#zera writes

[hopepetal]

Welcome to villain Hotguy and the Scarlet Witch! Based off of this post by yours truly! Enjoy!

Hotguy was a very well-known hero. Not only that, but he was well-liked. So much so, in fact, that he was rarely ever out of the public eye. It was hard, after all, to be so famous and still be able to sneak around the city as he once did as a teenager. Not helped at all by his signature colours and outfit that stood out from the general populace, Hotguy always found it quite difficult to visit his boss.

Not his “boss” as the civilians of the city knew it. Hotguy felt his lips curl up in a disgusted sneer just thinking about that fraud that called himself the mayor of the city. It made him sick to his stomach just to recall those fake smiles, pressed suits, greasy hair and poisonous words.

No, his true boss was one he once greatly feared. They had been enemies at one point, even, before Hotguy had discovered the true horrors of the city's council and what they had done to Cuteguy. After a thorough butt-kicking, Hotguy had been offered a place not necessarily by her side, but still on her side. That had been enough for him and he had taken the offer gladly, working under the notorious Scarlet Witch to expose the corruption of the government.

As he walked down the darkened hallway, Hotguy couldn't help but admire the amount of effort that went in to maintaining the “villainous ambiance” if he did say so himself. He wasn't sure if it was more because of the Scarlet Witch being a moth hybrid and therefore a little more sensitive to light than most, but whatever the reason was, the whole low light kind of deal made everything just a little more spooky.

Hotguy's boots clicked against the hard gray floors as he made his way to the large, ornate door. He had never really figured out what the floor was made out of, and had stopped asking after the Scarlet Witch had responded with “the bones of my former soulmates” and winked at him. Which, one, terrifying, and two, he was dating Cuteguy. So. He was fairly certain he was not the Scarlet Witch's soulmate.

Stopping at the door, Hotguy took a deep breath. He raised a hand and knocked once, twice, thrice upon the wooden panels, grabbing the doorknob and pushing at the light “come in!” that rang out from inside. In true Scarlet Witch fashion, she was sitting in a comfortable chair behind a desk, the curtains closed tightly behind her. Hotguy did not question the decision of the builders who put windows in the room of someone as light sensitive as the Scarlet Witch, at least not out loud.

Having donned her signature red cloak and hood along with a white dress shirt tucked into black leggings, the Scarlet Witch wore a light smile on her face. The upper half of her face was covered by the masquerade ball-esque mask not even Hotguy had seen her without, but her expressions came across through her body language. She was happy, having clearly heard about the successful mission Hotguy just returned from. “Take a seat!” she exclaimed, gesturing to the chair across from her on the opposite side of the desk.

Hotguy sat, leaning back in the chair with a bright smile on his face. “Well hello there, Scarlet! Fancy seeing you here!” he said, like he wasn't fully aware that this was the Scarlet Witch's office. “I'm guessing you got the good news?”

The Scarlet Witch nodded, leaning forward and clasping two of her four hands in front of her on the desk. “You found Cuteguy and successfully extracted him from the facility alongside the vigilante Redstone Man?”

“You know it!” Hotguy's smile fell for a moment. “It was pretty bad. We got him to the private hospital though, so he'll be right as rain soon enough!”

The Scarlet Witch hummed thoughtfully, continuing to nod. “I hope that is the case. What is the status of the Listener and the Canary?”

Hotguy shrugged. “Weren't present, so I guess they had bigger fish to fry. I know something was going on downtown but I didn't really pay attention to it. Something about potatoes... Redstone Man vehemently denied any sort of involvement which makes me think he's involved, but hey, a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do.”

The Scarlet Witch sighed, breathing out a soft chuckle. “Vigilantes. Always so... interesting.” Her word choice left much to be said, but Hotguy could kinda figure it out from her tone.

“Yep! Life certainly wouldn’t be the same without them!” Hotguy chirped, thinking back fondly on all of his encounters with Redstone Man and Potato Boy. Despite them insisting they were not the same person, Hotguy knew they absolutely were but decided to humor them. “Right, so that was kind of about all I had for now. Did you have a next move for us, or…?”

The Scarlet Witch shook her head. “I should have a plan by our next weekly meeting with the others, but all I wanted to do at the moment was check in with you and make sure my bro- that Cuteguy was alright.” All four of her hands tightened into fists. “I swear that the ones who did this will pay,” she got out from in between clenched teeth, “no one hurts an ally of the Scarlet Witch and gets away with it. No one.” 

Hotguy kept the smile on his face despite the fear that ran ice cold through his veins. He held in a shudder as he subconsciously hugged himself. “Right, of course! Same goes for good ol’ Hotguy over here. No one hurts my friends! That’s the Hotguy promise!”

The Scarlet Witch gave him a wry smile. “You’re a good friend, Hotguy, and a good person to  have on my side. I’m glad I kicked your butt that day.”

Hotguy let out an exasperated huff. “You only slightly kicked my butt, and I was distracted-!”

“Uh-huh, I’m sure. Let’s go with that.” The Scarlet Witch stood, walking around to Hotguy’s side of the desk. She gestured for him to stand and follow her, and he did, following after as she walked to the door. “I’ll see you at the next meeting, then. I’m heading out myself, but I wish you a safe trip home.” She opened the door and held it for Hotguy before slipping out after him. 

Thanking her for the kind gesture, Hotguy nodded. “You as well. Don’t get kidnapped or something, m’kay?”

Although he couldn’t see her face, Hotguy knew she was giving him the most deadpan stare right now. “Yeah, because that’s something I have to worry about.” She turned and began walking away, raising a hand in goodbye without turning back. 

Hotguy let out a sigh, and began his own journey back home. He’d have to take the back alleys, of course, but he didn’t mind. He was just glad to have his boyfriend back, even if Cuteguy was in the hospital for the time being. It was a start on the long road to recovery, and Hotguy was optimistic even as he recalled how fragile Cuteguy had been, strapped to the operating table in that paper thin gown, completely oblivious to the world around him.

The image of how Hotguy had found his boyfriend and “nemesis” as the public thought, with Cuteguy being a villain, made his chest ache with a grief he didn’t understand. Cuteguy wasn’t dead, he was alive and on the mend thanks to Hotguy! As he ducked into the alleyway, Hotguy figured it was the self blame coming back to eat at him again. Logically, he knew he had done all he could, but Cuteguy’s capture had still been some of his fault-

Nope! Not thinking about that! Just get home, go pet Jellie, and cry about everything in bed! That sounded like a great plan. 

And that was exactly what he did.

[applestruda]

Impulse and the book

(based on chapter 1 of zera's bkau fic)

[wolfeyedwitch]

Hand stomp for Icarus?

With Bloody Outstretched Hands, Part 12: Hand Stomp

Thank you for your patience! Have Luke having a bad day.

CW: hand whump, prejudice against fictional group (superpowers), prejudice-motivated violence

Masterlist

---

Luke was halfway through his PT exercises when Zera came into the gym like a stormcloud. He watched as they all but stomped their way over to the wall of gear while they roughly tugged off their mask. Zera ran one hand through their bright blue hair before donning a pair of boxing gloves, stalking to one of the punching bags, and beginning to attack it like it had insulted their entire family.

Luke finished his set of exercises in a state of bewildered concern. This was far from the younger hero’s normal behavior. Usually Zera was almost disgustingly peppy while in the gym. A normal day would see them bopping their head along to whatever catchy tune they had blaring in their earbuds, enthusiastically running through one of the simulations the gym had to test their teleportation skills. A bad day would have them going through weapon forms at half-speed to ensure they got everything right. Luke wasn’t sure what it would take to get his coworker in this state, and he was almost afraid to ask.

Well. He didn’t become a hero out of an abundance of self-preservation instinct. 

“What’s got you all riled up?” he asked when Zera finally stripped off one glove to grab a water bottle. “Toss me one, too?”

They took a second bottle from the fridge and lobbed it underhand across the gym. Luke caught it in both hands. Nice; the PT was really paying off. A few months back he wouldn’t have had the dexterity or coordination to make that catch.

Zera gave a smile at whatever triumphant face Luke couldn’t help but make. Then they shook their head with a grimace. “It’s Bailey,” they said, setting down their water bottle and pushing their now-sweaty hair out of their face.

It was Luke’s turn to grimace. He understood why they were keeping the villain at their med bay, but that didn’t mean he had to like it. “Are they giving you trouble?”

Zera shook their head. “No, they’re eager to tell us everything they can. Maeve is probably going to have to call the interview, because I’d bet dollars to donuts that they’d push themself way too hard trying to give us info.”

“And end up paying for it sooner rather than later,” Luke said with a nod. Concussions were a bitch, even with a healer’s help. “So they aren’t being stubborn. What’s the problem?”

Zera frowned even harder. “The problem is that this whole thing is incredibly fucked up, Luke. I knew we had PR issues, after Marcus and his apprentice, but apparently the way the villains tell it is even worse. Slipknot was apparently using the threat of us as the stick to keep Bailey in line.”

“What was the carrot, then?” he asked, coming to stand next to the younger hero.

They shrugged. “A place to belong, someone helping them out after their parents died, a chance at making a difference in the world. Take your pick.”

It was Luke’s turn to frown. 

Zera noticed. “What?”

He hesitated. Zera was a good hero, but they were still pretty young, with the naivete that came with it. 

“What? You’ve got that face again. Come on, out with it, boomer,” Zera teased.

Luke shook his head with a huff of laughter. They were right to tease; he wasn’t that much older than they were, though he felt plenty ancient on days his injuries acted up. That didn’t change the difference in experience, though. Zera still had an optimism he’d lost somewhere between his first year as a hero and his extended stay in the ICU after his attack. 

“Just…” he started, trying to get his thoughts in order. “I dunno. I can’t shake the feeling that we’re missing something. This all feels…” He broke off, unable to properly articulate it. 

Zera was already shaking their head. “Hell if I know. But they seem genuine enough. They aren’t trying to downplay anything they’ve done. If anything, they seem like they’re taking on too much accountability.”

He hummed noncommittally in response, but Zera’s words stuck with him as he headed out, leaving them to their workout. That was exactly what it was that had been bothering him. Bailey seemed guilty. They seemed like their conscience was weighing them down like Atlas.

On the one hand, that could have been any number of things. It was looking more and more like whatever relationship Bailey had with Slipknot had been abusive, and guilt was a common response in abuse victims. It could have just been the fact that Bailey had a conscience.

On the other hand… 

He was probably overthinking it. He should talk with his therapist, honestly. This was the exact kind of thing that Heroes League had therapists on staff to deal with. 

On the other hand, why would a supposedly small-time villain be so guilty? Because maybe they weren’t nearly as small-time as they seemed. Some small, unkind part of Luke couldn’t help but think that Bailey had to have done something to be feeling this guilty about. Just because they didn’t know what it was, didn’t mean it didn’t happen. 

The thoughts kept racing through his head like hamsters on a wheel, squeaky and annoying and going absolutely nowhere. They pestered him the rest of the day, no matter how he tried to ignore them. They were still there when he finally managed to get his insomniac ass in bed for the night.

Luke was no stranger to nightmares. He’d been an insomniac long before his injuries, but after? It seemed like any time he managed to steal a few minutes of sleep, some fucked-up nonsense was playing on the movie screen on the back of his eyelids. 

This dream seemed to follow the same recipe as most of them: take one soda of bad memories, add one mentos of dream logic, and shake vigorously. He was a kid, running over rooftops to escape from bullies. The next moment, he was flying over the city looking for a suspect for the Heroes League. He caught them; they caught him. 

The suspect held him over the edge of the roof—no, that was the kids. They caught him; he hadn’t run fast enough. 

Awww, are you scared, you little freak? You should be. Don’t you know we don’t want mutts like you around here?

(I thought you guys had rules about dangling people off buildings?)

He squirmed against the grip of the older boys, the ones who were always first with an insult or cruel “prank” against the kid who didn’t have enough control of his powers to keep from outing himself.

Why don’t you just float away? Get lost! 

Hands shoved him forward and pulled him back. He was falling—backwards? No, forwards, towards the edge of the roof. His hands barely came up in time to break his fall. 

You freaks are ruining the world for normal people! You can’t just run around flaunting what kind of mutant you are and expect us to sit back and let it happen!

(You can’t just ruin people’s lives and expect no repercussions!)

Someone, or maybe multiple, was kicking him. His weight shifted awkwardly on the edge of the roof. No, no, nonono, he was going to fall!

Cheering sounded in his ears, cruel and expectant. 

His legs went over the edge, torso slamming painfully into the side of the building. Now he was just holding on, and his hands were already starting to hurt. 

His fingers went from dull ache to sharp, hot agony in an instant. He opened his mouth to scream— (he… tried to? Was there something over his mouth?) but in true dream fashion, nothing happened. 

He looked up to see one of the bullies with a boot on his hand. The older boy gave an ugly grin and started to grind his heel into Luke’s fingers.

The cheering got even louder. 

Get him! Make him scream!

He looked down at the boot again. But wait, that wasn’t a kid’s shoe. 

That was a combat boot. Charcoal gray, and… familiar.

Luke looked up. 

It wasn’t his childhood bullies standing over him. This figure wore a red and gray outfit, menacing and eye-catching. 

Poppet scowled down at him and shoved their boot forward. Luke’s hand tore on the rough cement of the rooftop, before encountering nothing but air. 

He woke up before he hit the ground.

---

Dun dun dun! He's starting to remember!

Small text in parentheses is from Sadistic Choice.

Taglist:

@heathenville @nonbinary-disaster @kim-poce @whump-world @dolls-circus

@pickleking8 @ghostfacepepper @cupcakes-and-pain @badluck990 @mylifeisonthebookshelf

@pumpkin-spice-whump @deluxewhump @extemporary-whump @whumpwillow @multiple-characters1-acct

@sunflower1000 @fleur-alise @equestrianwritingsstuff @scp-1296 @livingforthewhump

@thingsthatgo-whump-inthenight @suspicious-whumping-egg @kaiwewi @lelly-belly

@neuro-whump @newbornwhumperfly @whumpthisway @whumpcreations @wicked-whump

@heart4brains @myhusbandsasemni @how-to-be-a-hero @kixngiggles @kurochan

@whumpsday @extrabitterbrain @pattonvirglsanders @neverthelass @we-write-as-one

@elrysdoesstuff @whumperflies-and-roses @ha-ha-one @whatwhumpcomments @ramadiiiisme

@towerlesskey @emmanemanemm @pigeonwhumps @whumpycries

[lyledraws]

"Are you out there? Can you see the same stars as me?"

A followup/companion to the first Rest prompt. I'm gonna finish this marathon even if it kills me.

(Castoff Fanart Marathon #13: Rest 2)

[justwannatalkaboutmyshows]

Zarkon’s death is so anticlimactic I literally forgot he died

I’m watching the kral zera episode still in denial that he’s actually dead just cause it was so… sudden?

Like out of every fight and attempt on his life Lotor can take him out just like that? Seems off idk

[bipdf]

i live a life of a rapunzel, but i look like her evil mother

i can't tell you how "nice" it is to live in a little room every day of your young adult life. i spend my mornings lying dormant on my bed. my eyes glued to the white ceilings covered with cobwebs. i listen to the crunching of cheese crackers and slurping of coffee in the hall room. it's the sound of love i've never been included in. when i finally muster up the courage to abandon my bed, it's already past noon. as i let spotify play in the background, i occupy myself with the tasks of daily chores. these tasks can bring immense joy if it's done right. if not, it can be burdensome. my mind often wanders to lands far away from reality while i'm engaged in these activities. i imagine myself living in a lovely home doing everything i've ever dreamed of. i'm free to sing as loud as i want to, i'm free to cook and eat whatever i like to, i'm free to wear satin, silk and georgette dresses and dance to my favourite songs every night. there's no one to tell me what i've to do anymore. i can visit art galleries, museums, cafes and libraries on weekends. spend my evenings on the beach enjoying the sunset views. wake up early in the morning and go for a jog. frame the mundane beauties i've captured and hang them on the wall. intertwine my soul with someone and fall in love so deeply, i can tell my generation that true love still exists. all i've ever asked from the universe is to be liberated. when will the time arrive for me to leave my nest? i'm twenty-two, and i'm tired of my life getting consumed in a little room. "it's time for lunch, sona." i'm pulled back from my daydreams to my dull reality. a mother is always in her daughter's way.

[zerachielamora]

The Gallabin fanfic I started almost 3 months ago is finally finished. It's done. I can't believe it.

If you want to read my vision for this ship and how I could've seen it unfold during the Penacony storyline, read and enjoy!

[lyranova]

Hiya Lyra! 3, 7, and 23 for the excerpt asks please? Thank you!! 💕

Hiya Acacia! Of course you may, and I answered all of these with Zerilliam since I know you love them so much 🥹! I hope you enjoy~!

3 that encompasses my style

Tbh I don’t really know what my style is, i’ve been writing for many years and yet I still don’t know what my style is ahwjwhsjw 😅. But I guess this little Zerilliam snippet from an upcoming chapter of “Mocha Dreams and Earl Grey Realities” encompasses my sillier style 😆!

“ WHAT ARE YOU THINKING VANGEANCE?!” He mentally shouted at himself as his cheeks burned even hotter at his inappropriate thoughts. “ ZERA IS INNOCENTLY TRYING TO TEACH YOU HOW TO APPLY EYELINER AND THIS IS WHERE YOUR MIND GOES?! HAVE YOU NO SHAME?!”

“ Penny for your thoughts, William?” Zera suddenly whispered warmly into his ear, her voice sounding a little more seductive than before. William felt his heart, and his body, jump in surprise.

“ I-It’s nothing, don’t worry about it.” William tried to tell her as he cleared his throat and looked away, Zera hummed, sat back a little, and tapped the eyeliner pencil against her cheek in thought.

“ Hmm, don’t tell me,” She began after a moment, a mischievous smile suddenly worked its way onto her face. “ Were you…having naughty thoughts about me?”

“ Absolutely not! I’m a gentleman.” He quickly and firmly denied, his face turning even redder (how that was possible, he wasn’t sure), and he quickly looked away from her.

“ Ooh a quick and firm denial…that means you totally were!” She teased with a chuckle, only making him clear his throat again.

“ I…was not.”

“ You were!” She squealed in delight, making him sigh and shake his head, but also cause a small smile to tug on his lips.

7 that i nursed in a daydream before finally writing

This scene from “Dandelion Wishes” chapter 6 is a little daydream I nursed after coming up with Zera, and I was going to make it a oneshot, but instead added it to Dandelions 😁!

‘That’s it. This is where and how I die. Rika always told me my mouth and bullheadedness was going to get me in trouble one day!’ Zera thought dramatically as she closed her eyes.

But instead of feeling a spell hit her, she felt the man let go of the front of her dress. She fell right onto the ground and opened her eyes as she heard the men shouting.

“ C-Captain Vangeance?!” She shouted as she watched the man use his World Tree magic to grab the men and tie them up.

“ Get your hands off of my wife.” He told the man in front of him calmly as he used his magic to hold him off the ground, but as Zera and others noticed, despite his calm demeanor, there was a fiery anger burning in his eyes.

“ ‘W-W-Wife’?!” Zera nearly squeaked as her face turned a bright shade of red and her heart skipped a beat.

Wait, her heart skipped a beat? Just because Captain Vangeance called her his wife? No…Zera’s face burned an even brighter shade of red. This couldn’t be happening!

She couldn’t be having feelings for the Captain of the Golden Dawn!

23 that was inspired by a work from another medium (music, visual art, dance, etc.)

This Zerilliam request from my 600 event was inspired by the song “By Your Side” by Jonas Blue and RAYE, and it’s what kicked off the Gods!AU brainrot 😆!

“ You…want me to come back to you? Even though I lied and hid my identity from you?” He asked, the surprise in his eyes going into his voice, and she nodded.

“ I’m not happy you lied and hid it from me, but deep down…I think I always knew there was something different about you,” Zera muttered with a small shrug. “ And it doesn’t matter, even though I still find it hard to believe, it doesn’t matter. Because…you’re still you, and I still love you.”

William blinked when she suddenly rushed towards him and wrapped her arms around his middle and buried her face into his chest, his body stiffened a bit in surprise before he relaxed and wrapped his arms around her as well.

“ So you can leave, and take care of what you need to, and I’ll still be here,” She told him, the tears in her eyes slowly seeping through his shirt, leaving a trail of wet spots. “ Just not tonight. I’m gonna hold your hand and keep you close, and I won’t let you go, not tonight. So please…keep me by your side.”

Williams heart beat rapidly in his chest as he heard Zera’s words, she wasn’t angry, she wasn’t pushing him away like he thought she would. Instead, she was holding him closer, silently asking for him to stay with her, by her side, for at least tonight. And for now he would take it, and just relish being with her tonight, since he wasn’t sure when, or if, they would ever get the chance to be together again.

[space-apples]

ive done it again folks! made angst about when i laughed the hardest.

(@hopepetal )

“I’m cursed, Zera, you can’t—”

“I can.” Zera’s eyes turned purple, and Space never thought he’d be scared of them until this very moment. It was for a split second; Space’s fear dissipated as soon as it came, but it was long enough for Zera to notice.

Zera always saw everything, after all.

“I thought you said you’d do anything to survive,” he said, taking a small breath to calm themself down. Their tone was bitter, but Space didn’t care.

“I would, but why would I—” He lowered his voice, as if They wouldn’t be able to hear this conversation. They would. They always would. He mirrored Zera with his own sharp words. “Why would I want you to put yourself in danger, Zera? I— Honestly, I’m fucking fine with being red, and, you know, I’m feeling way less dizzy now.”

“You think you can lie to me, Space? Of all people— I literallycan see. Everything. It’s sickening.”

“I erm… hope you feel better soon.”

“Space.”

“What—? it was getting too serious for me,” he scratched the back of his head sheepishly. “Last session I couldn’t crack one joke cause my head was too busy cracking itself open—”

“Space.”

“Zera.”

“It’s getting serious because I need you to take this seriously.”

“I am. I- I do,” he murmured, bringing themselves to talk how they would normally; loud, with a tint of fear, light enough to go unnoticed by almost everyone. “You know that just because they’re heartless monsters doesn’t mean you are.”

“…I know.”

“Do you?” At Zera’s silence, he switched gears, trying his best to keep them as safe as possible, even though he knew it was a lost cause. “I really, really, don’t want you to do this for me. They’re going to be angry, and— it doesn’t go well when they’re angry. For you and for me.”

They didn’t respond once again. Instead, they closed their eyes, and Space knew what was coming. Zera was too stubborn to back off, anyway.

He felt the life coming back with the warmth that started sprouting in his chest. It felt like a breath of fresh air, like he’d been stuck underwater and finally got pushed to the surface.

Red Life symptoms can consist of homicidal ideation, urges, and actions towards oneself and others. Is often sadistic and reckless. Their self preservation all depends on the individual, but most of the time, it becomes much smaller. Affiliations with such people is a cautionary tale at best.

Space wasn’t red anymore, thanks to Zera, but he couldn’t bring himself up to look at the admin.

“Thank you, Watcher Zera.” Xiara. “Say hi to Jay for me.”

He didn’t hear a response, nor did he notice the full body flinch of his friend. Space finally turned around, only to find that he was now alone in the caves.

-

“Open the door, open the door, open the door now.” Space’s breath was shaky, his body racked with terror. He was so close to death, and there was a husk right behind him, there was a husk right behind him, there was a husk right behind him.

The bottom cobblestone block broke, and he ran inside, crashing into the rest of the sillies confused and concerned faces.

“Want some enrichment?” Elle said, offering some in the form of bamboo. Her eyes sparkled concern, but she didn’t say anything. She didn’t have to.

Space took the bamboo, smiling softly before hearing the groans of desert zombies and the rattling bones of skeletons.

“The husks, they’re— they—“ Space took a breath. “—killed me before.”

“It’s true,” Wilm whispered, as if they all didn’t see the death message on their comn. “I was there.”

Space was given cooked rabbit, he didn’t know from who (Brandy had slaughtered so many rabbits, it was probably them), but now they all were out of food.

Unfortunately Elle’s enrichment bamboo could not keep them fed.

This was stupid. Space was stupid. It was just a husk, he’ll be fine to just kill some stupid rabbits. It was fine. There was no reason to be scared of anything.

A husk appeared out of nowhere. He screamed, agony filling his chest the same way Zera had given him life before. The cruel irony of yet again being killed by the same undead creature, but this time he didn’t have the excuse of a migraine, was sick.

Zera had given Space a gift. But as everyone should know, throwing something into the void was wasteful. Space wasn’t just space, he was Empty Space, quite similar to the void. Cursed to forever take, cursed to forever lose.

Space knew that to the Watcher’s above that it was entertaining, and he could hear their laughter echoing in his ears.

[gu6chan]

jaibo rp blog is speaking to me like the devil .......................

[hopepetal]

I love you writers I love you different writing styles I love you long fics I love you quick drabbles I love you traditional writing I love you writing done in a notes app I love you original works I love you fanfics I love you

[rainyinautumn]

Statement of Gemini Tay, regarding a neighbor with a very intense hobby. Audio recording by [UNINTELLIGIBLE], Head Archivist of [REDACTED].

Statement begins.

——

Look. Okay. I like to fish. That's not weird. It's a good way to get loot and food and- I don't know, it's relaxing. I like it. I'd say I do it a normal amount.

But I have this neighbor. Grian. We go fishing together sometimes, and it was all totally normal for a while. Y'know, as fishing tends to be. We'd just sit by the water and chat. He went without me sometimes—which was fine, I didn't take offense or anything—and I always knew he was a little more... into it than I was. Like fishing was his only hobby or something. I didn't think much of it. Why would I? Everybody has one thing or another that they're really into.

Grian, though... he's, like, really into fishing.

His usual fishing spot is by my house. I live out on the water. The way the ship rocks at night is soothing, y'know, and... well, that's all besides the point. I can see Grian when he's out fishing. I don't watch him or anything weird, but he's within my view. Sometimes I'll join him if I spot him, and I was in the mood to fish the other day when I saw him out there. So I went to go grab my rod, and I haven't gotten completely organized yet with the new boat and everything, so it took me a while to find it. When I came back out, Grian was... off.

I don't know how to explain it. I'd been gone for maybe three minutes, which I know isn't that long, really, but he hadn't moved a muscle. And I mean one singular muscle. Nothing. He was perfectly still, and so was his fishing line. He had his feet dipped into the water, but it kept on flowing almost as if it was going through him. It was like he wasn't there, or maybe he was, just- he wasn't him.

I told myself I was overreacting. I probably was, people sit still all the time, especially when they're fishing, but then- well. I swear I'm not crazy, okay? I swear.

He had two fishing lines. One rod, two lines. And I know that doesn't sound spooky at all and only barely sounds even a little weird, but the second line... it appeared out of nowhere. Grian didn't even seem to notice. That's when it started raining—it's rained a lot lately, but he doesn't fish any less—and he definitely didn't notice that. He kept on sitting there, didn't blink, didn't wipe the raindrops off his glasses... nothing.

Looking back on it, though... I- I didn't really do anything, either. I was too invested, I guess. That doesn't feel like the right word. I couldn't look away. I had to know what was going on. I stayed out on my deck, just watching him.

And I know I said I didn't watch him earlier, and I usually don't. Really. This time was just weird. He was weird.

It only took another minute for the third fishing line to show up. The other two had been so still before, but they seemed bolder now. Because of the rain, maybe. Like whatever they'd been hiding from in their stillness was gone. They didn't bob in the water like normal fishing lines, they sort of... I swear they were trying to catch something. It wasn't- it wasn't like Grian was fishing, it was like the lines themselves were fishing. And then there was four of them, five, six... all digging through the water. Like they were looking for something. Grian still hadn't moved. I guess I hadn't, either.

The lines just kept coming. They got harder to see through all the fog and the rain and it got dark, but I knew they were still there. Growing. They covered the surface of the water until that was all there was. I could feel them hooking themselves onto the bottom of my boat, clawing their way along, making sure that whatever they were looking for wasn't there.

And then it was dawn. Out of nowhere, it was day again and the rain was gone, and so were the fishing lines. Grian was kicking his feet in the water and it rippled and after a minute, he got up. He packed up his rod and went home like nothing had happened. I don't know that he knew what had just happened. If anything did. Maybe it was in my head, or something. But... I swear it happened.

I checked on my boat afterward. Dove into the water and took a look at the outside of it. It's brand new, like I said, but the bottom was covered in these tiny little dents. Perfectly fish hook sized.

I don't know why I'm telling you this, really. Maybe I should just talk to Grian about it. Maybe I should pretend this all never happened and take my boat somewhere else.

Or maybe I should go fishing. Maybe that's the only thing that'll explain it.

i think one of my fave things this season is grian's obsession with fishing. It feels like he's trying so hard to be normal and have a slow start to the season to the point that he's overshot the goal and now does nothing but fish.

he's managed to become more cryptic than usual and i think is being claimed by the ocean, which yknow, good for him

[cherrifire]

What is your opinion of people writing fics of your fics/AUs

Sincerely someone who anonymously wrote and sent a lamplight/leaflight crossover fic to Lew.

I LOVE when people make fics based on art so so much. I dont think anyone has done it besides Zera for a Crane Lives piece but I cherish it so dearly. The way I see it, I make fan art for fics sometimes so I love it when it happens the other way around. So if you do write something based on my art, PLEASE share it.

[appystruda]

if i post here and ramble about hermits here zera cantfind me and tell me to work on my writing assignments

[minamorsart]

Heyy , I love your fanfictions , so beautifully written especially the ones about Lotor and Allura , which brings me to my question , do you think that if Lotor survived , he would make his way to Allura to win back her heart 💖 (AWESOME ART BTW💯🤗🙌)

Firstly, hello!!! Thank you for taking the time to write me an ask, these always make my day! Secondly, THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! Not only for your kind words, but also taking the time to read my fanfictions and look at my art??! 😭😭 I'm so honored!!! 😖🙏💖

In regards to your question, short answer: YES ABSOLUTELY! I can't help it, it's the romantic in me 😆 And below the cut I'd like to get into the why!

Also lookit that height difference, so cute~~

One of the most compelling things about Lotor's character is how ambitious he is. Not only is it a desirable trait in a potential partner, especially from Allura's perspective ;) but it makes his behavior and choices that much more interesting to watch. Although it's hard to say exactly what his endgame was in the show, particularly when it comes to the Altean colonies (we're supposed to believe he was using them as batteries, but to what end??! something still don't add up), there are some things that can be explained, both from actual given information from the show and personal conjectures I've made for myself ^^

Let's start with him becoming emperor. I personally like to believe that he actively wanted the throne. His relationship with other Galra overall is unfortunately not good at all, which you can see in his interactions with other Galra such as Throk and Sendak. But once he is given the opportunity, Lotor puts everything into becoming emperor and making the Galra Empire his. His appearance at the Kral Zera comes as a shock to everyone, and his demanding and domineering regard towards them all is awesome to watch. Plus it's his right! He is the prince after all, so I just love the idea of him coming into his own, demonstrating his birthright and his capabilities, and taking what's rightfully his.

Also what a power move it was to finally make Lotor the emperor in this version of Voltron??! The only other iteration I've seen is DotU, so it is possible that in the other shows and comics he also became emperor, but it's just SO satisfying to watch in VLD this banished, pariah prince quickly become ruler of the most powerful empire in the universe! You love to see it.

After he becomes emperor he takes his title seriously and uses it to acquire one of the things he wants, which is gaining access to the Rift with Allura's help and providing unlimited quintessence for all of the Galra. I'm sure there is more that he wanted to do with it, but again, some things don't add up and we sadly don't have all of the information, so I'm afraid we can only guess from here! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ But in the meantime he doesn't take his role as emperor lightly. In his big speech in season 6 he is harsh, demanding, and even threatening. And I am all about it!!!

Don't get me wrong, while I absolutely love kind, soft, and romantic Lotor, I also dearly love cold, devious, and even malicious Lotor as well. You see this a lot with complicated male characters in epic stories: Kylo Ren and Qimir from Star Wars, Paul Atreides from Dune, Michael Corleone from The Godfather, and Sauron from The Rings of Power! What exactly I find so compelling about these kinds of characters can be summed up perfectly in this quote from Dune:

"...the Duke is really two men. One of them I love very much. He's charming, witty, considerate... tender—everything a woman could desire. But the other man is... cold, callous, demanding, selfish—as harsh and cruel as a winter wind."

- Dune by Frank Herbert, page 104

Lotor's unwielding ambition I think at times can give him tunnel vision, as we can see at the start of season 6 when Lotor wanted Allura to stay and help him with getting quintessence (again, using his resources and title as emperor to pursue what he wants) before Allura reminded him of his duties to his people in the moment. So he can be reasoned with lol!

And so! The reason why I bring all of this up, why I love thinking about the many sides of Lotor and how differently he acts with certain people, the many masks he will wear depending on what he wants, is to invite you to consider how he views his relationship with Allura. His growing feelings for her I'd say are more internalized until the last two episodes of season 5, but until then I like to think that it was never in his plans to get close to her. He wanted to team up with Voltron, yes, but he never could have anticipated falling for the Altean princess ;) What started out as a reluctant alliance and a simple means to accomplish his own end soon blossomed into genuine respect and love.

I have my own ideas as to how I would want Lotor to survive and redeem himself, just as I am certain you and all of us Lotura fans have our own ideas! And they are 1000% valid!!! At its foundation, if Lotor was to live and prove that he can be trusted again, I absolutely believe that he would do everything he could to make things right with Allura. Again, he is ambitious! Once he's decided on something, he will not stop until he's succeeded. If one plan doesn't work he forms a new one. He never gives up. He definitely respects Allura's agency, so of course he would never push her into a relationship with him (looking at you Lance ¬_¬) but I do sincerely believe Lotor would persist in terms of proving to her and the others that he can be trusted as an ally again.

And now we get into Allura's opinion in all of this!! What would she think were Lotor to survive and come back into her life again? And well, I have a really long answer for that too lol! We already see in the series finale how she came to understand Lotor's perspective. We also could see in seasons 5 and 6 how much she really liked him and how head over heels she was for him. Like how adorable was that?? Our girl deserves to be that much in love ;_; After Sincline's return and Lotor appearing in Allura's room in season 8, it is clear that she was still torn up about him, and that she still had feelings for him.

This tweet sums up basically all of my favorite ships:

Of course in this context I mean this as a joke lol, but there's truth to it! Because at the end of the day, no one is going to understand Allura like Lotor understands her. Even Coran, who comes from the same planet and circumstances as she, would frequently express his doubts about her decisions. His heart is in the right place, and they have a very sweet father-daughter-type relationship and he just wants to protect her. But he just doesn't get her the way Lotor gets her. Nowadays when I think about the difference between how Coran treats Allura and how Lotor treats Allura, I think of this quote from The Acolyte showrunner:

“'Do you want to be a part of this thing that I'm a part of?' Most fathers do this with their sons and their daughters, but when fathers do it to daughters, it's tricky, in my opinion. When an equal, like The Stranger, like a partner, says, 'I've experienced something, and I think you would benefit from it. I have a similar history to you, and in adulthood, I would lay it at your feet as a possible tool kit for you to pick up and forge your life with, unlike something that's instilled in you the way that your father instilled a lot of your hopes and dreams in you.'”

- Lesyle Headland, interview with Collider

Though this quote is very specific to Osha's different relationships with Sol and Qimir, I think it applies to Allura, Coran, and Lotor too! Like all parents with their children, Coran has this idea in his head as to what is best for Allura. And I love the man with my whole heart, but it's clear that he would rather keep her safe than let her grow.

Lotor, on the other hand, wants to see Allura grow and thrive. He not only wants to see her reach her full potential, but he also sincerely views her as an equal. They also have so much more in common than they do with literally any other character in the show. He alone can see her power, her potential, her greatness. In turn, he wants to share with her his experiences, his ambitions, as well as his desires. And she is drawn to him in part because of them!

So I genuinely believe that, given enough time, they would both be able to reconcile, to heal the wounds left behind by their hurtful words and their parting, and resume their relationship which had only just begun. Because despite all of the pain they went through and all of the things they said to each other, some of which I'm sure they didn't mean in the moment, they still cared for each other. After all, Allura was the only one who didn't want to leave Lotor behind in the Rift! Between the two of them, the feelings were still there. They never left <3

As more time passes after the show's finale I find more and more things to appreciate about both of Lotor and Allura's characters. Your question has enabled me to dive deep into these new appreciations, so I sincerely thank you for that! They are my number #1 ship of all time, and I am always happy to go on suuuuper long tangents about them 😆 And if you disagree with anything I said, that's okay too! In the end I do hope you were able to get something out of it, and thank you once again for asking! Have a wonderful rest of your day!!! 💖💜