#will probably post this on ao3 today

[dear-ao3]

i think the japan update of the f1 silly season post may in fact be the thing that kills me. this is all for you all.

[whattheskyknows]

Posted the first chapter of my despair disease au fic, which I decided to call Transfer Motive From Beyond the Game!!!

[blitzwhore]

Ship: Andrealphus x Vassago Word: Ocean Number: 374

Oooh, what a good prompt! I love the ocean 🩵 here you go, 374 words of Vassalphus + ocean:

“It's quite stunning, don't you think?”

When no reply came, Vassago tore his eyes from the dark, imposing waves of the Atlantic to glance at Andrealphus. The peacock was leaning forward, his cheek resting on an elegant hand. His eyes parted from the ocean momentarily, and scanned Vassago's face briefly before returning to the relentless waves.

“Why are we here, Vassago?”

Vassago, too, looked back at the sea, then at the Milky Way above. Sighing, he leaned back, resting his hands on the rock behind him.

“Because it helps,” he admitted in a low voice that still felt too loud for comfort, even next to the roaring waves. “It's easy to get overwhelmed down there, you know. I find that visiting the mortal realm can be a good reminder of how… small and fleeting some of our problems really are.” Leaning forward again, he hugged his knees, resting his chin on them. “I thought it might help you, too. You've seemed… off, lately.”

For a moment, neither spoke. Uncaring, a wave crashed against the rocks below, sending drops of water high enough to dampen some of their feathers.

Then, Andrealphus stood. “This is stupid.”

Vassago was already on his feet.

“Andrealphus, wait,” he pleaded, wrapping a hand around the peacock's slender wrist. “Please. I just want to help you.”

“You, better than anyone else, know what my duties are, Vassago.” Andrealphus did not turn to look at him, though he also didn't pull away from Vassago's grasp.

Standing tall under the earthly sky, with nothing but the moon and stars illuminating his glimmering back, he looked nothing short of beautiful.

“I do not need help,” he murmured. “And even if I did, there's nothing you can do, Vassago. So I suggest you stay out of it.”

“I can't,” he breathed, hoping Andrealphus would hear his desperation over the thundering waves. “I'm too involved.”

I want you, were the words he didn't dare say out loud. I care for you. I wish you'd trust me.

Andrealphus’ shoulders slumped. He tugged lightly at his wrist, and Vassago let go, breath held.

“Please,” he begged one last time, though he knew it was hopeless.

After a painful, endless moment, Andrealphus waved a hand and portaled silently away.

(On AO3)

[harringtonesque]

saw ao3 off to war (scheduled maintenance) with tears in my eyes this evening

[angstigone]

ngl I think I give up on tumblr.

[wildflowerwoodsworld]

Figured I should probably start sharing more of my writing here, so have a drabble draft. The fact that I've written any SilverMantis is entirely @/nova1516's fault, but they're fun.

"He's my ikkle baby brother," Lia said, leaning forwards slightly with a grin on her face. "I have to protect his purity and you're defiling him-" Nozel could pinpoint the exact moment Jack's patience for his sister's bullshit snapped. Honestly, it was amazing he lasted that long. Nozel had grown tired of her childishness months ago, but he was willing to tolerate her for Jack's sake.

"Five." Lia's mouth snapped shut, her grin vanishing in an instant. "Four."

"I'm just playing-"

"Three." what Jack was counting down to, Nozel didn't know. He doubted it was good, though, considering Lia's reaction.

"Come on, I've said far worse than this. We both know I've said worse-"

"Two." Lia was walking backwards as she spoke, hands up in the universal gesture of surrender.

"Jackie, you're not being fair-"

"One."

"Just because your boyfriend's here-" Lia cut herself off with a scream as Jack lunged forward, throwing herself back and narrowly avoiding his hand.

"I'm going to throw you off the fucking roof, Bardsley," Jack said, sounding unnaturally calm.

"The roof of the palace? Are you insane?" Lia screeched as the siblings played a twisted game of tag, almost dancing around the room. At least Jack wasn't pulling out his magic. Yet. "Do you have any idea how many things there are I could hit-"

"You can catch yourself." as annoying as she was, Lia had a point. There were many, many things sticking out from the walls of the palace. Balconies and gargoyles and ornamental columns. Guttering and drain pipes and no flat roofing anywhere.

"Nobody is getting thrown off the palace roof," Nozel said, raising his voice to be heard over what could only be described as the scream of a dying animal that left Lia's mouth as Jack grabbed the back of her squad robe.

"You can't tell me what to do with my own subordinate," Jack said, not reacting when Lia twisted, sinking her teeth into his forearm. "Don't bite me you little shit." Lia said something very muffled in response.

[alfhildr-the-word-weaver]

When I think about it, I think one of my favorite things about the Curse of DarKastle lore is how it presents an almost comical inversion of the classic Beauty and the Beast story. Instead of being rude to and angering a witch who curses him to be trapped in a beastly form until true love can break his curse, Prince Ludwig gets startled by a witch and howls, to which she responds by bestowing werewolf powers upon him--I don't think the ride specifies, but it seems like he can turn at will? Or it may have been more emotionally linked. But in any case, it's not presented as a curse (in spite of the ride's name -- I think that comes later when everyone gets trapped as ghosts, at least in my interpretation) but rather as a gift in service of his "dark destiny". She prophetically tells him that he's going to become the "wicked ruler of a corrupt kingdom" and then turns into a wolf herself and actively guides him in overthrowing his parents and ruling the kingdom with an iron fist. It's like the same setup as the witch in Beauty and the Beast, only instead of trying to teach him a moral lesson, the witch in Curse of DarKastle looked at this awful little prince and went "I can make him worse" and then enabled and encouraged his many subsequent murders. It's such a wild story setup for a ride and I kind of love how bonkers it is.

[snek-of-eden]

happy trektober everyone!!!

[mellamellamella]

I wish I spoke German bc if I spoke German i could probably find a word for the emotion I feel when I read the most earth shattering fanfic of my favorite ship but the author hasn't written many other works so I check out their bookmarks bc there 50 something of them and they're all of ships and characters I literally have never heard of

[rapono-writes-stuff]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Lethal Company (Video Game) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Bracken | Flower Man (Lethal Company) & Reader Characters: Reader, Bracken | Flower Man (Lethal Company), Employees (Lethal Company) Additional Tags: inspired by a tumblr post, Unusual monster behavior, Horror, somber, Hurt/Comfort, Giving Up, I'm back on my bullshit (positive), lethal company is not immune to my tropes, being hunted by the Bracken is terrifying and that's why I love them, ambiguous ending Summary:

You're alone in the abanonded darkness, aimlessly searching, when it finds you. There's hands around your neck, and you know there's no use in fighting them.

---

*whips* 

Hey guess who's not dead (and went to therapy!)

[evverest]

last line game, tagged by @eraserspiral <33

i've mostly just been ripping my hair out lately but i have in fact written some words today, even if they were not the words i wanted to be writing

He doesn’t talk much anymore, just coos encouragement at her every so often, and Clove says nothing at all until, when she is at her most light headed and distraught, she croaks, “I can’t do this again.”

low pressure tagging @12thhouse-sun and @amoremagnificentbastard

[adsdragonlover]

Work Song

A Spideypool Songfic Drabble,

Thank god for Hozier

Peter trembles as he finally finishes speaking. It still hurts to talk about all those he’s lost. Ben, Harry, Gwen. So many of his loved ones laid in the cold, dark earth.

He can’t look at Wade, too ashamed.

“It’s not your fault,” Wade says, and Peter flinches.

“Yes it is,” Peter whispers. “It’s- all my fault. I’m the reason they’re in the ground.” He clenches his fists in the spandex of his suit, not caring how it’ll warp the fabric.

“I could’ve stopped the man who killed Ben. But I didn’t. And then he died. And I- I should’ve been able to help Harry. I should’ve- I could’ve tried harder.” He hastily wipes at the tears that are beginning to fall. “And Gwen,” his voice cracks. “I didn’t catch her.”

“She’s dead. They’re all dead. And I- I’ll never forgive myself.”

Wade reaches out and takes Peter’s hand. “I don’t really know what to say,” he admits. “But I don’t blame you.”

Peter sighs and squeezes Wade’s hand. “If it makes you feel better, you can’t kill me. No grave can hold my body down. I’ll always come back to you.”

Peter smiles, pulling Wade into a hug. “Thanks.”

[josado]

The pleasure is to play

Chapter 1

- A Joseph Joestar x OC fanfic -

Word count: 3.3k

Tags: yumeship, female OC, gambling, mostly just Speedwagon for this chapter

Speedwagon sighed, a gentle smile on his face as he shook his head lightly. "Fine.. I suppose I could indulge you in a friendly game", he said, slowly walking towards the other room with the help of his cane. "But only if there are truly no stakes. I'm mostly doing this just to meet your associate, anyway - I'm not very good at poker myself".

The other man chuckled, patting Speedwagon on his back. "Mate, you're not supposed to tell people that.. You're giving yourself away and we haven't even started yet".

"Ah... I fear that the second we start playing you'll realize I lack the so-called poker face, so it won't make much of a difference. But...", he stopped at the door to the meeting room, his hand resting on the doorknob. He looked over to the other man, a serious look on his face. "But I really do hope you are on the correct trail. The Speedwagon Foundation has caught whiff of similar phenomena happening around the world... If you think this is one of such cases, well... It could change everything for us."

The other man nodded. He was slightly younger than him, his hair only beginning to go gray on the sides. He had a serious look on his face just like Speedwagon, but his was quite nervous as well - nervous for both his personal reputation and for all the future business he planned on doing with the foundation's founder. This meeting was his idea after all, so he really needed it to go well and show he's reliable. He was certain this was a textbook case which would fit perfectly in Speedwagon's new research. Meeting over a poker game felt less than appropriate for making new business connections and trying to understand and better the world.. But it would all make sense soon enough. "She might not accept right away.. But I believe the lady will not need too much convincing. If nothing else, then she will accept purely out of boredom. She is...", he nodded, letting Speedwagon know it was alright to enter, "...a bit... addicted to the feeling of uncertainty... one would not be wrong to call it that."

Speedwagon opened the door, taking a few steps inside. His brows furrowed a bit, not expecting the new associate to be this young. No alarms went off in his head though, and although it wasn't what it once was, he still had great faith in his ability to sniff out someone's character. His nose was currently telling him that the worst thing that could happen here would be wasting his time. A young lady in her 20s sat at the table, smiling a little awkwardly. She had long dark ashy blonde hair with a single platinum streak in her fringe. She wore minimal makeup, but her eyelashes were definitely covered in mascara, clumping together intentionally to bring even more attention to her doll-like hazel eyes. Speedwagon slowly walked closer and extended his hand out to her. "My name is Robert E. O. Speedwagon, founder of The Speedwagon Foundation. My associate has, surprisingly, not told me a lot about you at all."

"A girl has to keep some secrets, doesn't she?", she said playfully as a small chuckle escaped her lips. She shook his hand, her grip on the handshake unusually confident for a woman her age. Speedwagon found this promising, as it implied she had something to be confident about. Perhaps the intel would prove to be correct. "Adora Dodie. A pleasure to meet you".

"Quite a grip you've got there, Adora", Speedwagon said, raising both eyebrows and looking right into her eyes. His amber ones studied hers, his nose working overtime. He finally let go of the handshake and sat down at the table, right across from her. "And quite a beautiful fake name as well".

Slight shock appeared on the girl's face as she didn't expect him to figure it out right away. The associate also sat down at a seat between the two, looking really anxious. The only thing that was keeping him sane right now was the fact that Speedwagon himself didn't appear any more nervous than usual. The associate had only recently met her (and under this name), but never once questioned it. She just raised one eyebrow, cocking her head to the side, now amused by his keen perception, her facial expression not even trying to deny the accusation. "Oh?"

"He mentioned you were Slavic, and your fashion sense is certainly not typical American..", Speedwagon started explaining, gesturing to the girl's outfit. It was rather chilly outside, less so inside, yet she still wore her short leopard fur coat - although, only around her shoulders, her black sweater peeking through from underneath. She also wore an insanely short skirt, which immediately made him think that she must be used to colder weather than America has to offer, as she wasn't shivering or seeming like she minded it at all. Her legs were fully covered in sheer black nylon tights, which told him she had no patriotism for this country considering the nylon shortage the war caused to help the troops. The black leg warmers scrunched at the very bottom of her legs certainly weren't doing a great job at keeping her warm or at hiding the expensive tights. They were merely a fashion accessory. "So I would assume you came here with the rest of the refugees at the start of the war, not that you've lived here for a good portion of your life.. The name certainly doesn't sound Slavic either, so perhaps it's an alias?" He stared at her for a few more moments, studying her before speaking again. Her smell was balsamic, an odd mixture of sour cherries and bitter almonds. It was sweet but melancholy, like a strange sadness hiding behind the sourness of the cherries. "But the lie wasn't malicious, was it, Adora?"

Adora, or whatever her real name was, nodded softly, as she started to shuffle the cards in front of her. "I'm a professional gambler, sir. And as you can imagine, the job isn't exactly ideal for making friends and giving them my actual name.."

Speedwagon looked at their shared associate, piecing together how he even met this lady. The guy definitely had gambling as a vice, it was no tightly kept secret, but Speedwagon still didn't expect to see him testing his luck against professionals. That being said, what even was a professional gambler, anyway? Surely, it must have just meant bigger amounts being wagered, as it was a purely luck-based activity after all. He now carefully watched her shuffle the cards, trying to catch a glimpse of any sleights of hand. He had seen Joseph cheat at cards enough times that he felt positive he could catch any funny movements if they occurred. "So how do you become a professional at something that requires no skill?"

"By simply never losing", she said, a slight smirk on her face.

"I can vouch for her being a professional", the associate added, shaking his head. "I've never seen anything like it - it's like a superpower!" He also watched her shuffle the cards, but more in awe, rather than trying to catch her cheating. He knew there was no trickery involved, just pure luck. He knew that the girl enjoyed the sense of uncertainty that gambling brought, the stress, the adrenaline rush... Even the feeling that you could lose everything in an instant, the outcome being fully out of one's control. She loved this feeling, and he knew she wouldn't cheat now, purely to be able to experience it just a little. "But, dear, that's not entirely correct, though, now is it? You lose a great deal, actually".

Adora dealt the cards to each of them, her hands clearly experienced in holding a deck. "I suppose, but that's not what you brought Mr. Speedwagon here to see, was it? You want him to see me winning, no?"

"Correct", the man confirmed, turning fully to Speedwagon to explain. "No matter how badly she loses, she never ends a game on a loss."

"Well... Being lucky is hardly a good example of what I was hoping to find here..", Speedwagon said, feeling a bit like the guy wasn't fully grasping his research topic. "When I said supernatural powers, I didn't mean something as vague as this..." He sighed and rested his face against his palm, his elbow planted firmly on the table, and used his other hand to look at the cards he was just dealt. They weren't that bad, honestly. An 8 of hearts and a 10 of hearts - depending on what got pulled next, this could be an easy victory.

"Trust me, this is not normal luck", the man defended his stance. "At first, it seemed like a random string of wins and losses to me, but then I started watching her more carefully. It seemed like she had some wins that were pleasant surprises, which makes sense, but then some brought absolutely no emotion to her face. Just a good poker face, most people would think. But then why would she have such a visible reaction in other situations, right?"

"I never thought you to be such a devoted fan", Adora teased the older man, looking at her own cards. Upon seeing them she gave a little downturned smile - neither too pleased or displeased with her cards.

"Honestly, I just assumed you were a huge cheater and I kept following your games hoping you'd finally get caught. Though, if I may speak freely, Miss Dodie... I'd still argue you are one. A much worse one than I originally thought, even." Both of them shared a chuckle, much to Speedwagon's confusion. The man turned to him again, continuing his story. "You could see it on her face - plain as day. She was cheating. She wasn't surprised at some wins, because she knew they were going to happen."

"Did you ever get caught?", Speedwagon asked her directly, carefully watching her hands as she shuffled the deck.

“I would have to actually cheat first, in order to get caught”, she said, shooting the associate a small playful smirk. “In fact, Mr. Speedwagon, if it eases your nerves, you may shuffle the cards yourself”. Adora slid the deck across the table, leaving them right in front of him. Speedwagon took the cards and started shuffling them himself, though with much less ease than she did.

“She never got caught. Not once. And they did everything they could to try and catch her in the act.”, the associate said, shaking his head. “I approached her at the bar recently and told her I thought she was born under a lucky star. After a few drinks, she confessed that she was always this lucky, even as a kid. She even said it makes life boring…”

“..To always feel in control..”, she finished his sentence, sighing. “I won’t pretend like it’s a bad thing, obviously, but it’s certainly got its bad side as well."

“So she’s either born with a gift.. Or she’s the best cheater in the world”. The associate looked at his own cards, having a pair of 9s. He felt good about his hand, but he knew there was no point to it, as he knew Adora would still find a way to luck out and win. Speedwagon dealt the cards for the game, revealing them all on the table. A 5 of spades.. A 2 of hearts… Queen of spades… A 4 of spades... And the 6 of clubs. Both men thought the same thing for a brief moment - I could at least easily have the high card. They both revealed their cards, looking to her to see if she would win or not.

Adora showed hers as well, a 3 of hearts and a 4 of clubs. “Looks like a Straight.. Two, three, four, five, six… Yep. And a pair of 4s as well”, she said, giving her cards back to Speedwagon to shuffle again, a cocky smirk on her face.

As he started dealing the cards for the second round, he wasn’t exactly convinced yet. It would take a lot more than that to prove this was some sort of supernatural power rather than just plain old luck. But he wasn’t about to start complaining either, as there were certainly much less entertaining ways to conduct research. “Help me understand though.. So why would you come to me willingly? Isn’t this basically an admission to cheating of sorts?”, he asked her, raising both of his bushy eyebrows and dealing the cards to each of them.

Adora chuckled. “Hardly. I’d argue being lucky is a requirement for gambling.. Otherwise you are just giving your money away for no reason.” As she received her cards she didn't even take a quick look at them. Both men looked at theirs, both trying to maintain some sort of poker face. “Plus.. The way it was described..” She looked directly into Speedwagon’s amber eyes, as if trying to speak to him without using words. She seemed to have really resonated with the overall topic of the research, which was the only reason she even agreed to meet with him. "I feel like... This luck has been haunting me my whole life. I don't want it gone, but I would like a better understanding of what's going on and why it is here. Why it acts the way it does. If that makes sense". She emphasized certain words as she spoke to him, as if alluding to something. It was a test of her own and the real game she and Speedwagon were playing now - figuring out if they are talking about the same thing without giving anything away before any formal deal is made. She watched Speedwagon as he revealed the cards on the table. "So they're all clubs and they're just a Queen shy of it being a Royal Flush... Perhaps the queen of clubs in my cards would convince you a bit more about my... situation."

"But...", Speedwagon started, looking at her confused. He took a few moments to look around the table and under it, just in case, before continuing. "You haven't even looked at your cards yet. How could you possibly know you have the missing card?"

She revealed her cards to them by extending her arm so that they could clearly see the queen of clubs staring back at them. And yet she still hasn't looked at the cards herself. The associate sighed, shaking his head and turning to Speedwagon. "See? And she even does this often, as if being smug about it helps her case with the cheating allegations..."

"But, how?!"

Adora shrugged, finally taking a look at her own cards, before giving them back for the next round. "Just requires more luck than a Straight does, I suppose".

Speedwagon looked at her, squinting his eyes and studying her features one last time. She had a small mole under her right eye and another one above her left eyebrow, but the asymmetry was surprisingly pleasing to look at. It drew even more attention to her eyes, which she clearly treated as her best facial feature. Her eyebrows were very straight, her cheeks pink and her lipstick intentionally smeared across her lip lines in a shade that wasn't very bold, looking as if she just finished eating strawberries messily. Everything on her face was carefully set up to point in the direction of her looking gentle and almost angelic, and yet here she was in all her actual glory. A smug gambling addict and an obvious cheater. Still, he could see past the surface and smell out what was going on. He didn't know how she was doing it, and she would clearly never openly admit to it either, but he knew this was her confessing and seeking help. Clearly she was doing something. He thought for a moment as he shuffled the cards. He then picked up one random card and set it face-down at the table. "Try to guess which card this is, Miss Dodie."

"It's a four", she said, her voice monotone and unimpressed. Clearly he wasn't the first person to attempt this approach.

"A four of what?"

"I'll have to guess... A four of hearts".

Speedwagon nodded, revealing the card to indeed be a four or hearts. He thought for another moment, scratching his face as he did. It was definitely starting to look like more than dumb luck. "Hmm... Now I'm thinking of a number between one and one hundr-"

"Sixty seven."

He gulped. It actually was exactly 67. The associate nodded enthusiastically as he watched her guess everything right, hoping this will seal the deal. "It's insane, I'm telling you. It's not even just gambling, sometimes I fear she can read minds".

The girl chuckled at this, lowkey enjoying both the praise from her associate and the shocked look that Speedwagon was sending her way. "Oh, I wish I could read minds, but I assure you I unfortunately can not. If I could then I wouldn't even have to ask you this... But what is it exactly that you are even offering to me?"

Speedwagon thought about it for a moment before deciding that he would like to pursue this phenomena further. It seemed promising. "Well, is there more information that you have that you have not disclosed to me yet?"

"I will only say that yes, I have a clear understanding of the principle of how this luck works, just not... Why me, of all people?"

"And you would share this information with the Speedwagon foundation, correct?"

"Only if we are officially partners, but yes, I suppose."

He nodded, leaving the cards on the table and slowly getting up from his seat with the help of his cane. He extended his arm to her, finally officially making her a business offer. "I can offer you to stay at my house and have all your expences paid for the entire duration of the research. In return I would like to run some tests, hear your thoughts on the whole phenomena, get to know your personality, lineage, history…”

Adora nodded as she listened to his proposal. Certainly, having all your expences be paid for was an enticing offer, one which she would have a hard time justifying to herself if she were to decline it. She also simply wanted to know more about her own situation. The luck came at a price, one which she wanted to truly understand and perhaps even keep under control better. She extended her own arm to him as well, shaking his hand firmly. Speedwagon let go of her hand and started walking away, subtly gesturing to his associate to follow him so that they could discuss the oil business somewhere more private. He turned to her one last time, giving her a reassuring look. "Come to my house tomorrow and we'll get you settled in and start with the basics - getting to know each other." He then pointed to the associate. "He'll make sure you are given the proper address as well as take care of any transportation needs to my property for you or your luggage. Alright?"

Both Adora and the associate nodded. "Understood", she said, still thinking about this whole thing in her head. It was a little insane, perhaps even very risky on her end, but she was certain that she would have realised by now if this meeting was a stroke of bad luck rather than just an interesting new experience. And she definitely wouldn't mind shaking up the monotone routine she built up lately that consisted of nothing but her hotel room and various casinos. Perhaps it was the perfect time to get to know herself and her history better. "I will be there after lunch, then."

[captainderyn]

[Fictober24] Day 10: "Is this normal?"

Prompt: "Is this normal?"

Fandom: LOTRO Pairing: Established/fledgling Eldarion/Faewryn Warnings: None Spoilers: None

Kissing the man who had been her closest friend forever while on a walk along the ramparts should have been a dream come true. Yet one thought plagued Faewryn and she pulled back with a start like her own mind had zapped her. 

“Is this normal?” Faewryn asked, gripping Eldarion’s sleeves so tight the fabric wrinkled beneath her white knuckled fingertips. Her heart threatened to gallop out of her chest, pounding an atypical rhythm against her ribs. 

Eldarion chuckled, brushing his nose against hers as he went in for another kiss. She sank into it, body melting against his.

“Normal?” he hummed against her lips, mind anywhere except the trail her rapid sprint 

“We’ve known each other since childhood, have done everything together, our parents have known each other for decades…I don’t think you can get much more normal than that.” he said lightly, though his eyes searched hers as he pulled back to really look at her. “Why wouldn’t it be, Fae?” 

She ran her hands up and down his sleeves, finding grounding in the feeling of the fabric beneath her hands. She painstakingly smoothed out every wrinkle she had created as she gathered her thoughts. 

“We’ve known each other forever.” she started hesitantly. “What if we aren’t meant to do this. What if it's not normal and we ruin it all?” 

It was obvious to her that Eldarion was trying to remain neutral, though the corner of his mouth inched up into a grin despite himself, “You’re worried because we’ve known each other…too long?” 

“Eldarion!” she exclaimed, stepping back to throw her hands up in the air and move her feet as she paced along the rampart. She paused on the edge, looking out across the fields outside the city. 

He came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his chin on her shoulder. It was a familiar action, a position they’d been in countless times over the years even before their feelings had snuck out the cracks. She relaxed back against his chest, despite herself. 

“We can go down to one of the taverns in plainclothes.” he offered. “And I can pretend that I’ve spotted you across the bar, become enamored, and announce my intentions to win your hand.” 

She glowered at him from the corner of her eye and she caught a glimpse of his smirk before she looked back out across the city walls and fields. Banners bearing the White Tree snapped along the walls in the wind, a reminder of the great city but also the tall tales surrounding it. 

“Is love supposed to feel this…mundane?” she wondered aloud, admitting despite herself the one thing that had been troubling her. “This all feels so…easy.” 

Their parents’ love stories were too great to tell outside of a ballad or story, even though her own parents insisted time and time again that it was no grand tale. Though she’d certainly seen many mundane moments shared between her parents as they’d settled into post-war life, so she’d been told, she had no idea what that was meant to look like for herself. 

Eldarion pressed a kiss to her cheek, “What was that thing your mother always told me when I would get too impatient in training?” 

Faewryn paused, thinking about all the various things Wulfwryn had tossed Eldarion’s way in every training session she had attended. 

“That she and many others want things to be normal for their children?” she hedged a guess and Eldarion nodded, his scruff scratching against her cheek. She ducked back to avoid it, pressing herself more tightly against his chest. 

Eldarion said, “Have you considered that maybe the same goes for love? That getting to know each other long enough and being stable enough to fall in love is the very blessing those who fought were hoping for?” 

She pondered on this, worrying her lower lip between her teeth. She tilted her head back to look up at him, running her fingers along his that wrapped around her waist. 

“Do you think so?” she asked. 

He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I think many would consider us the lucky ones.” 

[hockpock]

Thinking about the persistence of past special interests... or lack thereof.

"OH, that special interest. My Special Interest. That Media/Animal/Character/Thing that became a touchpoint/obsession/part of my personality for weeks/months/YEARS. The one I couldn't get enough info about, memorized all the facts, connected to everything. THAT special interest?"

- I have no memory of this place....

- Ah, yes. That Was Fun. I don't go there anymore though.

- Oh, That Was Fun. Might dip my toes back in. As a Treat. One fic couldn't hurt.....

- We don't speak of that. It's in the vault. Let it stay there.

- We don't speak of that. It's lurking, waiting. It will Be Again. Let it come in its own time.

[redmoonwanderer]

FFXIV Write 2024, Day 28 Prompt: Deleterious

Sair’sae hadn’t been one of those who’d always known they’d want to be a parent, but he’d never been opposed to the idea, either. He might even say that parenthood suits him.

If someone had told him about the amount of grey hair and wrinkles of worry that a child – or four – could give a man, he might’ve reconsidered the whole ‘having children’-business, no matter how much he loved Qhol.

That day, he’s showing Qhol’a some of the hidden paths around Gyr Abania, paths that the Imperials hadn’t either found or didn’t care to traverse for one reason or another. While at it, he’d point at plants and animals and insects because he knows Qhol’a loves learning about them, and usually is able to name whatever they see. The faster he remembers the names, the prouder of himself he always looks.

He’s turning to look over his shoulder to make sure the kid is still following him, then turns to look ahead where the canyon opens to a wider plain.

He stops.

Then he looks back again.

Faster than should be humanely possible (through reflexes only parents are familiar with) he’s rushed to Qhol’a and lifted the child from his armpits into the air. Qhol’a looks at him brows raised, a stalk of a mushroom peeking from his mouth, and more of those things in a small box he’s carrying.

“Spit it out,” Sair’sae says.

“But it’s good,” Qhol’a mumbles around the stalk.

“It’s poisonous.”

Qhol’a stops for a moment, clearly thinking, before saying, “But I’m not dead.”

Thank the Twelve for small mercies, Sair’sae thinks. “If you eat too much of them, you will be.” Best not to beat around the bushes. Or maybe that’s just he’s elevated heartbeat talking.

“I’ve always eaten them, they’re fine.”

Sair’sae lowers the kid back onto the ground so he can grab the stalk before Qhol’a can swallow it. “Well, if you don’t eat too much, you won’t die right away, but the poison will kill you one day.” Much as he likes the idea of Qhol’a having built immunity through the apparent small doses over time, he has a feeling the kid is more likely to keel over dead the next time he eats one too many of those.

“But some of the other kids said these are fine. And they are good.”

Oh, he’d have to have some stern words once he’s taken Qhol’a back to camp. “Maybe they mistook them for something else, or were lying. Either way, you cannot eat them, understood?”

Qhol’a looks at the box in his hands and Sair’sae swears he looks a little sad. Maybe he is, having lost a snack that he apparently liked. “Okay…” he then mutters, and gives the box to Sair’sae. He takes it with a thank you and tosses the mushrooms away.

“We’ll find something better soon enough. There are a lot of berries nearby, if you want to take a look.”

Qhol’a nods, still a little disappointed, but Sair’sae knows he’ll bounce back soon. But he’ll be keeping a close eye on him for the rest of the journey, just in case.

He might turn grey prematurely because of his children, he thinks.

Qhol’a has walked ahead of him, and points excitedly at a golden bird resting on a rock nearby. He’s signing the name to him, and Sair’sae nods. The kid looks victorious.

Sure, he might grey before his time, but he wouldn’t have it any other way.