#i must have the lost trio in the fic

[bugwolfsstuff]

YOU KNOW WHAT? FUCK IT THE LITTLE FECKERS CAN ALL JUST SIT IN EACHOTHERS LAPS

Sad because I had a road-trip fic idea for the head counsellors (+Chris) but I didnt wanna remove Jake, Drew and Nyssa for Leo, Piper and Jason so now I either gotta pretend HoO never happened in the fic or they really just uninvited the lost trio plus the newer cabin counsellors :(

[bitchimasnake-sss]

Sleep nonnie again. Is it okay if I go by 🦊🌲 its easier.

Anyways I think it would be a funny scenario if you suggest to the op boys to keep their hands warm by putting them between your thighs. I know some boys would just get a heart attack if you suggest that and get a cute blush

say whAT NOW?? NONNIE HELLO AND WELCOME BACK!! (dm me so that we can be friends ur fic ideas are so out of pocket i love it); also, gonna add ace cause i see many ace thirsties out there ;)

let me warm you up ft. the monster trio//ace!

luffy:

💗when he agreed to this, he didn't know just what kind of uncharted territory he was entering. he was simply not prepared. you had given him such a soft smile, taking his hands into yours as gingerly, "luff, are you cold?" he had nodded a mindless yes because you were crossing a terribly cold patch of the sea and his hands were freezing. but then held his hand a bit tighter and whispered, "i can warm them up for you. if you like?" he was too drunk on the idea to see the mischievous glint in your eyes and the way you spurred him on with your honey-like voice.

💗so now, he sat in front of you, eyes blown wide and lips trembling as his hands rested between your plush thighs. you had squeezed your thighs shut around his restless hands, claiming that it'll get him warm in little to no time. but god, this was hard (much like something else) and he was trying his best to keep his fingers still and not do anything hasty, like digging it into your soft flesh and relishing in the way your body molded to his touches. or by trailing his hand a bit upwards and seeing the way you react. 💗"luffy??" you called out and captain shook his head as he crawled out of that daze like state, "y-yeah?" "you okay?" you mumbled, voice far too gentle. you fucking minx. "you seem like you're losing your mind." good catch! because he was. luffy abruptly pulled his hands backwards lest he do something that truly made him lose his sanity. he scrambled off of your bed, heading out the door into the chilly deck in long, skitterish steps. "where ya going?" you called after him but he rushed out, yelling after himself, "JUST GONNA WARM UP WITH USSOP INSTEAD BYE" did ussop have better thighs than you? you may never know.

zoro:

💚zoro was very stupid, very. he was not the smartest tool in the shed when it came to love or crushes or dating or cooking food or social cues or emotional intelligence or— i should stop before this turns into zoro slander [i promise i love him]. but now, the bounty hunter sat with his face flushed and hands tucked between your soft, malleable thighs. he was smarter than this, truly. he knew that when you suggested that he looked cold and you can warm him up, he was supposed to say "fuck no, get out." because having a crush on you was embarrassing enough on it's own. but you had given him such a gut-wrenching, pleading look. your eyes saddened and your lips fell into a pout and oh god, what was he, if not the man who would let you ruin him? 💚ever since he was a child, zoro had always known that he would die a noble swordman's death. he would die fighting, brave, courageous, unafraid. now, he was sure he'd die from the way you squirmed and pressed your thighs shut. "quit movin'" he grunted, looking away from you as your stared at him. but you tucked your arms against your chest and the soft swell of your tits fell forward towards him so deliciously. he must have lost focus and let his gaze travel against your body cause you coughed, drawing his attention back to your face, "quit starin'." he pulled his hands back, ears going red and heart faltering. he should really stop before he gave into the temptations and pinned you to the mattress to— his voice pitched up, "i-i'm going back to my room, bye." "zoro?!" you called after the swordsman as he ran out, "BUT THIS IS YOUR ROOM, WHERE ARE YOU GOING??" [spoiler: he went to chopper and crushed herbs to make medicine. he wanted to get rid of some of that tension but he failed. because he put the pressure too hard and the china dish in which he was crushing the leafy herbs broke, and now chopper was hitting him square in his head, talking about how important it was to be precise in medicine and how zoro will never make a good doctor. "stop hitting me— OW" "what KIND OF A DOCTOR ARE YOU?" "IM A SWORDSMAN!" "YEAH CAUSE YOU CANNOT BE A DOCTOR!"]

sanji:

💙breath in, breathe out. breathe in, breathe out. breath in, breath out— "sanji?" you asked, a tinge of worry at his almost fainting figure, "are you okay?!" "my love, darling, sugar pie—" the man caught his tongue between his teeth, trying to stop his head from spinning. the floor seem to sway under him, the lights seemed too bright. was he flying or was it the blood rush?? "what did you just ask me?" you look down at the kitchen floor, mumbling with a bashful smile, "if your hands are cold...i can warm them up." his heart quickened as did his fingers. he chopped the bell pepper so hastily that you were sure you saw sparks flying. "and how would you do that?" "you can keep them between my thighs, if you like?" you looked up, "OH MY GOD SANJI YOUR NOSE—" 💙i hate to cut the story short but sanji 100% fainted and you had to catch him before he fell face-forward into the pot with boiling water on the stove. sorry, he gets no bitches :( but you did look after him on the bedside and let him eventually touch your thighs so... idk, a win is a win!!! ["so, is he like dead?" zoro had asked, uninterested, as you hauled the cook's figure outside the kitchen. you were dragging him to his room as the rest of the crew trailed you. they had heard your shriek and came spilling into the kitchen to see what the fuss was about. "did you give him a hug?" nami asked, amused. "hug's too much." ussop snickered, "she probably smiled at him." sanji whipped his head dangerously to glare at them, "i can hear you. and i will be poisoning your food." he looked back at you, "oh don't you worry, im still fainted." he closed his eyes, letting his forehead fall on your shoulder. you smiled to yourself, making a note to warm him up later]

ace:

🧡truthfully, how do you ask a man made of literal fire if you can "warm him up"??? you must have not thought you plan through because you had stood in his room a bit tipsy, locked the door behind you and asked a boy [who was always shirtless cause he was so warm] that question. "huh?" ace's eyes widened in pleasant surprise. he stood up to walk towards you, "what is that about? you wanna warm me up?" "NO!" you bit your cheek when you realized the implications of your words, "i was joking, obviously." "awh, i do love when you humor me." he quipped, "it's kinda cute." "shut up." you glared at him but he gave you an earnest smile back, "if you're cold, you could have just told me." he set his finger ablaze, acting suave, "see, i can warm you up." "you wanna set me on fire?" you seethed. "no?!" "why did you light your fingers on fire?!" "YOU ASKED A MAN MADE OF FIRE IF YOU CAN WARM HIM UP? DONT ASK ME QUESTIONS?!" "i'm drunk" you mumbled. after a beat you looked down at the floor, "and... i'm kinda cold." portagas d. ace just smiled, shrugging in mock nonchalance, "we can cuddle, if you like. i've been told i'm a pretty great heater." you laughed, "hah, hotshot." ace gave you a wicked grin, "how drunk are you?" "not nearly enough." just saying, portagas d ace was better than just a "pretty great heater." he was a pretty great fu-

a/n: i love writing stupid things so much. it makes me so happy because i'm a stupid little girl giggling and typing on her laptop when she should be doing work. tagging the ever lovelies: @bokutosbiceps (resident luffy enjoyer) and @help-i-lost-my-sock (resident ace enjoyer). if you wanna be added to the tag list, please let me know (//tell me your preferences and i'd tag you in those fics)!

[oasiswithmyg]

First Meetings

So’lek x Sarentu!Reader

Hi everyone, this is my first fic ever for anything, this will be with AFAB reader in mind and will follow closely to the storyline of the game, so there will be spoilers. As I'm making this a series, each of these can be read as standalones. I hope you enjoy it ! Any Na’vi words or phrases I use, the English translation will be right next to it, if not then it will be at the end of the fic!

Word count: 2.6k

Masterlist - Next

“It's our world, it's lost…dying, because we didn't fight for it when we had a chance. Now we’re fighting for yours. We’re going to make a difference here. Together.” Priya passionately declared as she looked at you sincerely. Then her eyes widened as she remembered something, “Oh! So’lek was hoping to catch you too. Promised him I wouldn't forget. Tell him I didn’t forget !”

You giggled at how cute and bubbly Priya was, out of all the humans here at the resistance base, you liked her cheerful mannerisms a lot. You could tell that she would be a wonderful friend to have. You nodded and thanked her before you head over to find So’lek.

As you slowly walked through the base, your mind had shifted to the recent events that occurred while you and the others were at the TAP facility a day ago. The reason for the shift being a certain resistance Na’vi.

Oel ngati kameie. I see you.

Those were the first words you heard from him when you woke up after the cryo sleep. Even with all the chaos that was going on at the time, you couldn’t help but feel drawn to the Na’vi who seemed to be very straight-forward, blunt and yet understanding of the situation that you and the rest of the Sarentu had faced.

So’lek, he said, was his name (‘what a lovely name’ you had thought) when you asked him while on the run from the RDA, one of the last remaining survivors of his clan. Although, everytime you think of that memory, alone and running from the RDA, you remember the fear of being separated from everyone and wondering if they were safe. After what happened to Aha’ri, you couldn’t stand anyone else being hurt. But So’lek’s voice kept you moving forward and when one of the RDA in the AMP suit caught you, holding you down as that horrible man, Mercer looked down on you, comparing you to your sister, the only thing you wished and hoped for was that So’lek would keep the Sarentu trio safe, as you almost gave up, He came out of nowhere, shooting at the RDA to save you and told you to run.

When you finally got out of the TAP facility, Pandora was nothing like what Mercer or the TAP said it was. They said that it was a terrifying, vicious, and cruel world. However, to your eyes, It was beautiful, the bright sun, the sounds of the creatures and water of the forest. It was like a new world and you couldn’t believe that you spent so long without it all.

As you walked forward, finding So’lek and the others immediately became a priority, when you finally found So’lek, he was hurt, the concern in you washed over like a wave in your chest, he must have gotten injured while protecting you. You knew at that moment that you wanted to protect him as well, taking his bow and using your Na’vi sense that So'lek told you about, made you realize how much you missed out on life, then getting the dapophet plant to heal him and fighting the RDA, gave you a feeling like no other, it made you feel that you can help, that you can be a protector as well.

However, It was when So’lek asked about your songchord, that made your heart flutter. You can still remember the conversation even though it hadn’t been that long.

“You have no songchord.” So’lek said as he got up after repositioning his shoulder, noticing that the Sarentu he seemed to run into a lot was missing a songchord. There was just something different about her, she seemed very caring and yet so strong in spirit, as he could tell as they were on the run from the RDA. “We had my mother’s, but they stole it” Your voice cracked as you said it, the pain of losing both your sister and the songchord, the only piece of your mother left still hurts you to this day.

Hearing that, So’lek felt anger and resentment flare up in his chest. Not only did they kidnap the Sarentu children, kill his clan and hurt the lands of Pandora, they had the audacity to steal something precious from a child as well. He could not explain the feeling in his chest, he wanted to do something for the Sarentu. “Then we must change that” his voice seemed to soften as he said the words and as he questioned, “What is your name Sarentu ?”.

Hearing his voice being gentle brought heat to your cheeks, and more flutterings in your chest, a feeling of happiness seemed to spread through you, “Y/N, my name is Y/N” you looked at him as your name rolled out your mouth in a hurry. Hearing it, So’lek lips curved up a tiny bit, his smile although small was gentle.

The rest went on with him making sure you understood that you must find your own way as you are a Na’vi and by doing so on your own was the way you can learn and then he finally asked you to join the resistance, hearing how he talked about the resistance made you understand why he was in it and you wanted to join them to help other Na’vi, to help save Pandora. After reaching the resistance base and meeting many new human faces, it was a breath of fresh air, they seemed so kind and you could tell that they were sincere in their welcoming and the work that they do here. The only person you still felt a bit weird with was Alma, but you discarded it as it was probably a long time of not seeing each other. She must have felt that she lost all of you after putting you all to cyro sleep.

Seeing the rest of the Sarentu trio free was another happiness that you could not describe, as you saw them as your family. With you being the second to last youngest, you looked up to Ri’nela and Nor a lot, you tried to be there for them as much as possible, to be listening ear or someone they could find comfort in, especially Nor, as he lost his best friend, your big sister. He was the only one that would rebel at the facility, trying to follow Aha’ri’s footsteps. Ri’nela, she became a big sister to you, but was always worried about what would happen if things didn’t go the way TAP wanted. Then there was the youngest, Teylan, he was like a little brother you never had, he would always hold onto your shirt when he felt overwhelmed and sometimes at night when he felt no one would notice, he would sneak into your bed and cuddle wanting to escape whatever nightmares would plague him. It was why you made a very simple doll out of one of the old clothes you had, you gave it to him saying that at times if he couldn’t see you, that he can always hold on to it to know that you’ll always be there for him. The day you gave him that, he hugged you so tightly, he didn’t let go for a long time. But it worried you how much he seemed to praise and think about Mercer.

Then you were given your first mission, take down one of the RDA facilities near the base which was polluting the land, Pneumatic Tower Echo. It felt overwhelming at first but after seeing how the land, your land, the land of Pandora, was ruined because of the RDA, a determination had stirred up in you. It was what made you destroy the RDA facility as soon as possible. In wonder you had seen Eywa had worked in mysterious ways, the land rejuvenated after the facility was destroyed, with creatures from the forest returning to the land, the flora coming back to life. Teylan called you through the radio in worry after hearing the bang, he and the others were at a flower they found. He wanted you to be there with the others so you could check it out, you had hurried over to the group, slowing down as you and the others came closer to the flower, Ri’nela had gasped in wonder, saying how that it was the flower that opens only for the Sarentu, to connect to Eywa, a Tarsyu. You had looked at it in awe, as you could only barely remember seeing the flower when you were a toddler. Finally, pulling your kuru forward, you connected to Eywa and met your ancestor Entu, the first Toruk Makto, with your will renewed, your heart became content and excited at the prospect of learning more and more about what it means to be a Sarentu.

You stopped reminiscing as you finally headed over to the armory where So’lek was at, looking over his gun. For some reason you didn’t think twice when Priya told you that So’lek was looking for you, your feet seemed to have a mind of their own. So’lek ears turned to your direction as he heard your footsteps approach him, he looked up and his lips curved up automatically, he looked proud as he said, “You did well out there”. You felt happy at his words, that you had helped the resistance in some way. As you looked over at him, you felt curious about the weapon in his hand. “Did the humans teach you their weapons too ?” you asked.

So’lek’s eyes became dull at those words, a resentment growing in his chest as his thoughts went to his clan, from when he could last remember them. You wanted to take back the words immediately, not wanting to see his eyes fill with such emptiness ever again. “No, I saw the RDA butcher my clan. Their bullets slicing them to shreds. That was my lesson.” he explained, his voice low and tense as he continued, “I know how it feels to be among the last of your people. The humans…they are like their guns. Brought here to cause pain.”

You took in his words and you honestly agreed to what he exclaimed. Guns and those strange machines just brought more destruction to Pandora, especially the humans who operated them. But you were confused as well, were the humans here at the resistance base not RDA once ? Voicing this concern of yours, he firmly replied in a hurry, “and I will not make it easy for them to forget. They are our allies now, yes. But, this is not their war. They fight for the ghost of their home world. But we fight for our home.” His words made you think about your time spent at TAP. Although the program was to ensure a healthy relation between humans and Na’vi, it never felt like that. It felt like that evil man had won, “In the end, Mercer got what he wanted, he made us into soldiers.” Your hands clenched tightly at your sides, your tail swishing, agitated and just saying it made you frustrated.

So’lek looked at the Sarentu thoughtfully, he could understand her frustration, her pain and sorrow, he could see how much she wanted to change the way things were and he felt like he wanted to help guide her on her journey, to be her helping hand, he could not explain these emotions well. So he advised her, “You are not what they made you. You are Na’vi. You will learn what that means in time. Starting with this,” he pulled something from the back of his gear, it was a songchord, “I made it for you” he passed the songchord to you, looking at it, you could feel the crack in your heart when they had stole your mother’s songchord from you lessen. You held it in your hands gently, as if it was the most precious thing in the world, which probably was as this was the first time someone, other than your sister and mother, ever made anything for you.

“My own songchord, like my mother’s…” you gently noted.

“All Na’vi wear one. It is your life’s journey for the world to see. For you to remember” He explained the significance of the songchords to you.

“Her’s had more beads on it” you exclaimed in a low tone, trying to remember what it looked like when you last saw it, before Mercer had taken it right out of your hands. You tied the songchord that So’lek had given you on your wrist and examined it carefully, noticing a bead on, your eyes looked at him curiously.

“Each bead is a moment of great importance to the wearer. I have put one in place to commemorate your first steps to freedom. Build on it. Build your own memories. Each one, a new song in your heart.” So’lek explained, noting the soft and gentle look grace the Sarentu’s face. This expression was something he hoped to see, to brighten whatever dark clouds that had been swirling in her mind.

You looked at him, hoping to convey your will to him, “I hope we can. Ri’nela really wants to try. To know what it means to be Sarentu. But at the Tarsyu…Nor seemed confused. Upset.” Thinking about it, after your sister's death, Nor took it hard and felt that it was his own fault for her death, that he did not try harder. He always used to listen closely to Aha’ri with you when she would hum the songs or tell stories of the Sarentu.

“Eywa shows us who we are. And who we can be. But she also reminds us of what has been lost. For your people, that is a heavy burden” So’lek said somberly. He then picked up his gun and started inspecting it again. “The back exit is not so exposed, he may be there.” Noting the worry on your face for Nor, he stated. You nodded with a smile at him, you were about to turn and leave when you remembered, “So’lek,” he turned his head to your voice, a slight shiver crawled up his spine at the gentle caress in the way you said his name, he could see your expression and he felt shocked at the way your eyes looked him in gratefulness. “Irayo So’lek. Thank you so much. For saving me and the others. For giving me strength. For making this songchord and the bead, I will treasure it always and I hope that I can show you my journey through it.”

You turned to leave, feeling the heat rush back to your cheeks at the honest words you blurted out to him, your feelings all over the place. However, before you left, you heard him whisper to you, so that only you would hear, “Be safe.” You felt your heart skip a beat as you nodded to him and rushed out of the base in order to search for Nor.

So’lek did not expect the Sarentu to say such heart-felt words, he had to cover his face because it felt slightly heated. He did not understand what he was feeling, as he did not feel the same with the other Sarentu trio as he did with her. Maybe it was her honest and caring nature that made him feel flustered. For now though, he decided to ignore those feelings. He needed to focus on gathering intel about those who killed his clan and defeating the RDA.

Little did either of them know, that in the future that he would not be able to ignore his feelings and that there would be a bead that represents them on her songchord.

∘ Oel ngati kameie - I see you

∘ Irayo - thanks

Thank you if you've read through to the end ! I would greatly appreciate comments on how it was and any tips to further improve my writing.

[sidekick-hero]

(steddie | explicit | 7.1k | tags: Modern AU, Sex Worker Steve, Virgin Eddie, PWP, Sub Eddie/Soft Dom Steve | written for @subeddieweek | AO3 or complete fic under the cut)

As Steve waited in an impersonal hotel room for his new client to arrive, things began to feel a little off.

In truth, the term "client" there was somewhat unconventional. Three guys had hired him to surprise their friend Eddie on his birthday.

Just moments ago, Steve had received a text message from the guys telling him that they were about to bring Eddie to this very room under the guise of getting his present. What Eddie didn't know was that Steve was going to be that present.

One of the trio, a younger man named Garrett or Gareth, had only half-jokingly suggested that Steve should greet Eddie wearing nothing but a bow around his dick. Thankfully, the others had vetoed the idea, calling it cheesy and lame and saying it would only scare Eddie off. Steve couldn't help but feel a little offended by that because the last time his dick had frightened someone away had been in high school. He had been her first and she had been too intimidated by his size. Other than that, he had never had any complaints, thank you very much.

He hadn't talked to them directly when they had asked for his services; that was Robin's domain. She handled the initial negotiations, background checks, and vetting of potential clients before Steve even learned of their existence. Trusting Robin's judgment, he assumed these men were legitimate. Yet, there was something off about the whole situation.

Their lack of experience with this kind of thing was evident, demonstrated by their inquiry about kissing etiquette like this was Pretty Woman ("you have to tell Eddie if kissing is not okay dude") and their less-than-tactful remarks. When Steve had entered the hotel room, one of them, whom they had referred to as Freak, had made a comment about Steve certainly not being Eddie’s type, prompting Garrett/Gareth to reply "Nah, he secretly likes those pretty frat boy types, he'd just never admit it".

But it had been the quiet, earnest demeanor of Jeff, the third man, that had given Steve pause. Jeff had pulled him aside with a solemn plea to be careful with Eddie.

"Hey, man, you seem like a nice guy, and your manager Robin assured us that you'd take good care of Eddie. Just. Be gentle with him. He acts tough sometimes, but he deserves someone to be sweet to him, okay?"

Steve had just nodded dumbly, thrown by the unusual request. Most of the time his clients booked him directly, and while some had asked him to fuck them soft and slow, Jeff's request had sounded different to him. As if there was something they weren’t telling him about this Eddie.

Perhaps the guy had been hurt before, scarred by a past relationship, and now he approached any kind of intimacy with trepidation. Steve had had a few women hire him to help them get over something like that, so it wasn’t totally unheard of. No men had, but then again, he had only been offering his services to men for a few months, so maybe Eddie was just the first of his male clients with these kind of issues.

If Eddie was indeed struggling with past hurts, then Steve was determined to make him feel cherished and desired once again.

Lost in his thoughts, he almost missed the sound of voices growing louder outside.

Fuck, Steve thought startled. Even though he had been waiting for them, it still came as a surprise that they were already there. One for which he felt completely unprepared, because it was only then that he began to think about how to position himself.

"I don't know why you couldn't just give it to me later or tomorrow, guys," someone said with amusement just outside the door. That must have been Eddie, he thought, and found that he liked his voice.

The next voice was Garrett/Gareth's. "Believe us, Eds, you want it now. Come on, hurry up."

"Okay, okay, fine. Since when are you more excited about me getting presents than I am?"

Steve opted for simplicity and decided to sit on the bed, leaning back with his hands behind him. It was casual and easy, but also showed off the long line of his body.

The sound of someone inserting their key card into the slot was followed by the handle being pushed down. Then the door to the room opened, revealing the lucky guy who would have him for the next two hours.

He’s pretty, was the first thing that came to Steve’s mind. Tall and slender, with a small waist and very nice arms decorated in black ink. Most stunning, however, was his face. The pale skin was a tantalizing contrast to his pink lips, dark hair framing high cheekbones and deep brown eyes that looked at him like a deer in the headlights.

Then, the door closed with a bang.

“Guys? There’s some dude sitting on my bed, you might wanna call security. I’ll hold down the door but you gotta hurry.” Eddie’s voice trembled slightly and Steve was torn between worry and amusement.

Faintly he heard the other men laughing and Eddie's indignant squeak. "What the hell are you laughing at? There`s a crazy stalker in my room! Probably armed and dangerous!"

"Oh yeah, I bet he has a big gun," Garrett/Gareth snorted, and Steve rolled his eyes at the very obvious, very bad joke. The guy probably thought he was really funny.

Eddie seemed to agree with Steve, even if unknowingly. "Har-bloody-har. Jeff, c'mon, tell me you at least take this seriously!"

This was one of those nights when Steve wished he had been smart enough, or at least ambitious enough to go to college, so he wouldn't have had to make money on the side dealing with shit like this. At least most of his clients were easier to deal with, if not as easy on the eyes as this Eddie.

"Eddie, trust me, you can open the door. He's harmless."

"How do you know?"

"Because he's your birthday present!" Freak interrupted, clearly losing patience. "Gareth's right, we should have just made him put a bow on his dick and be done with it. At least then we wouldn't be standing here arguing."

Steve wondered if they knew he could hear every word they were saying. Like everyone else in the surrounding rooms, because they weren’t exactly quiet. He just hoped nobody called the cops.

"He's... What the fuck? You can't just give someone a person, that's human trafficking!"

Obviously tired of making a scene outside a hotel room, Jeff just opened the door and pulled Eddie inside, trusting the others to follow. They did, closing the door behind them, and then they all looked at Steve, who was still sitting on the bed, regretting all his life choices that had led him there.

He gave a little wave with his fingers. "Surprise."

Eddie blinked at him, speechless, his mouth slightly ajar. Despite the situation, he remained unfairly attractive, his wide eyes stirring something in Steve that he hesitated to explore further. Steve's knowledge of Eddie was limited to his questionable choice of friends, yet he felt an inexplicable urge to shield him from the world, to keep him safe. The urge was unexpected in itself, but even more so in the intensity with which it hit him.

"This is Steve," Gareth introduced, stumbling over his words. "And, uh, well, he... yeah. Guys?" Gareth glanced around, hoping for support from the others, but they remained silent.

With the air of someone who didn’t expect any different, Steve rose from his spot on the bed and approached Eddie. As he stood before him, Steve was enveloped in a mixture of clean body spray, shampoo, and a faint whiff of cigarette smoke. Eddie's eyes, even larger up close, held a warm hue that was quite captivating.

Steve flashed a smile, aiming for a blend of reassurance and flirtation.

"I'm Steve, and for the next two hours, I can be whatever you need," he declared, though technically, twenty minutes had already elapsed. Nevertheless, for Eddie, Steve was willing to make an exception.

Eddie, inexplicably, horrifyingly, burst out laughing before slapping a hand over his own mouth, his eyes even wider than before as they looked at Steve in abject horror.

"Oh my God, I am so sorry. I wasn't laughing at you, it's just this whole situation is so... and then that sounded like... I feel like I stumbled into a porn plot."

Eddie looked embarrassed by his reaction, but Steve had to agree. It all felt a little ridiculous all of a sudden and he thought he could use that to his advantage, to make Eddie feel more comfortable.

"I guess you're not wrong," Steve laughed playfully, rubbing a hand across his neck. "That was a line that could have come out of a bad porno. Let me try again." He took Eddie's hand in his own and gave him a smile, a real one this time. "Hi, I'm Steve, and your friends hired me to be your birthday present. What that means is that I'm here to make sure you have a good time, a great one even. Just tell me what you'd like to do, as long as it's nothing crazy, I'm in. I don't do pain play, nothing that leaves bruises or cuts, no breath play, no hard kink of any kind and no barebacking."

"Oh my God, you are here as a sex gift," Eddie exclaimed way too loudly as Steve finished listing the things he wouldn't do, turning even paler. Steve was so focused on Eddie that he hadn’t even noticed the other men leaving the room, but upon seeing Eddie's shocked reaction, he realized they were already gone.

"I can't believe they hired a sex worker to deflower me. I told them to leave it the fuck alone. God, this is so fucking embarrassing," Eddie whined, burying his face in his hands with a long and anguished groan.

It tugged at Steve's heartstrings, the way Eddie pulled away from him, clearly embarrassed. His first instinct was to pull him into his arms and tell him it was okay, that Steve got him. But Eddie's words continued to ring in his ears as the puzzle pieces began to fall into place. Deflower me. As in, he was supposed to take Eddie's virginity. That's why the others had been so weird about it, and why Eddie had been so shocked and clueless when he found him in his room.

Jeff's words came back to him, "be gentle with him" and "he deserves someone to be sweet to him". It wasn't that Eddie was necessarily recovering from past hurts, but that there were no past experiences. Or maybe there had been, and that was why he had never gone all the way. Because looking at him, Steve had a hard time understanding how anyone could not want to sleep with Eddie.

"Eddie," Steve tried gently, "are you...have you ever had sex with anyone?"

Peering at Steve through his fingers, Eddie shook his head.

"Did you, I mean, have you done things like handjobs, blowjobs, anything like that?"

Another anguished groan as Eddie shook his head again.

"Making out? Kissing?" Steve had to know what he was working with here, because the last thing he wanted was to do something Eddie wasn't ready for.

This at least made Eddie lower his hands so that Steve could see the expression on his face. He looked even more embarrassed, his flushed cheeks red, but there was some indignation in his eyes. "I've kissed before. And made out with someone. Well, above the waist. And fully clothed. But it still counts!"

Eddie's voice sounded almost pleading and it left Steve aching for him. He had no idea why someone as gorgeous as Eddie hadn't had sex yet, but he knew he shouldn't act like there was something wrong with him because of it.

"Hey, man, it's okay. Really, I'm not judging you," Steve tried to reassure him. He was tempted to reach out and offer some physical comfort as well, but he wasn't sure how welcome that would be as Eddie laughed bitterly at his words.

"Oh, please. I'm judging me! I'm turning 30 today and no one's even touched my dick. I'm pathetic."

Steve did reach out to him then, placing a comforting hand on Eddie's shoulder. "Hey, come on now. There's nothing pathetic about it. Everyone's journey is different, and there's no rush."

Eddie sighed, his shoulders slumping under Steve's touch. "Easy for you to say. You've probably had more action than you can count."

Steve chuckled softly. "Maybe, but that doesn’t mean anything. Quality over quantity, right?"

Eddie gave him a weak smile, but the tension in his expression remained. "I just feel like I missed out on something, you know? I grew up in a small and even more small-minded town in Indiana where it was impossible to find another gay kid without risking getting beaten up or worse. They had it out for me anyway because...well, it doesn't matter. By the time I finally left and moved to Chicago, I was 21 and hadn't even kissed anyone except Lisa Green in eighth grade, which only confirmed what I already suspected. I made out with a few guys in clubs and bars here, but it always felt... wrong. I didn't need to be romanced or anything, but I just... I wanted to feel some kind of connection, y'know? But anyone who wanted to date me, I was too scared to tell them that I had no experience whatsoever, too in my head about it. And before I know it, I'm 30 years old and my friends are hiring an incredibly hot guy to pity-fuck me."

Steve nodded sympathetically. "It's not a pity fuck, Eddie. But I get it. Just, believe me, sex isn't everything. And it's definitely not a measure of your worth."

Eddie let out a bitter laugh. "Tell that to my libido."

Steve couldn't help but laugh along with him. "Fair point. But seriously, Eddie, there's nothing wrong with taking your time. When the right moment comes along, you'll know.”

With an expression of utter defeat, Eddie mumbled. “Figured not even someone getting paid for it would want to sleep with me.” Then, he turned around and walked over to the door. “I’m sorry I wasted your time, Steve. Thank you for being so nice.”

“Whoa, wait a second. I never said I don’t wanna sleep with you. I just assumed, y’know, that you’d want to wait for the right guy.”

Eddie looked like a kicked puppy. “It’s fine Steve, I understand. There’s nothing sexy about a 30 year old virgin, you don’t have to lie.” Then, hanging his head, he pulled his shoulders up to his ears and put his hands in his pockets, making himself as small as humanly possible while still standing.

Steve couldn't stand to see Eddie so down on himself any longer, so he decided to show him exactly how much he wanted to sleep with him by simply pulling his shirt over his head, leaving him naked from the waist up. Then he reached down, unzipped his pants and stepped out of them as well, so that he was standing in front of Eddie in nothing but his underwear. He hoped to make himself at least a quarter as vulnerable as Eddie must have felt at that moment.

"Eddie, please look at me." When Eddie did, his eyes roamed over Steve's body as if he couldn't help himself, and Steve felt their gaze like a physical touch. He was accustomed to people looking at him with hunger and desire, and while Eddie's face showed signs of both, there was something else in his expression—a hint of longing, if Steve were pressed to put a name to it.

As the seconds ticked by, Steve wondered if Eddie would ever grow tired of drinking him in, since he showed no signs of being done anytime soon. But Steve began to suspect that maybe Eddie wasn't doing anything else because he didn't know what or how, so Steve had to take the lead here.

Closing the distance between them, he took Eddie's hands again, but this time he didn't hold them; he placed them on his hips. "You can touch me, Eddie. I want you to. I want you. So if you want me too, all you have to do is tell me." When Eddie continued to look at him wide-eyed, Steve asked him in his softest, most encouraging voice, "What do you want, Eddie?"

"I don't know." Eddie's hands on his hips trembled slightly, but his grip tightened, thumbs running up and down Steve's flanks. "You. Whatever you want."

Well, that was easy. "I want to make you feel good. Can I?"

"Please."

No one had ever looked at Steve the way Eddie did at that moment. It was as if Steve was the last drop of water in the desert—not like he wanted Steve, but like he needed him.

Steve cupped his face in his hands and pulled him close, whispering in the infinitesimal space between them, "I got you, baby," before sealing their lips in a tender kiss.

True to his words, Eddie kissed him back as if he had kissed people before, even if not very often. His lips still moved a little awkwardly against Steve's, but what he lacked in experience he made up for in feeling. Not even his actual girlfriends had ever kissed him the way Eddie was kissing him right now - like he couldn't believe he was allowed to do it, wavering between greedy hunger and grateful adoration that made Steve's head spin.

As they kissed, Steve felt a rush of warmth flood through him, a sensation he hadn't experienced in a long time. It was more than just physical attraction; there were the first stirrings of an emotional connection forming between them, one that felt utterly inappropriate within the confines of their current situation.

On the other hand, Steve reasoned with himself, Eddie deserved someone who would be sweet to him, as Jeff had put it. Given how he was starting to feel about Eddie, that wasn't going to be a challenge at all.

Breaking the kiss reluctantly, Steve rested his forehead against Eddie's, their breaths mingling in the space between them. "You're amazing, Eddie," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.

Eddie's cheeks flushed a deeper shade of pink and he smiled shyly. "Thank you. You're not so bad yourself."

Steve chuckled softly, a warmth spreading in his chest at Eddie's response. "What do you say we take this to the bed?"

Eddie nodded eagerly, his eyes shining with a mixture of excitement and nervousness. "Yeah, I'd like that."

"Good," Steve said, taking Eddie by the hips as well and beginning to slowly walk them backwards, their eyes never leaving each other's.

As they made their way to the bed, Steve's heart pounded with anticipation. He couldn't shake the feeling that this was a pivotal moment, one that could change everything for him.

Once they reached the bed, Steve gently guided Eddie to sit down, their knees touching as they faced each other. The air between them crackled with tension, charged with the promise of what was to come.

Steve took Eddie's hands in his own, his touch gentle yet firm. "Eddie, I want you to know that we don't have to do anything you're not comfortable with," he said softly, wanting to reassure him.

Eddie met his gaze with a mixture of gratitude and desire. "I trust you, Steve," he replied, his voice filled with sincerity. Steve had no idea how Eddie could trust him so easily after just meeting him, but he vowed to do right by him and not betray the trust placed in him.

With a gentle smile, Steve leaned in to kiss Eddie again, his lips meeting Eddie's with a tender urgency. This time Steve took the opportunity to deepen the kiss, sliding his tongue into the wet heat of Eddie's mouth, gently coaxing Eddie to join him in exploring each other.

The first tentative touch of Eddie's tongue to his own sent sparks of electricity through him and he would have been embarrassed by the moan that fell from his lips had it not been for the almost violent shudder that went through Eddie at the simple touch. When their lips parted, Steve glanced at the other man and found him looking tense, his hands clenched into fists on his thighs, and suddenly his reaction made sense.

"Baby, you can touch me. Don't hold back, I want you to show me how good I make you feel."

Closing his eyes with a pained expression, Eddie sighed deeply, defeated. "I feel like I don't know how. I don't want to mess it up. I mean, you must be used to incredible sex and then there's me, probably accidentally pinching you or something."

"Eddie," Steve said, wrapping his own hands around Eddie's clenched ones, "I'm sorry to break it to you, but you'll never learn if you don't try. It's like riding a bike. You can't learn it in theory, you have to get on it and ride it." And because Steve worried that might have been a little harsh, he added: "I'm your training wheels, and after tonight you can upgrade to a bike without them." Uncurling Eddie's hands and intertwining their fingers, Steve nudged their shoulders together. "Soooo. Wanna go for a ride?"

Eddie's lips twitched into a small smile at Steve's analogy, and some of the tension seemed to ease from his shoulders. "Okay, maybe I can give it a try," he said, his voice uncertain but determined.

Steve couldn't help but admire Eddie's bravery in the face of his own insecurities. He leaned in to press a gentle kiss against Eddie's forehead, offering silent encouragement.

With a deep breath, Eddie tentatively began to explore Steve's body, his touch hesitant yet eager. Steve guided him with soft murmurs of encouragement, reassuring him every step of the way.

At some point, Steve shifted back onto the bed and lay down on the sheets, offering more of himself to Eddie's curious hands. They were especially drawn to his chest, scratching the thick hair, and when Steve made an appreciative sound, Eddie let them wander to Steve's nipples.

"Start slow, run your thumb over them." Eddie did as Steve told him, and Steve noticed how every encouragement from him seemed to hit Eddie with another wave of arousal. His eyes darkened even more after Steve told him, "Just like that, baby. You're doing so good, learning so fast. Now try adding some spit so your thumb glides easier."

Eddie had been eagerly and obediently following his instructions the whole time, so Steve wasn't surprised when he immediately went to put Steve's latest order into action. What he didn't expect, however, was that Eddie would simply put his mouth on his nipple instead of wetting his thumb with it.

"Fuck," he moaned, his hands digging into Eddie's hair without his conscious decision, desperately trying to keep his mouth on his chest. "So good for me, such a good boy, just like that."

His words only spurred Eddie on, who moaned needily at his words, and as his confidence grew, so did his boldness. Steve felt the first tentative touch of teeth against his skin, setting his nerves on fire, and he encouraged Eddie to keep going by tugging at his curls. "Harder, baby."

Being the wonderful, beautiful, good boy that he was, Eddie went harder, his teeth making sure to leave marks on his chest. It was an intoxicating feeling to be laid out here, almost naked, while Eddie was still fully clothed, and yet it was Steve who was in control.

So far he had been able to ignore his cock, hard and heavy and leaking into his trunks. But it was getting harder and harder, pun intended, to keep his need for relief in check. It wasn't often that a client made him feel like he was about to lose his mind with lust, but Eddie was shaping up to be his exception in so many ways.

"Baby, you're incredible. I'm so hard for you, I need you to touch me or I'll lose my goddamn mind."

That finally gave Eddie pause. Pulling back from his mission to cover every inch of Steve's chest in bruises and bite marks, he lifted his head and looked down at where Steve's hard cock was obscenely tenting his trunks.

Watching Eddie wet his lips with his tongue, Steve decided to take a chance. "Can you take them off for me, darling? They're getting awfully uncomfortable."

That startled Eddie out of his silent reverie, his big brown eyes, which had captivated Steve from the start, turning to him. "You mean..."

"Only if you want to. We're not doing anything you're not ready for," Steve made sure to reassure him once again that while Steve was taking the lead here, Eddie was the one calling the shots. If he told him to stop, Steve would, no questions asked. "But if you're afraid of getting it wrong, I want you to know that nothing has ever felt as right as your hands and mouth on me. You couldn't get it wrong if you tried, baby."

It seemed to be just the right thing to say because Eddie leaned down to capture Steve's lips in another kiss, his weight balanced on his forearm next to Steve's head. His hand, still resting on Steve's chest, began to move again, fingertips dancing across his ribs and down his stomach until they reached their destination just above his waistband.

Eddie had moved to lie more comfortably next to Steve when he had let his hands and mouth map Steve's body, but now he positioned himself next to Steve's knees.

He looked up at Steve as his fingers curled around the waistband of his trunks, and tougher men than Steve would have had a hard time not falling in love with him right then and there. His lips, still slick with spit from their kiss, were slightly parted while his bottomless eyes looked at Steve with something akin to worship. Steve's fingers had done a great job of making his dark curls look even messier, and he was almost as proud of that as he was of the red flush that adorned Eddie's throat and cheeks.

"Do it," he order-pleaded, and Eddie listened as he had all night, pulling down Steve’s last piece of clothing and throwing it on the floor next to the bed.

The expression on his face was almost comical, breaking the thick tension in the room for a moment. Steve knew he wasn't exactly small. Not even average, but it had been a while since anyone had stared at his dick like it was a venomous snake.

"It won't bite you, I promise," he joked as the silence between them stretched on.

That at least got a snort out of Eddie, even if his eyes were still glued to his hard and leaking cock, which didn't seem to mind being stared at with a mixture of apprehension and wonder.

"I know that. It's just..." Eddie began before trailing off.

A thought occurred to Steve. "You've seen a dick before, right?"

In retrospect it might have been a bit insulting and a lot stupid to ask, but then again this wasn't exactly his area of expertise.

"Yes, Steve. Besides my own, I've seen dicks. Just not... y'know... a monster dick like that. I mean, fuck. Are you sure this thing will even fit?"

His first reaction was to laugh, because Eddie was funny and adorable in his incredulity, but the laughter died rather quickly as the rest of his words registered with Steve.

"Fit? As in - do you want me to fuck you?"

That finally made Eddie blink up at him, tilting his head like a confused puppy. "Um, yeah? I thought that was the plan all along."

It wasn't. Steve thought he'd show Eddie the ropes, how to handle another body, so he could experience his first time with someone he genuinely cared about. Not that Steve had that when he lost his virginity, but he thought Eddie deserved it.

But if Eddie was sure, Steve was more than happy to oblige. "Just checking in. And don't worry. It'll fit. It always has, it just takes a little patience and a lot of lube." When Eddie still looked a little doubtful, he added, "Do you trust me?"

"Yes." No hesitation, and that made the dangerous feeling in his chest glow brighter.

"Good, that makes it even easier. You need to be comfortable, relaxed. The more you can let go, the easier it will be."

Eddie nodded, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed. "Okay, Steve. You're the expert. I trust you. Just. Remember, I have no idea what I'm doing, okay?"

Steve sat up and cupped Eddie's cheek in his hand. "I know, and I'll take good care of you, I promise," Steve promised, sealing it with a kiss.

After they parted, he tugged at Eddie's shirt. "You're awfully overdressed, sweetheart. Mind if I help you get out of these?"

With Eddie's consent, Steve undresses him, slowly, reverently. He removed each piece of clothing with the same care as he would handle a precious gem, his hands gentle, making sure to appreciate every inch of skin that was revealed to him. And after his hands have had their fill, his mouth follows, his lips branding his ownership in invisible writing all over Eddie's body.

He paid special attention to Eddie's tattoos, and when he found the nipple piercings, Steve's brain short-circuited. He only stopped playing with them when Eddie was writhing and whimpering from the stimulation, his arousal clear in the way sweat slicked his skin and the outline of his hard cock was visible through his skin-tight jeans.

"Steve, please," he begged, and Steve was pretty sure Eddie didn't even know for what.

"Shh, I got you, baby," Steve had cooed in reply before continuing his mission to get Eddie naked and under him.

Soon the positions were reversed and Eddie was spread out on the bed, naked and wanting, while Steve was kneeling beside him, his hand stroking Eddie's thigh soothingly as he drank him in.

"Fuck, Eddie, I wish you could see yourself right now. You're so fucking beautiful, the prettiest thing I've ever seen. I can't believe you let me have you."

Eddie squirmed, clearly turned on but still self-conscious. Steve vowed to make the latter go away and replace it with nothing but mindless pleasure, helping Eddie let go and float on all the good feelings Steve would make him feel.

He had gotten the lube and a condom out of his bag while Eddie had made himself comfortable, placing them both next to them on the bed. Now he spread some lube on his fingers and warmed it up as he moved to climb between Eddie's legs. His own cock had gone back to half hard, but showed some renewed interest when Eddie immediately spread his legs wider to make room for him.

"Such a good boy, you're just perfect, you know that?"

Then Steve rewarded his good boy with the first finger in his virgin whole. He didn't want it to matter, and it didn't, not in the way Eddie thought it would. But the thought that he was the first to see Eddie like that, to feel him clench around the foreign intrusion before slowly, gradually relaxing as Steve continued to stroke the inside of his thigh with his other hand? It all made more heat pool in his groin, his cock full and heavy again between his own legs.

"That's it," Steve encouraged him as his finger sank in to his knuckle, " taking it so well. How does it feel, baby?"

"Weird," Eddie said truthfully, before wriggling his hips. "Full. Not bad, just. Weird."

Steve took that as all the encouragement he needed to start pumping the finger in and out in imitation of what he planned to do to Eddie with his cock. It went easily and soon Eddie was matching his thrusts with his hips. "That's right, take what you need. You look so good fucking yourself on my finger, sweetheart. You'll look even better on my cock."

Judging that Eddie was ready for a second finger, he leaned forward and softly called for Eddie to look at him. When he did, lifting his head from where he had pressed it into the pillow, Steve caught his eyes and held them as he slowly closed his lips around Eddie's hard cock, taking it into his mouth inch by delicious inch.

It worked like a charm as Eddie was too busy throwing his head back with a broken moan to even notice Steve adding another finger. It was only when he started pumping both fingers in and out while still licking and sucking on Eddie's cock like his favorite ice cream that Eddie seemed to notice, tightening around him for a moment before relaxing again.

Steve rewarded him with a clever swirl of his tongue and a well-aimed crook of his fingers that made Eddie scream.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, what the fuck was that," Eddie gasped as Steve pulled off of him with an obscenely wet sound.

With a third finger prodding at Eddie's slick hole, Steve grinned up at him. "Your prostate."

"I thought that was a myth."

"Nope, not a myth. Just hard to reach by yourself."

He took Eddie back into his mouth, his finger persistently nudging at his entrance until it finally slipped in alongside his other two fingers. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Eddie balling the sheets in his clenched fists, trying not to thrash around too much. The thought of feeling that around his cock was almost too much, as Eddie was incredibly responsive and Steve had to think of something unpleasant for a second to calm himself.

Steve continued to blow and finger Eddie until he could feel Eddie's cock hardening even more in his mouth, signaling his impending orgasm. His three fingers sank into him like a warm knife into butter, no resistance whatsoever, so Steve considered Eddie ready to try and take his 'monster dick' as he had so eloquently put it earlier.

Eddie's whimper as he pulled his fingers out of his body sounded desperate, and when Steve also pulled off his dick, Eddie was right back to begging.

"Please, Steve, I was so close, so fucking close, I need you, please," he babbled, exactly in that mindless place where only his own pleasure mattered instead of his own insecurities.

In a true display of multi-tasking, Steve managed to stroke Eddie's thigh soothingly while simultaneously ripping the condom wrapper open with his teeth. It was almost a shame that Eddie was so far gone that he didn't even notice.

Next time, Steve thought, immediately chastising himself for getting ahead of himself. There was no guarantee that Eddie would want to go out with the guy his friends had paid to deflower him.

"Shh, baby, almost there, just getting ready to make you feel really good. I can't wait to be inside you, Eddie, you have no idea."

Slicking his condom-covered cock, Steve took a pillow from the bed and placed it under Eddie's hips before wrapping Eddie's right leg around his waist as he positioned himself. Eddie looked up at him with dazed eyes, like he was still floating somewhere, not quite here. And even though Steve wanted him to remain there, he needed Eddie's attention right now.

"Sweetheart, I need you to listen to me, can you do that?" He could tell it was a struggle, but shaking his head like he was clearing cowebs, Eddie came back to him. "Thanks, baby, you're still so good for me, aren't you?" Eddie nodded eagerly and Steve continued. "I need you to be a good boy and do what I tell you. When I push in, I need you to press down on it as if you were trying to push me out. Can you try that?" Another nod, this one firm, determined. "And breathe, baby, deep breaths. I got you, we'll take it as slow as you need."

And with that, Steve began to push in, trusting Eddie to work with him. And he did, beautifully, doing exactly what Steve told him to do. Still, it was clear that it was a lot to take, his cock even thicker and longer than his three fingers. It was slow going, every inch fought for, and by the time Steve was halfway in they were both covered in sweat, so Steve decided to take a short break.

Eddie was having none of it, though, and looked up at him pleadingly. "Steve? Please don't stop. I want you inside."

"But I am already inside," Steve reminded him, as if Eddie had forgotten how he was being impaled on Steve's cock right now.

"More." Reaching out for Steve with his hand, Eddie replied with only one word, but it was enough to make Steve fall forward, inadvertently sinking a little further.

He didn't try to stop again.

Then, finally, blessedly, Steve sank all the way in, Eddie's muscles relaxing enough to let him in entirely. It wasn't his first time, far from it, but it could very well have been from the way it made him feel to be enveloped in Eddie's tight heat. Steve couldn't tell who was looking more starry-eyed, Eddie or him, as they stared at each other in wonder.

"You feel," Steve began, suddenly at a loss for words. "Like nothing I've ever felt before."

"Move," Eddie pleaded in reply, his eyes traitorously bright. "Please, Steve."

Steve could never deny him, not when he begged like that, so he simply kissed Eddie's cheek, his nose, and then his lips as his hips withdrew before sinking back in. Picking up a slow and easy rhythm, Steve began to move and soon Eddie was meeting him thrust for thrust.

They moved together in a slow, sensual dance, each touch and caress igniting a fire within them. Each thrust tore another sound from their throats, muffled by each other's lips, because try as he might, he couldn't stop kissing Eddie. And as they lost themselves in the heat of the moment, Steve knew he wouldn't come back from it unchanged. He already felt a sense of connection unlike anything he had ever experienced before. It was as if they were two pieces of a puzzle finally coming together, fitting perfectly.

He just hoped that Eddie felt the same, that it wasn't just the magic of firsts that made him gasp and beg and say things that made Steve's heart soar as much as his cock twitch.

"Steve, Steve, Steve," he cried, his voice cracking, "oh God, I never thought...fuck," another moan as Steve hit his prostate once more. "How do people do anything but this?" Eddie marveled as he tightened around Steve, desperately wanting him to press against that wonderful spot inside him. "I never want to leave this bed again, just let you fuck me all day long."

Oh, how much Steve would love that too. To stop himself from saying something crazy like 'yes, please move in with me so we can fuck as often as possible', he reached for Eddie's hand on his hip and intertwined their fingers next to Eddie's head, squeezing his hand instead of spilling all his messy feelings.

The new position had him sinking further down on Eddie, Eddie's hard cock trapped between their bellies and the added friction had him gasping and panting. "Fuck, Steve, I'm so close."

"Yeah, me too, baby. Can you be a good boy and hold on a little longer for me?"

Unable to form any more words, Eddie just nodded. Steve rewarded him with another deep kiss as his hips picked up speed, his thrusting becoming more powerful as he finally allowed himself to chase his own pleasure. He wanted, needed them to come together, and judging by the copious amount of pre-cum smeared against their bellies and the way Eddie's cock kept twitching, Eddie was really close.

As he felt the telltale signs of his own orgasm spreading through him, his balls tightening and the feeling of a coil in his groin being pulled tight enough to snap at any moment, he lowered his face to Eddie's ear, took the lobe between his teeth and tugged at it to get his attention. Then, putting every ounce of heat, lust and desire he felt right now into his voice, he rasped, "Come for me, baby."

Without a hand on him, Eddie came with a sound that burned itself into Steve's memory and would surely haunt his dreams for weeks and months to come.

Overwhelmed by Eddie's sounds as he lost himself in his own pleasure, his hips bucking and grinding, Steve couldn't help but follow him over the edge. When he finally came, it was almost painful in its intensity and he could barely keep himself upright.

It took him an embarrassingly long time to catch his breath, and even longer to pull himself away from Eddie long enough to get rid of the condom and fetch a washcloth from the bathroom to clean the cum from their bellies and chests.

Then he turned off the light, crawled back into bed with Eddie and pulled the covers over them before drawing Eddie into his arms, who went willingly, still suspiciously quiet. Steve would have been more concerned had it not been for the dazed smile on his face, so he decided to let him be for the moment, basking in the afterglow as he continued to stroke Eddie's back.

What felt like hours later, as they lay tangled in each other's arms, bathed in the soft glow of moonlight filtering through the window, Steve pressed a gentle kiss to Eddie's temple, feeling a surge of affection and contentment wash over him.

"I'm glad you decided to go for that ride," he whispered, warmth coloring his voice.

Eddie snuggled closer, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Me too," he murmured, his voice filled with a mixture of happiness and wonder.

And as they drifted off to sleep, wrapped in each other's embrace, Steve knew he had found something truly special in Eddie. Tomorrow he would tell Robin to give the guys their money back because Eddie hadn't been a client from the start. It was way too soon to even think about it, but deep down he hoped that theirs would be the kind of love that was as beautiful and enduring as the stars in the night sky.

[a-land-lacking-sleep]

A brief thought on the parallels of the Subway Bosses, The Tao Trio, and Warden Ingo's place

@waywardstation just made an amazing post on her thoughts of Warden Ingo's parallels to Kyurem. Nothing in the game directly connects the two, just like nothing in the game connects the Subway Bosses to the Dragons in Generation V. But the connections are still there regardless, because Game Freak made sure to fill Unova with so much symbolism.

These are the basic thoughts that connect each Man to their Dragon.

Subway Boss Ingo - Ideals; Aspire to greatness, never give up in your journey

Subway Boss Emmet - Truth; You are who you are, there is no need for a mask

Warden Ingo - Void; What is there when you lose who you are? No drive for greatness, nothing to mask. Ideals, Truths, nothing matters except the ground beneath your feet.

In each game that they appear, Ingo and Emmet are relatively flat characters. In Gen 5, they have enough personality to stick in your mind, and nothing past. And in PLA, Ingo's whole personality is "I lost my memory and am depressed, but have hope". Instead, we end up looking at word choice, and in the Subway Bosses cases, other media.

Subway Boss Ingo, across most media, embodies Ideals. He has his eyes to the future, always pushing himself and others to continue onwards. He frames battling and training as a journey ("What can I see after winning, winning, and winning? Where is my destination?"; "Your talent has brought you to the destination called Victory!"; "There is no terminal called End in your life!"), most often when he is victorious. He seeks to create his Ideal self, and wants to push others to do the same.

This comes up in Pokemon Masters EX as well, where the "no terminal" line returns (in an appropriately spooky tone), he also spends time in the Day With Ingo story event talking about how he seeks to better himself and "break through the mold of [his] past self". This event is also the first time he mentions the phrase "greater heights", which appears another 6 times in various snippets in Masters. And finally, we have a triple whammy of travel metaphors for growth in his level up lines.

For Subway Boss Emmet, his connection to Truth is admittedly a bit more tenuous. He doesn't have any tendency for truth-seeking or investigations (outside of the famous behavior in the manga where he likes to eavesdrop on drama, which gossip isn't exactly truthful), but what he has is a strong showing of being truthful, even if he ends up being blunt or disrespectful.

As a consequence of his writing in Japanese giving him a very casual way of speaking, the English translation has him speak in shorter clips, just the bare essentials. The naked truths of his thoughts. He doesn't seek the Truth, or give a Universal Truth; Emmet is True to himself and to those around him. (As a side note, I love when people give power to other usages of the word True through Reshiram. I did it in my fic with a turn of phrase, but I've seen it done beautifully in other works too).

In Pokemon Special, Emmet doesn't hide the truth of why they asked White to train on the Battle Subway ("We're studying you as an example of a Trainer who gets overwhelmed and loses every battle!" "That's not nice, Emmet."), not because he is intending to be rude (Ok, a little bit), but because that *is* what they are using her for. In the games, he speaks of how Pokemon battles can be decided on luck ("I won against you. But I think I just got lucky."), because the Truth of the matter is, you can be highly trained and just have a bad day or get hit by a critical hit. But, most importantly, he believes that battles must be serious for them to be fun. Because what fun is there in putting up a fake fight, when you could just be True to yourself?

Now, to speak on the connection of Warden Ingo to Kyurem, we must first understand what Kyurem is to Zekrom and Reshiram. On a surface level, it is a Husk, a leftover revenant that can be reassembled into a simulacrum of the Original being. But looking into the actual symbolism of them all is where you find threads of connection to the Warden.

Reshiram, the Dragon of Yin, is representative of a more static element, receptive of change but passive in how it does so. It is a recursive existence that reaches out and pulls back towards itself - Everyone has an individual Truth, but that is still able to be changed by The Truth. However, one does not go out and change The Truth, only altering the perception of it while it passively exists. You cannot change what is already there, only create something new. In comparison, Emmet is never really shown to focus on the future, but rather on the present. He knows of the Truth in his life, and while it can be changed by present actions, he knows that he cannot go back to change it, so there is no need to try, or to hide it.

Zekrom, the Dragon of Yang, is active, ever expanding, and pushes up against those around it in it's search for Ideals. Ideals cause you to seek out a goal, to leave your home, your comfort zone, and push away from the past. To represent Ideals is to be in constant flux; Settling into a form makes you into a Truth, as an Ideal is a goal, something attainable, yet unreachable. We've gone over Ingo's future-forward gaze, constantly thinking about what is to come. Life is a journey, and every step you take in life is a step to self-improvement.

Kyurem is a Husk, a Shell. According to Bulbapedia, it is representative of Wuji ("Without a roof"), the absense of Yin and Yang, or "The Ultimate Nothingness". For this reason, I personally also attribute to it Mu, a concept of non-existence and negative space, specifically the lack of something normally there (modern Japanese actually uses "mu-" as a prefix the same way English has the suffix "-less"). Interestingly, the Japanese transliteration of Wuji is "Mukyoku" (lit. Non-polar, another translation of Wuji), connecting the two concepts neatly. In short, Kyurem represents Nothing and Everything.

Kyurem was supposedly the Original Dragon, the deity of Unova that represented Truths and Ideals in unison, a embodiment of Yin and Yang's harmony. In a sense, the Original Dragon was an embodiment of Everything, Unova's spirit of unity. Then, with the war between the Twin Princes (another pair also frequently compared to Ingo and Emmet, in case you think I forgot my boys), it was split into 2, but secretly 3, parts. This third secret part became Kyurem, a being lacking in its original qualities, leaving Nothing but the Husk.

Now, finally, we can get to everyone's favorite uncle, Warden Ingo. His connection to Kyurem is probably the least intentional of them all (which is saying something, because I'm honestly convinced that the Subway Bosses' own connections aren't intentional, but rather just a result of how Unova games were written with Truth vs. Ideal being ingrained heavily), but there still is one. As Wayward says in her fateful post, "Warden Ingo is an empty husk of who he once was ever since he was separated from his life, and from Emmet." Ingo as the Subway Boss may not have embodies the Everything that the Original Dragon has, but pairing with Emmet so closely still meant that Truth and Ideals mixed so cleanly that it might as well have been Everything.

However, the most important connection for Warden Ingo are the concepts of Wuji and Mu. To be "the Ultimate Nothingness" or "Non-Polar" means to be devoid of Everything, yet still have the capability to be far more than Nothing. The singular concept of Mu may mean that Warden Ingo is missing who he is and was, but that is not who we grow know in the game; We connect with a man who is slowly piecing together his sense of self, remembering facets of his past and growing happier with who he can be. Thus, the Mu transitions into Wuji, a void that isn't Empty so much as lacking.

The importance of distinction is that Mu is by nature Empty, while Wuji is Empty and Everything, limitless and confined. Similarly, Ingo is devoid of what made him him (His drive for self-improvement is impaired, even while he pushes the player to climb to greater heights), but becomes something new in the meta-narrative of the story. His actual, plot-related story ends when you quell Electrode and he becomes a challengeable NPC at the Training Grounds, but he becomes something of a kindred spirit in the greater plot of the game. He's like you, a Faller who has lost themselves, and also like you, an avid battler who pushes the system to it's limits (especially in the Path of Solitude).

In short, the connection between Kyurem and Warden Ingo isn't anything in the text, as Kyurem has no explicit in-game theming attached to it like Zekrom and Reshiram, and Warden Ingo doesn't have strong philosophical points that seeps out of the words he says to you. But when you look at the meta-theming for Kyurem, and subsequently Warden Ingo's meta-narrative, the connections become clearer.

Does some of this make no sense? Of course! A lot of this is extrapolating what was said in Wayward's post, and what came from my head as I thought of it. A lot of the connections of the twins to the Dragons has been discussed since 2010, but for all intents and purposes, Warden Ingo is a different character from Subway Boss Ingo. Narratively, he is the same person, hence why his appearance is a tragedy in Legends Arceus, one which we never get to solve. But on a meta level, he functions so differently, and lives so differently, that the themes he inhabits do not match up to the Subway Boss in any way. To end this on a sad note, Warden Ingo is exactly like Kyurem - Broken. He has lost what made him whole, and we've been shown that just reinserting Ideals isn't enough. Hopefully, if Game Freak decides to touch upon the Warden once more, we can find a way to reinsert his Truths as well.

[queenie-avenue]

Sent from Below, Fell from Above. [pt.1]

—> an angel meets the demon who killed her all those years ago.

⤻ reader is a female, reader is a bunny-type angel(?), canon-typical cursing, very bad use of 1920s slang, reader takes part in the 'welcome to heaven' song, i even wrote an extra verse, heavily inspired by @jazjelspen 's angel baby fic, death, betrayal, angst, spoilers for all of hazbin hotel season one, alastor went up with vaggie and charlie to heaven in this fic, will be a series

The pearly gates of hell shone brightly as you stood there, waiting to welcome in any winners that may have unfortunately just died. Saint Peter had been out for hours by now and looked like he might just have collapsed from how exhausted he was. Like the angel that you were, you let him go take a break while you manned the podium. After all, you had done so multiple times already in the hundred years you've been in heaven!

Just then, you watched as a portal opened up, seemingly out of nowhere. You put on your best smile and waited to greet them.

"Look at this place, Vaggie, Alastor! It's so clean!" Your smile faltered for a moment. Not because of the familliar name — you had long since gotten rid of your fear regarding that name — but because people who just died wouldn't act that way.

"Yeah, super cool." The girl beside her mumbled as she dragged her feet over towards the stand.

As for the man at the back, all dressed in red, he hummed as he walked towards the glowing gates of heaven.

"Hello there!" You greeted, making sure your halo was glowing as bright as possible. "Welcome to heaven, darlings. Could I get your name, please?" You asked politely, pulling out the book of names Saint Peter had entrusted you with.

You stared at the trio ahead of you. A tall gal dressed in a suit with rosy red cheeks that almost made her look like a doll, another doll by her side that had ashen-grey skin and a giant x over her eye, poor thing she must have lost it when she died. And the man that accompanied the two ladies, standing at the back in a dapper looking suit.

"Charlie... Morningstar." The girl in the red suit said.

You nodded your head. "Charlie Morningstar." You drawled out the name, opening up the book and scanning your eyes through the book as your bunny ears flapped about, wondering where you had heard that name before. You frowned when you could not find Charlie's name anywhere in the roster. "Charlie... Morningstar. I'm really sorry, dearie, but you really aren't on my list. A-are you in the wrong place?" You questioned.

"Um, my dad got me this meeting so maybe you could try Lucifer Morningstar?" She mumbled, but the name was loud enough for you to hear.

"Oh dear lord in heaven!" You gasped.

The three of them looked at you. You noted that the man in the suit and deer antlers gazed at you the most intensely, tilting his head over as he narrowed his eyes at you.

"Darling, I really think all of you shouldn't be here-" you frantically said as you flapped your wings out, flying down towards them. Your skirt flapping in the wind alongside your feathery wings.

"Oh lord, here we go." The girl at her side muttered.

"No, uh, we're here for a meeting."

"[y/n], we can take it from here." A mature voice from above said as you looked up to see Sera and Emily — the Seraphim sisters — descend down to you, along with Saint Peter who was holding a milkshake in his hand.

You nodded your head, understanding your place, before stepping aside. Though, you felt the burning gaze of that man boring holes into your head. You turned towards him, a frown present on your face as you stared at him, confused. Noticing that you had noticed him, he turned away, his sharp-toothed grin faced towards Charlie now. That smile... you had seen that smile before. Even the way he dressed, it screamed that he died during your time period.

You continued staring at him, even as he avoided your gaze.

"Dearly beloved, it is my pleasure to say onto thee," Saint Peter suddenly started singing, and you realised that you had lost track of the conversation. "Welcome to Heaven, oh!" He sang as the pearly gates slammed open. You flew up alongside Saint Peter, your wings flapping as your bunny ears twitched. "Where the virtuous reside, 24/7, oh-oh! People are happy that they died," Well, that was certainly an exaggeration considering you didn't exactly... like the way that you died.

As he sang, you flew through the streets, rallying the rest of the winners to join in song. As you flew back, you landed back onto the floor with Saint Peter just as he finished his verse.

"Welcome to Heaven, where everyone hopes to go! Oh-oh! Where angels always glow! Oh!"

You sang as you ran towards all your winner friends as they danced in the streets for the envoys from Hell. Just as you finished singing, you felt those dark eyes on you once again, and you stopped dancing in the street to stare back at him.

Your head hurt as radio static filled your brain, and you struggled to keep yourself upright. You almost toppled over. You grabbed your head, attempting to get the static out of your brain. "Wha-"

"'Cause every single day in Heaven, is a happy day!" Both Emily and Saint Peter belted out as they flew in the air, causing you to break your gaze from the man and focus on the soaring duo in the air.

"Welcome to Heaven!"

The song ended, and you immediately fell to the ground. You had been dead for so many years, so it had been decades since you felt breathless, of all things.

"My, what is a dame like you doing on the floor!" There that static was again, but this time it was accompanied by an eerily familliar voice. You wanted to call out to Emily, or Sera, but they had already run off. Charlie and the girl by her side with Emily, and Sera to God knows where, leaving you alone with this shady man.

"I-" you began.

Without even extending his hand, this strange deer- whatever he was, pulled your hand up abruptly, holding onto it so tight you felt your blood stop pumping through the veins of your hand.

"What is your name, Sweetheart? I have to say, you and those little angels put on quite a show! All you little Oliver Twists are so adorable." The demon chuckled as he pulled you uncomfortably close.

"Please let me go." You said to the man, attempting to push him off but he only held you tighter.

"Aren't I quite the rude chap, I should have introduced myself before asking for your name." He grinned wider, spinning you around in a painfully familliar way.

"Alastor, my dear, pleasure to meet you!" He said, grabbing your hand and kissing it.

✧ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ✧

Alastor grabbed your hand, bowing down as he looked up at you, that sweet grin on his face. "Alastor, my dear, pleasure to meet you." He said, before sealing your fate with a kiss on your hand. "I hope that we can get along well." You gazed at him with wide eyes, your eyes raking over his bronzed skin and brown — almost red — hair. Glasses lined his gleaming eyes.

Those eyes were the same words that echoed in your mind in your worst nightmares.

✧ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ✧

And now here you were, reliving that nightmare.

"What the fuck!" You yelled out, which caused some angels to look over at you. Sure, cursing was normal, but it was typically somewhat taboo on cloud nine and this was one of the only times you had ever cursed. You reeled your hand back, your eyes widened as you stumbled back. "I-it's you." You commented, holding your hand close to the pearl-white blouse that you wore.

"Yes, my darling, it is!" Alastor laughed once again, that sinister shit-eating grin still present on his face. "I'm surprised it took you so long to realise it." He commented, grabbing your hands in his, causing you to freeze up. "I had my suspicions the moment I saw you, but when you sang... oh..." He murmured. His face was filled with ecstasy, his claws going up to his face as he grinned deviously.

"I need to get out of here." You muttered as you turned on your heel and snatched your hands away, preparing to leave.

Alastor just grabbed you back into a tight embrace, his face propped against your shoulder. "I knew it was you, little bunny." The nickname only made you more uncomfortable than ever as you remembered the intimate moment when he first gave you that nickname.

"What's wrong, little bunny?"

The moment he spoke, your wings shot up, pushing him away from you and slapping his body aside. You flew up as he stumbled onto the pristine roads of heaven.

Don't come near me again, you wanted to say, but you couldn't find the courage to spit in the face of your murderer, not even now.

So, this time, you ran away.

You should have done that years ago. Maybe you would have lived longer then.

[pt.2]

[penvisions]

return the favor {chapter 25}

Pairing: Post-Outbreak! Joel Miller X Smuggler! Reader

Summary: Your intentions are to spin a web of lies to protect Ellie, but Marlene doesn't seem to mind and is willing to trade one body for another. Her righteousness knows no bounds and you realize she's set her sights on you.

Word Count: 5k

Warnings: canon typical violence, canon typical language, cursing, insults, blood, minor injuries, fighting, physical fighting, guns, use of guns, minor character death, end of the world politics, end of the world rhetoric, misplaced heroism and hope, degrading language, marlene needs her own warning, talk of infection, talk of infected people, cordyceps is scary, reader is described as having red hair, reader has a nickname, please let me know if i missed any!

A/N: this was so fun to write, i hope y'all are ready for the last stretch. these two mean so so so incredibly much to me, which i will gush about in each chapter and the epilogue notations from here until the end. this is where the fic gets away from canon a lil bit but it's all for the best, please believe! love y'all

ao3 link || series masterlist || main masterlist || ko-fi

“I can’t believe you made it all this way alone.” She’s stepping close, almost as if she wants to inspect you from head to toe. But you both know there are no teeth marks or infection to be found. Her men would’ve already had you in cuffs and retrained. Condemned to a room with no sunlight until they were ready to deal with you, the Infected something Marlene was rightfully afraid of. But not so much so that she wasn’t cautious to the extreme, to the cunningly meticulous. “Thought you were lost in the aftermath of the convoy we lost outside the QZ.”

“I was scavenging nearby when that explosion went off, FEDRA was all over it within an hour.” You can feel the way her eyes rove over your body, from the simple, dirty clothing you donned to the pack that had seen better days and better loads. It was pretty sparse, you and Joel back to milling through every house or building for the chance at a next meal for Ellie. You two had taken to hunting again, on the way up here, the season warming up and spring allowing for some game to be caught. But you were all tired, this entire journey felt like it was coming to an end.

The energy of your trio something palpable, tense currents underlying every move and every day. The anxiety of Joel leaving you behind to go your own way underlying each conversation. Each interaction when the two of you were alone or Ellie was sleeping. He was trying, so goddamn hard, to make her feel okay. To bring out her manic giggling, her snorting laughter, a wide and gummy smile to her face. But none of it reached her eyes quite the way that it had before.

Marlene must mistake your silence for submission, because she heaves a great sigh and shakes her head.

“I sent Joel this way months ago with a girl in his charge. Haven’t seen hide nor hair of them as of yet. They were supposed to meet up with the convoy, the best protection we could offer for the journey.”

“I ran into them just outside the QZ, there had been an explosion. Too much noise, too much ruckus, it attracted a lot of Infected before FEDRA got their asses out of their heads.” You reach into a pocket, retrieving the map you had torn from the campus grounds so far away now. Well, that Joel had torn from the remnants of their lab. He had told you that nearly everything had been destroyed, no telling how long since they had packed up and moved on. But he had found a scrunched up map, a trail outlined to here.  

Her mouth is a thin line as she regards you, her plush lips taut as she mulls over the recollection and sees evidence that her people weren’t as thorough as she had intended for them to be. Her eyes cut up at you, meeting your own and her next words are a statement, not a question. “You’ve been travelling with him.”

“For a little while, we parted ways in Kansas City. The city was in the middle of an insane civil war once FEDRA was taken out. A hoard took over, from the underground tunnels when someone made the stupid decision to open fire on a crashed vehicle. We got separated.”

“And the girl?”

“Regular infection. From the chaos of getting away from the hoard.” You nodded your affirmation, you recalled the panic in her eyes. The weight of her as you tried to carry her out of that insanity, the pain of your broken arm. The desperation and heartbreak that turning off of the blocked freeway instead of backtracking had ended in. It could’ve been worse, it could’ve ended up the way you’re spinning the facts, an exaggeration of what actually happened.

But there was truth to your words. Ellie had indeed lost something that night, it just hadn’t been her life. It had been her hope in finding a cure, when her blood hadn’t worked on Sam. It was the beginning of her realizing the pedestal Marlene had placed her on with ill intentions.

“She’s dead.” It wasn’t a question. Just like you weren’t asking for her forgiveness for the loss of the young girl and acceptance for your sudden appearance. Your working relationship had always been just that, business. Straight to the point and no nonsense.

“Didn’t survive the infection she got. From trying to save a kid younger than her. Got bit, got clawed. Didn’t turn, but it took her down all the same.”

Marlene sees the challenge in your eyes, the truth of what you know she had been hiding from everyone involved in the convoy. The very reason Ellie had grappled with the meaning of her life for the past six months. The reason she had been so conflicted over whether or not to meet up with the woman before you as you finally caught wind of her whereabouts.

“I see.” Hands that are clasped in front of her go to her hips, a stance you know conveys the way her mind is working to process the false information you’ve brought her. “Well, come on. Let’s get you looked at a little closer. I see that nasty scar on your arm, bone broke through I’m assuming?”

“Yeah, happened in Kansas City. Did what I could for it too, hurt like a bitch when it was healing, it nearly took me out too.”

“Must’ve been rough, dealing with it all alone.”

“Hunkered down for the winter, found a cabin in a state park somewhere in between here and there.”

It’s nerve wracking, not being able to turn your head and see the form of Joel. Hovering on the outside of your eyesight, his presence something you were so used to even in the time you had spent apart. A time you hadn’t wanted to repeat in such extreme parameters. But the situation was dire, Ellie’s well-being at stake. The threat of someone looking for her, tearing apart earth and ash for her blood if they even suspected she was alive. If Joel so much was glimpsed himself, Marlene would make you both recount your stories over and over again, to find the flaws, to find the lies she would suspect were there.

The “doctor” that looked you over was nice enough. But he lacked cognitive skills, the ability to read someone the second he came in contact with them.

Jerry Anderson.

His only credentials happened to be a bachelor’s degree in science, yet he called himself a trained surgeon. Which makes sense to an extent, he worked alongside Marlene and the Fireflies. Tended to them, took care of them medically, he had on the job training. But to say that he was their best, that he was the one leading the research team trying to concoct a cure?

That was absolutely absurd.

You knew more than him, something he was quick to gauge. Asking after your own schooling, stating you were too young to have a degree, too young to have the knowledge he had.

“Doesn’t matter if you think I’m as skilled as you. I’ve got my EMT and Paramedic certifications while in high school, used them to get the upper hand at my own university, and managed to get an associates in two years. Medical anthropology. Granted its not science proper, but it’s still in the medical field.” You crossed your arms, not willing to be talked down to by the man currently looking over the chart he had filled out during your physical, it was paired with the diagram of injuries Marlene’s soldiers had asked of you when confronted outside the building before being let inside.

“I just don’t understand why Marlene thinks I need your assistance, you said it yourself that you didn’t want to stay too long.” The man is stocky, even as he stands at his full height and leans against a small desk he’s got set up in what had once been an administration office. The medical bay is just beyond the door, the rooms shoddy but clean enough to treat and house people. They’re using the hospital as their ground zero, their home base.

“I’m helping her to fine tune her set up, that’s all. She knows I worked under FEDRA in the Boston QZ, even if it was all just to stay alive and hide my own smuggling. But they paired me with a trained ER physician, and he taught me everything he knew.”

“Still doesn’t equate to a higher degree.”

“No, but it does give me a better understanding of modern day solutions rather than dated procedures we’re unable to conduct anymore. Sparse or surging power, outages, lack of equipment, lack of relevant medication, different ways of sterilizing tools and bandages. All of that is adaptive, regardless of proper education on the matter.”

“She wants you to go over my notes, the ones I had for the girl.” He levels you with a harsh look, eyes narrowing as he catches your own fiery ones. “But it doesn’t matter if she’s not alive, right?”

“Might not, in terms of immediate experimentation. But perhaps she wants a second opinion on the logistics of what she’s trying to do.”

“Cordyceps infects the brain, takes over. We both know that. That’s why the girl would’ve been on the table as soon as she was delivered. To ensure it could be looked at and studied. The way her brain connected with the infection instead of succumbing to it.”

“Seems like a waste of a human life if you got your way. How would you like it if someone wanted to cut your kid open and take their brain on the off chance it could tell you something more than just testing their blood and live responses? It’d feel pretty shitty, wouldn’t it?”

“How do you know I have a kid?” The man’s eyes narrow at you, color rising from the collar of his shirt to show the affect you were having on him. Calm and collected he was not, but you knew that the second he had refused to shake your hand when first meeting, even with Marlene standing beside him.

“I didn’t, not until you confirmed it. But you don’t act like it. Bringing her into the mess of the Fireflies, of having her housed her in the middle of Infected city, protected and patrolled even as it is.”

“And what do you know about being a good parent? Marlene says you’ve been alone for as long as she’s known you. No family, no friends, just parasocial relationships that depend completely on your skill set and what you smuggled into the zone for trade.”

“Mr. Anderson, there’s no need to insult me. I’m simply having a conversation with you, truly. I’m not the one tearing apart your every word, you’re the own who seems pretty self-righteous. But you have to admit, studying someone who is immune, that would surely give you more data than just immediately cutting out the part of them that houses the cordyceps?” You try to appease him, to appeal to the way he seems to want to be talked up and not talked with, switching from outright denying his plan of action to merely suggesting he could learn more than anyone else knows about the infection instead.

“I suppose it would, but simply running tests and gathering data wouldn’t make the cure. That could only be made from the fluids housed in the brain, the part of the body that is working in tandem with the infection.” He heaves a deep sigh, rubbing at his eyes as he thinks over your words. “Marlene wants a cure, the sooner the better. And then some semblance of normalcy can begin to be restored.”

“Do you really think Marlene has the resources and authority to distribute a cure on a scale large enough to make a difference? That she’s not going to use it as leverage in her challenge to whatever is left of FEDRA and their governing forces?”

“Are you questioning her intentions?” He freezes, eyes jumping to the window pane in the cracked open door. That alone tells you he’s thought the same before, but perhaps not dared to voice it lest it get to the wrong person. That he doesn’t want to be associated with the thought.

“I’m questioning the effectiveness of a farfetched cure for something that left humanity to its own devices for far too long. Do you realize that it won’t be able to undo the sheer lawlessness nature that’s taken over the world? Not to mention the adaptability and incredible evolutionary advantage the mycelium has over us? It’s older than most life itself and you think we have the ability to combat it on such a large scale so long after it’s ruined everything we’ve created as a society?”

The man is quiet, taking your words and mulling them over. You can see the shift in his shoulders, tension easing and then building taut again. He gestures to the notebooks and textbooks scattered over the surface of his desk, and you see a small photo peeking out from beneath a chart.

“I have to try, for my daughter. She deserves a better world than this.”

“To save your own daughter, you’d willingly kill another’s?”

“It’s a means to an end, one loss for the survival of many.”

“And that’s exactly what I’m talking about- the life of one that needn’t die doesn’t justify the small possibility of creating a cure.” You’re shuffling through the faded and water spotted pages, trying to see the man who in the words transcribed there and compare them to the one standing across from you and preaching his knowledge as something that could change the world. But he was a man of science once upon a time, that shows in his words that you skim over. But when you look back up at him, he’s not the one you see before you.

You see a man willing to do whatever it takes to save his family and while you understand that, have done just so to ensure the safety of your own people- it’s a vastly different scenario that you don’t want any part of.

“I just don’t want you or your daughter to end up dying for a future that’s impossible.” And with that you push away from his desk and walk past him. You can only hope that your words made him see things a little differently. Otherwise, it would be his demise, it would be his daughter’s. Both susceptible to the manipulation of Marlene and the Fireflies, at the whim of those who couldn’t be trusted. “You’re a man of science, see the truth to what can’t be and what is.”

You eat in the cafeteria with everyone else, the twenty or so people that are left of the faction. Military freeze-dried food is all they have left, but it’s crates and crates piled up in the kitchen. The power working off a generator they’ve rigged up. But there’s no tour for you, you don’t pass the security check to warrant one.

You can feel eyes on you as you insist on making your own pack, on boiling your own water and supervising each step of the food you’re about to consume. You aren’t taking any chances with them, not ever again. You had been trusting once, had fallen into the trap of hospitality and false narratives before. But not this time and not ever again. Maria had seen in it you, when you refused to eat the food placed in front of you in the mess hall back in Jackson.

They leave you be, for the most part. Attention half on them surrounding you in their own little pairs and trios, half of Jerry’s notebook open in front of you. The textbook he references multiple times beside it. A low hum of conversation permeates the air, and you know you’re presence is a part of it.

But you focus now, on the words in front of you. The notes a man who has given his life and skills to Marlene deems important enough to write down.

And it’s all utter nonsense.

Regardless, Marlene would never stop looking for Ellie. For her replacement.

You’re unsure exactly how Ellie gained her immunity, but you know it can’t be replicated without grand risks of not only being Infected yourself but your morality.

It’s dark by the time you seek her out, her room one of the many used as personal quarters in an upper floor. Her room is the only one occupied at the end of a hallway. Armed men at the front of it and surely one at the bottom of the stairwell for the floor just beyond the doors that lead to it.

“What questions do you have?”

She knew you were approaching, and her stance tells you as much.

She’s not allowing you into the room, but greeted you at the doorway. Left open just a smidge.

“The immunity. Depending on how it’s gained, would affect the research.” You try not to cross your arms but you regard the notes you’ve taken in your own small, palm sized journal. “If it’s gained as a child, it would explain the symbiosis between the brain and the mycelium. It could be entirely dumb luck, the timing of the bite, the type of blood someone has, their immune system, bloodlines, potential exposure to the mycelium in a different setting and an almost…”

“The girl, she was born with the immunity.” Seeing that you need some sort of answer or confirmation, the reasoning being Ellie’s immunity only one you had theorized about. Staying up many nights when you first met her and you spied the scarring along her forearm. She hadn’t needed to tell you she was immune, you had dealt with enough bites in the QZ infirmary to know. That she was alive, that she was her own person and seemingly healthy- it may not mean a cure is possible but it meant that adaptation was possible. Even on such a small scale as to affect one, very important person.

“There’s no way. If the mother had been bitten, the infection would’ve changed the baby too.”

The thought of being clawed open from the inside out terrifies you, it steals the next question from your mind as you picture a woman who looks faintly like Ellie holding tight to a swollen belly and tending to an angry wound rung in teeth marks.

“Amnio fluid is a miracle worker, but it’s not able to cure something like this.”

“Tell that to my dead friend. To the baby I had to protect.”

“Marlene…”

Suddenly shifting, her arms uncross and land on her hips. If you weren’t on immediate alert for the change in her demeanor, you would laugh at the comparison of Joel doing the same stance so often.

“Had some men come back from a trip to the old sight, they had left weeks ago.” Marlene keeps her voice even, but you already know. The web of lies you concocted; they’ve been spun around the end of a broom. The bristles of it catching your silk and turning it into an ugly failure.

“Seems that a settlement had quite the run in with a man matching Joel’s description and a young girl he was traveling with.” The muscles in her arm give her away and you take a few steps back only to feel a sting in the soft part of your shoulder. Looking down, all you see is the butt end of a dart sticking through your shirt. “They also said there was a woman with red hair. Scared the hell out of them as she tore the place apart.”

The lines of the tile and the marking along the walls drip, whatever was in the dart steals your center of gravity and you’re suddenly landing harshly on your knees. The metallic snap of handcuffs around your wrists has you struggling to hold your head up and meet Marlene’s glare.

“You fucking lied to me.”

“Want to fess up and tell me where they’re hiding? I’ll send every person I have at my disposal, Ellie is key to the cure. You have no fucking idea what you’re messing with.” Marlene is standing in front of you, your body sore and muscles twitching as the contents of the dart wear off. The door slams behind her, lock engaging.

“I took out a fucking bear and you think you’re gonna be the thing that traps me? You have no idea what it’s taken to get this far! You think you had a rough go of it, with your crew protecting you and your fucking vehicles? Your military meals and your steady supply of fresh water? You may have been strong once. Hell, you may have been the one to bring hope to people but right now you’re nothing more than a body in my way.” Struggling to stand, as if you’re a newborn foal, Marlen doesn’t bother to stop you or force you back down. She’s reading the weakness you’re displaying and it’s going to be her downfall.

The cuffs are tight, wrists sore and red even with how you had tried to avoid the irritation. But hours had gone by, it was surely well into the night if not the next day now. You wondered if Joel had grown worried, if he had left the post even with your plea to stay put, the last words you spoke with him.

“You’d rather risk your life out there than lend us a hand here? You’re more delusional than I thought, you have nothing to go back to. The QZ is a fucking mess, even worse than when we left. It’s only a matter of time before it falls like so many others before it. You have nothing, your life will have no meaning if you have to fight to survive everyday in endless travel.” Her anger flares, breaking her cool demeanor and showing you a glimpse of the woman she really is.

“I have my integrity.” You spit at her, crouching down to contort yourself easily. Not at all the shaking mess of limbs you had just been moments ago. Shoulders protesting the movement, you’re able to step over the links of the cuffs. With them now in front, you stalk toward her with intent. “I refuse to be a pawn in your ill-conceived endeavor. I refuse to be a part of your plan to kill innocent people on the off chance that your ignorant doctor can actually make something with deadly fluids and decaying brain matter.”

She doesn’t seem to realize that you aren’t going to hurt her, that your intention isn’t to get your hands on her. You want to rattle her, to scare her. To make her see that the way she’s going about keeping you here, forcing you to work with her, for her is never going to work. Her arms come up, one to ward you off from coming any closer while the other goes to the handle of her gun.

But you don’t want the gun and you don’t want her. You shove at her with your shoulder, feet quick after those first few slow steps across the room. The keys skid across the floor when she lands, the clasp keeping them secured to her beltloop breaking from the force. Swiping the belt of grenades you had found in the room earlier, you scoop them up and are out the door just as two shots break the glass panel. Cursing, you pull the door open and slam it shut behind you, the lock automatically engaging.

You wave at her through the crackled glass before running off down the hall before her men can close in.

She needed you, your knowledge, your skill set, your determination. She needed you to find Ellie, the girl she claims to have raised in honor of her friend, only to turn back on that promise and take her life. But  you had other people who wanted you. And after being alone for so long, that’s all that mattered. They are the only ones that mattered and you’d be damned if someone tried to keep you from returning to them. You would do anything to protect them, even take out an entire faction of self-righteous mercenaries.

Joel and Ellie both jump when the explosion echoes out, the plume of smoke that billows up into the morning sky as the smell of ash permeates the air. Even as far away as they are, deep suburbs of that surround the city, almost on the cusp of total wilderness they’re witness to it all. One of the tall buildings crashes loudly, the bottom floors caving in and it collapses in on itself. They can only assume it was the hospital that was marked on the map Joel had found but given over to you for your solo excursion into the depts of the city.

Brow furrowing, Joel watched as a wave of birds take to the air and flee, his attention focused on the erratic way they scatter in an attempt to escape the dark smoke pluming up endlessly. Movement out of the corner of his eye has him aiming the shotgun in his arms towards the source, but it’s too late. There’s a man and a young girl facing him, a gun aimed at him as Ellie scrambles to hide behind his frame.

They’re a mirror image of each other. A man shielding a young girl behind them with a gun cocked and ready to fire. But Joel can see the panic and hesitation in the man’s eyes, in his stance. He knows with just a glance that the man has been protected, has had people doing the shooting for him, keeping him safe, keeping him alive.

Ellie’s hand reached for the back of his jacket, gripping tight but he doesn’t dare take his eyes off the pair in front of him. But the man does, his glance behind him, landing on Ellie before he lowers his gun.

The girl behind him clings to him much the same way as Ellie does to Joel, even as the man holds his arms up gun above his head. It’s quiet in the street as he begins to slowly step back, making space between them. He sees Joel tense, the metal of the gun creaking in his grip as he keeps it aimed at the moving man.

They don’t exchange any words as they pivot, always facing each other even as the distance grows longer. Once they’re at the opposite end of the street, the man turns around an overgrown hedge that’s swallowed a picket fence lining the corner house and then they’re gone.

Neither of them knows what to say, the explosion and the pair of them too unique a set of events in your absence. Joel feels his stomach lurch at the thought of you being either trapped by Marlene or being in the vicinity of the explosion. His mind plays memories of each of your injuries:

The fall that you had taken in your haste to get them to safety after the explosion that started this whole journey, the way your head had bounced on the broken asphalt in a way that throbbed atop his head now. Forehead lighting up where his own injury scars the skin.

The way your voice echoed as a guttural, animalistic scream tore through your chest. Up in that house and too far away to do anything to help, the sight of you holding your arm tight to your chest, white bone peeking out from the fabric of your shirt and the bloody mess of your exposed skin.

The roars of an angry bear as it barrels towards him, Ellie tripping and you shoving her into his arms. The sight of you standing up to the great creature despite fighting off an infection.

The crack of ice that plunged you deep into freezing water, a man tangled with you as he tried to end your life. Joel frantically fighting off the last of their group and jumping in after you. The way it took forever to get you to wake up, your lips ice cold and your body shivering fiercely.

The way your voice was hoarse as you shouted out threats an swinging your machete at anything that came within five feet of you. Blood and spittle flying off of you with every move to stain the snow around you. The crazed and unhinged look in your eye when you finally honed in on him, his own state not the best.

No.

He dares to clench his eyes shut for a second and takes a deep breath, centering himself and forcing the thoughts back.

And then his memory plays each time your eyes found his after everything calmed down, how you would reach for him with such small, strong, capable hands. Time and time again, even after he failed time and time again to keep you safe.

That explosion was because of you, not something you would fall victim to. He believed that with everything in his soul.

He was still watching the far end of the street when the distant sound of tires squealing as they pivot meets his ears. The sound so rare now paired with the rev of an engine. And then he sees it, turning toward the other end of the street. A dark SUV, headlights off and windows down, with you in the driver’s seat.

The vehicle stops a few feet away, closer to the other curb lining the street. Despite the blood that stains your exposed arms and the dirt marring your face, your smile makes his heart skip a beat. You look beautiful and his chest swells with warmth where it had just been anxiety, your presence melting it away.

“Need a ride?”

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[deathbyoctopi]

Xuexiao Art Shoutout ^-^

It will be soon 2 years since I asked for my first art commission ever, after months of wanting to do so, but being deathly scared by it.

What if I ask it wrong, what if I don't like it, what if I pay but then it is a scam, what if it's too expensive and I have to back away in shame, what IF these are all my fears and I didn't even know any reliable artists or had asked any mutuals for tips or recs.

What motivated me for the big step forward was me writing a gift fic for someone very dear to me, which featured a piece of art within the story itself. It seemed so fitting, to make art for it. I held my heart in courage and dared to ask an artist I had seen here, in tumblr.

This artist was @wrathyforest.

Now, I don't remember anymore why I choose them. Probably I saw some xuexiao fanart by them that I liked, or saw somewhere that they were available for commissions, but the thing is with trembling hands I wrote a long dm asking about whether they would accept to draw an art such and such. This turned out to be one of the best decisions I have ever made in this website.

For the last two years, I've had the privilege of receiving more artwork by them, all xuexiao (because my BELOVEDS!!!) and all of exceptional quality and deep understanding of the characters. This is why now I want to make a little shoutout to these works, and to the process that went into asking them, in part to show other people how engaging, fascinating and rewarding it is to commission artist.

This is (with ONE exception) my little xuexiao art collection. Have at it!

Family portrait

My first art commission ever. My heart goes with it! This is the aforementioned art for the fic To carry a bit of yesterday, written for @itellmyselfsecrets97 and which features the Yi City trio going to make a portrait of themselves.

This was also very special to me, since it was only my second xuexiao fic ever written, and the first that was a self-contained oneshot. It must have left an impact, it remains a well-loved fic to the point that a fic was written from it (The Tell-Tale Art by @fieri-sentio-et-excrucior).

I explained the artist what I needed from it, gave the full paragraph in the fic where they were described, and pointed out little details to adjust once the first draft was show to me (Forest, forgive me for being so picky with Xiao Xingchen's legs). I cried with the results.

My second commission came a few months later, with a pic for another work of art...

Defenseless

Now that I see you is an amazing fic by @10holmes with the incredibly exciting premise of a non-visually impaired Xiao Xingchen coming across Xue Yang, on the brink of death and... completely honest-to-god amnesiac.

I had followed this long project (still ongoing) for months, and had left some comments to the author, but at some point this sparse comments became a conversation, and the conversation a deep friendship... And there was a specific bit of their fic that remains one of my absolute favourite non-canon xuexiao moments.

Cue the art. In this occasion, I really wanted to make this as accurate and true to my feelings as possible, so not only did I send a detailed explanation and context (I would NOT expect the poor artist to read 30 chapters of a fic just for a commission!!), but also I made a little sketch. Me, who can't draw a smiley without botching it!

See if you can spot the difference:

You can imagine my shame and mortification to show this horrible doodle to any other human being, BUT the artist actually said this helped a lot to understand the positions, the intention, the expressions even, so it was a good call. I lost my fear of giving directions like that, and I have more-or-less tried to for all my other asks ^-^

The end result of this particular story is this and this:

My next commission was for something a bit more selfish.

Daozhang in a veil

I had in mind a story the premise of which was purely an excuse to put Xiao Xingchen in a dress, and what better than to have visual of that? The fic is called A Comedy of Yi City Errors, a light-hearted xuexiao adventure very fun to write and (I'm told) to read.

Once more, I made quite an explanation and provided a little sketch.

ANd once again, despite the terrible example, the concept that I wanted to send was received well enough and delivering again wonderful results. Look!!! <3 <3 <3

I love them so much.

Around the same time, I decided to make two gifts for what were then becoming my closest friends in this fandom (I think that must have been around some important festival or something) so I asked for these lovely pics next:

Prisoner Xiao Xingchen

Art for the fic The Prisoner of Jinlintai by @fieri-sentio-et-excrucior, which is a treasure I recommend for anyone who loves canon divergence and enemies-to-lovers done just right!

And this:

Mermaid Hunter Xue Yang

The beautiful mermaid AU Down in the Black Sea by @10holmes, which is cute beyond compare and inspired another fic I wrote in which I brought that pirate and merman couple to sneak into Versailles. Random anecdote is random.

Anyways, this last one didn't come with a sketch, but I MUST show you my rendition of Xue Yang by the cell door for the earlier fic >w< and the first sketch they did, which is unbelievably cute. See if you can tell which is which.

See? Completely undistinguishable! XD

As for the next, this is a cute little piece I commissioned to celebrate a beautiful friendship.

Under the rain

One of the first xuexiao fics I remember reading was The Taste of Rain on Skin, and once I had the opportunity to meet its author, I could not let something so special pass. Xue Yang and Xiao Xingchen look so lovely in this one, so lively and happy and free...

By the way! Notice from my sketch that the artist was the one who made me realize... uhm... Xue Yang should NOT be holding Xiao Xingchen with his left hand, right?? XD So the running direction was reversed >w<

Well, what I want to show you next is something truly exceptional

Pleasure Yang

Not long ago, i was unbelievably surprised with a gift by a group of co-conspiracists I will call... Lionforest. no... Wrathyfish. Hm. It was an amazing surprise, which made me incredibly happy. Art for one of my fics!!! And a very sexy one, at that!!!!! >w<

Just, just look a it!

Look at that cheeky Xue Yang! Xiao Xingchen's fascination with that sexy ruffian!! Song Lan's discombobulated face! This is no more, no less, what I had in mind when I wrote Gentle breeze, cold frost, sweet crimson drizzle, and I could not be happier for it if I tried.

Thank you, you two ❤️❤️

And now... the last pic was spicy. The next is Wei Wuxian-approved congee.

Ok next, the spicy goodies >w<

There is a certain piece of art I still am keeping in my pocket, which one day I hope to use for a spicy Xuexiao fic. At any rate, it is another masterpiece by Wrathyforest and it deserves to see the light of day, finally.

I swear, every time I look at them, they feel so alive. The details!!! The expressions! The obvious and wonderful love! The other things this picture has to offer, omfg the first time I saw it, it was PERFECT!!!

(before you ask, yes. This also has a sketch XD)

In conclusion

I hope you have enjoyed my little collection. Look at all the xuexiao art we have, and from one incredible talented artist. I am over the moon with every single one of these pieces!

Artists deserve so much love and admiration. Greet your local artist, comment on their content, even if it's just a random keysmash, I can tell you as a writer that seeing these kinds of notifications are soul-repairing.

And if you take the step forward and talk to them, (and you SHOULD!! don't be shy, it is really engaging to get in a conversation!), I can guarantee you that you will make a person's whole day.

This is me, showing appreciation for this lovely art. Share it, comment it, love it. The love and passion we all share in fandom is fragile, but it is also so, so precious.

[wrongcaitlyn]

wrongcaitlyn 2024 fic recs masterlist

SO. i always like to keep track of how many fics i read throughout the year, and in 2024 i read about 28.3 million words of fanfic. i know. i don't have a life. most fics read were in july (4.4m words) and least fics read were in september (797k words). BUT throughout those 28.3m words i do think i found some incredible fics throughout the year, which i bookmark as recs to reread :) because of this, i thought i'd do a little ao3 wrapped sort of thing and share all of my bookmarked fics this year as recs!! i read pretty much all kinds of fics so please check tags/warnings/ratings if you choose to read them

and, as it's a new year, i'm also always constantly bookmarking more recs. if you wanna check those out they're on my ao3! i highly recommend reading every single fic there bc they're all incredible <33

this is going to be long, so i decided to split it up by fandom - and all of these lists are ordered by the date i read them, not any specific ranking or anything. gonna include the date bookmarked, ship (if there is one), ch count and word count bc,,, yeah these are going to be very varied!!

fandoms included:

percy jackson - 21 fics (jan 6 - nov 5) tsoa/the iliad - 7 fics (jan 26 - oct 18) miraculous ladybug - 2 fics (feb 19 - feb 23) harry potter - 6 fics (june 30 - july 8) the secret history - 1 fic (oct 4) arcane - 18 fics (nov 13 - dec 31) + 2 honorable mentions

PERCY JACKSON - aka, the main hyperfixation

The Request Revolution by tiredpjofan - 1/6/2024, gen, 3 ch, 4.8k

Percy sees that some of the newer campers don't feel 100% comfortable with requesting stuff from their godly parents, so he decides to rectify that the only way he knows how -- dramatically. i know this one is insanely popular but i only got around to reading it this year, and!! genuinely just a funny, fluffy piece that makes me happy :))

whoopsie daisy! by buoyantsaturn - 1/21/2024, solangelo, one-shot, 3.2k

Will almost missed the way Tartarus had dulled his senses, distracting him from his own pain and preventing him from knowing the full extent of Nico’s.  angst. i love angst. i vividly remember reading this at like 2 am and then bookmarking it and then reading it again in the morning and having to re-experience the pain

long story short by takeimi - 2/25/2024, percabeth, one-shot, 4.5k

percy starts a youtube vlog channel and raises one too many questions. i mean it's a socmed fame au need i say anything more

i'm put in awe (of something so flawed and free) by CordeliaRose - 3/2/2024, solangelo, one-shot, 15.9k

Right. Well. Nico squares his shoulders, reminds himself that nobody’s perfect and this guy has to be ugly, and knocks on the door. He is met with a Greek God, and forgets how to function. AKA: the archaeologist!Nico & trauma surgeon!Will AU. i already included this (and probably a few other fics i'm gonna mention) in my solangelo fic recs list, so i'm not gonna say that much but just know i prob reread this like 4 times already it's so <33 AND IT HAS A SEQUEL NOW

paper/plastic by Rosyredlipstick - 3/10/2024, solangelo, one-shot, 14.2k

When Nico di Angelo's favorite, most dependable gas station for midnight snacks etcetera is shut down due to some incredibly far-fetched and completely unnecessary health code violations, he's forced to start going to the sister franchise down the street, where a certain blond clerk seems to always be working (like, almost in an unhealthy way). Also, on a definitely unrelated note, Nico now volunteers to do any & all gas station convenience store runs. Leo — stop laughing. i'm also 99% sure i read this before 2024 and then lost it and found it again, BUT I LOVE THIS ONE SO MUCH IT'S SO SWEET AND AGHSDF love background lost trio, their dynamics are so perfect

a letter to the moon (it is not brighter than you) by theroyalsavage - 3/12/2024, solangelo, one-shot, 7.1k

When his kingdom is plagued by a series of unsolvable murders, Prince Will Solace must confront several things: tragedy, helplessness, and the dizzy-sweet inevitability of falling in love. just solangelo medieval au that's absolutely perfect

I Need a Hero by theroyalsavage - 3/12/2024, solangelo, one-shot, 3.8k

The "Nico is a superhero, Will is a med student" AU nobody asked for or wanted. SUPERHERO AU HELL YES!!! no srsly the way this author writes their dynamic i'm in love <33 (also yes both this and the previous one were written ages ago, okay i was catching up on solangelo fics i missed from being late to the fandomJSDF

Solar Powered by Caora - 3/19/2024, apollo/naomi but also gen, one-shot, 14.8k

Apollo, god of music, was how he had introduced himself. Naomi had assumed he was joking, and he didn't correct her. She had dated musicians and poets before. They all had an ego, and those same words would not have felt out of place from either of her exes. She merely downgraded Apollo from potential boyfriend to potential fling, and didn't think twice about it. Now though…. Now her son could heal wounds with a single touch, and her world was tipping on its axis. this is actually canon to me now. i love naomi solace so much. THIS IS CANON TO ME. also just so beautifully written <33

la vita è fatta così by HowlingAlchemist - 3/19/2024, solangelo, 25 ch, 109.4k

When Bianca somehow comes back from the dead, she, Nico and Will are sent on a quest that will hopefully answer some lingering questions. But Nico and Bianca are not the kids that they once were, and things get very difficult as a result. i love fics that straight up feel like they could be their own books and this is one of them. so well-written and the angst!!!! i died but i was happy about it

hold me, thrill me, kiss me by restinreeses - 3/29/2024, valgrace, one-shot, 3.5k

“You love me,” Leo declares, his smirk widening with every passing second. “You, the great Jason Grace, love me.” He fumbles for his words, but they melt in his mouth as Leo's hands snaked up the small of his back – those delicate fingers tracing patterns into his skin that burnt worse than his SPQR tattoo. “I wouldn’t call myself great,” he mutters at last. Leo leans in, raising one thick eyebrow. “I dunno,” he says, “I’d say you’re pretty great.” His lips brush over Jason's, once, twice. “You know. For loving me.” me being briefly obsessed with valgrace and this was definitely part of the reason this fic was so <33 i love them so much and this fic was incredibly written

but we were in screaming color by tunacucumber - 4/2/2024, valgrace, one-shot, 3.2k

It feels inevitable, somehow, when he grabs Jason by the collar of his shirt and tugs him forward. it starts with a ridiculous heatwave. starting off with an incredible title, but AHHSHDFHSD THE VALGRACE DYNAMIC IS JUST PERFECT

Champion by TsarinaTorment - 4/5/2024, gen, one-shot, 1.3k

She always said she was going to make it to the Olympics, and aged eighteen, it finally happened. yall already know how much i love their fics and the kayla centric of it all!!!! THIS IS CANON TO ME ITS LITERALLY PERFECT.

Blood-Soaked Flowers by TsarinaTorment - 4/8/2024, gen, one-shot, 4.8k

Will knows what’s wrong with him. He just doesn’t know why. another one of TsarinaTorment's ToApril fics and god. this one made me so. i can't even. like i still remember reading this for the first time the twist made my heart WRENCH platonic angst will be the death of me

apple cider and freezer burn by yrbeecharmer - 4/10/2024, solangelo, one-shot, 2.4k

“Somebody pissed off McCaffrey,” Cecil says miserably from the Iris message flickering in midair, in the middle of Nico’s cabin, at two in the morning on a godsdamn Thursday. “So she sent, like, a dozen karpoi to surprise attack us in the middle of the night. We’ve been trying to get rid of them, but they just keep respawning. Can you come poke them with your magic sword?” Nico stares at him. “No.” “Oh, come on! Why not?” “It’s two in the morning! I was sleeping!” i just love general camp shenanigans and this one was SO PERFECT

And I Miss My Lover, Man by MaryaDmitrievnaLikesSundays - 4/17/2024, solangelo, one-shot, 3.6k

In a single well-aimed strike, Nico knocked Riptide out of Percy’s hand and sent it skittering into the forest. Before Percy could react, Nico shoved him down, and stood over him, about to claim victory. And that was when the world shattered. His entire chest suddenly felt like it was being fractured, torn apart bit by bit. He felt a soul leave a body, alone and in pain and miles from home. He saw, in a hazy mental image, someone else’s last view of the sky overhead, and then silence. pure angst. proceed with caution and read warnings. this broke me at like 2 am in the morning

i do adore by rabbit_soup - 5/1/2024, solangelo, one-shot, 1.8k

“I appreciate it,” he said. “I wasn’t ready. I wasn’t…okay for a while. I’m definitely still not.” “Look who you’re talkin’ to,” Will said with a smile. Nico snorted, “Yeah, that’s true. You are feeling better, yeah?” Will detangled himself from Nico, rolling up his sleeves. The Empousa injuries had since faded in the past month. Now, they were nothing more than thick white scratches, and even those were fading by the day. this entire series is just so wonderful and so sweet and i love these boys so much omfgjsdfj they deserve everything :(((

my home wears your face by solisaureus - 5/29/2024, solangelo, one-shot, 9.8k

Three years after being dumped by Will Solace, Nico pushes himself too far with shadow travel again. Unfortunately, the only person on Earth who knows how to treat advanced shadow sickness happens to be his ex-boyfriend. THE EMOTIONS I FELT READING THIS AT LIKE 9 IN THE MORNING RIGHT WHEN I WOKE UP I LITERALLY DIED. like seriously this fic is so insanely good. omfg. please. please go read rn. i can't even it was so sweet but also heartbreaking but hopeful and the solangelo dynamic was just absolutely perfect

the first lovers in the world by rottenpomegranate - 9/15/2024, solangelo, one-shot, 6k

Their relationship changes, from the way it was when they were fourteen, clammy hands and shy smiles, to how it is when they're nearing the edge of adulthood, working together to figure out what to do with all this love they hold. just the most gorgeous and perfectly written solangelo coming of age fic, i love them

Son of Sea Foam by CaffeinatedFlumadiddle - 10/20/2024, castor/percy, 12 ch, 196.4k

AU where Percy has to hide the fact he's a Big Three kid otherwise he'll be killed on the spot. Unfortunately for him, unclaimed kids tend to raise the most suspicion... but he might have found a loophole in the form of Aphrodite. okay yea this one just left me reeling for days. weeks even. this is a total rewrite of what pjo could have been and though i may have questioned it going into it, i should have never doubted any bit of this- this is just a masterpiece of writing, like, seriously. the way that all of the character arcs were written, the deaths meaningful, the plot insanely well-thought out?? i am in awe. i read this and the sequel within a 6 hour car drive bc i was just so insanely hooked on every detail of this universe- seriously, the worldbuilding was insane, the oc's so perfectly intertwined, and the lore perfectly incorporated. SERIOUSLY if you want a pjo fic to completely alter your brain chemistry, this is the one.

Set in Stone by CaffeinatedFlumadiddle - 10/24/2024, gen, 7 ch, 38.2k

Medusa’s sculptures are mysteriously coming back to life. Percy doesn’t think murder is an unreasonable action given the circumstances. THIS WAS SO PERFECT. it was so hilarious while at the same time keeping a serious tone, but the banter and the dialogue and everything just made it such an enjoyable read (oh, and the ending. the ending is perfect.)

say you want a hero (you don't) by pjowithbluecookies - 11/5/2024, percabeth/gen, HP CROSSOVER, 12 ch, 4k

Narcissa Malfoy will do whatever it takes to save her son, and if that meant blackmailing demigods into saving the world again, then so be it. wasn't sure whether to include this in pjo or hp but so far the characters have been mainly pjo centric so i'd say that. and like. i know this was last updated in sep 2023 but god is the premise so insanely good. im so invested in the plot even tho it was only 12k words and unfinished. went through a brief phase of looking for good quality pjo/hp crossovers and this one just holds so much promise

THE SONG OF ACHILLES/THE ILIAD - aka, the one that pops up every few months

Sunset in Your Veins by Baejax - 1/26/2024, patrochilles, 24 ch, 100.4k

Achilles recognizes Tartarus when he sees it, dark, and gray, and ugly and freezing. Pat cannot explain why he brought home the lunatic who stole a dog and burst into the veterinarian office where he works. The man can't even speak English. This is a disaster. im almost 100% sure that i read this in 2023 and then i lost it and then i found it again, reread it, and bookmarked it, and then reread it again some other time this year, which just goes to show how much i love this fic. like. damn just thinking abt it i should read it again. absolutely incredible

Our numbered days by Baejax - 4/15/2024, patrochilles, 2 ch, 10.1k

It's their senior year of college, Patroclus has his first serious girlfriend, and Achilles is happy for him. Really. something about this made me want to cry so bad like the angst was just. god. but it was also so absolutely wonderful at the end and made me want to scream with joy. idk dude the emotions this made me feel in just 10k words was insane

Death and Fate by Baejax - 8/10/2024, patrochilles, series of 21 works, 444.5k

[Series summary] In every universe... I will have them divorce and then get back together. so i think the proper name for this fandom's section is actually just me being obsessed with everything Baejax writes. bc like. seriously go read every fic here. absolutely insane quality. this is basically just a collection of patrochilles au's and they're all incredible !!!!

The Spindle by AMBlue - 9/24/2024, patrochilles, 5 ch, 26.9k

After Patroclus’ death, Achilles begs for the chance to change the past. His wish is granted, but he finds himself trapped repeating the same day over and over as he tries and fails to save his beloved. Character death but I swear this is a fix-it fic with a happy ending. HELL YEAH THE ILIAD FIX IT FIC

Sweet Victory by Baejax - 9/29/2024, patrochilles, 9 ch, 21k

Achilles and Patroclus are just friends, friends who are now roommates since they've started university and who just happen to make out with each other on the regular, but that's just their own weird friend thing that no one else needs to know about. It's not a big deal. Right? this was absolutely hilarious. they own the idiots to lovers tag

you're a walking disaster, and yet- by Johaerys - 10/6/2024, patrochilles, 23 ch, 148.2k

"You'll meet my son, Achilles, soon," Mr Pelides told Patroclus on their drive there. "You two will get along just fine. He's as wild as they come, though." The indulgent pride with which he said the words made them sound almost like a compliment. "Don’t let him talk you into anything." Patroclus blushed as he swore, with strong conviction, that he would absolutely not do that. No sir. He knows better than that. modern patrochilles friends to lovers done perfectly, this was just an insanely good read

Twin Flames by Johaerys - 10/18/2024, patrochilles, 12 ch, 70.1k

Achilles is the young Prince of Phthia, Patroclus is his squire, in a story where they come together, come apart, then find each other all over again. THIS FIC. THIS FIC. OMFGJSDFJSDF THE MEDIEVAL AU I NEEDED THIS WAS ABSOLUTE PERFECTION. their pining throughout all of this made my heart ache but it was all so worth it this is perfect

MIRACULOUS LADYBUG - aka, the hyperfixation from four years ago that randomly showed up for a few weeks

The Great Banana Search by walkingonthestars - 2/19/2024, gen, 3 ch, 10.6k

A small, careless move by Hawk Moth exposes his identity to a citizen of Paris. But this citizen has a secret identity of their own, and that makes finding them and taking care of the situation a rather slippery pursuit. Basically, Mr. Banana sees Hawk Moth detransform, and Gabriel and Nathalie work to find out who's behind the banana suit so they can shut him up before he talks. As Gabriel fears that the person in the peel was none other than Cat Noir himself, he also notices that Adrien seems to upset and hiding something. i have no idea what possessed me to read mlb fanfic in the year 2025. i haven't watched the show since quarantine. but god is this probably the funniest fucking fic i've read all year. i was in tears laughing at 3 am. PLEASE READ.

Imbalance by thelibraryloser - 2/23/2024, marichat, 16 ch, 42.4k

Chat Noir is fighting evil all on his own, not aware he’s supposed to be half of a whole. Hawkmoth is desperate to get his hands on the Black Cat and Ladybug Miraculous, knowing that if he causes enough destruction the world will demand balance and the Ladybug will have to appear. And when she does, she's not what anyone expected. Chat thought having a partner would feel different- maybe like how he feels talking to the girl on the balcony. again, i really don't know why i was in a brief mlb phase, but i was- and this was just so well-written and beautiful <33 i was scouring ao3 for interesting au's and im a sucker for marichat so this was perfect

HARRY POTTER aka, the hyperfixation that came out of nowhere during the summer and proceeded to flip my world upside down with the fics i read during this phase

Dog's Best Friend by Ray_Writes - 6/30/2024, gen, 6 ch, 16.3k

When Rubeus Hagrid is placed in the cell next to notorious murderer Sirius Black, truths are revealed and events are changed. man i just love a good fix-it. this felt so realistic and just made me so happy. i don't know why i was reading harry potter that wasn't marauders this year but for some reason i was and this was wonderful

Disrespect Authority by Ray_Writes - 7/1/2024, hinny, 17 ch, 122.9k

Harry chooses to confide in Ginny about his miserable Occlumency lessons, not realizing the youngest Weasley might just have a thing or two to say about someone poking around his head when he doesn’t want it. Together, they hatch a plan to get him out of the lessons that has a variety of unintended consequences: an opening for Dolores Umbridge to tighten her hold over the castle, a clue to set the last true Marauders on the trail of Voldemort’s secrets, and a beginning of something more between Harry and Ginny themselves. some wrongcaitlyn lore for y'all, my very first fic that i read was hinny. my very first several fics. i know im such a bore for having the main canon ship be what introduced me to fandom but it turns out i still have such a soft spot for them and this fic is way better than canon was so i'm just going to pretend that it is canon bc any way to ignore what j*r wrote is great. anyway this is ootp canon for me now

This Is Just What Human Means (For Me) by WoodenSuitcase - 7/1/2024, gen, one-shot, 6.8k

Out of the family, only Bill knew Charlie was aroace. It wasn't that Charlie didn't want to tell the others – he just never seemed to find the right moment for it! When the perfect opportunity arose in the form of a Christmas visit to the Burrow, Charlie made it his mission to finally come out. As it turns out, things never go as smoothly as one intends, even with his older brother by his side. aroace charlie my beloved <33 went through a brief obsession with him and honestly all of the weasleys throughout this time period (and like seriously. i just went from one weasley family member to the next idk why) but this was so sweet

Ben Folds's Series by orphan_account - 7/5/2024, perciver, series of three fics, 37.8k

[summary from the first fic of the series] Wherein book 7 is completely ignored because wars don't tend to happen so quickly; Percy Weasley runs a safehouse [because that's as close to administrative work as you can get in a war], and everyone gets a chance to play minor character bingo. Get your cards and markers ready! the way this author wrote perciver... god this was just perfect like seriously. if you want to start reading this ship PLEASE read this one

James Potter, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew, (pause for breath) and the Prisoner of Azkaban by gonzoclock - 7/6/2024, wolfstar/gen, 17 ch, 32.7k

At the end of first year, Harry pocketed the Philosopher's Stone- in a secret pocket that everyone else missed. Now, two years later, Harry is in his third year, his friends are having the time of their lives in Hogsmeade, there's an escaped mass murderer running around, and Harry is going stir-crazy. Fortunately, the twins have a solution! Although- they're going to need something in return, and it needs to be good. Good thing Harry kept that Stone, huh? And then things go completely bat-shit crazy. (featuring the Marauders vs 1993, an exhausted Professor Lupin, a bewildered Harry Potter, and an opportunistic Hermione Granger) pure crack. i love it.

The Second String by Eider_Down - 7/8/2024, harry/gideon, 45 ch, 409.8k

Everyone knows Dementors can take souls, but nothing says that they have to keep them. After the Dementor attack in Little Whinging ends disastrously, Harry must find a place for himself in a new world, fighting a different sort of war against the nascent Voldemort. *deep breath in* okay. okay hear me out. okay listen please. like seriously. this may just be the best fic i read all year. AND I PUT SERIOUS WEIGHT IN THAT. AND I REALLY CAN'T BELIEVE IM SAYING IT ABOUT AN HP FIC. BUT LIKE. IM BEING SO FR RIGHT NOW. the way that this fic literally altered my brain chemistry and left me in shambles. the amount of detail that went into the plot and the lore. i could read another 400k words of this universe and it still wouldn't be enough. the author is literally so crazily talented they made me ship harry potter x gideon prewett (no weird age gap going on trust me, there's a lot of time travel stuff going on- they are around the same age biologically and mentally). like seriously if i had to recommend one fic from this year it would be this. which is insane to say. but i cannot understate how incredible this work of fanfiction is like genuinely, i hope that this author is out there writing incredible original works because they integrated oc's into the plot so seamlessly, made these incredible relationships and orchestrated the plot so perfectly that i was just completely immersed. i could go on for way longer but like. all i could think when finishing this was woah. holy fucking shit. idk if i'll ever read a fic as insane as that again.

THE SECRET HISTORY aka, i read the book and needed more

No Room For the Present by lessnearthesun - 10/4/2024, francis/richard, 3 ch, 65.9k

Post-canon, Richard and Francis, and all that comes after. A drama in three parts. no seriously this reads perfectly as a continuation of the book. like it's genuinely- every word, the writing style, the characterization, it's all so perfect. breaks my heart at times but it wouldn't be the secret history if it didn't, if you read the book please please go read this!!!

ARCANE aka, the return of the lesbians; aka, home sweet home; aka, my life's entire purpose starting in november; aka, the literal love of my life arcane writers please take my soul and turn it into more caitvi fanfics

no seriously. why are there no other recs past nov 6 in the other fandoms? bc it was literally all this. 20 arcane recs in a matter of less than two months. 7m+ words read from just arcane fics in nov-dec.

now on to the recs!!

Promise on both sides by paxbanana - 11/13/2024, caitvi, one-shot, 10.4k

Caitlyn seeks to right the wrongs she dealt Zaun. She doesn't expect to get the opportunity to do the same with Vi. For her part, Vi's not one for last words or martyr shit, and she's not about to let Caitlyn get away with it either. now canon divergent bc it was written right after act 1 came out, but god was this so heartbreaking to see. such a good take on what could have happened in place of act 2/3, and the characterizations were just perfect

knit them tight by qwahaXahn - 11/22/2024, caitlyn & jinx, 3 ch, 3.4k

The hunt for Warwick goes horribly wrong, and Jinx can only think of one person to help her save Vi. Unfortunately, Caitlyn Kiramman wants her dead. A character study of two women in the process of changing, and how they finally, finally start healing. CAITLYN AND JINX ARE MY EVERYTHING (IN A SISTER IN LAW KIND OF WAY) AND THIS WAS SOMETHING SO GUTWRENCHINGLY PERFECT FOR THEIR INTERACTIONS BOTH OF THEM ARE JUST WRITTEN SO WELL AND I LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS

Too Close / Too Late by AiLaikJedi - 11/24/2024, caitvi, one-shot, 7.7k

As Caitlyn recovers from the Battle at Piltover, Vi learns that caring for her means facing the grief she’s tried to bury. filled the void i had searching for post-canon fics, this was just so perfect. no words it was beautifully written

The Willingness to Walk Away, The Courage to Try Again by Barakis - 11/24/2024, caitvi, one-shot, 7.1k

You let go for them, to save them from themselves. Otherwise, they’ll never find the strength to do it on their own, Vi realizes, and that realization only adds to her pain and heaving sobs. Jinx understood what Vi didn’t. She saw what her big sister couldn’t until it was too late. That in order to break the cycle of pain and violence, one of them needed to have the strength to walk away. And that person was never going to be Vi. another post-canon fic, honestly a blend of all of these are canon to me because they're all just so well written and perfect for the characters <3

i love you, i'm waiting for you by thehaakun - 11/24/2024, caitvi, 2 ch, 11.8k

Growth sometimes only came from discomfort, from a healthy fear of the unknown, from an innate desire to move out of old habits, dead pasts. She can’t accept what you and I both know. Caitlyn and Vi recover from the aftermath of the war. There's a long path ahead for them both, and their cities. can you tell the finale broke me??? because it did. but ao3 is curing all my wounds. this was so beautiful, a perfect glimpse into post-canon

will you fix me up (will you show me hope) by CharKoal - 11/29/2024, caitvi, one-shot, 2.8k

The last piece of Vi’s heart lays here, broken and bleeding, and somehow finds the nerve to smile. In the aftermath of the battle, Vi finds Caitlyn. another incredible post-canon fic, the glimpse into vi's mental state after the explosion was just so perfect

Shotgun by Cenodoxus - 12/6/2024, caitvi, one-shot, 8k

"Vi, you can either stay here with your severely injured girlfriend, or you can go desecrate a corpse. You can't do both." "What the fuck kind of bullshit ultimatum is that?" Vi finds Caitlyn after the climactic battle. i'm repeating myself a lot on these because YES technically they're all covering the same topic, but seriously, all of them add little details that just help complete my picture of everything that comes post-canon and compiles into my vision of what happens, and i need all of them to breathe, and this one was absolutely lovely

crash into me (i'm drowning here alone) by CharKoal - 12/8/2024, caitvi, one-shot, 7.3k

The color marks Vi like a scar. Blue hair, blue smoke, a glowing blue sphere and a bright blue explosion. Three bright blue explosions. It follows her, threatens to drown her in its depths. Blue haunts her dreams. She learns, later, that red tarnishes Caitlyn's. In the days following the battle, Vi grapples with the burden of her grief and finds that guilt has already crushed Caitlyn beneath its weight. okay yeah just from the summary you can tell that this is one of the most gut-wrenching fics i have here. seriously the writing quality of this???? absolutely astronomical. literally insane. PLEASE go read this and have your heart torn out

Restitution by dilapidatedcorvid - 12/8/2024, caitvi, one-shot, 2.3k

By all definition, they marvel, she is a medical miracle; her soul sewn back into this mortal vessel by the heroic efforts of the finest Piltover had to offer and cradled in a web of tubing and lines dripping saline and blood and therapies into her veins until they were reasonably sure she was ready to move from the antiseptic sterility of the hospital to the comfort of her own room to recuperate. Caitlyn doesn’t feel like a miracle. Or, Caitlyn is concussed and on bedrest, so she does the only thing she can: think. i love a good character study and this one just dove into caitlyn perfectly. y'all already know she's my fav character, so it makes me extremely happy when her character arc is done justice like in this fic- this is canon, to me

the love we let ourselves deserve by taq - 12/9/2024, caitvi, one-shot, 7.2k

Caitlyn watches the Noxian ships leave the harbor, stands there at the edge, the wind whipping her hair about, the chill sharp in the early morning sun. She watches words she wishes she could have said fizzle into the salty air, watches the tiniest specks of red disappear into the horizon, flecks of blood trapped beneath her nails that she’ll never wash out. There’s a tug to her hand. She turns, and there Vi is. There Vi is, warm and open and loving like she doesn’t care, like it’s alright, like there’s nothing wrong. It’s too much. another post-canon healing story, this one diving more into caitlyn's mental state after the war and it just. god. the guilt the pain the angst it's so perfect.

il y a toujours quelque chose d'absent qui me tourmente by lazy_universes - 12/9/2024, caitvi, one-shot, 11.1k

If pressed, Vi would probably say she couldn't really see the point of yet another monument. Graves, at least, were private enough, but a statue of Jinx in the middle of Zaun was hardly the place where she could mourn for her sister in solitude. If Pilties wanted to assuage their guilt or if Zaunites wanted to send a message, she honestly couldn’t care less. If she had her way, she’d have nothing to do with it. At that point in life, Vi should already be aware she hardly, if ever, had things go her way. this is actually 100% canon to me, seriously just thinking about vi and the alternate universe and her place in the world in the main universe now just makes me want to cry, but this fic just explored it so well and has one of the best vi characterizations ever.

Heart Made of Glass, My Mind of Stone by Phoenix314 - 12/25/2024, caitvi, 18 ch, 104k

In order to avoid time in Stillwater Prison, Vi must complete community service after getting caught stealing from Jayce Talis, the protégé of the wealthy and intelligent Councilor Cassandra Kiramman. Instead of spending her nights working at The Last Drop and her days looking after her siblings in Zaun, she now has to be the errand girl to one of the most powerful people in Piltover. However, Vi soon realizes that something isn’t right. What secret project is Jayce working on? Why does the councilor keep sending Vi on strange assignments? And why won’t Caitlyn Kiramman leave Vi alone about what life is like in Zaun? Something is festering in the underbelly of both cities and Vi is beginning to suspect that the Kirammans know more than anyone realizes. okay thIS. THIS FIC IS INSANE. first of all i just wanna say holy shit author for writing 104k words in less than a month and it still being ongoing. mad respect. made even more insane by how high quality every bit of this fic is, i LOVE a good young caitvi au and this just flew to the top of my ranking of them since i started reading- excitedly awaiting every update on this because i just love how in-depth the worldbuilding and characters are. oh, and cassandra?? MOST ICONIC CHARACTER EVER. LOVE HER. this one just dove so deeply into the kiramman family and that makes me SO happy, and i can't wait to see where it ends up going <3

Coming home to you by mkhhhx - 12/27/2024, caitvi, one-shot, 20.2k

“You are not taking good enough care of yourself,” Caitlyn starts, looking towards the fountain. She’s lost weight and her cheeks are hollowed, the knuckles of her hand too pronounced into Vi’s grasp. “I need you now, more than ever, Violet.” “You have me,” Vi says, as a matter of fact. As if she has anyone else to live for, to give her loyalty to. “In any way you’d want me.” another post-canon fic that's just so beautifully written. like srsly what are they feeding caitvi authors. this was insanely good, and just makes my caitvi heart so happy. HEALING TAG I LOVE YOU!!!

one single thread of gold tied me to you by piltovervscogirl - 12/28/2024, caitvi, one-shot, 10.8k

five lifetimes where caitlyn and vi found each other & one where they didn’t THE AMOUNT OF THOUGHTS I HAVE ABOUT EACH OF THESE UNIVERSES LIKE HOLY SHIT!!!! they are THE invisible string couple

A Family Affair by orayofsunshine - 12/28/2024, caitvi, 6 ch, 30.8k

Vi doesn’t introduce girls to her family. First, she’s not one to date or see a girl for more than a date or two, so there’s never anyone to introduce to them anyways. She’s too busy and too broke to keep a steady girlfriend. Second, her family is nuts, and no one should be subjected to their unique brand of torture. Or, How Caitlyn Ends Up Meeting Vi’s Whole Family On Accident this just made my heart so happy while also making me cackle. like woah an arcane fic that doesn't make me want to rip my heart out (in a good way). this was so so cute and perfect and A FULL FAMILY FOR VI!!!! HELL FUCKING YEAH

Hotshot by SarcastCity - 12/28/2024, caitvi, 50 ch, 242.6k

Caitlyn's route to work as a detective at the 51st Precinct takes her right by Fire Station #516, and Vi's been pining after the gorgeous Mystery Woman for six months...what will happen when she finds out that Caitlyn's a cop (AKA: The Enemy)? okay so. WOAH. OMFGJSDFJSD. i was a *tiny* bit late to the train on this one but boy am i glad that i read it when it was all complete bc i literally read this in the span of one day. yes. i was hooked to my phone on yet another 6 hour drive, absolutely consumed by this masterpiece of a fic. and then went on to go read everything else by this author bc the fucking TALENT this is just. insanely good!!!!

Ginkgo by Mango_Magpie - 12/30/2024, caitvi, 5 ch, 22k

Vi never thought she'd get a second chance at life. Now, thrust back into a world she no longer recognizes, she sets out to reconnect with lost loved ones, bonding with a new one along the way. missing scenes from s1!!! holy shit this just made me so nostalgic for 2021 again what the fuck!!!! this is canon to me. like, entirely. the fic before this in the series is also a depiction of vi's time in prison and is also canon to me. this author just writes so beautifully, and everything feels so in character, like i could genuinely imagine these scenes playing out in front of me as part of the show. absolutely incredible, will most definitely be re-reading

taking a leap forward (means leaving a few things behind) by thefifthchris - 12/31/2024, gen, 9 ch, 37.5k

Time slows. Four seconds. Ekko shouts. Something is wrong. There’s no time to think. Heimerdinger jumps out of the singularity, and, in his place– Powder takes the leap. In another timeline, Piltover tries to rebuild. No Hexgate, no fancy Hextech, nothing. Vi is familiar with this: raw labor, strength as its own language, sweat dripping between her shoulder blades. No, she thinks. There is no time to mourn. A tale of two sisters. Even worlds apart, they'll still always find each other. got to read this one as it updated and this was just a beautiful exploration of what could've happened if powder tried to recreate the anomaly (a question that im pretty sure everyone asked after the end of ep 7) - it was a wonderful fix-it while also staying true to all of the characters and exploring their relationships post-canon <3

and that is the end <3 shout-out to two honorable mentions:

hold me (like I never did anything to hurt you) by WishingonAStar, which just barely didn't make the cut off bc i read it past midnight on new years day.

and Run at the Cup. by TheHomelyBadger which i can firmly say is one of my top 3 best reads of the year (the others being The Second String and Son of Sea Foam), but wasn't included in this list because i first bookmarked it on may 27, 2022 back when it was originally updating. bc i sort of fell out of the fandom i didn't end up keeping up with the updates and so i got to re-read it in its entirety in december and was just completely blown away by how incredible it was, i could easily read 300k more words about this universe, it's an absolute masterpiece - i mean, it made me care about sports, which let me tell you is the most impossible job there is.

[gingernut1314]

One Piece Reading List (Pt. 1)

I have a tendency to read really good fics that I want to re-read weeks later only to find I can't find them in the void. Soooo I came up with this little reading list solution--kinda like a GoodReads vibe lol. I want to be able to share what I’ve read and be able to show my absolute love for them!! This is part 1 of this little list so there will be a part 2 (mainly cause it isn't letting me add more 😂).

I recommend every last fic on here because they are amazing and they and their authors deserve all the love in the world!!!! 🩷

↞ to One Piece Masterlist | Request Rules | Blog Navigation ↠ Part 2

Buggy: 🤡

Buggy x smuggler!reader @ay0nha

I can't keep crying @galaxycunt

Unlovable @httpwintersoldier

lady marmelade. @httpwintersoldier

Funny Business @constantmourning

Like lighting when I'm Swimming in the Sea @rorywritesjunk

Didn't Mean to Make Your Heart Blue: @wood-white-writer Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9

Kid Buggy Series: @rorywritesjunk Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6/Epilogue

The Show Must Go On: @empressofmankind Part 1 | Part 2

Mihawk: 🟡👄🟡

The Warlord and the Duchess @dino-fart

Mihawk with his S/O @writingoddess1125

On the Run @constantmourning

Bloodhound @httpwintersoldier

Let Go and Grip Me Tighter @sordidmusings

Crocodile: 🐊

Sandcastle by @sunshinescribes

Croc x Chaotic pairing by @jesterwriting

On My Silent Days, I Miss You Louder @empressofmankind

Shanks: 🍺🧑‍🦰

I want your eyes only on me @luna0713hunter

Jolly Sailor Bold @httpwintersoldier

Net @sinning-23

Confession @hiddndaydreams

Sanji: 🧑‍🍳

Sanji x Vampire!gn!Reader @jesterwriting

bon appétit, baby @httpwintersoldier

"Love Cook" @theladyofmanyfandomsfanfiction

You're being mean @buckysxgal

Commit to the Bit @writingmysanity

Luffy: 🍖

To Breath Underwater @sinning-23

Usopp: 🤥

Retwist @sinning-23

Zoro: 🗡️🥦 ⚔️

Starless @stray-kaz

Zoro Jealous @undiscovered-horizon

Imagine Your "Zoro's Keeper" @gojo-mochi

Roronoa "I could eat a peach for hours" Zoro @yourtamaki

Nami: 🍊

I kissed a girl. @miloonmetis

Multiple Characters: 🏴‍☠️

What Marriage Life would be like with the Seven Warlord of the Seas by @one-piece-aus

"I feel kinda ugly" ft. Monster Trio! @coffetears

Shake a'lil Ass by @sinning-23

Supa Freak @sinning-23

Blowing Bubbles, Blowing ZAZA @sinning-23

Zoro and Sanji have their eye on the same girl @undiscovered-horizon

One piece kisses - Monster trio @indydonuts

Bickering in Love ft. the Monster trio @indydonuts

What they might call their fem s/o @one-piece-fluff-hell

How they lost their virginity @writingoddess1125

Shanks and Mihawk...share @thus-spoke-lo

Masterlists:

Fanaticsnail's Masterlist @fanaticsnail

One piece headcanons masterlist & One piece Masterlist @httpwintersoldier

The Curious Courtship of Buggy the Clown Masterpost @sporadicthingcollection

Clipped Wings @honeybeezgobzzzzz

Something Dread, Something Red @honeybeezgobzzzzz

Sordidmusing's Masterlist @sordidmusings

[empressgeekt]

Trolls/Batman Crossover - Branch Wayne

Okay, so I've kind of been making little fic prompts where Branch falls through the walls of canon as a child and is raised in alternative universes. Today, lovely people of tumblr, we are going to send our wonderful little grumpy bean into the care of one of fiction's most notorious adoption addict, Bruce Wayne.

Not entirely sure on when it happens, but considering that Branch is around 24 at the time of modern canon, that would put him in the same age range as Dick Greyson (I'm going by Wayne Family Adventures, because that's the most wholesome batfam in canon, and likely this post i made a while ago pls read it for context), so, he and Branch would be taken in around the same time. Maybe Gotham first left Branch with the Flying Greyson, before going with Bruce along with Dick.

In this world Batman would have two child side-kicks, Robin and Meadowlark (I was going to go with Raven but that was taken and Meadowlark are birds that mean the end of suffering). I'd imagine that Branch wouldn't be as vengeful as little Dick, but he'd still follow Dick to make sure nothing bad happened, and did agree to training when Bruce offered as he wanted to protect himself.

For the next few years things are peaceful, for Branch. He loves going to school, he loves his foster father, Dick is the best brother he's ever had, he loves being Meadowlark, Alfred is a saint, and the Batman's legend continued to grow. The trio really leans into the spirit garden accept of their mysterious nature, half the city thinks their demons. And all the rogues say it's true, because it's less embarrassing to get their butt kicked by demon's of dark justice then just a guy and two kids in furry costumes.

Of course all goo things must come to an end. While Branch can put up with Bruce's overprotective nature as he got older, Dick cannot and so he and Bruce are constantly butting heads. The hostile home environment, eventually boils over with Dick striking out on his own, but Branch does not take it well. Once more a brother has abandoned him, and it climax's in a total panic attack where Alfred gets the story of how Branch lost his bio-family, and he's terrified that it was happening again. All this Alfred, does tell Bruce and they both work to assure to Branch that he'd always have a home at Wayne Manor. Branch is one of the kids who didn't move out after he moved in.

When the other children come along, at first Branch is worried about doing what Dick and his brothers did and screwing up the littler ones even more, but eventually he finds confidence as his role of one of the oldest in the Bat's brood.

Jason is the one who has to deal with Branch's awkwardness the most, but the kid didn't really mind. Both of them were academically inclined and were often found cuddling after falling asleep from reading too long. Jason's adoption also prompts Branch to Ask Bruce if he could be adopted too, and when his request is granted he's nearly brought to tears. Because of all of this, Jason also grew much more attached to Branch then to Dick. Mostly because Branch was there, and wasn't fighting with Bruce every time they came in contact.

Speaking of post move out, Branch and Dick. After Jason's death (a crushing blow to Branch that forever solidified the joker as his least favorite rogue), Dick tries to come around more at Alfred's request, and well, Dick is heartbroken when he learns that Branch thought he wouldn't ever comeback. In Branch's mind, Dick fought with Bruce, left and wasn't ever going to come back. Dick will spend years trying to make it up to Branch, but they will never be as close as they were as young kids.

Tim had to deal with a grieving Branch and that Branch was mad. Mad on Tim's behalf that is. The Drake neglect hit all to close to him, making Branch remember the neglect that Troll village had for him. It like looking in a mirror, watching Tim go above and beyond to prove himself, as Robin. Branch is also pissed at Bruce, he gets it, Jason's death hurt him too, but that's no excuse to treat Tim like shit, when the kid was only trying to help. Knowing what it was like to have no one in his corner, Branch would do his best to be in Tim's both in and out of the Mask. They would bond over trying to solve famous cold cases, and sci-fi movies. With Branch, Dick, and Branch knocking some sense into Bruce earlier, Tim flourishes.

When Cass shows up, Branch's awkwardness returns, after all he's never had a sister before, and she doesn't talk. However, Branch would join in on the sign language lessons, and over time learns just how sweet of a girl she is. He teaches her to cook, and help her find herself.

Stephine (Yes, I count her, she might not be Bruce's kid, but she's definitely a bat-sib), is a little much for Branch. Her boundless energy is a lot like a certain pink Princess', but Branch can see the difference, Gotham knows Poppy would never be able to kick butt like Spoiler. Their not the closest but they know they can count on each other.

When Jason comes back as Red Hood, its bitter-sweet for Branch. On one hand Jason is alive, but the Red Hood is not same person that was once Branch's first little brother. Still Branch tries to get Jason to come home, it takes a while, after all Pit Rage is no joke. But Branch does help clear up a lot of the misconceptions between the stupid people in his family who won't communicate (not that he's any better at it).

For Damian, Athanasia, and Mara (The latter two are Damian's bio-sister and cousin/ Bruce needs more daughters people), Branch's job is simply, "Don't let them kill each other or anyone else". Athanasia is sweet enough, and is the least trouble maker out of all of them, but the other two? Mara seems to think she needs to compete for her place in the manor, and Damian is constantly trying to kill Tim, as he thinks that the middle child is after the batman title, which Damian wants for himself.

When Terry, Matt, Dana and Max, universe jump to save themselves, Branch is just there. He helps them adjust, but his role isn't that major.

By the time that he turns 24 in Gotham, Branch has a college degree (nothing about a bachelor's since, most masters/phd's holders become rogues and have been banned from the cave/manner), a father, a step-mother who cares (Selina), two loving Grandfathers (Alfred, Thomas Wayne [flashpoint]), Three badass aunts (Kate, Harley and Ivy), what ever the heck Luke and Babs are, and a gaggle of siblings he'd seriously maim anyone for (Dick, Jason, Cass, Stephine, Tim, Duke, Cullen, Harper, Damian, Athanasia, Mara, Terry, Max, Dana, Matt, and little baby Helena [also Keith, Zuko and Jet, if you count the other crossovers in the mentioned linked post at the top]), who all come over on Tuesday for a family dinner. His life is seemingly perfect.

However, for his bio-brothers things are very much not. By some miracle, they pull together to save Floyd, but it was a really close call. They all (+viva and poppy) make it to Gotham, via a very disgruntled John Constantine and a letter that Gotham left in Peppy's care.

I'm not entirely sure plot wise where it would go. I think they would probably land in Crime Alley, and be horrified by the place. The trolls world is bright and colorful, and Crime Alley is not. Maybe they'd come across some of the Alley kids and they would point out some grafiti of the Batfamily. Though, the would definitely get jumped once the sun goes down. Jason likely coming to their rescue.

Brozone's reaction to the Batfamily is a mix of shock and confusion. Branch has his own new family, and his new siblings aren't making it any easier. The adults (Bruce, Selina, Alfred, Kate, and Thomas) are civil, but still intimidating. The children however? Branch is their big brother, they are going to get a little petty revenge for him. Jason and Tim would just off the hand mention how dangerous their lives are and how Jason died. Cass would sneak up on them. Mara, Damain, Matt and Attie would openly threaten their lives. And the rest of them would totally flaunt how close they were as siblings even if they literally have tried to kill each other in the past.

A breakout would definitely happen at one point. Not sure when, but i'm tempted to pump up at least one of the Brozone members on Fear Toxin.

Also Bruce Wayne and TBruce meeting would be weird. Like two guys by the name of Bruce with over ten children each? Yeah, BW would take the possibility of them being multiversal counterparts way too seriously.

So ya'll thoughts? I have people from both of these fandoms watching my account, so I'm interested in what ideas ya'll have.

[fandrawsart]

Do I know you?

So I have been experimenting with art styles, and when I was making this piece I wasn't all that happy with how it looked in my usual colouring style. I was like- I really really want it to look like it was plucked straight out of a comic. So I thought might as well hit two birds with one stone, and make this piece a Style study as well. The artist whose style I tried to study is one of my favourite One Piece artists. Their Shuggy art just gives me the butterflies. Shoutout to @huyandere

I have fallen in love with the fem Naruto design that I made for @bugbeee 's 'In Sound Judgement' and I adore creating fanart of her.

So here is a continuation of the Mission disaster - wherein Kakashi and Nana get separated from the rest of the team 7 and are attacked. In my mind, they were hit by a stray jutsu and were blasted to the past. The scenario was also influenced by that one Boruto episode, where he and Sasuke go back in time and meet 12-year-old Naruto. And I know we already have the Lost Tower and Road to Ninja, but that’s different. In them, Minato was older and there was a criminal lack of Kushina. I was like damn, what if Naruto/ Nana were to meet their parents when they were 12? Before they got together, and Kushina still had a major chip on her shoulder, and Minato and his team were- according to my timeline calculations- freshly abandoned by Jiraiya in favour of the Ame trio in the middle of a war.

I included both Kakashi and Nana because they are both Minakushi’s kids and deserve to know more about them. Kushina is this shining beacon of wonder in Nana’s mind. Someone whom she admires and who can do no wrong. She is the parent whom Nana has yearned to meet and make proud. Vs Minato who, she wants nothing to do with and ignores so much that she doesn’t even see him as her father, much less process the messy feelings she has regarding him.  

Nana knows when she meets Minato he will find her lacking and doesn’t bother, but she fears what Kushina will think. Because Nana knows without a doubt that Kushina loves her child, and that means a lot to a kid who keeps getting abandoned by the people around her. Kushina is a part of Nana which she selfishly guards, but if Kushina were to reject her then it would kill Nana.

This experience would make Nana realise that she is a lot more like both her mum and her dad than she realises. It would also make Nana get to actually know who Minato was before he was shaped to be the co-dependent martyr he was by the major traumas he suffered.

Same for Kakashi who thinks, he is the only unlucky bastard who got screwed over by a benign village, and much like Nana and Minato refuses to process the trauma.

I must emphasise- that this is a hypothetical scenario and is not canon to the actual fic- In Sound Judgement.

[bunkernine]

do you think jason and leo could find happiness if they were trapped in a time loop together. maybe permanently maybe not

I tried writing a time loop fic where it repeated the last week before Leo died in boo. No matter what, one of them died. The conclusion was no, neither is built to be happy. I firmly believe that they will always be trapped in a cycle of chasing and running, but any happiness that can be derived from that will always be ephemeral. If they are both happy, then something bad will come. Really entranced with the way every time they have a conversation, one of them nearly dies within the next hour. It's fate, man. If they both survived Gaea, then the world fell. In the past, my comparisons were Pyramus and Thisbe, Romeo and Juliet, Hyacinthus and Apollo, Orpheus and Eurydice, and Echo and Narcissus for various reasons, but all tragedies. HERES THE THING: Jason and Piper are explicitly drawn to compare with Paris and Helen, while Leo sees himself in Echo, lmao. Lots of love stories and lots of fleeting moments, all tragic. In the way the earth has multiple ice ages and then returns to normalcy, Jason and Leo would have many conflicts (surrounding/between/about) them because that's the way it is. When we look at the prophecy, To storm or fire (Jason OR Leo), the world must fall.... that "must" does so much... tragedy is inevitable; that is how Greek mythos has functioned; it was NOT going to happen. Anyway, that's the point of time loops, lol. You know how it ends, but you still try to change the ending. Never works. This is where the argument that "Jason died to make up for Leo's cheat" comes from anyway... core valgrace belief 🙏 The Lost Trio tried to fuck with undoing death multiple times (they all die once in TLH, Midas and Hera LOL) and that's something the universe will always work out. 🤔 it's always made sense to me that Jason is Roman, and Leo is Greek, by nature of the books and opposing camps, but before they knew that, they were just friends.... think ultimately that's the point: even if they are to be by each other, they'll always be separated by the world and fate fr.....

[sitp-recs]

Hello again, how are you? I hope you do well ! I'd like to see if you can recommend me any survival Darry fic. I'd like some fic where Draco and Harry get lost and have to survive together, just the two of them, and they end up forming a very strong bond

Hi there! I’ve had better days tbh but thank you for asking, I hope you’ve been well 💜 here are some fics that came to mind:

World's Edge by RurouniHime (E, 15k)

In the harshest environment on earth, Harry finds that escaping is harder than simply running.

All the Ashes Like Leaves by firethesound (M, 21k)

Nothing about being the Chosen One had prepared Harry for this. With most of the population blinded and man-eating plants running amok, he can only stay close to his friends as they make their way to safety. Not that he’d call Malfoy a friend, but the end of the world does rather make their ongoing feud seem trivial. And it just figures that it took nothing short of an apocalypse to make Malfoy seem like less of a git.

Draco Malfoy, It's Your Lucky Day by Faith Wood (E, 37k)

Even though he's unarmed, injured, lost in the Forbidden Forest, and facing a possible murder charge, Draco Malfoy gets lucky.

Annus Mirabilis by Ren (E, 39k)

Harry and Malfoy are trapped at Hogwarts around the time the school was founded. Stuck with a different way of doing magic, with no chocolate, and with each other, they have to find a way to work together if they want a chance to go home.

Survival of the Species by @romaine2424 (E, 46k)

Draco approaches Harry on the 9 ¾ platform, after their sons have boarded the Hogwarts Express, and invites him over for tea. The discussion they have leads them on an adventure that neither could have expected. There be dragons! HPDH compliant but before any other canon info had been released.

9 ½ Days by @magpiefngrl (E, 69k)

After the events at the Manor, Harry and Draco find themselves stranded in the countryside with a broken wand and Death Eaters on their tail. This is the story of an uneasy truce, featuring faerie forests, seaside caves, Romani camps, kind old ladies, and a shared bed in an attic. Or how two boys fell in love in the midst of a bloody coup.

Consequences of Redemption by bobbirose (M, 120k)

When Draco makes an impromptu decision to rescue Harry Potter from Malfoy Manor, the two find themselves completely alone and facing the looming climax of the war against Voldemort. Harry must start from the beginning with Draco--and starting over has more consequences than either of them anticipated.

Walking the Line by SilentAuror (E, 179k)

Sixth year is over and Draco Malfoy is on the run. The war is on and an unwanted assignment is forced upon him by the only people he trusts - and a one-time arch-enemy just may be out to kill him.

Temptation on the Warfront by alizarincrims0n (E, 180k)

Draco Malfoy is forced into hiding with the Golden Trio and dragged into their search for horcruxes. What ensues is a journey of redemption, unexpected friendships and an unwanted, turbulent romance with Harry Potter. Warnings for swearing, sexual content, and dark themes.

Eclipse by Mijan (T, 287k)

Draco swore his revenge on Harry for Lucius's imprisonment, and Harry all but laughed at him. But Draco is planning more than schoolyard pranks this time. The old rivalry turns deadly when Draco abducts Harry for Voldemort. It's the perfect plan, guaranteeing revenge, power, and prestige, all in one blow. But when Draco's world turns upside down, the fight to save himself and Harry begins, and the battle will take them both through hell and back. If they come back.

In The Dark by @bixgirl1 (E, WIP)

In the aftermath of an apocalypse, Harry receives an order to find and bring Draco Malfoy nearly a thousand miles, to the tenuous safety of Hogwarts. But more than distance separates them from their goal. The world has fallen, and death is hungry.

[amazingmsme]

Wake Up (Proto)Call

AN: FINALLY, MY FIRST NPMD FIC!!! Been wanting to write this since I saw it, the brainrot is strong with this one. Just some Spankoffski bros fluff ft. Steph. This fic was an absolute blast to write! This trio literally own my heart now, wtf. Here’s day 29!

Ted walked down the hall toward's Peter's closed door, hands shoved deep in his pocket. He barely gave a knock before opening it.

"Hey Pete, got a min- oh. Well hello." Ted stood in the doorway awkwardly, looking like a deer caught in headlights.

Stephanie Lauter looked about the same, sitting on the leaning against the headboard with a book in hand and Peter napping in her lap. A blush quickly spread across her cheeks as a teasing smirk tugged on his lips. She gave a shy wave.

"Um, hi."

Ted walked into the room, milling about as he inspected his brother's shelves of action figures, comics and other nerdy memorabilia. He held a hand out for her to shake.

"I'm Ted, Pete's older brother." She arched a brow, but didn't shake his hand. He held his hands up in surrender. "Too cool for a handshake, hey, I get it." This seemed to snap her out of it.

"No! It's not that, you just- caught me off guard is all."

Ted gave her a skeptical, albeit amused look. "Mmhmm." He turned his back to her and grabbed a stack of comics. "I owe him 20 bucks now, so thanks a lot." Steph scoffed.

"Excuse me?" she asked incredulously, setting her book aside.

"I thought he was full of shit when he said he was meeting the mayor's daughter at Pasquale's, so obviously I made a bet," he explained as he started to sift through the stack. It was Stephanie's turn to smirk.

"And obviously you lost."

Ted snorted, but didn't pay her much attention beyond that. Steph frowned. "You know he's really particular about his stuff, right?" Ted turned around on his heels, bending at the waist to get closer to her height.

"Seeing as I've known him since birth, uh, yeah I do, lil miss," he snarked. Steph glared at him and flipped him off.

"Don't fucking call me that. I'm sure Peter doesn't want you snooping around his room anyway," she sassed back, crossing her arms, careful not to jostle Peter as he slept.

Ted rolled his eyes, somehow putting his whole body into it. "Yeah I was hoping he'd be gone, but asleep is the next best thing," he said, turning back to face her. "If you must know, I'm just trying to keep track of everything he's got. All this junk looks the same to me, and I can't just ask what he doesn't have, 'cause then he'll know what I'm getting him-" he started rambling.

Steph's expression softened into a grin. "His birthday's still a month away."

"Yeah, and I'm running out of time," he mused, setting the comics back where he got them. He even made sure they were ordered correctly, Stephanie noticed. He glanced at her, looking as though he wanted to say something. Stephanie scoffed and looked him up and down. "What?"

"I really wanna do this thing, but if I do Pete's probably gonna be pissed," he said, mischievous eyes glued to his brother's sleeping form. Mischief came off of him in waves Steph hummed as she reached for her book again.

"Then you probably shouldn't do it."

Ted took one step closer to the door, but meandered his way back to the side of the bed.

"Oh but it's a tradition. You see, it was always my job to wake him up for school, dude sleeps like a fuckin' log-" he started. Steph frowned and shook her head, a hand carding through his long hair.

"Don't wake him up, he's tired. I told him he could nap."

"Yeah but he has a guest over, and that shit's just flat out rude in my opinion. Besides, I think you'd really like it," he said the last bit in a singsong tone. She rolled her eyes and returned to her book.

"I'm serious, don't bother him." Then quieter, she added, "He's cute while he sleeps." He made a gagging motion while she was distractedly looking down at Peter, stopping right before she looked back at him.

Ted turned around in "defeat" and headed to the door, muttering, "Even cuter when he's being tickled." Now that got her attention.

"What?"

Her tone was joyous and inquisitive and when Ted looked at her, she had an evil smile spreading across her face. That's more like it.

Ted sauntered back, sitting on the bed next to his brother. "Oh yeah, one thing you need to know about my lil bro is that he's like, crazy ticklish. Seriously, you're welcome, I just gave you the key to getting anything you want from him," he chuckled, only have joking.

Steph was looking at her boyfriend in a new light. "Thank you. That is... very intriguing information."

Ted made a show of cracking his knuckles as he spoke, "This is one of the only ways to actually get him up. Yeah an alarm will wake him up, but he won't actually get outta bed, ya know?" He was hunched over Peter's sleeping frame with hands hovering over his torso. He gave her a sly grin. "I don't get to do this as often as I used to, so I'll take any chance I can get."

Steph giggled and ducked her head, "I don't blame you."

Peter was laying on his side with his head resting on Steph's thighs, his knees tucked close to his chest. Ted started poking up and down his side, slow at first but gaining speed as he went. To Stephanie's delight, sleepy giggles slipped past his lips as he began to stir.

Sporadic poking turned to scribbling and the small huffs of laughter grew more consistent. His hands swatted blindly at offending ones, but lacked the strength or accuracy to protect himself.

"C'mon Pete, time to wake up," he cooed, one hand trailing up to scribble at his neck. A tiny squeal slipped out as Peter scrunched his neck, burying his face in the flannel tied around Steph's waist.

"Tehed leave mehehe alooone," he whined in his half asleep state. It took a second for his foggy brain to connect the dots, but once they did he was wide awake. He shot up so fast it startled both of them, Steph even letting out a startled squeak. "TED WHAT THE FUCK? GET OUTTA MY ROOM!" he yelled and pointed at the door, face quickly turning red.

Ted sat on the edge of the bed, completely frozen with his hands in the air as if he'd been caught by the police. He was fighting off his own laughter, mouth gaping open in shock at the outburst. Shock quickly gave way to amusement.

He wore a sly yet somehow sheepish grin as he looked at Stephanie. "I promise he usually isn't like this," he joked, shooting her a wink.

"GET OUT!" Peter repeated, using his long legs to his advantage, kicking his brother in the back to shove him off the bed. Ted stumbled to his feet, giving his brother a bewildered look. What the hell was his deal? Oh right, they weren't alone.

"Alright aright, I'm leaving," he admitted defeat. He only made it two steps before Stephanie spoke up.

"No you aren't." Peter stared at his girlfriend, a look of utter betrayal in his face. Ted's brows furrowed in confusion as he turned back around.

"I'm not?"

"Yeah, he's not?"

"Ted here was just about to give a detailed demonstration on all your tickle spots," she said, so matter of factly. Both Spankoffski brothers scoffed in shock before she continued, "Weren't you?" She looked at Ted expectantly, cocking her head to the side. There was something almost... challenging in her eyes. As if she dared him not to comply to her demands.

"I wasn't planning on it, but if you insist!" It took little to no convincing for Ted to take the golden opportunity presented here.

"No wait!" Peter protested, about to bolt off the bed when a hand around his wrist pulled him back. His nervous smile grew wider by the second. "Steph, let go."

"No," she said, an evil grin firmly in place. She snatched for his other wrist, and he moved it out of reach just in time. He held his arm out to the side as far as he could while Stephanie stretched across him, trying to grab him. She took the cheaters way out in the end and scribbled in his exposed armpit, causing him to slam his arm against his side for protection, a bark of laughter escaping past his lips. She easily caught his wrist and pulled both of his arms above his head.

"Thanks for being so cooperative babe," she said and Peter rolled his eyes.

"You're not welcome," he snarked.

"I'd be nicer if I were you. She doesn't look like she holds back," Ted chuckled as he sat on his ankles to keep him in place. Peter kicked and tugged on his legs, but they remained firmly trapped.

"C'mon guys, this isn't funny!"

"Really? Then why're you laughing?"

"But I'm not-" Peter was cut off with a shriek when Ted struck, squeezing his younger brother's boney knees. He yanked his arms down, catching Steph off guard with the level of strength he displayed. His hands immediately moved to cover his face and clamp over his mouth.

"Oh yeah, forgot to warn you, he's stronger than he looks," Ted added casually, as if he wasn't making Peter scream with laughter. "But knees: major weak spot." Steph nodded in understanding as she wrestled Peter's arms into her hold once more.

"Ohoho you're one toho tahahahalk!" he managed through his laughter.

"This isn't about me though, is it? Nooo, it's about you," he emphasized his point with a poke to his tummy, making him try to curl in on himself with a squeak. Ted continued, "Anyway, his belly's also pretty bad," he noted, forming a claw with his hand and hovered it in the air. Peter saw what he was doing and shook his head frantically.

"NO! Tehehed Ihihi'll kihihill you!" he threatened through giddy, nervous giggles. His older brother merely shrugged.

"I'd like to see you try," he said, not quite as condescending as usual.

Steph had had enough just watching and shifted his hands under her legs so she could join the fray. She looked at Ted expectantly.

"Where should I start?" she asked, smiling at the indignant cry Peter let out. Ted chuckled in amusement.

"Well he's ticklish just about anywhere, so knock yourself out," he encouraged, ignoring the indignant protest that mingled with Peter's laughter.

"Yeah, but what's a good spot?" she pressed further, seemingly unsatisfied with the vague answer.

"Well if you wanna hear the cutest giggles ever then go for his neck. Oh! And if you scratch at this one spot behind his ears he'll snort really loud, it's hilarious!"

"TEHEHED! Shut thehehe fuck uhup!" he shrieked, his cheeks taking on a dark pink hue from the flustering conversation taking place overhead.

"Wow, is that how you talk to your brother?" Steph asked in a taunting tone. Peter shook his head, babbling protests spilling from his mouth as she skittered her nails over his neck. Ted really wasn't kidding: this was probably the cutest sound she'd ever heard her boyfriend make. She was smiling down at him, her grin stretched from ear to ear as she scribbled her nails just behind his ears.

Peter snorted and tried hiding his face in the crook of his arm, but it still left half of it exposed for Steph's viewing pleasure.

“Oho my God, that’s so cute!” she exclaimed, leaning so far into his personal space they nearly touched noses. Ted fake gagged behind her back, for no one’s benefit but his own. “Do it again,” she ordered, using both hands to scratch at that spot.

A loud squeal was abruptly cut off by a giggly snort, and Peter turned a shade darker.

“Steheheph nohoho!” he whined, kicking his legs futilely where they remained pinned.

“Steph yes!” he cried, ducking down to blow a raspberry on his neck. Peter threw his head back, wild cackles filling the air. Ted leaned back, looking impressed and proud.

“Wow, and I didn’t even have to tell you about that!” he teased, reaching out to tweak Peter’s hips. He yelped, twisting side to side.

When Steph blew the third raspberry, Ted decided to show a little mercy. He grabbed a lock of Stephanie’s long hair, giving a few gentle tugs to get her attention, “Hey, we wanna keep him alive, yeah?” Steph looked over her shoulders, leveling him with a harsh glare as she yanked her hair back.

“You do?” Peter asked breathlessly from where he laid beneath his tormentors. They both chuckled and finally relented.

“Mhm,” Ted hummed cheerfully, standing up from the bed and dusting himself off.

“You got a funny way of showin’ it.”

“Hey, what’re brothers for?” he asked with a shrug. He held his hand out for a fist bump. Peter scoffed, looked at the hand, then at his brother. He sighed in defeat and gave him a fist bump. He turned back towards the door, ready to leave for real this time, when he was stopped once again by a familiar voice.

“I’ll get you back you know!”

Ted stopped in the doorway, one arm resting against the frame as he casually leaned on one foot. Peter was sitting up now, leveling him with a determined stare. It was a look Ted had seen before. He smirked; Peter rarely followed through on his threats.

“Yeah? I’d like to see you try,” he said, classic condescending snark returning to his tone. He turned back around, only taking one step before another voice spoke up.

“He’s a lot braver now, you know.”

Ted spun around on his heels, retort ready on the tip of his tongue when he saw his brother standing by his bed, a confident smirk on his face.

Ted’s own cocky smile faltered into something a bit more nervous. He took a step back, holding his hands out in front of him.

“Hang on now, Pete. W-wait!”

Peter cocked his head, like Ted had done so many times at him. Well shit.

“Why would I do that?”

Ted saw movement from the corner of his eye and noticed Steph also stand.

“Hey, I helped you!”

“Actually, I asked for a comprehensive list of his tickle spots, and IIII don’t knooow… that didn’t seem like a fully comprehensive list to me.”

That little bitch!

Ted scoffed, “Did you just use me to get your way?”

Steph wore a truly radiant smile. “Get used to it.”

Ted took another step back. “I had to leave you some surprises!” he defended himself, shrieking when Peter lunged at him. He just barely escaped when Peter caught him by the shirt, sprinting out of his grasp. His celebration was short lived when he was tackled to the ground.

“Oh Ted, I bet you thought this day would never come. But it’s about damn time you had a taste of your own medicine.”

He could never take what he dished out.

[mintywolf]

A Long Road Home - Page 68

Page 68

Pâté is doing the Charleston. He’s very talented.

I mentioned back in the first chapter that Laudna's cabin was furnished with things from Imogen's attic that she'd had when she was a child, including her strawberry print sheets. Continuity!

In the previous chapter also we saw Tabaxi Boy with a grey tabby sister, while his mother is brown like himself, so by the rules of cartoon genetics their other parent must be a grey tabby as well. So here he is in Imogen’s scout troop, along with presumably his mother as the troop leader. Also present are the trio of mean girls we saw on page 20, continuing to exclude Imogen

The story about the three kids getting eaten by a witch is a reference to Caleb’s Narrative Telephone cautionary tale. I am aware the original story is a metaphor for the fates of Trent Ikithon’s three Volstrucker students, but since the nature of Narrative Telephone is to mangle every story through repeated tellings it makes sense on a meta level for there to be a distantly removed version of it being told in the Taloned Highlands. The weeping woman with the snake body was either intentionally or accidentally the result of me conflating the mythology of La Llorona (who drowned her children and now her spirit roams wailing and mourning for them) with Lamia (who was driven mad after her children were killed by Hera and now, having become a monstrous serpent-woman, seeks and devours children). She was a character in a Changeling: the Lost campaign I wrote a long time ago, which coincidentally I am adapting in part into my fic The Court of Murmurs, so she will probably turn up again in a Southern Gothic context eventually! The third story, antlered man of the crossroads, I just made up on the spot when I was writing the script.

Originally they were going to just be sleeping on a pile of leaves since Imogen left home in a hurry without being able to pack very much and Laudna lost all of her possessions except what she was wearing, but I figured they could have gotten a bedroll with their ill-gotten saddlebag so now they at least have a fur to sleep on. However, I realized that since Laudna lost most of her clothes, she currently doesn’t own a nightgown, so for this crucially important scene about to take place she’s just going to be wearing her (Victorian era) underwear. :|