#like falling stars

[roselinbooks]

WIP Romance Week #1

Time for a prompt fill for @writeblrfantasy's WIP Romance Week!

Day One: Tell us about your pairing!

If I had realized I would be participating sooner I would have had a poll to decide which pairing to focus on ^^;; but oh well! Let's focus on the one that's been giving me the most Feelings lately, Nicolas and Ann!

To start with, they were not supposed to be romantic. I actually wrote their relationship in response to my frustration with the forced romances between male and female leads (particularly in Oz the Great and Powerful, between Oz and Glinda). But then they ended up having so much chemistry and were so cute together that they ended up being a major ship for me anyway. However as of Like Falling Stars's ending they are still platonic; they will start realizing their feelings in the sequel, New Constellations, though they won't be officially together yet in that book either.

Ann and Nicolas are the ultimate ADHD x Autism pairing among my characters, and together the form a fully functioning, emotionally stable adult! Ann handles more of the social aspects while Nicolas is highly organized. Together they are unstoppable.

For real though, they're very cute. Nicolas suffers from social anxiety that is connected to his inability to read social cues and high pressure to appear "perfect" to the public as a powerful faerie Prince, while Ann is much more charismatic and easily able to make friends, but worries about messing up the manners and finer details of high society. They confide their worries and doubts to each other and lift each other up, each able to see the good things about the other that they can't see in themselves.

Have some piccrews and commissioned artwork.

Also tagging the artists who still have tumblr blogs in case you want to check out more of their work!

@shan-nanigans @georgetheblob-art @elena-illustration and I don't remember kaypier's new tumblr blog help.

[ofduskanddreams]

Chapter 8: Interlude

Summary: After nearly 40k words of Azriel, I think it's about time we saw things from Eris's point of view and got some Azris on screen :)

✦ READ ON AO3 ✦ enjoy the excerpt* below ✦

“Okay Vanserra, what’s wrong at home?” Declan Emmet, the Fae Aux’s resident cyber genius, asked. He was leaning against the doorframe of the armory, the bright white firstlights overhead painting him with sharp contrasts.

Eris opened his mouth, prepared to speak, but Dec rushed to add, “And don’t say ‘nothing’ because this is the fifth night in a row you’ve stayed late.” 

Scowling, Eris replied, “I wasn’t going to say ‘nothing.’ I was going to explain that it isn’t something I can talk to you about right now.”

[. . .]

“Okay, so you can’t talk to me about it, but is there anything I can do to help?” Declan asked. “Do you want to grab a drink or some late dinner?”

Eris shook his head. “No, I’m alright. I’ll head out of here soon.” 

He knew Dec was trying to help, but Eris simply wanted to exhaust himself during the day so that he could manage to sleep through the night in an empty apartment. The lack of his pack nearby made it difficult for his body and mind to settle.

Declan left with a pitying glance, and Eris finished cleaning his weapons in peace. 

It was dark by the time he left the Aux Center and began the twenty-minute walk back to the apartment. The warmth of the day lingered in the air despite the lack of sunlight. The smells of the city mingled with those of the blooming shrubs and trees liberally scattered throughout FiRo. Cassian’s allergies, Eris thought, must be giving him Hel.

His phone buzzed in his pocket. He took it out and blinked in surprise at the name on the screen. He cleared his throat and answered, “Good evening, Azriel.”

✦ READ THE WHOLE THING HERE ✦

*the excerpt has been altered for this post. [. . .] <- marks where text has been cut.

tagging: @ablogofsapphicpanic @damedechance @panicatthenightcourt @iftheshoef1tz @moonpatroclus @octobers-veryown @foundress0fnothing @krem-does-stuff @melonsfantasyworld @lady-riel @queercontrarian @asnowfern @valkyrieassassin @brokeneveningstars @icey--stars @xtaketwox @itsthedoodle @areyoudreaminof @acourtofladydeath

PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO READ THE CHAPTER ENDNOTE ON AO3 ♡

[authoravalonroselin]

New Constellations Draft 1 Snippet

Does this snippet include Nicolas and Ann kissing, which is what I really wanted to write? No. But does it include healthy friendship between Jack and Nicolas, and Nicolas admitting that he loves Ann (whether you want that to be platonic or romantic)? Yes. And that's a win.

Spoilers for Like Falling Stars below cut!

“According to my research, homunculi do not die unless they are killed.”

Jack sighed. “That’s a relief! She might even outlive us.”

Nicolas’s eyes narrowed, clearly not amused or relieved. “There are still many things that could end her life. And though I cannot imagine why anyone would want to hurt her, there are still Unseelie fae, werewolves, all manner of creatures that could hurt her…” He clenched his fist, crunching the papers in his hand. “She should be more careful. I wish I could make her–”

He gagged.

“Whoa! Are you okay?”

“I will be fine. This is a side effect of that damned oath you made me swear,” Nicolas explained, rubbing his throat. “I do not wish to force Ann to stay in the castle, only for her to understand that she should not–that there are dangers in the woods.” He took a deep breath, held it, and released it slowly. “Ann enjoys her freedom to roam the forest at will. I would never take it away. Yet, I worry.” For a moment, Jack almost thought he saw tears glisten in Nicolas’s eyes. “What if she leaves one day and does not return?”

“Hey.” Jack placed a firm hand on Nicolas’s shoulder. “It’s okay to worry about something bad happening to someone you love.”

“Is that what this is? Love?” Nicolas wrapped his arms around himself, but did not remove Jack’s hand. “How does anyone stand it?”

Jack pulled Nicolas in closer and held him tight. “It’s hard, for sure. But what you get in exchange is worth it.”

[time-woods]

i literally have such a massive backlog of art anddoodles bc of these 3

myfucked up kittycars . .

[eats-a-berry]

i wasn't sure exactly what i thought adult gideon should be doing, but i DO quite like the triple combination of cowboy-biker, drag queen, and used car salesman at the same time. she's always a busy person!

[slightlyartist]

Haha what if while Bill possesses Ford Pyramid Steve hypnotizes Fidds and they are four divas having intense beef with each other haha

[roselinbooks]

Grieving for the life that one could have led.

ALiCE is built on regret, and WHiTE RABBiT even more so--that there were so many chances for things to not have turned out this way, for people to have made better choices, the glimmer of a better and brighter future being so close yet unreachable. Grieving not for who you lost, but the version of you that never got the chance to be.

In Like Falling Stars, Nicolas realizes who he could have been (a friend, a brother) and spent one hundred years wasting time in bitterness...to say nothing of Anais and Grey, because that would be spoilers.

Eureka in Stellar Eclipse is constantly second-guessing if he's living the right way. Certainly his life doesn't look the way his younger self would have envisioned, or wanted. But does that mean he's living a bad life? Has he ruined his chances to be a father, a husband, a brother, or is there still time, even if it isn't what he'd thought it would be? He stands out the most, but Baltan, Lleuwellyn, Azzie, and several other characters have similar concerns.

And Shifting Roots...goodness, there's so much grief, both for lives lost and lives never lived. The questions of "did I do the right thing? is this who I'm supposed to be?" hangs so heavily in the air around Spottedshadow, Dawnfrost, and Goldenpelt that they might as well be on the cast list.

Grief is ever present. It's also a staple of storytelling. What grief is common or most frequently seen in your story?

[napisreal]

𝚍𝚘 𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚜?

𝚢𝚊, 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢𝚛𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚘𝚕

[nestedfeathers]

it must be hard, seeing what others dont

[roselinbooks]

WHICH SNACKS DOES ANN GET IN THE BATH I NEED DEETS IMMEDIATELY

Nicolas is the one making them so definitely sweets.

Once the topic was brought up, he would go absolutely overboard on Ann's baths. We're talking multiple bath bombs, bubble bath solution, books, candles, tea, sparkling wine, and an entire tray of tea snacks--three kinds of cookies, clotted cream, marmalade, tiny fruit tarts, finger sandwiches. And he would sooner DIE than let her bathwater get cold.

Ann has to sit him down for a talk about realistic expectations and that sometimes she's just in the bath because she's covered in four layers of dirt and dust.

[roselinbooks-archive]

They're ponies now

[ofduskanddreams]

The Omegaverse Fic Writer's Prayer

Our mind, who art depraved, vanished be thy shame.

Thy Alphas come. Thy Omegas be done everywhere, and in every position.

Give us this day our daily knot, and praise us for our sins as we praise each other's.

Lead us right into temptation, and deliver us the filthiest ideas.

For yours is the Omegaverse, the porn and the glory for ever and ever.

Amen.

[authoravalonroselin]

For the ship ask!! Queen Anne's Revenge for Ann and Nicolas?? 🥺

Memory Loss!

And I mean, I know that seems kind of on-the-nose given that Ann's major conflict in the story is not remembering where she's from or who she is, but what if she lost her memory again?

Though it is rare for Nicolas to dream at all, he has had nightmares about Ann forgetting him and not returning to the castle.

[bluerosefox]

Her Astrophel and Sterling

hmmm

Hmmmmmmmm

You know what.

You know those AU's where the Batfam finds or learns about either hidden or thought to be dead Al Ghul Danny! with a deaged/daughter Dani (Ellie) (I should know, I created a few of those storylines) but what if, now hear me out, what if instead of them finding Danny first its Talia.

Do I want Talia discovering her thought to be dead son to be alive? Yes. Do I want her to find him while investigating Amity Park when the League gets reports of 'Lazarus creatures/water'? Yes.

DO I WANT HER TO KNOCK ON THE FENTON'S DOOR, fully ready to pretend/honey talk her way into the house to uncover what the Fenton's know, ONLY TO MEET A LITTLE ELLIE?!

YES.

Ellie whose eyes and hair look like a copy of her Beloved but she can see bits and pieces of herself as well. Talia knows the child in front of her was not fully her's though but everything makes sense when she hears a voice, a voice she hasn't heard in ages but as a mother just knows, speak out.

"Ellie! I thought I said do not answer the door my Sterling."

"But Daddy, yous was busy fighting the hotdoggys!"

Talia's eyes widen when she finally catches sight of familiar black hair and blue eyes.

and she could only lightly whisper a old nickname she hasn't dared uttered in ages, a name she secretly gave her son due to his love of the stars "Astrophel..."

[roselinbooks-archive]

*FLAILS*

I love them all.

cast for “New Constellations” comic

tag yourself i’m the illustrator that will be drawing these jerks a million times over