#vide0-nasties

[kastlequill]

Diana!! I would LOVE to hear a little about Unearth Without a Name, esp your thoughts since you're nearing completion on it bby!

finally at the last chapter, very exciting stuff! one less ongoing fic to war with

the Ghosts have acquired some intel on the reader’s general whereabouts and are planning a rescue operation. at the center of all this is Keegan, whose perspective we follow; he’s adamant on getting her back, and the other Ghosts start to piece together the fact that these two are a bit more than comrades. finding her will be relatively straightforward; it’s almost as if she wants to be found. but does she want to come home?

as i’ve said before, this fic is, in my mind, a prequel to a much longer fic that i’m unsure will ever come to fruition. in that hypothetical fic, we would see the reader reintegrating into the Ghosts, reclaiming lost memories, and navigating old bonds—very much hurt/comfort. but this current fic, i fear, is all hurt and no comfort :)

[wordstome]

🧸🪐❄️ 🥐 💖💖❕❕

babes I forgot that 50cal was a sideblog and went "omg another cherished mutual named rags!!" 💀

🧸 ⇢ what's the fastest way to become your mutual? oooooh. Honestly, just engage with me a lot. Kind of a no-brainer, but if you show up in my notifications a lot I recognize you and go :] cherished mutual. Never worry about spamming me!! Also helps if you reblog content from fandoms I'm interested in or general tumblr humor posts. Like if you put "by allah you people are dogs. I will reblog as usual" type posts on my dash I swear fealty to you

🪐 ⇢ name three good things going on in your life right now I kid you not, engaging with and making content for the COD fandom is really helping me a lot, so that's one. (I love this cozy little corner of the fandom.) Another is that I'm kind of in a more chill period of my life. I've been a student for like. 16 years straight, so it's nice to be taking a breather. And third, I don't think my social life has ever been better. It really helps to get out of the house and spend time with people I care about a lot <3

🥐 ⇢ name one internet reference that will always make you laugh Oh, there's too many to count. But off the top of my head right now, it's a tie between no little german boy don't go to the weed cave and inshallah they find him. also, I don't count this one as it's not really a reference so much as one video that has become an inextricable part of my personality, but this specific video is the reason why I say "scheiße" instead of "shit" when something startles me, like losing my balance or dropping something etc. I can't explain why it cracks me up so hard, but it makes me laugh every time.

❄️ ⇢ what's your dream theme/plot for a fic, and who would write it best?

Look. We all have that one, super-indulgent daydreaming scenario that we're more embarrassed to admit we have than most kinks. Mine is a kind-of harem fic with literally as many COD characters as I can cram into it (we're talking 141, vaqueros, warzone operators, ghosts) where MC kind of serves as a Penelope Garcia (from Criminal Minds) figure? In my mind MC only ever talks to them over their comms, and they're fun to talk to, easy to get along with, and very flirty. But none of them have ever actually met MC in person: they don't know what they look like or anything, they've only ever heard MC's voice. Shenanigans ensue. In terms of who I'd trust most to write this, I'd trust any of the authors I follow to write this, but if I must pick, it would be @danibee33. I love you girl <3

Honorable mentions go to: pop star x König au written by @cookiepie111, hostage is "rescued" by König only for him to just. take you home and keep you by @gremlingottoosilly, König taming a barracks bunny by @kneelingshadowsalome, and "you cannot stand König because he's a weird little guy who gives off freak vibes but the two of you are stuck alone together on a lengthy mission in an isolated location and hmm. well maybe you can fuck him just once, what could go wrong? oh no, he's a freak (affectionate) and you might like him, actually" by @50cal-fullauto (lol)

(sorry for the all the tags. but I love you all so much. also, please don't feel any pressure: I don't expect you guys to write anything for these ideas, I just think that you guys would totally nail these concepts)

[50cal-fullauto-astarion]

⥇ rags / 30 / MDNI 18+ / ao3 / ask box (anon on)

[ 01/03/2024 ]: Went ahead and posted a Gone Fishin' sign on the door because I've been non-stop wringing my hands over not writing the last few months. Just got burned out between working retail hell season and some home-life stress, and decided, eh, fuck it, might as well take the pressure off myself to start off the year. Love y'all! <33

Follows and somtimes replies from @vide0-nasties!

Tags: My Work / Fic Recommendations / Inspiration (Quotes & Art) / WIP Previews / Housekeeping / Answered Asks

⥇ masterlist under the cut

⥇ recently posted

hot in sarajevo ii

x f!operator!reader - NSFW! pwp

After a successful assassination, König is in a foul mood after being forced into the role of spotter. He takes his pound of flesh in the form of frustrated sex. After an intoxicating string of kills behind your anti-material rifle, like hell are you going down without baring your teeth and snapping. Part II: sweet to the sour, with a surprise ending.

⥇ all works

call of duty: modern warfare

⥇ captain price

for the sake of having you near [ part: one / two / three ]

x f!veteran!reader - divorce au

Twenty years you had known John, and for seventeen of them you were married. After a career-ruining injury in the field, you were forced out of the service, and the marriage did not survive your survival. But: when John goes on leave, he always finds his way home to you.

⥇ könig

hot in sarajevo [ part one / two ]

x f!operator!reader - NSFW! pwp

After a successful assassination, König is in a foul mood after being forced into the role of spotter. He takes his pound of flesh in the form of frustrated sex. After an intoxicating string of kills behind your anti-material rifle, like hell are you going down without baring your teeth and snapping.

to leave the blood stay in the veins [ part one, two ]

monster!könig x f!cursed!reader - NSFW! monsterfucker au

There is a beast in the woods, and it leaves so little meat on the bone that not even carrion birds find value in the corpses it leaves behind. Your boyfriend thinks it’s funny. König, under his ever-present hood, laughs, sharp in the tooth. “Anyone dumb enough to head into the trees is dumb enough to die,” he teases, but there is an arrogance and a contempt swimming deep in his bloodshot blue eyes.

⥇ nikto

your bones singing into mine [ part one / two / three / four / interlude ]

x gn!bioweapons engineer!reader - slice of life

You were once a brilliant thing, a creator of terrible and powerful miracles of modern science that could bring the world to its knees. A Russian crime syndicate that swept you up tucked you away in a small, dark place to keep you safe while they moved, leaving you to die a slow death in a forgotten hole. Nikto arrives at this barren corner looking for information and resources, and he finds exactly that in you. He decides that he will keep you, put you back to rights.

[wotzka]

10 questions

Thank you for the tag, @smoggyfogbottom and I'm SO flattered you gobbled up UGR! Also YOUR CAT IS SO CUTE! 🥹

(I posted this earlier as part of the reply chain, but it was getting very long so I just made a new post instead. So if you saw this before and are seeing it again that's why!)

Last song: On Melancholy Hill by Gorillaz

Favorite color: right now, gray or navy blue

Last book/fic: I just finished a reread of Emma by Jane Austen, but my most recent new-read was Magic Burns by Ilona Andrews, which is the second book in the Kate Daniels series

Last movie: Dark City with the D&D squad!

Last show: A better glimpse into what I've been watching the past couple weeks is probably youtube videos? so I'd say this Xena: Warrior Princess retrospective, or this interesting video essay about writing voices, comparing two articles about two influencers (some trigger warnings for darker themes in the second one)

Sweet/spicy/savory

Relationship: Married to the sea! And also to this guy who hangs around my apartment

Last animal you petted: my cat!!

Last thing I internet searched: "mantua maker" - from a book I was reading. Apparently a mantua was a stylish article of clothing that women in wore in 18th century Europe!

Current obsession: I'm smack dab in the middle of a Jane Austen phase, which happens to me every 3-5 years (hence, "mantua maker")

I look forward to telling you: About my D&D characters/campaigns, and my red hot Jane Austen takes (and also my ice cold Jane Austen takes!)

Tagging: @empresstress13 @buttsonthebeach @vide0-nasties and anyone else who is interested!

[dotcie]

writer wip poll game ♡

thanks for the tags @kastlequill @parttimeprophet @lunarvicar :')

rules: make a 24-hour poll with the names of your wips, let it run, then write one sentence for every vote the winner got.

no pressure (!) tags: @vide0-nasties, @siriusleee, @rileyslibrarian & whoever wants to participate <3

[kastlequill]

🐇📚🦷🎨 for the ask meme please diana!! <33

🐇 ⇢ do you prefer writing original characters, reader inserts, or a mix of both? 

for shorter works, it tends to just be a plain old reader insert written in second person pov, and i’m happy with that. but for longer works, i do prefer to have more substance attached to the reader character, so it often ends up like a mixture of an oc and an insert.

but i’ve been writing for ships again recently with the discovery of aeon (resident evil) and gojohime + satosugu (jujutsu kaisen). its nice being back to my roots of third person perspective and just canon characters :)

📚 ⇢ what's the last thing you wrote down in your notes app? 

was brainstorming ideas for a fic challenge thing, but i don’t think i’ll be doing it because Obligations

🦷 ⇢ share some personal wisdom or a life hack you swear on

if i have a chore to do that i’ve been postponing, i go stand where it’s at (e.g. kitchen sink), turn on music + move my phone out of reach, and just Start working. it really helps me focus and feel the time pass quicker

🎨 ⇢ link your favourite piece of fanart and explain why you like it

my fav cod fanart is these gaz drawings from @veradia ! the linework, the expressions, the likeness, the style… i just love it so much

[wotzka]

OC-Tober Day 5. Relationships! My boy-o Neil and his husband Jakobi (@vide0-nasties)

[cedarmoons]

By care of Varric, a letter finds its way to Ariala Lavellan's desk. The envelope is plain parchment, with a wax seal that seems like it was stolen from Commander Cullen's desk. In alternating handwriting (shaky to the point of being unreadable, then blocky and deliberate as if written with spiteful patience) littered with shorthand, it reads: "To Inq L - We apprec. your good will & patience. Cullen still worm w/o spine, much fun to argue. My lttl brother humiliated - does nt like Cul, but" 1/2

2/2 “but he – IS A PROUD THING. WE’RE SORRY FOR THE DAMAGE TO YOUR TAVERN, AND HOPE THIS SIZEABLE DONATION TO YOUR CAUSE WILL COVER THE COST, AND THEN SOME. HOPEFULLY TO ADD TO LIBRARY - OUR DAUGHTER, TARAN, ENJOYED IT. HUNT WELL.” It is signed “V. F. T. E. & C. Hawke” with a baby’s handprint in the corner smearing up from the inky corner where the ink well apparently spilled. The letter accompanies a truck of gold bouillon from Kirkwall’s treasury. 

*

Ariala knows she is not awake enough to even attempt to read this. She squints at the scrawling writing, then looks up at Josephine, who stands in front of her desk with her hands clasped.

“You look immaculate as usual, Josie,” she says. Josephine smiles for the first time that morning and dips her head. Ariala sighs, massaging her forehead as she looks back down at the letter. “So… what’s this about damage to the tavern?”

“You might want to see it for yourself,” Josephine says, delicately. Ariala mutters a curse under her breath and drops the letter, rubbing her hands over her face. Josephine takes the letter and neatly folds it back into the stack of papers on her clipboard. “But the funds that Messere Hawke provided will be more than enough for any and all repairs.”

“Was Bull involved?”

“Witnesses allege yes. It was apparently a friendly spar that… shall we say… quickly grew out of hand. Cullen was involved. He has refused to see either Leliana or me, but Jim reports he has a black eye.”

“Creators.” Ariala stifles a yawn. “When is Hawke leaving? I don’t want to kick her out, but, uh…”

“I have asked Master Tethras that very same question,” Josephine replies primly, her smile shifting into something less strained. “He assured me their departure would occur within the week, and that they have already ordered more gold as further apologies for the damage to the tavern.”

Within the week. That was doable, but they’d have to keep an eye on the Kirkwall crew until they left again. After Josephine leaves, Ariala cleans her teeth and gets dressed, then goes downstairs to the rotunda.

Solas is already awake. She pads over with soundless footsteps, greeting him with a mwah on his shoulder and her arms wrapping around his waist. He does not startle, but does turn his head slightly. She rewards him by straining up on her tiptoes and kissing his cheek.

“I’m so grateful for you,” she tells him. He arches an eyebrow, a wordless question, and she says, “I know you’ll never destroy my tavern.”

He asks no questions, but leans into her touch with a soft chuckle. He turns in her hold, wrapping his arms around her and drawing her close, and they stay like that for a little while, quiet and tender in their own solitude.

[kastlequill]

✨️🍬😎💛🤔 for the writer ask meme bb! <3

✨️ Out of the comments you’ve received on your fics, what are two or three of your favorites?

i’ll say the type of comments that are my favorites!

long comments with analysis; i know it takes a lot of effort to write them, and it means the world that someone would go the extra mile to do that :)

comments on stuff i’ve written for small fandoms/ships; i share those works not really expecting much engagement, so whatever i do get feels very special

comments from writer friends; i really appreciate that they would take time out of writing their own works to read something i made! i view other writers in the fandom kind of like colleagues i guess lol i don’t know how to word that, but it feels especially validating to receive support from them, and i hope to reciprocate that support as well

🍬 Do you write for multiple fandoms? If yes, what is your favorite fic of yours for each fandom?

yep! some i haven’t written for in a while, some i won’t be writing for again, but i still have quite a bit i want to revisit in the future

dc: spring

chang ge xing: lay in your echo

cang lan jue: i loved and i loved and i lost you

euphoria: as it was

atsv: beggin’ for thread

cod: that human, that demon

😎 What fics do you prefer on a scale of canon compliant to wildly original?

i tend to prefer canon divergence fics, though it does depend on the fandom a bit. i’m more willing to read alternate universe fics for some fandoms than others. for example, hardly ever read a wonderbat au (e.g. where batman/wonder woman don’t exist), but i’m always down for a wildly original cod au

💛 What is the most impactful lesson you’ve learned about writing?

what’s authentic to you is better than what’s popular to everyone else

follow where the passion is; that kind of motivation is fleeting, so capitalize on it

creating works that make you proud to be the person who has written them into existence is always the goal, not a specific amount or type of engagement

want to internalize the “write for yourself” advice? experiencing what it entails to write for a fandom/ship that has <20 fics is the way to do it

[bardiicinspiration]

vide0-nasties replied to your post: it's fic writer appreciation day, and i hope u're...

We forged a pact in dip spit and hunting compound bows!! The length and breadth of our connection is as unstoppable as ‘Life is a Highway’ once it gets stuck in your head!!! WHAT’S DONE CAN NEVER BE UNMADE, SO SHALL IT EVER BE.

we go down together or not at all

[vide0n4sty]

i wrote an eight thousand word essay about how gay outlast: whistleblower is and then i spent a month making a video essay for it. plz watch n share thx xo

[eveninglottie]

wip game

The Rules: post the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous.

Send an ask with the title that most intrigues you and interests you and i’ll post a little snippet of it or tell you something about it!

so I don’t think my wips actually work for this meme but I still wanna post about all the shit I’ve been working on because that’s fun and I crave validation. I’ll divide them into fandom and original work.

fandom

a sordid affair - critical role (perc’ahlia) modern au 47k

cosmology - voltron (sheith) a season 7/8 rewrite 44k

ascendant - dragon age (solas/inquisitor) a retelling?? at this point idk what it is 519k

wilder hearts and weary hands - hobbit/lotr (bagginshield) fem!bilbo retelling 225k

darkling - harry potter (drarry) post-war fey master of death soul mate stuff 159k

riven - voltron (sheith) another whole ass au retelling what am I doing 193k

original

adderhawk - a dark political fantasy about forbidden romance and the divine right of rulers 26k

defiance of the light - three kingdoms at war and the young women who rule them (also fire, krakens, and gunpowder) 41k

voidborne - a steampunk victorian horror about gang warfare and choosing your own destiny 71k

the devourers - urban fantasy cosmic horror/noir about a scooby gang solving crimes and Being Known 16k

halcyon city - cyberpunk queer king arthur retelling about recursive memory and the fine line between hero and villain 27k

song of sunder - very much my love letter to d&d, high fantasy group of found family adventurers save the world 52k

cardinal sins - post-apocalyptic biblical dark fantasy about angels and demons and eldritch abominations 39k

[unnamed space opera] - basically me doing Jupiter Ascending/Star Wars and making it work 12k

entropy redux - biopunk gritty high science fantasy Lesbians in Space 62k

in the garden of blood and beasts - dark fey romance meets Howl’s Moving Castle meets wizards at war meets magic school 21k

seeing all of this laid out kind of makes me want to punch myself in the face but I guess it’s nice to have proof that while I’ve gotten almost nothing done I’ve at least been doing something. also, this does not count all the fics or original projects I scrapped because they weren’t working/I didn’t want to keep working on them. 

@salexectria thank you for the tag even though I feel a little like nosferatu getting slammed by sunlight <3 

I tag @heysales, @luzial, @unseeliequeens, @wardsarefunctioning, @playwithdinos, @vide0-nasties, @idrelle-miocovani, @deleriumofyou, @saessenach and anyone else who wants to do this

also feel free to ask me about any of these, especially my fics (if you wanna ask about the original stuff fucking go for it as well)

[ivoryhartmagick]

#s 4, 6, 19, 27, 41 from the character development hard mode meme? 👀👀

sobs thank u rags for my life???

4. Has your character ever witnessed something that fundamentally changed them? If so, does anyone else know?

they saw asra ;u; i’m answering a question positively for once don’t @ me. 

6. Does your character have recurring themes in their dreams?

ghosts, people coming back from the dead. boy has the main plot been gREAT for them lmfao! they also have a lot of trauma-related nightmares (triggery stuff i won’t list here), which is fun on account of they don’t remember the trauma, what with the lost memories and all. also nightmares about trying to fly away from something that’s chasing them, but can’t seem to fly high enough... 

19. What is your character’s biggest relationship flaw? Has this flaw destroyed relationships for them before?

they self-sabotage a lot, question a relationship so much that their doubts can very easily become a self-fulfilling prophecy. they can’t believe anyone would love them, they don’t believe they deserve love, and their constant questioning and need for reassurance and attempts to sabotage a relationship because they’re bad and don’t deserve their partner can be. exhausting at the very least. 

they’ve actually not had any romantic relationships prior to asra, but they’ve definitely pushed away people who tried to help them in the past. 

27. How does your character normally deal with confrontation?

what is this “dealing with” you speak of? kienan does not know the meaning of the word. okay they’re getting better and it’s all portia’s fault ;u; asra is generally too sweet and too, uh, enabling to make them deal with their problems. he’s much more inclined to distract them with a good time or nice things or general spoiling so they really didn’t. deal with things very well until they met nadia and portia. portia recognized their self-destructive tendencies in a flash (thanks julian) and gave asra an earful about it, gave kienan an earful about it, and made them sit down and talk about things. now they’re learning to actually talk to people when they’re upset rather than just kind of shrink into nothingness and self-hatred for daring to be upset about anything. 

41. Does your character feel that they deserve to have what they want, whether it be material or abstract, or do they feel they must earn it first?

they absolutely have to earn it. they literally sold just about everything they inherited from their father and donated the proceeds to charity so they’d have to start over with nothing, because they know exactly how that wealth was acquired and it wasn’t pretty. the shop is actually asra’s, they gave it to him and he insisted they stay rather than literally work their way up from the streets, but he still considers it theirs because he’s an incorrigible angel who can’t be convinced otherwise, and now he has kienan’s amnesia on his side so kienan can’t refute his claims that it’s always been theirs. 

✨ character development “hard mode” meme ✨

also please go follow rags they’re one of my two favorite writers in the whole wide world and just generally a dear and a joy to have on my dash.

[skinnyazn]

Ehehe thanks for tagging @parttimeprophet :)

Here’s bbg Jag getting ready to judge u from across the bar with big boy Ghost. If u wanna read, start here with Contact

@vide0-nasties @lunarvicar and For those who wanna play :)

— OC Tag Game.

Rules: Use this piccrew by djarn to create portraits of your OC(s). Link a piece of content they are starring in, add anything you would like to share about your OC(s), and no pressure tag one person per OC in your post!

Both Jane & Benjamin are part of my BAD DOG fanfic! :')

No pressure tag: @alittleposhtoad and @50cal-fullauto-astarion

[katharaya]

do you have any the arcana fic recs? thank youu

okay so i don’t know how much help i’ll be because haven’t had much time to read a whole lot of fic lately (and the ones i do read are almost exclusively asra/mc lmao) but off the top of my head these are the ones i really like:

handle with care by @cedarmoons

asra/nadia/mc (cedarmoons’ fan apprentice ziah). contains lemons.

listen. LISTEN. i love ziah with my whole ass heart and her dynamic with asra is A+. the writing is also A+. as is the smut. ziah is a flawed person but she tries and she DEFINITELY deserves more happiness than she gets in this fic!!!!!!! this fic can get super angsty but it’s good shit anon, treat urself

wait for me (i’m coming) also by cedarmoons

asra/mc, eurydice/orpheus au.

the prose in this fic is. On. Point. fam i wish i could write like this. the imagery is breathtaking, and the emotions are gripping; u can really feel asra’s pain as he tries to get mc back. 12/10 good shit highly recommend

Reversed by @dinoswrites / @playwithdinos

asra/mc (dinoswrites’ fan apprentice kai). reversed au. as per the fic warning, contains violence.

alright so this au. THIS AU. the premise is everyone’s roles gets flipped, so julian is kai’s mentor, asra is the fugitive magician accused of nadia’s murder, etc, etc. and it is fascinating. everyone is still so wonderfully in character, and the worldbuilding (because of course there are. Changes. in vesuvia. due to the timeline) is 👌👌👌and just. it’s really good anon trust me

Clothed in Light also by dinoswrites

asra/kai, royal au, arranged marriage au.

look, dino’s AUs are just all on point let’s just get that straight okay? okay. asra is heir to the throne of vesuvia and he sorta gets hustled into an arranged marriage but it all works out. i mean, probably. there’s only one chapter so far but it is lovely and im very excited to see where it goes, so go check it out!!

hail o, time draws nigh by @vide0-nasties

asra/ziah, southern gothic au. contains one (1) lemon scene iirc.

i keep putting off commenting on this fic because 1) anxiety, and 2) the only semi-coherent thing i can think of in response is “these words güd, i want 2 eat them” and that makes like zero sense but that’s because this fic punched me in the gut and stole my already limited english vocabulary. it’s a modern au set in…..the south (i know jack shit about US geography, im so sorry) but anyway it’s so vibrant and detailed and haunting in all the best ways, and also severely underrated, please give it the love it so very much deserves!!!!!

………..

these are all asra/mc fics lmao im so sorry anon, but @cedarmoons also has some nadia/mc stuff on her blog, and i don’t really read julian fics but if that’s ur thing then i believe @4biddenleeches / telanaris over on ao3 has u covered!! happy reading, anon!!! ( ˘ ³˘)♥

[cedarmoons]

prompt: because my job / was to stay clean and thankful and mostly imaginary, I have been / stealing / what little I can

some practice writing maris x cipactli, from the mobile game stellamore

These are indulgences, he knows. Moments snatched from the jaws of duty, of obligation, of urgency. He should be with his mother, with the policy makers and ambassadors and scholars, examining and debating and considering methods to remove the barrier that has surrounded his city before internal food storage runs empty within a matter of months.

He should not be here, in the personal garden afforded to the human ambassadors’ suite, watching her play her harp, brought with her along the seas. He should not be thinking of how lovely the flowers and pearls woven into her hair look against the black waves that spill down her shoulders and back. He should not be staring at the moles on her face—there, beside the bridge of her nose, and under the curve of her right eye, and two on her cheek, and another two near her hairline—like individual constellations.

It is likely she means nothing by these offers of time spent together; she is a diplomat, and he is the prince of Huatzintepec. It is in both their interests to know each other, the better to work together, especially in times of borderline crisis such as this. With that logic, he should not feel as if he is shirking duty for being here with her, and yet it feels a stolen piece of time all the same.

His gaze travels from the mole on the underside of her jaw down, down, down, to her hands—long, slender fingers plucking at golden strings that hum at her touch—and he hears her soft laugh. “You look distant, Your Highness.”

She does not stop playing. Cipactli blinks, startled, and looks away from her hands to her face, feeling his own cheeks heat, grateful for his dark complexion that will... hopefully... conceal his embarrassment at being so easily caught. “Only preoccupied, Ambassador Viridia.”

Her eyes are dark as her hair—dark as the space between the stars. But her dimpled smile is sunlight, all warmth, all brightness. “I haven’t much need of formality, Your Highness. You may call me Maris, if you wish.”

Maris. It is a name as musical as the notes from her harp—is that not what the poets say? He doesn’t read much poetry, in truth. But perhaps he might start. It is never too late to broaden one’s academic interests.

“If I am to call you Maris,” he says, enjoying the sound of her name on his tongue—Mair-ress—and enjoying the way her smile deepens even more, “it is only right that you call me Cipactli.”

“Cipactli.” Her dimples are fast becoming a new favorite aspect of her. Throughout their conversation, her harp playing has not stopped; she refocuses, briefly, on her music, and Cipactli allows himself to watch her hands again, until the melody comes to a gentle, beautiful close. “Very well. I will still refer to you as Highness in public, though. Some might... think my informality untoward.”

Untoward? If he has personally requested to be addressed by his given name, then what could be untoward about it? Cipactli hums in thought, then nods. He will trust her judgement, even if he disagrees. “When we are alone, then.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he sees one of Mother’s close aides entering the veranda; this stolen moment has come to its end, then. He stands, and Maris looks over her shoulder, seeing the aide as well. Before the aide reaches them, she turns back to Cipactli, and says, “Would you be opposed to visiting me again tonight?”

“Tonight?” he asks.

“Yes.” She stands, smoothing down gold and white and scarlet layers. “I have a proposal for you.”

“A proposal?” Cipactli asks. She tilts her head back, smiling up at him, cheeks dimpled. He tucks his hands behind his back—restrained, proper, polite, as he should be despite the thrill in his heart—and leans forward. “What is it?”

“Hmm. Meet me outside this suite tonight after sunset, and you’ll find out yourself.” 

Before he can reply to that, she smiles and bows to him, turning and walking away just as the aide approaches him. Cipactli allows himself one last indulgence—watching her walk, the sway of her hair as she moves—before returning his full attention to the aide, summoning him to his mother’s side to attend a meeting between delegations.

As he walks, he thinks of her offer: to return to the human delegation’s suite after sunset. He wonders what her proposal would be—he wonders if he should take it. There is so much work to do, after all. To visit her again, alone... it would be a stolen moment, drawing him away from the duties of being Huatzintepec’s crown prince. Irresponsible, undoubtedly. Selfish, perhaps. Both unbecoming traits for a future leader. A future Emperor.

Yet stolen moments are all he has, these days, and he has had precious few of them in the past. He would not mind being a thief again—so long as it was for her.