#priest!declan

[riverstyxsarts]

I’m not afraid of god I’m afraid he was gone all along

[seaemberthesecond]

CSA survivor Declan, you will always be real to me.

[syndianites]

tom in a (season 1 centric) timeloop

thank youuu!

When I tell you that I've had an idea similar to this floating in my head for ages, let me tell you that unironically I have a whole lore for it. (Granted, it uses some of my more out-there Mianite headcanon and background lore for characters, so it'd get revised to be less ooc for the characters if I ever DID write that plot bunny. My similar thought centers on the idea of the crew coming out of the void post-s2 and getting stuck in the entire s1 plot again, except 1) the s2 crew is there and 2) no one seems to remember doing any of this before except for some brief deja-vu moments. The main POV would follow the s2 crew and the main plot twist would be the fact that Tom DOES remember what happened and has the powers of Dianite, but is trying his best to keep the events all together and maybe, possibly, save his Dianite. The ending is a secret tho)

Onto the fic

----

Tom felt the strain burn into his upper back. He was never the best archer- that solidly went to Jordan and his goddess' personal preference for bows- but at this close of distance and how big Dianite was, he knew his aim would be true.

He was conflicted.

Yeah, Dianite disowned him. Sure, he was acting absolutely batshit insane, trying to kill his own sister and fellow goddess. And yeah, Tom had decided he'd side with his friends, but a few swings against his god were nothing in the grand scheme of things. What was significant, however, was how worn Dianite was beginning to look. For all his godly might, Dianite had been deteriorating for months. Tom couldn't figure out why and any attempt at getting answers was met with harsh rebuttal, and by the time he started to get an inkling of what might be going down Furia had decided to start shit.

Looking at Dianite now, you wouldn't think he was a god. Maybe a tough, angry red demon, but a god? No, he was far too battered and bruised to attest to such divine birthright. Even as he expertly parried a strike from Tucker and ducked an arrow sent by Jordan, Dianite just barely managed to escape Sonja's quick slash with a shallow scratch. He was slowing down. Even more so after the crystal atop the pillar at the center of their arena had been broken.

Tom tracked the fight with his eyes, barely moving a muscle beyond the subtle shake of his arms. His bow was redied, his shot clear. Just a quick release of the tension built in his fingers and his arrow would hit home. Dianite's back was turned to him.

Why was he hesitating?

The wait was maddening. How much longer could he hold this position? How much longer until someone got the upper hand- who would it be? Would he be able to stand seeing his god cutting down one of his friends, so soon after Capsize's death? Would he be able to handle seeing his friends cut down his god, the very one that had taken him in, bloodied and bleeding and freshly pulled from the grave?

The choice was taken from him.

He didn't realize until the arrow was already in the air, too focused on the sudden chill that had taken into his fingers. Tom glanced at his hand in bewilderment, seeing the ghost of a dark energy- or was it a deep purple?- before his head snapped back up to Dianite.

To the arrow lodged in his back.

Dianite stumbled, sword clattering to the ground. Tucker and Jordan had stepped back, both with their swords still raised, and Sonja had an arrow knocked in the background, all of them clearly ready for some new power to burst forth.

Instead, Dianite's head turned towards Tom, eyes eerily blank.

They stared at one another as Dianite fell down to one knee, then both. A frown marred his face- not a sneer but something more confused. His eyes fell to Tom's hand that still prickled with cold like he'd just dunked them in arctic waters.

Tom's chest twisted like it was reading its own arrow.

"No." Dianite's eyes found his again. "Not like this."

Stuck in the god's gaze, Tom watched as a shadow seemed to lift from Dianite's eyes like he was gaining clarity. He seemed to wrestle with himself, teeth grit in determination and Tom wondered if he was going to strike him down for the betrayal.

But was it betrayal when Dianite had turned his back to him first?

Instead, Dianite gave a sigh, setting a soft look upon Tom. "Not for you."

Before Tom could react, before he could draw a breath, pain erupted behind his eyes. The world was swallowed in a blinding light- white, at first, then turning a deep, blood red, before fading to black.

Oh, Tom mused, he really did strike me down.

With that thought, Tom blanked out.

---

In a shocking turn of events, Tom came to with a stuttering gasp. His eyes flew open only to burn with the sudden onset of light. He squeezed them closed, hand flying up to protect his eyes. The sound of waves beat at his pounding head.

A groan sounded from afar. It wasn't himself, for he could scarcely manage a wheeze. There was a shuffling of sand, shoes crunching shakily on the uneasy surface.

Sand?

Gods know Tom wasn't the smartest, but after getting blasted by godly power and surely being killed so thoroughly he wasn't likely to get revived a second time didn't put him anywhere near sand.

He peeked an eye open from beneath his fingers as his mind fried itself trying to connect dots.

Smited by Dianite + horrible pain = brain exploded?

Brain exploded + waking up in pain = died and sent to hell?

From what Tom knew about the Nether, sand wasn't out of the question, perse, but it was usually accompanied by the screams and moans of the dead.

Wait, did his soul get sucked up by some soul sand?

As he tried to figure out the logistics of how souls even got stuck in sand, a voice caught his attention, "You alive over there?"

When Tom didn't reply, because surely they weren't talking to him, the crunching of sand got closer and there was a nudge at his side.

Startled, Tom dropped the hand from his face, squinting through the sudden pain and onslaught of light to see a man standing above him. As his eyes focused, the face because clear.

"Tucker?" Tom's brain tried to reboot, not comprehending why his best friend was also here. "Don't tell me you died too?"

Instead of a snarky remark, Tucker gave him a suspicious frown. "How do you know my name? Who are you? No, wait, what do you mean died? Is this the afterlife?"

The questions hurt caused Tom's brain to lag, trying to process the absolutely absurd shit coming out of Tucker's mouth. This was too much for him, honestly, between his brain getting exploded and waking up to his soul getting eaten by soul sand and- wait.

Tom sat up suddenly, head pounding at the movement. He was on a beach. There was a clear blue sky around him and a lack of sweltering heat. Either he was not in the Nether, or the process of getting his soul eaten by fucking sand made him hallucinate.

Rather than answering Tucker's questions, he swivled his head from side to side. He was on a beach, a hill stretching out behind him and leading to a solitary acacia tree. The dry looking grass was familiar, like the savannah grass their homes were all built on top of. If he squinted, he could imagine that mountain off to his side being where Tucker and Sonja's castle home was, and opposite of that he could almost visualize Jerry's Tree.

Tom frowned, looking up at the bewildered and agitated Tucker.

"I'm Tom, dumbass. Don't tell me that dying made you forget me?"

Tucker huffed. "Like I'd be able to forget a talking zombie. I'm pretty sure we've never met."

Despite his confusion, Tucker offered Tom a hand like it was second nature. He took it gingerly, eying his friend warily.

"Sure," Tom muttered, the gears in his brain clicking together like an abandoned machine that needed maintenance five years ago. "Doesn't this place look familiar?"

"Not at all. Don't think I've ever been to, what, a savannah? At least, that's what it looks like. Dry grass and all." Tucker frowned at the stalks coming up to his waist, twisting the top and watching it break under his fingers.

Tom didn't respond, instead opting to climb the hill to get a better lay of the land. There was a mutter from Tucker behind him and the sound of footsteps following him. When Tom reached the top he felt his abused brain step into overdrive.

This place looked familiar for sure. Three mountains surrounded the savannah plain, with a river cutting through it. If he squinted at the one on his left, he could almost see was looked like an incomplete version of Dec's house. To the right, he could imagine the Dianite head statue his friends had made, leading into what would be the Forest of the Abyss.

It wasn't until a flash of red caught his eye that Tom truly felt his mind break.

There was Dec, in his usual ragged get-up, waving in that same carefree way he always did. But instead of making some comment about how Tom looks like he lost a fight with a sand castle, or how Tucker looked like a half-drowned rat, he greeted them.

"Welcome! I haven't seen you all around before. What brings you folk out here to our lovely realm of Mianite?" Dec grinned at them, offering a hand to shake.

Tucker stepped forward to introduce himself, but Tom just stared at Declan.

This was almost exactly how his first day in the realm had gone. He'd washed ashore, met Tucker, and got the run down from Dec. Hell, if things continued he could easily imagine how Tucker and he would start gathering wood and trying to set up a base at the top of that stupid mountain Tucker had tried to push him off of as a joke.

No.

No, there was no fucking way.

Dianite had killed him.

But ghosts didn't feel pain. He'd asked Capsize and she told him as much. His head throbbed with the ache of getting smitted.

They couldn't feel temperature, but the heat of the plains was already seeping into his suit jacket.

Most of all, they didn't have a heart beat, and Tom could feel his barely there, defunct heart slowly but surely beating in his chest.

Something had went royally fucking wrong.

----

Okay, I could probably continue this, in fact I have a vague idea for how Tom's character arc would go for this and I 100% know how I would end it. If you want more, I can keep going, but I'd either need to separate it into it's own post or do a little planning to get the idea more concrete. Because this is honestly a banger ass plot bunny.

Thanks for the prompt!!

[ronanlynchbf]

lynch brothers enjoyers u would LOOOOOOVE fleabag and her sister .👍

[graphicpolicy]

Preview: Timing/Luck

Timing/Luck preview. Gerry Duggan takes you along his journey through comic books and Hollywood. The book contains hundreds of photos over two decades #books

Timing/Luck Gerry Duggan (A/CA) Gerry DugganIn Shops: Nov 27, 2024SRP: $19.99 Gerry Duggan takes you along his journey through comic books and Hollywood. The book contains hundreds of photos over two decades in writing rooms, green rooms, and city streets around the world. Each photo tells a story, and collectively the book tells his. Timing/Luck is a mash-up of dark streets, bright minds, and…

[strawberryslurpy]

The Great-Novel-Length-Pynch-Fic List

By strawberryslurpy aka your resident pynch addict

I keep searching through fics on AO3 by word count and half the time it’s just Kinktober fics and that is not what I want I want something that’s comparable fiction to novels that are considered literary works of art!1!1!1! In other words, I’m picky. If you are too this may just be the list for you. Enjoy 😛😛

1. Concorde, Anonymous, AO3 (must be a member to read), 176k words

What if Adam was removed from the Parrish household at age 10? And what if he became the ward of a certain dreamer?

This fic had me in a CHOKEHOLD genuinely killed me and revived me. If you enjoy novels that are time jumpy and show rather than tell than this fic is for you. It’s confusing in the fun literary type of way and it is so well crafted and well articulated. I am a huge huge fan.

2. Magnetic by MonsieurBlueSky, AO3 (must be a member to read), 231k words

“an AU in which Ronan never befriended Gansey and after the death of Niall Lynch, Gansey isn't there to pull Ronan back from the edge. Kavinsky is there instead, ready to push him over.”

ABSOLUTELY AMAZING NO NOTES GENUINELY PHENOMENALLY EXECUTED I adore this fic and everything about it. The way the author is able to examine ronans relationships and how magic impacted them is just so so so lovely. I read this in one sitting and I sobbed for hours after finishing. Please read the tags, there is graphic depictions of suicide, self harm, substance abuse, domestic violence, etc. it’s all very canon typical but elaborated on.

3. Violent Delights (Violent Ends) by sunmoontruth, AO3, 200k words

https://archiveofourown.org/works/58209568/chapters/148221808

Oh. My. God. Holy. Fucking. Shit. HUNGER GAMES AU. Genuinely such captivating writing, the story pulls bits and pieces from the original Hunger Games, but there is so much that is original and fresh that this fic becomes less of an AU and more of a stand alone work. And with everything going on in the world now, in America where I live, this more graphic adult version of the hunger games truly hits where it hurts. Phenomenal characterization, such an amazing adaptation. I am floored beyond belief.

4. (The Time It Takes) To Believe in Fate by LydiaStJames, AO3, 100k words

“When he was 16, Adam walked into a forest in Henrietta, Virginia and exited in 1800s Ireland. The day he spent with the grumpy but attractive farmer lingered with Adam for years, but the forest didn't seem like it would appear again. That is, until Adam returned to Henrietta for his father's funeral and the forest calls him back once more.

To Ronan.”

GOD SO GOOD SO WELL WRITTEN. I have re read this one too many times to count. It is beautiful. It’s also such an intriguing concept and such a unique and original AU that it feels so disconnected from the original canon in a way that makes it much more enticing. Like the characterization is spot on and it’s so cool to see how these characters react to such an odd set of circumstances relative to their original canon.

5. Seek Ye The Living by charactershoes, AO3 (must be a member to read), 40k words

PYNCH FLEABAG AU PYNCH FLEABAG AU

Adam is a priest. Declan and Ashley are getting married. Ronan is having a faith crisis. What’s new.

6. Divinity by Cazio on AO3, 67k words

Magic can’t heal everything, especially when Ronan lacks the knowledge to dream a fix all. In other words, during his first semester at Harvard Adam gets sick. In true Adam fashion, he completely ignores it. But eventually it becomes too much for him to evade.

This fic is emotionally devastating. But, for some weird reason, it’s a comfort fic for me as someone who is chronically ill. It is a different type of illness and a much different type of circumstance but to see Ronans characterization when faced with something so devastating, and to see Adam get taken care of with such love. It means a lot when that is something I’m so deeply afraid I’ll never find. Please please please be aware of the tags and archive warnings.

For now these are my favorite long fics that are pynch centric but also just beautiful examples of literature that is so well written it feels like a disservice to label it fan fiction. I’ll update more as I read more!!

Lots of love,

Your local pynch dealer

[argikiya]

Bonus/Special/Extra chapters of some of my favorite books/series.

As most of my favorite series or books are getting a lot of bonus chapters but most of the time they are only available in certain special editions which is a true menace and impossible to get hands-on globally, I'm making a guide for the chapters as I've found a lot of helpful Tumblr users/readers already posted them in the internet. So I'll collect them, make a thorough list, and keep editing them if any new material is released. Feel free to comment if you want to add anything or let me know about any other series. I'm keeping the list under the cut to avoid spoilers for those who want to avoid them.

Red, White and Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston

The henry's pov chapter from the new Red White And Royal Blue collector's edition. - set after the incidents in the book

The Folk Of The Air Trilogy - Holly Black

The Cruel Prince Barnes & Noble exclusive short story - A Visit to the Impossible Lands

Some deleted scenes from TCP (AU)

Deleted scenes of The Wicked King from Barnes & Noble exclusive edition

Cardan's letter from Queen of Nothing -(read after finishing the series)

Deleted scene of The Queen of Nothing from Holly Black's newsletter.

Walmart exclusive The Stolen Heir chapters.

The Stolen Heir Barnes & Noble bonus content.

There are also additional Folk of The Air contents and a more detailed list - click here

Legendborn Series - Tracy Deonn

Selwyn's pov chapter and Bloodmarked excerpt - to read after the first book

The Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater

A Very Declan Christmas - Holiday Drabble

300 Fox way Holiday Piece - written as part of an event

A Minor Raven Boys Holiday Drabble -click here

Book #4.5 - Opal

The Secret Sanghai Universe - Chloe Gong

This one could be a little confusing as it is a really long universe containing two separate but interconnected series. So I'm making the list according to the timeline of the book's contents are in (not based on the timeline they were published/released) which list Chloe Gong once shared in her Instagram stories and also available on her website. (Check out her list for more detailed, less-confusing blurb on the contents of each bonus content and their timeline)

A RomaJuliette Christmas Special

The Benedikt & Marshall bonus - Barnes & Noble Exclusive Our Violent Ends Edition

The semi AU romajuliette + benmars fic - click here

Roma's Letters - Barnes & Noble exclusive These Vioent Delights.

Book 1 - These Violent Delights (Post TVD contents ↓)

5. Roma Gets a New Mug

Book 2 - Our Violent Ends

6. The Priest and The Shepherd (Set before Foul Lady Fortune but better if read after reading FLF)

Book 3 - Foul Lady Fortune

Book 3.5 - Last Violent Call

Book 4 - Foul Hearts Huntsman (Post FHH content ↓)

7. In True Delights - The Epilogue of all epilogues

Once Upon A Broken Heart - Stephanie Garber

The three different special edition epilogues of A Curse For True Love

The first epilogue

The second epilogue

The third Epilogue

Simon Snow Trilogy - Rainbow Rowell

My Rosebud Boy A Simon and Baz AU - Rainbow Rowell

This short story was written as a bonus for people who ordered Scattered Showers from the Bookworm in Omaha, Nebraska. It's an alternate universe story about Simon Snow and Baz Pitch, characters from Rainbow's Simon Snow Trilogy. It was printed by the author in a brochure format.

for everyone who's missing out on this cute little gem here is the google drive link - I found it from the tumblr comment section where a generous fan shared the link. Thank you.

All pic credit @pinterest

[nibblette]

Halloween Costume Ideas for Ronan-

-priest

-Biblically accurate Angel

-Stereotypical farmer w/overalls

-Edgar Allan Poe ( too easy?)

-Altar boy

- Declan (😅)

-Hippy (dreamer)

-Irish dancer

-Stereotypical psychic

-Tree/forest?

- Blue 😂

-Mormon missionary (couples costume with Adam)

-Gwenllian

-Drag Queen

-Cowboy

-Stereotypical teacher/professor (Adam is drooling)

-Roger Mallory

-His albino night horror (RIP)

-Hades

-Ares

-Odin (needs a second raven)

- A mechanic (Adam is confused)

- black Tentacle monster/ Make something to be the “Greywaren”

-Jareth The Goblin King

-Aragorn

-Marble statue

[canirove]

Rice, Rice, baby | Epilogue

Author's note: And we've made it to the end! 🙁 Thank you very much to everyone who has read and supported this story. As always, and especially with the ones about Declan since he is my fave, it means a lot. Hope you like this last chapter, and once again, thank you very much for reading! 💜

Previous chapter

Masterlist

A year later…

“Can you replay that bit?”

“What?” Declan says.

“The last five seconds of the video. Can you play them again?”

“Urgh” he groans. “I should have worn one of those clip on ties like the one Leo is wearing.”

“Declan, Leo is six and you are almost thirty. You have to wear a proper tie” I say while trying to follow the step I just watched. “Ok, done.” 

“Let me see” he says, checking himself in the mirror.

“You clean up quite well, Rice” I tease him.

“So do you, Miss Chapman” he winks, my face instantly starting to burn. Will that ever stop happening? Probably not.

“Yes… Umm… Let’s go, we can’t be late.”

“One last thing” Declan says, taking my hand as I try to leave the bathroom. 

“What.”

“I love you, Liv” he smiles.

“I love you too” I smile back. “Now let’s go.”

“Liv, did you just dodge me when I was about to kiss you?” he laughs.

“I did, yes. I can’t let you ruin my makeup. And, if we kiss, we will definitely get carried away and end up being late, and then Madders and Kennedy will kill us.”

“True” he chuckles. “Though now you owe me a kiss.”

“I won’t forget about it, don't worry. Now let’s go.”

“Fine” he sighs when I grab his hand and basically drag him behind me.

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

“I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride” the priest says before Madders wraps his hands around Kennedy’s waist and kisses her, everyone cheering and clapping.

“They are so cute” I smile. “Don’t you agree, Declan? Declan?”

“Yeah?” 

“Oh my God, Declan. Are you crying?”

“What? No, no” he says, quickly wiping away his tears. “It’s just the sun and these gorgeous blue eyes you love so much. Sometimes they get too sensitive.”

“The eyes or the owner of the eyes?”

“Don’t tease me, Olivia” he says, pinching my butt and making me jump. 

“Declan!” I say, quickly looking around to see if anyone has noticed.

“You’ve been warned” he smirks.

“Idiot” I reply, hitting his arm. “But there is nothing wrong with getting emotional during a wedding, you know? And I have seen you cry many times before.”

“I know, Liv. But this time, I wasn’t crying.”

“Of course you weren’t” I say, moving my hands to my back so he doesn’t try anything again. But he has seen me, and does something worse. 

“I wasn’t” he whispers in my ear before giving it a little bite, the noise that leaves my mouth being the most inappropriate one ever, and one that the woman sitting next to me has definitely heard. 

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

“Hi! Sorry for interrupting!” Kennedy says from the stage where the DJ is playing. “Hello everyone. Are you having fun?” she asks, all the guests cheering. “Good, great!” she smiles. “I'm afraid we have take a little break from partying, because it is time for something very very important. Girls and some boys, assemble!”

“What did she just say?”

“Nothing, ignore her” I say, kissing Declan again.

“Olivia, I can see you!” Kennedy says. “Stop making out with your baby daddy and join the others!”

“Bloody hell” I whisper, resting my forehead on Declan's chest.

“What is going on?” he asks.

“Nothing.”

“Olivia Chapman!” Kennedy calls again, all the other guests definitely looking our way.

“Ok, fine!” I say, finally giving up. “But you and I…” I say, pointing at Declan. “We aren't done yet.”

“Oh, I know” he smirks. “And you still owe me a kiss.”

“Haven't we kissed enough already?” I laugh.

“Nope” he says, that smirk that makes my knees feel like jelly and my insides on fire, still on his face. 

I don't know what has gotten into us today, but we can't keep our hands from each other. Though that's a lie. In my case, I do know what has gotten into me: Declan in a suit. Well, he's not really gotten into me yet, but soon. And yes, that's a thought that has been almost said aloud more than once tonight. 

“Olivia!” Kennedy yells again.

“I'm coming!” I reply, joining the others.

I know what she's going to do. She is going to throw her bouquet at us, and whoever catches it will be the one getting married next. And I also know she is going to do everything in her power so I am that next person.

“Are you ready?” Kennedy says, turning her back to us. “One… two… three!” she screams before throwing the bouquet. 

I see it fly, the girls in front of me jumping to try and catch it, one of the boys holding the arms of the one next to him so he can't grab it. And then, I see it coming towards me.

The girl standing next to me pushes me to catch it, but she somehow steps on her dress, and makes us both fall. 

“Are you ok?” I ask her as I stand up. Thank God I had already gotten rid of my heels and I'm wearing my sneakers. If I hadn't, I'm sure I would have hurt my ankle.

“Yeah, yeah” she says, taking the hand I'm offering her and also standing up. “Though you are much better.”

“What?”

“Look” she says, nodding behind me. 

As I turn around, there he is: Declan in all his glory with his messy hair, the tie gone, the first buttons on his shirt undone, and the sleeves rolled up and showing his forearms. He looks hot, and handsome, and gorgeous, and urgh. Can you believe he is my boyfriend? The father of my child? Because sometimes, like right now, I still can't believe it. And what I can't believe either, is the thing in his hands.

“Is this allowed?” he asks, looking at Kennedy.

“Not really. But since I am the bride and this is my wedding, I say it is. Congratulations, Declan and Liv! You are next!” she says, looking my way with a mischievous smile.

“Great” I say under my breath.

“So…” Declan says, walking towards me once the music starts again. “Does this mean that now I have to propose? Or how does this work?”

“You have, yes” Madders says, showing up out of nowhere.

“Dear lord, James” I say, my hand instinctively moving to my heart. “You scared me.”

“Sorry” he smiles. “But yes, Declan. Now you have to propose and ask Liv to marry you, that's how the tradition works. Though since you were the one who caught the bouquet, maybe it is Liv the one who should propose to you?”

“I'm not proposing to anyone” I say.

“Don't you want to marry me, Liv?” Declan asks me.

“I do.”

“Oh my God” Madders gasps.

“That wasn't a proposal, James. Relax” Declan says. “The day I properly ask Liv to marry me, it'll be somewhere special and with a more romantic setting than a DJ blasting David Guetta. Something like that dinner we had in the Seine with the Eiffel tower behind us, but better. Is there any city you would like to visit one day?”

“I remember you once told me that one of your dreams was to visit Rome” Madders says.

“Is that true?” Declan asks me.

“It is, yes.”

“Then watch out, Liv” he says, moving closer. “Because any day now, I may fly you to Rome and ask you to marry me. You've been warned” he whispers in my ear before biting it like he did earlier, that noise leaving my mouth once again.

“Ok, I better go find my wife” Madders says, leaving us alone. “Enjoy the rest of the night” he winks. He heard me. He definitely heard me. Wonderful.

“You need to stop doing that in public, Declan” I manage to say while he starts kissing my neck, Kennedy's bouquet still in his hands as he wraps his arms around my waist. 

“Do what?” he says against my skin, the feeling making me shudder. 

“You know what.”

“No, I do not.”

“Declan…” I whisper.

“Yes?”

“Let's go to our room.”

“Already?” he says, moving to look at me and lifting one of his eyebrows.

“Yes, already.”

“Why?” he asks, now trying really hard not to smirk.

“I still owe you a kiss, don't I?”

“You do.”

“Do you want it?”

“Of course I do!”

“Then let's go” I say, taking his hand and dragging him behind me like I did this morning.

“So bossy, Olivia” he chuckles.

“This is nothing compared to how I will be if we get married, so you better get used to it.”

“Looking forward to it, Liv” Declan says, lifting our hands and kissing mine. “Looking forward to it.”

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

A couple of years later…

“I don't want you to go, mummy.”

“It'll be just a few days, Ollie” I say, while trying to comfort him.

“But I'm going to miss you! Why can't I go with you and daddy?”

“Because it is a holiday just for mums and dads” Declan tells him.

“Boring” he pouts.

“Next time you are coming with us.”

“Promise?” Ollie says, looking at me.

“I promise” I reply, kissing his forehead. “Now go get your bag, grandma is waiting.”

“Fine” he says before running away.

“He doesn't want us to go, but five minutes after we've left him at my mum's he will have forgotten we exist” Declan chuckles.

“I know” I sigh. Every time Declan and I go away for a few days to enjoy some alone time, it is the same. Ollie doesn't want us to leave, and when we arrive at our destination and call to check on him, he's so busy playing with whoever he is staying with, that he completely ignores us. 

“Mummy, are you bringing me a present?” he asks me when he joins us again.

“Of course. What do you want?”

“A zebra!” he smiles. “I'm missing one in my farm.”

“Take notes, Declan. A zebra. The one with black and white stripes” I tease him.

“I know what a zebra looks like, Liv” he replies, rolling his eyes. 

“Just in case” I say, trying to hide a smile. 

Ollie is obsessed with animals since my dad bought him a farm for his first birthday, and every time we go away or even just into London to do some shopping, we have to buy him a new animal for his collection. A couple of weeks ago Declan played in Barcelona and promised to buy him a shark, but he showed up with a whale because he somehow got them mixed, and that had Ollie crying for an hour and us checking if they had sharks on Amazon and could deliver them the sooner the better.

“Should we get going?” Declan says. “We can't be late for the airport, Liv.”

“Yes, of course. Ready, Ollie?” I tell him, offering him my hand.

“Yes!” he replies, doing a little jump and taking it.

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

“Liv… Liv, wake up.”

“What?” I mumble, slowly opening my eyes.

“We just landed, Liv” Declan says.

“Oh, shit.” 

“Take your time, there is no rush” he chuckles. “And you can't go outside covered in drool.”

“I don't drool” I say, touching my face and noticing something.

“You were saying…” 

“Idiot” I reply, quickly cleaning my chin. Turns out that I actually drool. 

“Declan…” I say when we walk into the airport, his arm wrapped around my shoulders.

“Yeah?”

“Why is everything in Italian?”

“What?”

“And the people who just walked past us were speaking Italian too. Weren't we supposed to go to Paris?” 

Since we don't have a proper date to celebrate our anniversary, every year we try to save one of the trips we take just the two of us to spend it in Paris, always staying at the same hotel we did the first time.

“Change of plans” he shrugs.

“What?”

“Benvenuto to Rome, mon amour.”

“Declan, you just mixed Italian, English and French” I laugh.

“I am a man of many talents, Liv” he smirks. 

“You are, yes” I chuckle. “But why Rome?”

“Well, I thought we needed a change of scenery, and to change our menu. I want to try the real tiramisú, not that thing they give us back home.” 

“And then I am the one with the sweet tooth” I laugh.

“Meh meh meh” he says, pulling me closer and kissing my head.

After that, he keeps talking about other things he wants to do while in Rome, places he wants to visit. But my brain has got stuck in a memory, in something he said during Madders and Kennedy's wedding years ago: “Then watch out, Liv. Because any day now, I may fly you to Rome and ask you to marry me.”

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

“And?”

“Nothing” I say, showing Kennedy my hand over facetime. Because no, Declan hasn't proposed yet, and today is our last full day in Rome. 

“Aww, Liv… Maybe he will do it tonight.”

“Maybe” I sigh. “Or maybe he won't because he doesn't remember what he told me at your wedding. Like, he's been acting so normal the whole trip, not teasing me about it or anything…”

“I'm sure he remembers, Liv” Kennedy says. “He may just be waiting for the right moment and doesn't want to ruin the surprise.”

“Yeah…”

“What are you doing tonight?”

“Going for dinner at some restaurant he got recommended, and then probably go back to the hotel before I fall asleep on the table.”

Because that's what I've done the most on this trip: sleep.

Declan's first idea had been to rent a vespa and use it to move around the city and avoid being stuck in traffic, but Arsenal weren't too keen on the idea since we could have an accident and he could get injured, and he ended up hiring a car with a tour guide as our driver. And what happens every time we are in the car going from one spot to the other? That I fall asleep, always having to be woken up by Declan when we arrive. And at night, it is more of the same. One time he even had to carry me to our room because I wouldn't wake up.

“Let’s hope you stay awake and you both get to tell each other what you have to. Because you haven't told him anything yet either, have you?”

“No, I haven't. And he is coming back, act normal” I say when I hear him opening the bathroom’s door.

“Ok” Kennedy chuckles. “Are you bringing me a present? Maybe some tiramisú?”

“Ha!” Declan laughs behind me. “I'm pretty sure Liv has eaten all the tiramisú in the city.”

“I haven't, don't listen to him.”

“She has” he says, sitting down next to me. “But if we are able to find some and she doesn't eat it, we'll save it for you.”

“Thank you, Declan” Kennedy smiles. “And I better go, you probably have to get ready for tonight. You don't want to be late for that special dinner.”

“We don't, no” he smiles back. 

“Yeah… umm… I'll call you tomorrow, ok?” I say.

“Have fun, guys” she winks before hanging up. 

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

“Liv, are you ok?”

“I'm fine” I say, struggling to take off my shoe.

“Then why have you been acting so weird the whole night?” Declan asks me.

“Because I'm tired.”

“You've been tired since we left London. And let me help you with that” he says, getting on one knee in front of me and helping me with my shoe. “Why are you laughing now?”

“Nothing, it's nothing. I'm just tired.”

“Liv, are you sure you are ok? You are starting to worry me” he says, easily getting rid of both my shoes.

“I'm fine, Declan” I say, forcing myself to smile. “I guess I'm just getting old.”

“Don't be silly, Liv.”

“Yeah, well” I shrug. “I'm gonna go take off my makeup.”

“Liv…” he says, taking my hand and stopping me before I get up. “If there was something going on, you would tell me, wouldn't you?”

“Of course I would.”

“Promise?”

“I promise” I say, caressing his cheek.

“Then why does it look like you are about to cry?”

“Because you just gave me the same look Ollie did before we left, I've thought about him, and… I miss him.”

“I miss him too. But we'll be seeing him tomorrow. I can already hear him screaming when he sees us both showing up to pick him up from school” he chuckles.

“So do I” I smile. 

“And my back can already feel him jumping at my arms and asking me to pick him up.”

“See how we are getting old? The thirties are coming” I tease him, making him roll his eyes. “And I better go get rid of all this before I start falling asleep.”

“Yes, of course” he says, helping me get up. “But Liv…”

“I'm fine, Declan.”

“I wasn't going to say that.”

“Then?”

“I love you, Liv. You know that, don't you?”

“I do” I smile. “And I love you too. Very much” I say, kissing his cheek before walking into the bathroom. 

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

“Liv… Liv, wake up.”

“Uh?”

“Wake up, Liv. C'mon” Declan says.

“What time is it?”

“Early.”

“And why are we waking up early?”

“Because we have a last minute place to visit.”

“What?” I say, finally opening my eyes. It still is dark outside and I feel like just two minutes ago I was getting in bed, disappointed and kind of mad at him because he hadn't proposed, but also feeling like I loved him a bit more after seeing how much he cared about me. 

“Pietro is already waiting downstairs, c'mon.”

“Urgh” I say, covering my head with the duvet.

“There is no time to be lazy, Olivia.”

“Declan!” I complain when he takes the duvet and throws it away. 

“You have five minutes, Liv. We can't be late.”

“This better be worth it” I say, giving him my most murderous look.

“It will. I promise” he grins, making me feel funny things in my stomach. How can I try to be mad at him, if with just one smile he completely disarms me? 

“Not fair.”

“What?” he laughs.

“Your face” I say, pointing at him as I get up from the bed. “It isn't fair.”

“I am extremely gorgeous, I know” he smirks. “Now stop admiring my beauty and go get ready. Five minutes, Liv.”

“Urgh” I groan, walking towards the bathroom.

This better be worth it. 

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

“Are we there yet?”

“Almost, miss” says Pietro, our tour guide.

“You need to be a bit patient, Liv” Declan says.

“What I need, is to go back to bed” I complain. “The sun isn't even out yet!”

“It'll be very soon, miss. Like Mister Rice said, you must be patient.”

“Urgh” I groan for the millionth time since Declan woke me up.

After a few more minutes walking in silence, Pietro suddenly stops. 

“We are almost there, miss. Are you ready?” he asks me.

“I guess” I shrug.

“Good” he smiles before turning a corner.

“Aren't we following him?” I ask Declan when he doesn't move.

“Yes, yes” he says, squeezing my hand and starting to walk.

“Oh my God” I gasp when we turn the same corner Pietro had just a minute ago.

“Surprise!” Declan smiles.

“Was it worth it, miss?” Pietro asks me after taking a photo of me where I will definitely show up with my jaw on the floor. Besides being our tour guide and driver, he had also been our personal photographer, taking the best candid photos of Declan and I.

“So worth it” I say, trying to process where I am right now. 

Due to it being one of the most visited places in the city, we had skipped going to the Fontana di Trevi. But there we were now, just us and a few other tourists, the sun starting to shine and illuminate it all. It was simply… breathtaking.

“Look at how awake she looks now” Declan chuckles.

“Oh, shut up” I say, giving him a little push while looking at every single detail in the fountain. 

“Do you want to make a wish, miss?” Pietro asks me, offering me a coin.

“Yes, of course!” I smile. 

“You must turn your back at the fountain, close your eyes, think about what you want, and then throw the coin with your right hand over your left shoulder” he explains.

“Ok. Done” I say, opening my eyes after throwing the coin. “Declan, now is your… Declan!” I gasp when I see him on one knee in front of me.

“Olivia… Liv” he says, taking a little box from the pocket of his jacket. It's happening. It is finally happening, oh my God! “I have rehearsed what I wanted to say so many times that now I've forgotten most of it, so I'll keep it simple. Liv… Will you marry me and make me the luckiest man in the whole wide world?”

“Yes.”

“Wow, that was fast” he laughs. “You barely gave me time to show you the ring.”

“Sorry” I apologise. “But that was the easiest question ever, I didn't have to give too much thought to my answer. Of course I want to marry you, Declan.”

“Even if I took you out of bed way too early?” he says with a teasing smile, getting the ring out of the box and taking my hand.

“Even so” I reply, my eyes fixed on what he is doing, on the gorgeous ring he is putting on my finger. 

“I love you, Liv. I'm stupidly and completely crazy in love with you.”

“And so am I, Declan. I am stupidly and completely crazy in love with you” I say before wrapping my arms around his neck and kissing him, Pietro and the other tourists cheering for us. 

It happened. It finally happened. We are getting married. 

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

Declan's pov 

“You barely like the ring, don't you?” I chuckle once we are back in our hotel room to have breakfast, Liv admiring her hand and moving it so the ring catches the light and starts sparkling.

“It is so perfect, Declan. So so perfect… Who helped you pick it?”

“Kennedy and Olga showed me some examples of rings you had told them you liked, but then I designed it myself.”

“Wait, what?” she says, finally looking at me.

“Yeah” I shrug. “The most special woman I have ever met deserves the most special ring” I smile.

“Declan, that's… I… Urgh” she says, getting up from her seat and coming to sit on my lap before hugging me. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too, Liv” I say while hugging her back. “Am I allowed to finish my breakfast?” I ask her after a couple of minutes in silence where we just hug and enjoy the way our arms feel around the other.

“Yes, of course.”

“You can stay here, tho” I smile, not letting her get up. 

“I actually have something for you too.”

“A surprise?”

“Yep” she says, leaving my embrace before I can stop her. 

“Can't you find it?” I ask her while she turns her suitcase upside down. Guess there won't be time for some cuddles before leaving for the airport. We'll have to spend that time making her suitcase again.

“I know where it is, I just… Here!” she says, showing me what she was looking for.

“An envelope?”

“A very special one, yes” Liv says, handing it to me.

“Aren't you going to sit down with me while I open it?” I ask her, looking down at my lap.

“I'm fine here” she says, standing next to the table and playing with one of the napkins. 

“You look nervous, Liv” I chuckle while opening it.

“So did you earlier.”

“I was about to ask you to marry me.”

“And I'm about to tell you something important too.”

“Are you? Let's see…” I say, checking what is inside the envelope. A photo. A photo of Ollie doing a thumbs up with each hand, a big smile on his face and a t-shirt that says big br… “No!” I gasp, looking from Liv to the photo and back at her. “Is this real? Are you… Liv, are you…”

“I'm pregnant” she says with a shy smile.

“You… holy shit” I say, standing up so quickly that I hit the table with one of my knees and knock one of the glasses. Thank God it was already empty. “You are… You… How? I mean… When? We have been taking precautions!”

“Remember the game against Tottenham? The one you finished as a captain and where you scored?”

“How to forget it” I chuckle. “Your dad didn't talk to me for a week, and he threatened to not let me see Ollie ever again after we left him at their house for the night.”

“He did, yes” she laughs. “But I was talking about what happened after. About what we did when we made it home.”

“You mean… Oh…”

“Yes, oh” she says, closing the space between us. “The sun was starting to come up when we finally decided it was time to sleep for a bit.”

“It was a glorious day and night” I smirk, hugging her by the waist.

“And because of that night and, once again, your perfect aim, now our family is going to welcome a new member” she says, taking one of my hands and putting it over her stomach.

“I… I don't know what to say. I… Wait. Is this why you've been constantly falling asleep and taking so many naps?”

“Yep” Liv laughs. “I'm not feeling nauseous yet and I hope it stays like that, but I am so tired all the damn time…”

“And I've taken you on a holiday and made you walk for hours. I'm such an idiot.”

“Declan, it's ok. You didn't know” she says, caressing my cheek. “And the doctor said I could fly and keep with my life as usual if I was feeling ok. You haven't put us at risk.”

“Us…” I say, looking down at where our hands are resting together. 

“Declan, are you crying or are those beautiful eyes of yours being sensitive again?” Liv teases me while wiping away a tear.

“This time I am crying” I chuckle. “I just can't believe that, in the same morning, the woman I love has said yes to marry me and then told me that we are going to be parents again. I am so freaking happy right now, Liv. I feel like my heart is about to burst inside my chest.”

“Same” she smiles. “I love you, Declan.”

“And I love you, Liv. I've loved you since the day we met and you smiled at me while giving me that coffee, and I will love you for the rest of my life. Because I'm stupidly and completely…”

“Crazy in love with you.”

“Crazy in love with you” I repeat before kissing her.

━━━━❃━━━━ FIN ━━━━❃━━━━

[boydykedevo]

Looking into the etymology of some Ethersea character’s names for fun and. I’m just gonna share my findings real quick cuz I think its cool lol (sources used are mostly wikipedia and behindthename. I could be wrong about some of this idk)

Oksana/Oxana is a Ukrainian name. It derives from either the Greek name Xenia, meaning “hospitality” or the word Xenos, meaning “stranger”. (Its also spelled “Aksana”!)

Griffin says “Boyar” is a German word for the child of a baron when he names Hermine, but its actually an Eastern European aristocratic term (apparently it WAS used by Baltic Germans too? But as far as I can tell not IN Germany) Hermine IS German though, its the feminine version of Herman, which means “army man”.

Tolliver is an anglicized variant of Taliaferro, which comes from Tagliaferro, an Italian surname meaning “iron cutter”. The spelling Taliaferro probably came from a transcription error. I was very surprised to find out its unrelated to Oliver lol

Declan is an Irish name. The Wikipedia article said it is “believed to mean” either “man of prayer” or “full of goodness” but there was no citation so idk.

Damian is used in a lot of countries with a lot of variations, but it’s ultimately from the Greek name Damianos, meaning “(I) conquer/tame/overcome”. Also the name of the Antichrist in The Omen, which I can’t help but feel might be related to why Travis picked it.

Cern is a German surname meaning “carrier” (some sort of connection to Declan being the Ballaster of Transit? Idk that might be a stretch)

Phineas is the anglicized form of Phinehas, a priest in the Hebrew Bible. The spelling Finneas might be influenced by Irish names containing the element “Finn”. Cawl was hard to find a good source on, but it’s the name of a Welsh soup, and it might be related to the Scottish surname Cowl or the Gaelic surname Cawley? Definitely seems Gaelic, in any case.

Aloysius is a Latinized form of Aloys, which is related to the name Louis. In the US, it’s mostly used by Roman Catholics. As far as I can tell Supreme isn’t actually used as a surname, but it comes from the Latin suprēmus.

Ravi is a Hindi name meaning “sun”. Montrell is Spanish or Italian (sources vary) and ultimately derives from the Latin word “monte”, meaning mountain.

Tessellation is a word meaning a tiling pattern with no gaps, which I think fits pretty well with the concept of brinarr

Guthrie is a surname that comes from the Gaelic word “gaothair”, meaning “windy place”.

Orlean comes from the French place name Orleans, which is related to the Roman family name Aurelius, meaning “golden, gilded.” The spelling Orlene is a French girl’s name meaning “golden” as well.

Aaaand I think thats all the ones I was gonna do thanks for bearing with me if you read this far o7

[blcssom]

ok ok ok i'm reasonably caught up on drafts (single digits baby 😎) which means it's time for me to fill it with n e w things :' ))))

like this for a short starter (possibly usfw) from one of the below muses i'm itching to write atm !!! i'll come to you for muse preference <3

anthony allen (46) - financial consultant | bisexual | luke kirby fc a very high powered man in the conference room but an absolute pathetic simp when it comes to relationships !!! never above getting on his knees and begging for the approval of whoever's giving him affection.... may be a lil touch starved

beau greer (32) - librarian/cam boy | bisexual | drew starkey fc comes across very serious and quiet due to the nature of his work but absolutely unhinged in his free time xoxox naturally self-destructive and constantly pushing boundaries (sexually, emotionally, physically, etc.) just to see if he can !! live fast die young yk the drill

brianne barlowe (30) - personal stylist | bisexual | sarah catherine hook fc absolutely too rich to be kind to anyone not worshipping her !!! blonde rich bitch w/ a god complex and a tendency to act out when she's bored (which is pretty often) - approach at your own risk

carmen navarro (24) - exotic dancer | bisexual | nicole wallace fc former white trash turned would-be prima ballerina !!! unfortunately couldn't keep up w/ the $$$ for her lessons so she made a quick pivot to stripping as one does <333 never lost that ego tho very much thinks she's more talented than any other girl in the room, takes her dancing VERY seriously but also throws fits when things don't go her way whoops

declan bain (52) - ghost writer | bisexual | ewan mcgregor fc former child prodigy turned recluse !! absolutely hates socializing or being perceived in general so he switched from writing his own books to writing other people's xox very observant tho somehow manages to capture the human experience v well despite never participating !! also touch starved (shocker)

kiara obi (28) - caterer | bisexual | ayo edebiri fc big time frantic hummingbird energy this girl CANNOT sit still for the life of her. always moving/talking/walking f a s t and doesn't really make time for anyone to keep up w/ her.... unsurprisingly very socially awkward and blunt and doesn't understand why that's a problem :' )))

lenore acosta (35) - seamstress | bisexual | nathalie emmanuel fc very holistic very peace love and joy..... also v clingy and maybe not the best w/ boundaries (i.e. she doesn't respect them) but like !!! so cute so sunshine until she keys your car bc you didn't text her back for forty-five minutes even though she knows you read it <333

luca rosen (48) - priest/con-man | heterosexual | jon bernthal fc think harold hill a la the music man genuinely just moves from town to town looking for a way to scam as many people as possible and get the fuck outta dodge before they can catch on <333 currently working as a priest and he likes corrupting his flock almost as much as he likes pocketing the collection plate at the end of his 'sermon'

marcella locardi (40) - entertainment lawyer | bisexual | cristin milioti fc VERY good at what she does god can this woman argue.... absolutely not above pulling underhanded stunts in court for her clients and subsequently has never lost a case !! and if she sleeps with a client here or there or everywhere what of it??? genuinely believes the rules do not apply to her (might even think she's immortal??? depends if she's taken her meds)

remi tahara (27) - twitch streamer | bisexual | nico hiraga fc just a DOPE a loser a sweet puppy..... does what he's told without questioning it bc people are usually right and he's usually wrong!!! went viral for doing jackass level stunts his chat suggested which is not his f a v o r i t e thing but he loves how excited the audience gets when he's streaming from the ER so.......... he's gonna keep doin it

taran lowe (22) - vagabond/photographer | bisexual | louis partridge fc very laurie (little women) coded he's just coasting on his late grandad's money and traveling the world collecting lovers like infinity stones (and somehow dodging stds ??? lord knows how) very much comes and goes as he pleases and doesn't get why that's an issue !!!! will probably never love anyone as much as he loves himself his freedom but he sure is convincing w/ those flowery promises he likes to handout

[riverstyxsarts]

More Priest!declan this time with Ronan! Not sure what his deal is with the priest au but like. imagine the different sort of weirdness that would happen if declan was the more religious one….maybe he homophobic….maybe ronan doesn’t think he’s actually good enough to be a religious figure…..maybe declan is dream-phobic…. who knows

[parker2797]

So I have a theory regarding Tom in Mianite. So in the spin-off series Mianitian Isles it is revealed Tom’s character is the son of Declan aka The Priest who is a character that has appeared in all three Mianite series (S1, S2 & MI) and is a medium between the players and the gods of the server, the reveal came out during the funeral of Lord Hermod (Declan’s Brother). But how is this possible for Declan to conceive a zombie, but that is where my theory comes in, shifting to S1 of Mianite in the final episode the players travel to The End and met Ianite and she tells them for their help throughout the series she will grant them one wish Skipper Red beard & Captain Sparklez request she bring back Captain Capsize (Skipper’s Sister & Sparklez “Wife”), but she is brought back different she isn’t human but a zombie and Skipper is forced to kill his own sister, what if something like this happened to Tom & Declan, Tom died prior to Mianite S1 and Declan went to one of the gods to ask to bring back his son an attempt was made but like Capsize Tom came back as a zombie, but unlike Skipper Declan couldn’t kill his son, so Tom was left to roam the Overworld, eventually Tom regained his consciousness, but with no memory of his father.

[jamietarttsnorthernattitude]

I just put two and two together. The Higgins' son the priest? His name is Lindsay and he's very liberal.

Jason's sister the former nun turned mystic/spiritual teacher ? Her name is Lindsay.

A lot of characters are named after loved ones of show members! Off the top of my head (some I just assume based on the names):

Keeley Jones -> Keeley Hazell (Bex and writer)

Ms. (Leann) Bowen -> Leann Bowen (writer/producer)

Phoebe O’Sullivan -> Phoebe Walsh (Jane and writer)

Jamie Tartt -> Jamie Lee (writer)

Declan Cockburn -> Olivia (Cockburn) Wilde

Jan Maas -> Saskia Mass CEO of Boom Chicago

Sam Obisanya -> Sam Richardson (Edwin Akufo)

Jane Payne -> Jane Becker (producer)

Henry Lasso -> Henry Lawrence (co-creator Joe Lawrence's son)

Will Kitman -> William Lawrence (co-creator Joe Lawrence's son)

O’Brien, De Maat, Goodman, Kukoc are also named after family and friends or as tributes.

Bonus HC: Ms. Bowen is played by Ruth Bradley, so it keeps alive my thought of Roy’s sister being named Ruth.

[honeylullaby]

Ok this might be too much detail for a request so please ignore if it is but what about Declan interviewing the readers boyfriend and realising he’s actually super controlling and kinda abusive and either confronts him in the interview or maybe afterwards? Idk I’m just thinking about how hot he was punching the priest and being all hot and protective and god I need that man

(Also this is ultrasafecake I just can’t figure out how to send asks from side accounts lol)

hello my darling 🥰 declan would absolutely not put up with that !! the priest scene left me absolutely barking for declan

but i am more than happy to oblige🩷 posting now!🫶🏽

[graphicpolicy]

Gerry Duggan captures the moment in the photography book Timing/Luck

Gerry Duggan captures the moment in the photography book Timing/Luck #comics

Iconic creator and writer Gerry Duggan is bringing his popular photography book Timing/Luck to comic book shops and bookstores for the first time since he launched a limited edition of the title with a successful Kickstarter campaign. Containing hundreds of photos taken over two decades in writing rooms, green rooms, awards shows, and on city streets around the world, each photo tells a story,…