#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.

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[novelbear]

bickering like a married couple - some silly arguments for your otp to get into

prompt list by @novelbear | requested: @generalfee

"move, you're on my side of the couch."

sneakily placing another dish next to their partner as they're finishing up with the dishes. then laughing through an apology as it naturally sets them off

arguing in the grocery store aisle because one wants normal oreos while the other wants to try one of the new, random flavors that just got released

"no, i'm not going to give you a bite because i know you're not gonna like it. then you're going to ask me how the hell i like it, and i don't want to listen to that right now."

"get up, you're snoring and i can't hear the movie." "then turn it up..." "so you can yell at me for waking you up? no!" "you woke me up anyway!"

"oh my god if you buy one more plush to occupy my spot on the bed i'm kicking you out to sleep on the couch."

if they have a pet, they might fight over whether or not they should let them climb on the furniture

getting annoyed when one sets an alarm which inevitably wakes the other up much earlier than they intended.

"uh-uh, no more reading before bed. you keep waking me up with your dramatic gasps every time you turn the page." "well, i'm sorry that i engage and connect deeply with literature!"

bickering over the right amount of toothpaste that should be put on the brush

^ or over one taking wayyy too long in the shower

"what's the point of the blanket being on the couch if it can't be used?" "it's for show!" "oh for the love of god-"

"take an extra jacket, it's cold out." "okay, mom."

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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! ✨

[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.

[perverse-idyll]

@hprecfest 2024 - Day 5: a romantic fic

Yeah, it's Dec. 23rd 26th, but I haven't given up hope of posting a few more of these. Therefore, onward! More Snarry!

Miles to Go Before I Sleep by pluperfectsunrise - This is so far into sweet romance territory it risks setting off the skeptical Scrooge in me. See, it's rare that I swoon over emotionally mature versions of Snape. But this fic is so elegantly written and so perfectly constructed I was seduced by its humor and the writer's light and loving touch, so it didn't take me long to fall for its charms. (Much less time than it takes Harry to fall for Snape's, I'll tell you.) The premise: once a year, Harry and Severus dance together at the Ministry's Solstice Ball. Over the course of 14 years, undercurrents of yearning rise to the surface as they waltz closer to confessions of the heart. It all comes together (yes, I did that on purpose) in a consummate final scene, with several lightning strikes of dialogue the Gollum writer in me covets and the Snarry fan adores. This story knows exactly what it's about and takes you there with tenderness and grace and a kind of snowlit intimacy, beautifully crafted. Pluperfectsunrise has a gift for writing restrained romance that blossoms in a rush of resolved UST.

Contempt/Devotion by danpuff - Two stories, two sides of the same coin, and part of an ongoing series, Love, Your Enemy. Okay, this is definitely my drug, my poison, the flavor I crave above all else when imbibing my OTP, and it's the kind of conflicted, even unhealthy romanticism that contains the seeds of self-destruction but also healing. With Snape/Harry, it feels right to me that strains of love/hate pollute the flood of desire, but in the end I want their relationship to survive, whatever it takes, and this series does not disappoint.

In these paired fics, Danni gives each of the men their own voice and viewpoint on the same events, each mirroring the other's out-of-control emotions and internal struggles to resist. Contempt is Harry's story, and it's soaked in the wildly contradictory heat of his passion for Snape and his anger at the fact that he can't wean himself off this secret addiction. He's cruel to Snape in his mind, hammering on all the reasons why he's contemptible, the reasons their liaison is unthinkable, and why he should stay away. (Spoiler: he doesn't stay away.) It's an untenable and guilty cycle of near-madness. Harry's engaged to Ginny and playing the role of faithful, upstanding lover, all the while telling himself that he'll end things with Snape … just not yet. That he'll do what's right, even if he's beginning to doubt what that is. The emotional impact of this fic is intense, erotic, compulsive, and at times makes you wonder if a happy ending is even possible. Snape's version in Devotion is even more self-lacerating because of course Snape knows exactly why Harry should hate him and why he only compounds his past mistakes by not driving Harry away. He anticipates rejection, despises his own longing, and yet is horribly aware his soul belongs to Harry, even though he considers himself unworthy and certainly the worst thing that could happen to Harry's reputation. But he chooses to suffer jealousy and self-loathing rather than give Harry up, and is willing to risk being destroyed by the inevitability of Harry leaving him.

And through Danni's gorgeous, intimate descriptions and red-hot sensual detail, the reader is inside their skin with them, experiencing every breath and rapture and torment, all the rationalizations and temporary ecstasy. Danni is amazing at mapping the emotional hardships and rewards of coming to grips with an inappropriate love, something so consuming that it feels dangerous. And the series isn't complete yet, so the outcome and consequences of their illicit relationship remains open and uncharted. Even as a WIP, this is one of my desert-island stories and a personal touchstone for everything I love about my ship.

[welshautisticfurry]

youre so right scarian is toxic im here to offer that it was toxic in 3rd life too cause it was and I'm tired of pretending its not (borderline abusive at times too)

so like obviously they killed each other and Scar had no problem with killing Grian but also there was an unhealthy power dynamic in play since episode one and by the time that Grian was free from having to serve Scar he was in too deep and had no choice but to stay with him

last time i spoke about toxic scarian i was told that it was "inevitable" and idk what that means but the unbalanced power dynamic could have totally been avoided so that person was yapping actually

Thank you! I forgot about 3rd life lol, yes, it was borderline abusive. I hate when people paint them as 'perfect'. As someone else pointed out to me, Scar was also bad. I agree, they're both bad for each other.

On the same subject, how about Flower Husbands? I love it and eat it all up, but Scott can be bad to Jimmy. Quite a bit, actually. Sure, he cares for him when he doesn't need to, but always puts him down.

On the other hand, ShinyDuo is my OTP. They're good with each other, they care, they barely ever argue. Murder Camel scenes were some of my favourites, and they were so wholesome. Just Pearl and Gem having fun together!

Oh well, I'm just ranting now, but thank you for your ask!

[alleyskywalker]

Time once again for a beloved activity: nonscientific fandom survey via tumblr poll xD (Reblog for sample size/Science (TM).)

By "hates" I don't mean "ignores" or that the ship is a tiny rarepair. I mean like…when people feel free to post how much the ship sucks in the main ship tag or talk about how much better other ships are on the notes of posts about your ship. Or when discord servers that position themselves as being tolerant/open to all ships don't think it's weird for people to talk about how "toxic" or bad or whatever the ship is. Shippers get anon hate or dogpiled on Twitter/Reddit. That kind of thing.

It's everywhere - like you know the thing where, people treat it as canon even if it's not and/or inevitably include it in fics that theoretically focus on over ships/charact

[hawnkoii]

I know you ship Mitsuri x Clones but do you have headcannons for the different pairings? Like I can see Mitsuri and Aizetsu bonding over cats while Sekido n her would bond more by sparing together.

I know I said I ship Mitsuri x Clones, but I only really ship her with Karaku qwq

Karaku x Mitsuri is one of my otp 🫶 💚🩷 so I haven’t really thought about how Mitsuri would get alone with Aizetsu, Urogi, or Sekido TvT

Here are some HCs I have for KaraMitsu-

─── ⋆⋅˚ʚ♡ɞ˚⋅⋆ ───

- When they inevitably clash due to their respective roles, their battle is more akin to a dance than a fight, with Mitsuri fluidly dodging Karaku's attacks while Karaku tests Mitsuri's limits with his playful yet dangerous maneuvers.

- Throughout the battle, they exchange banter and compliments, with Mitsuri praising Karaku's creativity and Karaku admiring Mitsuri's strength and determination.

- Despite their opposing sides, there's a mutual respect and understanding that grows between them as they fight, each recognizing qualities in the other that they admire.

- As they continue to encounter each other in subsequent battles, their interactions deepen beyond mere adversaries. Mitsuri's kindness and empathy start to break down Karaku's initial reluctance to trust humans.

- Karaku, intrigued by Mitsuri's unwavering dedication to protecting humanity despite her gentle nature, begins to question his own purpose as a demon.

- Over time, their relationship evolves into a deep friendship built on trust and mutual admiration. Karaku finds himself drawn to Mitsuri's warmth and sincerity, while Mitsuri sees glimpses of vulnerability and gentleness beneath Karaku's playful exterior.

- Their love story unfolds gradually, marked by moments of understanding, forgiveness, and shared laughter amidst the chaos of their respective worlds.

- It dawns on Mitsuri that her search for a man stronger than her wasn't just about physical prowess but about finding someone who complements her strengths and challenges her in ways that make her grow.