#part of longfics is thinking about this shit

[honeydots]

What do you think Siegbert’s relationship with Laslow and Soleil’s relationship with Xander are like particularly as they get older/teenagers.

anon you're enabling me i LOVE their parent/child relationships as they get older!!! read more cause this got looooong

for laslow and siegbert--well first off, i think laslow always can provide a particular brand of emotionally-based support that develops more as siegbert gets older. siegbert has his Anxiety Issues, and where laslow and xander both struggle w sociality as well, i think laslow can relate in a more... empathetic way? dealing with some of the emotional aftermath and letting feelings be feelings (this isn't to say siegbert doesn't go to xander or that xander doesn't help, i just think they're good at different things). on a more lighthearted note, i think laslow's really good at getting a giggle out of siegbert, and good at finding ways to alleviate pressure. he's been doing this for years with xander. and yes, xander and siegbert need different things, but laslow's good at pinpointing those things

something i rly like abt their relationship is that i think that where siegbert more openly shows his idolization of xander (like we see in-game), he still does something really similar with laslow. looking up to him, taking inspiration from him. it just comes out in different ways. for example, siegbert probably trusts laslow's opinions... a lot. considers his sometimes more than his own. and he's just fascinated by the stories he tells. even after laslow's married to xander, i like to think he still travels (and drags xander with him as often as he can--and also drags their kids along as often as he can hahaha), and those stories in particular really entrap siegbert. which is good for a budding prince, i think something laslow (and eventually siegbert and soleil) has that xander lacks is some open mindedness, and not being so narrowly nohr-centric in his perspective--esp in upbringing, if that makes sense. this is also why i like laslow taking xander traveling, cause ultimately i think it would do him good.

ONTO!!! soleil and xander!! ive mentioned before how much i like the grumpy-dad and peppy-daughter dynamic, but. to reiterate: i really really like it gjsjfjsnf soleil, similarly to laslow but probably even more, tends to go to xander and ramble about her girl successes and failures. just barging into his office like i hope you're not busy cause i have things to SAY!! and i don't think xander dismisses her, but he does make her wait sometimes, hahaha. i also think xander will often tell soleil what she needs to hear, rather than what she wants, and ultimately for her that's better than the alternative. he's not entirely harsh (though he can be and that's something to work on), but honest. he also dotes on her more than he should by a xander-standard LOL

i think soleil provides to xander a lot of brightness--it is NOT lost on me that they named her soleil, sun, in a place like nohr. i think surrounding xander with bright people is a fantastic idea. and just like laslow's doing with the traveling thing, soleil probably gets xander to socialize a little more, haha. he isn't a brick wall that can't talk to anybody, but--he does strike me as the kind of guy who has coworkers, but not friends, ya feel me. soleil's confident and full of energy, and tbh i think she's the type to really want attention from her parents, so asking xander to come along with her is a frequent request. and that eventually, naturally, leads to xander getting out more. she doesn't have the same setback as laslow that if he gets shy enough he'll retreat entirely while they're out, hahaha

and one final note to round this off: i like to think!! that xander and soleil are both cat people (xander = cabbit, and soleil has lines about owning kitten posters), where laslow and siegbert are dog people (i have many aus where laslow has a pet dog so this is more of a 'because i said so' kinda thing) (also you might be inclined to think cat for siegbert also but i need you to look inward. deeper. i think he'd like the enthusiasm...!!! i have more i could say but i'll leave it at that)

there you go!! :D

#GAWD this was long. i was writing the second part of the siegbert one and i was like shit #i still have soleil's to go. ghsjfjsb #i rly do have more to say. but..... #my next longfic after my current one is LITERALLY all about this. especially as the story goes on #and im rattling the bars of my cage like. i wanna explore this in the fic rather than here #cause i can do it BETTER in the fic i know i can #so. eventually there will be more on this topic. if you're still interested in (checks scheduling notes) a year? gjsjgjsjfjsdn #that fic is easily why i have so much to say NOW. i think abt it a lot #and honestly i just really really love parent/child dynamics of all sorts #especially from both of their perspectives. you know!!! #anyway thank u anon for giving me the chance to ramble. this is seriously some of my fave stuff #ahhh this reminded me i have a fan parent-child support for xander and soleil i still need to write out #i have the synopsis but it's not really properly *written* #part of that is bc im indecisive on the formatting tho #comically i think the mother-son support for siegbert works very well to just slide laslow into #but tbh id like to eventually make one for them too #just for fun hehe #okay i will stop now because tags are getting long too #(<- girl who can't shut up abt her ships) #dots answers asks #anonymous #dots's xnlw tag

[robocoplesb]

Hey! Thanks for answering my question<3

I saw that you have smut posted but if you don't want to write that I can request something sfw.

I'm also taking requests so feel free to message me <3

Request;

Can I have a Nikki Sixx smut where reader is Nikki's soft spot and he's an asshole to everybody but her, so when she's being a brat at soundcheck for the Dr. Feelgood tour he just takes her back to his dressing room and gives her some softdom punishment? Like praising and thigh riding and stuffs?

Thankies!! ^^

I HATE EVERYONE ELSE IN THE WORLD BUT YOU, nikki sixx.

warnings: smut, thigh riding, blowjob, kisses, jealous!nikki, longfic (?), you and nikki have a long term relationship, praise, degradation, punishment.

author's note: hey bae! apologies for the delay. this is probably the longest thing i've ever written, i hope you don't mind. i don't have that much experience writing smut so I'm sorry if it didn't turn out the way you wanted! also, really liked your blog:) good read, kisses<3

“— do you think...like...he's okay?” — tommy asked you, almost static as you two watched nikki argue with a random sound crew guy.

“— uhum.” — you muttered, with a carefree expression. you knew better than anyone how stressed nikki was lately. you were probably the only person who understood him, who understood how important that album was to him and how he was really trying. during the recording of the album, you waited for him at home late at night, just to listen to him and be able to help with what was possible.

even though vince, tommy and mick thought you didn't care much for his sudden humor outbursts, you were always keeping an eye on him. did you know that most of the time, he just started yelling at people on pure impulse, but still wanted to prevent something worse from happening.

and, well, the boys loved you like you were part of their “family”, from the moment they met you as nikki's new girlfriend, a few years ago, they knew you weren't like the others. you kept pace with nikki, but were still very responsible and decided, and that was exactly what he needed. the thing is: not even all that affection they had for you was able to make them not be confused by how nikki was with you compared to others. it was obvious to everyone that you were the love of his life, yet they still couldn't understand how he could be so sweet to you while being such an asshole to everyone else.

and that was exactly what tommy was thinking about when he didn't even notice the bassist approaching you two. but you notice, you took a deep breath and smiled as your eyes followed nikki's figure, relieved because he dropped the argument.

tommy winced, noticing the annoyed expression on nikki's face as he walked. before he could start thinking about the thousands of shit nikki would shout at him at that moment, he saw nikki's expression change instantly as he walked towards you.

“— hey, princess.” — he says to you as he passes by you two, not forgetting to leave a peck on your lips.

honestly, for the drummer, there was no logical explanation for what happened between you and your boyfriend. he starts to consider bringing the idea of always keeping you around to vince and mick, thinking it was the easiest way to deal with nikki.

tommy turned to where you were sitting next to him, wanting to tell you a joke about it, but you weren't there. he quickly scans the stadium and stage, trying to find you. he can see you running after nikki to the dressing room before the two of you disappear behind the curtains.

★

the boys were about 20 minutes waiting for nikki, they had agreed to meet in the stage in ten minutes, for soundcheck, but all they knew was that, according to tommy, you and him disappeared somewhere backstage to make out. mick, visibly irritated, prepared to grab his guitar and head back to the dressing room when the bassist finally appeared. he seemed calmer, it was evident for the stupid smile on his face and (your) red lipstick stains on his neck. the guitarist wants to punch him for how calm he looks even though he knows he is 20 minutes late.

by the time he arrives at his position on stage, you sit in another corner of the stage, a little away from the musicians.

"— so, are we starting this shit or what?"

they went through five songs before the first break (which happened because vince said he wanted to go over some more lyrics again). nikki slung the bass over her shoulder and looked at where you were a few minutes ago, recording the soundcheck. he remembers seeing you there at the beginning of the last song, but now, you weren't there anymore.

he looked back and saw tommy walking to the dressing room. he shouted, getting the drummer's attention.

“— tommy, have you seen yn around here?"

“— nah, man. she must have gone to get some water or something” — he said quickly and went back on his way.

nikki imagined the same and didn't care too much at first, walking to his own dressing room. at least, he didn't care too much until he saw where you were. or better, who you were with. when he looked at the door, a plate with his name carved behind you and a very familiar man. evan-fucking-decker. he stood there, watching, trying to figure out the possibility of evan decker showing up backstage at a mötley crue concert and meeting you.

so, evan was like a roadie for the band for a few years, a long time ago. things kind of ended with him when he and nikki had an little intense argument. years later, at a festival, they met again, but this time you and nikki were already together. your boyfriend was at least surprised when you and the blonde recognized each other. when you were alone again, you told him you met evan as teenager, at summer camp, and that you stopped talking after he confessed liking you.

normally, nikki didn't give a shit about things from the past, like relationships and stuff like that. however, nikki remembered one time talking to evan late at night, drinking and talking about their lives. he remembered evan telling about a girl he fell in love with when he was younger. he remembered the whole story, actually, including the part where he said he hoped to meet her again someday, maybe get a second chance. maybe that memory made him think he noticed something different in evan's look at you. after that day, you met a few more times, always at music-related events, but nikki always looked sulky when he saw that man's face. until today, you didn't knew why.

“— sixx! it's been so long!” — fuck. did he really have to talk to that guy?

nikki fakes his best smile as he walks up to you both, putting an arm around your waist and leaves a kiss on your cheek.

“— hey, evan, didn't know you would be here today!” — he said, trying to sound as friendly as possible as his hand lightly squeezed you waist.

“— ah, my friend is helping with the production. decided to stop by to visit an old friend.” — evan looked at you as he spoke, blushing a little.

you laughed as nikki tried very hard not to open that dressing room door and lock himself in there with you until he left. the feel of your head resting on his shoulder may have been what calmed him down.

“— so, hm..you are...like..” — he said, looking a little nervous when he noticed how close you and nikki were.

“— yes! for three years. you didn't knew?"

nikki thanks you for answering before him. for him, it was amazing the way evan's expression changed from excitement to disappointment. he wanted to laugh, looking like a bully kid at school.

“— no..hm, i heard something about it but i didn't believe.” — he said, kinda awkwardly .

“— why not?” — you asked, laughing, like it was a joke.

“— ah, you know...” — he chuckles — “— you are kind of opposite spirits.”

you got confused. in fact, one of the reasons you were attracted to nikki since the first time you saw him, it was how you felt he was the first person who shared the same thoughts as you. how you felt understood.

before thinking of an answer, you turned to your boyfriend, noticing how silent he was. something nikki didn't know about you is that you could read his thoughts just by hearing his voice on the phone. you always knew how he was feeling, and although there were few times he got jealous of you, did you notice his grip on your waist, almost possessive, and the look at evan, almost murderous.

you thought it was funny, and it was a good opportunity to get rid of the boredom you was feeling all morning. you quickly say goodbye to evan, pushing nikki into the dressing room.

“— finally.” — he says, taking a deep breath and sitting down on the couch. “— i can't stand that guy.”

you laughed as you closed the door. you went to the couch too, sitting on nikki's lap.

“— i can't believe you're jealous of a guy i haven't seen in almost three years.” — you said in a mocking tone as you settled into his lap, wrapping your arms around his neck.

“— apparently, three years wasn't enough for him to forget you.” — he rolled his eyes, trying hard not to give in to your touch.

“— why are you so affected by this?” — you asked as looked into his eyes. “— i didn't even remember his name. i'm not his friend since i was 15. i thought you were more confident..” — you smiled, teasing him.

“— and i thought you were smarter.” — he said seriously, making you start to get annoyed at his childish behavior. “— honestly, he fucking asked if we are dating, when he knows we are, because you said it when he met us at that festival. he was literally waiting for you to say no so he could take you to the nearest bathroom and-”

“— fine! fuck it, i understood!” — you interrupted him, putting your hand over his mouth for him to stop talking — “— fucking gross, sixx.." — you said a little disgusted, wondering how he was going to finish that sentence.

he gently grabbed your wrist and removed your hand from his face. “— well, that's exactly what he wants, whether you like it or not. and, you know, i'm generally not a big fan of guys who want to try their luck with my girlfriend.”

you smile and hold back your laughter "— i'm not going to argue with you because you look really cute when you get all possessive." — you get closer, leaving a few kisses on his face.

and nikki tries to maintain that tough pose, but when he feels you so close, after 20 minutes away, and knowing that now he will have to spend at least an hour without touching you, it seems like pride just disappears. nikki has always been like this with you, but only with you. it was physically impossible for him not to treat you like a goddess 100% of the time. and he saw you like that, as a point of light and comfort in his mind, he absolutely adored you.

you giggle against his skin as you feel his fingertips caress your hips. you pull away and stare at him for a moment. god, nikki was the most beautiful man in the world, you were sure of that.

his redemption to your charms is sealed by the gentle kiss he leaves on your lips. he feels like he melts with the artificial strawberry taste on your lips, pulling you closer until it's impossible to deepen that kiss any further. but it was still gentle, the way he held you by your waist, or how he smiled when he felt you moan softly against his lips, it was gentle.

you wish it had lasted longer. in fact, if you had known that the conversation with evan would take up so much of the time that you and nikki could have been making out on the couch, you would've said goodbye before. but you only realized when mick's angry voice sounded through the dressing room.

“— seriously, sixx, feel free to get into yn's pants AFTER the show ends, preferably”

you realize that nikki is ready to shout some childishness at mick, but thinks it's not worth it. you two would have more time after soundcheck, right?

before he says anything, you grab his face and kiss him again. less time consuming, sweet enough to make him forget whatever he was going to yell at mick.

you get off his lap and he kisses you one last time before going back to the stage. a simple goodbye that can't hide how much you both wanted to not care about any of that and can simply extend that moment.

★

"— who's that?” — nikki heard tommy ask, but didn't even bother to answer.

actually, tommy didn't care, but he was a little worried about nikki. he saw the bass player standing still for the last 10 minutes after the sound check was over. he thought nikki was going to run into his arms, but he was just staring at you talking to some random guy from afar.

“— ...nikki?” — tommy put his hand on nikki's shoulder, surprised when he felt the bassist walk away abruptly in your direction. confused, he just turned around to sort out his own things.

so, contextualizing, maybe you felt a little bored after a long 20 minutes of lying on the couch and listening to the band practice. I mean, not that it was boring. you loved life on the road, and loved accompanying the boys on tour, but you just didn't do much more than watch the boys all day before going back to the hotel.

it started as a silly joke, you thought nikki didn't even notice. you told evan that you were sorry for saying goodbye so hastily, he just laughed and said he understood. you said a few things to see if he would continue the topic, which he did without hesitation. so, you weren't sure how long you had been here, briefly listening to everything evan was saying, nodding your head to pretend you were paying complete attention as you let yourself catch your eye on nikki on stage from time to time.

you caught him staring a few times, which was the only reason you stayed where you were. you thought it was funny that nikki thought nvan liked you, because besides thinking it was stupid, all you could think about was how impossible it was. he was a nice guy, but wasn't even close to being your type.

In fact, you weren't so sure you thought he was that nice when you felt something akin to relief at being pulled away from him. the weak grip of nikki's hand on your arm, pulling you back to the dressing room, makes you laugh as you look at your boyfriend's serious expression.

“— baby, what's that?” — you say, laughing softly, knowing that nikki's temper wouldn't last long.

and he doesn't answer you, just opening the door and slipping into the room with you again.

"— no, sincerely, what the fuck was that?" - he lets go of your arm, sitting on the couch while rubbing his temples.

"— it was your girlfriend talking with someone, stupid” — You said, testing his patience. you weren't trying to be mean to nikki, you were just interested in the consequences that would bring you.

“— oh no, don't act innocent. you weren't even paying attention to what he was saying!"

“— how do you know? you weren't there!” — you say, holding back a laugh.

ge leans back on the couch, looking at you. “— because not even when you try can you take your attention away from me, right?"

you smile and cross your arms, walking towards him. you slowly sit on his lap, searching for any trace of calm on nikki's face. the depth in his greenish irises is what makes you want to go all the way. you feel his hand go up from your knee to your thigh, you place your hand on top of his, caressing the tips reddened from the bass.

“— you are terrible at teasing” — you both laugh as you adjust yourself on his lap, facing him.

“— really? it's not how you reacted...” — you smiled mischievously as you felt his hands running around your waist.

you know you have what you wanted when you feel the hunger of his lips against yours. the desperate way he squeezes your waist, pulling you closer, wanting more. you moan against his lips during this, feeling the pressure of his leg against your intimacy as he guides your body closer to his.

you immediately feel like you should have held in that fucking moan, because the next one is even louder, when nikki purposely presses her thigh against your clothed pussy again. despite the layers of your clothes, the warm feeling that spreads through your body is not light and it makes you want to cry knowing that he would still tease you for a while longer.

"— that's what you were thinking this whole time, baby? all needy...” — he laughs. you try your best to focus on what he was saying, but you just can't. you feel your body needy, fighting for more contact with nikki's, at a point where it's all you can think about.

you run your fingers along the zipper of his pants, trying to undo it, but is interrupted by nikki's hand patting yours, scolding you.

“— uh-huh...not yet” — the smile he gives you says enough, he wants to see how far you'll go for this. honestly, you could kneel down and beg at that point, but along with the excitement, your ego stayed with you at that moment. "— i won't touch you yet, pretty thing. i want to see how you will relieve yourself now.”

"— nikki-” — you pant, not sure if you can handle his teasing right now.

“— what, honey? did you think i was going to give you everything so easily?” — he took your hand from his crotch, bringing it to his lips and leaving a chaste kiss. “— you will show me that you deserve it first. actually, we both know you don't, hm? but I'll give you what you want anyway, I'll just make you beg a little”

and that's exactly what he does, in that way that he knows turns you on. the cynical look and that provocative smile that never leaves his face as he follows your every move.

he has fun with it all. you let out a whimper of dissatisfaction as you grip his shoulders, revolted by the idea of having to reach your own climax even when your fucking boyfriend was beneath you.

you started with quick movements, using all the strength your sensitive body had at that moment to continue the movements up and down nikki's thigh.

you're sure that with every inch your sex travels against his leg, you get more wet. you try to hold back your moans, wanting to show some control in the situation, but it is impossible. you feel small at nikki's look, frustrated with how he was managing to control himself.

he controls himself well, biting his lip while an arm is around your waist, he looks serene despite the fact that he's holding himself back from ruining you on that couch.

and it was hard to control himself while you looked such a beautiful mess on him. the messy hair, the lip gloss smudged on the corner of the mouth, the shirt strap falling off your shoulder (which made him groan softly when he realized you weren't wearing anything under your shirt)

he could feel the tightness in his own pants as you moved more intensely, listening to the pornographic noises you made. he was sure he could hear it outside the dressing room, he just didn't really care. it wasn't like you could just let yourself care about it now, too busy pleasing yourself.

you pressed your face against nikki's neck, slightly muffling your moans, not like it helped. your whimpers turned into long moans, full of need. nikki understood why your moans became even louder against his skin, noticing how you are trying even harder to move.

“— what, princess? got tired of rubbing yourself like a little whore on me?" — he said mocking.

panting, you hold onto him tightly when you stop moving, feeling your pussy dripping with excitement. he leaves a slap on your ass before grabbing it, his big hands not being gentle at all as he brings his lips closer to your ear.

“— that's what you are, right, baby? my desperate little whore..."

you nod your head. “— i am.” — you whisper. It's funny to see how you struggle to hold onto his words, all to show yourself as his possession.

that's how he made you feel. his. his girl. his whore. all his. and this feeling you gave him, the feeling of possession, of having you, it was the purest confirmation that he was yours just the same.

"— you are, huh?” — he laughs. nikki's hand goes behind your neck, making you look at him. his gaze is deep as he brings his thumb to your lips, slightly parting them to stick a finger in your mouth.

you moan as you run your tongue against his finger. he trails kisses from your chest to your neck. then from your neck to your cheek, stopping at your earlobe.

“— get on your knees for me, princess.”

he takes his finger out of your mouth, lightly patting your cheek before leaning in to kiss you again. he kisses you hungrily, deeply, you reciprocate with the same intensity.

when his lips leave yours, you both know what's going to happen. he leans back on the couch as he watches you get off his lap and kneel between his legs. he smiles at the sight, stroking your hair as you look at him.

"— such a beautiful little thing..."

you don't want him to notice that you blushed at his comment, quickly turning her face and looking at his pants, undoing the zipper. his cock was visibly marked by his already tight leather pants. you hurry to take off his boxers.

you push the tip to your lips, giving kitten-licks while stroking the rest of his length. the moan that nikki lets out sounds relieved. he closes his eyes at the warm feeling of your tongue touching his member.

it doesn't take long for you to take all of him in your mouth. your hands rest on his thighs as you hum against his dick, feeling the tip going deeper, your tongue running from the tip to his balls. you were trying to take it slow, not choke, but your boyfriend didn't contribute much.

despite the loud moans, he wanted more. you were caught off guard when he grabbed your hair to press your face against his crotch, making you gag. you close your eyes and let out a soft moan that is muffled by his cock, trying your best to take deep breaths through your nose, the tip hits deep in your throat. You open your eyes when he softens his grip on your hair, pulling you back before rubbing the dick against your lips.

you moan and lick everything he puts within reach of your tongue. he lets you take a deep breath before pushing his cock into your mouth again, again and again.

“— fuck, that's a good girl. such a good girl for me, princess. taking me so good..."

you hear him moan as he fucks your mouth. you roll your eyes in pleasure at the sensation, feeling a little saliva drip from your mouth to your chest.

“— i'm going to cum so hard in that little mouth.” — he says, feeling the orgasm getting closer and closer. "— my fucking little slut, waiting for me to put you on your place.”

and you like being treated like that, you both know. going from a princess to a whore, making you feel even wetter every time he degrades or praises you.

all that hits you is nikki's loud, hoarse moan as you feel something hot running down your throat. he finally lets go of your hair as you feel his taste invade your senses. it's something fine between sweet and savory, but you couldn't say you don't think it's delicious.

“— so good, princess, so fucking good..." — he says breathlessly. you feel a hand caress your cheek before patting nikki's thigh, inviting you to sit there again.

you gather some strength in your body before practically throwing yourself on nikki's lap. he laughs and hugs your waist before pulling you closer, kissing you again.

he kisses you gently, making you whimper against his mouth every time he makes a move to deepen. the kiss is long, it allows nikki to feel his own taste in your mouth. when he pulls away, you lay your head on his chest.

the tip of your nose rubs against his neck, smelling a soft scent of men's cologne that comforts you and turns you on even more.

“— love you so much, my baby” — he says docilely as his fingertips run from your thighs to your crotch. “— did so good for me”

nikki's simple validation can make you groan, pleased with yourself for taking away his bad mood. “— love you more.." — you say as you lift your head to look at him, your noses touching.

your next kiss is still slow, but not like the other. it's wet, almost sloppy and you both can feel that sexual tension burning through your skin. you moan against his lips when you feel the tip of his finger passing between your legs, caressing your pussy through the fabrics.

“— needing some attention, right, princess?”

he feels your head bump against his shoulder as his hand runs down your pants. fuck, you're going to make a huge mess before this show even starts.

#fanfic #fanfiction #imagine #nikki sixx #nikki sixx fanfiction #nikki sixx imagine #mötley crüe #tommy lee #nikki sixx x reader #motley crue #motley crue imagines #mötley crüe fanfic #nikki sixx smut #tommy lee imagine #tommy lee x reader #tommy lee smut #vince neil #vince neil imagine #vince neil x reader #mick mars #mick mars x reader #mick mars smut #vince neil smut #80s

[autisticlancemcclain]

fic rec friday 58

hello and welcome to fic rec friday! where, on friday, i rec five of my favourite fics.

The Value of a Moment by @a-fools-errand

When Lance’s previously obsolete skills in language suddenly become very useful, he finds himself wondering why aliens can’t account for the fact that humans, particularly him, need sleep and would prefer linear timelines. (Or: an Arrival AU because I love that movie)

yall OBSESSED does not begin to cover it. i have never read a fic where lance was so goddamn cool. and in like. the insanest of ways?? like of course lance is a polyglot but THIS....this is a whole new level. i havent even finished it fully yet but like god this thing is so fucking cool. if ur looking for a longfic stop looking

2. Rest Stop by @flaming-potato-arsonarson

Lance wasn't like the rest of the world. And he had never had a loving mother tell him it made him stronger for it. So he told himself, gathering up his courage and grit to face a world of winged humanity, when he, in fact, has no wings and turns into a mermaid instead. A world that wants him to die. So he'd keep this secret like a knife in his boot, a sharp weapon until he died on his own terms. Not because of who he was. Except, Team Voltron isn't so sure why Lance is all rough edges and sharp points about showing off his wings. Or acting like a member of the Flock in general. It's clear he cares for them, but he's never shown an intimate part of him. Until he has to.

oh god this has gotta be one of my CLASSIC fics. read it a few dozen times. i read it right when it came out, six ish years ago (goddamn), i can remember curling up in my old bunk bad and eating this up as the hours ticked by. i was HOOKED. my jaw was dropped my eyes were glued. could not get enough. if youre looking for mermaid lance with a twist....brother this is it

3. Looking for Rain by @thewriter2

Like most things, it starts with the little things: his smile, his confidence, his talent. Eventually, all these little things add up to one big thing that threatens to crash over them like a heavy rain. But, maybe that wouldn't be a bad thing. Maybe something beautiful would come from it. A 5+1 (really a 10+1) of Lance and Keith falling in love.

oh god guys..... @thewriter2 knows how to fucking haunt you. if a 10+1 (!!) isnt enough for you, i want you to know this line has been echoing in my head since i first read: "He looks at you like you’re a storm and he’s a desert desperate to drown." UM??? EXCUSE ME???? SIMILE OF ALL TIME ACTUALLY???? keith being so so visibly obviously in love with lance is my actual roman empire shit never leaves my mind

4. Astronauts by @thewriter2

When they entered the Blue Lion, Keith was Lance’s rival--the person Lance was working so hard to surpass. But slowly, Lance found himself thinking of Keith less as a rival and more as something close to a friend. So of course, Lance’s traitor of a heart decided that it would be Lance’s kind of friend that it would fall in love with.

tags to sell you: "keith is a dork but lance loves him anyway" (dorky keith my beloved), "hunk is an a+ friend" (yes he is), "lance is a lovesick fool" (yeah), and "allura is older sister goals" yes yes YES you get it. and like....while keith pov is my favourite to write by far, lances pov as he realises he is in love....that will always hold such a special special place in my heart

5. his own worth by frogsterz

In the middle of the conversation, Lance stops talking and no one notices. It’s not like he had been leading the conversation, for he hadn’t been, but somehow the fact that his lack of input or opinion isn’t noticed tightens the grip loneliness has on his heart. He looks down at his food, his face burning, his throat tightening up.

now usually anything but team as family isnt my deal. im not big on classic langst. but keith as a knight in shining armour.....what can i say i am weak willed. deeply. also " It’s what made it worse. I miss home and I miss being held and the rain, and I loved you. I thought you hated me." got me so bad got me WEAK like i have never recovered from that line and i doubt i ever will

that’s it for today!! i’ll see y’all back next friday for the next fic rec post!!!

#sorry its so late in the night!! i was finishing a submission for an anthology :D and lots of buses today #including literally the busiest bus ive ever been on in my life i was second last to board and they turned people away #vld #voltron #lance #lance mcclain #langst #klance #klangst #keith angst #keith #keith kogane #hunk & lance #team as family #soft klance #mer lance #mermaid lance #polyglot lance #bamf lance #fic rec #FRF #fic rec friday #longpost

[thief-of-eggs]

‘Thoughts of You Consume’ writing update for you all (plus a sneak peek of a later chapter)

First off, I want to say thank you to all of you who have been reading and invested in my works. Truly, I cannot tell you how much your support means to me, and it never fails to make me giggle and kick my feet when I think of how many people are enjoying my silly stories.

For everyone asking- yes, I am still writing my snowjanus longfic ‘Thoughts of You Consume’. I’ve gotten a lot of comments and asks, and it felt easier to post this then answer them all (although I still might try to)

There has been a lot that’s arisen in my personal life this past month (unexpected move, loss of a pet, relapse with my auto-immune disorder) that has caused me to put my fics on hold while I focused on getting my life back on track. (Aka- i’ve been reading a shit ton of books. Sometimes the writer just needs to be the reader for a moment)

I have not forgotten about the fic, or about all of you lovely readers! I have the next chapter half written, and I try to visit it every day to add even just a little <3

I’m hoping to have a new update for you soon, but in the meantime, as a treat- enjoy this little excerpt from a future chapter:

(Spoiler Warning)

Coriolanus is quiet as he sneaks back in to the Snow’s apartment, though he’s not entirely sure why. Surely their grandmother has already gone to bed, and it’s not like he has anything to hide. So he’d been out with a friend- that’s not too absurd is it?

Yet he still feels as though he’s done something wrong.

He begins to head straight to his room, but pauses as he passes their kitchen, seeing a candle lit on the table. His cousin is bent over her latest bit of embroidery- some tablecloth for Fabricia. He doesn’t know what leads him to it, but he finds himself walking closer, crossing in to their little kitchen.

His foot steps on a creaky floorboard, causing Tigris to startle, before laying her eyes on him.

“Oh! You’re home- I hadn’t heard you come in.”

Coriolanus hums, walking silently to their worn kitchen table, and takes a seat across from his cousin.

“Did you have a nice night?”

Again he hums, watching as she returns to her embroidery. Her needle slides delicately through the fabric, weaving an intricate floral design with mere thread alone.

“Did you eat while at the Plinths?”

A spike of fear grips his heart- how did she know where he’d been? He certainly hadn’t told her, that’s for sure. But then… where else is he known to go? He doesn’t maintain friendships outside of the Academy, hasn’t gone over to anyone’s place besides Sejnaus’s. Yes, that’s right. It was a mere logical deduction on her part, nothing more. She hasn’t picked up on anything, other than his mundane habits.

The thought eases a bit of his chest, though really, it wouldn’t be the end of the world if she knew. Tigris has come to be his one and only confidant, and the fact that he’s kept this from her so long eats away at his insides, a muddled up secret begging to be set free.

The two of them sit in relative silence for a while after. Coriolanus watches the candle sink lower and lower, his mind playing over the events of the day, playing over Sejanus’s face, Sejanus’s words, Sejanus’s everything.

Eventually, it becomes too much to bear. He opens his mouth and pauses, weighing his words in his throat before finally speaking.

“Can I- can I ask you something Tigris?”

His cousin looks up from her embroidery, her needle in hand as she peers at him in the dim light. She cocks her head, care and concern laced in her expression.

“Of course Coryo. What is it?”

Coriolanus takes in a breath, holding it carefully in his chest before releasing. He tries and fails to formulate just how to go about asking what he means. Eventually, he settles for something more cryptic than he’d have liked.

“Would it be so wrong if I were… different?” Coriolanus asks, desperately hoping Tigris will somehow pick out his deeper thoughts and meaning.

“Different how?” She replies, and Coriolanus feels his chest deflate like a balloon. Of course she couldn’t know- and he isn’t likely to tell her just now.

“Never mind,” he mumbles, standing from the table. He’s suddenly quite exhausted, and finds he’d like nothing more than to curl up and let the day be washed away in the grips of sleep.

“Coryo, wait-“

Tigris stands as well, reaching out to grab onto his arm. He allows himself to be stopped, turning to face his cousin as she steps closer, standing directly in front of him as she places her hands on his shoulders.

“Different is never bad, Coryo.” Her eyes bore intently into his, so full of tenderness, full of love and care. “You could be all sorts of different, and it wouldn’t matter one bit to me.”

Coriolanus can’t tell if she’s grasped at anything, or if her statement is truly a blanket one. But still, it makes the ache in his chest loosen, makes his eyes flood with tears that he can’t fully understand, besides knowing that they’re partly forming out of relief that his cousin wouldn’t abandon him should she find out he were disgrace to their family name.

“Thank you Tigris,” he murmurs. She reaches up to cup his cheek, gently wiping away a stray tear that falls.

“Oh Coryo,” she whipsers, before pulling him close in her arms. He buries his face in her neck, holding his breath as though he could hold in his tears, his eyes screwed shut as her hand passes gently through his hair.

He pulls back a moment later, his vision blurred by his unshed tears. “I’m off to bed,” he says with a sniff, stepping back with his gaze trained at the floor. He doesn’t wish to see Tigris’s pity in her eyes just now, doesn’t wish to see all the ways she might suspect him different.

“Alright,” she murmurs. “Sleep well Coryo.”

He nods, turning on his heel to trudge back into his bedroom. Once past the threshold, he closes his door, leaning back on the thick mahogany wood with his eyes squeezed shut, his breath held tight in his chest.

It’s no use now that he’s alone. The sobs come quietly, because Coriolanus had learned early on in life how to manage his grief in silence. Slowly, he slides down the door until he’s sitting on the barren floor. He tugs his knees up to his chest, buries his face in his hands, and weeps.

He can’t fully work out just what he’s weeping for.

#snowjanus #snowjanus fic

[sometimes-love-is-enough]

Let’s talk about 16th century Italian theatre.

No wait come back I promise this is actually related to Sanders Sides

So, last night I was talking with some friends about an AU I’m currently working on. I’ve been away from the Sanders Sides fandom for a good while now, but recently my hyperfixation reactivated and now my brain is so ready to write a ridiculously long longfic with a convoluted premise and horrifying implications. (I’m like 25k in. Having the time of my life. No doubt I’ll talk about it more later. This isn’t about that.)

Since I’m not the sort of person who usually writes AUs - I prefer to stick to canonverse, and canonverse-adjacent fics - I eventually brought up how worried I always am about characterization of the Sides in AUs. Because although I do adore an AU; I devour Love and Other Fairytales like candy and think about Lavender For Luck all the time and don’t even get me started on WIBAR, when it comes to my own writing, I secondguess myself a lot. I don’t like to stray too far from canon concepts and characterization. I get worried when I don’t draw enough connections to things that happen in the series, because it feels like a betrayal of the source material - if I change a character dynamic from how it’s usually portrayed, I spend entirely too long thinking about how to make it work. 

And someone else said, well, I don’t usually worry about that sort of thing very much anymore. 

And I said, why not?

And they said, well, I haven’t watched the actual show for ages. I mainly treat the Sides as stock characters for the stories I write, and my brain fucking exploded.

...Exploded in a good way. I have to stress this so, so hard. My personal opinions on writing characterization and AUs apply just to my writing. I judge my own work entirely too harshly and work too hard at Getting Characterization right, and that doesn’t apply to other people’s work or AUs at all, I enjoy them all without a problem. This meta isn’t about OOC being a bad thing, or AUs that are completely removed from their source material being a bad thing, because they aren’t, not at all, they’re a form of creative expression just like any fanwork. And if someone starts getting on your case about that sort of thing, just... just block them.

Anyway, where was I. Exploding brain? Ah yes.

So a few other people chimed into the conversation at this point, agreeing that in a lot of cases, the Sides for them were stock characters with fun names, established personalities and tropes to play around with, and part of the fun for them at this point came less from interaction with canon and more about interactions with friends and fellow writers. Which is very different to how I do things.  I was fascinated, and my brain had one big delighted thought, oh shit! You’re treating the Sides like Commedia Dell’arte characters! I get it now!

(Disclaimer: I haven’t done drama or theatre for a good while now. If I make a factual mistake, either patiently bear with me or gently correct me.)

Commedia Dell’arte was a form of Italian improv theatre that was first popular in the 16-18th centuries through Europe, and didn’t have any proper established plots or scripts. The actors were almost never the same from performance to performacne, the comedy was over-the-top and often satirical and absurd in its physicality, it focused on plots about romance and jealousy and love.  Emphasis on an ensemble cast. Very stylized, very distinctive. Here’s one beng performed in Venice, for the Vibes.

[image description: a photo shot of two masked people in period costume conversing on a small wooden stage, taken over the heads of a crowd in Venice.]

The key, the thing that ties all Commedia Dell’arte together? The stock characters. There’s a list of all of these character archetypes, all with specific names and associated masks assigned to them, and when you’re performing this sort of theatre, all the actors pick one of the archetypes and put on a mask and work out what the situation is, and bam, you’re on the stage and off to the races. You’ve got the servant of two masters, the stuttering statesmen, the Sad Clown (relatable), the utterly obsessed lovers who won’t stop making doe eyes at each other on stage from behind those masks of theirs. 

Pretty freaky-looking masks, admittedly. Look at that nose on Naso Turco, the sly servant!

[image description: eight blue-and-black stylized Commedia Dell’arte masks, all labelled with their roles]

And the thing is, audiences would recognize these archetypes upon seeing them - it wasn’t so much about having characters that were perfectly ported from one story to another, like you might have in adaptations of fairy tales, it’s more about the archetypes. The personalities. Their status, and the way they interact with one another. Apparently all of the original cast of stock characters (you can find a list of them on Wikipedia, or maybe elsewhere) were "originally intended as a kind of characteristic representative of some particular Italian district or town." They’re representations of archetypes. You might even say that they’re conceptual representations. 

Sound familiar? Yeah, it’s not hard to see where I’m going with this.

In Commedia, stock characters are almost never played by the same actors because the cast is always different, and might be an entirely different theatre troupe - so the way of recognizing certain archetypes is by their clothing style, or other symbolic context clues. 

And that’s exactly how you recognize the Sides in fanworks when the AU is too far divorced from canon to understand them otherwise. If you’ve changed their ethnicity, or genderbent them, or given then a different species, you look for the context clues because at this point you’ve learned to read them like a language. 

If it’s just fanart, or the names haven’t been brought up yet, how do you tell it’s Roman? Well, Roman’s costume is pretty distinctive, even when modified - and failing that, even if he’s just in jeans and a t-shirt, or even if he’s an indistinct jello-y blob floating in the distant reaches of space - he’s going to be the red blob. They’re color-coded for our convinience. Virgil’s stormclouds and spiders, Janus has his snakes and almost always has something going on with one side of his face. 

Do you find this delightful? I hope you do. Because I do. I find it really, really delightful, and I’d never put conscious thought into this before last night. The Sides aren’t quite as flat and archetypal as the colorful cast of Commedia Dell’arte - they’re more fleshed out, for one thing, and even if writers don’t always pull on it, there’s canon backstory and plotlines to draw from. But they’re still archetypes, deliberately so in the context of canon. Someone in the server I was discussing this in summed it up really nicely - [..] we have Roman the artist, we have Janus for all the drama and deception, we have clever Logan to represent the science spirit. We have Patton for the morale lessons. We have Virgil for the memento mori style, and we have Remus for all the gore and dark comedic relief. 

Which is such a great updating of all of the classic theatrical archetypes. Because (although Italian improv theatre is still performed! People still use these old roles and costumes, but it’s definitely more historical than modern) the idea of servants and masters and cunning peasants and all the complicated dynamics between these roles, well... it isn’t super relevant to modern storytelling. When Commedia Dell’arte is performed nowadays, it’s almost never hashtag-relatable in the way it used to be. You know what’s more relatable? Archetypes of the nerd who doesn’t acknowledge his emotions, the grumpy loner with a heart of gold, the theatre kid who won’t stop singing. You can take those and all of the rest and shove them into all manner of situations, and you can make some really cool stories out of that. 

(National Theatre has a really nice video breaking down this theatre form a lot better than I can, with details I didn’t include here. Check it out here if you’re interested. It also includes details about the various archetypes’ physicalities and movements, which I think is kind of interesting, because in canon Sanders Sides the character’s physicalities are terrifyingly recognizable. That’s not really relevant to the idea of AU Improv Theatre, though, so I won’t poke any further at that thought. ANYWAY.)

I’ll level with you: some of the things people write in this fandom, I just don’t vibe with and I don’t get, and I’m okay with that. It’s the maxim of Mind Your Own Business, I just don’t interact and I keep on moving in my own lane. But, like... maybe I don’t need to get it. I’m pretty sure there were people in 1600s Europe who showed up to a Commedia Dell’arte performance and went ‘no, this one isn’t for me, did you see how they absolutely butchered the characterization of the Innamorati? Disgraceful’. But for many other people, maybe that particular performance just hit the spot, because they’d always wanted to see an interpretation just like that, that diverged from the norm just a little bit. And even if nobody in the audience at all liked it, maybe the performers were having enough of a blast that it more than made up for it.

And if not any of that - well, there’s always the next show!

[image description: four masked Commedia Dell’arte performers crowded around a prop cafe table, exclaiming dramatically over a menu that they’re all bent over.]

I don’t know if my brain will ever be chill enough to let me write something completely separated from canon. (Although... now that I’m typing that, I recognize that the chessboxing AU is not so much separated from canon as a tragic widower of a dinosaur-related apocalyptic divorce. Okay. Nevermind. Still, you probably get where I’m coming from.) And I’m probably not going to stop treating characterization like I’m going to be sentenced by a vicious panel of judges to a cruel and untimely death if I get the slightest bit of it wrong, but... I don’t know. The realization that it’s all comes back to this makes me happy, somehow. Just generally joyful about the state of the fandom, and the things that people create, and the community that’s been built up around it. 

Commedia is all about exploring stuff in improv like love and romance and dynamics, and isn't that exactly what we're doing as writers? Throwing character archetypes together and making them kiss and talk to see what will happen? It's not really improv, but it's not like we have any stage to act on except the AO3 posting page.

We didn't set out to make the characters from a web series into stock archetypes that so many people pick up and play with to Work Out Our Issues With. (Writing is free therapy. We all knew that already.) That was definitely not the original intention of Sanders Sides - or any similar fandom, actually. (I know TSS isn’t the only one this happens in, not even close.)

But, hey, we're humans, and it always comes back to us wanting to play. And there's nothing new under the sun, not really. Of course given an infinite internet sandbox and a goofy web series about some guy’s identity crisis, we would accidentally reinvent the original Italian comedy theatre. That’s kind of brilliant. 

You know what, I think 16th century Italians would enjoy Sanders Sides AUs a lot. I bet they’d make some pretty banger masks for the boys to wear. 

God, I wish I had a time machine.

#sanders sides #sanders sides meta #min goes off the rails #(a tag that has not seen use for a while! i don't write much meta these days) #this may be deeply pretentious but also it hit me like a ton of bricks. i get it now. i get it

[skiesofrosie]

poop-colored paint and forehead kisses 

pairing: don malarkey x f! reader

genre: fluffy fluff, tiny bit of angst

note: since none of my longfics are done, here's a little dose of my favorite, silly man

𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊

A kiss to the forehead is his favorite way of loving.

Don Malarkey is a bit of a rascal, he admits, with a penchant for trouble like a five-year-old boy scribbling in red marker all over his mother’s precious white, kitchen walls. A zest for life as he would call it, though you would argue that it was just a zest for pissing people off, and getting the last laugh.

After all, the first time you both properly talked, was in the midst of him constructing a bucket that would tip over with brown paint when the classroom door opened. Years ago, back in good ol’ high school. He was riled up from a one-sided feud with your homeroom teacher, who confiscated his pack of cigarettes, and smoked them all up.

“Good on him, honestly,” you remark, unflinchingly. “Your breath reeks of smoke.”

His jaw dropped, as you shrugged and strutted off. “What the f–...my breath doesn’t–”

Immediately snatching his hand to cover his mouth, inhaling his breath into his nostrils, you discovered his one-track mind when he completely forgets his poop paint concoction, and lets it all spill over, just a hair in front of your teacher’s footsteps. Of course, actually being there and getting caught, on top of a failed execution, was not part of the plan.

He was forced into detention for the whole week. But that first day, he was surprised to find you there.

“Decided to cuss him out for bein’ a thief,” you said, about the same teacher. “Not like we got money growin’ on trees around here, innit? Smokes cost a shit ton now.”

Malarkey’s jaw dropped again. His one-track mind strikes, threatening to bow at your feet, despite the fact that you were the reason he was stuck in that mucky classroom in the first place. Years later, you would punch his shoulder when he bids this argument, saying that if he weren’t such a simple man he would have not spilled the damn bucket.

But when you sat and crossed your legs, cherry red skirt riding up to unveil the smooth skin on your thighs, he felt his throat dry and tried to hide the flush on his cheeks, whipping his head to the front. But you had already caught wind of his stare, promptly smirking to yourself.

He blamed it on his prepubescent mind for not realizing much earlier that you were really, quite pretty.

“We should team up some time,” he suggested. “I think we could take down the whole school.”

Malarkey’s breath didn’t actually reek of cigarettes. You just wanted to leave a lasting impression for the idiot boy, whose cute cheeks you wanted to try squeezing. And it worked, because you were stuck in detention with him for an entire week, where you learned everything about him, and in-between. Like his affinity for the skies, the rush in a risky prank, and a cup of coffee, with one teaspoon of sugar.

It came as no surprise, when he asked you to the school dance. But your nights with him would hardly be limited to a single night, and you would grace his mornings too, ‘til your everydays were blessed in each other’s company when you both started attending the University of Oregon.

You were definitely on each other’s team.

But yes, back to the point at hand: you loved his forehead kisses.

‘Cause Don Malarkey, for all his prankster behavior, is an absolute sap when it comes to love. In fact, the first time you felt that he was indeed, love, was when he walked you back home, all sweaty and blistered feet after hours of dancing. Though his eyes were clearly trained on your lips, he opted for a soft smile and instead, kissed your forehead. It was quick, but you could feel his (minty) breath cloud over your face, and his nose boop into yours–your lips breaking into a wide grin.

“I don’t want to rush into things,” he whispered. “Would like to show you, first, that you can trust me.”

He didn’t know what exactly it was about them, that he almost preferred to the lips (almost, because yours are far too soft and sweet to ever ignore). Perhaps, it’s a reminder that he gets to be yours. And when you slip your hands against his chest, every time, as he cradles you close, tilting to lean his cheek against your hair–it reminds him too, that you are actually his. That you will choose him, time and time again.

And it’s a reminder he cements into his heart, as he takes off for Camp Toccoa.

The morning of enlistment day, you were brewing his cup of coffee–hot, with exactly one teaspoon of sugar–when he sauntered into the kitchen with a heaviness in his footsteps. You knew, when he headed straight for the fridge, instead of greeting you with the usual peck to the forehead, what he was about to do. It was an ongoing conversation, slight hesitancy in his eyes, each time you’d cover sorrow with your usual sarcasm.

You didn’t want to know what it would be like, to go years without his voice in the apartment.

But you also knew him–a man of honor, a seeker of adrenaline. He would only keep wondering what it would’ve been like, should he not do his part in the war. And though you preferred him just guessing, you feared he would never be satisfied. You didn’t want him to regret, and then resent you for convincing him to stay. So of course, you kept your feelings of despair to yourself. 

But that day, when the silence was too blaring, it shattered your glass heart.

“Sweetheart,” he rushed, as you began to sob over the counter. “Christ, sweetheart, don’t cry on me now.”

“Why do ya have to be so good?” you stammered. “Why do ya have to be so fuckin’ brave?”

He didn’t know what to say to that. Instead, he turned to grab your waist, feeling his throat constrict at the sight of your swollen eyes and tear-stained cheeks. Your warmth is the one invariable through the changing of seasons, and the familiarity of loving you never ceased to feel as new as the first day. So he did what he knew best, he held you close, as tight as he ever has, and pressed a singular kiss to your forehead.

But this time, his lips lingered on you longer than they usually did, and you felt a dampness touch your skin when he leaned his head against you, and cupped your cheeks.

“You are my entire world,” he murmured against your lips. “I will come home to you.”

And a man of honor he is, because after three, grueling years, he finally meets you at the train station in Oregon.

The light in his eyes have dimmed, his skin has aged into a sickly pale, and his voice is soft, unusual for the boy who yelled his love for you from the windows as the train departed, just three years ago. The war has stripped away the Don Malarkey you once knew. But as he drops his luggage, and makes his way to you in slow, disbelieving steps, he does the one thing that reminds you that your love is all the same.

He greets you with a long, forehead kiss.

𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊

#band of brothers #don malarkey #donald malarkey #don malarkey x reader #donald malarkey x reader #band of brothers x reader #hbo war

[plethomacademia]

wip whenever

tagged by @mightymizora who then tagged loads of people but i will add @smoreofbabylon and @rowanisawriter

I am usually a person that sits down and slams out 2k words every session. With the winter, I ended up taking the last two weeks almost entirely off from writing since I just didn't have words. I finally have written a little bit the past few nights so I'll share some GaleZel under the cut. It's the kinkmeme about his sated orb resulting in *ahem* a bit of horniness.

(Next few paragraphs is me being in my head feel free to go to the jump for Gale stuff.)

I will say I think part of my issue beyond the never ending darkness is I have been struggling with the longfic in terms of, like, I am down to the last three big events that needs to happen: heist, crowning the brain, and Orin's attempted sororicide. Between each of those though I have the shifting dynamic of Enver and Maeve and honestly, y'all, I could write so much about it.

I already want to do a spin off called Bespoke which is just about him making her a strap on and teaching her how to use it on him, teaching her how to claim pleasure in a way that requires planning and forethought instead of whatever frantic thing she currently allows.

But even in the long fic like, I have him building her a little gilded cage to try to coax her into, I've got her dealing with getting enough leash from her dad to get shit done but not so much that he feels the need to yank it, soon she is going to be interacting with Ketheric even more and that's a whole thing, then I am giving her a month to train her dragon brain where it's gonna get weird in a new way!

I don't know, it feels insanely self indulgent and I do worry that I am boring people! But also I want to write it out! It's a push/pull and with winter, the bleh was winning but slowly, the desire to write him offering her a piano tutor is winning out. Just skip those chapters I guess! Or don't, I truly am not sure what people get from that fic in the non porn chapters. I am here for angst.

OK Gale being pathetic under the jump.

One time he slips away with an excuse to relieve himself and instead works himself in his fist. It does not take long, it never does now, and he manages to clean himself with a quick cantrip and meet the others before they are even around the bend. He sighs to himself in relief as he joins them, only to feel a prickle of awareness. Lae’zel is looking at him in a way that makes his whole body heat in a flush of shame. He watches her nose crinkle as she cocks her head at him, and he all but runs away to the other side of their merry band.

#wip #i hope all that whining was worth a paragraph

[emsuemsu]

@hprecfest day 31: fav among favs

Last day of 2023!! Last prompt of the magnificent HP rec fest!!! This fest has given me so much joy and introduced me to a bunch of new stories to read (which I probably would never even considered to read if it weren't for this fest) for the past month 🥹 December went by so fast, 2023 went by even faster. I’ve been in and out of the fandom for the last too many years, more out than in to be honest, but this year I crashlanded back to HP fanfiction which honestly is my safe haven even after all these years. Further ado, fav among favs which my silly little words will never do justice:

The Brightest Constellations of Our Souls by @thecouchsofa 🩵 256,402 words, draco/harry

Harry doesn’t know how to cope after the War. The only things that make him feel even remotely normal again are taking risks while flying and fighting with Malfoy. It’s not likely to end well. Or, Draco becomes obsessed with ‘Wonderwall’, reads Muggle books, and drives a campervan, while Harry slowly falls in love with Draco. A story about travelling around the British Isles in the late 90s while healing deep scars.

My life can be divided to before and after this fic. I like to think that I didn’t find this story but the other way around - this story found me. And since it is a new fic, posted in the course of last six months I truly do believe it was meant to be I'd come back to the fandom via this story.

This fic is really fucking precious to me and I'm like a healthy-ish amount of emotional about it. First of all it's incredibly well-written, the style of the whole story is very straight-forward but at the same time extremely detailed, immersive and beautiful, sentence after sentence. Even though I love longfics (and this is definitely a longfic with 250k) they can feel a bit dragged out at times, but the way this story is paced and organized I never had that feeling reading this. I felt like each and every word of this story was essential, nothing too much, nothing too little.

This story does come with a little cw from the author. This fic is heavy, really fucking heavy at times, but there is so much light and eventual happiness to balance it out. One of the reasons I love this story so much is that it feels so relatable, it's raw and real to me in so many ways. Harry is my ultimate favorite character out of all the fandoms and characters out there, and the Harry we get served in this fic is godsent. His gradual healing with Draco during their little travels is really moving and touching. Babes.

It's extremely slow burn. Like the burn is so slow the fire is completely out most of the story. But then there's these small things along the way; like Draco's wet left shoulder from the rain and getting almond croissants all the way from Edinburgh that feed the flame and just wreck the shit out of me. And this fic drags you through the mud and minefields right before (and/or during) getting to the part where something actually happens between them. The way their relationship builds along the story is magnificent and emotional. And when we finally get to part where the slow burn pays off and flames lick every inch of my rotten body this fic has some class A smut that I file in the category of "so good I cried". Although, I did manage to cry for nearly the entirety of this story.

This fic definitely is a journey, and it's a long, at times difficult and gut-wrenching, but in the end it's a journey I'm really fucking glad I took. This is a fic I think everyone should at least give a chance to, it'll steal your heart.

All in all, this is a very, very dear story to me on every level possible. Thank you so much @thecouchsofa for writing it, I'm beyond in love with this story and I'm so glad I happen to exist on this planet at the same time as you and your brilliant, beautiful stories 💕

#hprecfest2023 #drarry #did i also cry writing this? i mightve #im a crier idc #posting super early because i need to start getting ready to get so blackout drunk i forget the whole year #happy new years!!!!!! #my rec

[naranjapetrificada]

Fanfic Friday!

I still don't completely understand it, so this week I'm just gonna reflect on things that happened while writing this arranged marriage longfic, some of which I posted about on here and some of which I didn't.

I gave up on the Soup Paragraphs that were haunting me and realized I can introduce them later if I must.

I got in some "let go and let god" practice when I realized I don't have to get every little throwaway detail right, especially when it slows down my progress/makes writing miserable.

My therapist wants me to see about applying this Free Yourself skill in my non-writing life, to which I say I know you are but what am I

Characters put themselves in situations without my input and it was great!

Ceremonies are hard to write but at least I now know what Ed and Stede would be like if they were kids in a school play.

I started watching Rome again after thinking about it last week in the wake of the cancelation (I've had it on DVD for years). Still problematic in the way something made in 2005 will be, but otherwise it holds up incredibly well.

I've also stopped caring as much about all the people using the world's problems as a bludgeon against OFMD fans and the campaign to to save the show. For all the reasons other people have already articulated well but also, on a personal note, because of what this show has done for my relationship with writing.

I won't get into too much detail but suffice it to say I have a lot of baggage around writing, because of all the "gifted" nonsense of my childhood and my MFA experience as an adult. I don't blame anyone per se, but unhelpful social frameworks were unhelpful. Let's just say that when Pop-Pop said "if you were ever good at anything go do that" to Ed, it didn't not remind me of feeling obligated to do something that used to be rewarding but isn't anymore because it's what you're "supposed" to do. Anyway.

I wrote three short (<2000 word) fics between seasons 1&2, the first fic I've felt like writing in over a decade. It was liberating as hell to write again in a low-stakes environment, and with blorbo motivation to power me through the difficult parts. I never, ever thought I would write anything longer than 2000 words, but for the past (several?) weeks now I've been alternating between two drafts in tropes I can't get enough of, the shortest of which is around 10,000 (admittedly unedited) words.

The other is longer, and every time I work on it I keep having to break shit up so the chapters stay under 5000 words. This is unprecedented for me, and I've wanted to share it so much that I'm running out of shit to post on WIP Wednesday that won't reveal the plot or require too much context. I've never been in a fandom as creative (and creatively inspiring) as this one, nor have I every written so much in a single fandom before.

My relationship with writing wouldn't be healing like this at all if it weren't for this show and this fandom, and in particular I want to highlight the freedom in embracing the "David Jenkins School of Historical Inaccuracy." In fact, I've been keeping a running list of AO3 tags for the fic I've made the most progress on, and there are several "David Jenkins School of ________" tags, including Archaeology, Theology, and Comparative Politics. Thanks to seeing DJ's philosophy at work it's now possible for me to move on from certain details when I get stuck because they're "inaccurate" for the setting or whatever in a way I never could before. Now I feel empowered to move on from tricky details by asking myself:

Is it funny?

Is it related to the plot?

Is it character-building?

And if the answer to all of those is no, then so is the answer to question 4: "does it matter?"

Assuming I finish these longfics they'll be the longest creative pieces I've ever written and beyond the longest works of fiction I ever thought I would write, and for that I'm eternally grateful. Even if the world we live in is a crumbling disaster. Especially if the world we live in is a crumbling disaster.

#ofmd #our flag means death #renew as a crew #save ofmd #fanfic friday #WIP it good #edward teach #ofmd meta #fandom meta #writing process #writing woes #fic writing #arranged marriage AU #ancient rome AU (sorta)

[seven-stars-in-his-palm]

2, 9, 15 for end of year asks?

okay IM DOING IT !!! ugh I’m so sorry I always answer these so late and so LONG but here I am. let’s do this…

2. favorite fic of the year

oh this is HARD I read such good fic this year it’s not fair. WAIT. are we talking a fic I’ve written or a fic I’ve read? I’m doing both to be safe. for both fandoms TWICE! here we go…

gravity falls

written? midnight’s call, of course, as well as the beginnings of its sequel. it’s just so detectable and whumpish and ‘ford wants/should be the main character here but honestly he isnt’ energy that it’s not funny. it’s also the longest wip that I’ve completed thus far (though it’s looking to be easily surpassed) AND it was my first wip ever AND one of the first fics I put on ao3 at all! so! it’s pretty special to me!! :))

as for read, god you can’t make me choose. what had me squealing the most…. it’s been a while and yet there are some that immediately come to mind. do I have to pick?? UHHHHH I’ll have to go between Another World, Another Time by jikanet_tanaka and Interproximal Gradations by callipraxia, which is the third part of the For Want Of A Jailbreak series (sorry, I really couldn’t choose mshdhsh) they both have similar vibes yet such different plots that I can’t help but group them in my head sometimes but they are ALSO some of the most high-quality heartbreaking emotionally investing fiction I’ve ingested on this mortal coil. like BRO. it’s been like six months since I’ve read both and I can still remember certain scenes and the plot and other things I loved so CLEARLY. for example: in another world, they hit ford over the head a LOT. like I can remember three individual times lmao, and two of them were by the same person! the first was entering the strange dimension in the beginning to jumpstart the plot, the second was overexertion/being wacked by a blinded ex-jheselbraum disciple after escaping an attempted to be built PORTAL ROOM in a high tech bill-esque fortress, and the third was during an unsuccessful raid for parts for a resistance the people of the dimension he and the pines have ended up by the same ex-disciple. does that make sense? possibly not! but don’t you want to read to find out? ;) /lh

good omens

written? it would’ve been do you remember hanging up the stars had it been completed by now (which is Impossible lmao) so I’m gonna have to with an angel who goes along with heaven, because 1) it’s my favorite era *medieval/wessex 537* 2) it’s heavy crowley whump 3) I wrote it over two months ago and I can still read it without wanting to die. like I see the flaws, but they are easily overlooked because CROWLEY WHUMP!!!!! I WROTE THAT!!! it’s the ultimate ‘writing what I want to read’ assortment. augh

read? well I haven’t actually gotten to the life-changing longfic on par with the gf fic. I have them marked for later, definitely, but I haven’t read anything past 30k in this fandom yet so I suspect there’s more earth shattering shit out there. atm, though, Ithink I’m going with The Ark by rfsmiley. holy fuck, where do I begin. I have a love/hate relationship with dystopia—love because we get to think about the inevitability of failure, death, and humanity degraded down to pure survival and the things that make us human are a luxury, and hate because we have to think about the inevitability of failure, death, and humanity degraded down to pure survival and the things that make us human are a luxury. it’s just so bleak yet colorful at the same time. media like tlou is triple s tier. so reading a fic like that… safe to say it broke me. they made it to the stars!!!! they cherish every orange slice! every book! they still love each other!! they knew this was gonna happen and they stuck around!!! UGH!!!!! AND THE FACT THE THING’S CALLED THE FUCKINGGGGG ARK. THE ARK. IRONY. IRONY. JAIL FOR AUTHOR RFSMILEY! JAIL FOR A THOUSAND YEARS!

9. favorite creator of the year

okay back to something more soft. first off; I can’t pick. firstly bc idk if it means a fan artist or writer or professional people like filmmakers and show runners. secondly bc there are so many ! how could I pick! also I’d feel back for picking one person over another thats just my brain is wired, and for that I apologize. so moving on ! ty for asking though <3

15. favorite headcanon of the year

god how do you PICK that!!!! thinking…….. AGAIN, it’s between ‘ford is autistic’ and (i’m sorry if this small and silly) ‘aziraphale and crowley like holding hands’ (though that’s fucking canon, but I’m headcanoning it). just. they’re both so important to me. ford is me and aziraphale and crowley love each other. ugh. UGH. thanks for the ask dude, and I’m gonna go jump into a hole now ✨

#ask game #hath are perceived #more proof that I love talking about fic more than anything

[stabbyfoxandrew]

for you wip Wednesday posts, do you just post as you write? like are the parts all continuous or is there parts between that you don’t post? (sorry if this is dumb, I’m just curious how you do yours:))

okay so (get ready for a long winded explanation of how my writing works sorry in advance)

for wipw, i have sort of a basic outline for plot points and stuff. i know roughly how each of the stories go and how they end. that being said, i have two docs (or more) per au. one with the outline and the other is the draft i'm posting for you guys. like here's the actual docs in my bookmarks (ignore my joke titles okay)

(ID: a screenshot of my Firefox, with a folder of bookmarks showing.)

cutting here because sweet lord this got long

as you can see i've got all my wipw docs in a bookmark folder so i can find them easily. DIH, BB, OG, 🦊, and 🦊WIPW are all writing folders. DIH is a long fic for another fandom. BB stands for 'big bang' and is for all my 'cosmic lost and found' stuff. OG is my ocs stuff :). Fox is anything aftg-related that isn't for wipw. and finally wipw is... wipw.

ALSO 'strips and tags' is the doc where i keep my little 'headings' for wipw posts as well as the tags so i don't have to type that shit everytime! (ex: 'WIP Wednesday (10/25) | Guardian Angel Neil (Part --)'

anyway! i write on them and cut them into chunks for wipw. the size of the 'chunk' each ask gets depends on how well the story flows and if it's a good stopping point. so sometimes it's just a couple paragraphs and sometimes it's almost a full fucking page because i couldn't decide where to chop it?

also usually i like to work a bit ahead so i'm not starting with nothing the next week. so when i don't and i get a lot for a certain au it stresses me out bc i don't know where we're going and i have to come up with it on the fly so i can answer asks??

this is also why i write in order and i could never write bits and pieces here and there all over the timeline like Ash does. it would Stress Me Out sooo bad lol

to answer the actual question: yeah.

for the most part, it's mostly how the final draft will be. but in the final i'll probably flesh out certain bits to make it make sense. like we just Jump into the scene a lot in wipw posts and it makes sense for wipw posts. but it wouldn't in an actual longfic on ao3? you know?

also in angel neil, some of the events are out of order. i never expected people to care about it so much so originally it was gonna be a lotttt shorter so andrew talks to betsy about it right away. i think in the Finished Fic (whenever that will be) he won't mention neil to betsy for a while?? but idk for sure we still have a long ass way to go.

thanks for asking this i'm sorry if you didn't want to read my life story but i don't have anyone to talk about writing with really and also i'm insane and can't just say yes/no i have to EXPLAIN

#anon #answered #diaerie #WIP Wednesday #related anyhow #anyway sorry for rambling i'm embarrased to show yall this but i need u to understand that my brain is not Normal lol #if you're absolutely insane with how you write let me know so i won't feel so stupid lkdgjlkd

[johnnyutah]

"fun asks abt saw" OK UHHM UUHHHMMM.... have any more thoughts on the perez / lynn / amanda apprentices / mastermind au? sorry if this doesnt suffice</3 also i finally looked at your propic closer and i love it

i love this ask so much thank you 🫶🫶🫶😭😭😭

literally i could be on my deathbed and i would roll over and start typing at the very mention of lynn/perez/amanda. they are my faves i have so many thoughts about them.. i’ve started to explore their dynamic a little bit in the longfic i’m working on, and as a result, every time i try to write something shorter for any iteration of the ship, my ot3 headcanons sneak in. i LOVE them SO much… and it’s all ao3 user doztoevsky’s fault for changing my brain chemistry forever

my favourite thing abt amanda becoming the new mastermind and ascending to john’s level (like kind of what she talks about wanting in her dbd lore) is toxic lesbianism taken to a brand new level. my second favourite thing is that i think all the potential new apprentices would have their own reasons for wanting to join her after their tests. for example, lindsey taking down hoffman to avenge strahm; which makes me QUITE sad but it’s also very sexy. refer to @lastnightonthecyclone’s tags here. or another example could be gabriela, who fits the bill perfectly.. i’ve thought about adding a second part to my gabriela/amanda fic because i love the idea of gabi surviving after cecilia and being a litttleeeee bit lost in the world. but with both of these examples, i enjoy that it wouldn’t be an easy sell; they both have plenty to hate amanda(/john) for, especially perez since her test wasn’t fair! the amanda young special ;) and there’s nothing hotter than begrudgingly coming around on someone you hate only to realize they’ve had deep complicated feelings for you since day 1 lol

as for lynn i think any aus where lawrence recruited her would be so fun and also so powerfully nauseating like POOR AMANDA!!! i can’t get behind the found family/jigsquad shit everyone jokes about (because they are so deeply and completely cringe and inaccurate and also i cannot be normal about saw, as evidenced in this ask) but i do absolutely love the idea of lynn and amanda having to work together AGAIN, this time because lawrence brings them onto the same case. johns last wish part 3948395, or whatever.

i also am a huge sucker for the interconnectedness of the universe, which works great for this stupid telenovela of a franchise where Everyone Is Connected it’s fine don’t worry about it or think too hard. except i love thinking too hard. like it is so interesting to me that all these characters are So connected, even the ones that never met. lindsey’s friend and partner killed lynn’s husband. lynn’s husband killed amanda. amanda killed perez (well. sort of). and amanda tipped off lynn’s daughter about hoffman which (presumably) helped perez realize what was happening, but eventually led him right to her and so once more amanda killed perez. they interact vicariously so much and so often, because it’s a small world populated by important Suspect characters, and i only wish that we had gotten to see them actually interact. sorry that paragraph got away from me completely. wait holy fuck this ask got so long i’m so so so sorry

the moral of the story is i fucking love these stupid lesbians and i’m Unkilling them all

#i was messaging my buddy jonah about how much i love a drop of blood from a sugarcube RIGHT before u sent me this #i stay thinking about perezyoung..lon. lynnmandsey. #lynnmandsey is kind of cute but it just looks like some obscure ship for the raven cycle 😭😭😭😭 #asks #lynnmanda #perezyoung #lynnmandsey #… Maybe #saw #queerkearney #stallshipping

[autisticlancemcclain]

thank u @zenstrike for the tag <333333333 i see ur mic and i'm elated about it

1. how many works do you have on ao3?

185! but i haven't updated in like a week and a half so we're probably closer to 190

2. what’s your total ao3 word count?

556,104. i am very excited to watch it jump up when i finally finish my longfic teehee

3. what fandoms do you write for?

literally just voltron lol. well not counting baby me's wattpad lol. i started writing almost two years ago and just went ham basically. i've been intentionally avoiding things that i know i will get hyperfixated on bc i don't want to stop my writing obsession lol

4. what are your top five fics by kudos?

ooooou i'm excited to check. i know it's changed quite a bit over time. i usually sort them by hits!

i will grind you to sand (beneath my louboutin heels) [voltron, 2573 words]: bamf lance fic where i give him a revolver and let him go ham basically

mr. snuggles [voltron, 1656 words]: one of my very earliest fics! lance, lover of weirdo animals, finds a demonic cat-sized spider and adopts it despite his friend's freakouts

he might not look like he gets bitches (but honey that dick was eleven inches) [voltron, 1136 words]: this one is so dorky lol but it's just secret relationship klance coming to light in the most embarrassing possible way

does anyone know where the love of god goes (when the waves turn the minutes to hours) [voltron, 4283]: a canon divergence au where lance is a seer and convinces the skeptics on his team of his abilities by ending the war

this is the part of me that you're never gonna ever get away) [voltron, 3262 words]: a lance & shiro hurt/comfort with a small autistic lance character study! i'm very proud of this one

5. do you respond to comments?

i definitely do on tumblr! it's one of the first things i do when i wake up actually. on ao3, though...i'm pretty sure i have about eight hundred unanswered comments sitting in my inbox 💀 it's an ongoing issue

6. what’s the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

i'm almost sure it's this post-game show lance leaving fic, because i got comments and asks for weeks begging me to write a happy ending lol. but this fic from the hana universe, from when keith is little and shiro is fighting for custody and they haven't figured things out yet. that one is sad. this dream pov adashi fic is also sad and has no happy ending bc, you know. shiro is in space and adam thinks he's dead and everything. my loneliest series is also still in progress and as such there is no happy ending. and this is my earliest angsty-ending fic with MCD

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

oh god pretty much everything i write has a happy ending?? if i’m being serious?? frankly i don’t do a lot of linear plot. i just write Scenes that are vaguely connected. BUT my h2o fic had a plot that ended happily, as did my cowboy fic, but truly i’m more of a slice of life kinda gal. all my active wips are plot-driven, though, and i plan for all of them to end happily.

8. do you get hate on fics?

oh god yeah. i get it on brown eyed lance, autistic lance, adhd keith, allura just in general (are you sensing a pattern), my refusal to use readmores, and lately just some demands for me to write differently/more?? most of it is just funny so i post it to goof on it lol, but some of it i just delete and pout about until i forget about it 💀

9. do you write smut? if so, what kind?

yes and it’s nasty and i will literally never ever post it. although i guess i’ve written some softer stuff that’s more allusion than anything, like in my loneliest series.

10. do you write crossovers? what’s the craziest one you’ve written?

not anymore, but i did when i was a kid?? i think i wrote a pjo/hoo/divergent/the mortal instruments/homestuck/a bunch of other shit fic when i was 13. i’ve successfully blocked that era out of my mind tho so i’m not sure. i do a lot of insane aus, tho. i wrote a fic based off a country song written in the sixties. so.

11. have you ever had a fic stolen?

i’ve had people write continuations of my wips?? which i didn’t rly like. i just ignored it.

12. have you ever had a fic translated?

someone has asked me about translating a fic before! haven’t heard anything since tho.

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

i have tried. i’m not very good at it. i have very Specific ideas about things and can be very controlling, so it’s honestly better that i don’t lol.

14. what’s your all-time favorite ship?

klance, easy. been in the trenches of this goddamn fandom since i was 13 years of age. it’s been a Journey.

15. what’s a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

god, the butterfly effect. i get people asking me to update all the time and i genuinely feel bad, because i have absolutely no ideas or plans for it. i might try to come up with an ending of some kind?? but i wrote that like two years ago, so i have changed a LOT about my writing since then.

16. what are your writing strengths?

dialogue and humour, i think. and sometimes writing lack of emotional communication (if that makes sense — i like to try and write around an emotion).

17. what are your writing weaknesses?

i over explain a lot. and i overuse dialog ur tags sometimes. i have a Very Specific scene playing out in my head and i want everyone else to see it like i’m seeing it, which is my downfall a lot. i’ve been trying to work on implicit stage directions.

18. thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

i think sometimes it’s necessary? it can be a good tool for humour, like with cussing that can’t be achieved in english. but while i understand and read several languages i have always always struggled to speak or write in them. it’s very frustrating so i often avoid the subject entirely lol.

19. first fandom you wrote for?

i’ve been writing fanfic in my head since before i knew what it was, but i started typing things at around 11 when i used to homestuck roleplay with my friends lol. messy messy times.

20. favorite fic you’ve ever written?

oh i am my own target audience. i have several.

i need a man (who’s patient and kind): keith-centric post canon (divergence) fic where lance takes him to his family and keith is good with kids and just keith being loved is the whole point. always.

what if i lose it all: an alternate universe where lance, as a baby, loses both his parents, and then is raised by his oldest siblings. in luis’ pov.

when does a ripple become a tidal wave (when does the reason become the flame): brogane fight & angst canon divergence post season 6; covering shiro’s guilt complex and keith’s unwavering loyalty

he’s into superstitions (black cats and voodoo dolls): halloween verse with witch lance and vampire keith! i have barely spoken about this au on here but rest assured i’m thinking about it all the fucking time

the applebee’s universe: modern au with young keith and lance learning how to love each other

ceilings (plaster): non-linear dream-like fic that’s just so trippy and strange i’m obsessed with it

if the sky comes falling down (for you) there’s nothing in this world i wouldn’t do: a keith character study about how the biggest bleeding heart in the universe loves

the hana universe: brogane-centric universe as their family starts rocky and grows

thank u again for the tag zen <33 open offer for anyone else who would like to hop on!!

#writer games #? #info #tag game #longpost

[wanderingaldecaldo]

Word Search Tag Game

Getting caught up on some old tags and I love the word search game! I was tagged by a few people in the last few months:

@morganlefaye79 - cake, occupied, outside, staring, heart @merge-conflict - gold, bright, laugh, impatient @chevvy-yates - gazing/gazed, rain, black, lovingly, phone

The fics I'm searching:

The Corpo!Val longfic

NOGLY sequel (which only has 500 words)

Corpo!Val PW(ithout)P based on "Spread your legs" prompt from DustyMagpie

Streetkid!Val PW(ith)P based on "Rough or gentle?" prompt from Bunny

Panzerboys PW(ithout)P based on a prompt from Chevvy

Considering the Corpo!Val longfic has 62K words and the others range from 500-3000, I imagine it will get most of the hits, but I'm hoping to spread the love!

Cake

From the unnamed Corpo!Val longfic:

He leans back against the counter and watches as she prepares the tea. She starts with water, dispensing it from the special faucet by the sink into the kettle then places the kettle on the electric burner. While the water heats she turns to the paper packages and he watches mesmerized as her golden fingers flip and sort through them. She settles on a variety and turns to him with a triumphant smile. She opens the packet and takes a whiff then offers her hand, holding it up toward his face. 

“Think you’ll like this one.” 

He hesitates then leans in and takes a deep breath. It smells floral with a faint sweetness, reminding him of a fancy cake his aunt made once for her birthday. He didn’t like it at the time and had complained about it, but she ignored him and happily ate his portion.

Occupied

From the unnamed Corpo!Val longfic:

The second floor overlooks the lower level, and the bedroom is no exception. His hand grasps the railing as he follows behind, the cool metal beneath his hand helping to ground him. The bed is unmade, and a few articles of clothing are strewn about—practically the only signs that the place is occupied. He wonders how much time she spends here, or if she lives in that bar of hers. She opens the locker at the foot of the bed and withdraws a folded sheet and a thin blanket, deposits them in his outstretched arms then grabs a pillow from the bed and places it on top.

Outside

From the unnamed SK oneshot from Bunny's prompt "Rough or gentle?":

Val watches out the window fascinated. She hadn’t been outside of Night City, much less California, before she joined the Aldecaldos, and the mountains are truly a new experience. She knows these aren’t even the big ones, that it’s just the tail end of the Rocky Mountains, but it’s still breathtaking. 

“Does it snow up here?”

“Sometimes. Not as often as it used to, of course, but it’s too early in the season now, at least down here. Doesn’t get going until late December.”

Staring

From the unnamed Corpo!Val longfic:

Val drops to the ground, stretching out her long legs and leaning back on the heels of her hands. Again he hesitates only a moment before joining her.

“Didn’t expect to be lying on grass staring up at the moon tonight.”

Val hums. “‘’S Night City. Anything can happen.”

Heart

From the unnamed Corpo!Val longfic:

“Shit, shit, fuck, I’m sorry, Mitch—” she sputters as she backpedals from the bathroom.

His heart pounds as he quickly lathers his hair and rinses, then kills the water and grabs his towel. He dries quickly, avoids looking at his reflection in the mirror as he dresses. 

Why should he be so bothered by her walking in on him? He's been showering around others for most of his life so why should this be any different? Between his head and stomach he doesn't have the energy for this now; something to keep his mind occupied on the drive home.

Gold

LMAO I really thought I would have more choices with this one, given Val's gold cyberware. I was wrong. From the unnamed Corpo!Val longfic, and part of the same scene with "cake":

“Normally I would prefer loose leaf but I do like this particular variety.”

“What’s the difference?” 

Her lips quirk up slightly, and she turns back to grab a glass jar, opening the lid and holding it out for his inspection. He takes the jar and holds it close, appreciating the depth of the aroma compared to the packet she’d offered previously. He can also see the tea leaves, long twisted and dried, each leaf worth more than its weight in gold.

Bright

From the unnamed SK oneshot from Bunny's prompt "Rough or gentle?":

Though the sun is bright outside, it’s dim in the cabin and she can barely make out the fixtures. It’s simple—a small kitchen with table; a couch and a screen; and bedroom and bathroom—but Val doesn’t need much more to be happy. Privacy is such a rare commodity these days that she will take whatever moments she can get with Mitch.

Laugh

Yes!! So glad I got to drop this one here! I love, love, love writing Carol and Cass. From the NOGLY sequel :

Mitch crosses his eyes and glares. “Nope, you’re not coming with us, can’t afford it.”

Panam glares back. “If you think I’m not going with you to save my best friend, you’re even stupider than I thought.”

"He's right," Cassidy chimes in across the table, and Carol on the end nods in agreement. "We can't risk losing you. Who's gonna take over if something happens to both of you? Us clowns?"

Carol laughs and smacks his arm. "Us clowns sounds like a satire band."

"We'd be just about as useless in an Us Cracks band as we would be running this family."

Impatient

From the unnamed Corpo!Val longfic:

“My aunt had ties to an Aldecaldo family and the rest is history.”

“And then you met Saul. From what you said, seems like he’s changed over the years.”

“But who hasn’t? I used to be hot-headed and impatient, but now?” He shrugs. “People change, sometimes for the better. Saul lost a lot of his tolerance for risk.”

Gazing/Gazed

Gotta admit, I was surprised by the results from this one. I use "gaze" (or "gazes") 36 times in the Corpo!Val fic, and 34 of those were as nouns. (0 times in the other fics, which I find astounding.) The two verb usages? They're both in the payoff. Here's a non-smutty one. From the unnamed Corpo!Val longfic:

Back in the bedroom she finds Mitch propped up against pillows, his hands linked behind his head. He watches with a smile as she returns and reaches for her as she sits on the bed beside him, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her over him, back to her side of the bed.

She giggles as she flails, then she settles into his arms and gazes up at him. She can feel the love pouring from his eyes and the warmth washes over her, enveloping her, as he caresses her cheek with his organic hand. Before she can think too much he leans down and presses his lips against hers and threads his hand through her hair.

Rain

From the unnamed SK oneshot from Bunny's prompt "Rough or gentle?":

She drains the cup and wipes her mouth with the back of her hand then grins. “Can’t believe people used to drink this from the tap.”

“Well, that was before the Red. Some places weren’t affected but most were because of the blood rains. Only been in the last twenty years that things have been cleaned up and well water is safe again.”

“Forget you lived through that.”

“You saying I’m old?” He narrows his eyes but his lips twitch with a repressed smirk.

“Do I gotta?”

“Gonna start callin’ you kid again, you don’t behave.”

Black

From the unnamed Corpo!Val longfic:

“I’ll email the full findings but the identities are solid and clean. Took the liberty of digging up some photos of your man Mitch. Cleaned him up and ran him through the deaging filter, slapped a suit on him. Not too shabby for an old Nomad.”

At that Nix turns to look at her and she steps into the office, joining him at the desk and peering over his shoulder. Young Mitch stares back—full head of mussed black hair, twinkling blue eyes, unlined and unscarred face. Handsome.

“Huh. Nice work."

Lovingly

Nothing! Clearly no love in my fics. 😂

Phone

TBH I'm surprised to find this one! I tend to use "agent" instead of phone, as that's the term from the TTRPG, but of course it was in the unnamed Corpo!Val longfic:

She grabs a large, woven bag she uses for outings like this, and loads it up with all the accessories a bored housewife at the beach would want—tablet, phone, sunglasses, water bottle. The door to Mitch’s room is closed when she emerges to the living room, so she proceeds to the elevator. 

The outdoor pool level is only a few floors beneath theirs and a quick elevator ride away. The sun blazes above the portico and she pulls on her shades before striding through the white deck chairs to an open one between the edge of the pool and the railing that provides little safety from the dizzying heights of the city.

Final Score

Corpo!Val longfic: 9 hits SK!Val "Rough or gentle" prompt: 3 hits NOGLY sequel: 1 hit Corpo!Val "Spread your legs" prompt: 0 hits Panzerboys prompt: 0 hits

13/14 words found!

Can't say I'm surprised that the Corpo!Val fic won. I'm sure I could have found the other words there as well, but like I said, I wanted to share the love amongst all my WIPs.

Tagging with zero pressure to play: @luvwich, @fly-amanitaa, @neon-pink-witch, @banukaihelpme, @impishbiscuit, @genocidalfetus, @medtech-mara, @themightiestpotato, @cinnamon-mey. Also retagging @chevvy-yates, @merge-conflict, and @morganlefaye79 to play again, as well as any other writer who wants to play! Tag me if you do!

Your words, should you choose to accept: privacy, claim, suspicion, flush, chords

#tag meme #writing meme #word search tag game #wash's writing #mitch anderson #valerie vermilion #cassidy righter #carol emeka #streetkid!val #corpo!val #post nogly #nogly sequel thoughts #unnamed corpo au story that is consuming my brain

[presidenthades]

I am doing very minor revisions of Daemon’s Handbook (mostly formatting and continuity errors), and I wanted to do some behind-the-scenes commentary before too much time passes and I forget my original thoughts. Here’s Chapter 7!

(Note that these commentaries aren’t canon to the verse until/unless the author writes them into the series. I might change my mind on a few points later, but these are the thoughts I had while writing.)

If I had to pick a favorite chapter to write, it’s this one. It’s the first post-time skip chapter, so we get to behold all the children (now young adults) in full horny mood.

Also, Alyssa develops a personality, and BOY is it a personality. I originally planned to make her a female version of Aegon III, who is very quiet, but it occurred to me that a hellion would be more fun (and torturous for Daemon, which is the real goal in this fic).

Aegon and Aemond are supposed to return directly to King’s Landing and wait with their family to receive the Dragonstone party, but Aegon decided he couldn’t wait to see Jace again and Aemond only required mild convincing to go along. And yes, the boys took a bath first in some river so they look nice and groomed~

One of Jace’s biggest character quirks is anxiety. She has ALL the anxiety. Comes with being an eldest sibling and second in line for the throne. I don’t consider her shallow, but she perceives her appearance as an important part of her political and social toolkit because the society they live in puts a lot of stock in appearances, especially women’s. So she’s finicky about looking the right part for every occasion. (Also she wants to look nice for her husband whom she hasn’t seen in three years, nothing wrong with that.)

I made Luce a knitter, partly because I’m a knitter and I like incorporating my interests, and partly because I wanted to give her a textile craft that wasn’t embroidery. I hope I’m not being too biased when I say that in this era, knitted products (like socks) are more useful than embroidered products (like fancy handkerchiefs). The practical value of knitting, and it being an acceptable craft for ladies even if it’s not as popular as embroidery, seemed fitting for Luce, who isn’t super conventional but also not a complete rebel. I also really like the imagery of her sending flowery socks to the Stepstones for Aegon and Aemond and Grandpa Corlys to wear.

Daemon is fit for his age, but he’s in his 40s and he’s got a lot of old battle wounds, so chasing around toddlers is fairly strenuous. Also, toddlers are FAST. Alyssa is closer to three than two, and she’s spent her entire life trying to keep up with her older sisters, so she’s got a fairly good sense of balance and isn’t stumbling around as much.

“Pretty girl” is 100% Aegon’s pet name for Jace, and I’m using it gratuitously in one of the sequel fics, which is Jace and Aegon-centric. (I’ll have an update soon on what I’m writing next, but I’ve decided to break down the epic longfic idea into multiple, more manageable mid-length fics.)

Aemond thinks Alyssa is spooked by his eyepatch and scar at first, but she’s actually falling in love at first sight. 😂 She’s got heterochromia so she probably *likes* that his eyes aren’t symmetrical either.

Aegon and Aemond are no longer afraid of Daemon! They’ve seen a lot of shit in the Stepstones, so their middle-aged uncle seems like less of a big deal now. Poor Daemon.

Aegon and Aemond are currently 18 and 16, so I made their stomachs black holes like most teenaged boys. They also have been eating a lot of rations at the Stepstones, even as royal princes, so a “plain” meal at Dragonstone seems awesome.

I have nothing to say about the melons, except that I’m very sorry for Lucera 🥲

Idk why but there’s something about Jace being very dutiful and proper that attracts messy rebels like Aegon and Baela. Opposites attracting, maybe? Kinda like how Luce is on the wilder side but Aemond is super put-together. I’ve thought about a crackish scenario where Viserys messes things up (as usual) and betroths Jace/Aemond and Luce/Aegon. I think Jace and Aemond would get bored with each other while Luce and Aegon might accidentally kill each other.

Jace and Aegon know their siblings are being stupid about their feelings for each other. Jace tries not to meddle (she doesn’t like it when Daemon meddles so she resists the urge), and Aegon makes fun of Aemond in the half-hearted hope it’ll goad Aemond into doing something.

I like to imagine that Luce eventually invents double-entry accounting in this universe. I also think she’s a big fan of the abacus, which is a more visual way of keeping track of numbers. She also likes charts and graphs in general.

The three dragonglass daggers that Luce orders from the blacksmith are for her, Jace, and Joff. (Luce loves all her sisters, but she has a special place in her heart for the three of them who are full-blooded sisters.) Purple for Jace (royal color for the future queen), green for Luce (like the sea and Velaryon colors), red for Joff (Targaryen color, nice and bloody). She isn’t expecting her sisters to use them as weapons; she wanted to make a gesture before Jace’s official wedding, since it marks a huge change in their lives.

I keep describing Luce and Aemond’s relationship in this fic as Pride and Prejudice-esque, and I stand by it. Miscommunication, ego issues, awkward flirting, a failed first proposal. One commenter described Daemon as the anti-Mrs Bennet, trying his best NOT to let the girls marry. 😂 And if we keep the analogy going, Clement Celtigar is Mr Collins while Otto is the closest thing we have to Lady Catherine de Bourgh.

I established in the beginning that Daemon is very bad with feelings. This scene where he tries to comfort Baela is part of his character arc and emotional growth, but he stumbles a few times more before the end of the fic.

I am very pleased that so many readers pinpointed Joff/Daeron as black cat and golden retriever energy, because I was definitely going for that. Daeron spews a lot of word vomit in his one line of dialogue, but you might notice he mentions “I got that thing you really wanted.” See the final scene in Chapter 11 for “that thing.” 👀

Jace is making PR a priority in her reign (and before her reign). She’s observed how loyal the Dragonstone smallfolk are to the Targaryens and wants to spread that loyalty to the realm’s smallfolk in general. This is why she and Aegon do the flight into the city, and why she has her Princess Diana moment on the way to the wedding.

#my writing #hotd #house of the dragon #hotd fanfic #meta #hotd fic #house of the dragon fanfic #daemon’s handbook

[woodswolf]

14 and 23 fic asks!

end of year fic asks

14. a fic you didn't expect to write

UM. definitely my current wip that i've been working on since like the last week of august or something. 37k and counting and it's still only about half done. like okay! literally the longest fic i've written since high school and everything of comparable length i've written is shit!

23. fics you wanted to write but didn't

uhhhhhh do the multiple planned sequels to my current wip that i cannot physically justify writing before i finish it count

otherwise there's like 4 other things, in order of likelihood that i'd actually work on them:

another pikmin fic entirely unrelated to my current wip. i actually have some of this written but i haven't touched it in like 2 months for no particular reason. basic premise started out as "Hm what if there were long-term consequences to The Events of p4" and then turned into midsommar lmao.

Manhattan, a tribute one- or two-shot to one of my favorite fic series of all time, The Station Sequence (Wells Street Station / The Ellipse / Promenade / Narodnaya) by Marquis Carabas. Fucking INCREDIBLE takes on Coraline and the kind of trauma that would naturally arise from her circumstances, but also an excellent example of She Who Fights Monsters and the impact that that has on herself and other people. I have a lot of very specific headcanons regarding parts of this series that I would have wanted to turn into a ten-year-anniversary tribute or whatever but unfortunately I didn't think of that until both the "series start" and "series end" anniversaries had long passed. But I'm absolutely going to write this anyway at some point - there are just too many specific ideas and some of them are already partially written.

the ninjago AU longfic that i've been planning... definitely since i finished crystallized, possibly since the s15 finale (but i don't think so, i remember the early concept was much more "this is an AU of crystallized" than "this is an AU of ninjago in general" so it was probably when i finished crystallized). the concept has Evolved a lot since then, but the basic premise is that sea!nya and a weird version of zane that i invented whole-cloth out of implications... they don't really "team up" as much as "orbit around each other for a billion years" in a way. julien is heavily involved, because you KNOW i can't resist that shit, and so are echo and harumi. i've already done a lot of Figuring Out with this universe or whatever but it'd take a Lot More and frankly DLD has much higher priority.

a few miscellaneous sciadv fics that i wrote a little bit of but which unfortunately did not go anywhere, and then amadeus wasn't nearly as important in A;C as i was hoping she'd be RIP. these are probably dead unfortunately the motivation is basically gone. ironically i might circle back to writing something for O;9 at some point instead - going in i thought it'd be horrible from what little i knew about it (unfinished VN/light novels and Breasting Boobily: The Anime), but actually i watched the anime back in september. aside from the pacing in the first few episodes feeling like i got infected with radical-6 and then started watching a normal show, it was LITERALLY fantastic and i am still fucking thinking about it. but! no plot bunny, fic needs a plot bunny. maybe something would come to me on a rewatch though.

thanks for the ask! :D

#my posts #asks #end of year fic asks #dogs leading dogs