#darkhymns

[frayed-symphony]

Since it's launch day for #TalesofSymphonia I can finally share my @talesfanzine art! It's an illustration for @darkhymns-fic 'With Tea, Stew, and Character Creation'. Zine leftover sales will be starting March 15! Read the story here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/45115171

[star-junk]

“Then how about I give you a goodnight kiss in exchange? For always putting up with me.”

Inspired by @darkhymns-fic beautifully haunting writing

[mannatea]

when you're writing someone else's blorbos it's always a weird and unnerving feeling to wonder if you're doing them justice.

[star-junk]

Sweet Lord Almighty! I'm completely wrecked over how incredibly dark and beautiful your writing is. The masterful use of your similes and descriptions; Husk's drowsiness, the palpable danger in Alastor's presence alone.

And The Defeat (Alastor's triumph) in their interactions.

And the line: "It's my day off, boss... "

I'm telling you I stopped breathing!

I read all of your fics at least twice because they're just that amazing and perfect! I wish my art did more justice to your talent, regardless please look forward to another humble art offering! <3

And never stop writing!

Overtime

On his day off, Husk gets a visit from Alastor. It's routine.

Fandom: Hazbin Hotel Characters/Pairing: Husk/Alastor Rating: M Word Count: 1627 Notes: Warning for suggestive situations here and some dubious consent. Just a short fic inspired by this art from @star-junk. It just really made me want to write something with it, so I hope it's okay!

--

It’s the creak of the bed that finally wakes Husk up. Wide-eyed. Fur standing on end. Vulnerable.

Maybe he should be surprised, but he's not at all. All he can think about is how damn tired he is. He’d already had to deal with errands and stocking up the bar, the crates full of bourbon and absinthe wrecking his back as he carried them. He’d had to deal with multiple grabby hands from the same eight-eyed customer, who whined about not getting his attention. And as well, any weird new activity Charlie was cooking up for the hotel residents, and pulling him into it. Not like Husk’s seeking redemption. He isn’t foolish enough to believe it could ever be for him.

There’s a small dip from behind him, on his bed. Another creak. It’s dark, but Husk doesn’t really need to see. The soft shine of red tells him everything he needs to know.

Another of his boss’s little visits.

Husk’s not alert enough to decide what to do. His limbs still feel heavy and his mouth is all dry from drinking himself to sleep. The weight keeps moving around on top of him, softly treading, like an animal through the brush. What makes it all the more eerie though is that he can’t even hear the shadow over him breathe.

That’s when he feels the hand on his wing. 

He grits his teeth, then shivers. His throat rumbles with a sound he could barely restrain, still moving out of the shades of sleep. 

Husk realizes too late that he’s not wearing anything. He always goes to bed bare, his own fur a bitch to deal with.

Finally, a voice.

“Dear Husker,” Alastor whispers, leaning down just a bit. The filter over his voice seems to dial all the way down to low. “You sleep so deeply. And it’s already past noon.” He tsks. “Such a layabout.”

Husk softly groans, all as Alastor keeps his hand in that same place. “Well, I was sleeping fine before you fucking showed up. And what do you care how I spend my Saturday?”

He doesn’t need to look to know how deep Alastor’s smile is, how it cuts into his face until it’s all he is.

Before Husk can even ask what’s the goddamn occasion now, the hand on his wing shifts. A thumb rubs against his feathers, the palm edging across the bend of his wing. The upper feathers are shorter, but they’re also sensitive. He’d give his own bottle of whiskey away if it meant he’d just have less of these stupid fucking soft spots of his, where any stimulation at all just did something to him.

And Alastor knows just where such spots were. Just right there, at the wing’s curve, where the feathers softened, where the red edges into the black. The wings had always been such a cruel joke, with its alternating patterns that resembled some cheap roulette wheel. It was always the one game it had been impossible for him to cheat at.

Alastor’s fingers curl into his wing, the thumb continuing to rub patterns, as if he’s memorizing every soft thread that makes up Husk’s body.

“Come on, why are you–” Husk cuts himself off, his body still struggling with the depth of his fatigue. Infuriating that this is all it takes for Alastor to get such reactions from him, and that he knows just when to do it.

But, despite it all, Husk finally gets his body to half-turn instead of just stretching like some depraved animal. His room is still covered in shadows, with only barely muted hallway light coming from the doorway crack. 

None of that matters. He can still easily make out Alastor’s face, his smile like a crescent moon shining over dark woods. Red swam over both, its color searing into him. He’s still fully dressed, unlike Husk. As if he had just left a social meeting, and then went to his pet for a little play.

“Are you sure you weren’t just waiting for me?” the demon above him asks with a low laugh. “You reacted just so quickly, even for you.”

Now he’s actively trying to piss Husk off, but then there’s another touch. This time, right at the inside of his right thigh. Husk shivers again, and this time, he can’t help but arch his back, just slightly.

Alastor’s expression doesn’t change, even as his fingers part through the fur, trailing through white and black. Even as his other hand keeps weaving a soft language into Husk’s feathers. He plays his body like an instrument, fingers tapping along invisible keys that make the one beneath him sing in a melody so few others would ever hear.

And Alastor is certainly enjoying the show before him.

It’s hard to escape. It’s hard to want to escape.

But he manages to speak, even when he’s lost to the soft touches, to the way they grip and hold. They don’t let go. The fingers are greedy, and Husk is all too familiar with greed and its call.

“It’s my day off, boss…”

Even an ironclad soul like his deserves a little mercy.

Alastor leans down, never letting his fingers rest. They change course, maybe even change tempo, but the insistent petting and stroking is still enough to make Husk into a useless pile of limbs and heat. “Then perhaps you should work a little bit of overtime for me.”

The fact that he’s trying to crack a fucking joke with me now.

Husk flinches, one eye shutting as another wave of warmth rolls over him. Hard enough to sleep with his wings that keep getting in the way, that he could never hug to his body tight enough so that they just disappear. Because not even just Alastor, but everyone loves to grab them. It’s too much. He hates it. He hates how his body just betrays him like this.

“You don’t pay me enough for this shit,” he shoots out. He manages to keep his voice steady, his tone deep, at least for that. He glares up at Alastor, letting the red light leak into his eyes. It always burns when he does so, looking directly at the Radio Demon. 

It’s like looking at his forthcoming death.

Alastor notices. So, he shuts his eyes. And then, he lets a hand rush up Husk’s thigh, then up his chest, until they reach his chin. He leans further down, and down. And down.

Until the tips of their noses brush against the other. Until Husk can finally hear the soft breathing from Alastor, can feel it against his fur.

“Then how about I give you a goodnight kiss in exchange?” he asks, finally opening his eyes. The glee in them is almost manic. “For always putting up with me.”

All these stupid games Alastor loves to play.

The fingers grip his chin, while the others over his wing continue their dance. “After all, I know that’s what you like.” Then, a wink, almost coy in its motion. “You’ve always been such a romantic.”

It’s stupid how Husk’s breath hitches at the thought, even when a nightmare looms over his bed, because that’s what Alastor is. The Radio Demon is every awful, heartstopping sound in the dark. He is every fleeting shadow that you see out of the corner of your eyes. He is every ancient folktale that elders warn their children about, of the monster that takes those lost souls who live on the fringes. And he eats, and eats, and eats.

But like any shapeshifting monster, Alastor can look as pleasant as he wants. And right now, his voice is soft, and his hands still play Husk for every note he can find.

Husk opens his mouth, trying to breathe. He lets his tongue run over Alastor’s thumb, which presses just against his bottom lip. Everyone does play with his wings, but only Alastor knows just how to use them to full effect.

“Deal,” he says. It’s barely audible, like the last breath of a dying man. But Alastor understands. He always does.

The kiss is different from the touches. Alastor is a hungry demon, and he shows it through his mouth the most. Lips press down deeply over Husk’s own, and sharp teeth clash. It’s hard and biting. The kiss stings Husk’s tongue, overwhelms his mouth. It’s like being force fed poison all the while.

But the poison is spiked, because kissing Alastor is always so, so addictive. Husk leans his head up, drinks from it as much as he can. He feels the hand wander down his feathers, move between them and pull gently. Because he likes the texture, Alastor once said to Husk. It calms him. It’s pleasing.

Sometimes, he even takes a feather for himself, using it as a quill. And Husk has to see it in the boss’s room sometimes, a piece of himself that is being used, again, and again, and again–

Husk’s wings move to stretch and wrap around Alastor, like a shroud made with red and black, studded with stars and symbols. He brings the nightmare closer. It’s only half against his will.

Maybe one day, he can make them both disappear.

“More,” he groans out, staring into the red, like falling into a sky at dusk. “If you’re gonna make me work like this.”

The shadows don’t hide for him. They grow into shapes that stretch from Alastor’s head, that cover up the walls into pitch black. He doesn’t care, feeling the promise of that kiss again as a tongue presses against his lips.

“Oh, Husker. With me, you never have to work a day in your life.”

He’s too lost to get angry at the comment.

Alastor wears Husk’s wings proudly around his shoulders as he steals him away once again.

[seine-draws]

A tribute to a really beautiful fic written by @darkhymns-fic, "To Resonate With You." It's a touching post-canon story told from Lloyd's POV

You can read it here ♡

[artyartpile]

Colloyd Commission done for @darkhymns-fic for her fic, "Being an angel is pretty inconvenient, huh?"

Fic linked here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/47754391/chapters/123484600

[youlighttheskyart]

I'm a day late because I was out yesterday, but HAPPY BIRTHDAY @darkhymns THANK YOU FOR INTRODUCING ME TO THIS RAREPAIR OF #radiohusk LOVE YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING ONE OF THE BEST WRITING BUDDIES AND BEST MULTI-SHIP, MULTI-FANDOM FRIENDS EVER

[arahusk]

“You secretly like being told what to do. And I like getting what I want.”

There are many ways Alastor asserts his control over Husk. But, he insists, it’s all out of love.

--

An attempt at a multi-chaptered fic using the prompts from Top Alastor Week. Currently, there's three chapters now! This is also rated explicit with a focus on toxic power dynamics so careful there.

Excerpt under the cut:

It all started with a stupid party trick.

Alastor hadn’t asked permission at all when he had just started unwinding the bowtie wrapped around Husk’s collar, all in plain sight of everyone else. The only warning Husk got had been the soft brushing of claws against his fur.

“What the—” he managed to say before that same unraveled bowtie then wound around his hands, keeping them firmly together. And somehow, tying up a small knot at the end so that he stayed that way.

“There we are! The snake’s tango! And all while one-handed!”

Husk looked at his bound hands, trying to experimentally tug it loose. It didn’t budge at all.

Fuck.

“Wooo baby!” Angel was applauding fiercely, leaning back on the sofa with both a wide-eyed Sir Pentious and a vibrating Niffty. “Got me right in the kinks!”

“Watch it!” Husk reflexively tried to flip the spider off, but forgot immediately that his hands were quite literally tied.

Out of the corner of his eyes, where he saw Alastor sitting in an armchair, he caught a grin that was even more smug than usual.

“Well, that’s great for Show and Tell today, Alastor!” Charlie, sunshine incarnate, was also politely clapping while Vaggie next to her put on one of her iconic sour frowns. “But remember what I said about boundaries? I think what would be best for next time is to ask Husk before doing a demonstration. Consent is cool!”

Husk blinked slowly before looking back to his hands. It was like he was locked in constant prayer, his claws resting against each other. “Yeah, that’d be swell.”

“Now, Charlie, the goal of the trick is to do it by surprise!” Alastor said with a flair of his cane. “Husk himself is a showman, so he understands.”

A growl left Husk, one that was low in his throat, barely audible. “You’re a fucking riot.”

“Okaayy!! Well, we can talk more about boundaries next time! I’ll be sure to put that in my planner. Husk! Did you want to go next?”

He gestured with his bound hands, wrapped in red, the sash entwined around his claws. “I’m gonna have to pass on that.”

And then he was left like that. For the rest of their redemption exercise. Hands tied, seated on the sofa, all while he felt Alastor’s eyes bore into his head.

It lasted too long, but when Charlie finally gave the signal—a double thumbs-up for an exercise well done—everyone quickly left the parlor. Angel gave Husk a wink and maybe an obscene gesture with his hands as he walked away, but Husk only rolled his eyes.

He wasn’t left alone though. He heard the familiar hum of dead air fizzling through a speaker.

“Can you untie this shit already? Not like you have an audience anymore.” His tone was gravelly, his inflection sharp. He could swear his hands were going numb from the strain.

No answer. Just the same monotone drone. Husk waited, trying not to give into temptation. Alastor would only want him to look.

“Boss.” His throat felt tight over the title. “What are you waiting for?”

Shadows solidified right beside him on the sofa, like a puddle of tar that had dripped onto the soft cushions and had somehow gained sentience. It shifted into Alastor’s form, who was now leaning an elbow just at the top of the couch, above Husk’s head. His cheek rested into the palm of his hand lazily.

The Radio Demon said nothing, only continuing to stare down at Husk with not even a hint of music in the background. Just the silence. Husk unconsciously closed his wings in.

It was an eternity before Alastor raised a hand, then gently placed a tip of a claw against the back of Husk’s hand.

“I’m not done with my trick yet.”

Read the rest on AO3

[undertale-fic-librarby]

Do you have any betrayed Undyne fics

Howdy, thanks for asking! Here are some fics that might fit what you're looking for!

Standing By Your Side Whether You Like It or Not!!! by Darkhymns (General Audiences, Complete)

Many things have changed since the human left the Underground. A few monsters had vanished under mysterious circumstances, the even more mysterious Queen had returned to rule, and Undyne now worked within the fast food industry. Also, Undyne was being both very mysterious and moody lately. His best friend clearly needed some support, and who better to support her than the Great Papyrus?!

To Turn the World Right-Side Up by UndervaluedAgent (General Audiences, Complete)

Mad Mew Mew hasn't seen Undyne in a while. She tries to go to Papyrus' sink to be alone, only to be met with a surprise, somewhat welcome and somewhat not.

Our Dying Light by orphan_account (Teen And Up, Complete)

Undyne had once thought herself unstoppable and powerful. Now she was gone, and Undyne is left with her regrets weighing on her shoulders. Day 5 of Undyne Appreciation Week.

Don't Make my Feelings into Fish Sticks Please, I’m Pretty Sure That’s Cannibalism by captain_shitpost (Teen And Up, Complete)

Undyne survives after a robot is killed.

Clinging Together Like A Lifeline by NoOneWillFindMeHere (Not Rated, Complete)

I want the world to know that halfway through writing this fic I was almost sick. So yeah. The writing's that bad. This specifically is the Undertale ending branch where the human did pacifist up to Undyne, befriended her, then killed Mettaton. Because that ending is fucking miserable.

[tosrcountdown]

🌠 5 Days Left! 🌠

Last for today is an art/fic collab by @frayed-symphony​ and @darkhymns-fic! Tabatha starts a garden with Lloyd and Colette's help, but her adoration for her dwarven master is always on her mind.

The story focuses on Tabatha’s origins, her bond with Altessa, and her blossoming friendship with Lloyd and Colette as she learns how to grow her plants with care. 🌱

Read the fic here! - To Sow the Seeds of Love and Adoration https://archiveofourown.org/works/44959855

And here is the fic preview!

[frayed-symphony]

☕️Welcome to Wings Café!!🍔

Based on this story by @likes-words-and-shrimp!

[star-junk]

"It unnerved him again when Alastor said nothing. No static. No bursts of sound. Only the shifting tendrils that formed around him like arms, one of them dangling the whiskey bottle by the neck, popping open the cap which fell to the floor."

Inspired by @darkhymns-fic wonderful fic ✨️

[konfizry]

You know what, fuck it. Konishi talking about his favorite line, but it's (poorly) subbed in French

(you can check out the whole event by clicking the link on Darkhymns' post; this particular bit is from part 05)

[likes-words-and-shrimp]

Chapters: 7/7 Fandom: Tales of Symphonia Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Colette Brunel/Lloyd Irving Characters: Lloyd Irving, Colette Brunel, Genis Sage, Raine Sage, Zelos Wilder, Sheena Fujibayashi, Regal Bryant, Presea Combatir, Kratos Aurion, Yuan Ka-Fai, Dirk (Tales of Symphonia), Frank Brunel Additional Tags: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Injury Recovery, Post-Canon, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Wingfic, Eventual Romance, Mutual Pining, Self-Acceptance, Happy Ending, POV Multiple, Body Horror, Transformation Words: 36,180 Summary:

Lloyd had never been too fond of his wings. But they were still useful, and convenient when they needed to be. It only made sense to use what he had. Until his wings changed one night, and became permanent, with real feathers attached to bone. And they were heavy.

Looking back on 2023, I think one fic I'm really proud of writing is this one, a multichapter Symphonia fic I was able to complete, with a focus on Lloyd and his wings taking on a different transformation. It's seven chapters of Lloyd and Colette dealing with the painful and difficult changes, but also the rest of the party helping them on this new shift in their journey. If you decide to read it, I hope you enjoy!

Just have some more additional thoughts for this fic under the cut:

Since this year for Colloyd Week was going to be its 5th year running, and it was also Symphonia's 20th anniversary, me and @frayed-symphony wanted to do something a bit more special with the prompts this time. We decided to bring back some prompts from previous weeks while still using a new quote day and the usual free day. (Here's the prompt list with her art which everyone should see) With that in mind, I also wanted to do something a bit different for myself writing-wise, and tell a story over the course of each of the prompts!

The tidbit about mana wings eventually becoming more feathered versions is actually a bit of lore taken from the Kratos novel. Essentially, if an angel uses it for too long, the wings will become a permanent part of the body, the mana solidifying into feathers. That's why we see a lot of angels in Welgaia floating about with feathered wings, and explains why Kratos, Yuan and Mithos don't keep theirs out consistently. And the reason for the title, it's from the Lloyd's Thoughts on Angels skit because I thought it would be fun to make all those angelic issues relevant for this fic.

I really wanted to use this bit of canon lore for Lloyd, and whether it's an effect of his unique Exsphere, or anything else, his wings succumb to the same transformation. But, well, it's more than just the wings changing here.

I also wanted to play more with Lloyd's self-consciousness here and the guilt he probably still carries with him when he failed to notice Colette suffering in time. Lloyd is also the unifying force for the party where he helps inspire and lift them up from each member's own troubles, but I also wanted to see this reversed while Lloyd is going through his own baggage and past traumas. It was also more interesting to write about Lloyd going through physical changes the way Colette did in the game and have that comfort role-reversed.

A lot of this fic was a learning process! The wings in Symphonia are just a favorite aesthetic for me, and learning about how they can change was really intriguing, so much of this fic centered around the Wings prompt. I was also planning on having everyone play a part with the Soulmates prompt, which I felt was fitting for Symphonia's anniversary year. Much of the later half of the story came as it went, like with the focus on Dirk, and the very last chapter that's a few years in the future, where Lloyd has a better handle on who he is now.

Change itself is also something I just wanted to focus on overall; how we change as people, or how our loved ones change over time. And sometimes change is frightening, but it can also be exciting and learning to accept and welcome it can also feel rewarding in the end. I think I wanted to show that in this fic, though how well I succeeded kinda depends on the reading, and maybe I was heavy-handed with the wings metaphor haha.

But also, I just wanted to write a longer cute ship fic of my OTP. That's another reason. :D

Compared to most chaptered fics, this isn't very long, but I like that it's contained enough at just over 36k. I still have other Symphonia WIPs I want to finish, but I'm really proud of completing this one, and a big thank you to those who've read and commented on this fic! Symphonia has always been special to me and I'm glad I could celebrate both the game and my favorite ship this way.

Around the new year, I'll probably make a Symphonic fic recs list for stories I've read this year. If you read this far, hope you'll look forward to it!

[crush3dmary]

Sair's Fic Recs 2023

Stuff that lives in my head rent free. I may try to update this list from time to time, but these are my All Time Faves (tm). This got long so under a cut. Mostly Tales of Symphonia/Crestoria/Yugioh with some others sprinkled in there.

Tales of Symphonia

Daystar by Windian T / 2.6k / oneshot / Genis/Mithos / character death I'm a sucker for Cruxis Genis AUs and this made my heart ache.

My Goddess by silver_fish T / 4.3k / oneshot / Kratos/Yuan/Martel / no warnings apply Musings on the Kharlan War: Taylor is one of my favourite authors and I'm proud to call them a friend now too, this was the first work of theirs I read and it hit in all the right ways.

Better Luck by QuillMage G / 3k / oneshot / gen, Zelos centric / no warnings apply A fascinating study of the parallels between the people Zelos has allied himself with.

Holy Mother by Phlyarologist T / 1k / oneshot / gen, Mylene centric / no warnings apply Study of Mylene before her death. I really really loved the characterization in this fic, such a fascinating look into Zelos' life and family pre canon.

Guardian by VSSAKJ T / 10k / oneshot / gen, Kratos & Zelos / no warnings apply Lol I'm blocked by this author on twitter but the fic still slaps. A "what if" about the sort of father-son relationship Kratos and Zelos could have had pre canon.

Journey of Forlorn Hope by toniwilder T / 52k / incomplete / gen, Zelos centric / violence, suicide If you liked the "Zelos as chosen of regeneration" bit from Weltschmerz you'll love this. Frankly I think it knocks my fic out of the water, but unfortunately it was never finished. It's still an interesting take on the concept that differs from how I pulled it off.

Lights Out by theexistentiallyqueer G / 400 words / oneshot / gen, Zelos centric / character death Musings on Zelos' "bad end". Absolutely gorgeous.

Paradise by caseyvalhalla M / 3.5k / oneshot / Zelos/Lloyd / mild sexual content Lloyd and Zelos in Flanoir. Well known by now, but one of my favourite zelloyd fics out there.

Between Day and Night (an Everlasting Twilight) by SuikaShoujo T / 8k / incomplete / gen, Zelos centric / no warnings apply My wife's fic! A take on what Zelos' life may have been like in the years between "you should never have been born" and the start of the game. Everyone read it and go bug her to update.

Kratos dies on Derris Kharlan. by jonphaedrus T / 1.3k / oneshot / gen, Kratos centric / character death I'll be the first to admit that Kratos isn't my bias but holy shit, after reading this fic I get it. There's something so wonderfully tragic about his arc and I love that in this time loop fic, every loop ends the same.

Dead Man Walking by SuikaShoujo T / 3.5k / oneshot / onesided Zelos/Lloyd / suicidal ideation This was written for me right before me and my wife started dating, but it's still to this day my favourite of her stuff. I love onesided zelloyd just as much as requited zelloyd, and to this day I still go back and reread this fic, it impacted me that much.

The Broken ones by KujaTribal M / 202k / complete / Zelos/Raine / sexual content, violence I don't remember the last time I was as unable to put down a fic as I was when I was reading this one. An absolutely INSANE (affectionate) epic surrounding Raine and Zelos unleashing a new enemy. Made me see Raine in a completely new light.

Tales of Crestoria

You had it coming by Darkhymns M / 6.8k / oneshot / Vicious/Aegis, onesided Aegis/Rebecca / no warnings apply I'm in a mutual block with this author for unrelated reasons, but this is still one of my favourite fics of all time, like hands down. It was such a beautiful exploration of Aegis' grief and guilt, which is something I wish fic authors would play around with more. One of the only fics to ever make me cry.

Don't Leave by RisuAlto M / 300 words / oneshot / Vicious/Aegis / no warnings apply Some musings on a Viae FWB relationship. Risu if you're out there I miss u but no seriously, I still wonder how you were able to pack such a punch with just a few sentences.

iced tea imported from england by r0wlets T / 1.8k / oneshot / gen, twins centric / no warnings apply Honest to god another one of my favourite fics of all time because funny enough, when I was reading it I laughed so hard iced tea came out my nose (it was, however, not imported from England, just the same old Canadian stuff we get at the grocery store). Parody/crack fic about the twins.

Sinister Desires by bibliophileemily M / 800 words / oneshot / gen, Aegis centric / some violence and sexual content Another study of Aegis that I can reread over and over again. It surprised me to hear Emily wasn't too big on Aegis before she started reading my stuff, because I read this piece she did and thought "you GET it, you GET him". Great little ficlet about Aegis' repression and desires.

The Two-Faced Breeze by SystematicAphrodite M / 90k / ongoing / Aegis/OC / violence Yall ever give something you're a little averse to a chance and end up just totally loving it? Yeah, that was me with this fic. I started reading it in its early days and offered some crit, and SA (who is a good friend of mine) took it and ran with it and turned this story into something excellent. A totally interesting and wild take on Crestoria's lore with a very fun OC. If all fics were as creative as this one I'd never get bored.

Other Tales

The Most Honest Truth by Gargant (Tales of Xillia 2) T / 50k / complete / Julius/Rideaux / no warnings apply Canon divergence AU where Julius looks for a way to save Elle. I won't give away too much, but the journey is just as important as the destination here, I've reread this fic so many times.

Closure by secretagentfan (Tales of Xillia 2) E / 9.6k / oneshot / Victor/Jude, Ludger/Jude / noncon, sexual content I only bookmark porn if there's plot and HOO BOY did this one ever hit. It almost felt more like a character study than it did porn, which I think is why it resonated with me so much haha. Takes place during the fractured dimension where you go to Victor's house.

Volunteer by vandesdelca (Tales of the Abyss) M / 1.8k / oneshot / gen, Van centric / no warnings apply I'm rusty on abyss but Elivan's stuff just gets me every fucking time man. The Van studies and the exploration of why he is the way he is... gut punch after gut punch, and the fact that I got destroyed in less than 2k words!? Impressive. This one in particular I really, really recommend.

Blame by vandesdelca (Tales of the Abyss) T / 300 words / oneshot / gen / no warnings apply Same author as above, this is one of the fics that got me hooked on second person as a style of writing. Amazing prose, and you know how I feel about prose.

Out of Oblivion by silver_fish (Tales of Arise) M / 19k / oneshot / Alphen/Shionne / suicide and violence And again Taylor never fucking misses. A study of Shionne and her relationship with suicide- so much of this resonated with me and my experiences as someone with BPD, I swear I've read this like at least 5 times since it got posted. It's a heavy read, but so worth it.

Achillea by DisappearingMuse (Tales of Berseria) G / 396 words / oneshot / gen / no warnings apply I'll be the first to admit I'm rusty on berseria knowledge but the PROSE in this, damn. I had no idea my heart could break in less than 400 words.

ripe and wicked plums by pixiecircle (Tales of Berseria) E / 13.8k / complete / Velvet/Magilou / sexual content, character death AGAIN, I wasn't much of a magivel shipper (though my Berseria knowledge is a little stifled these days) but this fic absolutely blindsided me. Warning for porn, but the way the author develops their relationship through their series of trysts is just beautiful. The perfect amount of heart wrenching angst to satisfy me.

Yugioh

Scar Tissue by Cliscia E / 91k / unfinished / deathshipping / **warning for everything you can possibly think of I am not fucking around** Bad End AU where Ryou obtains all the Millennium Items and makes the entire world his plaything, particularly Yami Marik. This is my favourite fanfic of all time, NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART, and unfortunately was never finished. Still, it tore my heart out and made me feel things I didn't think fiction could make me feel.

Can't Take It With You by parsonsaj T / 212k / complete / some tendershipping at the end, mostly gen / violence A character study of Ryou Bakura from the beginning to the end of the series. Okay so. This is another fic I absolutely zoomed my way through, all 200k+ of it, because I was just so hooked. I love the author's interpretation of Ryou and the canon divergences were so good. This fic actually inspired something I've got planned at the moment (for symphonia, sorry ygo fans) and I just know I'll be rereading the hell out of it.

Dusk by Ariasune T / 7k / oneshot / thiefshipping / violence Anyone who knows me knows I'm a suck for those "in between" moments we don't see in canon and this fic just satisfies all those urges with thiefshipping for me. And the prose!! Oh my god the prose. I love it.

but what remians by orphan_account T / 823 words / oneshot / gen, Ryou centric / no warnings apply Another second-person fic that really just hits. Wish I could have seen who the original author was and leave them a proper comment, but this little piece is such an interesting dive into Ryou's mindset re: being the host to a malignant spirit.

Rien by RandomDraconic T / 6.9k / oneshot / gen, implied tendershipping, Ryou centric / no warnings apply A beautiful exploration of Ryou's grief with losing Bakura and all the complicated feelings that come along with that. After I read this fic I thought about it nonstop for like 3 days but forgot to bookmark it and spent forever trying to track it down again. It's another one that Just Hits, Man.

Every Loop, It Feels So Real (The Puzzle Pieces All Conspire) by SheIsHoldingACat T / 3.2k / oneshot / gen, Kaiba centric / violence, character death This is another fic I think about over and over again, as you can see by now I'm a real suck for anything with time loops and Charles is an excellent writer who pulls it off beautifully. This one is an exploration of Kaiba's mind crush coma where the only way out is to heal his inner child. Yeah, it's just as good as it sounds!

AN UNWHOLE HALF // IMBALANCE by SheIsHoldingACat T / 11k / ongoing / tendershipping, puzzleshipping / violence I couldn't help myself from putting another Charles fic on here, even if this one isn't finished yet. His writing style just vibes with me so much, and he does my boy Ryou so much justice. One of my favourite interpretations of Ryou here (along with Scar Tissue).

To the Heart by girahimu_sama M / 128k / complete / thiefshipping / no warnings apply I just finished this one recently and it absolutely blew my mind. A canon divergence AU where Marik and Bakura form their partnership before Battle City, culminating in a redemption arc for the Thief King. Can't recommend this one enough.

Other

caught up in circles by sloppybxtch (IT movies) T / 15.3k / oneshot / Eddie/Richie / no warnings apply My sister went through a Reddie phase and I am adamant about the fact that I'll read anything, so they sent me a couple Reddie fics and this one really stuck with me. Time loop with a happy ending, and the fic that showed me how effective it can be to play around with formatting (which is now a staple in my works).

Aeromancy by Measured (Fire Emblem: Tellius) T / 16k / oneshot / Ike/Soren / violence Canon divergence AU where Soren is royalty. I'll admit I need to revisit this one, but I remember it having just the perfect gut punch after gut punch and really loving the writing style.

Mistakes by Antartique (Fire Emblem: 3H) M / 5.5k / oneshot / gen, Sylvain centric / referenced sexual content and abuse Another one that made me go "ah, I get it now". I was neutral about Sylvain until I read this character study.

Through the Night by ageha_nacht (Dr. Stone) T / 999 words / oneshot / Senkuu/Tsukasa / no warnings apply Okay so, once again I don't go here but I'll read anything and my friend Ageha said it was her best work, I can definitely see why. Highly recommended if you're up for a short but emotionally devastating read.

[top-shelf-tender]

HazbMym Hotel here!

Have you gotten to read any of

https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darkhymns/pseuds/ivypromises/works?fandom_id=106248250

These? Excellent Radiohusk fics. If you have, then just shouting them out ig!

{{I haven’t, but I super appreciate all ya’ll sending me RadioHusk content to consume~}}