#otp: to the stars and sea

[soneakyr]

"She heard Elzar swallow, but neither turned to look at the other. Her hand, hanging by her side, brushed gently against his. Just for a moment. But it was all they needed. For now."

(I'm obsessed with EOD ending)

[glxyhrt]

❝ well, we all make mistakes. ❞  azul to star

sent by : @prsonatm​ | meme : god of war : ragnarok | status : accepting !

❛  oh ,  is  that  what  this  was ?  a  mistake ?  ❜  star  stood  before  octavinelle’s  dorm  head ,  arms  crossed  as  her  brows  furrow .  ❛  i  know  that  i  agreed  to  your  little  deal  in  being  your  temporary  girlfriend  or  whatever ,  but  if  you  think  that  this  whole  thing  was  a  mistake ,  then  please .  by  all  means ,  end  the  contract .  one  less  thing  to  worry  about  in  this  school ,  ❜  she  spat  back  out ,  the  venom  in  her  tone  potent .  she  wasn’t  usually  so  particular  about  such  minor  things  as  simply  being  acknowledge  as  a  person  rather  than  an  object ,  but  she  supposed  she  was  entitled  to  basic  human  decency ,  at  the  very  least .  ❛  i  don’t  care  about  how  you  decide  to  parade  me  around ,  but  i  very  well  expect  you  to  respect  my  personhood   rather  than  just  treat  me  like  some  toy  that  is  one  day  going  to  be  discarded .  ESPECIALLY  from  you .  ❜

[mosaickiwi]

Fall Unto Me (epilogue hehe)

part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4

Demon!Ren and Angel!Angel my otp!!! I think saying I won't write anymore compels me to write more somehow................... sowwee I just keep lying :3c

cw// religious themes

14 Days With You is an 18+ Yandere Visual Novel. MINORS DNI

💜🖤💜🖤💜🖤

Moonlight gleamed on the gentle waves pushing back and forth to meet the shore. You sat at the water’s edge with your lover, legs curled under you to lean against his side, your fingers drawing shapes in the wet sand that only lived a few fleeting seconds, then washed away in the water's wake. 

The blue eyed demon kept an arm around you for warmth. You still felt cold, sometimes even during the day. It bothered him more than you. Ren silently watched you etch shapes, though they didn't pay as much attention as usual. He was lost in thought.

Almost a year had gone by since the dreaded night that wouldn't leave their mind in peace, when heaven had burned away all you’d ever known without a care for the loneliness you felt afterwards. A nightmare that was sure to stain decades of eternity with you. Centuries past his own damned fall from heaven's gate, they still found a way to punish him.

Your heart healed quickly with his doting and comfort, but the physical scars remained. Each morning was a glimpse of heaven and hell. He was always awake before you, but to ever leave your side would pain them like nothing else. So he waited. You'd open your eyes, smile at him as if he was the paradise you'd treasured dearly—how could you still choose to grace a monster like them with your sacred beauty? Your presence? Your love?—then crawl from the sheets to stretch and start your day. 

The two jagged streaks of seared flesh on your back greeted him like a cruelly blinding sunrise. He could only wonder where everything went wrong.

He hadn’t meant for it to happen so soon. Your fated fallen angel had already waited millennia to meet you again, and he was intent on waiting infinitely more until you were ready. Because they knew you’d eventually come to desire him, to yearn for their embrace above all others. But you’d fallen—both in love and divinity—faster than he dared to wish for. Nevermind a thousand years, you were taken with him in barely a day, even if it took you much longer to realize the gaze you set upon him in the setting sun was more than just curiosity. 

It must have been destiny’s twisted attempt at design. He didn’t expect you that day in heaven’s library, but they were meant to belong to you from the moment— 

“Ren,” you spoke as softly as the ocean’s gentle breeze. Still, they heard you loud and clear through the muddled sea of their mind. You were the only being who could ever pull him ashore. Or astray. 

“Yes, little angel?” he answered. The nickname burned in his heart to use now, but the way your eyes glittered with love like the moon and stars above when they said it… he yearned for that happiness to last as long as it could.

“Did I spell it right?” He cast his gaze to where you pointed. Just out of the crawling reach of lapping waves, you’d written something in the starlit sand.

They’d written your name thousands, maybe even millions of times over and over to keep him sane enough to find his only solace in you. Seeing it here, finally in your own handwriting was something else entirely. He’d commit it to memory.

“Exactly right,” Ren smiled down at your handiwork and leaned over to write the three letters of his name under yours. They were all he could remember of the real name heaven had stolen away. Though it’d been so long that he wasn’t even sure if they were correct.

You stared for a moment, then drummed your fingers on your thigh. “Your real one was certainly longer than this,” you muttered to yourself. 

Your companion absently nodded, those innocent words haunting him with another memory. He’d spilled his heart out months ago in a moment of weakness, one morning when the sight of your scars broke him. About the real first time you met, his own fall from grace, his sinful intentions to take you with him some day. Everything that he feared would make you hate him. It was a way to punish himself further. Heaven’s permanent reminder wasn’t enough—but you forgave everything with ease like the angel you truly were. 

I’d go through it all again if it meant you’d be mine, you told him. As if it was a simple choice. You were more upset to hear that you couldn’t call his true name. That worthless excuse of a god had made a mistake to let you go—one Ren would never even think to make.

The demon had developed an odd habit of brooding. You kissed his cheek to get his attention, one hand lacing through theirs. “Ren, there’s nothing to worry about. Why don’t we go swim? Or take a walk?”

He meant to answer, but a harsh shiver suddenly tore through your body. You felt cold again, even to him. A lance of pain from his own ill fated guilt, and he carefully stood, lifting you into his ink-stained arms. “Let’s go home.” You were clearly about to frown, and he had to correct himself. “Little angel, let’s go home.”

Not even the moon could outshine the immediate smile you brightened his world with.

[zakumipink]

🔸The Sims 4

Current games, because I have a lot of characters and alternate universes, but I like to play with my OTP of the moment.

Law and Sabo, base 2017. Base skin, soft, tries to maintain a visual resemblance to the anime. I only use it for photos or gifs.

Law and Sabo, base 2024. Remastered, more realistic skin. Law's tattoos look better, It's not finished yet.

Law and Sabo, base 2022 My favorites: Law, Sabo and his son Roule. First expansion (Get to Work), Fifth expansion (4 Seasons) and Thirteenth expansion (Growing Together) mainly. I have played many challenges with these sims, such as "Rags to Riches", "100 Babies Challenge" and others, They even dated as teenagers, got married in college, and survived the mysterious attack of the mother plant in StrangerVille... Law is the Chief of Staff of the Hospital, as a Surgeon. Sabo is a househusband, but works sporadically editing books, making paintings, floristry or baking desserts. Modern AU

AU Vampires Base 2022 with CC Gothic and the fourth expansion. Family of vampires, live in Forgotten Hollow. Sabo was turned by Law, so Ace and Luffy are humans. Roule is a vampire child, Law works as Art Critic and Sabo is writer. I have a vampire-based fanfic (Lucky One) although it has nothing to do with the game, but it helps me imagine their reactions.

AU Mermaids. Law is a Marine Biologist and Sabo is a mermaid. Base 2022, Seventh expansion (Island Living) and MOD Expanded Mermaids (SpinningPlumbobs). They live in Sulani, Sabo likes to cause bad weather so Law doesn't go to work (lol), Law collect stones, metals, crystals, fish, frogs... I have a fanfic based on this (The Drowned Song) but it's not the same either, it just uses the idea of mermaid Sabo getting legs when he comes out of the sea.

AU Magic. Base 2022, with CC of fairies, witches and residential houses with lots of plants or mushrooms... Eleventh expansion (Cottage Living) and the MOD Fairies vs Witches; Unicorns MOD (SpinningPlumbobs) Law is a wizard, he collects everything, studies spells and his ability requires lunar energy. Sabo is a fairy who lived in the Wild Glade, but left her home when he married Law, who is his natural enemy. They have a son: Roule, who does not have fairy wings yet, but maybe I'll get them. I haven't decided yet. Sabo is a florist, he uses his powers to take care of the plants and he loves to fish.

AU Royalty. Base 2022, with Medieval CC, elves and magic. Eleventh expansion (Cottage Living), Royal Family Mod (KiaraSims4Mods), Regencia Romance (JaneSimsten) and Unicorns MOD (SpinningPlumbobs) Law and Sabo are the kings of the northern elves, they have a daughter named Eira and live in the Sanctuary. They participate in activities such as hunting, archery, ballroom dancing, horse, rabbit and bird breeding...They have a fairly quiet life, their employees take care of everything. They are five-star celebrities. I wrote a fanfic with them, although it is very different, but I liked their daughter and that they lived in a sanctuary where they give them offerings.

AU Wizard. Base 2022, with CC Steampunk, witches and dragons. Eighth pack (Realm of magic) and Unicorns MOD (SpinningPlumbobs), Expanded Realm Of Magic (Zero's Sims) Law is a sorcerer and Sabo is a dragon, who adopts his anthropomorphic form to accompany him in his world. Sabo is a fan of jewels, gold and crystals, but in addition to stealing shiny things also likes to set fires... Law as a sorcerer, learns spells, potions, catches creatures, collects objects and uses a broom to fly, although nothing stresses him out as much as taking care of Sabo. They live in Glimmerbrook.

I have the classic Mods for pregnancy, professions, bassemental, drama, WW, food recipes and all the expansions up to "For Rent" the fifteenth.

I have not updated.

[your-name-is-jim]

What a Kirk/Spock shipper sees in a Kirk/Female-Love-Interest story [PART 1/2]

[Part 2]

This is a pretty long post in two parts, so I hope you'll find it interesting. Don't worry, I shared a lot of pictures too! :)

First of all, what is it about?

An analysis about a 32-pages comic published in 2020 by IDW Publishing. More specifically, I'm talking about the Valentine's Day special from the comics series Star Trek: Year Five that I recommended here. The title of this story is Captains of Sea and War, and this is the official summary:

"James T. Kirk has had many loves during his mission among the stars, but this time he may have met his match in fellow Starfleet Captain Laura Rhone."

As I said in my review of Star Trek: Year Five, this Valentine's Day special is not linked to anything else in the main comics series. That means it can be read alone or, on the contrary, it can be skipped if you're only interested in the series (where Kirk doesn't have love interests, by the way).

Do I recommend this comic issue?

It depends on your preference! Just like the rest of Star Trek: Year Five series, the art is great and so is the characterization, at least most of the times. Jim is written as a romantic book lover and definitely not as a womanizer. However, if you only ship Kirk/Spock or you're not into Kirk romance with women in general, I believe you should avoid wasting your time and money. Just read my analysis if you're curious! :)

Why am I talking about this? And why as a Kirk/Spock shipper?

Good question. The short answer is that I read this comic and I have a lot of thoughts about it.

The long answer is that I love TOS Kirk and I'm interested in him as a character, romantic scenarios included. Since Kirk/Spock is my OTP, I can't suddenly take my slash goggles off, so I already knew before reading this comic that I'm not exactly the target audience and nothing is ever going to convince me that Spock isn't The One for Kirk. However, it was an interesting reading in multiple ways, so I'd like to say why!

I want to be 100% clear about my Kirk/Spock preference because even if I will try to talk objectively about the comic to a certain degree, this analysis is biased; if you don't like Kirk/Spock, this is NOT the post for you. That said, you may not see the point in a K/S shipper writing an analysis about a romance between Kirk and a female character, but… well, unless someday they'll release official Kirk/Spock comics, this is all we have.

There are two reasons why I read this story despite being pretty much a monoshipper when it comes to Kirk:

I had already read the main comics series and I liked it a lot, so I wanted to give this special a try.

I thought it was probably going to be okay, because in my headcanon Kirk and Spock don't actually get together until The Motion Picture. Kirk has a lot of love interests before that movie, so adding another one doesn't really bother me. It turned out (as I'll mention later) that I wasn't completely right about the era, but I take Star Trek comics as "extras", so I just ignore what I don't like.

Note: this analysis contains SPOILERS from the entire Valentine's Day special.

However, it does not contain spoilers from the main Star Trek: Year Five comics series. So, if you're planning to read that one, you're safe here! Just avoid this post if you don't want spoilers about the Valentine's Day issue.

Okay, are you ready? Let's go!

So, Jim is on shore leave with Bones. As you can see, the moment a pretty woman gets close to them, Bones leaves, because he's a great friend :)

We already know from the summary that the woman who talks to Jim is Captain Laura Rhone. Now, I'm already going to stop here to take a moment to at least appreciate the creators' effort: as someone interested in fictional writing, I must admit that creating a Valentine's Day special in 2020 about James T. Kirk finding love is an extremely hard task, to put it mildly. Seriously, if it can't be Spock (or the Enterprise :P), how the hell do you even do it? Are you going to give Jim another woman-of-the-week who's going to die? Another blond white woman? Another woman who forces him to choose between her and his ship? Or, on the contrary, a woman who'll choose for him and break up because she knows he wants the Enterprise?

NO.

Star Trek TOS was made in the 1960s, but we're in the 2020s now. Fans are tired to see always the same tropes with female love interests, and some of those tropes are just very outdated. So what does this comic do? Well, first of all, fixing what didn't work in Turnabout Intruder. Oh, let me get this straight: overall, I like Turnabout Intruder. I love the canon bodyswap, and I lost count of how many times I quoted "You are closer to the Captain than anyone in the universe" in my Kirk/Spock fan-fictions. However, there's no way that in the 2020s we're going to believe that a positive future means this:

In the Valentine's Day comic, Janice Lester still exists (she's mentioned once in a dialogue), but since Laura Rhone is a very good Starfleet captain around the same time, I believe we're now supposed to think that Janice was one crazy person who was never going to become a captain because of her personality and behavior, not because she's a woman. This is actually how I've always liked to mentally re-write this part of Turnabout Intruder in my head, because that's how I want to imagine it.

Anyway, back to the comic. Captain Laura Rhone is on shore leave too; she recognizes Captain James T. Kirk and she decides to introduce herself to him. She's very straightforward about her interest in him, so we immediately see that part of her personality.

Of course, the two captains can't enjoy their shore leave until the end. I'm posting this part to appreciate Bones in his beach clothes and Laura's very loyal Andorian officer who slips ("Laura! I mean, Ma'am!") when she sees her Captain in danger and oh whoops now I ship them. She doesn't remind me of anyone, I don't know what you're talking about.

Anyway, wrong ship. I'm obviously not following what the story is trying to tell me, because this is what happens next:

Just a moment to appreciate sleeping Jim. Cute.

So, after that night together, Jim and Laura don't see each other for 6 months. They meet again when the Drake, Laura's starship, has a battle against a group of space pirates and the Enterprise intervenes without consulting Laura first. Laura and Jim have a slight fight about that, but Jim apologizes, and it ends with them in bed again.

After that, because Jim is a romantic man, not a womanizer, and thank goodness the creators of this comic know, Jim asks Laura on a date. As they're walking together on a planet, Laura points out that they're doing things in the wrong order. Jim's reply is rather interesting: he asks her if they need to know what they're doing, and if there has to be a shape or a meaning to it. It's the first sign that even if they're both obviously attracted to each other, Jim is unsure about the kind of relationship he wants with her. When I think about his previous experiences, I believe it makes sense. He may be a romantic at heart, but he suffered so much for love that I can see why he's trying to be careful. There's also another reason, more related to the time this story takes place, which is a few months before the end of Jim's five-year mission. We see it here:

Ah, yes, a typical first date conversation: what Spock talks about. Well done, Jim. Saying "a friend of mine" doesn't make it less obvious; I did my Star Trek homework and I know you're quoting the basis of Vulcan philosophy to her :D

(Of course, now I won't stop imagining Jim casually mentioning Spock during every single date he has with someone… That would explain why his love stories never last…)

On a serious note, as I was working on this analysis I realized something extremely interesting about the context of Jim's lines. Jim is mentioning IDIC when he's questioning his future as a starship captain. He remembers that Spock talks about Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations, but Jim can only do one job. However, what will Spock tell him someday, right next to an IDIC flag?

Now, I don't know if the people who worked on the Valentine's Day comic really thought about this, but I think it's still, well, fascinating that Jim is using Spock's words to think about his own future, but he's following the wrong direction. I believe it's also worth pointing out that Spock will tell Jim that commanding a starship is his "first, best destiny" years after finding his own place in the universe. On the contrary, during the time this comic takes place, Spock is busy with his own inner distress.

Anyway, that's enough Spock for now. Back to Jim's first date with Laura…

So, I started this analysis with a question: how the hell do you write a love story with TOS Kirk in 2020? This is the way this comic tries to answer: you create a female character just like him.

Okay, they look cute together. Laura loves being a starship captain! She loves reading! And dancing! And climbing!

Wait, wait, wait. I appreciate the inclusion of Jim Kirk's canon hobbies. I really do! But aren't we forgetting one?

This is interesting. Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but this makes me think that they didn't want Laura to have something in common with Spock. Spock is the character who plays chess the most in TOS, so I can see why the creators of the comic didn't want the readers to think about Spock instead of thinking about Jim's girlfriend. That would be too bad, huh? :)

There's also horseback riding missing, but that doesn't appear until the movies, so even if I personally believe that a farm boy like Jim learned how to ride horses when he was young, I can see why they skipped it in this comic. It's also mostly associated to another love interest (Antonia from Generations), but if this is the reason they didn't want to show Jim and Laura riding a horse, I'm just going to think even more that the lack of chess is suspicious, and they're counting Spock as one of the "girlfriends".

On the other hand, since horseback riding is associated to starship captains in TOS and TNG (I don't know about the other Star Trek TV series because I haven't watched them yet), I think it would have been a good idea to have one panel with Jim and Laura riding.

That said, if I had to make a guess about the real reason the comic doesn't show horses… I'm a doctor writer, not an artist, but I believe that drawing horses can be a pain in the ass, so in this comic they just didn't bother haha

Anyway, back to the plot! As I said, Jim and Laura's personalities are very alike. Of course, that doesn't mean they're perfect for each other, but I admit that this premise made me curious when I read this comic. Let's find out if it works out!

I'm posting this picture because of the book Laura is holding: first of all, this is where the title of this story, Captains of Sea and War, comes from. But it's also important to remember the book. You'll see why in Part 2. :)

So, two months later, Jim and Laura trust each other as captains without even talking:

We see Laura's other friend, probably her first officer, trying to warn her, just as Spock does on the Enterprise. I'm taking a little moment to appreciate "Noted, adored, and ignored, Commander", because it's really sweet. Imagine Jim telling this to Spock :D

So, the captains are right, and everything is good, because…

Okay, okay, wait a minute.

Apparently, one of the good things of this relationship is that Jim and Laura make a good team together. They don't even need to communicate to understand each other during a mission. Now… I don't even need to put my K/S goggles on to say that Jim and Spock are canonically one of the best teams in Starfleet, if not The best team. You don't need to ship them to know how many times they understand each other without words in the series, how many times they make plans and just know what the other will do, how many times Spock hears/sees someone that should be Jim and just knows something is wrong, and so on. Of course, as a Kirk/Spock shipper, reading in a Valentine's Day special that making a good team is good for Jim's love life makes me happy!

"Yep. All that sex didn't go to waste."

Jim. Jim. Are you saying that you and Laura are a good team in Starfleet because you had a lot of sex? I'm not even going to say what this makes me think as a K/S shipper… Did I say that Kirk and Spock are the best team? :D

Okay, okay, maybe it's not the same. Because Spock is a man, and Jim isn't attracted to men… right?

Ahem. I lost my mind when I read this for the first time, and I'm going to lose it again.

"There don't seem to have been many ladies in your life. Gentlemen, either." "Well, I've been busy."

Now, let's be honest here: Laura's lines didn't have to be phrased that way. We know Jim likes women, so even nowadays nobody would bat an eye at "there don't seem to have been many ladies in your life"; and if you're the writer of a very heterosexual comic who wants to avoid K/S shippers like me thinking "hehehe, because Jim has a man in his life", you can still write something neutral like "there don't seem to have been many lovers/romantic partners in your life". Or just a generic "it looks like you haven't been on many dates lately".

Laura mentioning "gentlemen" explicitly can make some readers think that men are an actual option for Jim. (Me, I'm "some readers".) Sure, it's not a confirmation, but Jim doesn't deny it. He just says he's been busy. There is room for interpretation in multiple directions, but even if I put my personal preference aside, I think it's important to remember something: in context, in this part of the story, Laura knows Jim. We've seen in a previous panel that they've done a lot of things together. Laura is not a stranger who may say "you don't have a girlfriend… or a boyfriend" because they don't know Jim. Personally, I think it's very likely that Laura asks about ladies and then adds gentlemen because she knows Jim is bisexual with a preference on women. It fits my headcanon for him. (Of course, he can be into anyone, not just men and women, and he has a preference for women because hasn't tried dating Spock yet :D)

Anyway, the other thing that panel points out is that neither captain would give up on their own starship. Well, that's fair.

Okay, okay, I'll be serious: Jim sacrifices the Enterprise in The Search for Spock during an emergency. Of course, it's definitely not a coincidence in the narrative that said emergency happens because Jim is looking for Spock's body. However, we all know how much Jim loves the Enterprise and how bad he feels without a starship, so it's only fair that in normal circumstances, he shouldn't be forced to give up on his "silver lady".

Laura understands that they're the same, so...

This is another thing I appreciated! Who cares about gender norms, a woman can propose to James T. Kirk! :D

Now, just as I said about the "gentlemen" line, it's important to think about the context of this proposal. When the two of them are drinking together, Laura says "I've been asking around about you". That means Jim and Laura's relationship is still casual, to the point that she could have expected him to have flings with other people too. Honestly, this is just my opinion, but I'm not even sure I'd call it exactly an open relationship, because that would still imply a relationship in the first place. I'm mostly referring to the fact that Laura has been asking around about Jim's love life instead of just, you know, asking him? I believe that if they trusted each other and were in an open romantic relationship, either they wouldn't care about each other's partners or they would just talk about it. Since Laura wants to marry Jim and have an exclusive relationship with him, it makes sense for her to bring up Jim's love life. However, I can't really help side-eyeing that "I've been asking around".

Am I reading too much into this? It's possible, but this is another clue about their dynamic that I'll mention later in the story.

Sooo, Laura asks Jim to marry him. What does Jim answer?

Unfortunately, I reached Tumblr limitations of the number of pictures I can share, so… you'll find out in Part 2!

If you're reading my analysis for the Kirk/Spock shipper's point of view, I especially recommend the second half, because that's where things get more interesting! :D

I hope you enjoyed the first part of this analysis! Thank you for reading until the end! See you soon!

Part 2!

[keldae]

Soft OTP Prompts: person B: ‘i never expected it to be you’ person A softly smiling: ‘me neither’

Devi had always loved the stars. As a child, she would frequently climb onto the roofs of buildings in the Lower City at night and lay on the tiles, gazing up at the night sky and dreaming of being far away from Baldur’s Gate. On reflection, she supposed, one of the few upsides of her entire misadventure with being abducted by mindflayers (besides meeting the love of her life and her best friends) was being able to see the stars even clearer in the wilderness than she could in the city.

In the darkness now, she picked her way down an alley in the Lower City, holding Gale’s hand as she led him to a ladder that she had seen earlier in the day. Her half-Elf heritage gave her the benefit of being able to see clearly in the dark; as a human, Gale didn’t have that advantage. And honestly, Devi had to admit, it was nice to be needed by her strong, talented wizard for such a mundane thing as guidance down an alley in the middle of the night, having stolen him away from camp while their companions settled in for the evening.

Finding the ladder, she guided Gale’s hands to the wooden beams, then quickly scrambled up the rungs, hearing the wizard follow her at a slightly slower pace. On this level of the building they had climbed, she could see another ladder that would take her to the highest peak of the roof; once Gale had caught up with her, she led him over to the second ladder and climbed up to the highest level of the building. Short of scaling one of the guard towers on the wall between the Upper and Lower Cities, this was one of the highest points they could reach in Baldur’s Gate.

And the view of the night sky was well worth picking their way down a messy alley. Devi laid down as Gale conjured up a blanket to protect them from the roof tiles, sensing the wizard reclining beside her. “I told you that you get the best view from here,” she softly said with a little grin that he would hear in her voice. “It’s almost as beautiful as that illusion you showed me the other night.”

Gale hummed in agreement as he slipped his arm under Devi’s neck. “Magnificent,” he murmured, gazing up at the stars stretched out over the black void of the night sky. “They look so close, one could almost reach out and touch them.” As if to demonstrate his point, he stretched his free hand out, waving at the stars. 

Devi smiled and curled up into Gale’s side, resting her hand on his chest. He sighed in contentment, and for a moment, silence reigned before he spoke again. “While I was secluded in my tower, I spent many nights gazing at the stars – as beautiful as the gods, but equally as cold and distant, and as ungiving of answers or guidance.”

“Mmmm.” Devi’s fingers started tracing a pattern over the orb marking on Gale’s chest, just under his shirt. “When I was a child, I used to spend almost every night on a rooftop somewhere, wherever I could see the stars and pretend I was somewhere other than here. Sometimes my brother would come with me, but after he… he left, I just came out on my own, less and less, until I all but gave up on looking at them.” She shrugged slightly. “The stars are beautiful, but they’re like the gods – aloof and distant and not helpful for much.”

“People who navigate by starlight on the seas or in the wilderness would argue their uselessness,” Gale softly corrected with a slight chuckle. The arm that wasn’t wrapped around Devi’s shoulders came up to cross his body so his fingers could caress her cheek. “And they’re most beautiful when they’re reflected in your eyes, my love. You have a beauty and warmth that no star – or goddess – could ever touch.”

Devi smiled and caught Gale’s hand in hers, turning it so she could kiss his palm. “You would be the expert in such things,” she murmured. “My wise, talented, eloquent wizard.” She kissed his hand again, then softly laughed. “You know that almost nobody would have ever imagined us together, if they’d seen us a year ago? Me, a feisty, uneducated, rebellious thief with no thought or care for the Weave and even less regard for the gods…”

“And me, the brooding, washed-up wizard who believed his talents were wasted and that all he was good for was a lesson in folly and pride, and who believed that he would never find true love in any of the realms.” Gale leaned in to kiss Devi’s forehead, his lips lingering on her skin. “If I had been told a year ago that I would find the love of my life in a short-tempered Baldurian pickpocket with a fondness for daggers and a deeply buried heart of gold, and compassion enough to make up for all that the gods lack, I would have laughed in the face of whoever told me that.”

“And if I’d been told that I would fall in love with a wizard from Waterdeep who prioritised books and his tressym, and who had loved a goddess before meeting me, and who encouraged the best parts of me that I had learned to hide away from the world, I, uh… probably would have stabbed whoever said that.” Devi smiled as Gale snorted a laugh, then shifted slightly so she could drape her leg over his thigh, as close to him as she could get. “I expected my future to include whoever I could sleep with or scam to get ahead and get out of the Lower City, or for that future to end with being stabbed in a back alley.” She let go of his hand so she could trace his face with her fingertips. “I never expected that future to be you.”

In the starlight, she could see Gale’s eyes soften – and he waxed poetic about how her eyes reflected the beauty of the stars, without thought of his own! “Me neither,” he murmured, his hand rising to trace the tip of her pointed ear before caressing through her hair. “But fate has a way of laughing at the best predictions that people can make. I’m eternally grateful that life gave me you, even if its way of giving you to me… left a little something to be desired.”

Devi softly laughed. “You mean not every great love story in Faerûn starts with an illithid abduction and mindflayer tadpoles being shoved into the heads of the lovers in question?”

Gale chuckled. “Love, I believe our story is entirely unique in that regard. I, for one, still can’t believe that you saw a washed-up fool of a wizard, trapped in his own portal, with a tadpole in his brain and a magical bomb in his chest that was killing him, and fell in love with him. If I wasn’t so grateful for you, I would question your standards.”

“My standards?” Devi grinned. “You got pulled out of your portal and landed on top of a grouchy half-Elf thief who also had a tadpole in her head and was mad as all hells about it, and then ten minutes later almost got into a knife fight with another mindflayer victim who happened to be a vampire, as we later discovered. My standards are perfectly fine!”

That made Gale laugh out loud, a moment before he clapped a hand over his mouth to muffle the sounds of his amusement. He stayed quiet for a moment until he was satisfied that he hadn’t disturbed anyone else, then looked at Devi with a smile. “Gods, I love you,” he said, caressing her cheek again. “Short temper, kleptomaniac tendencies, proficient blasphemies, and all.”

“I love you too, my cocky, mildly arrogant wizard.” Devi grinned at Gale’s chuckle and stretched up to kiss him. It was easy to lose herself in his touches as he kissed her back, seemingly trying to convey through his kisses how much he loved her – it was a sensation that made her weak at the knees and wanting him still more than she already had before. She swore she fell more in love with Gale every day that she was around him.

“Only mildly arrogant?” Gale softly asked when they finally pulled apart for air. He chuckled against her lips. “You both humble me and boost my ego, my darling. You make me feel like I can be ordinary Gale Dekarios with you and you won’t judge me poorly; and yet, the way you praise me makes me feel like I could take on the gods themselves.”

“I didn’t fall in love with the legendary Wizard of Waterdeep,” Devi said, smiling as she kissed him again. “I fell in love with the kind-hearted man who read books to me and snuggled me to sleep every night when I was having bad dreams, who just so happened to be incredibly adept with the Weave.” She breathed a soft laugh against his lips as she kissed him once again. “Although the offer to throat-punch Mystra still stands, after I finish killing Shar for what she and her followers did to Shadowheart.”

“The gods should tremble before you, and your temper, and your fierce desire to protect and avenge those you love,” Gale murmured, a fond smile on his lips. “First, we destroy the Absolute, and then we find a way to kill Shar, and then you can punch Mystra. After that, if you haven’t decided to go after any more gods, I’m taking you home with me to Waterdeep and giving you the life of peace that you deserve.”

“Any life with you is one that I want,” Devi breathed out as Gale leaned in to kiss her. “Whatever happens, I want to be by your side.”

“And I want to be with you, from now until the stars fade from the heavens.” Gale kissed her again, slowly and thoroughly. “I will not suffer anything or anyone to take you from me, my heart. I am yours, as you are mine.”

Devi smiled at his words, feeling her eyes burn with repressed tears of love for this man. “I love you, Gale Dekarios,” she whispered around another kiss.

“And I love you, Deviali Nulys.” Gale pulled back from their kisses just enough to gaze into Devi’s eyes; the stars overhead made his own eyes shine like he was among them. “My beautiful, perfect, compassionate little thief. How did I become so fortunate as to be here with you?”

“I spirited you away from camp when nobody else was looking and brought you up here?” Devi giggled as Gale rolled his eyes, an affectionate, if slightly exasperated, huff coming from him.

“You know what I meant, you brat.” Gale chuckled and leaned in for another kiss, his teeth just nipping at Devi’s lower lip and making her moan softly. He grunted as she gently nudged him onto his back, then straddled him, knees on either side of his hips and her hands just sliding under the hem of his shirt. “Is this what you want?” he breathed out as he pulled back for air. “Right here, on this rooftop?”

“I want you,” Devi murmured. “Under the stars, with nobody to see or hear us besides the gods themselves.”

In the starlight, she saw Gale’s smile in the same breath that she felt his hands slide up under her tunic, palms warm on her bare skin. “Then you shall have me, in any way that you wish,” he whispered as he pulled her back down to him. “I love you.”

“And I love you,” Devi breathed out, easily losing herself in the pleasure of Gale’s kisses and touches and whispered words of love into her pointed ears.

[dinovia-grant]

Writer Asks

I was tagged by the dearest of all dearhearts, @cassiopeiasara

1. How many works do you have on AO3? 53, but full disclosure, I haven't yet moved everything I've written to AO3 yet.

2. What’s your total AO3 word count? 885,181 (but honestly, OBaaT Georg is an outlier, and maybe shouldn't have been counted...)

3. What fandoms do you write for? Currently? Ever? Currently, it's SuperCat and, more recently, Guiding Light/Otalia. Stupid unfinished WIP that has haunted me for 15 years...

4. What are your top five fics by kudos? These are all SuperCat, btw. One Bridge at a Time, At the Pleasure of the Hotel de la Paix, Uncharted (part 11), At Sea, and (the shocker) Steel Blue.

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not? Yes, as many as I can. I've been known to respond to some years after they were written. Comments are the lifeblood of my writing. One comment at the right time can inspire so much. Sometimes, even the completion of a lingering unfinished story...

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? Easily, my tears ricochet (Mirandy). My wife (Lisof9) and I took a vow decades ago (pre-dating, even) that we would always write happy, hopeful endings where the couple is together.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? Everything else? See above. That doesn't mean there isn't angst. My wife taught me everything I know about chasing characters up burning trees and then lobbing grenades and feral raccoons at them. She also taught me about cliffhangers.

8. Do you get hate on fic? Once. A long time ago on an ER fic, of all things. I didn't write a word for two years after that.

9. Do you write smut? Yes. I'm kinda known for that. It is sometimes even requested, meaning the prompt is given to me because it requires smut.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written? Hmm... Not really? Let me explain. One of my SuperCat stories mentions Emily Carlton from The Devil Wears Prada, and one of my Guiding Light stories has a brief cameo from a character on Saving Grace. The only true crossover I've ever written was wacky. It was Star Trek: Voyager and CSI: Miami. Decide for yourself: Wackiness. It's short.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not sure I understand the question. You mean plagiarized.? There was a rash of that happening in the early 2000s, I think, but my readers always let me know.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? I'm not sure. Probably.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? Oh, absolutely! My wife should be considered my co-writer in everything because I have been known to pick her brain when I'm stuck. I've also co-written in the Guiding Light/Otalia fandom and in the L&O: SVU Casey/Olivia fandom.

14. What’s your all-time favourite ship? Oh, lord love a duck. SuperCat is certainly my once-and-future obsession. I've been writing them for over seven years at this point and, at last count, have 10 WIPs in the works for them.

My OTP Prime, though, is B'Elanna/Seven from Star Trek: Voyager because that's how I met my wife.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but probably won’t? Hide Beside Me (Guiding Light/Otalia) has haunted me for 15 years, but remember when I said comments were the lifeblood of writing? Someone commented on it last week which revived my interest in finishing the story. I have a draft for chapter 32 in my WIPs folder right now because of that. I hope I finally get to check that one off my to-do list.

16. What are your writing strengths? Research, capturing character personalities, dialogue, and romance.

17. What are your writing weaknesses? Fight scenes and the fact that I'm so slow as a writer.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? Actually, I have a plan to write an Astrid/Raphaelle story in French when I feel I'm up to snuff in French again. I can't wait. I love that ship.

19. First fandom you wrote for? Ever? Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. Buck/Wilma, on my handwriting practice pad from school. I was 10. Published in a 'zine? A Star Trek: The Next Generation Worf/Deanna story. Published online? Xena, Warrior Princess.

20. Favourite fic you’ve written? Currently, there are two:

Queen of Hearts, (ST:Voy, B/7), because it was a love letter to the woman who is now my amazing wife.

One Bridge at a Time, (Supergirl, SuperCat). I'm proudest of this one because it took me seven years to write, came in at 310+k words, and I finished it. I never gave up on it. It was always in my mind. And now I'm working on a sequel to it. :)

I tag anyone who would like to answer it. Although, I would be interested in reading the answers from @shaych03 and @fewthistle if they'd like to participate.

[nocompromise-noregrets]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers (except me because obvs I have done it). Spread the self-love 💜

aaaa, thank you so much! Thank you also, and apologies for how long it's taken me to do this, to @mirkwood-hr-department, @scary-grace, @erathene and @verecunda who have also sent me this one over the last couple of months. I'm afraid I took fright because I currently have uh 415 works on AO3 and I kind of don't know where to start. I am also terrible at picking favourites, and particularly terrible at picking a short list thereof. So I am going to cheat and give you some links to series instead, and I am not going to limit myself to five because that way lies far too much stress and anxiety XD

My Heart Is An Empty Vessel - well, obviously that had to be on the list, it's the fic that got me into the Barduil fandom and the longest I've ever finished, not to mention it's sparked a whole 'verse spanning at least three Ages of Middle-earth. :D Almost all of my canon-'verse fics take place in this 'verse, as it happens, and one of these days I will collect them into a series but it is not this day, mainly because it's an enormous task. Maybe when I retire... XDDDDD

All I Want Is You - the one that got me through the third and fourth (I think) lockdowns, the daft Christmas-movie modern AU that morphed into something rather bigger and gave me a chance to exorcise some of my work-related demons.

the hardest choice to make - because it's me finally tackling my favourite characters making their Choice between mortality and immortality. I love the Twins inordinately, more than any other character, and I think I have more very fixed headcanons for them than for any other - I've been putting this one off, or rather they have, but they've finally started talking and I'm hoping to piece the rest of it together gradually sooner or later.

a kiss in the cold and dark (I should have kissed you that summer) and its associated series - because it took on a life of its own and is also letting me channel a lot of my teenage memories :D

paint the sky and burn the stars - because, again, it took on a life of its own and pretty much wrote itself, and unlike a lot of my other stuff, it's self-contained. I don't think there will ever be a sequel, but that's all right; the story is complete as it is.

stained glass heart - another one that pretty much wrote itself, I loved the imagery in @piyo-13's art so much and it just all fell into place.

dancing in the dark - because I'm having so much fun with my old rocker bi widower dads :D another place to channel memories of my younger days, this.

A Little Piece of the Sea - one of my longest-running series, I started writing this 20-odd years ago, and then picked it back up when I came back into the fandom. Legolas/Imrahil my beloved underappreciated rare pair canoe!

I Will Be With You Always - last year's TRSB piece written for @seagull-energy's beautiful art, I finally managed to pin down my Arwen feelings in this rather reflective piece about her last moments on Cerin Amroth, where her life has come full circle at last.

breathe freely - the utterly out of character hanahaki twincest fic the premise for which came to me in a dream XD look I have problematic OTPs, I am old and have been here a very long time it is pretty much a given :D (the twincest is not the bit that's out of character)

Do You Remember The First Time? - the Twins/Rúmil two-parter that got rather out of hand and also gave me the headcanon about the Twins standing in alphabetical order as you look at them XD

It's Always Been You - the other problematic pairings one, featuring the Rúmil/Orophin story that had been sitting in my notes for nearly 20 years until I got back into the fandom with a vengeance in the summer of 2020, and the foundations of the Rivendell and Lothlórien bits of my canon-'verse set stories...

death is certain, life is not - the TRSB fic that ate me alive this summer, inspired by @erathene's glorious art, in which Tilda finally strides into centre stage and refuses to stop talking (I am already working on the sequel because I ran out of time to include most of what I wanted to squeeze in). Technically part of Empty Vessel-'verse but deserves an honourable mention here!

A Quiet Understanding - and finally, because if I don't wrap it up here I'll be going all day, the first longfic/chaptered fic I ever wrote, in the King Arthur (2004) fandom, about Gawain and Galahad and how their lives unfold both before and after the Battle of Badon Hill.

(and that's not mentioning the rare fandom stuff like A Knight's Tale, That Thing You Do!, Fisherman's Friends, Call The Midwife, The Alienist and The Palace, all of which I adore unreasonably, but I think I've rambled on quite enough here XD )

Thank you so much to everyone who asked me for this one, and I'm so sorry it took me so long to work out an answer! I haven't the spoons for askboxes, and I have to admit that the choose-x-people-to-ask games always feel a bit exclusive to me because what about the people who never quite make it onto that finite list, the people who nobody ever remembers to ask - and my memory is terrible and I will always inadvertently forget people. So, instead, I would like to invite anyone who sees this and wants to do it - don't wait to be asked, just rec yourselves! Let us know the works of yours you love the most! <3333333

[bearlytolerant]

OC Q's! 49 and 50 for Ver and Del? Pwetty Pwease :)

Yes of course! Thank you! But buckle up because I’m answering this like the cringey millennial I am in interview style 😁

49. Is there a word or gesture that makes either of them melt?

Ver: *grabs Del’s knee and coyly smiles* Oh, what a *perfect* question to ask.

Del: *glares while pulling at his scarf* I don’t see how this question is relevant. *blushes*

50. Who's the romantic?

Del: What kind of interview is this? I don’t do romance.

Ver: *raises a brow* He said I was his guiding star in a sea of night. I just suck his dick. Who do you think is the romantic?

OTP asks

[ruthless-rainbow]

A Call from the Ocean (Introduction)

Ohmygoodness, you guys, I finally finished my concept art for my big Thiam project and this is the introduction to my latest AU. (This is just the beginning, so I hope you are ready for a bit of a ride. 😅) I am so happy for you all to finally meet my little mer!Theo. 🥺 & Welcome to; A Call from the Ocean Summary; Liam Dunbar likes to think he's just your average, everyday, twenty-two year old guy. A College student majoring in history. Captain and star of the swim team. And seemingly just a happy go lucky person. But if only life were that simple. And for Liam, living with his disorder is anything but. Not everyone will and can understand what it's like living with IED. Forced to explain his outbursts of what others see as irrational anger and feeling like a freak. Liam finds solace and peace in one place. The ocean. He's felt the pull of the sea for as long as he can remember and it's like a second home to him. But could there be something else that calls Liam to the waters edge? Something more that lurks beneath the waves? And somewhere deep under the surface of that very ocean is where Theo calls home. An outcast of his kind, a survivor despite the odds being against him and leader of his small pod of three. Theo wonders if there could ever be more to his cold, painful existence. He wonders if he'll ever know a real life, a life lived and not just survived. He wonders if he'll ever experience a touch that's more than claws piercing his flesh and littering his skin with scars. Theo would give anything to know that there is something out there better than this. ..... A few things about this AU, I love mermaids/merpeople and have always been fascinated by them. So, I really couldn't resist making an AU for my all time favorite OTP. And when I imagined Theo as a mer, I fell in love with him and I just couldn't get him out of my head. I jumped all in and let it consume me for months. 😅 Waiting until MERMAY to finally post him. 💜 I had a lot of fun with his design and I didn't want 'frilly Disney mermaid' vibes. I wanted Theo to be beautiful, of course. But I also wanted him to be just a little bit terrifying. 😅 like, yes, he could rip your throat out and drown you before you can even scream, but he would look so pretty while he does it that you may just thank him for the experience. 😅🤣 Also, yes, I did one of his concept arts twice because I wanted to show the fact that parts of Theo are bioluminecent. I mean, c'mon, Bioluminecense is one of the most beautiful and magical things about the ocean, so it only felt right to make him that way. So I did a 'night' version but I still wanted you to be able to see the colors of his fans in both kinds of lighting. Last but never least, I have a few people that I really need to give a shoutout to for this AU. I was truly nervous about it, so I decided to reach out to a few of the wonderful friends I have made on here to get their thoughts and opinions. I honestly couldn't have made this peice if it wasn't for you all because your feedback and support has been vital for this. And we are talking months of y'all having to deal with my nonesense. 😅😅😅 @sterekshipper-writer​, @thiamsxbitch​, @sydney-winchester​, @wolfboy88​, @sapphire-rising-sun​, @stitchkiss​ All of you are so f*cking amazing and I heart you all so much. 💜 I really, really hope you all will like my little mer!Theo and I really hope I will be seeing you again when I post the first chapter to the story in the next few weeks. 💜 Ya’ll . 😘 ✌️💜🌈

[aurorawest]

Twenty Fanfic Writer Questions

Tagged by @lowkeyed1 - thank you and sorry it took me so long to do it!

Tagging @bereft-of-frogs, @rosieposiepuddingnpie, and @nostalgia-tblr

1. How many works do you have on Ao3?

An even 150!

2. What’s your total Ao3 word count?

2,230,050

3. What fandoms do you write for?

At this point my fanfiction output is pretty sparse, but in the last two years, I've written primarily MCU. I've also written for Captive Prince, Six of Crows, The Daevabad Trilogy, The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue, Some Desperate Glory, and The Watchmaker of Filigree Street. Over the years I've written in tons of fandoms.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

The Real Asgardians of the Galaxy (MCU, Loki & Thor)

The General Mess and Imprecision of Feeling (MCU, Loki/Stephen Strange)

Sleight of Hand (MCU, Loki & Stephen Strange)

You Come to Me Wild and Wired (MCU, unrelated ficlets, Loki/Stephen Strange)

They Change Their Sky, Not Their Soul, Who Rush Across the Sea (MCU, Loki & Thor)

The first three are all part of my 10 fic Loki series, it's not going to matter if we fall down twice.

5. Do you respond to comments?

Goddddd I've become so bad at it. I used to respond to every single one. One of my projects/goals is to go back and respond to people, but of course, my AO3 inbox is totally overwhelming at this point, and every time I see the number of comments I haven't responded to, I become paralyzed. I need to man up and just start chipping away.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? 

Do No Harm (MCU, Loki/Stephen Strange) and Anamnesis (Weyoun, Star Trek: Deep Space 9) are probably tied on this one.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? 

I primarily write happy endings so...most of them, haha. But I guess The General Mess and Imprecision of Feeling, since it's the HEA at the end of 10 fics. It's a seriously hard-won HEA haha.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I have! I've been called a pedo on some Wreck-It Ralph fic (that was my introduction to purity culture, btw). Idk if I'd call this hate, but I once had a reader get pretty upset that an OFC in A Full and Factual Account of Asgard didn't turn out to be a love interest for Loki.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Sure do! Honestly writing smut might be my favorite thing to write, haha. Whenever I get to a Big Sex Scene in my original stuff, I sigh in relief that I'm finally going to have an easy writing night. I've written m/f and m/m, but I have way more m/m, and an occasional m/m/m. It's mostly sappy, vanilla, OTP stuff, but I love me some dub and noncon, so there are a few of those amidst the gooey soulmate smut.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

Not really, though I did in my youth. Honestly they're...all kind of crazy. When I was in my early teens I wrote a 4 fic series that was a crossover between The Enchanted Forest Chronicles (the books by Patricia C Wrede), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (the Disney movie), and Newsies (the movie). It had time travel. And dragons, obviously. I also at one point was writing a crossover between Newsies (yes, I had a Newsies phase) and Doctor Mordrid, an obscure fantasy B-movie from the 90s starring Jeffrey Combs. Fun fact! It was actually supposed to be Dr. Strange, but they lost the rights before they made the movie.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Yep. It was a Harry Potter fic. I threatened legal action (lol) and they took it down.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

People have definitely asked me if they can translate my fics, so I think so!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yeah, I had a friend I wrote a Loki & Thor fic with. I also used to collab on fics with my sister when we were kids.

14. What’s your all-time favorite ship?

I guess it's gotta be Loki/Stephen Strange.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I have a DS9 fic about Eris, a Vorta who was only in one episode, where she's an agent who's infiltrated a rebel Vorta/Jem'Hadar cell. I LOVE that fic, but I just...don't see myself ever finishing it. Maybe someday I'll file the serial numbers off and turn it into an original work. It probably wouldn't be that hard because it's set hundreds of years before DS9 takes place, and I did a lot of original worldbuilding.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Dialogue, character, romance, sexual tension, pretty polished first drafts. I don't know if I'd consider it a strength yet, but I feel like I've really improved my pacing over the past year.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Probably visual scene setting, haha. I'm pretty thin on describing what the physical location LOOKS like. I'm better at describing sounds and smells, because honestly that's what sticks with me personally from a place, not how it looks.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I've definitely done it. I took many years of Spanish so I'm pretty confident that when I write in Spanish, it makes sense. I can tell when google translate is wrong, haha. One of my novels (coming out next year!) has some Afrikaans, and a South African sensitivity reader didn't say any of it was wrong. Though that reminds me, I really should message my friend/former safari guide to see if she has any complaints about the Afrikaans in it, haha.

IMO when you write dialogue in another language in a fic, you have to assume the reader doesn't speak that language, so you need to let them know what that dialogue says through context. I read a book recently where there was quite a bit of Quebecois French, and there were end notes with the translation, and...eh, it was a pain to flip back and forth to the end of the book.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

The first time I sat down with the intention of writing a story with a beginning, middle, and end (I didn't finish it), it was an Enchanted Forest Chronicles fic. This was before I'd ever heard of the internet, so I didn't even know that what I was doing was called fanfiction.

Though, my mom made me a scrapbook of a bunch of childhood stuff for my 40th birthday, and it included what I can only call a Lion King AU where the characters from The Lion King go to Camp Snoopy in the Mall of America. So idk, maybe that.

20. Favourite fic you’ve written? 

I think in some ways Anamnesis is the most ambitious single fic I've ever written, in that it's a difficult story. But I probably have to give the nod to it's not going to matter if we fall down twice. I'm totally cheating because it's a series, but I'm going to be really proud of it for my whole life so I'm going to take every opportunity to plug it, haha.

Thank you again for the tag!

[glxyhrt]

a kiss after joining your lover in the shower . ( From ace, COUGHS )

sent by : @dokitm​​ | meme : kiss & tell | status : accepting !

the  sound  of  rushing  water  echoed  as  the  succubus  rinsed  off  the  last  of  the  conditioner  from  her  hair ,  letting  it  fall  behind  her  much  like  the  water  from  the  shower  head .  lost  in  thought  as  she  stood  for  a  few  moments   was  the  perfect  opportunity  for  the  redhead  to  sneak  in  from  behind ,  laying  a  soft  kiss  upon  her  neck  as  a  way  for  her  to  know  who  it  was .

admittedly ,  a  gentle  squeak  left  her  lips  as  soon  as  his  lips  made  contact  with  her  neck ,  which  soon  turned  into  a  delighted  sigh  once  ace’s  arms  wrapped  around  her  waist .  ❛  look  who  decided  to  finally  wake  up ~ ,  ❜  she  teased ,  turning  to  face  him  while  she  wrapped  her  arms  around  his  neck .  ❛  good  morning ,  sleepy  head . ~  ❜

[faeriekit]

Questions for Fic Writers ✏📝💻

@chromatographic tagged me! ...And then I was at work and forgot about it by the time I got to my laptop! Sorry 😅

How many works do you have on Ao3?

My works tab claims the number to be twenty two, but at least one is a screen-reader-friendly duplicate of a Percy Jackson themed Reskin of Kids on Brooms, so it's more like...twenty one. I'd also take off of Blister Pack one-shots because they're tiny but they are one shots and those are technically valid, so...

2. What’s your total Ao3 word count?

355,110. Thank you, Blister Pack and Trade of Trickery!

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Naruto.

...So I what I usually write and what I actually publish to ao3 are pretty different 😅 I've been doing a bunch of dp x dc fics as of late, and one dc x marvel fic, but if left to my own devices, I go back to Star Wars and Naruto and a lot of Naruto, and I have a surprising word count on a Supernatural fic which is odd considering I've never actually finished an episode of the show before.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

No idea! Lemme look:

#5: Dig Three Graves in Apartment 31C. A spooky and classic contender!

#4: The Firstborn Son. My excuse for writing a almost-canon dp x dc fairy story!

#3: The Haunting of Drake Manor. Nice 😎 You may have noticed, but I'm a sucker for baby fic.

#2: You know 'em, you love 'em, it's The Health and Wellbeing of Hybrid Entities! Who doesn't love a dissection recovery fic?

#1: Which leaves, of course, Blister Pack to reign supreme o'er the ao3 account. Who's shocked? Not me.

5. Do you respond to comments?

...there's 1,900 in my inbox right at this moment.

I want to. I love responding to comments. but it's just not feasible in the way I want it to be, and that blows.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Patchwork Memories! I don't think this counts because it was just a snippet, but, you know. Angst for the sake of angst n' all that.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Blister Pack!! Find joy in packing up and getting the fuck out of there! Who needs 'em?? Hit the bricks!!

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I've received stuff I honestly consider worse than hate, which is people who believe that I should think exactly what they think and write the fic as they believe canon should be interpreted, but here is the funniest exchange I've ever had on any fic ever:

9. Do you write smut fic? If so, what kind?

Once. I will occasionally write stuff for myself, but the reviews on the one posted smut chapter were generally that it was very, very funny. This does not give me much feedback to work off of lmao

10. Do you write crossovers? If so, what’s the craziest one you’ve written?

The answer to both questions are dp x dc and also dp x dc. And that's generally tame as far as crossovers go.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of. 👀

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Not that I know of! 👀 But I'd be way more amenable to that than thievery lmao.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I would never bog someone down with my symptoms disorder. I don't trust me enough to be helpful in any creative endeavor ever

14. What’s your all-time favorite ship?

I don't believe in genuine OTPs, but whatever Desiree!Janet and Bruce have going on in Drake Manor is hysterical to me. I hope they get divorced and then break up and then get back together and then break up again.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I want to finish Trade of Trickery. I think it will take time. But I am determined to do it. We're halfway through the Sea of Monsters and I am delusional enough to think I can make it if I just power through in some distant future

16. What are your writing strengths?

I am the recipient of divine visions which keep me going. The hard part is staying consistent when I lose steam.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I am the recipient of divine visions which keep me going. The hard part is staying consistent when I lose steam.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

Google translate is my friend, and I don't necessarily believe in providing translations. There's no irl subtitles. If the characters are meant to understand, I'll leave stuff around to make the context and content clear, but like, no creo que es necesario en todos situaciónes.

19. First Fandom you wrote for?

...Naruto...maybe...? No I'm wrong. It was Fairy Cube. My first divine visions/early fic thoughts were from Tamora Pierce's Song of the Lioness series and my first fandom I actually wrote/published fic for was Fairy Cube. Don't ask what account it was on. I borrowed my friend's ffn account. I don't remember the username anymore.

20. Favorite Fic you’ve written?

....hoo boy. Tie for Quiet Respite and Trade of Trickery. I love Comets and Drake Manor has a special place in my heart, but QR feels uniquely mine in ways that my dp x dc fics sometimes don't, and Trickery really is a love story about Sally Jackson and forgotten Demigod kids. Nothing else hits. Nothing else is the same. It's about collecting what you can in your hands and taking it with you.

@newgraywolf @cyrwrites @mysterycyclone @songue85 Anyone else want to play?

Thanks for asking, Chroma! It only took...what, a week, two weeks, to finally get to it?

[hellcheercaine]

Welcome to my safe space

Hi there tumblrs! 👋 I’m Caine.

Given the traction I have on my blog recently, I figured that I’d do a proper introduction to pin to my profile.

I used to be a Rogue and Gambit shipper before I left fandom culture, but Stranger Things pulled me in and this is where I found my spot here with the wonderful Hellcheers and Harringroves.

The golden rule of this space:

'Ship and let ship.’

I don't care if you follow me even when we like different ships, but if I see any ship bashing or anti comments/tags from you on my posts, you will be blocked.

Don’t like what you see here? Save your energy by tapping the block button. I am not responsible for your online fandom experience, and I am not here for petty arguments. Please keep your purity culture to yourself.

P.S: This space is not for minors. If you are a minor, this is your last chance to scroll away from this blog.

However, if you are a minor and you decide to follow my blog, it’ll be agreed that you, will acknowledge full responsibility of your own online fandom experience here.

P.P.S: Blank blogs do not interact, unless you have something (e.g. a pfp/post) to prove that you’re not a bot. Bot blogs will be blocked and I’m sure that you, would definitely wouldn’t want to be caught in this crossfire.

Are we good? Let’s move on to the good stuff.

This blog is a safe space for:

Hellcheer (Eddie Munson and Chrissy Cunningham),

Harringrove (Billy Hargrove and Steve Harrington),

Seyloy (Aloy and Seyka) shippers

This blog is also pro-Sylki and Wolfwren.

Memes, text posts, moodboards, prompts and sometimes ficlets will be written for these three. Got a question/request? Ask me.

ST + Text posts:

Looking for some wholesome Hellcheer text posts? They're here.

Chrissy Cunningham posts can be found under the tag Strawberry Shortcake Chrissy Cunningham.

Eddie Munson? They can be found under the tag Almond Tallcake Eddie Munson.

Want some Harringrove? They can be found under the tag harringrove texts.

Do you just want the ones with just Billy Hargrove? They can be found under the tag Walking Fruit Salad Billy Hargrove.

Or the ones with just Steve Harrington? They can be found under the tag Goody Two Shoes Steve Harrington.

Gothbasket (Jason Carver + Eden Bingham) can be found under the tag gothbasket texts, while Munver (Jason Carver + Eddie Munson) the tag munver texts.

Horizon + Text posts:

Are you looking for Seyloy posts? Look here.

Aloy’s text posts can be found under the tag Aloy Despite the OSHA Violation.

Wait, what about just the ones with Seyka? They can be found under the tag Seyka Despite the HR Violation.

Aloy and Talanah text posts can be found here.

Text posts from other characters can be found here.

Other stuff:

🎸📣 Hellcheer Playlist

🍦🚬 Harringrove Mixtape

☁️🌊 Her Sky, Her Sea (Seyloy Playlist)

💭 📣 Chrissy Cunningham (a dreamer’s playlist)

Other fandom text posts:

Wolfwren (Star Wars Ahsoka)

Sylki (Loki)

Masterlist coming soon. In the meantime, you can read some of my works and OTPs here.

Tracking: #hellcheercaine

Other ships from other fandoms (e.g X-Men, Naruto, The Bear, Adventure Time) and mental health related content will be blogged/reblogged once in a while.

Some house rules:

- No reposting (if you decide to use my moodboards, ficlets, text posts or prompts for your work, please give credit where it’s due unless it’s cleared by me). If you’re not sure, please ask.

- racism, sexism, ableist, terf or any anti lgbtqia beliefs is not welcome here. You'll be blocked if you’re found making such comment on my posts.

- No religious or political discussions here.

Ship analysis, character analysis and discussion is welcome, but outright hating a ship or character will not be tolerated. Please refer to the aforementioned golden rule if you’re not sure.

Lastly, be kind and respectful to one another, be it fandom discourse or anything else. As one may not know what’s going on in everyone’s lives, it is important that we be empathetic to one another.

Hope this helps.

[redwayfarers]

so i made a thing i refuse to edit but here's a stupid little nika and magnai thing that's been in my head all fucking day. with a side of nika + artoirel bc they're THE otp

After the Naadam, Magnai was obviously displeased. The Oronir tribe should’ve won, without any doubt, and the little Mol were supposed to stay just that, little. Yet they’d managed to gather allies - outsiders even - and thus, until the next Naadam, the mighty Oronir are dethroned, and the Mol are just slightly bigger than they normally are.  Even in his displeasure, though, he has to admit that he finds the outsiders interesting. There’s a Doman, Hien, and his samurai friend. There are also hyur - a man and a woman. The woman Magnai cares little about, but the man catches his attention the moment the Oronir warriors bring them before him.  There’s something in his eyes, Magnai thinks. They are of different colors, but that’s the least interesting thing about them. They’re hard, they offer a challenge; when Magnai speaks, they follow the man’s words with equal defiance. He introduces himself as Nika, in a voice that still rings of boyhood, even if his body is that of a man.  Magnai later learns he also sings. But before he heard his ballads and tales, he heard his bow sing in the Naadam, and that’s what stayed with him. Nevermind that he heard Nika actually sing later, in the celebrations of the Mol’s victory, and that there was so much joy in it that it almost made Magnai forget his pride was wounded.  This man is no ordinary outsider, Magnai decides. Not only is he a khagan, but also a bowman that rivals the Oronir, and he sings songs that can make stars weep. Too bad that when their eyes meet, Nika still looks as defiant as he did back before the Naadam even took place.  Even worse, Magnai likes it that way. 

“Care to burn that dinner off, Magnai?” Nika asks. The sun is setting behind the Dawn throne, making his black hair stand out against the warm sea of rays behind him. It paints his skin with light, or maybe that’s the brilliant flash of teeth he gives Magnai as he stretches his neck. “Been sitting for a long fucking time. Isn’t it time for your twentieth daily wrestling or something?”  “That is a form of exercise, khagan,” Magnai responds, voice on edge. He takes another hard bite of meat and chews loudly. “One needs food to do it.”  “I think I know a guy who’d stare at you dead in the face for chewing like that,” Nika grimaces. Then his face changes. “I would like to see him stare you down, though. Just to see who wins. Unstoppable force against an immovable object.”  Magnai frowns. “Who is this man? Are you challenging me on his behalf?”  Nika stares. Then he bursts out laughing, like Magnai just told the funniest joke on the Steppe. Women don’t laugh at him like that, only his warrior brothers and apparently, the outsider khagan. “He has zero idea you exist at all, Magnai.”  “Take me to him! We take the yol and fly to wherever he is!” Magnai drops his plate on the ground and raises his chin. Nika’s face contorts as if he’s trying so hard to not laugh still, and then the mask breaks and he wheezes out even more laughter.  “I am not taking you to Ishgard,” Nika says in between laughs, but Magnai has no idea where Ishgard is, nor who this mysterious man may be, he only knows he doesn’t like being laughed at, and here is Nika, near crying from how hard he’s laughing. His scar scrunches around his forehead as he wipes his eyes and takes a deep breath. “Artoirel would end me on sight. I care about a few people’s opinions, and his is one of them, so no, you’re not going to Ishgard, yol or no yol.” Magnai stands up. “You are in the Steppe–”  “And you’re the big bad Oronir leader guy. Brother of the Sun, was it? I respect that. You can make me break a sweat. But!” Nika raises a finger and lifts a brow. “Until the next Naadam, you’re not khagan. If that frustrates you, we can fight it out. But no Ishgard! Khagan’s orders, or whatever.”  He holds Magnai’s stare. Magnai has to admit to himself he likes that, too. 

Magnai’s vindicated heart soars when he has Nika in his room, pressed against the wall with little room to move, let alone escape. The indignancy on his face, expressive as ever, makes Magnai laugh, tall and powerful over him.  “What now, khagan?” Magnai asks, his delight obvious.  Nika claws at his skin and attempts to kick him in the shins. His hair’s in disarray, his clothes too. All of this delights Magnai to a degree he hasn’t felt in a long, long while.  “Don’t lord over me, you asshole,” Nika bites out. His breath comes out faster.  “What now, khagan?” Magnai repeats.  Nika pulls him by the horns. “This is what, you giant lizard,” he says roughly and kisses him hard. 

“We can count on you in Doma, then?” It’s the last night before Nika and the outsiders leave, with a promise of the Xaela and their yol in the upcoming battle, and it’s also the last night Magnai has to look at the uninterrupted expanse of Nika’s skin. He’ll miss it; he’ll miss its touch, he’ll miss the silky black hair, but above all, he will miss Nika’s defiant, mismatched eyes.  “Yes. Nothing threatens the Steppe.” Magnai leans on his elbow. “Good to know. Garleans are shit for everyone.” Nika settles on the bed. “What?”  “You are leaving tomorrow. I’d like to look at you.”  “No khagans this time around?”  “By the time you come to the Steppe next, you will not be one.” Magnai smiles. “You are not my Nhaama, but this was pleasant.”  “I lack tits to be your Nhaama, for one. Number two, even if I had them, I’d still not be the woman you want.” Nika turns to the side and grabs the covers. Small firelight illuminates the scar on his hand. “You don’t need tits to be a woman, but you know what I meant. As a final word of advice on that, women like it when you’re not an acerbic and prideful fuck.” He laughs, but it’s a shaky sound. “Take it from me. Otherwise, this was pleasant for me too.” Magnai laughs. “I’ll see you on the field of battle, Nika. Together, Nhaama or not, we will bring the Garlean empire to its knees. Nothing defeats the yol of the Xaela.”  Nika raises a hand. “Don’t have a drink with me, but here’s to seeing Garleans fall once and for all. And to you finding that damn Nhaama.” He then smiles, and it’s a soft, gentle thing. “I think I already found mine.”  In the morning, as Nika is flying off to save Doma, Magnai watches him go. He will really, really miss Nika’s eyes.

[ship-ambrosia]

I’m just gonna pin a little promotion page for the Theon/Sansa fics I’ve posted & update as continued

Theon/Sansa fics (AO3)

Everything and Nothing Spoken

- Sansa mourns (Post-canon compliant)

The Iron Prince

- The Queen in the North waits for Theon to recover from his injuries (Theon lives AU, Post-canon)

The Red Wolf runs to the Sea

- Sansa almost lost Theon once. She’s faced with the possibility again (Angsty, hurt/comfort)

Prince of Diapers

- Goofy, fluffy, baby fever (modern AU)

Queen’s Fury

- Theon POV of The Red Wolf runs to the Sea (includes graphic injury)

The Shattered Remains of Theon Greyjoy

- Theon POV fic for Theonsa #soupversary2023 (Canon-compliant, ambiguous ending)

Iron and Ice

- Multichapter ongoing, Theon lives AU, Dark Dany AU (canon divergence)

Year of the OTP 2023

January: Theon in the Snow

- First Kiss, Snow

February: A Good Man

- Different

March: Strings of Pearls

- Fresh Starts, Mutual Pining, Acceptance

April: Wreath Me in Flames (Make Me Burn)

- (Seemingly) Unrequited Love, "No, I'm not dating your brother"

May: Bundled Sunshine

- Flower Language, Sunshine, Pet/child acquisition

June: A Night of Sea and Stars

- Wedding, Love confessions