#otp: your love is my drug

[mojowitchcraft]

Stommy Starter Pack

Bella @bilbosmom-belladonna said she was getting into Stommy so I thought I'd do a fic rec list of my faves!!

This is by no means an exhaustive list, please feel free to post more Stommy recs in the replies!

If you're a Steddie shipper and you are just warming up to the idea of letting Tommy infiltrate your OTP try these Stommie (Steve, Tommy, Eddie - aka Frog Stack) Fics:

movie night by pizzabones aka @glitterfang Post S4 | Rated E | 9k | One Shot This is a series with 2 parts so far, with a 3rd one on the way

Nightly demodog attacks, a town that's held together by duct tape and sheer pettiness, a scrappy group of survivors living in Hawkins high and one, Tommy Hagan. After coming home to Hawkins to check on his family and running into a fair bit of trouble, Tommy manages to find himself roommates with none other than Steve Harrington and Eddie Munson. It's actually not that bad all things considered. At least there's still porn at the end of the world.

Strange Overtones by WabiSabiPapi aka @arimakes Body Swap | Rated E | 38k | 4/4 Chapters

When he makes it to the small clearing, quick footsteps come up behind him, and before he can turn around, someone tries to shove him. Astonishingly, his center of gravity is on his side and he plants his feet in time, holding his ground. Spinning around, he puts his fists up and freezes when he sees himself panting and angry with fists clenched to his sides. “Woah, trippy,” Eddie remarks. Tommy dressed him poorly today—the absence of his battle vest is going to draw a lot of attention from his comrades. “What the fuck did you do to me, freak?!” “Tommy?” Eddie doublechecks, hopeful that their game of musical bodies is only between the two of them and not some other third party. “Yes! Did you fucking curse me? What the shit is this?!” ----- Eddie Munson and Tommy Hagan don't like each other and they don't have anything in common - or at least, that's what they think until one morning, they each wake up in the other's body.

MORE RECS BELOW THE CUT!

pretty secrets we share in the dark by poopypantsbennett aka @dontcallmeeds PWP | Rated E | 3k | One Shot

Then, a throat clears from the back of bedroom and Tommy’s entire universe becomes hell frozen over. Steve scrambles away from Tommy, takes his hand back. The loss of touch makes Tommy have to bite back a whine. “Well, don’t stop on my accord,” a somewhat familiar voice comes from a plume of smoke by the window. (Or Tommy and Steve get caught by everyone’s favorite stoner, Eddie Munson)

And the boy who loves you the wrong way is filthy by whateverokayFINE aka @batmunson666 PWP | Rated E | 4.5k | One Shot This is in a series with 2 parts so far

“You wanna kiss him?” Eddie’s voice is warm on his neck. The sun was starting to set. “Yeah.” or Tommy Hagan goes over to Eddie Munson's trailer to buy weed, sees that he’s not alone and the guy that he’s been in love with for years has been keeping his drug dealer company.

friend, love, freefall by @becomingfoxes Rated E | 10k | One Shot Plus there's some really lovely art in the fic!

Eddie leans into his face; his big, stupid, chocolate bambi eyes wide as he bats his eyelashes at Tommy and says, “Pretty, pretty please.” And really, Tommy tries not to react but he can’t help that his eyes flicker down to Eddie’s lips and back up to his eyes. So he pushes at Eddie, just to get some distance and watches as he flops back onto the bed in a mess of uncoordinated limbs. “Jesus fuck.” He sniffs, “Sure, okay. We can watch your dumb, creepy doll movie.” “Yesss.” 

And then if you want another fun threesome you can try Stomarol (Steve, Tommy, Carol)

and steve makes three by Adure aka @toburnup AU | Rated E | 8k | One Shot

"Steve doesn't like me." Tommy knows better than to lie. "He'll come around." He knows that the reason Steve hates Carol is the same reason that Tommy loves her. The same reason he loves Steve, really. They have the same bite, the same oil-slick filthy mouths that get them in trouble. They both smell like hairspray and bubblegum. They both like Tommy.

And then if you're ready for the full Stommy experience:

hold the line by pizzabones Post S4 | Rated E | 8k | One Shot

Standing at the precipice of a big change, Steve's dragged to a Hawkins High bonfire by Dustin. It feels like a personal low, showing up to a high school gathering at twenty. Oh well. It's fine, he'll be out of Hawkins soon enough. It just figures that Tommy Hagan, the last person he expected to run into tonight, is also standing in the keg line. As the poets (Toto) say, "love isn't always on time".

sidelong by Adure AU | Rated E | 6k | One Shot

Tommy draws his knees up toward him and leans his folded arms on top. He stares, unashamed, at the length of Steve's neck as he looks around. His chin. His nice smile. Tommy's drunker now that they're sitting in the brunt of the sun, and maybe that's why it takes a few extra seconds for him to realize that Steve's stopped talking. "Is there something on my face?" Steve asks, rubbing his cheek with the back of his hand. He looks confused. And he's waiting, because Tommy is slack-jawed and a little bit in love and he's really, really not ready for this shit. (Tommy can't help but look, and Steve can't stop catching him.)

here you come again by @cranberrymoons Post S4 | Rated E | 16k | One Shot

Vaguely, over the sound of a bland pop song playing in the background, he hears the squeak of a pair of sneakers come to a halt at the other end of the aisle. He turns his head toward the sound… and promptly fumbles the tube of Pringles he’d been reaching for. He bats at it with his hand in a futile attempt at catching it, instead knocking it further toward the ground like a spiked volleyball. He clears his throat. “Um.” The tube rolls across the linoleum and comes to a stop at Tommy Hagan’s feet. Steve stares at it for a long, agonizing beat of silence, then he looks back up at Tommy’s face. “Sorry.” Tommy raises his eyebrows, and Steve’s heart kicks in his chest. Steve and Tommy haven't talked in nearly three years. After everything, maybe the best way forward is back.

no pressure by Adure No Upside Down AU | Rated E | 11k | One Shot

Steve Harrington has the worst porn collection Tommy's ever seen. His own is better in every way, no doubt about it, and it seems like Steve agrees as he looks over the rows of tapes. "Which one's your favourite?" "Huh?" "Your favourite. Which one?" Steve asks again, slower this time. Makes Tommy feel slow, too, as he reaches over for a well worn tape near the top of the box. Steve gives him a smile that's sly enough to make Tommy feel like an idiot for saying it. For giving up something damning and getting shit-all in return, just Steve grabbing a fistful of his sleeve and pulling him toward the door. "Let's watch it." Steve kisses Tommy. It's a joke, it doesn't mean anything. There isn't an explanation for what happens after that.

After Everything by WabiSabiPapi Soulmate AU | Rated E | 23k | 4/4 Chapters

It's 2003 - nearly two decades after Eddie sacrificed himself to save Hawkins, leaving Steve behind to navigate a life without his soulmate. He has made his peace knowing that falling in love is not in the cards for him until one day, someone from his past shows up unexpectedly. Maybe it's not too late to find love, after all.

Again, this is not an exhaustive list, just some of my faves by my fave writers and friends! Would love recs (yes self recs too!!!) in the replies!!

[vera-king-hrfl]

Remake of pinned post and updated BG3 Master List.

NSFT, 18+, MINORS DNI

Full AO3 profile.

Finished stories include word count.

The first two are the last ones I wrote when I discovered my all-time favorite OTP, Cal and Ryldinn. Ryldinn is my OC, a drow assassin.

M/M, explicit smut, violence, discussion of past trauma, slight non-con elements in both.

Where Our Demons Hide is the BG3 story told through the experiences of Cal, Ryldinn (Tav), and Astarion. It's quite long and not finished yet, but there isn't much more to go.

Heat of the Night is lighter, sillier, AU story, set in BG with all the characters and magic, etc, but a more 1980s Miami feel. Characters have a set sexuality instead of being pan. This is going to be an ongoing series. Collab with @crowwolf. Special warning for homophobia, slurs, and attempted assault.

Reclaiming Ourselves series takes place mostly after the events of BG3. It's 3 parts and it's a different experience depending on what order you read them in. Told from POV of Cal, Rolan, Zevlor, and Dammon in different bits with some 3rd person as well.

M/M, F/M, lots of smut, heavy angst, hurt/comfort.

Goodnight Kiss is sweet, with a shy bumbling Cal trying to get a girlfriend. 24,057 words.

Comfort in the Dark starts with Zevlor and Rolan, but our bitchy wizard eventually ends up with Dammon. Angsty. 22,217 words.

Who Am I? stars Zevlor with my OC Ilyrana, a high-elven draconic sorcerer. After being rejected by Rolan, the Paladin finally rediscovers the love of his life. 21,902 words.

Master of the Tower stars Rolan with an unnamed, vaguely described afab Tav. It begins in the Last Light Inn and goes a little beyond the game, but I don't discuss game events much; this one is all about them. It's angsty in parts, but also cute, funny and very smutty. The tiefling anatomy lesson seems to be a hit. 31,931 words in 3 parts.

F/M, smut, angst.

After Hell. Zevlor and Dammon hook up and then find themselves a girlfriend. After the events of the game. No real angst or drama, just lots of fun creative sex. 23,811 words in 3 parts.

M/F/M, smut.

How to Fix Your Broken Tiefling. This one is just pure love and adoration for Zevlor from a sweet little afab Tav who just wants to make him happy. 9,526 words.

F/M, smut, loss of virginity.

Quick and Dirty sees Zevlor, jealous and frustrated, coaxing a young, inexperienced afab Tav to... um... relieve his frustrations in the woods. This is dirty old man Zevlor and I enjoyed writing it. 1,699 words.

Dub-con, fellatio.

Fire, Ice and Darkness tells Zevlor’s story the way I think it should have been. It's unfinished, and I don't know if I'm going to do so, but it's not far from the end and if I get enough interest maybe I will. His love interest is my OC Nienna (Same person as Ilyrana, but she's Tav in this one.)

M/F, smut, heavy angst, graphic violence, slight non-con elements.

The New Chosen. Zevlor accepts the Absolute and becomes Her warrior. He then kidnaps Tav, an afab rogue, partly described and not named. This one isn't finished either. Again, I might circle back to it but it's a bit icky to write.

F/M, NON-CON. Like really. Violent and uncomfortable.

The Master's Lessons. Rolan finds out soon after becoming Lorroakan’s apprentice that the wizard has more in mind than teaching him magic. This is technically part of The Master of the Tower, but it's unhooked so people can skip it if it makes them uncomfortable. 5,817 words.

M/M. NON-CON. Not violent, but pretty gross anyway. Drugs and coercion used.

[yannaryartside]

WHIT SIDNEY, THERE IS NO OTHER SHOE

OR

WHY DO THE BERZATTO SIBLINGS CHOOSE THEIR PARTNERS?

I will kick off this thesis with the belief that Sidney and Pete are Carmy's and Natalie's respective otps. They are destined, romantic partners. This seems to be what the show is pointing at.

I was reading "Sana tus heridas en pareja" by Anamar Oihuela, which explores the possibility of healing your inner child's wounds in a romantic relationship. I do not want to circle around why people select their romantic partners (that shit is quite complex), but the childhood wounds that we have that make us feel attracted to certain personalities or look for love in a certain way, with a particular shape. What are the Berzatto siblings really looking for, that will be healing for them?

THE WOUND

The Berzatto sibling grew up in a toxic environment, filled with the addition of their parents (drugs and gambling) and whatever strain those would create between the couple. The mother (the most present parent, apparently) was also emotionally immature. She would use insults and threats of harm or self-harm whenever she felt abandoned. Hence, the siblings grew up hypervigilant and afraid of upsetting her in any way . Most people seem to agree that Carmy has Complex PTSD, created during his early childhood but aggravated by his time as a chef. "I have to remind myself that the sky is not falling, not waiting for the other shoe (...) there is always another shoe." I am sure the CPTS can be applied to Nat as well. They never formed a secure attachment to their parents, which requires trust, the knowledge of the parent of the child's emotions, guiding them, and making them feel valued, loved, and secure. The kid can develop because he/she knows their needs will be met. That was impossible in such a dangerous (for a child) and unpredictable environment. Unpredictable and insecure are attributes I want to focus on. 

WHY PETE?

I love this man, and the show seems to be putting a lot of effort into making him look, talk, and behave in the most opposite to anybody in the Berzatto family; he doesn't get along (or is approved) with anybody at the beginning, and Carmy only likes him after Pete stood up for Carmy's career. Sometimes, even Nat seems to think he may be too passive or compliant. Like in the finale, it kinda bothered me that he was trying to give her his admiration, support, and approval (which she never received from her family, including Carmy in some instances). She is too busy dreaming about her mother coming in and giving her all exactly what Peter is giving her. It's pretty poetic. She chooses to marry this man for a reason; she loves him for a reason, which is more evident when Pete is crying, and she actually pays attention to him, admiring his transparency and sensibility, again, things that she never could expect of a parental figure. She may sometimes think he is "too passive" or predictable and takes him for granted; because she grew up surrounded by loud men who acted confident even if they were shit, part of her subconscious might be attracted to that reckless behavior. Still, she finds sensibility more attractive in the end because it is too rare for her. She knows that relationships with men like his father and his brother Mickey end up with her feeling like the emotional regulator that she wanted to be for her mom. Ultimately, the keys to her heart are predictability and transparency because they form trust, a secure attachment. And it is funny because those are precisely the same keys to Carmy's heart, but he sees them in a different context.

WHY SIDNEY?

Added to the context of his childhood, the wound that Carmy seems to feel the most is, no surprise, created by his relationship with Mickey. As pointed out by some excellent analysis, Mickey is the father figure in Carmy's life, the closest thing to a secure attachment he could ever have. He describes Mickey in his AA monologue "I thought I was my brother's best friend." Mickey was the person he thought he could always rely on, the one he knew well, and Mickey knew him too. Even though he felt hurt by Mickey cutting him out, when he comes back for Christmas, you can see Carmy hold to the hope that whenever is the time, he could come back, and his brother will be waiting for him. And then, Mickey dies. Carmy didn't know he used drugs or was depressed, the perfect image of his strong, funny, almighty brother crumbling before him. The questions pop out: Why he didn't reach out to me? He didn't see me as a confidant? Why did he lie to me all those times? All that trust was based on a lie. It is not a surprise that Carmy didn't go to the funeral. It could have literally sent in on a shutdown. Later in the show, we hear Mickey's voice echoing in Carmy's mind, "I am right here" "I got you." That is what he thought his brother was: his ultimate support. But he wasn't, not at the end; Mickey lied about how he was feeling, hiding from him the aspect of his life that would eventually vanish Mickey from Carmy's life without warning. 

Mickey's suicide was that shoe he was afraid of, the worst possible, the one that made him believe there is always another shoe.

What does this have to do with Sidney?: predictability and transparency. Sidney is the most transparent and constant person Carmy knows now, the one that he actually thinks he knows. When asked to do something, she gives her honest opinion of why she thinks ais a good or bad idea. She also organized, analytical, hopeful, and eager to serve others. She is the one that offers help when Mickey (it seems) didn't accept any form of it. She develops a detailed plan to save his brother's restaurant because anybody in their family is too dysfunctional to do so. A person with actual answers. But most of all, she is transparent, at least to a reasonable extent, usually only forced upon feeling frustrated. She asks him for open and honest communication. She communicates her needs, feelings, and expectations consistently, even when he doesn't want to listen. He gets frustrated because he is too wired but always realizes that she is leading him in the right direction. Christ, she even managed to express her feeling about Claire being in his life (and the impact it had on the restaurant and their partnership) and even gave him commitment advice without revealing that the root of it all was her feelings for him. With her, there is no other shoe because every single thing that has gone wrong between them is something that she previously has warned him about. Sidney always reaches out. She has made mistakes because she is green in season one. Still, in season two, when she has her shit together, Sidney keeps asking him to be his partner and communicating her needs, but Carmy fails anyway. Still, he can't say that she hid things from him that were important to their relationship like Mickey did. 

I am not saying that if they get together, Sidney will be able to predict their problems because that's impossible. She has relationship issues, too (I am talking about that tattoo, damn, I can't wait for season 3), but so far, he knows she intends to tell him her needs; that's who she really is. I think he recognized that nature of her early on in season one and then developed a hyper-awareness of Sidney's demeanor, too afraid of losing his most solid connection, and this time, is not based on a lie. I think that when, in the future, he starts to feel her hiding things from him (possibly about her past), he going to be really mortified, like, "You got me, and I got you, so why are you not letting me know the things I need to know so I can get you" type of thing.

THE FIGHT THAT IS COMING

But this has a dark side. Carmy thinks she is solid and trustworthy and that whatever he asks of her, she will find a way to do, so he relies on her to have the space to deal with his mental turmoil. Carmy is not there for her when she solves problems or confronts the mobs in the front. He is dealing with the chaos in his mind and his family. I am not saying that is bad; teamwork is power. Still, like, dude, he had known her for 3 whole weeks and decided to go to an overdue AA meeting in "Brigade," leaving her to deal with the consequences of the job environment created by Mickey. In that whole speech, "I hold you to a higher standard", I know he meant that in the context of work because they both have been in that environment of strict efficiency, but the standard could also be personal, "I think you are solid and trustworthy so I need you to be" is probably what Carmy is thinking. Didn't somebody else notice this tendency to show Carmy taking breaks after he knows Sidney is handling shit? 

In "Brigade," right after seeing her in control of the kitchen for the first time and hiring her, he goes to take a smoke break, and in "Sheridan," when she has set up this fantastic set for cooking and selling outside, he also goes to take a smoke break and give Marcus a pep talk, like seriously...they were saying something here. Trusting Sidney, because she has proven efficiency in every imaginable circumstance has given him (a break) a space to feel his feelings. You don't have that when you grow up in a toxic household. This is also the reason thinking of her calms his panic attacks. And the reason he gave himself a chance with Claire (lol, your trust in your future wife is the reason you can get a girlfriend). 

 

Managing a business like this is difficult with a sound mind. It requires discipline and clarity. And Carmy has too much emotional baggage that was going to try to escape any other way. He looks for healthy spaces for it to do so but has yet to learn the core of his issues. He is applying medicine without closing the wound (THERAPHY). That's why he says, "I wouldn't even want to do it without you; you make me better at this." No joke, Sidney is his walking stick, emotionally and in the workplace, the whole reason he was able to go this far. 

He praises her for her efforts, usually afterwards, when everything is calm. She likes that because she admires him (and has a crush on him). But damn, man, a million things could have gone wrong even in season one, and I wouldn't have blamed Sidney. And the dude exploded because she made a computer error in the to-goes? You had it coming. And then, season two happens. Carmy is a ghost in the restaurant, again, dealing with the chaos of his mind, emotions, and a fucking childhood crush. And what Sidney does? She handles it, she lets him wonder and solve his shit, and the restaurant is saved for her, with the help of everyone, the redemption of Richie, and the leadership of Nat. Carmy puts her in the second most powerful position, something she has never done before, without almost no support of guides, not about detecting good staff or creating a menu from scratch. She takes her motivation from Coach K and "adapts on a dime" because "she has to," in her own words. Again, that's her journey, being able to trust herself and believe in her potential. But what would happen when she cannot be his walking stick anymore? He already knows he failed, but what if Sidney has her own baggage to deal with in season 3, something she feels so ashamed of that she doesn't communicate with him? Would the need to be her support force him to look at his self-sabotage, so he can be someone predictable and transparent for her? Man, I LOVE THIS SHOW. That was a long one. Thank you for reading. 

[dangermousie]

To everyone's joy, Undaddy has found out Nana and YS' living arrangements. And is in Nana's house. And he saw the bullet necklace. And is enjoying terrorizing the fuck out of YS.

Oh my God, and when he smiles that dead smile when YS comes running in, freaked out of his mind - unclean unclean get thee behind me, Satan but also I love that the camera dwells on him for an uncomfortable length of time. It fits the vibe.

"Because of you, that girl could die." Aww, Undaddy, you are all heart, threatening your son's OTP and all to blackmail him into becoming a good automaton assassin. Sweetness and light you are. Go fucking die. (I kinda love how he's almost relieved to find out about Nana because it makes more sense in his psycho world-view that YS would interfere with murder of even the guilty and certainly deaths of innocents out of a 'selfish' reason and not because of right-and-wrong - but Undaddy is so wrong - even if he didn't love Nana, he'd do exactly what he had done).

The way YS has started the campaign of pushing her away so nobody would think he loves her - but like you can not outwit Undaddy emotionally because you care about people and he doesn't. I love it when later Nana stands up to the old psycho MMMMMM

YS found her earring - poor guy, that's all of hers he can allow himself. Honestly, he wants so little, it's heartbreaking he can't have it (when he types in 'bring me coffee' and deletes it before sending it. My heart.)

When Ahjusshi later comments that living with Nana was the first time YS started laughing for real - no wonder he's glommed on, it's his first bit of normalcy. I love this drama for turning him into a "real boy" so gradually - if you think about it he was brought up in a drug den by a psychopath and then sent to a normal college with fake IDs and he couldn't get close to anyone because it might risk everything. This is almost the first proper human interaction he's ever had with a normal well-adjusted human being.

YS doesn't think Nana has figured out he's the City Hunter. Oh my very-very-very dense darling! Ha. Well, actually she was only suspicious until she saw you asleep on her couch (I loved that the common-sense thing to do would be not to say good-bye in person but he simply can't do that) and covered half your face like during the incident and recognized for sure. I love her gasp of acknowledgement. How I love that this drama doesn't drag things.

Oh, it must be killing him to say all those awful things to her about how he just kissed her because she was easy and this is boring blahblahblah and it might have worked to push her away except she figured out the truth so she knows he saved her life twice, once even after she shot him, despite his rescues interfering with his targets etc. Good luck, YS, in convincing her she doesn't matter to you. I love that Nana is no dummy. Once she figures things out, that's it.

(He also kinda spoils his whole bastard image by telling her that while he's moving out she can continue to stay in the house for free. Oh, YS!)

"I can't love. That's my fate." No, YS, it's not fate, it's your psycho Undaddy. Seriously, a targeted grenade, anyone?

Undaddy really is the biggest monster in this story. He ends ep 9 by killing two innocent cops who were only doing their duty to get to his target which makes him no different from the men he wanted revenge on. Worse - they at least had geopolitical peace in mind, he's doing it for vengeance that will bring nobody back.

[chrysalis-the-butterfly]

Sir Pentious perhaps?

Certainly, my dear!

Send me a character and I’ll list:

Favourite thing about them: His dorkiness! I like how he starts out trying to be intimidating so he'll be thought of as a formidable foe, and then learns to embrace his naturally dorky self and be a better person. Maybe there's a message there about toxic masculinity? Or maybe I'm reading too much into it.

Least favourite thing about them: That so-called 'joke' in Episode 6. You know the one. I mean, you can't have a whole episode taking sexual assault seriously when it happens to Angel Dust and then turn it into a joke when it happens to Sir Pentious. I'd have preferred it if, instead of Pen being dragged into the sex room, Valentino overheard his "sex with everybody" line and started offering him a job at the porn studio and making him flustered, and that was what motivated Angel to stand up for his friends.

Favourite line: "The only cool thing here is to say 'No' to drugs! Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to not have sexual intercourse before marriage!"

brOTP: I like the enemies-to-friends thing he had going on with Angel Dust! My favourite moment is in Episode 5, when Pen is trying to shield his cookies for Lucifer from Angel's grabby hands, and then he has to stand up straight to salute Lucifer with a quick, "Your majesty!" before he goes back to shielding the cookies, but it's too late because Angel's taken one, but Angel doesn't make a big deal of it, he just says, "Heya, short king," to Lucifer as if there's nothing out of the ordinary going on. They're like brothers! Pen is the responsible one and Angel is the naughty one, but at the end of the day, they've got each other's back. It's fun to watch!

Also, now that Sir Pentious is in Heaven, I love the thought of Emily becoming his new best friend! She could show him how Heaven works, and he could teach her what he knows about Hell, and together they could try to find a way to let Charlie know that redemption actually works.

Plus, there's the angst potential of Sir Pentious interacting with Molly - he knows who Angel Dust is, and she knows who Anthony is, but they don't know they're talking about the same person... I'd love to see a Pen/Emily/Molly trio going on escapades in Season 2!

OTP: CherriSnake! I wasn't sure about the ship at first, but it's grown on me. It's a neat example of the enemies-to-lovers trope, where Sir Pentious' admiration for Cherri as a worthy opponent turns into something more romantic. And they could have bonded over being inventors - Pen with his gadgets and Cherri with her "brilliant explosive contraptions". Too bad he only confessed his love a few seconds before his heroic sacrifice...

I think I like this ship for its potential. What will Cherri do now that Pen is gone? Will she find out he's in Heaven? Will that motivate her to stay at the Hazbin Hotel, to get redeemed herself and be reunited with him? It's rife with story possibilities!

nOTP: Sir Pentious and Vox (StaticSnake?). Mainly because Vox told Pen to kill himself in Episode 2. That was unacceptable.

Random headcanon: Sir Pentious has a son! Remember that moment in the pilot when Angel said, "Harder, Daddy!" and Pen replied, "Son?!" I think Pen did actually father a child when he was alive, and he'd been scouring Hell trying to find him again. (And for a moment there, he thought Angel was declaring that he was his son.) Pen never found his son in Hell, but now he's in Heaven, maybe he'll have better luck...

Unpopular opinion: I actually quite like Sir Pentious' singing voice! It's nowhere near as bad as people make it out to be. And I much prefer it when characters' singing voices match their speaking voices, instead of being wildly different. (Looking at you, Vaggie.)

Song I associate with them: @hazbinned made a video of Pen being kept awake at night by Angel blasting out "Made You Look" by Meghan Trainor, so now I associate that song with Sir Pentious! LOL!

Favourite picture of them:

[aceghostsarchive]

❛ so, what do i owe this pleasure? ❜ and/or ❛ how long has it been since you've slept? ❜ for the OTP Rooney and Yorinobu

Thank you for sending these prompts in! It gave me an excuse to write some fluff, and Rooney and Yori pining for each other.

[Prompt List]

Summary: Yorinobu is having trouble sleeping, and Rooney steps into help him. (AO3 Title comes from Poets of the Fall's The Labyrinth.) Words: 2,367 words. Content Warnings: This is mostly fluff, but a warning for minor referenced drug use. Author's Note: In terms of the timeline, this fic takes place a few weeks after Rooney and Yorinobu's reunion in 2077. Also, I hope you'll forgive me for being self-indulgent and including a nod to what was supposed to be Rooney's original ship. (Lol, I say that like everything I do isn't self-indulgent.)

AO3

Taglist (Opt In/Out): @bbrocklesnar, @sergeiravenov, @alexxmason, @voidika, @tommyarashikage,

@carlosoliveiraa, @imogenkol, @strangefable, @socially-awkward-skeleton,

@theelderhazelnut, @direwombat, @derelictheretic, @cassietrn, @cloudofbutterflies92.

Yorinobu frowns, swiping to the next file. Each one is dense, heavy reading not meant for someone on such little sleep. He takes his glasses off, briefly rubbing his eyes before putting them back on. “Yorinobu-sama, Shepard is here to see you.”

“Send them in.” Anyone else would have received a sharp rebuke for disturbing him. Yorinobu wanted to see Rooney, to make up for the time that the two had spent apart. He would not make the same mistake twice. Rooney’s visit also gave him an excuse to take a needed break from searching through his father’s files. The door to his office slides open, and Rooney steps through the threshold quietly. He notes the way their eyes scan his office, searching for some potential threat. Good to know Rooney was still their hyper-vigilant self. They stride towards him as Yorinobu gets up from his chair, attempting to hide a yawn. “So, what do I owe this pleasure?” He asks as Rooney reaches his desk.

Rooney narrows their eyes, searching his face. He catches a glimpse of concern crossing their face as they take him in. “How long has it been since you’ve slept?” They ask bluntly.

“I slept last night.” A lie, but he dismisses their question with a wave of his hand. “Any updates on the Relic?”

“Bullshit,” Rooney crosses their arms over their chest, “Yorinobu, you look like shit. Seriously, when did you last sleep?”

Yorinobu loves so many things about Rooney, but their tendency to hyperfocus on a single issue causes trouble. Rooney won’t let this go until they have an answer, and Yorinobu is not in the mood. “I do not pay you to worry about my health. I pay you to find the Relic. I will not ask again-.“

“I’m not asking because you pay me,” frustration bleeds into their voice as Rooney stubbornly digs their heels in, “I am asking because I care, and it looks like you do need someone to worry about your health. Doesn’t look like Hanako or anyone else at Arasaka is doing it.”

He scoffs, anger building within him as Rooney hits a raw nerve.  “When did you last sleep?” Yorinobu notices the dark circles under their eyes, giving Rooney a semi-haunted look. What right did Rooney have to lecture him on sleep? Especially if they were getting so little themself? “You have no right to lecture me on my health.”

“Don’t turn this around on me,” They shake their head, uncrossing their arms, “We are talking about your-.”

“Do not worry,” Yorinobu reaches down towards his desk for the pill bottle in his desk drawer, some stimulants to get him through the rest of the day, until he could hopefully fall asleep, “I will make it through-.”

Yorinobu does not get the chance to finish his sentence as he starts to pull the bottle out of his desk drawer. In a blink, Rooney’s hand, the mechanical one forced upon them by Arasaka, grabs his wrist, fingers wrapping around tightly. Not tight enough to hurt him, but tight enough to let him know that Rooney is serious.  “Put it down,” They order.

“Let-.”

“No.” Rooney’s tone is deadly quiet, a grim look on their face.

“If you do not let go, I will fire you, and Smasher will throw you out.”

“No,” Rooney’s face softens, their shoulders slightly dropping as their grip around his wrist loosens, “I’m worried about you. You’ve been through a lot these last few weeks. And I’m not talking about Saburo. I’m talking about you taking over Arasaka. I know what you plan to do, and I worry that you’ll burn yourself out before you take Arasaka down. I care about you too much to let that happen.”

He drops the pills back in the desk drawer, Rooney releasing his wrist. “You are correct. I am not sleeping. Between travel and Arasaka, sleep is not a priority.” Yorinobu would sleep for an hour or two occasionally, but could not stay asleep, despite his exhaustion. More urgent matters require his attention.

“Go home. Lay down for a while. Or,” Rooney motions over their shoulder to the black leather couches in his office with a teasing smile, “You could lay down here, but I know how you feel about Arasaka couches.” He feels a warmth in his chest, touched by their attempt at a joke about his distaste for Arasaka couches.

Yorinobu relents, knowing Rooney will win this battle through sheer stubbornness. He presses down on the intercom button. “Aria, cancel the rest of my meetings for today. Tell the AV to meet me in five minutes.”

“Yes, Yorinobu-sama.”

Rooney relaxes, a weight coming off their shoulders. “Good, you need the rest.”

“You are very persuasive, and you would have dragged me back to my apartment if I did not agree,” He teases.

“Yeah,” Rooney replies sheepishly, rubbing the back of their neck in slight embarrassment, “I can be stubborn like that.”

“You are very stubborn.” A massive understatement. Yorinobu wishes that Rooney would care for themself the way they do others. When it came to everyone else, there was no limit to what Rooney would do. For themself? Rooney would brush it off, insisting that they were fine, that no one needed to look after them. He wishes they would look after themself or listen to him like they used to.

“Have a good night, Yorinobu. I’ll update you on my investigation next time; there isn’t much.”

“Good night, Rooney.”

He watches them turn away, walking a few steps. Rooney stops and turns back towards him, seemingly hesitant. “Would you like me to come with you? I know playing with your hair helped you fall asleep,” They ask, rolling their left shoulder out of nervousness. His eyes widen in surprise as Rooney backpedals, looking away from him, flustered and bright red. “I’m sorry; I overstepped. Forget what I-.”

“No,” He cuts them off, “You caught me by surprise. If you want to come, I would not say no, but please do not feel compelled to.”

“I want to,” the words rush out of their mouth slightly, Rooney relaxing, “I mean, I would be happy to.” They smile at him softly, that small smile reserved for few, reserved for him.

Yorinobu smiles back, a warm feeling in his chest. “Good. Allow me a few minutes to get ready.”

—

Rooney follows him into the apartment, like a shadow. “Go get comfortable. I’ll go put on some white noise,” Yorinobu raises an eyebrow, “Reconnected with some old friends from the Unification War in Night City. One of them swears by white noise along with some other stuff. Figure it might help you too.”

“From the Unification War?” In all their time together, Rooney rarely talked about the Unification War. He knew that whatever Rooney had seen had been horrific, having met a few other Unification War veterans.

They nod. “He was Militech; I was part of the Free States. It’s a long story; He’s an,” Rooney pauses, brow furrowing for a moment as they search for their next words, “interesting guy.”

“He does sound interesting. Do you take any of his advice?”

“I tried,” Rooney frowns, wrinkling their nose as Yorinobu holds back a laugh, “It only stressed me out more.”

“You think it will help me?”

“Can’t hurt. Besides, you know how I am,” They smile at him again, “Now, go get ready.”

Several minutes later, Yorinobu lies on the right side of the bed. Rooney approaches, shrugging off their worn black and blue leather coat. They fold it neatly, laying it on the nightstand. Sitting on the edge of his bed, Rooney takes off their boots, before sitting up against the headboard. Yorinobu lays his head in their lap as the soft rain noises play. Their hand runs through his hair, a relaxing sensation. He sighs in contentment, closing his eyes as serenity washes over him. As he drifts off to sleep, Yorinobu hopes that they’ll still be here when he wakes up.

—

Stifling a yawn, Rooney looks down at Yorinobu, relieved to see him asleep. They had been deeply concerned about him when they stepped into his office. Yorinobu looks tired and older than when they first saw him, the weight of Arasaka finally bearing down on his shoulders. Despite their duty towards V, Rooney hopes that they can help shoulder some of Yorinobu’s burdens, especially with Arasaka. Their hand continues to play with his hair, a comforting motion to Rooney. A yawn escapes them, Rooney blinking slowly. Their eyes feel heavy, their own exhaustion overtaking them. Maybe, they could just close their eyes for a few seconds. Wouldn’t hurt them.

—

Yorinobu groans, his senses coming back to him as he wakes. He feels a comforting pressure on his waist, looking down to see a familiar red and black metal arm wrapped around him. Glancing over his shoulder, Yorinobu finds Rooney spooning him, still asleep. They are frowning in their sleep, as they always do, but still sleeping peacefully. Rooney must have fallen asleep, exhausted from their PI work. He smiles softly, happy to lay with Rooney in this quiet moment. He remembers the moments the pair would spend in bed, a lazy morning to themselves. Cuddling together as they would quietly talk, which occasionally turned into something more intimate.

As if they sense his staring, Rooney awakes, blinking a few times. “Where-?” They mumble, their voice groggy. Awareness kicks in seconds later as their eyes widen. “Yorinobu, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to,” They apologize profusely, pulling away from him and sitting up against the headboard, “I don’t know what happened. I’m really sorr-.”

“Do not apologize,” He shakes his head as he sits up next to them, trying not to feel hurt, “You were asleep.” Disappointment lingers in his chest. Perhaps Yorinobu misread their signals, thinking that Rooney might still have lingering feelings.

Rooney does not look convinced, guilt on their face. Before they can apologize again, he notices the electric blue circle in their eyes, a telltale sign of Rooney receiving a call. “Yorinobu, do you mind if I take this call for a second?”

Shaking his head, he reaches for his glasses, setting them on his nose as Rooney answers. “Vik, I’m okay.” A jealous feeling rises in his chest. Who is Vik? A partner perhaps? He grabs his phone as they speak again. “I promise I’m fine. Listen, I’ll meet up with you later. I’m in the middle of something right now.” Now, Yorinobu is ‘something’, a secret to be hidden? “Thanks. I should go.”

They hang up, looking over at him. “Sorry, I had to take that.”

Yorinobu waves them off, burning with jealousy. Rooney moved on with their life, just as he had. He had no right to expect them to pine after him. Yet, Yorinobu felt jealous of Vik. He hopes that Vik is treating Rooney well, understanding how rare someone like Rooney is. “I understand,” wincing at how bitter his voice sounds, “You do not want your boyfriend to know you are in bed with another man.”

“Boyfriend?” Rooney blurts out, staring at him in shock. Realization dawns on them a few seconds later “Vik! Oh no, he’s a really close friend,” They rub their neck awkwardly, and Yorinobu senses that there might be something more to it, “That’s all, just a close friend.”

“Oh?”

They nod. “What about you? I was surprised you didn’t have someone waiting for you here.”

With Rooney back in his life, Evelyn had become an afterthought, a past situation. While he preferred his relationships casual, Rooney had been one of the few exceptions, turning his life upside down. “No, I am not seeing anyone. Are you seeing anyone?”

“No,” Rooney rolls their shoulder, slightly embarrassed, “When I returned to the military, I went on a few first dates at the encouragement of friends, but none of them made it past that,” They look down at their hands, “Truth be told, none of them were you, and it didn’t seem fair to lead them on.” Rooney looks up again, meeting his eyes. “I guess, it’s just finding someone special now.”

“Have you found someone special?”

Rooney smiles at him fondly, a warm, affectionate look in their eyes. “I might have,” They admit, “There are things that I have to take care of first. But, once I take care of that, I think I can give it a shot. Anyone catch your eye?”

Does that mean-? Yorinobu feels lighter, like he wasn’t wrong for reading into their actions. “Not until recently,” He reaches out, tucking a strand of their dark red hair behind their ear, “I would ask them, but they are dealing with something. I hope they will tell me what they are dealing with and let me help.” Please let me help. “I want to help them.”

Their cheeks flush bright red. “I hope it works out for you,” Rooney replies softly, trying to keep the wide smile off their face, “Do you need to get back to Arasaka?”

“I should.” Yorinobu would rather not. He would much rather stay here with Rooney, letting this moment last a little longer between them. “I need to keep looking through the old man’s notes, understand what he was working on.”

Rooney frowns, growing serious. “Yorinobu, if you need help with that, you know you only have to ask, right?”

“I do.” He knows that he could ask almost anything of Rooney, and they would do it for him. If Rooney were to ask almost anything of him, Yorinobu would do it. He wishes they would ask him for help, confide him in like they used to. He wishes he could truly confide in them like he used to. Another reminder of the distance between them.

“Good luck, Yori,” Their nickname for him slips out as they get out of bed, “And if you need help sleeping or with Arasaka, don’t be a stranger. You can always call, anytime.”

“Thank you, Rooney.”

“Goodbye.” They grab their coat, departing from the bedroom, leaving him all alone. Yorinobu sighs, his shoulders dropping. One day, he will convince Rooney to stay.

[eyedrateanatomy]

Sorry if this comes up a little random but

Opinion about clickbait (Radford x Frank)? I know its the crackship of the crackships but its also somehow one of my otps

gotta be honest with you. for a very brief time i thought i came up with the ship ever since i doodled them referencing pleakley and jumba before i found out there was a shipname for them

but they Are pleakley and jumba. frank is a big man who constantly gets into trouble and plays by his own rules, and radford is a little worrywart who just wants to go home and live his boring life

they come off as a couple who proooobably dont love each other, but everytime they interact its like fate decided that they were meant to be an old married couple bickering until their last breath. just constant playful banter and rolling their eyes when their partner does something dumb, but stifling a laugh at the same time

frank takes advantage of radfords idiocy for sure. he tells him to hop in his van cause hes got puppies in the back, and rad of Course believes him and gets in. theres some kid in a bag, and rads asks who it is cause thats,,, not puppies. frank isnt answering, and the next thing you know hes got rad in his arms to keep him from squirming away cause he Needs him to go up to the cashier at the gas station to get something and hes on bad terms with just about everyone in town, and radford gets along with everyone. so he has to do it

radford is a little difficult to control, he cannot stop going "dude no we're gonna get in trouble!!!! we're gonna get in Soooo much trouble oh my god dude my uncles a cop. do you know what hes gonna do to me!!!! DUDEEEEE" to everything frank does. frank tells him he can disguise as a woman to sneak into a bar theyre driving to, and radford is suddenly immediately on board with the plan

i think theyd still totally get along though. they could hold a conversation for Days at a time and love listening to whatevers on the radio. rad introduces frank to mafia and car chase movies cause thats what frank likes the most apparently. franks got movies too!!!! he stole them. but for radfords sake hes not gonna tell him that

frank has had to keep rad from eating drugged candy Multiple times, like "uhh no you cant have that. its uhh. dirty." nd rads like "... but its wrapped???" nd frank just keeps stammering till rad eats it anyways then wakes up in the hospital

yeah theyd be the funniest couple ever. franks ultimate challenge for how long he can keep his idiot boyfriend from finding out he kidnaps children for money. fortunately for him, radford doesnt ever connect the dots. everytime he gets suspicious frank just distracts him with something he likes

frank vc now listen to me radford, i am talking directly into your ear now. i need you to do me a favor. you will do this for me. i need you to go to gamestop, and i need you to ask the bastard working the counter if they have bambi on the ps2. if you come back empty handed youll be in big trouble mister. you will never see the light of day

[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.

[thegreymoon]

The Story of Minglan

I've been fighting off a monster of a headache all day with copious amounts of coffee but that could only go so far and I had to take painkillers in the end, so I am now in a drug-induced happy haze, very ready to bask in happy feels and root for the OTP 🖤

***

I love how he sees the real her.

Qi Heng only ever saw her public face, Liang Han also never realised her true character and thought she was obedient and boring. I think He Hongwen came the closest to understanding her, but he is nowhere close to being her intellectual equal. She would have run circles around him and though her life might have been peaceful at his side (though with that family of his, even this is doubtful), it would never have been as fulfilling as it will be with a man who can match her.

***

LMAO 🤣🤣

***

LMAO, if he keeps this up, she really will smack him 🤣🤣

He's just lucky he's so cute.

***

LOL, deserved 💪💪

I still maintain he should have approached her directly.

***

LMFAO

WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU EXPECT??

YOU GOT MARRIED, YOU LOSER. WHAT WAS SHE SUPPOSED TO DO, PINE FOR YOU FOR THE REST OF HER LIFE?

(With that said, as much as I despise Qi Heng, this actor is crazy beautiful and he is really tempting me to watch Guardian at long last 😭😭)

***

LOL, it is not fate.

It is your shitty classism, ego and garbage behaviour.

***

My guy, YOU MARRIED ANOTHER WOMAN.

***

Oh, shut up.

I am still mad about him suggesting that brain-dead plan to kidnap the princess and get all their families executed for it.

Also, he is a liar.

He revealed just now that he had decided to marry Minglan after she gave him advice on Rongjie. That was after he saved her from the pirates. It was before the whole Prince Yan disaster. This either means that this storyline is inconsistent or that he never actually intended to follow through with what he was offering. He expected Qi Heng to turn him down just so that he could go, "BuT i tRiEd tO HeLp yOu!" and absolve himself of guilt for backstabbing a peer because even then he knew that he would be going after Minglan himself. Honestly, I actually like this interpretation better than him being genuine in his offer, but it is still unnecessary. Qi Heng renounced all claim to Minglan when he married another woman. Gu Tingye owed and still owes him nothing.

Minglan is a whole-ass human person with her own agency, thoughts and feelings. She is not a leftover piece of pizza you can call dibs on. Qi Heng had his chance, the best chance of all her suitors because she actually liked him, and he blew it. Minglan wouldn't take him now if he was the last man on Earth.

***

LMAO, yes, tear him a new one, Tingye!

Yes, Qi Heng, either shit or get off the pot.

The nerve of him.

The self-serving selfishness.

Both he and his evil mother need to be taken down several pegs.

***

It is called having 🌟self-respect🌟

I love Minglan, she has a spine of steel and a very long memory. She neither forgets nor forgives her grudges.

***

LMAO, end him, queen 😂😂

I love Xiaotao 💙

***

Perfect 🤗

[spicysix]

Fanfic Writer Appreciation day ♡

i stole this idea from @1lostsoul0fishbowl, and in celebration for Fanfic Writer Appreciation Day, i've decided to list 21 of my favorite fics! a few of them i've talked about before, and a few are very well known but still deserve to be talked about again. i'm tagging the authors if i know their tumblrs!

i divided them into two lists, a purely Steddie one (my otp y'know) and a second one for everything else (other ships, X readers, other fandoms etc)

without further ado, in no particular order, here is (under the cut cause the lists are LONG, babes):

Steddie

The One in Which a Time Loop is Fucking Exhausting. by @badpancakelol - timeloop

You're Divine by @azrielgreen - Kas!Eddie

i can give you a heartbeat by soupbitchin - ghost!Eddie

Looks like we're in for nasty weather by @geddyqueer - modern AU, ghost whisperer!Eddie, cryptids

Straight Knife Through The Heart by @relenafanel - modern AU, rockstar!Eddie

New York Hardcore by @grandmastattoo - punk!Steve

your cosmic call sign by @nancywheeeler - aliens!AU

Wild Geese by watchcatewrite - roadtrip

the most remarkable thing about you standing in the doorway is that it’s you by @greatunironic - rockstar!Eddie, found family

your love is standing next to me by @fivecenturiesverse - rockstars AU, social media fic

STEVE’S FIRST BRUISE by cairparavels - spider man!Steve

took you for a working boy by @pukner - genderqueer!Steve

this love came back to me by @strawberryspence - rockstar!Steve

i could be honest, i could be human by @steves-strapcollection

what's left of my lungs by WirtWilt - hanahaki disease

echo by @grandmastattoo - timeloop

wanna hurt you just to hear you screaming my name by DotyTakeThisDown - BDSM, sex club master!Eddie

Petals in a Storm by @inairbinad

Eddie's Memory Log by @harmonictechnicality

this demo will save your life by oh_simone - 'rockstar'!Eddie, band manager!Steve. characterization of all times

STRIKE TEN. by @metaldeads - scoops era

Others

The Entire History Of Human Desire by KidA_666 - ST / stonathan

Dreaming Of You by Koken - Marvel / stucky X reader - reader has powers

Harmless by @shurisneakers - Marvel / bucky X reader - 'villain'!Reader, lovely crack, perry VS doofenshmirtz dynamic

Hive by Rattle - SDV / sebastian X sam X farmer - there's a big plot twist here. best SDV fic ever

Trinity Epoch by @heli0s-writes - Marvel / stucky X reader / pacific rim AU (honestly anything by helios is amazing)

matters of taste by @fairyysoup - ST / steddie X reader - bakery AU

half of my soul by @graysonnightwing - ST / steve&robin - platonic soulmates get platonically maried

Over & Over by @beetlesandstarss - ST / ronance - this one hurts like a bitch but it's delicious

burning yarrow by @storiesbyrhi - ST / eddie X reader - witch!Reader, vampire!Eddie (literally anything by Rhi, but this one's my favorite)

don't delete the kisses by @stevenose - ST / steve X reader - camboy!Steve

We Tried The World by @upsidedownwithsteve - ST / steve X reader - roadtrip (again, anything by Emmy is great but her roadtrip Steve is top tier and this fic was a huge inspiration to me personally)

No Such Thing by lattebiscuit - Marvel / bucky X reader - college AU

We Got A Lovin' Thing by lattebiscuit - ST / steddie X reader

Helping Hands by MutantsandSoldiers - Marvel / bucky X reader, stucky X reader - ABO, mutant!Reader

Howler & the Black Cat by bajablessed - Marvel / bucky X reader - vigilante!Reader

Sunshine Blend Dark Roast by @icallhimjoey - RPF / joe quinn X reader - barista!Reader (again, anything by this author is an instant hit. i had to close my eyes and point at the screen to choose randomly because i couldn't pick one myself)

no good at waiting by @familyvideostevie - ST / steve X reader - farmers market AU

in a dark, dark room by @carolmunson - ST / Eddie X reader - kas!Eddie. this one just dropped and it's an instant hit. it's dark so beware!

Like Real People Do by @myosotisa - ST / eddie X reader - drug addicts, rehab clinic, beware of triggers

Bad Influence by @dearest-readers - ST / eddie X reader - pornstars AU

coffee shop blues by @ghost-proofbaby- ST / eddie X reader - barista!Reader, barista!Eddie, grumpy VS sunshine trope

WHOOF! *wipes forehead* that was some work. i obviously couldn't fit all my favorite fics of all times here, but i did my best to bring great content! (i thought about dividing into 3 lists and make an X reader specific one but....i was too tired of searching for links already lmao)

i have many other great recs in my fics recs tag here and on my ao3 bookmarks so if you trust my judgment and want more fics to read, those are always public!

shout out to all the amazing fic writers on all sides of these fandoms that i love and admire, and know that you are very appreciated on this fic writer appreciation day! ♡♡

[obsidianpen]

Hi Pen,

this is very random, but I think I found the treshold behind which I cannot follow; it's none of your other dark shit (affectionate), but for the life of me I cannot do Hermione/possessed!Harry. It just feels like two siblings doing it together when one of them gets heavily drugged lol. Like, I usually enjoy fucked up stuff, even fictional incest (for example, I'm enjoyer of many Targaryen couples), but Harry and Hermione have canonically this very normal sibling-like vibe and I'm convinced they just do see each other in that light at all. I imagine this would break their friendship; they might still love each other, but they would never wish to look into each other's eyes ever again.

(I'm a millenial, who grew up as the books were published and it was hotly debated who ends up with whom, and even back in the day I thought it was glaringly obvious that there was a built-up in Ron/Hermione UST, with Harry trailing along and ignoring his friends' antics. Like, if there was any doubt in my mind at all, it died a swift death in Goblet of Fire, when Harry thinks that he's eternally grateful to Hermione for sticking by his side, but he's also kind of bored now that she's his best friend instead of Ron... like no, that doesn't speak greatly of their compability as a romantic couple that spends long lengths of time only in each other's company. Neither of them deserves to feel like this in the presence of their Significant Other.)

Please don't get me wrong; It's not to say you (or anyone else) cannot write Hermione or Harry in whatever scenatio... it's just very funny to me that so many people view this pairing as either OTP or a very vanilla one (though your take wouldn't be vanilla, obviously), but it's just so deeply ewww to me in a very unsexy way lmao.

I get it! But you probably are imagining this fic as something very different than what I was…

[protect-daniel-james]

i’m sending you a character (he is a *character*) - 🧛‍♂️ pls?

My favorite blorbo of them all :3

favorite thing about them

Oh boy where do I even start:

he's a hard worker and deserves all the success and opportunities he gets. he worked hard to get from humble beginnings to managing some of the big European clubs, coming from "nowhere", with barely any playing heritage

he's extremely polite and humble, doesn't whine and moan about decisions going against his teams or referees not siding with his team, or his team struggling with injuries

but most of all his LOVE FOR FOOTBALL oh my god do I even have to say that? the man absolutely LIVES for football, when you hear him talk about it, you can see how his little eyes just lit up, how excited he gets... I bet his heart beats faster, and maybe he gets a lil' hard as well - football, football, football, it's always football. I wish I could see inside his brain but I assume it's literally 100 % football 24/7, it's always on his mind - and it's just such a pure love and adoration, he doesn't care about fancy expensive players and watching the most promising stars - he just loves the concept??? man has been turning up to the most random matches in Carabao Cup and the Spanish Cup and just watching whatever team he could (he even went to see the Legia Warsaw Women's team play when he was in Warsaw?), he just needs football, it's absolutely his drug. I bet he gets high off it, and his perception of the world changes, he feels calmer when he's at a game of football... He loves a big match of big clubs just as much as a local Gipuzkoan derby or something. He loves how football can be literally a multibillion thing, just as well as a nice local pastime in the countryside...

I just genuinely believe he's a good person who tries his best to be able to look at himself and say "I tried my best".

least favorite thing about them

The fucking hair gel, no doubt.

favorite line

"I like the smell of the pitch, it produces a sort of comfort within me." I think this is honestly such a cute sentiment that captures the carnal nature of his love for the game...

"In England that identification with your team brings the game alive. It’s deeper there, like a church. I was born in San Sebastián and my team is Real Sociedad. That feeling is in my heart and that’s what you find in England. It’s marvellous, the loveliest thing there is.” - this was the ending of an interview with him, and I absolutely loved it. The loveliest thing there is.

Also, his villainous arc:

brOTP

I don't even think Unai has any bros :') No, honestly, I think Klopp kinda likes him (as you would like a sickly wet skrunkly cat), and Marcelino probably does as well, as does Andoni Iraola. I can see all of them looking at Unai with a combination of admiration and pity. I think it would be lovely if he and Andoni could go on a biking trip together.

OTP

Unai x Football is the one ship to rule them all. I love the potential of Unai x Mikel, because for Unai, Mikel is...the one to be jealous of, the one who got what he himself did not, and looks so good as well - Unai must feel such a strong emotion about this all, I can imagine him wanting to just.....tear Mikel apart, maybe physically, maybe sexually, maybe psychologically torture him, maybe suck his blood to have at least something from the perfection that Mikel is to him. But also, he's terrified of his not-very-christian thoughts (well, at least if he's not a vampire), and he has to turn them into something better.

nOTP

I don't think I have any tbh! There's not many ships for Unai, and I actually quite like all the potential in those I have seen around AO3... Including Unai x other managers, Unai x players, Unai x club owners... I think the humble, polite way he presents himself, combined with the dark, vampire-like elements of him (the cruel smile he's capable of, the way his mind can calculate) make him perfect for all sorts of ships and set-ups. Although I love skrunkly blorbo wet cat (or bat) Unai who struggles and panics and breaks down and gets humiliated and loves it the most.

random headcanon

He's struggling with taking care of himself :') I know he said in an interview he's a decent cook (decent enough to invite friends over for dinner), but I just love the idea of him being extremely incompetent with taking care of himself (like, resting when sick, cooking proper meals, drinking enough water) - he's just BUSY with FOOTBALL, okay. That's why having someone like Klopp or Ange taking care of him also works well for a ship. And that's why I don't believe him and Mikel would survive for long together.

unpopular opinion

He's cute!!! I don't think that's a particularly unpopular opinion in our little corner of the internet lol, but ... when he loses the hair gel, he looks incredibly soft and sweet!

song i associate with them

En algún lugar by Duncan Dhu. Canonically Unai's favorite band of his youth - I think it captures beautifully the Emery sadness and everything it's about. Also, Txoria txori, because he and his brothers actually sang it in Hondarribia when Unai received some award at the townhall. Once again, perfect for the Emery sadness - the longing, the devotion, the hidden, repressed true self.

favorite picture of them

God, it's difficult to choose one! But I think one of his youth pics full of Emery sadness gotta do:

Just, there's this sadness about him...like, he's doing the one thing he loves the most, Football, and yet he's scared...afraid that he will not be enough. He just wants to be enough.

[jazzystudios82]

Diabolik Lovers: An Angel's Embrace AU Shorts #5 - Akira ♡

DL OTP Prompt #23: Family

"Life doesn't come with a manual. It comes with a mother."

This is, once again, another entry for @yuriko-mukami's DL writing prompt. And like the others, this one may take a while to make.

WARNING: Diabolik Lovers is a series with dark themes and topics. Discretion is advised.

Content Warning: This short contains pregnancy, birth (not descriptive; off-page), mentions of a difficult birth, blood, and nightmares about death.

If you're not in the right mind set to read this, then you don't have to. Your mental health is more important.

——————————————————————————

The Sakamaki Mansion. . . .

Angelica was sitting in a comfy chair while a maid poured her a cup of tea. The pregnant woman gave the maid a soft 'thanks' as she accepted the porcelain tea cup. The tea itself had such a lovely aroma, and it made the pink haired woman smile with. It wasn't necessarily the tea itself that made her smile, it was in fact that she was finally able to have some time for herself without Karlheinz practically looming over her shoulder.

She couldn't be too annoyed with him though, as Angelica knew that her husband was concerned for both her and their baby. The unborn babe was going to be the heir to the Vampire Clan after all.

But as much as she loved seeing this from her husband, Angelica did have a limit for how much Karlheinz seemed to be smothering her when he was off duty. Again, she loved it, but she needed her space every once in a while.

As soon as she took a sip of her tea, Angelica let out a positive sigh. "Is the tea to your liking, my lady?" the maid asked. "It is. Thank you for making this for me." Angelica answered.

"It was nothing. How's the baby? Do you think that today's the day?"

Angelica looked at her pregnant belly. It had been nine months already, but so far there were no signs of the baby coming out. While Angelica had no issue with it, the baby comes whenever they want after all, Karlheinz and some of her family members were impatient. Angelica could understand them though. After all, her family was getting a new addition for them to love and spoil, and the baby was also the future ruler of the Vampire Clan.

Because of this, Angelica and her unborn baby's safety was taken extremely seriously. Karlheinz had even went as far as to hire a poison taster to check if any of Angelica's food and drinks were laced with a drug that could harm her and the baby's health, who just so happened to be the maid that was with her right now.

As soon as she finished her tea, Angelica stood up from her chair and was going to go back into the mansion for some light reading, when she felt a sharp pain in her lower abdomen.

"!"

"My lady, is something wrong?" the maid asked. "I. . . .I don't know." Angelica said. "I felt this-" The silver eyed woman nearly let out a yell when the pain became more intense, and when she felt a strange wetness between her legs, Angelica immediately knew what was going on.

"My lady? What is it?"

"I'm afraid that my water broke."

The maid's facial expression changed from one of confusion to great worry immediately.

"Shit."

.

.

.

.

Karlheinz's Office. . . .

The Vampire King let out a sigh as he finished the final piece of paperwork that was on his desk. What it was for, he had forgotten hours ago. But he didn't care about that.

All he wanted right now was to go be with Angelica and spend time with her. Especially with the baby on the way. There'd be little time he could spend with Angelica when their son arrives.

Why does he assume the baby will be a boy? Karlheinz just had a hunch that it would be, is all.

A smile appeared on Karlheinz's face when he put the last signature on the piece of paper before him. 'Finally finished.' he thought to himself. As soon as he put his fountain pen away, Christa, (who was followed by the head butler) slammed the door open, nearly startling him.

"Christa! You know that I have established rules for-"

"Karl! You have to hurry! It's Angie!" Christa exclaimed, who herself was nearly on the verge of tears. "S-She's. . . .she's-"

"What? What is it?" Karlheinz asked, his annoyance from earlier now gone. "Is she alright?" Though with the way Christa struggled to communicate while teary eyed, it was likely his annoyance could return.

"Her water broke! And now she's in labor!" Christa revealed.

"!"

"B-But something's wrong! The butler, h-he said. . . .that-" "What is it?! Spit it out!" Karlheinz almost shouted, making Christa flinch.

"W-What Lady Christa is trying to say is that Lady Angelica's labor appears to unfortunately be. . . .rather difficult for her." the butler revealed.

". . . .What?"

"We must make haste!" The butler said as he led Karlheinz and Christa out of the Vampire King's office. "The doctor and the nurses claim that she needs you right away!"

.

.

.

.

Karlheinz had been told by others that the day his son would arrive would be a joyous one. That he and Angelica, or whoever would have given birth to his heir first, would have him cry tears of joy.

That was not the case.

He paid no attention to what the doctor and nurses were saying.

He paid no attention to Cordelia and Richter's momentarily shocked faces and hushed whispers.

He paid no attention to Beatrix trying to keep her composure.

He paid no attention to how Christa was on her knees, sobbing as the maids tried to comfort her.

All that Karlheinz could focus on was what was in the blonde maid's (Angelica's taste tester) hands: the once pristine white sheets that were covered in blood.

.

.

.

.

Angelica's body felt completely weak from the ordeal she went through for what felt like hours. She so desperately wanted to hold her baby, but the doctor had the nurses take the baby away while he took care of her.

After that, she blacked out. She did hear some of the others, such as Richter and the other wives outside of the door, but what exactly they were saying was unclear to her. But it didn't matter to her. All Angelica wanted was to see her baby and introduce Karlheinz to their child.

But her attention drifted elsewhere when she heard a faint voice calling her name.

"-ca? Angelica my dear, are you awake?"

The pink haired woman slowly opened her eyes to see that it was Karlheinz, who seemed to have changed from his usual attire and into something more casual, such as a simple white shirt and black pants. In his arms was a bundled up blanket that was the color of the egg of a robin, a baby who was whimpering and making grabbing motions with his chubby hands.

"Karl. . . .is that. . . .?" Angelica asked, her voice quiet and slightly sore from the screaming from the birthing process. "It is. It's our son, Angelica. And I believe that he wants to meet his mother." Karlheinz handed their newborn son to Angelica, who gently took him in her arms.

The baby was a bit smaller than she expected, and his face was a bit red due to his intense crying that happened shortly after he was born, as he was desperately gasping for air. Though it was a bit hard for her to tell, Angelica noticed that his little wisps of hair were the same light pink color as hers.

Tears welled up in the corner of Angelica eyes as she smiled at her son. "Oh Karl, he's gorgeous!" she said softly, as their son began to calm down and stop fussing.

"Isn't he?" Karlheinz said. "Though I can't say that I'm surprised. After all, just look at his parents."

Angelica couldn't help but smile and let out a soft laugh. "Karl. . . ."

"What? I can't say something nice about our baby?"

"You can! It's just-"

The baby let out a whine, interrupting his mother.

"He's probably hungry," Karlheinz said as he got off of Angelica's bed. "I'll give you some privacy." "Karl, you don't have to go." Angelica said as she began the process of nursing her baby, which did in fact seem to be what he wanted.

"It's fine, pet." he said as he got to the door. "Besides, I think it's appropriate for you to get to spend some time with Akira."

"?" Angelica blinked in surprise. "What?"

"After all, I did everything that the doctor said that was required for a father to bond with his child. And I think that-"

"Not that." Angelica said. "Akira. . . .you gave him the name I picked." "And this is a surprise to you?" "It's just that. . . .I thought that you would have named him after you and RIchter's father."

Karlheinz looked back at his wife and gave her what was probably the softest and most genuine smile she had ever seen. "It's simple, pet. It was my favorite of the names we discussed, and I thought it was fitting for a king."

.

.

.

.

By the time Angelica and Akira slept, Karlheinz had ordered for the amount of guards protecting their bedroom to be doubled, getting new locks, hiding a weapon (a pistol) under his pillow, and the golden eyed vampire even convinced his wife to have Akira sleep in their room for the night, which didn't take much to get her to agree to.

He didn't care if it seemed excessive, he'd do anything to keep the two safe and by his side. Besides, it was perhaps the most tame thing that he's done today.

It happened when he saw Angelica's motionless body in the delivery room, and something in him snapped when he heard that the baby that Angelica oh so longed for never cried when born.

And so, he did what he had to: he reversed it all until he got the correct version of events that he wanted. Karlheinz did it up to around seventeen times until he got what he desired, a scene before him where both mother and child survived and were healthy.

A part of him even thought it was funny when the others (especially Richter and Cordelia's) had the most confused expressions on their faces when Karlheinz left his office early and attended to his wife's delivery himself instead of waiting for the doctor's arrival.

Karlheinz was immediately brought back to the present when he heard his son stirring from his sleep. He moved swiftly from his and Angelica's bed and to Akira's crib to pick up the baby.

"There there, it's ok." Karlheinz muttered, rocking Akira back and forth softly. "Normally I'd say it's unbecoming of a king to cry, but after today? I suppose it's well deserved."

——————————————————————————

Whoooooooo!!!!

It's done, the final short story for the Angel's Embrace AU for this year! Hopefully I'll be able to write for 2025. Also, sorry that this one turned out to be so dark. This is the first time that I've written something like this, and I did my best to be as respectful as possible with subject matter like this.

If there's anything that you think needs some editing, let me know.

[sullustangin]

12 and 20 for the OTP asks

Thanks for asking!!

12. Do they have many heated arguments? How do they smooth things over?

Theron and Eva do banter and do a little bickering, but that's for tiny non-issues like "your turn to clean the caf pot" or "you forgot to pick up your socks." They don't do petty stuff to each other or try to shame the other person in public for private matters.

Heated arguments are typically over BIG issues. I actually just finished writing one for them about Port Nowhere and Eva's intent with it after she tries to reclaim it after carbonite. They fight big when the topic matters, like what the truth is and what whether they're being honest with each other. They fight about life and death. They fight about the best courses of action. Eva is more willing to let people doom themselves by their choices: you want drugs and blasters? You go have fun with that. Not my problem. Theron is more proactive; he was more 'grey' before Eva's freeze, but now he's less tolerant of risk and doing bad things for 'good' outcomes. They want the same things, but how to get to them: that's an argument.

The good thing about smugglers and spies is that they don't hold grudges; their lifespan is typically too short for that. They used to leave -- forget but not forgive. Eva and Theron find they can't do that with each other since the beginning, but even more so now that they're together on Odessen.

So verbal negotiations, then typically sex. They are a functional couple, living in a complete disaster of a galaxy.

20. Choose one song that perfectly describes their relationship.

That's hard, because Eva and Theron have gone through......over 15 years of 'together' in different formats now (yikes!). It's a long story with an equally long soundtrack. But I'll try to narrow the field.

"Why Does Love Got to Be So Sad?" by Derek and the Dominoes. That's applicable to Eva's pre-freeze days and then to Theron during the Traitor Arc. However, in better times -- or at least times when THEY are stable but the galaxy is not: "Coke" by Flickerstick (I like the demo/indy version better than the commercial recording).

I also really like the Tea Party's cover of "The Messenger," because it could apply to either of them. Who rescues who?

~~

Still taking asks for the OTP meme

[pocket-lin]

9 and 10 for the fandom asks!

hi!! thank you!! I apologize if the formatting is weird for this, I wrote half of it on my phone notes app the the rest on the Tumblr site and also I just generally don't know how to do things hahah

(i'm focussing on the sandman cuz I think that’s the biggest fandom we share!!)

9. a ship that isn't your OTP but that you enjoy

so dreamling is my ultimate sandman ship, BUT. two other ones I love are:

dream/hob/corinthian aka hobrintheus. everyone go read @softest-punk’s fic self-abandon, and the confounding effects thereof !! hob humanizing the corinthian (calling him cori), the corinthian being so genuinely in love with hob, dream being being so very dream about the situation… pure excellence. I have a handful of other fics I can rec for this ship, too!!

dream/hob/daniel. this is 10000000% @moorishflower’s fault because their Beautiful, Strange and New series is fucking unparalleled  (tbh everything they write is like a drug to me). the main fic was so incredibly fun to read while it was a wip!!! especially when the story gets to that part (ifkyk). 

10. a blog (mutual or one you follow) that has made your fandom experience brighter

okay this question is so hard to answer because I’ve only got back into any fandom in 2022 (long and kinda sad story) and I haven’t quite gotten up the gumption to talk to many people outside of commenting on fics. so!! I’m just gonna shoutout some more fics I love from the people I talked about in the other answer!

here’s a few more @softest-punk fics that I recommend, especially if you like alternate universes, a hopelessly-in-love hob, and support the Trans Agenda:

Catching Up - human/no powers au with alternating pov. all that post-fishbowl trauma goodness with an incredibly sweet hob who just wants to take care of his dear friend (who he is also hopelessly in love with but that's nbd)

Falling - another human/no powers au! strangers to friends to lovers story with extremely hot sex. i'm remembering how much I love this one and I'm about to go reread it!!

Half sleep, half waking- this is one of their most recents fics and it's a rivers of london crossover!! 1989 fishbowl rescue au (alternating hob and nightingale pov) where hob enlists the help of his friend (and ex-lover) dci nightingale to figure out why his oldest friend (who he is hopelessly in love with) missed their centennial meeting. I love hob's whole "thing" in this one–I have a personal head canon that he would absolutely have all kinds of rizz with the potentially less than human and/or immortal components of the world.

here's some more @moorishflower fics I recommend, especially if you like alternate universes, delicious angst, and extremely well thought out world-building! I don't know the best way to word this (fiction writing isn't my strong suit), but the way that this author describes things makes me go insane. they know exactly how to describe how things taste/smell/feel and it just completely transports me into the story.

iron, glass, bones, blood - monster4monster, love but the kind of love where you want to pin them to a board like a butterfly and find out what their blood looks like under a microscope, kink as a way to reclaim trauma... I literally cannot tell you how many times I've read this fic. it feels like it was pulled from the very depths of my subconscious.

On sexual dimorphism in C. urophasianus - (if you know me irl, no you don't) very lighthearted, non-traditional a/b/o, omegas are very empowered. they've only been together one week and it's still very new between them and now dream has to "court" hob because of his instincts going all crazy. very, very sweet!!

17th Century Knife Restoration - this fic made me cryyyyyy. hob watching a restoration video on YouTube and uh oh its his knife and uh oh now he has many feelings. to be loved is to be known, and also to be changed 💜

also their Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs series' most recent fic, Basic Needs, is currently posting and is making ME have many feelings!! check this one out if you want mutual pining of the most desperate nature, down and out dream and caretaker hob (oh and hob has a gigantic dick and dream is obsessed with it)

[saiyanmazen]

🧩🛼🔪

I absolutely love these. Thank you!

🧩 What will make you click away from a fanfiction immediately?

Homo- and transphobia and drug use. Also where my OTP gets romantically or sexually involved with other people (past relationships don't count). There's probably a few other things, but these are the ones I immediately think of.

🛼 Describe your next wip project with five emojis:

I already answered this, but I have another one that I plan to start on after On the Cusp is finished. I think @cuddlesomeone may be interested in this one: 🐲🐒🔺️👩‍🔬🤴

🔪 what's the weirdest topic you've researched for a writing project?

Do I have to choose just one? There's so many. But one was how much cocaine there was added to wine in the 1880's in France. (Ironic considering my aversion to drugs, but I think the difference is that it wasn't used as drugs.)

Thanks for the ask!