#the first otp to break my heart

[nikkiruncks]

Jeia & Handy parallels

[drakesroyalromance]

4.01, The Dilemma of the Lover’s Curse // 3.13, The Ransom of the Forsaken Soul // 4.03, The Danger of the Hopeful Sigil

[rageserenity]

It's 2024. Are you still thinking about movieverse!Cherik? Because I am.

For the past several months, there's only been a very slow trickle of posts/fics in the xmcu cherik tag. Let's try to breathe some life back into this incredible pairing!

With one clear winner of my poll, here's thirty prompts for the thirty days of April. (This is a super chill, laid-back event---do these in any order, interpret them as loosely as you like! Create in any medium! Fic, art, gifs, meta, incoherent screaming about the otp…all winners in my book.)

The only rule here is to cherik too close to the sun. Alright. Here are the prompts.

Mutual Pining

Doesn't really even need elaboration! Write that horrifically slow slow-burn. Gif every time McAvoy made insane fuck me eyes on screen. Make a playlist of songs about impossible love.

2. Alternate Meetings

There are endless quotes about how these two complete each other in a way no one they'd met before or after ever did. How else could they have met?

3. Erik Has A Telepathy Kink

This is basically canon. Let my boy get freaky!

4. Canon Fix-It

All the times Fox fucked it up. There are endless options.

5. Hurt/Comfort

Put them in that Situation. Put them in that Blender. Break them apart and put them back together ❤️‍🩹

6. Canon Compliant

Draw that missing scene! Gif your favourite cherik moment!

7. Beach Divorce

Make it worse. Make it better. Show it to us exactly how it was. Break it down in a 3,000 word meta. Go wild!

8. Domestics

Sometimes you just want to see them doing normal couple things. Erik put the gun down.

9. Found Family

The real heart of x-men!

10. Time Travel

There are SO many possibilities here. Stick them in a time loop. Give them a chance to change their past.

11. AU

Love a good AU!

12. There Is Only One Bed

Had to get this one in here. What better way to amp up the tension?

13. Genosha

By some miracle, cherik actually did end up together at the end of 2019s trash bag disaster Dark Phoenix. We aren’t making a big enough deal about this.

14. Declaration(s) of Love

Who says it first? How do they say it and when? Have they said it…without saying it?

15. Jealousy

Need I say more.

16. Reunion

These two have absolutely no chill.

17. Soulmates

Classic prompt, had to get this in here too.

18. The DOFP Aircraft

The TENSION here. Break it down for me. How does Charles feel about his injury? How does Erik feel about his injury?

19. Gay Mutant Road Trip

You already know.

20. Body Swap

SO fun when people have superpowers.

21. First Kiss

When? How? Who initiated it?

22. The Mansion

Mansion!content is a genre of its own.

23. Conflicting Ideology

Give me your theses. Who’s right? Can they ever reconcile completely? Write a fic where it drives them apart.

24. Sebastian Shaw

A trope unto himself.

25. Team As Matchmaker

They had to have known something was going on, didn’t they?

26. Cooking

Charles deserves a good meal. Also, imagine Erik using his powers in the kitchen. The sheer domesticity…

27. Hurt No Comfort

Plenty of scope with these two 🥲

28. Growing Old Together

Giving Sirs Ian Mckellan and Patrick Stewart their props as well!

29. Making Up

*pushes chess board across the table* sorry babe

30. Charles Xavier Did More For Mutants Than You'll Ever Know

Rising to each other’s defense. Only I can insult this man.

I will be tracking #revivecherik to reblog stuff! Here’s a fic collection for the same. Let’s get this ball rolling! Please feel free to send me an ask if you’ve got anything to say! And most importantly, let’s all have fun 😁

*I know a few of you preferred something like a gift exchange because of the commitment factor—I’m super down to organise a tiny one for the handful of us! If this promptathon doesn’t flop horribly, we can hopefully do a whole bunch of stuff :)

If you read this post all the way through, please reblog for reach! Thank you! Hoping you participate come April.

Shoutout to @inmymagnetoera for reaching out and helping with this!

[jjsmaybank20]

hiii 😊 i have a request!

celeb!reader x jenna pretty please

reader and jenna unfollow each other on socials and everyone’s confused because they think they broke up, but in reality jenna beat them at uno or wtv (something simple)

& reader goes live and everyone’s like “oh em gee did u and jenna break up” blah blah blah

that’s all i got my brain can’t think of anything else

thank u! and i luv u! 🤭

Celebrity News

Jenna Ortega x GN!Reader

Summary: Everyone thinks that you and Jenna broke up, but in reality, she's just a sore loser.

Warnings: literally all fluff, and my shitty writing

Word Count: 757

A/N: This is for u, bby! Pardon my shitty pic editing, ur much better at it than I am.

Swear to god I thought I posted this yesterday, but I guess not. Enjoy!

navigation  celebrities (romantic) masterlist

---

BREAKING CELEBRITY NEWS: DID ACTORS Y/N Y/L/N AND JENNA ORTEGA BREAK UP?

 This past weekend, fans of Jenna Ortega and Y/N Y/L/N were shocked when the couple unfollowed each other on social media. The couple (who had been going strong for almost a year) have earned a special place in fans hearts, making this news even more heartbreaking. We still don’t know why they have unfollowed each other, but it can’t be good. 

---

10,451 Likes

JennaOrtegaNews: I can’t believe they broke up! They seemed so in love. My heart is broken right now.

y/ns_lover: Noooo! They were my OTP!!!

Scream47: Maybe Jenna will date me now

Bebop218: You’re funny Scream47

ChristianMom: Good riddance. Those two were actively against God. Finally some balance has been restored.

y/n&jenna4life: Get ur homophobic ass outta here

JennaOrtegaWifey: Gonna miss them so much. Hope they’re doing okay.

---

You sit on your bed, bored out of your mind. Jenna was in the kitchen making some food for the two of you. You think about doing a livestream, and you walk towards your girlfriend to run the idea by her. When you enter the kitchen, you see her dancing around, making you smile softly to yourself. 

You wrap your arms around from behind, making Jenna jump slightly before melting into your arms. You sway with her for a second before pressing a kiss to her temple, which makes her turn around so that she can press a soft kiss to your lips. 

When you break apart, you finally remember why you came into the kitchen in the first place. “Baby, do you want to do an Instagram live with me?” She nods her head and says, “As long as I can keep cooking.” You grin at her before setting up your phone. 

Jenna is out of the frame when you begin the livestream, making you realize that you want to surprise the fans. You signal for her to stay as quiet as possible and stay out of frame, and she nods in understanding. You watch the number of people watching shoot up faster than it ever has, catching you slightly off guard.

“Did something happen?” You mutter to yourself, trying to catch some information from the comments speeding past. Finally, a couple of them slow down. I can’t believe you and Jenna broke up! You choke on your spit when you read that, now really confused. 

“Who said we broke up? Where’d you hear that?” The comments continue to stream past, most of them interpreting your reaction as not knowing that the news of the break up had gotten out. Really though, you were just lost. 

Finally a comment stops on your screen that explains everything to you. You two unfollowed each other on Instagram. Didn’t you break up? You let out an exasperated sigh, realizing what had happened. You glance over at Jenna, who is still occupied with her baking, none the wiser as to what is going on in the livestream.

You pick your phone up and point it at her, making the viewers become extremely confused in the comments. “This little shit was mad that she lost at Monopoly, so she unfollowed me on Insta. I unfollowed her in revenge.” Finally Jenna realizes you’re talking about her, and when you say this, she turns around with an offended look on her face.

“You liar!” She then snatches the phone from you and shoves her face right up in the camera. “This liar actually cheated at Monopoly, and that’s a fact. It’s the only way she could have beaten me.” You roll your eyes, easily taking your phone back. “Or maybe you’re just really bad at Monopoly.” 

Jenna thinks about it for a moment before shaking her head and turning back to the oven. “Not possible.” You laugh before finally turning back to the livestream. Messages of relief and amusement are flooding the screen, and you have to giggle at some of them. 

It’s okay y’all! Mom and Dad are fine.

That was a close one! false alarm. 

Yeah, they’re okay. Fighting like 8-year-olds again.

Finally, you decide to sign off of the livestream. “Thanks for checking in, you guys! Jenna and I are fine, no worries. Hope you guys are doing great and have a wonderful day!” When you shut it off, you turn to Jenna and wrap your arms around her. 

“We almost started some massive celebrity news by accident, babe.” Jenna giggles to herself, making you smile. Yeah, you would have to be an idiot to let her go.

---

@lovelyy-moonlight @pnsteblnme @MrsLillithy @alotofpockets @theenglishswiftie

Join my taglist!

[seventeenlovesthree]

@digimon02countdown Day 7 - What do you love about Digimon Adventure 02?

While my attachment to Digimon started and persisted due to my love to the original Adventure, there are still quite a few things about 02 that always kept me around. I have already hinted at it in previous posts; the relationships, similarities and support between the "older" and "new" Chosen Children, the concept of the multiverse, Jogress evolution (also the fact that my OTP are absolute dads to the kids)... But I'd say the most important aspect for me is the bonding between the characters. And nothing signifies this more for me, nothing is as outstanding, significant and vibrant - as the development of the relationship between Daisuke and Ken.

I would argue that, overall, no relationship gets that much focus, that much visible positive development than these two. And yes, upon getting asked, I will never deny that, in my opinion, there is a sense of romantic tension between them too, but in this post, I just want to write about how fascinating, soothing and beautiful their bond is to me in general.

Their initial set-up is, once again, that of rivals. That is a theme Digimon has always been playing with - but I'd say no other series threw that trope for a loop like this before. On one hand, there is the fact that they're both playing football, even ending up facing each other at a point in the series where Ken is still considered to be that perfect, untouchable genius, good at and with everything, while Daisuke is considered a thick-headed knucklehead, goodhearted, but brash and not really talented in many areas - and yet, he still admired Ken at this point. Then of course, there is the fact that they're on opposing ends, enemies in the Digital World, having brutal, cruel fights against one another as Chosen Child vs. Digimon Kaiser - until the spell breaks, with the Crest of Miracles breaking Ken's curse.

And from now on, the boy - who's responsible for his own Digimon partner's death and the suffering of so many others - will have to face the aftermath of what he's done, dealing with guilt and self-esteem issues, feeling unworthy and unlovable.

But then there is Daisuke - the only one who immediately wants to give him the chance to atone for what he's done. He is not forgiving him right away, but wants him to be able to make up for everything - and with kindness and the persistence to not let him sacrifice himself and die, they achieve the unthinkable: Their Digimon combine, their hearts pound in sync. They seem to be connected in ways that make Daisuke get excited - and scare the heck out of Ken. He thought he didn't have anything or anyone else but his reborn Digimon partner and family, and now there's this boy he used to fight, he used to be enemies with... Who simply wants to be his friend, who wants them to be "partners" and work together.

It's confusing, it's scary. While Daisuke is sure that they're meant to be and fight next to each other, it takes time for Ken to feel ready to take the steps towards him, the others, forming bonds, friendships. But Daisuke being Daisuke makes it so much easier for him to let his walls down, slowly but steadily enabling him to show his gentle and soft side, starting to trust and rely on him as much as he does in return.

And Daisuke? Daisuke is displaying a sense of confidence and comfort that we rarely saw before - he tended to be so focused on impressing others, covering up his own insecurities with cockiness. But his bond with Ken makes all his natural kindness and straightforwardness come through easily. He may appear more simple-minded at first glance, but his heart has the right priorities - and he'll do what it takes to save Ken, from himself, from darkness, helping him to be his true self.

Daisuke doesn't doubt their connection for a second - and that's why it's so important that Ken is still able to shake him. That he has an impact on him like no other. He will give Ken all the time he needs to face his demons, to do the things that are uncomfortable to him - and he'll be by his side all the way.

They are partners, they've got each other's backs. And as long as they don't lose sight of themselves and each other, it will always be this way.

[renegad3rogu3]

I've been toying with an idea for my first fanfic of my OTP (kakairu).

I'm imagining a storyline where these two keep crossing paths during the toughest, most toxic parts of their lives. All the angst, slowest of slow burns, break ups, other relationships, jealousy, betrayal, addiction, recovery, etc.

I really want to jump into heavy themes like PTSD, addiction, and abuse—basically how these characters deal with the trauma they've faced. I picture Iruka and Kakashi as both a comfort and a problem for each other—a mix of toxic influence and soul mates who just can't seem to stay apart.

There are a lot of relationships that are like spiritual connect, lots of sun and moon references. This idea really clicks with me and is at the heart of Iruka and Kakashi's relationship in my story. Even though they might bring out the worst in each other at times, there's something deeper that connects them, as if they're destined to find each other in every lifetime.

My story has Iruka and Kakashi facing their inner demons, sometimes dragging each other down and other times lifting each other up. It's a reflection of how real-life relationships can be both healing and harmful, and how tricky it can be to find balance without getting lost in the darkness.

I've been through a lot of trauma these past few years. Abuse, DV, divorce, single mom, trauma, PTSD.. and I think this fanfiction will be a way to explore the hurt I've been through and heal

By exploring PTSD and addiction, I want to shed light on what it's like to live with trauma and how people find ways to cope. I hope to create a story that's engaging and empathetic, inviting readers to think about the complexities of relationships and the strength of the human spirit. I really want it to be real. Because trauma isn't easy, and never has a picture perfect sunshine and rainbow recovery. It changes you, often not for the best, and it takes not only trying to process what's happened to you, but breaking down your survival behaviors that got you through it, and learning new behaviors. It's hard. It's gritty. And I really want to capture that.

[conundrumoftime]

Fandom grandma tales: how I survived canon ruining two of the ships I liked.

(Written after a discussion with some of my TROP fan pals about how canon can break your heart re: shipping, and how fandom manages. There are spoilers here for the entire run of Babylon 5, and for one story JMS wrote after it. yes, that story. sorry.)

Babylon 5 was a sci-fi space opera show that ran from 1993 to 1998. It is sci-fi of the era of 22-episode seasons, of huge ensemble casts with characters who get their own B- and C-plots, with an effects and casting budget that doesn’t always match its ambition, and - something it was quite pioneering in, at the time - grand pre-planned story arcs. 

It’s the first fandom that I was involved with in internet spaces as it was running, or at least when its final season was (there’s Discourse and drama from earlier years that I missed). Its showrunner, J. Michael Straczynski - ‘JMS’ - was very active in (non-fanfic) fan community spaces, and you always knew exactly what he was thinking about things because he was part of the discussion around them. There was also fanfic, which he didn’t stop but didn’t go near on the grounds of legal liability for story ideas. 

Most of the fanfic in the early days as the show was airing was focused around two big ships, of which one was canon endgame (Delenn/Sheridan) and one was canon all-ends-in-despair (Marcus/Ivanova). I, as a teenager discovering a developing online fandom for the first time with all the overwhelm and excitement that causes (ask me anything about what reading fic was like before the days of tags/ratings/warnings!) got into Marcus/Ivanova and also into one of the minor ships, Delenn/Lennier.

Delenn/Lennier was never, ever going to happen in canon. This is obvious; it clashes with Delenn/Sheridan which was JMS’s baby darling OTP, the show’s big love story. Delenn is married for the later part of the show. Lennier is her diplomatic aide, is absolutely devoted to her, and they have a very intense mentor/student relationship, which it seems is kind of standard in their culture (when Delenn’s own mentor died she went briefly insane with grief and started a genocidal war over it) but is still Very Intense. He is canonically in love with her, but that’s as far as the explicit canon statements go.

However. HowEVER. Canon also gives us, for that relationship, some wonderful ship fuel. Lennier knows about every bad thing Delenn has done, including all the stuff she doesn’t/can’t tell her husband. He’s her link to her previous world and culture and stands by her even when they kick her out. She says at one point, “without him, I would stumble and fall and never get up again.” 

And then… we had Season 5, the final season.

Season 5, for various complicated production reasons, was operating a little outside of pre-planned story arcs and in this season the Delenn/Lennier stuff ramped up about three gears in one go. It was still very obviously never, ever going to be canon, and was almost certainly not intended by the creator (who wrote most of the episodes himself) to look like there was even anything there. At this point Delenn is married; any relationship with her aide would not only be going against the show’s OTP, but going against it in the sense where she’s cheating on her husband, and there is Just No Way JMS would have gone there. And yet! Season 5 gave us:

A scene where Lennier says he can’t stay, it’s too painful to be around her now she’s married, and she’s devastated and has the following conversation with her husband about it:

S: I got your message about Lennier. Is there anything I can do?

D [snapping]: Almost certainly not.

S: Is it because of me?

D: In part, I think so.

S: Yeah, I was afraid of that. Well, as we say back on Earth, three’s a crowd.

D: On Minbar, three is sacred.

S [slightly uncomfortable laugh]: Well, I don’t think I’m ready to handle that one, Delenn.

Delenn then calling Lennier back to the station to do some secret mission thing for her, which involves her sneaking out of her bed while her husband sleeps to meet Lennier in a darkened alley behind a bar, where she tenderly strokes his face and they have a whole conversation about whether her husband understands her or not.

A scene where Lennier comes back from his secret mission to meet both Delenn and Sheridan, Delenn goes to greet him with a hug, and Lennier does this very pointed step back and nod in the direction of her husband, and she pulls back and just sort of pats him on the arms instead. 

I MEAN.

But, the issue here is not what fans did about it but what canon did about it. Canon did the canon equivalent of dragging that ship outside and shooting it in the head. 

In the final few episodes of the entire series, Lennier tries to kill Sheridan, runs away in shame, and then someone finds his diary in which he’d been writing for ages about what a bad decision he thought Delenn had made and how her whole marriage was an awful idea. Even to this day, it’s fun/awful watching people go through a first-time watch when they get to season 5 and hit that. ‘Character assassination in the form of a diary’ was a whole thing for a while. It’s been 20+ years and the actor who played Lennier is stilll mad about it (not because of shippy stuff, but because he - correctly! - thinks Lennier absolutely would not have done that). 

What *fandom* did, on the other hand, was Fixed The Problem.

Delenn/Lennier was not at all a big ship when the series was airing, and for a few years after. Then the fandom dynamics started to change. With less pressure on what canon was going to do, it felt like fandom had more space to play around with things it didn’t do. Fanfic got less interested in trying to fit within the overall story being told and started spinning off in all its own directions. And *this* ship started getting bigger and bigger. People did really interesting things with it, canon divergence went in all directions, everyone wrote a fix-it story of some variety, some authors did a great series of connected stories based on an idea that Minbari have three genders, the quality of the writing has been brilliant. And I think without that absolute whiplash feeling of what happened in canon, there would never have been this feeling of “well I’m not having THAT” which led to all this.

We did not need canon! Canon had done its thing. And canon had broken our hearts enough ways with many of the other stories it told (entirely on purpose) and we weren’t just going to sit back and let it ruin us forever.

By comparison, the other ship I was into was Marcus/Ivanova. This is entirely doomed. Susan Ivanova’s love life is just perpetually doomed. The first partner of hers we meet is an ex who’s interested in getting back together, but then it turns out he’s just using her to infiltrate the station for the fascist terrorist group he’s secretly joined. Then she falls for an archrival of hers, Talia, who works for Psi Corps, the organisation she loathes most of all things - but it’s okay because it turns out Talia is starting to question them too! Maybe these crazy kids can make it work! They have one night together and then OOPS turns out Talia was being secretly controlled by a sleeper personality implanted in her by Psi Corps the whole time. Ivanova’s love life is doomed. 

So for two seasons, she has this sort-of-flirty, sort-of-bickery, sort-of-friendship going with Marcus, who is on the surface of it very much “why not fall in love at first sight like a true romantic, YOLO!” but it turns out is actually deeply messed up himself and full of survivor’s guilt and pain and, you get the clear impression, would have died of shock if she’d actually called his bluff on the OTT flirting and said “yeah, let’s go for it”. And then he sacrifices himself to save her life. It is a very tragic ending, it is absolutely the way he would have wanted to go, she wakes up both furious and absolutely distraught, says that the last thing she heard was him saying “I love you”, says she wishes she’d at least slept with him once, and says that in a way all love is unrequited. PAIN. 

So, lots of fix-it fanfic, lots of ‘Marcus comes back to life’, lots of canon divergence AUs where he doesn’t die and they live happily ever after and both get over their huge levels of unresolved pain. Pretty standard for that kind of pairing. And as a pairing it doesn’t get in the way of any big canon pairings, it doesn’t imply anything icky like mentor/student power imbalances or adultery. And JMS clearly quite liked it. So that’s better, right?

NO. It was WORSE.

JMS wrote an Marcus/Ivanova story himself, published in one of the sci-fi magazines, to try to give them a happy ending. This happy ending involves Marcus, many many years in the future, waking up from the cryogenic suspension he’s in (it’s sci-fi, keep up, keep up). Ivanova is long dead, but he isn’t about to let this get in the way, so what he does is to *create a new Ivanova* by getting some kind of DNA + computerised memory/personality bank thing, finding a doctor who will clone her, putting himself back into animated sleep until the clone reaches the age Ivanova was when she died, then - THEN, I’M STILL GOING - takes her to a distant planet where, with her memories wiped and their spaceship having deliberately been crashed BY HIM so there’s no way back, they live out their lives in peace.

WHAT.

That pairing still does okay in fandom but it’s not really taken on a post-show world of headcanons and riffing on other people’s ideas and tropes in the way that Delenn/Lennier has (and we all just pretend that story never existed). 

So! This has been my experiences in the field of What We Do When The Show Has Thoughts On That Non-Endgame Ship We’re Into. Fandom manages. Fandom will see you through. And in the words of Susan Ivanova:

Babylon Five was the last of the Babylon stations; there would never be another. It changed the future, and it changed us. It taught us that we have to create the future, or others will do it for us. It showed us that we have to care for one another, for if we don’t, who will? And that true strength sometimes comes from the most unlikely places. Mostly though, I think it gave us hope that there can always be new beginnings - even for people like us.

[theladyheroine]

Unexpected OTP Pairings ✨

❥ Okay I know Valentine’s Day was last week! Almost two weeks ago! But recently I’ve been wanting to branch out a bit with my blog writing, & writing prompts are something I love a lot! So, I’m trying something new & came up with a few OTP ideas! I hope you enjoy, thank you & have fun!

❥ F x M writing prompts! I didn't specify who is who though so everyone can read!

Former! Villain x Superhero

Not even a real villain, just some dumb person who steals things or who makes evil schemes that always fail. Kind of like Dr. Doofenshmirtz, & they’re actually really nice in real life! But when a superhero comes to stop them, they instantly fall in love! Seriously has heart eyes & doesn't pay any attention to the hero’s grand pre-fight speech.

Or doesn’t put up a fight at all, just hands them the stolen goods & escapes. Leaving Hero completely confused as the Villain they were supposed to stop didn’t even bother fighting, which is still good but they’re still confused.

After this, the Villain now decides to become a Superhero!! To not only impress their new crush but also because they've always really wanted to be one anyways! It was just the push they needed.

Cue them now running the streets in a completely different outfit trying their best to stop the bad guys! Usually, it doesn’t end well though: they’ll trip over the air & let them escape, or maybe just show up late to the fight & it’s already over.

It’s even worse when their Hero crush joins the fray, and then they’re really clumsy or just start sputtering like an old car. Their former henchmen, now turned sidekicks, try to console them as they lay on the couch completely embarrassed by their feats.

Oooooor, they are super confident & much better at being a superhero than they ever were being a Villain. Maybe this confidence goes to their head a bit & will literally try flirting with Hero on the battlefield! Hero gets a bit embarrassed sometimes & their other super-friends tease them about it. If this does happen, Hero might end up trying to run away from the former Villain in an effort to focus on their job. But it just ends up being really funny to watch.

Bonus: They have opposite powers or maybe one has no powers at all.

Dashing Thief x Friendly! Detective

I'm sorry this one is a bit short!

A notorious thief with a heart of gold who only ever steals from bad guys & acts more as a Robin Hood character than any. Hardly ever keeps anything for themselves; just struts around after dark on the lookout for anything suspicious. Not one person has been able to catch them & their identity remains a mystery. Would be cool if they were a nobleman/woman or had some kind of big fancy hideout. 

The detective is actually their friend/partner (maybe)! The good egg who actually sees the thief’s true intentions instead of just mucking around in a Halloween costume. Although they're pretty ticked at the way Thief does things, they usually keep their coworkers & the boss off Thief's trail. Maybe a newbie or an intern at the detective agency, determined to prove themselves on the field. 

Maybe they met as civilians & the thief switched to a disguise to hide from authorities, but bumped into the detective who was out on a coffee break. It was love at first sight for both of them, so cute! 😆 They do a lot of coffee dates now, but sometimes Detective overdoes it.....

One is the brains, and the other is the brawn. Together they can get any job done! The Detective’s coworkers find it strange how the Thief shows up more often when they're specifically on the job. The Boss is suspicious but sometimes finds them cute.

Often swing by each other’s places to not only hangout but help each other with cases or special kinds of info. If the Thief has any sidekicks, no doubt they’ll spill funny stories of missions gone wrong or close calls. 

Stealing each other's hats and impersonating the other one for fun, then cue a playful chase scene around the room! So cute!

Dragon x Wizard

I know some people like fantasy stuff!

A dragon is resting in their cave until they hears footsteps at the entrance. But instead of finding a grumpy old knight, they find a wizard! Maybe the Wizard was exploring the caves nearby or on a journey to the next town, but instead of feeling scared or angry, they started fangirling/fanboying over the dragon instead! 😆

Likes to ask them all sorts of questions & sometimes can’t stop talking. Now Wizard can come whenever they like & the two become friends!

The Wizard visits whenever they can, showing off all sorts of new spells or potions they've created. Even though it might not be as impressive as their fire, the Dragon still finds it cool & applauds.

The Dragon will always try to impress their wizard friend with tall tales of each piece of treasure. How they got it, where they found it, if they fought anyone over it, etc. But sometimes those stories are exaggerated…

The Wizard will be in absolute awe at the Dragon’s stories & can’t help but be a complete chatterbox about it. Asking more questions about different things like how their magic works, how they can fly with all that extra weight, or if they can learn a fire-breathing spell from them instead—

If the Wizard lives in a tower then the Dragon will visit just as frequently! Usually it’s in the early morning or during sundown when there are fewer people around. But if the Wizard lives in a town or city, it might take some time for the Dragon to come around. It’s not that they don’t care, but dragons are more solitary creatures. Either way, they enjoy each other's company & the dragon likes to ask questions about different thingamabobs on the Wizard's shelves.

They can both be pretty clingy but that’s sometimes a bit tough to handle because the poor wizard has to be extra careful, especially with pouring bottles or waving their wand around if they’re not even two feet apart. Doesn’t mind but sometimes will complain a bit if their partner won’t stay cooperate.

Extra Duo!

Since I loved the superhero one a lot I thought of another one: what if a Hero’s Sidekick & a Villain’s Henchman fall in love!

The Henchman does end up giving Sidekick any tips about their next plan. Cue the Villain throwing a tantrum in their lair wondering why the Hero is always one step ahead of them. 😅

They like to hangout in civilian settings together! Bonus if they found out their secret identities on accident lol

Extra Bonus if the Henchman or both villains become heroes at the end!

[pigdemonart]

Do you ship Fox and Krystal?? Because they were my childhood 🥺 baby's first otp yknow

hahah I do! But with a BIG asterisk. Putting it under cut for INSANE STAR FOX RAMBLINGS

* <- the big asterisk: I ship them, but like I also am okay with them not being end-game. I think their relationship could be so much bigger than that!! OK so, let me explain. When I was a kiddo I shipped them! I was a baby furry and I loooooved that there was a playable girl character in Star Fox FINALLY (though, you know that was for only a split second bhnjmk) But now, I just think the way they were both written in the games was a little boring and one-note. Also just uncomfortable at times, since her first appearance Krystal was made out to be weird kinda-fetishy, sex-appeal and not much else. I don't think that's a controversial statement though LOL Later games I don't much feel for their chemistry either, though they have cute moments here and there. The more interesting parts about them is when they're not seeing eye-to-eye and they're apart from each other, honestly. So in my drawings I was picturing something less canon and more re-imagined. Krystal is the lone survivor of her race and she's on Sauria trying to find the truth about what happened to her home planet while also aiding the local wildlife. I don't imagine the dinosaurs speaking much in my version, but Krystal is telepathic and an empath, she can read their minds well enough to talk to them and be understood. I imagine also she knows about Andross, but doesn't believe he's the reason her planet was destroyed (there's disagreements on if that is canon or not, and I think its pretty silly to blame every bad thing on the one guy.) I think it would be fun if Krystal (never being encased in a crystal because that plot was dumb) meets Fox on Sauria early on in the events of Star Fox Adventures. I mean it would have been GREAT if Krystal was his partner, instead of Tricky. Though in the drawings I included Tricky too, cuz why not? I like the dynamic of Krystal being kind towards all living creatures and Fox having to learn to keep up with that. Nature never seemed like his -thing- ya know. See I like the idea of their personalities crashing a lot at first. They are from different cultures and backgrounds, their understanding of Lylat history is different -- Fox being from Corneria means he views the war against Andross as a necessary thing, something Andross brought on himself and eventually paid for with his life, not to mention the death of his father weighs heavily on him forever. Krystal disagrees, being a firm believer that war is never the answer and the price of peace for some came at the cost of the death of others, including her own people. Like...DO YOU SEE HOW MUCH THEY WOULDN'T MIX, they are just too different and too caught up in their own life missions to really get the other's intentions. But then in spite of all that, they become friends. I think my ver. of Krystal while looking down on Fox somewhat for being a mercenary would also be intrigued by him. She would want to know how exactly this guy and his team defeated Andross, and from there know more stories about his life. Likewise, Fox being stuck on ground on Sauria with Krystal I think would open his eyes a bit more (lmao touch some grass for once) and they would at least bond with each other while also helping each other stay alive. I think they realize on their own that they each bring out good things about one another... at least at first.

In the games Krystal is pretty much assimilated into Star Fox and we don't really see how that happens or how she really feels about it. We just know she eventually breaks up with Fox and cuts ties with the rest of them, something that broke my heart when I was a kid, but I'm not super against or in disagreement with. Personally I just think her sort of beliefs and upbringing would have never lent itself well to the line of work Star Fox does, at least not so easily. It came off to me like she was a young woman caught up in a romance that felt right at first and then became bitter and unfulfilling once reality set in. And in my eyes, I think its more interesting if she becomes disillusioned with Star Fox and the Cornerian Defense Force because, put simply, Krystal isn't pro-military. And that's sad...but it's pretty raw, too. And I love my stupid children's game about furries in space being full of dark themes!! Nintendo already set the domino pieces up, I just feel like we never got to see them all come tumbling down. We were teased with possible ideas that the Cornerian army and General Pepper were morally grey and that Andross had good intentions mixed in with every totalitarian thing he did. Krystal even is the one to defend Andross in one scene in Command, which is fucking crazyyyyyyyy!!! but it doesn't GO ANYWHERE -tears hair out- But anyways, as you can see Fox X Krystal drives me insane. /pos There isn't really an ending I love or subscribe to the most from Star Fox Command. That game really just threw a lot of the fans for a loop with all the drama and "bad," not super fulfilling ends to beloved characters. Though, that being said, I lowkey like the Kursed/Krazoa arc for Krystal, I think it's like an interesting path for a character like her. Like yeah, turn this woman into a hardened butch bounty hunter!!!! why NOT!!! She'd get under his skin better than Wolf ever could!!! Plus, how often does a pairing go from friends-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-strangers?? Fox can't recognize the love of his life anymore because she's been fundamentally changed by the world HE introduced her to. Now they both gotta live with that with Sauria being nothing but a distant memory. It's tragic, it's messy, it can go in so many different directions and I just think these furries should yell at each other for my amusement. anyways that's all. :] i'm actually normal about them tee hee.

[bunny-lou]

Tankhun, oscar winning director

I'm a little buzzed so enjoy this lovely prompt that's running around my head.

So Prapai and Phayu have had such a difficult time dating as the youngest sons in the mafia. Potential partners are scared off by their reputation, their family name, the constant danger that they're in. Or, if someone can see past all that, their fathers/uncles end up ruining it by over interrogating and invasive questions and hostile suspicion.

And Tankhun's heart just breaks. He's witnessed so many amazing love stories on television - and some even in real life! From all of his fantasy couples and OTPs to watching his brothers fall in love with two sweet boys, he simply can NOT have it that his two nephews fall in love. (Yes, two nephews, because any child of Pete's will be spoilt the minute Tankhun walks in the room.)

He just has to come up with a scheme like on television for Phayu and Prapai to have the love story Tankhun deserves to see they deserve to have. Tankhun will be just like a director - he'll write the story and cast the parts and maybe even win an oscar in the end.

First, he has to cast the story, he has to find perfect matches for his nephews. Prapai needs someone who won't let him always get what he wants, someone who has even the potential to be okay with a life as dark as they lead. Phayu needs someone outgoing to bring him out more, someone who won't cower at his overbearing personality. Arm compiles a list of young bachelors and bachelorettes (though he's not sure how the find would react to having a woman marry in) in Bangkok, ones with no connection to rival families, ones that would not be easily persuaded to betray, ones who just may be worthy of holding the hearts of his nephews.

The list is decently long, so then they start to be pickier - only ones that were cute, ones that would look good in future family photos, ones who had nice hands that could maybe carry a family ring one day. It takes a while, but Tankhun divides his time evenly between watching his dramas and creating this drama.

Second, Tankhun has to write a rough draft. He takes a few from the list that he knows wouldn't work and tries some rough ideas out. Phayu is immediately put off by the pretty girl who spills her coffee on him and Prapai doesn't look twice at their cute waitress on their monthly family dinners. There is promise in the boy who stages a minor bicycle accident in front of Phayu and the girl who stumbles into Prapai at the library. Tankhun is working out kinks as fast as he can, writing what he can with the multiple possibilities until -

Third, he has to find a location. And there are a couple of pretty boys and girls from their list that could reasonably bump into either boy - some who work at the local café down the street from Prapai's office or some who have friends who take their cars to Phayu - but there are a few students from Phayu's university who are actually on their list and it's perfect, so many options - tutors, academic rivals, study group partners, meeting at a college party - and Tankhun considers each candidate thoroughly - one girl is voted off when they see her obnoxious Instragram posts, one boy is tossed to the side when they found a history of him filing noise complaints o his neighbors. Nark.

They scour social medias, past report cards, contact very confused neighbors and employers for references until Tankhun has his perfect two. A young man for Prapai and a young man for Phayu.

Tankhun writes the cutest first meet that he can for both - Rain's car will get a flat tire at the same time Phayu will be leaving the compound to head home. Though he could wait until they meet at a university event, but that's plain and predictable and Phayu will note have a boring love story. Tankhun watches from the bushes - well, he's watching on his phone from his bedroom as Arm and Pol film it through the bushes - Phayu is far too chivalrous to not offer to help, just like Tankhun knew! He is charmingly confident and impressive as he works on the car and Tankhun can see the moment Rain is swept off his feet.

Tankhun is pulling the strings for everything - he pays an actor to mention the street race in front of Rain and Sky (because Tankun is already very protective of his future nephew in law and there will be no need for his piece of shit ex to be involved), the guards working the race are instructed to chase Rain and Sky into Phayu and Prapai. It continues on as awkwardly forcing segues with Phayu about this article he read on how to support someone with ADHD or with Prapai about how to be a safe space for people you love. Arm and Pol are there to film all the meetings Tankhun has planned out so Tankhun can keep up with his favorite romcom starring this nephews.

But it's not enough, Tankhun has to experience this first hand, so he just happens to leave a magazine open on a page advertising a car show in Phayu's room at the same time he works up the nerve to go outside the compound - it still happens, but not all the time - and Tankhun had no idea car shows could be so fun, everything is so shiny and sparkly and -

"What are you doing here?"

"Oh, my favorite nephew! I came to...buy your uncle Porsche a new bike, of course! Who is this cutie hanging off your arm?"

It's Rain, twenty years old from Korea, only child of two parents married in 1998, an architecture major with a 2.76 GPA, blood type A+, no troubles with the law besides a speeding ticket last year, speaks four languages.

But Tankhun doesn't say any of that out loud. He already approves of Rain, already loves him, and he's going to be the favorite uncle and Tankhun chokes up when he realizes he's the first member of the family to meet their newest member.

And he plans the same thing with Sky - a few weeks later to recharge from going outside - mentioning in front of Sky a new restaurant to offer egg stew (because Tankhun paid them to put it on the menu). He waltzes in as Prapai and Sky get their food and prepare to eat.

"Oh, my favorite nephew! I'm here...to try their new egg stew of course! I saw you and your friend here already ordered some, how is it, scooch over so I can sit with you, move, move."

Tankhun gives Sky his most charming smile and he's already planning Sky's outfit for their Christmas card this year. As he sits there getting to gush over Prapai and Sky, Tankhun chokes up again as he realizes he's a guest star in his favorite show now. He's been a guest star twice.

And he knows how the family can be, so Tankhun keeps orchestrating more meet ups with the rest of the family so that his two new in-laws can grow to accept their quirky family. He takes Chay out and they run into Rain at the library, he takes Pete to bump into Sky at the mall, he takes Kinn to visit Phayu at the garage while Rain is visiting, he invites Kim to find Sky at a cafe by the school because Kim has known about Rain and Sky the whole time. Little shit. Someone should talk to him about how many secrets he's keeping from the family.

I don't know where this is going because I'm a little inebriated, but like, Tankhun plotting out the PhayuRain and PraSki romance because he loves his dramas, but also because he wants to make sure his nephews fall in love with good people and ensure no one hurts them. He uses his decades of knowledge about dramas and on screen romances to create the best love story he can.

[yakool-foolio]

gundham for the ask game?? i lov him

GUNDHAM GODDAMN TANAKA MY FIRST LOVE IN DANGANRONPA

Favorite thing about him: His dialect is sososo fun and interesting to analyze. I think he's the main reason I became so obsessed with analyzing and making up my own canon compliant dialect for Vivia. Gundham sparked that fire of dissecting metaphors n analogies and translating them to better understand his behavior and how he conveys his thoughts and feelings through speech. It's incredibly entertaining to write for him, so much so that about two years ago I made my own ask blog for him being in Dead By Daylight's universe. Gotta combine the brainrots of the time somehow.

Least favorite thing about him: Out of all the members of the Ultimate Despair, Gundham feels the least likely to ever end up on their side. It has just never sat right with me that he would fall into despair that easily in the anime, especially since he fought so hard against it in the game. I understand that Chiaki meant a lot to her classmates, but her death doesn't feel like the straw that should break the camel's back for Gundham, notably because he's the one who will literally fight to the death to revive everyone else's morale. The anime is a guilty pleasure of mine, but I refuse to believe that he'd give in to despair that easy. I like his Ultimate Despair design though, it's rad. Too bad we only get to see it once.

Favorite line: He has soooooooooo many iconic and fantastic lines it's not fair to choose one, but I will restrain myself just this once. "Because I, the one who has claimed dominion over evil, am the Ultimate Weapon! I am he who cuts the insolent catalyst which flows out from the chaos with the sword of victory… It's only fitting that I deserve to be called the Ultimate Weapon…!" The fact that he called himself the Ultimate Weapon because he utilized the funhouse's secret after he discovered it in order to kill Nekomaru HURTS REAL BAD. He planted hints to him being the culprit throughout the entire trial because it was never his intent to get away with his murder at all, especially since he fully expected to be the victim himself. He and Nekomaru sacrificed themselves so that the others could live on. I cry.

BROTP: Gundham and Gonta are such a sweet duo in UTDP and Summer, they deserve so many more interactions. They get to exchange their love of all different types of animals with each other until they're walking National Geographic magazines.

OTP: SONDAM! They match each other's dorkiness to a T. Autumn is their season and nobody can take it away from them. Horror movie dates are always a pleasure. They're obnoxious talkers in the theaters, but I'd let them ramble to their heart's content.

NOTP: I'm the type of person who's chill with a lotta different pairings if the shipper(s) make it work. However, one pair I can never imagine being romantically involved is Gundham and Hiyoko. He doesn't give two shits about her bullying him for his eccentrics, but he definitely greatly disapproves of her abuse toward animals. She's trying to better herself post-game, but it'll definitely take a while for her misdeeds to be forgiven by Gundham and they can work toward being on friendly terms.

Random headcanon: Due to isolating himself from others, Gundham never really took the time to question his romantic orientation. That is, until he was accepted into Hope's Peak Academy and was surrounded by other students. He swiftly came to terms with his romantics towards certain people, as sparse as he shows it. Nekomaru and Sonia definitely pushed those unknown feelings into deeper consideration, as he admittedly crushed on both of them at some point and has ultimately fallen for Sonia. He fights with himself every now and then over his feelings, but overall he views his orientation as simply natural, unchanged by time. In regards to his asexuality, he occasionally makes comments to conceal his distaste for raunchy things and attempt to fit in, pushed into doing so by his insecurities, but he recognizes its his true nature to abstain from such desires. Intimacy is romantic for him, and that's all that it has to be for him to be happy.

Unpopular opinion: I have no idea if any of my thoughts could really be classified as unpopular, but I'll toss something unusual out. Connecting to what I've stated earlier, I wish Gundham was shown fighting back more against the brainwashing in the anime. If they had the time, it'd be interesting to see the absolute extremes Junko would have to go through to crush Gundham's unwavering spirit. We could get real dark by having his mom killed in front of him. This forces him to accept that without her, only nature is on his side now, as humanity is beyond saving and what he's committing as an Ultimate Despair is a mercy killing.

Song(s) I associate with him: Kyrie by Mr. Mister cause the angelic imagery makes me sob profusely aughhhh... Eighth Wonder by Lemon Demon and When You Die by MGMT are runner-ups!

Favorite picture of him: This art piece I was gifted as part of a Silent Hill Tumblr Mutuals discord server's Secret Santa, featuring Gundham n Carmina/The Artist from Dead By Daylight, who I made ask blogs for and so deeply love imagining being the bestest of buds!

[nikkiruncks]

modern family- haley & andy kisses (4/4)

[viridian-house]

Do you have any favorite naruto fics you’d recommend? Any pairing, complete or not, on-hiatus, gen, oneshots, anything is fine lol

I was legitimately just pruning my bookmarks the other day!! thank you so much for asking.

I don't read too much fanfic these days, and I'm picky when I do--only about grammar/punctuation and immersion though. I ship a LOT of stuff (I guess The Youth would call me a proshipper) and although I never read darkfic, I don't shy away from weirder kinks and unhealthy relationship stuff.

categorizing by pairing, if applicable. some of them are smutty, and please note that the first 3 come from FFN which doesn't have a tagging system, but there is some SA CW I'll give in advance.

KAKASAKU | my first OTP! formative fics that totally reshaped my understanding of what fanfiction could be, and how well-written chemistry can make it or break it

HOUSE OF CROWS is the quintessential kakasaku fanfic. it was written during shippuden and so is canon divergent because of that, but also tells a comprehensive story of its own right that is intriguing and well planned. excellent characterization and world building. leaves me gutted in the best way on my yearly reread.

DUTY BEFORE HONOR is another silvershine classic. I don't reread is as often as House of Crows but they are just about equal in quality. again, the chemistry between them is off the charts, and the world feels so alive.

WILL OF FIRE for me is up there with House of Crows in being essential kakasaku reading. cynchick is a multisaku champion and a wonderful storyteller. the stakes in this one are stressful, the romance tense and believable, and we once again get lovely world building and great chemistry.

ITAKISA | a pairing near and dear to me, because men who do everything wrong are so deeply relatable. they both know they don't deserve anything good ever again but they found each other!!!! ARE YOU GUYS SEEING THIS--

A SHARK HIDDEN INN THE LEAVES doesn't have my favorite version of Kisame, but he's plenty close enough. it's a lengthy oneshot that got me into certain *ahem* kinks. it is a very fun and wild fic that is entirely self-aware of how absurd it's being, and manages to have nothing but sincerity at the same time (and I highly recommend the author's other stories as well)

AN ORCHESTRA PLAYING ON, INSANE is a modern AU (extremely rare in my bookmarks) that absolutely tore my heart out. god is it SO much to ask for these losers to be happy?! yes, it is, and I love every moment of it

MADAMITO | a rarepair I am SUCH a sucker for that has some of the most talented authors writing for it. lots of them have ot3 elements between them and hashirama, often angsty, but stuff like that is part of the appeal for me, lol

A HANDFUL OF SKY is an unfinished fic that I genuinely think about like once a week. if it ever updates then I will be over the moon. technically hashimadamito but it hadn't quite gotten there yet

LIKE ALTARS is just such a beautiful piece of writing, mostly on madara. it is everything, that is all

BLOOD AND RIVER WATER is more mito-centric but has one of my favorite madaras of all time

YOURS ARE RATTLED BONES is another short, mito-centric but gut-wrenching piece featuring the opposite type of madara from the last one

OTHER | character-centric stuff that isn't necessarily shippy but also doesn't have a very "gen" vibe either?

A SERPENT IN THE RICE is a little series about orochimaru that makes me feel so so so many things. highly recommended

HERETIC is such a love letter to kushina, and kurama too. cannot stress enough how much I adore this one

there's a few others that I probably won't link on tumblr, mostly unhealthy and/or "problematic" smut hhfhdj but maybe I'll make a public rec list on ao3 for these different categories and stuff like that.

but yeah that's pretty much it!!! I know it's not a huge list with a lot of variety but it's what I've enjoyed over the last 15+ years in the naruto fandom.

[dangermousie]

This scene!!!! This scene!!!!! They actually followed the novel and gave us SYL x Ka Dan's night of passion AAAAAAAA AAAAAAAA AAAAAAA

The way he doesn't raise his eyes as she removes her shirt OMG OMG OMG OMG this is so Si Yi Lin.

Of course she has to take the first move of not just removing her shirt but starting to remove his - he needs the clearest go ahead he can get. AAAAAA Only then does he dare to raise his eyes to hers.

For a cdrama, and not a short one, this is INSANELY explicit. Like - this is stuff you normally see in short cdramas and often not even then. LIKE AAAAAAAAAAA SORRRRRRRRRRRRRY this is my fave OTP in this show and I am FEASTING!!!!

Go, Boy Scout!!!! Good for you!!!!

I love how the light the morning after is the grim grey one, as contrasted with the golden one of their night. And he's gone to battle and she's left behind. And the sole spot of light is her reflection in that mirror, there are still little dimmed golden remnants.

Oooooof! That flashback to them talking during the night.

This drama breaks my heart in 17 different pieces even in its tenderest moments.

[boinin]

Can I get 17, 18, 19, 20, and 29 for Kunigiri and AiSen (Aiku x Sendou)

Hi Mr. Smithereens! You sure can. I'm happy to blab about Aikusen in particular! Such a good rarepair.

17. Who says I love you first?

Kunigami, in nearly every scenario. He's too honest to keep it to himself. Conversely, Chigiri's more guarded, so even if he falls in love first, he'd wait until he's certain before admitting his feelings so boldly.

With AikuSen, it's a drawn out process. Sendou would be too insecure to admit his feelings to someone he knows fools around casually, even where he and Aiku are dating exclusively. I personally headcanon Aiku as somewhat emotionally avoidant, and perhaps freaking out about feeling for Sendou on a deeper level. That said, I think Aiku would accept the risk of heartbreak and say I love you first.

18. Who leaves little notes in the other’s one lunch? (Bonus: what does it usually say?)

Let's be real, it's only ever Kunigami making lunches for the princess ❤️ I think he'd write corny jokes to make Chigiri laugh or roll his eyes. Puns in particular, since Chigiri likes wordplay. He probably Googles them specifically.

Aiku and Sendou don't strike me as big lunch makers, but Aiku would probably include notes of encouragement, like Knock 'em dead today, ace. Sendou reads them and cringes (but secretly enjoys them).

19. Who tells their family/friends about their relationship first? & 20. What do their family/friends think of their relationship?

Answering these together as they compliment one another!

Kunigami tells his family first, casually mentioning that he's dating Chigiri. Chigiri's mom and sister wrangle the news out of him after seeing him post a suspiciously couple-y photo with Kunigami on social media. Both families are supportive, particularly the sisters.

Literally none of Kunigiri's friends would be surprised. If anything, they're surprised it took this long to happen.

Aiku tells his family first, although he'd probably take his time to do so. I'm guessing they'd be pretty chill about it—his dad is Swedish-German and fairly liberal, as is his mom. Sendou would worry that his folks would respond negatively to him dating a man. To his surprise, that's not an issue so much as him dating a known cheater / womaniser. Aiku charms them though as soon as they meet him, and reassures them he's not going to hurt Sendou.

There's mixed responses from their friend group. The original U20 teammates would find it hilarious, given how much both of them emphasised dating women in their early careers. Anyone from their days in Ubers sees them getting together a mile off.

29. one headcanon about this OTP that breaks your heart

Kunigiri are overall so wholesome, there's little to report on this front! But the idea of Chigiri being the first (and maybe only) person Kunigami is willing to talk about Wild Card pulls on my heartstrings.

For AikuSen, what gets me is Sendou's inevitable meltdown when he realises he's started to catch feelings for Aiku. I headcanon Sendou doesn't have the self esteem to believe he has enough worth for Aiku to be exclusive with him. Internalised homophobia (or biphobia?) also packs a punch with these two.

[swordbisexual]

❰❰ PIN ❱❱ sender pins receiver during a fight/training for my new otp vissenta/anders!!

Vissenta presses her knee lightly against Fenris’ breastplate, a wide grin cracking her face as she gulps a breath and tosses her sweat-damp fringe back from her forehead. “Seems I’ve won again.” Fenris scowls, but that’s nothing new. “So you have.” Of course, it’s not really Fenris she’s paying attention to, now that she’s got his weak spots sussed out and could smack him down in two minutes with her eyes closed, if she wanted. Vissenta pushes herself up and reaches a hand down to pull Fenris to follow, and out of the corner of her eye, she tracks the direction of Anders’ gaze. “You like to watch?”

“There’s little else to do.” He picks at the frayed edge of his sleeve as he speaks, but he doesn’t turn his eyes down or fidget about. There’s no hint of Justice in his eyes, no spark of blue simmering under his skin, but the spirit feels present all the same, in the precision of Anders’ movement, the purpose of his stare. “And with the way you fight, you’ll need healing before we even make it down the Deep Roads in earnest.” “You’re just jealous.” Vissenta can’t help but goad him a little, to see if she can shake that too-calm exterior, even if the sharp focus of his stare always does more to thrill her than warn her away from the danger. Besides, she knows that he knows that she’s prodding, judging by the way his eyes crinkle at the corners, the way his lips press into an almost-smirk. “If you could stand up to a sword, you’d be begging me to pin you down.” “You think your steel is stronger than spirit?” He doesn’t raise a hand, but he doesn’t have to; it only takes the faintest flash of light, just a spark that dances between Anders’ fingertips as he drums them against his knee before it disappears like a wisp in the dark, but it’s enough. So careless, so insouciant, so briefly human that the mask of the vengeful renegade disappears for a moment. In its place is a glimpse of the rebellious, passionate, fallible man beneath, the one who might still break hearts just as surely as he breaks the Circle’s invisible chains. “Are you absolutely sure?” Vissenta stretches out both her arms, rolling her sword around in a lazy circle at her side. “Wouldn’t you like to try?” It only earns her a small shake of the head, a soft shadow of unease creasing his brow. “No. Trust me.” His dismissal irritates her, far more deeply than it should, but all she does is heave an exaggerated sigh. “Very well. Looks like Fenris gets all the luck, then.”

—

She saw the first horde of genlocks that came rushing up through the tunnel, but the second band that jump from the shadows at their side make her nearly jump out of her skin, and her sword is knocked from her hand. Before she can throw her bare fists right into a band of ravening darkspawn, she’s pinned back against the wall, Anders pressing one arm over her chest as he thrusts his staff upward with the other. “Wait!” The genlocks are thrown back, and Vissenta feels a deep, healing calm, spreading down through her ribs from the spot where Anders’ arm still holds her fast. She’s felt this aura before, whenever he comes up behind her in the heat of battle, but to have it pressed against her is startlingly new. There is healing, and calm, and the heat of his body and the flutter of his breathing and the sharp, static crackle of the spirit lurking beneath. It warms her so bone-deep that her eyes flutter shut and she sighs, a tiny whine of pleasure passing through her lips before she can stop herself. He turns to look at her, incredulous, brows raised and eyes wide. Desire slides into pain and back again: his lips part, his eyes screw shut and open again only to fix on her open mouth, his brow furrows as he tilts his head back, like an invisible force has to wrench him away. It only makes the heat in Vissenta’s chest burn stronger, throbbing through her like a pulse that’s at once hers and his, healing magic turning to something prickling, invigorating, arousing. A roar echoes up from the tunnel, and Anders finally eases his weight up, just enough for Vissenta to press her hands to his chest and push him out of her way. “That’s enough,” she snaps, ducking down to sift through a heap of darkspawn entrails and bones to find the hilt of her blade. “We keep going.”

—

The last thing she remembers is driving her sword through the rock wraith. Vissenta blinks, struggling to breathe, only able to just make out the cavern’s ceiling that drips with stalactites that dangle down like blades in their own right. Her own blade isn’t to hand anymore, and as her senses come back in fits and starts, she realizes that there’s a rolled-up cloak beneath her head, bristling with feathers and smelling of sweat and blood and something sharply ozone. “Don’t.” Anders puts a hand to her breastplate before she can struggle to sit up, and the other comes to rest at the corner of her jaw, two fingers on her pulse point. For an instant, his thumb ghosts over her jawline, tracing its sharp edge in a flickering pass before he’s back to business again. “Give me enough time to heal the crack to your skull.” Vissenta feels her heartbeat quicken, and with it, Anders’ fingertips pressing more firmly to her neck. She grimaces up at him, feigning irritation, though she knows he knows how her pulse thrums, and perhaps even why. “My skull’s fine.” That ghost of a smile again, the cat with the cream. “It’s thick enough.” Anders puts a little more weight onto her chest, and this time, his thumb at her jawbone lingers, a purposeful touch that could almost be considered a caress. “Who’s been pinned down now?” Vissenta doesn’t know whether she wants to turn her head to bite his thumb off, or draw it up between her lips, or to try sitting up again just to cuff him on the ear before yanking him into a kiss. “Don’t get used to it.” He shakes his head, but the near-smile remains. “I won’t. Trust me.”