#she accidentally prophesizes her own life all the time

[didnt-hear-cold-as-you-live]

It’s really crazy that Miss Americana, a song that compares Taylor’s place in the world to the mockery of being in high school with an entire bridge sounding like a football cheer, opened the eras tour, and then as a result of the eras tour she wound up basically America’s homecoming queen with a football player boyfriend

[disneydreamlights]

Anidala Fic Recs

I got asked for fic recs for these. NSFW will be in a private post (that I’ll make later GOING THROUGH YOUR AO3 HISTORY IS TEDIOUS) for easy DMing purposes. All recs under a read more.

So first for authors:

Just about anything by SkywalkersAmidala and Gemma’s Writing (@gemmaswriting​)

Everything I’ve read by them is absolutely fantastic, and believe me, I’ve read pretty much everything from them. Multiple times in some cases. They’re just very good. SkywalkersAmidala in most cases writes more silly lighthearted AUs and Gemma’s Writing does a bit of everything, all of which are good.

Padme Lives/Anakin Doesn’t Fall:

(Anything on my Vaderdala fic recs list, you need Padme alive for Vaderdala)

Precipice by Shadowsong26

An AU in which Anakin Skywalker does not follow Mace Windu and the others to Palpatine’s office after they leave to arrest the Chancellor. As a result, he doesn’t get that final push over the edge, and doesn’t Fall.

(Padme returns to the Senate with Luke, Anakin to lead the Rebels with Leia. Things get better is the absolute best way to summary this one.)

To These Memories by KatieRoseFun

After Darth Sidious is defeated, everything changes. Some for the better, others not so much. Mostly better though. (Or: Anakin becomes a dad. Rex rehabilitates clone troopers who no longer want to be a part of the army. Ahsoka gets a call from an old friend. And maybe Obi-Wan finds out it’s not just his enemies who don’t stay dead. Basically, everyone gets the happy ending they deserve.)

Pocket Full of Sand Verse by Philthestone

Anakin goes missing, Padme is captured, and this causes Leia Skywalker and Luke Amidala to meet.

Clash of Fates by AliceBDS (In Progress) 

Sometimes, the course of life is changed with one decision.

When Ahsoka Tano requests the help of her former master in liberating Mandalore, a twist of destiny sends them to Coruscant to rescue Chancellor Palpatine instead, altering the course of galactic history forever.

When Dead Men Walk by Ellapromachos

Anakin hesitates just a few minutes longer, and the entire galaxy is better for it.

or; Anakin is at the Temple for Order 66, but not as Darth Vader. And when Palpatine comes for him, he plays his cards just a little bit better. He digs his heels in, and prepares for the long con.

My Loyalties Lie by Stranestelle (In Progress)

When Anakin initially rejects Palpatine's offer to 'help' him, the Sith Lord, in a rare moment of hastiness, ships him off to Kamino to have a control chip implanted.

Nobody Needs to Know by Elizaham8957

The twins are born in the middle of the Clone Wars, and Anakin and Padmé try to continue hiding the fact that they're married and now have two children.

Nobody buys it. Like, seriously, nobody.

Hunter by Zinoviev

Leia is offered a chance to escape Bespin when Boba Fett enlists her help to prevent Luke from falling into Vader's clutches. She has plenty of questions, however. Who is this mysterious bounty hunter, and what does he want with her friend?

The Bantha in the Room by Estrangedlestrange

concept: anakin sitting in the council room bouncing baby luke on his knees as he adamantly denies having children or attachments

Time Travel:

Stand the Hazard of the Die by KeelieThompson1

Baby Luke is sent back in time by Obi-Wan to the prequel era. Needless to say, things change.

Just One Wish by LadyVader23

On a trip to Dathomir, Anakin Skywalker finds a spell that will grant him one wish. Anxious to return home, he wishes for a way to end the war. As a result, he ends up accidentally kidnapping his future children...moments after they've escaped Bespin. Luke is quite done dealing with his mess of a father, and Leia is convinced telling the future Darth Vader about the future will only make it worse. Desperate, Anakin calls in the only person they might listen to: Padme Amidala. Too bad Padme has a surprise of her own...

Temper With the Stars by Pipionem

After being pulled through the World between Worlds, Ahsoka finds herself in the final days of the Clone Wars, on a Separatist ship holding the recently kidnapped Supreme Chancellor Palpatine. Saving the galaxy from the horrors to come is a lot to get done in a week, but Ahsoka has lost everything before - this time, she won't let that happen. Of course, that doesn't mean it's going to be easy.

Skywalker Family Fics:

Skywalker Family Values by Ariel_Sojourner

Camp Chippewa is proud to be the Empire’s foremost camp resort for privileged young adults. Located on the picturesque forest moon of Endor, your child will have the opportunity to participate in wholesome outdoor activities and socialize appropriately with their peers. We invite your offspring to join us for the experience of a lifetime and a bright future in service of the greater glory of the Empire.

On opposite sides of the galaxy, on opposite sides of a civil war, Darth Vader and Padme Amidala unwittingly send Luke and Leia to the same camp during school break. Chaos naturally ensues.

Mild AU:

Desideratum by Sithanakin (In Progress)

As a young Initiate in the midst of a childish crush, Padmé had always dreamt of Anakin Skywalker becoming her Master. But she was to turn thirteen too early for that to be possible.

Then, at sixteen, she loses her Master in the battle of Geonosis. In the confusion of all her grief, she does not expect newly-knighted Anakin Skywalker to offer to take her on as his Padawan.

The Wise Thing by Stranestelle

Warning: Very dark, not happy ending.

Padmé Amidala may not be all she seems. Anakin Skywalker wears his heart on his sleeve. People have crushes every day, it’s not the end of the world. Is it?

or, if you will, a sith!Padmé AU

Bonded by Betts

(Okay I’ll out myself slightly with smut but just one on my mostly SFW recs.)

Padmé had always been better at the mental half of the Jedi code—coercion, manipulation, meditation. Anakin had always been better at the physical half—beating shit up with his lightsaber.

Heirs to the Empire by Aldojlc

Alternate Universe. En route to Endor, Luke, Leia, and Han during the events of ROTJ find themselves transported into a different universe and a different Empire, with a different Vader.

Heavy AUs:

(it’s not so bad) being dead like me by Estrangedlestrange

Recently deceased Anakin Skywalker (killed in an taco truck explosion) finds himself not in the after life but recruited as the newest member of the undead, he’s become a grim reaper. He’s told that it’s his destiny but really he thinks it’s just rotten luck. Rotten except for the fact that one of his fellow reapers is Padmé Amidala, the most beautiful woman Anakin’s has seen, dead or alive. As he struggles to come to grips with his death and his new role in the universe, Anakin finds that taking souls isn’t the easiest job out there, he also finds himself falling in love.

Skyborn by Silverdaye

Senator Padmé Amidala enjoys spending her time in a bookstore, one made of real flimsi books where each one costs a small fortune. It is there she meets a strange man, Anakin Skywalker, who is searching for long forgotten planet, Kesh. 4,500 years ago a ship crashed on Kesh. The survivors told the natives they were their gods, the Skyborn. Anakin is one of them.

For Even the Very Wise Cannot See All Ends by UncorrectGrammar

When people think of Anakin Skywalker, they think of the Chosen One, the Hero With No Fear. They think of an accomplished duelist, of the best flyer in Hogwarts, of the prophesized savior of the wizarding world.

They don’t think of gardens diligently kept or dirt under fingernails.

Or: Anakin Skywalker and his legacy. Hogwarts AU.

General Prequel Era (Non Anidala Centric, but still contain Anidala)

Like Fire In Our Bones by AcuteNeurosis

With all of the most important things in the galaxy literally exploding around her, Leia is given the chance to go back and help keep a promise she never personally made.

But then, for Skywalkers, saving the galaxy was always a family matter.

Well It Goes Like This by Corde_and_Dorme

At the end of it all, the thing is: Palpatine breaks his heart.

(or the one where Anakin makes the hard choice, the right choice, the other choice. Then he keeps making it.)

Vode An by Epsiloneridani

There are millions of lives on the line, clone and Jedi alike. Every second brings them one step closer to the chip's activation - one step closer to the endgame. The truth is shrouded in secrecy and clouded by doubt. The clock's ticking down.

It's a race against time.

Fives is gone. Echo finds the courage to ask why.

Bonus: ObiAnidala

For We Are A Woven Thread; Find the Strand by Shadowsong26

The night before Obi-Wan was to leave for Utapau, he and Anakin and Padme agreed that, regardless of the Council's orders, Anakin should go as well. They split up over the course of the battle--and when Order 66 is given, they cannot find one another in the chaos; Padme, on Coruscant, is left with the knowledge that neither of them is coming back.

This story covers the next four years in their lives; how they survived and coped with the loss; how they began to fight back--and how they found their way home.

[katwritesforfun]

Jackie Bell’s Guide to Being a Hero

This is somewhat of a WIP re-introduction because my GENIUS BRAIN decided to revamp the whole thing out of the blue so just ignore the other one this is the new name.

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Adventure

Current Status: Halfway Through Planning

Plot:

Step 1: Don’t be a hero.

Finding out at the ripe age of eleven that you are the protagonist in a young adult novel is damaging, to say the least. The fact it wasn't even that good just adds insult to injury. Jackie Bell has spent the last five years of her life ensuring that she won't save the world. Plans of shitty apartments, cats, and a big middle finger to the frankly lacking author that created her universe ruled her world. But she's forgotten something important.

She wasn’t the only character in that book.

An assassin, a mage, a soldier, a starlet, an oracle, and a trust-fund kid walk into a diner, looking for a hero. Jackie wishes it was the terrible joke it sounds like. Are these six beautiful, fucked-up people willing to pay her so much money to save the world going to be the one to break her pettiness? Or will her fear win out?

Because for all her jokes about tropes and the villain with the stupid name, saving the world means more than giving in. It means admitting the book was right, and she was supposed to die last year. 

Setting?

The whole story takes place in the future, in the town Glasscliff Coast. Glasscliff Coast is something of a glitzy beach town in California, famous for its red sunsets and bustling technological community. It was once thought to be the edge of the world. Due to the amount of technological development, certain criminals took advantage of that. While uptown Glasscliff is glamorous, downtown is a cesspool for illegal weapons development. This much experimental illegal shit has resulted in rupturing the reality of nearby communities, and downtown is riddled with multi-dimensional portals. Not that that’s anything new. Portals haven’t been new since before Jackie was born. 

What’s the deal with the magic?

As I mentioned before, portals aren’t anything new. Magic, it seemed, has come through the portals years and years ago, and affected more than a few people around the world. Magic is passed down autosomal recessively (is that how you say it?), so it sometimes skips a few generations. Luckily, a good number of them joined or started cults that think they’re the wizarding world or something, and enough powerful magicians joined that they do a good job of covering up and recruiting magical people. A few people did try to take over the world, but none of them had been powerful enough to succeed. This generation of mages has had a few anomalies, though, of concentrated magic. 

Characters:

I’m going to make individual posts eventually, but this is just a few quick bits. 

Jackie Bell is our reluctant protagonist, with a tragic backstory, that, in her eyes, isn’t even that tragic. She has been living in her room for the past five years and has two goals in life: to spite her creator and buy a kitten. She’s practical, adaptable, and wields a metal baseball bat.

Kara Nakamura was supposed to be the foil. A trained assassin from birth, cold and snarky. But she’s hyper-empathetic, not cold in the least bit, and Jackie likes snarky. And after Jackie gave up the prophesized heroic magic, Kara became the accidental holder of it, manifesting in her care as teleportation power. Freedom is what it meant, and if she could just thank the girl that gave it to her...

Spencer Willis is the ‘smart one’. There wasn’t much else to do after his cowardly parents abandoned him in a forgotten theater near Glasscliff. He raised himself on books and the colorful pamphlets in the dressing rooms on costume and acrobatics. But there was a reason his parents were scared, and that much power can’t hide forever.

Miguel Lopez is the knight in shining armor. Ever since he was a child, he was groomed to be Prince Charming carbon-copied from a picture book, gallant and chivalrous and smooth. Blue eyes, blonde hair, skill in magic and battle. But Jackie Bell doesn’t love him, and, horrifyingly, it seems he doesn’t love her. And even worse, he’s starting to realize he was raised in a cult.

Jade Phillips was supposed to be the heart of the group. ‘Sweetheart Starlet that moonlights as a healer for the ragtag gang’. That’s who she was in the book, but it’s becoming increasingly clear it is that it was just a part Jade played. This Jade is controlling, sickly sweet, and has an uncomfortable knowledge of human biology. And she is willing to do anything to get what she wants. 

Amelia Walker is the picture of an old oracle, with her mysterious smile and smoky magic. But she also makes a lot of dick jokes and hasn’t told a real prophecy in thirty years. She is tired of sending children into battle because of some stupid thing like fate. So she scams the cult she belongs to, she sets up a spy network, and tells destiny to suck it. She’s going to save the world. 

Ren Park is a 'bad boy’, and Jackie was supposed to fall in love with him. But he’s a grade-A douchebag with a lot of cash, using ‘rebel-without-a-cause’ to excuse his needless destruction. Someone Jackie has no time for. But his father owns a lot, and they kind of need him to chill out. And it seems nothing makes one question themselves more than saving the world from someone too familiar.

Nadia Carter is Jackie Bell’s best friend, and she wasn’t supposed to be here. With her slight obsession with boys and paint-twisted hair, she’s meant for a different sort of book, the kind with indie-rock montages and sepia tones. But, while she might not be a genius magical super-spy, she has does have a knife. Jackie is her best friend too, and Nadia will not eat alone at lunch.

--

@writeblrshowcase

[bakudekuficlibrary]

BakuDeku: No Quirks AU Part IV

Click here for Part I, Part II, and Part III!

3 Series. 56 Works.

The Dragon Mark by multi_bnha ( M | 2,737+ | 2/? )

“Momma?” “Yes dear?” Inko asked. “Why do I have this mark?” Confused, Inko looked at her son. What is this little boy talking about? She checked all over his body and didn’t see any kind of mark on him. “What mark are you talking about sweetie? I don’t see anything on you.” “This one right here,” he says while lightly tracing above his elbow. Looking over his body again, she didn’t see anything different on him. “Are you sure there’s a mark on you Izuku?” Inko questioned one more time. “Yes momma, don’t you believe me?” Izuku said as tears started to form around his eyes. ‘Oh no, I didn’t mean to make him upset,’ Inko thought to herself. Pulling him in a hug she said,"Of course I believe you, don’t ever think that.” Sniffling he looked up at her, “Then how come you can’t see it? Is something wrong with me?” Feeling more guilty over what she said before she tried to reassure him that he’s normal and nothing seems to be wrong with him, even if she can’t visibly see it. As she’s comforting him, his tears slowly started to fall, but he made no sound and stayed in his mother’s embrace until he fell asleep.

you said you'd keep me honest (but i won't call you on it) by arifail ( T | 10,738 | 1/1 )

Deku wasn't Katsuki's problem so there really wasn't any good reason for him to be standing outside the nerd's door, hollering loud enough to wake the dead.

Or for Deku to be opening the door looking like the dead Katsuki had woken up.

Bakugou & His Plus One by wishingcomet ( T | 1,802+ | 1/? )

"So how did you guys get together?" "Spite." "Kacchan! That's not true!" Izuku sputters out. "What the hell do you mean, 'not true'? That's literally what happened!" Bakugou scowls at him. "No... It's not like that... Hmm, yeah ok." Izuku shrugs helplessly and nods in agreement, "It was spite."

------

After a couple of busy months, the Bakusquad decide to meet up again. Kirishima and Mina are about to have their wedding soon, and Bakugou hasn't filled out the wedding RSVP. The rest of the Bakusquad have already assumed that he doesn't have a plus one (which is correct), but Bakugou disputes their statements claiming that he has a date and a boyfriend. Now, he has to go find someone to convince them to play the part.

Hold by Eggs_in_a_cloud ( T | 2,202+ | 1/3 )

“Hi, how are you doing today?”

The blond’s look falters for a moment and he stares at Izuku for a second, warily, before he eventually grits his teeth and answers.

“Fuckin’ peachy. I want to take out these books.”

Tumblr Prompt:

‘I’m a librarian and i see you have a bunch of books about depression and suicide in your hand, hey buddy, want to talk to someone? I’m here if you need me’ AU

i've given up on you (and my skin and my bones) by MsFluorescent ( T | 2,028 | 1/1 )

katsuki is the lead singer of pop punk band scarlet knife ㅡ handsome and popular, with an ego to match.

but bakugou katsuki is a lonely man with a penchant for cigarettes and a heart that won't ever mend.

[Major Character Death]

Sweater Weather - KatsuDeku by EngelDreamer ( T | 608 | 1/1 )

Resta immobile, Katsuki, trattiene appena il fiato e fa vagare gli occhi alla ricerca dei familiari tratti del suo ragazzo, ma trema un poco, però, quando non lo vede, temendo che la notizia del suo ritorno fosse solo un’amara menzogna. Poi davanti a lui compaiono un viso paffuto pieno di lentiggini, riccioli scuri coperti da un cappello di lana, occhi acquosi ed un sorriso luminoso e Katsuki torna a respirare.

Series Part 3 of Sweater Weather

Pocket Watches and Dragon Kings by dazeful ( T | 3,977+ | 2/? )

Midoriya Izuku is tired of being treated like a child, but also hating the strain of adult responsibilities. When his temper finally explodes, the boy calls out to the Dragon King to take his little sister away. Now he will do anything to get her back.

Didn't Really Ask For This by ErrorTryAgain ( Not Rated | 35,272+ | 9/? )

Izuku Iida was a normal college student until he found out that his kind, strong, and honest brother, Tenya Iida is going out with a married woman, and not just any woman, it's Ochako Uraraka, one of Asia's most popular young actress. The problem is, as I said she's married, to Katsuki Bakugou, the young CEO of one of the largest and still growing trading company in Asia. Izuku felt bad for his brother, he couldn't bring himself to scold him nor tear them apart, this is his first time falling in love after all, so he decided to keep an eye on the husband so that they wouldn't get caught. He just didn't expect the consequences in doing that.

Greco - Roman by Eerei ( Not Rated | 6,712+ | 3/? )

After the attack on Corinthus by the ruthless Roman army, Greek Izuku Midoriya is forced away from everything he has ever known. Left wondering whether his mother is safe in Athenae or not, Izuku is suddenly caught up in the life of an Alpha General whose skills and features seem nearly god-like.

Say, why does the statue of Mars look so familiar? - Katsuki has found the one the Parcae have prophesized about. So, disguised as a Roman General, the alpha will drag the useless omega to the Mons Capitolinus before Jupiter to put an end to the possible destruction of the Olympians. However, there seems to be just one problem.

Why can't he hurt this greenhaired freckled nerd?

Izuku's Notebook by velvetcoke ( M | 2,242+ | 1/? )

It was almost like a dream.

Izuku Midoriya -- another twenty-two year old man with an impossible dream, big heart and low budget is granted with the shock of his life. After many attempts of trying to fulfill his dream as a successful fashion designer, his resume is finally accepted by a fashion company. And not just any company. Eraserhead; one of the world’s widest known brands. He is flown to interstate to begin his work. His first task is unexpected. To deliver a gown to a woman in the famous Hīrōparesu. Things begin to get complicated once he is insisted that he must replace the woman’s attendance at a prestigious ball.

There he meets a prince. He is everything he expected a prince not to be. Little did he know that he would soon become closer to him than he had ever thought…

[Series] Tickets Straight To Hell by Tokiji ( E | 30,378+ | 2 Works | WIP )

System of Love by themasterchef ( E | 4,493 | 1/1 )

Based off the Black Mirror episode "Hang the DJ". Midoriya and Bakugo live in a world where a system determines all your relationships to help find you your true love. After being paired up for 12 hours, Midoriya and Bakugo must go their separate ways, but will they really be able to let each other go? What happens when they are reunited? And the most important question of all; what lengths will they go to for love?

Lying Is the Most Fun a Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off by oyasumi_yue ( M | 2,728+ | 2/? )

Katsuki finds solace through an enigmatic stranger at a quaint bookstore his feet lead him to. Bewitched by their encounter, Katsuki desires more of the lovely stranger he met.

Roommates by KyliePaghan ( M | 11,139+ | 4/? )

Izuku is a journalist, and student, who managed to get a stalker because of his journalism. After his roommate abruptly moved out, he posted an ad on Craigslist looking for a roommate just to keep the stalker at bay.

Izuku is now a journalist, and student, with a roommate that claims to be a demon. Really, he shouldn't have thought a Craigslist ad would be a good idea.

Idea taken from Reddit/nosleep with permission. All credit for the idea goes to the original poster. Edit to author's note! If my link still doesn't work, the link for the story is in the comments!

[Graphic Depictions Of Violence | Stalking]

The Lion and Rabbit by GreyDayMoon ( E | 4,149+ | 2/? )

The slave gladiator Bakugou Katsuki was fearsome in the pits for his brutality and efficiency. His skill draws the eyes of a certain green eyed noble and Katsuki finds himself being pushed into a new life as the protector of the freckled man who will be caught in the middle of a war between kingdoms.

Series Part 5 of AU's I'm Thinking of Expanding On Later

[Graphic Depictions Of Violence]

Let's Not Make It Complicated by thegaylogic ( T | 7,590 | 1/1 )

labels are so overrated, let's not make it complicated.

why don't we just go get naked, let's not make it complicated.

Series Part 1 of 'Cause This Is All We Know

The Larkspur Strip Mall by Snows_Symphony ( T | 2,349+ | 2/? )

Katsuki and his BakuSquad™ run Porto's Pizza Place, a sweet little restaurant in a run-down strip mall. All is well and dandy until one day, their crappy landlord puts a Domino's right next to them. But can it be all bad? Because the cute green-haired manager of the new store seems pretty good to Katsuki

~~~

Or, Let's shove my ships into events based off of my life (no joke)

Not Another High School AU by MellowWrites ( T | 24,932+ | 3/? )

Izuku has been in love with the same guy for years, and no amount of bullying or warnings from friends will get him over this near obsession. Meanwhile, his best friend has been crushing on the girl of his dreams since middle school, and unluckily for Eijirou, she's dating an asshole.

The same asshole who Izuku is pining after.

[Underage | Homophobia]

whispers of love and scarring words by presageflower ( T | 9,923+ | 3/? )

Katsuki is Izuku's childhood friend and number one bully. Katsuki is able to sway everyone with his explosive force, while Izuku is weak, small and trips over his words more often than he would like to. He is, in many ways, the perfect target for Katsuki.

But Katsuki's actions have consequences and he is forced to face his own flaws, while Izuku constantly battles with his own.

[Bullying]

Mind Games by BlueFlameSakura ( M | 7,626+ | 3/? )

Bakugou Katsuki had been questioning the safety of the little town he lived in for a while now. How will he react now that he finds out first hand what forces are actually at play?

Especially when he has accidentally caught the eye of someone that spells a lot of trouble. Someone with a selfish desire to keep Katsuki to himself.

Green Roses and Smoke Tattoos by aekths ( M | 12,629+ | 8/20 )

bakugou katsuki is a tattoo artist. midoriya izuku is a florist that works just a couple buildings down. when bakugou starts ordering flowers for his shops, he starts to get closer to the midoriya family, izuku especially. izuku isn't exactly sure how to handle his fiery and unpredictable new customer.

What Am I? by FadedNobody ( T | 6,959+ | 1/? )

After crawling onto land over five years ago Katsuki discovered that life as a human could be pretty damn great. So when he finds himself training some nerdy green eyed loser at the surf shop why does his world suddenly stand still? +++ Izuku's stuck in life and as door after door of opportunity closes before him he turns to the only thing he has left. Surfing the blue waves of his home town. So where did this blonde asshole come from and why does he insist he's a local?

Hand Speak by pissunicorn ( E | 30,350+ | 12/12 )

“You think you’re some hotshot, huh? You’re not going to even apologize, aren’t you?” Bakugou folded his arms, waiting for him to get on his knees with grief, but he turned around and picked something up from the counter inside. “Hey! Hey are you serious? I’m talking to you!” Bakugou had no qualms about barging into his house uninvited. “I said I’m talking to you! Are you Deaf-”

He's not here (At least not yet) by Pheonixtan707 ( Not Rated | 2,228 | 1/1 )

Prequel to my first fic, 'He's right here'. Going back to the past, what happened to Bakugou Katsuki and Midoriya Izuku? Captured by human scientists, experimented on and later separated, how will they cope with it? And how will they escape

Headline: CEO Izuku Midoriya In Hot Water After Falling for One of His Employees by Matsumoto223 ( Not Rated | 2,989+ | 2/? )

AU where everyone is Quirkless. Fem Bakugo works for Izuku, the CEO of a large Japanese company.

Izuku's worked his whole life to be CEO and is just missing one thing....someone to love! Bakugo and Izuku's first encounter is less than stellar, but Izuku knows he has feelings for her. Can he find a way to make it work or does he risk his career in the process?

What Makes the World Go Around by NightshadeDawn ( Not Rated | 735 | 1/1 )

"Merry Christmas Little Shits 2018 - Day 1"

Bakugou's flight get cancelled. Well, it'll be a shitty Christmas- or... not?

Series Part 48 of That happened... Part 7 of Merry Christmas Little Shits

Porn to be a Star by SecretKiwi ( E | 12,653+ | 2/? )

Izuku needs a job, and maybe he finds more than a steady flow of income along the way.

Or,

Follow Izuku's journey through the pornography industry where he makes some cash, makes some friends and makes himself really fucking uncomfortable every day.

[Series] where does the good go by ivegotacaseofyou  ( G/M | 5,236+ | 2 Works | WIP )

Playing Cards by honeyfever ( T | 1,534+ | 1/? )

Crazy Rich Asians AU where Katsuki is both Crazy and Rich, and Izuku doesn’t know how to deal with slightly overbearing parents, being thrust headfirst into Japan’s high life, and people who are rich rich.

[Series] Life at Age 30 by Infuzion ( T/E | 24,147+ | 4 Works | WIP )

[ Attempted Rape/Non-Con | Homophobia | Bullying]

[Abandoned] breathe ( E | 2,336 | 1/3 )

For most, the zombie apocalypse was something they had started out with. For others, they were born in it. Izuku Midoriya was the unlucky one out of many to be born inside of one.

[Graphic Depictions Of Violence | Major Character Death | Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-Con]

Kacchan's in the kitchen! by Hiimtyler ( Not Rated | 352 | 1/1 )

Why are making pancakes so fucking hard!?

My heart on fire by ChestnutPatronus14 ( T | 1,310 | 1/1 )

After a devastating season, Izuku is beginning to question if his injury wasn't actually a sign for him to stop ice skating all together. Bakugo convinces him otherwise.

Part of the BKDK Secret Santa 2018

Brand New Colony by ScientificallySinful (VampireGaaraCheesepuffs) ( M | 9,263+ | 2/? )

200 years ago the first child with animal characteristics was born. Now, over 20% of earth’s population is accounted for by “hybrids,” or humans with varying degrees of animal characteristics.

Midoriya knows what life’s like for a hybrid. He’s grown up with the stares, the comments, the weight of proving everyone wrong. At least, he thinks he knows hybrids. Until he meets a mysterious Alpha wolf under less than desirable circumstances. Suddenly Izuku is drawn into Katsuki Bakugo’s gravity and he doesn’t want to leave.

Unfortunately, Izuku needs to to make a choice. Does Izuku choose his human side, his animal side...or Katsuki?

Series Part 4 of A/B/Ohhh ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

dream a little dream of me by dekustyle ( T | 3,764+ | 1/? )

It’s there again — the blinking light.

Little by little, Katsuki notices the light getting bigger and bigger until he can finally catch a glimpse of a bouncing green curly hair from the other side of the light.

Is that shit like a portal or something?

—

or an au in which whenever people dream, they are transported to a parallel universe called 'chimera'. katsuki calls bullshit, but he's proven wrong when the usual thick black canvas of his dream is gradually broken down by a blinking light

A trois, bon ménage ? by Nafarik ( M | 8,561+ | 3/? )

Cela faisait déjà quelques années qu'Ochako avait recueilli Izuku chez elle et le petit lapin nain hybride avait fini par devenir sa petite oasis de paix, toujours là pour lui faire des câlins après une journée difficile. Pourtant son quotidien allait changer après sa rencontre avec ce loup blond secouru lui aussi d'une organisation illégale. Bien ou non le changement ? Elle allait bientôt le découvrir.

Realism Gives Itself Away by WhenJoshIsJoseph ( T | 6,826 | 1/1 )

Katsuki's mentor, All Might, is retiring, and he wants a piece of art commissioned - a crucial gift. He finally finds the right artist...but the person is anonymous. Izuku gets commissioned by some lawyer he doesn't know, and he doesn't usually take commissions, but the offer is just too tempting... Neither knows it's the other. ___ MERRY CHRISTMAS, SO HOE, I'M SO SORRY IF THIS AIN'T GREAT BUT I ADORE YOUUUU Also, VGC, you're a legend, thanks for organising this <3

Drive Thru Please by tokyo10 ( G | 1,117 | 1/1 )

it all started with Katsuki cutting Izuku off

Hotter than Hell by artistic18 ( T | 2,409 | 1/? )

Katsuki hasn't seen his childhood friend in over 10 years. They've kept in contact, but it's nothing like seeing each other face to face.

So if Katsuki seems flustered upon seeing him again, that's only because the airport needs to work on the shitty cooling system.

So Numb by Dnote147 ( M | 10,622+ | 4/? )

Just have to get through today.

That's what crosses my mind on a daily basis; almost like a mantra.

Just get through today.

Sometimes, it would almost sound like a melody, playing on a constant loop. If it weren't for the underlying motive for this internal repetition, I would almost find it hilarious.

Keyword: Almost.

[Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-Con | Bullying | Self Harm | Suicide Attempt | Addiction | Panic Attacks | PTSD]

Happy New Years, Nerd by BelleM ( E | 3,869 | 1/1 )

Katsuki is dragged to a New Years party, spots Izuku and wants to fuck him.

Series Part 1 of My Lucky New Year

Flower Boy by devilmanz ( E | 3,821+ | 4/? )

Izuku Midoriya is a YouTuber with over ten million subscribers.

Katsuki Bakugou is a song writer and YouTuber with twenty million subscribers.

Lets just say rumors spread.

[Past Addiction]

At the Mountain's Edge by Anzul ( M | 12,642+ | 2/? )

Muromachi Japan, 1465. Soulmates - once nothing but a flightful fancy among the Heian nobility - have become the political currency of the century. Blessed with telepathic communication and the ability to sense each other regardless of their geographical distance once a bond has been established, they are an invaluable commodity to any warrior hoping to amass power in the wake of the Ashikaga's weakening rule.

Bakugou Katsuki is no exception. But no matter what matchmaking house his family visits, they all tell him the same thing: that at the end of his red string, there waits no one. Katsuki is destined to walk his path alone.

Now forced to become a candidate for political marriage, Katsuki must learn the traditional arts and proper courtship etiquette to attract more suitors. Izuku, the adopted protégé and matchmaking master of the Midoriya House, is hired to be his tutor. Izuku himself is not only without a soulmate, but Bondless - someone without a red string at all, but capable of seeing everyone else's.

-----

[Or: An alternate soulmate x historical AU where everybody has soulmates except Katsuki and Izuku.]

Play The Field by lalazee ( E | 10,246 | 1/1 )

Baseball and feelings, feelings and baseball. Turns out, Bakugou and Deku are both good and bad at the same things. They try to work on it.

Desert Prince by ghoulz ( E | 6,534+ | 2/? )

Bakugou Katsuki is an Alpha. Midoriya Izuku is an Omega. Don't act like you don't know where this is going. Oh yeah and Bakugou's a prince in some dystopian land or something.

Becoming a dog-sitter to date a cutie by Heartbeat_in_japanese ( G | 1,133 | 1/1 )

{This fic doesn’t have a description! -Jay}

Can't Sleep Love by Fuyuzashi ( M | 5,841+ | 1/? )

Katsuki fell head over heels over a certain green eyed, freckle covered, honey skinned stranger in a night club. Later he found himself acting like a main character of a Netflix's cheesy romance series. He never knew he could do such dumb things just because of a tingly feeling in his chest caused by the hot stranger.

[ based on Can't sleep Love, a song by Pentatonix ]

Fine again by scarlettx9000 ( M | 3,063+ | 1/? )

Izuku and Katsuki become estranged after Izuku and his mother pack up and move cities without a word back in middle school only to be reunited in an 'and they were roomates' self indulgant fic

A Burrow for You and I by GreyLiliy ( E | 4,400+ | 2/? )

Katsuki and Izuku grew up together as neighbors, a human and a hybrid that most would call the best of friends. But after an unexpected step forward in their relationship, Izuku backed away and put distance between them—too much distance.

When Izuku arrives back home after a year of absence, he makes sure Katsuki is the first to see the fruits of his labor.

Series Part 2 of Hybrids x My Hero Academia

Cross-dressing and Relationships want to suffocate Izuku Midoriya by ErrorTryAgain ( Not Rated | 4,699+ | 2/? )

Let's make this short. Denki wanted to get Kyouka back from Katsuki, and in order to do so, he got his cousin, Izuku, to cross-dress and pretend as his girlfriend, then seduce Katsuki.

That itself is hard, so just imagine how much more difficult it is to seduce a guy who's trying (forcing) you to admit that you're another guy, and that you're... Deku?

give me love by gray98 ( T | 3,301+ | 1/33 )

midoriya izuku was looking for a new start, a way out from his old life of nightmares and haunted memories. he was sick of the stares, and he needed an escape. who knew that escape would come from a new cityscape and a brash blond with anger issues.

[Suicide Attempt]

i want to scream but i can't by lordyuuri ( T | 1,504 | 1/1 )

Reunions aren't always happy nor always welcomed. 

[lilcutieana]

PANACEA~ 6

Word Count: 2.4

Rating: 13+

Pairing: Bea x Jungkook, Taehyung x Y/N

Genre: Fluff (mostly), drama

The story so far: Namjoon sets Y/N, Jin and the kids in a cottage near the woods, and for almost a decade, everything seemed to be at peace.

But no tranquility lasts forever. It all gets disturbed when a stranger seems to be keeping an eye on them, and on an impulse, Y/N accidentally reveals her true form.

Chapter one  Chapter two    Chapter three    Chapter Four

Chapter Five    Chapter Six    Chapter Seven   Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine    Chapter Ten   Chapter Eleven

                                        ~~ Y/N POV ~~

"Jungkook, you already knew some of it, didn’t you? Remember us being at the run and in danger? “At his nod of consent, I relaxed a little. At least they didn't look hostile, I still had my chances.

"And Jin-hyung kept talking to you like he would to a normal person. I always knew something was up " scoffing, he tensed his shoulders and pointed a finger at me, "but, never thought it would be another angel." Jungkook seethed with his hands in fists by his side. Both Jimin and Bea took one of his hands and held them to loosen his fingers, thus rendering him relaxed. He had people on his side, he felt safe, for now.

"It was supposed to be Soekjin as Jimin's guardian, at first, when he didn't die as prophesized. But then, plans changed when both he and his mother were alive." At the mention of his name, Jimin stiffened up. Bea held on to his shoulders in support and squeezed it lightly in comfort. I was truly grateful to have her around. "She's still alive?" Incredulous, he seemed to inch forward towards me only to be held back by Bea.

"No, she isn't. She was in a coma for three years and died soon after. I visited her often, but the curses of your kind cannot be undone. Not by angels, or daemons." "What do you mean - he - was supposed to be dead?" Bea asked incredulously at the mere prospect of Jimin not existing. He was an absolutely sweet, innocent and lovely child, nobody would dare wish any harm on him. Holding him tight, Bea glared at me menacingly.

“Look, I was assigned to him as soon as we confirmed he wasn't completely human. Since I am the only one capable enough to eliminate any threat towards his life without causing any consequences to the world's balance, I was asked to keep them company, as a cat" Leaning against the wall next to the window I contemplated on how else to make them understand I won't hurt them."Then you two--" pointing at Bea and Jungkook standing close together, I continued, " Were just there, and I thought, why not?" 

"That doesn't explain you being a cat all these years" snarled Jungkook, his instincts telling him I was dangerous. Or, well, all those years of Yoongi being downright hostile and threatening. In any case, I wasn't phased. He had nothing on me. I wasn't at fault here. "Unlike Jin,Yoongi, and Namjoon, I'm not of guardian angels, but higher. I'm one of a kind. I represent death and destruction. However, I don't kill unless ordered to. Although my presence is toxic to humans, since none of you are complete humans, so you're all fine." They heaved a collective sigh of relief at that. Except for Jungkook, he still had a glare on, not taking my word for granted.

 "What about Taehyung? Wait- he did mention he was waiting for an angel by your name and dark wings. So he saw you, didn't he?" Jimin had put two and two together by now.

“You see Minnie, he has a special necklace made just for him. It protects him from me and all other angels too, including Yoongi." At that, he smiled pleased. Jimin moved from under Jungkook's grasp and came towards me with mild fascination, raising his fingers towards my wings slowly. Startled, I took a step back making him frown in sadness.”

 "It's not safe for you to touch them, any of you. Its the reason why I stayed a cat all these years. Not only because I live among humans now, but also because it restricts my powers and I rather not them being misused." With eyes wide like saucers, Jungkook, Bea, and Jimin all stared at me in understanding. Well, that was one thing out of the way.

"So, you're telling me Yoongi hyung calling you the grim reaper wasn't a joke? He was actually serious about you?" Folding back my wings and staring straight at him, I replied meekly, "Yes, he wasn't, not since the first day we met. I'm not exactly the best of people out there. I've done things I'm not proud of. But I try to be my best for you all." Looking at the rest of them, I saw fear, recognition and sympathy. Well, that won't do. Right. Damage control.

"Minnie ? Did you see what the man looked like? He was clearly looking for you. Though he did not give off any malicious vibes, we should not take it for granted." Jimin looked at his folded fingers and started tearing his nails again. Taking his hands in mine, I crouched down to his level. Averting his eyes in guilt, he hesitated to reply, "I-- couldn't, he was too far, but he looked, he looked so scary Noona." Petting his head, I let him go. Just then, there were loud knocks at the door, making all three of them to huddle towards me in panic. Jungkook and Bea to my right and Jimin hugging my left knee.

Kids, no stranger can enter, remember?" Chuckling at his own mistake, Jungkook separated from my right side and moved towards the door. "You can't blame me for being cautious." Jungkook winked at me tilting his head towards us.

"You mean coward" quipped Soekjin from the kitchen doorway. Knowing him, he must have been eavesdropping all this time and be waiting for the right moment to join us. " That must be Namjoon and Yoongi" Before I could react and change back into a cat, Taehyung came barrelling through the door as soon as it was opened and hugged Jungkook to himself. As if sensing my stare on him, he lifted his face from Jungkook's shoulder and looked at me as a myriad of emotions swirled within his irises.

"You were here all this time.....and never cared enough to visit me once? Why?" Biting his lips to keep himself from speaking too much, he whirled around and without a look behind, ran. Jungkook was about to run behind him but Yoongi stopped him. " This is her mess, let her clean it up herself." Nodding at me, he urged me to go chase after him.

Flabbergasted at Yoongi's behavior, I was rooted to the spot. All these years of not so silent threats from the blonde angel, I would have assumed him to kill me on the spot for upsetting Taehyung. Yet, here he was, willingly beseeching me to go talk to him, alone even. Without risking him changing his mind, I took to sprinting my way through the woods.Faintly, I heard Namjoon and Jin cheer me from behind.

Sharpening my senses, I felt Tae just a couple trees away, crouched down and sobbing silently with a faint hiccup here and there. It was all my fault. But it was needed to be done. He had quieted down by the time I reached him. His eyes were red and nose stuffy. He still looked just as adorable as all those years ago. He regarded me slowly this time.

"The cat's name wasn't a coincidence, wasn't it? It was you all along." At my silence, he continued with a resigned voice. "You stayed all this time, so close, yet I never.... I..."

Kneeling down beside him, I held him to me. I didn't care anymore. I liked him. I knew that. Soon enough, his body stopped quaking and he buried his face into my neck, his breath slowing down. And it was then I remembered he liked me just as much. My wings were of no consequence to him. Not at all, since he had the angel tear pearl hanging from his neck for all the ten years I've been hiding from him. All those nights of him confessing to me, talking to me thinking I was just a cat. Hoping the real me would keep her promise and come to him. I just hope he won't hate me for deceiving him all these years.

"It was part of my instructions Tae. To live as a cat as long as I stayed with you all. I swear I hated it, being away from you. And I'm glad you saw me for who I am today. Though, I can't stay a human for long.I can talk to you even as a ca-" 

Raising his head with a cute smile from my neck, he came closer to my face. With his fingers slowly caressing my neck, he dived for my lips.Warm lips encased mine. A tiny bit fragrant, a tiny bit salty, perhaps from his dried tears. My rationality was telling me to pull away, but the warmth that plagued my heart? It urged me to keep going. As soon as I started moving my lips, he pulled away. Whining in protest, I tried chasing after his lips only to have his finger stop mine. Opening my eyes, I saw him, so close, kneeling before my crouched form.Even though it was a moonless night, he looked ethereal to me.

"Come back ".

Not waiting anymore for him to take action, I kissed him this time, holding onto his cheeks, his lips were so warm while his cheeks were almost freezing, tasting of pumpkin spice and cinnamon, with a hint of mint. It was all so addictive. He tasted of home and autumn, of promises and eternity.

Slowly caressing his now warm cheeks, I pecked his lips a few times, smiling dazedly, drunk on his taste and essence. He truly was like life itself and me? I was of decay and death. What an odd pair we were.

All too soon the kiss came to an end and we were breathing like we haven't for ages. Slumping into each other, we stared into the other's eye and saw a million stars reflected in them, and a faint shadow of the other. Connecting our foreheads, we smiled as if there were no worries, the world ceased to exist, except for us two. "That was quite the scene there,Noona. While I would love to watch you two snogging, I'd much rather have you know this place reeks of spices and herbs. Is your nose not working anymore?" Jumping apart startled at Jungkook's arrival, I did notice the fragrant spices, with a musky aftertaste of peppermint and rosemary in the air. "The Faeries. It must be a royal. They smell ancient and too crisp to be just a wild Fae." Both I and Jungkook knew, what they were really after. Jimin. It was time again.

"Let's go inside and inform them. Namjoon should put up the wards stronger this time." Jungkook pulled Taehyung up by his hands, clearly avoiding me.

Kids these days. 

They show absolutely no respect. Heaving myself up, I walked behind them. Suddenly a gust of wind blew from the left, bringing with it a strong aroma of lilacs and spices. Unfolding my wings and releasing the hold on my powers, I was ready to defend my new family. "Run back home and send for Yoongi." With a single nod, Jungkook ran at full speed, with Tae following behind trying his best to catch up. All these years of training together, and he had yet to surpass Jungkook at sports.

"I believe your kind loves to play tricks. Come out of your hiding before I make a game board out of your hide."

Snickering in delight instead of being offended, a dark-headed male stood right in front of me, leaning against the Apple tree. Plucking an Apple, he started snacking on it, amused at my threatening snarl. "I'm here to observe if you have been treating our prince well. As you have, and I have a proposition for you from our King, Jooheon." Moving from under the tree, he touched the bark, after a few moments, every apple started to glow golden as if they were halogen bulbs.

 He looked fairly beautiful under the golden light, his hair a vermilion red now, perhaps it was more crimson in daylight. With a blindingly white smile, he continued, " I'm Hosoek, the royal minister of the Seelie court. You have been taking impeccable care of our prince all these years and we would like for you to continue to do so." Scoffing at his formal way of speaking. I was thoroughly annoyed.

 "No thanks for killing the mother or trying to kill him too. What's the catch here?" Just then Yoongi teleported, falling unceremoniously on a heap of dried leaves. "Damn it" Dusting himself off, he stood straighter eyes zeroing in on the Fae. " Why is he not a part of you yet?" Rolling my eyes at his habit of taking jabs at me, I ignored his comment. "Our king wishes for me to teach him of our ways, lest any enemy shall befall your way.It was not our doing miss, It was the doing of the Unseelie court, who tried to kill our last hope. The heir to the throne. We tried saving the human concubine, but she was too far gone by the time I found her." It seems I wasn't the only one to ignore Yoongi here.

 "Our Jimin is a royal? He is too innocent and pure of heart to ever survive amongst your traitorous kind" Yoongi snarled at Hosoek, holding him by the scruff. Just then, one of the branches from the Apple tree, moved at a swift motion and wrapped around Yoongi's waist, detaching him from the Fae and went back to its position high above us.

 "Quite the nice trick isn't it? Us Fae, rule the elements, we can manipulate them to our wishes. But not to harm. We are not here to cause harm." Unimpressed, Yoongi stared at him to continue his explanation. "He cannot lie, he cannot think evil, very forgiving and always comforting. He is a royal, meant to rule all Fae. Please understand, we do not force him. We teach him all there is to know. How he uses the knowledge, and if he ever wishes to visit the Fae lands, is his decision to make. We, guardians, have no say in how he chooses to live his life." At my skeptical glare, he faltered a little.

"Let him know who he is. He is old enough now."

[ellanainthetardis]

“Let’s Wing It!” Fic Exchange (third wave)

This is my third entry for the “Let’s Wing It!” Fic Exchange. @titconao3 prompted “Running Up That Hill” by Kate Bush (lyrics here).

It was hard! Haha! You said no downer ending by your standards so I did my best! There is no downer in this ending. I hope you like this and that I didn’t fail too much at writing God ;)

[ff] or [ao3]

A Good Old Case Of Deus Ex Machina

He hadn’t stopped drinking since the funerals.

Not that it did him any good, downing bottle after bottle only gave him a small buzz at best. His powers seemed to be stronger than ever and getting drunk wasn’t an option. Another cruelty to add to the list.

Without warning, he threw the glass at the mirror on the other side of the bar with a helpless cry of rage nobody was there to witness. There it was again. Every time he closed his eyes. The memory he was desperate to forget, the one he could never ignore.

Chloe dying in his arms. Blood everywhere, all over his hands. The roaring pain in his shoulder that hadn’t made sense at the time not until a tearful Dan had pried him away from her body and had forced him to sit down, repeating again and again ‘Lucifer, you’ve been shot’ as if it had made any sense. As if anything had made any sense.

Lux was deadly silent, as it had been for a week now, and, once he reached for another glass behind the bar, there was only the familiar noise of alcohol being poured to keep him company. At another time, it might have been enough to be comforting. Now…

Now, it was simply a noise that grated on his nerves. The same way he could barely bear the sound of his lighter flicking on. The same way he had raged and upturned tables until everyone had run out that night after the funerals because nobody should be partying right now, the whole world should be mourning, the whole universe should have stopped breathing with the strength of his grief.

He wanted it to stop.

He wanted to stop it.

And in the darkest moments of despair he wondered if that was it, the apocalypse prophesized since the dawn of time, brought into being by the death of one human.

He had almost followed on that thought.

He downed the glass of whatever it was. Whiskey or scotch, something expensive that tasted like ash. Everything tasted like ash since that day.

It had been so stupid. So stupid.

A call had come through her radio when they were driving back to the precinct at the end of a most satisfying day of catching murderers. A man who had mugged a grocer’s shop and was running away. They were in the neighborhood, they had given chase, eventually leaving the car behind to follow on foot when the suspect had rushed into a building. It had been thrilling at the time and, of course, Lucifer hadn’t listened to her demand that he stayed in the car. He had followed her and she had rolled her eyes but hadn’t protested much more.

They had cornered him eventually, their suspect. Barely more than a kid, not quite seventeen, threatening them with a weapon he could barely hold the right way. The Detective hadn’t even pulled out her own gun. She had tried to reason with him.

Neither of them had seen the second man hiding in the shadow.

One shot and the Detective had gone down, Lucifer catching her out of reflex. He hadn’t understood the second shot had found its mark, not until Dan had later told him. ‘Lucifer, you’ve been shot. Let them take care of you. Let her go. You can’t do anything for her anymore. You’ve been shot. Let her go. You’re hurt.’ Nothing had made sense. Nothing.

Just the terror.

He wasn’t sure what had happened to the two murderers. He had lost it at that point, everything had flashed red, his eyes, his face, his sight… The kid had been huddling in one corner begging for his mother by the time the LAPD had stormed in. The other one, the one who had shot his detective… Nobody had asked him how that one had died. He probably had Dan to thank for that.

He had tried to keep her there with him. He had tried so hard. He had done it before, on their first case together, and he had told her that, he had joked about how this felt like a throwback to a first date and she had laughed. She had laughed and then she had… His powers had always been tenuous around her. Lately, they had been downward inexistent.

Her soul wouldn’t stay.

It had slipped through his fingers, right through his fingers…

He rubbed his shoulder where the scar remained, a thick patch of angry red skin. He wasn’t sure why it wasn’t fading. It should have. Without the Detective, he had healed in a few minutes – to the paramedics puzzlement. The scar had remained behind, like a reminder. Maybe it was his unconscious. Maybe he wanted to keep it. To make sure he never forgot. As if he could.

He felt her loss as keenly as he had the wings on his back.

Another glass.

The same noises of alcohol being poured, a bottle being placed down. The cigarette was slowly consuming itself between his fingers.

He had tried to pray.

He hadn’t told anyone that. Well… He had yelled it at Linda in a rage when she hadn’t stopped poking, trying to make him talk about feelings that made him want to howl.

He had begged his father when he had realized his powers weren’t working, that Chloe would die there, in a shady squat full of graffiti and abandoned syringes. He had begged his father for help, had promised anything in return. His mother, hell, anything. There had been no answer. None at all. Even once she had been gone, even once he had stopped begging Him to save her and had started requesting to swap their places, his soul off the human plane for her soul back in her body, even then, all that had answered him was a great silence.

Typical.

Typical.

The creaking of the doors alerted him but he refused to look behind his shoulder. It might be the bouncers checking everything was alright inside, it might be someone coming to check on him. He really didn’t care.

He took a drag of his cigarette just because he was tired of watching it burn on itself like a pathetic metaphor for his life.

He missed the rage. He had been so full of wrath in the immediate aftermath he had almost burn with it. For days he had let it consume him. He had hated his Father, first and foremost, for giving him the Detective only to take her away.

He had stormed into his mother’s office and had declared he was all about finding that last piece now, that he would be her Lightbringer – and he had had no problem igniting the sword, not anymore – that he would make the Silver City crumble down.

He had dreamed about it. For days he had dreamed about it. Running up the golden hill that led to the huge doors, tearing them open and destroying everything on his path until he found Chloe. Sometimes that dream took the form of a rescue mission. Sometimes all he cared about was burning Heaven to the ground until they all understood the amount of pain he was in.

Sometimes he hated the Detective too. For dying. For being so fragile. For making him into the devil he now was – which wasn’t much of a devil at all.

That was the thing with humans. One second they were complaining about their demon roommate who couldn’t follow simple instructions, the next they were gone from the surface of the Earth, never to be seen again because their soul was too pure and he had been banned from Heaven.

He had pretended it didn’t hurt him at first. It hadn’t lasted a day for denial to disappear. It hurt him. Her death. It hurt him so much he could taste blood.

The thought of never seeing her again, he couldn’t bear it. He couldn’t.

“This is a nice place.”

The voice wasn’t familiar and Lucifer only gave a glance over his shoulder before looking away just as fast. The man who was walking down the stairs was young, wearing jeans with holes in them that didn’t seem to be there for fashion purposes and an awful woolen sweater in a rusty color. He was unremarkable, unassuming and absolutely not worth noticing.

“We’re closed.” Lucifer growled, his fingers tightening around his glass.

“I heard.” the man shrugged.

It didn’t stop him from strutting to the bar, apparently unconcerned with the slight clicking of the bottles and glasses as they shook with Lucifer’s wrath.

He didn’t want to be disturbed.

He had made that clear. His control was all relative and just because he had been talked out of going on a murdering spree by an eight year old girl didn’t mean he wouldn’t accidentally do something he would regret if he was provoked. The man was blissfully oblivious to it all though. He hopped on the stool next to his, reached behind the bar for a glass and stole the bottle right from under Lucifer’s nose.

“I said we’re closed.” he repeated, putting just enough of his real voice in his tone to send any human weeping in fear.

The man barely blinked. “You have looked better.”

Maybe not so human. He so wasn’t in the mood for celestial meddling.

The wrath deflated though. Like it had done every time it had bloated again since his talk with Trixie. Being furious was easier on a lot of accounts, it helped mask the pain underneath but… He had felt it now, that pain, and he could never shake it.

His shoulder throbbed as if in agreement and he rubbed it again, almost without thought.

“Have we met before?” he snorted, giving the man a second glance over. He wasn’t one of his siblings but who knew what his father had been up to since he had left Heaven. Maybe he was a new prophet or – God forbids – a new Jesus. It would explain the slightly hippy look. That would also go hand in hand with his decision to ransack Heaven, maybe he was there to spread the news or to prevent him from doing just that. If it was about that, the guy was a little late to the party but Lucifer supposed he should get kudos for having tried.

“Has it been so long you don’t recognize me, Samael?” the man asked casually before taking a sip of whiskey.

Lucifer’s head shot up so fast something in his neck snapped.

He stared at the man, stared hard, and he could almost see it, see the bright ball of light peeking out through the cracks.

“Father.” he whispered.

His first instinct was to find a weapon.

His second was to think sod that and punch Him hard in the unremarkable face He had chosen for Himself.

His third one was to grab Him and refuse to let go until He had given back what wasn’t His to take. Maybe threaten to call Charlotte if that would speed up the process, maybe gloat a little about walking unarmed into the devil’s den.

In the end he did none of that.

He just sat there and stared.

At another time, he would have done it all and then some.

Right then, nothing seemed important but the fact that his father was the key to getting to Chloe. Perhaps He would agree to let him talk to her. Perhaps he could tell her that he…

He would make a deal for that chance. Talk to her one last time. Tell her how he felt. Tell her how grateful… If he only could…

“I heard you were thinking of popping up to give me back your sister’s sword.” his father commented when Lucifer remained silent, there was a hint of teasing in his voice.

“If by giving it back you mean stabbing you straight through the heart with it.” he snarled before he could help himself.

“But you didn’t.” God hummed as if they were simply discussing the weather instead of His – admittedly uncertain – murder. “In fact, I believe you told your mother you weren’t interested in taking the Silver City back anymore.”

He closed his eyes and sighed. It always came right back to this, didn’t it? What his parents wanted, their agendas against each other… They didn’t care about anything else, about anyone else.

He felt the familiar anger rise up but it was snuffed by the grief he felt. What did he care about his father’s vendetta against him or about the rocky relationship his parents shared? The whole thing paled in comparison to the Detective’s death.

He had been set on following his mother’s plans. He had been set on taking back what was his… And how he had shouted and screamed when Linda had asked if it was really what Chloe would have wanted… ‘Once I control Heaven, I will bring her back to life! Of course, it’s what she would want’, he had snarled.

And then the Detective’s spawn had happened, asking him in that small tearful voice how Heaven was and if her mother was happy there. And right as he had described the splendors of paradise for the girl and how content Chloe must have been, he had realized that no, no, his storming of the Silver City wasn’t at all what she would have wanted. She was at peace, he had promised the child and he had meant it. The Detective didn’t need a dashing rescue, not this time.

“The sword is in the safe upstairs.” he answered, waving a dismissive hand that left a trail of smoke in its wake.

“You won’t try to bargain for it?” his father asked, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise.

Before, he would have taken pleasure in having taken Him aback. Right then, pleasure tasted just as much like ash as his liquor did.

“I would try to strike a deal for it but we both know you will only give what you consent to give so what’s the point?” he scoffed, tossing the cigarette in the ashtray before it could burn him. Not that it would burn him. He was invulnerable again now. “You could have sent one of your errant boys. Granted, it didn’t end up that well for Uriel but…” He shrugged, trying to sound more casual than he truly felt. His brother’s death still weighted heavily on his mind. What he had done, he had done to protect Chloe but it didn’t make it easier to bear. “You still have enough children left to sacrifice a few, don’t you?”

God was watching him thoughtfully, tracing the rim of his glass with a distracted finger.

Lucifer didn’t look at him.

He didn’t want to look at him.

He had been eager to find himself face to face with his father for millenniums, to tell Him straight everything he thought of Him, and now he couldn’t care less. He just wished He would hurry up and leave so he could go back to feeling miserable in peace.

“I did not send your brother, son. He came of his own free will.” God offered eventually.

“Free will.” he spat. “The greatest joke in the universe.”

Did it even exist? Or were they all dancing to His tune? Even him who had thought he had escaped the strings only to fall back in the trap when he had met the Detective…

“I grieve for Uriel.” his father said softly. “But what happened wasn’t entirely your fault, Samael. He bears responsibility for his fate.”

“Don’t call me that.” he growled. “I am not Samael anymore, Dad. I am…”

“You still call me Dad.” God cut him off. “And I still call you son. You are still my son. Samael, the Light Bringer, the Morning Star. It is the name your mother and I gave you.”

“And I changed it when you kicked me out.” he retorted. “So excuse me if I’m not…”

“You called for me.” his father interrupted again with that strength that could have sent the world to its knees and made Lucifer fall silent to his great annoyance. His father was more powerful than he was. It didn’t come as a surprise but it was an unwelcome reminder of his failures.

“Yes, and you didn’t come.” he snapped. “You didn’t help.”

“I am here now.” God offered. “Don’t you think it’s time to mend bridges, son?”

His hand was shaking when he stole the bottle back to pour himself another drink. The bottle was almost empty now and he was feeling the urge to bash the man’s head in with it. It wouldn’t do Him much harm but it would be a relief.

He downed his glass, not trusting himself to speak right then. There was a lump in his throat, a headache throbbing behind his eyes and, tried as he might, he couldn’t summon the rightful anger he ought to feel. A shame for a wrathful devil.

“You gave her to me and then you took her away.” he accused finally, almost flatly. “There are no more bridges. They’re all ash in the wind now.”

“I disagree.” God countered. “You could have besieged the Gates of Heaven, you know there are some who would still follow you over me up there and it could have turned into a civil war. You could have brought down the apocalypse if you had so chosen. And instead you are sitting in your bar, crying in your whiskey.”

“I wasn’t crying.” he hissed through his teeth. Not a lie. Not really. The tears never fell but inside… Oh inside it was a waterfall.

His father ignored him. “And all because you promised a little girl your siblings are watching over her mother.” Lucifer frowned and God shrugged. “Omniscient being, here.”

He rolled his eyes. “You should be grateful for that child.”

“Oh, I am grateful.” his father smiled and it was a kind benevolent smile. The kind that made Lucifer scoff at their deceit. “I do love Beatrice. Just as much as I love Chloe Decker. The Detective is an exceptional soul, isn’t she? As far as humans go, she counts amongst my greatest creations.”

Lucifer’s jaw clenched. “Don’t talk about her like that. She’s not a puppet, she’s not… She’s not a toy.”

“Of course, she’s not.” God frowned. “Her purpose…”

“What was her purpose, Father?” he cut Him off, his eyes flashing red. “Why did you put her on my path? To hurt me by taking her away? Congratulations. Objective achieved. Now, please let me hurt in peace.”

“Her purpose was to show you the way back home, Samael.” God explained, in that soft tone Lucifer hated so much. As if He cared. He didn’t. Lucifer knew that better than anyone. “You were never meant to come back to the Silver City armed with a flaming sword. I had hoped she would be enough for you to remember who you are, powerless as she made you feel. You had a choice to make and you made the right one. The Gates of Heaven are opened to you should you choose to come back.”

He gripped the glass so tight that it broke but he didn’t notice. He didn’t notice the shards digging in his palm or the blood. In a second it had all vanished anyway.

“So it was all a test?” he chuckled bitterly. “You put Chloe on my path so you could… Test me?”

“She showed you the way to redemption.” his father insisted. “And now you can come home and…”

“I hate you.” he spat.

“That’s the first lie you’ve ever uttered.” God dismissed, amused. When Lucifer glared, He simply shrugged. “Again. Omniscient being.”

Lucifer briefly closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He wasn’t sure at which point he had lost his human face for his devil one. He wasn’t sure at which point his eyes had started burning red. But he was very sure he was about to lose it in a spectacular way.

The bottles and glasses were rattling again.

“Get out.” he ordered. “Take your sword. Take your piece. Take your ex if you must but get out.” He was shouting now, his voice a low growl that bounced back on the walls. “I am never coming back to your Silver City, Father. Never. I will go back to Hell before I come back to you. I won’t be your prodigal son. I won’t follow your schemes. And if it means I never see the Detective again…” He stopped breathing for a second, closed his eyes. “Do not presume to understand what I feel for her. You cast your own wife down to Hell on a whim. You manipulate everyone around you. You are a sick bastard who understands nothing about love and I won’t give you the pleasure of patting me on the back as if it was all a tantrum on my part. I am done with you, Father, I am utterly done with you. I will not hate you anymore. I will not curse you. I will not even think about you. I am done.”

He was out of breath by the time he finished and he felt strangely empty. A good sort of empty. He would have to ask Linda about that. He felt… Free.

“As you wish.” God sighed, a little sad, as if He was humoring him, as if He was certain that Lucifer would come home at one point or another. “What I said still stands, you are welcome back.” His father stood up slowly, probably hoping he would stop Him or hold Him back. Lucifer did neither. He stared at the shards of broken glass on the bar but he did flinch when he felt his father’s hands resting lightly on his back, right where the scars laid. “I forgive you, son.”

The hands were gone before he could shrug them off.

Lux was silent once more.

He was alone.

Lucifer buried his face in his hands, feeling the leather-like burned skin under his palms and wondering how his father could offer an unwanted forgiveness when it was his to grant. There hadn’t even been an apology in that whole conversation. Not one.

What his father thought of as forgiveness, Lucifer called punishment.  

Maybe that was why he wasn’t that surprised when the scars on his back started to burn. He laughed. He laughed when he felt it. He laughed until he screamed, head thrown back to the ceiling, with the pain of it all.

And once he was done screaming, he felt them spanning wide on either side of him, blinding with light, each feather painfully familiar. His.

He didn’t have time to marvel though, because the Lux had disappeared.

He was back in that shady building, the Detective and the teenager were both gaping at him and his heart was beating so fast…

He jumped on her and she shrieked, not that he cared or noticed because he heard the gunshots. Six of them this time around. And six bullets crashed on the impenetrable shield of his wings.

The Detective was all wide eyes, staring at him as if she had never seen him before and he wondered what face he was sporting because he couldn’t tell anymore. She was there. Breathing. Alive. And that was all he cared about.

He heard the teenager and his accomplice running away, the slamming doors and the shouts in the distance indicating backup was on its way… He made a conscious effort to fold the wings, to make them disappear, not sure they would obey…

But they did, just as they always had before.

The Detective blinked and then bolted behind him to touch his back, her hands poking his flesh hard, looking for… He turned around and hugged her, resting his head against hers, eyes closed, breathing her in… He couldn’t even smell the dampness and the rot of the building anymore. She smelled too good.

“I love you.” he heard himself say because that was what he had been desperate to say ever since he had hold her lifeless body in his arms. The moment he had felt her soul slip between his fingers, it had become so clear… But she hadn’t been there to hear it anymore. She hadn’t… “Chloe, I love you.”

She went rigid in his arms until she completely relaxed and hugged back. “Lucifer, what the hell just happened?”

“Poor choice of words, Detective…” he chuckled. It sounded a bit hysterical to his own ears but he decided he was allowed to be a little hysterical. She had been dead for more than a week and now she was there once more. “Let’s just say it is a good old case of deus ex machina.”

“Lucifer…” she insisted.

“I will explain everything.” he promised. He would tell her. The whole truth. He would show her, even. He would tell her he had almost ransacked Heaven for her. He would tell her he loved her again too. He would… “As soon as we’re alone.”

As if on cue, Detective Douche charged in, a worried look on his face that morphed into relief when he found them there. “Thank god! We heard gunshots.”

“Thank God, yes…” Lucifer laughed. They both stared at him as if he was crazy – well, crazier than usual – and there was something strangely protective to the way the Detective was holding on to him.

“Are you alright?” she frowned at him, cupping his cheek.

He covered her hand with his. “Oh, I assure you… I am more than alright. Actually, I even feel a little forgiving today. Only a little, mind you.”

He hugged her again.

Just because he could.

She hesitated a second and then hugged back, leaving Dan to shake his head and watch them both as if they had lost their minds.

[rassilon-imprimatur]

The Book of the Ceasefires: The Eighth Man Bound: The Last Contact

When the Doctor of Umbaste’s Gallifrey, the retired teacher doomed to perish on Dronid, repelled Omega’s attack on the universe, his star pupil decided to pick up the pieces that he typically left behind after his universe saving. Larna was a bright and true young Time Lady, and demonstrated great intelligence and courage during the “Ohm Crisis.” With Gallifrey safe to encounter further prophesized threats on its way to meet the enemy, Larna departed from her Homeworld on a mission to study the Effect, the temporal disturbance created by Omega’s peak from the Anti-Matter Universe.

The path that led Larna to Ulysses and Penelope Gate, long and deep in the history of her Gallifrey, is a mysterious one. At the time, the Time Lord Hero and his human lover (and adventurer in her own right) had been investigating a temporal tangle with their ally Mr. Saldaamir and fellow Time Lord Marnal. Marnal, however, had become a liability, having discovered the future War that would threaten Gallifrey. Upon making the group’s acquaintance, Larna explained to them that Gallifrey would most definitely be threatened by an unknown enemy and be destined to perish after surviving a list of threats and villains throughout its history. However, the enemy could not be identified until “Last Contact,” or the effects to the timeline of the universe would be catastrophic. Marnal, driven to zealous extremes, threatened to expose Ulysses and Penelope’s union, and child, to the High Council. The parents and Mr. Saldaamir, without a second thought, erased the Time Lord’s memory and left him on Earth with Penelope’s mother.

Larna, Ulysses, Penelope, and Saldaamir created a small coalition dedicated to ensuring that encounters with either the future enemy or the War itself which threatened to tear apart the tragic destiny of Gallifrey, designated “Contacts,” would be avoided or erased until the Last Contact. These Contacts, while originally possibly focusing on the identity of the enemy itself, became a broader term for any temporal or paradoxical confrontation with persons or information involving the War. While the alliance worked and searched the universe, Ulysses and Penelope had a child, a son, a hybrid of both Gallifrey and the Earth, and seemed to have snuck the child into the culture of Gallifrey without the notice of the Time Lords [1].

The small coalition, while physically stationed at Earth’s San Francisco, reached out across time and space, gathering allies, agents, and spies all throughout the Spiral Politic. These chosen instruments became the alliance’s means of watching for any Contact. Ulysses, Penelope, Mr. Saldaamir, and Larna operated this network from San Francisco [2].

According to official Time Lord record, Ulysses’ alliance with Lesser Species was eventually discovered, and he was imprisoned in Shada and had his name erased from all records. The fate of Penelope is officially unknown (but this author has tragic ideas taken from implications from the adventures of later incarnations of the Doctor) [3]. The details surrounding Ulysses’ escape from Shada is also unknown, but with a Time War survivor and a future Time Lady on his side, is it any wonder that he was able to be free? With his name gone from all official Time Lord record, the Time Lord would eventually settle down at Berkley University, Larna operating as his “assistant,” Saldaamir watching the temporal uncertainties from the shadows.

For years, centuries, the trio watched the universe move along its destined path. Gallifrey faced the predicted threats and evils, and always survived. The War was approached steadily, with Imperators and Orders of the Weal and Greyjanes and paradox Factions each beckoning it closer and closer. Soon, Contact would be made, again and again, leading up the horrifying day of Last Contact, when the War would be absolutely irreversible…

Of course, the Doctor made Contact with the War.

When the Eighth Doctor encountered the Auction of the Relic, the gathering of War powers that all wished to bid on his own future corpse, he was still young, barely three years into his latest life. He has regenerated in San Francisco, repelled Ice Warriors with Benny Summerfield, seen a few sights and wonders with Stacey Townsend and her future husband Ssard, and been through several months of time and space with Izzy Sinclair, Fey Truscott-Sade, and the renegade Cyberman Kroton. At the time of the Auction, he had resumed his travels with young activist Samantha Jones (Sam to her friends). At this point, the Doctor was happily, if ignorantly, following all the necessary steps on the path towards his retirement to Umbaste’s Gallifrey, his unknown role in the rise of the Magistrate (the Master) to the War King, and his ultimate death on Dronid at the beginning of the War with the enemy.

(NOTE: Some historians and theorists have incorrectly pointed to the young Eighth Doctor’s encounter with the Relic as part of the temporal breakdown that led to the Paradox Virus, but in fact, the Relic (in telepathic hazes) showed that the dead future Doctor remembered these events from the point of view of his younger self, suggesting that the encounter with the Auction was just the first step into the Doctor’s eventual role in War development on Umbaste’s Gallifrey. The temporal breakdown was yet to come.)

The younger Doctor moved on from the Auction, disturbed and uncomfortable, but determined to keep that far future out of his mind. He believed it was only a possibility, and the less he learned of the War, the less certain and concrete it became. Contact was made again when the Doctor, following the Auction, promptly ignored his own warnings and advice on avoiding the future and learned the identity of the enemy. He promptly erased his memory of the knowledge… but his TARDIS did not. Some point after this, he, Sam, and new companion Fitz Kreiner discovered the temporal anomaly in San Francisco that was created by the Master’s opening of the Eye of Harmony link in the TARDIS. Encounter with this “crack” caused the Doctor’s biodata to scatter all over the city, created the fracture in Sam’s biodata that had been following her since she met the Doctor, threatened to destroy the planet (again), and, strangest of all, created the temporal complications that had drawn Ulysses and Saldaamir in the first place.

(During this “adventure,” the Doctor met up with his sometimes-father. By this point, Ulysses had taken up the alias “Daniel Joyce,” and was still working with Larna and Saldaamir. By now, Joyce (as he shall be referred to for the remainder of his mentions in the chronology) had discovered the future Needle (possibly from Larna) and the plethora of non-human species that would claim it as their home towards the final “days” of the decaying universe. Joyce’s motivation in studying the Needle is unknown, but it would lead to a shift in the status quo of the alliance between him, Larna, and Saldaamir, as several inhabitants of the Needle would later become part of an anti-War coalition, and would prove Joyce’s mysterious and undetailed contribution to the War following Last Contact.)

Then, all hell broke loose. The Doctor’s next Contact with the War, unlike his first, would prove a temporal disaster. War powers had already begun interacting with the past, and the Laws of Time (otherwise known as the Protocols of History) had begun to break down. Unbeknownst to the Doctor, his Gallifrey, the Gallifrey of Romana, was becoming changed by the War, his former best friend now a ruthless third incarnation, the War Queen of her Homeworld [4].

Interestingly enough, however, the Doctor’s roles in the Remote’s “invasion” of Earth seems to fit neatly into the War’s timeline, as it is how Compassion entered his life and began her long, torturous destiny into the first Type-102 timeship (and, ultimately, the City of the Saved). But, the Doctor made a fatal mistake. In the midst of torture, the Eighth made accidental contact with the Third, a paradox that caused his younger self’s TARDIS to crash on the planet Dust. The younger Doctor, the Dandy Doctor, became embroiled in the aftermath of the Eighth’s “adventure,” facing the monster Fitz Kreiner had become at the hands of the Faction, and, ultimate, dying and regenerating far away and thousands of years from his destined final stand on Metabilis III.

Then, the Faction entered the fray, and inoculated the dying Third Doctor with their biodata Paradox Virus. While an unintentional sin against time (the initial target was actually the planet Dust itself, as it was in the middle of becoming part of IM Foreman’s final regeneration), the Faction saw potential in the Doctor’s fall, and waited in the shadows to see what would happen.

The Biodata Virus was initially supposed to boil inside of the Doctor, eventually threatening his Eighth self with regeneration into… something. Evidently, even the Faction feared (or at the very least, were impressed by) the potential that the Doctor would become with his eighth renewal. During his Eighth incarnation, the Virus would finally begin to cause biological and mental decay, threatening to turn the Doctor into a vile, immoral person just prior to the change into the monster the Ninth Doctor was to be.

However, this author also speculated another symptom caused by the Virus in conjunction with the other two. While the “normal” Eighth Doctor walked away from the Remote’s “invasion” and commenced his adventures with a remembered Fitz and Compassion with little worse than a missing shadow and confused memories, this was only because of the TARDIS holding the Metabilis III timeline and the Dust timeline in place. With her pilot technically shielded from the true extent of the Virus, the Dust timeline spiraled out of control, the Paradox Virus creating several paths, outcomes, back alleys, and destinies for the Doctor following his rewritten third regeneration.

Despite the will and efforts of the TARDIS, the Virus caused many of these possible to interact with both the “preserved” Eighth Doctor and the War. These interactions include:

The Doctor’s decay into an evil and twisted final stretch of his Eighth self, claiming the role of Grandfather Paradox and leading a parody sect of the Faction into a full blown invasion of War Queen Romana’s Gallifrey (the Battle for Mutter’s Cluster).

The creation of Daedalus, a similar result of the Doctor twisting into something evil and nasty, though also affected by the anti-laws of the Enclave and the Obverse (author speculation).

A timeline where, following their defeat of the Ice Warrior invasion of 1997, the Doctor and Bernice Summerfield never parted ways, and in fact, became a decades-long romance of adventure, thrills, and sweaty gin-flavored love. This timeline was powerful enough to interact with Danny the Fish, a galactic weapons and artifacts trader who was part of Ulysses, Larna, and Saldaamir’s coalition. Declaring the encounter with this rouge history “Contact,” Danny the Fish warned Saldaamir before destroying his base and collection. This situation is, very possibly, the reason the “normal” Bernice Summerfield encountered Mr. Saldaamir on Mars… he was checking in on her timeline.

The Eighth Doctor manages to realize the threat his body carries before the Battle for Mutter’s Cluster, and forces himself into retirement. When the universe, perhaps expectedly, falls into chaos, he spends a century training someone to “carry on the work.”

The Eighth Doctor’s early life takes a sidestep following his regeneration at San Francisco… after leaving Benny, he meets Gemma and Samson Griffin, travels with Mary Shelley, loses the twins to Davros, and then saves Charlotte Pollard from her predetermined death on the doomed R-101 airship.

(Of these five examples (of which there are, undoubtedly, many more), the single most important is the path to the salvation of Charley Pollard. By breaking a fixed point in time, Charley’s life causes Anti-Time to seep into the continuum… or at least, it will. This timeline will be discussed in following sections of this chronology, following the Battle of Mutter’s Cluster and the end of the War in Heaven.)

The Eighth Doctor protected by the TARDIS, traveling with Fitz and Compassion, encountered the War twice more. He and his companions were present at the Time Lord plot to release the Fendahl from the time-looped Planet 5, in a catastrophe that leads to the destruction of the War power of the Celestis. This would be the Doctor’s final encounter with the War as seen by the Homeworld of the War King.

Following this, the Doctor, Compassion, and Fitz encounters the remnants of the Daleks Empire, convinced that they are the destined enemy of the Time Lords, and the Klade, the future evolution of the Daleks from the Needle. The Klade represented part of Joyce’s contribution to the War, an anti-War coalition dedicated to fighting the enemy during the War, but also determined to ensure Last Contact is not disturbed or altered before the War. The details of this event are hazy and unfinished… almost as if one (or several) of the War powers attempted to erase it. However, despite all attempts, the Doctor is the individual who spurs the Last Contact, facing down the future enemy as they obliterate the Dalek fleet. At that point, the Doctor realized that the War is unavoidable.

After this, the Doctor reconnects with his Gallifrey, and sees that the War has touched it as well. It is unknown whether the Gallifrey of War Queen Romana is the original, or if the Homeworld of the War King (formerly ruled by Umbaste) is the original, or if neither are the original. The horror of the Nine Homeworlds is that all the Gallifreys are valid, each carrying their own “ghosted” Spiral Politcs, each carrying their attempts and destinies, each producing and making their own eight other Homeworlds.

However, Romana’s Gallifrey had not yet entered the War. With the Battle of Dronid looming and Last Contact passed, War Queen Romana learned of the destiny of Compassion, and demanded that she be found and forced to breed the ships of war required. Following Compassion’s evolution into a timeship, one unprecedented (at least in the eyes of this Homeworld), she, the Doctor, and Fitz became fugitives, chased by Romana’s forces throughout time and space. The Doctor’s TARDIS, under the strain of trying to hold all her pilot’s timelines together, was presumed destroy, exploding into nothing.

The Doctor, Fitz, and Compassion would finally fall into the hands of the Doctor’s own possible future self, the Eighth Doctor corrupted and twisted by the biodata virus into “Grandfather Paradox.” Leading a violent and evil (if parodist and untrue) branch of Faction Paradox, this “Grandfather” planned on invading Romana’s Gallifrey, conquering its Matrix and rewriting its history, and becoming the force to properly fight the enemy. During this invasion, the “Faction” succeeded in infiltrating the Matrix and irreversibly damaged the history of the planet, erasing this Homeworld’s version of the other eight “bolt holes,” ruining the Panoptican, and other feats of temporal chaos that ranged from the mischievous to the catastrophic.

(The Doctor’s TARDIS, corrupted by the Virus into a horrifying, bone-like Edifice, but still using her will to hold her pilot’s history in one piece, watched the conflict like an impassive storm, high in the skies of Gallifrey. The “Edifice” was using IM Foreman’s Bottle Universe for extra power, accidently leaking the Bottle’s Chronology into the “Prime” Universe [5]).

In the end, the Doctor defeated his darker self, but at the price of Gallifrey. In a collision of the Dust Timeline and the Metabilis III Timeline, in a flash of chronic displacement, in thunder and fire and smoke, the entire Constellation of Kasterborous was decimated, and Romana’s Gallifrey, a crippled, decaying rock of temporal paradox, was blown to smithereens. Compassion took her leave of the Doctor, abandoning him on Earth in 1890. The Doctor, now amnesiac and lost, was doomed to live through a century of Earth’s history while his TARDIS, her form as the Edifice destroyed, regrew. Fitz patiently awaited him at the beginning of the 21st century. Compassion came to fulfill her role in the War in Heaven, the City of the Saved awaiting her final decision.

This conflict, the Battle for Mutter’s Cluster, was noticed by the Homeworld of the War King, but the event, despite the implied “undoing” of the War, had little other effect on the War in Heaven. In face, the destruction of Romana’s Gallifrey proved just another chapter in the history of the War. Despite the Eighth Doctor now, technically, never retired to Umbaste’s Gallifrey and dying on Dronid, the Doctor still retired to Umbaste’s Gallifrey, died on Dronid, and the War began, and raged through Lolita’s plots, the fall of the true Faction Paradox, the rise of the Osirian Court, the evils of Sutekh.

The Doctor, Fitz, and a select few others (to be expanded on later) were left in the Oxbow Reality “Post-War Universe” a phenomenon created by the Doctor’s connection to the noosphere of a destroyed Gallifrey, and the connection to a “Ghost Spiral Politic” carried with it. This Post-War Universe, despite being an Oxbow to the reality of the War in Heaven, nevertheless was real and solid (Oxbow Realities become very important to this chronology, as will be seen). Now completely separated from the War in Heaven, the Doctor found himself in a universe where magic began to seep through cracks, physical laws began to unravel, and ancient evils began to stir. The universe of the War in Heaven raged without the Doctor, while he faced a new existence, the time of the Time Lords dead and gone.

But the time of the Eighth Doctor had only begun its next great chapter.

Meanwhile, the timelines and possibles of the Biodata Virus spun off into their own universes, their own Bottles, their own pockets, or merely dissolved in the quantum foam… except, the timeline that led to Charley Pollard surviving the R-101’s destruction. In fact, while the amnesiac Eighth Doctor began his life in the Post-War Universe, the Time Lords dead, a disconnected reality began to solidify and stabilize, and a very different War began to build its forces on the distant, uncertain horizon…

[1] Guess who.

[2] Mr. Saldaamir fancied himself a champion of time. As a survivor of the “Time Wars” waged in “early Time Lord history,” he showed temporal sensitivity and possibly suggested San Francisco as a base due to the time damage there. (He also believed that the Time Lords, instead of creating causality, ruined causality, suggesting that maybe, his race used to be “Time Lords” wiped out by the Anchoring of the Thread, hence the memories and origins linked to a “Time War.”)

[3] “The Veil.”

[4] The previous sections of this chronology have provided a focus on the War King’s Homeworld that could suggest this author’s belief that it is, in fact, the original. Do not be fooled, this author has absolutely no goddamn idea where the original Homeworld is. Most of the information of the War in Heaven is merely centered on that Homeworld, hence the focus. Romana’s Gallifrey, whether or not it is the original, dominates the immediate pre-War years, and very clearly believes it is the original.  

[5] Several elements of the Doctor’s history seem to have originated in the Bottle, but once these events leaked into the “Prime” Universe, they are completely indistinguishable and tied into the history of the Spiral Politic as if they originated there. 

Previously...

The Book of the Ceasefires: The Eighth Man Bound: Introduction 

The Book of the Ceasefires: The Eighth Man Bound: Now Unto War

To come…

The Eighth Man Bound, Part Three: Journey to the Needle

And…

The Eighth Man Bound, Part Four: The Gallifrey of Charlotte Pollard