#update 1: emotional damage tag

[live-with-love]

ALNST x SK8 parallels (Part 2)

Check out Part 1 here :)

Update: I've made a Part 3 as well :3

Tagging @2nd-coming-of-kamote I know you like more of these <3

Black-haired character who has/should have fangs

Main protagonist having a sibling-like relationship with said black-haired character

Top 3 of 'Alien Stage' vs the 3 founders of 'S'

The punk character(s) having an unrequited crush

Main protagonist's love interest be looking at their loved one lovingly while looking ethereal

Main protagonist getting emotional damage after losing their loved one

Pink-haired character experiencing the horrors

Oh god, the yearning is strong with this one

Main antagonist proceeds to get beaten by the main protagonist

Main antagonist not having the best childhood + the childhood friend they get attached to

The dead brother/former friend trope

The side characters who need to show up more

"No one is injured/assaulted/died during the filming process" (forgive the image quality, this can be a whole PowerPoint slide tbh)

[nevernonline]

✧.* grow as we go; smau masterlist

synopsis: over the past ten years you've fallen in love many times. one day someone happens to stumble across your journal sitting out on your nightstand and started posting your entries online. after all of your secrets are leaked it's clear things would ever be the same again.

𐦍 paring: svt members x afab! reader.

𐦍 feat: non-idol! svt, (g)-idle minnie&soyeon, oc's

𐦍 genre/s: reader is super angsty low-key, fluffy, sexual themes.

𐦍 content: swearing, bullying, crazy ex's, mentions of sexual relations, some drinking& mary jane 🍃

𐦍 start date: october 2nd 2023

𐦍 updates: mainly mondays or thursdays.

𐦍 tag list - open

𐦍 note/s: a lot of what will be written is mainly as journal entries from the readers perspective!! in the beginning every other chapter or so will have a written entry. I'm mainly using ulzzang pictures for our main character. I'll be posting the profiles and introduction sometime tomorrow probably. the girlies love indie musicians & harry styles,srry.. I hope u enjoy, hehe. ily!

𐦍 chapters under the cut.

𐦍 profiles:

001 | 002 | 003

𐦍 journal entries:

part one;

00. introduction.

#1. super sleuths.

#2. the case of the cyberbullies.

#3. two robots fell in love.

#4 the fall of the empire.

#4.5 plan b?

#5. chronic memory keeper.

#6. quit!

#7 snake in the grass.

#8 not the bath mat.

#9 seeing red

#10 nerd heard?

#11 devil in disguise.

#12 stolen heart.

#13 gut feelings and emotional dealings.

#14 dressing for revenge.

#15 leave it to the cullens. (part 1)

#15 leave it to the cullens. (part 2)

#16 the part we play.

#17 happy trails

#18 damage control.

#19 anywhere you go.

#20 lost and found.

#21 we're so back.

#22 end it all.

#23 signing off for now.

#24 epilogue.

part 2; (coming soon)

[supi-wupi]

The Group Chat That Never Sleeps

members: OT13

synopsis: The SEVENTEEN members have one giant group chat that’s always blowing up with memes, ridiculous challenges, embarrassing confessions, and endless teasing — often at the expense of one unlucky member each time.

wc: 4.9k, 21.3k (full)

genre: Comedy, Crack, Fluff

warning: Chaos

a/n: the chapters slowly get smaller and smaller as i ran out of ideas... [CHAPTERS HAVE BEEN UPDATED TO INCLUDE FORGOTTEN WONWOO]

(this is only 10 chapters out of 75, full fic is up on my ao3 already)

Chapter 1: [Reply All]

Victim of the Day: Joshua (ShuJi) Duration: 2 Hours of Psychological Damage Time: 11:48PM KST Setting: SEVENTEEN’s full group chat: “13 Going on Unhinged”

[Joshua]

hey. uh. ignore the last message pls

[Jeonghan]

oh no no no no NO WAY you're not walking away from that

[Seungkwan]

HOLD ON I NEED TO SCROLL BACK everyone STOP THE CHAT I’M SCROLLING

[Dino]

WAIT what message??? I WAS IN THE SHOWER WHY DO I ALWAYS MISS THE CARNAGE

[Woozi]

“i can’t keep pretending i don’t feel something when he laughs like that. it’s annoying. why is he so perfect. i hate this.”

[Minghao]

😮 poetry?

[Hoshi]

OMG IS THAT ABOUT WHO I THINK IT’S ABOUT 👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀

[Joshua]

that was NOT for this chat delete delete delete delete

[Jun]

too late bro it’s been screenshotted printed laminated and engraved onto a plaque for the practice room

[Vernon]

is this like a confession or an emotional crime

[DK]

i’m crying this is better than any drama on disney+

[Seungcheol]

JOSHUA HONG. who is it. who made you feel emotions. was it me? be honest.

[Joshua]

i’m logging off. forever. goodbye.

[Woozi]

don’t try to disappear you clicked reply all, romeo WHO’S THE “HE”

[Jeonghan]

okay let’s play “Guess That Crush” my vote: MINGHAO man does laugh like a villainous anime love interest

[Minghao]

i accept your vote i have the hair for it

[Dino]

you guys this is so serious this is a real confession i’m making popcorn

[Wonwoo]

so joshua be real who’s the guy?

[Joshua]

i hate all of you i’m in emotional distress and you’re memeing me

[Hoshi]

i made an edit btw [image: joshua + minghao wedding invite mockup.jpg]

[Jun]

the theme is “accidental love” joshua cries in the corner minghao poses dramatically on a piano

[DK]

i can sing at the ceremony i already picked a setlist opening song: “Some” closing song: “i hate u i love u”

[Seungkwan]

cue me making this go virali’m already writing the tweet: “SEVENTEEN’s Joshua accidentally sends secret crush confession in group chat and t’s ICONIC”

[Wonwoo]

is it even that deep tho like… maybe he just really likes Seungcheol’s laugh or smth

[Seungcheol]

👁️👁️ @joshua… you do laugh when I laugh is this about me be brave

[Joshua]

STOP ALL OF YOU I’M BLOCKING THIS CHAT

[Jeonghan]

he’s deflecting classic symptoms conclusion: he’s in love with someone here and it's probably someone with ✨ a laugh ✨

[Dino]

wow it could be anyone except me no one loves my laugh it sounds like a kazoo on fire 😔

[Hoshi]

SAME mine sounds like a baby goat that stepped on a lego

[Woozi]

you’ve both accurately described yourselves anyway back to the crush

[Jun]

the way shua still hasn’t denied minghao 🤨🤨🤨🤨🤨🤨🤨

[Joshua]

OK FINE it’s not minghao it’s not seungcheol it’s not ANY OF YOU

[Vernon]

so it’s a staff member

[DK]

OMG IT’S THE MAKEUP NOONA she does have a cute laugh

[Seungkwan]

or the vocal coach??? or THE MANAGER????

[Jeonghan]

guys GUYS what if it’s someone from another group 😭

[Seungcheol]

no wonder he’s been glowing lately true love will do that

[Joshua]

i swear to every higher power i will unplug the wifi in this dorm

[Wonwoo]

coward confess properly or next time i’m tagging dispatch

[Woozi]

actually… i just checked joshua sent that message in two chats one here one with someone named “J 💜” oooohhhh

[Hoshi]

J 💜???? IS THAT JEONGHAN????

[Jeonghan]

ME????OMG STOP THIS IS SO EMBARRASSING (but keep going)

[Joshua]

it was meant for someone else ok JUST DROP IT

[Seungkwan]

never. i’m tweeting this. #ShuaGotCaught #MysteryManRevealed #SVTGroupChatIsARealityShow

[Mingyu]

guys i just woke up what did i miss why is everyone sending wedding memes

[DK]

shua confessed to a boy by accident it’s been an honor watching history unfold

[Joshua]

…i’m leaving the groupchat.

[ADMIN: Joshua has left the group.]

[Jeonghan changed the group name to “Joshua’s Secret Boyfriend Fanclub 💍”]

[Woozi pinned a message: “i can’t keep pretending i don’t feel something when he laughs like that. it’s annoying. why is he so perfect.”]

[Seungcheol added Joshua back to the group.]

[Seungcheol]: 

you’re not escaping this family sir 💗

Chapter 2: [The Great Dorm Thermostat War]

Victim of the Day: Mingyu (The Human Furnace) vs. Woozi (The Antarctic Goblin) Duration: 5 hours of petty warfare and two broken fans. Time: 2:12AM KST Location: Dorm Chat (renamed every 15 minutes)

[Woozi]

WHO TURNED THE THERMOSTAT UP TO 29 DEGREES DO YOU HATE ME IS THIS PERSONAL

[Mingyu]

i was cold :( my toes were crying

[Jeonghan]

immediately chooses violence29????? are you trying to SLOW COOK us????

[Dino]

wait i thought the heater was broken??? i’ve been using 7 hoodies like a sentient laundry pile

[Hoshi]

i SLEPT IN A SWEAT PUDDLE i thought i was having a NIGHTMARE in a SAUNA

[Minghao]

i woke up and my jade roller MELTED

[DK]

the air was so thick i had a conversation with it i named it jeff jeff told me to fight mingyu

[Joshua]

i thought i was hallucinating when the wall started sweating the WALL, mingyu. the WALL.

[Mingyu]

okay okay okay i just wanted to feel warm inside 😔 emotionally and physically

[Woozi]

you want to feel warm? i’ll set you ON FIRE then we’ll BOTH be warm

[Vernon]

this is the most heated argument we’ve had pun intended

[Seungcheol]

ok. i am instituting a dorm-wide temperature democracy. please reply with your IDEAL TEMPERATURE.

[Hoshi]

22°C. for survival. for dance practice. for skincare.

[Jun]

18. i like to feel pain when i wake up. it reminds me i’m alive.

[Seungkwan]

23.2 but only if i’m on the top bunk

[Joshua]

20.7 and i will not elaborate

[Dino]

26, but only because i am weak and easily cold i’m like a very anxious lizard

[Minghao]

i transcend temperature but 19 is fine

[Woozi]

17. i sleep in a hoodie, under a blanket, in vengeance.

[Jeonghan]

25. because i thrive in chaos and want to see woozi combust

[DK]

i just want the air to stop feeling like soup pls

[Wonwoo]

24 is perfect temp for naps

[Vernon]

i do not experience temperature but 21 works i guess

[Seungcheol]

this is the worst survey i’ve ever seen

[Woozi]

i swear to god mingyu if you touch that thermostat ONE more time i’m duct taping your entire body in frozen peas

[Mingyu]

i already did 😬 it’s on 30 🏖️🌞🌴⛱️🌋🔥🧯

[Hoshi]

HE NEEDS TO BE STOPPED THIS IS A CRY FOR HELP

[Wonwoo]

im gonna melt i swear

[Jun]

imagine waking up at 3am in a sleep paralysis sweat dream and it’s just Mingyu adjusting the thermostat with a smile

[DK]

[image: blurry selfie of DK holding a fan with tears in his eyes] my last defense has fallen

[Joshua]

I’m moving out. I’m going to sleep in PLEDIS’ practice room with the cockroach I named Harold.

[Woozi]

i'm gonna hack the building wiring you want hot? i’ll give you nuclear

[Seungkwan]

ok BUT mingyu did look like a cozy baby burrito when i passed his room he was humming

[Woozi]

I DON’T CARE IF HE WAS SINGING A LULLABY I WOKE UP IN MY OWN SWEAT THAT IS A CRIME

[Vernon]

can we make thermostat wars a reality show ep 1: mingyu gets slapped with a frozen sock

[Jeonghan renamed the groupchat to “Welcome to the Oven (Mingyu’s Cult)”]

[Wonwoo renamed the groupchat to “Cryo Chamber Support Group ❄️”]

[Jun renamed it again: “The Cold Never Bothered Jihoon Anyway”]

[Seungcheol pinned a message: “Final temp setting: 22°C. Anyone who changes it will lose their Wi-Fi, limbs, or both.”]

[Mingyu]

so i can’t bump it to 25 just while i nap?

[Woozi]

say goodbye to your kneecaps.

[Mingyu has left the group.]

[Joshua added Mingyu back to the group.]

[Joshua]: 

you made this bed. sweat in it.

Chapter 3: [SVT Family Feud – The Game Night Breakdown]

Victim of the Day: Dino (Too Competitive for His Own Good) Special Mentions: Buzzers, Wrong Answers, and Jeonghan’s Psychological Warfare Time: 9:32PM KST – Game Night Gone So Wrong

[Seungcheol]

FAMILY FEUD NIGHT. NO BACKING OUT. TEAMS ARE FINAL.

[Woozi]

i already hate this.

[Hoshi]

AHHHHHHH LET’S GOOOO MY ANSWERS ARE GOING TO BE SO ICONIC 😤😤

[Joshua]

mingyu… you okay with being host?

[Mingyu]

yep. i printed flashcards. i wore a suit. i am spiritually Steve Harvey.

[Vernon]

do we win something?

[Jeonghan]

yes. the right to mock the losers for the rest of eternity.

[DK]

worth it.

[Mingyu]

ROUND 1 Team A: Jeonghan, Woozi, Joshua, Vernon, Seungkwan, Wonwoo Team B: Seungcheol, DK, Hoshi, Minghao, Dino, Jun buzzers in hand?

[Dino]

I WAS BORN READY i slept with the buzzer under my pillow

[Jeonghan]

weird flex but okay

[Mingyu]

Question 1: “Name something you do in the shower.”

[Dino BUZZES first]

cry

[Mingyu]

…top answer with 42 points. i’m concerned.

[DK]

my guy didn’t even hesitate 💀

[Wonwoo]

relatable tbh

[Mingyu]

Team B, keep going Seungcheol?

[Seungcheol]

sing?

[Mingyu]

second top answer. 36 points. Woozi?

[Woozi]

plot arguments you should’ve had

[Mingyu]

12 points. third answer who hurt you

[Seungkwan]

wait is this therapy

[Jeonghan]

it is now

[Mingyu]

ROUND 2 “Name something you’d bring on a first date.”

[Vernon BUZZES]

a backup plan

[Mingyu]

…what??

[Vernon]

like an excuse to leave if it’s awkward example: fake dentist appointment

[Woozi]

man’s playing chess

[Jeonghan]

i bring pepper spray. not for danger. just for vibes

[Hoshi]

i brought a kazoo once. she never texted back tho

[Seungkwan]

is this why we’re single

[DK]

i brought a drawing of us as jellybeans that counts right

[Joshua]

i brought flowers. …and she gave them to the waiter.

[Jeonghan]

LMAO loser energy

[Joshua]

i will unplug your hair straightener.

[Mingyu]

NEXT QUESTION “Name a reason you’d go viral.”

[Dino BUZZES]

incredible dancing 😌

[Woozi BUZZES right after]

slipping on a banana peel at the airport while yelling “SEVENTEEN FIGHTING”

[Mingyu]

both correct. but woozi’s was more specific. 50 points.

[Dino]

WHAT I’M LITERALLY THE MAIN DANCER THIS IS RIGGED

[Jeonghan]

cry about it, banana boy

[Minghao]

dino is doing that shower answer again

[Wonwoo]

do we get bonus points for creativity??

[Mingyu]

last question: “Name something you pretend to understand but don’t.”

[Joshua BUZZES]

Woozi’s studio setup

[Woozi]

get out

[Wonwoo]

mingyu’s dreams when he explains them at breakfast “and then i was a raccoon but emotionally”

[Hoshi]

the group choreography i just vibe and pray

[Jun]

jeonghan’s lies

[Jeonghan]

rude. but true.

[Dino]

love.

[Whole chat]

😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

[Mingyu]

GAME OVER WINNERS: TEAM A LOSERS: TEAM B PRIZE: bragging rights PUNISHMENT: dramatic reading of the groupchat messages from 2017

[Jeonghan]

dino’s part starts with “hyungs, if i eat this bug, will you love me?”

[Dino]

I WAS EIGHTEEN AND DESPERATE FOR AFFECTION

[Woozi renamed the groupchat to: “Dino Bug-Eater Support Line 🐛”]

[Wonwoo changed Dino’s name in chat to “Cry Shower King”]

[Dino]

i’m deleting all of you from my heart

[Seungkwan pinned a message: “next week: Uno Night – emotional damage edition”]

Chapter 4: [Uno Night – Emotional Damage Edition]

Victim of the Day: Hoshi (It Wasn’t Personal—It Was Strategic) Special Mentions: The Reverse Card That Ruined Everything Time: 11:11PM KST – a cursed hour for friendships

[Seungcheol]

UNO NIGHT COMMENCING may god have mercy on our bonds

[Woozi]

loads psychological warfare playlist

[DK]

i baked cookies 😊

[Jeonghan]

prepares lies, betrayal, and emotional destruction

[Mingyu]

i still don’t know how to play

[Joshua]

you’ve played 17 times you just like chaos

[Wonwoo]

should we… do teams?

[Seungkwan]

NO. trust no one. especially not jeonghan.

[Hoshi]

i feel like tonight’s gonna be my redemption arc 😌

[Woozi]

spoiler: it’s not

[Minghao]

why are we doing this at night i need time to emotionally recover before schedules

[Jun]

i want to win and then pretend i didn’t silent domination

[Mingyu]

i brought props [image: Mingyu in a magician’s cape and UNO cards taped to his forehead]

[Joshua]

i’m scared

[Dino]

[sends voice note] "if i don’t win tonight, i’m changing my stage name to uno-destroyed-me"

[Mingyu]

UNO RULES:

1. If you don’t yell “UNO,” you draw 4 2. If you make someone cry, you get a cookie 3. Jeonghan is banned from premeditated targeting (Jeonghan has read this message)

[Round 1 Begins]

[Jeonghan]

sorry hoshi +4

[Hoshi]

IT’S BEEN TWO TURNS I LITERALLY JUST SAT DOWN

[DK]

i believe in you ❤️

[Hoshi]

then WHY did you also give me a +2

[Woozi]

places Reversei want to hurt jeonghan back it’s personal

[Jeonghan]

oh? [plays Skip] not today, short king

[Seungkwan]

[plays +2 on Woozi] for calling him short justice, but make it petty

[Dino]

[places Reverse] i smell betrayal

[Jun]

[plays +4 on Dino] i smell victory

[Minghao]

[places Wild Card] color: suffering

[Joshua]

i’m just vibing with two cards left

[Everyone]

UNO?

[Joshua]

…i forgot.

[Wonwoo]

draw 4, you tragic prince

[Jeonghan]

slams reverse cardTIME TO GO BACK TO THE PAIN

[Hoshi]

GUYS STOP I’VE DRAWN FIFTEEN CARDS I HAVE THE ENTIRE RAINBOW I COULD BUILD A BRIDGE TO MY OWN DOOM

[Woozi]

bridge to nowhere sponsored by hoshi’s terrible luck

[DK]

i saved you one round ago 🙃

[Hoshi]

NO YOU DIDN’T you played a WILD +4 while smiling like a golden retriever with secrets

[Vernon]

current vibe check: hoshi has more cards than emotional stability

[Mingyu]

[image: Hoshi holding up all his cards like a terrible fan] caption: “boy with cardz”

[Jeonghan]

[plays +4 again] sorry. the cards told me to.

[Hoshi]

THE CARDS DON’T SPEAK YOU JUST LIKE WATCHING ME FALL APART

[Seungcheol]

ok this is getting too real new rule: anyone targeting hoshi must write him a compliment

[Woozi]

hoshi, you’re very… loud. that’s a skill. probably.

[Minghao]

you dance well. and cry like a 2009 k-drama protagonist

[Joshua]

you make us laugh. unintentionally. but still.

[Hoshi]

you’re all banned from my heart

[Dino]

[plays Skip] sorry king. your turn has been denied by the universe

[Mingyu]

UNO

[Everyone]

glares

[Jeonghan]

[whispers] sabotage him

[Seungkwan]

[plays Wild +4] with pleasure 😌

[Mingyu]

i deserved that but at what cost

[Joshua wins round]

peace and love to everyone except the people who gave me +4s

[Wonwoo renamed the groupchat to: “UNO Survivors Anonymous”]

[Hoshi]

[sends audio of dramatic piano music under his whispered sobbing]

[DK pinned a message: “someone get him warm milk and a hug”]

[Minghao]

are we… still friends?

[Jeonghan]

depends who’s ready for Monopoly next week

[Whole Chat]

NO.

Chapter 5: [Who Left the Milk Out? (Dorm Court is in Session)]

Victim of the Day: Seungcheol (Allegedly Milk Murderer) Special Mentions: Objection! Speculation! Jeonghan as the prosecution! Time: 8:42 AM – Too Early for Justice

[Woozi]

who. left the milk out.

[DK]

it was chunky. why did it chew back

[Hoshi]

i poured it into my cereal and now my cornflakes have trust issues

[Joshua]

i took one sip and saw the face of godhe said “don’t blame me, blame your leader”

[Jeonghan]

📣 COURT IS NOW IN SESSION THE PEOPLE VS. CHOI SEUNGCHEOL charge: dairy negligence crime scene: kitchen counter, 7:43AM weapon: 2L carton of betrayal

[Seungcheol]

WHAT I didn’t do it!!

[Minghao]

classic guilty person sentence

[Mingyu]

i’m the bailiff. i’m holding a spatula instead of a gavel. we do what we can.

[Jeonghan]

as prosecution, i will now present exhibit A: [image: half-empty milk carton sitting next to Seungcheol’s protein shaker]

[Seungcheol]

circumstantial!! you’re all biased!!

[Dino]

objection, your honor i had that milk at midnight and it was fine

[Woozi]

OVERRULED you also ate expired pizza willingly

[Vernon]

can i be the court sketch artist [sends doodle of seungcheol sobbing next to a cartoon cow]

[Jun]

i want to be a surprise witness

[Joshua]

who even gave jeonghan a legal license

[Jeonghan]

i forged it in MS Paint therefore it’s legally binding

[DK]

i just wanted cereal and now we’re in a trial

[Mingyu]

bangs spatulaORDER. ORDER IN THE KITCHEN COURT.

[Seungkwan]

i’d like to present EXHIBIT B[image: Seungcheol’s calendar with “BUY MILK” crossed out three days ago]

[Jeonghan]

motive: he hates shopping. means: lives here. opportunity: EVERY MORNING.

[Hoshi]

[gasps dramatically] …i trusted you, bro

[Seungcheol]

I WAS FRAMED

[Wonwoo]

by who. the milk fairy?

[Dino]

ok but plot twist… what if the milk went bad on purpose

[Woozi]

get out

[Jun]

surprise witness statement: “I walked past the milk at 2am and it moaned”

[Joshua]

no no no NO

[Seungkwan]

i’m writing that down for lyrics

[Mingyu]

the court sentences Choi Seungcheol to:

- buying everyone new milk - apologizing in song - scrubbing the fridge - watching a 45-minute dairy safety documentary narrated by Woozi

[Jeonghan]

plus one slap from each member emotionally or physically. your choice.

[Seungcheol]

i choose exile

[Hoshi renamed the chat: “The Milky Betrayal 🥛🧍🏻‍♂️”]

[Vernon pinned a message: “trust no one. not even dairy.”]

[Seungkwan]

next case: who clogged the sink with 43 bobby pins

[Jun]

i plead the fifth

[Minghao]

we’re turning this dorm into a courtroom sitcom

[DK]

i’ll make popcorn

[Woozi]

someone pass me the gavel. it’s time for Dorm Court: Episode 2.

Chapter 6: [The Accidental K-Pop Dad Reveal (feat. Mingyu’s Finsta)]

Victim of the Day: Kim Mingyu (a.k.a. Appa-gyu) Special Mentions: Jeonghan’s screenshots, Seungkwan’s FBI-level research Time: 2:07PM – a peaceful afternoon ruined in seconds

[Hoshi]

GUYS GUYS GUYS EMERGENCY

[Wonwoo]

did the dorm catch fire again

[Hoshi]

WORSE MINGYU POSTED SOMETHING CURSED ON HIS FINSTA

[Woozi]

i thought we weren’t allowed to follow that anymore after “the banana milk incident”

[Jeonghan]

i made a burner to keep tabs. you’re welcome. [sends screenshot: Mingyu with a child on his shoulders, captioned “best day ever with my lil guy 🩵 #family”]

[Joshua]

…MINGYU DO YOU HAVE A CHILD

[Mingyu]

WAIT NO NO THAT’S MY COUSIN’S KID I’M JUST A REALLY GOOD UNCLE

[Seungkwan]

your honorthis man is fathering with intent

[Jun]

you do have that “can build a crib in under 30 seconds” energy

[DK]

i saw him carry three toddlers at a wedding once and they were all asleep

[Minghao]

suspiciously father-like

[Dino]

googles “how to tell if your bandmate is a secret dad”

[Woozi]

bro your playlist is all lullabies

[Mingyu]

THEY’RE RELAXING

[Jeonghan]

exhibit b: [screenshot of Mingyu’s finsta story] “any recs for the best baby shampoo? asking for science 👀🍼”

[Seungcheol]

that doesn’t even SOUND like science??

[Joshua]

mingyu. blink twice if you’re a single father

[Mingyu]

I’M. JUST. A GOOD COUSIN.

[Vernon]

he’s lying i saw him fold a onesie with military precision

[Woozi]

and he owns four diaper bags color coded

[Hoshi]

he tried to “baby-proof” the studio door once

[Minghao]

remember when he offered everyone fruit snacks “just in case anyone needed a lil boost” father behavior.

[Wonwoo]

fan café is already calling you Dadgyu

[DK]

cute but also terrifying imagine being a child and seeing Mingyu’s face first thing every morning

[Mingyu]

☹️

[Dino]

hold up WHO TAUGHT THE BABY TO POINT AT HIM AND SAY “appa”

[Jeonghan]

i have video footage [sends clip of child pointing at Mingyu, yelling “appa!” and hugging his leg while Mingyu panics]

[Seungcheol]

this is the best scandal we’ve had since “who used the entire dorm’s shampoo in one shower” (Hoshi)

[Joshua]

mingyu. answer truthfully. are you in a secret sitcom we don’t know about.

[Mingyu]

no. …maybe. NO.

[Vernon]

too late your new stage name is "SEVENTEEN's Father Figure"

[Hoshi renamed the group chat: “Appa-Gyu & His 12 Chaotic Children”]

[Mingyu changed it back: “STOP CALLING ME DAD”]

[Seungkwan pinned a message: “he didn’t deny it fast enough 👶🍼”]

[Jeonghan made merch mockups: “#DadgyuNation” hoodies incoming]

[Mingyu]

i hate all of you but also i packed snacks if anyone’s hungry

[DK]

A TRUE DAD 😭❤️

[Wonwoo]

next chapter of this sitcom: “Mingyu Attends Parent-Teacher Night and Isn’t Corrected”

Chapter 7: [The Mystery of the Missing Left Sock (And Other Dorm Superstitions)]

Victim of the Day: Dino (missing sock + emotional damage) Special Mentions: Joshua’s ghost repellent, Minghao’s sixth sense, and Woozi’s refusal to believe Time: 12:01AM – A perfect hour for existential dread

[Dino]

ok WHO took my LEFT sock

[Joshua]

why only the left

[Dino]

if i knew that would i be here suffering??

[Hoshi]

sounds like a classic ghost move u ever heard of the one-legged sock gremlin

[Wonwoo]

that’s not a thing stop encouraging him

[Jeonghan]

it is now. his name is Todd and he lives behind the laundry machine

[Seungcheol]

fun fact: if you lose 13 left socks, you unlock the ghost realm

[Dino]

GUYS. I HAVE LOST SEVEN.

[Mingyu]

oh no. someone protect him. he’s halfway to the netherworld.

[Joshua]

i’ll pray over your sock drawer i have holy water. sort of. it’s from Jeju but i blessed it with intent

[DK]

i once lost my pants in the dryer maybe the sock went where the pants went

[Woozi]

...you what now

[DK]

it was a dark time

[Minghao]

maybe it’s not ghosts maybe your sock is just running from its responsibilities

[Dino]

relatable but unhelpful

[Jun]

have we considered the haunted dorm theory again

[Seungkwan]

STOP i still can’t sleep unless my closet door is closed with industrial tape

[Vernon]

this is why i wear mismatched socks can’t lose what you never organize

[Jeonghan]

genius or chaos? you decide.

[Mingyu]

i just found a lone sock in the kitchen drawer is it gray?

[Dino]

YES THAT’S HIM HIS NAME IS GERALD

[Wonwoo]

you named your sock?

[Joshua]

he’s grieving. let him cope.

[Minghao]

wait. serious question. does anyone else’s room get colder when they talk about missing clothes?

[DK]

i sleep with a plushie of myself. does that count as protection

[Seungcheol]

no but it explains a lot

[Jeonghan]

let’s do a cleansing ritual everyone line up in the hallway with your weirdest item

[Hoshi]

i have a shoe signed by an elderly man who claimed to be a time traveler

[Joshua]

perfect. energy’s immaculate.

[Woozi]

i swear if i walk out there and you’re all holding bananas and chanting—

[Vernon]

[sends voice memo of gentle chanting and rhythmic sock slapping]it’s working

[Dino]

GERALD CAME BACK THE LEFT SOCK RETURNED HE WAS UNDER THE COUCH ALL ALONG

[Seungkwan]

we banish Todd the Sock Goblin to the shadows from whence he came

[Hoshi renamed the group chat: “Sock Seventeen: Paranormal Threads”]

[Mingyu]

can we do ghost hunting for our next reality show i promise to scream convincingly

[Joshua]

i will bring crystals and snacks

[Wonwoo]

i’m going to bed if i wake up missing a sock i’m moving to the practice room forever

[Jeonghan]

if wonwoo disappears we know the ghost got picky

Chapter 8: [“Who Googled ‘How to Flirt’ on the Dorm Wi-Fi?” (A Digital Investigation)]

Victim of the Day: ??? Special Mentions: Minghao’s FBI arc, Seungkwan’s spreadsheet, and Joshua’s suspicious charm Time: 11:11PM – the wishing hour (and apparently, the Googling hour too)

[Woozi]

WHO GOOGLED “how to flirt without sounding desperate”

[Dino]

…do we not have privacy in this house?

[Hoshi]

omg was it me

[Woozi]

the dorm wi-fi admin gets alerts when someone searches certain keywords “flirt” is one of them (thanks to that incident with DK and the waitress in Busan)

[DK]

she laughed at my pun 😔

[Joshua]

okay but real talk what was the full search

[Woozi]

“how to flirt casually and confidently without sounding like a clingy sea cucumber”

[Minghao]

oh it’s definitely one of you

[Seungcheol]

CONFESS WE WON’T JUDGE (we will absolutely judge)

[Jeonghan]

i’m making a suspect board right now i’ve got:

- Joshua (suspiciously smooth lately) - Dino (we all saw the “u up?” message fail) - Mingyu (acted shocked when someone winked at him) - Jun (flirted with a vending machine once)

[Jun]

EXCUSE ME that vending machine gave me free chips we had chemistry

[Mingyu]

i have stage fright even texting “hi” it wasn’t me

[Dino]

IT WASN’T ME EITHER i don’t need Google i have charisma (and rejection immunity)

[Seungkwan]

compiling an Excel doc: “Dorm Google History vs. Known Behavior” this is serious research

[Vernon]

i googled “how to tell if a plant likes you” last week does that count

[Wonwoo]

what kind of romance novel are you living in

[Joshua]

what if it wasn’t one of us what if it was… a guest?

[Jeonghan]

NOPE dorm security cam footage shows no outsiders between 10:45–11:30 and i say that with confidence because i was watching old performances of myself in the living room

[Hoshi]

plot twist: it was Seungcheol leader by day, loverboy by Google

[Seungcheol]

I WILL SUE

[Wonwoo]

guys… someone just deleted their browser history remotely from the router

[DK]

oh my god it’s getting real

[Seungkwan]

confess now and we’ll only tease you for one week otherwise you’re living this down never

[Joshua]

hypothetically if someone did google that it would be because they liked someone, right?

[Woozi]

yes and they wanted to not be a clingy sea cucumber which, by the way, is now your official flirting mascot

[Jeonghan]

you know what i don’t want the truth anymorei want fan theories let’s let the fandom solve it

[Mingyu renamed the chat: “13 Men & a Sea Cucumber: Who’s in Love?”]

[Seungkwan pinned a message: “we’ll find you, google flirt boy. and we’ll roast you with love.”]

[Joshua changed the chat name again: “Definitely Not Me Looking Up Flirting Tips 😅”]

[Everyone reacted with 👀]

[Woozi]

wait JOSHUA?

[Joshua]

gotta go xoxo 😬

[Dino]

GET HIM HE’S THE SEA CUCUMBER

[Jun]

never thought those words would be typed with such fury

[Jeonghan]

next group meeting: we all read out one flirting line each Josh goes last because he’s clearly been studying

Chapter 9: [The Emergency Hair Dye Pact (Or: How Three of Us Ended Up Orange)]

Victims of the Day: Jun, Dino, and Seungkwan (aka the “Orange Trio”) Special Mentions: Jeonghan’s salon takeover, Mingyu’s “professional” advice, and Woozi’s pure judgment Time: 9:42PM – when boredom meets a bad idea

[Jun]

guys emergency i need a new hair color something bold something... orange

[Dino]

orange?? are you trying to start a fire

[Seungkwan]

hold up i have a coupon for hair dye maybe we do this together?

[Jeonghan]

i volunteer as stylist no one leaves with orange hair except on my watch

[Woozi]

do NOT trust Jeonghan with dye last time he almost made me go blue for a week

[Mingyu]

gives “professional” adviceorange is the new black do it

[Joshua]

i’m just here to watch the chaos unfold

[Jun]

okay it’s a pact orange hair or bust

[Dino]

i’m in if i’m gonna look like a carrot i want company

[Seungkwan]

count me in too if we’re going down, we go down glowing

[Jeonghan]

this is going to be a masterpiece or a disaster no in between

[Wonwoo]

please don’t make me clean up afterward

[Minghao]

i’m setting up a group photo shoot for the “Orange Trio” captions and hashtags ready

[Joshua]

someone’s definitely going to Photoshop pumpkin heads

[Jeonghan]

relax. i’m about to make you look like fiery gods or at least orange legends

[Dino]

how do i explain this to my grandma

[Jun]

“it’s cultural expression, grandma”

[Seungkwan]

“and also, very very orange”

[Woozi]

i’m still judging you all

[Jeonghan sends a video of the trio mid-dye, covered in dye and laughing hysterically]

[Mingyu]

this is chaos i love it

[Joshua]

10/10 would panic with you again

[Jun]

finished! orange, vibrant, and ready to set stages on fire

[Dino]

i look like a traffic cone

[Seungkwan]

i look like a glowing carrot

[Jeonghan]

i call this look: “autumn sunset on a wild night”

[Woozi]

please don’t go outside like that

[Minghao]

too late selfies already posted

[Jun]

viral or bust

[Hoshi renamed the group chat: “Orange is the New Seventeen”]

[Mingyu]

next challenge: survive the reactions

Chapter 10: [The Great Dorm Pet Debate (Hamsters vs. Goldfish vs. Mystery Creature)]

Victims of the Day: The dorm’s “newest resident” (???) Special Mentions: Seungkwan’s animal facts, Minghao’s accidental pet whispering, and Woozi’s deadpan “not my problem” attitude Time: 8:17PM – peak pet debate hour

[Seungcheol]

guys we need a dorm pet this is not a request, this is a necessity

[Dino]

okay but what kind no snakes tho pls

[Joshua]

hamsters? low maintenance

[Jeonghan]

goldfish? classy and calming

[Hoshi]

what about a mystery creature

[Woozi]

define “mystery creature”

[Minghao]

the thing i found behind the couch yesterday

[Seungkwan]

that thing was alive???

[Minghao]

...maybe it had eyes and it moved

[Jun]

that’s either a miracle or a horror story

[Seungcheol]

back to pets hamsters are cute but noisy

[DK]

goldfish are quiet but boring

[Vernon]

can we just have a pet rock less drama

[Wonwoo]

a pet rock named Gerald 2.0 sequel to the missing sock

[Dino]

no i want something alive

[Mingyu]

how about a turtle slow but wise

[Joshua]

no one has time for a turtle’s social needs tho

[Hoshi]

i nominate the mystery creature

[Woozi]

i’m ready to wash my hands of this conversation

[Minghao]

i saw it again near the fridge

[Seungkwan]

pics or it didn’t happen

[Minghao sends a blurry pic of a tiny, fuzzy something]

[Jeonghan]

is that a hamster

[Minghao]

no idea it’s very fast

[Jun]

if we catch it we name it “The Phantom”

[Dino]

i volunteer to set humane traps no one touch my mystery pet

[Woozi]

if it chews through the cables, it’s your problem

[Seungcheol]

vote time hamsters, goldfish, turtles, mystery creature, or pet rock?

[Everyone sends their votes]

- Hamsters: 5 - Goldfish: 3 - Turtle: 2 - Mystery Creature: 2 - Pet Rock: 1

[Seungcheol]

hamsters it is and also hunting for The Phantom continues

[Minghao]

operation “Catch The Phantom” is a go

[Wonwoo renamed chat: “The Phantom and the Hamsters”]

[Woozi]

i’ll be the official “not in charge of feeding” person

[summonademon]

hi! ive been so into luke and percy recently and was wondering if you could recommend some fics? i tried searching on my own but to no avail lol, any type works, from like light fluffy flirty ones (love flirty luke) to well written intense plot ones too. thankyou :)

Lukercy Fic Recommendations

Highly recommend you start with:

"I don't think I've changed" (it's wholesome overall)

"Searching for Sanctuary" (AMAZING) (unfinished but no cliffhanger) (I MADE FANART)

Those two fics seriously warmed me up to the Lukercy ship

Some more honorable mentions:

"Hope Is My Gravity" (resurrected au)

"hey, you, don't you think it's kinda cute (that I died right inside your arms)" (ghost au)

"Trading Tomorrow" (time travel?)

"5 times Luke and Percy shared a mark+1 time they didn’t" (Soulmate AU) (tragic but good)

"Bright Eyes" (War prize au)

From a Favor, to Forever (cheesy but sweet)(short series)

"the traces of life with you" (God AU)

If you want a large variety: "Touch" (series) (this is a GREAT intro to the ship)

EDIT forgot to add this:

"capital loss" (Luke survives AU) (and possibly the BEST take on this I've ever read)

If you just want a nice alt ending: "Luke Drabbles (Chronologically)" (series) (unfinished)

If you want EMOTIONAL DAMAGE: "Letters Verse" (series) (I read this to cry on command)

Highly recommended Mortal AUs:

"That's my fucking spot" (fluffy college au) (with pictures!)

"I Don't Mind Your Silence" (wholesome highschool au)

"You’re Always Welcome To Come In" (Neighbors AU)

"mountains and molehills" (College AU) (excellent but has dark themes)

EDIT, forgot to add this:

"Sunset Storm" (Twilight AU) (BUT IT'S ACTUALLY REALLY GOOD???) (it convinced me to watch Twilight)

Some more Explicit examples:

Dream-sharing: "In All My Dreams, There's You"

Explicit + Emotionally satisfying: "Rumors of Gandeur"

Damn Tragic: "My Hollow Holofernes"

Dream AU: If I’m Dreaming (Is This Wrong)

VERY Fascinating PJO Rewrite: "Finding Home" (regular updates)

Traumatic but good: "Taming The Sea"

Reminder: PAY ATTENTION TO THE FIC'S RATINGS/TAGS!!

And lastly here's one of the very BEST Lukercy fics EVER written, and it's actually on FFnet!!

"From Montauk to the End of the World" (unfinished)

(you have no idea how much I love love LOVE this fic)

EDIT: Pls feel free to rant/recommend some Lukercy to me, in my asks/messages!

[woodlandeelf]

Lost Hours - chapters 1 & 2 now posted

Relationship: Lucanis Dellamorte/Rook de Riva

Rating: Mature (canon-typical language, eventual sexual content)

Tags: Getting Together, First Time, Slow Burn

Read from the beginning on Archive of our Own

Summary:

Lucanis has been losing time. Usually, it's to Spite taking over his body. Lately, Lucanis has been losing track of time with Rook.

Chapters 1 & 2 are live, total word count: 2,483

Guys I'm so stoked to finally be able to post this one!! I hope to update a new chapter every couple days. I wrote the bulk of this ~30k word multi-chapter fic before I wrote BSS chapter 10, so i've been literally ITCHING to post this while I gave myself emotional damage with BSS 10. Enjoy!!

[ollypopwrites]

From Depths Unknown ; Part 4

Part 1 ⚜ Part 2 ⚜ Part 3 ⚜ Ao3

Rolan x F!Tav (AFAB, she/her) *Tav is a Storm Sorcerer, but no actual reference to her appearance.

Rating: E

Tags & Warnings: [18+ MDNI] Language, Canon-typical violence (discussion of injuries), Discussions of Death & the afterlife, background Bloodweave.

Chapter Summary:

Rolan pulled Tav back into him, face buried in her hair and his tail wrapped around her leg as many times as it could. Perhaps it was the weakness she still felt, but she leaned into him, and he could feel her stuttering breaths with her pressed against his chest. She was crying. His own eyes had been stinging since she looked over at him for the first time in two days, clenched shut every time he thought they might spill over. He was so grateful he could hardly find words. 

Notes: Fuck it lets update two days in a row. This series will end at Part 6, I've decided. Thanks for going on this journey with me so far.

The last thing Tav remembered was pain.

The sun came up, and Lae’zel flew off astride a dragon into its bright glow. When she had faded away into the distance, Tav remembered staring at the spot where Karlach and Wyll had stepped through a portal to the hells. Someone had said something about the sun, and then the trail of deep gashes in her torso throbbed with mind numbing pain. Everything was blank after that. 

In the back of her mind in the fugue plane, she knew she was dead. It was nothingness, all senses and concepts slipped away. But her mind seemed to drift in a state of waiting for something to happen. What it was she could not remember. Flashes of faces were fuzzy, and the emotions they elicited were whispers. Time was unknowable, this state of absence could have been decades or seconds and Tav would not be able to tell the difference. 

Something pulled, tugging at the edges of whatever was left of her. 

First was amber colored warmth that seemed to seep into the center of the nebulous state of her, it beckoned: come back to me. She wanted to, letting the sensation fill her and start the spark of life. Tav felt her spirit be cupped in soft cooling hands, not diminishing the warmth, but an additional soothing touch, the color of silver wrapping around the amber glow.

 A sharp white shock of lightning spread through the shape of a body she forgot she had - a deep rumbling in her newly found chest, and the cool wash of rain on her face. They were separate entities, but she could not quite tell what or who they were. She trusted them, letting them pull her until  the combined efforts made the nebulous shapes she could see become clear. Faces. 

Rolan’s scarlet skin, freckles hiding under dirt and ash, with his dark hair slipping out of its neat tie at the back of his head. His eyes were wide, the yellow glow against the darkness of his sclera was a lovely sight. And Shadowheart, frowning with intense focus, her pretty green eyes bright and watery. Jaheira’s even stare was just over Shadowheart’s shoulder, and Halsin’s brow tipped in concern towering above both of the women. 

As if she was underwater, the familiar need to breach a surface and breathe overtook her. 

Her whole body had been a livewire of sensation when the air hit her lungs. Most of them were unpleasant: pain and nausea and exhaustion. Tav hardly comprehended what she said and saw, she just remembered being told she could finally rest and then everything went black again. 

Consciousness came to her slowly. But this was different than before. She was just waking up, like every other day in her life.

“Coming back from the dead, being suddenly tadpole free, the physical damage — these things are hard on the body on their own,” she heard a familiar rumbling voice. Halsin. “She’s been fully healed, but she needs rest.” 

“Are we certain there’s no lasting damage?” Another familiar voice. Deep, crisply accented and comforting despite the shortness of tone. Rolan. “That I didn’t… didn’t do the resurrection wrong?”

Her eyes opened. Above her was the canopy of an ostentatious four post bed, her eyes took in a painting of a celestial sky framed by gold filigrees. It smelled of magic, rosewater and sage, and something else — something familiar but unnameable. As her mind came to her, she felt the need to move her fingers,taking in the sensation of her touch on the soft fabric of velvet blankets. Beneath her body was a plush, comfortable, mattress. 

She ached. There was an absence in her psyche that at first was confusing — it was just her. No Emperor, no companions, no pounding resonation of the Elder Brain. 

“Tav?” 

Rolan’s face hovered over her. He looked as intense as ever, but it was softened by his eyes. Just as before, wide and comforting in their warmth. Her lips cracked, a slight sting accompanying the leisurely smile that took over her face. 

“Hi,” she whispered.

“Hello,” he smiled a little. 

“Is it over?” It’s all she could think to say, voice rough and dry.

“Yes,” he breathed. “Yes, you did it.” 

“What happened?”

“You —“ he swallowed, his smile dropping instantly. Whatever it was he couldn’t seem to say. 

“What can you remember?” Halsin asked, making look over to the foot of the bed where he stood. 

Tav wracked her brain. They were falling, they were in the water, they were on the dock. Lae’zel flew off on a red dragon, and named Tav liberator. Karlach’s heart almost gave out, but Wyll and her jumped into a portal before it could happen. Tav remembered frantically begging her to keep living, promising they would find a way to bring them back. Astarion… oh gods, Astarion. 

He didn’t have the tadpole. He was out in the sun. 

“Astarion — “ she asked Halsin, “is he okay?”

“He ran into the shadows,” Halsin said evenly, “wherever he is, Gale is with him.”

“But where are they?”

“We haven’t seen them,” Halsin’s brow furrowed. 

“Shadowheart?” Tav asked, eyes clenched shut. 

“Downstairs with the healers.” Rolan assured her.

Tav let out a shuddering breath. “And —“

“Jaheira and Minsc are helping to organize the rebuilding efforts,” Halsin informed her. “You gave us quite the scare,” he smiled a little at her. “You should have mentioned your wounds.”

That’s right. Throughout the adrenaline fueled panic to just keep everyone alive at the very end, Tav had forgotten an intellect devourer had nearly disemboweled her. She had taken quite a few hits besides that as well, shrugged off in the heat of battle. The onslaught of the Netherbrain’s psionic powers had made her brain feel like it would leak out of her ears. All in all, she had been truly fucked up by the end of it all.

“I died.”

Halsin nodded. 

Tav licked her lips, but her tongue was just as dry as her lips. Only a few of their party had to be resuscitated on the road. Withers was there for exactly that, and she never worried too much about it, saving all their resurrection scrolls for allies that Withers had deemed not necessary to maintain in the fight. Only their core group were tied to the ultimate fate, and after that was finished she imagined he had to maintain the balance of life and death. 

“I remember  something pulling me,” she closed her eyes. “Pulling me out of — water? No… it was nothing.”

“A resurrection scroll,” Rolan finally spoke. “I used a resurrection scroll to bring you back.” 

Tav looked over at him, wanting to ease the worry that creased his handsome face. “My hero.”

He closed his eyes, a smile twitching at his lips as he exhaled a breath that might have been a laugh. Her heart felt fit to burst.  “You’re an idiot.”

Tav sat up, a wave of dizziness overcoming her so she toppled to the side. Rolan had a hand on her shoulder, and an arm at her back. Nausea flooded her, and she took a deep breath. 

“It may take some time for you to get your bearings.” Halsin told her. “You were lost to us for quite some time, your body needs to adjust to the shifting states.”

“Not to mention the side effects from the tadpoles being removed,” Rolan added. “Shadowheart’s been struggling with headaches, and fatigue. You need to rest.”

“Can I see her?” 

“She will want to know you’re awake.” Halsin said with a nod and left the room. 

“Where are we? The tower?”

“Yes,” Rolan was trying to ease her down but she wanted to will herself to feel better. 

With a truly pathetic shove she managed to sling her legs over and out of the covers. Her feet slowly met the plush rug that covered the stone floor, and she stood. Well she tried to: she got up to her feet and then felt her legs give out. Rolan grunted as he grabbed her around the waist, tugging her against him to keep her from falling.

“Please, Tav, lay down,” he insisted. 

“I want to see the city,” she pleaded. 

There was an open door to the terrace right there, she could see the clear blue sky of an afternoon. Rolan folded with a sharp sigh and helped steady her as she took a step, then another, weakly and slowly but she was not going to be denied the chance to see it. 

At the railing of the terrace, she gripped it with weak hands, Rolan just behind her with an arm firmly wrapped around her waist. He wasn’t letting her get too close to the edge. The city was in a bad state, many buildings in the lower half were destroyed, and the upper city was near unrecognizable. The tower was tall, but she could see people below. Carrying lumber and stones, running back and forth with supplies, building and walking around. 

“We did it.” She breathed. “We did it.” 

Rolan pulled Tav back into him, face buried in her hair and his tail wrapped around her leg as many times as it could. Perhaps it was the weakness she still felt, but she leaned into him, and he could feel her stuttering breaths with her pressed against his chest. She was crying. His own eyes had been stinging since she looked over at him for the first time in two days, clenched shut every time he thought they might spill over. 

He was so grateful he could hardly find words. 

“You should be laying down,” he ground out past the lump in his throat after a few moments. 

“Okay.” 

But neither of them moved. 

“Can we sit out here ? Just for a little bit?”

Rolan heaved a sigh, more for show than out of true irritation. He helped her maneuver into a chair, and she seemed grateful to be off of her feet. There was only one chair on the terrace, and Rolan found himself standing by it, ready to steady her if needed, afraid to wander too far. Tav took in the feeling of the sun, the sounds of the city below and took a few deep breaths. Rolan could only watch her. 

Her dead gaze had stuck with him, so he tried to replace it with the current view of her eyes scanning the city below. He had  found himself constantly checking that her chest had been moving with breaths while she rested, he was clinging to the proof she was alive and moving around now. Rolan’s tail wrapped around her ankle again, and she leaned over to look at it with a small laugh.

“What are you two lovebirds up to?” 

The new voice had him jumping out of his skin in shock. As if he had been caught doing something he shouldn’t, his face flushed a deeper red, his tail unraveling from its grip. 

Shadowheart was in the doorway, a bright grin betraying her teasing tone. “Five months on the road,” she said to Tav, “and you die on me at the last second.”

“Gotta keep you on your toes,” Tav replied. 

“Apology accepted,” Shadowheart rolled her eyes. 

This was a far different reaction to when Tav had been brought into the tower. The reality of the situation was made clear by the true panic in the cleric’s normally calm and detached demeanor. They looked at each other for a moment as if in some silent conversation. After a while Tav ducked her head. 

“Feels strange, not having you bouncing around in my brain,” she said. 

“It’s both a relief and… a loss, somehow. I never thought I’d miss anything about the tadpoles.”

“Guess we just have to talk to each other like normal people, eh?”

Rolan felt he was intruding and went back into the bedroom, taking a moment to recollect himself. Halsin was there, a nod of understanding offered in his direction. Neither of them truly knew the experience of sharing a consciousness, not in that way. It seemed to be something that Gale, Karlach, Wyll, Astarion, Shadowheart, Lae’zel and Tav would always have to bind them.

“Jaheira tells me you’ll be relocating some of the orphaned children near Reithwin,” Rolan cleared his throat. 

“It’s a peaceful place now that the curse has been lifted, and there’s plenty of space for them to grow,” he nodded. “As the Grove was for you, I hope to build a place of refuge for anyone who wishes to leave the city.”

“Whatever you may need for the journey, you need only ask.” 

Halsin thanked him with a nod. “It suits you, this position. Archmage of Baldur’s Gate ,” he smiled a little, “the title should go to someone who has overcome adversity. Someone who knows the value of what he has.”

Rolan was not so certain. “I’m not an archmage yet,” he said. “I still have much to learn.” 

“As you say,” Halsin smiled. 

Rolan looked over his shoulder, out at the terrace where Shadowheart and Tav were still deep in conversation. Rolan knew that whatever they were discussing, was meant for them alone to hear. “The tower has an impressive greenhouse, but I’d like to get an expert's opinion on how to improve it.”

Halsin smiled tiredly, all at once looking like a man who had lived centuries. “Any glimpse of nature  you have to offer would be quite the solace to me.”

“So Selune did hear me,” Shadowheart said quietly, eyes averted. “I had no magic left. I had revivify prepared for this reason but — “ she shook her head. “I prayed she would give me some way to save you.”

“Her and something else certainly heard you,” Tav leaned back. “I almost… don’t know what to do now.” 

“You aren’t doing anything,” Shadowheart admonished. “At least another day or two of rest, then you can think about the future.”

“You’re rested,” Tav smiled. “What will you do?”

“Help around here for a bit longer,” Shadowheart looked over the city. “After that, maybe follow Halsin. He wants to head back towards the mountain pass, taking some refugees with him, I could settle there or… explore.”

“Exploring suits you,”  Tav smiled, “selfishly, I’d wish you wouldn’t go far but… my little Selunite has to spread her wings.”

After a while the afternoon shifted into night, and the two of them sent a quiet prayer of thanks to Selune as the moon rose into the sky. Tav had never been the religious type and their journey had only solidified her resolve to respect the gods from afar. The entire mess of the Absolute had been designed for The Dead Three, Mystra’s involvement had not quite inspired awe in her given that it required one of her best friends killing himself, and everything with Shar spoke for itself. But she appreciated Selune’s more distant approach to aiding them; it certainly had caused them less strife.

Arm looped in Shadowheart’s for sake of steadiness (Tav had an inkling her friend was feeling affectionate but would not admit it) Tav had met with the small group gathered for dinner. Cal barely maintained his composure while he gave her a gentle hug, Lia lingered a little in her arms, while Halsin smiled on. Rolan was hovering nearby, and looked ready to scold his siblings. 

“Don’t crowd her,” he insisted. 

“I don’t mind,” she smiled, patting Lia on the back of the head. “It’s been a rough journey to get here, yeah?” She looked at the tiefling in her embrace who was a bit misty eyed. “But we’re fine! And I’m starving. Being dead works up quite the appetite.”

Everyone but Rolan seemed to find the joke at least a little funny, but she was used to him looking bothered by her. She was happy to see his eye twitch in the face of her jokes. Despite her appetite, after filling her stomach and drinking nearly an entire pitcher of water to herself she was quite sleepy. But there was some business she had to see to. 

“Has anyone looked for Gale and Astarion?”

“There’s been a lot of healing work to do,” Shadowheart said, “wherever they are I’m sure they’re fine.”

“I’d like to see it for myself,” Tav said seriously. “They’re the only ones left, Shadowheart, I want to know they’re okay.”

Shadowheart shook her head a little. “I can start a search party, but I wouldn’t know where to start.”

Tav didn’t like this answer. “If it were us —“

“No,” Shadowheart cut her off. “You died. It was just me, Halsin, Jaheira and Minsc. They know there’s only so many places we could be — and they still haven’t turned up.”

It hurt to hear it said out loud. Tav was trying not to be selfish, but Shadowheart was right. It did feel a bit like the two had abandoned them. At least Karlach, Wyll and Lae’zel had an excuse for leaving moments after their victory. The sun went down every night, Astarion and Gale could have made their way back days ago. 

Shadowheart specifically must have felt slighted. The late arrival of Halsin, Jaheira and Minsc did not make them any less a part of the team but Astarion and Gale were the first they had met after the nautiloid crash. The four of them had been together since day one of the nightmare. For them to just go missing on her when she needed them most had to sting. 

Aware of the tension in the room, Tav offered a tired smile, not wanting to drag the conversation out any longer. “Alright.”

“That’s it? That’s all you have to say?” Shadowheart frowned. 

“I’m not in charge anymore,” Tav sighed as she rubbed at her eyes, “and I’m too tired to argue right now. When I’m all rested, I’ll figure something out.”

For a minute, it looked like Shadowheart was trying to concentrate on something, brow furrowing with the attempt. And then blinked a few times as if she caught herself. 

“There’s no more tadpoles, Shadowheart,” Tav found herself laughing a bit, “can’t poke around in each other's heads anymore.”

“I know — I forgot,” she shook her head. 

“I think,” Halsin said, “it’s time for you to rest, Tav. You’re still —“

“Recovering, yeah, I know.” She stood up from the table. 

A loud scraping sound happened the moment she got to her feet as Rolan rose from his chair suddenly, nearly knocking it over. “I’ll walk you.”

“Thank you.” Tav said with raised eyebrows, seeing Lia cover her face and Cal grin out of the corner of her eye. “Goodnight, everyone.”

Rolan did not ask, but simply placed her arm in the crook of his elbow as he led her out. The tower was big, and as the halls went on she was more and more looking forward to laying down in a bed. Her strength felt sapped still, her legs a bit wobbly after sitting for so long. The food in her stomach satiated her, but it brought with it the desire to close her eyes. 

“I can’t wait to feel normal again,” she said. 

“No need to rush,” he replied. 

“There’s a lot to do,” Tav insisted. “And I’m useless.”

“Gods forbid the Savior of the Gate stop for once.”

“That title has a nice ring to it, when did you come up with that?”

“I didn’t,” he smiled, “it’s what everyone is calling you and your friends. The Saviors of the Gate.”

“Oh.”

They certainly had received a lot of thanks and praises over the last few months. For everyone in such a big city to know her name, to be discussing the journey she and her friends had been on was odd. She was not quite sure how she felt about being so… known. 

As he led her into the same room she had woken in, she slid onto the bed with a groan. She shuffled until she was under the covers, taking deep contented breaths as she buried her face in the pillows. This bed was more heavenly than even her own back home, and she was so grateful for it.

“Are all the beds in the tower this comfy?”

“Knowing Lorroakan, he probably saved the best for himself,” Rolan said.

“That must be your new bed,” Tav turned over to look at him. “Is it heaven? Just a big magical cloud of relaxation?”

“Erm,” Rolan shifted on his feet. “It is, yes, but —“ he cleared his throat, “but you’ll have to tell me. You’ve been sleeping in it.”

Tav was confused. “This is your bed?”

“It is.”

“You gave up your bed for me?” Tav asked, “why?”

Rolan stood somewhat awkwardly, hands at his sides. “I wanted you to be comfortable.”

“That’s sweet,” Tav smiled. “Are you sure you’re not a doppleganger? Did some straggling Bhaalists get to you?”

He eased up at the teasing, looking more comfortable. “I’ll remember not to show you any consideration in the future. Such a lack of gratitude.” He was smiling. 

“You’re one to talk about lacking gratitude,” she smiled back, eyes closed now. She was so tired. “I can never win with you.”

“And yet here you are in my bed, while I toss and turn in a guest room.”

“Poor Rolan,” she replied. “So very put out by his little hero.”

“Indeed.”

He was shutting off again, she could tell by the closed tone. “I am sorry,” she replied, eyes opening, “I honestly do feel like I’ve put everyone out.”

“You saved the city,” he looked befuddled. “You died saving it.”

“Could have done better,” she muttered. Her thoughts going to Karlach and Wyll, and to Astarion now confined to the shadows. 

“We both know that’s far from the truth,” he said softly. “I — I thought it wouldn’t work — the resurrection.”

“I worried you.” 

Part of her knew in the back of her mind that was true, but he was such a hard puzzle to figure out. Sometimes she was sure he thought of her the same way she did of him. But he always was at arms length, never giving more than a hint and then closing off immediately after. ‘You’ll come back to me,’ he had told her in the high hall. As if she was his. 

“Worried,” he repeated, a half laugh in amazement. “Yes, I would rather say you did.”

“Sorry.” 

“Stop apologizing, go to sleep,” he insisted. 

“Will you stay? Just for a little bit?”

The thought of being left alone was overwhelming, she had not spent a night alone in months. Rolan searched her face for a moment, then sat on the bed, turned towards her. For a moment he looked unsure what to do with his hands, before deciding to fold them in his lap, his tail flicking gently behind him on the covers. Thanking him quietly, she let herself drift off, eyes closed so she couldn’t see his unwavering gaze on her. 

Tav was bouncing back quickly, he was pleased to see. She had gone from only being able to draft a letter to her mother before needing to lay down for the rest of the day to walking around the upper levels of the tower on her own.  But she was starting to get restless after a day or two. Now that she could stand on her own two feet without someone’s support, she was hard to contain. She had been blocked off from the bottom floor of the tower, since no one trusted her not to get roped into some rebuilding effort before she was ready. 

Rolan was busier than ever. He only had a handful of staff to assist him, and all of them were running around the city to help the recovery efforts. Despite the circumstances and the less than gentle way Jaheira had put it, Rolan realized quickly she had been right about taking on the duty of the city’s Archmage. The tower was a central point in the city, the main source of magical wares and a trove of information.

Rolan didn’t want it to be a museum, he wanted it to be a resource. 

At the end of the day, he would dine with Tav, his siblings and Shadowheart. Halsin joined them every once in a while, but he had given his word to assess just how many orphans were running unattended in the ruined city streets. He was also the only one Yenna would come out of the Elfsong suite for, and he had to make sure she was looked after and fed. After dinner and a healthy amount of wine amongst the small group, Tav had asked him if he had anything that could help get her to the hells. 

Alarm bells rang off in his mind. “We can look into it.” He offered as diplomatically as he knew how. 

“Her engine won’t last here,” Shadowheart reminded Tav. 

There was a stubborn look on Tav’s face, and she replied. “I just want to look into it.”

That night Rolan poured over the library with her.There were portals, an easy enough thing to figure out, but Tav wanted a solution for Karlach’s engine. Infernal engineering was hardly his expertise, and Dammon was up to his horns in work. Rolan also already knew that the blacksmith had exhausted his knowledge to make it so Karlach could touch people once more, making the engine stable in the material plane was, as far as he knew, not possible. 

“I don’t understand any of this,” Tav muttered. 

“Your many talents don’t include infernal engineering?”

“Not yet,” she arched a brow at the book in her hands. 

“Perhaps after things settle down,” Rolan offered, “Dammon could look further into it.” 

It was a poor attempt to make her let it go, even temporarily. And she saw straight through it. 

“You’re trying to placate me,” she narrowed her eyes at him. “You don’t think I can do it.”

“What I think you're capable of is irrelevant. You are not a smithy of any kind, and have no firsthand knowledge of the hells let alone the machinery built specifically to withstand its atmosphere,” Rolan said evenly. “I understand the pressure you feel, but you’re one person —“

“No, you don’t understand,” she snapped. “I wasn’t just one person, I was seven. You don’t know what it’s like to feel someone else’s fear as if it were your own, their sadness and joy — to experience their darkest memories, as if you’ve lived them yourself. They trusted me, they looked to me to keep them safe, to keep us on the right path — “ she stopped to take a deep breath, eyes closing as a shaky exhale forced its way out and gave away how affected she was. “Karlach and Wyll should be here.”

Rolan felt the sting of her words deeper than he wanted to admit. An ugly jealousy reared its head; all but one of the six had left her and he was right there and that still wasn’t enough. He never seemed to be up to the task. The urge to lash out was strong; helpless against the scratching in his chest he felt himself get angry. 

“I’ll leave you to your research,” he said shortly. 

The silence was only filled by his footsteps on the tile floor as he made his way out. He passed Shadowheart in the hall as she made her way to her room for the night, offering only a curt nod in her direction as he picked up his pace to avoid conversation. His temper was quickly slipping, and he was sure he’d snap at the next person who would make eye contact with him. He made it to his borrowed room and slammed the door shut behind him. His tail flicked back and forth in sharp, angry movements, hitting the wood of the door with heavy thumps. He needed a distraction. 

Rolan sat at the desk in the small guest room which he had taken to since insisting Tav take the master suite. He grabbed his spell book, dug into the desk drawer for a quill and some ink and opened to his most recent page. Unfinished notes about a telekinesis spell, something he wanted to try to modify to control the trajectory of an object rather than just send it flying backwards. 

A thin chain was nestled in the gutter of the book, carefully attached to his ribbon place marker. The dangling pearl hung over the edge. When she had asked him to keep it safe he knew it needed to be with the one thing he always had with him, and took the greatest care of. His finger ran over the pearl and he winced. 

Gods, I’m a fool, he thought as he flipped to another page. 

Despite the fact that the very mention of her group had sent him into a jealous fervor, and that he was really rather irritated with her, he knew immediately what might cheer her up. And he was not going to stop the impulse to do it. He never did. It felt like insanity. He tried and tried to be exactly what he thought she wanted and never felt it was enough. Time and time again, he went against every instinct of self-preservation he had clung to so desperately his entire life to try and let himself fall further for her. 

Rolan carefully read his notes, going over the incantation, double checking his components, and practicing the hand movements. Once he was more confident he knew what to do, he cast Sending for the first time in his life, thinking hard on the recipient. The rush of the weave molding to his whim sparked the usual comfort, this time punctuated by the hum of the spell awaiting his message. 

“Gale, it’s Rolan. Where the bloody hells have you two been? We are awaiting your hasty return. Tav and Shadowheart are currently at the tower.”

He let some of his irritation bleed into the message. If anyone deserved a bit of his ire, it was those two. Then he waited. The hum of the spell still resonated in his mind as the connection stayed and awaited the reply. 

“Ah, Sending! Clever.” Gale’s downright chipper voice broke through. “Astarion and I were simply working on a solution to — ow! My love, please, I only have twenty-five words! Now, Rolan we —“

The spell cut out, Gale having used a good chunk of his limited verbiage to scold Astarion. Rolan felt a throb in his temple, and rubbed at it. Gale was thus far the most admirable and well-learned wizard he knew. He respected the man more than he could say, but even he was prone to making Rolan question the sanity of Tav’s entire operation. To think the world had been in their hands, only they were truly crazy enough to pull it off, he believed. At the very least he could assure Tav the two were alive and well. 

A gentle humming of weave wrapped around him, and in his ear as if the man was right in front of him, Rolan heard Gale’s voice. 

“Apologies! Astarion and I will make our way to the tower shortly, we have much to discuss. Expect us tomorrow! How are Tav and Shadowheart?”

Rolan clenched his teeth, and spoke out loud. “They’re both safe now, no thanks to you. Forewarning, neither are pleased with you two. You’d better come up with a good excuse. Good evening.”

There was not another message. Rolan felt a sense of satisfaction in letting them sweat in the knowledge that their friends were waiting on them. It had been hard to see Shadowheart struggle with being the last of the original six on her feet, and the two had been one of the first things Tav had asked about when she finally awoke. 

It had been nearly a week with no word. He was certain Tav would not have been so harsh with him earlier were her friends there with her. The ache of jealousy still settled in his chest, he wanted nothing more than to go back to the study and be near her but pride was preventing him from walking out of the door. 

He went back to his spell book, ready to make more notes on the new discoveries from the sending spell and finish working on his telekinesis alterations. Whenever he paused to think or stopped to read over his notes, his thumb  gently rubbed over the pearl still dangling there.

Tav felt horrible about what she said. After Rolan left her alone in the study, she tried to read more about infernal steelwork through tear blurred eyes. Another thing to add to her pile of failures, festering in the pool of guilt that seemed permanently settled in her stomach. 

Immediately she wanted to apologize. Her temper could be quick but she knew when she was wrong. Tav went to the door, looking out into the hallway, but it was empty. She had no idea what room he was staying in, since he insisted she kept using his for the time being. Unable to do anything else, she went back to the book she had found and read it until her eyes ached. 

The next day Rolan was not at breakfast. Everyone had stopped their hovering, after a few days of rest and recovery from the battle and her return from death, Tav felt almost entirely back to her old self. When she came down into the shop section of the tower for the first time, she was surprised to see it set up as a sort of healing center. Shadowheart informed her that compared to the night after battle the place was much less crowded. 

 Shadowheart joined as Jaheira walked Tav through the city, discussing the rebuilding efforts. As before the attack, the upper city was closed off, the efforts to salvage the destroyed streets had apparently been well underway before anyone official besides Florrick paid attention to the lower city. 

A good chunk of the patriars and nobles had been murdered at Gortash’s coronation. Their heirs were all banded together to be the new saviors of the city, buying first the love of the richest by repairing their streets first. It was clear that the new favorites in the lower city were the Harper’s, Florick and even the new master of Ramazith’s Tower. 

She was told of his efforts to keep open the doors of his home as a refuge, and even some stories of him running around the morning after the battle to help wherever he could. Pride welled up in her, even if he was not speaking to her currently, she was so pleased to hear him praised that she could hardly keep from smiling. 

Despite Shadowheart’s hesitance, Tav volunteered to immediately start getting to work. It felt good to do something besides force herself to walk around the tower until she got too tired to continue. Shadowheart had taken on a lot while Tav was recovering, including informing a grieved Duke Ravenguard about the whereabouts of his son. Tav felt the need to make up for it. 

Outside of the shop in the square, Tav decided to try using some magic to fix up a broken wall. Stoneshape was a hard spell, but it felt good to use her magic. Once the exhaustion wore off it bubbled inside of her, crackling to be used, or to find a way out of her. On the road the tadpole often kept it under better control than she ever had alone and it had countless opportunities to lash out given all the fighting they had done. 

Gale had always been kind about it, but he mentioned more than once a bit of wizarding education to keep it under control would not hurt. She knew better than anyone he was right. Even with his help she still felt it crack and pull at her when she was particularly upset. 

The only thing that ever controlled it was to exhaust it. Use it all up until there was only the vague hum beneath her veins. She had gotten used to using pointless little spells in her everyday life to satiate its crackling need to fly out of her. Stone shaping buildings back together was a quite useful thing, she thought, given how deeply she was feeling guilt. 

An earth myrmidon came up next to her, its faceless head turned to help her with her task. She looked over her shoulder, trying to find its summoner. Her eyes caught black and amber, Rolan standing not too far off, but he quickly looked away. She kept watching, more of his summoned elementals were clearing rubble, an animated set of armor carrying new building materials to groups of people hammering away. All under his focused gaze as he waved his hands and used his magic to clean up her mess. 

Unable to stop herself, she came over to inspect his work. Arms crossed over her chest in a show of consideration as she tilted her head. 

“Master Rolan, you are making quite a name for yourself in this city,” she teased lightly. “How charitable, and generally decent of you to offer your services in this trying time.”

“How benevolent of you to notice,” he replied dryly. “Quite the compliment from the Savior of the Gate. I’ve been rather busy while you’ve been lazing away in the tower.”

“Well, I can’t be outdone,” she smiled. “I have a reputation as a hero, you know.”

“I do know,” Rolan’s lip twitched, fighting a smile. “All too well.”

“Rolan —“

“Astarion! What the hells are you doing?” 

Tav turned quickly at Shadowheart’s panicked voice. There in the street was Astarion, next to a grinning Gale, in broad daylight. Her heart nearly stopped at the sight and she was running towards them, Shadowheart having the same idea. There had to be something she could cast, something to block him from the sun, but her mind was coming up short. 

But as she approached, he wasn’t burning. There was no ashen haze over his face, his eyes were bright and… blue. 

“Don’t make a scene, darling,” Astarion said, but he seemed very nearly bashful. 

In fact, a soft pink blush was rising on his cheeks. His skin, though still pale, had a  glow to it. She’d grown so used to the marble like pallor of his skin, the undertones of pink made her feel like she was looking at a stranger. 

“You’re — how?”

“True resurrection!” Gale supplied gleefully at his side. “One of the only known cures for vampirism.” 

“How in the hells did you manage that?” Shadowheart was looking wide eyed at Astarion, while Tav touched his warm cheek. 

“Due to the nature of the orb, I acquired a scroll very early on in my isolation,” Gale explained, animated as ever. “As I pose no risk to any surrounding cities any longer, I found a much better use for it.”

“I’ve been so worried about you two,” Tav frowned. 

“You had a resurrection scroll this entire time?” Shadowheart snapped. 

“Well, yes —“ Gale’s mouth shut tight at Shadowheart’s blazing gaze. He looked to Tav confusedly. 

“I had some pretty bad wounds —“

“She died.” Shadowheart cut her off. “Bled out right on the dock after you two ran off, and I had no magic left. If Rolan hadn’t had a scroll at the tower —“

“But he did,” Tav interrupted, at the stricken look on Gale’s face. “It's okay, I’m fine.”

“It’s my fault,” Astarion said, a frown on his face as he refused to meet their eyes. Since he was not usually one to come close to apologizing, it made both Shadowheart and Tav give their full attention.  “I was… well, I thought I lost my time in the sun.” 

“Even if I didn’t come back,” Tav said, “I couldn't be angry at you for this.” She sniffled a little, “welcome back to mortality. You don’t look a day over 200.”

“Stop, you’ll make me blush,” Astarion preened. “Which is still the oddest sensation, all that warmth.” He touched his face.

“Given how long you two were gone I imagine you’ve rediscovered just how warm you can get,” Tav teased. 

“I’m so sorry,” Gale said, wincing. “I’d assumed we were all in the clear.”

There was a silence and Astarion’s new eyes looked to Tav and then Shadowheart. “It’s really just us now, isn’t it?”

“For now,” Tav smiled sadly. “Quiet, isn’t it?”

“Odd. And… well, I won’t say I miss you all in the back of my mind but,” he frowned a little, “it was something, wasn’t it?”

She didn’t need the tadpole to know they all understood. Tav yanked Astarion into a hug, but it took a few moments for him to return the gesture. She flailed her hand around to find Gale’s sleeve and pulled him in too. Shadowheart looked like she was going to stubbornly ignore Gale’s outstretched arm but Astarion rolled his eyes. 

“If we are doing group hugs you can’t make me endure it alone,” he said to her. 

Shadowheart gave in, and no one mentioned the tears rolling down her cheek. Astarion’s heartbeat was in her ear, Gale’s hair tickled her face, and Shadowheart was smashed against her side with a desperate grip on her shirt. The fact they were all in each other’s head had made their time together intimate regardless of whether they wanted it to be or not. In the absence of it, Tav was ready to claim whatever closeness to them she could. 

“Can we get a victory drink now?”

There had been a small celebration at the Elfsong after the emotional reunion in the square. Rolan gave them their space. On the outside of her life, as he always seemed to be. A bittersweet contentment was living in his chest, to see her so happy and feeling that he had no place in her celebration. 

But he was not going to be the one who brought down the mood of the evening. He, afterall, had much to be grateful for as he spent the night drinking with his siblings, Alfira and Lakrissa. Some of the others from the caravan had even come out. By the end of the night, he made sure the very drunk heroes made it up to their suite and returned to the tower. 

Now that she was settled in with her friends, he had his bedroom back. When he laid down, his pillows still smelled of her. He loved it. He loved her. For so many days he had avoided calling it what it was, even in his own mind. He would admit to himself that she was as dear to him as his siblings, he would admit that he wanted her - sometimes so badly it felt like he was being burned alive, but calling it love seemed to be a nail in a coffin. 

Because Tav obviously wanted him in some way. She trusted him with her most prized possession, she asked him on a date before running off to save the world, and she was always looking for ways to bother him. But be it an Elderbrain, death itself, or some slip of the tongue that nearly started an argument it never seemed to come to anything. 

Rolan drifted off to sleep that night trying to figure out why. 

In the morning, he busied himself in the tower. There was still so much to do, and he had spent most of the past week running around the city. Eventually, the Sorcerer’s Sundries would have to reopen, and he had a lot to change around the upper levels of the tower. It saved his pride to be away from questions about Tav, and it was a temporary distraction. 

“There you are,” Cal came up sheepishly. “I know you said not to bother you — “

“And yet here you are.”

“There’s a lady down stairs,” Cal began. “She won’t go away, and she keeps asking for Tav.”

“You can tell her that the Saviors of Baldur's gate aren’t at the beck and call of any civilian who fancies meeting them,” Rolan grumbled, “and the Master of Ramazith’s Tower is not their secretary.”

“Rolan,” Cal called for his attention seriously. “She says she’s Tav’s mother.”

Thank you for reading!

NEXT CHAPTER

[ladyescapism]

fractured bonds - part 4

summary: Rhys' little sister has always been nothing but loyal to her brother and court. however, the cauldron chooses the most inconvenient male as her mate: Eris Vanserra. will Ryn accept the heir of autumn as her mate? will her family?

masterlist

part 1 -- part 2-- part 3

a/n: there will be one or two more parts to this, I just need to decide if there will be a confrontation with Azriel and Cassian as well or just a conversation between Eris and Ryn.

anyways, hope you enjoy and let me know if you want to be tagged!

warnings: emotions

wc: 2,000

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rhys POV

“Mate,” Cassian snapped in disbelief. 

“I saw them, brother,” Rhys sighed. “It seemed like a mate bond to me.” 

He could scarcely believe it himself.

“But mates are supposed to be equals,” Cassian interjected. “Eris is a snake and well…” he trailed off. Rhys knew what he meant. And Ryn was their sister. Their baby sister. 

“We can’t focus on that now,” Feyre added, trying to be a voice of reason. “What we know for certain is that Ryn is healing, and that’s a good thing.” 

“You’re right, Feyre,” Cassian said. “But the thought of his hands on her.” 

Rhys saw Cassian’s hands clench and the siphons topping them glare. He glanced to Mor, who was suspiciously quiet about this whole situation. She looked up and met his eye. 

He could see it all there. All the questions. How long did Ryn know about the bond? Had she formed a relationship beyond it with Eris? What was her future going to look like? 

Holding eye contact for a moment longer, Mor rose, and showed herself out of the tent. Azriel’s eyes followed her form out, shame still clouding his features for Ryn’s state. 

“You didn’t know, Az,” Rhys said before Az disappeared. “You did what you could with the information you had.” 

Rhys knew it didn’t matter. No amount of absolution from himself, or Ryn, or any of them would make Azriel forgive himself. 

“Let’s all get some rest,” Feyre soothed. “It’s been a long day.” 

Leaving Azriel, Cassian, and Feyre to mutter about their shock at the revelation, Rhys trailed after Mor, knowing where she went. 

When he arrived at the healing tent, Mor was sitting outside on an overturned bucket. Rhys stopped a few feet from her. 

“I almost went in,” she said to the ground. “But I don’t want to put any more stress on her trying to send Eris away if she is hallucinating that she needs him.” 

Before Rhys could try and comfort her, Madja came through the tent flaps. “I was just about to come looking for you. I have some updates about Kathryn.” 

Mor rose to her feet. 

“There is minimal l damage to her body from the poison. My prognosis that she will make a full recovery in three days maximum holds.” 

Rhys heard the sigh of relief that came from Mor. 

“She is still dehydrated and exhausted. She had not been able to keep down any food, but I awake and talking.” 

Mor’s body lurched for the tent flaps but halted herself. 

“He has been by her side this entire time. I haven’t told him anything other than that she will be fine,” Madja said, looking at Mor’s conflicted face. 

“Thank you,” Rhys said, dipping his head in her direction in a silent dismissal. 

Ryn’s POV 

Everything was a blur. Ryn’s entire body felt like it had been used in place of a sparring dummy. And her head felt like an Illyrian legion trampled over it. She needed water. 

She peeled her eyes open, the desperation for water driving her. As her vision became focused, she was surprised to find the fire-headed male before her. Eris had stayed with her. 

Ryn could not speak. Her throat was too dry. And she would have no idea what to say to him. 

Thanks for saving my life, I guess. I still can’t bring myself to accept that were mates though. Hopefully my family doesn’t kill you before I can think about this a little more. 

She gently smacked her lips together, hoping Eris got the point. He did, and promptly brought over the glass of water someone left in the tent. Ryn worked her way up onto her elbows, every movement sending pain lashing through her body. Once she was propped on one elbow, she reached a shaky hand for it, but Eris said nothing as he lifted the glass to her lips for her and tilted it so she could sip. 

“Thank you, Eris,” she said after a few mouthfuls. “For everything and the water.” He set the glass on the ground. 

He didn’t reply, but his chest heaved with a sigh at her words. His head fell into his hands. With only them in the tent, she felt comfortable enough to reach her hand out to touch his forearm. 

His skin was warm. Ryn could feel the corded muscle there, powerful and taught. If she was well, she would have imagined how those arms could hold her. Either lovingly or passionately. She felt what it could have been like between them during that moment in the corridor. 

Eris lifted his head but did not move his arm from her reach as he stared at where their skin connected. As if he too was seeing the few inches of skin that connected in that moment but felt what that would feel like all over his body. 

He finally looked her in the eyes, his rich amber meeting her icy cobalt, and she saw everything there. The concern. The worry. The relief. The anger. 

“Eris,” was all she managed to whisper before movement at the tent flaps caught her attention and she dropped Eris’ forearm. 

“Ryn,” Mor breathed out. Her eyes darted from Ryn to Eris, and at the hand that Ryn dropped but not quickly enough that Mor didn’t see. The betrayal that lingered in her cousin’s eyes made Ryn want to crawl into her own skin and never come out. 

Rhys came in behind Mor and gave Ryn the same look he had been giving her for centuries. The combination of disappointment and resignation that always made her feel so small. She could handle being tortured for a few hours, but having both of them giving her the look was going to make her have a break down. 

Not wanting to cry in front of Eris, Ryn asked, “Can you excuse us? I need time with my family.” 

Eris agreed, wishing her well on his way out. He didn’t bother to say anything to Rhys or Mor. Either from anger at being pushed out or knowing that nothing he said made this situation any better. 

As soon as he left the tent, Mor rushed to Ryn’s side. Immediately, she pushed the sweat slicked hair from her face and fussed that she was too hot, and the fever clearly hadn’t broken. 

“I’m fine, Mor,” Ryn insisted. “Madja said that I should make a full recovery in a few days.” 

“Yeah, she told us too.” 

Both females looked into each other’s eyes. Mor had always been more like a sister than a cousin. Ryn had a sister once, but barely remembered her along with her mother. But Mor had always been in her life. Amren was there too, of course. However, Mor was the one who took her to get her first corset, talked her through her first cycle, defended her to Rhys when she went on her first date. It was Mor who had done so much for her and yet she was holding the hand of the male who had hurt her deeply. 

“By that look, I am assuming you know,” Ryn whispered to the bed sheets, noting the questions flickering in her eyes. 

“Rhys suspected when you came in together and he was acting like that.” Mor looked at her and took her hand, brown eyes pleading. “Tell me everything.” 

Ryn shook her head but before she could plead with Mor to not force her to break her heart, Mor insisted. 

“We tell each other everything!” Mor shouted, standing up from the chair. “Did I do something that made you think that you couldn’t tell me?” Mor gestured to her heart with her hand as her face twisted with anger. 

“I didn’t want this,” Ryn’s voice cracked as she explained. “I can’t stand that you’re mad at me, and Rhys giving me the I’m disappointed in you look.” Ryn couldn’t control when her own face twisted, and tears rolled down her face. 

“Why would I be mad about something you have no control over?” 

“Because he hurt you,” her voice broke. “He hurt you and yet… I feel things for him.” 

“I am not mad at you, baby,” Mor let out an exasperated sigh. “I am terrified for you.” 

Ryn stilled at the admission. 

“I am terrified that he will hurt you. I am scared that his father will get his hands on you. I am horrified that you will go into the court of snakes and not thrive,” Mor let every emotion show in her face. “And I am scared that you will leave this court and never come back to me.” 

“What makes you think that any force on heaven or earth could keep me from you?” Ryn felt the hot tears pouring down her face. “Eris has been my mate for two months,” she sucked in a breath, “You have been my everything since forever.” 

They stared at each other again, and Mor’s face contorted, and a sob shook her chest. 

Rhys went over to her, took her shoulders in his hands, and pulled her to his chest. She shook with silent sobs for a moment while Ryn looked on. 

After a moment, Mor stilled herself. Wiping away her tears, she moved to sit back down in the chair. Mor gave her a short smiled, picking up and ringing Ryn’s hand in her own. 

“Tell me how it happened,” Mor said. “Tell me everything.” 

“I don’t want to make you feel any worse.” 

“I need to know,” she insisted. “I think it will make it better if I am kept informed.” 

“Only if you’re sure.” 

Her golden hair reflected with the fae lights as she nodded her head. 

Ryn sucked in a deep breath, the expansion of her lungs burning a bit. Goddess on Earth she hated being injured. “Remember when Rhys sprung Eris and Keir on you at the Court of Nightmares? That night I went back to see if I could catch him doing anything suspicious. I followed him using the tunnel network you told me about.” 

“Clever girl,” Mor praised, and Ryn felt the smirk raise at the corner of her mouth before she could stop it.

Rhys moved and sat on the other side of the bed.  

“He caught me looking at him from behind a tapestry in the guest wing. I ran, but he followed me, cornered me, and…” 

Ryn trailed off, not wanted to share that she kissed him. 

“Well, when did the bond snap?” Mor’s eye filled with questioning. 

“He cornered me, and it was a heat of the moment, didn’t think it through, kiss.” Ryn lifted her shoulders towards her ears, feeling the blush rising there. “And that’s when it clicked.” 

“He didn’t force himself on you, did he,” Rhys questioned from where he sat. 

Ryn snapped her head to her brother. “No, you ass.” 

She huffed, turning back to look at Mor. “Listen, I love you but I am tired and somehow hungry and nauseous at the same time. Can I recover a bit more before we get deeper into this conversation?” 

“Already on it,” Cassian said, coming up behind Rhys, a steaming bowl of broth cradled in his hands. “I got one of the camp mothers to warm you up some clear broth.” 

Cassian lowered his large body onto the small bed, the frame dipping with his weight. Ryn sat up a little straighter and reached for the bowl. Cassian pulled it from her reach. 

“Sick babies get spoon fed,” he chided. 

Rhys stood, the bed getting a little too crowded. 

“What is with people not letting me eat or drink for myself tonight,” she exclaimed. The three of them looked confused before Ryn added, “Never mind. Just give me the damn soup.” 

Cassian laughed as he handed over the soup and everyone watched her take a few spoonsful. 

“So, Eris hunh?” 

Ryn peered up from him under her lashes, making direct eye contact as she took an obnoxiously loud slurp of soup. “Yep.”  

Cassian looked at her expectantly. “Have you figured out if the carpet matches the drapes?” 

Rhys reached out and swatted the back of his head. 

The males began bickering. But all their noise faded to the background when Ryn again looked to Mor and found her cousin staring at her with love and affection on her face, not a wink of betrayal in her eyes. 

All works:

@feysandzoyalailover @fanfictioniseverything @humanpersonlasttimeichecked @marina468 @singhillada

Fractured bonds:

@a-mexican-waffle @cafe-inaaa @feiwelinchen @theviewfromtheotherside @chasing-autumns-chill @mineymak712 @hells-sluttiest-new-arrival @the-sweet-psycho @impossibelle @nanamihokage98 @theviewfromtheotherside

[lauronk]

wip ask game

rules: list the names/titles of docs in your wip folder & open your inbox to questions about them (and i will share snips where able!)

thanks for the tag @two-birds-alone-together

and uhhhh buckle up y'all, it's a LIST. i tried to keep it a little organized

works that actually have words in them:

bank robbery - answered joel owns a bar - answered plane crash - answered & answered turn the page bthb/whumptober - bleeding out/friendly fire bthb/whumptober - appendicitis/surgery - answered bthb - comatose - answered bthb - hiding an illness - answered gthb - naps classes the sunshine of my lifetime (emotional damage pt 1) emotional damage pt 2 foster - answered & answered if you can wait till i get home - answered jelly 2 camping boogaloo joel gets sick - answered maria pov - answered near miss - tommy & ellie - answered piece by piece - answered separated stabby - answered take me to the lakes - answered

works that don't have words but have ideas/bullet points/a random sentence:

whumptober - hallucination w - sunburn w - not realizing they're injured w - blow to the head w - seeing double w - starvation - answered w - childhood trauma - answered w - nowhere else to go w - blood trail w - regret bthb/whumptober - mistaken identity/emotional angst - answered b/w - missing & presumed dead/race against the clock ghost pretty much any and all bthb except the ones listed above (the card for reference) corn harvest - answered ellie gets in a fight first snow joel the fixer leave ellie at state house pizza post-making of cure sarah's mom in jackson sigh - regency fic (for rocky & steph) [that's actually what that one's called lol]

also if you requested a ficlet feel free to ask for an update on that, i have a couple completed and a couple i'm still working on.

but i think that's all of them

[joy101]

📍 Infinity Nikki & Infold Games: The Slow Death of a Dream (A Very Tired, Very Sad Rant)

I didn’t expect to be this upset over a fashion game, but here we are.

Infinity Nikki had everything it needed to succeed: visual magic, creativity, charm. But Infold Games didn’t just mismanage it. They butchered it.

Here’s everything that led me to uninstall the game and boycott Infold entirely—even Love and Deep Space.

⸻

🎨 1. The Dyeing System: From Creative to Capitalist

A system that used to be about expression has turned into an in-game economy designed to squeeze money out of color palettes.

You cannot freely dye outfits. Each color unlock requires rare materials, and if you want to unlock an entire outfit set? You’re paying or grinding through ridiculous amounts.

Worse? Every piece of a set has its own palette. Not just one. Not even one per outfit. One per piece

⸻

💫 2. The 11-Piece Dress Gimmick

In trailers: It did not appear to be an 11-piece set. But it was still a beautiful outfit

In the game? You need 220 pulls to get them all.

Then, if you want to dye them? Be ready to farm materials individually for each piece.

It’s not a bonus. It’s a trap.

⸻

🌀 3. Sea of Stars = A Giant Empty Shell

Let’s talk about the Sea of Stars: a gorgeous zone that feels utterly pointless.

You go there once a day, do 3 commissions like “sit on a bubble” or “run around and touch fish”, and leave.

It’s childish. It’s insulting.

I get that maybe they wanted to attract younger players—but not at the cost of dumbing the game down for everyone else.

The only semi-cute feature? Seeing ghost silhouettes of other Nikkis walking around.

The rest is an empty loop of “co-op” that barely matters and gives nothing meaningful.

⸻

🧵 4. The “Apology” That Wasn’t

After all this, the devs gave a “compensation” reward of diamonds spread over daily logins, and some random items via email.

This isn’t an apology. This is lip gloss on a sinking ship.

⸻

🗣 5. Influencers… Who Never Played

What really rubbed me the wrong way was seeing so many gaming influencers (mostly male) jump in to comment on the drama.

Not because they were fans. Not because they cared.

But because they saw it trending.

This game was built for a community that actually cared about style, softness, worldbuilding, aesthetics. And when it failed? The loudest voices weren’t from us.

They were from people who never played it in the first place.

⸻

🧠 6. The Retcon = Why?

Some people said the lore retcon was added just to accommodate co-op.

But like… why?

Co-op is a universal system. You can add multiplayer without nuking your entire narrative. The new story direction felt forced, empty, and frankly, damaging.

⸻

💔 7. Why I Left

I haven’t logged in for 20 days.

I uninstalled the game.

And honestly? I didn’t want to.

This was my first real experience with a dress-up game. I’ve played combat-heavy RPGs and gacha before. Never something soft, whimsical, aesthetic like this. Infinity Nikki was supposed to be that escape.

I invested so much time and effort into this game, more than I should have.

And Infold took that and turned it into a monetized loop of disappointment.

I even had to boycott Love and Deep Space, and that hurt. I liked the characters. I liked the vibes. But Infold is clearly incapable of respecting their own player base, so I refuse to support them further.

⸻

💸 8. Free to Play? Just Say You Want My Wallet

If you’re going to build your monetization this aggressively, just be honest.

Slap a price tag on it and stop pretending this is free-to-play.

Because it isn’t. It’s pay-to-decorate, pay-to-express, pay-to-exist.

⸻

👗 And the Final Straw?

Yeah, this post is late. It’s been over a month since the launch disaster. But I saw the new update and… meh.

That was the final emotional kick.

⸻

Infold Games didn’t just mess up Infinity Nikki.

They disrespected their players.

They over-monetized what should’ve been joyful.

They built something full of heart—and ripped the heart out.

I’m not even angry anymore. I’m just sad.

[pinkpaperstar]

✨ FIC UPDATE ✨

Fic Title: Null and Void

Fandom: Daredevil

Rating: M

Tags: Slow Burn, Found Family, Canon Divergence, Original Character, Emotional Damage™

Chapters Posted: 13

Status: Ongoing

Link:

https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinkpaperstar/works 💥

⸻

🥀 Summary of Chapters 1–13:

Ryan Vale didn’t mean to survive the explosion that killed her parents. She didn’t mean to become a prodigy, a soldier, or a surgeon. And she definitely didn’t mean to drag a masked man off the street and stitch him back together in her living room… but here we are.

Haunted by a past the military tried to bury, Ryan’s moved to Hell’s Kitchen to start over. Instead, she finds herself drawn into the chaos of the city, pulled between a man she doesn’t know how to trust and the darker parts of herself she swore she’d left behind. The more she helps the masked vigilante known to her as “J,” the more she starts to feel again. And that? That’s dangerous.

Because Ryan doesn’t feel pain. Not physically. Not anymore. But the kind of pain that comes from hope? From almost? From getting too close? Yeah. That kind still cuts.

As the city spirals into corruption and war, Ryan is being watched. Lured. The past is crawling out of its grave, and it has her codename. Null. The Yakuza wants her. The Devil might trust her. And somewhere between the blood and the rooftops, she’s about to lose herself again, and maybe this time, she won’t make it back.

If you like:

🥀 morally gray women with military trauma

🦊 slow-burn romance with rooftop angst

👁️‍🗨️ secret identities and painful confessions

💉 blood, betrayal, and maybe redemption (but not yet)

…then this fic might ruin you in the best way.

Null and Void updates bi-weekly(ish) and has at least 15 more chapters coming. Come scream with me. 💥

[slutsareteacherstoo]

Haunt Pt 1 of 2

Im letting something out yall.

I apologize in advance, this will not be proofread. Im typing this in my notes app. Like will update with more/better warnings and tags later

Its def a lot of angst, cussing, yelling. Its all hurt; no comfort 🙅🏿‍♀️. This IS a one-shot (lmaoo there will ONLY be a part 2 cuz im still in my feelings but need to sleep but I found a good stopping point).

This is my contribution to spooky season (in the sense that feelings are scary and sometimes the scariest things are facing the consequences of your actions and the ghosts of your past coming back to haunt you)

Gender neutral /gender expansive!OC Lee x Terry Richmond

Lee was sitting on the couch watching TV. Their legs were drawn up, feet touching the arm rest. They were covered by a golden honey blanket. The pumpkin jack-o-lantern plushie their friend, Tania had gifted them, served as a source of comfort during the film they were watching.

It was some thriller Tania recommended. The protagonist found themselves in an archive of sorts. Phone in hand as flashlight, they were combing the files looking for proof of some sort in the dim room. She grabbed each thick folder and flipped them open. Photos and documents were paper clipped and stapled together. They were thumbing through the items. The camera caught on key words like “discarded” “records not found” “fate unknown” “missing teen” “missing child” “missing woman” “missing man”.

And suddenly a phone rang.

Lee was on the edge of their seat, excited to see what would happen next. Would the phone call our protagonist received distract her time-limited search? Would it help her or hurt her?

And then it rang again. Lee looked at the screen with a slight frown. The protagonist was still combing through the files, gathering whatever evidence she needed.

Damn, maybe this was a call that might actually be helpful for ol’ girl but something is about to happen to her in a minute.

Lee’s thoughts were cut off by the shrill sound of ringing AGAIN. Realizing they weren’t from the screen, but rather Lee’s own phone. After fumbling under the blanket for the remote, they quickly pressed pause. Using their other hand, Lee went to pick up their phone.

Who could be calling at this time of night? The phone was set on “do not disturb”. Do people not understand the meaning of that purple, crescent moon?

Maybe it was their mama or their uncle. Those were the only two people on one hand who could get through on Do Not Disturb. But they had specific ringtones. The one that came from Lee’s was the one that matched the film’s. Flipping their phone over and seeing the contact name, it made Lee want to scream. To cry. To throw up. A fury of emotions ran through them at once.

👁️👄👁️

mobile

It stopped ringing. And all Lee could do was stare at the phone in a state of anxiety, like it was a cursed thing. This could not be happening right now. Breathing a long sigh, they tentatively reached for the phone and glanced at the call log. The same contact name appeared 3 times. Had he really called them 3 times?

Lee forgot it was a privilege they gave him so long ago. That he of very few people would be able to stop whatever Lee was doing and they’d be sure to pick up.

I mean, was this really happening right now? It had to be a terrible dream. Because there was no way in hell that this man ——

One

Two

Three low, hard knocks sounded on the wood of their apartment door.

Lee swiped sweat from their brow they weren’t aware they’d built up. Their breathing was low and slow, but still staggering and shaking like the rest of their body. Their eyes scanned the room for something, something that they could use to defend themselves and inflict damage if need be. But all they could see was a pen. A sharp one with great ergonomic grip. Lee would stab whoever the fucker was.

I mean was it him anyways? It could be coincidental that there was a knock after the phone call just ended. Because there was no way that the person who Lee thought had called, would even show up like this. Not after how he left things. How he left them.

Two sharp raps into the hollow of the wood frame brought Lee out of their thoughts.

No, it had to be him. Those last knocks were his signature. That made the pit in Lee’s stomach to grow deeper.

Lee waited for a moment before grabbing the ergonomic pen and creep slowly to the door.

He wouldn’t knock again.

—————————

Okay pt 1 of my one-shot. That’s it. Going to bed now. If shit seems fucked, it probably was. I’ll fix it

Hope you enjoyed <3 :)

[bittopup01]

Zenless Zone Zero 1st Anniv: Fan Art & Game Updates

Hey ZZZero squad! The 1st anniversary celebrations keep rolling—check out this epic fan art by @k_rity (fireworks, proxies, and a cute rabbit bot!). But that’s not all—here’s the latest on in - game events, rewards, and how to score discounts.

Anniversary Fan Art Highlights

(1) Community Creativity

@k_rity’s piece shows proxies chilling under fireworks—perfect for the anniversary vibe. The rabbit bot’s “701” tag hints at new in - game emotes (data miners found a “Firework Cheer” emote code).

Other artists: @Zero_Artist drew a proxy - vs - Ethereal boss fight, winning 1k likes—NetEase might turn it into a loading screen.

(2) Fan Art Rewards

Submit your art with #ZZZAnniversary for a chance at:

500 Quartz (in - game currency)

A “Community Creator” title

Early access to the new “Neon Uprising” skin set

In - Game Anniversary Updates

(1) New Event: “Firework Frenzy”

Gameplay: Defend a fireworks factory from Ethereal waves. Each wave drops “Anniversary Tickets” for:

A free 10 - warp ticket

A “Firework Bunny” proxy skin (matches the fan art bot!)

(2) Balance Changes

Ben (Tank): His shield now blocks 50% of AoE damage—ideal for the new event’s large - scale fights.

Echo (Striker): Her ultimate damage increased by 25%—perfect for boss takedowns.

Bittopup: 30% Off Quartz, No Gimmicks

Need Quartz for anniversary warps? Search Bittopup on Google. 70% of the price—fast for grabbing the “Neon Uprising” skins!

Community Challenges & Leaks

(1) Speedrun Contest

Complete 10 “Firework Frenzy” waves in under 20 minutes → get a “Speed Demon” title.

Streamers like “ZZZ_Pro” are hosting runs—join for tips and free Quartz.

(2) Future Leaks

Data miners found a “Cyber Carnival” area—new proxies, Ethereal types, and a 2v2 mode.

Act Fast: Anniversary Ends Soon

Don’t miss fan art rewards, “Firework Frenzy” loot, and Bittopup discounts. Grab your Quartz, join the art contest, and celebrate ZZZero’s 1st year!

[danpuff-ao3]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

Thanks for the tag @lizzy0305! 😘

1. How many works do you have on ao3?

118 altogether. Some old Marvel fics, some meta...107 of them are HP fics.

2. What fandoms do you write for?

Currently only Harry Potter, though I've got some old Marvel ones up.

3. Top five fics by kudos:

Oh hey! It's changed since I last checked...my Top 5 used to be all from the Yes, Daddy series, but a couple of others broke through! Now we have...

Daddy's Boy

Obscene

Daddy Knows Best

Breed Me, Daddy

Contempt

4. What’s your total ao3 word count?

749,120 as of now!

5. Do you respond to comments?

I do my best to! I've had a hard time keeping up with it lately, but my goal is to get to them all eventually...I want all of my commenters to know how very much I appreciate them!!

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Haha...haha...huh. Idk. I write too much angst 😭 How am I supposed to pick? I think either A Matter of Time or In My Veins (In My Blood) are probably the worst 2, maybe?

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

...do I write happy endings? Jk, jk...Oh yeah! The Curse of Anteros for sure has a happy ending. A well earned one at that!

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Sometimes! Collateral Damage got some hate for a certain twist 👀 Most of my dead doves get weird comments, because I don't pull my punches. The odd weird or rude comment scattered elsewhere. I try to handle it with grace, but honestly I'm a big ole sensitive baby so...🥲

9. Do you write smut?

Oh hell yeah 😈

10. Craziest crossover?

No crossovers really, though I want to write a HP + PJO crossover one day...

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of, and may it stay that way.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yep! And I'm super honored by it!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No, not yet! But I'd like to one day.

14. All time favourite ship?

Snarry 4 life.

15. What’s a wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Probably old ones from my earlier days, but anything I've posted within the past few years I fully intend on finishing. Even if smile with sweet surprise only gets 1 update a year 🤣

16. What are your writing strengths?

idk 🥲 umm...I write emotions pretty well I think. I write angst pretty well especially. I really care about the characters and portraying them as honestly as I can, and as real as I can, accepting all of their humanity, good and bad.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Hmm. I don't think I could write fluff to save my life...I've made some attempts but 😂 I struggle a lot with my work for various reasons, none of them easy to put a name to. I do have a hard time balancing the idea of...wanting to leave a lot to implication, but trying not to be so subtle people don't actually have a hope of catching on at all. (Thank god for beta readers.)

18. Thoughts on dialogue in another language?

I like it, but I worry about Google Translate failing me 😭

19. First fandom you wrote in?

Harry Potter!

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

For sure it's Contempt, and its counterpart Devotion. Truly the story of my soul. All of my feelings about Snarry poured into it. 20+ years of passion and devotion to this pairing! I'm not sure I could love anything more or be prouder of anything more. (Though I do think The Curse of Anteros is my best work, but Contempt/Devotion will always have my heart!)

Tagging: @perverse-idyll, @writcraft, @ac1d6urn, @loneamaryllis, @fleetingdesires, @greenmegsnoham, @lqtraintracks, @somnwritessometimes, @aeternumregina, @broomsticks, @thistlecatfics, @maesterchill, @wolfpants, @mintawasalreadytaken, @saintsenara, @the-paper-monkey, @ashesandhackles, and anyone else who wants to play!

[ao3feed-irondadspiderson]

A Spiders web

https://archiveofourown.org/works/64501588 by 1Ka1555 Peter Parker lives in Avengers Tower. Which sounds cool—if you ignore the part where Thor screams about Pop-Tarts at 6 AM, Clint Barton lives in the ceiling vents, and Tony Stark treats him like a weird combination of intern, son, and liability. He’s balancing high school, Stark Industries “intern” duties, and trying not to let anyone—especially his decathlon teammates—find out he’s Spider-Man. So obviously, hosting a small, lowkey, totally-not-illegal party at the Tower while the Avengers are away was a great idea. Right? Cue one ceiling-vent crash, a Clint Barton jump-scare, and Tony Stark coming home early. Peter’s trying his best. His best just happens to include fire extinguishers, Pop-Tart bribes, and extreme emotional damage. (Flash thinks Peter’s faking the whole Stark connection. MJ is dangerously observant. Ned is so not ready for this. And Peter? He’s two missed assignments away from a breakdown.) Post-Endgame Fix-It AU. Tony’s alive. Peter’s a menace. And the Avengers are goofy as hell. Words: 1223, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English Fandoms: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Characters: Peter Parker, Tony Stark, Pepper Potts, Clint Barton, Steve Rogers, Flash Thompson, James "Bucky" Barnes, Ned Leeds, Michelle Jones (Marvel), Natasha Romanov (Marvel), Aunt May Parker (Marvel), Wanda Maximoff, Roger Harrington (Marvel), Vision (Marvel), Thor (Marvel), Loki (Marvel), Rocket Raccoon (Marvel), Stan Lee, Harley Keener, Nebula (Marvel), Bruce Banner, Happy Hogan Relationships: Peter Parker & Tony Stark, Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Avengers Team Members & Peter Parker, Avengers Team Members & Peter Parker & Tony Stark, Michelle Jones & Harley Keener & Ned Leeds & Peter Parker Additional Tags: Peter Parker's Field Trip to Stark Industries, Pranks and Practical Jokes, Dead Aunt May Parker (Marvel), Peter Parker Acts Like a Spider, Tony Stark Has a Heart, Protective Tony Stark, Peter Parker is Trying His Best, Peter Parker Being a Little Shit, Fix-It, Tony Stark is Not Amused, Post-Endgame, Tony Stark Is Not Dead, Tony Stark is alive, Peter Parker Has Fangs, Peter Parker is Trapped Under a Building, Peter Parker Needs Therapy, Peter Parker Gets a Hug, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Flash Thompson Bullies Peter Parker, Good Friend Ned Leeds, Worried Ned Leeds, Ned Leeds & Peter Parker Friendship, Good Friend Michelle Jones (Marvel), Awesome Michelle Jones (Marvel), idk what else to put, Iregular Updates, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Tags May Change, I'm Bad At Tagging, Tags Are Fun, please dont curse me ao3, Thor Loves Pop-Tarts (Marvel), Peter Parker Lives in Avengers Tower, Clint Barton in the Ceiling Vents, i wrote this while rewatching ninjago read it on AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/64501588

[psychologeek]

Psy's masterpost

Like my writing? Came here for a prompt and wants more? (update: 06.05.24/

I HAVE AO3! PsycholoGeek feel free to look. (I love comments. Just saying 😜)

Writing Tags:

"my additions" (adding to others)

"my writing" (og/long adds)

"my poems" (poems)

Not all my writing is there, of course.

Fic Recs (personal favourites)

Who am I (to disappear) - DC, Cass-centric, 22k words. Who am I (to disappear) - David Cain tried to create a weapon. Weapon forge themself into something new. (Many names, they\them Cass). Ft. Kid!Jason, Mayan mythology, and the many forms of communication. It also has an extended version. I highly recommend reading the fic first, and THEN going for.the EV, as it contains spoilers and lose the emotional damage and delight you may get.

Witwat and the Jin - Batman, 2,245 words. Damian had a brother, once. (H/C. Happy ending.)

Grave Promises - Batman, 2,111 words. Healing and recovery and disability isn't a tragedy.

Sing Me To Sleep - DP*DC 19k words. Tws in tags. Tim and healing (it gets worse before it gets better. But it gets better.)

A list of my fics (complete and WIPs) undercut:

Completed one-shot:

Who am I (to disappear) - David Cain tried to create a weapon. Weapon forge themself into something new. (Many names, they\them Cass). Ft. Kid!Jason Todd, Mayan mythology, and sign language. (Stand alone, technically prequel to "Sweet Dreams", but no need to read.)

Grave Promises (Batman, 2,111 words) - very important to me. Life, recovery, and disability is not a tragedy. Barbara kill the Joker, but it isn't the focus.(Barbara Gordon focused.)

Do You Understand?  ( Encanto, 330 words).c

Witwat and the Jin (Batman, 2,245 words) - Dami-being-Dami and slowly understandings.

Just short of a fairy tale (I told myself that I wouldn't be scared) (Batman, 770 words) - urban fantasy. Jason Todd centric.

Sing Me To Sleep - DP*DC (19k words). After fired from Robin, Tim had enough. He's done with life. Clockwork said "not today, bitch" and got some good old ectoshot. Ft. Jazz Fenton as an older sister TM and the 3Ds as their usual chaotic selves. (I wrote the second half, chapters 2-6. A bit heavy, but I hope I did well with the subject.)

Hold Them Close -DP*DC (12k words). I wrote the first chapter+Fanart. Danny escaped Vlad and his experiments with bb!Ellie, and flew straight up-up-and above. In the watchtower, our heroes sees a monster and (what they think is) a child in distress. Misunderstandings and whump, with the last quarter of the fic as comfort and fluff :)

Main serieses:

Sweet Dreams - (DC, 3 works, 1 complete. ~17k words). Reverse Robins + Badman verse (inspired by @byrambles fic). Batboy's younger brothers were taken by the Batman who defeated his father. Trying to protect them, he promise his loyalty to the newcomer. But even though he assure him he is perfectly trained, and can properly punish the kids to surrender, the man isn't impressed. In which there's Misunderstandings and sadness (first fic). The series deals with trauma and the ongoing issues it causes, and shows how it changes you. TW: Include suicidality+mention of kid's suicidality, flashbacks, mentioned past child sexual abuse, dissociations, Whump and angst with eventual comfort. I don't go in details about their past, but it's important to notice that the first 2 fics contains HEAVY (but non graphic) themes.

Liminal Skills for the Living Dead - also known as "therapy verse". DP x DC xover. AKA Anger Management! Fake dating for fun and profit. Enter family, friends, and Wikipedia explanations of some necessary skills as titles. Jazz is her autistic with anxiety self. Jason is a crime lord with anger management issues.

Or: in which THERE'S THERAPY!! (6 works - 4 are complete. ~30k words)

Lost and Found (if this wings could fly) - also known as "FF AU". DP x DC xover. Jazz and Jason as childhood mutuals. (4 complete works, ~10k in total. more to come)

(also some other things. Feel free to look, ask and comment!)

[firstprince-ao3feed]

i love you it's ruining my life (and yrs).

by marvelouslysherlockedhunter It had been one kiss. Five years of friendship and a lone kiss, marking a moment frozen in time. Alex could still taste the sharp tang of vodka lingering on Henry's lips, pressed against the grime-covered door of a dingy bathroom stall. The lingering sensation of Henry's fingertips trailing under Alex's shirt remained palpable, a phantom sensation imprinted on his skin and seared into his memory. At that moment, Alex should have stopped him; should have mustered the strength to push Henry away—then and there. The fear of abandonment and the lingering wounds from his parents' divorce have erected a protective shield around Alex's heart. He struggles with the dilemma of letting Henry break through this barrier without succumbing to the fear of losing him forever. Though he tries to push Henry away, Alex finds himself torn by the relentless yearning of his heart for him. He hopes that there's still time to repair the damage caused by his actions and salvage what remains of their relationship. COMPLETELY WRITTEN. UPDATES ON THURSDAY AND SUNDAY Words: 3992, Chapters: 1/3, Language: English Fandoms: Red White & Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: M/M Characters: Alex Claremont-Diaz, Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor, Nora Holleran, Original Male Character(s), Percy "Pez" Okonjo Relationships: Alex Claremont-Diaz/Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor, Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor/Original Male Character(s) Additional Tags: Angst with a Happy Ending, Second Chances, Explicit Sexual Content, Alex Claremont-Diaz Has Abandonment Issues, Alex Claremont-Diaz Needs a Hug, Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor Loves Alex Claremont-Diaz, Alex Claremont-Diaz Loves Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor, Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor Needs a Hug, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Abusive Relationships, One Night Stands, Angst, Fluff and Smut, Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, brief henry and original character mentioned, Alternate Universe via https://ift.tt/x5uTnXL