#summary of fanfic story

[ghost-proofbaby]

“I’m out of wine and flowers, so I hope an introduction will suffice,” his blood-red eyes meet hers, and something in her gut twists. As if she already knows. As if she’s just realized that she’s missed the obvious. “My name is Astarion. I was in Balder’s Gate when-” Astarion. Save Astarion. Astarion.  All the breath leaves her lungs as she interrupts, “You’re Astarion?”

summary: how far would you go to save the one you love? what about a stranger?

pairings: astarion ancunin x sorcerer!oc (aruna)

warnings: canon angst, canon trauma, canon violence, memory loss, sort of enemies to lovers?, sort of soulmates au?, overuse of pet names, eventual smut. 18+

cross-posted on ao3

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P R O L O G U E

S T R A N G E R S

C H A R C O A L A N D D A G G E R S

W I L D M A G I C

S H A R P A X E , S H A R P E R H A N D S

H E R S H A D O W

T H E K I N D E S T F O O L

I N T O T H E C H A S M

F A I L E D C O N N E C T I O N S

F R I E N D L Y E N C O U N T E R S

C I N N A M O N G I R L

A D V O C A T U S D I A B O L I

S O L D I E R D O W N

S T A Y W I T H M E

[beginningobserver]

Hey you, did you remember these two kids here?

(ignore the bully, i kicked him out of the pic, he's not allowed to be here)

So, the idea is something the server and I had been cooking yesterday. Last night. When we noticed those two kids are too similar to the kids going to Rui's party on his 8th birthday (Feb 29 2000) and we thought...

"Well, it doesn't seem like Ukkomon was controlling everyone 24/7 like Rui's parents... What if those two legitimately were Rui's friends at school? They seem to always have been his classmates since kindergarten..."

(※ I know there's a 3rd boy in the b-day party scene, but I don't think he's the bully, or the kid in the scene where Rui is greeting a girl in red backpack while they go to school together?)

And knowing that Rui was living in denial, believing that everything that had happened in his childhood was fake, or created by Ukkomon… Friends and I suspected that not everything was in fact fake or manipulated by Ukkomon. So this means, there would be legit connections Rui made while his self-esteem was boosted by Ukkomon doing “this and that” around. And you can see that in the kindergarten scene, Ukkomon is facing the bully. He’s not even controlling the other two kids in-scene.

If this girl and boy depicted in those two scenes kept being in touch with Rui before things went south… This means they would be… concerned with him suddenly disappearing from nowhere, or cutting bonds with them. They possibly heard the news of him getting hurt, parents suddenly passing away and him having to be taken by relatives.

And since the part of relatives in-movie is very very VAGUE, I took the idea that this doesn’t mean they were bad as his mother, but at the same time he was completely avoiding people in general. Because of “you know what” hidden under the eyepatch and his bangs.

But back to those two kiddos here… Yeah, we suspect they did like Rui with or without Ukkomon’s influence. And if they lost contact with him after that incident… One day they would simply get to meet him again. Maybe… Because they spotted a GIANT egg singing “HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR RUI~” and hatching into something that looked like that funny sea butterfly critter which was always with Rui?

Yeah... Yeah. And considering the idea of “not everything in your childhood was Ukkomon’s byproduct, or an illusion”… The server and I, while I was going on a spree of “HEY LET’S MAKE OCs SO THEY CAN BEFRIEND RUI AND LET HIM HAVE HIS OWN CIRCLE LIKE THE 02 KIDS!” (because if he were just attached to Daisuke & co, Rui’s entire character arc & growth would’ve been pointless) and tagging some cool friends for ideas and teamwork on building– i mean, introducing new friends to Rui again… We made this discovery and thought: Well, why not use those background characters instead?

You might remember that I adopted the Maki-Daigo’s team back in time, and then Shai named those three kiddos based on Daigo’s name and their assigned Holy Beast partners, right? And then quite recently, i think last year (?), Shiha and I were talking about this same group and imagining a whole fanmade prequel series exploring those five’s potential – which led me to do a new version of my ol’ redesigns for them + do a soft-redesign Maki & Daigo too to follow the style/aes, and i gave them personalities + roles!

Today, we got to do the same thing again. And we cooked something for post-movie events for Rui & Ukkomon ( •̀ ω •́ )✧ 

And yeah, i got Shai’s help again 💜 because naming things are not my forte, and she did a rough Adult version mugshots of them too…!!

So we got this idea… Of those kids reconnecting with Rui in some sort of post-movie event/headcanon. We gave them names, and a digimon partner for one of them.

Their names are Nakajima Ayame ( 中島あやめ ) and Koyama Hiroomi ( 小山広臣 ) 

Shai named them, except the first name for Ayame which came from a friend in-server. 

Here's some deets about them made by moi (^・ω・^ )

Ayame is a nice girl who doesn’t like to watch people getting into fights, so she keeps wishing to be able to have something in hands that could heal people. With this in mind, she decided to pursue a medical career – at least something little and not big, something like being a nurse to assist people in need, taking care of them. Before Ukkomon, she was a little nervous to talk with Rui, because he would always be the target of the bullies and she feared getting involved in those fights. But once Ukkomon appeared, she witnessed that strange creature standing up for Rui… She got courage enough to talk with him, and become one of his first friends at the kindergarten. She would always be carrying a first aid kit with her in her young days, helping Rui and Hiroomi. She might not like ugly fights, but she can stand up for others a little once she has gotten older, and she keeps simply checking on others like a good friend. She still uses pigtails, even if lower now as an adult.

Hiroomi is a good, funny and supportive friend type, but he had some issues of being a little coward. He could witness Rui getting bullied and would want so hard to go there and stop them, but his body would just freeze and he couldn’t even say anything. Yeah he had the trouble of not being able to help others due to fear. Ukkomon worked as some sort of role model to go and make a difference. He wouldn’t get into a fist fight with anyone, but he would simply call them out and keep cheering Rui up. His funny aura was quite captivating too, and he definitely noticed he and Rui had something in common which was them being quite non-confrontational, except Hiroomi was able to voice his needs and feelings quite better than Rui. When Rui suddenly stopped going to school in March 2003, he tried to ask everyone around about his friend, with Ayame’s help too, and this is how they learned by rumors that something had happened to Rui. But he and Ayame never had success in contacting Rui for a long LONG time. When he turned an adult he decided to dye his bangs, and adopted a more stylish appearance. He doesn’t know what he wants to pursue as a career, but his part-time job is just being a delivery boy. He likes vehicles though, and his scooter is his best friend (besides Ayame, of course).

Out of those two, Ayame is a Chosen Child who got a digimon partner later, but she never managed to talk with Rui about it because it happened after the said incident in 2003 – not exactly a day or two after it, and yes in the same year, but past March.

Ayame’s partner is a Cutemon (she/her). Which reflects her inner desire to be able to heal others, since Cutemon is a digimon who’s not a fighter and yes a healer. Cutemon never managed to evolve but she does not feel she’s the type to fight tough enemies, so she sticks by just healing everyone with her healing magic skills. She’s quite timid and resembles the child Ayame to some extent, but the difference is she doesn’t fear befriending others when she gets an interest in them and is willing to form connections.

By the way~

So the initial draft of a possible fic or more posts about those two and Rui-kun is:

The moment BigUkkomon hatched, Ayame was leaving her shift at the local hospital and got a message from Hiroomi telling her to immediately check this video he just made from the mysterious big egg while he was around the Tokyo Tower area, asking “Isn’t this big guy familiar to you??”

Cutemon wasn’t sure if she had seen that digimon before, but Ayame did notice it resembled Ukkomon. The weird singing also mentioned someone named ‘Rui’ and she couldn’t believe this was a coincidence at all. Neither Hiroomi, of course. It was the first time they heard about their old friend who had disappeared a decade ago.

Once things were solved – Rui made amends with Ukkomon, Ukkomon and the supposed greater thing connected to the digimon decided that the digivices weren’t needed anymore, and all the things Ukkomon had messed it up before were ‘undone’ (you know, the eye lol), Rui went back home with the alarm clock-sized DigiEgg and started to think what he and Ukkomon would do next time, when the egg hatches.

He did kept in touch with Daisuke and the others, but he didn’t want to keep bothering them all the time (he would often get invited by Daisuke to try the new dishes from the ‘Motomiya Ramen’ menu, or get any of those six send him tips about the digimon and some funny stories involving that group and digimon cases… Or get Hikari simply sending him a message asking how he was doing) or feel like he was ‘bothering’ them.

And then he got his own strange… visit to the Dark Ocean (the name he heard from Ken when Ken explained about that place to him) which just made him a little awkward to talk with the other four and their digimon for a while. With the exception of Daisuke and Ken, who weren’t slandering him nonstop in that place, he just started to work more about his own insecurities and that sense of guilt. Well, at least after building some courage he got a little closer from Hikari, Miyako, Takeru and Iori. Still he felt this group had known each other for a whole decade and… He didn’t feel it was right to disturb them and their long term relationships.

While he did still get in touch with Daisuke (because you can’t simply stop talking with Daisuke, he likes to be friends with EVERYONE, and he will definitely be there for ANYONE as well), he tried to form his own connections with other people by his own. It didn’t work very well because sadly he had become too awkward and afraid of people thanks to that eye that he would run out of things to hold a conversation longer. He wasn’t antisocial, but he felt completely lost. Daisuke kept inviting him to do things together, even if it were just the two of them and V-mon. He felt his friendship with Daisuke was the strongest of the ones he made with those six, so he would end up confessing a few of his frustrations to him.

Daisuke then asked what if he didn’t try to talk with some of the old people he met before, even before things went bad in this life… Like, some old friends from school. Rui did like that idea, but there was one problem: He had cut bonds with everyone since then, believing that all of those friendships he had were just fabricated by Ukkomon’s power… And he kept too isolated from everyone with the fear of his relatives and high school classmates calling him a ‘freak’ for having that digimon eye slapped in his face.

That was indeed a big big problem. But Daisuke wanted to believe that, deep down, something in Rui’s childhood was legitimate and real. Which didn’t seem to make sense to Rui at all, but he didn’t want to make Daisuke sad.

Then, one day… Someone named Ayame managed to get his phone number…? The text sent to his inbox said they were classmates since kindergarten. He wondered if this was a scam mail or something, but it didn’t include a fishy link embedded in the message…

Only something more… intriguing than a fishy link:

A photo from the time he was an elementary school student…

Would it be true that… something in that tragic childhood of his was legitimately real?

[skalidris]

i'm reading an article on guanyin that's really re-affirming some specific opinions i had developed regarding the importance thereof to the sub-narrative of jin guangyao in mdzs

nodding to myself i am onto things occasionally.

[justonemorewallflower]

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

Kara Thrace thought she was going to die after she flew headfirst into the storm. But instead, after her vision goes black, she wakes up in a Cylon ship and everything changes when she realizes why.

As she works on trying to return to Galactica she faces challenges, amongst the Cylons and within her own thoughts as she struggles with her morales and self image. Can she make it back to the life she’s always known, or will she have to totally start over, leaving everything she ever knew and cared about behind?

***

*** (lots of text below):

A teaser for a long fic that has part of it posted today and will be fully posted in chunks by the end of the month! I entered the @galactica-bigbang with this fic to help me finish it and I am so excited and glad to share it with y'all as this is my baby. I have been working on this fic since before I even finished the show back in February. So around a third of a year which is crazy to think. I had honestly been concerned I wasn't going to finish this in time but alas I am going to and I am glad because I love my artists work for this fic as well! It is beautiful and she did an amazing job.

I may go back through and edit this fic to make it flow better, etc. as I'm sure it's not as detailed or edited as I'd prefer but it is mostly finished and that's what matters. And that is a huge accomplishment for me as this will be the first long fic/story period that I have ever completed.

I have an awful habit of starting new projects and writing a little bit then starting another new project. Because of that I have never been able to finish a long fic or story. The closest I got was with a Wednesday fic that currently has around 33,000 words and 24 chapters posted. I hadn't meant to abandon that one as I had really wanted to finish it but I had lost inspiration after I got into BSG and even now still am unsure how I would even want to end that fic. But yeah, the fact that BSG is the first fandom where I have been able to complete a fic over 55k words says a lot. That's how much this show and these characters mean to me, especially Kara and especially Lee and Kara as a pair.

I am super proud of this fic and have enjoyed every second I spent writing it. It means a lot to me and I hope everyone who reads it will enjoy it as much as I have writing it. It's definitely a dark and depressing fic but it's worth it for the ending.

Every time I update it/add chapters I'll make a post here with the link so y'all can stay posted and have easy access! Also there you'll be able to read and check all the tags and author's notes as you'll definitely want to look over those before you start reading. While this fic is my baby and I would love for everyone who loves Kara or Kara and Lee as much as I do to read it, y'all's mental health always comes first so if the fic seems too depressing or dark for you that is totally okay and I understand. So please, I implore you to check tags, etc. first before you commit yourself to reading this, especially seeing as it's long.

Anyway, with all that said, I am so happy to finally share this with you all and I hope everyone who decides to take the time to read it enjoys it ❤️

[kateis-cakeis]

Thinking about the structure of the Old Religion.

From what we know there's the Nine which refers to the High Priestesses of the Triple Goddess - powerful sorcerers who obtained immortality (unless killed by some form of magic), and performed important rituals of the Old Religion.

It is unknown if there was a High Priest equivalent, but Gaius in S1Ep13 does tell Merlin that "the High Priests have the power to mirror life and death". This suggests that perhaps there were High Priests of the Triple Goddess, and that they also had a Nine.

There's the Bendrui, women who failed to become part of the Nine. Just like those who eventually became High Priestesses of the Triple Goddess, they were chosen at birth for the priesthood - taken from their families and raised as initiates of the Old Religion. Despite their failure, Bendrui are practiced in potent magic, and appear to have above average gifts.

There's the Bloodguard, warrior priests who swore to protect the High Priestesses. They, like the High Priestesses, were the only people to ever set eyes upon the staff carved from the Rowan tree that grows at the very heart of the Isle of the Blessed.

It could be suggested that like the Bendrui, the Bloodguard could have been failed High Priests, but there is no evidence (other than the existence of the Bendrui, and the mention of High Priests) to truly suggest this.

It is also unknown if the Bloodguard served the Triple Goddess. It is possible that the priests served various different gods of the Old Religion, but due to their relation to the Nine specifically, it is likely these warrior priests served the Triple Goddess.

There's the Catha, which contains priests. (Alator is referred to being "of the Catha, warrior and priest", he also says "I'm a Catha priest").

It is unknown if they served the Triple Goddess, or a different god of the Old Religion (and we know they are priests of the Old Religion because Morgana says, "He's a Catha...priest of the Old Religion.").

They have their own language, however, suggesting that they are a unique culture, and perhaps even an ethnic group. (This is further supported by Alator saying Catha are trained from birth to master all physical pain, it is also said that they guard their ancient knowledge - which leans towards them being a people rather than just initiates of the Old Religion)

There's the Disir, the highest court of the Old Religion, made up of three women chosen at birth to be trained as seers and soothsayers. They are the mouthpiece of the Triple Goddess, and interpret her word. As Gaius says, "When they sat in judgement, their word was final". They pass on the runemark, which is both judgement and fate - it contains a person's guilt, as well as the path the gods have chosen for them.

There's the Druids, a peaceful people who worship the Old Religion and often possess magic. It's a part of their beliefs to help people in need of care, and therefore, those who weren't born a Druid can find a home amongst them (Morgana is one such example).

Moreover, the Druids look for children with the gift of telepathy to serve as apprentices (perhaps to keep them safe? perhaps to encourage their magic in childhood?). The Druids also have a tattoo of a triskelion somewhere on their body, perhaps as a part of a ritual (to indicate someone has become a Druid?).

While the Druids have an intimate knowledge of prophecy and destiny, especially regarding Emrys and the Once and Future King, they do not appear to be priests or priestesses in any form. Just like the Catha, they have their own language (called the Druid tongue and Druidic Runes by Gaius), therefore, it is possible that they too are a unique culture and/or an ethnic group.

There's the Isle of the Blessed, a sacred location of the Old Religion, said to be the centre of it, and the focus of its power - it is also where the power of the ancients can still be felt after the Great Purge. Artifacts such as the Rowan staff, the Cup of Life, and the Horn of Cathbhadh were kept there under the care of the High Priestesses. Furthermore, Morgana's healing bracelet was forged on Isle - suggesting that its power allowed for the creation of powerful artifacts (this is further supported by the Rowan staff which was carved from the tree that grows there).

In a deleted scene for S4Ep1, Morgause says when she was first brought to the Isle, the hallways were teeming with women - High Priestesses. Although it is said often within the fandom, canon never establishes if the initiates were trained on the Isle. This deleted scene, however, heavily suggests it.

There's the Caerlanrigh, a sacred spring within the Grove of Brineved. There, the Disir reside within a cave, where the spring feeds into an ancient pool - in which the Disir divine from. The old ways are at their strongest there, and it's at the very centre of their powers (whether Gaius meant the old ways or the Disir here is unclear).

There's the Cauldron of Arianrhod, a sacred site of the Old Religion. The lake contains the power of the White Goddess, who can be summoned to heal those affected by the Teine Diaga ritual. However, if such a person is tricked into entering the cauldron, their soul would be lost forever.

There's the Crystal Cave, said to be the birthplace of magic. It is filled to the brim with scrying crystals that show the past, present, and future. Taliesin used the cave as the source of his prophecies for the kings of old. And as much as the crystals can be controlled, they can force visions upon powerful sorcerers too.

The cave can also hold spirits within it, seen with both Balinor and Taliesin.

While this may have been the case for Merlin alone, the cave can restore a person's magic.

There are celebrations important to the Old Religion too, such as:

Samhain, a time of year where the people feel closest to the spirits of their ancestors, in which they celebrate their passing.

During Samhain it was traditional for the High Priestesses to gather on the Isle of the Blessed and perform a blood sacrifice to release the Dorocha. This was done on the stroke of midnight, when the veil between the worlds is at its thinnest.

Since the Dorocha do not roam free in the world throughout the series, it is suggested that a second blood sacrifice was done by the High Priestesses - perhaps before the night was through - to close the veil once more.

In Camelot, a feast is held as part of the celebrations. (This suggests that while the Old Religion and its practices were abandoned during and after the Purge, the heart of the religion and its holidays were never replaced).

Beltane, a time of year where the High Priestesses would gather at the Great Stones of Nemeton and summon the spirits of their ancestors with the Horn of Cathbhadh. It opens the door to the Spirit World and allows the person who blew the horn to see and speak with their ancestor of choice.

In Camelot a feast is held as part of the celebrations (which much like Samhain seems indicate that the Old Religion has been around for so long that it cannot be removed from society entirely - that the people clung onto some traditions, including the royal family).

There's the Gods of the Old Religion, the Triple Goddess, the White Goddess, and Nemaine. It could be implied that the White Goddess, and the Earth Mother Nemaine are part of the Triple Goddess, but it is just as likely for them to be separate gods.

If so, the Triple Goddess is heavily associated with the Nine, destiny and fate, and the immortality of certain sorcerers. Perhaps she is also associated with the balance of the world, due to the power over life and death being tied to the High Priestesses and supposed High Priests.

The White Goddess, however, appears to be associated with one's soul and healing. It was only her power that could heal and retain Gwen's soul after Teine Diaga ritual.

The Earth Mother Nemaine is related to Gean Canach, as it is said her tears forged the creature. The book Gaius reads from has more information, and from what can be deciphered, it says that Nemaine first wept at the slaughter of war, resulting in the Gean Canach crawling out of the Earth's belly (there is more written on the page, but it is impossible to tell what it says). This suggests that Nemaine lives within the Earth's core, and that she is indeed associated with nature and living beings as her name implies.

Furthermore, since she wept at the slaughter of war, she is perhaps the god of life itself, but not of the entire cycle. And due to the Gean Canach's abilities, to devour and drain a sorcerer of their magic, it is likely that this war's slaughter was brought about by magic.

It is possible that The Earth Mother Nemaine could be related to the Pool of Nemhain. Despite having different spellings in the show (the subtitles), they have extremely similar pronunciations (even if it is a bit different). Perhaps they are unrelated, but if they are one and the same, it could be suggested that the Earth Mother is connected to death as well as life, due to the pool being the last of the Five Gateways to the Spirit World. (This contradicts what is analysed in the above paragraph, but this post is meant to speculate multiple possibilities.)

Honourable mentions:

It could be suggested that the Quest Ritual was once part of the Old Religion. It includes the heir to the throne of Camelot transcending their body in order to receive a vision of a quest. This quest is meant to prove their worth to the people, and their worthiness of the throne. The heir prepares themself by cleansing their body and dressing in white robes. They spend an entire night kneeling on the floor, barefoot, with their eyes closed.

Due to how Arthur reacts in the morning when Uther pulls him out of it, and how sacred the entire process appears to be, it is as if the heir is actually gifted with a vision of a quest. This is supported by his reaction, as he looks dazed when relays what he has seen. Therefore, it seems as if the ritual includes some form of magic due to the preparation, and if so, then it's likely it was a practice of the Old Religion (specifically for the heirs of Camelot? Due to Camelot's association with the very heart of magic?)

It has been around for hundreds of years, so it is not outside the realm of possibility that the Quest Ritual is so old that the general consensus has forgotten its ties to the Old Religion, or much like Samhain and Beltane, it is perhaps so baked into society that it couldn't be abandoned.

--

In S1Ep13, Merlin says that the "Old Religion died out centuries ago". Even in Series 1 this is far from true, but later seasons make this remark seem entirely ignorant. If anything, this sentiment comes from a post-Purge society, where the structures of the Old Religion no longer exist. Perhaps it is even propaganda that Uther pushed forward as people became more fearful over the years, turning away from the old ways despite once practicing such beliefs (and for the people of Camelot, still practicing some of those beliefs).

It is possible this was a retcon but if so then it's directly retconned in S1Ep13 when it's revealed that Nimueh is a High Priestess.

Anyhow, in response to Merlin's ignorance, Kilgharrah says, "The Old Religion is the magic of the Earth itself. It is the essence which binds all things together. It will last long beyond the time of men".

This shows that the Old Religion doesn't just refer to the religion and the gods, but rather it is the very magic that makes up the fabric of the world, and as Balinor says in S2Ep13 it's either a part of you or it isn't. This suggests that it is indeed not just a religion, but the very world, the Earth, magic.

He also goes on to say that Merlin must "find those who still serve it", which shows that Uther very much didn't succeed in eradicating the structure of the Old Religion entirely, at least at that point in the show. And perhaps that anyone could serve it, even after the very structure collapsed.

All this is to say that the Old Religion is extremely pagan. The structure itself is vague perhaps because Old Religion is personal, it is vague. The differences between the High Priestesses, the Catha, and the Druids make this clear. Following the Old Religion's beliefs, traditions, and holidays is personal and spiritual because it varies, because there is no wrong way. Because there are no set rules or a real structure at all. The High Priestesses had power, yes, but this seems to come directly from the Triple Goddess herself, rather than a societal standing.

Nimueh was at court, and she was Uther's friend, but she was also very quickly thrown from the court after Ygraine died. And yes, the High Priestesses went to war with the Ancient Kings, but that appears to be a difference in factions, rather than let's say the Christian church and its power over the centuries.

Therefore, I propose that the Old Religion as a religion was loose in its structure, that it never died out like Merlin said (which does seem to be a post-Purge sentiment), but instead simply changed and evolved, and continued to exist even after the Purge, with its holidays in Camelot, and with the Druids and their practices/beliefs.

-----

Overall, the information we have on the structure of the Old Religion is vague and patchy. This was perhaps intentional so the writers could work around existing canon to introduce new concepts without being constricted by their past worldbuilding. But that's getting into the Intentional Fallacy, so I'll leave that there.

It appears that the High Priestesses had the most power in society, due to their past wars with the Ancient Kings, and their sheer power and knowledge. Not to mention their artifacts and control over creatures like the Fomorroh.

But there are different beliefs and structures to the Old Religion, like with the Catha and the Druids, suggesting that there are multiple ways to worship and follow the Old Religion.

The many sacred sites show that there are different powers and sources to the Old Religion that have different purposes. Like how the path to the Cauldron of Arianrhod was lined with banners for pilgrims, not to necessarily summon the White Goddess, but to visit the site. Or how the Isle of the Blessed is a powerful religious site, while the Crystal Cave is a fairly legendary and unknown place that few ever get to see.

In conclusion, the Old Religion is vast and has many facets to it. There is some structure, but it doesn't seem entirely necessary in order to follow the Old Religion. And in reality, it is inherent to the Earth, it is magic itself.

[novelconcepts]

bury it and rise above

Van Palmer is over the woods, the constant hunger, the pairing-off of her incredibly gay teammates--and, more than anything else, how badly she still wants her ex-girlfriend.

Leave it to the least-horny location in the Wilderness to help with these problems not at all.

E, 8642 words

The human body is an absolute nightmare. Like living inside an active volcano. Like a comedy improv show made entirely of fistfights. Van’s over it. She ever gets the chance, she’s vacating this flesh prison and opting into something that operates on logic. Something that isn’t all hormone and madness and fucking inconvenience. Something that doesn’t take one look at her current situation—starvation, malnutrition, literal goddamn cannibalism—and say, You know what? Throw in a dash of horny, just for spice. She’s fucking over this.

[volvolts]

I can’t believe people sort ao3 by comments/kudos/bookmark/completion/word count I just raw dog it out there and whatever tags and summary gets me gets me

[lostuntothisworld]

If the first 5 seasons of ML is a 15 year time loop crack-prediction summary:

Universe 1

Mio Dupain Cheng is the First Ladybug. He is a walking disaster, and some of his hobbies include video games, and dumpster diving. His Black Cat counterpart is Celeste Agreste.

The pair are an unstoppable duo, but there is one problem: Mio is in love with Celeste's icy civilian identity, and Celeste is in love with the fact that Mio's kiss can sever him from the Bad Luck Curse of the Black Cat. Whose idea was it to make these stupid jewels impossible to take off???

Anyway, Mio does end up falling for Celeste's fiery hero identity, and Celeste ends up actually falling in love, too. Feelings he never was able to express properly because of the guilt he harbored from lying to Mio about his motivations for his romantic displays.

The pair's journey comes to an abrupt end when Mio, as Ladybug finally declares his feelings for Celeste's Black Cat form, just before the pair discover where the still anonymous Monarque's lair is located.

Distraught, Celeste admits to the other boy the truth that he was just using him, but then developed actual feelings along the way. Celeste explains the Curse of the Black Cat. Mio is upset, but agrees to one kiss, before they separate for good.

Celeste is conflicted, but the Curse of the Black Cat is too great for him to bear. The pair kiss, Mio sees his partner's secret identity of a famous model and heir to the Agreste Empire. Celeste removes the ring, and Mio promises to pass it on to someone worthy, along with explaining the Curse. They tearfully separate forever.

Mio decides alone that nobody should have to carry the Black Cat's curse ever again, and puts on the ring. He combines the Ladybug and Cat and confronts Monarque alone.

It more or less goes about the same as the finale fight except that Monarque threatens to snap Celeste if Mio doesn't give up his Miraculous. Because Mio is wearing both, he can freely take off both. So he does.

Mio begs Monarque to not snap Celeste, but he does anyway. What's the point of complying if he was just going to Wish a new universe?

He makes his Wish, and within the confines of such a complicated Wish, Mio loses his humanity. Celeste is split into two: Adrien and Felix (This is the first split of one person)

Universe 2 (Possibly Universe 3 instead.)

Shone Bianca is the Second Ladybug. She is an Olympic level figure skater and cross trains in ballet. She is serious and steadfast, always going in a straight line towards the most streamlined solution. Her Black Cat counterpart is Adrien Agreste.

Reverse love square: Shone is in love with her Chat Noir. Adrien is comphet "in love" with Shone...

Shone loses her humanity in Monarque's next Wish, and Monarque is split into two: Gabriel Agreste and Colt Fathom. (This universe, be it Shone's or Marina's is the second split of one person)

Universe 3 (Possibly Universe 2 instead)

Marina Verdi is the Third Ladybug. She is extremely smart, and cunning. She is passionate about computer science. She has tendency to overcomplicate things, and her plans always involve a multitude of steps. Her Black Cat counterpart is Adrien Agreste.

The Hate Square: MarinaBug hates Adrien, and AdriChat hates this Universe's Ladybug.

Marina loses her humanity in Monarque's next Wish, and Emilie is split into two: Emilie and Amelie. (This universe, be it Marina's or Shone's is the third split of one person)

Universe 4 (Must be number 4, because of the connotations, along with other reasons)

Marinette Dupain Cheng is the Fourth Ladybug. She is very much like the Original Flavor of Mio, but from trial and error via Shone and Marina, has been perfected. She will bring about the New World.

Season 1-5 happen as in the show. The only difference is stuff that happen off screen. With the Wish, Gabe trades Emilie's and his life for Nathalie and Colt. Marinette loses her Humanity for Colt's.

In season 6+ the audience unravels the fact that there were 3 previous Ladybugs and that Lilamoth has been systematically stealing the identities of and taking their places in every Universe. Who would miss sentimonster kids anyway?

Mio is now a homeless orphan, and Shone and Marina are in a group home (The same group home Luka and Juleka were in when they were young, a completely separate, but related story).

Mio, Shone, and Marina are given locking bracelets which were once part of the Native American Miraculous Box, but crafted into something new via Tomoe and Colt. Those are their amoks.

Marina: Coyote

Shone: Falcon

Mio: Raccoon

Mio is confused because he (and only he) remembers the last two Universes in flashes, and he had the Coyote, and was the leader. Tomoe insists that it is now time to let go of tradition and embrace the new. The trio become Lilamoth's lackeys.

Season 6-8 ends up with Lilamoth as the main villain with her lackeys and various akumas. We find out that Mr. Lee is a pseudonym of Colt Fathom's and Zoe is the half sister of Felix. She is not a sentimonster. Yet.

We find out later on that Lila moth knows of a secret Universe 0, and ships the male Ladybug and the female black cat there. She wants to take the place of the Black Cat and have Adrien as her Ladybug, as it should be, in her eyes. (More on Universe Zero below)

Lilamoth has been pulling the strings from the very beginning, when she was originally the first holder of the Fox Miraculous.

She has plans for 2 more lives to steal before she makes her own Wish.

Zoe Lee and Marc Anciel are in line to be the Next Ladybugs...

The audience uncovers later on that Felix remembers his past as Celeste the Black Cat and how he betrayed Mio, and him trying to make things right. This explain his motivations in previous seasons, and future ones.

We also find out that Adrien is his own twin sister. Adrienne didn't "snap out of existence" as much as her sentimonster embryo merged with Adrien's in the next Universe. Felix does not have her DNA, only Adrien does, and thus why Adrien has the twin rings as his amoks. This will give narrative weight to Adrien wielding both Cat and Ladybug Miraculous in the final battle of the Supreme (the Final Big Bad of seasons 9-12).

Marinette still has her arc of confessing to her Princess and saving her from the Evil Queen: it's Dragon Princess Kagami and the Evil Queen Tomoe.

We also find out that Kagami’s creation was what broke the Peacock Miraculous (She was the first “perfect” sentimonster created in Universe 4). She along with Mio were grown in womb-like versions of Emilie’s coffin instead of gestating like regular babies. This is how Mio can be Marinette’s twin brother without most people knowing… until the big reveal of course.

(Marigami, Lukadrien, and Felix/Mio are endgame)

Secret Universe 0

Celeste Agreste is Ladybug (his name I'm still workshopping), His twin sister Adrienne is the Black Cat Peursephone. (French for Fear + Persephone which means Destruction)

The Alliance rings are a thing, but instead they are called Horizon rings and marketed as the Perfect Horizon, a play on Celeste and Adrienne, the two avatars' names.

Adrienne was too impulsive and ended up getting Celeste snapped before they could confront Monarque together. Luka saw his beloved Celeste snapped out of existence and is too distraught to fight off akumitization, and succumbs. With the new villain name of Hades, Luka hand delivers the Ladybug earrings to Monarque.

Monarque tells Adrienne that she is his favorite child and much too valuable to snap out of existence. Monarque makes his extremely complicated wish and Adrienne is sacrificed for it. This sets off a course of events in the next Universes that cause a multitude of other Wishes.

Adrienne vows that her father cannot kill her in a way that matters.

[[[[Will edit more later for clarity but PLEASE for the love of god does any of this make sense????]]]]]]

[pepawspring]

The best party planners

Daycare Attandant Sun x reader

Oneshot on Ao3

As an Employee of the Famous Freddy Fazbear Pizzaplex your mornings tend to start pretty early, especially with the position you're in. Not that that's good for you, you're not really a morning person. You'd much rather stay in bed and keep dreaming about whatever strange things your mind comes up with. But, as fate would have it, you have no choice but to get up and start your day. There is no rest for the wicked.

Your job as the daycare assistant is put to the test today! Can you overcome the challenge the sun has created for you? Well, I sure hope so.

[moonshine-nightlight]

Oh, i've alread read all of your stories! Thank you for the recomendation anyways!!

I was just anxious for more, yours are very good and very well written! I also loved that this one fells like a colaboration of two authors i enjoy reading a lot.

well thats always great to hear! evn if it does mean i've got nothing to tide you over lol

thank you so much! i'm so happy everyone's enjoying the story! i had sort of wanted to write it when i first saw the set up but i have -refuses to count- number of story ideas already.

i was kinda hoping someone else would step in lol but -shrugs- i got impatient and it kept building at the edge of my thoughts. should hav known it was a lost cause when i put the prompt link in my story doc as a just in case

prompts usually aren't what trigger original story ideas for me but @snowkissedmonsters did such a good job setting up the idea that i couldnt help myself. its fun to work with and around their framework!

next part should be coming out shortly, just need to give it a once over

[minthandsoap]

play the game, first lines

thank you friend @perpetualproductions for the tag!!!

rules: List the first lines of your last 10 published fics and see if there’s a pattern. (these are all limoreau)

The Little Things:

Marie was always better at words between the two of them.  Always the one to ask the questions, make the apologies for being a little too loud in the library, says the “please” and “thank yous.” From the most stuck up professors to fucking newborn babies, she could melt hearts and bend anyone’s wills with just a few expertly crafted sentences and that dazzling smile. 

2. She's Perfect (I Hate Her)

Jordan had never encountered anyone as utterly infuriating as Marie Moreau. Her grace, her flawless beauty, and her ability to charm everyone in her path grated on Jordan's nerves like nails on a chalkboard.

3. Marie and Jordan go to the Beach!

The sun peeked over the horizon, painting the sky in hues of pink and orange as Jordan navigated the winding roads leading to the coastline. Marie sat beside them in the front passenger seat, her excitement easily seen by the smile on her face, as the salty scent of the sea teased her senses.

4. Crowned; Not Convinced (ooooh the day I ever come back to this)

Marie ran her hands down her body, staring at her reflection before the full length mirror in front of her. Her skin shimmered gorgeously underneath the chandelier light, sparkling with the glitter oil lathered on her body. Her vibrant crimson gown, an enchanting embodiment of silk and shimmering thread, clung to her curves like a second skin.

5. i wanna make you feel good (teehee the first lines make me blush)

Marie's body was bent in half over the arm of Jordan’s couch, her fingers gripping tightly onto the cushion as Jordan pounded into her with wild abandon. Her moans and gasps filled the dorm, mixing with the sounds of flesh slapping against flesh. At this moment, all thoughts and worries disappeared from her mind, replaced with the primal pleasure coursing through her body.

6. imma keep you in mind pt. 1

“Told you, this is Marie. She’s the one that I was telling you guys about.” 

Jordan’s gaze, which was initially fixed on his phone scrolling through random Instagram profiles, snapped sharply back to the sidewalk as footsteps, soft but purposeful, punctuated the rhythmic hum of the late night, Marie.

7. Disguise (on ao3)

Marie cloaked in the anonymity of the dimly lit underground club, felt an amazing sense of liberation. Here, beneath the dimmed lights and the harmony of music, she could shed the masks she wore in the everyday world. Here, she could simply be.

8. Jordan Teaches Marie How to Drive pt 2

“Baby,” Jordan felt a tap on their shoulder. 

“Jordan? Wake up,”  Marie’s hushed voice whispered into their ear. 

9. be my valentine?

The rising sunlight tickled Marie's eyelids, rousing her with the promise of the sweetest fucking day ever. It was Valentine's Day, her first ever in a relationship, and her first ever with Jordan and her heart was beating with excitement. Every detail of her meticulously planned surprise for her partner, buzzed in her mind the entire night before. She was surprised she managed to get any sleep.

10. im yours if you'll have me?

The clock hadn't even chimed 5:00 AM when Jordan tiptoed into Marie's room, the only light a soft orange glow of a picture of the two of them emanating from their phone. He watched her sleep, her chest rising and falling peacefully, a small smile playing on her lips. It was a smile he always tried to protect, to keep on her.

summary!!!

I tend to go straight into action, like almost every time. never any world building or setting up, I just jump straight into it!

my writing is strangely inconsistent. not all, but a few has made me tilt my head and think "I wouldn't have written that now." I still love what I've put out but some I definitely would've spent more time on before just thrusting it into the eyes of everyone.

tasking myself with rewriting all of my fics.

[bingsucks]

CHAPTER FOUR OUGH

I'd like to thank everyone that has left comments that I haven't gotten back to, I try to respond to everyone but i'm so busy lmao HERE'S A CHAPTER!!!

also I TOLD YOU THIS ONE WOULD BE MORE INTERESTING

[deadtwinksdetectiveagency]

Edwin and Charles are back in London, slowly feeling things out. Meanwhile, a new client seeks to rehome their cat.

It's always exhilarating to post a fic for a new fandom! I'm very excited to share this—I am having a great time with it so far, and I can't wait to see how it develops! Looking forward to your thoughts xo

[jerzwriter]

2023 Writing Summary

148 Fics Written

16 Crimes of Passion ▪️ 118 Open Heart 1 TRR/ OH Crossover ▪️ 13 Wake the Dead

67 Tobias x Casey ▪️ 29 Ethan x Kaycee 16 Trystan x Carolina ▪️ 6 Eli x Zoe 7 Eli Sipes ▪️ 5 Casey x Jessica

20 Guest Stars

13 Commissions

Admission: I used @choicesficwriterscreations's lists for this - and I'm pretty sure that means I missed some text fics/edits/commissions. Someday, when I have time, I'll see if I can add them, but I'm still fairly impressed with this!

January - March | April - June July - September | October - December

@choicesfandomappreciation

[msmacabre310]

Are there any Encanto projects you're working on right now?

Hi! This message is really sweet and honestly kind of made my day to come across in my inbox, so thank you for that anon!

I do actually have some Encanto projects in progress - I've been working on them for a long time (actually, years at this point) and honestly the biggest one has more than 300k words already written and mostly just needs editing at this point. I got really derailed in my fanfic writing over the last 1.5-2 years between a really rough job, spine surgery, and some mental health stuff unfortunately, which is why I never got around to finishing it.

I've been meaning to pick it back up again soon, but probably won't be able to tackle it for a month or two, because I just took a new job and am about to move across the country next month.

For that particular fic I even got as far as coming up with a title (Children of Wax) and writing a little draft AO3 summary for it:

The materials needed to rebuild a house and a family from the ground up are the same: patience and a willingness to do the work. What distinguishes the two is that there's a natural order to building a house. No walls can go up without a foundation. But putting a family back together? Well, Bruno was never good at doing things in order anyway. ***** Love is an action, forgiveness a choice. As Alma confronts actions of her own, each day is a reminder: many things may be given, but nothing is owed. ***** Ask anybody why Casita came crashing down and they'd say: they couldn't fill in all the cracks. Ask Luz, the woman tasked with restoring Pedro's portrait after it's rescued from the wreckage of Casita, and she'd say: duh, they tried to fill in all the cracks. After all, any idiot could fill a crack. But deciding whether a crack needed to be filled in the first place? That required an artistic eye, an appreciation for the beauty of ugly things, and an understanding that in imperfection there is truth. And what is art about, if not the truth? ***** An exploration of the many ways in which we can hurt, apologize to, love, and forgive the people most important to us.

Anyway, I'm hopeful that it will be able to see the light of day someday soon. It's a really special story that I've enjoyed working on.

[ruki-mukami-dl]

HIS VERY OWN

Some time had passed since Eve chose her Adam. Komori Yui and Sakamaki Shu were now trying to have a serious relationship. Thus the task of the Mukami family was fulfilled and there was no longer a reason for Mukami Ruki to tempt Eve. However, by order of Sakamaki Karlheinz, the Mukamis were to remain in Kaminashi City and continue to attend school. Ruki was not happy with this and suffered from boredom.

At the beginning of April, Tsukino Yuriko moved from Kyoto to Kaminashi City. On her first day of school, she went to the school library before classes, looking for interesting books. Lost in thoughts, she suddenly stumbled into someone. That someone was none other than Mukami Ruki.

Of course, Yuriko immediately excused. But Ruki reacted rudely and arrogantly, calling her a clumsy livestock. Intimidated and annoyed, Yuriko cursed in her mind, but was unable to speak her thoughts aloud. Instead, she tried to make Ruki friendly again with another apology. Unfortunately her attempt failed.

Ruki's sadistic side broke through and he was amused by the scared woman. Due to her reaction the vampire decided to play a game and chose Yuriko as his new prey. Pushing her against a bookshelf, Ruki messed with her. The sadist enjoyed how the fear inside her grew.

Fortunately for Yuriko, the school bell ended the mental torture. As if nothing had happened, Ruki turned around and disappeared. Stunned by the incident in the library and with trembling legs, Yuriko dragged herself to the classroom. Once there, she had to find out that Ruki was one of her new classmates.

Yuriko's admin (@yuriko-mukami) and I (@ruki-mukami-dl) have been writing Yuriko's and Ruki's story since January 2022. Due to the roleplay writing style and the enormous length/word count, we decided to keep the original writing private. However, we wanted to give you an insight into Rukiko's world and will now gradually post summaries of His Very Own. We are still continuing the story and hope that we can do this for a long time. Enjoy reading~