#crucible series

[brontios-helm]

Destiny 2: Covetous Gaze

[blackberrysummerblog]

So many more than six sentences and not quite Sunday

On the heels of my sad!post, here’s something hopefully more fun: a bit from my never-ending WIP, the married-bythe-crucible au I’ve had in drafts for over a year. This snippet isn’t newly written and I’m crossing my fingers that I haven’t posted it before. I’m actually just going to post a huge fat chunk so there will probably be at least something new. Aaaand if I’ve posted the whole snippet before, no I didn’t 😢 It’s under a cut for mild spice. Thanks for the Wednesday tags @youarenevertooold @aristocratic-otter @confused-bi-queer @artsyunderstudy and @valeffelees!

Snow runs into the bedroom ahead of me, turning at the last moment to hurl himself onto his back on the bed. He’s cackling wildly. “Their faces!” he wheezes, clutching his stomach and kicking his heels on the duvet. His wings stretch up and out, then curl in and fold themselves neatly.

I lock the door and cast a silencing spell around the room.

“Oh Merlin.” He pushes up on his elbows to look at me, his eyes shining with mirth. “When you came out with, “the pitter patter of little claws on the Italian marble’...” He drops back onto the bed and gasps for breath.

Smirking, I approach slowly, acutely aware that neither of us is wearing any more than short swim trunks and t-shirts, and the paltry quantity of fabric is suddenly seeming far less than adequate to keep us out of mischief. “It’s not that they believed any of it,” I tell him, reaching out to place a hand on his bare foot. He’s still cooler than usual, from the pool. I love him singularly.

Snow must have closed his eyes for a moment, because when he lifts his head again to regard me, he’s squinting at me with just one eye. “It’s that you sided with me. To make a joke at their expense. They’re gobsmacked.”

Crowley. Simon Snow is completely thick, but now this. He’s understood exactly. “It’s unforgivable,” I murmur, but I’m smiling, partly because he’s laughing again and it’s contagious, and partly because I’m stroking the top of his foot with my thumb, and it’s skin touch close Simon love and unbearable more ache die. I’m falling into myself while being inescapably yanked toward him, as surely as a Crucible joining.

I climb up onto the bed and Simon's feet slide apart readily, making room for me to crawl between his legs. I do, putting a hand on one bent knee while pressing a kiss to a mole on the other. Snow’s eyes are closed but he smiles in a way that almost seems smug; he wriggles back and forth for a moment as though preening under my attention. “You like that?” I murmur, deliberately keeping my eyes above the drawstring of his (my) exceedingly small swimming trunks. He whines when I push his shirt up as far as it will go and begin my ascent, one mole at a time: one on his hip, two like small round twins just beside his navel, and on and on. He hitches at each touch of my lips, but otherwise remains silent until I reach the one right at the edge of his left nipple.

“Baz,” he whines, reaching for me. And Crowley, I’m weak, because I lower myself onto his chest and nuzzle into his neck, kissing and mouthing at any available space I find. He’s everything. I can’t believe that this is a thing people feel, this all-consuming need for another person, and that he’s letting me be this near to him. One of my hands cups the back of his head while the other grips his waist, kneading him as he squirms beneath me. “Baz,” he says again.

I push myself up, hating myself for the wreck I must look. “What, Snow?”

His cheeks redden, and of course that only makes me want him more. Everything he does makes me want him more. “I just like saying your name,” he stammers, eyes shifting away from my face. “It makes me feel...closer to you.”

“Oh.” I hear the softening in my own voice.

“Baz?”

“Yes?”

“I like you a lot.” It’s a small statement, murmured quietly, yet it feels momentous. “Really, really a lot.” Simon reaches up, taking my face between his hands. They’re warm now, I notice dimly. “No one’s ever treated me the way you do. Like I’m...valuable. I know that sounds stupid,” he adds defensively, his fingers tensing along my cheekbones as he juts his chin up at me.

Valuable. Treasured. Cherished. Beloved. All true, and all so difficult to surmount the sincerity of; it may well kill me. But I lower my face to kiss the side of his eye; as it flutters closed I feel his lashes against my cheek. “You are valuable, Simon,” I choke out, despising every word and the vulnerability the confession inflicts upon me. “You’re the most precious thing I’ve ever known.”

His smile feels legendary, the way it lights me up from the inside. I’m so hopelessly, hopelessly lost. And then his legs wrap around the back of my knees, followed by his tail, pressing our hips close together. Oh.

Have a great week everyone! No pressure tagging: @rimeswithpurple @papierhaikuphoto @nightimedreamersworld @aristocratic-otter @valeffelees @c0nsumemy5oul @alexalexinii @prettygoododds @you-remind-me-of-the-babe @nausikaaa @thewholelemon @supercutedinosaurs @youarenevertooold @cows4247 @larkral @confused-bi-queer @asocialpessimist @aceumbrellaheroes @cutestkilla @hushed-chorus @stitchy-queerista @ic3-que3n @raenestee @bookish-bogwitch @forabeatofadrum @ivelovedhimthroughworse @orange-peony @thehoneyedhufflepuff @bazzybelle @theotherhufflepuff @iamamythologicalcreature @ionlydrinkhotwater @fatalfangirl @facewithoutheart @palimpsessed @letraspal @stardustasincocaine @whogaveyoupermission @onepintobean @wellbelesbian @j-nipper-95 @ileadacharmedlife @imagineacoolusername @sailorblossoms

[themundanemudperson]

[wildtornado-o]

The sopping wet meow meow ever. God this poor man. He must've been absolutely freezing </3

Anyways. Forthing in an actually almost bottle green coat jumpscare

Og Image for the first one under cut

[hiddenobject-fanblog]

Got a collection of Phantasmat games recently when it was on sale on Steam. Man do I miss Hidden Object games!!

[junk-jester]

Damn, that's a good sword.

And with it in my collection, all I gotta do now is wait for SS 109 Bumblebee Movie Concept Art Megatron to arrive in the mail on the 7th, just so it has a proper wielder.

Until then, SS Gamer Edition 04 War for Cybertron Megs will do in the meantime, because it still works.

[macaron-n-cheese]

The guy who plays Jefferson in the Washington miniseries (1984) is Thomas Putnam in The Crucible (1996) woahhhhh

he was also in Amadeus and Ravenous omgggggg

AND Beetlejuice

[konigs-left-pec]

If anyone is looking for a casual destiny clan, hit me up or apply by clicking the link! We're small and casual so it's more of a community. We do all content and we're interested in raids once we have enough people.

There's no pressure as we're all working adults with families, so we're mostly on in the evenings and weekends.

Just be kind and respectful. Toxicity won't be tolerated.

The Queen's Rangers

XB1

NA

All platforms welcome.

[rap541]

Announcing.... The Primacy Crucible Series!

Yes, I am close to publishing my next book! It’s actually a four book series , a YA dystopian. The series is called The Primacy Crucible – hence the title of this post! The first book is called The Culling. Ominous, right? Oh yeah. I’m posting the cover art and if people would like to see a few sample pages, I just might be considering that so let me know! Here’s the book cover art!

[shallicomparetheetolagrenouille]

2023 in books: n. 9

Much better than the previous one, although it will forever be very weird to have Napoleon Bonaparte (and Nelson and other historical figures) as an actual character interacting with the dragons and other fictional people.

I am glad that the consequences of the previous adventures are faced, here, with Ferris having to make do with what Corps-adjacent tasks he can find and Laurence having to find ways to stop being ‘just an Officer’ and actually step in when his intervention is needed in negotiating or organizing an attack or an escape which does not involve his only crew

This felt more adult than the previous books, both because of the need to face the consequences of one’s actions and because of the toll of the dead - before now there had been serious deaths, of course (Levitas, the young officer who fell from Temeraire’s back while fleeing from Turkey, a few other secondary characters, both from ‘our’ and the antagonists’ sides), but having spent seven novels with Tom Riley as a near-constant, made me feel the loss when he died so suddenly, not even because of an enemy’s action, but because of a terrible storm. Also, Granby’s losing part of his arm was a big blow. But I have to say that the stakes finally correspond to the setting and to the duties of characters in roles such as theirs - they feel less cartoonish, now, and more like characters in a war setting

I am also glad that Granby finally seems to be taking Iskiaerka into hand, because she is unsufferable - as funny as her outbursts and actions sometimes are, she is the most cartoonish of the dragons, in my head (both visually, with her long, snakey body and ever-fuming back ridges, and behaviour-wise), and her being so spoiled just makes her stick out from the others who, though sometimes young and prone to hilarious moments of selfishness and pouting, have their roles in the Aerial Corps as an actual responsibility in their heads, rather than considering it a made-up set of annoying tasks to be endured so as to have a Captain on their backs

I liked this new version of the human-dragon dynamic in the Incan Empire, I like how in this new area of exploration there is yet a new way for them to interact, with the dragons being the ‘head of the family/clan’ and being jealous of their humans - I also liked that Hammond ended up in the middle of such a situation and seems to be unable to come out of it!

Ah, finally the team is back together! I am so glad that for the last two books (I hope, at least) we’ll get Lily’s formation back as main characters, I missed them very much!

I am certainly intrigued by this new trip to China and I saw from the little preview of Blood of Tyrants (at the end of the book) that they will end up in Japan! And that Laurence and Temeraire managed to get separated once again - I am looking forward to seeing how the situation is solved!

Happily, a nice read!

[pkmatrix]

Started Crucible of Gold last night.  Didn’t expect to see Hammond again!  Sad to see Laurence and Temeraire abandon their nice little valley with Temeraire’s grand pavilion left unfinished, but I figured they must if their adventures are to continue.

I legitimately didn’t expect Iskierka and Granby to reappear so early in the book!  That was a delightful surprise (and OMG Kunlingile still so sweet)!

I read through...that part...early in the book and was, if not shocked, just deeply sad.  We’re seven books in and this is the first time since, really, the first book in which we had to say goodbye to a major character.  I wasn’t ready! T_T

[brontios-helm]

Destiny 2: An Eight-Legged Job

[blackberrysummerblog]

Six Sentence Sunday

Thank you for the tags, @captain-aralias, @letraspal and @palimpsessed! Thanks as well to @aristocratic-otter and @ileadacharmedlife for the tags on WIP Wednesday. I’ve been totally exhausted from work lately, and I’m just finishing up my fic for Erotic Grope Fest, so I’m going to share an excerpt from my AU where Baz and Simon were married by the Crucible. (I really need to get a working title or something so I stop describing it every time yikes 😬)

This scene has yet more Fiona! I had some fun writing a conversation between Baz and his aunt that happened after she froze Simon’s face, but this takes place after that, when Fiona finds Simon and attempts a heart-to-heart with all the warmth you’d expect, lol.

Simon

I’m playing Legend of Zelda with Mordelia when the game room door slams open to reveal Baz’s mad aunt standing there like she’s spoiling for a fight. Great. Granted, I was ready to murder her after she spelled my hands over my mouth an hour ago, but I no longer feel like getting into it. “What’s the matter, Fiona, lose track of your latest one-night stand? He didn’t run through here.” All right, I feel a little like getting into it.

The corner of Fiona’s mouth lifts slightly, but the overall effect is of distaste. “What’s a one-night stand?” Mordelia demands, and Fiona cackles at my mortified expression.

“Something the Chosen One knows precious little about,” Fiona says, plopping down on the end of the couch.

“That’s not a bad thing!”

She lifts an eyebrow at me; Christ, she’s Baz all over. “Mordelia, Vera just took a fresh batch of cupcakes from the oven,” Fiona says, and I’m already standing when she points a finger down toward the cushions. “Not you, Golden Boy. Park it.” She catches Mordelia’s controller as it’s tossed in the air.

“I’d have liked a snack too,” I mutter sourly once the door’s closed. “You could at least bring me one if you’ve got plans to kill me—let me have one last meal and all.”

Fiona rolls her eyes. “Jesus,” she snarls, reminding me that Baz once told me she thinks it’s punk to swear like a Normal. He really isn’t intimidated by her at all. It makes me wonder if she’s all bark and no bite. “Do you just burn all that food into the magical ethos, Snow? At your age it shouldn’t just be evaporating off your bones anymore.” She squints at me. “Although…you do look a bit rounder round the edges than you were when you got here.”

“Thanks.” I glare as she brings an unlit cigarette to her lips. “Don’t smoke that in here.” Of course she fucking does, though. She snaps her fingers at the end and lights the cigarette without breaking eye contact with me.

“What are your intentions with my nephew, Snow?”

You’ve got to be kidding me—she can’t be serious. “What?” When she only stares, I wave my hands, palms up. “I’m married to him!”

“You know damned well what I mean. Are you gathering reconnaissance on Basilton for your cut-rate Robin Hood mentor?”

“Reconnaissance…”

“It means to—”

“—I know what it means!” We scowl at each other for a solid ten seconds, then I drop one hand to the game controller in my lap, fiddling with the buttons while my other hand tugs at my hair. “I mean, what would there even be to report? Baz’s not running a human sacrifice ring. Not one that I’ve seen yet, at any rate.”

Fiona blows smoke in my face. “Would you stand by him if he were?”

She’s ridiculous. I flap a hand through the putrid cloud and scowl at her. “I’m not up to anything underhanded, Fiona. Merlin. This place is stocked to the rafters with forbidden books and artifacts; I’ve not said a word about it because it isn’t my business. You lot seem more concerned with keeping up the appearance of punk goth darkness than in getting on with anything actually sinister, anyway. Oooh, you’re so scary, like the Addams Family.”

I swear she tries to bite back a laugh. I wave at her smoke again and Fiona sighs and points her wand up. “Clear the air!” It��s like the air in my lungs just got ten times lighter, somehow. I feel clean, refreshed, and the smell of Fiona’s gross cigarette is gone, although the smoke is still visible above her head. “How do you feel about my nephew, Chosen One?”

I’m in love with him, I almost say, but I catch myself just in time. Did that spell do something besides clean up Fiona’s noxious fumes? “I care about him. A lot.” I flip the game controller over in my hands, watching as Fiona turns away and looks at the tv, resuming play on the game. Cautiously, I shift around and do the same. “I won’t do anything to hurt him, Fiona. And that includes hurting his family. Even you.”

She does smile then, although it’s with only one side of her mouth. She doesn’t look at me, just the screen. “You know about what happened to Basil when he was five. What he…is.”

I lick my lips. “He’s my husband. That’s what he is. I lo—” Fuck. I grimace when Fiona swivels back around to hold me in her gaze. “Fine.” I shrug. I’ve faced worse than this. “I love him. Go ahead and laugh at me, or don’t believe me, I don’t really care. I just…do, though.”

Her eyebrows lower; like Baz, almost all of her facial expression takes place on her forehead. Fiona chews at the inside of her cheek for a moment and then turns back to the game. “Have you told him that?” I shake my head. “Why not?”

“I don’t know.” I watch her from the side of my eye. “D’you think he’d want to hear it?”

It must be more frankness than she was expecting, spell or no, because her face creases up. “I think it’s better not to hide your hand too long, Chosen One. I won’t have you playing with him.”

“Yeah, been right clear on that, you have.” I keep my sight focused straight ahead as Fiona turns to see if I’ve said what she thinks I’ve said, and then she gives a short bark of laughter.

“Watch it, Golden Boy,” she says, stabbing the burnt stub of her cigarette in my direction before turning back to the game.

Sorry if I’m tagging anyone who’s already posted! @rwithoutaspoon @cutestkilla @thewholelemon @aroace-genderfluid-sheep @aceumbrellaheroes @onepintobean @confused-bi-queer @facewithoutheart @hushed-chorus @sillyunicorn @basiltonbutliketheherb @ileadacharmedlife @asocialpessimist @bookish-bogwitch @aristocratic-otter @takenabackbytuesdays @martsonmars @nightimedreamersghost @ionlydrinkhotwater @shrek-gogurt @fatalfangirl @raenestee @artsyunderstudy @ninemagicks @larkral

[iceninja1996-blog]

Cool clip from Iron Banner today

[flaviathebibliophile]

The Games Gods Play by Abigail Owen (ARC Review)

Title: The Games Gods Play Author: Abigail Owen Type: Fiction Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Romantasy Publisher: Entangled: Red Tower Books Date published: September 3, 2024 A complimentary physical copy of this book was kindly provided by Kaye Publicity and Red Tower Books in exchange for an honest review. The gods love to toy with us mere mortals. And every hundred years, we let them… I have never…

[st4rshiptr00per]

OH..THERES THE MOTHERFUCKER ALREADY......lowercase other...