#otp: blood moon

[flydotnet]

WHUMPTOBER 2023, DAY 5: “You better pray I don't get up this time around.” Debris | Pinned Down | “It's broken.”

Welcome to my annual Peregrineship fic, because every year is the same: I write them, I swear I'll write them more this year pinky promise, and then I just don't. That's my shtick. (Actually, Fly, it's your second ShuSere fic this year.) For real? Well, that's cool. Hasn't happened since 2019, I'm pretty sure! Yeehaw.

I honestly stared at the lyric, went "wow that sounds like Shun Kurosaki", and went from there. I'm not even in any shade of YGO mood atm, and I'm sure you can tell because I was very uninspired and it's short compared to what it could've been. Oh well! That's the trials and tribulations of a month-long challenge for you.

I did also do "It's broken" while I was it because, c'mon… It's Kurosaki. It's even odd I didn't break a rib like I usually do when it's him. See? I'm generous! I'm not a one-trick pony when I want to!

Speaking of always doing the same thing, just better each year. I didn't feel like writing canon divergent A5 crap again, so this time, I busted out an AU! Specifically, a Fire Emblem Engage AU, because it's light on storytelling but would allow me to easily have a character of obvious Japanese origins (thanks, Kagetsu!). So, in this one, I made Serena a wolf knight and Shun a wyvern knight because it made sense and also they're both classes I love playing in the game (thanks, Kagetsu! again).

I've also added a bunch of accents because this game bathes in stupid Baguettese-ish lore and I'm taking full advantage of it.

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Tooth and Nail

Summary: The battle rages on, someone falls from a wyvern, and it becomes another knight's problem.

Fandom: Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V // Fire Emblem Engage AU

Word Count: 1.3K words

AO3 version available here.

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Amidst the smoke and debris of the battle, there runs a human-sized wolf. It sneaks through the enemy hordes, a dagger taking down those who get too close in swift moves, leaving only pawprints and the ashy blood of the long-gone Corrupted behind it.

The wolf isn’t running alone, far from it. Riding it is a knight whose eyes are fixated on the sky, a dagger always in her right hand and the left on the reins of her beast. Her armour, as slim as it is, is spotted with dirt and ash, rusts and browns mixing in with the blacks and greys until the original silver can barely be spotted by the naked eye.

The enemy troops are finally dwindling after hours of sending the dead back to their graves. Good thing, because the army of the Divine Dragon is starting to get tired. She has seen so many of her allies injured and teetering, the healers tired on the sidelines and barely hanging on themselves, and so many chipped-off weapons. The Emblems help, but only up to a certain point; and they need to avoid that stage of fatigue.

She herself has just disengaged from Ephraim, which considering they’re both so silent, only changes the background noise ever so slightly. It helps focusing, she supposes, especially since she’s been sent as reinforcement.                   

Then a body falls from the sky and, without even a wink of hesitation, the wolf knight speeds ahead.

For a long moment, she can only hear her heartbeats inside her brain. No new scream reaches her ears, her hands move on their own to eliminate enemies and protect both her mount and herself. She doesn’t have time for any of the Corrupted, no matter their rank in the hierarchy of power unofficially established among them.

She only stops when she reaches an armoured wyvern that’s landed near the body. It’s a bit of relief to see her companion has managed to land on his legs, sparing so many organs and dangerous bones in his fall; but the damage is clear, and despite the already pitter-pattering of the Corrupted corpse in front of them all, there is little reassurance to be found amidst the poison.

She dismounts in a flash, but before she can rush, she watches her comrade rises to his feet – or at least attempts to.

Somehow still able to move his feet in a coherent manner, he pierces the chest of his enemy on shaky legs and with trembling arms, gritting his teeth and prying his eyes open, before falling back down. The Corrupted fades away from existence at last.

“You better pray that I don’t get up this time around,” he spits out with a glare of fire risen at the sky, his hand grippling onto his spare spear with such strength that his knuckles have turned white.

She decides enough and enough and finally runs to him, her beast in tow, her ears careful to the tracks of foes but her eyes now glued to her companion, her friend, perhaps something more whose nature she now cannot ponder on.

Unfortunately, the wyvern doesn’t see it that way – and so she has to stop in front of her feet, recognizing the battle scars and knowing gaze of a tired but fiercely protective beast of scale and claw, the strongest in their army, whose armour is nowhere near as solid as her own skin. This isn’t the sort of barrier you can go through unscathed, but here, no fight has to be fought.

“Étranger, it’s me, Séréna,” the puny human says. “You recognize me, do you?”

The wyvern leans towards her, stares at her for a moment, and leans back.

“Thank you.” She turns to her beloved mount. “Luna, please stay here with Étranger. I’m going to check up on Shun.”

The wolf nods her head up and down before she rolls into a ball by the wyvern’s paws, letting her cavalier finally finish running to her companion.

It’s about time she does so: her fellow knight is biting his lip in what must be terrible pain, eyes shut close with tears prickling at their corners, so she kneels to his level. Even putting her hands on his shoulders doesn’t cause a reaction, so she has to resort to words – neither of their forte.

“Hey, can you hear me?”

That gets him to open his eyes again, his gaze still sharp as a blade in spite of it all.

“Séréna…? ’s you…?”

His voice is raspy yet remains understandable.

“Yes, it’s me. Are you injured?”

“I guess,” he hardly replies. “Annoyin’ shit, but nothin’ deadly.”

“Let me check.”

He takes a long, good look at her; then sighs and, slowly, switches position as to have his legs available to her.

“Make it quick, the battle’s not over yet.”

“For you, it probably is.” He prepares a witty response; she doesn’t let him be. “Don’t move until I tell you to.”

Shun blows hot air out of his nose but chooses to remain silent.

Of course she’s never been a healer, has never been good at diagnosing any sort of problems, let alone find a solution for your physical hurt. All she knows is from experience, experience that’s just enough to know what’s wrong in some broad stroke. She doubts anyone in the Divine Army trusts her with precise diagnosis; but when someone needs help, or getting to someone else who can provide it, now it becomes her mission. That’s what she’s learned by fighting by the side of the Divine Army.

Anyway, Shun’s legs are hurting, that much is clear. He can’t use them properly anymore, not without tumbling like a newborn foal or screaming with every other part of his body. When she tries touching them, just to evaluate how bad it gets, his face distorts and he loudly curses in a language she doesn’t speak. One of them is bent in such a way that she can only describe it as a capital letter. If she wasn’t used to it, perhaps she’d have been choked shocked – but she’s used to blood, ash, and injuries.

“It’s broken,” she says as bluntly as possible, so it can register through his thick skull. “In fact, they’re most likely both broken. No doubt about your left one, at least, that thing’s bent.”

“Goddammit,” he curses under his breath.

“I can’t do anything about it on my own,” she admits, shame washing over her like pelting rain. “I need to bring you to a healer as soon as possible.”

“Sucks ass,” he swears again.

Séréna gets back to her foot and gives him her hand.

“Come on. We’re riding my wolf to Ruri, or whoever else’s the nearest cleric.”

He doesn’t want to agree, she can plainly see it.

“Étranger can still carry me.”

The wyvern in question loudly blows from her nostrils.

“How do you plan on manoeuvring a wyvern without being able to use your legs?”

He swears under his breath again but grabs her hand anyway and pushes himself up. She barely has the time to catch him before he falls over, pain all over his face. In the end, she decides she may as well carry him like her bride; it’ll be both easier and shorter.

For all of his bravado, once in her arms, he melts a little, letting his eyes close back down. Even his breathing seems to even out, much to her incomprehension, and it’s only now that she lets herself have her heart sunk by how vulnerable he is. It’s like it shouldn’t even happen, but now that she does know how bad he must be feeling, her strive to protect him has increased tenfold. His life is in her hands and it’s a blood-soaked honour.

As carefully as one can, she sets him on Luna’s back, then climbs on top of the mount in front of him.

“Hold my waist,” she tells him. “I’ll be careful, but it’ll hurt anyway.”

“Whatever it takes,” he replies as he spits out. “Let’s… not make this drag on.”

“Agreed. Luna, onwards.”

The wolf turns around and, swiftly, takes off back to their army’s core.

[thedemonlady]

Kayn and Akali by Alaska!

[codeopod]

So my two otps are essentially just: Physical embodiment of death and her younger social pariah purple girlfriend with mommy issues and purple lightning powers associated with a blood red moon that carries a sentimental locket and loves a dramatic waistcoat.

riiiiight…

[bluespriggan]

Borisin Moze AU

I am a sucker for angst, so get ready for the ride!

In this AU, the biggest change is that Borisins can turn any species into one of them with their blood, but everything pretty much stays the same plot wise until the scene where Hoolay knows that Moze is near and makes him leave his hiding spot. Instead of just leaving a hurt Moze to delay Hoolay message to Feixiao, the Borisin attacks Moze and infects him with his blood, slowly turning the man, Moze can only scream to Feixiao and the Trailblazer don’t get closer before fully turning and going crazy with the Moon Rage + pain.

Moze end up captured and looked away, having a hard time getting his new instincts under control. No one seems to see him as more than a monster anymore, that is, until Jiaoqiu, after healing all his injuries, is told the truth. Nothing will stop the foxian from helping Moze, not even his new developed phobia of Borisins or blindness. It will be a hard and long journey, but Jiaoqiu will do everything to find a cure, or will they learn to live with the changes?

I plan to slowly expand this AU, as I really like this two silly guys and the may or may not be my Honkai Star Rail OTP…

Here, some concepts for this AU, they are a bit messy, as I decided to do them in the middle of the night:

I really wanted Moze to don’t look like a normal Borisin, so I imagine him as bigger them the most, but smaller than Hoolay!

Moze and Jiaoqiu interacting, as a treat, lol.

As this is just a loose concept, feel free to ask me anything about this AU and if you want to do fanart, write or expand this, go for it! I would love to see!

[beanghostprincess]

[my one piece otps have two sides]

zolu: you're the moon, my stars, my universe, the blood of my enemies runs through my skin to remind myself each day what i'm fighting for. i pray to you and wish to be the only one worshipping you every night. captain, my captain-

sanuso: i found this nice rock and it reminded me of you <3

[glorious-sunset]

LBFAD Opening Artwork – Hidden Meanings

The created artworks used for the opening scenes of LBFAD (Love Between Fairy and Devil) are unique and have many hidden layers of meaning! Sheer genius on the part of the artists and designers :D Here are my interpretations of these stunning works of art.

Image 1: Bone Orchid (image above)

Although I’ve posted stills, each image actually moves. Here, flowers bloom on the Bone Orchid and leaves grow on previously bare branches around the sides. This is the original form of the Bone Orchid prior to DongFang QingCang (DFQC) transforming it into a bracelet for Xiao Lanhua (XLH) in ep. 9.

The two parts of the Bone Orchid, the crescent-moon-shaped bone and the vine of the orchid plant wrapped around it, each represent DFQC (the Moon Supreme) and XLH (who was disguised as an Orchid), and their close bond. This is a new magical artefact that DFQC created from his blood in ep. 9 (similar to Lady Yan creating the Heart-hiding hairpin). That he chose to give it a form symbolising a bond between himself and XLH is deeply significant! Consciously, he may have meant their connection through the one-heart curse, but subconsciously he already had deep affection for her by this time.

Orchid flowers blooming on the previously bare vines of the Bone Orchid represent the blooming of their love for each other. (As their love blooms, XLH bonds with the Bone Orchid to the extent that removing it would end her life by ep. 29). It also refers to the many times that XLH makes flowers bloom when DFQC does something to make her happy :D The leaves growing on the bare branches around the sides of the image symbolise XLH’s resurrection of DFQC’s Tree of Emotions and his healing process. The Bone Orchid represents the love between our Fairy and Devil which is the central theme of LBFAD, so no wonder it is the first image we see!

Image 2: Xiao Lanhua

Here XLH first transforms from an orchid flower tethered to its stem, into human form as a young and innocent girl. The white swirls around her represent her usual spiritual powers (not her green Goddess powers). When she uses her powers to repair destiny leaves, etc., her energy appears as white light (important note - we see a different type of energy later in the opening artwork!) The pink tinge to some swirls represent her femininity and affection. XLH appears weak and vulnerable but her love and tenderness are the most transformative force in the series. Her reflection in the water below shows an orchid plant only, not a girl – this symbolises the illusion of her orchid form in hiding her true identity.

Image 3: Haishi Rescue

In this scene from ep. 3, initial obstacles to their love are presented including their power differential (symbolised by her small size within his giant hands), his view of her as an object and his underlying lack of emotions. The city of Haishi is below, the giant Sun made of DFQC’s formidable Hellfire is to the left, and the floating debris represents the destruction DFQC has wrought and is trained to continue to wreak. His mission is to destroy Shuiyuntian and conquer the three realms.

XLH looks vulnerable, her cloak resembles an orchid petal, and white/pink swirls of feminine energy again surround her. However, DFQC has just saved her life and continues to shield her within a protective bubble – an important ongoing dynamic of their relationship.

Images 4-7: Flashback

Images 4-7 are artistically presented as a series of opening doors, like opening the pages of a history book. They are a flashback to events 30,000 years ago and set the scene for current events and obstacles to the love between the OTP.

Image 4: The Two Tribes

The two different tribes that our OTP belong to are presented. Shuiyuntian is light and airy, and floats above the clouds with dozens of golden birds flying in the sky. They are the emblem of Shuiyuntian (as the crescent moon is for the Moon tribe) as shown by the golden bird brooches worn by celestials. Similar to Shangque transforming into a black dragon, the true form of some celestials may also be of golden birds and they can transform into this form. The position of Cangyan Sea below Shuiyuntian, the darkness in which their people live and their comparative lack of manpower (there is only one black dragon in the image) suggests that they are oppressed by Shuiyuntian.

Image 5: Battle of Two Tribes

Prior to Lady Chidi’s sacrifice, the people of Shuiyuntian and Cangyan Sea fight each other, their forces coordinated by Lord Dong and DFQC. This is the culmination of a hundred millenia of warfare between their tribes. Again there is only one dragon, and Lady Chidi in the forefront leaps into Cangyan Sea territory to confront it. Her red cape traces her active path through the battlefield. White and red swirls of energy (+/- blood) emanate from her.

Image 6: Lady Chidi’s Sacrifice

After invading Xuanxu realm of Cangyan Sea, this is the pivotal moment where Lady Chidi explodes her spirit to seal the 100,000 soldiers of the Moon tribe. Red blood sprays from her body and her earth magic envelops the Moon Tribe soldiers, sealing them within the earth. Her sacrifice foreshadows XLH’s own sacrifice in ep. 31.

Image 7: The Capture of DFQC

After the sealing of his soldiers, a weakened DFQC with white hair is suspended within the circular Haotian tower, his arms and legs magically bound. Magical glyphs surround him to seal him in place, representing the magical seal of the Haotian matrix.

Image 8: Xiao Lanhua of Arbiter Hall

Back to the present - the series opens by introducing us to XLH of Siming Dian (Arbiter Hall). The archways in this image are similar to the archways in the lower level of Arbiter Hall. Vines grow around the pillars, symbolising that XLH’s primordial spirit is connected to the plants at Arbiter Hall. The trees behind her may represent the nearby Shuyu Forest that she frequently visits. As XLH moves to the right, new white trees start to grow in front of the black trees, demonstrating her ability to create new life and make plants grow. White swirls of her spiritual energy again surround her.

In line with her selfless and giving nature, XLH offers up her spirit! She does this four times in the series: 1) In ep. 1, she offers up her life and spirit to protect Changheng, whose destiny leaf had changed and was destined to have his body and spirit destroyed (more detail here). 2) Also in ep. 1, she fuses part of her spirit to DFQC’s, restoring his spirit and body and giving him a part of her spirit (which he later extracts in ep. 33 to resurrect her). 3) In ep. 31, she sacrifices her life and spirit to protect DFQC’s life, to resurrect everyone that died on the battlefield and free the 100,000 sealed soldiers of the Moon Tribe. 4) She promises the Great Turtle in ep. 33 that she will sacrifice her spirit to defeat Taisui and bless the Three Realms. XLH’s fate to sacrifice herself is another obstacle to her and DFQC’s love for each other :(

Image 9: DFQC’s Tree of Emotions

Thanks to XLH’s resurrection of his Tree of Emotions in ep. 1, DFQC begins to grow beautiful glowing golden leaves on its previously bare branches, symbolising his breathtaking transformation.

Image 10: The Great Turtle

I believe this is another flashback. At the end of XLH’s first life in Xishan, her parents disguised her as an orchid plant with no human form. At this time between her first and second lives, she meets the Great Turtle. The orchid flower sprouting from her hand is the new form she transforms into, and orchid petals float around her during her transformation. The Great Turtle calls XLH an old friend in ep. 9 as they have met before – in this scene.

To the left of the image is a crescent moon with a dead tree growing on it. This symbolises DFQC (the Moon Supreme) and his Tree of Emotions which was dead at that time 30,000 years ago. There is a wisp of haze around the tree indicating that it has the potential to regrow. Despite XLH’s destiny to sacrifice herself for the Three Realms (which she might have discussed with the Great Turtle here), DFQC is waiting in the wings to change her destiny!

Image 11: Our Fairy and Devil

XLH gazes upward in hope, while DFQC’s eyes are closed and his head bowed, portraying both his reserved nature and that initially he was emotionally closed off, aloof and distant. The asymmetric gold crown that DFQC wears indicates that this scene is from after their return from the mortal realm back to Cangyan Sea – XLH also wears Moon Tribe attire.

On the Bone Orchid between them are flowers in full bloom, representing their love, which is now in full bloom :D Also between them is DFQC’s Tree of Emotions, now fully regrown with gorgeous white blossoms similar to the scene where he sits beneath his tree in ep. 24.

Despite the beautiful development of their love and of their characters, war between their two tribes is imminent. The image of Shuiyuntian between them sports a red flag, indicating their impending invasion of Cangyan Sea. Cangyan Sea is outnumbered, represented by one dragon vs. dozens of golden birds, and they face annihilation at the hands of Shuiyuntian D: Another reason for DFQC to bow his head, as he faces both the destruction of his realm and the loss of his love at this time.

Image 12: Peace Reigns

Just look at the swirls of energy emanating from XLH and DFQC as they float in a boat along the Oblivion River! There are again white swirls for XLH, but DFQC has red and gold swirls for Glazed Fire!! This scene occurs after DFQC’s return at the end of the series! :D The red belt around XLH’s waist is reminiscent of blood pooling from her wound in ep. 31 when she stabs herself with the Zhengying sword. This image (and the opening theme song Jue Ai, “Farewell Love”) pays homage to both her sacrifice, and DFQC’s sacrifice in ep. 36 which produced his Glazed Fire. Only through both of their sacrifices, were they able to bring about first a ceasefire to war, then lasting peace between Shuiyuntian and Cangyan Sea, breaking through a hundred millenia of unending conflict!

Only by creating peace are they finally able to be together happily. The boat is deeply significant for our OTP - there are three situations where they are alone together in a boat during the series. XLH reminisces fondly about this in ep. 24, and Siming sends a boat for DFQC (and fireflies for Changheng!) as a sign that she knows their most significant connections to XLH. To the bottom right are the peaceful waters of Cangyan Sea with the watchful eye of a black dragon at rest. To the top left is a peaceful Shuiyuntian with Yunzhong’s watchful “Eye of Heaven” (seen in ep. 14) accompanied by a flower in bloom, symbolising peace and prosperity. The positions of each are in poetic parallel to image 4 which showed conflict – the defensive black dragon in image 4 is now restful, and the golden birds also seem to be resting :)

Here is a link to my article: How Immortals age in cdramas – clues from LBFAD

All of my LBFAD articles can be viewed with the tag #lbfad reflections (hyperlinked) and the table of contents to these is here.

[sweetestpopcorn]

Hey! Do you know how much time passed between Daemon’s death and Rhaenyra’s death?

Hi there :)

Yes, we know the exact dates they died from Fire and Blood, and actually, their deaths were exactly five months apart on the exact same day.

Daemon

"It was upon the twenty-second day of the fifth moon of the year 130 AC when the dragons danced and died above the Gods Eye. Daemon Targaryen was nine-and-forty at his death" - Fire and Blood pg. 504

Rhaenyra

"Rhaenyra Targaryen, the Realm's Delight and the Half-Year Queen, passed from this veil of tears upon the twenty-second day of the tenth moon of the 130th year after Aegon's Conquest. She was thirty-three years of age." - Fire and Blood, pg. 550

And some people still try to convince themselves they are not the OTP ☕️

[the-cinnamontography-is-amazing]

getting to know mutuals!

Thank you to the wonderful @marley-manson and @emthought for the tags! 🖤🖤

what's the origin of your blog title?

A disclaimer... You never really know what you're gonna get with me.

otp(s) + shipname(s):

Houlihawk- Mash, JoshDonna - TWW, Larrian- The Gilded Age, WInnix -BoB, Sledgefu AND SidSledge-TP I feel all my ships are basic ahahah...

favorite color:

Purples, blues and black.

song stuck in your head:

Not really in my head, but I'm currently listening to Mistaken for Strangers by The National. So so good.

weirdest habit/trait:

This is the first one that came to mind, but despite raging adhd, I cannot have multiple internet tabs open AND every time I use the internet I clear my history and cache. I'm not looking up anything nefarious of course, but I think it stems from learning all those years ago how advertsiers track you and I refusue...My school profile is the exception for research and whatnot. Just a weird habit I got into...

hobbies:

Writing, photography, editing, art/drawing, being really insane about history, movies, and tv shows.

if you work, what's your profession?

Currently a student, but before that I worked film festivals.

if you could have any job you wish, what would it be?

The desires are endless, but astronaut If we really want to go out there. Also Presidential speechwriter.

something you're good at:

Creative projects I suppose? Working under pressure and in chaos??

something you hate:

How long do we have? Right now, hypocrisy and ignorance through a good portion of the US population.

something you collect:

For the past several years I've started to collect postcards, whether I go myself, or someone brings them back. I have a huge stack of them.

something you forget:

It's usually things I've just had in my hand just seconds prior.

what's your love language:

I honestly have no idea. I like to do things for people?

favorite movie/show:

The Best Years of Our Lives, You've Got Mail, Star Wars, Twilight: New Moon, The Martian, His Girl Friday, The Philadelphia Story. I could keep going on and on hahah...

favorite food:

Any kind of potatoes, pasta, or stew. Carbs to be honest ahaha. If we're talking dessert, brownies hands down.

favorite animal:

Lions or any cats for that matter. I used to go crazy for dolphins back in the day.

what were you like as a child:

Stubborn, oppositional, kinda depressed, hyperactive. Really too aware and opinionated of the world around me lmaooo.

favorite subject at school:

If we're talking high school, history, art, and theatre. If we are talking college, Intelligence Analysis, Space Policy, and again history. I've also absolutely loved my recent Magazine Writing class for my minor.

least favorite subject:

Math all around. I really wish I was better...

what's your best character trait?

People have told me I'm very rational and level headed. I also really try to be kind and empathetic to everyone.

what's your worst character trait?

Indecision and procrastination. There's more but *right now* it's the most annoying,

if you could change any detail of your life right now, what would it be?

To have my own place. I love my parents and I'm very grateful, but there is a tax...

if you could travel in time, who would you like to meet?

Cary Grant and William 'Wild Bill' Donovan. There's a long list tbh...

Tagging if you want to join in! @pissbaby-jones @lamialamia @mstiemountainhop @resting-distressed-face @onekisstotakewithme @noneedtoamputate @atomicradiogirl @thosemessyvibes @eightysix-baby @blood-mocha-latte

Anyone else! I want to tag everyone!!!

[viridian-house]

Do you have any favorite naruto fics you’d recommend? Any pairing, complete or not, on-hiatus, gen, oneshots, anything is fine lol

I was legitimately just pruning my bookmarks the other day!! thank you so much for asking.

I don't read too much fanfic these days, and I'm picky when I do--only about grammar/punctuation and immersion though. I ship a LOT of stuff (I guess The Youth would call me a proshipper) and although I never read darkfic, I don't shy away from weirder kinks and unhealthy relationship stuff.

categorizing by pairing, if applicable. some of them are smutty, and please note that the first 3 come from FFN which doesn't have a tagging system, but there is some SA CW I'll give in advance.

KAKASAKU | my first OTP! formative fics that totally reshaped my understanding of what fanfiction could be, and how well-written chemistry can make it or break it

HOUSE OF CROWS is the quintessential kakasaku fanfic. it was written during shippuden and so is canon divergent because of that, but also tells a comprehensive story of its own right that is intriguing and well planned. excellent characterization and world building. leaves me gutted in the best way on my yearly reread.

DUTY BEFORE HONOR is another silvershine classic. I don't reread is as often as House of Crows but they are just about equal in quality. again, the chemistry between them is off the charts, and the world feels so alive.

WILL OF FIRE for me is up there with House of Crows in being essential kakasaku reading. cynchick is a multisaku champion and a wonderful storyteller. the stakes in this one are stressful, the romance tense and believable, and we once again get lovely world building and great chemistry.

ITAKISA | a pairing near and dear to me, because men who do everything wrong are so deeply relatable. they both know they don't deserve anything good ever again but they found each other!!!! ARE YOU GUYS SEEING THIS--

A SHARK HIDDEN INN THE LEAVES doesn't have my favorite version of Kisame, but he's plenty close enough. it's a lengthy oneshot that got me into certain *ahem* kinks. it is a very fun and wild fic that is entirely self-aware of how absurd it's being, and manages to have nothing but sincerity at the same time (and I highly recommend the author's other stories as well)

AN ORCHESTRA PLAYING ON, INSANE is a modern AU (extremely rare in my bookmarks) that absolutely tore my heart out. god is it SO much to ask for these losers to be happy?! yes, it is, and I love every moment of it

MADAMITO | a rarepair I am SUCH a sucker for that has some of the most talented authors writing for it. lots of them have ot3 elements between them and hashirama, often angsty, but stuff like that is part of the appeal for me, lol

A HANDFUL OF SKY is an unfinished fic that I genuinely think about like once a week. if it ever updates then I will be over the moon. technically hashimadamito but it hadn't quite gotten there yet

LIKE ALTARS is just such a beautiful piece of writing, mostly on madara. it is everything, that is all

BLOOD AND RIVER WATER is more mito-centric but has one of my favorite madaras of all time

YOURS ARE RATTLED BONES is another short, mito-centric but gut-wrenching piece featuring the opposite type of madara from the last one

OTHER | character-centric stuff that isn't necessarily shippy but also doesn't have a very "gen" vibe either?

A SERPENT IN THE RICE is a little series about orochimaru that makes me feel so so so many things. highly recommended

HERETIC is such a love letter to kushina, and kurama too. cannot stress enough how much I adore this one

there's a few others that I probably won't link on tumblr, mostly unhealthy and/or "problematic" smut hhfhdj but maybe I'll make a public rec list on ao3 for these different categories and stuff like that.

but yeah that's pretty much it!!! I know it's not a huge list with a lot of variety but it's what I've enjoyed over the last 15+ years in the naruto fandom.

[silviakundera]

Fox Spirit Matchmaker: Red-Moon Pact Ep 1-3

I love me some xanxia, so I'm jumping in. I've been PROMISED a happy ending so there had better be. Don't fuck with me cdrama!!!!

Anti-human fox spirit clan ruled by 3 terrifying women, I like them already

The scene of calculation of costs to raise a human child 😂😭

He's the descendant of a Dongfang clan who have extra special spiritual blood... as dangermousie has so eloquently argued: magical girl!! \o/

I don't really get what anyone's deal is in this drama, like why the different factions hate each other and the significance of the Grief Tree and why anyone other than the foxes care about it.... But that's standard for me with xanxia. I don't try too hard to work out the details & don't really worry about it. Xanxia is supposed to be pretty & have fantastical VIBES & I want the main couple to have a happy ending. Making plot coherent sense is a bonus, not a requirement.

Very much enjoying Gong Jun as the Extra Special™ orphan human raised among fox spirits, playing straight all the standard tropes regardless of gender. Makes everything fresh & fun.

His obvious crush on the 1,000 year old fox clan leader makes sense (anyone in his position would!). She's gorgeous, powerful, and is his benefactor. Distanced enough that she would have been perfect 'safe' crush material as a kid... But now he's all grow up

As an immortal fox, the 16 years this human child spent in their clan must have felt a blip in time. So it also makes sense she still doesn't quite understand him. It may have been the majority of his existence, but it's less than 2% of her lifespan so far. If we apply that timeframe to a human life, it's about 1 and a half days. 💁

FL sets up ML to be able to have a cathartic murder party with his parents' killers, even assigning some to stall them in a appropriately whimsical fairy manner. Crush worthy.

Him walking around all bloodsplattered later brought me back to Word of Honor.

I know he's supposed to take back over the Divine Flame Villa but I don't want him to! Stay with the foxes! (tho if this goes the traditional route, the magical girl will regain her powers & family legacy and the stern, ancient immortal love interest will soften & retire from their responsibilities to accompany their young sprite.)

All the awards to the makeup crew. Gong Jun looks the part PERFECTLY. He has this dewy look of fantasy maiden protagonist. The soft lipgloss, the bangs, the makeup softening his face! The flowing clothes. It's not too much, it feels just right. A++ 💯💯

The plaintive sad eyes ML keeps giving 👏

We already knew from Eternal Love that Yang Mi can capably play an immortal who feels distanced from mortal concerns. But this isn't a retread of Bai Qian, who was unrestrained and relished life's pleasures.

I expect that our standard love trial sidequest in the mortal world will be instead those 3 stories we saw on the trailer. If that means we can avoid amnesia & drama for the otp, sounds good to me

The white fox plotline is going to be incredibly annoying, I can tell

The big black cloud of evil lady who appears to be our Big Bad feels like another Miao Luo from Eternal Love of Dream

It's giving Belle !

[crimsonlyinglilly]

January

“may I have this dance” - Sage/Finn

a little late for January but it's here, sorry for the absence I had plans to write over the last couple of months but Real Life laughed at me for them.

I'm going to try to fill Year of the OTP with SageXFinn, partly because i have too many Elijah Pairing to pick and mostly there's a shortage of this pair.

Set in Stolen Three - Dahlia keeps her word and returns for Finn and Elijah. The oldest three grow up together under Dahlia, it isn’t pleasant.

still Finn and Sage find each other.

---

15th century 

Her glaze lazily flicked between the two opposites; the bragging soon to be groomsman arm hanging over the groom and the shy lady’s maid slipped away from her employers side to the Traven and yet even less comfortable here.

His fair hair was unruly while her dark hair was managed in a neat braid. He would be easier to led away, where she would be a challenge.

She sighed, neither were what she truly wanted.

Finn’s hair was fair during the summer months as the sun lightened it and he kept it in a neat braid. Her Finn was a fascinating mix of contrasts all on his own, after meeting him two centuries ago he had become a star in the dull existence that her immortality could be much of the time.  

Yet she hadn’t even managed to have two full years with him, her last year cut off early as he felt his sister’s hurt and aunt’s rage through the link that bound them together. He had sworn his return even as she saw his fear and panic under his mask of confidence, and yet by her count he was Late.

Two moons at least.

She hated the woman that held him more than she thought she could ever hate a person she had never met, and after centuries of being one of the strongest beings alive it was a rare reminder of powerlessness, to know there was nothing she could do.

Finn was a powerful witch, one of the most she had met in her long life. Due to the century sleep spell he claimed, but his aunt was far stronger and even if she could find and kill the woman they were joined and she would lose her Finn.

So she was stuck waiting, wondering if she would ever see him again, for all he promised, his aunt held the power and could stop him with ease, or simply threaten his siblings in a way Finn couldn’t leave them.

She had loved her siblings mostly but never to that extent, had any of them been turned she’d have never sort them out again, yet to Finn like the Mikaelsons they were a part of his world he could not live without. That love and longing was something she had only just discovered, as the date he had promised to return to her passed and she kept waiting without any thought of leaving.

He had told her with the hair he had claimed from their first almost year and the blood from their second that he would find her anywhere, but she alway returned to the place where she had first met him, even after they had traveled from it.

‘Sentimental’ she had scoffed as he called her the first they reunited and yet returning this time had brought a warmth, something that hadn’t left even as week passed. It was a heavy feeling to realise the anger at being forgotten and the waste of her time would never come because he would wait for him without problem.

He was warm sunlight to a cold immortal time.

The music shifted to a slower beat, something more at home in a noble’s hall than a Tavern. The grooms party stopped their loud laughter and exchanged glances of confusion and the groomsmen she had her eyes on pulled himself away and looked at the musicians, as he started to step away from his group she made her choice.

“May I have this dance?” Sage blinked looking away from her potential meals to find him.

Her strange witch smiled down at her, eyes glittering, she noticed his hair was winter dark and pulled up into a ponytail before braided, twin ribbons of contrasting colours, green and red, for Freya and Elijah, she knew.

She took his hand and allowed him to pull her up before taking charge, they skipped the dance floor until she had him pinned to a wall in the shadowed area of the Inn.

His back made a thump as it hit the wall but his smirk never failed as he watched her, she looked over him with sharp eyes looking for any more scars, for marks left during his time away.

His eyes softened as he realised what she was doing and she pulled lightly at the blue tunic, good quality, upper class style, likely picked out by his particular little brother.

“I’m fine.” he told her, earnest Hazel Green eyes staring into her as he cupped her face to pull her into a soft kiss, she ran her hands through from his hair as he did, each hand pulling a ribbon free and she started loosening it from the braid.

The remaining shape it was left in even with her manipulations proved he had been wearing it for a few days, he made a noise that could almost be a growl as her nails caught on his scalp.

She allowed it as he twisted them and her back to the wall almost harder than his, he pulled back for a moment to check her for any discomfort leaving most of her sight filled with him, she smiled at his face before he leant closer and started pressing kisses along her neck. 

For a moment looking over his shoulder, she spared a glance to her almost meals, both happened to be watching as well as many others, but she cared nothing for modesty. The groomsman glanced away as she met his eyes in shyness but the maid kept watching with wide eyes, to her surprise.

She did love a backbone in her pretty things, but that could come later, maybe she could join them, but first Sage was keeping Finn to herself for a few days, removing any traces of his aunt and freeing his mind from worry. 

“I’ve missed you.” He sighed into her neck, pulling her from her fantasies and plans. To him they had been apart for just a few months at most, spending the last century forced into a curse sleep to ensure he could never escape his aunt, and yet his voice echoed the ache she felt on the loneliest moments over the years.

She takes a deep breath as she gently moves his face from her shoulders to meet it and swallow anymore words in a kiss.

I would have waited forever, goes unsaid, kept in her heart, he didn’t need to know that.

---

Hopefully I'll be back with the start of Febuwhump tomorrow.

[vinjaryou]

Yuffie for the meme!

from the character breakdown ask game:

how I feel about this character

I will be totally honest with you - when I first played OG so many moons ago, Yuffie annoyed the hell out of me. She was obnoxious, she was in my face, she was a selfish brat.

She was also a teenager. Acting like an actual teenager. And she's also a war survivor.

Taking that into consideration, it makes sense. Dirge didn't do her too many favors with her characterization at times LET ME WRITE A DIRGE REMAKE SE PLEASE but OTWtaS, Remake Intergrade and now Rebirth have made me appreciate and love her a helluva lot more. She's still got that obnoxious streak in her, still headstrong at times, but she's also going to stand up for what's right, even if that means getting right in your face and irritating the hell out of you. Hell, she was the ONLY one who stuck up for Barret when he was getting shit on in Corel - and despite Barret telling her to stop and that he deserved their ire, you could tell he also appreciated it, and that she was genuinely defending him. She even jumped in to help during the battle in Costa del Sol against Hojo's Grasptropod, before joining the group proper.

And she's still a kid, too. She gets into the Gold Saucer welcome dance and even gets Tifa and Aerith into it. She challenges Cloud to a video game, and goofs off with him in the Skywheel to avert their awkward silence. She sings when she's bored/when the group is victorious in battle, and her friendship with Nanaki is adorable. Also, two words: Cloud Jr.

I can't wait to see her in Wutai in R3 (do not fuck this up, SE), especially when she runs into Godo. PLEASE give us Yuffie and Godo interactions.

All the people I ship romantically with this character

No one.

Yes, even when she's "of age." I don't ship her romantically with anyone. Yuffie's always been aroace to me - that's not to say that she won't get invested in her friends' relationships or be their cheerleader. You need a hype woman to get your crush's attention? Tell Yuffie who you have a crush on, and she is ON IT.

My non-romantic OTP for this character

Platonic Yuffentine; the unlikely friendship is wonderful, and it's one of the things that Dirge did right in their characterization, in my opinion. I also love the sisterly bond she has with both Aerith and Tifa, and can just imagine the shenanigans she and Aerith got into on the Skywheel~

And Sonon. Dear gods, the bond she had with Sonon ;; The way she screamed at the plate drop is right up there with Cloud's scream when he finally snapped out of his coma... in time for Zack to die.

My unpopular opinion about this character

I don't ship romantic Yuffentine. At all. It's never made sense to me.

However, I love their unlikely friendship, and I hate when that's undermined or played off as "Vincent can't stand having her around," "she's just an annoying teenager," et cetera and so on.

Sure, she's an annoying teenager that he can't stand... that also saved his ass, more than once (and vice versa), even carrying him back to the Shadowfox with what would've been a fatal wound on a normal human being.

Can you imagine what had to have been going through her head during that? The possible flashbacks and potential PTSD from the Wutai War (and Aerith's death) while she's carrying back her unconscious friend, who's covered in blood, with a gaping wound in his chest where a normal person's HEART would be???

But sure, she's just an annoying teenager.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

Since I already mentioned needing to see her and Godo have a confrontation in Wutai...

Give her a final showdown with Scarlet. Hell, let it be her, Barret, and Tifa versus Scarlet - the three with the biggest grudges against "the bitch in the red dress" yes I stole that from Krauser oops get to finally give her her due.

[thegrunkiest]

For you! I received this from a mutual and am pulling you in on the fun of you haven't received one already!

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Spread the self-love ❤️

Thank you for the ask, Unironically! 😊 My 5 favs:

Blood Brothers - A pro wrestling fic

Despite what it may seem due to my long hiatus, I still consider this fic my baby; I've poured my heart into what is currently public and am enamored still with the plans I have for it. I consider it the closest in quality to a professional work that I've achieved so far. I've learned so much while writing it 💗

2. Feel For You - A TES fic

This is a fic dear to my heart; a concept I had struggled for years to convey in the way I want it to. I'm not a dedicated shipper so to make a work I'm satisfied with about my ultimate OTP makes me happy. I'm also ecstatic by the reception I've received for it!

3. Temper - A Pokémon fic

This is my greatest personal example of a success story with 'pantsing' or writing a fic in one go, with minimal revision. I first wrote this on a tiny notepad! I'm also happy with how I wrote Guzma's character, considering that when I wrote the fic, Pokémon Sun and Moon were fresh and I had yet to play it.

4. No Pain In The Void - A TES fic.

Above all the types of relationships I write for Lucien, the ones closest to me are the familial relationship between him and the Shadowscales, as well as a complex headcanon between Lucien and Mathieu. This is by far my best portrayal of a retrospective of these relationships.

5. Feliz Navi-Dead - A pro wrestling fic

Believe it or not, this fic had me getting into the Christmas spirit for the first time in years. I feel like I captured a perfect blend of emotions, and finally got to explore more of the familial dynamic I headcanon for Gangrel, Luna and Christian. It felt like a true Christmas special.

[thistlecatfics]

I kept trying to find a soulmate fic I liked enough to rec, and I just couldn't manage. BUT since Remus and Sirius are soulmates in every universe and my forever OTP, here's a wolfstar rec list featuring one canon-compliant fic, one canon-divergent fic, and a variety of AUs.

Map of the Problematique (D.M.L.E. Evidentiary File 142-3b.) by SullenSiren (lorax) (15k, E)

"He's going to make it a RULE." Before they went their separate ways, Moony, Padfoot, Prongs, and Wormtail shared a flat. The flat had rules. This is how it went.

Buy the Stars by wilteddaisy (taotu) (23k, E)

Sirius Black, respectable pureblood patriarch and heir to the Black family fortune, has a wife and three children at Hogwarts. Defence Against the Dark Arts professor Remus Lupin wrestles with the aging wolf inside of him. When Black offers him a hand, Remus reluctantly takes it.

Recto Verso by zambla (8k, M)

Love in the time of the 1984-5 coal miners' strike. Remus is a geologist working for an independent assessment of a disputed coal mine in his hometown in south Yorkshire during the strike. He meets a communist agitator.

under the blood moon by iamsiriuslyriddikulus @fvckyouimaprophet (40k, E)

A Wizarding War has been raging for several years with no end in sight. When Lily learns how to infuse Dark Magic into her music, Remus and Lily work together to take justice into their own hands.

White Sheets, in the Closet (or: the earth from a great distance is perfect and whole) by tahtahfornow (12k, M)

Remus says: You ever seen the inside of a loony bin. (South Georgia, 1961-1962. Hurried kisses in hostile climates.)

57th Street On Fire by Suchsmallhands (30k, M)

It's the 90's and springtime in New York. Remus is dealing cocaine, Sirius is looking to get high. He felt a twinge of paranoia. He thought, This is a junkie. One way or another. You don’t take walks with people you sell cocaine to. And he might be rich. Do not say yes. He’d never seen grey eyes quite like that before.

The Barking of Dogs by houseofhebrideanblacks (14k, E)

Sirius Black leaves the hospital with a leaflet for NarcAnon. Remus Lupin isn't an alcoholic. They meet at a methodist church in South London, Thursday, 9 pm.

A Dark and Silent Overture by eyra (10k, M)

He was smiling to himself, eyes still closed, and Sirius hadn't known at the time - but by Fifth Year would realise well enough - where this Remus had come from. He was always a little wild, somehow both impossibly distant and blindingly, achingly present, all at once, and in the beginning Sirius had ascribed it entirely to Remus's own innate nature or some sort of slight chemical neurodivergence that made him just a little bit more than the rest of them; a little bit magic, a little bit mad. Freer than the others. A tempest in an otherwise still ocean. The boys at boarding school, told in libraries and cloisters and too much alcohol and the way Remus thinks none of it matters, anyway.

No Bright Line by lady_grey (106k, E)

In which Sirius is a famous actor who has stopped believing in authenticity, Remus is a historian with a complex relationship to memory, and Lily is the brilliant filmmaker who brings them together. James and Harry are there too, although they mostly just want to enjoy the beach.

My other recs for @hprecfest here

(For the lovely folks at @hprecfest, no pressure to reblog this one because I know I'm cheating!)

[blackwood4stucky]

Writer's Questions Game

Tagged by @caplanbuckybarnes

Rules: In a new post, answer the questions below!

1. How many works on AO3? 23

2. Total AO3 Word Count? 76,583

3. Top 5 fics by Kudos? All Stucky

hoping these roses dull the pain, cover the scars and turn the page

call of the moon

echoes of crystal springs

do you trust me with your scars enough to show me your heart 

the house on eighth street

4. What fandoms do you write for?

Anything with Chris Evans and Sebastian Stan characters

5. Do you respond to comments?

Yes

6. Angstiest Ending?

Hmm, maybe this one: i scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream

7. Happiest Ending?

Lol this one is angst with a happy ending: maybe we’re just born with stardust in our blood

8. Do you get hate?

No 🙌🏾

9. Do you write smut?

Yes

10. Do you write crossovers?

Yes

11. Ever had a fic stolen?

No 🙌🏾

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

No

13. Have you ever co-written a fic?

No

14. All time favorite ship?

Other than Stucky lol? Other otps include Dramione, Kalijah, Klaroline, Itafushi, and Narusasu

15. WIPs you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I wanna finish all my wips actually.

16. Writing Strengths?

Pretty language, maybe?

17. Writing Weaknesses?

Actually writing the ideas down, I struggle with inspiration and motivation sometimes. 😕

18. Thoughts on mixed language dialogue?

As long as I can get an explanation somewhere in the fic, within the chapter, the next chapter, and overarching plot, I'm all for it.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

A crossover between Fresh (Sebastian Stan as Steve Kemp) and The Gray Man (Chris Evans as Lloyd Hansen)

20. Favorite fic you’ve ever written?

Oooooof this is hard. Let's just say whichever fic I'm currently writing at any given moment is my fav... so this one right now: do you trust me with your scars enough to show me your heart

no pressure tags: @ellethespaceunicorn, @dvrkblooms, @adarkforestwitch, @readmymindao3, @kingofsorrow20

[sofya-fanfics]

Last moments

Fandom : The Vampire Diaries

Relationship : Damon x Elena

My Year of the OTP 2025 contribution for the prompt : Major character death.

I’m sorry for the mistakes, English is not my native language. I hope you like it.

Summary : If Damon had to die for Elena to stay alive, he was ready to die.

Disclaimer : The Vampire Diaries belongs to L. J. Smith, Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec.

@yearoftheotpevent

AO3 / FF.NET

Who could judge him ? Everything Damon had done, he had done it for the of love of Elena. And if he had to sacrifice himself for her, he would do it without hesitation.

A month had passed since Elena had turned into a vampire. Even if the transition had been difficult for her, she was controlling herself and she could be in the presence of humans. She and Damon were both at the entrance to the forest. It was a shortcut to go to the hospital where blood bags were waiting for them. Damon looked at the moon and he opened his eyes wide. It had been several days since a pack of werewolves had settled in Mystic Falls and tonight was the most dangerous night for vampires. Tonight was a full moon.

Why had he accepted that Elena accompany him ? If something happened to her, he would never be able to forgive himself. Suddenly, he heard it, the howl of a werewolf. Elena looked at him, frightened. They both knew what it meant. A wolf was not far from them. The beast's footsteps came closer. If they ran away now, they would be noticed. Damon grabbed Elena's arm and they hid behind a tree. He signaled Elena to be quiet and listened carefully. The werewolf was getting closer and faster. Damon looked at Elena. He had to protect her.

“You're going to go home as soon as possible,” he told her.

Elena opened her eyes wide, understanding what he wanted to do.

“I'm not leaving without you.”

Damon grabbed her shoulders.

“Elena, do what I tell you. Run as fast as you can and go home.”

She did not move.

“Nothing will happen to me,” Damon tried to reassure her. “I promise. Now run.”

Elena headed for the Salvatore house, while Damon headed for the werewolf. He had to play for time so Elena could escape. He ran several meters until he finally saw him.

“Hey !” He shouted.

The werewolf turned and looked at him, growling. That's it, Damon thought, focus on me. The werewolf was about to lunge at him, when he suddenly stopped and ran in the opposite direction. No ! He must have heard Elena. Damon ran after him at full speed. He had only one thing on his mind, to catch the werewolf and kill him before he attacked Elena. He finally saw him. He was ready to attack Elena. Without hesitation, Damon ran as fast as he could and stood in front of her.

“Damon !” She screamed.

He let out a howl of pain. The werewolf had bitten him on the leg. The pain was so violent that for a moment he thought his leg was going to be torn off. He gathered his strength, grabbed the werewolf that refused to let go of him and threw him violently against a rock. Damon did not take the time to check if he was still alive. He took Elena in his arms and left the forest as quickly as possible while he still had the strength. In barely a minute, they were inside the Salvatore house. Damon released Elena and fell to his knees, wincing. His leg was hurting more and more. She crouched down next to him and rolled up the bottom of his pants. The wound seemed to be getting infected by the second.

“Oh no,” she whispered.

She looked up at the stairs, hearing noise upstairs.

“Stefan !” She called.

Stefan came down and he rushed to his brother.

“What happened ?” He asked.

“We were attacked by a werewolf,” Elena answered.

Damon stood up with difficulty, trying to hide the pain he felt. He felt like his whole body was shaking.

“After the blow I gave him,” he began, “I'm sure that damn wolf didn't survive. At least we'll be safe.”

“Damon...”

“Stop wearing that gloomy expression Stefan. I'm fine.”

He headed for the living room, pretending that everything was fine. He refused that his brother or Elena saw him dying. He took a few steps, but his head started to spin. He put his shaking hand on the wall, trying to regain his senses. It was the second time he had been bitten by a werewolf, but this time, he felt like the pain was spreading faster. He fell forward. He heard Elena and Stefan calling him, but their voices seemed far away. And darkness invaded him.

******

Damon slowly opened his eyes and saw that he was in his bedroom. He felt like he had been asleep for hours. The dream he had had then came back to him.

He was in 1864 and he was human. He was attending the Founders' Ball. He saw Katherine dancing with Stefan. The jealousy he had felt for over a century resurfaced. Stefan. For Katherine, there was only had Stefan. Why had she chosen him ? Damon loved her. He loved her more than anything. He was even ready to give up his human life for her and become a vampire. He was about to leave the room when he saw her. Elena was there too and she looked so sad. Damon stared at her. How could she be here ? It was impossible. That was when he heard her. She was asking him not to give up, not to die. And even though he knew it was impossible, he promised her that he would not give up. Because all he wanted was to see her smile again.

His dream had ended like this. He let out a small laugh. Even in his dreams, he could not keep his promises. He heard footsteps in the hallway and after a few seconds, the door opened. Elena came in and she sat on the chair next to his bed.

“How are you feeling ?” She asked.

Damon smiled at her. He did not want to worry her any more. He took her hand and squeezed it lightly.

“It's okay. Don't worry.”

“I'm so sorry. If I had been faster, I could have...”

“It's not your fault. If I had to do it again, I would. The important thing is that you are okay.”

Tears ran down her cheek. It was true, he did not regret anything. And if he had to die for her to stay alive, he was ready to die.

“Where's Stefan ?” Damon asked.

“Downstairs, with Bonnie. They're trying to find a way to heal you.”

Damon nodded. He never would have imagined that Bonnie could help him. He would have even thought that she would have been the first to celebrate the day of his death. Suddenly, a violent pain ran through his body. He closed his eyes for just a few seconds. He opened them again and he saw Katherine in Elena's place. What was she doing there ? What had she done to Elena ? But he was sure of one thing, when Katherine was around, it did not bode well. Katherine smiled maliciously at him.

“Katherine.”

“What a shame,” she smiled. “To die knowing she would never love you. That she'll always love Stefan.”

His breath was irregular. Anger was rising inside him. He knew. He knew all along that Elena loved Stefan. But hearing Katherine telling him, made him furious.

“It'll always be Stefan,” she continued.

He jumped on her. He grabbed her neck and pinned her against the wall. His veins showed under his red eyes.

“Shut up Katherine !”

“Damon !”

Katherine opened her eyes wide, suffocating. But something in her gaze had changed. It was not the malevolent look he knew. He realized she was not Katherine, but Elena. He let go of her quickly, scared of what he had almost done to her. He had almost killed her, thinking she was Katherine. He did not even dare to imagine what would have happened if she was still human. He moved as far away as he could, finding himself at the back of the room.

“Go away !” He said.

“Damon.”

She approached him, but Damon gave her a murderous look.

“I'm dangerous, go away !” He shouted. “I don't want to hurt you."

But Elena did not listen to him and came closer.

“I'm not leaving, do you hear me,” she said. “I'll stay with you.”

She was now a few inches from him. Damon raised his hand gently towards her, afraid of hurting her. He brushed a lock of her hair away and stroked her cheek. His strength was leaving him again and he fell on the floor. He woke up a few hours later in his bed. Elena was sitting next to him and holding his hand. Despite her smile, he could see that she was holding back her tears.

“The news is not good ?” He asked.

“I'm sorry, Bonnie didn't find anything.”

Damon nodded. Even though Bonnie was a powerful witch, he knew there was nothing she could do and he was sure Klaus would refuse to help him again.

“We'll eventually find another hybrid, half vampire, half werewolf, who will save me,” he smiled.

Elena stood up and lay down next to him, not taking her eyes off him. Damon took her in his arms and she rested her head on his chest. She was not ready to let him go, not now. Tears streamed down her face. A year ago, she would never have believed it possible, but little by little, Damon had managed to have an important place in her heart and she could not imagine her life without him. If only things could have been different. If he had not made her forget their first meeting, maybe everything would have been different between them. She had resented him and had turned to Stefan. Stefan represented a security, he had been there when she needed him after her parents died. But Damon. Damon was such an important part of her life. When she was near him, she could feel this consuming passion, a sincere love that scared her. She was afraid of letting herself go completely to her feelings.

“I wish things were different,” Damon said, as if he were reading her mind.

Elena looked at him and approached her lips. She did not want to be afraid of what she felt anymore. She had wasted too much time. If only she could have understood how much Damon meant to her before it was too late. They slowly moved away from each other. She was crying harder.

“I love you,” she told him.

Damon smiled at her tenderly. It did not matter if it was true or not, he just wanted to enjoy this last moment with her. He hugged her a little tighter and kissed her again. He gently wiped the tears that were streaming down her face. The pain was getting more and more intense. He knew it was almost the end.

“It’s going to be okay, don’t worry,” he whispered, exhausted.

“Damon, no.”

Not now, she thought. He could not die, he should not.

“I love you,” he said.

He closed his eyes one last time. He heard her calling his name, begging him not to die. But her voice grew more and more distant. He understood what Rose must have felt when she told him that she was no longer afraid, since he too had just spent his last moments with the woman he loved.

The end