#otp: the inevitability of time

[moonsavior]

It's Called Moonshine

Summary: A snippet of conversation between the King of Philos and his newly appointed Grandis Knight.

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"How unfortunate that you will not speak to me freely. Would it not be a grand mistake on your part to not hold up your end of the deal now?"

With nowhere to turn, the Prince's Intended began to sob.

"... Stop. Stop that." The King shooed away her petty tears, yet they fell all the same.

He waved his attendants away and when they left, he reached for the clear liquid underneath the sofa as causally as reaching for his ebony scaled claymore.

"It’s called Moonshine," He explained before pouring it into her tea, "Cease blubbering."

"I am sorry, I-" She started, sniffling before sitting up.

"No." He stopped her, "I do not wish to know the hardships that plague your life. I do not care."

Silence reigned.

The King unclenched his jaw and sighed.

"When my dear wife died in battle, I threw myself on the mercy of the Royal Family, and they threw me on to the Queen. A vindictive, small-minded woman."

Once the King snared her gaze, he affixed her to the chair as if she were embroidered onto the many fine cushions.

"My wife loathed them. I loathed them; They married me to a complainer, a crier. What she could not get, she screamed until she did. She was no warrior, like my Beloved. She was only good for her womb."

The Moonchaser looked away briefly to secure her cup within one hand and dry her cheeks with the others. She hid her weak sneer well but not well enough.

"There were no other options, so I endured. There is no one to cry too, not here. Over the years, I even learned to live outside of female proclivities.”

She looked affronted, her red lips pressed together tightly. Was that an accomplishment to ancient kings like theirs?

"Instead, I secured our son as Prince and found a way to control Fate."

She took a sip of her spiked tea, no grimacing.

"I do not like you." He looked down at her, lids low, "However, I enjoy a formidable opponent. These battles are… something worth something, and admirable adversaries are hard to come by nowadays."

"So this..." He waved his hand slowly down her display, "will cease. Do not come to me with sobs. Do not quit. I won't be bothered with it."

She could feel her eyes drying as she took another sip of tea. The steam tingling in her throat seemingly kept her level-headed.

"Cover your bruises and endure." The King commanded.

"Do not lose control of your fate, Heaven."

Forever loyal to the crown, Heaven had no choice but to sit up straight and fix her face.

The King poured a more labourous amount of moonshine in his encrusted cup.

"Now," he offered to top her off, which Heaven obliged, offering her cup to him, "let's try this again."

"Tell me, are the quarters of your new Lightseeker crew up to your standards, General?"

"I believe that all depends on the status of my assent to the throne, Your Highness."

And although the King covered the lower half of his face, the gleam in his eye was so similar to the Prince's when brimmed with childish glee.

He covered it well, Heaven thought offhandedly, but not well enough.

"Mm."

Together, they took a long drink.

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.˚✮🌟✮˚.⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Do you have a list of tags for alternative universe with their meanings? (ex. angst, bittersweet, drama, etc).

Examples of AU Tags

Angst - In writing: when an author focuses on the anxieties, fear, and sense of dread of their characters, typically at the expense of the character’s hopes and wishes. You’ll find many main characters carry a sense of angst about their existence.

Apocalypse - An apocalypse AU story is often set during or after some sort of apocalypse, or end of the world.

Bittersweet - Or bittersweet ending; if the characters are better off (or at least status quo is preserved), but the story still ends on a melancholy note, it's a Bittersweet Ending. Another way to think of it is if the story's main conflict is resolved in favor of the protagonists, but at great sacrifice.

Coffee Shop - In most cases, one half of the main pairing is the barista and the other is or becomes their favorite customer; in some stories the whole cast works at a coffee shop.

Comedy/Humor - Shows the humor of characters, typically when they try to solve social, personal, or religious problems; meant to illicit laughter from the readers.

Crack - Crack fics are basically humorous stories that don’t have an ounce of coherency to them.

Cute/Fluff - Cute, low-conflict fanfiction, often romantic.

Drama - Contains conflict of characters.

Hurt/Comfort - Fanfiction in which a character suffers and is then comforted and/or helped to recover by other characters. You might also see a fic described as hurt, no comfort if there’s no recovery aspect.

Identity/Self-Discovery - Understanding oneself, personal transformation, and self-acceptance.

Magic - Magic AUs are alternate universe fanworks that incorporate magic in fandoms where there is no magic present in canon.

Mythology - Mythology AUs often involve re-imagining a character or characters as a mythological figure, usually a God or Goddess. Creators usually take their inspiration from Greek or Roman Mythology, but works building on Norse myths, Celtic mythology and folklore, and lesser known mythologies also appear.

Noir Detective - Stories in fanfic are usually either realized as complete AUs, in which the characters are put in a typical '40s-'50s film noir environment; or as a homage towards the style, in which the characters are still their canon selves, but plot or aesthetics are given a noir slant.

Nostalgia - Longing for the past, sentimental memories, and how looking back can be both comforting and painful.

OTP - Short for one true pairing. Used to mean ‘this is my favourite ship for this canon’ or occasionally ‘I can’t envision the characters in this ship with anyone else’.

Power/Corruption - The abuse of power, political corruption, and its impact.

Revenge - The pursuit of justice, vengeance, and its consequences.

Royal - A Royalty AU is a fanwork set in an alternate universe where one or more characters (who canonically aren't) are members of a royal family.

Smut - Smut fics are characterised by raunchy activities and sexual content. Fics that fall into this realm tends to focus more on the sexual part of a relationship between characters, often putting this fic into M18 territory.

Steampunk - A type of story which features anachronistic technology, usually futuristic adaptions of modern creations into Victorian or Wild West era steam-powered technology. Is a common subgenre of the Science Fiction & Fantasy world, both in and out of fandom.

Survival - Overcoming obstacles, resilience, and the fight for existence.

Time Travel - Character(s) travel backwards (or possibly forwards, though that is rarer) in time to either relive or rewrite history. Is a form of AU that sticks close to canon, but still allows for change due to the Alternate Timeline. Time Travel itself may be achieved through magic or science, or even completed unexplained reasoning.

Tragedy - Downfall, loss, suffering, and the inevitability of fate, often leading to catharsis for the audience.

Victorian - The most commonly used term for fanworks that take characters from a modern or future-set fandom and relocate them to a stereotypical Victorian romanticism era setting. It is a form of historical AU.

Whump - Fanfiction in which a character suffers gratuitously. It’s worth noting that the sufferer is often the author’s favourite character; whump isn’t usually written as an expression of dislike. Fanfiction about the gratuitous suffering of a character the author dislikes, which tends to be more mean-spirited in tone, is usually called character bashing instead.

Sources: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 ⚜ More: Notes ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

You can find more information and examples in the sources. Hope this helps with your writing!

[aurumacadicus]

Stony is one of my OTPs so obviously every part of writing them is fun but I especially love that when it comes to affection they are exactly opposites. Tony needs to be given permission exactly one (1) time and then he’s all over Steve. Holding hands, hugging, smooching, he literally climbs all over him like Steve is a jungle gym. Steve loves this obviously although he does sigh when The Daily Bugle posts pictures of him frantically trying to catch Tony when he inevitably slips off of him. On the other side of the spectrum Steve is very reserved. Sure, he’s happy holding hands and kissing cheeks in public, but he prefers to save most of his affection for private. It’s not that he’s ashamed or anything (well, beyond that internalized catholic guilt), he just… he thinks it’s personal. That Tony should be the only one enjoying his affection, not everyone watching.

Which is funny because this includes keeping quiet about being a total horndog and so Tony is absolutely astounded when Steve leaps on him like a wild animal after he “invites him in for a nightcap” (“Yes Steve I’m inviting you in to fuck. I’ve been trying to do that for like three weeks.”). Tony wakes up the next morning sore in places he didn’t know he had and hugs a pillow as he tries to reconcile Steve’s absolute debauchery of him with the man who blushed when he kissed his cheek at a gala a week ago.

[brittle-doughie]

I FINISHED HER RAHHHHHHJJHHH

Her name is Magnolia Cookie, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with her except for the fact that she keeps fucking reincarnating for no reason, she also may or may have not been called a different name is past lives. Every single damn time she reincarnates she finds herself getting close to White Lily Cookie, almost falling in love , than DYING 💔💔 White Lily and Magnolia is literally so madly in love TRUST 🙏🙏🙏 (Magnolia doesn’t know who she is and White Lily is complexed, she feels love but she knows it’s going to hurt her more.)

She’s described to a peppy, caring, and often very very sweet she falls in love easily however… , too bad her fate inevitably comes to death somehow each time :(

Plot twist: Y/N Cookie’s rizz got to her. Y/N SAVE HER ‼️‼️‼️‼️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️

The way I’m going to make Magnolia have a normal life and die in a normal manner just because she didn’t fall in love with White Lily in this life 🥰🥰

Magnolia and White Lily as the OTP, or Magnolia and Y/N. She will be saved. (Maybe.) Or it’s doomed yuri all over again for White Lily/female Y/N.

You do you.

[girl4music]

‘When In Rome’ doesn’t seem all that important of an episode at first. But then you realize Xena basically commissioned Gabrielle to kill Crassus. It’s painful cause you know Gabrielle is a person that genuinely does appreciate human life and won’t kill just for the sake of it. If it can be avoided, she will avoid it. Yet, she’s forced to decide time and time again for what to do in the heat of the moment and the conclusion seems to always be for somebody to die. Whether it be herself, Xena or other, and sometimes even at her own hand. She said she accepted the consequences of living her life with Xena early in their travels together, but I don’t think she accounted for the fact she’d have to kill just to keep her and Xena alive. Or, like in the case of this episode, to save Vercinix, a good, innocent man and a hero to his people, from being executed at the order of Caesar. It wasn’t just about sacrificing her own life, it was also sacrificing and betraying everything she stood for so that her and Xena could survive. Season 4 was the storyline for this. Choosing pacifism because she believed it was the right Way for her, then breaking it again when Xena was left vulnerable and defenceless and she had no other option but to make that split-second decision to kill those soldiers that were going to kill her. It was inevitable the way she’d end up. Whether it is a good thing or not is up to you and how you perceive the situations that happen within the episodes. Your better judgement.

This is the life Gabrielle chose. To experience and face all the violence, blood and pain again and again, being just as much a partaker in it as trying to stop it from happening… Just to be with Xena. That’s got to be the most tragically romantic, beautiful and powerful thing I’ve ever known. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Xena and Gabrielle truly are the greatest love story ever told, and I’m not just saying it because they’re my OTP. I’ll be damned if I ever find anything more romantic than Gabrielle’s insistence to throw away her morality for Xena. She’s going against her own sense of self time and again just to protect and defend people’s lives. Especially Xena’s. It’s a testament to how much and how deeply she really loves her and that’s so incredibly romantic. Wouldn’t you agree?

This is another episode where no one really cares about the Xena/Caesar fued. This episode belongs to Gabrielle and her struggle to betray her ideals by personally sending Crassus to the executioner. Commissioned and expected to by Xena, no less.

She's the heart of the whole story here. It all wraps tightly around her.

Just like 'The Deliverer', without what's going on with Gabrielle, it's just another cat-and-mouse Xena VS Caesar game and even though I love the Rome episodes, they're not as interesting as you think they are without Gabrielle’s stuff. And as great as all the other writers are with Gabrielle’s representation and development, only Steven truly gets what Gabrielle’s about. Him and Renee really make this show resonate far beyond a villain-turned-hero seeking redemption story.

Without Gabrielle - this show is half its watch value. Well and truly.

[somekindofadeviant]

I'm so tired. Is it so much to ask for to want to see people showing love to Spike without shitting on Angel? To show love to Angel without shitting on Spike?

I'm sick of scrolling through my dash and coming across a debunking of the usual fanon bollocks and starting out like 'Yes! You tell them! Yeah that common fanon IS reading Angel and his relationships in incredibly bad faith! Yeah, break down why it's bad faith and cherry picking! Heck yeah! Exactly! We absolutely should not moralise over fictional ships and use therapyspeak to justify shitting on a blorbo we don't like! You tell em!'

Only to get to 2/3 through and it turns to the inevitable 'Now here's why Spike's a nasty twat and people who like him and his relationships are delusional abuse apologists'

Or vice versa. Because I love both those boys. And another thing I'm tired of seeing is 'Nobody ever says nasty things about [reformed mass murderer vampire 1] and their fans. It's only [reformed mass murderer vampire 2] and their fans who get the harrassment and bad faith hot takes about them'

NO! BOTH BLOODY SIDES ARE ON THE RECEIVING END! ALL THE BLOODY TIME!

The Angel fans get it more often, at present, because the Spike fans are more numerous right now. But both sides get it. And I'm so so very tired of it. I'm so tired of the reaction to it NOT being 'I'm going to be different, be kinder than those arseholes, and treat fans with respect no matter who they ship' but instead being 'a minority of fans who don't like my blorbo/ship are mean so I'll retreat into my corner, assume everyone who isn't an OTP purist of my ship is an arsehole, and be mean in return'

I need to really block a bunch of #anti blorbo/ship tags. Not everyone uses them, though. What I really ought to do is what @bigbad1880 suggested. Write a hundred words of fic whenever I see some ship war bollocks on my dash. I'm not even firmly on either team, this isn't my bloody ship war. I'm here for Spangel, for the Fanged Four. Forget Team Angel vs Team Spike, I'm Team There Could Be Some Kind Of Oil Involved.

It's just been a tough week, maybe what I really need is a nice cup of tea and some buttered toasted tsoureki.

Yeah, that sounds pretty good.

[queerfables]

Against my better judgement I am getting back on the canon Buddie train. It might never actually leave the station and in fairness it doesn't have to for me to love it as a fanon pair and still enjoy the show. But there's this crazy hope in my chest, because I can almost touch the bright, clear line from here to there.

Look, queer Eddie wouldn't, in real world terms, mean a romance with Buck is inevitable for him. But this is network tv and I'd be really surprised if we got two late game sexuality reveals for characters that make up two halves of a ship with so much hype around it only for the network to not take advantage of that. So while queer bestie endgame Buck and Eddie would be an amazing story in its own right, I think it follows that if we do get a coming out arc for Eddie, sooner or later he and Buck will act on the chemistry between them.

And all the pieces are in place for a queer Eddie arc! It's not a given. Really anything could happen at this stage. But Eddie acknowledging an attraction to men feels just so impossibly possible right now.

It's actually so mind blowing to have lived through the shift between queer fandom pairings being nothing but a joke to something like this being a genuine possibility. I came to fandom in a time where I would never even think to want it, and now I've seen more than one of my OTPs go canon. And so the thing is that as much as I'm rooting for Buddie in a personal way, what's most revolutionary to me about it is how it isn't really revolutionary any more. That's incredible! Even a few years ago I would never have imagined this. Hell, even a few years ago 911 had a network saying this was totally off limits, and now Buck has a boyfriend he kisses on prime time and the show is getting ratings out the wazoo. So, yeah, it would mean a lot to me if Buddie went canon, but hoping Buddie becomes canon isn't really the point. The point is that I live in a world where it's a realistic and even mainstream thing to hope for. The point is that I don't have to stake my entire identity on it. In a way that is easy, low stakes and simple fun, I can just hope.

[the-fuck-did-u-say]

Percy x Lee I hear you say...

Any thoughts and headcanons for them?

Ok ok my first ask… totally not panicking…

This is a ship I most definitely haven’t thought through yet and I don’t really post about it, but this is easily one of my otps. So this is most likely going to sound rather scattered and not very detailed. But even so this is kinda a long one by my standards so do bear with me.

I’d love to think that Lee got the absolute worst first impression of him. He’s best friends with the twins after all, so it’s almost inevitable. The literal minute their friendship started on Hogwarts Express the twins were talking about Percy. Lee, in his young excited 11 year old mind, just goes with their flow while chipping in with tidbits of his own life every now and then. At this point all three of them are already pretty smug that they’ve already made friends.

The entire train ride Percy’s been avoiding the twins (understandably). He’s been dreading the day they come to Hogwarts and is just trying to stop shit from hitting the fan before they even make it off the train. And if they do get into something, it won’t be his mess to clear up so long as he stays away.

It basically stays that way for the entire sorting ceremony and the first week or so. Of course Percy can’t fully avoid the twins without nothing short of a restraining order, so they do have a few conversations in which so he tries to end as quickly as possible. But during those short meetings Lee is getting absolutely shoved down Percy’s throat.

The same thing is happening to Lee, but instead of being painted as someone fun and chill and interesting, like how he’s been described to Percy, Fred and George are telling him the exact opposite (boring, uptight, boring again for emphasis). But it’s still that hazy feeling where they’re still getting used to school and magic and all that. Like no matter what blood type you make him, Hogwarts is majestic. Why focus on your best friends’ brother, especially since they’ve so explicitly stated how uninteresting they are?

But then something wakes him up from his daydream. The prank. (Dun dun dun)

I’m not %100 decided on what the prank actually is, because note that this is still a half baked idea I’ve become obsessed with. Just know it was big. Lee knew they were planning something but he wasn’t in any rush to ask. He assumed it was just another harmless petty everyday thing that they were up to. How wrong he was.

He goes on a walk to explore the school grounds after dinner and gets back right before curfew, to sounds of screaming in his ear and cheering in the common room. Cheering all around the castle, for that matter. The twins had pulled something in the Great Hall, something to cement their role as the resident troublemakers. Their very first prank of many to come.

Sound familiar? This is what Fred and George were referencing when they made that dramatic exit dropping out of school. They wanted to end the way they started. But anyway-

It didn’t take long to figure out the prank was on Percy, no less, though he was nowhere in sight. Everyone’s patting the twins on the back and congratulating them, even Charlie and Bill, who’re happy they’ve settled alright. Bill does seem somewhat concerned but still convinced it’s all in good fun. He asks Charlie where Percy is and he offhandedly mentions that he’s barricaded himself in his dorm to “sulk”.

Lee laughs along with everyone else but at the same time he’s confused af. Percy couldn’t be that pure and holy that he doesn’t even retaliate? Or even respond at all?

(Right let’s wrap this up, everything’s somewhat unclear from now I’m sorry 😔)

So Lee starts paying more attention to Percy’s actions and he’s even more fascinated than ever. His eyes had always lingered slightly longer on Percy, but he’s never really noticed it before now. And soon, he starts noticing more. He’s completely memorised the brisk way he walks. The way his mouth tightens whenever he hears the whispers behind his back. Along with other things.

Of course those other things really didn’t help when the hormones came knocking on his door, and atp he’s having a crisis. He’s never had a problem with gay men, he’s just never thought he was… one of them. (Not quite internalised homophobia, just straight up bafflement) But it’s getting more and more likely. He starts looking at pretty boys the way he looks at pretty girls, though neither the same way he looks at Percy.

And at the age of 12, Lee Jordan comes out as bisexual.

He’s now accepted his raging crush on Percy. He’s definitely liked an other few people (exhibit A, Angelina). With those types of relationships he’s very flirty and unserious, (as we can see in canon) and has had one relationship throughout school (idk who with), which he quickly ended because he realised his crush wasn’t going away and it wasn’t fair on his partner. He’s no longer in a crisis, just a numb pain knowing his love is probably unrequited. Even if it wasn’t, no way in hell would Fred and George allow it.

And back to Percy! He… hasn’t noticed. He still sees Lee as his younger brothers’ best friend. Someone brings up the idea of Lee having a crush on Percy (which gave Lee a heart attack btw when he finds out) and Percy just waves it off. In an “I guess that’s kinda sweet” and “I don’t really believe it” way, devastating Lee.

After the war, where the age gap is less relevant, that lovesick git FINALLY confesses and Percy is like “wait you’re serious”. And then Lee kind of accidentally-on-purpose seduces him over the next few months? Basically Lee making genuine moves on him and Percy seeing the appeal? It’s really hard to explain and I know I’m wording this poorly 😭

Everyone’s reaction would be hilarious, especially Fred and George’s. And of course I want them to find out last. And be outraged that everyone kept it a secret from them.

But this is only one version of it and honestly it’s just entertaining no matter the context. This is such a rare pair (7works on ao3, five where they’re the main ship), nothing is impossible, these are just bad Ideas.

Thank if you made it through this long ass post and sorry this is kinda late :/

[bookwyrmonastring]

Just realized I can talk about my AUs on here so here is the most deranged swap au known to man

J swaps with Tessa

And Cyn swaps with the Absolute Solver

The solver as a drone isn't here but I'm gonna brief yall on a couple more characters before revealing Cyn's deal to build suspense.

When Tessa rose again as a zombie drone, she was badly hurt, and would have died again in days had Jade Elliot not saved her. She became obsessed with her rebirth and sought to understand the secrets of life and death, especially how they affected drones (she's so victor Frankenstein coded I love her).

This journey took her to a scrapyard where she met a runway drone who had modified herself with the trash there: Uzi (she was swapped with Alice in an early version of the au, so some remnants of that linger). Uzi has digitigrade legs, toe beans, purely cosmetic bug antenna, and IR and night vision. She's also kinda rusty. (Also uzi in this au takes some inspiration from @solroskajan's Rebel Or Runaway au go check her stuff out it's awesome.) The two engineers quickly become friends, and eventually Tessa brings N and V to meet Uzi. V falls in love at first sight, and immediately panics bc she doesn't want to be disloyal to N, who she hasn't even confessed to yet. Eventual Envuzi bc its my otp/ot3. Anyway back to crimes against nature.

Tessa is just as into the occult as in canon, so she's trying to summon demons and shit (with Uzi's help of course). Eventually she succeeds (and nearly disintegrates into a pile of rust in the process) and gives an entity known as The Ultimate Parasite a physical form.

The Parasite of the Ultimate Fertilizer, The Rot, The Inevitable Dawn: Cyn (she/it pronouns as is my general headcanon for her)(yes im projecting) is an eldritch goddess of death, time, and rebirth. She is based around the idea that destruction is just transformation and thus, is creation. Predation, parasitism, rot; smashing a statue with a hammer creates a pile of dust as surely as sculpting creates a statue. It has a fungal and parasitic wasp motif, and is, well, about the way you'd expect an eldritch goddess of time to act. She's distant, she's seen thousands of civilizations rise and fall and it Knows that everything is temporary, knows it surer than it knows anything else. Needless to say, having a conversation with it usually results in existential dread. If anyone draws her I would die (in a good way). All that's set for her appearance it's that it is Mushroom and has wasp mandibles.

Oh also I forgot to mention that Jade still does her buzzword gimmick from canon but sarcastically. Goodness she's so sarcastic.

Asks welcome, and to finish off here's all my AUs listed from least to most self-explanatory: Cyn-tinal, Sibling Swap, Pokemon!AU, N kills Yeva

[topsyturvy-turtely]

turtely's OTP challenge!

read day 29 on ao3:

(prompt: doing a chore around the house)

summary:

“You convince me of the craziest things, Holmes."

“Oh, come on! A night at IKEA can hardly be more exciting than Afghanistan!”

“Less murders, I’d hope."

“There is no need to whisper, John. We are alone in this gigantic möbelaffär.”

“What the hell does that mean?”

“Furniture store. It is Swedish.”

“Why does it sound like you’re having an affair with furniture?”

“I do not know. Shall we check out the beds?”

T, 2.676 words, Developing Relationship. IKEA, Fluff, Love Confessions, Sharing a Bed, First Kiss, First Time, just fluff, i love them your honor

tags under the cut 🥰✨

tag list! (tell me if you wanna be added or removed please 💚) @justanobsessedpan @helloliriels @fluffbyday-smutbynight @inevitably-johnlocked @hisfavouritejumper @rhasima @forfucksakejohn @ohlooktheresabee @turbulenttrouble @so-youre-unattached-like-me @totallysilvergirl @peanitbear @train-mossman @loki-lock @smulderscobie @timberva @grace-in-the-wilderness @chinike @jawnn-watson @whatnext2020 @escapingthereality @missdeliadili @kettykika78 @7-percent @speedymoviesbyscience @astudyin221b @francj15 @ladylindaaa @we-r-loonies @mxster-jocale @sherlockcorner @noahspector @our-stars-graveside @jobooksncoffee @baker-street-blog @macgyvershe @myladylyssa @battledress @a-victorian-girl @dreamerofthemeadow @oetkb12 @ohnoesnotagain @mutedsilence @jawnscoffee @raenchaosandcozyadashofmurder @lisbeth-kk @quickslvxrr @compact-and-beautiful @kabubsmagga @sunshineinyourmind @booksoversleep @wilsons-limped-husband

[himluv]

It's morning, and I'm still in bed, having pre-coffee thinky thoughts. Mainly about Veilguard lol.

I'm thinking about why I haven't talked about Solavellan in datv much yet. This blog has become an almost exclusively Lucanis Dellamorte blog these past few months 😂. But, I've been obsessed with Solavellan for 10 years. They are my otp. Soooo what's going on?

Under the cut because length and SPOILERS.

1. I genuinely haven't fully processed the Solavellan ending yet. I've done it twice and I sobbed both times and it hurts SO GOOD. But I still feel like I haven't let it get all the way in yet. I'm keeping it at arm's length just a little bit because... Ow.

2. I'm mad at Solas. We see him at his worst in datv. It's been a decade of solitude and desperation and he is wearing that Fen'Harel mask non-stop. He's lost sight of himself (if he ever had a good grip on the concept in modern times). And... I didn't really understand just how much I loved Varric until this game. Because, now I can't see fanart of him without tearing up. I can't play datv without crying over him. And while that also hurts SO GOOD (and I love tragedies), I also cannot forgive Solas for killing Varric and then LYING about it and USING Varric's memory against Rook. Like... I have a lot to unpack there but it feels unforgivable to me.

3. But, how I feel and how Riallan Lavellan feels are two different things. She loves him still, after everything. Not to say they won't have some very big serious talks in the Fade and that she isn't mad at him, but she ultimately does forgive him. And, so there's a gap between me and Ria at the moment that's going to take time for me to process before I can start writing them again (I very much want to write them again).

4. I love my Rook, Embria Aldwir. Like, so so much. And I LOVE Riallan, but she's much more removed from me and my personality than Embria is. When I play DA games for the very first time I usually play as/for myself, then make a second character to RP and actually establish my canon. But... in datv, Embria hit all the right boxes and notes. My first run felt like canon and I have latched onto this girly harder than ANY of my previous DA ocs. I can't wait to explore in fic how Embria and Riallan's paths cross and what their relationship becomes, but I'm not there yet. I'm still cooking.

4. My biggest reason for not yapping more about Solavellan is that... The fandom around Solas has become incredibly toxic and almost... Invasive. Like, I love him and love seeing gorgeous art of him and Lavellan, but also... The takes are frequently bad and the body swap mods are getting egregious (like c'mon, he would not do that and you know it). I know this is a personal squick, but for me, anything that feels that disingenuous to the character is a complete turn off. Seeing him do things he would. not. do. makes me wonder if people even actually like him? Or just some weird version they've cooked up in their mind these past 10 years. Idk, I'm just seeing a lot of stuff in Solavellan spaces that is actually making me like Solas less, because of how fans treat him AND other fans. Which... Sucks. So, I'm trying to preserve MY Solavellan, my beloved, tender, tragic otp, and to do that I can't really participate in fandom about them. At least, not right now when everything is fresh and feverish.

So, yeah. That's where my head is at re: Solavellan. I love them. I just have a lot of complicated feelings about them right now. So I'm gonna keep playing and learning with Lucanis and Embria. Don't be surprised if I come out of nowhere with a giant fic involving all of them in like, five years (I didn't start writing Solavellan until 2019, even though I shipped them right after DAI released).

And, if you made it this far and also enjoy tender, tragic Solavellan, I have a fic to give you:

Inevitable

It's complete, and follows Riallan and Solas from the very beginning, to just after Trespasser. Canon-compliant, in-between moments with eventual smut.

It is the fic of my heart. I spent the better part of four years writing it and sobbed when it was done. Please read it if it sounds like your jam.

And of course, it comes with a playlist. Enjoy!

[justchillandshipit]

I know it is tough when you have such a popular and large cast to give everyone screen time, and I certainly don't want to lose screen time for people I don't know as well, but I really do hope they find a way to work in more Ravi. What little we know about him is interesting, and he is a cutie.

It might be fun if Buck and Eddie get to a point where they know their feelings, but they haven't talked it out yet, and Ravi becomes an unintentional c#ck block. At the firehouse, it would be easy. He sits down at the table in between them at dinners. He interrupts their workouts with offers to spot or to ask for one. When he climbs in the engine he takes the spot Eddie would normally sit in. When they leave for the day, he calls Buck to ask random questions, like Buck is his personal Google. Ravi's doing all this so he can fit in more, but Eddie is beginning to wonder if Ravi has a thing for Buck instead which couldn't be further from Ravi's mind. He's super straight. (I mean the whole firehouse can't be gay, bi, etc. Well, maybe it could, but it would make hetero an outside group instead of another type of sexuality. I like to think of the show as something that brings everyone together, and makes us all root for love whatever form it takes.)

I use Buck and Eddie because they are my OTP, but I think Ravi could get more screen time with other characters too. Like he's met Karen at events thrown by the 118 and the two of them have become besties off-screen. Whenever they do anything random together, even a cup of coffee, they somehow end up in the middle of some crazy shenanigans. Or maybe Ravi and Josh could become besties. Sassy Josh is always fun. Or Ravi, Karen, and Josh get into trouble. Every time Ravi is not working the same shift as the others, he ends up with Karen and Josh. Trouble is inevitable. Athena thinks they need an intervention because the number of times she has had to find a way to get them out of lockup starts to become absurd.

Anyway, I think there is Ravi potential. I hope to see it.

[boinin]

Can I get 17, 18, 19, 20, and 29 for Kunigiri and AiSen (Aiku x Sendou)

Hi Mr. Smithereens! You sure can. I'm happy to blab about Aikusen in particular! Such a good rarepair.

17. Who says I love you first?

Kunigami, in nearly every scenario. He's too honest to keep it to himself. Conversely, Chigiri's more guarded, so even if he falls in love first, he'd wait until he's certain before admitting his feelings so boldly.

With AikuSen, it's a drawn out process. Sendou would be too insecure to admit his feelings to someone he knows fools around casually, even where he and Aiku are dating exclusively. I personally headcanon Aiku as somewhat emotionally avoidant, and perhaps freaking out about feeling for Sendou on a deeper level. That said, I think Aiku would accept the risk of heartbreak and say I love you first.

18. Who leaves little notes in the other’s one lunch? (Bonus: what does it usually say?)

Let's be real, it's only ever Kunigami making lunches for the princess ❤️ I think he'd write corny jokes to make Chigiri laugh or roll his eyes. Puns in particular, since Chigiri likes wordplay. He probably Googles them specifically.

Aiku and Sendou don't strike me as big lunch makers, but Aiku would probably include notes of encouragement, like Knock 'em dead today, ace. Sendou reads them and cringes (but secretly enjoys them).

19. Who tells their family/friends about their relationship first? & 20. What do their family/friends think of their relationship?

Answering these together as they compliment one another!

Kunigami tells his family first, casually mentioning that he's dating Chigiri. Chigiri's mom and sister wrangle the news out of him after seeing him post a suspiciously couple-y photo with Kunigami on social media. Both families are supportive, particularly the sisters.

Literally none of Kunigiri's friends would be surprised. If anything, they're surprised it took this long to happen.

Aiku tells his family first, although he'd probably take his time to do so. I'm guessing they'd be pretty chill about it—his dad is Swedish-German and fairly liberal, as is his mom. Sendou would worry that his folks would respond negatively to him dating a man. To his surprise, that's not an issue so much as him dating a known cheater / womaniser. Aiku charms them though as soon as they meet him, and reassures them he's not going to hurt Sendou.

There's mixed responses from their friend group. The original U20 teammates would find it hilarious, given how much both of them emphasised dating women in their early careers. Anyone from their days in Ubers sees them getting together a mile off.

29. one headcanon about this OTP that breaks your heart

Kunigiri are overall so wholesome, there's little to report on this front! But the idea of Chigiri being the first (and maybe only) person Kunigami is willing to talk about Wild Card pulls on my heartstrings.

For AikuSen, what gets me is Sendou's inevitable meltdown when he realises he's started to catch feelings for Aiku. I headcanon Sendou doesn't have the self esteem to believe he has enough worth for Aiku to be exclusive with him. Internalised homophobia (or biphobia?) also packs a punch with these two.

[thenameswinter99]

For the character thingy: Ragnar Lothbrok 🤭👀 (but also Sihtric if you haven't done him already hehehe)

So, first of all I sincerely want to apologize if this took me so long to reply. My procrastination won so much I left this in my draft for days. Plus, I'm sorry if I'm going to write inaccuracies but it's been a long time since I last saw Vikings and I might forget something/say something stupid.

But I'm going to answer to this as best as I can!

Ragnar Lothbrok

How I feel about this character

He's not my favourite character in the whole show, but he's pretty good, with all his complexities and flaws. He sometimes comes up with good strategies, which shows how smart and ambitious he is. Then, in the next episode, you want to punch him in the face because he acts impulsively and does stupid things. But hey! That's the beauty of characterisation: a character without flaws doesn't exists.

A thing that intrigued me is his thoughts about the religion. In the beginning he encarnates the perfect viking that worships Odin and the Norse gods, claiming that the fate of men is dictated by the will of the gods. When he approaches Christianity he becomes curious about it, exploring its doctrines and questioning about fate and gods, an inner conflict that will accompaign him for the rest of his life.

Last, but not least: thank you Travis. Your performance was spectacular, he incarnates Ragnar as best as he can. I can't see another face but Travis when I see this character, it's also thanks to him if Ragnar gest all the spotlight (along with the fact that is an important figure in the Norse history/mithology).

All the people I ship romantically with this character

I know it's banal, but I ship him with Lagertha. I don't like the pairing with Aslaug (actually, I don't like her at all) as it lacks the same complicity that he had with Lagertha, at least in season one. Of course, he was a bit nasty to her and cheated on her, but I loved how they still had some sort of love and respect for each other, with Lagertha mostly supporting his decisions.

My non-romantic OTP for his character

Obviously there are Ragnar and Floki, they had such a great bond in the first season, for what I remember. A bond forged with being close friends and confidants to each other, but that sadly fades away, when conflicts over them starts to show.

I kinda enjoyed the interactions between Ragnar and Aethelstan, until the writers let things slipping out their hands...

Last but not least, I remember he had some nice interactions with King Ecbert, especially when they were initially drawn together by their curiosity towards each other.

My unpopular opinion about this character

Can I just say how much I disliked his arc in season 4? It's as if the writers had forgotten how they had written his character in previous seasons. There were still great scenes (the 'Who wants to be king?' scene will forever be etched in my memory, and Travis gave a masterful performance) but then? One dumb decision after another. He just doesn't feel like the Ragnar we saw in previous seasons.

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

I wish the show had been more faithful to the myths. I know it's almost impossible because romanticisation is almost inevitable in historical dramas like this one, but people always complain about a lack of fidelity to the original material. I just wish the relationships between the characters had been based on the original material. I'm not saying they had to copy it verbatim, but they shouldn't have taken too many liberties.

Sihtric Kjartansson

I have already answered at this. Check here!

Now I'm going to hide because I'm afraid of your judgement... 😂 Thank you for the ask! 💜

GIVE ME A CHARACTER (AND I'LL BREAK THEIR ASS DOWN) ASK GAME

[illumiera]

WIP Wednesday

thank you so much for the tag, @theoneandonlysemla! 💖 I thought I'd join in on the WIP Wednesday train and share an excerpt from the in-progress ninth chapter of i fear no fate (for you are my fate), especially since said chapter made it to 1, 000 words yesterday! so, here's Miraak admiring his new manicure courtesy of Elentari:

Miraak blinks. He blinks once, twice, thrice. Then, so slowly he could still be wrapped up in the web of a dream, he turns his trembling hand over and over and over again, palm-back-palm-back in a blur of ink-stained fingertips and scarred, sun-starved skin. This time, his gaze is fixed, hunting for the tell-tale flicker of something that would break the spell and betray the illusion, because the part of him that has not yet escaped Apocrypha is certain that this must be one final trick of the mind from the Prince who’d sought to claim him forevermore. After all, he remembers it all too well, the way he’d once stood by and watched as those already half-maddened from decades lost pacing the same paths through Mora’s realm had exclaimed aloud and gripped a tome like a treasure, and the way their shouts of victory had sharpened to screams as the knowledge for which they’d damned themselves twisted before their scouring eyes. The way it must have felt almost like a relief after that, to give in to the inevitable. And still the sight before him refuses to alter. Still he remembers the warmth—the light—that had flooded him the moment his same-soul had granted him the sound of his truest name ringing from her lips like a golden bell hung in the very heart of her. His claws are gone. His claws are gone, and the woman whose healer’s touch had purged them from him— Elentari is still elsewhere, neither here with him nor lingering behind in their shared dream of his homeland. Her eyes are wide and unseeing, staring straight past him as though he truly has become the ghost the seer had foretold, and try as he might, he does not recognise the strange light within them. Her eyes are full of sunshine, he has always thought, sunshine on pine needles, on young spring leaves, on all the green growing things of the world—but they’re nothing like that now, not while they’re aglow with a sheen of unearthly silver like moonrays spilling into a forest pool.

and as a bonus, a very messy rough sketch WIP of my two silly dragons, because we all need to draw our OTP as a classic painting at least once:

now, I tag @bougainvillea-and-saltwater @kiir-do-faal-rahhe @bostoniangirl21 @madam-whim @pinessydr @lilarus and you, reader, if there's something you'd like to share, too! ✨

[museaway]

20 Questions with a Fanfic Author

tysm to my dear @dragonmuse for tagging me!

How many works on AO3?

241 + 4 on an alt

Total AO3 Word Count?

1,793,106 on main apparently

Top 5 Fics by Kudos

I live in a happy world where I have no clue who reads what, but I did sort by kudos just for this. Shocking no one, it's all Trek & SPN. I won't bother listing them.

More interesting: MDZS broke the top 10, which shocks me because it's rare that anything nudges SPN or Trek out of the top. So, good job, Xichen, great love of my life, husband #1, for coming in 7th. And good job to Smallville for coming in at 19! bb!muse would be so happy to know about this.

What fandoms do you write for?

Whatever I feel like. Right now, Nu: Carnival, Voltron (yes in 2025 and it feels GREAT to be here again), Uramichi Oniisan (shout-out to the utterly lovely & supportive mitsumitchi shippers!), and Scum Villain

Do you respond to comments?

I talked about this a few days ago. I have issues with this because of some past harassment, but I peek at rare pair fics. Uramichi fandom has heard back from me & I think I know all daster shippers on the planet at this point.

I do talk to readers on social & discord. I love to talk with them, but my mental health is so so much more important to me, and I think most readers are generous and understand that. Many are writers themselves. One day I'll dig out of the backlog.

Angstiest ending?

A week ago, I would have said someone else's name (VLD S8 fix-it), but having re-read it, I change my answer.

So I'll go with the fic that kicked off my rare pair fixation: something borrowed. It left me so sad, I wrote a sequel! And then many more sequels. I'm still writing them.

make believe (eruri hanahaki) is also pretty sad since it's set in the canonverse

ETA: I forgot about Aster & devotion

Fic with the happiest ending?

99% of them are happy. idk, you tell me if one's happier than the rest

Do you get hate?

That's inevitable

Do you write smut?

I write excessively glossed over, suggestive scenes

Do you write crossovers?

YES they are one of my most favorite things. The crackier, the better. I was just thinking of crossing Voltron with Nu: Carnival this afternoon so that Aster and Lotor can meet.

Ever had a fic stolen?

Yes

Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes! It's amazing to be able to share fic with people who speak other languages

Have you ever cowritten a fic?

Many moons ago and it was actually with @dragonmuse, but I didn't go by muse back then. If we co-wrote again it'd be funny because of the double muses.

All time favorite ship?

Besides the OCs, Clark and Lex from Smallville is my first, best OTP. I can slip back into that ship at a moment's notice. But Aster & Dante are doing their damnedest to grab that crown.

WIPs you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

A few weeks ago, I would've said a sheith sequel that has sat dead for 6 years. But I'm finishing it right now!

Writing strengths?

World building. My rich details are okay. Apparently I can make people cry if this is a strength

Writing weaknesses?

I'll get caught up in trying to figure out specific, weird details and stall out. I stalled for years trying to write a prison break. I've talked about this prison break with so many members of my family. My teenage nephew was like "Aunt Jess, really? You haven't written this yet?" Called out by my nephew smh. I still forget to dress people, I hate naming plants, and narrative time will always kick my ass. But I try.

Thoughts on mixed language dialogue?

As a reader, I like it, especially if I have some knowledge of the second language so I don't have to look things up. As a writer, I don't have a competent command of a language besides English, so I avoid it.

First fandom you wrote for?

The magical wizard school one

Favorite fic you’ve ever written?

I usually say The Night Immortal, but today I'll give this honor to someone else's name (VLD S8 fix-it), which is the angriest, rawest thing I've ever written -- and in first person too! I've reread it a few times and it accomplished everything I wanted it to. idgaf if anyone else liked it, that baby was for ME (and Syn)

--

writer friends, please consider yourself tagged if you'd like to play!