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anistarrose · 7 months ago

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taz balance one-shot recs!

I've been meaning to make this post for a while now, so here we are! The majority of these are from the past three years or so, because I love a fandom classic as much as anyone, but I particularly want to shine a light on some gems from after the peak of traffic in the fandom tags! There are of course also exceptions that are older, though.

Also, April 19th-21st are Just Leave a Comment Fest, so please show these authors some love!! They're all so deserving!

a recipe for home by @journalofimprobablethings: Taako tries to cook for the first time since Glamour Springs. When things go awry, Lucretia is there to lend a hand.

Gen (Taako & Lucretia), 3.5k. Early B.O.B. era hurt/comfort centered around cooking, with a delicious dollop of sentimentality and dramatic irony on top.

Seven Times Magnus Burnsides Gave Someone A Hug + One Time He Received One by @barry-j-blupjeans: Magnus wasn't really any good at— at words. He was more of an action man. Or, y'know, a "I'll take this hit so you don't have to" man. Talking to someone about their feelings was all kinds of weird, so usually he just left the space for someone else to talk. And, well... Magnus wasn't good at words. But there's a few different ways to get his support across.

Mostly gen with some Magnulia, 8.6k. You've all heard of the classic 5 Plus 1, but obviously Magnus deserves a 7 Plus 1! I don't know how to describe it without spoilers other than being full of incredibly sweet, gentle takes on so many fraught or bittersweet moments. Super underrated, do give it a read.

Embrace the Dark by @ceilingfan5: Bookstore coworkers Kravitz and Taako get more than they bargained for when Taako tries to use his powers to fix Kravitz's migraine. But it's okay--it's an excuse for them to spend time together until one of them can nut up and ask the other out.

Taakitz, 8.9k. Modern with Superpowers AU! Super sweet interactions between Kravitz and Taako, paired with lots of fun background worldbuilding. And, of course, a very special grilled cheese sandwich.

Break This Heavy Chain by Punka_Writes: In the immediate aftermath of Story and Song, Barry Bluejeans could really use a hug.

Blupjeans and misc. platonic interactions, 2.3k. The absolute epitome of comfort food in written form, with excellent Barry characterization (and of course, he does get that hug)!

birds of a feather steal sweaters together by @holdmecloser-gandydancer: When you're a big, burly guy it seems that your clothes just become free reign for all your friends. Normally Magnus is a reasonable guy, but everyone has their limits.

Gen (IPRE crew), 1.9k. Starblaster era fluff! Everyone is written absolutely delightfully, and every time I read it I snort out loud at least twice.

Security by @ceilingfan5: Barry has finally made it--his incredible scientific discovery has landed him a huge fortune...and a lot of problems. The only good thing that's come of it, honestly, has been his bodyguard, Lup. (And the science. That's good also.) He's just gotta stay normal about how nice it is to have someone like Lup around, and also not perish by way of press circuit, and everything will be fine.

Blupjeans, 6k. Modern with magic AU from Barry's POV, featuring equal parts anxiety and pining. Also, it's straight-up extremely funny.

Lonesome Dreams by @jerreeeeeee: Taako wakes up one morning from a nightmare, fast fading. There was a guy in glasses, and they were… somewhere high up? Something terrible happened, but he doesn’t remember. He wakes up in a wagon he’s never seen before, but it has his name on it. There’s tons of food inside, more than he’d be able to afford. And he’s alone. Thinking back to the last thing he remembers is difficult. College? No, he’d graduated. Top of his class, obviously, he remembers that. But what- what happened after? Where is Lup?

Gen (Taako & Lup), 10.2k. Everything starts out the same, except Taako remembers Lup, even if not how she went missing, and it's incredibly underrated and full of phenomenal characterization. I won't spoil how things shake out, but it's a great emotional ride and I genuinely reread it all the time.

it's my party and I'll mope if I want to by @holdmecloser-gandydancer: Taako's birthday is just another Thursday. A detective and an old friend have a different idea.

Gen (Taako & Lucretia & Angus), 2.1k. Short and so sweet! Fics about voidfished!Taako's birthday never get old, and this is one of my absolute favorites. Nailing the angst-to-wholesome ratio.

Tedious Familiarity by @barry-j-blupjeans: Déjà vu. Noun. A feeling of having already experienced the present situation. A tedious familiarity. Barry Bluejeans woke up in a cave, fresh out of a pod filled with green goop, and saddled with an unsettling feeling that he had been here before. If you had asked forty-year-old Barry if he would follow instructions left by a talking coin, he probably would have asked you what type of drugs you were on. But, y’know, fifty… two? Fifty-one? How old was he? Fifty-two sounded right. But, y’know, fifty-two years old Barry didn’t really have that many other places to turn, so this couldn't be all that bad.

Gen, 4.1k. Missing scenes based off Barry's decade alone, written in such an effective style, where all the little details truly make it. Mandatory reading for fellow Barry angst enjoyers.

Angus McDonald and the Wonderland Escape Rooms by coppersunshine: When Angus gets grounded from detecting, to keep his skills sharp he becomes a patron of the Wonderland Escape rooms, run by Edward and Lydia, who quickly decide he's their new nemesis. To their surprise, Angus and the collection of weird adults he's accompanied by decide otherwise.

Gen (Angus & Edward & Lydia), 7k. Modern with magic AU, putting Edward and Lydia in the absolute funniest possible job, at which a little boy detective torments... and maybe, even gives them a chance to turn over a new leaf. I am of the opinion that Angus and the Wonderland twins have a criminally underexplored dynamic, and this fic gave me everything I wanted.

If the Sun and Moon Should Doubt by Punka_Writes: Merle Highchurch, on the brink of a bad decision.

Gen, 1.6k. Merle character study immediately before running out on his marriage. Truly the incredible characterization that Merle deserves; this was a fic that really ignited my love for him.

Greensleeves by @sgrumby: Kravitz has never seen a lich like this before, and he's seen a lot of liches. Merle is just trying to save the universe, thanks very much.

Gen (Kravitz & Merle), 2.2k. A unique and also absolutely genius Lich!Merle AU where Kravitz inevitably comes after him, and Merle is... well, the Peacemaker, of course!

#taz #taz balance #taz balance spoilers #fic rec #long post

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cataztrophi · 1 year ago

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TAZ November Celebration 15: Silly/One

And that's the month, folks! I've learned so much doing @taznovembercelebration, it's the first time I've done an event like this and I'm really proud I met my goal! It's been awesome seeing the great work everyone else has been doing! For my 15th and final entry, I got "silly," then drew "one" to get more direction. This was surprisingly difficult to get started with, and I tried a few ideas that I might develop later, but I'm really happy with what I made once I got going on the idea I liked! This one is a little ridiculous, and I tried to lean into the taakitz dumbass energy, which I hope I captured well.

Taako was never one to believe in unbreakable rules. Generally, he felt most rules, codes, and laws could be broken if you had a good enough reason. Sometimes you didn’t even need that. If he were forced to name any rules that he felt were truly unbreakable, he would have two: one, no matter what the recipe says, use more garlic. And two, when the Timewarp comes on your Spotify playlist, you do the fucking Timewarp. Yes, you had to do the moves, and yes, that included if you were in the middle of making a lemon cake with Swiss meringue buttercream.

Taako was thoroughly enjoying himself as he slid his Swiss meringue into the fridge to cool, then executed an enthusiastic jump to the left to gather his dry ingredients for the cake. He had a rare day off work, he was doing what he loved, and he could sing at the top of his lungs because he knew his downstairs neighbor wasn’t home yet.

He wiggled around in a circle with the dry mixture in his hands, belting out the end of the chorus.

“That really drives you insa- FUCK!” The bowl clattered to the floor as he turned around and saw someone standing in the door to his kitchen. Flour, sugar, and all the rest of it exploded over every surface, including the nice shiny shoes and perfectly-creased slacks of his visitor. It was Kravitz. Of course it was.

Taako scrambled to pull his phone out of his pocket and pause his music, his heart still pounding from the shock.

“Kravitz,” he gasped out, “I thought you worked till six.”

Kravitz, as always, looked perfect, with his handsome face and his all-black suit and his long dreads pulled up in a knot behind his head. He also looked completely stunned, which Taako couldn’t blame him for, since he’d just witnessed his trainwreck of a sing-along followed by a catastrophic baking failure.

“They just changed my schedule,” he said after a moment, his expression turning sheepish. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt. Here, let me–” He stooped down to retrieve Taako’s mixing bowl–thank the gods he’d been using a metal one.

“Fuck, you don’t have to-” He was hot from embarrassment and itchy from his new flour coating.

Kravitz straightened up and set the mixing bowl on the table. He looked Taako over, eyes lingering a little, which Taako hoped was because he was wearing a very short pair of running shorts he’d had since high school, but was more likely because he looked like some sort of feral snow creature.

“I… are you okay?” Kravitz asked.

Taako nodded. “Yep! Right as rain, my dude! Right as grain? No, that’s nothing.” Kravitz laughed, probably out of pity more than anything, but at this point Taako would take it.

“I’m sorry I startled you.” Why did he get to have the softest fucking voice on the planet? And why was he allowed to direct it at vulnerable people like Taako, at this, the worst moment of his life thus far?

“Oh, I knew you were there,” he said with faux nonchalance, leaning against the refrigerator.

Kravitz raised his eyebrows. “You did."

“What, you didn’t like my little one man show?”

He grinned. “No, it was- it was really impressive.”

“You should see what else my hips can do.” He smirked as he watched Kravitz’s eyes go wide. He was definitely looking at the shorts now.

“I… um, I have your mail!” he announced. Gods he was cute.

Taako raised an eyebrow, having fun teasing him. “Are you holding it for ransom or something? Cause I’m not not into it.”

“No I-” he stopped. “Isn’t that a crime?”

He shrugged. “Crime can be hot.”

“Mail crime?”

“I prefer males, yeah.”

Kravitz snorted. “You’re the worst.”

“My kitchen’s covered in shit, I’ve earned it.”

“Anyway.” Not to be derailed this time, Kravitz pulled several envelopes from the pocket of his suit jacket. “Some of your mail got addressed to apartment one instead of apartment two again. Where should I put these?”

“Just find the least floured surface.”

“Right.” He set them down on the countertop nearest the door. “Can I help you clean this up since I helped cause it?”

Taako crossed his arms. “I told you, that was intentional. When they put me on Broadway I’m gonna use glitter.”

“Oh, fuck, that would be the worst,” Kravitz laughed.

“Gonna drop ten tons of it from the ceiling.”

“The cleaning staff would hate you!”

Taako was laughing too, now. “The whole fucking world would hate me, my man! The world’s first completely unifying issue: fuck that guy with the glitter!”

They took a moment to catch their breath, and Kravitz sighed. “Please let me help you with this.”

Taako waved a hand, dismissing the request. “Nah, the kitchen’s too small anyway. We’d just be bumping into each other.”

“That’s not such a bad thing.”

His heart lurched. He’d been flirting with Kravitz for weeks now, but this was the first time he’d taken the initiative. Was that… was there a chance he was interested? Not just flirting for fun?

“Maybe not,” he said, his mouth suddenly dry. “You are gonna want to change, though, it’s gonna be bad enough getting flour out of your pants.”

A grin spread across Kravitz’s face. “I’ll be back in a minute.” He turned and left the apartment, and Taako spent a moment leaning against the counter, just breathing.

He shouldn’t get his hopes up. Chances were Kravitz was just having fun, and so was he, but gods, Taako hadn’t felt like this in a while. Even longer since he’d fallen for someone this kind, or talented, or–

Taako pushed himself away from the counter and took a look at the mail Kravitz had brought him. That was a bill, that was a bill, that was a request for donations he couldn’t help with, bill— wait. Mixed in with the envelopes was a small sheet of lined paper, with a letterhead from the company Kravitz worked for. There were some messy notes scribbled on it in Kravitz’s handwriting.

He wasn’t going to look at it, just give it to Kravitz when he got back.

The notes were divided into an introduction, body, and conclusion. In the introduction section, Kravitz had written, “tell him what you like about him: handsome, funny, smart, great cook, nice to see every day.”

He should stop reading. This was clearly something private, and he didn’t want to intrude, or for that matter, have it confirmed that Kravitz was interested in someone else. Someone at work, it looked like, which was fine. Great, even.

“Taako, I think I–” Kravitz skidded into his apartment, wearing work jeans and no shoes, a panicked expression on his face. His gaze fell on the note in Taako’s hands. “Oh. You saw, then.”

Fuck. “Krav, I didn’t mean-”

“I just didn’t know how to tell you,” he said in a rush. “This… uh… wasn’t my top choice, though.”

Taako took a deep breath. This was fine. This was absolutely okay, and definitely not a collapsing five-tiered cake of a day.

“Hey, this afternoon hasn’t been great,” he said finally. “Do you want to just… have a do-over?”

Kravitz let out a sigh of relief. “That would be great, actually.”

Taako handed him the note. “So I didn’t see this, and you didn’t see…” he gestured towards the floury mess of his kitchen. “All that….”

He took a step back, brushed the worst of the flour off his apron, and said, “Hey, Krav! How was work?”

“Fine,” he said, biting back a smile. “How was your day?”

“There’s shit all over my kitchen,” Taako said.

Kravitz laughed quietly, then looked down at the note still in his hand. “Okay. Um, Taako, I think you’re handsome, and funny, and smart, and–”

Taako’s heart skipped a beat. Actually, it skipped several. To be completely honest, it felt like it jumped down a flight of stairs. “Wait.”

Kravitz looked up, alarmed. “Are you… I thought-”

“Are you asking me out?”

He blinked. “What did you think the note was about?”

Taako considered this for a moment. “I’d rather not say.”

“Okay, I’ll… try not to be concerned about that. Um, should I go on, or…?”

“Do you… is it like, important for you to finish, for self-actualization or something?”

Kravitz grimaced. “Honestly I’d prefer to just know. I kind of feel like I’m dying right now.”

“Oh! I mean, hell yeah, my dude! Let’s do it!”

“Okay!” Kravitz’s face lit up, and Taako could feel an answering grin spread across his own face. “We should, uh, probably get this flour cleaned up first.”

Taako snorted. “Oh yeah, cha’boy’s not dealing with that at midnight.” He cast a sidelong glance at Kravitz. “Or tomorrow morning.”

Kravitz’s eyebrows shot up. “Uh. Do you have a broom?”

“Right over there, handsome.”

#thanks everyone!!!#taz november celebration #taz balance #taako #taakitz #taz kravitz #troph writes

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yourbelgianthings · 1 year ago

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taz november celebration fic four: prompt bakery au

sorry this is a day late but i'm also kind of not because of how long it is it evens out, i went with modern taakitz (feat. some other balance peeps) and may or may not have gotten a bit carried away, but i hope y'all enjoy the fluff! ~3.8k words @taznovembercelebration (in fact it's so long i will have to post in multiple parts oops)

Before the sun had even begun to dawn in the sky, Taako was starting all the different doughs and batters for the day and preheating the large double oven. He loved working in the early morning quiet and solitude, every measurement memorized and every movement second nature. His bakery was called Sweeten It Up with Taako, and it had become a popular fixture in the city. In the beginning, he just made things for his friends, then had a stand at the farmer's market, and finally saved enough to buy a brick and mortar shop. On either side was a dog training school and a combination plant/metaphysical/book store. A big buff guy with reddish hair and a beard named Magnus who was a bit younger than Taako ran the dog store, and a short, older white-haired gentleman with medium brown skin named Merle was the proprietor of…whatever the deal at his store was. Taako himself was tall and slim with long platinum blonde hair and sandy brown skin, he always thought the three of them must look straight out of a goofy buddy comedy on the days they took their lunch breaks together. They were pretty funny, and he didn't mind the company sometimes, but he was there to work and hone his craft, not make friends.

That morning, like every other, Taako made sure the display case was set up perfectly before flipping over the open sign. Croissants, muffins, éclairs, lemon bars, his signature elderflower macarons, and every other enticing treat imaginable were arranged in layers on cake stands and in trays. "Once again, perfect," he said to himself with a smile, now open for a day of business. The first customer to arrive, opening the door with a little jingle of the bell, was Lucretia, the curator of the city's art museum. She had dark skin, and her gray natural hair was cut very short. Even wearing just the museum uniform polo shirt, nametag, and khakis, she exuded a sense of elegance and grace. "Morning, Lucretia!" Taako greeted her cheerily. "Let me go grab your order, one sec," and he was gone before she could reply. She gasped when she saw the box of cutout cookies frosted to look like watercolor paintings. "Taako, these are gorgeous! I don't know if you can make it to the opening we're serving these at, but there's a ticket for the exhibit with your name on it at the front desk whenever you're free." Taako and Lucretia weren't necessarily close personal friends, but they talked a lot about art whenever they got the chance, and that can tell you a lot about someone. They thanked each other and he promised to be over soon. After Lucretia left, the rest of the morning passed normally, with a steady stream of business people, parents and children, and retired folks.

Around noon, though, a customer he had never seen before caught his eye as soon as he entered. He was a little shorter than Taako, dark-skinned with cool undertones, his locs up in a ponytail and wearing a long black coat. Taako was stunned, but he quickly blinked and snapped out of it. "What brings you in today?" he asked. "This is a bakery, yeah? Presumably I'm buying some of your baked goods," the stranger replied, with a twinkle in his eye. "Yes, yep, it definitely is!" Taako was not used to feeling flustered, let alone at work, where he was at charge and could do what he was best at. All of a sudden, it seemed much warmer, and he quickly freed his hair from the braid down his back and swept it up into a bun with a purple scrunchie. The stranger asked which muffin was best, paid in cash (and tipped!), and left, but waved as he turned to go at the door. Taako waved back dumbfoundedly, kicking himself for not having thought of anything witty to say as he watched the door close. What on earth was that, anyway? He saw plenty of hot guys every day, there was no reason to waste time thinking that this might be anything different. Still, his mind kept wandering back to the stranger the rest of the day.

After he locked up, he called Lup, and she picked up right away. "Hey, Taako! Are you off?" "Yep, just heading out. Your place or mine tonight? I will have you know I don't feel like cooking, so don't let that influence you." Lup laughed. "No worries, carryout is fine, but we're redoing the bathroom, so yours is probably better." "Got it, see you at 7." click Taako didn't want to cook?! There's another point for the list of reasons she'd been worrying about him lately. She sighed as she headed to her car from the studio, brushing dust and bits of dried clay from her hands and clothes as she went. Lup looked a lot like Taako, except her hair wasn't as long, and she dyed it starting at the top of her ears red, and then orange halfway down. She often wore it in two Dutch braids so it was neatly out of her face while she was working.

Taako was secretly disappointed he was hosting. He always felt bad that his apartment didn't live up to Barry and Lup's cozy little house that actually felt like a home. His apartment was just where he crashed when he wasn't at work, the only room with any effort actually put into it was the kitchen. Even though it had been a while now, it was still hard to get used to the idea that he wasn't going to have to leave soon. He loved that he and Lup and Barry regularly spent time together though, so it was worth it to have them over.

"Barry?" Lup called as soon as she walked in the front door. "One second, honey, let me just get off the ladder!" A pale chubby man with light brown hair and a beard wearing glasses and paint stained jeans and a tshirt emerged with his arms outstretched for a hug. As they embraced, Lup exclaimed, "You didn't need to work on the bathroom after school, care bear!" "I don't mind. Really anything quiet after the day I had with those middle schoolers is fine by me, and of course, they still don't even understand the weather cycle!" They laughed and headed to their room to get changed for Taako's. Barry pressed the buzzer in the lobby, the speaker crackled and then projected Taako's voice: "Welcome to Chez Taako, darlings, let yourselves in." His apartment was on the third floor so Barry and Lup took the stairs, opening the door to see Taako flopped on an armchair reading a book. He put iit down as soon as he heard the door and ran over to hug them.

"Ooh, whatcha reading?" asked Barry. "Some book Merle gave me, I don't really get what it's about. Most of the stuff at his shop is weird, but all the plants are somehow always in perfect condition." "That reminds me," said Lup, "I was going to ask if you wanted to invite Magnus and Merle to hang out with us sometime. They seem pretty cool, and we have more spots open in our video game tournaments." Taako bristled and glared at her. "Fuck no!" he snapped. "They're two guys that happen to work next to me that I eat lunch with sometimes. Hardly the same category as my sister and my brother in law, don't you think?" "Jesus, Taako, you could just say you don't want to, calm down." He collapsed onto the armchair again. "I'm sorry, Lulu. I guess I'm just a bit on edge."

Lup went to sit criss cross on the floor next to the chair, and Barry sat on the futon. "Why, what's up, bud?" she asked gently. "Why not?" He gave her a tired smile. "Shit, I was supposed to order food for us already, wasn't I? Sorry, guys." Barry stood up and grabbed his phone. "No worries, Taako," he reassured. "We all have those days, I'll do it. How's Chinese?" The twins nodded gratefully, as much as the three of them were a family and Barry and Lup were a couple, Barry was good at reading when they needed their own moments as well. "Hairbrush, Taako?" "Should be on the dresser."

Returning with it, Lup scooted Taako off the chair onto the floor right in front of it, and she sat in the chair, putting her legs around him. She silently began to brush his hair, and when it was perfectly soft and smooth, she braided it too. They had done this a million times, it almost always worked to help Taako relax. When Lup needed the same, her and Taako sat across from each other on the floor and held each other's hands, and he instinctively knew how much pressure he needed to squeeze with. But Lup was helping him right now, so he got up, still without a word, and sat on her lap. They held each other until Barry said the food was good to go and asked if they wanted to play Mario Kart. The rest of the evening passed like it always did: easy, comfortable, and filled with laughter. The next day at the bakery, the stranger returned, and did so for the rest of the week. He and Taako chatted every time; Taako learned that his name was Kravitz and he worked at some kind of therapy place nearby. On Friday, he slipped a business card in the paper bag, but it had his own phone number written on the back.

"Have a good weekend, Kravitz! Hopefully I'll see you again!" he called as his new favorite customer opened the door to leave. Kravitz smiled. "You too, Taako. I'm sure you will." As soon as he left, Taako ran into the freezer and screamed. "I'm sure you will"?! What did that mean? Was it good? He thought so, but he wasn't quite sure, and now he had all weekend to worry about it. Or not, honestly, this was ridiculous. He wasn't a middle schooler with a silly crush, he was just providing good service at his job and a new regular said he would be back, that was all it was. Definitely just that for sure. He took a deep breath, realized he was still in the freezer, and quickly left it to warm up and continue his day. When the bakery closed, Taako texted Lucretia: exhibit tonight? always more fun when you can show me around <3 We already have an event booked tonight :( Tomorrow at noon? sure thing, thx lucretia!

Well, that was something for tomorrow, but he was left with no plans for tonight. He thought back to what Lup said, maybe it would be a good idea to hang out with Magnus and Merle more. It wasn't like he had to tell them his life story, but the amount of time he spent alone probably wasn't great, as much as he liked to try and convince himself otherwise. Did he even have their numbers? That could be a goal for next week Taako, and apparently tonight Taako was going to get drunk alone. A classic Friday night activity. He just needed to get home and make it to tomorrow. You'd be surprised how hard that could be. However, to his surprise, after his first glass of wine, he got a text from an unknown number. It read: Do I have Taako? This is Kravitz "Holy shit, that actually worked," he thought. yep it's me ✨ You know you could have just asked for my number i figured a little surprise would be more fun! Taako couldn't believe this was happening, he pushed the bottle of wine aside and laid down on the futon. He definitely did not want to end up drunk texting right now. His instinct was to tell Lup right away, but he decided to wait and see where things went. You're right, I think you're very interesting, Taako um thanks?? Yes, it's a compliment, I don't get to choose who I talk to all day at my job, so I'm quite selective outside of it huh well that's something in common i don't talk to a lot of people either but idk if we're coming from the same place on that one…anyway what's your job like, what happens at a therapy place? Well, I'm actually specialized in grief counseling, so I help people through a lot of heavy stuff dude how do you deal with that i could never You just have to be able to leave work at work, it was hard at the beginning but I've had a lot of practice impressive that makes sense though you seem like a good listener hey i need to go make dinner ttyl? Yes, I'll be here, this was nice

Success!! Texting wasn't the same as real life interaction, but this was a good start for sure. Taako suddenly felt full of energy, he practically skipped around the kitchen getting everything out for beef stroganoff. In his apartment, several blocks away, Kravitz was in a similarly good mood. His roommate, Lucas, saw him looking down at his phone and smiling and asked, "Talking to someone, are we?" with a knowing smile. "None of your business," he retorted, and jokingly stuck his tongue out at him. Taako's text reminded him that he hadn't eaten yet either, but he honestly hadn't even been thinking of that. All day, as soon as he had seen the card left in his bag, he had just been waiting to be able to get home and send that first message. He was rarely so distracted, especially with his line of work, but there was just something about Taako that stuck in his mind and stayed there. His reverie was interrupted by Lucas's voice from the kitchen: "I made stuff for tacos, but if you don't get in here, there won't be any left!"

The next morning, Taako woke up excited to go see the exhibit with Lucretia. He had actually forgotten what it was even of, but that would just get to be a surprise! Once he had selected his museum outfit (a pastel pink fuzzy sweater with a long swishy pleated skirt in an eggplant color with heeled boots and several gold necklaces) and gotten dressed, he sent a picture to Lup, as they often did with their fashion choices. lulu, fit check! ooh love it 🤩 you're up early for your day off though what's up? museum with lucretia yay that's great! have fun tell her i said hi :3 "Taako, you look gorgeous!" exclaimed Lucretia when he arrived at the front desk. "And perfect timing, things aren't too busy yet. Let's go!" They strolled through the Georgia O'Keeffe exhibition, marveling at bones, flowers, and desert landscapes, all painted in bright colors and blue strokes. "Which one is your favorite, Lucretia?" "I like the bone paintings the best, I know the flowers are her most popular works, but I love how she also found beauty in the morbid and unconventional. Most people would consider an old bone too boring to even give it a chance as their subject. What about you?" Taako paused to think.

"Probably The Sky Above The Clouds. The different perspective is oddly peaceful." Lucretia nodded. "So much of her work has a sense of solitude, but not loneliness," she observed, and he knew what she meant, but not what the feeling was actually like. When they reached the end of the gallery, Lucretia had to go give a talk, but Taako had nothing else planned, so he wandered to the sculpture garden and sat at one of the small tables. He absentmindedly pulled out his phone to check his messages, and then decided to text Kravitz. hey handsome are you free at all today? Ten or fifteen minutes later, a reply came. Oh, handsome? Thank you very much, and I'm going to a concert later tonight if you want to come? yeah i'm down! who is it? My friend Johann's band, they're called Voidfish and he's the violinist oh, i've never heard of them but that sounds cool Kravitz sent him a location and time to meet, and he figured this was probably enough to tell Lup about now.

luuuppp guess whatttt what taako? i think i'm going on a date? i'm not sure if it's a date but this guy i've been talking to invited me to a concert tonight! omg! you didn't even tell me you were interested in someone, rude, but i'm so happy for you 🩷 hey now! i was waiting to see where it went and it still might not be anything that's true, but taako, you deserve to have fun with someone you like, it's been a long time, so try to just stay in the moment and take it as it comes, okay? what are you lulu, our mom? oh wait lmao haha very funny, seriously though i'll try, love you love you Not sure what to do with the rest of his time before meeting for the concert, Taako took the long way back to his apartment, enjoying the feel of the air and taking in his surroundings in a way he never really had before. When he got back, he decided to take a nap so he would be ready for the potential late night out.

At his apartment, Kravitz was also carefully selecting his outfit for the evening. He wore the same thing to work every day: black pants, a white button down, and a red tie, so he never had to worry about it getting ready in the mornings, but this was a weekend and a special occasion at that. He settled on a band shirt Johann had given him at the last concert and his dark blue denim jacket covered in a large collection of raven patches and pins. The dark and eerie birds had always fascinated him. Sitting on his bed, Kravitz took a deep breath. Normally, he wouldn't make plans like this so spontaneously, but there was something about Taako that oddly put him more at ease. It was certainly a new and strange feeling, but not an unwelcome one. He quickly texted Lucas saying that he would probably be out late, and headed for Bumbershoots to meet Taako. Since Kravitz lived closer, he arrived first, but he only had to wait about five minutes for his companion.

"Hey, Kravitz!" Taako called. "You look stunning!" "I could say the same for you," Kravitz replied as he took Taako's hand and they entered the bar together. Voidfish played a great show, and Johann was amazing on the violin, but the baker and the therapist spent most of the evening simply focused on each other. They sat at a table in the back drinking cocktails (old fashioned for Kravitz, blackberry bramble for Taako) and talking for the whole show. Kravitz told Taako the names of the different songs as they were played, and Taako critiqued the band's outfits like he was a famous fashion designer, which made Kravitz laugh more than he had in a while. When the show ended, they paused outside the building, unsure what to say and neither one wanting to leave. Taako looked at Kravitz and asked, "Was this a date?" "I think so," Kravitz smiled as he replied. They both started laughing and pulled each other into a hug. As he continued to visit Taako at the bakery, Kravitz started to find extra items in his bag, usually new recipes being tested out. No matter how wild something sounded, it always ended up being delicious. He recommended Sweeten It Up with Taako to all his clients and Coworkers. One Friday afternoon, he got an unusual text from Taako.

hey krav, do you want to come over? my place is nothing much, so don't get your hopes up, but i'd love to have you It would be my pleasure, Taako, and don't worry about any of it okay? Taako sighed with relief. He still hadn't had anyone but Barry and Lup over to this apartment, but this could be the chance to make what he really wanted of it. Some of the decorations from his last place were still in a box, and he decided to get them back out; stringing the fairy lights up around the living room, hanging the pride flag on the wall, and putting the vase of fake flowers on the coffee table. It almost looked like someone lived here now, and like someone else would want to visit. He smiled and went to the kitchen to start getting dinner ready. When Kravitz arrived, he brought a fancy bottle of champagne with him, which he offered to Taako upon opening the door. "Kravitz! You didn't have to do that! This stuff is really nice too, oh my gosh…but since we have it, I think it'll go perfect with dinner. Since I forgot to ask what you wanted, I hope pizza is good." "That's excellent, yes." They had a delicious meal of Taako's signature homemade pizza, including dough made by hand (of course) and fresh mozzarella cheese, and glasses of sweet, refreshing champagne. Afterwards, they watched some terrible movie that was on TV, cuddling and making fun of it the entire time. As the credits finally rolled and Taako reached for the remote, Kravitz stopped him, taking both of his hands and staring into his warm brown eyes. "Can I kiss you?" he asked in a low voice, serious and sincere. "Yeah," Taako whispered without hesitation, surprising himself. The kiss was perfect, tender yet intense, warm and hungry. It wasn't just one either, they pulled away, smiled at each other and agreed with just their eyes, and then they were making out the best either of them had ever experienced. Being in one another's arms and pressed into each other's bodies was such a comfort that it more than made up for the old futon they were on. For a moment, there were no clients or macarons or roommates or sisters or anything else in the world but Kravitz and Taako and their hearts and bodies. Finally, Taako rested his head on Kravitz's shoulder, lazily looking up in his direction. "So, are you my boyfriend now or what?" Kravitz just smiled and pulled him in for another kiss, and they both understood that meaning perfectly.

#message from mirph #the adventure zone #taz november celebration #mirph's manuscripts #taz fanfic #fanfic #ship fanfic #canon mlm #mlm ship #taakitz #taako taaco #taz kravitz #lup taaco #barry bluejeans #taz lucretia

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honeysweetcorvidae · 1 year ago

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hey would you like to do all the prime numbers for the ask meme too. :3

i WOULD i’m gods bravest soldier and i can answer questions

i am, like mango, going to put this under a cut, because good grief this is a lot of questions.

2. Do you plan each chapter ahead or write as you go?

lol. I tend to have a general shape in my head for what the whole thing will look like when i do multichaps, but no, i wing it; if i allow myself to do an outline then it will be Done in my brain & therefore dead in the water

3. Describe the creative process of writing a chapter/fic

1) go on swingset, play music on shuffle 2) put that bitch in a Situation in my brain 3) enter fugue state 4) hit post

5. Do you like constructive criticism?

ehh. i am very sensitive, but from people i trust & when i have time to brace myself it can be helpful? most of the time i am just sitting here though. love 2 have fun and indulge.

7. How do you choose which POV to write from?

fugue state.

genuinely, it’s just whatever feels best at the moment! I have a taste for outsider POVs, but what i do for things that aren’t that varies from story to story— WTA flips back and forth from chapter to chapter where playing heroes is scattershot, etc.

11. Link your three favorite fics right now

oh geez picking “favorites” is an ASTONISHINGLY difficult thing for me— i have read probably hundreds of fics in the shuake tag alone, and the things I like I like for different reasons, and my MEMORY is so terrible that the word ‘favorite’ fills me with dread— so I’ll go with ones I immediately think to recommend? for p5, @malevolentmango’s what you’ve already buried and everything or nothing at all are phenomenal (i am marking this as One because mango is sooo specialwonderfulthebest and i could just list everything on their ao3. god wait how could i not also shout out no ballad will be written)

and then there’s interminable ballistics, which rewrote my brain, first step, which is frankly ASTONISHING, killing care and grief of heart by @jortsbian, which made me want to tear down an office building with my nails(honorific), and so on and so on and so on. this is way more than three. @ceilingfan5 has some of the best taakitz fics out there, if you’re into taz.

i would also, of course, be remiss not to nod to the fic i’m most insane about of all time, my guiding light my life my joy my favorite most special little enormous incomprehensible sadomasochistic bug alien clown porn religious worldbuilding space opera epic, @birchbow’s price of forgiveness. i’m super normal about everything they’ve ever written for homestuck tbqh BUT PoF is my darling. (it’s NOT the one i wrote a whole real actual literary analysis essay about. but that’s because it’s too long.)

okay moving on. i did not answer this question correctly.

13. What’s a common writing tip that you almost always follow?

uh. um. uh. does “don’t misuse punctuation too badly” count as a writing tip? man i don’t know i am an insane person about writing styles

17. What do you do when writing becomes difficult? (maybe a lack of inspiration or writers block)

if it sucks hit da bricks >:/. no but actually for real though, i tend to go out on my swingset, switch to a different project, or just Do Something Else for a while! i’m a big proponent of taking breaks.

19. What is the most-used tag on your ao3?

well,

23. Best writing advice for other writers?

please for the love of god punctuate your dialogue correctly

no, but sincerely— i think that the best possible thing you can do for your work is to write what you actually want to write. do the stupid self-indulgent bullshit! write tropey nonsense, write the same shit over and over in different permutations, who cares! if you love it it’ll show.

31. Do you start with the characters or the plot when writing?

the characters make the plot happen and the plot makes the characters act? so i mean i guess characters, but they’re interminably linked.

37 I already answered;

41: Do you tend to reread fics or are you a one-and-done kind of person?

ha. hahahaaaa. according to ao3 i have visited price of forgiveness one hundred and sixty-seven times. i know i have read it logged out at least twice. so, you know,

43. Do you take a sadistic joy in whumping your characters, or are you more the “If you hurt them I would kill everyone and then myself” kind of person?

i like recovery! I like to see people brought down and still swinging, and then for them to be happy again after. so i guess the latter?

47. How many times do you usually revise your fic/chapter before posting?

that’s between me and god

53. How do you spend your time when it comes to fanfiction? Are you primarily a fic reader, writer, or a perfect 50/50 split of both?

well it took me going back ~50 pages into my ao3 history to find PoF, and the last time i read it was in june, so i’d say i read more than i write

59. Does anyone in your personal life know you write fic? if not, would you tell anyone?

everyone i know knows everything about me because I have cannot-shut-up-ever-disease, yes. my mom has been forced to hear the plot of my NG+ au.

61. Why do you continue writing fics?

I enjoy writing, and I like to have a community! when I’m not writing fic I write original stuff, and I miss the engagement when I do that, but it’s still the same compulsive joy, I think. I doubt I could ever just stop writing forever.

67. Do you prefer prompts and challenges, or completely independent ideas?

independent ideas, generally! I am very bad at sticking to a prompt; my mind tends to wander ALL about the joint.

71. When it comes to more complicated narratives, how do you keep track of outlines, characters, development, timeline, ect.?

[LAUGHING]

(the answer is severe autdhd and being an extremely fast reader.)

73. What do you think makes your writing stand out from other works?

um. uh. um um uh. someone told me the other day that i am a fizzy mocktail and i don’t know what that means but i’m gonna go with that. i think my style is pretty distinctive, and i know i’m a skilled writer, so I guess. that? and i mean who else would write quite so much deeply emotionally vulnerable tentacle content. really.

#my writing #SORRY FOR THE TAGS EVERYONE. i wanted to credit people whose tumblrs i knew

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aeivyen · 1 year ago

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20 Questions for Fic Writers

Tagged by: @noodyl-blasstal thanks so much for thinking of me! Tagging: @the-barista-district

1. How many works do you have on A03?

I have only the one on AO3, I just started my account there not too long ago

2. What's your total A03 word count?

My wordcount is 78,284! It's one of the longest fics I've written in a long while

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Nowadays it's pretty much TAZ all the way down, but there's some old stuff I have on this blog that's WTNV adjacent and a couple things for The Arcana mobile game (playing in the setting with OCs, as is a preference of mine in general). I haven't locked up the deep archives of Marvel and Ranger's Apprentice and fuckin' Leverage, but I'm not gonna help you find them either

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

The only one I have on AO3 is Virtue and Vice, but the most popular fic I can find on here is Firelight and Beach Nights 1 & 2

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

I love to respond to comments when I get them! I find them very encouraging and I will talk your ear off (or type your eyes off? is that a good perversion of that phrase? lol) about my Thoughts if you let me

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

I don't know that I really have any with angsty endings? Most of my angsty ones are the ones I wrote alongside my rp with @the-barista-district as tie on/lead ins to that storyline

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

Virtue and Vice has an ending that I'm really proud of, I feel like I managed to go full-circle on their story and end with a lot of potential and hope for the future. It's a story that became about growing up and choosing your family and who you want to be, and I lived in it for a year.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I have not and would cry (then delete the comment, bc fuck'em) if I did

9. Do you write smut?

I have written smut, yes. The stuff that's publicly posted is not my best (many years old now) and I won't link it, but it's all appropriately tagged #fanfic and #nsfw if you want to go searching (why?)

10. Do you write crossovers?

It has never occurred to me to do so. I'm generally more comfortable doing OC insert fic (with the exception of some TAZ stuff. Rping has helped me to figure out Kravitz so I'll write him sometimes) and I wouldn't know how to go about a crossover in that sort of niche

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not as far as I'm aware

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

*shakes magic 8 ball* Signs point to no

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

I haven't, but I've rped a bunch and I feel like that's similar in some aspects I guess. Just, yanno, not really a finished fic out of it

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

Taakitz is the one I gravitate towards, though I can also be persuaded by a Taagnus and a Blupjeans

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

I've got a Taakitz fic on the back burner where Krav is a ghost but there's a time-recursion aspect and he thinks he's the one being haunted for a bit. I'd like to finish that but my brain has decided I'm doing something else (it's a fun something else)(still debating if I'll post)

16. What are your writing strengths?

I enjoy the characters and relationships that I build. Some are stronger than others, but I feel like I can generally get to a point where they're believable, and different dynamics can shine through. I love to get bogged down in the "where's the difference between what they're willing to say/do, and what they're actually trying to communicate", "how do they feel and how do they think they feel"

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I have to agree with Noodyl here and say that tense is hard, POV is difficult (staying as close as I want the narration to feel is the part that gets me more than head-hopping). Getting into established characters is especially difficult (hense, OCs)

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

I think it can be cool and have considered many times adding Spanish to things, pero no hablo ni escribo mucho en español (heh)

19. First fandom you wrote for?

One of my earliest is from the Ranger's Apprentice by John Flanagan, hidden deep in the archives of redacted where I shall not link the general public

20. Favourite fic you've ever written?

There's been a lot of stories I love and a lot I've lived in over the years, even from the before tumblr times. Especially from those times. I'm just going to say Virtue and Vice again bc it's recent and I love it and I'm not linking to anything from my teenage years bc yeeesh

#personal

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spookiat · 2 years ago

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TAG 9 PEOPLE YOU'D LOVE TO GET TO KNOW BETTER

Tagged by @yahargulian, thanks! shfhfh man I haven’t done one of these in. Near a decade at this point?? Maybe? It’s been a while

Three ships:

- Jongerry!!!! (And also jongerrymartin) from TMA

- jmart also from TMA

- Jasico from PJO

- Taakitz (bonus non ‘J-name’ ship!) from TAZ

But like i can never remember what I’ve seen or read or even like so!! There are probably other ships that changed my very brain pathways that I just can’t remember rn fhfhf (this is ignoring my own characters of course bc they’re all that’s filling up my mental real estate rn)

First ship:

Niche but probably Teorenzo, Teo and Lorenzo from the Undrowned Child but also like Percabeth bc come on. They were the first big fandomy ship. (Or was that… Tamaki and Haruhi???? Who Knows, the passage of time and my past is a mystery even to me)

Last song:

My Frankenstein from Dead end paranormal park!

youtube

Last film:

Interstellar ???? I think. That was in cinema at least. God, my memory is awful. I don’t knowww.

Currently reading:

ignoring all the Danny phantom and batfam fics and going for actual books I think probably The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean??? Was very good!! I need to find smth new to read but focus is hard

Currently watching:

His Dark Materials!! I need to watch the most recent season but I am still watching it. But also Horimiya and Buddy Daddies bc I’m ready to let myself get baited by anime again. Tbh before the mid Jan anime kick idk what I would have said I haven’t been watching much TV…. Uhhh also owl house?? I guess?? I’ve been meaning to rewatch Batman Brave and Bold, or Danny Phantom but alas. (Oh my god I forgot I was rewatching kimi ni todoke)

Currently craving:

Nothing Really but damn it would be nice to eat gluten-y ramen. Or a soft cinnamon sugar pretzel. But illegal food aside…. Lemon poppyseed cake. But specifically my friend’s wedding cake recipe bc I did not eat enough of it and her mum bakes real good.

Apparently I also need to get to know me better bc idk any of the answers fhfhfh… anyways!!!

I’m tagging whoever wants to!! Bc why not! If you’ve read this far you’re tagged

Aaaand @rawplutonium, @sapphichoneymoon, @honeyconsidered, @catboyparrish if y’all want and any other mutual who’s up for it!

#tagged #me

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3fling · 2 years ago

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Tag 9 People You Want To Get To Know Better!

Thank you thank you @iam-jacks-redacted-information for the tag this was super fun and I loved reading your post!!

First Ship: oh babey you know it’s Kyoru of Fruits Basket. That was the first non-children’s-media I ever watched and I was immediately enraptured by them. Idk they still occupy a huge piece of my mind, I’m always thinkin bout them.

Three Ships: seriously you’re gonna limit me to three okay hard mode

-- Well I simply *must* start with Taakitz they were so deeply instrumental to The Way My Brain Is Now and I stand by the fact that they’re simply one of the best relationships I’ve ever seen. Do they only have a very little bit of screentime? Yes. Am I criminally in love with both Taako and Kravitz? Also yes. It’s a mental illness I love them. Something Something the world’s greatest wizard and the world’s most down bad grim reaper-- you can rip them from my cold dead hands.

-- I’d be remiss if I didn’t say BokuAkaKuroKen I’m so weak for the Tokyo OT4 nobody talk to me nobody look at me I love the dynamics, I love the characters, I love how different they all are and how well they work together, and I love Mookie’s art of them *drooling* LISTEN you’re telling me you’re not weak for a crazy professional volleyball player, a tired but handsome manga editor, a pro gamer, and a 6′5″ salary man??? Yeah okay. Sure you’re not.

-- I wanna say soapghost so badly but I have to give my last to Widojest. To you they’re the ship that never was, they’re canon to me though. He’s fire, she’s ice (LITERALLY), he hates himself she loves herself and everyone, he’s red she’s blue -- they’re the perfect foils idk guys. He wrote her an effing book for gods sake. HE CAN’T CALL HER BLUEBERRY AND EXPECT ME TO BE NORMAL ABOUT THEM. Yeah like I said to me they’re canon I am respectfully ignoring the end of the campaign.

Last Song: I’m fairly certain was “Fluids” by Michael Medrano it is SUCH the bisexual anthem idk what else to say you guys and I don’t know how to link music so you’ll have to look it up on your own but it’s worth the effort I promise it’s got the club vibes it’s got the catchy lyrics it’s got the bisexual disco cowboy singer what more do you want?????

Last Movie: Glass Onion

I almost never watch movies anymore who has the time but boy and I watched this together while I was recovering from a hospital stay and it was incredible. I love the plot, the cinematography and color design was to die for, costuming had me absolutely *drooling* I could go on and on. If you haven’t watched it, I highly recommend.

Currently Reading: Beartown by Fredrik Backman

“Culture” is an odd word to use about hockey; everyone says it, but no one can explain what it means. All organizations like to boast that they’re building a culture, but when it comes down to it everyone really only cares about one sort: the culture of winning... We love winners, even though they’re very rarely particularly likeable people. They’re almost always obsessive and selfish and inconsiderate. That doesn’t matter. We forgive them. We like them while they’re winning.

Yeah I’m reading it for the second time in less than a year it’s fine. Idk guys you can just fit *so much* character dynamic, development, and moral quandaries in these little hockey guys and the little hockey town they live in. I can’t recommend Backman’s work enough, especially Beartown, it’s such an important book.

Currently Consuming: PB frozen hot chocolate from freakin’ DQ

Currently Craving: Not to reinforce a stereotype but it’s cheese

Tag you’re it!!! @fandomsgirl10 @couldjanot @nighttimenoodle @lluvguts @eiry-real @enigmatic-cyborg @thatradicalrobot and anyone else who’d like to do this!

#3fling chats #thanks jack

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raspberrybluejeans · 5 months ago

Photo

Ok I said I was gonna write an essay about how and why I love this picture so fucking much and. I don't know that this really constitutes an essay but this pic makes me so crazy this was the best I could do at organizing my thoughts

First and foremost I'm just crazy about this Taako design. I'm crazy about all the mspainttaz Taako variants but something about this one makes me extra crazy. He's so distinctly not human (and this is major positive to me) and I'd like to imagine looks even more distinctly inhuman than the faerun elves do… something about this appearance really emphasizes that he is an alien from another world that not a lot of other fanarts do (and its not just the fact that he is wearing his IPRE jacket! Which I also really love, it looks like a really proper space uniform)

I love the gentleness and concern that Kravitz is showing Taako, who is so visibly hurt and exhausted after going through the suffering game and the day of story and song immediately after. Despite the pain and exhaustion, Taako is gripping Kravitz's hand, using what energy he has to show how much he loves and appreciates and needs him. There is just such an incredible balance of gentleness and desperation and desire in their body languages and faces I can't stand it. I'm actually crazy and sick

And purely at a level of personal preference I am always hooting and hollering for a Taako that is taller than Kravitz. I love to imagine the twins being Weirdly Tall and I think that Kravitz is not short by any means but that Taako is just taller. I don't necessarily think that was an intention here but I am projecting my hopes and dreams on any canvas I can.

I also appreciate the……I don't know how to put this without sounding like a dick…..masculine appearance….. for Taako. A great amount of fanart draws him very feminine and I am not against this but I just find the more masc depictions sort of refreshing and delightful.

Finally just the art itself is so gorgeous I can't stand it. I don't know what the right terms to use are but the drawing is so good I wish I could look at it forever. They are both so incredibly handsome and the coloring is so good and the lines and the shading and just RAARREESRRRRUAYDGDYGEFG

maybe the only taakitz pic i go truly apeshit balls to the wall for. definitely hands down my favorite taakitz picture. wish i could tattoo it directly to my brain.

space boys gay on main after saving the world, more at 7

[i.d.: a drawing of taako and kravitz facing each other from the waist up. their eyes are closed, foreheads pressed together in exhausted relief. taako is a brown skinned elf with short brown hair, wearing his i.p.r.e. jacket. kravitz is a dark skinned man with thin shoulder length dreads pulled into a half bun. he wears a vest over a poofy sleeved shirt. a cravat is pinned with a bird skull at his neck, and feathers peek from under the vest’s shoulders. taako stands slightly taller than krav, one hand braced on kravitz’s shoulder. kravitz’s hand cradles taako’s jaw and taako’s other hand, bandaged and bruised, clasps the hand on his face tight to keep it close. simple blue stars surround them. end i.d.]

#under a readmore because i cannot be TOO open about my craziesness #taz #taz balance #fanart #comment

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desiree-harding-fic · 5 years ago

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oh shit that really sucks :( My city has the highest recorded number corona patients of the entire country, but besides the "if you feel even slightly sick, stay home" no college things are being cancelled yet. As for rejeancy AU prompts... Can we have some Lup n Kravitz meeting for the first time? or taakitz + Lup hanging out? (idk if you've done those I mightve missed some)

Thank you for the kind words, dear. And ooooo I haven’t thought about writing a scene where Lup and Krav meet, that sounds like fun.

^^^ ok that was Desiree of two weeks ago, this Desiree is back with 2000 words that barely fit the prompt but u know what what else is new enjoy!!!

*~*~*~*~*

She caught sight of the house for the first time as the carriage crested a hill. Massive, done in pale stone and nestled in the crook of the valley below her like something out of a painting, down to the large stream she could see bisecting the property, to the sheep that grazed on the hills father out from the house. A rolling green park, and through the land, in a winding line, the road dipped behind copses of trees and reemerged, until she could see it running all the way up into a wide, well-kept drive before the front door.

All this she saw in a second, before the road turned, and the view was obscured.

She did not look again. Something about the scene and all the promises it implied, her connection to it, however tangential, made something heavy settle in the bottom of her stomach.

And yet, her thoughts turned to Taako. As shocking as the news of his marriage had been, as skeptical as Lup was about the true nature of it, she could not help but long to see her brother again. Three months was too long. They had thought the holiday would do her good, but in truth the time she had spent at the Burnsides’ house had only brought her ill news from seemingly every front. She needed her brother.

If nothing else, she thought, it would be good to see him again. If he was not changed by marriage as she feared.

The carriage rumbled along the road, until she could feel it slowing, until she could feel the shape of an incline. She suddenly felt something like a great illness wash over her, a settling dread, and an exhaustion so acute and complete she almost wished not to be made to move at all. She leaned her head back against the wall of the carriage, and closed her eyes, and wished, suddenly, to be gone from this place, even to be locked up in her dingy room in Tostaada’s home, if only for the fact that it would be familiar. If only because it meant that so much had not changed, that Lup had a handle on the world, a foothold in it, and that her life was not being thrown into disarray in new ways each moment.

The carriage came to a stop. Her eyes snapped open. The walls of the carriage mocked her.

There were steps approaching. Lup breathed deeply, swallowed the lump in her throat. The handle of the door was jostled, and then it was open.

She did not recognize the man who helped her out, for the moment she cast her eyes upon the gravel drive before the house she saw him.

Taako.

Hurrying from the entrance to the courtyard of that fine house toward her carriage, a grin splitting his face as he looked on her, and Lup couldn’t contain herself as her feet touched the ground, and gathering her shawl around her she ran to her brother, threw her arms around his neck, and embraced him.

He was just the same, the smell of him and the shape of his arms around her and his head at her shoulder as it always had been, and Lup took a shaky breath and held him tight and god, how she had missed him. She must’ve looked a sight, exhausted from travel, unladylike and childish in her greeting, but she could not bring herself to care. She missed her brother too much to care.

“Lulu,” he said softly, in way of greeting, and like magic, nothing seemed as terrible as it had a moment ago. Taako was with her. What could she not weather with Taako beside her?

“I missed you,” she said, muffled in his shoulder. Taako chuckled.

“Missed you too, Lu,” he said, and then, all too soon, he pulled out of the hug, stepping back, smiling like nothing in the world was wrong.

And then he turned.

And for the first time since she arrived, Lup noticed the other man.

“Lup,” Taako said, “I’d like to introduce you to my husband, Kravitz. Kravitz, my sister.”

“Miss Lup,” Kravitz said, bowing low to Lup’s curtsy. Lower, she thought briefly, than her station deserved, comparatively. “Welcome to Astral. And please allow me to express what an honor and a pleasure it is to finally make your acquaintance. Since Taako first spoke of you I have been eagerly awaiting our introduction.”

He was handsome, Lup had to own. But the more she looked at him, the more she was convinced his features were rather too fine for her taste. They seemed to have been sculpted of marble, or invented at the end of a painter’s brush. Indeed, she studied the pleasant expression painting his face and thought it looked rather like the marbles she’d seen in the fine halls of the wealthy; each minute shift seemed choreographed to show itself to the highest level of beauty, and as such, Lup could find no earnestness in him.

But Taako was positively beaming beside him, and Lup had agreed to live in the man’s home. So she turned her face to a pleasant smile as best she could.

“Thank you for your kindness,” she said, a vague comment simply for the fact that it felt right to thank him, though Lup could not imagine what for. “I too have been awaiting our introduction since I received Taako’s letter.”

He could sense her hesitance, Lup was certain, but if he did, he played it off with much cordiality.

“You must be tired, after such a long journey,” he said, “come, let us retire into the house. I will have some of my men see to your things, and call up some tea from the kitchen.”

She was tired. Long days in the carriage always tired her. They had traveled more strenuously than they could have, but by the time Lup left home, she had been desperate to see Taako.

He walked beside Kravitz, and Lup trailed behind them, just slightly, as they entered.

Each chamber they passed through, corridor and sitting room, seemed finer than the last. She could hear Taako and Kravitz prattling on about this and that but could not bring herself to listen, so amazed was she by the sheer wealth implied by each space. At moments, she seemed to forget she was not touring the house of a rich and distant lord, like so many other families on summer holidays through the country, and would not be asked to tip the housekeeper upon her departure.

Finally, they came to a halt in a sitting room at the back of the house, overlooking the gardens and grounds beyond. The view was expansive out of the tall windows, and Lup ran her hands along the low sills as she gazed out. Flowers of every shade and kind, and trimmed hedges, and fountains, and beyond that, just as she had seen on the drive in, rolling fields, the most attractive countryside one could wish to see during an afternoon tea. There was almost a possessiveness to it, she thought, and the thought soured her tongue. She suddenly felt terribly out of place in her shabby travelling clothes, her day dress she had had since she was fifteen that was now faded from its original color, her plain shawl draped at her elbows.

She turned away from the window, looking back into the room, and Taako was seated on one of the sofas surrounding a low tea table, watching her, a discerning expression on his face.

For the first time she took in his clothes. The white of his collar was brighter than ever before, clean and pressed. The fabrics were of a finer weave, there was more color in them, more detail. And the fit… they were not handed down and taken in. These clothes were made for him, and she saw him holding himself differently in them.

He did not shrink away from the expansive space, the mirrors on the walls and the polished stone floors and frescos on the ceiling. Rather, he seemed to walk in a way that filled it, and it occurred to her then, as she took in the sitting room there, the vases on pedestals along the tapestried walls, the satiny sofas and marble tables between them, that as out of place as she must look, a shivering country mouse wrapped in her worn shawl, that Taako did not. That Taako was master of this house that seemed halfway to a palace, and that he believed it.

Somewhere, while Lup had been away, Taako had ascended, seamlessly, and Lup was suddenly terrified she would never be able to join him.’

“Come sit,” he said, his contemplative eyes still fixed on her.

“Where is Kravitz,” she asked.

“He left to see to a few details of settling you in,” Taako said. “You disappeared for a while.”

Lup laughed humorlessly.

“I’m sorry.”

Taako’s expression shifted, minutely, into a frown.

“Come here, Lulu.”

It was still her brother’s voice, and Lup, in all her life, could never deny him.

She sat beside him on the sofa. Tea had come from somewhere and Taako made himself busy fixing her a cup. There was platter too, of biscuits. Fresh fruit. A truly exorbitant number of cakes and tea sandwiches for three (now two) people.

“Who’s going to eat them?” Lup asked. Taako blinked in confusion for a moment before the understanding downed in his eyes.

“Oh,” he said, and then shrugged. “Servants, probably, to be honest. I’ve tried requesting fewer, but they don’t seem to have taken to heart yet that we don’t need several dozen sandwiches for one afternoon tea. You should try them, though, they’re… quite good.” He handed her the tea. She took a sip.

“You don’t like him,” Taako said, and Lup froze. He did not have to say who he meant.

“Taako,” she started, and what could she say? “He seems… very nice.”

“A glowing report from you,” Taako said dryly, stirring his own cup. He did not meet her eyes.

“Taako,” but there was no more to say. She could not defend herself. In her heart, a thousand worries bubbled up. The marriage had come so quickly, and with no warning, and upon meeting Kravitz he did not strike her with any strong impression other than that… he was rich. And after their aunt died and left them with Tostaada, she and Taako had been in dire straights, to be sure, but she had not thought it was so dire that Taako would -

“It’s just -” she blurted, and then held her tongue. But Taako waited, turned his gaze to her, raised his eyebrows over the brim of his teacup as though to urge her on.

“Do you love him, Taako?” It burst from her, she being unable to hold the question that had plagued her for two months any longer. She wished to take his hand, but he was holding a teacup. Hers, reaching out for him, landed indistinctly on his knee.

Taako paused a long moment, not looking at her. He set his tea down on the table, the soft clink of porcelain on stone seeming to fill the entire room. She could see the muscles of his jaw working, clenching and unclenching the way they did when there was something he wanted to say but was not sure he could. And she knew, in that moment, that she had been right the whole time, that the threat of poverty had finally overtaken Taako’s heart, and he had been too afraid to continue on without it resolved. And resolved it was. But at what cost?

In that silence before Taako’s answer she imagined a thousand things. Imagined Taako’s cold, distant life with a man he could not love, and wondered, sickly, if all of the comfort, all of the brocades and fine china and tea sandwiches in the world would fill the ache in his heart of a life without love.

And then Taako took a deep breath that seemed to shatter the room.

And he looked at her, and his eyes were deeper than the ocean as viewed from Magnus’s door, and were so earnest she felt fixed in place by them. She could see tears welling in the corners. She couldn’t remember the last time she saw Taako cry.

“Lulu,” he said, and he grabbed her hand, squeezed it tight. He was smiling. “I think I do.”

#reJEANcy #taakitz #lup taaco #taako taaco #taz kravitz #asked and answered #regency au #heckthedamn #wow i took so long to answer this and it got so long and jfkldjkfla #oh well #i hope you like some lup introspection #bc i do #i SURE DO #also taakitz is very in love

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noodyl-blasstal · 1 year ago

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20 Questions for Fic Writers

Tagged by: @holdmecloser-gandydancer thank you very much! Tagging: @cataztrophi, @sugarberryandtea, @aeivyen, @taakosleftshoe (and anyone else who would like to take part! I'm so sorry if I forgot anyone who hasn't already been tagged.)

1. How many works do you have on A03? 40 (thanks to taznc for the recent boost!)!

2. What's your total A03 word count? 185,442! That's more than I thought it would be. Bloody hell. It's been a busy year and a half!!

3. What fandoms do you write for? Mostly TAZ but I do occasionally write Jainshine for Naddpod

4. What are your top five fics by kudos? Scamming Me Scamming You, Astrology for Horse Jugglers, Taako Deserves a Sword, Star-Blast-o-Mania, Excuses Excuses.

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not? I will usually because I really appreciate people taking time leave a comment (they genuinely bring me such joy and they're not that common so they're a real treat!) and want to thank them.

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? I don't really know if any of mine are that anxty at the end, but the anxtiest overall is probably 10 Years Ago Today.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? I think pretty much everything does to be honest, but probably I PhDo (Blupjeans Week 2023)?

8. Do you get hate on fics? I haven't and I'd love for that to continue

9. Do you write smut? I have some in a few things I'm working on but I'm not quite there yet.

10. Do you write crossovers? I haven't yet, I'm not sure I'd be very good.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not as far as I know

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? Also not as far as I know

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? I've got a few in progress with Larissa! (We're time poor, but slowly chugging along and they're a delight to write with.) I really enjoy writing with other people, getting to bounce off someone is a lot of fun.

14. What's your all-time favourite ship? I think it's gotta be Taakitz. Although I also love Jainshine.

15. What's the WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? Hmmmm, I'd like to be optimistic and think I'll finish all of them at some point, but maybe a Blupjeans one where Barry's on holiday by accident. It's been a while since I touched it.

16. What are your writing strengths? Errrmmmmm. You have to know I am crushed by crippling self doubt at all times. I've had some very kind compliments about writing the twins bickering, so that. Also I like coming up with stupid storylines, so probably rolling in the ridiculous.

17. What are your writing weaknesses? Getting bogged down, not accidentalling sliding into the wrong tense, actually writing the damn thing...

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic? I occasionally write a little Gaelg, I think it's nice to add a bit in!

19. First fandom you wrote for? TAZ! It was actually @blupjeansweek which got me started!

20. Favourite fic you've ever written? This is tricky, I think it might be Astrology for Horse Jugglers, but I also loved writing The Lady in the Lake and I'm very fond of my still-in-progress library AU (I'll finish it one day...)

#Thank you so much for tagging me Reese!#Please do consider this me tagging you if you'd like to do it and I forgot.

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cataztrophi · 1 year ago

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20 Questions for Fic Writers

Tagged by: @noodyl-blasstal thanks!!

Tagging: @fandomsnstuff @duck-newton I think a lot of people have been tagged already but if you haven't pls consider this an invitation to answer these as well!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

2 currently, but I plan on putting up my TAZNC work at which point I will have 15!

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

4,680 right now, but that number will increase by a lot shortly since I think all my TAZNC works were between 1,000-4,000 words.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

TAZ, and I've got a few Owl House things in the works I hope to finish some day.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

Show Me Yours, then The Thing With Feathers

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

Yes! I love receiving comments and I love being able to talk a bit about what I was thinking when I wrote things.

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

I don't usually write a lot of angst, but probably this unnamed ficlet because nothing really gets resolved at the end, although it is a fairly hopeful ending.

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

It's hard to pick, I write mostly things that leave a lot of possibilities open, but I'd say probably my 10th entry for TAZNC this year (man I really gotta name these things) because I think the emotional journey makes the ending more satisfying.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Nope! I've only gotten very kind words and I'm extremely grateful for all of them.

9. Do you write smut?

Yup. Nothing I'm quite finished with yet but I have several in the works and I hope to get some posted soon

10. Do you write crossovers?

They're not really my style, but I think they are fun to think about and play around with!

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of, and I'm small enough right now that I think it's unlikely.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Not that I've heard of

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

I did once on a previous account, unfortunately I was very bad at finishing anything at that point in my life and I hadn't gotten on ADD meds, so we didn't finish it (my fault). I'd like to co-write something at some point, but I think I'd need to have more practice with writing/finishing longer stories before I felt confident about doing it again.

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

Taakitz babey! Top tier meet-weird plus some truly beautiful moments, and such a great dynamic to play around with

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

I'm not sure I'd say "never," but there is one Taakitz fake dating fic that I would need to seriously rework in order to make it coherent. I hope to finish some version of it someday, but it certainly won't look like the current WIP.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Boy I wish I knew! Someone told me I have a "lyrical" writing style, so I'll take it! I do really like working with the flow of words. Also I wrote a lot of tender romantic scenes when I was a touch-starved closeted high schooler, and I was surprised by how easy those scenes feel to write in my current work.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I have a tendency to write too much lead-in and too much ending if I'm not careful, so I basically have to chop off the first and last bits of every fic. I am very bad at coming up with plots. I worry a lot about capturing characters' voices and can struggle with differentiating them. And as previously mentioned, I tend to start a lot of things and not finish them, although I think I'm improving in that regard!

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

I'm very wary about it for myself. I could just about manage French but for anything else I'd want someone fluent to look it over for me.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Good Omens, back before the TV series came out! It was a pretty small fandom at that point, and I had to get my Aziraphale/Crowley angst out somewhere when I only knew like three people who'd read the book

20. Favorite fic you've ever written?

I'm really proud of my TAZNC work, but I think I'm still proudest of The Thing With Feathers because I feel like I did exactly what I wanted with it and captured everything I was hoping to.

#thanks for the tag!

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