#of ALL the rarepairs i latched on to it had to be them.....

[protect-namine]

dottonari interaction where dottore (boattore) just throws 6 highly-specific trolley problems to tighnari to see how his brain works and what he thinks of the 6 cardinal sins of the akademiya

[constelationprize]

ROBIN/ELODIE ??????

if this about to be like my eva josten/adèle moreau scenario i will cry then ask u to please marry me.

i need this more than i need air. u don’t understand. i love u. ur the freaking best. tell me more.

Yeah that one came to me in a vision.

The thing is that like most of my other niche rarepairings I just cannot resist the allure of Narrative Parallels™. Mostly I just realized how similar Elodie and Robin's stories are (in concept) and that they could actually be around the same age (considering Elodie would be around 15-16yo in 2007 and Robin joins the Foxes in 2009 after Kevin graduates, and assuming Robin didn't get held back due to the Horrors, that would put them at around a 1-2 year age difference).

So the basic concept for the AU is that Elodie survives and is rescued by Stuart during TSC and then brought over to the USA to live with Jean and the Trojans. This goes about as well as you would expect, which is to say not at all – she's heavily traumatized, barely speaks English for the first couple years, and is resistant to any kind of help that would result in her having to leave Jean's side. She also at first does not want anything to do with the other Trojans at all because she sees most of them as adults she can't trust and also resents them for monopolizing Jean's time, and none of these college sports players is anywhere near qualified for unpacking All of That.

Elodie and Jean effectively make each other's recovery worse for a long while because they immediately try and fall back to their childhood dynamic, which can no longer work for multiple reasons. But through Betsy Dobson all things are possible and eventually they get to a point where they aren't actively standing in each other's way anymore, though things are still Not Good.

It gets tough again when Jean graduates and they move out of LA, which just uproots what little stability Elodie had again, and he has developed a need to constantly check on her that cannot be good for his now even busier pro player schedule. Also, Elodie is almost 18, and at a point where she should be graduating high school and thinking about her future, which she very much is not doing because until a couple years ago she didn't even HAVE a future so she doesn't really know what to do with it.

They start floating the possibility of getting her into a community college or something in the state Jean's in, but eventually the possibility of having some strings pulled to get her into PSU is brought up, and Elodie latches onto it immediately, mostly because she both feels stifled by Jean's helicopter parenting AND kind of wants to punish him for not actually spending time with her by moving away. Jean doesn't want to let her, but he also doesn't really have a choice, and PSU might be far but at least he knows Elodie will have people there to reach out to if she needs it.

Joke's on Elodie though because going to college to annoy your brother does mean she just conned herself into taking classes and figuring out what to do with her life now and she has to do it while dodging 20 phone calls per hour. Anyway now that she's on PSU she has to learn how to do human person things like making friends. She ends up joining a roller derby team as a combo meeting people-getting exercise-venting anger deal.

Robin, on the other hand, is going through a similar situation where Andrew just graduated, and Neil is in his last year, so she's about to lose her anchors at PSU. Once Neil graduates, she won't have anyone to night practice with anymore, so she also joins the roller derby team to fill in her nights, in a way of trial-running how to maintain some sense of routine and normalcy and maybe make some friends as well.

And that is how the world's saddest most traumatized girls meet. They have no idea who the other really is at first because Elodie doesn't follow exy out of spite and they also don't tell each other their full names because they are very googlable and the team is for both of them a way to finding who they are outside of what happened to them, so they don't want to invite the past in there.

Neil figures it out pretty fast though, since he's been keeping an eye on Elodie, but he tells no one because he thinks it's going to be funny when Andrew and Jean (who absolutely hate each other) discover they're dating (He's right). The basic idea I have is that everyone kind of finds out at the same time when Andrew and Jean play against each other in a nearby city and both Elodie and Robin come to watch and it's a very spiderman pointing meme moment all around.

Getting to truly know each other then is a blessing and a curse because the similarities between their stories are as important as the differences. Elodie would have given everything to have parents that would want her back home and want to protect her and Robin would kill to have her family understand and relate to her trauma the way Jean does. Elodie genuinely cannot understand Robin's guilt over escaping by dooming another girl because she would have actively killed without remorse to break out. Robin doesn't get why Elodie is bitter over having to be rescued when she used to dream about someone finding and saving her. It's a very "grass is always greener on the other side" situation, and they clash a lot, but eventually they work it out.

I'm also thinking of having Robin being conflicted over whether she wants or even is capable of going pro (since as per the EC she technically wasn't good enough to be recruited if not for Andrew's constant endorsement). I'm not sure what Elodie would be majoring in, but that's fine because neither is Elodie. So that's something else they're both dealing with.

That's mostly what I have so far, I'm hoping some day this fic will grow a plot that can hold my attention so I can actually write it.

[fili-is-gone]

After not writing a lot over the summer (other than for my German gays) I finally sat down and finished some wips I've been sitting on for way too long so if you miss Newtmas as much as I do, here are new fics for you to read: loss of my life [general audiences] Thomas made it to Safe Haven, Newt didn't. Yeah, it's as sad as it sounds.

This Place Is Ours [general ausiences] Thomas never knew true friendship before Newt. Most of his days he spent lost in his head, quiet and alone, while the world around him just felt too loud and too fast. But then Newt came along like some kind of whirlwind—blond hair always messy, and a smile that shook Thomas' world in the best way possible. (because Newtmas and Bridge to Terabithia aren't gut-wrenching enough on their own, I had to combine them. Thanks to @kestis-advent and @fandoms-princess for bringing it up in the Glade)

And since we're already talking about sad, I finally finished that second chapter of one of my all-time favourites: THE LONELIEST [explicit] Sometimes when someone dies, their soul may latch onto a beloved object from their life, becoming inseparably linked to it. Just as a human's existence is defined by their heartbeat, the spirit's existence becomes tied to this object. or: you know how sometimes you masturbate about your dead best friend and accidentally summon his ghost? (i read this prompt under a steddie fic and thought this might be fun for newtmas too... spoiler, this wasn't fun, this was sad)

I am also months too late but I can finally contribute to @mazerunner-rarepairs with my first Teresa/Thomas/Newt fic: Every Night Has Its Dawn [explicit] And Thomas—Tommy—was blue, a steady and reliable force, like the endless sky above or the rhythmic consistency of waves breaking on the shore. Newt had always been yellow, consumed by cowardice and jealousy. But together, they were green. Green like life, like hope, like the memories they clung to in a world so full of loss. As for what Teresa brought into the mix? Newt couldn’t quite tell yet. (This was quite challenging to me as Newtmas has my whole heart and I never really could imagine Teresa ending up with Thomas as long as Newt is around but I really wanted to explore their dynamic and I actually like how this turned out?)

Then I also finished I Kissed A Girl (And I Liked It) which I originally started for @themazewomen over a year ago, dedicated to Sonyarrriet, and uploaded my first ever Minally fic When You Call (I Answer)

Last but not least, I updated another all-time favourite: A Newt Hope [explicit] Thomas is a Rebel captured by the Empire and Newt Skywalker and Min Solo come for his rescue while not bothering to answer any of Thomas questions. I'd love to read from you in my comments and hear all your thoughts 💛 until then I will go and try to finish more wips before @mazerunnersecretsanta season starts, taking me over completely.

[circus-complex]

Love Me, Bite Me, Suck Me Dry

Rating: Teen+

Relationships: Qi Rong, Lang Qianqiu

Characters: Qi Rong, Lang Qianqiu, Brief Xie Lian

Tags: Blood Drinking, it seems like lqq isn’t really like it but he does i swear, vampire!qi rong, werewolf!lang qianqiu

“Hey! Come’on, let me bite you!” Qi Rong tapped his foot against the floor. Lang Qianqiu looked up from where he was sitting. He pondered the ghost’s words. “Mmmm…no.” Lang Qianqiu went back to reading. “I either bite you, a heavenly official who won’t die, or I go and eat humans.” “...Fine.”

Qi Rong begs Lang Qianqiu to let the ghost drink his blood. Lang Qianqiu permits it.

fourth prompt for the TGCF rarepair g4g, from anonymous: Vampire Qi Rong x Werewolf Lang qianqiu. Could be AU, or modified canonverse where Yong'An are werewolves and the Xianle royal family are vampires. I just wanna see QR bite LQQ's neck hehe (in this universe vampires can't "turn" werewolves just suck their blood)

Also on AO3

Full work under the cut

Lang Qianqiu hailed from the royal family of Yong’an. Even if his family had died long ago, the curse remained. The royal family of Xianle had cursed their bloodline, just like the dynasty before them. Luckily, after over four hundred years of cultivation, he was able to control the extent of the spell. Lang Qianqiu had all the bonuses—wolf ears and a tail, heightened senses, claws. But he maintained a hold on his behavior, and did not fully turn. His lover enemy, on the other hand…

“Hey! Come’on, let me bite you!” Qi Rong tapped his foot against the floor. Lang Qianqiu looked up from where he was sitting. He pondered the ghost’s words.

“Mmmm…no.” Lang Qianqiu went back to reading.

“I’m hurt.” Qi Rong clutched his chest and fell onto Lang Qianqiu’s lap. “Please? Pretty please? I’m so hungry.” He pulled the book from Lang Qianqiu’s hands and pouted. “It won’t hurt, I promise!”

“Still don’t trust you.”

The royal family of Xianle had been cursed to feast upon the blood of humans. This only resulted in an elaborate system of bloodletting and donation, but even now the curse was in full force. While Xie Lian had used his cultivation to suppress the effects, Qi Rong had no such qualms. In fact, it seemed like he used it as an excuse for his other odd eating habits.

“I either bite you, a heavenly official who won’t die, or I go and eat humans.”

“...Fine.”

Qi Rong jolted upwards. “Really?!”

“Yes, really. Now get on with it.”

Qi Rong moved to straddle Lang Qianqiu, and cupped his face between his hands. His nails had been filed to points, not unlike Lang Qianqiu’s. But Qi Rong’s were nails, not claws, and they were painted a vibrant green. They dug in slightly into Lang Qianqiu’s cheeks, leaving tiny red marks in their wake.

Qi Rong kissed along his jaw before moving down. He was surprisingly gentle, compared to his usual need to attack.

“So how does this work, do you scratch me or—“

Lang Qianqiu went still as he felt two small pinpricks in his neck. It was…warm. His ears twitched. Qi Rong’s mouth latched onto his skin as blood slowly pooled. He licked at it until the small cuts closed up.

“Heh. A-qiu, your blood is so sweet,” he murmured.

“Just—Are you done?”

“Not yet.”

Qi Rong moved to bite another part of Lang Qianqiu’s neck. It was sharper this time. Pain shot through his body. Lang Qianqiu’s tail knocked his book off the couch.

“Qi Rong, be careful!”

“Sorry,” Qi Rong said, fangs still embedded in Lang Qianqiu. There was no trace of remorse in his voice. “I’ve always wanted to taste one of you Yong’an dogs. I thought you’d be a bit bitter.”

Qi Rong pulled his fangs out and licked at the cut. Lang Qianqiu shivered at the odd feeling. Qi Rong’s tongue wasn’t any different than usual, but having it run over an open wound made it feel rougher. Once those holes closed, Qi Rong adjusted himself so he could reach the other side of Lang Qianqiu. He mouthed along his neck before he found a spot he liked.

Kissing the crown prince’s neck once, he opened his mouth and sank his teeth in. Lang Qianqiu would have jumped if it weren’t for the other man keeping him seated. This time, blood flowed freely from the cut, and Qi Rong lapped it up like a dog.

“Your blood is divine,” Qi Rong muttered. He wrapped his lips around the cut.

“It already stopped bleeding, what are you—” Lang Qianqiu stiffened.

Qi Rong wasn’t satisfied with drinking the blood that left Lang Qianqiu’s body. Instead, he latched his mouth around the cut and sucked . Electricity shot down Lang Qianqiu’s spine, making him twitch and push a hand softly against the ghosts chest. Qi Rong’s nails held him in place, so he could only endure the torment.

Qi Rong finally pulled away. He laughed, lips stained with blood, at Lang Qianqiu’s expression.

“It’ll heal quickly, stop sulking,” he said.

“I’m not sulking! I’m just surprised!”

“At what? I think it was pretty fucking clear what I was doing.”

“You were just gentler than I expected?” It was a statement, but one Lang Qianqiu was unsure of.

Qi Rong rolled his eyes. “Why would I be trying to kill you? I need a sustainable source of food, and I found one. Plus, you're probably healthier than those grimy humans.” He paused. “And you taste much better.”

Lang Qianqiu rubbed his neck. He was slightly surprised to find the bite marks sore. Typically, his cultivation would heal any injuries and not leave a trace. “Qi Rong…are there visible marks?”

Qi Rong’s smile widened. “You fucking bet there are! Don’t bother getting rid of them, they’ll be fine within a week.” He waved his hand dismissively.

“A week?! I have a meeting tomorrow!”

“Ok…?”

Lang Qianqiu groaned. “With guoshi! Who would know what these are!”

Qi Rong rolled his eyes. “Ha! I bet my dog-fucker cousin has never bitten someone in their life. He thinks he’s just too good for that.”

The ghost turned his attention to Lang Qianqiu’s ears. He gently scratched at the base of them, and smirked when the god’s tail started moving. Lang Qianqiu leaned down to place his head in the crook of Qi Rong’s shoulder. Perhaps he could forgive Qi Rong, just this once.

✦✦✦

“Your Highness, are you ok?” Xie Lian asked. Worry was written across his face. They’d just finished discussing Lang Qianqiu’s duties for the next month.

“Huh? Yes, I’m perfectly fine, why?” Lang Qianqiu responded.

“Your neck, it looks painful.”

“…”

“Did you have a run-in with a ghost? I thought you were home yesterday, what happened?”

“I—yes. I encountered a powerful ghost yesterday.”

“Oh, ok.” Xie Lian paused. “Has there been any trouble lately?”

Lang Qianqiu’s face was slowly growing red. “No, it—I—it doesn’t matter. I’m fine.” He turned on his heel and beelined for his own palace.

He opened up his private communication array. Qi Rong, you were right. He didn’t know. 

HA! I TOLD YOU SO! I BET THAT RIGHTEOUS BASTARD HAN’T HAD BLOOD FOR CENTURIES! HE’S MISSING OUT!!”

[come-down-that-tree]

Prologue Previous

Come Down That Tree! (An aftermare story)

Epilogue

Deep inside a forest, if you follow a thin river south for a while, you may fall on rocks positioned in special ways, creating zones for different uses.

If you walk through bushes and trees, following a path that was paved by feet over years of walking on the dirt, you may find a circular clearing with a young tree bearing peculiar fruits, a strawberry plant with a barrier surrounding it and one old wooden house.

And there, you may encounter a family of four, happily living their day isolated from most of the world.

Not that they did not engage with people once in a while.

In fact they often exchanged goods and services with traveling merchants that had the habit of setting up their camp just outside that particular forest.

They came carrying foreign objects and exotic food and stories that sounded like made up legends that animated talks around the fire during long nights of rest before they all scattered again to do their job.

“Did you hear about the village in the east, the one just 4 days away if you walk fast?” one would whisper over shared drinks and salted meat.

“That one? Someone told me an ancient evil burned their joy away and stole their knowledge for the faes. No business to have there, they’re barelly capable of living without someone holding their hand.” would answer another.

“I heard it was a punishment for chasing out the queen of the fireflies, she was noisy and they threw her out!” would add a third.

“So many people left the place, it made room for ghosts and if you stand under the moonlight you may have the honor of watching their monarchs dancing together around a fountain made of stone so white you can go blind from just watching it,” would exclaim the last one.

And then they would turn their heads to their guests, the two of them, sometimes one, never the three at the same time, and ask “you, who live not so far away, do you know which is true?”

One would answer a different one each time.

The second would smile politely and divert the conversation.

The last one would argue they all were wrong and tell a tale that was so preposterous that the travelers would all laugh so hard, some would always fall from their seats from the sheer absurdity.

And after, they would part ways, without ceremony, confident they would see the residents again, next time they roamed in the region.

And the family would go back home, sort their newly acquired supplies and go to sleep.

During the day, shouts and laughter sometimes tore apart the tranquility of the wood, disturbing the wild life who despite the ruckus stayed close.

One particular shout could be heard at any hour. Be it day, be it night. It seemed that it was used at least once a day and bore no real effectiveness on the matter it addressed.

Open your ear and you might hear it.

Here it is.

“VIVID! COME DOWN THAT TREE!”

The true end-

@dragon-tamer-1 @shinechermont <3

mmmmm Here it is... CDTT ends here...

I, uh, dunno how to feel about it XDc

I posted the prologue the 3rd of june 2021, 3 years ago.

But if we go by when I first wrote the whole plot (and posted it, there was no surprise for who was around and read it at the time XDc), it was in february of this same year I went down the rabbit hole (with some great company ;3).

And if we talk about the day I got interested by the ship? The 31st of january 2021 because of one ask from Cyan anon (everybody claps for Cyan without this fic would not have existed). I was not even supposed to be online XDc I was on a study hiatus but I kinda broke it down to talk about the rarepair pfffft uwu

My reason I latched that hard on the ship? I feel like it's a chill one and I liked that. They're quiet and just vibing for me.

I'm not much of a ship person in fact, contrary to some of my online friends (simps all of you), a story only focusing on romance tend to bore me so writing a shipfic? A challenge.

I also never finished a longfic before. Be it original of fanfic.

Only one-shots or short stuff (3-4 chaps) have been ended somewhat properly.

The doc containing CDTT is 112 pages long, removing the summary and other worldbuilding stuff would only shrink it down to like 110.

I think that's pretty big.

Not huge, I've seen far longer.

But big.

I would not have managed that without you all' comments and tags pushing me forward.

So, truly, thank you for reading :D

(special thanks to AC and Drag')

Goodbye (for now)

[narcoticwriter]

Let's 'Rec' It - The Narcotic Edition

Yeah, I have Genshin fic recommendations that I need to shove down people's throats, keep scrolling, keep scrolling . . .

Series -

the angel share's cat - Although some may find it to be a bit canon divergent as this was written in the pre 2.8 era of Ragbros fanfiction. I can say with confidence that this was one of my favorite series of all time. It still is.

beasts and mortals (and how to cross the distance in between) - I absolutely love the characterization between the two main characters and the time the author takes to really flesh them out and have them interact with each other and others around them.

nobody in liyue respects diluc - This was one of the goofier fics I've read, but I had a good laugh. Essentially the 'What if Diluc Didn't Go Back to Mondstadt' speculative fanfiction that goes absolutely hogwild on the lore and respect to research.

Kazuha and The Crux Fleet (the family we made along the way) - Genuinely one of the most solid series surrounding the Crux Fleet I've experienced in a while as well as realistic whump and hurt/comfort. Featuring some other characters as well!

Legacy of the Ragnvindr Brothers - In my personal opinion, this fic is foundational to what I look for to a subconscious degree. Also written in the pre-2.8 Ragbros era, it sticks out with how it kicks off and how they deal with it long-term.

Frost And Flame - A Tale of Two Brothers - This series was one I kept up with at its tail end, and I was quite invested in it. The author had a blast and so did I. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but if you're willing to excuse the low-key crack in some places as well as other canon-divergent elements, then I recommend it.

memento mori, bitch! - I laughed so hard at this series that I felt my ribs start to shift and crack. Scaramouche is a little bitch. Arataki Itto is a himbo. Kuki Shinobu is holding it together by a thread. Beans.

Fox Tricks - This is probably the only Eimiko-centric thing I genuinely like as the characterization is top-tier, the writing is top-notch, and the realism is unmatched. Recommend to anyone willing to read through it.

noir!Fischl - What if Fischl consumed noir novels instead of fantasy ones?

Mora for a Myth 'verse - Arguably my best example of abusing how open Genshin Impact's worldbuilding is to make something better, featuring Beiguang.

Teyvat University of Fuck-Ups- I Mean Allogenes - Featuring familiar faces in a University AU as well as a healthy dose of characterization.

scarlet and amethyst - There is always that one crazy person in the fandom that latches onto a rarepair and makes it their mission to produce nothing but content for it. This is one of them and I salute them.

About Tengu Courtship - A Sara-centric fic on how and why the hell she's feeling things for Itto and vice versa.

the ragnvindr-alberich get along sweater - A slew of lore, headcanons, and character interpretations meet in a Modern AU that makes sense.

A Cat Visits A Winery - Diluc and Diona interact and grow closer as they bond over things they didn't quite expect to.

An Unexpected Duet - In which Barbara begins to develop a friendship and feelings for a certain bard, prompting an interesting path of character development.

Resurrection and Mayhem - Qiqi does not want to lose her main source of coconut milk, so she resurrects Childe as a zombie. Hijinks ensue.

contemplation, empathy, praxis - An Al-Haitham-centric collection that features him being put in situations and interactions that he would not be in ideally.

unfocused - A fanfiction that caused me to not only reach Ao3's character limit for the comments but had me compose a whole essay on it. The following smut also never broke the established character for a second.

let everyone be a part of you, a little - A collection of one-shots featuring interesting character interactions not usually present in-game and their varying headcanons. Some of my favorites.

occupational hazards - A Fontaine-centric collection featuring some of our favorite characters as well as dealing with a good chunk of the Archon Quests. Arguably some of the best stuff I've read.

Multi-Chapter Fics -

Scary Love - This fic took me the fuck out. You have to read it for yourself to really understand where I'm getting at. It slaps hard.

A Hypostatis' Guide to Godhood - Featuring Klee as its adopted child. It's not finished, but it slaps regardless of it. It gets technical, but this didn't stop me from having a good time.

All In A Day's Work - One of the only Noelle-centric fics that not only characterizes her well, but manages to stay true to its tags of 'crack treated seriously'. Also features NPC love, which is always a good thing to have.

how to human - A Razor-centric fic featuring Razor trying to learn what it is to be human as well as who he is. It made me cry inside.

Broken Wings - This one surprised me. The writing is one of the best I've seen for a premise like this. It's a genuine treat I go back to from time to time.

Teapot Tales - The dream of shoving characters into a space and watching how they interact like scientists observing a petri dish.

How To Finish Your Bucket List Before You Die- A Guide From Kaeya Alberich - The title is self-explanatory, but it's done so tragically well that I had to put it here. Came out way before anything substantial was done to canon, but still captures Kaeya's character perfectly.

The Meaning of Bromance - In which a card game sends Thoma on errands, stirs Itto into a bout of manic desperation, and spurs Ayato's typical scheming. Truer to the characters than usual. A good chuckle.

Circles - In which Lisa's house is burned down by accident and Klee inadvertently becomes a catalyst for two folks to get together.

Cake Crumbs - In which the trope of being a fake couple for a discount for food is taken up a notch.

Ragnvindr Brothers Mortuary and Co. - In which Crepus' death unlocks a morbid curiosity in the boys instead of the canon-typical fallout.

The Final Campaign - In which Diluc finds a leather-bound journal in his father's study and the nostalgia comes punching back with a vengeance only abated by seeing it through to the end.

throw me to the unknown (and hope for my return) - In which Venti has a rough time and Beidou is there to help him out of it. Featuring some other character interactions.

adrift - In which Tama's cat ends up with Kazuha in the end.

A Tengu's Flock - In which Sara delves into what 'home' really is when a kind elderly woman opens up her own, only for Sara to find out who inhabits that home and bond with them as well.

Problem Conversion - In which due to varying circumstances, Faruzan and Al-Haitham interact, with much being exchanged between them.

adoration - In which there is an Adelinde-centric approach to the Dawn Winery dynamic, in varying points of time.

Little Lioness - In which Jean is somehow turned into a cat, and the events that follow.

Kuki Shinobu's Day Off - In which Kuki Shinobu ends up getting sick, so Itto and the gang have to pick up the slack and try to take care of their deputy.

Carved in Stone - In which the Arataki Gang is founded, featuring some deep character analysis and tribulation

One Shots -

Lone Wolves - An intricate and wonderfully thought-out coming-of-age one-shot featuring the trio of Bennett, Fischl, and Razor and their unbreakable bond.

stubborn - In which Kazuha is recovering from an injury and insists that he's fine, but Beidou has none of that. Featuring Baizhu, the acceptable use of a syringe, and decent hurt/comfort in the midst of sickness.

Grow Forward - Collei takes the first step to improving her relations with Cyno and Tighnari offers her his support in doing so. If 3.5 didn't exist, this would be an acceptable subsidiary.

looking out for you - Ragbros without the pinch of angst but accompanied by diabetes-inducing fluff. It gave me whiplash to see them depicted as such, so now you have to experience it too.

clinical horror - Ningguang hates the dentist, but her tooth aches. And yes, Beidou forces and half-drags her to the dentist anyway because pain medication will only do so much.

Perilous Brunch Bunch - The Chasm gang gets some brunch and hangs out together, from the NPCs' point of view.

my home without seasons - Kaedehara Kazuha finds another place he can call home.

Butter Knife - Canon-divergent and goes into the speculative question of what would happen if Diluc properly lost his mind.

Kitties on Board - The Alcor suffers under a plague of cats, or that's what the captain of said boat would call it.

Like a Pair of Hunting Birds - Shenhe and Xiao in a character study with some interesting peeks into some of their shared traits.

consequences of one [1] sakoku decree - Ganyu deserved to go off a little and her reasons are entirely justified.

a knight and a nun walk into a bar - Kaeya and Rosaria have a few drinks, and a lot more that wine is spilled.

I Heard You Like Cocogoats - A prank war between two individuals that will inevitably have people caught in the crossfire.

calm after the storm - Diona grapples with who Diluc is and what she pictures him to be.

Rest Day - In what world would Chongyun's exasperation boil over into hatred? This one, but only speculatively, of course.

The Tale of Klee and the Gender Reveal Bombs - Who gave the child specializing in the making of pyrotechnics access to smoke bombs?

saraba pasara - It's Qiqi's birthday, and it comes with some baggage.

"But that'll hurt real bad!" - A punch here, a dented guard there, and the varying miscommunications that arise as a result.

Dawn Winds, Heed My Vision - Diluc bears witness to his Archon in the midst of dissociation.

to new beginnings - Freminet stumbles upon the Hydro Dragon and they become friends.

[wingsonghalo]

A Match(a) Made in Heaven: a Pokémon Fanfic- Chapter 1

Hello everyone!

I posted this on Ao3 yesterday so I figured I should post it over here too. About a month ago, I started talking about the potential of shipping Carmine and Penny with @forwortuntodawn. Penny calls her pretty, Carmine loves being called pretty; they'd both be snarky together; their personalities would balance each other out... there's so much to love about them! Eventually I dragged several other friends into the CarPen pit with me, and here we are.

An extra-special thank you to the aforementioned KC, my #1 Beta Bestie and COO of CarPen. Rarepair Hell's more like heaven with you. Thank you also to two other dear friends, @smilelikeaknife and @litlyre, who along with KC are the KEWLest writer pals ever. You all give me something to strive for, and I admire you all so much! Thank you for all your encouragement and all the laughs. Just as before, this and all CarPen content is for you. 💖💖💖

I hope you take a chance on this pairing, reader. I promise I will do my best to make it worth the read!

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Title: A Match(a) Made in Heaven Fandom: Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Pairing(s): Carmine x Penny, Arven x Juliana Wordcount for this chapter: 6,549 Summary: "Hey, Red-n'-Blue," she murmured out the side of her mouth, "am I crazy, or is Juli putting out mad vibes with the tall chef guy?" The shorter girl's gray eyes looked up at her. An eyebrow stretched towards her multicolored bangs. "You ARE crazy if you think we're going to gossip about my friends before you even learn our names, Stretch." Carmine ropes Penny into her plans to get Arven and Juliana together, but she might end up focused on more than just that relationship... Carmine x Penny and Juliana x Arven! Also available on: Ao3 Support me on: Patreon | Ko-fi 

A Match(a) Made in Heaven

Chapter 1: A Pact

Despite what anyone else, especially her brother, might say, Carmine was totally a generous and thoughtful person.

No, really!

She carefully observed others to determine things about them—their emotional state, their likes and dislikes, where they'd come from, their social status, all that type of stuff. Sure, sometimes her observations included just asking other well-informed individuals about persons of interest, but that was its own kind of savvy too, wasn't it? You had to know who to ask, after all.

One of the things that captured Carmine's interest the most lately was the romantic entanglements of her peers. She was a teenage girl and found such matters of the heart fascinating (It had nothing to do with "needing more hobbies" or being "too nosy for your own good, sis," thank you very much, Kieran. Hmph. As if he could talk, when his hobbies were 1) fanboying about an old legend, 2) obsessively training in Pokémon battles, and 3) there was no 3; that was the end of the list). And yeah, maybe sometimes she wished that the romantic drama involved her once in a while, but whatever. Being an observer was cool. Carmine was fine with just sitting on the sidelines. Absolutely. 100%.

It was fine, okay?!

Anyway, she'd recently met a girl from Paldea on a school trip. Juliana was her name. Short, dainty, shiny chestnut-colored hair, big sparkly cinnamon-brown eyes, perfect smile (not as perfect as her own, of course), magnetic personality. She was almost annoyingly cute, like a little mascot designed for people to immediately latch onto. Carmine had initially just thought of her as another lame outsider who'd come to goggle at their tiny backwater hometown. A good-for-nothing tourist.

Juliana had not been a good-for-nothing tourist.

Instead, she had been… probably the second genuine friend Carmine had ever had, after Amarys. She'd been Kiki's first genuine friend. Juliana had taken everything both siblings had thrown at her in stride, and still emerged from the mangled mess of misplaced resentment and jealousy and distrust as their ally and confidante. Though it pained Carmine to admit it, she owed much of her newfound understanding with her brother to Juliana.

(It pained her to admit it, and that was why Carmine had no intention of doing so to anyone but herself. Maybe Juliana, sometime, if Carmine was feeling generous; which, as we've established, was frequently, okay?)

The point was, Juliana was an almost impossibly good person and everyone liked her. Even Kieran had been irresistibly drawn into her thrall at first, totally infatuated within minutes of meeting her, despite Carmine's continual insistence that he not get suckered by anyone who pretended to be interested in lame ol' Mossui Town, talent in Pokémon battling notwithstanding. (Didn't he know that was how evil land development companies got their claws into vulnerable little rural towns, sending people out to get information from unsuspecting yokels before turning on them and erecting a mall or whatever?!) In this one particular instance, however, her caution had been unwarranted: Juliana really was the compassionate, pure-hearted little angel she appeared to be, except in battle, where she suddenly became a demon (or an ogre?) with an angel's face. Carmine had been forced to confront the fact that she had—inadvertently, mind—been keeping herself and her brother confined to their own little world, never letting anyone else get too close until Juliana waltzed in with that silly little cherubic smile of hers. She seemed to exist just to break them out of their shells, to get them to open their eyes to all the people and places they'd never cared to look at before.

It was because of this fresh perspective on things, this newly-discovered consideration for things outside her usual bubble, that Carmine came to be curious about Juliana's feelings.

At first, she was only interested because Kieran was all googly-eyed over her. She had to scope out anyone who might eventually become part of their family, right? She couldn't let anyone get all buddy-buddy with her brother if they were just going to break his heart.

(It turned out that her efforts to watch over the two of them, to protect her brother's feelings and safety, had only cemented Kieran getting his heart broken—though not for the reasons she feared.)

(Whatever, Carmine wasn't thinking about that right now. Not again.)

Juliana had treated her brother with kindness, acceptance, and good humor. She had always worn a gentle smile, and frequently asked Kieran what he wanted to do, where he wanted to go, what he thought about things.

Actually, she had been so considerate of Kiki that at times Carmine had found herself wondering whether Juliana had any thoughts or desires of her own.

This willingness to let others take the lead had nearly tricked Carmine into believing that Juliana was weak-willed, but it turned out that their new friend was merely one of those people that kept their own thoughts hidden for fear of hurting others.

Hmph. Like that ever turned out well.

(Carmine did not envy Juliana's selfless nature. Not one bit… that she would ever admit to out loud, anyway.)

Regardless, she had gleaned from her careful observation—and okay fine, consulting other people—that Juliana was not interested in Kiki. Not in a romantic context, anyway. She seemed to dote on him in an almost sisterly way, which Carmine tried not to be too offended by. Kiki already had the world's best sister, thank you very much. But she understood. Kieran had a way of making you want to protect him, take care of him, even when he was being an antisocial little jerk.

Or maybe that was just Carmine that felt that way, because it was Kiki.

Whatever; not important.

Where was she? Oh yeah. Juli friendzoning (brotherzoning?) Carmine's brother.

Though at first she had wondered what the hell Juliana's problem was in not responding to Kieran's obvious infatuation, Carmine was almost positive she knew the reason for it now:

Juliana was already in love with somebody.

For an annoyingly long time, she'd been stumped as to who the object of her friend's affections could be. Juli tended to treat everyone with the same level of friendliness and warmth, so it could have been anyone from back home in Paldea, or maybe one of her fellow students in the BB League Club, or perhaps even Carmine herself, if Juliana had had any taste.

(Okay, she at least knew it wasn't herself, but honestly, why not?! She was a catch, damn it!)

But as soon as Juli's closest friends from Paldea visited Kitakami—and, well, as soon as Carmine was no longer a mochi zombie—it had become pretty glaringly obvious who had captured her inscrutable Paldean pal's heart.

She lingered around him even when she didn't need to, sticking close at his side; glancing back at him when she got too far ahead; tucking her hair behind her ear as her warm brown eyes shyly flickered up to glimpse him. When he walked into a room, Carmine swore she could watch little flames spark to life in Juliana's eyes, see her smile spread like a spring bud opening its petals.

It would have been adorable, if it wasn't so hard to watch.

The guy—what was his name again? Carmine still hadn't committed it to memory—seemed just as enamored with Juliana. His gaze followed her as if magnetized whenever she moved around, wonder reflecting in his pretty turquoise eye, as if the short girl was an awe-inspiring sunset. He hovered around her like he was her guard dog, fixing an intimidating glare on anyone who dared get too close to his "little buddy," as he called her. He could have made a pretty good living as a bouncer or a bodyguard, with those muscular arms, wide shoulders supporting the most ridiculously oversized backpack Carmine had ever seen, and brooding expression that warned others to keep their distance… but it couldn't have been more clear that there was only one person he wanted to protect. He was gorgeous, honestly, but he seemed devoted to Juliana to the point where he could barely see anyone else, so he usually came off as surly and reserved unless she was around, at which point he pulled a complete 180 and became jovial and perfectly gentlemanly. What was his deal? Had Juli saved his life or something?

Despite his obvious admiration of her, he seemed content to just be near her, like she was the sun and he was a pathetic little weed growing by the side of the road. Juliana, similarly, seemed happy to just exist beside him. Evidently they weren't an item. Carmine wasn't even sure if either of them were aware that they looked at one another like the other person was an oasis in a desert.

She needed more context from someone who had been around them longer. Luckily, Juliana had brought two more of her female friends with her for this little visit, both of whom had also fallen victim to that renegade wannabe air-freshener's mind-control mochi.

The taller one was kind of intimidating. She had the reckless sort of hyperactive energy that Carmine was usually only used to seeing in wriggly Lillipup that hadn't been housetrained yet and knocked the fine china off the walls. She was friendly, but frankly, Carmine was afraid if she struck up a conversation with her, she would demand another 5 battles.

That left the other one—a small, scrawny girl with short, brightly-colored two-toned hair, enormous glasses, a frumpy gray sweater, and the cutest little Eevee backpack the world had ever known. She seemed quiet, her bespectacled eyes always moving over her surroundings like she was scanning them into a database. Or perhaps she was simply zoning out and was just very good at pretending otherwise. The few times Carmine had heard her speak, a rather posh Galarian accent had emerged, which had somewhat startled Carmine at first but now sort of fascinated her. Did she say so little because she was self-conscious about her accent, or did she just truly have little to say?

She intended to find out as she sidled up to her, her eyes still fixed on Juliana and What's-His-Face engaged in lively conversation. "Hey, Red-n'-Blue," she murmured out the side of her mouth, "am I crazy, or is Juli putting out mad vibes with the tall chef guy?"

The shorter girl's gray eyes looked up at her. An eyebrow stretched towards her multicolored bangs. "You are crazy if you think we're going to gossip about my friends before you even learn our names, Stretch," she said, and it kind of wasn't fair how her accent made everything she said sound more intelligent.

Carmine frowned. "Well, I bet you can't tell me mine either!"

The girl in the sweater shrugged, crossing her arms. "Make yourself more memorable, and then I'll consider it."

She scoffed, her temper beginning to flare already as she clenched a hand into a fist by her side. "How rude! Anyone would find a face like mine memorable!"

A smirk lifted one corner of the other girl's mouth. "Maybe the face you're making now, sure—talk about scary."

Carmine's mouth dropped open in shock, and then her other hand curled into a fist as well. "I—you—how dare you!" she sputtered. Her face was filling with indignant heat, but when her nails bit into her palms, the unexpected sensation worked to ground her. She'd just met this frumpy little runt; why was she letting her rile her up? She let her eyes fall closed, took a deep breath, and let it out before opening her eyes once more and staring right into those cold, appraising ones. "Yes, I agree, I'm so beautiful it can be scary," she fired back smoothly, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "But if it helps you remember me, fine. The name's Carmine." She threw out her best charming smile, the one she was fairly sure had stolen the hearts of many a wretched suitor that was simply too awed by her radiance to approach her. "Don't make me repeat it."

An intense thrill of satisfaction buzzed down her spine at the sight of those gray eyes widening behind the big round lenses, pale, slightly-sunken cheeks coloring slightly. "Hmph," was all the other girl said, though, as she averted her gaze and fiddled with the sleeves of her sweater. "I remembered your name anyway because your brother said it before, but whatever… guess your face is plenty memorable too."

Ha! It was big of her to admit it. "And you?" Carmine prompted, resting her hands on her hips.

The shorter girl locked eyes with her again, silent for a moment before thrusting out her hand. "Penny," she said, and Carmine read a challenge in the determined set of her mouth. "Better remember mine too, or I'm never telling you a thing about Arven."

Carmine was never one to back down from a challenge. "Nice to meet you, Penny," she purred as she squeezed Penny's hand. A grin crept across her face. "I have a feeling this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship…"

"I have a feeling I just made a pact with a demon," Penny replied mildly, but there was a smile growing on her face as well.

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Penny, Carmine would soon discover as they walked around the festival the next evening after making their little deal, was rather difficult to get information out of… unless you knew what to offer her in return.

Having used the rest of yesterday to talk to Penny about Kieran's and her own history with Juliana, she had decided that today she would focus on inquiring about Juliana's history with Arven. But she hadn't gotten any further than asking, "So like, what's their deal? How did they meet?" before Penny was raising an eyebrow at her, unimpressed.

"What, you want all this intel for free?" Her usual gray ensemble, which usually served to help her blend in, now stood out like a sore thumb amid all the festivalgoers in their traditional jinbei and sandals, but it was Penny's own fault for not accepting any of the clothes Carmine's grandparents had offered, in Carmine's opinion.

Carmine scoffed at the other girl's audacity, frustrated at being shut down before she'd even gotten her first bit of information. She had brought a small drawstring money purse for the festival, of course, but she'd really been planning on using it for—hey wait a second, why was she even considering paying this twerp for answering such a basic question?! "I don't think this really counts as 'intel'!" she huffed, attempting to toss her hair before remembering that Grandma had put it in an updo for her. "I could just ask Juli about it for free!" Juliana was probably wandering from stall to stall with Arven right about now, actually, their hands close enough to touch, but neither of them daring to close the distance. Even the thought of it was irritating.

"Hmm, you could," said Penny, nodding with a half-smile like Carmine had just passed some sort of secret test. She plucked a bit of Carmine's cotton candy without asking, then popped it into her mouth and silently dared Carmine to comment on it with the quirk of an eyebrow. "So why don't you, then?"

Carmine contemplated that for a minute. While it was true she could hear this straight from the source, she had a sneaking suspicion that Juliana would become flustered and evasive if she tried to probe her for information about Arven. "Juli's the type to downplay her own victories and gas up everyone else's," she finally settled on, also taking a nibble of her fluffy pink festival food. "And Arven…" She snorted. "If I asked him, I'd probably just get a sermon about how great Juliana is."

Penny's eyes were glinting behind her glasses. "Wowww," she said, drawing out the word in a way that was simultaneously sarcastic and yet mildly impressed. "Maybe you do have more than two brain cells knocking around in that pretty head of yours."

"Hey!" said Carmine sharply, and then a moment later, more hesitantly, "You think my head is pretty?"

The other girl just stifled a laugh, which was vexing. It had been a legitimate question! "All right, Carmine," Penny said after stealing another bit of sugary fluff, "the truth is I wasn't around for when they met, so I only know what they've told me. What I can tell you about firsthand is the perilous adventure we all went on that brought the four of us together as friends, buuuut…" She peered around at all the festival stalls, her gaze landing on the shaved ice. "I'm feeling kinda parched since I'm not used to talking so much…" Shrewd gray eyes flickered up to meet hers, prompting.

Carmine sighed. "What flavor might quench your thirst?" she asked flatly.

"Raspberry, please," Penny chirped, a bit of a spring in her step as they made their way over to the shaved ice stand, Carmine pulling out her purse.

***

"That's… that's so sweet!" Carmine burst out after Penny concluded her story. She blamed the thickness in her throat on the sugary cherry syrup, hiding her sniffle by ducking her head to take another bite of the shaved ice. "I can't believe she was there for him when he had to say goodbye to the Professor… geez, I thought Kiki and I had issues about our parents, but at least they were all right while they were around…" She clamped her mouth shut as she realized she'd gotten a little personal there with no preamble, and glanced over at her companion to gauge her reaction. She'd found herself rambling a bit yesterday, too, come to think of it.

Just as before when Carmine had accidentally entered Backstory Mode, Penny's expression hadn't changed, mostly because she was still digging into her blue-raspberry ice with a gusto that would suggest her little plastic spoon was actually an icepick. "Meh. We've kind of all got family issues of varying types," she said once she'd dislodged a syrup-soaked chunk to fling into her mouth. "Crazy that Arven's involved a time machine and a scavenger hunt for magic plants though, I'll give him that."

Oh, and the plants…! Carmine's eyes prickled with emotion at the reminder of the supplemental information Penny had provided—the part about Juliana helping to restore Arven's beloved partner Pokémon, Mabosstiff, to full health after he'd been injured by one of those crazy violent Pokémon the Professor had brought to this time period. Carmine couldn't even imagine something like that happening to her precious Mightyena. The mere notion of it made her lip wobble.

Yes, she thought as she plunged her spoon into the red ice for another mouthful of fake-fruity deliciousness, if someone had helped her save her Pokémon and then journeyed with her to a lawless pit to confront her own family issues, Carmine would also be hopelessly devoted to whoever it was. Her heart would start up a beat like those taiko drums making a racket over there every time she saw them, too. Arven looking at Juliana like the sun shone out of her ass made a lot more sense now. By comparison, Kiki's fascination with her when they'd first met seemed shallow, almost fanciful. Kieran had seen in Juliana a hero from a storybook that he longed to emulate and look up to, not a real-life hero who would take him by the hand to save him personally. It was no wonder Juliana had scarcely noticed the awed looks from Carmine's brother, if she was already used to being looked at like Arven looked at her. "Okay, y'know what?" Carmine decided. "I'm officially on board. I'm getting those two together."

For a few seconds there was only faint crunching as Penny stared at her and devoured her shaved ice. She had a lot of nerve looking at Carmine like she was the silly little child, when Penny was the one who had blue syrup dripping down her chin. "You think you can do that, huh?" she deadpanned. "You got the knowledge and tools to back up that confidence, toots?"

"W-Well…" Carmine pursed her lips and frowned, quite certain no one had said the word toots since last century. "No, I guess I don't…" If she could just win Penny over, she might have a chance, though.

In a move perhaps influenced by the Big Sister Instinct left over from when Kiki had been a baby, Carmine impulsively grabbed Penny's chin and used one of the napkins in her lap to wipe away the dribbling syrup. "But I do have you!" she finished her earlier statement, putting on her world-class charming smile again.

Penny, who had completely frozen up like the ice still lingering in her paper cup at the unexpected contact, blinked widened eyes before quickly regaining her composure. "Hmph," she scoffed, turning her face away and muttering something that sounded like maybe sometime if you're lucky. The flickering orange light cast by the standing stone lanterns near them made her cheeks look as if they were glowing pink.

"What?" said Carmine, having been unable to hear her words well over the din of the festival.

"I said shipping my friends is yucky!" the shorter girl growled as she faced Carmine again. Actually, maybe it was more than the lighting—her whole face looked slightly pink.

Carmine tilted her head slightly, perplexed. She could have sworn those weren't the same words Penny had muttered, but oh well. It probably hadn't been anything important. Things other people said scarcely ever were.

"Anyway..." Penny tossed her empty shaved ice cup into the trash can next to their bench, and Carmine wrinkled her nose as the shorter girl proceeded to wipe her hands on her leggings rather than just using a napkin. "I'm surprised you're not angling for Juliana to date your brother, actually. Weren't you going on about how good of an influence she is on him yesterday?"

She blinked, surprised that Penny had actually been listening then. Carmine had indeed rambled on about that a bit while explaining what Juliana had done for her and her brother, but as Penny had been tapping away at her phone the whole time and only giving an occasional yeah and oh, mm-hmm, she'd thought it hadn't really sunk in. "Well, it's true that I thought she might be good for him at first," she admitted, poking at her melting cherry ice a little, "but now that I reflect on things a bit more, maybe what Kieran needed was just… support." Her shoulders slumped as guilt pressed down on her again. "Support I shoulda been better at givin' him in the first place, as his family." Her voice, which had accidentally slipped a little into the vernacular Kieran still spoke with, was quiet. "I was just lookin' for Juli to solve my problems," she finished in a murmur.

"Psh." Penny's scoff made her sit up ramrod straight again, head whipping over in indignation. The expression Carmine saw on the other girl's face wasn't disdain or mockery, however. There was a wry smile lifting one half of her mouth, and a complicated sort of furrow between her brows. "Welcome to the club," she said, and Carmine realized that the look on her face was the same one Kieran wore whenever he said things like All that stuff happened 'cause no matter how strong my team got, my heart stayed weak or I get why no one would wanna waste their time on me anymore... no one to blame but myself, I s’pose. It looked like regret. Self-deprecation.

Had Juliana played a part in saving all of her friends from themselves, Carmine wondered?

Before she could ask about it, though, Penny was shrugging, watching a little kid in an Eevee mask tear up the stairs despite his father's protests that he slow down. "Well, good on you for realizing it, at least," Penny said as her eyes followed the kid's movement. "Guess you're not the oblivious princess you seem to be."

"I seem like a princess?" Carmine's voice was hopeful.

Penny's gaze snapped to meet hers again in surprise, and this time when she laughed, she didn't stifle the joyful sound. Her eyes crinkled up, and the unguarded smile that broke her usual deadpan facade seemed to transform her. "How... how is that what you got out of that statement?" she asked incredulously, shaking her head as she almost doubled over.

She was laughing at Carmine. Carmine should have been outraged. But somehow, hearing Penny laugh felt like witnessing a rare natural phenomenon—like a rain shower in the sunlight, or something like that. She couldn't help but avert her eyes, confused at the strange bubbly feeling that had just sparked in her stomach. An answering smile crept across her face without her realizing it.

"Okay, Your Highness," Penny said, laughter still lingering on the edges of her words as she got to her feet. "This has been fun, but I've gotta get my hands on one of those masks now."

"What?" Carmine's eyebrows flew up in surprise. "I thought you didn't want to dress up for the festival!" And after she'd been offered the cutest jinbei, too!

"That was before I knew there was an Eevee mask." There was a particular sparkle in Penny's eyes that reminded Carmine of Kieran's whenever he used to get hyped up about the ogre legend (though she guessed she could no longer call it a legend). "I will obtain one of those masks or die trying," she declared solemnly.

"Did you not see how terrifying it looked on that kid?" Carmine pointed out, getting up as well and throwing out her empty shaved ice cup. "I get that you like Eevees, but you're gonna make kids scream if you walk around in that." Heck, Juliana's other Paldean friend, Nemona, had already frightened people earlier, barreling up to passersby to ask for Pokémon battles wearing that uncanny Pikachu mask she'd bought.

"It's the principle of the thing," Penny informed her with a shrug, jamming her hands in her sweater pocket. "I see Eevee things, I get Eevee things. Also, I want to get back at Nemona for that hideous Pikachu mask."

"Fair enough."

Penny hadn't invited Carmine to keep walking around the festival with her, but somehow that was how it turned out. They went from stall to stall, arms close enough to touch, but both of them comfortable enough to not worry about it.

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Carmine was used to being the one who could wheedle others into doing what she wanted. Once she figured out someone's weakness, it was only too easy to use it to her advantage. From the time she was a little girl, Carmine had become a master of sucking up to influential distant relatives who might throw some financial support her family's way; of flattering popular kids so they allowed her to hang around them and left her brother alone; of flirting with stupid teenaged tourists who were hoping to sucker an ignorant little country girl but ended up getting bled dry themselves instead. It had become somewhat more difficult the older she got—teens and adults were much harder to dupe than children, after all, and as cunning as she was, her wits regrettably almost never exceeded those of richer, more well-connected peers or socially-savvy adults—but for the most part, she was still fairly confident in her abilities.

With her newest acquaintance, though, she found that she had somehow become the sucker in this equation, continually promised juicy tidbits of information which were withheld from her until she provided some sort of compensation. She would have been angrier about it, if she wasn't so begrudgingly impressed. Penny wasn't even fake-nice about her demands like Carmine would have been—she would just hold out her hand and say, "What do you have to make it worth my while this time?"

Despite this, though, Carmine didn't dislike hanging around Penny during the 3 extra days the Paldean friends spent in Kitakami after the festival had concluded. Her snarky, quietly muttered remarks often made Carmine stifle snorts of laughter, she was surprisingly easy to talk to (if you didn't mind being looked at like you were an idiot), and she was content to let Carmine have all the attention in social situations if she could linger in the background. She'd also called Carmine pretty a few times, though she wasn't sure whether the other girl really meant it as a compliment or a mocking statement.

As for Arven and Juliana, she couldn't find many opportunities to ask them questions about one another (plus Penny said she shouldn't bother them on their vacation, and well, that was valid, she supposed), and it was a bit difficult to observe them without making them suspicious (Penny had also called her a voyeur when she attempted to follow them, and had dragged her away with a strength Carmine hadn't known she had).

It was fine, though. Those two lovebirds were definitely going to get together, especially now that she had recruited one more Cupid (albeit a reluctant one)! Even when Carmine couldn't be there back in Paldea, Penny would keep her updated on any updates via messaging.

"You will keep me updated on any developments on the Juli-and-Arven thing, right?" Carmine pressed her partner in crime—matchmaking, she meant; her partner in matchmaking—as the 4 Paldean students waited at the bus stop for their ride to the airport. Carmine and Kieran had of course accompanied them to say goodbye.

Penny rolled her eyes and sighed. Her hair was still sticking up a little in the back, and there were circles under her eyes that stood out against her pale skin—evidently, she wasn't the best at waking up in the morning. Though the summertime insects cried out noisily and the birds cheeped in the trees, the early morning light was still a sleepy orange haze on the horizon. "Yeah, yeah. But you know it's not gonna happen faster with us scrutinizing it, right? The watched pot never boils and all that?"

"I've never heard that saying," said Carmine primly, lying through her teeth.

The shorter girl pushed up one side of her glasses to rub at her eye with the heel of her hand as she yawned, not even bothering to hide it. It reminded Carmine a little of how Ninetales yawned. "Well," said Penny when she could speak again, "thanks for hanging out with me during this visit, I guess, though I know you had ulterior motives." She fixed Carmine with a lopsided smile. "Despite the crappy cell service and you dragging me around to spy on my friends, I still had fun. I'll kinda miss it here."

Carmine abruptly realized that she had made a friend, completely by accident, and was now going to have to say goodbye to her.

"I… I'll miss having everyone here, too," she blurted, words clumsy with the unfamiliar sentiment. Her gaze dropped to the ground, and she felt fidgety all of a sudden. "But don't be a stranger, all right? You can message me—"

"—if there are any developments with those two; I know," Penny finished with another sigh.

"For any reason," Carmine corrected her firmly, taking a step closer. "You can message me whenever you want." She held out her hand like Penny had done not so long ago. "We're… we're friends now, right?"

Penny stared at Carmine's outstretched hand, eyebrows raised, and then lifted her eyes to lock onto Carmine's. What she saw must have reassured her, because a quiet smile stretched across her face, and she returned the handshake, her small hand cool against Carmine's. "Sure," she said. It might have sounded dismissive from someone else, but the warmth in that single word told Carmine that her acceptance was genuine.

Carmine grinned, joy sparking bright in her chest like a firecracker, as she squeezed her new friend's hand.

After Juliana had hugged Carmine and Kieran both about 3 more times, and goodbyes were exchanged all around, the bus arrived, and the 4 Paldean visitors were on their way.

"I'm surprised ya got so close with them, Sis," Kieran pointed out as they trekked back to Mossui Town from the bus stop. "You're usually so eager for outsiders to get out as soon as possible."

Carmine hummed, her eyes following the Yanma as they came to light gracefully on the standing pools of water in the rice paddies, only to flit away again moments later with a quiet buzz of their wings. "Maybe some outsiders aren't so bad. I wouldn't have minded if they'd stayed longer," she admitted.

Kieran gawped at her. "Wowzers," he breathed, almost tripping on a stone in the road. "Sounds like you're growin' up."

She reached her foot over to kick at his heel playfully. "I don't want to hear that from my little brother. And eyes on the road or you'll go toppling into a pit, dummy."

Kieran stuck out his tongue at her. "I'll just pull you in with me," he promised, and then took off at a jog ahead of her. "Race ya back to the house!"

She couldn't help but smile. Only a month ago or so, Kieran would never have let himself act so childishly. It felt like catching a glimpse of the little brother she'd known while they grew up, chasing each other around Kitakami Road with sticks, laughing and smiling despite the skinned knees and bandaged elbows and muddy shoes. "No fair; you got a head start!" she complained, breaking into a run to catch up.

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Her phone chimed, and Carmine immediately snatched it up to check it. As she'd suspected, it was a reply from Penny.

she's sitting across from him at lunch. but before u ask: no i don't think they're playing footsie

She suppressed a laugh and merely smiled, tapping out a reply: Well, maybe you should put the idea in their heads!

and how do u suggest i do that miss mind control?

Carmine let a snort escape at that before starting on another reply.

"Sis?"

Kieran's voice pulled her back down to earth from the little world she always went to when she was texting Penny. Her eyes found him, gazing at her perplexed from where he sat at his desk. Carmine was sprawled out across his bed, having come here to get some quiet study time since Kieran rarely had guests at his dorm room. "What?" she prompted him.

"I've been tryin' to get your attention for the last couple minutes," said Kieran, frowning at her. "Are you textin' that Eevee girl again?" He shook his head. "Seems like you're talkin' to her all day sometimes."

"Her name is Penny," Carmine sniffed, sitting up straighter and pointedly putting the phone aside, "and I do not text her all day." They’d have to be in the same time zone to do that, she reasoned to herself.

Kieran looked unconvinced. "Sure. Look, I'm glad ya have a friend an' all, but if you're just gonna sit there and text the whole time, why bother comin' to my room to do it?"

"Your room's quieter," she defended herself. "And is it so unusual that I would want to spend time with my precious baby brother?"

"Yes," Kieran deadpanned, raising his eyebrows. "Seems to me like you're just usin' me and Penny to procrastinate doin' any work."

She scoffed in feigned outrage, even though he'd partially hit the mark. "How rude!"

Privately, though, she was glad he hadn't caught on to her additional motive: keeping tabs on Kieran. Ever since he'd fallen into that self-destructive spiral of his last semester, she'd been trying to keep a closer watch on him when they returned to Blueberry Academy. She’d been haunted by the memory of being so powerless, and was determined to prevent it from ever happening again. Every now and then she was still plagued with nightmares about Kieran descending alone into a shadowy pit; Kieran's eyes, cold and devoid of light; Kieran's cheeks becoming more sunken and gaunt until his uncanny smile became that of a grinning skull's. She would wake up gasping, eyes sticky with unshed tears, a scream still caught in the back of her throat as fear and guilt clashed in her stomach.

She'd been so grateful for Juliana sticking her nose where it didn't belong back then. But there was a part of her that still felt… bitter. Wounded. Someone without any siblings had had to come along and do a better job of pulling Kieran's head out of his ass than she could, and as thankful as Carmine was that Juliana had been that someone, it had also left her with her pride as a big sister damaged.

Surprisingly, Penny had proven to be a great source of comfort in that regard. It turned out that she was a little sibling herself, and recently, whenever Carmine found herself worried about Kiki, she'd message Penny, who would usually tell her to stop hovering over him and let him make his own mistakes. She'd also advised just telling Kieran that she was concerned about him, but she couldn't do that, could she?

just be honest and tell him ur worried, Penny had said the last time Carmine consulted her about this. or if u can't do that, at least threaten to forcefeed him a vegetable. my big sis said that to me once. it was obnoxious but i guess the sentiment's appreciated, lol.

"I… want to make sure you're eating properly," she ventured, catching Kieran's attention before he went back to studying from his textbook. "You lost so much weight before, Kiki…"

Carmine caught the way her brother's eyes widened for a moment before he looked away, putting on a nonchalant face. "I eat fine," he grumbled, his cheeks coloring slightly. "And even if I didn't, what're you gonna do about it? You can't even make tea without Sinistcha's help…"

She jumped off the bed, catching Kiki in a headlock and grinding her knuckles into his dark hair with her other hand. "You've got a lotta nerve insulting your big sister like that! I can totally cook if I want to!"

"Agh, no, not the noogie!" Kieran squawked, flailing in her grip. "All right, fine, you can cook, geez!"

"You're darn right I can!" Satisfied, she released him, popping her hands on her hips. "But I don't feel like it, so I'm going to treat you to a meal instead. Feel free to tell me how generous I am."

Kieran sighed, but there was a reluctant smile on his face as he smoothed his hair back down. "You're a real piece of work, Sis," he said, but Carmine heard the gratitude hidden behind the complaint.

Well, either that, or Carmine was very good at only hearing what she wanted to hear. She'd been told things like that before.

She made a mental note to thank Penny for her advice as she and her brother made their way to the Cafeteria.

================================================

Next time: Penny comes to Blueberry as a special coach, and both girls go to a party! I hope you'll look forward to it, and thank you for reading! 💕

[thedarkcircuswritings]

I have had a vision of a rarepair to write,abyss monarch,and aquamarine

For aquamonarch: the wandercrab is getting a new member! The abyss monarch (their still in disguse as ink cloak cookie) went to check it out and first laid their eyes upon her taking care of some plants..looks like they found their light.and electric eel is hyping them up

Abyss Monarch wasn't exactly thrilled about all this, but Electric Eel was dragging them around to someplace in Wandercrab, all excited and confident. Apparently, a new cookie has shown up to stay, and better yet, a gem mermaid! Abyss Monarch, admittedly, was a bit skeptical, considering they thought gem mermaids had gone extinct, but upon laying their eyes on a blue mermaid, it made them do a double take. Were their eyes really deceiving them, or was that really...? "See, see?? I told you it was a mermaid, Ink Cloak!" Electric Eel stated, giving Abyss Monarch a rough pat on the back. "And phewie, ain't she a pretty-looking one too! Oh, and mighty kind! She hasn't even been here a whole day and she's been helping cookies left and right with their aquatic plant life!" "As you say..." Abyss Monarch hummed, their gaze still latched onto the mermaid, especially at how she smiled at the corals and kelp she was trying to help. Electric Eel seemed to notice their gaze, smirking before trying to motion to her. "Go on, talk to her!" "Excuse me?" "C'mon, I already chatted her up, and I said I'd introduce you to her!" Abyss Monarch's gaze narrowed. "You wanted me to talk to her, didn't you?" "Just trust me, okay?" Electric Eel gave a sheepish look, forcing Abyss Monarch to sigh. "Fine... I'll take your bait." With a soft huff, Abyss Monarch began to approach. The mermaid was humming to herself, still fascinated with the aquatic plantlife here, and, admittedly, she was a little startled when a dark figure suddenly appeared by her side. "O-Oh! Hello there..." "You're the new cookie here?" Abyss Monarch was blunt. "Ah, y-yes! I'm Aquamarine! And you are?" "Ink Cloak." "Wait, you're the cookie Electric Eel wanted to introduce me to!" Aquamarine smiled a bit, and Abyss Monarch felt... Something. They didn't know what, but it felt a bit wrong. "It's nice to meet you!" "..Same here." They hesitantly said back. "Does that mean you'll be giving me that tour?" "Wh- tour?" Abyss Monarch looked back, giving a glare at Electric Eel, already knowing he would've put them in a spot like this. "Yes! Electric Eel said that you'd be more than happy to give me a tour!" There was some hesitance, but Abyss Monarch sighed. "...Yes. Just keep close to me and try not to wander off!" "Okay!" Aquamarine hugged their arm on instinct, before realizing and letting go. "Eep, sorry! Old habit of mine I did with my sisters..." "You have sisters?" Aquamarine paused. "Well... I used to... anyways, the tour!" Hm, how quaint... Still, Abyss Monarch complied and began to walk off with the mermaid for the tour they didn't know they were going to be doing in the first place.

[sarcasticsciencefictionwriter]

Hi! Rarepair alphabet Helen/ranna A, H, Q and R please : )

Hiiii! Thank you! :)

From this ask game.

A - What made you ship it and why?

This sounds so bad, but I don't really remember the what. 😅 I started shipping them at the end of December/early January, which was a little hectic for me with the holidays and all the fics I was churning out in a race for the end of the year and the ones I was reading too. I *think* it was that I rewatched Pax Romana trying to dig up some lore on Kali and then I was like.... Ranna? 😍

As for the why... Helen and Ranna fit very neatly into the category of characters I always obsess over (middle-aged women for the win!!!!) and putting them together, after I latched on to Ranna's character, was a no brainer.

They're wonderful separate and the real why is because I thought they would be awesome together. And Helen being canonically bisexual was something I wanted to explore and it seemed natural to ship her with a woman she had chemistry with and Ranna is such an untapped character.

Long story short: I saw two characters I was obsessed over and decided to smash them together like dolls.

H - If you were introducing this ship to someone else, what reasons would you give to convince them to consider it?

Hmmm.

I think I would start with saying that they're both awesome, capable women that don't need a partner, but they would find a very good one in each other.

They're in similar positions to one another and would understand the pressure and struggles very well, without having to speak about it.

They also have natural chemistry, in my opinion.

Honestly, I might just try to convince someone by saying two badass women with natural chemistry make for a very interesting pairing.

Q - What do you think were their first impressions of each other? Did their opinions of each other stay the same or change over time? Why do you think that is?

Well, canonically, Ranna kind of hated Helen on sight and Helen wasn't exactly feeling friendly towards Ranna herself. 😆

Though I think both of them probably had thoughts along the lines of 'well, she's hot' in there too.

Their opinions of each other 100% changed over time, going from that initial dislike and grudging respect to admiration and understanding.

The why would be their whole little arc in saving Kanaan and Hollow Earth. They saw each other for more than what they assumed each other to be and admired that instead of being annoyed or jealous. The realization that they understand the positions of power and being pulled at all sides came later (and was probably nudged along by Gregory on both side) and they were able to share that without even speaking.

R - Are there any songs you associate with this ship?

Buzzcut Season by Lorde

So much so that it's my theme for my AU where they're together. Right now, I think it's the only song that I associate with them together and not separately.

This bit is what really did it for me:

The men up on the news They try to tell us that we will lose But it's so easy in this blue Where everything is good

And I'll never go home again (Place the call, feel it start) Favorite friend (And nothing's wrong when nothing's true) I live in a hologram with you We're all the things that we do for fun (And I'll breathe, and it goes) Play along (Make-believe it's hyper-real) But I live in a hologram with you _ Basically, I heard one song, latched on to it and was like "Good enough!"

[darklight-phantasm]

💞 and 🔷️ for the Skylanders Ask Game

💞 (Skylanders OTP) - As someone who had an intense shipping phase a few years ago but eventually completely dropped shipping until rediscovering my very first ship I can safely say it's Fiveblades (High Five x Blades). Like so many others, it started out as a pretty random rarepair, only they were the first one I came up with. For some reason I completely forgot about them during said shipping phase and only picked them back up after getting into humanizations, which also started with them.

My brain completely latched onto them and I felt that very specific spark of self-indulgent fandom shipping again and that spiraled into me writing a multi-chapter fic with a LOT of creative liberty regarding their backstories as well as drastically changing their dynamic from the first time (they used to be love triangle enemies to lovers, not for me anymore). I didn't even realize how much I liked the royal/knight trope combined with childhood friends to lovers until I started writing it myself. But I think they can also just have a really fun and comfortable dynamic (inevitable angst aside) and explore what it really means for your relationship to change like that over many years.

I could ramble on for hours but I'd rather invest that energy into the fic, so yeah I love them a lot and they withstood the test of time so they are my OTP.

🔷️ (your rarest Skylander) - Ro-Bow! Fun fact: he was not rare at all in Europe, or at least where I live, just another regular Skylander release. It's always funny when I casually mention or show that I have him and people lose their minds.

[yuridovewing]

I want to participate...

Thoughts on daisy/cinderpelt, ferncloud/daisy/snowkit (where he lives), hawkfrost/leafpool?

And if I may be self-indulgent...... briarlight/velvet/jax 👉 👈

daisycinder: one of those ships i don't quiiiiite get yet so far tbh? you sorta have to give me a premise to latch onto with it. that being said i am always for f/f rarepairs and this one is certainly possible, so yeah sure i'll accept that into my belief system. ngl though, as the years have gone on, ive only gotten further and further into my romance repulsed aroace cinderpelt headcanon, so this one probably isn't for me lol. i do love daisy getting a girlfriend though! i think she deserves a good time and an actual good partner after what she's had to deal with.

ferndaisysnow: well i like ferndaisy... and i have ferncloud and snowtail get together in my au (if his suffix changed. its because i forgot it sorry. ive been in and out of my au so far). so this is basically a match made in heaven tbh LOL. yessss daisy, get sucked into the nursery polycule!!!!! i like all of them being educators together and helping out with childcare. again, i like daisy finding love again and since she actually does have a canon foundation for polyamory (even if its.... weird and not well handled at all to the point id say its 100% unintentional) i think this works out really well.

hawkleaf: i made a whole au based on this one LOL. although there's a lot of stuff i'd change about it if i made it today, my feelings on hawkfrost have changed a lot and idk if leafpool is all that in-character here (although i guess she's not really in-character in any hawkleaf au. so whatever) but it's one of those pairings where i care a lot more about the storytelling potential and the parallels and symbolism or whatever, than i do about the pair as an actual couple. i think itd be similar to crowleaf where it would fall apart the moment things got serious. they are using each other as beards very very badly. like if it was played straight, like they genuinely had romantic feelings for each other and them not working out was a grand tragedy (like a certain other canon leafpool ship), i don't think i'd care for it too much. the meat is in the consequences! the drama! the horror! brambleclaw having a lot to lose in this situation too in a way that actually holds him accountable for his behavior!! (at least in my au) lionpaw being lured in by his biological father in the dark forest!! leafpool carrying her father's murderer's children!! there's a lot there!

briarvelvetjax: i like it :3 i don't have a ton to say about it bc i skipped around a lot on river of fire, especially the alderheart stuff, so i missed a good amount of the velvet and jax stuff tbh. but i think briarlight deserves a happy ending with these chill kittypets :3 and i like how she cucks alderheart in your post about them

[the-martyrfication-of-the-matron]

I wanna know your theoires on the rarepairs

This is all subjective opinion feel free to disagree.

But I believe rarepairs to the aphmau fandom are what gay ships are to every other fandom.

Gay ships are typically born of either queers having some fun or the lack of depth and complexity in female characters, leaving the only characters with meaningful relationships and enough emotional layering for us to care about them to be male characters, leading to a lot of gay ships occurring purely because we, as consumers, haven’t been made to view the female characters as equals to their male counterparts in terms of humanity.

But there is no true complexity amongst characters in aphverse, no romances with meaningful connection aside from those few snippets that we see of the relationships amongst side characters, and so, not being able to truly latch onto the couples we are shown due to their lack of true chemistry or layering, we latch onto characters that have implied complexity, who are not ruined by over exposure, and use the faint snippets we have of their personalities to partner them up with those we believe they could have meaningful connection with. We often do the same with major characters, picking and choosing what is canon of them so we can, again, use that implied complexity to assign them lovers that we think suit them, whether it be a fellow main character that we believe they had more chemistry with or someone they’ve never even seen. Rarepairs are our substitutes for the personality that the aphverse characters don’t have.

[feydrautha]

JUST FINISHED HOTD AND I WENT THROUGH A ROLLERCOASTER OF EMOTIONS!

And I gotta say, Alicent and Larys is SOOO INSANELY COMPELLING AND FASCINATING. The devotion too boundless to even think about, the gardener and his flower metaphor in a twisted and demented way, a selfish relationship because it needs to acquire an introspective quality in addition to a companionable one, how he wants to free her from the mirage of virtue and morality that she clings onto, free her from a version of herself that she allows others to access while concealing her (darker) true self, giving her the opportunity to understand herself and be herself fully in a world where they are constantly demanded to be something they’re not, the way he lets her see sides of him no one else does, the way he sees them both as unique in the world and uniquely similar, they reflect each other in a way, it's like profound recognition.

And it is OBVIOUS that Larys has a hidden agenda and goals and ambitions outside Alicent, but the whole “love is a downfall” idea.... It's sort of like somebody who is falling in love for the first time and had never felt that was actually a possibility for them. Maybe his ultimate downfall will be his attraction and love for Alicent. Love can be horrific and love can be found within the horrific.

**deep exhale** okay now I need a drink.

So good that there's more people who saw them and instantly latched onto them, the vision us Larycents have!!! No one compares! (Except other rarepair shippers tho, they're just as bespoke <3)

Larys's whole "I'm not even bothering with trying to fix her, I will just make her worse because that is who she really is" shtick is just so [chef's mfing kiss]. I feel like I'm bound to eat my words bc lol, HOTD writers, but why in the world would they include that whole "Love is a downfall" monologue if not to have the character doing it experiencing his downfall because of his feelings for someone else!

This ship is all about seeing and being seen, they see each other how they truly are, warts and all while the rest of the world doesn't. Larys is underestimated but he holds a terrifying amount of power unseen to others, and Alicent is the only one actually aware of it (never mind that it scares her). Meanwhile, Alicent is either underestimated or villified (Nyra's whole "now they see you as you truly are" part comes to mind) which is interesting, because it's not that Alicent is an innocent (no one in this is); it's just that no one besides Larys really grasps what exactly Alicent's darkness is, and he might not even know it because she told him but rather because he puts together what he sees.

[friendlyfaded]

if you’re still taking rarepairs, i have one (you can ignore this if you’d like)

sam/gavin/freelancer maybe? or sam/aaron?

Already got you covered on Sam/Aaron lol, so I'll do Sam/Gavin/Freelancer!

So I've got a Scenario for this one. Sam knew Gavin when they were both going to DAMN. Gavin thought Sam was fun to flirt with because Sam would always roll his eyes and snark back, but when Gavin asked, Sam said it didn't actually bother him. Gav ended up really liking Sam. Who wouldn't, honestly? He was driven and passionate about wanting to help people. Gavin also wanted to help people, but he was pretty self-conscious about it. He canonically worries about the perceptions other people have of his magical race, so it stands to reason he'd worry here, too.

Sam would be incredible at reassuring him, though. We've already seen that Sam sees the best in people and encourages them to be who they are. He's accepting and doesn't put much stock into rumors or stereotypes. Gavin would probably latch right onto that, and to Sam.

A couple years after Sam graduates, though, he disappears, and Gavin has no idea where he is. He asks around for a while until someone finally tells him about the crash. He assumed Sam was dead, since that's what everyone else thought, and was genuinely heartbroken. Over a decade later, he meets Freelancer, and he wants to try to feel love again. They get together like in canon.

So Freelancer comes home one day and tells Gavin that a friend of a friend found them a really good tutor for healing and that he's coming over. Gavin opens the door to Sam Motherfucking Collins, still alive apparently. He immediately hugs him and starts mumbling about how he thought he had died and he had missed him so much, and Sam is frozen, totally confused. Gavin pulls back and Sam recognizes his face, and he pulls his old friend back in for another hug. They're both crying and refusing to let each other go, and Freelancer is just standing there like O-O?

Gavin ends up explaining their past, Sam fills Gavin in on what actually happened, and Freelancer immediately sees that the way Gavin is looking at Sam is the same way he looks at them. After Sam leaves (he didn't end up doing much tutoring that evening, but they set up another time to work on healing magic together), Freelancer tells Gavin that he can date Sam too, if he wants. Gavin is immediately on board, but he also really wants to see if the two people he loves more than life itself would also fit well together.

Obviously, they do. Literally three study dates later, Freelancer is telling Gavin that they're Very Interested in Sam. Sam is far quieter about that kind of thing, but Gavin is still an expert at reading him, even after all these years. Not to mention he can feel his emotions, but even just looking at his face, he can tell that Sam has a thing for the Freelancer.

They end up sitting Sam down for a conversation about it, and he ends up agreeing to try things out, on the condition that they tell him if he starts to get between the two of them or if either of them end up being uncomfortable. They agree, but neither of them ends up having to tell him anything. Sam is a perfect gentleman who fits into the relationship like he was always meant to be there. He becomes their voice of reason, their support, and the mother hen who berates them both for their unhealthy habits.

Freelancer can also rest easy, now, knowing that the loves of their life won't be alone in a century. They'll have each other, and that comforts them.

[trudemaethien]

For Taking, Forgiving

Maze/Jaing for paxduane for the 2022 Star Wars Rarepairs Exchange

rated E, no archive warnings, Kal Skirata’s A+ Parenting, Somehow simultaneously dubious AND enthusiastic consent, Secret Relationship, Internalized Homophobia, Unreliable Narrator, Under-negotiated Kink, Miscommunication, Rough Sex, Tender Sex, Breeding Kink, A little of the Genders™️, Marriage Proposal/Declarations Of Love, First Time, (Not Really) Character Death, Happy Ending

Everything about this was ill-advised; Jaing could just imagine what Kal’buir would have to say about all of it.

He activated the door code with steady fingers and stepped into the room like he belonged.

Maze faced the door like any good soldier keeping his lines of sight clear. His head dipped as he looked up immediately, frowning with expressive curiousity at the stranger intruding. Then his face shifted and he slid his datapad deftly away under the desktop. “Null…Six?” he asked, which was a fair guess, since officially Kom’rk was the closest and most likely non-Ordo-or-Mereel brother out of them to be here.

Too bad Jaing kept his movements off the record. He couldn’t help the little bit of smirk that curled around the corners of his mouth. Maze’s eyes narrowed and flicked up and down Jaing’s form again. He tilted his head shrewdly. “No?” he asked, trying to puzzle it out.

“Jaing,” he introduced himself, taking another step forward. Maze’s eyes landed on the item in his hand. “Little nuna told me you’re into, uh,”—he stopped himself short from saying nerd shit like he wasn’t a total hypocrite for even thinking it—“reading. Books.” He placed the book onto the desk, stretching slightly too far. Suddenly Jaing got the sure and certain feeling he’d gotten this wrong. It shouldn’t matter. He didn’t really care.

“Does Captain Ordo know you think he’s a nuna?” Maze asked dryly, attention shifting superficially from Jaing to examine the volume he’d brought.

“Oh, sure,” Jaing said, latching onto the provided excuse that Ordo was his source of information. “Nice hit, by the way. Ord’ika could stand to be bullied more.”

Maze glanced up at him again briefly, the slightest tinge of amusement in his eyes, but he was mostly interested in the book. Which had been Jaing’s goal, really, so that was good, even if something about being ignored made him writhe inside. He had the sense that Maze was actually very aware of him, and that helped soothe that feeling.

Maze opened it and flipped through the first couple pages, tracing fingers along headings and down the list of contents, then rifling farther into the back of the book. “This, I think, was cited in that other…” he mumbled, half to himself.

Jaing swallowed. He’d noticed that himself, and underlined that bit. He was torn now on whether to stay and watch Maze’s brain at work in real time, or duck out and spare himself the humiliation. He ended up being too slow to choose.

Maze looked up at him sharply, and closed the book with a snap. “Ordo doesn’t know about this,” he said with certainty and an edge of accusation.

Jaing shifted, then shrugged as nonchalantly as he could manage. “He’s not the boss of me,” he said, and didn’t explain any further. “If you don’t want it—” He reached out as if to take the book back and Maze’s hand landed firmly and heavily square on the cover.

“Well, then. Let me know what you think,” Jaing said with a little flare of triumph, hope fluttering inside him. He hadn’t fucked this up too badly, he thought. He stepped backward and almost ran into the doorframe; not the smoothest exit, but he ducked out and left before he could mangle anything else. There were only a couple turns in the passageway to the exterior exit, and he knew how to move like a cool operator even if he didn’t feel like one.

Kriff. Send him undercover any day.

read on AO3 🔒 https://archiveofourown.org/works/43316976

[sansxfuckyou]

Torn fabric

Summary: She's getting fed up that you keep ruining your shirts during training, and she wants proof that's really why the sleeves keep coming off.

Warnings: Sparring, blood, biting, check tags for further warnings.

Authors Note: I honestly have a love hate relationship with one of these fuckers cause he's hard to write for, but he's still enjoyable, have some rarepair for fic ten, once again, I take reblogs as a form of currency over likes.

"You really need to take better care of your clothing, Equius, I won't always be here to repair it," Kanaya said, sewing needle and torn shirt in hand, the fabric was black and the thread was jade.

"I'm aware of that," you answered with, face covered in a deep indigo as Kanaya fixed up your t-shirt, sewing the sleeves back on.

"How come you keep getting the sleeves torn off then?" Kanaya asked, staring at you, her eyes were sharp and had you freezing up.

"I'm not really a t-shirt kinda guy I guess," you lie, you really just find them constraining, and they're constricting, all it takes is a few flexes before they come off again, a few punches if your sparring.

"Then how come you have me repair them if you just tear off the sleeves the second I look away?" Kanaya asks with a sigh as she looks back down to the shirt in her hands, she holds it up and it looks good as new, she had to tear a small patch from the sleeve of her own to fill a hole.

"I don't mean to break them, it just happens when I do sparring practice," you say, scraping your pan for excuses, she just stares blankly at you, throwing you your shirt before standing up.

Kanaya brushes down her skirt of any stray threads or fabric bits before taking a few deep breaths to compose herself. You slide your shirt back on, and the second you've got it back on, a punch hits you square in the sternum. It stings and you swear you can feel a phantom crack as you give a step back, Kanayas grinning.

"Then prove it, prove it happens during sparring," she says, you let a small smile slip.

You go to throw a punch and she blocks it, you hear a thread start to snap, you throw another punch, this one resembling an uppercut. It hits her full on and you hear a crack as you hit her jaw, she goes stumbling back, and blood is dripping from her lips, she spits out a fang. She stumbles forward and you're worried you've really hurt her until she launches herself at you, and you flinch, throwing a hook to soon and shes latched onto you. You continue to throw useless punches, threads snap and she sinks her fangs into you and it fucking hurts.

A strangled declaration of pain escapes an she releases you, not after shoving back on dismount. You rub where she bit you, it's a deep wound, and it gapes where her teeth sink in. Blood is slowly dripping from it and you see she has indigo on her lips, she licks it away and your face burns up a bit. She grins upon seeing that sauntering up to your frozen form and gently placing her claws on your neck, trailing them across sensitive skin and you shudder until she pricks them deep enough to poke through skin.

Then she leans in close to your ear.

"The sleeves still haven't fallen off," Kanaya says, right, that's why your sparring.

You give a hearty punch to her abdomen, you hear a rip and there goes one sleeve, it slides down your arm before falling to the floor. She's stumbling to the floor this time, gripping her abdomen, oh fuck, you've really hurt her now. You rush over, making sure she doesn't collapse to the cold ground, urging her to take a seat, which she does.

She smiles up at you before you take a seat next to her.

"I guess you don't tear them off on purpose," Kanaya says as she plucks the threads from your remaining sleeve, it falls off.

"Like I said," you said with a bit of a huff, crossing your arms, she smiled as she held the fabric, stitching into something else already.

"I think you could use a new pair of gloves," she says, rubbing her cheek with one hand, where you knocked a tooth loose, "for the next time we spar, I mean."

You're sparring again.

Next time you probably won't knock one of her teeth out.