#once upon a rogue

[noahhawthorneauthor]

July was a heck of a good reading month, and I've well and fallen into a historical romance hole. Both series by Allie Therin were *especially* good.

[jeronandor]

Ferrixians and Jedhans

[a-collection-of-cool-ideas]

Thank you wonderful fanfiction authors! You do a great part to make life wonderful. Recs below the cut (I CANNOT believe I haven't rec'ed some of these before!) Previous recs: 2018, 2020, 2022. Looks like I only do these every two years lol.

Gravity Falls

Feels Like We Only Go Backwards, by @dubsdeedubs / WDW; complete multichapter. A heartbreaking concept with a happy ending. Sad but wonderful and a really fun idea. Working out just what is happening is a great challenge, and watching the pieces fall into place with mounting consternation is awesome.

In Search of Antidotes, by @astriiformes / azhdarchidaen; complete multichapter. An awesome Historical AU, and neither Ford nor Stan go through the portal (there’s still suffering though). Bit of freakiness, bit of funniness, bit of stubbornness, bit of coolness. A very cool read! A much more classic demon-possession story than canon with its modern sci-fi overtones. The gothic sci-fi horror takes the floor here. Jekyll and Hyde, Frankenstein, Dracula, it takes inspiration from all the best roots!

Just a Game, by @nikxation / nikxation; one-shot. Intense! High stakes! Well-written! Doesn’t mess around getting to the point, and hammers its beats into you! LOVE it! Bill holds a gun on Ford, while in Ford's own body. The tension in this is unbelievable!

An Outreached Hand, by @dubsdeedubs / WDW; incomplete multichapter. Something freakishly supernatural happened to Stan during his homeless days. It’s called Ghost Trick AU, and it’s super interesting and utterly engaging! It’ll have you tearing through it wanting to know what the heck is going on! The characters are all so intense in their own ways, and the plot is drip fed to you piece by delicious piece.

Snapshots from an Alternate Reality, by Rethira; one-shot. PORTAL STAN!! Just a short little one-shot about this alternate version of events, but incredibly cool to read. Love the writing style: it takes you through the scenes like a skipping stone, its wake mesmerising.

All Things Go, by @cantica10 / Cantica10; incomplete multichapter. A weird (in the best way) idea of a crossover between Timestuck AU (where Mabel is trapped in the past) and a Wings AU (where, you guessed it, everyone has wings). Adorable Stan and Mabel bonding, but is SO not afraid to get really dark. That being said, it’s also so sweet and fluffy, and explores the effortless love that Mabel feels for Stan, and that (broken, scared, young, sad) Stan feels for her. This is one of those fics I am compelled to keep coming back to. It’s such a full experience to read.

Snow and Pine, by @ancientstone / TheArchaeologist; incomplete series. A great concept!! Loved the idea of these two brothers being forced together by circumstances instead of intention. Some great selective description here, and the plot itself is a very fun ride. WERE. WOLF. STAN. Need I say more?

Lighthouse Keeper, by @impishnature / impish_nature; incomplete series. There’s a lot to this story; the main work is mostly a series of one-shots, with other works sprinkled between. The idea is so eerie and haunting, and the vibes are pretty different to most other things I’ve read. The instigating artwork by @sightkeeper is magnificent and Imp has managed to capture the images very well!

Triptych, by @scribefindegil / scribefindegil; one-shot. A very cool character study on Stan. Great for informing his central motivations. It's kept short and sweet, but the analysis is no less thorough for it. I loved the insight into my favourite character's life and mind. Scribe writes him so well.

Blind Faith, by pinesinthewoods; complete multichapter. Come on, how could I NOT mention this one? It's one of the many here I'm astonished not to have rec'ed earlier. Super dark, super scary, an AU where both Stan and Ford fall into the portal. Ouch, but cool. Really good, but be prepared to yell out loud in horror. This is a doozy, don’t expect a lot of happy feels going into it. That being said, it is INCREDIBLE. The structure of the story is fantastic, perfectly encapsulating the reliance each of the brothers’ needs to have on the other and how one has to step up when the other can’t. Stan and Ford are forcibly tied together in this, and they find they each mean more to the other than expected after ten years of bitterness and radio silence. A STAPLE of Gravity Falls fics.

Like They Were a Perfect Fit, by @sensitiveowl / hapful; one-shot. Aw, ow, cries. Love! Lots of tangled-up emotions and scenes that will tug at your heartstrings thinking about Ford’s life journey. Speculations on the importance of the photo that Ford is implied to have carried around with him for 30 damn years.

30 Seconds Later, by @invisibletinkerer / shayera; incomplete multichapter. Loved this to death! A really great concept executed fantastically. An AU where while it took Stan thirty years to rebuild the portal, Ford was only gone for thirty seconds. The characterisation of paranoid Ford and his interactions with the rest of his family are perfect, as is his reaction to finding himself in the future and his relationship to Stan. And Stan is wonderful in this too! A very good examination of age, aging, and the associated changes in perspective.

1 Step Forward, 20 Years Back, by @infriga / Ppleater; complete multichapter. An AU where Stan is turned into a kid in the midst of Ford’s pre-portal paranoia over Bill. It adopts the wonder and innocence that comes with youth, but still retains the darkness of Stan’s adulthood - wait, actually, his entire life has been kinda dark in this fic. This is one of those fics you can tell the author had a lot of fun with. It’s palpable in the chapter titles and the art :) The illustrations are beautiful, the story is heartfelt, and it is not at all afraid to go into some dark places. A very enjoyable, loveable, read!

The Road in Front of You, by @nicnacsnonsense / Nicnac; complete multichapter. Ford falls through a portal potty and gets dumped in Stan's path. MAN!!! This fic has a really great concept, and Nicnac’s writing is impeccable as always. A great look at Ford and Stan’s relationship post-high school, how their personalities have developed and changed, and most importantly how they reconcile the changes in each other.

Nothing a Little Sleep Can’t Fix, by AkitaFallow; one-shot. Oh MAN. WOW. Okay. A heavier look on the mark Sock Opera leaves on Dipper, featuring repercussions throughout the rest of Dipper’s summer. Absolutely, heartbreakingly, entrancing. The slow build up of the plot perfectly mimics the rising emotions that poor Dipper is struggling to keep a lid on until they inevitably explode, and watching the people who love him pick up his pieces afterwards is just golden.

Ad Infinitum, by @nicnacsnonsense / Nicnac; one-shot. My first read of the Same Coin Theory and it was awesooooooooome!!! There are so many repetitions of phrases that spark in my mind because of how great they were, and the aspects of Stan contrasted with Bill that thread through it are incredible. Kind of an unsettling concept. I couldn’t get enough. For a fic that’s all about cycling around, you'd think it'd get repetitive, but every paragraph is rich with novelty. A FEAST.

Some Sunny Day, by @anistarrose / anistarrose; complete multichapter. Another Same Coin Theory fic. The beats of the plot in this are stunning, with some truly awesome lines that left me reeling and thinking Oh SHIT that did NOT just happen!!! In the best way possible. A highly interesting story and some excellent takes on the Pines family and the world of Gravity Falls.

Towards the Sun, by @notthistimespock and pinesinthewoods; complete multichapter. EXTREME BROTHERLY FEELS. Incredible! Love the in-depth examination and speculation on Ford and Stan prefinale. A different ending for Weirdmageddon, following Ford’s journey through Stan’s mind. It gets sad, it gets scary, it gets freaky, you shed tears. Another one of those staple fics for the fandom. The story is a wild and heartrending adventure, full of imagery that stuck in my brain for years after the first time I read it.

Fisherman’s Knot, by @scribefindegil / scribefindegil; complete multichapter. MORE EXTREME BROTHERLY FEELS. Deals with postcanon adventures on the Stan’O’War II, including some reeeaaaally bad mental states/situations. Have tissues handy. I think this is generally regarded as the be-all-and-end-all of Stan twin angst. It is long, it is HEAVY, but it is also heartwarming and hopeful, and full of adventure and magic, and the kind of love it's made with really comes through.

Mob Boss Stan Pines, by Capricious_Passions; complete multichapter. A fic that you HAVE to read over again to get the complete picture. Complex and well-thought out, incredible attention to detail, but the first read will baffle you! A lot of fun trying to figure out what’s happening, and even more fun on the re-read picking up all the details you missed the first time!

Scrapbook, by Shyeye; complete multichapter. The complicated weight of grief hangs heavy over everyone in the story, and the difficulties in dealing with it are at the forefront of everyone’s minds. The depth each of these characters are written with is very much appreciated, not-so-pretty parts and all. This was a wonderful, touching, read.

Rescind, Reset, by @endae / endae; one-shot. Canon divergence where Mabel temporarily lost her life during Weirdmageddon, and the aftereffects on her and the rest of the family. It is one of the most beautiful things I’ve read, very emotionally raw. I cry every time. This incredible story is wrought with a filter of broken hearts being pieced back together as the characters live through the aftermath of their happy ending. It’s a shining, nuanced take on Mabel and how someone with her personality deals with the plot premise. I love the complexity of the emotions in this, not only from Mabel but also from the rest of the Pines as they work through their own traumas.

Safe as Houses, by @beastenraged / Beastrage; complete multichapter. If I could whistle I would! An entrancing read about the Pines family’s adventures from the perspective of their home. Some great and not too far-fetched ideas about how the Shack may have come across to its inhabitants over the years.

Greyscale, by @impishnature / impish_nature; one-shot. OH MY LORD. Incredibly touching and heartbreaking, I can’t look at this directly for fear of being emotionally blinded. Loss, and gain, and loss. Striking, powerful, so, so beautiful and painful. The aftermath of Weirdmageddon: another canon divergence where Stan lost his life. Except... Reverse Portal AU Stan stumbles across this sad dimension soon after. I swear, no fic has made me cry so hard and left me so much in shock of what the heck just happened to me. I love the look at how loss has affected the characters, and I especially love the path to recovery that is laid out for them.

Buying Gold, by @dubsdeedubs / WDW; incomplete series. Veeeery intriguing. It’s not really Same Coin Theory, but it’s a great read about the similarities between Stan and Bill and some cool speculation on Stan post-defeating Bill.

Any Family You Choose, by @nicnacsnonsense / Nicnac; incomplete multichapter. So sweet! Portal Dipper finds a young Stan Pines and decides to help him out. This concept is so wonderful, and the characterisation is blindingly clear. Keeps you guessing at the backstory!

Across the Universe, by Queen_Mab; one-shot. SUCH a great set of adventures. The multiverse really tries to hammer in its lessons sometimes, whether they stand a chance of sticking or not. Extremely well-written and fun, I devoured every word ravenously. Some scenes of Ford's portal time, with some VERY interesting encounters.

Star Wars

Anything Brighter than Even the Sun, by @hamliet / Hamliet; complete multichapter. The Rogue One crew survives and continues rebelling, as does Galen! The main focus is on Jyn and Cassian's characters and relationship, and how they navigate growing into a family. I love Jyn's character especially in this, with all those hard edges guarding a deep, deep well of passion.

Chirality, by @niobiumao3 / Niobium; complete multichapter. A Tech was CX-2 fic! It's great to see this fan theory explored, and Niobium writes so well! The plot is entrancing and has you hooked on the edge of your seat waiting for all the pieces to fall into place for our poor brainwashed guy. The way CX-2 thinks and melds with the personality of who Tech once was is beautiful and his interactions with his family and Phee are a sight to behold.

Crash Landing by @returnofahsoka / delightwrites; complete multichapter. Another Tech is CX-2 fic, can you tell this idea has a hold of me. The characters' voices in this come through SO clearly, it's insane, and the writing style is perfection. Jumbled and pained and confused and grieving, all threaded through with that little bit of hope. Wonderful.

I'll Keep You Safe (You Keep Me Strong), by @miadeardn / sheikahs; oneshot. An AU where Crosshair's chip never activates and he is as embroiled in adjusting to being on the run with a new little sister as the rest of the Batch. Just a sweet little moment between the two. Both of them are written very in-character, and it's great seeing a side of Crosshair that never came to regard his brothers as his enemies.

Talking in Defence, by @buskuta / buskuta; oneshot. An awesome look at all of Hunter's complicated feelings regarding Omega and Crosshair's relationship post-Tantiss. He's not a paragon of perfection, he's human. I can't emphasise enough how much I love this and how well he's written here.

Unyielding, by Face_of_Poe; complete multichapter. The scene immediately post-reunion between Omega, Hunter, and Wrecker, with some speculation on Crosshair's internal strife at that moment. There's a chapter for each of the remaining Batch and Wrecker's is EXCEEDINGLY well-written in my opinion. We don't get nearly enough exploration in canon or fanon about the depth of his thoughts and feelings.

Plan 100, by Face_of_Poe; complete multichapter. An awesome canon-divergence speculating on Omega and Crosshair's escape from Tantiss. The action is great, the strategy and coded communication is so sharp, and the feeling of desperation as Omega and Crosshair fight to evade recapture is fantastically taut. I especially love the small moments in this showing just how close these two have grown, and, in Crosshair's case, how little he's realised it happening. It feels very true to their characters.

Through Darkness Unknown, by @stardustandash / StardustAndAsh; complete multichapter. Holy shit the stakes are so high in this. A Tech Lives canon divergence of Omega and Crosshair's stay in Tantiss, and you can really FEEL just how helpless they all are to Hemlock's control. I absolutely love how this fic does not pull its punches, really forcing Crosshair and Omega into relying heavily on each other. There's so many great scenes in this that are seared into my brain!!

Ask Yourself, by StoneSage; complete multichapter. Omega is captured by the Empire while Crosshair's still working for them. I freaking love the complicated messiness of Crosshair's response to this- he's constantly challenged to act on the callous persona he projects, and constantly comes up short realising what he's actually willing to do to his family when it comes down to it. Very true to his character, and the quandaries Rampart presents him with a subtly terrifying. A fantastic examination of character and a great plot to go with it.

The Space in Between, by Misvet; incomplete multichapter. A series of stories focusing on the complications and dangers involved with Omega joining the Bad Batch. The writing style is great, the plots are great, the characters are great! It's all great! Just read it!

Maybe Fate Has Different Plans, by hanged_albatross; complete series. God I love this so much. Some incredibly touching and well-written moments of the Bad Batch protecting each other in a dangerous galaxy, with Omega, of course, at the centre. She is characterised so well in this, and constantly written with the idea of despite being so young, she is also no less protective of her brothers than they are of her.

Modern Batch, by kaydear; incomplete series. DUUUUDES just read this. It's such a sweet collection of stories about an alternate universe of the Bad Batch in a contemporary setting. Life is tough and complicated and full of pain, but also there are others right beside you to lean on when you need it, and so life is also full of love. I have cried multiple times while reading and re-reading this.

Skulduggery Pleasant

I Will Lay Me Down, by mcginnis; oneshot. This is perfection. A rewrite of the aftermath of the Lord Vile reveal in Death Bringer. I wish this was canon. Valkyrie and Skulduggery are PERFECTLY characterised in this scene, and the nitty-gritty of how they're both feeling is thoroughly explored and explained, and the tone of the story never once diverges from canon's- it is complicated, dark, and interspersed with ridiculous levity.

Pride and Prejudice

A New Addition, by @ralkana / Ralkana; oneshot. A great fic about Elizabeth and Darcy and childbirth, various moments in this are imprinted in my mind permanently. High emotions all over the place, incredible tension and wonderful dynamics between the two main characters and the rest of the family.

Mr Bennet Travels Through Time, by AMarguerite; oneshot. A truly great fic with a wild concept that totally works. Mr Bennet is actually from the 1990s. Weird and funny, but also touching and sad, and goes leagues towards explaining a lot of this man's quirks and contradictions. I was fully invested in this all the way through reading, and it did not disappoint. Utterly satisfying.

Once Upon a Time

The Worst, by @alchemistc / alchemistique; oneshot. The real-life dynamics of these ridiculous fairytale people had me grinning ear to ear. The mortifying ordeal of your family of fictitious characters helping you move into your college dorm as told from Henry's perspective. Love it to death.

[jadecantcreate]

fixation…too strong…must…….join tumblr…………

[okaybutmakeitgayer]

I dunno, I think Kremy Lecroux and Remy LeBeau would be fun. Whether they would like each other or not is up for debate. Remy would bring his cards and Kremy is dice. Anyone not from the south listening would wonder what the fuck they’re talking about because it would just fall into insane Cajun.

And then in the background, with muffled yells of Southern Drawls, Rogue and Gideon would be doing an arm wrestling contest.

[roselyn-writing]

I changed Derek’s appearance because he looked similar to my other male OCs; Black hair, Fair skin, Blue eyes and etc. I made him different by giving him a tanned skin, chestnut brown hair and his blue eyes remained lol.

Full Name: Derek Monrik.

Age: 50 Y.O.

Date of birth: 21 November 1180. (Virginian time and year).

Hair: Brown.

Eyes: Blue.

Skin tone: Tan.

Favourite food: Burgers, Steaks. French Fries.

Least Favourite food: Peanuts, beans.

Favourite colours: Brown, Blue, Black.

Aesthetics: Royal Aesthetics, Bandit Aesthetic, Police (Sheriff) Aesthetics. Prince aesthetics.

Weapons: Enchanted Sword.

Hobbies: Practice with his sword and riding his favourite white horse, He named it (Buck).

Derek is inspired by Prince Charming (OUAT). And the other princes who gone rogue. I’m a big history lover lol.

Lore

Derek Monrik was born into the Royal family of The Monriks; to a Kingdom called ‘Verdantia’.

He was the second-born child of Queen Eveliyn and King James. He couldn’t see his family, Because they were invaded by their mortal enemy Kingdom: The ‘Lothlorien’.

The Lothlorien army quickly raided their Kingdom. King James, Queen Eveliyn, and Their oldeer son, Bernard managed to find his baby brother ‘Derek’ and they escaped the Kingdom. Fleeing from the enemy.

Once, King Leonidas of The Lothlorien Kingdom entered King James's old castle. He and his wife, Queen Adaia, sat on the thrones; Declaring this Kingdom is now theirs.

He raised his hand. “I hereby declare this kingdom is ours!” Leonidas announced. His tone is laden with pride and joy.

Hours later, One of the maids brought a baby to King Leonidas. She told him that she found the baby in a hidden basket in one of the princes' rooms.

King Leonidas took the baby. He held it like he held his baby. The moment he looked at the baby, He knew it was King James's son. He had a sinister smile plastered on his face. He will raise the child so that when he grows up, He will task him to kill King James, his father, and his brother, Bernard, His real family, Which He would never know, Because he was abandoned.

King Leonidas raised Derek as his son. Because, He is sterile and he couldn’t have children. So, Derek was his only chance to experience Parenthood. And he was happy with it.

Years go by, and Derek grows up to be the best and strongest Prince in the kingdom. Known for his chivalry, strength and kindness. His name was on every tongue. Everyone knows him and love him.

Prince Derek: The Venerated Prince-Knight, was tasked by other kings to slay Dragons, Demons, Creatures, etc. He killed one of the most feared and fiercest dragons was ever known to Virginians. ‘The Latroshka’ it literally means:‘Face of Death’ in the Virginian language. Once he killed it, King Midas paid King Leonidas handsomely.

His second best achievement was the killing of the Aleazēt which was a Demoness living in a statue named by the same name: ‘Aleazēt’ She lived in a black statue of a naked woman with messy long hair.

The Aleazēt was known to corrupt people, enslave them and use them for her own purposes. He was tasked to kill her by King Oberon, King Leonidas and his soldiers camped near the Aleazēt place.

Derek managed to find her and broke the statue to pieces. He thought she was dead, So, He returned to his father to tell him about the succession of his mission.

King Leonidas looked at him. He has a neutral expression. “When you killed her did something appear?” King Leonidas queried. His tone was neutral.

Derek shook his head. “No, Nothing appeared, It just broke to pieces,”

King Leonidas facepalmed at Derek revelation. “Then, You didn’t kill her, Go back and finish the job!” He commanded with a firm tone.

Derek once again left for the statue of Aleazēt. He was astounded to see the statue there Like nothing happened! Like it was never shattered. So, Derek took his sword and started to smash the statue, Breaking it into millions of pieces. He didn’t stop until he heard a loud shriek of a woman.

In just a matter of milliseconds, He blinked for seconds, Startled by the sudden sound, he quickly looked around to find the source and that's when he saw her – a mysterious black woman with skin as black as onyx - eyes as red as garnets, and her hair falling on her face like a thick river of blackness, Lying right in front of him; It was none other than Aleazēt herself! His heart raced as he realized the gravity of the situation.

The moment she tried to escape or resist, Derek acted swiftly, drawing his sword and striking her with a forceful blow that sliced her in two; She let out a piercing scream that echoed through the air. But instead of blood and flesh, Derek was met with a cloud of black dust and sand that blinded him momentarily. With a quick reflex, he shielded his eyes and regained his focus. It was a thrilling victory, and he had completed his mission successfully.

He returned to the camp one again. He informed his father that he finally killed her. To prove it, He handed his father a potion bottle filled with black sand. That was Aleazēt remains.

His father, King Leonidas, Smiled proudly and congratulated his son. “Excellent! I’m so proud of you!” He cried happily.

To thank Derek for his help. They hosted a large and luxurious party for his honour. There, He met Princess Charlotte, The daughter of King Midas.

King Midas smiled as he introduced his daughter to Prince Derek and King Leonidas, She was beautiful, elegant but she was a spoil brat.

King Midas suggested that Prince Derek should ask for his daughter hand’s in marriage. But, He has to earn it by killing a notorious Siren: ‘Lady of the rocks’ She lived and guarded a beautiful lake decorated with rocks and rocky landscapes. It is called Lake ‘Na’rinda’

After the party, King Leonidas and his son, Prince Derek sat to discuss the next mission of Derek. King Leonidas told of him the Siren, Cordelia.

“Cordelia, The beautiful and seductive yet murderous Siren of the Na’rinda Lake, luring in all who come to the lake to pull them to their watery graves.” That was what King Leonidas told his son, Prince Derek, about the deadly yet alluring siren.

Derek was with Princess Charlotte in the royal carriage. King Midas asked his daughter to accompany them. Suddenly, The driver of the carriage stopped.

Derek exited the carriage to see what made the driver stop, The driver told him there is a big tree that had been cut down and its blocking their way. Derek strolled to the big fallen tree to investigate. He surveyed his eyes at the sight in front of him. He noticed it has been cut clean, Not by accident at all. He deduced someone made this trap.

He helped the driver and his men to remove the tree. Suddenly, He heard a loud scream coming from Princess Charlotte. A thief had stolen her golden bracelet and took off.

Prince Derek immediately goes after the thief. He knocked the person down, and he discovers that thief is a woman.

“You are a girl?” Prince Derek gasped.

“A woman.” She corrected him. Then she headbutted him then she ran away.

Prince Derek, Momentarily stunned, He got to his feets. And he vows that he will find her no matter what.

Hours later, The woman exited her cottage, she steps out of it, and she is immediately snagged in a trap, Set by Prince Derek himself.

Derek chuckled as he crossed his arms. “Told you, I will find you.” He grinned.

“Ugh, You again, What do you want?” The woman said, Her tone is laden with annoyance.

“You know what I want! give the golden bracelet back!”

“Fine, I will give your bracelet back. But! You should release me first!”

Derek rolled his eyes but he released the woman from the tree-trap. After he released her. She handed him the bracelet.

Derek wasn’t interested in the bracelet. He was pondering the woman’s face. She is beautiful.

Her skin is creamy and flawless — Her long curly black hair cascaded down her shoulders and back like a waterfall – gentle hazelnut eyes with a hint of a green colour in them. She has a slender body-build that is covered with brown and white bandit outfit.

Derek was admiring her but he realised himself and took the golden bracelet from her. He looked at her with a neutral facial expression.

“What’s your name?” He asked.

“Eevie.” She replied. “You?”

“Prince Derek.”

“Nice to meet you. ‘Prince’”

“So, What are you doing here?”

“Nothing much, Just stealing so I can eat.”

“Where’s your family?”

“I don’t have a family.”

There was an awkward silent between. Derek felt sorry for Eevie. He knew she has a tough life. He inserted his hand inside his pocket and handed her a sac full of gold. She was surprised. She looked at him for explanation.

“You need more than I do.” came his reply. His tone was firm yet full of compassion.

She smiled as she took the gold sac. “Thank you.”

Prince Derek smiled. He looked at her for one final moment. Before he leave.

“I hope we cross paths again,” Derek said then he left.

Eevie smiled. She looked at Derek’s back as he was walking away, until, He disappeared into the thick forest of trees and grass.

At this moment; Derek knew who his heart chose. And that was Eevie. He never wanted to marry someone out of power and ‘kingdoms relations’. He wanted to marry out of love.

Derek told his father he doesn’t want to marry King Midas’s daughter: Princess Charlotte. Instead, He wanted to marry out of love.

Enraged, King Leonidas demanded his son to take back his words and he’d marry Princess Charlotte, Not because of money or riches, He wanted his son to marry a noble or a royal woman. He doesn’t want his own son to defile his bloodline.

Derek looked at his father with his serious facial expression. He stated his reasons. And he will not abandon what his heart desires.

Before King Leonidas could grab his son’s hand to so he could stay and talk more. Derek looked at his father and self-exiled himself. He ran to his room. Took some possessions: Gold and clothes. Then he left the palace.

He entered the horse stable, He ride his trusted white horse and took off to the forest, Where Eevie is.

After encountering Eevie once more, he mustered up the courage to confess his love for her. To his delight, she smiled and reciprocated his feelings, and the two fell deeply in love. They decided to get married and start a new life together away from the chaos and drama of royalty. They settled in a cozy home in the woods and lived happily ever after with one another.

In modern world, Derek works as a sheriff in Moirvdonne police department and he is so good at his job.

This is the Lore of Derek Monrik. I hope you like it! 🖤🖤😊.

[anitoonart]

Cupid doodle

[kairithemang0]

someone talk to me about these shows pls I need friends

Hadestown

Spies are forever

anything starkid really

once upon a one more time (rest in peace)

Beetlejuice

SIX

& Juliet

Sweeney Todd

and like so many others but these are the ones on my mind rn… JUST TALK TO ME ABOUT THEATER

edit: OH YEAH AND TALK TO ME ABOUT MOULIN ROUGE AND NEXT TO NORMAL PLS OH MY GOSH I love Aaron Tveit way too much

[lolyourenotbensolo]

The Alderaan MirrorBright Lullaby edited to the theme of ‘Once upon a December�� ! 🥺

“Alderaan had possessed a moon for only one day of its existence. When the Death Star appeared, little children must have looked up in awe, believing the moon from their bedtime lullaby had come to their skies at last. They would've smiled up at it, pointed their tiny fingers, sung the song. Leia squeezed her eyes shut, trying not to imagine it.“ — Bloodline by Claudia Gray.

[buckywiththegoodhair86]

First Line Tag Game

Rules: Post the first lines of your last 10 fics posted to ao3. if you have less than 10 fics posted, post the first lines of all your fics

Tagged by my partner in rhyme, @doctorhelena!

Doc tagged most of the people I know, which will happen when you run in the same circles. So I’mma tag them again and add a couple more. Tagging: @roboticonography, @littlereyofsunlight, @formerlyir, @behindthelabels, @usaonetwothree, @melliabee and anyone else who wants to do it!

1. Deus Ex Alligator: "A message for you from Director Fury, Captain," J.A.R.V.I.S. informed Steve, at the same time his phone buzzed softly with an incoming message.

2. It Was Beautiful: Steve shook Sam's hand, knowing that his friend was more than capable of carrying the weight of the shield he was passing on to him, and he smiled to himself as he saw the curious spark catch in his eye as he caught sight of Steve's ring.

3. My Heart Don’t Wish To Roam: "Aw, you really think so? Well, aren't you sweet," Angie said with a laugh. 

4. We’re All Stories In The End--Let’s Make It A Good One: Peggy still wasn't sure how she had let herself be roped into this. 

5. Five Times Steve Did Not Realize Someone Was Trying To Pick Him Up (And One Time He Did): Steve set his books carefully into his cubby and picked up his lunch pail, following Bucky out into the school yard. 

6. You Found Me: Grace woke up because she wanted a drink of water.

7. A Second Chance At Keeping Him Safe: Peggy awoke with a start to an insistent pounding on her door. 

8. All I Want For Christmas Is You: Steve maneuvered up the icy steps to Peggy's apartment as quickly and carefully as he could without falling or losing his grip on the canvas shopping bags he was carrying.

9. Christmas Traditions: "No!" Steve heard James say. "Stop that!" There were sounds of motion followed by noises from Michelle that suggested while she wasn't about to start crying, she was not pleased with the current turn of events.

10. Concerning The Captain’s Honor: As Peggy was finishing up for the evening in the communications tent, she heard the sound of shouts and whoops coming from the far end of the camp that meant the Howling Commandos had returned.

[patwrites]

“We need to age Emilie de Ravin in 7x04”

“Give her that X-Men chick’s skunk stripe”

[anxi04]

tim is on the thinnest ice for becoming a supervillain. the gotham rogues don’t know just how thin it is but they are well aware that out of all the bats (yes even the red hood, yk the crime lord) red robin is the one most likely to end up joining their rogue status.

most of the batfam are not aware of this, except for bruce, cass, damian, and jason.

cass knows just from watching him cause of course she does. she also found one of his Completely Normal And Not At All Supervillain-y Plans. she has him tell her the plans so he’s not spending weeks fleshing them out and it’s more like ranting to her. she does however keep an eye on him during his bad days cause some of those plans were concerning

damian was about to kill someone (very deserved, and also very early on in his career) and tim just drops down in front of him so damian is obviously thinking “oh shit he’s gonna tell them and i’ll be cast out of the family and oh god-“ and he just. “want me to help hide it or do you got it?” damian just blinks cause what. he thought tim was gonna be the most strict on the no kill rule

tim actually deliberately let jason know cause he pissed him off once (interrupted his nap). all he did was take over jason’s gang for a week, made it seem like he was red hood without jason knowing what was going on, make it better, and then insult jason and tell him how he could’ve done it EVEN BETTER but he just didn’t feel up to it. jason has both a newfound respect and fear of tim. he’s also a little salty about just how good tim ran his gang but that’s between him and the gods

bruce knows cause one time during tim as robin he rold bruce “if you kill anyone i WILL become a villain and you are NOT prepared.” and then forced bruce to go to sleep. bruce honestly isn’t 100% sure if that was a hallucination or not but he’s leaning to not. he also just doesn’t know what he can do about it cause that kid made him eat, sleep, shower, and take proper care of himself what’s he gonna do? bench him? bench the kid who benches batman once???

steph also learns but that’s cause she stumbled upon him literally about to take that step and instead of doing anything about it just called him edgy and that was enough to shock him back. she’s not gonna become one with tim but she jokes about them having a batman and catwoman relationship and that alone is keeping him from actually doing so

[varpusvaras]

An AU in which Jason, upon returning to Gotham, gets really swept up into the whole crime lord thing, and never gets the time to go through with his revenge plan.

It starts small. He comes back and gets to work, and after a while, he has managed to carve out some of the crime from crime alley. This gets him noticed among some of the people there. One night, a group of thugs approach him, but instead of wanting to fight him, they want to work for him.

Jason, still fresh, with not much revenue coming for him yet, tells them that he isn't hiring because he cannot exactly pay them much. The thugs say that it doesn't matter, because they like what he is doing, and would like to be in on it anyway, and, well. If Jason has help managing other things, he can dedicate more time on his bigger plan, right?

Wrong. Things start to move much quicker now, and that means that more people come in and want to work for him. At this point Jason has money coming in, and he starts paying them, too, which makes more people come in, which in turn makes more money to come in as well. Jason can pay them more, and suddenly he notices a difference in many of the goons he has on his roster now. They seem happier. They joke more, many of them have better clothes on them, and they don't look so gaunt anymore, either.

Jason asks about it, once, and the goon tells him that they have had the money to buy actual groceries and new pair of boots, which makes living a lot more comfortable. They even got to buy their kid a new winter jacket! Now, if they save up a little bit, they will be able to get their kid new school books as well!

And Jason, Crime Alley boy Jason, who loved school and reading, feels his heart strings being violently yanked. Don't worry about the books, he says. I will take care of it.

At the end of the month, he has managed to organise a book delivery system for all the Crime Alley kids, where they get school books and picture books and science books about dinosaurs and angient Egypt and all that. He tells his goons that for every kid that stays in school for the semester, he will give them a bonus.

It works wonders. The amount of kids dropping out from school gets cut by 60 percent just during the first semester. The book system grows, and suddenly Jason finds himself pushing some money to get the old local library running again, to make things a bit easier. He even hires some people to run the system for him. Suddenly, he is like actually employing people. He needs an accountant. He hires one for himself, and then another one to run other funds.

Things just keep escalating after that. Local parent group starts to have meetings in the new library, and they put up a babysitting club and start a clothes exhange program as well, where you can bring all the clothes that are too small for you, and people get to take what they need home. A soup kitchen starts as well, first because the kids need snacks, and then it grows so much that Jason needs to find a place for it to run effectively and safely. Many local restaurants get into it as well, and their business starts to rise as well, because people who are fed and have warm clothes have more time and energy to seek for jobs. Many of them are still employed within just Crime Alley, though, because jobs elsewhere require an adress, and some people don't have those.

Jason thinks about himself, after his parents died, on the streets, trying to survive, and thinks never again. He tells his accountant to start budgeting for housing.

He needs to hire more people for it. He needs to run his crime empire, after all, he doesn't have the time for this.

He has so many people working for him now. There are a few thugs that were previously employed by other Gotham Rogues coming in as well, because they have heard good things about the Red Hood. The other Rogues are in and out of the prison or Arkham all the time and the pay isn't reliable and there is a high chance that you will get beaten up by one of the bats as well, and they don't really get offered medical services by their bosses, you know?

There's another thing. Jason now has to organize people to get first aid-training. And also get some sort of vaccination program going. And also get everybody dental.

It's all getting too much for him, really. He doesn't even have a high school diploma.

He mentions this to one of his goons one night, because they said that he looked stressed. Don't worry boss! The goon tells him. We will take care of things, if you want to go back to school! It would be a good example, too, for the older kids, who are still dropping out more than the little kids, you know?

So Jason goes back to school. God he loves school. He barely even thinks about his revenge plan anymore, because he is busy running his programs and studying and making plans with his goons.

He gets his diploma and then starts a community college so people can get degrees.

He then runs into an entirely new problem. The people look up to him, especially the kids. And now the kids also want to help him.

Jason, the second Robin, the bird with clipped wings, tells them no. Absolutely not. You are kids, go back to school, your bedtime is at nine.

He cannot control the older teens, though. They just tell him to fuck off and accept the help. Now train us, so we can start running the more specialized missions too. You can't be the only person jumping on rooftops. If you don't train us, we will do it anyway, dipshit. We ain't scared of you.

And suddenly Jason has his own vigilante team with him. His workers are unionizing. Some of them are actually running for the city council to get things addressed that need to be done the legal way. Crime rates have dropped by 70 percent around Crime Alley.

They can't really call it Crime Alley anymore, can they? It's Park Row again.

The bats are extremely confused by the new team. The Hoods, they call themselves. All of them with a red bat painted on their chests and fighting in an eerily similar manner to them.

Jason is not there on Thursdays. He is busy getting his English degree.

[lurochar]

The Buck Stops Here

His shadow must be punished. You find out Alastor did not put his shadow up to your little play date.

Warnings: Reader's name game sucks

18+ MDNI

Part 1 + Part 3

-------------------

“Oh, dear.”

It hit him in more than just one way as soon as he entered your shared room. He had used his shadow travel to simply slip in the hotel without bothering to talk to the others, wanting to greet you first to bring up his mood.

It had been an irritating day, dealing with territorial disputes and all. 

He hadn’t bothered to knock and just bypassed the door, emerging from the floor and expecting a cheerful greeting from you when his senses were seemingly all bombarded all at once.

The room smelled almost entirely of you – of your sweat, of your tears, of your cum.

He almost found himself thanking some unknown deity he had not called upon his shadow earlier that day, otherwise, he would have been put in a highly uncomfortable situation where he would have no other choice but to slaughter any and all witnesses.

His shadow was a part of him after all – it felt what he felt and vice versa.

Though it sometimes did go rogue.

Alastor knew his blasted shadow liked to watch and never really thought much of it, but he never imagined it would take the visuals as knowledge and actually use it against you.

“I believe I told you to behave, didn’t I?” Alastor finally spoke, watching with a tight smile as his shadow’s ears perked up – as if it was only just realizing he was standing in the room – and its head lazily lifted from its position between your legs.

You were passed out.

He vaguely wondered how long his shadow had you going for if the scent of you was this strong and taking another inhale, Alastor could feel drool drip down his fangs and his antlers growing.

His shadow had the nerve to lick the slick from its lips before it chattered at him, resting its head back on your thigh and licking the skin there. You shivered unconsciously, letting out a sigh and the shadow cooed at your sleeping form.

“What. Did. You. Just. Say?” A screech of static escaped him before Alastor could help it and he quickly looked over to see if it woke you. Luckily, it did not and he felt his eye twitching in annoyance. “You do know this is the opposite of ‘behaving’, don’t you?”

The shadow actually seemed to huff at him, snuggling deeper against you while its ears twitched wildly as if to mock him. It let out a series of chirps and titters before settling down again.

Alastor felt his own ears twitch. “Cute? She thought it was ‘cute’?” He murmured, his expression scrunching with bewilderment.

Would a moment of bliss be worth it in exchange for the humiliation? Of you stroking his ears for a bleat? Sex was the only time he could not control the damned little noises and so, he had been very careful in not allowing you to touch that part of him during.

His shadow chittered again from its place and Alastor did not give it a response. Instead, he snapped his fingers a few times, regretfully clearing the room of your heavenly scent. 

The bed and sheets were cleaned next and you didn’t even stir when Alastor cleansed you of your bodily fluids. The shadow snickered when Alastor eyed him for a moment and the snicker instantly turned into a whimper with his next words.

“Since you couldn’t behave, I won’t allow you to watch for the next week.”

(So harsh, Master!)

–

“Tell me, Darling.”

You try to talk, you really do, but how are you supposed to, with a tentacle shoved in your mouth? All you can do is let out muffled moans and heaving sobs when you feel Alastor’s fingers trail up and down your thigh.

What are you supposed to tell him?

“You have been a naughty little brat, my dearest Doe.” Alastor purred, grinning wide as more tentacles appeared from the shadows, wrapping around you and restricting any and all movement. “And brats must be punished, don’t they?”

What are you supposed to tell him!?

Alastor spreads your legs, before throwing them over his broad shoulders. “What do you want? I want to hear it from you.” He teased, just barely rubbing at your folds as you tried to bite down on the tentacle gagging you. “What would a fitting punishment be? Should I leave you wanting, needy and begging for more?”

You could feel his thumb swipe over your clit, beginning to rub the bundle of nerves in tight little circles and you clenched your eyes shut, feeling that familiar warmth heat up in your belly. You tried to arch up into his touch, but the tentacles allowed no movement.

“Open your eyes.” Alastor commanded, his thumb leaving your clit and you whimpered, quickly complying as his fingers went to stroke your cheek, smearing your slick across your heated skin, “Keep your eyes on me, dearest.”

You gasped as the appendage from your mouth retracted, drool trailing down your lips as tears began to form in the corner of your eyes, “A-Alastor.” You choked, “W-what am I… I supposed to..?” You couldn’t even finish your sentence before he cut you off.

“Should I fuck you with my fingers? My tongue? Are you greedy tonight, Darling? Do you want my cock?” Alastor smirked as you gaped at him, before throwing your head back and letting out a wail when a tentacle slid up into your dripping cunt. “Where have your words gone?”

You see stars when the tentacle jams up against that spot in your pussy and your toes curl almost painfully. “F-fu–” You panted as another appendage toyed with your clit, knowing you’re on the edge and about to fall over any second now.

“Language, Darling, language.” Alastor sighed in mock disappointment, ceasing all movement and you almost sob at your broken orgasm. Should he ask while you’re incoherent? It seemed a little more entertaining that way, certainly. “What did that damn shadow of mine tell you?” 

Huh?

What?

Your brain isn’t exactly completely in the realm of reality when you feel the tentacle slowly slip out of you, wriggling against your wet walls and leaving you clenching nothing but air. “S-shadow?” Ah, that’s right – you haven’t seen Alastor’s shadow in a day or two. “W-where is… where is Shadowy?”

Shadowy?

‘Shadowy’?

You gave it a name?

(And one as simple as that!?)

“As a result of misbehaviour,” Alastor’s grin widened, fangs gritting in irritation. He shuffled his position, “it must be disciplined. Deprivation of you – an entire week’s worth – should be sufficient in teaching it a lesson.” He gripped your hips, fucking his cock into your slippery hole. “Must you think of my shadow when I am right here, my dearest Doe?”

“H-hah!” Your eyes rolled back, feeling your arms strain as they were still restrained above your head by Alastor’s tentacles. “I-I…” It felt good, your mind felt like mush, but Alastor wanted something out of you, didn’t he? “I thought… you put Shadowy up to it.” 

Alastor gradually unravelled the appendages from your restrained arms, watching as his drool dripped down into your face while he deepened his thrusts, each deeper, harder, and faster. “You believe I would reveal such a… humiliating secret about myself?”

Your glazed over eyes seemed to gain coherency with his words. “Your shadow is a part of you, right?”  Your arms trembled. “Maybe, maybe you did? I would never make fun of you, Alastor. I love you.”

Alastor tensed, but wrapped his hands around your wrists, slowly bringing your arms up to his head. Your hands shook and his ears flattened against his skull. “Well? I would like to get this over with.” His grin seemed to wobble.

You squeezed his ears and jumped, watching in awe as Alastor’s eyes instantly shut and he quivered. “Harder, dearest.” Your warm wet walls were starting to flutter around him and he felt the sound get caught up in his throat. “Fuck!”

Once more, another squeeze.

And you finally shattered.

“A-Ala–!” You whimpered, feeling Alastor bury his face in the crook of your neck and you clamped down on his cock, just barely hearing that same sound you had heard with his shadow even through your bliss. “Alastor.” You hesitantly stroked his ears, becoming more assured when he relaxed against you.

“Fuck.” Alastor twitched inside you, shuddering after his own pleasure. He kept humping into you, trying to fuck his cum deeper in you until you whined in clear overstimulation. “Oh hush now.”

He hoped you didn’t hear it.

That sad little bleat.

“I… I like it.” You finally said after long yet comfortable silence. Alastor seemed to let out a huff and you did too. “I mean it! It’s… ‘en-deering’!” 

“Please Darling, no.”

----

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