#i imprinted on link like a duckling

[ahkaraii]

[goldenavenger02]

i'm just getting color back into my face

second chapter to "I will die in the house that I grew up in", linked below.

The solace of the bird calls and the few rays of sunlight illuminating the wooden planks grounded Zuko as he isolated himself in his morning meditation on the porch of the family beach house.

He hadn't been here since before Sozin's Comet, training Aang in the art of firebending as fast as he could before he had to face Ozai alone.

Now Aang was as happy as he could be, raising Bumi and Kya with Katara within the safety of Air Temple Island while Zuko was stuck with the ever-growing anxiety wondering if Izumi would ever be able to feel safe in her own home.

Mai had sent a few people here to clean it up before their impromptu vacation so it wasn't coated in the imprints of the abuse he suffered from for years and now Izumi would never know how this place had looked when he had been sent away on his own forced vacation with Mai, Ty Lee and Azula all those years ago.

Zuko had burnt most of the pictures the last time he had been here, but Katara had still found the one of Ozai as a baby when they had arrived so there was a high chance that he had missed more than the one.

Despite the emotional turmoil he had been in on that vacation, he couldn't help but wonder if the stuff Lo and Li had said back then about how Ember Island was magical and smoothed out even the most ragged of edges was true.

He had seen Aang do otherworldly things, but that had to do with the spirit world; if any part of the Fire Nation had a connection to the spirits after the war, even if it was the seemingly peaceful Ember Island, he wouldn't be surprised if they were still holding a grudge despite the progress he had made since taking the throne.

Or, if they knew that something was going to be his breaking point and would set him on the same path that his father had once walked upon himself.

Zuko's pondering was interrupted by the soft 'pitter patter' of six-year-old feet as they grew closer and closer to the front porch before finally stopping on his right side, followed by the quiet sound of someone sitting down and pulling in a deep breath.

He opened one golden eye, unsurprised to see Izumi sitting beside him, mimicking his position with her eyes squeezed shut.

Zuko couldn't help but smile and shut his eye again, pulling in a deep breath just to hear her pulling in a smaller, higher-pitched version shortly after; like him, Izumi had always risen with the sun, giving him the chance to bond with her while Mai slept.

He had a strong feeling that she would find her inner fire just like he had, but he also knew that if she did, it would only lead to more chaos within the walls of the palace.

Until he knew for sure, Zuko was more than happy to have his morning meditation interrupted by his own ray of sunshine.

"Good morning, daddy!" She smiled as soon as he opened his eyes and rested his palm on her shoulder to let him know that he was done.

"Good morning, turtle duckling," he smiled as she climbed onto his lap, pushing a few strands of hair out of her face, "you do know we're on vacation and you can sleep in, right?"

"I wanna go to the beach."

Even with her pleading golden eyes that matched his own, he had to turn her down for now, "it's still too dark outside, Izumi. How about we make some breakfast first?"

She pondered his suggestion for a few minutes, allowing him to grab the hair tie out of the pocket of his robe and pull her hair back in a low bun so she didn't get it tangled.

"Okay," she finally agreed, getting off of his lap so he could stand, "can I have mango juice?"

"Of course, Izumi," Zuko nodded, getting a cheer in response as he stepped into the small kitchen to start the kettle for the tea, "while I work on this," he started as he grabbed the bag of oats from the pantry, "can you go wake your mom?"

"Okay, daddy!" Her wide grin as she raced down the hall had him yelling out, "gently!" behind her, but he knew that Mai was not going to be happy regardless.

Sure enough, by the time the gruel had started bubbling and he had two filled tea cups and a glass of mango juice on the counter, he was met with Mai walking in while rubbing her eyes that were fixed into a good-natured glare.

"Good morning, my love." He offered, trying to soften any sort of malice for disturbing her sleep.

"I can't believe that I married someone who rises with the sun and gave birth to a fire ferret who jumps on me every morning."

"I did tell her "gently "."

"I have no idea how Aang and Katara handle two kids."

"I'm sure we could handle two," Zuko offered as he passed her one of the teacups, only to be met with a real glare this time, "if we wanted two, that is."

"I have two. Fire Ferret over there," Mai paused to point at their daughter who was oblivious to their conversation as she sat at the table, swinging her feet under it, before returning her attention to him, the glare having been replaced with a smirk, "and her identical clone of a father."

"You wound me, Mai." Zuko placed a hand over his heart with a smile on his face for a few moments, waiting until she pressed her lips on his for a brief moment before letting go of his act and turning to grab the spices for the gruel.

…

"Are you okay?"

Zuko peered past his fingers covering his eyes from the sunlight as Mai sat back down beside him while looping her fingers around his other hand.

Izumi was only a few feet in front of them, waving every few minutes to Zuko, as she constructed her sandcastle with expertise and a small patch of her tongue sticking out in concentration.

"Why do you ask?" Zuko asked, wondering if she could indeed read his mind or if she could tell that the stress from the assassination attempt was still crawling under his skin.

It seemed like Izumi heard her mother's voice but not the words as she looked up and waved while shouting, "hi, mommy! Isn't it great?!"

"It looks amazing, keep it up!" Mai shouted back, a rare smile dancing on her lips for a few moments before she turned back to Zuko as soon as Izumi turned away, "you seem…distant. Like you were before you left."

Neither of them liked talking about the eclipse when it came to their relationship, no matter how many years distanced them from it; while it was the beginning of Zuko finally stepping up to claim his crown, it seemed to spell out the end of their love.

He knew that if she was the one bringing it up, then he really wasn't hiding his inner turmoil as well as he could have and that the mask of happiness that Izumi had received ever since they arrived wasn't big enough to fool someone who had known him for over twenty years.

"I've just had a lot on my mind." He admitted, pulling his knees to his chest and looking down at individual grains of sand that creeped out from the towel he was sitting on.

"We had "no more secrets" in our wedding vows for a reason," Mai stopped to push back a few strands of hair from his eyes, "but, if you need more time to process things-"

"No, no, you're right. I promised not to keep things from you any more, I just…I don't know how to say this." Zuko sighed, his fingers wrapping around the edge of the towel as he inhaled the smell of salt lingering in the air and thankful that the three of them were the only inhabitants for miles on the sprawling beach.

'How do you tell the person that you love the most in this world that you might be turning into a monster?'

"The day of the assassination attempt, I spared his life. I knew he needed to go to trial, that he could give us information about the New Ozai Society to finally get one step ahead of them. He didn't hurt Izumi, he didn't hurt anyone but…" Zuko swallowed, refusing to make contact with the light gray eyes that knew him better than he knew himself, "but I wanted to hurt him. I wanted to make him hurt for trying to hurt someone I loved."

"But you didn't."

"He got on his hands and knees and begged for his life," Zuko spat with a wet bitterness as tears started to build in his eyes, "I begged for my father's forgiveness on my hands and knees and was punished for it, I couldn't do the same."

Mai's lips were pressed tightly together when he finally found it in him to look up, but her silence with a gentle squeeze around his bicep allowed him to continue bearing his soul for her to see.

"But when the guards arrived to take him away, I still threatened to end his life. I told him that if he looked at my guards the wrong way, I would go back on my word."

The subtle catch of his breath, the one sign that the dam was going to burst, and Mai instantly pulled him into her shoulder; it was a system they had developed over the years on the off chance that someone would catch the Fire Lord, or their dad, in a moment of weakness that he wasn't ready to divulge the details of.

Zuko wasn't sure how long he spent against her chest, tears continuing to flow down his face and dampening her swim top along with the sand, but when he finally emerged with red eyes and pink, damp cheeks, the sympathetic glance he got accompanied by a "feeling better?" almost made him feel like himself for the first time in a week.

He nodded, allowing her to lean against his shoulder as Izumi put the finishing touches on her sand castle.

"You're never going to be like him."

"You don't know that," Zuko shook his head, forcing her to lift her head, "my father wasn't always the way he turned out to be."

"Ozai," she started, putting enough emphasis on his name that made him realize that he had reverted to calling him "father" like he was a teenager again, "forced your mother to marry him, focused on overthrowing your uncle as soon as word that your cousin had been killed reached the palace, abused you and your sister for years and continued an era of fear and destruction. If there ever was a speck of good in that man, it was crushed as soon as he put on that crown."

Mai stopped for a moment to wave at Izumi yet again before pushing her hair out of her eyes, returning her gaze to him with a soft smile.

"But you helped end the war, you ushered in an era of peace and kindness and I noticed that even the oldest members of your staff haven't cowered at the mention of the "Fire Lord" since Izumi was born," she returned her hand to his, resting her head against his, "you might have Ozai's DNA, but that is all you inherited from that sorry excuse for a father. I know it's going to take time for you to realize that, but you need to understand that."

He wordlessly pulled her into another hug, resting his head on her shoulder for longer than he intended until he felt a crushing force against his right side and turned to see Izumi hugging him.

"Are you alright, Izumi?" He questioned, partially expecting to tilt her chin upwards and see a gash across her forehead, but she just shook her head and held on tighter.

"You looked like you needed a hug."

Zuko chuckled and scooted away from Mai just enough so Izumi could weasel her way in between them.

Even if the moment of tenderness was broken a few moments later by Izumi breaking out of the hug and grabbing Zuko's hand, dragging him away from Mai to marvel at her impressive sand castle, he could have sworn he heard Mai whisper something about "maybe we could handle two" but she would admittedly deny it while they made out behind a closed door long after Izumi had fallen asleep.

And as he drifted off that night with Mai curled up against his bare chest, he found himself starting to believe in the alleged magic that existed within the confines of Ember Island.

[cryscal]

Random fic question: why do you ship your OTP?

*flails at picture for a solid minute*

Okay, I'll use words. lol

I watched the original Battlestar Galactica when I was a kid, which was the right time to see it, but when I learned Edward James Olmos would play Commander Adama in the '03 reboot, I knew this version would be Something Different. Deeper.

From that moment on I was like an imprinted duckling. I didn't bother to learn anything more about the cast (though the O HEY STARBUCK AND BOOMER ARE GIRLS THIS TIME was pretty hard to miss) or any changes to the storyline. I didn't need to. I committed to the miniseries on EJO's casting alone.

Aaaand then Mary McDonnell.

Of course I was impressed by Laura Roslin and Mary's portrayal of her from her first scene. And with every interaction between President and Commander, my certainty grew that here was the relationship I'd be coming back for. By the time Roslin confronted Adama with her immortal "we need to get the hell out of here and we need to start having babies," I was hooked, sucked in, totally gone. At this stage I had no assumptions about whether said relationship would eventually turn romantic … but the seeds of hope were planted, and started sprouting fan fiction almost immediately.

With Bill and Laura, not only do we have two monumentally talented actors with chemistry to burn, but also two beautifully drawn, multilayered characters who just keep getting deeper as the series progresses. And their relationship deepens too. You like Enemies to Lovers? Try Wary Colleagues to Enemies to Reconciled Colleagues to Friends to Flirtatious Friends to Longing to Lovers. And it's not a 100% linear progression. Bill and Laura support each other (after the, y'know, the coup thing) but they are also two strong-willed people who know how to hurt each other. But their bond stays solid in spite of every argument. Real and true at the same time.

I could go on for pages, but I'll restrain myself. 😉 Feel free to ask about any details you want to know. I'm in the process of formatting and uploading my fic to AO3, and I'll supply links as I go.

[thegrimreaperisanerd]

hii hello I am here to tell you that i absolutely adored Imprinting i just read it all in one setting and my MIND it's feasting on the words for real. electrochemistry being a love drunk mess makes me chuckle a lot it's so good so real. just started ducklings that drown and I'm afraid of what you will do to my heart and soul but i will read it all now

a question: do you announce updates somewhere? I've yet to figure out ao3 properly and i don't want to miss new chapters!!

thank you so dearly for still being so so normal about this game,,, i just played it a week ago and my world has changed i am obsessed

HELLO! Sorry for answering 4 days late I am working, like, all of the time - hence the slower updates. Which apparently you wouldn't know about anyway! Wow! I love when people tell me they binge-read my stuff, thanks haha!

ECHEM in game had that line about GABA receptors and I took that and ran lol, if this beast is substance free then he needs to get his dopamine from elsewhere and "attention from Kim" is something we all seemingly crave.

I announce them here! I always link to new chapters when they're up and I tag them "DUCKLINGS THAT DROWN" so if you follow that tag then you'll get notified :)

Yeah I played DE in February this year and unfortunately it's rewired my fucking brain so I think I'll be writing about it forever, glad you're enjoying it though!

[ayearofmalec]

Malec as mythical creatures #13

Today’s amazing story is Imprinting Birds and Bonding Angels by Lucia_3.

Rating: mature

Summary: They leave the cell slowly, and as they approach the woman’s door, she starts talking again.

“Awww, isn’t that sweet, the little angel imprinting on the needy warlock, like a little ugly duckling”, she says mockingly.

The man stiffens and stumbles a bit, but seems to somewhat regain his footing, with Alec’s help.

----------------------------

“It’s easier through blood, but since I haven’t showered or brushed my teeth in months, I can’t in good conscience offer to kiss those red stained lips of yours”, the man says, and while Alec is trying not to blush too much, the man wounds the palm of his hands with one of his overgrown nails, and places it on top of Alec’s wounded arm.

-----------------------------

Where Alec was taken prisoner with Jace, to make for a smoother coercion for Valentine. The warlock that took Clary’s memories has been missing for months, and there’s this crazy Vampire talking about Alec imprinting on a mysterious prisoner. And, there’s also something definitely weird going on with Alec.

Link to fic

We hope you all enjoy the story, and feel free to let us know what you think!

Happy reading! 

[bodylanda]

❤️: favorite character(s)? Why? if u still want these haha

This is kinda hard honestly (・Д��); i think i care all the sticks so this is like “why are we pitting our beautiful queens against each other”

But if i must pick I think its Chosen, Second and Purple. What can I say :’3… i love angst. I’m also sure purple’s shot up here a lil bcs they’re my fave color (*ﾟ▽ﾟ*).

Chosen: I looove the sort of narrative they have… its just so cool, i love seeing how they both subvert and live up to it… and honestly i am not immune to thinking theyre sick as fuck, maybe its bcs i imprinted on them like a duckling haha.

Second/Orange: i also love joyous whimsy! Especially ones masking immense power or sorrow. I love them honestly they’re just so… versatile? They’re the best at what they do and they’d be so powerful if not for the tired eepy. They’re also one of my fave tropes ever? I think the trope’s called uh.. crouching moron, hidden badass? Im a sucker for it. They’re probably the chara ive thought of the most re: like, theories n such.

Purple: I love traitors!! Honestly adored them years ago from season one avm haha. Like why’d they do that? Where’d they go. I was so shocked seeing them again in the league episode because I hadnt seen it? (Didnt play league back then so i wasnt interested), And seeing it after avm 30 was like ;-; wah. Weh. WAAAHGh…. I also like the idea of them being a little petty, only learnt how to sing so they can yell at green to shut up.

Thank u so much for sending this! Asks are still open and im still willing to answer these, even if its a lil slow!

Link to the questions here: linke

[vifetoile]

Legend of Zelda rant

We start by talking about shipping. Then it moves on to reincarnation theory. Then I contemplate a LOT of different possibilities for Ganondorf. The generational divide in Zelda fandom.

It's not that I don't like Zelink. SS! Zelda and Link have a good story at work. WW! is way charming, I love it. BotW!Zelink feels like it flows beautifully from SS! Zelink. I've written some of my best fic about BotW (monster, climbing rose). Sometimes Zelink really works for me.

What I don't like is the idea that Zelink are destined soulmates in every lifetime.

In Ocarina of Time, there's powerful development for Zelink... but I find Malink more satisfying. In Twilight Princess, you will tear Midlink from my cold dead hands. I find Zelda and Link's bond to be more interesting in that every lifetime, it manifests in a different way.

Here on Tumblr I'm seeing these ideas like... As Zelda is the reincarnation of Hylia, Link is the reincarnation of the Fierce Deity. In the Realms of the Gods they loved, and as they were reborn, their love story plays itself out again and again, without fail.

(Variant: Link is the Reincarnation of the Chosen Hero, but the rest still applies)

Of which it necessarily follows that all Zeldas are reincarnations in a chain, and all Links likewise.

Maybe I have reincarnation on the brain (okay, I wrote a whole fic about that too, as ummi), maybe nobody else is seeing it this way.

I could buy that all Zeldas are reincarnations in a chain, stemming from the original, Hylia.

(Millennial note: I realized, my Zelda entry point was Ocarina of Time. To me Din, Nayru, and Farore are all-powerful. I was pretty young, I imprinted on it like a duckling.)

Does Link reincarnate? My first answer is no.

I mean, he could, but somehow that seems unbalanced. Which leads to, the only way I accept that Link is a chain of reincarnations, is if Ganondorf is on the exact same playing field.

Let's pivot, what would it look like if Ganondorf were an antagonist, of greater or lesser magical abilities, rather than a terrible evil force, every single time around? In short, if this were more like a series of novels, written by, well, yours truly.

Ocarina of Time Ganondorf is a hotblooded Prince of Thieves, a sorcerer still mastering his art, proud, strong-willed, honorable in his way, and eager to be the best leader to his people. He gets corrupted over the course of the story. This Ganondorf is more youthful and impulsive, unlike---

Wind Waker Ganondorf, who is honestly the best Ganondorf the series has ever done. In my novel series, WW Ganondorf has an emphasis on his eerie sorcery, mysticism, astrology. This distinguishes him from---

Twilight Princess Ganondorf, whose specialty is battle magic. He's shrewd and yet capable of terrifying strength when necessary. Military background.

Skyward Sword Ganondorf is Groose.

Breath of the Wild of course, Calamity Ganon. There are stories passed down among the Gerudo, stories not for the ears of outsiders. Only whispered over cactus mojitos in the dead of night (but fortunately you can eavesdrop through an open window).

They say Calamity Ganon was begotten by the terrible wind that sweeps over the desert. They say he was a demon that played a flute which drove the Gerudo mad with greed. Once upon a time, they say, there was a woman who longed for a son, and she made a terrible bargain...

And so on.

Or you could have Ganondorf be a treacherous Grand Vizier to the King! An obstructive bureaucrat! An ally of any description! Please just something new, Nintendo

Bring back Koume and Kotake. Dude, imagine any of the above Ganondorfs with mothers. (The Calamity was made when the Icy Wind and the Fiery Wind decided to make mischief...)

Anyway, it seems to me that this whole idea of (deep breath)

Hylia continually reincarnates as Zelda, the Chosen Hero or Fierce Deity continually reincarnates as Link, they fall in love in most lifetimes if not all

Would have its most ardent supporters in those who imprinted (like baby ducklings) on Skyward Sword as I imprinted on Ocarina of Time.

And that's why Zelink is not my OTP.

thank you for coming to my ted talk

[hydrangea-bindery]

I posted 70 times in 2022

That's 70 more posts than 2021!

6 posts created (9%)

64 posts reblogged (91%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@renegadepublishing

@agatharights

@sbooksbowm

@greaseonmymouth

@a-gay-old-time

I tagged 48 of my posts in 2022

Only 31% of my posts had no tags

#bookbinding - 43 posts

#inspiration - 32 posts

#fanbinding - 29 posts

#ficbinding - 27 posts

#bookbinding resources - 9 posts

#hydrangea-bindery - 4 posts

#complete - 4 posts

#insipiration - 3 posts

#hydrangea bindery - 2 posts

#booksbooksbooks - 2 posts

Longest Tag: 103 characters

#maybe not interesting or big but i really like the muted color choices with the red of the opening page

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Sorry I haven’t posted any bindings on a while! I’m currently in hospital for a surgery😖😖 but I do want to let you guys know that I now have an Insta, where I post more frequent in-between updates and the like, so please go give me a follow there too! You can find the link in the pinned comment, or on Insta at hydrangea_bindery!

1 note - Posted September 14, 2022

#4

Haha this is silly but I hope you know I really love this blog. I love seeing your projects and I love seeing you reblog other projects. It’s very inspirational and aspirational to me.

No this is not silly at all!!!!! You’re my very first ask!! I always see you reblogging my posts, and it makes me smile. Thank you for telling me that you like the stuff I make, it makes me really really happy to hear that!! I was having a pretty bad morning up until this point, when I saw this, and it made me feel a lot better actually.

And I love your stuff!! I love your Pokemon and Disco Elysium art, especially the animation you made. I think I probably listened to Dancing Queen on repeat for like the next two days, and I think i’ve watched it like three times now? I guess what I’m trying to say is thank you!!! For both your support, and for your amazing art. We’re in this together👏😆

8 notes - Posted December 1, 2022

#3

My next binding! I actually started to work on this one concurrently to Browniefox’s copy of ‘The Haunting of Ryunosuke Naruhodo’, but I didn’t have time, and only just finished recently, and apart from the last signature being too small, I’m really happy with this one! ‘Stay the night with the sinners’ by @bodhirookes is my all time favourite shyan fic, and it’s honestly what got me back into the ghoul boys in the first place, and what finally pushed me to finish watching s7, even more so with the announcement of Watcher! Every line feels like a gut punch in the best way possible, and the world feels fleshed out and truly passionately lived in and you KNOW I love me some angel/demon.

See the full post

44 notes - Posted August 18, 2022

#2

See the full post

67 notes - Posted November 11, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

THE CASE OF THE MAN WHO TWO-THIRDS WASN’T THERE • @glisteningceruleaneyes (sorry for not tagging you originally, I didn’t realise you had a tumblr account!!)

Three-and-one-third bodies have been found in an abandoned vehicle on the riverbank.

It would be a challenging case even without the bad weather, weapons smuggling, white nationalists, industrial accidents, and the concept of pedigree dog breeds—but over it all hangs one troubling question: What is it that fascinates you about Kim Kitsuragi? Is it working class camaraderie? A sinister hex of mysterious origin? Did you imprint on him in Martinaise, like an amnesiac duckling? If you don’t figure out what’s going on soon, people are going to start to notice. Especially him. And sooner or later? Everything is related to the case.

See the full post

267 notes - Posted September 26, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[mingi-bubu]

this time lapse that cannot be escaped

for prompt #40 (“hiding/hoping not to be found”) for my 76 Kisses challenge!  this is technically the second chapter to a fic that i called in my mind “character study presented as romance” and posted on ao3.  long story short, i felt meng yiran deserved better friends and wanted to see her character develop more than it did during the show.  and i imprinted on yu banshan like a baby duckling.  this is connected to prompt #52 (”accidentally witnessed kiss”)

《love o2o》 meng yiran x yu banshan, est relationship, character study, post-canon, canon compliant, characters might be ooc but they’re definitely oob (out of breath), author needs to add nct 127′s “time lapse” to List of Songs to Not Write to Unless I Want to End Up Writing Characters in a Very Interesting Situation (the only other song on that list being wayv’s 《after midnight》) ~2k words

76 Kisses Masterlist || ao3 link || prompt 52

Yiran couldn’t help the small, breathless giggle that escaped her mouth as Banshan pulled her to him.  The surprised, but pleased, look on his face is so endearing to her.  A wave of affection for him washes over her.  She wraps her arms around his waist, leaning back to look at him.  He had forgone his contacts this morning, and instead wore the same pair of glasses he’s had since uni.  (Sisi was her informant for that lovely tidbit of information.  Yiran didn’t know whether to laugh or be mortified, but then again, she was a different person.)

They were standing around the corner of Zhi Yi Tech’s elevator, in a lesser used corridor of the building.  Down the side of the hallway they stood in were just a bunch of storage for unused parts and miscellaneous items.  She was almost positive that one room was filled with art supplies that were only used for mockups and preliminary sketches of art for whatever game or game update they were working on.  Down the other side was a few bedrooms for when the employees of Zhi Yi are on a deadline and need to sleep without leaving.  It was obvious that no one was there, or else he wouldn’t have risked bringing her here.

Their relationship was not a secret, necessarily, but neither of them really went around the office shouting it.  Despite working at Zhi Yi for several months, now, Yiran still didn’t feel quite comfortable being there.  Part of this, she knows, is that the main set of people in charge at the company are Banshan’s friends.  Which meant they went to uni together.  And, not only did they go to uni together, but he was roommates with three of them.  So they knew who she was.  Working with them has (hopefully) changed their opinion of her, but she knows that the four of them are brothers in everything but blood.  The second part was that she still hasn’t managed to get a chance to talk with Xiao Nai and Weiwei alone.  She knows that it will happen eventually, and she’s been busy getting their communications department up-to-date, but it still weighed on her from time to time.  And third…

She saw what happened with other girls in her family’s circle when they dated within whatever company their dads ran.  She was part of what happened, the talking behind their backs, the rumors spread within the company.  Yiran knows that, to an extent, her situation is different.  She was hired long before they even started dating, and they didn’t even work in the same department.  But in many ways, it is the same.  Her insecurities from university about not being enough still had a grip on her now.  The doubts sank their claws into her bones and sometimes it felt like she would never be able to get rid of them.

Is it possible she just got the job as part of some long form revenge plot?  Did Banshan actually like her at all?  Does she even deserve to be working here?  Should she have taken up her uncle’s offer instead?  Sure, she’d be hiding who she is, but in a way isn’t that what she was doing now?

Banshan brings one hand up to cup her face, his thumb stroking over her cheekbone absentmindedly.  His other is wrapped around her waist, anchoring her.  “Hey, are you with me?”

Yiran hadn’t even realized she was spiraling until he asked.  She blinks a few times, regaining her bearings.  She focuses on breathing, on feeling the fabric of his shirt under her arms, the heat of his body under that.  It isn’t until a few deep breaths later that she realizes Banshan was breathing with her.  She tilts forward, her forehead resting against his sternum.  “I’m sorry,” she says, her voice muffled by the Henley.

He moved his hand when she started tilting into him.  He gently stroked the back of her head, his fingers sliding through her hair easily.  “Why?”

Yiran looked up, her chin resting where her forehead had been.  Banshan looked genuinely confused at her apology, which made Yiran frown in confusion.  She had just spiraled into her basket of insecurities when he definitely had pulled her around the corner for something else.  “You were being all cute and romantic and having a secret rendezvous, and I ruined it.”

Banshan’s confusion turns into a fond smile.  This isn’t the first time that she got in her head about something, and it probably wouldn’t be the last.  Lucky for him, ‘words of affirmation’ was one of his stronger love languages.  He tucks some of her hair behind her ear.  “I wouldn’t say you ruined it.  After all, we’re both still standing here, hm?  Neither of us have been in any grave dangers, right?”  He moves to cup her face in his hands, “I’d put this in the “Win” column, personally.”

His comment had the intended effect.  Yiran’s face broke into a smile.  “You would, would you?”  She brings one of her hands up to his heart and rises up on her toes.  “Prove it.”

“Of course,” Banshan says, leaning down to meet her lips.  He stops just before their lips meet and he changes course and pulls back.  Before Yiran can do so much as pout, Banshan kisses the tip of her nose.  And then moves to her forehead.  And then temples.  Soon, he’s just peppering kisses all over her face, savoring her giggles.  Yiran moved to hold his wrists, just enjoying the sudden affection.  She was surprised that he felt this comfortable in the office to be so free with it, but she chalked it up to that he wanted to reassure her.  … and the fact that no one else was on this floor, so they didn’t have to explain themselves if they were to be caught.

He kisses the part of her cheekbone that was right next to his thumb, and Yiran lets out a small whine.  “Yu Banshan!  Just kiss me already!”  She barely got the order out before he finally, blissfully, pressed his lips to hers.

After being teased for so long, despite however enjoyable it was, Yiran relishes the feeling.  She sighs into the kiss as his hands move position again, grabbing her hips and pushing her back to the wall.  Her arms come up around his neck, one hand holding him in place and the other playing with the ends of his hair.  Despite her earlier worries, Yiran does feel a small thrill run up her spine at someone seeing them.

She likes Banshan, really and truly likes him.  And for all her posturing, sometimes she wishes that more people than Sisi and his friends knew.  While she wouldn’t do anything in the office, at least in the main part, that would be inappropriate, she would like to go out to dinners and not have to sit away from him.  Occasionally, by some conversion of the fates, they were able to sit next to each other.  But, in a way, that was almost worse.  She would be able to feel him next to her, and couldn’t do so much as lean into him.  Not in front of co-workers who didn’t know they were dating.

The press of his glasses against her skin is not something she often feels.  Banshan prefers to wear his contacts whenever possible, despite Yiran badgering him about being in front of the computer for so long.  Even she bit the bullet and bought herself a pair of glasses that had the special technology stuff that was supposed to prevent eyestrain and headaches.  She knows his are the same, which makes it all the more annoying he never wears them.  Still, she pampered him whenever he complained about having a headache, taking his contacts out, and laying his head in her lap.

Yiran tilts her head slightly, mid-kiss, and accidentally catches his lip on her teeth.  The choked groan he lets out has her flushing from head to toe, her veins filled with electricity.  Momentarily forgetting herself, she does it again.  Purposefully this time.  She nips his lower lip and his fingers tighten around her hips, the fabric bunching.  The wrinkles would instantly tell the world what they are up to, even if they get themselves sorted before going downstairs.  All of her senses are focused on him.  The sound of their breaths and lips, the feeling of his body against hers, the smell of his cologne… every part of Yiran is drowning in him.  She doesn’t want a life raft.  The passion he was showing, normally kept to either of their apartments, is addicting.

The loud ring of his phone, echoing around the empty hall, jolts them out of their reverie like cold water to the face.  Banshan, his eyes glazed, has to force himself to let go of her.  He takes a step back, putting some distance between them.  He shoves his hand into his pocket and pulls out his phone roughly, glaring at it.  Yiran watches him, taking in the small details of their post-makeout session.  His hair is messy, sticking up in odd places.  His clothes are rumpled, though she’s not sure how that happened.  Banshan’s lips are red from the kissing and the biting.  Yiran touches her lips and knows, in her heart, that they look the same as his.

“… alright, alright, I’ll be right there,” he says into the phone, his free hand coming up to run through his hair.  “Yeah.”  The word is drawn out and filled with caution.  Whatever the person on the other line said makes Banshan’s eyes widen.  He looks at Yiran with mild panic.  “No,” he says forcefully, “we do not need to have that discussion.  God.  Goodbye.”

Yiran raises an eyebrow as she smooths out her clothes.  “Do I want to know or…?”  She holds her laughter back as Banshan walks back over to her, defeated.  He drops his head on her shoulder and she blinks rapidly, fighting the smile that wants to rise on her face.  “There, there,” she says, patting him on the shoulder.

“Stop enjoying this,” he mumbles half-heartedly.

“Okay, baby, sure I will,” Yiran agrees easily, knowing she will continue to enjoy this.  After a few more seconds, she says, “We should probably go downstairs.”  She moves her shoulder, attempting to gently move her boyfriend into an upright position.

Banshan releases a dramatic sigh and stands up properly.  Yiran’s hands come up automatically to fix his hair; his earlier attempt didn’t really do all that much if she was being honest.  As she does that, his thumb swipes under her bottom lip and she’s suddenly reminded she had put on a pink lipstick that morning.  After she sorts out his hair, she does the same motion to him, trying to wipe away the pink smudges.

“You go ahead,” she says when she finishes.  “I have to go to the bathroom and reapply the lipstick you took off.”

Banshan gives her a cocky smile.  “That just means I fulfilled my job as boyfriend properly.”

She rolls her eyes and pushes off of the wall, heading down the other corridor to the bathrooms.  “Goodbye, Banshan,” she calls over her shoulder, putting as much exasperation as she can into her tone.  “Have fun downstairs!”

She hears his answering groan of resignation and smiles.  He fulfilled his job as boyfriend, and now he’s got to fulfill his job as one of the founding members of Zhi Yi.  All Yiran has to do after she’s fixed herself up is look at her emails.  And maybe plan a way to reward Banshan later tonight for being a good boyfriend…

[authortobenamedlater]

🤣 I learned a good deal of naval terminology from a steady diet of Star Trek TNG/DS9/Voyager, JAG, NCIS, and BSG in my grade school-teen years.

MWAS is a Halo fanfic AU that invented itself and imprinted on my brain like an orphaned duckling. I linked to the AO3 series page in the reblog or you can look through the tag ⬇️

[ao3feed-tolkien]

[Podfic] In Theory and Practice

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/uhZ1UXk

by ElrondsScribe

Huge podficcing undertaking!! All the chapter links are in one chapter that will be continuously edited (for now, anyway).

"What it says on the tin. Valandil’s family of origin isn’t great, but that’s okay, he’s getting another one. Fluffy Valandur. Lots of classical music, hymn references, and Christianese. (Lowkey a reincarnation AU too but shh.) EDIT: the rating has now jumped to E when it was a gentle T before. Just to clear up any confusion, chapters 39, 50, and 77 contain the majority of the explicit material in this fic so far."

Words: 23, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (TV 2022)

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/F, F/M, M/M

Characters: Valandil (The Rings of Power), Isildur (Tolkien), Ontamo (The Rings of Power), Anárion (Tolkien), Eärien (The Rings of Power), Elendil the Tall, Tar-Míriel, Elendil the Tall's Wife

Relationships: Isildur (Tolkien)/Valandil (The Rings of Power), Elendil the Tall/Elendil the Tall's Wife/Tar-Míriel

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - College/University, but it’s a MUSIC school au so it’s DIFFERENT 🤡, Valandil plays Chopin, Isildur and Ontamo sing Bellini, Fluff, Elendil’s family without the trauma of losing their mama, Basically the story of a traumatized Valandil imprinting on Elendil like a lost duckling, Bisexual Valandil, Bisexual Isildur, religious trauma, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Polyamory, Throuple, Mom Míriel sneaked up on me but I have no complaints, Adoption, Podfic, Podfic Length: 10-20 Minutes

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/uhZ1UXk

[blorbocedes]

I need to know your sebmick thoughts? 👀

I think of how mick has all of michael's facial features but gentler... smoothed out and more conventionally handsome, softened by his mother's features. and I think of sebastian saying mick has no weak links in the chain.....

https://cuetheviolins.tumblr.com/post/693169502526095360 this entire interaction actually it drives me insane I'm scratching the walls I'm inside the walls I'm constructing the walls to close in on me

It's the mountain wave of guilt..... seb doing the things michael did for him, but then also fulfilling certain roles that should've been michael's to teach (racing, contracts, telling him to leave the gda and be a free agent, recommending his aston seat to mick)

mick saying one of the ppl he's closest to on the paddock being seb cause he imprinted on him like a duckling 🥺 and his goodbye message starting with "I'm so sad that you're leaving..." (cue the phoebe bridgers)

[aimeelouart]

A new AU, you say? I am intrigued!

Oh yes. There's an entire channel for it on the Discord already because I Cannot Be Stopped. Here's all my notes, because god only knows how long it will be before I actually write it she says as she pushes Make Peace With the Stars further under the rug

Spoilers below?

The setup is just like Duckling, where Cloud was tailor-made to be a SOLDIER-killer. The imprinting may still be a factor, but he doesn’t manage to summon his alternate-universe self for help, so it’s not a time or dimension travel story. One way or another, ShinRa manages to get their hands on him.

He’s raised as a secret asset between the Turk and SOLDIER departments, never quite fitting in with either. Some of the SOLDIERs even babysit him when he's little, but they never learn that he becomes a strategic asset. His real status and purpose is highly classified and known to only a few people. In this universe, it’s not cellular degradation that kills the SOLDIERS—no, when their cells start to go bad, they become monsters. Cloud’s job, from a very young age, is to kill them, and to kill SOLDIERs that turn traitor.

Just like in Duckling, his code name is CN-17, AKA Cyanide, or Asset Cyanide, or Asset. There’s a saying in ShinRa: “the only poison that can kill a SOLDIER is Cyanide." Very few people understand the full context of what it means.

Zack meets Cloud, who says he’s employed by the Department of Administrative Research and works in "Personnel Evaluation." Despite how quiet and withdrawn Cloud is, Zack manages to befriend him. Occasionally on missions, Zack is paired with a “strategic asset,” by the name of Cyanide, who’s a silent dual-wielding man in helmet that covers his entire face, head, and neck. [Concept art link]

Cyanide kills Genesis. Cyanide kills Angeal, too. Zack realizes what the saying means, once he hears Tseng call him "Cyanide" directly.

Life continues, and Nibelheim maybe happens like this:

Cloud isn't supposed to be there, but as he gets older he gets more autonomy and his judgment is trusted. Sephiroth goes nuts in the basement as Cloud is poking around trying to figure out what TF Hojo's game is. Sephiroth also finds info on what the little lab kid he babysat turned into, because even he didn't know. He didn't know who was behind the mask that killed his friends. His Friends? It doesn't matter. Sephiroth is now gunning for Cloud specifically in addition to torching the world. Claudia isn't a factor, so when Seph burns Nibelheim he stabs Zack instead. Cloud, thinking Zack is dead, chases Sephiroth into the reactor and puts him down.

Zack is retrieved and Hojo experiments on him. Sephiroth's body is also retrieved and ???? maybe he comes back in a not-crazy way for Zack to drag around the continent.

Hojo is furious with Cloud for killing Seph, but it's his own damn fault because he underestimated just how good Cyanide was, considering he'd been barred from ever getting his hands on the kid.

And then, one day, Cyanide is sent out on a mission to kill two monsters who escaped Hojo's lab, and "...Zack?"

[fruitcoops]

could we get some remus and regulus bonding hc's ??

Sure! SW credit goes to @lumosinlove <3

- Regulus wasn’t allowed to read sci-fi when he lived with his parents and Remus takes that personally

- They geek out over classic lit and have Lily over for intense debates over what defines a “classic”

- Both of them cried during Finding Nemo (Sirius did, too, but he was a little quieter about it)

- Regulus doesn’t like the Jurassic Park movies and Remus didn’t speak to him for three days after hearing that

- They both love peanut butter ice cream/ milkshakes and Sirius thinks it’s the grossest thing ever, but they relentlessly mock him for being basic with his chocolate shakes so he can’t say anything

- Seeing Sirius and Regulus grow closer will always be one of Remus’ favorite memories

- They’re on a first-name basis with the owners of the used bookstore in town

- Sirius and Reg have similar RBF, but Regulus and Remus bonded over sarcasm and the single eyebrow raise that strikes fear into everyone’s hearts

- Jules imprinted on Reg like a duckling within two days of knowing him, and that was the confirmation point for Remus

- “If I wasn’t aroace, I’d marry you in a heartbeat” “That is literally the sweetest thing you’ve ever said oh my god”

- Sirius and James are terrified of the groupchat between Reg, Remus, and Lily

- They trade incomprehensible conspiracy theories over midnight hot cocoa

- Both night owls

- They have similar music taste and send each other spotify links at least three times a day. Regulus made Remus a playlist for his birthday and it is his most treasured possession

- People are surprised by how well they get along, but anyone who knows them could have seen it coming a mile away!

[practically-an-x-man]

🫂🎵📅💡???

Any or all of these 👀

An ask deserves an ask in return 💜💜

Ooh thank you! You didn't give me a number so I'm just gonna go with one of my more recent WIPS, Heartstrings:

🫂 Have you, or will you, confer with anyone over the writing?

I've talked about the OCs a bit with my friend @can-of-pringles, but the plot is still largely under wraps. I like to incorporate a bit of suspense and perhaps some plot twists into my writing, so I don't talk much about future plans. But I love having discussions once I post things, writing analysis is one of my favorite things!

🎵 Are you writing it with a specific playlist in the background?

I don't usually write to music (usually I'm watching Rhett and Link or Markiplier vids in the background), but this fic definitely focuses on 90s/2000s alt and punk rock music. Think Linkin Park, Green Day, Muse, Soundgarden, Paramore, Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance, things like that. Linking it to the OC, even if I'm not actively listening to it while I write, helps me get inside their head a little more and makes my writing flow a bit better.

📅 Will you be posting the fic for a special occasion (a holiday or challenge etc)?

The first chapter's already posted over on AO3! I'm not posting the chapters for any particular occasion (I'm wayyy too busy to plan that lol), just posting them as they come.

💡 What inspired you to want to write it?

I was never really happy with how they treated Kyle Spencer in the show, even though I was a huge fan of Coven as a whole. I didn't like how his whole relationship with Zoe was based on one night at a party and then some kind of baby-duckling imprinting once he's brought back to life. He's a really interesting character both before and after his death, but in the show they kind of reduce him to a plot device for Zoe. I wanted to dive a little deeper into his own story with this fic.

And, since his character in Coven is about circumventing stereotypes (our first introduction to him is that he's a party-loving frat boy, but he's actually an engineering student with a full scholarship), I wanted to pair him up with a character who deals with stereotypes as much as he does. I just really loved the idea of the blond, white, cis All-American Boy just genuinely loving the genderfluid, alt, nonconventional OC for who they are, no (heart)strings attached.

Thank you so much for the ask, my friend!! This was a lot of fun to answer :)

[ohhipstaplease]

Comfort

Since the culmination of the war, Naruto and Hinata had grown closer. His hand always reached out towards hers for comfort, even when he didn’t notice. Even when he knew he shouldn’t. It was selfish, self-indulgent...

He just couldn’t understand why she was always in his head, even when she wasn’t supposed to be.

For Naruhina week 2021 @nhweek | April 14: Hand / “You’re in my head, even when you’re not supposed to be

Post-War | Canon-Compliant | Rated T+ | 1K+ Words | Ao3

It happened all of a sudden, the stream of tears rushing down his face. He hadn’t even realized he was crying until Hinata reached over and wiped his cheek. He gently grabbed her hand, and in a beat of courage, she interlaced her fingers in his.

Since the culmination of the war, the pair had gotten closer. His hand always reached out towards hers for comfort, even when he didn’t notice. Even when he knew he shouldn’t. It was selfish, self-indulgent...

He just couldn’t understand why she was always in his head, even when she wasn’t supposed to be.

“I-I’m okay” He murmured, hoping he didn’t wake anyone in the Hyuga household.

It was late after all, too late for him to be visiting. But, alas, he couldn’t sleep. He couldn’t eat. He was unable to do anything but play what had happened in the war on a loop in his head. His throbbing arm a physical reminder that he was just not okay, even as much as he pretended to be.

“Naruto-Kun...”

He shook his head, “Just let me...just let me sit here with you. That’s all I need.”

Naruto wanted to let his mind go blank, to take advantage of the wave of calm that washed over him as he felt her skin against his, but he kept wondering why it was that this was the only way he found repose from his scary thoughts.

He thought back to what he had discussed with Shikamaru a few days back.

As he laid in the grass, the sun warm upon his face, his observant friend had made a quip about how all Naruto did was spend his time with Hyuga heiress, and whether or not he was going to make a move.

Naruto, being Naruto, furrowed his brow and reassured Shikamaru that he and Hinata were just friends. Even so, though, he just didn’t quite understand what he felt for her. All he knew was that he wanted to be near her at all times.

Shikamaru didn’t bother looking at him as he smirked and said, “You’re like a duckling, Naruto. You imprinted on her.”

“A duckling?” Naruto sighed, “Sometimes I really don’t know what to make of the shit you say.”

“Everything that happened...it was...really messed up, to say the least,” Shikamaru took a cigarette from the pouch on his side and lit it, taking a long drag before continuing, “Hinata was there for you...she’s been there by you through it all. It’s only natural that you look to her for safety and comfort, especially now.”

Naruto took a breath, “You’ve been reading Sai’s psychology books haven’t you? He tried to diagnose me the other day too.”

Shikamaru shook his head, “All I’m saying is what you’re feeling is normal. If being by her side is what’s keeping you steady, maybe you shouldn’t question it. I don’t think you’re in a state of mind to be working all of that out.”

“What would “all of that” be?”

“When you’re ready you’ll know.”

Naruto breathed in and tried to compose himself, but it seemed that this time, the tears just didn’t want to stop flowing. Between what he felt for Hinata and the weight of everything that had happened six months ago, his mind and body were about to give out.

He thought he would’ve been okay by now. His arm was healing, his wounds were nearly non-existent. Battle scars were fading upon his skin, just as they were on hers. So he didn’t understand why it was that when nighttime fell and he closed his eyes, all he saw was death.

Wouldn’t his mind heal as well?

“Naruto-Kun?”

He looked up to meet her gaze, inquisitive eyes asking the question she couldn’t quite seem to muster the courage to ask. Still, she managed to finally utter, “D-did you have that dream again?”

“Hinata...I—”

A door opened behind them, startling them both. Still, though, their hands remained linked upon Hinata’s kitchen table, as a teary-eyed Naruto looked up to see Hiashi Hyuga, the head of the Hyuga clan, standing directly behind Hinata.

The elder Hyuga said nothing, simply nodded, and continued on his way back to his room. Naruto swore he saw a glimmer of sadness in his eyes as well.

It seemed to be that way for everyone, regardless of the fact the war had been won.

“I’m sorry,” He whispered, “Your dad must be tired of seeing me around.”

She smiled sweetly and assured him, “Never. You know everyone enjoys seeing you around here.”

“I wish I could come around more often. This is the only place I can really get away from it all, you know?”

“You’re always welcome here, Naruto-Kun.”

Naruto breathed out in relief. Her words the only thing he needed to bring him back from the brink of despair. He needed to remember that he wasn’t alone anymore, he didn’t have to suffer through whatever it was he was going through by himself. Hinata had nursed him through the worst of it, laughed with him through the best. Fought with him, even when he told her not to risk her life for him.

She was his comfort, his joy, his everything. Even if he didn’t see it, even if he didn’t understand it.

“You know, it’s weird,” He sniffled, “Ever since the war, I just can’t stop thinking about you.”

“W-what?” She blushed and looked away, unable to meet his stare.

“I don’t know, you’re just...in my head...even when you’re not supposed to be. I think I’m depending on you too much, Hinata. Sometimes...I can’t even go to bed until I hear your voice.”

“O-oh.”

“Isn’t that too much to ask for from a friend?”

Slowly Hinata had been getting redder, her face nearly aflame at this point. Still, though, he didn’t understand why. She had always been a stuttering mess in the past anyways, maybe he had just taken her by surprise.

“Naruto...that’s what friends are for,” She managed to say, squeezing his hand tightly, “Whenever you have a bad dream, or a horrible day, or if you just need me to help you run an errand, you can count on me. You...you know that.”

“Yeah?”

She nodded, “Of course.”

“D-do you ever feel this way?”

Hinata cleared her throat, “I think we all do.”

“Will it ever pass?”

She traced a scar that ran from his wrist to his palm and bit her lip as she said, “I think in time...it’ll hurt a little less. Like these wounds, like your arm. But it’ll heal...at least, I hope.”

“Do you miss him?” He asked, referring to Neji. He still couldn’t bear to say his name.

“Every day.”

Naruto stayed quiet for a second, letting it all kind of sink it. Finally, he managed to tell her, “If you ever feel sad, tell me. Okay? I want to be there for you like you are for me.”

He wanted her to find comfort in him as well. It was the least he could offer. Really, at the moment, it was all he had to give her.

“Okay.”

“But I mean it, Hinata. None of that hiding your feelings crap, okay?” He chuckled as he wiped his still damp cheeks.

She laughed as well, wanting to reassure him, “I promise I’ll tell you.”

“Good...now...any chance there’s some of that sweet bread you had lying around yesterday?”

“Appetite is back?”

“I’m starving.”

“I’ll fix you something,” She said as she got up and squeezed his shoulder. She’d leave it at that, letting him feel what he had to and treating him like he wasn’t broken.

He would never be able to repay her for everything she’d done for him, but he’d try.

“Hinata?”

“Yes?”

“Thank you.”

“It’s just bread, Naruto-Kun,” She said, serving him a slice on a white plate.

“That’s not what I meant.”

“What did you mean?”

He wanted to explain, but didn’t know where to start. He didn’t even know what he wanted to say, what he felt. He was a jumble of confusion.

“Never mind,” He mumbled, grabbing the bread and biting into it, “Don’t worry about it.”

One day he’d figure it all out. Until then, he’d just keep trying to make it through.