#now I need to go back and reread all of these
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Ah go on then đ Iâll do the
đ Mutual Quiz Thing đ
Favourite colours:
The Blues, various shades depending on context but particularly the combo here:

Iâm also a sucker for blue sky up through branches of intensely green leaves.
Currently reading:
Eeeeheheh I am one of those with a pile on the side table all of which I am part way through. Which currently contains:
Dragon Riders of Roar - Jenny McLachlan (reading with kiddo)
Silverborn - Jessica Townsend (rereading)
The Chalice of the Gods - Rick Riordan (was so excited for this to be released then something distracted me part way through and I need to get my head back into it)
You took the last bus home - Brian Bilston (kind of constantly dipping into cos poetry)
Temeraire - Naomi Novik (I read this in flurries)
The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry - John Mark Comer (I mostly keep this one here for the ironic aspirational lols. He makes good points but⊠maybe not written for the adhd brain)
Madly, Deeply - the Alan Rickman Diaries (loved him đ„č)
Inspired - Rachel Held Evans (such a legend. I dip into it when mainstream church leaves me bewildered)
The League of Thieves - Crofton / Tattersdill (itâs a fun new âchoose your own adventureâ kind of book but I keep dying so need to track back and work out which particular bad choice is the one I need to change)
Last Song:
Legacy soundtrack Ben & Nick Foster was on repeat all yesterday but before that - Unravelling by Muse.
Last film:
Inside Out 2
Sweet/Salty/Sour:
All! Who would pick between these? Iâd miss whichever you took away. Give me all the food.
Tea or Coffee?
Come on nowâŠ
Working on:
Ummmm a crochet owl, compiling family holiday pictures for photobook gift for family, plotting a Scandinavian adventure for next year. Fanfic-wise - finishing Resurface, some more flyboy-smotherhen diaries and a new little Horizon bros angst about the aftermath of the hydrofoil accident with @tracyislandinmymind.
Gonna add not working on but should be:
Insane laundry pile. Organising my life. Making it possible to access my desk without leaping over piles of stuff. Chasing up referral. Scout leader compulsory training refresher. Sorting stuff for actual trips this year.
Tag⊠aaaah how to choose I always worry people will feel left out! Iâll go a bit random from my amazing list of amazing mutuals by stabbing random letters and see who tumblr suggests (no pressure of course just saying hiii) @emtb319 @gumnut-logic @how-do-i-name-blogs-istg @janetm74 @sina-camilo @tracybirds @thundergirl007 @gaviicreates @lenle-g @loopstagirl
Get to know your mutuals!
*grabs mic and clears throat* Thank you so much @jintaka-hane and @igiulss for tagging me! I love these things and I love you girls! â€ïž
Favorite Colors: Black, purple, and red. I was a bit of a goth teen, and my favorite colors never really got to change đ
Currently Reading: SMUT! *snort* I used to care a lot about what I read, trying to stick to 'good literature' and the classics and all, but I'm now at a stage of my life where I stoped giving a f*ck and now I read what the hell I feel like. Judgment be damned. So I'm going through the ACOTAR series, devouring them like a madwoman. I have Edgar Allan Poe's short stories giving me the stink eye from my nightstand, and I might use him as a palate cleanser after!
Last Song: Oh, I've been cranking the Imperfect soundtrack I created on Spotify to get me in the mood for the next chapter, and the last one that played was, curiously enough, Imperfect by Stone Sour. I can't get enough of Corey Taylor, that man is a God!
Last Film: I barely watch any TV. I read and write in my spare time, so the last movie I saw was in the movie theatre and I took my son, so we got to see the live action of Lilo & Stitch! I enjoyed it a lot! đ„°
Sweet/Salty/Sour: All of them???? I mean... I can't choose! I have a very sweet tooth, but I love sour things... and salty snacks? UGH! Why are you doing this to me??? Gun to the head: sweet!
Tea or Coffee: Coffee. 100% coffee. Expressos, please. Or how we call it here in Portugal: bica. Actually was discussing this with Giuls just yesterday. I need at least 4 of them on a daily basis. đ
Working On: Too many things at the same time, actually đ I'm working on Imperfect, Kid's Meet-Cute and I'm also throwing a few paragraphs for chapter 2 of All of Yourself, as well as trying to plan and write a very challenging longfic for my main account with ships like: SaNami, LawBin, Ace&Vivi and ZoTash.
I'm going to tag *checks to see who hasn't been tagged yet* @physics-of-one-piece @laidenbreecatchall @isabeauwolf and anyone else who wants to jump in on the fun wagon!
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[the envelope is aged now. the paper inside smells faintly like him. itâs in his handwriting. it starts soft. it ends with your name.]
hey, sweetheart.
if you're holding this, i guess i'm not coming back. i hope the sun is up when you read this. i hope itâs a warm morning, the kind that smells like cinnamon and sugar from your bakery ovens, the kind you always said made life feel gentle again.
i wanted to start this letter like i always do. something dumb. something flirty. something me. but nothing feels enough. not for you.
so iâll just say this: i miss you.
six months. half a year of silence between us. do you still talk to me sometimes? out loud? in your head? i hope so. i hope your voice never forgets how mine used to sound when i said your name like it was a prayer.
iâve rewritten this letter so many times. on napkins. receipts. the back of mission reports. every time i tried to get it right, i realized there was no ârightâ way to say goodbye to the person who was my home.
how do you say goodbye to the only person youâve ever loved without condition? you donât. you just write, and bleed, and hope that somehow, your words reach them.
iâve made a lot of mistakes in this life. too many. but you â you were never one of them. loving you was the one thing i got right. the only thing iâd do over and over and over, even if it always ended like this.
you were the soft place i never thought i deserved. the steady in my storm. the quiet voice in the back of my head that reminded me i didnât have to be strong all the time. and still, i failed you in ways iâll never stop regretting.
i shouldâve stayed in bed that morning. shouldâve kissed you until you laughed and told me to stop. shouldâve told you â really told you â how much you saved me.
i was always running toward danger like it was the only thing that made me real. but you made me want to live. and not just survive â live. slow. soft. sweet. like sunday mornings and your hair still messy from sleep.
you were my beginning and my end. and now that iâm gone, i just need you to know: every choice, every breath, every time i looked at you like the sun had finally risen â it was real. we were real. and i hope to god you never forget that.
you gave me more love than i knew what to do with. and even though i never figured out how to hold it all properly, it never meant i didnât treasure it. you were my favorite chapter. the one i dog-eared. the one i reread on the hard nights. the one i wanted to live inside forever.
iâm sorry i didnât get forever with you. but you have to keep going. because your story isnât over. and it deserves so many more pages.
please, donât let my absence steal your joy. bake your bread. dance to that stupid playlist. fall in love again â if it feels right. and if it doesnât, thatâs okay too. just live. wildly, softly, honestly. like you always did.
and when the grief feels sharp again â because it will, sometimes â promise me this:
stand in the sun. close your eyes. and remember the way i loved you. the way i wouldâve always loved you, if time had been kinder.
iâll wait for you. not in some dark place. not in silence. but somewhere warm. somewhere with blue skies, and stupid sunglasses, and a table that always has room for two. and when you get there â when itâs time â iâll be right there, arms open.
and iâll say: âtook you long enough.â and youâll roll your eyes and say: âshut up, satoru.â and just like that, weâll start again.
iâll love you in the next life, too. and the one after that. and all the ones that never come.
with everything i had, â yours. always. satoru
p.s. i saved you the seat by the window. donât rush. but iâll be here.
#wrote this listening to sparks :)#nyluhaswritten!#gojo x reader#gojo satoru#satoru gojo#gojo drabbles#satoru gojo x reader#jjk gojo#jujutsu gojo#jujustu kaisen#satoru x y/n#satoru x reader#jjk satoru#jujutsu satoru
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could you please share to us noah's pov buying a bouquet of flowers for her? if you're okay with it of course! đ„čđ«¶đ»
yesyesyes this is going to be adorable!! <3
Noah stared down at his phone, rereading the message you had sent him this morning.
You: fuck i think i'm just having another one of those days, nothings going right. i haven't even been here an hour and i've already gone to the bathroom to cry twice. i'm so tired. i miss you.
It stuck with him all day.
You never complained much, not like this anyway. Noah knew you could power through things with a laugh and a sarcastic comment, but he could tell this week had drained you. And the little "i miss you" at the end hit him the hardest.
He couldn't stop thinking about it, or you.
So here he was now, sat in his car ready to drive to the gym, with his phone in his hand, typing best flower shop near me into google.
He scrolled through the options, eyes darting over star ratings and reviews. He clicked on the one with the best photos, his eyes drawn to the colours immediately, and he found the address- it was 10 minutes away from your place.
He made his way there, his tummy swirling with nerves unexpectedly. He wasnât even sure why he was even nervous, it was just flowers. Just a nice gesture... But he had never bought anybody flowers before, what if you didn't like them? What if you handed them back because of allergies? What if... What if you loved them, what if your face lit up when you saw them, what if you had never been bought flowers before?
The shop was located between a wine bar and a bookstore, with a wooden sign that hung over the door. Gently, he pushed the door open, a little bell jingling as he stepped inside. He was hit with the smell of fresh flowers and greenery, music played softly in the background and the whole place just felt peaceful, calm... The way that he only ever felt around you.
A woman behind the counter looked up and smiled warmly.
âHi! Are you looking for something special?â
Noah nodded, his voice soft.
âYeah. For someone⊠really special.â
âWhatâs the occasion?â She lit up instantly.
âNo occasion,â he said, still looking around, âSheâs just had a really rough week. I wanted to get her something nice... Something pretty.â
âWell,â the florist said, stepping around the counter, âWeâve got plenty of pretty. Any favourite colours?â
He hesitated, then smiled slightly.
âSheâd probably say no. But she wears a lot of soft stuff. Greys and neutrals. But I think⊠she deserves colour. Something bright?â
The florist nodded.
âDo you have a price range?â
âNo,â he said simply, without even having to think about it. âI just want the prettiest flowers youâve got... For the prettiest girl Iâve ever met.â did he just say that out loud?
She smiled at that, her eyes softening as she nodded again.
âIâve got just the thing.â
She led him to a bouquet already half assembled, ruby red roses, some pink tipped carnations, and some purples in there too.
Noah stared at it for a second like it had knocked the air out of his lungs.
âYes... Thatâs perfect.â
She wrapped it in pale pink paper, tied a soft cream ribbon around it, and handed it over.
Noah took it carefully, cradling it in his arms like heâd never held flowers before in his life. Because he hadn't, not really.
âYouâre gonna make her day.â The florist said with a grin as Noah tapped his card to pay.
âThatâs the idea.â He grinned.
He thanked her before he walked out of the shop with the bouquet pressed to his chest and the nerves already coming back. He gently set down the flowers in the passenger seat of his car, and made his way to your place.
He parked up at the gym... Maybe because he wanted the extra walk to calm down? Maybe because he didnât want to risk you seeing him through your window and ruining the surprise? Or maybe (probably) because he needed a few more minutes to figure out what the hell he was going to say.
The flowers sat there in the passenger seat beside him. He glanced over at them like they might answer him.
They really were beautiful.
The pinks and reds and purple soft curling petals, wrapped in pink paper and tied with a cream ribbon that made the whole thing look⊠expensive. Thoughtful. Romantic.
Shit... Too romantic?
No. Youâd sent him messages this morning, in the middle of crying from the bathroom at work. You were tired. You missed him.
You deserved flowers. You deserved more than flowers, but Noah couldn't think of anything else in that moment.
He climbed out of the car carefully and held the bouquet in his arms like it was breakable. It was starting to rain, and the wind blew the paper slightly, so he held it to his chest like he was protecting it.
The walk to your building wasnât too long form here, but every step made his nerves worse. Then, he reached your door... Then turned and walked straight past it.
He was not ready.
Instead, he found the stairs and started climbing them slowly, hoping the movement would work off the tension and give his heart time to slow down.
"Hey, I saw these and thought of you"... yeah, beacuse he just happened to be at a florist! "You deserve something beautiful after today"... No, too much. "They're not nearly as pretty as you, but they're close."... What the fuck, Noah?
He made it to the top floor, looped around, then headed back down again.
Flowers still in hand. Still no speech.
But when he reached your floor again, he knew he couldnât stall anymore. You were in there behind that door. Tired. Drained. Maybe asleep alreadt. Maybe curled up under a blanket.
Maybe still needing something to make you smile.
He exhaled slowly through his nose, adjusted the bouquet one more time, and raised his hand to knock...
It only took a matter of seconds for the door to swing open, and for you to appear.
You blinked at him. Hair up, no makeup, a big hoodie on over your work clothes.
He forgot every word heâd rehearsed.
âHi.â He said softly, a little breathless, like maybe heâd been running even though he hadnât- just climbing flights of stairs instead.
And then, without flourish or anything impressive, he lifted the flowers up between you and smiled sheepishly.
âThese are for you.â
Your eyes widened, and for a second you didnât say anything. You just looked at him, and then at the bouquet, like your brain couldnât quite compute what was happening. But then a little grin tugged at your lips as your eyes met his again.
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This might be a bad question, but are you ever gonna return to the Archie Sonic stuff? It's been a few years since you stopped covering them
I'm asked this every few months, and the answer remains "it'll happen eventually." If I want my commentary on TKP to be any good I need to go back and reread everything all over again to make sure I remember what happened in the comics and what I previously said about them. This will take a lot of time, and I'm focused on other things right now, so it's not currently a priority. But it's not like the Archie comics are going anywhere.
(The other problem with returning to TKP is that I started the blog when I was 20, and I'm now in my 30s, and I guarantee there are a bunch of opinions and authoritative statements on what makes a story good or bad that I no longer agree with scattered throughout the blog's early years. It will take every ounce of self-restraint in my body to not heavily edit myself lmao)
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Some more of in his wake, petals fall would be great cause that's some of the sweetest Malec I've read and it gets better each time I reread it. I hope you enjoy your day!
it's very fun to write, they're very much in love your honor. you see, they don't know any other way to be. last part here
i'm glad that it gets better with rereads, that makes me incandescently happy!!! it's been a very nice evening and that's been honestly just nice. i hope you have a good day whenever you see this and i hope you enjoy!
<3 lumine
in his wake petals fall
Itâs a full moon and Alec can think of nothing more that heâd like to do than be able to enjoy it with Magnus. The night is still young, there might be time if he can get through the next three or four hours without anything too major going on.
There is always a risk when Simon, Jace and Izzy go out together. The three of them together attract only half as much trouble as a single Clary, but itâs trouble all the same. Theyâre especially untrustworthy when they go on patrol together.Â
Alec has shamelessly both bribed and commissioned Magnus with both sex and Institute treasures to check Simon for curses.
Twice now.
Not because he thought Magnus failed the first time, but he asked Magnus to look for neutral or âhelpfulâ spells the second time.
Despite all evidence to the contrary, Simon remains magic free and itâs just natural.
Thankfully he gets into far less trouble without Clary, but he gets into trouble all the same. In a way, that part of Claryâs legacy remains.
Unfortunately.
Itâs not like Alecâs going to forget her anytime soon.
He really doesnât need these unhelpful reminders.
Heâd finally liked Clary before she lost her memories. If Alec doesnât have new good memories to back up the constant resurgence of the old, that might change. Which feels harsh but Alec canât help the deep annoyance, irritation and finally, just pure outrage on his own behalf when memories of those first two months resurface.
Now that Alec actually has a well working and well-run Institute, with competent people who listen to, respect and obey his commands, he gets even more furious.
So reminders of Clary, unhelpful.
Not that Alec will mention this to anyone but Magnus â who has similar feelings â because thereâs no need to. If someday Clary returns, Alec will figure out then however he feels then. Thereâs no need to stir up emotions that donât need to be touched and Alec would rather let them grieve in peace.Â
But that doesnât stop him from adding an extra team to patrol an overlapping area, just to ensure heâll be able to go home at a decent time.
Alec is not letting the Curse of Clary continue.
Alec will not be kept from Magnus by other peoples folly.
Or from showing Magnus the lunar bleeding hearts that were finally blooming in the moonlight.
Magnus will love to immortalize the flowers, still glowing with the light of the moon. Theyâll make nice jewelry or hair adornments or even for clothes, if he wants. Alec doesnât care what Magnus does with them, as long as Magnus is happy with them. He could enjoy the sight of them just once, and that would be enough for Alec.
However Alec knows his husband and Magnus will love the flowers, which is why itâs becoming more and more important to ensure Alec makes it home without losing any of the glow from the buds.
Time ticks by and while Alec wouldnât say heâs any more brusque that he usually is, he does notice when Mirai walks in. A smirk on her face and her brown eyes gleaming with secrets.
âWhat is it this time?â Alec lowers his voice to a decibel only a shadowhunter with runes or close to him can hear.
âYouâre scaring them. They canât tell if you want something to happen, or if your scowl is because something better not happen.â
âWhy would I ever want something to happen?â
âYou could be having a fight with Magnus.â Mirai says and the twinkle of secrets makes sense now. Mirai's been listening to the chatter of the hunters and deciphering it for Alec.
âWho is stupid enough to start that kind of gossip?â Alec regrets asking immediately and doesnât bother trying to soften the grimace on his face. âNever mind. Just please tell me itâs not Simon at least.â Alec really cannot deal with more idiotic rumors because of him.
âThankfully not him. It was just chatter during sparing. That you were unusually grumpy today. Hunters throw out ideas to get their mind off things.â
Alec certainly isnât going to smile without a reason and since Magnus isnât here, there wonât be one. But he does try blanking out his face, which has Mirai sighing at him.
âHonestly, that sometimes is worse.â
Alec frowns at her, because heâs getting mixed messages and itâs easier.
Mirai laughs, because sheâs not spineless and she actually knows how to read Alec enough that he can trust her to have his back. And actually listen to what he says, instead of interpreting it differently or outright ignoring it.
If she changes orders itâs because sheâs gained information that Alec doesnât have, not because she has an idea sheâs not sure will even work.
âSomething always happens when those three go out together. I donât trust them to not ruin my night.â
"They're bad but they're doing better. They could just have bad luck, there's no proof they go looking for trouble." Mirai doesn't sound convinced and Alec wonders who she's trying to comfort.
Because he is not comforted.
âYou have no idea what it was like.â Alec turns his head slightly and makes sure heâs keeping his voice low enough they canât be overheard. âMagnus and I couldnât even have a kiss without interruption. Our dates constantly had to be canceled, I almost got married to a woman because they interrupted every date Magnus tried to get me to go on. A few that I accepted and had to cancel or postpone! I won't blame them fore very stumble in our relationship but they caused most of them.â
Mirai laughs, quiet and low but Alec is serious.
âNo, you see. If I had gone on a single date with him, I would never ever have let my parents push a marriage on me. One actual date with him, where we could converse and get to know each other without the pressures of everyone else's crisis being pushed on us. Burdens that were never ours to bear becoming problems we had to solve and unravel while we tried to get closer yet kept getting pulled apart. If Iâd had even just a handful of real, meaningful moment with Magnus. Just us, without the world leaning over our shoulder and duty nipping at our heals, there never would have been a wedding for him to crash. And if we'd had a stronger start, been more secure in each other less rushed, we could have been stronger together.â
â
Mirai really hates when Alec says things like this.
Itâs like he doesnât even notice how heâs rewriting the reality of the world.
The reality is that very few people understand the poetry and revelation that is Alecâs love for Magnus. They see the political choices, the smiles and the laughter, they donât see the obsession. The adoration. The devotion that would lead a shadowhunter to consider becoming a vampire and entering a hell dimension on purpose, planning to be there for eternity as an immortal. Just for another being.
That kind of devotion is the thing of legend and Mirai truly believes that Alec Lightwood will not and cannot love another as he does Magnus Bane.
However that doesnât mean he needs to turn everything Mirai already knows about him even further on itâs head.
Alec Lightwood is an enigma on paper.
Heâs worse in person.
Truly, Mirai isnât sure exactly how someone as logical and blunt as Alec fell for â and so instantly and irrevocably â Magnus Bane, but sheâs not going to shame it. Thatâs a sure way to die and Mirai both enjoys life and likes how she is living. Besides, thereâs something both inspiring and terrifying about their relationship and also Magnus Bane helps her Commander be the best he can be. She has constant proof of that and so while she hadnât actually believed it, sheâs still relieved that Alecâs mood isnât from an argument or a sour goodbye.
âI donât mind taking over early.â She really doesnât, is the thing.
Alec is inspiring to the entire Institute but he can also be overly intimidating. His reputation is only growing and even some of his original hunters â ones that Mirai knows at one point mocked or disrespected him â look at him with awe now. Alec barely notices, focusing more on results than gossip and thankfully he trusts that to Mirai. Alec is very good at finding out things in the shadows. Heâs not always the best at putting them together.
So Mirai translates the gossip and reports back and Alec now locks the greenhouse when heâs in there half naked and covered in butterflies. Nephilim like rare and powerful and enthralling things and Mirai needs every hunter they have.
â
Alec steps through the portal with careful steps and Magnus is there, face already lit by the moon and of course, his love had portaled him to their roof. The perfect place for the flowers to absorb the moonlight and also a perfect place for Alec to place the vase of blooms down gently so he can take Magnus into his arms.
There are kisses, sweet and simple and blooming on his lips until he laughs and Magnus deepens the kiss. Itâs soothing and comforting and familiar in the way that a steady heartbeat soothes the soul.
Magnus kisses like he never means to stop and never needs to and Alec canât help but match him, eager to be devoured and consume in turn and insistently getting his fingers under Magnus shirt so he can finally press his palms against warm skin.
âMissed you.â He whispers when Magnus pulls back to kiss his jaw and cheek and the corners of his eyes. âThought of being here with you the whole night.â
âYouâre hours earlier than you should be, Alexander. Not that Iâm complaining, but you were only gone four hours.â Magnus laughs and Alec grins at the helpless adoration in Magnus voice. âI missed you as well, darling. As delighted as I am, I truly thought youâd be longer. Is everything alright?"
âMirai covered for me. Apparently I was a little too obvious in my longing to get home.â
â
Alexander shrugs, innocent as can be and Magnus narrows his eyes.
âAnd what arenât you saying.â
Alexander sighs and looks away with a frown.
âAlexander.â Magnus croons, âwhat arenât you saying, sweetheart.â
That tone never fails to work and Alexander melts for it, as always. Along with the way Magnus is cupping his jaw and letting Alexander nuzzling against his palm.
âMirai informed me that gossip was we had an argument. Apparently Iâm very angry looking when Iâm worried I may not make it home to my husband in time. I just was worried that whatever caused Clary to constantly be or cause the interruption of our dates maybe infected Simon.â
Magnus laughs, because he canât help it and also why should he? Alexander is as sweet as always and the thought of Alexander being angry at work because of their relationship is hilarious. Alexander goes cold when heâs truly upset. He would shut off the pieces and parts of him that were overwhelmed and exist on what is left.
Which considering how much Alexander adores Magnus and how itâs with the entirety of his very being, means that one is left with a very cold, stoic Alexander. More so than usual and personally, a sight Magnus hates to see and has vowed to never again.
Now that life has settled, theyâve been allowed to grow and flourish and Magnus doubts that theyâll ever have arguments against like they did in those first, fierce, fast months when they had to grab time before it was gone but the world tore at their relationship like it was a personal offense.
âAnd itâs what, bad for morale?â Magnus kisses Alexander again, because thereâs no need to deny himself as many kisses as heâd like, whenever heâd like them. Alexander loves nothing more than being met with kisses when he comes home and now is no different, with Alexander ignoring the question. His lips are against Magnus, his tongue worshiping and his teeth gentle but nipping sharply whenever Magnus pretends to pull away.
Itâs several minutes before Magnus remembers he wants an answer, just as a reference for what will get Alexander home to him more often.
And Alexander scowls at him.
Magnus really cannot imagine how other people look at his adorable, menace of a husband and think heâs dangerous looking.
Yes at times Alexander can exude a somewhat threatening aura but Magnus has always found it enticing and that it added to his allure. Beyond that, how can you look at Alexanderâs down turned lips and sad eyes and think anything but darling!
It boggles the mind to a degree that Magnus is certain even Ragnor would agree with him.
AN:
the bribe was the sex. because alec insisted on either paying magnus extra for downgrading (checking a vampire for spells is below his paygrade but ofc he'd do it for alec even for free) and alec was like: no i need to pay extra and then had to convince magnus to let him pay at all and then alec is like, okay at least let me bribe you with sex
magnus... darling we could just have sex?? i'm happy to help you with any kind of problem. no need to bribe.
alec: ... please? so i feel less like i'm taking advantage of my amazingly generous and magical husband who has been taking advantage of way too often
magnus: oh so therapeutic roleplay?
alec: if that means you will agree then yes. we can call it that too
-
magnus laughing to himself in the middle of the night: we're married, we have sex all the time. how is this a bribe? you should have threatened to not have sex with me unless i did it.
alec who is a shadowhunter: it's the only thing i could think of that i knew you'd like and enjoy okay. besides people use sex for transactions all the time. it makes perfect sense. also i would never try that. you'd take it as a challenge and i'd break. we both know any threats i made like that wouldn't last past the moment they were spoken. i've never been able to resist you and marriage has made than less manageable, not more
-
a week later Alec bringing Magnus a really rare flower cutting for the roof.
Magnus: this would have made a good bribe
Alec, appalled: how dare you put monetary value on a priceless treasure that i just want you to have because i love you. who do you think i am?
magnus: but sex is fine? as a bribe
alec who is a shadowhunter: yes?
#lumine writes#writing wednesdays#writing wednesday#in his wake petals fall#petals vs#magnus bane#alec lightwood#malec#shadowhunters#Mirai Lakecastle
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VIOLENT LOVE, FEEL MY EMBRACE: aventurine x foxian! reader
warnings: not very spicy, if you even care. a continuation to this fic! i recommend reading those to understand this best. you are jiaoqiu's sister, moze and jing yuan are your exes. i promise it makes sense!! u just hoed around the luofu sorry. aventurine x fem! reader, if that bothers you LEAVE ME ALONE!
please read the prequel for context into mc's past relationship with jing yuan and moze.
wc: approx 9.1k (sorry not sorry)
a/n: ts has been rotting in my drafts for MONTHS. i also haven't edited in months but i remember sitting on my dorm bed feverishly rereading it so hopefully it's ok. i definitely recommend to read the linked fics bc this one does take some context to understand.
The day your brother left for war, it rained relentlessly, the condensation rising from the moist earth in eerie tendrils of suffocatingly thick steam.Â
And like the rain, warm tears streamed down your cheeks as you clung to him, inhaling his familiar scent for what you feared may be the last time. You may have been young, but you were well aware of the horrors of battle, of how the blood of your loved one may soon spill upon the earth, seeping into the soil like the late-spring downpour.Â
He allowed you to cling to his shirt, and you wondered if he also sensed how pivotal this moment may be, how significant. He inhaled shakily, doing a poor job at hiding the quiver to his voice as he pulled away, placing his hands gently upon your small shoulders. âI have to go.âÂ
You felt your lower lip tremble in the way it did when you were trying to prevent the dam of tears within you from bursting. Unable to look upon your bereaved form any longer, Jiaoqiu sighed, turning to leave. Unwilling to let him depart, you tugged sharply at the pale peachy fur of his tail like you had back when you were a younger child. âWhen will you come back?â
 He never minded when you got pushy like this, when your petulant nature got the better of you. Jiaoqiu was the best brother he could be under your shared circumstances, willing to cook for you and clean up your messes whenever you got into trouble, which was often. You would miss him greatly, for his departure would leave you to deal with the weight of your familyâs expectations all by yourself, the shared burden that he taught you how to weather.
How you were meant to go on without him, you werenât sure. You were still so young, and with little understanding of the world beyond the constraints of the Yaoqing, you had no other choice but to walk the path that had been so generously carved out for you by the Alchemy Commission. Even back then, the idea filled you with insurmountable dread.Â
Jiaoqiu sighed, a shadow of guilt crossing his face for a moment, as if realizing that by leaving you here, he was sealing your fate by his own hand. âIâm not sure,â He patted your head between your ears, watching shamefully as they lowered. âBut Iâll be back for you soon. I promise.â
The inexplicable dread grew within you, a sense of imminent doom that was impossible to place at your young age. Surely he had to know what he was doing to you if he left you right now? Still, he seemed unwilling to halt his departure, simply offering you a smile that intended to display reassurance despite offering anything but.Â
âWhy do you have to go?â A question you had asked so many times before, but he didnât complain about its recurrence, nor did he offer you a different response. What else could he do when his mind was already made up?Â
âThis is something I need to do. If I can use my gifts to help others, then what other choice do I have?â You blinked at him slowly, believing his answer was a cop-out. Jiaoqiu had already made his choice to stray from that path your family had followed, deciding instead to use his healing abilities to become an army medic. Now that he had so boldly disobeyed them, you really had no choice but to continue on the straight and narrow. But you didnât want your brother to leave you, and you didnât want to submit to your familyâs orders for the rest of your life.Â
âThen Iâll help people too, and Iâll join you.â You called after him as he began to leave you behind, suddenly full of a strange childish resolve.
He turned back to smile at you, his eyes closing characteristically with the expression. âHow about you start with helping people here, little sis.âÂ
With that lighthearted admonishment, he was off without any further warning or encouragement. But those words about having no choice but to help others when given the chance would echo in your mind for years to come, bouncing back and forth between your ears like a mantra. They only served to remind you how charitable and selfless your big brother was, and that you were nothing like him, even back then.Â
Of course, youâd soon learn that your caring big brother was not as perfect as you so vehemently believed. Eventually, youâd look your brother right in his watery eyes, begging him to allow you to stay here, to hide you despite your disgrace, and heâd deny you. But these foreboding revelations were nothing but meaningless whispers of the future as you stared at Jiaoqiuâs receding form, the humidity filling your lungs and choking you like poisonous gas.Â
 So, in order to avoid any contention, you diligently followed your parentsâ instructions, honing your acupuncture and stitching skills until your fingers were bruised and cramped. Every night you sat by your bedroom window, massaging your sore fingers, and prayed to any Aeon who would listen for guidance in forging your own path, the various papers and worksheets youâd studied for hours fluttering upon the sill with the evening breeze.
Soon, you were able to sit for your exams, and the moment you passed, you marched right up to that old man and told him you would be following in your brotherâs footsteps. And when he was unable to give you his blessing, looking down upon you with unabashed disdain, you laughed.
And that was all there was to it. Or rather, it shouldâve been. But that never does seem to be the end of the story, does it? Whenever you work hard enough to ensure you get what you want, the universe seems to have other plans for you, insistent on intertwining your path with that of someone whoâd change your life forever.
All of this to say that the rest of your past was far too unpleasant to remember right then when you presently stood upon the Xianzhou Luofu. It wasnât exactly home, but it was familiar enough to bring back some rather meddlesome old memories, and that was the last thing you needed when things were finally going your way.Â
And you werenât stupid enough not to recognize the pattern that your naive heart constantly insisted on following.Â
Traitor, rogue, fool. Youâd been called everything in the book back home. Before you met him, you were convinced nothing could affect you anymore, but now you knew his touch had mollified you significantly. The last thing you needed was to see someone from your past while in this state of increased sensitivity. Your time on the Luofu had been far less publicly humiliating, anyways, and things had gone smoothly enough when you visited not too long ago.Â
In fact, the only person, barring Dan Heng, who could use your own past against you decidedly did not. Despite the way your heart twisted painfully and uncontrollably when you saw him again the last time you were here, General Jing Yuan kept any knowledge of your betrayal to himself, despite being the one to console you through it when you wandered your way onto the Luofu all those years ago. At the time, it had been jarring, but you had agreed to pretend that nothing had happened between you, that those hours spent together had been nothing more than a rash, youthful mistake. And as you matured, you were able to recognize that as the truth, plain and simple.
But to dwell on it for so long would be to think about the past too much, a luxury that a shorter life species like yourself didnât have. You were here with your friends to watch the Wardance, not to be haunted by ghosts from your past. But the funny thing about ghosts, however, is that they have minds of their own, and they tend to appear right where you want them the least. And before these unwelcome apparitions found their way back into your life, there were some old friends you had to visit.
If you were to tell yourself even just a few weeks ago that you would be introducing Aventurine to your old flame, you would laugh in your face and tell yourself to fuck off. Really, the utter ridiculousness of it all wouldâve been too much too bear, for back then you were still convinced that the man had no attachment to you other than those meddlesome physical ties that bind. And with the lack of communication that presently existed between the two of you, maybe youâd have been right.
 But unfortunately, thus was the universe you now existed in, as General Jing Yuan looked between you and Aventurine with polite confusion as you stood before him in his own workplace, the latterâs hand resting somewhat possessively on the small of your back. âItâs always nice to see you again, [Name.] Itâs been too long.â Honestly, seeing them in such close proximity to each other was like being in an alternate universe created by someone who really, really disliked you.Â
âIt has been, hasnât it?â You laughed nervously, attempting to hide how uncomfortable you were with the oddness of this situation. You gestured to the man beside you, cursing the way your ear twitched awkwardly as he waved charmingly. âAnd this isââ
Jing Yuan laughed heartily, cutting you off, and a yearsâ-old annoyance bloomed in your stomach. âAventurine of the Ten Stonehearts?â He extended his palm to your companion for him to shake. It always bothered you, even back then, the way the lion-like general would get so ahead of himself that he would step on your toes. And youâd told him as much, a long time ago, while sitting upon his lap, while he wore the clothes youâd meticulously tailored for him, and heâd laughed in your face in quite the same way he did now all these years later.Â
In contrast, Aventurine offered a hollow, wolfish smile, accepting the generalâs handshake. âI see my reputation precedes me.â For some reason, the notion that he was just as annoyed with the man before you granted you a momentâs reprieve, and the idea that it just might be on your behalf made your tail sway lazily behind you with a small degree of pleasantry.Â
âIndeed. Itâs very nice to meet you. Enjoy this yearâs festival.â Jing Yuan gave off the air of serenity, but you could still remember his tells, noticing the way his gentle smile faltered almost imperceptibly. âI hope it lives up to your memories, [Name.]â The man at your side wasnât faring any better, and had you not been so close to him, you wouldnât have noticed him bristle when the general addressed you directly.Â
You scoffed, ears lowering with displeasure as you were suddenly unable to hide your annoyance. âAnd why wouldnât it?â You were unsure of exactly what he was getting at, and if you were less familiar with his nature, you would assume he was trying to embarass you. However, the awkwardness in the room had subtly transformed into thinly veiled hostility born solely from misunderstanding and petulance on your part. You sighed, willing yourself to calm down before his gentle teasing got the better of you like it used to in the old days. He always found it rather adorable when he got a rise out of you, and you wouldnât allow it to happen in front of Aventurine.Â
âYouâve always been quite hard to impress.â Jing Yuan laughed again, promptly raising an eyebrow in Aventurineâs direction. âIs that still the case?â You could literally feel Aventurine coming up with a perfectly targeted insult to make the general regret his well-meaning dig at you, and newly calm, you quickly made a move to redirect the situation.Â
âWeâd better be going. I have other people to catch up with.â Your ears threatened to flatten against your head, despite your tone sounding relatively collected. You tugged Aventurineâs hand before he could say or do anything stupid to disrespect Jing Yuan in his own homeland, which was odd in and of itself. A little supposed disrespect towards you and he was willing to sacrifice diplomacy? Honestly, the concept was kind of hot. Â
You giggled to yourself, and Jing Yuan chuckled again. Aventurineâs plastered smile dripped venom as yours dropped quickly into one of feigned politeness. He seemed to catch the hint to keep his mouth shut, and if he hadnât, the way you were squeezing his hand tight enough to bruise shouldâve told him all he needed to know. The General hummed in acknowledgment, offering only a small nod. âI understand. So many visits to make in such a short time. Always a pleasure.âÂ
For a man as well traveled as himself, foreign lands were far brighter when Aventurine had you by his side. He knew you werenât a native of the Luofu, and despite being intimately involved, both of you had sensed the hesitance of the other to discuss their origins and avoided prying as a result. But you seemed rather acquainted with the landscape, and especially familiar with that Jing Yuan back there.Â
Sure, youâd mentioned to him that you had quite a few acquaintances on the Luofu and that if they said anything weird about you to ignore it. But that man seemed so comfortable pointing out aspects of your fiery nature, and Aventurine loved the fact that you refused to settle, taking only what you believed you deserved. For Jing Yuan to poke fun at it, well, that just wouldnât do at all.
The moment you were out of the room, he tugged you into a clandestine corner of the hallway, tucked nicely out of earshot of any passersby.Â
âWhat seems to be the problem with him?â He inquired upon your cute yelp of surprise, trying and failing to sound casual.Â
You froze for a moment, blinking owlishly before quickly and dismissively brushing him off. âNothing. He just jokes like that.â You sounded assured enough, but a twitch of your ear revealed your apprehensiveness around this line of questioning.Â
âYou seem quite familiar with his jokes.â Aventurine drawled, smiling down at you in a way that was supposed to feel nonthreatening, but seemed to have the opposite effect as your ears lowered completely. How strange. He couldnât remember the last time heâd felt like this about someone, if ever. Before that evening on the express, heâd told you he didnât care about your past, or if you dallied with anyone else while the two of you were otherwise engaged. A lie that he believed at the time, but what about now that youâd promised to be his?Â
Your eyebrows furrowed as you looked up at him almost provocatively, willing to stand your ground and daring him to disagree. âI told you we were involved. It was a long, long time ago, and I was stupid,â Then, a devious smile suddenly crossed your face, and you raised an eyebrow, your fangs glinting. âWhat, are you jealous?â
He faltered for a moment before collecting himself. âWhy would I be jealous?â That smile never left his cheeks, but you were the only one who could see through his poker face by now, that millisecond of hesitation. Because what was stopping you from deciding that he was entirely unfixable, and running off into the sunset with that dashing general? The notion was ridiculous, sure, but he felt lucky enough that you hadnât rejected him before, that youâd welcomed him into your life and your little family upon the Express. He wasnât going to let you get snatched up right under his nose right when heâd earned your affections.Â
Though, wouldnât it be so horribly fitting if you just left him here, desperately infatuated with you? Really, it would suit his streak of terrible luck when it came down to the things that really mattered to him. You probably had men on every single planet obsessed with you anyways, with little time to waste on a superficial, reckless gambler like himself.Â
âYou totally are,â You snickered cutely, taking his hand, and the notion was almost entirely erased from his mind. âDonât be worried, okay? Youâre the one I came here with.â Your words were simple, but he recognized the implications behind them. You raised up on your tiptoes to kiss his cheek, and he softened, patting your head as you leaned into him. Was he dreaming? Perhaps he never left Penacony, and this was all some weird Dreamscape expansion pack.Â
Or, maybe, you were real, and you cared for him in a way no one ever had before. The very thought wouldâve seemed ridiculous before, but maybe, for once in his sorry, meaningless life, heâd won for real.Â
You looked up at him expectantly, unsure of how to take his prolonged silence. Right. He needed that reality check. He leaned down to press a gentle kiss to your forehead, and you melted into him, relieved. âIâm sorry. I almost lost control back there.â He, who was always so composed. You had that effect on him, he supposed. Everything was changing so fast, and it was all your fault, you who fit up against him so perfectly, who smiled up at him so beautifully.Â
âI know,â Somehow, youâd shifted the both of you so he was leaning against the wall, your body pressed against his. He wrapped his arms around your waist as you spoke hardly above a whisper. âI never thought Iâd have to tell this to you of all people, but we need to be on our best behavior here as their guests.â He was about to protest, but you raised a manicured finger to his lips. You always knew how to catch him off his guard, and at this rate youâd drive him insane. He pressed a kiss to your finger, and you sighed, suddenly unsteady, as he stabilized you with his grip on your waist. Even in this random hallway he was willing toâ âRumors spread quickly upon these ships, and one mistake can make your entire life hell.âÂ
The change in your tone shifted the direction of his thoughts as well, and his eyebrows furrowed despite the niceness of your proximity. âWhat makes you so confident of that?â
You bristled then, untangling yourself from him, and he mourned the loss of your body heat. âNo reason. Iâve just⊠seen it happen before.â Without offering him another glance, you turned on your heel, making your way down the hallway. Suddenly scorned, he rushed to catch up with you, following closely behind. Perhaps he edged too close to a touchy subject? You had to discuss these things eventually.
But what would you think of him if you knew what he experienced? Those copper coins, that hot branding iron, the bloody handcuffs, the wine in that cursed womanâs glass. Of course, you had to have some semblance of his tumultuous past. A branding on oneâs neck is quite hard to hide, after all. But you didnât need to know the scope of things, those haunting memories that kept him up at night when you slept peacefully curled into his side. He knew how gut-wrenchingly painful it all was. He lived it. He didnât need to put you through that unnecessary heartbreak.Â
So, forgive him if he didnât necessarily blame you for shutting down when the both of you were delicately treading upon each otherâs personal minefields.Â
Whatever happened to you, what happened to him, it was all over now, and you had each other. And if he cared for you enough, it didnât matter what came before. There was just you and him, and that was more than enough. So he followed close behind you as you left, pulling you to him outside and kissing you beneath the sunshine of the pavilion until you melted into him, forgetting whatever unpleasant memories had plagued you since you landed here. That was enough. It had to be.Â
For a considerable amount of time, your excursion to the Luofu really was just thatâ a vacation. You had the opportunity to stroll hand in hand down memory lane with Aventurine, pointing out the various ways the place had changed since youâd last been there. And in a way, the new, pleasant memories you were creating did a nice job of replacing the not-so-good ones from before. Not to mention that as deep as his pockets ran, Aventurine had absolutely zero trouble buying you as many street food delicacies as you wanted, which was another plus aside from just spending free time together outside of your room.Â
When the two of you ran into Stelle and Dan Heng near the Exalting Sanctum once youâd made your way back around, you were fully intending to ask them to join you for a nice meal on account of all the walking that had only made you hungrier. However, they seemed to have more pressing matters on their minds, hastily attempting to explain a situation to you with little effectiveness. Â
And as such, you found yourselves before Jing Yuan again, although his lighthearted demeanor was clearly dashed for reasons unknown. And funnily enough, alongside Jing Yuan and that old man general, another familiar face from the Yaoqing was there as well.
You first met Feixiao as a young woman, a ruthless force on the battlefield. Cold as steel, and swift as the breeze, time hadnât changed her much, although she had grown far taller than you despite being the same age. You examined her toned figure with mild envy, making a mental note to compare workout routines with her at a later time. âLong time, no see, [Name.]â Although you loved an at home workout or two to keep your curves intact, you clearly had some work to do if you wanted killer thighs like hers. Not that you were staring or anything.Â
Regardless, you tentatively grinned back at her, unsure of whether you should offer some form of physical affection or not. The two of you had never been that close, and any connection youâd had was through your presently estranged brother. âHowâs it going, Feixiao?â Theyâd always been insanely tight-knit, however, so you owed her friendliness at the absolute least, which you were more than willing to give.Â
âYou two are back so soon,â Jing Yuan remarked, offering Aventurine a small, wary smile that could easily be interpreted as an olive branch. He returned the gesture, and you breathed out a discreet sigh of relief, glad your discussion earlier had restored his skilled gamblerâs facade despite the unexpected way youâd ended it.Â
You didnât know what had possessed you to include a hint towards the truth of your past in your warning to him. Perhaps it was a Freudian slip, nothing more than a figment of your subconscious desire to be fully and completely honest? You werenât sure, but a part of you feared that if he knew what youâd done, why you had to leave your home in the first place, he wouldnât want you anymore. The IPC wasnât exactly scrupulous, sure, but at least heâd been up front about that, although you kept meaning to ask why he stayed with such an organization in the first place.
That wasnât any of your business, or so you liked to remind yourself whenever your mind wandered alongside your hand, deftly tracing the characters burned into the delicate skin of his neck as he slept in your bed. Heâd tell you whenever he was ready, although it was becoming harder to ignore the way he talked in his sleep in a language you didnât understand. And that was on the nights he was even lucky enough to get some sleep, for it was hard to ignore the way heâd sometimes toss and turn beneath your hold, or how he was somehow always awake to comfort you whenever you awoke terrified from your own nightmares.  Â
âWe couldnât stay away,â Aventurine spoke mirthfully, his suddenly friendly tone breaching through your increasingly concerning thoughts. âAlthough those ones seem pretty eager to talk to you all.â He nodded towards Stelle and Dan Heng, who remained silent with palpable unease. You hadnât realized youâd once more been gripping his hand enough to bruise, nor did he give any indication that the action pained him in any way.Â
The rest of the events proceeded before you in a fog as your mind raced, simultaneously hopelessly worried and confused about the true identity of the man beside you. Jing Yuan introduced Feixiao to the other Nameless, but she waved him off, already acutely aware of their identities. Thus resumed a refined line of questioning regarding the incident with the Ambrosial Arbor, to which Stelle tried her best to respond to the Merlinâs Clawâs liking.Â
And despite the clumsy response from the Nameless, Jing Yuan, ever the smooth talker, managed to spin the facts of the matter into a way that worked for him. Feixiao laughed boisterously, her hands on her hips. âYou have a way with words, Divine Foresight. I like it.â Her demeanor settled, and she raised an eyebrow, effectively beginning another interrogation. âBut unfortunately, rumors are flying around the Alliance ever since you submitted the report. There are people accusing you of neglecting your duties, resulting in the Ambrosial Arborâs resurrection.â
Jing Yuan remained stone-faced, but you could tell the accusations had planted some seeds of doubt. Feixiao shrugged. âLook, as a fellow Arbiter General, I know how trying this job can be. I think the rumors are meaningless drivel,â She patted his shoulder reassuringly, but was met with no response. âAfter all, no one knows better than the Divine Foresight what happened on the Luofu and the meaning behind it.â She paused, inhaling, before her expression sobered. âJust as what happened on the Xianzhou Yaoqing recently.â
That perked your ears up. âWhat happened on the Yaoqing?â Jing Yuan shot you a look laced equally with warning and unease. You refused to back down, meeting his pointed glance with one of your own. He turned away, suddenly unwilling to meet your eye upon seeing the fire that burned behind your amber gaze.Â
Feixiao cleared her throat, seemingly content to ignore the exchange between you and the Luofuâs general. âThere are reports that borisin are making trouble again. The existing packs are dividing and creating even larger packs,â She turned to you, her countenance concerningly unreadable. âMoreover, thereâs an entity called âMangasâ behind it all. Itâs not actually a borisin, but a woman with twelve faces and twelve pairs of fangs.â
Stelle and Dan Heng shared a meaningful look as the wheels in your mind began to turn. âThatâs Phantylia.â Jing Yuan spoke, coming to the same conclusion that you and the other Nameless had.Â
âCorrect. The borisin think sheâll give them a chance to rise again.â Feixiao clarified. Your eyebrows furrowed. Any foxian native to the Yaoqing knew their fair share about borisin and the horrors theyâd committed against your people. You knew firsthand how dangerous they were, how wily, how far they were willing to go to achieve their goals.Â
You were about to open your mouth to question her further, but the Merlinâs Claw continued. âThe Alliance has its fair share of doubts about the Luofu. So my plan is to come up with an acceptable answer to placate them.â Surely she didnât believe the Luofu had anything to do with this? Just your luck for this to happen right when you arrived, for those damned wolves never seemed to know how to leave you alone.Â
Jing Yuan raised an eyebrow. âAnd what is this plan?â You were far less naive now, for you were only a girl when they targeted you before. Yes, chances are that the generals will take care of the matter with resolute swiftness, and those howling menaces will never again hold you in their blood stained claws.Â
Feixiao sighed. âYouâll need the final word from the Ten Lords Commission to quell those doubts.â She gestured to you and your crewmates. âAnd for that, Iâll have to ask these Nameless to visit the Shackling Prison.â You blinked, stunned. She had to be out of her mind, for what kind of madwoman would ask a bunch of interstellar travelers to go to the very prison where that thing was being kept?Â
âThe Shackling Prison?â Aventurine spoke suddenly beside you, and despite your vice grip on his hand, you realized you had forgotten he was there among all of this Borisin nonsense. âPardon me, General Feixiao, but I really hadnât planned on going to jail today.â And wasnât it so screwed up that even the idea of those demented canines could take your mind off the few good things you had going on right now?Â
Feixiao laughed. âYouâre funny. No, you all arenât going to be imprisoned. Iâll just need detailed testimony via the Karmic Mirror from your colleagues here.â She furrowed her eyebrows, examining him. âIf my memory serves correctly, you didnât have any role in the incident, so youâre welcome to stay back here with us if youâd like.â
In that moment, you wished you could just opt out of it all, to stay back here where itâs safe and tell Aventurine the truth about yourself. Perhaps your revelation would inspire him to be honest with you as well, only if he was willing, of course. Plus, Stelle already liked to talk, and Dan Heng didnât play about matters concerning the Xianzhou. The general would get more than detailed enough testimony from the two of them.Â
 Jing Yuan cleared his throat, and Aventurine dared a quick side eye towards the man. âI think Iâll accompany [Name], if thatâs alright.âÂ
You closed your mouth for a moment before it fell open again in surprise as you shot a stunned glance at the man beside you, who looked rather pleased with himself. Was today just the day everyone around you decided to lose their fucking minds? You tried to tell him as much with some squeezes of your hand and a swat of your tail against his thigh, but your theatrics elicited zero reaction.Â
Momentarily stunned, Feixiao looked between the two of you, seemingly just noticing your proximity. A knowing smirk crossed her face, and you knew that even if you never saw your brother again, heâd somehow be informed of this new development in your love life. âTotally fine. Just as long as youâre aware of the risks.â If Jiaoqiu were here, heâd probably laugh in your face, for the last time you saw him you told him youâd never love anyone again. Now here you were, about to go underground with the rats and the wolves because your boyfriend had to be a hero and accompany the poor Nameless.Â
Despite your initial annoyance, you werenât really mad at him, for you knew his offer to go along was born out of nothing else but a desire to stay by your side. And in retrospect, there was no way Feixiao would let you skip out on this testimonial thing, what with you being a first hand witness to the Phantylia incident and all. If you absolutely had to go down to that prison, it would be nice to have your current favorite person there with you. Seriously, your companions may have been weirdly into exploring dangerous situations, but you far preferred to stay back and enjoy the scenery unless they absolutely required your talents.Â
Aventurine smiled confidently in return. âOh, Iâm well aware. Nothing I havenât dealt with before.â He reassured, and Feixiao shrugged in a suit yourself manner. And again, you wondered what it was about him that made him so willing to risk his life, even if it was for you. If he wasnât going to open up to you anytime soon, youâd have to make a note to find him a good therapist. Maybe youâd even come along, for you clearly had your own shit to work through. Regardless of your personal feelings, Dan Heng and Stelle provided their affirmative answers, and you all readied to leave.Â
Suddenly remembering something, Feixiao turned back to Jing Yuan. âOne more thing. The Foxians on the Yaoqing have a request,â Jing Yuan gestured for her to go on, and she shot you a quick glance. âWe want to transfer the borisin lord Hoolay from the Shackling Prison to a secure lock-up on the Yaoqing.âÂ
Feixiao may have been expecting more pushback, but Jing Yuan simply nodded. âThatâs fine. Itâs only fair for the Foxians to keep an eye on their nemesis.â The old man general clapped them both on the back, seemingly glad they came to an end of the negotiations.
âLetâs get ready to go.â Dan Heng spoke, and you cursed how eager he was despite him technically being your oldest friend on the Express. You found yourself missing Alisa, knowing sheâd always be willing to stay back and have a cup of tea with you. Sheâd even taken a liking to Aventurine, that blessed girl, treating him by far with more kindness than the rest of the crew, who were only obligatorily polite.Â
Lamenting the absence of your friend, you reluctantly moved to follow Dan Heng, but Feixiao called your name. âCan we talk for a moment?âÂ
Aventurine looked at you questioningly, and your gaze traveled between him and your old acquaintance before you sighed, gesturing for him to go. âGo on, follow them. Iâll be right with you.â
He hesitated for a moment before nodding. âFine. Call me if you need anything.â You werenât sure if he viewed Feixiao as a threat to you, or if he was just wary of leaving you alone in general. It was most likely the latter, considering heâd thrown himself headfirst into a dangerous situation just to go with you. Or perhaps old habits die hard? You shrugged off the notion, approaching Feixiao. âWhatâs up?â
âIâll be sending Jiaoqiu and Moze to check on Hoolayâs condition.â Straight to the point. You always admired that she never learned how to beat around the bush. It would be refreshing in any other situation, but you didnât like the implications of this one.Â
You blinked, still somewhat miffed at the prospect of having to go down there in the first place. Now she wanted to orchestrate a family reunion in front of Hoolayâs jail cell? What had this day come to?âOkay.â Her ears lowered a fraction at your dismissive response. âYouâre telling me this because?â
âJust in case you run into him. So you wonât be surprised.â That didnât mean anything to you. The way things were going, your brother would probably pretend like he didnât know you. And with your reputation on the Yaoqing, you wouldnât blame him. Family reunion? Who were you kidding? Even if he saw you, he likely wouldnât acknowledge your presence. He seemed to have a rather easy time ignoring your texts and calls, after all, although you did mysteriously receive some spicy soup delivery on your birthday every year without fail.Â
âItâs not like Iâve disowned him or anything.â You laughed, a bit bitterly. âIâm the disgraced one, remember?â Some soup doesnât erase years without any contact. You felt your ears lower spitefully, but you did nothing to conceal the way the subject of your brother made you feel. To think you admired him so much, and he was over there throwing his life away on a whim for Feixiaoâ
Or perhaps, you were just jealous. Your demeanor softened as she sighed, a flicker of pity crossing her face. You were being unfair, and you knew she meant well. There was no use in being jealous of her, for she had nothing to do with it. This was between you and your brother, and it wasnât often you received kindness from others from your homeland. âI know. I just figured youâd want to know.â
Calming down more by the second, you offer her a grateful nod. âWell, for the record, Iâd love to see my brother again. Itâs him who hasnât called or even texted.â Despite your receding ire towards her, the anger and hurt you felt towards Jiaoqiu betrayed itself in your words.Â
She shrugged, almost sadly. âNothing much I can do about that.â She patted you gently on the head, an action that would typically annoy you if it wasnât endearing in this particular circumstance. âOff you go. Be safe.âÂ
That would be the challenge, wouldnât it? No matter. All you had to do was go down there, give your testimony, and get back to civilization to be truthful and open or whatever with Aventurine. And then maybe you could go get dinner and then maybeâ definitely â youâd kiss a little bit. Or a lot. This whole thing with the prison, and your brother, and even fucking Moze would be a figment of the past, and your new life would begin.Â
Things never did seem to go your way, did they?
Aventurine was naturally uneasy about this whole shackling prison thing.
 Which was naturally why he chose to accompany you down here, despite the unpleasant memories even the name alone ignited in him. He told himself it didnât matter as the messenger ushered your group in, that it was better for him to be there than for you to go alone. If he remembered anything unsavory, then at least you were there to take his mind off of it.
And of course, heâd noticed immediately after that youâd been displeased at his initial request. He wasnât âblessedâ with emotional intelligence for nothing, after all, and he could read you so well it almost made him feel guilty. But he got the feeling that this was something he had to do. Heâd almost killed your crewmates, for Aeonâs sake. The least he could do is make sure they didnât come to any harm. And despite his mouth moving faster than his common sense, you didnât appear to be mad at him, clinging to him the whole way there despite not being very talkative.Â
Yes, you did seem to be presently occupied by something. Whatever that shrewd Foxian lady said to you back at the Seat of Divine Foresight seemed to have left you shaken. And you wouldnât talk about it, even when pressed by a well-meaning Dan Heng, a fact that surprised Aventurine because he had hardly heard that boy speak a word to him since heâd been on the Express. Regardless, you were antsy, eager to get down to the prison and get this over with, or so you told him when he leaned down to ask if you were alright. In all honesty, he really didnât blame you.Â
And once you actually got down there? The place was certainly a prison, although unlike any of the filthy cages and cells Aventurine was used to. The Shackling Prison was surprisingly spacious with an almost-archaic feel to it. It felt like there was an evil hanging around in the air, and as you inhaled sharply, squeezing his hand, he knew you could smell it.Â
Your group met up with a pale, blue-gray haired woman, who offered you a languid yet assured nod. âWelcome, dear guests from the Express. Judge Hanya of the Interrogation Division,â Her eyes scanned mechanically over all of you, lingering briefly on Aventurine. âIâve met most of you before.â
He offered her a polite smile, hoping it concealed his unease. âAventurine of the Ten Stratagems. Iâm here for moral support.â You exhaled sharply out of your nose, and he was briefly glad you were still in a state where you could appreciate a little joke.Â
She nodded in return, seemingly unphased. âI see.â
The odd woman and Stelle apparently had some sort of prior dealings that neither you nor Dan Heng were privy to, and were ultimately irrelevant to the situation at hand. Aventurine turned a blind ear until she commanded the group to follow her.
His initial conclusion about the place as being archaic was very quickly proven correct as Hanya activated some sort of ancient mechanism that caused the ground to shake as it created a path for you all to cross. He swallowed his apprehensiveness, instead resolving to guide you across despite the mild look of annoyance you sent his way. Sue him, he refused to let chivalry die even in the depths of this hell hole.Â
And he would have given a million credits for your thoughts right then. Youâd had that same expression on your face ever since you spoke to Feixiao, a combination of fear and unease. He wanted to ask what was on your mind, but he knew youâd shut him down in an instant. Hell, he wasnât exactly in top shape himself right now, for something about being around all those chains made his stomach churn. Sure, heâd been through worse, but he was always able to throw caution to the wind back then, to use his own life as collateral. This time around, there was you.Â
Hanya came to a stop in front of some storage crates, and the rest of you followed suit. âThese crates look oddly familiar.â Dan Heng remarked quietly, a hand resting below his chin in contemplation.
Hanya nodded. âA few days ago, we received reports about an IPC transport ship that was attacked by borisin. Then a bunch of those abominations were dumped into this place.â
âI heard about that,â Aventurine thought aloud. Despite technically still being on leave, he was still (regrettably) being briefed on all the bullshit heâd normally be subjected to. âBut to throw the pirates and cargo all in jail?â
âThatâs a new one,â Hanya concurred, crossing her arms over her chest. âI heard the Intelligentsia Guild crafted something dangerous. They love to tinker with forbidden technologies.â Her tone held no trace of bitterness despite her words, remaining as flat as always. âI caught a glimpse of the mechs within those crates, and they looked oddly similar to borisin.âÂ
Aventurine glanced at you â to gauge your reaction, perhaps â but you were looking the other way, as if youâd spotted something concerning in the opposite direction. Hanya once more gestured to follow her, but you remained where you were standing. âSomething isnât right.â You inhaled sharply again, turning to Hanya. âThat stench.â
Hanya opened her mouth, perhaps to quell your suspicions, but with a loud clatter, multiple mechs materialized from behind her.
The woman startled for a moment before immediately entering crisis mode, presumably calling for backup. Aventurine found himself subconsciously moving in front of youâ to shield you, perhaps â but you shoved him away in a manner that could only be described as far from gentle. The action wouldâve smarted at any other moment, but he knew just as much as anyone else that now wasnât the time to deliberate on such things.Â
And of course, heâd fought the Nameless back on Penacony, but they were still rather handy when it came to battle. The lot of you quickly took care of those monsters, but the unease lingered in the air long after the mechs lay defeated before you. Despite your earlier actions, you made your way back to Aventurineâs side, attaching yourself to his arm, and he subconsciously relaxed.Â
âThese things showing up in the Shackling Prison can only mean one thing.â As sharp as ever, Dan Heng was first to break the pensive silence.Â
âA prison break,â Hanya seemingly finished his thoughts aloud, looking as rattled as someone so stolid could ever look. âIf these things have already started taking action while nobody was paying attention, then the whole prison is in danger,â Her eyebrows furrowed, seemingly realizing something. âAnd to make things even worse, a group of messengers from the Xianzhou Yaoqing have just entered the Shackling Prison as visitors with my sister, Xueyi.â
âMessengers? From⊠the Yaoqing?â You spoke for the first time beside him, your voice strained by undeniable anxiety. âTheyâre here to visit Hoolay?â Your grip on his arm tightened.Â
Hanya nodded, seemingly oblivious to the thickness of emotion in your voice. âHe must be the target those mechs were looking for. If that beast breaks free, itâll be a disaster for the Luofu.â
Aventurine was initially the only one who noticed the way you had begun to tremble almost imperceptibly. âMy brother.â You spoke quietly, your voice wavering.Â
âIâm sorry?â Hanya turned to face you, finally noticing your disheveled state. Aventurine noted the way Dan Heng was eyeing you with concern, clearly knowing fully well what was bothering you.
âHeâs one of the messengers.â You clarified in a small, shaky voice, and Aventurine glanced at you in worried surprise. He hadnât known you had a brother. In fact, the two of you seemed to actively avoid discussing the topic of family, and heâd just assumed it was as painful for you as it was for him. But clearly, things were far more complicated than they seemed, for tears began to prick at your eyes.Â
This talk of siblings threatened to leave Aventurine shaken, his subconscious reflecting snatches of long blonde hair and thin desert fabric against his will. He knew all too well what you were feeling right now, that dread when the person who shares the same blood as you is doomed and there is nothing you can do about it.Â
But that was a lie, wasnât it? He couldâve done something. He couldâve turned back, faced the wrath of the Katicans with her and died by her side. He had been a terrible brother, selfish and naive.Â
And that was another reason why he didnât deserve you. That determination in your eye to save your brotherâ he didnât think heâd ever looked that way back then.Â
As hard as he fought these days to shake those thoughts away, (you worthless killer, reckless gambler, youâll ruin herâ) the urge to run away and spare you of any more harm still persisted.
âI see,â Hanya nodded curtly, and your touch grounded Aventurine back to the present. He canât leave now, not when your situation was so dire. Perhaps the him of the past wouldâve run in the opposite direction, but the man he is nowâ who he wants to be â will follow you to the ends of the earth. âWe cannot let the beast escape. We must get to the lower level of the prison and check on the state of the messengers immediately,â She beckoned for the group to follow her, and you all promptly followed suit. As Aventurine passed the pale woman, he heard her whisper softly to herself. âHang in there, sister.â
Your ears twitched, inhaling sharply as you turned to face her. Perhaps you felt some sort of solidarity with the strange woman, for your siblingsâ lives were riding upon your actions at this moment. She didnât seem to notice your hesitation, simply continuing to lead the charge along the downward spiral of stairs to the bottom floor of the prison.Â
Growing up, Hoolay was nothing more than a figment of nightmares, borne from those scary tales told by well meaning parents and nannies to scare Foxian children into behaving. Once, youâd stolen a snack (or two) from the kitchen before mealtime, and having prepared food for dinner, Jiaoqiu had mirthfully warned you that Hoolay would get you if you ever dared do such a thing again. Not understanding his jokes, you slept with all your limbs under the covers for three months afterwards, scared the Borisin lord would nibble off your tail.Â
And funnily enough, when you imagined the worst case scenarios for this situation, the most painful one you came up with was your brother simply ignoring your existence. You hadnât at all expected him to find himself between the jaws of Hoolay himself. And you couldnât help but fear that by the time you saw him again, his body would be cold, sucked dry of his life force by that horrendous beast.
Hanyaâs expression when your group stumbled upon her sisterâs mangled body remained steely. You inhaled shakily as Aventurine gently grabbed your arm, pulling you away from the poor, lifeless girl. You felt Dan Hengâs apprehensive gaze upon you from the corner of your eye. Both of you knew what this could mean, but you had to keep some measure of hope that your brother could still be alive.Â
And sure enough, Xueyiâs soul was persistent, inhabiting a small cycrane that quickly flew away to find help. You couldnât help but admire the resilience of these sisters, how deeply they treasured and trusted one another. Once upon a time, your big brother looked at you that way, but you hadnât even seen his face ever since that rainy day when you deserted your homeland.Â
Your group managed to make your way back up from whence you came, battling quite a few abominations along the way. You were physically and emotionally exhausted by the time Hanya restored the passage between the prisonâs floors. Despite not exchanging many words with you, seemingly grappling with something unknown, Aventurine offered excellent moral support, as promised, staying near to you at all times. He even tolerated your clingier-than-usual behavior, holding your hand as you struggled to fight back tears.Â
As your group came to an inexplicable stop, a familiar scent wafted past you for a fraction of a moment. You blinked harshly. That couldnât be right. Why would he be here alone? By the time you inhaled again, the smell was gone, just as if youâd imagined it.
 âIs everything alright?â Stelle nudged you, for apparently your confusion had been somehow evident. Curse those fluffy ears of yours, lowering and flicking at their every whim.Â
âIâm alright. Just imagining things.â You offered Stelle a weak smile, which received a skeptically raised eyebrow in response.Â
âNo, I donât think you imagined anything,â Dan Heng interjected. âSomethingâs off. Someone is approaching us.â Good to know you werenât becoming completely delusional, and you werenât the only one who felt that sudden breeze. And there was that smell againâ
âI heard you were looking for me.â The group jumped at the deep, sudden voice. You took a sharp breath, swallowing your irritation. You turned around, confirming your suspicions that Moze was in fact standing before you, undeniably alone. âThe prison management on the Luofu is truly concerning.â Of course he had it in him to be cynical at a time like this. You fought the urge to bare your teeth at the only man who likely had a clue as to where your brother was.Â
âYou look better when youâre silent,â Stelle needled, shooting the man a suspicious glance. âYouâre the messenger who ran away, after all.â That blessedly audacious girl. As annoying as she could be, she truly knew how to lighten up a situation, mildly alleviating your anxiety.
âI prefer âthe messenger who strategically fled.ââ That anger from earlier returned with a vengeance. You wondered if you charged at him if heâd dematerialize before you got a chance to bite him. âIâm Moze. My friend fell into the clutches of that wolf. I planned to escape and report back as quickly as possible but it seemsâŠâ He trailed off, suddenly almost sheepish, the asshole. âThis prison is a real maze, I must admit.âÂ
âIf you donât have anything important to say, Iâd prefer if you left my biting radius,â You attempted to mask your genuine threat as a lighthearted jab, but lacked Stelleâs good humor. âTo say nothing of my scratching radius.â
âDown, girl.â Aventurine muttered, holding back a laugh, and was met by a gentle elbow to the ribs from you.Â
âDonât mind her,â Hanya spoke flatly, waving you off with no ill intentions. You deflated mildly as Aventurine absentmindedly stroked your arm in apology. âWe will do everything in our power to save your friend.âÂ
âNo, thereâs nothing we can do to save him now.â Moze stated matter-of-factly.
âThatâs so heartless. Isnât he your friend?â Stelle started, eyeing your boyfriend's grip on your arm, which had coincidentally tightened the moment Moze began to speak again. âMaybe we should let the fox bite him.â
Dan Heng nodded, looking almost as annoyed as youâd ever seen him. âYour close friend, and [Name]âs brother is in the claws of Hoolay, and you want us to just leave him?âÂ
Moze sighed resignedly. âLook, Iâm the Generalâs guard, not his. Saving him will only get us all killed,â He glanced at you, as if just noticing your presence. âAnd heâd never forgive me if I let his little sister jump into the fray.â
âIâm already in the fray, asshat,â Your words come out more exhausted and with far less bite than youâd intended.Â
Moze barely bats an eye, simply goes on explaining his case like a murderer representing himself in court. âWorst case scenario, we get killed by the giant wolf. The prison gets sealed off and no one finds out about us until itâs too late. Best case scenarioââ
âBoth we and the intruders get trapped in the prison.â Aventurine finished quietly, thinking aloud. You glanced over at him, but he was staring into space, troubled.
âLooks like we have some clever minds here after all,â Moze congratulated flatly, but was met with no response from the man beside you. âGood to know you finally learned how to pick them, [Name.]â
âAnd you still havenât learned how to keep your big fucking mouth shut.â You fired back, this time receiving a quiet instigatory oooooh from Stelle.
 âWhatever. We absolutely cannot allow that wolf to escape.â Moze shrugged you off. âIâve always searched for something to give my life for. This is as good a cause as ever.â
âSo weâre really out of options, huh.â Stelle mused quietly. No one could find any reassuring words with which to respond, even Moze deigning to take your advice and shut up.Â
âDonât worry. I wonât allow any of you to sacrifice yourselves. As a judge, if anyone should step up to prevent Hoolay from escaping, it should be me.â Hanya finally spoke assuredly, and a collective sigh of relief swept through your group. âI just need your help sealing that gate. From there, Iâll take care of all the borisin in here. Letâs proceed up from here.â Unwilling and unable to provide a word of dissent, everyone concurred, following the woman to the gate.
#apologies in advance this is NOT my best work#i just want to post somethingggg#aventurine x reader#aventurine x you#honkai star rail x reader
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on account of 1. me losing my mind over Andy and Quynh all over again, 2. not knowing for sure if i'll write new fics and 3. changing my url a dozen times since the first movie came out and possibly losing some tog mutuals... i just want to share my old andromaquynh fics <3
Being with you (Makes the flame burn good) - 3k words, my first one, angsty reunion with a temporary death and a happy ending
Andy and Quynh One Shots - 63k words, 101 one shots... there's a little of everything there
come with me, loving me, to death - 2k words, vampire au let's go lesbians let's go!!! andy is a vampire and quynh a vampire hunter and they kiss <3
Proof - 2k words, andy starts taking pictures of quynh after she comes back
(i swear) i thought i dreamed her - 5k words, fake dating and body guard au let's go lesbians let's go!!!!!
would you have it any other way? - 6k words, the first movie but quynh is there the entire time <3
my heart (is like a haunted house)Â - 29k words, my pride and joy!! one of my favorite fics i've ever written, andy falls in love with quynh (but quynh is a ghost <3), happy ending đ
supercut of us - 3k words, apparently this one was inspired by 57 different headcanons??? how did i do that? idk i need to reread it now
Extremely Uneventful Subject - 37k words, post-canon immortal family living all together, andy x quynh centric of course
Loveable - 1k words, continuation to the angsty reunion, quynh's existential crisis
Fire, help me to forget - 3k words, what if andy got to jump after quynh into the ocean to save her
Oh, my love, don't forsake me - 2k words, post lykon's death, quynh gives andy her necklace
Night Blooming Flower - 1k words, the day andy found quynh and they made their promise
Let It Happen - 1k words, the wives have some angsty feelings about life and death
Immortals and Librarians - 1k words, crossover with gunpowder milkshake!
#hi :)#made this post instead of writing a fic oh well!#the old guard#the old guard 2#andromaquynh#andy x quynh#my fic
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bit of a serious post which i am loathe to make but legitimately SO disappointed in natalie wynn rn.
it's not surprising with hindsight. her entire platform from the get-go has been about not condemning people even when they are violently oppressive and destructive to marginalized people, ostensibly to better understand and thus better combat them - but coupled with that has been a consistent trend of identifying with oppressors instead of directing that energy outward to resist them. it's a legitimate approach for some topics and issues but. this may surprise some of you. a genocide is far higher stakes than cringe culture or incels.
hemming and hawing about israel's genocide of palestinians is baffling. she's treating it like a thought experiment she's uninterested in entertaining. it's blatantly irresponsible, and comes from a place of blatant privilege, for her to still center her own feelings and need for "neutrality" when an entire country, an entire population of people, is being brutally and systematically tortured and murdered day by day.
how grossly out of touch. how profoundly unhelpful. the lack of care she's displayed by playing into zionist talking points, minimizing the horrible destruction of human life carried out by israel, and taking on this air of moral superiority because the death doesn't make her angry, borders on absurdity.
furthermore, she's made it clear she doesn't hold any interest in, knowledge of, or community with most jewish people by conflating jewish identity with zionism. i recently watched an old lecture from leslie feinberg (beyond blue and pink, check it out on youtube please!) where zie made a point to speak out in support of palestinians, in support of gaza. a jewish activist, putting plainly the importance of speaking out against the atrocities levied at palestinians over 10 years ago, of organizing to do what we can to defend and support them! it would seem that in natalie's world, there are no leslie feinbergs - being jewish means being a zionist, an overly simplistic, horrifically harmful worldview one only ends up with by bumping elbows with zionists and no other jewish people at all.
while rereading this, i'm asking myself: is this even worth posting? do i think she's going to find this post from a random blog with literally single-digit followers and be like "omg nooo i fricked up :( tumblr user yolobiden is disappointed in me nooo"? idk. maybe she will. she spends a lot of time online. i suppose i'm just confused as to how someone who regularly goes out of her way to extend understanding and empathy to some of the most oppressive ppl alive suddenly has no ability to recognize the humanity of a people being systematically and violently stamped out of existence. like, out of everyone she's tried to extend a branch of understanding to over the years, the group of ppl she curls back at are palestinians?? the people being subjected to genocide? like this isn't "not a good look" this is utter complacency. this is showing the world what she is right now, and what she is would be pathetic if it wasn't so profoundly antithetical to people's efforts to spread visibility, information, mutual aid, and care for palestinians.
my cigarette and cum joke sideblog is a weird place to put this but i direly needed to sort out my thoughts and feelings about this. i hope no one hits me with a "what did you expect from contra/breadtube/liberals/etc etc etc" because 1) i don't know, a coherent perspective that doesn't minimize a genocide? maybe? and 2) if i get too many notifications i'll kms.
#natalie wynn#contrapoints#trying to sort out my feelings re: that asinine post#leslie feinberg mentioned#idk if natalie wynn even knows who leslie feinberg is tbh. ime there's always been a feinberg-shaped hole in her work.
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Solangelo Fic Rec List!!
Hey you guys voted yes, so here! There are so many more but I'll add them when I inevitably go back to reread them xx (in no particular order)
Under the cut!!!

1. Sanctuary by Tundras_and_Taigas (SO CUTE AND I LOVE IT SM)
The Apollo cabin is destroyed when the Teumessian Fox tears through Camp Half Blood looking for the Hunters of Artemis. With his cabin in ruins, Will finds himself bunking in the Hades cabin for a week â a living situation that proves to be significantly more uplifting than he could have suspected.
2. The Rose of Paphos by Tundras_and_Taigas (also amazing, love this author!!!!)
During a trip up to the Big Houseâs attic, Will, Valentina, and Mitchell stumble across an old relic of Aphroditeâs: the Rose of Paphos. Created by Hephaestus as a courting gift, the ancient metal rose blooms whenever it's held by someone who harbours romantic love for another. When the rose reveals Will's hidden feelings for an unnamed camper, Nico isn't sure whether to hold out hope or try to move on. OR: Nico and Will need a little nudge. Aphrodite is happy to oblige.
3. You Break It, You Buy It by nikkiRA (best sickfic, so sweet!!)
Thanks to Apollo's absence, his children are finding themselves getting illnesses for the first time in their lives. Needless to say, they aren't taking it very well. âDo you think your father will be nice to me when I die?â
4. Dreamcatcher by FoxFire16 (one of the first solangelo fics that i thought about for weeks after fluffiest ever)
Nico has struggled with nightmares for a long, long time. It's not until after the war that he learns that maybe, just maybe, there's someone there to help him. And maybe it's okay that Nico is so drawn to him. Aka: A fluffy 5+1 for Nico's birthday that I finished a week ago and have been DYING to post (I had to do it on his birthday, for once). Cuddly Nico, cuddly Will, nightmares, mild hurt and major comfort, and... well. You know the drill.
5. Touch Me by FoxFire16 (same author, they're the best!!! this one is the sweetest getting together one!)
Nico hated being touched. Percy knew it. Reyna knew it. Annabeth and Hazel knew it. Chiron knew it. Hades and Persephone knew it. Pretty much everyone in the entire world knew that Nico hated being touched. Unfortunately, that included Will Solace.
6. Morning theft by nightbeginstoshine (the first fic i frothed at the mouth over, this person is the best but they haven't posted in a while)
Nicoâs constant nightmares and Willâs inability to have a normal sleep schedule make them the perfect match. They come up with the brilliant idea of sharing a bed to fix their nighttime problems. What could possibly go wrong?
7. Opportunity Knocks by nikkiRA (SPEECHLESS. READ RN)
Two years after the war with Gaia, Nico tries to run away again, but on the way he is ambushed by Aphrodite, who has decided to take a personal interest in him - lucky him. Nico finds himself stuck in a Groundhog Day situation, reliving the same day over and over until he can figure out what the hell Aphrodite wants from him.
8. Consider Icarus by @theklutzycrow (MY FAVOURITE PART OF MY DAY WHEN A CHAPTER IS POSTED 10/10 PLS READ)
Consider Nico di Angelo, consider his plight Eight months with no answer once dimmed his light, Three years hence, he remains alone, His heart is with the sun, his home. But one meddling daughter of love may start A raw and painful heart-to-heart, To bring comfort to the crying sun-- And join two souls meant to be one. -- Or, what if Nico and Will never got together after The Blood of Olympus? And why? [ALREADY WRITTEN POSTING SCHEDULE: 1 CHAPTER A DAY!]

All for now!! This list is going to be forever growing, most likely :)
#pjo#solangelo#fanfiction#rick riordan#will solace#nico di angelo#percy jackson#ao3 fanfic#hoo#fic recs#dividers by enchanthings
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The Old Guard Fic Recs
So I've been a long time lurker within the fandom without ever getting particularly involved, but I wanted to show some appreciation for some of the super talented people who go here, because I have read a lot of incredible TOG fic.
Most (probably all) of these authors have loads of other amazing fics, but I've tried to just chose one from each, to keep the list a vaguely reasonable length. Although then I cheated and did some honourable mentions.
** just a note to say I started this list year (s) ago and forgot about it until literally today when I saw fic recs going round. Any of these fics I havenât put a description for itâs because I didnât do it at the time, and if I go back to reread them all this would never be posted, not through any lack of affection or enjoyment **
If any writers want tagging/ untagging etc please let me know! (i knew/ could find some blogs more easily than others lol)
Within Canon
Old Olives by aeli_kindara
Garden of Gethsemane mention = instant tears
Death in Her Hands by superblackmarket
Nile's growing relationship with Joe and Nicky. All of their fics are so beautifully written, but I especially love Nile's relationship with the boys and her facing her own immortality.
Honourable mention: Station to Station
Between the Hour and the Age by hauntedjaeger (@hauntedfalcon)
Andy! Nile!
Ouroboros by CypressSunn (@cypresssunns)
Set after the film, literally just read it.
compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience by Jack_R
A pair of early days Joe Nicky fics that reminds me of 'my wife is a bitch and i love her so much'
let's give them something to talk about by lacecat
When The Cherries White With Blossoms, Be Ready & Be Brave by chapstickaddict
Unearthed by merle_p
I think this is one of the most kudosed fics in the AO3 tag, but it deserves the hype!
Kidnapping for Dummies by Amiril
Similar to above, already very popular, but great and very funny!
The Last Man on Earth by Survivah (@optimismology)
I will admit I don't normally go for Booker/Nile, but this fic sold it to me. Looking at them and their developing relationship as the newer immortals.
Canon Divergent
Retrograde by Pinkninja
I mean this fic is the Big Bitch of the fandom for me, if you haven't already read this, where have you been? But also if you haven't already read this I am so jealous, read it and take your time with it and bawl your eyes out over it and appreciate the joy of reading it for the first time. The level of detail and planning in this fic is indescribable. It follows Nicky trapped in a Time Travellers Wife style life where he jumps back and forth throughout his own timeline, whilst Joe lives his life in chronological order. Exquisitely written.
If Never Again, If Every Day by gallifreyburning and takiki16 (@gallifreyburning, @takiki16)
Another absolute Titan of the genre. I know youâve already been recommended this 500 times, what more can I say.
though I'm dying to (fall in love with you) by yusufsmoon (@babygirlyusuf)
Travellers from an Antique Land by kaydeefalls (@kaydeefalls)
Andy, not Quỳnh, trapped under the sea. I love all their fics.
AUs
Makes Me Want You More by Sixthlight (@sixth-light)
Perhaps not the typical favourite choice from Sixthlight, one of my absolute favourite TOG authors, but one that is funny and lovely and sweet that I keep coming back to. Shorter than many of theirs but perfectly formed.
pumpkin gnocci verse (series) by Liadan14 (@bewires)
I mean it's got estranged family, suspenseful chronological structure, cooking, spies, intimate and honest sex scenes, hilarious misunderstandings involving keeping halal, lovely found family moments, and the actual recipes used. What more do you want.
The Reality of Everything by Marbletopempire
One of the fics I desperately waited for each instalment for. Very funny, lots of sexual tension, plenty of Cate Blanchette spotting opportunities.
sine qua non by mellyflori (@werebearbearbar)
One of the first of their fics I read, with a very sweet build up of misunderstanding to friends to lovers, involving growing up, discovering sexuality, trying to be nice about your best friend's bad boyfriend, and a long suffering sofa.
The Brooklyn Verse (series) by GayLittleEarring, yusufsmoon, nicelytousled (@marwankenzarisgaylittleearring @babygirlyusuf @nicelytousled)
I saw the creation of this on Tumblr before it was a fic, and it lived up to every expectation. Very sweet and sincere, with lots of great discussions about art, whilst also very funny (Lamp the free loader, Joe sending thirst traps out of irritation) and hot. ItalianAmericanNickyfromBrooklyn and Joe my beloveds.
a good (eighth) impression by deaniker
I love a good hook-up to 'oh shit I have feelings' fic, and this is even more entertaining because Nicky is Lykon's ex, and Joe has very much seen him at his worst.
You do not have to be good by emjee (MerryHeart) (@emjee)
At one point a tumblr post about Joe the Professor and Nicky the Priest got very popular, and I'm not sure if this fic was inspired by that, but is one of the great fics with similar concepts. Such a lovely, gentle fic about love and also identity, featuring also Nile and a very sweet snail.
it's such an almighty sound (series) by raedear (@raedear)
A secret service AU that goes full enemies to lovers, with lots of tension, plotting, betrayal, frustration, and tenderness.
Honourable mention: take my hand (you got me rockin' and rollin')
fight 'til the day that i die 'verse by incurableromancer
Suspenseful, noir, super hero AU that has such a great writing style and is very atmospheric.
if you do take a thief by knoepfchen (@knoepfchen)
Cluedo style AU with lots of fun twists and slow building of backstories, with the whole gang.
Honourable mention: life is not the things that we do (it's who we're doing them with)
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one for the ages, itâs a tale as old as time đ
#supernatural#spn#my art#castiel#over dramatic castiel art? Why not!#Look my excuse is that I reread all of sobsicles fics a couple weeks back to stave off the Existential Angst#and to pass time waiting for a therapist appointment which tbh#This show is probably the reason I need therapy in the first place đ
#anyways have a cas. style and posting consistency? Whatâs that#Going back to reading Discworld now. hogfather in April is also very normal but I highly recommend it!#digital art#Procreate#mine#art#supernatural fanart#castiel novak#okay I donât really know what the hell the symbolism of this is but I think this tag#Destiel#maybe is relevant. I hope.
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Espio opens his mouth so wide compared to everyone else... He's so happy to surprise Sonic!!!
#espio the chameleon#sth#screenshots#sonic generations#reference#completely random thought but that's par for the course if you've been here before#<- years later i'll be going back and rereading all of this like really inconvenient journals and wondering wtf was wrong with me#so anyway. i like espio and his model but the lighting is so bad in this game#sonic generations is so ugly even in 4k <3 amy looks AWFUL#i love this ugly game with all my heart and soul#also espio standing next to rouge PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD INTERACT!!!! I need stealth hijinks NOW
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i think we as a society don't acknowledge boxer!aki from ch. 46 enough
when he gets animated..... huuu...... uuuuu... godddddd I can't muster a single coherent thought like JUST LOOK AT HIM......


and the way aki fought this guy who looks way more buff than him but aki didn't even break a sweat!!! aki doesn't even look tired!!!!!! he's so lean and tall and pretty in that one panel like what if I just died fyfucikkkk
#I really need to reread the chainsaw man manga#manga aki is just... so close to my heart... like you wouldn't believe#like it's all aki and he's so precious to me#but compared to the anime... manga aki is like........ my baby#I just look at him and I feel this very strong uncontrollable instinct#to hug him tightly and rock him back and forth and cry#cry into his chest maybe#he's so lovely and now it's been a few years so he reminds me of such happy times#he's so beautiful so beautiful so beautiful#guys I forgot to take. my pills and it made my hormones go crazy and now I'm filled with emotion#anon I'm sorry for hijacking your super old ask to rant about my affections for aki but I love you and I see you#boxer aki is everything#ask mags
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I was only today years old when I realized that Trafalgar Law's names are probably references to two battles that led in our real life history to a certain emperor (Napoleon)'s defeat.
*arrives 10 years late with a meta post because of a realization*
uhh Dressrosa spoilers, I guess.
Trafalgar and Waterloo... Water Law.

In One Piece world that emperor being Doflamingo, who suffered two major loses thanks to Law's existence:
First being cca 13 years ago from the main storyline - at the Minion Island where Corazon managed to get the Op-op devil fruit for Law and saving his life from Doflamingo. On that island, Doflamingo lost both Corazon and the devil fruit he wanted to much to get his hands on, as well as Law, someone who he wanted to use as the sacrifice to get the immortality via the devil fruit's powers.
Tbh I haven't really heard about the Trafalgar battle before today. When I first heard about Trafalgar Law as character while I started to read One Piece only cca 5 months ago, I only thought "huh, isn't that a square in England, I was there on a trip once" but didn't look more into it now.
So I just skimmed throught the wiki pages of those battles, I don't know all the details, I don't want to compare it too much, but some maybe similarities/parallels that piqued my interest:
The Battle of Trafalgar were the spanish-france forces against english navy, and Donquixote/Dressrosa arc including all those spanish themes, as well as Law being from the North Blue (where Sanji and Mont Blanc Noland are/were also from) being a bit influenced by France, plays interesting role when this happened in North Blue as a prelude to what would 13 years later happen in Dressrosa (the birdcage, Doflamingo's rule, the puppets, etc).
This part of the Trafalgar battle describing the british was at first outnumbered, that the spanish had more ships along with one of their biggest one:
reminded me of how Corazon himself faced with the whole Donquixote family, including Doflamingo:

and some more interesting similarities how the "hero" of the battle died even before it ended:


but thanks to his informations, the Navy later arrived, and Law got away.

(even on the wiki of the Trafalgar battle there were mentions of some false informations, previous pursuits of the ships and admirals etc, so that vibe kind of fits.)
I haven't read much about the Waterloo battle, except how known it is for being the final defeat of Napoleon, by Coalition armies - which would nicely parallel to Law and Luffy starting their own Alliance during Dressrosa, and thanks to that it caused for Luffy to be there to beat Doflamingo once and for all.


Some other small details I noticed:
The Don Quixote book was apparently first published in two parts, one in 1605 and the other in 1615.
The battle of Trafalgar happened in 1805, and the battle of Waterloo in 1815.
I found one person even connecting the date when was published the chapter of Doflamingo's deafeat in Dressrosa - 18th of June, 2015, which is the same date only 200 years later after Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo.
I love that in some sense both battles have in common water, and for the One Piece world that is connected with pirates and ships - with the historical aspects the battle of Trafalgar being a naval battle, and Waterloo for the Water in Trafalgar D. Water Law - he concealed his full name from Doflamingo for all those years, his secret name as well as the will of the Ds. - for our world a possible reference if one looks more that he really was meant to be Doflamingo's downfall.
There's just something beautiful about Law's whole existence to be a sort of a foretelling of the fall of one of the emperors of the sea, just by having these names. And it's not just the names of his, but the parallels to the situations and results of the incidents taking place at those locations.
It's literally a middle finger to Doflamingo:

#anyway.. i had some law feels bc of this#trafalgar law#trafalgar d water law#one piece#donquixote rosinante#donquixote doflamingo#donquixote corazon#one piece meta#gif:op meta#mine#long post#there could be so much more said about this connection to how law saved luffy and luffy in turned saved him.#how law carries Corazon in his heart as someone that needs to be remembered#how small doflamingo was told that because of his lineage and haki he's meant to be the king of all seas#this was all bc of a book i wanted to start rereading that has nothing to do with one piece. but the first sentence was a setting opening#'93 years after trafalgar' and just that made me remembered oh! naval battle on the seas with the same name as a beloved character!#now i can hopefully go back to start rereading that book lol
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after all these years i have a fucking Rock Job im so so hyped oh my fucking god i will have money
#nemi's vibes#truly just giving out life updates at the moment on here huh#but yeah i got hired yesterday!!!!!! i really like the company and the benefits are great#im gonna be doing structural geology consulting for building bridges and roadways which means FIELDWORK i need fieldwork#i wanna be outside so bad man#im so excited to have people to talk about geology with too like i went for a tour of the office and a lot of them have rocks on their desk#like FUCK i missed this i havent had geo buddies since college#i still like talking with randos it's fun! but it's different with people who Get It and we can talk niche stuff and whatnot yk#other news...still really addicted to stardew valley (shocker)#going to visit family out west for a week starting wednesday#telling myself i might write on the plane#ive been rereading e&t to try and get myself back into things#i will either write next chapter of e&t or another installment of castys & terror we will see what compels me#i have seen all the tags for games and shit and i WILL be doing them once i get back i appreciate them all <3#for now i need to write emails and then go back to farming game ough it grips me#but much love to all y'all!!!!!
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Kinda started rereading Dressrosa and... Although I always chalked up the similarities between Crocodile's plan to take over Alabasta and how Doflamingo took over Dressrosa as nothing but Oda reusing similar plot elements but in a slightly different way (just to show us what could've become of Alabasta had Croc gotten away with his schemes, what Luffy helped prevent from happening to begin with)...
Robin's reaction to hearing the story of Dressrosa and HOW Doflamingo took over the country, that simple little "...!!", actually does kind of speak volumes
Like if you wanted canonical evidence to Crocodile having been "inspired" by Doflamingo, then yeah, Robin would be The Person who would pick up on that, she'd be the person who'd be like "hey, that story sounds awfully familiar to what Crocodile did", since he was her boss
Do want to note that, timeline-wise, Doflamingo only took over Dressrosa 10 years ago, where as Crocodile had been Scheming and establishing his position as the Hero of Alabasta for 16 years. Like Croc's intent to obtain Pluton and create his military nation utopia absolutely pre-dates Doffy's takeover, so that wasn't and can't have been inspired by Doflamingo at all. It's more just the plan and method Crocodile ended up going with (framing the king (through a bloodbath) and putting the country in a position without a ruler where he could just yoink it for himself with ease) where the similarity becomes more obvious. But it is also kind of where it ends. Doflamingo wanted Dressrosa because he felt like he was entitled to the island (as his family had been its original rulers and he was a Tenryuubito), and was using the island for his own gains (Smile manufacturing etc, for his dealings with Kaidou), all while having a great distain and hatred of the world and how he had been "wronged" (=Tenryuubito rights revoked). Meanwhile... yeah, Crocodile wanted to create a "utopia", only targetting Alabasta because he believed Pluton was there and because Pluton would be needed for his ideal military nation. That minor difference and Crocodile's clear and great distain and hatred of Doflamingo combined...
Yeah, I dunno, this is just interesting to me. God I need Robin and Crocodile to have a lil reunion chat
#Moon posting#OP Meta#Coming to learn that the most import panels in One Piece are the ones where a character has a thought bubble going ''...''#Tabled at a convention on Saturday and I had nothing else to do while waiting for my train/on the train lmao#I've only read through Dressrosa twice so I have been craving to reread it for a while now (but I had been saving it up for con trips)#Dressrosa is so fucking good. Like I'll be first to admit I did not enjoy it when it was first unfolding in the early 2010s#But rereading it... It's good man. It's good#Dressrosa gets to much shit it doesn't deserve#Sidenote but yes people are quick to point out how Doffy's crew has DFs that're just more powerful versions of what Baroque Works had#I do not think Croc was recruiting people based on their Devil Fruits like that though. Like that I think really is just Oda reusing ideas#'Cause literally the only people in Baroque Works who Crocodile actually and specifically *needed* to do his thing were Robin (Poneglyph)#And Bon-chan to impersonate Cobra (and thinking about it Galdino+Marianne could've been like a Back Up)#(Like had something happened to Bon-chan then 3 Pair could've created a wax replica of Cobra to frame him for the port attack)#All the other tasks? Could've been done by literally anyone (as long as they were competent enough)#(Maybe Miss Merry Christmas was required for Cobra's kidnapping though considdering how fast she could haul ass etc)
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