#the ripple verse au

[lazysadpotato-comix]

The RIPPLE Verse

Volume 2:

!!BOY GENIUS!! CHAOS THEORY

This takes place after Volume 1’s !!WORDGIRL!! HomeSick

Summary:

Wordgirl announces that she’ll be leaving Fair City for an uncertain amount of time, perhaps a year or so? But she guarantees she’ll be back. Fair City doesn't know how to handle the news they were given.

On the other hand, the villains of the city are thrilled. No Wordgirl to stop them? They can commit as much crime as they please while she’s gone! Who’s gonna stop them? KidMath?? Ha! As if. No one can stop them!

So imagine the surprise everyone had the moment a certain Boy Genius stepped in to stop his fellow villains.

Basically:

2 years after WordGirl’s goodbye, Tobey steps in to begrudgingly stop crime on her behalf (and the sake of the city or whatever)

((The Ripple Verse is tagged so if you’re interested in my AU at all 👉👈 you can click it in the post tags and look more into it))

[cheyla-v]

December 2023 Update Schedule

December 6 - Breaking Point, ch. 4 December 13 - Ripple Effects, ch. 6 December 20 - Exhibition, ch. 3 December 25-January 5 - 12 Days of Dragelmas, featuring updates from (in alphabetical order, not in posting order):

Breaking Point

Burning Day

Death's Favored Ones

Halfway to You

Meet Me Halfway

Package Deals

Pillars Around a Flame

Ripple Effects

Soul's Scream

Strange Magics

The Thing with Siblings

Torn, Broken, Transformed

[daughterofthetis]

cassidy tag dump

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Blessed Are The Meek 3

Summary: you are trapped in an awkward circumstance with a widowed commander. (Handmaid AU)

Warning: this series will contain violence, dystopian aspects, rape and noncon, blood, coercion, sterility, and other dark elements. Please read these warnings and beware.

Character: Tommy Shelby

Note: thank you for following along. I’m sure yall didn’t expect to write Tommy again but here we are. Also feedback and comments if you dont mind. Maybe a reblog. 💕💕💕💕

You place the Commander’s bag in the trunk. Then, a thermos and a wrapped croissant for the drive. It’s a small consideration, you don’t know why you even thought of it. You just know that the drive will be long and tedious. You do not relish his return after the journey and the presence of similarly willful men.

You kick off your boots before you enter the house again. You shiver and lean a hand on the wall, lifting your foot to untie the laces. The commander’s footsteps come slow and deliberate down the stairs. You put your sole to the floor and face him, dipping your head.

As he approaches, you take his coat from the rack and offer it to him. Before, there would be another, the long blue jacket his wife so treasured, with its big rosette buttons and round collar. All blue had been buried away or burned to ash.

He lets you lift it onto his shoulder, barely acknowledging you as he pulls on a pair of black leather gloves. He slides out a pair of round glasses and puts them on. The sort he wears to read or tend to some smaller detail. He checks his watch.

“Do not dawdle” he girds as he approaches the door.

You furrow your brow and watch him pull it open. What does he mean? He pauses and lets out an exhale.

“Far be it from me to concern myself, but a coat would be in order,” he bids.

You still don’t understand. Surely he can’t mean you’re going with him.

“Commander?”

“You will sit in the backseat and keep your head down. A toe out of line and there will be more than enough Eyes to have you shipped out to a colony.”

You push your chapped lips together and nod. You don’t expect it and you are unprepared. He’d spoiled the rare moment of escape that tugged at your mind. A day without him and his temper lurking.

“I will get my coat, commander.”

He carries on and you march away. Your coat is in your room with all else that is allotted to you. Not much, enough to exist. A spare dress and apron, shoes for the summer, stockings, and a second shift. You snatch your coat and pull it on, flapping back through the halls to the front door.

As you come out, the car blows exhaust into the air. You get in the back seat and do as he said. You put your head down and don’t say a word. He has his foot on the pedal before you can even shut the door.

He drives with the radio on. A dour voice recites verses as you stare at the back of the front seat. The grey sky ripples, both dimming and paling to create and ebb and flow of light. 

There is a soft clunk as the commander steers with one hand. The props the thermos in the cupholder and unscrews the cap. You quickly put your eyes to your lap. The smell of breakfast tea pervades the closed space.

You do not close your eyes. You could fall asleep right there but you don’t dare. Sloth is a sin, deadly as they say. You focus on keeping awake as the tires roll on.

The gates of the capital rise before you. You give only a brief peek as the commander stops to give his identity. He’s waved inside with a panicky sort of deference. Inside, you sense the sudden flurry around you but do not look up. You don’t expect many marthas come around here.

He pulls up to a building of stained white brick. You tilt your head slightly and try to figure where you are. He keeps the engine running as he gets out, greeted by another.

“Commander.”

“Take my car to the residence,” Shelby demands.

“Sir.” There’s a lull as footsteps click around the hood, “and the martha?”

“You may take her too,” Shelby says flippantly, “she will hang my clothes, as is her duty.”

The guardian doesn’t wait for another order. He gets in the front seat as you huddle lower in your seat. It isn’t unusually to be spoken as nothing more than a thing, but it is humiliating even so. The man fixes the mirror as you sense the tension of his unasked questions. It must be a strange situation, yet he cannot question a commander.

He shifts into drive and eases onto the gas. You clasp your hands tight in the silence. It does not seem as if you will return to the house that night and that worries you.

What could it mean? Hansen’s words echo in your head. Would the commander leave with a new wife at the order of the Committee? If there was to be a new wife, could she survive the widower’s grief?

[ramblings-from-the-ether]

Prohibition AU | Character Profile: Giovanni

The Roaring Twenties is a time of conflict, crime, and chaos—but chaos is opportunity, and the inexplicably salmon-haired Giovanni Potage is a professional agent of it. Currently under Naven’s employ after falling out with a much larger gang, he leads the majority of Bliss Ocean’s soldiers with little other than a vandalised baseball bat, a cooking pot of tricks, and a reckless confidence only matched by his sheer dumb luck and unconventional faculties.

Background.

Giovanni Potage was born to a small immediate family of two mothers in the Chinese diaspora of the US, and close relatives to the legendary crime family known as the Roughhouses. His upbringing was largely informed by honoured family traditions and festive gatherings, the ripples of the Great War overseas, and the growing cultural obsessions of baseball and motorsports in the States. The values of respect, diligence, and unity were deeply instilled in him since childhood, just as much as his taste for brazen rebellion and troublesome aptitude for making a weapon out of anything he could pick up.

Hungry for excitement, surrounded by an extended family versed in crime, and perpetually cruising for a bruising, Giovanni was soon enveloped by a strange aspiration: To become the greatest criminal name in the United States of America. He quickly found himself in a notorious, nationwide criminal group known as the Banzai Blasters, where his natural charisma and unusual, uncanny instincts would soon earn him a small company of deathly-loyal soldiers and an early promotion to captain (and help him to survive the job, at that!)

Giovanni first met Naven by proxy of Molly, who he had befriended early into the Prohibition during an operation gone-awry, and who he proceeded to protect from the chaos of said operation. When the organisational fallout of that night’s events revealed to him the true penny-pinching, dog-eat-dog mentality that suffused the Banzai Blasters’ ranks, Giovanni swiftly left the gang, bringing along his loyal crew of “boys” and a gang-spanning grudge with him. Naven quickly saw the unique assets and potential of the young rogue, and would soon approach him with a new, once-in-a-lifetime job offer. And what kind of aspiring criminal legend could refuse?

Relations.

Though he serves Naven and Bliss Ocean with diligence, Giovanni’s loyalties lie ultimately with his own “boys”. Notable among them is his younger cousin Trixie, of the Roughhouse crime family; as well as the resident foundling, Molly Blyndeff, who he has developed a remarkable compassion for, even serving as a sort of surrogate guardian towards her in her family’s absence. By proxy of the two, he also maintains a somewhat rivalrous acquaintance with Phoenica Fleecity and Dr. Sylvester Ashling.

Within the family’s inner rankings, Giovanni’s almost aggressive amiability—and frankly, his utter lack of social awareness—have also earned him the friendship of the equally-eccentric Rick Shades, the ever-friendly Indus Tarbella, and even a somewhat-amused Zora Salazar. As a largely-amateur criminal, he also admires and is close acquaintances with one Ramsey Murdoch, who has (resignedly) taken to mentoring Giovanni and “making sure the kid doesn’t get himself killed”.

Bliss Ocean Report.

In a business where saying or doing the wrong thing can cost you immeasurably, secrecy and anonymity tend to be valued luxuries; which I suppose is why my colleagues in the underworld find so perplexing my decision to place the notoriously loud, painfully unsubtle Giovanni Potage under my employ. But I do have my reasons, and he does have his traits that set him apart from the common gangster.

Given the young villain’s penchant for making general mayhem, it’s easy to miss just how excellent Giovanni is at making targeted mayhem when he wants to, especially when working in tandem with a team (or a teammate, failing that). Though not necessarily a gifted strategist, Giovanni is a remarkable improviser with seemingly no bounds to his creativity in combat, capable of fashioning life-saving plans out of the most ridiculous of circumstances. His talent with his favourite baseball bat especially is not to be underestimated…although his choice of embellishments for the signature weapon (knives??) can certainly be questionable.

Giovanni also appears to possess some stranger attributes which admittedly interest me somewhat, on top of simply being quite useful. Catastrophe seems to tail the teen wherever he’s directed to create chaos, but no matter the destruction that inevitably befalls the crime scene, he’s never been dragged away with more than a dozen or so scrapes and bruises (and the occasional concussion or dislocated shoulder). Ramsey pins the blame for the damage done on his “lucky” number, 13, which the otherwise-chronically dyscalculic Giovanni keeps count of with a strange obsession. Given his uncanny survivability and tendency to inflict the most devastating attacks at nigh-miraculous moments, I’d argue the accursed number is what’s keeping him alive.

Then there is the matter of…Giovanni’s soup. His soup, which is not only the strongest and spiciest I have ever smelled and tasted of a meal (and seasoned to perfection as far as anyone can attest), but also capable of spontaneous resuscitation, temporary adrenaline production, and sometimes even a minor increase to natural healing. Giovanni has attempted to explain this away as the work of a ‘family recipe’, which explains…well, nothing, and the effects aren’t even always consistent or guaranteed. Nonetheless, he’s never seen without a cooking pot full of it on hand, and he swears it has been a major boon in those missions that come to bullets and blows. I still dare not challenge this claim.

But Giovanni’s greatest asset to us, by far, is his charisma and his compassion. Just during his time working for the Banzai Blasters alone, he’s managed to earn the veritably undying loyalty of six of his peers, largely simply by being true to himself and kind to those around him. He has also taken it upon himself to care for our goddaughter Molly, who I think could benefit from his guidance and infectious confidence more than anyone…despite his criminal aspirations. Giovanni Potage is a chaotic, contradictory character indeed, a wild card to be sure; and personally, I’m almost as eager as I am nervous to see what becomes of his career in Bliss Ocean.

- Naven

[inevitably-johnlocked]

Can you please help me find some sugar daddy fics? I've been obsessed with it lately.

Hey Lovely!

Well, I've never read any myself, so I can't give you any personal recs, BUT I did a tag search on my offline MFL list, and decided to make a new list for you because I need content, LOL!!!

So, here are the fics I have on my MFL list, and if you guys have any more to add, PLEASE do, as always!! Hope you enjoy!!

SUGAR DADDY FICS (MFLs)

See also:

Rich Sherlock (March 2020) (MY LIST)

Sugar Daddy Sherlock (SwissMiss)

Sugar Daddy Part 1 (Alexxphoenix)

Sugar Daddy Part 2 (Alexxphoenix)

Worth Its Weight by philalethia (E, 2,986 w., 1 Ch. || Sugar Daddy AU || PWP, Daddy Sherlock, Daddy Kink, Service Domination, Gift Giving, Unsafe Sex, Sex Toys) – “Remember,” John said, “when we talked about you not buying me extravagant things?” Basically: a little bit of Valentine's Day daddy kink. Part 2 of All the Rest 'Verse

An Erotic Sail by justacookieofacumberbatch (E, 4,533 w., 2 Ch. || Sugar Daddy AU || Age Difference, Sugar Daddy John, Yacht Daddy John, Praise Kink, Porn Without Plot, Boat Sex) – Sherlock, fresh off a Semester at Sea ship in Crete, sees a gorgeous older man, and I'm sure you can guess what happens next.

Practically Perfect by vitruvianwatson (E, 6,303 w., 1 Ch. || Sugar Daddy AU || Age Difference, Younger Sherlock, Older John, Finger Fucking, Anal Sex, Hand Jobs, Office Sex, Emotionally Insecure Sherlock, Barista Sherlock, Doctor John, PWP) – There was a knock on the door, and then it opened. John shook the thoughts out of his head and looked up with his fake “I’m your kindly doctor” smile plastered on his face, but a second later his jaw dropped because his “patient” wasn’t a patient at all. It was none other than Sherlock bloody Holmes. Not only that, but he was dressed in one of his more indecent outfits—skin tight jeans that looked like they’d been bloody painted on, and a purple button-down that was straining, to say the least, to remain buttoned. John wondered if he’d worked at the coffee shop in that outfit today. He shut the door and leaned back against it with a wicked smile, and John heard the click of the lock.

A Suitable Stain by vitruvianwatson (E, 7,647 w., 1 Ch. || Sugar Daddy AU || Sugar Daddy John, Barista Sherlock, Older John, PWP, Rutting, Anal, Clothed Sex, Masturbation, Dirty Talk) – John imagines what they must look like--the young, gorgeous university student, naked as the day he was born, draped over the well-dressed older doctor, the muscles rippling in Sherlock's back as his slim hips roll that beautiful arse up into the air and back down again, his spine curving beneath John's hand as he moves it to the small of Sherlock's back to feel the movement. The hard outline of Sherlock's cock slides back and forth across John's body, dampening his clothes with precome, and John moves both hands down to Sherlock's arse, squeezing and pulling him in harder.

To A Tee by lookupkate (E, 15,321 w., 14 Ch. || Sugar Daddy AU || Sugar Daddy John, Hospital Director John, Sugar Baby Sherlock, Accidental Meeting) – Sherlock receives a text from an unknown number. The man is under the impression that he needs a sugar daddy. After careful consideration...well, he could be right.

A Kept Man Isn't A Weak Man by Elphen (E, 20,429 w., 1 Ch. || Omegaverse || Sugar Daddy John, Age Difference, Alpha John, Omega Sherlock, Mpreg, Sex Toys, Mating Bond, Possessive John, Knotting, Masturbation, Dominant John, Mating Cycles) – Sherlock is just out of university, but due to drug habits acquired at said college, Mycroft has cut him off, hoping to put a stop to it that way. Instead, Omega Sherlock struggles doubly, both with his cravings and with finding a job that will not bore him to death and support him financially. Then, when he is on the verge of being completely destitute, he finds several hundred pounds ticking into his account for no apparent reason. He thinks it's Mycroft, but instead he receives an email from someone who promises to send him more money every fortnight and put him up in a flat rent free, on two conditions; he will stop taking drugs and he will occasionally be asked to be a companion for someone. He does not want to be bought like some toy, but what choice does he have? The first time the door bell rings, he is sure the man will demand sex. But instead he finds a very sharply dressed man with money and physical power in his mid-30s who wants to talk with him and take him out to dinner. Things quickly escalates on the emotional and physical side for Sherlock, but can you really have a relationship with an Alpha like that?

Sugar Daddy John Series by Sexxica (E, 22,504+ w. across 7 works || Series WiP || Sugar Daddy John AU || Daddy Kink, Twink Sherlock, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-Con, Masturbation, Blow Jobs, Hand Jobs, Dirty Talk, Comeplay, Anal / Oral, Sex Toys, Praise Kink, Lingerie / Crossdressing) – The very best of Sugar Daddy John and his boy, Sherlock.

sherlock and his daddy series by rory_kent (M, 24,433+ w. across 6 works || Series WiP || BDSM / Sugar Daddy AU || Sugar Daddy John, Age Difference, Sub Sherlock, Daddy Kink, Military Kink, Subspace, Hurt/Comfort, Coffee Shop AU, Unilock) – Sherlock didn't mean to upset daddy he really didn't!

All the Rest (of What I Want) by philalethia (E, 68,082 w., 20 Ch. || Alternate First Meeting || ASiP, Texting, First Time, Daddy Kink, Sugar Daddy Sherlock, Daddy Sherlock, Sex Toys, Phone Sex, Sexting, Unsafe Sex, Service Domination) – After being invalided home from Afghanistan, John takes his therapist's advice and tries to meet people online. Specifically, he joins a fetish site, where he ends up interacting with a man called SH who keeps paying him money to perform odd tasks and seems very keen to take care of him. Basically: slow-build daddy kink. Part 1 of All the Rest 'Verse

Nine and a Half Weeks by CumberCurlyGirl and Kameo (E, 204,733+ w., 41/42 Ch. || WiP || American AU || Different First Meeting, Daddy Kink, Bottomlock, Anal Plug, Riding Crops, Spanking, Light Bondage, Anal/Oral, Aftercare, Posh John, Virgin Sherlock, Homophobia, Sugar Daddy John, Rimming, Coming in Pants, Light Dom/Sub, Past Sherlock / Victor, Light BDSM, Public Sex, John in a Kilt, Vibrators, Happy Ending) – Sherlock Holmes is about to graduate from high school in midwestern America. Despite his intelligence, his prospects are bleak due to poverty, an indifferent, alcoholic father and poor choices. One day, at work, he sells a riding crop to a handsome blonde Brit and his life is changed. He doesn't know what hit him - until he does. This is a story of a journey to love and self-acceptance and explores many themes along the way: drug abuse, grief, coming out, age difference, consent. Lots of sex but so much more.

[pookie-mulder]

My 911 Holy Grail Fics

For my beloved @skelavender, who I recently seduced into watching the weewoo show and who caught up just in time to partake in the madness of 7x06 ♥️

Life Cycles of the Southern Coastal Husbro series by Mad_Lori

Buddie become platonic life partners but end up falling in love. Who could have guessed??!?? Delicious slow burn!

let’s build this house (into a home, baby) by @withmeornotatall

Buddie are neighbors. Buck bonds with Chris first and then learns his dad is a hot eligible bachelor. The ultimate domestic fluff!

Mr. LAFD Updates Man by hammersmiths

An absolute fandom legend! The ultimate twitterfic.

she’ll never get to eat you like your heart’s a pomegranate by @colonoscopys

Buck being the best dad to Chris. I love them so much 🥹

Your Fingerprints Smeared on My Heart (Lead Me Back to You) by @letmetellyouaboutmyfeels

Buddie cowboys historical AU! Plus some soulmatism/reincarnation. So sweet and hot!

ripples all the way down by @fcntasmas

My most beloved, most favorite!! Just read it. It’s perfect in every way!

my evergreen by @colonoscopys

Buddie adopt a baby girl together as “friends” before finally getting together. Big men with tiny baby — what more could you want?

Molly A.M. Buckley Diaz ‘verse by @hmslusitania

More buddie as the world’s cutest girldads! My weakness!!

Within/Without by anonymous

I really enjoyed this series! Tbh I don’t remember specifics but I believe it felt very raw and honest. (And now that I’ve become consumed by watched txf I’m realizing that the title is most certainly an x files reference. Maybe I should reread with that new perspective…👀)

across our great divide (a glorious sunrise) by catchingpapermoons

Buddie get couple’s therapy (as friends) and work out their trauma. Beautiful angst with a beautiful happy ending!

[alexanderlightweight]

*Wednesday is subjective and can last up to 36 hours due to insomnia. Wednesday starts on Wednesday and ends when the author passes out sometime later.

The Rules + Notes

Only Malec prompts accepted

It’s okay to prompt another chapter for an existing fic, even the oneshots. There is a chance i won’t be able to or want to fill it, but i’m always willing to consider. Just be polite.

I write a lot of dark stuff, so feel free to specify if you want to avoid something or want something specific.

I really do enjoy just the fun of building a fic from a single word, but I’m also happy to try and tackle any longer and more complex prompts. 

If your prompt isn’t filled the week it’s sent it, I’m still going to write it. I always respond to an ask to explain why I won’t fill it if I’m not going to.

If I can’t/wont fill a prompt, I’ll post it and explain and say it’s okay to send another.

prompts are only open on writing wednesdays or if i specify otherwise (this was changed because of how many prompts i get easy wednesday and thats the specific prompt day)

feel free to ask me if i've got your prompt but please know it sometimes takes time to get to all of them and I write verses based on the mood I’m in

I don’t post all of my fic fills to ao3 but I do try to do about half of them. Posting takes a lot of spoons and I generally end up adding more to the fics when I post them so it takes a bit.

I want it very clear that I do this because it’s fun and healthy for me and everyone who prompts is super sweet and I don’t do it to get feedback from prompters (but I always enjoy it)! It's really just worth it to me for the expression of shared art. Because I wouldn’t write half of the fun stories I love creating and exploring without the prompts from others to tickle my thoughts.

However, my partner and I are very protective about my mental health and I have social anxiety to the degree that I sometimes still need my handheld after strangers talk to me so I don't go rolling into a blanketball and scream.

If you are rude, I will sic my boyfriend @saeths (who is an asshole) on you and they will happily come down like a blistering gust of burning wind from an out of control wildfire. Seriously, they think it’s fun to fuck with people and they’re very protective. {i have npd and a lack of acceptable targets -saeth}

They would enjoy it, except the part where it made me upset. 

So don’t make me upset and I won’t set saeth on anyone.

Also saeth and i tend to flirt in posts on our blogs back and forth. so if you don’t want to see that because you’re here for fics and want to avoid it the tag is always ‘saeth & kitten’

- Lumine

The Author likes to write

darkly!soft romance

magical realism & magical flora and fauna 

Dead Dove: Do Not Eat (3DNE)

Magnus/Cat/Ragnor friendship 

Exploring the eldritch and angelic natures of nephilim and the fallen divinity of greater demons

Alec’s Institute and shadowhunters being competent 

creature!character fics

soulmates

The Author won't write

non-con/rape

cheating

major character death

hurt no comfort

sad endings

any main pairing besides malec

mpreg/kidfic

camille centric fics

non-magical mundane/shadowhunters inverted au’s

Verse List (under cut)

this eldritch delight – soft-horror malec (Alec is the Trueblood heir, Addams Inspired) 

star eater – sentient!shadow Alec Trueblood au 

the agony of living – chronic!pain alec

Elysiums Tears – Alec is cursed with visions of the future(s)

all your cracks I’ll paint gold – deruned Alec 

the bonds i'd break – all your cracks i'll paint gold au

in his wake, petals fall – Alec loves flowers and Magnus loves indulging him 

cider verse – Alec and Magnus are in a secret relationship since before canon 

pray to the hunters – Alec worships dead shadowhunters instead of Raziel 

the price of lust – Manipulative dark Magnus 

a stolen blade – assassin!alec au soulmates

dressed to kill – mob!wife Alec

flames of triumph – Phoenix Magnus & unicorn Alec 

ripples of magic – Sentient Institute & wards

in the light of the night – Alec hunts circle members to feed the angelic core 

the core of me belongs to you – Alec is the institute 

rituals & souls – Magnus summons an alec for himself after meeting the possibility of him 

to find, to yield – power imbalance, dominion magic

the frost of fury – competent Alec takes no shit in his institute

to break with fate – the circle wins 

all my fears forgotten – alec has amnesia 

like real people do – dragon!alec 

saint & sinners – shadowhunter!magnus & mentor/mentee

hoarfrost kiss on lips aflame – nephilim are more eldritch than mundane and it presents in the most chilling of ways

heartbeat like fire – sentinel!magnus & guide!alec 

spoils of war – Alec is a political hostage disguised as a groom 

devotion across worlds – Alec Trueblood (sentient shadows) is summoned to another universe and mistaken as an angel

marriage of inconvenience – Magnus marries Alec to save him from marrying Clary 

running from my dreams – alec has to work through past trauma when the Institute is poisoned 

walls of adoration, claws of desperation – Magnus and Alec are pre-canon secret relationship. alec is older in this fic, he's 7 years older than izzy and was raised by trueblood grandparents

bleed for desire – Magnus is king of the east coast and happily steps in to take care of newly born vampire Alec 

art of obsession – au of bleed for desire (instead alec ends up falling into Edom and Magnus decides to keep him there for a bit and go on vacation for a bit)  

your heart is full of jewels – alec is mistaken by mundanes as a sugar baby

an extension of you – alec is known as belonging to magnus' and that means something for downworlders

not all that glitters is gold – dragon!magnus with a lot of kink and monsterfucking

for you the world will burn – maryse isn't a good person, but she is a good mother and that is sometimes the more dangerous combinations

finders keepers – alec ends up in another universe and that magnus decides to keep him

feral sweetness, like honeycomb – incompetent shadowhunter and Alec deals with them and Magnus is there watching *its how they meet

soulfire – magnus summons another magnus bane to help him save his soulmate. magnus/alec/magnus

flames so cold they shatter – alec gets the lightwood family gift and remains the lightwood heir... and the only lightwood left

to tremble from your gaze – BDSM verse, dom!magnus and sub!alec

the craft of adoration– alec manipulates his way into magnus' arms

the most fragile of poisons – magnus pretends to be a damsel in distress, aka enjoying overprotective alec

undertow – kelpie!alec au with accidental courtship and BDSM

the treasure of kings – alec and magnus aren't impressed to find that lilith's son takes after his mother (aka wants to bang a lightwood)

the same sky – malec time travel to back a few years before canon, both of them

a warlock's hoard – a/b/o universe, omega/omega malec

to be or knot to be – a/b/o universe, alpha/alpha malec (look it was punny, i couldn't knot use it)

the worth of a life – asmodeus asks for the parabatai bond instead of magnus' magic to save jace

the desecration of souls – lilith has a claim to alec as her son thanks to valentine's experiments

the bonds i'd break – au of 'all your cracks i'll paint gold' where alec takes a chance and steal leaves nephilim/shadowhunter society but keeps his runes

guided by my unchained heart – alec resigns from the institute when jace is made hoti and goes to magnus

the taste of his magic – dragon!alec and magnus (he can shift into a cat) meet because alec can't keep his claws off of magnus' garden

(i'm trying to add some stuff but saeth will come back and fix it!)

[epitaffia]

#EPITAFFIA. an exploration in running from the ghosts of past , the rippling effects of a childhood that never was , & of self - acceptance & recovery.

this is a highly selective writing blog for the main antagonist of jojo's bizarre adventures part 5 , vento aureo ( with au verses available for pokemon & stardew valley ). headcanon heavy & canon divergent. please read the carrd before interacting due to triggering themes present. personals please dni. 20+ following only. revamped march 2024. adored by leaf ♡

[lazysadpotato-comix]

The Ripple Verse: !!BOY GENIUS!! CHAOS THEORY

Lil’ Miss Amour! AKA Amy LoveHeart

My first ever OC for volume 2: !!BOY GENIUS!! (and technically my first ever OC for the Wordgirl fandom in general)

Extra Doodles:

CW: a lot of no-no words ((one including the ���C-Word’ since Tobey is British and in his Tweenage years))

So to clarify:

No I’m not shipping my OC Amy LoveHeart with Tobey McCallister (she’s like 9 while he’s 13 and when he turns 18 she’ll be 14 so ew no thank you). I just wanted to make a villain oc that gets on Tobey’s and admittedly my own nerves

Info:

Amy/Lil’ Miss Amour is a 9-10 year old villain.

She moved into Fair City around the time Wordgirl left Earth when she was 7.

She became a Villain 2 years later around the time when 13 year old Tobey Mccallister took up the mantle as Fair City’s okayest “SOMEWHAT-A-hero” as a substitute for WordGirl’s Absence.

Amy gets a crush on any (cute) boy she sees IMMEDIATELY. She doesn’t have to know them, if they’re pretty, she likes them. And if she likes them, she forces them to like her back by using her powers. (Then forcing them to steal goods and treats she wants, uncaring if the boy is caught unless she doesn’t get what she wanted)

Tobey originally was safe from her (since she thought he was just ‘meh, not cute’). But then when he proved to be the only boy that couldn’t fall for her trance, magic, or potions, she fell for him. ((Now Tobey gets to feel what it’s like to be in WordGirl’s shoes when he was smitten with her when they were 10-11. Tobey hates the reminder of that time and he absolutely hates Lil’ Miss Amour with every FIBER OF HIS BEING—))

Her catchphrase is:

“Mon Amour LOVE BEAM!” (She’s Spanish but I misspelt her name Amor as Amour, so now there’s no going back, she’s bilingual now. And probably bisexual in the future—)

Her powers consist of:

Eyes that can manipulate others into falling in love with her/adoring her. Therefore, making them be under her every command (Alike to Mind Control but forcing the victim to love her)

Knowledge of alchemy (usually it’s just magic love potions)

Creating crystallized hearts by her magic wand (very fragile, looks like candy actually-)

Pink blasts that leaves her victims in a love struck daze/trance temporarily

Her powers grow stronger in later episodes, examples:

She can force people into or out of relationships

Emotional manipulation (I don’t mean the ‘abusive type of manipulation’, I mean she literally forces their emotions). Example: She can force people to feel anger, jealousy, hatred, etc.

I plan for her to be a recurring Villain in Season 2 for Tobey, and she’ll even make a few appearances in !!WORDGIRL!! Teen Spirit but she’s mostly around to ruin things when Becky tries to get closer to Tobey romantically, including one on one hangouts and attempted confessions (much to Becky’s frustration and Tobey’s growing hatred towards the little girl)

((The Ripple Verse is tagged so if you’re interested in my AU at all 👉👈 you can click it in the post tags and look more into it))

Reblogs and Replies/Comments are GREATLY appreciated!!

[thelensofyashunews]

Mach-Hommy Explores Diasporic Duality on New Album #RICHAXXHAITIAN

Mach-Hommy–the acclaimed and prolific artist who keeps his government name unpublished, maintains no social media presence, and covers his face with a bandana of the Haitian flag–releases #RICHAXXHAITIAN, his first solo studio album since 2021, out now on all platforms. Released in time for Haitian Flag Day (May 18th), #RICHAXXHAITIAN channels the troubled political evolution of Haiti, as well as its rich cultural inheritance. Galvanized by the country's turbulent past, Mach-Hommy presents a beacon towards a better future.

#RICHAXXHAITIAN is the fourth album in a tetralogy of albums that examine Mach-Hommy's relationship with his homeland and provide a wide-ranging account of how its issues intersect with problems facing the world at large. While the first album in the series, H.B.O. (Haitian Body Odor), reclaimed an ugly stereotype, and his two acclaimed 2021 albums, Pray For Haiti and Balens Cho (Hot Candles), chronicled hardship and recovery, #RICHAXXHAITIAN is a small musical panacea for his homeland amidst poverty and political strife, combating the public's negative images of Haiti by focusing on the greatness and prosperity of the country's diaspora. Over the course of the album, Mach-Hommy emphasizes the country's potential, strategizing ways that his troubled homeland could become an exemplar of Black cultural and economic excellence.

#RICHAXXHAITIAN draws from a variety of musical styles, welcoming producers like Grammy-winning producer Conductor Williams, along with Multi-Grammy-winning producer KAYTRANADA, Grammy-nominated producer Quelle Chris, longtime associate Sadhu Gold, and others, to indulge their most creative impulses. The album progresses from vintage samples from the pre-rock era to futuristic electronic, jazz, and soul music, sketching a potential path for Haiti to evolve from developing nation to Afro-Futurist paradise.

Last week's single, "#RICHAXXHAITIAN," a collaboration with KAYTRANADA and L.A. legend 03 Greedo, exemplifies Mach in the latter mode, using a house-inflected instrumental and an interpolation of Afrobeat legend Odion Iruoje's "Ikebe" to provide a luxurious platform for both emcees to flex their hard-earned wealth. Focus track "COPY COLD," produced by Quelle Chris, draws from the other end of the spectrum. The song features a guest verse from Black Thought, who has long praised Mach-Hommy and called him one of his favorite emcees, as both emcees unfurl some of their densest verses to date. Originally recorded as a demo during a difficult period of Mach's life, nearly ten years ago, Mach was inspired to dust off the old tape with the hopes of collaborating with an emcee of Black Thought's caliber on the track. Over Quelle Chris's rippling piano instrumental, the two rappers beat against the current mode of label-driven rap beef, instead elevating the art of the emcee with kindred spirit collaboration.

03 Greedo and Black Thought lead a long list of collaborators that make #RICHAXXHAITIAN one of Mach-Hommy's most ambitious albums to date. Mach connects with R&B/jazz luminary HEPHZIBAH on "SONJE," an Afro-Futurist and psychedelic highlight that approaches the dissonant highs of 70s jazz fusion. Buffalo-based activist/singer/songwriter Drea D'Nur graces "POLITickle" with her luminous vocals, putting a button on a song that directly comments on how global capitalism tramples culture and fosters poverty. Mach rolls out the red carpet for Roc Marciano on the brief, but brilliant "ANTONOMASIA," as the two underground heroes trade verses over big band jazz samples and tribal drums. Mach feels right at home when rapping with frequent collaborators like Your Old Droog, Tha God Fahim, and Big Cheeko, providing a familiar anchor for longtime fans and ice cold bars for anyone who might not be familiar with their chemistry.

Born in Newark and raised in Port-Au-Prince amongst the elders of his culture, Mach-Hommy has always strongly identified with his home country's struggle, and his people's resilience. Haiti was the world's first Black republic formed as the result of a successful slave revolt. The Caribbean nation's very existence was a thumb in the nose of white supremacy, heralding the gleaming potential of Black self-government in the new world. Of course, the colonial powers could not let this stand: shortly after Haiti won independence, its former colonial overlord France levied a punitive tax, designed to cripple the young nation's economy and prevent it from growing into a power in the Caribbean. Still, despite the various man-made and natural disasters that have plagued the island nation over the centuries, the people of Haiti have grown strong, developing an influential cultural tradition and a vibrant diaspora, of which Mach-Hommy is a proud member. 

Attempting to transform our modern dystopia into a utopia using only his rhymes and force of will, Mach-Hommy invites us all, from his most loyal investors to his freshest fans, to imagine a brand new world. With #RICHAXXHAITIAN, that seemingly impossible dream creeps ever closer.

“I’ve always wanted to rep for Haiti and the cultural and intellectual richness we’ve provided the world,” Mach-Hommy says. “From our musical styles like kontradans  that have influenced world music, our natural resources which provide so much raw  material for so many important advancements in technology, our thinkers that  pioneered philosophical movements and Black pride, and our spiritual leaders who  kept the religious traditions of Guinea alive and intact, the religious traditions of Ayiti….” 

Buy #RICHAXXHATIAN on vinyl, CD, and cassette at Zotanica

[housewarningparty]

I've seen like one episode of Buffy maybe but I've watched most of Angel including the episodes that had Faith in them and I feel I understand the concept of Buffy the show and the character, anyway should I read Faith/Buffy fanfic and if so which ones?

god okay i REALLY think you should watch buffy though. i mean, i'm remarkably biased because it's one of my all-time favorite shows, but if you have the time and even the slightest bit of interest i'd recommend at least season 3 (IDEALLY. season 2 + 3 because they are very much part of one big conversation, but if you can only commit to one thing then i'd say prioritize s3 for the faith arc).

BUT you didn't ask me about that, you asked me if you should read faith/buffy fanfic so - yeah! yes. there's a lot out there that's SO good, of course you should read it.

i think ground-up AUs are good for this bc you can read them with basically no knowledge of the source (i mean. it's enhanced by source knowledge, but you can get by without) for this I'd recommend the no-powers college AU 2001 by @morningsound15, which does an incredible job of translating the important parts of the characters and their relationships and hang-ups and issues to a world where they aren't wrapped up in supernatural shenanigans.

Aside from that, I think there are a few season-rewrites that are pretty accessible if you've got a basic working understanding of the show and the characters. Some of my favorites are:

Coexist by @coraniaid which is a lovely (and recently completed!) canon-divergence AU that explores what would change if it was Giles, not Jenny Calendar, who was killed by Angelus in season 2. It's a rare type of AU that consistently surprises me with how intricate and thoughtful it is in exploring the ripple effects of such a huge change and it does some great character work with both Faith and Buffy.

to hold off the lightning by @episode5s which is a season 3 AU that picks up about halfway through s3. Again we get some really amazing character work (the character voice here is just insanely good) with a lot of amazing fallout from another canon-divergence point - what if Faith was able to be walked back from the ledge after killing Allen Finch? It's a tricky proposition - I genuinely think a lot of the best parts of Faith's character arc are tied into the fact that she has her heel turn and goes dark, but here the author is able to preserve all the best of the tension and trauma of that arc, while still allowing things to play out differently. Incredible slowburn romance here, too.

Finally, I'd be remiss to write a fuffy fic rec list without touching on a truly inspirational all-timer from one of the fandom's best and most prolific writers: the Vengeance verse fics by @aliceinwondrbra. The series begins with Vengeance a Wishverse AU - season 4 Buffy meets an alternate universe version of Faith that didn't go dark and experiences a belated gay awakening in the course of working together. The sequel, Hypnopompia, is where things really take off for me - back in her universe, Buffy is determined to help Faith. There's a ton of great stuff here: shared coma dreams, Faith redemption, a really great exploration of Faith and Buffy's sexuality and related traumas. Alice is one of the best in the biz when it comes to voice - absolute, total pro. I read this fic like two years ago and it changed my brain. Left me feeling like "wow, I want to write something that will make other people feel the way I felt reading this" and I don't know if I've done that yet, but I'm gonna keep trying.

ALL those fics are great and I can't recommend them enough. Luckily for you, if you want to get into this, the fandom has been going strong for years and there's a ton of good stuff out there I haven't linked here. There's plenty to discover. Enjoy!

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Friday, April 26

WOMAN: (holds out her hands, Buffy hands over the scythe) You pulled it out of the rock. I was one of those who put it in there. BUFFY: What is it? WOMAN: (admires the scythe) A weapon. A scythe. Forged in secrecy for one like you who - I'm sorry. What's your name? BUFFY: Buffy. WOMAN: No, really. (Buffy shrugs in response.)

~~End of Days~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

Spin the Bottle by Enigmatist (Angel, Spike, not rated)

Spin the Bottle where Angel doesn't quite remember everything by enigmatist17 (Angel, Spike, unrated)

Just a fun idea that hit me after watching the shitshow that is [ATS] season 3 by enigmatist17 (Angel, Spike, unrated)

[Chaptered Fiction]

VAMPIRE MOON - Ch. 1 by phanchester (Spike/Oz, unrated)

Secret Obsession - Ch. 5-7 by Maxine Eden (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

So It Goes... - Ch. 2 by scratchmeout (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

A Ripple In Time - Ch. 10 by CheekyKitten (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Green Eyed Monster - Ch. 5 by Melme1325 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Angel Doesn’t Know - Ch. 4 by fortes775 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Aim High - Ch. 1 by Buffyworldbuilder (Buffy centered, Stargate xover, FR13)

Sanguinaccio Dolce - Ch. 3 by SarielLunar (Xander centered, Hannibal xover, FR21)

You Have Died of Dysentery - Ch. 1 by Girlytek (Buffy/Spike, R)

So It Goes... - Ch. 2 by scratchmeout (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Sculpture of Dance - Ch. 14 by Desicat (Buffy/Spike, R)

[Images, Audio & Video]

Gifset: BIANCA LAWSON as KENDRA YOUNG Buffy the Vampire Slayer - 2.09 | 2.10 | 2.21 by whatisyourchildhoodtrauma (Kendra, Buffy, worksafe)

Gifset: Happymess by Atmosphere. by andremichaux (Buffy/Faith, worksafe)

Moodboard: Drusilla - Buffy the vampire slayerby awinterrosesstuff (Drusilla, worksafe)

Moodboard: Spike - Buffy the vampire slayerby awinterrosesstuff (Spike, worksafe)

Gifset: older!fuffy + warm colors... by sunbelieved (Buffy/Faith, worksafe)

Gifset: Good Luck, Babe! Chappell Roan by williamprattz (Buffy/Cordelia, worksafe)

Artwork (zine): Newest addition to zines I’ve made about Buffy the Vampire Slayer. by ghoulierstudio (worksafe)

Gifset: It’s not her. She’s gone. Where’d she go? by michaun (Anya, Scoobies, Buffy, Joyce, worksafe)

Gifset: i dream of cracking locks - guilty as sin, taylor swift by thatonekimgirl (Buffy/Angel, NSFW for canon scenes)

Artwork (jewelry): So. I made some earrings... by magis-ghast (Spike)

Gifset: for a fortnight there, we were forever... by clarkgriffon (Buffy/Spike, NSFW for canon scenes)

Gifset: wesley & lilah + text angel script "tomorrow" written by david greenwalt... by gothamstreetcat (Wesley/Lilah, NSFW for canon scenes)

Textpost: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Textposts 2 Part 1 by ofteaandsparrows (Drusilla, Faith, Spuffy, Giles, worksafe)

Textpost: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Textposts by ofteaandsparrows (Angel, Anya, Buffy, worksafe)

Gifset: 2.22 | 6.22 by summersblood (Buffy, Spike, worksafe)

Gifset: Buffy the Vampire Slayer 2.21 "Becoming: Part 1" | 5.07 "Fool for Love" by spikedaily (Drusilla, Spike, worksafe)

Fanmix: love's bitch - an updated buffy/spike playlist by sonnywithachanceofrollins (Buffy/Spike)

Artwork: "The Verse" Design by burnmeup82 (worksafe)

Artwork: Found this in my art gallery. A piece i made a looong time ago. Thoughts? by sahinduezguen (ATS ensemble, worksafe)

[Recs & In Search Of]

ISO: witchy-aunt seeks Buffy x reader fics on tumblr

[Community Announcements]

[Poll related] Round 2 has started! by bestepisode

[Fandom Discussions]

thinking about a btvs leverage au. Buffy would be the hitter... by finalgirl1984

Thinking about some Spike x Xander headcanons by felixsfishnets

Someone explain to me the Xander/Willow/Oz situation in Becoming Part 2. by theredpharaoah

The officer just shooting at Buffy in Becoming Part 2….very on brand. by theredpharaoah

so not only did cordelia and xander break up (not exactly a shocker) but she's STILL in buffy's weirdo gang? by sunnydale-high-school-rumors

They fumbled Xander’s lie so bad. Xander’s lie should’ve drove a wedge through the Scoobies. by theredpharaoah

Becoming Part 2 is so funny because Buffy’s only losing to Angelus because... by theredpharaoah

I think Faith punishing herself by doing time in prison was really dumb. by theredpharaoah

Do you think when Faith and Buffy switched bodies Faith had even realised it was Buffy in her body yet when she punched? by mybuffysittersavampireslayer

[Buffy bingo card] submitted by: @three-blogs-in-a-trenchcoat by jesus-allegory-bingo

Anya and Spike should have interacted and bonded more. by finalgirl1984

POLL: which side scooby would you be to defeat the monster of the week? by mybuffysittersavampireslayer

POLL: Round 1 Poll 9 by btvsepisodetournament

POLL: Which episode is better? Darla vs Salvage by bestepisode

Sos: Was Giles a Good Father Figure? updated by thetopher

Parallels between S3 and S6 Premiere by Hellmouthgaurdian

Willow and Tara [money in S6] by Sculder_1013

Top Five Couples [poll update] by Past-Throat-6788

Recasting the show [alternate casting in the 90s] by Lobothehobosexual

if you could put one F-Bomb in the whole series where would you put it? by azzfro

Buffy The Vampire Slayer Movie [reboot ideas] by Walbucks89

Is there a reason Buffy didn't get assigned a watcher? [in S6] by Tsole96

What would have happened if [Angel] had not been resurrected? by FoxIndependent4310

Kathy [Buffy's roomate] by AnxietyOctopus

New Buffy Books by Disney by Optimal_Equivalent72

Just finished the Buffyverse (shows) for the first time [and questions] by Moonycoves

When does the show really click for you? [ATS] by sad-shopworker

The writers slipped up… [David can sing] by burnmeup82

[Articles, Interviews, and Other News]

Article: Buffy: Young Blood - The American Society of Cinematographers [via Buffy Forums user Priceless]

Submit a link to be included in the newsletter!

Join the editor team :)

[syneilesis]

[fic] Grading papers

Grading papers

Ikemen Prince | Part of Cybird University 'verse | Chevalier Michel x Reader | T | 905 words ao3 link

Home slippers on, you pad towards the living room to discover Chevalier on the couch, reading glasses on, a paper on his hand and a stack of the same beside him, wearing the most remarkable frown you have ever seen in the entire time you’ve known him. The ends of his brows are so pulled down that you’re afraid that they’ll be stuck there permanently. Not that his scowling face is ugly, of course, but he’s just as beautiful if not more when smiling.

A/N: I mentioned this once before, but I wanted to write a self-indulgent college/university AU for ikeseries. It's just going to be a low-stakes writing exercise, to de-stress from the major fic projects (i.e., novelist AU, ocean water fic, Kanetsugu fic). Reader will always be (unless indicated) of unspecified gender. I will write for other characters too, when the mood strikes.

The first fic for this verse is, of course, about Chevalier 😂 I don't know how to write fluff; this is the extent of fluff I can write lmao. Also, sorry for the corniest ending – I didn't know how to end the fic lol

The apartment is quiet when you open the front door, dim but with enough light at the end of the hallway for you to see a pair of oxfords arranged neatly on the top of the shoe rack. A smile creeps onto your lips without your bidding, soft warmth spreading from your chest, which tempts you to just shake off your own shoes. You refrain from the urge, knowing that he wouldn’t be amused about it.

Home slippers on, you pad towards the living room to discover Chevalier on the couch, reading glasses on, a paper on his hand and a stack of the same beside him, wearing the most remarkable frown you have ever seen in the entire time you’ve known him. The ends of his brows are so pulled down that you’re afraid that they’ll be stuck there permanently. Not that his scowling face is ugly, of course, but he’s just as beautiful if not more when smiling.

You place your bag on the adjacent couch, your eyes never leaving him. “Is it their arguments this time?”

Chevalier doesn’t spare you a glance; he encircles something in the paper with the fountain pen you’d gifted him five years ago. You’d agonized over what to give him for his birthday at the time. Chevalier’s the sort of person who has everything, and you were desperate to make a good impression that you resorted to consulting Clavis of all people.

In the end, you decided on something elegant but useful.

“It’s obvious that this one didn’t read the assigned cases,” Chevalier says after a few moments. Then he immediately clicks his tongue and underlines a whole paragraph.

You peek into the paper, and have to suppress a wince. The margins are filled with comments, the body peppered with copyediting symbols – it’s a bloodbath. Silently you send a thought for the poor student who’ll receive that paper next week.

“Could’ve been worse,” you say, circling around the couch to approach him from behind. “They could’ve inserted another Please marry me after I graduate Professor in the essay. I still remember the exact moment Dean Sariel’s blood pressure rose.”

That had been an interesting week. Everyone in Chevalier’s department knows that despite his cold and ruthless personality, he’s still a popular professor in the university. Students have to fight each other to get a slot in his courses. His ice-prince reputation doesn’t deter them in the slightest. You suspect that some students fail his course on purpose to retake it next year. When asked about it, Chevalier would just glare, frown, and roll his eyes.

One had been bold enough to insert such sentence in their essay. You were there the moment Chevalier read the words. It was like watching a critical scene in slow motion: his eyebrows shooting up, eyes blinking twice before widening, glasses sliding down his nose, expression slack; then, as if flipping a switch, his face rippled into an offended scowl, storming out of the apartment and marching straight to the dean’s office. You’d been worrying over what he’d do, so you scrambled after him.

(The day Chevalier returned the papers, he made the class go through the most excruciating recitation known to man. Some didn’t survive, some returned a changed person; even today alumni and seniors still talk about That Incident in whispers, as if Chevalier has eyes and ears everywhere [which: possible].)

Chevalier ignores you and continues to grade the paper. In the years you’ve been together, you’re already used to his cold tendencies. Although he’s not an affectionate person, you can feel his love in other ways.

You press your hands on the backrest, flanking Chevalier’s head. “Why didn’t you ask your TAs to help you with grading?”

“There was no need. I can finish this tonight.”

Very efficient, very competent. Very grumpy. You grin at the crown of his head.

“If you need moral support –”

“I don’t.”

“– then I’m just here, at your beck and call.”

There’s a minuscule pause, fleeting, and if it wasn’t for your proximity you wouldn’t have noticed it. But you did, and that reassures you to proceed with your plan.

Your hands slide down to his shoulders, encircling him. Chevalier gives no indication of resistance or anything at all, so you press further, bending down to bring your face near his. Playfully, you say, “How about I give you a kiss on the cheek, for motivation?”

You tilt your head to do so, but in a surprise twist, Chevalier turns his head so your lips smack against his. You blink, caught off-guard. His eyes are bluer through the lens of his glasses, his forehead smooth and absent of creases.

He moves slightly for a better angle then closes his eyes, nibbles on your lower lip. When he retreats, Chevalier wears a look so smug you can’t do anything except to laugh helplessly and fondly.

“Did that motivate you?”

“Hardly. You just have to stay and keep trying.”

You grin at that, your heart brimming with such affection for this man. “Guess I should,” you say, unable to keep the softness and warmth in your voice.

Chevalier transfers the stack of papers to the coffee table as you settle beside him, leaning on his shoulder while he goes back to the essay. He snakes his free arm around you, pulling you firmly against him, and then it’s back to being quiet again.

Quiet, but warm.

⇼

Endnotes:

1. I wasn't able to include it in the fic, but you (reader-chan) work at the ministry of foreign affairs. You met some years ago because the ministry consulted Chevalier about something related to his expertise (he's a professor of International Relations, with specialization in int'l law). You worked directly with Chevalier, and the sincerity and diligence with which you conduct your work had made an impression on him.

2. Chevalier currently supervises three graduate students, one of whom Clavis annoys regularly.

3. Once, Chevalier crossed swords with Professor Kenshin from the history department (they're both kendo/fencing enthusiasts). It was the talk of the campus for a whole month. It even made the front page of the student newspaper.

4. After reading that please marry me professor essay, Chevalier stormed into Sariel's office and announced that he was going to fail a student for not taking his course seriously. Sariel had to convince Chevalier that there's a better way to handle the matter; thus, The Recitation Incident came to be.

5. You and Chevalier have been living together for three years now.

[phoenixcatch7]

I'm making a persona 5 au of svsss (au in that it was the modern world that was the au, and sy brought something along with him), and I'm having a lot of fun with it!

Sy dies the same way as in canon, but this time as the leader/a member of the Chinese branch of phantom thieves (when and how a Chinese branch was made can be handwaved). He's a fellow wild card, a fool arcana, he's got third eye and a fully realised but unawakened persona.

When he awakes in sqq's body, he starts on as canon, but starts to notice strange fluctuations on qj that indicate the presence of the meta verse - and not only that, but a palace. The system notices the mysterious appearance of a new program it can't delete - the meta nav.

Without the key words, however, Sqq can't get in. He can't find who it belongs to, nor what it might be. One thing is for certain though: lbh cannot find out. The blackened protagonist with free reign of the meta verse? An undoubtedly powerful persona of his own?? It'd be the breakdown incidents all over again! He wouldn't stand a chance!

It takes a lot of arguing with the system about narrative directions and plot holes for it to not direct him to the nearest ripple in reality. In dreams, igor agrees (he has a lot to say about his new situation, but Sqq kinda ignores it).

Then, one day, he finds a fluctuation strong enough to fit a human, and slips right through, his scifi fantasy ninja outfit appears in flames, and he is faced with the distortion of qing jing peak - roiling dark clouds, bamboo towering impossibly far over his head, brown leaves thick on the ground and a thunderous gong ringing from somewhere down the path.

A coliseum.

Screams ring out, metal clashes, beasts roar.

And standing in front of the metal grill gate, tall and bedazzled in riches and more unmarked than shen yuan has ever seen him, is shen qingqiu.

-

What is persona if not themes of the inner self and fighting literal inner demons and learning to love, both yourself and others, and overcoming tragedy?

There are some things I'm still unsure of, but I really want to explore the idea of the ghost of sj lingering on, still haunting the narrative and how that affects everyone. Normally, when a palace ruler is killed, their palace crumbles as well, but with Sqq still walking around and the systems intervention with his soul (having not died then in canon) the original goods wouldn't be fully gone.

The soul is! It's not sjs ghost, but rather his shadow. Real souls cannot live in the meta verse. But with the real deal gone, sy would be unable to affect him in order to make his way through the palace to the treasure the way a normal heist would go. Instead, he'd have to learn about sj himself, uncovering secrets and dispelling rumours. As the new Sqq, he would have to change his perspective and uncover the story behind the scum villain in order to progress. Remove the distorted perspective from himself.

Mini bosses would be a bad faith interpretation of yqy from sjs perspective, qiu haitang as she was at the manor. Enemies would be the coliseum guards and jailers, the shadow populace qj disciples in general misery, often forced to fight each other or monsters as sj watches on from the top seat. Nyy would sit with him. Poor shadow lbh would be a prime gladiator slave, suffering constant defeat. Sin: envy. I really want to focus on the fact he is both abuser and survivor, and his 'I suffered, thus so should you' thing. A bit like p5 strikers in that.

The plot would be basically Sqq handling both the canon events of svsss and also his investigation into sj, tracing paper trails of slave documents, hunting for potential secrets in the bamboo house, learning about the ghost backstab incident from lqg (which leads him to airplane), building up the courage to go down and talk to the brothel ladies, carefully teasing bits of history out of yqy. Also beating up shadows with a jojo stand and a .7 calibre sniper rifle he can fire like an automatic in his spare time. (if you don't know, persona lets you hold shadows at gunpoint for cash and items, but also flirt, threaten and bribe. Also you can ambush them and sometimes collect them like pokemon it's fun.)

The final battle would have the palace ruler sj transform into his final form (I'm thinking something with chains) but there absolutely has to be a human duel for the first phase, xiu ya to xiu ya. The surrendering of the crown would end in a hug, and sj performing a sincere but bastardised version of the peak lord crowning ceremony before he dissipates, and the coliseum starting to crumble and burn. As for the treasure... In the distorted world, an elaborate peak lord ceremonial crown, in the real world, an old, worn hair ribbon.

If I wrote it, I'd probably keep it shorter. Just the one palace, maybe sqh awakens his persona by virtue of being squirrelly and getting on his last nerve™. I'm thinking of the 'what don't I dare when it comes to you?!' because if that isn't a persona awakening scene I don't know what is. Conquering the bamboo palace would free qj from some 'unnamable' dark cloud and just in time to push lbh in the abyss (the palace time limit bring that sjs spirit would cruelly push lbh into the abyss rather than sy doing it (and being kinder about it)).

If it was longer, more persona users would awaken, despite sqq's best attempts. Liu qingge, ning yingying, shang qinghua obviously, gongyi xiao, zhuzhi lang maybe (they'd both live). A real motley crew. There'd be more palaces along the journey, each with it's own deadline - old palace master, lbh (though his palace would have the gimmick of being actually xin mo's), tianlang Jun, qiu haitang. Sj would still be the overarching palace, this time being the only one without a deadline maybe, and the story would end with a 'not sj' reveal for the new phantom thieves (with a side order of 'we already know and care for you anyway').

A sequel would be shorter: sy visits qiong ding for the first time since its all calmed down and realises that the distortions of a palace are still there, that they weren't a product of the bamboo palace. Yqy has a palace (because you can't tell me that man is mentally well). For a side of angst maybe the sy reveal was more open secret for the need to knows rather than strictly 'whoever witnessed two identical versions of Sqq trying to kill each other' and Yqy develops the palace as a result of not taking that well.

In comparison to the others, Yqy is the strongest cultivator alive, has been sitting on a soul deep distortion and trauma for decades since childhood, recently went through a heartbreaking reveal pointed directly at every single one of those issues, and oh yeah, has his soul directly bound to xuan su.

His palace's difficulty level is nightmarish. The corrupt version of the lingxi caves is a terrifying subterranean crawl through blood soaked caverns and bottomless pits. The gimmick is that near everything wants to suck your soul out. The only saving grace is that distortions are not inherently malicious, and they manage to lever that to their advantage. Unlike the others, yqys palace does not focus on him abusing his power over others - quite the opposite, in fact.

Through murals, echoing voices, and what sy and sqh remember, they piece together his own heart demons. It's scary - outwardly, the sect leader is fine, clear headed, going about his days just fine. The bloodied caverns he sees the world through tell a different story. To gain access it's a long process of easing out stories, working through his deeply ingrained self reliance, helping him work up to confessing the truth of xuan su. Not only to xiao jius shrine, but to his closest martial siblings as well, allowing him to be vulnerable and protected as he never has been.

But Yqy follows them into the palace, curious as to why they visit his peak every day. It's unstable, very dangerous for a person to meet their shadow, but it's too late. Yqy meets his shadow self, small and furious and stuck through with a thousand swords he uses to his advantage, and does the impossible.

A palace ruler awakens a persona.

Even as a trained group, the life force powered xuan su boosted shadow is too strong - they've already failed to defeat it once. Yue qingyuan, breathing grief like air but finally ready to heal, stands for himself. Rips off the smiling mask he's been hiding behind since he was five years old and freshly a big brother. His persona is magnificent.

And just in time, too, because, uh, turns out the meta verse is the systems doing, this time. And it's evil. I'm thinking a giant brainwashing vr-esque super computer. And they defeat it with the power of friendship and also lucifer.

[samwpmarleau]

fic snippet: as foam upon the sea

meant for @fleurdelouvemonth but regrettably i don’t expect that the full fic will be done within the next two days and i’m already over a week behind the mermaid au prompt day this was supposed to be for (although elements of it apply to the days this week heyo), so i’m posting a piece from the middle of it to show that i participated. i haven’t written for either of these characters before so i really hope this isn’t trash, and if you notice logistical or geographical tomfoolery no you don’t

So abruptly she nearly knocks her head into his, Barnes stops. He searches the horizon — for what, she doesn’t know — his eyes narrowing beneath a growing frown. She treads water beside him, attempting to sense what he apparently does, but all she sees is what she doesn’t see. Just gently rippling blackness meeting an equally black sky broken up only by the pinpricks of starlight and the crescent moon high above.

“What is it?” she whispers.

He had said his arm could sense electro-whatever; maybe that’s happening now, maybe there’s a shark headed their way or something. Though, she doesn’t think Barnes would be quite so on edge if it were as mundane a thing as a shark. And that’s assuming a shark would even bother with them when it could have a much easier time finding different prey.

“I don’t know,” he murmurs. With a quiet shink, he withdraws a knife and hands it to her, then reaches for the boltgun strapped across his back.

She has about a dozen questions, but the tension and alertness rolling off him in waves keeps her from voicing any of them. She nervously adjusts and readjusts her grip on the knife, thoroughly unused to wielding such a utensil for any purpose besides cutting nets, cooking, or opening boxes.

Out of nowhere, Barnes snaps his head towards a specific point, no longer having a vague sense of danger. He shoves her roughly behind him, but not soon enough, and Sarah cries out as she feels a searing pain in her side. There’s still nothing above water that she can see; the shot had come from somewhere beneath. She feels another projectile whiz by, but it ricochets off Barnes’s metal arm before it can reach her. Which is where her perception of anything beneath her stops, for Barnes ducks beneath the water. There is nowhere nearby to retreat to, not even a piece of driftwood to use as a meager defense. All Sarah can do is float where she is, not draw further attention to herself, and try not to think about how much she’s bleeding from whatever laceration had been made.

She can’t tell whether it’s a minute or an hour that passes without a single indication of Barnes returning, which brings an entirely new fear to mind: whether he will return, and what it would mean for her if he doesn’t. If he’s been shot, if he’s been killed, if he’s been captured, at best she’ll be stranded in the middle of the ocean with an inventory of a single knife. Worse, HYDRA — and it must be them, of that she has no doubt — will kill her, too.

“You’re gonna be fine,” she tells herself, as if saying it aloud will make it true. “Everything is gonna be fine. This is just your typical aquatic assassination attempt, no problem.”

While it doesn’t lessen her pessimism much, it does at least help keep her focused on something other than sheer fear. She knows all too well how paralyzing fear can be, and that is the last thing she needs right now.

Shutting her eyes, she starts to hum a lullaby Titi used to sing. She can’t remember the words anymore, but she remembers the tune.

She gets a few verses in when she jerks back with a shriek, brandishing her knife at the movement she feels by her feet.

“Watch it!” hisses the movement, whose voice she identifies as Barnes. Wisely, he plucks the knife from her hand and returns it to its sheath.

“What happened?” she asks, hit with a waterfall of relief. She wishes she could see more than vague silhouettes. “That was HYDRA?”

“Yeah,” Barnes says, “They must’ve used some kind of heat signature tracking. Or maybe they caught sight of me back at the beach and dispatched divers to the area they thought I’d go. I don’t think they know exactly where, or they’d have sent more than a few guys armed with spearguns.”

That had to have been what she was grazed with, then, a speargun arrow. She can’t say she’s ever had that before, though she knows it happens back home every now and then, usually to stupid kids not paying attention to what they’re doing.

Of course, she’s fairly certain none of those stupid kids were shot by HYDRA spearguns. She gets the dubious honor of being the first.

“So what now? Are there going to be more where they came from? Do they have beacons or something they could’ve activated?”

“Likely,” Barnes says. He refastens her rope to himself. “We have to go. Once HYDRA notices their divers aren’t moving from this spot, they’ll come. With reinforcements.”

Great.

“So how are we supposed to get out of here?”

“I’ll have to dive.”

“Not all of us can hold their breath for as long as you can. How do you expect me to —”

“I don’t have time to explain.”

“Explain what?”

Barnes answers by cupping her face in his hands and kissing her full on the mouth. Before she can ask him what the hell he thinks he’s doing or push him off her, she feels an odd, though not unpleasant, tingling in her lips. A warm burn slides its way into her lungs, as though she’s taken a swig from high-shelf whiskey.

The burn lingers as Barnes drags her beneath the surface of the water. Only then does he pull away, leaving her to panic at the sensation of having no air left in her lungs. That is, until she realizes that she doesn’t need to breathe. As Barnes swims away, the rope connecting them keeping her at pace, Sarah does her best to get her bearings.

Regrettably, for all that she seems to have temporarily acquired Barnes’s breathing ability, that hasn’t affected her eyesight or cognitive processing — she can make out some shapes, but for the most part everything they pass is a complete blur.

Once she gets over the novelty of the breathing part, the unnerving part of being along for the ride settles in. She hadn’t thought much about mermaid locomotion, but if she had, she doesn’t think she’d have banked on them being able to swim this fast. Not that she has a speedometer, but she’s sat seatbelt-less in the bed of a truck barreling down the freeway plenty of times, and this feels much the same. Only more wet. Needless to say, she grips the harness like her life depends on it — which, really, it does.

She also wishes that that kiss — or whatever it was — from Barnes helped with temperature as well, for while it doesn’t seem like they’re going deeper anymore, she’s fucking cold. Solely the fear of being tracked by an evil organization keeps her from tapping Barnes on the shoulder and asking if they could possibly swim a few dozen meters higher.

She puts up with it, knowing the alternative is tempting lethal fate. After a while, she nearly manages to fall asleep, such is her adrenaline crash and the steady fluidity of Barnes’s movements. She’s groggy when finally they stop, some sort of partially enclosed outcrop whose features she can just make out in the burgeoning sunrise. Barnes sets her on the rock and triple-checks both the entrance and surroundings.

Unfortunately, she discovers, the end feels much like the beginning, complete with the sensation of having no air even though now there is plenty of it. Is it possible to suffocate when there’s air to be had? Did Barnes merely delay her death sentence?

Apparently hearing her distress, he approaches with mild concern in his expression amongst the usual cagey neutrality, but his voice is calm as he instructs, “Force it. The air, you have to force it.”

The thought feels impossible. “I — can’t —”

“You can.” He places his hands lightly on her shoulders. “Breathe, Sarah.”

It’s the first time he’s said her name, she realizes, which all by itself is nearly enough to startle her out of her predicament. The touching takes care of the rest; up until now, their only contact has been of necessity, not comfort or even friendliness.

It’s a shaky breath that she draws into her lungs but a breath nonetheless, and once she’s done it, she gulps down as much as she possibly can. The pain in her chest slowly dissipates.

“Are you okay?” Barnes asks.

“Yeah I — I think so. Did you know it was that awful to come out of it?”

“No. I’ve never been around for that part.”

Now that she no longer is suffocating and they’re out of imminent danger, she wonders about the mechanics of the whole thing. “How’d you do it?”

“Something to do with the regenerative properties of the serum, it slows hypoxia. That’s what I was told, anyway.”

“Then why did it feel like I couldn’t breathe?”

“Because,” he says, “if you hold it too long, your body wants to keep the air it has left. It doesn’t realize it doesn’t have to until you force it.”

“That was too long?” she asks. “How long did we swim?”

“Bit over two hours, I think.”

“Two —”

He’d told her he could dive for an hour and a half, two hours maybe. And while with his enhanced strength she must not weigh much, she still weighs something. She takes stock of him, seeing only now that he looks exhausted, his own breath coming in heavier than normal. Never mind the exertion from fighting the combatants and what looks like a nasty gash over his eye dripping blood down the side of his face. He doesn’t appear bothered by it, but she’s been around him enough by this point to know he’s not the kind of person to admit to injury. Who knows what else he might’ve sustained?

Ultimately, she supposes the specifics of it all don’t matter and, frankly, she doesn’t have the patience for any more of a science lesson at the moment. Barnes himself may not even know the full scope. Really, she should celebrate the fact that he’s spoken more to her in the last two minutes than he has the last few days combined.

“So, how’d you figure it out, this breath-sharing thing?” she asks instead. “Got a history of saving damsels in distress, do you?”

She’d meant it as a joke, but a shadow passes over Barnes’s face. “No.”

“Then how —”

“Let me see where you were hit,” he interrupts. “You’re bleeding pretty badly.”

She looks down to see a wide bloom of red is indeed staining her shirt. The pain has become more of a throbbing nuisance than the acute sharpness it was before, though she’s not sure whether that’s a good or bad thing.

Sarah lifts up the hem of her shirt, and immediately wishes she hadn’t. It looks much worse than she thought it would. It still counts as a graze, she’d say, in the grand scheme of things, but an inch further and she’d have a hole straight through her abdomen.

“Seawater is healing,” she says with feeble confidence. It is, but she’s fairly certain this is too big of a wound for that to apply to.

“Stay here,” Barnes directs. “I’ll be back soon.”

He’s gone before she can ask where he’s going, disappearing under the water as quietly as always. She lets out a sigh. One of these days she’s going to make him give her an explanation before darting off.