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#I do have some ideas for fics of them together post coronation day
oldshrewsburyian · 2 years
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I realize that absolutely no one asked for speculation about what happens after the perfect Hollywood finish of the ‘38 Robin Hood. However. After a recent viewing, I allowed my thoughts to drift to what actually happened after Richard’s return to England in 1194, said oh no, and discovered that at some point, a fairly detailed idea of how these characters would respond to the subsequent 20+ years of English history had formed in my mind. So, uh. This is that, posted here because it’s not fic-y enough for AO3 and I’m not sure how/if it should become so. Feedback on this and what to do with it welcome.
The Earl of Huntington and his lady leave behind them the noise of celebration in the castle where they have both been held prisoner, and ride for the greenwood. They ride slowly. He is wounded and they are both weary, but they are also both ecstatically happy. And although their marriage is not solemnized as befits a nobleman and a king’s ward until some weeks later, under the vault of St. Mary’s Church, it is pledged in the sight of God and made between the two of them in Sherwood Forest. Marian laughs in Robin’s arms and says it is only fitting.
They attend Richard’s coronation in great splendor, and return to their own lands with great joy. They are happy. It is easier for her than for him. She has been in other men’s power all her life, and now she is her own mistress and mistress of an estate, with a husband who adores her. Robin rises from his bed to get the scent of the forest and draw the night air into his lungs, and Marian does not complain. He still whistles at his work, and laughs easily, and moves so that it is a joy to look at him. Their tenants, of course, love Robin of Locksley as they loved him when he was a hunted outlaw. He knows their names and their holdings, asks after their health, trusts their knowledge of pigs and cattle and weather, and never comes home to Huntington without various small gifts for its lady. Marian discovers that she enjoys keeping bees.
They have children. It is tall John, always good with his hands, who makes the cradle that first winter. To the cradle come, in the following years, Mary, who does not live, and Anne and Cecilia, who do. Robin is delighted with them all. Marian herself is surprised by how interesting they are, the dark-eyed little girls who navigate the world clutching not only at her skirts but at their father’s shoulders, at the fur of dogs, at the hands of their parents’ friends. Little John, it transpires, appears perfectly happy to navigate the world with a giggling toddler clinging to each forearm. Anne is thoughtful, and Cecilia is lively, and Mary is buried in the church of the Virgin who is her namesake.
When the news of Richard’s death comes from France, barely five years have passed since Robin saved his crown for him. Robin drinks late into the night, and Marian does not try to stop him. The next day, they lie long abed together. “Robin,” says Marian, with her hand over his heart, “he hates you.” She does not have to explain whom she means, and he makes no answer, save to kiss the top of her head. It has suited the northern lords very well to have an absent king, as it suited them to have an imprisoned one, and a prince courting their favor. But John is now his brother’s heir, and he holds grudges. The Earl of Huntington, outwardly dutiful, attends his coronation. The king regards him sharply, and Robin fancies that he is looking at the faint scar on his temple, relic of the first time John tried to have himself crowned.
When their fourth daughter is born, Robin gives her his finger to hold and says, “It’s Martin’s feast day, and we can’t possibly call her that. Shall she be Elizabeth? Would not Bess be pleased?” Marian means to say that Bess would be very pleased indeed, but bursts into tears and says that he should have sons. At which Robin, grave as he seldom is, says that he does not need Huntington, much less sons to inherit it, and that he would live under any tree in the greenwood, or walk the roads as a tinker, so she were beside him. And Marian, as she so often does, finds herself scolding him for being foolish, and smiling as she scolds.
Within the next five years, the king has quite spectacularly alienated more of his nobles, and lost most of his lands in France. And this leads to what Marian calls the taxation incident. The fines are one thing. The new Sheriff of Nottingham is almost as unpopular as the old, but Robin’s tenants know that if they can evade the knowledge of shire officials, their secrets are safe with the earl who once roamed the forests. And if a widow wishes to remain unmarried, and cannot pay the king’s fee for doing so, she comes to Bess who is well contented with her sixth husband, or to Marian who plans on knowing one man only, and the fee is paid. And when scutage payments are levied, Robin only grumbles. The requested taxes, however, are another matter. Robin and Will sit with their heads together over the letter indicating what is owed, and when it is expected. “We can’t pay that,” says Robin, and Will says that is because of what Much charges (or doesn’t) to have flour milled, and the rents that are lowered or foregone in times of hardship, and the heriot that is not collected. “So tell him that,” says Marian, and they both turn to look at her. The estates of Huntington, that year, return an impeccably thorough report, made out in Will’s neat hand. It explains, in detail too great to be untrustworthy, exactly what fields and pastures produce, what fish and eels are drawn from ponds, what revenues come from bake-houses. The king may resent it, but disputing it would take time. And the extent of those neat entries make clear that it is a dispute he might not win. Robin, that first ink-stained night, throws his head back in laughter and says he has married the cleverest woman in England.
The interdict comes. Friar Tuck celebrates Mass anyway. Robin is nervous about the bishop. Old Bishop Hugh had known them all, and once shared an apple with Cecilia; his successor had been old and weary, and dead three years after his arrival. But this man — this man learned politics in great men’s households, and then chose the service of the king who has sent him north. But the bishop says nothing. Friar Tuck trots from parish to parish on a jennet, till Little John shakes his head and says he will grow thin with his labors. Curiously enough, it is Mortimer of Leeds and Ralf of Durham who tell Robin about the barons’ plot against the king. And Robin sighs, and says to his guests that it is true that they are in evil case, and that he will give them his answer on the morrow. It is Marian’s counsel he asks. “Do not tell me it is treason you fear!” says his lady, tracing his scars in the moonlight. “Not you!” Not treason, he agrees, but its punishment, should it fall upon them all. And Marian kisses him, and reminds him that they could live under any tree in the greenwood.
The rebels are successful, at first. Robin is dazed with it, this new victory against long odds. But then the pope, newly reconciled to England and its king, unexpectedly declares the charter signed at Runnymede illegal; and John marches north to Nottingham, bringing devastation in his wake. Robin and Marian manage to shield their people from the worst of it. The kings of Scotland and France marshal aid for their brother monarch, and Robin glowers at the fire and says, as if reminding himself, that they have faced defeat before. When Marian puts her hand on his shoulder, he covers it with his, and then draws it to his lips, as deliberately as he had done among other dangers, in other times. Those are dark years, when Marian and Robin both prepare for sieges like that of Rochester, and worry about Anne and Cecilia’s future marriages.
When the king dies of greed on a wild autumn night, it is like a judgment of God. And William Marshal knows Robin well enough to like him, and to know that what he wants to wrest from England’s kings is not power, but justice. So Huntington, surprisingly, weathers the defeat of the barons. The charter of Runnymede is confirmed. The French king’s troops are sent back across the channel. And Robin and Marian see Henry crowned at Westminster, and Robin kisses in fealty the hand of a boy young enough to be the son he does not have. They see Anne married. On that day, standing in the sunlight outside the church, he asks: “Does it not seem strange to you, that we should live to settle into something like peace?” Marian tells him that she has thought nothing strange since learning to love him, and that he should kiss her and stop philosophizing. So he does.
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galactictwilight · 2 years
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What's yet to come! (Ectober sneak peek)
This is just a look at the master post for the fun I am going to have. I don't know when it will be done, but I will be posting what I do finish on it's own. I won't put out the master post till every prompt is done and any prompt I don't put out at the end of the month will only come out on the master post itself. To be frank, any prompt, no matter it's length, will be put on this post. No links to other posts, just one super long post to read.
Sorry, if I an being repetitive and I hope the sneak peek garners some joy and interest.
Past's Order & Future's Chaos AU
I'm not really good with one word prompts so I'm just going to take all the Ectober prompts and try to fuse them together into an interconnected frankenstein fic idea. I might even use the free days to add some more Ideas. Though, there might be a bit of lore from my other DP AU making it's way into this story idea. Unfortunately, I suck at characterization so all of the characters are probably going to be OOC. I'll try my best to do the DP characters justice. Anyways, I hope everyone likes my fic dump.
Summery: As September gives way to October, Danny is visited by Clockwork at the stroke of midnight with some alarming news. The month of October will truly live up to the horror it's known for as a truly hellish amount of drama consume not just Danny's life, but also those of his friends and family. Family secrets, tragedies, and truths are exposed. Will the bonds of family be broken? Will love conquer hate? Or will another great tragedy strike the Fenton, Manson, and Foley families once again.
And to think, we haven't even gone into detail about what Clockwork told Danny yet...
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Spoopy~*Line~*Break~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Past's Order Prompts
Witch -
Betrayal -
Order -
Box -
Banshee -
Freeze -
Purify -
Night Terror -
Shallow Graves -
Harvest -
Thirst -
Way of Life -
Restored -
Haunted House-
Will O' Wisp -
Grimoire -
Hope -
Eyes -
One -
Fight -
Coronation -
Myosotis -
Grudge -
Past-
Future's Chaos Prompts
Potions -
Trust -
Chaos -
Staff -
Wraith -
Burn -
Infect -
Sleep Paralysis -
Deep Tombs -
Hunger -
Drown -
Cause of Death -
Abandoned -
Costume Party -
Jack O' Lanterns -
Sacred Text -
Despair -
Teeth -
One Hundred -
Flight -
Coup -
Foxfire -
Absolve -
Future -
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writingonsaturn · 3 years
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Better Unsaid
a/n okay this has been all over the place!! it was originally going to be a blurb and darker and closer to smutty (so keep your eyes out for that??? lol), but then I made it softer and the concept got away from me and it got soooo much longer than expected lmao and i still dont love where it ended so maybe part 2?? i have the idea i just dont know lol 
summary: Reader is a princess and Anakin has been her guard during the most public season for the past two years (not the most logical thing but just go with it lol, it gets explained better in the fic) and after a near death experience the two are conveniently forced into a....
ONE BED TROPE ONE BED TROPE *cough cough* ONE BED TROPE WITH ONE PERSON HAVING TO WAKE UP THE OTHER BC THEYRE HAVING A NIGHTMARE,, :)))))))
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His smugness is the only thing about him I can consider ‘ugly’. And because I am so desperate to not have feeling for Anakin, the Jedi who has been assigned to protect me through coronation season (which lasts for most of winter), for the last two coronation seasons, I hold onto my distaste for that side of him. Which is why I suppress my laugh as he waits for my reaction with that confident smile. 
“Come on, that was funny.” 
Rolling my eyes, I let myself sit on my bed. I can’t tell if he’s actually funny or if my evening has been so boring that his sense of humor has started to become appealing to me due to comparison. In short, the suitor I was forced to spend an entire evening with lacked personality so much I’m starting to find Anakin funny.
“You’re much more entertaining than this evening’s suitor.” 
Anakin’s expression shifts slightly, his assured grin dropping slightly. “Another miss?” 
“You have no idea.” I relax slightly, taking a moment to be glad that I completed my father’s request and now I can just enjoy the time I have with Anakin. “I know my father’s desperate to make sure my marriage is useful for our people and that he worries about this selection process because he always thought my mother would be here to help, but sometimes I wish he wouldn’t rush it so much. It feels like all he wants me for is to marry me off in exchange of finance or weaponry or something diplomatic.” 
“You’re more than that.” His response is so soft I think I might have missed it if I needed it less. I curse myself for feeling so validated by him. His words shouldn’t mean anything to me. After all, he could easily just be saying that because agreeing with my father will just make me more unpleasant to be around. 
I smile politely while avoiding his eyes. I keep my hands on either side of me, fighting the urge to fidget. “Thank you, Anakin.” My words sound weak in my own ears, so I’m sure he notices my shift in mood. “I’m tired today, I think I’m going to go to bed early.” Normally, I’d be able to shrug off these kinds of things, but the beginning of Coronation Season makes me irritable. The anniversary of my mother’s death hits me harder each year. 
“Y/n.” My name comes out so velvety I can’t find it in myself to interrupt him. “You are more than someone meant to be used as some kind of royal currency, and I mean that as more than just a...friend.” 
I let his last word linger. We’ve tried so many titles that never seem to fit right. He’s the chosen one, one of the most powerful Jedi to exist, and the Jedi assigned to protect me each Coronation Season because that’s when my mother was assassinated. He’s my guard, but we’ve spent too many nights laughing together and talking about everything and anything. And I guess now he’s my friend, even though sometimes when he looks at me in a certain way or sits too close to me or reaches for my hand to guide me somewhere I can’t breathe right. 
“Anakin, you know I love when you’re here, even though sometimes you drive me insane. And I appreciate your kindness, but your words can’t change the truth. That’s how my father sees me and he’s not exactly wrong. I’m not a son, I haven’t been raised to lead an army or lead much, and--” 
“I’ve seen you in meeting after meeting, convention after convention. I’ve witnessed the way you handle real problems and I know how you care about your people. You’d make a great leader, you don’t need a husband to be valuable.” 
My chest swells, feelings I never let myself think about mixing with thoughts of Anakin that I’ve spent so long trying to avoid. “That settles it, you’re my favorite person.” 
He grins, the look warm enough to melt the odd lump in my throat. I fight down a smile as he steps forward. “And I wasn’t before?” 
“I take it back--your head’s big enough without the additional praise.” 
Rolling my eyes, I lean back slightly in order to recreate the distance he so easily destroyed. “And I thought you had finally warmed up to me, princess.” 
The use of my title makes me skeptical. The last time Anakin used it was when he was trying to ease me so that I’d walk around the palace garden so he had an excuse to do the same. It was beyond late and I was half asleep, but he had os much energy he was desperate and just needed to do one more thing. I felt bad that his schedule revolved so heavily around mine (and when he softens his eyes and says please, I’m left incapable of saying the word ‘no’) so I agreed. 
“What do you want?” 
Anakin dramatically clutches a hand over his heart. He throws his head back slightly as if he’s just taken a fatal blow. “When did you turn so cynical? I’ve been back for three days and I’m starting to believe you’re a different person now.” 
Yeah...he’s definitely getting ready to ask for something that’s more trouble than it’s worth. Then again, everything with him seems to be worth it in some capacity. Even if it’s just that one smile he gets when he’s truly content and doesn’t think anyone’s looking. 
“Mhm,” I mumble, still fighting a grin, “so you’re not going to ask me anything?” 
His lips part slightly as he exhales. I watch the way his eyes narrow at my victorious expression. “I don’t have anything to ask of you, but I do have a small request. A request so small you won’t have to do anything but say yes.”
Suspicious. Too easy. “You’re unbelievable.” 
“You just said I was your favorite person. Remember that.” 
I’m too tired for his coyness. I’d rather him make his ridiculous request now so that I can be in bed within the hour. Though I can’t pretend I don’t normally feel better after letting him drag me along on whatever ‘adventure’ he just needed to complete while also not letting me out of his sight. I used to tell him that I wouldn’t tell anyone if I wasn’t under supervision for an hour or two a day, but he dismissed the idea immediately. That’s been the cornerstone of everything. 
“What is it?” 
He sighs once, tilting his head slightly. The way his eyes soften tells me he’s already won at least half the battle. “They still haven’t caught the attempted--” Anakin pauses, something behind his eyes darkening. I know what he’s remembering. Last night, an assassin had gotten closer than they ever had. I had almost been shot in the garden, Anakin had barely pushed me to the ground in time. A fact he’s been beating himself up for since, especially considering that no one has been able to find my attempted killer yet. “They were so close to you. They were within palace limits and they disappeared like they never existed. Who’s to say they don’t work here and are waiting for the next moment you’re exposed? Who’s to say they aren’t here tonight, waiting for me to retire for the night?” 
I didn’t realize how my near death experience had been so personal to him. He, like everyone else, was beyond frantic after it happened. But my father put an end to verbal worry before it could truly begin. He said the best thing we could do was act like everything was fine as the assailant was searched for. Anakin hadn’t been particularly cheery after my father instructed the guards to focus their search on known enemies instead of prioritizing venting the staff closest to me. I comforted him as best as I could, but he didn’t feel like speaking about it and I had to worry about the suitor meeting my father wouldn’t let me cancel. 
“Anakin, you’re right next door to me.” I have to fight the urge to reach for him. “I was fine because of you, and I will be fine because of you.” 
He sighs once, his expression not easing. “And if the person is silent? The attacker could easily work in the palace, but no one wanted to direct the search inwards.” His words are more strained than I’ve ever heard them be. “I think it’d be smart for me to stay in here. I know you’ve refused having a guard stay in your room or outside your door, but...” Anakin sighs. “Your safety would be more assured.” 
Him staying in my room? The only line I’ve ever been allowed to draw, and I’m actually considering letting that go. If he seemed even slightly less sad, I wouldn’t even consider it. It’s not a good idea. I’m already too attached to him. “Anakin--” 
“I’d feel more assured.” 
Damn him. Stupid, extremely sweet Anakin who makes saying no to him impossible. I stretch my arm forward, letting my hand squeezes his forearm gently. “There’s no reason to not feel assured.” He doesn’t ease, the cloudiness behind his eyes remains stubborn. “You’re still worried.” No reaction, the haze that’s taken him isn’t letting go. “Fine--but tell no one or my father is going to take to posting guards at my door every night.” 
...I guess there are worse ways to spend a night. Which is kind of a problem since I’m trying to...enjoy Anakin less. Ugh, I even sound dumb in my head. “I promise, princess.” 
Ugh, he’s adorable. “You’re intolerable.” I stand from he foot of my bed and pull back the covers on my bed. He doesn’t reply, something dark still playing for him. I watch him move to face the door. Wait--is he doing what I think he’s doing? “No, you’re not going to stand there all night. You need sleep.” He has the audacity to give me an annoyed look. “I already didn’t want to do this so now you have to listen to my conditions.” 
He raises an eyebrow, his lips pressing together oddly. He’s trying to gauge something from my expression, perhaps he’s looking for buttons to press to get his way. I guess I look as stubborn as I feel because instead of arguing he just sits on the floor. What? I watch him cautiously, trying to figure out if this is some weird argument trick. 
“What are you doing?” 
“What you asked.”
And just like that I’ve put myself in a position that I will no doubt regret terribly the second common sense returns to me. There’s no way to deny that Anakin and I are closer than we probably should be. We’ve felt like friends first since the day we first met. I can’t think of any reason to not offer to let him sleep in my bed except those stupid budding feelings I refuse to label. 
It’s not like I actually like him. I can’t--I’m going to be married to some nobleman and he’s prohibited from ever forming attachments. I’m not even sure if we’re allowed to be friends. Having actual feelings for him would be so, so pointless. It would just lead to heartache and the ruining of the one genuine relationship I have. I’m just a tiny bit confused right now because he’s objectively really attractive and he’s always there for me. Always there to make a joke after a particularly rough meeting. Always there to offer me a supportive smile. Always there to humble me when I teeter on acting like my father. 
Anyone’s heart would flutter at that, so it doesn’t mean anything. And if it does, I need to squash any budding feelings now before I mess things up. Which is why I should keep him at arm’s length until I get it together. But is that fair to him? And what if doing that is making things worse? What if it’s just reinforcing the idea of having feelings? 
This is ridiculous. I’m going to get over this if it kills me. It’s just a bed and it’s only sleeping. I’m meant to be able to lead an entire union and I can’t sleep next to someone and act normal?” “You don’t have to sleep on the floor.” 
The second the words leave my mouth I regret it all. What’s wrong with me? Did I seriously think I’d be okay?
I hear his soft exhale, “I’ll be fine. I’ve slept in worse places than on your marble floor.” 
His voice sounds so weighted I can’t help but feel bad for not noticing that he’s still bothered. Whether he’s upset about his near miss or the fact that my father didn’t take his advice, I don’t know. But something’s wrong. The easy thing to do would be to just let him sleep it off. The smart thing to do would be to leave him alone until tomorrow. 
I think of all the times that I’ve been upset and Anakin had refused to let me go to sleep angry or sad or overwhelmed. “I know, but it’s really not a big deal. It’s not like we don’t know each other. I mean, last Coronation Season you buttoned me into more gowns than my handmaid. And I owe you for saving me from one of the worst suitors I’ve ever had.” 
“I’m starting to think we need to develop some kind of signal.” 
The tiny bit of lightness that’s returned to his voice makes all of my internal struggle feel worth it. “You always seem to know.” 
“That’s because when you’re reaching your limit, that one line appears between your eyebrows.”
I didn’t realize I had such a tell. I try to remember the way that the suitor drawled on and on about how amazing he was and how he couldn’t wait for the day he had a bride to bear his children and plan (tedious) social events. My hand moves to my forehead, trying to feel the crease Anakin mentioned. Can everyone tell when I’m growing tired? Am I that transparent? 
Anakin’s slight laugh steals my attention. He’s facing me again, his elbow holding his head up on the foot of my bed. “What are you doing?” 
“I don’t--I don’t think i get a crease between my eyebrows when I’m irritated.” 
I hear him stand. I don’t realize he’s approaching me until he’s so close I could touch him without even needing. to stretch. “No, when you’re irritated you raise your eyebrows slightly, because that’s when you’re at your most sarcastic.” 
“Really?” 
The corner of his mouth tugs upwards. “Just like that.” I force myself to keep my expression blank. “When you’re reaching your limit, your eyebrows crease here.” His finger taps the space between my brows so gently I almost don’t realize what he’s doing. “And when you’re trying not to laugh--which is often, because you refuse to admit that I’m funny--you press your lips together in a way that forms a dimple here.” The knuckle of his pointer finger brushes against the bottom of my cheek. 
I bite my tongue to fight the warmth spreading across my face. “I didn’t realize i was so transparent.”
“I can’t always tell what you’re thinking.” 
“I’ll take it.” Maybe if I was less tired, I’d argue a little more. “You know you’re not that difficult to read either.” 
“Really?” 
“Yes, I can tell when you’re just being stubborn for the sake of it. I can see it in your eyes and you’re doing it right now.” 
His expression harshens slightly before softening. “Y/n--” 
“I’m not wrong.” 
He sighs once, stepping back. I watch him pace around my bed before taking a seat on the edge of my other side of the bed. “Are you happy now?” 
“Happy that I won? Absolutely.” 
Anakin halfheartedly glares at me. “Careful, add a crown and a robe that trails down a throne and I’d feel like I was speaking to your father.” 
“Careful, another side comment like that and I’ll ‘accidentally’ kick you off the bed in the middle of the night.” 
“Not if I kick you off the bed first.” 
I trace a thoughtless pattern on the fabric of my bedsheets. “What are you? Twelve?” 
“I’m older than you.” 
“Barely.” I continue the thoughtless pattern tracing as I fight the sleep from my eyes. “Your comebacks are usually more creative than that.” 
He exhales, relaxing slightly as he rests his back against a pillow. “I’m tired, like you claimed to be.” His eyes flutter slightly, a bit of his exhaustion showing. “Go to sleep.” 
I should. I’m too old to think I can put off a tomorrow I don’t want by just staying up. This is stupid. I’m too old to think I can put off the anniversary of my mother’s death by going to bed. She had been taken from us on castle grounds, killed by a revolutionist who viewed my mother as a class traitor. I still remember the way she slumped to the ground, her blood staining the snow beneath her. I remember the way the guards were so busy chasing her killer no one thought to keep me away from the body. 
“Y/n?” 
I scratch the back of my arm in hopes of banishing my thoughts. “Yes?” 
“You’re being quiet.” 
“You said to go to sleep, that tends to be a quiet thing.” 
I can feel his eyes on me. “Since when do you listen to me?” Not trusting myself to actually reply, I only offer him a hum of acknowledgement. “I know you’re not half asleep.” 
Folding my hands on my lap, I avoid his gaze. “It’s tomorrow.” 
I don’t know why I trust him to understand my vague response, but I do. His silence stretches over us like a thin blanket on a cold night. Maybe he doesn’t understand what I’m implying. I can always correct him tomorrow, when my eyelids are no longer as heavy as my heart. The more seconds that pass in total silence, the more I think that maybe he’s fallen asleep. 
I wouldn’t be surprised, Anakin has seemed tired recently, like some additional weight he won’t share with anyone has been thrust onto his shoulders. A small part of me rolls in guilt. I need to be a better friend, just because I’m suddenly a little too aware of him doesn’t mean I can shrug him off and ignore him. 
My hand almost flinches away from the feeling of something surprisingly warm touching my pinky. When I realize that it’s just Anakin and that the contact was probably accidental, I force myself to ease. It’s not like we’ve never touched before, I don’t understand why I’m making it weird. Sitting in my bed in the dark doesn’t change anything. His hand turns slightly, pressing into mine a little more assuredly. Biting my tongue, I turn my hand slightly, exposing my palm. And just like that, our fingers intertwine. 
“She would have been proud of you.” His voice comes out so low I barely register the words. 
The words shouldn’t mean much to me--he never knew my mother and has no way to know what she wanted me to be.--and yet I find comfort in them. I smile, turning my head towards him. “You didn’t even know her.” 
He rolls his eyes slightly, relaxing further before squeezing my hand once. “Who wouldn’t be proud of you? You’re kind and smart and decent to be around when you’re not telling me what to do.” 
My heart swells in my chest so much I’m surprised it doesn’t burst. Could he be cuter? “Yeah...now I’m sure you’re my favorite person.” 
“Now you’re sure?” 
The smugness in his voice has me rolling my eyes. “Don’t make me regret saying that.” 
“Maybe in the morning,” he says easily, “now go to sleep. There’s nothing worse than escorting you from meeting to meeting while you’re tired.” 
“I’m not that bad.” Even in this darkness, I can make out the way he raises an eyebrow. “Shut up--I’m going to sleep, but not because of you.” 
He lets out a slight huff. “You’re impossible.” 
The desire to respond to his comment is not enough for me to win the fight against the weight of my eyelids. The moment my eyes shut, I feel powerless to anything that isn’t sleep. I let myself fall into a weightless sleep, my only tether being the Anakin’s fingers around mine. 
--
A distant noise yanks me from my sleep. I’m too drowsy to do anything but register the sound. I hear another similar...whine? cry? I can’t tell and I’m too asleep to figure it out. I almost fall asleep again, but a third distressed sound keeps me from it. I wipe my eyes lazily with the back of my hand as I try to sit up. 
Squinting, I make out a figure on my bed. It takes me a moment to remember Anakin and how I fell asleep. Our hands are still together and no light is peering through my window so it can’t be that long since I fell asleep. Another disgruntled sound carries itself throughout the room. I shift slightly, leaning over Anakin cautiously. 
Golden brown curls are beginning to stick to his forehead and his eyebrows are drawn together sharply. He’s having a nightmare.  I shift even further forward before cautiously placing a hand on his shoulder before squeezing him gently. 
“Anakin,” I whisper, “it’s not--it’s not real.” His eyebrows draw together even more harshly. I shake him a little more stubbornly. “Anakin, wake up--you’re having a ni--”
 My forearm is grabbed so suddenly I barely register it before I feel my back shoved into my mattress. I blink twice. His dark eyes are frantic and the look on his face is far from the gentle, easygoing expression I’m used to. He’s breathing deeply, his chest rising and falling from above me. I swallow a slight panic and something I don’t understand as I try to keep my eyes on his face and my thoughts away from how close he is. Anakin pries his fingers from my forearm one by one until only his palm is touching me. 
“Y/n, I--” 
“It’s okay.” Honestly, I’m more worried about his uneven breathing than the way he grabbed me. I can’t imagine everything he’s been through or how justified his nightmares are. Anakin moves his hand away from me. I don’t sit up until he’s off of me and sitting with his back against my headboard. “It’s okay--I just--you were having a nightmare and I thought I should wake you.” He doesn’t react. I turn my body further, keeping my back straight. Anakin doesn’t move, and the longer he stays still, the more I feel like I should say something else. “Do you want talk about it? Or do--do you want to talk about something else? Or go to sleep? Or get some water? Or--” The far off look behind his eyes silences me. I scoot forward slightly. “You’re okay, Anakin, I promise.” 
His head turns at that, his eyes searching mine for something I don’t understand. “I thought...” He cuts himself off by swallowing once. 
I shift a little more, trying to find anything normal in his expression. “Thought what?” 
Anakin’s hand is on my arm so quickly I don’t even register his movement. I let his fingers press into my skin. He’s holding onto me like I’m a figment of a dream and he’s beginning to wake up. “I thought I’d failed.” He exhales, the sound heavy. “Failed you and that you’d--I  thought I had lost you.” 
A lump rises in my throat, thick and unmoving. Cautiously, I place my hand over the one still gripping my shoulder like a lifeline. “You didn’t. Nothing happened, it was just a dream.” 
His gaze falls to the ground before he repeats the last of my words. “Just a dream.” There’s a hollowness to his voice I don’t understand. 
I exhale, carefully running my thumb over his knuckles. “Yes.” He doesn’t say anything but his expression hardens again. I let us sit there like that for a long minute. “I promise.” 
“You can’t promise things like that.”
I sigh, unsure of where to go from here. “Bad dreams are only bad dreams.” He doesn’t reply. “I think you should try to get some more sleep.” 
Anakin is unresponsive. I shift back, but before I can transition from almost being on top of him to just sitting next to him, he pulls on my arm to keep in place. “I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you.” 
“Nothing’s going to happen to me.” 
“You almost died today, y/n. I was right there and if I had been a second later--” 
“But you weren’t.” He doesn’t ease. “You were there and I was fine. Don’t torment yourself over what could have been. You’ll drive yourself crazy.” 
“If anything ever happened to y--” 
“It’s not going to,” I whisper, ignoring the way his hold on my arm tightens even further, “Especially this time a year when I have a pretty good gau--” 
He tilts his head slightly, eyebrows drawing together and a ghost of a smile on his lips. “Pretty good? Really?” 
“Someone needs to watch your ego, chosen one.” This time when he tries for a smile, the look has some strength behind it. Relief pools in my stomach. “Now get some sleep, tomorrow’s a busy day and when you’re sleepy you’re beyond irritable.”  
Anakin lets me pull away enough to lay down, but he doesn’t follow. Not for a long second. When he does, his movements are impossibly rigid. I watch him out of the corner of my eye as carefully as I can manage. 
“Y/n?” 
I regret turning my head immediately. I didn’t realize how close he was. It would take no effort from me to make our lips meet. Wait--why am I thinking of that? I’m not allowed to think of stuff like that...especially not about him. 
“Yes?”
He lets out a breath before moving his hand. I don’t understand his hesitation until I feel his hand cupping my cheek gently. “What if next time I’m not enough? What if next time I lose you because I’m not strong enough?” 
I never thought my death would be such a personal thing to him. Sure, I knew that we had some kind of bond, some kind of friendship, and that my death would bring sadness. But I never imagined I’d matter enough to him that thoughts of my death would be frightening enough to slip into his subconscious and become a thing of nightmares. 
“You are enough. Nothing is going to happen to me and if it does it’s not going to be because of you.” Anakin’s lips press together in a way that implies serious uncertainty. His thumb brushes across my cheek so unexpectedly I almost ask him what he’s doing. The intensity behind his eyes is enough to burn me. “Was your dream really that bad?” 
He lets out an uncertain breath as his eyebrows draw together. I don’t miss the way his jaw clenches. “It’s more than the dream. I...y/n, princess,” he tacts on, a hint of humor returning to him, “you’re more than a mission to me.” 
The admission is so soft I can’t help but smile. “I know, Anakin, we’re--” 
“You’re more than a friend to me.” I don’t know if my blood freezes in my veins or if my lungs don’t contract when they should or if my heart literally skips a beat, but I know something in me completely stops at his words. “I--” 
“Don’t say it.” I don’t know how I managed to cut him off so sharply and I’m a little disappointed when I do, but it’s the right thing to do. Thought of the code that’s so important to him have clouded half the immense shock and joy swelling in my chest. “What you’re trying to say...I um, I want to say the same.” I try to drop my gaze but he tilts my head up slightly with his hand. “But we shouldn’t, you know that.” 
"You want to us to pretend that nothing’s different? You want me to escort you from meetings with one suitor to the next every Coronation Season until you’re married off?” 
“No, I’m not saying that. The point is that I’m not saying anything.” His eyebrows draw together in uncertainty. “Isn’t it enough for now, for both of us to just know? If we say it...that could mean bad things for you. And I don’t want to be a bad thing for you.” 
“You could never be.”
It’d be so easy to believe him. To believe him and to let him say what I never imagined I’d be able to hear and damn the consequences of tomorrow. “Can we just refrain from verbally saying anything until you’re sure?” 
“I’m sure right now. I’ve been sure since the first time we ever walked in the garden together. The night after the first Coronation Ball I escorted you to.” 
I remember that night well. The way he hadn’t scolded me for needing air or taking off my uncomfortably high heels to walk in the grass. “If you mean it, you won’t say it yet. I refuse to get in the way of what you’re meant for.”
His thumb runs my cheek entirely, stopping at the corner of my mouth. “Are you capable of not disagreeing with me?” 
Rolling my eyes slightly, I place my hand over his. “Probably not.” 
Anakin exhales, his playful irritation clear in the sound. “You’re impossible when you’re tired.” 
“I am not tired.” 
“I can see the sleep in your eyes.” 
“I can see it in yours too.” 
He pauses, eyebrows drawn together cautiously. “I’ll go to sleep if you do.”
He must be more tired than I thought if he’s compromising with me so quickly. “Deal.” 
Neither of us close our eyes for a long second, we just watch each other with wide eyes. It still doesn’t feel like he’s eased, but he’s come back to me so much more than he was earlier. I’ll make sure to check how he’s feeling in the morning. The first morning after we’ve...I don’t know. 
I’m trying really hard not to get excited because anything that’s been not said could be taken back so easily. That’s the point--but it’s hard not to let my heart get ahead of my rationality. I’ll just take the good for what it is for now and tomorrow we can figure out the rest. Even though he’s not allowed to form attachments and my father really wants to marry me off to foreign royalty.
Tomorrow. This can begin to be solved tomorrow. My eyes shut and I let myself roll fully onto my back. The second I’m comfortably settled, I feel Anakin shift against the bed. I’m too tired to open my eyes until I feel a weight placed against my chest. 
I open my eyes on instinct, less surprised than I should be when I see Anakin’s head resting against my chest. Before I can speak, I feel his arm rest against my side. “Anakin,” I breathe, my hand moving to smooth his hair out of his face the way I’ve wanted to for so long. “What did we just talk about?” 
“You said not to say anything,” he mumbles comfortably, “I’m not saying anything.” ...It is kind of the ideal compromise. Especially since I’m too tired to find reason and he feels so warm. “I can feel you overthinking. Go back to smoothing my hair before I have to rise and stand at your door so that your handmaid comes to wake you. Something tells me she’d be glad for the excuse to get rid of me.” 
That might be the most dramatic thing I’ve ever heard him say. Selma is the most patient woman in the palace. “Selma would never report anything involving me, I can’t believe you don’t like her. She’s the sweetest woman I’ve ever met.”  
“She’s the one that doesn’t like me,” he says, “she always watches me like she’s trying to figure out if I’m planning on stealing you away.” 
Too tired to fight my smile, I go back to smoothing his hair out with my fingers. After a moment, he lets out an exhale that relaxes his entire body. “Goodnight, princess.” 
“Goodnight.” The word is barely a mumble as I feel sleep tug against me for the second time tonight. 
It’s strange, but my excitement doesn’t diminish my tiredness, it just makes the prospect of rest feel so much fuller. Safer. Because there’s so much to sort out and grieve but it’s okay, because we have the time and everything feels okay because Anakin is here, right beneath my fingertips. 
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namelessayakashi · 3 years
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Merlin/Arthur Fic Rec List
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This is going to be a long post, so the recs start blow the cut!
I wanted to make a fic rec list!! So, here I am. Should be doing my uni homework that's due tonight but I am a terrible procrastinator.
I will probably make another one later on when I have more time that is more organized, but this one is in no particular order.
Last Updated 23 Sept. 2021
Also, quickly, a big thank you to @kickassfu for the making gif above for this post, ilysm Maf!!
Onto the fics!
Unsaid Love by AeonTheDimensionalGirl
Rating: Teen & Up
Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Type: Return Fic; Angst with a Happy Ending
Wordcount: 4,022
Quick Summary: Songfic for the song Unsaid Emily from Julie & the Phantoms. Follows Merlin through the years as every century on Arthur's birthday more and more of a song is revealed to him when he goes to sleep. [Regency setting fic]
-- I am still not over this fic of @aeonthedimensionalgirl's, this fic is literally incredible. It is so good. I recommend reading it with Unsaid Emily playing on repeat in the background.
The Wisdom Of The Ages by tehfanglyfish
Rating: Teen & Up
Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Type: Fluff; Getting Together
Wordcount: 4,200
Quick Summary: "Saving Arthur while disguised as Dragoon the Great was all well and good until the king decided the old sorcerer deserved a reward. On the run from Arthur, Merlin finds sanctuary in an elderly women's social club. What was supposed to be a one-time visit becomes a regular part of Merlin's week, as he returns each Friday to discuss recipes, commiserate about aches and pains, and lament the state of his love life." - Summary directly from AO3
-- Such a good fic, honestly, like. Merlin befriends Camelot's elderly ladies. Need I say more? It's great.
Forgetful Days by OnceFutureEmrys
Rating: General Audiences
Archive Warning: None Apply
Type: Fluff; Modern AU
Wordcount: 620
Quick Summary: "Arthur is very forgetful. Luckily, Merlin is there to help." - Summary directly from AO3
-- Seriously, @oncefutureemrys this fic is so cute and it's just great, def recommend it
Home in Your Arms by OnceFutureEmrys
Rating: General Audiences
Archive Warning: None Apply
Type: Pining; Fluff; Modern AU
Wordcount: 1,574
Quick Summary: "Arthur is missing Merlin when when he hears someone knocking on the door..." - Summary directly from AO3
-- Yes, another one from OFE, because I love her and her fics. This fic is so sweet, it is a modern University AU!
Ink On A Page by Hisa_Ai
Rating: General Audiences
Archive Warning: None Apply
Type: Pining; Fluff
Wordcount: 2,170
Quick Summary: Merlin writes his feelings on parchment, because if they are on paper, they are just words on a page, and not really his and didn't hold any meaning. One day Arthur notices him writing on one of these pieces of parchment.
-- Literally so beautiful. I loved this fic so much, and I recommend it so much. It is a canon era confessions fic, and it's just so good.
Fool Me Once by CaffeinatedFlumadiddle
Rating: Teen & Up
Archive Warning: Author Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Type: Humor; Magic Revealed; Dark Humor
Wordcount: 18, 728
Quick Summary: "Uther finds out about Merlin’s magic, but can’t seem to kill him. Merlin is just trying to protect Arthur. They become a begrudgingly effective duo. Arthur doesn't understand why they think he isn't noticing this." - Summary directly from AO3
-- I mean, can I just recommend this entire series? Seriously, the series this fic is in is just--excellent. I love this fic. It has Immortal Merlin and Uther Knowing about his magic. Seriously, though, just this series is amazing ahah Exceptionally Exceptional, Calling the Middleman, Returning the Favor, In Which Arthur Lets a Sorcerer Live and Regrets It, just to name a few, are incredible and I definitely recommend reading them.
for my beating heart is far too small for the entirety of my love for you by kickassfu
Rating: Teen & Up
Archive Warning: None Apply
Type: Fluff; Established Relationship
Wordcount: 1,566
Quick Summary: Arthur is trying to learn a little magic to surprise Merlin at his coronation after their wedding.
-- So, I actually gave @kickassfu the prompt for this one. And oh my gods. How they did it? So soft, sweet. It is so good, and I 100% recommend you check it out!
That’s my Man by AeonTheDimensionalGirl
Rating: Teen & Up
Archive Warning: None Apply
Type: Emotional Hurt/Comfort; Magic Revealed; Arranged Marriage; Angst with a Happy Ending
Wordcount: 2,287
Quick Summary: "By ancient, prophesied law, Arthur Pendragon must wed Emrys.
Problem is no one knows who they are." - Summary directly from AO3
-- I told you Aeon would be on here again! Love this fic so much. Love magic reveals, love arranged marriages. Seriously, this is great.
the house is flooded (as is his heart) by powered_by_notes
Rating: Teen & Up
Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Type: Domestic Fluff; Return Fic
Wordcount: 2,281
Quick Summary: Arthur leaves to do some work in town, and Merlin runs into a bit of trouble with the cottage and their chickens while he's gone.
-- They have chickens. Enough said. No but really, this is so good, they live in a cottage and they have chickens and I definitely recommend this fic.
Emrys the Really, Truly Terrible by lindenwaverly
Rating: Teens & Up
Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Type: Magic Reveal, Emrys Reveal
Wordcount: 15,241
Quick Summary: Arthur has repealed the ban on magic, but Merlin still hasn't come clean about his identity. The issue comes in where, Arthur wants Emrys to be his Court Sorcerer
-- literally. cackled. this is so great, i loved this one. i read it in the morning and do not regret it one bit. some of the dialogue just killed me. it's a great fic, and you should definitely read it.
Arthur Pendragon's Business Judgment Rule by oddishly
Rating: Teen & Up
Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Type: Woke Up Married
Wordcount: 27,459
Quick Summary: "Arthur and Merlin wake up married. Camelot is in the middle of treaty negotiations with a visiting king. It's okay, Arthur has a plan." - Summary directly from AO3
Lord Drake's Bequest by Pennyplainknits
Rating: Mature
Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Type: Modern Era, Fake Relationship
Wordcount: 9,966
Quick Summary: " "To my great-nephew Arthur I bequeath Tintagel Distribution, wholly and without reserve, save for one condition. You must marry, and stay married, for a period of no less than six months. You're a wonderful businessman Arthur, but a full life needs love and companionship, not just a string of affairs. Settle down young Arthur, and your life will be the richer for it." " - Summary directly from AO3
of all things magic, a cerulean haze by powered_by_notes
Rating: Teen & Up
Archive Warning: None Apply
Type: Magic Reveal
Wc: 7,092
Summary: "When Arthur goes missing, Merlin goes off on his own searching for him. He knows to look for things that the others simply do not and has things at his disposal that the others, again, simply do not.
. . .Magical things, of course.
In all his power, worry, anger, and relentless searching, he has no idea the missing king is being shown all the things that Merlin is doing with that power.
. . .Magical things, of course." - Summary directly from AO3
-- Loved this sm. Gods, I was supposed to read this ages ago, but only FINALLY just found the time to last night and it was so great. Arthur is kidnapped while out doing smth for Merlin and it's just really good.
On the Run by Sorceressofdragons
Rating: E
Archive Warnings: None Apply
Type: Modern AU
Wordcount: 18,155
Summary: After an unsuccessful attempt on their lives, new neighbours Arthur and Merlin decide to take off into the woods. Their destination is Morgana’s country estate, but these two city boys don’t know anything about survival—so if the foxes don’t get them, the lack of Monster Munch might. Featuring sex mishaps, weird food, walking in circles, and some obligatory cuddling. Oh, and Merlin is hung. - Summary directly from AO3
-- fucking KILLED me. This was just -- it was great. Literally, from the start I SWORE i knew the who and why only to discover I was totally off with the *why* and it was fantastic.
Hear Your Heart Sing (Love, Love, Love) by schweet_heart
Rating: Mature
Archive Warnings: None Apply
Type: Soulmate Au, Modern Au
Wordcount: 15,834
Summary: Merlin used to like the idea of finding The One – until he fell in love with Arthur Pendragon. Now he has a boss he can't date (but can't stop thinking about), a soulmate he can't find (who has terrible taste in music), and a best friend who can't believe he still hasn't got his act together (even though it's seriously not his fault).Sometimes, life is unfairly complicated, even without your soulmate singing painfully catchy tunes in the back of your head. - Summary directly from AO3
-- This one was just great. The soulmates, the songs, the misunderstandings--it was great. I loved this one.
Note to Idiot by tinylilremus
Rating: Teen & Up
Archive Warnings: None Apply
Type: Harry Potter AU, Modern AU
Wordcount: 9,762
Summary: Arthur and Merlin are members of the Accidental Magic Reversal Squad who work different shifts and share the same office. Arthur, who works the day shift, can't stand the rain. Merlin, who works the night shift, can't concentrate without it.
When they both get tired of changing the weather in the magical window in their underground office, is there a more British way to settle their differences than with a few passive-aggressive memos? - Summary directly from AO3
-- HP AU! A Ministry AU at that! I literally. I loved this so much. Merlin & Arthur are both in the AMRS, different shifts, and it's just hnsdsjdkh it's so good. Really, it's great. And we get to see them on the job a bit!!! Which is fun. This one is def a great one to read, esp if you like HP AUs
as stated previously, this list is being frequently updated with more fics!!!
186 notes · View notes
thebluestbluewords · 3 years
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HEIST HEIST HEIST
I saw this post today and got inspired, SO here is Descendants Could Have Been A Heist Movie, thebluestbluewords take :
(this is very much an outline and not a full fic yet, but I might yet write this someday)
Taking this whole heist movie idea very seriously, this would be (and might yet be if I have the time for it) a fic about how the first Descendants movie would have gone if it had been a heist movie, rather than a fairytale.
The main plot of the movie is no longer about learning to choose good and seeing that kids don’t have to follow in the footsteps of their parents- it’s now a high school political intrigue about stealing a wand.
(don’t worry about the larger themes there- the wand might be stolen for many self-serving reasons that go beyond 'doing what their parents say'. Maybe they’re stealing it to make a larger statement about opening the isle. Or about how treating villains as villains is wrong and they deserve trust because it makes things so much more fun for them in the long run)
(can you tell I haven’t decided on the overall tone of this AU yet lmao)
The story starts when the VKs are being told to get the wand, hand it over, it’ll be easy.
Sure, they say.
Sounds great, they say.
Give us your spellbook and magic mirror and whatever else you’ve got to give, and we absolutely won’t use them to betray you and open the isle on our own terms, they don’t say.
(this story ends before we get to that point, but the implication is there)
The kids arrive in Auradon, as in canon.
Unlike canon, they don’t immediately go for a break-and-enter approach to the museum, because if they’re going to heist this, they’re going to do it right. A good heist takes planning, and patience, and research.
What they do is wait until the weekend, and then inform the school admin that they want to get to know the culture of Auradon.
The museum seems like a great place to start, Evie says earnestly.
We didn’t have anything like it back on the Isle, adds Mal. It would be such a good learning opportunity for us.
And we could see the town. And the candy store. Say the boys.
The school admin caves, because it would be wrong to deny these kids a chance to get to know this history of goodness! They’re just teenagers, and they’ve been doing so well with their first week, and of course they can go into town, do they want a school car to drop them off?
They do not.
The museum is kind of a bust. They spend some time scoping out the security, but they’ve had a whole week to magically-google everything they can about this place, and it’s not much of a surprise that there’s a functionally unbreakable magical alarm system set up around all of the objects.
Time to reassess the plan.
(this is where the political intrigue comes in)
Ben is still a Fundamentally Decent (if slightly boring) guy in this.
Of course, he’s also the one on the line if this whole villainy exchange program goes wrong. It shouldn’t be a surprise that he would come to check up on his flagship students after they have a day out exploring the town.
Oho, Mal thinks. Here’s something they can work with.
Ben is sweet. He’s not terribly interesting, at least at first, but he seems like a guy who genuinely cares about the idea of bringing villain kids over, and can probably be manipulated to their purposes without too much effort.
So the VKs think over their potential plans to get the wand, and decide that yeah, if they can get an in with the future king of Auradon, that’s probably a pretty solid place to start.
Unfortunately, they decide to start this attempt by blatantly flirting.
Audrey is very much a political presence in this fic. She’s not evil by any means, but she is goal oriented and doesn’t necessarily love the idea of VKs coming in and altering her five year plan for herself and her boyfriend.
(I think Aurdey is an interesting character, and I wish she’d been given some better motivations in the first movie beyond ‘mean girl in a high school movie’. So in this fic, where they do still crown the incoming royalty at sixteen, they also believe in setting up children for advantageous marriages. Audrey and Ben have been pushed at each other since they were kids, and yeah, maybe there’s not a lot of actual love between them, but they’re friends and it’s way easier to just date each other and make their parents happy than refuse and risk losing the sway they get with their parents by being the good little obedient golden children who are happy to be put together if it’s what’s best for the future of the realm.)
The point of this is, the VKs send Mal in with her very best flirting, taught to her by Evie in a truly hopeless training montage, and it just-
Fails. Completely.
And now Audrey sort of hates them.
Great.
The other unfortunate piece of this heist is that the relationships between the co-conspirators, the core four, are….somewhat intense. Charged, if you will, with a certain kind of tension.
I’m not saying that Malvie hook up in their pink princess dorm room on the first night and then don’t talk about it for the rest of the story despite blatantly flirting with each other all the time, but yeah actually that might be what I’m saying.
This is the middle of the fic now, and there’s some kind of political drama that leads to the VKs finding out about the coronation.
Maybe it’s teammate bonding, because I think it’s tragically underutilized that Ben and Jay are canonically both sports bros and I want more of that sweet high school sports team drama content.
The point is, they find out about the coronation, and that the wand will be out and about during that day.
Oho, they say. An opportunity.
Building on the sports bros theme, Lonnie gets to be in this story! She’s a cool character and I have a couple of unfinished ideas for her kicking around my fic drive, so she’s going to be here too.
Lonnie finds the VKs in a somewhat compromising state of planning.
Uh, what the fuck is this, she says.
What do you THINK, says Mal, who is not known for keeping her mouth shut.
Looks like...some kind of statement that you’re going to make during the coronation, says Lonnie, who is a nice person and also didn’t hear/see all that much of the planning before she was noticed. (as I’m typing this up I am also remembering the School of Secrets shorts?? Lonnie is absolutely going in this fic as someone who spies on her new friends. It’s almost like canon. She’s the daughter of Mulan. She can sneak when she wants to)
Yes. Exactly. A peaceful political statement, says Evie, who is often a quicker thinker than the others. We are going to… sit at the front in protest. Of how we have been treated. As villains. We deserve the same respect as other students, regardless of who our parents are.
Lonnie is surprisingly on board with this, because honestly, based on some of her costume choices in d1, magical disney utopias seem to be overwhelmingly white for the most part and do not know how to support their international students very well.
(am I still mad about the awful dress she was wearing during the family day scene?? yes.)
So now they have Lonnie on board with their made-up protest plan, and they’ve got Ben and Jay being… actually bros, weirdly enough, and somehow there’s got to be high school political intrigue that I haven’t thought through yet (maybe a group who doesn’t approve of the villainy exchange program is trying to get Ben declared unfit?? Idk. Maybe it’s just different mini kingdoms angling for a good position, and it matters Very Deeply who sits where at the coronation and it’s a whole deal. That one probably works a bit better.) and it’s altogether getting Pretty Far Into Things.
Family day isn’t a big conflict in this AU, because the VKs don’t really care about the whole family gathering and party business without Mal being involved with Ben. They decide to have a chill time hanging out and plotting their heist instead. The wand is going to be taken out before the coronation, but rather than try and grab it in the middle of things, it’s got to be easier to grab it right before or after, while it’s in transport.
They have multiple people who can pick locks. People who can charm guards into letting their guard down for a bit. Ways of getting around even electronic lock systems, given some time.
They hang around the classroom a bit longer after their parent phone call, and get to talking with Fairy Godmother about how maybe, possibly, they could get a real place up at the front during the coronation. It’s a good distraction, and hearing more about the logistics of how things are going to go on the day itself is a perfect segue into asking more about the objects that are used during the coronation. It’s important to understand their new home! No other reason they’d want to know about the history and powers of her wand.
No other reason at all.
They learn that the wand is going into secure storage in Fairy Godmother’s office for the day before the ceremony. Of course, it’s going to be safe enough there. The magical wards at the museum are mostly there in case of emergency, and they’re really more about making sure none of the objects get damaged than they are about theft.
There are no more villains in Auradon, after all.
All things considered, it’s shockingly easy to break into Fairy Godmother’s office the night before the coronation. The wand is in a safe with some magic barriers around it, but Mal has her mother’s spellbook, and Evie has a magic mirror that can look up the answer to pretty much anything they ask, so it’s short work for a pair of magic users who have been practicing their spellwork since they day they left the isle to break the temporary barriers down.
There’s a regular human lock as well, and they give that one to Jay. He’s their lockpicking expert, after all.
And there it is.
Mal grabs the wand. There’s a surge of magical energy up through her hand, burning everywhere she’s touching the silvery metal, but in a way that feels like strength.
And all hell breaks loose.
#my fic#descendants fic#disney descendants#this got long very fast and I might need to write at least part of it now#core four#mal bertha#evie grimhilde#jay son of jafar#carlos de vil#i realize that I did not go very far into what these kids are actually DOING beyond the plotting and the answer is Simply Vibing#making friends and influencing people#stirring up drama just because they can#Audrey might actually need to be a major character in this#she's not necessarily the antagonist but she's not an ally either#she and Ben don't break up in this AU but she does let Ben get away with plausible deniability when it comes to flirting with other guys#partially because she doesn't really care if he's into men so long as he's going to marry her#and he does care about her#they've been friends since childhood and it's a weird political landscape when children are coming of age at sixteen#and expected to start participating in governance#also there's a whole lot of tiny kigdoms that basically have their own ruling systems in place#they just also have a larger king who keeps them together for a couple things#like kicking out villains#and having unified borders in times of outside conflict#so that the smaller kingdoms don't get wiped off the map#but that's not the POINT the POINT is the HEIST#steal the wand in a way that is meticulously planned for the whole story leading up to the moment of actual theft#a thruline that's not romance#this is loosely canon pairings as of the beginning of d1#so like#no actual ships
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firelordzukohere · 4 years
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Interior Decor
Hello! I started this blog because I wrote a Zuko x Reader fanfiction and I wanted somewhere to post it that wasn’t my main blog. 
I came up with the idea for this fic randomly one day and I thought I’d write it down and share it with you all. It’s going to be 4 parts with a possible epilogue, but I’m not sure yet. Please let me know what you think!!
I’ll be updating every Sunday with a new chapter! Hopefully you guys really like this and keep reading!!
I’ve also posted it to AO3 if you’d prefer to read it there
Thanks!
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Zuko X Fem!Reader
Warnings: Fluff, Slight Aangst(heh), and some implications
Word Count: Almost 3k
Summary: Iroh felt it was time for the Palace to reflect the time of Peace and Love that Zuko promised five years earlier at his coronation. He takes it upon himself to hire an interior decorator to help his nephew out and work together. What he didn’t expect was for Zuko to possibly find his own peace and love in the process. 
Chapter 1: Feng Shui >> Chapter 2: Tchotchke 
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Walking into the grand entrance of the Fire Nation Palace, (Y/N) couldn't help but stop and begin mentally jotting down the changes she would make to the décor. It was very dingy, dark, and drab, as though the Palace had been sitting in it's own dusty iceberg for a hundred years, keeping it's hatred preserved with each speck of dirt. The windows were covered in black-out fabric, the walls had pictures of past Fire Lords glaring down at those who dared to enter their sacred home of destruction, plants wilted and dead, no life left within them, and the carpet looked as though it had seen millions upon millions of feet within its lifetime.
Now, (Y/N) wasn't trying to be rude, but it was her job to notice these things. She had been hired by General Iroh to redo the interior of the Fire Nation Palace. This meant every single room from the throne room to the dining hall, the ballroom to the Fire Lord's private quarters, everything needed a refresh. She expected this kind of thing to be done back when the Fire Lord had first taken over, however, her services weren't requested until five years after his coronation.
Which is why she stood at the entrance, questioning why it took them so long to get someone in here. The poor Palace staff and the Fire Lord must be drowning in darkness and discomfort. Not to mention cowering in fear at Sozin, Azulon, and Ozai's deep glares within several portraits throughout.
She was busy having a staring contest with Ozai, which she was undoubtedly losing because he was terrifying to look at, when Iroh walked up and greeted her with a warm smile. The look immediately lit the room up, sending a comforting feeling from the top of her head to the bottom of her toes as if she had just dipped herself into the warm ocean to cool off.
"Ah! Miss (Y/N), thank you for your patience," he bowed causing her to return the sign of respect back, "I was just making sure my nephew was ready for our meeting today as well. He's just finishing up with the council, so we'll go on ahead without him and he can catch up," the older man winked before guiding her further into the Palace, "Please, tell me what you think so far, first impressions may not always be accurate, but they do tell quite a lot, especially when it comes to decoration," Iroh said as they walked.
Clearing her throat, (Y/N) tuned into her interior decorator mode. "I feel like I'm living in the Fire Palace from Sozin's time," she said, bluntly, however still with a hint of hope. "I feel like this Palace has most likely been causing the Fire Lord nothing but stress, as though it's a dark cloud looming over his head, watching his every move, almost like Ozai never left." Her voice calm and diplomatic, she had dealt with several Fire Nation officials before and no matter how often she tried to soften the blow, she was usually always dealt with backlash and anger over her honest opinion of the look.
Iroh, however, surprised her, and laughed with his whole body, resting his hands on his stomach for a moment, stopping their stride. "My dear, you are spot on!" This immediately caused (Y/N) to smile brightly, grateful that she was with a client who didn't seem to want to fight her every move. "Even when Ozai and I were boys growing up in the Palace here, we always felt as though we were living during Sozin's reign. Not that we believed that to be a bad thing at the time," he chuckled before continuing on down the hall.
The hallway led into the throne room, which was one of the biggest rooms in the Palace according to the layout that Iroh had given her during her interview with him. The only other room that was as large was the ballroom followed closely by the dining hall.
"This is where my nephew holds council with everyone in all four nations, whoever wants a seat with him. My brother, father, and grandfather stopped using it for that purpose and just became a place to dish out their royal decrees, banishing visitors that were not worthy." (Y/N) frowned listening to the history of this room. "My nephew likes this room to be where he listens and does very little talking, which I think is a wonderful sentiment to have." She nodded and began jotting down notes on her parchment.
There needed to be more light, some greenery added to liven up the place, possibly a little less fire around the throne itself, to seem more welcoming. Overall, the layout of the room was beautiful, it just needed some acceptance instead of deterrence.
Iroh led her toward the next room which appeared to be the ballroom. It was gorgeous, high ceilings with chandeliers, ready for their candles to be lit and make the glass sparkle, tall windows that went nearly from the floor to the ceiling providing a glorious view of the garden outside. Other than a couple of touch ups here and there, this room was incredible. However, it looked like it hadn't been used in centuries. Webs and dust littered the vast room, sheets covered small tables and seating areas and were yellowed with age.
"When my father took power, dancing and parties became nonexistent. He loathed people enjoying themselves, obviously because he did not. My nephew would like to throw a celebration after this redecoration, allowing all nations to come together and dance." Iroh smiled.
"Obviously it was more of a strong suggestion by the Dragon of the West, who rumor has it, excelled in dancing due to his bond with the dragons," a husky voice behind them added, causing the two to turn and find the Fire Lord standing behind them in his royal attire, with a small smirk on his face.
(Y/N) had seen beautiful interiors, gorgeous landscapes, sunsets, flowers, paintings, structures, and everything in between, however, her breath left her body the moment her eyes landed on the Fire Lord in person. He was a very handsome man, defined features and golden eyes that pierced any girl's heart.
This admiration, unfortunately, caused her to stare at him longer than normal, creating an awkward tension within the room. Beside her, Iroh cleared his throat, waking the girl from her trance on his nephew. She blushed furiously and bowed properly to the Fire Lord.
"Your Highness, my apologies, I wasn't expecting you this early," she whispered quickly attempting to cover her ogling with a valid reason, "I'm grateful that you have allowed me the opportunity to work on your home and make it something that you'll enjoy living within and celebrating for years to come." He smiled at her before turning to Iroh.
"It wasn't exactly my plan, as I said, the Dragon of the West is a very convincing man and deemed it necessary that since I was bringing a time of new, the Palace should reflect that." Iroh smirked.
"Please Fire Lord Zuko," Iroh said with a hint of snark in his voice, "I just couldn't bear to see you glare at the paintings of your father strewn everywhere and decided it was a time for change." Zuko blushed and sent a small glare at Iroh. "Plus, you're never going to woo any ladies with a Palace looking like this!" His statement caused (Y/N) to cover her mouth quickly and let out a giggle. Hearing the noise from her, Zuko's face burned darker, matching the Fire Nation red of his robes. "Anyway, my dear nephew, I must leave you at this time, you see it's nearly noon and I have a Pai Sho game to play with an old friend," he stepped back and bowed to both his nephew and (Y/N). "I'm sure you can take care of the rest of the tour and inform her on any changes you'd like. She's brilliant and really knows what she's doing so take everything she has to offer into account."
"Wait, you're not staying?" (Y/N) stopped him, nervously. Iroh smiled and shook his head.
"This isn't my home, it's his, he should be first hand in working with you. You're both smart and will definitely come up with something great together." Zuko's eyes were daggers as he looked at his Uncle. Iroh merely smirked before stepping away and back down the hallway she had originally met him in.
"I apologize for my Uncle, he's… eccentric, to say the least," the Fire Lord said with a frown. "I guess we should move on with the tour," he mumbled awkwardly before shuffling toward the room after the ballroom. The dining hall.
They traveled through the dining hall, the council chambers-as Zuko refused to call it the war room anymore, the spa rooms, a few bedrooms though they all looked the same according to the Fire Lord, several various hallways, where they finally ended, his bedroom.
(Y/N) had filled several parchments with notes and ideas for the Palace. She was already growing excited about the new plans and was ready to bring some life back into the Fire Nation's symbolic building.
"Not much needs to be done in here, to be honest, I don't use it for anything other than a place to sleep," he grumbled as he had essentially the entire tour. After Iroh had left, Zuko seemed unenthusiastic about showing her around and even less excited about her decorating anything.
"With all do respect, your Highness," she started, unable to bite her tongue this time, as she had the previous dozen times he said that he didn't need much done to the room, "that's a problem. Your bedroom should be a safe haven where you go to escape, especially with your job," her (Y/E/C) eyes narrowed in his direction, attempting to convey her seriousness about the situation. "This room is a comfort to you, not a grave to your father's previous sins." His single eyebrow cocked.
"With all do respect Miss…" it was then he realized he didn't know her name. Iroh had handled all the details, Zuko simply nodded his head and did as his uncle said.
"(Y/N)," she whispered somewhat defensively, ready for his retort.
"(Y/N)…" he repeated, "I have an escape in the Palace, though it may not be my bedroom like it seems to be for several of your clients, I can assure you, I'm not like them." He began to walk out of the bedroom, stopping only to turn back at her and nudge his head, signaling her to follow.
Confused, the decorator followed him back toward the ballroom and out into the garden. This view had caught her eye earlier when she was first in the ballroom with Iroh and now, finally getting a thorough look, she couldn't help but stare at the area in awe.
A large tree sat in the center of the zen place, a tiny pond full of quacking turtle ducks swimming happily within. Several other trees and flower bushes littered the area, with small fountains and statues around. It was serene and tranquil, calm seemed to wash over her instantly as she took in her surroundings, admiring the wonderful atmosphere that the garden provided.
Zuko led her toward the pond where he crouched down to rub the head of one of the turtle ducks with the back of his index finger. The duckling quacked and nuzzled closer to his touch instinctively. As the other turtle ducks saw this, they began swimming toward, looking for their own affection from the Fire Lord as well.
(Y/N) couldn't help but stare at the interaction before her, amazed at how the Fire Lord's demeanor changed rapidly. He seemed at peace and happy in this moment just spending time with ducklings in the garden.
"You see, miss (Y/N), while others escape to their bedrooms, I find myself coming here where I can be calm with my thoughts," he smirked up at her as he pat the last turtle duck on the head and then straightened up. With a sigh, she nodded her head, understanding what he meant now. "I do, however, agree, that my room needs more of a makeover than I initially suggested. You're welcome to do with it as you will, just make sure my belongings are taken care of properly." She looked up at him hopeful that he was okay with her being there.
Smiling, she moved toward the tree next to the pond and plopped down. It wasn't quite as ladylike as Zuko expected, like he had witnessed his mother, Mai, Azula, and Ty Lee do, but he couldn't help but smile and follow her lead, sitting down beside her. As she began handing him papers with notes, he watched as she animatedly talked about what she was going to do with each room and how it was supposed to make him feel more comfortable.
"For a Nation about light and the sun, your Palace has very little of it," she started, pointing at sketches she had apparently made as they walked of the different rooms, "I think removing the coverings on the windows and allowing more light to come in will be great. Plus, the sun makes Firebenders feel better, so why wouldn't they want more of it?" Zuko nodded, realizing that it made a lot of sense. "Then your people will be able to see you better instead of the dark shadow that Ozai assumingly was previous." Her casual use of his father's name seemed to shock him, but he didn't say anything and continued to listen. "If they see your face, they'll feel they can trust you more, you're not a bad man to look at either and that could possibly help you in the department General Iroh was requesting which was a new lady friend." She rushed through quickly.
Zuko held up his hand to stop her, "Contrary to what my uncle says, I don't need a woman to make me happy." He said, "I'm doing just fine all on my own." This caused her to stare at him for a few moments in deep thought and Zuko couldn't help but wonder what was going through her head. She seemed to be lost in herself for a moment before her vision returned and she realized she had been staring intently at the Fire Lord.
With a small shake of her head, she focused normally back on him, "I'm sorry, um… yes you're right, you don't need a woman, I was just trying to help." She mumbled before looking down at her papers awkwardly. Zuko handed her back the ones that he had been given and smiled.
"These look great (Y/N), why don't we start tomorrow on it? I will approve anything you want to do," he said trying to reassure the girl who had what felt like an emotional moment from his words.
"No, let me do this right, especially with the Palace. I will return with better sketches tomorrow and then if everything is approved I can bring in a team to start clearing out rooms. We'll do them one by one so you're not without the entire Palace for a couple of weeks," she said, watching as he stood up and held out his hand for her to take. Gently she pressed her palm to his and goosebumps ran up her arm at the shockingly warm contact. He smiled as he helped her to her feet, waiting several moments before leading her hand back to her side and slipping it from his grasp. "Thank you for this opportunity your Highness, you have no idea how excited I am to be able to help you feel like this is your home," she repeated her earlier sentiment with a long bow.
"Zuko," he said bluntly, causing her to look up at him from her bow. Her eyebrow cocked slightly and he couldn't help but smirk at the emotion written across her face. "Call me Zuko, none of this your Highness formality."
With reddened cheeks she smiled and nodded her head. He led her back into the ballroom and toward the entrance to the Palace. "Tomorrow then?" she asked as they reached the grand doorway.
"Tomorrow," he said, looking at her intently. "I'm interested to see what you bring me (Y/N)," he bowed to her.
She returned the bow with one final word for farewell, "Zuko." Her lips formed a smirk that Zuko couldn't stop his eyes from studying for as long as he could before she turned and made her way down the steps, internally wondering why this job made her feel all fuzzy inside.
I hope you guys liked it! Please let me know!  Thanks!
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mystery-and-history · 4 years
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Sullivan in WWII
So, I was thinking about what the Father Brown characters would have been doing during the war(s) and how it would have affected them. Then I remembered that in season 3 episode 4, “The Sign of the Broken Sword”, some characters have medals, with Father Brown and Inspector Sullivan being the only main characters to have them. I don’t know much about medals, but the internet is a wonder and I decided to figure out what they mean. 
(Also I have no idea if anyone else has already looked into it and talked about it, so sorry if this has already been done.) 
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I decided to look into Sullivan’s first, mostly because Father Brown only wears his in a few scenes near the end and Sullivan’s was the first to pop up. (Also we have barely any of Sullivan’s history and I know we’re all frothing at the mouth for it). 
I do plan to research and do a separate post for Father Brown, too, but for now, let’s jump in:
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The picture quality’s not great, but you get the idea. I’m getting most of my info and all the pictures from Wikipedia, so thanks, Wikipedia!!
The first one is the 1939-1945 Star:
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This bad boy was created in July of 1943 and would cover the whole duration of the war. To receive this medal, you basically had to serve 180 days in the navy, army, air force* (air force crew/ground crew), or merchant navy. It’s also not specific to any theater of war. 
So, this one doesn’t really tell us much. All it confirms is that Sullivan served for quite a while in any of the above mentioned forces in... anywhere the war was going on. 
*In the RAF, you could qualify for the medal after only serving 60 days rather than 180.
The second one is the France and Germany Star: 
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A quick note on this one: the colors on the ribbon in real life were blue, white, and orange, while the one on Sullivan is blue, white, and red. However, I could not find a medal that matched the one in the picture exactly, and aside from the orange/red thing, everything else matches up perfectly. I feel pretty confidant that this is it, but please correct me if I’m wrong. 
Anyway, as you may have guessed from the title of this medal, this one was given to forces who served in “France, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands or Germany and adjacent sea areas between 6 June 1944 and 8 May 1945” (Wikipedia). There are very specific boundaries for this, which I’m not going to put here, but feel free to check out the article if you wish. 
This one is more specific, which is nice! Sullivan spent his active duty at least partially in the European theater. The only question is, which force? 
The medal could technically be awarded to someone in the army, navy, or air force. However, based on the fact that there’s a special Air Crew Europe Star, which Sullivan does not have, I think RAF is ruled out. There is also an Atlantic Star, which conflicts with someone earning the France and Germany Star (don’t ask me why the medals conflict; I don’t understand it either). I guess someone could be in the navy in Europe-adjacent seas but not the Atlantic? 
Personally, based on those facts, I’m leaning towards Army for him, but there’s nothing to completely rule out the other two.  
The third one is the Defence Medal: 
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This one is very general. It could be given for a huge range of things within the armed forces and civilians could earn it as well if they were in war-adjacent services. So, nothing really here. 
The fourth medal is the War Medal 1939-1945: 
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Now, this one is actually incredibly interesting! Not because of the medal itself, but we’ll get there. 
So this one is also fairly general, a person basically had to serve in any force for 28 days anywhere the war was going on to earn it. This would tell us nothing. However, if we look closely at the picture again, there is something slightly different about this one:  
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There’s a little thingy on it. At first, this threw me off, because at a distance, I thought it was a little logo or something. But upon reading further, I realized that it’s actually a bronze oak leaf emblem. Here’s what it looks like up close: 
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To quote Wikipedia: “A bronze oak leaf emblem is worn on the ribbon to signify a mention in dispatches, a King's Commendation for Brave Conduct, or a King's Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air.” 
This tells us that Sullivan received one of those three. Which one, we can’t be sure, but let’s take a look at all the possibilities:
 A mention in dispatch is basically when a person is specifically named in a report that their superiors would write to high command, saying that that person had done something particularly brave in action. They’d get the bronze oak leaf emblem and a certificate about it as well. Before 1920, this was not a very common honor, but I’m not sure how common it was in WWII. These mentioned in dispatches would also be recorded in the London Gazette. 
There doesn’t seem to be too much difference, as far as I can tell, between the mentioned in dispatches and a King’s Commendation for Brave Conduct. Though, this one is “not in the face of the enemy”. Before 1945, this was simply known as a commendation, but they had to be dramatic and add the other few words eventually, I suppose. Additionally, these were also published in the newspapers. 
Finally, there’s the King's Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air. Which is exactly the same as the one for Brave Conduct, but obviously in the air. 
So, we don’t know which of these three it could be. I guess the mentioned in dispatches one would probably be the coolest since it’s in action, but really, I think all of them are neat and it’s interesting that he has any one of them. 
(The story of him earning this would be an incredible fic, btw) 
Now, this last one tripped me up. It’s not actually a WWII medal, but a Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal:
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It took me lots of random googling to figure out what this one was. Anyway, to quote Wikipedia once more: “This medal was awarded as a personal souvenir from the Queen to members of the Royal Family and selected officers of state, members of the Royal Household, government officials, mayors, public servants, local government officials, members of the navy, army, air force and police in Britain, her colonies and Dominions. It was also awarded to members of the Mount Everest expedition, two of whom reached the summit four days before the coronation.[1] It was struck at the Royal Mint and issued immediately after the coronation.[2]” 
The coronation of Queen Elizabeth was on June 2, 1953. I would say that that places this episode after that day, but we all know Kembleford is stuck in Perpetual 1953 anyway, so it doesn’t really matter. 
So, there you have it! All of Sullivan’s medals and what they tell us about his history. 
Of course, we don’t know how much of this was the costume department having fun and how much was intentional for his character on the whole. I’m personally considering this canon, as we have literally nothing else to go on, but if you asked the people running the show, they might disagree. 
This was pretty fun to put together. I think I’m going to look into Father Brown’s medals tomorrow. Anyways, thanks for reading :) 
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forkanna · 4 years
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WARNING: Very N S F W. Includes sisterly incest, cunnilingus, anal play, tickling, foot worship, and as you probably expected... food kink.
Notes: HAPPY CORONATION DAY! I've been hanging onto this since I posted chapter 5 both because I wanted to make sure it was just right, and I thought it deserved to be released on an important day in the fandom's history: the date Elsa was crowned Queen of Arendelle in 1844. (We know this thanks to some smart cookies on Reddit haha)
So I know this should technically be from Elsa's POV if I continued to follow the convention I set up for myself, but I decided to keep writing it as Anna. It's been her story from the beginning and it should end as her story. Plus it's an epilogue, so it doesn't have to follow the rest of the fic's format! So there! AHAHAHAHA… I don't know, I'm tired.
And YES, this is the end. No sequels, no Epilogues-To-Epilogues; the MSB grand finale. I know a lot of you may have not seen my mention of an epilogue in the notes for last chapter, so hopefully you'll see this! If any of you want to continue Elsa and Anna's story in your own spinoff fanfics, be my guest (but please credit me); otherwise, I consider MSB to be at its natural ending. Hope you all enjoy the last slice!
In all seriousness, thanks to everyone who has waited this long for what is essentially a one-off smutty fic about D*sney sisters to be finished. I owe so much to this story; it changed my life in a very literal, very unexpected way. Elsa and Anna's true love thawed my jaded heart and encouraged me to keep writing, even when I was sank deep in the darkness of a miserable life, and to explore who I am in ways I never felt brave enough to do. I'm in such a better place now than when this began. It's been a pleasure being part of this fandom, and hopefully I will continue to enjoy it for a long time to come.
Until we meet again,
Jessex
[AO3] [WATTPAD] [QUOTEV]
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                                                 EPILOGUE
                              Min Søsters Bursdagsmadrass: Anna
                                         ~ Five Months Later ~
Okay, okay, not quite five months have passed since we saved our kingdom from my sister's magic. Closer to four-and-a-half. But the time has flown by so much that it feels more like a week.
Kristoff and Sven came galloping up to the gates just as we were exiting. The ice boy was a lot less shocked that I was arm-in-arm with Elsa than I expected; probably because he pretty much already caught us in flagrante delicto before. He tried to offer congratulations, and I gave him a big hug to cut through all that awkwardness.
Olaf showed up not long after. Well, we came across a puddle that used to be Olaf; I'd know that carrot nose anywhere. Before I could start sobbing, Elsa calmly created a little ice-flurry and rebuilt him as easy as if she were breathing; he was disoriented, but didn't take long to be back to his cheerful self, hugging us and congratulating us on figuring out that we belonged together. That made sense the more I thought about it. Seriously, why wouldn't our snow-baby always know his parents should stay together?
Naturally, there were a few people who came to the levee that didn't condone our love. I wish I could say differently. Most of them were either too afraid to speak out against us — probably because my sister was some kind of ice witch, that tends to make even the bravest of men need a change of underwear — or they were genuinely happy we were happy, and summer was back. But one or two tried to shame us. Didn't go well, considering we were the monarchy and surrounded by supporters. More insisted we needed a king, at the very least for the purpose of heirs. I tried to tell them that Olaf was our heir, which got a lot of weird looks, but Elsa insisted that it was our decision if and when we crossed that bridge. I guess that's why she's the queen, right? I mean, can you imagine me as the queen of Arendelle? No way!
Hans was tried and convicted of treason against the kingdom. I didn't even go; I didn't want to look at him again if I could help it. But I watched from the castle walls with my sister as they led him away to a ship bound for the Southern Isles. We figured his family would make sure the sentence was severe if they wanted to maintain a good trade partnership with Arendelle. Plus, we wouldn't have to deal with him still being in our home. Win-win.
We also shipped old Weaseltown out. He can peacock-strut and backstab on his own turf.
Everything flew by a lot faster after those first few days. Kristoff was our new icemaster general — totally a real title, thank you — and Olaf's cheery presence got everyone used to the idea of magic. The people slowly grew to accept that their queen had a queen of her own. At first, we tried not to be too open with our relationship, but even though everybody thinks of me as the free spirit, it was Elsa who decided we should begin taking walks through the kingdom, hand-in-hand. At first, we got a few stinkeyes, but little by little, they saw we were happy, and not hurting anyone with our taboo love, and… it just became normal, I guess.
Which is fantastic! I mean, if they didn't I would have bought a whole collection of lutes to start smacking them with, but that didn't turn out to be necessary. Good thing; a co-queen shouldn't brawl with her subjects. Looks kinda bad.
As we hit the middle of December and the weather was turning colder without my sister's influence, I started scheming. We had enjoyed four wonderful months of getting to know each other all over again. Even though I'm basically a big ball of libido, somehow Elsa convinced me that we shouldn't just start banging each other's brains out every day. How dare she! But I have to admit, having that sex-free courtship time was somehow a magic all its own.
Because we were behind. By thirteen years. I found out just how well-read my sister was, since she had ploughed through book after book when she wasn't trying to practice controlling her magic. That was something we had in common, since I was often equally bored; it turned out we had read a lot of the same books, and we could compare our thoughts and feelings about them over many, many cups of tea. She never did start talking to paintings like I did, but when I introduced them to her, at least she was bemusedly giggling behind her hand instead of openly mocking me, or telling me I needed medical attention. And we went horseback riding, and swimming, ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner together. Started going through our parents' things at last, painful though it was. Learned about the kind of adults we had become since we last knew each other as children.
And kissed, sure. Just because we didn't start rolling around in the bed sheets right away didn't mean I was going to let us be complete prudes.
However… my sister's birthday was fast approaching, and I knew I had to do something big. Maybe in a literal sense. So the scheming turned to plotting, and the plotting turned to planning. And then the plans got put in motion leading up to her big day.
                                                      ~ o ~
"Alright, alright, Olaf! I'm going!"
"Sorry, Elsa, but there's no time to waste!" I could hear him replying to her from the other side of the door. I could just barely see her slippered feet and his snow stumps through the crack underneath. So weird doing that from the inside this time… "I guess. I've never had a birthday, but Anna told me this is your biggest one yet, and we got a schedule to keep!"
"Okay, little guy," she laughed at him easily. Even though I couldn't see, I could just picture her petting over his head. "Thank you."
"Yep! And oh, I was supposed to do something else, it was… yeeeessss! Anna told me I should 'get lost for the rest of the day'. So I guess my question is, does that mean until sundown? Or midnight? And how lost do I have to get? I can get lost just in this castle, it's so big, but she was pointing at the gates when she said it…"
"Tell you what. Why don't you go pay Kristoff and Sven a visit? That should be far enough."
"But I won't be lost if I know where I'm going," he told her in a patient tone, as if she were the one who was missing something instead.
"My mistake," she laughed fondly. "Just have a little adventure outside of the castle and we will see you in the morning."
"Okie-dokie! Have fun, don't do anything I wouldn't do! Or do, because you're not me, so you should be doing things I wouldn't do? Maybe? Especially if I'm going to be getting lost and you don't need to be lost. I don't know if that's exactly…"
He was still talking by the time his voice started to fade around the corner. The rest of the sentence was cut off by Elsa knocking on my door.
"Go away, Elsa," I called back at her in an exaggeratedly pouty tone.
"Anna," she sighed. "Yes, I know I was the one saying that to you for a decade of our lives, but this joke is starting to get a little old now."
"Whaaaaaat? No, I don't think so."
"It's officially old as of today. Now, may I come in, or will you be coming out?"
"Think we both already did that last part," I giggled. "Did you, um, prepare?"
"For the love of- yes! Though I don't know why, I let Gerda bathe me thoroughly, and now I am standing outside your door, scrubbed raw and regretting that I listened to her, because you are being a pain in the-"
She didn't finish that thought because I unlocked the door just then. But I didn't open it for her. I was too busy scampering across the floor of my chambers to stand by the bed, grinning from ear-to-ear like a loon. And don't judge, okay? I'd been planning this for a long time.
"Um…" The door creaked open, and one of her baby blues peered around the inside of the darkened room. The sun had already set, so it was only the moonlight and the single candle on my bedside table providing illumination. "A-Anna?"
"Please enter," I said in a pretentiously royal tone.
"Oh, your robe is like mine," she said with a small smile as she eased the door shut behind her.
"Yep! Silk, from the East! I mean, you fill yours out a little better — especially up top. But that's one of the gifts. And I figured, hey, might as well get one for me, too!"
Barely glancing down at the blue silk covering her sizable assets, she shook her head with a small laugh. "It's very nice, thank you. But I thought I told you I didn't want you to make a big deal about my birthday; we should be focused on the Yule festivities for the kingdo-"
"No, no, no," I teased her with a wave of my index finger, bouncing on my heels excitedly. "This is the first time in thirteen years I have been able to celebrate this with you. Give me this one, okay?"
"When can we stop saying the number thirteen and start really enjoying our lives again?"
"When it's been fourteen years. Now… can you take that robe off and hop up on the bed for me?"
Oh, that shrewd little smirk that blossomed on my sister's face. It was both breathtakingly beautiful and super sexy. She was all the time, anyway, but there were moments that it stood out a lot more. "Ahhhh. So that's what all this is about, is it? You think tonight we are going to break our courtship."
"Mmmmaybe. But even if we don't, I still want more with you tonight. If that's okay," I added hastily, fidgeting with my hands behind my back.
"I see." Elsa stepped forward to smooth her hands up and down the green silk covering my chest, teasing her fingernails over my neck. Definitely not making it any easier to stop my lady parts from launching a hostile takeover of my brain, I can tell you! "And… this is very important to you, isn't it?"
"Y-yeah." Clearing my throat, I said, "And I understand why courting was important to you. And it's been great! Really, I loved getting to know you all over again, and we have been having so much fun. But… maybe just a little playing tonight? Please?"
As she glared across into my eyes, I brought my thumb and forefinger up between our faces, half an inch apart. That was all it took to make her burst out laughing.
"That little, hmm?" she finally chuckled as my cheeks burned. "Okay. I assume once I am in position, you will tackle me on this bed?"
"Yeah. Well, not 'tackle', but I'll join you. I just want you to feel how soft it is first."
That got Elsa's eyebrows raising in slight surprise. "Soft, hm? Did you get yourself a new bed for my birthday?"
"I dunno, did I?" I gasped. Hoping my acting skills were at least good enough to hide how excited I was.
Not quite. But at least Elsa hadn't fully figured out my cunning scheme. She pointed at my face and hissed under her breath, "There had better not be anyone hiding in here."
"Hiding? Wait, why would I stick anybody else in here and then tell you to take off your clothes?"
"How should I know? Sometimes you have a really strange sense of humour, Anna."
"Not that strange! Surprise creepy people sounds plain old mean!" But before she could say anything else, I placed a hand over my heart and raised the other one. "I do hereby solemnly pledge that nobody is going to jump out of the wardrobe at you. Or anything else like that."
"Fine, I believe you," she laughed as she stepped from her slippers and let the silk fall from her shoulders, exposing her smooth, pale back. Even now that we had been going for walks and rides, she was still white as alabaster, despite the alternating tans and sunburns I had.
"Mmm…"
"Again, my birthday seems to be full of gifts for you," she accused playfully with a little glance over her shoulder at me as she approached the bed, moving to climb atop it. "Little pervAAAHHH?!"
SPLAT.
Nope, I definitely couldn't hold back anymore. I wrapped my arms around my middle and burst out into gales of laughter, shaking all over and trying my best not to fall down. "ELSA! Your face — you should see your face!"
"I'm- what is- ANNA!" my poor sister finally burst out as she slipped and slid everywhere, defiling all my hard work. "What is the meaning of this?! What IS this, where did- is this CAKE?!"
Cackling and bouncing up and down as I clapped my hands, I finally crowed, "YES! Isn't it incredible?! Doesn't it look just like my bed? I mean, it did before you jumped on it, but even still, the rest of it!"
God, she looked hilarious. I was laughing, but was doing my best not to actually point at Elsa while I did it. And anyone would have laughed; her face covered in so much chocolate and frosting, a huge chunk falling from her chin to splash onto her right breast even while she blinked at me in wonder. Never had our regal queen looked so un-regal.
"You… made… a bed-sized cake… just to play this prank on me." She scraped some of the frosting from her eyelids and flicked it away, turning slightly so she could kneel on the layers of confection. That only made me laugh so hard I snorted like a pig. "This is… I have no words. I literally have no words, I could never have anticipated this."
"Aww, don't be grumpy," I teased breathlessly as I got rid of my own robe, dropping it right next to hers. "Just because I got you good this time! You freaked out, it was the most amazing thing I've watched in my whole life!"
"Yes, well, the show is ov- Anna, what are you doing now? Don't tell me- are you going to jump into this cake with me?! That's insane!"
I hesitated. "Well… I was before you called it 'insane'…" But then I approached the edge of the bed, hands on my hips. No way was I going to chicken out that easily. "This wasn't just a prank. I really wanted to do this for you."
That finally got her to laugh, and when she started she found it hard to stop. I laughed with her, watching her slap her caked thigh a few times. But before I could join her on the bed, she suddenly breathed, "Insane… but beautiful. I've never seen a woman more lovely in the entire world."
My heart skipped over a beat, and I hoped she couldn't tell how hard my nipples were in the low light. "Ahhhhh, now you're just lying. We both know you own a mirror."
"Nice try," she laughed, biting her sugar-coated lip for a moment to weather my counter-compliment. Then she tilted her head slightly while asking, "Why? This is the strangest surprise I have ever received — and that includes that certain birthday of yours. But I can tell it means a lot to you, so could you help me…?"
Great. Now I had to actually face the music, and it was going to take a lot of exposing of feelings. So I took a deep breath before throwing my inhibitions to the wind... and letting my knees sink into the cake.
"That is so wrong," I groaned, feeling one of my eyes twitch.
"I know. But once you get used to it, it's… still wrong, but interesting." She was leaning slightly on one arm, moving her legs out to one side. Always so ladylike, even in a big mound of baked sweetness.
"So here it is," I sighed. "You and me, even when we were really little… chocolate was our soft spot. We could never resist it. And especially after my birthday, when we bonded over it again… I knew your birthday had to be something big, since I could finally celebrate it with you. Something that mattered to both of us. And fun! I thought fun was really important, too. Took me a while to figure out just how I wanted to do this, but once I had this idea, I just… I knew. This was the only thing that would be good enough."
Though she had been listening with a small smile, my last sentence wiped it away. Why? What did I say wrong? Her cake-slicked hand lifted to caress my cheek.
"Anna, anything would have been good enough. Even if this had turned out to be a normal bed, I would have been so happy. How much you spend, how much you plan these gifts, it's sweet but you don't have to go to so much trouble. Don't you know my favourite gift is you?"
My lips only got the chance to part very slightly — when she booped me. She booped my nose with frosting on that finger. The Queen of Arendelle, everybody.
"You little stinker." But her words kept me from retaliating. "You… you mean that, huh? That I'm enough?"
"I do." Her lips pecked mine. "You always have been. I'm just sorry I wasn't able to show you until these past few months. But now, I get to make up for lost time."
Sliding closer, I whispered, "Same here."
And that was as far as I could get before I was attacking her mouth. Elsa welcomed me gratefully, humming as she pulled my body closer. I knew she was getting cake all over me, but I had kind of resigned myself to that when I concocted this whole crazy scheme. Literally concocted.
Which was what she asked about next. "How long did this take to bake?"
"Oh, a couple of days. The trick was keeping the parts we already made fresh so they wouldn't spoil before we finished the rest of it. Kristoff helped me with that, grabbed me a few blocks of ice; normally I would ask you to do it with a little magic, but I mean, since it was a surprise for you that would have been pretty stupid."
"Yes, I suppose so," she giggled, rubbing her fingertips against each other experimentally. "Smooth frosting… buttercream?"
"Of course! And I wanted to add a bunch of berries, but then it wouldn't have looked like my bed, because I don't normally have a bunch of berries on it." While Elsa laughed again, I slipped my arms around her waist. "And yeah, I know you still think it's weird I wanted to be in a cake like this. Plus it's a big waste of food. But for just this one birthday, the first one since we reunited, I wanted to give you something so big it was literally all around us. Like we're part of the cake instead of just the other way around."
Her voice was so gentle and warm when she responded, "I believed you the first time, Anna. But thank you for elaborating. I love knowing how you think, how your mind works. My amazing, clever sister."
Again, we kissed, deeper and longer and with no inhibitions. We tried to restrain ourselves when we were out in public, of course, but alone in my room? Nobody looking over our shoulders? Free as wild horses.
By the time we came up for air, I was no longer the clean one because we had been rolling around in the cake-bed. Sure, I still felt guilty for putting the castle cooks through so much work just so we could wreck it, but at least Kristoff and I gave them a hand — and I gave them the day off once they were through. Anyway, basically the only places where chocolate and frosting hadn't accumulated multiple layers was our faces, because they were so close to each other that nothing could get in between them.
"Are we supposed to be eating any of this?" Elsa laughed, running her finger through some on my shoulder.
"Well, yeah. I wouldn't have done this if it was just for show; this might as well have been a big frosted mud pie." Then I held up…
"Anna, where could you possibly have been hiding that?!"
"Wouldn't you like to know?" Elsa merely blinked at me for a few seconds until I caved. "Okay, I had it in my butt."
"What- that sounds incredibly painful!"
"No, no, I was just clenching my cheeks on the handle. Obviously! Like I used the handle outside your door that first time. Come on, do you really think anybody would stick the pointy part into anywhere that sensitive?"
"Well, it is you," she laughed as she reached for the fork. Our fork. "Though I suppose I admire the control you have over your muscles back there." Then she hesitated, her brow furrowing. I could figure out what was holding her back.
"I also took one of Gerda's very thorough baths," I informed her to put her fears at ease. Which made her finally take it with a slight shake of her head. "Oh — and I helped one of the servants mop the floor before we got started in here. Trust me, when I say you can eat off the floor, I really mean it this time."
"You really have thought of everything; such attention to detail. It's almost a little scary."
"Love makes you a little scary sometimes, I guess."
"I guess." Then she slid the fork through some of the cake that we hadn't already rolled in, bringing it up to my lips. "After you."
"Oh! Wait… you first, it's your birthday."
"Diving into it counted as me going first," she chuckled. "Besides, I tasted a little on your lips once they caught some from my lips. Go on." And since I had no argument against that, and she was looking at me with those bemused, insistent eyes, I took the bite into my mouth.
"Ohmyghob, ibzo goob!"
"Anna, manners." Which I could appreciate the irony, since there were very little manners involved in rolling around in a giant cake. Probably. Maybe they do that more often in Corona…
"You have GOT to try this," I gushed once I had swallowed, grabbing the fork and scooping up another big bite for my sister.
"Can't I have a different fork?" But I wasn't budging. And she knew how important that particular utensil was to the both of us. "Gerda bathed you the same way she bathed me, didn't she?"
"It was like standing in a geyser."
"Fine." She accepted her first proper bite. Her blue eyes slid closed in ecstasy as she hummed her approval, eventually nodding after she had chewed for a moment.
"Amazing, right?" All she did was nod, raising a hand to give the okay symbol. So I helped myself to another bite, clutching my hand to my chest as tears welled up in my eyes.
Seriously, it was that good. Best cake I ever had in my life, up to and including the one with my sister's extra frosting.
"Okay," Elsa panted a couple minutes later when we had eaten our fill for the moment. "I was teasing you before, but I take it all back; I do want to live here and sleep here."
"Surrounded by layers of chocolatey goodness?" I giggled as I flopped onto my back, spread eagle in piles of sweet perfection. It was like Heaven, or Valhalla or whatever you believe is the good afterlife.
"Exactly. Fun and function." I glanced over to see she was lying on her side, propped up on one elbow so she could look down at me with a smile full of so much affection that my heart skipped a beat. "So very you."
At first all I did was chuckle a little and smile up at her. But then when she leaned down to kiss my chest, I let my eyes fall closed as a little sigh escaped my lips. "Mmm…"
"You were after something like this, I believe?"
Opening my eyes again, I was just in time to see her tongue slide across the meat of my right breast, the one closest to her. The track of freckled skin she revealed by cutting through the chocolate confection gleamed from her saliva, and it was somehow both offensive and arousing at the same time.
"Y-yeah. Something like that." I cleared my throat and caressed along her back, through cake and hair. "But you don't have to. If that whole courting thing is so-"
"We can take a break," she interrupted with an impish smile. "One night, for both Yule and my birthday. And for you, because I know how hard it has been to keep your hands off me."
A blast of air exploded from my lungs as she licked again. "HAH! W-wow, somebody's conceited in here, and I think her name rhymes with… with, uh…"
"With what? Jelsa?"
"No, that's not a thing."
I was still trying to think of a rhyme for her name when she found my nipple, and my squeal blasted every thought out of both of our minds. My chest was a feast for my sister for the moment as my conscious thoughts faded, simply letting her enjoy me. Because I enjoyed it just as much. A few times, she hit the nerves just right that I twitched, digging my nails briefly into her back and making her hiss in response. Some extra added fun.
Then she started moving down my stomach. I knew where she was going; this wasn't our first time trying this particular activity. But the butterflies were as fresh as ever, and my thighs tried to trap her head there.
"Oh, not tonight?" she purred.
"Reflex," I panted shortly, trying not to laugh at the cake all over her face now. Because even though it was funny, it also wasn't… since she was about to go to town on me.
Oh, she did. She really, really did — and it blew my mind so much more this time, somehow. Maybe it was because for the past few months, I only had that fork handle for company in my bed. Being pent up and needy tends to make the release ten times stronger, you know.
"Elsa!" I whined after a few hours. Okay, it was probably a minute or two, but it felt like so long! "You're really… how did you… get this good?!"
By the time she came up for air to answer me, she was gripping my ass cheeks to hold my pelvis closer to her face. "You're worth trying my best for, Anna. And… I may have practiced on an ice-replica." When I laughed at that, a frosting-smeared eyebrow arched. "Ooh…"
"What?"
"Oh, nothing. Your backside is so firm, and I felt it flexing in my hands. Powerful."
"Y-yeah, I exercise a lot. Could probably pick up a gold coin with it."
"Really?" I felt her poking around back there, and I clenched — again, reflex. "Wow. Do you think… you could squeeze this?"
Before I had any chance to ask a question or protest, I felt a finger sliding between my cheeks. What in the fjord was Elsa doing?! It felt wrong, and disturbing… and hot? Was it hot somehow?! Maybe, but only because it was her, and she had already been going down on me, I'm pretty sure; if anybody else had tried that, especially when I wasn't already chomping at the bit to get off, their hand would be kindling for the fireplace in the corner.
So don't let anybody tell you Elsa is a prude who would never do anything like that. That whole regal facade is just a smoke screen. She can get just as wild as me.
"Wow, your muscles really are strong," Elsa breathed in honest surprise, not just teasing me. "I'm impressed."
Freya, I tried so hard to hold it together. To control my reaction. But as she dragged her finger back from my crack, brushing the little forbidden spot that I had been trying not to think about, I shivered and let out a little moan. Dooming myself.
"Anna?"
"Yes! I m-mean, hello, yeah, you can… you can start back in on the goods now! Remember my goods? Right there in front of you?"
"No, wait. Did you enjoy…?" Probably trying to spare me some embarrassment, she didn't finish the sentence. Instead, she raised her frosting-covered finger and flexed it in my field of vision.
"Oh, did I really get cake in there, too? Sheeze, we've really been going crazy!"
My nervous laughter made it way too obvious I was just trying to distract my sister. Why was I so bad at that sometimes? She looked at me suspiciously for a moment, then glanced at the finger, then back at me.
"Anna-"
"Please, can we not-"
"Anna, it's okay. If you want me to leave that alone, I will; I was only asking how you felt about it. That's all."
Though her words didn't dial back my embarrassment, it soothed away the anxiety spike. "Oh. Well… no, I didn't mind that much. Not really. It's just because… like, after all you've been doing to my clit and tits, I'm kind of sensitive… everywhere. So it was pretty interesting, but I would never ask you to do it again! That's too big a favour!"
Elsa thought that over for a moment, and I finally started to relax. Then she kissed my inner thigh. "Just relax, my love. My Lord Anna." I groaned, thinking back to the coronation ball. Even though it all worked out okay. "I'll take care of you. And all you have to do is ask, and I will stop or change what I am doing. You can always talk to me, alright?"
"Okay," I said, completely relieved. My queen was so sweet to me, always taking care of me as much as she could. Making me feel safe.
Well, I did feel a little less safe when she started kissing closer to my behind. And then when I felt two thumbs pulling the cheeks apart, I wriggled all over and gasped out, "WHOA! Elsa, are you- you're not gonna-"
"Just going to try to get the cake in here," she laughed softly. "Unless you have objections."
Did I? The whole thing was too weird to have any objections. And while I was still trying to come up with one, I felt that wriggling tongue press somewhere I had never wanted or needed it to go. Was Elsa really doing this? She really didn't mind? We did enough wrong and taboo things already that this just seemed like one step too far! But the way she was going at my ass suggested she didn't agree.
And it was… different. Not good, not bad; just unsettling even while it was stimulating. When she was still at it a minute later with no signs of stopping, one of my hands started trailing the handle of that trusty fork down my stomach. Maybe, if I could take care of the main attraction, a little sideshow in the back room wouldn't be so bad.
"Mm?" she hummed, tongue still sliding over my taut skin. She must have seen my fingers moving, because she drew back with a chuckle. "Oh, did you need me to move along?"
"Y-yeah, Elsa, I… we could try that again later, but right now I'm…"
With a solemn nod, she went right back to going down on me. Who could complain about a girlfriend like that? Just takes care of my needs without any complaint. What an angel.
"Oh ffff- MMM!" Yeah, I had to scream into my hand to let out some of my energy. Luckily, it wasn't the one holding the fork or I might have stabbed myself in the face. A minute later, I gasped, "Elsa! I'm almost there! Almost there!"
My sister did not slow down until I actually was there. It felt like she had six tongues instead of two — which she might actually have been able to pull off if she used her ice powers, but I didn't feel her mouth get any colder. I came so hard and shook all over, and the whole time Elsa just held onto my hips and devoured me like I was the best cake she had ever tried. Which was probably how she felt.
Once my heat faded, she lowered me into the cake again and smirked. "That happened awfully quickly for someone who didn't like me playing with her a little lower than usual."
"Y-yeah! Well… you… let me get pent up for multiple months!"
"That is fair. I hope my apology was satisfactory."
Pretending to think real hard about it, I screwed up my face and tapped my chin. Elsa laughed. "Weeeeeelllllllllll… on one condition."
"What condition?" She started when I moved to pin her to the bed. "Oh!"
"This one." My chosen target was her neck. She shivered a little when I ran my tongue along it, enjoying the rich chocolate mixing with the light purity of her skin. I wanted to eat Elsa whole.
"Anna… you… make it hard to breathe."
"Elsa…"
"N-no, I… I'm really-!"
With a shock, I realized she meant the way my hand was pushing into the middle of her abdomen. "OH! Shit, Elsa, I'm sorry, I didn't mean-" As she took a deep breath, I caressed her side. "Better? Man, I am just really dumb sometimes…"
Elsa pulled me down into her embrace. "We already covered that. You are not dumb. You have never been dumb."
"You sure? I mean, not that I'm trying to argue with you, but you keep saying that and then I keep doing dumb things."
"Because you're excited. I am, too; I've just had a lot more practice... controlling myself."
For good reason. But since she wasn't judging me, I pushed myself back up to begin devouring the cake covering her ribs and stomach. She giggled a couple of times, and I smiled at the way her abdominal muscles flexed under my lips, bumping up against my nose. I could have kept eating off her and exploring her for hours and never got bored. Not once.
"Mmhhh, this really is so good," I sighed as I got closer and closer to the finish line. "The cake, you… who could ask for more?"
"I'm glad you… approve." But I could tell she was nervous. Why? It's not like this was the first time we had done anything like this; just the first in a little while.
"Elsa?" She didn't answer right away. Watching her bite her lip and look anxious was cute, but I still prompted her, "Hey. You okay?"
"What? Oh… yes, I'm fine." My face must have looked extra unconvinced, because a second later, she relented. "I'm still a little afraid of losing control of my powers when I…"
"When you what? Oh, wait, you're- right, got it, you don't need to explain. But hey, even when you've done that before, all you did was give me a little extra blast of snow. I don't mind a cold cake."
Tittering the slightest amount, despite the fear in her eyes, she reached down to run her fingers through my sugar-matted fringe. "Neither of us do. And I know you're probably right, but I can't help but worry I will hurt you for a third time. I don't think I could take that."
"Me, either. But you won't. I hear you, I do, but I know you have a handle on this now. You've been doing so good! Nobody in Arendelle is scared of you anymore. So just… let me do the magic this time."
That was that. Even though she was still biting her lip, her brow still creased, she didn't protest further as I kissed the inside of her thigh, devouring the frosting I found there. But I still didn't like that she was wound up so tight. So I figured hey, why not try to loosen her up?
"So, if I get a couple of fingers in you and really start going to town… does that make this pound-cake?"
Oh, now she looked mad. I barely had enough time to register the movement before her foot was pushing into my face, trying to shove me off the bed entirely.
"Hey, whoa whoa, Elsa! Come on, I'm sorry!"
"Why don't I believe you?" she demanded in a would-be stern voice. The answer might have been because I was laughing up a storm. But I caught sight of her smile, which told me she was just trying to mess around with me. One of the many things I had been missing over the past thirteen years.
"Truce! I'll keep my corny jokes to myself if you don't shove me the rest of the way off this bed!" Really, I already had to whip one leg back and brace against the floor to keep from falling as it was. But she slowly began to relent. "Thank you."
"I ought to put my finger back in your 'fork holder' for that one," she grunted.
"It was one time! I don't go around carrying forks back there all the time, you know!"
"Actually, no, I don't know that. Because I never inspect the back of your dress when you are casually walking down the halls."
"You could, though…" As she just shook her head at me, I decided to get a little more playful.
"AH! Not my feet — don't bite my feet, you know how ticklish iyyyahahahhaaaa!"
Too late. My teeth were nibbling all over her chocolatey toes in retaliation for almost being knocked on my butt. The way she began kicking was extremely dangerous, but at least now my childhood memories were intact; I remembered learning by watching our father that you had to hold her leg steady when you tickled her, or you were asking for an eyeful of flailing heel.
"STOP!" she cackled. "I'm- I am about to ruin this cake! Anna!"
Right away, I broke off with a laugh. No matter how much fun I was having, it wasn't worth ruining an entire cake-bed by making her wet herself. "Okay, okay. Yellow frosting is as bad as yellow snow, I guess."
"You… monster!" But she was still laughing a little, cheeks flushed, chest rising and falling in an attempt to regain her breath. Which looked like she had been doing something else.
Flawless. I was head over heels, alright.
"Sorry. But do you know how cute you are when you get tickled?"
Clearing her throat, she pushed up onto her elbows before answering me. "That is… because I didn't get to run around outside the way you did. Not after my ninth birthday. So my feet are…"
Oh. Well that was a sad reason for them to be extra sensitive. But I decided to simply kiss the one I had been attacking and say, "Perfect. You were gonna say 'perfect' right? Because that's the only answer I'm accepting right now."
Shaking her head a little at me, she let out an exasperated sigh that was followed by a small smile. "You're too kind to me."
"Nah. Just know you deserve the best."
Again, I kissed, and she hummed as her smile grew. When my lips parted to let my tongue slide between two of her toes, she rolled her eyes and pulled her foot away. "Fine, I get it, you love every inch of me."
"Glad we got that straightened out. Now, I have my eye on a couple of pastries… one sec."
Her hand raised up to rest on the back of my head when I attacked her chest. I figured she would probably appreciate having some time to recover before I went back between her thighs. The sounds floating out of her lungs were every bit as enthralling as if I had gone straight for the crux of her thighs, of course, but at least this way I could enjoy my cake a little longer.
"You are… so persistent." I switched to the other peak, my hand wrapping around the mountain below and kneading just enough to add pressure and pleasure without causing pain. "Mmmhh, and I almost want to ask if you have been practicing on someone else!"
"Maybe I made an ice-replica," I shot at her as I moved back down. Her grin was so huge. "Okay, I'm ready. Let's do this."
"You make it sound like you're about to go cliff-diving!" she laughed.
"Oh, I am. I'm about to dive down deep into your sound."
Elsa's lips parted, probably to reprimand me for another corny line. But all that came out was a moan when I pressed my mouth tightly against her soft folds through the frosting and chocolate. And I intended to clean every speck of that from her by the time I was finished.
My Elsa. My queen of snow and ice, grace and beauty and power. The only woman in the world. My mind and heart were full of desire for the goddess I was making writhe with my every teasing touch. And it wasn't just that she was the most beautiful girl in Arendelle, not that she had given me an orgasm so recently. This was about way more than repaying a debt or physical beauty; it was my sister. The one person who had always been a part of me, and who always will.
"A-Anna!" she gasped — well, she had been doing that for a couple of minutes, but this one was louder and stronger. Somehow, I just knew what she meant. "I'm… I'm still scared! I love you!"
I loved her, too. But I wanted to show her in some way besides slowing down to tell her with words. So I moved one hand from her hip to push our fork into hers, which had been clutching uselessly at another pile of birthday cake. And wow, did she respond! My hand was caught with the fork between our fingers, and it was such a tight grip that I felt like she would never let me go again.
Which did as much for me as I might have been doing for her.
There was more snow this time. Somehow, I had kind of expected that; I mean, when you tell an ice witch that she shouldn't hold back with her power, you're going to get more power. Makes sense, right? But even while I was still feeling her flesh pulse against my lips and tongue, her juices running down my chin, tiny pinpricks of cold were dusting my back in the spots that weren't covered by chocolate.
"Oh," I panted when I finally came up for air, satisfied that she no longer needed little licks for little aftershocks. "Snow! See? I told you everything would be fine. And this isn't even that bad!"
Though of course, we were both looking around at the winter wonderland filling the room. It was only a couple of inches deep, but spread over that large an area it still added up to a decent amount.
"It's… a lot," she panted. "But at least there aren't any… nothing dangerous."
Scoffing, I crawled up to lay my head on her shoulder, curling my entire body around hers as tightly as I could. Needing to be that close to her now. "Dangerous? You? Come on, you're a big pussycat."
"We both know… that's… a stretch." Finally, she cleared her throat and simply took in a couple of deep breaths so she wouldn't be so winded. Then she turned to look into my eyes with a smile full of afterglow and affection. "Thank you. For that, for all of this; for my perfect birthday night."
"Yeah. You got it. I'm always going to show you how much I love you, no matter how big I have to go to get the point across."
"Anna, you don't have to. I already know." We shared a firm kiss. Then she crinkled her nose. "Oh, that's… did you really enjoy me adding that to your cake? It's so strange."
"Maybe I wouldn't have if I didn't know what it was," I admitted with a giggle. "But knowing? Oh yeah. Totally hot."
"If you say so." Then she suddenly looked horrified. "Oh no — my lips have- you were kissing-"
"All I tasted was Sister-Queen and cake," I headed her off before she actually said it out loud. "Don't have to make it even more gross. Seriously, you didn't run away from my butt? I thought that would be a fate worse than death!"
"No, no," she reassured me, completely contented now that we had both enjoyed ourselves and could relax. "I wasn't lying for your benefit; it wasn't that bad. Especially when mixed with chocolate cake. Though I agree with you about my essence on this subject; probably wouldn't have enjoyed it not knowing what it is, or by itself. Well…"
Running my index fingertip in small circles on her stomach, I prompted, "Well?"
"I could try it by itself. Maybe. Someday."
"Go ahead. I won't… well, I might judge a little, but since we're already sisters who knock boots, it's not gonna hold a lot of water."
"Mmhmm. I suppose that's a valid point."
"Ohhhhh, I just wanna lay here forever!" I burst out as I curled even harder around Elsa, and she laughed again, nuzzling into my hair. "Though I do have another bath ready in the next chamber. I'm no doctor, but it's probably not the best idea for us to leave cake in some of the places we have cake right now."
Nodding, she whispered, "In a minute. This is so comfortable. Actually, I'm surprised we're not sinking all the way down to the floor."
"Oh — yeah, that's because we took a bed-sized wooden box and made the cake on top of that. Like, it's pretty much a bunch of little cakes smushed together in a grid pattern to make one huge sheet cake, and then we just put the icing all over it and down the sides with the right colours and patterns. So it looked like a real bed, with a quilt and all."
"Clever," she chuckled, scratching at my rib cage just enough to prompt a giggle from me before she stopped. "Really, I was flabbergasted at first, but now I really admire all the work you did for this. Because it turned out to be a lot of fun."
Her praise made my heart glow. "It did, didn't it? Chocolate cake slumber party. Go me."
We both fell into the kind of comfortable silence you can only have with family. Lover, sister, friend… Elsa was all of those things to me. And we had beaten all the odds and found our way back to each other, and we were alive, and our lives were wonderful. There wasn't much else I could ask for.
"I love you, my Anna," she breathed into my hair before rolling over to prop herself up on her elbow and look at me. I mirrored the gesture, gazing into her eyes.
"Love you, too, Majesty. And I always will."
Elsa kissed me hard and long, and held me close for such a long time that time itself ceased to hold meaning. Definitely not your run-of-the-mill anniversary of being born, but I finally knew: what we had? Different-good. The best kind of different a princess could ask for.
                                                      ~ Takk for Reisen ~
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snusbandxknifewife · 4 years
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STICKY FICKY 4
Y’all, I’m sorry lmao yes I really did write this shit and yes I’m really posting it 😂 Do y’all have any idea how hard it is to write budding attraction in a crack fic about fucking sticky hands? Somebody save me
~~~~~~~~~
Jude Duarte, Seneschal to the High King of Elfhame, didn’t often find herself intoxicated. Whether it be from lacking access to wine that could be considered safe for mortals, or from lacking the time and opportunity to truly enjoy that wine, alcohol was the one poison she didn’t regularly partake of.
But, she supposed there was a time for everything, and the time for Jude to angrily drown her sorrows in wine had come today.
Cardan Greenbriar, High King of Elfhame and perpetual pain in her ass, had taken it upon himself to get uproariously drunk and offend a visiting dignitary or seven from the lower courts at that night’s revel. Leaving his Seneschal to pick up the pieces, he’d then retired to his rooms with an orgy’s volume of people and promptly lit his bed on fire. Again.
So after a night spent putting fire after literal fire out, Jude had decided to bead down to the Court of Shadows and burrow her way to the bottom of a bottle. She’d been remarkably successful, chasing off even the Roach, who was typically quite willing to help one drink to forget.
Nearly five months with Cardan under her control had already passed, her one year and one day was almost halfway over and she didn’t have even the slightest clue of how to extend her hold on him or keep the crown on his head past that day. As she buried her face in her hands, the world still spinning even behind her closed eyelids, she started to wonder if it was even worth thinking about while this drunk.
“You’re thinking loudly enough to raise the dead.”
She startled as a familiar object wrapped around one of her wrists, a sticky hand lightly smacking against her cheek before unraveling and flying back towards where the High King leaned against the doorway. She hadn’t even heard him come in, she must have reached record levels of intoxication.
As she looked over towards him, hoping he hadn’t noticed how he’d surprised her, her heart fell. The cruel smirk plastered across his lips told her everything she needed to know, though the red stains of wine dripping down his moon-pale skin were abundant enough to give her hope he wouldn’t remember in the morning.
“Why do you always have that wretched thing on you?” She lowered her hands and reached for her wine bottle, leaning back so far in her chair that she almost fell.
“Oh my darling god, you should know it’s always a new one,” he said with a smile, pulling his own wine bottle from behind his back and advancing towards her.
She didn’t comment as he took a seat across the stone table, propping up his feet and downing a swig of wine in solidarity.
His tail swished violently, coming to rest on top of his ankles with the soft tuft tap-tap-tapping against the top of one of his boots. She found herself almost hypnotized by the movement, staring at it for gods only knew how long.
“Your tail is out,” she finally lamely offered when she noticed him grinning at her, his teeth looking all the more sharpened in her intoxicated state.
“That tends to happen when I undress.”
She hoped he didn’t notice how her eyebrow twitched in annoyance with that announcement. She knew he’d been up in his rooms with an impressive amount of people, she’d figured he’d been partaking in some rather lascivious acts. Why should she be surprised he would’ve been undressed?
Why was she jealous?
“I’d think that, if I had a tail, I’d prefer to keep the delicate little thing hidden safely away from fires,” she announced, looking away from his face just in time to catch his tail curling around his abdomen almost fearfully. “And curious courtiers who would pull at it.”
“Would you pull at my tail, my darling Jude?” She didn’t look up at his words, not interesting in seeing any mocking on his face.
She turned the bottom of her drink skyward, chasing bubbles as they floated up into the abysmally empty bottle. The green glass cast a delicate, mossy hue over her amber eyes, making the High King suck his breath in.
“After what you did tonight, I’d pull your tail off and eat it raw in front of you,” she blamed the wine for her rash words as she fixed her gaze back on Cardan. He winced, one hand going protectively to the tuft of his tail and the other swinging wide, sending his sticky hand straight for her.
She also blamed the wine for how she didn’t move fast enough, for how she let that pink sticky hand—glittery this time, a gift Oak had been particularly excited to send—hit her dead center in the forehead.
THWAP
“Oh my sweet little villain, don’t torture me with promises of pleasure that you don’t plan to follow through with,” he recovered quickly, his tail unwrapping and coming back to rest stop his shoes. “And, I beg of you, don’t bother me with talk of courtiers and politics when my head swims so.”
“And what would you have me to instead?” She snorted at him and then did her very best to ignore his momentary flash of emotion.
“Play with me.” He sent the sticky hand flying.
And, this time, she caught it without thinking.
His eyes sparkled with mischief as they sat, time suspended, a gods damned sticky hand the only thing between them.
Then he unlooped the hand from around his finger, letting it fly towards her.
She looked down, studying it for a moment before giving in and looping the toy around the index finger of her right hand. Then, she looked back up, cocked her arm back, let the hand fly—
And missed terribly.
Cardan let out a roar of laughter, the sound shocking in the surrounding silence of the empty room. As her face contorted in a scowl and she tried again—and missed again—he continued laughing at her, his cruel little laugh sounding far too pretty to her intoxicated self.
“Who would’ve thought the master marksman would be bested by a cheap gadget of her own world’s making?” As he mocked her, his grin looking painfully similar to the one he wore when he spoke of her looks the day of the failed coronation, she continued to get irrationally more angry. She kept trying to hit him, kept failing, kept letting the sticky hand whiff through the air.
Then she would’ve landed a hit on his shoulder, but he’d already moved to a standing position—far too gracefully for his drunken state, at least in her opinion.
He offered her a hand and she looked up in confusion, her brow raised at him.
“Allow me to help you properly wield a sticky hand,” he said. “I can’t have my Seneschal and lead spy so woefully incapable of handling a weapon.”
It must’ve been the wine coursing through her system, but she decided to take his hand. She let him pull her to a standing position and lead her into the weapons room where targets lined the walls. She let him position himself behind her, his chest strong against her back and his soft breathing tickling the hair that had come loose from her plaits.
He ran a hand down her arm before encompassing her fist in his own, his other arm laid across hers and keeping her pressed into his embrace.
“It’s a lot like skipping rocks,” he whispered in her ear, pulling her throwing arm back with his own and angling her elbow properly. “You have to envision where you want the hand to hit.”
THWAP
Together they sent the glittery pink sticky hand directly at the target’s bullseye.
Jude tried to ignore how her heart sped up, how her breathing became labored, how Cardan’s tail rose to wrap around her middle. She couldn’t help the shiver she let out as the soft tuft on the end ran across the sensitive inside of her elbow. Behind her, the High King tilted his head, feeling the brush of her hair against his cheek and allowing his eyes to flutter closed.
THWAP
Another bullseye
THWAP
The hand slapped against the hilt of a sword, cast aside by someone too lazy to put it up.
THWAP
What was she doing? Was her head swimming from the alcohol or from the scent of him?
THWAP
“That’s much better,” he praised and her heart absolutely ached with something she wasn’t prepared to understand.
She stepped out of his embrace rather forcefully, trying to hide how her steps shook and her breathing was coming in ragged bursts. He was watching her discomfort with sad eyes and a smile just like the one he wore when she tied him up all those moons ago.
“I’ve an early day tomorrow,” she lied, turning on her heel and fleeing.
She ignored the empty wine bottles on the table as she passed, ignored the pounding in her head and the way the world lurched with every turn. When she made it back to her rooms and slammed the secret door behind her, she didn’t even think to take off her boots before crawling into bed.
She couldn’t remember what had been said at the revel that night, she didn’t know what her duties were for the next day, she couldn’t recall if the king’s chambers had been burned earlier that day or the one before. She was so lost in her drink and confusion that memories and dreams bled together, none of them feeling even remotely right or real.
And when she woke the next morning with a head pounding so badly that she went racing for a chamberpot to be sick in, she didn’t remember why a pink glittery sticky hand was wrapped around her right index finger.
~~~~~~~~
I was trying to channel the pottery making scene from Ghost but it didn’t work lmao have some straight up ShitTM from lex you’ll get angst and pining next update I promise so PREPARE YOURSELVES
Tag list: @cardan-greenbriar-tcp @hizqueen4life @slightlyrebelliouswriter23 @thewickedkings @aelin-queen-of-terrasen @cheekycheekycheeks @queen-of-glass @b00kworm @doingmyrainbow
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smallblueandloud · 4 years
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fsk emotions: the playlist
(i’d like to apologize in advance for how long this is going to get. UPDATE: yeah, this is around 4k, i am So Sorry.)
in case y’all weren’t aware, i have fitzskimmons emotions ALL THE TIME. my poor friends have to deal with me texting them at 11 pm like “i’m freaking out about fsk again” embarrassingly often. so, i figured i’d try to share some of those emotions with y’all, in the form of songs from my private fsk playlist on spotify. 
that playlist is 63 songs long. hopefully i will not feel the need to talk about ALL 63, but i’m not going to make any promises. y’all know what i’m like about this. i’m planning on giving you a list of the songs for your listening pleasure, and then go into detail about the lines / vibes from each song that i think especially fit the ship. we shall see how this goes.
just a warning: my music taste is very all over the place. i associate the sound of 80s love songs with fsk, so there’s gonna be a few of those, but also some weird obscure indie songs and some pop and just... bear with me, okay? these songs are in no particular order, because i have no idea how to make a “”legit”” playlist or whatever the heck y’all are doing to make such good mixes. i’m just gonna stick a tracklist here and move on.
can’t fight this feeling // reo speedwagon
gravity // sara bareilles
new year’s day // taylor swift
don’t go breaking my heart // elton john & kiki dee
dancing in the dark // bruce springsteen
born to be yours // kygo & imagine dragons
i choose you // sara bareilles
ordinary people // john legend
carry on // fun.
blackbird // the beatles
thunder road // bruce springsteen
the long and winding road // the beatles
the archer // taylor swift
army of angels // the script
paper rings // taylor swift
lucky // jason mraz & colbie caillat
wonderwall // zella day
team // noah cyrus
i melt with you // modern english
cornelia street // taylor swift
coroner’s report // molly ofgeography
two // sleeping at last
fair // the amazing devil
arms unfolding // dodie
making love out of nothing at all // air supply
all the song explanations are under the cut, because this is going to get long. there’s also ten honorable mentions if you manage to make it to the end of this. let’s get started!
1. can’t fight this feeling // reo speedwagon
i felt legally required to put this one first because i literally named my magnum opus after it. i like this song a lot on its own, but it specifically reminds me of fsk because the idea of your partner(s) as the place you will always gravitate towards is peak fsk for me. also, these three are canonically each others’ reassurance and rock and i’m just... i love them a lot, okay? this song’s imagery and lyrics have come to be inextricably associated with fsk for me and i love it a lot.
important lyrics: “And even as I wander, I'm keeping you in sight You're a candle in the window on a cold, dark winter's night”
“And if I have to crawl upon the floor, come crashing through your door Baby, I can't fight this feeling anymore“
2. gravity // sara bareilles
this one goes second because it’s probably my favorite song of all time. i play it on repeat whenever i’m feeling sad or anxious or pining or happy or just... anytime, lmao. but i also think it’s a very fsk song, and more specifically the fitzdaisy relationship! not only does it have more of that “gravitating towards each other” theme (more literally in this case), but the lyrics are also... very much fitzdaisy, i think, who are very much each others’ safe space and have been vulnerable with each other from the very beginning.
important lyrics: “ Oh, you loved me 'cause I'm fragile When I thought that I was strong But you touch me for a little while And all my fragile strength is gone”
(although really every single lyric fits really perfectly, so go and check out this song! it’s genuinely my favorite song ever and i think everyone would benefit from a listen or two)
3. new year’s day // taylor swift
the most underrated song from reputation, this song is probably the most INTENSELY fsk song i’ve ever heard. these three have grown up together, have changed together, have left their mark on each other in ways that can never be undone. the thing i’m most nervous for in the series finale is the show completely ignoring that impact (along with all three’s relationships with coulson and may especially!). no matter their romantic configuration, none of them would be the same if they hadn’t known the others. and new year’s day really articulates that, along with a really sweet feeling of trust and the image of them cleaning up together after a party - which makes perfect sense when you think about canon, and how they’d stick together even after leaving the life-changing experience of shield. even though there’s no more life-changing adventures, they’re still going to be together, and that means something. y’all, this song is really good and the best fsk song ever and you NEED to listen to it.
important lyrics: “Hold on to the memories, they will hold on to you And I will hold on to you”
“Please don't ever become a stranger whose laugh I could recognize anywhere”
4. don’t go breaking my heart // elton john & kiki dee
look, just let them be happy, okay? also, i really love the trust aspect of this song, which i associate intensely with the fsk relationship. after all of the betrayal and pain and suffering they’ve experienced, i really love thinking about how much all three must trust each other, even in canon. also i wrote a fic where all three danced to this song and now i won’t ever get that image out of my head.
important lyrics: “Don't go breaking my heart I couldn't if I tried Honey, if I get restless Baby, you're not that kind”
“And nobody told us 'Cause nobody showed us And now it's up to us, babe Whoa, I think we can make it“
5. dancing in the dark // bruce springsteen
okay, this song is a bit darker than the others but i am a secret lover of springsteen, shh. also the mood works VERY well for three agents of shield who haven’t gotten a break since they left college. i really like the idea of them making their own happiness in the middle of the darkness together, because that’s part of why i’m so emotional about them! they are each others’ safe space and protector!
important lyrics: “You can't start a fire Sitting 'round crying over a broken heart This gun's for hire Even if we’re just dancing in the dark”
6. born to be yours // kygo & imagine dragons
heck yeah, let’s talk about the fact that no one in the ot3 would be the same if they hadn’t met the others! not just that, but the fact that they support each other and are a big reason why each of them have made it through the pain of the series with, like, less trauma then they could’ve. fitz was there for daisy when she developed her powers and is the one who talked her into coming back in s4, daisy was there for jemma when she came back from maveth (and in the framework), and jemma and fitz have been supporting each other since they worked things out in s3. also, they know each other insanely well and i think this song does a great job of expressing that!
important lyrics: “I never knew anybody 'til I knew you I never knew anybody 'til I knew you And I know when it rains, oh, it pours And I know I was born to be yours”
7. i choose you // sara bareilles
they! change! together! thank you for coming to my ted talk! also, i’m just... very obsessed with the idea of them choosing to be together, choosing to try to work through their problems, even when there have been so many. i am also obsessed with the idea of them spending their lives together. leave me alone.
important lyrics: “We are not perfect we'll learn from our mistakes And as long as it takes I will prove my love to you I am not scared of the elements I am underprepared, But I am willing And even better I get to be the other half of you”
8. ordinary people // john legend
i really, really love this song, actually? i’m a big fan of a lot of his music lmao. but i like this song specifically because it’s about how complicated love can be sometimes, and i think fsk’s love gets really complicated sometimes! and like, despite it all, they love each other and they’re trying to work it out. but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s really hard sometimes! (shoutout to the fic i titled with a lyric from this song that exemplifies that exactly)
important lyrics: “I know I misbehaved and you made your mistakes And we both still got room left to grow And though love sometimes hurts I still put you first And we'll make this thing work but I think maybe we should take it slow”
9. carry on // fun.
first off, this song has INTENSE post-framework fitz vibes. this is very much how i headcanon his relationship with violence works after they escape from the framework and fuck canon. but also, just, the idea of them all healing together? the idea of them moving on together after shield? poetic cinema. chef’s kiss. they’ve all changed SO MUCH since the show started, and yeah, not all of that change is good! but at least they’re still together.
important lyrics: “You swore and said we are not We are not shining stars This I know I never said we are Though I've never been through hell like that I've closed enough windows to know you can never look back”
10. blackbird // the beatles
i don’t know what about this song reminds me of jemma but something in this song reminds me of jemma, and fitz and daisy helping her heal. regardless, i am So Into them helping each other heal! mostly because the way that the show refuses to give them a break is SO FRUSTRATING. (also it tends to involve them being soft with each other and i am Weak.)
important lyrics: “Blackbird singing in the dead of night Take these broken wings and learn to fly”
11. thunder road // bruce springsteen
this is probably my second favorite song of all time. i am Absolutely Unbiased For Sure. regardless, i adore the imagery of this song, the contrast between the poetic feeling of it and the down-to-earth lyrics. this song, to me, is about people coming back to each other at the end of a long long journey. being in love while tired and recovering from a long, painful, messy life. and that just fits them... so well.
important lyrics: “Well now I'm no hero That's understood All the redemption I can offer girl Is beneath this dirty hood”
“With a chance to make it good somehow Hey what else can we do now Except roll down the window And let the wind blow back your hair? Well the night's busting open These two lanes will take us anywhere“
(y’all do not understand how hard it was to not copy All The Lyrics. you really really have to listen to this song.)
12. the long and winding road // the beatles
EXACTLY THE SAME THING THAT I SAID FOR THE LAST SONG. god this song works so well for them. they are never going to be able to leave each other because they’re so interconnected and yeah, part of that is circumstance, but so MUCH of that is CHOICE. they CHOSE to spend time together, they CHOSE to spend time together, i’m getting emotional over here.
important lyrics: “The long and winding road That leads to your door Will never disappear I've seen that road before It always leads me here Lead me to you door”
13. the archer // taylor swift
this is THE definitive daisy pov song. try to tell me i’m wrong. you can’t. daisy showing vulnerability is a BIG DEAL because of how easily she deflects things! she shows vulnerability to people she loves, most notably mack, coulson, fitz, and jemma! it physically pains me to think about how much she trusts them, y’all. there’s also this sense of melancholy throughout the song, because she’s never going to be the person that she once was. I’m Upset, Y’all.
important lyrics: “Combat, I'm ready for combat I say I don't want that, but what if I do? 'Cause cruelty wins in the movies I've got a hundred thrown-out speeches I almost said to you Easy they come, easy they go I jump from the train, I ride off alone I never grew up, it's getting so old Help me hold onto you”
14. army of angels // the script
this song is courtesy of @theclaravoyant, who recommended this as THE fsk song, and i think she’s very right! they fight TOGETHER, y’all. i’m very emo about it. their love is TRANSCENDENT and helps them OVERCOME their obstacles and i’m Really Upset About It, okay?? this song especially sounds like jemma’s voice, but it works so well for any of them and i Love It.
important lyrics: “When they got me cornered Close to giving in Oh I feel you round me like a second skin”
15. paper rings // taylor swift
*sobbing* i just want them to be HAPPY. i think part of my feelings about this song stem from, like, how fsk manages to find love during really, really dark times? and manages to be in love with each OTHER during the events of the show, which are VERY DARK as i think we can agree. and yet they managed to get together! and they managed to stick together! and idk, y’all, i’m just so soft for permanent partnerships and people being Married(tm) and this song brings that in SPADES.
important lyrics: “Kiss me once 'cause I know you had a long night Kiss you twice 'cause it's gonna be alright Three times 'cause you waited your whole life”
“I like shiny things, but I'd marry you with paper rings Uh huh, that's right Darling, you're the one I want, and I hate accidents except when we went from friends to this“
16. lucky // jason mraz & colbie caillat
this song just SCREAMS domesticity to me and no it’s absolutely NOT because i used a lyric from this song to title my collection of domestic fsk ficlets, i have no idea where you would get such a ridiculous idea. they are all BEST FRIENDS okay and they’re in LOVE and they come HOME TO EACH OTHER at the end of the day. they genuinely like spending time together. god, this song is so cute, i love it so much.
important lyrics: “I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend Lucky to have been where I have been Lucky to be coming home again Lucky we're in love in every way Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed Lucky to be coming home someday”
17. wonderwall // zella day
before you tell me i’m being stupidly cliche, look at the artist. and then realize that the artist doesn’t make a different for how cliche i’m being. first off, this is such a wlw song (google that one car commercial if you don’t believe me) and skimmons is kind of. my peak wlw song. but also this song is so lovely because it’s about people persevering through challenges to be together, even their own feelings, and that’s VERY good and VERY fsk. i’m just very gay, alright? leave me alone.
important lyrics: “And all the roads we have to walk are winding And all the lights that lead us there are blinding There are many things that I would like to say to you But I don't know how Because maybe You're gonna be the one that saves me And after all You're my wonderwall”
18. team // noah cyrus
this song is from @bobbimorseisbisexual’s fsk playlist (thanks al i love you) and it’s VERY GOOD for this ship. god, i have so many emotions about them being on the same team (which is part of why it’s so FRUSTRATING when the show tries to split them up-). especially because trust is such a big aspect of their relationship? look, these are three people who have been betrayed a lot, even by each other. it’s so IMPORTANT that they trust each other to be on the same team!! (also this song is one of the only songs i’ve ever heard that’s apparently singing to both a man and a woman, and i’m gonna ignore the fact that it’s a duet. let me have my poly songs.)
important lyrics: “Whenever you're winning I'll give you strength, boy And I'll share your name, girl 'Cause I'll always be on your, I'll always be on your team Yeah, I'll always be on your team”
19. i melt with you // modern english
this song is sponsored by @florchis, who not only was the person that first told me about this song but also named her entire fsk collection after one of the lyrics. she has very good taste. first off i love how high-energy and happy this song is. declaring your love for someone is a VERY fun thing to do in the best of circumstances! and i just love the idea of them taking time for each other in the middle of all of their shield business. i love them so much, y’all.
important lyrics: “Moving forward using all my breath Making love to you was never second best I saw the world crashing all around your face (let me hear you) Never really knowing it was always mesh and lace (c'mon)”
“I'll stop the world and melt with you You've seen the difference And it's getting better all the time There's nothing you and I won't do”
20. cornelia street // taylor swift
YES, i know this is the FOURTH tswift song on this list. she’s really good at songwriting, okay? also... y’all.. the VULNERABILITY. the LONGING. the idea of having to deal with the very real fear of loss fits VERY well for a ship where everyone involved is in mortal danger three times a week. also, the idea of never being able to separate the memories of a place from the people? that’s peak fsk. i know i keep saying this but they’re all HUGELY INFLUENTIAL on each other and it’s a BIG DEAL!! they’re never going to get over this relationship, this love, and I’m Never Going To Get Over Them.
important lyrics: “And I hope I never lose you, hope it never ends I'd never walk Cornelia Street again That's the kind of heartbreak time could never mend I'd never walk Cornelia Street again”
21. coroner’s report // molly ofgeography (aka @ofgeography)
first off, everyone should listen to this ENTIRE ALBUM because it’s VERY GOOD. secondly, i know this song is really sad but imagine this as steeling yourself for the series finale. canonverse fsk hurts SO MUCH, y’all, and i love them so much. the metaphor in this song is *chef’s kiss* and the guilt of losing love is.... yeah. i’m sad. please be sad with me.
important lyrics: “How do you bury love, and what gets carved into the stone? If I had waited by the window would love be safe and back at home?”
“We held hands in the procession, black and veiled and strange You said, ‘love was good when love was here,’ it didn't ease the ache“
22. two // sleeping at last
okay i definitely think that part of this is me being an extreme 2 and therefore considering this song the Peak of Romance. which is probably a little unhealthy but leave me alone. i don’t know enough about enneagram types to diagnose any of the ot3, but definitely this song resembles all of them to some extent, especially daisy. (i am in pain.) this song, to me, feels like daisy pining for fs in canonverse. (i am in PAIN.) she would ABSOLUTELY give parts of herself up for them and count on the fact that they wouldn’t notice. god, this hurts so much. i love this song so much. if it helps, i think in a happier universe they all also sacrifice parts of themselves for the others? which hurts too but in a good way.
important lyrics: “Tell me, is something wrong? If something's wrong, you can count on me You know I'll take my heart clean apart if it helps yours beat”
“I just want to build you up, build you up 'Til you're good as new And maybe one day I will get around to fixing myself too“
23. fair // the amazing devil
this song is CRIMINALLY unknown. GO LISTEN TO IT RIGHT NOW AND THEN MEET ME BACK HERE. this song just screams fsk at me. the humor, the depths of love, the good-natured resentment, the depths of love... god. it’s so good. i definitely think the strength of their emotions for each other overwhelm them sometimes. i think they find comfort with each other, i think they tease each other, i think they’re disgustingly in love all the time. god.
important lyrics: “She promises to fight them all when it all becomes too much And he, he curses at the world for Leaving him behind and he's falling out of touch And she is stronger than he's ever been he knows And she brushes her hand through His hair, he's got so much fucking hair”
“And he holds her close just to keep the world at bay And when they're sure no-one can hear them She'll turn to him to say, she'll turn to him and say It's not fair, It's not fair how much I love you“
(yes i DID copy more than i’ve been copying for the rest, because the songwriting in this song and album are PHENOMENAL and YES i will harass y’all until you listen to it because LOOK AT HOW GOOD IT IS.)
24. arms unfolding // dodie
i know, i know, this is a really short song. but it’s really pretty and i think it fits daisy, like, extremely well. think about daisy during early s4, specifically. she loves them enough to break down her walls. that’s what this song is about. and that’s what i’m gonna go cry over now. god this post is so long what the heck.
important lyrics: “Hope I'm not tired of rebuilding 'Cause this might take a little more I think I'd like to try Look at you And feel the way I did before”
“You know I could live without or with you But I might like having you about“
25. making love out of nothing at all // air supply
okay, so i admit it, i’m actually a HUGE fan of really cheesy 80s music. but i really love this song for them? especially jemma. i think it fits jemma really well. first off, it’s that good old vulnerability with admitting that she doesn’t know everything! and it’s admitting that she specifically doesn’t know what she’s doing with this relationship! and admitting how much she loves both of them even though she might not have wanted to! and i think she’s just... so amazed, so so amazed at the way that fitz and daisy are able to forgive and be loving even when they’re in the worst situations? which is definitely a big message of this song. (oh jemma, i love you and your violent tenancies. i see al’s valid criticisms and i am Loving You Anyway.)
important lyrics: “I know all the rules and then I know how to break 'em And I always know the name of the game But I don't know how to leave you And I'll never let you fall”
“And I don't know how you do it Making love out of nothing at all”
jesus CHRIST this got long. i actually also had a bunch more songs that i didn’t have a LOT to say about but i thought they fit anyways, so uh, honorable mentions:
can’t help falling in love // elvis presley (”wise men say only fools rush in / but i can’t help falling in love with you”)
the longest time // billy joel (they’ve influenced each other)
after all // peter cetera & cher (they’re never going to be able to forget the influence they have on each other)
leave a tender moment alone // billy joel (daisy pov for skimmons. that is all)
she // dodie (i am Soft and Gay and skimmons is also Soft and Gay)
bremen // pigpen theatre co. (honestly idk what to say here, it’s just The Vibe)
say something // a great big world (similar vibe to ordinary people)
saturn // sleeping at last (Science and also Influence On Each Other)
celeste // ezra vine (thanks to al for this one too, i REALLY want to write a fic about them and this song at some point)
 you’re the inspiration // chicago (i just love the sound of this song. also i think all of them - but jemma especially - are inspired by the others to be better)
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nullanythorm-ao3 · 3 years
Text
Just Some Random Fanfic Concepts
So I was going to wait and see if anyone else was interested in me posting up some of my general fanfic ideas. However, I’m bored and struggling to work with the CiM update I’m working on right now. So I’m just going to do it? Also, a heads up to look out for another post coming later, because I want to share some of my Variro YouTube playlist, too.  BUT FIRST, story ideas. You’ll get some working titles for the ones I HAVE working titles for, but otherwise I’m just winging it cuz there are a lot of them. These are in no particular order. Things being higher or lower on the list doesn’t mean they’re more or less likely to be worked on. 
#1 - A continuation for Land or Sea (title pending)
So a little background on this one. I got the idea for this one at the same time as I got the idea for Trust is Something Earned. I put which one I worked on first up to a vote on the Tangled Amino. 
It’s a mermaid(merman/boy??)!Varian AU that centers on the idea: What if, in Queen for a Day, instead of coming up with a solution that created the amber when interacting with the rocks, Varian creates a different one and winds up getting himself turned into a mermaid instead?
It’ll feature 4 OCs: two created by me, and two created by a friend. The perspective will shift between Varian and an OC that belongs to a friend of mine named Charlotte, Varian’s childhood friend and love interest. 
Without spoiling too much, it takes place primarily during the events of season 2 (and maybe stretches into season 3). It switches perspective between Varian, who’s sent to live in the ocean after the accident and becomes friends with an adventurous merboy named Caspian who helps him rediscover his passion for science and alchemy, and Charlotte, who’s left behind in Corona and is trying to rediscover her sense of self and direction after losing her best and only friend. Charlotte’s perspective will help show how the premise changes events in Corona, while Varian’s is wholly original. 
The other OCs that will be involved in the story will be my OC Adrian Claire, who followers of TiSE will know, and my friend’s OC Henry. 
#2 - Stitched Together (originated from Ragdoll)
Okay so the original premise for this was for it to be a Variro story. The focus was Hiro living a double life: a college student in San Fransokyo who realized the existence of the several magical realms that ran parallel to his home after discovering he had magical blood passed down from his mother (maybe even throwing in superhero and making it a triple life - poor Hiro). He finds what’s known in the multi-realm as a living doll - a doll that gained a soul either through devotion and affection of a previous owner and desire to become more human, or having a human soul literally shoved into it. 
Varian, his doll, is the latter. Due to crimes against his home realm of Corona and his own uncontrollable magical talent, they forced him into having his soul magically “stitched” into a rag doll, until Hiro’s magical talent allowed him to awaken.  However, because of his nature as a living doll, Varian now depends on and is subservient to Hiro, but the two soon grow a bond much closer than expected. 
Now, after working on the lore and world of the story, I’ve grown its scope a little. Rather than simply being a crossover with Tangled and Big Hero 6, I want Stitched Together to be a bigger-scale crossover, including How To Train Your Dragon and the Tales of Arcadia series as well. 
It’s going to be Hiccup/Hiro/Varian, along with Jim/Claire from ToA being close friends with the trio. They’re all going to be young wizards from different realms, with different magic specialties studying in Arcanum, the central realm that connects all magically advanced realms. Other characters from each series will show up as well! You’ll see a bit of all of them, it’s a pretty enormous project.
#3 - Maybe some Hogwarts Shenanigans?
I’d really like to do a short, maybe 7-chapter story on the Hogwarts Headcanons for the OT3 I did a while back. The big issue is I’m still trying to figure out where I stand on posting Harry Potter/Hogwarts content after the whole J.K. Rowling thing. 
It’d be a chapter focusing on each year the three spend at Hogwarts together, some key moments through the years, and things like that. Just a small, random story about some kids at Hogwarts having fun. 
Might do it, might not, we’ll see. 
#4 - Time Travel Variro Fic (title pending)
This is another one sort of meant to run alongside season 2 of TTS, and maybe s3. It also replaces the S3 of BH6 the series. Just cuz. 
Basically Varian escapes after being put in prison, and decides the best way to save his dad is prevent the amber from capturing him all together. Vindictive, feral little villain raccoon decides that if he can’t have his happy ending, he won’t let Raps have hers and plans to make a time machine so he can go back and prevent Eugene from rescuing Raps. 
Unfortunately, a slight user error and hiccup in his plans (namely the fact that Ruddiger doesn’t appreciate being left alone and hops in the machine with him and all the noise and flashing lights of a steampunk-medieval time machine spook him) causes him to catapult into the future instead. 
Meanwhile, Hiro’s dealing with his friends moving on to find work, his own internship at KreiTech while attending school, and being fifteen and struggling with hormones and his sexuality finally starting to rear its ugly head after being dormant for 15 years of being in an ongoing relationship with SCIENCE (aka he’s seeing guys, thinking ‘he’s cute/handsome’, and he’s PANICKING). Then, as he’s on his way home from internship one day, a random af raccoon tugs at his pants leg until he finds a boy in weird clothes unconscious in an alley somewhere
Varian, after being woken up, and unsure if he should bring up that he’s from the past or not, makes up a fake story about running away from a small town. Hiro, feeling there’s something more but empathetic to Varian’s story, invites him to stay with him at the Lucky Cat and introduces him to Cass. 
Varian is stand-offish at first, absorbed in his “pet project”, as he calls it around Hiro. Basically, the machine didn’t time travel with him, he’s stuck, and is determined to get home and continue his plan. Hiro, however, is drawn in by the mysterious boy and tries to reach out to him and open him up.
Varian catches on to modern technology and science pretty darn quickly. He’s a smart boy. He also stays holed up in Hiro’s lab or the room they allowed him to borrow reading all day. Until finally Hiro cracks him out of his shell, he starts attending SFIT, and meets the rest of the BH6 crew.
There’s more to the story than this but that’s all I’m saying for now. Lots of drama, tension, etc, and just a fun time as boys discover their sexualities, learn where they can call home, and all that good stuff. 
#5 - In Someone Else’s Shoes (Time Travel Team Awesome Fic!)
So this one is kind of meant to work in tandem with the Variro fic. While the Variro fic explores Varian failing in his plan and getting catapulted into the future, this fic shows the results of what would happen if the time travel worked.  
It centers around Team Awesome! Varian travels back to the past, and tells Eugene that he dies if he hides in the tower. He convinces him that he’s his partner in his future, by knowing his name and stroking his ego a bit. But inform him that the crown will lead to nothing but trouble and his death (conveniently leaving out the part where he meets the love of his life and gets brought back from the dead because of a magical healing flower). 
The alteration to the timeline erases the former Varian’s existence and overwrites the Varian of the new timeline with his memories - giving him the memories of both the former and current timeline. He wakes up in bed at the palace, being woken up by his personal attendant Flynn (Eugene, who only allows Varian to call him by his proper name when they’re alone) and told to get ready for his coronation as crown prince. It turns out, in this timeline, because Eugene and Rapunzel weren’t there to stop him from his running water experiments, the devastation on Old Corona caused the death of his dad and several others. Since he was the son of an old friend, and they longed for their missing princess, Frederic and Arianna take him in as their son, and monitor his scientific hobby to prevent him from causing more trouble. 
Of course, this won’t do. He confides the truth to Eugene, that he was trying to save his dad by returning to the past (but again, keeping out key elements), and the two decide to work together to rebuild the time machine and alter the past without the catastrophic results. 
Won’t spoil too much, there are some wild twists and turns here. But it’s one I’m really looking forward to, again!
#6 - Maybe some Percy Jackson/Camp Half-Blood shenanigans
I’d just really like to make some Camp Half-Blood AU stuff. It’d be more a series of one-shots, or just a story that jumps around in time in the course of it. 
Crossover with Tangled, Big Hero 6, Tales of Arcadia, and How to Train Your Dragon with a focus on (as usual) Hiccup/Hiro/Varian. 
Not going to say too much about it though, because I want to do an AU Headcanons post with some details on this one! I have lots of ideas.Some you might expect, some you might not. 
#7 - Hercules Inspired Variro Fic (Title pending!)
So this one is wild. Basically, after the events of BH6 s1, Obake escapes. He stays on the run, escaping to Germany, and finds a young boy of genius on par with Hiro, but in the field of Chemistry, and takes him under his wing.
Varian is distraught after his father, who’d contracted an incurable disease, falls comatose. The government does nothing to help him, even though he has friends that hold political power, and Obake uses that to lure him into becoming his protege. 
The pair lie low for a while, wreaking a little havoc in Germany while Varian looks for a cure for his father. The boy dabbles in all manner of fields while trying to help his dad, and before long finds out that the last component he needs is in America, in San Fransokyo. 
Varian, now in his early 20s (which means Hiro is too!), Varian travels to America. He’s currently working as a villain under Obake while daylighting as the head of a German medical research company. 
He meets Hiro by chance. He flirts a little, but tries his best to keep his distance while trying to achieve his goals. Unfortunately, Obake notices how flustered Hiro gets around Varian, and has Varian continue flirting with and pursuing him as a form of distraction, and confides in him about Big Hero 6 and their identities. Varian is against it at first, but goes along with his mentor. 
Varian continues flirting with Hiro, gets in with the group as a friend, and begins distracting Hiro and sabotaging Big Hero 6 while working on a plan to steal the last component he needs for his cure - a solution being stored under high security at KreiTech - where Hiro works, partnered with Krei.
It’s Hercules inspired so there’s a bit more to it, but that’s all you need to know for now!
#8 - Phantom Thief Varian! (Title Pending)
Similar to the time travel one, this one KIND of links with the Hercules-inspired one. It’s not necessarily meant to link narratively or thematically, like the two time travel fics, but it has some similarities. 
Namely the fact that Varian came to America after forming a company to research a cure for his terminally ill father. Whether or not Quirin is comatose in this one, I don’t know. 
But it’s hard for a small company to get the influence or money Varian would need for his research. So, he steals valuables and rare compounds and materials to fund his research and keep him going, under the name “der Waschbär”, which Google Translate tells me means “the Raccoon” so I’m rolling with it.
He meets Varian in a business meeting with KreiTech, or one of those fancy business parties or something along those lines. They become infatuated with each other pretty quickly (as adults that are more sexually aware, I always picture these two precocious kids being pretty flirtatious when attracted to someone so they just kind of click pretty quickly). 
It’s basically the story of Varian, the charming phantom thief who worms his way into Hiro’s life, and Hiro, the superhero aiding the cops in his capture. All while being completely oblivious to each other’s identities and flirting/pursuing each other constantly on the side xD I just like phantom thief stories okay?
#9 - POKEMON!!!!!
Yeah, I still want to do something with these pokemon headcanons
I’m still not entirely sure what kind of pokemon thing I’d want to do. Similarly to the other ones centered around my headcanon posts, it would probably be something I write in short bursts or one-shots and such. 
I’m not sure if I want to do something focusing solely on Corona as a region and the Tangled Characters, or continuing the Hiccup/Hiro/Varian that the headcanons focus on. 
#10 - The VTuber AU
Yes, I’m doing this! I’ve fallen neck-deep into the VTuber pit, and I love the idea of a VTuber Varian. I feel like his avatar is probably a combined effort between him and Rapunzel, who would probably be the artist behind his character. He’s probably an independent VTuber, streaming on his own with his own model - either because he was genuinely curious about the boom and wanted to try it, or due to the influence of his friends (whether a bet or something along those lines).
As stated in a previous post, I feel like his vtuber character is super steampunk, and probably raccoon-temed. There are a lot of VTubers that use the animal-ear look after all. His VTubing character is super chaotic, and tends to fly solo when streaming. 
Hiro is a pretty big gamer himself, but never got big into VTubers. He felt it was just a fad attached to regular streamers, and never really got into watching other people play games, so vtubers make it even weirder really. 
He was looking for help getting past a certain point in a hard game, though, and in his search came across Varian(in the fic, his VTuber identity will have a separate name! I just haven’t htought of one yet) streaming the game, and stuck around to see what he did in that part, and wound up staying because he was chaotic and fun to watch. Before long, he realized he was watching clips from previous streams and catching his streams regularly. The others start teasing him about it. 
Meanwhile, Varian, who’s recently joined in with the group after having started SFIT the year or semester after Varian (maybe Year, since Hiro can be watching it while the others graduate and start looking for work, since he doesn’t really have any other friends in SFIT so he just kind of falls into it to pass time)
Still dunno how he figures out Varian is a VTuber, and whether it’s before or after they start planning though. I just rcreated this one it has work to do.
Anyway that’s about it. There’s probably a few smaller ones I put off to the side of my brain for the time being that didn’t get added here. I forget which ones I start planning a lot and I almost never write them down, I just plan them in my brain as I go and the ones that stick are just keepers. Hope you like these though! Curious to see what everyone things and which of the ideas the, like, 20 of you that follow me like. 
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encyclopika · 4 years
Note
18 & 20 For the ask game!!!!!!!!
THANK YOU SO MUCH KAT!!! <3 God this is long.
From this writer’s ask game...feel free to send me some asks!!! :D
Gonna link the stories here for reference and for anyone interested in reading!
The Missing Series // Fire and Brimstone
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18. Do any of your stories have alternative versions? (plotlines that you abandoned, AUs of your own work, different characterisations?) Tell us about them.
Yes, ma’am! First I’m going to say that most do not, but the Missing series, particularly all that concerning Asuka and Ai, does in a big way...particularly the completely altered timeline that follows them if she doesn’t go away. You’ve seen the comic, where Ai doesn’t lose her nerve that snowy day and makes it obvious to him she also has stock in a deeper relationship. Yeah, that one. I’m currently working on more short comics from that timeline. Not necessarily a whole story, but snippets from that fluffier timeline. But that also means a few things happen differently - for one, Krow doesn’t join the Ryukyu offices, mostly because, in that timeline, he’s allowed to fulfill his own heroic story faster than he can in Missing. He’s not actually a rescue hero, but he doesn’t have Ai around in the main series to come into that as quickly. 
I also almost went harder on Ochako’s duality in Missing, almost making Uravity a separate entity that was starting to hate Ochako’s bullshit. I honestly hated that and clearly didn’t do that. Instead, the duality is more “in her head” than anything. This idea kinda comes out in Krow and Asuka instead.
Additionally, there was, once upon a time, an alternative “Missing”, in which Deku chooses not to return to Tokyo for the Pyromancer case, and Ochako faces him alone. It gets obnoxiously dark and gritty, to the point where I’ve taken that OnO fuel and split it between Escape Artists and my little-known horror project Downpour I’ve been working on in not-secret. But, yeah, that’s definitely an abandoned plotline...*shudders*.
There are small details here and there that I changed in both Missing and Missing Out that created alts, mostly concerning Deku and how he fights baddies/figures things out, name changes for OCs, The Ring’s and Pyromancer’s whole identities changed, and Irina’s characterization has really gone through the ringer (from being another lovable asshole bird like Krow that simply gets on his nerves, to being a dangerous, but important antagonist). I also had Deku introduce the idea that people’s quirks can kill them in Missing because I intended to explore it more, and I’m not sure if that’s totally abandoned... 
Thanks for asking this one. <3
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20. Tell us the meta about your writing that you really want to ramble to people about (symbolism you’ve included, character or relationship development that you love, hidden references, callbacks or clues for future scenes?)
Yes. 
All of that. I don’t wanna toot my own horn, but I live for hidden messages, references, callbacks, foreshadowing and symbolism. The Missing series (and to a lesser extent, Fire and Brimstone) is simply overflowing with these things...there’s so much that even with all of the people who have read it, there are still gems and Easter Eggs left to be discovered. And, before I get into it and make this post obscenely long, my reasoning for doing this is simple - I want you to read my fics again...I want to have reread value. 
I’m going to put it under a cut in case anyone wants to discover them for themselves and also general spoils. Here are the ones I’m MOST proud of or that make me laugh or, dare I say it, make me feel smart. This is not an exhaustive list, and of course, I’m not pointing out any future Missing series meta for sake of spoilers.
Titling 
Titles, titles, titles, girl you know I love titles. I’m a title SNOB. And I do A LOT of fun things with titles, such as:
1. Using the title of the fic as a buzz word and callback to the theme. 
I get real obnoxious with this in the Missing series. The overarching theme of Missing is, well, missing people, particularly in the vain of heartache, loss, and longing. And I put it everywhere:
From Missed Chance:
Despite keeping steadfast to her goals and to her future, she knew that for a long time, she'd be missing him.
From Missing:
Today, there would be an update. As much as she wished it weren't so, the only time she saw Deku was when it had to do with Pyromancer or for a brief moment before leaving the police station in the mornings. Any other time, she was missing him.
“I miss you.”
...
“I'm always missing you.” 
That's probably how he wanted it - being Asuka, the one still missing Ai, was too painful.
It couldn't ever be the same again, and Ochako was happy for it, feeling like her life was now so full.
And not a thing was missing.
From Missing Out:
“Miss me?”
“Only a little.”
But even when she was being annoying as hell, I craved her, like I knew I'd miss her. 
Still, after all that time in the cold, her lips seemed like a warm reprieve...if I could have ever gotten there...
I miss her.
I'm always missing her.
^This one’s a double whammy, for obvious reasons.
2. Using chapter titles to run with a theme, too.
This only happens in Missing and Missing Out, but, look:
Chapter titles for Missing are the life of a fire and also follow the level of stress in the fic, as well as Ochako’s feelings: Hot Coals, Rekindling, Reignited, On Fire, Blazing, Inferno, Burn Out, Backdraft
Those words are used in their respective chapters too AND we run through them when Ochako is considering confessing or not in the last chapter.
I pull the same kind of crap in Missing Out, except all the chapter titles are things Ai gave to Asuka. If it’s an object, the object is in the chapter, otherwise, it’s stated in the chapter, too.: A Desperate Lie, Lunch, Skills, Home, No Conditions, Second Chances, Worry, Agony. It’s also in reference to this, because kill me, I guess.
Bonus: Since the story is told from within the theatre of Asuka’s memories, the titles for chapters 7 and 8, “Worry” and “Agony”, are spoiled in Chapter 6 here:
I didn't know I'd missed my last shot at telling her...I didn't know that I really would be missing out on a life with her.
Because everything after this is worry and agony.
BONUS BONUS - THE TITLE OF THE FIC APPEARS HERE TOO BECAUSE I’M OBNOXIOUS.
3. Title allusions and character.
Particularly for “Fire and Brimstone”, the title sounds like it’s just about the main boys, Katsuki = Fire, and Kirishima = Brimstone. BUT BUT BUT it’s also referencing biblical shit, which is appropriate, given it’s an Angel/Demon AU. It refers to God’s wrath when people use it loosely, but it is also the torment in hell for the deadly sin lust. *hint hint nudge nudge*
--
Okay that’s enough about titles. How about the fact that 
Krow is a Crow
So many little crow quirks, lore, and bullshit is put into this character, like wow.
1. The entire concept of his quirk is all about crow lore, in that they are often connected with death in a number of cultures. This is why, although he doesn’t like to explain it, his quirk isn’t literally a sense of smell, but a little more mystical than that. It’s a sense. His quirk also references the Carrion Crow, Corvus corone, for which he’s based, which is a scavenger and is heavily associated with carrion and is native to Japan.
2. The green and purple iridescence of his wings are also referred from the Carrion Crow in particular. 
3. What’s not overly obvious is that crows and ravens have positive lore too - in a number of cultures they are guides and messengers, sometimes to people, sometimes to Gods, which Krow fulfills to both Ochako and Ai (with Ai’s quirk, she could be compared to a goddess, for which he acts as the messenger - this was how she figured their partnership would work). Krow kind of puts this and the negative lore together when he explains his quirk for real in Missing Out:
 As a teenager, I ignored them. Death is everywhere and it usually isn't important. Whatever messages they need sending, I'm not the crow they're looking for.
He also actually has a messenger bag in Missing Out.
4. It’s referenced in Missing and outright admitted in Missing Out that he’s inexplicably attracted to shiny things, which is more or less also crow lore, rather than fact, but still. 
5. Krow’s name “Asuka” is a unisex name that refers to scents, but also birds and flight. There are a bunch of different refs that say differently, but I’m sticking with that. “Dakuro” is Engrish for “Dark”, which, if you really wanna meta, is actually his last name, considering his father is British. “Dakuro” is just how the Japanese people around him pronounce it. XD
6. He admits to collecting random shit he finds aesthetic, in reference to hoarding and collecting as crows do. 
7. Asuka and Ai’s “lunch for quirk fodder” exchange, as well as his giving her the necklace and the box of quirk fodder, is in direct reference to this adorable true story.
8. Asuka speaks more than one language and is capable of mimicry during his “feral response” while fighting the Bear Trap Villain. This is in reference to the fact that crows and ravens are capable of mimicking human speech like parrots.
9. Asuka likes to sit in high places and watch people, and squats in tree for the majority of Missing Out and often bitches about walking anywhere, unless it’s to protect Ai. He has the mentality of a bird. He’s also built like a bird, with hollow bones and air sacs to assist his properly sized wings during flight.
10. He’s actually incredibly intelligent, and uses it to finagle out of tough situations and generally be a trickster, as is crow/raven lore, but crows/ravens are considered the smartest group of birds besides parrots. Unfortunately, this gets balanced out by the fact he’s a teenage human boy, which makes him lazy and capable of dumbass moments. 
11. The murder investigations - there’s a number of instances where Krow can’t help but be drawn to death from his death sense in both Missing and Missing Out. He can’t stop himself from investigating the building Pyro is hiding in, the murder warehouse, and when Ai dies. Crows and ravens will gather around fallen comrades in a mix of mourning and also in an effort to try and figure out what happened and if that threat still pertains to them. 
:3 Birb <3
--
Secret Messages and Tells and Foreshadowing and Symbolism
-In Missed Chance, the duality split of Ochako and Uravity is referenced as happening at a particular moment. Throughout Missing, Uravity is treated as apart from Ochako until the end of Missing where they “agree” on letting Deku help. It’s a duality of self representation.
-At the end of Missing, I’m hoping its clear everyone but Iida was in on leaving the two of them alone. Aoyama initiates it by leaving first.
-There are at least two instances where there’s heavy foreshadowing of the end of chapter 7, once with Aoyama:
“Then where in this overcrowded city?”
“I see. Among the clouds, then.*”
And again with Deku:
“That's a relief. Now, I just need to make sure I don't float myself into the stratosphere and you'll be right!”
-There is SO MUCH symbolism related to flying and birds, I can’t really put it all here, but it’s there. Also so much symbolism to fire in Missing, not only with Pyro’s quirk, but Ochako’s feelings..
-Krow reacts to a memory of Ai before we know she exists (since he’s hiding it) while they are interrogating Necromancer: “That’s not bringing them back. That’s nothing like bringing them back.” He also lets it slip a bit that he’d speaking from experience when ragging on Ochako about Deku. Deku also introduces the idea that people’s quirks can kill them in the same chapter, which is in reference to Ai, but also what ends up happening to Ochako, more or less.
-If you replace Ai’s name with the literal meaning of her name in some sentences of Missing and Missing Out, the UwU angst goes up to an 11. Here’s the one that’s particularly the gut punch:
Ai saved me in every way someone could be saved.
[Love] saved me in every way someone could be saved.
-End of chapter 5 of Missing Out, No Conditions, it should be obvious as hell that if Ai wasn’t in love with Asuka before, she certainly is now. Particularly in the gift box scene, he gives her...butterflies...right? 
-Ai is compared to the winter throughout Missing Out. This is more in reference to what she means to Asuka than anything else. Winter, as a season, is the great equalizer and although things die in the winter, it is also necessary to the bloom in spring. This refers to the shift in Asuka’s life because of her - his villain life ends and his hero life begins. 
-In fact, that whole scene in the snow is based off this gif, particularly the alt comic. It’s of two crows sitting in the snow kissing UwU.
-In both Fire and Brimstone and Missing Out, it should be getting pretty obvious I like to have my winged beasties flutter their wings when they’re in love. 
--
Referencing Literature & Real Life & Pop Culture/Memes
-Pyromancer’s first crime in Alaska is based off the McCarthy, Alaska massacre where a lone gunman gunned down 6 of the 22 residents and injured more. Guy almost killed the entire town. Pyromancer actually did.
-I’ve referred to “The Raven” by Edgar Allen Poe a number of times, particularly in Krow’s famous line
“Nevermore, bitch!”
But I also referenced the Telltale Heart, The Cask of Amontillado, Frankenstein, The Wizard of Oz, and fanfiction in general. 
-There’s a pop culture reference in Fire and Brimstone from Bioshock where Shinso says:
“Would you kindly go repent at the alter? Ashido is waiting.”
And I love it a lot, because in Bioshock SPOILERS, “would you kindly” is the trigger phrase that’s supposedly controlling the player, Jack, to do things for Atlas and in canon, Shinso’s quirk is brainwashing. Mineta upon hearing it just goes “okay” and promptly does what Shinso tells him. Shinso’s brainwashing is also referred to by Mineta just before that:
“Or get brainwashed into believing fairy tales,” Mineta said flatly from beside the Angel.
-There is indeed a motherfucking JoJo’s reference in Missing. And there’s more memes where that came from.
-Krow’s use of “my guy”, “lit” etc etc. is self explanatory. He is a whole ass meme chicken.
-In fact, I call Krow and the other birds of the Missing series “chickens” because of the meme of the girl pointing to a bunch of geese saying “look at all these chickens!” In fact, Irina calls and will call Krow a “cock” in Missing Out and Escape Artists, and it’s kind of a more sinister play on this. Transplant and Keeper, during their convo in Missing Out refer to the women captive under Keeper part of her “henhouse” and that she’d need a “rooster” to go through with her plans. Krow also refers to his fight with Irina as a “cockfight”.
-I’m not religious, but the lore is fun to allude to. The religious references should be clear in Fire & Brimstone, and a lot of the words I use relate to the topic, even casually in the narration, but also when the characters say “like hell!” Also in F&B, the real Angelic hierarchy shapes much of the worldbuilding, as do the references to real life racism, police brutality, and other shit like that.
In Missed Chance, the sun coming through the window puts a “halo” around Deku.
In Missing Out, Krow refers to demons on a number of occasions, sometimes towards himself, his family (which in comes the irony, since they look like Angels), but towards the end, it’s used to explain Ai’s mental illness. There are also these choice lines that entertain the notion of heaven and hell:
  Below us was hell – mothers with agendas, school, dipshits, murderous villains, oh my! But up there? It was just us...
I was under no illusions about a heaven...hell certainly exists back down on the ground but I've been high enough now to rule the other place out. Unless this cold, quiet nothingness is supposed to be the intuitive opposite to the chaotic, unfair bullshit below.
-There’s a lot of references and characters with mental illnesses - psychosis, sociopathy, anxiety, depression and PTSD are all explored. In fact, Krow’s tendency to laugh at everything and get triggered by certain events (all of Missing Out is the result of him triggering himself in order to make Ochako realize her mistake) is a tell-tale sign he suffers greatly from PTSD, and Ai’s mental breakdowns are indicative of the anxiety I myself suffer from. Honestly, I just wanted some fics that look into it. 
-In the same strain, all of the characters in Missing present different coping mechanisms towards what first-responders actively go through irl. Much of that was taken from my own life as someone with police in the family and being married to a firefighter/EMT.  
--
Okay, that’s enough. Hope you enjoyed...I certainly had fun outlining all of it XD
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dcbbw · 4 years
Note
1 🤣🤣🤣🤣, 5, 6 for fanfic asks 😘
1.  If you’re an author, how many WIPs do you currently have? (Be honest!)
Well, since @ao719 has set the standard (and called me out! lol), I think I have to bring ALLLLL the receipts.
Everything is under the cut
Series:
Aftermath of a Breakup/DC AU—the gang are just regular folks living in Washington, DC. Chapter 4 is in progress, but their adventures live on in Asks/Prompts while you wait.  Also, I plan to write a Day One, detailing how the gang met. It may be part of the series, or a standalone.
Autumn in New York—Riley Brooks and Damien Nazario were an item, until Riley ran off to Cordonia after a chance meeting with Crown Prince Liam. Riley returns; Liam follows. Eros is involved. What’s gonna happen? Currently, only Chapter One is available, but more progress is being made on Chapter 2.
Goodnight, Moon (Driam) –the lovers try to get in last moments and all the love before the Engagement Tour ends. We are currently up to Chapter 3 (Applewood). Chapter 4 will be Italy.
Secrets of Cordonia—My version of Cordonian history taking place over three generations. We are currently up to Chapter 2.
Object of Affection—Liam loves Olivia, Olivia loves Drake. Riley is the choice at Coronation. How to make my OTP fall in love? We are currently up to Chapter 7; Chapter 8 is in progress.
Sunday Brunch—my shitshow soap opera where Drake cheated on Liam with Rashad, who is in a relationship with Neville. Drake also cheated on Liam with Riley, who was married to Liam and in a relationship with Maxwell. Riley is pregnant and it could the baby could be Drake’s, Maxwell’s, or Rashad’s (there was a threesome). Rashad is also seeing Leo. Who is sexing with Madeleine and Adelaide. Folks get caught, conversations are had, and shit is hitting the fan. We are currently up to Chapter 9.
Timing—does anyone remember this series? LOL This is my first series, and it is my take on TRR events. It really isn’t in chronological order, but we are up to Chapter 15. I am getting back to this fic, and we will pick up the night of the Costume Ball. There will be character death.
The Commoner’s Wife—Riley is married to Drake out of a sense of misguided obligation. She and Liam are still desperately in love, but she doesn’t trust Liam’s love because of past actions. Drake wants to fix the marriage because he’s in love with Riley. There’s a kinky, latex loving Princess who wants a marriage with Liam. When we left them last, Drake and the Princess had caught a very naked Liam and Riley in the act. We are up to Chapter 5 with this, and progress is being made with Chapter 6.
Miniseries
Anton-- Anton Severus is locked away for his crimes against the Crown. But his dream of overthrowing the current bloodline on the throne and claiming it for himself burn brighter than ever. He has help on the inside. And he’s pitting the Court against itself. We are currently up to Chapter 4; progress is being made on Chapter 5.
NightFall-- Set in the Riam Universe, five years in the future. Liam and Riley are happier than ever: They’re parents. Cordonia is prosperous and at peace. But someone is coming for the King. Who?  Why? Currently up to Chapter 3; Chapter 4 is in progress.
Discontent-- The King and Queen of Cordonia’s marriage is broken. Their coping mechanisms for dealing with it are breaking them, individually and collectively. Is their love for each other stronger than their duty to their country? Currently we are up to Chapter 3; Chapter 4 is in progress.
Chain Reaction—Prince Liam, The Duke of Valtoria and Lord Maxwell Beaumont are having to deal with changes: the Queen is ill, the King is stepping down, and Leo (whose marriage to Madeleine is already hitting a rough patch) isn’t ready to step up. What does it mean for Laxwell?
Liara—In an AU where the trip to New York City was never taken, Liam fell in love with Kiara. She didn’t return his feelings but agreed to an arrangement with him. Liam married Madeleine. Kiara falls in love with Liam, and Liam begins divorce proceedings. But now Madeleine is pregnant, claiming it’s Cordonia’s heir, sired by the King.
Cordonian Arrangement—NO IDEA where this WIP came from, but I call it the Hot Mess Hana. Liam and Riley are married rivals; Riley has a Cordonian arrangement with Hana, who is pregnant by Liam with the heir. I thought it could be a one-shot but it’s gonna be a huge, delicious mess. (I think)
Evil Driam—The star-crossed lovers refuse to be torn apart because of Leo’s abdication and a social season. The secret to not taking a bride is simple: there can be no Queen if there are no suitors …
 Riam:
Dinner with Friends—A very hormonal Riley has dinner with Liam and their friends at her favorite Chinese restaurant. There is random conversation (including Pixelberry and the babies’ names are revealed), waitress kissing, and an argument.
One Big Happy—A peek into family life.
Family Getaway—Set way in the future, the royal family takes a break; actually Riley gets angry with Liam; she and the kids travel to one of their American properties and Liam follows them.
The Afterlife—The royal couple pass away after a long and rich life; they are still Riam even in Valtoria Heaven
Rendezvous in Ramsford—Remember at the beginning of TRR Book 2 when Riley didn’t hear from anyone for weeks because of the scandal and Liam choosing Madeleine? What if Liam snuck over to Ramsford for a late-night talk and “other stuff” before he and Riley meet in Fydelia?
The Not-The- Nanny Interviews—Riam looks for a nanny for their twins.
Untitled—All my Liams and all my Rileys are at the Beer Garden for a meet & greet
 The Drake Wave:
Twenty Questions—Drake and Riley get to know each other while stargazing in the snow.
Houses of Cordonia—Drake and Hana find themselves spending an unexpected amount of time together during the royal couple’s honeymoon.
Untitled—An unlikely friendship develops between Drake and Penelope.
 Prompts/Asks/Requests
Guests and Visitors—A twist on the duel between Liam and Bradshaw featuring Christina Yang and Alex Karev from Grey’s Anatomy.
The Lunch Club—More Liam and Hippie Chick shenanigans
The Secret Rick Springfield Fan Club—Drake and Liam are planning a secret road trip to Atlantic City for a General Hospital Fan Meet & Greet, and a Rick Springfield concert. The gang ends up tagging along, and nothing goes right.
Untitled—a sequel to this fic where we see the Cordonian Social Season through the eyes of Drake and Olivia
Untitled—a sequel to this fic where Gen leaves Goldcliffe and Levi behind to build a new life in New York City. She’s roomies with Daniel, works for Damien Nazario, and her boyfriend is Rashad Domvallier. Life is good until Levi shows up in the Big Apple for a gig.
What I DON’T Like About You--@omgjasminesimone posted this ask; I’m answering it! (With THREE OTPs because I’m an indecisive heifer)
 Miscellaneous One Shots:
A Night at the Opera—Maxwell and Adelaide spend time together at the Paris Opera House.
Untitled—In Shanghai, Riley and Hana have a sleepover; there’s wine and chocolate and nail polish. Secrets are revealed and confidences are shared. But daylight brings a remorseful Liam bearing gifts.
Little Nobles—It’s still an idea bubbling in my brain but considering a miniseries about our favorite nobles’ childhood adventures.
A Very Social Season—Threesome between Riley, Liam, and Maxwell the first day of the social season, right before the Masquerade Ball
Slippers—A Riam/Dralyssa flashback featuring glass slippers for Riley; ruby slippers for Lyssa; and Liam and Lyssa in New York City while Drake and Riley babysit each other in Cordonia.
A Tale of Two Couples—What happens when AUs collide? @sirbeepslot’s Driam meets my Riam.
Wife Swap—Burnsy’s Dralyssa and my Riam agree to play on the television show Wife Swap for charity.
5. What’s a crackship you love?
Besides my own? Driam will always be #1! I like Draxwell and think a lot can be explored there. I would like to see Kiara x Rashad, I think they are more compatible than folks realize.  
6. What’s the last thing you read that made you laugh?
Real world: an email from a coworker who is leaving the company. He said no more laid back, now he ain’t holding back. For some reason, that made me laugh all day.
Tumblr: @sirbeepsalot‘s Besties series. I am trying to get her to never stop writing it!
Thanks for the ask, #mykarev
#long ass post #fanfic asks
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sydneysageivashkov · 4 years
Text
so I saw @robbeonsa post a theonsa goes to narnia prompt and hi, I am a major narnia stan but I don’t have time to actually write the fic, so here, have some dot points:
theon and sansa do not come to narnia together. sansa stumbles through a painting in king’s landing and theon trips through a wardrobe while looking for bran and rickon when he takes winterfell.
they both arrive at the same time, though. they arrive in a snowy wood next to the lamp post. it’s the first snow fall of the winter, and they’re surrounded by fauns, dryads, and dwarves, all performing the great snow dance: a dance performed in narnia on the first moonlit night with snow on the ground each year, commemorating the long winter that the white witch brought.
if you ever asked theon or sansa why, they’d struggle to tell you, but they never could mistake dwarves with tyrion. something about their proportions, or maybe they were a little too hairy, or maybe it was just a whisper of magic about the dwarves. you could maybe mistake them for children of the forest, but the dwarves do not enjoy being compared to children, as theon finds out when he makes the mistake of mentioning the children aloud.
 this is the golden age of narnia, ruled over by high king peter, susan the gentle, edmund the just and lucy the valiant. when the narnians notice sansa and theon among them and - after some questioning - realise that theon and sansa aren’t from archenland or calormen, decide to take them both to cair paravel.
mr tumnus is still living in lantern waste, and of course he’s the one to take them to cair paravel. sansa is really a lot more like susan, but in those early few days, the wonder in her eyes reminds him most of lucy.
when they arrive in cair paravel, there’s a bit of confusion when everyone realises that westeros and england are not, in fact, the same place.
sansa didn’t know about theon taking winterfell yet when she arrived in narnia, and theon doesn’t exactly hasten to tell her. it comes out basically by accident: theon mentions he came to narnia through winterfell, sansa asks how that is when he should have been with robb on the campaign, and theon just... can’t lie to her. not directly.
peter is not exactly impressed with theon. the issue isn’t so much siding with the greyjoys, it’s that theon had already sworn an oath to robb. somehow, peter’s disappointment is almost as bad as bran and rickon’s had been.
edmund, though. edmund’s been the traitor, and in many ways he was far worse than theon had been. theon, no matter what he had or would have done, did it for his family’s love. edmund betrayed his family when he went to the white witch. “even a traitor may mend,” he tells peter. “I have known one that did.”
edmund takes theon aside and tells theon much the same that aslan told him, all those years ago. it is the only time edmund has ever repeated it. theon never does.
susan and lucy discover sansa’s bruises and they are furious. susan has had some bad experiences with rabadash, and both of them have spent time helping the people of narnia escape abusive relationships. lucy the valiant and susan the gentle are utterly horrified at the idea of a prince who would abuse his betrothed like joffrey. they don’t know if sansa and theon will ever go back to westeros, but by aslan they are going to make sure sansa is prepared if that happens.
in truth, sansa isn’t one for physical violence. neither is susan. that’s okay; they’ll teach her what she needs to know to save her life but otherwise they’ll help her find other ways to get out. they teach her how to find secret passages in castles (lucy and edmund had spent weeks finding all the hidden rooms and passageways in cair paravel after their coronation), how to navigate by the stars, how to make your way through the forest undetected. if she ever goes back, then she’ll be able to get away.
aslan comes. sansa and theon are both very alarmed when a lion appears at breakfast, especially when lucy screams, but then lucy throws herself on to the lion and they realise that this is the aslan they’ve been told about ever since they stumbled into narnia.
aslan is there to talk to theon and sansa. there’s a war coming to westeros, after all, one far bigger than the one they’re embroiled in now. the night king is coming, and he has more than a few similarities with the white witch. aslan has more of a presence in some worlds than he does others: he’s in westeros, but not in the way that he is in narnia, and cannot intervene in the same way.
theon and sansa, no matter what problems they have with each other, are in agreement: they have loved their time in narnia, but they cannot leave everyone they love in westeros to the the white walkers. but now they’re armed with information that no one in westeros could have ever gotten otherwise.
they make an agreement: sansa is going to have to wait out a few weeks in king’s landing, the amount of time it’s going to take theon to get out of winterfell and sail for king’s landing. she’ll escape the red keep using everything susan and lucy have taught her, and together they’ll make their way to riverrun, where they can warn robb of everything that is coming.
they have been in narnia for well over a year by the time that aslan comes. sansa has grown up a lot and she was taken in by susan and lucy. she has followed them through their queenly duties and she now has a very different model of queenship than the one cersei showed her. susan and lucy are loved by narnia and they are loved because they are good and kind queens, who with edmund make just laws and with peter protect the kingdom. theon, meanwhile, has spent a lot of time with edmund. he doesn’t know if he’ll ever be forgiven or loved by either the starks or the greyjoys in the way edmund has been by the pevensies, but he appreciates the quiet way that edmund seeks to make up for the things he did through building a just kingdom.
aslan builds them a door in the air. sansa cries as she says goodbye to the pevensies. theon and sansa link hands as they walk through the door, but they still end up back in opposite ends of westeros.
sansa escapes the red keep and never looks back. they reach robb together and sansa vouches for theon. whatever happens now, they’re in it together.
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artificialqueens · 4 years
Text
Not Nineteen Forever (15) (Branjie/Scyvie/Ninex)- Ortega
a/n: oh u thought the worst of the angst was over? it’s only just begun. apologies in advance hnggggggg. love is always appreciated here or over on my blog! love and hugs xxxxxxxxx
please note: this fic contains young adults often behaving in irresponsible/unadvisable ways with regards to alcohol, drugs and sex. if you are someone who feels as if they could be heavily influenced by fic and incorporate what happens in the plot into ur own life, pls steer clear!
summary: Brooke, Yvie and Nina are three flatmates who forged a friendship in their first year of university and picked up some other waifs and strays along the way. Now in their final year, there are feelings that need to be unravelled and confessions to be made whilst navigating drunk nights, hungover mornings, takeaways, group chats, library meetups, cafe gossiping, and the small matter of getting a degree.
last chapter: Scarlet helped Vanessa deal with the aftermath of the breakup, aided by lecture-skipping and the prospect of a pink-haired rebound. Monet was gearing up to ask Nina to be her girlfriend in the most elaborate of ways, and Scarlet and Yvie finally said the most important three words to each other since “let’s get takeaway”.
this chapter: it’s Valentine’s Day, Brooke is a living flip flop, and something happens that nobody saw coming.
***
“Ayo. We’ve got a mouse.”
Brooke finally got her jacket off that she’d been struggling with and faced Yvie, who was lounging on the sofa in their little living room in front of the TV. “Well isn’t that a romantic Valentine’s Day greeting.”
“Well we do,” Yvie shrugged, Brooke leaving her bag on the kitchen table and joining Yvie in front of Coronation Street. “This storyline has been going for about a year, I swear to God.”
“Should you not be out doing romantic shit with Scarlet?” Brooke asked, hearing how monotone her voice was but unable to take it back now. Yvie looked across at her and raised an eyebrow.
“She’s got uni. I’m picking her up from her flat at five, we’re going for drinks and then out to the restaurant.”
“Picking her up with what, your bare hands?” Brooke let out a small laugh, Yvie chucking a couch cushion at her and snorting.
“Shut up. I’ll get an uber. I might even get an uber exec, really push the boat out,” she quipped, Brooke laughing again. As her laughter died down, Yvie tilted her head. “So what’re your plans for tonight?”
Brooke groaned and tilted her head to the ceiling. “I’ll be fine. I’ll stick on some films, eat some chocolate. Maybe skype my parents. I’ll be fine.”
“You said that twice.”
“Well I will be.”
Yvie made a click with her tongue. “And we all know the hallmark of a person who’s fine is if they have to repeat it about twenty billion times.”
“Yvie Oddly, ladies and gentlemen, queen of exaggeration,” Brooke said sarcastically, Yvie giving a sarcastic flourish of her hand right back at her. In the conversational lull, Brooke checked her phone. All over her instagram page there were couples; disgusting, happy couples who really were just making an embarrassment of themselves with their totally cringeworthy captions. “Happy Valentine’s Day to my number one” with every heart emoji under the sun, “happy vday baby i love u” beneath a picture of someone’s boyfriend pulling a silly face, and the worst, “he’s ok”, the understated caption contrasted by the horrendously soppy picture of a couple that Brooke knew from back home kissing for the camera.
Brooke had a cheek, she supposed. She’d made her bed- breaking up with Vanessa, as difficult as it was, was supposed to make her happier and make everything go back to normal. But it hadn’t. Knowing how much she’d hurt Vanessa brought no happiness to her at all, nor did it make her life any easier. Seeing her post sad, slow R&B song after sad, slow R&B song to her instagram story didn’t alleviate her guilt, nor did her radio silence on the group chat. Brooke had seen her only once since the breakup- across the square on campus when Vanessa didn’t realise Brooke could see her, flanked by Silky and Akeria, wearing baggy clothes and not a scrap of makeup, her face and eyes puffy and red. There was nothing about Brooke that was relieved; she desperately wanted to be there for Vanessa, to dry her tears and talk shit about herself. She had the deepest desire to be a friend to her through the breakup she had been the cause of, because ultimately she still cared about her. Brooke didn’t know if that was normal or not. She was past caring or trying to figure it out.
What was she going to do tonight? Yvie was out with Scarlet, Nina was at Monet’s right that minute. Plastique had told her in the library the other day that she was going for drinks with Ariel (“the most casual of drinks”, she’d said, although Brooke knew it would be anything but casual). She didn’t know what the others would be doing. Akeria would probably drag Vanessa on a night out and Silky wouldn’t need much encouragement to go either. It looked like Brooke was in for a night by herself after all.
Mid-scroll, one of the uploads caught Brooke’s eye- a photo from months back at Vanessa’s birthday night out of all eight of them together, dressed up and smiling with their arms around each other. It was only a few seconds later that Brooke realised she was smiling at it, completely unaware that her facial expression had changed. She wished they could all go back to October. She would exchange all the hurt and the guilt and the sadness that she’d caused in exchange for pining for Vanessa for the rest of her days. Her eyes drifted down to the caption, and her stomach plummeted when she realised who it was posted by.
missvanjiemissvanjie Happy Valentine’s Day to my day ones! Best bitches I could ask for in my life. Love you!! 💓
Brooke scanned the photo again. She hadn’t been cropped out, even though she was on the edge of the photo- the curse of being tall, Nina had called it. Her heart began to spring to life. This was a good sign. Vanessa clearly didn’t hate her, and somewhere deep inside her was a want to be friends again and go back to how things used to be. Injected with optimism, Brooke clicked on Vanessa’s messages. She paused for a moment, looking back at the last ones they’d sent- the day of the breakup, Brooke asking to talk, Vanessa wondering if everything was alright. It felt like a harpoon to her stomach.
Trying to stay positive, Brooke typed out a message.
B: Hey. Hope you’re doing okay. I know we said we still wanted to try and be friends so I was wondering if you wanted to maybe hang out tonight? Just as friends obviously. Since everyone else will be busy. Let me know.
Brooke’s finger hovered over the “x”. She decided against it. Hitting send, she found herself waiting anxiously for a reply.
“How do you know we have a mouse anyway?” Brooke asked Yvie, her words suddenly registering. Yvie shrugged.
“Ran across the worktop about five minutes before you came in.”
“What the hell are we going to do about it, then? I don’t want to even imagine what Nina’s reaction’s going to be if she sees it,” Brooke shuddered.
Yvie laughed. “No, Scarlet’s going to be the same. I don’t know, she looked like a nice lil’ fucker. I think we should get a cage. Put a block of cheese in it and then keep her as a pet."
Brooke felt her phone vibrate twice. Picking it up to check it and seeing that both the messages were from Vanessa, she nonchalantly carried on the conversation. "So Scarlet would be fine with that, would she?”
“Scarlet isn’t here all the time.”
“No, just 99% of it,” Brooke raised her eyebrows, opening Vanessa’s messages.
V: lmao
V: Are you on crack. You broke my heart two weeks ago and now you’re trying to be my friend already. Have you never heard of a thing called a healing process?
Brooke felt her stomach tense. She hovered her thumbs over her screen to reply, but nothing she thought of seemed to make sense or be the slightest bit appropriate. Despondent, she was about to close her phone when another message shot through.
V: And I’m busy anyway. So it still would have been a no.
Well, that was that. Vanessa was out with Silky and Akeria, and clearly she wasn’t invited. That was fine. Brooke could have kicked herself. She instantly wished she’d never been so tone-deaf. It had been a stupid suggestion. Of course Vanessa wasn’t going to be best friends with her a fortnight after they’d broken up.
Brooke couldn’t help the fact that she missed her, though. Even just as a friend.
“Hey, panini head? Are you listening to me?” Yvie suddenly yelled, her best Gordon Ramsay impersonation catching Brooke off-guard.
“What?”
“I said, would you look after Mrs Tibbs if I went home for the weekend?”
Brooke rubbed her temples in confusion. “Who’s Mrs-”
“The mouse! Jesus, Brooke, have you been on this earth for the past five minutes?” Yvie laughed, then gradually a frown spread onto her face. “What’s wrong?”
Brooke hadn’t realised she’d been showing her guilt and disappointment on her face. She sighed. “It’s nothing. I just still feel bad. About Vanessa, you know.”
Yvie furrowed her brow. “Listen, girl, I know dumping someone is hard and it’s unpleasant. Shit, I would know, I’ve had to do it enough times. But there comes a point where you’ve got to stop beating yourself up about it. I mean you ultimately did what was best for the pair of you. It wasn’t fair to string her along if you didn’t want to be with her. It hurts her now, but it’s better in the long run.”
Brooke nodded. Part of her couldn’t help but wonder…
…it didn’t matter.
Brooke’s phone vibrated again. She hoped and prayed it wasn’t another text from Vanessa to berate her for her shitty idea. What was to come would actually make her feel a hundred times worse.
Okay Then: happy valentines day fuckers!!!!!!! even though im out being soppy tonight i still want u all to know that ur my main bitches and number ones and i love u all sm 💖💖💖
Akeria Sainsburys Bag for Life: You’re disgusting. Love you too hoe xxxxxx
Yvie’s Bitch: Awwwwwww Plastique!!!!! We love you too!!!!
Yvie’s Bitch: What’re everyone’s plans for Valentine’s Day?????
Scarlet’s Bitch: i don’t know i’ve got plans with this weird girl called……Scarface? idk i’ll probs cancel on her
Yvie’s Bitch: Suck my clit x
Akeria Sainsbury’s Bag For Life: Children PLEASE
incongruous silkworm spiced praline: HAPPY INTERNATIONAL DAY OF FUCKING
incongruous silkworm spiced praline: ME N KIKI GOING OUT ON THE TOWN LOOKING FOR THIRD DIVISION FOOTBALL PLAYERS
Okay Then: oh bitch aim high? second division xo
Brooke’s heart dropped twenty storeys when she saw who was typing. Their names on the chat had been quietly changed back, but Brooke still knew who it was.
cursed SatNav voice: Happy Valentine’s Day hoes 💓💓💓
cursed SatNav voice: Even though all you couples can suck a bag of dicks
Scarlet’s bitch: gladly, bitch 💜
Okay Then: Vanj are u not going out with Silk n Kiki?? bc if not ur welcome to join me n Ariel!! it’s just casual!!
incongruous silkworm spiced praline: YES PLASTIQUE IM SURE SHED LOVE TO THIRD WHEEL U AND UR HONEYMOON PHASE FLATMATE
Akeria Sainsbury’s Bag for Life: anna ou
cursed SatNav voice: 💓 That’s sweet but I’m busy tonight!! Thanks though boo
incongruous silkworm spiced praline: SHE GOT A DATE ANYWAY
Time seemed to freeze. Brooke couldn’t move. Couldn’t even breathe. All she was able to do was blink at her phone screen as the chat blew up around her. It was only after a few moments that she realised Yvie was looking at her.
“Hey. You okay?”
“Um. Yeah, no, I’m fine,” Brooke stammered, nodding and putting her phone down in a futile effort to seem relaxed. Yvie gave a laugh.
“Brooke, you can’t break up with her and then get mad she’s going on a date with someone else.”
Brooke bristled. “No, that’s not it, that’s not it at all.”
There was a small silence as Yvie typed away at her screen, her eyebrows raised in a defiant show of disbelief. In the silence, Brooke gathered her thoughts.
“I’m just kinda…I don’t know. Not hurt, but…I mean I thought she cared about me a bit more than to be over me in the space of two weeks.”
Yvie gave a gasp, clutching at her heart. “Oh! The fragile ego of Miss Brooke Lynn Hytes. The wings of a moth cannot compare, nor the web of a spider!”
“You know, you can be a really shit friend when you want to be,” Brooke spat, getting up without a second thought and storming through to her bedroom. She threw herself down on her bed and curled up into a small ball, wishing the world would give her a break.
Her ego was hurt. Her pride was battered and bruised. She supposed she’d been so used to being revered and cared for in the eyes of Vanessa that she found it odd for that to no longer be the case. Brooke sighed. Yvie was right- she wasn’t supposed to care this much, she was supposed to be happy. Fuck, shouldn’t this have been the ideal outcome? Vanessa had moved on already.
So why did Brooke feel absolutely gutted?
She sat on her bed in the cold of her room, stewing in her thoughts, trying to figure them out and failing. She didn’t know how long she’d been there for but it had clearly been enough time for Yvie to make a cup of tea, as Brooke found when her flatmate gave a gentle knock on her door and shuffled in with the Sports Direct mug in her hand.
“Hey,” Yvie began, crossing the room and putting the mug down on Brooke’s cluttered bedside table. She sighed and lay down on top of Brooke in what could have been a cuddle or an attempt at smothering her to death. “Brooky, I’m sorry-”
“Don’t. She used to call me that and…” Brooke began, sighing when she couldn’t figure out why she had an issue with it. “I don’t know.”
Brooke wrestled an arm free from under Yvie’s stomach and brought it to rest over her back. It felt more like a cuddle now.
“I knew she was going on a date, by the way. Scarlet told me the other day. I just didn’t think you’d give a fuck,” Yvie said quietly. Brooke exhaled and felt her ribcage deflate.
“I didn’t think I would either,” she said, feeling small. There was a pause. “What’s her name?”
“Monique. The girl from Monet’s party with the purple hair,” Yvie said. It felt like a stab through Brooke’s chest. She remembered Monique, she remembered the way Vanessa had laughed at her stories and the way Monique had looked at her and the obvious chemistry between them. “If it helps, Brooke, I don’t think it’s going to be anything serious. Scarlet said that apparently she literally gave Vanjie her number and was like ‘In case you ever want a rebound’. They’ve been messaging all week. Tonight’s more of a 'fuck Valentine’s Day’ drink than anything else.”
Brooke thought about Vanessa’s perfect body, about her touching Monique the way she used to touch Brooke, talking to her like she used to talk to Brooke, someone else making her come apart the way Brooke used to. Brooke rolled out from under Yvie, grabbed her pillow, and buried her face in it, letting out a long, loud groan.
“Do you feel like you fucked it?” Brooke heard Yvie’s voice ask matter-of-factly. Brooke brought the pillow off her face and whined.
“No! No, I made the right decision. I didn’t want to be Vanessa’s girlfriend. It’s just fucking…weird. It doesn’t exactly fill me with glee thinking of her with somebody else, you know?”
Yvie smirked. “Because you know Monique’s going to fuck her better?”
Brooke launched the pillow at her flatmate, Yvie giggling. “Sorry! Sorry! Fuck, okay, point taken. Inappropriate.”
There was a silence. Yvie’s joke still hung in the air.
“Well, as long as you feel like your decision was correct,” Yvie smiled gently, patting Brooke’s thigh. “Then that’s the main thing. And it’s natural to get a little jealous.”
“I’m not jealous.”
“Sure, Jan,” Yvie raised her eyebrows and began to slide off Brooke’s bed. “Look, I’ve got to go get ready for dinner. You sure you’ll be fine?”
“Well I said it about twenty billion times, remember?” Brooke deadpanned, earning her a laugh from Yvie. “Just go. Go have fun. Have the best night, baby. You two deserve it.”
Yvie leant down and gave Brooke one last little squeeze before leaving her bedroom and going back into her own. Now she was alone with her thoughts Brooke wanted desperately to silence them so she grabbed her laptop and shoved on the least romantic film she could think of- Kingsman. As she sipped her tea and watched a man get completely sliced in half from skull to anus, she thought that would only be slightly less painful than what her emotions were currently putting her through.
As Taron Egerton refused to kill his dog, Yvie shouted a goodbye to Brooke.
As Colin Firth went absolutely mental in a church and killed everybody single-handedly, Brooke grabbed her phone and deleted all of her messages with Vanessa.
As the end credits rolled, Brooke wondered what the fuck she’d done. Two and a half years of friendship gone and deleted in the blink of an eye. But maybe it was for the best.
Brooke had been scrolling Netflix searching for something else to watch for what could have been an entire hour when she heard four things in rapid succession- the heavy bang of the front door, a scurry of hurried footsteps across the hall, the bang of Nina’s fire door and then a rapid sobbing that poured out of whoever was in the room and through Brooke’s wall. Brooke’s previously lethargic body sprang to life and she shot off her bed, took three quick steps to her door and hurried out into the hallway where she knocked on Nina’s.
“Nina? What’s happened?”
The sobbing continued from inside, Brooke unsure if the girl had even heard anything. Hesitantly, she pushed on the door.
“I’m coming in, okay?”
With no response other than more sobbing and a snuffle, Brooke entered Nina’s room. There was her usual organised dressing table with her makeup strewn all over it, indicative of a rushed getting-ready process. On her usually tidy floor was a mess of tried-on-and-rejected clothes, and there on the Aristocats-patterned duvet curled up with her stuffed teddy was Nina, absolutely crying her eyes out. Brooke practically vaulted the end of her bed to get to her flatmate who was squashed in between her pillows and the wall in the foetal position.
“Hey, hey, hey! What’s wrong?” Brooke asked her, pulling her close and wrapping her arms around her. Nina batted her away weakly.
“Don’t, Brooke, don’t, fuck, getting held is just going to remind me of her and I don’t-” Nina descended into another burst of sobs, Brooke completely and utterly confused.
“Monet? I thought you guys were fine? Oh my God, Nina, she didn’t break up with you?!” Brooke asked, scared and trying to fight the sinking feeling taking root in her chest. Nina elegantly wiped her nose on her teddy and pressed the heels of her palms into her eyes, rubbing harshly and leaving her looking like a human panda.
“She didn’t break up with me,” Nina sniffed, finally seeming to calm down.
“Oh, thank fuck.”
“I broke up with her.”
This was at least twenty times worse than what Brooke had feared. Pulling away, she fixed Nina with a look of complete incredulity. “You did what?!”
Nina rubbed at her eyes again, this time with her fingers. “Yeah, because obviously I can’t have anything fucking half-decent in my life without completely sabotaging it or making it go to shit, can I? I broke up with her, I’m a fucking idiot. Happy?”
Brooke could only blink in response as Nina leaned back and let her head hit the pillow, her stare boring into the ceiling. Her thoughts were all colliding. This was the most sudden and unexpected event, and it had completely knocked her for six. “Rewind. I thought you and Monet were fine?”
“We were fine,” Nina sighed so deeply that Brooke wasn’t sure she would have any air left in her lungs. “I was so fucking happy, Jesus. But there’s always a catch, right? Nobody can stay that happy forever, it’s always got to come to an end at some point.”
She stopped and sat up, propping her head against the headboard. Not looking Brooke in the eye, Nina continued. “She started being really distant with me. Not replying to texts for ages, being really deep in thought when we were together. I’d ask her what was wrong, but…she’d just always say nothing was. I was over at her flat the other night, we’d had a nap together and I woke up and she wasn’t there. I went into her living room and she was there with two of her flatmates. They stopped talking the second I got in, honestly I might as well have caught them all in the middle of a massive fucking orgy,” Nina laughed humourlessly. “And then it clicked. It all started after I told Monet about you and Vanessa. Nothing bad…just about how you weren’t sure, and how it’s better to just break up with somebody if you’re having second thoughts about them. It all made sense. Her being distant, always seeming off, obviously talking to her flatmates about it and having to stop because I came in. She didn’t fucking want me anymore, Brooke.”
Shocked, Brooke could only put her arms around her friend as she leaned into her chest and began to cry again. Nothing about it seemed to fit. Monet was absolutely head over heels for Nina, anyone could have seen it. It all seemed so out of the blue and sudden. Brooke tried to think about the last time Monet had been over at the flat. It had been about a week ago and Monet had seemed fine- although, now that Brooke thought about it, Monet had seemed a little quiet. Almost nervous, Brooke considered. But she was still cuddling Nina and giving her small kisses and paying her attention. It didn’t make any sense. Brooke frowned. “Nina, are you sure she actually wanted to break up with you?”
“I wondered it too. Because I didn’t want to believe it, of course. But then yesterday we were just lying in bed doing nothing. She was on her phone and my head was on her chest. I saw what was on her screen just for a second and she’d fucking-” Nina sighed, cutting herself off. “- typed this guy’s name into Google. Obviously some guy she’s met and she’s trying to find him on social media. I actually felt like I’d been stabbed, Brooke. Obviously she saw me, because she only got as far as the first name and then closed her phone. But I know what I saw, you know?”
Brooke’s frown only got deeper. “But that makes no sense. Why would she look someone up on Google, what is this, the fucking 90’s?”
“Brooke, you weren’t there. You should have seen how quickly she shut her phone off, and she was instantly all over me and telling me how lucky she was and-” Nina’s speech was interrupted by a bubble of a sob. “Oh fuck, it hurt so much. And today she woke up with me and was all "Happy Valentine’s Day!” and all that shit. I couldn’t do it, Brooke. I couldn’t make myself look like an idiot any longer. I suggested going for coffee and while we were out I just…I just fucking did it. Oh my God, it was so so bad, Brooke. She looked so fucking destroyed and she was so pissed off with me that I thought it was all a mistake but…fuck, I didn’t know what to believe. I don’t know. I don’t even know what I’ve done.“
Brooke sighed, desperately not wanting to believe it was over between the two girls. "But didn’t she explain herself? I mean what did you actually say to her? Did you confront her?”
“Jesus, no! No, I didn’t want to make it look like I was this poor, lovesick, pining idiot who was making a fool of herself over her! I jumped before I was pushed. I pretended I was the one whose feelings had changed, that it wasn’t working for me anymore. It was all a crock of shit, but she obviously believed it.”
Brooke bit the skin at the side of her thumb. There was a silence. “But didn’t she try to make you stay? Didn’t she fight for you?”
“She-” Nina cut herself off. Brooke looked down and saw tears pouring down her face, and her heart broke. “- she just sat and looked at me. Something in her eyes just…shut down. They just went all glassy, like those black marbles you got as a kid, remember? Anyway I said my piece and she just…ugh, she just nodded. She just nodded and went "Right. Got it.” in the most cold voice and then she got up, put on her coat and left. And I let her.“
With that, Nina swept her hands under her eyes and heaved a gut-wrenching shudder of a sigh. Brooke was at a loss of what to say. She had thought Nina and Monet were made for each other, and the fact that Nina had thrown it away for the sake of what Brooke was sure had to be a misunderstanding was gutting. She heaved a similar sigh to Nina’s.
"Look at us. It’s Valentine’s Day, we’re both single, we’re both here regretting breaking up with someone-”
“Wait what?” Nina asked suddenly, eyeing Brooke with suspicion. It was only then that Brooke had realised what she’d said. Startled, she backtracked.
“Well, I mean, not regretting breaking up with her, just regretting causing her hurt,” she said, Nina nodding quietly. Although Brooke was still spooked. Why had that thought popped into her head, let alone out of her mouth? She didn’t regret breaking up with Vanessa. It was the ick, just like Plastique had said. She had changed her mind. She couldn’t exactly change it back.
Could she?
“Why don’t we watch a film? I’ll bring my laptop through, get snacks from the kitchen. You don’t even need to move from this room. Or this bed,” Brooke suggested, ignoring the dangerous thoughts swirling round her mind. Nina gave a sniff and a silent nod.
“21 Jump Street?” she offered hopefully, Brooke unable to help the small laugh that escaped her mouth at the suggestion.
“This from the queen of Disney?”
“Disney’s too happy for me right now,” Nina moped, wiggling underneath her duvet cover. Brooke screwed up her face.
“Too happy? C’mon, you’ve seen Bambi. And Lion King. And Big Hero 6. And-”
“Brooke I swear to God if you don’t go get your laptop and stick on 21 Jump Street,” Nina warned, not finishing the empty threat. Laughing, Brooke did as she was told. She could only hope that the film would be enough of a distraction to her and to Nina for the next two hours.
She had no idea what they’d do once those two hours were up.
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astral-space-dragon · 4 years
Text
HAHAHAAAA! After having this character on the back burner for a bout a month, I’m ready to share her with the world!
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 After chatting it up with @harlot-of-oblivion​ yesterday, I got the courage to flesh out this character and I’ve gotten really invested.
She’s a character from a crossover AU that I’ve been playing with for a while and I hope you like her as much as I do. A DC Universe and Devil May Cry corssover. I’m calling the series “Of Bats and Devils”.
Under the cut cuz is a really long fuckin post lol
Name: Viviane “Viv” Mercer-Wayne
Age: 25
Immediate Family:
Bruce Wayne (adoptive father)
Richard “Dick” Grayson (adoptive brother)
Jason Todd (adoptive brother)
Tim Drake (adoptive brother)
Damian Wayne (adoptive brother, Bruce’s bio-son)
Cassandra Cain (adoptive sister)
Alfred Pennyworth (considered a grandfather)
Misc. Family:
Duke Thomas (honorary brother)
Barbara Gordon (honorary sister)
Stephanie Brown (honorary sister)
Kate Kane (technically cousin, but everyone just calls her Aunt Kate)
Clark Kent, Hal Jordan, Diana Prince, Arthur Curry, Barry Allen, Dinah Lance, Oliver Queen, Carter Hall, J’onn J’onzz, and the rest of the supers (honorary aunts and uncles)
Friends:
[Friends through her siblings]
Rachel Roth (Raven)
Kyle Rayner
Kon-El
[Friends from school days]
Greg Mackaye
Rudy Forester
Kristy Ving
[Current friends]
Dante
Vergil
Nero
Lady
Trish
Nicoletta “Nico” Goldstein
Kyrie
Base of Operations:
Red Grave City 
Physical Description:
Height: 5’3
Hair color: Brown, cut short, usually an undercut. Either way, kept very short for convenience.
Eye color: “Vale Green”
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Personality: Punkish, blunt at times, serves sarcasm with a side of a middle finger, dark humor, underneath brutish exterior: a heart of gold, will fight for what’s right, even if it means breaking some rules, inquisitive, a bit of a sentimentalist, prefers to not stand out but will raise hell if necessary/wanted, bit of a history nerd
Skills and who trained her:
Skills for the field:
Top-notch detective skills (courtesy of the Bat)
High martial arts skills (the Bat and her brothers)
Misc. Athletic skills (i.e. climbing, running speed, etc) (trained by Bat, honed by Trish and Lady)
Computer skills (the Bat and her brother, Tim)
Marksman skills (trained by her brother Jason, skills were honed by Dante)
Swords/Blade skills (Dante and Vergil)
Survival skills (again, the Bat)
Misc Skills:
Cooking/baking (Alfred)
Bass guitar (self-taught)
Intimidation (the Bat)
Some hair cutting skill (the Bat and her brothers)
Battle Theme (y’know as devil hunters have): “Demon’s Are A Girl’s Best Friend” - Powerwolf
Backstory: Viviane “Viv” Mercer was born on a rainy November 5th to two parents who were into the punk and occult scene in Gotham in their youth. For the few years of her life, she lived in a small apartment in the Old Gotham district. Her father, Tristan worked as an employee at the Botanical Gardens (courtesy of his old friend Bruce) and her mother, Mina worked as a manager at an “occult shop” that specialized in selling occult books, crystals, oils, and other products for the then emerging “witch scene” in Gotham.
Growing up in Old Gotham, there was the constant threat of Two-Face and his men as the district was, and still is, his territory. Still, the small family made the best of a tense life. Then one night, during a standoff between Batman and Two-Face, Two-Face had two hostages held at gunpoint, Tristan and Mira. With a flip of his coin, Two-Face ordered his men to execute them. In that moment, Batman watched his old friends die. 
After taking care of Two-Face and his men, Batman watched as a coroner placed Tristan and Mina’s corpses in body bags. He overheard Commissioner Gordon talk about placing the now orphaned, Viviane into a home. Wrought with the guilt of not saving the two, Batman took it upon himself to take the young girl in. After filling out some paperwork (and a couple of friendly donations), 6 year old Viviane was adopted by the billionaire.
From then on, she lived in Wayne Manor with Bruce Wayne, her new big brother Dick Grayson, and Alfred Pennyworth. It wasn’t long after when she found the Batcave by complete accident. She had no desire to be a vigilante but she DID have the desire to as the small child said, “Kick some ass!”, causing poor Alfred to nearly faint.
So throughout her childhood, she learned how to defend herself and was taught a variety of detective skills from Bruce. She was also eager to learn what she lovingly dubbed his “Batglare”. Despite the training, she still carried on her life as normal. She’d attended galas (though she and Dick would run off to hide and eat pastries), went to school,made a couple of friends at school, made friends through her brother, and met her honorary aunts and uncles of the JLA. Along the way, she got more siblings: Jason Todd, Cassandra Cain, Tim Drake, and Damian Wayne.
During her senior year of high school, she was waiting for a cab to take her home when she heard a noise from the alley behind her. Growing up in Gotham made her hyper-aware of danger, so upon hearing the noise she immediately went into a defensive position. A goat-looking demon charged out and got a taste of an aluminum baseball bat. Two more demons came skulking from the alley. Thanks to her training, she managed to hold her own before the fight started to wear her down. A demon was about to blindsight her when gunshots rang out and all the demons were shot down and killed. Viviane looked around until her eyes landed on a man with white hair in a red coat(his DMC4 outfit) on top of a fire escape. That’s when she met Devil Hunter Dante. She didn’t know at the time, but he would be her boss years later.
Dante took her home and before leaving, he gave her his business card. On the card was the name: Devil May Cry. He told her to consider it a job offer and he disappeared into the night. She pocketed the card and went inside.
Years later when she had turned 24, she got into a nasty spat with Bruce. While this wasn’t the first one, this particular argument was a very nasty one. Harsh words were said by both and this fight was the straw that broke the camel’s back. While the family was out for patrol, Viviane was packing her belongings. She had gotten sick of Gotham and “Bruce’s shit”. For a quick moment she wasn’t sure where she would go. Then while clearing her desk, she spotted the business card, Dante gave her all those years ago.
Red Grave City. She had made her decision. After packing a suitcase of clothes, toiletries, and such, she removed the tracker from her phone, got on her bike and rode at top speed for Red Grave. When she arrived at Red Grave, it was 3am the next day. She decided to book a quick and cheap hotel room for the night. Upon arriving at the hotel, she spotted demons in the parking lot; this time, they were nasty bug-looking ones. Just like last time, she held her own for a good while until a flash of blue and red swooped in and they took down the demons together.
Viviane eyed her two rescuers and immediately recognized the one in red, Dante. And that was the start of her new job and life.
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I know the backstory may be somewhat vague, but I’m already working on fics for just about everything. From the early life, the death of her parents, adjusting to life as a Wayne, meeting her siblings throughout her life, meeting Dante, the fight that between Viv and Bruce, all of it.
I will be posting them here but, I will also be posting them under the series “Of Bats and Devils” since Tumblr’s navigation is fuckin abysmal.
Anyways here a pretty good idea of what my little shitlord looks like:
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(Y’know with that last one, if you put a knife in the pic like that one meme, it’s be perfect)
Also here’s a pretty good idea of what her character
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Anyways, I hope you grow to like Viviane as much as I do. I’ve grown so attached to her, honest to god, I’m happy.
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