#some of these tags sound like search terms i'm sorry

[sl33py-g4m3r]

glass desert best gadget slots for later area? and teleport hub~~

what's a good teleporter spot for further in the glass desert? looking for a good teleporter spot for extractor resources mainly~~ found one near the dervish shrine; right before the big oasis before the fountain, there are 3 slots for extractors by the hole and cave that a dervish plort statue is, and I looked around the area and counted 5 slots counting the teleport one?

I could be very wrong tho~~

what's a good teleport spot for later in the glass desert that has good access to the area and extractor slots?

found one that I wanted to use but it was by the mosaic shrine, there were a few of them tho~~

have one right before the teleport at the beginning to access both the ancient ruins and the beginning of the glass desert~~ I think I'm good enough running through there I can go ham with echo nets~~

I hope I've found good teleport spots for the other areas too in regards to extractor collection, as they're right in the central areas...

where do I put one in the glass desert? is by the dervish or mosaic shrines worth it? are there better spots?

I don't want to waste a diamond and resources only to have to get them back, even though its gonna happen anyway, lol.

also what's a good source of pink plorts? I have one pink/rock largo tank that I started with, but if I'm making things continually, it can't keep up....

do I make a tank of purely pinks and have no favourite food? or go pink/mosaic or something? but now I don't have room for anything else that wouldn't be dangerous~~ unless I use the spare plot I have that's almost behind the lab~~

idk~~~

everything else I can quickly gather resources and drop them in a refinery link... the desert tho.... idk where the best gadget slots are in relation to being almost at the end of it......

help.....

speaking of where's the best area for a teleporter hub? I've got everything in the area of the ranch before the dry reef.... (moss blanket, indigo quarry, ruins before the glass desert, and eventually a later glass desert one)

is there a better location for this? those with a refinery link right as you reenter the ranch again.

is there a better way to do this?

can't find a map of gadget slot sites~~ do any even exist?

guess I'll put the teleport where I was initially thinking and see how it works~~

or use the end game "final hobson message" location~~ idk~~~

me being indecisive instead of playing (and enjoying) the game, lol

[guiltyasdave]

come morning light

chapter 2 • series masterlist

pairing: Joel Miller x f!reader

summary: An injured Joel and Ellie stumble into your home in the middle of the night. Against your better judgement, you decide to help them.

word count: ~2.5k

tags/warnings: post outbreak, slow burn, found family, age gap (sorry not sorry), able-bodied reader, angst, reader has a sad sad backstory and ptsd, hurt/comfort, fluff, eventual smut, vague description of an injury

a/n: i'm finally finished with chapter 2, and once again nervous af about it haha. there's not terribly much happening in this one, but i promise we'll get there, it just needs the buildup :)

thank you @catchallfangirl for beta reading <3

follow @guiltyasdavenotifs for fic updates and find my full masterlist here :)

dividers as always by the lovely @saradika-graphics 🤍

You don’t feel like you’ve slept at all, but after hours of tossing and turning in the darkness of your bedroom, you think it’s probably time to get up. 

You’re halfway convinced that last night’s events were a product of your imagination, that your mind has felt so lonely that it conjured up the whole scenario. But when you step out of your bedroom and find the door of your parents’ bedroom only halfway closed, the way you have never left it before saying good night to Ellie earlier, you have to come to terms with the fact that this might actually be your reality. 

Ellie seems to be sound asleep, a lump under the covers, softly breathing, but when you head to the living area and switch on one of the smaller lamps, you’re met with the piercing glare of Joel. He’s still lying on the couch, much like you left him, still pale, still dark shadows under his eyes, but he’s much more awake now, his gaze following your every move. 

“Hey,” you say softly, sinking down on the same armchair that you sat in when you watched him last night while Ellie took a shower. You suppress a shudder at the way he regards you, his eyes flicking up and down your body, taking in your size, you presume, searching for weapons. Your gun is tucked into the waistband at the back of your pants, which you’re sure he’s already aware of. You don’t like the way he makes you feel, like somehow you’re intruding on him. You should have the upper hand, this is your home and he’s injured, you helped him for crying out loud, and here you are, nervously watching his every move. You did the right thing. It’s gonna be fine. 

“Where’s Ellie?” he asks, ignoring your greeting, his voice gruff. 

“Sleeping,” you reply, nodding your head to the bedroom door. “She’s okay, I promise.” 

Some of the tension seems to release from his body and he slumps back down a little, but the distrust in his expression when he looks at you doesn’t waver. Then again, you’re probably not much different. 

“Look,” you sigh, “I’m not playing some kind of game here. You came into my house, I saw that you needed help, so I helped.” You try to infuse your voice with as much confidence as you can. “Don’t make me regret that, okay?” 

He shrugs, a noncommittal grunt the only verbal answer. It could potentially be interpreted as a thanks, you guess. In a less tense situation, you’d probably grow annoyed by now. Shrugging yourself, you get to your feet and head to the kitchen. Anything to escape the way he’s watching your every movement.

“Hey, do you want coffee?” You don’t really want to offer him any, but you’d feel weird drinking it yourself without asking. 

He pipes up at the question, head turning in your direction, his face the most open that you’ve seen it yet. “You have coffee?” 

“Yeah.” That’s why I’m fucking asking. 

“I– yes.” A breath, a second of him not meeting your eyes. “Thanks.” 

You smile, small, fleetingly, busying yourself with the ground beans and the boiling water, reveling in the smell that slowly spreads throughout the room. It reminds you of happier times, when the world was still normal. 

He has pushed himself into a sitting position, breathing heavily, when you walk over to hand him the steaming cup, still careful to keep your distance. 

After you sit back down, the both of you stay silent for a few minutes. You enjoy the bitter taste on your tongue, the way you slowly feel your energy rising. 

“Does it hurt much?” you ask eventually, gesturing towards his stomach. 

Another grunt, the hint of a head shake. 

“So it does.” He opens his mouth, the protest most likely already on his tongue, and you raise an eyebrow. “I have painkillers, are you sure that you–”

“No.” It comes fast, his voice raised, no room for arguments.

You instinctively flinch back at the unexpected louder sound, the cup shaking in your grip. You set it down on the table in front of you. Have your hands free, just in case.

There’s a hint of regret in his eyes, his free hand slightly raised, palm open. He’s trying to calm you down, you realize. 

“Okay,” you breathe, working hard to keep your voice steady, “no painkillers, got it.” 

“Sorry,” he mutters, his face half hidden, words almost lost behind the cup. “Didn’t mean to scare you.” 

“It’s alright,” you tell him as much as yourself. 

You’ve gotten jumpy, not used to loud sounds anymore, raised voices, not used to humans in general, you suppose. You hadn’t fully realized it until now, until there’s other humans around you again.

“Thank you,” he continues unexpectedly, “not just for the coffee, but– you know.” He’s struggling, the words not coming easily, but you think that he’s being earnest. “Patching me up.”

“Of course.” You nod hastily, your heart still beating a little too fast. 

Another moment passes in silence, both of you slowly sipping the coffee. He’s looking around, taking in his surroundings, eyes lingering on the closed wooden doors and the stairs leading up. You try not to get nervous about it. It’s normal that he would want to know more about where he is, after all. 

“This is the basement, right? Is it safe?” 

“Yeah,” you breathe. “No way to get in from outside.” As long as you stay inside, you’re safe.

He hums, appreciatively, you think.

“How long have you been living here?” 

“Always. It’s my parents’ house. I mean–” you laugh, but it comes out hollow, “we lived upstairs, obviously. But my dad was… kinda crazy. Or– not that crazy, I guess, all things considered.” Your lips curl into a wry smile. 

Your mind flashes back to long lectures about survival techniques, learning how to shoot, your father going on and on about first aid, hunting, all the things that you couldn’t have cared less about as a teenage girl, but were ingrained in your brain nonetheless. You’re grateful, now, but it’s laced with guilt about how often you snapped at your father, how often you told him he was paranoid, seeing dangers that weren’t there, that he was wasting your time. You couldn’t have known, the rational part of you argues. But you can never take it back now, the guilt whispers. 

When you look up, Joel’s eyes are on you, eyebrows raised in question. You shake your head, trying to clear it. Stay in the present.

“Sorry, what did you–?” 

Worry is painting his expression. “Are you okay?” 

Don’t show weakness. “Yeah, of course. Just spaced out for a second.” 

You force a smile onto your face and stand up rather abruptly, gathering both cups and putting them into the sink. Joel hasn’t moved, but you feel his eyes on you as you move. 

“Do you, um, do you want to shower, maybe? Or just wash up, I don’t know, how–” You gesture towards the dried bloodstain on his flannel, forcefully keeping your tone light. “I have clean clothes, too, if you want.” 

A shiver runs through you at the thought of going through your dad’s things, of someone else wearing them. He doesn’t need them anymore. He’s not coming back. 

You know that you’ve gone silent for too long again even before you see Joel’s expression. He doesn’t ask this time, but there’s something in his eyes that you can’t place, something that almost looks like understanding. 

“Yeah, I guess cleaning up a bit would be nice. I– thank you. Again” 

His voice is gruff and he avoids your eyes. You think that he doesn’t like it, having to thank you. Owing you. 

Giving him a nod, you head to the bedroom, hoping not to disturb Ellie, but she’s awake already, her eyes glinting in the light that’s falling into the dark room from the living area. You clench your jaw, heading for one of the drawers, trying hard not to think about what you’re doing. It’s not like he ever wore this stuff, it was just sitting down here. It’s fine, you’re fine. 

“Don’t worry, it’s not about you,” Ellie says quietly from beside you, breaking through your racing thoughts. 

You turn towards her, confusion on your face. “What is?”

“Joel,” she shrugs, still keeping her voice low. “He’s like that with everyone. He’s a bit of an asshole, really.” She sounds fond, saying it, like it’s an endearing character trait. 

A surprised laugh escapes you. “I– okay, thanks, I guess.” 

She waves it away, swinging her feet out of the bed. “No, thank you for not murdering me in my sleep.” 

“Yeah, likewise.” You shake your head, still laughing to yourself. It’s so easy to like the girl, to feel like you already know her. 

You hand Joel a pile of clothes, purposefully avoiding to look at them too closely, explain where the towels are and he grumbles his approval before the bathroom door closes behind him. 

You release a breath and close your eyes for a second. You are undeniably warming up to Ellie, finding it almost impossible not to, but her companion is a different story. 

“Hey, do you drink coffee?” you ask in the direction of the bedroom. 

“Ew, no!” comes her reply as she steps out of the door, collecting the wild mess of hair on the top of her head and securing it in a ponytail.

Her offense at the mere suggestion makes you chuckle under your breath as you busy yourself with preparing breakfast in the form of porridge instead. She’s leaning against the doorframe, watching you, her eyes wide as she takes in the cupboards full of supplies. 

You’re glad that you don’t need anything from the storeroom, keeping that door in the corner firmly closed. You want to trust her, want to trust them, but a feeling of unease still lingers at the thought of letting them know just how much you have.

Instead, you voice another question, a thought that fills you with unease as well. 

“Hey,” you begin, keeping your eyes trained on the stove, “I’m sorry, but you and Joel, there– there isn’t anything weird going on, is there?” 

“Like what?” She sounds slightly defensive, but when you steal a glance at her, she’s eyeing you with curiosity. 

“I don’t know, like…” You shrug, stirring the mixture of water and oats, “you want to be here, he’s not forcing you to come with him or anything, right?” 

“No, don’t worry about that,” comes her reply, almost amused. It was a bit of a stupid question, when you think about it, considering how worried she was about him last night, how protective. 

“Okay,” you smile at her. You’re curious nonetheless, how they ended up together and where they’re headed, but it’s probably not really your place to ask. 

You divide the porridge into three bowls and hand her one, while you carry yours and one for Joel back to the living area and set them down on the wooden table. 

Ellie starts shoveling the food down immediately and you’re left wondering once more what happened to them and when they last ate something. 

“So…” Ellie begins, her mouth still half full, “you’re just down here with all this food? Because your dad stored it here, before… things went to shit?” 

You can’t blame her for her curiosity, you’re aware that you’ve probably found yourself in a better living situation than most people. Your thoughts go to the storeroom again, basically stuffed with enough supplies to last you multiple lifetimes, especially now that it’s just… No.

You hum in affirmation, not trusting your voice and you’re thankful that she’s too distracted by her breakfast to notice anything weird about your reaction. 

“So you don’t go out hunting or anything?” comes her next question. You freeze. 

You did go hunting, back when you cared about variance in the meals you prepared, about using fresh ingredients when you could. Until there was no need for that any more. 

You realize that Ellie is saying your name, not for the first time, judging from the look on her face. 

“Sorry,” you mumble, your hands tightening around the bowl. “No, I- I don’t go hunting.”

If she finds the situation weird, she shrugs it off impressively fast. 

She nods to herself, eating quietly for a minute, before she speaks up again. “So what do you… do? Down here all day?” 

“Uh…” What is it that you do all day? Time has been blurring together, days without anything happening repeating on a constant loop. You realize that you don’t remember, can’t talk of any activities that are part of your day. How long has it been like this?

You’re relieved from having to answer by Joel emerging from the bathroom, his face pale and his breaths going heavy. He has put on the sweatpants you gave him, but his torso is bare, the skin around the injury still an angry red. 

He sinks back down into the cushions with a heavy sigh and you quickly get to work, cleaning the wound once more and giving him more antibiotics before you redo the bandages and hope for the best. Your hands don’t shake as badly as they did last night. 

Ellie gets him some water and pushes his bowl of porridge into his hands, urging him to eat, before she turns to you. She’s trying to be strong, to hide her worry, but the pleading look in her eyes when she asks you if he’s gonna be okay tells a different story. 

“Of course,” you say, giving her what you hope to be a reassuring smile. 

Joel does look better after he’s eaten something, but his eyelids are drooping and after a few more minutes, his eyes close and his breath evens out. You do the dishes and check the cameras, calming down a bit more when you’re sure that everything seems to be quiet upstairs. 

When you return to the living area, Ellie is rummaging through her pack, muttering to herself, until she pulls a book out of, proudly turning the cover for you to read it. No pun intended - Volume Too.

She starts reading them to you while you settle back down with a second cup of coffee and you share her laughs, enjoying the way it makes her look lighter, allows her to be a kid who can laugh at stupid jokes. You ignore the sting it causes in your chest because you once knew someone who would have loved this book just as much as Ellie does.

thank you for reading 🤍 if you liked this, please consider reblogging, leaving a comment or sending an ask, it truly makes my day every single time!

[sohyxn]

SLIPPED AWAY⠀───⠀HUH YUNJIN.

TAGS : REQUESTED, fluff, angst, yunjin is confused w her feelings, yunjin is too late, reader is part of le sserafim, 02 liner reader.

PAIRINGS : yunjin x fem reader, kazuha x fem reader.

REQ BY ANON : yunjin losing yn to another le sserafim member

NOTES : sorry it took so long anon, pls forgive me i was occupied w exams + writer block got me 💔 also this is kinda shitty tho, i'm so sorry in advance 🤕

it was another day of intense rehearsals for the girls. yunjin couldn't help but steal glances at le sserafim's main dancer, y/n as they performed practice together at the practice room. yunjin's heart skipped a beat at the sight of y/n's radiant smile every time.

the latter has no idea why her heart did that every time she glanced at the younger — or is it because she has feelings with her?

"no, it can't be." yunjin whispers. "what can't be?" a voice appears. yunjin broke out of her thoughts and searched for the source of the voice and she found y/n who's staring at her with a curious look. "huh?"

"-yunjin" y/n continues with a giggle following after. "you get it? huh? yunjin!"

and there, it happened again. yunjin's heart skipped a beat hearing the sound of laughter coming from y/n. again yunjin wondered why she felt like this.

"unnie." y/n said softly. "are you okay? is there something on your mind? you keep staring at the distance. you know you can tell me anything right?" the latter continued.

yunjin feels her heart race at the younger affection. "i'm okay y/n. just feeling tired." yunjin said softly. "hmm if you say so." y/n hummed even though she knows the latter is lying. "i'm gonna go to kazuha unnie. tell me if you need anything okay?" yunjin hummed in response.

yunjin watched as y/n strolled towards kazuha and back hugged the latter. yunjin felt her heart dropped at the sight. these past few months, y/n have been annoyingly close towards kazuha. not like it's a problem but for some reason yunjin do not like it — whenever kazuha makes you laugh, the way you cling to kazuha's side and the way you always cuddle with kazuha during movie night.

and there she thought, "do i have feelings towards y/n?" it hit her like a tidal wave, leaving her breathless and confused.

during a short break, as the girls gathered in the dressing room, yunjin found herself lost in her thoughts. the sound of laughter and chatter faded into the background as her mind replayed their moments together. the way y/n's eyes sparkled when she spoke, the warmth of her touch during group hugs, the way her voice resonated through yunjin's soul during their performances — it all became clear to her.

yunjin's heart raced as she tried to come to terms with her newfound emotions. she knew that confessing her feelings could potentially jeopardize their friendship and the group bonds.

that evening, after rehearsal, yunjin mustered up the courage to seek solace in the comfort of her favorite spot — a secluded bench in a nearby park. the moon hung low in the sky as she sat there, her thoughts consumed by y/n.

"i never expected to feel this way... y/n has become the center of my universe. how did i not realize it before?"

as yunjin pondered her next steps, a voice interrupted her thoughts.

"unnie, there you are. i've been looking all over for you."

yunjin's heart skipped a beat as she turned to see y/n standing before her, concern etched on her face.

"y/n, can i ask you something?"

y/n sat down beside yunjin, her eyes filled with curiosity and genuine care. "of course, unnie. you know you can ask me anything." y/n replied.

taking a deep breath, yunjin gazed into y/n's eyes, her voice trembling but determined. "how do you know if you like someone?"

y/n's eyes widened, a mix of surprise and confusion crossing her face.

"oh well, for me, if i like someone, I can't stop thinking about that person and how i want them to be mine. also my heart will beat so fast whenever i'm with them and spending time with them is something that i'm looking forward to every day."

yunjin nodded. "why do you ask unnie? do you like someone?" with curiosity y/n ask. "yeah, there's someone that i like, a lot." yunjin said while staring at y/n with loving eyes.

"and you, how about you y/n?" yunjin asked. "yeah i do have someone that i like." y/n said with a blush on her cheeks. "ooh, and who is that lucky person?" yunjin teased.

"well, sorry unnie that's a secret!

yunjin laughed at the younger antics but soon replied with a question "do you think i should confess?"

"of course unnie, what if they like you back? wouldn't that be great!" yunjin hummed. "maybe i will, thanks y/n."

"you're welcome unnie." y/n said and gave the older a warm hug. "i'm gonna go back to practice. don't stay here too long unnie!" y/n said to remind yunjin.

a few days have passed and yunjin still hasn't confessed her feelings towards y/n. the fear of rejection has been consuming her mind. "what if the person that y/n likes is someone else?"

but today is different, today is the day huh yunjin gonna do it.

the rain poured relentlessly as yunjin stood at the doorstep of y/n's house. hybe give the group holidays break after finishing their latest comeback promotion.

yunjin knocked on the door of the house and her voice quivered as she spoke, her words laced with softness. "y/n, i... i need to tell you something. please hear me out."

the door opened and y/n's eyes met yunjin's, filled with a mix of surprise and apprehension. "yunjin unnie? what are you doing here? it's raining? let's go inside first."

yunjin bit her lip, as she sat on the couch. "here." y/n gave the older a towel to wipe the wet rains off her soak body.

"so... unnie, what's the important thing you need to tell me until you need to soak yourself in the rain?" y/n asked.

yunjin can hear her heart pounding in her chest "remember when we had a conversation about confessing my feelings to the person i like? well actually the person i like is—"

"babe?" yunjin whipped her head to the source of the voice and was surprised to see kazuha.

"babe? what do you mean by babe zuha? w..what is going on?"yunjin said while looking back and forth between kazuha and y/n.

"unnie." y/n audibly called. "zuha and i, we are seeing each other."

"i know we should've told you and the others and i swear we're going to do it after our break ends." kazuha continued.

tears welled up in yunjin's eyes as the weight of her unrequited love crashed down upon her. "i..i don't know what to say — but i'm happy for you guys and i'm not going to tell the others, i promise." y/n reached out, their voice filled with appreciation. "unnie, thank you so much."

"now about our conversation earlier—what about the person you like?" y/n ask as kazuha leave to give them some space. "oh, nothing. it just—i found out that she likes someone else and well" yunjin's voice trembled, her pain evident.

y/n's eyes glistened with unshed tears, her voice filled with sadness. "oh unnie." she reached out to hug yunjin and she whispered softly in the latter ear "i'm so sorry unnie, i know it hurts but i promise you will someone's that will love you the same."

yunjin nodded, her voice barely above a whisper. "i know, y/n. i just... i love her so much. if only i can turn back time to confess earlier."

as the rain continued to pour, y/n comfort yunjin as the older sobs on her shoulder in silence, her heart heavy with the weight of her shattered heart. the echoes of what y/n and her could have been lingered in the air, haunting yunjin.

"do you feel better now?" y/n pulled away, her voice filled with concern. yunjin forced a weak smile, tears streaming down her cheeks. "i am, thank you, y/n. I'll try my best to move forward, even if it feels like my heart is breaking."

her heart ached with regret and longing, knowing that she had realized her feelings for y/n far too late. she had finally mustered the courage to confess her love, only to find y/n in the arms of her best friend, kazuha.

with a final glance, yunjin eyes filled with unspoken pain as yunjin parted ways. the rain continued to fall, washing away the remnants of what could have been, leaving behind only the fading echoes of a love that was never meant to be.

[flightfoot]

i think you rec fics if i'm wrong i'm so sorry. any fluffy fics with all 4 lovesquare sides? - though just ladynoir/adrienette would work too.

Yep I give those recs! This is actually one of the tricker cases, because on the one hand there's a lot of them and on the other hand they're interwoven with a lot of other things and often don't have specific tags to search with, so I'll see what I can do. I'm mostly just looking for fluff fics that have more than one side of the Lovesquare represented.

I Put A Spell On You by dazaimaru

Friday, October 25. 6 days until Halloween. It’s their first high school Halloween dance, and Marinette and Adrien are ready to throw on some non-superhero costumes for once--that is, until an akumatized witch spoils the party and threatens to reveal what lies underneath everyone’s disguise. With Hawkmoth taking full advantage of the spooky season, the days leading up to Halloween are certainly going to be thrilling! Especially considering Marinette’s growing feelings for a certain black cat…

---

Fate, Destiny... A Hamster by @mostmagical

After finally moving into his very first apartment per Ladybug’s suggestion, Adrien stumbles upon something no movie or TV show could have ever prepared him for: someone else's hamster. At least now there’s an excuse to talk to the new neighbor. (Adrinette Never Met AU)

---

Villainous Matchmaking by @nedjsmlfavs

When Chat Noir is tragically unable to attend an event with Ladybug, the mayor calls in a favor from a designer ‘friend’. Now she’s attending in style, on the arm of the hottest male model in Paris. Which would be fine if it weren’t for one, tiny issue: Paris’ favorite domestic terrorist now knows how Ladybug feels about his son. This leads him to his greatest plan yet, using Ladybug’s extremely obvious crush on Adrien Agreste to akumatize Chat Noir. A Ladrien/“platonic” Ladynoir fic

---

Painted Canvas by @wehadabondingmoment

And then, Adrien would send her a selfie, acting as if he was some secret agent trying to not get caught and he was so ridiculous that Marinette’s heart ached at the thought of being away from him. Hushed phone calls, his voice sounding like honey; in moments like these, she wasn’t Ladybug, only a teenage girl drunk on love. Or: Adrien and Marinette are soulmates and it still takes them years until they finally meet. Also fencing.

---

Professeure (of your love) by @mostmagical

“We should do it.” Her voice came out in a screech. “What?” “Just a fake wedding at graduation,” he said, like it wasn’t completely crazy. . . After ages of letting Paris believe their beloved superheroes are married and in love, Marinette's superhero partner turned fellow teacher wants to apply the same logic to their civilian lives and put on a fake wedding for their students. Only problem is, for Marinette, the being in love part is very much not an act.

---

From School Bells to Wedding Bells by @linnieluna

When the superhero duo takes on another exhausting fight against an akuma, Chat Noir does what he never hesitates to do and takes a hit for his partner. The problem being: neither of them knew what power the akuma possessed. That is... until he is transported into the future. More specifically, to his friend Marinette's wedding.

---

The Power of Love by @nedjsmlfavs

In which Ladybug announces that she’s pregnant via her long term boyfriend and Chat Noir is a supportive partner. After all, he can hardly be upset when he’s been dating his Princess for years! A different take on the show’s tagline (“The Power of Love Always so Strong”) written for Valentine’s day 2023.

---

The Rules of Engagement by underworkedoverwhelmed

When tragedy sends Adrien Agreste racing back to Paris to run his father’s fashion house, Marinette doesn’t expect much from her very new, very rich boss. At least not until she is set up on a blind date with a very familiar face. Much to her surprise, Adrien Agreste was hiding far more secrets behind his stoic business-like mask of temporary CEO. Maybe as many secrets as she had been trying to hide for years. As they grow closer, Marinette fears her mask isn’t nearly as foolproof. Day after day, it gets harder for her to keep all her secrets well hidden from the surprisingly sweet man who insisted on staying by her side as often as possible. Only she couldn’t afford to fail. Not when her biggest secret could spell the end of the job she’d dreamed about for years.

---

Dreams of You by @chocoluckchipz

Dreams had long been his only escape. Dreams of Ladybug, the girl who had always been there for him. If only in his dreams. And only while she was also sleeping. Because with the first rays of sunshine gliding over her skin, with the first fluttering of her eyelashes, from the moment she opened her eyes in the morning, memories of Adrien would vanish from her mind. She would go on living her life. He would always be the only one who remembered. At least until they meet in the real world and fall in love all over again, something that would’ve been easier to do if Adrien wasn't a prisoner in his own home.

---

Tell Me Why You Love Me by @linnieluna

“Anyway, that piece of paper contains the name of this texting app. It’s completely anonymous, so you can download it, make your account with no attachments to your personal life, and communicate with me outside our suits. I included my username on the paper, too, so you can add me once you’re done." Her partner skimmed through the words on the paper and nodded his head. “Brilliant as always, M’lady. I’m surprised we didn’t figure this out sooner within our superhero careers.” “Yeah, it would’ve been nice to have this before, but hey, better late than never. Make sure not to have your phone screen on the messages if you’re going to leave it somewhere. We don’t want anyone reading our texts. Also, this is for emergencies only. No jokes or puns. I can only deal with you for so long.” “I don’t know if I can agree to that last one,” he said. Now 22 and working full-time, Marinette and Adrien seem to be getting busier and busier, which means fewer opportunities to keep track of akumas and show up on time. With the idea of using a messaging app to communicate with each other without revealing their identities, their lives immediately grew to be easier... until it wasn't.

---

Soul Searching by LiquefiedStars

Marinette was devastated when her soulmate turned out to be Adrien Agreste and not her sweet, loving partner Chat Noir. Despite their misunderstandings, she is willing to give Adrien a chance, even if he doesn’t seem all that interested in her. After all, they are soulmates and the universe says they are meant to be together. A Soulmate AU.

---

Love is Blind by @jennagrinsoverml

Tired of all of his potential girlfriends being blinded by his face, his fame and his name, Adrien takes a chance to compete on Love Is Blind: France, where he hopes that dating without seeing each other—or learning each other’s names—will finally help him to be lucky in love. What will he do when he realizes that his Lady is one of the contestants, however? And will he be able to win her heart where he’s never succeeded before? Meanwhile, Marinette is looking to meet the right guy after years of pining away for someone who has only ever seen her as a friend. She’s not entirely sure if she can fall in love with someone without seeing them, but the things that have always mattered to her most are the kinds of things that can’t be seen. What will she do when she realizes her heart is being pulled in two directions? And will she be ready to make a decision in time?

---

Over and Over by stcrsquad

Marinette Dupain-Cheng has had the worst day possible. She's failed to confess to Adrien (again), made an embarrassment of herself, and got into a fight with Chat Noir. Adrien Agreste has had the worst day possible. He is tired of being pushed aside by everyone, including his crime-fighting partner Ladybug. Luckily, fate (and Bunnyx) works in mysterious ways because they wake up again on the same day. A do-over. Except it keeps happening. Can the two figure out what they need to fix to break the loop, or will they be stuck forever?

---

Graine de toi by MireilleTanaka

Ladybug and Chat Noir think they’re close, until they begin waking up in one another’s skin. AU: Adrien is homeschooled, and he and Marinette have never met. Written for Adrinette April 2020, Day 17: Life Swap. The one prompt snowballed into a multi-chapter fic. Loosely inspired by Your Name (Kimi no na wa), but no need to have watched it to read, since there's no actual plot connection except the premise of swapping lives.

---

Knight in Shining Amour by Cakedecorator

Marinette is the daughter of the castle bakers, and she herself is the royal seamstress. She lives her life making clothes, helping her parents, and generally living a simple life. However, she also laments the loss of her childhood friendship with Prince Adrien, and remembers the promise they made when they were five years old. Resigning herself to the reality that she would never be able to marry the prince, and assuming he'd forgotten their promise, Marinette tries to live her life without letting loss get to her. However, her love story begins a new chapter when she's approached by Cat Noir, a debonair new knight in the castle.

---

Evergreen by tanyatakaishi

Everything was gone. The entire cityscape had been obliterated, leaving them in a valley of trees. Blue mountains, peaks dressed in snow, stretched tall in the distance and at their foot lay an array of vineyards, miles wide with no civilization in sight. AKA: two heroes lost alone in the woods with no cheese.

---

Someone to Watch Over Me by @dfcfanfics

Adrien is used to his father taking him for granted and treating him poorly, especially since his mother's disappearance... but it's never been anywhere _near_ this bad before. Between that and trouble at school, his life is in quite the downward spiral. He's been putting on a brave face, but he's struggling... and his friends are starting to notice. One special friend in particular. Marinette is determined to help him, any way that she can -- with _and_ without her mask. But when Akumas fly towards Adrien, he soon finds himself more deeply entwined in Marinette's life AND Ladybug's private life than he'd ever imagined. Can Adrien possibly decide between the two angels who are making his life worth living again? Can Marinette process Adrien's crush on Ladybug AND his growing feelings for her? And can Gabriel stop laughing long enough to launch his master plan? A fluffy DFC - buggachat Ladrienette jam. 10/15: Our story is now complete with the posting of Chapter 24, the epilogue. Thank you so much for reading, as always.

[mikodrawnnarratives]

TW IMPLIED CHARACTER DEATH

TW BLOOD

(Just like last time, it isn't really graphic but I'm tagging just so you know)

@naffeclipse

Part 1 | This is Part Two | Part Three | Extra

It. Probably won't need a part 4

I'm doing this all on one cps file so I sure hope so kjlfdkfljs

i'm at like- 750+ layers i'm so sorry my file

...there might be a part 4 but it'll be small sketches and aftermaths

Once again, long post under the cut:

I am not the only traveler, who has not repaid his debt.

I've been searching for a trail to follow again

Take me back to the night we met

- The night we met by Lord Hurdon

Alright, I didn't make too much of an effort to hide it but how many of you guessed it was gregory and how many of you didn't see it coming?

Gee I wonder who Gregory's companions are

Okay if you don't have a nugget of who these companions are then my rambling below makes it a little more obvious

Anyway, this little comic of self indulgence to mend my broken heart says "YO what if Gregory and other characters saved Vanessa like they did in canon"

It certainly would NOT be easy for Vanessa once she wakes up to that realization. But there are factors that make it a little bit easier for Vanessa to cope compared to other children.

Since Gregory and others proved they could fight and free her as Vanny, it gives her mind a little reassurance that they aren't completely helpless.

Plus, I like the idea of the GGY story (Dr Rabbit) existing as this au's equivalent of the same experience, that would mean Gregory has had his own bad experiences with Glitchtrap and so it wouldn't be like some random kid going against a threat he was unfamiliar with

She still distances herself a lot earlier on and the more time passes, the older Gregory gets, the less he looks and sounds like a kid.

Those make it much easier for Vanessa to stand being around them as time goes by. Earlier on, she only really interacted when absolutely necessary. But she did grow a small soft spot for them.

She remained pretty closed off about herself over the years and never delved too deep about her past. Ness left frequently for her own hunting jobs and at one point Gregory asked where she went. Somethings made it seem like these hunts weren't just random and different

He didn't get an answer of course. But later that day, Vanessa told him about Y/n. In vague terms. This is the most information he ever gets about Vanessa's past.

So Gregory's got no idea who to expect to see showing up to the gravestone ltr on and is just like

Gregory: cool, ur mysterious enough for it to be believable ur related to my mysterious older sister/mentor figure Wanna hear a story

Y/n: ...yes.

Forgive him his brain is ever so foggy from grief and no slep

Anyway, Y/n picked a day to visit Vanessa when they knew they were stable enough not to lash out and attack any humans that may happen to also be visiting the graves. They had eaten pretty recently but not so recent that they were vulnerable.

It's pretty early in the morning where it is still dark and the rain provides some more protection.

If you couldn't tell before, many MANY years have passed since Y/n has been human. Think somewhere between 20-30 years. And while, they still hate who they are now and aren't mentally okay, they've gotten a semi-solid understanding of their limits and what they can and cannot tolerate and when.

And, even though they are nervous, they can manage to have this conversation with Gregory for now.

Why are they talking to Gregory so willingly? despite the risks?

well

the next part will explain that

[elviraaxen]

im new here, so im sorry if this is a question youve answered before but tumblr's search bar failed me in finding this to be previous answered but.. uhmmm

c... can we make ocs/personas for Felt World? or would you rather we not or we hold off until further in?? bc i would love to make a puppet give our cowboy a smooch before he is, i assume bc he is a fucking catch and a half, taken off the market in canon lol i assume he wont still be single by the end. im a tad bit too embarrassed to ever post such drawings, but i wanted to know in case i ever did become brave enough to make them public if such you would be welcome to be tagged in or if that would make you feel uncomfortable

and also, for that purpose: as someone with disabilities, im really curious how disabilities are translated into Felt World? obviously not all of them, that'd take forever. but i was curious if they use mobility aids just like ours or if they use ones we could not have (an example of what i mean could be like "seal-chairs" in "Witch Hat Atelier"? they are chairs with hooves that run and jump, as opposed to wheels). and i know you said music is really powerful in this world, in both singing and instruments, but i wanted to also ask how in a world with so much focus on sound are the deaf/hard of hearing accomadated? deaf/HoH people can still play instruments, obviously (the most famous example being Beethoven), but i meant other than that

(also, if i recall accurately you once said that "the puppets have to speak to be considered sentient beings"? i was wondering if in the future could that be amended to "have to be able to communicate"? because i assume nonverbal puppets would still exist, as well as puppets who just dont speak much (whether thats a facet of deafness or nonspeaking shutdown or just a quiet personality). or would that break Felt World's world-building's logic in some way? that's a genuine question. i wasnt sure how to word it in a way that would minimize the risk of one being put on their back-foot, but i tried my best, it really is a genuine question)

(also, because i never like to assume fluency in disability-knowledge: if you need a resource on media portrayals of disability at any point, i highly recommend the youtuber, Oakwyrm. they do a lot of really cool analysis videos on disability. i do apologize if i am overstepping, and you are already largely fluent in disabled portrayals in media and/or already aware of Oakwyrm's existence. i just like to shout at least one resource out because i know many people have no idea where to look to learn more about general disability representation advice and whatnot. you do not have to watch their videos if you do not want to ♡)

also a bit of a tangent, idk if this is just a "for now" aspect of Donna due to her adjusting or if this is a core pillar of her personality but... just, thank you for making a feminine character who cries a lot and is emotional with Big Feelings. ive always felt more connected to the Dorthy Gales, Cinderellas, Clarisse de Cagliostros kind of heroines who are a bit of a "damsel in distress" (tho i do think that term reduces a lot of their agency and bravery) and i feel a bit lonely that we dont see many emotional-vitality-driven heroines who need some help as much as badass heroines or sassy heroines, both of whom are fully capable of getting shit sone alone. makes my cry-baby disabled ass feel a little pathetic (im very physically weak because of my chronic health issues, and am the type of Autistic ADHDer who is very sensitive to getting big feelings), even tho i know those types of heroines are valid and needed. i resonate a lot with AJR's lyric about "But I'm weak. And what's wrong with that?" even though i know im taking it out of context

and im sure Donna will prove herself capable of being on her own and having her own agency, same as all the heroines ive listed, i dont assume she will be stagnant, but i just wanted to really thank you for making a character that i relate to. i dont get that often. it makes me feel a bit abnormal and strange, and i mean moreso than the "well youre neurodivergent and sickly" kind of abnormal that would be implied. like. Weird Kid sitting alone at lunch kind of strange. so its really cool to see Donna and feel less lonely, is what im saying. i wish there were more heroines like her for people like me nowadays, rather than the archetype being reduced to "archiac stereotypes" (which i both do and dont understand the logic of. it depends on context and the example given) and therefore shelving a type of heroine we dont see in a lot of contemporary media (in exchange for a heroine we didnt get to see often (if at all) in past media, the sassy and badass ones, i do get it, and im glad theyre being used more as they should have always been. there are a select few of both camps that feel like "women have to be as stereotypically masculine as possible to be worthy of being called 'a strong character'" when i think strong characters have less to do with personality and more to do with "do they direct the narrative's plot? do they have agency?". but i could be wrong about that and i am getting off-topic)

but yeah. just. overall: thank you for introducing Donna to be like she is. it means a lot to me to see a heroine like her in contemporary media. im really excited to see what youll do next ♡ but yeah, i know im babbling a lot here and you dont need to reply to this half, i just really wanted to stress my thanks and WHY you have my thanks ♡♡♡ i really appreciate having Donna sit at my metaphorical lunch-table with me, even if she has to go sit somewhere else later. its been really nice to be beside her

thank you ♡

ps. i wasnt sure how to format this Ask because i know some people like to have each section have their own Ask for compartmentalizing/tag-organization reasons, but others like it all to be together so they know its all from one person as opposed to the anxiety of "ahh why did i get so many Asks all at once, did i do something wrong, do people hate me-- oh. its fine. i went through that rollercoaster for nothing. dear lord, am i drained now". so i tend to rather assume the latter, just in case; but do feel free to screenshot and section these out into their own posts if you are the former, i wont mind if youd rather do that ♡ have a nice day!!

Oh my goodness what a long message!!! 0.0!!

I had to take a few hours to think about everything to make sure I answered everything. But I should start off by showing my gratitude for the amount of time and effort you put into formulating this! So thank you, this was a really cool ask to receive <3

As for OCs, absolutely you can! I've already had a few who've made theirs, and I have no rules at all when it comes to shipping or self inserts or anything, as long as everyone is being respectful towards each other ^^

As for the disability aspect, I have a few key points that I want to explore in regards to especially deafness and muteness (is it called that? muteness?), but that's further along the story and will be introduced later! Also how song vs instruments work in this world is a part of the lore itself that'll be explained further down the line too, so no need to worry about our fellow mute or deaf/hoh peeps!

I have of course thought about mobility aids and other disability accommodations (because they can be born with defect, illnesses, and be injured pretty much like us, their bodies are a bit more fantastical but there are still rules) but i must admit didn't think further other than to give them similar mobility aids that we use. But clearly it would make more sense to make something more fantastical! I'll give it a thought! That's probably gonna be a fun design exercise ^^

I'm not sure if I can answer the entire ask in a way that does it justice, it's quite frankly the coolest message I've gotten, I'm gonna try and not let it get to my head (lol),

but i'm so glad you and seemingly many others seem to like Donna and appreciate her specifically for being sensitive and reacting strongly. It shouldn't be but it's really daunting to write female leads because as we know people just don't like women in media generally, but I eventually just got over it because I realized I was starting to write a character that demanded the audience cared and respected, rather than showing a story that I had fun telling, in a world worth exploring.

And not to spoil but I've already decided I do not want Donna to go through an arc where she's forced to abandon her emotions or go through something physically traumatic in order to "become tough" to be respected, that's not only overdone but lame and harmful wish fulfillment. So no worries in that department!

But anyways, I don't think I can properly say how appreciative I am of this ask!!! It really warms my heart that you and other people are going out of your way to send me asks about my little story that I came up with on a whim!!! It's truly the best compliment as a creator.

<3

[ruthlesslistener]

Hello! I'm not sure what proper etiquette is here so I hope I'm not overstepping, pls feel free to ignore if I am. You mentioned in a tag and/or post about having estrogen allergy? My wife is dealing with that, and it's... so difficult, most doctors don't know what it is and we thought we had a short term solution so she could finally get some sleep (she hardly sleeps at all anymore because of nightly itching). It's so hard to find ANY information on it and we're not sure how to proceed anymore. Just...wondering if you have any information at all? I'm sorry if this sounds desperate, it's because...it is lol.

Thanks kindly, from, your friendly neighborhood very worried lesbian wife.

Dw anon, you're not overstepping!! I've been in hormone hell since I was 13 so I know how much of a relief it is to find someone who understands for once. I don't believe that me or my mom (who's also affected) have the same allergic reactions that your wife is experiencing, but I'm hoping that I can help anyways.

Okay so first off, the doctors not knowing about estrogen allergies is bullshit. They may not be super common, but they've also been documented since at LEAST 1921. Just a cursory google search has yielded two scientific articles about it (that looked legit when I scanned through them before going to lecture, where I'm typing this rn), which I'll put right here:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5745953/

https://waojournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40413-017-0176-x

I'd suggest trying to read through medical journal articles on it because despite the density of the information and the difficulty of the language, medical articles tend to be more comprehensive about the symptoms and causes than ones written for the general public. They also mean that you have the language to confront doctors about it if you wish- which you'll have to do, because if she's experiencing an allergic reaction like itchieness, then I'd also be concerned about potential anaphalaxis if her reactions get more severe. The intolerance that me and my mother had manifested in different ways (migraines, muscle weakness, disorintation, being hypersensitive to food/unable to keep food down, extreme drowsieness leading to being bed-bound), but those weren't quite on the level of being so itchy that you can't sleep. A more typical allergic reaction is something to be concerned about and I highly suggest not only stressing this to your doctor, but also getting confrontational about it and meeting multiple different doctors if needed before you get care. Force them to run tests, force them to listen to you. That's my biggest regret when it comes to my hormone issues, because they just got progressively worse and worse until I had to go to the ER for it. Turns out that I was not only estrogen intolerant, I also had hypothyroidism! And nobody in 10 years of appointments thought to check for that!!

As for what helps me and my mom, I found that progesterone hormone treatment was effective for us both (until it stopped working for me, but I still don't know why that is. It works for my mother). You might want to be cautious about trying this because in the articles I read, some people were just as sensitive to progesterone, but it's worth a shot. I used to get the DEPO-provera (or however its spelled) shot to offset the issues caused by estrogen, which is an injection once every few months. I also found that once I went on testosterone that a good chunk of my hormonal health issues straight-up vanished, but obviously that's not exactly the best option for everyone. I'm on a masculinizing dose so maybe you can do a really super low-grade dose, but I'm telling you about it mostly just to get the point across that HRT works. It's not just for trans people- cis people get hormone fuckery and need hormone therapy as well.

But there's also proposed solutions in the articles I linked, so I hope those are helpful or give you an idea of treatment options. Best of luck!

[softpine]

@bb-enablefreebuild it's true, but asa says it himself, "I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I have everything a person could want and a better family than some could ever imagine - but it’s not enough for me. I don’t know why. I want to be happy, but I don’t know how." it was important for me to include that part in there, because that has nothing to do with finn – well, only a little bit in that he knows he can come across as ungrateful given that his family is incredibly supportive and some people's families, like finn's, are the opposite. otherwise, this is entirely centered around asa's internal feelings. he's had depression nearly his entire life, it's just that when finn is around he's able to find reasons to take care of himself (going outside for long walks, sleeping regularly, paying attention in class because finn tells him to, taking his meds, etc.) and without finn there to ground him, asa is falling apart for more reasons than one. so yes it's the heartbreak of losing your first love, but it's more than that for him. it's losing the primary reason for living in the moment and looking forward to the future :(

he will be soooooooo pissed :( we'll have to wait and see if asa tells him the truth (or the full truth) about how he got to this point... especially after everything asa said in this post; he KNOWS finn wouldn't approve of any of his actions thus far, but he keeps digging his grave deeper and deeper because he's already gone too far, he's already broken finn's trust and he can't leave things like this now :(

that tag is so funny, i wasn't even referring to myself in Sim God terms i was just mad at him as if i'm a powerless reader like the rest of you jfkjsds and YEAH poor casper :( he'll come up in one of the next posts so i don't want to say too much, but the fact that his worst fear is missing out on something important while he's away, to the extent that he's calling constantly to check on his family is so..... :(

bro yes 🤭

thank you for sharing!! that makes complete sense to me and that's a really sweet way to incorporate your mom in that decision 🥺

RIGHT he needs the sense knocked into him fr

@forgotten-pixels ahhhh i love this question, i was JUST thinking about mac while i was making vegan chili mac the other day fjkjsds i'm actually going to save this in my inbox and take some pictures for you when i have the energy because i miss mac and honey too :') they're always hanging out in the same room while i'm taking screenshots, they just NEVER make it into any good pics. it's actually a curse i swear

i honestly have no idea, i'm sorry 😭 it'll probably be awhile though, i haven't been doing great tbh but i want the next post to look as good as it does in my head so i don't want to half ass it!!

@itsalwaysgonnabeher oh you caught that huh sjfkjsds don't worry (yet) 💖

@little-orphan-ant I'M SORRY 😭 i'm thinking brandi wtf at all times too lmao

omg okay so i'm saving this message in my inbox for later because i KNOW for a FACT that i listed everyone's favorite candy many years ago but tumblr's search function is so incredibly ass and i don't have the energy to keep searching for it right now but i will find it eventually i promise 🥺 and if not i'll just rewrite it and then when i inevitably find the original post we can compare my answers and see how well i know my characters' tastes fjksjds

absolutely yes i'm afraid 😌

in my head i still have to sound it out sometimes if it's been forever since i've typed her name fjksjds

@rebouks thank you so much 🥺🥺 the same goes to you!!! 💖

@moonfromearth thank you!! it's so sweet you thought of me ;-; 💗

[inevitably-johnlocked]

Hopefully you or some of your wonderful followers can help me out with a really odd question: what is the difference between an AU and a crossover fic?

This might sound silly, but I've always assumed that a crossover is something like "Sherlock and John, while solving a case, cross paths with Mulder and Scully who are also trying to solve their mystery, and they join up to work together." vs. an AU is more like "Sherlock and John are solving cases in the X-Files universe" and their characters are like combinations: Sherlock/Mulder and John/Scully. But the characters from X-Files don't actually exist in the fic.

Or even fics that are just a completely new universe altogether, not necessarily based on an already known one (like Sherlock and John are from Las Vegas and Sherlock the always winning poker player is under suspicion from security guard John that he is cheating, and that is how they meet, etc etc) would be considered an AU.

Anyway, that is how I've always filtered on AO3 when searching. But now I've come across a few lately that are tagged AU but when I start reading them, they are more what I consider crossover fics (which aren't my preference, sorry. I just don't care to read about Sherlock and Iron Man working together lol).

Maybe I've missed out on some great fics that were tagged as crossover but were actually AU's? Is my assumption of which one is which completely off base? Other than reading every fic until it's obvious which type of story it is, is there a better way to at least get an idea for filtering purposes?

I don't want to miss out on fantastic fics because I don't really understand what they're about because I've misunderstood all along!

Thank you for any help you or your followers can give! 😁

Hey Nonny!

Alright, so here's how _I_ personally understand it, and I'm probably totally off-piste, but it's how I've always understood and try my best in my sorting of fics. PLEASE note that EVERYTHING BELOW is how I PERSONALLY UNDERSTAND it all.

Generally, there's a VERY thin line between AUs and Crossovers AND it also melts into Fusion fics as well.

Alternate Universes:

Basically, AU (or Alternate Universe, for my newbie lovelies) is the "larger umbrella term" that all fics NOT following canon events have. These can be as simple as a non-canon-compliant fic, but GENERALLY it's understood as stories that take place in different franchises, eras, timelines, professions, species, etc. That's the broader definition. It covers everything, really. It doesn't necessarily mean just other franchises, but it can contain them.

But in terms of "this story with BBC Sherlock Characters takes place during the Avengers" for instance, each character from BBC Sherlock REPLACES a character in the Avengers. They would never ever meet any of the cast of the main Avengers IF they are a replacement character.

So let's say we're adapting the Avengers. For the sake of this example: Sherlock is Tony, John is Captain America, Molly is Black Widow, etc. Now THOSE characters in the Avengers franchise should never show up AS those characters. We are doing one-for-one replacements to put Sherlock Characters into the MCU AS Iron Man, AS Black Widow, AS Captain America. Tony, Natasha, and Steve cannot exist in this universe.

(as an aside though, given the MCU's current state of Variants existing in multiverses, it can be argued that they can exist, but I'm being pedantic... for the sake of this example let's say they don't)

TL:DR; we replace main characters with other main characters, and those main characters from either franchise should never meet. So TECHNICALLY what is labelled for your example is actually correct (Crossovers and AU), and unfortunately the filtering needs to be whittled down more. Filtering by "Alternate Universe" does NOT guarantee no-Crossovers, so you will have to add crossovers as an exclusion in your filtered terms. On AO3, there is a place to select exclusions, so just type in "Crossovers" there, or character names.

Crossovers and Fusions

I'm grouping these two together because my understanding of these two is that they're PRETTY close to each other enough that they do overlap.

Crossovers are stories that characters from one franchise meet and interact with characters from another franchise; no characters are omitted intentionally, and don't replace other characters in a story. For instance, in a Harry Potter AU, the Sherlock gang all go to Hogwarts, and Harry and Co. all exist and continue on with their story, probably interact occasionally, but we're focusing on the Sherlock gang and their exploits rather than Potter people.

Fusion stories, or my understanding of them anyway, is one of two things:

You have characters that replace SOME of the characters but keep OTHER characters from Universe 2 to interact with Universe 1. Let's go back to the Avengers sample; Sherlock (Tony), John (Steve) and Molly (Natasha) meet and interact with Bruce Banner and Clint. Now it's a FUSION of two universes, interacting and existing based on the actions of what our BBC AvengersLock is doing.

A fusion can ALSO be adapting or using a franchise storyline as inspiration for the plotline of what an author is writing, ie. the rules of ONE franchise's universe can be brought into another. So you can have a FUSION of Sherlock and the X-Files by adapting an X-Files episode as inspiration for the story with BBC Sherlock characters, but doesn't necessarily take place in the X-Files Universe, just simply the rules of the X-Files universe apply also to the BBC Sherlock Universe.

======

ALL that said, the gist of what I'm trying to say is this: All Crossovers and Fusions are Alternate Universes, but not all Alternate Universes are Crossovers/Fusions.

I tried my best to simplify everything as best I could, so I hope I helped a bit. And hey, if I'm wrong somewhere, or you want better clarification, feel free, all, to reply or send me another ask :)

Cheers, all <3

[lee-hakhyun]

Hiii i will answer in an ask since using tags would be quite cumbersome.

I want to firstly say that im sorry for assuming your identity. I shouldn't have done that. I'm a little bit sensitive when it comes to this matter since i saw a lot of....pretty mean stuff that people said about otherkinity since i entered the community even when it wasn't necessary bad intentioned, so that why's i immediately jumped to the assuming that you were the same. That's the reason, but not a excuse so I'm sorry. I didn't meant to hurt you or anything like that.

Also, i def wont block you or any mutual over this, especially when yall are very respectful and understanding and especially when in this case it's just more a matter of view towards a recognized issue (man why does this sound so formal.....i hate english). And i hope you didn't took my tags as an attack or anything of sorts, i just wanted to raise an issue that worries me a lot, especially when the majority doesn't even know what otherkinity is or when they do, they mostly brush off/ignore it.

Also, before knowing what otherkin was or the kff movement, i used the term kinning in that way too (especially when it came to kdj). Even nowadays, when i try to regulate my usage of the word "kin", i still think to myself "man im too much of a kdj kinnie blergh" because it's too integrated in my brain from all the jokes/memes. So like. I think it would hypocritical to not clarify that. + you tags were far from incoherent, quite the opposite! I think my tags was messier lol

Thing is i do agree somewhat with your views/opnion and i do agree that 90% of the people use it as way to express their love or understanding or empathy with a character and i think that's amazing. But i also, it doesn't erase the fact that it do help erase and block the voices from community and does nothing to raise awareness, and still perpetuate the harm done to the otherkinity. Especially! Towards fictionkin. Although I'm not fictionkin and i dont speak over their issues, from what i seen in some posts the fact that "kinning" became so popular esp in the context of "kinning" a fictional character, it make it harder to talk about their experiences and only intensify the pre-judgment and steorytyping.

Just because "kinnig" is popular now, it doesn't mean that it has/will be that way forever. Over the years, there were many harmful words that were popular in usage but were dropped off and substituted by other non-harmful words later on and "kinning" can be one of those too. I like to discuss the understanding or empathy one have towards characters and i like how this type of discussion became more popular due to "kinning" and precisely because of that, that i find important for us (as in, people on the internet) to popularize alternative terms, akin to how "generative media" is becoming more used than "AI" in some spaces.

It's true that there is no other popular term, and that precisely why it's even more necessary to use alt terms to describe this understanding one have towards a character.

But like you said, its more a matter of opnion/views more than anything. But again, i think it would be at least the minimum if people outside of the community raised more awareness and gave more voice to otherkin ppl, which i dont see happening. I just came to know what otherkinity is because i remembered the term "voidpunk" from the aro community and when i went to search it on tumblr i saw it being tagged in otherkin posts, rather than a directly seeing the term in a post from the dash or anything like that.

So if people outside of the community use kinning, then at least i hope they also care about the community itself and our opinions, experiences and issues. I hope one day, otherkinity would be more known and accepted rather than remain with the popular knowledge of "identity made up by cringe mentally ill tumblr teenagers, who are northern american/european" (at least for me, as an Brazilian, the last part is really depressing) (I hate being seen as USAian or european. Like. Ewww)

I kinda fear that all this discussion about otherkin language and kff will just be brushed as "silly tumblr discourse made by chronically online ppl" rather than something serious to think and talk about, especially in outside circles. so like. Im sorry if im getting too emotional or anything about that, in this aspect, its less about you or my mutuals as individuals and more about "many, many, many people and society in general are pretty ableist, mean and ignorant when it comes to subcultures like this and i want to more people understand that and try to find an alternative way to describe a pretty positive and funny experience without harming other people".

I guess that as long as it harms people, even in indirect ways, i will still be uncomfortable with the term kinning and i dont think i would be ever or so soon be comfortable in using it the way i used before, but that's on me. At the end of the day, people are free to do what they want, and i respect that freedom, especially when they're understanding/respectful/well-intentionated.

And thats it. Sorry for the long ask ajsbsisjsisj also i struggle with tone so sorry if i seemed too rude or too formal (?). English also doesn't helps lol

oh it's okay i mostly keep this blog to fandom/games i get why you would assume things, especially about this! i don't mind other people having differing opinions/feelings, just that i personally don't mind kinnies (as long as they're respectful ofc) + indulge in the kinnie stuff myself. and you're completely in the right to be uncomfortable with it yourself, i wasn't looking to change your opinion but just express mine ^^ i get that it's a touchy topic for a lot of otherkin, i felt that i had to bring up the otherkin/kinnie distinction in that ask because ignoring to just reply with the kinnie definition would leave people ignorant. better to educate people to the best of my ability than to leave people in the dark.

if i start seeing a big push for new language i'd totally be on board to swap to it.. but unfortunately a lot of the alternatives i see are just never used compared to kinnie/kinning. i believe what's most likely to happen to replace kinnie is not a term created specifically to replace it, but a popular new word that just happens to have the same meaning. maybe some good might finally come from tiktok's easy virality🤷

[kopfkino-o]

The Seer’s Stone - Chapter 4

Summary: Elain Archeron is tired of being the “lovely, sweet gardener” everyone wants her to be. After losing her beloved, her humanity, her life, she’s ready to claim her own path forward with the help of her friends, Nuala and Cerridwen, as she searches far and wide for the mysterious Seer’s Stone: an ancient artifact of old rumored to once belong to an ancient Oracle. But will fate itself step in to stop her? Or will Elain defy the strings of destiny that bind her and forge her own path forward, choosing her own fate, friendships, future, and love, along the way.

Pairing: Elain x Azriel

Timeline: Post-ACOSF

Wordcount: 4244

Taglist:   @downingg2001   @gracie-rosee   @nivem565 ​ // Let me know if you want on (or off) the tag list for future updates! Thank you all for reading <3

Read:

Chapter One | The Crone’s Trade

Chapter Two | The Oracle of Seraphyros

Chapter Three | Last of Our Kind (Azriel)

THE SMUTTY STUFF - A PREVIEW

Author’s Note: I love Nesta. I love Varian. I love Cassian. I love Elain. But I hate, repeat hate, trying to make sense of the Library. Is it inside a big rock? Is it inside a Mountain? What does it look like? How did it all the books get there? Where is the actual entrance? Do the priestesses have to climb down the 10K steps every day? Is there an elevator? What about windows? I NEED MORE INFO! That is all. Sorry for the delay in updates, I’ve been unfortunately doing some rapid fire travel for work this month. 

As always, thanks for reading y’all!

- Court

"What do you think, Elain?"

The Prison, the Middle, the Autumn Court. Three stones scattered across an ancient map. Three hiding spots she might find the Seer's Stone, three places where it might have been scattered to the wind. Pythia and her staff, lost forever when Seraphyros burned or simply waiting, hidden and still waiting to be found as well? Nothing made sense, and yet...

The Prison, the Middle, the Autumn Court. The Stone singing to her even in her sleep.

“Elain? Are you even listening to me?”

She blinked.

Feyre was staring at her from across the kitchen counter, her younger sister's freckled cheek smudged with flour and her tattooed hands shoved elbow-deep in the mixing bowl set before her, a soft wrinkle furrowing her brow. Elain straightened, face heating with a blush red, and shook the warring thoughts from her head. Shook away the hundreds of questions that still lingered from two nights prior. 

"I'm sorry, Feyre," Elain offered a sheepish smile. "I think I might have fallen asleep on my feet. Again."

Her sister laughed, the sound lovely and light, like the first shimmer of starlight in the evening sky. "If I bore you that much, you could just say that."

"You don't bore me! You never could bore me." Elain insisted. "I'm just tired, that's all."

The lie was smooth and sweet, as she knew the demure look on her face was.

Feyre cocked her head. "Are you sure you don't want Madja to come and pay you a visit? Your headaches have been coming on more and more frequently as of late. I'm starting to worry about you."

"The only thing you need to worry about is that dough of yours. You'll overwork it if you keep pounding at it like it’s your enemy. "

"It is my enemy." Feyre grumbled. "There's a reason why I never cooked back in the cabin, you know."

"You never cooked back in the cabin because you were too busy caring for everyone else.” Elain said, and meant it. “Me, father, Nesta. You kept us all alive, kept us fed. And now, here you are again, caring for us all just the same.”

Feyre looked sidelong to the burnt and blackened loaf of bread still steaming on the open windowsill. “I’m not sure I’d call that ‘caring’ for anyone. ‘Poisoning’ might be a better term.” 

“This next back will be even better. I’m sure of it.” 

Feyre blew a golden-brown curl out of her eyes then reached over to place a tattooed hand atop her own. "You did your part too, Elain." She said softly, blue eyes turning tender. "Father would have never made it through the winters without you and your herbs. I know my poor blistered hands certainly wouldn’t have.” 

A soft ache paned in Elain's chest. Father.

She shoved it down deep.

"We all did our part in our own ways, Feyre," Elain said, voice softening. "Father too."

Her little sister gave her fingers a gentle squeeze. 

"I know," Feyre said softly. "And we'll keep doing our part now, together. For the Night Court, for Velaris. For our family."

Her sister's blue eyes shimmered like two stars in this light, lovely and bright with light and love. Guilt twisted in Elain's gut, black and oily. They'd become so close these last few years, Feyre sharing her home and her life and her love with Elain entirely without condition or hesitation.

And what had she done in return? Lie and lie and lie some more.

Nesta floated into the kitchen then, gray skirts swirling like silver embers in her wake and Cassian close on her heels. 

Both warriors were dressed in their formal attire but still wore swords strapped down the columns of their backs. Nesta's hair, surprisingly, was unbound today, the long golden-brown locks flowing over her bare shoulders. There was a certain glow about her, one of life and health.

"Morning, ladies," Cassian said, a lopsided smile gracing his handsome face as he leaned against the counter beside Feyre. "How's the baking going?"

"Painfully," Feyre grumbled, but the corner of her lips quirked up despite herself.

"Well, it smells fucking great."

The General reached to pluck one of the still-cooling quiches off its cooling rack but Nesta swatted him away, her hard blue eyes silently berating him. Cassian mere shrugged, unbothered, and pressed a kiss to Elain's temple before sneaking a taste of her cinnamon icing anyway. He winked at the sisters, hazel eyes bright in the morning sun, then swaggered from the room, whistling as he went.

"He's insufferable," Nesta muttered.

Feyre and Elain both shared a knowing smile. Their older sister could complain about her mate as much as she wanted, but they all knew the truth: she loved him, and he her. It warmed Elain's heart to see Nesta happy, finally healthy, and mated, Cauldron spare them all.

But it also brought a soft pang of jealousy that twisted in her gut.

"Are the others here?" Feyre asked.

Nesta rested her elbows atop the kitchen counter. "For the most part."

"For the most part?"

"Morrigan hasn't deigned to join us yet and Azriel is unable to make it. Something about a late-night mission, I think. He never came home last night."

Elain's stomach fell somewhere far below her knees at the words but she forced herself to focus on her dish, her fingers absently stirring the icing around and around the mixing bowl. None of that mattered, not anymore. Azriel's business was his own and she had no place sniffing around in it besides. 

Especially not when there were so many other pressing matters at hand.

The Prison, the Middle, the Autumn Court.

"Is everything alright with him?" Feyre asked, brows knitting.

Nestra shrugged, the gesture casual. "You know how he is. He likes his space."

"I know, but he's hardly been around these last few months. It’s almost like he’s actually trying to avoid us."

"Maybe you should ask your mate, then."

Feyre straightened. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing." Nesta said, checking her nails. "Just thought Rhys might have some sort of opinion on the matter, seeing as he is the one giving Az all these new assignments aboard."

"Those assignments are to ensure the safety of this court. You know that, Nesta." Feyre said firmly, blue eyes hard. "I know you and Az are close, and I know you have your own... opinions on the nature of his work, but we need as much intel on our enemies as we can gather. Especially now.” She shook her head, exhaling a long breath. “So if Rhys needs him for a mission, then he needs him. It's simple as that."

Nesta clicked her tongue. "Of course it is."

Elain cleared her throat, interjecting before the conversation could continue any further, partially out of her own selfish desires and partially to avoid a verbal sparring match between her two sisters. "I think everything is just about finished," She announced, forcing a wide smile. "Why don't we get everything out to the table before it gets cold?"

Feyre frowned. "What about my bread?"

"Brave of you to consider that watery mess of flour 'bread'," Nesta said before grabbing a serving plater stuffed full of eggs and sauntering from the room, the silver hilt of Ataraxia flashing as she went.

Feyre’s frown deepened.  

"Is it really that bad? Truly?"

Elain smiled sympathetically at her little sister, unable to admit that Nesta, in fact, was right. The soupy mess in Feyre's mixing bowl was a mess.

"It's not bad," She said gently. "But it could be better. We can start over with your recipe later this afternoon. I'm sure some freshly baked bread would go great with dinner, too."

"Maybe I should just stick to painting." Feyre sighed.

Elain couldn't help but crack a smile. "Maybe."

They shared a laugh and Elain gave Feyre's shoulder a comforting squeeze before they gathered up the rest of the serving platters and plates.

The others were already gathered around the long trestle table in the middle of the Riverhouse’s informal dining room. If the vast space overlooking the sprawling manor gardens and the sparkling Sidra beyond could even be called that. 

Some were already in the unofficially assigned seats while others stood before the wide wall of floor to ceiling windows and chatted, the sound of their lively voices and soft laughter filling the morning air. 

Rhys, Cassian, and Varian were speaking animatedly together near the doorway while Mor, the beauty still dressed in her red silk pajamas and fluffy slippers, was pouring herself a large glass of steaming coffee from a carafe on the sideboard, a sleepy look still painted on her perfect face. Amren was seated at the head of the table, inspecting a plate of fluffy pastries with a critical eye while Nyx dozed peacefully in her slender arms. 

Rhys turned to greet them with a dazzling smile, Elain's brother-in-law the portrait of effortless beauty and grace in his immaculate black tunic and matching jacket. 

"You've outdone yourself again, Elain," He drawled, violet eyes glimmering. "Everything looks, and smells, amazing. A proper feast, if I do say so myself."

Elain offered a humble smile. "Thank you, but I can't take all the credit. Feyre was a great help The perfect sous chef, if I do say so myself."

"Was she now?

"Of course I was," Feyre chimed in, a playful smile tugging at her lips as she rounded the table to join at her mate's side. "I even managed to sneak in a few burnt offerings to keep things interesting."

Rhys pressed a kiss to Feyre's temple. "I’d expect nothing less from you, Feyre darling."

Elain's heart tightened at the sight of them, at Nesta and Cassian leaning into one another as they spoke softly, at the warm smile Varian offered Amren when no one was looking, and the subtle look of admiration the ancient one returned. Even Mor seemed to be glowing with a new sense of contentment and happiness, the beauty apparently smitten with one of Nesta's fellow Valkyries.

Then Elain's eyes fell on the empty seat furthest from the hearth, and the lack of place setting set before it and something inside her withered further.

It doesn't matter, she tried to tell herself.

But it didn't help.

"Shall we sit?" Rhys asked.

The Inner Circle grumbled their approval and, one by one, took up their respective seats around the breakfast table. Elain settled down between Feyre and Mor, her seat directly across from the one that still remained empty. The others took no time in filling their plates, everyone piling their plates high with fried bread and scrambled eggs and black-pepper bacon and roasted potatoes and an assortment of fresh pastries that would have put even the finest bakers in Velaris to shame.

But Elain found herself picking at her food, her appetite suddenly gone. Her attention was elsewhere, her gaze constantly pulled to that empty seat. Where was he? She tried her best not to think of him, of the last words they exchanged on that fateful Solstice night, but sometimes the weight of his absence felt almost tangible. Nesta said he'd never come home last night and Elain couldn't help but wonder, despite her best efforts not to, if it was because he was spending time with someone else.

Someone who wasn’t her. 

A warm hand came down atop her own and Elain was pulled from her thoughts to find the Morrigan staring at her, big brown eyes soft in the early morning light and beautiful face contemplative. "Everything alright?" She asked softly.

"Oh, yes, perfectly fine. Just, tired, that's all."

Mor hummed but didn't press the matter further. Instead, she gently squeezed Elain's hand before returning to her conversation with Cassian and Varian about the latest win Velaris's sports team had secured the night prior.

"Cauldron spare me, it was fucking beautiful," The General was saying. "That last play, Mother's tits, I was certain we were about to lose but then the Keeper made that lovely shot and boom, the game was ours."

"Beautiful indeed." Varian chuckled, the sound lovely and deep. "A shame Lucien wasn't here to see it, he would have been thrilled."

Elain’s blood ran cold at the mention of his name. Lucien. The seventh son of autumn and-- 

A chilling realization clanged through her.  The Prison, the Middle, the Autumn Court. Cauldron spare her, how had she not even considered this. Lucien was a son of Beron, the youngest of his brood. 

Elain blinked and a flash of an image shivered in her mind's eye. 

A sun setting over a fire-red forest, a golden serpent twinning up the frail trunk of a wilting tree, its leaves falling like tears to the forest floor to blanket a rotting fawn in it’s funeral shroud, a bird of flame watching and weeping as it circled high above. 

She blinked again and the strange vision was gone.

Blinked and found Amren staring right at her. 

The ancient one's silver eyes were narrowed, her blood-red lips pursed in a look of consideration. A look a predator saved only for their prey. Elain's skin prickled with goosebumps as a cold shiver ran down her spine. It was as if the female could see into her mind, her very soul.

"I think it's a good thing he's keeping away," Amren drawled, her eyes never straying from Elain's face. "His loyalties clearly no longer lie with us. Let him play mortal with Vassa and Jurian as long as he damn well pleases, his absence means one less liability for us to worry about."

Rhys cleared his throat. "I thought we agreed to no court business this morning."

Amren rolled her eyes but returned to her measly plate of food without complaint, though Elain didn't fail to notice the words Varian softly murmured in her ear, the Prince of Adriata surprisingly tender, given the nature of his lover. Or whatever Amren was to him. No one was brave enough to ever ask and Elain certainly wasn't going to be the first to.

The rest of their family breakfast continued without incident, though Cassian, Nesta, and Mor all managed to slip in a few playful jabs at one another, as they so often did. Elain tried her best to remain engaged, to keep her focus on her family and friends, but her thoughts wandered nonetheless.

The Prison, the Middle, the Autumn Court. The empty seat across the table, the lost priestesses of Seraphyros, the seventh son of Autumn.

She needed to speak with Kalla. Needed to formulate an official plan with the twins. Needed to figure out how the hell she was going to pull off her next move without putting any of her friends in danger. Or tipping her sisters off on her secrets. 

Elain knew she couldn't keep her intentions hidden from them forever, but she also knew neither Feyre nor Nesta would react well to what she was attempting to do. Researching a strange artifact and collaborating with a mysterious acolyte from half a world away was one thing, actually setting out to retrieve the fragments of said artifacts was a whole other.

By the time their plates were cleared, Nesta and Cassian had already retired to their room on the Riverhouse's topmost floor and Nyx was dozing peacefully in his mother's arms, Feyre just as seemingly tired as her newborn son, her little sister yawning as she swept quietly up the stairs to lay the infant down for a nap. Varian and Rhys were seemingly content to discuss matters of state alone in the High Lord's office, leaving her alone with only Amren and Mor alone at the dining table. Elain's eyes shifted towards the doorway leading out to the sprawling veranda and her gardens that lie beyond.

She took a deep breath and rose from her seat, smoothing down the skirts of her amethyst dress and offering the two other women a sweet, innocent smile. "Forgive me, ladies, but I've got some gardening in the city I need to attend to," She said, voice a shade softer than she intended it. "But it was great seeing you all. I do hope you'll join us for family dinner."

Mor merely yawned and offered a sleepy farewell. Amren, however, fixed Elain with a withering look that stripped her bare and laid her clean, her strange silver eyes seeing everything and missing nothing.

"Gardening, hm," Amren hummed, her lips pursing ever so slightly. "Do take care not to entangle yourself in any thorns, girl."

Elain forced a pretty little smile. "I always do."

Though the ancient one said nothing more Elain could have sworn her eyes followed her all the way out of the room and onto the streets beyond.

Elain brought a bouquet of irises to the Library as an offering for Clotho. Their sweet scent perfumed the dry, dusty air as she approached the large wooden doors, the whisper-soft petals brushing her fingertips as she held them carefully. She hoped the flowers would be enough.

She pushed open the massive doors of the Library and was immediately greeted by the sight of towering bookshelves rising high up into the gloom, tall and proud and seemingly unending.

Clotho was seated at her usual desk, the high priestess's face concealed beneath her heavy hood, tall stacks of books surrounding her on either side. Elain approached the woman slowly, purposefully, so as not to scare her and made sure each step sounded loudly off the worn marble.

"Hello, Clotho," Elain said gently.

Clotho lifted her head and though her face was entirely concealed beneath the darkness of her heavy hood, Elain could have sworn the priestess offered her a smile. She returned the gesture and gently set her bouquet of flowers atop Clotho's desk.

"For you," She said

A pen and a piece of parchment appeared in the air between them and Clotho's enchanted pen began to move effortlessly across the page. From your garden, Lady Elain?

The title tickled something in her. Lady.

"Yes, from my new greenhouse at Feyre's Riverhouse," Elain replied. "I wanted to thank you for permitting my friend access to the Library, especially so last minute, and I heard you had a soft spot for the color purple."

A beautiful gift, thank you. They shall bring us all a little bit of life down here.

"I do hope Kalla's arrival hasn't... upset the nature of things. The last thing I'd ever want is to cause a burden for you and the other women."

A soft sound that might have almost been a laugh came from beneath Clotho's hood.

Lady Valenholt has been a lively addition to our humble little library and we do not often have the honor of hosting an artificer here in our sacred space. She is welcome to stay and work as long as her research demands.

"Thank you, Clotho. Truly."

The priestess inclined her hooded head and her pen scratched out a new message.

You'll find Kalla in one of the offices on the third floor. And Elain?

"Yes?"

Tread carefully, Lady of Sacred Visions. Nothing is ever as it seems.

A chill ran down Elain's spine at the words, at this new title bestowed on her, but before she had the chance to question it further, before she could even ask, Clotho magicked her enchanted pen away and bowed her head, returning to the pile of work spread before her. Conversation over, then, she supposed. The last thing Elain wanted to do was disrespect the priestess’s request for silence so Elain dropped into a low, elegant curtsey before gathering the skirts of her amethyst and striding for the Library's massive oaken doors.

The dusty smell of old tomes and worn leather and the faint smell of sage immediately struck Elain as she stepped out onto the Library's uppermost floor. She had only come here a few times before, but each time she was immediately struck by the sheer size of the Library and the boundless knowledge stored within its halls. It was a place of quiet reverence, a place that left her bones feeling settled and her mind at ease.

Elain craned her neck as she took in the hundreds upon hundreds of bookshelves occupying the expansive space, some so tall they disappeared into the misty gloom of the cavern above and each stuffed full with every book and scroll and tome imaginable. How many secrets did the Library hold? Certainly far too many for even an immortal to uncover, the collection far too vast to ever be read in full, even over the course of a Fae's long-lived lifetime.

But, perhaps, that was the wicked irony of immortality.

Elain trailed her fingers over the carved banister of the grand staircase as she made her way to the floor below. 

It made sense to her that Nesta had found solace in this place. It was quiet, yes, but it was quiet that resounded with fierce, determined purpose. The Library was knowledge and rule, it was law and absolute understanding, it was a place not for the broken but for the fiercely determined. A place women could come to reclaim their power, reclaim their destinies. The strength of this place leaked from every bookshelf, every feminine whisper, every rustle of turning pages and every sigh of contemplation.

Yes, there was power in this place indeed.  

Elain found Kalla's assigned office on the third floor easily enough. This section of the Library was busier than most, the floor crowded with priestesses gathered around long tables and perched in worn leather chairs, some heavily engrossed in their studies while others were content to gossip in low, hush tones. 

A small group of them were gathered outside one of the office doors, eyes wide as they watched whatever unfolded beyond the doorway, whispering between themselves. Elain gently pushed past, weaving between closely gathered shoulders until she too stood in the doorway and marveled at the sight that lay beyond.

Open books floated midair all around the room, pale white runes and strange shifting marks shimmering above their open pages, both swirling and warping around Kalla Valenholt's lowered head, the artificer seemingly entirely unaware of either the spectacle unfolding above her or the audience gathered at her door. She scratched away in a large tome entirely unbothered, one hand clutching her ink quill, the other raised and surrounded by twinning threads of iridescent gossamer.

"Ah, good, you're finally here. Shut the door on your way in, won't you, Elain?" The artificer said without so much as lifting her head, seemingly entirely unaware of the spectacular unfolding all around her and the crowd gathered at her door.

Or, more like, just simply unbothered.

Elain offered the gathered priestesses an apologetic smile before stepping into the spacious office and pulling the heavy wood door closed behind her. 

The room seemed to hum with wild energy filled with light and wonder. She could feel it pulsing in her bones, crackling in the air and space all around her. A loose leaf of parchment whizzed past, ferried on the wind by the twisting strands of power that danced all through the room. Elain watched in awe as it fluttered up to join the rest of the swirling books and runes, a complex dance she did not understand nor recognize.

"Never seen spellspinning before?"

Elain blinked.

Across the room, Kalla had finally lifted her head from her books and was now watching Elain take in the spectacle with an amused, maybe even smug, look on her pretty face. A pair of oculars were perched on the bridge of her nose and, even at this distance, Elain could see the dark smudges beneath Kalla's green eyes.

Elain shook her head. "No."

"Looks more impressive than it really is. Just about anyone could learn to do it. If they've got the stomach for it, of course." A crooked little grin. "Meditating on the root of spells, on the natural Weave of all magic, is pretty nasty shit."

Elain had no idea what that meant and the look of mischief in Kalla's eyes suggested she was probably better off not knowing anyways. She had enough nasty shit when it came to her own powers to begin with. 

The two of them would need to talk about that later, but first. The Prison, the Middle, the Autumn Court. Three stones atop the map.

Elain ventured deeper into the room, ducking just in time to avoid an oncoming spellbook spearing for her, the pages flying as runes and sigils swirled above it like a maelstrom of knowledge and power. "Dare I ask what it is you're trying to... spin?"

“Nothing, as of right now. That’ll come later, but for now,” A small, wicked smile. “Let’s talk about the Prison.” 

Elain swallowed hard. 

“So you do know of it, then?” 

“Does that surprise you?” 

“No.” Elain tucked a golden-brown curl behind an arched ear. “What of it?” 

“I certainly can’t get in, no matter how hard I, or my spells, might try. You don’t seem like you’d be permitted either.” 

Elain tried not to take offense to the jab. She could do whatever she damn well pleased... well, maybe. 

She folded her arms across her chest. “So what are you suggesting?” 

The smile on Kalla’s face was simply wicked. 

“I hear your court has a shadowsinger.” 

[streetkid-named-desire]

@ouroboros-hideout tagged me for WIP whenever!

I'm tagging @wanderingaldecaldo @luvwich @ghostoffuturespast @genocidalfetus

I am working on editing some old VP, taking some new stuff. Waiting for a certain pose pack to finish so I can take preview pics for it 😏 here are some refs to tease you

I finished chapter 11 and need to edit/revise but my brain just hasn't been in the mood for it.

Here's a chapter 11 excerpt. You can get a hint about who Rivka is if you search for the first line in all caps in the Hanukkah fic

Cheri didn't look up from her computer when she saw V. He was such a frequent flyer for so long she knew him by the sound of his footsteps. She merely motioned to the device on the counter, prompting him to jack in. V thought about Bea, how she felt and how she smelled, how she looked, the color of her hair, the softness of her legs, the shape of her breasts. A beeping sounded in his head and four headshots were displayed on his retinal field. Angel and Skye were who usually showed up. They ran into each other at Riot a few months after Evelyn's murder where he explained himself. They flirted and parted on good terms. Two new faces were displayed underneath the other two portraits. One was a beautiful Hispanic woman with gold eyes and purple hair, and the other was someone that looked almost exactly like Bea. But even in the small frame, he could tell it wasn't really her. He selected that photo and a name popped up underneath, "Rivka". "Rivka just started. I'm sure you'll like her," Cheri said. Professional politeness, she didn't actually care how V felt. He stashed his pistol and knife in a locker before passing through a scanner. He walked to booth 5 and gently touched the glass door. It slid open without a sound and he stepped into the dimly lit room.

Got more of the collab smut outline done that I'll put under the cut. I hope to learn a lot from the person I'm working with (I admire their writing a lot also sorry idk if you wanted it public or not yet) and write better smut in the future

Starts coming back from a gig, Bea has a slash on her shoulder, V has a minor GSW in his hip

V got impatient and rushed in, outnumbered but both dispatched all. However, they weren't supposed to kill the target.

Start in the weapons room, bickering and bandaging each other up, each being rough to make it hurt. Bea's bloodlust dips in and wipes up his blood with her finger (you could have her sticking her fingers in his mouth, maybe with a little mean quip)

V does the same with her slash but jerks her face towards his with his fingers inside her mouth

Heal their wounds, go to the couch to relax and debrief. She’s in a tank top, pants, and still wearing shoes, he’s just in his boxers. Start nitpicking and blaming each other. V says something about her combat skills like she relies on her smartweapon too much and it would have gone a lot smoother.

She punches him (where?) not hard enough to do damage but hard enough to make her point, she stands up they exchange a certain look where they’re not actually mad and need to release the rest of the tension and adrenaline before they can go to sleep

She starts quizzing him about guns (I can research this) and every answer he gets wrong she slaps him which just makes him hard, visible bulge, etc

He gets snippy and she throws him to the floor and steps on his bare chest, painful but hot, leaves a print, quips about like watching his back, how he’d die without her, how she could move her boot up to his neck and kill him now. She puts more of her weight on him and he’s starting to struggle to breathe a little.

Grabs her legs and flip her back, cracking her into the table and scraping her side. He is on her fast and pulls her shirt up to lick the blood

She slams her palm into the GSW making him roll off her. While he’s recovering she gets undressed and orders him to sit against the couch where she then kneels on the couch to ride his face BUT he’s a complete teasing little shit which she loves but pretends to hate it and he’s just enjoying/shoving in her face how much he can control her

That riles her up and she drags him to the bedroom and throws him on the bed to do the same, her teeth DEFINITELY scrape his dick a dangerous amount and he’s really fucking annoyed and also genuinely a little scared

[jacenotjason]

(tw ed; feel free to delete this ask obv)

hi sorry if this is weird and no pressure to answer but I was scrolling through the radford tag and I found this ask about someone's hcs for radford/robert/their little sister's living situation (shitty parents and radford caring for them and all that) that was sent to you. but I saw in the tags you said something about an ed? and ik you have your au class of 31 with radford having one but it kinda looked like you meant robert, too. i may definitely be misreading this though. I just kinda got curious because. like. it sounds interesting haha (/gen). tho i completely get if it's not something you want to talk about!! i just searched your blog to see if you posted for it and it didn't look like anything came up

Oh yeah! I have some hcs (?? If that's even that right term to use here) about Robert having an ed, but they're sort of private? I'd be down to make art or something one day but rn they're kinda... just my little comfort things? I do wanna share them one day idk

As for the class of 31 au, Radford also has one. That wasn't on purpose I swear I'm not just giving this entire family eds lmfao

[grubliinu]

Hello, apologies if this is interrupting your day but i absolutely in love with your writing which is very immersive! I want to write like you. Do you have any recommendations for sources and tips of writing for beginners? Also thank you so much for all the fics. Love them <3

Aaaa oh my gosh this comment just made my day, thank you so much I'm really flattered you think so highly of my writing skills! Sorry it took me a while to reply, I have been busy and wanted to take my time writing a reply. Hopefully, you'll find this useful!

I can't think of any specific sources I have used but my tumblr should have some stuff if you search the ''writing'', writing stuff'' and writing reference'' tags (I think those are the ones I use but man, I really should organize them better lmao) But here are also some other tips I use frequently while writing that I can think from the top of my head:

1) Make a separate document to ''doodle'' on This is a big one for me. I'm not quite sure what kind of writer you are (are you the type to meticulously plan everything before you start writing, or do you go with the flow?) so I don't know how useful this is for you, but I am strictly the former. When I start planning a fic, I make two files – the actual fic, and a separate document that is basically a sketchbook but for writing. There, I write down everything, from ideas to random bits of dialogue that I thought sounded cool and could be used in the future.

Another thing this doodle document is super useful for is creating summaries. Since I write a lot of angst, I often have to write scenes that deal with the character's emotions and inner thoughts. While I like writing that type of stuff, I often struggle to articulate my thoughts and interpretation into something coherent that I can put into words and I have discovered that simply writing a short breakdown essay of every aspect I want to explore in that particular scene. For example, in chapter 4 of Lungs Full of Roses, when Childe destroys the hilichurl camp, in that scene, I wanted to establish how he views his relationship with the tsaritsa and family, as well as reveal how he really feels about Zhongli, so I wrote separate sections for Tsaritsa, Childe's family, and Zhongli, and how Childe feels about them using very simple terms.

I also tend to never erase anything from those documents so that I can revisit an idea in the future. Instead, I just make the font smaller for those parts!

2) Balance between purple prose and ''pragmatic'' (idk what to call it really) This is especially related to your question since this is something that is constantly on my mind as I write – I love using a poetic style of writing full of words that I think sound pretty. However, I personally can't read writing that only consist of that type of purple prose, so I often have to resist the temptation to add more poetic flair to the more mundane parts. But honestly, sometimes you just gotta focus on making the plot move from point A to point B and that's okay! Every sentence doesn't have to be a work of art – in fact, I personally think (or hope in the case of my own writing) that saving the poetics for the more emotional scenes makes them hit even deeper.

3) Use gestures to convey emotions This is like an actual tip from writers but it's also something I try to be aware of when I write. Instead of using something like 'he felt angry', try something like 'he clenched his fist' etc. to convey the anger. The Internet is full of lists of body language and gestures that are created for writers and I recommend checking those out! You can also use metaphors to convey emotions – using the example above, you could write something like ''anger surged through him like a wave''. I like to mix gestures and metaphors.

You can also use the structure of the sentence to convey emotion. For example, if the character is angry, use short sentences. If they're panicking, convey that panic by using a longer sentence that just kinda spirals into panic. (I don't know how to explain so here's an example from Lungs Full of Roses where Childe is both angry and panicking lmao)

[Childe breathed in. Out. He felt trapped, like a giant beast in a small cage, and Archons how he hated it. Hated how his skin crawled with the need for action, hated how his instincts were screaming at him about nonexistent eyes watching his every movement even though he knew that he was alone. A part of him, the part that had been forged by the suffocating mists of the Abyss, itched to destroy his room, no, actually the room wasn't enough – destroy the hotel, the city, the whole goddamn region that prided itself on the fictitious freedom and cloying wine until nothing but ashes remained.] 

As you might have noticed, I wrote ''he felt trapped'' – which is what I just said to avoid. However, I remember thinking that the scene needed something short and simple and I figured that this was the way to go – which goes to show that the rules of writing aren't set in stone and you can absolutely break them if you want (imo the only rule I think everyone should follow is to USE PARAGRAPHS if you write fics, it is really hard to read fics that don't use them)

Annnd that's about what I can currently think of, hopefully, there was something that you find useful! My writing style is something that has been developing for over ten years so it is hard for me to like actually explain it so I'm really sorry this is so disjointed. Again, thank you so much for your kind words, I'm so glad that you sent me this message anon!

[appleslices]

i was tagged by @thesentdowngirl and @plusque

Nickname: zee

Height: 5'4"

Last google search: diy miniatures

Song stuck in my head: i dont remember the title but its kylie minogue and its the one with the "remember the old days walking in rhythm the night is for livin' it's in your hands now to... something something" i lose the lyrics at this point

Number of followers: 390ish

Amount of sleep: a blissful 7ish hours of sleep last night

Lucky number: i don't have one of these i don't believe in numbers

Dream job: i get money to fuck around with art and crafts all day but with no pressure to scramble for freelance work or do corporate design altho atp its inevitable LOL

What are you wearing right now: jeans and a sweater vest with a teddybear pattern

Favorite media: god ig video games bc they engage like audio, visual, and tactile senses At once its very easy for me to be invested in the narrative, concepts, visuals etc. but like tv shows are also very big for me, there are many good ones out there and i love learning abt the visual language and story telling of that kind of "long term" film.

Favorite song: song of the week is "ya no soy tu baby" by princess alba

Favorite instrument: cello, synths, drums

Aesthetic: idk i enjoy a lot of different aesthetic movements and it's impossible to boil my Tastes into a singular movement or even blend them together BUT a few key faves are bauhaus and memphis group, i like brutalism but in combination with more color, i also enjoy baroque and some elements of rococo but i think even for someone who leans towards maximalism rococo can be overwhelming for me sometimes. fashion wise i really enjoy blending morikei with classic/gothic lolita i also have a few sort of like techwear adjacent and athleisure pieces i try and blend with my EGL to uhm varying degrees of success but also sometimes i just want to wear sweatpants but most of my shirts are blouses so they dont blend easily together.

Favorite author: god i dont know i don't read enough to answer this </3

Favorite animal noise: love cat sounds any noise a cat makes will be entertaining

Random: have any of u guys watched the dangerous liaisons tv series its actually really good im watching it with hannah and a lot of our commentary is very sort of like reactionary like we're watching a reality show but it's so engaging and the costume design is beautiful. and also i think there's some gender and sexuality going on with the two leads somethingggg about them is insane. sorry for spoilers but there's this one scene where camillle corssdresses to get into a gentleman's club and the whole time she and valmont are sooo h*rny about it and i really had to have hannah pause it while i had thoughts and she laughed at me (affectionately) the whole time while i was trying to Get Myself Together.

i've rambled on for sooo long i'm just going to tag "anyone who wants to do this" xoxox <333

[yegas]

yes! hahaha it's so funny because a few of the characters still very much resemble knb chars. and I just SEE knb. like one guy looks like kise with black hair and another looks like kiyoshi and OMG I JUST DID A GOOGLE SEARCH BC SMTH FELT OFF AND LMAO I'M SO DUMB. IT'S NOT BASEBALL IT'S GOLF HAHAHHA OMG IDEK WHY I REMEMBERED IT AS BASEBALL IT WAS SO LONG AGO I think it was bc I remember them swinging things and got mixed up 😂 and holy shit KISE LOOKALIKE WITH BLACK HAIR WAS NASH from last game wtf 😂 the guy from the golf manga looks like aomine! and teikou!akashi with glasses hahaha crap my memory is so bad 😂 but yeah dia no ace, I used to see it a lot on my dash along with other sports anime but never really gave it a try.. my most recent sports anime though is blue lock and I would def recommend it. this one's about soccer/football (w/e term you prefer haha

YES OHMYGOD HAHAHAHAHAHA ya I feel you! that used to be my source for new music bc there really wasn't anywhere else to find them! I remember keeping track of shows that featured my favourite artists bc these shows were on repeat and went on air at the same timings hahaha I swear the struggle to catch MTV [random show title] at 3pm! Matt was so fit! literally, like good job sir 👏 but the long hair, I get you hahahahahaha when I watched httk mv the first time, I was pretty shocked to see his hair and the only thing on my mind was 'what happened 🙃' and Brian had this.. idk what you call it... a mohawk? lol the goku hair was his best hairstyle imo (he's blond now maybe you've seen.. haha it's a look I have to get used to lmao) BUT YOU HAVE TO TELL ME ABOUT YOUR CONCERT EXPERIENCE! ughhhhh I've been dying to see them.. I'll be so sad if I never get a chance to do so 🤧

as for bands.. oh maannnn Idek where to begin, the list is extensive! I used to listen to a lot esp in my teens, but these days I only have a few constants that I follow. bmth is one that I've carried with me since back then. there's also fob. I would say paramore, but I'm not so keen on their new sound yet. others I got into a little later in life lol is the pretty reckless and in this moment.. I also had a vk phase so I TOTALLY KNOW DIR EN GREY!!! I think I gave them a listen once before but was too wrapped up in other vk bands hahaha (but it wouldn't hurt to give them another go!) I really like and still listen to the gazette. there's also oral cigarettes for non-vk bands ah, and buck-tick I had on loop for some time bc of shiki (great anime if you like horror btw!).. I'm also a fan of certain kbands like the rose and day6 (biiiiiiig fan of day6) if you're familiar with hallyu/kwave. I guess that concludes a summary of my current go-to bands. (oh, I'm giving a special mention to mcr since they were my gateway to rock music hahahaha omg my obsession with them was insane)

that's true. there'd been such useless updates in the past.. I guess some redeeming ones are how you can view people's tags on your post in the activity page and how it displays if you're following/mutuals w someone next to their handle. but yeah I haven't gone around much lately to know what other relevant updates there are hahaha

hahahaha I'm guilty.. I've gone down the reels hole quite a few times.. it's so detrimental though to my mental health lmao esp when I'd see all these.. relationship related reels lol I felt so much better after deactivating IG hahaha I don't have a tiktok acc but I do have the app, only to watch cooking stuff and other hacks in life 😂 OMG BUT you're blessed to have never witnessed the horror that was tumblr live. oh god. I didn't have access to it in my area but I saw enough thumbnails to know how cringe it was tg they removed it 🫠

thanks 🥲 it's a rollercoaster.. just when I think I'm feeling better, I get plunged into this pit of despair (kidding, I'm being dramatic) but you're right, one day at a time, slowly and trusting the process 😌

(sorry if I have typos btw. I have like 8 green lines on my screen 🙃)

HAHAHAHA GOLF i'm so interested now i wanna read it bc if he managed to make GOLF nearly as dramatic as basketball was, that would be such an accomplishment loooool! dw my memory prob sucks even more i swear i could rewatch/reread stuff every few months and forget pretty much everything that happened :') omg whats the name of the character that looks like akashi with glasses i need to see that NOW hahaha. okay i will start blue lock soon! i'm so behind on anime like i haven't watched new ones in years i missed out on so much ughhh now i gotta catch up. i need to watch jujutsu kaisen as well cos everyone's so obsessed with it (like half of my dash is only jjk lol). btw if u have any more recs pls lemme know im all ears!

hahaha yeah those were the days! I DIDN'T KNOW BRIAN WAS BLOND NOW it looks so strange im cryinggg hahahahaha

i saw them back in 2013 when httk came out omg i can't believe it's been 11 FREAKING YEARS wtf. i saw them in vienna with a tumblr friend haha it was really awesome! i have some pics on the sideblog here's the link. i remember lining up at 2 pm and the show started at 8 pm i think and i swear it was the coldest day of my life i was FREEZING like a mf but it was worth it cos i got to be in the 2nd row. but there was fire everywhere on stage and it was SO hot, like an insane temperature difference compared to outside, plus i was a dumb 15 yr old and barely ate anything all day and i FREAKING PASSED OUT during chapter four i think, and security pulled me out and gave me some water and then i went back (thankfully only missed 1 or 2 songs) hahahahaha. at least i learned my lesson for future concerts i guess :'D but the concert was really good i had no complaints abt the sound or anything, and the crowd was nice. and the supporting acts were avatar and five finger death punch, they were cool too. and i'm sure you'll get to see them!! where are u from btw? (pretty sure i saw that they're touring europe right now in case ur from here)

hey i've been listening to some bmth recently, but for some reason it's always songs where other artists are featured, specifically 'kingslayer' w/ babymetal and 'code mistake' w/ corpse. i also love 'vampir' with ic3peak (super into ic3peak). i should totally give their discography more of a listen, i only know some songs off of sempiternal (and i like them so idk why i never listened to more stuff lol). fob definitely has some bangers! and paramore was the first rock band i discovered along with linkin park! i saw the crushcrushcrush video on tv (wasn't mtv but this channel called viva, i don't even think it exists anymore), i was 9 and wanted to be hayley williams :'D she had the coolest hair in the world!

OMG SO HAPPY U KNOW DEG <3 they moved away from vkei so many years ago, their newer stuff is super experimental, like all the albums are so different from each other. my faves are uroboros (the remastered/expanded version), dum spiro spero and vulgar. def give them a go! and the gazette are also great, i was obsessed with the song '濁' from their latest album!

yep i love horror, def gonna add shiki to the to-watch list then! gotta check out those kbands as well. i'm familiar with some kpop, not too extensively (there are soo many groups haha) but i have a playlist that i made and listen to pretty often. i think my favorite kpop group rn is ateez. and yep mcr are legendary!! i remember seeing helena for the first time on yt and being blown away haha!

ooh true, those updates are some of the good ones! and i get you, 2 of my friends also left ig a long time ago for mental health reasons. it's probably better not to have it anyway. i don't really spend much time there tbh (youtube is my main time-waster) and pretty much everything the algorithm shows me nowadays is makeup tutorials and animals (and desserts whenever im trying to eat healthy lool). AND LMFAO TUMBLR LIVE I JUST HAD TO GOOGLE IT i never heard of it before but i can only imagine omfg.

i know what you mean. stay strong, it'll get much easier soon, trust me!