#I wrote ONE SCENE between them

[eirianerisdar]

Oh I'm writing the penultimate chapter of Icarus, I say

I'm wrapping up most of the threads including the older grid, I say

*proceeds to enter Sewis brainrot era*

[nondelphic]

i fucking love writing a healthy best friendship between a man and a woman without making it weird or having them fall in love

[choices-binglebonkus]

ILB MC and Elliot to this day remain the best sibling relationship in Choices.

[lucreziaces]

no no but the insanity that is showing the narcissus (you can't kiss a reflection) scene between paolo and lucrezia which I'd argue is lucrezia seeing a reflection of her brother in paolo (because he'd taken care of the sforza problem at least temporarily) back to back with cesare convincing a hesitant ursula to sleep with him by telling her she might have both his heart and body at her mercy when he really (perhaps unconsciously) means she's a surrogate for lucrezia and then cutting to lucrezia with her skirts pulled up under paolo asking if a good thing can come from a bad thing and then flipping him over, so it ends with her on top and once again it cuts back to cesare and ursula, also having sex with cesare in the dominate position. LIKE REFLECTIONS OF EACH OTHER.

[mcybree]

“why do i miss gem and the scotts suddenly theyre barely even real”

LITERALLY!! like. that team was held together with scott tape and the sheer force of gem’s personality. i don’t think scott and impulse ever actually even talked the entire time. it only worked because for the first time scott was faced with someone who was bossier than he was. they were awesome i should rewatch secret life

they were actually so fucking funny. All three of them promising to remain loyal and stick together until the very end (bc together they can win this!!) only for gem to hunt scott for sport an episode later was literally so based… their dynamic will always be funnier in my head i think but god it was awesome

[averlym]

pleaaase may i have 28 and 29 aramour angst ✨ i crave it

28: “Move out of my way before I make you.” // 29: “You deserve better.” (prompt list here)

click for better quality!

[aparticularbandit]

Ghost (I)

Summary: You don't remember your life.

(It was not your life.)

The doctors say that you should have died.

(The you that is not you did die. No. You died. Except this body is not yours, and it does not belong to you, so you didn't die. But you died in the dream. So maybe even the you that is you did die.)

It's just a dream.

(It isn't just a dream.)

And it slips through your fingers like sand through an hourglass.

Chapter Rating: T. Fic Rating: T.

AO3

Your body feels weird.

(This is not your body.)

The first time you wake, it’s like from a dream into a nightmare – or from someone else’s nightmare into one of your own, because in that dream, you were always able to hear everyone’s voices, and all of them were in pain (even your mama, although she would never tell you that).  You weren’t in pain, except when Agnes had that chokehold on your neck, and even then…even then, you hadn’t been in pain.  Just constrained and afraid, and that’s not the same as real pain.

What you feel now – this is real pain.

(What you felt at the end, as your body dissolved around you, as you saw your twin brother’s body dissolve in front of you, that was real pain.  You’d been more afraid then than you’d ever been in your whole life – even with Agnes, even when that military man shot at you and your brother – because Agnes was a friend and you were certain she wouldn’t actually hurt you (although she tried to hurt your mama), and when the military man hit you, adrenaline took over, and you used your powers, and you were able to do something, but when you and your brother started to dissolve, there wasn’t anything you could do and there wasn’t any explanation for it happening and there wasn’t any way for it to stop—)

But you shouldn’t be thinking about any of that.

All of that was a dream.

(It wasn’t a dream.)

You’re in real pain now.  There’s blood all over one side of your face.  Your head (it is not your head) hurts.

The dream (the memories) are already fading away.

(You are your mother’s child, and you are learning to lie to yourself just as well as she does.)

[fauville]

even though i enjoyed book 3 LT i was disappointed that a lot of the scenes where exactly the same as they were in A & N's solo routes. book 2 LT was very good because the route had its own unique scenes and i wish book 3 was more like that tbh

[dragon--sage]

This is the moment that you know That you told her that you loved her, but you don't You touch her skin, and then you think That she is beautiful, but she don't mean a thing to me I wanted to believe in all the words that I was speaking As we moved together in the dark... ... And every bite I gave that left a mark When tiny vessels oozed into your neck And formed the bruises That you said you didn't want to fade But they did, and so did I that day

✹ SHIP SONGS SERIES ✹ ASTARION X NYANA

[maya-matlin]

very UO but if they couldn’t bring back Jake, they should have stuck Peyton and Julian together as endgame over Leyton! Julian and Peyton had already supposedly been in love, they both like cities (LA, NYC etc) and it makes sense they’d live there due to their careers, and both Peyton and Julian for a lot of their time on the series seemed ambivalent about starting a family. Also, Julian is smart and on the introverted side like Lucas but a little goofy like Jake - a combination of the traits Payron goes for! Meanwhile, we saw so clearly in season 5 that Brooke and Lucas both loved being back in one tree hill, they both seem to have jobs they can do anywhere, they both very much prioritize settling down and having a family, they were already unofficially co-parenting Angie, they still have that seemingly effortless and magical connection, they balance each other out perfectly…I could go on!

Honestly, I wouldn't have minded that one bit. First of all, Peyton deserved a million times better than Lucas by the time he finally got around to choosing her. She was lacking any sort of spine or self respect when she ran to that airport. As irritating as I found her character for large stretches of season 5, ultimately she wasn't in the greatest place and only imagined that her happiness could be attainable if she won Lucas back. Now to get back to what you were saying. I definitely think Peyton was better off and would have thrived most living away from Tree Hill in a bigger city where her dreams could really take off. I mean, the show really said that because Peyton wasn't exactly where she wanted to be at age 22 that this made her a failure and retroactively meant her decision not to rush down the aisle at age 19 had been a terrible, awful, shameful mistake. Seasons 6 and 7 Julian would have made a lot of sense as a partner for the ambitious Peyton who had faced so much trauma and pain in her hometown. STRONGLY agreed about your points re: Peyton and Julian being ambivalent and sometimes even negative about settling down in Tree Hill compared to Brooke and Lucas who genuinely loved it there and couldn't imagine raising their families elsewhere. I'm aware every aspect of this was unintentional considering the possibility of a Brucas endgame post season 3 was basically taboo, but in terms of compatibility Brooke/Lucas and Peyton/Julian made the most sense. If we couldn't have Jake back for Peyton, obviously. In the end, Peyton still left Tree Hill, something Lucas never wanted. And Julian settled for staying in Tree Hill for Brooke even though he'd rather be in LA. Relationships are all about compromise, but it's interesting how their situations sort of parallel. You should go on, because I love reading your thoughts! I genuinely think if not for Peyton's continued interest in Lucas and Lucas having an unfortunate history of making the same mistakes over and over again, Lucas would have eventually ended up with Brooke. Season 5 Brucas had such an ease around each other. Their goals lined up perfectly. The chemistry was still there. Their communication was really solid and both went out of their way to emotionally support the other. Maybe it's because the pressure was off considering neither was expressing their feelings, but you see them taking care of Angie and the way Lucas considered proposing to Brooke and instinctively know that they could have had it all. It's really depressing.

[your--isgayrights]

ok we are feeling kid of cute rn actually I rewrote/reread everything i was like afraid of looking at again and I feel like the whole thing is just so much nicer of a foundation/experience now to reread. I'm pausing at a part that is a bit tricky because I want to do kind of a transition/montage between a couple of days/weeks before the big ending scene that I need to rewrite from the version that's been in my drafts for YEARS, but i need to decide which kind of amorphous transitionary scenes I can put in this space vs which ones i need more space in the timeline to develop. Part of why it's hard is that some key scenes in the chapters have these sort of core seasonal settings that are important to the atmosphere and I don't want to break realism too much by fudging the timeline eg being like they knew each other for months but its still february bc you know it was january in chapter 3 but for the big ending scene of chapter 4 it is important to have kind of mid to late february vibes visavis the emotions and headspaces and seasonal depressions at play but is that enough time for the emotional states of the characters to shift to where they need to be for some of the scenes I want? Ok maybe I have to like move some of the things to the next chapter.. OH ok like i had a part that I wanted to have KDJ be confused about something YJH wrote at the end of this chapter but maybe he gets to be confused/allarmed about it next chapter instead.

[kneworder]

i have all these draft documents of half finished fics full of lines i love but that are so fundamentally flawed i can't figure out how to finish them and can't kill my darlings mercilessly enough to get past the roadblocks so i just reread them over and over and think damn this is kinda fire. wish it was anywhere near shareable.

[whisperofthewaves]

I'm sorry, the guys who are making the murderbot adaptation are, among other things, responsible for American Pie, Golden Compass the movie, and Twilight New Moon???

[blorboresidue]

guhhhh i am struggling so much with ch3

[oncillaphoenix]

concept that just tackled me out of nowhere and is now chewing on my brain: BW protag who disappeared bc they got sent off to be a PMD protag

[haledamage]

A kiss as if trying to answer a question for Kira/Mason

surprising no one I'm sure, Mason won the honor of first post-Book 3 fic! ~1100 words, a few minor and vague spoilers for book 3. mostly sweetness with a hint of spice (and a fade to black at the end 😉)

A selection of songs Kira plays in this scene (all links go to youtube):

1. Come On In My Kitchen - Robert Johnson (video is a cover by Larkin Poe) 2. Just some lyricless blues guitar (example from Justin Johnson) 3. Fancy Drones (Fracture Me) - Amythyst Kiah 4. Shelter - Dorothy 5. Hard Learned - Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown 6. Hangover Blues - Amythyst Kiah

--

Kira could feel some of the tension ease out of her shoulders with the first strum of the guitar. She hadn’t realised just how much she’d missed it in the chaos of the last few weeks, how much she needed to unwind. Her fingers flowed across the strings, and she felt the music wrap around her like a warm hug.

She was halfway through “Come On In My Kitchen,” humming along with the melody, when someone knocked on her door.

“It’s open.”

Even before the door swung open, she knew who would be there. Mason was the only one who would seek her out at this time of night unless it was an emergency.

He leaned against the doorway like a figment out of a dream, all shadow and sharp edges. Effortlessly beautiful. Kira couldn’t help but let her eyes roam over him and drink in the sight.

He smirked as he watched her openly admire him. “Don’t stop on my account, sweetheart.”

It was only then that she noticed that her fingers had gone still, the guitar much less interesting than he was. She quickly picked the song back up more or less where she had been, ignoring how hot her face grew as she blushed. “I wouldn’t have taken you for a music-lover.”

Something passed over his face, but it was gone before she could tell what it was. “Neither would I.”

Mason kicked the door shut behind him as he moved into the room, climbing into the bed behind her without needing an invitation. One of his arms curled around her waist, fitting perfectly into the space between her and her guitar, and he pulled her backwards until her back met his chest.

A relieved sigh escaped her as the migraine she’d been fighting since lunchtime finally unwound as she relaxed against him. She could feel him react in a similar way, the tension in his body easing away as he settled them into a comfortable position.

Kira made a small contented noise when he pressed a kiss to the top of her shoulder. The distraction made her fingers stumble on the strings for a moment before she refocused.

They stayed like that for a while, letting the comfortable silence settle over them. The only sound was the warm, resonant hum of the guitar.

It was Mason that eventually broke it. “Didn’t know you played guitar.”

“Most people don’t.” She couldn’t see his expression, but she could feel his curiosity in the way he sat up a little straighter, angling himself to let her know he was listening. She smiled and let her head fall back on his shoulder. “Being a big name in a small town is like living under a magnifying glass. Everyone’s always watching me. This is something that’s just mine. Just for me and the people I choose to share it with.”

“Does that include me?” There was something pinched and strained in his voice, like he expected her to respond negatively.

Kira stopped playing so she could turn around and look at him. His expression reminded her of the night of the auction, an uncertain frown and a storm in his eyes that gave extra weight to his question. 

She brushed her hand against his cheek, watching his uncertainty drain away as she did, before leaning in to kiss him. She tried to let her actions speak for her, pouring her answer into every touch. It will always include you. I want to share everything with you. I love you.

It was a long time before they parted, and even then only because she needed to breathe.

Mason rested a hand on the nape of her neck, pulling her closer until their foreheads touched. His thumb traced the curve of the crescent moon tattoo on the back of her neck, eyes still closed, a small smile tilting the corner of his lips.

“What was that song you sang before?” he asked suddenly. “At the antique shop?”

It took a few seconds to rack her brain and recall the song. She’d been so desperate to find something, anything that could provide him a bit of relief while his crystal was being cleansed that she’d latched onto the first song that popped into her head. And then several more after when he’d collapsed against her, his head buried in the crook of her neck like he wanted to be as close to her voice as possible.

“Fracture Me.”

“Can you sing it again?”

Kira stole another kiss before nodding. “I can do that.”

After a bit of rearranging on the bed to get them back to a comfortable position, she started playing again. It took a minute to find her rhythm again--not helped by the fact that she was now practically in Mason’s lap--but she settled into it before long, and began singing.

There was none of the usual nervousness she expected, none of the uncomfortable sensation of having a spotlight shone on her like she normally got when she sang in front of someone new. This was Mason. He’d seen parts of her - literally and figuratively - that no one else had in a long time. If ever. It felt completely natural to show him this part too.

Kira finished one song and went right into another. Then another. Mason stayed quiet the whole time, unmoving except for his hands, which had found their way under her shirt and were drawing small and terribly distracting circles across her stomach.

Halfway through the fourth song, the music came to an abrupt halt, ending in a sharp gasp when his lips pressed firmly against her throat.

She could feel his smirk against her skin as he tugged back the collar of her shirt to trail hungry, open-mouthed kisses over her collarbone and shoulder. “Don’t stop on my account, sweetheart.”

“Fuck,” she ground out, somewhere between exasperated and needy. “Mason.”

He chuckled, the deep rumble of it making her shiver. “That right there is my favourite song.” He kissed his way back up her neck so he could purr in her ear, “Want to sing it for me again?”

At her nod, he gently took the guitar from her, setting it on its stand by the bed with a surprising amount of care. Once it was out of the way, he pulled her close once more, hands and lips already roaming to the places he knew were most sensitive and could draw the best sounds from her.

Kira didn’t mind admitting this was her favourite song, too. Especially since Mason made an excellent duet partner.