#I don’t know if there is a divine comedy fandom

[windwenn]

Virgil divine comedy fanart but make it slightly funky (I discovered the chromatic aberration feature on procreate) (it is so much better than on clip studio)

[wistfulwanderingone]

"The Spark of Freedom"

- Clavis Lelouch, Yves Kloss, Licht Klein, Cassandra Bellerose (Ikemen Prince) ✨ Standalone Fic ✨

Fandom: Ikemen Prince

Characters: Clavis Lelouch, Yves Kloss, Licht Klein, Cassandra Bellerose (OC)

Pairing: Clavis Lelouch x Cassandra OC

Genre: Fluff, Comedy, Clavis Shenanigans

Word Count: ~7200

Summary:

A perfectly civilized tea party. A peaceful spring afternoon. And then—Clavis Lelouch arrived.

With Clavis, Cassandra quickly learns, chaos is inevitable.

She should be scandalized. She should walk away.

Instead, she finds herself stepping into his game, drawn to the way he tilts the world off its axis with nothing more than a sugarcube and a grin.

Artwork of Clavis & Cass by @dododrawsstuff As always she does such an amazing job at bringing them to life! Thank you so much!

Thanks to spring, the palace gardens were painted with soft hues of blooms that spilled over in cascades of roses and wildflowers. Sunlight dappled the table where Cassandra sat with Licht and Yves, the clinking of porcelain teacups punctuating their quiet conversation and the fragrance of the blossoms caressing their senses.

“It’s about balance.” Yves meticulously sliced a scone in half, his movements as elegant as an artist adding the finishing touch to a canvas. “You can’t simply slather jam on without considering the structural integrity of the scone. It’s an art.”

Cassandra raised her teacup to hide her amusement. “I had no idea tea etiquette required such precision.”

“It’s not etiquette,” Yves corrected, sniffing with mock indignation. “It’s common sense. A poorly constructed scone ruins the entire experience.”

Licht leaned back biting into a cookie, his silver-gray hair catching the light. “Thought you’d have written a manual by now.” His voice was low and unreadable as ever, but the faint twitch at the corner of his mouth betrayed the humor lurking beneath his cool exterior.

“Don’t encourage him,” Cassandra teased, grinning playfully. “Before we know it, he’ll have us all taking exams on scone assembly.”

Yves sighed, setting down his perfectly prepared scone with the air of a man bearing great burdens. “If it raises the standard of tea service, I wouldn’t mind.”

Licht shook his head and took another bite of his cookie. 

Cassandra felt warmth unfurl in her chest. Though their temperaments couldn’t be more different—Yves, fastidious and melodramatic; Licht, reserved and stoic—the rhythm of their banter was seamless, the kind of unspoken understanding only forged through shared years and trust.

She closed her eyes for a moment breathing in the scent of the flowers and Yves’ baked goods. There was an ease with her dear friends, a rare reprieve from the endless demands of noble life. Here, at this table with these two, she could simply be. Even tease a little, without fear of reproach. It was a fragile but precious thing, this balance she had found, and she cherished it quietly.

The peace, however, shattered with the sound of approaching footsteps. The confident, almost theatrical stride seemed at odds with the tranquil garden. Cassandra opened her eyes glancing around, trying to spot who was approaching.

“Ugh,” Yves groaned, his shoulders tensing as though bracing for impact. “Here we go. It was nice while it lasted.”

Licht’s smile, already barely there, vanished, replaced by a resigned sigh. “Should’ve known peace was temporary.”

Before Cassandra could ask what they meant, the source of the disruption appeared. Clavis swept into view, his presence as loud and unmistakable as a gust of autumn wind stirring through the leaves. His unrepentant grin was already in place, as though he’d planned to ruin their peace just for the sheer joy of it.

“What a gathering of noble luminaries!”  Clavis proclaimed, throwing his arms wide as though gracing them with his divine presence. Clavis flopped into the chair beside Cassandra with an exaggerated sigh of satisfaction, stretching his legs out like a man settling into a throne. “Ah, what perfect placement. Right beside you, dearie? My, my—how forward of you. You could have seated me anywhere, yet here I am. It’s almost as if you wanted me near.”

Yves pinched the bridge of his nose, his expression one of long-suffering patience, while Licht muttered something under his breath—perhaps a prayer for strength.

“We didn’t save you a seat,” Yves grumbled, his arms crossing as his glare cut across the table. Licht shot Clavis a flat look, the kind that required no words to convey his thoughts.

Cassandra, caught off guard by the abrupt change, rose quickly, dipping into a polite curtsy. “Prince Clavis.”

“Lady Bellerose,” Clavis purred, his golden eyes locking onto hers with an intensity that sent a jolt through her chest, as if he could see every thought she’d tried to keep hidden. He stood up, leaning forward and captured her hand in his. The cool leather of his gloves brushed against her skin, his warm lips brushed her knuckles, lingering just a fraction longer than decorum allowed. A whisper of heat trailed up her arm, her breath hitching at the deliberate intimacy. His gaze didn’t waver, daring her to react. “How lovely to see you here, brightening this otherwise dreary gathering.” His tone was as smooth as the honeyed sunlight filtering through the roses. “I must confess, after that night in the darkness alone together, I simply had to see you again.” Without breaking eye contact, he sat back down, his hand grazing hers as he pulled her along until she was nestled beside him once more.

Cassandra’s cheeks burned instantly, the memory of their puzzling encounter on the balcony flashing in her mind. Her pulse raced, betraying her attempts to compose herself. “Oh, well, that’s—”

“What?!” Yves and Licht interrupted, their voices cutting through the delicate quiet of the garden, equal parts confusion and outrage.

“It’s not what it sounds like!” Cassandra protested, her hands flying up as she glanced between the two brothers.  

“And to think all this time we’ve been protecting you from him”—Yves gestured sharply toward Clavis, the disdain in his voice unmistakable—“has been for naught.”

Licht’s crimson gaze hardened. “Explain.” His voice was clipped, commanding. There was no room for evasion, no space for excuses. Just that single, unyielding word. Cassandra’s eyes widened.

However, Clavis remained utterly unfazed by his brother’s tone. If anything, he looked delighted, as though Licht’s seriousness was the punchline of a private joke. He leaned back in his chair with the air of a man entirely satisfied by the storm he had conjured.

“Oh, come now,” he drawled, stretching his arms behind his head. “She practically accosted me on the balcony at the ball the other night.”

The teacup in Yves’s hand trembled dangerously, his grip tightening as though it was the only thing keeping him from launching it straight at Clavis’s head. “You’re making it sound like she attacked you,” he said through gritted teeth.

Clavis nodded sagely. “Indeed, dear brother. And yet, I forgave her.”

A pause. A long, horrified pause. Yves opened and closed his mouth, visibly struggling to form words. Meanwhile, Cassandra sat frozen, face burning—not from guilt, but from sheer exasperation.

“Forgave me?!” she finally burst out, voice rising. “For what?!”

Clavis placed a hand over hers, exhaling a deep, tragic sigh. “For nearly bewitching me with your charm, of course.” His golden eyes shimmered with mischief. “But worry not! My heart remains intact—for now.”

Silence fell over the table, thick and almost menacing.

Licht, unmoved, turned to Cassandra with perfect, deadpan calm. “Kick him.”

Yves sucked in a sharp breath, his expression contorted in pure, unfiltered rage. “Oh, I knew it. I knew this day would come. We let our guard down for one second—”

Clavis clutched his chest as though struck by an unseen arrow, gasping dramatically. “Ahh! I knew you’d react this way.” He pressed a dramatic hand to his chest. “Two brothers, once so dear to me, now turned against me! Such betrayal! Such tragedy! Oh, the cruel twists of fate!”

Yves’s hand twitched violently, fingers curling into a fist. “Clavis,” he seethed, his voice bordering on unhinged, “I swear to every saint in the heavens—”

Cassandra gripped the edge of the table, barely keeping herself from combusting on the spot. “I—I was just trying to—!”

Clavis let out an audible gasp, placing a hand over his heart as if she had stabbed him instead. “Oh, so now you deny it?” He leaned forward, looking positively wounded by her betrayal. “How cruel! What an utter tragedy! First, you seduce me beneath the stars, and now you erase me from your heart entirely?”

“I did not—” Cassandra’s voice shot up in protest, but before she could finish, Clavis’ gloved finger ghosted over her lips, cool leather meeting warm skin, the contrast sharp enough to steal her breath. 

The touch was featherlight—too light to be a true restraint, but enough to unravel something inside her. A shiver curled up her spine, unbidden, and the warmth it left behind bloomed into something dangerously distracting. Her fingers twitched at her sides, hesitating—torn between brushing his hand away and pressing against the spot he’d touched, as if to confirm it had really happened. She had the unsettling sensation of playing a game where only he knew the rules.

“Now, now,” Clavis murmured, his voice low and syrupy, his face so close it danced on the very edge of propriety.

His golden eyes flickered with something knowing—something that sent her stomach twisting into knots. His smirk deepened, the kind of smile that said he had felt her shiver, had noticed the way she hesitated. That, perhaps, he had done it just to see what she would do. 

“Don’t worry, dearie,” he whispered, his breath fanning against her cheek. “A gentleman would never kiss and tell.”

“Kiss?!” Yves nearly dropped his teacup, looking as though he had just witnessed a crime against humanity.

Across the table, Licht calmly set his teacup down with measured precision. Then, in a tone that sent a shiver down Cassandra’s spine, he muttered, “I’m going to kill him.”

“There was no ki—!” Cassandra started, her voice sharp with protest, but she never got to finish.

Because Clavis, grinning like the devil himself, tapped her lips twice with his fingers—silent command—before slipping something unexpected between them. “Hush, dearie,” he purred. “You’re much cuter when you’re speechless.”

 The flavors hit her instantly—a jarring yet oddly intriguing blend of sweet and heat. The sharp warmth of chile danced across her tongue, mingling with the rich smoothness of chocolate.

Licht visibly recoiled, his pallor worsening. “I think I’m going to be sick.”

Cassandra, undeterred, chewed slowly, her expression shifting as she processed the unusual combination. She cast a quick glance at Clavis, catching the faintest hint of anticipation in his gaze, as if he were waiting to see if she would flinch. She swallowed delicately before speaking. “That is a unique flavor,” she said, her voice calm, almost intrigued. Her eyes lingered on his for a moment longer than necessary, the corner of her mouth curving into a small, unbidden smile. “What was it? Chocolate and…chile peppers?”

The table froze. Yves and Licht stared at her as though she’d announced plans to dine on the hedges. Even Clavis, who seemed impervious to surprises, wavered for a split second. His unrelenting grin softened, his golden eyes widening in what might have been genuine surprise.

“You’re not supposed to guess that easily,” he murmured, almost sounding disappointed.

Cassandra turned to Yves, her smile bright as spring sunshine. “I’m impressed, Yves. I wouldn’t have thought to try that combination.”

“Me?!” Yves’s voice was little more than a mouse-like squeak. “I would never create such an abomination!”

Blinking in confusion, Cassandra glanced to Licht, her brow furrowing slightly. “But…then who—?”

“Clavis,” Licht interjected flatly.

Her curious gaze shifted back to Clavis. He was watching her intently now, and his grin wavered—not gone, but softened, tempered by something deeper. Fascination? Amusement? Or something else entirely? For a fleeting moment, she wasn’t sure. He had been playing with her, teasing, but now... something in his expression had changed. Just slightly.

It wasn’t the usual self-satisfied smirk, nor the smug amusement she had come to expect from him. No, this was different.

“You…bake?” she asked, meeting his golden gaze.

For a heartbeat longer, Clavis simply stared at her. Then his smile slowly widened. “Indeed I do. Why I am a man of many talents,” he said smoothly, though his voice dipped ever so slightly on the last word, a subtle gravity that pulled her attention closer. “My culinary endeavors are but one expression of my boundless creativity.”

“You mean chaos,” Yves remarked dryly under his breath, folding his arms.

“I think it’s creative,” Cassandra said softly, surprising even herself as she picked up another of his treats. Her fingers brushed his gloved ones briefly as she reached for it, the contact sending an odd little flutter through her chest. She smiled at him before lifting it to her lips, savoring the bold, unexpected flavors. “Don’t be ashamed, Prince Clavis. It’s actually quite good.”

Yves and Licht both gawked at her, as though she had just sprouted wings. 

For a fleeting second, Cassandra swore she saw it—a flicker of something unreadable in Clavis’s golden eyes, a beat of hesitation so brief she might have imagined it.

He blinked. Just once. As if he hadn’t quite expected her response. As if she had somehow stepped beyond the script he had so carefully prepared.

And yet—she had the strangest feeling he wasn’t displeased by it.

Then, the smirk returned and he tilted his head as his cat-like eyes narrowed—sharp, assessing—as though recalibrating everything he thought he knew about her.

“Lady Bellerose,” he breathed at last in an almost reverent tone. His voice had dropped, quieter now, and there was a weight to his words that made her chest tighten unexpectedly. “You may be the first person in Rhodolite to truly appreciate my artistry.”

Yves raised an eyebrow, his tone sharp with disbelief. “Artistry? She’s just too polite to say it’s awful.”

“You’re projecting again, Yves.” Clavis waved a dismissive hand. “Don’t worry, someday you’ll meet someone with a palate as refined as this young lady’s. Perhaps in another kingdom.”

Yves opened his mouth to retort, but Clavis was already leaning closer to Cassandra, his shoulder brushing lightly against her, sending her pulse flying. His voice dipped to a conspiratorial murmur. “I must confess I hadn’t expected anyone to appreciate the brilliance of that particular creation so quickly. Most of my…culinary experiments go sadly underappreciated.”

Cassandra tilted her head, her smile soft. “There’s a certain freeing boldness in pairing such unexpected flavors. I admire that.”

Clavis feigned deep thought as he tapped his chin. “Freeing boldness,” he repeated, his tone almost wistful. For the briefest moment, the teasing spark in his eyes dimmed, replaced by something heavier, something far less carefree. “You, my dear, have an adventurous spirit. I like that.”

Yves exhaled sharply. “Adventurous? You mean reckless. Anyone else would have spit that out immediately.”

“Or passed out,” Licht added grimly, his crimson eyes narrowing as he glanced at Cassandra, as though trying to decipher her apparent immunity.

Cassandra only shrugged gently, the movement as graceful as a swan. “Perhaps I just have a taste for surprises.” Her gaze flicked back to Clavis, her smile unwavering. Their eyes met, and for a moment, she felt herself drawn into the quiet intensity of his gaze. There was something unspoken in the intensity of his gaze, a glimmer that felt equal parts teasing and searching, as if he were trying to unravel her right there at the table. “Thank you for the unexpected treat, Prince Clavis. It was…memorable.”

“Memorable,” he repeated, his voice low with disbelief as he looked down at the table. His fingers brushed the edge of the sugar bowl absently, but his eyes flicked back up to hers, softer now, as if searching for something more in her expression.

Yves let out a sharp snort, shaking his head. “That’s one way to put it.”

“Ah, so you admit it—you envy her courage. Understandable, truly.” Clavis’ gloved hand swept dramatically toward Cassandra. “Lady Bellerose ventures into the unknown with grace and determination, unbothered by the faint-hearted whispers of lesser critics. And that is precisely why Lady Bellerose is so utterly captivating. While the rest of you cower in the safety of the familiar,” he continued, winking at Cassandra, “she strides boldly into the uncharted. She sees artistry where others see…tragedy.”

“Tragedy?” Cassandra’s green eyes shimmered with humor as she took another bite. “I think it’s quite good. Unexpected, yes, but unique. I like it.”

Clavis leaned forward with a glint in his eye. The movement closed the distance between them just enough for her to catch a faint trace of lavender. His chin rested on his hand, his gaze fixed on Cassandra with the kind of intensity that felt more like a tease than admiration—but only just. “You, my dear, are undeniably delightful,” he murmured, his tone light, yet tinged with something more thoughtful. “A riddle wrapped in elegance. I must admit…I cannot wait to unravel you.”

Cassandra blinked, heat rising to her cheeks under the weight of his gaze. The way he said it, low and smooth, felt like a whisper meant only for her. Her hand tightened around the teacup. “I’m not sure I’m as complicated as all that.”

“Oh, but you are,” Clavis replied smoothly, his grin curving slightly as though he relished her flustered response. “You’ve managed to surprise me, dearie. And I do so love surprises.”

"I thought you were only interested in blindsiding others," Yves said, his smile cutting. "I didn’t take you for someone who’d enjoy the tables turning—how unexpectedly versatile of you."

"Ah, but isn’t it the mark of a true master to appreciate both sides of the game?" Clavis quipped, his grin sly. His fingers tapped against the sugar bowl as though considering his next move, but his eyes flicked briefly back to Cassandra. "Besides, you should know by now, dear Yves—I never lose my footing, even when the tables do turn." With that, he turned back to Cassandra, gently picking up her hand and enclosing it between his own.

“Now, my dear,” he said with a seductive smile, his thumb brushing lightly over her knuckles as if testing her reaction, “shall I craft another masterpiece just for you?”

"Masterpiece?" Yves scoffed, crossing his arms. "If you’re referring to whatever that was, I think we’d all survive without an encore, thank you."

“Ah, Yves,” Clavis sighed, waving a dismissive hand in his brother’s direction, but his attention didn’t waver from Cassandra. “You’re so dreadfully serious. Lighten up a bit, would you? This is a tea party, not a funeral.”

“We were having a perfectly peaceful afternoon,” Yves retorted, his voice tight with irritation, “until you arrived.”

“Dear brother, your words cut deeper than a blade!” Clavis gasped, clutching his chest as though mortally wounded. “I only sought to bring a touch of excitement to your otherwise drab existence.”

“Drab was fine,” Licht said with calm resignation, his ruby-red eyes narrowing as he regarded Clavis.

Cassandra watched the brothers’ exchange, but her attention kept drifting back to Clavis. He had a way of commanding focus, not just with his words but with the way he seemed to inhabit every inch of the space around him, drawing her in. His energy was magnetic, chaotic, yet strangely comforting—like stepping to the edge of a cliff and trusting the wind to catch her. Yes, the garden had been a sanctuary of peace before the third prince’s arrival,  but now the air thrummed with an energy that felt boundless and alive. The tranquility had been soothing, but this—this was alive, unpredictable, and thrilling. For the first time, the garden felt like more than just a retreat; it felt like a place where anything was possible.

“So,” Clavis drawled, his fingers toying idly with a sugar cube. The flicker of mischief in his golden eyes was unmistakable, as though the very thought of disruption delighted him. He rolled the cube along the table’s edge, his movements languid but precise. “This is what passes for entertainment these days? Tea and polite conversation?” He sighed dramatically, as though the idea alone pained him. “How utterly…uninspired.”

His gaze lingered on the sugar bowl, a spark of childlike curiosity lighting his expression. “Tell me,” he said, holding up the sugar cube and balancing it between his fingers. “What’s the purpose of these delicate little blocks? To sweeten tea? Or perhaps…to test one’s aim?”

“Clavis,” Yves began sharply, already bracing for chaos.His tone was clipped, but his tense shoulders betrayed the inevitability of what was coming. “Don’t even think about it.”

“Think about what, dear Yves?” Clavis grinned, his expression the picture of innocence. “A gentleman such as myself would never engage in—oh, there it goes!” With a flick of his wrist, the sugar cube shot across the table and landed with a soft thunk into Yves’s teacup. It bobbed slightly in the liquid before sinking.

“Clavis!” Yves sputtered, snatching his teacup and glaring at his brother. “What is wrong with you?”

“You are right, dear Yves, harmless fun really is the best way to liven up a tea party. Thank you for acknowledging my finesse.” He reached out and grabbed another sugar cube.

“Don’t—” Yves’s warning turned into a frustrated growl as it landed with perfect precision in his cup. “Enough!”

Clavis beamed as though he’d just won a duel. The satisfaction radiating off him was so palpable that Cassandra found herself stifling a laugh, her lips pressing together tightly. She felt a twinge of anxiety, imagining her mother’s disapproving voice chastising her for indulging in such antics. Yet the thrill of it—the sheer irreverence—was impossible to ignore.

“Dear Yves, your dedication to tea preservation is truly inspiring. But do you think you’re ready for—” Clavis’ eyes sparkled as he reached for a rogue sugar cube. “—the next level?”

A third sugar cube zipped through the air, landing squarely against Yves’s forehead before landing into his teacup with a soft splash.

Yves stared at Clavis, his jaw tightening. “I hate you.”

“Hatred is just love wrapped in irritation, dear Yves,” Clavis mused, plucking another sugar cube and twirling it between his fingers. “And I do so enjoy being loved.” With a flourish, he tossed another cube into the air, caught it effortlessly, and popped it into his mouth. “But wait! I can improve. A prince must always be prepared, after all.”

“For what?” Licht asked flatly, his ruby-red eyes narrowing. His calm tone held the slightest edge of resignation, as though he, too, knew resistance was futile. “A sugar cube rebellion?”

Clavis sighed with mock solemnity, his gloved hand falling over his heart. “Ah, dear Licht, one must always prepare for life’s unexpected challenges. Sugar cubes are far more cunning than they appear.”

Cassandra stifled a laugh, glancing between Clavis’s roguish grin and the increasingly exasperated Yves and Licht. Her gaze lingered on Clavis longer than she intended, caught by the way his grin tilted just slightly more when he looked at her—as if she alone understood the fun. A flush warmed her cheeks, but she quickly looked away, hoping he hadn’t noticed.

But of course, he did.

She saw it—the way his smirk sharpened, the glint in his golden eyes turning just a shade too knowing. A quiet, wicked satisfaction flickered there, subtle but unmistakable.

Oh. He knew.

The realization sent a prickle of heat down her spine. Had she been that obvious? She had tried to school her expression, to hold on to some semblance of composure—but Clavis Lelouch was nothing if not observant. And now, he had caught her.

A thrill curled in her chest, equal parts embarrassment and exhilaration.

He had suspected she was enjoying herself. Now, he was certain.

And, judging by the way his smirk deepened, he intended to do something about it.

“Lady Bellerose,” Clavis said suddenly, his sharp golden gaze locking onto hers, catching her mid-thought. His smirk curved wickedly, challenge sparking in his eyes. “Surely, you understand the importance of strategy and precision?”

His antics were so wildly different from the restrained and polished behavior she had grown up around. There was something exhilarating about watching someone live so unapologetically, so freely. It was like catching sight of a wild flame leaping free in a carefully tended hearth—a burst of untamed energy defying the confines of its polished surroundings, hinting at a world far beyond propriety’s reach. 

“I… suppose?” she replied hesitantly, already feeling herself swept up in his energy, though unsure of where it might lead.Her pulse quickened, and she was keenly aware of how closely he leaned toward her, as though drawing her into a secret shared only between them.

“Excellent!”Clavis straightened, his posture triumphant, as though she had just sworn an oath of allegiance. Snatching a sugar cube from the table, he held it aloft like a miniature weapon. His arm swept casually around her shoulders, their heads nearly touching. 

She felt the warmth of him, an almost unnerving awareness of how little distance separated them. His arm was casual, his posture relaxed—but the nearness of him sent a thrill through her veins, something both exhilarating and dangerous. When had he gotten this close? Had he always been this warm? 

“Then you shall be my strategist,” he grinned at her. “Together, we shall dominate this battlefield!”

 Yves lunged forward, snatching the sugar bowl and clutching it to his chest like a precious artifact. “Battlefield?” Yves echoed, incredulous. “You mean the tea table?”

“Every grand battle begins somewhere, Yves,” Clavis declared with unwavering confidence. “Today, the tea table. Tomorrow, the world!” Clavis declared, leaning closer to Cassandra. “Your quick thinking shall win us this battle, my lady. Choose your ammunition wisely.”

Cassandra blinked, her eyes darting to the small pile of sugar cubes and crumbs on the table. Her lips parted, the instinct to protest rising in her throat—but the words never came.  Because the truth was, she wanted nothing more than to play along. “Are you serious?” 

“Deadly,”Clavis replied, a sly smile curling at his lips, his eyes alight with playful intent. He pointed grandly at the scones. “Behold! The perfect ammunition for long-range strikes. And these—” he grabbed a scattering of crumbs, holding them up like prized jewels, “—ideal for close combat. Revolutionary tactics, wouldn���t you agree?”

“This is ridiculous,” Yves huffed, clutching the sugar bowl tighter as though it were the last line of defense in a siege.His narrowed eyes flicked to Licht, who met his gaze with a subtle shrug, as if to say, What do you expect? It was a futile attempt at solidarity, both knowing they were powerless against Clavis’s chaos.

“Ridiculous? No, no. Visionary,” Clavis corrected, his tone drenched in mock indignation. “Future historians will marvel at our ingenuity.”

Cassandra bit her lip, her laughter bubbling dangerously close to the surface. A flicker of guilt crept in, her mother’s disapproving voice echoing in her mind, warning her about decorum and the image of a proper lady. She could almost hear the admonishment: This is unseemly behavior for someone of your station—but wasn’t that precisely what made it so intoxicating? There was something liberating in his irreverence, in the way he ignored the rules she had spent her life obeying. When was the last time she’d allowed herself to simply be—to laugh without constraint, to act without fear of judgment?

She caught herself glancing at Clavis out of the corner of her eye, a flicker of shared amusement sparking between them. Why did he make her feel so unmoored? He seemed to wield chaos like an art form, each move deliberate, each word a provocation. He was testing her—she could feel it. But was it a game to him, or was there something more behind his golden gaze, something deeper hidden behind the mischievous smile?

“Prince Clavis, I don’t think this is—”

“You’re right,” Clavis interrupted with a mischievous gleam in his eye. “This isn’t just a game. It’s history in the making.”  The way his grin deepened felt almost deliberate, as if he could see the cracks forming in her composure and intended to widen them.

Without further warning, he flicked a large crumb toward Yves. It bounced harmlessly off his sleeve, but the affronted look Yves gave him was that of someone struck by cannon fire.

“Please, my lady, quickly!” Clavis urged, leaning toward her as though they were comrades in the heat of battle. The closeness of his voice sent a shiver down her spine, his warm tone coaxing her forward. “We must defend our position!” His words felt like a dare, pulling her further from the confines of propriety.

Her fingers hovered over the scone, hesitation curling tight in her chest. This was madness—surely she couldn’t. 

And yet…Clavis’s energy seemed to draw her in like a magnet. Something inside her cracked open, just a little. The weight of propriety loosened, slipping through her grasp like silk between her fingers. It wasn’t a grand rebellion—just a breath, a heartbeat where she let herself lean into the moment instead of fighting it.

A quiet, breathless thrill rippled through her.

That was dangerous.

(And exhilarating.)

With a soft, mischievous smile, she picked up the scone. “Like this?” she asked.

“Precisely!” Clavis exclaimed, his voice brimming with approval. “Now, aim for—”

Before he could finish, Cassandra tossed the scone with surprising precision, landing it squarely on Yves’s plate.

The impact was soft—barely more than a gentle plop—but the effect was immediate.

Yves let out a strangled noise of pure offense. Licht blinked. The world held its breath.

And Clavis—

Cassandra barely had time to register the way his expression flickered, the way his golden eyes widened just a fraction before his smirk snapped back into place, sharp and wicked. But for that one impossible moment, he hesitated—like he hadn’t quite expected her to actually do it. Like she had somehow…surprised him.

(A small, traitorous thrill curled in her chest at the thought.)

Then, just as quickly, Clavis let out a low, slow whistle, his grin stretching wider, sharper—his voice dipping lower, silkier.

"My, my," he murmured, tilting his head in her direction, eyes glinting like sunlight catching the edge of a blade. "So you do have a wicked streak, dearie. And here I thought you were all poise and propriety."

Cassandra’s breath caught.

He was looking at her differently now—not just in amusement, not just in mischief. No, there was something else in his expression, something deeper, something…searching. 

For the first time since meeting him, Cassandra had the unnerving realization that she had just turned the game back on him. 

Clavis was chuckling. “You see, dear brothers? Even she understands the brilliance of creative warfare.”

“It’s not warfare,” Yves snapped, glaring down at his plate as though the scone was an affront to the sanctity of his carefully constructed world. He shot Cassandra a look of betrayed exasperation, his fingers twitched as if fighting the urge to straighten his plate, then turned to Licht for support. Licht’s lips twitched as he raised his teacup, leaving Yves to fend for himself. “Cassandra, do you realize what you’ve just done?”

“I believe I’ve hit my target.”

“You’ve desecrated the order of the tea table,” Yves said, his voice trembling with righteous indignation. His hand darted to a nearby scone, his jaw tightening. “Fine. If you’re going to abandon all sense, then you leave me no choice but to defend my dignity.”

With that, Yves lobbed the scone back across the table, aiming for Clavis but missing slightly. It bounced off the edge of Clavis’s teacup before tumbling to the ground. Yves huffed. “Exactly as intended. Take notes, everyone.”

“Despite our opponent’s pitiful display, the war is far from over,” Clavis quipped, leaning closer to Cassandra with a sly smile. “Wouldn’t you agree?”

Cassandra giggled, her hand coming up to cover her mouth. This was unlike her—throwing scones, engaging in ridiculous antics. It felt like stepping into someone else’s shoes, someone freer and more confident. And yet, wasn’t that precisely the kind of person she longed to be? “I’m not sure I should encourage you.”

“Encourage me?” Clavis clutched his chest in mock offense. “Perish the thought! I am entirely self-sufficient in chaos, I assure you.”

“Cassandra,” Yves said, his voice tight with desperation as he shot her a pleading look. “Don’t continue to let him drag you into this.”

Clavis leaned closer to Cassandra, his voice dropping to a playful murmur. “Don’t listen to him. He’s just jealous of your unparalleled strategic prowess and fine aim.”

“I’m not jealous!” Yves protested, though the faint flush creeping up his neck betrayed him.

Clavis leaned back with a triumphant laugh, his grin sharp and self-satisfied as though he’d just claimed an undisputed victory. “Ah, Lady Bellerose,” he murmured, leaning just a fraction closer. “I do believe I’ve found a kindred spirit. How…unexpected. Together, we could conquer kingdoms—or, at the very least, commandeer the dessert tray.”

She couldn’t help the way her laughter bubbled up, unbidden, spilling out in waves that felt freer than they should. Quickly, she pressed a hand to her mouth, a flicker of anxiety tugging at the edges of her joy. What would her mother say if she could see this? The disapproval would be swift and scathing: A lady never loses her composure. And yet, here she was, losing herself in the moment.

“I suppose,” she said, breathing deeply, “it wouldn’t hurt to…practice my aim.”

“Spoken like a true warrior,” Clavis declared, holding his hand up for a celebratory high five. She hesitated briefly, her hand hovering in the air before she gave in with a laugh, their palms meeting with a satisfying clap. Her fingers tingled from the contact, the warmth lingering longer than it should. Clavis’s grin deepened, and she caught the way his gaze lingered—not in jest, but as though he were assessing her, testing how far she’d step out of her carefully drawn lines.

“This is ridiculous,” Licht remarked curtly, his tone clipped as he exhaled sharply. He sat back in his chair with rigid control, his hand briefly brushing over his face as if trying to wipe away the absurdity of the moment.

“Ridiculous?” Clavis repeated, his tone mockingly scandalized. His hand flew dramatically to his chest as if struck by an unseen force. “Do you hear that, Lady Bellerose? The enemy underestimates us. A fatal mistake.”

Cassandra couldn’t suppress her laughter. This time, it escaped her entirely, uninhibited and warm, shaking loose something that had been bound up in her for far too long. She reached for another scone, her fingers brushing its delicate edges. For a moment, a small voice in the back of her mind whispered caution, reminding her of the expectations she wore like armor. But then her gaze locked with Clavis’s golden eyes, his impish grin daring her, coaxing her toward rebellion—and the hesitation melted like sugar in tea. What was it about him that made her feel so alive, so unmoored, so alive?

“Very well,” she said, her voice tinged with playful defiance. “If this truly is a battle, then I suggest we aim for the most unguarded target.”

“Brilliant,” Clavis said, the corners of his eyes crinkled as he picked up another sugar cube. Slowly, his gaze drifted toward Licht, who had been sitting quietly, watching the chaos unfold with a brooding stillness.

“No,” Licht said immediately, his tone as cold and sharp as the edge of a blade. “Don’t even think about it.”

Clavis ignored the warning entirely, instead turning to Cassandra with a slow, cat-like smile. “Lady Bellerose, the enemy is rattled. Your orders?”

Cassandra bit her lip, her grin deepening as a thrill of rebellion rippled through her. This absurd moment felt like a pocket of stolen freedom, shared with the most unpredictable and chaotic prince she’d ever met. Straightening in mock seriousness, she raised her chin and declared, “Fire at will, Commander.” Her voice carried a note of cheeky authority, as if she’d truly taken command of their ridiculous campaign.

With a flick of his wrist, Clavis sent the sugar cube sailing through the air. It struck the rim of Licht’s teacup with a soft clink, narrowly avoiding toppling the contents.

Licht’s glare snapped to Clavis, his crimson eyes dark with warning. “You have three seconds to stop.”

Clavis raised his hands in feigned surrender. “Peace, dear brother. It’s all in the name of camaraderie. Surely, you wouldn’t let me enjoy the fun alone?”

Licht stood abruptly, his movements precise and deliberate as he reached for the crumb-laden edge of his plate. “You want a response?” His voice was calm, dangerously so. “Fine.”

The crumbs sailed across the table with the precision of a man who had spent a lifetime honing control. They scattered over Clavis’s jacket and into his shirt, landing with surprising effectiveness.

Clavis laughed, his grin wider than ever. “Ah, a worthy opponent at last!” he declared, producing a handful of sugar cubes from his pockets with the dramatic flair of a magician revealing his grand trick. He handed some to Cassandra, who accepted them with wide-eyed amusement.

Yves froze, slack-jawed, clutching the sugar bowl so tightly it looked in danger of cracking. “You’ve been carrying sugar cubes in your pockets?” he exclaimed, his expression turning murderous. “Like some deranged squirrel?”

Before Clavis could respond, Yves snatched a fistful of sugar cubes from the bowl and hurled them at him. “This is why no one trusts you!”

Clavis ducked, laughing uncontrollably. “A bit of sugar-coating never hurt anyone, Yves!” He straightened, still grinning. “Now then, brothers—prepare yourself! The battlefield spares no one!'"

Yves shot Licht a look, one that silently conveyed both exasperation and an unspoken agreement: Clavis was a force neither of them could control. Licht gave the faintest shrug, a hint of resigned humor flickering in his crimson eyes before he reached for a scone. “If you put this much effort into diplomacy,” Licht said, his voice dry as parchment,  “we’d have conquered three kingdoms by now.”

The phrase lingered in Cassandra’s mind, though not in the way Clavis intended. The battlefield spares no one. It struck a chord, an echo of her own life—her quiet, daily battles with expectation and propriety. But here, amidst this frivolous chaos, those invisible chains seemed to loosen.

Cassandra’s laughter rose, blending into the ridiculous chaos as her gaze flicked back to Clavis. For a moment, his expression softened—still mischievous, but almost vulnerable, as though he was quietly measuring her. Did he see the invisible chains she was shedding? Did he sense her desire for this fleeting freedom?

Clavis turned to Cassandra, gesturing grandly. “Strategist, what’s our next move?”

“Retaliate,” she said without hesitation, her heart racing with exhilaration.

Clavis’s grin widened, a spark of admiration flickering in his golden eyes, as if he relished how readily she stepped into the chaos he created. His movements were swift and calculated as one by one, he flicked the cubes toward Licht with surprising speed and accuracy. Licht dodged most with practiced ease, his expression remaining impassive, though one cube struck his shoulder, leaving a faint dusting of sugar in its wake.

“Enough!” Yves finally snapped, rising from his seat and holding up his hands as though commanding a battlefield to halt. “You’re ruining the tea party!”

Clavis turned to Yves, his expression one of mock regret. “Ah, dear brother, do you feel left out? I’d hate for you to miss the fun.”

Yves’s eyes narrowed, his jaw tightening. “Don’t. You. Dare.”

Clavis’s hand hovered over the remnants of sugar cubes scattered across the table, his grin widening. “Wouldn’t I?”

“Clavis,” Yves warned, his voice low.

But it was too late. A sugar cube sailed through the air, landing squarely in Yves’s neatly combed hair.

Cassandra doubled over, her laughter spilling out in waves as Yves sputtered, his composure entirely shattered.

Her chest ached with laughter, but a flicker of anxiety crept in—half-expecting her mother’s disapproving figure to emerge from behind the hedges. Then Clavis’s laughter cut through it, warm and reckless, like sunlight through a storm cloud. This was different—this was freedom.

Yves groaned, rubbing a hand down his face as he looked between Cassandra’s glowing laughter and Clavis’s triumphant grin. “Unbelievable. We’ve lost her.”

Licht let out a quiet huff, taking a sip of tea. “Mayb ee never stood a chance.”

“Don’t worry, dear Yves,” Clavis said, flicking the last crumb toward him. “We’ll save you a scone…or perhaps we’ll just use it as ammunition.”

For a brief moment, Yves’s gaze softened as he glanced at Cassandra, her unrestrained laughter echoing through the garden. He frowned, not in disapproval, but in wonder. It was rare to see her so at ease, and for all the chaos Clavis stirred, it seemed he’d managed to do what neither he nor Licht could—pull Cassandra out of the weight of her own expectations.

The table descended into delightful mayhem, scones and sugar cubes flying as Clavis sparred with Licht and even Yves, who reluctantly joined the fray. Cassandra’s laughter spilled out, wild and uninhibited, a sound she scarcely recognized as her own.

For once, she wasn’t merely a spectator in her world—she was part of it, untethered from propriety. Her green eyes caught Clavis’s golden ones for a moment, his expression sparkling.

Licht, now armed with a scone, fixed Clavis with a flat glare. “You’re lucky she’s laughing,” he said, nodding toward Cassandra. “Otherwise, I’d have ended this already.”

“Lady Bellerose,” Clavis said, plucking a cookie from the table and holding it aloft like a trophy, “your leadership has rallied even the most reluctant warriors. I salute you!”

Cassandra shook her head, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes as her laughter spilled over. Had she ever laughed this much, this joyously, this freely? It felt as though Clavis had flung open a door she hadn’t realized was locked, letting in a rush of something wild and wonderful.

Clavis turned his golden gaze to her, his grin softening. “See? That’s what the world needs more of,” he said, his usual teasing tone tempered with uncharacteristic warmth. “A little chaos. A little laughter.”

Cassandra brushed a stray crumb from her dress. She knew she should compose herself, return to the poise expected of her, but this moment felt real in a way she hadn’t experienced in weeks. “I don’t know how you manage to make everything feel so…alive.”

“Ah, Lady Bellerose, such dangerous words,” he said, his voice dipping lower. “You might just inspire me to create even more chaos.”

Cassandra realized she’d been holding her breath—not from worry, but from a feeling she hadn’t let herself savor in years: freedom. It was intoxicating. She bit her lip, hiding a small smile as she looked away. “I suppose the garden could survive…a little more chaos.”

Clavis drifted back into conversation with his brothers, teasing them mercilessly. Her green eyes lingered on him, drawn to the way his laughter rang out, unburdened by expectation, his movements imbued with a carefree confidence that left her both captivated and unnerved. There was a rawness to his charm that felt dangerous, as though he could unravel all the careful stitching of her world with a single, reckless grin.

Clavis caught her staring, and a knowing smirk on his lips. “My lady,” he whispered, leaning in close to her, his tone teasing but edged with something deeper, “I hope you’re not plotting my downfall. Though, I must say, it’s hard to blame you—I’d be equally distracted in your position.”

She should step away, return to the safe, polished world she knew. But the way Clavis was watching her—golden eyes glinting, teasing but searching—made her pulse stumble. And before she could stop herself…

“Perhaps I am plotting something,” she murmured, her voice soft but steady, a small smile tugging at her lips.

For a breath—just a breath—Clavis didn’t move. His smirk remained, but something in his golden eyes flickered, unreadable. Then, smoothly, effortlessly, he leaned in closer. “Ah, I do love a good mystery,” he said, his voice dropping to a husky whisper. “But tell me, my dear—what’s your next move?”

Tag List:

@ithseem @chirp-a-chirp @aquagirl1978 @queengiuliettafirstlady @nyxthepixystick

@ikeprinces-stuff @kaizoku-musume @candiedcoffeedrops @missaengg @ike-garden2024

@writingwhimsey @reborn-elven-spirit @elixirofubik @avellanas-nutty-empire

[yourlocalabstraction]

◢◣Welcome!◢◣

Greetings from me, Tap!! I’m a self-taught multifandom artist, amateur webmaster, and abstract character designer. I (plan to) post things like complete pieces, digital paintings, wips, design processes, ramblings, headcanons, maybe even trinkets I collect! We’ve got it all!!!!

Fun fact: I don’t have a pc, everything I do is on iPad.

I’ve decided expand my presence to tumblr for multiple reasons.

The Instagram algorithm is absolute ass, and trying to please it is quite impossible.

I wanted to share more things that don’t fall under the “finished pieces” umbrella that I couldn’t really post before. I mean I DO post stuff like that on my spam account, but only 2 people and a rock see it.

When it comes to my more obscure interests, it’s easier to find folk with said interests on here than probably anywhere else.

I am now cringe i am now free

Fandoms (my taste is all over the place):

Current fixations:

Starlight Express, The Divine Comedy, Splatoon, Cult of the Lamb, Chonny Jash

Other notable fixations/fandoms:

Camp Here & There

Cuphead

Deltarune

ENA

Ghosts (BBC)

Good Omens

OMORI

Ooblets

Our Flag Means Death

Re-Animator

Ride the Cyclone

Slime Rancher

Yume Nikki

Music I find quite enjoyable:

Cojum Dip

DEVO

Food House

Graham Kartna

Lemon Demon

Logan Whitehurst

LuLuYam

Miracle Musical

Oingo Boingo

Pink Floyd

Talking Heads

Tally Hall

The Caretaker

Will Wood

Yuno Miles [mostly /j]

Tags

#taps art - (more complete) Art. Pretty self explanatory.

#taps merch updates - Updates on new or restocked stuff I sell.

#taptorials - Art tutorials about my process.

#design lore - My thought process when making my blorbos.

#abstracities - My silly oc universe with the same name. Most of the cast is based off various music fixations I’ve had over the past few years!

#overlayposting - Anything (mostly doodles) of my sona, Overlay.

#mjs trinkets - For sharing trinkets I find/own (this tradition originated from my insta spam account).

#taps asks - Asks. Yea.

CWs

My art can sometimes contain subjects such as eyestrain, body horror and gore. Posts with these won’t be too frequent and will be CW’d, so don’t worry too much! But I just wanted to give a heads up.

Things to Note:

What I draw is heavily based on what my autism fixates on. I wouldn’t recommend following for just one fandom since what I draw can very heavily fluctuate.

I have like. 8742578 different art styles. It fluctuates a lot and I’m always trying new shit out.

Feel free to draw fanart of any of my blorbos !!! Just don’t be weird. No NSFW or anything like that.

As of right now I’m new to Tumblr. Being autistic makes it kinda hard to learn UI/website etiquettes, so please be patient with me !!!

If there’s any problems with the custom theme, pls let me know!! I know there’s not too many drastic CSS changes but still. Plus I’m pretty sure the theme doesn’t even show up on mobile so fuck it we ball

If I ever wake up one day and think “damn this intro sucks ass”, i will update it.

Thanks for reading, enjoy your stay !!

[infinitelycynical]

3, 14, 18, 19 & 29 for the fanfic writers ask? Thank you!

Hi! Thank you so much for the ask! :D

3. What’s your favorite fic that you’ve written?

I am torn between two of them, I'm not sure which one to pick. These would be The Complaints Box and Doomed By The Narrative. The Complaints Box is all comedy, and I actually really enjoyed experimenting with how to tell a story through the formatting. I'm very fond of writing through unconventional formats, or formats not seen in the DN fandom before. Doomed by the narrative, however, is some of my best writing to date. I'm really proud of how I've done the worldbuilding behind that and how it supports the narrative.

4. How many WIPs do you have right now?

Eight, as of now! Three of those are for Death Note.

18. What’s one of your favorite lines you’ve written in a fic?

Very, very good question. I scoured through doomed by the narrative because, again, favourite writing, and came across this:

Blood rushed through his ears; the adrenaline of his own arrogance had left him in a dizzying sweep. A voice in his head that mutated into something reminiscent of Matsuda screamed in his head, admonishing his arrogance in a desperate fury. Look what you have done! It shrieked, You are not a martyr, you are not justice! You are human and you are a fool! Divine beings strive to create monsters even remotely as evil as the monster you have become! For all your so-called godliness, it will be a mortal who kills you!

I remember this line so vividly because I had written it a long while before I wrote the rest of the fic, and I was very excited to include it.

19. Give us a small teaser from one of your WIPs.

The question of all questions! I'd be happy to oblige, this is from one of my Death Note wips (who a couple of my friends might know about... hehe, I have big plans for this one!):

Something deeply troubled laid beneath those blank grey eyes, something Light was incapable of identifying. Yet, he had never been so curious about anything in his life as he was about Ryuzaki Ueda. So, it was this fascination that he pursued, encouraged by his then deformed rationale.

Had to choose an excerpt which wouldn't spoil too much and was short! Told myself "no, do not send this whole paragraph in, do not do that" haha.

29. Share a bit from a fic you’ll never post OR from a scene that was cut from an already posted fic. (If you don’t have either, just share a random fic idea you have that you don’t plan on getting to.)

This is interesting! Had to scour around and see what I could find, but then I remembered this:

“Morning, where-” he cut himself off with a yawn and looked down, noticing the discarded shoes, “What are those? I have never seen you wear anything less formal than leather shoes in the entire time I’ve been dating you.” The man, Reiji, ignored his greeting and hung his damp coat on the hook by the door. “You said last night that taking a walk in the morning is, quote, ‘good for the mind’. Therefore, I went on a brisk walk.” Touta felt a grin forming across his face, “And how was it?” “Awful.”

It was originally intended to be a separate fic, then a chapter 2 to curiosity killed the cat (but satisfaction will bring it back). But I never got around to it, and never planned on publishing it, because it really was fine as a oneshot.

I had a lot of fun answering this, thanks for sending it through! Have a lovely day anon <3

[shego1142]

Please, always orphan a fic, never delete a fic!

🥺 the purpose of Ao3 is to archive our fics because they’re so deeply important to both fandom culture and culture as a whole, and we the fans made ao3 because everything was getting unexpectedly deleted by the powers that be.

Like, genuinely people would not know if their fic that they wrote would be completely gone the very next day or not. You could be reading a fic and suddenly it vanished without a trace, author’s ff.net account terminated, author’s LJ terminated, etc.

Strike-through and bold-through were genu so upsetting to live through and I hope one day it’s recognised as the modern day book burning that it was.

Sure you could say “oh it was “just” some silly fanfics, what does it matter if they got destroyed” but like… you could say that about anything. The airplane is just a fanfic of Leonardo DaVinci’s flying machine! The Divine Comedy is just a silly fanfic of the Bible.

You never know how meaningful and important a fic could be to someone, or to a community.

And what’s more, fics don’t have to be meaningful and important individually, as the ability to create fanfiction in and of itself is meaningful and important to the entire world.

We are meant to create. People fought tooth and nail to be able to write what they want to write, and the fanfic purges of the world were censorship and silencing, largely targeting minorities. I saw the hate fics got simply for being queer, the hate fics got for having interracial relationships, etc.

So now, with ao3 as gorgeous as it is… going through my read history, which is like 150+ pages long, and seeing “Work Was Deleted”

It’s triggering. It’s maddening.

If you don’t like your work that’s okay, orphan it.

If you feel like you can never complete it and are ashamed of that and don’t want it tied to your name, orphan it.

If you’re tired of the lack of updates but the constant kudos and comments, orphan it.

If you are upset your fic isn’t “doing numbers” on ao3 after a couple of weeks and you think you can just delete it and reupload it to garner more attention? Nah, don’t do that shit. Ao3 doesn’t have an algorithm, there is no numbers game and there’s nothing to gain from the kudos anyway, either just leave it, or orphan it.

Orphaning a fic means your name isn’t attached anymore. Orphaning a fic means people can read it for years to come, maybe even generations to come.

Because that’s what I hope, sincerely, for ao3. That years and years from now, all of my fics can be found on ao3, are still there, still being clicked on by my grandchild’s grandchild. Maybe they don’t even know it’s my story but they’re in the same old fandom and they want to read something from ages ago.

People still mourn the loss of the Library of Alexandria.

Don’t fan the flames.

ao3 users orphan_account and anonymous sure have some really banger fics ngl

[aziraphales-library]

Heyyy!! Do you guys know any pre-show fandom classics? Or just good fics written before the show?

Hello! Please check out our book omens tag for lots of recommended pre-show fics. Here are some popular fics written before the show...

get religion quick (cause you’re looking divine) by brinnanza (G)

So it was fine. Even if Crowley couldn’t love him, he clearly liked him well enough, and that was almost the same thing.

It no doubt would have continued to be fine, or at least fine-adjacent, were it not for a narrowly averted apocalypse and several bottles of a really quite nice Riesling Aziraphale had found in the back room of his newly restored bookshop.

Anthophilia by FortinbrasFTW (M)

Anthony J. Crowley's life seems like it's finally falling into place: his floral shop has begun to gain an undercurrent of appreciation in the design elite of London, and he might have even finally found a boyfriend who looks just right lounging on his Tenreiro sofa. Things seem almost perfect, until one day the empty shop across the street is leased to frumpy fellow Oxford alumni, who doesn't seem to remember Crowley nearly as well as he remembers him, which really shouldn't bother him as much as it does - it was ten years ago after all, and it wasn't even that good of a kiss.

Strange Flesh and All That by FortinbrasFTW (E)

Crowley laughs. He can’t help it. And the wine is very good. “What’s funny?” Aziraphale asks. “Are you joking?” Crowley tilts his head to look at him over his glasses. “No, nothing at all, this is all perfectly normal. Very dull conversation really.” Aziraphale smiles back. “What’s funnier, dear boy? That I’ve considered it or that you haven’t?”

The Rose Thief and the Priest by ImprobableDreams900 (T)

When horticulturist A. J. Crowley sees a rare breed of rose in a churchyard, he decides he won't stop until he can get a cutting—even if he has to go through the church's stuffy priest to do so.

Ineffable Husbands by ImprobableDreams900 (G)

Aziraphale finds an old marriage certificate in one of his books, and it has two very familiar signatures at the bottom...

A Diamond Sky Above Titanic by SeaBlueEyes (E)

The year is 1912, and one angel and one demon's lives are about to change forever as they embark on the fateful maiden voyage of the R.M.S. Titanic - and a relationship utterly forbidden by both Heaven and Hell.

Rating and warnings for Chapter 13, the rest being far more mild. Some slight amendments to the 2011 FanFiction version, nothing major.

Once again, I apologise to the fandom for reading a comedy and writing a tragedy.

(Written 2011)

Crown of Thorns by irisbleufic (E)

“D’you realize,” [Crowley] said, “that we never tire of things humans get bored with on the regular?”

Aziraphale shrugged, lazily basking. “I’ve always assumed it’s that we don’t tire of each other.”

- Mod D

[wind-rider]

…

weLP HERE GOES

I suppose I did ask for this

(Gonna do a different post for each ‘fandom’ so to speak, because mobile image limit, and a seperate one for my own OCs so all the usher guys can fit in one!) (apologies in advance for the post spam this will create) (oh boy)

UsherRP Blorbos

Devon

Bingo!! Sort of. Had to change some context but it’s close enough to the original that it counts, right? Anyways, favourite guy, he’s awful and fascinating I love him dearly. So very AU-able. 10/10 would put him in the pear wiggler and shake him violently

Eleanor

Eleanor!! I really like her but alas not many of the squares in this bingo apply to her. Nonetheless, blackballed academic thrown into a job she shouldn’t have gotten and that will likely end in her death and slowly losing her humanity as well as the ability to care about that fact or feel emotions at all? *Chef’s kiss*

Fin

Wet cat. The wettest of cats. Absolutely sopping wet kitten left in an abandoned dumpster at the bottom of the ocean. Girl With The World’s Worst Luck. She’s having a great time <3

Camelia

Not many thoughts for her, I’m afraid! The One Singular Responsible Adult in the entire group, I do not envy her in the least.

Cat

Ahhhhh Cat. You’re trying so hard. You’re also the definition of ‘blind devotion’ because oh dear oh no your partner could kill you and you would thank him. You need so much therapy but also who doesn’t in this group

Melody

Melody my BELOVED you are so weird I love you dearly. I want to study you under lab conditions and also know everything about your past because wtf is going on there. The kind of character to tell the most unhinged story out of nowhere like it was as normal a day for them as going to the grocery store and honestly it probably was considering their entire life is some sort of bizarre divine comedy

Eliza

The Eliza who got the world’s worst case of gangrene or the Eliza that had the first Eliza’s consciousness mixed with her own like a smoothie? In this case, Yes. Tfw you were implanted with the memories of a deceased Victorian child who also happened to be the childhood best friend of the giant murder bird that lives in your sibling’s workplace.

Petri

Nobody ever let cats become sapient. Menace.

Venor

Ah yes the Jersey Devil who lives in the woods and is also a local woman’s best friend for some reason. Love them but also I am so confused about everything about them.

Theo

Tfw you get mauled and the cursed artifact your coworkers use to heal you turns you into a deer who wakes up every morning and chooses violence

—

That’s not all the Usher characters, of course, but the remaining ones on the list (aka my characters) I’ll do in a separate post! Because mobile image limit is my worst enemy. Next chunk of the list coming up soon!!

(Context for the unacquainted: UsherRP is a Magnus Archives AU server, set in the Usher Foundation, the US’s primary Archive. We’re a group of friends and writers and we’ve been going at it since December 2022 so there’s… a lot going on. As you can see. Don’t worry about it! But feel free to ask about it :D

If anyone wants me to say my opinion on a character with this bingo

[disaster-vampire]

something i don’t think is common knowledge among the hannibal fandom is how fucking impressive it is that hannibal can understand and give lectures on dante as a foreigner. i’m going to make a comparison with shakespeare because from what i know his writing is to english what dante’s writing is to italian even if they’re like 200 years apart. english is my third language and yet i can kind of understand shakespeare. i may have to read a line a few times or look up some words but i get the gist of what i’m reading. i speak italian and sardinian natively but dante is so fucking hard to understand because the language is so different from modern italian and his writing is so damn flowery. i have the whole divine comedy. i need y’all to know that about 2/3 of every single page are notes that explain what the fuck 3 lines of text mean. i am not exaggerating. y’all get the paraphrased version in translations but we still don’t know for sure what some of the lines mean because of the way he worded things. i also think it’s impressive that he knows dante’s first sonnet (even though mads butchered it, rip, i don’t blame him though because most italians butcher florentine too) because it’s not something we study in middle school like the inferno or other sonnets of his that are more famous. in conclusion hannibal’s brain is fucking huge thanks for coming to my ted talk.

[wardensantoineandevka]

Honestly I never got where in-game the idea that Fjord was copying Cad came from. Maybe a little bit, like aesthetically in that he wore a pin Cad gave him, but that was already aquatics themed so I dunno.

Obviously they’re pulling from him starting to follow the Wildmother, but that seems way overblown. Not all worshippers or servants of a goddess are the same, and their relationships with the Wildmother were majorly different with Fjord being given a proactive code to live by when he swore his oath (which was basically what he had already been doing) and Caduceus being much more conservative and receptive.

Not to be harsh, but Caduceus was pretty ancillary to Fjord’s development! Their most interesting theological discussions hinges on them disagreeing, like their conversation about nature and deception. Interacting with Caduceus was part of how Fjord began to picture the shape of how he wanted to be, but framing that around Cad really misses the point.

Same, I also don't know where the idea that Fjord was strongly and simply mimicking Caduceus came from and that all aspects of Fjord's devotion are derived from Caduceus. There ARE some moments during the period where Fjord was testing the waters where Fjord is doing as he believes Caduceus expects of him or purposefully doing something evocative of Caduceus, usually framed for comedy (which feels important to note), but in the end, it feels very pointedly expressed that Fjord and Caduceus follow very different forms of the same goddess and that their worship practice and devotion are ultimately not all that recognizable to one another.

I feel like a lot of fandom commentary got stuck in the (very brief) period where Fjord was tentatively and consciously exploring his relationship with Melora using the structure and cues Caduceus provided with a deliberate mind for what was and wasn't working for him, and instead of moving with Fjord into the period where he dropped much of it, the commentary instead doubled down on it and insisted that Fjord was mimicking Caduceus and copying him without conscious reflection on the motion, that he was simply just parroting Caduceus because Caduceus knew so much better. (There is a massive difference between taking cues with conscious intent to explore if it fits you and simply mimicking and copying, just to make that clear.)

I do think that Fjord does accept some aspects of religious practice from Caduceus: most notably in that Fjord learned to meditate as a means to quiet the mind, engage in active listening with Melora, and offer his questions and reflections and prayers to her. Fjord clearly finds this meaningful, as he continues to engage in it going forward, albeit in a less formal and rigidly ritualistic manner. (I have a whole thing in me about how Caduceus and Jester are ritualized practice and Fjord and Yasha are not, but that's separate.) And there ARE moments where Fjord is doing as he believes Caduceus expects, but it very quickly falls away as Fjord finds his footing and it's clear that Fjord feels uncomfortable, as in it doesn't fit quite right, attempting to take these cues.

Like, I do agree that Caduceus is ancillary to Fjord's development, in that it supports rather than makes up the whole, and we are in agreement on the supportive part Caduceus plays—I seem to weigh it a little more heavily though, but the point is the same. But, yes, speaking with Caduceus is how Fjord is encouraged to be secure his own judgment and to trust in his own strength of character, that he is both principled enough to direct himself toward what is good and just and capable enough to seek that out and step toward that end. Caduceus' confidence and advice is important in Fjord learning to have faith, not simply in Melora, but more importantly in himself. And there's a massive point made to Fjord, explicitly: he has the answers himself, and he need not look to others, including Caduceus, for guidance on everything because he has a strength of judgment that he can trust and listen to.

Caduceus is not AS central to and all-encompassing of Fjord's development as a character and in the development of his worship practice as he is often made to be in fandom commentary. Framing Fjord's entire development as a person and of his practice around Caduceus indeed misses the point.

Caduceus seems unsettled by Fjord's description of the sea and his love for it in its consuming, humbling, relentless thalassic indifference. (At times, it feels like Fjord worships Melora as a primordial force. I also have a whole thing on how different Caduceus' "violence is natural" is against Fjord's description of the indifferent violence of the sea—because that's fascinating, and it feels like Caduceus' conception of natural violence is, well, still gentler.) They, as pointed out, have a major point of disagreement over whether honesty is an immutable good and deception an immutable bad. They seem to have disagreement on who can serve as judge and judgment, on whether the world tends toward where it is meant to be or if the world remains as it is until toil and work changes its course, on whether justice comes around eventually in its time or justice waits until fetched and called by name. Fjord and Caduceus are philosophically centered differently around change and mutability.

On top of that, they are a classic juxtaposition of the central philosophical contrast between a paladin and a cleric. To be the sword and to be the voice, one who acts and one who listens, a divine fury and a divine comfort, to wade through the mud to deliver others and to uplift others from their darkness. Their service to the same god only deepens the contrast between them there.

And I think that, yes, framing Fjord's entire development as a follower of Melora and the development of his practice around Caduceus, especially in just casting it as he was simply copying Caduceus, is incredibly reductive. It diminishes the massive and stark philosophical differences between them. By positioning Caduceus in this manner, it also often elevates Caduceus' philosophy to be always correct, always superior, and Caduceus already has a self-righteousness flaw; Caduceus learns just as much from Fjord, and his philosophy isn't as pristine perfect as he likes to think it is. It reduces the amount of agency Fjord has in this, and it makes Fjord's journey so much less poignant because it diminishes the mindfulness with which Fjord engaged with himself and Melora and this practice.

[touchlikethesun]

ngl i don’t really like the comparison of fanfic to like, the divine comedy or like whatever classic lit example of derivative literature, when trying to have conversations with non-fic readers about the legitimacy of fanfic. i understand why people draw the comparison, but i think ultimately it’s not super useful because, be completely honest with yourself, the divine comedy is nothing like 99% of fics out there, we all know it, and it feels disingenuous, to me, to try and defend fanfic by misleading people about its nature.

i think the biggest difference between fic and traditional lit, is the motivation and the intended audience. with traditional lit, the objective is always (at least in part!! at least somewhere on the chain of distribution!!) profit, and there tends to be this idea that even if the author is pulling from other stories, that the work is still uniquely theirs. there’s more of an ego involved, and that’s not a judgement, it’s just an evaluative statement. and the expectation is that the audience know that, and that the author’s ego is part of the draw.

whereas with fanfic, i think there is an inherent suspension of ego, and a detachment from one’s audience as a public, favouring the idea of an audience as collaborators. when i say collaborators, i don’t necessarily mean the rude ways people will sometimes talk to fic writers, i mean that fanfic is a collaboratory experience where fandom and author are one in the same, so fandom will influence author and author will influence fandom, and together as a community we build stories and give stories meaning. meaning in a way that is not possible with published lit, because for all the references in the world, i do not believe a contained novel/book series can achieve that same ubiquity.

a minor point to conclude, it is also misleading comparing TDC to fic because the metre by which one measures quality is not the same, nor should it be. the most incredible fanfics in the world would not hold up for most readers of traditional lit, and honestly the reverse is true as well. because they are different things, and really just should not be compared.

[mercurial-madhouse]

To every 1D fanfiction author, whether you’ve been here for years or been here for months, whether you have one or one hundred published fics, whether you have a single special kudos or hundreds of thousands of kudos, I am begging you,

Please, please don’t let anything dim your light. Don’t let any post or any person throw water over the fire-magic and burning brilliance of your incredible creations.

This fandom is so lucky to have your canon-divergent comedy and your alternate-universe tragedy, your epic romances and soul-searing heartbreaks, your wild werewolf angst and your pining college fluff, the coffee-shop disasters and post-apocalyptic perfections, the break-ups, the make-ups, the love and the loss, the joy and the terror, the hope, the glory, the disappointment and the fulfillment.

The untamed and unrestrained cosmos of your mind that you are brave enough and kind enough to share with us is the purest and highest of gifts.

We are so lucky that this fandom has so many amazing and incredible and brilliant authors like you. Your work is exactly what this fandom wants and needs.

Sometimes we crave the crystal waters of a mermaid lagoon or the real-life normalcy of blue-collar love stories. Sometimes we want to be dragged relentlessly through the mud in the darkest of angst when there seems to be no hope only to be set back on our feet and cradled by the comfort that comes after so much hurt. Sometimes we are so fragile that all we can do is curl into a cotton-candy cloud immersed in the most heartwarming of fluff.

Sometimes we need to be triggered because the only way to heal our own inner anguish is to rip the plaster off and dig down deep, cleanse it out and stitch the wound closed so that it turns into the most beautiful of scars.

You give us that. Your words, your creativity, your passion. All these horrific and euphoric emotions that you translate into the written word are exactly what we need.

Your words, the care and attention and passion and hard work you put into your tales of wonder and woe, bring so much joy and excitement, catharsis and healing, escape and love to so many people.

Your stories are loved, they are cherished, they are needed. That unfinished gem you have sitting in a folder on your computer? It is someone’s next favorite story that they don’t know they need yet.

Yes this community has fanfic gatekeepers, but whether you have mixed together the perfect concoction of longevity, divine timing, perseverance, and talent to become a well-known name or whether you’re still struggling to get that potion to finally bubble bubble burst, just remember that none of us in this fandom got to wherever we are now without help and support.

I support you. I am so grateful for your patience and dedication and bravery. I see you and I acknowledge every ounce of courage it takes for you to write and to share your words. I will go to the ends of the earth and personally draw you back from throwing your fics over the edge and into the abyss. If you need it, send me a message or an ask and I will hold your hand and stand beside you every step through the dark.

Can you imagine a world where the twenty-six thousand completed fics in the Larry sub-genre alone were narrowed down to just 10? 20? Even 500? Can you imagine if the world only had fifteen 1D songs? Louis once mentioned he’s written over 100 non-1D songs, yet we’ve only heard sixteen. Does that mean he should stop? Or that the seventeenth song isn’t good enough? We don’t play them simply because we don’t have them. And no one can read the story that you don’t write.

No single one of us can fulfill everything this fandom wants and needs and loves. Never underestimate or underrate just how important your creations are to this community. Only you can bring your special brand of humour and angst and imagination to the table. Only you can write the characters the way you do. Only you can tell that golden nugget of a tale hiding out in your mind. Make the lads we love reading about proud. Keep on championing the unrestricted love and creativity and soul power they stand for and that make this community so incredibly special.

So go listen to Don’t Let It Break Your Heart and Drag Me Down and Through the Dark and Fireproof on repeat. Buckle back up, love. Crack those knuckles and show us what you’re made of. We’re all waiting for you.

I am a single voice in an ocean of voices, but sometimes one voice is all it takes. Please spread the joy, share the love, support one another, reblog this and send this to others so that it reaches every corner of the fandom. 2020 has been one hell of a ride but it’s up to us whether we make it an earthquake or a rollercoaster.

[accio-victuuri]

Hi can you provide the link to read manhuas you prefer?

Hello Anon! OMG Manhua/Manhwa Rec! Here we go! I’ve only been reading for 2-3 months (consistently), so this will be pretty limited. I will link to the legit sites. A google search will direct you to others.

Most of these are WIPs and some, sadly, are discontinued. I won’t add TGCF or MDZS here cause those are already a given. 👇🏼

• Body Electric by Dong Ye ( completed, supernatural, lots of trigger warnings and plotty )

Ba Song is the hotshot cop who’s been handed an open-and-shut case: the suicide of a young woman. Except… who commits suicide by stabbing their own body and strangling themself? There's only one man who can help him with this mystery — Bo Shan, the renowned forensic pathologist with a severe and cold personality. What's more, his body produces bioelectricity, allowing him to acutely sense bodily injury with his touch. There's an electric current between them, and each touch sizzles with energy

If you like crime dramas and stories where they solve mysterious cases then this is for you. The romance is subtle, and their relationship is not insta-love. strangers to colleagues to friends to lovers trope. This also discusses alot of issues the society has that will make you stop and think. Ba Song is really the honorable MC in here who always wants to help people and do good. While Bo Shan is the reluctant one but deep inside, he wants to make a difference too. I wish they would make a donghua or live action out of this.

• 30 year old by S-Monkey - ( ongoing, age difference, blind dates, slice of life)

Charlie Wei is a single and handsome executive. He’s also a closeted gay guy who’s been on way too many bad blind dates with women. Charlie’s still hung up on his ex-boyfriend James and is… gasp, 30! Charlie’s family thinks he’s straight and too old to be without a wife! During another bad blind date, Charlie meets the flirty Ethan, who both annoys and intrigues him. Can Charlie finally come out and find true love with Ethan or will he continue on his streak of bad blind dates?

The cover looks melodramatic but it’s really not. This is so funny! I read this because people were saying it reminded them of BoXiao. And yes, there are moments here that remind me of them, but it’s more like an AU of BoXiao. I stayed up late trying to get caught up in the chapters and you won’t realize it cause it’s just that good. I love seeing the older MC loosening up and being more of himself. and the younger one being more responsible in his career. They just become better versions of themselves because of each other. It’s so sweet!

• I ship me and my Rival - by Pepa ( ongoing, comedy, reads like a meta )

This follows the adventures of Wei Yanzi, a third-rate actor in the Chinese entertainment industry, stumbles onto a shipping fandom for himself and another actor (Gu Yiliang) while trying to escape from the flame wars and negativity. He's so taken with this group of fans who actually see him as a good guy instead of an enemy/rival of Gu Yiliang that he falls head-first into fandom and becomes actively involved in trying to provide shipping fuel and the fans' daily dose of fluff.

IF THERE IS ONE thing you will read here, let it be this. It is hilarious. If you are a CP fan you will relate so much and it’s a good time. It just shows how people who think are rivals can actually be really good friends in real life. What we see is not always what it seems. and people will interpret things based on their bias. The MC here is so dramatic! how his inner feelings/reactions were drawn will make you laugh.

• Path to You - by Sinran (completed, slice of life, age gap fluff and comedy )

When almost college dropout Jensen attempts to drink away his problems, unemployed Nathaniel suddenly pukes on him and ruins his night. As an apology, Nathaniel offers to help Jensen with his studies. Despite Jensen's difficulties in getting along with people, the two become friends and something deeper begins to grow between them

The story is so soft. If you want something with mild angst/misunderstandings— then pick this. I love the progression of their relationship and how they take care of each other. There are other themes showed here other than the romance.

• Red Candy - by Hanse (completed season one with a cliffhanger, explicit scenes, assassins )

Shihyeon, aka “Red Candy,” is a secret agent whose code name comes from bathing in the blood of his marks on dangerous missions. Shihyeon’s tasked with seducing and obtaining intel from Hajun, a hot college professor. Shihyeon can disarm enemies, but didn’t expect to be disarmed himself by Hajun’s own tight body. Now Shihyeon’s caught between loyalty to his spy agency and Hajun. Can Red Candy survive the incoming wave of enemies and still indulge in the sweet ecstasy of Hajun’s embrace?

THIS STRESSED ME OUT MAAAN. Wow. I loved this. That season one cliffhanger. It’s definitely up there as my favorite. If you think about it, the tropes are really not original. An assassin is sent to shadow a person and they develop a relationship. That simple. But NOOOOO! There are so many things going on. The Main mystery plot, Their relationship, their shared past plus you have other sketchy secondary characters. And did i mention explicit scenes? Lots of them. I want this two to have a happy ending!!!

• Lone Swan - by Chu Man (discontinued, cultivation, star crossed lovers)

After losing his memory, Yiqiu Shen, a disciple from the decent sect meets a very special man named Luofeng Yan, who is the leader of the evil Divine Wind Cult. When escaping and conflicting with Yan, Shen gradually finds his original self as well as his previous love back. Together they rip off the facade of the martial world and reveal the hidden true

I didn’t want to add a discontinued story here, with no novel as a source material but this one made an impact on me. so. yeah. THE ART. breathtaking. The plot = layered. There are times I don’t even know who is telling the truth. It had so much potential and i hope it will get picked up again at some point. People rec this to those who enjoyed TGCF and MDZS, and they are right. 👍🏼

• Dragon in Distress by Si Wang Wen Hua - ( ongoing, dragons, past life, lost power, fantasy )

This is a story about a little Eastern green dragon and a little Western black dragon playing together.

The synopsis is pretty simple if you look at it but this one is pretty interesting. and surprisingly funny. tinie AoAo is so cute! 🤍 the other MC has tsundere tendencies tho. Lots of lore and more truths to uncover as the story progresses. I’m not giving it enough justice with how i’m reccing it, but if you like dragons and fantasy — give this a go.

• Breaking through the clouds 2: Swallow the Sea - Huaishang (ongoing, based on a novel, crime, drama, cases)

Wu Yu, a newcomer of the Public Security Bureau, is gentle and frail. He doesn’t care about the difficulties posed by Bu ZhongHua, his strict boss, and only wants to stay in the background to be paid on time with enough for food. However, no one knows that this young man’s head is targeted by top drug traffickers for a large bounty or that this courageous young man has once slaughtered the dragon of the abyss. With a chain of interlocking cases, a series of troubles come one after another. Can the two people work together to survive through the difficulties?

Do you see a pattern with me? lol. I like crime themes. This one is the same and by the looks of it, the cases they solve will take longer to unravel. I haven’t read the novel it’s based on yet so i’m just going with how the manhua is progressing. I like it when Wu Yu turns full on action-mode and when ZH takes care of him. Plus it helps that they are both gorgeous. I’ll get back this with a proper link.

• Where the Wind Stays - by Yusa (completed season one, curses, demons, possession, timeskip, explicit scenes)

To break an ancient curse that plagues the royal bloodline, young Prince Tasara is destined to be sacrificed in death. Nara is enlisted as a palace servant to carry out the prince’s execution when the time comes. But he develops a soft spot for the cursed prince, and after committing an atrocious and unforgivable act against Tasara, Nara is desperate to right his wrongs. Soon, their lascivious relationship that had been kept under wraps tests his resolve. Will Nara be tempted away from his original mission? There’s no telling how far he would go to earn Tasara’s forgiveness.

This story broke my brain, in a good way. I don’t wanna say much cause it will spoil the story. It’s the type that you gave to see and suffer through yourself. I am excited for what happens in season II!!!

Honorable Mentions:

I’m placing these here cause I have only read a few chapters and tho I liked them, I wanna read more before reccing it in full. 👍🏼

• I accidentally saved the Jinghu’s enemy

• Global Examination

• Monster entertainment

• Demon Apartment

And that’s it! Hope enjoy Anon! 😊

[nikkiwriteswords]

Hi! I would love to hear your thoughts/predictions/hopes for s3, now that we got the episode titles :D

Hey Nora!! Let me go grab my tua theory hat real quick. Spoiler alert, it looks exactly like the umbrella hat on the 3 right here:

Full disclosure, I've only got like a pinky toe in the tua fandom right now, but I'm still going to see what BS I can spin from these titles.

1. MEET THE FAMILY. The description on imdb is "The siblings get to know some more of the 43 children in an alternate timeline." So, I think this is pretty self-explanatory. Netflix likes to start things off with a bang, so s3 of TUA will probably be no different: we'll probably get a vague flashforward/flash-sideways to a "what if" scenario that will make sense by the last few episodes, and the rest of the episode will be sowing seeds for the s3 plot. The big question is, what family are we meeting? I think this episode will revolve around themes of family (no-brainer) and redefining the relationships between our Umbrella siblings in light of the season 2 finale, as well as their new Sparrow 'replacements'. To that end, initial Sparrow sibling parallels will be presented and subsequently complicated in this first episode. I also predict we'll see varying reactions to this alternate Reginald, as the Umbrella siblings are thrust into an outsider perspective that follows on from season 2.

2. WORLD'S BIGGEST BALL OF TWINE. This is going to be a multi-layered metaphor. I can feel it. It will no doubt refer to the plot that's about to unfold (is it an outside threat to both parties - the Umbrellas and Sparrows - from, say, the Commission, or is it more to do with the two rival Academies?), but I wonder if it also refers to the Wizard of Oz type scenario the Umbrella siblings find themselves in: they aren’t in Kansas anymore. (But you know what is in Kansas? The world's current biggest ball of twine.) Also kind of want to see Klaus knitting again in this ep - perhaps as a way to subtly re-address his ongoing addiction issues, especially now Ben is gone.

3. POCKET FULL OF LIGHTNING. This probably has to do with powers. Sparrow powers, Umbrella powers. There'll be a lot of new flexes in this season, so who this refers to is anyone's guess.

4. KUGELBLITZ. Here's where it starts to get interesting, because this title carries forward the subject of lightning from the last one. According to a very quick internet search, kugelblitz literally means "ball lightning" in German, and refers to both a) a glorified WW2 tank designed to take out aircraft (a certified Big Boi), and b) a theoretical black hole made from light/radiation rather than matter. So this is absolutely going to be a new, unseen power - probably from the Sparrows. Hopefully from Christopher because a cube executing a move named after a sphere just makes me chuckle. Ah, fun with shapes... But in addition, this power is probably going to pack a huge, debilitating punch to whatever narrative is underway at this point in the plot. I'll bet money that whoever wields this power is the tank character in their party or they are after this at least.

5. KINDEST CUT. This throws me back to the barber shop meta, I'm not gunna lie. Someone's going to get hurt, either physically or emotionally, and it's going to be the lesser of two evils. If it's a follow through on the barber metaphor, then Reggie will be the one to orchestrate it. Or, in a surprise twist, will he be the one gTetting hurt or being silenced? (Remember that cutthroat allegory that chases the siblings through the first season, particularly Allison and Klaus. It was about becoming voiceless.) 6.MARIGOLD. Big shout out to this post for spreading the word on the marigold symbolism. I'm pretty sure this will be Reginald backstory, which ties in with the creation of the Umbrella Academy. Also, because I'm a sucker for flower symbolism and reading into things, consider that marigolds:

a) fall into two families, the calendula which means "little clock" and the tagetes, which is named after the Etruscan prophet Tages. The Etruscans believed heavily in predestination - some events are set in stone, and cannot be changed. (Consider the way the apocalypse seems to always come for one set of siblings...) b) are named as such colloquially because they were offered in place of money to the Virgin Mary. (More divine imagery, and reference to a pure mother figure...) They are Mary’s gold. So maybe it’s a reference to Reginald’s wife, which would fit with the flashback scene we see in 1x10.  c) are a flower of duality. They have strong connections with the sun and resurrection, yet the marigold is thought to be a flower of grief because it blooms in autumn. Again, think about that flashback in the first season. At the end of the world and a wife dying, there was the promise of rebirth. d) It's also a very common flower. Remember, there's actually 43 siblings out there. We've only met 14.

Also Netflix loves to do this thing around the halfway point (usually episode 5/6) in a season they're producing. They'll switch up the narrative with a twist or turn that provides a new perspective. 7.AUF WEIDERSEHEN. Once again, a German connection. And, obviously, a goodbye. Considering the last season focused on Kennedy, are we going to get some earlier Cold War time-travel shenanigans? Or maybe WW2? I think Blackman has said something about the Berlin Wall, which is interesting. A country divided... Umbrellas and Sparrows allegory? But as an aside, I'm also kinda lowkey hoping it's a nod to Auf Weidersehen, Pet. If you don't know the show, here's the wiki summary for the first season:

Auf Wiedersehen, Pet is a British comedy-drama television programme about seven British construction workers who leave the United Kingdom to search for employment overseas. They find work on a German building site in Düsseldorf but despite promises of hostel accommodation, are forced to live in a small hut that reminds them of a World War II POW camp. The rest of the series is driven by the interactions and growing friendships between the various characters.

In episode seven, three of the “Magnificent Seven” visit an intercontinental hotel. Just saying. If s3 was to go this route, my money would be on Luther, Diego and Five getting up to shenanigans in this one. I miss 125 shenanigans.😢

8.WEDDING AT THE END OF THE WORLD. Honestly, I’m holding out hope that one of our fave siblings gets married. I feel like that’s a trap though... Actually I feel like it might actually be a trap. As in, this is when the rising action really kicks it up a notch. But also remember the title of 1x01: We Only See Each Other At Weddings and Funerals. Maybe the siblings get split up, possibly in episode 3/4, and they’re trying to reunite through episodes 5-7. Also thinking about hotels and apocalypses...  There’s something very fatalistic about these titles so far. I have a feeling that the B-plot or the subtext is going to reveal a lot more about Reginald’s history and the destruction of his world.

9. SIX BELLS. This makes me think of church bells, which is some nice continuity with the wedding of the last title. But church bells are rung for all sorts of reasons - as a call to worship, or in celebration or mourning, or to tell the time. (Thinking back to those marigolds suddenly.) But why six? Now I’m thinking of bell ringing (change ringing), and the way different bells have different cord lengths to control the time of their chimes. It’s a highly mathematical process. Will this episode be Five’s time to shine? Will he coordinate his siblings through a large attack? 10. OBLIVION. Does anything even need to be said about this one? Hotel Oblivion baby ✌✌ Any further theorising would require more knowledge of the coming plot tbh.

Edit: I wrote most of this at 2am, so I’ve just tidied it up a little. Thank you for the ask, Nora! This was fun to think about. 

[joynershats]

Okay so I watched the live, and I love these guys, but it's now time for me to pinch ears again.

Listen, I already knew there was a bad part in this fandom, starting from the people who kept asking for Charlie in Madi's lives, or wishing death to Owen for joking on being a p3d0, oor judging Jer because he was posting about his songs coming instead of whatever was happening in the world at the moment, and I could go on for hours.

The bar was so low, I swear, so low.

But some people managed to lower it even more. The bar now is so low it's tickling the devil's nose (any reference to the Divine Comedy is highly appreciated in this context).

Some people found Owen's address. And came to his house. At friggin midnight. During a friggin pandemic.

I don't even know what they were expecting there tbh, when they thought it was a good idea to go to his place what were they thinking he was gonna do, let them in? "oh would you guys like some tea? Maybe a cup of coffee? Take a souvenir while you're at it".

It's disgusting. It's disrespectful. It's so bad I don't think there are words strong enough to say how much this sucks.

These guys put so much trust in us, they always let us know where they are and when, what they're doing, they feed us with content and they're so interactive with us and we don't deserve them at all.

Wanna know what will happen if this keeps happening? They'll start to interact less. And people who really deserve some recognition for their work won't be noticed. And it'd be disrespectful towards those people too.

Fandom should be a safe place. We have the potential to build such a beautiful community. We're blessed and we should just be thankful.

I said it earlier, a lot, and I'll say it again

✨Let's be the good guys✨

[bi-naesala]

A "romantic" bathroom confession

Fandom: Yakuza Rating: G Warnings: / Relationships: Han Joon-gi/Zhao Tianyou Characters: Zhao Tianyou, Han Joon-gi, Kim Yeonsu Additional Tags: Emotional Constipation, Love Confessions Summary:

Sure, he could ask him directly what’s going on, but he has the feeling that, by asking him, they’ll both have to uncover some parts of themselves that Zhao doesn’t think they’ll ever be able to show the other, not when they’ve lived so long without ever showing their cards to anyone. No, he’d better not ask. Who knows if he’d like the answer Han gives him anyway.

(Also on AO3)

It’s been a couple of days since when… well, Zhao doesn’t know exactly what happened, but Han has been acting weird: at first, he was quiet, or at least quieter than usual, then he’s begun doing some small things that can only perplex Zhao.

First things first, the pda. Well, to normal couple standards it isn’t much, but considering that we’re talking about Joon-gi Han, it is: he’s begun hovering over him during every moment of pause, going even as far as brushing their shoulders together or even hold his hand and doing all those romantic gestures that a one-week boyfriend would make in order to impress you, which isn’t something that Han really has to do: he’s already impressive on his own, without the need for any of this.

Not that Zhao doesn’t enjoy being pampered, don’t get him wrong, but this doesn’t mean that this sudden change of behavior doesn’t confuse him.

Is Han planning something? He can’t help but to wonder about that…

Sure, he could ask him directly what’s going on, but he has the feeling that, by asking him, they’ll both have to uncover some parts of themselves that Zhao doesn’t think they’ll ever be able to show the other, not when they’ve lived so long without ever showing their cards to anyone.

No, he’d better not ask. Who knows if he’d like the answer Han gives him anyway.

  When Zhao takes his first step outside Survive, he almost jumps when he notices Han, crouched down in front of a vase, the one usually Ichiban uses to in order to grow vegetables for the barkeeper. That’s not something he was expecting to see. Curious.

“Han-chan, what are you doing there?”

“Oh?” Han turns his head towards him, not having noticed him there at first. “Nothing much. I’m watching them grow.” Them being two plants of lillies, who everyone knows is his favorite.

“Are these the ones Kasuga-kun said he was trying to grow?” he asks then, crouching down beside Han.

“No,” the other replies, not moving his gaze away from the blossoming flowers. “These I planted myself.”

Zhao hums at those words, though his face betrays no emotion.

 What the hell is this?

Now, Zhao doesn’t want to make assumptions, but it’s pretty fucking obvious what Han wants to do with the flowers he’s going to harvest, c’mon!

Why is he doing all this? They’re already together, there’s no need for any of this typical couple bullshit!

 Oh well, if one day Han shows up with a bouquet for him, he’s not going to complain.

After all, thinking about it, there’s a place that needs a bit of… something. Yeah, a nice vase of flowers over the shelf at the entrance would look nice, thinking about it.

  Usually, when they want to have dinner, they’d go to Meng Wu and Zhao would cook something for them, which might seem cheap, but they don’t mind it. Besides, it feels more intimate like this, and it’s also good since they don’t really want to draw attention to themselves and in Meng Wu that’s not going to happen.

This time, however, things are different: Han has insisted upon taking Zhao to dinner and, after a moment of perplexity, Zhao has accepted, because he doesn’t mind change and he’s curious to see where Han’s taking him.

 “Wow…” is all Zhao is able to say once he realizes where Han is taking him, standing in front of the entrance of the place.

Of all things, he wasn’t expecting Le Nouveau Hama. It’s very different from the usual restaurants they go to - they never go anywhere this fancy, even with the others.

He turns towards Han. “You managed to book us a table here?”

“Impressed?” Han replies. He looks very pleased with himself, and for once Zhao can’t really blame him.

No, he can’t blame him at all.

 As soon as they enter, Zhao feels immediately gazes drawn towards them. Maybe they should’ve dressed more accordingly to the place they’ll be eating at, instead of wearing the same kind of clothes they’d wear on the adventure with the others, but heh, who cares.

At least the waiter that greets them does nothing to make them feel like they don’t belong here.

“Good evening gentlemen, did you have a reservation?” he asks them.

“Indeed we do,” Han replies, still looking quite happy with himself.

“Of course. Follow me.”

 Once they get to their table, they sit down and begin to skim through the menu. Ooooh, so many things Zhao would like to try, but the budget…

“Ah, I forgot to mention this to you, but I would like to pay for both of us today.”

Zhao almost reels back at those words, staring at the man sitting in front of him. “Really?”

Han nods. “Yes, I’ve been meaning to do something like this for a while…”

Again, Zhao wonders what Han’s playing at, being all nice and chivalrous like this. First the flowers - which now indeed sit on the shelf like Zhao had planned - and now this; he must have something in mind, mustn’t he?

Eh, what the hell. After all, it works for him.

“Alright. Sounds good to me.”

 Despite the fact that Han’s paying, Zhao still decides not to go too overboard with his order, because he’s not a fucking asshole.

Han doesn’t say anything about it, but Zhao is able to see a shadow of relief in his eyes, and he can’t help but to chuckle at that.

See, that’s what you get when you try to be romantic.

  Zhao has to admit it: the food here is divine.

The tartare is exquisite, and the lobster is too. He would love to have a chat with the chef responsible for these delicacies, and maybe even exchange recipes, but at the moment this isn’t what he’s thinking about.

They’ve both been quite talkative today, and he means both of them, when usually Zhao’s the one running his mouth while Han nods along. It’s like Han’s putting more effort than usual… but this is too much for Zhao.

 “Why are you doing this?”

Han looks at him confused. “What do you mean?”

“You know what I mean,” Zhao chastises him, then he gestures to all around him. “This. What the hell is this? You think we’re in some kind of romantic comedy where any of this is necessary?”

Han remains silent, prompting Zhao to continue.

“What is it that you’re after, Han-chan? I mean, there’s no need to get into my panties ‘cause you already do that, so what is it?”

Still silence from Han, at least until he abruptly gets up from his seat and begins to walk away.

“Excuse me.”

 Uhm…

“No, wait, Han-chan come back! I didn’t mean--”

Didn’t mean what, exactly, huh? To spit all that shit while Han was just trying to be nice?

It’s always like this with him: people try to get close, only for him to push them away. Old habits die hard, and Zhao has always had to keep himself and others around him in check; he was supposed to be the leader of the Liumang, and you can’t do that if you don’t learn how to shield yourself from potential threats, and sharing a strong bond with someone is the biggest threat of them all.

The problem with Han is that they have gotten incredibly close, so Zhao’s old instincts kick in, but does he want to push him away? Not really. He’s not the leader anymore, he’s nothing, actually. What would the harm be in trying to have something with someone he - even though it’s hard to admit it - cares about?

 Goddamn… he’s ruined everything with his damned own hands, hasn’t he?

No, maybe he can still save it, if only he could manage to get up from this fucking chair.

Where did Han go? Ah, the bathroom. At least he hasn’t left the building, which Zhao supposes is a good sign - or maybe just a not so bad sign.

There’s only one problem: if he follows him, if he manages to get him to hear him out… he’ll have to be honest, and for him there’s nothing scarier than having to be honest about what’s going on inside his head.

Isn’t the same for Han, though? That’s the reason why they get along so well, because they understand that sometimes you just not want to talk about that stuff and that’s fine, and yet he’s going all the way to do all these romantic gestures that have surely cost him a lot of effort, all for his sake.

… Maybe being opening up wouldn’t be so bad now, wouldn’t it?

 He finally manages to get up.

Fuck it. It’s about he and Had have an honest conversation anyway.

  When he gets to the bathroom, he finds Han in front of one of the sinks. He must’ve washed his face because it’s still wet, but he’s doing nothing to dry it, instead he keeps looking in the mirror on the wall, eyebrows furrowed in concentration.

“Han-chan…”

Those words manage to snap Han out of whatever mood he was in, and he turns towards Zhao, looking slightly surprised to see him there. “Uhm, Zhao… You’re here too.”

“No, I’m just a figment of your imagination,” Zhao instinctively replies, before remembering that he’s supposed to be nice this time. He shakes his head. “Sorry, didn’t mean that…”

C’mon, Zhao. Take a nice, deep breath, and fucking talk.

 “Ok, look, Han-chan, I’ve… I’ve been unfair to you. You were doing all these nice things, and I’ve got on the defensive. The truth is that I like you, I like being with you and do crazy shit together and not just that. Even the normal stuff, the domestic shit… I really like that.”

Han looks shocked by what Zhao has just said. Heh, he’s just as shocked, to be quite honest.

“I wasn’t expecting this thing we had to become so important to me. Honestly I thought it would be a nice fling and nothing more, and I bet you thought that too, but we’re both fools and got trapped into our own feelings.”

That earns him a chuckle on Han’s part, and he can’t help but to do the same. Yeah, they are both huge idiots.

“When you started doin’ all this nice stuff I panicked. I knew that sooner or later I’d have to face my feelings, so I began lying to myself, pretending that I didn’t understand why you’d go all the way to do something like this, and for me of all people…”

He scratches his neck. “As you can definitely see, I’m not that good at this kind of stuff…”

“I can see that,” Han replies, a small smile on his face that becomes larger as he goes on. “Such a heartfelt confession deserves a better place than a public bathroom, don’t you think?”

This fucking asshole.

Despite the roasting - which he frankly deserves - Zhao can’t help but to laugh. “See? Just proven my own point.”

“I do appreciate it, though,” Han replies, still smiling, then he turns serious. “I came here to find the right words to say, but it seems that you’ve beaten me to the punch.”

Zhao crosses his arms to his chest, shifting his weight on his other leg. “Well? We’ve got one heartfelt bathroom confession, why not having another?”

Han chuckles, shaking his head. “Sure, why not?”

 “As you correctly guessed, I’m not the sort of guy to whom this kind of things comes easily, but I knew that it would be worth it in the end, but to tell the truth, I was just being a coward.”

Zhao opens his mouth to interject, but Han raises his hand, prompting him to wait for him to explain himself.

“I started doing this because I wanted to tell you how I felt, but was too scared to actually do it, figuring that you’d understand what I meant without me having to actually say the words. I too was afraid of what would happen if I spoke honestly. I didn’t want to feel that exposed…”

“And here we are now,” Zhao can’t help but to say.

Han nods. “And here we are now…”

He hesitates just for a moment before stepping towards Zhao.

“But I can’t hide anymore the fact that I like…” he stops, frowning. “No, not just like. I… I love you.”

Zhao’s first instinct is to ask him why, why would he love someone like him? But at this point they’re both way past that. Sometimes you just love someone without reason, even though admitting it can be very hard. He knows it.

“I… I love you too.”

 He wonders if Han feels as light as he does, having finally admitted it, but he’s not able to ask him because he’s kissing him and, frankly, he doesn’t want to pull away at all, not when Han’s lips taste so sweet.

Unfortunately it doesn’t last as long as both of them would’ve liked, but after all they’ve been missing from their table for who knows how long; someone might get worried and come check on them.

“How about we go back to our meal, and then finish this when we get back?” Zhao proposes.

“Sounds good to me,” Han replies, going to the door and opening it for Zhao. “After you.”

Before, Zhao would’ve gotten irritated at the gesture, but now he just chuckles as he walks out of the bathroom.

“Such a gentleman~”

  The rest of their dinner goes splendidly, now that they’ve both said their pieces.

If they had known that being honest with each other wouldn’t have had disastrous consequences, they might’ve done it earlier, but in the end, they did when they were ready, which is how these things should go, isn’t it?

 It’s still quite a shock that, of all places, they’ve decided to bare their souls inside a restroom, but oh well, so is life.

At least, it’ll make up for a great story to tell, that’s for sure.

[love-bokumono-fics]

Trope Tuesday - AU's!

I don't know about you, but a always enjoy a fun AU, particularly when they take something we know and love and put such a creative twist on it. An AU can be anything from a minor divergence from canon, to a complete shift in time and location and character dynamics.

Today we'll look at some of the AU's that the fandom had created!

One Missed Call - by durotos; Completed, 1/1, <1k; Retail AU

Rating: General Audiences; Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply; Category: F/M

Fandoms: Friends of Mineral Town

Relationship: Claire the Farmer/Cliff; Characters: Claire the Farmer, Cliff

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Retail, Alternate Universe, Awkward Flirting, two shy people attempting to have a phone conversation, Fluff, Budding Love, yes I still use a flip phone

Summary: Claire is roused from her sleep when her phone alerts her that she has a missed call. She snaps awake when she sees who it is from. Sappy, happy fluff. Modern AU, Retail AU.

Side Effects - by Measured; Completed, 1/1, 13k; Soulmate AU

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences; Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply; Category: F/M

Fandom: Trio of Towns

Relationship: Farmer/Ford; Characters: Ford, Female Farmer, Ensemble

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending

Summary: When Ford meets her, the world becomes brighter. Literally.

Island of Sanctuary - Mai_Blade; WIP, 1/?, <1k; Zombie Apocalypse AU

Rating: Not Rated; Archive Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death; Category: F/M

Fandom: Island of Happiness

Relationships: Reader & Other(s), Other Relationship Tags to Be Added; Characters: Reader, Other Character Tags to Be Added

Additional Tags: Reader-Insert, POV Multiple, Multiple Pairings, Angst and Tragedy, Blood and Gore, Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Don't copy to another site, mentions of bullying, referenced suicidal feelings

Summary: An island is a piece of land surrounded by water, a thing separate from the mainland. Fate brought you to an abandoned one, and you've helped bring it back to life. When the dead walk the earth, the island you call home becomes a defensible place, a refuge. A sanctuary. But. Even here, death comes.

Seedlings & Hammers - by MOcarina; WIP, 1/1, 2k; Modern, Urban AU

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences; Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply; Categories: F/M, Gen

Fandoms: Harvest Moon 64

Relationship: Claire the Farmer/Rick; Characters: Rick, Claire, Ann the Innkeeper | Ran, Gray

Additional Tags: the makerspace au no one asked for, Urban Farming, Meet-Cute, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Community Garden, non-profit, Eventual Romance

Summary: Claire is an enterprising newcomer to Flowerbud City working for a non-profit and meets a man with an inventive streak who can help her get her new initiative off the ground white trying to figure out his own dreams. A makerspace/community garden AU in the HM:64 world.

Tear You Apart - by indoorsy; Completed, 1/1, 7k; Soulmate AU

Rating: Mature; Archive Warning: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings; Category: F/M

Fandoms: Friends of Mineral Town

Relationships: Claire the Farmer/Brandon, Elli/Doctor Trent | Torre, Claire the Farmer/Doctor Trent | Torre; Characters: Claire, Brandon, Doctor | Trent, Elli | Elly

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, So much angst, Drama, Romance, Hurt/Comfort, Unrequited Love (Kind of), Some Supernatural Elements, Sex Pollen, Dubious Consent, Mutually Dubious Consent, Cheating, But not on purpose, Non-Explicit Sex, Suicide Attempt, yes his name is still Doctor

Summary: Claire had grown up believing in the prospect of soulmates as something incredibly joyous. It sounded just like a fairytale – like the ones her grandpa would tell her about the goddess in the pond – except, somehow, this one was true. A first touch that would ignite your skin, fill you with dizzying euphoria, and magnetize you to one another – it sounded like a divine blessing. But now Claire knew it was a curse. - Your soulmate isn't always the one you are meant to love, but that doesn't mean it won't hurt like hell.

Excuse me, do you want 10 thousand dollars? - by kurikku; Completed, 1/1, 7k; Fake Dating AU

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences; Archive Warning: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings; Category: F/M

Fandom: Trio of Towns

Relationship: Holly | Nanami/Wayne; Characters: Ford, Daryl | Darius, Hector, Stephanie, Carrie, Brad, Lynn

Additional Tags: Fake/Pretend Relationship, Alternate Universe

Summary: Wayne was offered an absurd deal of $10,000 if he was to pretend to be Holly's girlfriend for a week. Sounds easy and harmless, right?

In Good Taste - by Nenalata; WIP, 1/?, 4k, Chef AU

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences; Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply; Category: F/M

Fandoms: Animal Parade, Trio of Towns

Relationships: Holly/Chase, Kasey/Luna; Characters: Chase | Chihaya, Holly | Nanami, Maya | Mai, Hayden | Harper, Kasey | Yuuki, Luna | Ruumi, Julius | Juri, Candace | Kotomi, Angie

Additional Tags: AU, Restaurants, Chef AU, Alcohol, Rivals to Lovers, what else do you expect with Chase, Crossover, Teenage Rebellion, coming a decade too late I suppose, Cooking, Just a Lot of Food and Fluff, Not-Great Parental Relationships, People Interrupt Holly A Lot, Romance

Summary: “Top show, Holly! Even pro chefs have a tough time with legend class. You could have probably been successful as a full-time chef. Actually, it’s kind of a shame you didn’t become one.” "It's not so simple or easy a job that anyone could take it up on a whim and hope to succeed. What do you know of cooking? Running a kitchen? Have you any idea how to manage a business?" Holly has dreams of soufflé and meuniere, not Silkies and manure. The trio of towns is no place for her. She has bigger fish to fry on Castanet Island.

Chemistry for Beginners - by Lady_Malvence; WIP, 46/?, 72k; College AU

Rating: Explicit; Archive Warning: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings; Category: F/M

Fandoms: Story of Seasons (2014)

Relationship: Klaus/Minori | Annie; Characters: Marian, Iris, Other Harvest Moon characters, Giorgio

Additional Tags: Romance, Fluff, Alternate Universe - Romantic Comedy, Explicit Sexual Content

Summary: Reagan (Annie/Minori) was making her way to her new chemistry class when she found herself hopelessly lost. Frustrated and not looking where she was going she literally ran into the man that will change her life. A/U

Harvest Moonshine - by Nenalata; WIP, 4/10, 11k; Bootlegger AU

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences; Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply; Category: F/M

Fandoms: Grand Bazaar

Relationship: Amir/Anita; Characters: Amir, Gretel | Anita | Marl, Felix, Antoinette | Enju, Original Antagonist Character(s)

Additional Tags: Alcohol, bootleggers AU, Tax evasion, mild violence, Mild Language, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Political Intrigue, Renounced-ier Future, Implied Sexytimes Easy to Ignore if That's Not Your Thing, Painstaking Descriptions of Banking, Slight Canon Divergence, Blackmail, It's Still a Romance Though Don't Worry

Summary: In the eyes of Zephyr Town, Anita is a hardworking farmer who is doing remarkably well in the bazaar. To those in the know, Anita is who you see when you're thirsty and need a good strong drink from her less-than-legal liquor side business.

What You Want - by your_blackheart; Completed, 1/1, <1k; High School AU

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences; Archive Warning: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings; Category: Multi

Fandoms: Story of Seasons, Harvest Moon DS Cute, Tree of Tranquility, Animal Parade, Grand Bazaar

Relationships: Angelo/Pony | Jill, Angelo/Klaus the Perfumer; Characters: Pony | Aya | Jill, Angela the Farmer | Akari, Klaus the Perfumer, Angelo | Agi

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - High School, Self-Harm, Underage Smoking, Pining, Unrequited Crush, Platonic Female/Female Relationships, Platonic Relationships

Summary: Crushes are an absolute nightmare, but it only makes things worse when your crush has a thing for one of your teachers. Jill silently muses over what she wants as she awaits the period bell. It's a good thing there's someone around to smack her out of her daydreaming.