#that's the fun about modern aus. you can make him do virtually anything

[bespectacledbun]

I actually got the opportunity to watch the second season of bridgerton this past summer (I dont like daphne so I didnt watch the first season) and my GOD if I wasn’t sweating bullets at the iconic confession scene picturing chevalier going “do you even know all the ways a lady can be seduced? the things I could teach you...” in that heated whisper 

+ re: modern aus, I’m of the opinion that no matter what profession chev goes into in a modern setting, he’ll inevitably end up being high profile because 1) that face 2) that VOICE 3) that brain. be it lawyer, doctor, writer, editor, chef, musician, actor.... professor...... definitelynothotforteacher coughs— chevalier will attract attention from other people, simply because of his innate talent and skill. and, the reason he’s talented at whatever he does isn’t because he’s a genius (well, he IS a genius) but because 

     a) he has perfect recall, so it isn’t a struggle for him to retain new information, and he’s able to remember virtually anything he’s seen, read, or heard      b) his rate of learning is much, much lower. where learning a skill would take an average person, say, 2 years, chev can learn and perfect it in 1 year (or even 6 months)      c) once he learns something, he learns it until he perfects it, and he applies the same standard for everyone else

I cant remember which event it was but there’s an event where clavis talks about reading a foreign medical textbook and chev says something like “study a language before you study medical texts,” and clavis thinks chev is insulting him. but chev’s advice actually makes sense logically: if you learn the language, you’ll know the vocabulary, and if you know the vocabulary it’ll be easier to pick up field-specific terminology (like in medicine). yeah, chev has it MUCH easier than anyone else when it comes to new stuff, but he still puts in actual work to learn a skill and then perfects it until he cant anymore

12 + 16 for let it stand! it’s honestly one of my fave ikepri fics so I was curious what made you think of editor chevalier after writing bookbound 👁️

Heeeyyyyyyy theeeerrrrre!!! ⊂⁠(⁠(⁠・⁠▽⁠・⁠)⁠)⁠⊃ Novelist AU my beloved 😆

12. What inspired this wip

One day I just had the thought that, since Chevalier likes reading romance books in canon, in another life he would be a romance writer. I think I was following some stuff in book twitter at the time, and then I posted that writer AU post. But then I immediately thought, what if Emma is the writer and Chevalier is her caustic, snarky, and very very strict editor? Thus, Let It Stand was born 🤓

16. What do you find frustrating about this wip

The novel excerpts, that's for sure 😂 Chevalier prose style is supposed to be lyrical and devastating, like Eric Gamalinda's (I reread a novel of his to mimic it lmao). Dunno if it took, but I didn't want to prolong my agony anymore hahahaha

And now I'm going to face another similar challenge for chapter 3: this time it's writing Emma's novel excerpt 🫠

Chev and goodreads! Lmao what an absolutely delightful topic 😆 He'd probably usually post one-sentence reviews of most of the books he's read. But for the ones he liked or hated it's going to be an essay-length worthy of journal publication, with full-on analysis of the themes and characterizations and even its socio-historical context lol. His reviews will spark discourse that would make it to other sites (like tumblr lol) and he's going to inevitably have a beef with a couple of authors he eviscerated 😂 Eventually he'll get invited to write a piece on booktok and boy that's going to be a rollercoaster ride 🤣 Clavis has his popcorn ready.

New wip development ask game

[kingofthe-egirls]

Psssst, you okay with writing a Luffy smut short? Surprise me, add your own prompt and twist love❤️

Hmmm ok! I’m in love with Luffy so im always ready to write about him lmao

(cw: modern au, livestreaming on PornHub, onlyfans, camming, rich!luffy, food mention, trashy romance novel au)

(a/n: this is gonna just be me completely self-inserting myself. i need it.)

***

Your long brown hair falls over one shoulder, fluffy and tangled from under your headphones. You’ve been streaming on PornHub for a while now, having built your career with OnlyFans and livestreaming. You’re proud of what you do, albeit a little exhausted.

Hey!

Someone types a greeting, and you smile in response. “Hey there! What’s up?” You put on lipgloss, smacking your lips close to the mic in case he’s into ASMR.

I like ur smile :)

“Aw, thanks!” You click on his name to add a gold star, favoriting the newcomer on vibes alone. “Whatcha into?”

Hmmm…

He types, and you give him room. Men are typing with only one hand, usually. You smirk. “I’ve got tarot, ASMR, blowjobs, cosplay…SPH and foot fetish, although those are extra,” you meet the camera’s fisheye, but only for a moment. Eye contact is hard, even virtually.

What’s sph?

“Small penis humiliation,” you reply, clicking through your playlist. Marina and the Diamonds, today. “How To Be A Heartbreaker” is a classic, and you smile. “D’ya like being made fun of?”

Nope! But that’s okay lol

You hum.

What’s tarot?

You pick up your deck from beside you on the table: the Goblin Market Tarot, based on one of your favorite poems. You love faerie tales. “It’s a form of divination! Or just a game, depending on how you use it. But it’s cool! You can ask questions about love, career, relationships. And then the cards will tell you something specific about what’s going on!”

You shuffle the cards, shiny and periwinkle, experimentally. “Wanna read? It’s only $5 in free chat, ‘less you want a longer reading in exclusive.”

kingofthepirates has tipped you $5!

“Okay!” You say, excited. Tarot readings are your favorite. You have youtube videos and tiktoks, too. “What’s your question? I only pull one card for free chat.”

What’s for dinner?

“Ha!” You laugh out loud, “Let’s see!”

You flip over a card. Two more fall out of the deck after it, and you place them on the table in front of you. You scooch your laptop a bit farther away, to give the cards room.

“Hmm,” you say, peering over the watercolor art, “Looks like a lot, whatever it is. Ten of crowns—that’s swords—in reverse, eight of wands, and nine of platters. That’s pentacles, or earth. Which means food, material wealth, clothing, even. What d’ya like to eat? He’s got a platter of pears,” you hold up the card for the camera, grinning slightly.

Meat! Lol

“Haha, okay!” You tap on the cards in front of you. “Looks like a big party, maybe some conflict going on. Maybe a buffet? Like you’re fighting over food. But ya don’t have to be, with ten of swords in reverse, there’s plenty of food to go around. D’ya like barbecue? That’s what I’m getting.”

I do!

You sweep the cards up, and place them back in the deck neatly. “Well, that’s what I have for you! I like barbecue too, maybe I should order ribs…,” you click through your browser tabs, opening DoorDash to see what’s up.

Omg no way!!! Sanji is having a barbecue tonight!

“Sanji?” You ask, distracted, “Is that your boyfriend?” You love teasing men about having boyfriends and such, being bisexual (and nonbinary) yourself. You like tipping on the scales of heteronormativity, in whatever way you can. It makes them blush.

Nooo lmao he’s my cook! My friend

“Cook?” You ask, teasing. “What are you, rich?”

Yep!

Your eyebrows fly halfway up your forehead, but you don’t say anything. You calmly put the tarot deck away.

“I’ve never had a cook before in my life,” you cross your arms on the desk, letting your back arch so your cleavage sticks out.

It’s fun! He loves cooking and he’s the best at it. I also have a bodyguard but he’s my friend too. He likes swords ⚔️

You giggle at the emoji.

“Well, you came to the right place if y’wanna spend money,” you flirt, glittering at the camera. You’re not wearing makeup, but the pink light you have set up overhead does wonders for your skin. Plus the ring light to the side adds a couple sparkles to your eyes.

kingofthepirates has tipped you $50!

“Holy shit,” you breathe, quickly adding VIP to the stranger’s folder. “Thanks, king!” You smile, beaming at the screen. Maybe bills aren’t gonna be so bad, this week.

Let’s go to a show :)

“Gladly,” you fiddle with the collar of your robe, already itching to get undressed for this man. You hope he’s cute. “Exclusive?”

Sure 😈

kingofthepirates is requesting an Exclusive show. Accept?

You click “yes.”

Obviously.

***

The boy is very cute, as it turns out. He’s fisting his cock in one hand, camera turned on, with a sculpted abdomen and veiny forearms. His camera doesn’t show his face, but that’s normal for you. His glistening six-pack and toned arms are enough for you to get wet, grinding in your desk chair as you suck off your silicone toy.

“This is so hot,” he moans, voice raspy and sweet. His mic is turned on, which you usually hate, but this time it’s cute. Your pussy is aching, and you need his cock inside you soon.

“Fuck—,” you manage out, in between licks up the silicone shaft, “Glad you like it,” you pant.

“Love it,” he whines, playing with the bronze cockhead. His fingers are long and thick, with splotchy bruises on the knuckles. You wonder if he’s a boxer, or something. Or maybe just a troublemaker who gets in a lot of fights.

You pinch your own nipples, having teased off your silk robe at the start of the show. Now, you’re naked besides your cotton underwear that you usually keep on. Pussy’s for the OnlyFans, babes.

You’re actually turned on, too.

“Mmm,” he groans, speeding up his pace. He’s probably gonna cum soon, unless you slow down your show. You teasingly poke the cock into your mouth, stretching out your cheek. You roll your eyes up, moaning like a hentai girl.

“C-can you deepthroat it?” He asks, panting. His voice is so sexy, oh my god.

“I can try,” you giggle, and slide the cock halfway down your throat. Your gag reflex triggers, and you cough as you pull it out. “Sorry, I’m not the best at deepthroats,” you slap the toy against your cheek. He moans, anyway.

“God, you’re good,” he grips his balls with his other hand, and you notice scars up and down his arms. He also has one shaped like an X on his chest. You wonder where he got those, if he really is a reckless fighter, having adventures you can only dream of.

“What do you do?” You ask, jumping up and down in your seat. Your tits jiggle, and he groans appreciatively.

“Wish I could touch you,” his voice cracks. His hand trails up his abdomen, playing with his own nipples a bit. His hands are wide and thick, and you lick your lips.

“Me too,” you confess, genuine. He’s one of the hotter clients for you. You set the dildo down so you can play with your own tits. They’re soft and heavy, and you bounce them in your hands.

“But, ah,” he palms his cock softly, “I’m a MMA fighter. What about you?”

“Besides this?” You ask, tossing too-long hair over your shoulder. It brushes against your bare skin, and you grimace. You pull it up into a bun instead. Your eyes glitter at the camera, and your lips purse. “I make content on PornHub, OnlyFans, and other places like YouTube and stuff. Cosplay, tarot, mostly blowjobs. But not—on the wholesome places,” you breathe a laugh. “I’m kinda everywhere, these days.” You pause, unsure of what to do. “Here, let me copy and paste my username.” You send the info in chat, hoping to get an extra $5 for the OnlyFans sub.

“I’ll hafta subscribe,” he flirts, “Can I see that ass again?”

You grin, flushing slightly, as you stand up and turn around. You grab your ass in both hands, squeezing heavy flesh tightly. You bounce up and down, letting him appreciate the jiggle. Your cellulite and curves are one of a kind, you know this. Not everyone is stick-thin and spray tanned, so when customers click on your page they know they’re getting something genuine, and special.

At least, you hope.

“Fuck, baby,” he drawls out, and you turn over just in time to see him cum. Thick bursts of semen paint his clenching abs, and you hum.

“Good job,” you praise him, and he laughs. You sit back down.

“Shishishi,” he giggles, and you blush. He’s mad cute, to be honest. He fiddles with his phone, bringing it up to his face for the first time. You hitch a breath.

He’s mad cute.

“Make sure you favorite me,” you breathe, staring at his boyish features and jet black hair. His face is flushed, handsome, with a curved scar under one eye. He’s grinning at you with crinkly eyes. “S-so you can come back,” you stutter. Flustered.

Shit.

“Already did!” He bites his lip. Flicks his eyes up and down his camera. Looking at you, still bared body and soul in front of him. You wanna touch, and badly.

“Wanna hang out?” He asks, face cooling down. He grabs a towel, and wipes off his belly. He gasps, breathy, and leans back in bed. The covers are crisp and cool, almost like a hotel.

“Sure,” you breathe, ticking down to see your showtime extending. Past ten minutes, now. Fuck yeah, you think, leaning back in your own chair. “Whatcha wanna talk about?”

“Read my tarot again,” he cocks an eyebrow, “And let me know what it’ll take to get you to go on a date with me.”

***

Epilogue:

Hey 😈

He messages you on Insta, and you bite your lip. You’re sitting cross-legged at a café, having taken yourself out for a treat after your very long show this afternoon.

Hi baby 😇

You respond, too quickly. Who cares? You sip your drink, a foamy dirty chai. It tastes like cinnamon and almond milk.

Look up 👀

Frowning, you flick your eyes up and around the café. There. He’s seated across the way, at one of the square little tables situated in the center of the room. You blanch. That’s never happened before. Was there an angel of sex work watching over you?

You hope so. You gulp as he stands to make his way over to you. He’s even cuter in real life, and all thoughts of danger and serial killers and making mistakes leave your brain in one, swift breeze. You grin.

“Heya,” you say, sitting back to cross your legs. Your warm latte sits in both hands. You clear your throat. “Nice to meetcha,” you extend a hand. He takes it, smiling and warm.

“Hi,” he takes the seat across from you, pulling it out with one hand. The iron legs scrape across the granite floor. There's an exposed brick wall behind irl kingofthepirates.

"Didn't think I'd see you here," you hedge, raising an eyebrow. "Do I need to be worried?"

He blanches, eyes wide. "N-no!! I swear I'm normal. I don't--live here, I'm visiting. I have a--a match tonight! D'ya wanna come see it? I can get you VIP seats." He scoots his chair closer, looking up at you from under pretty lashes. You purse your lips.

"Prove it."

He giddily takes out his phone, a very nice smartphone with a cute charm hanging from the side. You tilt your head, and see it's a little skull-and-crossbones. You smirk.

"Here!" He hands you his phone, sliding it across the table. "It's me!"

You see a YouTube video of a wrestling match: two muscular dudes with their hands wrapped in fists. One is wearing white-and-blue shorts with pink hair, tied back with a bandana. The other is kingofthepirates, wearing red shorts with his hair loose. It’s black and floppy in spikes. He jumps up and down a bit, getting ready. The bell dings, the ref moves, and the stadium around the ring erupts in lights.

King shuffles forward, fists up, and knocks the pink-haired guy out cold. “Holy shit,” you breathe, watching the match end after only one shot. “That’s you?”

“Yep!” He grins, “We’re having a rematch this afternoon. Wanna come? I’m gonna kick his ass.”

“Sure,” you decide, not having much to lose. “Can I bring a friend?”

“Boyfriend?” He asks too soon. You sip your drink.

“Girlfriend,” you correct, arching an eyebrow. “Is that a problem for you?”

He shakes his head. “Nah, as long as we can still do shows sometime.”

“Sure,” you say, nodding. “I liked your show.”

He smiles, wide and delicious, before going back to his phone to text someone furiously. “Lemme getcha two VIP seats. I wanna see ya after the show.”

“Okay,” you hum, letting him type. You lean back in your chair, pulling up your own phone. You text Nami, your girlfriend.

Babe? Ur not gonna believe this ☠️

***

[cursedcola]

Synopsis: Years have passed since your homecoming to Earth. Your 'time' concluded and farewell inevitable at the hands of fate. After concluding their years at NRC, Wonderland's finest take it upon themselves to transcend dimensions and find the person who left without so much as a farewell. The catch is, they have no idea where you are, what this universe is like, and have to make a life for themselves in the meantime. How would they adapt to life on earth? Characters: Everyone. Mix of Sentient AU! and Modern AU! Warnings: None lol. This is for my own enjoyment! Part(s): Heartslabyul, Savanaclaw, Octavinelle, Scarabia, Pomefiore, Ignihyde, and Diasmonia You are here!: Scarabia! Disclaimer: I did a bit of research on brazilin culture, geography, etc. for this! I have not been to Brazil, and did my best to read up in order to develop a basic level of understanding for my writing. If anything is wrong or inaccurate, please let me know! I will likely be doing research for the rest of these posts as well.

Nothing could have prepared the students of NRC for what lied beyond the mirror. A world unlike any of them ever known with magic being virtually non-existent ( or so it appears to the general public). With nothing but the clothes on their backs, falsified basic identification, personal items, and the small bits of knowledge gathered from you; these young adults have one mission - find the dimension hopping prefect, and try to stay out of prison. It was time to split up, cover as much ground as possible, and make a life in this unfamiliar reality.

Let us see how these fresh minds conform to 'Life on Earth' !

Scarabia Residence: Brazil

Kalim Al-Asim

Location: Brasilia, Brasil.

Kalim is living in the lap of luxury. He owns a four-bedroom condo in the heart of Brazil's capital and it is nothing to turn a blind eye towards. Each room is decorated to the nines with each statement piece picked out by Kalim himself on whim. Some are specially imported (he has a tiny online shopping addiction) and others are items he instantly took to when shopping the street markets.

The place is decorated like an everlasting sunset. Jewel-encrusted tapestries hang from every wall, and the windows are stained-glass which carry a beautiful glow into the open-layout of the condo. It is most definetly a pent-house so the view is spectacular. He has anything one could ever want, from a velvet couch, marble fireplace, all the way to a refrigerator with more functions than you can think of. Not to mention the golden chandelier hanging in the dining area, yeesh

Now one has to wonder, where does Kalim get the money for all of this?

Occupation: Stock Trade and Entrepreneur

Kalim has succeeded in what every freshmen studying buisness has dreamed of at least once. The man has money, and he makes it in his sleep. Literally.

When Kalim arrived on earth he did so with a large sum of money in his bag. Enough to sustain himself and Jamil for three lifetimes. He wanted enough money to travel everywhere, and spoil you rotten. He was going to buy anything you could ever want, and then buy more. All to bring it back home so you will not have any reason to come back. (and if you had family? Friends? He was going to show them that you were in good care, and leave them with enough money that you won't worry about their well-being after leaving. Everything was going to be taken care of.)

But then he got word of the stock market. If there is one thing Kalim knows it is money and he easily climbed that corporate chain. At first it was for fun, but as time went on he somehow became one of the most respected people in the world. Since he started off with so much, it only grew and he began putting the assets into funding charities, research, and other causes that he believed in. Not only was he respected, but his goodhearted nature earned him many friends. Especially since he has a knack Jamil to tell if someone has good intentions or not.

Kalim took to brazilin culture very quickly. He himself is a very lively and passionate person so it was not difficult to adjust to that type of life. He often goes "under-cover," in horribly obvious disguises when there are festivals or celebrations that he wants to attend.

This sunshine can dance, let me tell ya. He can shake it 'till the crack of dawn and still keep going. Like a kid, he'll stop quickly to shovel some food down his throat (that Jamil packed for him because Kalim is Kalim) and then he'll be right back at it.

Obviously, everyone knows that it's him. A few glasses of wine and he's stripping off his disguise to have more freedom. Honestly? It gives Jamil a headache because someone out there could kidnap him and then Kalim would be screwed. Even in this life Jamil has to act as his babysitter.

Though...is it too optimistic to say that this would never happen? At least in the homely local areas that Kalim frequents? I am dead serious when I say that he'll go to the market and buy out a few stalls of their supplies that day. Or at least half of it. Just so he can contribute to the community's economy. If he doesn't need what he bought (say he purchased a ton of food) then he donates it to the homeless, etc.

He is safer in those areas than his own home and knows it. Which is probably why he's so willing to let loose.

Moving on, Kalim dresses just as extravagantly as he lives. Silk is his best friend, and he loves jewelry. Loves, loves, loves it. If it glitters, it is Kalim's.

He owns a bedazzle gun. Enough said.

He loves the sports on earth as well. Especially (soccer/football). He loves how passionate people can get over their teams, and gets absolutely hyped when throwing a viewing party. He'll invite anyone willing to come watch the game with him (and gets Jamil's seal of approval to be in their home)

The people would expect a man of this caliber to be taken, yet the media can't catch wind of a single partner. Not even a one-night stand. He never has arm-candy when attending events, and every attempt at flirting with him is a surefire failure

Why is this? Because he is looking for someone very special. He says this to the press every. single. time. and they have no choice but to believe him because there is no hidden agenda to be found

All he has is a name, and a description of emotions and memories that are too vague to put to a face. Any normal person would think him delusional-

Except for anyone that catches him off the camera. Those days when he's danced his feet into the ground, drank enough to fog his brain, and is pouring his heart out to whatever band is unfortunate enough to have been playing that night. Eventually Jamil will drag him home, and he'll go to bed crying over the mysterious person no one seems to know

Jamil Viper

Location: Brasilia, Brazil

And they were roommates

Jamil lives in Kalim's extravagant condo. Why would he go waste money renting somewhere else when he has babysitting duty 24/7? If he didn't live with Kalim, then who knows what state the place would be in. Jamil cooks, cleans, and essentially does everything for the house. He's the one stuck answering the buzzer for all of Kalim's late-night spending spree deliveries. Not only that, but he is on bouncer duty and performing background checks on everyone going in and out.

Kalim sweetie please cut this man some slack. He needs a bReAk

In all honesty, he dislikes the way Kalim has decorated the place. It is all very pretty but extremely unnecessary. He does not trust hiring a maid simply from how fragile everything is. Kalim tries often to buy Jamil decorations for his bedroom, and Jamil declines every time.

His bedroom is spacious enough to double as a living area. He also has his own personal washroom. The space is full of cool tones. Black, grey, golden yellow, and touches of burgundy. A complete contrast to the rest of the condo. He has multiple bookshelves aligning the walls, a corner dedicated to exercise equipment, a queen-sized bed with many quilts and decorative pillows, and a loveseat. There is always incense burning in his room and he has a large, "No Kalim Allowed," sign hanging outside of his door

Why? Because Jamil has taken to collecting weapons :)

He has many defense weapons hidden throughout his room. From needles, to daggers, to poisons, etc. His room is the storehouse for all of the condo's defense mechanisms. Jamil has also placed extra security cameras in the public living spaces and outside the door. Just to be safe.

Occupation: Administrative Assistant

Jamil is Kalim's assistant. He handles most of the paperwork, scheduling, etc. when it comes to their little buisness. He has no reason to find work elsewhere, right?

No. Jamil actually runs a traveling food stall. Depending on where the duo is, he'll manage to obtain permission to open up a stall in the local area for the duration of their visit. He'll serve renditions of food from his homeland, as well as spins on the local cuisine. One thing Jamil loves about earth is the new flavors and spices that he gets to work with when cooking!

The stall gives him the opportunity to talk with locals, and keep an eye on Kalim while doing so. How else is he supposed to make sure Kalim makes it home while still staying productive?

He also gets to ask questions. Like a random survey, as people wait for their food to cook he'll make idle chatter about recent gossip. He'll always slip in questions that may lead to your whereabouts, asking if there are any (Y/N)'s in the area etc.

In truth, he hopes one day you'll miraculously turn up. Either recognizing him or being drawn in by the scent of his cooking.

Another thing Jamil loves is the music. If Kalim can shake his fanny, then Jamil can pick up routines as easy as breathing! He likes to get a feel for the culture, and lives a small 'double life' where he gets to have fun.

Man can Samba. His hips do not lie. Shakira, Shakira

Something screams at this man when it comes to fashion. Like Kalim, he likes to go a bit extra. He simply goes in the opposite direction of Kalim and takes to street-fashion. He picks up pieces as he sees them, and files through local businesses like it's no one's buisness.

He is also one of those people who collects sneakers. He has some for fashion, but mainly likes to have many pairs for dancing and travel. He likes to hike, and the hot weather does not bother him one bit.

When traveling, Jamil picks up two mementos from each place he visits. One is for his sister, and the other is for you. This is another reason why Kalim is not allowed in his room. He has them tucked away somewhere safe, but since he constantly lectures his friend on being more frugal it would not be good if he saw the growing stash. It started off with small trinkets here and there, but now the pile is massive.

Jamil is excited to show it to you. He wants to demonstrate just how far his search has taken him, and how much of a pain in the ass it was to find you.

Yet, his chest grows cold every time he tosses a new item in with the collection. It's a reminder of his failure, and how another day has passed without you by his side.

[genshinsidepiece]

NSFW Kamisato Ayato HCs

I’m going to hell for this. We know virtually nothing about this man, but given what we do know, I’m inclined to think Ayato is into a lot of things okay? Being the head of the clan is hard work. His personal time is limited, so he likes to indulge his kinkier fantasies every chance he gets.

This is written pre-release. Ayato's age is not established. Written with the intent that all parties are of a legal consenting age.

***Minors, DNI*** 18+ Only

Shibari. Whether it’s Thoma, another servant, or someone he keeps on retainer specifically for the purpose, he will have someone tied up in the most elegant way possible purely for office decor. Points if you’re flexible, because you’ll need to be. He also loves the idea of rope harnesses under clothes during an excursion.

Edging and Teasing. In a more modern AU this would take on the form of a wireless vibe that Ayato can control with his phone. When he’s on business trips he makes Thoma tie his “office ornament” up for him and place the vibe so Ayato can have a little fun on the road. Your choice on whether there’s a cam involved in that or not. I can see it though. Ayato is in his hotel room, with a live feed of the poor person, enjoying himself as he teases them mercilessly. He’ll also set Thoma’s mouth to work on the second person while Ayato enjoys the show.

Thoma is also not immune from Ayato’s teasing. He has his own vibe that Ayato will make him wear when he’s disobedient or Ayato wants to have a little fun with him.

Ayato’s favorite thing is when both of you are a teased out mess when he gets home.

Chastity (Thoma specifically). I’m sorry, but he’d have too. Ayato can’t tie Thoma’s hands up all the time, he needs them to do his job. But Ayato understands that Thoma is a sneaky one. With Ayato being so distracted, it would be all too easy for Thoma to find relief he wants from the endless teasing. So the solution is a cock cage.

If there’s a second person, I can see it for them as well. Thoma’s very good with his mouth. It’s too much of a temptation not to do it.

Orgasm Denial. He’s mean about this one. He loves saying no. Who needs love potions when he can take someone’s orgasms away and make them beg for his cock? He loves his toy(s) needy. He loves to hear them beg and plead. He loves to watch them grind on anything they can find (pillows, the corner of the bed, his thigh) to possibly get some level of relief. If they're good he might let them have a ruined orgasm.

Spanking. As a punishment and as a way to add a little color to someone’s cheeks. It’s fun for him to make Thoma walk around all day with a sore ass.

Voyeurism. This only works if there's a third. But I can see Ayato fucking the office ornament in front of Thoma or vice versa and the other just has to watch. If he's feeling especially mean, he'll let which ever one he's fucking cum, just so the other has to watch it.

[enkelimagnus]

A Castle in the Forest

Percy x Vex’ahlia, Chapter 9, 3123 words,

A Modern AU, in which Vex is a park ranger taking over the Alabaster Sierras post, and finds much more than she bargained for

Read on AO3

---------------

“Well, hello, there. Who are you?”

The question is asked in two voices, one humanoid enough and the other dark and deep and fiendish. It resounds around her as if the room is much bigger than it actually is.

Vex can’t breathe. She’s made the biggest mistake of her life, and she’s going to die. This is the fiend, it has to be. The barbed devil from before seems ridiculously small and weak. It took seconds to bring it down, even if it was three against one. This one though? There’s no way Vex is coming out of here alive, if they start to fight.

Their arms are to their side, one of their hands resting on something on a belt around their hips. Sword hilt? She can’t think about what else it could be.

The door behind her is open, so there is somewhere for her to go. She could try to book it and run but she doubts she’ll be able to make it back out, unless there’s some sort of magical field keeping the fiend inside. She might make it to the tunnel.

Vex tries to make out what the creature’s shoes are, hoping desperately that they would make it hard for them to run after her but the smoke billowing on the ground makes it hard to see. The edges of the smoke are starting to reach Vex’s feet, too. She doesn’t want to find out what will happen if they start wrapping around her legs. She takes a step back.

“You came into my home, the least you could do is tell me your name,” they continue, taking a step forward, keeping the distance between them equal.

The unilateral blinking is unnerving. Vex has never seen something like this. She doesn’t remember learning about it in any class she’s taken either. It’s deeply wrong, but she can’t tell what’s happening, or what it is.

She doesn’t want to give them her name. Names have power, she knows that. She’s learned that. Staying silent isn’t a great option either.

“Wade,” she blurts out. She has no idea where it comes from, but it seems to work. Maybe she has a little bit of luck. Hopefully, she hasn’t burned it all on lying about her name.

“Wade…” The creature shifts a little, hand tilting to the other side, as they repeat the name she’s given them. “What brings you to me, today? You look… emotional.”

They would be emotional if they were in front of something like this fiend. A bit of rage rises inside of her. How dare they call her emotional? But she swallows it down. It’s not the fucking time. She can’t let her emotions ruin this for her too.

The clothing on them is beautiful, though old. It has seen wear without care for a while. The blue color is faded and the gold thread is scuffed, dulled. They look like a strange, faded version of a noble.

If they're noble, and standing in the basement dungeon of Castle Whitestone, there’s not a hundred different options on who they could be.

“Are you a De Rolo?” She asks bluntly.

A ripple of emotions erupts on the right side of the creature’s face, the side where the eye is blue. They seem relieved at first, then sad. Then worried. It's a rollercoaster on one side of the face. Once again, it feels wrong to Vex.

It does give her incentive to keep talking though.

“You have the clothing of a noble, but it’s old. And there haven’t been nobles in Whitestone for years,” she points out. “You have to be one of them.”

She wishes she’d researched them more, right now. If she knew their names, she could try to guess which one they were, she could try to appeal to their past to an extent. But she doesn’t know. All she knows is that this thing might be a de Rolo. Were they a fiend all along? Had they snapped and killed the entire family in one go after posing as one of them for so long?

Long enough to look like a twenty-year-old human. Vex is almost impressed. That sure was a long con. She wouldn’t have been able to handle pretending to be someone else for decades. She’d tried that for a couple of years as a teenager and it hadn’t worked.

“Are you from Whitestone, Wade?” De Rolo starts again. They don’t answer anything to Vex’s comments, but she’s seen enough. They shift and lean forward, taking a deep, loud inhale. “You don’t smell like the city. Like the dust and rot of this godsforsaken ugly little town. You…” They inhale again deeply. “You smell like woods. Like wild magic. Like Fey… it’s faded but it’s there, Wade. Why do you smell like Fey, when you’re obviously not one?”

Vex feels nauseous suddenly. She smells like fey. It has to be Saundor’s influence, still stuck in her, on her. His magic, his energy, his essence, wrapped around her and smothering hers still. It’s been seven fucking months. How long until she’s free? How many baths until she stops smelling like him?

The creature smirks. “See? It’s fun when someone reminds you of a painful past, isn’t it, little othlir?”

Vex takes another step back. She tries to reassure herself that they don’t know her, the term othlir is commonly used enough by full-blooded elves that it would make sense she’d been referred to by it once. It doesn’t have to mean they know her.

She raises her hands. “I don’t want to fight you,” she says. Her voice manages to be unwavering. “I will not tell anyone you’re here. I just want to leave.”

She wants to run home to Vax and never leave. She wants to stay alive. She wants to run from those words and the knowledge this thing seems to have. She wants to go and scrub Saundor off her once again. At least she doesn’t have to be careful of her burns anymore. They’ve healed months ago.

The creature’s mouth shifts as they smirk at her. It’s distorted and, once again, wrong. Vex’s hair rises on the back of her neck. They look predatory. And she’s the prey. She takes another step back. The creature follows, not letting her put distance between them.

She’s reaching for her bow when something changes. The black eye flickers, the darkness filling it seems to be shoved away and it turns to the same blue the other one is. The creature hisses loudly, bending on themselves. Something’s happening to them.

“RUN!” The voice is broken and desperate, but lacking the darker, deeper fiendish tone from before. It’s not both voices anymore, just one. And they seem to want her to leave.

Blue eyes meet hers as the body contorts, the smoke wrapping around it almost angrily. A struggle is happening. Vex feels so deeply out of her depths. She watches as their eyes flicker between blue with white sclera and fully black, the hissing resounding in Vex’s ears. They look in pain.

“Please,” they whisper again. When the eyes are blue, they look desperate.

Something snaps and Vex starts moving. It’s instinctive and she’s through the door before she can really realize what she’s doing.

The hissing gets louder and suddenly, there’s a beast snarling behind her, loud and angry. She jumps through the crumbled part of the wall and starts running down the tunnel. It’s dark and empty and the noises resound around her. They’re everywhere, the fiend is everywhere.

She turns with the tunnel’s path and she can see the outside light. She’s almost out. And once she’s out… Hopefully, it won’t be able to follow her past the tunnel’s exit. Once she’s out in the world, she hopefully will be okay.

She’s almost halfway there when a loud bang thunders through the tunnel. Her ears ring with the loudness of it. Barely a second later, her shoulder explodes with pain.

She screams. Tears rise in her eyes from the pain and she stumbles. Somehow, thank the Gods, she doesn’t fall. Her legs push her towards the outside. She can’t look behind herself. She can’t do anything but cry and run.

Vex bolts out of the tunnel and keeps going until she can’t stop anymore. Her clothing is dark with blood, the pain is horrible and she’s aware the only reason she’s alive right now is that it didn’t hit major blood vessels. Or at least, not too much.

Fuck. She stops for a second and reaches up. Her hands stumble through the motions of her Cure Wounds spell. She’s vaguely aware that she’s making noise, desperate noises of pain and fear. The magic wraps around her and seeps into the wound, managing to repair some of the damage but it’s not enough.

She isn’t sure how much more she can heal herself, and all her potions are at the cabin. She’s vulnerable, bleeding, leaving a trail behind herself, and the Parchwood Timberlands are notoriously dangerous. With a shoulder like this, she doesn’t know if she’ll be able to draw her bow correctly. She’s virtually defenseless.

She needs Vax. She reaches down for her phone. Thankfully, it’s intact and in her pocket. Her fingers manage to find the right places to click to send him her geolocation before she switches to her contact list. She hits ‘call’ and waits, and prays. She prays to anyone that can hear that he has his phone, that he has service, and that he’s still at the cabin and not in town the way he said he would be.

The call rings in the silence, for so long. Vex is almost certain he’s not going to pick up when he does.

“Vex?”

“I’m injured,” she blurts out. “Sent you my location. I don’t know where I am or how to get home, and I don’t think I can draw my bow.” Her voice is shaking.

This isn’t the first time she calls him in despair. Tears sting her eyes again at the thought. Useless.

“I’m on my way,” he promises. “I’ll take a healing potion.”

He hangs up then, probably to get everything she needs and get to her faster, but the silence is overwhelming. Vex looks behind herself, searching for a blue coat and dark smoke.

She desperately throws herself in her awareness. The fiend shows on her radar, but it’s far away. She finds herself relaxing a bit. Pain shoots through her shoulder again. She looks down at the hole in her coat, then at the hole in her body. It’s unlike anything she’s seen before.

What in the Nine Hells did this to her? Not an arrow, unless it was heavily modified. And the loud thundering bang… She can’t identify it. She knows a lot about weapons but that noise, she’d never heard before.

Another question that lacks answers.

She’s not going to get any answer right now anyway. She’s hopefully far enough away that she won’t end up face to face with the fiend and whatever caused that wound for now. She sighs heavily. With all of this, she hasn’t hunted. Fuck. She’s useless. She can only sit there and mope at her own stupidity.

Snow starts falling again as she waits, covering her clothes and her hair with little flakes of pure white that eventually melt from her body heat. She should be aware of the beauty of it, but right now, she’s not able to enjoy this. She’s hurt and tired and her mind won’t stop yelling at her. Vax is taking so much time.

She should check where she is. She doesn’t. Vax will find her eventually, he’s not that terrible in nature. She needs to stop giving him so little credit. He’s saved her enough times to prove his skills.

Everything is silent as the snow falls on her, and she sits there, quiet. She’s breathing. She’s okay. She didn’t die. That’s already something, right? She wishes she could stop her mind from working right now. It won’t shut up.

She doesn’t know how long she waits. She refuses to check her phone if it isn’t ringing. It’s not. She only has Vax after all, who else would make it ring? She just… sits there and waits, cold and tired and quiet.

The crunching of feet on snow makes her snap her head to see what’s coming. It’s Vax, all dressed in his black clothing, like a large ink stain on the white of the snow, purposefully not stealthy. Probably so she won’t shoot him. Smart.

Vex should be happier to see him. She’s not. It’s a bitter relief.

His eyes stop on the red stain of blood around her shoulder and barely move from that.

“I’ve given myself a Cure Wounds,” she calls out. “It’s not as bad as it looks.”

Vax nods quietly and hands her the red healing potion. She uncorks it and swallows. It’s sour and sweet at once, warming her from the inside out, despite not being heated. She feels the warmth seep into her bones and gather around her shoulder, where the wound is.

The pain disappears. She doesn’t look to see if it’s completely healed yet. She doesn’t want to take off too many layers while in the snow.

“What happened?” Vax asks after a second, when she puts the empty glass vial in her pocket and stands up, probably looking much better than when he found her.

Vex sighs and picks up her bow. “I went after a fiend.”

Vax blinks at her, then rolls his eyes. “You, alone, against a fiend? Vex….”

“It was a mistake, I get it,” Vex snaps and starts walking. “I’m lucky I made it out alive. That’s what you wanna hear?” She hisses.

There’s a bit of bewildered silence. “Are you okay?”

“I think the potion healed the last of the damage,” Vex replies. She knows that’s not what he meant, but she doesn’t want to talk about her stupid feelings. Especially not right now, when he seems so fine about it all.

Vex keeps going forward, until she realizes she can’t hear his crunchy footsteps anymore. She turns around. He’s standing a hundred feet back, arms crossed.

“What the fuck are you doing?” She shouts.

Vax sighs heavily. “You’re going the wrong way, stubby,” he huffs.

Embarrassment burns hot on Vex’s cheeks. Useless, she can’t stop being useless. She starts moving back towards him.

“Tell me about the fiend,” Vax says once she reaches him. “I thought you’d dealt with one already a few days ago.”

Vex exhales. “I did. A Barbed Devil that had seemingly killed the ranger before me, Regae. I wasn’t alone. I found two others to help me, out-of-towners.” She explains. “I thought we were done.”

She tells him the rest of the story, at least the big lines. She doesn’t tell him she was screaming in the snow, or that she was searching for Saundor when she felt the fiend. She does tell him about Keyleth, about the path, about the fiend. The fiend that might actually be a person.

He’s silent while she talks, and she’s just done with the story of the wound and how she can’t tell what did it when they make it home.

Vax helps her out of her heavy coat and out of her blood-drenched shirt and undershirt. He draws her a bath and takes care of the stains on her clothing. Vex curls up on herself in the hot water. He takes care of her and her things efficiently and Vex wants to cry again. She should be able to do this by herself.

“Your things are gonna dry out,” Vax says, peeking out of the door of the bathroom. “I’m going out to hunt for that meat. I’m taking the crossbow that’s under the bed.”

“Be careful!” She calls after him.

He mumbles something she can’t really make out and starts walking away. The door slams and his footsteps disappear and then there’s only silence. Vex exhales. There’s a new fiend. It’s much stronger than the Barbed Devil. She’s going to need Pike and Grog on her side again. Maybe even more people. She’ll need to go back to the temples and ask for more. Fuck. She isn’t looking forward to that.

She closes her eyes. What was that thing? All that black smoke looked magical, but the body… the body was humanoid. The pale face, with those sharp features. They looked young, and humanoid. Blue eyes… Flickering between blue and black. And the two voices. The normal one, and the fiendish one.

Fuck. There’s a De Rolo in Castle Whitestone, and they might be possessed. They have a weapon that makes holes in people’s bodies, holes unlike anything she’s ever seen, unlike arrows from bows or bolts from crossbows.

The crossbow that’s under the bed.

There might be a crossbow under the bed. But there’s also Fenthras. And Vax might have seen it.

Panic overtakes Vex and she bolts out of the bath, opens the door and throws herself to the bed to pull the case out. She’s dripping water everywhere, and she’s thankful for the fire, because else she’d be freezing but that’s not what matters now. The case is there, a little dusty, except for the places where her fingers have undone the latches. She repeats her usual motions and opens the case.

It’s there. It’s there, in all of its glory. Vex feels like she’s breathing again.

Since the first day she saw it, in Saundor’s hands, she’s been in awe of it. Still now, it’s the most beautiful thing she’s ever seen. Verdant green, dark brown leather, golden bronze inlay. The craftsmanship is breathtaking. It seems to breathe and shift on its own, alive with its own strange consciousness. Vex wonders if it knows it isn’t Saundor’s anymore.

She closes the case back and puts it under the bed again. She dries herself off and puts on some clothes. She doesn’t bother with stays right now, Just a shirt and some pants. She’s not going back outside.

Trinket comes out of a hiding spot he’s found under one of the chairs to climb on her lap and snuggle into her. Maybe she’s calming down a little now. She yawns.

When Vax comes back, he finds her buried under blankets, curled up on the bed, fast asleep. Trinket naps against her and she seems deep enough in her rest that he doesn’t disturb her to ask questions about why Saundor’s bow is under her bed. That’s for another day. A day where they both feel less like they’re teetering on the edge of a cliff.

[kjack89]

Zoom

For the 2020 Same-Prompt Fic Challenge as set up by @shitpostingfromthebarricade, which had to use the quote, “I didn’t know you could do that”.

This is a different take on a COVID-19 self-isolation fic, mainly because I started my Quarantine AU before my state, at least, actually had a stay at home order in effect. That’ll come up at some point in that fic, but in the meantime, I thought it would be fun to come at it from a slightly different approach.

E/R, modern AU, Zoom call-related shenanigans and hijinks because why not?

Enjolras took a deep breath before clicking the link to the launch the first official virtual Les Amis meeting. The Stay at Home order had gone into effect almost two weeks, but with the chaos, Enjolras had made the decision to delay meetings. Between the Stay at Home order and navigating the schedules of those members who were essential workers, it had taken this long to find a time where they could all actually be on the Zoom call together, and even though he knew it was just going to be some of his closest friends, he still felt inexplicably nervous.

His nerves disappeared almost instantly when the first person he saw was Grantaire, hunched in the dark, a beer bottle just in view at his side. “Are you the first one on?” Enjolras asked, and Grantaire shrugged.

“It wasn’t like I was doing anything else,” he said, a little sourly, “especially considering—”

He was cut off by the tell-tale chime of someone else joining the meeting, and Combeferre appeared on screen. “Good evening,” Combeferre said, and Enjolras grinned at him. 

“I know you and I just talked but it’s really nice to see you.”

Grantaire mimed throwing up. “Get a room, you two,” he said.

Combeferre flipped him off as several more people joined the meeting at once. For a few minutes, there was the usual wild cacophony of nearly a dozen people having at least a half dozen conversations at once, and Enjolras waited patiently for the general din to die down so that he could get started.

As per always, whether virtually or in person, Grantaire, Joly and Bossuet were the last ones to stop talking, and everyone else had mostly stopped when Joly asked, curiosity clear in his voice, “Grantaire, where the hell in your apartment are you?”

Grantaire glanced around himself. “Oh, uh, I’m in the closet – physically, obviously not metaphorically.”

He winked, and after a few scattered laughs from the group at large, Bossuet asked the question most seemed to be thinking. “Why are you in the closet?”

“Because my walls are paper thin and I didn’t want my mic picking up every time a train goes past?” Grantaire said, as if it was obvious.

Joly arched an eyebrow. “Yeah, but you’ve got your headphones on, so would it even pick it up?”

Grantaire rolled his eyes and sighed. “Ok, fine, truthfully, I’m hungover as fuck and the dark in the closet helps. Happy?”

“Hang on,” Feuilly said, jumping in, “It’s five in the evening and you’re hungover still?”

“What the fuck is this, twenty questions?” Grantaire snapped, looking distinctly uncomfortable. “Besides, what the fuck else is there to do in isolation besides get drunk all the time?”

Enjolras cleared his throat. “As ever-fascinating as the subject of Grantaire’s drinking is,” he said, a hint of disapproval in his voice, “how about we actually get back on subject?” His arched eyebrow was enough to silent the rest of the conversation, and he allowed himself a brief moment of triumph before continuing, “Alright, I’m just going to go ahead and mute everyone— There. Ok. So obviously the biggest thing we have to worry about is further degradation of workers’ rights in light of this pandemic. We know the right-wing talking points, we know that they’re going to pivot pretty quickly toward being ok with sacrificing poor folks, and black and brown folks, and we need to figure out a way to safely demonstrate that we will do everything in our power to stop that from happening. We’re about three weeks out from International Workers Day, so I think that means—”

He broke off as his phone chimed. “Oh, hang on a second, I’m so sorry, I forgot to put it on silent—”

Again he broke off, this time because of the text from Combeferre: You appear to have muted yourself when you muted everyone else.

He looked in horror at his screen, at the 20-odd messaged in the Zoom chat, and at the telltale microphone icon with a line through it. He closed his eyes and counted to five before clicking to unmute himself. “Was no one going to tell me sooner?” he asked with a sigh.

“In fairness, we did,” Courfeyrac said after unmuting himself, grinning. “Not our fault you didn’t bother to check the chat.”

“Besides, we’re all social distancing,” Bossuet added. “What did you want us to do, hop in a car and drive to your place to let you know you were on mute?”

Enjolras gritted his teeth. “Preferably, yes,” he said, glaring at the screen. “Though it isn’t actually necessary, considering—”

“Why don’t we just cut to the chase and go over whatever damned document you shared us on before this whole thing began?” Grantaire interrupted. “Because I’m almost out of beer and at this point, this meeting could’ve been an email.”

There was what certainly sounded like a murmur of agreement, and Enjolras bristled. “Fine,” he snapped. “Everyone, open the document and let me know when you’ve got it opened.”

“And how would you like us to let you know, dear leader?” Grantaire asked, his voice saccharine sweet. “Should we all raise our hands when we’ve got it? Blink twice if we aren’t able to get into it? Perhaps bring into song and—”

“Or you could just tell us if you aren’t able to access it,” Courfeyrac interrupted, saving Enjolras from the rant he had been a second away from launching into.

“Besides which, he can tell if you’ve clicked away from the Zoom meeting by using Zoom’s attention-tracking feature,” Combeferre added, a note of warning in his voice.

Enjolras blinked. “I didn’t know you could do that,” he said, sounding surprised. “That seems like a huge invasion of privacy! Should we be switching to another platform? I don’t want—”

“The feature was permanently removed at the beginning of April,” Jehan interrupted, sounding bored. “The easiest way is probably just to see if we’re all in the Google Doc.”

“Right,” Enjolras said, and while it was hard to tell with the lighting in his shot, it certainly looked like he blushed, just a little. “That’s what I was planning on doing.”

Joly let out a cough that sounded suspiciously like a hastily-stifled laugh. “In that case, it looks like we’re all in the doc.”

Enjolras heaved a sigh. “Very well,” he said. “Then let’s get started.”

The next twenty or so minutes of the meeting went without a hitch, and Enjolras felt himself finally relaxing, feeling much more like he would at any regular Les Amis meeting. 

When they had finished with the document Enjolras sent before the meeting, he pivoted the conversation. “So obviously the federal government has been focused on mortgage relief, which is great for the owner class, but doesn’t do a hell of a lot for the renter class. I had Combeferre compile some statistics and proposed solutions, and I’m just going to share my screen with everyone to show those, give me a second—”

“Great time for me to get a refill,” Grantaire said, draining his beer bottle. “Someone chat me if I miss any other great technology SNAFUs.”

With that, the thumbnail of his image went black, just displaying a capital R, and Enjolras rolled his eyes before turning back to the statistics Combeferre had sent him. “Ok, they should be shared now, so Combeferre, go ahead and walk everyone through them, and I’ll just scroll through as you go.”

“Absolutely,” Combeferre said, adjusting his glasses, his tone already sounding professorial. “So let’s start with this chart demonstrating renters vs owners in all the city wards.”

He took over from there in earnest and Enjolras muted himself before sitting back in his chair and breathing a sigh of something close to relief. As little trouble as he had talking in front of any variety of large groups of people, he didn’t do so well in virtual meetings, and it was nice to let someone else do the talking for the moment.

A hand touched Enjolras’s shoulder and he practically jumped up, whirling around before instantly relaxing again when he saw who it was. “Jesus Christ,” he huffed. “You almost gave me a heart attack.”

“Sorry,” Grantaire said, sounding anything but. “I told you I needed another beer.”

“I know, but I didn’t think you’d stop in here on your way back to the closet.” Enjolras couldn’t quite stop the smile that twitched at the corners of his mouth. “Sorry to make you go in the closet, by the way – it was the only part of my apartment I could think of that, well, didn’t look like my apartment.”

Grantaire shrugged. “It’s honestly not bad,” he said, “though being out here is infinitely better.”

Enjolras nodded sympathetically. “Better lighting,” he offered, and Grantaire rolled his eyes.

“Better company,” he corrected, leaning down to press a kiss to Enjolras’s forehead.

Enjolras laughed, somewhat breathily, and tilted his head up to capture Grantaire’s lips with his own. “It’s not like you don’t get to see me on the screen,” he pointed out, and Grantaire gave him a look.

“That’s not the same and you know it,” he huffed.

“There’s only another half hour left,” Enjolras told him. “And then after that, I’m all yours.”

“No,” Grantaire corrected. “After that, you’ve got at least three other meetings you’re supposed to be sitting in on, so forgive my lack of enthusiasm, but—”

He let out an ‘oof’ as Enjolras pulled him down onto his lap. “Yes, but for those meetings, I don’t have to be on screen and I also don’t care all that much about those, which means that you and I can spend the entire time—” He tilted Grantaire’s chin up with two fingers, his grin matching Grantaire’s. “—doing this.”

He kissed Grantaire, deeper this time, his mouth opening against his when Grantaire ran his fingers through Enjolras’s hair and—

“Um, Enjolras?”

Enjolras pulled back from Grantaire, who groaned and leaned forward to rest his head against Enjolras’s shoulder, and reached out quickly to unmute himself. “Yeah, Combeferre, what’s up?”

There was a moment of silence before Combeferre cleared his throat delicately and asked, “You do know that when you present your screen, we can still see you, right?”

Enjolras and Grantaire froze. “Wait, what?” Enjolras asked weakly, as Grantaire repeated, “You can see— Oh, shit.”

Without warning, Grantaire practically rolled off of Enjolras’s lap, assumedly dropping out of frame as he fell heavily to the floor. Of course, judging by the cat calls and hysterical laughter that greeted them, it was far too little, far too late.

Surprisingly, Joly was one of the first to stop laughing, mostly so that he could ask, mock-stern, “Enjolras, what is Grantaire doing at your place in violation of the Stay at Home order?”

“It’s not technically in violation of the Stay at Home order,” Enjolras muttered, his face beet red.

“What in the hell is that supposed to mean?” Bahorel asked.

Grantaire reappeared on screen as he slowly struggled to his feet. “It means, uh, it means we’ve been keeping something from you,” he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. “And when the stay at home order was announced, Enjolras thought it would make more sense for me to stay with him than to stay at my place.”

“How—” Courfeyrac started, his voice cracking. “How could you possibly keep this from us?! During a mandated isolation order?! I could have been living for this instead of rewatching Love is Blind a million times on Netflix!”

Enjolras sighed. “We didn’t want to tell anyone until we knew for a fact it was going to work.”

“And?” Jehan prompted. “Is it?”

Enjolras and Grantaire exchanged glances, a smile returning to both of their faces. “Well, we haven’t killed each other yet,” Grantaire said bracingly. “So I guess it just might be.”

“Ok, but you have to tell us—” Bossuet started, but Enjolras cut him off.

“We aren’t really going to spend the rest of the time talking about this, are we?” he asked exasperatedly.

“Why, you got someplace better to be?” Courfeyrac asked, clearly still smarting over having not been told earlier.

Enjolras considered it for just a moment. “Actually, yes,” he said. “We’ll reconvene next week.”

With that, he clicked the Leave Meeting button, turning to look up at Grantaire. “What do you say, want to go do something better?”

Grantaire grinned. “Absolutely,” he said, fumbling for his phone in his pocket, where the Zoom call was still active. “Let me just—”

Before he could leave the meeting on his phone, they could both hear Courfeyrac squawk, “Hang on, did he just hang up on us?” at the same time Bahorel demanded, “Wait, how is Marius now the host?”

Grantaire laughed as he left the meeting, sliding his phone back in his pocket before pulling Enjolras out of his chair. “Now,” he murmured, leaning in, “where were we?”

Enjolras kissed him hungrily, both of them stumbling towards Enjolras’s bedroom and quickly stripping out of their clothes and falling onto Enjolras’s bed. After a long moment, Enjolras pulled away to glare at Grantaire’s pile of clothing, from which his phone kept chirping obnoxiously. ”Who is blowing up your phone right now?”

“It’s Venmo,” Grantaire said with a laugh. “Just our friends, paying me what I’m due. Now get back here.”

Enjolras rolled his eyes but went back to kissing him before pulling away again. “Hang on, does that mean that you bet on us?”

“You bet your ass I did,” Grantaire said, grinning. “Easiest hundred bucks I’ve ever made, and when the Stay at Home order is lifted, I am using that money to take you out—”

“To a locally-owned, locally-sourced, vegetarian restaurant?” Enjolras asked, only half-teasing.

“To wherever you want to go,” Grantaire told him. “Now shut up and kiss me.”

For once, Enjolras was only too happy to oblige.

[shipmistress9]

D E F G H I J K L M N O P, Q R S T U V, W X Y and Z 😇😉. I sung the alphabet while writing this as well 😂. You don’t have to answer all of them though, just pick which ones you want 😊.

🤣🤣🤣

D - A pairing you wish you liked but just can’t.

My fandom life would be easier if I liked Heathstrid at least a little bit... But I can’t and I don’t really want to, either...

E - Have you added anything cracky/hilarious to your fandom? If so, what?

The oneshots Spin The Bottle and Pick Me Up.

F - What’s the longest you’ve ever been in a fandom?

Given that I only learned about the existence of fandom as a concept in late 2016, the longest I’ve ever been in a fandom is roughly 4,5 years.

G - Have you ever had an OTP? If so, do you remember your first one? Who was in it?

Many! Currently it’s Hiccstrid and Hicretstrid. And maybe a little Zelink. But thinking back, I think my very first OTP was when I was around five years old. From the Captain Tsubasa anime series, Tsubasa and... I don’t even know her name... 🤣 There was this girl who always cheered him on and was his no.1 fan. ANd in hindsight, I think I also shipped Tsubasa... with nearly all other players, mainly, Taro Misaki, Jun Misugi, and Kojiro Hyuga. 🤣

H - What is your favorite source text for fandom stuff (e.g., TV shows, movies, books, anime, Western animation, etc.)?

TV-shows, mostly. I prefer the visuals over books and I prefer the slower development over those in movies.

I - Has Tumblr caused you to stop liking any fandoms, if so, which and why?

Not caused me to stop liking them. But in some cases (ATLA and TDP, to name two) it raised my expectations so high that, when I finally got to dip into them, I was rather underwhelmed. It also didn’t help that I already knew the ending and some major plot points. If there’s one sure way to dampen my excitement it’s spoilers.

J - Name a fandom you didn’t think about until you saw it all over Tumblr. (You don’t have to care about it or follow it; it just has to be something that Tumblr made you aware of.)

Supernatural. Pretty much all other fandoms I dip into occasionally, I knew at least a little before. But literally everything I know about Supernatural is from seeing posts here. 🤣

K - What character has your favorite development arc/the best development arc?

I can’t think of an individual character right now, but in general an arc I like is someone (re-)learning to trust.

L - Say something genuinely nice about a character who isn’t one of your faves. (Characters you’re neutral about are fair game, as are characters you merely dislike. Characters that you absolutely loathe with the fire of ten thousand suns are exempt, as there is no point in giving yourself an aneurysm over a character that you hate.)

Snotlout has a great relationship with his dragon. Valka, too. Gobber and the twins are always fun, in their own ways.

M - Name a character that you’d like to have for a friend.

Already answered before.

Hmm... First, I wanted to say Astrid. And I'd enjoy having her as a friend, as someone to challenges me to be more active, to work on my skills and someone to talk.

But I think, I'd enjoy being friends with Hiccup, too. I'd like to brainstorm ideas, ponder over inventions and exchange ideas. Geek out about dragons!

N - Name three things you wish you saw more or in your main fandom (or a fandom of choice).

Acceptance, respect, and some common sense. But that’s not just fandom...

O - Choose a song at random. Which ship or character does it remind you of?

My very long list of favoured songs randomly gave me 9 Crimes by Damien Rice. There once was an absolutly stunning AMV with this song about the TV-show The Legend Of The Seeker, The Sword Of Truth (based on the books by Terry Goodkind). I was deeply in love with Richard’s and Kahlan’s relationship, and with Cara on a general level. That AMV featured them all, and I loved it!

P - Invent a random AU for any fandom (we always need more ideas).

Oh, oh, oh, oh! I just thought about this modern meet-cute AU for Hiccstrid a few days back, might as well write it down here. (And will also copy it over into an individual post, I think...)

Hiccup is a single father of a three-years-old daughter. One day, he meets Astrid in a supermarket; she’s in front of him at the check-out and when he hears her voice, he’s stunned. Because he knows her voice, hears it every day. Because she lend her voice to one of these talking toys for toddlers.His daughter’s favourite toy.

Hiccup always liked that toy best, too, because it didn’t sound as annoying as most others. Pleasant even. When he sees and hears Astrid, he recognises her voice in an instant. He jokingly thanks her for making his days more bearable. She’s confused, who is this weirdo? So he tries to explain. “The toy. My daughter’s toy. It’s your voice. A pleasant voice. I listen to it every day.” He keeps getting weirder, stammers, turns red like a tomato, until he eventually just flees, wishing a hole would open up to swallow him, that was so embarrassing.

Meanwhile, Astrid is touched. Knowing that there is at least one little girl who likes the toy she helped create. And her father, apparently. Who had been cute. In how shy he’d been. And how excited. She’s sorry he left before she was able to talk to him and thank him.

Over the next days, Hiccup would think of her a lot. Every time he hears her voice again, he’d think of her. Her face. Her smile. Until they, eventually, meet again... ^^

Q - A fandom you’ve abandoned and why.

Answered before

None, really. There are several fandoms I grew out of, like Sailor Moon or Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne. But I wouldn't say I abandoned them. I still enjoy seeing content about them.

R - Which friendship/platonic relationship is your favorite in fandom?

Those of the rider with their dragons. Hiccup&Toothless. Astrid&Stormfly.

S - Show us an example of your personal headcanon (prompts optional but encouraged)

Pretty much all of my headcanons are about Hiccstrid in one way or combination. One of my personal favourites is that Astrid has a tiny birthmark on the back of her neck. She doesn’t even know it’s there, she can’t see it and it’s almost always covered by her hair anyway. But Hiccup knows it’s there. And he loves to place a kiss on it. It tickles and would always make her giggle. And she smells so nice.

T - Do you have any hard and fast headcanons that you will die defending?

*snorts* No. If there are people who don’t share my headcanons, then... they don’t have to? I can live and be friends with people regardless of whether we share the same headcanons or not. And if people keep attacking me for mine, I’ll just block them and walk away. Arguing about something like that is not worth my time.

U - Three favorite characters from three different fandoms, and why they’re your favorites.

Astrid. HTTYD.

erm...

uh...

I really have difficulties thinking of favourites from any other fandoms here! xD

uhm...

Princess Zelda from Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Kaladin Stormblessed from the Stormlight Archives.

I might have a type here. Brave, strong, not always easy to deal with. Fiercely loyal. Stubborn. Proud. Honourable. that’s all three of them. ^^

V - Which character do you relate to most?

Same answer as the above, mostly. I think I already wrote a long answer to a similar question once. 🤔 I relate to Astrid in many ways. Loyal and reliable, not always easy to approach, often prefers to deal with her problems on her own instead of asking for help.

W - A trope which you are virtually certain to hate in any fandom.

Anything jealously, especially it being portrayed as a sign of love or dedication. But also love triangles. Unnecessary.

Another thing I don’t like is when there’s a misunderstanding and they argue about it and get angry and yell and have a huge falling-out... when it all just boils down to them not listening.

X - A trope which you are almost certain to love in any fandom.

Answered before.

Forbidden Romance. In any form. I just love the angsty tension it brings without the characters fighting or arguing about misunderstandings.

Y - What are your secondhand fandoms (i.e., fandoms you aren’t in personally but are tangentially familiar with because your friends/people on your dash are in them)?

Supernatural, ATLA, TDP, MCU.

Z - Just ramble about something fan-related, go go go! (Prompts optional but encouraged.)

With all the critical thinking that’s encouraged in fandom culture, I wish more people would remember Ratatouille and this quote by Anton Ego.

“In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little, yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we critics must face, is that in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is probably more meaningful than our criticism designating it so.”

-- Anton Ego (Ratatouille)

Or at least respect it. It’s called entertainment and not lecture about every little detail that is wrong with other people’s opinions. I get why it’s important to look deeper and question meanings and intentions, I really do. But sometimes, I’d prefer to at least occasionally just enjoy something without getting lectured by others for it.

_____

Thank you! 😘💜

[shadowsof-thenight]

Where our story begins: Chapter seven

Story summary: This is a victorian era AU Home is where our story begins, but how does one know where home is? 


Julia has a good life. A calm life. She really doesn’t have much to complain about. That is, until a handsome stranger steps into their home in the country and all that calmness seems to disappear instantly. Who is this man that seems to terrorise everyone with his haughty ways?


Ship: Bucky Barnes X OFC-Julia

Warnings: Angst and fluff for this one.

Words: 3965

***

A/N: I hope you will all enjoy this one! The ending of this chapter is what will really set things in motion for this story.

Anyway, reblogs, likes and comments are always appreciated!

And a special thanks to @gnomewithalaptop​ for the amazing help provided!

***

Masterlist                                          

Story Masterlist

*** She was walking faster and faster, yet it was getting her nowhere. The door in front of her was as far away as it had been the entire time. Fear was gripping at her heart and she felt an immense urgency to reach that door before her. Why? Julia couldn’t really tell—but she recognised the hallway she was in as the one leading to her parents bedroom, and the door must have been theirs. She couldn’t remember how she had gotten here, nor what had brought her in the first place; she just knew that there was danger afoot. In particular, her father was in danger. Again no valid arguments, though it seemed abundantly clear to Julia nonetheless.

“Father!” she called out, but got no reply. She tried to run to the door, but found that the rug beneath her was simply piling up behind her and she was still not getting any closer.

Stopping for a moment she realised that, aside from her heavy breathing, there wasn’t a sound around. That was strange. It was the middle of the day; there should’ve been people out and about, but she appeared to be entirely alone.

Or was she?

“He’ll be okay, Julia. I promise. There is nothing you can do for him now.” James’ voice sounded from behind her, and she turned quickly. She was greeted by piles upon piles of rug—at least twice her height. He was behind them, she was certain—his voice was close by.

“James?!” she called out, stepping to the pile and realising it was solid, like stone.

“I’m here,” he replied, still close even if she could not see him.

Julia grabbed the hem of her wide skirt and bundled it up to free her feet as she began to climb towards the sound of James’s voice. She wasn’t getting any closer to the door, but perhaps James would be able to answer her questions. 
The climb seemed endless, though her panting barely increased, as if she had suddenly found a power, an endurance she had never known existed. Reaching the top, she could finally see James standing at the bottom of the pile. A pile which somehow had gotten three times as high. Her feet slipped and she quickly dropped to her knees, the long drop to the bottom making her shiver.

“What is going on?” Julia asked nobody in particular, though James was the only one in the vicinity to answer. He didn’t say a word though. He simply offered her that sweet smile of his, while he stared at her with the same intensity as he had the night of the ball. She hoped it was love.


 “James, I’m scared,” she said, her voice suddenly much smaller as fear tightened her throat.

“Don’t be. I’m here! I’ll always be here,” he promised and she really wanted to believe him. She wanted to put all her faith in him.

With that realisation, Julia stood up, carefully taking small steps down the enormous pile of solid rugs. She slipped a few times, desperately grabbing at any edge she could find, just to keep herself upright. She managed to keep from falling, though her hands were now full of dirt and blood. Apparently this wasn’t a pile of rugs anymore. Exhaustion pulled at her tired limbs, but she persevered—walking until she was ready to give up altogether. That was when James’s voice reached her ears again.

 “Julia, I’m right here!”

“Help,” she called back to him, feeling weak and helpless.

She reached out to him, arms outspread, wanting him to hold her or catch her perhaps. But James wasn’t moving; he stood in the exact same position—unmoving. Julia was so exhausted though, too exhausted to go on. She kept reaching for James as her feet slipped again, and this time she could not stop herself from falling. She screamed as her world turned black.

*

“Miss! Are you all right?” Mary asked as Julia sat up in her bed with a start, cold sweat clinging to her skin.

Julia felt out of breath and slightly confused as she met the kind, worried face of her oldest friend. Placing a hand over her heart, she found it beating rapidly, and she took a deep breath in an attempt to steady herself. Flashes of her nightmare came to her, and she closed her eyes momentarily to banish them from her thoughts. She’d had nightmares before, strange ones, frightening ones, but this one really seemed to take the cake.

“My apologies, Mary. Have I given you a fright?” Julia asked, forcing herself to smile as her heartbeat returned to a normal pace. She opened her eyes slowly, seeing Mary still staring at her.

“I came to wake you, but then you screamed,” Mary explained, as she finally moved again and fetched some water to dab on Julia’s face—a gesture for which Julia was very grateful.

“I’m sorry, Mary. I must have been having a bad dream. I’m better now.”

“Would you like me to draw you a bath?” Mary offered, and Julia readily accepted. It would give her some time to gather her thoughts before she faced anyone else.

Julia had an inclination of where her anxiety came from, though it didn’t appear to have much to do with the events of her dream. Either way, she needed a little more time to gather her thoughts before going downstairs. Her mother would want to talk about the ball; she’d want to hear what Julia’s favourite parts of the night were, and her favourite dance. She might even ask who her favourite dance partner was—mostly because she had found the answer to it already and needed the confirmation. Julia had barely spoken to her parents at the ball, and they would want to know everything she had experienced. And since they would most likely have seen her smiling bright for most of the night, these were normal questions for a parent to ask their child.

She was certain, however, that her parents had missed the moment that had given her such anxiety to induce a nightmare. She was intent on keeping them ignorant of that fact. It would do them no good to share the fear she had momentarily felt. She would discuss it with Natalia first. She would know what to do.
 Julia took the cloth that Mary had used to dab her face and took it to her neck. The cold sweat finally seemed to be retreating. Stepping out of the bed, she walked towards the bathroom attached to her room. Long ago it had been a dressing room, but when bathrooms had become a regularity, Julia’s grandparents had made the choice to place it in the dressing room. All these years later, Julia was grateful for the choice they made. Though, as she watched Charlie lugging buckets of water, she could only hope that her parents would continue the remodelling and modernising and include indoor plumbing. They were modern people — this should be a modern house, should it not?

 When the bath was fully ready, she thanked Mary and Charlie profusely before gently shooing them out of the room and stepping into the warm water. A deep sigh escaped her as she lowered herself in the water and the steam rose up around her. Her hair had been expertly braided before bed and was now rolled up on her head to keep it from getting wet. It gave Julia the freedom to lean her head back, and she made a conscious effort to relax her body.

Her feet were still a little sore from all the dancing, and she smiled at the memory of her dances with James. She’d been nervous around him all of the sudden, and she had struggled to understand why, until her conversation with Natalia. She and James had never spoken of their intentions. Their walks, their conversations—they had all happened in such an organic manner that neither of them had ever stopped to think of it. However, Julia could not deny that, slowly but surely, it had gone from regular interactions with a guest to something akin to courting.

Eventually she would have to ask James if this was what he wanted. A conversation was necessary, for her heart was in the game, and she needed to know where they stood. For now though, she was intent on dreamily remembering their night and telling herself it was in fact a romantic connection that had grown between them.

Unfortunately for Julia, the night hadn’t been all fun. Lord Rumlow had been acting rather peculiarly improper. He had been most forceful in their conversations, and Julia had not liked it one bit. After their dance, she had escaped and found James, who had quickly been able to sooth her worries—even without knowing the full extent of them. But Lord Rumlow had quickly shown her that James could not always be around. 

It had happened near the end of the night, when Natalia and Julia had taken a stroll around the manor to admire the hard work that Natalia had put into the decorations. The men had gathered in the drawing room where they were having a smoke while the band was taking a short break—they were joined by virtually every other man at the ball. At least one had slipped their notice though.
 When one of the maids had come for Natalia with some questions and Natalia had followed her to another room, Lord Rumlow had been there to corner Julia.

 “Julia, I must confess that our conversation wasn’t as I had hoped it would be,” he had started, and Julia had nodded, unsure what she could say. It certainly hadn’t been anything she had expected to happen.

“I apologise. I only meant to warn you,” Lord Rumlow spoke softly, glancing around. Probably to make sure there would be no eavesdropping.

The gesture made Julia nervous. 

“For Lord Barnes?” she asked to clarify, “Who has been nothing but a gentleman, even in the face of your imprudent questions the other night?”

“You should ask him about his business with your father,” Lord Rumlow said. He spoke harshly, his patience clearly wearing thin.  

“I shan’t. Now please, I must find Natalia,” Julia said, her voice steady and strong, despite her nerves. She’d always been a tad wary of her neighbour. Always felt an almost imperceptible anger radiating from him, simmering just underneath the surface. There wasn’t enough horsepower in the world to make her spend time alone with this man, she thought as she scurried away in search of anyone to cling to for company.

*** 

“I was hoping we could go for a ride today,” James said softly once they were seated at the dining room table. It appeared that Julia hadn’t been the only one with a slow start of the day, and instead of having food sent to their rooms, her parents had decided to make an elaborate early lunch. Or a late breakfast. 

 “It would be preferable to a walk as my feet might need some more time to recover from all the dancing,” Julia answered with a smile.

“As do mine, and I only danced a fraction of what you did,” James grinned.

“That’s because you only danced with Carolina and me,” Julia teased and James smiled back.

“I could’ve easily done without Carolina’s superb dancing.” James stared into her eyes as he spoke, and Julia could feel a flutter in her belly. Was she wrong to think that perhaps he had noticed the change between them as well? If so, he certainly didn’t appear to be pulling away.

“And accept only my mediocre dancing?” Julia asked, teasing tone still in her voice.

“My dearest Julia, your dancing was perfection,” James insisted and Julia felt her cheeks heating in a blush.

“What are you whispering about, little sister?” Alexander asked, smiling brightly as Julia scowled at him. 

 She should’ve known that her brother would stick his nose in her business now that he was here. And since the men had agreed on no business today, he had plenty of time to satisfy his curiosity. She couldn’t really blame him—they’d never been apart as long as they had been since his marriage, and while Carolina was a faithful penpal, he was not. Alexander often forgot to send a letter and sometimes to even write a reply. Julia loved him dearly, but he was a tad scattered at times, much like their father in a way.

“We were discussing the possibility of a little outing today,” James answered for her.

“An outing?” Carolina asked excitedly. “Like a walk?” She had known of the daily walks James and Julia took and had already expressed that she wished to be a fly on the wall for those—this would offer her a front row seat. Of course the conversations would be a tad different with Carolina there.

“Our poor feet might need some rest before we can return to our daily walks, so perhaps on horseback instead,” James said with a smile. He had hoped to spend some time alone with Julia to talk, but it wasn’t in him to be rude in the face of all the kindness that Carolina showed. He also didn’t think Alexander would let up on his curiosity about their interactions. He’d made several inquiries with James already. He had wanted to know James’s intentions with his little sister and James could not fault him for that.

“Could I impose myself on this outing?” Carolina asked hopefully, and Julia nodded with a smile.

“The more the merrier,” Julia said, before glancing at James and wondering for a moment if he was as disappointed as she was about the prospect of having company. As wonderful as said company was, she had hoped to speak to James in private—or semi privacy at least. Mary had been their chaperone for most of their walks, and she would never share a word of what she overheard.

***


“This was such a good idea,” Carolina said as she took a deep breath of fresh air. They’d left the manor some fifteen minutes earlier and were walking at a leisurely pace along the road that would lead them to a nearby forest. The afternoon sun was warm enough to battle the chilly wind that had been blowing all week and it was absolutely lovely—Julia wasn’t fully experiencing it though.

James and Alexander were walking a little ways ahead of them, laughing and joking with one another. Julia stared at their backs and wondered what her brother had said to make James laugh so generously—James wasn’t this relaxed very often. During the many weeks that he had been with them, she often saw the stress clearly displayed on his frame. The serious face, sometimes a frown, the tense raised shoulders—none of it had escaped her notice. Often it was better when they were on their walks, though she had seen him getting lost in thought a few times. On those occasions, the frown lines in his face had increased. There was something heavy weighing on him, and she wished she could help him carry the load. As it was, she could only hope that her brother could be of some assistance. After all, she was just a girl, and men rarely shared their burdens with the women in their life, especially if they weren’t married to them.

“Yes, Carolina, it certainly was. I’m glad I thought of it,” Carolina said mockingly, and Julia laughed as she was pulled from her thoughts.

“My apologies,” Julia said, and she glanced at Carolina to find the other woman smiling brightly.

“Do you think you could love him?” Carolina asked, looking ahead to the men.

“I think I could,” Julia confessed, and saying it aloud made it feel more real. The fluttering she had felt at the dinner table returned with a vengeance, and she decided that she liked the feeling. 

“Isn’t that the most exciting feeling there is?” Carolina asked, love clear on her face as she looked at Alexander’s back.

 “And a little frightening, honestly,” Julia said softly, a slight blush on her cheeks. 

 “But it can turn into such beauty, Julia,” Carolina said, and Julia smiled, a little unsure. 

 She trusted Carolina with all her heart, but there was so much that she didn’t know about James. And there were things that linked him to her father that caused tension. She wasn’t entirely sure how it was all intertwined, but she knew that it was. Julia never did well with being uninformed, but she knew better than to straight out ask any of the people involved. Perhaps at some point, James would inform her himself—if he felt for her as she felt for him.

‘Have you noticed that he rides one-handed?” Carolina asked a little while later.

“I hadn’t,” Julia said, looking towards the men. They were now nearing the tree line ahead. Suddenly it appeared clear as day that James was only using his right arm. His left arm was loosely crossed over his torso. She wondered why this was. She had seen him favour his right side before, though not quite this much.

“I wonder what that’s about,” Carolina said. Julia knew that her sister-in-law wasn’t half as curious as she was, so it would be up to her to figure this out. Not today though—today she had other subjects to discuss with James if they ever had a moment alone.

***
 Julia squinted at the sunlight reflected in the water before them. They’d spent an hour or so riding and had decided on a well deserved break along the lake in the center of the forest. Alexander had spread out a large blanket and surprised everyone with wine and cake—courtesy of Maudlin.

“When did you arrange this?” Carolina asked, smiling as she took a bite of her cake, before leaning back against her husband’s shoulder. Alexander himself was leaning against a large tree and he looked very pleased with himself.

“When you were all getting changed into your riding frocks, I made some quick inquiries, and as it happened, Maudlin had already baked a cake for tea today,” Alexander said with a smug smile on his face.

“Please tell me she held something back for mother and father,” Julia asked, as she too munched on her cake. She was careful though; she’d always been told that a lady eats neatly and calmly. If she needed to convince James of her qualities as a wife, she would not do so by eating like a pig.

“Naturally, Maudlin would never let me take all of it,” Alexander chuckled.

A short while later James stood up from the blanket and turned to Julia. “Would you care for a stroll by the waters edge?” he asked, and Julia was eager to accept his hand to help her upright.

Standing, Julia took a moment to brush off some imaginary dust from her dress and catch Carolina’s eye. Her sister-in-law nodded her head encouragingly, almost imperceptible, but it was still clear enough for Julia to see and understand. At this moment, she was happy to know the other woman so very well.

“I was hoping to catch you alone today,” James confessed as he threw a small pebble in the water. It skipped three times before it sank.

“Me too,” Julia said, craning her neck to follow his movements as she tried to discover how he made those pebbles skip.

Catching her attempts to follow his hands, James chuckled and handed her a pebble. “Hold the flat part as the underside,” he started, “then take it between your thumb and ring finger, like this.” He demonstrated every move as he said it, really breaking down the action for her. 
For him it might’ve been simple, but Julia was glad that he didn’t make her feel silly for not knowing.

“Now, pull your arm back, just like that.” James gently directed her arm into position. “And throw.”

Julia did as instructed, and her pebble skipped once before sinking. She happily turned to James,  jumping in place with excitement.

“I’ve never been able to do that,” she said, a bright smile on her face.

James couldn’t help but smile in return—she looked utterly adorable in her enthusiasm. And the fact that he had been the person to cause this response made him feel emboldened enough to say the words he’d been wanting to speak. Looking back at their companions, he saw them engrossed in conversation together. They wouldn’t eavesdrop or interrupt them for now.
 He could tell Carolina and Alexander were happy together; their body language spoke to that fact; both relaxed and sitting close together. He hoped to achieve that with Julia one day.

Now that he had assured himself that they were not within hearing distance, he finally broached the subject that had been heavy on his mind throughout the week, with it coming to a strong climax last night. He’d been fond of her from the get-go, but last night told him that it was more than that. He was falling for the beautiful lady standing next to him.

“Julia, I was wondering if we could talk about a few things.” His mouth ran a little dry and he suddenly forgot how to hold his arms. He’s been searching the ground for more pebbles, pushing the stones aside with his feet, but he knew he should not put this off any longer—who knew how long Alexander would give him? They would soon have to return to the house.

“Anything, James,” Julia assured him, and she felt giddy with anticipation. Would he say what she thought he might? What she hoped he would?

“I’ve really been enjoying my time here,” James started a little shakily. “In particular our walks, and our conversations.”

“I’ve been enjoying those as well,” Julia said, eager to agree with all he had to say. She was excited, nervous, and scared at the same time, which made it harder to stand still—but she knew she had to at least appear calm outwardly.

“When I first arrived, it had been to discuss business with your father, but our walks were a nice change in scenery.” Her responses were calming his nerves a little, but he was still very happy to have thought this conversation through beforehand. He knew what he wanted to say, and he was now more convinced that she would want to hear it. “I appreciated the friendship you offered, your honesty and your curiosity. It was refreshing,”

“And at times slightly unprecedented,” Julia countered, and nearly bit her tongue in response. Why couldn’t she just keep her mouth closed, she wondered. But James laughed, clearly not put off by her words.

“Perhaps to society, but I liked it,” James said, looking her in the eyes, trying to assure her of the honesty in his words. “I don’t know exactly when it changed for me, but I know that I would like to have more than friendship with you.”

“You do?” Julia asked, a little timid, blushing slightly.

“Yes, and I was hoping to ask you if you feel the same,” James asked, wringing his hands nervously as he awaited her answer. He wasn’t even sure when he had grasped them together.

“I would love to move beyond the friendship we’ve built, James,” Julia finally said and James had to control himself—he wanted to pull her into his arms then and there.

“If I were to speak to your father, would that please you?” he asked, just to be absolutely sure.

“It would, most definitely.”

[creampuffqueen]

The Most Magical Place- Chapter One

a/n: alright everyone, here it is! A random pet project that just popped into my brain one day. This is a TLC modern au, plus gen 2, where they all go to Disney World together. Chaos. If this isn’t your thing, sorry? Idk don’t read it then. But I’m excited that I was able to finish the first chapter! Now, the characters mention a lake house a few times, and basically there’s another fic in the same universe I’m working on, but haven’t been as successful at writing full chapters. So hopefully that will come out one day as well! For now, I hope you enjoy this!

~~~~

“Hey, sorry we’re late.” Cinder laughed as she entered the virtual meeting, the faces of all her friends loading up. 

“Badar’s teething right now, and with all his crying Peony couldn’t sleep.” Kai explained further.

“It’s no problem, guys.” Scarlet’s red hair was loose as she laid on her bed, Wolf resting his head on her shoulder. In another frame, Winter was doing the same to Jacin, while in the third Thorne had an arm wrapped around Cress while she nursed their newest little one.

“Speaking of babies, can I say hi to Cassie?” Kai grinned.

Thorne chuckled and tipped the camera, while Cress smiled and covered herself up so all they could see was the baby.

Cassiopeia Autumn Thorne, they called her. A big name for such a tiny baby. Everything about her screamed Cress, except for her hair being the same light brown as her father’s.

“Cress, she’s so precious.” Cinder cooed, as if the infant could hear her through the camera. Little Cassie was obviously nearly asleep, her eyes closed as she suckled.

Thorne tilted the camera away again, and the conversation dissolved into laughter as the friends recounted stories of the day, or the week, or the month.

“I swear, I have never seen a child with less self-preservation skills!” Scarlet said, though her tone was teasing and she rolled her eyes. “It’s like I turn around for one second and suddenly Baylor’s dancing on the roof.”

“Yesterday she started a tree-climbing contest and got both of her brothers stuck in a tree.” Wolf sighed. Scarlet hummed softly, combing her fingers gently through her husband’s hair.

“Well last week Peony tried to slide down the banister while holding Badar. If I hadn’t walked out of my room when I did I could have had two kids in the hospital!” Kai said. 

Winter nodded from her perch, which had become Jacin’s lap. “The kids are restless. It’s getting into the springtime and all they want to do is play outside. It’s a miracle if I can get Evret to focus on his schoolwork.”

“Spring break is coming up for us in about a month, luckily.” Scarlet told the group. “But we don’t have anything big planned, so hopefully the kids aren’t too upset.”

“What dates are your spring break?” Cress asked. “Maybe we can drive over to your place for a day or two.”

“Does that mean I get to hold that baby?” Scarlet chuckled.

As if she knew she was being talked about, Cassie gurgled over the camera, causing both Scarlet and Wolf to start cooing at her.

“Hold that thought, Scarlet. I’m going to go put her down.” Cress stood and walked out of the room, rocking her daughter gently in her arms. 

“You have spring break next month, too?” Winter said, brow furrowing. “We don’t all usually have the same spring break.”

“Ours is next month as well.” Cinder added. She pulled out her phone and opened the calendar app, showing the week that was highlighted in green. 

“Yeah, those are our break dates.” Scarlet’s voice was almost confused as she continued. “We’ve never all had spring break at the same time before.”

Before she could finish her thought, Cress came back in the room, arms no longer full of baby. 

“All three of us have spring break the same week.” Winter informed her. “That never happens.”

“So, are you saying you want to do something all together?” Thorne asked. “Because that’s kind of what it sounds like you’re saying.”

“Do you not want to do something together?” Jacin snorted. 

“You are putting words into my mouth.” Thorne stated, crossing his arms playfully. “That is not what I’m saying.”

“Then what are you saying?” 

“I’m saying,” Thorne continued, “That we might have had some plans for that week.”

“But Cress, didn’t you say you could come drive up and see us?” Wolf questioned.

“Well, the plans aren’t solid ones.” Cress shrugged. “But, we thought that me might take the kids to Disney this spring before it got too full with the summer crowd.”

“Oh, I love Disney World!” Winter laughed. “Cinder and I took the big kids a few years back, and we had so much fun!”

“Yeah, fun.” Jacin retorted. “Veda had a meltdown every single day because she wanted to buy all of the toys. That park is just a giant Disney advertisement.”

“Okay, but Veda was also five years old.” Kai said to the computer screen. “If we went again it would probably be a lot more fun.”

“We’ve never been to Disney World.” Wolf stated thoughtfully. “It’s just always so busy on the farm.”

“Couldn’t you just get Émelie and Iko to watch it for a week?” Winter said helpfully. 

“Well, we could, but what are we even talking about anymore?” Scarlet asked. 

“All of us going to Disney World together!”

There was a long pause in the conversation. All of the friends on the group call nervously glanced at each other, as if gauging their reactions. 

But finally, Scarlet spoke up again.

“We can’t. Paying for seven people going to Disney- it’s just not possible.”

“Hey, resident rich guy here.” Kai said. He normally hated bringing it up, just how well-off he and Cinder were. But now-

“Kai, you don’t have to do that.” Wolf sighed. “Besides, the triplets are little right now, it would probably be overwhelming.”

“Well, I don’t think that Disney is ready for Baylor, personally.” Scarlet joked, trying to lighten the mood.

“No, I’m serious.” Kai told them. Glancing over at Cress and Thorne, he repeated himself. “And I’d pay for your family, too, if you needed it.”

“Why Disney, though?” Cinder snorted. 

“Because I love Disney!” Her husband protested. Cinder laughed and leaned into him, smiling when Kai automatically kissed her head. “And besides, we haven’t all done something together since last year. I mean, Cress and Thorne had time to have a baby before we got all of our families together.”

“Okay, the whole having-a-baby thing wasn’t planned.” Thorne chuckled. “Buy Kai’s right. We haven’t all been together with the kids since the lake house last year.”

“As fun as that was,” Jacin added, while Winter curled around his back to start braiding his blond hair, “I could do with not sharing a house with a dozen children.”

“Same.” Cinder agreed. “I swear, every morning there were at least three kids knocking down our door.”

Cress had a thoughtful look on her face, her blue eyes suddenly distant. Cinder opened her mouth to ask what she was thinking, but Cress’s husband beat her to it.

“Are you planning something?”

“Maybe.” Cress said, almost dreamily. Thorne glanced back at his camera.

“I’m gonna put Cress to bed so she can at least get some sleep while she’s planning.”

“I’m going to be up in a few hours anyway to feed Cassie.” Cress argued, pulling away suddenly and stepping out of the room. She was only gone for a second before she was back, this time with her laptop.

“Ok Cress.” Kai spoke. “You let us know what you’re thinking in the morning, okay?”

The small woman nodded, typing furiously at speeds that made her hands seem like a blur. Thorne said his own goodnight and logged off.

“Well, for the record, I would love to do another vacation with all of our families.” Kai said. “Even if it’s not to Disney World.”

~~~~

Cress called them all three days later, a group video chat from her phone while she walked around her RV, Cassie strapped to her chest and Sage on her hip. 

“Okay, so I did some research- Astra, feet off the couch!- and I managed to find a way for all of us to take a Disney trip together!”

“We’re going to Disney?” Carson cheered from the background.

Cress ignored his question, instead walking over to the cupboard and pulling out a box of crackers, somehow balancing a little kid, a phone, and a snack at the same time, all with a baby on her chest. 

“Cress, that’s great!” Winter grinned. Kai had a similar reaction, and both Wolf and Scarlet looked fairly excited. For Cinder and Jacin, however, they were going to need some more convincing. 

“I got a trip planner to do some calculations and make some suggestions, and it turns out that we can make it a six day trip, and still have three days to spend time at home during the break!”

“So I’d have to take a week off of work, basically?” Jacin asked. Cinder couldn’t tell if he was being sarcastic or not. 

“Jacin, don’t be a party pooper!” Winter protested. “You were already going to take spring break off so we could do something fun as a family!”

“Mommy!” The loud voice came from Scarlet’s end, and the redheaded woman turned around just in time to have her triplets come crashing into her. 

“Okay, I’ve gotta go.” She said to everyone. “I think that it would be fun for us all to go to Disney World together. Just text or email us the details so we know what everyone else is doing.”

“We’re going to Disney World?” Alix asked, just before the call ended. 

“Here, I’ll email everyone what I found out, and we can decide what to do.” Cress told them. She set Sage down on the couch with Astra, handing them both the box of crackers she’d procured. 

And before Cinder could add anything else, Cress had ended the call and plunged her screen into darkness. 

~~~~

“I can’t believe we’re actually doing this.” Cinder muttered, yet again, as she and Kai wrapped up two small presents. 

“C’mon, it’s going to be fun!” Kai insisted, yet again.

Cinder tied the bow on Badar’s present and rolled her eyes. “Badar won’t remember a single thing that goes on the entire trip.”

“But Peony will. And we’ll take tons of pictures so he can look back on it when he’s older.”

Cinder just sighed and put the present on top of Peony’s. 

Somehow, in the last month, all of their plans had fallen into place and everything had been confirmed. They were going to Disney World for spring break, and taking all of their kids with them. 

Cress, Kai, and Winter had been by far the most enthusiastic, Scarlet, Wolf, and Thorne admitting they were excited. Cinder and Jacin, however, were insistent that it was going to be terrible, trying to wrangle 14 children of varying ages around Disney’s various parks. 

Jacin and Cinder had been mostly ignored in their protests. 

And the day before, Cress had mailed them all a few things. Their Magic Bands, mainly, so they didn’t have to carry money around the park and could access their Fast Passes more easily. 

But also included in the package: shirts.

Light blue t-shirts that read on the front “Rampion Crew Disney Trip” and said the person’s name on the back. When Cress had told her about making matching shirts, Cinder had thought it was a joke. 

The shirts were sort of cute, at least. The light blue color would go well with everyone’s complexion. 

Years ago, when they’d all met in college, it was Thorne who had dubbed their friend group “The Rampion Crew”. The Rampion was an old RV he’d bought, and during the summer they would travel around in it, drinking and laughing and having an absolute blast. 

Thorne and Cress had fixed up the Rampion when they got married and now lived in it, somehow managing to fit four children comfortably inside. They traveled all over, homeschooling their kids on the road. 

The Rampion Crew was a bit of an inside joke now. All of their children owned a shirt that said “Member of the Rampion Crew since-” and then their birthdays. So Cinder supposed it was only fitting that the Rampion Crew made a reappearance for their Disney trip. 

“Mom, what’s for breakfast?” Peony popped her head inside their bedroom, and Cinder could see that she held Badar on her hip. 

“Fix yourselves some oatmeal real quick and we’ll be out in a minute.” Kai told her, hiding the presents behind his back.

Peony nodded and walked away, talking to Badar as she brought him to the kitchen. 

Kai fussed at the wrapping for a moment longer, making sure everything was perfect, before he and Cinder walked out into the kitchen, joining their children.

Badar was in his high chair, sucking on a spoon as Peony put the bowls of oatmeal in the microwave. Cinder put the two boxes down on the table and got out her phone, pulling up the camera.

Peony sang to herself, her little brother banging his spoon on his high chair in anticipation. When the microwave beeped and the oatmeal was taken out, Peony turned around to stir in some butter and cream when she noticed the presents.

“Who are those for? Is it someone’s birthday?”

“Nope.” Kai grinned. “They’re for you and your brother.”

Peony stopped stirring the oatmeal. She picked up the larger box, seeing the tag with her name on it. Glancing up at her parents one last time, as if making sure she wasn’t doing anything wrong, she pulled off the bow and the wrapping paper. 

Badar peeked over shoulder, still sucking on the spoon while Peony opened up the box.

Inside, the white Magic Band with Mickey Mouse decals was on top of the neatly folded blue shirt. Peony lifted both out, looking them over curiously.

Cinder could see the exact moment her daughter realized what was going on. Her brown eyes widened, her mouth falling open into a little ‘o’ shape.

“Are we going to Disney?”

“We are!” Kai cheered, and Peony’s surprise dissolved instantly into excitement. Cinder was able to snap a few photos of her daughter jumping around, shouting happily. 

Badar, though he didn’t understand what was going on, was still excited by his sister, and he banged the spoon on his chair and screamed with her. 

“BoBo! We’re going to Disney World!” Peony said, using her nickname for her brother. Badar cooed at her, and she pulled him up to kiss his little cheeks. 

It took a few more minutes for everyone to calm down and eat, and Cinder sent the photos to the group chat, with ‘looks like someone’s excited’.

Minutes later, other pictures and videos flooded the chat. The funniest was Scarlet’s text, who sent a video of Baylor and Alix fighting over the Merida dress Scarlet had bought for the triplets.

Seeing the excitement of all the kids, from the biggest to the littlest, was making Cinder reconsider her standpoint, just a bit.

Maybe taking 14 kids to Disney World wouldn’t be so bad, after all.

[clairelutra]

For the fanfic ask meme 3, 5, 20.

3. Do you prefer canonverse or AUs? 

i can be sold on just about anything, tbh. writing-wise, aus are more flexible by definition, so that’s generally where i end up staying once i exhaust my canonverse ideas, but reading-wise, i love it all.

5. What’s a crackship you love?

OKAY if we’re talking ‘crackship’ as in ‘no canon foundation or even much interaction at all’, then that would be rachel dare/nico di angelo from pjo ahkgd it was totally a pair-the-spares ship from before nico’s sexuality reveal in HoO, and yet... i got so invested... so invested...

if we’re talking ‘crackship’ as in ‘wtAF’—ryuji/morgana from person 5. this kink meme prompt sold me on it. i have not recovered.

other wtaf crackship: marinette/ladybug from ml. I SHIPPED IT BEFORE IT WAS COOL DAMMIT. BEFORE THERE WERE SENTIMONSTERS AND MULTIMICE. JUST ME UP IN HERE WANTING MARINETTE AND HER ALTEREGO TO BONE.

20. Do you have a favorite fanfic or author? If so, tag them/post a link and share the love! 

SO THERE ARE A FEW HERE:

can’t turn off what turns me on by audreyii_fic (star wars, reylo, romance, complete) — my absolute favorite a/b/o au of all time. just.. how it works, how they deal with consent and relationship development, how the a/b/o-ness comes through, everything. also happens to feature the only (only!!) modern au interpretation of reylo i’ve ever liked. just a pleasure to read all ‘round.

walking in a straight line by msgenevieve (OUAT, captain swan, romance, incomplete but doesn’t leave off on a cliffhanger) — all of msgenevieve’s stuff makes me m e l t, but wiasl holds a special place in my heart for yes yum slowburn. it’s a favorite pick me up of mine, and the twist on the ‘drunk confession’ trope is just perfection.

off the line by esama (FFVII, mostly gen with background cloud/vincent, adventure/humor/crack, incomplete and my kingdom for an update) — virtual reality gaming au that’s not quite the platonic ideal of a virtual reality gaming au (that trophy goes to the manga ‘only sense online’), but very very very close. cloud the bunnyboy! racks up a player killer bounty after accidentally massacring an entire town over sexual harassment! ends up with way too many zeroes on his head! goes on the run! it’s just so much fun akhgdhgf

clichestorm by ysavvryl (pokemon, mostly gen, general/adventure, complete) — ‘so what if i took every mary sue pokemon trope except wrote it Good?’ asked ysavvryl one fine day, and then did just that. i’m not sure i can articulate why this fic pleases me so much, but it’s just... a pleasing sort of fic, you know?

let’s remix this business by frea_o (arrow, olicity, romance/humor, complete) — a rock star/youtube music artist au that somehow perfectly encapsulates the energy and Vibe of a 2001 avril lavigne song. big respect, many grins. so much good.

all that is earth by novembersmith (jupiter rising, jupiter/caine, romance/PWP, complete) — hot hot hot hot hoooot... femdom and scent kink and so so so so sweet ohmygod and just generally hhhhyes.

that one where lavellan is a nug by feynite (dragon age inquisition, solavellan, crack/humor, complete) — lavellan gets turned into a nug by an accident and follows around her ex as he mourns her (presumed) death and generally memorizes his secret base while trying to get him to realize that she’s still alive, she’s just a nug, c’mon solas, wake up! (the writing had me in s t i t c h e s) ALSO the rest of feynite’s stuff is just fantastic, the worldbuilding they do is gorgeous, the feelings, man... the feelings... i don’t even go here and i’m dead.

thaaaat got away from me, but YEAH these are some of the ones i’ll go back just to read and reread and reread. perfection ♥

fanfic asks!

[panharmonium]

@merlinobsessionist you understand me on a spiritual level

[putting the rest of this under a cut because it just ended up being me grumping at length about fandom trends - which, yes, i am well-aware is a silly endeavour in all cases, but sometimes you just gotta have your little grump regardless, you know, for health reasons. X)  and in this particular case the grumping is probably relevant/entertaining only to myself, and you, and one or two other people here, so, tucking it away to spare everyone’s dash :) ]

the other day i was exploring the mostly abandoned wasteland that is the merlin fandom on livejournal (since that’s my original fandom home and obviously i missed out on being involved in that particular niche of lj when merlin was active, so i was feeling nostalgic and kinda curious as to it had looked like) - i stumbled over a merlin fic-finders comm and looked up my boy william just for kicks, and surprisingly, a couple of the old requests sounded like maybe i WAS involved in the merlin fandom on livejournal back then and i just don’t remember it

i think i wrote this in a past life

this is an eleven year-old comment in a mostly defunct fandom community but i felt it in my BONES

oh, my dear commenter from 8 years ago, i WISH  XD

it made me laugh, and then it made me grumpy, because obviously there were very few suggestions offered in response to these asks - the fics just don’t exist, not in any numbers.

and like, the thing is, i don’t particularly care about the shipping side of things for the most part; i always lean towards gen and that’s mostly been it, for me; that’s always been my MO in every fandom i’ve ever participated in, but - look.  if i have to witness (*checks ao3*) 23,830 (twenty four thousand. twenty four THOUSAND!!!!) instances of merlin getting together with arthur hecking pendragon, over and over and over again, in every AU configuration under the sun, then you had better believe i am ready and willing to plead the case of the only person in the merlin-verse who did not think arthur pendragon deserved merlin’s entire life.  

and of course, there’s nothing inherently wrong with arthur and merlin as an item, obviously (i mean, i can name a few things about it that don’t appeal to me personally, but that is not the same thing as a value judgment) and everybody should have fun with their own ships, always - but for me, personally, there is just...enough of that out there.  i have seen Enough.  it’s hard for me to even determine where the rest of the fandom is, under the ever-present spread of merlin/arthur content; a picture of merlin/arthur should literally be next to the dictionary entry for steamroller.

and of course, i knew it would be like this from the beginning, and i know complaining about the ubiquitousness of a particular ship in fandom is utterly silly, in the end, because it’s not like there’s anything wrong with something being ubiquitous - the whole point of fandom is to make what you love, and if that’s what everybody loves, well, hey, that’s just how it is!  that’s what people should be making - the stuff they love!  that’s what fandom is here for!  i only mutter to myself in the bubble of my own blog because the ubiquitousness makes it almost impossible for me to find what *i* love, because i don’t want to read about arthur/merlin in the first place, no matter who else appears in the fic, and also because my fave minor character, while he gets a pretty good amount of fannish screentime for someone who showed up in one episode, also suffers from the curse known as “virtually everything he features in is actually about merlin and arthur getting it on”

like - by the numbers, when you exclude merlin/arthur from will’s character tag, will retains less than 20% of his fics, some of which are already like...you know, he’s dead, or just mentioned, et cetera.  

and his poor ship tag...he and merlin have 136 fics in their tag, and at first you wanna look at that and be like - ‘hey, not bad, pal, that’s p. good for a rarepair!’  but in actuality, less than 20 of those fics are actually about him and merlin.  like...12% of his own ship tag actually belongs to him, and the rest is him being used as a plot device to get arthur and merlin together.

and i am sure that a lot of other side characters probably suffer from this, too, given the general fic distribution in this fandom, though the only person i’ve looked at for comparison purposes is freya, who is a (mostly) one-ep character like will.  she, despite that, doesn’t appear to get hit quite as hard - she seems to keep more of her fic for herself, which is nice (when i exclude merlin/arthur from the freya/merlin search, freya still retains about 65% of her fics, as opposed to will’s sad little 12%).  i’m glad for her, though - she of all people does not need to be losing fic to arthur; she has suffered enough. 

to put things in perspective, though - merlin and uther have more fics in their ship tag that earnestly focus on the tagged....hnhhmgnhn i can’t say it...relationship than merlin and will do - even filtering out every instance of dubcon/noncon.  

(and yes, i did in fact want to die when i had to actually click the merlin/uther tag on ao3 in order to check that factoid, thanks for asking.)

so, that said - i don’t generally read canon-era fic anyway, when i’m actively writing for a fandom, but since the merlin fandom sometimes feels like it consists solely of modern AU’s anyway, all i am trying to say is that it would be nice if i could pick up an AU including a character i enjoy without seeing him constantly reduced to:

merlin’s loser ex

merlin’s abusive ex (w h at)

merlin’s ex who’s kinda sorta tolerable-ish, maybe, if you squint, but just ultimately Not Right for merlin - holding merlin back, or being too overbearing, or too pushy, or Just Not Enough - or being someone who merlin stays with only bc he’s familiar and merlin’s settling for something safe and unrisky and stagnantly unfulfilling

the dude who merlin cheats on to be with arthur

the dude who cheats on merlin, bc the fic needed a reason to break up merlin and will so that white-knight!arthur could swoop in (cue me shouting ‘IN WHAT UNIVERSE DO YOU THINK WILL WOULD EVER - ’)

the dude merlin “makes mistakes with” when things with arthur aren’t going well

the friend-with-benefits who’s apparently chill with a casual arrangement, thus keeping himself conveniently out of the way of the oncoming merlin/arthur train

the friend-with-benefits who’s secretly NOT chill with a casual arrangement and who’s pining for merlin, except we all know that ain’t ever going anywhere because arthur exists, and in the meantime merlin only ever gets together with will to try and forget his problems

the friend-with-no-benefits who’s still pining for merlin (which situation, i might add, would be read completely differently if it were arthur in will’s shoes, because if that were the case then the audience would 100% be rooting for him)

the “best friend” whose only purpose in fic is to provide space for conversations/debriefs about merlin’s relationship/pre-relationship with arthur (like - i’m sorry, but there desperately needs to be some type of bechdel-esque test for will; e.g. do will and merlin have a conversation about something other than arthur pendragon?  if yes, u win, u may pass go, collect 20 dollars, congratulations)

the friend whose dislike of arthur always, ALWAYS ends up being framed as a mistake.  as will’s stubborn unwillingness to give arthur a chance, until at last will sees the light and succumbs to the irresistible beauty of merlin and arthur’s eternal love. -_-  there is vanishingly rare acknowledgement in fic of the fact that in the canon universe, all of the criticisms will makes about merlin and arthur’s relationship are not only accurate, but made in merlin’s best interests (and also, ultimately, proven right, by the end of the show - merlin tanks his whole damn life for a series of empty promises prophesying arthur pendragon’s future potential, and he gets NOTHING for his devotion.  merlin is more alone at the end of the show than he was at the beginning, when his only dream was to be loved and accepted by more than the two people who’d comprised his entire life up until that point.  and he spends at least half a decade in between the show’s hopeful beginning and its miserable end being told that he’s evil by the very person for whom he is expected to sacrifice his future.  

so what, exactly, makes will so wrong to be wary?  who among us wouldn’t be angry if we saw somebody we loved being forced to sacrifice themselves on an unforgiving altar like this?  

i don’t know the answer.  i’m not sure what it is that earns will his spot on the “destined to be shafted for arthur pendragon” list.  i don’t know if it’s an unconscious backlash to will’s refusal to hop on the arthur/merlin train, or if it’s just a superficial understanding/lack of genuine interest in his character, which, in that case, sure, i’ll give people that one, in all fairness; not everyone has spent a year picking his character apart (though i still don’t think it justifies tossing him in there just because the fic needs a random insert who can be positioned as inferior to arthur’s gloriousness).  either way, the end result is that we usually end up seeing a will who has very little in common with his source material, or who needs to ultimately step aside to make way for arthur - arthur, who never displays the same level of care toward merlin in canon that merlin shows toward him, and who actively oppresses merlin’s people for the entire duration of their relationship.  

like...it’s all just fic, obviously, and we can make characters as OOC as we want; have fun; go wild.  but at the same time, it’s impossible for me not to balk at how arthur in some of this fic is just - utterly unrecognizable.  in comparison with fic!will, arthur is the most Solicitous, Gentle, Understanding, Deeply Concerned, Invested-In-Merlin’s-Welfare-and-Inner-Thoughts creature you ever did see, and I’m just over here like - it is not like that!  it is NOT LIKE THAT!  IT HAS LITERALLY NEVER BEEN LIKE THAT.  arthur pendragon in fic sometimes interacts with merlin like - he tilts his head and listens like a therapist and affirms absolutely everything merlin says and tells him ‘gosh, i understand. tell me more. how can i help you’ - he goes about his day thinking about merlin and putting merlin first and i just - i literally have never seen this person before in my life.  who is this man?  who is this unbelievably attentive paragon of caring?  i’ve never met him before.

the entire running problem with merlin and arthur’s friendship in canon is that arthur, while he absolutely does care about merlin, tends to take merlin for granted.  merlin is just another feature of arthur’s landscape, until something dramatic happens and arthur has a little scare and saves merlin’s life, and then things go back to the way they were.  arthur doesn’t See merlin the way he should, not in the ordinary moments.  merlin goes home and spends his evenings thinking about arthur’s life; he ties himself in knots trying to help arthur develop as a person and to keep arthur safe and happy, but arthur just goes home and eats supper with his wife.  arthur does not go home and spend his nights agonizing over how he can improve merlin’s life.  he never once thinks, ‘my purpose on this earth is to serve and support my friend merlin.’  he never feels like he’s supposed to be half of some two-sided coin.  i know people like to give arthur this quality in their fic - and that’s totally fine, of course, it’s fic, have as much fun as you want - but in canon, that is just not something arthur pendragon does.  it’s not who he is shown to be.  

and yet almost every time when i go to explore fandom, i find that the person who does put merlin first in canon is perpetually elbowed aside for this extremely generous interpretation of everyone’s favorite prince.  

and i just...i always try to find the good bits in everything, and i am sometimes willing to overlook a ship i don’t personally enjoy if there’s something else about the piece that i think is great, but there’s only so many times i can read the sentence “merlin had never felt like this with anyone, not even will” in fics where merlin and will are supposed to have been dating or even married/engaged, or “will was merlin’s best friend, but he just didn’t understand” (not like arthur, of course, who merlin literally just met a week ago), or “will was great, but there was only so much of him merlin could stand in one sitting/will was great, but he was best enjoyed in small doses.”  there’s only so many times i can read a hundred different variations of that before i start to get real grumpy.  and that’s not even touching the fics where will’s portrayed less favorably than that, even.  

so, you know.  i feel grumbly about it sometimes, how this particular character is trapped in a perpetual net of always being less-than, when one of the nicest parts of fandom for me is that every character/ship can have an infinitude of possibilities, even the ones i personally think are unbelievably bizarre (which category merlin and will do not even fall into, like - it’s not an incredible leap.  merlin/mordred is a leap, okay; mordred is like seventeen years old!  leon/morgana is a leap - how on earth did that become so popular??? - but will and merlin?  that’s not a leap.)

what is it about will that makes him so tempting to trample over?  will’s only sin in canon was to look at arthur pendragon and pronounce himself utterly unimpressed.  his only crime was to tell merlin ‘this dude isn’t good for you,’ about which fact he was CORRECT, by the way - he is the first person who ever chooses to care about merlin, the first person merlin ever chooses to trust, the first friend who loves real!merlin without needing to be coaxed and convinced and taught that it’s okay.  he is the only one who ever tells merlin ‘you deserve better than this mess,’ the only one for whom merlin has always been priority number one and in whose eyes arthur isn’t even on the map.  merlin’s friendship with will (and lancelot, afterwards) is the healthiest one merlin ever gets to experience, and i wish more fannish material acknowledged it as such, as opposed to using will to set up merlin and arthur’s epic romance.  

all of this, i suppose, is just a very long way of saying that now that i am no longer avoiding spoilers and have actually started testing the waters of the wider fandom, i have come to the obstinate, utterly inflexible conclusion that will deserves his own collection of happy endings, and i don’t care if i have to write them myself.  i’ve already got the gen angle covered.  and even though i’ve never written ship!fic in my life, the fact of the matter is that spite can be a hell of a motivator, and i will bite the bullet and learn how to do it if i have to.  if people can really be out here tagging their merlin/uther fics as “schmoop” (YES. REALLY.) then by GOD, i swear, there are no excuses - this fandom can accommodate literally anything; there’s no reason it can’t accommodate stories where will wins.  let this kid have his good ending.  arthur pendragon can fall in love with merlin 23,830 times despite his and merlin’s ship flying in the face of canon, and that means will deserves his own tiny handful of stories to be actually about him, without his and merlin’s relationship being used solely as a stepping stone on the way to merlin and arthur’s 23,831st triumph.

i am just saying - if uther pendragon can fall in love with merlin and have it tagged as ‘fluff,’ then for the love of all that is good, we can give will his moment.  let will enjoy the respect he should have earned from us when he died saving both merlin and arthur’s lives.  let will be a person in his own right, instead of a plot device sacrificed to the (in)glorious altar of merthur.  let will have an inner life of his own.  let will have a best friend who doesn’t treat him like an accessory to The Greatest Love Story Ever Told.  let will himself live out The Greatest Love Story Ever Told, for once.  let will get his guy.  i may tend to focus on friendship in my own work, but there are a lot of universes out there, and when it comes to someone who has always been so alone, and so singularly focused on merlin’s wellbeing, i’m not entirely sure if friendship even feels anything different to “in love” for will at all, in at least some of these places.

let will have his happy tags.  he’s been on his own for so much of his life - let him have his simple ‘friendship’, his ‘platonic love,’ his ‘found family.’  let him have his lovestruck ‘pining,’ ‘friends-to-lovers,’ ‘angst with a happy ending,’ too, and let him keep those tags for himself.  let characters who aren’t arthur pendragon have their love stories.

i may not care much for shipping, and i would rather read gen any day of the week, but let me tell you right now, i would rather write will and merlin settling down in a haze of domestic bliss 23,830 times before i would ever want to watch merlin ditch him yet again for a dude who never matched merlin’s level of caring and investment in the canon ‘verse.

[sp4c3-0ddity]

2018 Year-in-Fic

so following @rueitae‘s example (because i’m curious about what i’ve been up to this year too) and building off my 2017 list, a Summary of Fic: 2018 Edition:

(For convenience, you can also find my fic master list here and ao3 account here)

STATS:

Gen/non-plance fics:  15

All right, let’s start with the fic that is not plance from oldest to most recent. An asterisk* denotes if it’s tumblr exclusive

Assassins (3109 words) - Allura tries to go about business as usual, despite their “guest” - Gen, mild Allura/Lotor, canon compliant through season four

Marathon (1081) - Pidge just wants Lance to get off her back about team bonding. / (She has fun anyway.) - Gen, Garrison Trio, pre-canon

Imprinting (540) -  A flock of baby "ducks" adopts Hunk as their mother - Gen, canon compliant

Fanfiction (884) -  Pidge has a skeleton in her closet, but she made the mistake of saving it to her hard drive - Gen, canon compliant

Everywhere Cats (7363) -  A mysterious mishap transforms the Lions of Voltron into...cats, who are more troublesome for their Paladins than for Zarkon's Empire - Gen, canon compliant crack

A Rational Fear (3786) - Alteans aren't as fragile as humans, but they aren't invincible. / Or, Allura's injuries demand a stint in a healing pod; her reluctance can be easily explained - Gen, very mild Allura/Lance, canon compliant

Adrift (1621) -  Krolia's translator breaks, but that's not why her sadness is so hard to bear - Gen, pre-canon

Displaced (1318) - Keith confuses his target for someone else. / Neither of them are happy about that - Gen, Keith/Matt, time travel AU

Seek Water’s Run* (~2300) - Gen, Garrison Trio, Abhorsen (Fantasy/Zombie) AU

Crushed* (~900) - Allura/Lance, canon compliant whump

Knowledge or Death, Gun or Blade* (~2000) - Acxa and her Blade trials - Gen, canon divergent/speculative

Pigeon Bait* (~1200) - Hunk rescues a pigeon - Gen, modern/college AU

Price of Pride* (~550) - Matt talks to the Green Lion - Gen, canon compliant

Trickle* (~1000) - Keith wanders a death-scape - Allura/Keith, canon divergent (probably) 

Viable Pets* (~2000) - Hunk adopts a space chicken - Gen, dubiously canon compliant

Okay, this is where it might get a little confusing because i’m a dumbass sometimes...

plance fics (not collected): 32 wtf

Ordered from oldest to most recent; does not include anything posted (or to be posted) in this collection; anything exclusive to tumblr is denoted with an asterisk*

Growth (14042) -  Lance finds his soulmate; Pidge does not - soulmate AU in canon

Misdirection (5328) -  Lance pays attention, and Pidge just may come to enjoy a camping trip - modern AU

Fakeout (7840) -  Shenanigans turn dangerous when Lance and Pidge overhear what they should not - canon compliant

A Promise Broken, a Promise Made (5294) -  Pidge getting caught up in a project is nothing new, so why, exactly, is Lance so upset this time? - canon compliant

Facing Reality (14182) - Lance skips Fourth of July weekend with his family to spend it with his girlfriend's family instead... / ...only Pidge isn't his girlfriend. And her family is missing. In a completely different reality - modern/roommates AU...of a sort

Spill Your Thoughts (24962) - Mom bought me this notebook hoping I’d “organize my thoughts” or “find therapeutic value in it” or something like that. Personally, I think she’s just hoping I’ll leave it lying around somewhere so she can snoop into what’s going on in my life when I don’t want to tell her. / Mom, if you’re reading this, it’s not going to work because I do not need to keep a journal. So what if I don’t have any friends to vent to? / aka an AU where Pidge's journal is just that and nothing more - modern/high school AU in journal format

Infatuation, Actually (10418) -  Pidge never learned basic gun safety. Lance suffers the nonfatal consequences - love spell AU in canon

Fatalistic Daydream (27873) -  Being a low-ranking Galra soldier stationed in a virtual backwater isn’t stopping Pidge from finding out what happened to her family. But the secrets she’s keeping from her friend Keith on top of the unwanted attention of an Altean prisoner-of-war are definitely...slowing her down - somewhat Gen, everyone’s an alien AU

Living Nightmare (1892) -  Lance's isolation doesn't seem to be ending anytime soon, even if he's out of solitary confinement - outtake of Fatalistic Daydream, technically gen

Frog Pond* (~3000) - Lance kisses a frog on a dare - modern/fantasy AU

Water Rescue (19229) -  They start as strangers, but one day they may grow to be something more...familiar - fantasy AU inspired by @rueitae‘s Seasons of Magic

Dip* (~400) - They dance - canon compliant (?)

Sleep Cute* (~450) - Sleepy cuddles - canon compliant (?)

Tidal Lockdown (20937) -  An ex-rebel enlists Pidge and Lance to find her missing grandson, but on a planet populated by criminals and where the sun never sets, they can only trust each other... - canon compliant (?)

Double Life (2312) -  By day, they’re a secretive criminal-entrapping hacker and her minion; by night, they’re a flashy magician - excuse me, escape artist - and his ‘brilliant’ assistant - modern AU

Spellbound* (~3500) - urban fantasy AU

scaled to size (14747) - Lance returns to Altea triumphant, claiming to have slain a fearsome dragon and intent on collecting his reward from Prince Lotor. But not all is what it seems... / Or: The tale of how Lance survived a dragon despite leaving his heart behind - fantasy AU featuring dragon!Pidge

a prince, missing* (~7000) - Lance is a kidnapped prince and Pidge is his reluctant bodyguard - fantasy AU

a small step and a giant leap (47005, WIP) - Lance wakes when he shouldn’t to an angel of death standing over him. / It’s a first, but it won’t be the last - vague fantasy/modern AU

Full Circle (10275) - “I’m happy to be back, but I kind of don’t want to be.” / Lance, surprised, stared at Pidge. “What do you mean?” / “It feels like the end, doesn’t it? We’re back on Earth - back where we started - and it feels like we’ve come full circle.” / “Yeah, but circles just keep going, don’t they?” / Or, Lance and Pidge return to where they started, but it will never be the same again - canon divergent

Breakfast Date* (~600) - post-canon

(don’t) call an ambulance* (~3700) - modern/mafia AU

Final Lifeline (14466) - Pidge always plays to win, but this time the odds are not in her favor. / And if she loses, Lance may get worse than being fed to the Snick... - canon divergent

Misfortune Favors the Brave (26492, WIP) - Foreknowledge of a death doesn't make it any easier to prevent, but Lance is determined to try. / Even if it means breaking Pidge's heart. - canon divergent

Found and Lost* (~4800) - post-apocalyptic AU featuring android!Pidge

why not?* (~100) - drabble

Dueling Hearts (36213) -  The king of a planet that Voltron is attempting to sway to the Coalition misinterprets the nature of Lance’s relationship with Pidge…and promptly challenges him to a duel for her hand in marriage. Lance accepts immediately, much to his teammates’ (especially Pidge’s) mortification. The only problem? Lance still hasn’t figured out how to unlock his bayard’s broadsword form at will - canon divergent

And Everything Was Fine (6416) -  Pidge finds the reality where everything turned out fine; needless to say, she’s pissed - mostly Gen, mild post-canon fix-it

No Sky Like Home (6808) -  Pidge hesitates to say yes when Lance asks her on a date - post-canon

plance fics in collaboration: 3

And now the fics i did in collaboration

Smack, Kiss, Fall in Love (19589 / 2) - Pidge was only at the Garrison to find her family, not her soulmate. Lance had always had a picture of a his 'perfect' soulmate in mind. / ...until reality smacks them both - soulmate AU in canon done round robin-style with @hailqiqi

To Sail, To Break, To Earn (10268 / 3, WIP) -  Cursed by the witch Haggar, Lance, with the crew of the Blade of Marmora, sails the sea and preys on Zarkon's fleet. They are confined to the waves and forbidden from dropping anchor at port. But the deadline draws nearer, when they'll become the soulless servants of the same emperor they forswore, unless they rejoin Zarkon willingly...or earn the heart of a mermaid - in collaboration with @rueitae

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot like A Christmas Carol (14384 / 3, WIP) - Lance is no Scrooge, but when he gives up a family vacation and declines an invitation to his friends' holiday gathering, he finds himself the target of a ghostly intervention. / It's a tale as old as time...or as old as the nineteenth century, and if Lance doesn't learn his lesson, he just might be forgotten - post-canon, in collaboration with @hailqiqi and @rueitae

plance fics, collected:

I’m cheating on this one. Referring to my collection Strangeness and Charm, from about Chapter 48 onward are the 2018 chapters. Last year’s word count was 73407 and this year’s word count is (with the exception of some fic saved as chapters not yet posted) 200794. here are the longer/more notable (in my opinion at least) samples that probably should’ve been posted separately:

Future (~6000) - prompted historical/arranged marriage AU

Captive (~5200) - moderately gen AU where Pidge, Lance, and Hunk are captured by pirates

Another Time (~3700) - reincarnation AU in conjunction with canon

Masquerade* (~1300) - super tease-y fantasy AU and if you don’t have the song from Phantom of the Opera stuck in your head from just reading that title i envy you

Tease (~800) - “If you love it so much then why don’t you marry it?” - canon compliant

A Pirate’s Life for Me (~4000) - Pidge is captured by space pirates - canon compliant

Absence Makes the Heart Grow (Fonder) (~7200) - Pidge finds Lance on Earth - canon divergent AU that was hilariously accurate in retrospect

like a masochistic moth to dragonflame (~3200) - the aftermath of the battle against the Coranic Dragon - piklavar, Monsters & Mana AU

Steal to Save (~800) - Pidge “loses” her glasses - canon compliant

to trust a thief (~3800) - followup to other piklavar fic

Deadline (~1000) - Stressful countdown to Lance confessing - canon compliant

Glint of Silver (~5200) - Pidge’s double life just might endanger her werewolf roommate - roommates/urban fantasy AU

masks for two* (1500) - Lady Katie learns she and her fiance have more in common than expected - historical/thieves AU

Bad Press* (~1500) - It’s not easy pretending to date your celebrity friend - fake dating AU

a personal mission* (~780) - Lance is on a mission - canon compliant (?)

the eve of it all* (~1800) - Lance stands Pidge up on game night - season eight fix-it, canon divergent

okay that ended up being way longer than i expected...

BREAKDOWN:

Ship breakdown:  

plance wins so easily it’s not even funny. oddly enough considering my current feelings on the pairing Allura/Lance takes second place (though only by very weak implication in one case and...by a very wide margin). and then there are the other mostly implied (Allura/Lotor, Keith/Matt) that occur once each plus an Allura/Keith fic and a gen fic that’s also technically Krolia/Keith’s dad

and then there’s my apparent thing for Hunk bonding with birds

Character breakdown:  

Pidge and Lance because *jazz hands* plance. i suppose Hunk and Allura may be split for third place

Characters that had the main focus:

*sweats* hilariously i think it might be...Lance?? i feel like many of my longer fics (whether one-shots or multichapter) end up in his point of view, notably a small step and Misfortune. Pidge is an easy second place though, and which of the two i favor changes. Pidge is, in a sense, a little easier to write but Lance, depending on the tone i’m going for, can be wild fun because he’s so ridiculous sometimes

SPECIFICS:

Best title?

uh...i’m capable of having decent titles?? thing is, my titles tend to be on the nose or else something i forget i need till the point i’m posting a fic, but i like Everywhere Cats partly because it was very much inspired by a simple children’s song i remember my sister playing when she first started learning piano. i also like Facing Reality as a title because of the word play i can be clever

...okay i’m going to stop here because i keep looking back and realizing i like more of those than i thought i did

Worst title?

many of them are so...plain that i’m not sure i can pick just one. sure, they tell you what the story is about, but there’s nothing hidden in them...they’re so bland. throw a dart at a board with all my one-word titles and you’ll probably hit something

Best first line?

let’s go with a masochistic moth to dragonflame:

Pike is smitten the moment he sees her, and it only grows worse when the words family heirloom cross her lips.

Worst first line?

i think my first lines in general are...decent?? nothing spectacular, just meant to convey what’s going on and why it’s important (or that’s what i try to do at least), but out of laziness i’m going with the one from Everywhere Cats:

Hunk settled his helmet onto his head as he walked into the Yellow Lion’s hangar, feeling wonderfully light at the prospect of this mission.

Best last line?

Adrift made me so emotional when i was writing it that i have to use this one:

“Love,” [Krolia] said, “can you turn off the lights? I’m showing Keith the stars.”

Worst last line?

i tend to end my fics rather abruptly (i really really hate unnecessary bits tacked on when everything is pretty much resolved) and/or on dialogue and i’m usually thoughtful of how i end it so i’m not even gonna skim through the rest of my fics because this one from Assassins is just so boring:

She followed General Sahr inside, and this time both Coran and Lotor came with her.

GENERAL:

Looking back, did you write more fics than you thought you would this year, less than you thought, or about what you predicted?

yes, yes i did. also looking back at last year’s list i didn’t even get any of the goals i set accomplished...whoops??

What pairing/genre/fandom did you write that you would never have predicted last year?

uh...Keith/Matt i guess?? maybe Allura/Lance too because i really don’t like that pairing now (though i used to be indifferent or else somewhat like it) so it’s like a retrospective “well i can’t believe i managed to write them as a romantic pairing”

What’s your favorite story this year? Not the most popular, but the one that makes you the happiest.

always will i answer this question with scaled to size because it actually does make me happy, especially thinking of all the pain and suffering i’m only somewhat exaggerating i went through while conceiving of it thanks to a computer mishap (and, tbh, my own neglect), and ultimately all it took to revive it was a timely prompt from the Pidgance Positivity Discord and dare i say it ended up far better than planned??

Okay, NOW your most popular story.

on ao3 by kudos and excluding my collection that’s Smack, Kiss, Fall in Love (i can’t tell if it’s the magic of collaborating with someone like @hailqiqi or the allure of a soulmate AU or a fic with that many chapters). most by comments/bookmarks and second most by kudos is Dueling Hearts.

by notes on tumblr would be Sleep Cute

Story most underappreciated by the universe?

oh gosh i don’t know. throw a dart at my gen fics and you’ll probably hit one?? or else To Sail, To Break, To Earn, my collaboration with @rueitae, could use lots more love i thought you guys liked mermaids

Story that could have been better?

all of them??

Sexiest story?

uh well i’ve never posted anything more explicit than simple foreplay so i suppose that would be Final Lifeline but i also want to make note of like a masochistic moth to dragonflame because i think i did well with a touch of Unresolved Sexual Tension and Bad Press was almost candid about that sort of thing and Lance almost propositioned Pidge by accident

Saddest story?

it’s probably a toss-up between  Final Lifeline (major character death on top of a possible awful future), Misfortune (predicted character death), and a small step (they can’t really be together)

Most fun?

Bad Press was a riot while i was working on it. Everywhere Cats was a lot of fun too, as was scaled to size (though tbh i have fun writing a vast majority of my fics...)

Story with single sweetest moment?

nothing really stands out to me at the moment so this is mostly a cop-out (and Pidge and Lance are at their best when they’re teasing each other anyway) from scaled to size:

“Is there…any room for the brave and dashing knight that rescued you in that future?” Lance whispered.

“Maybe, if you find him.”

“Hey!” Lance exclaimed, pulling away from him slightly.

Pidge snickered and wrapped her arms around his neck. “But there’s room for the brave boy that grew into his too-big britches.”

“Yes, but I’m a knight now too,” Lance pointed out.

“Should I call you Sir Lance now?” Pidge raised an eyebrow while one of her hands wandered into his hair and pulled his head down. “But I think I like Lance better…”

Their noses brushed, and Pidge’s warm breath caressed his face.

Lance’s eyes slid shut when he kissed her.

Hardest story to write?

most likely Displaced because i’m not really into Keith/Matt as a romantic pairing (and it ended up more gen anyway) and i wasn’t really enamored by the idea so i was mostly just trying to wrap up what i had without getting into the concept too much

Easiest/most fun story to write?

the night i bolted out of bed possessed by a spark of inspiration thanks to this art to hammer out Masquerade will forever live in infamy

Did any stories shift your perceptions of the characters?

i don’t think so??

Most overdue story?

scaled to size if only because of the frustration i associate with its inception ;_;

Did you take any writing risks this year? What did you learn from them?

collaborations, for one, not that it’s especially risky, but i’d never done one so that was fun!! Smack, Kiss, Fall in Love oddly enough validated by typical “write on impulse” style though...

for another, i published a fic in a zine!! also i participated in a Bang and a gift exchange, neither of which i’d done before

also posting the start of a multichapter fic not yet finished is a risk that hasn’t quite payed off yet *sweats*

What are your fic writing goals for next year?

no idea. i’m decidedly not a very goal-oriented person, but for now i think i’ll keep it simple and finish my four dubiously active WIPs, write something amazing for the Plance Mini Bang (which i’m also mod-ing oh boy), and outline as often as possible to ease the writing

[frauleinsmaria]

The Village Is a Glow (1/2)

A/N: Merry (belated) Christmas to those of you who celebrate! This was written for my @cssecretsanta2k18 giftee, @eastwesthomeisbest , who expressed an interest in modern au’s with a fantastical element. While this was a bit out of my comfort zone where fic is concerned (and ended up being fairly light on the fantasy), I took suggestions from a few friends and came up with this story based on some of her preferences. This was both fun and challenging to write, and I've so enjoyed interacting with you over the past few weeks! Part 2 should hopefully be up and posted by this time next week.

Special thanks to @profdanglaisstuff for beta’ing, @justanotherwannabeclassic and @forestiyari for helping me think of this idea, and @welllpthisishappening for answering my questions about NYC. (Also, please keep in mind that I’m not a native, so there may or may not be a few things I did less research on that should be taken with a grain of salt.)

Summary: Killian Jones credits moving to the Big Apple for getting his photography career off the ground. He also has it to thank for causing his first run-in with Emma Swan, who makes him question every photo he takes afterward. 

AO3

Three years and a handful of questionable experiences had shown Killian that almost anything was possible in New York.

For starters, there were things like the number of naked people you could spot on a normal day in Times Square, a Storm Trooper getting arrested, and a teenage couple making out while standing in a dumpster. And those were all things he’d seen within the first week after his move. Being a photographer had only given him the opportunity to catch things like this on camera and show them to his friends both in the city and back home in London who didn’t quite buy the odd stories he had to tell on any given day.

Despite the regularity of seeing things that made him wish he had issues with his memory, there was so much Killian loved about his now home that made up for it all. He loved the constant energy and excitement that lived within the city, whether that be in the middle of the night or first thing in the morning. The first few weeks after his move, he’d dealt with the jet lag by wandering around at all hours of the night and taking pictures, trying but never fully succeeding to capture the neon lights, hoards of people, and bumper to bumper traffic guaranteed to be found at every corner.

Killian also had to credit the move to New York for getting his freelance photography career off the ground. He’d gotten some attention back in London from friends and colleagues, but it wasn’t until after relocating when he began posting pictures he’d taken around the city that his Instagram account started to receive a considerable amount of attention. He was able to use the site as a way to both market his work and seek out potential clients. Since coming to New York, he’d received offers to shoot everything from weddings and parties to family portraits and sessions for online companies and influencers. He still took a few shifts a month at a local bar to make ends meet, but he was grateful his photography was able to cover most of the costs and requirements that came along with living in New York.

Killian had grown to love almost everything about his new home and tried to encompass as much of it as possible in his photos, but the main focus on his Instagram account over the past year or so had been capturing the lives of mundane New Yorkers like himself on film. Killian had soon learned thanks to comments from his friends back at home that most outsiders saw the city as the home for the rich and famous, and assumed only those that fit one or both of those categories were able to thrive and succeed there. It wasn’t hard to believe that such ideas existed thanks to the typical depictions of New Yorkers in fiction and the media. But, from his experience, the majority were just common people trying to make a life in the city that never slept.

And, yes, many of these people and the pictures he took of them were a little on the unusual side. But he’d never taken a photo that made him question his own sanity, until he met her.

It started on a Tuesday morning. Despite having the ability to create his own work schedule most of the time, he preferred getting out early a few times a week to take photos and observe the city as the work rush began. He’d been walking around with his camera for an hour or so around Tribeca taking snapshots of people and scenes that caught his eye. There was the elderly couple holding hands while waiting at a crosswalk, a young dog walker who looked as if he could barely keep up with his four legged clients, and one he was particularly fond of, a pair of young twins sisters walking their dog in Hudson River Park he couldn’t wait to share after receiving permission from their parents.

It was just after eight-thirty when he decided to wrap things up before he went back to his apartment to edit this morning’s photos and make a call to a client who he was scheduled to do an engagement shoot for that weekend. He wasn’t far from a nearby cafe when he spotted a distinct golden glow coming up from the side of a building. It was probably just the way the early morning sun was reflecting, but it caught his attention enough that he considered it worth documenting for himself if nothing else.

After taking a handful of photos, he was scrolling through the media library on his camera while still walking (something he should have known better than to do in the first place) when he felt himself slam into something just as he was passing the building in the picture.

“Oh!”

Whoops. Not something, a person. The first things he saw were blonde curls and a pair of bright green eyes that didn’t look nearly as angry with him as they should.

“Bloody hell,” he cursed under his breath. “I’m terribly sorry, love. Are you alright?”

“Well, I’m definitely awake now,” she laughed. Killian was grateful she didn’t look ready to strangle him, which seemed fair considering the circumstances. “Just maybe be careful what you do with that thing while you’re walking,” she added, nodding toward his camera. She had to either be a saint or in an exceptionally good mood.

He shoved his camera back inside the bag on his shoulder. “You’re right. I apologize again. Can I buy you a coffee to make up for it?”

“Emma Swan. Make it hot chocolate instead and you’re forgiven.”

He liked this woman already. “Killian Jones. And I believe I can swing that.”

Killian opted for taking her to the nearby cafe he often visited since he knew they served hot chocolate, as well as his own preferred Americano. It was a short walk from where they were now.

“This is neat,” she said when they arrived and she followed him inside. He had stumbled across Gotan in Tribeca not long after his move to the city, and often dropped in at least once a week to drink coffee while he edited photos or answered client calls. The modern, eclectic feel of the place made it enjoyable for working, and hopefully enjoyable for sharing a hot drink with the stranger he’d just inconvenienced.

There surprisingly wasn’t a crowd considering what time of day it was, so they were able to quickly order their drinks. Emma picked out a table near one of the large windows, wanting to sit by the sunlight.

“Tell me something about yourself, Swan. Do you live in the city?”

She nodded. “As of last weekend, yes. I’ve bounced around different areas on the East coast for awhile now, but it was time for a change, and my friend had an extra room in her apartment. So, here we are. What about you?” she asked. “Although the accent kind of gives your roots away.”

“Afraid so.” As the barista approached the table with their drinks, he briefly explained his childhood and life in London and why he’d chosen to move to the city. “There wasn’t much rhyme or reason behind it. I also wanted a change, and to do something with my photography. New York seemed to be the best option. I’ve been here almost three years now; it’s worked out well, at least by my standards.”

“I hope some of your luck is contagious then.” Emma took a sip of her hot chocolate and gave what he hoped was a satisfied smile. He saw then that she’d gotten whipped cream on the corner of her mouth and tried not to laugh, instead handing her a napkin from the stack on the table. “You’ve got a little something there, love.”

She laughed when she caught her own reflection in the window and wiped the mess away. He liked hearing her laugh. Actually, he liked quite a few things about her, he soon realized as they spent the next half hour discussing everything from rom coms to the best restaurants in New York.

“You’re the first guy I’ve ever met who’s willingly admitted to liking Mean Girls.”

Killian shrugged. “I suppose you could say I’ve been personally victimized by Regina George, love.”

It was a bit of a disappointment when she announced she had to leave. “Job interview,” she explained.

“In that case, I hope some of my luck you mentioned earlier is contagious too.” Killian considered asking for her number but decided against it; it seemed too forward and there was a good chance she wouldn’t be up for sharing personal details with someone who was still virtually a stranger in many ways. “Perhaps I’ll be lucky enough to run into you again in the future? Although I’ll try not to make it literally next time.”

“Thanks. And I appreciate the consideration.” She smiled and disappeared around the corner a moment later. Despite being in a city with millions of people, a small part of him couldn’t help but hope he hadn’t seen the last of her.

He spent most of the afternoon uploading the morning’s pictures onto his laptop to see which ones were worth holding onto. Most of them turned out well, aside from a few that were out of focus and one unintentional shot of the sidewalk he’d taken while trying to avoid being hit by a pigeon. The few that stood out the most, though, were the handful he’d snapped of the sun coming around the side of the building where he’d come across Emma Swan. They weren’t particularly great in comparison to some of the others he’d taken earlier, but what he hadn’t seen before was a strange golden glow that seemed to cover the scene like a filter. He must have hit something on his camera that changed the color settings when he and Emma collided. That was the only reasonable explanation.

Even though it was unlike the others and wasn’t his normal style, it was the one he posted on Instagram first after making a few minimal edits.

Kjones87: I’d call it a successful day.

If he noticed the number of likes and comments were higher than on any other photo he’d uploaded recently, he chalked it up to coincidence, or maybe what Emma Swan thought was his good luck.

The scheduled engagement photoshoot plus a local business event he’d been asked to photograph at the last minute kept him busy enough that he wasn’t given a chance to repeat his habit of wandering around the city with his camera until the following week. It was Wednesday when he found himself exploring Tribeca again. He liked the area, and it was close enough to his apartment that avoiding public transportation was typically an option.

His routine followed the same pattern it normally did, simply walking around to take random snapshots of people or things that caught his eye, until two women holding hands approached him at City Hall Park.

“Hi,” said the taller of the two brunettes, wearing a bright shade of red lipstick that matched the streaks in her dark hair. “I really hope I won’t bother you by asking, but is there any way you’d be willing to take a picture of my girlfriend and me?” she asked, holding up her phone and squeezing said girlfriend’s hand, a shorter woman with dark curls and a stack of books sticking out of the bag on her shoulder. “If you don’t have time or you’d rather not that’s totally fine, we just saw you taking pictures and figured you would know what you were doing better than someone else.”

Flattered by the unexpected request, Killian reached for the woman’s phone and then paused, thinking of a better idea. It wasn’t something he would normally suggest in similar circumstances, but they seemed like a sweet couple and why waste the opportunity to do something nice for them? “I can do you one better. Suppose I take several shots of you two on my camera and just email you the final results?”

“Seriously?” the shorter brunette asked. “How much do you charge for doing something like that?”

“No charge. I mean it,” he continued when they both attempted to protest. “I would probably consider posting one or two pictures on my Instagram, with your permission of course.”

Killian spent the better part of an hour following the couple around the park and taking various pictures of them holding hands and embracing in the different picturesque locations. He found out their names were Ruby and Belle, and they had come to the city from Boston for a few days to celebrate their second anniversary.

“Are you sure we can’t pay you?” Belle asked for the umpteenth time when they were preparing to leave. “I mean, we’ve probably taken up a good part of your day.”

“I was glad to do it,” he insisted. “I hope you enjoy the rest of your trip.” He got both of the women’s contact information and watched as they left the park hand in hand.

He was just walking away when he heard a vaguely familiar voice. “I hope that camera hasn’t caused any run-ins today.”

Killian turned and saw Emma Swan walking toward him, clutching a well-read paperback he couldn’t make out the tile of and a steaming cup of what he assumed was hot chocolate. “Ah, hello, Swan. And, no, I am pleased to report that I’ve succeeded in being aware of my surroundings since our meeting last week.”

“Good to know. Otherwise you’d probably go broke buying hot chocolates for every girl you ran in to in New York.”

“Aye. I’d rather save those for you anyway. I’d offer to buy you another if you hadn’t already beat me to it,” he said, gesturing to her cup, feeling both amused and reluctant.

She shrugged. “Maybe. But it’s almost lunchtime, and I never say no to a grilled cheese.”

He’d be an idiot to turn her down.

Emma chose the place this time, a small diner called Granny’s located a few blocks away. “My roommate got me hooked on this place,” she told him when they walked in and took a booth near the back of the restaurant. As expected, she ordered a grilled cheese with a side of onion rings, and a second hot cocoa topped with whipped cream and cinnamon. “Just because I can,” she explained when he raised an eyebrow at her odd selection. (She laughed when he caved and ordered the exact same thing.)

Killian learned quite a bit about Emma Swan during the hour they spent sharing greasy food and random tidbits of information. She shared that she’d recently been hired at a local bookstore, hence the interview she’d been headed to after their first encounter, had a liking for eighties teen movies, and usually found herself on Amazon Prime when she couldn’t sleep, leading to receiving a number of random items in the mail that she never quite remembered ordering. She asked a question about his photography, which led to him explaining what he did as a freelancer, as well as his occasional work at the bar.

He had just pulled out his phone to show her his Instagram page (which he realized later probably would have looked like gloating) when she had to leave for her shift at the bookstore. “I have a feeling you’ll see me again,” she said, almost as if she knew something he didn’t.

“I have a feeling you’re right.”

He spent the better part of his afternoon editing the photos of Ruby and Belle in the park earlier that day. When he got to the last of them, it was impossible not to notice the golden glow over the couple in the final picture he’d taken of them kissing in front of the fountain in the park.

The last picture he’d taken before meeting Emma.

Just like the last picture he’d taken the week before...right before meeting Emma.

There was a reasonable explanation behind all of this. There had to be. He just had no clue what said explanation was.

One thing was for sure, he needed to see Emma Swan again.

[aquaquadrant]

Little brother au is GREAT but now I’m wondering— how would the moon cult! au cast react to canon selves?? or, I guess, since it’s a canon continuation— other aus??

apologies for the delay! i wanted to make sure i took some time to answer this one. but oooooh man this one’s fun, cause i can exclusively look at my other au’s involving perilune!

under the cut due to length :3

spirit au (here) - this au was developed through a series of asks i got, wherein varian and rapunzel are immortal, winged, celestial spirits that are separated when they crash land on earth after a battle with zhan tiri. they find eugene and perilune, a couple of mortals born with the rare ability to see celestials, and must reunite on a cross-country road-trip while dodging zhan tiri followers and police detective cassandra.

mc!var would be a bit weirded out by his celestial self, tho he’d definitely admit the wings are cool, and the fact that spirit!var practically considers spirit!raps his sister would throw him off a bit (cause he’s still tense with his raps). the perilunes bond over their magical bois, and the eugenes over their sun goddesses. mc!cass is slightly salty spirit!cass gets to be a full-fledged officer on the force. “so what, in this world being the captain’s daughter-” “he’s called the chief of police” “-isn’t grounds to get benched? must be nice.”

superhero au (here) - this au also got its start via anon asks, and explores varian as an anti-hero trying to solve a government conspiracy to save his father from weird alien rocks, while staying off of magically powered do-gooder rapunzel’s radar.

mc!var would be like “hey…. buddy…. this isn’t the way to get him back. trust me. also can u please show me how those gauntlets of yours work those are sick” and sh!var would be like “what do you know you’re from the medieval ages but yeah totally i can make virtually any chemical compound with the press of a button isn’t it cool” 

mc!peri’s got some great tips for sh!peri to help varian grieve in a… healthy and productive way lmao. same with the rapunzels. mc!eugene would just be so annoyed with sh!eugene like “hey pal, the flynn rider phase isn’t a good look on you- us- whatever. trust me.” meanwhile, mc!cass thinks sh!cass is badass and the eugenes fear for their lives.

cinderella au (here) - this au, from @ghosta-r​ and currently being developed by an anonymous writer, is a continuation of canon where varian, post villain arc, is sent to live with a distant relative who turns out to be cruel, abusive, and exploitative. perilune, the child of a travelling knight, runs into him one day and the rest is history.

mc!raps, eugene, and cass would be horrified that this was happening to cindy!var and would immediately square up with his uncle (and alert the cindy!gang back in corona like “wtf don’t u do background checks on people”). mc!peri is stuck on the fact that cindy!peri has a father, “wow what’s that like???“ and mc!var would see this tired, lonely, beaten-down version of himself and be like “…. protect?? must protect???” (self care is helping an alternate version of yourself throw off the shackles of abuse, kids).

modern au (anything related is tagged modern!au) - this is less of a solid au, more of a concept, really; what would they be like in modern times? so in all honestly, modern gang is pretty chill. perilune is rapunzel’s adopted sibling, varian’s their boyfriend, everyone’s just living their lives. truly, the au where Nothing Hurts until quirin falls into a coma rip anyways!

mc!var would, of course, be fascinated by the tech of the modern world. modern!var would prob bond easily with him, but also be concerned? like, “is this guy okay??” and in all honestly modern!peri is the same with mc!peri, like “oh sweetie who hurt you.” mc!raps is like “hmm should i adopt perilune? would that be weird?? eugene,” and meanwhile modern!cass is like “woah i should get a sword, guys” while modern!eugene weeps. what’ve you done. just, the modern!gang is (especially by comparison) so laid back and Mental Stability Goals, so they’d prob just get the whole mc!gang in a big circle, modern!raps makes tea and is like “alright you guys, let’s talk about your issues.”

this was a super fun question, thanks so much for asking!

[gameridernews]

Ex-Aid review: True Ending

A friend wanted to see the movie, so now I can review it!

This is movie is probably best known for being the most confusing with its intent. I mean, when you toss out a title like "True Ending" you're giving some Ryuki vibes - is it going to be an alternate ending to the show? Is the title a lie and the movie just supposed to take place between episodes? But wait, the tie-in episode is literally in the middle of endgame stuff, so it must be alternate ending. Maybe?

So, it may sound like I'm exaggerating how confusing it is, but I think it says something when Toei had to clarify it on their Twitter. After the show ended, they stated that the movie was supposed to take place after the show's finale. A few days after the finale in fact, which is weirdly specific.

For once, being an overseas fan is a good thing because it means I get to see the movie after the show ended. Let's see how it turned out with that in mind. I felt like I went kinda long on my last review so let's be a lil more concise here.

So the premise of the movie is that a new type of Bugster Virus has been unleashed by a bunch of Ninja Players, led by Kamen Rider Fuma. Barging in on Seito University's territory, Fuma specifically goes out of his way to visit a particular patient - a girl named Madoka who has a brain tumor - and leave her comatose using a Bugvisor. Emu is the only one who can do anything here because not only is this new virus infecting the other Riders, it's even affecting Bugsters like Poppy!

As it turns out, the Bugvisor is the same one we saw being stolen by good ol' Johnny Maxima from the video game company Machina Vision, who also has the plans for the Gamer Driver. Fuma, also known as Kagenari, is working for Maxima to save his daughter Madoka, so they waste no time getting those obvious connections out of the way. And shortly after we see Maxima involved, he's seemingly taken out of the picture by Kagenari himself.

Madoka now lives in a virtual reality where she's happy, and the cast plays a role in her school life, so it seems like Kagenari wants her to live a happy life where tumors don't exist. Of course, since this is an artificial existence, it's wrong - which tracks with what Ex-Aid is all about, going back to Kuroto's whole thought process with becoming a Bugster and how Emu reacted to it then.

Emu is given a virtual reality headset and the Mighty Creator VRX Gashat so that he can appear in the virtual world and take on Fuma there and rescue everyone, but upon doing so, it turns out Madoka would rather stay behind. Doing so leads to our big boy Johnny taking her data(??) and becoming the actual villain of the movie. Which is all a tad confusing.

Just going to say here: This is about the halfway point of the movie, we’ve seen the last of Fuma’s usefulness as a Rider and this new Ex-Aid form, which is all a bit of a shame. 

This is when we get MAXIMUM JOHNNY. Yes, as it turns out, Gamedeus lives on in the form of a red recolor, which I'll admit is a pretty interesting twist. The movie beyond this point is about taking down an unstoppable evil all over again, AND... surprisingly Emu takes a bit of a backseat to the fighting as he and Hiro focus on doing some brain surgery on Madoka. 

Afterwards, Emu reasons with Kagenari, based on the clues, that Madoka wants to see him and that they can live a happy life, etc. I recap it quickly, but it's actually pretty refreshing for a summer movie Rider to go through this kind of arc, conceptually. I only wish this led him to being part of the final battle, with him reuniting with his daughter after the fact. 

Finally, we deal with Gamedeus. Ex-Aid shows up, gets into his final form to engage in a modern Sonic style final battle. All's well that ends well, right? Oh except the city they absolutely wrecked. Which I guess is like Sonic Adventure as well.

Finally, we end on a post-credits bit in which Build shows up! After a surprising amount of fighting for a post-credits scene, Build uses an Empty Bottle to steal Ex-Aid's essence, causing him to lose the ability to transform. Then... without really fighting him at all, the two watch as Build walks into the sunset. Sure. See you in the winter movie, buddy!

So that was True Ending. You may or may not be interpreting my briefness as disinterest, aaand that's only half true. I do wanna try and recap things more quickly. But also, the movie isn't... reeeally that great. Its biggest flaw, really, is that it feels rushed. Everything moves by quickly, making me think they could've used an extra 30 minutes.

I didn't even talk about some of the small things, like how they kinda-sorta have Kuroto and Parad be absorbed by Gamedeus, seemingly killed off, only to have them be spat back out much later. Or the fact that the virtual world features a bit of high school AU with Taiga as a coach and Hiro as a papa, because that stuff goes by real fast. In fact, Creator Gamer - as cool as it is - only gets used for one fight at the halfway point, so most of the movie deals with Gamedeus instead of this virtual reality stuff. Gaim’s summer soccer movie, for as wacky as the premise is, at least embraces the idea - this feels like the writer had an idea but didn’t bother to hold onto it for very long. 

Really this movie has a lot of fun ideas to it that feel like they could have been fleshed out more. But I still had a bit of fun despite that. I think it's neat if you feel like you needed a couple extra episodes added onto the show and don't mind the pacing.

Well then, that's the three standard movies for Ex-Aid - not counting the Build/Ex-Aid winter movie, of course. I guess at this point, what comes next in the Ex-Aid review is... the rest of the spinoff material, then the Another Ending trilogy. Definitely saving the latter for last. Til then!

[thisweekingundamwing]

November 12-18, 2017

Hey all! We have a really good haul this week! I hope you all enjoy it!

-Mod Rane

Fanfiction:

@amberlyinviolet and @yourbloodlikewine

In This Light

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12386715

Duo Maxwell, Trowa Barton, Solo Maxwell

Original Characters - Freeform, Alternate Universe, child abuse mention, Sexual Assault Mention, homophobic parents, Re-Written Characters, Drug Use, Violence, off screen murder, gratuitous author indulgence

Summary: Duo spent the last semester working in his older brother's coffee shop. He's resigned himself to a boring spring when a stranger appears, shaking up his entire life.

Eli left home last fall, choosing to spend the last six months living out of his van on his travels from the Midwest to the East Coast. By the time he arrives at Ink's, the novelty of traveling alone has started to wear off. Still, the last thing he's expecting is to meet someone who's going to change all that for him

@anaranesindanarie

​Magic, Mortals, and Gundam Gods

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12667185

Duo Maxwell, Triton Bloom, Catherine Bloom, Father Bloom, Mother Bloom, Sister Helen

Graphic Depictions of Violence, Magic, Gods, Poachers, AU, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe- Gundam Wing

Summary: In the legends of the Five Gods, it is said that the second God, Deathscythe, was very protective of the other four and would do anything to keep them alive. He would fight entire wars, taking hit after hit until he couldn’t anymore, until he used every drop of magic that he had to keep them safe. He would fade away and the others would follow. Their magic would then find its way to those it deemed worthy and the cycle would start again.  And now… The Five Gods have been reborn into a world full of magic and war.

Bryony ( @gw-ficrecfriday​ )

Starry Night

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12738393

Duo Maxwell, Quatre Raberba Winner

old fic, Mild Language

Summary: A short conversation between two comrades, one night in the middle of a war.

@claraxbarton

Drabbles

https://archiveofourown.org/works/6514894

Summary: A collection of drabbles and challenges, mostly from Tumblr.

WIP- Wednesday Hungry Eyes

http://claraxbarton.tumblr.com/post/167517881640/wip-wednesday-hungry-eyes

Pairings: 3x11, 2x5

Warnings: angst, language, sexy times

Cocktail Friday submission

http://claraxbarton.tumblr.com/post/167609994075/claraxbarton-cocktail-friday-some-quick-6x3

@chronicwhimsy​

https://archiveofourown.org/works/11352189

Trowa Barton, Duo Maxwell, Quatre Raberba Winner, Catherine Bloom, Heero Yuy, Chang Wufei

Trowa is a good bro, Duo is a terrible bro, but he tries very hard, Confident!Quatre, circus shenanigans, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, thin line between being a good wingman and interfering, Mentions of Underage Sex, Underage Drinking, Duo and Trowa Bromance 5eva

Summary: The summer following the Barton Uprising, Duo joins Trowa to tour with the circus around Europe. It's an attempt to run away from issues, instead of dealing with them, and Trowa finds that in helping Duo face up to his problems, he works through a few of his own. Things are muddling along nicely, until Duo decides to help with Trowa's love life.

@cynfinnegan

Omnibus

https://archiveofourown.org/works/7373635

Heero Yuy, Duo Maxwell, Trowa Barton, Quatre Raberba Winner, Chang Wufei, Zechs Merquise, Relena Peacecraft, Hilde Schbeiker, Catherine Bloom, Sally Po, Rashid Kurama, Abdul Kurama, Maguanac Corps, Mike Howard, Aoi Clark, Seis Clark, Odin Lowe, Odin Bernett, Odel Bernett, Lucille Aisley, Tricia Farrell, Roche Nattano, Aretha Walker (Gundam Wing), Dorothy Catalonia, Tiel Noembreux - Character, Karl Noembreux - Character

Drabbles, Snippets, Shorts, Mentions of Rape, Humor, Drama,Canon-Typical Violence

Summary: A series of drabbles, snippets from other stories, and shorts. Multiple parings, mostly canon. Rated "M," just to be safe.

@duointherain

Blood on the Brain

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12756882

Duo Maxwell, Heero Yuy, Chang Wufei, Relena Peacecraft

Summary: It's wartime. Duo and Heero have just gotten together and Heero goes off on a mission that doesn't go well. Relena manages to message Duo, asking him to help Heero. Combat and medical intervention ensue.

Sister Helen

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12757674

Duo Maxwell, Sister Helen

Summary: A retelling of the Maxwell Church Massacre.

Dark Wolf 1-6

http://duointherain.tumblr.com/post/167616386324/dark-wolf-1-6

Dark Wolf 7-13

http://duointherain.tumblr.com/post/167618242204/dark-wolf-7-13

Drakanyst

G.h.o.s.t.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12715851

Duo Maxwell, Heero Yuy, Quatre Raberba Winner, Trowa Barton, Chang Wufei, Hilde Schbeiker, Lady Une

ai discovery, vr, crossover AU, digital worldmapping, Multiverse, Suspense, Adventure, trashy space love

Summary: It started as some fun with equations, patching and brainstorming on an idea that had been scrapped by the gundam scientists before completion. Now, the project has taken on a life of its own. For a brief period, the five former Gundam pilots enjoy the fruits of what proves to be a powerful training platform. When the virtual reality interface is shared with a limited run of Preventers recruits, a domino effect begins that nobody is ready for. One braided adrenaline junky is caught in the middle of it, looking for answers to questions that come at a price. What is happening with the isolated program Yukio? And why do the riots and mass murders blossoming all over L3 mirror a VR instance? Is the platform emulating the life it is witnessing, vice versa.. or something else entirely?

@fadedsepia

Poignant

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12759243

Pagan, Relena Peacecraft, Milliardo Peacecraft, Zechs Merquise, Marticus Rex Peacecraft, Vice-Foreign Minister Darlian, Mareen Darlian, Heero Yuy, Duo Maxwell, Trowa Barton, Lady Une, Lucrezia Noin

Side-Character Focused, Serious timeline liberties taken, Present Tense, possibly crack

Summary: A new year is arrived, bringing with it the promise of something better, though he isn’t too hopeful about that. Perhaps tonight is better spent in reminiscence than celebration. In the first hours of the new year, Pagan sits on his bed, and he remembers.

@helmistress

Criminal

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12705597

Wufei Chang, Duo Maxwell

Prompt Fic, Duo!Thief, Preventer!Chang, 2X5, 5x2 

Summary: This Cop/Criminal love affair was written in the stars.

Vacation with Quatre

https://helmistress.tumblr.com/post/167599741263/cocktail-friday-hot-toddy-version

Quatre Raberba Winner, Heero Yuy, Triton Bloom, Wufei Chang, Duo Maxwell

Cocktail Friday, hot toddy, picture prompt, Prompt Fic

@kangofu-cb

East of Eden

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12591796

Duo Maxwell, Chang Wufei, Heero Yuy, Trowa Barton, Quatre Raberba Winner, Zechs Merquise, Treize Khushrenada, Hilde Schbeiker, Long Meilan

Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Fae & Fairies, Vampires, Were-Creatures, Blood and Violence, Sex, Magic

Wufei needs help to save his clan from a mysterious enemy. He leaves, looking for help from a near-mythical figure: The God of Death. He may, however, get more than he bargained for…

@ladyunebarton

The fundamentals of caring

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12722562

Heero Yuy, Duo Maxwell, Chang Wufei, Trowa Barton, Quatre Raberba Winner, OC - Character, Relena Peacecraft

Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, parenting, Adoption, Kid Fic, Adopted Children, Childhood Memories, Romance, Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn

Summary: After a fire on an Orphanage left three kids without a home. Heero and Duo decide to take them into their own for the mean time. But this decision will make them reconsider where they are and what they want from life.

@lifeaftermeteor

LAM Snippet

https://lifeaftermeteor.tumblr.com/post/167641809870/duo-maxwells-apartment-brussels-belgium-207

Duo Maxwell, Chang Wufei

lil_1337

Gundam Wing Month-2017

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12599464

Heero Yuy, Duo Maxwell, Trowa Barton, Quatre Raberba Winner, Cathy Bloom, Lucrezia Noin, Chang Wufei, Relena Peacecraft, Sally Po, OMC, Master O, Hilde Schbeiker

Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - High School, Humor, Friendship, Angst, character introspection, Canon Compliant, Get Together, Alternate Universe - Historical, Kittens, sap, WAFF, Post canon, Alternate Universe - Western

Summary: A collection of drabbles and short fics posted one a day for the month of November in celebration of Gundam Wing Month.

LittleMouse

Oil and Water

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12710178

Chang Wufei, Duo Maxwell, Heero Yuy

M/M/M, Anal Sex, Shower Sex, Hasty Sex, Owie

Summary: Heero wonders how his lovers get along so well when they’re so different. Duo discovers just how easy it is to get carried away, and is troubled over how quickly bad things can happen. Wufei decides both of them are being silly.

luvsanime02

Engage

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12458772

Heero Yuy, Relena Peacecraft, Zechs Merquise, Lucrezia Noin, Trowa Barton, Quatre Raberba Winner, Duo Maxwell, Original Characters, Mariemaia Khushrenada, Dorothy Catalonia

Post-Series, Politics, Friendship, Canon-Typical Violence, Minor Character Death, Government Upheaval, Language

Summary: The time has come for all of their plans to finally start being put into motion.

This is the eighth story in Navigation, a fem!Heero series.

Tangled Web of Natural Oddities

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12594032

Dorothy Catalonia, Heero Yuy, Long Meilan, Chang Wufei, Lady Une, Trowa Barton, Relena Peacecraft, Quatre Raberba Winner, Sally Po, Lucrezia Noin, Zechs Merquise, Catherine Bloom, Hilde Schbeiker, Duo Maxwell, Treize Khushrenada

Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Language, Humor, Vampires, Shapeshifting, Ghosts, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Werewolves, Unnatural November

Maldoror_Chant

Freeport

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12654255

Chang Wufei, Duo Maxwell

long ass fic ahoy, socio-politics, with violence and hot guys, Blood and Violence, no EW, Slow Burn, Case Fic

Summary: Freeport colony: a notorious den of pirates, smugglers and thieves. Wufei persuades one of its denizens, his one-time ally Duo, to help him catch a killer hiding there. Agent Chang thinks he knows what to expect from this case, from Freeport and from Duo Maxwell. He couldn't be more wrong.

Gundam Wing Drabble

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12707541

Heero Yuy, Chang Wufei

Casual mention of violence

Summary: The one Gundam Wing prompt for my 'Give me a prompt!' challenge awhile back.

The Source of All Things 

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12121344

Trowa Barton, Quatre Winner, Duo Maxwell, Chang Wufei

alternative universe, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Plot Twists, fairly graphic depiction of sex, Mild description of self-harm, Mathematical Magic, weird science, crones - Freeform, Magic and Technology brawling and eventually screwing, Eventual Threesome, Kinda, Insanity of arcane origin, The universe is a pile of marbles and other dubious allegories

Summary: Center, a planet where magic and technology blend. Or more accurately, fight tooth and nail. A planet of Sources, holes in our boring dimension letting through arcane power, chaos and pseudo-deities. In this hot-house of myths and very real dangers, Trowa and Quatre find a mysterious man at the end of a shamanic voyage. Portents suggest this Heero Yuy is crucial to Center’s survival. He’s important enough to have some interesting enemies after him, at any rate: a devious killer and thief called ‘Shinigami’, and a very irate Dragon. Beyond them looms an even greater threat. Indeed, the greatest of them all.

@noirangetrois​

Of the Sea

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12749670

Duo Maxwell, Heero Yuy, Quatre Raberba Winner, Nanashi/Triton Bloom, Chang Wufei, Zechs Merquise, Treize Khushrenada, Catherine Bloom, Dorothy Catalonia, Relena Peacecraft, Mariemaia Khushrenada, Hilde Schbeiker, Lady Une, Long Meilan, Lucrezia Noin, Leia Barton, Dekim Barton, Professor G, Doctor J, Rashid Kurama, Sally Po

Aro!Trowa, otp, Yaoi, Eventual Smut, fairytale my way, mermaid!au,  Meroctopus!Dorothy

Summary: Heero Yuy will soon be reaching the age of majority, at which time he will ascend the throne of Wingaria. Before such time, he must needs choose a bride. But what if there are no good choices? What if someone else has captured his heart?

@renmaxwell

Lost It All

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12676872

Chang Wufei, Tubarov Bilmon, Septum, Dermail, Tubarov, Dekim Barton

Romefeller Foundation, Pedophilia, Sexual Slavery, Rape Aftermath, Gang Rape, Dark, Rape, Trauma, trauma for days, Abuse, Child Abuse, Sexual Abuse, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Explicit Sexual Content, Underage Sex, Sexual Violence

Summary: What happened once Wufei was taken into Romefeller Castle in the Sanq Kingdom during "We Don't Belong"? A dark tale of the abuses that he suffered at the hands of men who decide the fate of the world and now the fate of a young boy who once fought to change the course of history. A sub-story of "We Don't Belong" that deals in the sick and twisted perversions 05 suffered.

@renmaxwell and @shinigami-of-excellence

We Don’t Belong

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12353439

Heero Yuy, Duo Maxwell, Trowa Barton, Quatre Raberba Winner, Chang Wufei, Zechs Merquise, Treize Khushrenada, Septum, Tubarov Bilmon, Dermail, Dekim Barton

Alliance won AU, gundam pilots lost, oz lost, white fang lost, just everyone lost except the alliance, Sexual Slavery, Pedophilia, because let's be real these pilots are still 15, Forced Prostitution, Forced Sex, yes i'll tag them when they happen, Quatre isn't a sissy, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, romefeller is a huge player here, angst for YEARS, just so much angst, Dark, Execution, Alternate Universe - Dark

Summary: Just as the war was coming to its climax, the Gundam pilots were about to take out White Fang in space, when an attack from Earth knocked both parties out of the sky. The Alliance had been in hiding and building a weapon to take out both of their enemies, a massive nuclear beam capable of knocking an entire colony out of space. The Gundam pilots are captured and put on trial for their crimes. Their punishments are as cruel as the new masters of this world, the foundation that had been manipulating world governments secretly for years and who now openly reign. What will become of the Gundam pilots in this reality?

@remsyk-blog

What Became of the Child?

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12709113

Sister Helen, Father Maxwell, Duo Maxwell

Daily Drabble, Unnatural November, Victorian Horror Symbol Challenge, Angst, Suggestive Themes, this is not a happy story, Violence, Burning, Not particuarly horror, Period Piece, sorta, Minor Character Death, lots of people die, I said it wasn't a happy fic, My Penny Dreadfuls

Summary: They didn't understand him. She saw him as the child he was; they only saw a monster. All they needed was a reason.

I’m Not Sick (a cocktail Friday submission)

http://remsyk-blog.tumblr.com/post/167610809682/cocktail-friday-im-not-sick

Reyanth

Duo the Damphyre Slayer

https://archiveofourown.org/works/8419516

Duo Maxwel, lChang Wufei, Heero Yuy, Trowa Barton, Quatre Raberba Winner, Lady Une, Lucrezia Noin, Zechs Merquise (Milliardo Peacecraft), Catherine Bloom, Dorothy Catalonia

AU, Vampires, Damphyres, Slayers, Witches, Demons, Werewolves, Werecats

Summary: My name is Duo. I’m a Slayer. I say ‘a’ slayer because, for the first time in history, there are two. I suppose it happened when I was born half-dead. That was bound to throw things off a little. I don’t think the Moonlight Order was prepared for the Slayer to be a damphyre.

Shenlong

Bound, Bonded and Betrayed

https://archiveofourown.org/works/7188593

Chang Wufei, Zechs Merquise, Hilde Schbeiker, Dorothy Catalonia, Lucrezia Noin, Sally Po

Sap, Angst, Bondage, Slavery, Yaoi, Lemon, Lime, Het, Violence, Fluff, AU, OOC

Summary: Heero is the eldest son of the King of Colonia. His 21st birthday is approaching and as tradition dictates his betrothed is soon to arrive. However he is also bound by tradition to select his own personal slave. The events that unfold lead him down a path that not only tests his sanity but his humanity and love as well.

@simulacraryn

Under the Gun

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12719427

Duo Maxwell, Heero Yuy, Relena Peacecraft

Gun Kink, Adult Content, Language, Post-Canon, Canon Divergent, What Was I Thinking?, Based on a Tumblr Post, meta discussion based

Summary: (Based on a Meta Discussion on Tumblr) Relena can look at a woman and take a shot, in retrospect - this is probably due to a personal fetish she was unaware had formed during her formative years...Now, how does she translate that into her personal life again?

Sylvieforaday

Moving On

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12529256

Chang Wufei, Duo Maxwell

Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Smut, mention of past sexual abuse, Past Character Death

Summary: Duo is trying to find his place in his own world without his crutch - Heero Yuy.

@the-indomitable-bhg

Smutty Sunday “Download Attachment” & “Stress Relief”

https://the-indomitable-bhg.tumblr.com/post/167425459847/smutty-sunday-1x3x1

1x3x1

Heero’s gone a Preventer assignment and sends Trowa a surprise in his email. It’s something he’s never done before. Upon returning from what ends up being a botched mission, injured, Heero has to make some modifications.

The Manwell

May Demons Rest: Shinigami Sleeps 2017

https://archiveofourown.org/works/10944786

Trowa Barton, Duo Maxwell, Heero Yuy, Quatre Raberba Winner, Chang Wufei, Catherine Bloom, Howard, Circus Manager, Hilde Schbeiker

Space Colony, L2, Circus, Trowa POV, Duo POV, POV Alternating, POV First Person, First Time, Male Slash, Male Friendship, street gang, sacrobats, Clowns, Circus animals, Family, Canon-Compliant, EW-compliant, Post-Endless Waltz, Dreams and Nightmares

Summary: A re-write of my 2004 fanfic "Shinigami Sleeps"

To find and free Duo from his demons, Trowa leaves his uneventful life at the circus for the mean streets of an obscure colony in L2.

@vegalume

Snippet Saturday

http://vegalume.tumblr.com/post/167638850780/snippet-saturday

13x1

@weiclown

Not Even Death

http://archiveofourown.org/works/12696420

Duo Maxwell/Quatre Raberba Winner 

Duo Maxwell, Quatre Raberba Winner

Summary:  It's been three years of being miserable, and living a sort of half life. Quatre is shocked to find Duo in his living room, alive in a manner of speaking. What does this... Creature want with him?

This fic contains graphic non-con elements

Whenpigsfly84

Doormat Babe

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12745173

Duo Maxwell, Heero Yuy, Trowa Barton, Quatre Raberba Winner, Chang Wufei, Hilde Schbeiker

Drama, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Minor Character Death, Swearing

Summary: A mysterious child is left with Duo one morning. As he seeks for answers he'll have to face his past and prepare for a haunting future he'd never expected. Will he be able to reconnect with old friends or will he lose all those he loves?

2light4darkness

REQUIEM

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12757179

Zechs Merquise 

Past Relationship(s), Grief/Mourning, cat companions for win, Canonical Character Death, Heavy Angst, Supernatural Elements

Summary: Pain can linger long after the cut has healed. But for Zechs things are just festering and needs an old friend to help him move on.

Fanart:

@aishicc

https://aishicc.tumblr.com/post/167390298293/teach-me-to-hear-the-mermaids-singing

Mermaids, Duo, Trowa

@animethingsandstuff

http://animethingsandstuff.tumblr.com/post/167628473060

Quatre and Trowa

@drkstars-art

https://drkstars-art.tumblr.com/post/167363603182/im-trying-new-things

Quatre Winner

@gafenstien

https://gafenstien.tumblr.com/post/167514346572/ive-been-rewatching-gundam-wing-and-every-time-i

Shenlong Gundam

@guiltyaxer

https://guiltyaxer.tumblr.com/post/167383767019/lunatic-mode-activated

Quatre.

@gundamwing-ellesmith

http://gundamwing-ellesmith.tumblr.com/post/167478992179/dark-part-i-part-ii-part-iii-part-iv-see

Heero isn’t responding.

@imalexandidrawstuff

http://imalexandidrawstuff.tumblr.com/post/167486497988/an-urban-fantasy-au-illustration-starring-wufei

An urban fantasy AU illustration starring Wufei and Trowa! 

@kangofu-cb

https://kangofu-cb.tumblr.com/post/167466469247/these-always-look-so-much-better-in-person-sigh

Hilde Schbeiker

@lifeaftermeteor​

https://lifeaftermeteor.tumblr.com/post/167606623672/wufei-holds-himself-to-impossible-standards

Wufei.

Natea21

https://natea21.deviantart.com/art/Heero-and-Duo-on-a-colony-50161487

Heero and Duo on a colony.

@noelleian​

http://noelleian.tumblr.com/post/167611290342/so-im-kinda-dabbling-a-bit-into-cartoonishanime

http://noelleian.tumblr.com/post/167633688122/heres-my-tro-version-innit-he-cuuuute-3-i-want

@redbeanviolin​

https://sambees.deviantart.com/art/Duo-Maxwell-135252012

Duo Maxwell

@thefasstasticvoyage

https://thefasstasticvoyage.tumblr.com/post/167478745177/fun-with-some-very-articulate-actions-figures

Heavyarms, Sailor Mars, and a giant robotic Velociraptor.

@vegalume

http://vegalume.tumblr.com/post/167467232200/five-golden-boys-close-up-of-the-ornaments

Ornaments of the Gundam Boys

http://vegalume.tumblr.com/post/167620583265/this-didnt-turn-out-like-i-had-planned-and-no

Treize and Heero

http://vegalume.tumblr.com/post/167288232505/umm-enjoy-13x1-watercolor-on-sketch-paper-13

Treize and Heero

http://vegalume.tumblr.com/post/167464178805/long-meilan-gundam-wing-episode-zero-painted-on

Long Meilan

http://vegalume.tumblr.com/post/167443193575/relena-peacecraft-gundam-wing-as-usual-painted

Relena Peacecraft

@volnixshin

https://volnixshin.tumblr.com/post/167488108888/wing-boys

A fantastic image of the Gundams

@xan-drei​

http://claraxbarton.tumblr.com/post/167552076745/the-wickedly-talented-xan-drei-made-an-amazing

Trowa Barton

Other:

@lelola​

http://lelola.tumblr.com/post/167567379466/underappreciated-gundam-wing-characters-at-first              

Pagan

Calendar Events:

@gwblockparty

Unnatural November https://gwblockparty.tumblr.com/post/165329449631/weekly-themes-to-help-get-the-creative-juices Throughout all of November

@gw-evewar GW Eve War Event https://gw-evewar.tumblr.com/post/164079261510/an-open-gundam-wing-fandom-community-science Post works (Saturday) December 23, 2017 - (Sunday) December 24, 2017

@gwsecretsantaexchange Secret Gundam Santa https://gwsecretsantaexchange.tumblr.com/post/167608726185/deadline-extension Submissions end TODAY! On November 20th, we will contact each Santa with their assigned recipient’s requests. By giving us three options, we should be able to match everyone with someone else.

@thisweekingundamevents Cocktail Fridays! Follow us for weekly prompts!