#in this verse it's an ironic reverse of canon

[viciousgold]

@secondbetrayer​

“I don’t understand,” Lyra admitted with a small shake of her head, because she didn’t. She’d found her mother with some man Lyra had never seen before and she didn’t know why this had happened. She’d spent a lot of time with them but very often found she didn’t understand grown-ups. She didn’t know if she ever would, even when she became one herself.

But this was her mother; Lyra loved her and knew there must be, had to be, some kind of explanation, a good one. So she set a deep gaze on her mother, willing to listen.“Why, Mama?” Her tone of voice and her brown eyes both reflected a plea, a hope for the upcoming answer. Pan, mouse-formed, poked his little head out of Lyra’s shirt. Didn’t her mother love Father?

Marisa sighed, bringing her hand to gently grasp Lyra’s face. As she was about to speak, Asriel stood and approached them. He glanced down at his daughter for a moment, before looking at Marisa.

“You should tell her, Marisa.” he spoke softly. 

Marisa resisted the urge she felt to stand upright and smack him. 

“Go home, Asriel.” she warned firmly. She looked up at him with a cold glare. Asriel turned his attention to the girl again, his expression somber. But Marisa let him know time and time again that this was the way things had to be, for all of their safety. Edward Coulter was a prideful man, and if Lyra knew the truth, and she said something, all three of them would be in danger. So Asriel could never be Lyra’s father. Stelmaria looked at the young Pantalaimon with longing, but soon began walking out of the room, beckoning her human to follow. Having no other choice once the snow leopard got as far as she did, he turned and followed her out. Once they were alone, Marisa began speaking. 

“Adult relationships are complicated, Lyra.” she began, her voice very gentle. Her daemon leapt to her shoulder to better gaze at Pan. “Sometimes, if we’re unhappy, we seek out people who can help us be happy. That’s all it is. Your father and I, we barely see each other these days. Between his work and mine, our busy, conflicting schedules, almost all of our free time is spent with you, my darling.” Marisa ran her fingers through a strand of Lyra’s hair. “But Asriel, he’s a work colleague of mine. So because we work together, we see each other all the time, so... what I’m currently not getting from your father, it’s easy and, unfortunately necessary to get it from Asriel.” she tried to explain. “It means nothing.” she lied, choosing to say this rather than explain how she and Asriel were in love. Because she didn’t want Lyra for a second thinking about what this might mean. “It’s just that adults have needs. And if I could get those fulfilled with your father, I would. But until that is an option, I need Asriel. And I need you to keep this a secret, Lyra. It’s very important that you don’t tell anyone about this.”

[strywoven]

i have to talk to you guys about something pertinent to kaen's verse(s): BLOOD ( re: "the blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb" ; thus, the bonds forged remain greater than those inherited ) .

it is no secret that kaen is some sort of "walking pyre" , due to the all-fire. in essence , the foundation of the quirk renders the user ... a living conduit of fire itself , a consumptive power which transforms all essence into flame and frenzy. it's no hyperbole to say kaen is "on fire" from the inside-out. and that includes their blood , which has only become another extension of their power ; not normal sanguine , but a MOLTEN GOLD , seething and smoldering as it breaches air. kaen themself is not sure how harmful their blood is ( ironically they've more information on their spit ; don't ask ) .

in-canon , kaen has "marked" both sloan and kadai via a BLOOD PACT ( shaking hands cut-to-cut ) , thus exposing both to the potentially ruinous effects of their own power invading their systems ( & later , remaining part of them ) . medically , it was perhaps one of the more unwise choices kaen's made , rendering both parties in a pain-stricken stupor for several days whilst they recovered -- however. we all know how BINDING these things are. kadai and sloan retain severe scarring along their left arms , the veins irrevocably , noticeably burned through ( though not entirely destroyed ) .

something of note , during this whole induction process , is that kaen said something like , "this is gonna hurt you more than it'll hurt me," and sloan ( who took the L first ) , replied , "isn't that reversed ?" to which kaen grinned and seized its hand , "NO ."

[phoenixcatch7]

Things I want to give spidey that appeared in canon but not enough:

Spider drones

The capiora what-cha-ma-callit fighting styles from spiderman ps4. I want them to appear as flavouring. The visual is gorgeous. It's perfectly suited to his whole aesthetic.

Whatever the deal is with madame web. Like some sort of Persona velvet room equivalent??

The spider to spider resonance from spider verse, that sent me FERAL we need more of it!!

Things I want to give spidey that appeared in canon, yes, but can we just tweak it a bit:

Man spider. Come on it's so cool. Maybe it can appear more often, as like, a biological last line of self defence? It's big and fluffy and feral and op, what more do you want??? Half transformations, even, like spidey growing eight eyes for a Halloween prank or being able to spit acid when cornered.

Spider whispering - it appears in some form in some comic runs, but spideys relationship with normal spiders is WILDLY variable. He doesn't have to talk to them like ant man, just let him have, like, a mutual understanding. Spider pheromones or smth.

The iron spider extensions. I know he doesn't really ever get to keep the suit, but at least let him take inspiration from the four extra limbs, come on.

Venom. Like, yes it's destined to end in failure because of venoms brain eating tendencies and spideys Absolute Refusal, but like,,, maybe they could reach some sort of accord when they part ways and he can borrow him sometimes?? I want to pair it with man spider for some truly unhinged eldritch horror shenanigans. Eight eyed eight legged mass of black goop the size of a small car with a giant fanged maw. Come on.

Bio webbing! A movie spidey had them! (Toby maguire??) Listen it doesn't have to replace the artificial stuff but he needs like. A back up. Something biological that couldn't be mistaken for an insect. He can fiddle with it. Do little web designs (hehe). He should have knitting and crochet and lace making for a hobby or three, come on. Spider weaving instincts. He's gotta.

Things I want to give spidey that aren't really canon but if marvel let me they COULD be:

Mandibles. Poison mandibles >:]. Man spider has them! Maybe they could stay after the transformation, like they just tuck inside his mouth, between his lower gums and cheek, with joints that let them unfold out his mouth and click menacingly. Imagine you're trussed up by spidey and he's trying to play bad cop and you're 100% convinced he's too moral and bluffing until these giant glistening black daggers the length of a child's hand slowly pierce through the mask on either side of where his mouth would be and you're suddenly Very Aware no one knows what spider man looks like outside of the full body suit.

Psychic blast. Now hear me out! Just the spider sense, weaponised. Like the reverse of the resonance. He does something funky and whatever layer of reality the spider sense functions on just absolutely wigs out and anyone caught in the area goes with it. Like vibrations on an interplanar web except the spider in the centre isn't reading the vibrations but stomping vigorously until it looks like tsunami waves rather than plucked guitar strings.

Low key endurance. Please marvel. Sure it looks good and realistic and poor meow meow but this guy can survive his own terminal velocity like it's NOTHING. You could drop him from the eiffel tower and he could land on his neck and be 100% fine unscathed not even a bruise. It's in the spider job description. Stop having random thugs with bats leave him multicoloured. Stop having it only kick in when he needs to catch a bus or smth lol.

[nailamoonsi]

Blue Horizon and Japanese-style pronouns (for fun)

I wanted to do a reversal of English-style pronouns (he/she/they)! In Bangla we don't gender our pronouns in comparison.

In Japan personal pronouns are gendered! However, I'll admit that I'm not versed in Japanese any longer. I was worried "what if I come off too anime or clueless" but then I remembered the characters are anime in my head! ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ I hope it's not too strange to think of it in a "Western way" (how I might see Texan girls and boys and nonbinary people referring to themselves).

When I was in Japan as a child I used "atashi."

(I also saw that in the Japanese version of ATLA Katara uses "boku," so maybe people in Japan see Western work a certain way too?)

If Japanese people have other opinions after reading the first book or just from the character's vibes already, feel free to mention (one day...not extremely soon as it is unreleased).

~*~

Main 6 + some friends' pronouns via my very basic ideas that might not fit well as a Western person. Their world also has a magic system that influences their ideas about gender (think Iron Widow or Simoun).

Antonio and Alejandro would start using "ore" very early in their teens. Raj and Fernando use "ore" too, but Raj sometimes uses "boku" around his brothers and a particular [mystery] friend until he's older. (A part of me thinks Antonio would switch to "watashi" very quickly in adulthood but a part of me is shrug.)

Alia uses "watashi." She would use "boku" around other girls partly because she's used to being around Layla.

Layla would use "atashi" unless she felt very serious (switches to watashi) as well as "jibun"! Around girls and sometimes other people she can use "boku." Around Antonio, her brother of many thousands of years, she would sometimes use "ore" even in public. (She can do so around Alia too.) Everyone ignores this.

(In my head Layla stays very "young"/casual in their diction for a long time but also doesn't like gendering. They're also intense + cold in mentality and shows that mostly around Alia and Antonio.)

Khaleel and Leo use "ore" until they're older.

Mario uses "boku" when young; unsure when older--he's trans masc but likes theatrical flair. Probably "ore" still. Maria uses "atashi" for a long time. Jasmin uses "atashi" no matter what. Konna uses "boku." (She's pictured above with Raj and Fernando.)

Keya and Biju both use "boku." Priya uses "watashi." Posh Hat uses "jibun."

(Picrews.)

Ranvir and Armando's generation:

Ranvir and Armando would use "ore." (When they're older adults they use "watashi.")

Rajani uses both "watashi" and "atashi" until older. Nikiruka uses "watashi."

Lana uses "boku." Liliana uses "watashi."

Yunuen uses "boku" for a very long time until he's an adult. He switches to "watashi" by then. Tarak uses "ore" and so does Héctor.

(Picrews. Yunuen is the "mystery character" back when I wanted to hide more of the characters in the book.)

~*~

If I come off too clueless about anything, just ignore it and use your own headcanons! In my head I thought of it as "Texan people using Japanese" but maybe it's still very odd. I dunno! Hope it can be written off as clueless, anime or "Texan" in any case. (Genuinely I don't need this to be "canon.")

Edit: Currently my main worry is whether giving Layla multiple personal pronouns is "odd." Thus and thus.

[xflashbastardx]

Zi hc masterpost

Did not fall for asking harmless questions, but for directly challenging heaven's judgement. He had been privately critical of a lot of heaven's decisions, but the final straw for him was seeing how upset Kabaiel was when he learned about the plan to end humanity in 6000 years. He has never told the angel this, he doesn't want him to feel guilty or blame himself for Aziraphale's fall.

Zi doesn't exactly care for Heaven, but he doesn't carry the same intense hatred/resentment that canon Crowley does. Because he knew, more or less, what he was getting into when he spoke up, his fall wasn't as traumatizing. It was horrible and painful, but he at least had the chance to mentally prepare for it.

Kept his name when he fell. He doesn't see himself as evil or truly part of Hell, so he refuses to let go of his angelic past entirely. But he knows Aziraphale isn't exactly a demonic name, so he's shortened it to Zi. Other demons absolutely ridicule him for this, but their opinions mean little to him.

Aziraphale was made to be a fighter (had he not fallen, the flaming sword would still have been his) so if pushed to violence, he can be extremely dangerous. Fighting isn't his go-to solution for things, though, as he (like canon verse Crowley) isn't actually evil and doesn't really want to hurt anyone.

Even though he never made it to Eden, Zi can wield a sword. The Plan had been for him to guard Eden. When he rebelled, obviously he was not given heaven's flaming sword. But he fought with a sword in the Great War, and hell saw no reason for him to not keep a sword, for whenever they went to war again. He hasn't used it in centuries, but if he needs to, he can still be deadly with it. Celestial beings don't get rusty, not when it comes to the very things they were built to do.

Though he's never tried it (and may not even realize he's capable of it), if he wanted to, he could ignite his sword with Hellfire.

His animal motif is a rat. No, I don't yet know how this change works in the reverse au's Eden, but sshhh that's ok.

Modern Aziraphale's flat is absolutely filled to the brim with indulgent luxuries and mementos he's held onto throughout the centuries. Gourmet food, an enormous bed with extremely expensive linens, fine art, etc. It's a true display of excess, comfort, and pleasure.

He doesn't actually use the bed all that often; he doesn't need to sleep, and it's not one of his favourite pastimes. But on the very rare occasion he does sleep, he wants to sleep in the height of comfort, which is why the bed, while mostly untouched, is just as over the top luxurious as everything else in his flat.

He does still love to read, but he doesn't keep a bookshop to store his collection. Instead, his flat has an entire second floor dedicated to his books.

He still goes by "Mr. Fell" to humans; he thinks it's ironic and funny.

Aziraphale made it his mission very early on to experience and indulge in all manner of earthly pleasures, mostly because as an angel he hadn't been allowed to, but he found very quickly that he genuinely did enjoy most things. Food, drink, music of all sorts---he's just as hedonistic as his canon angelic counterpart, but much more open about it, because as a demon, hedonism is not only acceptable but encouraged.

The exception to that last point is sex; Zi is still very much demisexual and only really interested in Kabaiel. That being said, given half a chance, he would absolutely fold that angel like fresh laundry.

He's fully aware of his feelings for Kabaiel, and he is much more bold about them. Never saying anything outright, but innuendos and flirtations that his canon counterpart would never dream of, though usually staying within the realm of plausible deniability

His overall look is still a little old-fashioned compared to modern day, but not nearly as outdated as his canon counterpart. Rather than being stuck in the 1800s, he tends to look stuck in the 80s/90s punk/rock vibe. After all, his whole deal is indulgence and luxury and extravagance, and what symbolizes that lifestyle better than a rock star?

Aziraphale's hair stayed white when he fell; he chooses to dye it black because he feels it better suits his aesthetic. He could easily miracle it black, but he likes going to upscale salons and having it professionally dyed because he likes feeling pampered (same reason he gets manicures---black, of course). He tries to get it done on the regular, because he hates how it looks when his white roots grow out.

Zi's eyes are red. He still wears dark glasses most of the time for the ✨️aesthetic✨️ but he isn't terribly worried about humans seeing his eyes. Due to his overall style, they tend to assume he's wearing coloured contact lenses

Zi considers it his duty to protect Kabaiel. He views Falling as something he did to keep the angel safe, and he's determined to continue to keep him safe at any cost. He was made to be a guardian, and in the angel he has found something he deems worth protecting.

Should go without saying, but anything he feels towards Kabaiel can be applied to any other reverse au angel Crowley.

[stormbcrn]

♕  *  v. i     /     stormborn.  –– life in exile to khal drogo’s death.

On the night Daenerys was born on Dragonstone, a severe summer storm raged, giving her the name Daenerys Stormborn. Her mother died giving birth to her.

She and her brother Viserys were taken into exile in the free cities across the narrow sea by loyal retainers. They were taken under the protection of Magister Illyrio Mopatis in the free city of Pentos, though they often did not stay in the same place too long to avoid drawing the suspicion of paid spies.

When of age, Viserys marries Daenerys to Khal Drogo, the leader of a Dothraki khalasar, to secure an army he will use to take the Iron Throne.

♕  *  v. ii     /      mother of dragons.  –– rising unburnt with three dragons to ruling meereen. 

Daenerys rises as a khaleesi to the remaining khalasar. She leads them through the red waste. Many die due to starvation. The remaining are able to enter the city of Qarth. She is faced with deception and exploitation by the Thirteen.

She obtains the Unsullied army in Astapor who fight for her as free men. With the Unsullied, she frees slaves from Astapor, Yunkai, and Meereen. In Yunkai, Daenerys obtains the sell swords known as the Second Sons.

She serves as the queen of Meereen, trying to control the revolution by the Sons of the Harpy, former masters in opposition to Daenerys’ rule.

Daenerys gains a new khalasar after walking out of the fire in the capital city of Vaes Dothrak, burning the former khals inside.

♕  *  v. iii     /      protector of the realm.  –– sailing for westeros to taking the iro

Daenerys sails across the narrow sea with the Unsullied army and a khalasar, having named all who follow her a bloodrider.

She lands in Dragonstone and holds her ancestral castle. It is there she meets Jon Snow and accompanies him in the fight against the dead. She loses one of her dragons to the Night King, and later loses Jorah Mormont and Missandei.

Daenerys wins the Iron Throne ( canon divergent) and rules as a just queen over the Seven Kingdoms.

got and hotd-based aus below the cut !!!

♕  *  v. iv     /      a targaryen reign.  –– a canon-based au.

Robert's Rebellion is suppressed and the Targaryens continue to rule over the Seven Kingdoms. After the murder of Daenerys' father, her brother Rhaegar Targaryen is crowned the as the new king.

Daenerys' mother dies giving birth to her on Dragonstone, leavning Daenerys to grow up in the Red Keep as a princess under the care of her two older brothers.

♕  *  v. v     /      in all but name. –– a canon-based ward au.

With the rise of Robert Baratheon to the Iron Throne, Viserys and Daenerys are spared, stripped of their names, and given to Ned Stark after his insistence that the children should not be killed. Wearing the bastard name Waters, the former dragons are made wards of House Stark ( Note: the Starks are the default for this verse, but this house is liable to change depending on my partner ).

Daenerys Waters grows up alongside the Stark children, her brother whispering stories of dragonfire and treachery to her in the night, ensuring her time and time again that they would reclaim all that was taken from them. Dragon banners hid inside the homes of the common-folk, as they awaited their true king’s return.

♕  *  v. vi     /      fire and blood magic.  –– a canon-based au,  by request only.

After Mirri Maz Duur killed her husband and child, Daenerys becomes desperate to reverse the effects of the curse and she seeks additional knowledge about the blood magic that the witch had used against her. She reads about chants and curses, about Old Valyrian magic, and even as she learns more about the higher mysteries, she never anticipates using it but to bear a living child.

While in Qarth, she discovers that her magic, and that of sorcerers around her, is strongest in the presence of her dragons. She knew then, though she would not admit it, that she must learn all she can of their magic lest someone uses it against her.

Daenerys gravitates towards curses and enchantments cast using fire and blood.

♕  *  v. vii     /      queen of the ashes.  –– a canon-based post-season 8 verse. ( more info. )

Daenerys loses control of Drogon, and it is he who burns down King's Landing.

King’s Landing is not restored.  The ruins become a favorite nesting spot for Drogon and he often is seen circling its skies.

Daenerys marries Gendry Baratheon as she legitimized him before burning down King’s Landing. She rules Westeros from the ancestral seat of House Baratheon at Storm's End.

♕  *  v. viii     /      the mad king’s daughter.  –– a canon-based  mad queen verse.

Daenerys' decent into madness is slow. This verse explores her mindset after arriving to Westeros and the effect of power, paranoia, and betrayal on her psyche. She grows exceedingly unbothered by the acts of ruthlessness that is deemed necessary to reach the throne. Once the wheel breaks, it will all have meaning.

Daenerys is not killed after burning King's Landing ( partner preference: Jon stabs her but she is not killed ) and instead serves as Queen of the Seven Kingdoms like her father before her.

♕  *  v. ix     /      the blacks.  –– a house of the dragon au. ( more info. )

Daenerys is the second-born daughter of Aemma and Viserys Targaryen, making her Rhaenyra's younger sister.

Drogon hatches on Aemma's funeral pyre ( and, depending on partner preference, Viserion and Rhaegal hatch too ).

Daenerys leaves for Essos when she becomes of age. Depending on partner preference, I may incorporate some aspects of her Game of Thrones canon by having her liberate Slaver's Bay and / or take Meereen.

♕  *  v. ix     /      the greens. –– a house of the dragon au. ( more info. )

Daenerys is the first-born daughter of Helaena and Aegon Targaryen.

On the deaths of her brothers and uncles, her father names Daenerys his heir and arranges for her departure for Essos to ensure her safety in the dance.

Daenerys takes three dragon eggs from the pits before boarding a ship for Essos. She lives in exile under the protection of Illyrio Mopatis as the last of Aegon Targaryen's lineage.

Daenerys hatches her dragons as the last of house Targaryen's dragons were dying under Aegon the Dragonbane's rule, leading some to believe Daenerys is the rightful heir of the Iron Throne.

♕  *  v. x     /      be a dragon. –– a canon-based shapeshifter au, by request only. Affiliated with dracharenae.

The Targaryens are descendants of an ancient race of shapeshifters that were thought to have gone extinct hundreds of years prior.

Daenerys can shift into a dragon's form, where she has copper scales that gleam silver in the sunlight.

[ambiguousrubbish]

I love him ✨Your Honor✨-here is my WIP LIST OF HCS

He’s actually pretty tough, will-wise, considering he technically passes a Harrowing if sent into the Fade to save Conner, after being tortured and abandoned in a dungeon for maker knows how long-he’s still himself and does not get possessed. He MAKES A POINT not to bargain with the demon!!!

He IS ABSOLUTELY ARTISTIC, @queen-scribbles I’m in total agreement there.

He’s also hella neurodivergent, I’m sure most other Jowan sympathetic individuals (Jowanites? 🥺) would agree, no explanation needed.

He’s relatable AF

He definitely is bi, canon be damned.

He keeps a journal and brings it with him to Redcliffe and is devastated when he leaves Redcliffe without recovering it, whichever way he leaves Redcliffe. In at least two of my fics he’ll eventually receive a new one as a gift.

He and Alistair come to an understanding. Eventually…

Jowan is slightly afraid of horses when I write him, but he eventually begins to relax around them and he DOES learn to ride them in at least one of my stories out of necessity. (That’s the Fenris/Jowan one, folx!)

He loves to read and study and is a big escapist (no pun intended.) he pours his heart soul and spirit into his studies, art and writing, sometimes it’s a good outlet when things are rough.

The world hasn’t been kind to Jowan, touching him suddenly will illicit a flinch and the degree of the flinch depends on how friendly the offender is towards him.

His handwriting is very neat

His favorite spell to use in a fight is Mind Blast. It gets opponents away without serious injuries in most cases. It’s not his favorite thing to spill the blood of others, ironically enough

Mouse, my Amell Warden’s Mabari is very good with him and for those familiar with psychiatric service dogs and their tasks, that’s essentially their relationship. Especially in my ex-Tranquil Jowan verse.

In my ex-Tranquil Jowan!verse, he promises Arl Eamon he won’t forget his mercy (Jowan returns to Redcliffe after Maeve Amell succeeds in reversing the Rite, and Jowan is officially pardoned due to his ties to the Wardens. During the final moments of the battle of Fort Drakon, Arl Eamon is nearly knocked down by the archdemon’s tail swipe. Jowan quickly leaps into action and pushes the nobleman out of the way and takes the blow for him. My Amell, believing she has lost her beloved mage, seizes the thrown away sword and charges the Archdemon. Once it is over, Maeve is found slumped over Jowan’s lifeless body in a coma of her own. Neither of them die though!!! Thanks Morrigan! And Wynne…I guess. Alistair helps too, he is the one who carries Jowan down from the tower because he knows ✨Maeve wouldn’t trust another Templar to touch Jowan.✨ Arl Eamon survives the battle as well, satisfied that the mage who tried to assassinate him is no longer a threat to Ferelden.

Jowan never is returned to the Circle in that verse, he remains with Maeve 💕

Whoo that got long sorry friends!

does anyone want to share any headcanons about Jowan and his personality? because I want to include him in a fic but I'm also like... I've known him for 16 seconds

[avisxe]

verse viii. Jester |  EARTH - MORALITY SWAP / ROGUE AU

Dick Grayson was snatched up by the Joker before either the Bat or The Court could get to him. Not only was he thrown into a chemical vat full of toxins... But he was molded into the perfect ‘son’ as an ‘I’m sorry’ gift for his and Harley’s ‘toxic’ relationship. 

Harley is, understandably, horrified and is not into this gift whatsoever, and gets the kid ala ‘divorce’ scenario (it was the only way Dick would come with her). But now she’s left with a parentless child, who was certifiably insane in a way that very few people in the world understood how to handle as well as she could.

Jester, the Clown Duke of Crime, and the Tainted Gray Son of Gotham was born.

If any Harley Quinns ( and Jokers, by extension!) want to interact, we can talk together about details and plot specifics! Whether Harley ever WANTED him to go out as Jester, or not.... What are the specifics that brought Dick to them both... All of those things can be worked out :) 

(Of course, I don’t want to force the AU or the close relationship on anyone, so we can absolutely plot something else if you’re interested but don’t want to play it quite like the default setting for this AU! I want my rp partners to feel comfortable around me, so we will only do what you feel comfortable with!)

But by default, Dick’s moniker is ‘Jester’. He’s generally interested in building a name and reputation for both Harley and himself - while living the life he wants to. Security is a big part of what drives him. Financial security, home security, emotional security.....  Gymnastics and general acrobatics are not only refined but a focal part of his spent energy, thanks to Harley. 

When younger, Jester acted as a general way of distraction and display to others. No one wanted to deal with a cute kid.... ‘till said kid busted your balls with a heavy mallet and heely’d around you with cruel remarks that only 12-year-olds could master. Or set something on fire. Or pulled an alarm and got the room on lockdown. 

Ironically enough, being raised by a psychiatrist who understood the workings of a young person’s mind and could create good habits, and accessibility he needed.... As he aged, it had an extremely positive effect on Dick. He was a straight A student. Didn’t get into a lot of fights. Emotionally open. 

As a young adult, he is trying to establish himself as an independent person, and find a path that works for him. He doesn’t have a ‘moral code’ as much as he does what he does in order to make the people he loves happy, safe, and proud. 

A plot point that I’ve written out is that he manages to keep ‘Jester’ in the closet until college. He totally fucks up. Has to drop out (yikes! can’t escape it, even in this au, dick), and also gets locked up by that point. He managed to get to his third year of college with an Associates degree, though.

Like Harley, I think he’ll dabble anywhere from villain to anti-hero. He’s just unpredictable! 

That said, he not only kills, but has no real qualms about killing if something is in his way - or effects anything he does actually care about. He’s not afraid to brutally murder.

He is morally dubious in this AU, a total reversal of his canon self

Jester is friendly! Cute! An absolute fucking terror! Enjoys being around others. Reality is........... not a strict thing, in his mind. He’s pretty good at faking it though, as ‘Dick Grayson’. 

I was hugely inspired by the costume direction of Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) - and specifically picked Jester’s general outfit to be the yellow and diamond jumpsuit, with a pink bralette underneath- and a fun little eye mask. He’ll wear skates, mostly, but you can also find him on heelys or light-up sketchers. Jester will wear all different kinds outfits - depending on the gig and his current state.

Dick can be played at a multitude of ages in this AU, from baby rogue sidekick.... But I’ll typically play him as a default at age 18-20, as he’s establishing himself as an independent rogue within Gotham..

By default, your character should not know that Jester is Dick, unless in extenuating circumstances, like dimensional or time travel

Exceptions can be made, but we will need to discuss these beforehand! <3

I totally borrowed a lot of this format from @volucerrubidus​ who also has a rogue! au for his Tim here. I’ve had the pleasure to write and plot with Crow and he’s SOOOO fun! 

[boatslut]

2, 28 and 29 (Can be a description instead of a drawing) for Seig and Cole? I would ask for Rob but I don't think he counts </3

oogh ok 2)🔫 Does your character have a weapon of choice? Cole is actually pretty flexible and good with a few different weapons! Ironically, while he knows how to properly use a bow, he's actually kinda bad at it, especially with aiming and hitting his targets. He does like using swords, though; but the amount of times he actually has any reason to fight something isn't pretty often. Despite being a bit cowardly, he surprisingly isn't afraid to get into a full blown fistfight if he feels cornered or is legitimately angry enough with someone and feels like he needs to.

Seig, on the other hand, is very adept with broadswords. He's got a lot of actual training and practice with them, and keeps himself warmed up by fighting dummies and various monsters he comes across. He also, uh, will on occasion fight very much tooth and nail. I won't elaborate. 🤫

28) 🔨 Does your character like to fight, build or explore more? Cole doesn't really uhhh... do much of any of the three. He tends to stay at whatever home the champion builds for him, and avoids getting into combat unless he has to. I guess the closest thing is that he very much enjoys making things, rather than building/ect construction. He's an extremely skilled craftsman and knows how to make a lot of different shit; from forging weapons, to sewing clothes and dolls, to woodcarving, to whatever else he happens to put his mind to when it comes to 'making' something. He knows how to put shit together and make something new. He is a guide, after all. Seig's definitely more of a fighter and finds a lot of enjoyment in a true and proper battle. Honorable duels is something he rarely gets a chance to do; but he loves it when he has the opportunity. That being said, he would love to explore and see the world, if. y'know. he was allowed to. he's never been permitted to leave his post.

29) 🌟 Draw a shimmered look for your character! i dont have the braincells rn to draw anything bc i literally just got home after being away and on my feet for ~14 hrs, but... I'm not exactly versed on what shimmered stuff is, but. idk exactly what cole would be like... esp w/out revealing secret character spoilers... hm. ill get back to that.

Seig on the other hand, absolutely would have his corruption-y themes reversed and probably would have crimson ones instead. crimson armor instead of shadow armor, probably kinda Nasty underneath it. id wanna say that his armor probably would have solar motifs and designs on it instead of lunar ones like usual too. hmmm

robert is. not a terraria character but bc youre askin ill say anyways just for you <3. 2) in canon, technically he's absolutely a man who just gets into physical brawls rather than using a weapon, unless you count whatever biological or anatomical weapons he happens to have due to mutations that day; such as body spines or claws or whatever. That being said, he does know how to use a gun and will use it if he has to. he's not the best at it, but he at least knows how to defend himself with one. terraria wise, though... fetid baghnahks (sp??) really do give the vibe, yeah. 28) hard to say in canon since it doesn't entirely apply. he's not necessarily a big fan of it, but he's gotten into a good few bar brawls; and has actually been arrested for 2nd degree assault before, oops ! (the dude deserved it, tbh. but. robert did attack first without any reason for 'self defense'.) he would like to get out more and get a solid vacation in, but... he's working like 24/7. fucked up 29) this ones weird! id say any kinda reversal with him would be like... techno shit instead of bio shit. mechanical augmentations... fucked up machinery and robots. he probably would be on some fucked up cyberpunk ass shit. hm.

[gotthesilver]

2020 fic round up!

Now that the last of the exchange fics have been revealed, it’s time for a round up. Which I haven’t actually done in years, but lets face it, I have more time on my hands this year because of Reasons so why not? We are gonna do this chronologically because organising by fandom just seems like work.

Put the Past Away, MCU, Steve/Tony, Teen, 3.4k. another post infinity war/pre-endgame canon divergence get together because I like writing those a lot.

Forever for You, part of the Fireside verse, MCU, Steve/Tony, Teen, 3.9k. a little addition to my Fireside series, the last part of which I will hopefully get finished this year!

Such a Softer Sin, MCU, Steve/Tony, Explicit, 2.2k. a fic written for the smol steve bingo over at the pots server, square: small steve, big dick. which sums up this fic.

Alone Like This, MCU, Steve/Tony, Teen, 7.4k. written for the @cap-ironman fanwork like it’s 2012 fest! canon divergent where steve and tony meet post iron man 2, pre avengers and it goes a lot better.

Got the Love I Need, MCU, Steve/Tony, Explicit, 2.4k. virgin steve is like super desperate to get laid. that’s it.

Through Each Other’s Eyes, Marvel 3490, Steve Rogers/Natasha Stark, Teen, 1k. written for the @cap-ironman tiny reverse bang! steve rogers is embarrassingly in love with his wife. like so much.

Glide Me Towards You, MCU, Steve/Tony, Mature, 6.7k. written for one of @crownofstardustandbone‘s many prompts! canon divergent post endgame old men in love trying to figure out what comes next.

A Little Is Never Enough, MCU, Steve/Tony, Explicit, 3.4k. written for h/c bingo, square: corporal punishment. this is spanking fic, you probably know if you want to read it or not.

Souvenirs and Secrets Shared, MCU, Steve/Tony, Mature, 1.4k. written for the twink tony bingo over at pots, square: lingerie. steve stumbles across some old photos of tony in lingerie.

Wounds Without a Bandage, MCU, Steve/Tony, Teen, 2.5k. written for the twink tony bingo at pots as well, square: whump. also for h/c bingo, square: fighting. au where steve was found and defrosted post howard & maria’s death and has been in tony’s life since then.

Sins Born In a Kiss, MCU, Steve/Tony, Explicit, 3.5k. also written for the twink tony bingo at pots, square: de-aged. tony gets physically de-aged and steve wants to tap that virgin ass.

Your Loss and Your Sorrow, Gone Girl, Margo Dunne & Nick Dunne, Teen, 1k. written for trick or treat. post movie through margo’s eyes.

Salvation In Dreams, MCU, Steve/Tony, Mature, 1.1k. a fill for h/c bingo: gags. tony gets kidnapped.

Love Like a Hunger, MCU, Steve/Tony, Explicit, 1.5k. based on @firulaispng‘s tony as leia art! steve rails tony while tony is in a leia outfit, that’s it.

Hopeless But Still Romantic, Birds of Prey, Harley/Dinah, Teen, 2.5k. written for shipoween! post movie get together for harley & dinah, with some complications along the way because gotham, right?

Taste of Love, MCU, Steve/Pepper/Tony, Explicit, 1.4k. written for shipoween as well! it’s porn, that’s about it.

Taken Back By You, MCU, Steve/Tony, Teen, 2.5k. steve is terrified of babies and tony is excellent with kids and steve has Feelings about that.

Grow Up; Turn the Tables, Clueless, Cher/Josh, Mature, 2.1k. written for yuletide! post movie, cher and josh and how they are several years down the line.

Having You Near, Oceans Movies, Danny/Rusty/Tess and Danny + Debbie, Teen, 1.4k. also written for yuletide! a what if danny isn’t dead and debbie found him hiding out with rusty & tess.

No Place to Go, MCU, Steve/Tony, Teen 6.8k. written for the @cap-ironman holiday exchange! post aou canon divergent christmas getting together with all that involves.

Been Alone Here, MCU, Steve/Tony, Teen, 4.5k. also written for the holiday exchange! modern au, no powers. getting back together post addiction and recovery, a little drop of hope in a difficult process.

and that’s it for 2020 fic! to no one’s surprise I posted a lot of stony. also having made this post I remember why I stopped doing round ups, holy shit that took too long, I hope someone appreciates it.

[border-spam]

Does troy really have a split jaw or is that fanon?

It's total fanon!

The design of the split lines across his cheekbones and chin coupled with the cheek clips and v shaped hinge outline next to his ears lead to a lot of people coming to that same outcome, that there is something up with his mouth from a prosthetic/mod standpoint.

So much of his design is never mentioned once or referenced in any way (hightech spinal rig with tattoos under it, neuro connector, mech arm that's much older and doesn't seem related to the spine and neuroport, implants on bicep, face mod etc) that like Tyreen's scars and possible lower body Siren markings, fandom took over when it came to coming up with logical explanations for 'em.

This actually touches ground with some Ao3 comments I wanted to share as they are all Leech Lord compliant, so I'll list them here alongside links to the fics they were related to (note warnings!)

You leave no avenue for characterization unexplored. Troy's facial prostheses finally receiving backstory is amazing

- Maw (Gore/Bodyhorror)

I LOVE the idea of it being not just decorative shit on his face, but my MO for any content I make is always based around asking why, over and over, and trying to make sense of what material I'm using in the first place. The modded mouth is a popular piece of fanon but you know... why? Why would he do that shit to himself. WHY would he want to be grotesque, why would he be chasing the reaction people would have to it when canonically he seems to really not be interested in fan attention the same way Tyreen is, what's the difference to him between being adored as his persona or being lusted after as a monster, etc. I just love deep-diving into the logic behind character and world building? It's what adds meat to the bone for me.

Big 'ol character and worldbuilding / lore responses list under the cut -

He could afford better robots but these ones UNDERSTAND Ty, don't you get it?

- Good night in (tooth rotting fluff)

Hey just because it's mangled and broken, and can't perform its intended function to a degree expected of it by everyone around it... and it's got rusty sharp bits it accidentally hurts you with sometimes... and it's cranky but it doesn't mean it... and sometimes it errors out in a way that's mildly disturbing in a way you can't place.. uh.. doesn't mean you should just GIVE UP ON IT you know? He can fix them :) They will be fine :) No one should just throw away something that's trying so hard just because it's damaged... haha... :')

It's so hard seeing how much they tear each other down when they're the only thing they have left. And what a poor self-image Tyreen has beyond all that glitter and bluster...

- Wolf in sheep's clothing

The twins function well enough as a unit till tensions rise, and I was trying to seed in The Leech's influence on them in earlier work like this too - towards anyone else Ty would become MORE aggressively confident, more assured in her complete and utter dominance of the situation, her flawlessness, but against Troy who see's her for what she is, it turns inwards and eats at her instead of lashing outwards. He switches from relatively submissive around her to almost surgical levels of dissection, he knows exactly how to go for the jugular with words, and doesn't hold back. She's The Leech's mouth but he's its eyes and it's only when they lose control emotionally enough for it to claw to the surface of their psyches that you get an idea of how much it really affects them individually. GB had an absolute goldmine on their hands here of cosmic/body horror and the concept of toxic family when all you have is each other, there's so much to work with, and I figure it's a factor in why some people still really enjoy messing around with Calypso content.

I like how you allow Troy to be a disabled character, how his congenital defects and prosthetics colour his outlook and appear in ways big and small in all these vignettes. It's easy, I think, to see him as largely untroubled by his health apart from when he needs a charge from Tyreen in the game, but you allow him to struggle with his weakness.

- Chronic (Drug use)

I'm really glad to hear that's coming through in the writing because it's something I noticed a lot too. Very often when Troy, or other characters canonically disabled / chronically unwell are written it's "told" and not "shown". Chronic pain, illness, it's not something that is just a little tickbox in a life or some descriptive terms added to a character synopsis, it's something you live and deal with. There are bad days. There are times it is a negative that has to be worked around or faced in ways that aren't pleasant. It doesn't make you lesser or weak to have times where illness does leave you unable to function to a level you want to, it's not a failure for you to be unable to perform tasks when a disability or flair up means it's not viable. I feel personally that by showing scenes like this where his health and body issues do have a very visceral and impossible to ignore the effect on his ability to function, and going through his mental processes of dealing with and managing them, it brings the character across as stronger than if he never seemed to be shown dealing with symptoms or weaknesses. People are more than their disabilities and conditions, those aren't just kinda taglines to add onto a character's description and then never address. I feel like doing that in a way undermines what people deal with who manage chronic illness, pain, and who have disabilities that affect their daily lives negatively. Appreciating the effort it takes to manage them is important.

What I really like about these is that you can really understand as a reader how their dynamic must have evolved. How even before Leda's death Tyreen would have felt demonized while Troy got the attention because of his condition, because he was less willful.

- Starlight, Moonbright

Ah man, absolutely - and that shit stayed with them. It wasn't his fault and he never wanted it, but of course their parents would have had their extremely ill child at the forefront of their thoughts, especially during weeks when he was.. bad. Tyreen by nature even without The Leech's influence is a little attention seeker, she'd be the life of any party and she BLOSSOMS if she's got the spotlight, but as a little kid who's got literally no one but her parents and her brother, and who all three of which can't give her nearly as much time as she deserved? That's rough. That's really unfair. That coupled with The Leech's warping effect on their egos as they grew up and the bitterness and resentment they harbored in different ways created a reverse dynamic. She'd never be out of the Galaxy's attention again, and he'd have no choice but to take his rightful place in her shadow.

I love how you illustrate both how much more, and yet how much less Troy is now. How the blameless child, full of potential, is inextricably linked to the brutal, larger-than-life avatar he fashions.

- DeLeon ( Graphic Violence / Gore / Hallucinations)

He's molded the monster he is now out of the bones of the man he should have been - there's no going back really. There's nothing left to go back to. He broke Troy DeLeon apart to build the persona that acts like an iron lung now, suffocating him breath by breath while forcing him to still take them. That life is over, he killed it before it had a chance, but the idea of it is still there in his subconscious. Somewhere in the absolute trainwreck of Troy's brain is the tiny, flickering belief that maaaaaybe one day this will all be over and he can shuck off the bracer and spines, peel off all the shit he's covered his skin with, and just go back to not being Calypso. DeLeon here isn't some aspect of his mental state or his sins haunting him - it's The Leech, spitting venom at a host it loathes in something that's not sound or comprehensible language. His subconscious has just translated it into something it can understand - his greatest regret.

On if Borderlands Humans originated on Earth -

There's a really tenuous link between BL verse and rEarth, but it's there and can't be ignored. The cultures, accents, terminologies, so many are Earth specific despite these people being spread across galaxies, so hell yes - Earth as an emergence point makes total sense. The next question then, is why is it never mentioned - and you can cover for that with a lot of things like say, tt was so long ago that it's not relevant to anything that would ever be discussed, or it could be a mass evacuation from a catastrophe there is little record of now. I like to go with something along those lines, that the first human Siren host emergence on earth just absolutely decimated the planet. Like, we were doing fine till this random woman somewhere in the ass-end of nowhere develops weird markings overnight, then goes apocalyptic. The first Leech maybe, not understanding her powers and having them rip across continents in a spread of crackling electric death that only left husked shells of plants and animals in its wake, or the first Firehawk who went nuclear and burned the sky, or the first Voidgrasp who lost control and began to collapse the planet's core - some extreme shit that had humans fleeing en masse with barely any preparation and HUGE swathes of history and knowledge left behind. That would cover so many social things surviving into the BL verse, cultures, accents, cooking, that shit comes with us regardless of what we were able to throw into escape ships. Like so much data would be stored on any tech and data arrays within the vessels people would use to leave a dying planet even in an insane rush, but that shit waters down over time - if you're farming barely edible plants on some planet that smells like farts, are you really gonna be that stressed about teaching your kids history from a lost planet when your current concerns are not being eaten by something with 19 legs and 4 buttholes? Don't think so.

On if the other Siren entities are as influential to their hosts as The Leech -

I touch on it a wee bit throughout LL, but the others are FAR more passive and meld more to their host's whims. The Firehawk Siren wouldn't.. like.. care? If the host was burning down a planet or fighting off an evil corporation? They are removed from any nonsense happening on this side, they might not even really be able to tell, it's like asking an amoeba or a collection of sentient atomic particles what its opinion is on Brexit. That's not really its priority. The Leech is so aggressive in its control of the twins and desperation to drive them towards an outcome it desires only cause it's split, broken, removed from the song, and completely lost. We're talking a caged, half-mad animal removed from its natural environment and left totally isolated from its own kind for millennia. It's in pain, it's confused, it wants to find its way back to the song and the others and where it belongs, but it's stopped by a barrier it can't comprehend ( the twins and being ripped between them), so in its impotent rage it feeds back that hatred onto them. It's not really sentient in the way we would describe functional intelligence, but it wants, and craves, and FEELS. And it feels very, very angry.

Big thanks to @undergoingcalibrations for talking through so much of this with me!

Asks are Open!

[katnissmellarkkk]

okay, three variations on a Gale ship here we go shake things up

Gale and Madge

Gale and Delly

and

Gale and Prim

discuss 😘

Gale and Madge : literally no actual development in canon, but with their first scene being him acting like a jerk and with the whole rich girl / poor boy troupe just hanging in the balance ... like I get that it’s a war story and we already have Everlark so another romance may have been a lot but ... Suzzie C really could have just thrown a bone for the Gadge content. Like ... she didn’t have to kill Madge. For literally no reason. I feel like she only killed her off (more or less as a footnote in the end of Mockingjay) because she didn’t know what to do with her anymore? Madge really wouldn’t have fit in Mockingjay’s storyline but also ... did Miss Delly? Not really but she was there. So anyways. I just think Madge and Gale had all sorts of potential and Suz left it all untapped. 😔. Like ol’ Galers could have had a implication or hope of a happy ending if she’d developed their dynamic like an inch more.

Gale and Delly : so tbh I love the idea of them in fics because it’s like a reversal of Everlark. Upbeat (ok Peeta is only lowkey upbeat at certain parts of the first book but let’s just go with it here, alright?) blonde, white town kid with a really moody, grump Seam kid. It had potential. Imaginary potential but potential nonetheless. Also the idea of Gale, Mr. Grumpy Grump Grump, getting with Delly, irritating ray of sunshine, and her brightening him up and him probably bringing her down to Earth (well, that is if her parents being murdered didn’t already do that 🙊) is just ... chief’s kiss.

Gale and Prim : .... y’all. Don’t hate me. But uh... this is my favorite Gale ship...

But like okay. Not really in canon. Well actually. Definitely not in canon. Because she died... ironically because of a bomb he potentially could have built (but we ain’t here to get caught up in the could haves tonight, y’all). But anyways. I don’t know why I like the idea of them in AUs. Because I like to imagine Prim in other universes is more sassy and has more personality. Because I found it sweet in canon that Gale cared for her. I didn’t see it at all in a romantic way in canon, just so no one gets up and arms about that comment. At all. But I do really like the ... I guess the Amy / Laurie troupe from Little Women (primarily 2019 version). The little girl who grows up and is seen differently by an older guy. I don’t know really, I just like the idea of them in AUs. She’s very sweet and level-headed and understanding. He’s a bit more angry (understatement) but he’s also very caring and protective and hard working and together that would make a good couple. Not in a canon-verse. But in an In Panem AU where she’s like 19/20/21 ish when they get together. Well anyways. I don’t know. But I very much enjoy me some Galerose when it’s done right. (Which is harder than it seems it would be?)

Okay anyways, thanks you for letting me ranty rant about Gale ships ! 🥰🥰🥰

Send Me Things To Get My Brutally Honest Opinion

[mneiai]

Everything So Far About My Stewjoni-as-actual-sithspawn verse

Below the cut is all of my “canon” so far, some of it may be changed as I get other ideas.

CW non-consensual body modification, dubiously consensual body modification, body horror, monsters, violence, cannibalism

History:

The Stewjoni were a sentient race of predatory non-humans who preyed on, among other beings/animals, the Sith race. They were particularly attracted to prey that used or was in some way connected to the Darkside of the Force. When the Dark Jedi who would become the modern Sith integrated with Sith culture, they were told of them as a warning. They, of course, took it upon themselves to study and change the Stewjoni to suit their needs.

Sith alchemists twisted the Stewjoni into more dangerous beings with a preference for preying on Force users in general. Previously solely pack hunters, they developed them into more solo hunters due to their rarity. The Sith would set them loose to hunt their rivals or Jedi knowing that those enemies would almost certainly die in terror and that there was no means of surviving once the Stewjoni had started to feed.

Centuries later, the Taungs took over Stewjon and were immediately fascinated with the natives. They saw them as demigods of battle and war and favored them above most other races, which continued to some extent among their Mandalorian descendants until near the fall of the Mandalorian Empire, when the Stewjoni made a deal with the Republic for neutrality in the war (where they were particularly devastating against the Jedi forces) in exchange for Republic-supported isolation.

The Republic placed the Stewjoni into a difficult legal classification–the system is sovereign and has all of the rights that any Republic system would, but the people had already been classified as biological weapons and that never changed. Many of the original Republic worlds still have laws making it illegal for Stewjoni to enter and that anyone who assists in such an endeavor are seen as trafficking bioweapons.

Appearance:

(some pictures as a basic reference can be found here)

Stewjoni are vaguely human looking. They have two arms, two legs, one head, and walk upright on those two legs. The Sith alchemists mixed them with a variety of other beings and humans were a part of that–their faces, with eyes and mouths closed, look like attractive human faces and their bodies, if other features were to be removed, like muscular human bodies.

Their eyes are a coppery-gold color, scaled, with multiple small pupils. They are capable of seeing a multitude more colors than humans, which assists them in hunting in many environments where the slightest change in appearance can be useful.

Their skin, which looks pale to human eyes but in fact is extremely colorful to eyes capable of seeing greater ranges, is smooth and elastic, having more give and far more resilience than human flesh. Natural bruising is unusual and they are unlikely to receive casual wounds like papercuts.

Their ears are long and pointed, the ridges and grooves of the pinna more complicated to allow for more details at more frequency ranges than human ears.

Their teeth are sharp, and more plentiful than human teeth. But the most notable aspect of their mouth are retractable barbs which can inject paralytic venom and detach easily in case it doesn’t act quickly enough to prevent the prey from pulling away.

They have long, pale-colored claws made for fighting and killing, but also with great utility for climbing and digging. They are incredibly sharp and sturdy. Their hands, for the most part, look otherwise human, though their feet are more dexterous, capable of gripping and holding things in limited ways.

Along their backs, from shoulder to hips, are a long crest of spines which are normally at least three colors. The spines are more defensive in purpose than offensive, though as the Stewjoni are intelligent they have been known to utilize them as such if necessary. The spines utilize the same venom as the barbs and are a paralytic, though introduce much larger amounts of venom and can be lethal very quickly. They are also designed to detach and stay within an attacker, doing more damage to them and needing to be cut out. The spines are also sensitive to changes in the air/water and vibrations, so that they have more warning if someone is attacking from behind.

Their organs are fewer and more streamlined, having been designed specifically to be significantly more efficient. While they can consume nearly any food source, they can also sustain themselves on pure Force (or life) energy taken from their prey.

Their blood utilizes copper, instead of iron, and is blue in color, though they do not experience many negative effects of imbalances.

Procreation etc

The Stewjoni need three members of their race to procreate–one lays eggs within the womb of another, which are then fertilized by a third. While their young are born live, they are still called “clutches” because of the egg laying process.

Stewjoni embryos cannibalize each other in the womb and generally only one or two survive to be birthed. All children with at least one shared parent are considered siblings.

Raising children is a communal effort and they are often kept closely with anyone in a similar age group. They are very sheltered for the first ten or so years of their lives, though they are trained to hunt in tightly controlled sessions as soon as they can walk and call to their prey in the Force.

Culturally, they do not have genders. Their language is genderless and it is not uncommon for individuals to be born capable of taking more than one role in the breeding process. They often choose pronouns at random when speaking languages that require gendered ones and may refer to having two mothers and a father or two fathers and a mother if pressed.

The Force/Feeding

The Sith race believed that the Stewjoni were direct children of the Force, shaped and brought into being to challenge and improve the Sith so that they might better serve.

They are largely not traditional Force users, though they all are capable of “singing” in the Force, a means of attracting their prey to them by mesmerizing them, that has led to myths throughout the galaxy of them being what the Alderaanians call ‘Sirens.’ The Sith described encountering a Stewjoni like hearing the sweetest songs, tasting the most delicious flavors, feeling the most extreme of pleasures. There were stories of suicide-by-Stewjoni in early Sith histories.

When the alchemists twisted them to look more attractive to humans and near-humans, they were working to increase their effectiveness as perceived sources of pleasure within their prey. (Other legends built up around them are comparable to real world legends of succubi and incubi, and, as was somewhat my inspiration for this, what’s known as the baobhan sith.)

The Stewjoni themselves are incapable of the depth of “Dark” emotions necessary to utilize the Darkside, though Stewjon is a Dark nexus in the Force and Darksiders in particular are attracted to the Stewjoni.

When a Stewjoni is also a traditional type of Force sensitive, they were previously given to the Sith, to be trained as they were, and then after were given over to the Mandalorian tribes that had strong Force training. After the fall of the Mandalorian Empire, such Force sensitive Stewjoni were largely kept untrained.

Lifespans

Stewjoni live, on average, 300 standard years, though arguably could live indefinitely if they can continue feeding regularly off of other sentient beings. They grow quickly, nearly human standard, but once fully grown their aging slows to a crawl and the cell damage that causes aging is often reversed by their feeding (and many injuries are also healed).

Obi-Wan

Obi-Wan Kenobi (a name an approximation of the written Stewjoni language translated into the Aurebesh and then pronounced in Basic) was born in a rare clutch of three. All three were Force sensitive and his two clutchmates died within the first few years of their lives from their own abilities. Obi-Wan lasted for nearly three years before he, too, nearly succumbed to the complications of being an untrained Force user.

In an unprecedented move, the Jedi were contacted and given Obi-Wan with promises that he would be able to visit as needed. It was agreed that he would go through a variety of medical procedures in order to look more human, both to protect him from slavers and to allow him more freedom of movement.

His ears and teeth were made to resemble human ones. His eyes had permanent lenses surgically placed inside of them. His spines were surgically removed so they wouldn’t grow back. His vocal chords were augmented to be able to better manage the range of human sounds. His nails chemically treated so they would be weaker and, if probably trimmed, appear virtually like human nails. He was given tattoos that resemble the visible parts of human circulatory systems and fake organs placed in his abdomen so general scans would make him appear near-human at first glance.

[cyanoscarlet]

2020 writing review

Thanks for the tag, @gladiowrites​! (I know it’s not a tag, but this is fun to do lol)

I.. honestly wrote a lot this 2020. No kidding. Quarantine productivity was real, but so is residency languishing by the wayside while everyone was busy surviving and adjusting. I highly doubt 2021 will be the same, but I’ll always cherish 2020 just because of the writing and nothing else.

This is gonna be long.

FIRST CREATION + MOST RECENT CREATION OF 2020

8:15 am  - Final Fantasy XV. Lunafreya. February 2020. - First piece ever written for the year. - Intended to be a Luna-centric AU, in which the Nox Fleurets were deposed and she’s now a regular teacher. Never managed to write anything beyond that, though, because residency. (Back then, I didn’t know it was gonna be the beginning of the end, so I had hopes. Oh well.)

irresistible!, or the summer ramblings of nene yashiro and everything that followed - Toilet-Bound Hanako-Kun. Nene, Hanako. March 2020. - First one published on AO3 for 2020 (yes, there’s a distinction). - If you think the title sounds familiar, you’re right.

versus

first yuletide - Final Fantasy XV. Nyx. December 2020. - Written for the FFXV Secret Santa event on Twitter. - Before y’all object and say what unwinding is, that’s an old fic uploaded late.

ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE CREATIONS FROM 2020

Do I seriously have to choose? Omg.

take heart - Bungou Stray Dogs. Dazai/Chuuya. Gods/Humans AU. - Discovered so much about myself writing this. Also (hopefully) I managed to get into Dazai’s headspace correctly. He’s an extremely difficult character to write, so finishing this brought so much gratification.

you don’t raise heroes, you raise sons - Final Fantasy VIII. Laguna, Squall. Post-canon. - Probably my most heartfelt work of the year- scratch that, ever. Also happy with how I just let myself go writing this and didn’t need to think twice.

A CREATION YOU’RE REALLY PROUD OF

oneiric moments (or, five nights with you) - Bungou Stray Dogs. Dazai/Chuuya. - Written for the SKK Fic Exchange for Summer 2020. - Five interconnected fics. 18,985 words. - Might not be a big deal for others, but this was taxing because I don’t usually write long, multichaptered stuff. I got carried away, though. It ain’t as well-polished as my more recent stuff, but I’m proud of myself for pulling this off.

A NEW STYLE YOU TRIED THIS YEAR & A FIC THAT USES IT

I... don’t think I have tried anything of the sort. My repertoire is sorely limited compared to others, I’m afraid. I’d probably have an answer for “explored new themes,” but again, I’ve a limited arsenal, too, in that regard.

A CREATION THAT TOOK YOU FOREVER

all in a day’s work - Bungou Stray Dogs. Atsushi, Akutagawa. Cells at Work AU. - It’s still being written, with a lot of side stories planned but never drafted. - I fell out of love with BSD, recovered from that, then got busy with residency.

YOUR CREATION FROM 2020 THAT RECEIVED THE MOST NOTES KUDOS

Also take heart. While I am proud of it, I guess it hit the right spot for mainstream shippers, too, somewhat? My feelings about mainstream things have changed a lot because of things, but I am still happy.

A CREATION YOU THINK DESERVED MORE NOTES KUDOS

amīcitia - Bungou Stray Dogs. Dazai, Chuuya. Final Fantasy XV AU. - Petty indignancy for my self-indulgent baby aside, I’m also proud of how I wrote Dazai in this one, similar to take heart.  the fun they had - Bungou Stray Dogs. Kajii, Port Mafia Ensemble. - ... Guys. Please notice genfics.

A NEW FANDOM YOU JOINED AND A CREATION YOU MADE FOR IT

Everything I wrote for Bungou Stray Dogs. (I kid you not.)

If you want a single answer anyway:

on the flaming mountains - act-age. Chiyoko, Kei. Princess Iron Fan Arc. - arc words: “what shall i do with this ire?” - I wouldn’t really say I “left” the fandom, more like it fizzled out after Matsuki-sensei got arrested.

A CREATION YOU MADE THAT BREAKS YOUR HEART

a cycle of; - Bungou Stray Dogs. Dazai/Chuuya. Medico-legal AU. - Written out of much anger and frustration over things. Also because this in itself was frustrating to write.

Also  you don’t raise heroes, you raise sons. Because no matter how much I hate my family at so many points in my life, I know I can’t truly hate them from the bottom of my heart. This fic is a reminder of that.

A SIMPLE CREATION THAT YOU REALLY LOVE

express delivery for love - Bungou Stray Dogs. Dazai/Chuuya. Real World Quarantine AU. - It’s funny. It’s orthodox. It’s sweet. I don’t think it can get any better than that.

A CREATION THAT WAS INSPIRED BY ANOTHER ONE

rather be - Bungou Stray Dogs. Yosano. Pre-canon. - Inspired by yesterday is another world by @wctercress​ - The whole of primum non nocere, actually, but specifically this one, and the rest followed. - This is also my first BSD fic. Ever.

A FAVORITE CREATION CREATED BY SOMEONE ELSE

... You sure? There’s a lot, and this is just on the surface. (unleashes the proverbial waterfall)

The aforementioned yesterday is another world by @wctercress​

silencer and snow white days by EKmisao - Bungou Stray Dogs. Dazai, Chuuya. Dead Apple canon-divergent. - The aftermath of Dead Apple, in which one of two goes wrong. - They’re unrelated, I know. But they’re both sisters! Just trust me on this. - The proper entry for this would be silencer, but I can’t very well mention one without the other, so have both anyway. I read both only this year, after all. Waiting for Godot by @eternal-aegis​ - Bungou Stray Dogs. Dazai, Fyodor, Chuuya. Canon-divergent. - Amazing theme, amazing philosophy, amazing writing. It makes you think. It makes you analyze and explore. This writer definitely knows her stuff, and it shows. Catharsis by @gladiowrites​ - Final Fantasy VIII. Rinoa, Gen. Caraway. Post-canon. - The denouement to the Caraway family drama we all deserve. I love how Rinoa is presented in this fic. She’s a normal person who makes mistakes and learns her lessons. So is Fury. Burned bridges don’t always have to stay down, and this fic illustrates that wonderfully.

Culmination by @gladiowrites​ - Final Fantasy VIII. Squall, Rinoa. Post-canon. - We can’t all have happy endings. This fic also illustrates that very well. While I, a Squinoa fan, personally ascribe to the happy ending Squall and Rinoa must have had after the events of FF8, this fic is so compelling and grounded and reflective and I totally buy this. 

Here Without You by @muselover1901​ - Akagami no Shirayuki-hime. Zen/Shirayuki. Real world quarantine AU. - One of the sweetest stories I’ve ever read this year. I can definitely relate to a lot of things in this fic. I’ve been rereading all of Muse’s ANS stuff whenever I feel down, and they all hit the spot.

Savor The Moment by @joeys-piano​ - Bungou Stray Dogs. Oda. Pre-canon. - Yes, yes, YES. One of the best stories I’ve ever read this year, ever. (And I mean stories, not fanfics.) Great character study about a man named Oda and a day in his life and a page (or three) out of his book of relationships. The love poured into this is simply overflowing and precious. I’ve been following Joey since this fic was being written, and I’m so proud of him.

False Equivalences by @slowquotesquill - Dai Gyakuten Saiban. Asougi, Ryuunosuke. Fullmetal Alchemist AU. - This fic also! Oh, My Heart. The cynicism of a state alchemist and the optimism of a foreign doctor. It perfectly hits the spot for everything FMA, and we all know that SQQ’s Asouryuu fics are always to die for. It’s the ultimate combo.

The whole Promptober Leo/Will/Despair series by @eternal-aegis - Kekkai Sensen. Various themes, many of which are dark/mature. - I’ve said this with Waiting for Godot, and I’ll say it again: Aegis knows her stuff. This is her exploring further in that direction, and you can feel the improvement with every fic in the series. I really love how adventurous these stories are, and how much depth you can go with every one. Her characterization is layered and exquisite, and the underlying lore is well-thought-out. - tl;dr: B3 Goddess.

Predestined by Galkimasera - Final Fantasy VIII. Rinoa, Squall. Reverse/Fateswap AU. - A very well-written reverse AU! The circumstances of Squall and Rinoa in this ‘verse fit so well and are so well thought out. I love this AU so much, you don’t even know. It also fills my nostalgic shipper’s heart with much joy at seeing quality content in this Year of our Lord 2020.

For auld lang syne, my dear by @by-nina - Fullmetal Alchemist. Roy, Riza. Canon-compliant + post-canon. - Holiday feels, snapshots through time, and all over showing Roy and Riza’s budding relationship over the years. And it does remind me of a lot of the SKK fics I’ve written (thematic-wise). This was such a treat to read and to follow. All her FMA fics are. She does Royai so much justice. Am not yet finished reading smoke without fire, but I’ll get to that, too!

SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE CONTENT CREATORS FROM THIS YEAR

Everyone in the answer above. There’s honestly a whole boatload of more, but this is getting too long already lololol

(might edit this when I feel like it, tho!)

[buckybarnesbingo]

BBB Week 37 Roundup!

HOLY PRODUCTIVITY, BATMAN!  I can tell the end of the round is nigh, because the fills are FLOODING in!

Our LAST DISCORD PARTY OF ROUND TWO is starting in 5 hours.  It’ll be a shorter one, 24 hours, 

but plenty of time for lots of fun!  The announcement for that, and some additional end-of-bingo info, can be found here.

Title: I’ll Be Home For Christmas Collaborator: BookDragon13 Link: Tumblr Square Filled: B3 - Missing You Ship: Bucky/Reader Rating: Gen Major Tags: lonely Bucky, drabble Summary: Bucky misses you while on a Christmas mission Word Count: 100

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Title: Ask For Much - Chapter 14: Blindsided Collaborator: buckybarnesdeservestobehappy Link: Tumblr Square Filled: C2 - Blind Date Ship: Stucky, Bucky & Riley Rating: Teen Major Tags: hurt/comfort, angst, friendship, blind date, attraction Summary: Bucky follows through on Nat and Sam’s plan. To his surprise, he enjoys him, but he still misses Steve. Or Steve. Is. Pissed. Word Count: 992

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Title: Journey of the Winter Soldier Collaborator: Starjargon Link: AO3 Square Filled: U1 - Love at First Sight Ship: Bucky & his son Rating: Teen Major Tags: Implied murder and ambiguous morals Summary: The Winter Soldier just wants to get his son to safety, but being human again comes at a cost. Fortunately, there are still kind strangers in the world who understand the need a father has to care for his son. Word Count: 1050

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Title: compliance Collaborator: abitnotgoodiebag Link: Tumblr Square Filled: Y4 - Knives Ship: Bucky/Brock Rating: Teen Major Tags: brainwashed!non-con, blood, hydra trash party, art Summary: Rumlow likes knives, The Asset likes what it’s told to like.

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Title: Fathers and Sons Collaborator: starjargon  Link: DeviantArt Square Filled: K3 - Delinquent Ship: Bucky & Son Rating: Gen Major Tags: Violence, moodboard  Summary: The Winter Soldier runs away and re-learns to be Bucky with his son. He only hopes Eliot grows up to be nothing like him. Eventually he is re-captured and turned back into the Winter Soldier, and Eliot has become a mercenary before teaming up with a band of thieves.

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Title: Ask For Much - Chapter 15: Was It Worth It? Collaborator: buckybarnesdeservestobehappy Link: Tumblr Square Filled: B2 - Misunderstandings Ship: Stucky, Bucky & Riley Rating: Teen Major Tags: hurt/comfort, angst, misunderstandings, declarations of love, low self-esteem Summary: Steve finally lets it go, and Bucky finds the lightbulbs over his head. Or Everything changes. Word Count: 1062

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Title: I Guess We Never Stood a Chance Collaborator: Starjargon Link: AO3 Square Filled: C4 - Arranged Marriage Ship: Bucky/OFC Rating: Teen Major Tags: Major Character Death, dark thematic elements Summary: The Winter Soldier is assigned to take part in a New Agenda to breed more Enhanced Soldiers. Things don't go as planned. Word Count: 399

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Title: Ask For Much - Chapter 16: Downright Idiotic Collaborator: buckybarnesdeservestobehappy Link: Tumblr Square Filled: B1 - “It wasn’t worth it.” Ship: Stucky Rating: Mature Major Tags: hurt/comfort, angst, idiots in love, declarations of love, communication Summary: Bucky on a mission. Steve doesn’t stand a chance. Or Bucky and Steve finally communicate. Word Count: 1220

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Title: The Groomsman Collaborator: feignedsobriquet Link: Tumblr Square Filled: C5 - Historical Ship: WinterIron Rating: Gen Major Tags: art Summary: fanart for 27dragons and tisfan’s The Groomsman

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Title: My Dreams Aren’t As Empty (As My Conscience Seems to Be) Collaborator: Link: AO3 Square Filled: U2 - Keeping Secrets. (Replacing Soulmates thanks to October party token) Ship: WinterIron Rating: Mature Major Tags: Canon divergence, young!Tony, Winter Soldier!Bucky, lying, tech geekery Summary: By revealing the technology of his prosthetic arm, Jacob continues his mission to interest Tony Stark in the potential of partnering with his superiors. However, it seems that’s not all Tony (or Jacob are interested in. Word Count:1431

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Title: The Weather Outside is Frightful Collaborator: somesortofitalianroast Link: AO3 Square Filled: Y4 - Intimacy without Sex Ship: Stucky Rating: Gen Major Tags: au - coffee shop, au - soulmates, fluff, snow, fluff Summary: It’s snowing in New York, but the fire is delightful. Or, Steve and Bucky hang a Moravian Star and snuggle. Word Count: 1404

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Title: You Me and Steve Collaborator: jamesbuckystark Link: Tumblr Square Filled: U1 - Red String of Fate Ship: WinterIron Rating: Gen Major Tags: au - soulmates Summary: Tony wants to have more private time with Bucky, but Steve just never leaves! Word Count: 924

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Title: A Christmas Kiss Collaborator: BookDragon13 Link: Tumblr Square Filled: Y1 - cop/detective/FBI au Ship: BuckyNat Rating: Gen Major Tags: none Summary: Bucky tries to summon the courage to talk to Natasha at an NYPD holiday party Word Count: 328

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Title: Targets Acquired - Mission Failed Collaborator: alwaysabrighterdarkness Link: Tumblr Square Filled: B3 - Stark Tower Ship: Bucky & Tony Rating: Teen Major Tags: WinterSoldier targeting Tony&Pepper, explosives set at the Tower Summary: The Asset has been given 24 hours. The target is the newly minted Iron Man and Stark Industries. They cannot be allowed to continue as they are and Insight is not yet ready. But Stark knows he’s there, has hidden Potts and Hogan. The Soldier flees.  Stark follows ready for a fight that never comes.

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Title: That’s Just Me, Thinking of You Collaborator: Starjargon Link: AO3 Square Filled: C3 - Free Space Ship: Bucky & Eliot Spencer Rating: Gen Major Tags: Psych and Leverage crossover, amnesia, mind control, kid fic Summary: James has a baby to look after, but he barely remembers himself, and he has no idea what to do. Fortunately, he has new friends willing to help him with that. Word Count: 882

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Title: Art: Recharging Getaway Collaborator: LiquidLightz Link: AO3 Square Filled: C3 - Free Ship: Stucky Rating: Teen Major Tags: art Summary: My NASBB artwork for the fic “Coming up Easy”. A modern au where Bucky is a writer and Steve a DIYer with a penchant for art... “Bucky Barnes suffers from writer’s block. When he stumbles upon gorgeous DIYer Steve Rogers on YouTube and Steve turns out to be a fan of Bucky’s books, a friendship blossoms. Bucky even spends the summer with Steve in New England, where he can finally pine- er, write in peace.“ Steve paints Bucky relaxing with Alpine in his cottage, without his knowledge, and surprises him with the painting just before he has to leave. This is my rendition of Steve’s painting 🙃 🎨

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Title: Ask For Much - Chapter 17: Got Your Nose Collaborator: buckybarnesdeservestobehappy Link: AO3 Square Filled: Y3 - Nose Kisses Ship: Stucky Rating: Mature Major Tags: hurt/comfort, angst, morning after sex, idiots in love, relationship Summary: Bucky and Steve wake up together. Nose kisses are their favorite. Or Two boys in love. Word Count: 1236

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Title: Fri on the Wall Collaborator: LBibliophile Link: AO3 Square Filled: C5 - Dialogue-only Ship: WinterIron Rating: Teen Major Tags: Mutual pining, Supportive Friday, 5+1 Things, Drabble sequence, Dialogue-only Summary: Friday watches her idiot, pining boys. Or, five times Friday tried to support their relationship, and one time she decided to take more drastic measures. Word Count: 600

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Title: idiotic brothers Collaborator: jurassicworjd Link: AO3 Square Filled: Y5 - “Get Off My Lawn!” Ship: WinterHawk Rating: Teen Major Tags: swearing Summary: Bucky is trying to have an intimate moment with Clint when they’re suddenly interrupted. Bucky is not impressed with what they find. Word Count: 2332

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Title: BBB December 2020 Round Robin Collaborators: Poliz, Faustess, Turtles, Winnie, Menatiera, Ginger, Phoenix Link: AO3 Squares Filled: Poliz - B5: bodysharing Faustess - U2: Bed sharing Turtles - B5: Reluctant Teamwork Winnie - B2: comics Menatiera - Y5: Wrong number Ginger - U1: Mission Gone Wrong Phoenix - B5: galaxy Ship: Bucky & Sam Rating: Gen Major Tags: body-sharing, terrible magic, team bonding Summary: When they find themselves stranded on an alien planet, Strange’s solution is to use Bucky and Sam’s connection to Steve to send an SOS back to Earth. What could possibly go wrong? Word Count: 2831

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Title: Mr. Miyagi Would Say... Collaborator: starjargon Link: AO3 Square Filled: C2 - Cartoons Ship: Bucky & Eliot Spencer Rating: Gen Major Tags: Psych and Leverage crossover, fluff, kid fic Summary: The boys are playing spies, superheroes, and guns. They're doing it wrong- Bucky would know. Word Count: 808

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Title: The Future I See With You Is My Reward Collaborator: Politzania Link: AO3 Square Filled: B4 - Bucky/Tony Ship: WinterIron Rating: Teen Major Tags: A/B/O ‘verse, vague reference to mpreg Summary: After a close call during a battle, Tony and Bucky cuddle on their couch and talk about the possibility of retiring and starting a family. Word Count: 636

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Title: Strip Shooting Collaborator: hddnone Link: AO3 Square Filled: K2 - Role Reversal Ship: WinterIronHawk Rating: Explicit Major Tags: oral sex, humor, crack Summary: Bucky and Clint are up to their usual crazy tricks on the shooting range, switching weapons and competing against each other. Tony wouldn’t be paying it any attention except JARVIS is upset about their lack of proper footwear. But the conditions of the sharpshooters’ bets means they start losing all the rest of their clothes as well - until it comes down to Tony to raise the stakes and declare a winner. Word Count: 3207

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Title: Ask For Much - Chapter 18: Quickly Collaborator: buckybarnesdeservestobehappy Link: Tumblr Square Filled: C5 - Kink: Rushed Sex Ship: Stucky Rating: Explicit Major Tags: hurt/comfort, angst, morning sex, quickies, friendship Summary: Natasha has an annoying way of showing up without much warning. That means Steve and Bucky only have time for a quickie. Or Bucky has a boyfriend! Word Count: 1008

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Title: Go On and Find What You’ve Been Missing Collaborator: Starjargon Link: AO3 Square Filled: K5 - Accidental Feelings Ship: Bucky & Eliot Spencer Rating: Gen Major Tags: Psych and Leverage crossover, kid fic, Red Room, dysfunctional family Summary: Bucky will always protect his son. No matter who he needs to protect him from. Word Count: 1062

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Title: Reengaged - Part One: Bucky Collaborator: ABrighterDarkness Link: AO3 Square Filled: K1 - Never the Fall that Kills You Ship: past Stucky, WinterIron, pre-Stuckony Rating: Teen Major Tags: Reference to Torture, Angst Summary: Bucky Barnes knew a thing or two about pain. It was something that he was intimately familiar with. He knew hundreds of different ways to inflict it. Just as he undoubtedly knew what all manner of pain felt like. But he had forgotten, or possibly never known, this particular brand of pain. Word Count:987

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Title: Reengaged - Part Two: Tony Collaborator: ABrighterDarkness Link: AO3 Square Filled: Y4 - Role Reversal Ship: past Stucky, WinterIron, pre-Stuckony Rating: Teen Major Tags: Reference to Torture, Angst Summary: He wondered how Steve would take it, if Tony were to tell him that he didn’t mind.  That he wouldn’t be jealous or hurt or angry. That, if anything, Tony would welcome it. Would Steve believe him? Or would he proceed to offer more of the same promises?  Promises that Tony was nearly positive he didn’t want to see kept. Word Count: 1635

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Title: Sticking Around... Chapter One: Bucky Collaborator: pherryt Link: AO3 Square Filled: U1 - Kidfic Ship: Pre-Winterhawk Rating: Gen Major Tags: kidfic, high school AU, foster care Summary: It’s been a few weeks now, and Bucky’s not sure how much closer Clint is to settling in then when he first arrived at Phil’s. Word Count: 7704

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Title: Sticking Around... Chapter Three: Bucky Collaborator: pherryt Link: AO3 Square Filled: U5 - Boardgames Ship: Pre-Winterhawk Rating: Gen Major Tags: kidfic, high school AU, foster care Summary: It’s been a few weeks now, and Bucky’s not sure how much closer Clint is to settling in then when he first arrived at Phil’s.  Word Count: 7704

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Title: we remember them all with equal affection Collaborator: seibelsays Link: AO3 Square Filled: B2 - It Wasn’t Worth It Ship: Bucky/Darcy Rating: Gen Major Tags: Referenced character death Summary: Becca Barnes always tended the family graves. With the weather so cold this year, the responsibility falls to Bucky. He has complicated feelings about it. Word Count: 2038

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Title: The Basements Collaborator: riotfalling Link: AO3 Square Filled: U1 - Board Games Ship: WinterIron Rating: Teen Major Tags: witch!Tony, vampire!Bucky, an adorable cottage Summary: Tony is willing to do just about anything to get out of his father’s house, and babysitting a magical cottage seems almost too easy. Even if he’s not sure exactly what’s in the basement. Word Count: 1229

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Title: Father to Father Collaborator: Starjargon Link: AO3 Square Filled: K4 - Entry Ship: Bucky & Eliot Spencer Rating: Gen Major Tags: Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Protective Bucky Barnes, Protective Nathan Ford, Families of Choice, Family, Hurt/Comfort, Promises, Friendship, Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Nathan Ford has feels, Nathan Ford hearts His Team Summary: Nate Ford has a stranger in his apartment. Only, there's something eerily familiar about him. Word Count: 406

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Title: The Strength That Now You Show Collaborator: Starjargon Link: AO3 Square Filled: Y5 - Expendable Ship: Stucky Rating: Gen Major Tags: Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Fix-It of Sorts, Conversations, Best Friends, Friends are Friends Forever, Bittersweet Ending, Hopeful Ending, Bucky Barnes Recovering, Steve Rogers Needs a Hug, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Steve Needs Bucky to Tell Him It'll Be Okay, Before he Can Tell Bucky It'll Be Okay, end of the line Summary: Bucky and Steve have a conversation before Steve takes the stones back. Word Count: 663

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Title: Take A Deep Breath (Baby, let me in) Collaborator: MagicaDraconia16 Link: AO3 Square Filled: Y1 - Winter Ship: WinterIron Rating: Mature Major Tags: Angst, humor, fluff, canon divergence, time travel, dimension travel, WWII (and related non-graphic violence), Extremis Tony Stark, first meetings, falling in love, kissing, period typical attitudes, pre-WS Bucky Barnes Summary: Take two villains playing ping-pong with the Cosmic Cube that apparently has some kind of hiccups, add in a dash of mis-directed repulsor fire, shake well, and what do you get? A Tony Stark stuck in both a time and a dimension not his own, that's what. He has to admit, though - he much prefers this version of Bucky Barnes, compared to Captain America's pipsqueak sidekick. Word Count: 7529

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Title: Ask For Much - Chapter 19: It’s a Beautiful Life Collaborator: buckybarnesdeservestobehappy Link: Tumblr Square Filled: U4 - Precision Ship: Stucky Rating: Mature Major Tags: hurt/comfort, angst, cooking, friendship, happiness Summary: Sam and Nat are happy for them. Or Bucky has a perfect day. Word Count: 913

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Title: The Midnight Fox - Chapter One Collaborator: Minka Link: AO3 Square Filled: Y4 – Bodyguard Ship: Stucky Rating: Mature Major Tags: royalty, bodyguard AU, PTSD Summary: Time for you all to meet the man of the hour. Or well, both men of the hour, because, in a crazy twist of fate and un-Minka-ness, our two fav guys meet in chapter fucking one! This is a first! Word Count: 10,782

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Title: Proof of Guilt Collaborator: Purple_ducky00 Link: AO3 Square Filled: Y2 – Innocent Until Proven Guilty Ship: WinterIron Rating: Mature Major Tags: Public foreplay Summary: Tony aims to figure out if Bucky should be punished for drinking his coffee Word Count: 413

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Title: Good Old-Fashioned Dancing Collaborator: Purple_ducky00 Link: AO3 Square Filled: C2 – Dancing Ship: WinterIron Rating: Teen Major Tags: dancing Summary: Tony and Bucky are downgraded to paperwork after a bad fight. How else should they spend the day but dancing? Word Count: 648

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Title: Sing me a song about you Collaborator: riotwritesthings Link: Tumblr Square Filled: C5 - kink: non-penetrative Ship: WinterIron Rating: Mature Major Tags: musician Bucky, grad student Tony, a meet-cute and a back alley handjob Summary: Bucky doesn’t usually notice much about the crowd while he’s on stage, instead just losing himself in the music. Tonight is different though. Word Count: 915

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Title: Good Changes Collaborator: Purple_ducky00 Link: AO3 Square Filled: Y5 – Height Difference Ship: WinterIron Rating: Gen Major Tags: no powers AU, Howling Commandos Summary: Steve loves his found family, but Bucky has a boyfriend who's changing the status quo. Can Steve work through that? Word Count: 764

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Title: Winter Solstice Collaborator: BookDragon13 Link: Tumblr Square Filled: Y4 - kink: alpha/beta/omega Ship: Bucky/reader Rating: Teen Major Tags: implied smut, A/B/O dynamics Summary: Bucky gets his rut over the Winter Solstice Word Count: 281

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Title: Ask For Much - Chapter 20: Rock On  Collaborator: buckybarnesdeservestobehappy Link: Tumblr Square Filled: K4 - Pet Rock Ship: Stucky Rating: Teen Major Tags: hurt/comfort, angst, friends to lovers, happily ever after, happy ending Summary: Bucky Barnes doesn’t ask for much, but maybe he should. Or Bucky Barnes finds his happy ending. Word Count: 496

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Title: Soulmates? - Chapter 2 Collaborator: writing-what-writing Link: Tumblr Square Filled: U5 - Dream Sharing Ship: Bucky/Darcy Rating: Gen Major Tags: Light angst, mentions of Howard Stark being a bad dad   Summary: Bucky and Darcy get to know each other and unknowingly share a dream. Bucky figures something out Word Count: 1675

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Title: The Valley of Lights Collaborator: writing-what-writing Link: Tumblr Square Filled: B2 - mutual appreciation society Ship: Bucky/reader Rating: Gen Major Tags: none  Summary: You and Bucky go see Christmas lights Word Count: 322

[wesleyhill]

He Descended to His Enemies

A homily preached at Trinity Cathedral, Pittsburgh, on Holy Saturday 2021

“The gospel was proclaimed even to the dead, so that, though they had been judged in the flesh as everyone is judged, they might live in the spirit as God does.”

I would speak to you in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

That line from our epistle reading today that has struck many Bible readers over the centuries as tantalizingly cryptic: “The gospel was proclaimed even to the dead.”

From the church’s very early days, Christians have interpreted this verse as a reference to Christ’s descent into Hades or hell which we confess in the Apostles’ Creed: “he descended to the dead.” Within a couple of hundred years after Jesus’ resurrection, Christians were already spinning out elaborate mythologies about Christ’s journey through the underworld on Holy Saturday after His death and before His resurrection. Listen to how the apocryphal Gospel of Nicodemus pictures the scene:

While Satan and Hades were… speaking to each other, there was a great voice like thunder, saying: Lift up your gates, O ye rulers; and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting gates; and the King of glory shall come in!Hades, hearing the voice…, answered as if forsooth he did not know, and says: Who is this King of glory? The angels of the Lord say: The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. And immediately with these words the brazen gates were shattered, and the iron bars broken, and all the dead who had been bound came out of the prisons, and we with them. And the King of glory came in in the form of a man, and all the dark places of Hades were lighted up.

There continue to be modern versions of this story, too, like Evan Dahm’s remarkable new graphic novel The Harrowing of Hell.

I confess that I don’t think this scene is really what our epistle reading is talking about when it says that the gospel was proclaimed to those who have died, but I am still absolutely enthralled by the picture.

Most of all, I love the icons of it.[1] The classic Eastern Orthodox depiction of this shows Jesus trampling down the gates of hell and grasping the hands of Adam and Eve, the parents of the entire human family, and pulling them up from the pit. He dies on the cross and goes down, down, down to the nethermost parts of the mythological world to rescue the openly rebellious, the brazenly defiant sinners who plunged the whole human race into ruin and destruction. And then the Gospel of Nicodemus pictures Christ also turning to the rest of the damned and miserable denizens and saying, “Come all with me, as many as have died through the tree which [Adam] touched: for, behold, I again raise you all up through the tree of the cross.”

As I say, I’m not convinced that this is what the first epistle of Peter originally meant, but I still think there is real truth in this picture of the “harrowing of hell” because what it pictures is Christ going down to the lowest point to be with those who had turned against Him, those who had betrayed and denied Him, those who were His enemies — and hoisting them up out of their sin and torment to enjoy His victory.

Theologian Sarah Hinlicky Wilson wrote in her newsletter this week about Christ’s descent into hell, and she suggested that the picture is ultimately the same picture as the Gospels’ accounts of Jesus coming back to His faithless disciples after His resurrection. The point is that Jesus doesn’t die in order to escape from those — us! — who nailed Him to the cross. He dies and goes down to death precisely for us who are His betrayers and deniers and backstabbers and executioners.

You see this in all four Gospels. In Mark’s Gospel, the angel says to the women at the tomb on Easter morning, “But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” Tell Peter! — the one who denied that He knew Him and left Him alone in His time of greatest need — tell Peter that He will meet him again.

Matthew tells the same story but adds a twist, as Wilson points out. “Jesus exposes himself to the risks of re-entering community: ‘And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted.’ … Yet he’s so determined to stick it out with them that his last words, the very last words of this Gospel, are: ‘And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’” Jesus dies and goes to be with the very people who doubt Him, the ones whose fidelity to Him is wavering, the very ones who sent Him to His death.

In the Gospel of Luke, after His resurrection, He meets a bewildered couple who are, as He tells them, “foolish” and “slow of heart to believe.” And yet, even so, He reveals His identity to them as He breaks bread together with them. He comes to them with mercy, in spite of themselves.

And in the Gospel of John, Jesus has an extended conversation with Peter where He gives Peter three opportunities to reaffirm his love for Jesus and in that way reverses the three times he had denied Jesus on the night of His arrest and trial.

Wilson sums it all up like this: “It’s a miracle that Christ descended into hell. It’s a miracle the Christ rose again from the dead. And it’s every bit as much a miracle that Christ walked right back into the midst of the other people who comprised his own personal hell… He left the solitary stance of the noble martyr to reenter the company of the sinners who betrayed him.”

Friends, this is the good news for us this Holy Saturday. Whatever personal hell you or I are living through, Christ has died in order to descend into that hell with us and for us — and, ultimately, to hoist us out from it.

I have a friend who wandered away from Christ for several decades. He considered himself an atheist and kept far away from church. But he eventually made his way back. I asked him one time, “What brought you back?” He said: “A catastrophic need for grace.”

I’ve never forgotten that phrase: a catastrophic need for grace.

Isn’t that why you’re here today? Isn’t that why I’m here?

Aren’t we all aware of the ways we have abandoned Christ, betrayed Him, denied Him, turned against Him, killed Him? And yet He descends into our deadness. He comes to the very ones who deserve His wrath.

He throws open the gates of our hells and says, “Arise, shine, for your light has come!”

Amen.

[1] In this, I share the Lutheran theologian Robert Jenson’s view: “One will, I fear, have to construe the three days according to the construal of the salvific relation between the Lord’s crucifixion and resurrection found in one’s theological tradition and own best reflection. I confess my own leaning toward the theology of the Eastern icons, which is not that of my own tradition” (Canon and Creed, p. 44).