers making his way to grab something to eat after running through his third simulation that day. His exhaustion was so heavy he was sure that any trooper looking at him would see it pulsing off of him in waves. Trudging through the hallways, making it to the mess hall door, he almost missed the hushed whispers coming from a group of young cadets.

“He showed up an hour ago. Been with Lama Su this whole time. I saw him!”

“You didn’t see him! He wasn’t anywhere near the strategy center.”

“Did too! Gave a quick look up when my eyes started crossin’. Caught him in the hallway. Looked like a drowned womprat, not a Jedi.”

“You’ve never even seen a womprat!”

The group made its way out of Rex’s earshot, but not before he caught that mythical word. Jedi. His exhaustion disappeared as if he’d been injected with a bacta shot. Quickly, he scanned the room to find a batch mate or familiar brother, but he was able to catch site of a table full of troopers huddled close together, whispering animatedly. Rex made sure to walk by the table on his way to the conveyor hoping to catch the hushed conversation, and sure enough, the words “Jedi” and “visit” were caught again and again. So, they were finally here.

“Good,” thought Rex. “Hopefully that means no more simulations soon.”

Apparently, Fate and Rex had a different definition of soon because while he was thinking in the upcoming months, Fate was thinking one rotation. The next day he was on a Venator making his way to Geonosis with his blood buzzing for a fight, and the desert planet didn’t disappoint. By the end of the battle, Rex’s white armor could barely be seen under the rusty red dust, and his count was close to 60, but exhaustion hadn’t settled in his bones yet so he joined some brothers chatting animatedly by the barracks’ entrance.

“Rex! Heck of a first battle, huh? Saw you taking a few of those bugs down, good job brother. Maybe they’ll even give you your own company soon!” Tat exclaimed. A gentle punch to his shoulder greeted Rex as he joined the group. He rolled his eyes at Tat’s antics hoping to play off the excitement the idea of leading his own company gave him. 

“Not too bad yourself Tat. Saw you up there with one of the Jedi. Mace Windu, right? Easy to spot him with his purple laser sword,” Rex said.

“Lightsaber. They’re called lightsabers,” another trooper, Proto, corrected. “The Jedi are very particular about their weapons.”

“Yeah, well I heard two of them tracked down and engaged Count Dooku. Dooku made it out, and one of the Jedi lost his hand,” Tat relayed to the group. “Pretty gutsy if you ask me. I heard these sith aren’t anything to trifle with. Only one Jedi alive has beaten one in 1000 years – one of the ones that went after Dooku.”

A skilled enough warrior to take on not one but two sith? Rex liked the sound of that. The troopers were yet to be assigned their Jedi generals, but Rex hoped he was lucky enough to be assigned to a Jedi with that level of combat and tactical skill.

“What about the one who lost his hand?” Rex asked. “Did he make it?”

“He’s fine. Reports say he rushed in alone. Tried to take on Dooku himself. Just a padawan too, which I think is like a cadet. So, not exactly the smartest move,” Tat answered.

Impulsive, young, inexperienced. Rex ticked off all the reasons in his mind he’d want any Jedi but that one. Or, so he thought.

Back in the meditation chamber on the Resolute, Rex chuckled to himself thinking about the last joke Fate had up her sleeve for him. Newly knighted Anakin Skywalker was appointed general to the 501st legion shortly after Geonosis. There was a rumor he was told as his mechanical hand was being attached, but Rex knew better than to listen to barrack gossip. Besides, at the same time, he was being fitted for his pauldron indicating his new status as captain of the 501st. He had more important matters to pay attention to.

“Do you remember when we first met, sir?” Rex broke the silence that had settled over them. An amused laugh escaped Anakin.

“Do I ever,” Anakin answered. “Sometimes I still think our files got mixed up somehow. That you were supposed to be with Aayla Secura instead of Anakin Skywalker. Or really, anyone else.” Anakin moved to the cushioned bench to his left as he spoke. Once settled in, he looked up at Rex. “Why do you ask?” he inquired.

“Just sifting through some memories. I heard about you before I met you, which now doesn’t seem all that surprising. More like the authentic Skywalker experience,” Rex supplied. “It was after Geonosis. The first battle. I was back onboard the Venator when some brothers were swapping battle reports. That’s when I heard about the Jedi padawan who tried to take on Dooku alone. Lost a hand for it.”

“I was about to be knighted,” Anakin grumbled under his breath. A deep laugh made its way out of Rex. Of course the small detail of still being a padawan is what Anakin would hold onto. As unpredictable as Anakin’s battle strategies could be, he was the most predictable person Rex knew.

“I’m sure your hand shares the sentiment,” Rex joked.

“If you ask me, it’s an improvement. If I hadn’t rushed Dooku, I’d never have this amazing advantage. All worked out in the end,” Anakin said.

Chuckling, Rex continued his walk down memory lane, “Well, as I stood and listened to the tale of the two Jedi who took on Dooku, I thought to myself ‘Maker please, whatever you decide for me, just don’t let it be the padawan’. The more I heard about your, er, strategy decisions, the more bacta I needed for my growing headache.”

Now it was Anakin’s turn to laugh, “I’m insulted Rex. I’d think my creative thinking would be a plus for winning over commanding officers.”

Unable to hold in their laughter after Anakin’s comment, Rex made his way to sit on the ground, staying relaxed against the wall. One arm propped on a bent knee and one leg stretched out, Rex felt himself starting to relax for the first time since leaving Umbaran space.

“I’m trying to picture you pitching one of your battle plans to Wolffe,” Rex mused.

“Even I have my limits, Rex. I tried to crack a joke to Wolffe once. I’m pretty sure if his eye had a laser, I would’ve had an unplanned haircut,” Anakin said.

“He’s not so bad, once you’re on his good side. Which usually takes a couple years,” Rex admitted. Another comfortable silence settled between them, but after a few moments, Anakin spoke up.

“I remember when I was assigned the 501st. It felt like my padawan braid was cut, and in the same breath I was being told I’m leading a battalion. I didn’t know what that meant – I had to go to the archives right after to look up what a battalion even was. What I did know is that I was now in charge of 1000s of lives. That in a heartbeat, I was responsible for keeping men I hadn’t even met yet alive.” Anakin was leaning on his knees, absentmindedly rubbing his chin with his left hand. It was a move Rex was familiar with, telling him when his general was deep in thought. “It was the most afraid I’ve felt since the day Qui-Gon Jinn took me from Tatooine. I know, not very jedi of me. But the idea of failing my troopers, knowing that if my decisions went wrong it didn’t just mean a bad day for them, nearly crippled me. Then I heard about my commanding officer,” Anakin said. “’Top of his class, he’s the youngest commanding officer. He’s one of the best strategists in the army, and his playbook has yet to be beat. Even by the commanders and the ARCs. He’s impressive Anakin, I think you’ll be in good hands,’ Obi-Wan told me. I’m sure he could sense my anxiety, so of course he took it upon himself to help me. Looking back, I think he was more reassuring himself that someone else was going to be around to have me in check since we were going to be separated,” Anakin finished his thought with a chuckle.

Rex was never one to bask in compliments. He was a soldier, a commanding officer. It was his job to develop top strategies, train his men, and execute plans flawlessly, or as close to flawlessly as they could. His job was to win battles, so he never saw the point in being patted on the back for doing his job. His brothers were soldiers expected to follow orders, so he found every opportunity he could to highlight their achievements and express his pride in their hard work. But himself? He was just doing his job. So, to sit still and not cringe as Anakin spoke took most of his self-control.

Rex’s internal nightmare was gratefully cut short though, “Want to know what I thought once Obi-Wan was done rambling?”

“That you were the luckiest Jedi alive?” Rex went along.

“That I’d rather be stuck in a nest of gundarks than be stuck with such a stuffy, by-the-book commanding officer,” Anakin answered with a smirk. “I thought my nightmare was confirmed when I met you at the GAR base the first time. I was convinced you were a statue – you didn’t move a muscle. If you hadn’t jolted to a salute at the last second, I was going to poke you to make sure you were real.”

A deep laugh escaped Rex. When Anakin met his eyes, he joined in.

“In my defense, sir, I was operating off of 10 years of being told about the stoic, rule abiding Jedi. Who was I to make a bad impression by not following protocol?” Rex joked at himself.

“Rex, a stiff salute is one thing. The next seven minutes of protocol formalities and strategy briefing is another,” quipped Anakin.

“It was not seven minutes.”

“Oh Rex. It was seven minutes. Believe me, I counted every agonizing one.”

That earned Anakin an eye roll. “If I remember correctly, sir, you weren’t bored by me by the end of our meeting.”

“No Rex, I certainly wasn’t. Before you could drone into minute eight of your rambling,” Rex was jostled by a gentle shove to his shoulder, “I deftly turned the topic of conversation to our next battle, Christophsis. There I was, relaying my first ever battle strategy to my captain, and when I was finished, I admittedly was a little smug with myself. I mean, it was a sure win. I stood there waiting for you to respond, but you just…kept standing there. I thought you became a statue again. After what felt like forever, you finally responded,” Anakin said with a smile taking over his face.

“’Well sir, I understand better how you lost your hand if that’s what you consider a plan.’” Rex finished for him. “Honestly sir, listening to your strategy was my 7 minutes of protocol hell. I couldn’t decide if I was having a harder time understanding your strategy or understanding how someone could actually come up with that plan.”

“Yeah well, I hope my stunned silence gave you enough amusement for a couple rotations. Granted, the relief I felt that you weren’t some stuffy, clone replica of Master Windu gave me my first glimmer of hope since Geonosis. I knew you were exactly who I’d want by my side. I haven’t been wrong since,” Anakin murmured to himself.

Rex could feel Anakin’s stare so he turned to meet his general’s eyes which he noticed had taken on a melancholy softness. He knew what was coming next, and in a feeble attempt at holding the inevitable at bay, he closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall trying to block out the reality around him. As usual, Fate and he were not on the same page.

“Rex, I’m sorry. If I hadn’t left, if I had listened to my instincts instead of listening to Krell, I would’ve been there with you. We would’ve executed our plans and you boys wouldn’t have had to go through that hell,” Anakin’s voice infiltrated Rex’s dark solitude.

“With all due respect sir, it doesn’t matter now. You’d be the first to tell me not to dwell on it. That it won’t help the men,” he answered.

“Is that why you’re hiding in the meditation chamber instead of being in the mess hall right now?”

Rex and Anakin’s comradery was special, but Rex really hated it in these instances when he really needed Anakin to not know him as well as he knew himself.

“It’s not hiding. It’s quiet reflection. I figured you being a Jedi and all would understand,” Rex deflected. Anakin’s gaze didn’t falter, and Rex let out a long sigh he’d been holding since the general walked in. Stubborn as usual, Anakin wasn’t going to let this drop. “The casualties are one thing, sir. Sadly, we’ve seen worse, and we were engineered to handle the loss of our brothers. Not to say it’s easy, we mourn them all in our way, but it was a reality we were trained 10 years for. But we also heard about our Jedi commanding officers for 10 years. The peacekeepers of the galaxy who valued life above all else. As long as we had a Jedi with us, we could do anything. The Jedi would protect us.”

While he spoke, Anakin finally broke his stare and let his head hang taking in Rex’s words. This wasn’t news to him – Anakin and Rex had spoken before about how the clones revered the Jedi after a decade of stories – but it didn’t make it any easier to hear just how deep Krell’s betrayal cut the troopers.

“I can’t promise anything, Rex. I don’t want to offer false oaths to patch up deeper wounds. But as long as I can help it, I’ll never leave you and the boys to battle on your own. The 501st is strongest together, and that includes me. No one is taking me away from you guys again,” Anakin swore. The intensity with which Anakin looked at Rex held every ounce of fear and sadness the general had been harboring since he heard the news, and Rex felt his words wrap around him as if they were tattooed on his soul. It was one of the many reasons the 501st would follow Skywalker straight into Castle Serenno if ever needed without question – they knew their general was as loyal to them as they were to each other, and loyalty means everything to the clones.

“We’re honored to serve with you, sir. All those years of hearing about the Jedi, and none of those stories live up to the real thing. You, Kenobi, General Koon, all of you. You surpass legends,” Rex declared. Some moments passed and eventually, Anakin’s expression softened, his signature smug smirk taking its usual place.

“So, should I expect some nose art tributes in the near future?” he joked.

“Oh, did Fives not show you his designs featuring General Kenobi?” Rex quipped back.

Anakin mocked insult at the insinuation, “You’d give tribute to Obi-Wan before me, your beloved general? You wound me Rex, after all the times I’ve gotten you lot out of trouble.”

“Quit turning a blind eye to Fives and Ahsoka’s pranks, and I might consider letting Appo draw something up for you,” Rex responded.

“Ok fair. You deserve that much,” Anakin conceded. He gave a quick crack of his neck before continuing, “You feeling up for leaving this isolation nightmare?”

“Really not a fan of meditation huh?”

“Obi-Wan tried. Pretty sure he’d live in meditation if he could. Just was never my thing. Reminds me too much of the time alone I’d spend in the shop I worked in as a kid. Surround me with my friends, and my soul will heal just the same.”

“I’ll lock you in a room with Dogma and Fives and see if you feel the same way after.”

With a soft chuckle, Anakin stood with a stretch to his stiff limbs. “Alright, enough torture threats. It’s time to be a general and a captain. When I passed by the mess earlier, Fives was trying his best to keep things light, but he could certainly use some back up.”

Accepting that his retreat of solitude was at an end, Rex made his way to his feet preparing for the uphill battle that will be the return to Coruscant. “If I know my men, sir, they don’t need a captain and a general right now. They need a brother and a friend,” Rex spoke softly, and when Anakin didn’t answer or move right away, he looked up to see the Jedi staring pensively at the floor.

“What about two brothers?” Anakin asked quietly, his head cocked to the side in thought.

“They’d like that very much, sir,” Rex answered without hesitation. With his bucket tucked under his arm, Rex started for the door, and Anakin fell in beside him with the ease of a dance they’d performed 1000 times before. Umbara was going to leave its scars, and the ones they couldn’t see will take the longest to fade, if they ever did. But like Anakin said, as long as the 501st sticks together, everything will be fine.  

[itsamenickname]

So a little under 2 weeks ago, I was responding back to some of the comments from chapters 13 and 14 of To Break the Bonds Within Two Kingdoms. As I was having a conversation with one user, they made a very interesting comment about how E. Gadd's chaotic nature had to have rubbed off on Luigi a little bit.

And when I saw the words 'chaotic nature,' I kid you not, one of the first things that popped into my head was the D&D alignment chart where it ranges from lawful good to chaotic evil.

And then I started to ask myself where the 5 main characters (6 if you count E. Gadd) in TBTBWTK would be placed in the D&D alignment chart.

Which leads us to what is going to be this very long post. XD

Now, I do want to point out that this is a rough idea and that it could change over time. In addition, this alignment is also based on how the characters are portrayed in my story. There is a possibility that you guys might have different thoughts or opinions on where each character should be placed and that's perfectly okay! If you guys do think that Luigi, King Boo, or any of the other characters listed should be aligned somewhere else, then feel free to let me know because I'm curious to see what y'all's thoughts are. :)

Alright, without any further ado, let's get started! :D

(Adding a cut to avoid minor spoilers to those who haven't read TBTBWTK yet (or at least haven't read up to chapter 15).))

Luigi: Lawful good

Cause let's be honest here: Luigi is the purest thing in the entire world.

2. Mario: Chaotic good

So with the way I envision Mario, I see him as someone who wants what's best for the people he loves (especially Luigi), but the reason I listed him as chaotic good is because the things he feel that are best for Luigi don't always align with what Luigi thinks it's best for himself (i.e., Bowser). Plus, I can see Mario as someone who is willing to break a few rules if it ultimately means helping out Luigi, Peach, or anyone else he loves and cares about.

3. Peach: Lawful neutral

I see Peach as a kind-hearted soul who cares about her people, her friends, and her family (especially Mario). However, the thing I think that ultimately makes her lawful neutral is the fact that she is also a princess/queen and I can see Peach as someone who occasionally (but not always) puts the rules, orders, and traditions above personal preference.

4. Bowser: Chaotic neutral

So Bowser was tricky to figure out, but when it comes down to this, I see him having two different sides: The one side we're all more familiar with in the Nintendo games (e.g., he's not afraid to do whatever he wants whenever he wants, arrogant, and stubborn) and the second rare side he doesn't show very often (e.g., he cares very deeply about his minions and family (i.e., Luigi) and would do anything to protect them. Plus, he does feel certain types of negative emotions such as guilt and regret because of the bad choices he made even if they didn't seem like bad choices at the time (a great visualization of this is in chapter 14 & 15)).

5. Professor E. Gadd: Chaotic good

So E. Gadd was a little tricky to figure out as well, but it's really because there isn't any interactions between him and the rest of the characters in TBTBWTK. With this being said though, I see E. Gadd as a kind-hearted little old man who absolutely loves to learn new things, especially paranormal stuff. However, the thing that makes him chaotic is that I feel like there are times (not a lot of times) where he doesn't care for Luigi's wellbeing as much as he should be. (One good example of this is Luigi's Mansion 2 because the reason that whole adventure happened in the first place was because E. Gadd sold King Boo's painting at a garage sale when he should've known that selling King Boo's portrait was a bad idea.)

6. King Boo: Chaotic evil

Need I say more?

[casiopealistener]

Hobie x reader

JOIN THE DISCORD SERVER : https://discord.gg/Tmk6jfmX

CHAPTER ONE

You were up late, per usual. When you heard a knock on your window, you looked over to see Spider-Punk. He was holding his side, and his mask was a little torn up. It wasn’t unfamiliar for Hobie to do this.

“Alright, let’s get you patched up.”

You said, opening the window as he threw his mask to the ground.

“I’m just peachy. Thanks for asking, you geezer.” He said in a mock-sarcastic tone, with a subtle smile.

“Well, hello there. What is Spider-punk doing there at some random girl’s window?” You were acting clueless and playful, with a teasing smile on your face, knowing how much he hated being called that.

“Well howdy there stranger. Why… might you be a lass?”

He was trying to make a joke, with a grin. Yet, it wasn’t clear if he was joking or not. He often made comments like these, so it was normal for Hobie. Even if that was the case, he was still a charmer.

You just sighed, ignoring his comment, responding instead:

“Just tell me why I should let you in.”

“Who even said I was going to ask? If you think I wouldn’t just bust this window down, I feel like you’d be wrong.”

He said, still grinning and holding his side. He was a punk; he rarely follows rules.

“Oh yea? And if you think I would just let you go in like that without saying anything, I feel like you’d be wrong, Hobie.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. You’ve got a smart mouth don’t you?” He said, still holding his side, though with a smirk. “You should use it to make a song or something.”

“Oh, there’s something even better I can use it for.” You said teasingly.

“Oh really? What would that be?”

He asked, still grinning. He always had the perfect one liners for these types of conversations. He’s always been a bit of a flirt.

“I think you know what it is, love. Something you’ll never get from me, even if you dream about it every night.”

”Oh my”… you had him. He was taken aback, but he quickly recovered. “You think so, huh? I’ll prove you wrong then.”

He challenged, smirking at you as he spoke in a confident tone. He was almost always confident in his speech.

“Oh yeah? How is that?”

“I’m just gonna have to show you, aren’t I?” He said with a grin, tilting his head to the side. “But if you wanna find out, then I should get inside.”

As he entered through the window, you couldn't help but feel a mix of annoyance and excitement. Hobie always had a way of stirring up emotions within you. You closed the window behind him and turned to face him, crossing your arms.

“Alright, Spider-Punk, spill it. What kind of trouble did you get yourself into this time?” you asked, trying to hide the concern in your voice.

Hobie chuckled, wincing slightly as he touched his side. “Just a little scuffle with some baddies, nothing I couldn't handle. But I figured I could use a friendly face and some patching up.”

You walked over to your desk, grabbing the first aid kit and motioning for him to sit on the edge of your bed. “You know, most friends would come through the front door or call instead of climbing through windows,” you remarked, feigning exasperation.

He flashed you a mischievous grin. “Where's the fun in that? Plus, you know I like to keep things dramatic.”

Rolling your eyes, you began tending to his minor wounds. As you worked, the banter continued between you, the familiar playful teasing filling the room.

“So, any plans for the rest of the night, oh elusive Spider-Punk?” you asked, your tone dripping with sarcasm.

Hobie leaned back, propping himself up on his elbows. “Well, now that you mention it, I thought I'd take my favorite girl out for some web-swinging action. Care to join me?”

You scoffed playfully. “Favorite girl? I'm the only girl you know, Hobie.”

He laughed, his eyes meeting yours. “That's true, but it doesn't make it any less special.”

There was a brief moment of silence as you finished patching him up. The air between you seemed to crackle with a mix of tension and unspoken words.

“You know, you began, your voice softer, “I worry about you sometimes. You throw yourself into danger without a second thought.”

Hobie's expression turned serious as he reached out to hold your hand. “I know it may seem reckless, but I do it to make a difference, to protect this city. And having you by my side, even if it's just for a swing through the night, makes it all worthwhile.”

His words touched your heart, and you couldn't help but smile. “Okay, Spider-Punk, I'll go on one condition.”

He raised an eyebrow, his gaze locked with yours. “And what's that?”

“You promise me you'll be careful out there. No unnecessary risks,” you said, your voice filled with genuine concern.

Hobie nodded, his thumb gently caressing the back of your hand. “I promise, love. I'll always come back to you in one piece.”

“Good. No web-swinging for me tonight, though.”

His face decomposed upon hearing your response.

“What? Why?”

“I have exams tomorrow. Need to study.”

“Oh, geez, my bad. Completely slipped my mind. Hope I ain't cramping your style too much, love."

“Nah. Just tell me why I should keep you there and not throw you out.”

He thought of something and smiled widely.

“I can cook spaghetti for you!”

You laughed at the suggestion, and warmly responded:

“I think that’s a good idea.”

As Hobie flashed his widest grin, you couldn't help but chuckle at his offer to cook spaghetti. It was a typical Hobie move, always finding a way to bring some charm and humor into any situation.

“Alright, Spider-Punk, you're on,” you replied playfully, leaning against your desk. “But I warn you, it better be the best spaghetti I've ever tasted, or you might find yourself swiftly thrown out.”

Hobie mockingly placed a hand over his heart, feigning hurt. “Oh, have faith in me, love. I'm not just any punk; I'm a punk with culinary skills. Prepare to be amazed.”

You both shared a laugh, enjoying the banter that defined your friendship. As Hobie made his way to the kitchen, you followed closely, watching as he rummaged through your cabinets and drawers, gathering the ingredients he needed.

He spun around, holding a box of spaghetti triumphantly. “Ta-da! The main event.”

You smirked, crossing your arms. “And what about the sauce? Are you going to charm it into existence?”

Hobie pretended to ponder for a moment, tapping his chin. “Hmm, tempting, but I think I'll settle for the classic marinara sauce. Can't go wrong with that.”

With a flourish, he pulled out a jar of sauce and a skillet, preparing to cook. As he moved around the kitchen, you couldn't help but admire his confidence and his ability to make even the simplest tasks seem entertaining.

While he worked his magic on the stove, you leaned against the counter, watching him intently. The playful banter continued as you exchanged teasing remarks and laughter, each moment deepening the bond between you.

Finally, Hobie presented you with a plate of steaming spaghetti, the aroma wafting through the air. He had even gone the extra mile, garnishing the dish with a sprinkle of grated cheese and fresh basil leaves.

He handed you the plate with a flourish, a proud smile on his face. “Bon appétit, love. Dig in and let me know if it lives up to your expectations.”

Taking a bite, you closed your eyes, savoring the flavors. The taste was surprisingly delicious, the pasta cooked to perfection, and the sauce rich and flavorful. Opening your eyes, you smiled genuinely at Hobie.

“You know what, Spider-Punk? This is actually amazing. You may have just earned yourself a permanent spot in my kitchen.”

Hobie beamed with satisfaction, seemingly delighted by your compliment. “Well, I aim to please. Looks like I've unlocked a hidden talent. Maybe I should open up a Spidey-themed restaurant.”

You laughed, shaking your head. “Let's not get carried away. But I must admit, your cooking skills are definitely impressive. Who knew beneath that punk exterior, there was a master chef waiting to emerge?”

He chuckled, his eyes sparkling. “Just another surprise in the long list of things that make me, well, me. But hey, I'm glad you enjoyed it. It's just the beginning of the adventures we're gonna have, love. Spaghetti today, who knows what tomorrow will bring?”

“Well, I hope tomorrow brings a pizza or some really advanced dish. Not that I don’t like your amazing spaghetti. But it’s just… pastas.”

Hobie feigned offense, placing a hand dramatically over his heart. “You wound me, love! Here I am, pouring my heart and culinary skills into making you a fine plate of spaghetti, and all I get is a desire for pizza?”

You couldn't help but giggle at his mock outrage, finding his playful antics endearing. “Oh, don't be so dramatic, Hobie. Your spaghetti was amazing. But variety is the spice of life, you know?”

He raised an eyebrow, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Oh, I see. So you're saying my spaghetti isn't spicy enough for you? I can spice things up, you know. Add some chili flakes, perhaps?”

You playfully nudged his shoulder, trying to contain your laughter. “No, no. That's not what I meant. Your spaghetti was perfect. I just thought we could explore different tastes together, step by step.”

Hobie leaned closer, his voice a low whisper. “Step by step, huh? I like the sound of that. So, what's the next step on our culinary adventure, love? Any requests?”

You pretended to ponder for a moment, enjoying the flirtatious back-and-forth between you. “Hmm, how about a homemade pizza? I hear you're quite the expert at kneading dough.”

Hobie leaned back, a grin spreading across his face. “Ah, a challenge, I see. You've activated my competitive side, love. Get ready to taste the best pizza you've ever had. I'll make sure of it.”

As the evening continued, you found yourselves deep in conversation, sharing stories, and trading playful banter. Time seemed to slip away as you talked and laughed, lost in each other's company. The night grew late, and Hobie glanced at the clock, a hint of reluctance in his eyes.

“I hate to admit it, love, but I should probably head out. I don't want to keep you up too late. Plus, there are more adventures awaiting us tomorrow,” he said, rising from his seat.

You nodded, a tinge of disappointment mingling with the excitement. “Yeah, you're right. We've had quite the evening. Thank you for the amazing dinner, Hobie.”

He walked over to you, a soft smile gracing his lips. “No need to thank me, love. It was my pleasure.”

You looked up at him, your heart skipping a beat.

“Bye, Spider-punk.”

He chuckled. “Bye love.”

As Hobie made his way towards the window, you watched him go, a flurry of emotions swirling within you.

You decided to stop studying, as it was already really late, and made your way to the bed. It was comfortable, and warm, but it felt like something was missing. Someone was missing…

You fell asleep, dreaming of piercings and guitars. What you didn’t see, was the strange spider on your ceiling, with this strange glow on its legs and alarming fluorescent color. And it was slowly making its way to you. And inevitably, it bit you.

[forerussake]

Twenty questions for fic writers

I was tagged by the wonderful @elenothar! Thankssss❤️

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

45

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

456.761

3. What fandoms do you write for?

I've written for a bunch of fandoms over the years. Currently I'm most active in Guardian and adjacent fandoms, but I think I could and would still write for pretty much everything I've written for in the past. So the full list would be Guardian, the Silmarillion, QZGS, MDZS/CQL, YYM, the Rebel, DMBJ, and some RPF :D

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Counting the promises as yet unbroken (165)

A ballad of burning lungs and bated breath (125)

A hand within a hand (holding light) (120)

Kaleidoscope (114)

Crowded full of parting's feeling (99)

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I try to always respond to comments, bc i myself really like it when an author responds to my comments, so I would be a hypocrite not to do it myself. But also I kind of enjoy that interaction. Especially if ppl have commented on specific lines or on the themes. Sometimes commenters have insights about my fics that even I didn't have myself while writing, and I like to let them know their thoughts were appreciated :)

6. What is a fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Well, I am an angst writer, but I often try to make the endings of my fics at least a bit hopeful :/// I think the angstiest ending to a finished fic would have to go to either Crowded full of parting's feeling, which ends with LXC being (for the first time in his life) truly and utterly alone. Kind of a bummer. Or perhaps the easy part, which ends with ZYL crying himself to sleep on the kitchen floor.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

As I said, I try to make my endings hopeful, if not truly happy, but there are a few true happy endings to my fics! I think my RPF pieces tend to be the happiest bc I am slightly less likely to put these guys through the wringer the way I do with my truly fictional blorbos. I think the happiest however is homecoming, which ends with WJX finally coming out as trans and being her best and truest self.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Not yet??? Hopefully it stays that way! I do write RPF though, so I'm very ready for one of the crazy antis to one day drop into my inbox calling me all sorts of nasty things for *looks at writing scribbled on hand* having the audacity to put characters in fictional situations that don't hurt the real ppl that inspired these characters in any way??? yeah :PPP

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Occasionally, when the muse strikes! But my ace brain finds it quite difficult. My mind tends to trail off and scatter all over the place when I get to the actual smut, and I have a hard time reeling it back in. As a result my smutty fics often get needlessly long xD and they also get a little kinky bc my brain tries to come up with ways to stay engaged in its own writing xD I like testing the limits of how poetic I can be about smut scenes.

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

Almost never. I rarely enjoy reading them unless they are very well done, so I don't generally think of writing them. The only consistent exception to this rule is all the weilan derivative fics! I love those very much, even if I don't always know the characters. So i've written one of those myself: no shame in having loved, a crossover between the Rebel and Detective L, which takes Luo Fei's perspective at snapshots in the Rebel canon, reflecting on everything that Lin Nansheng learns, loses, and cannot seem to stop giving away. It's a sad one, but with a slightly hopeful ending :)

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of? I don't think I'm big enough in any fandom for anyone to consider stealing my work.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope, but I have had one podficced :D

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I have not. On the one hand I think I'd love to try one day, but I'm also very particular about certain things and I fear I might get antsy. I love brainstorming about fic though! Some of my best ideas have come from talking to people.

14. What's your all-time favorite ship?

Uhm Weilan I think? I'm not really in fandom for the shipping.

15. What's a wip you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

ohh hard one. I have three, if I may:

And miles to go (before I sleep): it's a story that's still very dear to me, but it's been so long since I started it that I think I'd need to rewrite the whole thing, bc I've gotten better at writing in the meantime and the style of any new chapter wouldn't match the first ones.

First gradually, and then all at once: I wrote all of this in a single week, and then uni got in the way, and then my hyperfixation on YYM ended and since then the fic's been stuck in unfortunate limbo :(((( I really want to finish it but I need the muse to guide me

Tryptich: not yet posted, but fully planned. It's one of the toughest, angstiest, most cathartic fic plots I have ever come up with, and I really want to write it because it is such a meaningful story about mental health and loss and recovery, but it's also YYM fandom, and as established above I need to regain that hyperfixation for this to move anywhere :(((( or just have a lot of free time on my hands where I can write both the guardian fic stuck in my brain and this.

16. What are your writing strengths?

uuhm, I think atmosphere/scene setting, structure, and character study/reflection.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

dialogue tags (bane of my existence). I also think my work can sometimes drag on, I use too many words sometimes. Also I feel like I can be kind of a one trick pony xD I repeat a lot of similar lines and dramatic build-up between stories.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

Can be great when other ppl do it. If it's a language I can read a little bit that's nice , otherwise including a translation at the bottom helps. I'd definitely never write dialogue in a language I'm not fluent in. That being said, I do pay a lot of attention to what language my characters are 'actually' speaking, even if I present their dialogue to my readers in English. For example if would write a phrase like "he pauses to breathe between all three syllables" (which sucks as a line, but bear with me), in an English-language fic where the characters would canonically be speaking Mandarin Chinese, then I would make sure the line that character said would actually contain 3 syllables in both English and Chinese. I do a lot of that kind of reasoning in my head. "If this line, reflecting on dialogue spoken in Y language, was transposed directly into language X that the characters are really supposed to be speaking, would the line still work like this?" if the answer there is no, then I will either change the line, or change the English dialogue until I have something that reflects what I imagine the characters would say in their native language in the way I need!

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Tolkien!

20. Favorite fic you've written?

HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO CHOOSE??? it's probably either a hand within a hand (holding light) or kaleidoscope.

Thanks again, this was fun!!!

tagging: @pangzi @programmedradly @lunarriviera @lucientelrunya @mjsakurea @lynne-monstr @dual-domination @aredhel-of-doylkien @thedaughterofshadows if you want to :)

[silv3reyedstranger]

20 Questions

thank you @appropriatelystupid for tagging me! i just finished my french exam this morning so doing this is an awesome way to spend my afternoon🥳

How many works do you have on AO3?

i was not aware that i had seven written and posted?? that's wild :0

2. What's you total AO3 count?

31,822 words?? also a massive surprise since i don't write or post nearly as often as i'd like...but hey, i'll take the win!

3. What fandoms do you write for?

okay, so obviously supercorp lives rent free in my head, but i'm also deeply entrenched in the cissamione and bellamione fandoms. i've got a fuck ton of wips for them, but i haven't put much out yet. however, recently, rojarias (reignjas) has been taking up ALL my brain space—i'm dying to write a lawyer au.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

erm. well, since i only have seven, i'll give you the top two? 1st: i'm home when i'm with you...2nd: this color looks better on you than me

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

i used to be really into and really good about responding to comments because i really appreciate every single one (and i still do) but it took a lot out of me and made me a little anxious, so i don't do it anymore. that being said, i still love and cherish every single comment that's ever been left!

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

i'm really not the biggest fan of angsty endings, so i don't write them very much. i'd much prefer piling on the angst throughout and giving them a happy ending. there's too much sadness and grief in the world already, i feel like everyone should get a happy ending.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

oo, okay, i'm not sure about happiest since they feel pretty even, but if i really had to pick maybe oh how love stings?

8. Do you get hate on fics?

i don't currently, which i think is in part because of how lovely most people in the fandoms i'm in now are, but years ago i wrote a dramione fic and people had a lot (which wasn't necessarily hate, but it was still unnecessary) to say about that.

9. Do you write smut? If so what kind?

i've tried on occasion, but let's just say i'm still working out the kinks (pun intended)

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

i don't and i don't think i will anytime in the near future because i feel like a lot of planning will have to go into that and i don't have the brain space right now. but secondly, i don't feel an immediate urge to merge any two worlds currently.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

luckily, no, not that i'm aware of—hopefully it stays that way!

12. have you ever had a fic translated?

i've had someone ask in my comments before, but as mentioned above i don't really answer comments and i'm still not sure if i'm entirely comfortable with translations even if it allows a larger audience access to the fic.

13. have you ever cowritten a fic before?

i was working on one with @glitterslytherin a few years back, but we never quite got much of it finished haha

14. What's your all-time favourite ship?

it's gotta be supercorp, but currently, rojarias and cissamione have me in a chokehold (i suppose i'm on my supercorp detox atm? maybe i'll be able to churn out fics after this little break)

15. What's a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

i think this applies to all my WIPs to be honest. obviously i want to finish them all, but motivation is a bitch and she tends to come and go as she pleases XD

16. What are your writing strengths?

i'd like to think i do a pretty good job with dialogue. i used to be better at descriptions, but i think the balance has tilted the last couple of years.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

being able to just write and not edit on the way (another reason i rarely finish things) also planning is very much not my forte💀

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

while i am bilingual and almost trilingual, i do tend to stick with english since i feel like it's jarring to have a bit of a different language suddenly pop up and then the reader has to read the translation. and two, i'm not even grammatically accurate in english all the time, so forget about another language!

19. First fandom you wrote for?

oh, this is so mortifying...i believe it was percy jackson, but following closely behind was harry potter.

20. Favorite fic you've ever written?

i don't think i love any of the fics i have out at the moment—like, don't get me wrong, i'm super proud of them—but there's not one finished one that parades in my head all the time. the rojarias lawyer au and a supercorp orchestra au are constantly being thought about though?

tagging a couple of mutuals if ya'll wanna take part!

@theredcapeofk @yanana94 @belladonnainbloom @coffeeshib @naralanis @an-organism

[espithewarlock]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

@duquesademiel making me do words on Tumblr instead of writing fic (love you!!! 😘)

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

I have 30 posted, 1 complete in drafts, and [redacted] anonymous 😈

2. What’s your total AO3 word count? 

according to the stats page, 440k! (but the one I have in drafts will get me over 500k and I'm thinking about doing a giveaway when I hit that milestone?)

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Formula 1 RPF!!

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

I’ve Got a Feeling That I’m Not Complete Anymore, Take Me With You, The Boy With the Storm-Colored Eyes, Another Deep Dive All The Way Down, Croissants in Aub Dhabi

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Very very rarely. I use comments as a metric and adding my own makes it feel like I'm artificially increasing the count. Plus, if I start thanking one person I feel like I have to thank them all and then that spirals out of control. (Not to mention I have so much anxiety over reading comments and sometimes the brain just goes eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee)

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I tend to prefer 'angst with a happy ending', but probably Another Window To Break Out from my 1016 week fics.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Probably With You Around Me It’s Just So Easy To Be In Love. This whole series is just fluff. Everything else tends to have some angst along the way, though I think the series A Nymph's Heart also has a stupidly happy ending.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Yeah, I got some on I’ve Got a Feeling That I’m Not Complete Anymore, but it's also my most-kudos'd (at least, until I get 3 more on Take Me With You) so I kind-of assume those were anomalies? It definitely sucks that I can't go back and read those comments since I haven't (and won't) delete the bad ones and I know there are lovely people who left me nice comments.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Yes. The sort of smut that has too much exposition, plenty of aftercare, and frequently bondage. There has to be feelings involved with my smut and, in my opinion, that's the best part of the smut.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

Nope!

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Nope! (I hope...)

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Well...technically there's one in-progress but my co-conspirators are too busy and have too many other projects so it's on the back-burner and I'm too shy to ask them if it's ever going to get done but I'm sure it will someday and I'm patient and I don't want to bother them about it and I'm perfectly happy posting my own stuff and...

14. What’s your all-time favourite ship?

That is so difficult to answer. In F1 RPF it's easily Piarles. I used to read a fuck-ton of Drarry but Harry Potter anything gives me the ick these days, even fanfiction. If I had to pick an All-Time favorite, it's probably SuzaLulu from Code Geass. (Honestly I haven't touched the fandom in years but I might go check what's on AO3 these days hmmmm.....)

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I'm good about finishing my WIPs...eventually. The good thing for anyone who likes reading my stuff is that I do not post unless it's finished so you'll never have an unfinished work from me!

(That being said, I was writing some [redacted]!Charles and it was hitting a little too close to home so I might not go back to that one...)

16. What are your writing strengths?

Fantasy worldbuilding. I love the setup and introducing a strange new place. Actually probably worldbuilding in general, fantasy or not.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Resolutions. I often *hand wave* over an ending and it's just...yep! everything's good here! all done!

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I am hopelessly monolingual so I will not. I will use commonly-known endearments (Calamar, mon amour, schatz, etc.) but no actual dialogue.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

You will have to pry that information from my cold, dead hands.

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

Bittersweet, That Glitter and it's not even fucking close. It's just...everything to me. The world, the characters, the story...it's so fucking good.

I have exactly zero clue who else has answered this already so @golden-fairylights, @hrhgeorgerussell, and @your-littlesecret if y'all haven't and want to play along??

[bardofavon]

Hi Meg!

I read your post about comments (finally), and you did not dissapoint at all!

I've been on ao3 for almost five years now, three with an account, and I've related so hard with your post.

To be honest, I've never had the experience of some author call me rude before, but even then, there's always this anxiety present whenever I comment with an unknown author for the first time. It's as you said, very hard to phrase every comment so that it can't be missinterpreted, especially since, in my case, I'm a very abrasive person, and often agressive when fond of somebody.

It's true that some people just post their works in ao3 for themselves, I've encountered a few so far, but in those cases they stated their stance on comments since the beggining (one of them hated having to answear comments), so I never had a problem with that, nor did the other readers.

Even then, I always make a point of (idk if that's how you say it in english but-) commenting in works I like with few to zero comments, and the positive feedback i get from them is honestly so endearing. I comment more in small, less known works, rather than large, widely known, or simply complete works, because they rarely get to the author.

That's why commenting in your work is something I love so much. It's not rare for me to get incredibly attached to my favourite authors, and so far, I've managed to befriend almost all of you. Plus, even if I don't comment anything very coherent you always answear with some juicy insight of the chapter, and reading your response to other comments is always such a reward (giggling manically as you uncover little details of your train of thought).

Anyways, the last chapter was great, and yes, I did get some rest. Gotta go back to planning cities tho. (I'm in the verge of throwing the geo exam out of the window to read the inspired works of your works)

See ya soon dearest <333

HEEELLLLOOOOOO THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!

you know i always have opinions and you know i will always be sharing them very loudly. I'm honestly glad you haven't had the experience of an ao3 author calling you rude because some of the notes on that post of experiences people have had make me sad, and your comments are always so kind and thoughtful. i think of how much i would miss out on if someone misinterpreted you in a way that made you feel like you didn't want to comment anymore. THEN WHAT WOULD I DO???

but yeah, crafting a comment should NOT be as hard as actually writing a story. you should be able to send your thoughts to me unfiltered without having to overanalyze your phrasing in every little bit of it to make sure i won't take it weird. the moment commenting starts to feel like a chore instead of a gift is the moment there's a problem.

in a similar vein, i LOOOVVVEEE responding to comments. it's like a little treat for me after a long day. sometimes i enjoy responding to comments as much as i enjoy writing the actual fic (so the mindset of 'i hate having to respond to comments' is so weird to me lol) AND YOU GET FRIENDS OUT OF IT!!! I GET PEOPLE TO BOOP!!! i treat the comments section as like, director dvd commentary. i can share things that wouldn't have come up in the text bc of the pov but that i still want people to know, i can clarify things, etc. it's rewarding!!! and i love that people read my comments to other people, too, it's just another reason why it's worth it to keep doing that.

ANYWAY get back to planning cities!!!!!!! take your geo exam!! be responsible!! i'm proud of you!