#i might write something a bit better and post it on ao3 later

[just-leui]

little Campbell Bain/male oc oneshot because it's 1am and i don't want to sleep (still a wip but hey what's the harm in posting it here)

The sound of droplets rhythmically hitting the hospital's windows filled the room. It was early morning, breakfast had just been served and the greater part of the patients had either settled in the day room to watch tv or retrieved into their shared rooms.

Having arrived and signed in Archie had already been assigned a list of tasks for the day. Not even twenty minutes into his volunteer shift the young man heard his name be enthusiastically called out from a familiar voice, “Archie! Archie yer here!”

The eighteen-year-old was soon met with that smile he swore could be counted as a second sun, warm and refreshing. “Aye, no school for the day, I got the morning free so I took the opportunity to come here,” the words cheerfully left his lips, more like a celebration than an explanation.

With Campbell’s hands holding onto his forearms with glee the younger boy couldn't help but give into that contagious smile he had grown so fond of. Campbell’s eyes suddenly widened, having just remembered something. It was that same look that crossed his face whenever one of those starry-eyed ideas of his bloomed in his mind.

“Hold on, I’ve got something for you,” at the sudden loss of contact Archie almost felt disappointed, the ghost of the older boy’s hands lingered on his skin. His eyes quickly caught up to Campbell’s swift movement, watching as he sprinted to his room and left the other standing there a bit awkwardly.

After having rummaged through the bedside table’s drawers containing the few belongings he was allowed to keep in the ward Campbell made his way back to the other boy. Archie was once again met with that familiar sun-like grin but this time his attention was grabbed by the item Campbell held close to himself, almost jealously.

“Is that..?” His words were caught off by the older boy’s action, his arms now stretched out towards Archie, holding out a cd in its case for him to take. “Made it meself,” he stated proudly, “it’s a bunch o’ songs I wanted tae dedicate to you”. Archie felt awestruck. “For me?” The younger one echoed, his voice a mixture of disbelief, gratitude and that little bit of something else that Campbell seemed to struggle to label. Archie’s figers surrounded the objec with cautious eagerness. “That’s…” A wide smile decorated his features, “that’s so nice of ye, Campbell, seriously. Thank you.”

Their eyes met once again, the cd case now in the younger boy’s hands. Time seemed to still for just a moment, the tasks Archie was assigned for the shift completely forgotten as his focus and thoughts were now fixed on that bubbly, scrawny boy standing in front of him. It filled Archie with joy, the knowledge that the other had spent part of his free time to select, record and put together a list of songs just for him.

Campell’s enthusiasm was known by almost everyone in the ward by now. The way he’d spend hours on something he was passionate about without batting an eye was always something that caught the younger boy’s attention, like the admirable dedication Campbell had shown all throughout the hospital radio’s journey. It was just part of who he was. But Archie had never imagined himself on the receiving end of that special attention. He had never considered it an actual possibility. That doesn’t go to say that he had never wished to be the subject of such attention. He had just rendered it a wistful fantasy, an idealistic dream he enjoyed to indulge in every once in a while.

After all, how could it become a reality? It’s not like Archie believed himself to be worth so much time and effort. And, even if he was proven wrong on that first point, what realistic chances did he have to experience that sort of relationship in his own time and age? Even acknowledging such an aspect of himself felt like such a huge mountain to climb. It had taken him years to come to terms with the fact. Just the thought of telling anyone felt like willingly throwing himself in a cage of hungry wolves ready to tear him to shreds. So how could he ever experience that sweet teenage romance he longed for when he couldn’t even make himself known to those people who might even have been interested in him?

And how could you not like Campbell? To the younger boy he was like a beam of light, sunshine in human form making every situation more enjoyable and bearable thanks to his enthusiasm. Archie gravitated towards him the same way the Earth does with the sun. How he had developed such an infatuation for someone

So here he was, speechless with a dumb smile on his face feeling like his dreams were being served to him o a silver plate while he didn’t know what to do. The one thing he knew is that he would’ve cherished that cd for as long as he had the ability to.

[nowoyas]

Trying to make sense of the Nanowrimo statement to the best of my abilities and fuck, man. It's hard.

It's hard because it seems to me that, first and foremost, the organization itself has forgotten the fucking point.

Nanowrimo was never about the words themselves. It was never about having fifty thousand marketable words to sell to publishing companies and then to the masses. It was a challenge, and it was hard, and it is hard, and it's supposed to be. The point is that it's hard. It's hard to sit down and carve out time and create a world and create characters and turn these things into a coherent plot with themes and emotional impact and an ending that's satisfying. It's hard to go back and make changes and edit those into something likable, something that feels worth reading. It's hard to find a beautifully-written scene in your document and have to make the decision that it's beautiful but it doesn't work in the broader context. It's fucking hard.

Writing and editing are skills. You build them and you hone them. Writing the way the challenge initially encouraged--don't listen to that voice in your head that's nitpicking every word on the page, put off the criticism for a later date, for now just let go and get your thoughts out--is even a different skill from writing in general. Some people don't particularly care about refining that skill to some end goal or another, and simply want to play. Some people sit down and try to improve and improve and improve because that is meaningful to them. Some are in a weird in-between where they don't really know what they want, and some have always liked the idea of writing and wanted a place to start. The challenge was a good place for this--sit down, put your butt in a chair, open a blank document, and by the end of the month, try to put fifty thousand words in that document.

How does it make you feel to try? Your wrists ache and you don't feel like any of the words were any good, but didn't you learn something about the process? Re-reading it, don't you think it sounds better if you swap these two sentences, if you replace this word, if you take out this comma? Maybe you didn't hit 50k words. Maybe you only wrote 10k. But isn't it cool, that you wrote ten thousand words? Doesn't it feel nice that you did something? We can try again. We can keep getting better, or just throwing ourselves into it for fun or whatever, and we can do it again and again.

I guess I don't completely know where I'm going with this post. If you've followed me or many tumblr users for any amount of time, you've probably already heard a thousand times about how generative AI hurts the environment so many of us have been so desperately trying to save, about how generative AI is again and again used to exploit big authors, little authors, up-and-coming authors, first time authors, people posting on Ao3 as a hobby, people self-publishing e-books on Amazon, traditionally published authors, and everyone in between. You've probably seen the statements from developers of these "tools", things like how being required to obtain permission for everything in the database used to train the language model would destroy the tool entirely. You've seen posts about new AI tools scraping Ao3 so they can make money off someone else's hobby and putting the legality of the site itself at risk. For an organization that used to dedicate itself to making writing more accessible for people and for creating a community of writers, Nanowrimo has spent the past several years systematically cracking that community to bits, and now, it's made an official statement claiming that the exploitation of writers in its community is okay, because otherwise, someone might find it too hard to complete a challenge that's meant to be hard to begin with.

I couldn't thank Nanowrimo enough for what it did for me when I started out. I don't know how to find community in the same way. But you can bet that I've deleted my account, and I'll be finding my own path forward without it. Thanks for the fucking memories, I guess.

[thebigbiwolf]

Spittle - Part 1/2

Summary: The chocolate seems innocent enough - if you look past the Infernal writing on the wrapper, and with so few pleasures in the wilderness, you all but jump at the chance to sneak yourself a small treat.

Unbeknownst to you, the bar is infused with succubus spittle. Just one square is rumored to contain enough potency to send a mortal into the throes of ecstasy.

This is what happens when you eat half the bar.

Fic Tags: Sex Pollen (kinda), aphrodisiacs, succubus magic, a bit of dom!Astarion, unprotected piv, overstimulation, he talks you through it (iykyk), more tags will be added later.

Fic Warnings: Explicit Smut (18+ MDNI), Dubcon (if you squint), Language, No use of Y/N, magical influence

Read on AO3: Here

A/N: Remember the dead spider? I remember the dead spider. Anyways, the reception I've been getting on Starvin', Darlin' has me wanting to thank everyone with a one-shot. This got away from me so I went ahead and split it into two parts.

I've never written anything like this and it was significantly more difficult than a multi-chapter fic. I hope everything comes across the way its supposed to! And a huge thank you to my beta @imaginarydromedary for...you know... encouraging me to post this, despite everything.

From what you could tell, there wasn’t much to the apothecary. 

As you push open the dilapidated doors, your first thought is to search for supplies - anything that could help if things went south on your way to the goblin camp. 

Dried herbs hang from the rafters beneath a thin veil of cobwebs, filling your lungs with a pungent clash of scents. Empty bottles lined the shelves along the wall, caked in several months worth of dust. Large chunks of the building were missing where stone met splintered wood, some areas almost entirely overtaken by greenery.

You step over broken shards of pottery, scanning over the floor and countertops for something - anything that may be of use, but to your disappointment, it seems like the shop was entirely ransacked long before your arrival.

You sigh deeply, knowing you’ll likely never hear the end of this from your companions. It was your idea to search the village. You were the one who suggested taking out the goblin scouts, exerting everyones’ energy, and now you’re afraid you’ll have very little to show for it.

You catch a glint of gold, an object reflecting the sun's rays beneath a pile of rubble. You kneel down to brush away the surrounding debris, thankful for even the smallest promise of coin before your hands catch on… some sort of serrated edge?

You pull at it, and it easily comes loose. It's a thin, rectangular block, just barely larger than the length of your hand. You wipe away some of the dirt with your sleeve, revealing an intricately designed foil wrapping underneath.

As you speculate what this might be, you hear footsteps approaching from behind, light and familiar. You turn to face the elf with a smirk.

“You’re supposed to be the stealthy one.” You chide at him, playfully, “Or has my blood put a little skip in your step?”

Astarion scoffs. “I’ve been here the entire time, watching you fumble around in the dirt.” 

Crimson eyes study you, then the object you’re holding. He places his hands on his hips, head cocked to the side with a raised brow. “Is that what you’ve dragged us all the way here for?”

“First of all,” you waggle a finger at him, “You’re especially grumpy when you’re tired. I’ll have to make a note to prioritize your beauty rest. Second, I haven’t finished looking around, but check this out.”

You hand the bar to him as you stand. The cool skin of his fingers brush against your own, and you’re irritated with the way your heart skips at the brief contact. Why did the one man you found attractive in your camp have to be such a primadonna? And such a huge pain in the ass? 

Astarion’s eyes scan over the textured paper with suspicion, angling it towards the light to get a better look. The golden wrapping is stamped with an image of red lips On the back, letters twist and curve in a language you don't recognize, following a single circular pattern where they meet in the center. You’ve never seen anything like this, neither in your travels, nor within the city walls of Baldur’s Gate.

“Where did you find this?” 

You shrug, then point to the pile next to you. “It was buried right there.” 

He silently stares at the foil, mouth pursed, until your patience begins to wear thin.

“Well, can you read it or not?”

His nose scrunches. “Of course I can’t read it. It’s written in Infernal.”

That’s… odd. Why would an ordinary apothecary sell goods made by devils? Or, worse, for devils. Unless, of course, it was some sort of marketing trick, perhaps a play on the phrase ‘sinfully sweet’, or some other cringeworthy branding.

You take it back, turning it over in your hands before tearing at the corner of the wrapping. It's sectioned into dark, rich squares, and smells indisputably like chocolate.

“It looks like candy.”

“An excellent observation.” he says, voice dripping with sarcasm. “Now, can we go? We’ve spent more than enough time here already.”

You roll your eyes and stuff it into your bag, setting off for camp, vampire in tow.

–

During dinner, you decide not to tell the others about what you found, knowing Astarion’s likely already forgotten the event. You set down your empty plate, thanking Gale for tonight’s meal. He smiles at you and bids you goodnight as you excuse yourself to your tent. 

You pick up your rucksack, thinking fondly of the dessert that awaits you inside. Having lived at the beck and call of your companions for weeks on end, you can’t help but smile at the idea of selfishly indulging in a small treat like this.

You tear open the rest of the wrapping and snap off one of the squares, immediately popping one into your mouth. It melts - buttery in texture, with a smokey, slightly bitter flavor. You can’t remember the last time you’ve eaten something so rich. Maybe weeks of the same rations have made you easier to impress, but this felt especially notable.

As you break off a second piece, a strange tingling sensation begins to spread across your lips - a pleasant buzzing that starts at your neck and spreads down through your chest. 

Strange, but not entirely unwelcome. You’ve heard of such inebriating chocolates, ones laced with alcohol or species of flowers that numb one’s senses for a short while. All harmless, of course, and you don’t have watch tonight. You may as well enjoy yourself. If worst comes to worst, Shadowheart is just outside with an assortment of spells and potions. Always better to ask for forgiveness.

It only takes you minutes to finish half the bar. You set the rest next to your bedroll for later and turn to blow out your candles, enjoying the lingering physical effects of the chocolate. Your skin feels flushed and delightfully warm as you settle down for the night.

When sleep finally takes you, it's dreamless, at first. Your consciousness sways, floating in an empty abyss, until colors begin to bleed onto the blank canvas of your mind.

A trickle of red morphs into the shape of familiar eyes, piercing you with their intensity..

Droplets of white spatter over a dark background, diffusing, blending into whisps. They curl and twist before settling into soft, coiffed fibers. 

Hair , you recognize immediately, his hair . His eyes.

Astarion. 

His image fully takes form, as if it had been waiting for you to make the connection before entirely revealing itself. 

He reaches out and seizes you, grabbing painfully at your hips as you crash into his body, hands exploring you - tight, possessive, squeezing at every inch of exposed skin before settling on the curve of your ass. He digs into your flesh with the blunt edge of his nails.

His lips press hot, wet kisses to your throat, mouthing just below the ear, before dragging his tongue along your nape and sucking, hard . You whine at the pressure, eliciting a grin from the elf, so characteristically pleased with the pathetic little noise he’s managed to pull from you.

“You thought sleeping would allow you to escape this - to escape me , unscathed?” He growls against your skin, his voice almost unrecognizable - as if it’s layered beneath a lighter, somehow more arrogant, feminine one.

“No, no, no. Wake up, darling. You’re in for a very long night.”

–

You startle awake, gasping - loud, labored breaths struggling to make use of the unbearably thin air. The edges of your tent bleed in and out of focus, spinning at a nauseating pace as you attempt to recollect yourself.

You wipe at the sweat collecting on your brow, the muscles of your arm heavy and aching, and find that your skin is absolutely drenched. 

Hot. Why is everything so hot? 

It's as if you're being cooked alive beneath your blankets, strangled beneath the furs. You throw them off; normally soft to the touch, the fibers now only worsen the prickling beneath your skin.

Could this be some sort of illness? A fever? 

No, this doesn’t make sense. Everything feels off. 

Fleeting thoughts of Astarion cross your mind - quick flashes of a sinful smile that was not his own.

It didn’t quite match the one you’d silently come to admire, and now that you think of it, the hunger in his gaze was much too intense for the reserved elf. 

His hands, his mouth, the way he touched you -

Your abdomen cramps, bringing your thoughts to a screeching halt.

A stabbing, visceral pain; a knife plunging into your organs. It overwhelms you, forces your body to curl into itself. You hold your pelvis, grunting, and grasp at your sheets. Tears sting the corner of your eyes.

This is - well, you have no idea what this is. 

You can’t think past the pounding in your head, the throbbing in your midsection. You're compulsively twisting, writhing, begging the gods for some sort of reprieve, but it's then when you make the most mortifying discovery of the night.

You’re soaked .

N ot just your smallclothes, which may have been understandable given your strange dreams, but through your damned pants. Not even the sheets were spared. 

“What  in the hells…?” 

You run your fingers over yourself, only intending to confirm the horrifying reality of your situation - that this is not, in fact, some sick, perverted nightmare, but the lightest touch sets off every nerve. 

You wail at the sensation: one massive wave of bliss giving way to several small jolts of pain. 

Pleasure to the point of agony.

The shock of the sudden orgasm courses from your sex through every limb, clenching and releasing pitiful, warm slick. It leaks freely out of you into your already thoroughly ruined underwear. 

Your heart pounds. You stay like that for what feels like a lifetime, toes curled, limbs twitching, waiting for your body to settle. 

After a minute or so, your breathing evens, and the thick haze surrounding your thoughts begins to lift just slightly, along with the suffocating heat. 

But something within you knows this isn’t the end - knows this isn’t enough . A desperation lurks beneath the surface that you can’t quite name. It screams at you. You need more.

‘Aw…’ A familiar, feminine voice prods at your mind. You quickly recognize her, the woman from your dreams who wore Astarion’s image.  

‘All alone, are we? Empty and needing to be filled? Doesn’t that hurt?’

It does. It aches unlike anything you’ve ever known. The lingering buzz of your orgasm just barely quells the worsening cramps, and they’re beginning to rear their ugly head again not minutes later.

You choke out a sob. “Wh- why are you doing this? What do you want?”

Sharp, wicked laughter fills your head, echoing off the walls of your skull. ‘I’m not doing anything, dear. Just enjoying the show.’ She hisses, ‘I told you, it’s going to be a very long night.’

You must be hallucinating. This fever - whatever this is, is simply cauterizing your senses, or possibly interacting with the tadpole? But the tadpole doesn’t speak, not like this. Never so clearly. Not with words.

Think, please. There has to be a reason this -

“Is everything alright?” Shadowheart raps on the canvas of your tent. “I heard a yelp. Are you hurt?”

Shit.

‘Ooh, this one might do!’  You feel an unwelcome… eagerness flood you.

No. No. Absolutely not.

You try not to panic. 

Under no circumstances should she or anyone else come in here.

The best strategy may be to ignore her - pretend you’re still sleeping. It seems like a good plan, but before you have a chance to follow through with it, another sharp contraction hits. This one is somehow even worse than the ones before. 

You pull your sheets up to your mouth to stifle your whine, but the half elf’s ears are sharper than most. “I’m coming in.”

She opens the flap to your tent and gasps when she sees you there - skin flushed pink, doubled over and covered in sweat. 

“Gods, what’s wrong? What’s happened?” Her hand reaches out towards you. 

Without thinking, you swat it away with your own. Your skin tingles at the contact, and the essence of a smile crosses over the threshold into your mind. The intruder giggles with satisfaction.

“Don’t,” you plead, “Don’t touch me.”

She scans over you, taking in your humiliating state. Her face twists with concern. “I need to know if you’re feverish. Please. You look awful.” 

‘Well, I think you look delectable.’

You groan.

At this point, you know it’s no use fighting this thing on your own. You go back and forth on whether you want to tell her the whole truth, about the voice in your head and its influence on your body, but the idea mortifies you into silence. 

Regardless, a cleric is likely your best chance of fixing this literal mess, so you nod, close your eyes, and brace yourself.

Shadowheart’s palm meets your forehead. It’s somehow worse than you anticipated. Even the simple, chaste touch sends you reeling, as if her soft hands are caressing your entire body. Flashes of heat wash over you, burning your skin, threatening to pull you back under another wave of ecstasy. 

It’s too much. You try your hardest to suppress a moan, but the muffled sound manages to escape from between your tightened lips, pitiful and broken.

The disembodied voice squeals with delight.

She quickly retracts her hand, clearing her throat. “Apologies. I can confirm your temperature is… elevated, but the rest…” She shakes her head. “I’ve never seen anything like this.”

You want to scream, cry - anything to release your frustration, but you keep your mouth shut, not wanting to risk making any more unsavory noises.

“I believe I can give you some relief by treating the fever, but I’ll have to consult the others on the rest. This doesn’t look like any ordinary sickness.”

Consult the others? No. Gods, no. Nobody can know about this. Is she mad?

You intend to protest, beg her not to share this with anyone, tell her whatever death awaits you on the other side of this would be preferable, but she’s speaking an incantation before you have the chance.

A bright, green aura envelopes you, cooling your skin and ever so slightly easing the cramps. With the pain dulled, it's as though you can finally think again. 

You want to laugh. This situation is so utterly ridiculous that you’d find it hilarious, were it anyone else, but with the modicum of relief comes exhaustion - eyelids heavy, vision blurring with weariness.

“Get some rest. We’ll figure this out.” 

Her reassuring words are the last thing you hear before you’re overcome by darkness.

[theminecraftbee]

so i've been seeing this occasionally in the tags lately and i thought i'd bring up:

if you want someone to click or reblog your fic link you cannot simply post a link to the fic with either no description or a single sentence of description. if you do not put something beyond a link and a sentence, no one is going to click it.

part of this is basic internet safety (don't click links if you don't know where they're supposed to go), but a large part of this is that you have to catch someone's attention to make them click and leave the page they're on! people, in general, aren't going to click a link that doesn't interest them. you should interest them! so, how do you do that?

put some kind of image above your link in your post. this is BY FAR the most certain way to get reblogs and catch people's eye, but it's also the most time-consuming if you aren't already good at edits or art yourself. moodboards, little edited headers, or gifs can help you here (depending on fandom). art you've made yourself or have permission to use is absolutely the best option here, but it's by far the most time-intensive and difficult. full disclosure: i don't do this! that's because i am absolutely pants as a visual artist, even in the realm of editing or selecting gifsets. but if you have this skill and are sad your fics aren't getting attention on tumblr, this could be a potential answer!

write a summary and some kind of note with the link. there's a slightly cluttered cheat way to do this later in the list, but personally i find that formatting your fic post yourself is the best way to make these posts look good. i normally go fic link (making sure the link embed has the title) - summary of fic beneath that in a blockquote - an author's note about what to expect beneath that summary. however, everyone has different standards for how to do this! some people i know like to make sure tags and rating are present; some do not. some put some of this information beneath a cut; some do not. the main key here is to make sure there's just enough information above the cut in the main post that if i, a stranger, am browsing the tag and find your fic, i have enough information to know if it's something i might be interested in! i can always click to see the ao3 tags if i am intrigued, so it doesn't need to be all the information. just enough to catch my eye!

just post the whole fic to tumblr, including a link at the top or bottom. this is the most efficient non-art way to get notes on a fic you post, since, unlike a link with a description, a tumblr user doesn't have to leave the website to read and decide if they're interested or like it enough to reblog. however, there are two downsides. the first is that the fic almost always has to be short (~2k words if you use a cut, less if you don't), since most tumblr users aren't using the website expecting to read a bunch. the second is that doing this will mean most of your fic's readers likely will read it from tumblr, rather than following the fic to ao3. which, you may not care! i certainly don't when it comes to the ficlets i write directly to tumblr. however, it means i really don't recommend doing this with a multichapter fic.

use ao3's share button to automatically make a tumblr post. fics on ao3 have a "share" button, located above the tags and summary. this has a tumblr option, which you can then use to automatically post the fic link to tumblr. this is a bit cluttered since it includes all of the tags from the fic, alongside the full summary, rating, wordcount, etc. personally, i would then edit a little to remove some of that information so that it's more eyecatching and less overwhelming, but if you don't want to, that's also fine! that is still almost always going to be better than posting the link by itself with a single sentence to describe it, and isn't half-bad formatting-wise.

finally, you'll note my posts for ongoing chapters aren't normally given this treatment or fandom tags (although i almost always include a summary of some kind on them). this is because i generally don't want people finding my fic for the first time from a random chapter in the middle. i don't mind if they do, but i'm not going to spam the tag and i'm not going to make THAT much of an effort to make the post appealing. new chapters are things that might tell one of my followers that there's an ongoing fic they should look out for, and tell my current readers and followers that there's, well, a new chapter, but generally they aren't going to hook people. however, if you post chapters a lot more infrequently than i do, or if you simply have the energy to, there's nothing stopping you from applying these to chapter posts as well!

the thing is: look, at the end of the day, i agree with people who say you should write for yourself. how many notes you get isn't a big deal, i promise; the most important feeling is, ultimately, the feeling you get when you finish something and know you made it with your own hands. some of my favorite writing achievements are NOT my most popular, but are my favorites for reasons entirely unrelated to popularity. however, i see a lot of writers bemoaning how badly their fic posts do, when their fic posts are the ao3 embed and a single sentence that reads "this is my new fic enjoy"; the thing is, there are things you can do to make that link into something that someone is more likely to read and/or reblog! (i know i personally don't like reblogging links if i don't know their contents for the aforementioned internet safety reasons.)

just because you write for yourself doesn't mean that you can't give yourself a little leg up in finding your audience. it's worth it both for yourself and your readers, i promise.

[kissmetwicekissmedeadly]

MIDNIGHT CINDERELLA MEMORIAL POST

The Midnight Cinderella app will be closed on Monday August 26th, 2024 (5 PM JST). The English version was actively updated from 2014 to 2021 when Cybird announced the ceasing of operations for MidCin, but the app remained accessible until today. I'm sure I'm not the only one who mourns the loss of it even after all these years of discontinuation, so I wanted to put together a post to properly say goodbye to it. Trying my best not to make it all too sappy - I'd rather look at it as a show that reached its final episode. Some things might be left unresolved but in the end, you remember the cast and the emotions they made you feel more than the actual plot. Nowadays there arguably may be better titles by Cybird out there, but for me, the simplicity of MidCin was what made the details so memorable.

1. VIDEO - POV: You're playing Midnight Cinderella (for 10 minutes)

The 10-minute version (without sound) is accessible via the link above (opens in Google Docs) This one I was really excited about recording! It's just your normal day playing midcin, I'm sure many will find it nostalgic and comforting. You log in, claim your daily bonus (I used the chance to do a present box reveal, 90+ items, many of which you might recognize from route grace checks), play the garden gacha (in my case, I used up all the points I had accumulated, 7800 which equals 39 solos), do your princess lessons, change your avatar, greet your friends, read 1/5 of today's free story parts, check the ranking and your stats, look at your memories directory. The video has no sound, as the game wouldn't let me turn it on (you will see me try to do so throughout the video...) but later on I got it to work so I recorded a one-minute video (the one imported above) of me replenishing stamina just for those iconic sound effects that you either loved or absolutely couldn't stand the volume of, haha.

2. A Midnight Cinderella playlist (spotify link)

While I wasn't there for the early days of midcin, the songs I associated with the game almost always captured this very specifically nostalgic 90s-10s period, you'll see what I mean. Many of those are taken from 8track playlists dedicated to Midnight Cinderella, and if I'm not mistaken you can still look at what is left of them if you search them up. Others are just my very random interpretations of the route stories and the characters.

3. Fic recommendations

We have a lovely community of creatives and there are still so many works left behind which you can check out on the tags! But especially for fics I wanted to list some that truly touched me during the years (all links open in ao3) -

i'm on fire and its NSFW bonus scene bloodstream by a deleted user - words are not enough for this one. It's like it meant more than Nico's whole route for me at one point, and the songs are forever in my heart as Nico songs...

MidCin Works by DBMidCin (SoftSen) - ALL of these. This is my go-to collection of writings for midcin when I start to miss the game, it has a little bit of everything. The headcanon of Giles teaching his girls French for instance is one of the things I still remember reading like it was yesterday!

Bedroom Etiquette (NSFW) by RubyLeeRay - Because this is the dream. Doing something forbidden with your tutor Giles is the ultimate fantasy, I swear. I just love it.

And of course, many, many more. There are currently 166 works on the midcin tag in Ao3, and I'm sure there are a lot of hidden gems here on tumblr as well! Reminder that writers LOVE it when you interact with their old works, it's not weird, you shouldn't hesitate doing so if you find yourself enjoying any of them! <3

4. My own humble collection of MidCin writings on my writing blog @xxsycamore!

Maid, Butler, Chamberlain (NSFW) - Nico x MC with Giles joining them

Grabbles: 💋 Demand for a kiss, right here, right now (GILES); 👔 Stealing their clothes to cuddle when you miss them (BYRON); more coming soon as there are still some in my askbox and I plan on including midcin in future short writings request openings too.

Shared Moments (NSFW) - Nico x Reader - Secret relationship

Ice-cold heat (NSFW) - Byron x Reader - Temperature play

Double the Surprise - Alyn and Leo birthday fic

Leo Crawford having a misadventure with a cat (ao3 link) - crack fic featuring most of the suitors

5. Out of context Midnight Cinderella screenshots

This is a sideblog of mine dedicated to posting out-of-context funny screenshots that I took while playing the routes - @oocmidcin . If you have some of your own that are not on there, you're free to submit them and add to the archive!

6. The perfect MidCin song - The Moon Will Sing by The Crane Wives

When I first discovered this song back in 2020 I dreamed of making it into a midcin music video with simplistic art and animations... It ended up being just something you daydream in detail about while in the car, but that's alright. I could at least share my vision with you! Disclaimer, this is just an interpretation and obviously it can't fit all characters ideally - In the brackets, I explain how the lyric is related to them and usually it reveals their backstories. Some of the details I've already forgotten, sorry if it's inaccurate.)

Tell me once again

I could have been anyone, anyone else

Before you made the choice for me

(Giles - his family making the choice for him since birth and later disowning him once he failed to become a knight due to his illness)

My feet knew the path

We walked in the dark, in the dark

I never gave a single thought to where it might lead

(Nico - wandering the streets with his mother once they were thrown out of Stein castle because she was a commoner having an affair with Byron's father, the King)

All those empty rooms

We could have been anywhere, anywhere else

Instead I made a bed with apathy

(Robert - the empty rooms of the once flourishing palace of the country that Robert ruled and led to demise, nowadays becoming a mere court painter)

My heart knew the weight

Ten years' worth of dust and neglect

We made our peace with weariness and let it be

(Leo - the years in which Alyn didn't speak to him, after the death of their parents)

The moon will sing a song for me

I loved you like the sun

Bore the shadows that you made

With no light of my own

(Albert - loyally standing in king Byron's shadow)

Name your courage now

We could have had anything, anything else

Instead you hoarded all that's left of me

(Sid - his relationship with his fiance that he agreed upon just to find out more about his parents by getting close to her father)

Swallowing your doubt

Like swords to the pit of my belly

I want to feel the fire that you kept from me

(Alyn - searching for answers about the murder of his family and the fire that burnt down their home)

I shine only with the light you gave me

(I could have been anyone, anyone)

(Louis - being a nobody and MC being his sun)

7. It goes on

I went to read what I could of chapter 4 of Rayvis' route, using my last two chapter tickets as well, thinking it won't make me cry. And then I'm hit with those familiar things.

So let's close this with a word about the things that never change in the universe of Midnight Cinderella.

Stumbling down the grand staircase and right into the arms of somebody. Escaping the palace at midnight with Nico's help. Sitting at breakfast with Giles giving you your schedule for the day. Nico's teasing little smile as he accompanies you everywhere and listens to your relationship troubles. The way he's just a little suspicious at times. Finding Robert painting in the garden of Wysteria palace. Going to the room of your chosen suitor for the first time and meeting a pet there. Leo teaching you history and politics in his office. Dance lessons with Louis. Needing those dance lessons because King Byron is coming to Wysteria and a ball is going to take place. The bureaucrats being unhappy with you as a princess elect, no matter what. Galloping on a horse with Alyn who just protected you from an enemy attack. Getting information from a certain flirty merchant at a bar. Albert bickering with Nico, Sid teasing Louis. Being introduced to Archduke Herneit at Stein castle. King Byron appreciating the night sky. The sight of your yellow and orange princess elect room where on the large bed with its blue bedframe and tall see-through canopy you lie awake and think about the events of the day and how would a wise future Queen of Wysteria deal with the current situation. But ultimately you fall asleep, hearing the melancholically beautiful sounds of a violin coming from somewhere deep within your dream, and leave it all to the following day.

Thank you for everything, Midnight Cinderella!

08/26/2024

[lonewolflupe]

Your Soothing Presence (Foxiyo Week)

This is my entry for the first day of Foxiyo Week 2024 (@foxiyoweek), using the prompts DATE NIGHT and "One dance - just one, that's all".

I am so sorry if this seemed rushed. I started writing this a little while ago, but of course I waited until the last moment to finish it *classic Lupe*. But I wanted to post it today anyway because of the prompt! Happy Foxiyo week everyone <3 (I might edit this later and come up with a better title if I can find the motivation/inspiration, but I hope you'll enjoy this anyway!)

Summary: Commander Fox needs some soothing when he finds himself in a situation he wasn't trained for Rating: Teen and up Tags: fluff (and lots of nerves, poor Fox) Words: 1.664 Pairing: CC-1010 Commander Fox x Senator Riyo Chuchi Read this one-shot here on AO3

Just act like it's any other evening.

But it wasn't like any other evening. Normally, he would stand stiff and stoic, not easily affected by the wild occurrences on an average shift. But tonight, his hands felt itchy and sweaty below his blacks. His armour barely seemed to fit, the rims of it etching into his skin. He had this strange feeling inside his guts - something he hadn't experienced before. It was not like the dread or fear for his men's safety he was used to. No, this feeling was different. Not nearly as unpleasant.

It was a recurring task for him to accompany senators around Coruscant, and this particular evening started off no differently. He was granted a few greetings from politicians as he walked through the corridor, his mind set on one office and one alone. When he reached the door, he hesitated a bit longer than usual before announcing his presence. He cleared his throat and took a deep breath. It didn't take long before the door whooshed open, the Senator behind it looking up at him with her sparkling golden eyes.

“Commander Fox,” she greeted him, her voice diplomatic as always, but with a subtle sweetness to it. Fox returned the greeting with a quick nod before addressing her. “Are you ready to leave, Senator Chuchi?” A subtle smile appeared on her face, and it made the strange feeling in his guts grow even stronger. “More ready than ever, Commander,” she replied, before stepping outside the office.

The walk through the Senate Building’s corridors was almost like any other; the Senator in the front, leading the way, with Fox just behind them, his eyes sharp on his visor as he continuously checked their surroundings. But still, everything felt off and out of place. He even felt an uncomfortable pressure on his chest whenever he crossed paths with any Coruscant Guards, as they nodded to him respectfully.

Fox was able to breathe a bit when they made it outside, feeling like there were less eyes on them as they emerged in the darkness of the evening. But there was only so much room to breathe; the short cab flight towards Coruscant’s entertainment district did make his throat tighten, making him unable to speak. His head was spinning and he silently scolded himself for his behaviour, like he was some lovestruck cadet.

When they finally made it to the district, their appearances turned out inconspicuous between all the colourful people walking the Coruscanti streets. Fox let the Senator guide him, as she knew exactly where they were headed; Fox followed behind without question.

When they made it inside the refined establishment, they were welcomed by a dimly lit room. The place was almost abandoned; an old Ithorian male was sitting at the bar, lost in thoughts as he stared into his drink, whilst an elegantly dressed Weequay bartender kept cleaning the already shining bar. The slow Bith jazz playing in the background made for a relaxed mood.

But to Fox, relaxing was a luxury he could not afford, and thus, he was not used to it. As he kept scanning their surroundings, expecting danger behind every corner, he suddenly felt the Senator subtly touching his gloved fingers to snap him back into the present. “It’s alright, Fox,” she whispered calmingly, just loud enough for him to hear. He gazed down through his visor and met her reassuring eyes as they looked right up at him. Although she couldn’t see his eyes through his visor, she knew perfectly well where to find them.

He let out a deep sigh, trying to rid his nerves with it, before granting her an appreciative nod. Her pastel purple lips slid into a small yet genuine smile before she turned around and guided him to a booth in the back of the establishment. They sat down side by side, Fox making sure he had a clear view of the room in front of them. He almost didn’t notice how the Senator gently put her hand on his vambrace.

“I think you can take your helmet off by now,” she said to him, and when he looked at her, he noticed how she was looking at him in full anticipation. “But what if anyone recognises me?” he returned in all seriousness, making no preparations to take the helmet off. He watched how her cheeks lifted when her lips slid into a broad smile, a playful flicker in her eyes. “I think your armour might have given you away,” she chuckled at him. He followed her eyes down to his chest, as if he didn’t believe her. But as soon as he took in the combination of white and red, the credit dropped. Of course; obviously, she was correct.

Just as he was taking off his helmet, a Twi’lek waitress walked up to their booth and welcomed them to the establishment. Her smooth welcoming faltered for a brief moment when she noticed how Fox slid his hand through his luscious greying curls, making them bounce from his scalp once his fingers moved aside. She regained herself quickly and asked about their preferred drinks. “I-I’m still on duty,” Fox stammered awkwardly, whilst readjusting his already neatly fitting armpieces. The Senator chuckled at his side before turning towards the waitress. “I’d like a Coruscopolitan, please, and one Pantoran Passion for my friend here,” she addressed the waitress kindly.

The waitress repeated the order before rushing off towards the bar to get their drinks. Fox was still fidgeting with his armour pieces, until the Senator’s hand on top of his calmed him down. “Relax, nothing will happen, we’re totally fine,” she soothed him, whilst carefully moving a bit closer towards him. He cleared his throat before slowly shaking his head. “I, er- I'm not sure if this was a good idea. I don't want to get you into trouble if.. If people find out,” he stammered nervously, still not looking her in the eyes. She leaned forward, trying to catch his gaze. “Fox, it's nuna-ball night. No one is going to pay attention to a couple on a date.”

Her choice of the words ‘couple’ and ‘date’ shook him from his nervous state and finally made him look into her eyes. His breathing slowed down in an instant, his overflowing thoughts suddenly clearing as he focussed on her. Her big, golden eyes worked soothingly on him, and without thinking, he reached for her cheek. With the softest touch, he caressed the yellow markings on her blue skin. She chuckled affectionately before she closed her eyes and leaned into his touch.

Their moment was interrupted by the waitress returning with their drinks. She shot Fox a quick look before leaving them again, but it was totally lost on him. It wasn’t on the Senator, who found amusement in Fox’s ignorance. She couldn’t help but laugh, making the Commander look at her in confusement. “What?” he asked puzzled, but she only answered him with a broad smile. She nodded towards the drink in front of him. “What do you think of it?”

His gaze slid towards the beverage, carefully examining it. The drink itself was as blue as a Pantoran’s skin, and it was garnished with the peel of a golden fruit. “I, er- I like its colour. I think that’s my favourite colour,” he observed slowly, before glancing at her. “It’s nearly as pretty as you are,” he mumbled, before awkwardly taking a sip of the beverage. He missed how the Senator’s cheeks coloured a shade of indigo.

“The taste is good, too,” Fox started, before slowly continuing: “It’s nearly as good as-” “-as caf?” she interrupted him with a smile. He looked at her in surprise, only to realise it wasn’t a secret how much the Marshal Commander of the Coruscant Guard liked his caf. So for the first time that evening, he allowed a smile on his face. “Yes, as caf,” he concluded, before taking another sip of his beverage.

After some more sips, some hearty small talk and some gentle laughter, it was the Senator’s turn to clear her throat. “Fox, would you like to dance?” The Commander nearly choked on his drink, not prepared for the question. He looked at her, waiting to find out if she was joking, but by the expectant look in her eyes, he knew she was being serious. “I-I-I’m not sure if that’s a good idea. What if.. What if someone sees us together?” he objected cautiously, for he didn’t want to hurt her feelings.

But instead of being hurt, the Senator managed a playful smile on her face. “We’ve already been together all evening. I don’t think a dance would make anything more suspicious,” she elaborated, and deep down, he knew she was right. His eyes darted around nervously, trying to come up with some logical excuse, but he was pulled from his train of thoughts when the Senator cupped his chin in her hand and guided his gaze towards her. “One dance - just one, that's all,” she said softly, and right there, he knew he couldn’t refuse. His eyes softened before he nodded at her.

His heart was beating so fast, he was afraid it would come thumping outside his chest. He was trained for so many situations and scenarios, but nothing had prepared him for this. But without the need to discuss it out loud, she understood, and she gently guided his hands to the right spots when they made it to the floor. And everything after just came naturally. He tightened the grasp around her waist to pull her closer as they slow-danced to the music, as the two of them shuffled over the floor. The Senator gently rested her head on his chest plate, just below his shoulder. He put his chin on top of her head and closed his eyes. “Thank you, Riyo,” he whispered, and for a moment, Fox seemed to forget everything else in the galaxy.

According to Wookieepedia, Pantorans' skins turn indigo when they blush omg 💙

Fox taglist: @peggy7447 @ghostymarni

[gumnut-logic]

Diary of a Fanboy Engineer

Alexander Sweetapple series on Ao3

What's this? Is this Nuttyfic? Not a nuttyfic reblog? The first in ages?

Why yes, yes, it is.

Consequently, the writing muscles are a bit rusty so don't expect much.

However this was prompted by conspiring Thunderfam on this post.

It is a bit of a 'let's see if this idea works or not', but since most of my fic comes under that category, I'm hoping it works at least a little :D

So we have the beginnings of some possible Sweetapple Diaries :D

Many thanks to the wonderful @onereyofstarlight for proof reading and pointing out the bits that really didn't work :D ::hugs you tight:: And many thanks to the Sweetapple cheering squad - without you, there would be no Sweetapple ::hugs you all to bits::

Warnings for m/m fic and a bucket of fluff.

I hope you enjoy these little scribbles :D

-o-o-o-

14 Jul

We are going to Paris.

Mr Tracy told Virgil in no uncertain terms that he needed time off. I can’t agree more. Hell, all the brothers need time off, but Virgil has been flagging lately. He denies it, of course. Workaholic to the core. I can see where he is coming from, but really, he needs to take better care of himself - they all do.

Paris was an interesting choice. I’ve never been to Europe, but I guess that comes with the billionaire territory.

I am excited, there are so many opportunities in Paris. I’m particularly looking forward to seeing some real Da Vinci. Climbing the Eiffel Tower is also on my list.

But for our next holiday, I think we’ll choose a spot more close to home. I know some quiet seaside towns where we could rent a bach and just lay back and relax.

Maybe France has a few hidden corners we could climb into.

Anyway, it’s something to look forward to. Really, anytime, anywhere, would be fantastic.

-o-o-o-

15 Jul

Today wasn’t a good one. We had multiple failures in the latest prototype.

Erica isn’t happy. She says it isn’t my fault, but honestly, I should have seen at least one of them coming. The effect of vacuum on micro air pockets in a flexible solid is so obvious it was ridiculous. How did I miss it?

Dearest had to cancel out again. Mount Etna tried to take out some tourists.

Virgil isn’t happy. Apparently, he has been warning the Italian authorities about the destabilisation of the volcano’s eastern face, but because their equipment can’t detect what International Rescue’s equipment can, they don’t want to sacrifice the tourism euros to close the tours.

Fortunately, it was only a partial collapse and IR was able to save those caught in the landslide. I have to say though, Commander Tracy was furious in the holoclip shown on the news. I wouldn’t want to be person responsible right now. Scott can get scary.

I did get to see some cool shots of Virgil in action though. That, I could never get tired of. He and Gordon manoeuvred Two and rappelled down to pull people out of the dirt and ash.

They are such heroes.

I do miss him, of course, but those poor people needed him more than I did.

Maybe we can holochat later…oh god, it’s 3am already!

-o-o-o-

16 Jul

Erica woke me up this morning. Really, I love her, she is so good to me, but bloody hell, can’t she knock?

Okay, it was nearly eleven and I had my phone on silent and I didn’t answer the door and…

At least I had my pyjama pants on, I guess.

What if Virgil had been here?

She said that was the reason she barged in, Virgil wasn’t here - no great green ‘bird and Tracy Two wasn’t logged at the airfield, and I was late for work. I might have been dead or something.

She cares and I appreciate that.

She could have held off the laughter, though.

Besides, I wasn’t late for work. Work is on flexi-time and considering I was up until 1am last night analysing yesterday’s screw ups, my sleep-in was natural and totally allowed.

Virgil left me a message with a ‘maybe tonight’. I’m hoping, but if there is one thing I’ve learnt it is that whatever happens, happens. No hoping too hard.

So here I am writing this entry a little earlier to kill some of that hoping time.

We solved two out of the three problems we had yesterday. The third is being a pain in the ass. Erica says I should speak to John as this lies in his speciality. I said, not until we’ve exhausted all our resources because John is a busy man.

We’re all busy, she said, and he offered to help. Gordon helped with the water issues. I could even ask Alan.

Really? It’s not at the point where I have to go to the top to help solve the problem. We’ll give it a few more days. It’s urgent, but not life threatening like the Tracy brothers need to attend to. They’ve got enough on their plate.

But John has such a lovely voice, she said.

I swear she does this just to rile me up.

That or she does have a thing for John. You would think she would have a thing for Mr Tracy, he was the one who saved her from the earthquake. Hell, she and Fireman Fred still have a mutual flirting thing going on.

—!

Virgil is here!

-o-o-o-

17 Jul

The sun rose early this morning. Somewhere in our haste we forgot to close the blinds and the first rays of dawn woke me.

I’m not a morning person, I’m the first to admit that. But this morning…

You’re lying on your belly and the covers have slipped down to your waist. The sun is painting your skin in shades of gold and your hair is glowing.

You are beautiful.

…

PS: I haven’t read anything, I promise. I just needed to write the image down and this book was the closest at hand. Can I paint you some time?

…

He read the above to me when I woke.

Let’s just say I was late to work again.

-o-o-o-

17 Jul (cont.)

Virgil stayed at Māhia today. He helped with the issue we were having with the prototype, though we did end up calling John.

John was happy to help - man, he thinks fast. Don’t get me wrong, I love my math and my physics, but John seems to be able to bend both to his will. It took him a total of five minutes. Five minutes! To design a solution to our problem - in between rescue calls.

It was one of those daunting moments where I could see exactly why they work so well together.

Of course, I am working with V.T. Green. Just let me name drop that right here. And the Voice Who Answers…is my life real? How the hell did I end up here?

Frickin’ bloody amazing.

-o-o-o-

[allmoshnobrain]

𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

part 33 of 35 | masterpost

word count: 2597 | ao3 link | fic's playlist

I could feel his heart tapping against my fingertips, a bit quicker now, a subtle blush coloring his cheeks. His blonde eyelashes looked almost see-through in the sunlight, his blue eyes sparkling and locked onto mine, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. I brought my hands up to his face, running my fingers over it slowly. He let out a sigh, lightly shutting his eyes like he'd been waiting for my touch his whole life.

✦ on this chapter: dave mustaine x female!oc, james hetfield x female! oc, oc is cliff's cousin, +18, language, slice of life, angst, romance

✦ a/n: Hi, everyone! I posted this chapter a little later than usual because I was too busy today, but it's here! Sorry for the delay. Also, some of you may have already seen this, but: I missed writing about Dave and Nore happy together a lot these last few days, so I posted a small extra chapter set somewhere between chapters 16 and 17 for all my Dave and Nore enjoyers 🖤 You can read it here. Hope you liked reading, feedback is welcome!

✧ you don't have to leave, you could just stay here, with me / forget all the party police, we could find comfort in debauchery ✧

“I should've been there with you,” James's voice, annoyed and concerned, crackled through the phone pressed to my ear. “You shouldn't have dealt with this on your own. I should've been right there beside you.”

“James, it's alright,” I mumbled, sparking a cigarette, propping myself against the payphone stand. It was late afternoon, and I’d dialed James to tell him all about my disastrous mission in Los Angeles. If I wasn't in tears at the moment, it was only because I'd already exhausted my supply in the hours before.

“Of course, it's not okay!” he burst out, matching my frustration. “Did you check with the neighbors? Wasn't there some dude you knew living downstairs?”

“Yeah, Ellefson. He bailed too. Apparently, they moved out together last week. Left no trace for anyone to follow,” I finished the sentence with a tremor in my voice, eyes burning with fresh tears, but I wasn't going to break down now. Not while James was on the line, his concern clear in every word he spoke.

“Fuck. What a mess,” he muttered. “Hey, it's gonna be alright. I think I've got his mom's address; I can try reaching out to her. We'll find him, Nore.”

“Thanks, James,” I said, feeling a bit better knowing that even if the day had turned to crap, he still had my back.

“I'm sorry about all this Pat shit. Had no clue she'd pull a stunt like that.”

“It's fine…”

“No, Nore, it's not. You know, you said the right thing to her. I never want to see that girl again. But I can hop over to Los Angeles if it means making her apologize to you,” he declared, his voice carrying a slightly menacing edge that hinted he might have wanted to go beyond a simple apology.

“James, you really don't have to do that. It'd be just playing into her drama,” I let out a heavy sigh. “All I want is to find Dave and sort this mess out once and for all.”

“We'll track him down, Nore. I promise. Everything's gonna be fine,” James tried to assure me, and I managed a small smile. There was something kinda sweet about how he was going all out to cheer me up, genuinely putting in the effort to help me out, just because it'd make me happy. 

James was just impossible not to like.

“I know, Jamie,” I replied, letting the warmth of my smile show in my voice. “Thank you.”

The rest of February breezed by quickly; I suddenly realized that the one-year anniversary of my move to San Francisco had quietly passed. It seemed pretty wild how everything that had unfolded in the last few months had managed to cram into a year, shaping me in more ways than I could express. It was like I'd been a part of the boys’ life forever, like I couldn’t quite picture who I was without them in the frame.

March rolled in, bringing the end of winter closer and closer. As the days lit up and warmed, James and I kept our long-distance communication going. The phone calls from San Francisco to Long Beach, initially a bit spaced out, soon became almost a daily ritual, and I found myself eagerly anticipating those moments in an entirely new way. Sweet words of affection began to find their way into our conversations more frequently. I had to admit, I missed James more than I'd care to confess — not just the tour moments but also his touch, the sound of his voice and laughter, the blue in his eyes, and even the warmth of his kisses and the feel of his body against mine.

Being back at my parents' house had its perks: with no job on my plate and studies yet to kick in, I found myself drowning in free time. I dedicated most of it to diving into my studies and building up a solid portfolio in visual arts, gearing up for the application grind at the San Francisco Art Institute. The prospect of being in the same city as Cliff and the guys again had me stoked, but in a genuinely good way — I could barely contain my excitement for things to click into place.

Another thing gobbling up my time was my newfound camaraderie with Charlotte, one of my old high school friends. She’d been pouring her heart into her debut starring role in a theatre play, and I'd been chipping in as an unofficial production assistant, giving me a reason to hang out with her and break free from my parents’ house for a bit. On a bright Wednesday morning, the moment I stepped into the auditorium where the theater troupe was fine-tuning their craft, Charlotte threw me a curveball with an unexpected ask.

“Nore!” she squealed with excitement upon spotting me, rushing over and grabbing my hands in hers. Her green eyes looked almost teary, and her lips formed a small pout. “Thank goodness you're here. Everything's going haywire today, and I'm not sure if we can sort it out!”

“What’s going on, Charlie?” I inquired, intrigued, as I shrugged off my jacket, tossing it onto one of the chairs in the vacant audience area. “Did the dressing room light decide to bail on us again? You know I'm useless with those things.”

“Of course not!” she retorted, indignant, and I released a low chuckle.

“Just pulling your leg. What's up?”

“I need you to act in the play.”

I blinked, puzzled, furrowing my brow as I crossed my arms.

“You... Hold on, what? Charlie, the play is in two weeks.”

“I know!” she sighed, slumping into one of the chairs, defeated. “Why do you think I'm so desperate? One of the actresses can't perform anymore. And now the director wants to cancel the play because we won't be able to find a replacement on time!”

“And you want me to step in.”

“Yeah!”

“In a play that's premiering in fifteen days?”

“Nore, you've always been fantastic in our school's Drama Club…”

“No way, Charlie! How am I supposed to pull that off?”

“Nore, please, please, please?” she clasped my hand in hers, her eyes pleading. “It's my first lead role, I've been rehearsing for months! I promise to help you with the lines, I'll do anything!”

I sighed, resigned.

“Fine. But you owe me one,” I replied, and she let out an excited squeal before hugging me.

“Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you! You won't regret it, I promise!”

Well, she was right — I didn't regret it. Actually, practicing for the play turned out to be a lot more fun than I thought. Plus, scoring some free tickets to hand out to my friends and family made me care a bit less about the crazy deadline to cram all those lines into my brain. Charlie and I basically lived in that auditorium for the next few days; I'd roll in there in the morning and wouldn't bail until way into the evening.

When Saturday rolled around, I decided to escape to San Francisco. Stuff for the band was picking up speed after those European shows. After snagging a deal to record the second album at a studio in Denmark, the guys figured a bash was in order to toast to the good news, and obviously, I had to be there. I arranged with my parents to spend the weekend over at Cliff's place with the boys. Luckily, they had some San Francisco business on the horizon, and agreed to drop by and give me a ride back to Long Beach when it was time to head back home.

I let out a sigh as I hit the old house where I used to live with Cliff, Dave, James, and Lars. It was like nothing had changed, memories still stuck in every nook and cranny; the first chats with the guys, James getting less shy as we got tighter, my first kiss with Dave, the first time we slept together, drinking together, smoking together, laughing together, loving together. And it stung, a sharp and dry ache deep in my chest, with the gut feeling that things would never, ever be the same again.

I mixed with the crowd, strolling into the living room; the first familiar face I bumped into was James', whose eyes lit up seeing me, a grin breaking out. He hustled over, grabbing my face and planting a surprise kiss on my lips, leaving me gasping, my face heating up in a flash.

“James!” I blurted out, pupils dilated in shock as I took a step back.

“My bad. Was that a no-go?” he mumbled, a persistent grin suggesting he had no regrets about the kiss. “Just damn happy you showed up.”

“I’m happy to be here too,” I whispered, my face still warm from his gentle touch.

“Geez, you two are such a clingy couple,” Cliff chimed in, coming over. I blushed, pulling James's hands off my face and avoiding eye contact.

“We're not a couple, Cliff,” I muttered, voice low, his comment knotting something strange and uncomfortable in my chest. “Excuse me, I need a drink,” I spun around, heading for the kitchen.

“Nore, hold up,” Cliff tagged along, standing by my side as I raided the fridge for a beer. “What was that just now?”

“Nothing,” I grunted, popping the kitchen door open and stepping into the backyard. Cliff sighed but joined me, leaning against the porch railing.

“Nothing? Seriously? You're not gonna start keeping secrets from me now, after 19 years?” he came closer, tilting his head to be right in my line of sight, impossible to ignore. I sighed, rolling my eyes at his persistence. “Hey. You and James weren't, like, a thing or something?”

“It's not like that,” I grumbled. “It's just... There's just too much going on, Cliff...”

I told him everything then: how James and I had decided to give in to our feelings during the tour, how I’d tried to find Dave after coming back, how everything went wrong, and now I had no clue where he was. And maybe involving James in all this was a mistake because, frankly, with each passing day, I found myself liking him more while still stuck on my feelings for Dave.

“Well, that sucks,” he remarked after I spilled my story, prompting a nervous little laugh from me. “So, you do like James, then?”

“Of course I like him,” I replied, with a resigned sigh.

“You like him, and yet you were upset because he kissed you just now?” he pressed on, and I rolled my eyes.

“Cliff, it's not that simple…”

"No, I get it ain't," he said, sparking up a joint, taking a slow drag before locking eyes with me, dead serious. "I get you still love Dave. I get you're on this quest to find him, and I'm betting it's gonna happen, Nore. You and him, you'll cross paths again 'cause I know you're head over heels for the guy. I'm pretty damn sure you two will work things out. But..." He hesitated, and I shot him a puzzled look. Cliff usually had his words lined up tight. It wasn’t like him to be unsure about anything.

"But?" I prodded, curious. He let out a sigh.

"But things are changing at warp speed for us, Nore," He handed over the joint, and I grabbed it, taking a slow drag. "We're growing up, for crying out loud. I mean, we're about to cut an album in Europe, can you believe that? A year ago, who would've thought? Things are moving quick, do you really wanna skip the chance to catch some happiness along the way? You don't know when you'll stumble upon Dave. No idea how long it'll take to straighten things out with him. Are you gonna keep dodging happiness till then?"

"Cliff, what are you getting at?"

"What I'm getting at, and I can't believe I'm saying this, but fine, what I mean is maybe you should quit fighting what you feel for James. I mean, you liked him before, but let's be real, you rolled back from Europe completely in love with him, didn't you?"

In love. Those words set my face on fire, my heart doing a marathon, and a zillion butterflies doing somersaults in my stomach. My first instinct was to argue with Cliff, but deep down, he wasn't totally off, was he? If I already had a soft spot for James before, now it was more like a full-blown obsession. It felt like a hunger, like I needed him to fill some kind of void inside of me. And somehow, this crazy feeling coexisted with the love I held for Dave, for the empty space he’d left behind. Everything was so damn new that I could barely wrap my head around it, let alone figure out how to handle it.

"I'm not in love with him," I mumbled weakly, and Cliff chuckled, giving me a shoulder hug.

"You're a lousy liar, you know that?" he said, and I rolled my eyes.

"Hey," a familiar voice called, and I glanced up, blushing when I locked eyes with James, propped against the door frame with a beer in hand. "Nore, everything cool?"

"I'm gonna find Lea," Cliff announced, sidestepping and shooting me a suggestive look before leaving me solo with James. I watched him saunter away, feeling my face heat up, and then turned my attention to James, his blue eyes zeroed in on mine.

"You alright? Sorry about that kiss earlier. Didn't mean to upset you," he said, his voice low, stepping close enough for me to sense the heat of his body. His attentive eyes studied my face, as if trying to decode my feelings from my expression. I sighed, my heart racing in a totally new rhythm when he gently cupped my face, resting my hands on his chest as he leaned in.

"James," I murmured, my voice shaking, almost like I was saying his name for the first time. He gave me a slight smile, his gaze zeroing in on my slightly parted lips with poorly disguised desire.

"What?"

"I don't want you thinking I'm here with you just 'cause I haven't tracked down Dave yet."

"I'd never think that," he whispered, edging even closer.

I could feel his heart tapping against my fingertips, a bit quicker now, a subtle blush coloring his cheeks. His blonde eyelashes looked almost see-through in the sunlight, his blue eyes sparkling and locked onto mine, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. I brought my hands up to his face, running my fingers over it slowly. He let out a sigh, lightly shutting his eyes like he'd been waiting for my touch his whole life.

"James," I murmured again, almost like a prayer, and the way I said his name seemed to light up something hungry in him. He yanked me closer, his mouth crashing onto mine with a deep, needy moan. I sighed, trembling, my fingers tangling in his hair as I surrendered to his kiss, the dawning realization that I couldn't resist him any longer.

Actually, that I didn't want to.

He backed off, peppering soft kisses on my lips before resting his forehead against mine. His hands clung to my waist, tugging me close enough for our bodies to touch.

"I think we should head to my room," he murmured, flashing a smile. I chuckled softly, throwing my arms around his neck, and pulled him into another kiss.

✧ if you'd like to be tagged on the next parts, let me know and I'll add you to the tag list! ❤ ✧

tag list: @killazilla777 @whatsupvic @70srogah @genswine9

[wakebymoonsleepbysun]

Untitled Roxy x Reader fic (hurt/comfort)

EDIT: A more polished version is now up on ao3. If you're re-reading it or sending it to someone, then the ao3 version is preferred, but it's not changed enough that I would necessarily suggest re-reading it again if you weren't already going to. <3

For some reason, last night, I decided that it was imperative I write and release a Roxy x Reader oneshot before Ruin. (ETA: To be clear I mean I wrote this before Ruin released, therefore it contains NO SPOILERS. <3) It's an idea I've had for awhile and was going to do as a comic but decided to expand it and write it out instead. I may post a more polished version to ao3 at a later date.

Fun fact: Roxy was my first FNAF crush, before SB even came out. So Ruin will have many chances to break my heart.

Word count: ~3200

----

When the Pizzaplex burned down, none of your colleagues had seemed particularly interested in returning to the ruins. You could understand…some of the techs arriving for the morning shift had been caught in the blaze, and while there were no casualties, there had been some injuries. Yourself included.

After a few weeks in the hospital, the burn mark across your face was just an angry red scar, and the singed hair you’d had to cut off had regrown enough for you to wear a slightly uneven pixie cut.

The other techs said you were crazy to want to go back. The future of Fazbear Inc was uncertain, and the animatronics themselves were just that. Animatronics. Machines. Not worth putting yourself in danger for.

But you’d come to consider Roxy a friend. Sometimes you thought she considered you one, too. She didn’t seem like she would readily admit such a thing even if it were true.

She had at least liked you as a tech, if not as a person. You were the only one who could do her pre-show checks and weekly maintenance without ruining her hair, at least according to her. According to the other techs, Roxanne’s hair was always fine.

You quickly learned that to Roxy, “fine” was equivalent to a reprehensible failure. A disaster. A complete horrific mess. 

You didn’t think your experience with costuming (specifically wigs) in your college’s theater club would ever be something you used after you graduated, but life is full of surprises.

You wander through the corridors of your ruined, burned out workplace, flashlight in hand. You have a few guesses as to where Roxy might be. You desperately hope she’s okay. The structure is mostly intact, but there are a few collapsed portions and fallen bits of decor. You think as long as Roxy had been able to avoid the worst of the heat, she’d be mostly alright.

You make your way to Rockstar Row, your workboots crunching on the debris as you walk.

As you approach Roxy’s room, you hear something that makes you freeze.

Crying.

For a moment you wonder if another tech, or perhaps some urban explorer or rubbernecker is in here with you. Then you recognize the voice behind the sobs.

Roxanne is crying? You’re more surprised than you probably should be. But you’d seen behind her mask a couple times. Behind the vanity, haughtiness, and borderline entitlement, you had occasionally glimpsed a profound insecurity. Beneath it all, you don’t think Roxy actually likes herself very much.

You swipe your badge on the door, and it actually dings and slides open. Or tries to. Something jams it halfway and you have to wedge yourself into the doorframe and push the door open the rest of the way.

Roxy, who had been sitting at her vanity, head in her hands, perks up. Her ears twitch as she glances around. “Who’s there?” she calls out.

You open your mouth to speak, only to leave it hanging open in surprise as you see how badly she’s damaged. So much of her exoskeleton is missing, exposing the endoskeleton underneath. Her hair is a tangled, singed mess and her tail isn’t much better. But most horrifying, her eyes are completely gone.

“Who’s there?!” Roxy repeats, a growl in her voice as she stands up and starts stalking towards you. You can hear the servos and joints in her body creak in protest as she moves.

“R-Roxy, it’s me!” you say before hastily blurting out your name.

She stops, her ears twitching and her claws grasping at the air. At first you think she’s baring her teeth at you, but you quickly realize her broken faceplate has put one side of her mouth in a permanent snarl.

She huffs, turning away. She skulks back to her vanity, plopping down in her chair and burning her broken face in her shattered hands. “What do you want?” she mutters.

You tense, taken aback. “Wh-What do you think I want, Roxy?” you ask incredulously, slowly moving towards her. “I-I wanted to know you were okay. I wanted to help you. I was…terrified you’d…been destroyed,” you say quietly, putting a hand on her shoulder.

She pulls away with a growl. “I have been destroyed! Just--Just look at me!” The rage in her voice doesn’t fully mask her despair, nor does it completely hide her fear. Fear of what? Of what could have happened? Of how close she came to being permanently deactivated?

Her command was clearly rhetorical, for she lowers her head further, digging her claws into what remains of her scalp.

“Roxy…all this can be fixed…” you say gently.

“No it can’t!” she snaps. “I already checked. Parts and Services is a pile of rubble now.”

“Well…what about the loading docks? Maybe we can at least find some new eyes for you…”

She scoffs. “Oh good. Then I can see myself. Because feeling all this isn’t bad enough,” she sneers, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Roxy--”

“FINE!” she growls, pushing back from her vanity abruptly. If the chair weren’t screwed into the floor she surely would have toppled it over. “Fine. Let’s just go.”

You flinch nervously, nodding. Remembering her blindness, you quickly say, “Okay. Here,” you say gently putting a hand on her arm.

“Don’t touch me!” she snaps, though she sounds somewhat less defensive and a bit…nervous? Embarrassed? With a huff, she adds, “I’ll just follow your footsteps.”

You bite back a sigh. “Alright,” you say patiently.

You lead the way out of her green room towards the long stairway down to the loading docks. You’re not about to risk trying to take the elevator.

“Here, careful on the stairs,” you say, gently taking her arm again. This time she allows it, albeit with some reluctance as she gives you what probably would have been a withering look if her faceplate had been intact.

It’s a long way down and neither of you want to rush. The sound of your softer footfalls and her heavier ones as you both pick your way down the stairs echoes through the stairwell.

Thud. Clunk. Thud. Clunk. Thud. Clunk.

You watch her carefully. She seems too focused on making it down the stairs to be too sulky for the moment. Small blessings, you suppose. Still, the silence is only stretching out your descent.

“It sounds like one of your knees is out of alignment,” you say eventually.

“The left one,” she confirms a bit gruffly. “I can manage.”

“I can see that,” you say gently. “It took me awhile to notice something was even wrong. You carry yourself well,” you say, smiling a bit.

Roxy grunts in acknowledgement, but doesn’t preen even a little at the praise. That’s unusual for her…compliments usually cheer her up.

“Maybe I can find a new hinge while we’re--”

“Why are you doing this?” she cuts you off.

“W-What do you mean?” you ask, stopping in the middle of the flight of stairs.

“Don’t play dumb. You know what I mean,” she says. Before you can speak, she continues, “This whole place is finished. Nobody’s coming back to rebuild. What’s the point of you patching me up?”

“I told you, Roxy…I was worried…” you start as you resume your climb down the stairs.

“Why?”

“Because I care about you!” you say, exasperated as you reach the bottom of the stairs. You keep your hand on her arm as you make your way down the corridor, and she doesn’t protest.

She snorts. “You care about a pile of scrap?”

You wish she could see the glare you give her at that. “You are NOT a pile of scrap! You’re just a little scuffed.”

“More than a little,” she huffs.

You sigh. “Okay, maybe a little more than a little,” you admit. You force a smile. “But hey…I’m the perfect tech, remember? If anyone can get you fixed up, it’s me, isn’t it?”

You weren’t normally any kind of braggart. Roxy had been the only one to ever call you the perfect tech, though you feel like that was almost more a point of pride for herself rather than for you. As if she were praising herself for being deserving of the best tech more than she’s praising you for being the best tech. But you still liked hearing it…and sometimes it really did seem like she was directing the praise at you.

Roxy turns her head towards you, her ears swiveling forward. It’s hard to read her expression with her broken faceplate, but eventually one side of her mouth ticks up into a small smile. “...Yeah…” she admits softly.

You squeeze her arm gently, careful to not touch any of the sharper broken off bits.

Once you get to the loading dock, you guide her to sit down on a crate while you look through some of the recent part shipments.

The fire had somehow spared much of this place, but the collapse of P & S had rippled partially through the area and several patches of ceiling had fallen, knocking over piles of crates and leaving the whole place in disarray.

Eventually you find a crate that has the P & S stamp on the wooden slats, and figure that’s a promising place to start. You grab a crowbar and begin trying to pry it open in any way you can.

Roxy’s ears perk and she turns towards you. “What are you doing?”

“Trying--urg--to get this crate open,” you grunt.

She stands and walks towards you. “Let me,” she says. She reaches towards you, trying to determine your position.

You take her hand, your fingers weaving in hers for a moment before you guide her hand to the crate.

“Thanks,” you say, stepping aside.

“Well…pretty silly to make a human do all the heavy lifting,” she says, digging her claws into one of the planks. The wood splinters and creaks and is readily ripped free.

You smile weakly. “You’re right…these arms would never have a fraction of your strength,” you say. Jokingly, you lift your arm and flex…only to realize Roxy won’t be able to see it.

Probably for the best. It was a dumb joke anyway.

She snorts, actually preening a bit as she pulls another board free. “Even busted…” she agrees softly. Her tone is slightly melancholy…as if she doesn’t fully believe it.

She pulls another board free, and you put a hand on her shoulder. “I think that’s enough for now,” you say, guiding her back to the crate she had been sitting on before.

You begin pulling the smaller boxes from the shipping crate, cutting them open and rummaging through them, looking for anything usable. 

Once again, the silence stretches on.

After finding nothing useful in the first two boxes, you glance back at Roxanne. Her hand is over her face, her middle finger slowly tracing the cracks near where her eyes had been. The quiet isn’t doing her any favors.

You shove the box you were looking through aside and pull out another, cutting it open. “Roxy?” you break the silence.

“Mm?” she grunts, still more focused on her faceplate than you.

“You…d’you um…remember that time we ran out of driver bots and that angry dad yelled at me?”

She pauses briefly, turning her head towards you. “What about it?” she asks before going back to feeling her faceplate.

“You remember what you said to me?”

“I called you an idiot.” Was that a touch of guilt you detect in her tone?

You laugh weakly, nodding. “Yes. But you remember why?”

“For letting a loser like that get under your skin,” she says plainly.

“Right,” you say, smiling. “I think about that a lot, you know.”

Roxy scoffs. “Really? Freddy said I was too rude,” she says. If she had eyes she would have rolled them.

You let out a gentle chuckle. “Well…maybe a bit,” you admit, earning a slightly sulky huff from her. “But there was truth to it, y’know? And I think about it a lot. It uh…it’s…helped me. Deal with people like him.”

She cants her head, one ear flicking curiously. It’s a cute expression even with her broken faceplate. “It…did?”

“Yeah,” you say, pulling out another box and opening it. “I-I mean…you were right. I knew he was a loser but I still told myself his opinion meant something. But it doesn’t, y’know?”

“Yeah,” she agrees quietly.

The conversation lapses again, and you try to resist the urge to slow your search in order to come up with a new topic. Luckily, it is Roxy who picks the next topic.

“You remember that time a birthday party ran long, and I was late getting back to the recharge station?”

You freeze. Oh you do remember. You remember that evening well. The animatronics tend to get a little quirky when their battery dips below five percent. Something about a power save mode cutting power to random systems. Usually mobility, but somehow, their…inhibitions, for lack of a better term, also seemed to go by the wayside. As far as you know nobody ever quite understood why, but it was a little like getting loopy from lack of sleep, or even a bit tipsy.

Roxy smirks, hearing your stunned silence. “You do.”

“Y-Yeah…I…I wasn’t sure if you did, though.”

“I remember the important parts.” Before you can start to wonder what the “important parts” are in her mind, she continues, “You’d finally used that salon voucher I gave you for your birthday. Gotten your hair done. Actually wore it down. I never understand why you hide such long pretty hair up that bun.”

You fluster a bit. “Th-The dress code--”

“Oh, you do it without the dress code,” she scoffs, flicking a hand dismissively.

You clear your throat awkwardly, pausing to rub at your cheeks as if you can wipe the blush away. “W-What’s your battery at, by the way?”

She snorts. “Just an idle wondering?” she smirks. “It’s twenty-two percent.”

So it’s not her low battery talking…

Roxy continues, “You know…if you can find a set of replacement eyes…I wouldn’t mind seeing your hair down again,” she says, actually sounding wistful, of all things. You don’t know if you’ve ever heard her sound wistful.

You sigh softly, running a hand over your chopped off hair. “Y-Yeah…” you say, noncommittally.

She glances at you questioningly, sensing something in your tone. But before she can comment, you cut open another box, and find it has the spare eyes you’ve been looking for.

“Found the eyes!” you say. Some of the happiness in your tone is genuine. You grab two amber ones, going over to her. “They’re just standard optics, so you won’t see as well as you’re used to, but…it’ll do for now,” you say, guiding her to lay on the floor.

Her smile fades slightly and she nods, reality setting back in. Despite your claims that you could repair her, she wasn’t convinced she’d ever be as good as she was before. “Guess it’ll have to,” she mumbles.

You put a flashlight in her hand and position her arm to shine it down on her faceplate, giving you light to work with. Your toolkit is beside you, with some extra lengths of wire and soldering iron to work with. As you cut away the burned wires, murmuring apologies whenever Roxy flinches, your mind drifts back to that evening.

Her power had been at one percent when you finally coaxed her into her recharge station. Before you did, though, she had leaned down and pressed her lips to yours. You think she had been trying to nuzzle your cheek. Even “drunk” you don’t think she wanted to kiss you like that.

Neither of you had ever spoken of that night again, until today. She must not remember the kiss, you decide. She wouldn’t bring up that night at all if she did.

The truth is you’ve carried a small flame for her ever since then. Or perhaps a little longer, if you were more honest with yourself. Nothing you couldn’t ignore most of the time, of course…but something that had occasionally managed to put a bit of warmth in your heart when you allowed it to.

But none of those silly little what-ifs you’d allowed yourself to daydream of would ever come to pass now.

You wire in the eyes, then carefully fit them into their sockets. As they come online, the attached eyelids blink shut against the light.

You quickly turn away, keeping your back to her as you pack up your toolkit. “Th-They working okay?” you ask. It’s silly to turn away like this. You can’t possibly delay her seeing your scar for more than a couple minutes. Why even bother trying?

She moves the flashlight out of her eyes and sits up, looking around. “Yes,” she says. She pauses. “...Better than I thought. I forgot the standard optics still have night vision.”

You laugh weakly. “Another thing you have over me, then,” you say in what you had meant to be a good natured tone, but you couldn’t quite keep the melancholy from your voice.

Roxy catches it and glances at you curiously. She stands up, then reaches down a hand to help you up.

Well. No more putting it off.

You bow your head slightly as you turn to take her hand, letting her pull you to your feet. When you stand before her, you finally lift your head to look into her eyes, giving a small, tentative smile that borders on apologetic.

Roxy stares down at you, her mouth opening slightly in surprise. “Wh-What…happened…?”

You sigh, glancing away slightly. “I-I…got to work early, and…I was upstairs when the fire started. It…spread so fast I…had to cut through some pretty bad areas. I-I mean. I guess, something like that…I-I don’t really remember…” you say, your voice starting to shake.

Roxy’s hand is on your cheek, turning your face back towards her as she examines your scar.

You feel your face growing warm. “I-I don’t know how I got the scar, really…The EMTs found me passed out in the employee parking lot.”

Roxy smiles sadly. “You were strong enough to save yourself.”

You blush deeply at the compliment, lowering your gaze. “I-I guess so…”

She runs her thumb over the scar, tracing the ridges of the shiny, discolored skin. “Can it be repaired?” she asks, her tone more gentle than you’ve ever heard from her.

You shake your head, resisting the urge to nuzzle into her palm as you do. “Not…really. My hair will grow back and the scar will probably fade a bit, eventually, but…it’ll…probably be pretty noticeable for the rest of my life…” You feel tears brimming at your eyes and force out a weak laugh. “C-Can’t really…uh…s-switch faceplates on a human…y-y’know?” you say in a wavering tone.

Roxy hums quietly, bringing her other hand up to cup your other cheek. “No need,” she says, lowering her head and gently nosing at your scar.

Your breath stills at her words, your eyes widening in surprise. You’re almost not sure you heard right.

She pulls back, smiling down at you tenderly. “You’re still beautiful,” she murmurs, leaning down and pressing her lips to yours.

[bi-widower-dads]

bi-widower-dads' February Fic Rec: AUs

Thank you to everyone who submitted recs for us! We've done some sorting and collating, and we've got two posts for you: AUs and Canon-'verse - and a whole load of excellent fic for you to get stuck into while we wait for Barduil Month in April! So without further ado, here are the AUs for you, with a little bit about why our recommenders love them...

Header image by mod @piyo-13!

(a note about tags and trigger warnings: tags are selected from those on AO3 as being those that best describe the story for the purposes of this event; trigger warnings are supplied by the recommenders and may not be comprehensive - your mileage may vary. We've tried our best to include Tumblr handles wherever we can, but if we've missed yours out and you want it included, just let us know!)

One-shots

In the Wake of the Second Horseman by EldritchMage / @eldritchmage | M | 2272 words | tags: angst with a happy ending, implied/referenced drug use, post-traumatic stress disorder - PTSD, implied warfare/violence | trigger warnings: mention of drug use, mention of violence in a war zone, PTSD, nightmares

Summary: When addiction threatens to consume Thran, his lover Bard is desperate to help - but Thran isn't. Yet in ending his relationship with Bard, Thran savages both of them, not just himself. Four years later, Thran's about to discover what remains from his cruelty. What he finds is a surprise - and humbling. What do you love about this fic? Even when things fall apart, redemption is possible if you give it half a chance. Out of tragedy comes hope and a chance for a better life.

love remains by likethenight / @nocompromise-noregrets | G | 11,093 words | tags: alternate universe - modern setting, grief/mourning, Thranduil never sailed west, mythical beings & creatures, folklore, alternate universe - reincarnation | trigger warnings: none

Summary: There is a legend in Dale, that somewhere deep in the forest that borders the city lives the forest king, an ancient being with a special care for archers, and for all things that grow. Bard, camping in the woods after his finals, finds a place that isn't on any maps and begins to dream of something - someone - familiar; and years later, after the heaviest loss he has ever had to bear, he goes back out there again, hoping to find something that might help him recover. What do you love about this fic? Absolutely beautiful fic, such a touching story and excellent writing!

Petrichor by b_ofdale_archive / @beesinspades | G | 14,598 words | tags: alternate universe - reincarnation, alternate universe - modern setting, alternate universe - bookstore, books and cats | trigger warnings: slight mention of past life character death

Summary: It's been six thousand years since Thranduil last laid eyes on his husband - Bard. The world has changed and the great Elvenking with it, lingering in the shadows of Men; as hope for a miracle festers within his heart that grows weaker with every passing day, the only thing keeping him going is a promise he made, many moons ago. What do you love about this fic? I love its overall theme, and the thought that Thranduil will meet Bard again. A lovely and poetically written reincarnation AU, well worth the read!

Multi-chapters: in progress

Love in a time of change by myeaglesong / @myeaglesong | M | 22,840 words | tags: eventual relationships, eventual romance, elf/human relationships, fluff, romance, slow burn, alternate universe - regency, oblivious Bard | trigger warnings: none

Summary: For the longest time, Thranduil has wanted to find a good match for his son, Legolas, to marry. His search leads him to consider Arwen for Legolas to marry, but what if Legolas has already got his eye set on another match that Thranduil may not approve of? What will will happen when Legolas finds out about his father's intentions to marry him off? What would happen when the question of if Thranduil were to marry again was to come up, who could he marry? What do you love about this fic? I am not usually one for Regency AUs but this one is so adorable, and between the kids and the dads there is plenty of potential for shenanigans and some tentative romance! I'm really looking forward to seeing how events unfold…

The Moth Effect by BiSquared / @scary-grace and Dogblessya / @dogblessyoutascha | M | 35,658 words | tags: mothman is real, mothman Thranduil, mothbaby Legolas, park ranger Bard, non-graphic violence, but there is still gore so you've been warned, twilight references | trigger warnings: mothman lore, gore

Summary: (in chaos theory) the phenomenon whereby a mothman moving into your place of employment can have a large effect on the rest of your life. What do you love about this fic? I love the Supernatural/Horror element to it and Park Ranger Bard trying to make sense of all the really weird s**t that's happening around him. Lovely bits have to be the introduction of Mothman Thranduil and adorable Mothbaby Legolas. But best of all is that Mothman Thranduil isn't the weirdest thing happening in Olympic National Park 👀….

Vena Amoris by Patch / @patchoffeathers and Piyo13 / @piyo-13 | M | 72,843 words | tags: crossover with Dracula Untold, alternate universe - vampires, Bard is Dracula, canon-typical violence, slow build, alternate universe - some people live/not everybody dies | trigger warnings: none

Summary: Bard has a secret, one that stems from far to the east, in lands far forgotten and times long past. It's one that no one must know—but times are changing for the people living on the lake. Even for those who, technically, aren't alive. What do you love about this fic? The author does such a great job at merging Luke Evans' two characters here (Bard and Dracula) while still keeping Bard distinctly canon-shaped. Because Dracula!Bard is an immortal, there's a unique comparison of mythological immortalities and the relative costs of them that reflects back onto the plot.

show a little faith, there's magic in the night by BiSquared / @scary-grace | M | 342,922 words | tags: alternate universe - modern setting, slow burn, music industry AU, indie musician Bard, opera singer turned pop star Thranduil | trigger warnings: none

Summary: Bard Bowman's not the type to give up on his dreams easily, but when DJ Smaug's dirty tricks leave his family band stranded in Denver with a forfeit fee the size of Mt. Everest crashing down on their heads, there's really nothing to do but drink about it. The last thing Bard expects is to meet a beautiful stranger in a similar predicament -- and the last thing either of them expects is a rescue. Luckily for them, Thorin Oakenshield's feeling heroic this evening. What do you love about this fic? I am such a sucker for the rock scene (I've spent my entire adult life kicking about there) and it's not often I see it portrayed so realistically in fic (or indeed in original fiction). The characters are all beautifully drawn, the humour frequently makes me chuckle, and Bard going head over heels while trying to tell himself he isn't, it's not happening, not really, because he can't believe his luck, makes my heart go all funny.

Multi-chapters: complete

Followthrough by ofplanet_earth / @ofplanet-earth | M | 26,737 words | tags: alternate universe - modern setting, alternate universe - military, alternate universe - spies & secret agents, snipers, sniper Bard, military captain Thorin, mob boss Smaug, revenge, character death | trigger warnings: violence

Summary: Bard and his children have been living in a little cabin on the edge of Laketown for five years, hiding from Bard's dangerous past. But when that past comes back to haunt them, Bard will have to team up with Thorin and his company to face down his demons, confront the man who killed his wife, and fight to save the people he loves. What do you love about this fic? Great spies/military AU with Bard and the gang!

The grey sea and the long black land by Black_knight100 and Blueberryrock / @blueberryrock | T | 29,702 words | tags: alternate universe - modern setting, alternate universe - cruise ship, first kiss, angst, fluff, angst with a happy ending, eventual romance | trigger warnings: quite angst filled but has an eventual happy ending

Summary: Bard Bowman is thirty-seven years old, widowed and heckled, and he's had enough. If his children want a cruise trip with their lottery money, then so they will have. Bard will only have to work twice as hard to take them out of their little corner of the world. It has been three years. Three years of him raging, and sobbing, and grieving. Three years in which he has turned away from his children. Three years to reach this ship, to put together whatever snapped that day. And the first morning, Thranduil wakes up late. It is going fabulously. Or, in which the two meet on a ship, and there are ups and downs. What do you love about this fic? Thranduil and Bard getting together in the end

Modern Love by Shampain / @abner-krill | M | 65,267 words | tags: alternate universe - modern setting, alternate universe - coffee shops and cafés, alternate universe - human | trigger warnings: none

Summary: Bard is a down on his luck single father working a thankless job as a courier, eternally worrying over when his daughter is going to start sneaking out of the house with boys. As if that wasn't bad enough, his assignments delivering files to Greenleaf Acquisitions puts him in contact with Thranduil, a stern businessman whose only champion is his assistant, Tauriel. And finally, to make matters worse, his friendship with Bilbo Baggins sends everything else into a tailspin. The summer is just beginning, and it's going to be a weird one. What do you love about this fic? Lovely, lighthearted modern AU that is a delight to read!

hands; eyes; voice by bishkebab / @bishkebab | T | 70,163 words | tags: slow burn, alternate universe, accidental cottagecore, governess/single dad romance but make it gay, autistic Thranduil, Thranduil and Bard both have physical disabilities | trigger warnings: mention of autism, fire accident, PTSD

Summary: An isolated life in a too-small cottage was never what Bard dreamed of for his children – especially sharp, scholarly Tauriel and sensitive, insightful Tilda. But school is a distant dream for a large family living off the land – at least until a storm and the subsequent house fire bring a former scholar to their doorstep. Wealthy recluse Thranduil could never have anticipated leaving his family's manor for a shack in the woods and a single father with five – FIVE – children who can barely write ten words between them. But when disaster strikes, he is left with little choice – and maybe close quarters with a handsome widower won't be so bad after all... What do you love about this fic? This is a rare work of art in which Bard is the loveliest dad ever, stubborn, strong and gentle and Thranduil is an introverted autistic lonely lad. The author writes their story in a very poetical way and family is the main protagonist of the story, as is their small cosy cottage. I do love the gentle feeling this story conveys from the start. It feels like a warm cup of tea after a very rainy day and each word is carefully written. This story deserves to be read and reread and rereread. Slowly. (With a nice cup of tea. &lt;;3)

Those Colours We Share by b_ofdale / @beesinspades | M | 84,709 words | tags: alternate universe - soulmates, alternate universe - post-war, set in 1956, Bard owns an animal shelter, slow burn, fluff and angst, disabled character, asexual characters, period-typical homophobia | trigger warnings: none

Summary: Had anyone told them, Thranduil Oropherion and Bard Bowman would never have believed they would see the world painted in colours again. Until that fateful day of December 1956, when one little boy entered a former soldier's animal shelter. What do you love about this fic? I'm a sucker for two lonely people who find each other and forge a new life together.

Beast by Nuredhel / @nuredhel | M | 132,354 words | tags: alternate universe - modern setting, all humans, Bard is a cop, Thranduil is a profiler, mentions of suicide, slow burn, crime and investigation, bonding while working, romance, past problems | trigger warnings: gore, violence, abuse, human trafficing, child abuse, murder, suicide

Summary: Bard Bowman is the leader of a team of investigators trying to solve a very complicated case, when the serial killer they are chasing proves to have a far longer history than they expected the feds call in a profiler. Bard has never believed he could feel attraction again but now he does, how can he express what he feels when they are chasing a beast which seems to defy the very laws of nature? Can Thran feel the same way? The road to love can be bumpy, in special when it is surrounded by murders. What do you love about this fic? It is very exciting, very romantic and intense.

seeking a friend for the end of the world by BiSquared / @scary-grace | M | 238,799 words | tags: alternate universe - modern setting, apocalypse, road trips, family issues and family bonding, opera singer Thranduil, Bard and Thranduil are good parents who are having a bad year, or years | trigger warnings: disease-apocalyptic setting, zombies, major character death, medical injections

Summary: Between dealing with his boss, getting over his ex-wife, and keeping his kids fed and clothed, Bard has more than enough on his plate. He doesn't have time to worry about the frightening rumors coming out of New York City or the lunatic in his service bay who tells him to take his kids and run. But when he stops to help a mysterious stranger on the side of the road, he gets a lot more than he bargained for -- a sexuality crisis, a partner in crime, and maybe, just maybe, a chance for all of them to make it out of this mess alive. What do you love about this fic? Incredible worldbuilding and an edge-of-your-seat plotline! The bonds between all the characters are just beautiful, and it has great worldbuilding. The action is also really well written, and it does tension/dramatics right.

In The Woods Somewhere by Ias / @hubristicfool | M | 249,074 words | tags: alternate universe - modern setting, vampires, vampire Thranduil, mechanic Bard, blood drinking, slow burn, dark, angst, violence, horror, psychological horror, unhealthy relationships | trigger warnings: vampires, blood, angst, sexual content, violence

Summary: These country roads were rarely traveled by any that didn't need to. When Thranduil pulled up beside the man's stopped vehicle and offered him a smile and a ride, there was no one to see the man's grateful expression as he slipped into Thranduil's car. No one to stand by and call out a warning as the taillights were swallowed by the dark branches of the trees. What do you love about this fic? The writing is excellent

Angels and crooks by Nuredhel / @nuredhel | M | 259,072 words | tags: sequel to Beast, alternate universe - modern setting, all humans, Bard is a cop, Thranduil is a profiler, solving crime, family, violence, drug abuse, everyday life at a police station | trigger warnings: violence, abuse, dark stuff, murder, blood, evil, deviousness

Summary: Bard and Thran are getting used to their new life as a married couple, and their new responsibilities as a family. But they still have their jobs and my oh my does that bring some interesting situations and challenges into their existence. Having both experience and special gifts does help, but at times reality can be more bizarre than anyone can expect. What do you love about this fic? It is a good story with very interesting twists and many great characters

When The Pale Swan Flies by EldritchMage / @eldritchmage | E | 290,646 words | tags: alternate universe - modern setting, circus performer Thranduil, cabinet maker Bard, Thranduil's name is Luka, Bard's name is Taliesin (which is Welsh for Bard), slow burn, Thranduil needs rescuing and Bard is happy to do it | trigger warnings: sexual abuse mentioned, underage sex mentioned, prostitution/pimping mentioned

Summary: A year ago, when a carpenter met a caged bird, his good intentions left despair in their wake. Is he a fool to hope he can atone for his missteps? What do you love about this fic? It's got circus acts! It's got two sad men learning to trust and love again! It's got an epic visit to a grocery store! It's got bad guys getting their just desserts, and everyone else getting delicious Spanish teacake! It's got a cute little boy who finds his voice while making puppets! There's a sad short-story prequel to set the stage, as well! And who doesn't like a parade?

Season of Light and Shadow by EldritchMage / @eldritchmage | E | 914,703 words | tags: alternate universe - modern setting, Thranduil is a ballet dancer, Bard is a building super and welder (and artist), slow burn, NSFW, blended family | trigger warnings: momentary violence, momentary mention of drug use, adult bedroom games

Summary: It's the week before Thanksgiving. In an apartment building somewhere in the middle of New York City, the mood is far from festive. Upstairs in Apartment 5B, an injured ballet dancer is having a rotten day. He's lost his job, he's had to walk home in the snow and rain, getting thoroughly soaked and frozen in the process, and the radiators in his rooms are as cold as the New York City streets. He limps downstairs to vent his fury on the night super who didn't fix the heat. Downstairs in Apartment 2A, the night super is also having a rotten day. No money, three overtired and cranky children, a slapdash boss, and not nearly enough sleep. And now someone is pounding on the door like a SWAT team. When an angel knocks on the door of a saint, neither finds what he expects. But with a little luck, the upcoming holiday season might give them both something to treasure. What do you love about this fic? It's two lonely men forging a blended family! It's got ballet! It's got home renovation! It's got four cutie children! It's got cooking! It's got an artist regaining the wherewithal to make his art! It's got lots of cool side characters (ten points to everyone who spots all the Dwarves :-). It's got lots of steamy love! It's even got 3 short follow-up stories! What's not to like?????? This was my introduction to the world of modern AUs with these two, and oh, it's SO GOOD. The kids are brilliant and so realistically drawn, and the dads are - well, they're incredibly hot. XD And the development of the relationship between them is beautifully done, as they go head-over-heels for each other while trying to take things slowly for the sake of the kids…oh, it's great. :D

[legacyofafox]

I felt today randomly to write a funny little one shot. It actually ended up to write something that I had a long time as an idea. I might make a one shot series with it, I gonna see. Also might post it on Ao3.

But enough now! I give you now the one shot to read!

It's about Trafalgar D. Water Law and how he added a psychologist to his crew and she keep analysing him. And all goes not how Law wants it.

***

Being with the Heart pirates for about a month. Quickly you had learned you liked to analyse the Captain aka Trafalgar Law. And today you would get more to know about him.

You had your recording tape in your hands as you walked around the sub not knowing you would use it in the next moment.

In front of you stood Trafalgar Law and he was half naked. He was a lot half naked. Almost every time you saw him.

Taking your recording tape to speak into it "Subject, have an urge to walk half naked around the sub…often." Stopping for a moment to add. "Looks like he might have an exhibition fetish.”

Law on the other hand just stared at you in almost shock, he must have heard you. Mouth wide open for a moment before he closed it.

He opened his mouth again a moment after, to his bad you had already turned around to leave.

Leaving a speechless Trafalgar Law behind. If he didn't take fast steps to stop you. "Hey, wait!"

Turning around to face him, asking. “What is it?"

“I'm not having an exhibition fetish!” He almost shouted into your face.

Unimpressed you looked at him. It was always the same with people. First denying and in the end they accept it. “Captain, you shouldn't deny things that might be too oblivious to others.” Turning again around you let him stand there and walk to your room to take notes.

Your Captain was seriously something sometimes. And maybe a bit too much fun to analyse.

***

It was later the day as you walked into the kitchen to get some lunch. If not, voices made you stop.

"Damn Captain, she really does not fall for your charm and sexiness!" A voice said, it was probably Shachi. And another voice said, "Captain, she definitely just wants to study your mind and nothing less." Not getting about who they talk about.

The next moment everyone got silent, your Captain probably glared at them all to shut them up. A silent threat to cut them all into pieces if they didn't shut up.

You took this moment to enter the kitchen. Everyone acted like they didn't do anything. Sitting down beside Penguin, you looked around to analyse them. Your eyes stopped at your Captain. Surprisingly he stared back at you too. Weirdly enough both of you kept staring, almost like a competition.

Your Captain was the first to break. “Stop analysing me!” Kind of demanding, he said.

Somehow your mouth escaped a “Nope.” And from there all went downhill for your Captain.

Shashi started to laugh hysterically, Penguin joined and shortly after everyone else.

Your Captain couldn't hold it much longer and literally hit his fists on the Table. “Everyone shut up!” If you wouldn't know better you would almost say he was flustered.

“Captain, feeling flustered is normal.” Escaped your mouth a moment later.

It ended in your Captain standing up and walking out of the room. You shortly afterwards, because you had to record this and with the laughing of everyone you couldn't. “Subject can't accept his feelings.” Recording your new realisation. 

Moving a few steps further you walked by your Captain's room, hearing his Voice.

“This woman is gonna be the death of me.” It sounded a bit frustrating.

For a moment you got confused who he meant. “I hate that I like it.” He said a moment after.

Out of an Impulse you knocked on his door. For a moment it was silent, too silent, until you heard a grumpy “Come in.”

Opening the door you just looked with your head inside. “Is everything okay? Need someone to talk to Captain? I heard your words as I walked by.” 

It was the first time you saw him getting absolutely red as a tomato. He looked quickly down to hide his face and said nothing.

“You know Captain it's not good to not accept the feeling if they are there.”

What happened next you didn't expect. He actually made a Room and in the next moment you found yourself in your Room. Sitting on the bed absolutely confused.

After a moment and a lot of blinking you shook your head to get your head free. “The Captain truly is a fascinating Subject.” 

You definitely had a bit too much fun in analysing him.

[theglamorousferal]

Cryptid of Smallville Chapter 3

Hey ya'll, this has been a long time coming.

First off, I want to thank everybody who liked and shared! I'm not great at talking to people but know that everything has made me so happy and warms my heart so much that I can barely put together words.

Secondly, I will be writing more, but I definitely won't be able to keep any sort of schedule. I already have a good part of the next chapter started and though it's definitely going to be a shorter one, it will still be good.

Finally, this beast of a chapter. I wrote the first 3/4 of this chapter about a week after I finished the first chapter and then began to second-guess myself about whether people would want an entire chapter dedicated to a lore dump. I fought with myself for literal months before I finally sat down and was like, "You won't be able to do the rest of it until you get this one done, it's important". Finally this morning I sat down and plugged out the last bit of the chapter and after looking everything over again I decided to just post it before I lost my nerve.

Please let me know any critiques you may have, I barely edited this. Thank you so much for the support!! <3 Here's the AO3 link

For as long as he can remember, Danny has always been fascinated by space. Something about the fact that each star out there being home to other planets and all the different things on those planets just tugs at his curiosity. To make it better, it’s infinite, so he can just keep learning about new places for as long as he’ll live. Which might be forever, but he’s trying to not think too hard about that right now. 

He wonders what the members of his Fright are up to right now. Jazz it probably trying to psycho-analyze Vlad who claims that his days of evil are over with and that he plans to just be the chill uncle to both the Fenton children. Tucker’s probably hacking into the GIW again just to mess with them. Sam’s probably planning a protest to try and get some of the anti-ecto acts repealed while Mom and Dad help with the research to back her up. Ellie is probably still hanging out with Pandora learning how to fight ancient style. Danny sighed, most of that sounded really fun, and he really wished that he could learn to fight alongside Ellie. He missed his totally-not-twin.

Right now, Danny is basically on vacation until his body is back to being 16. He basically can do whatever he wants, but he does have to go to school to keep up appearances. He’s allowed to use his powers whenever, but not where anybody can see. Which typically means he’s not allowed to go into low orbit to look at the stars because that’s just a bit far for the Kent parents' tastes.

They compromised with the roof.

So here he was, at the highest point of the Kent family home staring up at the night sky with little to no light pollution and not a cloud in the sky. The Milky Way was on full display as the stars all twinkled above. One thing he noticed pretty early on is that despite this not being his planet Earth and dimension, the constellations are the same. He tracked his way through all of the astrological signs, pausing a moment on Libra as he pictured himself as the balance with morbid humor, and then through the popular ones like Orion and the Big Dipper. He glances next to him a moment later when someone settles down on the roof with him.

“Hey Clark, what’s got you up?” Danny asked, turning back to face the sky. It’s been about five months since he started staying with the Kent’s and he’s forever grateful that they’ve been so kind and understanding with him.

“Not much, was finishing up studying for this new unit in science when I noticed you were up here. Heard you sighing, what’s got you worked up?” Clark sat with an arm braced on his knee and the other behind him staring up at the sky as well. 

“Just thinking about what my Fri- family is up to. I know time works differently here and it’s probably just been a couple days or maybe even hours for them, but I miss them a lot. They’re a crazy mess, but they’re my crazy mess, ya’know?” 

Clark glanced down at Danny, the kid looking a bit lost. He shifted so he was leaning back on both of his hands. “Actually no, I mean, it’s just been me and Ma and Pa out here before you came along. I don’t really have friends at school that I’m close with.” He paused for a moment, staring straight out across the fields. “Mind telling me about them?”

Danny whipped his head toward Clark, scanning his face. “Are you sure? You don’t have to listen to me ramble, I know I can go on and on, and I don’t want to bore you or anything.”  

Clark chuckled, “Nah, go right on ahead and tell me about your family and friends, it’d be nice to hear about the people who helped make you, well you.”

Danny paused looking at Clark’s face for a moment before he blew out a breath and turned away to look at the sky. 

“My parents are mad scientists,” Danny started. “Not in the ‘we’re building a thing to take over the world’ way, but in the ‘this sounds insane but it’s somehow real’ way. They’re the leading scientists in Ecto-biology and Ecto-engineering, also known as the study of ghostly behavior, biology and the properties of ectoplasm. Ectoplasm is both an energy source and the material that ghosts are made of. They make all kinds of things from weaponry to shield generators to tracking devices all based on ectoplasm. Their crowning achievement however was the portal.” Danny paused here, debating how much to say. “They built a portal to the afterlife in the basement of my childhood home, and it’s the reason I have ghost powers.” He decided to not get into the fact that he walked in and had a whole dimension pulled through him as the portal opened, no need to scare poor Clark. 

“Lab safety has always been a thing that was more like guidelines than actual rules in the house, so since growing up in that environment, it led to myself and my family getting contaminated with ectoplasm. I definitely have it worse off than my family members, but each of them has something that’s just a bit off about them. Like my dad lifting things he probably shouldn’t, my mom moving just a little too fast, and my sister does this thing where she’s looking at you and it feels like she’s looking at your soul and it takes her just a little too long to actually blink and then she’s psychoanalyzed you and knows all your secrets. It’s unsettling, but we just live with it. I had a bit of an accident so I got more contaminated which is why I can fly and do other ghostly things.”

“Must be great having people around who’ve studied ghosts and everything when you have ghost powers. If you have them, why were you left with us? Wouldn’t it make more sense to have you stay with your parents who can handle it if your powers get out of control?”

Danny winced at this, “It’s kinda complicated. So I have some responsibilities in my dimension that I kinda need to be bigger for. I have all my power, and who knows maybe going through puberty a second time will make them grow more, but for now it shouldn’t be much. I’m mostly here to get something of a ‘normal’ childhood and to wait it out until I’m my full size again. It’ll be weird because by that point I’ll technically be 26 but hey I’m not gonna have to go through all the ‘adult’ things I need to do, just need to lay low and do some fun kid stuff, maybe do better in school this time around, maybe I’ll be able to pass high school when I get back. Maybe I’ll work on learning some stuff that could be useful like karate, that could be fun, we could do it together! Since we’re both strong we wouldn’t have to hold back against each other!” Danny excitedly looked over at Clark. It was hard to see in the light of the full moon, but it almost seemed like the freckles on Danny’s face were glowing green in his excitement. Clark smiled at his excitement.

“Yeah that sounds like fun, we can ask Ma and Pa together tomorrow.” 

“Yeah! It’ll be great, maybe when I get back I can show off that I’m a black belt just like mom. I can show Ellie all my new moves while she shows me what she learned from Pandora.” Danny smiled to himself and yes, those were certainly glowing freckles. 

“Who’re Ellie and Pandora?” Danny stilled for a moment, the freckles dimming a bit. Should he tell Clark about the whole clone thing? Should he mention that he’s friends with what basically amounts to gods? 

“So Ellie’s like my younger sister/cousin, we are very close and everyone says we could be twins, she’s a bit of a free spirit and is traveling a lot of the time. Right now she’s spending some time with Lady Pandora. Does your dimension have the myth of Pandora’s box?” at Clark’s nod Danny continues. “That’s her, she keeps the horrors in a box that she keeps locked down pretty tightly in the GZ, there’s a whole labyrinth and everything. I did have to help her one time when someone got a hold of it, not a fun time, but hey it was one of the first positive experiences my parents ever had when dealing with ghosts so there is that. Pandora has become something of a doting awesome aunt who can and will teach you how to fight if given the opportunity.”

They lapsed into silence for a bit, Clark content to just sit there while Danny gathered his thoughts.

“Let’s see, I talked about my parents, Ellie, Pandora and a little bit about my sister. So Jazz is the most amazing and overbearing sister known to all kind. She has her heart in the right place, but Ancients if she puts me in soup-time one more time, I’m gonna figure out a way to do it to her and see if she likes it.”

“Excuse me, ‘soup time’?” Clark was baffled. “Actually a few things you’ve mentioned have me confused, what is the ‘GZ’ and why say ‘Ancients’ like it’s a curse word?” 

Danny looked sheepish at that. “Right yeah, I forgot, I’m just so used to talking to people who know. So the GZ is also known as the Ghost Zone, the Infinite Realms or the afterlife. Basically it’s a dimension connected to all other dimensions and houses the ecto-entities of the worlds. It’s where all the afterlives are connected together and there are also, like, gods or god-like beings, which are the Ancients I mentioned, there as well as monsters. Basically anything that gives off a whiff of ‘spooky’ is probably connected to the GZ in some way.”

“So your friends in the corn fields?” Clark trailed off giving a dubious look at the fields.

“Yeah, they’re technically ecto-entities. There are places that the veil between thins and sometimes things crossover. Like, I saw in one of the aerospace books that you also have the Bermuda Triangle as a thing, a lot of those incidents are from the veil thinning there and some natural portals opening up into the Infinite Realms. Sometimes they come back out, but it’s likely going to be a different time period than they first went in.”

“So, ‘soup time’?” Clark asked, getting Danny back on track. 

“Right! So, you know how I mentioned that my parents make some crazy things? Well some of those things are containment devices, but there’s one that works the best out of all of them, and that is the Fenton Thermos. Basically it’s bigger on the inside and can suck in and hold an ecto-entity until it is released, usually through the portal. It’s very cramped and not a great feeling and my sister is rather clumsy so when she first started helping me, she accidentally sucked me into the thermos six times. Six times! Like I get it, sometimes somebody’s aim can be a bit off, but she kept getting me and not the ghost that was attacking! She’s gotten better and can and will join us on patrol if need be, but she’s more like a backup and also our field medic. She’s going into psychology and stuff for school, but she also wants to be a certified emt, it really couldn’t hurt in our town and with what I do.” Danny paused here, seeming to think about the fact he wasn’t home patrolling his Haunt. “Hey Clark, would you mind going for a short fly around the property with me? I need to move a bit.”

“Yeah, sure we can do that.” Clark got up and waited for Danny before making his way down towards the ground. “So you mentioned patrol? What’s up with that? Also do you have any friends you hang out with?” 

Danny started flying in a set route and Clark followed along, curious. “So, you know how I have powers and whatnot, kind of obvious now that we’re actually flying.” Danny and Clark both snorted at this. “So not all things that come through the portal in my basement are good things. I fight whatever comes through and send it back where it came from. Most of the time it’s just animal ghosts that don’t know any better, but there are also ones that know full well what they’re doing and seem to just want to make my life worse. I mean, can’t Skulker lay off me for long enough for me to finish an essay? Honestly.” 

“So, you’re a hero, is what you’re telling me? A vigilante?”  Clark asked, and watched as Danny scanned the horizon for anything weird. Well, at least weird for Danny, which, on second thought, Clark decided he would just pay attention to the child-teen next to him. No need to see things not meant to be seen.

Danny glanced over at Clark, “Yes, though it took a while and some misunderstandings for the town to accept that I’m there to do good. There was an issue with mind control and then the mayor was possessed, it was a whole thing, I’ll go into it later. Anyway,” Danny turned down a path between fields. “So I talked about my parents, a bit about my sister and the basics of ghost stuff, how’s about I talk about my best friends in the whole world?” He smiled at this, a fond wistful thing. 

“So my best friends are Sam and Tucker, and Valerie is getting there. We had a bit of a rough time before she realized I was the ghost boy she wanted to fight. It was a whole thing, but we’ve figured it out. We’ve got a truce going and she’s starting to hang out with us more and trains with us when she can. She’s this badass hunter in a red power suit with a flying surfboard, it’s really awesome. I mean, it wasn’t when she was unknowingly working with my nemesis, but the suit is now tied into her own ecto-signature so he can’t take it back from her now.” 

“So I guess that brings me to my best friends in the whole world, they’ve been with me since before all of this and have stood by me and kept my secret before I told my parents. Tucker is the best hacker that I’ve ever met, and I know a ghost who literally can become electricity. He’s a self-proclaimed carnivore and will not eat veggies unless they’re with an almost equal portion of meat. He’s also the reincarnation of an ancient Pharaoh and will inherit a domain in the GZ when he passes on. He’s been helping out my parents with some of the tech they make and also keeps all our data safe. He also has been working with some people in the GZ to update our tech, specifically stuff for tracking and also medical stuff for ecto-entities. He may hate hospitals, but that doesn’t mean he won’t help when it’s needed.” He paused for a breath here before he basically sighed out, “And then there’s Sam.” His freckles started to glow again when he said her name. 

“Sam is awesome. She’s a vegan and a goth and can and will absolutely beat the afterlife into anyone who messes with any of us. She has some level of powers following an incident that had her possessed for several days, but mostly it’s stuff like enhanced strength and speed, nothing too alarming, and juuuust a touch outside of normal for an athletic human, but she also can take and recover from hits almost on my level. She can talk to plants and grow them very quickly and when needed during a fight she can sprout out vines from the ground to help take out enemies. She’s set to take control of a part of the GZ as well when she dies, just as a princess, but still. She’s really smart and knows all this stuff about mythology and the kinds of things that we end up fighting a lot before the rest of us realize what it is and she’s a great shot too.” Danny seemed more content now than when Clark first came out, and while Danny had been right to warn him about the rambling, he found he really liked it when Danny was talking about the people he loves and things he knows about. 

“So, what other things do you want to do before you go back? You already mentioned karate, did you want to learn anything else?” Clark asked. They started to make their way back to the house since they found nothing along the edges of the property. 

Danny thinks for a moment. Learning new other combat techniques wouldn’t be a bad idea, but he can always learn from masters in the Zone. On one hand, learning politics wouldn’t be a bad  idea, but he has a feeling that it’s probably different in the Zone than in the living world. On the other hand, he was told to treat this time like a vacation, meaning he can just enjoy himself and pursue his hobbies here. 

“Well, I haven’t really had the time to do my hobbies or major interests in the last couple of years, so I guess I could do that. I’m not sure where you are with video games, but I’m sure they’re nowhere near what I’m used to, but building model spaceships and maybe I can try out flight simulators at museums. I’d love to learn to pilot, but right now I have the body of a six year old, so that’s gonna have to wait until I’m bigger. I’ve been a bit interested in the mechanics of things too, my dad’s shown me how to solder computer parts together, so I wouldn’t mind learning about how electronics and engines work. I’ve always wanted to be an astronaut, so I’d have to learn some of that stuff anyway.”

“Oh, one of our neighbors has a small plane he uses for crop dusting and sometimes for fires or rescue things if the police or firefighters need his help. We can see if he’d be willing to take us up sometime! I think there’s an aerospace museum in Metropolis that has a flight simulator, but it’s pretty far away, we’d have to go in winter when we can leave the farm for a day, but I’m sure Ma an’ Pa would take us. I’m sure Pa would be happy to teach you about the engines of the truck and the tractor too, though he might not let you do anything except hand him things until you’re older. As far as video games go, I’m not sure what they’re like there, but we only really have an arcade with some fighting games that are pretty cool. I mean, the Mayor’s kid has a home gaming system, but they’re hard to get around here.” 

“Aw man, I’m gonna end up spending all my allowance at the arcade aren’t I?” Danny groaned as they made their way up the stairs of the house. Clark chuckled, swinging the door open. “But yeah, all that sounds awesome! I hope we can convince your parents to let us do all that stuff.” Danny yawned. “I think it’s time I actually head to bed though. Tiny baby body needs sleep.” Danny floated his way up the stairs, too tired to use his legs and not wanting to wake the Kent parents with the creaky stairs. “Hey, Clark?” Danny asked.

Clark turned back to Danny, about to head to his own room. “Yeah Danny?”

Danny smiled a small smile. “Thanks for listening to me, I think it helped with me being homesick. To, you know, talk about them all. I do wish I could see them and hang out with them all, but I’m glad that I’m here too. For the first time in a while I’m not responsible for anything, I can actually be a kid.”

Clark smiled back at Danny, “Of course, I’ll listen anytime.” He thought for a moment. “You mentioned before about responsibility, you mean the hero thing right?”

Danny nods at first, then tilts his head to the side for a moment. “Oh, I forgot to tell you, it’s not just that. I’m also to be the King of the GZ when I’m old enough.”

Clark’s face drained and he landed hard on his feet. Breathlessly he asked. “King of the GZ? You mean the dimension that connects all the dimensions? You’re going to be King of it all?” 

Danny just nods then sits criss-cross in the air. “Yeah, gimmie a sec, I can make the royal getup appear, you might want to shield your eyes, it’s a bit bright.” Danny called forth his newest transformation, the one that came to be when he agreed to become Crown Prince of the Realms. A bright white light similar to an aurora with static on the edges appeared at his middle and hoarfrost seemed to spiral outwards as the light passed over his body. Left in its wake is medieval looking armor. 

Chainmail that seemed to be made from frost under a breastplate of black metal with his logo etched in silver. A cloak that started as a slippery black faded on the edges to look like the galaxy itself was trailing after him. His bracers were a pale silver and the clothes beneath his armor were a black leather-like material. He had white leather boots that went up to his knees and had the same pale silver metal tipping the toes. Above his head an aurora circled and little flakes of snow would drop into his hair like falling stars. Danny himself changed also, he stayed a six-year-old, but his skin faded to a light blue, his freckles began to glow a bright green as they had earlier. His eyes changed and glowed with a similar green light, and his hair turned white as snow and seemed to float as if in water. His fingertips were a deep navy and clawed, his canines elongated and his ears became pointed. On his finger there appeared to be a ring made of onyx with a gem so bright a blue that it almost hurt to look at, though it didn’t seem to light up the place more than Danny himself.

The most startling thing to Clark however, was not his appearance. “Danny, why don’t you have a heartbeat?” he asked, projecting as much outward calm as he could muster while being twelve and internally freaking out.

Danny seemed confused for a bit before he seemed to realize something. “Oh, right, so right now I’m a ghost, and as a ghost I don’t have a heartbeat, you should be able to hear some sort of almost rhythmic buzzing though, that’s my core, it’s similar to a heart and brain for ghosts.” Clark listened closer and relaxed once he found the buzzing sound. It reminded him of the sounds of a plane engine in the distance.

 “I also completely forgot that I never showed you my ghost form, so one sec, this one’s a lot brighter, I definitely don’t advise looking at this one.” Clark decided to listen this time, as the last time hurt his eyes. 

In a flash of bright white light, Danny appeared once again differently than before. He kept the green eyes, snow-white hair and glowing freckles, but the rest of him looked more like his human form, albeit wearing a black and white full bodysuit. The suit itself was black with the stylized DP logo, white boots, white gloves and a white belt. Danny’s skin was a more healthy tan, though still a bit paler than his human form. 

“So this is my usual ghost form, I’ve been able to change into it since I got my powers and it’s why my parents didn’t know I was who I was at first. It led to a lot of miscommunication and getting grounded even though I was out saving the day. Things have gotten much better since they learned about me and then looked at their research and realized a lot of it was wrong. I’m really proud of them, they looked at all their biased papers they had written over the years and instead of doubling down or letting it ruin them, they instead found a renewed vigor and are learning all they can. They’re releasing paper after paper correcting all the assumptions they had made now that they aren’t blinded by their prejudices.” Danny had a soft smile on his face as his eyes and freckles glowed brighter thinking about his parents. He yawned again. “I think I’ve dropped enough info on you for tonight though, so I’m gonna head to bed. You should too.” Another bright flash and Danny was back to being human, feet firmly on the floor. 

“Yeah, I’ll do that. Sleep well Danny.” Clark appeared to have reached his limit for processing things as he put some dots together. As he lay awake in his bed he realized that Danny is going to be a king to literal gods.

And he thought his math final was stressful.

Part 1 Part 2

[cosmicourple]

Ah, hi, it’s me the anon who wants to write your time loop Ody. You can call me Voli to make things easier. Sorry, I’ve been trying to work out the ins and outs of the story and have been busy with other things too. I hope you’re doing well. I will be posting it on Ao3 if that’s alright and while I’m here I would like to ask a few questions since you are the creator of this au.

Without spoiling things, I have already outlined a plot line for the story and are currently arranging characters, seeing who fits and who needs to sit it out. Tiresias, Artemis, Dionysus, Hephaestus, Hestia and Demeter are the ones still out on debate. What I’m wondering is if there’s any character you feel is important to include to the story or should be better off just mentioned or briefly touched on out of the six? Apollo didn’t fall into this because of his gift of prophecy and he and Aphrodite have cut it very close. Aphrodite is there too due to her connection to Ouranos, though she’s unfortunately not gonna have a big role. That whole thing is still being workshopped so I might update on that later.

Another question is one I’ve honestly been struggling with and that’s concerning Rhea. Since she’s still around on Olympus, she does stand a chance against Kronos even when he’s not really there so if it’s alright, how should I tackle this so that the story doesn’t get cut short without discrediting her? I feel like Kronos will find a loophole around her but I’m not sure how so if you or anyone have any suggestions please let me know.

And that’s all I have to share. I apologise for the wait and it’s going to take some time to create the story but I’m working hard on it and I’ll let you know once it’s out. Thank you so much, have a good day/night.

Edit: I’m so, so, SO SORRY this took so long to answer, I’ve been feeling extremely burnt out for the past few days, & probably should’ve waited just a bit longer before asking 4 an update 🥲 I rlly don’t wanna pressure u, I swear 🫶🫶 (I should be thanking YOU 4 ur wonderful contribution to this insanity, & I am sending virtual support 4 ur motivation ☺️)

OMG HIIIII THERE VOLI!1!111!!! Good to get a ‘name’ 4 asks hehe <333

Okay, first, I’m gonna get this out the way by saying I am not confident (atleast, in my opinion) in my ability to do & / or help ‘plan out’(???) / structure fic related things, like for example character placement, plot points / lining (if that’s the word :/), keeping said characters as in character as they should be, etc :’)

I just get way to nervous about it all, so I’m afraid I may not give good advice / feedback on this hhgfffddfdd I can barely believe I’m getting a fanfic on my ideas :”) !!

haha srry about that lil’ self-beating rant, I just never expected to get here :’D

*dramatic sigh* anyway *w*,,,,,,,,,,,

#1: I don’t rlly wanna make a firm imput on who goes where, who’s more valuable than who, because after all, it’s YOUR story at the end of the day, thoooough, if I had to decide importance….

2nd edit: lol watch my suggestions degrade as I run out of juice 😋

-Demeter is. There. Unfortunately, I can’t rlly see anyway 4 her to be,,,, important, which is a shame in my head :(. Ig u could involve her when maybe suspicions of Kronos’s presence is confirmed n like- the Six Siblings maybe get together to discuss n worry ‘bout it, but apart from that, I unfortunately don’t have rlly much to give about her placement 🥲 (hey ho, acknowledgment is good enough 4 me <333 and maybe badass Demeter/joking).

-hmmm, right off the bat, my first thoughts were that Dionysus also felt unimportant. Which also sucks. idk I just can’t rlly see a way that would fit him in w/ the main,,, THING of the story smoothly, I mean, u got his whole reincarnation aspect + his connection w/ Humanity thru him once being Mortal, so maybe that’s something that could be brought up w/ Odysseus, seeing as reincarnation + Timeloop = kinda similar, but more on that Dionysus could have major sympathy 4 Ody’s’ insane suffering, understanding that a mere Human can’t be put through this sort of thing without lasting consequences bc of his own understanding of Humanity :D.

uhhhhhhh— idk, I think he would work better as a minor character u see Odysseus interact w/ during Loop Moments or maybe as a supporting character helping in the back during some big moments lol I’m not sure, there is probably something that could be done with him either way, who knows :) (Demeter could also work as these 2 things as well <D).

-now Hestia. I can see something. It’s only a lil’ bit more than the previous but I can see. Something. Idk like I said, I’m useless at this most of the time lmaooooo- but not much :’). Maybe comfort related things or maybe a notable place during some big moment idk I’m not sure 😭😭.

-Artemis n Hephaestus r tied w/ each other bc they could both very much have spotlight moments but at the same time, could both easily fade into the background most of the time. I have a clearer image of Artemis’s moment, obviously something 2 do w/ Apollo (bc her bro def has some idea of what’s going on, causing maybe a interaction like: “hey Apollo wtf is going on???????”), Hephaestus is unfortunately blurry, but there is an idea mostly just him being grumpy w/ this bullshit hajdhs <D.

-Tiresias in my mind, is quite important, despite Apollo already being there bc I like to think he’s one of the first to notice the Timeloops thanks 2 Prophecy Powers. But he’s also important in my head bc I have this stupid idea of, during one of the Loops, Ody’ kidnapping him from The Underworld & abandoning ship 2 run off & talk w/ them bc they know what’s going on with him + at that point Ody’ needed someone to properly vent to & also. Comedy :) that was such a shitty explanation why.

and as 4 the second question,,,,,

#2: Rhea. Oh Rhea. Mother of The Six Olympians, Former Queen of The Universe & Kronos’s Wife.

What a fun yet frustrating thing u are to try and tackle.

In my mind for the fifth time this post everytime Ody’ resets, the thing she resets to is sitting in one of the gardens, staring at a massive fractured, rusted & black stained mirror, one of the very few things from Kronos’s rule that stubbornly remains. It looks cursed, & in Rhea’s opinion, yes. Yes it is fucked up on some level. And he can talk to her through it,,,,,

I think Rhea somehow knows that the Timeloops r happening but doesn’t actually remember any of them. All she knows is that Her Husband is up to no good &,,,, she doesn’t rlly want to deal w/ it. She can’t persuade him to stop, she can’t even physically stop him. He’s a ghost, floating invisibly through the air, watching their shattered reality & his champion grow, yet by some cruel joke, only Rhea can constantly see his glitching & writhing form, like oil mixed w/ electricity blobbing around, appearing on that unnerving mirror, grumbling about Olympus & their children’s terrible rule & bla bla bla bla—

Yeah, so her decision to not help is very, very selfish. Uncharacteristic. But she’s so tired. She just can’t bring herself to care about whatever nonsense Kronos is causing.

(On the other side, Kronos likes talking to her, it’s. Nice :). Even if she won’t listen to what he’s trying to get at. It’s annoying, but, at least they can converse. Lol, these two r so fucked in situation yet so funny to think about idk <333)

…

aaaaand, that’s all I have to add rn mwahaha. I hope this has been good enough feedback on ur fic & I hope you’re enjoying writing it <DD.

Again, I am ecstatic to see someone wanting to write using my weird ideas HTGJKIYEQDGVFGFRFGGR tho pls, pls, PLEASE—

don’t push urself if it gets to much or if u want a break.

don’t feel pressured into thinking u have to write / publish this 4 me or 4 anyone else. It’s ur creation, u can do or don’t do whatever u want.

and DON’T think that u have to follow my ideas. Trust me, the scenarios n shit in my head are as blended as this A.U’s title suggests. The fic might be inspired by my ideas, but it doesn’t have to follow them 🫶.

anyway, you to have a good day / night & Happy Holidays🎄✨✨✨✨✨🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

[pedroshotwifey]

Favorite Bounty Chapter 2

Series masterlist

Pairing: Din Djarin x Reader

Chapter W/C: 6.7k

Chapter tags/warnings: Nothing to warn about yet, fluff, no use of y/n, reader being a horny cuss, canon-typical violence, PLEASE READ AUTHOR'S NOTE

Chapter summary: You get settled into life on the Crest with Mando and his adorable kid. Unfortunately, that means getting used to having heart attacks every time Mando manages to almost get himself killed.

A/N: Hey, I'm going to go ahead and put it out there that these first few chapters will not be the best. Favorite Bounty was the first thing I ever wrote, so please keep that in mind. I have gone through and edited the small things so there is a bit of improvement from when it was originally posted to ao3. After chapter 4 is out, every chapter after that will be brand new and will have better grammar/writing. Thanks for reading! :)

***

You have been aboard the Razor Crest for two agonizingly slow, awkward, and very silent weeks. The Mandalorian is quiet. He’s been so quiet, you have found yourself wondering if he’s actually a droid under that heavy beskar armor. If you hadn't already seen the flash of tan skin under his flight suit, you would be convinced. 

You didn't mind the silence at first, you assumed that it was because he just wasn't used to having another person around. At this point, though, you’re pretty sure it's because he finds you annoying or something.

The first time the thought occurred, it had bothered you that he might think of you as a nuisance, but you’ve taught yourself not to care. After all, if you really bothered him that much, he could have dropped you off on any random planet already, so that couldn't be it. The fact that you are still aboard the crest is enough proof that your company can’t be all that bad. 

You do your best to stay out of the way anyway, but there have been a couple of times when you and “Mr. Cold Shoulder” have had no choice but to cross paths. The ship is large enough for you to avoid him for the most part, but unfortunately, you can't predict what hall he will be going through and when. 

On the occasions that you have had to squeeze by each other, it has always been in one of those damned halls. It usually ends up being you who has to hug the wall as he walks through, ignoring you just as much as usual. Entitled asshole.

The first day, surprisingly, wasn’t the worst. You hadn't remembered falling asleep, but when you woke up on the metal floor of the ship that morning, you found that you had been covered by a blanket. You had been flattered to know that the Mandalorian had cared enough to give you one.

That flattery quickly faded though when you went through the rest of the day hearing practically nothing from the man. The only times he had talked to you was to order you to stop touching things. 

After a few times—one of which you swear you weren't actually touching anything—you retreated back to the corner of the hull you had slept in. You had picked the child up on your way, glaring at Mando as if to dare him to snap at you for that. 

Now, two weeks later, you sit in that same corner, on the same blanket, bouncing the same baby on your lap. You can tell the Mandalorian has grown used to you handling the kid because he doesn’t even spare you a glance when you reach for him at this point. 

You look at the kid wobbling around on top of your legs. He seems to have gotten used to the constant handling as well. At least one of the boys actually enjoys your presence.

You playfully stick your tongue out at the child as you continue to bounce him on your leg. He babbles something in your direction and reaches his tiny hands out. You grab one of them with the hand that's not supporting him and pretend to slow dance. 

You have grown fond of the little goblin and he seems to have taken a liking to you as well, sometimes opting to reach for you over his dad–who you can tell definitely glares at you from under his helmet when the child chooses to do so. 

You used to feel bad about the kid picking you over the Mandalorian, but your pettiness has taken over at this point. After all, it’s the only way you can get back at him for being such a dick all the time. 

You know the man wouldn't dare deny that kid something he wants just because he didn't like it. Even if he might not want to admit it, Mando knows that the kid enjoys having someone else to play with. Maker knows his father can’t be much fun.

You are pulled from your thoughts when you feel the kid start to slump in your lap. You sigh as you scoop him into your arms and bring him back to his crib. You know you can't rely on the child to keep you company all the time, you need to find other things to occupy your time. There are not many things to do on the crest, and you feel like you have already exhausted all of your options. 

The third day, you had woken up to the ship touching down on some unknown planet. You had no idea that Mando had intended to stop. You thought that surely, this is where he planned to leave you. After all, you couldn’t have thought that he would just change his mind and move you in. 

You collected your belongings and remained sat on your bed until you heard Mando jump down from the cockpit. Without looking at you, he walked to the ramp and lowered it. You didn't make a move to get up until he glanced your way, obviously wanting you to follow him. 

You scrambled up after him as he descended down the ramp. As usual, nothing was said between the two of you as you made your way through that small town. 

It was hard to navigate through the thick crowd and you were thankful that you had Mando in front of you, cutting you a path. It seemed that people naturally tried to avoid him. You probably would too if you didn’t know him. 

You still have not gotten over how intimidating he can be. You figure a lot of it might have to do with the fact that he doesn’t ever talk. You never have any idea what he might be thinking, and it's unsettling to know that—good or bad—it could be about you. 

After a few hours' worth of weaving in and out of shops, the Mandalorian had started to backtrack to his ship. It took you a little while to realize that he finished whatever he had to do in town but when you did, you stopped dead in your tracks. 

There is no way he is taking you back with him. When you left your home planet, he had told you that he was going to drop you off somewhere else. 

Didn't he want you gone? He never said that you would be staying with him on the Crest. Maker knows he doesn’t want you to. Did he expect you to just leave on your own at some point while he was looking around through the shops? 

You stood glued to the same spot while you tried to sort out what you were supposed to do. Chewing your lip, you stared ahead at the ground. You were only pulled out of your questioning state when a pair of boots stopped in your line of sight. 

You looked up to see the Mandalorian standing in front of you. His helmet tilted to the side ever so slightly when you reached his gaze. You’re weren’t sure what to say. Should you just be straight forward and ask him what you are supposed to do? 

You had wished then more than ever that you could read his mind. Especially when he turned back around and continued walking away. You stare after him, not sure if you should follow him or not. 

He had answered your silent question though, when he had turned his head back around mid-stride. 

“Are you coming or not?” is all he said. 

He stood waiting for you for another second before you jolted forward to catch up with him. You weren’t really sure why you had wanted to go with the Mandalorian so badly, but you figured it would be better than trying to start over on some strange planet. 

Although confused as to why Mando had given you the choice, you weren’t going to question it. You had already made yourself a bit at home on the Crest and you sure as kriff weren’t going to be upset if he allowed you to stay, 

You have figured since then that it was probably because you had proven yourself useful. You kept the ship tidy, you took care of the kid, and you stayed out of the way for the most part. Well, you figure, if that's what keeps you aboard, you are going to continue doing so for as long as you can. 

By the fourth or fifth day, you had cleaned the entire ship—save for the Mandalorian’s quarters—until it looked almost brand new. In the days after that, you had repaired a couple of minor wiring issues and fixed up some of the paneling in the cockpit and in the hull.

Maker, you feel like you’ve done everything from fixing issues with the GPS to scrubbing the floor of the fresher. You try to scan your brain for anything you may have missed, but you know it’s hopeless. 

You eventually decide that you would rather go sit in the cockpit with the silent Mandalorian than be alone in the hull with nothing to do but stare at the wall. At least this way you will be able to watch the streaks of hyperspace. That way you won’t have to be in complete solitude. 

Even silent company is better than none at all. You know it might not be the best idea to risk bothering the man, but you begin to climb the ladder nonetheless. 

You slip into the cockpit as quietly as you can and take a seat in the chair behind the voiceless pilot. The two of you sit in the quiet of hyperspace for what seems like hours before you break it with a sigh. It was a bit over dramatic, you’ll admit it. You’re just so tired of sitting in awkward silence when there is another person completely capable of having a conversation right in front of you. 

He cranes his neck slightly to look at you over his shoulder. You keep your eyes trained on him and raise your eyebrows as if to say “Is there something you need?”. You’ve given up trying to be nice. You figure if he isn’t going to show any effort to be friendly, then neither should you.

He doesn't say anything as turns his head back around and flicks a couple of switches. He stays facing forward for a minute and you decide that that is likely the most interaction the two of you will have today. 

You sit up a bit to tuck one of your legs underneath you and set an elbow on the armrest so you can prop your head up on your closed fist. You sigh, quietly this time, and look up to watch the white flashes through the dura-glass. 

You think about going back down to the hull so you can fall asleep early, but decide against it. You know you aren’t tired enough to be able to do that right now. 

You hear a barely noticeable creak come from the Mandalorian’s general direction and snap your attention back to him. He has turned his chair around to face you completely. You can’t miss the way his legs are spread wide, as if he was subconsciously taking up as much space as he can. 

You hate the way you are attracted to his stance. He bleeds confidence and intimidation without even trying.

Your eyes wander to his crotch before you can catch yourself. You only look for a split second before you correct yourself, but it’s long enough for you to catch sight of the rather prominent bulge in his pants. 

Your eyes widen slightly and you tuck your head into the fist that is resting on your cheek to try to hide your blush before the Mandalorian can realize what happened. Before you can stop it, visions float to the forefront of your mind. They come in flashes as you work to push them down. 

You see the Mandalorian above you, slamming into you hard and fast, dominating you. You see him below you, watching as you bounce in a steady rhythm bringing you both to a climax. You envision him right in front of you as you are seated in the copilots chair and he wraps a hand in your hair and guides you toward his-

You quickly pull yourself away from that thought. That's too real, too in the moment, too dangerous to be thinking of how much you wish it was. It seems like it could happen so easily, but you know that it would never be.

You try to stop your eyes from widening again as you look up at his helmet. You pray silently that he didn’t notice your little mishap. He cocks his head ever so slightly. He definitely noticed.

You swallow slowly and maintain eye contact even as you feel your face burn even more than it had before.

“I-I um,” you surprise yourself as you speak. “I’m going to head down for the night,” you say, trying desperately to get yourself out of this situation. Your voice sounds squeaky, but you don't bother to try to fix it. You would probably end up saying something you would regret. 

He says nothing but gives a slight nod in your direction after you make no move to get up. Once you get the approval, you try not to stumble as you get up and walk out of the cockpit as quickly but smoothly as you can. 

When you hear the door behind you shut back into place, you let out the huff of breath you had been holding as you curse yourself. “Nice going, dumbass,” your head screams at you. You stay in place to try to collect yourself before you attempt the ladder back down to the hull. 

You sit down on your makeshift bed on the floor and try to collect yourself. You’re not an idiot, you have noticed the sexual tension between the two of you that seems to just keep growing, but you didn’t think that the Mandalorian was as aware. With his recent display though, it seems that he knows exactly what he's doing.

You can't help it as the image of the warrior from just moments ago seeps back into your head. He was the absolute picture of masculinity. His musky smell seemed to have filled the room as soon as he had swiveled around to face you. 

It was almost intriguing, the way he had looked so relaxed yet so sure of himself at the same time. To be honest, you don’t know if there is any way for the man not to look confident at all times. He radiates pheromones and seems to automatically dominate any place he wants to just by being there. 

You wonder if he is trying to do the same to you.

***

You wake up the next morning to the ship jolting to a sudden stop. You don't remember when you had fallen asleep but you figure that is probably for the best. What you do remember is the multiple sexual scenarios featuring yourself and Mando that had intruded into your dreams. You blush again at the thought as you recall some of the scenes that had played out last night.

It feels so wrong but so right at the same time to picture Mando in these ways. You guess you could describe it as your guilty pleasure. 

The first time you had fantasized about Mando, you had startled yourself with your forward thoughts. You hadn't realized that you had even been attracted until you had caught yourself in the middle of an erotic daydream. You had criticized yourself and shook the unwelcomed visions from your head. 

Since then though, you have slowly come to find your private fantasies a vital source of entertainment. When you often find yourself with nothing else to do, even though you still feel a tad bit guilty, you allow your daydreams to play front and center while you stare off. 

Not to mention the times when Mando is away hunting a bounty, and you get the ship all to yourself. After you put the kid to bed, sometimes you will allow yourself the pleasure of getting your release as you make up new images alone in your cot.

A couple times, the Mandalorian has walked in on you while you are lost in a private moment, only the times when you had been staring into nothingness, thank the maker. Each time it happened you would feel the blood rush into your cheeks, but you would do your best to play it off as though you had simply been dozing off. 

You knew you couldn't do much more than that but pray to the maker that the silent warrior hadn't put the pieces together and caught on. That would be the day you would jump off the Crest and into the welcoming vacuum of space. 

You sit up on your blanket and stretch your hands into the air. Your back hurts from sleeping on the floor of the ship every night, even if it is slightly cushioned by the layers of blankets you set up. The pain now though is nothing compared to when you were working at the junkyard back on your planet, so you can't really find it in yourself to care much.

Suddenly, you hear the thumping of Mando’s boots in the cockpit above you. You groan as you remember last night's little incident. Honestly, how embarrassing can you be? You scold yourself for acting so transparently. 

You hope that somehow, the Mandalorian wasn’t able to tell your feelings for him by your flustered actions, but you know it's wishful thinking. He would have to either be dumb or extremely ignorant, which he most definitely is not. 

Even if it may be the cause of your downfall, you admire Mando for those qualities. He always seems to pay attention to small details that anyone else would be likely to miss. You figure that's what makes him such a damn good bounty hunter. 

Since you have been traveling with him, he has brought in six bounties. It never took him more than a few hours in each place before he was walking back up the ramp with the criminal in tow. Barely glancing in your direction, he would walk past you, making sure you’re at least out of reach of the unwelcomed company, and then shove them into a carbonite chamber. 

The first time he came back with a bounty, you had to scramble away to a different part of the Crest to hide the blush creeping up on your cheeks. You knew it was wrong, but you couldn't help how turned on you got as you watched the silent warrior manhandling the twi'lek bounty through the ship.

You’re not sure if it was the way he tossed the thug around so effortlessly, or if it was the way he ignored the crook as he begged for his life, without a morsel of regret or hesitancy. Maybe it was the image that popped into your head of how easily he would be able to take control of you and take whatever he wanted - knowing of course that you would give it willingly anyways. 

You try to shake the vision from your mind as it appears again now. You have really got to stop doing that. 

The fuzziness of sleep starts to dissipate when Mando steps into your vision. You look up at him as he struts to the ramp of the ship and lowers it. You wonder for a second if he is going to leave without saying anything to you, but he turns around while the gangway continues to descend. 

“I'm going to be gone for a while this time.”

A gust of freezing cold wind blows snow into the ship and you shiver. You pull the blanket that is still on top of you up to your shoulders to shield yourself from the frost. 

You feel like a little kid as you stare up at him, waiting for him to elaborate. He doesn't. “Okay,” you nod at him. He nods back and turns around towards the open ledge. “Stay close to the ship,” he tells you. “This place is an icy skughole”.

Your eyebrows furrow. You don't like being told what to do, but you know that he’s right to tell you to stay. Once he steps onto the planet’s surface, he tells you to look after the kid before he pushes a button on his vambrace to bring the ramp back up.

Okay then. Nice talk.

***

After a few minutes, you get up to see if the child is awake yet. He’s not, so you decide to hop in the fresher since you have the time. 

The fresher doesn't get very hot, so you turn the water up as much as you can and step in. you sigh as the stream hits the tense muscles in your back. 

As you scrub shampoo into your hair, you think about Mando. You try not to worry about him—he's been doing this long before you met him after all—but it's instinct to wonder if he will be coming back in one piece. 

You have always had a deep respect for bounty hunters—the good ones anyway. You couldn't imagine trying to track someone down and then having to manhandle them back to wherever you were instructed. A person would have to be practically made of pure muscle to be able to fight someone through the adrenaline their opponent is experiencing. 

You smirk as you think about how much muscle the Mandalorian must be carrying. You had felt the firmness of his thigh as you had patched him up on that first day. You weren't paying much attention to that detail then, but now you savor the memory as it feeds your out-of-control imagination. 

You think about how strong and comforting being wrapped in his arms would feel until the water runs cold. You flinch at the temperature change and jump out of the fresher, rolling your eyes at yourself for getting distracted again. 

You hear the kid babbling as you step out so you secure the towel to your body and grab him a breakfast portion on your way to his hover-pram. You set him down on your makeshift bed and turn him to face the wall before handing him his portion. 

You can't help the grin that creeps up on your face as you watch him play with a small metal ball while he nibbles his breakfast. That kid is too damn cute for his own good.

Not knowing what else there is to do, you figure you will take the child outside to see the snow after you get ready. You wonder to yourself if he has ever had the chance to see it before. 

It warms your heart to think that you might be the first one to show him. Maybe you will show him how to make snow angels. You might make a snow fort with him, he would probably love that. 

After toweling off and waiting for your hair to dry a little, you throw two layers on and then add a coat for good measure. You are grateful you picked up some new clothes on the last planet you stopped on. 

You weren't sure about getting the heavy coat, but as you start to warm up, you’re grateful you did. The kid finishes his breakfast as you pull a woolen cap over your head. You scoop him up and wrap him in a small blanket as he coos at you. 

You frown as the blanket swallows his form. When you get back inside, you will have to sew him a cloak out of one of the blankets you sleep on. You could spare one for the little gremlin. 

“You want to go see the pretty snow sweetheart?,” you ask him excitedly. He claps his little three fingered hands together and babbles back at you. You take that as a yes. 

You hit the button next to the ramp and watch it lower, covering the kids eyes as the snow blows in to dust the edge of the ship’s belly. 

Once the ramp is all the way down, you walk down it and take a step into the snow. The kid looks up and laughs at you when you let out a sharp “yip” at the feeling of the freezing powder biting your skin halfway up your calves. 

You can't help but laugh at yourself too; you weren't expecting the snow to be so deep. The kid starts to make grabby hands at the ground so you lower him and cautiously set him down. Luckily, he does not weigh enough to sink down like you did.

You imagine trying to explain that to Mando. “Yeah, sorry about that, I set the kid down and he just disappeared right into the ground!”  You chuckle at the thought because in reality you know you would probably be dead before you could get a word in. 

Sometimes, you’ve learned, you just have to laugh so you don't have to worry. It works for the most part so you don’t really see a negative in it. 

You taught yourself to do this within the first few days of knowing Mando because it felt like you had to worry all the time. It was exhausting. You figured maybe if you didn't seem so on-edge, he would relax a bit too.

So much for that idea…

You look down when you feel a little hand grip your pant leg. The kid is trying to pull your weight out into the clearing. You smile as you obey his request and step away from the ship. 

Making sure not to go too far, you step in front of the child and lead him to a particularly fluffy looking spot. A smile crawls onto your face as you crouch down to take a handful of snow.

Seeing your actions, the kid reaches down and grabs a fistful for himself. Waiting until he seems to be satisfied with his bunch, you slowly start to pack the powder into a ball.

You hold it out for the kid to see and watch as he attempts to copy you once again. He packs a little too hard and the snow crumbles back to the ground. 

You give him an encouraging smile and hand him a new bunch. You demonstrate again with your own and make sure to exaggerate how softly you are tapping the snowball as it takes shape.

He seems to get it because soon enough, he is holding a little ball of his own. He coos and you laugh back at him. 

Looking around to make sure you have enough room, you back up and begin to roll your snowball through snow. You make a full circle around the kid and then make a trail in front of him, watching as the ball grows bigger with each step.

He giggles at you when you stop in front of him with what you have decided will be the base of your snowman. You can't help but giggle back when he plops his snowball back to the ground and begins to run it in a circle as you had done.

Once the snowball is built up to the size it needs to be for the body, you grab it and stack it on top of the first. You hand the kid the last one and tell him to roll it until it's just a little smaller than the last one. 

Once satisfied with the size, you grab that one and stack it at the top. You step back and pick up the kid so you can both admire your hard work. 

You smirk as an idea pops into your head. Mando may kill you for this but it's going to be so worth it. 

You set the kid back down and he immediately gets to work in the snow, making more snowballs and setting them into a neat stack. After making sure he's content to do that for a moment, you turn back to the faceless snowman and get to work. 

You pick up some more snow and start to pack it onto the head to give it the shape of a helmet. It's not perfect, but it makes you laugh out loud when you find the right shape. 

You round out the top and start to hollow the cheeks out a bit to make the ridges as realistic as you can. Still smiling, you turn around and search for two sticks for arms and two smaller ones to complete the helmet. 

You find what you are looking for and put the arms onto the torso of the snowman so that they are sticking out. After making sure the arms aren’t going to fall out, you move back to the top. 

You push the first stick horizontally near the top of the “face” and then put the second one vertically under the middle section of the first. You step back and admire your work one more time. 

You laugh and pick the kid up to show him your work. “Look, It's a snow-mando!” you tell him through your wheezes. He stares at the figure for a moment before he too starts to giggle. 

You know Mando would probably hate it, but the idea was far too enticing to pass up on. Looking at the finished product, you have no regrets. 

***

After both you and the kid got your fill of playing in the snow, you clambered back into the ship and fixed up some lunch. You put the kid down for a nap after he finished eating and got back into the fresher for a second just to warm back up. 

As you get dressed, you think about what you can do to occupy yourself for the rest of the day. When you tug on a light jacket, you remember your plans to sew one for the kid. 

You grab the blanket you planned on using and plop yourself down on the floor next to your makeshift bed. You tug a short container over your way and start to pencil in a design to cut out. 

Halfway through cutting the pieces out, you hear a commotion towards the front of the ship. You go to jump up but then remember that Mando had told you he would be gone for a while. 

Did he just mean a few more hours than usual? Deciding to take a peak, you lift your head up just so that your eyes are above the crate sitting next to you. 

The ramp is open, but other than that, nothing appears to be out of the ordinary. You shoot your head back down when you hear a hissing sound come from where the carbonite chambers are.

It sounded like one of the chambers had been activated, but that doesn’t make any sense, you didn’t see anyone on board. 

Knowing you need to be able to protect the kid from any potential danger, you shakily rise to your feet. keeping your head ducked down, you inch around the crate toward where you heard the sounds. 

You gasp as you see a figure splayed across the floor in front of the chambers. You almost fall back down when you realize that the figure is clad in beskar.

“Mando!” you exclaim as you scramble to him. He doesn’t respond to your voice or to your movement and you feel tears well up in your eyes. 

As you rush toward him, you see the carbonite settling around a large figure that you assume is the bounty. You calm down a little knowing that at least there is no threat waiting to pop out at you, but there is no way you can relax when your gaze turns back to the unconscious Mandalorian.

Ohmygodohmygodohmygod- 

Not knowing what to do, you loosen the fabric around his neck and press two fingers under his helmet, trying to find a pulse. It's there, but it's faint. 

Maker, he’s freezing! You gasp as you make skin to skin contact. He feels like he had been laying in the snow for hours. You need to warm him up, which feels like an impossible task in this icebox of a ship. 

You push back your anxiety and check your surroundings before you slam the button next to the ramp to bring it back up. That should at least keep it from getting any colder in here. 

After the ramp is back into place, you get back to Mando and carefully check his body for any injuries. You see none so you focus on building a plan to warm him up. 

It only takes a moment for you to figure out what the best course of action would be. You take a deep breath and move towards the ladder that leads to the top part of the ship. With shaky hands, you grab the first rung and start to pull yourself up. 

As soon as you reach the top, you veer to the right and step into the generator room. You put your hand on top of the ship heater but hesitate for a moment. Turning it on would mean that fuel would burn quickly, hence why it hasn’t been on this whole time. 

You know that Mando would be furious if he knew you turned it on, but you decide that a mad Mandalorian is better than a dead one—you hope. 

Before you can doubt yourself any further, you push a button and turn a knob until the heat is all the way up. It only takes a second for you to feel the warm air starting to circulate into the Crest. You sigh at the feeling and turn back around to the ladder.

Once you reach the belly of the ship again, you snatch the stack of blankets from where you sleep and start to drag them to Mando. You cover him with the layers and lean down to feel for his pulse again.

When your fingers touch his neck you hear him gasp and you almost jump out of your skin. “Jeez Mando, you scared the absolute Bantha shit out of me!” you tell him as you jerk your hand back. You hear a tremble in your voice that you had no idea would be there.

As relieved as you are that he seems to be responding to you at this point, you know that this must just be the calm before the storm. You are smart enough to know that he is going to be pissed about probably every single thing you had done within the last ten minutes. 

You decide you should just cut to the chase and get it over with. You don't feel like having to do this later tonight. You begin to tell him everything that you had done since he came back to the ship. 

“I figured you would be upset about the heat, but for makers sake Mando, I thought you were going to die!” as you said the words, it really hit you just how scared you had actually been. 

What hit you even harder was the realization that you would have been devastated with the loss. It wouldn't have just been an inconvenience if Mando had died on the ship—It would have hurt you deeply.

You take a deep breath and sit down next to the Mandalorian. You feel him shift into a sitting position beside you. You have no idea why he hasn’t said anything yet, but you would rather him be silent instead of reprimanding you right now. 

Ignoring the movement beside you, you continue on with your shaky explanation without making eye contact. “I'm so sorry…I just didn't know what to do.”  You look down at your feet when you feel like you have said everything you needed to.

You didn't even realize you had started to cry until you felt a gloved thumb brush a tear away from your drenched cheek. You flinch away at first, not used to the contact. 

Once you get past your initial shock, you tilt your head up to look at the Mandalorian’s visor. He still has not said anything. Not like that is too surprising. 

Your breathing begins to slow as Mando flattens his gloved hand to cup your chin. “Mando I-”

You are cut off by the swipe of his thumb across your lip, the touch light as a feather. 

The Mandalorian shifts his position to be more comfortable and brings his other hand to rest at the base of your skull. you are too stunned to speak as he gives you a gentle nudge so that your face is resting against the space between his shoulder and neck. 

Still shaking slightly, you let out a shuddering sigh and allow yourself to breathe in the sweet scent that can only be described as Mando. You  can't help but relax in his grasp as he removes his hand from your chin and uses it to pull you onto his lap.

Cradling you in his lap, he begins to sway slightly in a comforting motion. You curl up and try to steady your racing heart as you wrap your arms around his torso. 

You both sit tangled in silence as your tears begin to dry and your heart slows back to a normal pace. The closest you have ever gotten to Mando was when you had patched his wounds that first night, yet sitting here in silence with him feels like the most natural thing in the world.

You relax as if you and he had done this hundreds of times before, you can't help but feel like this is where you belong. The sense of belonging overrides your confusion and you close your eyes at the comforting feeling.

“Shh cyar’ika,” he whispers into the shell of your ear. “Everythings okay now.”

You have to stifle the sob that threatens to protrude through your lips when you hear his gentle tone. The only time you have ever heard him speak in that way has been when you overheard him comforting the child. 

You hold on to him tighter and lift your head up to meet his gaze. “You’re okay?” you ask him, worry clear in your expression and the slight quiver of your voice. 

The Mandalorian is grateful you can’t see his face because he wouldn’t have been able to hide the way he melted when you looked at him that way. He is not used to having anybody being worried about him, and, like the stupid fool he deems himself to be—he didn’t realize that you had. 

He felt a sting of guilt as he recalled the recent interactions between the two of you. Of course he cared for you—how could he not? You took such good care of him and the kid, not to mention the way you paid attention to the ship. He just never figured that someone as precious as you could ever care for him in that way, so he figured if he kept you at an arm's length, he wouldn't risk doing anything he might regret.

Deep down, he knows that he is undeserving of your affection, but he also knows now that you fear losing him. Now that he is sure, he is not going to let you go. As he holds you tight in his arms, he vows to himself that he will do everything in his power to keep you safe. 

“Yes pretty girl, i’m okay,” he tells you before he lowers his helmet to rest on top of your head. “Go to sleep now, you’ve had a big day.

Naturally, you want to protest, but you know you can't fight the exhaustion that is slowly pulling you under. You don't think you have the energy to reply with words, so you just nod and put your head to his chest. 

At some point, you feel Mando carefully lower you down with him until you are both laying down. You are still on top of him when he reaches down and covers you with a light blanket. 

As you drift off, you hear the Mandalorian whisper quietly - so quietly that it may have been a dream.

“Everything will be okay cyare,” he says, “I've got you now.”

****

Thanks for reading!! Taglist is open <3

[nocturnal-phantoms-fandoms]

🌀🌈☔🌪️ pleaseeee 🫶🏼

there you go Cat!! 🫶🏼

🌀Post the fic summary for a fic you haven't written/published yet. It can be hypothetical or something you really plan on releasing…

ok so I do have a fic summary but its very short and not telling much. also I thought I would avoid talking about this fic in this wip ask round 😩😂 since they’re so short I'll share both of them. 

The Lunar Mystery

1.09.1975 - 30.06.1978 Hogwarts years. Nadia is a Ravenclaw friend of the marauding gang.  Chaos ensues.

It's my OC-focused canon-ish long fic that I am writing. just very slowly. and not in English. 

The New Moon’s Eve

20.10.1979 In another life they were given a chance that they didn't think they deserved

It's a sequel to The Lunar Mystery and also an AU where somebody doesn't die and the consequences of that (its a fix-it, that’s what it is)

you can all learn a bit about it here (its my sideblog that I recommend checking out on desktop bc its prettier and actually usable 😂 )

🌪️Sum up a WIP with a few fic tropes/Ao3 tags.

Erasmus AU!! bc surely you still haven't heard enough about it!!

Alternate Universe: Modern Setting - Alternate Universe: College/University - Polish Remus Lupin - British Sirius Black - Italian James Potter - Polish Lily Evans - German Peter Pettigrew - sirius black is the only british character - author regrets everything - meet ugly - getting together - long distance relationship - cat owner remus lupin - implied/referenced child abuse - teenage runaway sirius black - meeting the parents - fear of coming out - coming out - family angst - remus lupin needs a hug - christmas fluff - first christmas together - sirius’s first polish christmas

☔Is there a fic concept you have that you'd like to just explain and share because you're not sure you'll ever write it? If so, what is it? 

I have a doc with half assed outline and 0.6 full sentences of dialogue inspired by this pic: 

(This is, this time, full crack) (also, spoilers below)

Remus sometimes goes to house parties where he doesn't know anybody just to get drunk with somebody else’s money. He makes polite conversations, bc he likes to be liked, and it boosts his self esteem. Plus, its easier to talk to random people he doesnt know - no strings attached and all that. 

At the entrance he sees a table with different colored cups. He doesnt know which to pick - he doesn't want people to judge him based on his sexual preferences and to be perceived a certain way - especially since he didn't come here to get laid. A man (he later learns his name is Sirius) appears at his side and they strike a conversation - Remus tells him about his house party thing and that he doesn't even know the host. After they finish talking Remus picks the most neutral option and off he goes. 

Throughout the night Remus sees Sirius going around the party and striking conversations here and there. At some point Sirius finds Remus in the kitchen. Remus suggests ditching a party but Sirius looks back at the guests and says he isn't keen on the idea - Remus assumes he is involved with the guy (James) he saw him talking to earlier. 

In the early morning people start clearing out - Remus walks in on Sirius politely kicking out Fabian and Gideon and starts to realise that Sirius might be the host, so he panics bc of all the things he told him earlier. (He needn’t to, Sirius ask him out on a date ⬇️)

🌈 Share something soft/fluffy from your WIP.

(spoilers for the unnamed house party fic)

“You said you didn't know the host,” said Sirius, “so I thought-” “Yes, and you are the host,” said Remus, going pale with the realisation. “I'm so terribly sorry, I really didn't-” “Can you let me finish a sentence?” he cut him off. “I thought, since we both had a great time – at least, I’m assuming you had a good time – why dont we get to know each other better?” “What?” Remus asked weakly. “I’m trying to ask you out on a date here, Lupin, cooperate.” “I know, I just don’t know why.” “Because we had fun? And because you intrigue me, you little mischievous thing, and I would love to see more of you, hidden under the polite smile and kind words.”

[shiroselia]

Guess who completely missed I've been posting on Ao3 for over a year now, so to celebrate that almost two weeks later, behold! Self-promo!

I know, I know, but I suppose since I've been going for a year(???) now I might as well give a little Summary on what the hell I've been doing over on the Ao3, and also have a bit of fun with it in the process.

So, who the hell am I? I'm Manda Shiroselia EquestrianEquivalent, and apparently I'm an Ao3 publisher now. Sentence I never thought I'd say, but here we are!

What do I write? Well, primarily I write for Fire Emblem, Honkai Star Rail, and Star Stable Online. More precisely, I'm a character dynamics connossieur, which means I'm mostly writing character interaction and/or ship-focused fics because that's what I find the most fun! I generally average about 3-5k on my oneshots, but there are shorter (and longer) ones, so if length is something you're particularly picky about, you'll have variety in there, promise.

My personal favourite choices of the Fire Emblem variety are, coincidentally, my two most recent Fire Emblem fics! Soft Pegasus Feathers, and Dream of Me.

Good stuff, fun times, huge self-reccs of mine.

In terms of HSR, well, I've written. a lot of those, but I'm particularly, well, well-known might be a stretch, but those of you who subscribe to JingFu might recognize me for my most popular fic, Better Luck Next Time, or for my newest piece of insanity, KONTORSRENOVERING.

Better Luck Next Time is probably the best introduction to my writing style you will ever find, especially since it's kind of responsible for me finding my style, and it's also incredibly funny, if I do say so myself.

KONTORSRENOVERING is a great introduction to my particular niche, which I like to describe as "It could've been a fanart, but I'm glad it's a fic." If you read it you'll know exactly what i mean by that! Both of them are fics I hold very near and dear, so obviously I recommend each of them in particular.

And as for what I write for SSO? Well. I don't know if you have ever sorted that tag by word count, but if you have, you might have come across a certain little fic called A Quintessential Jorvegian Summer Vacation.

Which is, well, a lot of things. It's the entire reason I started publishing on Ao3 to begin with, my life's work pretty much, arguably my magnum opus really, and the entire reason my friends both discovered and has since never let me live down how fucking nuts I am.

It is the most taxing out of all my works, since, you know, check that chapter count:word count and you'll understand. I'm currently in the middle of reposting the last 4 chapters, because yes I've rewritten every single one of the first 24 chapters and counting, and once that is done, I'm going to rewrite the entire fic. Which is really just a first draft into a second draft, but considering how much I've changed as a writer throughout the 10 months I wrote this behemoth of a fic (first draft clocked in at 280k words so you can imagine how much effort this fucker took), it needs some maintainance.

With that being said, even if you don't know what the fuck a Star Stable Online is, I genuinely suggest you check this out anyways, because I legitimately think it works really well as just a standalone horse adventure magic fantasy. And a tragedy. Apparently. Supposedly. According to my friends who know too much about this fic.

It's going to take a fuck ass while to publish this entire thing, and I talk about it all the time on this blog, but there is so much love put into this fic, and I'm not abandoning it ever, it will be published, mark my word.

So that's essentially a "quick" summary of what the fuck I'm doing over there at the Ao3s. This mentioned like half of the roster, so there are a few more things over there if you're curious. And there's more to come, like a lot more to come.

For example, I'm currently working on two longer HSR fics, one starring Himeko and Pom-Pom, and the other starring Jiaoqiu featuring Bailu and Lingsha. I've also gotten way too into Zenless Zone Zero, and I'm definitely going to write a few fics for that, so far every one of them featuring Nicole. Other than that I have a lot of silly Fire Emblem ideas lying about (most of them related to Awakening, which means more Chromia in particular), and I'm no stranger to just throwing out a fic for the hell of it, so you might even be surprised!

And with that, Manda out, and happy late Ao3 anniversary to me <3