#shipping as god intended lmao

[the-iron-orchid]

Jinana’s Birthday Renderpalooza! 

Requested By: @vissentasenadz

There’s no heterosexual explanation for this

[hoardlikegoldenirises]

also: using my powers for evil

edit: added a version with a scar cause i was looking at my timeline notes and realized he should be getting that soon... also cause it's hot.

edit 2: added the extra dark blue i'd forgotten under peter's armpit

[angorwhosebabyisthis]

not to be Edgy but nive with canon!nine 🙏

[cha-melodius]

💜 + dealers choice on ship.

💜 surprise kiss / impulsive kiss (hellooooo and thank you, I originally thought of branching out but then did firstprince anyway lmao. read all the kiss ficlets)

“And the Oscar goes to… Henry Fox!”

For a moment, Henry just sits there, stunned. This wasn’t supposed to be his year; yes, he’d gotten a lot of critical acclaim for his role, but he was going up against lots of huge names. Acting legends, people who had been in the industry for ages. Honestly, Henry hadn’t been able to convince himself this was anything more than a courtesy nomination. Then again, he always did feel the shadow of his father looming large during these times. Alex always used to call him out on it, used to help him see that he was more than just his father’s son—ironic, considering their first meeting. Maybe that was part of it, that Alex was the only one he trusted to be totally honest with him.

But Henry hasn’t had that for the past year. Hasn’t had Alex. Who is, as last year’s winner, the person that’s just said his name up on stage. Christ, he has to go up there now and say something coherent, when the only thing he can think of is how much he misses the man standing up there, smiling at him. How much he regrets what happened last year that tore them apart, and how he can’t stop wondering if there’s any way to repair the damage. Just now, Alex doesn’t look mad at him, but then again, he is an exceptional actor.

There are four other actors Henry has to shake hands with before he reaches Alex—and his Oscar. Honestly the little gold man has nothing on the golden god standing before him in a burgundy velvet tux. Henry sticks his hand out, unsure, but Alex hauls him into a crushing hug, his lips close to Henry’s ear as he whispers, “I’m so fucking proud of you, H.”

Maybe Alex is a great actor, but Henry knows him, to his bones. Knows what he sounds like when he’s trying to hold back real emotion. Knows that Alex could have sent him off with a handshake or a slap on the back and no one would be any wiser. And Henry knows, in that split second, that what he’s going to do will make history.

Henry pulls back just enough to look him in the eyes, and he can see the moment where Alex realizes what he intends to do. He relaxes his grip, but Alex doesn’t withdraw, so Henry does what he should have done a year ago, in front of the entire theater and millions of live viewers: he draws Alex into a kiss. As Alex kisses him back, grinning into like he’s the one who’s just won an award, Henry knows that, whatever else happens tonight, this will be the only moment that matters to him.

The cheers from the audience are deafening.

[leighsartworks216]

This request is actually inspired by my fic I'm writing and I wanted to see your interpretation of the scene.

Tav is the daughter of a well known pirate, basically the black beard of Baldur's Gate, but after an attack that lead to her father and alot of the crews death she roamed Baldur's Gate until the mindflayer thing happened.

Currently, she and everyone are at a tavern, celebrating another successful quest and honestly still being alive when she hears a familiar song and she sees four old crew members (family) she thought was gone. What is your interpretation of the scene, how would Astarion would react to the news, and seeing her reuinte with her family?

I did not expect this to turn out as long as it did lmao

Astarion x fem!Tav/Reader (can be read as gn)

Warnings: fear of abandonment, alcohol/drinking, swearing

Word Count: 2,123

Main Masterlist

Baldur's Gate 3 Masterlist

AO3

Tag List Form

The tavern was lively and bustling on the evening you and your companions squeezed in, the sun beginning to paint the sky in dramatic colors as it sets. Almost instantly, your party's spirits are lifted - yours included.

Finding a table for 7 people is no easy feat, but you manage to snag one in the corner. Drinks were served around, jokes about the battle you’d just endured and old stories of lives before the Illithid threat fill the air with an easy camaraderie. It reminds you of your father's ship, of the crew that raised you. Thinking about them again left a bitter taste in your mouth. Astarion must have noticed the distant look in your eye. He reached under the table for your hand, interlacing your fingers easily, and trying to catch your eye.

You smile at him, but your eyes are still glazed over. “I’m just thinking about my family, is all,” you tell him, as though it’s as mundane as thinking of what one needs to get from the market to make dinner. You’d told him of your father, his crew, the ship - and what happened to it. It’s been months, but it’s still too fresh. You still wake up in the dead of night from visions of colossal waves that pull your head under, and screams cut short with the slice of a cutlass. “This… reminds me of them.”

He offers a concerned smile, though it comes out as more of a grimace. “I’m flattered we remind you of drunken sailors,” he drawled sarcastically. It worked to get a laugh out of you, if nothing else.

“Drunken pirates,” you correct. He watches the smile slip, your eyes become distant once more, water pricking at the corners.

Astarion had a… complicated relationship with family. He couldn’t remember his parents, and the “family” Cazador provided were less-than-welcoming at best. As such, he never really knew how to comfort you in times like these. Not that he knew how to comfort anyone, really, but he wanted to try, at least.

“Gods,” you sigh, choked with emotion, “I miss those daft fools.” You lean your head against his shoulder. He maneuvers to wrap his arm around your middle, holding you close, and takes your hand again. “We used to celebrate like this,” you mumbled. His elven ears picked it up easily. “We’d drown the night in ale and groan about it in the morning. Played knife-throwing games as our visions start to spin and double. Sing songs at the top of our lungs, like screaming it would scare away any monster at sea.”

You sigh again. Though he can’t see your face, he can see when you use your free hand to wipe your eyes. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be burdening you with this.”

“Darling,” he hums, squeezing your hand, “we are technically in this together. Your burdens are mine and all that. In any case, you’ve carried all of our burdens, even when you didn’t have to. I’m only returning the favor.”

“Thank you.” You lift your head from his shoulder to kiss his cheek. He grins, all too pleased with the simple affection you lavish on him. “Now, enough wallowing.” You clear your throat and grab your tankard. “This is a celebration. And I intend to be too drunk to walk before the night is out.”

He sighed dramatically, lifting his goblet of wine. “And I suppose I’ll be the one to carry you back to camp?”

You smirk up at him, a glint in your eye. Like this, he can imagine you as the pirate you are. Swashbuckling and taking down other ships, climbing up ropes to the top of the sails, peering out from the crow’s nest for any sign of adventure. Dry land did not suit you, he thought.

But then came the thoughts that always followed. If you did return to the sea, to your old life with a new crew, after these tadpoles are removed, he couldn’t follow. The only reason he’s safe from the sun and the burn of running water was because of the damned, wriggly things. He couldn’t follow you onto a ship to be locked away in confined cabins until night, or help if the waters chose to fold over the deck in great big waves, threatening to take down the vessel. He couldn’t have that life. Not with you.

Your head was thrown back, neck bobbing with each gulp of shitty ale. You did not see the pain on his features those thoughts brought him. He tossed back the last of his wine.

You stand and gather the empty mugs of your companions, bright-eyed and ready for round after round (Karlach only encourages this.), when something sounds across the tavern. It’s a rather large establishment, and the bustle of other patrons covers up everything. But it’s there. Loud and boisterous and-

You rush to step over the bench and find the source of the noise. Astarion frowns and chases after. He’s right on your tail as you push through drunkards with half-formed “Excuse me”s and “Coming through”s. As you get closer and closer, the sound becomes clearer. It’s not just noise - it’s singing. A cacophony of voices all singing together.

You squeeze past a barmaid, nearly knocking the drinks from her hands, but the apology is lost when you see a table full of drunken pirates. One starts to take a swig mid-song, when his eyes land on you. He’s on his feet - Is that a peg leg? - in an instant, dropping the tankard carelessly to the table.

“Tav?” he gasps. The rest fall silent, turning around to see what the man was gawking at. They thought he was imagining it, as he’d done time and again since the attack. They all leapt up and rushed forward when you were more than a figment of their alcohol-addled minds.

Astarion was pushed aside as a horde of pirates surrounded you, hugging you and ruffling your hair and all speaking hurriedly with worry and joy. He can’t ignore the pain in his chest, as though someone had driven a stake through his heart. You hugged each one, misty eyed. Questions fell ceaselessly from your lips as you asked how they survived, what happened, what they’d been doing all this time. And he knew. He knew without a shadow of a doubt. He could not hope to be more important than your family. He couldn’t be the one you chose - not when you’d recounted your friends with tales of the open ocean and your father’s crew for hours.

He quietly backed away. The others ask why you rushed off and what was happening when he returned to grab the bottle of wine. He wasn’t too sure what he said. He’d like to think it was some sort of “They found their family” said with a charming grin, and a simple, but believable, excuse to go back to camp not like a dog with its tail tucked between its legs, but like a vampire with things that need doing back at camp. Alone. With a bottle of wine.

Your eyes are red and your smile is about to burst off your face when you drag your pirate family over to meet your companions. You’re bouncing on your feet with energy, introducing everyone and nearly crying again when the pirates embrace everyone like family. Your heart is soaring when you look around for Astarion, searching around the table, the bar, the crowd. And it starts falling when you don’t see him anywhere.

“Hey, have any of you seen Astarion?”

Gale groaned as he was released from a bone-crushing hug. He winced as he held his shoulder. “He said he was heading back to camp.”

Your heart crashed firmly against hard cement, leaving cracks in the foundation. “Back to- Why? Did he say why?”

“No,” Shadowheart answered this time, trying not to get caught admiring the intricate braid of another crewmate. “He just took the wine and ran.”

The warm environment suddenly felt cold and unwelcoming. Was he uncomfortable with your family? They were known to be rather callous and loud - maybe they’d scared him off? Was the idea of confronting their family just too stressful for him? Did it bring up unwanted memories? Why… Why did he run off?

You touch an older pirate’s arm, letting them know you’ll be right back. They smile and nod and pull you in for one last hug. It feels bittersweet. You dash off from the tavern back to camp.

When you arrive, he’s uncorking a second bottle of stolen alcohol, frowning and grumbling and pacing. He’s so deep in his thoughts, he doesn’t notice you’re there until you say his name. He frowns deeply at you. “Shouldn’t you be catching up with your family?” he asks, but it’s bitter and cold.

You frown. “I wanted you to meet them. Why’d you leave?”

He looks away, focusing instead on taking a long drink from the bottle. It’s had no time to air out; he almost grimaces at the flavor. He pretends to read the label. “It was getting a little crowded in there,” he dismisses.

“So you leave without saying anything?”

“Well,” he begins, drawn-out and sarcastic, creating a barrier between you and his emotions, “you were busy. I’d hate to get in the way.”

You huff. “Astarion, please, just tell me what’s wrong!”

“Nothing.” He scowls. He begins pacing again. “Nothing’s wrong! You’ve found your family again! I’m so happy for you.” He spits the word like it burns him to say it.

“Is that what this is about? My family?”

“No.”

“Then what is it?” you plead. “What’s wrong?”

“YOU’RE GOING TO LEAVE!” He sighs at his outburst, glaring at the ground. His feet are locked to ground, refusing to move closer or further away - because he can’t decide which would be better. “Once this is over, once we figure out how to remove these tadpoles, you’re going to run back to the sea. To a ship, with your family. And I can’t follow.” He scowls at himself. He hates laying out his thoughts, his feelings. It feels too vulnerable. He feels exposed. “You won’t stay on land.”

You won’t stay with me.

A silent war wages on in your head and in your heart. You’re torn in two directions - forced to choose between the people who raised you, the last fragments of your father and his ship, or Astarion, your vampiric lover. It’s painful.

You step forward slowly, like he’s going to startle and run away like a frightened rabbit. He doesn’t move. And he doesn’t look at you. The bottle in his hand feels too heavy.

“I love my family,” you start. You can see in an instant as his walls come back up. His face, still upset and angry, becomes stoic and defensive. “And I love the sea.” You stop in front of him. “And I love you.”

He closes his eyes, prepared for the rejection.

“I… I had a whole life on the ocean.” Your fingers brush his hand. It twitches involuntarily, wishing to hold you, for just one last moment. When he doesn’t pull away, you tangle your fingers with his. “I want to see what a future on land would be like.”

He swallows. He opens his eyes, but he can’t look at you. He looks instead at your hand in his. “And when you decide a life on a ship is better than hiding in the shadows with me?”

You pull his hand to your lips, kissing his knuckles. He watches longingly.

“If I decide to sail again,” you accentuate your words with a kiss to the meat of his thumb, “I’ll come back. Over and over again. I’ll sail for a week and stay with you for a month. I’ll sail a month and stay with you a year. I love you, Astarion. And I will always choose you. And when we find a cure for vampirism, you can come with me.”

He huffs a laugh. “I’d be a poor excuse for a pirate.”

“You can scrub the deck.”

He finally meets your eyes with a playful scowl. It softens into something quiet and sad. “I don’t want to tear you from your family.”

You shake your head, stepping even closer. “You’re not, I promise. Now that I know they’re alive, I’ll be damned if I don’t keep in touch. But all they know is the sea. They have no reason to stay ashore - they’re heading out with a new captain next week.” You cup his cheek with your free hand. He sighs and leans into the touch. “I want to stay on land for a while longer.”

---

Tag List:

@satelliteapotheosis @hypopxia @flsalazar @beverlybeav @angelofthorr @emiemiemiii @marina-and-the-memes @lynnloveslokiredacted @aurasyn @furblrwurblr @cappsikle @mjmygd @thegirlsadventuresinwonderland @mheerdraws @kindadolly @bloopthebat @chesb0red @black-star1472 @sessils @olitheghostboy-blog @puppyg1rl666 @maruichio @cyber-dump-171 @cherifrog

[plounce]

rob plounce's ffxiv fic reclist

this will update as i continue to find stuff i enjoy. (it also exists as a page on my desktop blog!)

disclaimer: this is just stuff i’ve read that i’ve enjoyed! i have my own favorite characters and pairings, so my reclist skews heavily towards those. i’m not super into in wolshipping, so there won’t be much of that, sorry! i have not read everything in every pairing and character tag, so don’t take this as a comprehensive guide. these are just things that i liked and think are worth reading.

fics are noted with wordcount, pairing (or as gen), and rating (e = explicit). * means it's been recently added to the list.

spoilers ahoy!

scions

*flight of an anorak (17k+, G) gen - urianger childhood backstory fic with transfem urianger! incredibly well-characterized urianger narration. breaks my heart and brings a smile to my face with every update.

lost and found (8.8k, T). gen, light moenuri - you know how moenbryda’s parents basically adopted urianger after they basically abandoned him? this fic is about that. also urianger autism :)

while eating (2.2k, G) gen - more baby autistic urianger with bastard parents. sob. at least moenbryda’s parents are there.

foster (1k, G) gen - pre-canon, thancred overhears fourchenault and louisoix talking about him.

second impression (4.8k, T) gen - fourchenault is a bit more of a classist bastard than in canon and is a dick to thancred, but gets past it. mostly. thancred does his best.

the stars in their abundance (2.7k, T) gen - pre-canon from the perspective of g'raha’s mom in corvos!

cross (1.1k, G) gen - minfilia and thancred clean up the mess of thancred’s possession.

your song, carried onwards (4.9k, G) gen - thancred’s rescue of alisaie from the WoD in the hvw patches.

a stranger in the woods (4.3k, E) thancred/marcechamp - you know, the guy from tailfeather in heavensward? they hook up. thancred gets taken care of.

dust in your eyes (8.8k, T). background ships include wolchefant, wolcred, and haurchefant/urianger, but is mostly about thancred being a sad bastard who is always too slow, too late, and trying to be his best self but not totally succeeding. and haurchefant being a great guy. good character stuff.

how massive is the spirit in us (2.2k, G) gen - ryne character introspection… makes my heart hurt.

testing the waters (1.8k, G) gen - thancred teaches ryne to swim.

the shimmering light (2k, G) gen, light thanuri - urianger settling into the bookman’s shelves. fun il mheg worldbuilding.

almost crystal, almost ascian (10k, T) gen - minfilia and the exarch meet up a few times over the course of a century. their parallelisms. the horror of being “minfilia.”

off the hook, provisionally (974, G) gen - y'shtola talks to the exarch in the wake of 5.0 about his deception.

among the shelves (5k, G). gen - the twins and ryne hang out and talk about the other scions.

portentous news (842, G) gen - urianger’s first morning on the moon in the middle of endwalker.

adventures in unlikely friendship (23k, T) gen - wol+cred friendship! i really like these. the bozja one is delightful. passively-suicidal bestiessss

void parsley sojourn (4k, T) gen, light thanuri - urianger hotboxes the rising stones. very charming depiction of urianger as a weed nerd. makes me laugh and smile every time i read it!

there is (maybe) an ascian among us (11k, T) gen, minor side pairings - post-endwalker, the scions try to get to the bottom of a conspiracy about thancred, who just wants to grill for gods sake! comedy.

two scions walks into a bar… (26k, T) gen, but eventually thanuri - a series where the author intended to just analyze and write about thancred & urianger’s relationship as gen, but then slid into shipping lmao. covers ARR-early STB with a bit of post-SHB. great character work for both of them!

respite, despite (25k, T) thanuri - urianger pining from pre-5.0 to the close of endwalker… good pining, good urianger misery, good romance. wagh!

erasing all the lines in the sand (30k, E) thanuri - mutual pining, miscommunication, coparenting! bookman’s shelves fic.

(in parantheses) (9.9k, M) thanuri - thancred's rescuing of minfilia, time in the first, and the mental stress that emet-selch gives him due to ascian trauma during shadowbringers. also getting together with urianger.

sleepy-eyed soldier (4.6k, M) thanuri - elidibus puppetting ardbert's body brings thancred’s ptsd over having his body used by lahabrea roaring back to the surface in the form of nightmares and hypervigilance. (mind the CWs)

trouble in paradise (2.3k, E) thanuri - transfem urianger!!!! :D :D :D great kind-of-an-asshole thancred character work. hurting each other but trying to fix it.

sole conundrum (412, G) thanuri - pre-edw garlemald scouting mission. urianger autism :D

three of swords reversed (3.2k, T) thanuri, moenuri - urianger dealing with grief over moenbryda and thancred in the later half of endwalker.

another sunrise (5.8k, T) thanuri - post-edw wanderings - urianger deals with a mystery, sudden solitude, and a crisis of doubt! ends happily.

take root in this barren soil (and grow back stronger) (7.4k, E) thanuri - thancred shares what the training regimen of a sharlayan spy entails, not expecting urianger to react so strongly.

to wander is a dream (46k, M) thanuri - post-edw. i don’t tend to enjoy hanahaki fics but this fic is so so so good. thancred being an emotionally stunted asshole, urianger being the world’s most beautiful martyr (for better or for worse), lots of fae stuff, both of them struggling to not be repressed.

why do we forbear? (9.3k, E) thanuri - modern au fake dating, which would usually not appeal to me but this one’s real cute. (currently unfinished)

*to care for those we love (11k, T) ryne and her parents, thanuri - ryne drags thancred to the bookman’s shelves and does her best to administer first aid in urianger’s absence. each chapter is from one of the trio’s pov - i’m usually not super into 1st person, but this fic uses it really effectively in imparting each character’s mindset. it’s very sweet!

ancients

on call (2.5k, T) hythades - emet-selch goes out of town, and hyth is asked to step in for a soul-seeing duty. and he futzes with emet-selch’s office.

mail run (840, G) hythades - “A young archival intern keeps finding completely legitimate reasons to do all the deliveries to a very specific Bureau of the Architect clerk. For no reason at all.” young love!

as stars to a sky (1.8k, T) hythades - little vignettes about life in the pre-sundered world.

the seat of destruction (13k, M) hythades - canon-divergent au where hythlodaeus is the one to take the seat of emet-selch, and the sundering still happens. my favorite ascian!hyth work.

affective memory (9.3k, T) hythades - pov from the shade of hythlodaeus as he wanders around emet-selch’s reconstructed amaurot.

for good health and opportunity (14k, T) pre-emetexarch - emet-selch visits the crystal exarch numerous times over the course of a century. frenemies!

other characters

“nero tol scaeva did nothing wrong”… (5k, G) gen - a bunch of job npcs try to arrest nero for driving without a license. goes about as well as you might think.

biohazard (1.1k, G) gen - nero hates valens’ ass. not because he has “morals” or anything he just thinks valens is a dogshit project manager.

left in the dust (3.9k, T?) cidnero - ARR nero finds amnesiac marques working in the lichyard. miserable little man.

adrift in memory’s fog (16k, T) cidnero - cid’s frequent bouts of amnesia have led to a patchy memory - enough where he forgets that he and nero were betrothed as teenagers. (trans cid!)

the troubled envoy (1.3k, T) gen - maxima’s diary entries during the stormblood patches, including his thoughts on his weird boss.

the last abandonment (1.9k, M) gen - maxima wanders the ruins of garlemald and reflects on his time in the garlean left. by the same author as above - i really rec all their maxima fics.

this cathedral where your face stains the windows (2k, G) ysayle/igeyrohm - “Someone had to teach Ysayle summoning.” great ysayle heresy stuff + toxic yuri.

this blessed day (80k, M) gen - lucia’s journey from a captured garlean spy to aymeric’s right hand. lucia……

cadavre exquis (6.4k, T) gen - emmanellain helps pack up haurchefant’s things at camp dragonhead ft ishgardian homophobia and an underground queer zine scene.

the lantern jar (19k, T) cirisadu - OH MY GODDDDDDDDDDD. this fic is so good. cirina and sadu growing close. lots of development of steppe spiritual traditions and beliefs.

duet (13k, T) estivrtra - estinien encourages vrtra to live more fully as a dragon. cool dragon stuff.

a view of you (14k, M) estivrtra - estinien gets fatally wounded, and vrtra keeps him alive via a great sacrifice (sadly unfinished, but what’s there is a great read)

veteran advisor (15k, E) vrtra/estinien/gaius - really great gaius character work here where he and allie are on vacation in radz-at-han, and the impact that has on both of them. but also? it's mostly about big!varshahn getting railed. good for him!

this home wrested forth (2.5k, T) gen - sidurgu from DRK quests and alaqa from WHM quests meet up and deal with some gridanian wrongdoing.

a fervent desire (111k+, E) sanson/guydelot - an incredibly in-depth retelling of the BRD quests. great work developing these characters and giving them really in-depth motivations!

and love you shall find (9.8k, E) sanson/guydelot - BRD quests, but what if sanson journals as an accommodation for short-term memory loss?

[platonically-loving-alastor]

Aroace Alastor

Hoo boy here we go- This one might make some people mad at me, so I'll preface by saying I do not want to start a fight and as long as you respect my business, I'll respect yours. But let's get this over with-

First off, I genuinely don't understand how some people can see the Ace-In-The-Hole quote and still believe that Alastor is only intended to be asexual and not also aromantic. Yes, the term Rosie used for purpose of the pun was 'ace', but can we look at the context of that moment before jumping to conclusions?

Rosie, motioning to Charlie: "Oh, who's this you brought with you? Come now, Alastor, she's much too young for you! Oh, I'm just kidding. I know you're an ace in the hole!"

Her original statement implies nothing sexual, only that he's involved in a relationship with Charlie, and she follows it up with why she knows that couldn't be because he's an 'ace in the hole'. I don't think you have to read too far between the lines to see that.

I would also like to say that when Vivienne has spoken about his orientation before, I recall her saying that she didn't want to confirm him being aromantic so that she wouldn't 'ruin anyone's fun', which I just feel like is an odd thing to say if she wasn't already explicitly picturing him as aroace. If she thought he had romantic attraction, why wouldn't she just say that? What fun would that ruin? I also feel like keeping things like this ambiguous just to appease the shippers is a little weird, but I digress-

And to those of you who I know are saying "But aromantic people can be in relationships too!!" *deep inhale* yeah I know. I'm not gonna pretend you're not right about that, but there are also aroace people who have exactly 0 interest in romance or sex at all. This is the part of the post that really is based on how I interpret certain moments, but to me he is absolutely one of those people. I don't really know where people get any vibes of him being interested in that stuff. I have never once looked at him and thought "Yeah I could see him in a romantic relationship with *insert character here*". Even aside from attraction in general, since that's what we'd be talking about at this point anyway, he just seems like the kind of guy who'd rather work and live independently instead of relying on anyone, whether practically or emotionally (which is also probably part of the reason he never joined the Vees, but that's another topic entirely). Hell, I'm pretty sure he's in heavy denial about even developing any kind of care or friendship with the people at the hotel (ie. the episode 8 scene with him and Niffty).

The only ships I see him involved in with people he doesn't hate (so ignoring RadioApple, RadioHusk, and StaticRadio. But to be real, maybe the fact all his main ships are enemies to lovers coded says something about the whole situation, but that's just me-) are Charlastor - which I will not even try to discuss here, people aren't gonna like this post as it is - and RadioRose. Rosie and him would at least be fair, if it weren't for one thing (which is also personal opinion on my end), and I don't know exactly how to word it. I'm tempted to say she has wingwoman vibes? But she knows he's aro, so that's not the right word, but there's vibes of like, she probably did act as a wingwoman before she realized that about him or something.. There's also something about her joking around like "Oh this is the girl? You have a girlfriend and I'm only now meeting her?" is almost giving motherly behavior. Idk man they're just besties to me, I could see them in a QPR though (not that they'd probably label it that way, considering the word queerplatonic is likely just complete gibberish to Alastor lmao).

So to summarize: It feels incredibly likely, if not practically canon, that Alastor was written with aromanticism in mind, even if Vivienne refuses to explicitly state it. Subtext and not-that-subtle implications can say just as much about a character as word of God, especially when that God has explicitly told us why she won't confirm or deny this information. Do I think any of this will stop people from shipping him romantically with literally any other character? No ofc it won't, and that's okay, that's just what fandoms do. I do think there's something to say for the fact the one aroace (or even at the very least asexual) character gets constantly shipped with everyone else in the cast, but this post is long enough I think. The only point of posting this is that I wanted to get information out there in one post to say "Hey, let's look a little bit past the surface for a second before saying there's no proof of him being aromantic"

Anyway, thanks for reading, I hope you at least took something away from this

[garfield-mug]

Could I maybe request some cozy comfort with Jake? A rainy day spent inside with him or something like that, whatever you’re up to, thanks in advance!

A/N: i passed my chem exam so here's a treat! idk how i feel about it, but i don't hate it. would've gotten to this sooner but had halloween plans this weekend, which were very fun. hope you like it! also, i'm getting back into using desk top and it's.... different lmao. also not proof read too hard, so please excuse any spelling or grammatical errors. also, requests are still open!

synopsis: in which you want to remember all that you can during your time with jake.

word count: 1.1k

warnings: none, just hurt/comfort and fluff, no use of Y/N

It didn't rain often in San Diego, but when it did, it poured. As was the case today, plans for spending the day at the beach long forgotten. Jake was home, which seemed to be a rare occurrence with his long shifts on base mixed with the occasional deployment. A day off for Jake was not to be taken lightly, or for granted, and you didn't intend to. So here you both sat, in your home, sharing a blanket as you watched a movie. You'd tucked yourself into his side, legs over his lap, as he rubbed gentle circles over your back. You'd felt your eyes growing heavier and heavier with each pass of his hand. You take a deep breath and nuzzle your face into his chest.

"You keep doing that and I'm gonna fall asleep."

Jake stops his ministrations, smiling softly. "Close your eyes if you're tired, honey. Not much else to do today."

You love Jake, you really do. You love most everything about him. You especially love spending time with him because time seems to be the thing you can never find enough of. You know him well enough to know that he feels the same way. You're comfortable with him in a way you aren't with anyone else, which is why you don't really know why the feeling of shy embarrassment starts to creep up your throat and crawl through your insides. It's why you can't bring yourself to look at him when you say, "Wanna spend time with you. Can't do that if I'm sleeping, lovey."

Jake exhales, pushing a small laugh through his nose and places a kiss to the crown of your head. "Baby, we have all day to spend together. You can sleep for a few hours. I'll still be here when you wake up."

You sit up straighter so you can see his face, still finding it difficult to look him in the eye. Jake's expression changes to something more serious as he takes in your change in mood. He brings a hand up to your cheek and you lean into his touch. "Honey, what's wrong?"

It takes a second for you to gather your thoughts so you can actually for coherent sentences. Even when talking with Jake, undoubtedly the love of your life, being vulnerable was difficult. You knew he would listen, and god was he a good listener. You knew he wouldn't ever make fun of you or throw it back in your face. Still, that persistent little speck of doubt took root in the back of your mind, always imagining the worst-case scenario. You take a deep breath.

"I just... I want to remember the time I spend with you because I feel like we never get enough. And I don't want you to think that I think I'm not a priority for you or that you don't try to make time for me because I don't. I don't think that. I know you try so, so hard. It's just that we both have different schedules and sometimes you're shipped off for months at a time and I know you can't control that. It's not your fault, but it just really fucking sucks when you're not here, so I want to get as much of you as I can."

Your cheeks are warm, your neck is warm. You can kind of hear the blood rushing past your eardrums and you know you're sweating. Your hands would be shaking if you hadn't pressed them together. You kind of wished you could run and hide, but you knew that wouldn't make anything better. Jake is looking at you, bright green eyes boring into yours. His gaze is intense, it always is, but especially in these instances where you have his full, unwavering attention. Jake feels his heart squeeze in his chest, almost in disbelief at what he just heard.

He knows being vulnerable is difficult for you. It's difficult for him, too. He walked around with walls up, constantly on guard and keeping those he knew (except for a few) at arm's length. Until he met you. You, who came crashing into his life with your shining eyes and radiant smile. You, who managed to tear down his walls piece by piece, brick by brick, until there was nothing left standing between you and his heart.

Jake sighs, "Baby, look at me." He brings a hand under your chin to get you to look up at him. "I love you. I love you so much that it hurts. I love spending time with you, too. It doesn't matter what we do or where we go, just that I'm with you. If you're sleeping, so what? It just means I get to hold you. I get to make sure you're comfortable and warm and safe. I get to rub your back and kiss your head and I get to see your face."

Jake has both hands on your cheeks, now, rubbing his thumbs gently over the soft skin under your eyes.

"You look so peaceful when you sleep." It comes out as an almost-whisper. "You may not remember, but I do. I see your face and I know I'm home, I'm safe. I may not be here as much as either of us want, and we may have schedules that don't always line up, but, Baby... any time I get to spend with you is time I wouldn't want to spend any other way. Snoozing on a rainy day or not. I got you in my arms and that's all I need, Babydoll."

Jake's cheeks are warm, his neck is warm. He can kind of hear the blood rushing past his eardrums and he knows he's sweating. His hands would definitely be shaking if he wasn't holding your face right now. He kind of wanted to run and hide, but he knew that wouldn't make anything better. You are looking at him, big bright eyes boring into his. You feel your heart clench in your chest at his words. No one has ever made you feel so loved. You're misty-eyed, smiling up at him like he's just hung the moon and stars. You bring your hands up to cup his cheeks, pulling him in. Softly, you press your lips to his. The kiss is soft and sweet.

"I love you, Jake Seresin." You rest your forehead against his. He pulls you in for another kiss, this time deeper than before, leaving you both a bit breathless. He settles back into the sofa and you follow his lead, lying on his chest. He begins to rub gentle circles over your back.

"Go to sleep, darlin'. I'll be here when you wake up." Jake places a kiss to the crown of your head as you doze off for a cozy afternoon nap.

[enteisabo]

hmmm....

Ace/Sanji "Need a hand?"

or

Buggy/Alvida "Stop clowning around!"

ACESAN NATION LET'S GOOOOOO this turned out very flirty but very tame LMAO.... thank you quin, this was very fun to throw at the text box. no editing no betaing i'm just GOIN give me a character/ship and a word/line of dialogue!!!

He wasn't intending to stay around for long, but Ace could never ditch the promise of free food and drink, nor could he pass up the opportunity to do his due diligence as an older brother to check out Luffy's crew. Of course, bullheaded and selfish as the kid is, he's surrounded himself with loyal and wonderful people; Ace doesn't need to be worried, and he wasn't--not really, anyway. Luffy's instincts are sharper than any other part of his mind. He's an honest and instant judge of character, and if he didn't trust these people with his life, they wouldn't last a day under his leadership.

Luffy's always looked for companionship and made families out of everyone around him. Seeing these people give him hell and have his back in equal turn has let Ace know that this loyalty is true. It's how his own new family act with one another, after all.

But that doesn't mean he isn't still curious about them. So it's for curiosity's sake that he's still here, still analyzing the crew. Luffy laughs the most with Chopper and Usopp, and listens the most to Nami and Zoro. The entire crew seems extremely protective of Vivi, but he can't really blame them, can he? He's seen what Alabasta is dealing with.

But that leaves this Sanji character. He picks fights with Zoro every time he opens his mouth near him, he worships the girls--there's nothing quiet about the way he presents himself. He's easy to read, or at least... it's easy to see what he wants Ace (and everyone around them) to read.

After their meal, Ace is left alone with the blond in the galley, sitting at the table with what remains of the mess, and he fills several seconds with a steady gaze and wandering thoughts at Sanji's back as he bustles around to clean up. Sanji is clearly one of their strongest, but the way his body is built is different from Zoro and Luffy. He's strong, sure, but it's leaner muscle, meant for speed and dexterity. Between that, the baby blues, the clothes, and the hair, well...

Ace wonders, a little, if this is similar to how Sabo would have looked. The thought brings a thin smile to his lips, and he rests his chin in his hand, eyes zeroing in on the back of Sanji's head.

"Need a hand?"

Ace is no stranger to doing dishes. He's also no stranger, these days, to being polite. After all, the etiquette he focused on learning has been forefront in the way he interacts with people he wants to like him.

But... Sanji reacts in a way he isn't quite expecting. He freezes up, is actually startled by the offer, it seems.

"Oh--no, no, you're a guest with us. You don't need to help out." And that smile is in a color that Ace recognizes. It's genuine, a crack in the persona, and gods is it sweet. A lance straight through the heart for Ace, and he knows immediately that this guy's not used to people extending that brand of kindness.

He certainly doesn't think Luffy's ever offered to wash a dish.

So that smile widens a bit, and Ace gets up to his feet, wandering up behind Sanji and putting a hand on his shoulder.

"No point in eating all your food if I'm not gonna pay back the favor, right?"

But Sanji just shakes his head, even though he gives in and hands him a stack of plates.

"Feeding the hungry isn't a favor, it's just what you're supposed to do."

Ace remembers how it was as a kid with Dadan. You hunt or you don't eat. Sure, it built character, and Ace never really did go hungry, but it was never something that he didn't have to earn.

The dishes land in the side of the sink already half-filled, and Ace starts up the water to fill the opposite basin, rolling his shoulders a bit before he starts in on the washing.

"If feeding the hungry is your purpose, it's no wonder you're with Luffy. He's a bottomless pit." He shouldn't sound so proud of that, like it's something he nurture on purpose, but Sanji sees the glow in Ace's demeanor, apparently, because it gets a quiet laugh out of him as he joins him to start the drying.

"You don't seem to have any room to talk. Runs in the family, huh?"

"You have no idea," Ace laughs, the grin fixing itself into place as he remembers how much the three of them would devour. A whole camp of bandits, and half the food went to three snot-nosed brats. "But with your food," he adds with a pointed look, "it's no wonder he's always asking for more."

Now, Sanji doesn't necessarily seem like the modest type, but Ace catches the hint of blush on his cheeks as he scoffs, trying to brush off the compliment like he's never received praise in his life.

"Of course he is. He's going to be King of the Pirates, so I'll make sure he eats everything he needs to get there." Sanji's tone is full of honest conviction, but Ace doesn't miss the deflection.

"You know I'm complimenting you now, right?" Ace teases, elbowing Sanji slightly and watching his ears go red. It's funny; he never seemed interested in any attention but the girls', but Ace had a feeling this wouldn't go over badly. So much so that he lets his hand brush Sanji's as he passes him a utensil, and tilts his head to catch his gaze--all nervousness and flustered charm from the cook, but met with calm and collected ease from Ace.

"You're an incredible cook and a strong fighter, Sanji. My brother's lucky to have you. So..." He leans in a little closer, and swears he can see the moisture evaporate out of Sanji's mouth and throat. And hell, Ace is known for his heat, so he might as well lean into it. He glances from his eyes down to his mouth, and back up, eyelids falling just a bit.

"... don't let him take you for granted."

Sanji doesn't seem to know what to do with himself. He's frozen, with as much in the mix of fear as there is confusion, attraction, embarrassment; Ace has just done something incredibly complicated for him, and he can see that. And it's that twinge of fear that has him reaching up and patting his shoulder before he pulls away from the situation, wandering toward the door. If Sanji has hangups, he's not gonna push them.

"Thanks for the food. And for letting me give you a hand. Let me know if you want another, yeah?"

He's pretty sure he hears Sanji choke when he steps out of the room.

[ecoterrorist-katara]

hello hello! can i just say, i love your takes so much. it feels like you’ve read my mind on how katara would actually react in certain situations. currently myself, im rewriting the structure of the show in a way that makes more sense (aka, getting rid of kataang altogether and focusing on actual growth for each character including aang!) and im struggling a bit on aang actually!

we know how brykke basically stunted aang’s growth because of their weirdness. but what if aang never had a crush on katara? what if he sees katara as the big sister he always wanted instead, making their relationship more wholesome than weird? i think he’s such a centralized character, but when i develop the others beyond the show, aang feels like he’s left behind.

maybe that’s part of it too! he is a boy out of time, and now more of a concept than a person as far as anyone else outside of his immediate group knows. in this au where i intend to age everyone up, i’m just curious to see what kind of man aang would grow up into if his motivations for katara was never there. i see him as trying to hold onto his lost childhood and then having to come to terms with the fact he can’t. but i’d love to hear your thoughts. who is aang outside of that? his journey has the opportunity to be so fascinating, but brykke kind of said hey! let’s not get into that! let’s make him a creepy god boy who gets whatever he wants!

(also to note, this version of aang is meant to be with azula and while i love the meta ive seen about taang i do personally hc her as a lesbian but i do like them but yeah!)

also sorry if this is too rambly i’m just very excited!

hi! This is such a nice message, and please never apologize for rambling! My blog is a safe space for all ramblers. Your fic sounds like a very exciting project!

I definitely agree with you that he’d try to hold onto his childhood & have a hard time with his grief; coming to terms with the depth of his loss would be an exceptionally interesting arc. His people were victims of genocide: his culture and his loved ones were brutally murdered. Nobody can replace that community, not even his chosen family of the Gaang, and certainly not a romantic partner.

But Aang certainly is somebody outside of all that tragedy too. I think his cheerfulness and optimism, his playfulness, his resilience, his reluctance to assume responsibility, and his prodigiousness are all important facets of his personality.

Here's my piping hot take: Aang is James Potter with a more tragic backstory and less of a cruel streak. Think about it: mischievous, funny, adventurous, brave, enjoys attention, popular, devoted to friends, prodigious, entitled when it comes to love interests, morally inflexible, dedicated to Good, can be too arrogant to recognize his own faults. We hear that James became a pretty decent guy, so there's plenty of potential for growth for Aang, especially if he doesn't get his forever girl at age twelve.

Aang has a big heart and stringent morals, but is still a bit of a trickster. Not in a malicious way, but in a “I have a zest for life way” that gives him a little bit of an edge beyond just being a sunshine boy. You can see this even in ep 1, when he sacrifices himself so that the village would be left alone, only to haul ass out of the Fire Nation ship as soon as they’re safe. You can also see it in The Great Divide, where he straight up just fabricates history lmao. Lying is not an issue for him at all, which indicates it’s not really part of his moral code.

On the other hand, he obviously feels very strongly about taking life, which indicates a black and white approach towards morality that is not uncommon in kids. I could see an older, more mature Aang being led to question his own approach to morality, particularly by someone like Zuko, who probably finds violence a lot more palatable than lying. I think there are very interesting cultural differences that can be explored here, which doesn’t necessarily mean that Aang will change his opinions, only that he’ll have greater respect for how other cultures see right and wrong, and that he can keep Air Nomad culture alive without taking on the burden of being the manifestation of that culture. He has the innate impulse to try to see the best in people, which is at odds with his black and white morals sometimes. Related to that, he really struggles with morally grey characteristics in his friends. I think that if he had a fleshed out opportunity to properly disagree with his friends, he may not necessarily change his own mind, but he might grow to value his friends' freedom of choice over imposing his own values on them, since one of the cornerstones of Air Nomad philosophy is apparently about freedom. I think his pacifist voice is an important contribution to their ragtag group of overpowered pre-teens and teens and I love it when that aspect is explored in fics.

I've seen some really good depictions of Aang-not-obsessed-with-Katara in fanfiction (Southern Lights has my favourite one; in fact it's my fave characterization of basically everyone except for Mai). I see most of his flaws as things he can grow out of, but only if he encounters difficult situations and learns to grow. Have fun with your fic, and please do share in any relevant tags once you start posting!

[were-changing-cake-vaults]

Who’d Even Look Me In The Eye

“You realize we’re screwed, yeah? There’s no getting out of this unscathed, Wem. We’re dead meat.”

He laughs, an empty little breath. “We’ve been screwed since the beginning, Squiddo.”

Hello and welcome to my partykillers manifesto. They rotate in my head like rotisserie chickens constantly so it was inevitable that this fic would be written lmao

This isn’t ship! At best this is a doomed toxic friendship trying to mend itself and failing. If it came off as ship, uhhhhhh. Whoops I guess. Idk interpret it as you want ig I just didn’t intend it to be romantic.

Content warning for mention of vomiting and general lifesteal violence, title from Kiss Me, Son Of God by They Might Be Giants (which is THE Team Nuke song. To me)

Please reblog if u liked it and enjoy!!!

Wemmbu is sitting on the edge of the crater that used to be 4C’s base when Squiddo finds him. He’s idle, swinging his legs back and forth over the yawning gap below, leaning back on his arms as if he were simply enjoying a nice sunset. Conveniently, the sun is in fact setting, orange and pink hues filtering through Squiddo’s glasses. The final few rays reflect off of Wemmbu’s polished crown, scattering light like pockmarks of the wreckage.

Squiddo doesn’t approach him right away. She wasn’t exactly looking for the man- they were simply wandering, as a Squiddo often does, their feet guiding them as thoughts ran wild in their brain. Her feet and scattered mind brought her here either by coincidence or fate, and it’s never in her favor when she walks into a situation blind like that. Around Wemmbu especially, with how he can change at the drop of a hat, laughing one moment and snarling another. It’s best to watch him carefully, first, see how he’s acting when he thinks he’s alone before entering the fray. For that reason, Squiddo hides behind one of the boulders that came careening down in the explosion, hidden eyes trained on the man twenty feet away from them.

They don’t find it strange that he’s devoid of any tension while surveying the wreckage. This is his coup de grace, his shining achievement; a monument of his sheer power in a world that wants to beat him down. There’s a fondness in Wemmbu’s eyes as he casts them across the landscape, soft smile reaching them without any effort. Contrastly, if Squiddo weren’t focusing on analyzing him as if he were some sort of crossword puzzle that was being particularly difficult, they’re pretty sure they would be full to the brim with a manic sort of regret- small fits of laughter would bubble up from somewhere in her chest, despite a lack of a smile. And then she would probably vomit over the edge, because guilt does that to them.

Here’s the difference between Wemmbu and Squiddo, as partnered as they are: Squiddo never wanted this. The first time, when it was just a mean move on the chessboard in a family diner, it was fine. It was funny, even, to watch as people she had just gotten to know fall lifeless, their souls yanked backwards at a million miles per hour. That was part of the game everyone had agreed to play. This—the air strike, the destruction, the days of stress, the sound of Wemmbu’s screaming demands echoing through their head—was a step too far for them, even if 4C had agreed to it, and she had initially been willing to pitch in. Maybe it was because working on the nuke itself had worn them down to skin and bones, sleep abandoning them in moments of need, but something had switched in her head upon watching the TNT fall from the sky. Something in them screamed wrongness, and suddenly, instead of pride welling up at finally getting the damn thing working, regret surged into her for letting this happen. For having a hand in it. The sharpness in Wemmbu’s voice as he made his ultimatum—something he never clued her and 4C on—only solidified that feeling in her stomach.

Speaking of Wemmbu, he’s still just sitting there, kicking his legs. From this angle, Squiddo can’t entirely read his face, but there seems to be no tension as far as they can tell. He’s in his element, something she hasn’t seen from him since the nuke went off. It’s not odd in any manner, it’s just…off putting. Disconcerting. Something Squiddo can’t make an accurate prediction out of. But if fate brought them here, surely it meant something, the same way it must’ve meant something for them to join lifesteal in the first place, so she steadies her resolve and lifts herself from the crouching position she took upon seeing him.

They can tell exactly when he’s alerted to their presence- in an instant, his posture tenses, fingers digging into the rough terrain. His crown jostles a bit as he silently tries to locate the sound. It’s easily missable, those little quirks, but Squiddo knows Wemmbu better than anyone else on this server. She’s had to pay attention to those quirks for days on end, before. She can read him like a book if he lets them. Knowing him, he won’t give them the chance.

“Y’know I can hear your footsteps, Squiddo,” he calls out without moving.

“How’d you know it was me?” They reply, but they know the answer already. Wemmbu just huffs a laugh in response. So far, the tension in the air is minimal- both of them are holding their breath, keeping it light as if their friendship hasn’t been atomized three times over. She can almost pretend that nothing has changed, if it weren’t for the visual reminder in front of them.

Wemmbu doesn’t keep the game up for long, though. “Why are you here?” he asks, and the familiar sarcastic bite to his voice makes itself known between words. It’s less of a question and more of a challenge, a test to see if they’re worthy of his presence. “I thought you hated me, or something.”

That’s odd, Wemmbu getting vulnerable so quickly. Squiddo knows it’s an act, his way of lowering her own guard so he can lure them in, but she’s not entirely mad about it. As much as they wish he would just take the hits as is rather than scheming his way out of every mildly uncomfortable situation, they know it’s in his nature to put up the front as quickly as possible. Usually, the banter lasts longer, is the thing. He’s particularly bothered by them being here. They don’t know if they like that or not.

Instead of lingering on it, though, she moves on, ignoring the sentence that was tacked onto his question. “You know me. I wander. Ended up wandering here.”

“Right.” Translation: cut the bullshit, Squiddo.

The huff that comes out of her is a mix of frustration and relief. It’s still the same old Wemmbu, and that’s both good and bad news. Which Wemmbu it is, Squiddo doesn’t know, but they’ll take their chances on it being the one that won’t kill her on sight.

He doesn’t move when she walks up to the edge and sits down next to him. His sword, if he’s even got one on him, stays in his inventory. The only change between either of them is that Squiddo starts swinging their legs in sync with his, hands gripping the edge of the crater to keep balance. She pointedly doesn’t look down- as much as she dislikes Wemmbu’s lack of tells, she doesn’t want to show her own, and the queasiness would eliminate her already weak poker face.

For a long moment, both of them just watch the sun set in front of them. The air smells of smoke and iron, the lingering traces of their actions hanging heavy on their shoulders. Grass has begun to creep through the cracks in the rock, nature claiming the wreckage as its own once again. For anyone else, it’s beautiful. To Squiddo, it still is, but the gentle beauty is easily trampled by fear and guilt.

It’s Wemmbu who breaks the silence, voice flat and casual. “I don’t regret a thing, you know.”

Her tone is similarly flat. No tells. “Distinctly aware of that, yep.”

“Don’t get me wrong,” he continues, leaning back on his palms, soft smile gracing his face again, “it was hell. Building the nuke, I mean. Those schematics are burned into my retinas to the point where I could rebuild it blindfolded. I tried to, once. Spoke caught me before I could finish.”

“Were you gonna use it?”

He shrugs. Lets the silence between them simmer, as if he’s just enjoying the view. Knowing him, he probably is.

“Eh. Wouldn’t’ve done much, probably. Most likely would’ve just blown up in my face.”

More silence. Something Squiddo knows about Wemmbu: he doesn’t trust silence. This situation is probably eating him alive, with the way they’re dancing around the metaphorical elephant. It’s eating them alive, too, waiting for his reaction, for him to settle on a mood. She swallows her desire to just start crying, or laughing, or something. Now’s not the time for that. Now is the time to just get on with it, either by playing the game of chess he’s laid out with this conversation, or push him off the cliff while he’s vulnerable.

Her voice is steady when she speaks. “I don’t know if I regret it or not.”

“What, like it wasn’t exciting?”

“Our definitions of exciting are very different, Wemmbu.”

He chuckles at that, as if it’s another late night at the launch site and they’re goofing around again. “Squiddo. Squiddo. You can be mad all you want, but you can’t deny it wasn’t at least a little bit fun.”

He’s trying to get a rise out of her, she knows. She hates that it’s working. She hates that they’re sliding back into normalcy. She hates that she can imagine 4C next to her, swinging his legs in time with her. She lets that hate seep into her next words.

“Fun?! Fun was when Zam and Minute were dressed as the FNaF animatronics celebrating my fake birthday. Fun was when you would be away and me and 4C would dick around the launch site like children. Fun was 4C undulating in the wiring! Fun was messing with the secret controls! Fun was filling spawn with water! You?,” Squiddo gestures to the landscape in front of them, shadows forming as the sun dips below the horizon, “This? This was a living nightmare, Wemmbu! And I-“

She cuts herself off with a huff, falling back onto the rocky soil behind her. Tears are making their glasses fog up, so she takes them off, pressing her palms into her eyes to ward off any frustration. The breath they didn’t know they were holding releases from their chest. Wemmbu doesn’t move from his spot on the cliff edge, nor does he pull out a weapon of some kind. He must be in a really good mood today, if he’s not killing her for that jab against him.

In front of them, the sun finally dips below their view of the horizon. Stars speckle the darkening sky. In any other situation, Squiddo could watch them for hours; in this one, they break the silence with a quiet, wavering conviction.

“You realize we’re screwed, yeah? There’s no getting out of this unscathed, Wem. We’re dead meat.”

He laughs, an empty little breath. “We’ve been screwed since the beginning, Squiddo.”

She knew this. Those same words have been going through their head over and over, spurring her to pace, get out, go somewhere. Hearing it from him, though, is a heavy weight on her chest, one that makes the regret swirling in her stomach do flips.

“Then why’d you do it?”

“What else was I supposed to do?”

“I don’t know, not set an ultimatum that couldn’t be fulfilled?”

By the sound of rocks rustling and pebbles tumbling down the side of the crater, Wemmbu has finally stood up. He takes the time to dust himself off, hands brushing against fabric in an almost rhythmic manner. If Squiddo opens her eyes, she can see him standing over her, arms crossed and eyes unreadable, assessing her as if she’s under a microscope. It doesn’t worry her as much as the fact that her eyes were closed around Wemmbu does.

After what feels too long of an analysis, he speaks, falling into his typical tone of monologue. “Power is a fickle thing, Squiddo. It’s not just you have it or you don’t. You have to earn it in a manner that no one has done before, and it never lasts as long as you want it to. But oh, I wanted it. I joined the race for power on a server where everyone has done everything to get it. I had to take the risk.

And you know, maybe it wasn’t worth it. You said it best. We’re fucked. No matter what we do, in the long run, there’s no getting out of this alive. But I have at least some time left before it all goes to hell, so I’m gonna make it count. Every second of it.”

The difference between Wemmbu and Squiddo, as partnered as they will be: Squiddo never wanted this.

Wemmbu holds out a gloved hand. The black contrasts nicely with the neon purple of his skin, bloodstains barely noticeable. Most of that blood is probably Minute’s, if they had to guess. “You’re along for the ride, as much as you claim innocence. Might as well stop crying about it and make it count too.”

They take his hand, hoisting themself up with his help. That heavy feeling hasn’t left their chest, but it’s something Squiddo knows how to live with by now.

“Never said I was claiming innocence, Wem. I was just mad.”

“Aren’t we all, Squiddo, aren’t we all.”

The reason Squiddo keeps teaming with Wemmbu, as different as they are: neither of them know when to stop.

For a long moment, they both just stand there, looking over the crater. In the moonlight, it takes on an eerie sense of calm, a silent mourning underneath the cover of night. That calm washes over Squiddo as she watches the patches of grass away in the breeze. Then Wemmbu turns to leave, shoving a hand in an unseen pocket and placing the other on their shoulder.

“You never answered my question, by the way.”

This time, it’s her who lets out the huff of a laugh. “About hating you? Can’t. I try not to hold grudges, if you can believe it.”

He laughs back in reply, a hearty thing combined with a layer of sarcasm. “God, you sound like Minute, the freak. I don’t think that man is capable of having a mean bone in his body.”

“I have no clue how he’s survived this long, honestly.”

It’s nice, as much as Squiddo doesn’t want it to be, talking to Wemmbu again. Her mind brought her here, and it’s probably because she needed it- she cares about her other server mates, of course, but the same way she knows Wemmbu, he knows her. No one else can rile up their audacity the way he can. No one else can make her feel okay with living in a war zone like lifesteal. Ash tried, but Ash is a different breed of player, and works on a different playing field. Squiddo sticks with what she knows, and she knows Wemmbu, as unfortunate as that can be.

And yes, they’re screwed, but for a moment, underneath the sparkling navy sky, Squiddo pretends that both of them have more time than they do.

[callmehere-iwillappear]

20 Questions For Fic Writers

this has been sitting in my drafts for probably months and i actually don't remember who tagged me at this point sorry </3

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

26

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

168,724

3. What fandoms do you write for?

currently just rise but i've had some other fandoms i've written for in the past

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

call me here (i will appear) Use Only For Intended Purpose The Idiot's Guide to Blindfold Chess new phone who dis because i fear i'm lost (and i cannot be found again) wow big surprise(/s) all of these are rise al;jfldksjfkd

5. Do you respond to comments?

i try to but uh </3 i am not very good at it

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

ummm. probably waiting for answers, wasting time bc even if u know the comfort and healing comes there very much isn't any in the fic itself so whoops </3 i am not good at hurt/no comfort so i don't. have a lot of fics that would really qualify

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

uuhhhhh ig fibonacci? most of my fics have relatively happy endings and. this is the one with the least angst overall so

8. Do you get hate on fics?

not yet thank god

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

i do not alfjdlkjfkdls

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

imma keep it real with you chief most of the crossovers that i've written are with other people's aus and idk if that counts

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

not that i know of fingers crossed

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

nope

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

yeesssss? sorta? it's not like, on ao3 but i've done some collab crossover stuff with friends (see aforementioned crossover question)

14. What’s your all time favourite ship?

god idk. i don't do a lot of shipping these days sorry </3 i have some ships i think are cute but i'm not like, into them enough to say they really qualify

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

i want to finish idiot's guide and cmh very very badly and i refuse to jinx it. idk abt npwd solely because of like the type of fic it is, idk if it'll ever be finished finished yk. like there'll always be more little scenes i can do

16. What are your writing strengths?

um. i've been told i'm good at character voice

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

sweats nervously

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

i don't really do it? i probably wouldn't unless it was like, just a couple words - i don't mind too much when other ppl do it bc i have a translation extension on my laptop but i don't have many options when i'm on my phone

19. First fandom you wrote for?

doctor who........ i was like. god idek. fifteen? maybe younger i straight up don't remember <- also none of this is on ao3 this was like, back in my ff.net days and i don't think i even remember my login lmao

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

hmm hm hm. okay. probably because i fear i'm lost. just bc like... idk i'm proud of how it turned out and i'm really . idk. happy with the reception it got. i'm happy it reached people who can relate to it. and it's short enough that there's not like, enough space for there to be parts where i just have to force myself to write stuff i'm not 100% happy with to fill in the gaps. if that makes sense

tagging: You

[captain-hen]

you answered an ask a couple days ago about how you're not sure Why tommy is even into buck... and oh my god i couldn't agree more!!! like with buck it's like, at least we know he's doing his old thing of falling into relationships too fast, because he was Obviously jealous of tommy in 7x04 and not eddie, but when tommy kisses him he has such a big realisation about himself that it doesn't even register to him to think deeply on why he even is going on a date with him. like, a typical buck reaction. but why is tommy interested? all episode he and eddie were hanging out and doing stuff together and genuinely would've made a little more sense for tommy to kiss him. idk it's just very frustrating to see the least substantial relationship buck has been in be treated as the greatest. i was so frustrated with bucktalia and they had so much more chemistry than these two. what are they even doing. where are they going.

yeah lmao. the way this relationship was set up would have been fine, i guess, if tommy had stuck around only for one or two more episodes as originally intended...but now they're actually dating, and assuming he doesn't get the ali/natalia/marisol treatment, s8 is gonna open with them having been in a relationship for months and the audience is still not gonna know the first thing about why tommy actually likes buck 😭 it's actually baffling how people are satisfied with this, you shouldn't have to be dependent on headcanons and subtext to know why these characters in a CANON ship like each other!!

[lily-alphonse]

Do you have any fandoms that you want to write for someday but haven’t? Or just a fandom you’re quietly into? ~

I'm amazed you guys like me yammering but I will never stop as long as the asks keep coming lmao. This is such a good question thank you my sweet (I will get to your ship asks asap I promise)

I am fairly nomadic when it comes to fandoms actually, if I want to write for one I do so pretty much right away. That's how Ive managed to rack up 14 fandoms in 8 months (on AO3).

That being said, I do have unposted WiPs that belong to fandoms I haven't yet written for.

ATLA: I still really want to write that Earth King fic. If it was a simple smut I would have done it already but alas the idea has become complicated (ie: long)

Pixar Cars: CARS FIC MY BELOVED IM CHOMPING AT THE BIT FOR MY CARS FIC lol ever since I started my current longfic Ive wanted to write a Doc x Lightning human AU longfic but I can only allow myself one longfic at a time or I get overwhelmed

Mario: Donkario smut. Lol. I know no one cares about it but me, but I will do it eventually (ESPECIALLY because one of my favorite Donkario bookmarks got deleted??!?!!?! Yall dont delete your fics I beg 😭)

Finding Nemo: (Yeah more Pixar but I imagine the fandoms are pretty separate idk) Another human AU where I pair the sexy old mentor with the young guy (age gap yaoi my beloved) But it's also a gang AU!

The Road to El Dorado: I thought about this one recently, I don't actually have any plan whatsoever but MY GOD do I NEED to write for this movie. It is literally so primed for shipping every which way it's insane. Why is everyone so hot? Why is this movie so incredibly bisexual?

Literally all of these are smuts which is great because my account is now way more full of T-rated fics than I ever intended lol. Pretty much just me going back through my childhood favorites and sexualizing everything. That's what becoming an adult is right? Idk no one's taught me.

Thanks again for the ask! ♥️♥️ If anyone has questions about any of these my asks are open

[femalefemur]

twenty questions for fic writers!

thank you for the tag @stellewriites @gemmahale 💖💖💖

1. how many works do you have on ao3?

Four, I really need to add others to it but I keep forgetting to.

2. what's your total ao3 word count?

4,637

3. what fandoms do you write for?

Call of Duty

4. top five fics by kudos

Well there's only four of them so all of them lmao

5. do you respond to comments?

I try to! I don't think I actually get that many comments on my writing honestly.

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

Oh god, I honestly have no idea there's a few, I don't know if this counts but maybe the soulmate au?

7. what's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Depends on who's happy lmao, maybe Medicine because I just think it's lovely and sweet.

8. do you get hate on fics?

No, I don't think I ever have.

9. do you write smut?

Occasionally, I'd like to write more so that I become better at it.

10. craziest crossover:

I don't even know, probably something from back when I was a child with Bleach.

11. have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of.

12. have you ever had a fic translated?

No but I wouldn't mind it.

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

What is counting as co-writing but no not that I can think of.

14. all time favorite ship?

I can't just pick one so SuperBat and WinterIron.

15. what's a wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

None, I intend to finish them all even it takes me until I'm a hundred years old.

16. what are your writing strengths?

I honestly don't know, I haven't ever sat down and analysed my writing in that way, maybe premises though? I think I come up with good premises.

17. what are your writing weaknesses?

Everything lmao, probably pacing it, I think I have things happen too quickly and I need to stretch out the pacing of it more.

18. thoughts on dialogue in another language?

It depends really, it definitely has its place. If I were to ever write dialogue in another language though it would be in Latin for the exorcists AU, I don't think I'll have the need to write dialogue in another language apart from that instance.

19. first fandom you wrote in?

One Piece, I was a very small child and writing about being a pirate.

20. favorite fic you've written?

I Would Rip My Teeth Out For You, it was the first fic I wrote for COD and it holds a special place in my heart, I also like the dynamic between Soap and Ghost in it.

no pressure tags 💖:

@tawus @solivagantingrebel @losersimonriley @cordeliawhohung

@pfhwrittes @homicidal-slvt @crashtestbunny

[dukeofdelirium]

It's funny because there are actual fandoms that Zutarians could take part in that would satiate this need to assert that two characters would make for a compelling couple. Heck, Cloud x Sephiroth is a literal vicious enemies story that makes for great fic. Light x L are thematic parallels that are forever tied together. If they want a couple that was robbed, look no further than Emma and Sean from Degrassi. I wouldn't mind them but blatant lying is a pet peeve of mine and it makes this being in the ATLA fandom hard because they constantly lie.

I agree lmao like I don’t even care about the ship itself, it’s literally the ship fandom and how the overwhelming majority of them distort the canon and try to ruin the canon characterizations of the characters just to try and force it to work? like.. be normal lmao. enjoy your fanon ship. why are you trying to force it to make sense canonically? it isn’t canon, never has been, never was intended to be, and never will be. there’s nothing wrong w shipping fanon pairings idgi..

Most of them I think just are obsessed w the enemies to lovers trope and try to project that onto Zuko and Katara even tho it like.. doesn’t work w them 😂

But what do I know? The only “enemies to lovers” ship I actually give a fuck about is L x Light (lawlight) and even then I don’t actually want them to be normal or wholesome. I very much want them to still be enemies but also have crazy sex and make out LMAO. I want them to be enemies AND lovers at the same time.

Idk I don’t get the obsession w trying to paint Aang as this horrific monster just to make Zuko look better or something 😭 like they did all this for what? be normal and write fanfic like the rest of us my god