#fic idea vault 13

[creativemessbyvd]

FIC IDEA VAULT #13: NANDERMO SOULMATES/REINCARNATED/ROLE SWAP AU (I GUESS?)

GASP, could it be??? Not an SW fanfic idea? xD

Seriously, I am just as shocked. Anyway, I got this little plot bunny while rewatching or rather, listening to WWDITS today as I made food. Enjoy!

TLDR; Vampire Hunters kill Nandor, Lazlo and Nadja, leading Guillermo to abandon his plan to have Derek turn him in favor of going after them. Six months later, Colin finds that it is possible to bring forth memories of a vampire and locate their reincarnated soul if it exists in the present time, teaming up with old allies and friends to locate the trio. Colin discovers that his past live is more intertwined to Lazlo's than he knew (apart from the whole thing with him being a baby and child raised by Lazlo). Guillermo returns to his mom's as Colin is explaining everything and gets knocked out bc Surprised! His family is responsible for his friends' second death. He is also linked to Nandor via a past life, and then our three vampires newly reunited with their memories must decide what to do, keep on living as humans or return to vampirism? What about the Hunters' plan to eradicate vampires once and for all? Will they be able to stop them given newly unearthed history amongst the group? Will Guillermo finally get his wish? And now that he has humanity, will Nandor want to give it up?Will Lazlo and Colin finally air out their history, both recent and past? Will Nadja be persuaded by Gregor into staying with him (as Lazlo deals with his own problems) and her fulfilling life or go back to having nothing to fill her heart after she had to close down the club?

More info, extra detailed idea below:

Season 4 ending deviation, as Guillermo goes to have Derek turn him into a vampire, Vampire hunters get into the house and kill Nandor, Nadja and Lazlo. A freaked out Colin Robinson calls him as he hears the fighting but Guillermo is too late. Despite the Djinn, Colin, The Guide, Derek, and many others trying to help out Guillermo, he leaves to pursue the Vampire Hunters responsible.

A few months after, as Colin is looking around the Council's library, he uncovers a book on ghosts and finds some very interesting information. Apparently, souls will come back and just continually be reborn, as is the case of Nadja's lover Gregor whom she would meet every few centuries. He, Doll Nadja and the Guide go to the Baron and the Sire to ask after what the book has told them and found that:

- The theory of 'killing a vampire will kill off any vampires they turned' is not true (it was created to avoid newly turned vampires to attack and killed their sires)

- it is true that souls will reincarnate even when someone is turned into a vampire (hence why ghosts are capable of being summoned) and there might even be more than one at a time, each with a little bit of a past life (the theory that you had at least 7 doubles in the world comes from this)

- Energy vampires were a product of a failed attempt of Hunters to harm vampires by making their own vampires

- It is possible to locate and bring forth memories if someone has a ghost and a descendant of the vampire

Seeing a chance to find their friends and bring their memories, Colin, the Guide and Doll Nadja locate Jenna and enlist her help alongside the witches to help find Nadja. They find her but another Gregor will not let them take her or have her memories returned.

They decide to wait and look for Lazlo next. According to the Baron, they need two things:

- a direct connection to the specific past life they wish to locate that will resonate the most with the present state (basically, not always will everyone live out the same life or be the same from one to the next, but their essence will always ring true the closer they are in the present to this specific past live) which is why a ghost, being a manifestation of their life before vampirism works best, but really anything that can draw forth a connection to the soul can work, like a relative or lover

- a present connection to them made of flesh, most of the time a vampired they turned will work

For Lazlo, they have the baby he turned into a vampire, but are stumped for the first 'soul connection' until Colin recalls a long kept journal of his he never reads anymore that gives him the answers he seeks, which is that he used to be human Lazlo's younger brother who was turned into an energy vampire by the same organization that killed them

As Colin tries to remain calm with all the revelations, they find Lazlo as a teacher and are interrupted by Guillermo finally answering the million texts Colin send. Guillermo is on the phone with Colin when he is attacked and he blacks out.

Guillermo had been for 6 months running around finding the trail of the Hunters and is just missing the leader and the truth of how the vampire home was located, when he gets home to his mom and is knocked out by his own family, the ones responsible for everything. They had to 'save him from himself' and explain their organization and what their plans are to eradicate Vampirism once and for all. Guillermo is told that he had been too obsessed by vampires for the family to feel like he deserved to be in on the secret. As he tries to persuade them that he has changed, they reveal they know he hasn't bc of his actions of hunting down the hunters (even if he did make it seem like they were killed by vampires) and his past life as Van Helsing himself, who fell in love with a vampire too (three guesses who). They also reveal they have plans to kill all vampires once and for all but Guillermo can't find out the whole plan as he is rescued.

As Colin, Doll Nadja, the Guide and Jenna race to find Guillermo, the Djinn is tasked with locating Nandor. Having Gail for the second requirement is easy but they are stumped for the first. They have no ghost nor any family, that is until the Djinn remembers Marwa and brings her and Freddie back to Manhattan to help out. To make the spell work, the Djinn must reverse the wishes until Marwa is back enough that her connection to Nandor will work. She is happy to be back to being her and they locate Nandor, who is in university and is apparently the younger of the three found.

With Guillermo back, they try and succeed in bringing back the memories, but the ex-vampires now face the question of if they even want to come back to their old lives amongst questions about not only themselves but their own interrelationships, and trying to race to find out how to stop the Hunters.

And that's all I had, thanks for reading my little idea dump :3

[accio-victuuri]

(13) Fake Rumors - from the vault

I have been going through some old rumors from the fake house & decided to share some. whether these may be new to you or not, but i hope you still enjoy them as much as I did looking back. I feel like in the fandom, we’ve only ever been active when it comes to lrlg and the 49 fakes. the rest of the information that fall in between aren’t as talked about or depends on the topic. as with all other bjyx material, i want a place to store some parts of it. 🤍

these are sort of random, the ones that I had saved and found again. treat it all as fiction.

( someone please make an AU fic or edit for this xz and wyb. there is a story here. look at them. 😍😍😍 )

i have traveled a long way, you have dreamed a long time. many lonely nights drift like fallen leaves but it always finds a way….🍃🍂

(1) this one was posted for the new year 🎉

XZ: Get me a courier later

🧔���♂️:Okay

====

🧔‍♂️:What is it? It’s so light

XZ: made-up parts, Legos.

*XZ talking to a staff so he can send out some lego parts. I think it’s light because what he is sending are “parts” that WYB is missing and he found them for him. I truly like the idea of XZ spoiling WYB when it comes to his hobbies and him being invested in it too even if he isn’t necessarily a fan too. true love! and well, reminded me of the rumored lego set gift during the early days of cql filming.

(2) have you eaten?

About the backstage live broadcast of a recent event on the same stage

WYB:Have you eaten yet?

XZ: *shakes head*

WYB: Come have dinner with me later

XZ: Who else? (Looking over it, I don’t know what I’m looking for)

WYB: Stop looking for it. I’ll send it to you next time.

Supplement: Teacher W watched Teacher X take off his makeup before leaving together.

*The usual WYB making sure that XZ eats and him waiting for his gege so they can eat with each other. Even after the CQL filming, as long as they are at the same event they will try and be together. Tho instances of that have been so rare to 0 nowadays because of the amount of eyes on them.

(3) the forbidden book lol

The crew's study period

WYB: Where is the erotic book? I want to read it.

XZ: Suddenly got up and left.

*This is one of my faves even if it’s so short! Library Pavilion behind the scenes & rumors is the gift that keeps on giving. I wouldn’t put it pass WYB to troll ZZ with this.

Here’s a GIF for you to bring you back to that time🤍

(4) call me maybe? 📱

There was a period last year where everyone had to learn rap, usually🐂 learned the fastest but he was absent-minded that time🐂 was looking at us eating delicious food while resting, it seems that he is thinking his rap, he seemed to be even more tired. At this time, staff handed over the phone and he left immediately to pick it up.

He called him, and when he came back he didn't have any special expression, but he felt refreshed. 

(5) praising

WYB: I really like to be praised by everyone and feel "wow" from everyone, so every time Da Zhen's family praises me crazily, I will secretly write it down and send it to him.

XZ: I am also a part-time praise captain. Every time I praise,None of them are the same.He can often keep up with the facts.

WYB: I don’t understand a lot of Internet slang.

XZ: I always hurt him by saying, "No, you don't even know this joke, so WYB doesn't go online?" Just. very good. Laughing, every time I feel hurt, I secretly say "He is better than me. I'm young, I know everything." What kind of tone is this? One time during a video, XZ sang "Darling, come and save me." Seeing WYB's ears slowly become red and coughed. Who can tell me what’s going on with these lyrics?

(6) baking shenanigans

The puff pastry made by XZ is very delicious, WYB will also work with XZ to help when he has time. He’s busy getting started, and they will also do some weird things. If there is a strange taste, try it with the people around you.

Once WYB squeezed minced garlic into the pastry and mixed chili powder, but forgot to mark it, XZ ate it, pinched the back of the neck and squeezed the flesh of the face "Teacher Trained WYB”

*IM CACKLING AT THIS OMG WYB 😂😂😂 what flavor of pastry is that????

(7) another one about eating

Aling period

WYB: Why are you back?

XZ: Come back for dinner, there will be a show in the afternoon

WYB: Aren’t you going to eat with your friends?

XZ: I didn’t agree when someone wanted to invite me, it was too stupid.

WYB: xls It’s so difficult to eat normally today

XZ: You haven’t eaten it, have you?

WYB: Nope. I just thought you were back.

(8) checking the weather

XZ: “The weather doesn’t look like it’s going to rain...(Look 📱)

👤: "It should be sunny..."

XZ: “I just saw📱the weather forecast showed it’s going to rain soon.

👤: How is that possible? It’s obviously sunny. "(春📱)

XZ: "Huh?" (👤♥Two people facing each other📱)

XZ: Overcast to light rain to moderate rain.

👤: What you are looking at is the weather

XZ: Oh my God, so embarrassing...

XZ forgot to switch cities. no one will know the city WYB was in that day if I don’t tell you.

*This one hits different cause for this rumor, they are in different cities but in the same country. Lately, there are times that they are in diff countries so do they look at the weather their too? 🥹🥹🥹

I can’t relate to their obsession with the weather, but if that gives them a sense of connection to each other then it’s fine.

(9) raining

💚Supplement: It’s when the temperature gradually rises. At that time, it rained in June.

💚Holding an umbrella💚❤️talking all the way

❤️Start standing on the right side of 💚

💚Hold the umbrella and tilt it in the direction of ❤️

❤️Thick clothes💚Left half of light-colored thin clothes

The edges are wet and very transparent.

❤️Just keep pushing the umbrella in the direction of 💚

I wanted to block 💚 a little more, but found it was fine.

After seeing the effect, I found an opportunity to move it to the left side of 💚

Then 💚 the right half also got wet

Both centered and symmetrical….…..

(10) them and their parents.

Regarding their parents, I currently know the older one’s mom and dad can also surf the internet, and talk about about their CP and their impression of WYB is good. But his mother actually really wants to have a grandchild. His father is very indifferent when the older one comes home. I'm sure his mother won't be able to bear it. She asked him bluntly, the older ones always focus on work to fool her in the past. In July this year not only did he tell the truth to his family but took the younger one back with him.

It’s time for dinner at home, and the younger one is very nervous. He is afraid that the family will think he is not good enough. He bought a lot of things and piled them up for backup. He sprayed perfume and dressed properly and pretended. The older one made him want to laugh when he looks at him, just fool around. The younger one calls him a big bastard.

The mother on the table was holding jianguo and said she could only count on her to give birth to a litter of grandsons.

* I know that talk about their parents is sensitive and would always lead to more discussion, but again, treat this as fiction. and tbh, who could resist WYB as a son in law??? It I had a son and he brings home WYB as a boyfriend I will be very happy. I also feel soft that XZ is trying to tease and make WYB laugh.

(11)

What happened last year

WYB: Is it delicious?

XZ: (nodding while eating) Yeah, it’s quite delicious.

WYB: What about others?

XZ: Wait a minute...Wow, I just ate that, this one has no taste.

WYB: Is it too spicy?

XZ: It’s okay, but my tongue is numb and I can’t taste other flavors.

WYB: Wait a minute, drink some water. Is it really that spicy?

XZ: Try it yourself. You didn't keep it for yourself? Wasn't it sent from you?

WYB: I didn't take it apart. Bring it to me.

Then XZ really ate so much that he left two packets and took them back to WYB.

(You send it to me and I will bring it back to you. What kind of trick is this?)

What happened this year

XZ: It’s been too cold these two days.

👤: Southern kids.

XZ: :Then northerners also feel cold. Cold is cold.

(Okay, I know you have northerners in your family, next one)

👤When teasing XZ and WYB, XZ’s response was, “Hahaha” and send out red envelopes. As expected of Boss XZ.

I saw other people's submissions and came to do some post-sale service. I heard that XZ sang to put WYB to sleep. I know that there is indeed mmxhn, and there is a six-character song related to snow. (There are probably others somewhere that I don’t know about)

(12) like a fairy

XXX was wearing Iwj's white clothes for the first time

XX: Fairy, descended to earth to overcome the tribulation

XXX: Isn’t fairy a dog? You have so much information but no good words.

XX: Compliment you for being good-looking and handsome.wls, wow, so handsome!

XXX: xls looks better than me, our xls is so beautiful, ancestor of Yiling

XX: Stop, stop, it’s so shameful

*My favorite kind of rumor is when WYB goes gremlin on XZ! 😂😂😂😂

(13) cravings

WYB has been craving for "cai cai rice" recently, XZ told him many times that spring is not so good to have wild vegetables, even if they are cooked. WYB said he doesn’t care about wild vegetables he just wants to eat the vegetable rice cooked by XZ, but I don’t have that. It smells good, I just want to eat it.

In the end, he still didn’t get the cabbage meal, but freshly baked dumplings. WYB got a bargain and acted nice, he was acting coquettishly while eating.

* Oh to be WYB and have someone like XZ cook for youuuu 😍😍😍😍

-END.

P.S : this ye mi and xiao zhan AU pairing is living in my mind rent free. 🥵🥵🥵

[badbatchposts]

Quiet Corners of the Galaxy, Ch. 15

Fic Teaser: While on a routine mission for Cid, the Bad Batch encounter a woman fleeing from the Empire. Crosshair suspects her seemingly free-spirited, nomadic existence is actually a cover for something else, but struggles to keep his attraction toward her in check as their personalities and ideals clash.

Relevant tags/content warnings: Crosshair/Original Female Character, Slow Burn, Enemies to Lovers, Periodic Smut, Canon-Typical Violence, Alcohol Use

Chapters posted 1-2x weekly!

Read the full fic so far on AO3

Read previous chapters on Tumblr: Ch. 1 l Ch. 2 l Ch. 3 l Ch. 4 l Ch. 5 l Ch. 6 l Ch. 7 l Ch. 8 l Ch. 9 l Ch. 10 l Ch. 11 l Ch. 12 l Ch. 13 l Ch. 14

Chapter 15 summary: The Batch deals with a series of complications in the villa heist.

“Talk to me, Tech,” Hunter growled. “Can you disable the alert?”

“Stand by.” The group shifted impatiently in the corridor, uncomfortable with being stuck out in the open while they waited. Their surroundings were incongruous with their tension: there were no alarms, lights, or sirens, the alert apparently being confined to the computers in the control rooms—at least, for now. They let out a collective sigh when they heard Tech’s voice again.

“It has been deactivated and coded as a false alarm, although I could not prevent the laboratory in town from being notified.”

Hunter grunted. “Then we’ll have to be quick. Can you override the doors?”

“The blast door, yes. The regular door will be more of a challenge without the clearance of an identification card,” Tech mused.

Wrecker grinned. “I got it. If I rewire one of these EMPs real quick, I can probably short out the door’s circuit so I can pry it open.”

“Good idea,” Hunted nodded approvingly. “Crosshair, any activity outside?”

“I think the guard out front knows. He reacted when the alert went out, but he’s not abandoning his post. He’ll likely send the patrol to check things out the next time that they pass his station, since he can’t raise them on comms.”

The Sergeant swore quietly. “Update us when that happens. We’ll try to be out before then.”

Finally, the blast door opened with a quiet hiss. A few moments later, Wrecker held up a small device gleefully and stuck it to the control pad.

“Uh…Echo, better step back a bit. Just to be safe,” Wrecker advised. Grumbling a little, the ARC backed off to a safe distance before his brother activated the device, which blinked before shooting off sparks. Flexing his biceps playfully, Wrecker heaved open the door.

“We’re in. Get over here, Tech,” Hunter instructed.

The squad wasted no time entering the lab, whose gleaming white tile and shiny durasteel matched the rest of the basement. It was a larger facility than they might have expected: a handful of rooms opened off of a wide hallway lined with cabinets and blinking computers, each area boasting equipment that betrayed various experiments in progress. One room let off a deafening racket of shrieks and hoots. A cursory glance revealed cages upon cages of enraged Kowakian monkey-lizards.

“Probably test subjects,” Echo murmured with a shudder.

“So where’s our vault?” Wrecker asked, cracking his knuckles as though he was planning on wrenching it open with his bare hands.

Hunter glanced up as Tech joined them. “I’m not sensing any unusual electromagnetic impulses. Are you sure the vault’s here?”

His brother frowned and shrugged. “I do not know for certain, but this is the most likely location.”

Dara stared toward the end of the hall, where a greater-than-life-size portrait of an older man with a severe expression took up the majority of the wall. He wore a lab coat, a beaker in one hand and a datapad in the other, and at his feet rested piles of books—the antique kind, made of bound flimsi. She approached the artwork, pointing. “That’s Prium, right? Kind of an old-fashioned guy,” she mused.

Wrecker tilted his helmet up, revealing his face, which was scrunched up in frustration. “Yeah, he looks like a weirdo.”

She gestured toward the portrait. “Wrecker, can you get this thing down?”

Hunter frowned. “What are you thinking?”

Dara glanced up at him. “I’m thinking that Prium is traditional and paranoid. Security systems and doors can be overridden. Electronic vaults can be detected and sliced. But antique vaults…not a lot of people know how to open those anymore.”

Sure enough, Wrecker removed the painting to reveal an enormous metal panel, inset into the wall behind it. The panel was divided into a series of squares, each with a round, metal knob in the center. It was not immediately evident how the vault door was meant to be unlocked.

“Can you blow it open?” Hunter asked his brother.

Wrecker rapped his knuckles against the metal, then shook his head with obvious disappointment. “With what I have on me? Not unless we want to take down the whole building with it.”

Tech was watching Dara with great interest, noticing a thoughtful expression on her face and a gleam in her eye. He nodded to her. “I presume you have an idea?”

Dara touched the metal knobs, allowing her fingers to roam, probing gently and rapidly. Finally, one of them shifted beneath her grasp; she twisted until one of the squares pulled out and shifted to the side, revealing a keyhole beneath.

“It’s kind of brilliant,” she observed idly. “Anyone would come ready to try to bypass an electronic vault, but you don’t see a lot of mechanical locks anymore, much less a historic thing like this. Ironically, sometimes when our technology gets more advanced, the traditional methods become more secure—the typical person doesn’t know what to do with them.”

She disappeared into one of the side rooms of the lab, returning with a haphazard collection of slim metal instruments. “I obviously don’t have the materials for this on me, but these should work okay. Tech, any similar tools in your pack might be helpful.” 

Hunter raised his eyebrows as she set to picking the lock, switching out occasionally between the apparatuses she had collected and those proffered by the technical specialist. “How long is this going to take you?” the Sergeant asked dubiously.

She tilted her head, still focused in concentration. “There’s likely three more locks to disengage after this one. It’ll be a while.”

Tech looked on with fascination as her fingers worked. “Where did learn this?”

“Working with primitive cultures means getting familiar with primitive technologies. It’s kind of a hobby,” Dara explained.

“Sure it is, burk’yc,” Crosshair goaded over the comms. “Patrol is approaching the front guard station. Orders, Hunter?”

“Signal us when they enter. Echo, go upstairs and get in position to take them by surprise. Stun them and put them with the others,” he instructed.

The ARC trooper set off with a determined nod. Fifteen minutes later, Dara had managed to spring the first lock, and Echo reported that the patrol was dealt with.

“This is taking too long,” Wrecker grunted impatiently. Dara cast him a glare over her shoulder, and he grimaced apologetically. “Sorry. I just mean, they’re going to get suspicious again.”

Hunter sighed. “Wrecker is right. How many guards are left?”

“Nine, by my count,” Echo informed them.

“Alright. Wrecker and I are coming to meet you—we’ll get them out of the way and take some of the pressure off. Tech, watch Dara’s back.” The former pair set off at a trot, leaving the latter bent in intense concentration.

Absorbed in observing Dara’s technique, Tech waited until she had sprung the second lock before speaking.

“This is an interesting hobby,” he probed, hoping his tone came out less skeptically than Crosshair’s had.

Dara smiled and rolled her eyes. “I always liked puzzles. I learned a bit about vaults like these doing research on idioms for secret-keeping. Then—I told you I’ve bartended in all sorts of shady places, right—believe it or not, I was briefly…seeing…this guy I met on the job who was a lock breaker and specialized in this.” She shook her head ruefully. “Obviously it didn’t work out, he was a sleemo. But he taught me some things.”

Tech allowed himself a small smile, feeling a flame of companionable sentiment towards Dara curl up inside him, despite his ongoing suspicions. They had kept many details of their life away from the woman, but still, it couldn’t hurt to mention some things—could it?

“I myself am…seeing…a pirate,” he confessed. “She, too, has an interest in what she refers to as ‘the liberation of ancient wonders.’ Though I have never had occasion to see it, I imagine that this skillset is within her repertoire. If not, she would certainly love to learn. I wonder if you can teach it to me sometime.”

Dara popped the third lock open and moved on to the next. “I’d be happy to, Tech. What’s your pirate’s name?”

“Phee. I believe that you would quite like her. She has been many places, and has many excellent stories, some of which may even be partially true,” Tech reflected fondly.

Laughing, Dara shook her head and took a moment to push a strand of hair out of her eyes as she continued her work. “I hope to meet her someday.”

They drifted into a companionable silence, which was only interrupted minutes later by Hunter reporting that the remaining guards had been taken care of.

“Excellent timing,” Dara declared as she sprang the final lock on the vault. She stepped back; grunting a little with the weight of the metal, Tech slid the panel aside and peered in. His mouth dropped open in a stunned expression that was out-of-place for his typically reserved and unemotional demeanor.

“Oh, kark,” he swore uncharacteristically.

Echo groaned over the comms. “Don’t tell me this stupid job has yet another complication.”

Tech sighed in frustration. “The records are not on computer or data chips. They are all on flimsi.”

“Boxes and boxes of them,” Dara filled in. “Too many to scan. It’ll take ages to move them all.”

“Seriously. What is with this guy?” Wrecker bemoaned.

“Crosshair, go get the Marauder,” Hunter directed. “It’ll go faster if we load it up here. The rest of us will get down there and start hauling boxes.”

While they waited for the others, Tech and Dara examined the inside of the vault more closely. The small space was crammed, mostly with uniformly sized white boxes. Tech opened one and skimmed the file folders packed inside with nimble fingers, taking in the neatly labeled project names and patent numbers, though what drugs and technologies they alluded to he could hardly guess at.

Dara’s eyes drifted toward the back corner of the vault, where a much smaller box sat on an otherwise empty shelf. A little clumsily, she shoved her way through the cramped space to reach for it. When she flipped open the lid, Tech detected the faintest blue glow reflected in her eyes.

“What have you discovered?” he asked. Behind him, Hunter, Wrecker, and Echo crowded into the small doorway, craning their heads to get a good view of the room.

She shook her head. “No idea. It’s not labeled.” She carefully plucked a small vial of blue liquid from the protective casing and held it out to Tech, who scanned it with his datapad.

“Hmm,” he mused. “It does not match any known chemical compound that I am aware of. Perhaps it is a new experimental drug.”

Dara looked preoccupied. “Strange that it would be in the vault at all. If it’s in development, samples should be stored elsewhere. This is meant to keep company files secure, not experiments in progress.” She returned the vial to its container and tucked it away in her bag for safekeeping as they all began to haul boxes into the lab beyond.

Suddenly Hunter stiffened and tilted his head, signaling the others for silence as he listened. “We’ve got company,” he growled. “Two speeders just pulled up in front.”

“Looks like Raab wasn’t satisfied that the alert was a false alarm,” Crosshair drawled. “He brought reinforcements. Another dozen guards. I’m landing the Marauder on the roof, we can load it up there.”

Wrecker grinned wildly. “A dozen? That’s nothing!”

Hunted rolled his eyes. “Alright. Crosshair, keep them busy. Tech and Echo will intercept them at the front entrance. The rest of us will get these boxes moving.” The pair departed, and only a moment later the tell-tale blast of Crosshair’s rifle and a handful of distant, panicked shouts echoing over his open comm line informed them that he was following instructions and had the guards pinned down. Meanwhile, Wrecker located an anti-grav cart in a nearby storage room and they began hurriedly stacking boxes. When the cart was full, Dara glanced backward into the vault, where plenty still remained.

“We’ll have to make two trips,” she pointed out. “There’s an elevator that should go to the roof two corridors west.”

“Go ahead, Wrecker, we’ll hold things down here,” Hunter directed. Grunting quietly, they continued moving boxes from the vault into the wider hallway, where they would be easier to access for loading when Wrecker returned.

The shrill screeching of an alarm made Hunter nearly drop one of the containers on his foot as he desperately tried to cover his sensitive ears. At the same time, the white luminescent lighting turned a deep, flashing red, leaving them in a confused, partial darkness. The monkey-lizards shrieked piercingly from across the lab, and blaster fire erupted from somewhere inside the villa.

“What is going on?” Dara demanded into her comm.

“Your boyfriend made it to the guard post and activated some sort of emergency protocol,” Crosshair snapped.

“It would appear that Prium does not distrust droids enough that he will not use them in extreme cases,” Tech panted. “I am clocking at least two dozen security droids that have just been activated throughout the villa.”

“Kriff,” Hunter muttered. He glanced at Dara with concern. In response, she unholstered her blaster.

“I’m fine. Put me where I’ll be useful.”

The Sergeant scowled. “Everyone, sitrep,” he demanded.

“Made it to the roof and loading up now,” Wrecker grunted.

“Took out six guards out front but the rest made it to cover and are working on breaching the entrance.”

“Tech and I are about to be surrounded. Our back is to the entrance and droids are converging on our location.”

Hunter mutter something incomprehensible under his breath that sounded suspiciously like a multilingual stream of curses. “Echo and Tech, I’m coming to you. Crosshair, cover Wrecker on the way back to the lab. Dara will stay in the lab and hide if any droids show up before they get here.” He punctuated his last order with a stern wag of his finger. Dara rolled her eyes and sighed, but nodded in agreement, and Hunter headed out to reinforce his brothers without another word.

***

Crosshair was antsy. Despite his often hair trigger temper, he did not get antsy. He was a sniper. He was patient. He was used to watching and waiting things out, finding the exact right moment to strike with deadly precision.

But he couldn’t deny, when Tech accused him earlier, that he had been carefully tracking Dara’s infrared signature as she moved through the villa, shifting back and forth a little with unease rather than settling into his characteristic stillness while on overwatch. And now that things had predictably gone to shit, he was even more agitated as he and Wrecker loaded box after box into the Marauder, eager to get back to the lab and get this all over with so that he could chew Hunter out for leaving a civilian alone while they were under attack. Even if the droids were centered around Tech and Echo. Even if they needed backup. He just didn’t like it—it was just like the jailbreak, only this time he didn’t have eyes on her.

Finally, they had loaded all the boxes and could return with the cart to the elevator. Crosshair checked over his rifle as they got inside, feeling marginally better now that they were on their way to the lab.

His irritation returned in full force with the crackle of his comm line.

“My scanners are showing six droids approaching the lab,” Tech warned. “The rest of us will not be able to reinforce.”

Crosshair swore. “Dara, hide. Wrecker and I will be there soon.”

They received no response. The brothers exchanged a look: though their faces were disguised by their helmets, long years of familiarity allowed them each to decipher the seriousness and determination behind it as they both tensed, preparing to fight the moment the elevator doors opened.

The sniper took the corridors toward the lab at a sprint, followed by Wrecker, who was still pushing the cart with one hand as he held his blaster with the other. He heard blaster shots ring out just as he rounded the corner approaching the lab; at the far end of the hallway he caught a glimpse of Dara, who was drawing the attention of the droids as she ran in the opposite direction. They pursued her, exchanging blasts with their quarry, who left two downed droids smoking in her wake.

“What are you doing?” Crosshair demanded over the comms.

“Keeping them distracted,” Dara panted. “Get the files!”

“You’re going to get yourself killed,” he growled.

More blasts rang out from elsewhere in the basement. “There’s only three left. Just hurry up before more come!”

Wrecker shrugged and entered the lab to start loading the remaining boxes. “I think she has it under control,” he determined.

Crosshair shook his head, but followed his lead and began to help, rushing the process as much as possible. When no boxes remained, Wrecker began to push the cart back in the direction of the elevator.

“I’ve got this,” he told his brother. “Go get her.”

Nodding, Crosshair headed down the hall in the direction she had been running. “Dara, I’m coming to you. What’s your location?” he demanded into his comm.

“Took the stairs to the top floor. Unfortunately, I may have found more droids.”

Crosshair yanked open the door to the stairwell and began making his way up, taking the steps two at a time. He passed a pile of crumpled mechanical remnants and was relieved that at least Dara had taken down more of her pursuers before accumulating new ones. “How many?”

“Five left.”

When the sniper reached the top floor and exited the stairwell, he immediately made his way toward the sound of blaster fire. In the next corridor over, Dara was backed into a dead end and was pinned down, using an overturned buffet table for cover. It looked expensive—or at least, it had before its polished wood surface became riddled with blaster burns.

Four droids now remained. Without hesitation, Crosshair reached into his belt for a handful of mirrored reflector discs, tossing them at carefully calculated angles against the walls. Propping his rifle up on the sniper rest which extended from his left pauldron, he fired; the bolt ricocheted, taking down every last droid before its energy dissipated.

Dara poked her head out above cover. “Nice shot.”

Crosshair took a few furious steps toward her, removing his helmet as he glanced over her. She didn’t appear to be injured.

“You were supposed to hide,” he snapped. He meant to continue his tirade, but was distracted by Dara’s eyes widening as she drew her blaster and aimed towards him. Suddenly, he felt the cold, metal end of a barrel in his back.

“I guess you aren’t really newlyweds,” came Nor Raab’s slimy, arrogant voice.

The sniper scowled, but didn’t move. “What a genius. You figured it out,” he snarked.

The scientist dug the blaster in harder, but he ignored the sharp pain that wedged its way between the gaps in his armor. “Drop your weapons,” Raab ordered.

Crosshair let his rifle go with a clatter. Down the hall, Dara bent cautiously and placed her pistol on the floor.

“Listen, there’s no need for anybody to get hurt here,” she began carefully as she stood back up.

Raab snorted. “I don’t exactly think that you are in a position to negotiate.”

Dara did not argue. Instead, she slowly raised her hands and placed them behind her head, the picture of surrender—if it were not for the meaningful eye contact she made with Crosshair, alongside giving him the tiniest nod.

The sniper was prepared for the moment she snaked one hand beneath her poncho to grab her hold-out blaster, throwing himself aside just as the stun blast shot through the air and caught Raab in the chest.

Dara toed the Sullustan’s crumpled form out of the way a little more harshly than necessary as she approached. “Creep,” she muttered. She held an outstretched hand to help Crosshair up. “Consider us even.”

Crosshair scowled. “Hardly. I could have gotten out of that. Plus, I saved you from the droids, so I’m still one up on you.”

She rolled her eyes and handed him his rifle. “And I could have gotten out of that.”

“In that case, you still owe me one,” he countered smugly.

Sighing, Dara ignored him in favor of checking in with the others. “Anybody need help out there?” she asked into her comm.

“Negative,” Hunter reported. “All clear, heading to the Marauder.”

“Almost loaded up,” Wrecker added.

“Alright. Meet you there.”

The whole squad was reunited on the ship in due course. Dara leaned tiredly into the cockpit as Tech and Echo hurried through preflight checks.

“Sorry, Tech,” she lamented. “I dropped my pack while the droids were after me and the chemical we found fell out. It got smashed.”

The pilot glanced at her over his shoulder as they began lifting off. “No matter. If it was an experimental drug as I suspect, I doubt Cid’s client was aware of it. We will still be paid in full for this job. You did exceptional work today, Dara.” She gave him a fond smile in thanks for the praise and returned to the main cabin.

Wrecker and Hunter were occupied in giving the haphazard piles of file boxes some semblance of order, while Crosshair had already begun disassembling and cleaning his rifle. Dara set about preparing her tea, taking her first taste with a sigh that was simultaneously weary and relieved. Then she reached back into her pack and pulled out several balls of thick, fibrous cord, beginning to weave and knot the strands idly between appreciative sips. Her fingers danced expertly, an elaborate band steadily taking shape between her hands.

Crosshair watched as his own hands occupied themselves with polishing, raising an eyebrow at her. “More hobbies, burk’yc?”

Her fingers stilled for a moment and she held the object up to him, displaying it for his inspection, before returning to work. “You could say that. It’s a traditional handicraft I picked up doing fieldwork in the Pelker system. I sell them to vendors and antique shops for extra credits sometimes. They probably overcharge people who think it’s the real deal.” She shrugged.

The sniper looked back down at his rifle, brow furrowed. There it was—an explanation for Dara’s regular visits to Old Ord Salvage. Perhaps she wasn’t there for the smuggler’s communications array at all, but the front business itself. It was an easy explanation, just like all those she had provided thus far, the pieces of her life falling into place just well enough to be plausible.

But never quite well enough to satisfy him.

He leveled his gaze at her again. “You’re just full of surprises, aren’t you?”

Though she didn’t look up at him again, Crosshair didn’t miss the barest hint of a knowing smirk that she was, perhaps, too tired—or too smug—to fully hide from him.

Next chapter

Tag list: @stardusthuntress @skellymom @megmegalodondon @somewhere-on-kamino

[twosides--samecoin]

Hi!! Happy weekend! I’d love to hear about some of your ocs headcanons 🍬🌻💩 :]

Here's Jack and Olivia, 2/3 of Long Time Running's main cast - with a bonus heacanon unique to my Dogmeat! You can read the fic -> here <-

Jack Ward is my canon M!SoSu. He was a professional boxer and retired when he was conscripted for the Anchorage campaign and sent to FoB Juneau.

When Med-Tek failed, Jack pushed RJ on a vertibird destined for Vault 150 - a remote Canadian Vault that tested Duncan's illness on its residents. Two weeks later, Olivia Dallaire, my OC F!SoSu, stepped out of a vertibird and onto the hill overlooking Sanctuary and Boston. She'd be an Olympic judoka if there was still Olympics.

🍬On the topic of family: One of the themes in my fic is about the intersection and contrast between found family and adoption as well as miscommunication. Jack sees a younger version of himself in Olivia, but in a subversion of the failed-coach-training-his-actually-promising-protege trope, Jack had the title fight successes and Olivia really never will. All the same, he takes a shine to her. After meeting Father at the Institute, Jack let go of the idea of recovering his family. When he met Olivia, he felt like, "My god, this is the child Nora and I were supposed to have". Problem is, she's uh, a grown-ass 23 year-old woman. Who just immigrated to a different country and has her own trauma to unpack. And the sudden reemergence of his want to be a dad is moving faster than his ability to discuss being family with her. He faces serious role strain between his best friendship with RJ and the fatherhood he feels toward Olivia when he sees RJ differently as he begins to feel protective over her.

💩 Something ridiculous: My Dogmeat can break the fourth wall. The characters cannot hear him in the fic, but the reader can read his thoughts. One of my childhood fave movies is All Dogs Go To Heaven. The main dog is a German Shepherd, voiced by Burt Reynolds. This is how I hear him.

I was born in '94, so those 80's-90's "talking animal" genre movies were really formative for me. Anastasia, An American Tail - themes of lost family, adventure, immigration. Even RJ's story has strong Secrets of NIMH parallels. I'd reached a point where my fic felt self-serious, like it was so grounded in harsh reality and dumpster fire mental health that I forgot to have fun. Saluting Don Bluth by imagining Charlie B. Barkin and Anne-Marie the Orphan as Dogmeat and Olivia was me throwing my hands up and saying, "Fine! Fuck it! We can have fun!"

🌼 Happiness, how'd you get to be happiness: Lately, getting to know each other has been a source of happiness for both Jack and Olivia. Jack as the canon SoSu has all the problems we do when we play the game - wrangling several warring factions that all expect his presence; ignoring Father/the Institute; managing a small empire of settlements. Olivia as the SoSu of her own Vault is navigating immigration and being around people again. The heart-meltingest fluff I have published so far is father-daughter moments. Excerpt below the cut!

Long Time Running Chapter 13: Sabré Olvidar:

Jack glanced at Olivia’s marigold cable-knit sweater and jeans, rolled up at the cuffs. He realized most of her clothing from home that wasn’t her Vault suit was oversized and patched several times over. 

A deep flush of sadness erupted within. He coughed and returned to the topic of conversation. “Well, um.. What.. What do you think of the animals you let go?” 

“I just thank them for giving me a pretty view. I mean, just look at them.” She let go of their hug and stepped back. “If you look at it like this, the window makes them look like a painting.” 

She beamed at the radstag pair - four heads and too many legs. 

Jack obliged the request and stepped back. The window framed the radstags, trees and tall grasses well, like a living photograph. He appreciated the scene with the same intensity as a painting in a museum.  

He broke his gaze away and looked around at the cabin. “Well.. What brings us down here today, anyway?” he asked.

“I was thinking,” she turned away from the radstags. “Um, there wasn’t anyone here last time I visited, and there’s no one here now, and.. Y’know, it’s pretty close to town.. Does anyone own this place?” 

“Truth be told, Miss Olivia,” he replied. “I don’t think anyone’s taken interest in this cabin since the bombs fell. Doesn’t seem to me like anyone owns it.” 

She wrung her hands and shifted her weight as she looked around. “Um.. can I..” 

Jack awaited the question with patience and a smile. “Yes?”

“Can I have it? Please?” she pleaded.

His heart melted anew. Oh, Jesus, not that face, not that face. He decided to mess with her and put on an apprehensive tone. “I dunno.. It’s a big responsibility, being a homeowner..”

She hung on his every word with wide-eyed worry. 

“The cost for materials, the labor.. In this economy, too.. Ouch.” He grimaced, both to ham up the theatrics and to force his mouth away from a smile.

“I-I’ll work, I’ll get a job, I promise-” 

He could no longer keep up the act. “Oh, fine, sure. It’s yours!” 

Olivia gasped and threw her arms around Jack’s torso. Coffee spilled out of her mug with a graceful dive and landed on the floor with an audible splash.

“Thank you thank you thank you thank you- Oh, I have so much work to do-” she let go of Jack and listed the repairs. “I need a door and I have to clean the fireplace and I need to find new windows and-” 

Jack beamed as she bounced around the room. Her braid whipped through the air as she tallied up her needs. Getting to know his little bundle of contradictions was fun. 

“-nails and lumber and.. And that spot on the porch that’s sagging.. I have a lot to do if I want this ready for winter.” 

“Alright, then, that settles it,” he said. “Let’s get a move on.” 

“Where to?” she asked.

“Well, like you said, winter’s on the way. Let’s get building.” 

She smiled, somehow wider than her smile already was. “Yeah! Let’s do it!”

She ran out the door and jumped off the stairs instead of walking down. “Where can we go shopping for supplies?” she asked, turning back to him.

Jack followed and took the steps as normal. “We’ll see what we have in Sanctuary before we look elsewhere. I’ll have to get you a workbench down here.” 

Olivia hopped and skipped ahead. “My own workbench, I-” 

She wasn’t watching her step and nearly tripped. 

«Tabarnak!» she swore. Olivia threw her hands up in mock-offense. “Who put this root here, eh?” 

She laughed off the transgression, tucked the stem of the hubflower behind her ear and turned her pirate smile toward Sanctuary.

Jack Ward, ol’ 111 himself, was thoroughly charmed. Miss Olivia Dallaire contained multitudes. 

Sweet, funny, capable, sensitive. A reader, a fighter, an animal-lover and an occasional jokester who stopped to smell the roses.  

He remembered the leadup to Arturo’s last title fight, when he lived at the house with Jack and Nora. 

One night in the later stages of her pregnancy, Nora laid on the couch as Arturo and Jack sat on the floor surrounded by the pieces of a yet-to-be constructed crib.

Arturo lectured their unborn child on the syntax, phonetics and style guide of French Canadian cursing.

«Esti de câlice de tabarnak!» Arturo exclaimed. "That is what we say when the baby crib is hard to build! You better like it!"

Jack wiped a tear from his cheek as he followed Olivia to Sanctuary.

Arturo would have been so proud to be your uncle. So proud.

[volterran-wine]

| 20 questions for fic writers

Thank you very much for tagging me @agirllovespancakes . And apologies for this being exceptionally late!

To not clutter everyone's feeds terribly I have put everything below the 'keep reading'. Do take a look if you want to read my ramblings as well as getting to know my brain a little more intimately.

I even discuss some of my other fandoms and expose myself as somewhat of a shipper.

1. How many works do you have on ao3?

Currently I have nine works up on Archive of Our Own

2. What's your total ao3 word count?

37,793 words and counting, now my word count on this blog however... I dread thinking about it.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Currently I have only ever written for Twilight, though I have outlines and ideas for other fandoms. Among others;

Hunger Games

Final Fantasy VII

Pokemon

Lord Of The Rings

4. Top 5 fics by kudos

The Hands of Time (98)

I Gave You My Heart (62)

Equinox (45)

Snowfall (39)

If These Walls Could Talk (34)

5. Do you respond to comments?

... I am absolutely atrocious at replying on AO3, while on tumblr I have been slightly better at keeping up with feedback. I greatly appreciate every comment however.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

It has to be "Didyme's Demise". The short story details how she has faith in her dear brother, and does not even see her murder come.

7. What is the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

... I do not understand this concept. Though I guess "I Gave You My Heart" has a bittersweet ending.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I do not believe I have received direct hatred towards anything I have ever posted or written.

9. Do you write smut?

Yes, though I have crossed more into the... emotional/romantic sphere than the hardcore smut genre.

10. Craziest crossover?

... No crossovers so far.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I have experienced people pilfering my edits and graphics, but never any of my written work. That is something I am thankful for.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

No, but I am not against the practice as long as credit is given.

13. Have you co-written a fic before?

Never! Though I really wish to do a collaboration at some point. Though, a little thing I am finishing up has a lot of influence from a dear friend; with one of their own OC's making an appearance. A blending of verses if you may.

14. All time favorite ship?

I have never been a huge shipper within fandom spaces, nor do I have a one true pairing (do we still use OTP?) I will throw down over. Most of the time I find myself shipping characters with comfort, happiness and mental stability these days. Instead of one ship I will give a little list of ships I have read about the last decade and a half, exposing some of my previous and current fandoms...

Carlisle/Aro (Twilight)

Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens)

Haruhi/Kyoya (OHSHC)

Rufus Shinra/Tseng (Final Fantasy VII)

Clarke Griffin/Lexa (The 100)

Yuri Katsuki/Victor Nikiforov (Yuri On Ice)

Chise Hatori/Elias Ainsworth (The Ancient Magus' Bride)

Oikawa Toru/Happiness&Success (Haikyu!!)

Also, someone recently dragged me into JJK, and I think anyone in the know understand why I cannot look away from the absolute tragedy that is Geto and Gojo, wether it be platonic or something more.

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you will

There is a work hidden in my vault that was begun while I was friends with someone. Now, this friendship has since turned sour, and because of that I do not know if it will see the light of day. It is Twilight related but it is centred around The Romanians.

16. What are your writing strengths?

The most common compliment I receive is "Beautiful", and seeing as though beauty is in the eye of the beholder I am inclined to say my strength is different for different people.

Personally I believe I have quite a good vocabulary, as well as being good with my metaphors.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Fast paced action rarely works well with my borderline purple prose, which is why some of my works sometimes feel very different in my opinion. The New Moon rewrite has a lot more action instead of introspection and feelings, that is a challenge for me.

18. Thoughts on dialogue in another language

If you do decide to add dialogue in another language; confer with someone who speaks said language if you are able to. Or, at the very least, do a lot of research so it does not sound off or out of character. The few times I have used Greek I have asked people who are native speakers for help!

Personally I think it can add a nice touch as long as it is not overdone.

19. First fandom you wrote for

Twilight! While I have been a part of fandom spaces ever since I was 12/13 this is the first time I created any sort of content for others to enjoy.

20. Favorite fic you've written

Of the ones that have been finished and published it has to be "He Loves Power, A Terrible Love". That piece will forever have my heart, and whenever i feel discouraged about my writing I return to it. It reminds me that my writing is in fact not half bad. Though I do believe a fanfic in the works called "As Above, So Below" will knock it down from its throne.

That one will have people showing up outside my house with pitchforks.

No pressure tagging

Anyone who feels inclined to join in on the fun!

[ace-writer-lani]

What are the other wips in the vault about?

Hii I'm so glad you asked! I don't want to spoil them entirely (because ajsjhd I want them to be a surprise) but here's a little brief on each!

The Undeserved and Unfinished

Solangelo multchapter fic based on this post by @come-on-valdez where Nico navigates his new life after becoming the God of Undeserved Death, and Will suffers through more grief and pain than any 13 year old should

It also features Hazel, cause she's such a gem (pun intended)

(Very angsty but will have a happy ending)

Acrobatics, Aquatics, and Athletics

High school AU with Diver!Annabeth x Swimmer!Percy

(This will be part of a series with a second part centering around Diver!Nico x Lifeguard!Will cause obvi I need to write gay shit)

A Final Revelation

This is a Valgrace fic based on this post by @lavenderfairiez

Love and Lists

Solangeloweek2024 Day 2 with the prompt "I could make him worse"

It'll be a college AU oneshot where Will is trying to find a s/o

Lavender Tea

One shot where Silena bullies Clarisse into becoming her friend and how she affects Clarisse's life

I definitely have more ideas in the Vault, but these are the ones I've written an outline for and have started at least a draft on!

(Hopefully I'll be able to post some of them soon but like, I have so many)

[amplifyme]

In celebration of the 25th anniversary of Fight the Future. A little post-movie feel-good fic. Thanks again to @lilydalexf for scouring her personal fanfic vault and presenting me with a copy of something I'd written 25 years ago that I'd thought was forever lost. You are a treasure, m'dear! 😘

Shift (aka The Lost Fanfic). Read on AO3. PG-13. UST. Slow burn.

"Let me see if I'm understanding you, Mulder." Scully silently offered to swap her container of shrimp fried rice for his Mongolian beef. "You're saying that our work on the X-Files should be considered the norm, as opposed to the typical white-collar worker with the house in the suburbs and the two point five kids?'

"And the Range Rover," Mulder added as they traded off. He took a bite of the rice and talked around it, his typical enthusiasm overriding any need for manners. "What I'm saying is that we're hardwired to seek out new experiences, blaze new trails. The human intellect demands new and different challenges, and if we ignore that basic need we run the risk of becoming complacent; the perfect target for any organization with enough power to literally take over our lives."

He set the container on the coffee table and tore open a packet of hot mustard with his teeth, liberally dousing an egg roll with the runny yellow substance before inhaling half of it in one bite. Scully watched with bemusement. A grazing Mulder was a sight to behold.

"So, if everyone was hunting down fat sucking vampires instead of sitting behind a desk or flipping burgers, the world would be a better place?" She waited as he furiously waved a hand in front of his open mouth and grabbed his beer, draining the last couple inches from the bottle. Pushing forty and he still hadn't figured out how much hot mustard was enough.

"That's kind of simplistic," he declared when he could talk again, "but yeah. Just think about it, Scully. What if the majority of the population could see just a fraction of the things we have? Think of how much more open-minded people would be to extreme possibilities. The idea of a race of aliens bent on colonizing the planet with not so benign intentions would be much more easily accepted."

Mulder held his hand out for the beef, giving her some time to consider what he'd said. Night had fallen and his living room was bathed in shadows. Light spilled from the kitchen doorway. Aside from the cool blue cast by the muted and ignored TV and the soft glow from the newly stocked fish tank, it was the only illumination in the apartment.

"But, Mulder, you're assuming that the majority of the world's population would even want to know the things we know. Contrary to what you might think, most people are perfectly happy living a life of order and routine. I dare say most of them would go out of their way to avoid the changes that kind of knowledge would inevitably bring."

"Ignorance is bliss?"

"That's kind of simplistic," she remarked, catching his faint smile as she echoed his earlier jab, "but yes. Most people just want to be left alone to live their lives as they see fit. Change isn't always a good thing, Mulder."

"But it's inevitable," he argued. "Chaos is the norm. I can't believe I'm the only one who realizes that." He chewed and swallowed another bite, staring off into space. And then he looked in her direction, aiming the full force of his gaze squarely at her. His eyes were suddenly darker and more soulful. More aware. In a split second his entire focus had changed, and now everything in him was intent on nothing but her. It was a look she'd seen in his hallway just a few weeks ago, and one not easily forgotten.

"What about you, Scully? Is ignorance bliss?"

It was a question fraught with many different meanings - and they both knew it. That he felt comfortable enough to ask anyway was a sign of how much things had changed. It wasn't just one event out of all the events of the last month: it was the sum total of them that had led to this new and still tentative honesty; the constant awareness that they were standing on the brink of something brand new and yet older than time.

It was an electrifying feeling that had her thoughts careening wildly. She was smart enough to realize that what was blossoming between them was a strange and beautiful thing, but it was also a double-edged sword, and she wasn't entirely certain she was emotionally prepared to deal with the risks it entailed.

She held his eye, determined not to flinch, and chose to answer the easier version of his question. "No, of course not. It would be foolish of me to try to pretend that none of these things have happened." She glanced away and then back at him. The fact that his attention had shifted to the food and off of her allowed her to elaborate more than she might've otherwise.

"I guess I'm uneasy with the inherent changes that certain kinds of knowledge bring. I've always been a creature of habit, Mulder. I like routine. I like knowing what to expect. And despite the rather bizarre lifestyle I seem to have established, I've been able to adapt fairly well. It's just that sometimes it gets a little overwhelming."

"There's nothing wrong with routine, Scully. You're taking me too literally." Apparently, her deflection had worked. At least for the time being. He went on in his slightly professorial monotone. "The daily grind is a natural outgrowth of living in a civilized society. All I'm saying is that it tends to make us lazy and stupid. And that leaves us vulnerable to anyone or anything who cares to take advantage of the situation."

Mulder scrubbed his newly cropped hair and slouched back against the couch, one hand unconsciously and contentedly rubbing his stomach. "I probably don't have to tell you this," he continued, "but I thrive on change. I like chaos. It keeps me sharp. The best thing about not knowing what might happen next is that you're prepared for anything."

She pushed away from the food and settled back next to him, their shoulders barely brushing. "But, Mulder, we all need some kind of stability, a constant we can depend on. Otherwise, we'd spend our lives wandering aimlessly from one experience to another, without any kind of cohesiveness. I hear what you're saying, but there's nothing that prevents us from living an ordered life except our own inability to make sense of the very chaos you seem to cherish."

He rewarded her with a low chuckle. "Is this a kinder, gentler way of telling me I'm crazy?"

She shot him a dismissive look. "No. I'm just baffled by your attitude. Don't you ever find yourself wishing for a simpler life; one where you knew what to expect from day to day?"

"You make it sound like I don't have that already."

She gaped at him and then recovered. "Okay, now you've completely lost me. You wanna explain to me how you can possibly describe your life as simple?"

"Well, using the criteria you've established, it is simple. I have the stability you spoke of. I have that constant."

She snorted softly. "And that would be… what? That your stability is the fact that you have none? That your only constant is change?"

He turned his head and pinned her with a look, his words echoing the gentle rebuke she saw in the mossy green of his eyes. "You haven't been paying attention, Scully."

Still sprawled on the couch, his face bland, the only clue to Mulder's anxiety was the almost imperceptible bouncing of one leg. "I realize that the aftermath might be a little foggy to you, but I find it hard to believe you don't remember what was said just outside that door." He tilted his head toward the front of his apartment. He made no attempt to elaborate. His words lay solid and heavy between them, offered up like a gift she couldn't refuse, even if she wasn't entirely sure she wanted to accept it just then.

She'd been anticipating this. She'd thought about it enough that she'd even come to think of it as The Moment of Truth because of its potential to shift a large portion of her life in an unknown direction. Formulating possible responses to Mulder's probable remarks about what had happened and what'd been said had been uppermost in her mind lately. When he’d jokingly accused her of daydreaming just the day before, she hadn't been able to argue the point. He'd been right: she'd been far too distracted the last few weeks. Maybe it was best just to get things out in the open - for her continued sanity, if nothing else.

But before she could say anything he beat her to it, apparently misconstruing her long silence as refusal to take his bait. "Well," he rasped, sitting up and pulling a hand down his face, "this is an awkward moment. Look, Scully, forget I said anything."

"No," she quickly assured him, laying her hand on his back. "No, it's okay. I was just… I'm just not sure what to say, Mulder."   

He glanced back over his shoulder at her. "Well, I think I made my feelings pretty clear."

She certainly wouldn't argue with that. While she couldn't claim to remember much after she'd been stung in the hallway outside his apartment, the memory of Mulder's strangled words and the thrill of realization as he'd moved in to kiss her were etched into her brain. And now it was obvious that he was expecting her to come clean about her feelings. Yet another version of their well-established “I showed you mine, now you show me yours” game. Only this time it wasn't theories they were trading.

If Scully'd had a list, she could've checked off the symptoms of reticence she was experiencing, one by one. First came the dry mouth, followed closely by the leaden feeling in her stomach. Then the reeling in her head as she began to contemplate all she could say wrong despite her best efforts to put the correct spin on things. If discussing emotions were as simple as analyzing facts and figures, debating hypothetical situations, she'd be in the clear. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.

She'd never been very big on flowery declarations; the words had always stuck in her throat every time she'd attempted it. She was a woman of action, and if forced to 'fess up, would much rather show than tell. And so that's what she did: sitting up and perching on the edge of the couch next to him, she gently turned his face toward hers and leaned in to kiss him. She was aware as her lips brushed his that he had gone completely still. She didn't linger, choosing instead to make it a chaste but tender kiss, pulling away after just a few seconds. Her hand stayed at his jaw a little longer though, as her fingers memorized the slight abrasiveness of his evening stubble. His eyes, when she raised hers to meet them, were both amused and a little shocked.

"There," she whispered. "I hate leaving things unfinished."

Mulder's eyebrows crept up and he gave an infinitesimal shake of his head. "That's it?" he asked. "You mean we're done?"

Now it was her turn to be taken aback. "What were you expecting?"

As his hands lifted to cup her cheeks he murmured, "C'mere and I'll show you."

Chaste was clearly not what Mulder had in mind. Not that she was complaining. She was too busy admiring the way his bottom lip was expertly nudging hers apart, opening her mouth to admit just the tip of his tongue. He briefly touched it to hers before sweeping it across her upper lip and withdrawing, pulling back just enough to be able to look her in the eye. Permission was asked and granted in the few moments it took her to curl a hand around the nape of his neck and bring his mouth back to hers.

Scully decided that his idea of what constituted finishing business was much more comprehensive than hers. She also decided that kissing him was something she really enjoyed doing and vaguely wondered what had taken them so long.

Good little investigator that he was, Mulder was busy making a thorough exploration of her mouth. It occurred to her, in some distant, foggy place in the back of her mind, that the shift she'd predicted was indeed inevitable. Funny thing was that the reality of it didn't scare her nearly as much as she'd thought it would. She allowed herself to completely relax into their kiss, with Mulder sensing her acquiescence and slowly easing her down onto the couch, his arms cradling her. They ended up with Scully lying against one of the throw pillows, his upper body draped across hers, their legs tangled.

It took her a few seconds to force her eyes open after Mulder finally broke for air. She found him looking down at her, his expression a wickedly potent mixture of affection and good old-fashioned lust. One corner of his mouth drew up just the tiniest bit.

"That was more what I had in mind," he informed her. And then he dipped his head and began to plant small, wet kisses down the line of her jaw. His hand slid up her back and gathered a fistful of hair, gently but determinedly drawing her head back and exposing the tender skin of her neck to his mouth. The soft cotton of his dress shirt rubbed against her stiffening nipples through the silk of her blouse and bra, setting off sparks of heat traveling swiftly through her body.

Hoo-boy.

It'd been a very long time since she'd felt the weight of a man's body on hers, the delicious friction it created. Forever since her hands had roamed over corded muscle and curve of spine. Too long since she'd felt the heat pooling deep within her and someone there to share it, add to it, eventually douse it. What made the cottony thickness of her arousal even more enjoyable was that it was the real thing this time - not some fantasy Mulder who came to her only in the relative safety of her dreams. And there was only a little part of her that wondered if perhaps they should slow down and think about this some more.

She didn't know whether to laugh or cry when Mulder muttered against her neck, "You're gonna have to tell me when to stop, Scully, 'cause if you leave it up to me, I won't."

God bless his considerate, gentlemanly little heart.

Damn it.

"Then maybe," she managed to utter even while threading her fingers through his hair and urging his mouth to points south, "we should stop and think about this."

Deft fingers began working the buttons on her blouse. "Okay. Just say the word and I'll stop."

Oh, she didn't want to do this. She didn't want to stop him. She had a sudden urge to strangle the life out of the sensible little voice in her head. If such a thing were possible, that is.

"Mulder."

"Hmm?"

"Stop."

He groaned in noisy protest but did as she asked. Resting his chin between her breasts, he peered up at her. Hair askew, eyes warm but a little wary, he was the most gorgeous man she'd ever had the pleasure of lying beneath. He was content to wait quietly while she pronounced sentence on him, trusting her to do what was best for both of them. That particular trust was a heavy burden he'd placed on her long ago, and one she'd struggled to throw off more than once. But here and now, she was beginning to realize that it was also a precious gift. And it gave her far more power over him than she even dared contemplate. 

"Is this what you had in mind in the hallway?" Her voice was intentionally rich with humor. It was important that he know she wasn't upset by his attempted seduction. Getting their wires crossed about this was the last thing they needed.

She watched as his eyes lost their wariness. The hint of a boyish grin crossed his face before disappearing behind his trademark deadpan expression. "Actually," he quipped, "I was kind of hoping to make it to second base." And with that, he deliberately began to refasten the buttons he'd managed to undo. His knuckles unintentionally brushed fire along her breasts.

"Don't give up, Slugger," she told him as he finished, her voice gone slow and husky. "You haven't struck out yet."

The look on his face was priceless. She couldn't help but grin at him. His answering smile was enough to light up the room. He sat up and pulled her along with him, waiting until she was settled before he twisted around and sat down on the coffee table across from her, his long legs caging hers. Mulder reached out and caught one of her hands in his. He took in a breath and let it out slowly. "The truth is, Scully, I accomplished everything I set out to do that night. The rest of it… just icing on the cake." There was a beat of silence. "Well, except for the bee sting. That kind of put a damper on things."

"Mulder…"

"No, let me finish. I'm sorry it took me so long, but I want you to know I meant every word I said."

"I know." She squeezed his hand and ducked her head, not wanting him to see the sudden tears that threatened to spill over.

"Do you? Because that's all that really matters to me. I don't ever want you to think that I don't value you, or that you're not the most important thing in my -"

She cut him off with her fingers pressed against his mouth. If he kept it up, she'd lose her struggle to hold off her tears. She didn't want to turn into a blubbering idiot, not now. Not when smiling had felt so good.

"I know," she repeated.

His eyes flicked over her face, reading it like a map only he could decipher. Long seconds passed before he nodded slowly, satisfied by what he'd seen.

"Good," he said. "That's good."

She took a few moments to study his familiar features, softened by emotions he rarely let show. She took in the relaxed line of his jaw, the warmth of his eyes, the hair that stood up in tiny spikes on the top of his head. And the seductive fullness of his mouth, still moist from their kisses. She could drown there, she realized, and not give two hoots about anything else. It was a dangerous and compelling prospect.

She reached up and smoothed her hand over his unruly hair. "I guess this begs the question of what we do now."

He looked aside for a minute and then back at her, shrugging. "We keep on keepin' on. We see where this thing takes us. We fight the good fight. We start scheduling regular make-out sessions."

"Just thought you'd sneak that last one in there, huh?"

"Nothing gets past you, Scully."

She was trying to focus on the issue at hand. He wasn't going to make it easy. She knew this Mulder well. And she could tell he wanted to play, revert to his habit of joking about the most serious of subjects. All the nervous energy he'd suppressed just minutes ago had broken free. Both legs had taken up a gentle bouncing, his hands moving like moths around a flame: glancing off her knees, her hands, her arms, before flying away, only to return again.

Sometimes it was a pain in the ass always being the grown-up.

She grabbed one of his hands and held it tightly in both of hers. He went still almost at once, his keen sense of her innate composure helping to ground him. She vaguely wondered what would become of him if something happened to her. She could picture him floating off into space like an errant helium balloon, with no one to pull him back. She was his safety line; a fragile string that was nonetheless durable enough to keep them both anchored to the ground - even if Mulder was always looking up into the sky, wondering what he might be missing. 

"This is going to have an impact on everything," she told him as she caught his eye. "It's going to change everything."

He pursed his lips and jerked an eyebrow. "Maybe. But it's impossible that you'll ever be more important to me than you are right now, so that won't change."

"What if it does, Mulder?"

"That's not gonna happen." She opened her mouth to protest but he cut her off, grasping her shoulders and gazing at her with single-minded intensity. "I won't let it. I'm one relentless sonofabitch, Scully. It's gonna take a nuclear explosion to pry me away from you now. And I won't risk the only thing that matters to me unless I'm absolutely certain it's the right thing. How could it, how could we, be anything short of incredible?"

Five years with Mulder had programmed her to automatically begin formulating an argument to counteract his latest bizarre theory, and this time was no different. While her brain shifted into overdrive, spitting out a dozen reasons why they couldn't afford to be so blasé about the whole situation, her heart was busy tugging her in a different direction. One that whispered to her that he might have a point. Not every decision had to be based in logic - she'd slowly begun to realize that. Sometimes you just had to go with your gut.

"And besides," Mulder suddenly blurted into the silence, "who else would put up with my sorry ass?"

Strange how the simplest phrase could be the deciding factor in such a life-altering decision. He wasn't being facetious, despite the joking tone of his voice. He honestly believed that she was the only one who'd ever understand him, who'd willingly accept him for all that he was. Who'd see that what he did made a difference. And though there were times when she'd wondered if someone more open to extreme possibilities might be better for him, she knew in her heart that no one could ever feel about him the way she did. And no one could ever challenge, respect, trust, and complete her the way Mulder did.

“You made me a whole person.”

Isn't that what it came down to in the end? Wasn't that all that really mattered? Suddenly, nothing was more important to her than that he know what was in her heart.

"I want you to know something," she told him. "And I want you to listen to me very carefully." Mulder gazed at her with cautious chameleon eyes. "I want you to know that no matter what happens now, one thing will never change. What you do makes a difference. I know it doesn't seem like it most of the time, but it does. You have to believe that. And I want you to know how proud I am to be a part of that. You're an honorable man, Mulder, and you lead an honorable life. And I want you to know I'd be proud to be a part of that, too. In whatever form it takes."

She watched his face carefully as she spoke, cataloguing every emotion that passed over it. There were many things to see there, as he nervously chewed his lip and took in her words. But what she was left with was a mixture of tenderness and pride that nearly made her dizzy.

Mulder opened his mouth a few times before he finally got anything to come out. "Can I…" His brow furrowed and he cleared his throat and tried again. "Can I just hold you, Scully? For a minute?"

She reached for him, and they both stood, knowing that the limited contact they'd have otherwise wouldn't satisfy either of them. She went easily into his embrace, her head tucked under his chin, her arms wrapped around his waist. He held her loosely for a moment before tightening his arms and drawing her even closer. They stood toe to toe, touching everywhere it was possible to touch, the contact sweet and heavy with the promise of things to come.

Mulder dipped his head until it rested against hers. His chest expanded as he took in a deep breath and then released it with a ragged sigh. "God, you feel so good. So good."

She tightened her arms around him, wanting nothing more than to be enveloped by him, held in his warm and welcoming embrace for as long as he'd let her. Judging by his remark, that could end up being a good long while.

And that was okay. It was better than okay.

"You know what, Scully?" he murmured against her hair.

"What’s that, Mulder?"

"Someday soon we're gonna have really phenomenal sex."

Maybe even sooner than he thought.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

[jeevaschrist]

hi hi everyone! i've decided to do my own july writing challenge since i can't find any good ones. i know i'm late so i'm going to try to catch up and crank out a bunch of writing tonight. oh well. so i've decided to choose my top 31 favorite songs and then decide from those which character i feel relates to that and why. nothing super fun to read for you all if you don't know the music i guess, but still something fun to do. here's the list of thing's i'll be writing about (i might actually write some fics if it's a ship, idk, ideas are flowing). they'll have links to them when i post them, so just check this list :) i'll be posting a masterlist too soon so this is easier to find

july 1: mine (taylor's version) - nikolai x reader (bsd)

july 2: haunted (taylor's version) - fyodor x reader (bsd)

july 3: all too well (10 minute version) (taylor's version) (from the vault) undecided (i have some ideas but i'm not sure yet)

july 4: all you had to do was stay - soukoku (bsd)

july 5: anti-hero - light yagami (death note)

july 6: are you satisfied? - light yagami (death note)

july 7: bad blood - lawlight (death note)

july 8: vampire - lucifer, diavolo, barbatos (obey me)

july 9: paper rings - mammon x reader (obey me)

july 10: the man - akiko yosano (bsd)

july 11: hits different - undecided

july 12: still into you - joe x cherry (sk8)

july 13: how you get the girl - yosano x kouyou (bsd)

july 14: ghost - barbatos x diavolo x reader (obey me)

july 15: cruel summer - albedo x kaeya (genshin impact)

july 16: pierre - albedo x kaeya (genshin impact)

july 17: favorite crime - undecided

july 18: getaway car - matt x mello (death note)

july 19: message in a bottle (taylor's version) - beidou x ningguang (genshin impact)

july 20: enchanted (taylor's version) - undecided

july 21: miss americana and the heartbreak prince - joe x cherry (sk8)

july 22: glowing in the dark - soukoku (bsd)

july 23: mister perfectly fine - asmo x reader (obey me!)

july 24: devil doesn't bargain - undecided

july 25: in the stars - dazai x oda (bsd)

july 26: like i can - lisa x jean (genshin impact)

july 27: mary on a cross - lawlight (death note)

july 28: when you're gone - undecided

july 29: unsaid emily - undecided (probably idv emily x emma)

july 30: better together - riven and sky (fate winx saga)

july 31: check yes, juliet - matt x mello (death note)

if anyone has other song suggestions or ideas for the undecideds plspls send them in and i'll see if there's a day where i can write them in!

[anamelessfool]

4, 13, 19 for the writing asks! 💗

Hi new friendo! Thanks for the ask! fic writer ask here

4: Story Idea You Haven't Written Yet

I have a massive AU with lots of little stories surrounding a big story in the Ghost band fandom, so I am focusing there. But letting myself journey anywhere else I want along the way. I'm in the middle of an interactive Choose Your Own Adventure story which is really fun. I have no idea how it's going to go.

13 Fandom You're thinking of writing for

I don't really write for anybody other than myself and i'm sure you're the same. I am going back to my old favorites from when I was a kid and young adult: Alien, A Werewolf in London, The Abyss, Twin Peaks.... these stories really cemented my interests and taught me how to write unique characters and scenarios. Right now I did a couple hundred words and outline of a cute fluffy date with the zombie friend Jack from An American Werewolf In London. I've always loved how sweet he is. I have a type, can you tell?

19 Most interesting topic you've research for a fic

Ok you're my Fallout friend so let's focus on Fallout...I personally love mid-century Americana and I'm happy I have a place to really let myself get lost in it all. I'm cheating though and giving you a list of what I've researched: Historic Los Angeles Cowboy Culture, Industrial Musicals (oh my god they better have a Vault-Tech one in the S2 please please), Carnival worker subculture, and mid-century sex toys (which are generally scary looking tbh)

Thank you for the ask! <3

[more-better-words]

Questions yoinked from @iamstartraveller776 (hope you don't mind! ☺️)

1. Do you have a word-count goal for the upcoming year?

I don't tend to pay attention to word count so much as completing chapters. So my goal is to finish chapters.

2. Will you participate in any fandom exchanges or fic challenges, etc? 

I never have before, but @talshiargirlfriend is planning to do a small-ish one, so hopefully that won't be too intimidating!

3. Do you anticipate writing for a new fandom this year? Which one?

Only if some new-to-me media grabs me by the throat, which always a possibility.

4. Do you think you’ll stop writing for a fandom this year? Which one?

Well, once I complete The Place We Call Home, that will likely mark the end of me writing longform ST:ENT fic. I'm sure I'll still write shorter pieces and one-offs, but completing the Built to Last series will be a capstone for me.

5. Which WIP is first on your list to complete this year? Will you post a snippet?

The Place We Call Home!

She slumped back, her energy suddenly and absolutely depleted. Then Doctor Jimenez was handing her a very small form, placed against her chest. The baby whimpered, unaccustomed to this huge new world, and she lifted an exhausted arm to cradle her daughter. It's all right. Everything’s all right. I'm here, just like I said I would be. She looked up at Trip, whose eyes were huge and bright with tears. “Oh my God, T'Pol,” he murmured, swallowing hard against the lump in his throat. “She’s here. She’s perfect.” “She is,” she agreed. She reached up, brushing at the tears on his cheeks. “You should hold her.” With infinite care, he tentatively took their daughter in his hands, a marveling, awe-struck smile on his face. “Hi,” he whispered. “It’s me. Do you recognize my voice?” T'Pol looked at them, her mate and their child, and suddenly her entire being was filled with a triumphant, roaring love like a fire in her veins. She would do anything for them, because they were hers. Trip felt her eyes on him, and shot her a tiny, tearful, adoring smile. “You did it,” he said. “We did,” she replied. “We three.”

6. Which yet-to-be-started fic is first on your list?

The one that hasn't occurred to me yet. 😅

7. Will you change anything about the way you interact with other writers?

I don't think so? Do I need to?

*frets*

8. Is there a story idea in your mental vault that you’ve never been brave enough to try writing? Is this the year? Can you tell us about it?

Mostly followups to (much) older fic that never made it out of the outline/draft stages. But I doubt I'll ever return to them - not a lot of interest in the world of Baldur's Gate 2 when we have Baldur's Gate 3.

9. Short term goals… what do you hope to complete this week or in January?

By the end of January, I may have The Place We Call Home fully drafted. Maybe. Hopefully.

10. Will you keep a record of all the fics you write and/or post this year?

Other than my AO3 stats, no.

11. Would you like to try any new fanfic genres or tropes this year?

I finally took the plunge and tried my hand at writing...well, we'll call it smut adjacent. I think I'll keep at it, and we'll see how it evolves.

12. Will you change anything about the way you edit or rewrite this year?

I don't think so...my current system works fairly well. At least I think so.

13. Aside from fanfic, are there any other fan works you’d like to try creating? Fanart, or fanvids, gifsets, or podfic? 

I write because I'm no good at any of that other stuff! I'd LOVE to be able to create visual art, but...I'm just not wired for it.

14. Have you ever lost large chunks of your work in the past, due to not backing up your work? Will you change your methods this year?

I thought I'd lost two whole chapters a couple of weeks ago and I was distraught! Fortunately, I was wrong and my backups were still there.

15. Do you foresee any personal or professional obstacles this year, that would keep you from creating fanworks? 

Unfortunately, yes. But I shall soldier on!

16. Do you have that one fanfic that you wrote a ton for, ages ago, but never posted? Will this be the year, come hell or high water, that it WILL get finished and posted?

The aformentioned Baldur's Gate stuff, and no. I just don't feel the compulsion, really.

17. Do you typically answer all comments/reviews individually? Do you plan to change the way you interact with your readers this year?

I try to! I absolutely treasure every comment and reblog - why would I change that?

18. Do you typically post multi-chapters as you write, or finish it all and then start posting? Would you like to change your posting method? 

I keep a buffer of chapters - like I published chapter 13 of TPWCH a few days ago, but I've got chapter 14-16 basically complete, and I'm working on chapter 17 right now as of posting this.

It's a system that works pretty well for me, though sometimes I am left dying wanting to just share it all! Now! I want everyone to see it!

19. Would you consider non-fandom writing events, like NaNoWriMo or writing contests? 

Probably not.

20. Any plans to work on original fiction this year?

I toyed with the idea of writing original fiction years ago, and I had a few ideas, but...I find it much more stressful that fanfic. Fanfic is my hobby. I like to tell stories for fun. I don't think I want to turn it into a job.

21. Will you try writing software, like Scrivener or those programs that won’t let you stop writing?

I use Word - I've tried more specialized software, like Scrivener and Focus Writer, but I just didn't get anything out of them.

22. Do you plan to take writing classes this year?

I have never taken anything that might be even in the neighborhood of a creative writing class, and I'm scared that if I did now, they'd tell me I'm doing it all wrong!

23. Would you like to go on a writing retreat?

That sounds fascinating, but I don't even know what that would entail lol

24. By the end of this year, you want your fandom to think of you as “that author who _______.”

Wrote the best darn post-Terra Prime Trip/T'Pol fic out there. The one you recommend to anyone suffering post-TATV trauma.

25. If you answered questions from this list last year, find your answers and compare your goals to your results. How’d you do?

N/A

[creativemessbyvd]

FIC IDEA VAULT #15: A BAGGINSHIELD AFTERLIFE REUNION/TIME TRAVEL/ FIX-IT/BILBO DESTROYS THE RING IN PLACE OF FRODO FIC

Back on my Bagginshield era, I'm reading fics on them (I stopped bc various SW ships and other ships had me on a chokehold, how about those last 15 on Good Omens Ep6?? :c) and listening to my playlist once more, I think I had since the start of the year with hardly any of my OTP around (except for my phone background) ANYWAY this is to inform you I am also back on my bullshit and I come with another fic idea, which will be put on hold until I can complete the other 164453196859 ideas I have. Ok, not that many, but I do have a lot of very detailed ideas that I do want to write and a bunch of half sentenced ones that are just ideas, so here we goooooooo

Bilbo dies on the way to Valinor and awakens on it as his 50 year old self, to the astonishment of the Elves, Gandalf and Frodo. Something is wrong with the afterlife, it is in the air and everyone is on edge, Frodo most of all, as he has felt this presence before.

Sauron may have died on Arda, but he was still in part present in the afterlife, wrecking havoc on everything. Bilbo embarks to the green hills of Yavanna's garden, the land where all Hobbits go, with Frodo and Gandalf. Upon reunitign with family and friends, Yavanna herself welcomes the brave hobbits but Bilbo can notice the tense manner in which she speaks to Gandalf and offers his help. Yavanna informs them that the various lands of the Valar are on lockdown as they face attacks from the darkness and they fear they may not last until Iluvitar can help them, but that is a mission that Gandalf and the other wizards don't know how long it will take. She is afraid for her husbands and needs a way to contact him. She believes having them all cut off from each other was the wrong choice, uniting their forces they will be able to hold off the darkness better than on their own. So, Bilbo is determined to once more become a burglar and enter another mountain. Yavanna does warn him though that this time, the dragon is on the outside of the mountain. Sauron has set Smaug onto the Mountain that is Mahal's domain.

Bilbo sets off with four trouble hobbits to sneak into the Dwarven Halls, managing to distract the dragon enough that he ramms into the mountain and knocks himself out. They find a way inside and find a funny scene, Bilbo's dwarves are attempting to take down the front doors, despite their maker trying to make them see reason. They had heard Smaug's attempts to draw them out, the last thing the dragon had told them, aimed at Thorin himself, was that he was going to go to the Gardens to find Bilbo himself and get his revenge. Bilbo had at that moment drawn away his attention and having not heard the thunderous racket for awhile, the dwarves inside had panicked and were now attempting to try to kill the dragon themselves. Bilbo laughs at their ridiculousness and is almost squished by 13 dwarves. Mahal knows they wouldn't be there unless his wife had sent them and Bilbo gives him the message Yavanna had given him.

Mahal himself is now more than ever determined to find a way to stop the rampage that Sauron is inflicting on their lands. He goes out the way the hobbits came in to take care of a knocked out Smaug, and together, the hobbits, the dwarves and a Valar set off for the Gardens once more.

Reunited, the Valar are planning and discarding plans faster than the others can follow, until Mahal has a very dangerous plan, which he calls the Durin Last Resort.

The reason that Sauron is now able to still remain in lands of the Valar is because he was able to draw power from the remaining rings still in Middle Earth at the time of the War of the Ring, destroying it had not completely cut him off. The other rings had to be found and destroyed before the One Ring was finally banished, only then would Sauron finally be defeated. Time was not a straight line, it happened all at once, and still, Mahal and Yavanna could sent people back as Mahal had done before for Durin in his various reincarnations.

This makes Frodo almost collapse from the anxiety, but he swears that he will try his best if he is asked to be the Ring Bearer again. Bilbo can't take seeing his dear nephew in so much pain, not when he knows that he wasted so much time by doing nothing but using the ring as a simple party trick. He offers himself to go and be the Ring Bearer this time, reasoning that even if Frodo went back to the beginning of his adventure, Sauron already had plenty of time to be prepared and on the lookout for the Ring, but when Bilbo got the Ring himself, Sauron was not strong enough to do much but be the necromancer.

Mahal agrees but Yavanna is not happy. She refuses to put Bilbo in such danger, unless the company also go with him. She wishes for this to be a second chance for the line of Durin, and thus Bilbo wouldn't be alone on his trials. They cannot be sure exactly when Bilbo will go back to, just that it will before the retaking of Erebor. He will also be the only one who will initially have his memories, everyone else will need to be told a special message to unlock those memories back in the world of the living.

Bilbo is then send back in time and back to life a couple of years before his adventure and sets to making things right not just for his friends but also for many others in his life.

Anway, sorry for the innaccuracies on the Valar and everything else, I will not read the Silm and will just wing it lol. Essentially, I want BAMF Bilbo who gets to reunite with his dwarves in the afterlife, and then gets send back into his past to redo the Quest and also go on to destroy the Ring in the place of Frodo. If he and his King are able to finally stop being idiots and actually speak on their feelings, well, we will see. Those two are worse at communication than an angel and demon I know, so it might take a while lol.

Any comments are welcome!

[mell0bee]

YESSSSSSSSS WRITING TAG TIMEEEEE EHEHHEHEHEHHEHEEEE

1, 5, 12, 16, 19, and 20

P.S: check more of your asks!!!! >:3

YIPEEE thanks kiki sorry it took me a bit to do this

1- the last sentence you wrote

“Oh my god, her voice must have risen like, three octaves when you smiled at her. “

some luz dialogue from luz & hunter’s guide, talking about willow to hunter, lmao

5- first sentence of the fifth paragraph of an unfinished wip

“The gods of the pantheon seem to have their doubts, not seeing the greatness his uncle does in him.”

wow i had to pull this one from the VAULTS. i don’t actually have any current wip drafts (just a ton of loosely planned ideas) so this one is from like 2022. it’s an owl house mythology au loosely based off of hades (the video game) in which the golden guard gets reincarnated over and over and tries to escape. i like the concept but have no idea what the plot would be so on the shelf it will sit until i figure that out

12- a trope you’re really into right now

hmmmm not really a fanfic trope but ive been thinking a lot about crouching moron, hidden badass. specifically the variant where a character is deliberately hiding how badass they actually are by acting like a moron, at least partially. invoking this trope is like, how to make that character my favorite character 101.

as for fanfic tropes. uh. a favorite of mine that never gets old is childhood friends to enemies to friends to lovers. so many of the ships that have been giving me brain worms throughout the last 5 or so years fall in this category. *cough* sashanne *cough* narumitsu *cough COUGH* catradora. it’s the layer of being previously childhood friends and having that past pure and unconditional friendship. and then having that all torn apart and then rebuilt again. S-tier drama.

16- favorite place to write

99% of my writing is done in my bed bc im paranoid that if i wrote at my desk my parents would be able to see because they tend to randomly barge into my room. when im at college i tend to write a lot less but at least i can do it at my desk lmao

19- the most interesting topic you’ve researched for a fic

for ‘the girl, the cat, and the black hole calamity’ i went down quite the rabbit hole of archaic and modern physics concepts like entropy, black holes & atomic decay. it was very fun and absolutely none of it ended up in the fic because i was like. why would 13yo anne care about this nerdy physics stuff lmao

i also have researched a lot (A LOT) of archetypal literature, historical figures, jungian psych, & various myths (specifically irish myth) which is on paper for the persona 5 swap au fic that im never gonna write buuuuut mostly was out of my own curiosity. when i was first learning how to write i read up on archetypical literature and campbell and stuff quite a bit so it was very fun to revisit. also this swap au lives in my brain rent-free. it would theoretically be a longfic covering the events of the entire game but i can’t do that. but im gonna have to do SOMETHING with it considering the sheer amount of effort ive put into the planning and reworking all of the main cast’s personas to the point where im pretty sure ive put more thought into my picks than the original p5 writers lmao

20- in what year did you publish your first fic?

cannot be bothered to find the exact year but i know i was 13 so probably 2016 or 2017. yknow what’s funny is i spent most of middle and high school thinking that when i got to college i’d stop writing fic and doing fandom stuff in general and yet here i am, going into my senior year of college, still on the same fandom clownery that i was 8 years ago. lmao.

[starrysnowdrop]

Upcoming Hali Content

Hello everyone! I just wanted to take this time to say a huge THANK YOU to all who have been so supportive of my writing as of late! The last few entries in the Hali/Aymeric saga have gotten way more positive feedback than I could’ve ever imagined, and I’m truly grateful!! 🥹🥰💖

So, I figured that I wanted to write out a list of what my plans for content will be in the near future. This is not an exhaustive list by any means, but I wanted to write out what’s in my head already that I want to do.

Updated: 05/13/2023

Introduction to Hali’s Family - ✅ DONE!! You may find it HERE.

Aymeric meets Hali and the Warriors of Light for the first time - For the next fic, I’m going to write Aymeric’s first impressions of Hali from his POV, and I want to focus a bit more of Aymeric’s feelings for Hali, and showing how he fell in love with her, since we’ve seen so much from Hali’s POV already.

Redo the Infirmary scene after the Vault - I want to flesh out Aymeric’s recovery in the infirmary after the Vault, as this is when Aymeric and Hali really get to know each other even more and they form a strong bond due to their time together here.

Letters to Aymeric - I’m planning on a few entries where Hali and Aymeric are writings letters back and forth to each other throughout SB, ShB, and then into EW, as hinted at in Snowdrops.

Someone unexpected asks Hali out on a Date - Following the events of 4.3 and before the events leading up to Ghimlyt Dark and ShB, Hien asks Hali out on a date, and the conversation ends really badly for both of them. Angsty feels abound!

Hali enters Sharlayan under alias - The drama with not only Hali’s love for Aymeric but also with her family will be climaxing during 6.0, and when she returns to Sharlayan for the first time since she ran away from home before ARR, she is going to give an alias. The name she chooses? I already have it in mind, and you’ll just have to wait and see what it is!

Big Love Confessions - That’s right! The love confessions will be happening near the end of EW, and I already have the bare bones of how it will all unfold. I might write out the Hali/Aymeric ship timeline before this just so I can have an outline of everything beforehand, but I’m not sure.

Hali returns from Ultima Thule, and jumps into Aymeric’s arms ala FFX-2 ending - This is a 100% self indulgent ideas, but you know what? I don’t care if I’m cringe! I’m cringe and I’m happy! So it’s happening!

Ishgardian Ball - Yes, it’s happening! Eventually. This is when Hali and Aymeric announce that they are officially together, and they are finally able to celebrate the victory over Final Days and to be happy together. Headcanons for this WIP can be found HERE.

Hali has Aymeric meet Halone and Menphina - Last thing that I have on the list at the moment is that Hali wants Aymeric to meet his patron goddess, Halone. Menphina is there as well and gives the two her blessing and well wishes for a long and happy life together.

That’s it for now, but this list gets longer by the day so I might add onto it later! Once again, I thank you all so much. Love you all!! 💖

[caranfindel]

Fic: Go on and kiss the girl

genre: het | length: about 3800 words | rating: pg 13? r? i dunno; sex happens but nothing explicit | characters: dean winchester, sam winchester, ofc

Synopsis: A few years ago, several of us plotted out an entire alternate season 12, which would take place on a boat. Go take a look, it is marvelous. (Oh, all those missing friends; it makes me sad.) Anyway. I wrote one of the stories I pitched, though I changed it due to the original idea being a little too noncon. So here's Sam and Dean and a mysterious woman they find at sea...

also on ao3

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Sam's the one who spots her. They're sitting on the deck drinking beer, and Dean's not necessarily watching the sun set over the ocean, because he's not that kind of person, even after a month of aimlessly drifting around the Gulf of Mexico on a borrowed boat. But he's not exactly ignoring it either. Sam, on the other hand, seems totally into this gazing-into-the-sunset business, until he suddenly stands up, thrusts his bottle into Dean's hand, and walks to the edge of the deck.

"You see that?"

"See what?"

"Shit!" Sam grabs the top of the rail and vaults right off the boat, swimming with long, even strokes toward something floating in the water. Crap, it's a person. A woman. Sam hooks an arm around her and hauls her back to the boat, where Dean lifts her onto the small sunbathing deck.

She's unconscious. And completely naked. She's young, mid-twenties maybe, lean and muscled like a swimmer. At first glance it looks like she has seaweed entangled in her long platinum blonde hair, but it's actually her hair itself, with highlights of green and purple twisting through that give it an iridescent mother-of-pearl sheen. Peeking through her hair is the soft pink shell of her ear, decorated with a quartet of small pearl earrings. Another pearl nestles in her navel. A pastel tattoo climbs up the outside of one pale leg, the barely-noticeable undulating pattern inked in ghostly shades of lavender and aquamarine.

Sam pulls himself onto the sunbathing deck and kneels over her, saltwater dripping from his hair onto her fair skin. He presses his fingertips against her throat. "She's breathing. Strong heartbeat."

"Where did she come from?"

"I don't know," Sam says, frowning in confusion. "She was just floating out there." He stands up and scans the horizon. "I didn't see any debris, or a lifeboat, or anything. Just her." He bends down to gather her in his arms. "Let's get her inside somewhere."

Sam's cabin is the one with a single queen-size bed (stupid rock-paper-scissors), so that's where they take her, lowering her gently onto the mattress. Dean lifts her slightly so Sam can slip one of his t-shirts over her head. Her skin is cool and silky against his fingers. Sam digs out a pair of clean swim trunks, hesitates self-consciously, then covers her with a blanket and places the trunks on the bed next to her. He stows the few things he'd actually unpacked back into his duffel. There doesn't seem to be anything else they can do for her, so they quietly close the door and Sam drops his bag on the second twin bed in Dean's cabin (seriously, stupid fucking rock-paper-scissors; never again).

"What now?" Dean asks.

Sam contemplates the door of his former cabin. "Leave her for now, I guess. It'll be completely dark soon, and neither of us is experienced enough to sail this thing at night, so we should stay put. We can head back to shore in the morning."

><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>

Dean wakes just before dawn, silently climbing out of bed and slipping out of the cabin without waking Sam. He opens the door to the larger cabin, just a crack. Their mystery girl has changed positions and is curled on her side, looking more asleep than unconscious. That's a good sign. He gently closes the door with a quiet snick and slips into the small galley. A few minutes later he's sipping coffee on the deck, watching the horizon slowly turn fiery shades of pink and orange.

The faint click of a door opening and closing announces that Sam is up. Dean refills his own coffee and pours one for Sam, setting it by his chair. But by the time he finishes his second cup, his brother hasn't made an appearance. And it's not necessarily anything to worry about, but, well. Dean is Dean, so he's going to investigate. He opens the door of their tiny cabin and stops, stunned, his senses assaulted by an eyeful of naked back half-covered with a spill of mother-of-pearl hair, perfect heart-shaped ass, and a quick flash of a tramp stamp that looks like a… no, that can't possibly be right. And suddenly the tattoo is framed by a pair of huge hands gripping a narrow waist and oh, Christ, it's Sam's hands, she's riding Sam cowgirl-style, and Dean has never noped back out of a door so quickly in his life.

><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>

The sun is fully up by the time Sam makes his way above deck. Without a word, he plops into the chair next to Dean's and takes a swallow of lukewarm coffee.

"Sleep well?" Dean asks.

Sam stares at the horizon. "Yep."

"Wake well?"

"Yeah." Sam smiles into his mug, not meeting Dean's eyes. "Yeah, I did."

"And I take it Aqua Woman is feeling better."

"Seems to be." Sam's lip twitches and he does not have the courtesy to look even the tiniest bit ashamed.

"Exactly how good does she feel, Sam?"

Sam grins. Big. "Pretty damn good, actually."

They're interrupted when Aqua Woman herself appears on the steps. She's wearing Sam's t-shirt, and maybe his swim trunks underneath — it’s impossible to tell, because the shirt is huge on her, slipping off her shoulder and reaching almost to her knees. She walks gracefully toward Dean, and the longer he soaks up her full lips, wide blue-green eyes, and thick dark lashes, the more he's convinced she's the most beautiful woman he's ever seen.

"Hello," she smiles. "I'm Alana." She holds out a hand and it's cool and soft, like her voice.

"Dean. I see you've already met my brother Sam."

"Yes, I have." She turns to flash a blinding smile at Sam and then slips her hand from Dean's grasp, resting it on his shoulder. "Thank you both for rescuing me. I would have been lost without you."

"No problem, sweetheart." He gives her his most seductive grin. Just making sure she knows what a mistake she made by picking the wrong brother; not trying to lure her away from Sam or anything.

Although. There really is something about her. Something kinda perfect.

"It'll take us a couple of hours to get you back to shore so you can get checked out at a hospital," Sam says. "Are you feeling okay? Do you remember anything? How did you get out here?" Asking all the questions now, since apparently they weren't talking much earlier.

She bites her lip, and Dean desperately wants to feel those perfect white teeth nibbling on his own lip. And other parts of him as well. "Do we have to go back to shore?" she says. "I'm really fine. And there's nothing for me there. I'd rather stay here with you."

Sam meets Dean's eyes and he's all furrowed brow and tight lips and something's not right here, and Dean knows what he's going to say, but Alana steps over to him and lightly plants a kiss on his cheek. "Please let me stay here with you," she says softly.

Sam's face softens into a dopey grin and he says exactly what Dean is thinking. "Of course. You should stay here with us."

><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>

They spend the rest of the morning doing nothing. Alana doesn't explain how she ended up in the water, but it doesn't matter. She's safe on their boat now; everything's fine. Everything's fine. She sits on Sam's lap and drinks his coffee and plays with his hair while Dean tries not to imagine her soft nimble fingers running through his own hair, she leans over the railing to watch the fish gliding alongside the boat and it turns out she is wearing the swim trunks Sam left her, rolled up high on her legs and riding low on her hips, and finally Dean decides he needs to go below deck and take a not-particularly-warm shower.

Everything's fine.

><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>

When he comes back up, Sam's in the big fishing chair, facing away from him, and oh, for fuck's sake, they're at it again. Alana is straddling him, head thrown back, slender fingers twisted in his hair, moaning, and Dean desperately needs to step away but he's frozen to his spot - and then she opens those huge blue-green eyes and fucking winks at him.

Dean probably needs to hang out in his cabin for a while. Everything's fine.

Lying on his bed, it occurs to him that she never did answer the question of where she came from, or why she was in the middle of the ocean, unconscious. It didn't seem important enough to pursue at the time. But now it seems important. He should go up and ask her again. Yeah, he'll do that.

><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>

By the time Dean's brave enough to get above deck again, Sam's alone.

"Where's Aqua Woman?"

Sam rolls his eyes. "Alana is sunbathing."

Damn. Topless, probably. If he stretches just a tiny bit, he can see the sunbathing deck and yep, there she is, lying on her stomach, completely nude. Dean swallows. And tries to think about what was bothering him so much earlier. Something about Alana… something Sam probably doesn't want to hear. He can't really remember. He's too distracted by something else he wants to talk about. And there really is no way to say your girl oughta be banging me instead without sounding kind of churlish.

"You know what you're getting into?"

Oooh. Sam's face suggests this wasn't a good opening. "Yeah, Dean, I think I can handle it."

"Not exactly your type, is she?"

"In what way?"

"Come on, dude, the bad girls are my type."

"Bad girl?"

"Yes, a bad girl. You go for librarians and I go for bad girls, and this one is a naughty girl, Sammy. I mean, she's got a 69 for a tramp stamp, for fuck's sake."

"Okay. One, have you forgotten Ruby?"

(Yeah, she was a very bad girl; Dean's got to give him that.)

"Two, don't call it a tramp stamp; that's douchey even for you. And three, it's not a 69, it's her zodiac symbol."

"You're telling me there's a sign of the zodiac that's symbolized by a 69?"

"It's not a 69; it's on its side. It's Cancer."

"All right, but I swear, she winked at me while you two were hunting for Moby Dick."

"I don't care."

"Hey, I'm just saying, she may be regretting her life choices at this point. Did she say anything about me?"

If Sam rolls his eyes any harder, they're going to roll right out of his head. "What, you mean, while she was having sex with me, did she mention you? Sure. Absolutely. She climbed on top of me and then said hey, I like your brother too; why don't you call him over here and we'll have a threesome."

"Seriously?"

"No, you idiot."

"Because if she did… you know… I would be… if she was interested…"

"Dean. No, she did not say that. And even if she was interested in a threesome with you and me, I'm not."

"Oh. Yeah." Dean rubs the back of his head. "Wasn't thinking about the you and me part of that."

"Obviously."

"So… did she say anything about me when she wasn't having sex with you?" But Sam's giving him the are you shitting me? face and maybe he's got a point. "Yeah, you're right. This is an awkward conversation."

"Yes, it is. Let's stop having it. Please." Sam turns and walks away, probably heading for the sunbathing deck, probably to sit next to her and rub sunscreen over all of that smooth sun-warmed naked skin and… dammit all to hell.

Dean stomps below deck again, and halfway down the stairs realizes he had a completely different conversation from the one he meant to have.

><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>

That afternoon he stands beside Sam at the railing and they watch Alana swim, if you can call it that. Because she doesn't just swim like a normal person. She's literally cavorting naked with dolphins, laughing and splashing with them like some kind of fairy tale creature.

"For someone who spends so much time naked in the sun," Dean says, "she sure is pale."

Beautiful pale Alana waves, then tumbles and twists out of sight, swimming to the other side of the boat. Sam’s forehead folds into puzzled creases as stares silently at the Alana-free waves.

"She doesn't have any body hair," he eventually says. True, Dean noticed the Brazilian when Sam dragged her out of the water, but he's kind of surprised his brother would consider that an appropriate topic of conversation. But before he can respond, Sam continues. "So maybe she's a competitive swimmer. Something long distance. Do swimmers shave their arms? Or wax, maybe? She'd be stubbly by now if she shaved her arms and legs," he muses. "Anyway. Maybe that's why she's out here."

"We should ask her about that. We should really, really ask her about that."

"Yeah… I just keep getting distracted."

"No shit."

Sam smiles. "You know, I didn't approach her. I just woke up and she was standing next to the bed."

"You complaining?" Dean asks, with a raised eyebrow.

"No. No, God no. It's… she's amazing. It's just…"

"Inexplicable?" Dean offers. "Inconceivable? Incomprehensible?"

Sam turns to him with a surprised frown. "Unexpected."

Dean shrugs. "Beautiful naked woman shows up out of nowhere and, of the two of us, latches onto you? I'm going with incomprehensible."

Sam can bitchface all he wants at that one; it's the God's honest truth. But he isn't bitchfacing. Alana is back in view, and he's staring at a flash of long leg and full breasts bobbing in the water, and there's that dreamy expression again, and oh, fuck this. Dean needs to go read a book or something. He turns on his heel and heads back to his cabin.

"And another thing," he calls over his shoulder as he heads below deck. "You two obviously don't need separate beds. I'm moving your shit back into your room."

><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>

Dean's alone in his cabin when he wakes up the next morning, but he doesn't have to wonder where Sam is. The walls on this boat are not particularly thick and he can hear murmurs next door. Laughter. Other things. And okay, maybe it's payback for all the times he brought a girl back to whatever shack they were hunkered down in, but Jesus. Sam always had the ability to at least take a walk and get away from it. All Dean can do is lie here and listen. Finally it occurs to him that this is a safe time to venture above deck, so he makes coffee and enjoys the breeze and the solitude.

When Sam and Alana emerge — him in swim trunks, her in another of Sam's t-shirts — Sam heads toward Dean. Alana pouts prettily and takes his hand. "Swim with me, Sam. You promised." He shrugs apologetically at Dean and lets her lead him to the sunbathing deck, where she pulls the t-shirt over her head and jumps naked into the water. Sam jumps in after her, still wearing his trunks, thank you baby Jesus.

Swimming was rarely a form of entertainment for Dean when they were young, not anything he normally did for fun or relaxation. Swimming was something he usually did with a monster in his sights and a blade clutched in his teeth. But Sam was always thrilled when there was a pool at their motel or crappy apartment complex, or a pond at their cabin or ancient farmhouse. He took to any body of water like a fish, dutifully swimming laps when Dad was around, playing like an otter when he wasn't, nose and shoulders constantly peeling from layer upon layer of sunburn. And now he's splashing with Alana like one of her goddamn dolphins and okay, he deserves this. It would be petty for Dean to resent it. It really would. He keeps repeating that to himself as he watches Sam and Alana frolic (there is no other word for it, they're fucking frolicking) in the water. And then as they climb onto the sunbathing deck and dangle their legs over the edge, with eyes only for each other. And as they come back onto the deck and Alana hops onto the rail, still as naked as the day she was born, shimmering in the sunlight.

Dean tries hard not to stare at her. She doesn't seem to care. She wears her nudity casually, as if a shirt were as optional as a hat or a necklace. But it still seems impolite, and Dean is nothing if not polite around beautiful naked women. He settles for grabbing quick glimpses when she's not looking. Which turns out to be pretty easy, since she spends most of her time staring at Sam. Right now she's pretending to be interested in whatever boring story he's telling her, something about almost falling overboard on their first day on the boat, whatever; it's hard to pay attention when she's right there, beautiful and wet and naked and happy, throwing her head back and laughing at Sam's stupid story.

"I remember that!" she says. "You were so funny. I was afraid I might have to come rescue you."

Sam stops, brow furrowed in confusion. "What? What do you mean, you remember?"

"Oh." Alana looks away and bites her pretty lip with her pretty teeth, then shrugs. "I have a confession to make. I've actually been watching you for a while."

Sam's alarm goes off first, because by the time Dean parses that conversation, his brother has stepped back from Alana and is already in hunter mode — narrowed eyes, defensive posture, a quick glance to confirm Dean's location.

"What are you?" he says.

Instead of answering, Alana strokes a finger down the faint tattoo on her leg and it darkens, deepening from lavender and aquamarine into purple and teal. The color spreads over her leg, then across both legs, and as Dean gapes in disbelief, her legs meld and extend into an iridescently-scaled tail. "Jesus Christ," he breathes. She's a goddamn mermaid? Suddenly, everything makes sense.

"Did you put a spell on him?" he yells, waving at Sam, who looks completely bewildered. "Is that why he can't think straight when you're around?"

"Of course not. I'm not a siren," she says, with a pretty little frown. "I don't take anybody against their will. I don't have to trick anyone into my bed." She turns to Sam and smiles warmly. "I'm just very enchanting. Difficult to resist. Sorry."

"Not complaining," Sam says.

"Good." She holds out a hand, beckoning him closer. "All I want is to make you happy. I've been watching you for weeks, Sam, ever since you arrived in my part of the sea, and I've grown to love you more every day." Sam's at her side now, holding her hand, looking at her like she's his everything. "And now we don't ever have to part."

"But I… this…" Sam stammers and falls silent, staring into her eyes.

"Come with me, Sam. Join me in my world. I know what your life is like, above the waves. I know it's cold and cruel and dangerous. You don't have to live that way any more. You can come live in peace, under the sea with me."

"Wait. No." Dean turns frantically to Sam, who isn't saying no. "Dude. You can't live underwater!" (Although what he really means is you can't abandon me. Please.)

"Of course he can." Alana doesn't look at Dean, her gaze still locked on Sam's dreamy smile. "Anyone who pledges their eternal troth to a mermaid can be granted the ability to breathe underwater, as we do. Will you, Sam? Will you come with me?"

Sam clasps Alana's tiny hand in both of his and her tail (her tail, she has a fucking tail) curls gently around his legs and oh, God, Dean can't watch, can't say goodbye, not like this. But he can't blame Sam for wanting to leave the pain of this life behind him, to escape to a world where he's not a hunter, to love someone again. He's not going to stop him. He's not.

But Dean goes weak-kneed in relief as Sam shakes his head. "I can't, Alana. This job we do, it's too important. I'm taking a break, but I have to get back to it. And I don't want to leave my brother behind."

Alana sighs a small, pretty little sigh. "I understand." She cups his face in her hands and pulls him down for a kiss. "I'll be here if you ever change your mind." Then, with a wink at Dean, she flips gracefully backward and plunges into the water. He gets one last glimpse of pale skin and iridescent tail, and then she dives out of sight.

The brothers stand at the rail in shock, staring at the empty surface, until Dean breaks the silence.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm good," Sam sighs. He turns around to lean against the rail, facing away from the water. "I mean, she's great, she really is. But that whole thing, just. Not a long-term situation. No. I'm good."

"Good." The feeling of dread that had settled in the pit of Dean's stomach finally pulls up its anchor and drifts away. Everything's fine. Weird, but fine. Which is about as good as it gets for them.

"So, uh, I guess she was your type after all," he says. Sam frowns at him. "Because she's a —"

"I know what she is, Dean."

"Yeah. So. Cancer, huh?"

"Uh huh."

"I'd have guessed Pisces. I mean, Cancer, the crab, sure, that works too. Just seems like she'd be a Pisces. Because she's a — "

"I know."

"You're not gonna let me say it, are you?"

Sam rubs a hand down his face with a sigh. "Fine. Go ahead."

"Because she's a mermaid! Because you fucked a mermaid! Because Sam. Winchester. Fucked. A mermaid!"

Sam's glare suddenly turns into a grin. "And you're so jealous, you can hardly stand it."

Dean's thrown. "You're jealous." Dammit.

Sam laughs at Dean's lame attempt at a comeback, which is hardly fair. It's been a stressful day. "Got it out of your system?"

"Are you kidding? I am never, ever going to get the fact that you fucked a mermaid out of my system. I mean, you've had some inhuman girlfriends in your life, but this one's my absolute favorite."

"Well, save it." Sam turns and heads down the stairs. "I'm going to take a very long nap."

"I hope she didn't give you crabs, Prince Eric," Dean yells at Sam's retreating back.

Yeah, he's going to enjoy this for a while.

[krankittoeleven]

Fanfic Tag Game

Thank you thank you for the tag @brasideios! I think some things have changed since last time I did this and there's some new peeps around so here we go!

1. How many fics do you have on AO3? 18

2. What’s your total AO3 word count? 226,152

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Currently JJK, Trigun, Assassin's Creed and Final Fantasy 12 (LMAO) are fandoms I have fics in progress for that will likely see the light of day. That's generally what I consider a fandom I "write for".

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

1. But Like a Refugee (Trigun 98, Vashwood, E) 2. Because the Night (Trigun Stampede, Kniveswood, E) 3. we were hungry before (JJK, Nanago, E) 4. Sweets for the Sweet (Trigun 98, Vashwood, T) 5. a prelude to infinity (JJK, Nanago, M, WIP)

Jeez, Trigun and JJK really just told all my other fandoms to move over lol

5. Do you respond to comments?

Yep 99% of the time. If I miss something it's not intentional.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I don't really think I have one posted at the moment. I usually resolve my angst or give a fic at least a hopeful ending. Some things coming down the pipeline might fit in future iterations of this post, though. lol

7. What is the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Sweets for the Sweet, probably. It's pure, unadulterated Vashwood fluff.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Not specifically on AO3, but I've gotten anon hate here (that seems fic related) and I just snort, delete and move on.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Yes, these days I tend to write fairly explicit but still vanilla sex. Haven't felt like writing anything particularly wild lately, but not against it.

10. Do you write crossovers?

I wrote a GO/Cosmic Horror fic ages ago that is lost to time and space (fried hard drive and purges). Other than that I have started a ton of crossovers but never finished any. I am however nearing the completion of a Trigun/JJK crossover (Midvalley the Hornfreak/Nanami Kento for the 2 people in the world this might interest LOL) It was supposed to be crack for cracks sake but it became crack treated seriously. LMAO

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

No I don't think so.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? Not yet, but maybe soon?! Got asked for permission in regards to we were hungry before, so we'll see if that happens! :D

13. Have you ever co-written a fic?

No but wouldn't be adverse to it. I've done writer/Artist collabs before, though.

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

I refuse to pick only one, deal with it. :D Kenren/Tenpou (Saiyuki Gaiden), Ineffable Husbands (GO), Vashwood (Trigun), Kakairu (Naruto), Shaytham (AC Rogue), Ubba/Vili (AC Valhalla), Nanago (JJK), Balthier/Basch (FF12), Ignoct (FF15). Throughout every fandom I will apparently fall face first into the ground for any variation of the stoic introvert/excitable extrovert pair.

15. What’s a fic you’d like to finish but don’t think you ever will?

I will not doom any of my WIPS to that fate. I remain optimistic that I'll finished them all.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Writing dialogue, banter & humor.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I know I have plenty of technical weaknesses with writing, but my true weaknesses are just not executing the idea I started with and terrible follow through/commitment to finishing.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in a fic?

Whatever someone wants to do with their fic is fine by me. I do what I need to do to get certain points across.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Saiyuki

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

We were hungry before (JJK, Nanago, E) and Water of Life (AC Valhalla, Ubba/Vili, E, WIP) because I've put my blood sweat and tears into both of them (lots of tears, for real). Also, they both take me home (JJK, GetoNanaGo, M) because, for once, a fic turned out EXACTLY like I wanted it to.

I will tag @madnessmadness, @beelzebby666, @lifewtr, @akashadarkblade, @troublemakingrebel, @vault-heck. I think most of my other writing mutuals have been tagged. If I missed you feel free to join in, I've truly lost track of who does and doesn't write these days.

[bakageta]

for the fanfic ask game: 8, 13, and/or 24!

8. Is there a story idea in your mental vault that you’ve never been brave enough to try writing? Is this the year? Can you tell us about it?

Follow ups to my cryptid Venom fic, Runalong. It's a very I wrote this for me fic and I'm pleased and proud of how it came out. There's more in my head, I may have even shared a snippet before here iirc... But I'm hesitant to write it for anxiety/what if it's not a good reasons. I could finish the bit that's partly written tho? IDK, IDK. I just have this outline in my head and I'm hesitant to write it down...

Oh and there's also some long-ish fic ideas, the Venom body swap fic and the reluctant god Eddie Brock fic. If I don't do anything with Runalong, I at least want to do something with either of those ideas. Even if it's just outlining one of them.

13. Aside from fanfic, are there any other fan works you’d like to try creating? Fanart, or fanvids, gifsets, or podfic? 

I have very, very, very idly thought about podficcing. But considering I haven't even listened to one I should probably start there first, lol. Find out how much sound effects go into it, do people usually do voices, ect?

24. By the end of this year, you want your fandom to think of you as “that author who _______.”

Still writes? Writes that weird biology stuff? IDK that I'd really care what my fandom thinks of me? I already don't know what anyone but my friends and a few regular readers think of me...