#otp: i fear no fate (for you are my fate)

[illumiera]

i love playing around with knight x fair maiden tropes with miraak and elentari. even though elentari is as much dragon as she is fairytale maiden. even though miraak is at once knight, dragon, and maiden in a tower. even though miraak's version of "knight kneeling to pledge himself to his lady" is more like "feral demigod kneeling and asking if he can bring her the heads of her enemies please please please"

[kori-senpai]

HOI im still on the ground crying and gazing at ur art ;w;w;w; but i wanted to ask if it's alright if i link ur art in the notes of grapevine!!! 🧡🧡

Haha, yes of course!! I'd be honored beyond measure ଘ(੭ˊᵕˋ)੭* ੈ✩‧₊˚

Im happy you liked the drawings. I heard so many horror stories about authors randomly blocking and ignoring fan artist and that's why it took me so many years to actually draw fanart for something. But your fic just-- ugh. I HAD to! So thank you for giving me the boost to overcome that little fear :))

[illumiera]

@bougainvillea-and-saltwater I think Jia and Miraak might like these as much as Ellie and her Miraak would... 😊

I want these as windows in my house

[allwaswell16]

All the One Direction fics I read and enjoyed in Sept 2024. You can listen to my podcast to hear me talk about each of these fics as well as an overview of what was posted on ao3 including the fics on this month’s fic roundup [ @1dmonthlyficroundup ] which you can find here! Please let the writers know if you liked the fics by leaving kudos and comments! Happy reading!

Fanfictional Podcast #66 |  ko-fi | fic recs

- Louis / Harry -

🩵 Better is the End by LadyLondonderry / @londonfoginacup

(M, 26k, Greek mythology) Louis stands at the entrance to the labyrinth, and knows that this is the end. No one escapes from the labyrinth. No one can defeat the monster inside and make it back out alive.

🩵 Sugar, Sugar by @parmahamlarrie

(E, 25k, sugar daddy Louis) Meeting your soulmate was the most joyous event of one’s life… or at least, it’s supposed to be. Harry, in all of his 25 year old wisdom, was suspicious of the role fate plays in everyone's lives. He'd rather focus his time dating older men he meets off of a sugar baby website.

🩵 Break (Up)? Coming Right Up! by The_Halcyonic_Lachesist / @chai-hat-tea

(M, 14k, breakup) Louis promised Harry that they would always be together, but when Harry's dreams get in the way, will Louis be able to keep his word?

🩵 Like A Miracle by crimsontheory / @ireallysawanangel

(M, 12k, established relationship) Louis thinks he finally knows what it feels like to be truly nervous now that he has one very important question to ask his boyfriend. Part 4 of Marcel series

🩵 touch me baby, put your lips on mine by @insightfulinsomniac

(E, 12k, pwp) the soft and sweet sex party fic with a dash of dom/sub dynamics and a LOT of public sex.

🩵 Smells Like TEAM Spirit by @persephoneflouwers

(NR, 10k, high school) Punk Louis and quarterback Harry have been secretly dating for years. Feeling overwhelmed by his commitments, Harry suggests a short break, fearing he can't give Louis enough time. As Louis reflects on his vulnerabilities, Harry struggles on the field without him.

🩵 This Ain't Red Wine by LetTheMusicMoveYou / @letthemusicmoveyou28

(E, 9k, supernatural) the one where Human Louis accidentally finds himself at a Vampire only party which actually turns out to maybe not be the worst thing

🩵 Haunting Beauty by 4ureyesonly28 / @evilovesyou

(G, 6k, ghost Louis) It’s 1988. Harry has just finished his first year of teaching English and looks forward to a relaxed break. Louis is a poltergeist and has different plans for Harry’s summer.

🩵 Good-Old Fashioned Lover Boy by not_fitzwilliam / @not-fitzwilliam-darcy

(NR, 5k, omegaverse) When a miscalculated decision leads to an accidental courtship with the sweetest, most gentle alpha, Harry is torn between breaking the alpha's heart and telling the truth. 

🩵 we could be enough by @hellolovers13

(M, 5k, omegaverse) Louis never imagined anyone could love him for who he truly is. Then he meets Harry.

🩵 Only Angel by starryhaze / @starryhaze28

(E, 5k, pwp) the one where Louis is in Japan and stumbles upon a boy wearing angel wings

🩵 this cage was once just fine by amomentoflove / @daggerandrose

(T, 3k, uni) the one where Harry pines for Louis

🩵 A Tight Space by @haztobegood

(T, 2k, shapeshifter curse) Louis startles with a hand to his chest. “What the fuck was that?” “Oh, that’s the cat. I told you Liam found a stray a few days ago. That’s him.” “Are you sure that’s a cat?”

🩵 The Wilds - Timestamps by @jaerie

(E, 2k, omegaverse) The fact of the matter was that they were still bonded. And since they were just like any other bonded pair, Louis really wanted his knot. Part 3 of The Wilds

🩵 we could be the greatest team by 5sexualhomos / @hogwartzlou

(G, 1k, friends to lovers) Imagine your OTP accidentally and unofficially moving in together. Bonus points if they aren't dating at the beginning.

🩵 Singing Like a Bird 'Bout It Now by QuickedWeen / @becomeawendybird

(G, 1k, meet cute) Dr. Louis Tomlinson is worn to the bone, but only has a few patients left before the end of the day. One of those appointments takes quite a few twists and turns.

🩵 The Ball Guy by @homosociallyyours

(T, 1k, humor) Harry is an unpaid intern on his first film set, and he's pretty excited to see that his number one celebrity crush, Louis Tomlinson, will be a part of the movie. He's on the call sheet for the day, followed by a very odd addition: a ball guy?

🩵 Wordplay 2024 (series) by @kingsofeverything

Nest (G, 100 words) Harry wakes up first. Tight (NR, 100 words) Louis comes home early. Carry (NR, 100 words) Baby bump. Press (E, 100 words) Louis asks for it. Interference (G, 100 words) Bottom of the ninth.

- Rare Pairs -

🩵 circling the truth by we_are_the_same / @so-why-let-your-voice-be-tamed

(T, 3k, Liam/Louis) Liam Payne has met his soulmate. He knows he has, because he woke up with his power this morning.

🩵 'Cause What I Want Came True by @lululawrence

(NR, 1k, Louis/Diego Luna) He’d known Diego was attractive, the few photos he had shared on the dating app had made that clear, but there was something about seeing him in person that made him feel… more.

[polutrope]

Throwback Thursday

Rec one of your fics written at least a week year ago and tag other writers.

Thanks for the tag @zealouswerewolfcollector!

Love the idea of this tag game but a week old fic being considered a throwback is sad to me (I usually take longer than that to get to an update and continue to hope people will get to mine long beyond a week).

ANYWAY, I got a lovely comment on A Secret Chord earlier this week. This fic is near and dear to me. The first smut I shared with the world, and an outpouring of love for my OTP, Daeron/Maglor.

Rated: E, 6.7k.

When the world goes silent, my heart breaks. In Doriath, they blamed me for their fear when the nightingales ceased their singing; when the trees no longer hummed to one another; when my pipes no longer made beauty of disorder; when my stories no longer lent meaning to their confused thoughts. True – I have a gift for music and for tales, but I am not so great as that. I am nothing without love to awaken me to Song.  Lúthien’s Song kept mine alive, but from the beginning our love was imbalanced, at times even discordant, though few would have known it to hear us together.  I would not have known it if fate had not led me to find another – he still called himself Macalaurë then – in a swirl of heady celebration, to discover in the joining of our Songs and bodies a height of ecstasy we did not know was possible. We had been accounted great among our people even before, but after that night, and the nights that followed one upon the other in a haze of desire, we were peerless.

Read the rest.

Tagging @melestasflight @cuarthol @ettelene @meadowlarkx @jouissants @imakemywings @swanmaids @swanhild @gwaedhannen @camille-lachenille @elevenelvenswords to share a "throwback", however you want to define that, if you like!

[fang-and-feather]

Ikemen Vampire - Shakespeare/Vincent/Reader - Magic AU/Magical Reader

Prompt(s): AU of your choice from Year of the OTP August by @yearoftheotpevent and Reconnection AU by @augustwritingchallenge

Summary: Meeting you again was a coincidence and Will was willing to walk away, for your sake. You and Vincen had other plans, though.

I think this is one of the polyam ships that I wrote that makes the most canonical sense...

Next Chapter / IkeVamp Masterlist / General Masterlist / AO3 Link

William Shakespeare’s love story could easily be one of his plays. At least, this last time, someone had a happy ending.

He hoped so. He wanted to believe that you and Vincent had returned to each other despite his attempts at breaking you apart.

Will told himself his actions were just for the sake of seeking inspiration. Looking back at it, he had been jealous. Of both of you. The friend he refused to acknowledge his love for was more than a platonic bond, and the woman he feared his growing feelings for, even before someone put a name to them. Jealous of the bond you shared, afraid of the feelings awakening in him, afraid to be left behind.

In the end he was left, more than a century behind. And it was for the best. For you and Vincent, who were safe and happy, and maybe for him, since the tragedy fueled his work. There were three of you. Someone would be left to suffer, no matter how the story had unfolded.

Even when his time caught up, Will didn’t plan to meet you again. Fate had other ideas, though. Will never thought he would see you by accident, in Paris of all places. What were you two doing back there? Hadn’t you gone back to your home country?

But the sight that caught his attention on the other side of that cafe’s window wasn’t a figment of his imagination, the illusion of a lonely heart’s desire.

The two of you looked so happy together as he expected, but Will couldn’t help but feel bittersweet about it. The flames of jealousy still burned in his chest at the sight of the happiness he could never have, and that was why he had to stay away.

Determined to leave before any of you noticed him, Will turned around but he hadn’t taken three steps when an energy like a whirlwind surrounded him, making him stop in his tracks. It was human magic, not strong enough to deter him, a vampire if he wanted to fight it. But it was also your magic. He would recognize that enticing signature scent anywhere, and that was what made him actually stop.

Will sighed when he heard you leave the shop, and the power surrounding him subsided. He still wanted to leave, but he couldn’t. Not in front of you.

“Why are you running away, Will?” You held his arm from behind, but he didn’t turn around.

You were speaking in a low voice, and Will noticed the attention you were getting from people walking by. Another reason to end this soon.

“After what I did to you, it is safer that our paths do not cross again. Return to his side and forget this meeting.” He gently extracted himself from your grasp, finally turning around to look at you. “Goodbye, my fair maiden. I will pray for your happiness. Although it may not be my place to, after my efforts to destroy that very happiness.” He kissed the back of your hand before attempting to let go.

But you only held his hand tighter, meeting his eyes with determination in your gaze.

“I have already forgiven you, Will. I know why you did that. In the end, having some time apart to think was the best for all of us, but it’s been too much time for you, hasn’t it?”

“You are too kind, my lady, but I don’t deserve such kindness. I cannot guarantee I won’t repeat the same mistakes. Right now I am torn between that wish for yours and Vincent’s happiness and the desire to steal one of you away.”

You only held his hand tighter and smiled, almost with a hint of laughter in it. He felt the wind around you shift, your powers wrapping, not around him, but an area around the two of you, right when Vincent stepped out to join you. The passersby also stopped paying attention to you. Were you hiding them? Why?

Vincent approached with his usual angelic smile, and standing by your side he took both yours and Will’s free hands.

“Why do you have to steal only one of us? We missed you. We came back to Paris to see you, and we were just talking about how we’d like to steal you ourselves when we met. Can we?”

“Vincent… You know a friendly reunion is not what I meant. I…”

“That’s not what we meant, either, Will.” You chuckled, oddly amused by such a serious situation. “We love you. Both of us. And we would like you to be our partner, if you want.”

Both of them? There was nothing that would make Will happier but…

“How can that be? Love shared by three people can end in nothing but tragedy.”

“Why? We love each other, and as long as we’re willing to make it work, why can’t we all be together?”

Seeming to notice Will was still trying to process what they were saying, Vincent took over before you said anything else.

“It is a lot to explain. I was confused when she told me, too. Would you at least listen to what we have to say, Will? If you still want us to go away afterwards, we will, but would you at least listen and think about it, please?”

You and Vincent looked at him with such hopeful eyes, Will found it hard to say no. But would he dare hope? Would he dare attempt to love someone again, especially when your idea of it sounded so unbelievable?

But the thought of returning to the life he’d been leading since losing you and one more look at these pleading eyes of the people he loved and Will knew his answer.

“Do you really want to risk spending time with me, no matter what my answer may be?” He still asked, hesitantly.

Both of you nodded without even taking the time to think. That was the final push he needed.

“Then I will listen.”

There is a possibility of this fic's rating going up in later chapters but it wasn't decided yet

Next Chapter / IkeVamp Masterlist / General Masterlist

[sycamorre]

Can I please get the whole girl gang with Ori, Mela, Vaela, and Riven!

[send me a character]

Oh boy you're making me do my homework over here!

Oriana —

Favorite thing about them: I'm going to be incredibly non-specific and say that her growth as a character was my favorite part of playing her. She started out as this uptight, dutiful monk who was scared to show her own face too much for fear of making people mildly uncomfortable (and honestly to avoid invasive questions) to someone who was finally getting comfortable with who they were was such a blast. I love her newly-acquired confidence and the dynamic it brings to her post-campaign. She's far from perfect, and never will be, but she's maturing and making a new purpose for herself other than being someone's errand girl.

Least favorite thing about them: She is the worst pessimist in the world and sometimes her logic is so quick to jump to the worst conclusions that she literally puts her foot in her mouth. And it hurts for me to write that every single time due to secondhand embarrassment but I have to commit.

Favorite line: "She loved you! She still loves you!" at the Prince during the final fight while she's trying to distract him (or something like that). Or Ori's first jab at Damak "Maybe you would see more of it if you stepped out of the shadows" since it still makes me chuckle.

brOTP: Even though the Ori/Damak ship didn't sail, I still think they probably stay pretty close and end up working together on jobs in the future. They absolutely still push each other's buttons, but that's just how they are and they don't question it.

OTP: I am so mad at myself retroactively for not giving into the OriRanna feels by the conclusion of the campaign but I do not regret bringing it up afterwards and getting to enjoy it now at least.

nOTP: Ori and Cobalt are forever divorced and they barely know each other, this is just canon.

Random Headcanon: Ori has a hard time accepting the fact that Sharaea is basically keeping her distance after the Prince's defeat. In part because she does feel that connection still and worries that Sharaea is hurting, and partially because it is such a strange sensation to her to be without the dreams for so long after such a major revelation. It takes her a long time to get used to it, but she still wishes that there was more she could do.

Unpopular Opinion: I don't know if it's an unpopular opinion among our little group, but I never had intentions of making Oriana some kind of fated hero. I never had thoughts of making her tied to a major NPC or giving her any kind of serious destiny, I just wanted to play a radiant energy bomb with the aasimar/monk combo because I thought it would be funny once I pitched the idea to Sam and he told me about Damak who was basically her foil. But I do adore how her story developed and how well it ended up narratively.

Song I associate with them: So many... "Like the Dawn" by The Oh Hellos, "Warrior" by AURORA, and "Drumming Song" by Florence + The Machine to name a few.

Favorite picture of them: I like a lot but honestly one of my favs is the one I made of Chibs trying to hit on her, partly because it's Chibs and partly because I did really like how Ori's outfit came out in this one.

Mela —

Favorite thing about them: Literally the most wholesome member of the group. Not a bad bone or crystal in her body. I am so sorry for all that we put her though.

Least favorite thing about them: Only that I didn't get enough time to learn more about her and her backstory. Sigh.

Favorite line: "Real neighbors. Real family. Not just people that make you feel like you can pretend it doesn't exist."

brOTP: Mela and Halion. Druid buddies that deserve the world.

OTP: Mela is an independent Genasi who don't need no one... though I could be swayed about a certain fae...

nOTP: Literally anyone who would try to be mean to her in a relationship will meet a swift end by my hand.

Random Headcanon: 100% think that Mela's magic is flavored to look like the crystals on her body. If she wildshapes and doesn't specifically want to look a certain way, the animal she changes into will have things like crystal horns/claws, the flame sword she summons has the appearance of a crystal blade, etc.

Unpopular Opinion: I do wish she had gotten a chance to use wild shape more. I think Mela being a cute little critter sneaking around would have been amazing.

Song I associate with them: "Come Out and Play" by Billie Eilish

Favorite picture of them: That dang sketch I never colored, rip

Vaela —

Favorite thing about them: Drinking game QUEEN. Also just the fact that she doesn't take any shit while still having a lot of heart and empathy to those who earn it. Something about that balance between the two just made her all the more lovable.

Least favorite thing about them: she can out-drink my high constituion monk I do think I missed out on really getting to know her during the campaign, and I regret that a lot.

Favorite line: Not a specific line but I think back to Vaela's talks with Erosen when he was ready and willing to be her stand-in dad before Vaela was ready to reach back out to her family and i can't help but smile.

brOTP: Vaela, Riven, and Mela is the real brot3 and nothing can change my mine

OTP: I mean... I definitely have a certain paladin that turns a lovely shade of pink when someone talks about her because she sure is pretty and really cool to boot~

nOTP: Zaresh and his memory is not allowed to ever hurt Vaela again. If Damak didn't do it, Ori would have definitely put him out of his misery.

Random Headcanon: Very little thing, but I could see her gathering small, light trinkets that remind her of her friends and tie them to her bow, possibly for good luck, and possibly as a way to to tell which direction the wind is blowing when she's aiming.

Unpopular Opinion: I still think it would have been cool for her to pull an Erosen and punch Zaresh in the face. Just once.

Song I associate with them: "Dear Fellow Traveler" by Sea Wolf

Favorite picture of them: So fun fact: I never finished them but I started making emojis of the party members for kicks and here's the one I started of Vaela:

Riven —

Favorite thing about them: Riven's sassiness and perfect comedic timing always leaves me in stitches. She really felt like the heart of the party in that way.

Least favorite thing about them: This is the hardest thing and most of my "least favorite" things are mostly the things Oriana keeps fretting about when she thinks about Riven being in such a high position so I'm gonna go with not much at this time to be honest.

Favorite line: Not a line again, but specifically the scene between Ori and Riven where Riv dressed her up while Ori reassured her that she didn't think any less of Riven after they all found out about her half-drow heritage. That always felt like a major point in their friendship and I hold onto it fondly.

brOTP: I wanna say Riven and Halion just because I think their friendship was so neat, and it hurts a bit when I think about their falling out post-campaign. But there's also Riv and Damak's sibling-ish dynamic that I love a lot, too.

OTP: As much as he pushes Ori's nerves, I do think Riv and Delethil are on the same wavelength as each other and fit very well together, even with Eravin in the mix.

nOTP: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Random Headcanon: On the occasions where Oriana comes up to Aerenth on business (either with Ranna for her research or at the request of various Tyados officials who think she's got some kind of in with them because she's friends with Riven), Ori always makes a point to find Riven and any of the other girls that might be there with them after all the formalities are done and run off into the woods to find a clearing to just hang out in like they did before.

Unpopular Opinion: As much as I understand the reason why she and Del made the choice to execute Vasion, I still disagree that it was the best decision.

Song I associate with them: "Savage Daughter" by Sarah Hester mostly because of the rebellious vibes

Favorite picture of them: I mean... I think it's obvious (also bonus Vaela).

[giggly-squiggily]

I binge read all of hell's paradise yesterday and it is now a new favorite. You think you could write something for Yuzugiri? Only if and when you feel like it of course. Headcanons are okay too.

*sobs* MY OTP!!! I adore these girlies so, so much! Thank you for giving me the chance to write for them, anon! I've gotcha covered!

Sagiri was a picture of calm as she meditated.

Her breathing slow and easily paced, her face smoothed free of emotion. She was still as a statue, so much so Yuzuriha was sure not even a typhoon could shake her. Dressed comfortably in a flowery yukata  with her hair in a loose but neat bun, she was the perfect balance of relaxed yet composed.

Yuzuriha could stare at her for hours like this, alas, she rather liked seeing her girlfriend smiling more.

Creeping up slowly, she put her years of training to use as she silenced her footsteps, falling to her hands and knees when she was close enough. Forcing her lips into a flat smile, she leaned in so she was inches away from her girlfriend, eyes on the exposed skin of her neck.

Once there, she let out one long puff.

“EEK!” Sagiri let out a loud squeak, shoulders shooting up to guard her neck. Twisting around, her eyes widened upon seeing the playful kunoichi behind her. “Yuzu-AH!”

Another squeak when she was suddenly pulled backwards, Yuzuriha’s arms around her waist and face against her neck, kissing and nuzzling with all her might. “Yhuuhuhuhuhzurihiihihiha!”

“Yeees~” The other cooed against her neck, fingers pressing into the fabric of Sagiri’s yukata, wiggling into her sides. With her Asaemon outfit, it was difficult to reach there with how thick the belt was. This casual outfit proved much easier to push through. “What is it, Sagirin?”

“Sthahahahhaap! Aheahhahahaha! Ihihihihim trihhihihihying to meheheehheheditahahahaha-EhEHEHHEEHEH!” Sagiri let out a squeal when Yuzuriha blew a raspberry against her pulse point, pressing her fingers into the spaces between her ribs at the same time. “DOOHOOHOHN’T!”

“Don’t what? I can’t understand what you're saying, honey. You’re gonna have to speak clearer.” Yuzuriha leaned up to kiss her cheek before going back to her neck, giggling against her skin. “Do you want me to keep kissing you here?” She pressed one against the side of her neck. “Or here?” She went up against her jawline. “Or how about here?” He nuzzled the back of her ear, all actions producing a series of squeals and giggles from the usually stoic swordswoman. “All of them? Oh, Sagirin, you are so cuddly today!”

“Ahehehehahhahha! Y-Yuhuhuhuhuzuuhuhuhu!” Sagiri tried to break free, pulling at her girlfriend’s hands in vain. Whether the tickling zapped her strength or she really didn’t mind, she had no idea. She tried doubling over to block the attack on her belly, but that only sealed her fate for the upcoming attack.

“Oh ho- I know where you’d want kisses!” Yuzuriha cooed, something dangerous in her voice as she leaned back. “Right….about…here!” She then began nuzzling her shoulder blades, dead center.

Sagiri was an Asaemon- a swordswoman skilled in execution. She faced many sights in her training- horrid criminals to less than pleasing executions. She was trained to never scream, to never show fear in the face of such horrors.

All that training went out the window as an honest to god screech escaped her lips, muffled only as she crashed into her mat. “YUHUUHUHUZRIIHIHIHIHAHHAHAHAHA!”

“Ooo, what a pretty scream! Let’s hear it again!” Yuzuhira cackled, delighted by the reaction. Replacing her face with her hands, she laid against her girlfriend’s back, tracing and scribbling into her shoulder blades easily shifting to match the squirms and writhes Sagiri made beneath her. Sweet bubbly laughter escaped her lips, her face half hidden by her hair as it fell loose from its bun. Yuzuriha reached out and pulled it away, swooning at the breathtaking smile on her girlfriend’s face.

“So pretty. I could look at you for hours.” She sighed. It was like she was admiring a well constructed oil painting instead of tickling her girlfriend to pieces. “How did I get so lucky to have someone so amazing in my life.”

“AHEHEHHEHEHEEHEHE!” Sagiri couldn’t even respond, too caught up in her laughter to do so. With some effort, she managed to twist around, grabbing Yuzuriha and pulling her beside her. With even more effort, she was on top, pinning her shoulders as she caught her breath. “Thehehere! There!” She huffed, satisfied.

Yuzuriha blinked up at her, momentarily dazed. Then she smiled, stretching out like a cat and playing with a loose strand of silky brown hair. “There indeed. I rather like this view- you on top of me, flushed and pretty.”

Sagiri blinked, then she went bright red and staggered off, falling to her side against the mats. “Oh, you are terrible!” She huffed, earning a cackle from the other. Yuzuriha opened an arm invitingly, waggling her brows. “No tricks?”

“Not this time, honey.” Yuzuriha smiled, gesturing her over. Sagiri rolled her eyes before scooting over, resting her head against her chest as Yuzuriha stroked her hair. “That was rather unnecessary, don’t you think?”

“What, me tickling you? Nah, that’s very necessary.” Yuzuriha leaned down to kiss her crown, smoothing her hand down her back in an easy gesture. “You work too hard, even when you’re supposed to be relaxing.”

“I was relaxing.”

“Babe, you're a swordswoman. Practicing your breathing is not relaxing.” Yuzuriha snuggled her closer, closing her eyes. “This. This is relaxing. Nice, huh?”

When she didn’t get an answer, she peeked, finding Sagiri sleeping against her. 

“Told ya.” She smiled, kissing her forehead again.

Thanks for reading!

[princesssarisa]

Character ask: Orpheus and Eurydice

This is a good ask for me! My college senior thesis was a comparison of Monteverdi and Gluck's operas based on the Orpheus myth!

Don't expect any comments on Hadestown here, though – I'm not familiar with that musical at all.

Orpheus

Favorite thing about them: His love for Eurydice. A love so strong that he's willing to journey to the Underworld to bring her back, and almost succeeds, except for his act of "too much love" when he looks back at her. The fantasy of being loved that way is hard to resist!

Least favorite thing about them: His misogyny after coming back from the Underworld in some versions of the myth. I don't mind versions where he just avoids women out of faithfulness to Eurydice's memory, but it's all too common to portray him as coming to hate women, either because they all seem so inferior to Eurydice, or because they remind him too much of her, or because he blames Eurydice's feminine charms for causing his misery. And Ovid's claim that in his rejection of women, he became the first man ever to sleep with young boys? Ugh. Just ugh.

Three things I have in common with them:

*I adore music.

*I'm very loving and passionate.

*I can be impulsive.

Three things I don't have in common with them:

*I'm not semi-divine.

*I'm not married.

*I'm female.

Favorite line: His song in Ovid's version of the myth, where he pleads with Hades and Persephone:

"O gods of this world, placed below the earth, to which, all, who are created mortal, descend; if you allow me, and it is lawful, to set aside the fictions of idle tongues, and speak the truth, I have not come here to see dark Tartarus, nor to bind Cerberus, Medusa's child, with his three necks, and snaky hair. My wife is the cause of my journey. A viper, she trod on, diffused its venom into her body, and robbed her of her best years. I longed to be able to accept it, and I do not say I have not tried: Love won. He is a god well known in the world above... I beg you, by these fearful places, by this immense abyss, and the silence of your vast realms, reverse Eurydice’s swift death. All things are destined to be yours, and though we delay a while, sooner or later, we hasten home. Here we are all bound, this is our final abode, and you hold the longest reign over the human race. Eurydice, too, will be yours to command, when she has lived out her fair span of years, to maturity. I ask this benefit as a gift; but, if the fates refuse my wife this kindness, I am determined not to return: you can delight in both our deaths."

brOTP: The shepherds and nymphs who join him in celebrating his marriage and in mourning Eurydice's death in the opera adaptations.

OTP: Eurydice.

nOTP: Hades, Persephone, his mother Calliope, or any of the Maenad women who tore him limb-from-limb.

Random headcanon: His father was the Thracian king Oeagrus. Or to be exact, I prefer the version of the myth where Oeagrus is his father to the version where Apollo is his father. It's generally agreed that his mother is the muse Calliope. So if his parents are a god and goddess, why is he a mortal? Doesn't it stand to reason that he should have one mortal parent?

Unpopular opinion: I get slightly tired of seeing people quote Portrait of a Lady on Fire to explain why he looks back at Eurydice, claiming that he makes "the poet's choice" (i.e. that he chooses his idealized memory of Eurydice, which he can fully possess and which can inspire his art forever, rather than face an uncertain future with a living woman). That's a fascinating interpretation of his backward glance, but it's not the "true" meaning of the myth. There is no single "true" meaning. Different retellings have interpreted his backward glance as excessive passion and a lack of self-control, or as a fatal lack of faith in either Hades, Eurydice, or himself, or as an act of concern for Eurydice which shows that Hades' command was inhumane, or as a commentary on the nature of grief (i.e. that we can't help but look back at our memories), or simply as inevitable because death can't be reversed. All of those interpretations, and others too, are just as valid as "the poet's choice." That's part of the beauty of mythology: it has so many possible meanings.

Song I associate with them:

"Vi ricorda, o bosch'ombrosi" from Monteverdi's opera L'Orfeo.

"Possente spirito," also from Monteverdi's opera.

"Chiamo il mio ben cosí" from Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice.

"Che farò senza Euridice?" from Gluck's opera.

Favorite picture of them:

Orpheus' Sorrow by Pascal Dagnan-Bouveret:

Orpheus' Lament by Alexandre Séon:

And this illustration from D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths:

For other pictures that show him with Eurydice, see below.

Eurydice

Favorite thing about them: A woman who inspires a love that almost conquers death itself is a fascinating character, and I enjoy seeing the different ways she's characterized in different retellings of the myth and other works inspired by it. When the same mythical figure loosely inspires such different characters as innocent, girlish Pamina in The Magic Flute and seductive, jaded Satine in Moulin Rouge!, then you know (a) that she's not the most fleshed-out character, but (b) that her very "flatness" makes her a wellspring of creative ideas for authors and artists who retell the story.

Least favorite thing about them: She's not very likable in Gluck's opera Orfeo ed Euridice, where she doesn't know that Orpheus can't look back at her, assumes he must not love her anymore, and hounds him into finally looking back. I'm glad that only happens in one adaptation and she isn't always like that.

Three things I have in common with them:

*I'm loving and affectionate.

*I find good singers very attractive.

*I enjoy walking in nature (preferably with no snakes in the grass).

Three things I don't have in common with them:

*I'm not married.

*I'm not as captivatingly beautiful as she's traditionally portrayed.

*I'm still alive.

Favorite line: Her lament in Virgil's version of the myth as she drifts back into the Underworld.

"Orpheus, what madness has destroyed my wretched self, and you? See, the cruel Fates recall me, and sleep hides my swimming eyes. Farewell, now: I am taken, wrapped round by vast night, stretching out to you, alas, hands no longer yours."

brOTP: Her nymph companions, such as Daphne in Peri's opera adaptation or Sylvia in Monteverdi's.

OTP: Orpheus.

nOTP: Aristaeus, who tries to rape her in Virgil's version of the myth, leading to her death as she steps on a snake while running from him.

Random headcanon: When Orpheus was killed and his spirit went to the Elysian Fields, the judges in the Underworld debated whether Eurydice should join him there or stay in the Asphodel Meadows with the other ordinary, non-heroic souls. Ultimately, they chose to send her to Elysium, both because it would have been too cruel to Orpheus not to reunite them, and because after Eurydice's second chance to live was snatched away from her, she deserved to at least spend her afterlife in paradise.

Unpopular opinion: I'd like to see at least one retelling of the myth that portrays the legendary philosopher-poet Musaeus of Athens as Orpheus's son (as one Greek historian claimed he was, though others disagreed), and portrayed Eurydice as his mother. Giving them a child could add even more weight to the tragedy.

Song I associate with them:

"Cet asil aimable et tranquille," from Orphée et Eurydice, the expanded French version of Gluck's opera.

"Che fiero momento," also from Gluck's opera.

Favorite picture of them:

This painting by Louis Ducis:

This print by Rebecca Guay:

This painting by Ary Scheffer, Orpheus Mourning the Death of Eurydice:

This print of the same sad moment by Justin and/or Annie Gerard:

This painting by Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot:

This painting by Sir Edward Poynter:

This painting by Frederic Leighton, inspired by Gluck's opera:

This painting by Carl Goos:

This painting by Christian Gottlieb Kratzenstein:

This painting by Michel Martin Drolling (a rare one that shows Hermes whisking Eurydice back into the Underworld rather than just having her drift back by herself):

This painting by George Frederic Watts (one of many):

[illumiera]

shyly creeping in both to put everyone's blorbo songs on my to-listen list and to share my Peak Elentari/Miraak Song, aka You I Need by Amorphis! especially with these lines: "like a king has his moon / a queen has her sun / to make the song go on" 🤲

I come back asking for more OC song pairings!

So I asked before about what singular song fits everyone's TES OCs the most. Now I'm asking what song fits their pairings the most. Could be OC/ OC or OC/Canon, oh OR OC & OC, OC & Canon, if you have non romantic/queerplatonic pairs. I'll start:

Lilliandra/Miraak (they get two!! their playlist is so long): Carve Your Name By Mother Mother | Your Wicked Company by Harley Poe

Lilliandra/Cinnara (this one is a little more difficult): Between My Teeth by Orla Garthland or Too Sweet Covered by Reinaeiry (original Hozier)

Lilliandra & Elikar: Family by Mother Mother (this also fits for the eventual found-family group of theirs)

Elikar & Serana: Side Quest Song by Madilyn Mei (QPR tho!)

And because I saw some people asking last time if it was okay, EVERYONE is welcome to join! I wanna see everybody's OCs and songs!!

[illumiera]

this probably isn't the first time i've rambled about this, but i'm just thinking about young miraak back in atmora, and how one day, he fell into a thawing frozen lake and almost drowned. half-conscious, he vaguely remembers someone pulling him out. from the brief glimpse he caught of her, he assumed she could be none other than dibella, goddess of beauty, art, love, and music.

as an adult, he became a devotee in spite of the dragon cult; in secret, he spent hours carving a tiny miniature figurine in her likeness, right down to the long waves of hair, and kept it in his breast pocket always. i think it gave him strength. helped him keep a piece of himself, even when he was stripped of his birth name and forbidden to show his face to another living soul.

even in apocrypha, after mora tricked him into bargaining away his memories—nirn, his name, his own face, and the dragon-souled woman with long waves of hair he met in his dreams—he kept it.

and all along, that was elentari, once again guided by fate through time to save him when he needed her the most. he unknowingly carried a figurine of his most beloved goddess in his soulmate's exact image for four entire eras—

[synnthamonsugar]

Ask Game: Toland

favorite thing about them: The way he is a little freak nerd who hangs out with women who can/will kill him instantly, the hive fangirling, the waxing philosophical about things like ten people care about. His motives and loyalties are as ambiguous as his ramblings, and almost as amusing.

least favorite thing about them: The way he disappears for years at a time.

favorite line: There are a lot, including giving the Guardian pro tips on killing Oryx. His remark about his fireteam always gets to me:

Eris torments herself for her erstwhile fireteam and the fates we marched into together. An appreciated but needless penance. Our struggle is a grand dialog. We exchange blood for understanding. It is not tragedy; it is simply the price, and ours to pay.

But my favorite's probably his message to Eris upon Oryx's arrival, which may be the first/only time he was genuinely . . . nice?:

Dearest Eris, Crota's Bane (now we shall see how well you wear that title!), It's not all bad. Yes, the father of all your burdens comes to you with hate on his sword and hunger in his heart. But don't look at it that way. Did you not, when you lost your sight, gain another?

brOTP: with Eriana or Wei Ning

OTP: Eris/Toland

nOTP: Not sure I have one?

random headcanon: Communed with the Darkness at the Lunar anomaly.

unpopular opinion: Hubristic, tunnel-visioned and stupid, not evil. The First Crota Fireteam was mega-doomed from the beginning and nothing he did made their situation worse.

song i associate with them: Fear & Delight - The Correspondents

favorite picture of them: This one where he looks like a cat who lost his footing and is sliding off a surface (while crying about Osiris)

[givereadersahug]

37!

Dandelion!!! <3<3<3

37. Promote one of your own “deep cut” fics (an underrated one, or one that never got as much traction as you think it deserves!). What do you like about it?

I think I shall pick one from each of my 3 main ships atm.

For Snarry --- the first fic that comes to mind is Red Strings. It's one of the first long fics I wrote coming back to writing and idk. I just wanted to read more Asian influenced Harry Potter fics? Or maybe I'm picking the wrong fics to read. At the time I was having trouble finding a 'red string of fate' Snarry fic to read. So, I rolled up my sleeves and I sat down at my computer. Write the fics you want to see in the world! That's my motto! *nods*

For Matchablossom --- it has to be Devotion. I'm spoiled in the Snarry fandom, truly. There will always be interaction on my Snarry fics. (No matter how small or how weird the fic is. I mean, I wrote several anthropomorphic Snarry fics. Bat!Snape and Fruit!Harry, anyone? 😂) And people are so happy to engage with me! However, with my SK8 the Infinity fics? Not so much. Mostly cause I don't hang out with the fandom on Twitter and I write non-popular tropes and/or fic lengths. Which, I'm totally fine with! But Devotion? Man, I love that the fic to bits. A found family fic, yes. But I also like to read about established relationship going through relationship milestones without the character's fears along the lines of 'omg, we disagree with this one small thing and now we have to break up' drama. Idk how to describe it. Is it even a niche---a somewhat healthy relationship dynamic with couples that actually communicate? I'm chalking it up to my very particular tastes/needs/wants. 😂 But, yes. That fic was tailor made for me.

And for Thorki. My OTP. --- A Star's Birth. I have yet to fully write a plot heavy fic (or a super long fic) for my OTP. They intimidate me. I have so much feels for this ship idk where to start (or even when to stop, tbh.) This fic was written for Flash Fiction Friday. They provide a prompt and you have 24 hours to write something for the prompt. I'm used to super low hits. (One of my goals is to write a fic where I get ZERO hits, which is super hard! I thought I got it with my Dick Fight Island drabble! There were only 2 other works! Who would be looking for fics for that manga series!?!?! Alas.) But this Thorki fic I was a tad disappoint in its reception. But what can you do? Maybe it's the one-sided daughter/father romantic relationship that threw people off. 🤭🤭🤭 I also tried a different writing style, which was fun! Another point for that fic! *nods*

Thanks for asking, Dandelion!

questions for fic writers

answered - 1, 17, 26, 41, 37

[demonscantgothere]

I did a thing.

An Inexorable Fate by Helholden

Fandoms: The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (TV 2022), The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types

Warnings: Teen And Up Audiences | No Archive Warnings Apply | F/M | Complete Work

Relationship(s): Galadriel/Halbrand (The Rings of Power)

Tags: Galadriel, Halbrand (The Rings of Power), Elf/Human Relationship(s), Denial of Feelings, Nature Versus Nurture, Fluff and Angst, Romantic Fluff, Unresolved Tension, Declarations Of Love, Late Night Conversations, Existential Angst, Existentialism, Good and Evil, Good versus Evil, Hints of Sauron!Halbrand, But Can Be Read As Just Halbrand, If You're Not Down With That Train, I Wrote This While Listening to Hozier's Music, OTP: Keep It With Me Always, OTP: Bind It to My Very Being, Post-Episode 6: Udûn

A/N: Many, many hints of Sauron!Halbrand, but barely beneath the surface and never explicitly spoken, so if that's not your thing, fear not. Can be totally read without all of that subtext. But the subtext was intentional. Oh so intentional. If you like it, love it, let me know! I might write more if y'all want it.

     Summary:

“Pray tell,” she whispered back, “what is this, then?”

There were many words for what this was, and yet none of them seemed to do it justice. He sought for moments trying to grasp at it until he found himself speaking outside of himself by a voice that seemed hardly of his own accord. “We seek acceptance, do we not?” Halbrand reasoned, meeting Galadriel’s eyes. “You and me, we are the outsiders amongst our own people, but together, we are a unified front. We could send a message together. Show them it’s possible. Not just hope, but goodness. Altruism in its purest form . . . ” His hand had found its way back to her cheek, flushed pink and so, so warm to the touch.

Love, came the thought, but he banished it as soon as it reared its head from the depths.

* * *

The overlook swirled with snow, a light fall that shrouded the sky in a grey mist. It was on the edge of the world above a vast mountain range of white-tipped peaks. Each one shot upwards into the sky like spikes, and it gave the view an eerie feeling. She stepped up beside him, cloaked in white and beaten grey leathers, wisps of loose blonde hair flowing freely from her braid in the wind. Her face was no longer covered in blood and ashes, and the color was strong on her cheeks. She was healing from the beating she took almost as good as he was recovering from his own, and she stood straighter than him. It made him smirk to think of it.

 He took her hand, cold and icy despite the leather that wrapped his palms for protection. She seemed taken aback by the gesture, but only the look in her eyes gave it away. Her body did not move. She reckoned she could flip him if needed, he calculated, but she didn’t believe it would be necessary.

 She was right about that.

 A fire crackled on the logs behind them within an alcove wrought from weather and time. He had soaked the wood in liquor to burn it quickly. Up this high, it was warmth or death for most. Luckily, despite that or because of it, they were spared an audience for once. No need to whisper. It reminded him of that brief time right after the first battle when they had sat alone together in the woods. He had told her something then he was not so sure he had intended to say out loud, but a part of him deep down longed for nothing more, and so he did.

 It seemed his emotions regarding her would send him to many unnamed places.

 “Do you trust me?” he asked, staring at the dangerous view before them. A silly question. Neither of them would be here on this mountain if it weren’t for the other. They had followed each other up here, and fought through the peril side by side. There was blood on her blade as real as the blood on his own sword. They were in this together, blood for blood.

 “Haven’t decided yet,” she mused aloud, a soft smile on her lips. Gods, he loved her smile. It caused the corner of his mouth to crinkle up. She never gave a damn about propriety most of the time. It was one of the most charming things about her.

 “Good,” Halbrand quipped. “You shouldn’t place your trust in people so easily. We are more fickle than elven folk.”

 The slightest of smiles tugged at Galadriel’s lips. “Are you trying to warn me, Lord Halbrand?”

 “Hardly,” he said, the humor falling away from his voice. His eyes scanned the horizon. “Did we come here for nothing?” he finally asked.

 His question dropped them into deep silence. The ash and soot had spread wide in the eruption, covering everything within sight. The mountain was bright and bloody, flowing ever freely each moment. He knew what this was without having to ask questions, and a part of her already knew as well or had discovered it in Númenor. The solemn acceptance with which she faced it spoke volumes to him.

 Her hand slipped away from his, causing him to look down before looking up again. She was walking towards the edge, surveying the wide world below.

 “Not nothing, no,” Galadriel told him. “Our efforts are not in vain. We can still stop this. Together, we can stop this. I have every faith in that, Lord Halbrand.”

 It hurt to hear her say that, but it wasn’t the type of pain he was used to. It was different. Halbrand didn’t know what to call it. He had never felt it before. He had never seen a single being before possess as much self-assurance in their convictions outside of her. Galadriel was one of a kind. She was special.

 That much he knew, even if he did not understand the feeling it had stirred within him.

 The backdrop of nightfall was approaching fast, shrouding her visage in blue and silver. The pieces of metal in her clothing and hair caught the moonlight and starlight and set her ablaze in light. Galadriel almost glowed against the sky, and Halbrand found himself walking toward her to join her by the cliff’s edge. He glanced over her shoulder from behind, the sight dizzying to say the least. They were sequestered against the wall, an overhang of rock and roof above their heads—a crumbled vestige of the fortress it once was. The whole wall ahead of them had fallen off the edge of the mountain. Its boulders lay broken on the empty and abandoned roads far, far below. Empty and abandoned like this place.

 Except for them.

 “If you believe it, then so do I,” he whispered next to her ear, causing Galadriel to lean against him in a moment of lessened inhibition. A little sigh wracked her lungs. He felt her hand reach back and grip his, layers and layers of leathers between them. It was too cold for what he wanted to do to her. Thank the gods, because he didn’t know if she would kill him for even thinking about it.

 “I believe it,” she murmured, and he found himself yet again possessed by something he didn’t quite understand yet. He moved closer until they were no more than an inch apart from each other. A risk, yes, but a calculated risk with heavy payoff and reward.

 For some reason, she stuck around unlike the rest, so maybe—just maybe—the feelings were mutual.

 “Come back to the fire with me,” he murmured. “It will keep you warm. It’s freezing up here.”

 She turned around as if space wasn’t an issue, staring up at him with a smile. Her eyes twinkled with mischief. “Lord Halbrand, I do not feel the cold as you do. If you wish to return to the fire to keep warm, all you need do is ask.”

 A jest. He felt his mouth fall open a little. She was brazen sometimes with her choice of words. He had never met an Elf with her fire before. They were all so demure. Not her. His eyes fell to her lips. She was so close. All he had to do was lean forward to close the space between them.

 “ . . . Lord Halbrand?”

 He looked up. Galadriel’s brow was furrowed, her expression one of worry. Like she was worried about him. If only she knew his thoughts. He was surprised she couldn’t read them outright. It seemed like a gift she ought to possess.

 “Are you all right?” Galadriel asked. It was firmer this time. Her free hand came to touch his cheek. Her palm, it was so warm; it caused his eyes to drift nearly shut. He felt his body move forward of its own accord, possessed by this feeling utterly.

 She disappeared like a breeze from his touch. Halbrand’s eyes shot open, finding her before him still but distant, having released his hand and cheek and pulled away from him. There was a foot or two between them now, and his body felt cold without her next to him. His breathing deepened, a nervousness overtook his movements.

 “Have I offended you?” he asked quietly. “I thought . . . I thought you felt the same as me. As what I spoke to you by the stream’s edge. You said—”

 Galadriel’s lips thinned slightly. She tilted her chin up. “—I felt it, too,” she finished for him. “I remember it well, Lord Halbrand.”

 Unsure, he took a step forward. Galadriel countered it with one step back. He stopped. This was a dance. A very old one.

“Why do you step back from me, Galadriel?” He spoke her name with its Elvish enunciation, which caused her eyes to widen somewhat as if in surprise. “Have I shown you harm, or hate? Or anything else unsavory in nature?” Her nostrils flared a little almost in anger at what he suggested.

 “Lord Halbrand,” Galadriel stated firmly, “I don’t understand your mea—”

 “Oh, don’t be so obtuse,” Halbrand shot back, emotion taking him over. “You’ve pushed at me since day one. Do you think I’m going to fall for the innocent woman routine now?”

 Her eyes grew fiery. “How dare you—”

 Halbrand held up his hand in an attempt to quell what he had accidentally started in haste. “I meant only that you pretend to not understand my meaning,” he rectified. “It is not a judgment on the pureness of your character, but that I know—” he looked her directly in the eyes, “—that you understand me.”

 Galadriel looked furious. Her cheeks were flushed, and he wanted to kiss them. That was the wrong thought to have right now. “What if I did?” she threw back at him. “What if I did understand you? What would it change, Lord Halbrand? I am an Elf, you are a Ma—”

 Halbrand held up a single finger to his own lips, slowly shaking his head. He did not interrupt her this time. She just stopped speaking. She looked like she would burst from the effort alone, staring at him in earnest now. Lost herself, for once. He took the moment to close the distance she had put between them. Halbrand gently took her hand in his grip again, covering it with the other. “What does it matter? What we are?” He shook his head. “Does it not matter more ‘who’ we are?” Galadriel’s bottom lip shook ever so slightly. “Who are we, Galadriel?”

 She shook her head softly. “I don’t know,” she whispered in response.

 “Are we at war with one another, Galadriel?”

 “No,” she answered quickly, “of course not.”

 He took the hand laid upon hers and put it above her heart just below the collarbone. “Is this war, what we feel?”

 She trembled beneath his hand. She was looking him in the eyes at least. “No . . . ”

 “We are not enemies,” he murmured, leaning ever closer to her face. “We are friends, are we not?”

 “Yes . . . ”

 He leaned closer, inches away from her lips. He could feel her soft breath touch his skin. “There is no hate between us, no strife . . . ”

 “Lord Halbrand—”

 “Halbrand, please,” he corrected her in a whisper, and she shuddered enough he could feel that, too. “Galadriel, this is not war you feel—”

 “What is it, then?” she interrupted, and he knew it right then.

 This was the moment that would damn him forever.

 “Can I show you?” he suggested ever so slightly, brushing her chin with his fingers. Only at her behest would he make so bold a move. She faltered. It was such a small quiver. He barely saw it, but he felt it beneath his fingertips, and it caused him to lean ever closer to her. Her breath washed over his lips, and he forgot himself.

 There were no great words to describe what happened next. It was primal, instinctual, but mingled with love and respect and the smallest twinge of fear. Her lips tasted of no fruit, but they were sweet, and soft, and she kissed him back with an effort that was just barely there. His mouth parted, and so did hers; a dance both their kind knew from the beginning of the world to the end of it.

 Her fingers found a way to snake into his hair, gripping it with enough force it hurt just a little, and he kissed her back more fervently. She knew what this was; he had no need of telling her, but it wasn’t that he wanted most of her. There were other things, deeper and more primal than lust alone, and they could have that one day, if . . .

 “ . . . Halbrand?”

 He sighed softly, pausing and laying his forehead against hers. “Yes, Galadriel?”

 “This cannot go futher than it already has.”

 He raised her hand to his mouth, kissed the top of her knuckles. They had healed already from their war wounds, and the blood had been washed away. Her skin was pure and clean.

 “I do not seek to besmirch your honor in that way,” he finally murmured, staring at her skin. It was so white, he could see the blue beneath it.

 “Pray tell,” she whispered back, “what is this, then?”

 There were many words for what this was, and yet none of them seemed to do it justice. He sought for moments trying to grasp at it until he found himself speaking outside of himself by a voice that seemed hardly of his own accord. “We seek acceptance, do we not?” Halbrand reasoned, meeting Galadriel’s eyes. “You and me, we are the outsiders amongst our own people, but together, we are a unified front. We could send a message together. Show them it’s possible. Not just hope, but goodness. Altruism in its purest form . . . ” His hand had found its way back to her cheek, flushed pink and so, so warm to the touch. Love, came the thought, but he banished it as soon as it reared its head from the depths.

 Galadriel’s eyes darkened ever so slightly. “What does goodness have to do with what is between us, Halbrand?”

 He swallowed. Too much, he thought. Too much. “I . . . ” His voice caught in his throat. How could he fix this before it spiraled away from him forever? His fingers laced with hers, clutching them tightly. “I don’t know, but I know together we can do anything. I am more myself with you than I have been in a very long time, Galadriel . . . ”

 When he said her name like that, her eyelids fluttered almost to a close. Halbrand clasped her neck and pulled her to his lips; he couldn’t help it this time. The feeling overpowered him, and the light touch of her fingers dancing across the back of his own neck sent his hairs on end and a tingle all the way down his spine. He kissed her in earnest, parting lips and sliding his tongue forward between hers. A little moan escaped her, and his other hand found its way to her waist, gripping her closely to his body. Leathers and layers between them, but his skin was on fire.

 She dug her nails into his flesh at the nape, leapt easily into his arms with a litheness he had seen her use only in battle; her legs were wrapped around his waist, and she held onto him tightly. The move took him by surprise, but the shock of it wore off into fiercer kisses that took them over to the fire, and then to the blankets thrown down into a makeshift bed he had put together earlier for his watch. This would not go too far, he knew, but he also didn’t want it to stop just yet.

 She fit beneath him easily, but she had slithered into a less compromising position where he did not lay between her legs yet still remained on top of her. Their kisses had slowed down to something of a smolder like the embers in the deepest part of the fire. He touched her face, and she, his; his lips strayed to her cheeks. One by one, he kissed them, before turning upward to her forehead. His hand cupped her face, and he placed the lightest brush of his lips against her brow.

 Galadriel held onto his wrist, her thumb sliding back and forth against his skin. It burned him.

 He pulled back, wanting to see her eyes. They were so blue; they sparkled lively against the backdrop of stone and snow. Halbrand found himself brushing a stray piece of hair from her forehead, tucking it behind her ear. Their eyes met between his wandering gaze as it drank her in, and her voice cut through the silence as her hand slid up his arm to touch his cheek.

 “You are a good man,” Galadriel assured him. Her voice was not weak. Always firm, even in its whispers.

 The bottom of his stomach dropped out. It felt hollow in his throat. He swallowed. His mouth suddenly felt dry. “Do you mean that?” He could feel the disbelief on his face, and he couldn’t hide the incredulous tone in his voice. “Do you really believe that, or are you just saying it because it feels like the right thing to say?”

 When she looked up at him, her gaze felt warmer than the fire. “You are a good man, Halbrand,” she repeated. “You don’t give yourself enough credit.”

 Halbrand shook his head. “I don’t know that I’d call myself good . . . ”

 “Bad, then?” Galadriel ventured, her fingers falling from his cheek to caress his neck. He closed his eyes hard, trying to will away the desire to own her completely and utterly, a pull in his nature he felt always and yet he was trying so hard to be something other than that. For once.

 “No . . . ” he whispered.

 “Well, in that case, somewhere in the middle. Just like the rest of us,” she finished up for him.

 There was an assurance to her tone that even the gods would fear. It sent tingles up his spine. Made his hair stand on end. She was on point about all things, about all people. She would throw herself away for others, and it meant little else to her what the other person thought about it. She did it for nothing else but that she cared for the well-being of others above her own. No ulterior motive. It was terrifying—when he really thought about it. Survival instincts being so high in their natures, to cut that tie, it took a lot of brass.

 More brass than most people had in their entire lifetimes.

 “You don’t think we have all made decisions that haunt us at night sometimes, even though it kept us alive?” she asked softly. It was more than a question of whether it was done. Why did we do it, and was it even worth it? he heard her ask, but the words weren’t spoken. He felt them like a current beneath the water, warm and true.

 Then the cold snuck beneath his furs like the icy speared tips of the truth hidden behind her words, and it made him shiver.

 She wrapped her arms around his neck as if to shield him, easily lifting a loose fur blanket over them to keep him warm. He opened his eyes at last, seeing her sparkling eyes meet his across the short space between them. She was the main source of heat aside from the fire. Life, he thought, wanting to keep her in his arms always. The urge was so overpowering. He couldn’t understand the intensity of it.

 “Not everyone has your commitment and courage,” Halbrand ventured. Ever since he had grabbed her hand on that raft, he had never regretted it. She had been by his side through thick and thin. When all others had fled, he was always there to grab her hand, and her, she was always there to grab his.

 He couldn’t ruin this. Not this, so pure of all things.

 His thumb grazed her bottom lip. Her body froze, the tension running deep. His fingers fell down, caressing her jaw. Her chest heaved with the first breath she took, loosening suddenly with a shudder. She closed her eyes, opening them again just a moment later.

 He felt Galadriel tremble at her own words. “You are not making this easy.”

 He shook his head. “I’m not trying to make it hard either,” he admitted softly. “I just needed to tell you.”

 “Why here? Why now?”

 It was a good question. “Because it’s just you and me,” he said. “The whole world is gone, and it’s just you and me here, and I’ve never felt more at home.”

 A shuddered breath left her lungs.

 “But,” he said softly, “at least then I can say I once loved this lady, and maybe . . . maybe she loved me, too. And maybe it didn’t last in the end, but what does? Life is ephemeral, and so are the things within it. We still eat good food. We still drink fine wine. We still sleep on feather pillows, don’t we?” The tension left Galadriel’s body as she looked up at him, but her breaths deepened. “May I?” he asked, laying a hand on her waist. She nodded in an uneven manner, the first hint of real timidity he had ever seen in her. He wrapped his arm around her waist, moving off of her and pulling her back close to his chest under the blanket of fur. Halbrand rested his chin on her shoulder. She fell easily into the embrace, and he sighed into her hair. It smelled both earthy and floral, and he just wanted to lay like this until the world fell away around them. “If it’s frightening,” he said, “let me be a shield for you.”

 “That is a lot to trust you with . . . ”

 “You already do.”

 Her silence was the only answer he needed to hear. He had saved her life twice. He had given her free reign as she had done with him, and they had already shared so much together. This was just the next step, wasn’t it? If she wanted it, which he didn’t know if she did, to be honest, but it felt right.

 She stayed there, in his arms that night, and maybe it was all she needed to say.

[usamamoweek2022]

Featured author: @beej88

Today's featured author is @beej88!

Beej is not only a beloved author of this community but also a talented artist!

What Beej says about her work:

"I remember feeling totally lost, restless, and looking for a creative outlet. With the release of Crystal I rediscovered my love for Sailor Moon and proceeded to hyperfixate on fanfiction. I read silently for almost a year before I decided to try my hand at writing. It took a couple of try’s at writing and arting, but I found the very best community and the kindest friends and I’ve been here ever since. Since then I’ve been writing and trying my hand at digital art. My first event was the Sen/Shi mini bang, but my OTP will always be Mamo/Usa. I would say while my first fic will always hold a special place in my heart, If only I belonged to you which is the fic I wrote for mamoUsa week 2020 is the fic I am proudest of. My jam is established relationship, awkward and totally loveable Mamoru, and a couple that totally sucks at communicating, but who are soulmates that will fall in love over and over again."

Featured story: "If only I belonged to you"

What if the Senshi defeated the Dark Kingdom without triggering the reveal of the Silver crystal and Serenity and Endymion's memories? My fic for Usa/Mamo week 2020! Aged up, AU/Canon-divergent with tons of reveals and a-probably-going-to-be angsty-because-I'm-incapable-of-pure-fluff Mamo-Usa fic.

Rating: Mature

Things people have said about Beej's work:

"I adore the world you painted, the politics of the smmut and the planets and Endymion's different attires for each planet reflecting their customs and culture, their secret relationship surrounding these occassions."

“'She would never be able to pull away from him again. At that moment, she realized without an ounce of fear that her fate didn't belong to the cosmos. It would forever be intertwined with his. The fact that she was a Princess was irrelevant. She was just a woman. Just Serenity. And they were meant to be together forever.' WHAT a powerful ending for the prologue to an epic. So so so good."

"I.LOVE.THIS.SO.MUCH. Omg the intensity, the angst the love the *feelings* What a ride!! I'm here for all of it!!!! So on the edge of my seat waiting for more!*

Links to socials:

Find @beej88 on AO3, FF.NET

💕To see the prompts for this year’s UsaMamoWeek click here💕

[emilyskinners]

Steve Harrington

How I feel about this character

actually had one of the best character arcs I've seen since justin foley in 13 reasons why (also me ignoring most of his scenes in season 4 because of you know what for the sake of my well being)

All the people I ship romantically with this character

eddie, jonathan, me, my oc whenever I decide to write the fucking fic instead of in my mind. someone should bully me into writing it, finally

My non-romantic OTP for this character

robin. hands down one of the best platonic pairings to ever exist. they mean everything to me. also if the duffers weren't cowards, we could've had platonic stancy in season 4. let exes be best friends without awkward tension, please!

My unpopular opinion about this character

pretty much said the same thing in yours. him dying in season 5 is more likely happening then stancy becoming a thing again. it's just the trope of discussing your future while you're in a current situation where you are currently or are about to be in fucked up situations, you're gonna die or something horrible is gonna happen. trin lovell said it perfectly. I mean, I've also seen that trope in fear street with sarah and hannah, in teen wolf with scott and allison & stiles and malia (neither of them died but bad stuff did after that speech in 5x01), and also in twdwb with percy and iris. steve's fate is pretty much sealed, in my opinion. also the pretty bad parallels they have with mileven also further prove that neither of them are endgame

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

platonic stancy. platonic stancy. platonic stancy. also him and jonathan being besties already. and maybe even kiss, who knows, lol