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bangtanlalaland · 4 years ago

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together | ksj (m.)

synopsis ⇣ you encounter the world’s most handsome man, who’s also the richest, only to discover that he’s your long-lost childhood friend.

→part of the bring it back collection!

— 1920′s!au; friends to lovers!au

⇢pairing: millionaire!kim seokjin x textile worker!female reader

⇢genre: angst, fluff, smut

⇢word count: 3.9k+

⇢contents ⨯ warnings: somewhat inspired by the great gatsby, some plots twists in here (have your popcorn ready plz), mentions of pining, soft love making in this, some sad stuff (sorryyyy, just adds to the drama), a splash of 1920′s slang (i tried ok)

a/n: just a reminder you guys, in case you’re wondering or expecting this, I am not basing this story entirely off of what happened in the great gatsby so plz don’t come after me. as stated above, this fic is somewhat inspired by the novel. I’d also like to add that most of the events taking place in this story is like a re-enactment of my own personal experiences, therefore this one is a little personal for me, but I am glad to have this chance to share it with you all. anyways, hope you all enjoy!

song rec: “together” by the xx

glossary

big shot—someone of high status/great popularity

bimbo—tough guy

bootlegging—illegal distribution of alcohol

cash or check—to kiss someone now or later

gay—happy (no connection to homosexuality)

jane—a female

jitney—a small bus that costs 5¢

nookie—sex

quiff—a slut

speakeasy—an underground bar (usually involves illegal distribution and/or selling of alcohol)

wingding—a lively celebration or party

Everything was planned. And you should have known this—that it was all an act/a gimmick. The fame, the money, the chivalry. And it didn’t get you anywhere but strung out on coffee and cigarettes—paired with a broken heart. Part of you wanted to blame your friend Betty for even dragging you to that pointless wingding, and then another part of you wanted to blame yourself for letting your guard down. The moment you saw his stupid, handsome face, you should have just walked away. You should have ended whatever was to come, right then and there.

But, you didn’t.

Instead, you chose to wind up in his bed and smothered by his arms. You chose to let yourself go, because at one point in your life, he was someone you trusted. The never-ending ache in your chest weighs upon you as if you’re carrying a rock that’s the size of New York state. You continuously tell yourself: You should have left. You should have said no. You should have just walked away.

Maybe if you said no, would he have ended up in your life some other way? Would you have been happier than you were during those moments with him? Could you even truly say you regret those experiences, even though at that moment it was exactly what you wanted? The past few weeks, you’d driven yourself mad, contemplating and replaying scenarios within your mind to re-arrange the pieces to the puzzle.

But, you end up with nothing.

You can’t think. You can’t eat. You can’t sleep. You can’t do anything without seeing him. Feeling him. Hearing him. And even smelling him. It’s as if he lingers in the spirit—like a ghost, haunting you every waking second of the day. Except, you know nothing about ghosts and how to rid of them.

And the memories…

You can’t forget the times when life was oh so simple—when you knew who he used to be, the he you grew fond of and loved with every fiber in your being. You can’t get over those shiny, gold, silky sheets you had become accustomed to lace yourself in, wrapped within his embrace. Both of your bare bodies glued together by perspiration, and those deep-chocolate irises that make you crumble under his gaze. Especially when he’d whisper to you with that voice of his dipped in comfort and say,

“I don’t think I’ve ever been more happier in my life.”

However, it’s too late. You tell yourself that it’s over, and there is no going back. Ever.

five months earlier

You wiped away the perspiration, on your forehead, with the back of your hand. As people say, “Another day, another dollar.” Literally. You’re only paid 16 cents/hr for your work at the town’s local textile factory. Your hands often find themselves cracked and dried by the end of your shift. It’s the roaring 20′s and everything was booming. Well, at least for everyone else except you.

“Oh, Betty! I told you already I don’t ‘party’.” You whined, while clutching your purse to head beeline out of the factory.

“You’re telling me that a doll like yourself doesn’t ‘party’ during this Jazz Age?” Your blonde-haired co-worker scoffed with a laugh. “Surely, you ought to be ashamed!”

Your mouth flew agape at her audacity, “Well-” You attempted to muster up a comeback, “Well- speakeasy’s are not even legal!”

Betty added, “Oh, you’re no fun! You know that?” You giggled at her frustrated expression since she seemed so conflicted.

“I know. Which is probably why a man would never want me.” Betty stopped you in your tracks, placing her hand over your arm.

“Oh, nonsense! You’re a doll and you know it.” She contemplated for a moment, “You just need some… opening up is all!”

You nodded in reply, “I suppose so.” Betty’s face lit up as if an idea popped up in that wild brain of hers, “How about this?” She gripped onto you tighter. “Why don’t you join me this weekend at Mr. Worldwide Handsome’s wingding!”

Your eyebrows furrowed, “I don’t think you understand what “partying” means, when I say I do-”

“Now, now wait! Before you say no, it’s not what you think.” She reassured with a beaming smile.

“Who is this Mr. Worldwide Handsome?” You questioned, finally reaching the bus stop to catch a jitney.

Betty hesitated for a moment, “Why I don’t know. Well, I don’t think anyone knows.” You scoffed at her coy way of attempting to convince you.

“Oh, that’s just nonsense, Betty! If this is your way of trying to get me to go with you to that party- then, you’re doing quite an awful job at it.”

Betty rolled her eyes at you, “____, you’ve got it all wrong! I promise. It’s not what you think. It’s just a place where you can be yourself. He holds these gatherings every weekend and it’s so… lively! You can be free and… gay!”

—

You nervously stepped out of the automobile, as you and Betty were dropped off outside of the grand mansion where dozens if not hundreds of people gathered within the entrance of the establishment. Flappers and big shots roamed the premises.

“Why did I let you persuade me into coming here?” You whispered to Betty who had her arm interlinked with yours. You plastered a fake smile amongst the guests. Betty was dressed in a mini, black dress with sparkling fringes, a deep red lipstick adding an extra pop to her porcelain skin.

She cooed back at you, “Because you are my friend, and I was not going to take no for an answer.” As you relayed to your friend earlier in the week, you weren’t one of those “party girls” or “flappers” as they call it.

Seokjin roamed about his mansion, at the top of the stairwell, tapping his feet on the marble flooring below him, sipping on a glass of champagne in his hand. His handsomeness granted numerous glances and coos toward his towering figure. He sported his signature, jet-black mullet that’s slicked back. His white tuxedo glowed effervescently, blinding anyone within his perimeter. Plush, pink lips decorated his dashing face.

He busied himself in obtaining another glass of champagne as another server passed by. But when he turned away to face the entrance of the palace, his heart dropped, his lips parted distinctively, tongue sliding along the bottom of his lip. It’s as if everything and everyone around him had stopped, whilst his almond-shaped eyes landed on a Jane that he grew to be familiar with many years ago—two decades to be exact.

Ever since you both departed, he wanted desperately to find you again just as you did. He missed you, and you missed him, and there hadn’t been a day that passed when you didn’t cross his mind. You both grew up in the same quaint town, but then Jin’s family moved to the big city and that was when everything changed.

You both drifted apart, and it was now a good twenty years later that you both finally crossed paths. But see, that was only part of the plan. Seokjin hosted these grand parties, and spread the word throughout the entire city to fuck his way out of a heartbreak he thought was silly to have. He treasured the attention and the numerous dolls flaunting themselves at him—that eventually he’d forgotten all about you.

It was something about big gatherings, quite like these that made your insides churn. A sense of anxiety resided within you when being in the presence of countless individuals. You felt like all of their gazes were solely focused on you; you’d never been a fan of attention. Although, you were unaware this party would change your life.

Drastically.

You desperately attempted to shake off your anxiousness, scanning the environment for anything or something you could do or use as an escape. And then…

Champagne.

Perfect. You thought to yourself, hurriedly scurrying toward the server, grabbing a glass filled with fizzing liquor.

“Thank you,” You noted with a smile and took a sip, an attempt to calm your nerves. But you still couldn’t shake that feeling, that someone was watching you. And it was as if your worst nightmare had come true, because followed by that feeling, there was a voice. One that was calling your name.

“____?” Your body trembled of chills, and you turned around to discover the voice that was noticeably behind you. When your eyes met the tall, slender form, you nearly dropped your wine glass into shattering pieces.

With a gasp, “Seokjin?” you questioned, placing a hand over your chest where a thumping heart hides from behind. His pupils sparkled with something you thought was admiration, and then he shined those perfect, pearly whites that stole your heart in that moment. You thought to yourself, This is it. He’s the one.

“It’s been so long. Wow, I am speechless.” He stated, with an extended hand, “May I?” He probed, rising his eyebrows. You foolishly lended him your hand, his plump lips pressed a gentle kiss on top.

“What are you doing here?” You asked, curious to understand how the universe joined you both together in this moment.

“Follow me,” was all he said. He lead you through the bustling crowd, and into his office. He removed the jacket of his tuxedo while you admired the maroon-tinted walls paired with large bookshelves and persian rugs decorated the space—modern art pieces adding an extra touch. One in particular stood out to you, in which Jin noticed your stare didn’t break away.

“Edward Hopper’s Automat,” He added, whilst standing beside you and relishing the sight of gorgeous pearls that decorated your neckline—thanks to Betty. He was stunned at the beautiful woman you blossomed into. Considering that the last memory he had of you, was when he’d been taken away in a locomobile, and there you stood at the end of the dirt road—with puffy, wet eyes as you cried out his name, begging him to not leave. And so did he, as he waved you goodbye and tears streamed down his cheeks. It was when his entire world fell apart.

Jin lost himself for a moment, reminiscing on the past. “Seokjin?” You said for now the third time, an attempt to get his attention.

“Yes? I- My apologies,” he replied. You shook it off with a giggle, a warmth having filled up your heart. “No need to worry.” You dropped your head low, as a flash of heat washed upon your face, and suddenly you felt shy.

You felt the cool embrace from Jin’s palm on your back, and when you looked up to meet his gaze, he was already staring at you.

With a sigh of relief, he slipped, “I’ve missed you, ____.” You wrapped your arms around his neck to pull him in for a hug, and he smelt of the liquor he’d been dousing himself in, paired with a tantalizing scent of cologne, notes of bergamot, tangerine and a hint of fruity persimmon. As you pull away, you peer into each other’s eyes, his slender fingers graze underneath your chin and you both lock lips with one another—his own tasted of the wine they’d been soaked in from earlier. The amount of desire drowned by your kisses sent a wave of heat through the both of you, and before you could think of pulling away to catch your own breath, Jin pulled away, his fingers lacing into yours to lead you toward the master bedroom.

“I missed you too,” you replied, maybe a little too late, but you still made him smile. His hands found purchase on your small back, “I can’t believe that you’re finally here. I don’t think I’ve ever been more happier in my life.” You caressed his broad shoulders, admiring how he towered over you. Oh how handsome he’d become, you thought.

It was as if both of you read each other’s minds, an unspoken tension between the two of you—like gravity pulled you two together, your actions in tune with each other. He laid on top of you, caressing your body and placing gentle kisses along your jawline and onto your collarbone. His silky sheets felt like bliss under your now scorching skin.

“Seokjin,” You moaned. His fingers found the zipper on the side of your dress, and he removed his bow tie and waistcoat, while undressing himself completely. He gently pulled the delicate material of your dress down and off your body.

“So beautiful,” He slipped, while trailing kisses along your leg and worshiping your body as if he was truly in love with you—especially when he entered you and buried himself to the hilt.

He was your first and he knew this. When you slipped, “I’ve never- Oh!” He simply caressed your cheek and planted kisses onto your now swollen lips, drips of sweat clinging on his forehead, your hands grazing along his back—the heels of your feet digging into his bottom. You couldn’t get the rest of your sentence out, the feeling of his member too much for your being, but there was this nostalgic sentiment that followed afterwards—a drawn out moan muffled by kisses.

“You’re saying that a Jane like you hasn’t had any nookie? Ever?” He chimed in with a chuckle. You slapped his arm in reply, “Well, don’t make fun of me now!”

But instead, you both broke out into a laughter, having completely forgotten about the party that continued on just one floor below.

“You feel so amazing,” Jin moaned, thrusting his hips into your core, your walls clenched relentlessly around him and it made his cock throb. Leaks of pre-cum oozed into you paired with your own wetness, soaking his shaft completely.

“Oh, Please don’t stop!” He picked up the pace and rammed into you, losing control of himself, so much that the headboard knocked against the wall in a beat-making manner. “Don’t stop! Yes, yes!” You egged him on, fueling his hunger.

“You’re such a doll, you know that?” He slipped between breaths. Your being now glued to the sheets from the sweat that accumulated.

He eventually slowed his momentum as an orgasm shortly approached. Your walls contracted around him repeatedly, and you were instantly drowned in euphoria. You hadn’t processed that Jin’s fingers were rubbing your clit furiously, making your orgasm crash upon you. And right after, you felt the warmth of his semen painting your walls—his bedroom now filled with the harmony of your moans.

Seokjin fell beside you on the bed, his chest rising and falling.

“That was amazing,” He slipped in between breaths. But to his surprise, you’d risen from the bed to re-dress yourself.

“Hey…” He hopped up on his feet, his flaccid cock jumping in the process. “Where you going?” He asked, grabbing your wrist.

“I-I shouldn’t keep Betty waiting…” You trailed off, his eyebrows quirked upwards. “She’s my friend. I came with her tonight.” His strong grip pulled you closer toward him; his fingers caressed your face.

“When will I see you again?” He asked, his grip on you becoming tighter. You shrugged your shoulders, because you weren’t sure when you’d see him again or if you’d have the chance to. Some part of you had hope because you know where he lives now, and you know he’s not far away and out of reach.

When you attempted to pull away, he pulled you back again, “Cash or check?” You contemplated a few moments, and with a tilt of your head, you tiptoed to give him a quick peck.

But it all just felt like a dream. One that you didn’t know would come crashing down. Because that’s all you can remember now. His sheets, his face, his voice, his length, and his scent—everything was Seokjin.

—

You came back and more than once. But the next few times, you came alone. It became a routine, almost. You’d join him during the night, and the two of you would escape into the part of his mansion where no one was around—everyone else having occupied the lower level and the courtyard. He’d always bring you to his bedroom, never letting you out in public together. You should have known that was a sign.

Anytime you both were together, you were alone. Because truth is, Seokjin was embarrassed. He held a high status and couldn’t be seen with someone like you. That’s what he told himself. He thought you wouldn’t have come back after the first night, but then you proved him wrong. And he wasn’t going to turn down free sex, especially since you were inexperienced—which gave him more power in the bedroom. He simply went with the flow, taking you as you gave to him.

Yet, you didn’t understand any of it. Especially when one night you took the lead, riding him with your breasts on full display. He moaned your name repeatedly and admitted, “I love you, ____.” And you fell for it, you actually believed him, with his cock fully sheathed inside of you. You were both wrapped up in the moment, your feels at their maximum. Except, you meant it when you replied, “I love you too, Seokjin.” That was the difference.

But one night, he slipped.

You paraded through his estate during one of his parties, brushing past numerous guests and bumping into some, but you couldn’t find him anywhere. He’d normally await for your arrival at the top of the stairwell, but he wasn’t there. He wasn’t in the courtyard or the balcony or the pool. Your heart thumped with a never-ending beat, and you couldn’t ignore the feeling.

Eventually, you found yourself entering the room that you remember oh so well, and you wished you hadn’t. The sight you witnessed sent a burning ache within your chest. Moans and groans filled the atmosphere as you neared the bed that contained those golden sheets you’d become familiar with. To say you were horrified was an understatement. Jin was plunging into another woman while another woman sat on the other woman’s face, a sudden churn of your stomach ascended—you felt as though everything you consumed that day would come right back up.

“S-Seokjin?” You let out, and he abruptly stopped his motions, snapping his gaze toward you. His eyes blown wide and lips parted.

“Fuck!” He spilled, stumbling out of the woman he was in. You turned away, heading beeline for the door. He quickly found his grip on you, and you fought him off, pushing him away and continuously slapping him away.

“How could you? How?!” You screamed. The sound of your heels clicking against the marble floor echoed throughout the palace, as you strutted out and never looked back.

He knew that he fucked up, because truth is, he didn’t even know what he really wanted—but he knew he was selfish. He continued hosting more wingdings, and he never stopped screwing more women. He convinced himself that you were just another Jane he checked off his “To do” list. Because that’s who Seokjin had become. He was no longer that sweet, innocent little boy you once knew. He was no longer your only best friend that you could trust. He was no longer who you thought he was.

—

After receiving the test results from your doctor, that’s when everything sunk in, and you made a promise to yourself that you’d eliminate the abuse of caffeine and tobacco you’d taken within your diet. Although somehow, someway, Seokjin found out that you were pregnant (more than likely it was Betty who told him at his still ongoing wingdings, since you spilled who Mr. Worldwide Handsome is), and he had the guts to show himself at your workplace. He paraded through the establishment, calling out your name. To your embarrassment, you remained at your station, internally cursing yourself for having gotten involved with him.

“____!” He raged, searching for your tired figure. You let out a sigh of exhaustion. And there he stood, with creased slacks in his million-dollar man attire, but his gaze was only focused on you.

“____, we need to talk.” He reassured to you, but too loud for prying eyes nearby. You swiped away the sweat that clung to your forehead.

“Well, I am working. How dare you barge in like this as if you have the right?” You retort with a hint of rage in your tone.

He took a deep breath, not wanting to hear it from you. “Listen, I didn’t come to cause any trouble, alright? We need to talk about my baby.”

You scoffed in reply, “Your baby?” His eyes widen slightly, “I am the one carrying our child! This is our baby, not just yours!” He ran his fingers through his hair in a frustrated manner.

“Last I remember, you were too busy having nookie with those quiff’s who were in the same bed you had knocked me up!” Your chest heaves of anger, suddenly feeling overwhelmed.

“You can’t just show up here like you’re this-this- bimbo! Because you’re not!” You hadn’t even realized you’d been yelling the entire time, gaining the attention from your nearby co-workers—who attentively watch your riled up figure, courtesy of your hormones.

Jin attempted to speak, “____, I’m-” but then you cut him off, tiredly yelling, “Beat it, Jin!”

His face instantly contorted into an expression you didn’t like to witness. It was a face of pure defeat. His jaw clenched under your stare, but he turned the other cheek and strutted away. You can’t say you felt sorry for him or embarrassed that you called him out because deep down, you knew that he brought everything upon himself.

—

You had a baby girl, and the moment you met eyes with her, was when you promised yourself you would climb mountains, swim oceans, and fight any battle to protect and love her the correct way—because she is you and you are her. The first two months were tough, yet Seokjin was nowhere to be found. Betty had been there for you through every step of the way, and you were beyond grateful for that. Although, you felt guilty for not letting Seokjin see his daughter, because after all she is still yours and his child. You asked Betty to accompany you to his mansion, where you had hoped to encounter him—but to no avail, you turned up with nothing. The entire palace was abandoned, like a wasteland. No automobiles, no servants, no Jane’s, no Seokjin.

A few days later on your way home from work, you overheard a few pedestrians gossiping about him. “Mr. Worldwide Handsome? I can’t believe it! Is it true? That he’s really on the run?” One of them says, the other woman replies, “Look, it’s in the paper!” Your eyebrows furrow on the spot.

“Pardon me. Can I see that?” You probe, pointing to the newspaper the two ladies were observing, and surely they were right. His photo was in the daily paper, with the headline of the name of Mr. Worldwide Handsome. He was wanted for bootlegging. He never told you who he really was, all he mentioned to you was that he was indeed Mr. Worldwide Handsome, but never confided in you about his supposed work.

Now he was gone, and you had a feeling that he was never coming back, because the first night when you two were reunited, it was in that moment, just as he’d practiced with numerous other women for years—Seokjin had one goal in mind:

To get her.

#bts smut #jin smut #hyunglinenetwork #btsguild #btsgoldnet #bangtanarmynet #bangtanhq #btswritingcafe #mikrogalaxynet #ficswithluv #kim seokjin #bts fluff #jin fluff

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arofili · 4 years ago

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Worldbuilding Exchange Letter 2021

Hello lovely creator, thanks for creating for me in the Worldbuilding Exchange! I’m very excited and grateful for whatever you create for me <3

This letter will restate my DNWs, list my likes, give you a brief rundown of my canon preferences, and then dive into specific prompts for each of my requests.

I’ll warn you upfront that I tend to ramble, so feel free to skip prompts that don’t interest you and/or use ctrl+F to search for whatever it is you want to write for.

My requests are divided by fandom, and in the case of the Silm + Middle-earth Legendarium, by topic too, so hopefully that will be helpful for you! Also, my TAZ request is waaay down at the bottom, so if that’s what you’re here for, just go to the bottom of the page.

Housekeeping:

DNWs:

Non-con

Unrequested dub-con

Abusive/Neglectful parenting (especially wrt Fëanor)

Sibling incest, parent-child incest (cousin pairings are fine)

Unhappy/Unhopeful endings (unless otherwise specified)

Jealousy/Possessiveness

Cheating

Character or ship bashing

Hanahaki/any scenario where unrequited love is physically damaging

Soulmates, especially soulmate AUs (soul bonds are OK, if there is choice involved)

Porn without plot (Porn with plot is fine!)

Food involved in sex

Unrequested Modern AU

Non-trans mpreg

If you’re writing a slash ship where the characters are/were married to/involved with someone outside the ship, please don’t have the character(s) hate their spouse or not have been actually in love with them (the one exception is Finrod; I’m fine with him and Amarië not having been actually in love, but please don’t do this for anyone else, especially not Fëanor)

Hobbit/LOTR-specific DNWs:

The concept of a dwarven “One”

Any Fíli pairing

Alfrid

Legolas or Gimli paired with anyone other than each other

no smut for these fandoms, please

Silm-specific DNWs:

Evil/irredeemable/incel Maeglin

Elwing bashing

Fëanorian bashing

Over the top Fëanorian apologism (they did bad stuff; it was at least partially their fault. you don’t have to address that, necessarily, but don’t rewrite the story to claim they were blameless)

Fingon with a wife

Fingon or Maedhros ships that don’t take Russingon into account (polyamory, an open relationship, Mae with someone after Finno dies or vice versa for an AU, them with other people while they’re separated on the Ice/in Angband - all of these scenarios are fine, but in the end I need them to be with each other first and foremost)

Dark!Maedhros

Elvish re-embodiment after death being an actual, literal rebirth that requires the characters to have a second childhood; I much prefer them being granted a new hröa in their prime (feel free to explore what “in their prime” means, though, especially wrt scarred and disabled elves)

~~~

Likes:

(these might not all apply to worldbuilding, but they might give you a place to start from!)

Gen fic

Found family

Family dynamics

Loving families, even when things get complicated

Friendship, intense/important platonic relationships

Relationships that defy categorization

Queerplatonic relationships

Polyamory

Queer headcanons (especially aromantic-spectrum headcanons)

Trans/nonbinary headcanons (genderbending is also fine, but I prefer trans/nb hcs)

Angst with a happy ending

Gray morality

Explorations of magic

Most tropes

Fanon and fandom tropes

Deconstruction/Inversion of fanon and fandom tropes

Interspecies relationships

Peredhil

Secret relationships

Secret relationships coming to light

Secret kids (especially secret peredhil!)

Giving ships OC kids

OCs interacting with canon characters

Confessions of love

First times

Hurt/comfort

Redemption, forgiveness, mercy

Ironic foreshadowing

Canon divergence AUs/X Lives AUs

Politics and scheming

Resolving conflicting canonical details

Historical/Narrative bias affecting what is and isn’t “canon” (to an extent; changing motivations, consequences, etc is great, but please don’t ignore canon entirely)

Elrond & Elros having complicated relationships with both their bio and adoptive parents

Names fitting the time period (Quenya names in Valinor, please; if this is difficult for you, that’s okay, no pressure, but I do strongly prefer it)

Names having a lot of thought put behind them (does the character go back to their original Quenya name upon rebirth? or do they keep their Sindarin name? or come up with something else entirely? do they hate their new Sindarin name and resent having to use it, or do they embrace it? As long as you put some thought into it, I’m sure I’ll like whatever you decide!)

Author’s notes where you explain your thought process, if you want; I love hearing how the story took shape!

~~~

Preferences re: Canon:

LaCE compliance is always completely optional (except if you’re choosing a prompt that is specifically about LaCE, lol). If you do want to include it, that’s great, but if you just want the characters to fuck without having that be an issue, go for it. I love explorations of LaCE that take into account the exceptions, boundaries, definitions, etc; I also love takes that emphasize that they are Laws and Customs, not biological imperatives.

I’m not picky about my Amrod deaths. He can die at either Losgar or Sirion (or, hell, some other time/place if you make it interesting enough!), whatever works best for the story. I do like Lightly Toasted Amrod, aka he almost burns to death at Losgar but survives/gets rescued at the last minute.

Gil-galad theories are all very fun. Please don’t make him the son of Fingon and a wife; if he’s Fingon’s son, I want Maedhros to be involved at least a little bit (adoption or trans mpreg are both fine in this scenario). Otherwise, I don’t have a particular preference, though if it’s not really relevant I usually default to the son of Orodreth (who is in turn the son of Angrod). Also, I’ve requested “Origins of Gil-galad”; there’s more information on him in that section.

Honestly, when it comes to theories and headcanons, my rule of thumb is “convince me”! I’m down for whatever, for the most part, as long as you can justify it :)

~~~

For all of these, “suggested characters” pulls from the list of characters I requested with that signup, but if you’ve got an idea involving other characters then go for it! And in the end, all characters are just suggestions, this exchange is more about the worldbuilding :)

~~~

The Hobbit (Book)

Adventuring Hobbits Before Bilbo: Who were they? Did they ever come back, or was Bilbo assumed dead because of precedent? Were they all Tooks, or did some other hobbits tag along on adventures, too? Suggested Character(s): Belladonna Took

Dragon Magic & Dragon-hunting: Talk to me about dragons! I’m interested in dragons & dwarves, especially in relation to the first time dwarves were driven from Erebor and into the North and the War of the Dwarves and Dragons. What kinds of dragons set their sights on the mountain? How old was Smaug when all that was happening; did he learn anything from the failures of his kin? Who were the dragon-hunting dwarves who fought in that war? Suggested Character(s): Smaug, Original Dwarf Character

Dwarven Craft and Magic: Enchanted weapons, enchanted armor, runes and spells...all so interesting! Borrowing from the movies a bit, did Kíli’s runestone from Dís have any magic power? What’s the deal with the Arkenstone’s thrall? How do elf and dwarf magics intersect when it comes to objects like Bilbo’s mithril coat? Suggested Character(s): Dís, Frerin, Thorin, Original Dwarf Character (perhaps a craftsdwarf?)

Dwarves and Gender: We need more dwarf women! And I’d love any takes on nonbinary dwarves and/or dwarf-specific genders. Were there female dwarves in the Company that Bilbo mistook for male dwarves? Are dwarven women really only a third of the population? If dwarf men and women are very similar in appearance, how do they differentiate between them, or do they differentiate at all? If you included something about dwarvish braiding styles indicating gender, class, marital status, I would be delighted. Suggested Character(s): Dís, Frerin, Thorin, Original Dwarf Character; in this case I’d prefer a focus on canon characters, but OCs interacting with them would be marvelous, especially people like Dís’ spouse.

The Black Arrow: Bard’s little pep talk to his arrow has always intrigued me. I’d love to see your take on the origins of the Black Arrow. Does it really come from Erebor, and if so, who made it? How did Bard and his forefathers come to acquire it? (I like the movie version that ties it into Girion’s attempt to kill Smaug, so feel free to incorporate that if you feel like it.) Is the arrow enchanted? (Perhaps that could be tied to the Dwarven Craft and Magic tag!) Suggested Character(s): Bard, Original Character from Dale, Original Dwarf Character

The Stone Giants & Were-worms: I don’t have many thoughts on these guys except “neat! tell me more!” I’m fascinated by the creatures Tolkien only gives us a passing mention of; if you feel like it, maybe you could combine these tags with some of the creatures in the LOTR tagset (crebain, cold drakes, Watcher in the Water, Mearas, Kine of Araw, etc...I didn’t sign up with all those tags, but it would be neat to hear about them anyway!)

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The Lord of the Rings (Books)

Cold-drakes and Fire-drakes & Crebain & The Watcher in the Water: Like with the Stone Giants and the Were-worms, I just think they’re neat and I’d love to hear your take on their origins and how they affect the history of Middle-earth. Feel free to combine this with other creature-related requests. Suggested Character(s): Scatha

Ghosts and Hauntings: Barrow-wights? Nazgûl victims? Just your crotchety old hobbit neighbor who still holds a grudge about losing the biggest pumpkin contest despite having been dead for 20 years? There’s a lot of potential for stories here; maybe you could combine a ghost story with some other prompt to add a murder mystery or haunting plot to a relationship you’re exploring!

Dwarf-Elf Relations: I don’t believe All Dwarves and All Elves hated each other! We have famous elf-dwarf friendships across the ages, and really it was just the Sindar vs. the Broadbeams/Firebeards that had the feud. Still, Legolas (a Sinda) and Gimli (raised among Broadbeams and Firebeards in the Blue Mountains) are caught up in that, so their friendship is quite remarkable! I’d love interrogations of how that feud continued across centuries and discussions of what really went down in Menegroth, perhaps with one of the Durins having an elf friend at some point in the past that sheds light on how Legolas and Gimli can get along. (I am here for any and all Gimli and Legolas combinations; I love them as friends, I love them as boyfriends or husbands, I love them as queerplatonic partners, I love them as anything in between! Do whatever you’d like with them!) Suggested Character(s): Gimli, Legolas, Original Elf Character, Any of Durins 1-7

Elvish and Mannish settlements in post-Ring War Ithilien: How do Legolas and Faramir get along, both living in Ithilien after the war? What do Legolas’ people think about being neighbors with a bunch of Men? Faramir and Imrahil were Aragorn’s chief commanders after the war, and Legolas expressed admiration for Imrahil; I imagine Imrahil visited his nephew in Ithilien, so what are the interactions of those three like? I’d love to see an exploration of Silvan elves and their culture here, with Legolas leaning into his Silvan heritage and maybe some Silvan OCs who have spent their whole lives in Mirkwood up until now and have never met Men before now! Suggested Character(s): Faramir, Legolas, Imrahil, Original Elf Character

Relations between the Dúnedain and Rivendell: Talk to me about the Grey Company, or Elladan and Elrohir fighting alongside their distant kin, or Rangers taking breaks in Imladris, how the Rangers think of Aragorn who was raised among elves, etc. I’d love an outsider POV here, such as an OC observing the oddities of a canon character. Suggested Character(s): Original Elf Character, Original Ranger of the North

The Glittering Caves of Aglarond: More Gimli and Legolas stuff - but with a focus on Gimli this time :) Gimli as a lord in his own right, Gimli who takes elves on tours of his dwarf-kingdom and weirds out his people (is it just Legolas, or does he take any Silvan elves with him, or like...his elvish in-laws??), Gimli as a craftsman... Or, alternatively, you could explore the caves before Gimli gets to work on them, what the Rohirrim thought of them and how they were created - by natural processes, or by magic, or a mixture of both? Did Aulë make them for the dwarves to find, perhaps? Suggested Character(s): Gimli, Legolas

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The Hobbit (Movies)

Dragonsickness/Goldsickness: The parallel to mental illness in the movies was really interesting. I’d love to see lingering effects of the goldsickness on Thorin after the Battle (Everyone Lives AU, probably), or an AU where Fíli or Kíli inherit the throne of Erebor and are afflicted by it as well. Or, sticking to canon, how did Fíli and Kíli and the rest of the Company deal with Thorin falling into madness? Were the other dwarves affected by the thrall of the gold? Bard and Thranduil were observers of Thorin’s madness; what did they think of him? Did Thranduil remember Thrór under dragonsickness? Or, since movie!Thranduil is a far cry from book!Thranduil when it comes to going to war over jewels, was he affected by the dragonsickness even from a distance? Was Bard? Suggested Character(s): Thorin, Fíli, Kíli, Bard the Bowman, Thranduil

Dwarves who "choose craft"/Aromantic-Spectrum and Asexual-Spectrum Dwarves: This is pulling more from the books than the movies, but I didn’t have enough nomination slots to include any book nominations, so it went here, lol. Anyway: as I’m sure you can tell from my tumblr url, I headcanon Fíli as aromantic, and I love seeing that in fanworks! It’s really wonderful that Tolkien mentioned that many dwarves choose their craft over marriage, and I’d love to see an exploration of that aspect of dwarvish culture, and how Fíli fits into it. It seems to be fairly common/accepted, but are there different cultural pressures around marriage for the crown prince? How does Fíli figure out he’s aromantic? If aro and ace dwarves are expected to be choosing a craft over romance and sex, what’s Fíli’s craft? Or does he not have one, and people judge him for that? The “choose craft” language I use is very much inspired by this post and the Neo-Khuzdul word “bijebtorva” :) Suggested Character(s): Fíli, Original Character(s)

Governance and Politics in Mirkwood: How did Thranduil and Oropher come to power in the Greenwood? I hate the “lowly Silvan elf” line from the movie; can you somehow justify that with worldbuilding, or show how it’s not accurate? Is Legolas half-Silvan like is implied in the LOTR books? Who are Thranduil’s advisors? Is Tauriel really the only one who dislikes and defies Thranduil’s isolationist policies? Is Mirkwood very patriarchal, and is Tauriel’s appointment to Captain of the Guard something she faced opposition or competition for? Are the Sindar elite colonizers, or did they integrate into Silvan society? How does the average Silvan elf feel about their king, or do they not even think about him? Suggested Character(s): Thranduil, Tauriel, Original Character(s)

Poetry and prophecy: Bard uncovers that tapestry that turns a song from the book into a somewhat ominous prophecy; there’s a lot of discussion of fate and signs from the thrush at the door to the last light of Durin’s Day; Thranduil has seen enough in his thousands of years to have had time to brush up against a prophecy or two. What do these three believe about fate and prophecy? Are any of them prophets in their own right? How does poetry/music lend power to prophecy? (Bonus points if you tie it back into the Ainulindalë...) Suggested Character(s): Bard the Bowman, Thorin, Thranduil

Poisons and antidotes: I love Kíli/Tauriel and the scene where she heals his wound...but the worldbuilding around morgul poison and athelas is a little murky. It’s a decent parallel to Frodo’s condition in the LOTR movies, but it’s confusing lore-wise. Can you make sense of it? If Tauriel is a warrior, where did she learn healing? (In my own headcanons, her foster family are healers, which is how she learned those skills even though she’s primarily a warrior - but feel free to take it in whatever direction you’d like!) Suggested Character(s): Tauriel, Kíli, Original Character(s)

Rebuilding Erebor & Relations between Dwarves + Elves + Men: (I’d prefer an Everyone Lives AU for this situation.) How do Thorin and his Company put Erebor back together again? What are the renovation projects like? How long does it take Dís and the rest of the Longbeards to arrive in Erebor and help out? How long does Dáin stay to help his cousin? I would love to see some politics both internally within the Longbeard dwarves and externally as they relate to Mirkwood and Dale. Smaug’s corpse is just lying in the Long Lake...how do the dwarves feel about their old enemy’s body so close by? Do some Men want to re-establish Lake-town, and demand help from the dwarves who flushed the dragon out of the mountain? Do the dwarves want to harvest Smaug’s corpse for resources? (He’s probably got gold and jewels stuck in his scales, and dragon-skin/scales is probably a good raw material for crafting things.) What’s the process of Bard becoming King of Dale? Does he face any opposition? I love the idea of Hilda Bianca challenging him for leadership, or maybe insisting on some kind of democracy/representation in Dale! And if she doesn’t get her way, maybe it’s her leading some people back to Esgaroth and founding a democracy there that would make the old Master roll in his watery grave... How do Bard and Thranduil and Thorin reconcile after the battle? Does Thorin pay up like he said he would? Does Tauriel hang around, or does she go somewhere else? Are any elves inspired by her, or is she a total outcast? If you choose to explore the Kíli/Tauriel relationship, how does that affect politics between Erebor and Mirkwood? Suggested Character(s): Thorin, Fíli, Kíli, Bard the Bowman, Hilda Bianca, Thranduil, Tauriel, Original Character(s)

Tauriel's fate after the Battle of the Five Armies: This is for exploring what happened to Tauriel in canon. Does she wander the world and explore new places? How long does she mourn Kíli? What does she do with the runestone? Does she return to Mirkwood, and if so, how does she manage to get back into Thranduil’s good graces? There are a million different ways to take this, I’d love to see your take on her! Suggested Character(s): Tauriel, Thranduil, Original Character(s)

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The Silmarillion: Magic & Spirits

Houseless Elves: Why did they refuse the call of Mandos? Do Avari even go to Mandos? Can Melkor and Sauron ensnare these spirits for their necromantic purposes? If the call of Mandos is refused once, does that bar them from listening in the future? What kinds of ghosts are haunting Middle-earth in the First Age? What kinds of ghosts haunt Aman? Suggested Character(s): Original Character(s), Melkor

Magic as a connection to the Music/the Song: Magic isn’t always the best-explained in Tolkien’s universe, but what we do know is the incredible power of the Music. How do the Maiar and Valar, who are not technically beings of Arda, interact with the world? How do elves and men (and dwarves! and orcs!) tap into the Song and manipulate it to their benefit (or detriment)? I have the headcanon that Elemmírë, the elf who sung the Aldudénië, is a priestess of Varda; what was the power of that mourning song, and how was it received by her patron Vala? Suggested Character(s): Elemmírë, Varda, Melian, Melkor, Original Character(s)

Nature Spirits: These holes in Tolkien’s worldbuilding are fascinating to me. What role do nature spirits play? How many are there? I’m thinking particularly of river spirits, like the River-woman and Goldberry, but there are probably also mountain spirits and water spirits and-and-and... Are they Maiar? Lesser beings? What do the Maiar we know of think about them? Gandalf seems the kind to listen to them and learn their stories, but perhaps Melian sees them more as servants in protecting her realm... Suggested Character(s): Melian, Original Character(s)

The Shadow-shapes in the hills above Cuiviénen: What were these shapes? Melkor’s prototypical monsters, Maiar who didn’t know how to interact with the Children, something else entirely? What did the original elves believe about them? Did they fear them, did they try to appease them, did they try to confront them? I headcanon that Elemmírë is an Unbegotten elf, so perhaps she lost friends to the Shadows, or thought she did. If the Shadows did take elves, was it out of malice or curiosity or a desire to protect them from whatever Melkor was planning? Suggested Character(s): Melkor, Elemmírë, Original Character(s)

The Void: Melkor spends a whole lot of time here. Does he have any company? Something or someone he makes to pass the time with? Do the Valar (like Manwë or Námo or Varda or Nienna) visit him there? What is the nature of the Void, is it pure emptiness or chaotic magic or a nightmare machine? Is Melkor being punished or is he being contained? And where are the boundaries of the Void? Varda rules the heavens; does her realm bleed into Melkor’s prison? Suggested Character(s): Melkor, Varda, Original Character(s)

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The Silmarillion: Elven Relationships

Note: This request deals with relationships, and while I’m open to pretty much anything, please keep in mind my DNWs. Exploring these topics using canon relationships is a safe bet; I adore Maedhros/Fingon so having a look at them through this lens would be amazing; I have Aredhel as a character request here, and I see her as aromantic (“to none was her heart’s love given”) so while showing her in a relationship is fine, I’d love it if you could take her lack of romantic feelings into account; if you have a question about another ship, you can check to see what I’ve written and/or send me anon message! Additionally, a lot of these talk about soul bonds, which I’m very interested in, but one of my DNWs is soulmates. To me the concepts are very different things; it’s the destiny and inevitability and universal assumption of romance that really squick me out about soulmates. Soul bonds, on the other hand, have an aspect of choice to them that I really dig. So, please don’t make characters Fated For One Another, but please do explore what joining souls is like!

Laws & Customs of the Eldar: Boy do I have a lot of feelings about LaCE—and I’m always intrigued by other people’s feelings, too! I’d love to see an exploration of how these laws and customs came to be, which parts of the rules around marriage and children and re-embodiment are social constructs and which are innate to the fëa and hröa, and/or relationships that defy the norms. If your take on the laws is hetero/cisnormative, how does that affect queer elves? If your take is free of bigotry, what are the flexibilities around queerness, including asexuality and aromanticism? Laws and customs and rules always have loopholes and exceptions, so what do elves who don’t fit into the expected relationship mold do about these norms? Suggested Character(s): Aredhel, Maedhros, Fingon, Elrond, Any Unbegotten Elf Character(s)

Arranged Marriages among the Eldar: Russingon arranged marriage AU?? Orrrr....Maedhros or Fingon are politically engaged to someone else, and they have to deal with the ramifications of that? (Please don’t have them actually go through with the marriage if you go that route; I’m not interested in a story with Fingon having a wife, even if she’s a beard.) If elves (usually) only love once, and by declaration of the Valar can only marry once (Finwë being the somewhat disastrous exception), how is an arranged marriage justified within the cultural emphasis on these bonds? Are they more like arranged romances, people pushing their children together in hopes that they’ll fall in love? Or is it a stricter rule about “you do what’s best for this family”? (Note: Bad/cruel parenting is one of my major DNWs, so if you’re going that route, please don’t make the parent uncaring or malicious. Stubborn and narrow-minded is fine, as is the genuine belief that this is what’s best for the child, but ideally they’ll learn from their mistakes or perhaps everything will be interrupted and derailed by Canon Events. This is especially important wrt to Fëanor.) Suggested Character(s): Maedhros, Fingon

Creation/Discovery of soul bonds: How do soul bonds work on a metaphysical level? Can they be broken? Do they have to be nurtured and maintained? What’s long-distance communication like? Heck, what’s short-distance communication like, is it like talking in your mind or sharing your feelings or more abstract than that? Can elves form soul bonds with mortals? And most importantly—how did elves figure out they could soul bond with one another?? I can imagine that would be quite a shock when they’re discovering sex and then suddenly they’re inside each other’s minds! Suggested Character(s): Any Unbegotten Elf Character(s)

Non-romantic/sexual soul bonds: I’m good with practically any relationship here. Explore sibling bonds, twin bonds, parent-child bonds, queerplatonic bonds, found family bonds, adoption bonds, the bond between a Vala and their Maia...any kind of soul bond that is familial or platonic or chosen without regard to romance! (Feel free to take a canon romantic relationship and turn it queerplatonic, I live for that shit!) How are these bonds formed outside of sex? What are the rituals and ceremonies around forming them? Is it a public or private thing? Are non-romantic soul bonds taken seriously, or are they seen as less important than marriage bonds? Since elven parents literally give part of their soul in the creation of the child, is that parent-child bond innate? Suggested Character(s): Aredhel, Any Unbegotten Elf Character(s)

Elven adoption: I nominated this with Kidnap Dads in mind (if you go that route I love fluff for them as well as more nuanced/complicated takes on the situation, but whatever you do don’t make M&M cruel, and please include Maedhros as a parental figure alongside Maglor)...but hey, it could work for Fingon (and Maedhros) adopting Gil-galad! What are traditions around elven adoption? Are there soul bonds created between the adoptive parents and children? Was adoption even a thing in Aman, or is it only practiced in Middle-earth? Did elves adopt mortals and vice versa? Is adoption extended to found family other than a parent-child situation? How is adoption viewed by elvish society, especially if inheritance/succession is a concern? Suggested Character(s): Maedhros, Fingon, Elros Tar-Minyatur, Elrond

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The Silmarillion: Noldorin Politics

Original Fëanorian follower(s) who turned on their lords at Sirion: Okay, this is a character tag, but I’m absolutely obsessed with this line: “For the sons of Fëanor that yet lived came down suddenly upon the exiles of Gondolin and the remnant of Doriath, and destroyed them. In that battle some of their people stood aside, and some few rebelled and were slain upon the other part aiding Elwing against their own lords (for such was the sorrow and confusion in the hearts of the Eldar in those days).” Who were these people who followed the Fëanorians into exile, into a Kinslaying, through the burning of the ships, through 30 years of Maglor as a king-regent incapable of treating with the Nolofinwëans, through the scattering of their lords and the harsh conditions of the North, through the Bragollach and the Nírnaeth and a “wild and woodland life” and the Second Kinslaying (where some of them went as far as to abandon children in the winter woods to die because they thought it was what their lord/s would want), through isolation and hatred from every other elven group, through the plan to attack a refugee camp—through ALL OF THAT, and THEN they turn on their lords at Sirion??? Why betray your lords NOW? And the people who DID keep following them after that (after kidnapping children!!!), what were they thinking?? — I firmly believe that Maedhros has many escapees from Angband in his service who are ride or die for him and whose morality was somewhat warped by Angband, but what about Maglor’s followers? Caranthir’s? Ambarussa’s? Even Celegorm and Curufin’s?? There’s just SO MUCH potential for story here, I’m dying to read about them!

Noldorin lines of succession: Was It Sexist Or Was It Not: The Eternal Question aka Why Didn’t Idril Become High Queen After Turgon? Also, what does “eldest of the house of Finwë, and not the least wise” even MEAN, Maedhros?? How did Gil-galad come to power? I find it hard to believe he became king immediately after Gondolin fell; was it a wartime power grab? A battlefield promotion? How did the kingship get established in the first place? Why was Finwë chosen to go with Oromë to Aman? Was Maglor ever really king, or did he only rule as a regent for the missing Maedhros? Suggested Character(s): Finwë, Gil-galad, Maglor

Origins of Gil-galad: I am always so interested in takes on Gil-galad’s parentage. My favorites are Russingon baby Gil (through trans mpreg or adoption, both are good) and secret peredhel Gil (probably an Aegnor/Andreth baby adopted by Orodreth), but I also love Finduilas Is Gil-galad and honestly, any situation is fascinating here—just convince me! A possible way to explore this is through Outsider POV; some noble or historian trying to figure out just what the heck is up with Gil-galad. His parentage being confusing in-canon is so fun!! Suggested Character(s): Gil-galad, Original Nobility of the Noldor

Maglor's Kingship between Maedhros' capture and rescue: Was Maglor ever really king? Did he give up on Maedhros early on, or did he cling to the hope that he still lived? Did his brothers turn to him for support, or did they connive to take responsibility from him? The rift between the Noldor wasn’t healed until Maedhros’ rescue; did Maglor try to cooperate with Fingolfin, or did he keep his people isolated? Was he relieved when Maedhros came back and took responsibility, or was he resentful to lose his power? How does this situation (and Maglor not going to rescue Maedhros) affect M&M’s relationship later on? Suggested Character(s): Maglor, Original Fëanorian follower(s)..., Curufin, Caranthir

Dwarf-Elf relations in the First Age & Dwarf-kingdoms: Dwarf-friends!!! Yes!!! I love elves and dwarves being buds (or partners if you’d like to go that route!) <3 IIRC, Curufin learned Khuzdul, and I’m sure Celebrimbor did too; Caranthir was supposedly rude to the dwarves, but what if that’s just his (and their!) love language? How did relations between the Sindar and the dwarves sour over time? Maedhros was friends with Azaghâl; how did that relationship begin? How did Finrod’s contract with the dwarves blossom into a real friendship? Eöl was also buddies with the dwarves; did he ever bump into Curufin or Caranthir while at a trade festival or something? And the dwarf kingdoms of the First Age are fascinating on their own, too; what was the political structure like? Did the dwarves bring items from the other side of the mountains into Beleriand? How did the petty-dwarves get exiled? What happened to Nogrod and Belegost in the War of Wrath, and were they ever re-established after the sinking of Beleriand? Suggested Character(s): Curufin, Caranthir

Guilds and Noble Houses of Tirion: Give me a Tirion political drama! Finwë trying to appease his lords and craftseldar? Indis integrating into Noldorin society and making connections with the noble houses? Arranged marriage situation between Nolofinwë and Anairë? The younger princes running amok and causing chaos in their elders’ carefully-laid plans and delicately balanced alliances? Suggested Character(s): Finwë, Indis, Original Nobility of the Noldor, Curufin, Caranthir, Maglor

Roles and Responsibilities in the Noldorin Royal Family: There were oodles of princes in Valinor. What did they all do? How did they get the followers who came with them to Middle-earth? Were they free to pursue their own crafts, or did they have responsibilities to the common people? How did this change in Middle-earth when suddenly everyone was in danger and had more pressing needs? What is it like being a re-embodied royal in a society that’s adapted to life without you? Suggested Character(s): Finwë, Indis, Maglor, Curufin, Caranthir, Gil-galad

Fashion as Political Statement: This is an excuse to request Color Coding Politics. Fëanorian red! Nolofinwëan blue! Findis wearing Aggressively Neutral White! Lalwen in orange? Arafinwë in yellow? Finwë in an amazing technicolor dream-coat...or more likely just red, showing his bias once more? Art of this would be absolutely fantastic. I have lots of headcanons about color politics; feel free to ask me about them if you choose this option. Suggested Character(s): Curufin, Caranthir, Gil-galad, Finwë

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The Silmarillion: Trauma & Religion

War of Wrath: For a war that took so long and had such wide-reaching repercussions, we really don’t have very many details about this. It’s free real estate, basically! I have my favorite characters (Maedhros, Maglor, Elrond, Elros, Gil-galad...) that you could use to explore this time period, but literally anyone who’s alive at this point is fair game. And OCs! What do the Noldor and Vanyar (and Telerin sailors) feel about the War and interacting with the war-weary exiles and Sindar and Men of late-stage Beleriand? What kind of culture shock/culture clash is there? Were re-embodied exiles permitted to return to Middle-earth, or were they barred from going to war again? Suggested Character(s): Original Noldorin Character, Original Vanyarin Character

Trauma after the War of Wrath for elves and humans & Exiles adjusting to life in the Undying Lands post War of Wrath & Dealing with psychological trauma in Valinor: Trauma was commonplace in Beleriand, but not so much in Valinor. What’s it like for exiles who sail West to be in a society that doesn’t know how to support them? Are the Valar having to learn how to deal with the trauma of living elves super quickly, or are they reticent to change? How do the exiles interact with their re-embodied kin? What do the Vanyar and other Amanyar think of these elves who have been so deeply hurt? What kinds of treatises on psychology are penned by scholars with little to no previous experience? What is therapy like in Valinor? Do the exiles get together for support groups since no one else understands them? Or did the trauma of the Darkening and the First Kinslaying wake up the Amanyar and get their act together before then; are the exiles surprised by the structures already in place to support them? And what about Avari who have been dying steadily all this time from accidents and incidents in Middle-earth? If they’ve been re-embodied, how do they engage with the Eldar who have similar traumas? Suggested Character(s): Estë, Finrod, Maeglin, Original Noldorin Character, Original Vanyarin Character, Rúmil, Any Avarin Elf Character(s)

Worship of the Valar and Religion & Avarin religious culture: Do the Vanyar really worship the Valar, or do they seem them as hyper-powerful neighbors? What are priests and priestesses like in a world where the gods walk among you? How does each kindred of the elves interact with the Valar? Are Maiar viewed as equal worshippers/servants or as deities in their own right? Do the Avari even know about or acknowledge the Valar? Do they worship the stars, or simply Eru? Suggested Character(s): Pengolodh, Rúmil, Any Avarin Elf Character(s)

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Middle-earth Legendarium: Magic & Spirits

Afterlives: This is pretty vague, but I think it’s referring to the various kinds of afterlife. What are the Halls of Mandos like? What happens to spirits who don’t go to Mandos? Do Men pass through Mandos on the way to Beyond? What happens to Men? Are they reincarnated in the more traditional understanding of the word, do they go to some other realm similar to Arda, are they just endlessly partying it up with Eru? Do dwarves really go to the Halls, or is that just a superstition? And of course, what about orcs? Suggested Character(s): Námo

Fate of orc souls after death: Yeah, really, what about orcs? If the orcs were originally elves twisted into Morgoth’s servants, are their spirits still elven? Are they reborn as they once were, elven despite their life as an orc? What about orcs who are many generations removed from their elvish ancestors? Do they have fëar? Can orcs be rehabilitated? I refuse to accept that all orcs are inherently evil; but what does everyone believe in-universe? Suggested Character(s): Námo, Original Orc Character(s)

Foresight and Prophecy and Doom: I’m honestly not sure if this fanon or canon, but Finarfin and his line having foresight through Indis is a wonderful concept and I’d love an exploration of that. How accurate is foresight? Can fate be circumvented? Are prophecies like the Doom of the Noldor self-fulfilling, or are they warnings about possible futures, or are they curses upon people? If you have a high Doom upon you, does that end with your death, or does it follow you to Mandos and beyond? Suggested Character(s): Námo, Finarfin

Songs and Words of Power: Rap battles with Sauron! ...joking aside, song as magic is just fascinating to me. How does this connect to the Ainulindalë and the Song of the World? The elves named themselves Quendi, the Speakers; how do they view the power of words and their ability to change the world around them? Can music be used as a force of destruction or a weapon (battle bard Maglor)? Can it be used to manipulate someone’s mind (Sauron)? Suggested Character(s): Maglor, Sauron

Stars and Starlight: “All light is sacred to the Eldar...but wood-elves love best the light of the stars.” Okay, sorry for being a Hobbit movie apologist on main, but I do love Tauriel! How do elves view starlight? Is it holy, or are the stars more like their friends and guides? Did the Avari choose to remain in Middle-earth partially because of their love for the stars, which were drowned out by the light of the Trees? How does Eärendil feel about being a star; does he feel blasphemous or holy? What legends and superstitions are there among Avari and Men and others who don’t know the origins of Gil-Estel about the new star in the sky? Suggested Character(s): Morwë, Eärendil

The Unseen Realm: This is the in-between world where Frodo goes when he wears the ring, the world that the Nazgûl in their half-life inhabit. Are Ainur able to slip into this realm at will? Did Gandalf walk invisible in Gondolin? How does Sauron manipulate this realm to his purposes? Is this where elves go if they fade? (I don’t usually like Maglor fading, but it could be an interesting way to explore this...) Suggested Character(s): Námo, Sauron, Nazgûl, Maglor

Magical Artefacts & Magical Communications: Palantíri! Galadriel’s mirror! Ósanwë! All sorts of cool ways to talk with magic. Do the Rings of Power enable long-distance ósanwë? Did the Silmarils contain pieces of Fëanor’s soul? What other marvelous magical creations were there that didn’t make it into the Legendarium we know? Suggested Character(s): Sauron, Maglor, Eärendil

~~~

Middle-earth Legendarium: Politics & Lore

Feudalism between Eldar and Edain: We have Edain entering into the service of Noldorin lords (Bëor and Finrod, Hador and Fingolfin, Amlach and Maedhros) and land being given to Men by elves (or not, in Haleth’s case)...how far did this feudal relationship extend? Were the Edain mostly autonomous or were they very much bound to their elven lords? Were there common elves who paid tribute to Edain lords? Can any relationship between elves and Men truly be equal if this is the way they originated? Fealty kink? Suggested Character(s): Curufin, Original Elf Character

Fourth Age Tirion: What’s Tirion like with a bunch of dead people walking around living again, and a bunch of weird legends now imposing in daily life? What’s the first meeting of Rúmil and Pengolodh like—who geeks out over whom? Are the Fëanorians back yet? Is the average elf even really aware of all the nonsense that happened in Middle-earth, or are they extremely unimpressed with King So-and-So of a square of land that’s now underwater trying to cut them in line at the coffee shop? Suggested Character(s): Original Elf Character, Pengolodh, Rúmil of Tirion, Celebrimbor, Elrond, Galadriel

Relationship between Noldor and Dwarves: See “Dwarf-Elf relations in the First Age & Dwarf-kingdoms” in my Silm request for a starting point...but also, was Elrond’s Last Homely House open to dwarves? How did Galadriel come to respect the dwarves, especially after her Sindar kin grew to hate them? Suggested Character(s): Curufin, Celebrimbor, Elrond, Galadriel

Timekeeping between the Death of the Two Trees and the Rise of the Sun and Moon: Tolkien’s math drives me ABSOLUTELY INSANE. His timelines are contradictory, I get headaches just thinking about the length of elf pregnancy, what does aging mean for an immortal species, WHY ARE TREE YEARS LIKE THAT and WHAT IS A YÉN? Please try and make sense of this for me, I beg of thee. I’m especially interested in the time period between the Death of the Trees and the Rise of the Sun and Moon. Did the Noldor wander the Helcaraxë for 3 years or 30? How long was Maitimo in Angband? Did the Sindar even realize something was different? How did people start calculating Sun years? When was the calendar of the First Age adopted? Who did all this math? Is there an in-universe explanation for these contradictions? Do people fight over math? Do the Ainur experience time the same way the Children do? Did some Noldo genius come up with a timekeeping system that worked with the Moon, only for the Sun to come along and muck it up? Suggested Character(s): Pengolodh, Rúmil of Tirion, Original Elf Character, Fëanor - really any scholarly character, tbh!

Treatment of Angband's Escaped Thralls: Which kinds of escapees choose to go to Himring with Maedhros the Tall, and which choose to go to Gondolin and the House of the Hammer of Wrath? Was Rôg an escapee too? Can Maedhros really tell who’s been turned by the Enemy? Does Thingol have the right of it in turning away thralls from Doriath? (If he even does that, I’m now researching this and I’m not sure it’s actually canon...) What was it like for Maedhros and Gwindor to readjust to elven society? Did Elrond grow up surrounded by Fëanorian followers who escaped Angband, and is that where he learned healing? Suggested Character(s): Original Elf Character, Elrond

In-universe authorial bias in historical texts: All of the Legendarium is a history, which means there’s bound to be unreliable narrators. Was Maeglin really as evil as the story says? What gets left out of the narrative? What gets lost in translation? Who lives, who dies, who tells your story? Suggested Character(s): Pengolodh, Rúmil of Tirion

Trade in Middle-earth: What was trade like in First Age Beleriand? What about Second Age trade between Númenor and the mainland? Was Ost-in-Edhil a trade hub? After Sauron returned and traveling became dangerous, what intrepid traders braved the wilds for the sake of goods and money? How was currency developed around the world? Suggested Character(s): Curufin, Celebrimbor, Elrond, Galadriel

Orcs Surviving the Wars: Again, I don’t believe that all orcs are irredeemably, inherently evil. Were they persecuted and stamped out after the Ring War, or did some escape and adapt to a life without a harsh overlord? What’s orc agriculture like? Would Elrond take a chance on rehabilitating an orc in Rivendell? What if orcs were more complicated all along, and it’s the histories that simplified them to cardboard-cutout villains? Suggested Character(s): Original Elf Character, Pengolodh, Celebrimbor, Elrond, Galadriel

~~~

The Adventure Zone: Balance

My only non-Tolkien request, oops. Don’t think I’m not as interested in this request, though; I’m the only one who nominated for it, so I picked my very favorite concepts and I’d love to see what you do with them!

Angus McDonald’s Grandfather: This guy’s name was lost to time, and he loves silverware, and he has a grandson, and that’s pretty much all we know about him. Was he involved in the Relic Wars somehow? Did his name get eaten by the Voidfish? I imagine he’s a rather eccentric fellow; how much of that did he pass on to Angus? Is he even real, or was Angus lying to Tres Horny Boys about his destination?

Any Wonderland Adventurer(s): I’d love to see what happens to the other people who go to Wonderland before our boys. Do they all die? How many get what they want and get out? Do any of them have weaker moral compasses than THB and agree to advertise for Edward and Lydia? What if Edward or Lydia fell in love with an adventurer and trapped them there? What kinds of things do people sacrifice to the Wheel? We know about the Escape Game and the Healing Game; what about the Recovery Game? How long has Wonderland been around? How has it evolved over time? What was it like before Edward and Lydia got ahold of the Animus Bell? How did they get ahold of it? (Personally I think Barry just gave it to them...but did he have to go through the trials first?)

Differences within species between the Two-Sunned World and Faerun: I love the fanon that Two-Sun elves are juuust a little different from Faerun elves...like Taako’s echolocation, for example. But what if this applies to the other species like gnomes and dwarves and even humans? How are the Seven Birds just a liiiitle off from everyone else around them? Also, Cat Elves. This is an excuse for Two-Sun Cat Elves. GIVE TAAKO A TAIL. (I mean, or not, do what you want, but I’d love to see that, lol.) Suggested Character(s): Any Member(s) of the IPRE, Original Character(s)

Reclaimers before Tres Horny Boys: Who were the other Reclaimers? Who did Lucretia trust to carry out this dangerous mission? How did they all each, inevitably fail? What if Magic Brian was a Reclaimer gone wrong? What was the last straw for Lucretia, the last failure that made her scheme to get her boys back? And the other Reclaimers weren’t officially disbanded right away; how did they feel about the new guys in town, and losing their jobs to these doofuses? Suggested Character(s): Lucretia, Original Character(s)

The Relic Wars: There were wars about the Relics!!! Wars!! That everyone forgot!! Wars where people that THB knew died!! And then we never get into this in canon! It drives me nuts! I would love to see an exploration of this chaotic time period, what the IPRE did to mitigate the damage, which relics were obvious and terrifying and which were secret and terrifying, etc... I’ve written a bit about Relic War-era Hurloane, but what were the other NPCs doing? (Or Hurley and Sloane too, I’d love to see your take on them too!) When Lucretia wiped everyone’s memories, what was lost? (I suspect Angus’ Grandfather got caught up in that...) How did those missing memories lead people to the Bureau of Balance? Suggested Character(s): Lucretia, Any Member(s) of the IPRE, Angus McDonald’s Grandfather

The Robot World's crystal post-Story and Song: The IPRE promised to return the Robot World’s crystal if they ever managed to defeat the Hunger...and we know they can plane hop from the casino liveshow...so, did they ever return the crystal? How did that go down? How does the Robot World rebuild itself? And if we’re going into it being the (K)nights Arc’s setting, are there other characters than Troth that we might recognize? Suggested Character(s): Magnus Burnsides, Lucretia, Any Member(s) of the IPRE

Worlds that survived the Hunger: In the worlds where the IPRE found the Light of Creation before the Hunger arrived, what was it like for the people there who had to endure the Hunger’s attack? What was the scope of the destruction? How did they rebuild afterward? Does uniting against a common enemy bring the people of the world together and create more Tesseralia-like societies? How many people knew about the IPRE, and what did they think about them? When they hear the Story and Song, what’s the reaction? If they didn’t know about the IPRE what myths do they create to explain the Hunger? Suggested Character(s): Lucretia, Original Character(s)

~~~

Alright, that’s the end of my prompts/requests! Thanks for reading this far, and whatever you end up writing for me I am super excited to read it!! And if you have questions or ideas or something, my askbox is open and I have anon messages on, I’d love to talk! Thank you again for creating for me, you are the best! <3

#tmi anna #worldbuilding exchange #exchange letter

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nova-network · 5 years ago

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A personal ranking list for “husbandos” in the Fire Emblem series

This post will be cared about by exactly two people: Admin Annette of @imaginebluelions, and myself. This is structured in the same manner as her own tier list, as that one inspired this one (especially with her insistence that I make it, hee hee!)

Note: I am an Awakening baby, and have not yet gotten the opportunity to play the older games yet. The placement for characters on this list who originate from games made prior to Awakening is based on the information that I have gathered about them from Fire Emblem Heroes, and from further reading about those characters. As a further note, Shadows of Valentia characters (well, the one SoV character on this list) are only based on their character in SoV, and not in the original Gaiden.

Without further ado...

S Tier:

Robin (Awakening): Robin is a very talented individual, being highly skilled at tactics and magic, and he manages to be a logical pragmatist while still being rather friendly and empathetic. He’s kind of a dork, but still social enough to carry on a conversation well and not be embarrassing. He has a clean, smart-looking appearance, without being stuffy. Additionally, in some portrayals, he and his magic come across as somewhat dark and otherworldly -- most notably in Fire Emblem Warriors, where he is capable of using dark magic in the Tactician class and gets around by levitating. His connection to Grima is emphasized, but he remains as much of a legitimately nice and helpful person as ever, and the juxtaposition between those two factors is VERY attractive. He’s Good Guy Julius. He’s like a one-man rebuttal to the Loptous cult back in FE4, showing that no, your bloodline doesn’t determine your fate after all, and even turning everything he was mean to be against Grima itself. He also may have a claim to the throne of Plegia, due to his heritage, and is thus potentially politically viable.

Robin is the safe option, being relatively free of angst, emotional baggage, and potential danger, despite what he was quite literally born to do. There are only two potential drawbacks to him, and they can both be mitigated. The first is that he is probably reluctant to make a claim to the Plegian throne, unless I were to push him into it, and the second is Tharja, who can be set up with some other guy and thus could end up an ally instead of a potential relationship threat.

Laurent (Awakening): Like his mother Miriel, Laurent is an utterly brilliant, highly scientific-minded individual, often striving to obtain new knowledge about the world or trying to quantify the magic he uses. In short, he thinks like I do, though he is also a lot more introverted and serious than I am -- and I think that’s a good thing, allowing each of us to understand each other without overlapping so much in personality that we would simply clash instead. Laurent often seems to be interested in practical applications of his research, too, instead of just staying with theory, so I think we could work very well together! I think Laurent would be capable of understanding me on a fundamental level that few other characters could, and vice versa. Laurent looks scholarly and refined, and he definitely is! And yet, at the same time, he isn’t a total boring stick-in-the-mud -- he can be surprisingly theatrical with how excited he can get about his ideas and innovations, and that is very attractive too!

Laurent’s supports with Noire indicate that he was very much... um, interested in her rage-breakdowns. As someone who has a tendency to dramatically lash out in a similar (albeit far less exaggerated) way, Laurent is uniquely suited to dealing with me and helping me through it, heehee! Laurent does, however, have the issue of being a politically unviable option -- he’s just a researcher, not a potential leader, so I’d have to work very hard to be able to establish myself in the archaic Ylissean government system if I wanted to go that route.

Hubert (Three Houses): Normally, I don’t go for characters who are as hostile and sinister as Hubert von Vestra, and yet there is so much about him that is absolutely my type. He is very clever, very ambitious, and very, very dramatic. He’s like a goth theater kid who went into politics instead of theater. He is very loyal, but not blindly so, willing to think critically about what is really best for Edelgard and their shared ambitions instead of just doing whatever he’s told. He’s very responsible, but not exactly honorable by Fire Emblem standards -- after all, he goes around scheming in the shadows and plotting assassinations quite a bit -- and I like that a lot. He’s fiendish, he’s devious, and yet, at least on Edelgard’s path (my preferred route by far), he’s definitely not evil, and even turns out to be quite a bit nicer than he generally lets on with his threatening demeanor. His dedication to following Edelgard’s ideals of abolishing systems like primogeniture and Crest superiority are even outright admirable, and make him uniquely suited to understanding my perspective on the world. Like most Three Houses characters, Hubert does seem to have quite a bit of trauma under the surface, but he’s a logical type of fellow, not one to need constant emotional support and coddling -- just someone he can, for once, actually trust. He’s the sort of person I could stand with instead of having to stand behind.

Also, um, I kind of want him to intimidate me. I think I would like it.

Hubert is quite possibly the single most attractive character I’ve seen in this entire franchise, but he has one single important point against him, as well, which keeps him in this tier with the others: he keeps a lot of secrets from people he cares about, and I have trust issues of my own. (And not that he’s, y’know, a creepy assassin wizard butler who has committed multiple murders. That part is okay. Welcome to Fire Emblem, I guess.)

A Tier:

Linhardt (Three Houses): Oh, Linhardt. I once dated a guy who was a lot like Linhardt. He was a biology student who legitimately considered selling his bed in order to buy a flow cytometer to put in his room because he usually just fell asleep in his chair anyway. So, right away, I can tell you that Linhardt is an excellent choice. Our interests overlap, but not so much that I would consider him competition or a threat. He’s just content to do what he wants to do. His rather lazy demeanor is a big point against him, but at the same time, this is somewhat mitigated by the fact that he’s so brilliant when he does try to accomplish something. And I think he could balance out my super driven, very Type A personality -- Linhardt can keep me in balance and prevent me from losing who I am or my connections to everything around me, because he is so relaxed. With his aversion to causing harm and the fact that he seems to be a lot more empathetic than he lets on, he could keep me from ending up as a bitter mad scientist type if things go wrong for me, perhaps better than any other character on the list. He can be to me what Byleth can be to Edelgard. At the same time, I think I could be somewhat of a motivating factor for Linhardt, so he can be the best he can be and really apply his brilliance for the benefit of the world instead of letting his mind languish in apathy.

Klein (Binding Blade): Klein is so elegant and refined! And yet, at the same time, he makes sure to treat everyone equally, no matter whether or not they are of noble birth. He would be able to recognize me for my accomplishments, for what I do and who I am, instead of just where I come from. I think Klein is another good balancing factor for me, as well -- he’s a skilled diplomat, apparently, which provides an excellent complementary counterpoint to my more blunt and aggressive demeanor. Klein can help me circumvent problems that I can’t just plow through, and I can help him take action when action needs to be taken. Klein may not be as scientific-minded as some of the other people on this list, but given that his father is freakin’ Pent, Klein is probably quite capable of understanding a lot of the things that I say and willing to listen to a lot of my interests. There is, however, one very significant problem with Klein -- his sister. I can tell you right now that I would not get along with Clarine AT ALL from the very first time we would meet, and Klein would have to handle a lot of conflict resolution and mediation. It would be an absolute mess.

B Tier:

Ephraim (Sacred Stones): Ephraim is somewhat unique in this tier list because he’s not really much of an academic type at all! He’s good at tactics and leadership, but not much else. But at the same time, he has a clean, sharp sort of athleticism to his appearance that I like a lot, and he’s very confident and outspoken without being a jerk at all. Since he does end up in charge of Renais, he’s also a very politically viable option (are you seeing a pattern here for characters who don’t come from 3H, the game where monarchy and inherited nobility are deconstructed more instead of taken for granted?). I think Ephraim would be able to listen to me and understand my strengths, while at the same time, I can understand his talents and perspectives as well. On the other hand, he probably wouldn’t know what the hell I’m talking about half the time, which could make me eventually feel kind of isolated.

Henry (Awakening): The cute one. Henry is just such a legitimately nice and fun person despite his morbid personality. He wants to help, he just doesn’t always know how, because his grasp on human morality and empathy is a bit nebulous. He’s a twisted fellow, but not a mean one, and I think I could really appreciate his curiosity and vice versa. He’s smarter than his goofy personality lets on. I think we could talk about a lot of things with each other and accept a lot of things about each other that most people wouldn’t be able to, or at least not as easily. And he is apparently a very good parent! There are still a couple of problems with Henry, though. Most importantly, he’s kind of immature, and I don’t know how much I could handle that in a relationship. Also, he’s technically a mass murderer, though this is mitigated by the fact that he’s not a bad guy, and could be mitigated much further if his willingness to take a stand against Grima gives the public a bit of a better view of him. Also, he’s not politically viable. Whee! And I’m not sure how old he is.

C Tier:

Leo (Fates): Logical but theatrical, pragmatic and cold but surprisingly nice and dedicated despite that. He’s like a proto-Hubert, for the purposes of this list. Leo is a pretty great pick for pretty much all the reasons that Hubert is, but... just less so. Also, he has a couple of major drawbacks -- I don’t want to have to deal with his family (Camus-archetype Xander and ingenue Elise would be enough of a problem, but Corrin? Well, Camilla’s okay, I guess), and like Henry, I’m not sure how old he is, either. Leo is, ironically, probably best on the Birthright path in terms of husbando properties, because now I don’t have to deal with Corrin, who I would immediately consider a threat because Corrin is a pile of naivete with way too much power for his/her own good but people like him/her anyway.

Ignatz (Three Houses): Pretty cute, especially post-timeskip. A nice person, and could be great to cooperate with in terms of that Victor Trading Co. This guy just wants to paint nice art, but his family is successful enough to hire a private military, how cool is that? He’s also pretty smart, given that he excels at Reason magic. There are quite a few problems that keep him from being higher up, though. Ignatz is full of guilt, full of art, and not much else. I’m not sure how well I could ever truly connect with him.

Alfonse (Heroes): POLITICALLY. VIABLE. More importantly, Alfonse is the nerd lord! He’s good at strategy, likes history and mythology and folklore, and strives to avoid collateral damage when he fights. He’s a rational sort of fellow, which seems to be a rarity among all the crazy people in Zenith. However: it would only work out if I am the Summoner, as opposed to it being some generic-Kiran, I’m not sure how much he would approve of the darker sides to my personality, and he’s kind of a stick-in-the-mud. And that’s saying something, because Laurent is up in S tier and Klein is in A.

Exception Tier:

Canas (Blazing Blade): Canas would be most likely placed in A. He’s a brilliant scholar, and a super cute, absent-minded dork. He’s someone who could challenge me with his intellect without me ever considering him a threat. However: he already has a wife, and is thus off-limits. There is only one possible scenario that could circumvent this barrier: me being the Summoner of Askr and picking him up and rescuing him right at the brink of his untimely death, to start a new life in Askr without affecting the Elibean historical record -- but even that has its own problems. Did his wife survive in the snowstorm longer than he did? Would he just go right back there and die if the contract were broken? How much does summoning affect the mind of the person summoned? So Canas simply gets an honorable mention.

#fire emblem #husbando #fire emblem robin #fire emblem laurent #hubert von vestra #linhardt von hevring #fire emblem klein #fire emblem ephraim #fire emblem henry #fire emblem leo #ignatz victor #fire emblem alfonse #fire emblem canas #if you don't have a last name you are just mr fire emblem sorry

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carasstarwarsmusings · 7 years ago

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Rules: It’s time to love yourselves! Choose your 5 favorite works you’ve created this past year (fics, art, edits, etc!) and link them below to reflect on the amazing things you’ve brought into the world in 2017. Tag as many writers/artists/etc as you want (fan or original!) so we can spread the love and link each other to awesome works.

I was tagged by the wonderful and talented @perrydowning

I only started writing fic in 2017, so at least I don’t have to sort through what’s eligible. Let’s see though...

Snare

My first AU and second fic, an AU where the Resistance was waiting in Tuanal to ambush the First Order with the intent of capturing Kylo Ren. He escapes, injured. While this is a fairly dark, pragmatic Kylo that shifts lighter through the story, this fic pushes most characters into a very morally grey zone. Expect the unexpected.

“Kriffing bitch,” he growled the words out, refusing to look to the corner where she sat.

“So nice to see you too, Ben,” her voice was cold. He didn’t need to see her to know the hard, steely glint that would be in her eyes. The way she always looked when she locked away her emotions and operated on sheer determination to do something, and damn the consequences to those around her.

It was the look she had when she sent him away, even as he pleaded with her not to make him go. He winced at the memory, now raw again after reliving it in the force vision. His chin tapped the metal band around his neck and he let out a growl, “You put a suppression collar on me.”

“We did,” she answered, “it’s a nicer option than the chemical suppressants.”

“You collared me like a kriffing dog.” He gritted his teeth, “Kriffing bitch. ”

He heard her stand and the rattling of the chair as she dragged it closer, so she was sitting in front of him. Still he refused to look at her, keeping his eyes trained onto the floor. “It’s unfortunate, but necessary.” She paused, he could see in his mind her pursing her lips as she waited to see if he’d say anything else, “This entire ordeal, I’m afraid, was unfortunate but necessary.”

Anger spiked in him again and he jerked hard on the chains before stilling, staring at the floor. “ Unfortunate . Yes, nearly killing me was unfortunate . Getting so many of your people killed was unfortunate . Niima being leveled to ruins was unfortunate . Tell me, did you do anything to help your allies down on Jakku? Or did you pull your people out without even an apology for leaving them with nothing but destruction?”

There was a long pause, the room silent except for the sound of his mother’s deep breaths. He had aggravated her with an accusation that was completely true and she loathed to even think about. But when she spoke again, her voice was calm and cold.

“You’ve seen the rest of the map to Luke,” she said, as he blew air angrily out of his nose. “And you’re going to give it to us so we can find him.”

Chained

My very first fic (well, at least since my teenage years). Canonverse post TFA. Kylo starts very dark, be warned on that. Kylo and Rey deal with the aftermath of Starkiller and the realization that their minds appear to be linked. A complex (but far less grumpy than the one we got in TLJ) Luke, fiesty Rey, dark and obsessed Kylo. I even brought Ezra Bridger and Sabine Wren into this story (but not in a way that requires you to have ever watched Rebels). It’s a fun, very plot driven ride. And I really like this Kylo---

“I don’t think they saw us,” she said, quietly, backing away from the door and ducking behind one of the consoles. Her nerves were on edge as the sound of footsteps stopped somewhere close to the room they were in. Leia nodded, her face pale, peering over the console.

It all fell quiet and for a moment she felt like she could breath again.

Then the door exploded inward.

A pair of troopers rushed, raising their blasters. She jumped to her feet, ready to ignite her staff, when the two went flying in opposite directions and smashed into the walls. Freezing in place, her head not quite wrapped around what just happened, she heard the sound of commotion and shouting and a few screams from the hall… and whistling. A pleasant, almost jaunty sort of tune. Someone was whistling? Dakriff?

A lightsaber crackled from the hallway as another trooper screamed in pain, and her breath caught in realization.

Ren appeared in the doorway, saber crackling in his right hand. Nonchalant, whistling, as if he was strolling through a park and not a battle. As if he likely hadn’t just cut his way through a unit of stormtroopers. His eyes met hers and grinned.

One of the stormtroopers who’d been flung into the wall shifted, trying to raise his blaster. Ren’s head turned and the arm lifting the blaster slammed into the ground. He spun his saber as he walked casually over to the trooper who strained against the force hold. Lifting the saber up mid twirl and catching the hilt in both hands, he plunged the blade straight down through the trooper’s chest. Withdrawing it he spun it again, glancing over at the remaining trooper, he appeared to deem him not a threat and disengaged his saber.

He still hadn't stopped whistling.

Apathetic Synergy

AU where Rey is captured on Starkiller and is taken prisoner by the FO. Slow burn forced cohabitation as Ren tries to gain her trust and loyalty. Very wild, feral Rey and an OCD Ren.

She stared up at him, trying to blink back tears that were leaking out of her eyes. “I want to go home…” she whispered. “Please, just let me go home.”

He closed his eyes, letting out a sigh as he shook his head, “No.”

“I need… I need to get back. You don’t understand I need to get back,” her voice broke. “I’ve been gone too long…” A dam broke as she started to sob below him.

The depth of her fear and sadness seemed to fill the room. Still holding her down, he leaned forward, pressing his forehead against hers as he shook his head, “There was never anything for you there beside false hope.” He pulled back as she shook her head hard letting go of her wrists and sitting up. She pulled her hands down and buried her face in them.

“Look at me, Rey,” he said, leaning over her slightly. She pulled her hand down and looked up at him, her hazel eyes wet. “They were never coming back,” he said, voice gentle.

Her eyes shut as she shook her head, another sob wracking her. He sighed, rolling himself off of her, looking down she curled herself up as she cried. After a minute or two he reached down, slipping his arms under her back and cradling her against him awkwardly. It had been a long time since he had tried to comfort anyone. Tucking her head under his chin, he let her sob into his chest.

“Whoever they were, they didn’t deserve you anyway,” he murmured. “They didn’t deserve you.”

Low Places

My sequel to Pro Forma, which you may want to read first for background, but I don’t think it’s necessary to understand the story. Given my tendency to write dark and angsty stuff, this fic is my relief of lighthearted banter and affection between these two idiots on opposite sides of the war who are totally infatuated with one another. Bonus, Phasma/Mitaka side ship, which I’ve been told does have the official ship label of “Lt. Chrome”. I wouldn’t call this fic angsty free, but it’s angsty light and with wonderfully cheesy flirtation mixed in.

“The blond--”

He let out a laugh, “Phasma?”

“You two seem friendly.” He seemed really amused by this-- was he laughing at her? It wasn’t until she noticed him looking at her mouth that she realized she was pouting, her lower lip sticking out as she glared at him. Gods, was she a five year old? Her face burned and she forced her lips straight.

Ren just shook his head, “We’re friends, kind of, in whatever way people like her and me can have friends.” He leaned towards her, “You were jealous.”

“I am… “ she sputtered a moment. That was ridiculous, “I am not jealous.”

“Is that so?” he gave her a patronizing smile.

“I ran into her in the ‘fresher,” she said, trying to reestablish her footing again as she glared accusingly, “I got the feeling she knew---”

“Oh…” he leaned back, looking slightly sheepish.

She put her face in her hands, shaking her head, “You told her?”

“So…” he leaned forward, “here’s the thing with me and Phasma. I provide the whiskey, we bitch about work-- mainly Hux, mostly we bitch about Hux, and she listens and absolves me of my sins.”

She shook her head at the absurdity of this, “I’m a sin then?”

His eyes scanned down from her face and back up again, “Best I ever committed.”

Something to Love

My take on a Reylo baby fic. At some point, post TFA, Rey and Ren ran off together, building a home and a family hidden in wildspace far from the war. But sadly, the war isn’t done with them, six years later they find themselves dragged back to the mess against their will.

I warn you in advance that I will make you hate characters you didn’t know you could hate in this fic. It’s very very angsty. If you don’t like angst, read chapter one and pretend that I don’t have any other chapters where I utterly destroy the domestic bliss I create in that first one.

She growled, it was a feral sound, “I want to talk to Organa.”

“Organa’s not the only one in charge now, Rey. But I’m sure she’ll want to talk to you too.”

Frowning, her eyes darted to the rank badge on his jacket before looking back at him, “I see you’ve moved up in the world. Is that your way of telling me you were behind this?”

“I’m one of them. Your seizure was my operation,” he studied her. “And it’s my way of warning you that Organa has no say in any of this. Conflict of interest.”

She blinked again, her eyes wet, willing herself not to cry, not now, “Why? We weren’t hurting anyone, why go through all this effort for us?”

There was a long pause before Poe sat up and leaned an elbow on the table. He opened his mouth, then shut it, seeming to reconsider what he was about to say before finally speaking, “We need your help, Rey.”

“My help?” She stared incredulously. “You attacked us, kidnapped us, kidnapped my children , and you think I’m going to help you?”

“The First Order, they’re building something. A weapon. But we’re not entirely sure what it is,” he seemed to be ignoring her outburst. “And give we’re currently pinned back, investigating is next to impossible. We want to attack some key First Order bases, see if we can’t get some breathing room, before going in and finding out what they’re doing before it’s too late. We could use a little Jedi help in all this.”

“I’m not a Jedi,” she snapped.

“Close enough.”

Okay, that’s my five, I tag @dvrksister, @reylojohnson, @nottheyounglings, @otterlyanonymous, and @lonelyspacebabies. Play if you like, ignore if you’d rather not ;)

#tumblr games #my writing #my fics #reylo #reylo fanfics

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icharchivist · 5 years ago

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Ok so I know there's theorys that Dice is from a rich family or maybe Otome's? son due to how fling posse is connected to the government; what if Dice is part of the family from the previous government? Now I know there has been little to no info on the previous gov but Stella, especially with the stuff on Dice being a king from a fallen kingdom, has been giving me ideas haha. Also fling posse might hate the gov? Like Ramuda wants to kill Otome and Gentaro seems to not like it with the whole1/2

2/2twin theory thing. But anyways those are just some of my ramblings that I thought of while listening to Stella (again) haha. Sorry if this made no sensr

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Oh no no don’t apologize it’s neat i’m glad you came and told me about it!!! Hi!! welcome here overthinking about our boys!! (and wow overthinking listening to Stella is such a mood nonny ily)

But by all account i think this theory could stand just as much as him being Otome’s son, especially if we take Stella to the word yeah!

Like yeah, the Posse seems to be really against the government in some way or another, Ramuda had expressed wanting to tear it all down (and all of humanity with it which implies already some very dark history and resentment for the government for him to be this extreme about it)(and the fact he has little to no past outside the government, that his name means “Random Number” and that apparently in the TDD Drama Tracks (only something i’ve been told by a friend so sorry if it’s not entierely accurate) he becomes extremely evasive when they discover a plot of children trafficking to someone involved in the government- yeah there might be a lot of shady things there) and Gentaro at least has the government keeping a close eye on him for a reason or another, which seems at least to be that Gentaro has some knowledge over shady elements of the government whenever he experienced them or has reasons to at least be on a watchlist. (the twin theory ofc but twin or not it’s something that Gentaro knows about the child trafficking going on that we know happened as described by the TDD drama track-)

But then we have Dice and, pardon the pun, but he seems to be Ramuda’s trumpcard by all account, his joker dare i say. I have no doubt Ramuda picked them all for a reason and so he did for Dice, and obviously him being Otome’s son would be a sort of, like, keeping Otome at bay, like waving her son in front of her to somewhat have a control over her - if it’s not that, then Dice must be still a sight that must have that strong of a message against the government.

Dice in particular has expressed absolutly no opinion over the government, so honesty god knows what he himself might be thinking about all of this. Stella is the only dive we have on that but since it was written by Gentaro and perhaps with forshadowing of the writters we don’t know how much is something Dice “I live 100% in the present” would think, how much of his own experience actually leaked into his verse.

NOW HOWEVER just like you said, if we take Stella for its word, Dice is presented as a Fugitive, a King that had fallen, with a throne far out of reach and even if i remember well, a mention of a closed door that was the result of all the war and desolation, and the system in power, which pretty much looks a lot like what we know of Chuukiuko and what Otome’s government has instored (the motif of door/gates is still used a lot to reference this specifically government controlled section of the country after all).

So while ofc it still gives some elements for the Otome’s son theory, there are perfect arguments to be made as of him being son of the previous’s minister for exemple. It would give complete different reasons for Dice to run away, one being really of a fugitive running for his safety and would give all sort of reasons on how he would burry this specific part of his life away and even more so his whole search on “why he was kept alive” (as by stella) and “him wanting to feel alive” (as for his motto)

Imo i think Dice is definitly associated with one of the Major Power In Place in the Government, either before or after Otome’s rise to power, and that’s exactly why Ramuda had reached out for him: Dice’s presence in his team possibly passing a message that Dice isn’t even aware he’s sending.

Him being the son of the previous government would make more grim how he accepts what befall his way in a way, as in a way, he would already have lost everything and would have been in danger if he hadn’t given up everything - which, again as you point out, fits a LOT his verse in Stella.

The Otome’s theory is still very compeeling to me though bc i do end up caring more giving a face to his potential parent ahah, and there would be implications of Dice distancing himself from his mother on his own terms, and there could still be still a conflict in Dice as well, his family is responsible for what happened now with the government. However it does make that you have to reach in his verse in Stella than the alternative that can work quite litteraly if he was the son of the opposition.

All we really have about the opposition tbh is the brutal execution Otome did on live TV by killing the previous prime minister in the TDD’s manga, which again can feed this theory especially in regard to Stella (”the throne is behind a monochrome window” that Dice says, everytime i hear “monochrome” i think of a picture, or an image, a TV perhaps - quite litterally that could refer to this Coup d’Etat, but again there’s room for it to be about both Otome or the Opposition - it is just FAR grimmer if it is the Opposition bc it would imply seeing his parent being killed on live TV and oof. That said that would raise a whole tone of concerning questions as of how Dice was willing to bet his life for a hypmic if his father indeed died because of it and oof. So much angst fuels for headcanons there.)

The other thing that Stella could hint at as of Dice being son of the opposition would be the fact he was “driven away” rather than leaving on his own volion - so it depends again on how litteral we should take Stella on that regard, but there is definitly a subtext there. Ofc like i said we can reach for the other theory in say, “was driven away because his morals didn’t allign anymore with his family” which is also something echoed in Stella “ Is the ideal belief the poison that leads to death?” but there’s also nothing that contradicts him being the son of the Opposition with that either. (it depends if you think it’s “he always had those beliefs via his family and it became a danger when Otome got into power” or “he couldn’t even face his own mother anymore”. Honestly any takes bring to angst and i’m IN for it).

In the end what it changes is whenever Ramuda is using him as a reminder to Otome than she didn’t destroy the full previous government, or almost a threat/hostage by keeping her son (after all she doesn’t need to know the details of his alliance with Ramuda and Ramuda could use it all that much- and since he’s in friendly terms with Dice it’s not like Otome could do anything for/against Dice without Dice to be suspicious). Either way i do feel like Dice would much more likely be a Taunt against the Government, as far as Ramuda’s goal is concerned.

I still feel strongly for him being Otome’s son bc the Drama™ but you’re entierely right that the subtext about him being perhaps the son of the opposition is there in Stella and can be supported by pieces of canon. The thing is that most of the elements we have mostly hint at “Dice is linked to a Powerful part of the Government” so every clues can be used as a double edged sword, but still there. And all of those clues still hints at a LOT of Drama.

And I love Drama.

So yeah I really like both theories and tbh I didn’t even think much about the possibility of him being the opposition’s son before that so that was a cool exercice to try to think about it, and it does bring a very cool alternative storyline. I think i’d be content with both personally but i really dig them both.

So thank you so much for sharing :3c i truly appreciate and that’s a tons of fun!

Thanks for the message ;O

#man i feel so strongly about the possible hiden past of Dice ahhhhhh #so much possibility for drama...#ichafantalks hpm #ichameta hpm #ish???#anyway thanks again nonny!! :3 #stella #ichatalks about stella #eheh #Anonymous #ichareply

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smkkbert · 8 years ago

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Olicity Fanfic Recommendation

Hi, guys! I know it’s been awhile since I have been posting a recommendation/review/meta the last time, but I had a lot of trouble with exams and preparations for my master’s thesis and so on. Anyway, there was little to no time for reading, so it took me like forever to read this fic to the end and have time to sit down and write a little bit about it. Now here we are again and in case you need something knew to read and have been through with everything on my recommendation list, here you got something new

Today’s post addresses The Crow by @poisonangelmuse and @thealternativesource. I was actually recommended to read it, too, by my beta and friend @pr0fessi0nal-fangurl. I took her advice and read the story, especially since the tags promised me #BratvaOliver #Olicity #Smut #Violence #PossessiveOliver #RussianMob #AU #HEA, hence all good things. And guess what, I didn’t regret it. Now let’s take a closer look at what I’ve been reading.

OVERALL PLOT

With more than 200,000 words the story offers a lot of time to address different themes and that is exactly what the story does; it explores a lot of different themes, some more and some less. For me the three most important I’d like to take a closer look at right now are family, revenge and identity.

-Family-

There are a lot of different families in the world.

There are the families we are born into.

There are the families we are trusted to when we don’t have anyone else.

There are the families that are made of friends.

There are the families we choose.

And finally there are the families we never knew we wanted until the right person comes along.

The story of The Crow offers a take on all of them in different ways and different extents, but there are all there and they all play a significant role in the development of the main characters.

Oliver lost his family when he was young, so he grew up with the Bratva and of course growing up in a criminal organization as the heir of the leader leaves its marks. There is a difference in what family you grow up in and that is something Oliver becomes painfully aware of. As he grows into the family business, he makes friends inside who actually become more like family then friends. They are a team within a team, a family within what Oliver considers a family. That is the life and the family Oliver knows.

Felicity’s life has been rather different. Growing up with a mother, who is supposed to be her family but who feels so strange and so unappreciative of her daughter that Donna just doesn’t feel like family to her. Felicity spends a lot of time with her neighbors, great people really, who seem to understand Felicity a lot more than Donna does. They help shape Felicity into the person she wants to be, but once Felicity loses that family, she gotta find a new one and that she does. She finds friends who become her family.

It’s when Felicity’s newly chosen family is taken from her that she finds herself all alone and that is what brings her to Oliver. While they start as complete strangers, we do see them become family to each other and they are the last category of family. They grow into the families they never knew they wanted until the right person comes along. It’s a long path towards that and an even longer to admitting that they have grown into this kind of family, the most important one probably, but once they do, there is no denying that they need to make this family work.

Of course family never works without conflicts. Oliver’s realization that Felicity is family to him also makes him realize that there is another family he has to break with. It also strengthens some other part of his family, though. There might also be parts of Felicity’s family that get new chances or squanders their lasts. It’s an exciting theme to address that really made me realize how many different versions of families there really are and how messed up it can be when they work against each other.

-Revenge-

The thing with family is that you can lose it or even worse, it can be taken from you. When that happens, you find yourself blind for everything but your hate and your need for revenge. That is how Oliver and Felicity, two people who seem to have little understanding and little affection for each other at the start, find themselves relying on each other. They want revenge on the people who took their families away.

Revenge makes us do terrible things. Revenge makes us do things we haven’t completely thought through and they force us to make relationships we don’t want to make and sometimes that is exactly what we need.

Revenge really is the driving motive for a lot of Oliver’s and Felicity’s actions throughout the story and most importantly it’s the one thing they can connect over instantly. It’s the one feeling they can share and it’s an exciting starting point for a journey filled with action and emotion.

-Identity-

Well, family and revenge as well as everything happening around really all leads up to the one overarching theme. Identity. There is just no way to explore the loss and gain of family as well as the dark places revenge can take people without exploring identity.

Actually, even the title of the fic refers to the theme. The Crow is Oliver’s identity. It’s his title in the Bratva, the person he is supposed to be. The Crow is merciless. He punishes and he kills, but he does everything in the name of the Bratva. That is who Oliver was raised to be. That is who Anatoly is trying to force him to be. That is, who at the end of the day, is standing in Oliver’s way of being happy.

Then there’s Felicity, who has to turn her whole life upside down and become a completely new person – new home, new clothes, new hair color. Everything has to be different, exactly like her mother wanted her to be actually and how she never wanted to be. But it’s when Felicity feels like she is losing herself that she is finding out who she really is.

At the end of the day it takes a person worth questioning who life made you to figure out who you want to be and how to become that person.

TONE OR RATHER TONES OF THE STORY

There are a lot of different parts to the story and hence a lot of different tones. The overall story of two people who seek revenge is a rather action-filled and tension-driven story. It kept me on the edge of my seat for most of the time.

Then there is the story of two people who are both put through terrible things in their lives. They seem to have little control and are pushed around by the people around them until finally they take control. It’s filled with moments of angst and sadness and sorrow.

Then of course it is about two people finding each other. It creates lovely moments of fun, emotional moments that first break and then warm your heart and of course it offers some great smut.

The story lets you live through a rollercoaster of emotions. Between heart-wrenching pain and wild joy you will be put through every emotion in between in the most wonderful way.

WRITING STYLE

As you might have taken from all my enthusiastic writing, I love the story and I never love a story more as when the writing is this good. A story can be perfect, but when the writing isn’t good, I have trouble reading a fic. This fic has two wonderful writers who know exactly how to pull the audience in.

One of the things I like the most is how well-developed the characters are. Even minor characters who aren’t even a real part of the present-time story are so fleshed out that I felt like I could just see them and recognize them. There are so many details in the writing overall that I really loved.

Maybe the writing style has this one little… thing that’s not really my taste. Sometimes I feel like the point of view switches within a scene. It’s not like it’s not clear whose point of view we are exploring at any time, but sometimes I feel it switches within a paragraph.

Like I said it’s really more a thing of personal taste than anything else and as you may see, it didn’t bother me enough to stop reading or influence how much I love the story, so…

FELICITY

Felicity’s story begins with a terrible loss and the consequences it has on her life. Felicity needs to run and turn her life upside down to survive. Being the great hacker that she is, she soon finds someone who she hopes can protect her and who she hopes to find an ally in.

Unfortunately, Felicity’s ally is not how she hoped he would be. The things he demands from her are turning her life upside down and force her to be someone who she isn’t and who she never wanted to be.

It’s when the lines start to blur and Felicity realizes that maybe it’s not only what she is forced to do, but something she enjoys to do, something she recognizes herself in that Felicity starts reconsidering who she really is and opens herself.

It’s not easy for her. Felicity has been through a lot and she is in the middle of one of the worst moments of her life. She is scared and angry and confused by what has happened to her. With the new friends she makes and the man who understands her and opens up her heart, she finds herself on a journey of letting go of what has been and exploring a new future.

OLIVER

Oliver was young when he lost his family. The take this story offers on his past and how he became The Crow is one of the parts I enjoyed most about the story. It’s really dark and shapes Oliver’s path into the story we see in the fic really.

When we meet Oliver, he is The Crow, the man who was raised to lead the Bratva one day. As focused as he might seem on that, we see the little breaks of this person he is supposed to be, whenever his family is addressed. Oliver is already on his path of revenge, but he has little to no backup to help him go through with it. He needs someone to help him.

Of course The Crow doesn’t want to take any help, especially not of someone who breaks into his home and seems a) like a threat and b) humanized chaos. At the end his need for revenge wins over his doubt. He doesn’t want to open up to her. He doesn’t want to rely on her, but he has been waiting for revenge too long to turn down the chance when he sees it.

Just like for Felicity, this isn’t easy for Oliver, either. He doesn’t trust people and to rely on a stranger to get what he needs is not easy for him. On his way to his revenge he finds himself falling in love and questioning his life and he actually finds out that maybe there is a lot more about his past that he didn’t know about.

OLICITY

As you can see, Oliver and Felicity don’t have the best starting point for their connection. They rely on each other, but they don’t trust each other and they don’t really like each other. It’s really not the best start into getting to know someone, especially when you have to fake a relationship.

It doesn’t take long until the lines between fake and not-so-fake blur. The truth is that as much as Oliver and Felicity like to pretend that they don’t like each other, they have been through very similar things in their life and they have very similar goals that force them to work together. That becomes their real starting point then.

We really find Olicity on very similar paths here. They need to cut some threads to their past to find out who they want to be in the future. They question their identities and by falling in love and supporting each other, they eventually find a way. Together.

There is just no universe that these two wouldn’t find each other, support each other and help each other to become the best versions of themselves. This universe is no exceptions. Instead it’s really an example of how two broken people can heal each other when just the broken pieces of each other fit together.

EXTRACT

Felicity tied off the brown bathrobe that the mysterious blonde had thrown at her earlier. Her clothes were ruined, pooled down on the bathroom floor. She frowned as she wondered if there was any way to savage her favorite leather jacket and combat boots. Probably not.

As she looked over her reflection in the mirror she could barely recognize herself. Her dark hair was matted to her head, her makeup long gone, and her eyes red. She was paler and dark circles were forming under her eyes. She looked empty, a ghost of herself even though she felt better than she had in hours.

She couldn’t stand looking at herself.

Taking a deep and somewhat relaxing breath, she tucked her hair behind her ears before opening the bathroom door. Her eyes zeroed in on the intruder sitting on the bed, Oliver Queen.

He was casually sitting down on the large bed, his suit jacket and tie long gone with his dress shirtsleeves rolled up. For the first time Felicity actually took a look at Oliver Queen. He was a severely handsome man that combined with his devil-may-care attitude and broken nature could bring all the girls and boys to the yard. And no matter how angry and intense he seemed he was a mystery. Felicity hated mysteries.

He must have heard her because he turned his body to her, his eyes boring into hers as if trying to figure her out while keeping his guard up. In many ways he was just like her. Her thoughts screeched to a halt when she realized what he had in his hands.

She lost it.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she shouted, rushing towards the bed and packing her things back into her bag. Her entire life was on display for him on that bed and she had no idea how long he had been there, how much he had seen.

“Trying to figure out the mystery of Felicity Meghan Smoak,” he shot back in a husky voice; holding up her ID.

“You had no right to go through my stuff!” she roared, not caring that she was in his home as his guest/intruder and that he knew her full name. He’d probably sent out his lousy security system to look her up.

“Just like you didn’t have a right to invade my home. Yet, here you are,” he said coldly, throwing her ID onto the bed. Felicity snatched it up and put it inside her bag. “Now, how did you get inside the mansion?” he asked her, wondering who was to blame. The Queen Mansion was supposed to be the safest place in Starling City, and yet a woman had slipped through.

“I…I hacked into the power grid,” she answered as she checked her antique radio and faded copy of The Hobbit for damage. She packed them away when she knew they were ok.

“The power grid? The cities power grid?” he asked, trying to hide his surprise. “Yes. I shut down this section for a few minutes by overloading the system with the press of a button. I cut off the power, your sensors and alarms, and had access to your guard locations. No offense, but your security system sucks. Any half decent hacker could get in,” she rambled on as Oliver continued to watch her. There was curiosity in those hard eyes. She pressed her lips together to stop her rambling, “Anyway, I used a storm drain to get to the mansion. You’ve got a manhole in the old garden house on the other side of the property. You need to A) close off that entrance and B) not have a big blank space on the blueprints you submit to city hall. Doesn’t take a genius to figure out that your safe room is there. Knew you were coming there so I waited near by for you to find me.”

She bit her lip to contain her rambling. She was seeking the Bratva Captain’s help and here she was insulting him.

Oliver gave a hum, calculating eyes processing her words. He would have to tell John to check everything she was admitting to him, “Now that seems like a lot of work.”

Placing her freshly packed bag back on the bed she chose her words carefully. This was where he was gauging if he’d help her, “It was worth it. I needed to get your attention and somehow I knew I wouldn’t get your attention by coming to the front gate.”

“So, what did the single daughter of a cocktail waitress from Las Vegas and a graduate in Computer Sciences from M.I.T, do to piss off China White? What could a girl like you do to get on what I assume is the Triad black list?” Oliver asked her, confirming her suspicions that he’d looked her up. He probably knew her security number by now.

“It’s a long story,” she said angrily as she grabbed her bag and moved to sit down in an armchair across the room.

“Please, Ms. Smoak. I have time,” Oliver replied sarcastically as he leaned forward on his forearms. He was getting all the information that he needed to make his decision.

Shifting uncomfortably in the armchair she looked away from his ever present and quite frankly, infuriating stare of The Crow, “I…we…me and my friends, we’re hackers. Or at least, we used to be. We were hacktivists.”

He raised a brow, “Hacktivists?”

“We used to hack into the accounts and systems that belonged to the corrupt and take from them what they took from innocent people. We used to think we were helping people out. Helping make the world a better place. We only took from those that deserved it, giving it back to the poor and oppressed. With a couple key strokes we could serve out justice,” she said, her words sounding recited and empty.

“How very Robin Hood of you,” Oliver said coldly, clearly not impressed by her story. “So you decided to steal from the mob? From the Chinese mob? How stupid could you be?” Oliver snorted.

“Like the mob was innocent? The Triad is the pure definition of evil! They ruin people’s lives! They murder, steal, and corrupt everything they touch! They got what they deserved,” Felicity fumed, as Oliver stared at her with disdain.

“You have a very innocent definition of the world then Ms. Smoak. The world is not filled only with bad and good people. It’s not black and white. There are endless shades of grey in between,” Oliver told her, scratching his stubble as he watched Felicity.

“And who’s saying that exactly? Oliver Queen - CEO or The Crow – Bratva Captain?” she challenged him, and Oliver didn’t know if he wanted to smile or to show the dark haired woman how the world actually worked. She seemed to be in need of it.

“The world is a dark place Ms. Smoak. Filled with darkness and terror. The Triad is a part of it. Just like the Bratva is. And you and your friends got in the middle of very dangerous business. No one steals from us and walks away alive. You all should have known better. And now you’ve paid the price,” Oliver said with such finality that she wanted to stalk across the room and punch him in the face. The fact that he still had his gun on him stopped her.

“They didn’t deserve to die. Not like that. Not for stealing money from a monstrous criminal organization to give to people that they’ve hurt and that needed it more than they did!” Felicity shouted angrily. She took a deep breath before continuing, “They…they took their bodies. There will be no caskets, no funerals, and no final goodbyes. Their families will never know what happened to them. My friends deserved better than this!” For the first time since she left her hotel she felt the sting of hot tears behind her eyes. Yet, she didn’t let then fall. She wouldn’t cry in front of this man.

“And what exactly do you want me to say Ms. Smoak? That I’m sorry? The death of your friends means nothing to me. This is not Bratva business and it’s not my business. You got yourself into this mess and Triad doesn’t forgive.”

“So this is it? This is all The Crow has to say?” Felicity shouted, throwing her hands up in exasperation.

“You should be grateful that I listened to you at all,” Oliver said, getting up from the bed, “And keeping you alive so long. Not many people can say they’ve had this privilege.”

Felicity stood from the armchair. This was going badly, “If you don’t help me I’m as good as dead. You know this.”

“Again, Ms. Smoak, not my problem.”

Leaving her bad there she approached him. “How can you even say that? After what that woman did to you!” she said before stopping right out of his reach, “To your family.”

Oliver tensed where he stood. She was skirting around something she shouldn’t and he was almost at his wits end. “Don’t think you know shit about me just because you read it on a computer screen,” Oliver said his posture and voice steady but threatening.

“I know enough about you. I know that you have been waiting for this chance. I know that you will spend the rest of your life waiting for it unless you have someone like me on your side. Let me help you!”

“Help me?” he said, a fake laugh escaping his lips, “How could you possibly help me? You already told me how you got in. That problem is solved. You have no idea what you’re getting yourself into it. This is a very dangerous game you are playing here.”

“I happen to be very good at this game, Mr. Queen. I’m very good at finding out people’s secrets, things that they wouldn’t want other people to know about and the places they hide them in. I won’t stop till that woman is behind bars!” she shouted, not realizing how close she’d gotten to Oliver.

“You’re delusional,” he growled out, looking down at her.

“I find your lack of faith disturbing, Mr. Queen. No one is untouchable. I will find a way to bring her down. To bring the entire Triad down. I’m giving you a choice to help me and in turn get what you’ve always wanted!”

He grabbed her shoulders and gave a shake, “You have a lot of guts saying something like that. What makes you think that I won’t just give you up to China White?”

“Because if there’s someone that hates her as much as me, it’s you!” she shouted as she pushed him away. They stared at each other, both livid and wondering how they could even work together.

Deep inside Oliver knew that he shouldn’t even be listening to this woman. She was an uncontrollable variable and someone that might end up ruining all his plans. But he couldn’t help the nagging feeling that somehow she was right. He had been trying to find a way to end China White, her father and The Triad for the past twenty years. And yet, nothing seemed to work. They were untouchable. And not only that, Anatoly had forbidden him from ever taking action against them. Their leader in Russia loved to remind him that his revenge was selfish, that a very delicate balance kept the civility between the Bratva, Triad and the Italians and that a war between the criminal organizations would lead to a blood bath. Maybe even the annihilation of all of them.

And here an opportunity stood. A woman who had lost her family and had turned to the enemy of her enemy for help.

Felicity pulled him from his thoughts as she began to pace lightly, “And let’s be honest. The way that I got into your system. Easiest thing I’ve done in ages. Besides helping you with China White I can help you fix the holes in your security so ‘little girls’ like me don’t hack in and take control like I did. This is worthwhile. This is worth a yes! This is worth trying to find a way to help each other.”

“I don’t know if I should think that you’re bright or terribly stupid,” Oliver smirked, watching as she stopped to throw him a glare. She had guts talking to him like this. It was proof that she was a wild card but maybe a useful one.

“So, what do you say? Do we work together to help destroy the people that have taken our families away or do we go our separate ways and keep on trying in vain? I have the hacking skills and you have the cash and a set of skills your own that can help us take them on. This can work,” she rambled, ignoring his previous comment, “Do we have a deal, Captain?”

“If we do this, we’re going to do it my own way,” Oliver barked with authority. If he was going to take this risk he was going to make sure she knew who was in charge. By the nod she gave him, she understood.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Felicity agreed before offering her hand, nervous and excited inside. She was one step closer, “So, partners?”

Oliver stared at her hand for a few seconds. In another life handshakes meant trust and an understanding that both parties agreed. In Bratva such a handshake meant nothing as each turn was met with betrayal and doubt. This felt different.

This slip of a woman was offering to help him with something dear to him for no other reason that she wanted justice for what happened to her family…just like he wanted for his. And for some inexplicable reason, he felt that maybe he could take the leap of faith that she was offering. Sure he still had control but maybe this partnership with Felicity Smoak could change everything. Maybe she would be the one to help him. Maybe he would find some justice and peace for him and his family. Just maybe.

Oliver took her hand, “Partners.”

CONCLUSION

I love this fic! It really is a wonderful story, multi-dimensional with a great take on the characters. It is really angsty at times, but also very lovely at others. All characters are well-developed with a lot of details to their story which made me care for all of them so deeply. We see a lot of different stories that form this wonderful fic. It’s just really, really wonderful. If you are in for a little pain, a little smut and a lot of action and fun, read it!

By the way, there is also a playlist available to go with the fic. ;)

#arrow #olicity #olicity fic #olicity fic rec

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newyorkbaby · 8 years ago

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top 10 favorite fics?

This has been sitting in my inbox for a hot minute, honestly, because this is a super difficult question. I’m sorry it’s taken so long to answer! I want to preface by saying that I’ve read a ridiculous amount of fic in this fandom, and I’ve loved so much of it, and there are plenty of fics that I would die for that aren’t on this list. also i’m constantly reading and finding new universes to love, so this list could change any day? but here goes, my top 10 favorite (at this very moment in time) hl fics:

10. Relief Next To Me by dolce_piccante (334k)

What can I say? Is this fic overhyped? Maybe. Is it ridiculously long? Sure. Is it nothing but pure fluff? Yeah, you’re right. Would I die for it? Absolutely. I find myself revisiting this universe over and over again, and that’s saying something for a fic this massive. I just love how fun the relationship is, so whenever I’m feeling blue and need to get away from anything angst, this is one of my go-to’s.

9. let it shine under the morning star, orphaned (22k)

This is one of the first fics I ever read twice (I’m not normally a fan of re-reading fics) and I still go back to it from time to time just to experience the amazing aesthetic this fic has. It’s set during the Belle Époque, one of my favorite historical eras in terms of the arts, and the imagery is just beautiful. Read this while listening to some Chopin or John Field; it’s totally lovely.

8. the impossible now by stylinsoncity (54k)

Oh, god. This fic is incredible. There are a lot of really great original plots out there, and there are a lot of good time-travel/universe swapping fics, but this one takes the cake. The angst and the conflict resolve are super well done, and this is one of those fics you just can’t stop reading even for a second. I remember staying up one night reading it all in one go, yelling at Kelli the entire time. I think I��m due to revisit this one myself!

7. You Come Beating Like Moth’s Wings by supernope (81k)

The Barcelona Fic™!!!! I read this pretty early on when I became a 1d fan and it’s stuck with me as one of the most fun and adventurous fics I’ve ever read. The entire idea of a whirlwind romance while traveling abroad is an automatic set-up for fun times (as well as a little angst) but the best part of this fic is the slow burn. If you haven’t read this one, you absolutely must.

6. Black with Autumn Rain by whimsicule (93k)

If you’re looking for originality, look no further tbh. Listen, I’m a huge horror/sci-fi/fantasy fanatic, and I’m obsessed with anything different, so obviously there’s some bias going on here, and I recognize that this fic may not be for everyone. However, it feels like this fic was written for me. This is one of those fics where the romance takes a bit of a back seat to the actual story, which is something I love, and the actual story is what keeps you hooked. On top of that, fucking phenomenal writing. Read this one when it’s raining, preferably with the lights off.

5. 210 Days by cherrystreet (16k)

Listen. Are you listening? Okay, good. This fic changed me. This was the first of Shelly’s fics that I ever read, and I couldn’t stop screaming about it for weeks. Shelly is, quite honestly, the queen of hurt and comfort. Did I cry while reading this? Of course. But I finished this fic feeling so content, hopeful even, for Harry and Louis, and for how strong their love is in this universe. I got hooked on the writing right away, but even more than that, I got introduced to Shelly’s incredible ability to write about the pain of the real world while highlighting all of the good things that happen as well. This fic is a huge gift; it brought me comfort during a really shitty time in my life, it made some of my friendships stronger, and it introduced me to one of my favorite people in this fandom. Anyway, the writing in this is totally poetic, so if you want to know what it feels like to be adored, read Harry’s letters to Louis in this fic and get back to me.

4. Have You Coming Back Again by whoknows (31k)

It’s crazy to me that this fic is number 4 on this list instead of number 1, because the first time I read this fic I ranted and raved about it for a ridiculously long time. The first time I tried to read this, I couldn’t get into it. Fortunately, I tried again after a few weeks and when I did get into it, I got into it. I adore the characterization in this fic. The writing is, of course, totally on point. “You’re just obsessed with fluff,” you might say. Well you’d be right, but that doesn’t change the fact that whoknows has a gift for writing a fun, playful romance.

3. Here in the Afterglow by fondleeds (89k)

Ah, here’s where I really get emotional. When lysha posted this, I had already read her first work, which I adored, so I was really excited for a well-done historical au (I’m a hoe for historical au if that isn’t obvious, btw). But nothing could have prepared me for this fic. Not only are all of the historical details totally spot on (the MUSIC IN THIS IS.. INCREDIBLE!!!), but the story itself handles the coming out “trope” with such incredible finesse and care, it’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen. There is so much LGBT+ history in this fic, and it’s treated with the respect it deserves, which is something I really haven’t ever seen in any other fic before. When I finished it, I just had this immense feeling of thankfulness for the pioneers of LGBT+ rights, which is not something you’d necessarily expect to get from a fic?? Anyways I’m rambling but I really can’t emphasize enough how wonderful and important to me this fic is. You absolutely must listen to 70′s rock while reading this, btw.

2. It Comes and Goes in Waves/It Always Does by roaroftheninth (51k)

Am I a fake for making this my #2 even though I only first read it a few days ago? Maybe. This fic, just recently completed, is another absolutely original fic that stands out from anything I’ve ever read. The thing about this fic is, the romance (like BWAR) is secondary. This is more a story about a soldier, who has to deal with the loss and pain he was left with after WWII, and his struggle to accept his own self-worth and happiness. Everything about the story itself is just flawless: the writing, the characterization, the plot, the imagery, the dialogue, the vocabulary itself - all of it is fantastic. I know the MCD tag scares people (it definitely scares me too!) but I promise it’s survivable, and the ending is happy! Given, if you like cookie-cutter fic with a predictable plot with all smiles and no tears, this fic isn’t for you. Then again, real life probably isn’t for you. If you want to read something real, something powerful and thought-provoking, read this. (Also, bonus points to this fic for SLOWWWW burn, an amazing tension-release, and a beautiful ending).

1. Tug-of-War by cherrystreet (63k)

You knew I couldn’t make a fic rec without having cherrystreet on here twice, right? The reality is, all of Shelly’s fics should be in my top 10, because I love them all, but there is no universe that compares to TOW. As always, her writing and characterization are on point. It’s obvious how much Shelly cares for this universe in the details of this fic, and it’s obvious how much she loves Louis and Harry in the way she carefully handles their fragile hearts in this particularly angst-driven story. Like the previous recommendation, this fic perfectly captures the pain of the real world, while still emphasizing that things can get better, that if you don’t give up, or even if you have already given up, you can change things for yourself just by believing that you deserve it. This fic is, naturally, littered with hardships and addresses real human sorrow, but it’s also full of love and hope, and lots of laughter. I’ve read it multiple times, and every time I’m left smiling and a little more in love with hl than I was before, so if you’re waiting to read this one or you haven’t done it yet because you’re afraid of the angst, I promise it won’t hurt you.

Sorry this was so long and so extra, but Top 10 is truly an outrageously difficult question! And like… it could change by tomorrow, for all I know! Anyways I hope you enjoy these if you haven’t read them yet, and even if you have read them maybe try giving some of them another go! All of these universes are too wonderful not to enjoy multiple times.

#anon #fic rec #uhhhh there are so many more i wanted to add to this?????#speaking of marvels??? landslide??? wau??? bg????#coup de foudre??? red-dusted planet???? every single cherrystreet fic????

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dreamled-archive · 8 years ago

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i wonder if i’ll ever get to write cool and serious stuff on this blog! i know it seems like it goes against mio as a character but i really don’t think a character’s personality should act as a limiting factor in regards to what sort of plots a writer can take on. conflict breeds strong development, right? cue long and rambling train of thought.

the thing is that, as much as i have no trouble writing a character like mio, i’m not the best at writing plain, old casual stuff or even fluffy stuff (i really have to be very invested in the characters’ bond or relationship for that and, as it stands, mio has very few properly established bonds)! there’s a reason my other muses are a former soldier and a spy! and there’s a reason they’re both science fantasy muses! writing slice of life stuff is fun too but i like big plotlines and adventures and characters being thrown out of their comfort zones! i’ve written a lot of typical ‘hi! i’m mio! nice to meet you! :D’ threads and i kinda just wanna go...deeper than that?? mio is a serious and complex character, i can assure you, but i’ve never had any threads that have presented me with any reason or opportunity to prove that! i don’t know if it’s because people don’t take mio (and most female muses, especially the cheery, happy-go-lucky type) seriously or if it’s just a bad coincidence.

i wanna be really clear that neither mio’s personality nor the bright, colourful aesthetic i’ve chosen for this blog are direct reflections on what i want to write or things that should restrict me as a writer!! i’ve noticed that, along with the rpc becoming increasingly fixated on narrower and narrower aesthetic trends (to the point that most popular blogs look near enough identical and everyone else tries to emulate that) and, honestly, that’s fine. it’s not harming anyone (setting aside how inaccessible a lot of these themes are). however, people have gotten to a point where they base their whole understanding of a character on it. you’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover, right? isn’t this the same deal?

granted, i am aware that people with ‘darker’ aesthetics will still end up with a lot of casual threads and that’s based on my own experience with kael’s blog. that might be a case of ‘you’re an oc and i don’t know what to do with you’, i’m not sure. i won’t fault people for that, however, nor am i going to act as though i’m any good at starters. still, the fact remains that i’ve never really gotten the sense people have wanted to write anything serious or plot-driven with me on this blog, in contrast to kael where i do have a lot of casual threads and often more at once that i can handle but i still have plotlines and people who have expressed interest in writing them. the best i’ve got in terms of serious plotlines is somebody wanted to write some bullshitty corruption ship with me and i promptly ended that discussion out of discomfort.

(hey, serious =/= dark or edgy. every time i’ve said ‘hey, i want to write a serious plot’, people show up wanting ‘dark’ stuff and, honestly, i don’t mind darker elements in the least but i have no interest at all in people wanting to ‘soil’ or ‘taint’ mio. never mind that she isn’t supposed to be super innocent?? i’ve never said that. please take your ‘sweet and innocent, untainted virgin who needs to be ruined by an angry man uwu’ trope and get out of my site asap? i do not want to write any unhealthy or toxic ships on this blog nor do i want to pair mio off with your edgy boy. man, she’s like....bi...with a pretty strong femme preference....i want cute gfs get away from me)

anyway, returning to my main point, it troubles me that people refuse to take mio --- and characters like mio --- seriously because they’re a certain kind of character or they don’t slot into the tropes tumblr has decided is okay for original characters (these being overwhelmingly straight, white tropes based around the kind of angst that often sensationalises, fetishises and appropriates mental illness and with the tropes being even narrower for female characters). i just find it baffling that i can see the same tropes and archetypes being run into the ground for characters who are visually and aesthetically very similar while most original characters who exist outside of that are looked over, ignored or underestimated/undervalued, all the while people continue to say that they’re picky about original characters on the grounds that most of them are too boring or generic.

now, i’m not bashing any writers here. i’m simply criticising the attitudes of tumblr as a whole. the roleplay community is very narrow-minded, in my opinion, and this isn’t a new problem. it’s simply a problem that has gained more visibility. you only have to see which muses gain traction to see what people are getting at. lgbt muses rarely get much attention unless they’re men and, even then, they’re often written by straight women who fetishise homosexual relationships. muses of colours are frequently ignored too. i won’t go into much detail here as i’m white and i don’t feel it’s my place to do so but the fact that muses of colours, especially woc, are constantly undermined is impossible to ignore. and, to build on my point about the appropriation of mental illness for angst purposes --- what’s with people doing that and then getting pissy as soon as characters act mentally ill or otherwise neurodivergent outside of angst? i can’t tell you how many times i’ve seen people use ptsd as angst fodder, only to pass kael off as a jerk for,,,acting like he has ptsd,,,fuckin wild huh

i know there are people who are thinking ‘maybe you’re taking it the wrong way and it’s not about your muse being an oc or being female or being whatever else’ and people have used this argument on me before. ‘maybe people not being interested is your own fault for communicating well enough’. honestly, i don’t know how better to communicate my feelings at this point. how many times over do i have to complain that i don’t feel as though people don’t take mio seriously? i don’t think my ability to communicate is the problem here (although, being an aspie, i won’t claim it’s not something that trips me up a lot, even as an rper). if you don’t trust me, i’ll just say one more thing and leave it at that; how come kael, my male oc (who still doesn’t get taken as seriously as i’d like and doesn’t fit into tumblr’s good old oc tropes), gets hc questions about heavy topics like trust and fear and his perceptions on the world as a whole/his emotional experiences while mio gets questions about very little besides food. (not that the question or the asker is flawed but, ignoring that i can’t write headcanons about food to save myself bc i find it to be a boring topic, the difference in attitude is pretty clear, almost as though people don’t think mio is complex enough to have emotional depth,,,,interesting,,,)

#ミ☆┋ ɢᴇᴛ ᴏɴ ᴜᴘ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴏғ ᴍʏ ʟᴀɴᴇ (out.)#I....WENT OFF ON A RANT IM SORRY I GUESS IM FED UP ASDFGHJHGFDS #i should have been doing replies n now i don't have much time left to do anything #i probably won't be here much for the rest of the week bc of my laptop unless my sister lends me hers again but #i've got hc posts saved up in my drafts that i want to write so you'll be seeing more of that #i'm determined to prove that mio is fully fleshed out even if have to do it on my own hhhhh #anyw if anything i said here is out of line!! pls correct me!! im not the best at explaining myself n sometimes what i say is a little blunt #so feel free to just drop me an ask to tell me what's what if needed! buT NOT AN IM BC THAT....yikes #also i can't really check mio's ims via mobile bc im logged into her blog via the chrome app bc the tumblr app's for kael

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smkkbert · 8 years ago

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Olicity Fanfic Recommendation

Hi, guys! Who would have thought that you were going to get another post of my recommendation/review/meta mixes so soon? I considered waiting with posting this until next week, but then I figured it’s just not fair to the author to hold back the praise for the fic. Besides, whoever needs something to read, probably doesn’t like to wait, either.

So today I am going to share with you my experience of reading Sportsmanlike Conduct by @mogirl97. I am sure a lot of you have already read it, but I only read it during my vacation last week and was so hooked that I actually read it through the whole 4.5 hours of flight back to Germany. As you can see, it’s going to be another post of well-deserved praise.

OVERALL PLOT

The fic is set in College time and includes some sports, hockey in this case, which already makes for great framework conditions I guess. I don’t know about you, but I love college AUs. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s because seeing Olicity in a less torturous life than the one Arrow put them in is just so much fun.

Now what’s the overarching theme of the fic? I’d say, and the synopsis of the fic kind of mentions it already, the big theme of the fic is plans.

It’s about the plans we make for our life.

It’s about how we try to implement these plans for our life.

It’s about how life might cross our plans and how we react to that.

Felicity has a plan for her life – college, MIT, internship, graduating and starting a career in the IT world. She is driven to make this plan happen.

Oliver has a plan for his life, too – getting a NHL contract and being a professional hockey player. That is what he works to do.

Now when those two people with these very planned out ideas for their lives meet and fall in love, that makes for a wonderful conflict. Because what do you do when you have a plan for your life, but life just throws this unplanned variable into it?

This is what the story is about. Oliver and Felicity need to find out - each for themselves as well as they together - how they deal with that. They are suddenly a part of each other’s life and they have each other as a part of their lives. Since both of them have this driven idea of how their individual life is going to be, it’s not just that easy. You can’t just add that other person to your life plan because that person has a plan of their own. What they need to do is trying to add their whole plans for their lives together. But is that possible?

TONE OR RATHER TONES OF THE STORY

I remember commenting the first time after around eight chapters and mentioning something about the wonderful fluff. After reading a dark story like The Crow, I was really happy to just drown in fluffy moments of fun and young love. Especially the beginning of the fic offers a lot of that.

I also remember commenting that I am preparing myself for angst because you can feel the conflict creeping under the surface. Oliver and Felicity both procrastinate the important discussion of how they will continue when Oliver graduates and starts playing in the NHL. Felicity, whose perspective the story is told from, knows that it is something they need to talk about, but the thing is that neither of them really wants to talk about it.

Then when the inevitable talk finally happens…

Angst! It’s a lot of angst. It’s heartbreaking, heart-wrenching really. There are two young people madly in love, who also happen to be two people with very different opinions on what to do. It’s really sad to read, but so very well-written at the same time that it’s really a pleasure to read.

Summing that up, it’s a fic with really balanced tones. There is fluff and angst, angst and fluff. It’s not like one half in the one thing and the other half is the other. It mixes a lot. Moments of pain alternate with moments of joy and fun, so definitely a good thing at least to me.

FELICITY

When we meet Felicity, she is probably the girl a lot of us imagine her to be in college. She is super-smart as she always is, driven to go to MIT and maybe a little neglectful of her social life as computers are her best friends. Good thing is that she has a wonderful best friend, who drags her out to a hockey game.

After some hesitation and some misunderstandings, she really gets to know Oliver and how could it be any different? Of course she falls head over heels in love with him. It’s the start of a wonderful, sweet and (as for the lack of smut that I personally don’t mind not being there but wouldn’t have minded to read either, 😉) innocent relationship.

But like I mentioned when I addressed the theme of the story, plans for life need to be addressed eventually. I was holding my breath and sitting at the edge of my seat as I was waiting for that talk to happen. Felicity is so hopeful, not blindly hopeful, though. Felicity knows it’s not going to be easy, but she wants to work through it. She wants to find a way to make it work.

Too bad that Oliver just thwarted her plans!

Short ramble: I was kind of surprised it was him who decided not to fight for their relationship, but of course also expected it a little given Felicity’s will to give it a try and find a way to work through it. In my fics it’s usually Felicity who would take the step of breaking up and it’s not because, as some readers claim, I hate Felicity and want to punish her for something. It’s just that in my stories Felicity is usually more driven while Oliver is more dangling around. This story offers an idea where both of them are equally driven, though, so it was a nice change.

Now back to Felicity, she doesn’t want to just give up. Of course she has to accept Oliver’s decision. You can’t have a relationship with someone who is out of that relationship already. She doesn’t give up on the idea of being with him, though, and even after a lot of time passes, she tries again to reach out and prove to him that they have a chance. It’s when rejection after rejection starts to finally show its effect that she can’t do it anymore.

Felicity tries to leave Oliver in her past and move on with her life, but as life can be a bitch sometimes, it doesn’t take long until she falls herself drawn back when tragedy strikes. Of course she tells herself there is nothing romantic connecting them anymore or at least nothing that would be worth going back to a man who has hurt her so badly, but maybe they can be friends…

I think it’s an exciting journey for her, one that really makes her grow and shows what a caring human being she really is. I had a moment of doubt at some point as Felicity was still holding on to the idea of being back with Oliver after such a long time, but the truth is that once I really thought about, I felt it made absolute sense. Felicity didn’t really get the closure on their relationship that she would have needed. She was ready to put so much work into it when Oliver just told her that they couldn’t do it, supposedly for her best. It’s basically like Oliver was saying, “I am going to dump you because you should dump me”, so Oliver broke up with Felicity because he felt Felicity should break up with him. Just that Felicity didn’t want to break up, so how could she have just moved on?

That being summed up, I really loved her journey in this story and I love that she had such great friends who was there to support her through her journey, even if they didn’t always give her the best of advice or didn’t always tell her what she wanted to hear. At the end Felicity found her way and I am sure it was only making her stronger.

OLIVER

Oliver was absolutely not what I expected when we first met him. Though being kind of famous given his family and his talent, he isn’t the Preisland-Oliver we know from the show (though we do get a mention of said version of him existing in the past of the fic). Instead Oliver is a caring young man with a dream that feels right in his reach if he only works hard enough and hard work is what he puts into his dreams.

When Felicity steps into his life and they fall in love, we see what a perfect boyfriend he is. He is sweet and caring. He opens up to her about his worries of the future and lets her help him getting close to his dream, while at the same time supporting Felicity and her dreams. It’s a wonderful take on him. (By the way, of course Felicity is a wonderful girlfriend, too, as you can see here)

Anyway, perfect boyfriend Oliver Queen bursts like a bubble when the needle in form of the idea of a troublesome situation touches his skin. (Wow, that sentence and I haven’t even had a drink today…)

Well, of course I know why Oliver is trying to do it. Oliver wants to do the right thing. He feels he is young and Felicity is young and they are both young and aiming high with their dreams. He feels like holding on to their relationship when he sees no future where they are completely happy with their living situations doesn’t make sense. Maybe better break up now before you are together for two years more and it’s only getting harder.

So Oliver fully focusses on his career as it has been his plan. He has always wanted to play in the NHL and now he gets to do that. He has to live this dream, especially since he gives up his love for it.

Then years later Felicity comes back, but he still doesn’t dare to take this other way with her, afraid that it is only going to lead them back to the decision of whether they need to give up their dreams or give up each other. So he turns her back down again. As much as I want to smack him, I understand it. Oliver made his decision and he feels he need to stick with it.

When tragedy strikes later, thwarting through his dreams and his plans of the life he wants to have, Oliver finds himself in what for him is probably a very similar situation. He finds himself in a situation where he has to choose between living his dream of playing in the NHL and with that giving up on a part of his life, his health this time, or taking a step back and find another way.

Finding another way… It sounds so easy, when really it is not. How do you find another way when you have been working your ass off to live this dream? How do you decide if giving up your dream doesn’t take away everything that makes your life worth living? And then when your dream has been taken, what do you do? You can’t just find another dream like that. Or can you?

(I am going to spoil it right here, this is not going to be Rapunzel. If you want a “You were my new dream” you are going to be disappointed. As romantic as that is in Disney fairytales, real lives don’t work like that. 😉)

Summed up, Oliver has a real strong journey of his own. Life isn’t easy on him and he has to get through the trouble and grew from it. That is what we see him do. We see him getting through trouble and growing from it. It’s really wonderful to read.

OLICITY

While Oliver and Felicity are separated for a huge part of the story and both of them have to take care of their individual journeys, the story doesn’t lack to show all the ways Oliver’s and Felicity’s lives are connected and cross each other’s.

They are more than just two people who dated in college and broke up tragically. They are more than just exes that never got over each other. They are two people who care about each other deeply and who want the other person to really be happy and live exactly the life they have dreamed of without being blind to the possibilities their lives offer or limit.

When we see Olicity as a couple in college, it is wonderful to watch. Like I said before it is really sweet, funny and innocent in a way. Reading the chapters of them being together just makes you happy and you can feel how content and comfortable they are around each other. They are just like to pieces of a puzzle that belong together.

Of course they have their struggles, struggles that really take years for them to solve. They just need to both grow on their own before they can meet again are give it another try. It’s not easy. It’s very hard and it takes a lot of work and fights, but at the end it’s the only honest way to figure out if there is still a chance.

As in every good story you can see the changes. You can guess what happens between them. Sometimes you are right and sometimes you are wrong and because of the wonderful writing you don’t mind either way. Morgan,

Sometimes you want to smack both of them really, really hard like when you can see that when one of them stops fighting, suddenly the other starts coming around…

The journey they have as a past/present/future couple is just as wonderful as the one they take individually. The thing is that they aren’t just ignoring their issues. It’s not like “Oh, look, you have to give up on your dream, so all our problems are solved” because that would be only scratching at the surface.

When Oliver and Felicity are finally on the same page or at least ready to talk things through, they really talk things through, so it’s a mature take on their relationship and on their characters. A great read!

EXTRACT

The next day she was sitting on the lawn studying with Barry and Iris when the hockey team came jogging past. Oliver was leading them and when he caught sight of her he lifted his hand to wave. She raised her hand and quickly turned her wave into a hair tuck when Iris turned to look at her.

Smooth, Smoak. Smooth.

“Was he just waving at us?”

“I don’t think so, it was probably someone else,” Felicity replied with a shrug.

“It sure seemed like he was waving at us…”

“Iris, why would he be waving at us? He doesn’t know any of us,” Felicity concluded and steered her attention back to the outline they were reviewing. Iris looked at her suspiciously but let it go.

That afternoon Felicity was annoyed to see that someone had occupied her usual spot in the library. When she got closer though she realized it was Oliver.

“Please don’t tell me you managed to get another virus on your computer in less than 24 hours,” she declared as she plunked her stuff down next to him.

“Nope. But now it won’t turn on…”

Felicity took a look at it, “Now what I’m going to tell you might be a little difficult for you to understand and super technical but try to follow, okay? The battery is dead. Plug it in.”

Oliver raised an eyebrow, “Oh… really?”

“Yes Oliver, and you can’t convince me to believe that you’re stupid enough to have not realized that, so what are you doing?”

“I wanted to talk to you, but you were a little unclear as to whether or not you were interested in talking to me again unless it was so you could offer me tech support.”

Felicity rolled her eyes, “It’s not like I have a long line of people waiting to talk to me, so I think I can fit you in for a little non-business related chat. What’s up?”

Oliver let out an amused laugh before speaking, “So I had kind of been under the impression that you had enjoyed yourself last night, at least I know that I did, but then things just kind of ended abruptly…”

“Yeah I just didn’t want you to feel obligated, I mean I understood that--- ummm,” Felicity stumbled over her words before finally figuring out what she wanted to say, “I understood that it was a one-time thing, and I didn’t want you to feel like you had to explain that to me.”

Oliver’s brow arched in confusion, “What do you mean?”

Felicity sighed in exasperation.

Are you seriously going to make me sit here and explain to you how the social hierarchy system works?

“You’re a senior, who’s very popular and I’m a freshman who’s pretty much invisible. So I appreciate that you treated me to a generous dinner in return for my help, and I’m aware that you won’t be asking me out again. Not that you did ask me out, because it wasn’t a date, urrghh, why do I talk?” Felicity resisted the urge to bang her head into the table and instead powered up her tablet and bit her lip nervously.

“Okay first of all, this isn’t high school. No one cares that much about who people are hanging out with. And second of all, Felicity I’m not sure what your definition of a date is because last night was definitely a date. At least that was my intention…”

“This is just like in the movies isn’t it? This is a bet or a dare or a challenge or something. Most popular boy makes the moves on unassuming nerd girl and lulls her into a false sense of security only to publicly humiliate her,” Felicity muttered.

“Is that what you think of me?” Oliver asked, the hurt evident in his voice.

Oh frack did I just say that out loud?

“I’m just struggling to find a reason as to why you would want to take me out on a date. You didn’t even know me until yesterday afternoon.”

“And it only took me about 5 minutes to realize that you were someone I was interested in getting to know better. And after spending more time with you, I knew that I was right. You’re pretty remarkable Felicity.”

She turned to offer him a shy smile, “Thank you for remarking on it.”

“So now that we’ve gotten that cleared up, is it okay if I call you for something other than not so 24/7 tech support?”

Felicity nodded, “Yes.”

“Good. Are you coming to the game tomorrow night?”

“I didn’t know there was a game tomorrow night. I don’t really follow the sports schedules around here. But I think that I’m free, so I might make an appearance.”

“If you do I’ll treat you to Big Belly Burger afterwards…”

“You make a compelling argument; I’m easily persuaded by the prospect of chocolate milkshakes…”

“So it’s a date?” Oliver asked hopefully.

“It’s a date.”

“Sounds good,” Oliver grinned as he stood up, “I’m going to go plug my laptop in now so I can start my homework. Glad to know I won’t need to drain the battery again to talk to you.”

Tossing her a wink, he walked off and Felicity just about fell off of her chair.

Oliver Queen. Who would have thought? Well I mean I thought about it. I just—nevermind.

CONCLUSION

I love this fic a lot! It’s a very real idea to have two people being in love with each other but having so different ideas of their lives that one of them thinks it’s not going to make sense for them to even give it a try. I think especially given how young they are, it makes sense to have this happen. It makes sense to have the other hold on and wonder if maybe it’s not over. And it makes even more sense to address that maybe, even if they still love each other years later, it just might not be enough to go back.

It’s wonderfully written and a really great take on the characters as well as the idea, so I can clearly only recommend everyone to read this story.

#arrow #olicity #olicity fic #olicity fanfic #olicity fic rec

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