#there are so many ways this AU could go but I thought exploring the beginning would be interesting

[sideeve]

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀LITTLE MISS PERFECT

synopsis : getting homosexual tendencies for her best friend? absolutely not!

note : i just started playing tlou2 again and my love for abby and ellie blossomed again. naughty dog knew what they were doing

ft. : questioning homosexuality, internalized homophobia, non-apocalyptic au, implied smut but not that descriptive, ellie already has a crush on reader but it’s not really described until they kiss and what not.

you search through the rack of bras, lazily looking for one that at least looks fitting. you huff, starting to lose hope. your hands stop at one. a black lacy one, which if your wore, would cover nothing. it reminded you of that erotic video you found went internet surfing.

two women alone together, exploring each other’s bodies. their tongues acting like a paintbrush and their bodies were canvases, covered in saliva.

you press your lips together, trying to push down the tingling in your body. you can’t be gay. you literally have a crush on that ABC news host.

“[name], honey? did you find one yet?” your mother asks, messing with the displayed jewelry. “no, there’s nothing here.” you sigh, hiding the bra in the rack.

you had no problem with homosexuality. hell, your whole search history is the complete opposite of heterosexuality. your best friend is a lesbian. but there is no way you’re gay. that’s…just not you.

after many of those “are you gay” tests, your answers remain the same. ‘you’re most definitely a lesbian, babes’.

you lay on ellie’s bed, blindly flipping through one of her many comic books. you blow raspberry, getting bored a little. “what?” she diverts her eyes from her TV for a second before tending back to her game.

“nothing.” you flip a few more pages until your eyes land on a certain panel. two girls in close proximity, lips ghosting over each other. you swallow a large lump, trying to push away the thoughts again.

but now you can only think of you in that situation. curled up next to a girl, her hand rubbing softly on your waist.

you try to picture what she would look like, only seeing your best friend’s face. you groan, rolling on your back.

“ellie?” she hums in response. you fiddle with your thumbs before asking the question. “how did you know you were gay?”

her game pauses. “what?” she looks at you before her eyes travels to her opened comic book. “ooooh.” she laughs, picking up the book. “you picked the one i didn’t want you to get.” she closes the book, stuffing it under her bed.

she leans back, propping herself up with her arms. “ i dunno. i just…” she shrugs, “never pictured myself with a guy. and you know, boobies.”

you softly hit her, making her laugh. “i’m serious, ellie. i think i might be gay. lesbian, bi-i don’t know!” you groan, stuffing your face in your hands.

“i mean, why don’t you?” she lays on her side, looking at you. “that ABC news host.”

“David Muir?”

you nod, making her scoff. “do you have a crush on any guy at job?” she twirls a strand of your hair in her fingers. “god no. they all look like troglodytes.” you grimace at the thought of liking them.

“can you picture yourself marrying a man for the rest of your life?”

that question made your stomach drop. you feel bile pile up in your throat. ‘yes, you can’ you try to convince yourself.

“no, i guess not.” you give a slight frown at your answer, looking down.

“hey, it’s normal. not everyone is straight. and you sure aren’t.” she laughs. “oh shut it!” you huff.

she stops laughing after a while. “well, let’s kiss to see if you are gay.” she suggest so nonchalantly. kiss? your best friend?

“uhhhh..” “if you don’t like it, we don’t have to ever talk about it.”

you look at her, contemplating whether you should go through with this. you couldn’t deny that ellie was very attractive. you could say that she was your “gay awakening”. they way she was naturally flirty with you was the beginning of the questioning phase for you.

“let’s do it.” you sit on your legs, waiting for her to kiss you.

she gives you a soft smile, getting up.

“you sure?” she questions, not wanting this to go wrong. you nod.

she takes a deep breath, putting her hand on your cheek to pull you in.

your skin ignites. this is what you’ve dreamed of. intimacy with a woman. natural intimacy. not like those forced erotic videos you watch in your free time.

her lips press on yours, her eyelashes tickling the apple of your cheek. you reciprocate the affection, putting a hand on her cheek.

a moan slips from your lips, your eyes fluttering shut. the hand on your cheek falls to your hips, her hand squeezing for a few moments to tell her that this is real; this is actually happening.

in a flurry, her body is pressed on top of yours, her tongue exploring every crevice on your mouth. her hands slipped under the hem of your jeans, fingers brushing over the seat of your panties.

you card your hands through her auburn hair. “els…” you call to her as she pulls away, a string of saliva connecting from hers and your bottom lip.

“you okay, princess?” she moves her hand at an angle, her thumb drawing tight circles on the pearl of your cunt. you arch into her, making her chuckle.

you nod, a moan slipping from your lips again.

“yeah, you’re definitely gay.” she giggles, stuffing her face in the crook of your neck, making you laugh too. “shut up and use your hands, ellie.”

“oh, i know something better than my hands.” she leaves your neck for a moment, digging under her bed.

she pulls out a harness. one not built for your shoulders. the purpose accessory catches your eye, making you widen them. “is that…”

“i haven’t used it yet.” she smirks. “your call.”

do you have enough red orbs? stop by my store to request a fic!

[whenlilyfallsinlove]

not anymore.

luke castellan x reader - college au, only one bed, enemies to lovers.

im back!! sorry for being afk, ive had lots of exams!

"oh, you have got to be fucking kidding me." you hear luke say as you drag your suitcase into the room.

you rolled your eyes at the sound of his voice, already mad as it was. this was supposed to be a fun weekend: your college has organised a trip for students to go to new york, which you had been excited for.

the trip was off to a great start - you and your friend clarisse had explored the city where you had eaten the best bagel in your entire life.

your happiness, however, was short-lived.

"I'M SHARING WITH WHO?!" your voice echoed through the hotel lobby, causing clarisse to nudge you.

"luke. apparently." clarisse says, almost amused.

"that can't be right. how is this even allowed?" you frown.

"well you're adults, so you're probably trusted-" she starts but you cut her off.

"i can not share a room with him clarisse, i fucking despise him." you groan. you had hated luke since kindergaten and he hated you. that was the way it had always been.

"it's only two nights." she tries to comfort you.

"ONLY TWO NIGHTS, THAT'S TWO NIGHTS TOO MANY." you despised him. he was the bane of your existence.

"you think I want to be sharing a room with someone as stupid as you?" a new voice came from behind you, you turned round to see luke stood, glaring at you. next to him was chris, who waved at clarisse.

"i'm way smarter than you. i have every right to complain." you glare back.

"oh, do you even hear yourself right now? you sound ridiculous." he replies.

"literally shut up, your opinion is irrelevant to me." you say.

"you're so fucking annoying oh my god." luke groans.

"i'm annoying?! you're the one who-"

you continued to bicker, completely forgetting your surroundings. chris and clarisse shared knowing looks with each other, the two of you claimed that you hated each other, sure. but the tension between the two of you was unmatched.

"hey.." clarisse says, dragging your attention from luke "at least there'll be two beds, you can just ignore each other."

this put a smile back on your face.

"thank fuck.." you say and the two of you begin to walk up to your respective rooms.

"what is it-" you were about to come out with some form of insult until you realised what his reaction was for.

there, in front of you, was your hotel room. with only one bed.

"are you taking the piss?" you let out an exasperated sigh.

"i think i'm going to die." luke groans.

"oh shut up, go see if we can change rooms." you remark.

"why can't you?" he responds.

"because i can't be bothered to come up all those stairs again" you respond, rolling your eyes like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"you're so lazy." he replies.

"are you gonna do it then or what?" you put your hands on your hips.

"fuck yes." luke replies, and leaves the room.

when he is gone, you let yourself fall onto the bed and groan. this could only ever happen to you. having to stay in a room with the boy you've hated since the age of 6 was one thing, but sharing a bed with him? even worse. you wish you had never come on this stupid trip. then you'd be at home, no luke, curled up in bed, watching the new season of bridgerton. was it too late to-

your thoughts were interrupted by the return of luke, who looked as if he was going to kill you for even breathing near him.

"well?!" you stand.

"there's no other rooms. this is the only one, we have to wait till tomorrow." he frowns.

"oh for the love of god." you say, putting your head in your hands.

"yeah. that's how i feel right now. stuck in a room with a freak." luke says.

"i hate you." you glare at him.

"the feeling is mutual." he glares back.

"you're such a dick."

"only because you are the most annoying person on earth."

"fuck this, i'm having a shower." you grab your pjamas and make your way too the bathroom.

"be quick. i want one." luke calls out.

"i want, doesn't get." you stick your tongue out at him.

"what are you.. eight?" he glares.

you flip him off and shut the door, locking it, and get in the shower.

the hot water calmed your anger, as you tried to take as long as possible. maybe you should try and drown yourself? i mean it would get you out of this situation. that was what you needed.

you continued to ponder the logistics with this until you realised your skin had gone a bit wrinkly from being in there for too long. you got out, dried yourself, and put your pjamas on. you regret how little you brought. the heat was stifling, so you had only brought some shorts and a small crop top. in your defence, you thought you'd be sharing with clarisse.

you opened the door, and walked out the bathroom, luke was layed on the bed, on his phone.

"fucking finally, are you done in the bathroom yet, you took-" he blinks, stopping once he sees what you are wearing.

"oh shut up. i'm done." you glare.

luke nods awkwardly - what the fuck was up with him? - his gaze lingering on your figure. he clears his throat.

"uh yeah. um good." he finally responds standing up.

"the fuck is up with you?" you give him a funny look.

"nothing weirdo." he snaps out of it, and makes his way to have a shower over his own.

you frown at his reaction - why was he being so weird. you shake your head, and get into bed, laying on the edge, and go on your phone.

after about fifteen minutes, luke responds and gets into the other side of the bed.

you lay in silence for about fifteen minutes, both not knowing what to say.

"you still awake?" luke asks you, turning over to look at you,

"why wouldn't i be?" you retort.

"it was just a question.. why are you always so hostile?!"

"because you annoy the living daylight out of me."

"you can't even look at me when you say that." he smirks.

he was right, your back was still turned. you roll your eyes but turn so you are facing him.

"yes i can. you annoy the living daylight out of me." you say looking into his eyes.

his eyes.. were they always this pretty? what was up with you? it was luke. LUKE.

"i know i do." he smirks, looking into your eyes.

you feel flustered. the two of you go quiet for a minute until luke breaks the silence.

"why do you even hate me anyway?" he asks.

"because you anger me." you respond.

"but why?"

"do you not remember when you pushed me off my bike when we were 6?"

"oh yeah. that was so funny." he smiles at the memory.

"no it wasn't." you retort.

"it was." he looks at you again.

the two of you go silent again. what was happening to you? was luke moving closer or was it just you? no he definitely was. was he leaning in-

"turn the light off. i'm tired." luke suddenly demands, catching you off guars. you immediately move away from him.

"um no? i'm not tired." you respond back. you weren't crazy.. you swear you had just had a moment with him.

"do i care?" he asks, avoiding eye contact with him

"i'm not doing it." you retort, rolling you eyes.

"fine. i'll do it." he gets up and turn the light off, leaving just the lamp on the corner on.

"oh you are so irritating." you glare, looking up at him.

"whatever, just go to sleep, we have to meet early tomorrow." he responds and gets into bed, turning his back away from you.

you mock him whilst his back is turned, and turn away yourself.

how were you supposed to get to sleep? you swear you were about to.. i don't know.. kiss luke. your mortal enemy.. except not really. you knew for sure he was right back to being the same old luke as before.

you frown and lay there for about ten minutes, trying to fall asleep.

"(y/n).. i'm.. sorry." you hear luke mutter, next to you. luke had NEVER apologised to you before. EVER. but you were still mad.

"go to sleep." you repeat what luke said to you. you were petty, what can you say?"

"i can't." he responds, making you roll your eyes.

"you can't?! you literally said you were tired." you say.

"how in the hell do you expect me to sleep when you're right there and i can't stop thinking about you?" he raises his voice, catching you off guard.

what. the. fuck. what did he mean. what.

you turn over, to see luke already staring at you.

"what.." you feel your breath hitching in your throat as you see luke already looking at you.

"you're the bane of my existence. i hate you. you get under my skin. but fuck.. why do you have to be so beautiful?" he says, looking into your eyes.

"luke.." you mutter.

"i can't hold back any longer, (y/n), i can't keep pretending i don't l-"

you interrupt him by crashing your lips onto him, kissing him hungrily. luke happily returns the kiss, wrapping his arm round your waist.

after about ten seconds, you pull away.

"i'm sorry, i shouldn't have-" you aplogise.

"don't be sorry. i liked it." he replies, making you smile.

well one thing was now certain for sure. you definitely didn't hate each other anymore.

[luludeluluramblings]

Ok I know until now it was the switched oc the yandere and manipulative one, but what if it were the opposite, let me explain.

So we've got switched reader, the biological daughter of Bruce Wayne, being raised by the most loving and supportive family ever, maybe a bit small but just so sweet, and yet she knew, oh she knew perfectly well about that dark part of herself but what did it matter, everything was perfect she had no need for it, or that was until she arrived.

Switched oc, the biological daughter of her parents, maybe she should have felt jealous, but how could she when this girl had the same eyes of the woman that eased her nightmares when she was a child? or the same laughter as the man that always looked at her with pride? no, her too kind parents had accepted her with no hesitation and she would do the same.

But then she started learning more and that's when everything shifted, her sister who had the same selflessness and naivety as their parents had suffered so much with hers, and she saw, so crearly she saw that same darkness in all of them that she herself had, so with finally a reason, she let it free.

Blood is thicker than water they say, and she's her father daughter through and through. Nothing was going to stop her from at last having her family happy and whole.

What I like most about this au is that there is so many ways switched reader can act, like she knows she got pity points for having been switched so she can play the inocent plot and destroy them slowly or she could go full force since the beginning, either way since the only ones that know about the switch are the switched oc and now her family she had the prep time advantage which for a Wayne, that's lethal.

Also she absolutelly looks like Martha Wayne and she will use it to her advantage

Link to the Original Idea...

So, what I'm hearing is, Switched!Reader is a lot more like Yandere!Bruce than everyone realizes, with their own weird habit of adopting people.

It could be their own twisted form of justice revenge for their newfound sibling when they start antagonizing the family. And, let's say in this instance, Switched!Reader always wanted a sibling, but their parent's weren't able to have anymore due to complications. Making Switched!Reader even more apalled by their biological family's neglect. They squandered their chance as far Switched!Reader is concerned.

Besides, why would they want such a failure of a family as their own? (Imagine them saying that directly to Bruce and Dick's faces.)

Sure, Switched!Reader won't have all the money and resources that Bruce has. But, they have a clean slate and the ability to manipulate.

The rest of the family wouldn't struggle as much as Bruce and Alfred with Switched!Reader looking like Martha. (Damian might, but only because sometimes he has thought about how nice it would have been to have had normal grandparents. Only occasionally and in secret.)

Bruce would basically be inviting his own hell on earth over each time Switched!Reader would come over and coddle Switched!OC while glaring at him with the same eyes his mother would give him when he really misbehaved as a child. A look that even now, after all these years, he was desperate to see just for the ghost of the past.

He'd also stand in the other family member's ways if they either pointed out how Switched!Reader was purposefully tormenting him or hated him. The damn man is a bit of a masochist to his own feelings.

Now, the constant guilt tripping from Switched!Reader to the rest of the family could result in them hating them or going full yandere for them. And, I could see the way Switched!OCis being treated by the family would constantly be monitored by Switched!Reader.

☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️

The Switched idea just has so many different avenues to explore, and if someone wants to take this idea and run with it, tag me in it. I wanna read it!

[yourfatherlucifer]

Sticky Situation (HJ)

Ghoul!Hongjoong x afab!reader

Summary: after receiving a dare from your friends, you went into the ‘haunted’ mansion as everyone says, but is it really haunted though? Something is watching you..

Warnings: NSFW MDNI, messy intercourse, slight stalking, dumbification, slime/goo play, ghost stuff, mention of death, aphrodisiac cum, rough sex.

Genre: Smut

AU: Paranormal

WC: 1.6k

Rated: R

Tags: @stardragongalaxy here is your secret admirer request!

Also there will be no part two cause I struggled lol

“Come on, you guys really cannot believe it’s haunted! Ghosts don’t exist!”

Your friends had rolled their eyes at you, “You don’t have to believe us, which is why we are daring you to go inside.”

You had stood in front of a large lavish yet run down mansion, it looked like it was straight from the 1700's, but it was still beautiful. It didn't exactly look quite abandoned but also looked like no one lived there. Maybe someone kept maintenance of it.

Approaching the vast doors, they creaked open with just a soft touch, “Hello?” You called out, like an idiot. Have you not learned from the horror films?

The place was beautiful on the inside, but was clearly abandoned, yet in pristine shape. Who was keeping it so mummified?

There was a grand staircase that winded up to the second floor, which was lined with old renaissance paintings, covered in yellow varnish.

A lot of furniture was covered with white cloth, which you assumed was to protect them from the dust already accumulating.

Dead eyes appeared in the darkness, watching you from afar yet you hadn’t noticed.

The air was musty and smelly, smelled of slight death and blood.

You made your way through double doors and found an almost pristine kitchen with antique appliances, the fridge, the stove, etc. All early eras.

Slipping out of the kitchen into the next room, you found a secret staircase, it seemed like it led to the basement, but as you descended down the steps, the stench of death kept heavily increasing. So, you quickly ran back up the stairs and slammed the door shut, covering your mouth as you tried not gag.

The eyes that watched your every move, quietly chuckled. An evil like smirk forming on its face.

Did you walk into a serial killer's hideout? Why did it smell like pure death? You wanted to leave so badly but your friends made a bet you wouldn’t last long, through the night even so.

You covered your mouth and left the area with teary eyes. You made your way upstairs to the second floor, the winding steps making you dizzy.

You could only open doors that were unlocked and there weren’t many. It was as if someone was trying to prevent you from exploring. You found the master bedroom, or what seemed to be the master bedroom. It was very large. The bed looked very dusty and unused. Looks like this is the room you’ll be staying in tonight, you thought to yourself.

Making your way to the bed, the floor creaked beneath you. You winced with every step and hoped this home was truly empty and was just an old place with dead bodies.

When you sat on the bed, you noticed some type of slime was excreting from it. You shot up from the mattress and began frantically wiping your pants, clearly grossed out.

“What the fuck!” You gagged, hands now covered in the slime.

You couldn’t even begin to think of where it came from, let alone excrete from an old bed.

As you went to leave the room, the door slammed shut in front of you. You let out a loud scream and fell to the floor, slightly bruising your tailbone from the fall.

“Where’d you think you’re going, pet?” A voice mocked you in the darkness.

You gasped in fear as you stood up to your feet, running to the door. Pulling on the handle that just wouldn’t budge. You cried out in frustration as you began to feel trapped and feared for your life.

“Awe, you think you can leave, oh-precious-life?” The voice began to stalk towards you.

You whipped around to face a man, or what looked like a man, his deathly pale skin, wide brimmed hat and a long black coat approached you with a scary grin.

“Get away from me!” You backed into the door.

“That’s very cute. You aren’t going anywhere.”

As he came closer, you could inspect his features, which you came to realize he is very attractive, but still scared you to the very bone.

His black tipped fingers came to brush against your cheek, goo oozing from the tips.

His chest pressed closer against yours, the hat brim stopping him from pushing even closer, “You smell delicious.” His tongue swiped across his lips, “I love the scent of fear.”

You whimpered as he threw the hat across the room. His nose falling to your neck crevice, inhaling your scent. The close proximity of this attractive..man, was arousing you greatly.

He let out a loud cackle, “Ooh, never have I had a human get aroused just by this!”

You gripped onto his coat as he began licking strips along your skin, taking in the flavor of human flesh.

He chuckled once again at your desperation, “You’re really enjoying this, aren’t you, human?”

Hongjoong pressed his hardening bulge against your thigh.

‘What are you doing?” You whined as his hands began to roam your body.

“I’m going to fuck you, is that not what you want?” He whispered into your ear, nipping on the lobe.

His hands began to roam your body, “I can clearly smell how much you want this.”

His two hands came up to your shirt, grabbing the middle and ripping it in half. The pieces hang there from your shoulders. You yelp in protest, heat flooding throughout your body.

“You’re never gonna want another human cock after this.” An evil like cackle spilled from his lips with a toothy and mischievous

grin.

His teeth pierce the skin between your neck and shoulder, not drawing blood but practically attaching himself to you with a mark.

He grabs you from under the thighs and hikes you against the wall, tearing your feet from the floor, to wrap around his waist. His hardened cock now pressed against your clothes and wet cunt.

Hongjoong giggled in your ear, “You know, I haven’t fucked a human in so long, not since I died,” He pulls his face away and takes one boob in his hand, the black slime on his fingers left behind a slimey trail down your breast valley. His claw-like fingernails jabbed into the plush skin, drawing blood and pain. He didn’t care for your cries because he knew you wanted this just as much as him.

He brought his pale lips to yours, smashing them together. He then carries you to the unused bed, practically throwing you on the mattress. He uses his hands to rip open your pants, tossing the now ruined fabric across the room.

You quickly scrambled to the headboard, clearly embarrassed you were in your underwear in front of him.

A crazy grin spread against his cheeks as he grabbed your ankles, yanking you down the mattress and back to him, “Why do you continue to try and run from me?” his hand ran down your waist, to your thighs, then back up to your underwear, snapping the band against your hips.

Hongjoong buries his face against your clothed cunt, taking in the scent of your arousal, “Fuck, smells so good.”

You whine as he pulls down the cloth, tossing it over his shoulder. His long and pointed tongue darts out to lick the slick that leaked out of your hole. He throws your legs over his shoulders and pressed his nose against your clit. His tongue playing and teasing the tight hole, he wanted to prepare it for what he referred to as his, ‘monster sized cock,’ when he wasn’t wrong. He is a monster and his cock is huge.

“Gonna fuck you so good.” He mumbled into your cunt as his tongue swirled around your walls, his fingers digging into the back of your thighs. Then slipped his free hand underneath, and slipped a finger in just below his wet muscle.

When he was done playing with you, he removed himself from you and let your legs down.

“Ready for my cock, pretty one?”

You whimpered with a nod, spreading your legs to reveal your puffy and used cunt, “Please, I want your cock so bad.”

He laughed and took the base of his cock and lined himself up, the tip of his tongue sticking out in concentration as he pushed in, “Little human is so pathetic for me. How cute.”

The second his cock reached the hilt, you already felt fucked dumb. He was just that big, his cock so thick and long in size. The best you’ve had.

“Gonna cry?” He grunts as thrusts his hips up, “Gonna cry like a little baby? Can’t handle my cock?” He rests his arms by your head, “Well too bad, you’re gonna take it, you’re gonna love it and you’re gonna beg me for more.”

He sat back on his knees, thrusting into your cunt, while his hands excreted ectoplasm onto your body, the stick feeling was heavy and gross but you couldn’t focus on that. Not while his cock jackhammered into you, barely putting any effort into it yet he had you seeing stars.

He flipped your body around, so that your head could be pushed into the dusty mattress. He raised your hips up, but also rested a hand on your lower back.

You let out a scream as this angle let him reach you even deeper than before, his cock seemed to stretch you out even more if that was possible.

“I’m gonna cum so fucking deep in you, you’ll never want to leave me here. You’ll be mine forever.” His hand gripped your hip so tight, that his nails drew blood and left behind bruises.

“Please, inside, please!” The mattress mumbled your words but he understood you clearly.

He leans down to your ear, “Gladly.”

His black cum spurt out in all directions inside of you. It definitely didn’t feel normal but it heated you up and felt like you needed more. You wanted more, “Oh fuck, I need more. Fuck me more. Please.” You whined and looked back at him.

“That’s so funny, I told you that you’d beg for more, pretty one.”

[sallysavestheday]

End of Year 8+8+8+8 Fic Recs

It's that time again! This was a tough year to narrow down, so you get 8 of each, with no author repeats. There's such great stuff out there to read. Enjoy!

8 of my favorite long fics of 2024

sisyphus, unhappy by @tobermoriansass. M: 140K, WIP. Curufinrod after re-embodiment is the simplest description, but it's so much more. Philosophy, musical theory, racial and sexual politics, a very dark family comedy of manners. Featuring one of my favorite Maglors ever.

Two Half-Kings and a Full Lake Between by @melestasflight and @polutrope. T: 12K. A fantastic exploration of the period in Maglor's regency when Fingolfin had arrived but Maedhros had not yet been rescued. Tense and compelling. Another favorite Maglor.

Northern Stars by @idrilsscribe. T: 62K, WIP. An AU of an AU, featuring traumatized kidnapped-while-young Elrohir making his way back from Harad to Imladris with Glorfindel's assistance. Elegant, moving prose; fantastic worldbuilding; delightfully complex OCs; etc., etc.

I Do; I Will by @littlewhitemouseagain. M: 23K. Fingon fights all the Feanorions, back to back, at his own coronation. Glorious (and painful, and moving, and hopeful, in a very Fingon way).

i've been so worried (you've been so still) by @welcomingdisaster. E: 9.5K. Maglor is drawn to an acolyte of Este after Maedhros is taken. An absolutely fantastic OC, delicious worldbuilding, and peak Sexy Maglor. Just WOW.

a stranger in my bed (a pounding in my head) by vauquelin. T: 11K. A surprise new installment makes this a 2024 fic, hooray! Maedhros and Fingon wake up married. Maedhros wants it annulled because he can't imagine Fingon is happy; Fingon is miserable therefore. Hilarious and touching at once, with the best punchline of the year.

Across So Wide A Sea by @emyn-arnens. G: 20K, WIP. A fantastic epistolary fic: Galadriel writes to Finrod (after his death), as a deliberate historical record that quickly gets very personal. Rich and complex and humorous and poignant. Delightful.

The Other Daughter of Twilight by Anna_Wing. G: 16K. Maedhros/Thuringwethil. Just read it. Go.

8 of my favorite shorter fics of 2024

The Vigil by @balrogballs. G: 5K. Celebrian plans and delivers her own sendoff, the night before sailing. Oh, my heart.

A flickering flame by @camille-lachenille. G: 960 words. Andreth/Aegnor, Finrod, and a Gil-galad origin story, oh ow!

To Evil End by @zealouswerewolfcollector. T: 2900 words. Decades after the Nirnaeth Arnoediad, Fingon comes back to Maedhros. Or does he? GAH!!

Body and Spirit by @meadowlarkx. G: 1500 words. An anonymous scholar considers the food and drink customary during Elven pregnancy. Deliciously thoughtful and creative.

we could be kings by @queerofthedagger. T: 1600 words. The copper circlet Maitimo is crowned with is a work of art. He finds that he likes it much better on another's brow. Oh, babies.

Two Peredhil and an Elf in a Boat by @cycas. G: 5000 words. Elrond begins to make his peace with Earendil. Tender, humorous, touching.

precious stone set in the silver sea by rain_sleet_snow. G: 2000 words. A Celeborn/Galadriel origin story in which he is a Teler from Alqualonde. Gorgeous. Read the rest of the series, too.

The Warning Sounds Too Late by @eilinelsghost. T: 6000 words. Part 18 of the fabulous Atandil (Finrod/Beor) series, featuring a family dinner that, like so many, sparks insights and regrets.

8 oldies but goodies, circa 2013-2021, that I've recently reread and loved again.

The West Wind Quartet by @hhimring. T: 16K. Always a fave. Maglor unexpectedly takes on a Sinda as a student. Elegant, original, and moving.

Flawed and Fair by @a-tehta. M: 33K. Classic Glorthelion. Hilarious and tender all at once. Those GUYS!!!

Though All Whom Ye Have Slain Should Entreat For You by @thearrogantemu. G: 12K. Maedhros and Elwe have it out upon Elwe's return. A classic, for all the best reasons.

The Sound Below Sound by @adnirod. T: 35K. Gimleaf eloquence and angst and beauty. Spectacular.

Detour by @dawnfelagund. T: 8K. Reborn Maedhros is resigned to a gloomy life as a teacher in Fifth Age Tirion. Then Fingon Returns, with hope (and stickers).

Defiant Hope, Take Wing, by @lordnelson100. T: 10K. Halenthir: an alternative ending to the War of the Jewels, and a heartbreaker.

a light in darkness, hope in woe, by @admirablemonster. E: 4K. A Gil-galad origin story. Perpetual fave.

Letter 97 by @batshape. T: 9K. Orc academics, Russingon, and musings on the afterlife. Delightful.

8 favorites among my own fics from 2024. If you haven't read them, do give these a try.

When the Hurly-Burly's Done. G: 850 words. Elrond and Gil-galad and Celebrimbor picnic at the edge of the world.

The Blue Line Between Sea and Sky. G: 900 words, Idril/Tuor/Voronwe. Voronwe drowns. And drowns. And drowns.

Larded With Sweet Flowers. G: 400 words. Edrahil's last moments.

O, Blithe New-comer! G: 1000 words, background Russingon. Another origin story.

The Heaped Ashes of the Night Turn Into Leaves. G: 850 words. Glorfindel is being sent back to Middle-earth. Finrod has FOMO.

Deeper Roots Than Reason. G: 5500 words. The Oath of Fëanor makes its way across history and cultures, dragging Doom in its wake. TRSB 2024.

Among So Many Marvels. G: 1500 words. Early friendship between Eomer and Faramir, built around their people's stories.

Molded on One Stem. G: 3200 words. An exploration of Fingon and Aredhel's relationship, in which they are, fortunately and unfortunately, very much alike.

Everyone! What have you been reading? Consider yourself tagged. Please share!

[steddieunderdogfics]

This week’s writer spotlight feature is: starryeyedjanai! @starryeyedjanai has 74 fics in the Stranger Things fandom and 60 of them are in the Steddie tag!

@steddieas-shegoes recommends the following works by @starryeyedjanai:

All things end and all things change.

what lurks beneath

nights like this

if i could hold you for a minute (i’d go through it again)

"Janai is one of those authors that can make absolutely anything hot. I could sit and talk for hours about how they characterize Steve and Eddie. I absolutely love everything they write and always make it a priority to open the AO3 email when the notification comes in!" -- @steddieas-shegoes

Below the cut, @starryeyedjanai answered some questions about their writing process and some of their recommended work!

Why do you write Steddie?

These two burrowed their way into my brain and just won’t leave. I can’t not write them when I am thinking about them literally all the time and am brimming with new ways for them to fall in love.

What’s your favorite trope to READ?

I’m kind of a sucker for steddie talking via notes, letters, etc. before they ever meet in person. There’s just something so special about them falling in love in unconventional ways before they ever meet in person that hits the spot, you know? I also just really love all the creative AUs that people come up with that I never would have thought of writing.

What’s your favorite trope to WRITE?

I love writing anything that has friends to lovers and especially if they are so, so stupid about it. Idiot4idiot my beloved. friends/acquaintances to lovers is So fun to explore because there are a million ways to do it. I love a good oh moment where things just click into place.

What’s your favorite Steddie fic?

It is So hard to pick just one!!! So i’ll list a few: One that I have reread a few times that I just really, really love is All I Do Is Want by novemberthorne. There’s just something really special about it—all the emotion in the beginning and then the smut which is just top tier. like a sack of bricks and literally anything by alligator_writes is great off the beaten path by pukner is also really, really great

Is there a trope you’re excited to explore in a future work but haven’t yet?

I have a fic idea that I've been thinking about for a while that involves alternate universes, like the metaverse, because if the Upside Down exists, there are probably other dimensions as well.

What is your writing process like?

It is honestly so variable. For the majority of my ficlets, I get an idea and just start hacking away at it intermittently until it’s done, so it’s safe to say that at any given time, I have like eight ficlets that are partially written. I never used to outline because I didn’t really write fics longer than around 5k, but since I’ve started writing longer fics, it is almost necessary for me to have an outline that hits all the major plot points because otherwise I will forget what I have planned. So for anything that I know will be longer than a ficlet, I’ll write out an outline, even just a few bullet points so that I can reference it when I’m writing and not lose sight of where the story is going. 

Do you have any writing quirks?

I use way too many em-dashes and my sentences are sometimes comically long, but the way I write is indicative of how fast my brain is moving, kind of. I typically headcanon Steve and Eddie to both have ADHD, so any fics in their points of view will have their thoughts coming out as fast as my own typically are. And sentence length and structure can really help convey that.

Do you prefer posting when you’ve finished writing or on a schedule?

I prefer posting once I’ve finished writing because my focus shifts around a lot and it sometimes takes a while for me to actually finish projects (like i had a fic that sat at 16k for months as I worked on other things that caught my attention and then I finally returned to finish the last couple thousand words six or so months later)

Which fic are you most proud of?

I am proud of all of my fics, but I really, really love how All things end and all things change. turned out. Some fics just come together so easily and this was one of them. I outlined the fic and let the idea marinate for a couple months and then I wrote ~20k in about a week and finished the fic.

How did you get the idea for All things end and all things change.?

This fic was for a holiday server exchange so my giftee gave me three prompts and I found ways to incorporate all of the prompts. I saw the prompt for mutual pining roommates and immediately knew I was going to write Eddie taking Steve home to Wayne over the holidays. I originally only planned on using that prompt, but the prompt for a snowy cabin getaway really called to me as I got further along in the fic and needed more tension between them. It was just a really excellent set of prompts.

When writing All things end and all things change., what was something you didn’t expect?

I did not expect it to get so long! My original estimate was 10k, but then I kept adding more to Wayne and Eddie showing Steve how special Christmas could be with people who care about him and then I added the cabin scene which added an easy 5k to the fic and then I was staring at what was, at that time, my longest complete fic. Wild.

What inspired what lurks beneath?

This honestly came out of left field for me because I had only ever written one other fic like it. I was doing kinktober for the first time and had a few different ideas for the prompt for that day and then I saw that the date of that prompt was Joey (@matchingbatebites)’s birthday and remembered her lake monster Eddie ficlet and instantly knew I wanted to explore a different version of lake monster Eddie.

What was your favorite part to write from if i could hold you for a minute (i’d go through it again)?

I really, really loved writing the flashes into the future at the end of the fic. Throughout the fic, there was some yearning and pining from afar and getting to write that everything works out in the end was cathartic.

How do/did you feel writing if i could hold you for a minute (i’d go through it again)?

Oh boy, this fic put me through the ringer. This was written for the steddie big bang and it was the first longer fic that I was attempting to write. I just had so many different ideas for this fic that it made it hard to choose the direction I wanted to go in. I probably have like an additional 20k words that just did not end up in the fic because it contradicted things that did end up in the fic or just didn’t fit with the vibe I was going for. There were times that I felt discouraged and felt like I might never finish it, but I am very pleased with how it turned out in the end! It was extremely rewarding to finally finish it and get it posted in February!

What was the most difficult part of writing nights like this?

Honestly, I don’t remember this one giving me any trouble at all. Once I got the idea in my brain, I think I sat down and wrote all 2.5k in a day. I do not know what my brain was doing during kinktober, but I think I ended up writing like over 60k that month and it was the only time that I’ve ever really been able to sit down and write a ficlet from start to finish like that and it happened with multiple of the ficlets that I ended up writing the day before they were published.

Do you have a favorite scene and/or line from any of your fics?

I really love the lead up to the smut in my fic catch the embers on my tongue. Like eddie being a little self-deprecating and in awe that steve might feel the same way he does was so fun to write. Also the summary for surface level freak is probably one of my favorite things i’ve written.

Do you have any upcoming projects or fics you’d like to share/promote?

Some of the projects I’m working on right now are things I can’t really talk about, but look forward to fics from me in the Steddie Summer Exchange, the Steddie Bang 2024, and the ST Sapphic Mini Bang!

Outside of these questions, Is there anything YOU would like to add?

Whoever nominated me, I am kissing you full on the mouth with tongue (if you’re into that kind of thing)

Thank you to our author, @starryeyedjanai, and our nominator, @steddieas-shegoes! See more of starryeyedjanai's works featured on our page throughout the day!

Writer’s Spotlight is every Wednesday! Want to nominate an author? You can nominate them here!

[chocokayke]

Here's Alkaloid for my Splatoon/Enstars AU! All weapons are referring to their Splatoon 3 kits, because that's what I'm most familiar with. I wanna give a shout out to @mdkm444 for making this fanart that inspired this whole AU in the first place. : )

More info on each character below the cut.⬇️

Hiiro

I'm giving him the highest honor I could bestow on a character... My main.

I think Splatana Deco fits him, and how he sees himself at the beginning. It's a very mobile weapon and aggro with a supportive kit. He can easily strife with opponents to draw fire from his teammates, while also setting up beacons, and setting of tentamissles to displace enemies.

The idea is that he mostly sees himself as his brother's "shield" at the beginning, and I feel like having a weapon that supports and takes fire suits that role.

As he grows and gets more comfortable with his place in Alkaloid, he would pick up more aggressive weapons. I just really like the idea of him with dualies. I think he has a lot of fun zipping around with dodge rolls. : )

He runs a lot of Quick Respawn abilities.

I think his backstory would stay mostly the same, actually.

Aira

He's 100% that guy who draws hearts in the enemy base.

He strikes me as the type of person who would play weapons that are meta without fully understanding WHY they're so good.

He started out playing vanilla Splash-o-matic, but he sucks so bad at Crab Tank. Mayoi thought something more mobile would suit Aira, so he recommended Inkbrush and Carbon Roller to him.

Hiyori wears his eye makeup the same way. This is a very important piece of Aira lore.

Mayoi

Mayoi has the biggest change to his backstory out of Alkaloid. He was originally an Octarian Soldier under DJ Octavio.

He was there for the Splat1 final boss and the Calamari Inkantation. He is NOT Agent 8, to be clear. He escaped after Marina, but before Agent 8. He wasn't in the subway. (But the idea of him in the subway is very fun, and that might be something to explore in an AU of this AU.)

He's a huge Squid Sisters fan.

He first escaped to Inkopolis, but it was too overwhelming for him, and he ended up traveling a lot before settling down in ES.

He plays a lot of weapons, and at knows a lot about the weapons he doesn't play. He's extremely skilled and knowledgeable. He's a fantastic coach, and everyone wants them to coach their teams! (Help him.)

Unfortunately, he is still Mayoi and still has severe anxiety! Despite how skilled he is, he's too scared to play alone and is pretty low ranked. That's why he got his status as an "underachiever."

Generally plays a lot of long ranged weapons to stay as far away from the action as he can. Snipewriter is his main, but E-Liter deserves an honorable mention.

Any closer ranged weapons he plays are more supportive than aggressive. This bad boy can pop out so many Inkstorms and Tacticoolers.

I probably should have added Hydra Splatling to his list instead of Heavy Edit tbh? But, eh, he can play both.

I think Snipewriter fits his main really well due to the fact that it has super long range, paints well, and has a supportive kit. At the time I'm writing this, it's also the best competitive weapon in Splatoon 3.

Tatsumi

His backstory is also similar to his canon one.

His leg got damaged and wouldn't repair itself when he respawned, so he had to get it removed it let it regrow naturally. Squids can do that, don't worry about it. : )

The guy who makes sure your base is 100% inked during Turf War.

Me and my friend both agreed it is extremely funny for Tatsumi to run around with his beginner weapon going like ^_^: so that's what he mains.

Then my other friend recommended me what they call "noob trap" weapons, which is mostly short ranged shooters (Sploosh and Aerospray) so I immediately added those to the list. I feel like they suit Tatsumi, and kind of mirror how inept he is with technology in canon.

Despite that, he's actually quite skilled! He does pretty well with short ranged shooters and has fun playing with them. They're his go to choice, but he's experienced in a lot of different weapon classes.

Anyway, you know how the Sunken Scrolls in Splatoon 3 introduced Squid Jesus--

[trashogram]

I've been seeing posts about how people would re-write Helluva/Hazbin, and it got me thinking about how I would re-write it as well. And... I have many many thoughts about all the characters and the writing 😅😅😅

But your posts and our talks have been a huge inspiration for me, and I wanted to share my thoughts with you! If you're interested ^^ of course, feel free to ignore this if it's not your cup of tea. I wish I could get into it all in one ask, but that'd be impossible. So I'll start with an easy one.

Striker and Hell's Assasins

It'd be easier if I do this in bullet points, so-

As we all know, Striker was perfect in his debut. An antagonist who does have an ego, but who also had some good points about Hell's society and great chemistry with the cast. That was until Viv blasted an atomic nuke onto his character...

I think i would keep Striker mainly the same as he was in Harvest Moon, and of course, not use him as the butt of jokes. I'd also want to flesh out deep-rooted insecurities he could have had and explore on his past, and maybe turn him into an anti-hero or lawful villain by the end of the series. I think your suggestion of his family being enslaved or killed by royalty is a great idea for his past and motives! And it explains why he lives in the mine shaft; they royals destroyed his home, and they would never look for him down there.

Which is a perfect Segway into my thoughts on how assasins work in Hell. Obviously, with it being Hell, that's probably a thriving business. However, not exactly for imps. As we are told, the only businesses an imp could hope to start on their own are related to agriculture. Otherwise, they are right alongside Hellhounds only working for others. As such, in my re-write, Blitzø and his crew and Striker are the only imp assasins in Hell, and that is a big reason on how they all have gained a reputation for themselves. Striker and I.M.P. have had to face mockery and prejudice in their rise to the top, and could become two sides of the same coin.

In my re-write, Striker would try to disguise himself in some way when he goes out on hits, if he can't snipe them from a distance like Stolas. Why? Well, Satan has heard whispers of an imp hybrid who is killing royalty. The rest of the assasins in Hell? They can all kill each other for all he cares. But his lowly creations going against the system? That is unforgivable. And that is how the wanted posters for Striker got posted everywhere. Striker's poncho and bandana would become core pieces of his design in my re-write, since those are how he conceals his identity. And his wanted posters depict a mysterious silhouette that's too fast for the camera to capture his likeness.

That's why in my Biker AU, people aren't too sure who Striker is. They know him as the showboating but hardworking farmland for hire that often disappears without much explanation, but they don't know he's a wanted assasin. And why him being an assassin is such a shock and a terrifying thing for Bella. (But on the other hand, as i type this, I realize this is a plothole; why isn't Striker trying to be cautious in town as well if Satan and possibly the goetia are after him? If you post this, I'll comment on it when I figure this out 😅 or just add it to my next ask if you'd like ^^)

And what about I.M.P.? They are notorious, yes, but they aren't wanted by the hierarchy of Hell (yet). They haven't killed any royalty, so the goetia and the sins are ok with just sweeping them under the rug. Sure, Blitzø started his business, but the system is rigged against imps already. He and his team were doomed to fail from the beginning. Makes you wonder what would have happened if Striker chose to stick with I.M.P.

I hope this covers everything? This was a more experimental/easy one I guess? But with how much of a tangled mess Vivs world is, this feels like I'm trying to comb through knots 😅 if you want to see more, I'm planning on doing asks like this for the majority of the HB cast and episodes. I'm thinking of doing Millie and Moxxie after this one.

I hope you enjoy reading these! And of course, if you have any questions, I'd love to hear it!

This 👏 is 👏 how 👏 you👏 do 👏 it 👏

You’re adding structure to Hell and building it up as a world with rules and generalized behaviors yet also adding mystery and intrigue (like Striker’s disguise and the inability to capture his likeness for the Wanted Posters) and stakes!, to the story and characters.

I love that I.M.P. and then Striker, although he’s an unknown entity to Hell’s citizens/royalty, are the only imp assassins. And of course they get written off (not including Striker) bc they’re seen as so lowly and a non-issue — until they eventually get more than just gossip across rings, inevitably.

With this, there would be momentum building up something like I.M.P. being brought before Satan and the court of Sins. It would have real weight to it, instead of being an excuse for romantic melodrama.

(I also love Striker potentially being an anti-hero! That would be fun to explore and see how it would come about, since he’s so inherently vicious.)

[crosshatchedaces]

My scrunkle (Fracturing Time Mikey) may have lost in the @rottmntpeepawpolls but he still loves his boys, even if Leo likes driving him up the wall.

I don't have a comic for ya since he lost, but I've got this and some random FT! facts below if you're interested in my ramblings

• I was originally actually going to do a F!Leo back in time fic! I had some ideas on what to do, it was going to take place during the movie, but the ending I had in mind was kinda sad tbh so I didn't go with it (though I do have a oneshot with all three going back instead now). Plus, there were already so many beautiful Future Leo fics out there!

• I then realized that there was quite literally only one other one of Future Mikey that I could find at the time (Mystic Hands), so I wanted to explore that idea more and give F!Mikey more love because he deserves it! I thought it would be a fascinating idea to go with too!

• This fic had originally been planned to be 10-15k long and just a short exploration of what could happen. The plot had been pretty different at the time as well, but it quickly got out of hand in word count.

• A part of the former bullet point was because I couldn't really find any Future Mikey fics to read lol so I just kept building upon my own. I also wanted to explore what his interpersonal relationships would be with each of the turtles, so he will be spending more time with Raph, Mikey, and Donnie in future chapters (currently it is at chapter 9 at the date this is posted).

• I love the idea that the movie parallels how Donnie and Raph died in the future, hence Donnie's death protecting Mikey in the fic.

• I have around 12 more chapters written out so far (just not checked over).

• I've tried to make most things that happen in the fic have some sort of connection with future chapters in some way, even some subtle, seemingly insignificant moments.

• I went out of my comfort zone with this fic. I wanted to do something bolder, something more plot heavy and what I wouldn't normally do, because I love reading fics like that. I often feel that I fall back on writing domestic aus, even though I'm not as interested in reading them, it's just what I was comfortable with.

• If I could go back, I would probably condense some of the beginning and make it pov alternating (but! I have snuck some moments in there, one of which is very soon).

• This fic is on a mini hiatus for a few weeks. I am neck deep in projects at the moment and work a full time job. I need to focus on those first before I can continue it, but I should hopefully have another chapter up in the foreseeable future.

And that's what I can think of for now! I'm not sure which person(s?) nominated FT!Mikey to be in the peepaw polls, but I want to thank you, it means a lot to me that you consider him to be up there with the other peepaws! He barely made it in there (32nd entry) lol but he's there!! I'm so glad there's fans out there that genuinely enjoy the story, and everyday I wish to continue it for all of you, you all keep me so inspired!!

I hope you all have a wonderful day, stay safe and cozy out there, everyone!

[lightlycareless]

Could you please spare some child au or high school au hc? Please I’m so hungry 😔 /hj

Hello dear anon!!

Well, I've decided to write a lil thing for the child au :> It's the au that I have most neglected, mainly because I don't get any inspiration for it 😭 (idk, just... nothing comes to me, you know?)

BUT I did manage to get this, mainly from my experiences... or maybe that was just me. Either way, I remember taking pictures of just about anything and posting them to my myspace (OOOF) soooo........ enjoy :>

warnings: none, fluff. plus a little something I wanted to explore at the end.

Happy reading!

“—A camera!” Naoya grins as he proudly shows off his newest acquisition, a gift from one of his grandparents; the latest digital model found in the market!

And perhaps something the adults might’ve wanted to wait a bit longer before getting, or at least put up some resistance against Naoya’s never-ending fits when it comes to impressing you…

“What do you think? Nice, right?”

You stare at it for a few seconds, before giving him a big, bright grin and a nod.

“Yes!”

Naoya’s heart flutters—his purpose accomplished.

“I knew you’d be able to recognize excele—exclen—excellency!” he boasts, whether he knew the meaning of that word meant or not, is a mystery for both.

“What are you going to do with it?” you curiously ask. You’ve never had a camera, even though you’ve long expressed your interest for it, (your parents were a bit more… sensible when it came to spoiling you.) Nonetheless, what Naoya’s got was also yours, much to their chagrin.

“Take pictures, of course!”

“But of what?” you pout, frowning.

There’s actually so many things he wishes to do with his new camera, things that he’s partially done already, from taking pictures of the new figures he’s got from his favorite anime to the drawings he’s been slowly working on to impress you…

However, he had a reputation to maintain, and such, he gives you the response he thinks will make him look the coolest, straight from Naoaki’s —his oldest brother— book.

“I don’t know, just, whatever I guess.” He shrugs, copying every mannerism, down to the tone, to impress you.

But to you, he only appeared absent-minded, as if he was foolishly failing to realize the great opportunities having a camera presented!

And thankfully, you’d come to his aid. Unknowingly creating a win-win situation for the two.

“Oh, I know! We can take pictures of us doing cool poses!” you grin. “Like the ones in my brother’s posters!! Or that anime you were watching the other day!!”

“That girl group?” Naoya twists his lips, not very… fond of your idea at first, until the frown on your face rectifies his response. “I mean—If that’s what you want…”

Of course, what he said wasn’t what he felt, for the moment you grabbed his hand with your soft one, tightly holding onto him as you led him towards your room, he was nothing but willing to do what you desired.

He’d silently observe you take out a few of the magazines you managed to sneak out of your brother’s room (Ren’s very aware of it, he just lets you keep them, happy to share his enjoyment for the Spice Girls.) and get ideas of what poses to replicate—down to the smallest details.

Naoya’s commitment had some limits, though.

“I don’t know if I want to do that one…” Naoya murmurs, slightly embarrassed, fearing what he’ll look like before you if he accepts…

“Why not? I even got the clothes!” you encouraged. Kind of. They’re your best attempt at something like that. It’s the thought that counts, though.

But in the end, you let Naoya not take part in the activity, solely because he got an even better job to do—that is, being your own personal photographer.

A camera is something that you’ve always been allured to, especially the instant ones where you can get the picture immediately after, so to hear that your best friend is getting one, and that he’s more than happy to share this adventure with you, is like a dream come true!

So, the two begin to take all kinds of pictures, with just about any pose you could think of, and landscapes to choose from; getting more and more ideas the longer this photoshoot went on.

Eventually, Naoya would also feel comfortable enough to take pictures with you; although truth to be told, he was hoping to get one either way, realizing that by doing this… he’ll have a piece of you to take come.

The thought of keeping your adorableness through pictures is enough to fill his heart with this growing sentiment he has yet to discover as love—or perhaps completely understand, achieving so until much older…

When he isn’t fretting about your increasingly worrisome choices, that is.

“Take a picture when I’m jumping down the edge!!” you’d say. “I’m going to do this cool pose like in Naruto, so be ready!!”

“Y/N, wait!” He cries, camera unprepared, while fearing for your wellbeing. “What if you get hurt?!”

“I’m a ninja! I can’t get hurt!”

The number of scares you’d put him through that day are ones that he’ll never forget, the mere thought of them enough to send shivers through his spine…

But even then, he didn’t complain much. Because he was nothing but happy see you smile and laugh, proof that his decision was the right one, yet again, just to show how well he’s gone to know you—already planning what to get when you eventually grow tired of the camera…

If he doesn’t destroy it first when his brothers eventually discover his embarrassing photos.

“Naoya, come here please!” You’d call from another room, a request that was immediately granted just a few seconds after when he crosses through the doors.

“What is it, my love?” Naoya asks, throughout the years, his determination to please you has never dwindled.

“Look what I found!”

“Oh, its—”

The same camera he got all those years ago, the first one he’s got. A relic of his childhood, in other words.

“The camera, that one! Remember?” you say. Rummaging through the moving boxes has been quite nostalgic as of lately, but you never expected to see something so… ancient, no offense meant. “Wow, can’t believe it’s here…”

“Me neither…” Naoya says, somewhat… nervous.

“Think it still has pictures from back then?”

Naoya immediately turns red.

“No!” he shrieks, making you raise an eyebrow. Did you forget, perhaps? “I mean—It’s old, who knows if the battery or memory are any good.”

“Let’s find out then!” you grin, quickly standing up to look for a compatible charger.

Naoya tries to stop you, kind of; he doesn’t really put that much of a fight whenever he sees you this enthusiastic, although he wishes he could’ve for once, considering how anxious he felt for the impending moment the camera turned on and revealed all those embarrassing pictures he innocently took back then.

To when you giggle graces his ears, amused by his antics…

But when the camera beeps on, he’s received with… well, nothing. Just silence as you diligently flick through the photos, each one received by your intense gaze that makes him wonder if perhaps the camera didn’t work anymore…

Until noticing the fluster in your cheeks, then did Naoya dare to ask what’s wrong.

“Y/N, is… everything ok?”

“Naoya… did you really… keep all these pictures?” you ask, slowly turning around to see him, revealing your burning face.

“I… did.” He silently admits, unsure where this is going, but convinced it wasn’t good. “I… well, you liked them, so I thought I’d keep them, in case you wanted to see them again, of course. I didn’t know you wanted me to… delete them.”

It’s funny to see that even when married, Naoya is just as anxious when it comes to openly expressing his feelings—he’s gotten better at it, of course, the two were now living in the same house together, hoping for a baby…

But maybe it’s the inner child in him, the one that never got to express his feelings back then, didn’t know how. Even though he wanted so, so much.

Which is coincidentally, the same reason that made your breath hitch to your throat, heart skipping a beat when realizing that Naoya, all this time, has…

“—You’ve always cared for me, haven’t you?”

Naoya blinks, caught off guard by the direction this conversation was heading; but even then, he nods, admitting what you confessed.

You knew that already; you wouldn’t have married him if that wasn’t the case.

It’s just that… to be reminded that Naoya always had your wellbeing in mind, probably since the moment he met you… melted your heart.

Truly, you had found your soulmate.

“Enough to even… take these silly pictures of me!” You add, it’s your turn to be embarrassed by all the goofy pictures you made him take; you knew you were nothing but a child back then, actions like these more than expected, but now that you were an adult… you can’t help but wince, covering your cheeks with your hands as you continue to fret. “Oh my god, Naoya—how did you even put up with me back then??! Seriously, look at this one!! It’s all coming to me now—I think I got hurt, didn’t I? Or at least that’s how it felt…”

“I guess I just liked you too much.” He says, a smile on his face.

“I guess you did.” You giggle. “Guess you must’ve had it real bad if you were willing to make silly faces with me! Though you looked far cuter than me, but then again, you were always good-looking.”

“What are you on, love? I don’t think either of us looked good.” he snickers, leaning down and looking at the camera. “Definitely not you on that photo.”

“Hey!” you gasp. “No need to go that low!”

“Or what?” he smirks. “Gonna make me take more pictures of you?”

You gasp. “I’ll take this as blackmail, then!” and then, you stand up, sprinting past the door and away from him, hoping to get a copy of these pictures onto the computer and let your evil scheming commence.

“Huh?! No you’re not!” Naoya says, running right behind you, eventually catching up to you and taking the camera away from your hands.

But you meant no harm, of course, not when the presence of them filled the two with nostalgia, fondly looking back to the moment the two were nothing but kids, yet, unknowingly fated to be with one another.

It’s always meant to be that way; to be happy together, whether in the past, the present, or the future.

One the two have yet to create, now as a family.

Which neither could wait for it to happen.

Naoya and YN growing to be together is the ultimate endgame. I will not discuss otherwise :) also, Naoya might be holding onto those pictures in hopes of showing them off to their future daughter, just to get back at her (Naomi is not thrilled, at all. It's probably the first time she thinks of her parents as weird)

Oh, I hope you enjoyed this little thing 🥺❤️ thank you so much for sending in this ask, the child au is 😭 the fluff I need amongst these times of angst haha.

Anyways, I will try my best to write the Naoya b-day one shot :> In between requests and updates.... you know... eheh.

Thank you so much for your patience, take care, and hope to see you soon ❤️❤️❤️

[hannahbarberra162]

Who the Deuce?

Hi! It's my first canon x canon attempt! It was harder than expected. I have many more Deuce Thoughts (tm) that didn't make it here.

Beta'd by the amazing @maskeddeucelover thank you for all your work!

Ace X Deuce, angst and fluff, no smut.

Word count: ~5k

AU where Deuce begins his writing career while with the Spade Pirates and continues when they join the WBP. He is a published travel / adventure columnist with a regular column in the WENP.

Overview: Ace won’t put a label on his relationship with Deuce. He wants to keep their relationship non-exclusive, to Deuce’s chagrin. Deuce begins getting recognized as a rising star in the writing world, and taken on dates by attractive fans. Can Ace tame his jealousy and reclaim his lover? Or has Deuce finally moved on? 

~~~

DEUCE POV

Deuce sighed as he felt overly warm arms embrace him from behind, wrapping around his waist as he finished rolling up clean bandages. He knew it was Ace, seeking comfort and connection at the end of a long day. Deuce quickly calculated how much work he had left in the infirmary, since it was obvious Ace was done for the day.

“Hi, Ace,” Deuce greeted tiredly. 

“Mmmmphhh,” Ace didn’t reply with words, just buried his face into Deuce’s neck. The nuzzling felt pleasant, but Deuce had to remind himself that it didn’t come with anything deeper. He and Ace had been fighting recently over their relationship. Or rather, the lack thereof. Deuce wanted to make things official and be exclusive with one another. On the other hand, Ace wanted to keep things as they were, nothing defined and a more open relationship. It made Deuce feel that Ace was just stringing him along until Ace found someone better. Ace felt that they should keep their options open during their high seas adventures, while also casually enjoying each other’s company. Neither opinion was wrong, but they were at an impasse. 

Deuce had been thinking of breaking things off completely. He didn’t like seeing his partner with other people, it just hurt him. He didn’t feel inclined towards dating others either, so maybe it would be best to part ways before he got hurt even further. A few years prior, he would have taken anything Ace had offered at the expense of his own heart. But he’d grown a little and was prepared to suffer heartbreak now if it would hurt less in the long run. 

“Ace, don’t.”

“But I’m worn out. I wanna cuddle.” Ace started peppering wet kisses on Deuce’s neck. Deuce had to decide, and quickly, what he wanted to do. He could tell Ace to stop right now and reignite the argument they’d been having, or he could enjoy the moment. He looked behind and saw Ace’s sweet freckled face. His choice was made. He could never deny Ace for long, his love for his former Captain was too strong. So even though it hurt him, he’d allow it. For one more night.

“C’mon, let’s go to my room,” Deuce offered. Ace smiled and threw Deuce over his shoulder, carrying him off to Deuce’s (much cleaner) room.

~~~

A few days later, the Moby anchored near a large island to restock supplies. Marco had granted Deuce shore leave after their work was complete, which was an exciting prospect. Deu wanted to get a copy of the latest newspaper and see his travel column in print. Ace, being a Commander, didn’t have to ask permission from anyone, so they made plans to explore the island together. After meeting up on the island, they set off to get the feel for the island. At first, it felt like old times, just the two of them investigating somewhere new. They walked around the island a bit, and found a restaurant that seemed like it would have an adequate supply of meat to keep Ace full.

Deuce was enjoying some quality time talking with Ace - while he ate plate after plate. Ace was telling Deuce about some rare variety of beetle he wanted to look for on the island. Deuce had heard a lot about Ace’s brother Luffy, including his love of insects and beetles in particular. It was endearing to Deuce that Ace continued to look for the ugly bugs as a way to maintain connection with his sibling. He enjoyed hearing about the local flora and fauna of islands and sometimes included Ace’s tidbits in his writing.

But like always, someone recognized Ace from his posters and wanted to talk to the handsome outlaw. And Ace, like always, responded and began a conversation with the stranger. Deuce sat at the table, feeling shunted off to the side as Ace began telling stories of being a Whitebeard Commander. He listened in silence for some time before he decided to leave and find a newspaper. At least he would meet one of his goals for shore leave. By that time, Ace had gathered a small crowd of adoring women - and a few men - who were hanging on his every word. Deuce cast one last glance at his love, who already had his arm over the shoulders of some woman, and left.

Deuce decided his best bet to find a recent paper would be in a bookstore. He could also pick up a few novels to entertain himself, since he had a feeling Ace wasn’t going to be available for the rest of the afternoon. Stewing in his own thoughts, he walked back towards the bookstore they had passed in their quest for a restaurant. Deuce entered the shop and went to look for the periodicals. 

Quickly finding what he needed, he looked for the most recent issue of the World Economy News Paper. Scanning through the pages, he found his article and skimmed through it. He was disappointed but not surprised it had been edited. He was thinking of comments to send to Morgan about the next one when he felt a tap on his shoulder. 

“Excuse me, I hope I’m not bothering you. May I ask you a question?” An attractive young man stood next to Deuce, awaiting his response.

“If you’re looking for Ace, he’s at the restaurant down the street.” Deuce answered, looking back down at the paper. He had answered this question many times before, on many different islands.

The man tilted his head to the side, looking slightly confused. “I’m sorry, I’m not looking for an Ace.” Deuce looked up once more and gave the man his attention as he continued. “I couldn’t help but overhear in the restaurant that your name is Deuce. I know this is a long-shot, but are you the author of the travel column in the WENP?”

Deuce’s eyes opened wide. He’d never heard his column referenced…well, ever. No one talked about his writing with him, not even on the Moby. It might endanger his column if his readership found out he was a pirate on a Yonko crew, but he wanted to know why the man was asking.

“Ah, yes, actually. That’s me. May I ask why?” The man positively beamed at Deuce.

“Why? Why? You’re the most popular columnist in the newspaper! Everyone reads your articles before the rest of the paper! I can’t believe you are here on our terrible island! Are you going to write about it? Oh, I can’t wait to read what you have to say. I hope you rip this shithole to shreds!” The man was gushing at Deuce, who took a step back at the emphatic statements being declared by the stranger. The man realized his error and looked sheepish.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t bother you when you’re such a busy person. I’m just a huge fan. I’ll leave you alone now.” The man bowed his head slightly, turning his body to leave.

Deuce waved off the man’s comment, and replied with a kind smile “no, no, it’s OK. I’m simply surprised. No one has ever recognized me before.”

“I’m Raoul,” the man said, sticking out his hand. “My friends and I are all obsessed with your writing. Well, everyone is, but us in particular. We read everything you publish. And oh my god, I’m fangirling again. I’m sorry, Deuce.” Raoul was blushing, a cute look for him. 

Deuce laughed lightly, and replied “I don’t mind at all, it’s nice to hear that someone out there is reading it. You’ve made my day. And you can call me Deu.”

Raoul took a deep breath, and said “I hope this isn’t too forward, but I’d really like to make your night too. Would you like to come out on a date with me tonight? I’m sure you’re busy, but I know I’d regret it for the rest of my life if I didn’t ask.”

Deuce looked at Raoul, who was watching him with hope in his eyes. Deuce hadn’t felt so wanted in a long time. He thought about Ace, flirting and whatever else, right down the street. Well, Deuce didn’t have to wait around for Ace. He could live his life and enjoy it on his own terms, just like Ace wanted them to.

“I’d love nothing more, Raoul. Pick a place and time and I can meet you there.”

Deuce and Raoul coordinated plans for a date later that night and parted ways. Deuce covertly saw him skipping down the street in excitement. Heart lighter, Deuce paid for his newspaper and left the store with a grin. 

A few hours later, as he was sitting and reading at a cafe, Ace slumped into the seat across from Deuce. He leaned back, stretching his arms behind his head, and put his hat over his eyes. It looked like he’d tried to wipe lipstick off his face, somewhat successfully. Deuce ignored him.

“Whew, I thought I’d never get away from there! People, man. They just wanted to hear more and more. Had to run away to find you.”

Deuce hummed but didn’t reply, continuing to read. Ace was undeterred. 

“Anyway, some of the guys are going to the local pub in a bit. Do you want to join? I’m gonna. I think it could be a fun time.” 

“Oh, I can’t. I have a date,” replied Deuce casually.

Ace immediately sat up and leaned forward in his chair, putting his hat back on his head. “A date?! With who?”

“With Raoul.”

“Who’s Raoul?!”

“A fan. We’re meeting up soon actually, I should get going.”

“Your fan? Fan of what? And you don’t know him - what if he’s from another crew? What if it’s a trap and he’s a bounty hunter? This is a bad idea.” Ace had his arms crossed across his tan chest, drumming his fingers against his arm.

“He’s a fan of my writing. I can protect myself. I’m going. See you later, Ace.” With that, Deuce finished the last sip of the coffee in his mug, folded the newspaper, tucked it under his arm and left. It took everything in him not to turn around and see the look of jealousy he knew was on Ace’s face. He could feel the waves of heat coming off of Ace, but that wasn’t his problem. After all, Ace was emphatically not his boyfriend. 

~~~

Deuce spent a perfectly wonderful evening with Raoul. They dined, had a few drinks, and engaged in thought provoking conversation. Deuce enjoyed his time on the Moby, but he would be lying if he said he was always intellectually stimulated. Sure, he could talk to Marco, but the first Commander was usually busy and preferred medical literature over everything else. Deuce had dropped out of medical school for a reason - he didn’t want to spend his free time talking about viruses of the Grand Line. There were many other intelligent crewmates to talk to, but he seemed to be the only one interested in writing. 

Talking to Raoul was like entering another world. A world in which he wasn’t a pirate, wasn’t a former first mate, wasn’t a healthcare provider, but a journalist. The way Raoul described his columns made Deuce feel fulfilled in a way that he had been searching for his whole life. He wanted to know that people read his work, that they enjoyed it, that they found entertainment or solace in his words. That was what made his heart sing, not fighting or drinking. Deuce didn’t care how many readers he had, just that someone out there was reading what he wrote. 

It felt strange to be on a date with someone new - the overwhelming majority of Deuce’s romantic experience had been with Ace. He would be lying if he said he didn’t think about Ace during the date. With Ace, he was always the secondary to Ace’s primary. Ace led them on adventures, and Deuce followed. Ace found places to go, and Deuce joined along. He had even taken his nom de plume as a nod to Ace’s name, erasing his own identity to match his lover’s. Their dynamic usually worked well, with both men filling roles they enjoyed. Ace never treated Deuce like he was lesser, but being out with Raoul made Deuce realize he did carry some resentment towards his former Captain.

With Raoul, Deuce was his own complete person, not defined in relation to someone else. It was boosting his self esteem to be taken seriously as a man of words, something he found himself enjoying. He didn’t know if it was Raoul personally that was causing the feeling, or just the fact that someone was as full of admiration for him - maybe as much as he had for Ace. With that thought, Deuce realized he’d been ruminating on Ace for too long, and focused his mind on enjoying the present. The night went by quickly, and they talked until the restaurant informed them they were closing.

Deuce and Raoul finished their meal and started walking in the moonlight, hand in hand. Deuce walked Raoul back to his house, and was invited in. He thought about it, but gracefully declined. He did, however, take the opportunity to kiss Raoul. Raoul asked if Deuce would be around the following day, and they made plans for another date. After a final goodnight kiss, Deuce left his eager fan.

It was nice, thought Deuce. Kissing someone new was nice. It wasn’t electrifying, or exhilarating, or intoxicating like kissing Ace was. It didn’t consume him whole, leaving him lost in a haze of desire. It didn’t overwhelm his senses until there was nothing in the world except Ace’s lips on his own. It was just nice. He supposed that was good enough for now.

~~~

Heading back towards town, he wanted to see if everyone was still at the bar, drinking. He found the pub and heard familiar voices coming from the inside. He entered and saw his friends carousing together. Joining the fray, he ordered a beer and sat with the others. Apparently, news of his romantic outing had made the rounds, and several crew members asked him about it. Noticeably absent was Ace, who was giving him the stink eye from across the bar. Ignoring the Commander, Deuce shared information about his enjoyable night, including the invitation for another the following day. He drank a few more beers with his comrades, and decided to head back to the boat for the night. 

On his walk back, he heard running footsteps catching up with him. He sighed - he knew where this was headed.

“How was your date?” Ace spat at him.

“Lovely. Have another tomorrow.” 

“With Raoul?” Ace spat. Ace was being childish and Deu had no patience for it. Deuce gave him a cold look.

“Not really your business.” Deuce wasn’t going to engage in Ace’s jealousy and insecurity. He had set the rules for their non-relationship, not Deuce. Ace couldn’t eat his cake and have it too. Ace was fuming but didn’t say anything else. They parted ways once they were on the ship, still not talking. It was hard - something in Deuce wanted to apologize, even though he had nothing to apologize for. One day at a time.

~~~

The next day, Deuce went back to the island to meet up with Raoul. This time, Raoul had brought his friends, all of whom were excited to meet him. They raved about his writing, his wit, his creativity, and his ability to make or break the reputations of islands with a slash of his pen. They had copies of his columns, which they wanted him to autograph. It was overwhelming, but also quite fun. Some of them were aspiring authors themselves, and begged Deuce to edit and make suggestions on their pieces. Deuce felt a little dazed by all the attention, he wasn’t normally one to favor the spotlight. Raoul’s friends left after a few hours, leaving the two men for their second date. Deuce enjoyed his evening, and this time did accept the offer to continue his conversation with Raoul in his home. He did not return to the ship that night - for the first time since he became a Whitebeard Pirate.

Early the next morning, Deuce left a sleeping Raoul and made his way back. The Moby was leaving soon, and he needed to be on it. The two had parted on good terms, with Raoul promising to save every one of his columns in case Deuce ever wanted them. As the dinghy he was on made its way back to the Moby, he heard Ace yelling. Not a great sign, he thought to himself. He was guessing Ace was also on fire, though he couldn’t see it.

“....CAPTURED BY MARINES!? HOW DO YOU KNOW?” 

Deuce heard Marco reply calmly to Ace’s outburst. “I don’t think he was captured by the Marines, yoi. There aren’t any on the island.”

“THEN WHAT IF HE’S HURT?! FLY AROUND AND FIND HIM!”

“He’s not hurt. Look, he’s right there. Safe and sound yoi.” 

Ace, who was indeed on fire, quickly looked over the railing of the ship. Deuce waved. Ace glared and stomped off, still aflame. 

After coming aboard, Deuce headed to the infirmary for work. Deuce started his day by checking the updated patient charts, browsing through everyone’s progress. Deuce was flipping through a chart, reading about a patient’s improvements when Marco sidled up to him. Marco, ever the busybody, was quick to find him and ask about the previous night. For such a mature man, he thought, Marco sure wanted to have his beak in everyone’s business. 

“So, interesting night yoi?” Marco asked with a quirked eyebrow.

“You could say that,” Deuce replied, not putting down the chart. He knew the Commanders were the biggest gossip mongers on board, so he didn’t want to say too much in case it got back to Ace. 

“I’ve never seen you spend the night off the ship before.” It looked like Marco wasn’t letting Deuce go without some information.

“A date invited me to stay over, it was nice sleeping on land for a change.”

“Hmm. I thought you and Ace were…staying over together.”

Deuce just shrugged one shoulder with a small frown. He didn’t want to describe to Marco the mechanics of his non-relationship with Ace. Deuce put down one chart and picked up another. Marco looked at him with something akin to pity, ruffled his hair, and walked away. 

MARCO POV

Marco watched Ace spontaneously catch fire throughout the day, usually after glancing at Deuce. Deuce, for his part, was ignoring Ace altogether with much more success. Marco was sitting on the deck next to Izou, drinking their afternoon tea together.

“Should we help him? It’s hard to watch,” asked Izou.

“No, this is a good lesson for him to learn,” replied Marco. It was painful to watch Ace make such obvious mistakes, but there was nothing to be done. Some things had to be learned through experience alone.

“And what lesson is that?” Izou said with a sly smile.

“Never take love for granted yoi,” Marco replied, taking Izou’s hand from his tea cup and gently kissing it. 

ACE POV

It became a repeating pattern, much to Ace’s dismay and anger. They would go to new islands, someone would recognize Deuce, and talk to him endlessly about his writing. He was asked out for many dates, dinners, drinks, and more. Ace didn’t know how people recognized him, since Deuce’s picture wasn’t printed in the papers, but he was rising rapidly in popularity. Deuce suddenly didn’t have time for Ace, for explorations or adventures, or for their relationship. Truthfully, Ace was jealous of all these fans who were taking up Deuce’s time. 

The first time Deuce left the ship for an island without telling Ace, he almost burned the ship down with his untamed feelings. He didn’t know where Deuce was, and it didn’t feel right going to a new location without him. He asked around, but no one knew where Deuce had gone either. Getting increasingly annoyed and worried, he burned hotter and hotter, unable to stop his spiraling emotions. Finally, Marco told him that Deu had left for a date and to calm down because he was scorching the deck with his pacing. 

He wouldn’t admit it, but he had tracked Deuce down on the island. Spying on Deuce from afar, he saw Deu laughing with an adoring fan - who had an autographed copy of Deuce’s column in his hand. He realized he hadn’t seen Deuce that joyful since they’d joined the Whitebeard Pirates. It made him feel guilty that he hadn’t noticed Deuce was so unhappy before. He knew medicine wasn’t Deuce’s true passion, but he hadn’t seen that bright look in his eyes for months. Ace knew he wasn’t an intellectual match for Deuce - he never had been. He felt envious of the people who could talk to Deuce about his writing and engage him in that way. 

Ace started avoiding Deuce, not out of maliciousness, but because he couldn’t bear seeing him. Seeing Deuce just reminded him of his own failures. Every time he saw Deuce, he thought about how he had messed up their relationship, how Deuce was moving on, and how he had squandered his opportunity with the most significant person in his life. Seeing Deuce reminded him both of the good times they had shared, and that they were no longer having those kinds of adventures together. Ace had even asked Marco for advice, but it only made Ace feel worse.

“Do you think I can get him back?” Ace asked, feeling insecure. He’d found Marco in the Commander’s lounge, reading some book about Grand Line viruses. Marco was in the loop about everything on the ship, so Ace didn’t need to explain who or what he was talking about.

“It depends yoi,” answered Marco cryptically, closing the book to look at Ace.

“Depends on what?” Ace gritted out. Ace never liked word games or mysteries, especially when he was asking for help. 

“It depends on whether you’re someone he would want to come back to. Deuce’s most enduring trait is his loyalty. You’ve taken advantage of that and now he might be done. You’ve always acted like he’s a sure bet, someone you can treat as you want but always rely on. But he hasn’t been able to rely on you yoi. So, like I said, it depends.”

Marco’s words hit Ace hard. Ace thanked Marco automatically and left to go think over his words privately in his own room. Laying on his bed, Ace ran his fingers through his hair, trying to relieve his stress. Marco was right, Ace relied on Deuce so much, in so many ways. Deuce was his voice of reason, his cool head, his external source of confidence. Deuce was logical and analytical, able to see alternatives Ace would never think of on his own. When he was uncertain or unsure about any decision, he bounced his ideas off of Deuce. Deu was non-judgemental and thoughtful, kind and reflective. Ace always thought they balanced each other well.

Ace always felt lucky that someone like Deuce would want to talk to someone like him, much less be his lover. Someone as smart as Deuce could do anything, he didn’t have to be a pirate. Deuce had chosen life as an outlaw over a normal civilian life, and Ace felt he owed a lot of his success to Deuce. Ace showed Deuce parts of himself that few people saw - his insecurity, his depression, his issues with self worth. But the reverse was true as well. Deuce was witty, funny, and perceptive. He was reserved, you had to know him well for his true nature to be revealed. Though, Ace supposed, it was now being revealed to the world via his writing. No wonder so many fans wanted Deuce’s attention - they got to see that amazing side of him that had attracted Ace to him in the first place.

He thought back to his arguments with Deuce about their relationship and realized Deuce was right - Ace wanted the emotional and physical connection with Deu, but didn’t want to have to give up anything in return. It was selfish, and it was no wonder Deuce didn’t want to accept it.

Ace didn’t know what to do. He was the one who had rejected an exclusive relationship and was regretting it. He didn’t want to try to close the relationship now, that wasn’t fair to Deuce. Deuce had waited for Ace patiently in the shadows for years, never complaining when Ace got attention. Now that Deuce was the one getting noticed, he didn’t want to seem bitter and spiteful. If Deuce needed other people for his fulfillment, Ace wouldn’t get in his way.

Deuce POV

Deuce knew Ace was avoiding him. Before, even on a ship as large as the Moby, Deuce could always find Ace. They ate meals together or caught each other for a few moments on the deck to chat. Now, it was like Ace had vanished into thin air. Deuce didn’t have the time during the day to go find him, and was too upset to try at night. It seemed like they were going to go their separate ways, without so much as a goodbye.

A few days later, Deuce was taking a break, finishing a draft of a column in Marco’s office. Marco would let Deuce use the cozy room if it was unoccupied, which Deuce greatly appreciated. He felt someone watching him, and looked up to see Ace leaning against the door frame. He waited for Ace to speak first. Ace took off his cowboy hat and fiddled with it in his hands.

“Hi.”

“Hi.” There was awkward tension between them, something Deuce had never felt before. 

“I just wanted to say that I’m…I’m sorry. I’ve been acting like an asshole. I, uh, I’ve been jealous.” Ace was uncomfortable expressing himself, and Deuce was surprised to hear the honest confession.

“You’ve been jealous of the attention I’ve been getting?” Deuce asked.

“No, it’s not the attention exactly. I’m happy you’re finally getting noticed. You’re a great writer.” 

“How do you know I’m a great writer?” Deuce knew it was an antagonistic thing to say, but he couldn’t stop the acerbic remark from coming out. 

“I always read your column. It’s wonderful.” Ace was still fidgeting, but was starting to open up a little more. Deuce hoped that they could have a productive conversation and stop the bad energy between them.

“I didn’t know you read them.” Deuce had never seen Ace look at a newspaper, much less his writing.

“Of course I do. You make our adventures sound so fantastic. It’s like reliving it all over again. You just skip the parts with me in ‘em.” 

“Well, yeah. I can’t say that the reason I travel to these places is because I’m a Whitebeard pirate. I wouldn’t get published. But I include what you tell me sometimes, usually about the local bugs.”

“Guess so.” Ace entered Marco’s office and sat on the couch, closing the door behind him. He sat on the couch across from the desk, looking everywhere except Deuce’s face.

“So why are you jealous then? If it’s not the writing, is it the dates? You get tons of attention everywhere we go, and I never say anything.”

“Yeah, I don’t like all the dates and hookups and stuff people invite you to.” Ace was kicking at the rug on the floor of the room, still avoiding Deu’s eyes.

“But, isn’t that what you wanted? To be free to have adventures on the high seas?” 

“No. Well, yeah. I thought I wanted that. But I don’t.”

“What do you want then? I can’t read your mind, and I don’t like the way you’ve been acting.”

Ace stood up and crossed over to where Deuce was. He sat slouched over on Marco’s desk, facing Deuce, finally looking him in the eyes.  “I just want you. I want you all to myself. I know it’s selfish. I know it’s too late for me, for us. I know I’ve been bad for you. I thought I wanted to have lots of different experiences, with lots of different people. But I don’t. I only want you. Watching you go out with other people has been killing me.”

“...Ace…”

Ace deflated and put his forehead against Deuce’s. Speaking softly now, he continued “No, I know. I don’t deserve to have you back. I wasn’t treating you right. I always thought you’d be there for me, waiting for when I needed you. And when you weren’t…I couldn’t handle it. I know we’re over. You deserve better. And I know you need someone who can talk to you about your work. I know the kind of stuff you want to talk about and I know I can’t give that to you. I just…wish I had realized what we had before. You can go out and do whatever you want. I’ll stop bothering you so much.” Ace started to move away, but was caught by Deuce pulling him back.

“You’re an idiot,” Deuce said flatly.

“Yeah,” Ace said dejectedly, looking down. 

“You hurt me a lot.”

“I’m sorry,” Ace whispered.

“I missed you.”

Ace looked at Deuce, searching his face to determine if Deu was lying. “You did? You always looked like you were having so much fun on your dates.”

Deuce tilted his head in curiosity. “And how would you know? Were you following me?”

Ace turned bright red, and said “uh, no, I just…happened to be in the same area a couple times.”

Deuce lightly laughed and said, “You’ve always been such a bad liar. I saw you skulking about, on two different islands. You could have just talked to me about all this. Even the jealousy stuff. You know, communicate.”

“I didn’t know what to say. I want you for myself, but I…I want you to be happy even more than that. I don’t want to hold you back. You’re going to do great things, I can feel it. Even if they’re not with me.”

“They could be.” 

“What do you mean?” Ace looked at Deuce skeptically.

“Adventures aren’t as much fun alone or with strangers. I missed you a lot. Not one of those dates was as fun as a single afternoon with you.”

Ace looked up at a softly smiling Deuce. “Would you…take me back?”

“I could be convinced.”

Ace gripped Deuce’s chin with his fingers and angled his face down towards his own. “You won’t regret it. I’m gonna be with you only you… I’ll be… boyfriend…the best boyfriend…I can’t believe you’d let me…I’m so lucky….thank you, I’m gonna -” Ace was babbling, thinking of all the promises he wanted to make to Deuce. Deuce looked fondly at Ace.

“I know,” said Deuce. With that, he closed the distance between them and kissed his lover. His Captain. His partner. His.

[bcolfanfic]

the young veterns au thing you made was so endearing! do you have HCs in that au because now i need more

wahh thank you!!! i had fun making it...part of the fun being scrolling through callum turner pinterest but ah ah anyways. i do have HCs!

in my head curt does survive in this AU, he just gets some really gnarly injuries and goes home before the other guys- perhaps a leg or arm blown off. he makes the most of it though, and antagonizes the other guys with dark jokes about it. especially if it's his leg that he lost. noo curt don't call yourself a pirate noo get a normal prosthetic not a peg leg

also re: world building based on some very surface level googling in my mind they were all in afghanistan- and came home for good when the US pulled out of there, some of them before that. so in Modern Day 2024 they haven't been back for *that* long. (this is not a personal endorsement of the us involvement there to be very clear but like- there are only so many places for a modern au about young vets to get its background from. if i ever wrote this i'd actually be super interested in exploring the "we shouldn't have been there" side of things but ah i'll end that tangent there for now)

as you can kinda see in the gale's phone AU thing, poor bucky gets quite fucked up in the head. and gale wants to throw the useless VA guys who honestly making things worse through a wall on his behalf. that's gale's baby and it tears him apart that he can't just wave a magic wand and fix everything for him.

it messes him up the most at night and a part of the VA fuckery is when they're trying to get him seen by someone who can figure out how to help with his sleep. whether it's waking up from nightmares or not being able to fall asleep to begin with it's not good.

but he finds a lot of comfort in gale, and being in his arms. sometimes he just about rocks him to sleep- which he'd do forever and a day if bucky let him. he just loves him so much.

gale and bucky move back to wyoming when they're back in the US for good. it's home to gale, and he thinks it'll be good for bucky to be somewhere less chaotic. the other guys kinda spread out every which way, a couple of them going as far as wanting to fuck off from the united states for good and moving to europe. in my head that's what crosby and his wife do, and maybe rosie.

but they all keep in touch, how could they not- they love each other too much. they try to get everyone in the same room at least a few times a year. which is really chaos the more kids everyone has, but seeing their kiddos be buddies just like them makes the hassle to get everyone there worth it.

when bucky's PTSD is more under control and he's in a better place generally they adopt through a 'kids waiting in foster care' program. they briefly considered going the infant adoption route, but just felt more called to the alternative.

as many of the guys as possible fly out for their little daughter's official adoption day at the courthouse- and it's the best day of their lives. they're such good dads and how happy they are radiates off of them.

i have many more thoughts but this is already prob more than you wanted, LOL!

[genericpuff]

Hey puff! You've probably answered this before- I know you said you're planning to cover S1, but will you be going until Persephone becomes queen? Like shifting things around so that happens sooner. Just curious!

So it's not so much that I'm covering S1, more so that I'm treating Rekindled like a time machine, if we could go back to S1 and actually weave a coherent story out of what S1 provided as a foundation, then how would that play out? It's why I also call Rekindled an AU project ("alternate universe") because it's playing completely on a 'what if?' scenario. The scenario in this case being (without spoiling too much): "what if Persephone's Act of Wrath was explored more and given real depth and consequences?" "what if Hades' past and trauma was explored more that showcases his actions and thought processes in the present?" "what if certain characters who were villainized by LO were given their justice and retribution through more focused character writing?" and most importantly "what if Lore Olympus actually retold The Hymn to Demeter in the way that it said it would back in 2018?"

So yes, to answer your question in a convoluted way, Rekindled will be covering Persephone's story from the daughter of Demeter to the Queen of the Underworld. How that story unfolds may be considered subjectively better to some than it was handled in LO, maybe worse, but much of it is written how I and many others expected or at least wished it could have gone in LO. Some things are being removed to make room for other things that feel more integral to Persephone and Hades' stories, some things are still not completely myth accurate because I'm retelling it from my own interpretation of how LO could have gone with the foundation it created in the beginning, ultimately I hope y'all enjoy the ride in the end and I hope it brings closure to at least some of the folks who felt robbed by where LO ended up (´｡• ᵕ •｡`) ♡ (but y'all will be the judge of that when all is said and done!)

[birdmitosis]

alright kit one voice of the paranoid pretty please with cherry on top 🥺

[ask game here]

(Thank you for re-sending this ask, IDK why Tumblr hated my last attempt so much-- 🥺💕)

HELL YEAH MY #1 BLORBINA!!!!!

First impression

Haha, okay, that vocal delivery is great and I love that paranoia of the "what if He hears us?" followed by "shit!" Paranoid characters can be really hit-or-miss, though, and this particular shtick could get old really fast; I hope it doesn't.

Impression now

My favorite darling who I love and adore, my most beloved of current blorbos, the reason my STP hyperfixation is so so strong, bird of my heart 💖

Favorite moment

This is such a hard call! I'm especially torn between two moments: Of course the initial "Heart. Lungs. Liver. Nerves." is amazing and holds a special place in my heart because it's the moment I knew I absolutely adored her. But also, despite loving absolutely everything about both the Wraith and the Moment of Clarity and the transitions into both of them… "Oh right, yeah, fuck this guy. Don't trust Him." all by itself makes me love freeing the Nightmare in her Chapter II just as much. (Not that there aren't other great lines in that path, like the delivery of "I thought you needed me to run the autonomic nervous system?" which is just hysterical to me! But that line… It just won me over even more.)

As an honorable mention, let me pour one out for the cut Paranoid moment in Apotheosis:

I carry this moment, and Paranoid's thoughts about listening to others' lies having value, in my heart forever. It's just such an interesting touch and I'm incredibly sad it's gone!

Idea for a story

I have so many unbaked, half-formed idea snippets and NO details to go with them:

Paranoid running into trouble when her overpreening habits leave her without the ability to fly in a key situation, when she'd been able to (with increasing difficulty) up to that point since getting out of the Construct.

The world outside the Construct being some post- or mid-apocalypse survival horror situation and somehow Paranoid's body winds up warping in ways that remind her unpleasantly of Nightmare, primarily a bunch of eyes beginning to open up all over her body, especially her wings.

Either post-Construct or a mundane AU, bird-people or human or just human-looking, where Paranoid figures out she's trans (and slowly gains in confidence) due to drag.

Something that explores the idea of the beta voices actually turning into some of the current voices (Doubting becoming Skeptic, Flinching becoming Cheated, Meek becoming Paranoid, and Obsessed becoming either Stubborn or both Hunted and Stubborn -- and Smitten splitting off from the beta's Hero too actually!). I actually do really like the idea of the beta voices being their own individual people out there somewhere, but Paranoid reverting to Meek for a while under some circumstance could be fun to play with! And only Hero, Broken, Cold, and Contrarian would even possibly remember Meek…

Unpopular opinion

Paranoid really is not helpless and I think some people forget that sometimes! She's also got wonky morals. I'd argue that the voices you can get in other voices' Chapter IIIs often says something about them; while getting Paranoid in Apotheosis is more her going "That's Enough" and getting Skeptic in both Eye of the Needle and Den is kind of the same, the way Cold and Opportunist both show up in Wraith-from-Nightmare feels more… simpatico with how Paranoid operates? Paranoid can be fucking ruthless and also seize any opportunity she spots, especially if she doesn't trust a person (and the only people she trusts are the Long Quiet and the other voices).

She is also totally willing to abandon or murder a woman and the only one she seems to feel at all bad about at any point to any degree is the Wounded Wild. She's also also super dedicated to coming out unharmed and surviving, but she will do things like advise slitting our own throat when she thinks it's a good idea, and she is prone to panic but also remarkably self-aware about it and knows her own paranoid tendencies aren't always good, and both of those things can be easy to forget but I love them!

Finally, I want to note that people sometimes seem to forget that she doesn't actually get along as badly with Opportunist as you'd think she might! Maybe it's because when you get Opportunist in Wraith, it's specifically via doing exactly what Paranoid is advising (or would advise) you to do in that situation. Cheated and even Hero are more snippy with and disparaging of Opportunist -- even Smitten is to some degree -- and Paranoid is more snippy with Hero and Broken, and Skeptic is the one who seems most disparaging of her. The dynamics being different from what you might think fascinates me, really, and I'm curious about how both new and old dynamics might end up looking in the Pristine Cut.

Favorite relationship

I MEAN…

Much like last time, romantically speaking I love her dynamic with Cold. But platonically, I'm fascinated by her dynamics with Broken, Opportunist, and the Narrator, love her dynamic with Hero, and would be interested to see more (or any) of her dynamic with Hunted, Skeptic, and/or Smitten in the Pristine Cut.

Among the vessels, I also think she'd have interesting dynamics with Damsel, Prisoner, Spectre, Stranger, and Thorn, and would actually love to see more of her dynamic with Nightmare, Wild, and Wraith. (Looking forward to those new Chapter IIIs, too, and I'm very curious about the expanded Apotheosis chapter!)

Favorite headcanon

Well, hands down my favorite headcanon is transfem Paranoid!

But I am also super attached to her having major difficulties with getting her own body: She overpreens to the point of not being able to fly, she has all sorts of trouble sleeping (nightmares, night terrors, insomnia, even sleepwalking), and worst of all she has a harder time trusting the others to the same extent that she used to, at least at first. They're still parsing as us but they're also parsing as other and it fucks with her a bit. She also can panic due to not being able to protect the others or sense the pain/injury/illness/etc. of the others the way she'd have been able to if they still shared a body...

Like, overall she does like having her own body, it's quieter and she has more control over herself, but there's a lot that's difficult about it for her too.

[sir-davey]

hey just found your stuff and im obsessed. if youre willing could you please talk a little bit more abt your ideas with like. an evil johnathan

Ack, thank you! ^^ and ofc!! I’m glad you asked!! I’ll be going on a tangent about this since I am filled to the brim with ideas of an evil Jonathan :’) Where he’s extremely obsessive for David, to the point of manipulation and hurting him in the process/breaking their covenant.

And story/drama wise, I’ve definitely come up with a lot of ideas within these narratives loll. Since an evil Jonathan au is such an interesting idea to explore!! I usually take him being more obsessive of David. He sees David easy to manipulate and to love, someone he can hold onto, therefore he presents himself to David as the only person David can depend on. He uses their covenant to be “bound” with him, and wants David just for himself and nothing more, to the point of insanity. That’s right. Basically, I have Jonathan to be so obsessed, to where he loves David as much as Saul hates him.

It’s mainly because Jonathan has no hope at this point, and he needs something to hold onto. He’s been brought up as Israel’s prince, and is constantly pressured by his father, yet he is left with no purpose after G-d and Samuel stripped away the kingdom. He watches as his father’s mind deteriorates while his house crumbles around him. But then there’s David. Jonathan wants to hate him, but David is too good in his eyes to be hated. With David, he finds a purpose. He can feel loved, devoted, and be able to use him. David was his last resort. Yet, all of this adds up to his chronic obsession, leading him to harm and even kill those keeping him from David, or anyone who seeks David’s demise, like his father.

Jonathan just becomes more unhinged as time passes, and I have him literally become like Saul the more he pursues after David out of desire to have him. He will not let him go whatsoever. And seeing Jonathan’s obsession, David begins to fear him. And well, I can say that Jonathan wouldn’t take this lightly at all… and he’ll manipulate him to an extent in various ways, even to the point of harming him at desperate measures… but to the point when his sanity absolutely crumbles.

Since he has nothing to look to other than taking up the Lord’s anointed, the chosen king, into his own hand, being able to control and to love him for himself, would ‘cause Jonathan’s spiral into obsessive madness.

And that’s usually my take on evil Jonathan LOL, but I also have another au where Saul convinces Jonathan enough to hate David, and to kill him, when Jonathan chooses his father’s loyalty over David’s in order to protect his house from David’s house threatening him. And of course, this comes with a lot of tension you’d expect between David and Jonathan. But also, I have Jonathan again try and manipulate David with his love, but out of deceit. The more he knows about David, the better chance he and his father has of killing him. Knowing David and everything about him as he gains his trust with his love will make Jonathan 10x as dangerous as Saul.

And that’s my usual take ackk 😭 and oh boi, and I do have ANOTHER au, but this au is like two aus combined where Jonathan survives and becomes king, but his sanity wavers from all the pressure around him. I haven’t really fleshed out that idea yet, but I’m just saying, I have thought about that one as well! Which goes to show how many aus I can come up with this idea lollll. It’s so fun honestly <33

Aghh, I rambled a lot did I? 🥲 hehe, but those were just some of the ideas I have! <3 I like coming up with aus, and I have even more lmao

[seaweedbraens]

Hi! I've been following your fics for a few years now and I was just wondering, do you have any tips for new writers? Specifically for fics that is. Any advice from planning a fic outline to just general writing advice would be hella appreciated!!

hello!!! welcome to fic, we're super happy to have you here <3 i'd love to drop you some 'tips' (i am using quotes because i am not sure if im qualified to give advice - and i'm not sure if it'll work, but here is what works for me!)

when i outline fics, i almost always know what my starting and ending is. i've definitely mentioned this before but i always always know my endling LINE, i dont start writing a fic if i don't know where it's gonna end up. again, this may not be you, so dont panic if it isn't! this is just how i begin.

since my fics are on the...ahem, lengthier side, i usually have 'sections' of content between my beginning and end. i write down (usually by hand, but it doesnt matter what you use tbh) significant 'events' or 'goals' of the section. for instance, as i was writing my bigfic (we could walk straight through hell (with a smile)) one of my chapter outlines looked like this:

since this fic used multiple character POVs, i also made sure to label which section was being seen through which character's eyes. sometimes, as i'm making my sections, i'll get inspiration for dialogue, and i include that too. as you can see above, i also highlighted sections as i completed them, though that's just more to keep track than anything else.

i wish i could give you more insight into writing, but really the biggest piece of advice i can give is to keep reading. reading fic is good but reading books is even better because you'll learn so many words, absorb so many kinds of writing styles, and learn what you like and what you don't like and patterns that you'll settle into. i have to confess i dont read much these days, which i need to change, but i used to be a voracious reader, and that definitely helped me as a writer.

i've been writing fic for a long time, though. so when it comes to writing fic in particular, i am a huge advocate for a couple of things (and these are pretty general, not necessarily writing-related):

don't force yourself to write!! sometimes you just arent feeling it and thats okay. i write in insane spurts - as i wrote wcwsthwas i occasionally pumped out 10k in a single sitting - but i go months and months without writing in between. if you're in a rut i don't think you need to force yourself out of it, because more often than not i've found myself dissatisfied with my work when i do force myself to write. as creatives, burnout is common, but because this is fic we're lucky enough that we operate on our own schedule. we don't need to push ourselves to write if we don't have to. but trust me, when you feel the urge to start writing again, it's wonderful, and the words will flow out of you!! just make sure you

stay inspired! again, reading good books helps you expand your own vocabulary, and it'll come in handy when you find yourself needing to write descriptions. observe the world around you, learn movements and expressions and how things and people tick. explore writing prompts and see what inspires you best (i took one look at soulmate au prompts and never looked back). it's cool to be inspired by fellow creatives online (just make sure to give credit if needed) but also try to be inspired by yourself! a lot of my fics stem from my own experiences and thoughts and emotions, and i think to some degree that resonates with people, which is always great. try to examine things on a deeper level. draw on memories from your own life and they'll hit more often than they miss. think about what makes your hurt, and rage, and cry, and flinch, and smile. remember the little things that make interactions so special. when you put yourself in a character's shoes in a certain situation, question why they'd act or react a certain way. and make sure

you do you. if your work doesn't sound beautiful and prose-y, that's fiiine. it's okay to keep it simple!! it was a bitter pill to swallow and it took me many years, but i have finally realized that my strengths as a writer are in my dialogue and emotional dump-writing. i don't think i'll be ever to be one of those poetic writers who can pull words from the trails of your thoughts like a some kind of sick magical literary genius. i have some friends who just. they write so BEAUTIFULLY and i'm so envious of them, but that's their strength, and i have my own. remember that!! and please for the love of god

don't worry about stats. write for YOU. this may sound lofty but i can't stress this enough. i was unfortunate to start writing fic when i was very young, and as a competitive little brat i was obsessed with the numbers. i desperately tracked every comment and like and favorite and follow. i let that dictate my writing, because i knew that if i wrote a certain way, made fics extra fluffy or whatever, they'd draw in more comments. i'd force myself to write more, update fics to show how active i was as an author in the fandom, and in the end, that truly sucked out the joy of writing for me. i found other ways to channel my creativity for a long time and then returned to writing. now, i write when inspiration strikes, and to my surprise and joy people still want to read. i love when a fic does well, but it doesn't debilitate me if it doesn't. writing for yourself, and for the love of a good story, and for the love of the source material, and for the love of writing, will make you a better writer. and on that note:

quantity does not equal quality. i've been asked quite a bit how i write such long fic but that's largely because i like to read long fic. i like it when a story is build up and fleshed out and you end up knowing everything about everyone. i like drawing out moments, giving characters depth and thoughts and relationships. a lot of my fics are full of extra padding that goes into building character relationships and friendships, because as an only child they are super important to me. HOWEVER there is real fucking skill required to write a short fic. to fit a beginning and middle and end into the least amount of words possible. it's incredible, it's a skill i wish i had, and deserves every laurel that long fics get. as a writer, if you find your fic ending earlier than expected, that's fine. you don't need to add more words just for the sake of puffing up the wordcount. at the end of the day, if your story shines, that's all that matters, and readers will respond to it.

im not sure if this will help you but this is kind of the bulk of what i've learned all these years writing fic. at the end of it all, what works for me may not at all work for you, but i'm certain that with time, you'll find your groove and carve out a niche for yourself, just as we all have. just remember: have fun! the internet is batshit and sometimes not the best place but my time writing fic has exposed me to the most wonderful people. writing will help you learn and grow in ways you won't be able to foresee now - just go with the flow and take it all in as it comes! be positive, accept critique and feedback and learn from it, and stay enthusiastic about telling your stories. feel free to message me anytime, and please drop a link to your fic if you ever post :) i'd love to read it!

sorry for the late response, and for making you read this NOVEL, holy shit. haaave a good day/night <3