#aerlem 🌑

[a-cloud-for-dreams]

Soulmates— I MEAN narrative foils who have a deep understanding of each other there is nothing unprofessional or scandalous going on here-

[a-cloud-for-dreams]

I saw a TikTok use this sound and I immediately thought of Aerin so…

[a-cloud-for-dreams]

Here For You

Prompt: Based on this post by @malthemagnifisent

Pairing(s): Aerin Valleros/Mal Volari x Salem Nightingale (F!MC)

TW: None?

Tagging: @choicesficwriterscreations

A/N: Ok so Salem and Mal are my main pairing, I don't have a separate MC for Aerin. However, Salem being the flirt she is, did flirt with Aerin and obviously my favorite pathetic man started to have a thing for her, so I like to think in an alternate universe they might have ended up together. Maybe one where they weren't stopping the Shadow Court or one where they met in Whitetower. Perhaps one where she was a noble herself. It's just fun to think about, especially knowing she's a realm-walker. Anyways, in the main timeline, Salem is with Mal (romantic soulmates ofc) but she has a deep understanding with Aerin (platonic soulmates, like two sides of the same coin/narrative foils y'know?) Wow this was long, hope you enjoyed this lil mini fic!

"I can't believe we are still arguing about this," Tyril mumbled. "It's too dangerous and I won't let Salem endanger herself!"

"And you think I want to, Elf Boy?" Mal rolled his eyes. "You're the one who even brought it up! She practically ran to get away from you and your horrible plans."

"Say that again, Volari-" Tryil snaps.

"Come on you two, this isn't like us at all, let's all calm down..." Nia stepped between the two of them glancing back and forth.

"I'm being perfectly rational, I suggest you let the Rogue here know that we aren't back at the orphanage and don't have to play by his rules anymore."

"And I was just starting to like you..." Mal muttered under his breath.

"Are we yapping or are we gonna do something?" Imtura comes in, playfully swinging a new sword she found in the hallway of artifacts inside the abandoned elven library.

"We can't do anything until these two stop bickering! I barely got through this scroll on the Ash Empire," Kade whined.

"And I haven't received the elven honey cakes I requested ten minutes ago!" Threep frowned. Everyone else groaned.

Aerin stood back watching the whole ordeal with furrowed eyebrows. Was this the same motley crew who managed to defeat the Shadow Court as effortlessly as they did? They may have been lucky the first time around since it seems impossible to be productive around a group filled with opposing personalities like theirs.

Maybe he could have been like Nia, chiming in to maintain peace but he had a feeling they wouldn't take his words seriously. The only reason he was even out of shackles was because of Salem's request to do so. He shouldn't squander his opportunity to bond any further than he already has.

He wanted to, of course. And he felt like kicking himself for betraying the only people who bothered to be kind to him. They were willing to sacrifice Baldur to the Drakna for Light's sake! Anyone back at Whitetower would have been shocked to even think such thoughts.

He stepped away from the marble pillar he was leaning against and towards the lush gardens behind the library to check on Salem, desperately avoiding the unwanted memories blurring his mind of the night in the forest glade, the night with her.

Our kiss? That was real, Aerin. And it's still real...

He closed his eyes tightly. He couldn't let himself get distracted. Not again.

~~~

She hated this. The soft linen garment she changed into was soaked by the wet grass. The bottom edges of her leather boots were covered in mud. And her hair dampened by the soft drizzling raindrops. One would think a respectable elven library would have more places to hide in, to be left alone. But of course, she wasn't able to catch a break.

In any other circumstance, Salem always found the rain beautiful. Despite the darkened skies and messy aftermath, there was a beauty in the sorrow it evoked. Like the promise of warmth was hidden behind the tears of Light.

Even with his poetic nature, Kade thought she sounded ridiculous. But he liked that she wasn't afraid to be. Salem was honest, and she was able to look past appearances.

At least, most of the time.

Aerin cleared his throat when he found her. "Are you okay?"

She turned around quickly to find a nervous Aerin standing with his arms crossed over his chest and an unstable stance.

Have I been crying this entire time? Salem sucked in a breath, frantically clearing her face of remaining tears. "What do you think?"

"Were you crying?" his voice barely remained even. He steps closer to her.

She chuckled, a few strands of hair brushing over her face. Aerin blushes at her soft laugh, a complete shift from her confident demeanor. "I forget how smart you are sometimes." She stands up and quickly dusts off her soiled garment, turning to face him. "Did they stop fighting?"

"You didn't answer my question, Salem."

"Aerin..."

He hesitates before continuing. "No hero is invincible. You're not an exception."

"Gee, thanks."

He shakes his head. "You've gone through so much..."

Because of me.

Salem rolls her eyes. "There have been others who've lived through worse. Are living through worse." She places a hand over her forehead to quell her head pain.

"You're talking about the children at the orphanage," he says as if it were a fact he was familiar with.

"They're so young, and they've witnessed horrors they should have never seen," she shudders in frustration, her fists clenched behind her back. "And if I can't stop the Ash Empire or Valax, what good am I? I'm no hero-"

Aerin's gaze sharpened. "I won't let you talk about yourself that way."

Salem closed her eyes, slightly pivoting away from him. Aerin stepped directly in front of her and looked into her eyes, clouded by fear, worry, anger.

He wasn't thinking clearly when he pulled her in for a tight hug. Salem gasped at the sudden warmth, but rested her head on the crook of his neck. Aerin ignored how she smelled like warm spices and cedar wood. He ignored how perfectly she fit into his arms. He ignored the temptation to push away the soft damp strands of her hazel-brown hair and stare deeply into her mesmerizing eyes that made him think back to a happier time before things were so complicated.

She laughed softly. "I'm terrified, there's so many people depending on me and I can't mess anything up."

His grip tightens. "And you know that you can depend on me. I'm here for you. Whatever you need, whenever you need me. It's the least I could do."

She stayed silent for a second. He was worried for a second. Did I do something wrong?

"You know, you give pretty good hugs. Nia and Kade would be proud." Aerin sighed in relief. He reluctantly leaves her embrace and tilts his head to the side.

"T-Thanks," he runs a hand through his now wet jet black curls. "We should probably head back before we catch a cold huh?" Salem smiles, trailing slightly behind him.

"And Aerin?"

"Hm?" he turns around.

Salem smiles, feeling like a heavy burden that has been lifted off her shoulders. "Thank you."

~~~

it's a lil OOC since Mal would obvi be the first to check in with Salem immediately after she left the room but it's for the ✨plot✨ hope you enjoyed reading this!

[a-cloud-for-dreams]

Unreleased & Incomplete #1: Novel Night

There was a knock on the door, ceasing all movement. A moment of silence fell between the two. Salem sucked in a quick breath while Mal simply smirked underneath her.

"Did you want to rendezvous with another lover, kit?" A few strands of Salem's hair slid off her bare shoulders, brushing over her face. She blushed, tinting her cheeks pink. That was all he needed to know.

"Hush! Keep your voice down," she gently slapped Mal's shoulder. He rolled his eyes. The stranger on the other side knocked again, more hesitant this time.

"Salem, are you asleep?"

Aerin.

Mal raised an eyebrow after hearing the prince's voice. She sighed, leaning downward. "I, well...I didn't think he'd actually come here!"

"Did anyone ever teach you that lying is a bad habit?" Mal teased, gripping her waist more tightly.

She scoffs. "Says you!" Salem hesitates for a moment before jumping off the bed and redressing. She threw Mal's clothes at him, who was already settling into her bed under the comforters.

"Already? But we were having so much fun!"

"Who said this would be the end?" she wraps both arms around his neck and whispers in his ear. "It won't be for too long." Mal tilted his head and smiled softly before settling back in. Salem fixed her hair before carefully opening the door to a flustered Aerin.

"Sorry for keeping you waiting," she said apologetically, closing the door behind her. "I didn't think you'd actually come."

A few black curls swept over his face. "Don't worry, I almost didn't."

She chuckled. "Did you want to show me something?" He looked away for a moment, fiddling with one of the rings on his finger.

"You haven't seen the library, have you?"

~~~

The two snuck to the other side of the castle. Aerin's warm hand gently held hers as he led the way. He glanced around the corridors occasionally to ensure they wouldn't get caught. They stopped in front of two double doors. Aerin pulled out a key and explained:

"They lock the doors to protect the books. One of the halls has a secret passageway to the royal archives and the relic room."

"If they're such secretive rooms, should you really be telling someone like me all your secrets?" Salem teased. He smiled, trying to ignore the feeling flushed under her intense gaze.

"Don't worry Salem, I trust that you won't divulge this secret."

She raised her hand to salute. "Ay, my good sir."

He opened the doors and led her inside to the grand room. The rows of bookshelves felt like they stretched out for miles. The shelves stacked up so tall they leveled with the candle-lit chandeliers that must have been hundreds of years old. The floor glowed under the light, contrasted by the harsh shadows under the marble staircases decorating the wooden shelves.

Salem stepped closer to the center of the room and gasped softly. She tucked a strand of her hair behind an ear, practically twirling around in her spot. Her thoughts failed to express themselves coherently.

"It's...beautiful." Kade would have loved it here.

"Yes, I think so too," he said, looking directly at her. His heart skipped a beat, and he stepped closer to face her. Salem smiled and took off towards the alchemy section. He went to follow her, getting lost in thought.

Maybe the Dreadlord was wrong. Maybe he wasn't the unlovable pitiful prince he thought he was. Aerin stopped next to the shelf she was focused on. Her fingers lingered on the spine of every book, her gaze inquisitive. He tilted his head, simply wanting to be in her presence.

Maybe, just maybe, he could be someone. The man he always wanted to be.

Tagging: @malthemagnifisent solely because I think you mentioned at one point you were interested in my other Aerin fics(?) This isn't a full fic or anything but I thought it still counts lol

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omg this is so cool!! i've never done anything like this before but I'm so excited to participate!

1. Open Heart: Bryce Lahela x F!MC (Dr. Chandini Ramakrishnan)

2. Ride or Die/Nightbound/Crimes of Passion; Colt Kaneko/Nik Ryder/Hispanic!Trystan Thorne (MAIN) x F!OC (Lyra Lexington); I am so sorry for this one I made her an MC & OC across multiple books with multiple love interests because I love her sm and couldn't bear to leave her in one book also because I'm indecisive oop hope the color coding helped lol

3.Blades of Light and Shadow: Mal Volari OR Aerin Valleros x F!Human MC (Salem Nightingale); I have multiple AUs so in some she gets with Mal and in some, she's with Aerin

I'm so sorry I don't have a nice one-to-one ratio between MCs and LIs 😭 if you get me feel free to pick your favorite lol

Extra Information

Chandini Ramakrishnan's FC is Charithra Chandran (South Indian, Tamil)

Salem Nightingale's FC is Jessica Alba, specifically with the blonde-ish highlights like in the picture below

Lyra Lexington is more difficult because she's biracial (Mexican and South Indian) and technically she doesn't really look like the current face claims I have so here's a picture of the MC sprite I used lol

If you want more information about them you could scroll through their character/ship tags on this post if that's helpful!

Trick or Treat: a Choices Fandom Secret Pal event

What it is:

Think secret Santa but at Halloween (because why not?)

Everyone who shows interest in participating will be given a match for whom they should create a small work (drabble, art, sketch, edit, moodboard, etc)

How to participate:

Reblog this post stating your interest AND include your top 3 books/characters/pairings to help guide your match on what they should create for you. (reblogs that do not include a top 3 will not be considered entries for participation)

or, message me here or at @lovealexhunt stating your interest and include your top 3 picks

Note: When listing your interests, please include any preferred gender/race characteristics you may have for customizable character. If you have FCs you are welcome to list them as well.

Deadline to participate: October 12

What comes next:

On, or about, October 13-14, I will message you with your match and what they listed as their top 3 interests

Please tag this blog and #ChoicesTrickorTreat as well so I can keep track of who posted and who is missing.

You create something for them based on their interests and post it between October 28-31

You may NOT use AI for this event. Please create something from you! I'm sure your match would rather have something you worked on than something you told AI to create for them

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to reach out. 🧡🧡🧡🧡

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AAAAAAH SALEM THE WOMAN THAT YOU ARE!!

The dress and the alchemy bag AND the leafy mossy crown ugh she’s so ✨💅💖🌼🫶🏽

feat. the only opinions who matter the only ones I went out of the way to ss

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Imagine An Aerin x MC Fic With Lyrics from Reflections by The Neighbourhood

Where have you been? Do you know when you're coming back? 'Cause since you've been gone I've got along but I've been sad

We were too close to the stars I never knew somebody like you, somebody Falling just as hard Maybe it's a blessing in disguise (I sold my soul for you) I see my reflection in your eyes

So don't go, oh, no, just stay You and I were bright, shooting through the sky daily (yeah) Lighting up the night, wasn't always right, baby (mhm) Yeah, every time that we realized it's crazy And you save me

I know you're tired, I know you're tired Just say it, I agree with you Yeah, sick of all the poison in me What did I do wrong for me, babe? Uh, I see myself in you, I see myself in you, baby I see myself in you, alright, I sold my soul for you I see myself in you, maybe you should too

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Sunday Six 8/14/2023 - BOLAS

Salem wasn't supposed to be here. Not in the luxurious bright chambers glowing under the numerous yellow candlelights. Not in a ridiculously soft cot wrapped in golden comforters. And definitely not in the castle where she was betrayed by the Prince she cared deeply for.

The first question that popped into her head had something to do with wondering where her friends were, but she was interrupted by a stoic figure.

"You slept for a long time."

@choicesficwriterscreations

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he's trying to appeal to mc's type 😭

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I haven't done a poll in super long buuuut I've been dividing my energy on different WIPS and it would be helpful to know what to focus on! I really wanna post actual fics this year lol. I could even post sneak peeks if you want to know more about these fics. Fair warning, some of them are pretty old...

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I wasn't able to take screenshots of this scene but YES this was such an underrated scene!!

He's still dealing with the aftermath of his choices, so he's still trying to figure out his own identity after working for the Dreadlord all these years (he's in his twenties I'm pretty sure so that means while he was a teenager trying to figure himself out he was still corrupted by the Dreadlord which is sad oof). Even though MC and everyone else have every reason to distrust him, he asked MC alone if they would be fine with him tagging along because he's more comfortable around them.

I almost think that he holds MC in such a high regard that their opinion of him would make or break his next course of action. Like MC says jump and he's like "How high?" with no hesitation. The savior of Morella was able to find their own path, so surely they could help him too, right? And if they rejected him, it would be an excuse to mope around and wallow in pity instead of taking accountability aka be the biggest reality check ever imao

Honestly this one little snippet is still living in my head rent free

Bro couldn’t even look her in the eye when he said this. He was fully expecting to be rejected and turned away and was bracing himself for that inevitable pain. A pain that he probably feels he should be used to by now considering his experiences and everything he’s done, but he’s not. Yet he still chose to ask MC knowing her rejection would hurt 1000x more because they had/have a real connection. Someone please tell me I’m not the only one who feels completely not normal about this 🥺😭