#darkling wade

[mama-qwerty]

Feeling antsy with ao3 down for maintenance? Looking for something to read (or reread)? Wanna revisit something you liked but forgot about?

LOOK NO FURTHER

Take a gander at my Snippets and Shorties - catch up on what you may have missed, or reread some past faves.

[cyberverse1998]

I saw this drawing of Dark Wade a VERY LONG time and I just had the mode to colour it.

@mama-qwerty

@doomfox

[doomfox]

new chappy, entirely by @stillafanofsonic!

[stillafanofsonic]

Eclipse: OH GEEZ WHAT IS THAT ITS SO UGLY?!

Dark Wade: You.

Eclipse: And the even uglier one?

Wade: (slightly salty) ……………. Your shadow

LOL

[fosermi]

For an art suggestions: Eclipse climbs and then gets stuck in a tree

Hope ya don't mind, but I used the WFMA as the inspo for this one ^u^

I had a blast doodling this one!!

bonus: Shadow is done with Eclipse's shenanigans

[the-sky-queen]

This is just for fun and giggles but what would Blake do if he met the scu boys? (I think they would be fascinated by his prosthetic arm but also tell him that he's going too far with his mischievous ways)

*rubs my hands together evilly* >:)

Oh yeah, you're absolutely right. The arm is super cool, but Blake makes some . . . questionable choices. Blake would probably try to rope the boys into setting something on fire with him, but he'd scatter the moment Tom and Wade show up. XD He has experience with the police and since Evelyn isn't here, he doesn't have anyone to bail him out of jail, so he's gotta be more careful.

Once he finds out the boys have Police dads, Blake would stay away from them more. But in all honesty, I think he'd keep coming back because he sees them as potential allies! Young impressionable minds, fellow mobians! He could get them on his side and they could burn down the world together! (Honestly, Blake doesn't care anymore WHICH world he burns down, just so long as he burns down A world.)

I'm still behind in WFMA, but I wonder if Eclipse might be kinda on board? XD Just a little bit? (clippy no)

[marvelmusing]

Dark Depths

Pairing: Merfolk!Aleksander Morozova x Human!Reader

Summary: As the childhood friend of the mermaid Alina, you’re unimpressed when she trades her tail to the Darkling in exchange for legs, especially when she uses her newfound human-ness to chase after a prince. No one but the Darkling seems to see how you’re feeling.

Warnings: brief allusions to smut, brief mentions of death, human to mermaid transformation

My Masterlist

“You’re the Darkling.”

The figure swims towards you in earnest now he knows he’s been spotted, propping his elbows on the edge of the rock you’ve perched yourself on. He lifts a dark brow, surprise colouring his features in response to you.

“Alina told me about you - before you stole her voice.”

The accusation in your tone is poorly disguised. His deep black eyes see right through you.

“She gave it to me willingly.”

“But you still didn’t have to take it,” you protest quietly with a childlike pout, your arms crossed over your knees as you press them to your chest.

“You’re angry with me.”

Staring down at the rock you’ve seated yourself on, you unfold your arms and begin to trace your fingertips over the rough surface.

“Not just you.”

“Alina?” he guesses.

You nod.

The mermaid you had befriended as a child had fallen in love with the prince of your small seaside kingdom. Striking a deal with the Darkling had given her the legs to walk to her prince, in exchange for her voice. The power of Alina’s song can manipulate sunlight; it seems an uneven trade in your opinion.

“I don’t really see the appeal.”

“Of the prince?”

“Of being human.”

In the midst of autumn, the sea isn’t cold enough for him to be wearing the thick coat that all Grisha are born with. Briefly, you wonder where he keeps his coat and whether it is as black as his tail.

Lifting your eyes, you meet his gaze steadily. The longing in your heart must be visible to him, as he moves closer. He pushes himself upwards, firm muscle tensing as he holds his upper body above the water line. Beneath the frothy waves, you can see his shadowy tail swishing rapidly to keep him upright.

The urge to retreat prickles over your skin. Alina had told you stories of the Darkling’s power over the shadows. There are rumours that he dabbles in dark magic which you suspect have some truth to them - after all, how else would have given Alina legs? The Darkling is also figure of folklore for the people on the shore - a scary story to keep young children from wading too far into the sea.

He holds a hand out towards you.

“Come with me.”

“I can’t swim.”

He tilts his head, a small frown creasing at his brows.

“I thought most humans learn how to swim when they are children.”

You duck your head bashfully.

“They do. We do. They tried to teach me, when I was young. I wasn’t very good at it, so they gave up on me.”

“I’ll teach you.”

He tugs lightly on your thighs, hooking his hands beneath the crook of your knees to encourage you. Fear sinks in your stomach, though you can’t deny how much you want to follow him into the sea.

“You’re trying to drown me, Darkling.”

He shakes his head adamantly.

“I’ll teach you,” he repeats.

“I can’t.” The words come out as a whine, distress at the edge of your voice, pleading with him to stop offering you something you aren’t strong enough to deny for much longer.

He reaches into the pouch at his belt, pulling out a necklace of some sort.

“Would this help?” he asks, holding it out between you both. You frown.

“What is it?”

“Alina’s power. There’s enough in this gem to give you a tail.”

His words have you halting in place.

Everything you’ve ever wanted is hanging from his fingertips, swinging gently in the sea breeze. The buttery yellow crystal glimmers in the sunlight, power swirling in its depths. He lifts the necklace up over your head, placing it around your neck. Tracing your fingers over the chain, you stare down at the small jewel.

“I can’t take this from her.”

“She’s with her prince.”

“A prince who doesn’t love her.”

He shrugs casually.

“Human love shifts like the tides.” When he sees the frown on your face, he elaborates in a gentle tone, “Humans are fickle. Alina is a pretty girl and they can grow to tolerate one another.”

“Tolerate one another,” you remark dejectedly. “It isn’t exactly the True Love she’s been hoping for.”

“Sometimes we don’t get what we hope for.”

What do you hope for, Darkling? The question is on the tip of your tongue as you watch him eyeing the coastline with a guarded expression. His gaze returns to you, the moment he sees you shiver as the cold breeze bites at your skin.

“We would have to get you a coat as well.”

Warmth flushes over your cheeks at the doting intimacy in his eyes. Then the sound of a dog barking breaks you apart. Both of you turn towards the noise and you tense when you see Alina walking arm in arm with her prince. Of course she would bring him here, to the little cove that has been your private safe haven for years.

The weight of the Darkling’s eyes on your face feels like a delicate caress, one that has embarrassment burning down your neck.

“When you change your mind,” he says softly. “Stand in the shallows with the crystal in your hand. Call my name and I will come for you.”

“I don’t know your name, Darkling.”

He leans forward, pressing a tender kiss against your cheek. The soft brush of his lips is warm, an unfamiliar tingle prickling over your chilled skin as he murmurs,

“It’s Aleksander.”

Then he disappears beneath the waves.

»»---------------------►

Whenever you visit the cove, the Darkling seems to find you. Ever since your first meeting, he has remained in your thoughts, and you’ve considered his offer much more than you know you should. The crystal hanging around your neck feels heavier by the day.

He lingers in the shallows and you wade through the ice cold water, shivering as goosebumps spread over your skin. The water splashes around your legs as you walk beside him, mildly vexed by his constant presence and the place he’s carving for himself in your life.

“I didn’t say your name.”

“Not with your lips,” he concedes calmly.

The flimsy waterproof jacket you’re wearing does little to keep you warm or dry. It certainly can’t compare to his coat - a magnificent heap of black fur shielding his shoulders, lining the cloth hood that he had pushed from his head the moment he had seen you. The dark fabric of his cloak clings to his body, soaked by the seawater.

“Grisha are born with their coats,” you state.

He nods. The fur is a part of him, the cloak added by Grisha whose song has the ability to manipulate cloth.

“How… how would I get one?”

His gaze is firm as he studies you, dark eyes flickering pensively between your own.

“Since you were born on land, you would have to kill another creature of land.”

“Kill?”

He nods again, slowly.

“Some Grisha replace their coats, with the hide or fur of an animal they’ve slain, to amplify their power.”

Subconsciously, your eyes land on his coat.

“Have you ever done that?”

He stiffens.

“No.”

Fearful that you had offended him, you look down at the water that sways against your waist. The chill of it soaks through your clothes and another cold breeze soon has your teeth chattering.

“Are you cold?” he asks. You shake your head. He laughs, a harsh sound that jostles the fur at his shoulders. “Come here.”

“Further into the water?”

Incredulously, you raise a brow at him, though he seems to see the fear lingering in your eyes as you stare at the grey water between the two of you. Slowly, he moves towards you, as close to the shore as he physically can with his tail. He curls his fingers around your wrist and you’re surprised by the heat of him.

The warmth of his hand weakens some of your resolve, allowing him to guide you gently into his arms. A small groan of unexpected pleasure escapes from the back of your throat, as your cheek presses against his bare chest.

“How are you so warm?” you ask, barely aware that you had spoken aloud. He breathes out a soft chuckle as he slowly pets your hair, smoothing back the windswept locks.

“Grisha have thicker skin than humans.”

Even as you loop your arms around his waist, your body continues shaking with the cold that has nestled inside you, as the water laps over the middle of your chest.

“I don’t think I’d survive the winter.”

His grip tightens on you.

“You would.”

He nuzzles his nose against your hairline, lips brushing over your forehead.

“Some Grisha hibernate.” He must feel your frown against his skin, as he soon elaborates, “They fill their cave with soft corals and sea plants, find a good mate to keep them warm, and then they go to bed for the majority of the winter season.”

Ignoring the word mate, you remark quietly,

“I don’t think I could sleep for that long.”

He chuckles again.

“There are herbs for Grisha who struggle sleeping during hibernation.” He presses the barest hint of a kiss to your hairline. “To keep you drowsy and sated.” He nudges his nose against your temple, lowering his lips to graze the shell of your ear. “And I’ve found there are innumerable activities to partake in bed, should sleep evade you.”

Heat burns over your cheeks, thrumming down your body and you squirm in his arms, like a fish caught in a net, which seems to please him. He holds onto the nape of your neck, squeezing firmly in a subtle display of dominance and you melt under his touch.

His hand moves to cup your jaw, almost cradling your face as he looks down at you. The most dangerous creatures lurk in the darkest depths of the ocean and his eyes hold every ounce of that danger. A predator poised to strike. His fingers curl around your throat.

“Darkling,” you gasp. “Please.” His grip on your throat tightens and your body throbs with desire - an endless longing that aches inside you.

“Say my name,” he demands.

You crumble.

“Aleksander.”

He grins, victorious. The glow of the crystal hanging from your neck illuminates his features, dark eyes shinning with triumph as he leans forward to kiss you hungrily.

Surrendering to his kiss comes easily to you, each motion of his lips against yours carries you further from yourself - like an undercurrent sweeping you away. Magic tingles over your skin, hairs standing up as sensation rushes through your body.

“I intend for you to be mine,” he breathes out against your lips. “Wholly and completely.”

His teeth drag lightly over your lower lip, tugging gently on the supple flesh as his hands squeeze at your hips. Turning to face him, you look up into his eyes with vulnerability shining in your gaze.

“And you’d be mine?”

His eyes darken.

“No one but you would lay a finger on me.”

“I want that. I want you.”

He grasps the back of your neck tightly.

“Careful, little human. Those who make deals with me only gain what they want after losing what they need.”

“I need you, Aleksander, please. I can’t stop thinking about you.”

Whether it’s the sound of his name from your lips, or your words themselves, you’re uncertain, but whatever resolve Aleksander had been maintaining is shattered and his mouth descends onto yours. He devours every sound that escapes from the back of your throat - every moan and whimper as you scramble to hold onto him.

He groans when your fingers thread through his hair, tugging instinctively on the dark strands before your hands stroke over the fur of his coat. A shudder runs through him, as he unzips your jacket. The material slips off your shoulders easily, floating away the moment Aleksander discards it. He steps further into the water, drawing you deeper into the sea.

The waves caress your collarbones, water soaking through your shirt and you whimper as fear settles in your stomach.

“Aleksander-”

He hushes you instantly.

“I promised you a tail, didn’t I?” He presses his lips against yours once again, lithe fingers unbuttoning your remaining clothing, his hands tugging at your trousers. “But you need to be bare for the transformation to begin.”

“I don’t have a coat yet.”

“The change isn’t permanent.” He pulls your shirt off and you whimper as the cold water covers your bare chest. “With practice, you will be able to change back into your human form on a whim.” He mouths a line of kisses over your exposed throat and you squirm as he rasps against your skin, “We’ll search for the stag together.”

Blinking in confusion, you attempt to focus on his words, thoroughly distracted by his touch and kisses, especially when he reaches under the water to remove your shoes - the final piece of clothing on your body.

“Stag?” you gasp. He hums with a small nod as he murmurs,

“For your coat.”

His explanation doesn’t alleviate the frown on your face.

“Together?”

He grins mischievously, a wicked glimmer in his eyes.

“You thought I was bound to the sea?” Wide eyed, you nod slowly. He laughs, hooking a finger under your chin. His thumb smooths along your jawline. “Oh little human, have you forgotten who you’re talking to?”

“Will it hurt?” you ask meekly. An unfamiliar intensity burns in his eyes.

“Yes. But it will be bearable.” He kisses you softly. “As long as you relax and allow your body to change, it will do so naturally. Don’t fight it.”

There’s a fierce ache in your legs, deep in your bones and pinching at every inch of muscle. A cry catches in your throat and you cling onto him. He kisses your shoulder reassuringly as he moves backwards, deeper into the sea. Panic spears through your stomach and your heart beats wildly against your rib cage as your feet leave the safety of the sandy seabed. Instantly, you flail in the water.

“Keep your legs closed,” he instructs you.

“But-”

He keeps one arm around your waist, holding you upright against his chest, whilst the other cups the back of your head. There’s a pressure under your skin, as if something is simmering beneath the surface, waiting to break free. It weighs you down, threatening to drag you under the waves.

“Don’t try to swim. You’ll only hurt yourself.”

His thumb grazes over your collarbone.

“Just relax. I’ll keep you afloat for as long as you need.”

The ache is in your chest now, the skin over your ribs splitting open as gills crack into existence over each of your sides. There’s blood in the water, curling around your bodies as colourful splotches dance over your vision. A breathless cough heaves at your shoulders, as the air in your lungs grows thinner by the second.

Aleksander murmurs reassurances against your ear, his hand petting the sensitive skin on your bare sides as you wheeze for breath. He kisses your cheek, his nose nuzzling there affectionately, though you can barely feel it as dizziness overtakes you. His words are muffled, but you feel them ring through your body.

“Are you ready for the rest of your life?”

Then he drags you beneath the surface of the water.

»»---------------------►

marvelmusing Tag List: @dreamlandcreations @blanchedelioncourt @idaofinfinity @slytherheign @ellooo0ooo @vixenofcourse @dumb-fawkin-bitch @jane-arthur @ilikefictionmen @budugu @watersquirtpewpewboomm @mysweetlittledesire @dhampiravidi

S&B Tag List: @motheroffae @daddymaster21

Aleksander M Tag List: @nyctophiliiiiaaa @jazmin2211 @wooya1224 @seronsalk

BB Characters Tag List: @rachlovesactors @noortsshift @aikeia @weallhaveadestiny @two-unbeatable-beaters

[grimfox]

stardust

from all that once had ended:

catalyst in flux.

a thrust of limitless intension,

must we hunt these vivid

myths in dust?

the crumbled leaf and bark,

the hard, and all relief,

are siezed in stumble-dark.

the startled pleas retreating.

feeding something's

under-meaning, deep-departed.

all the stars in ardor screaming for release,

the beast within, a starving heart,

or darling darkling in the evening.

all the lost,

parading endless,

innocent, or,

enervating.

ever-wading in the senseless

struggle-blood.

a-love vibrating.

[usmsgutterson]

I wanna love you til we’re food for the worms to eat- this one is summer fluff! Give me two activities/events you typically associate with summer, your character of choice and gender pref for the reader, and I’ll write 3000 words with that!

swimming and picnics withhhh nikolai <3

Sandwiches- N.L x gn! reader

Hi! Thank you for sending this in, it was a blast to write and I'm sorry it's taken me nearly a full two weeks. June has been a very busy month and I've only gotten my footing now that I'm in my last full week of school before exams and graduation, but still! Thank you for sending this in and thank you for your unending patience

As for requests generally, things will hopefully start coming out pretty steadily as of friday! I have a ton of wiggle room this week and even more over the next two and will be spending a lot of that time writing, which will hopefully help my productivity skyrocket lol.

I did go off the request a little (I involved genya, david, zoya, tolya, tamar, and nadia because otherwise I wouldn't've figured out how to move the fic forward) but I hope thats okay!

Fic type- this is just. this is pure fluff

Warnings- mentions of the darkling and what the darkling did to nikolai

Summers in Ravka had always been blisteringly hot. It was annoying, almost, but the transition from late spring to early summer came at you faster than you could've expected. Summer always felt like it was pulled out from under a rug and was never something you quite anticipated, especially not the sheer warmth of the sun beaming at you from nearly all directions.

The transition from spring to summer became especially obvious when you noticed the dandelions popping up in the fields, some of which Zoya collected and gave you for the lime and dandelion iced tea you'd make in big batches when the weather was at it's hottest. You loved the process and often could be found by the lake with Nikolai, drinking a glass of iced dandelion tea that'd been spiked with lime liquor or the dandelion wine Nikolai had shipped in from Novyi Zem during early spring.

That day, it seemed, was no different.

Well, it was slightly different. You and Nikolai had packed a picnic basket with all of the best food from the kitchens--sweet rolls galore, Nikolais favorite food and your own, a couple of the sweets you both liked, and the picnic staple: sandwiches.--and had put on your swimming clothes to spend the day in the lake.

The temperature was at a high of 30 degrees Celsius and it was too hot to focus on anything other than how hot it was while cooped up indoors, and as such Nikolai had given Tolya, Tamar, Nadia, Zoya, Genya, and David the day off. You'd not seen them yet but you had no doubt that Genya and David would find you in the lake eventually, Tamar and Nadia at their heels, Tolya and Zoya probably not far off either.

But, for the moment, you chose to enjoy things as they were. The water was cold, the lime and dandelion tea spiked with dandelion wine kept cold in an ice filled cooler, the sun cascading across the lake in beautiful beams of light. You were determined to enjoy the day and not be deterred by work or the responsibilities that you would step back into the moment you woke the following morning.

Your determination had proved to do wonders by the afternoon, when you had not thought of work since Nikolais arms had found your waist as you idly looked through the librarys catalogue and he'd whispered of a day spent by the lake as you soaked up the sun.

You'd spent most of that day just talking to him. Not focusing on work or having work related discussions, just standing waist level in the water with his arms around your shoulders, talking about the absolute, the complete and the utterly mundane. Your lives had gotten so busy that it was nice to not have to focus on work, and it was incredible to just ask him how he was doing and hear all of the boring particulars of being a royal in turn.

You waded further into the water as Nikolai asked: "What of you, love? Outside of work and going to sleep next to you every night, I feel like I don't know anything of you lately."

You grinned. "I've been reading a lot," you said. "Brushing up on foreign policy, helping Zoya maintain her garden and missing you, if I might dare to be completely candor. I love you, Nik, but how busy we've both gotten is ridiculous."

Nikolai laughed, and you laughed, and then you were turning your head and pressing a kiss to the left side of his jaw and your heart was going still, the rapid thump of it dissipating from your eardrums as it calmed. Part of you was waiting for Nikolai to make a silly but flirtatious remark to get it going again, knew that because Nikolai was Nikolai, it was really only a matter of time.

"I know," Nikolai said. "I've been horrid at managing my time as of late. I've got a relatively relaxed next while, though. Had my advisors make sure of it."

You pressed another kiss to his jaw. "I love you,"

Nikolai laughed. "I love you too."

The two of you carried on like that until the sun was burning low and the sunset was near, between an hour and thirty minutes away at least. You carried on laughing, making jabs and growing flustered whenever the other gave a flirtatious remark or a glorious smile.

You'd missed Nikolai more than you had thought, and every time he would laugh your heart would swell, your body filling with so much contentedness that you could've evaporated within the depths of it. Everything about Nikolai was the picture of calmness, assuredness and composure, and his presence was usually a constant as you were a consort--soon to rule alongside him, if he would ever propose--and worked within the depths of his palaces, a member of his council and one of his guards on the night shift a few days a week, waiting for the demon of the Darklings creation to come out of hiding as it did whenever you were not there to put him in the handcuffs he wore while he slept in the Darklings old quarters.

You had missed him like nothing else, and there was not a moment of that day that you weren't cherishing. It was a glorious day in summer, your mind was not focused on work or the particulars of the palace, and you were determined to enjoy it and do nothing but enjoy it.

You swam for a little longer, engaging in a splash war--which, with great humility, you ended up winning--against Nikolai and laughing when Nikolai tried to get you back for it twenty minutes later, claiming another victory against him within a solid ten minutes.

You relaxed, floated about the lake and let yourself stop thinking for a while, sat on the docks for a break to breathe and look at the sky while Nikolai floated about the lake and remarked about how relaxing it was to do so. You closed your eyes, created waves in the water by idly kicking your feet to keep it from getting too cold.

You opened your eyes again and reapplied sunscreen despite the sunset drawing nearer because you didn't want to take any risks with the health implications of not applying sunscreen at all. Nikolai approached and wrapped his arms around your waist, humming as you began to run your hands through his hair and massage his scalp, a comforting silence settling between the two of you as he idly ran his thumb up and down your hip.

"'M sorry I've been working so much," Nikolai said, breaking the silence as the sunset really started to close in on the two of you, the sky setting off into hues of oranges, reds, purples, light and dark blues and even a couple of spots of a deep blueish green. "Seeing you when we go to sleep or when you're putting me in chains in anticipation of the monster has been good, but I miss seeing you during the day. I'm sorry I let work cloud everything over for a while."

"It's as much my fault as it is yours," you said, pulling a hand through your own hair as your gaze moved to the sky again. Nikolai joined you on the dock, pressing a kiss to your forehead as he pulled you into his arms. The picnic food was to be eaten before the sun fully went down if all went according to plan, but you decided you'd let the two of you have your moment while you still could.

"I've been busy with things around the palaces. Helping Genya plan galas and palace events, helping David and Nadia with their experiments where possible, helping Zoya maintain her garden and looking after it when she got too busy to manage the upkeep, cleaning the kitchens in the afternoons and the early mornings for free sweet rolls and pastries from the cooks when they start baking just a bit after sunrise. We've been avoiding each other, I think, even if neither of us actually meant to do so. We both got really busy really randomly, but we've corrected our course, and everything is going to be okay. You don't need to apologize to me, Nik. I understand how life as a royal can get."

Nikolai smirked. "You'll be one soon enough, provided that I finally get my hands on a good enough ring."

You laughed. "I would be entirely willing to marry you with a ring made out of paper and twine, Mr. Lantsov. I do not need some fancy stone or excellently made ring to marry you. I've been willing to since we were nineteen years old," since you'd met him while he was Sturmhond, since you'd fallen in love with him while the two of you were at sea, and every day since. He was the love of your life, and, ring or no ring, that wasn't changing for anything.

Nikolai pressed a kiss to your lips--it was a quick peck, if anything--and it lingered, even as Nikolai opened the cooler and shot you a grin as he poured the iced lime and dandelion tea with the dandelion wine into two glasses.

You began to sort through the food from the picnic basket, passing out the first of a couple of different things between you and Nikolai when you heard the sound of an oh-so familiar scoff.

"They're not going to be out here," Zoya said as Tolya met your gaze, mouth splitting into a huge grin. "They've been MIA the entirety of today, but to spend the day by the lake? Nikolai is probably afraid that the lake water will ruin his oh-so effortless beauty."

"Or it's 30 degrees out today and effortless beauty be damned, Nikolai and Y/N decided to spend the day by the lake with dandelion tea and enough food to feed a small army," Tolya countered. Zoya met your gaze and just laughed.

"You convinced him, I'm guessing?" She asked. "You do love your swimming and picnics."

"It was entirely Niks idea," you responded. "I was going to spend my day in the library, but he quite literally whisked me away and now we're here. Tolya, there's an empty flask in the basket if you're wanting to pour iced tea into it. Fair warning, though, there's dandelion wine added to Niks taste."

Tolya gave you an appreciative nod as Zoya tossed you a towel from the bag you'd put them in near the edge of the docks closest to land. In thanks, you passed her your glass and let her take the first of the tea while you dried your hair and adjusted so that the towel acted as a barrier between you and the docks, thanking her when she filled the glass and passed it back.

"The AC is working better than we thought it would after the maintenance crews came in to fix the system a couple days back," Tolya said. "Though, true to it's roots, it's only working slightly in some places and doing overtime in others."

"The library in the Grand Palace feels like a bloody ice cube," Zoya said. "The corridors are well ventilated as it were, and they're cold enough to ease the sweating when you're walking around. The common rooms are well enough, too, but the meeting rooms and the dining rooms are less better off."

"Add an additional system," Nikolai said. "See what you can do to have an additional system installed, and make sure that the tea in the samovars is cold, at the minimum. The weather is going to hover between twenty-five and thirty degrees this week, so we need to do what we can to keep cool."

Tolya nodded as you took a sip of the tea, grinning at your beloved as he draped an arm over your shoulders and pulled you close.

"Enjoyed a day in the sun, then?" Tolya asked as Genya and David joined the four of you in relative silence, Nadia and Tamar also joining up not long after.

"We've been busy," Nikolai amended. "Took today to catch up, relax, and cool off while still getting enough vitamin D."

"You overbooked yourselves?" Tamar asked as you passed her a sandwich and grabbed your own. "At the same time, too? Saints, you're idiots. Idiots in love, but idiots even still." You glanced at Nikolai, who was barely managing to stifle a laugh.

"It's funny because it's true," David amended. You pressed your forehead against Nikolais shoulder to keep yourself from giggling, your shoulders shaking with silent laughter instead. You ate the first of your sandwiches and grabbed another, neither you or Nikolai saying anything and instead finding yourselves content to let your friends fill the silence instead.

You grabbed more tea for yourself and thanked the saints that the deserts you'd packed hadn't managed to ruin within the blazing heat of the summer sun once the deserts started getting passed about, idle chatter about up and coming events still swallowing the silence in random fits and starts.

You were content in the silence, though. Extremely content, so it seemed, and the bouts of silence were ones you didn't at all mind or feel bothered by.

How often did you get to have evenings like that one, anyway? Evenings where you, Nikolai, Zoya, Nadia, Tamar, Tolya, Genya, and David all crowded on the docks and ate all of the food you'd packed because some part of you had anticipated a few of them joining up anyway? How often did you get to get tipsy off of lime and dandelion tea with dandelion wine while you chatted with the people you loved like family and the man you were absolutely, completely and utterly certain you would marry?

The answer to that question was simpler than one might've thought. Nights like that were rare--so rare that you almost could not recall a night like it having occurred in the years since the civil war had ended. You were cherishing every moment, every bit of banter-y argument between Genya and Zoya, every quick kiss shared with Nikolai and every time your hand would find his where it rested on your shoulder and give it a squeeze.

It was summer nights exactly like that one that you loved the most. In the summer heat that Ravka typically dealt with, drinking tea with your closest friends.

At some point--likely close to eight--Tamar accidentally shoves Genya into the water. David goes to help her out and back up onto the dock, but she just grabs him by the hand and pulls him right in. Zoya jumps in before she can be pushed or shoved or experience an attempt at cajoling by Tamar or Nadia. Nadia dives in after her wife and Tolya does a cannonball that manages to have resounding water that falls gracefully in an arc over you and Nikolai onto the docks from a solid ten feet away.

You glance at Nikolai, grinning lightly as you catch the glinting mischief in his eyes.

"You've won against me in our water fights twice today," he said, smirk crossing his features. "What do you say I try to claim at least one victory before we head back into the palaces?"

You quirk an eyebrow. "Willing to make bets, Mr. Lantsov?"

"More than."

"If I win, we get the day off tomorrow. If you win, we can work a double for all I care."

"If I win, we ease up on our schedules in the evenings for the rest of the week, have picnic dinners out here, with more dandelion tea and wine than either of us will possibly be able to sanely consume."

You jumped into the lake at that, getting a safe distance away from him. You let him claim the victory and laugh as you realize your water fight has instigated another water fight where it's been split into teams of three, Tamar, Nadia, and Zoya against Genya, Tolya, and David.

You swam to join Zoya as she used her wind to make the splash of the water that much more powerful, where Nikolai joined David at his side.

"Easy week?" She asked as you sent a wave towards Nikolai.

"Easy evenings, lakeside picnic dinners."

"You picked good," Tamar said as she switched positions, Zoya on your right and Tamar on your left. "Not in the aspect of wave fights, but in terms of work."

You laughed. "I know I did," you said. "I have no doubted that I picked excellently for a moment since the very day I realized I had fallen in love with him."

"Contrary to your beliefs, I think Nikolai is the lucky one," Nadia amended as she sent a wind up and laughed as a large wave swathed her brother in law almost completely. "He's got the one and only person who makes decent dandelion tea in all of Ravka."

"I second that," Zoya said with a laugh. You sent a wave so big it got all of the opposing team at once, shouting your victory as Nikolai, Genya, David, and Tolya devolved into laughter.

Your heart was happy. You were so content in that moment that you never wanted it to come to an end.

-

Sometime later, after it had gone midnight and everyone else had gone to bed, you and Nikolai were drinking the last of the lime and dandelion tea and idly eating some of the unopened sandwiches that still remained. You were almost asleep, could feel Nikolais heartrate slowing beneath the palm that rested on his chest and indicating that he was just as tired as you were.

You were so overwhelmingly happy in that moment, the tea drank and the last of the food not having gone to waste in the end. You had a couple days more of sandwiches and dandelion tea to come, and you knew you'd appreciate each of them as much as you appreciated that day in and of itself.

[lostbrothersauask]

*comes in with a massive bag*

I come bearing gifts! Plushies for each of you! Shadow, this black cat is for you. Sonic, you get the blue penguin. Silver, I've got a white pony for you. And Eclipse gets the ducky!

*Each of the boys takes the plush given to him*

Shadow: *Faintly smiles at it. The smile is almost not there, but you can see it in the way his ears twitch and his tail shifts*

Sonic: You're now... hmm... Toboggan! I mean, that's what it's called when a penguin belly slides, isn't it? *His tail is wagging*

Eclipse: Lily. *He just stares at the duck*

Silver: *Gives you an amazed look, then cuddles it with a wagging tail* I'll name you snowflake!

Note: I took inspiration for the duck plush's name from Lily, Crusher of Skulls from @doomfox's Darkling Wade AU. OR is it @stillafanofsonic's whipple family AU?

[nonbinarycharmybee]

Eclipse hears Shadow say he's autistic and decides since they're siblings, he is too! Wade doesn't learn for months that Eclipse is telling everyone the autism comes from the Black Arms

"Eclipse."

Wade tapped his finger on the table as he stared pointedly at the darkling across from him, hunched over his plate and shovelling meatloaf into his mouth.

"Eclipse."

He looked up. "Wha-?" He asked with his mouth full. Wade frowned.

"Your teacher called."

Eclipse swallowed quickly. "Whatever she said, those guys were asking for it!"

"What?" Wade rubbed his temple. He could already feel the headache starting to form. "No. We're putting a pin in that. But no, she called about something else."

"Someone's in trouble~" Silver stage-whispered to Shadow, who rolled his eyes.

"Shut up!" Eclipse snapped.

"Can both of you be quiet? And Silver, stop antagonizing your brother." He pretended not to see the two stick their tongues out at each other. Pick your battles, and all that.

"Anyways. Eclipse, do you know why your teacher called to ask me if you were autistic?"

"Huh?" The darkling blinked. "Because I am."

"No, you're not."

"Yes I am."

"No, you're really not." There was the headache, right on schedule.

"Yes, I really am."

"Do you even know what it means?"

Eclipse shrugged. "Doesn't matter. If Shadow's autistic, that means I have to be too. That's how your stupid genetics works, isn't it?"

"That's definitely not how genetics works."

"Whatever," he huffed. "I'm still going to be autistic."

Silver perked up. "Hey, if Eclipse is autistic, I wanna be too!"

"Nobody here is autistic!" Wade snapped.

Shadow looked up.

"Except for you, Shadow."

Shadow blinked and went back to eating dinner and looking entirely disinterested in the conversation.

"Now, if either of you want an autism screening test, you can take it, but I highly doubt you'll pass."

"A test?" Eclipse stuck his tongue out. "Ugh, lame. No thanks."

Silver thought for a second then leaned over to poke at his brother. "Hey, if I do your chores for a month will you give us the answers?"

"........No."

[mama-qwerty]

The Big List of Qwerty Writing

This combines both my Snippets and Shorties lists, and separates them by category. So if you have a bigger interest in Eclipse stories, or Knuckles angst, it'll be easy to find what you're looking for. (The categories are in alphabetical order.)

Updated 2-26-24

~~~~~

Callie Stuff

A Bad Idea Made Better - (kind of a Knucklesverse piece) New Beginnings - gift for @doomfox - some Callie x Wade Dress to Impress An Evening Yule Remember - some Callie x Wade for ya Chaotix Babysit Badly Base Instincts Shopping with Silver Meeting Robotnik Meeting Sonic Two Dorks Fail at Flirting - check out the comic @katlyntheartist drew for this snippet, it's so goood! Chaotix & Callie The Reluctant Tutor

~~~

Darkling Wade

Feral Days - a preview of a larger story I have in mind but may never get to What's Right In Front Of You At the Lake The Hiss Instincts Qwertyverse Edition Darkling Wade and Callie - this version's based on @stillafanofsonic and @doomfox original Darkling Wade universe

~~~

Eclipse Shenanigans

Guitar Amp Being Godly Bad Memories Eclipse vs Broccoli Minecraft Eclipse and the Post Little and Broken Eclipse Goes Shopping Eclipse Goes Shopping pt 2 Eclipse's Splinter Eclipse in Springtime Eclipse and Dorothy Eclipse and Snow Eclipse's Stuff Eclipse's Favorite Color Eclipse Does Good Eclipse Loses Eclipse Loses pt 2 The Rock The Spat Eclipse vs Lobsters Eclipse Throws Up Eclipse and the Litter Boxes Wade and Eclipse's Pounce Game Mom Said No Eclipse's First Check-Up Eclipse Totally Isn't Cuddling Back Scratch Daddy Eclipse The Truth About the Child Leash

~~~

Knuckles Angst

Corruption Overload The Last Time - inspired by a drawing by @spoiledskullz Possessed Knuckles - inspired by a comic by @knuckie-head Birth of Power - inspired by a post by @movie-robotnik-positivity Soft Comfort Blind Stare Surprise Save The First Loss - inspired by a post by @aphantimes Tainted Energy - inspired by a comic by @guardian-of-da-gay Tainted Energy pt 2 Drained Chaos Knuckles and Child

~~~

Knucklesverse (some links will take you to the @the-knucklesverse blog)

Dark Deception Deep Thoughts A Brush of Comfort Seeking Council Stronger Together Dressing Up The Standoff Same Difference Playing a Round You're Not Me Unintentional Insult The Bonkening A Dark Discussion Callie's Arrival Little Z's Arrival Alone Together

~~~

Misc Pieces

Weird Company - a gift for @anartistwhowrites The Curious Case of Miles Prower - inspired by the art of @dakt37 for a de-aged Tails Lost and Found

~~~

Shadow Bits

After Treatments The Bite Hide the Hog Meeting Shadow

~~~

Wachowski Boys

Knuckles' Pumpkin - inspired by a drawing by @katlyntheartist Wachowski Halloween Poking and Protection - commission for @biconic-disaster25 Tom and Tails Bonding Sneaking In - inspired by art by @quazart Drone Home Sonic Babysits Sonic's 1st Birthday Mom's Done

[kaitlinamberxo]

Kaitlin's 100 Favorite Male Muses Masterlist

Documenting some of my fictional crushes over the years. Some are justified, some not so much, and in no particular order.

There are many that I attempted, but I couldn't do them justice.

1: Nate Archibald

2: Tyler Lockwood

3: Robb Stark

4: Bellamy Blake

5: Peter Pevensie

6: Din Djarin

7: Percy Jackson

8: Anthony Bridgerton

9: Bucky Barnes

10: Sirius Black

11: Cedric Diggory

12: Tony Stark

13: Aladdin

14: Prince Naveen

15: Leo Valdez

16: Newt Scamander

17: Flynn Rider

18: Scott McCall

19: Elijah Mikaelson

20: Benedict Bridgerton

21: Luke Castellan

22: Fred Jones

23: Conrad Fisher

24: Derek Hale

25: Fred & George Weasley

26: Bruce Wayne

27: Ron Weasley

28: Nathan Scott

29: Dick Grayson

30: Lucas Scott

31: Jaime Lannister

32: Oliver Wood

33: Clark Kent

34: Obi-Wan Kenobi

35: Jon Snow

36: Jamie Tartt

37: Joel Miller

38: Alec Lightwood

39: Poe Dameron

40: Klaus Mikaelson

41: Evan "Buck" Buckley

42: JJ Maybank

43: Anakin Skywalker

44: Sam Winchester

45: Steve Rogers / Captain America

46: Jacob Black

47: Reggie Mantle

48: Hobie Brown / Spider-Punk

49: Diego Hargreeves

50: Lincoln Kom Trikru

51: Simon Lewis

52: Hernan "Shades" Alvarez

53: Enzo St. John

54: Edmund Pevensie

55: Jake Fitzgerald

56: Raphael Santiago

57: John B. Routledge

58: Art Donaldson

59: Klaus Hargreeves

60: Daryl Dixon

61: Simon Basset

62: Tobias "Four" Eaton

63: James "Jim" Gordon

64: Dean Forester

65: Matthias Helvar

66: Isaac Lahey

67: Prince Charming / Kit

68: Thomas "Tommy" Shelby

69: Oberyn Martell

70: Dean Winchester

71: Chad Meeks-Martin

72: Jim Hopper

73: Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw

74: Dan Humphrey

75: Peter Quill / Star-Lord

76: Colin Bridgerton

77: Forsythe Pendleton "Jughead" Jones III

78: Wade Wilson / Deadpool

79: Kaz Brekker

80: Draco Malfoy

81: Sodapop Curtis

82: Peter Maximoff / Quicksilver

83: Phil Dunphy

84: Scott Summers / Cyclops

85: Haymitch Abernathy

86: Finnick Odair

87: Damon Salvatore

88: Johnny Storm / Human Torch

89: Harry Potter

90: Matthew Murdock / Daredevil

91: Jeremiah Fisher

92: Peeta Mellark

93: Remus Lupin

94: Stiles Stilinski

95: Aleksander Morozova / The Darkling

96: Prince Eric

97: Nikolai Lantsov / Sturmhond

98: Regulus Black

99: Peter Parker / Spider-Man

100: Alexios / Deimos

[doomfox]

This is a short one all about ducks

[stillafanofsonic]

Darkling Wade - Eclipse starts having self esteem issues after hanging out with the hedgehogs more, and noticing that humans seem to respond better to them because they're fluffy and cute. He wishes he was more like them...

Eclipse walked down the sidewalk with his brothers, the hedgehogs. The three of them were on the mission; they had each scourged up some change and loose bills and they were getting treats (candy for Silver, potato chips for Shadow and beef jerky for himself). He hadn't really wanted to go, but their dad had insisted, saying it was good for them to get out of the house. So here they were. After their snack run, Silver mentioned something about a library, whatever that was.

It was his first time around town just them, without their dad. All these humans around. Eclipse was doing his best to act like it didn't bother him. But it did. He could feel their stares and did his best to stick closely to his brothers.

The hedgehogs trotted on ahead of him, confident.

Suddenly a woman shrieked. "Don't touch me!"

Eclipse head snapped upward, yanked out of his thoughts in confusion. He hadn't done anything.

"Get away from me!" She yelled.

Instinct kicked in and he bared his teeth, realizing that as he passed, his spikes on his arm had caught on her skirt. "I didn't!"

She scowled. "Don't threaten me!" She looked over at Silver and Shadow. "Where is your father? I can't believe he lets this thing come out here unsupervised!"

Shadow didn't say anything but Silver spoke up. "He's at home... Our dad let's us walk to the store by ourselves... and he's not a thing, he's not hurting anyone..."

Her demeanor changed right away. "Oh, I see. Well, I know that neither of you hurt anyone, sweethearts but... he's.. different." She snuck a sideways glare toward him.

"How is he different?"

"Look at him." When she did, Eclipse snarled again. “I think you need to tell your dad about this, especially letting him out. ” When Silver nodded, confused, she swept on down the street.

The three of them stared after her. “That was weird...” Shadow said quietly. “C’mon.”

Suddenly, Eclipse didn’t want to be there anymore. On a street, surrounded by humans, seeing them everywhere. It was too much and he couldn’t take it anymore. “No, I’m going home.”

“What, why?”

“I just...” Eclipse couldn't tell them, neither of the hedgehogs seemed to understand. No one was yelling at them like this. “Bye,” he said and took off running back in the direction of safety, darting around and under and between many humans, going as fast as he could to get away from all of them.

Maybe his Father had been right, maybe humans really were the worst and didn’t deserve to be alive anymore.

***

Wade was at home, enjoying the peace and quiet when he heard the front door slam. That was surprising, he had sent the boys off to get a treat with their saved change and then library while he focused on trying to get more jobs lined up for the rest of the week. "Hello?"

"I hate humans!" He heard Eclipse snarl.

Leaving the kitchen, Wade found the smaller darkling standing in front of the door, glaring furiously. Anger was almost glowing around him. "What happened...? Where's Silver and Shadow?"

"They kept going. I wasn't wanted." With that, it all came spilling out. What some woman had said to him, how she said he was different. And then he didn't want to be out in public anymore. Never wanted to see another human being again.

By the time Eclipse finished, Wade felt a rush of anger knotting up in his chest. If he had been there, he wouldn't of hesitated to step up and say something. To defend his son. "Do you know who it was?"

"No." The look of anger melted away from Eclipse's face, replaced by a more vulnerable look, one that was ashamed and upset. "She wasn't upset about either of them.... just me..." He finally looked up at Wade. "Do people them them better?"

Wade's stomach dropped. He knew that answer was yes, of course people liked the hedgehogs better. They were cute and fluffy. Neither of them growled and hissed at people. This situation wasn't one that he expected But now it was here, he understood it. But he didn't want to tell Eclipse that. "Well.... of course not."

"Of course they do..." The darkling muttered, playing with his tail. "You probably like them better... I wish I was more like them..."

"Don't say that," Wade said, hating that he was hearing those words come out of his son's mouth. Especially since Wade knew that he had contributed to this problem; the fact that he had hated the transformation and then been depressed about it probably hadn't helped. But it was too late to change any of that now. "I love all of you equally."

That only made Eclipse's tail lash back and forth furiously. "It's true!" He yelled. "If I had fur and wasn't like this, people wouldn't hate me so much!"

"Yeah well... If I had six arms instead of two, I could probably get more done," Wade blurted out, the only response he could think of to that. It was enough to make the darkling tilt his head to the left in puzzlement. Enough to snap him out of that angry headspace. "But that's something that will never happen, so it's not worth dwelling on."

Leaning down, he put one hand on Eclipse's shoulder. "I like you the way you are, scales and everything. And so do your brothers. There are areas you can improve in, everyone has them but no one wishes you were a completely different person."

"Really...?"

"Really," Wade assured him. A moment later, he had his arms full of darkling. Carefully he stood up, cradling his son tenderly. "I love you so much, sweetheart. You have no idea how much I care about you."

"Thanks..."

Wade grimaced slightly at that response, as Eclipse still hadn't responded properly to being told that but at least he accepted it, seemed like he was comforted by those words.

For now, Wade had others things he needed to worry about. Like what to do about these people who were mistreating his son, especially when he wasn't around. To find who it was and how to put a stop to this. In anyway that he could.

"I know that you're upset, but you need to know not to hate every human now because of something one person did."

"Why? Eclipse demanded, starting to wiggle in his arms.

Wade set him down. "Because it's not fair to judge an entire species for the acts of one person." That was difficult for him to say, as humans hadn't been very kind to him either. But it didn't right. However, that was something that he didn't need to say out loud. "Tom and Maddie aren't like that, are they?"

"No..."

"Exactly." Wade said. "Neither of them deserve hate for something. Just because one person is unkind, doesn't mean you have to be. Or that you can't go around town anymore. You live here just as much as she does."

Eclipse shrugged and headed for the kitchen, clearly done with the conversation. Wade just watched him go, hoping that at least some of what had been said would stay with his son.

But as soon as Silver and Shadow got home, he would ask them if they knew who the person was. Just in case he ever saw her again.

He would protect his kid.

[fosermi]

What if Eclipse Whipple somehow broke his ankle and his bros and his daddy would need to take care of him and suddenly he realizes how much they all love him and sobs in agony because of how mistreated he was before?

*GASP*

It took a lot of breath to ask the whole question at once.

Okay that thought crushes my heart so much because aaaaaaaaaa brotheeeeeerrrrrrrsssss,,,,,

Because 1) THEYRE ACTUALLY A FAMILY AND THAT MEANS THEY LOVE EACH OTHER. And 2) clippie getting care from both brothers without wade prompting means that they *care*

But thats just me, a simple fan of the Whipple family. @livingthewritelife-things as the author of WFMA what's your take on this?