#cor writes

[thunderjawsandlightning]

Power in a Name: Nil and Aloy parallels

I've been thinking about the inverse parallels that Nil and Aloy have with social dynamics with their names, and how it gives them a level of understanding that is completely unique to them and how they regard each other. It's something that is unspoken between the two of them, and yet mutually understood, and it gives a level of emotional depth that is immensely cathartic upon the acknowledgement of each other by name.

**spoiler discussion for Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West**

---

Aloy has only ever wanted to know her mother's name; there's connection and lineage and community in the name of your family. For so much of the "tutorial area" in The Embrace and the events leading up to the Proving, her name is not important to identifying her: she is simply known as "motherless" or "outcast" or both. Lansra wants to deny her even being given a name during the opening cutscene -- it's only through Teersa's kindness and calm, firm insistence that she be named facing the sunrise with a Matriarch's blessing.

Across the games, Aloy is given a number of titles from the various tribes: Anointed of the Nora, Savior of Meridian, Hekarro's Champion. All these titles laud her accomplishments and put her on a pedestal of respect; the complete opposite end of the spectrum to when she first interacts with the tribes.

To the Nora, she has gone from the lowest social status in the tribe as an outcast, to Anointed in one fell swoop-- given a sacred status of near-worship and unquestioned acceptance due to the belief that she has spoken directly to All-Mother within the Mountain. This sudden switch is so jarring for her, and also a stark realization that while she thought she was looking for acceptance, she never wanted it like this.

The Carja have always held arrogant views on the other tribes; their advancement in technology and their organized militarization have given them a distinct advantage over all the other tribes, and with it, a sense of superiority. Their culture and their religion reinforce the idea that the Nora are simply savages, with the upper classes seeing them unfit to even deign faux-civil conversation (as seen in the Hunter's Lodge). In the face of the oncoming destruction led by HADES and the Eclipse, Aloy's victory is seen as heroic and put onto both a figurative and literal pedestal in a display of zealous admiration for her accomplishment at slaying Helis, Terror of the Sun, and saving Meridian from certain doom.

The Tenakth, viciously protective of their land and people, are already disinclined to allow outlanders to walk their Clan Lands in the aftermath of the Red Raids. Fashav tells us that without proper right of passage the Tenakth would attack Aloy on sight, no questions asked, regardless of the importance of her mission. Following the Embassy, the events at the Bulwark, and the defense of the Kulrut, Aloy quickly gains a fearsome reputation and accompanying moniker of Hekarro's Champion -- again, a title of her accomplishments.

Throughout all of her journey, she does her very best to be known by her own name, not by any grand title or reputation of great renown, but simply as the huntress Aloy. She rebuffs most greetings of her monikers with "Just Aloy." in a clear and direct attempt to be met as a person instead of by the sheer force of her reputation as told by others.

So much of her life has been under the weight of other people's perceptions of who they think she is: a larger-than-life-figure, a mysterious huntress with second sight, a formidable warrior even by the standard of great warriors. Even her perception of herself in shadowed by the width and breadth of Elisabet's legacy and sacrifice. Is it too much to ask for her to simply be seen and known as herself, and just as that?

---

Nil, conversely, has been known by many names, most of his own choosing. Names are evidently important to Carja culture, as many have epithets or titles to indicate their standing or calling, like Mournful Namman, Studious Vuadis, Javad the Willing, or Well-Traveled Aram. Nil seems to shed names as easily as Aloy does armors, changing and adapting and letting go of past personas quite easily. A name to the Carja is connection, power, and reputation. As we meet Nil, he introduces himself and is then known by a name of his own choosing: one that literally means "nothing". Every name we know him by is one made to embody a new persona, with no connection to his lineage.

Upon first meeting, he introduces himself by telling Aloy to "…call [him] Nil." Notice the wording: "call". Not "My name is…" His phrasing is distinct and deliberate, and majority of the conversation you have with Nil after completing the Devil's Thirst bandit camp is vague in terms of his origins, skirting around clear details and speaking in obfuscated references to past events. Through Janeva, Warden of Sunstone Rock, we learn that "Nil" is not his first name, although it remains uncertain if he was known by his true name or another during his time at Sunstone.

ALOY: Do you know a…hunter…named Nil? He told me about this place.   JANEVA:Nil? That’s what he calls himself now?  Is he well?

2. To the Carja, he is known by reputation and rumour, war stories and whispers; renowned enough that he is recognizable by common Carja Guard, and feared enough that they do not speak his name. It is likely he was given some kind of moniker or a name of near-boogeyman-like status, given the prayer of protection the guard mutters after Nil offhandedly addresses them.

CARJA GUARD 1: Isn’t that…him? From the battle of the Daunt? CARJA GUARD 2: Can’t be.  Cinnabar Sands was before that, and there were no survivors.   NIL: Well, I don’t like to boast.   CARJA GUARD 2: O Sun, keep the shadow from falling upon me.

He knows his reputation carries further than where he walks, and while he acknowledges its connection to him, he still would prefer to be somewhat removed in its association, of the elaboration and hyperbolic storytelling of past deeds and, perhaps, misdeeds.

3. Addressing the animosity held by the neighbouring tribes from the events of the Red Raids, there is one tribe Nil holds to a status of respect and equal regard: the Tenakth. He highlights a kinship and mutual understanding of the need for a fight and the desire of spilled blood; one that Fashav echoes as well:

"As you may have noticed, violence is the native tongue of the Tenakth. To survive, one must master it."

He sheds the skin of Nil the Bandit Hunter for Red Teeth the Racer, to meet the Rebel defectors on equal ground, to fight for respect on their chosen battleground the way Tenakth warriors of the past had fought their way into his respect with their martial prowess and skill. The name he gives them is, again, one he chooses, with no obvious attachment to the past, only embracing the change and growth that is to come with reinventing yourself. Nil chooses to be perceived by the world in a way that is not derived from or reliant on his family name, the heritage that comes with it, or the socio-cultural weight it carries to be recognized as Carja.

---

Aloy is given many names by the tribes and people she meets on her journey, but only wants to be known by her own name, to know her own heritage and lineage. In seeking that out, she is both empowered and staggered by the knowledge, and it changes her perspective on who and what she feels she has to live up to -- her tribe's expectations, her predecessor's hopes and wishes for the future world, her own expectations of herself. In the face of that knowledge, she doesn't leave herself the room to consider herself, but still wants to be acknowledged as an individual. Nil does so, and savours the knowledge of her name like a gift:

ALOY: …Nil?  NIL: Aloy.  They told me your name, I said hair like a splash of blood, tenacious as a Scrapper’s jaws. [Main Quest: The Looming Shadow]

Nil gives out new names to be known by --names of his own choosing -- in an act through which he is deliberately shedding the weight, status, and legacy of his birth name, leaving it behind. Instead, he transforms into a different version of himself, one unburdened by birthright and tribal ties.

RED TEETH: That was a well-earned win.  One that merits speaking face to face.   ALOY: Nil?!? NIL: You have to admit, I put on a good show. [The Stillsands Gauntlet race, Condition: Win]

Nil knows implicitly that he can share this secret with her -- the secret of his identity as Carja, a danger in hostile Tenakth Clan Lands. And Aloy still trusts him, still respects him, to keep his secret, even with the secrecy of his bloodied history hanging in slight tension with the circumstances and the environment he's found a home in. Even so, she still calls him by the name he asked to be called by:

ALOY: I’m glad you found your thing, Nil.  Relieved, actually…I think. 

And what a catharsis it is, then, to be known and recognized by the name you yourself value, by the only other person who could understand the weight and power in a name:

NIL/ RED TEETH: I’ll leave you to it.  See you when you feel the need, Aloy. 

[moonstruckwytch]

★ no time to waste on loving badly | T | 6.3k ★

★ summary: Draco Malfoy has carved out a life for himself on the island of Nantucket. Flung 30 miles off the coast of the continental United States he's got a job he likes, friends who don't know his past, and a sense of freedom that's still new and unfamiliar--even months after he's settled into his new routine. When Harry Potter, the last person he wants to see, shows up on the beach looking for him it threatens to upend everything he's worked so hard for.

★ tags: emotional manipulation, stalking, arguments, breakup, asshole harry potter, draco malfoy in the muggle world-sort of, original nonbinary character, draco has good friends, drarry is not endgame, happy ending, angst with a happy ending, harry potter epilogue what epilogue | ewe, post-canon, set on nantucket

★ author's note: This is a deeply personal story. Set in one of my favorite places, pulled from some of my own past (with liberties taken of course), and with the kind of ending I was thrilled to be able to give myself when push came to shove. Writing it was cathartic in ways I didn't expect, even nearly a decade after I stood up for myself in the face of someone who wanted nothing more than to tear me down. I couldn't have possibly gotten it done without a team of folks behind me, cheering me on and cleaning up my commas. Deepest thanks to @secretartlair, for being involved from the first sentence to putting the tags on the damn thing. To @cavendishbutterfly, for the first pass beta read and emoji reactions throughout the draft. Finally, to @corvuscrowned for wrangling my commas, clarifying my prose, and overall making me a better writer.

★ read it on ao3 ★

[novlr]

“One word after another. That’s the only way that novels get written.” — Neil Gaiman

[icedb1ackcoffee]

Corrupted by Design CH 1 | Feyd-Rautha x Reader

After generations of pillaging and destroying their ecosystem, you are assigned by the Emperor to work on with the Harkonnens to improve their planet’s agriculture as Imperial Ecologist. However, Giedi Prime is far from welcoming, and you must fight to survive the horrors you endure at the hands of the Harkonnens. When you catch the eye of the Baron’s youngest nephew, and most prized possession, you step into a world complicated by politics and revenge.

Tags: Unbeta'd, AFAB Reader, multiple OCs, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, enemy to friends to lovers/enemy lovers, slow burn, fake science, blood, violence, gore, body horror, cannibalism, uncle/nephew incest (implied), eventual smut, etc.

A/N: I’ve never read the books, so this is a combination of the Villeneuve films, the Dune Wiki, and a heavy dose of just making shit up lol. I try my best to make Reader as nondescript as possible, but there are mentions of having periods and body hair in later chapters. As a warning up front, this will not have a Happily Ever After ending, but maybe more like Happy For Now?

Please mind the tags; this is very dark, but that comes with the territory.

Chapter One: Like Meat (Spoiled)

Previous Chapter ⦾ Next Chapter

When you first arrived at Giedi Prime, nothing could have adequately prepared you for the shock the harsh environment brought. 

Approaching the planet, dark, heavy clouds of pollution choked its atmosphere, seen even from your descent into the atmosphere. Any hope you’d had on your mission here began to wither as you saw the goliath manufacturing plants and landfills that scarred the horizon on all sides. Even the advanced Sardakaur technology on this ship couldn’t soften the harsh winds. Could this be the reason why they accepted you— a last-ditch effort to salvage whatever was left of this godforsaken planet…?

When you landed, you rose unsteadily to your feet and grabbed your luggage. Two large bags and one satchel tied at your waist. The rest unloaded off the ship, full of your tools and plants. Your entire life packed away, always ready for the next move. An escort accompanied you off ship, the rest staying inside. Not that you would blame them; if it was not required of you, you would not leave, either.

Read More

[saetoshis]

do u think jing yuan steals ur panties?? IDK IT JUST RANDOMLY POPPED IN MY HEAD ad whenever i think of jing yuan i think of u so :((

omg shut up PANTY STEALER JING YUAN???

cw; afab!reader, voyeurism, panty stealing, praise, lil bit of spit, mentions of creampie, mdni.

jing yuan gets a little kick out of being sneaky.

there’s just something that he loves about sweetly asking to do the laundry for you with a little ‘i’ll help you with chores, go ahead and relax’ while he only uses it as an excuse to snatch your panties.

he finds it almost thrilling to hide the fact that he has a small hoard of your cute lacy panties, especially when you complain to him about how suddenly so many pairs are missing. he has to hold back an amused chuckle when you ask this, and he feigns complete innocence.

at least, until one day when you catch him.

you can hear muffled sighs and grunts through the closed door where jing yuan was supposedly taking a nap in. it sounds awfully intense when you press your ear to the wood, and you wonder what exactly he’s doing in there.

behind the closed door, jing yuan is shamelessly wrapping a pair of your panties around his cock, another pair held up to his nose as he inhales your scent and falls further into a pleasured haze.

“you smell so heavenly,” jing yuan daydreams as he grunts softly, not thinking you were even home at this time in the afternoon. he wraps your panties around his length even tighter, his hips rocking into them and leaving a wet spot of precum in the process. “so sweet, mm… can’t wait to taste you.”

you gasp softly at hearing his muffled words, feeling your thighs keen together at the thought of him nuzzling his face between your legs and indulging his tongue in every inch of you.

jing yuan lets some of his spit dribble onto his cock, wrapping the lacy fabric around him again and groaning from how wet it feels - but he knows it’s nowhere near as satisfying as you. “ah, not wet enough…”

jing yuan is turning into a mess, holding your panties over his nose and mouth to suppress his groans as he ruts his hips faster. his chest shudders hard as he pictures your pussy wrapping around his cock and enveloping him in warm wetness.“d-dear god, fuck…”

you push the door open just barely, peeking through and watching him kneeling on the bed as he fucks into your now-soaked panties like he’s hungry. his face is flushed and his eyebrows are furrowed, hands shaky as he cranes his head back and spills a sticky load of white ropes into your panties.

“love cumming inside you…” jing yuan closes his eyes and lives vicariously through his daydream, chest heaving as he catches his breath and slows his hips’ movements.

for now, you act like you haven’t seen it - but later, you’ll make a mental note to buy some more panties so he can keep the ones he stole for his own fantasies.

2023 SAETOSHIS. do not copy or repost.

[hurryupmerlin]

THIS IS THE BEST BIRTHDAY PRESENT EVER

🌶🌶🌶 @hurryupmerlin 🌶🌶🌶

I lied. This is actually your birthday gift. Just straight up pwp. I imagined that this takes play sometime after the birthday fic you wrote for me ♡ Hope you enjoy~

🔥🌶🔥🌶🔥🌶🔥🌶🔥🌶🔥

Ami moaned around his fist, teeth digging but not breaking skin of his index finger as he rocked his hips up against Mal's, eliciting a pleasured groan of his own against his neck.

They had been like this for, - gods know how long. He'd lost count by now - what felt like hours, grinding their clothed cocks against each other and the longer it went, the more heat that pooled in the pit of his groin grew and grew. He wanted to stop, he wanted to take their damned clothes off their bodies and feel the warmth of Mal's skin envelop and press up against his own. He wanted to feel the weight press down and blanket him, kiss him breathless. He wanted him to back off. He wanted more. Less. More, less. 

He whined long and low as he came close to feeling overwhelmed and it didn't take long for Mal to notice, to stop and pull away a fraction to give Ami a one over. His eyes flitted across the clone's face to get as much as a reading as he could from expression alone. 

"Need a break?" He queried, the cold metal of his prosthetic hand causing him to shudder as it brushed against his cheek. Ami could only nod and without delay, Mal lifted himself off him and flopped down beside him. Ami sighed. It felt like he could breathe again.

No words were spoken between them for a while as they laid side by side. Not that none were ever needed. The pair enjoyed the silence between them, the company they gave the other. The worry that warped the scarring on Mal's face and furrowed his brow softened in time, watching Ami with adoration that he brought a fluttering warmth to his chest.

It was still new to him: odd and different from the years of abuse he had grown to expect and experience, but this gentleness, this love that he had once known from his family and those in his village...  he wanted to feel it again and again from Mal.

Rolling onto his side to face him, Ami held his gaze for a time and smiled gently as cool metal cradled his cheek. Mal's smile matched his own.

He liked that smile. Liked the way his lips curled upwards into that smile. He loved those lips against his own, how they felt against his own. He hadn't realised his gaze dropped to them as he recalled their first kiss. When did he get closer to Mal? When had his fingers clung to the fabric of his blacks to pull him close enough to kiss him tenderly again? He didn't care at that point. He simply wanted this man close and touching him again.

The kiss they shared slowly deepened and became more passionate until it grew needy and hungry. Demanding. Breath and groans were shared between the two, and soon enough they were rocking against the other again. Soon enough Ami was needing to feel Mal's skin on his. His hands were quick to release from his upper blacks to the hem of his lowers but before he could even attempt pulling them down, his wrists were held and lifted away. He attempted again and again, but every attempt was quickly foiled. 

Ami whined and that got a chuckle from Mal who nuzzled at his nose with his own. "Easy, easy. I got you." That earned him another needy whine and Mal hummed considerably in thought. "I want to do something for you, if you'll let me?" 

The question stilled Ami into silence, eyes blinked and lips parted. Mal wanted to do something for him? He blinked again. None of his captors did anything for him, only for themselves. So, for anyone wanting to do something for him? It was such a foreign concept. 

"Ami?" He opened his mouth and closed it just as quickly, swallowing thickly. He wanted to answer but his mind was in overdrive. "S'okay if you don't want-" 

"I.. I do." An answer finally came and as Mal canted his head, worry on his brow once more as though quietly asking "you sure?", Ami nodded quickly. Whatever Mal wanted to do for him, he can. He trusted him to take care of him.

At his answer, the worry Mal wore on his face lessened once more. He pressed a chaste kiss to his lover's forehead, his temple, down to his cheek then finally his lips. From there, he trailed down to his jawline then his neck, littering his throat with the gentlest of nips and licks that rewarded him with quiet gasps and whimpers. Ami's hands were released from his hold only to have his hands gently tugging at the waistband of his lover's pants as he watched him.

 He wanted to be attentive, needed to be. He wasn't new to this but with Ami, he was. He never had a partner before who seemed to get so overwhelmed as much as he did and was certain he didn't want to push him over any limits. He was, for the first time in years, nervous. He didn't want to fuck this up. 

He waited for the needed nod from Ami once more to continue. The pants were a hassle, stuck around his hips and refusing to budge from their awkward sideway positions on the bed. With an annoyed grumble and a quiet giggle, the moved about; Ami on his back to slide the pesty piece of clothing off and dropped to the side - his underwear following - before Mal situated himself between his bare legs. He swallowed thickly as he beheld the sight before him. 

He had seen Ami like this before: a tunic and nothing else, seated above him. He was, in his words, beautiful. Still was a beautiful sight even now as he stared up at Mal expectantly, biting at his bottom lip. The medic could only smile and leaned down, gently tugging his lip from his teeth and kiss him tenderly once more.

"Can you do something for me?" He asked softly, "if it gets too much, tell me. Yell at me, scratch me, yank hard on my hair. You want to stop, we stop." 

The silence between them barely had time to settle before a quiet "okay" came from Ami and that was the confirmation they needed. He gave one last chaste peck on the cheek before    shimmying his way down between his lover's legs until he settled on his belly, a familiar cock, darkened and leaking in front of his face. Mal ran his tongue along his bottom lip. He had held it once before, felt it leak onto his hand as Ami rocked into it until it all stopped abruptly and ended poorly for them both. He hadn't wanted to reach his orgasm, hadn't had a chance to taste Ami as he did him, to give him pleasure. Swallowing thickly, he hoped he could do so for him.

"Pretty..." He breathed, raising a brow as the cock before him twitched. Interesting... Mal noted with curiosity, filing that knowledge away to focus on the task before him. He gently kissed the head, and again upon hearing a surprised gasp quickly turned into a quiet moan at the wet warmth of tongue. He swirled it about the head, dragged the flat of ot down then up the length of cock before swirling it at the head once more, licking up the precome the spilled there. It tasted salty as he expected, but there was something there that was unmistakably Ami. And he wanted more. 

His hands rested atop his thighs, thumbs rubbing gentle circles into the skin, to steady himself as wrapped his lips around the head and hollowed his cheeks while he sucked his lover's cock. 

The moans he drew from Ami were music to his ears as he bobbed his head and couldn't help but think how beautiful he was arching his back off the bed. He took more and more into his mouth, continuing the languid rhythm he had set up until a sudden, unexpected thrust of the hips caught him unawares, hitting the back of his throat. He pulled off his cock quickly, coughing up a storm that startled Ami up into sitting. 

"I'm sorry!" He cried out, half ready to scramble away from had the trooper not rested his head on his thigh gasping for breath. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't mean to do it. I didn't! I'm sorry!"

"S'okay!" Mal rasped, glancing up through one teary eye at the overly apologetic man. "Am okay. Kark, just gimme a minute..." 

"I'm so sorry."

You really don't have to apologize to me... The thought crossed his mind as he nuzzled into his thigh, trying his best to comfort and reassure his partner that there was no harm done. He didn't blame him. He would've ended up doing the same thing their first night together had he not practiced self-control. 

Mal had found Ami's hand and entwined their fingers, squeezing it gently. They remained like that, still and quiet bar the sound of their breathing. None the worse for wear except for his newly acquired sore throat, Mal had wanted to continue and upon flicking his gaze from Ami's slowly flagging erection to him, found that he was okay to continue as well. 

Licking the palm of his hand as Ami had once done before, Mal took a hold of his cock and set a steady rhythm again to pull more and more wonderful sounds from the clone. Ami was getting close, he could tell. His voice had become strained, lost in a cacophony of moans and Mal's name and he wanted - needed to watch him fall apart, when he remembered something he had said and put away for later. With a smirk to himself, he deemed it later. 

"Force, you're so good coming apart for me." The smirk he wore grew bigger at the loud gasp before he continued, licking up the underside of Ami's cock. "Bet you'll be so pretty when you-" Ami cried out, his torso bent forward over Mal as he came and coated his hand as well as his tongue in white.

The orgasm had drained him of all energy and within several seconds of coming hard, Ami was gently laid to rest on his back once more and panting for breath. Having wiped his coated hand on the leg of his blacks and cleaned up much of his own face as quickly as he could, Mal hovered above him in a worried state, concerned that he may have pushed him too much at the end.

"Hey.. You doin' okay? How're you feeling?" He questioned softly, his prosthetic hand gently rubbing his trembling leg. 

Ami blinked up at the ceiling, staring for a moment before lolling his head towards Mal. He gave a sheepish grin and watched as the medic relax his shoulders with relief. "M'tired." He slurred. 

"Sorry." He laughed half-heartedly, leaning over to press his lips gently to his sweat covered forehead. "Got too ambitious in making you feel good at the end there." 

Ami shook his head, eyes slowly closing. "Was good.."

"Yeah?" All that was received was a pleased, albeit, tired hum. Mal smiled at that, gingerly getting off the bed once he was sure the clone had fallen asleep and his breathing slowed. "Gonna clean you up while you rest. You did good, Ami."

[saym0-0]

what do you think the mechs would be avatars of? my first thought was slaughter for the group as a whole bc,, duh. but now that im thinking about it, i think they'd be more eye/end aligned. because their whole thing is stories and the part they clearly deem most important is the end right? theres all the blood and gore in the middle but the important bit is everyone dies at the end

individually though, not as a whole group they're all sorts of stuff i think

ashes would be desolation for sure with all the fire and the likes, and hades makes me think web too? they're the one behind the scenes pulling the strings (granted, usually for their own entertainment but who can blame em really)

toy soldier would be stranger, once again for obvious reasons. im not really sure if theres much crossover on this one really.

jonny i reckon would be eye and slaughter, mans cares for two things and its violent crime and a good story (amen!)

brian is SO lonely coded like?? its in the backstory song man,, also vague end-ness probably, though tbf they probably all have that end cloud by virtue of being the mechanisms. maybe vast too

tim would be slaughter too, he loves a good murder spree but i feel like theres something else and ive just forgotten like half the fears lmao OUGH hunt maybe? tim goes crazy is very hunt coded

ivy is SO immensely eye. she's literally an archivist. she gathers and stores aaallll that information but her emotional connection to it is reset every night. thats so eye!!

nastya is definitely lonely, at least towards the end but probably the whole time (from what little i know of cyberian demons) and maybe dark? that ones 100% vibes i have no explanation

marius has very spiral vibes i think. hes just a silly guy ur honour i think he deserves it. i cant really think of any other one for him tbh

and raph is quite stranger coded i think, idk the detachment from humanity that comes with being a mad scientist just feels very stranger to me? more so than the average mechs detatchment from humanity

i dont know why i made this post but ive been rotating end/eye mechs in my brain for a couple days just because i think the idea of s5 jmart stumbling across a domain thats kind of an accumulation of the various album aettings and music that can be heard from anywhere in the domain and victims living/reliving the parts of the characters is very very cool and i needed to word vomit it somewhere

[blackkatmagic]

update delay

One of my cats passed away last night, and while I'm going to try to finish this week's chapter of Cor Cordium, it needs a level of humor I just can't manage right now. If I can't get it together today, I'm going to take the week, and next Tuesday updates will resume as normal.

[blossom-adventures]

Although the King and the Lord shield are well aware of their relationship, the Captain of the Kingsglaive and the Marshal of the Crownsguard need to keep it secret for the rest of the staff in the Citadel, presenting their relationship as purely professional when they are in the corridors of the Citadel, however that facade doesn’t continue in the private offices

I commissioned the incredibly talented artist @wombywoo to do this for me, thank you so so much, it’s gorgeous and I can’t stop looking at it!

I’m going to take this opportunity to also say I have finally named my FFXV fic, it’s still a WIP and I haven’t finished the prologue yet, but I am happy with the title as it works for the 2 main ships in the story

My story is going to be called…

Guard & Glaive

[ertrunkenerwassergeist]

Pax Mutila au: what was Cor's reaction to a giant definitely-fae coeurl appearing in the middle of Insomnia to wreck Pax and his trap arcade.

I wrote something really nice for this, but then I deleted it on accident and then I was sad about it. So have the clifnotes version of what I remember.

***

Nyx knows something is off when a Galahkari teenager stumbles into the Glaive HQ one afternoon. She's bedraggled and looks like she ran most of the way.

The first words out of her mouth are "Nyx, help."

It's like a switch is flicked inside his head. Libertus curses. Nyx slinks towards the girl, all grace and coiled violence. His grin is giddy and all teeth.

"Oh?" he purrs.

The story that spills out of the girl's mouth makes Nyx's blood boil. He would have helped for free, but the girl wants help, so a deal must be made. He needs to still be present to forge a deal.

A child. A child got caught in the claws of one of the Others. They had a deal. Forged after an incident soon after the Galahkari arrived in Insomnia. And the thing in the arcade had broken it. That would not stand. Not at all.

Bloodlust leaks out of Nyx like a broken faucet. Some of the humans are leaving in a hurry. Human-and-snake-pack-brother hovers behind him, far anough away not to crowd, but still there.

"Get my brother back," the girl says - orders.

"And what are you willing to give me for my help?" The last word carries an echo that shakes the air.

The girl look pale as the moon, eyes wide and glassy with panic. But still she forces her mouth to work. She does not stumble over her words. Nyx likes her.

"One year," she says. "You get one year."

A deep rumble comes from Nyx's chest. It's pleased, but the more human part of him also hopes it's a comfort for this teenager, this girl. How old was she? Fourteen? Maybe?

He leans closer, scents her, and she holds stock still, doesn't even dare to breathe. Nyx licks over her left cheek. Her tears taste exquisite.

"You got yourself a deal, brave child." He gently nudges her towards human-and-snake-pack-brother. "Stay with him and wait."

With that he's gone.

---~~**~~---

Cor knows something is off the moment the hairs on his neck stand up. The air smells of lightning and chaos. Fae magick but different. It's a hunting cat ready to pounce. Calculating and cold and so full of anger for a moment Cor can do nothing but try to breathe through it.

Then he's on the move. All cat grace and determined caution. One step and he's outside the government district, another and he's in the lower levels. A third and he stands in front of Pax's arcade.

What is left of it, rather.

People are fleeing in a panic.

A coeurl stands in the middle of the rubble, larger than he has ever seen one. It's coat is pure white and it's whiskers and horns are tinged purple with power. There's blood on its muzzle.

Cor stalks forward, intent to kill this interloper. How dare it? The fae know not to cause chaos on this level in Insomnia. They know what will happen if they do.

He feels his features begin to shift, bones and muscles twisting in sickening cracks.

The coeurl opens its maw and speaks words in a roar that shake the air and the buildings still standing around them. Cor doesn't understand the words, but the Chaos communicates clearly enough what is happening. What has happened.

The Chaos, twisting and churning in the air thick anough to choke a lesser fae, speaks of broken pacts and broken promises. It speaks of a deal made in desperation, cashed in by the not-fae in front of him.

Cor steps back. His form returns to mostly-human.

A broken pact is something he is not willing to interfere with. The Chaos brushes against him, pleased. He hisses back.

Then the coeurl is gone and in its place stands a humanoid figure. A person wearing a tattered Glaive uniform under a pure white pelt draped around the shoulders. Blue coeurl eyes stare at him from a too thin face.

Cor knows it-them-him. It may take him a moment, but he recognises Nyx Ulric. Hero of the Glaives, a reckless man who never leaves a comrade behind, if he can help it. Even if he has to go against orders to do it.

Nyx Ulric turns towards him, a snarl twisting his face, the thin veneer of humanity he normally hides behind, ripped away. He stalks forward in a roiling gate. His naked feet show he can only walk on the balls of his feet. The soles of his feet are too long, too twisted to function the human way.

A small head of dark hair peaks out of the white fur. Short braids are worked into it. Nyx Ulric gently cards a clawed hand through it. It's a deliberate move and Cor understands. This child is the reason this all happened.

Cor blinks, slowly. When he looks again, Nyx Ulric and the child are gone. Cor looks at the crumbled arcade with a sneer and turns towards where he knows the pixies have their main nest. It's time they have a talk again.

[strongbeats]

How long do we thing it will take before I touch myself after I start listening to my own heart?

Ugh sooo sleepy just need someone to put me under so they can monitor my heart more closely

[thunderjawsandlightning]

Niloy November - Day 4: Sharp

There were many things that Nil kept honed to sharp, clear precision, and his blade was only one of them.  

—

He always kept his blade sharp, and his arrowheads sharper. And sometimes, when days had passed and there was yet no sign of her on the roads, Nil would run the arrowheads over and through his fingers as he kept and counted through his quiver; a familiar pattern done almost without thought, the motions done as if they were instinct.  A distraction for his hands as his mind counted the numbers of lookouts and fighters within the bandit camp, as well as the wayside travelers who were unfortunate enough to be caught and kept prisoner within the crumbling walls of old stone and metal. 

There were other things that he had to keep sharp – not just his weapons.  His mind and his body were just as important as the blade in his belt, and the Voice of Our Teeth on his back.  And so, when he could feel the anticipation draw tight in his mind and coil into feeling just behind his sternum, Nil would seek out a nicely secluded area to run drills with his sword – slicing through enemies invisible to the eye but spouting delicate fountains of blood within the theater of his mind.  The drills only did so much to keep his mind sharp; rote forms and military methods of practice that did little to sate the simmering hum in his veins. But it would do, for now.  

Cut.  Block.  Mid-parry.  Downward slash.  Block.  

Slash down, slash up.  Block.  Parry, parry.  Block.  

Moving smoothly from one set of drills to another, Nil thought of the way in which the blood-haired huntress fought.  Stealth-wise, swift upward stabs through the ribs, a knockdown kick and twist with a plunging stab through the heart.  Straight melee, and it was upward swings and parry-slashes to take advantage of her speed and smaller stature.  Truly a sight, to watch her fight; to see the breadth of the skills that had clearly been drummed into her for years.  And as Nil continued moving through one pattern of drills to the next, he found himself altering them, countering for a spear stab here, a slashing cut there.  The sprawl of a bandit camp in the hills behind; he wondered how it would feel, clearing this final camp.  The last of his – their – hunting grounds; the remainder of his quarry extinguished like a final candle flame.  As he made a final upward slash with his sword, he could almost see her across from him, bow poised with an arrow nocked, aimed straight at him.  Nil couldn’t help but utter a short, sharp laugh at the image, equal parts amused and invigorated at the thought.  No, no.  Perhaps a thought to consider after.  Until then, he could be patient, and wait for her arrival. 

[moonstruckwytch]

★ 2022 in fic ★

thank you thank you to @corvuscrowned for the tag for this challenge, one line from every fic i posted (to ao3, i need to migrate an awful lot of stuff that’s still tumblr only) as a way to look back at my year in writing. seems like the best way to close out 2022

★ pumpkin, pumpkin | T | 4.7k | drarry fluff ★

“It’s okay, no one expects the cult kid to be well educated.” He reached a hand out to the kitten, who bumped against his fingers.

★ at the top | G | 100 | drarry fluff | HD Candy Hearts Fest ★

The setting sun turned the last of the melting snow shades of peach and lilac as they stood at the top of the hill. 

★ iterum | M | 2.1k | drarry horror ★

He reached deep inside himself, looking for where the bottomless well of emotion he felt for Harry used to be. It wasn’t there, or maybe it was, but it was inaccessible to him, sealed beneath a layer of indifference he hadn’t expected to find.

★ may i have this dance | NR | 497 | drarry fluff | kiss me kiss me kiss me collection ★

Harry pulled him into the dance, leading with a firm hand at Draco’s waist, and spinning him through complicated steps Draco hadn’t even realized Harry knew how to do.

★ catch a break | T | 2.6k | drarry angsty w. a happy ending ★

Auror grade spells. That’s not a good sign. 

★ what’s inside the hadwen house? | T | 1.2k | drarry humor ★

The garden was dead, and the cold wind whistled through the bare branches of trees dotted around the space. 

not sure who else has or hasn't been tagged, so i'm gonna hit up @orange-peony, @softlystarstruck, @ronbinary, @helle-bored & @lou-isfake. no pressure, but please tag me if you do cause i would love to see!!

[cor-corbinian]

What if Michael Distortion just continued to live Michael Shelleys life? Just shows up at the magnus institute to continue his job and neither Gertrude nor Elias/Jonah can get rid of him because technically Michael has a contract as an archival assistant.

Edit: Link to fic :)

[northernrosewritings]

Badly summarized WIP game

Found from @mel-writes-with-her-dragons who had an open tag :)

Believe it or not the two chosen one points are unrelated, I just like the chosen one trope a lot lmao

[smallest-turtle]

Mors, taking Cor into his own personal guard after it's become clear that Regis is serious about him being in his retinue: This is beneficial. The boy will get proper, hands-on training on what being in the King's inner circle truly means and what is expected of him. This will make up for his common origins and keep a lack of experience from being another headache for my heir when I die. I am making things easier for everyone.

Regis: WHY ARE YOU STEALING MY FRIEND