#i am such a sucker for a gala fic | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

enigmaticexplorer · 1 year ago

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I was thinking about this fic last week, so this update was a nice surprise!

I am in high anticipation for both the gala and to see Keeda working relief missions. The buildup to what is coming is so tense and beautifully written, and leaves me feeling both satisfied and apprehensive.

Keeda’s dream. Not much was said but the way you described Fox’s arms and the security Keeda felt had me grinning like an absolute idiot.

Overworked and suffering from memory blackouts?? Every update you post with his POV makes my heart twinge for him. The gang related information has my interest highly piqued (I’m a sucker for crime syndicate mystery things) and even if it’s not a big part of the story, I’m so intrigued to see how Fox handles this situation (and if Keeda will get involved).

An aside: your descriptions inside the greenhouse were lovely.

Chapter 3: The Prices of Service

Characters: Commander Fox, Commander Thorn, OC Keeda Ionza, OC June Makano

Summary: If he was not here to protect them, his position would likely go to Thorn or Thire, and that was something he would never wish on his vode. Fox had decided long ago that if his suffering spared his brothers, he would endure it.

Rating: Explicit 18+, no smut

Warnings: Clone trooper dehumanization, residual anxiety

Word Count: 4.4k

Ao3 link

A/N: CHAPTER 3 UPDATED: 06/20/2023. Hello and welcome to the updated Chapter 3 of Sweet True Lies!! Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy it!!

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The Prices of Service

Keeda gasped as she jerked herself awake, looking around and briefly wondering where she was. You’re in your old room. Relax. You’re okay. she told herself as she got her bearings.

An annoyed meow came from the black-striped lump of tan fur next to her feet as she reached over and grabbed the remote on her nightstand, reducing the dark opaque tint of her windows to let in the morning light. “Sorry, Chuffs,” she apologized to her mother’s tooka cat.

She squeezed her eyes shut against the harsh light bouncing off Coruscant's surface and nestled herself back into her cloudy pillows, not quite ready to leave the warmth of her large bed.

A pair of large pointy ears twitched as Chuffs stood up briefly and stretched languidly as the light reached her, giving Keeda a curious look before settling back down in her warm spot with a purr.

Scrunching her fingers through her tangled hair as she took in the morning, Keeda’s thoughts wandered back to the dream she had been having. It had not been unpleasant—quite the opposite: Someone’s strong arms had pulled her close with whispers of reassurance and safety, enveloping her with so much warmth she could have melted into them.

She mused over it for a moment, twisting a bit to look at her upper arm and wondering why she had such a comforting dream after such a tumultuous night. As she prodded the bruise-free skin to check for any residual soreness, she figured a nightmare would have been more fitting, but none had come.

“Good morning, Mistress Keeda,” N2’s soft, high-pitched, mechanical voice said as he shuffled into her room. He was holding a breakfast tray laden with what looked like muffins, scrambled nuna eggs, sliced shuura fruit, and her favorite tea.

Keeda stretched and yawned before sitting up, realizing absently that she had slept much further into the morning than she normally did. Just a few years prior, after inheriting the leading share of ownership of her father’s galaxy-wide shipping company, Interplanetary Cargo Carriers, she had begun rising with the sun each day.

She typically carried out most of her meetings and flimsiwork in the waking hours to leave the rest of her day open, and she had thrown herself into assisting her mother with running the charity in her spare time.

The routine had become a bit monotonous over the years as Terreg Ionza had so skillfully built and structured the company that his daughter barely had to touch it, leaving Keeda the financial freedom others could only dream of.

Still, she heeded her father’s advice and checked in with her business teams, other shareholders, and financial advisors almost daily, and the company continued to flourish even through the outbreak of the Clone Wars.

Today, however, already felt off-kilter due to the abrupt change in pace.

“Morning, N2. What’s all this?” she asked, untangling herself from the velvety blankets and trying not to disturb Chuffs a second time.

“Oh, Mistress Sareel was insistent that you have something to eat before you leave,” N2 replied.

She rubbed her eyes groggily as N2 set the meal down on the marble night table. Her stomach rumbled loudly as the scent of the fresh, berry-laden muffins and fluffy eggs finally registered, remembering how little she had eaten the night before.

Sipping the milky, steaming tea and nibbling a muffin, Keeda skimmed the news on her comm and answered a few messages from her business teams as she did every morning. Articles recounting the Republic Navy’s latest victories and defeats rerouting trade and travel hyperspace lanes littered the screen, and it had become a new weekly normal for her to approve or reject what shipping lanes the ICC would utilize among her usual tasks.

But as hard as she tried to focus, she found her mind wandering back to her dream. It was fading quickly as she fully woke, but the sense of security of those imaginary arms around her had greatly lessened her residual anxiety. Not wanting to give that anxiety any opportunity to return, she tried to burn the dream into her brain.

“Is there anything you require before I begin the household chores, Mistress Keeda?” N2 asked, carrying her hamper from your bathroom.

“No, thank you, N2. You have done plenty for me already,” Keeda replied, giving the droid a smile. She knew N2 could not feel emotions—he was simply programmed to respond—but she had always been polite to him nonetheless.

As she tucked into her breakfast, she remembered her mother’s request to check on the floral arrangements for the gala and sent a quick text comm to June, telling her she would be stopping by.

In a last-second decision, she also took the opportunity to inform June of the details of the previous evening. She was well aware that June never answered personal calls while working, and therefore would not call herself, but Keeda received several long texts full of enraged expletives and exclamations within just a few minutes.

June had always been hotheaded, so Keeda took her time in eating and dressing, figuring her best friend would have vented out a lot of that initial steam by the time she arrived if she did not rush. Instead, she savored the morning, and her delicious breakfast, for once and turned her thoughts toward preparing for the gala.

Nothing about the Clone Wars had slowed down the charity foundation’s work, but it had physically condensed it to Core and Mid-Rim worlds, much like the ICC had, as new battle maps were drawn every day in every sector of the galaxy. The charity had also been forced to cut its ties with Separatist worlds, though Keeda knew some of the medical outposts on those worlds had continued to function without proper funds, manned now only by the very people they had been constructed to help.

With the organization now officially partnering with the GAR, however, the work could continue on Loyalist worlds outside of the Core and Mid-Rim. Keeda had already received the information about the battalion she would be attached to for the foreseeable future, and she sincerely hoped the clones would accept working with her in the field. Deep down, she had been a little worried they would always see her as an outsider.

An hour later found her stepping out of a taxi and onto a wide, sunny pedestrian walkway in a neighboring district. The air was still chilly, but the sun managed to take the bite of the wind away as Coruscant hummed with life around her. Citizens of all species bustled about and children laughed as if there were no war at all to speak of, and she joined the flow of the crowd.

How privileged we are just to see the sun on this planet when others go their whole lives in the lower levels. You were born into that privilege, my dearest. Use it to help others. Terreg’s words echoed through Keeda’s mind deeply as she walked, listening to the dull thudding of her boots on the duracrete join the symphony of footsteps.

In a matter of minutes, a long, tall greenhouse stretched down the length of the block before her, made entirely of glass walls and windows—just one of ten identical buildings laid out parallel to each other. A much smaller, older structure sat at the end of the first building, with a glowing sign projected onto the ancient-looking brick that read ‘Makano Greenhouses,’ and she made her way to the door.

The air inside the main shop was warm and damp, and it was like stepping into an entirely different world. The fresh scents of thousands of varieties of flowers, vegetables, fruits, and shrubbery the Makano family had grown for nearly two centuries in their greenhouses all wafted to greet her like a warm embrace, spiriting her away from the ecological barrenness of Coruscant. She suspected the shuura fruit she had eaten for breakfast had come from these greenhouses.

Inhaling the perfumy fragrances deeply, Keeda pressed the service button on the front desk, taking the time to admire all the glittering vases, fruit baskets, and pre-arranged flower displays already up for sale.

“Be there in a second, Keeds,” a light feminine voice said, echoing through a speaker.

June Makano was the latest generational owner of her family’s greenhouses and Keeda’s best friend from their time at university.

Although the greenhouses were an incredibly lucrative business over the centuries—being one of the last few remaining places on-world providing food and décor to Coruscant’s upper classes—the Makano family had used them as a cover for less legitimate business for just as long.

True to her word, a few moments later, a delicately curvy young woman with bright ginger hair and equally bright hazel eyes came jogging in through the shop’s back door.

“Fucking hell, girl,” she greeted in typical June fashion, wiping her hands on a rag and pulling her friend into a tight hug.

“Hey, June,” Keeda replied. She hugged her back, glad to see her initial, explosive temper had cooled already.

“You nearly gave me a heart attack this morning with your message. How’re you holding up?”

“I’m coping, could’ve been worse,” she added dismissively. However, her remaining unease must have still been shining through her expression because June cocked a disbelieving, fiery eyebrow at her.

The two had become like sisters over the years, and it still baffled Keeda to no end how the redhead was always able to know exactly how she felt, reading people like open books.

As if on cue, the way June pursed her lips was another classic indicator that she knew Keeda was still not all right, but Keeda ignored it and annoyedly huffed out a tired breath, leaning against the counter.

“Okay, I’m not gonna make you talk about it,” June said quietly and rubbing her friend’s arm affectionately, “but you know I’m here if you need to. You know I can still get Naiyo to deal with him, too, right?”

Keeda chuckled dryly and rolled her eyes. Naiyo Makano was the last person she wanted to be involved in her dating life again. “No, thanks. I don’t want your rum-running twin brother and his gangsters getting themselves into any more trouble on my account.”

“He still cares about you, but I get it. The offer always stands, though. Now, come on, let me show you the flowers for tomorrow,” June said in a singsong voice, effectively dropping the subject.

June led her through the back door and past the greenhouses to an enormous workshop. It looked equally as ancient as the main shop with all its exposed brick and dark steel rafters, and the sunlight streaming through the high windows glittered off little dust motes in the air.

Specialized droids hovered about, arranging several varieties of colorful flowers into garlands, bouquets, and centerpieces for the gala. Keeda recognized some of the larger flower varieties, but there were also unfamiliar, tiny, shining white blossoms on wiry vines mixed into the arrangements.

“Let your mum know everything will be delivered this afternoon, and I’ll be there personally tonight to make sure they’re set up properly,” June said, taking an extra bundle of the blossoms and handing them to Keeda. “These would look really pretty in your hair tomorrow.”

“What are these?” she asked curiously. The little shimmering flowers gave off a delicate, but musky-sweet scent, unlike anything she had smelled before. They were also surprisingly resilient as she touched them, despite being so small.

“They’re a variety of peace blossoms from Naboo,” June explained, lifting the end of a garland into a transport crate. “Your mum asked for those particularly, so I had to use the hydroponic systems and pure light to get them to grow faster. She said it was to represent a quick end to the war with the help of all the relief volunteers.”

“Trust my mum to weave poetic symbolism into everything,” Keeda mumbled, tilting the little flowers in her palm. Their sheen reflected a faint bluish-green hue beneath the milky petals as she heard June pause her work. From the tone of her sigh, Keeda could tell she was worried. “You still don’t think I should have volunteered?”

June looked away as she shook her shoulder-length orange hair out of its clip to readjust it. “I just don’t want you to get hurt or anything. Just because you’re only going on relief missions doesn’t mean it’s safe, Keeds. You could be attacked at any time.”

“Now you really sound like my mum,” Keeda muttered sardonically. She knew June meant well, but even she knew Keeda had been screaming internally for months from being cooped up on Coruscant. “I’ll be with the troops the whole time. They’ll keep any droids out of my way, and I’m a decent shot myself.”

June gave her a reproachful look, but she clipped her hair back up and shrugged. “Just… be careful. You’re my best friend.”

“I know and I will be careful. But you know exactly how badly I need to get off this kriffing planet. I need some fresh air, quite literally a different atmosphere. It’s beautiful here, in its own way, and it’ll always be home, but I need some change.”

Keeda stepped a bit closer and lowered her voice a notch, shaking her head, “And you were right before, June. I’m not entirely fine, especially after last night. Getting away right now is the best thing I can do.”

She could tell June was holding back her tears from the way she looked around rapidly and started chewing on her plump, pink bottom lip. Keeda pulled her into a more solid hug, aware that it may be the last chance she got before she shipped out the morning after the gala. “I promise, I’ll be fine. When I get back, I’ll tell you all about it over caf at that greasy little diner you like so much.”

June chuckled, letting a tear escape as she embraced her tightly. “Hey, don’t shit on Dex’s. He’s got the best nerfburgers ever, just admit it.”

Fox sighed heavily as he picked up another datapad full of reports ready for his review and signature. It had been an unusually eventful day, starting normally with a meeting with the chancellor, but ending with him scrambling to rescind orders that he did not recall giving.

He had, had memory blackouts before, but never once had he ever told anyone about them. His fear of being sent back to Kamino and being reconditioned was less for himself and more for the men he commanded. If he was not here to protect them, his position would likely go to Thorn or Thire, and that was something he would never wish on his vode. Fox had decided long ago that if his suffering spared his brothers, he would endure it.

He lifted his helmet off, cutting the loud metal music he had been working to, and rubbed his fingertips over his eyes until he could see spots behind his eyelids. As he gulped down the last swallow of cold caf in his mug, he willed away the mental strain the day had so brutally taken out on him.

Today, the orders had been to raid a known criminal den, a mid-level dive lounge, to seek out suspected Separatist sympathizers. It was something the Corries had done before, and they had a very high success rate, but those raids were always carried out in the earliest hours of the morning, and today’s orders had come at midday.

Tactically, Fox knew better. He knew to wait till the late evening and early hours to strike when people were tired and had likely been imbibing, but when he rewatched the footage from his own helmet, he could hear his voice commanding that the raid be carried out immediately.

The next thing he remembered feeling was like he was waking up, coming out of a dense black fog just in time to realize what was going on around him. He had scrambled to recall his troopers before it was too late, his heart pounding its way through his ribs but retaining his stoic demeanor—a quickly learned skill in his position. Only after his men had successfully returned to base without engaging any hostiles, did Fox allow himself room to breathe, and the heated reprimand he endured from the chancellor’s vice chair, Mas Amedda, was let in one ear and out the other.

Skillfully lying his way out of it, another rapidly learned skill, he had stated that new evidence had suddenly come to light that needed to be reviewed before a raid could be carried out more effectively. However, to appease the seething, sycophantic Chagrian politician, Fox ordered that two of the serving droids at the dive bar be captured and reprogrammed to discreetly report on any Separatist-sympathetic activity for the next several weeks.

Amedda constantly meddled in military affairs, and it only served to make Fox’s job harder. It had taken an intervention by the chancellor himself calmly agreeing with Fox about the strategy for Amedda to back off.

Slipping his helmet back on and starting up his music again, Fox skimmed over the datapad. The harsh but melodic music was soothing him in a way he could not fully explain as he read through the infuriating reports. The reports he was signing off on now were not related to his direct orders. These had come in from the covert bases in deeper levels of the planet regarding a series of gang-related skirmishes.

A total of 52 brothers had been lost in the past two weeks due to increased gang warfare, and Fox’s dark eyes read each number carefully. Some of their names he knew, some he did not, but in the reports, their chosen names were never given; only their designation numbers were listed under a column that read ‘destruction of Republic property, KIA.’

It made Fox want to slam his fist through the datapad. He and his brothers were human, but still regarded as property. Slaves… resources… boys bred for war. echoed in his mind—sentiments he had heard from nat-born politicians and civilians in general on more than one occasion.

He had grown used to it, being treated as nothing more than a security measure or as a suit of armor decorating a dark corner waiting to be called to action, but it never stopped his anger from burning across his skin when he saw his brothers’ numbers lined up for him to acknowledge. He was responsible for them and each number felt like a sting of failure, no matter how many times Wolffe, Cody, or even Thorn told him he could not blame himself.

Thorn shifted from the cot he had been straddling, a stack of flimsi sheets and datapads of his own scattered in front of him. “I’m just about done,” he announced.

Fox barely heard him over the music, but he acknowledged his vod with a short hum, continuing to scribble his signature—his own designation number preceded by his rank—across the screen where necessary.

Thorn huffed, scratching a hand through his dark blonde curls, and rose to snatch the last datapad off Fox’s desk. The helmeted commander did not even try to stop him, knowing he was only trying to help. “Are you putting in another requisition order to Kamino?” Thorn asked, reading over the information.

“I have to,” Fox said, turning the screeching music down. “We’ve lost a platoon’s worth of brothers in two weeks because rival gangs have ramped up their attempts to claim territory. They’re too powerful to root out at the source without authorization from the district courts, and we don’t have that kind of jurisdiction.”

“Bureaucratic bullshit,” Thorn muttered.

“Exactly. If our main concern wasn’t all these fucking senators and the security of the upper levels, I’d be down there crushing them under my heels myself.”

Thorn forged Fox’s signature a few times and stacked the datapad with the others. “I need a drink. You up for 79s?”

Fox rolled his eyes. As if alcohol is going to help these memory blackouts. He set his helmet on his desk and kneaded the knots in his stiff neck, tossing his finished datapad on the pile. Leaning back in his creaking chair and stretching, he internally debated whether or not he wanted to go drinking.

Seeing his brother’s reluctance, Thorn pressed, “Come on, when did you last take a night off? There might be some cute girls there, and I bet any of them would love to help a marshal commander unwind.”

He thought about shooting Thorn a dark scowl, but Fox had to admit it had been a while since he had engaged in anything truly pleasurable, and he still could not get the image of that beautiful young woman out of his mind. He had begun imagining what she might look like if she smiled, and it made him feel lighter in an unfamiliar but captivating way. It was doubtful he would ever see her again, though, and blowing off some steam with someone new might just get those green eyes out of his stormy head.

Sighing as Thorn gave him a mockingly pitiful look, Fox relented, “All right, go round up the boys. I’ll be down in a minute.

He chuckled as he watched Thorn do a little happy skip out of his office before opening up the bottom drawer of his desk and digging for the box of bio-sheaths he always kept on hand. Even if he did not end up needing one, chances were that another brother would.

79’s was crawling with all sorts of beings. The majority were clones, but any nat-borns who wanted to patronize the infamous clone bar were welcome—assuming they did not cause trouble.

The Corries always caught the attention of the patrons whenever they arrived, and news of their presence swept through the vast establishment like wildfire. A radius of skepticism and caution always seemed to follow them for the first hour or so, garnering timid glances and hushed murmurs. Most people assumed they showed up because there was trouble, but as Fox and his men had removed their helmets, joking with each other and ordering a round of drinks, the atmosphere relaxed again.

One by one, each of them broke away from the group, finding brothers from other battalions to catch up with or seduced by potential partners. However, try as Thorn might, he could not convince Fox to do any more than lean over the railing of the third level overlooking the dance floor.

“I didn’t bring you here just to watch you know,” he called over the blaring music, growing more irritated that Fox’s version of a night off included nothing more than sipping bourbon as slowly as possible. “Loosen up, Vod.”

Fox let his drink sit and mellow on his tongue before answering, focusing on the sweeter notes in the cool alcohol. “I’m not stopping you from having fun. You’re the one choosing to stand here.” Fox grumbled back over the music.

Thorn rolled his eyes exaggeratedly. “You’re impossible, you know that?”

“Yeah. I do.”

“You sure you don’t want to have a little fun? That girl over there has been looking at you for a few minutes now.”

Fox followed Thorn’s eyes over his shoulder to a standing table with a group of scantily clad young women giggling around it. Sure enough, a few of them were smiling in their direction.

“I’m good.”

“Would this have anything to do with a certain girl you helped the other night?”

Fox rolled his eyes but sighed and took a deeper drink from his glass, swirling what was left of his ice into the deeply fragrant alcohol. No matter how hard he tried, and even after her assailant had been dealt with, he could not stop that mystery woman from invading his thoughts.

His mind grew pleasantly quiet once more as he stopped trying to distract himself and let the thought of her in. The pulsing lights and pounding music blaring through the club were barely noticeable to him after a few minutes, and it only got easier with every sip of his drink.

Thorn nudged him and he pulled himself out of his trance, looking at his brother in confusion. “What?”

Thorn nodded past him, and Fox turned to see a gorgeous Zeltron woman standing beside and smiling at him.

“Forgive me,” Fox apologized. “I didn’t see you.”

“It’s okay. I just asked if you’d like to dance?” she asked again, hopefully twirling a strand of her dark purple hair around a crimson-skinned finger.

Fox felt the heat rise in his neck. She was stunning and curvaceous, but the usual urge to take a willing partner for a spin on the crowded dance floor below was strangely absent. Although he had to admit she was certainly attractive, and he would not have turned her down in the past, she just was not who he wanted.

Giving her a kind smile in return, Fox politely declined and offered up Thorn instead. His vod lit up like a firecracker and he eagerly extended his hand. Fox knew, at the very least, it would keep his brother from bitching at him about being a downer.

Just before Thorn was pulled away by his new partner, Fox dug into a pouch on his belt and subtly slipped him the bio-sheath. “Just in case,” he mouthed.

Thorn gave him a grateful nod as he realized Fox was not planning on staying. Bumping vambraces with him, he turned to follow his eager new date down to the congested main floor of the club.

Fox sighed deeply and downed the rest of his bourbon in one hearty swig, letting it mellow against his tongue before swallowing. He could hear Mari’s distant voice in his head now, kicking him and telling him he was crazy for not accepting the Zeltron woman’s offer. He chuckled to himself as he remembered their situations being reversed when she and Rex had first gotten together.

The crisp air was invigorating as he stepped back into the night and swung over the seat of his speeder bike. He was somehow more alert now, even despite the single drink he had consumed. However, he knew his outrageous metabolism would burn it off quickly, and with sex oddly being very far from his mind, there was only one other method he knew would help him sleep—a brutally exhausting workout. Revving the speeder into gear, he set off back to the base.

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terrm9 · 3 years ago

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also here with an l&t request because how could i not- maybe tender for those two? love you ❤️

thank you so much Mal!!! You allowing me to create more for L&T means more to me than I can tell. I love you SO MUCH <333

also again I am sorry I cannot really focus on anything these days but I needed to do something because I was going crazy a little but so this is probably super messy but yay! it's something

the title of this fic is inspired by this song, I recommend it to everyone it's a very beautiful song <3

wrapped in piano strings (l & t)

Lina has received many gala invitations over the years. Being the president's only daughter has always meant doing things she wouldn't normally even consider doing.

She always refused to attend the events. Galas and balls and all kinds of charity events - she'd turn down every single one of them, stubbornly refusing to dress up and schmooze with the nation's biggest dickheads just to improve her mother's image.

After officially leaving Vancross and starting her completely-free-of-politics life, she wouldn't even open the invitations anymore.

Until today.

Today, the little kids from the orphanage - her kids - are performing. Those tiny bodies with huge eyes on their faces, singing and dancing just like they were taught (and also freestyling their way through the performance a little bit too often).

Lina came to support those children today.

With Tatum by her side, she must admit it's not the worst evening of her life.

She decided to wear a red dress, with a thigh slit that balanced on an edge of being inappropriate - and it was when she saw the heat in Tatum's eyes as he looked at her for the first time, that she knew she'd made a good choice.

(The heat that soon moved into his cheeks, because even after all these years - after years of devouring every inch of Lina's skin - Tatum deemed his sinful thoughts about his best friend improper.)

And now, Lina finds herself watching him. Observing him as he watches the performance, his face blank, almost stern (as it always is), yet she notices his foot tapping lightly against the wooden floor with the music.

Tatum is completely wrapped in the sound of piano, even his thumb that traces circles on the soft skin of her wrist moving in synchrony with the tones.

Lina is comletely wrapped in him.

In the way his tanned skin glows even under the artifical light. In the curve of his full lips. In the contrast between the white fabric of his turtleneck and his dark stubble. In the arch of his eyebrow and in the sharpness of his cheekbones.

She is wrapped in the love she carries for him, in all parts of herself - the obvious and the deepest ones, both.

Tatum turns his head to her, an eyebrow arching in a silent question.

Lina smiles slightly. Tatum smiles back at her, just as tenderly (if not more).

The room, the performance, people sitting at their table with them - it all fades. All loses its significance at the moments like this.

All turns into a white nose when they are wrapped in each other.

***

Fun story about Tatum's outfit - I am one (1) weak sucker for men in turtlenecks. Intially, he was supposed to wear dark gray turtleneck but THEN I found Devon's photo in a white one and my mind was set on that lol

Taglist❤

#l & t #tatum mendoza #lina monroe #terr writes #lina x tatum

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afriendofhanguangjun · 4 years ago

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BRI’S BIG LIST OF 3ZUN FIC RECS

a few people on twitter expressed some interest in my 3zun rec list so here are some of my faves! this isn’t separated by ship but by the kind of fic. there are some i didn’t rec because i can’t rec them in good conscience even though i like them. YEAH

THEY WIN I PROMISE (or: happy ending fics)

there is just one thing i need by MonocerosRex. modern au, rated G, 11k! primarily nieyao, but it’s 3zun. nieyao go on a cross-country road trip to pick up lan xichen from the airport. it is SO FUN, i laughed SO MUCH. the nieyao dynamic is DELIGHTFUL

just one kiss (for our fake date) by thefaceofno. 4k, rated T, modern au! xiyao. jgy brings his friend lan xichen as his fake boyfriend for a family gala. somewhere along the line, he forgets to mention the word “fake” to xichen. the misunderstandings are really fun and cute!

you seem, secretly, to love everything by jelendra. 11k, modern au, M, 3zun but the focus is on a nieyao get together. it’s part of a big series but tbh i havent read the rest of the series. but THIS ONE is that lan xichen is dating jgy and nmj separately and wants them to date each other! meng yao feels really weird about this.

Synced by theherocomplex. T, 23k, nielan, space au! nmj and lxc become partners to explore a little satellite planet. featuring fun mental bonds and AMAZING wordbuilding. the atmosphere is so quiet here. i love the vibes

soaring, carried aloft on the wind by skadiseven. E, 68k, nielan, au! lan xichen is forced into an arranged marriage with “”””warlord”””” nie mingjue and finds out that there is more than he had initially assumed about the people who are invading his kingdom. AMAZING prose, the worldbuilding is so fun, the fic itself is so soft and sweet. if you want to be sold on nielan this fic sure will sell you!

holding off the rust by me! :3c 3zun, 3k, T, modern au. jgy THINKS he’s cheating on nmj and lxc with each other. he is wrong. it’s a good time!

Becoming Prom King in Ten Easy Steps: A Guide by Jin Guangyao by me. 3zun, 40k, modern au, T. jgy wants to become prom king and schemes his way to the top. along the way he gets some boyfriends. this is a teen comedy movie in fic form.

Nevermore to Leave also by me! nieyao, 17k, canonverse, rated T. meng yao’s first 100 days as the vice general of the nie sect. he learns how to be safe and the nie bros eagerly adopt him. lots of family content!

FOR A GOOD OL’ CRY (bittersweet fics!!!)

to exist, in reaction by autoclaves. 6k, modern au, T, nielan with past xiyao. lan xichen learns to handle his grief of losing the husband he thought he knew thanks to the help of a plant shop, two cats, and the cute man who keeps coming into his shop. this made me tear up ;u;

tell me what I already know by daughterson. M, 9k, modern au, nielan with past xiyao. the entire series is AMAZING but this is the flagship fic and its honestly one of my favorites. lan xichen cheats on his husband nmj with one of the students at his university. he learns to deal with the fallout. it is heartbreaking and amazing and AAAGH JUST. AAGH!!!! LAN XICHEN AH LAN XICHEN!!!

to hoard promises that could sniff out the lie by Mayarene Rose. 3zun, 50k, T, pacrim au. please. my god. if you’re gonna read any fic on the list, read this one. i don’t know shit about pacific rim and i loved this. it cycles between their povs and it is AMAZING. it GETS the 3zun dynamic so well. im choked up thinking about it. the epitome of “they’re in love and it wasn’t enough.”

favor by venndaai. T, 30k, focus is xiyao but 3zun is important too, hunger games au. WIP!!! this makes me SO emotional. meng yao volunteers in nie huaisang’s place and meets lan xichen in the games. im miserable over this. the prose is gorgeous and i don’t know where it’s going but i am delighted to see where!

MY LOVE IS THE KILLING KIND (BAD END FICS)

the ruins left inside of you by aroceu. M, 26k, canon divergent au. 3zun, focus on nieyao. technically a jennifers body au. this is one of my favorite 3zun fics of ALLLLLL time. its a GREAT character study of nmj and how a demon whose power you absorbed for your own and an evil spirit that you let corrupt your soul arent all that different in the end, huh!!! the ending is so tasty. my god. i love this one.

Cry a river, call it rain by rheawrites. 2.6k, E, modern au. jgy kidnaps xichen. that’s it. that’s the fic. i love it

qinghe triptych by bloodletter. E, 3 part series, canonverse mostly nieyao but part three is sangyao and mosang. 40k total. a three-part examination on the qinghe trio and a three-part breaking of my heart. each fic is gutting and beautifully written and UGHHHHHH I DONT HAVE THE WORDS I JUST WANNA WAILLLLLL

there is the way the air feels by nenyanaryavilya. 9k, xiyao, modern au. E jgy visits lan xichen in his big lonely manhattan apartment. some FUCKED UP xiyao vibes that i love a lot, thanks.

The Mountain Stood So Large by esperra. 16k, M, canonverse. very 3zun. two weeks before nmj’s death, lxc and jgy take him on a night hunt. what follows is some light horror, a lot of hallucinations, and a character study on what it feels like to be unable to trust your own mind.

Obligation by ilgaksu. 53k, rated M, 3zun at different points. canonverse. WIP. ON HIATUS a CUTTING jgy pov fic. non-linear timeline, but cuts across different points of canon. jgy is just a fucked up little man and it’s delightful to read. the prose is UTTERLY beautiful.

GETTIN DOWN WITH 3P (you can extrapolate what that means for urself)

Past Tense, Present Perfect by nonplussed. canonverse, around sunshot...? kind of a fix it fic. 6k, E. 3zun. 3zun get down to some fun roleplay and learn how to communicate with each other along the way! there’s a lot of fun identity stuff with this one. i am a sucker for dom jgy

softly by isozyme. E, 3.5k, canonverse. nieyao. jgy breaks nmj’s d*** for fun and profit. they’re so in love. that doesn’t make anything better. the vibes are terrible and i love it so much

études (in a minor key) by bigspoonnoya. E, 9k, modern au, xiyao with past (?) nieyao. jgy shows up on a repressed lan xichen’s doorstep one night saying that nmj broke up with him. lxc tries to comfort him and then he Comforts him ;) jgy is an absolute piece of shit here. i love it. the ending is GUT WRENCHING. part 3 of the series is also good!

half cloak & half dagger by fahye. 13k, E, canonverse. jgy and lxc are happily married but sometimes a gremlin has to scheme his way into a good bang, yknow???? its SO funny and the jgy pov is SO good

the notes on an old mistake by esperra. 26k, series. mostly nieyao but it turns into xiyao and 3zun. nmj and jgy are exes who end up sleeping together again... and again... and again..... if you love bad decisions you’ll love this series. jgy gets together with lan xichen and then ropes nmj into a terribly negotiated polycule.

ok thats all of them that i am brave enough to rec haha

#fic rec #3zun

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emily-prentits · 3 years ago

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1, 3, 4, 5, 15, 18, 19, 21, 23

no pressure to answer them all ajshghasgsj im very curious tho

1. tell us about your current project(s) – what’s it about, how’s progress, what do you love most about it?

People keep sending me this lol- but I always have more wips so I don’t mind in the least <3 (Perfect time to talk about inthaf omg)

It’s Nice To Have a Friend (inthaf) is the title of an original fic that I’m slowly chipping away at in hopes of actually writing something original… it’s based on the Taylor Swift song of the same name. Ever since I first heard this song I’ve wanted to write a childhood friends to lovers fic but it never really fit any of my ships (surprise surprise, there's a thing called original fiction. Who knew?) This idea has been brewing in my mind for about a year and a half now, but I just started plotting and worldbuilding about a month ago! Not many details are set in stone and I want to keep it under wraps for a while yet, but the main premise is two childhood friends reuniting after years of being apart. Shenanigans (also known as the plot™) ensue. I’m really excited about this fic tho! Maybe I’ll actually finish it… (I say, as I haven’t even finished one fic)

3. what is that one scene that you’ve always wanted to write but can’t be arsed to write all of the set-up and context it would need? (consider this permission to write it and/or share it anyway)

A mob boss au omg. This sounds like so much fun but the amount of research I’d have to do? The amount of writing I’d have to do? I don’t have the time for another multi lol. I think I’d probably make it papertiger if I did write it though.

4. share a sentence or paragraph from your writing that you’re really proud of (explain why, if you like)

Cindy. Felicia smiles.

You get zero context, you're welcome.

5. what character that you’re writing do you most identify with?

answered here!

15. which is harder: titles or summaries (or tags)?

Great question great question…. Am I allowed to say all of them?

Titles usually come to me sometime while writing, or at least fragments of titles, so those aren’t super hard unless they don’t come to me lol in that case that would be the hardest part of a fic.

Summaries have been drilled into my brain for years (meaning I loathe them) but if I really need one I’ll do it, but if I’m feeling lazy I’ll just use an interesting quote from the fic as a hook and call it a day. aaty has the one summary I’m actually proud of that I put effort into lol

Honestly I don’t give a shit about tags… sometimes I use them, sometimes I don’t, sometimes I forget that ao3 isn’t tumblr and I use the tags like I would on tumblr lol

18. do any of your stories have alternative versions? (plotlines that you abandoned, AUs of your own work, different characterisations?) Tell us about them.

So many of them!! I briefly thought about writing Carmen and Julia’s relationship before the events of aaty, thought about writing a fic where Carmen faked her death for an epilogue-type fic set after you’re gone (and I’m all alone), gala fics… so many gala fics for carulia. There’s actually one coming up in both of my carulia multichaps, although I won’t tell you where.

19. is there something you always find yourself repeating in your writing? (favourite verb, something you describe ‘too often’, trope you can’t get enough of?)

answered here!

21. what other medium do you think your story would work well as? (film, webcomic, animated series?)

If they weren’t all fanfiction I think they’d work good as films or webcomics <3

23. what's the story idea you’ve had in your head for the longest?

Definitely aaty. Started that sucker january 2021 and only got a few chapters in before my brainrot said no more writing *cries*

writer asks

#asking jo #the giraffe animal cracker #not a crush anon #seemed like it was time for some advanced formatting...

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swissmissficrecs · 4 years ago

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Hello! I have 2 completely separate requests, but I think they are both a bit more crowdsurfing than directly asking you (just because I have no idea how you would have tagged them) 1. I am a sucker for fics where Sherlock and Sally become friends at some point. Usually it's a background thing, but I just read one where they threw a dancing gala together. I loved it and it reminded me of other fics where they grudgingly become friends/respectful. Recs are truly and wonderfully appreciated!! 1/2

Reply: Sure, I have a couple on this list:

Other characters in prominent roles (Lestrade, Donovan, Anderson)

And in case anyone else is interested, here’s the gala fic:

Dance With Me by Silvergirl (28K, E, Johnlock) Sherlock rescues Sally Donovan, and in turn she tries to help him get John to stop faffing about and get on with Johnlock.

#request #Anonymous

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stevieraebarnes · 4 years ago

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👁👁 I'm always a sucker for Gala Fics... Sneak Peek please?

I AM ALSO A SUCKER FOR GALA FICS!

Basically I was listening to "Ballroom Blitz" one day and decided it was very batfam xD

Have a peek!

"You are ready, young master."

"I'm twenty-two, Alf. Isn't there etiquette governing when you start calling boys whom grow up 'sir'?"

Alfred collects the brush off the nightstand and looks Jason in the eyes. "You will always be my young master." He gives a nod then and excuses himself from the room, leaving Jason alone to stare in the mirror at the fresh pressed tux of the finest cloth he dons.

Jason Todd is dressed from battle.

Also, I feel it's important to note that the summary for this fic is absolutely "Dick Grayson could kill you with a wink of an eye."

Thanks for the ask 🥰🥰🥰

#wip game #answer #mlim8 #jason todd #alfred pennyworth

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zhuilingyizhen · 4 years ago

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Xicheng parent trap au with background wangxian beings disgustingly in love and scheming juniors

i am so sorry for delaying this so much!! my extent of parent trap knowledge is like one pjo fic i read years ago, so i tried to research it and have no idea how any of the juniors can pull off masquerading as each other, so i decided to tweak it a bit.

in this au, the juniors are all sent to the same summer camp (bad idea) courtesy of a lowkey scheming wwx, who may or may not have hinted at jl that his uncle has an old bf from college, and that they should get back together and be gay haha just kidding... unless?

anyways, a plotting jl is sent to summer camp w/ his only friend oyzz. jk, jk, his only friend is fairy, oyzz is like, a nice acquaintance (dad’s business partner’s son). while there, they happen to bump into a certain lan duo.

(hint: they’re not brothers.)

so ljy and jl are arguing as usual, and lsz is questioning how they already got into this mess, and oyzz is just chillin’. then, oyzz is like “wait a sec, so i know you?” and lsz introduces himself and slowly but surely, the pieces are coming together in jl’s mind. jl then proceeds to interrogate lsz bc he needs as much info about his uncle and the guy that made his irrationally angry grape uncle happy.

(jl is still trying to put jc and being happy together in his mind. not working.)

so jl discovers that lsz is lxc’s adoptive nephew. (oyzz recognized him bc he talked to lsz at some huge, stuffy gala that jl had opted to miss) and then gets oyzz onto the plot bc oyzz is a sucker for romantic stuff. oyzz and ljy have already become friends for their love of romance, so ljy gets dragged along (read: drags them along) and lsz joins them cause 1) ljy and 2) uhhh is there another reason? happy uncle ig.

ofc, being the juniors, they do not have a plan on how to force jc to see lxc again. lsz says that lxc would be more than willing, it was just jc that needed the convincing.

and what better convincing than jl being forced to stay at the cloud recesses for a couple weeks?

jingyi hatches a plan (chaotic as usual, which wwx was probably depending on lol) to switch jl and lsz’s places. it’s quite simple, really. neither of their guardians are picking them up from the camp directly, bc they’re both very busy, so the juniors are trusted to be able to take a plane home themselves (well, the tickets were already bought).

so they spend the summer teaching jl all the lan rules so he can break all of them. lsz and ljy prepare for the longest they’ll have been separated, which if all goes to plan, will be about a month. lsz and oyzz will go get jc to go pick up jl and if that doesn’t work, jl and ljy will get lxc to go.

and believe it or not? it w o r k s. a little too well, actually.

jc is mad af and immediately gets on a flight to the cloud recesses, dragging the oyzz and lsz with him. he’s ranting the whole time bc he doesn’t want to see his stupid brother and his stupid husband and his brother’s husband’s stupidly handsome brother.

Lan Sizhui and Ouyang Zizhen are not equipped to deal with this JC, so they just stay quiet. Lsz probably just happy to see ljy again.

Meanwhile, ljy and jl have successfully broken a good portion of Lan Qiren’s rules. Lwj wants to know where the hell his son is, wwx is excited cause his brother is gonna be here soon (!!), and lxc is nervous. Ljy and wwx both give him love advice, but we all know that jl is the best matchmaker (second to lxc, ofc).

Also, jl knows jc the best of all of em (& maybe wwx but like,, they haven’t spoken in a while).

As soon as JC & co. arrive, LXC really is having a gay panic, LWJ and LJY are equally happy at Sizhui’s return (it’s been like.. one day?? but lwj hasn’t seen him all summer), and jl and oyzz are also there.

JC’s like “ok we’re done here-” but jl refuses to leave until lxc and jc talk out their problems or whatever. jc is glaring at him but wwx’s offers to house everyone (bc his brother really needs to get some).

Since they are so many people, lxc and jc have to bunk together *gasp*.

Jl and lxc have a moment where lxc asks him why he cares so much about jc and him getting together, and jl is just like “you made him happy. that never happens.”. in all seriousness, jl knows that jc always looks regretful/yearning whenever he mentions lxc (hc that jl is like actually observant). so he’s just like “get together so my uncle will be happy plez” and lxc’s like “ok then.”

it’s mutual ofc, so lxc eventually convinces jc. everyone is v. happy, especially wwx. lwj even “mn”s a couple times!! jl

lol i have no idea why i got a xicheng ask but it’s very welcome!! honestly lxc and jc have so many ships with other people that it’s hard to keep track of, i say as i list every popular-ish ship w/ them in my head. anyways, i was just surprised cause i’m more of a juniors blog, but i always welcome other mdzs ships! as long as i’m okay with them, ofc. ty for the ask, anon, and again, sorry for the wait!

#xicheng #jiang cheng #wangxian #jin ling #ouyang zizhen #lan xichen #mdzs juniors #the untamed #mdzs #lan jingyi #lan sizhui #mdzs prompts #the parent trap #wei wuxian #lan wangji

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losingmymindtonight · 5 years ago

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Duuuuude, your Rich Bitch fic sounds amazing, like I'm a sucker for those gala-Peter-is-overwelmed-and-out-of-his-element-needs-guidance/protection-and/or-embarrasses-himself kind of fics, but your whole thing sounds like such a fresh and new take on the popular trope, it's very interesting!! Therefore.... My next question IS: what about the "Pick up 5 + 1" - what's that about???

It was going to be “5 Times Tony Picked Peter Up And The 1 Time Peter Returned The Favor,” or something like that. If I remember correctly, my plan was to explore different connotations of the phrase “pick up.” For example, you can pick someone up emotionally, you can pick them up from a party, you can physically pick them up and carry them, etc. The +1 was going to be having Peter use his super-strength to save Tony’s life in an emergency. I couldn’t find the outline, which is buried in one of my notebooks, but that was essentially the idea.

And, since I’m probably never going to finish this (I think there’s already a fic that’s basically has this title, and that’s why I abandoned it) but since I did actually write about 1000 words of a first chapter/section, I’ll just slap it here for y’all to semi-enjoy.

–

Tony got the first text from Peter at the glorious time of 1:58 am.

He was, of course, not asleep. He was sitting at the kitchen island, munching on a post-midnight snack, but still. The principle remained.

The Kid: s o sThe Kid: im gnna call uThe Kid: plz say noThe Kid: then pick me upThe Kid: plz

He snorted, typing out his response with one hand while bringing his sandwich back up to his mouth with the other.

TS: got you

The Kid: ur the bestThe Kid: u’ll be on speakerphoneThe Kid: so… be cool be cool

A second later, his phone lit up with Peter’s contact picture. He let it ring a few times to give the impression that he was caught off guard, then answered it.

“What’s up, Pete?”

“Hey, Mister Stark.” To an untrained ear, Peter’s voice was as normal as could be. But Tony knew the kid well enough to detect the barest trace of discomfort. Wherever he was, he really didn’t want to be there. “I, uh, I have a question.”

“Shoot.”

“I know I’m supposed to be at the Tower by 2:30,” that wasn’t true, but he went along with it anyway, “but my friends and I really wanna go to get some food, so can I stay out later or do I really need to come back now?”

“No, Parker.” He made his voice sharp and stern, putting on the perfect show of over-strict-parent that he’d learned from Howard Stark himself. “I gave you a curfew, and I expect you to stick to it. No exceptions.”

He heard muffled voice in the background: obviously Peter’s friends trying to convince him to beg.

“Please, Mister Stark?”

“I said no, Peter.” He stood, and waved to F.R.I.D.A.Y. to shut down the lights as he headed for the elevator. “I’m coming to get you. Where are you?”

“Mister Stark.” Despite the over-exaggerated whine, he could sense the relief in Peter’s voice. “Please?”

“Don’t argue. You’re coming home.” He wandered out into the garage and lazily picked on of his older Audis. It was dark, and late, and he didn’t really feel like putting on too much of a show. “Now, are you going to give me an address, or do I have to track your phone?”

Peter groaned. Tony could swear he could hear him stomping his feet in the background. In all honesty, he was impressed by his dedication to the act. “Fine.”

The kid rattled off an address. F.R.I.D.A.Y. calculated that it would take him about 20 minutes to arrive, taking into account current traffic condition. He conveyed that back to Peter, then hung up.

As it turned out, the address Peter gave him was to a bodega on a random street corner on the westernmost side of Queens. He was loitering there with his friends, a little unsteady on his feet and cheeks flushed under the streetlight. A quick survey of group told Tony that these were not Peter’s usual crowd. No MJ or Ned in sight.

Plus, MJ and Ned would’ve never let the kid get tipsy. He hadn’t been able to hear it through the phone, but he could see it now. He felt a flash of annoyance at the kid for galivanting around the city whilst intoxicated in the early hours of the morning, but pushed it down. He’d done much worse, at Peter’s age, and he hadn’t had superpowers to back him up.

He rolled down his window and glared, trying to force as much parental anger into it as possible. “Peter Parker, get your ass in the car this instant.”

“Mister Stark,” one of the kids asked, staggering significantly more than Peter. Where Peter was just dipping his toe into the ocean of drunkenness, this kid was clearly trashed. “Are you sure that Peter can’t stay?”

“Absolutely positive.” He turned his attention back to Peter. “Come on, Parker. We have a lot to discuss.”

Peter waved a morose goodbye to his friends and stalked towards the car, yanking open the passenger side door, flinging himself into the seat, and slamming it shut behind him.

The kid pulled his seatbelt over himself, fumbling with it for a few seconds before Tony reached over and latched it for him, then slouched into the window with a huff.

“I’m saying something really rude to you right now,” the kid snapped.

He put the car in drive, checked his mirror, then floored it while flickering an artificially disapproving look in Peter’s direction. “And I’m telling you that if you speak to me like that again, you’re grounded.”

They turned off on a different block, Peter’s friends disappearing around the bend.

Peter let out a laugh, false tension melting away. He pulled away from the window and shot Tony a lopsided thumbs up. “You’re the best at that.”

“At what?”

“At pretending to be pissed.”

He shot a sidelong glance at Peter, briefly considered stringing him along and pretending to actually be mad, then discarded it in favor of matching his smile. “Yeah, well, you’re not too bad yourself. Even if you are drunk.”

“I’m not that drunk.”

“No,” he agreed. “Although I’d love to know how much you had to drink to get there.”

“Oh, my god, Tony,” Peter said, seeming to take Tony’s easy demeanor and running with it. “So much. Like, a scary amount.”

He shot him a sidelong glace, just on the edge of disproving. The kid still shrank underneath it. “Not exactly my favorite thing you’ve ever told me.”

Peter winced. “Am I, uh, am I in trouble?”

“No,” he sighed. “It’s alright. We’ve all been there. Just, uh, just maybe don’t drink on street corners at 2:00 am, yeah? Just for my poor heart’s sake.”

“We didn’t drink on the street corner.”

“You’re not helping yourself.”

“I’m just telling you the truth!”

“Yeah, y’know what? Sometimes I kinda wish that you’d do a little less of that.”

“C’mon, don’t say that. I’m a model child.” Peter went quiet for a second, then nudged his arm from across the center console, tone dipping into something much more sincere. “Thanks for getting me, Mister Stark. Honestly, I was pretty bored.”

He smiled, eyes still fixed on the road, but watching the kid stare at him in his peripheral.

“Anytime, kid. I’m way cheaper than an Uber, anyway.”

“And much nicer,” Peter added.

He laughed. “Oh, I’d better be.”

#pleae forgive my typos #irondad #tony & peter #tony stark #peter parker #losingmymindtonight writes #oh!!!#I realize I forgot to thank you for saying such nice things about the other 5+1!!!#so thank you!!!!#I have lots of ideas but v little time :)#rip me

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coffeebeannate · 4 years ago

Text

Taken from @werebearbearbar

Rules: It’s time to love yourselves! Choose your 5 favorite works (fics, art, edits, etc.) you’ve created this year and link them below to reflect on the amazing things you’ve brought into the world in 2020. If you don’t have five published works, that’s fine! Include ideas/drafts/whatever you like that you’ve worked on/thought about, and talk a little about them instead! Remember, this is all about self-love and positive enthusiasm, so fuck the rules if you need to. Have fun, and tag as many fellow creators as you like so they can share the love! <3

I started writing fic years and years ago. And have done so in other fandoms before taking a long hiatus from the writing world in general. I stuck with written roleplay only. For what I assume to be around four or five years, I did not write a single fic. (I also wrote short stories in childhood, teen years and young adult years)

(I want to point out though that this absolutely does not negate roleplay writing, and that writing with another person, or in a group is a lesser form) My break from fanfic came with one of the worst periods of my mental and physical health, and everything I had written was purged from my Ao3 account in a single night.

I started writing for The Old Guard in August, and below, are the things I like a lot that I’ve written for it. To do this, I decided to use the criteria of ‘fics I like the most’ instead of what seems to be the most popular to read. For me, if I really love a piece of work, I recall the creative process fondly, and have lines and bits of dialogue I truly adore within it.

1. Precision Mission Fic. Gala. Post-Movie. Current Group (Nile, Andy, Joe, NIcky)

Rated M (Mature) 4846 words

My second fic for the fandom that I published, but the first I actually conceptualized. This one is just..so special to me. I have phone notes typed at five am. I can recall the excitement as I was so eager to share this story and get it off the ground. I wanted to see this complete so bad. I loved nearly every second of writing it, and it’s always going to hold a special place in my heart as a result. There’s so much overdone clothing talk and I can only think of it with fondness.

Excerpt:

None of them are comfortable. Except Joe, it seems.

Joe makes it look easy. Simplistic, even, judging by the way he effortlessly glides and charms his way through the expansive ball/congregating/entertaining room. Something that never failed to fascinate Nicky was the way Joe could integrate himself almost seamlessly into any scenario, situation, or environment. Neither Andy nor himself had that ability. Not when it came to cavorting, anyway. Nicky more quietly reserved, Andy lacking in the ability to care enough to fake it.

Nile seemed to be more in the middle. She did not appear overly comfortable with the mingling, but she had enough personal grace and adaptability to make it seem somewhat effortless to have a decent time.

All their eyes remained sharp on the surrounding area, awaiting the arrival of their target. And for all his schmoozing, Nicky knew Joe’s surveillance was tack-sharp, multitasking to a degree no one he was currently conversing with could have possibly noticed.

“You going to move at some point, or have you taken up permanent resident status here?” Nile asks, appearing at his side where Nicky has spent the last half-hour molded to the furthest left corner of the solid black bar. “I know you have an excellent view, but.”

Nicky snorted, though only Nile could actually tell, “Why waste a good opportunity?”, momentarily ceasing his Joe watching to stare back into the depths of his glass, which currently contained some horrifically shocking pink abomination, Nicky’s second drink, since he was letting the bar tender dictate them, too utterly distracted to care what was touching his lips, and curious with the way the bar tender had delighted in being given free reign to make whatever he desired.

To be fair, it didn’t taste that bad-something frighteningly sugary and weirdly noxious smelling, but it’s not exactly ‘crime against humanity’ levels of alcoholic nightmares.

2. Old

Post-movie. Current Group. (Andy, Nile, Joe, Nicky) Mortal Andy. Character study.

Rated T (Teen and Up Audiences), 2903 words.

My first attempt at Andy-centric writing. Andy is a character I consider a challenge to write, and that makes me want to write her more. This fic centers mostly around her and the others trying to come to terms with how much has happened, within day to day life and taking the comfort that they can in one another.

I really like this fic. A lot. Sure it’s short. Sure maybe not much happens, but Andy’s character fascinates me, as does her relationship with her family.

Excerpt:

Old.

Old

So motherfucking old.

Someone is calling out to her, her hearing and senses long fine-tuned to knowing. It’s Nicky- she can easily pretend she can’t hear him, he knows when she doesn’t want to talk to anyone, after all.

She’s being petty, and she knows it’s unfair. That the nearly untouched plate and nights spent not sleeping gives them reason to be at her. But facing them with that fact feels about as ideal as jumping into a flaming volcano right about now. They’re just worried. It makes her stomach turn, sour and vicious. Venom in the gut, acid in the heart.

Said volcano would be kinder.

3. Spice it Up (Or Not)

Joe and Nicky. Pre-Movie. Fluffy Lovings

Rated: E (Explicit) 3030 words

This one was just fun. I am such a sucker for banting, and the most established of established relationships that Nicky and Joe have going on. This one is indeed not safe for work, and honestly, the opening paragraphs are what came first, and I actually had to build the story around it.

Something that I think makes this fic fun to me as well is that, just because something that sounded like a good idea fails, it doesn’t make it an ending. Healthy communication, knowing each other..it’s so blissful to think about.

Things aren’t always perfect, but that’s okay. And it’s not always a threat. Oh and because this is me, what was supposed to be fairly light hearted gets all sappy and reflective mid-way.

Excerpt:

He knows Nicky in every way. He knows his scent from battle, from sex, from showers and from sleep. He knows his eyes in darkness, in light, in dread, excitement and worry. He knows his grief, his love, his sadness, and adoration. Excitement, passion, fear, and pain.

He could count each tear that Nicky has shed, could recall each tone of his voice in every language they know. From the first he heard to the current. The sweet harmony of song and the rough gasp of drunk intoxication. He’s heard him yell, heard him scream. Heard his shouts and his cries.

He knows how Nicky tends to favour his left shoulder even though there’s no reason beyond psychological to do so. A spot Joe stabbed so long ago. So far back in another life. He knows how he likes to pause and do surveillance before they enter any new location. Knows he likes vehicles that move fast and has a fondness for roller coasters.

He’s seen those hands, so large and skilled break bone, wield a sword and cut vegetables and fruit. Seen them card through his hair, felt them map out each knot and ridge in his spine and ribs, felt them so deep inside himself he can taste it. Rolling into it. Demanding, needing.

“Yusuf.” Nicky’s not calling him back, Nicky’s just as far gone. So often they seem to share thoughts.

Nicky knows Joe in all ways and more. Knows that Joe still sometimes seems to speak ancient by-gone languages in his sleep. Knows that he tends to carry the strongest personal scent in the dead of night. That no shower, no soap, no life experience or battle has truly ever masked the delightful musk he has to himself. There could be a cologne out there that would modify it, and Nicky would bite and lick it away. Demanding and asking, why take this from me? How dare you try to alter what I know and love so furiously?

4. Touch Before Heart

Historical Kaysanova. Early Years. Pre-Movie. Getting to Know Eachother.

Rated E (Explicit) 5030 words

As is pretty obvious by now, I write a LOT of early years Kaysanova. A lot. I am addicted to it.

This one..I love it. This might be one of my favourite pieces of writing of all time. If I was doing these numbers strictly in order preference, then I’d put it as number one I bet.

I think the summary I made for it sums up well just how much I love it. And maybe why.

The first moment they’re able to have a bath, they resolutely do not look at each other. Picking opposite ends of the small stream bed, backs turned to one another. A strange show of both trust and distrust; their backs were exposed, but it was up to their tentative mutual agreement to not partake in the opportunity to stab each other for it.

The..idea that they had so much to learn, so much to understand. So much confusion, anger mistrust..I just really really adore this fic and I think I did a good job with it.

Excerpt:

He curses in unison with Nicolò, both holding fast and steady as the thing finally rights itself, Nicolò letting out a slow, shaken breath of relief.

“Are you alright?” Yusuf asks, both to break the silence and mend the irritating gap they’ve created for themselves.

“Better. Thank you.”

Yusuf wants to scream.

He wants to grab Nicolò, shake him until he can do nothing but give him answers.

Why do you drive me to the brink of madness?

Why do I know your touch, but not your heart?

Why do you tempt me, consume me?

What does it mean?

Why are we here?

Why!?

It is an unfair desire; he’s hardly given the man any more clarity.

5. Curated

Post-Movie. Current Group (Nile, Andy, Joe, Nicky)

Rated G (General Audiences) 1807 words

Alright, I admit it, I had trouble picking number five. I picked Curated because it’s just..so fluffy. But it’s so sweet I always feel so sugary when I think of it. The softness that I tried to convey, and I think I succeeded.

Nile is another character that fascinates me, that I just do not explore enough, and this is all the comforting goodness I could ever hope to create.

Excerpt:

She’s grown used to the easy intimacy they all share, but the sight before her, Nicky’s eyes half-lidded, face a perfect serenity she rarely see’s on it, Joe lost, far-away in reciting but still wholly present, creates an odd, near-throbbing ache in her chest. Something powerful and raw. It’s hard to imagine that people who have been alive this long can be this content.

Everything they’ve seen, experienced and done. All the stories they’ve regaled her with. All the prep, the anxieties, the concerns, and curiosities. None of it seems to exist in these moments. Joe speaking in a language the world might think dead, the true master of softness within the room.

And there we have it! I have so much more I want to write, I have so much more I want to explore, and I thank you all for sharing in these journey’s with me. May there be more writing in our future!

#nate does writing #end of year fic thing #self positivity #things nate has written #long post

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