#can't wait to lose my mind rereading all these!!!!

[goingxmissing]

2023 fic reader highlights

thanks to mostlymaudlin for putting together this template. i'm going to enjoy rereading all of these over the next few days and using the floating ao3 comment box, which has significantly improved my life, and increased the unhinged nature of my comments.

Fic that made me laugh

Cool Things to Say to Your Soulmate by @powerful-owl & @love-leah • daniel ricciardo/max verstappen • a collection of soulmate AUs (everything em writes is hilarious, and this is full of heartache, miscommunication, and so many fun takes on the soulmate trope. delightful. haven't looked at geese the same way since.)

2. Fic that made me cry

one step closer and i'm real by @officialmood • daniel ricciardo/max verstappen • time travel, alternate universes (this fic is exquisite, every version of daniel that max meets is distinctly different and broke my heart in a multitude of ways. made my heart twist in the best way.)

3. Fic that gave me a story hangover

all this happened, more or less by multi21 • charles leclerc/max verstappen • social media, canon divergence (so much fun and so inspired! charles is a secret singer-songwriter, told through social media posts and devastating lyrics, le castellet is in my head at any given moment. went with this for story hangover because i thought about it for Days afterwards and then charles literally put his music on spotify. drop the escalier des fleurs content charles!!)

4. Fic I want to discuss book club style

playboy in the grotto by @freeuselandonorris • lando norris/oscar piastri • watersports (the pinnacle of horny romance: gross, filthy, desperate, fond. had to pause reading several times to rant about my favourite bits. need a book club to discuss the wider cinematic universe where they explore more kinks in the most tender way.)

5. Fic that got me a lil flustered

the fire is slowly dying by @strawberry-daiquiris • oscar piastri/mark webber • age difference, mentor/protégé (this is one of the most unhinged fics i've ever had the pleasure of enjoying. oscar is a total menace. scenes in this fic will stay with me Forever. i urge anyone to take a chance on the pairing if you're intrigued and FEAST.)

6. Fic by one of my favourite authors

jump right in by @strawberry-daiquiris • lando norris/oscar piastri • rule 63 (imagine your fiancée muses, 'what if lando was a girl and she'd never had an orgasm?' one day and then a couple of months later she's still working on a 100k+ masterpiece following the 2023 season where a third of the grid are women? i'm the luckiest. this fic is everything and i'm going to be LOST without it when it's finished.)

7. Fic I reread more than once

screen glows in a dark room by @hollywoodsargeant • oscar piastri/logan sargeant • phone sex, sex toys (steaming hot phone sex, not a single word wasted. the first fic i read for this pairing and i keep coming back to it and also the whole apex predator series. HIGHLY recommend checking these out for the Dynamics.)

8. Fic I sent to everyone I know

side by side in orbit by @glasscushion • lando norris/oscar piastri, max fewtrell/lando norris • cuckolding, voyeurism, open relationships (the concept is rancid and the vibes are UNMATCHED. this was delicious. as i said in my comment: when max feels spit pool beneath his tongue, when he forgets to breathe because he's so into what's happening in front of him. i felt that!!!!! immediate rec.)

9. Fic that made me fall in love with an author

i'll kiss you first by venerat • lando norris/oscar piastri • a/b/o (my first fic for this pairing, i read it on a Very Early train and my brain never recovered. you might be able to tell from my tumblr. me reading this fic over and over like: 😅. still can't see the word 'ripe' and not think about lando being a grotty omega. every fic by venerat is an absolute BANGER. hit that subscribe button, my friends!!)

thank you to all of the wonderful authors and creators who have shared their work in fandom this year. 2023 has been a feast <3

#fic rec #i tried to do this post without commentary but it was impossible #blanket rec for all fics by the authors mentioned #i only wish there had been more spaces but it was such a delight to use the prompts to really think about fics that fit #i've read basically no books and A Lot of fic this year sooooo #can't wait to lose my mind rereading all these!!!! #maxiel #max/daniel #lestappen #max/charles #landoscar #oscar/lando #loscar #logan/oscar #oscarmark #nortrell #fic #ao3 #about me

[vulpinesaint]

desperately trying to remember if there are any books i read this year that i cannot find on my library borrowing history or simply cannot remember. i am so bad about remembering books. LITERALLY REMEMBERED ONE AS I'M WRITING THIS POST. anyway i am attempting to compile a list of books that i've read this year so that i can reference it without having to forget everything. wish me luck. i have fifteen titles on there right now but i can't shake the feeling there's something i'm forgetting

#checking my shelf of books i got for school??? idk #none of this is helped by the way that i have seven thousand books waiting to be read right now and all of them are on my mind #and several of them i am partway through. but i cannot put bell hooks all about love on my list yet i just can't #opened this is how you lose the time war today. not liking it super much but it's not even 200 pages so we'll pound through it #and then my three books from merc (princess bride and two books from the fight club guy) #and all about love. and interview with the vampire #WITCHER NOVELS!!! I READ WITCHER NOVELS AGAIN!!!! adding two more books to my list #god i'm not even through blood of elves yet. awful. this is why i can't keep anything up i forget my ebooks exist as options #then i should read that book about eleanor roosevelt that my grandma got me. as a token to her dskfjghs #wanna reread the hours! have a physical copy just for that so i can annotate #gotta finish the once and future king. #all that to say that there are many books that will be on this list once i actually sit down and read some of them #have to remind myself that i Am actually doing good i'm at over a book a month rate. this is fine #two books a month rate! actually! #shout out to library due dates for being a fantastic motivator #seventeen books on the 'read' list this year. this is fine bracken. you're doing good #realistically this is SO much better than previous years 😭 good stuff. just gotta keep reading #valentine notes #list that would have been so useful to have when we were doing that book recommendation thing

[readychilledwine]

Lose You to Love Me

Summary - You had wanted him for years, loved him for centuries, and waited for him to notice you and see you. But all books have to close, even if we don't like the ending.

Warnings - NSFW, oral, pentration, unrequited love/blind lovers, sex as a tool, the infamous solstice night, implied big brother knows/forbidden romance situation,

A/N - our last @azrielappreciationweek post. Some angst, smut, and feels for us to end the week. I will back from vacation tomorrow and cannot wait to see how this piece went over. 💙 ps. My hormones are all over the place, so I may have cried rereading this because it is such a familiar feeling that we all know. Hopefully, I caught all my errors.

You threw the last book into your bag, sighing heavily as it entered the pocket world and disappeared to your new waiting chambers in Winter. 

You had tried to tell Rhysand you were leaving. Tried to talk to him about the position Kal had offered you, when you'd be going, how this was a set in stone for good move. Did your sweet distracted older brother listen, though? No.

He had not bothered listening since Feyre came. Cassian had not bothered since Nesta was made. And Azriel? Well, that was a complicated story of its own. One you tended not to linger long on, even in your own mind.

Simply put, you were no longer needed here. Meanwhile, Kal, his court needed you. It was still recovering from Amarantha's attacks, and your ability to speak to the land and find where darkness was plaguing it would be a boon to him and his efforts. You had agreed with little hesitation, mind completely open to the new beginning he was offering. 

Your only guilt was choosing to run in the middle of the night on Solstice. 

You left your room to leave a note on the table for Rhys, pausing as you almost ran into Azriel. "Sorry-"

He interrupted your thoughts immediately,  cool shadows looking you over. "What's wrong?" Hazel eyes studied you, reopening the doorway to your room and forcing you back inside. "Y/n, what's wrong?" 

You shook your head, moving to embrace him one last time before you left. 

Azriel was still in your arms, one hand on the small of your back as even his breath came to a pause. "Y/n, where are your things? Why is your room empty?" 

"I'm leaving," your voice was muffled into the soft material of his shirt. "I've been telling you for months, Az."

Azriel pulled you back looking down at you in shock. "We thought you were kidding. You can't leave. Theres-" his jaw had a feather twitch as it clenched. "What can I do to make you stay?"

You shook your head again, watching as his face fell and tears lined both of your eyes. 

Something in Azriel changed in that moment, and the next thing you knew, his lips had slammed on yours, a hand tangled into your hair while the other snaked around your waist. He backed you to the bed, lips moving against yours as if he had been hoarding a lifetime of passion. He lowered you gently, immediately studying you and waiting for permission to continue. 

With a shaking breath, you nodded. A soft "please," falling from your lips. He began his assault again, gently this time though, lips moving at a slow pace as he crawled on top of you. You began unbuttoning his shirt, hands sprawling his bare chest once it was exposed, before moving to the back to undo the closures around his wings and take the material off completely. 

His lips moved to your jawline nipping softly at the flesh there and then to your neck. He growled at the soft gasp that left your mouth as he found the spot between your neck and shoulder that made your body tingle and skin ignite in goosebumps.

He took you removing his shirt as permission to remove yours. Then the soft lace bra he paused to admire. "Is this okay," he whispered in your neck. "You would tell me to stop, right?" 

"Yes," it was a breathless answer again, fueling him to grab more of that from you. 

You had wanted this, wanted him, since you were old enough to understand what these feelings were. This was bittersweet. You knew it was him giving one last ditch effort to keep you here. You knew it wasn't more than him caving to what he knew you had always wanted. 

At least in your mind, that's what you believed. For Azriel, this was the crescendo to a long slow dance the two of you had played for centuries now. You were beautiful, kind, loving, and he only had one chance at this, one moment to hold you, he'd take it regardless of those consequences. Regardless of the fist fight he'd have to survive tomorrow, he'd worship you this one night if this was his last chance to do it.

A soft moan left you and your back arched as he began to suck, lick, and gently roll your nipple between his teeth. His hand played with the other breast as he took his time ensuring that your sensitive peak was hardened before switching his mouth to the otherside pulling those same panting moans from you as your own hand tangled back into his silken hair. 

Scarred hands hooked into the waistband of your soft leggings as Azriel released your breast with a soft pop. He looked up at you again, waiting for permission before sliding them down, groaning softly as the soaked lace panties you were wearing. 

"I'd like to believe you wore these just for me," he muttered. 

You whispered back, "How do you know I wasn't?" And something ignited in his eyes. Ripping them off of you while maintaining eye contact and growling in response. He wasted no time, settling between your legs and kissing from inner knee to thigh as he placed your legs over his shoulders. 

That first lick had your head thrown back into the pillows, back arching, and lips parting in shock. Azriel looked up at you through hooded eyes, hazel lost in lust as he savored you, licking through your folds again before nudging that swelling bundle of nerves. Shadows came to your wrists, pulling them above your head and locking your arms there. It left you completely to his mercy. And that was exactly how he needed you. 

He began to alternate between pushing his tongue as deep into you as he could, licking and drinking the nectar flowing from your core to moaning and humming, his lips sucking your clit. 

You were panting, writhing in place, and moaning for him, begging him for more, for everything. "Azriel, please," you cried as his tongue found your entrance again. He took mercy on you then, latching his lips around your clit rolling it below his tongue gently all while a finger began to run through your soaking heat and then pushed in. 

The Silent scream that left your mouth had him doubling his efforts, wanting to hear the real thing fall from your lips as he began searching. A whiny loud moan left your lips when he found his target, that soft silk spot inside of you. He began pulling that single finger in and out, curling it with each thrust as he continued licking at you clit and moaning as your hips began to roll and grind. That second finger had you panting, his name falling again and again as your eyes fluttered shut and back fully arched. You were close, so fucking close and he could tell. "Cum for me. Look at me and cum for me, y/n. Let me see you fall apart." You obeyed without question as he moved to be above you, watching your face as his fingers pulled you apart string by string. His thumb came to your clit, gently circling the nerves, and when you came, you swore you saw the night sky in her entirety. You screamed his name before falling into whine like moans as he kissed you to silence the noises you were making. 

They were for him and him alone tonight. 

He removed his fingers from you, bringing them to your lips and watched under clouded eyes as you licked and sucked them clean. 

It was desperation that had your hands flying to the ties of his pants, eyes locked on his as you got them loose and pulled them down, releasing his heavy hard cock. You began stroking him, bottom lip pulled between your teeth as you finally felt the weight of him, the softness of him in your hands. Azriel groaned, leaning to grab the headboard above you, lost in the feeling of your smooth hand working him, enjoying the way lust had set in so heavily you dropped all inhibitions for him. His hips began to move in time with your hand. Moaning as he felt his stomach tighten in anticipation. He grabbed your wrist, squeezing it gently to stop you. "Next time," he stated firmly. And guilt set in as you watched him undress fully, there would not be a next time. Your heart could hardly handle this.

You couldn't handle being his flavor of the week, distracting him from his clear wants to be with another. You would take one night, close this chapter, and let go of him, freeing yourself of these unrequited feelings burning inside of you.

He wrapped your legs around his waist lining himself up with your entrance. He pushed in gently, watching your face the entire time as your eyes squeezed shut, breath leaving your lungs. 

You had never felt so full and complete in your life, and you knew deep down you would never feel this again. 

How could you? You were allowing himself to ruin you for any other male, knowing damn well about that string in your chest that never snapped for him. 

Azriel rolled his hips, eyes squeezing shut as your heat swallowed him whole, consuming every inch of him and his soul. You were incomparable and irreplaceable, and his mission set in now. 

Showing you exactly what you meant to him the only way he truly knew how. Gentle kisses came with gentle thrusts, praises whispered in your ear of how much he cared for you, how beautiful you were. Your legs wrapped his waist tighter, hands scratching down his back as those hard deep thrusts hit and filled every inch of you, setting your nerves and body on fire. "Gods I love you," he whispered once he lost himself in bliss. "I love you so fucking much."

And you whispered it back, knowing it was your one chance to tell him. Knowing this was goodbye and tomorrow he'd go back to pursuing Elain. You whispered it over and over, his forehead finding yours as those thrusts picked up pace, hitting that perfect spot every time. "I've always loved you," he whispered. "It's always been you." 

Meaningless words. Words meant to comfort you as if he knew what he was doing. As if he knew the years of tearing yourself apart you had gone through. "I'm right there, baby," he moved to kiss you again, a shadow coming between you to lick at your clit. "Need you to come with me. Need to feel you. Please, y/n," he moaned into your neck. "Please, give me one more baby." 

"Harder," you commanded gently. Needing him to hurt you. "If you want me to come, fuck me harder." 

Legs went from his waist to over his shoulders, allowing him deeper into you, and he began a brutal pace, smirking as you began to shake around him immediately. He had you seeing stars already, that coill tightening over and over like a string waiting to bust. Fingers gently went to a splayed wing, touching the ridge and making Azriel roar as he spilled into you without warning, and triggering your own completion. 

He held you in place, a few sloppy ruts into your seed filled cunt before he pulled out and laid next to you. He pulled your bare body to his, your back meeting his chest. 

Neither of you spoke, words having already been said that you both meant to take to your grave. 

You waited until he fell asleep, kissing him one last time and dressing yourself. You stepped onto the balcony, summoning your wings and wiping the tears that were falling. 

You took off, closing the book of your time in the Night Court as you did along with ending the tragic love story between you and Azriel. 

The next morning, Azriel woke up to an agonizing cry and scream. One he knew belonged to Rhysand. You were gone, your side of the bed empty. He immediately sent shadows to search for you before shielding the scent of sex that lingered on his skin and grabbing his clothing to shift himself to his room.

He had barely pulled pants on before Rhys was at his door, tears streaming as he handed Azriel a note. "Find her. Please find her. Please bring her home. I." Rhys didn't need to explain as Azriel pulled him to his chest. "I can't lose her. Please find her."

And as Azriel held Rhys, he swore on that golden glittering bond he would not stop until he did find you. And he would not stop until you realized those words he whispered to you last night weren't just words. They were his truth.

#acotar #acotar x reader #azriel acotar #azriel #azriel x reader #azriel shadowsinger #azrielweek2023 #azriel x Rhysands sister! reader #azriel x yn #azriel x you #Spotify

[mojowitchcraft]

2024 Fic Tracker

I decided to start tracking the fics I'm reading for 2024 and I thought I'd maybe do a monthly round up of my favourite fics and post on here, but I'm one week in and there's already so many great fics that I'm reading that I wanted to yell about!

Not sure how consistently I'll post these, but I love hyping up my fellow writers and friends, so here's some of my recent faves, mainly Steddie fics but some others in here!

change your mind

by helix_stomper [@pixelizedrifles] Rating: E | Words: 168k | Chapters: 13/17 | Pairing: Steddie

Summary:

After his breakup with Nancy, Steve Harrington keeps it a secret that he hasn’t made an effort to meet his soulmate. When he accidentally wakes up next to them a few days after his 18th birthday, he’s surprised to find that it’s not only another guy, but somebody else in Hawkins. Between losing all his old friends, learning how not to be an asshole, and balancing his newfound sexuality in a closed-minded town, Steve has his work cut out for him. Eddie Munson doesn’t believe in soulmates, but that doesn’t stop him from waiting in the dreamscape every night for his. Balancing life as an openly queer, drug-dealing super senior in Hawkins, Indiana is no cakewalk, especially with Billy Hargrove on his ass. But maybe, just maybe, there’s something to that whole soulmate thing after all.

📓 💭: [Read most recent chapters of this ongoing WIP] I was so excited when I saw that helix_stomper was writing a soulmate fic, and it does NOT disappoint. It's a totally different vibe from the Boots & Budweiser series but it's so so excellent. A completely fresh and interesting take on the soulmate trope with dreamscapes, a healthy dose of identity porn and some *drama*

they're going to send us to prison for jerks

by @greatunironic Rating: E | Words: 16k | Chapters: 1/1 | Pairing: Steddie

Summary:

GARETH 11.46am it’s been like five hours should we do a welfare check on him? JEFF 11.47 am why? you think it’s possible to die from jerking it too much? GARETH 11.47am ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah In which Eddie is TikTok famous, and his personal favorite creator just had an unexpected face reveal.

📓 💭: I love me some modern au / alt format / social media shinanegans and this did not disappoint! Super fun and cute

Paint & Glitter

by unhappy_peaches [@ghast1yghosts] Rating: T | Words: 2.3k | Chapters: 1/1 | Pairing: Steddie

Summary:

"face painter Steve's next in line is an excited 20 y/o Eddie who wants a dragon"

📓 💭: [Reread] This came up in covo with a friend and I had to reread it cause it's so damn cute.

Tentative

by Eddywow [@eddywoww] Rating: E | Words: 90k | Chapters: 11/? | Pairing: Steddie

Summary:

“Oookay," The woman drew out, one ringed hand sweeping at Stevie's hair. "Hey there, Uhh. You're kind of in my lap. Can you get up?" Rude. Couldn't she see Stevie was trying her best?

📓 💭: [Read most recent chapters of this ongoing WIP] I was a little late to the party starting to read this but it's SO FUCKING GOOOOOOOD!! (would we expect anything less of Eddywow? Doubtful) Love going wild with my friends about stressy depressy big tiddy Stevie. Such a fun dynamic between them in this gender bent girl band modern au.

We Can't Both Be Billy Joel

by audacity_of_bluejays [@audacityofbird] Rating: E | Words: 34k | Chapters: 4/5 | Pairing: Steddie

Summary:

Classically trained concert pianist Steve Harrington’s dreams went on pause when the world shut down in 2020. When you’re the last one in, you’re the first one out when the concert halls shut down, no matter how much time, effort, work or talent you put in. So, three years later when his adoptive father and owner of Skeleton Keys Piano Bar in Indianapolis calls him home from New York City to help save the family business, he finally has a way to use his skills and experience. Turns out you can come home again. The only problem is, the plan is to bring in dueling pianos and Steve has to work with the current piano player on staff. Eddie is stupidly talented, annoying and friendly even when Steve isn't. It's infuriating. Can they work together and save the bar from closing? Or will they both get more than they bargained for?

📓 💭: [Read most recent chapters of this ongoing WIP] love love loving my gal Birdie's modern au piano bar fic. Honestly did not expect to get turned on by them playing the piano but the 'playing the piano as foreplay' tag did not lie to me! This is super fun and sweet and the final chapter is getting posted tomorrow!

Steve & Robin

by audacity_of_bluejays [@audacityofbird] Rating: M | Words: 46k | Chapters: 8/22 | Pairing: Evental Steddie, with on and off Stommy as a treat

Summary:

It's 1995. Two sets of best friends find themselves in Chicago and in each other's orbit as they try to figure out how to best navigate the world, work, relationships, family, and friendships in their mid-twenties. Chrissy is starting a new job in a new city with only an old friend to help tether her. Eddie tries to help his band find their big break. Steve tries to get his matchmaking family off his back and Robin hatches a plan to help him do that in an unconventional and seemingly logical way. They're all finding themselves and their way to each other. So, who cares if they stumble along the way? At least they have each other.

📓 💭: [Currently catching up on this ongoing WIP] Another one that I was putting off reading and I'm now obsessed with!! Birdie has really found her niche with this fun screenplay style alt format. The way she describes the scenes and the cuts between things is SO FUCKING FUNNY and I can totally visualize it. My new fave sitcom.

stand still (so i can see your sillouette)

by audacity_of_bluejays, pizzabones [@glitterfang] Rating: E | Words: 4k | Chapters: 1/1 | Pairing: Stommy

Summary:

Immediately following the events of Chapter 7 of Steve & Robin, Tommy and Steve consummate this new version of their relationship. Will this be the beginning of something beautiful or the end of something that's run its course? Maybe Both. Tune in:

📓 💭: oh my god it's like if my favourite sitcom had a late night special. wowoowoweeeee!!! Love me some Stommy smut but also I couldn't relax and enjoy it the whole time cause I don't trust that man!!

sidelong

by Adure [@toburnup]

Rating: E | Words: 5.8k | Chapters: 1/1 | Pairing: Stommy

Summary:

Tommy draws his knees up toward him and leans his folded arms on top. He stares, unashamed, at the length of Steve's neck as he looks around. His chin. His nice smile. Tommy's drunker now that they're sitting in the brunt of the sun, and maybe that's why it takes a few extra seconds for him to realize that Steve's stopped talking. "Is there something on my face?" Steve asks, rubbing his cheek with the back of his hand. He looks confused. And he's waiting, because Tommy is slack-jawed and a little bit in love and he's really, really not ready for this shit. (Tommy can't help but look, and Steve can't stop catching him.)

📓 💭: some soft and squishy Stommy to heal the wounds that the above rec might give you. I love me some happy ending Stommy, just two dudes in love with each other trying to figure it all out!! Absolutely adored seeing my bestie Becca @glitterfang partner up with Vio and do some amazing art for this fic!!

Hungry Like The Wolf

by beetlesandstars [@beetlesandstarss] Rating: M | Words: 10k | Chapters: 1/1 | Pairing: Steddie

Summary:

“Are you a manifestation of my subconscious?” Eddie asks, tentatively shuffling closer to the wolf. He sways a little, stage-whispering, “What are you trying to tell me?” He knows the pills he took were strong but, well - he didn’t think they were ‘hallucinate a giant dog’ strong. (Or, the one where Steve turns into a wolf and befriends Eddie Munson.)

📓 💭: Werewolf Steve!! WEREWOLF STEVE!!! I need so much more of him!! Absolutely loved the identity porn of it all and wolfy cuddles. So good.

Sneaky Link

by morningberries [@morningberriesao3] Rating: E | Words: 121k | Chapters: 17/20 | Pairing: Steddie

Summary:

HailToTheKing: tell me what you look like   ELMst01: tall, pale af, few tats here and there   Steve lifts his eyes from his phone. He must be wondering why Eddie is smiling like a fucking idiot. He pretends not to notice Steve sizing him up from head to foot. Judging bastard.   HailToTheKing: sounds hot   HailToTheKing: just my type   OR   The only thing worse than Steve Harrington, is the fact that Eddie got paired with him for his college assignment. At least the sexy guy he subscribes to on OnlyFans is a good distraction to keep Eddie's mind away from Steve, and the annoying crush he hates that he's starting to develop on his project partner.

📓 💭: [Read the most recent chapter of this ongoing WIP] I've been loving this fic since the begining. I'm always feral for a modern au + university/college au + only fans? Come on!!! So much good soup in here. Plus the added Eddie is a thick headed dummy is so good

Slide It In

by gayhandshake Rating: E | Words: 1.7k | Chapters: 1/1 | Pairing: Steddie

Summary:

Without thinking, he yanks his hand back, Steve yelping, “Eddie!” in response. “Why does it feel like that?” Eddie asks, his mouth pinched. His voice is high-pitched and whiny and incredibly embarrassing, but seriously, why does it feel like that? He shakes his whole body out, wiggling his arms to dislodge the sensation. Steve cranes his neck to glare at him. “Like what?” “Like ‒ squishy and weird!” --- Eddie struggles with some features of the human body.

📓 💭: okay this is just pure silly crack and it made me laugh so fucking hard.

a snowfall kind of love

by @hexiewrites Rating: E | Words: 46.5k | Chapters: 7/11 | Pairing: Steddissy

Summary:

Chrissy has always been top of her class at the North Pole. She’s worked her way up to the matchmaking department, and has an impressive track record of successful Christmas relationships under her belt. This year's assignment should be easy, which is good, because if you asked her out of earshot she might tell you the whole thing is getting a bit… tired. Still: a happy but lonely mechanic meets an ornery author in the biggest slump of his career, whose bike breaks down outside of his secluded cabin in the woods where he's settled for his annual winter writing retreat. A house call, a little bit of that ‘snowed in, only one bed’ magic, Chrissy knows she’s in for an Elf of the Year award for this one. Only... what happens when the mechanic and the author are just as charmed by Chrissy as she is by them? When her little bit of snow gets a little bit out of control? With three of them snowed in, still with only one bed, and an elf fully cut off from her powers, can Chrissy still pull it off and help her marks find love? Or, can her marks help show her that there’s even more magic when Christmas ends, but the love is here to say?

📓 💭: [Read most recent chapter of ongoing WIP] Man I LOVE this, Steddissy is so much fun, plus the added hallmark cutesy christmas holiday of it all is so fun. I was howling with laughter about Chrissy being a covert Christmas elf, ducking behind things with bells in her hair wearing the LOUDEST Christmas outfits. Super cute and fun (and now smutty cause they doin the do and it's yum yum delicious)

#2024 fic tracker #mojowitchcraft fic recs #mojowitchcraft wip recs #steddie fic recs #stommy fic recs #steddissy fic recs #steddie #dividers by #eloquentreverie

[geneticcatalyst]

as promised, an exploration of my one pet problem in fandom, or: misinterpretation of jby's first death (ft. zzs)

heres the thing. i occasionally see people reference what seems to be a misconception of the (english translation) text in qi ye. both the fact that its a translation and the metaphorical phrasing make it pretty clear to see why they got the wrong idea, but i firmly believe its still the wrong idea. i am by no means calling the people who got this mixed up dumb or bad, i am simply leaning over their shoulders going 'wait no bestie pls read that again pls read that one more time!!' because this is one of my favorite books and this thing is a key piece of one of my favorite things about it.

i said i was gonna pull screenshots for this post but i think it will be a little while before i get to another reread and i can't ctrl+f the google doc so im just gonna whip this out from memory. if anyone does have this particular passage on hand feel free to pop it in here. the rest of the context/explanations are just from my cursory research, im not chinese or a historian.

cards on the table. the only thing i love more than unhinged gay romances is unhinged platonic soul mates. its catnip to me. i go feral every goddamn time. and i havent stopped losing my mind about zhou zishu and jing beiyuan since that first qi ye scene. what do those guys have going on? not even sure they know but it's A Lot. ive got like 18 other unpublished drafts trying to work that out slash losing my fucking mind at the lengths they go to about each other. that relationship is at the center of both novels even if the spotlight isnt on it. so I admit that my readings are colored a bit by how much i like that they like each other!

which is why im shocked baffled and, ok, lightly salted, to see a few people make the claim that zishu (personally) tortured/killed beiyuan in his first life.

so what the text says is that after helian yi stopped trusting beiyuan (after su qingluan's accidental death), he was basically put to death. but even the emperor has to have a half decent reason to execute someone. the text describes these reasons- ten of them- as zhou zishu's masterpieces. it also refers to them as great shames to beiyuan's standing. what's happening is that helian yi has zishu frame beiyuan for treason or other betrayals against the emperor/the country. it isn't specific as to what, but it doesn't really matter, because its all fake and zishu is really good at his job. so yes, it is fair to say that zishu is the INSTRUMENT of beiyuan's death, but he didn't kill him, he just laid the groundwork.

the text goes on to another slightly confusing line where it says something to the effect of that when each of these accusations were read out in court, each line drew blood from jing beiyuan. that's a metaphor! it's just saying that his reputation was torn apart and ultimately his fate is sealed, despite the phrasing there are no literal injuries happening.

also, i may not have the timeline perfect on this part, but in zishu's introduction in the beginning of the novel, the narration tells us outright that while zishu is partially responsible for beiyuan's death, he was like. cool about it. in what seems to be the first and only time he ever steps out of line or goes against helian yi's command (!), after setting all this up but- if im remembering right- before the news actually breaks in court the next day, zishu warns beiyuan. now this admittedly doesnt do a whole lot because the only other possible option (cut and run) isn't a very good one, but it's the only thing zishu can do. he doesnt have to, but he does it anyway (!). of course beiyuan doesnt even consider doing this, he's stubborn and heartbroken, but he really seems to 1. appreciate the risk zishu took here to try to give him a chance and 2. not hold the whole set up against zishu or take that bit personally.

so what actually happened at the end of beiyuan's first life? he was sent the 3 zhang of white silk. the text does explicitly say this once, but if you're not familiar with the practice it may not click. receiving the white silk from the emperor is what happens when you're too high ranking to execute like a commoner but you've fallen from grace and are being politely asked to hang yourself in order to clear your name. and of course beiyuan, stubborn and heartbroken, does. yes, it's a forced suicide, but it isn't a murder.

anyway, its in that secret conversation, where zishu secretly meets with beiyuan seemingly to try to convince him to save himself and beiyuan outright refuses, that beiyuan promises that if theres a next life (ha), they'll get drunk together. and of course against all odds, there is and they do.

the thing about the idea that some people might think that zishu killed beiyuan is that after that nothing between them makes sense. even if it was at helian yi's request, i just cant see that not permanently damaging the friendship, i don't think beiyuan could immediately pick back up being best friends in the seventh life with that memory in the way. why would zishu go out of his way to warn beiyuan one day if he was perfectly capable and fine with killing him the next? why would beiyuan not only be happy to meet zishu again in the seventh life but also go out of his way trying to save zishu's? none of their other interactions really make sense if you believe there was a murder done there. idk. it clouds the whole throughline of the story which is that they have a bond!

i think maybe people think it is in character due to the other ruthless murders, and they're not wholly wrong, but that's the kicker for me. zishu will murder all kinds of innocents no questions asked, but he's suddenly trying to give an out to his coworker and drinking buddy? hello? thats insane, and that's the point.

furthermore, if you think maybe it would make sense for helian yi to have beiyuan violently killed (since it keeps fucking happening later), i actually have to become helian yi's lawyer for a moment here and say that that doesnt make sense either. helian yi is sitting on a throne gained by shadowy means but he's the Good Guy Ruler and that reputation is important. hes not a cruel person and he may have become paranoid but he still has a shared history with beiyuan. plus, even the emperor has to abide by a certain amount of decorum when he wants to have people killed, especially when that person is also a high ranking member of court. beiyuan's status is basically second only to the royal bloodline, he's essentially the prev emperor's godson, as well as a previously close confidante of helian yi himself. the white silk was regarded as a privileged, dignified means of offing someone. helian yi is perfectly within social acceptability to do this to beiyuan with the pretext of beiyuan's disgrace. but it would be pushing the boundaries for the good and just emperor to suddenly have one of his top advisors and members of high nobility brutally killed like a common criminal. he could probably do it, but it would reflect on him and his reputation too. he could do it in secret, but would have to cover up the disappearance of a prominent court figure. it just makes sense to use the white silk as the neatest, most acceptable legal justice channel here. maintain emotional detachment, be polite, everybody's honor gets honored and such.

so that's the ted talk. theres even some beautiful fanart on here of white-haired first life beiyuan holding the white silk! he wasn't tortured or outright executed, and he chose to obey rather than escape or fight the false claims of treason even though his friend tried to give him the only out he could manage. to interpret things differently really skews the character motivations and plot for everyone- beiyuan, zishu, helian yi- in a way that warps the story out of believability, imho.

#gently and lovingly nailing my opinions to the fandom's front door <3 #minor qi ye spoilers obv #i think i spent upwards of 3 hours on this draft so believe me this is 10 percent salt and 90 percent love #i wouldnt call this a common misconception either but every time i do see it i have to go walk around the room #i love to think about first life and i love to think about murderbros so. inbox open #qi ye #and thank u to my enablers u know who you are!! #qy meta

[sleepparalysisdemon112]

i literally adore your writing !! i reread atleast 3 of your stories everyday

can you do a fred weasley x a loud, troublesome reader ? maybe a girl that’s exactly like him?

Fred Weasley seemed to always be my competition, not in academics, but in being the most disruptive in class. It was like a game almost, and although everyone thought we despised each other little did they know we had our own ordeals. You see the deal was whoever could make the most people laugh, or whoever could get kicked out first would be the one to receive the most pleasure, and right now I was losing profusely.

So far in this hour class period, he had made four people laugh while I only had one. In my defense, it was one of my not-so-creative days after being kept up till midnight by having my entire body kissed. The most annoying thing is every time he would make another person laugh he would lock his eyes on mine and smile.

"Alright class please close your notebooks and head to your study periods," I was in for it. I already knew what he would want.

I close my notebook and collect my things before entering the corridor on the way to the girl's abandoned bathroom. I could feel him behind me not close but enough that his gaze is so noticeable.

By the time I get there, I'm waiting in the second stall that we always go to.

I heat the door open and prepare myself for whatever he's about to ask me to do.

He enters the stall and I step back giving him room to fit inside he places his hand on my face and pulls me in for a kiss without saying anything. "You haven't lost in a while, love," he kisses across my cheek and down to my jaw, "What do you want me to do Freddie?" I ask through breaths, "I want you to suck my dick," he says on my neck and I'm already imagining the feeling, I haven't done this since the first time we made this agreement.

"sit down then," I say as he releases from the kiss and smiles down at me.

He listens and begins dropping his pants and sitting down on the seat of the toilet. Once he's sat and his pants and underwear are down I place myself in front of his semi-hard dick my knees hurting against the floor, but I don't care I only have one thing on my mind as of now.

I grab it and begin stroking it as precum falls down and his dick becomes harder. "Fuck y/n, I worked extra hard to feel that fucking mouth," with that comment I place his tip in my mouth and circle my tongue around his tip before slowly going down on his length stroking the parts I can't fit in my mouth. "Merlin, y/n-" I go a bit faster and go up to circle my tongue on his tip a bit more before going back down and taking as much as I can.

"Fuck I won't last long-" so I go a bit faster ready to taste him.

"Fuck, fuck-" and with a couple more strokes he comes and I swallow all of it down.

"I've got to win more."

#Fred Weasley #Fred Weasley smut #Fred Weasley requets #Fred Weasley imagine #Fred Weasly fluff #Fred Weasley x reader #Fred Weasley x y/n #Fred Weasley fic #Harry Potter #Harry potter smut #smut #fluff

[neonscandal]

Hello.... Another fanfics ideas, cause you also love BNHA. Your top 5 fav JJK characters will be besties with who (in your opinions) if they were in other universe, with your top fav characters from BNHA? Hope my questions are not confusing.....

Wait, I love questions like this lol 1) I feel like there are such obvious connections but still, the chemical reactions would be funny ✨ 2) it reminds me of tiktok series I've seen a few creators do which I will now spend several hours tracking down just to hyperlink them here (unless I get distracted by something else.. okay there's one more but I lost steam). If you end up writing something, please feel free to share but also, I apologize if I misinterpreted your question. I wrote everything out then reread it and realized maybe you meant to inquire whether my top faves for each would be friends with each other... which, tbh, I guess is kind of addressed based on the results of this previous ask? Thank you for asking!

Nobara Kugisaki 🤝 BakuSquad - I mean, Ashido and Kugisaki are kind of a no-brainer, no? Except that's not Kugisaki's in to the BakuSquad. No, no. No one joins that band of idiots without the eponymous leader's express invitation and, characterwise, Kugisaki is who Uraraka could be with more intentional fleshing out/personality. She snatched Bakugo's respect by being equally headstrong, aggressive and capable of backing her smack talk up.

Additional Prospects: She would, of course, be on track to intern with Mirko in any capacity for the same reasons above. She would give Todoroki and Fushiguro a hard time in equal measure.

Yuji Itadori 🤝 Eijiro Kirishima - Itadori gets along with everyone. Midoriya is a very obvious choice, as well (sunshine, cinnamon roll, green flag and sunshine, cinnamon roll, green flag), but there is a gravitational pull that keeps two himbos in orbit of one another and I'm not strong enough to deny that. Literally, look at Kirishima and Tetsutetsu. Plus, the physical prowess that follows him from universe to universe makes him an ideal sparring partner for Kiri and an interesting combatant against Bakugo.

Additional Prospects: While he'd generally be in the inner core of the BakuSquad (re: Bakugo and Kirishima), something tells me he'd spend a lot of time with the outer ring as well (supplementary classes with Kaminari and Ashido...). He'd be able to stomach convo with Mineta and, considering the generosity, Mineta would be mindful of toeing the line of decency so he wouldn't lose an ally. Only with Itadori since Kaminari is sometimes just as depraved as the little grape. Itadori would earn Bakugo's respect but Bakugo would still be wary any time Itadori and Midoriya's paths cross. Even though he sees Itadori as an ally, he's still gunning to be number 1 of whatever is at stake and both Itadori and Midoriya are capable of giving him a run for his money.

Megumi Fushiguro 🤝 Kyouka Jirou - TBH this could have gone so many ways. Kaminari would be all over invading Fushiguro's personal space as soon as he debuted, much to Fushiguro's dismay. He would be a great fit with Shinso too but... neither of them would go out of their way to socialize unless someone extroverted forced the issue, let's be for real. They would also hate that. But Jirou's mellow and shares an interest in music so she wouldn't be entirely grating to be around and I think they'd just kind of mesh well without overcrowding one another.

Additional Prospects: That's not to say Kaminari still wouldn't be a force of nature in including Fushiguro in class 1A hijinks. I just think Fughiguro would prefer the company of less volatile personalities like Ojiro, Shoji, Koda and Tokoyami. He can't help but attract extroverts like there's blood in the water. He and Todoroki would, of course, get along to an extent but I don't think Fushiguro would tolerate constant mention of Endeavor and Todoroki's subsequent family issues. Todoroki's of the talk it out camp and Fushiguro would prefer to never discuss it again. One ill timed trauma dump and Fushiguro would be fixing his hands to summon Mahoraga.

Kento Nanami 🤝 Naomasa Tsukauchi - Nanami would consort with and tolerate a number of adults: Rock Lock and Aizawa come to mind because they are rational and understand that kids are meant to be kids. Tsukauchi in particular is far enough from the fray to suit Nanami's passing desire to leave the chaos of his moral obligations (as a sorcerer or whatever he's imbued with in universe). But he's also patched in enough to be the tip as to when Nanami needs to resume his responsibilities.

Additional Prospects: Depending on where Oboro is in his origin story, I think he'd also be a necessary counter balance to Nanami's staunch, straight lacedness in the same way Haibara is. Haibara and Oboro would be a force to be reckoned with for all parties considered. Nanami only meets up with Aizawa when he knows Present Mic is on patrol or DJ'ing. Also, The Black Parade once summoned both he and Tokoyami but they never spoke of it again.

Satoru Gojo 🤝 Keigo Takami - One could make an argument for All Might (strongest and strongest in each respective universe) but... I think Hawks and Gojo's predisposition to be weapons at an early age kind of embodies the burden that Gojo otherwise carries alone. Always looking to quell that isolation, Hawks would understand. PLUS, who else has a "strong" moral code (... using figuratively as applied to both) and a bluntness to keep others in check? People overlook how silly goofy Geto has to be to keep up with Gojo. The three of them would wreak havoc, naturally.

Additional Prospects: Gojo would go out of his way to endear himself to Aizawa, as well. Because how grating to be adopted by yet another loud extrovert? Gojo would not be successful but, for the kids, Aizawa would do as needed. Aizawa probably sees Gojo as a slightly more competent teacher than All Might. He likely also recognizes what festers under Gojo's facade of frivolous indifference in the same way he sees past All Might's bravado. Student wise, Gojo would still gravitate toward the most unhinged for mentorship: his Big Three + Midoriya and Bakugo. Iida might be demented enough but the knife handed attention to rules would not work out in the long run.

#neon asks #anon asks #jjk #jujutsu kaisen #mha #bnha #my hero academia #boku no hero academia #nobara kugisaki #bakusquad #katsuki bakugo #yuji itadori #eijiro kirishima #megumi fushiguro #kyouka jirou #kento nanami #naomasa tsukauchi #satoru gojo #keigo takami #class 1a #dynamight #red riot #earphone jack

[sharpth1ng]

Hi. It hasn't even been a week since I've read Debaser and I'm already rereading it :') Can't wait till we get the sequel. I also hope you're doing better♥️

I just had a question. Your fic doesn't follow Scream 3, as you said. And there's no Roman and whatever. But this question been stuck in my head; If there was a Roman, and If he told Billy to get himself an accomplice to not only help him, but whom also Billy could blame the murders on, in case they got arrested. Would your Billy, in Debaser universe, would he do that? He knows Stu would do anything he says. Would he directly ask him to help me murder a bunch of people while considering Stu an “ in case I got arrested ” accomplice? And final question ( sorry it got longer than I expected😭) Would your Billy actually do that If him and Stu got arrested? Blame Stu in order to get out? I mean all of us including Billy know Stu wouldn't say a thing If it is him instead of Billy in prison or even sentenced to death :) I know there's not much of a difference between canon Billy and Debaser Billy characteristically, but I got a feeling that Canon Billy would actually do that to get himself out... It makes me SO sad but I got a feeling he would do that.

That's all. Sorry it got so freaking long but I had to get it out of my head T-T

Hey thank you so much I'm so glad you liked it!

So I think that in this scenario Debaser Billy might start out with a plan to pin things on Stu. To me this seems like the kind of thing that he would continue to believe was his plan right up until it comes time to actually do it, in which case he then has to actually confront the reality of doing the thing. It's like having sex with Sidney.

All of this sort of also depends whether there's a witness. If Sid survives then Billy knows she'll testify against him and blaming it on Stu won't do shit for him. Debaser Billy at that point is straight up thinking he's not going to let the cops take him alive, but he's also in a position where he thinks Stu is going to die and I think that affects his decision making.

If this is a scenario in Debaser where they've both been arrested and Stu has still been horribly injured to the point that Billy thought he was going to lose him he's probably not in a state to be able to pin it on him. He's pretty fucking vulnerable (and for him, soft) at the end of Debaser. And tbh I think in this scenario if Stu wakes up and finds out Billy took the blame he'd be kinda mad at him.

If this is a scenario in Debaser where they've been arrested before Stu takes a TV to the face then Billy is a bit more likely to pin it on him but it wouldn't be easy for him. At that point in the story they're very deeply codependent and If Billy gets released and Stu doesn't then he's effectively losing Stu anyways. I think he would feel horribly guilty and he would self-isolate as a result.

I also do think Stu wouldn't mind getting locked up to keep Billy safe and out of jail. Like no question if Billy asked him to take the fall he would, so I don't think Stu would even feel particularly betrayed. He would be using his phone calls to tell him he gets it and he's not mad, he'd be writing so many letters, and eventually Billy would be brave enough to visit. Honestly the more I think about this the cuter it is lmao. With a really good lawyer Stu could have gotten released in 2021 (lmao bad timing buddy, sorry), they'd be 43, and gay marriage would be legal in California.

So there, your long ass question gets a long ass respons lmao

#Stu gets arrested AU #Billy Loomis and his incarcerated boyfriend #Stus gonna need THE BEST lawyer tho lmao #stuilly #stu x billy #billy loomis x stu matcher #debaser fanfic #ask

[yanderes-galore]

Can I request a Xiao one where darling is slowly losing her sight and she's worried since Xiao is already protective and possessive considering "your just a weak human", so she tries to hide it till she can't anymore?

Okay! I had to reread my Xiao concept for this. Concept format as not specified.

Yandere! Xiao with Blind! Darling

Short Concept

Pairing: Romantic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Yandere behavior, Possessive behavior, Obsession, Manipulation, Implied isolation, Overprotective behavior.

- Xiao's most likely going to find it out at some point, he barely leaves your side once he establishes an obsession with you.

- He picks up on the littlest things.

- Around the Inn he keeps you in he can see you frantically search for something in front of you.

- That or you never look directly at him.

- At some point he'll know even if you try to hide it from him.

- He's already so strict with you, worrying over how you can be hurt and being so aggressive to everyone near you.

- Once Xiao decides to look at your eyes, he already knows.

- It comes to his mind that now he has to be even more careful about you....

- Humans are so fragile.

- "Why didn't you tell me...? Were you just going to wait until you fell and hurt yourself!?"

- You hate that the normally reclusive adeptus babies you even more now.

- You never feel those hands leave your figure, like the claws of a beast threatening to dig into your flesh.

- It all irritates you but you barely have any fight anymore.

- Your vision worsens by the day, soon you'll have no choice but to rely on the anemo adeptus.

- This fact Xiao already knows.

- Silently in wait for the day you'll no longer have a chance to leave him...

- He'll be your eyes if you just trust him, he loves you doesn't he?

- "You may not see me, but I promise I'll always be here. I'll never let you leave my side in your condition!"

#yandere genshin impact #yandere xiao

[fanmoose12]

Hi 💚💜

Hange exploring Levi's body for science purposes blew my mind 😳

But I'm wondering if you plan to write about the kinky thing Hange saw in Mitras & wants to experiment on Levi because it's one of my naughty headcanons 👉👈

I enjoyed reading all your fics on AO3 & I love your works so much ❤️ You're an amazing writer !

Thank you 💚💜

nsfw after the cut!

Two weeks, Hange bought that thing two weeks ago, and it has refused to leave her mind ever since.

It is thick, that thing, fairly long too, with detailed veins that almost make it look real. If Hange didn't know it was simple wood, she herself wouldn't be able to tell the difference. The craftsmanship is remarkable, she doesn't regret for a second wasting half of her month's wages on that purchase.

She can't wait to put it to good use.

At nights and during what brief breaks her work allows her, she imagines Levi in her bed, on his hands and knees, or better yet - on his back, spread underneath her. She imagines how his eyes would shut in pleasure, how he'd try and fail to conceal the whines and moans that escape him, how he would break and start begging her to go faster, harder. How she would laugh and indulge his every wish, watching him unravel beneath her, lose all of his inhibitions.

Hange prepares diligently for her next experiment: reads and rereads the manual she bought at the same shop, takes notes on it and makes sure to hide them well - she's a person people often call shameless, but even she has limits. She memorizes the manual like the back of her hand, learns what and how to do, and what not to do. She's as ready as she can be, but still... Hange stalls.

It's not the same as her experiments with Titans, not at all. The stakes are different, much less grander, and yet - they worry Hange immensely. She can't allow mistakes, Levi is no Titan, he thinks and he feels, and more than hurting him physically, Hange is afraid of hurting him emotionally.

She worries she'll do or say something wrong, something that might offend Levi, might turn him away. And that, as Hange only recently learnt, is the last thing that she wants.

So she stalls and stalls and stalls, dreams but doesn't dare to act on her desires. It's as unusual for her as it is annoying - Hange knows no shame, and she knows that, truthfully, Levi too knows very little of it. He's not just open to experiments, lately, he's begun to initiate them too. Like that thing he did with his tongue, and that time when he told Hange to sit on his face - just a memory of those occasions causes an exciting shiver to run down her spine.

But this, somehow this feels different from their already established routine, more intimate, despite them being intimate many, many times already. What she wants to propose to Levi - it'll require trust, it'll put him in a vulnerable position. Hange isn't sure if Levi's ready for that.

Truthfully, she's not sure if she is ready either.

She hesitates to act, and so she doesn't. She only thinks, thinks, thinks, and one night - Levi finally picks up on it.

He pulls back right in the middle of a kiss, and looks at her, his gaze wary and a little worried. "What's wrong?" he asks.

"Huh?" Hange blinks, finding it hard to focus. "Something's wrong?"

"You're spacing out. More than you usually do. So what's up?"

"Nothing?"

"Four-eyes," Levi warns, and this tone definitely does not make Hange's cunt flutter. "Cut the bullshit. What is it?"

"It's..." she thinks of what she can use as a distraction or a flimsy excuse, but swiftly decides against it. There is no point in it, Levi will see right through her anyway. He always does. It's now or never then. "I bought something," she admits, blush coloring her cheeks, as she chances a look at Levi. The wary expression from before didn't vanish, but now there are hints of curiosity in his eyes too. Hange forces herself to continue. "It's, well, I think it'd be easier to just show you."

Feeling Levi's gaze on her, she reaches out to her bedside table, pulls open the second drawer and takes a box out of it, handing it to Levi.

He opens it slowly, eyebrows rising as he sees what is inside. He says nothing for a moment, and Hange's palms grow sweaty, heart thumping thunderously in her chest.

She wants to backtrack, to laugh it off and pray that Levi'll forget all about it, but she's Hange fucking Zoe. She never runs from anything.

She won't run from Levi too.

"I read that some men enjoy it, and I thought... maybe you'd enjoy it too?"

"Enjoy what exactly?"

Hange takes a deep breath, not flinching as she meets Levi's eyes. "Me fucking you."

"Oh," he breathes out, gaze falling back to the box in his hands. He stares at it, then looks back at Hange. "Alright," he says. "Let's do it."

"What!" Hange can't help her incredulous tone. "You agree?"

"Yes."

"So easily?"

Levi shrugs. "Why not? You obviously know more about these kinds of things than I do. If you say I'll like it, then I probably will."

Hange can't believe it was that easy. Here she was, agonizing about it for weeks, and Levi doesn't even try to argue. He doesn't seem worried too, and that- Hange can't quite believe this too.

Levi is a Scout, and Scouts don't live long if they don't learn to trust their comrades. But there is a huge difference between trusting others with your life during a battle and trusting someone in matters such as this one. There is no danger, there is no need for blind trust, and yet...

Levi trusts her, doesn't doubt her. The revelation makes Hange's heart skip a beat.

"So what should I do?" Levi asks, pulling her back on Earth. "Should I turn around or-"

"No," Hange pats his thigh. "Stay like this."

It'd probably be more easier to do it if Levi was on his hands and knees, but- Hange wants to see his face, to make sure she's doing everything right, and-

She just wants to see his face.

"I need to prepare you first, it might hurt a little, but-"

"Just do it, four-eyes. I don't need constant narration."

"You sure?"

"Yes," he nods. "Just do... whatever it is that you're planning to."

"Alright," Hange smiles, leaning in to leave a brief kiss on his lips. "Lie down then, and... try to relax."

She waits until Levi is on his back, then puts a pillow under his hips, going over the main points of the manual, as she takes out the lube and slicks her fingers with it. She starts with one, traces it around the puckered skin. Levi's breath hitches at that, and Hange can't help the chuckle that escapes her lips.

"Sensitive, aren't you?"

Levi's cheeks redden, but his voice remains even, as he answers, "I guess."

"You've never touched yourself there?"

"Not really."

Hange hums contentedly. "Good, then I'll be the first."

"Weirdo," Levi grunts, but there is no real bite in his tone. Hange smiles at him, wraps her free hand around his thigh, and pushes the first finger inside. It goes in easier than she expected, and Levi's so hot, so tight, she wants to go deeper, but she doesn't rush, pushing barely past the first knuckle.

"You good?" she flicks her eyes up at Levi. He's tense but doesn't look like he's in pain. Still, Hange can't help but worry.

"Yeah," Levi says, his voice breaking at the very end.

Hange's smile turns into a grin and she pushes her finger further, deeper. It has an immediate reaction from Levi. He exhales, shakily, and Hange almost pulls back-

Levi's hand on her wrist stops her.

"Don't you dare," he husks and Hange gets the hint instantly.

She's still careful, gentle, but now she moves more confidently, thrusting her finger in and out with more speed. His cock is hard and swollen, and Hange gives it a few pumps as she adds a second finger.

Levi gasps then, throws his head back, and Hange pauses for a moment to observe him. His face and is flushed, sweat is dripping down his temples, his breaths short and quick, shaky - if that's what just two fingers do to him - Hange can only imagine how he'd look, how he'd sound when she'll finally start fucking him.

"Levi?" she calls, delighting in how it takes him just a bit too long to focus on her. "Are you ready?"

"For wh-"

Hange doesn't let him finish, she thinks she's found the spot and she confirms her guess by pressing on it. Levi's back arches, his hips bucking, as a moan escapes him.

Ha! His tonight's first moan, and- definitely not the last one.

"Good?" Hange asks, just to hear Levi groan, "Fuck, so good."

Now that she knows her goal, Hange sets a steady pace, unraveling Levi one thrust at a time. She adds a third finger, spreads them out, and Levi keens, pushing his hips forward.

"Someone's desperate," Hange chuckles, pushing her free hand between her own legs. She's soaked down there, so wet that just a flick against her clit makes her moan. She rubs it hard a few times, as fast as she thrusts in Levi, and then pulls her hand back. She takes her fingers out of Levi too, mesmerized by the sight of his stretched, glistening hole.

She reaches out for the dildo, slicking it with more lube, puts the harness on and wraps her hands around Levi's thighs.

"You sure?" she asks again, just in case.

Levi huffs a curse and brings her closer, pulling Hange into a kiss that's all tongue and heat. "Do I look like I'm not ready four-eyes?"

Hange laughs and presses the tip of the dildo against him. Levi takes a deep breath, tensing, and Hange leans over, leaving a trail of kisses along his jaw and stroking his cheek with a thumb.

"If something's wrong-"

"Fucking hell!" Levi cries out, the glare he gives Hange truly impressive for someone, whose cock's so hard. "If you don't fuck me, I'll ride that thing myself."

"So impatient," Hange rolls her eyes, but stops stalling and starts to slowly slip inside Levi. His breathing grows more labored as she does, but he doesn't stop her, and Hange continues sliding deeper.

She sees the moment when her cock rubs against his prostate. His eyes squeeze shut, his mouth opens to let out a loud groan.

"Fuck," he breathes out, gripping Hange by her shoulders. She stops, letting him adjust, and when Levi meets her eyes, giving her a nod, she begins to move again.

She's slow at first, tries to be careful, gentle. Levi's having none of it.

"Are you falling asleep up there?" he asks, and really, Hange will never understand how he manages to sound so grumpy even when he's obviously so aroused. "Why are you so slow? If I fucked you like this-"

Hange doesn't let him finish, cuts him off by pulling out of him completely and immediately pushing in, delivering a particularly hard and deep thrust. The rest of whatever Levi wanted to say to her gets drowned out by his moan.

Oh, so that's how one should treat moody Levi. Hange grins. Perhaps, she'll fuck all grumpiness out of him after all.

"Do you need me to go faster?" she asks.

"Yes!"

"Do you need me to go harder?"

"Yes, fuck, yes!"

"Yes what?" she prompts, reaching over to steal the whine that slips out Levi's mouth.

"Yes, please."

Hange smiles victoriously, giving Levi another kiss, before she sets on fucking him hard and fast, just as he asked her to. She wants to pull back, to grab his hips and give him her best, but Levi doesn't let her, he wraps a hand around the back of her head and presses her closer to him, blindly searching for her lips. Hange gives them to him, just as she gives him her cock, just as she'd give whatever else he'd ask of her.

Levi's kisses are sloppy, messy, frequently interrupted by moans and cute little whimpers. Hange reveals in all of it. Reveals in the way he clenches around her, in the way he touches her, grabbing whatever of her that he can and squeezing tightly, desperately, in the way he looks at her - with pupils blown so wide they appear nearly black.

She snakes a hand between their bodies, puts it on Levi's cock, starts to pump it in a pace of her thrusts, and Levi loses it completely. He throws his head back, shuts his eyes closed.

"Fuck," he pants, "Fuck, Hange, you're so-"

Hange chuckles, sweeping his sweaty bangs from his forehead to press a kiss there. "I know."

"Asshole," he huffs, but Hange puts a stop to that attitude immediately by aiming her next thrust right against his prostate. The moan he gives her is rough and loud and so damn hot that Hange wants to stow away that sound in a bottle, to keep it in her memory forever.

"I'm close, Hange, I'm so fucking close, I-"

"Go ahead," Hange encourages, tightening her hand around his cock. "Come for me, Levi."

Levi's back arches, his mouth opens in a silent scream, and he's cumming, shooting over his stomach and chest.

Hange watches him with wide, bright eyes, rocking her hips slightly to bring him through his orgasm, before pulling out.

When Levi comes down from it, he meets Hange's eyes and whispers, "Fuck."

Hange grins. The experiment was a definite success.

#levihan #i hope you've enjoyed it!! i tried my best but ngl.... i'm not very good at writing smut

[naffeclipse]

*Inhales*

Okay, I know you've heard this so many times but I can't help myself!!

You are beyond amazing. I'm personally quite the reader, and have encountered so many writers, but none of them have even the remote ability to be compared to you and your incredible stories. I am not exaggerating when I say that I have read every single one of your fanfictions over and over, practically vibrating every time there is sn update! I've nearly memorized a few paragraphs!!

Your way of writing has made me laugh and cry in all the best ways and I love each and every series with all my heart. From painfully losing my sanity in the never ending void of bloody terror to dancing with the wonder of otherworldly demons, you manage to build these beautiful worlds in our minds with such expert precision that never fails to leave me in awe.

Every one piece of writing is crafted so uniquely and yet you manage to keep them all as vibrant and enrapturing as possible. That's such an incredible skill. Weaving so much meaning and care within each spectacular passage.

You have brought me and all your readers along on so many countless journeys with these stories, and I really want to thank you over and over for that. I know it's not much Naffeclipse, but please know that you are my favorite writer in this whole pizzaplex of a universe.

I can't wait to spend another adventure with you and your jesters, lots and lots of love!! 💙💛💜

I've had this in my inbox for a while and I kept rereading it because it makes my heart explode and I'm also rattling you so hard right now, ah! Thank you so much! Your words mean so much to me and I'm incredibly honored that you enjoy my writing! ♥

#starlitnightfall44 #compliments

[lady-of-the-spirit]

3, 8, 9, 20, 27, 32, 35, 51, 53 and 64 for the fic writer ask game!

3. on a scale of 1-10 how much do you enjoy incorporating romance into the average story?

It has its place, and I am guilty of slipping romance or at least shippy vibes into fics that I did not INTEND to be romantic. I also like writing it in general, even though I struggle with writing the physical aspects (kissing). so I'd say, probably like, a 7/10. which is surprising, because the majority of my fics are rated Gen.

actually I went and figured out that out of all my fics, 70% of them are rated gen which I think is a fun coincidence.

8. what’s your relationship with constructive criticism and feedback like? do you seek it out? how well do you take it?

If I ask for it, I would like it. I don't want it if I didn't ask for it. I may still read it and consider it, but I'm gonna be annoyed by it. Feedback in general? fine - but I do like more than just "I liked this", although I love those comments. when I'm looking for FEEDBACK though, I need more than that. I need to know all your thoughts.

9. in an ideal world where you’re already super successful and published, would you want to see a tv or movie adaptation of your work? why or why not?

If I'm involved, why not? I think the majority of my (imagined) works would work better as a series, though. We've seen how turning longer works into movies works - usually not very well. I want to see my ocs on the screen. (in my dream world it would be an animated show, especially the fantasy ones, but we can't have everything in this live action obsessed world.)

20. what is your favorite trope to write?

soft fics: found family

hurt/comfort fics: trauma reveals

27. do you share rough drafts or do you wait until it’s all polished? And who do you share them with?

depends on how much thought I put into a fic. I'll usually at least scan through and reread fics before publishing, but if it's a fic I wrote in one sitting totally at random? I'll skim it and then post without thinking twice. Fics that I put more thought in, I'll go over at least a few times before publishing. I've only shared rough drafts a few times, and that's when I'm really unsure about the story for some reason and need someone to give it a scan and let me know their thoughts.

32. do characters influence your writing style?

oh definitely!! Every character is a little different so that changes how I write their perspective, so that automatically changes the voice I use when I'm writing.

35. tell us about a character who’s very different than you who you love a whole lot

Most characters I love a whole lot are very different from me lmao but the one who comes to mind most of all is probably Yataka from Arata the Legend. He's a very prim and proper man, very focused on etiquette and being a gentleman, he hates being touched, is obsessed with cleanliness, and also is a HUGE bitch, will bicker like a 5 year old with his best friend (neither of them would admit to being best friends and have one of THE MOST dynamics of all time), and has the capacity for extreme violence and absolutely unhinged behaviour. he also hates himself so much. I'm obsessed with him I love him so much.

51. share the synopsis of a story you work on that you haven’t published yet

Sersi gets harassed/assaulted and the team/whoever sees it are fiercely protective. (aka more Sersi whump and team dynamics.) (I'm still debating whether Ikaris should know or not because he may straight up kill the person.)

53.when writing, do you have an outline? and do you stick to it?

depends on how much I care about the details of the story, or how much I want to get it right. Especially if it's a longer fic, I want to plan as much as I can ahead of time. Or if it deals with more serious topics, I want to figure out how to deal with those ahead of time.

64. what is your favourite title for a fic you’ve read?

5 Times Where Jiang Cheng and Lan Wangji Lose a Braincell and 1 Time Where They Lose Another on account of it being a perfect summary of the fic.

fanfic writer ask game

#ask #goldheartedchaoticdisaster

[murfpersonalblog]

Thornfield Hall, Manderlay, and Louis de Pyromaniac du Lac

I wanna talk about Louis' depression, Anne Rice's grief, and the element of fire in a few iconic Gothic romances/horror stories. (Trigger warning for suicide.)

Bar none, my favorite thing about Louis is his obsession with fire, and how it's linked to his abuse, mental instability, and trauma.

It's so neat how AMC's Louis chainsmokes when he's stressed, and has a hilarious attachment to the incinerator.

His fire obsession's a whole meme at this point, & everyone's excited for Louis going ham with fire in Season 2. I can't wait to see how AMC handles his most iconic book/film moment(s).

But I was rereading Jane Eyre, and thought alot about Bertha Mason (Mr Rochester's archetypal crazy wife in the attic), and Mrs. Danvers from Rebecca (which was inspired by Jane Eyre). And they got me thinking about fire and suicide in the Vampire Chronicles, so walk with me a bit.

Louis is called the most "human" of the vampires, because of how weak he was, compared to other vampires his age (and even younger). His rat/animal blood diet was tantamount to an eating disorder that heavily stilted his growth as an immortal, and for the majority of his life he lacked many of the Gifts vampirism afforded his peers (Mind Gift, Spell Gift, Killing Gift, etc).

However, shockingly enough, AMC decided to give Louis one of their most potent powers: The Fire Gift (pyrokinesis).

In the books it was explained that vampire blood is flakey & highly flammable, and only the oldest and/or strongest of vampires could withstand fire without serious injury or death--let alone use the Fire Gift to any significant degree--hence: BAMF Akasha using it as her signature attack in QotD. 👑

This seriously begs the question about where this show sits in the canon timeline, because book readers know that Louis only gains the Fire Gift, Cloud Gift, Mind Gift, etc etc after the events of Merrick, when Louis tries to commit suicide, and to heal Louis' burns, Lestat gives him a huge infusion of his powerful blood (having fed at length from Akasha in QoTD, and also God/Jesus in Memnoch.)

Lestat's super!blood healed Louis' burns and saved his life, but it also drastically & permanently changed Louis' body, making him more vampiric than he'd ever been, seriously augmenting his powers. This was something Louis had adamantly been trying to avoid--every time the Children of the Millennia/Coven of the Articulate met up, they all offered Louis infusions of their ancient blood, trying to help him power up, and every time Louis refused them all.

Louis retaining his humanity was so important to him, not only because of the Catholic Guilt he felt being a blood-drinking killer, but also because being physically weak allowed him one ultimate ace up his sleeve: if he ever got the courage to end his life, he could always rely on going into the sunlight, and burning to death.

So, while AMC's dust particle effect is very cool, I'd rather see vampires on FIRE--even though the ashes to ashes visuals are rather apropos.

Regardless, I was also thinking about all the other people & places Louis set on fire; and how it all ties in with the Gothic literature Anne Rice was CLEARLY inspired by--namely: Jane Eyre & Rebecca.

Cuz we know Anne Rice wrote Louis and his grief over losing Claudia as a self insert, as a way for her to try handling her own grief over losing her daughter. But she started hating writing as Louis, and being stuck in that depressive mindset, so AR switched to writing from Lestat's POV instead, as a more fun and carefree character for a few books--until Lestat had a crisis of faith in Memnoch and goes into a coma. We then get Armand's book, where in TVL Armand tries to commit suicide by walking into the sun after Lestat gets Veronica's Veil from Memnoch (i.e.: proof that God exists, from the Devil). Immediately after this is Merrick, where Louis enters another depressive episode, as he waits vigil for YEARS beside Lestat, who lies on the floor of a cathedral in a coma. As Louis mourns, he finds Claudia's diaries, which reveal just how much she hated & resented him, and he starts being haunted by Claudia's ghost. By the end of Merrick, Claudia's ghost has convinced Louis that he's worthless, and he agrees.

Suicidal ideation is HEAVY in both Jane Eyre and Rebecca. Mrs. de Winter is almost talked into jumping from the window by the housemaid Mrs Danvers, who hates that the widowed Maxim de Winter remarried (forgetting his first wife Rebecca), and gave Manderlay to the new wife--a girl half his age with no clue how to be a "proper" lady of the estate.

In Jane Eyre, Bertha Mason is literally insane, and was locked up in Thornfield's attic, until she escaped and set the place on fire, then jumped off the roof to her death. In the 2006 BBC version, Bertha sees an owl (a nocturnal bird) fly off the roof, so she follows it; like a free bird taking flight.

Who else does this in IWTV? PAUL with his birds. (Not to mention the PTSD from Louis' drop in Ep5, which would've definitely killed a normal person.)

For years, I thought Claudia's ghost was just an apparition: either one of the demons Lestat unleashed while fleeing Hell in Memnoch, or more likely as a manifestation of Louis' guilty conscience, as his mental state got increasingly worse as he read her journals; on top of him being scared Lestat was dying. But then Blackwood Farm introduced Goblin, and all the later books had prominent vampire ghosts that proved that vampires (and aliens, lol) have immortal souls that can linger. So the ghost was legit, and so was Claudia's deep-rooted hatred for Louis.

I've already said how I think IWTV is a story about (failed) marriages and parenthood dynamics, the power imbalances that ensue, and the resentments that fester. But so are Jane Eyre & Rebecca. At the heart of ALL of them are mental illness & houses on fire. Bertha Mason was violently insane, but she was sane enough to realize that Mr Rochester was tryna marry another woman right under her nose, when it was HER dowry money that bankrolled Thornfield, as his first wife. So in the 2006 version Bertha lights Jane's wedding dress on fire, taking the whole mansion down with her. (In the book she just tears up the dress & veil, then starts the fire.)

In Rebecca, it was Maxim's first wife Rebecca who was cheating, but the (nameless) second wife lived under her shadow & the ghost of her memory--embodied by Mrs. Danvers, who hated her guts, and fed into her deep insecurities over being married to a widower who hadn't gotten over his first wife Rebecca (*cough* little did they know though~! XD). After failing to talk the girl into killing herself, Mrs Danvers had a psychotic break, and set Manderlay on fire, dying in the blaze (joining her beloved Rebecca).

Taking the Gothic horror & suspense out--or, hell, INCREASING it--one could easily spin this so that JANE was the one who started the fire when she learned about Bertha in the attic and ran away from Thornfield (in some adaptations the fire happens the same night she leaves). One could also say that MRS DE WINTER burned down Manderlay after cracking under the pressure of becoming a married lady. Both of these second wives were driven crazy by ghosts of the past, and burned down the mansions that had become their tombs.

Cuz I mean...Louis is Lestat's second wife/husband, after Nicky killed himself in a fire. 👀 And Louis and Claudia literally watched as they burned Lestat's sidechick/third wife Antoinette alive, so.... 🔥

TL;DR: I think Anne Rice must've been struggling with a lot of suicidal thoughts around the time she wrote The Vampire Armand (book 6) and Merrick (book 7), to have both its characters do the same thing, one right after the other. Vampires and their vulnerability to fire/sunlight were just metaphors for very real personal issues. After writing IWTV, she walked away from Louis, burying her depression by writing more books as the sunny Lestat, who suntans for fun and is immune to fire by the end of QoTD. But in the back of her mind, AR might've felt guilty forgetting about her grief (Louis forgetting about Claudia--willfully forgetting about Bertha, Rebecca, etc....). So the ghost of this guilt came back with a vengeance in Merrick, as Claudia unleashed all her vitriol on Louis, and he hated himself to the point that he was convinced to light himself on fire--the sole reliable escape from misery he had left.

#louis de pointe du lac #loustat #interview with the vampire #tw: suidice #tw: sucidal thoughts #tw: sucidal ideation #jane eyre #alfred hitchcock's rebecca #must see tv #Pyromaniac du Lac #iwtv tvc metas

[the-darklings]

okay so i read your sandman fic yesterday after i watched the first episode of sandman and now ive watched the entire series and then read your fic again and i just had to say i absolutely adore it!! even more so after reading it and then rereading it with my newfound knowledge!! i love your characterisation of dream; it feels very authentic to his depiction in the series (i haven't read the comics yet) but there's also the influence that wanderer has had on him which on one hand seems very slight but also so so impactful!! idk it's just very realistic to me?? if i hadnt seen the series i could've easily been convinced the wanderer was part of it all along bc it plays into his character development and growth so well

also another thing i have to add is that i can't believe you've written the fourth chapter before the last episode came out you've honestly depicted his devotion?? passion?? protectiveness?? i'm not sure what to call it but whatever he has going on when he cares about someone deeply so accurately without even seeing him with calliope (then again, maybe there's a bunch of situations in that in the comics that i've missed out on)

anyway i hope you have a wonderful day and i'll be waiting patiently for the next chapter <33

Thank you so much sdjghjsdh 😭💕

I always feel weirdly undeserving of such beautiful messages but I’m immensely grateful for them all the same. I think mainly because I consider my version of Dream to still be somewhat “incomplete” due to missing context in his past. I just yesterday got the full comic series in the mail and started reading them (so far can confirm it’s super faithful + changes made were all 10000% better) because my end goal is a morph (haha) between show and comic Dream.

But y’all. Guys. I…I need you to understand. The bonus ep dropped on Friday. My friend (who got me into the series in the first place) was blowing up my DMs all you will lose you mind, bestie // never doubt your characterisation ever again but I was gritting my teeth and editing part 4, promising myself it’ll be my strawberries and cream after I’m done. So ep dropped Friday (19th), but I only watched the ep yesterday (20th), so when I tell you I was losing my mind over:

“you came” “you called.” (Show) vs “why did you not you call for me?” (“today”)

And

“In the olden days you would have left me here to rot without turning a hair.” (Show) vs “Because I didn’t think you would come.” (“today”)

LITERALLY GAVE ME BRAINROT + ALL THE BODY LANGUAGE. BRAIN WAS AND IS CHURNING.

#it’s the softness for me………….. the ‘please’ also made me want to chew concrete. #also rip morpheus but if calliope was my wife I would simply not let her go :/ love her so so much. #thank you so much for your kind words thought 💕 #fic: today i bury you in me #asks

[1islessthan3books]

Fourth Ring reread

Some qutes that piqued my interest or just resonated with me (Spoilers for Iron Flame)

They’re also the most cunning. There’s no such thing as outsmarting a black dragon. This one is a little over a hundred, which makes him about middle-aged. He’s revered as a battle dragon among their kind, and if not for him, we probably would have lost during the Tyrrish rebellion. Add to it that he’s a morningstartail, and he’s one of the deadliest dragons in Navarre.” Isn't it funny how a dragon "without of whom the revolution would probably win" is now one of the main dragons in revolution?

Do you think he could be plotting against Navarre and still have bonded Sgaeyl?” I ask, my cheek against his blanket.

“I did at first.” His hands move down my spine, pressing into the knots that made lifting my arms almost impossible that last half hour of training tonight. “But then I bonded Cath, and I realized that dragons would do anything to protect the Vale and their sacred hatching grounds. There’s no way any dragon would have bonded Riorson or any of the separatists if they weren’t honest about protecting Navarre. This bit didn't age well 😅 Or do we think Jacks intenions changed after the Treshing?

"And you know feathertails are useless in combat. They refuse to fight."

No one knows anything about feathertails, so I don’t know where Jack is getting his information, but I don’t have time to focus on his assumptions right now. Where did Jack get all the information about feathertails?

You’re making us look bad. Stop it.”

I’m clasped in Tairn’s claws. He’s actually…caught me instead of finding me unworthy and letting me fall to my death. “It’s not like it’s easy to stay on your back when you’re doing acrobatics!” I shout up. I love them! 🥺

I know exactly who and what you are, Violet Sorrengail.” 🤔🥺

The sun is close to setting behind the peaks, but there’s plenty of light to see the golden dragon up ahead, hovering as though it’s waiting. Maybe it didn’t choose a rider, but it will live to decide again next year, and that’s all that matters.

Or maybe it will see that we humans aren’t so great after all. Violet being overprotective of the golden dragon 🥺 "Humans aren't so great after all" 👀

"So if you fall, if you fail, there’s a good chance your dragon might let you if it thinks the unbonded will be a better choice.” I can't understand why a dragon would bond someone and then just change their mind

"Remind me to spend some time at temple so I can make multiple appeals to Dunne.” I keep my focus on Kaori, watching for when the maneuvers will start.

“The goddess of strength and war?” Tairn clearly scoffs this time.

“What, dragons don’t think we need the gods on our side?” Shit, it’s cold up here. My gloved hands tighten on the pommel.

“Dragons pay no heed to your puny gods.” This is really interesting to me. Who are the Gods? Are they from before they bonded with dragons? I have a feeling the Gods will be important in the next book/s.

There is nothing more sacred than the Archives. Even temples can be rebuilt, but books cannot be rewritten.

—Colonel Daxton’s Guide to Excelling in the Scribe Quadrant *cough cough except when you rewrite them on purpose*

I abhor the rituals and customs of the scribes. There would be nothing wrong with pulling my friend into a hug, but she’d be chastised for a loss of composure. After all, how could we know how earnest the scribes are about their work, how dedicated they remain, if they were to crack a smile? So only healers an infantry are allowed to show all/most emotions?

But in Navarre’s six-hundred-year history of unification, I’ve never read of a single rider losing their soul to their powers. The dragons keep us from that. I am sorry, but they don't keep you from that. 😥

“You are sad?” Andarna asks, her voice soft.

“Just visiting the Archives. No need to worry,” I tell her.

“It’s hard to love a second home as much as the first.” What is Andarna first home? If she was aware of the outside world even before she was hatched - which I believe she implys in the Iron Flame - she had a different home before the unification right?

“She’s a wingleader, Vi. I’m not about to question her integrity!” And that is the problem with society.

"And you!” Jeremiah turns, his gaze locking on Garrick. “Damn it all to hell. He’ll know about—” The shadows around Jeremiah’s feet snake up his legs in a heartbeat, winding around his chest until they cover his mouth in bands of black. This should have told me that Garrick and Xaden had some secrets!

We’re just correcting a mistake.”

“Dragons don’t make mistakes.” It's funny how on one hand dragons and riders can just kill other riders, but at the same time "Dragons don't make mistakes" 😆

Do not dare to try and read me, human, or you’ll regret it.” Tairn’s mouth opens, his tongue curling in a motion I know all too well. How could he read him? After Iron Flame we know he can read intentions, but Tairn also didn't know that? Or just in their mind bridge? Idk.

"Nature likes all things in balance,” Andarna says like she’s reciting facts, just like I do when I’m nervous. “That’s the first thing we’re taught.” ...

"Well not the first thing. The first thing is we shouldn’t bond until we’re full-grown.” She cocks her head to the side. “Or maybe the first is where the sheep are? I like goats better, though.” I love her. But I am also interested in how the balance works.

Sgaeyl answers. “A signet is a combination of our power with your own ability to channel. It reflects who you are at the core of your being.” But Violet was able to use power from Andarna to channel the lighting once in Iron Flames, right?

A mind reader is a capital offense. What happend to the dragon doesn't make mistakes? And why is that the capital offense, when most of grown-ups can shield? And from when is this the capital offense? My guess would be from when they changed history.

A memory has never been shared outside of a mating bond. It’s considered a violation.” And yet it Tairn has done it twice for Violet!

He has that effect on people, especially women. They either despise him for what his father did or want to fuck him for the same reason, just depends on where we are.” This should ring the alarm bells as well. Because now I think "depends on where we are" is Navarre vs Poromiel.

But he wasn’t a part of the rebellion.” I shake my head, trying to make sense of it. “He isn’t on the death roll of the executions from Calldyr.”

He was executed at our family’s house.” His features tighten. “Before it was given to another noble, of course. And yes, I watched as they did it that time, too. I already had the rebellion relic by then, but the pain was the same." Why did the execute him seperately?

“It was one of the final battles where gryphons and dragons actually worked alongside each other to annihilate the army of the Barrens,” the second-year continues. And now they are doing it again. I guess this was before the wards went up?

"No throwing!” Emetterio shouts from the sidelines, but Jack is already moving, barreling toward me with a series of kicks and punches that I’m not ready for. His fist slams into my cheek, and I feel the skin split. Someone broke one of few rules of challanges and everything he teacher does is short shout??

His sadistic grin and a red rim around his eyes are all I can see. I really should pay more attention to the physical descriptions.

I remember your father doing a bit of research about the second Krovlan uprising, and he mentioned something about feathertails, but we can’t seem to find that tome.” He scratches his forehead. ...

I know exactly where his notes are—in the one location he spent the majority of his after-hours time. Please recover all his research in next book and find out if he has useful notes about venin?

These are the thoughts families keep behind their doors so they can wear their polished, perfect reputations like armor when in public. Sounds too familiar 😅

It looks considerably smaller than the one he arrived with, and I don’t want to even think about what he’s left behind in order to force me out faster. Or did he smuggle some of the weapons? And Violet is feeling bad without of real reason?

Winning the War Games isn’t about strength. It’s about cunning. To know how to strike, you have to understand where your enemies—your friends—are most vulnerable. No one stays friends forever, Mira. Eventually those closest to us become our enemies in some way, even if it’s through well-intentioned love or apathy, or if we live long enough to become their villains.

—Page eighty, the Book of Brennan

The first time I read this I was like I want Rhi and Violet to stay friends for ever. And on the reread the last part - about become their villains - breaks my heart.

He stares at his coffee.

“You were—” I pause. “I don’t even know how old you are now.” Mira was right. I know almost nothing about him. And yet…I feel like I know who he is in the very marrow of his bones. Could my emotions be any more scattered when it comes to him?

“Twenty-three,” he answers. “My birthday was in March. Don't they all conscribe at age 20? Or was it more a question if he already had birthday thos year?

All because I didn’t want to be a killer. 💔💔

Everyone has a signet that isn’t just useful for battle. They’re tools for good in the world. And what the hell am I, Xaden? I’m a fucking weapon. 😥💔

And I can’t help but wonder if somewhere, on some plane of existence, Malek sits on his throne, angry that I stole a soul from his grasp. And here the many mentions of Malek/stealing from him start.

I’ll never understand why mind-reading is a death sentence.” I place my hand on Tairn’s leg like I can absorb his strength, even though I already feel it flowing through me.

“Because knowledge is power. As a general’s daughter, you should know that. We can’t have someone walking around with unfettered access to classified material. They’re a security risk to the entire kingdom.”

And yet Dain is living.

“Because Aetos will be useful to them as long as they can keep him under their control.” Tairn blasts a puff of steam over my head. My point exactly!

I miss the look on his face when he watched me come undone. But I miss the feeling of him curled around me in sleep more. 🥺

“Brennan would hate all of this.” I gesture to the crowd. “He was more about getting the work done than celebrating its completion.”

“Yeah, sounds like—” His words die, and I squeeze his arm tighter as I note the separating crowd before us. HE WANTED TO SAY "SOUNDS LIKE HIM" DIDN'T HE? Were they able to leave where they were fostered? Or how would Liam know Brennan?

By making me leave instead of staying to help, but still, he deserves the credit for me not distracting Mira and getting her, myself, and Tairn killed. Xaden’s done more than save me. He believed me when I told him Amber led the unbondeds to my room. He had an entire arsenal of daggers crafted just for me. He designed a saddle for Tairn so I can ride into battle with my peers. He’d protected me when I needed and taught me to defend myself so I wouldn’t require protection forever. 🥰🥰

"You have everything I have to give.” Does she tho?

I’m so far gone, I didn’t even realize I said the words out loud, and then I remember that I don’t have to. That is because she didn't say them out loud, but he read the intentions, right?

"It’s not that.” Liam grimaces. “It’s just that I know his priorities.” Liam also tried to tell us 😥

"When we make it to the outpost, I want you to rest after we get our scenario objective. Liam will stay while I most likely take the third-years out to patrol.” What a pretty lie that is not technically a lie!

In his last days of interrogation, Fen Riorson lost touch with reality, railing against the kingdom of Navarre. He accused King Tauri, and all who came before him, of a conspiracy so vast, so unspeakable, that it does not bear repeating by this historian. The execution was swift and merciful for a madman who cost untold lives.

—Navarre, an Unedited History by Colonel Lewis Markham Unedited yeah

"One brother bonded to gryphon, one to dragon, and when the third grew jealous, he drew directly from the source, losing his soul and waging war on the other two.” Can all people channel from the source? Or only fliers and riders? I don't really get it.

"Lies are comforting. Truth is painful.” yeah

You love me, and—”

“Loved,” I correct him, sidestepping so I can get some fucking space and then taking it.

“Love!” he shouts, stopping me in my tracks and earning us a glance from every rider within hearing distance. “You love me.” 💔💔

Because magic corrupts their blood as they lose their souls,” I murmur, looking up at Xaden, wondering if he remembers what Andarna said the night we took the tunnel to the flight field. “Nature likes everything in balance.” When excatly do they lose their soules?

"Watch out. Deigh says that building on the other side of the road has a crate of something marked with Liam’s family crest,” Why Liam's family crest tho?

How can all this power be so fucking useless? She really wants a power to resurrect or stop the time, doesn't she?

But it was the third brother, who commanded the sky to surrender its greatest power, who finally vanquished his jealous sibling at a great and terrible price.—“The Origin,” The Fables of the Barren Or was the third brother only the light wielder like Violet? Because it is similar wording as what a venin tells Violet:

Such untapped power. No wonder we were called here. You could command the sky to surrender all its power, and I bet you don’t know what to do with it, do you? Riders never do. I’m going to split you open and see where all that astonishing lightning comes from.” She waves the other dagger at me, and I realize she’s playing with me. “Or maybe I’ll let him do it. You’ll wish for death if I hand you over to my Sage.”

I will not watch another rider die because they do not know their own limitations. One more strike could be your last. 😥

In the event that you come across a poison you do not recognize, it is best to treat with any and every antidote. Either way, the patient will die, but at least this way you would have learned something. —Major Frederick’s Modern Guide for Healers I have never thought of this, but is sounds very reasonable 😂

Maybe it’s better if I die. But then Xaden might die.

Whatever is wedged between us right now, I don’t want him dead. I’ll never want that. I really hope that stays true!

"Xaden?” a familiar voice calls out, but I can’t place it. Bodhi, maybe? One of the second years? So many strangers. And no friends.

Liam is dead.

“You have to save her.” The first time I read this I thought it will be her father!

She chose me for the scars on my back and the simple fact that I am the grandson of her second rider—the one who didn’t make it through the quadrant. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHY HE DIDN'T MAKE IT. And was he dad of Xaden mum or dad? And that means that his grandfather already fathered a baby when he was still at collage, right?

"Now, Riorson.”

I can’t keep from wincing. She never uses my last name. Maybe it’s because she doesn’t like to remember that I’m Fen Riorson’s son, and all my father cost her, but I’ve always been Xaden to her. I never thought of that 😭

Funny how people rename everything that makes them feel uncomfortable. We lost faith that our king would ever do the right thing. And they call us traitors.

Bodhi wrinkles his nose. It kind a makes sense, but I never put much thought into it in the real life.

“I’ll tell you anything you want to know and everything you don’t. I’ll spend every single day of my life earning back your trust.” This didn't age well 😅

#fourth wing #fourth wing spoilers #long post #my post #personal #iron flame spoilers

[maiuoart]

My writing may suck sometimes; Like with Training Gone Wrong, I wanted a totally different ending... But I didn't have time to write what I want out.

Still, I got it out; I feel like it was heart warming. And if and when I go back, I'll reread and fix what I need to!

There is just a lot in the Past Swapfell I would love to touch up on; Russ' past, Regals ability to grow from a curse-spitting hellion to a righteous and honorable Being, the insanity they face, the dispare of losing close family and their mistakes on choosing paths that might not have been the right things, 'friends' who fuck them over and stab them in the backs...

What people don't know is; You can play with so much with this!! Raw potential!!! Underfell, Swapfell Purple, Swapfell Red, Fellswap, all the fells!!! I'm just going insane with the visions and I want to know other visions!!

What if the boys ages were swapped? What if Gaster was a brother??? I need to explore and I can't wait to find like minded folks!!!