#not quite a ficlet not quite a post talking about the idea but a secret third option: its both of these at the same time

[starry-bi-sky]

Danielle and Danyal's meeting... very, very quickly goes very sour from, basically, the moment Danny steps into his room and finds Ellie sitting on his bed (strike one) and reading the comic books Tucker introduced him to (strike two). By the time she's looked up to address him, Danny has the door locked, and a hand hovering near the knife hidden under his shirt.

She gets her third strike when Danny, in a voice that could make the mountains tremble, demands to know how she got into his room, and she lies (with uncertainty of her decision growing in her chest) that Jazz let her in. Danny's hand shifts closer to his weapon, and he turns towards her fully, and says that Jazz would never let someone he didn’t know into his room, and who was she.

(Vlad Masters had underprepared Danielle for her meeting with Danny -- not out of any completely direct malicious intent, but he failed to mention just how... 'touchy' Daniel could be -- he failed to mention the scars littering up his arms, unhidden by the hoodie tee he meets Ellie in. He failed to mention that along with those scars, that Danny was visibly lean, capable of doing very real damage without the use of his powers.)

(He tells Ellie that he’s adopted, and that he is observant and clever, but ungrateful and has a bad attitude.)

Her final strike occurs when Ellie, trying to keep her facade of cheeriness, tells him that she’s his third cousin once removed. Immediately, Danny has his dagger pulled out, and Ellie finds herself with the cold metal of a blade pressing against her throat.

Danyal 'A.G' Fenton hasn’t killed since he arrived in Amity Park. At first it was because mother told him to keep a low profile, and killing would do the opposite of that. But, he's been slowly learning from his sister and friends over the years the value of human life. So it's become a combination of keeping his head down, and also that life has value to it.

But. That doesn’t mean he can’t kill, nor is he opposed to doing it if the situation calls for it. It just means that he doesn't do it. And ‘Danielle’ is an unknown in his room, claiming to be family to him, and appearing uncannily similar to him and his family. Either someone hired her and she was trying to pass herself off as a relative to him because that someone realized Danny was the biggest threat, or, his false death has been compromised, his mother was unable to tell him, and the league was aware he was alive.

No matter how he looks at it, this Danielle was a threat to him, his sister, his friends, to Damian, and to the Drs. Fenton. Danyal Fenton doesn't kill, but he has no problems doing so.

(Ellie, pinned under Danny’s knee and the blade to her neck, is too terrified to think of phasing out of his hold. Not that it would help, he would just chase after her.)

“You have broken into my home, dared to lie to my face, and when I demanded to know the truth, you dared lie to me again." Danny's scowl could cower even Skulker, his glacier blue eyes burning. "Your continual breath has been a favor from me, that I have graciously allowed, from the moment you entered my room, dahkil."

"So I will ask one more time," he hisses, "who. are. you."

Danielle, only a few months old, unprepared for the ice storm that is "Daniel" Fenton, and his clone in only flesh and blood, and not memories, immediately breaks. And tells him that she was his clone, that Vlad sent her to come capture him, and to please not kill her.

Danny's face twists with anger, Ellie thinks he's going to kill her anyways. Instead, he withdraws his knife and gets off her, stringing out curses in Arabic as he sheathes his weapon back into its hiding place faster than Ellie can blink.

He switches to English as she is collecting her bearings (and contemplating fleeing), and Danny paces the room like a tiger in a cage. "--of course that wretched, arrogant, peacocking little ingrate would do something so infuriating. I should have driven my sword into the shrivel of his heart when I had the chance--"

Ellie, for a moment, thinks of leaving while he is distracted. And starts to slowly creep away. But Danny notices instantly, and whirls on her. His too-bright eyes bore into her head: "Where do you think you're going."

"...I'm leaving."

And Danny scoffs at her, "Why? So you can fly back to Masters and tell him that you failed to capture me, and that I know that he cloned me?" He says, and Ellie remains silent -- that's exactly what she was going to do. "He will destroy you within seconds."

Of course, Ellie rears back in offense, and she finds the footing to glare at him. "He would not! He's my dad, he loves me!"

Danny gets in her face, glowering back with an equal intensity. "He does not." He snaps, "Vlad Masters has not a soul in his body nor a heart in his chest. He would sooner cut off the hand that helps him stand, than to take it along with him."

"If you're really made of my blood, then I will teach you only this: we bow not our heads nor our hearts to anyone." Danny's too-blue eyes narrow, and his voice dips into a hiss, "Especially not to a conniving snake like Masters. Your heart: cut it off, or cut it out. He will sooner leave you to bleed."

Then, he unlocks the door and drags her out before she has much time to act. And as he drags her down the hall he shoots Sam and Tucker a text, and they meet up at Nasty Burger. Ellie is a spitfire, but Danny has her too intimidated to leave.

"This is Danielle," he tells them bluntly as he corners her into the booth, "she's my clone. Masters created her."

Ellie is with them for a week, and somehow throughout that time, Danny manages to actually get her to like him throughout that time. He's callous, blunt, and full of sharp edges that you can cut yourself on. But when he's not spitting venom, he's fretting.

When he drags her back to the house after being with Sam and Tucker, he pulls her to Jazz's room and opens the door to tell her the same thing. "This is Danielle." He says upon abruptly opening the door, interrupting Jazz's studying as he pulls Ellie inside. "She is my clone, Masters created her. She needs clothes."

Then he turns and leaves, shutting the door behind him. Ellie, in that moment, thinks that now's her chance to flee. But Jazz then squeals, and she is trapped in new arms, shaken around by Jazz Fenton, excited for a sister.

(Ellie finds herself complaining to Jazz that night, shoved into old pajamas. She's in utter disbelief that Jazz could care about a jerk like Danny.)

("He's rough around the edges, but Danny does care." Jazz tells her, combing through her hair with her fingers. "We've been working on it ever since he joined the family, but Danny warms up slowly. He's usually less stoney; I think your arrival spooked him.")

("Spooked him?" Ellie repeats, she doesn't believe it at all. "He has a funny way of showing it, he threatened to kill me!" And she turns around just in time to see Jazz's press her lips into a line.)

("He's... very protective. He'll deny if you ask him, but he worries a lot." Jazz's fingers find her hair again. "What I do know for certain though, is that he wouldn't have kept you here if he wasn't worried about you at least a little bit.")

(Ellie doubts it.)

But Ellie is indeed there for a week, and the day after her initially rocky introduction with Danny, he is a little bit kinder to her. Still kinda a bitch, but he's less harsh to her, if... almost uncomfortable around her. Flighty, kinda.

Whenever she gets mouthy at him though, he looks oddly smug about it and, infuriatingly enough, praises her attitude. He is very, very annoying. And still kinda terrifying. But hearing him shout insults via puns at someone during a ghost fight that happens that week lessens the intimidating factor,,, a little bit.

Things go about,,,, relatively,,,, similar to canon. In the sense that it ends with Ellie defecting from Vlad because she finds out that Danny was right and that Vlad didn't actually care about her. (And that Jazz had been right too; Danny, in his weird, mean way, had been worried about her as well)

Danny looks out of his depth as she talks about how he was right, and he cuts her off with a vaguely uncomfortable clearing of his throat. And gives her the most awkward, but genuine apology he can muster.

"I should've used more tact when telling you about Masters, and I... apologize for threatening you when we met. I was..." he makes a face like he's sucked on a particularly sour lemon, "worried. First about my family, and then later about you."

(Ellie will be damned: Jazz was right)

Before Ellie leaves, Danny puts a hand on her shoulder and tells her: "I wasn't kidding about what I said to you when we first met: you are of my blood, and as such, you do not bow your head nor your heart to anyone."

Ellie looks at him, thinks about the last week, and smiles like she's caught him in a trap. "What about Sam and Tucker then? And Jazz?"

Danny smiles, it's awkward and tilted, like his face isn't used to the gesture. "We bow not our hearts, but that doesn't mean we can't share."

#danny speaks in formal english when he's pissed. he goes full on 'i shall eat his heart in the marketplace' levels of formal #not quite a ficlet not quite a post talking about the idea but a secret third option: its both of these at the same time #dp x dc #dpxdc #danny fenton is not the ghost king #dp x dc crossover #dpxdc crossover #dpdc #danyal al ghul au #dc x dp crossover #dc x dp au #dpxdc au #dcdp #dpdc au #dp dc crossover #older brother danny #danny is an asshole with a heart of gold #the writing feels all over the place but since its not a fic i dont feel that self conscious about it lol. very much spitballing here #morally gray danny fenton #poc danny fenton #look ellie MIGHt - and thats a big if - have gotten away with the cousin lie if it weren't for the fact that she's danny's clone #danny who is not white nor remotely white-passing in this au. she might have gotten away if he had been and she claimed she was #from jack's side of the family. but alas. danny is adopted. the fentons are whiter than sunscreen. and danny is not. #dani and danny's meeting in danyal al ghul aus have the potenial of being IMMEDIATE dumpster fires which is very funny to me #on the basis of if danny knows he's adopted or not and if dani claims to be related directly to him or to jack. #dani: im your third cousin once removed :) #danny. is adopted: i kNOW YOU LYING. CUZ YO LIPS ARE MOVING #i got fanart for this au on haunting heroes discord and it kickstarted my thoughts about danyal again. they gave him the BATWING EYEBROWS #ellie has the batwing eyebrows too that was the mind killer thats what fucked her over /j. those are UNIQUELY BRUCE WAYNE BROWS FOLKS #fuck i wish tumblr told us on laptop when we run out of tags because i just lost like 4 of them. good thing i got screenies those were FUNN

[anysin]

Fic: Plunging In

For anon requester who wanted Chalastor with "finding excuses to be alone" theme, here is a post-show ficlet! Vaggie and Charlie have amiably broken up but Charlie feels secretive about her new relationship. SFW.

Plunging In

"Charlie! Good that I caught you." Alastor is grinning as he approaches her, setting his hand on the small of her back once he's close enough. "I believe there is some kind of a disturbance in my room. As the owner of this hotel, you should come look at it."

Face warming up, Charlie looks around the lobby. The only other person visibly present is Niffty, who is scrubbing something off the window so vigorously that Charlie is worried about the glass, but that doesn't mean that the others aren't somewhere nearby. She glances at Alastor, then at his outstretched arm; grin still intact, Alastor withdraws his hand.

"I thought I told you," she says as they head upstairs, "I want to keep things secret for now."

"You did say that," Alastor replies, and now Charlie can feel his fingers toying with her hair. She glances at him over her shoulder, and he draws his hand away again. "Let's not flaunt it, you said. Are you worried that Vaggie will think less of you if she knows whose company you keep now?"

"She wouldn't." But she isn't absolutely sure, and she knows Alastor can tell. Maybe she needs to talk to him about not poking sore spots to see how she reacts; they are supposed to date, after all.

As much as that fact fills her with warm, giggly delight, Charlie still isn't quite used to the idea of them being a couple. She can't help but think about the reactions of others: she knows that despite their amiable parting of ways, Vaggie will lose it for sure, and Dad will lose it right after her, especially once he realizes there is a deal in the picture. They will tell her she will regret it.

What they don't understand is that Charlier is determined to defend Alastor. She has chosen him; he might be bad news, the highway to regret, whatever, but she has taken him into her life because she wanted to, and she has all the intentions of keeping him there, for as long as he wants to have her.

"I should apologize," Alastor says as they reach the door of his room. His hand slides up Charlie's back to her neck, grasping a loose hold as he leans in to whisper into her ear: "I'm just so excited to have you, my dear. I want to flaunt us to all of hell."

He is close enough that she can feel his smile against her. It makes her face- no, it makes all the blood in her body boil to have him there so close. She wants to close her eyes and bask in his attention, his fondness.

"Eventually," she manages to whisper, keeping her eyes open. "Let's take a look at your room."

She knows there is nothing really there; this is just a ploy to get her alone, and possibly make others aware that he is alone with her. But she's going along with it, she opens the door, and shivers as he laughs with approval.

#my fic #hazbin hotel #chalastor #charlie x alastor

[lurking-latinist]

For the meta for writers questions, 1, 3, 8, and 20!

Tell us about your current project(s)  – what’s it about, how’s progress, what do you love most about it?

Ah, the Ace Longfic! Which still doesn't have a title to itself. It is supposed to be like ten chapters but will probably be more than that, and I'm in chapter four! I'm trying not to talk about it too much online because then I won't want to write the actual thing, but without spoilers, it's a series of solo adventures for Ace that explore her parallels with/similarity to the Doctor. I'm trying to actually write full adventures and I'm having fun coming up with interesting characters for her to meet. Plot less so, but we'll get there.

Since she is on her own and filling the Doctor's shoes, I've found she works less and less well as a POV character. So I'm writing from the perspectives of people she meets along the way, which also allows me to show how she's growing and changing and getting weirder (as she should). My current POV character is a wet-behind-the-ears military officer posted to an isolated space station where secret scientific experiments are being done. I'm sure you can guess whether the scientific experiments go wrong or not. My young officer has to step up and make complex moral judgment calls (which she does not want to do but discovers she will if she has to) when both her superiors get their brains taken over.

3. What is that one scene that you’ve always wanted to write but can’t be arsed to write all of the set-up and context it would need? (consider this permission to write it and/or share it anyway)

Hahaha I always do just write it anyway! That's why I have so many ficlets. The things I dream about and don't write are the big sprawling daydream AUs that won't distil into one scene.

Oh fine OK I do have one key scene but the reason I haven't written it is because no one will have any idea what it's all about. Remember you asked for this! This is from the viewpoint of an agent of the Gallifreyan CIA who's been spying on the Seventh Doctor during the events of the novel Set Piece.

--

It's a shame to see a good agent--never reliable, but brilliant at his best--end up in such a state. A shame, but not surprising. He's not the first agent to end his career like this and he won't be the last, especially being a renegade as he is. They know from his file that nine centuries' hard living has put him in his seventh body already. Most of his career he's believed he was defying the Agency. Some of it he actually was. They've retrofitted quite a bit of their timeline planning around his entirely unauthorized interventions--and it's always turned out better than you'd hope. Now he's stranded, sponging off an old friend, health broken, nerves shot all to pieces. He's lost that TARDIS of his--gossip says they'd grown hopelessly into each other--if she's dead he'll have a horrendous psychic wound. Perhaps that's even the root of what ails him; perhaps that's the reason he's drinking French wine laced with opium at ten o'clock in the morning local time. Not much else he can hope to do for it, not without a Gallifreyan medic. And he won't come home, they know that too. He'll wither away there, jumping at shadows, country servant-girls pitying him, before he'll come home and be properly looked after. Some of the agents think he can't anymore; after so long away, they say, he can't take his place in Gallifrey's telepathic web. The closest he can get, now, is the buzz and chatter of human voices around him. They note how he haunts the kitchens. He's made a wreck of his lives and fortunes, probably his ship as well. He's reduced to drifting about in the local skirmish called the Franco-Prussian War--a purely human conflict, not even a branch of the War, which would be something--and he isn't even doing anything there. He's serving as a dreadful warning to young agents: the renegade life may seem exciting but this is how it ends. There's some suggestion they should inform Cardinal Braxiatel. If you want to speak to him, you should do it soon. Before nineteenth-century drugs and living on his nerves and the loss of his ship and the unknown wound in his shoulder he keeps rubbing take their toll. Even the humans say he isn't quite all there. And wherever else it is he's going, it's somewhere the CIA can't reach.

--

It's a weird book, Set Piece. Don't worry, Seven has a very complicated plan going behind all this. But he does have something of a breakdown. It ends up being quite cathartic for him actually. (He's drinking the drugged wine because someone else is drugging it and he doesn't want them to know that he knows. He claims.)

8. Is what you like to write the same as what you like to read?

I like to read the sort of thing I write, certainly! (Although there's some things I've written that I'm pretty sure if someone else had written them I'd find hopelessly saccharine.) But there's also things I like to read that I could never write. Novel-length fics, for sure, I really appreciate but don't write; I also love a good pastiche of a book series with a strong authorial voice, but avoid doing them myself, after a really harrowing experience doing cod-Pratchett. (Although I had a really fun time doing that Stevenson-in-space bit. Maybe I just need the amount of distance provided by an AU to enjoy doing author pastiches? I should try space!Aubrey-Maturin sometime and see if that'll do it.)

20. Tell us the meta about your writing that you really want to ramble to people about (symbolism you’ve included, character or relationship development that you love, hidden references, callbacks or clues for future scenes?)

These questions assume I don't shove all that in the notes already! :P

Oh yeah, I did do a bit of research for that Hornblower fic that I forgot to put in the notes! I wondered whether the superstition that it's bad luck to toast in water was old enough for the characters to think of it. The few minutes of research I did were pretty inconclusive, actually--one source did say it originated in the Royal Navy but didn't say when, which was not very useful to me, but I decided it at least sounds old enough that I could project it back to the 1800s. Apparently the superstition is specifically that someone who drinks a toast in water will die by drowning, which... well, both of them avoid that at least....

#doctor who #seventh doctor #ace mcshane #fic #writing

[theredconversegirl]

Sneaking Out | Ficlet 🍅🌸

Hey there,

Hope everyone is doing well! 💕

I’m sharing a little something that came into mind when I saw this au name on twitter last night. 😁 I hope some ss fluff helps warm your day/night! 💜

~Happy Reading!

Title: Sneaking Out Rated T   Summary: all the characters live in the same building au / blank period / mostly dialogue / fluff & slice of life.

Links: Fanfiction | ao3  ——————————————————————————

When the "temporary" settlements are taken down, sixteen months post-war, and most of her friends end up moving to the same apartment complex, Sakura realizes it will be a lot more difficult to sneak out for the usual late night make-out sessions. 

"We need a plan," Sasuke says after she confides her concerns to him that night.

He hasn’t noticed the changes – because a) he doesn’t care about people, b) he was away for quite some time, and c) he doesn’t really care – but she had.  Every day there’s someone moving in and every day more familiar faces greet her when she’s leaving or arriving at her apartment.

"It shouldn't be as complicated as you think it will be." He tells her as though her worry is unwarranted. “We just need to use our skills; we are shinobi.”

"And so are all tenants from the 3rd to the 10th floor."

Sasuke sits down on her secondhand couch and sighs. “I can walk up the outer wall and get to your window."

"As romantic as it sounds Sasuke-kun, you could be easily spotted." The disbelieving look in his mismatched eyes prompted her to continue. "Masked chakra or not, someone could look out of the window or get on the balcony and see you.” 

“Henge?”

Sakura snorts. “And that wouldn’t look suspicious at all.” 

He glares at her and she glares right back. She gives up first, groaning as she starts to pace the room.

“Imagine the repercussions… we’d have to explain to Tsunade-shisou what you were doing climbing up a residential building wall late at night. You, Uchiha Sasuke, ex missing nin who spent the last four years plotting revenge—” 

“Tch, I get it.” Sasuke averts his eyes, but doesn’t look fazed by the touchy subject.  “You could take the stairs up to my place.”

“And risk bumping into someone?”

“Who takes the stairs when there’s that brand new metal box that takes everyone up and down here? It’s the first elevator in a non-governmental building and everyone wants to ride it.” He rolls his eyes and Sakura mirrors the action, because yeah, it’s ridiculous. They can do magic ninja stuff and people are excited by a mechanical thing that moves vertically. 

“Well... Kakashi takes his sweet time climbing the stairs to his apartment. Lee says the additional exercise is a challenge. Tenten has to follow suit when he’s around. I saw Kiba taking the stairs with Akamaru once… I guess some people just don’t like the wait.” Sakura shrugs, not dismissing the idea entirely, just  being realistic about the risks. “Besides, you wouldn’t want me bumping into Lee late at night.” 

Sasuke frowns. “Why wouldn’t I want that?”

“Because…” Sakura trails off, the very valid reason she had vanishes at the sight of a jealous Sasuke. 

He just… he looks so, so good when he’s confused and angry at the same time. His jaw ticks, his voice turns gruff, and that little pout that goes with the sullen glower completes the hottest bad boy look one can have. Why are they wasting time talking when they could be kissing? His conceited smirk snaps her out of her daze and she berates herself for falling for his trick – he knows how to distract her very well. 

“Because he'd hog me until I allow him to walk me safely back to my door.”

Sasuke groans and lets his head fall on the pillow behind him. “I'll go down to you then, problem solved.” 

“That could work, but we’d still risk Ino or someone from the hospital walking in on us.” He doesn’t say anything to that, but Sakura sees the question on his face from where she’s standing. “You haven’t been back long, so to put it simply, I’m needed in that hospital and they have the gift to need me when I’m off.”

Sakura watches with a satisfied grin as Sasuke’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise. He looks at her with respect and curiosity... And damn, forget about the bad boy thing because this makes her tremble with anticipation. That look is everything she’s ever wanted.

“You're my teammate.” 

“Your female teammate, the one who has had a, uh, crush on you since forever. Stop smirking! The entire village knows.”

Sasuke cocks an eyebrow. “I thought you loved me.” 

Did he just… goad her on? The bastard has the nerve to puff up his chest and look smug while saying that.

“That’s too personal!” Sakura hides her pink cheeks when she twirls around and resumes her pacing. When she completes a full circle, their eyes meet and she sighs. “Yeah, yeah, they know.”

Three circles later, Sakura has an a-ha moment and asks, “Are you good at teleporting yet?” 

After Sasuke’s recovery and his brief trial that led to the end of the council, the Hokage authorized the Rinnegan research. Kakashi and Sasuke have been training together every other day since. Sasuke’s stamina is building up to a point he’s not completely exhausted after using his new ocular powers.

Sasuke’s mood changes immediately. The scowl on his face is telling and Sakura almost winces – he’s too proud to admit that he’s probably not quite there yet. Teleporting back and forth after training hours could drain him.

“What if,” Sakura says quickly, changing the subject. “What if we just don’t sneak out.”

“Then we won’t be spending time together?”

“But we do.”

“How so?”

“I mean what if we just don’t care if someone sees us going to each other’s apartments? We are two consenting adults and it’s none of their business anyway.” Sakura explains, chewing her bottom lip as she mulls over the various outcomes of not keeping their relationship a secret anymore.

It was not a premeditated decision to hide it in the first place. But when they have two loud-mouthed best friends, the news would blow up within hours and they just want some privacy.

It’s not like they’d be advertising their relationship or anything. And who cares if nosy people gossip about it? The only thing that matters is that they are together (and ridiculously in love). 

“You know what, this won’t keep me away from you.”

“Oh yeah? You're going to forgo any social etiquette just to have your way with me, huh?”

“As if you'd complain!” Sakura scoffs and crosses her arms. “If I don’t do that, you will. And you know why? Because you’d miss me.”

Sasuke snorts but she pays no heed to it; she knows he would never admit to that if asked. And, she can see the blush creeping up the side of his neck and the tip of his ears. Adorable.

“You’d miss me and these sugar lips.” She swipes her tongue across her mouth and notices how his eyes darken, following the movement. “Tell me I’m lying.” 

When he stands up, rather abruptly for a human but not for a shinobi, she’s forced to take a step back and crank her neck up to look at him. Sakura’s still not used to this Sasuke, tall and broad, who towers over her. 

“Come here, sugar lips.” 

He speaks with a rough, low voice, and what’s supposed to be seductive and hot-hot-hot, makes her giggle instead. Even though Sasuke’s just repeating her own words to annoy her, that’s something she’s never expected to hear.

“I can’t believe you said that. Uchiha Sasuke—”

“Shut up.” 

—called me-mmph!”

He kisses her silly that night – and all the other nights that follow – putting to rest all her doubts and worries, because he does miss her and no neighborhood gossip will keep them apart.

#theredconversegirl writes #SasuSaku #ss fic #sneaking out #all the characters live in the same building au #some fluff

[drarrily-we-row-along]

Question 2, and also I'm gonna take 100./ask you my own question

How did you get into Drarry? Both reading and writing fic 😊

💛💛💛

Hello there! <3

2. talk about a notable time a narrative or character has looked you dead in the eyes and said “fuck your plan, here’s what we’re actually doing.”

Oh my gosh. All of the time. I feel like I never manage to get things to go quite "right" in my fics. I wrote the entirety of the 22k fic Insult for one idea for a scene that I had at the beginning, and IT NEVER EVEN MADE IT INTO THE FIC.

I think, though, that the fic that stabbed me in the back the worst this way was honestly Tease. When I started writing this fic, my brain was thinking that we were going to write something a little flirty, a little sexy; a hot secret relationship fic. What it turned into was all seeped in heavy emotions and a sort of hopeless desperation. I tried to rewrite this one four times before I finally gave up.

100. How did you get into Drarry? Both reading and writing fic

Drarry was actually my first dip into fanfiction, when I was just a teenager. I think it was the summer after my first year at college that I came back and just felt really out of place in my own skin, and I reread the Harry Potter series to give myself a little comfort. I don't remember if it was Pinterest or facebook, but I was just browsing through HP related things and saw a some Drarry fanart (this was almost 10 years ago at this point, so I've no idea what it was) that was linked to a fic. And I got hooked. I read SO much drarry fanfiction over the next few years.

In terms of writing fic, I got into the BBC Sherlock fandom about 6 years ago and spent the next 5 years reading and writing fic for the Sherlock fandom. Toward the end of my time writing for Sherlock, it got pretty difficult for me; people were really critical and sharing my writing was pretty demoralizing. So I took a break for my own mental and emotional health.

Whilst on that break, someone I follow on Tumblr reblogged a Drarry fic (I don't even know what the fic was anymore) and it reignited my love of this ship. I started reading, and reading, and reading all of the fics I could find. And then one day I found myself writing a drarry ficlet because I really missed creating. That ficlet got posted here on Tumblr (not on AO3 at first) because I hoped that a couple people might enjoy it but didn't think that anyone would take me seriously enough to find the need to criticize me.

Overnight, it got like 40 likes, which was incomprehensible to me, and people said kind things about it. And then I decided to start writing ficlets. I got this ridiculous idea to write "100 Drarry Drabbles in 100 Days" because I liked the alliteration, never expecting that I'd actually be able to do it.

But I did. And I've kept writing and posting ficlets consistently since. Over 370,000 words in 200 fics; on Monday, I'll have been posting for 11 months (I posted my first Drarry fic on April 7th of last year).

Woo. Sorry, this answer got a little out of hand! Thanks for asking, love. I'm so grateful for you and for all of the kind people who interact with me and my work in this fandom.

Ask me all the things, if you'd like <3

#thanks for the ask! #drarry #ask game #ask me things #<3

[peppermint-chocolate-cherries]

I saw a post being reblogged earlier, another Hetalia writer was asking for people to share their ideas for polycules, where 3+ nations are in a relationship together.

I've seen some very good ficlets out there with other ships, but there's one throuple I've been fantasizing about for the past 6 hours now, that I think you need to consider.

Canada, Liechtenstein and Lithuania.

Hear me out under the cut, okay?

So it starts with Canada and Liechtenstein, the purest and sweetest pairing of Hetalian nations you could possibly come up with. It's sweet and sugary and everything you could possibly squeal at, and it seems like nothing could be wrong with the pairing. Although they are keeping their relationship a secret, Basch does already get along with Matthew, and Matthew's family adores Erika, so no problems there.

Except there is a problem. Both of them feel like their relationship is incomplete.

For Erika, it feels sometimes as if Matthew is too young and naive for her. He's constantly being dragged around on Alfred's shenanigans, leaving her alone on the sidelines to watch as she doesn't fit into their plans. Add on the fact that there's a fucking ocean between their lands, and Erika sometimes has that separation anxiety. Perhaps if she had someone a bit older, with the maturity and wisdom of longer existence and experience, to keep her company when Matthew can't.

For Matthew, it's a case of him being a bisexual and also being a bit of a whore. He has many former male flames across the world, particularly in western Europe, and initially gave up that passionate gay sex to be monogamous and straight with Erika. While they have experimented in the bedroom, Matthew still has that longing to be railed by a gorgeous man once in a while. Erika's very sweet and innocent, but Matthew would also love a bit of spice, if you know what I mean.

Luckily they choose to talk through these issues, and come up with an interesting solution. They should find a third partner for this relationship, who can give each of them what they feel is missing. They are already happy together, but that third partner would make them even happier.

Also luckily, they have the perfect avenue by which to search for perfect partners: let Mattie be a whore again! He can hit up a couple of his former flames, being all "Hey, wanna fuck around and find out if we catch actual feelings for each other this time?", while Erika can be the polite Germanic she is and invite the prospect on "business" coffee dates and lunches where she can slip in a bit of flirtatious charm.

They try a few different Europeans first, various levels of success before ultimate failure. A few weren't interested in more than fucking around with Matthew, others weren't quite vibing with Erika on the coffee dates, one or two nearly got to learn about the existing relationship before failing at the last moment.

I think Romano gets to be the only one who previously succeeded in earning an audition for the throuple. Although he and Matthew definitely worked well together, the vibe wasn't quite right with Erika, so Lovino gracefully walked away. He can still be a wingman for the lovebirds though, helping Matthew decide who to flirt with next. He's the only one who knows everything that's going on, everyone else just sees the casual flirting and Matthew's occasional heavy petting at the bar.

After a lack of success with some of the more outwardly passionate Europeans, they need to change their tactic. Erika addresses that she already adores Matthew for his gentle demeanour and his kind heart, he does not need to flaunt his strength or passion or courage all the time. Perhaps they should focus on finding someone more similar to Matthew among the Europeans.

And that's where we finally get to Lithuania. There's a lovely ficlet out there that describes a time where Lithuania topped Canada, that Tolys saw quite a bit of himself in Matthew's personality and that's how they were able to jive. Tolys is polite and kind, but has that history of fighting for his life and making Eastern Europe bow at his feet for a couple centuries.

At the same time, he also has a lot of baggage and unresolved tension with his various neighbours. The last three centuries have been rough on his heart and his soul, not to mention his lands and the decline of his power. He's been deeply hurt, and is still recovering from those wounds. He still fucks around occasionally, but has yet to trust his heart to anyone again. If anyone is to break through, it would need to be with gentle kindness, compassion and patience.

So it starts with Matthew recruiting Lovino's assistance to make sure Alfred invites Tolys to the bar more often, to hang with their extended group of nation-friends. Tolys gets the chance to open up a bit more around the others, but there are also moments where he and Matthew get to banter and slip in a little flirting. Even though the alcohol definitely helps, they do start meeting at other places in the evenings where staying sober is just as enjoyable.

Meanwhile, Erika starts approaching Tolys and talking to him during the recesses at meetings, first to discuss the current news then to addressing other things they could work on together. Eventually this turns into several coffee dates and lunches, where business takes a backseat and they get to know each other much better.

After a couple weeks, Tolys is already starting to feel great about waking up each day, and notices he is greatly enjoying talking to Erika during the days and Matthew in the evenings. He's in such a good mood that even Belarus notices it, cornering him and asking him what the fuck gives him the right to be so happy. Tolys is surprised to find himself confessing to Natalya that he genuinely hasn't thought of her at all these last two weeks, despite having spent the last three centuries trying to win her love.

Other nations start noticing that Tolys is acting differently. Some think it's his interactions with Matthew, others think it's Erika (Basch starts watching him suspiciously over this one). It's when Ukraine approaches Tolys and coddles him over the cause of his happiness that he realizes what's going on.

"I can't believe you have both Matthew and Erika flirting with you! They are both such good matches for you, I'm almost jealous that you have your choice of the two of them! I'm very pleased to see you so happy and in love <3<3!"

Katya's words make Tolys spiral into a panic as he realizes what he's been blind to. Matthew's been flirting with him, and he likes it. Erika has also been flirting with him, and he likes that too. He might be falling for two people at the same time! Is he really falling in love, and which one of them if so???

Either he ends up drinking at the bar to calm his puzzled mind, or he huddles up in his hotel room and skips on meeting the NA twins at the bar. Either way, Matthew does end up with him in that hotel room, and their feelings lead the way to a passionate fuck. The whole time, Tolys is struggling to control his emotions, is this love or lust? Is having Matthew in his bed the way it should be, or is he betraying his feelings for Erika?

After they've settled again and are cuddling naked in bed, Matthew points out that Tolys is troubled, and asks if anything is wrong. Tolys finally confesses that he is falling for both Matthew and Erika, and can't figure out if what they just did should've even happened. Matthew responds with a suggestion that catches Tolys completely off-guard.

"What if you didn't have to choose? You can easily have both of us, you know."

Matthew finally tells Tolys everything about his existing relationship with Erika, and about their desire to find a third partner for the relationship. He reveals that Tolys as proven to be the best candidate yet, and that they both really want him to join them. This leaves Tolys flabbergasted, not only are Matthew and Erika already together, but they both want him to join the relationship???

While Tolys needs a moment to process this, Matthew calls Erika on the phone and tells her to come up to the room. When she arrives, she has her chance to talk to Tolys, and confirms everything Matthew told him about wanting him in their relationship. Tolys agrees to give it a try, and the three spend the night together in that bed.

The next day at the meetings, everyone notices Tolys walking in with not-quite-hidden hickies on his neck and a big dopey grin on his face. While everyone else mutters to each other "Who did he fuck last night?", it's Ukraine who openly asks Tolys for everyone to hear "Oh my god, which one?!?!!"

This is promptly followed by Poland asking Ukraine, "Wait, what do you mean, which one?"

Ukraine tells Poland that both Canada and Liechtenstein had been flirting with Lithuania the other day. This is overhead by everyone, including Switzerland who immediately puts two and two together and glares at Lithuania.

Of course France intervenes at this exact moment, calling out that Matthew has matching hickies on his neck, so it must have been him.

A bunch of chaos in the meeting room as the beans are spilled and everyone learns about the throuple. Lovino speaks out in their defense, while Erika is more than happy to stand up to Russia and tell him to back away from both her boyfriends. Ultimately, everyone lets the throuple be, and they prove to be very happy together.

(There are smutty headcannons that I could add on here, but I've never done smutty stuff on this blog, and this is not where I'm starting it. Long story short, Tolys has to build trust with Matthew before he's the one to get railed, although Erika is there to help them through it.)

#shipping madness #first poly-relationship headcanons i've ever shared #hws canada #hws liechtenstein #hws lithuania

[feelinglikecleopatra]

three months and nine days

so... setbacks went down quite well. eeeek. thank you so much to everyone who read it and liked it and reblogged it (i read all of your lovely tags too). genuinely made my week. if people really like these maybe i could get into a habit of posting lil ficlets and drabbles--who knows! 

anyway, this has been sitting in my drafts for a while, my crack at inej’s pov. i guess i thought it deserved to see the light. lmk what y’all think.

~

fandom: six of crows/crooked kingdom | kaz brekker + inej ghafa, with a sprinkling, a dash, a smidgeon of wesper.

word count: 2,410

no content warnings. just fluff. fluffy, fluffy good times.

summary: inej gets a welcome surprise.

~

it’d been three months, nine days, and five hours since inej last saw kaz. they’d said goodbye on the roof of the slat, standing a hands breadth apart. separated by early afternoon sun and trauma.

“say goodbye, kaz,” she’d said when too many seconds had passed. “i don’t know how long i’ll be gone.”

he’d smiled at her. it was a miserly, crooked thing, that smile—kaz all over. and despite her best efforts, she’d smiled back before shaking her head, “no mourners.”

“no funerals.”

with that, she’d leapt to the next rooftop and the next and the next, until kaz and the slat melted into ketterdam’s tangled horizon to be replaced by the flat expanse of the ocean.

that first day on the ship, inej had enjoyed the same prickle of anticipation she felt whenever she stepped out onto the high wire. her whole body taught and focused on the sway of the wire, the push of the air, the pull of her weight. this was her element and she would master it as she had everything else.

the weeks had flown by in a crash of waves, foaming at the break.

inej saw no less than five slavers bleed out by her hand. though she still prayed for every soul, she came to relish the taste of their desperation. the night she’d killed the first and second, their “cargo” safely stowed in the belly of her ship, inej had dreamed of kaz’s face as she recounted how sweetly the men had begged. celebrating with her crew, although jubilant, had whetted her appetite for celebrating with him.

it was only when, from her position in the crow’s nest, inej watched kerch spill across the horizon that she grew anxious about her return. what exactly was she returning to, anyway? 

communication had been difficult at sea and they’d only made port twice, neither time for very long. now that she thought about it, it had been a while, things could have changed.

chin resting on her fist, inej watched the coastline grow jagged, the towers and spires of his city coming into focus against smoky skies. she’d miss the open sea but this—she almost smiled. jesper would laugh himself hoarse if he knew she’d missed this saints-forsaken city. she did smile then, picturing it.

/

she lands lightly on the deck just as her first mate, a hassled-looking specht, calls for the crew to bring them into port. ana, a sharp-jawed ravkan they’d found making trouble off the coast of novyi zem, hops nimbly overboard, spring-line in hand. the ship is securely moored and the gangplank lowered, ten minutes later.

“don’t forget,” inej calls over the noise of her crew disembarking. “we’re shipping out in two weeks, i want everything stocked and ready for departure by the morning before.”

“aye, captain!” comes the answering chorus.

“do try and enjoy your downtime, captain.” specht winks at inej as he makes his way down the gangplank, luggage in hand.

after everyone leaves, inej double checks the lines and the sails, does a quick sweep of her office, and grabs her bag. she’s almost to the door, when she hears footsteps on the deck. light and ambling, she recognises them instantly.

“captain ghafa.” 

jesper, every lean and easy inch of him, reclines against the main mast. he’s totally out of place in his lime and yellow wardrobe but inej can’t imagine a happier sight. 

with mock seriousness, he says, “i heard rumours of your return and had to come see for myself.”

she flies across the deck, her arms around his shoulders, before he can so much as blink. inej feels, more than hears, the soft rumble of his laugh. he pulls back from her, eyes warm and smiling. “i missed you too.”

“i was going to come by geldstraat first thing. you didn’t have to come all the way out here,” inej says.

“couldn’t risk it.” he shakes his head, reaching for her bag and looping an arm through hers. “besides, wylan’s been flapping around the house like a deranged mother hen all afternoon getting ready for you. i was only getting in the way.”

“how is he?”

“wylan? spectacular. two weeks ago, while he was playing his flute, marya started singing. turns out she has a really sweet voice—nothing like alys—and—” inej swats at his chest, biting back a laugh at the poor girl’s expense. “and it seems to be drawing her out. ever since she started singing she’s been spending more time downstairs, talking with the servants, with wylan...”

they make their way across the docks at a leisurely pace as jesper fills her in on the ketterdam happenings and by the time the van eck mansion looms before them, she’s all caught up.

watching jesper let himself in is strange, he throws her a look that tells her he sympathises. “i’m not sure i’ll ever get used to it.”

a response is on her tongue, something pithy and reassuring, when the door swings open to a riot of voices. inej blinks, the only sign of her surprise.

there, in the foyer of the van eck house, stand pim, rotty, anika, wylan and kaz—kaz—dressed to the nines, party-blowers between their teeth. WELCOME HOME, INEJ is scrawled across a banner the width of the landing and every bannister in sight is draped in bunting and paper chains.

a laugh bubbles out of inej, squeezing past the shock that keeps her rooted to the spot. the coaxing touch of jesper’s hand releases her and she rushes inside, clapping her hands together and gasping in delight.

“jesper!” she turns back to him. “wylan! everyone—this—this is—” she cuts herself off and sighs, hands clasped over her heart. “i don’t know what to say.”

“don’t say anything,” wylan says, reaching for her hand. “come, we have cake!”

she follows him into the parlour where food and wine are laid out around the centrepiece that is a truly enormous cake.

for a moment, inej stands and gapes at it. “is nina inside that thing?”

“unfortunately not. she’s been out of touch for a while, something about a top secret grisha mission,” wylan shrugs apologetically.

“upside, that means all of us will at least get a slice.” this from jesper, who’s moved to sling an arm around wylan’s narrow shoulders. “maybe two!”

there’s a worried little divot forming between wylan’s brows, so, although she misses nina more with every glance at the cake, inej says, “it’s perfect.”

jesper picks up a plate and begins loading food onto it, shooing wylan over to the pianoforte around a mouthful of croquette. over the first strains of music, anika and pim welcome her back and rotty tells her they still don’t have a new spider if she’s considering giving up the high seas.

looking around, inej thinks she might be dreaming. all these people, under one roof, eating and drinking and laughing. in three months at sea she and her crew had developed an easy camaraderie, hurried along by a half-dozen life-threatening situations. but, inej discovers, it has nothing on the kinship she shares with these people. her fondness threatens to overtake her.

food, she needs food.

with a plate in hand, inej settles onto a chaise with a view of wylan at the pianoforte. his eyes are closed and his tongue is just visible, poking out at the corner of his mouth in concentration. behind him, jesper has one hand against the back of his neck, fingers in his curls, and the other wrapped around a glass of wine as he chats with anika. across the room, pim and rotty squabble over the last glass of what looks like something expensive and distilled.

since when have things been this easy between everyone?

when the seat beside her dips slightly under another’s weight, inej realises with a jolt she hasn’t been paying attention to her immediate surroundings.

“now that’s the face i got dragged to a party for, you can’t put a price on that.”

when her eyes widen further, that smile, the deliciously crooked one, slides across kaz’s face. it pulls mercilessly at inej’s heart. how she’d missed that smile. she tucks her hands under her thighs to stop from reaching out to trace a finger over the quirk of his lips.

“you didn’t come for the cake, then?” she wants to look away but the warmth in his darker-than-sin eyes gives her no quarter. inej is sure he’s never looked at her this way, like if he stopped she might vanish.

“no,” he says.

as simple as that. does that mean he came for her?

suddenly, inej can’t remember how she used to sit when she sat next to the boy she dreams about at night. should she keep her hands under her legs? no, she’s already losing feeling in her fingers. should she lean back like he is? pull her legs under herself? face him? turn away?

surely, it isn’t this complicated. inej sighs and pulls her braid over one shoulder, moving to sit crossed legged on the chaise. when she glances back at kaz, he’s watching her curiously. the wraith doesn’t fidget.

“you look—”

“who’s idea was—”

inej bites her lip to stifle her smile. they’re so out of sync.

the silence isn’t awkward, exactly, but it draws on when neither of them continue. around them, conversation ebbs and flows. wylan gets up from the piano and cuts himself a big slice of cake. inej watches him feed it to jesper, the frosting startlingly white against the taller boy’s dark skin.

“who’s idea was this?” inej finally speaks, gesturing to the party.

kaz’s gaze flicks across the room briefly, before landing back on her. “wylan’s. he made it seem very urgent that we welcome you back in a suitably enthusiastic fashion. something about convincing you to stay.”

“that’s not a terrible idea. if i could be sure there’d be more cake in the future, i’d consider it.”

“not much cake at sea?”

“no. none, really. it’s quite sad.”

“nina would disapprove.”

“almost certainly. i—i didn’t know how much i missed cake until today.” inej catches kaz’s eye as she says this and forgets, or rather remembers, what they’re talking about. “you won’t believe how much pickled fish i’ve eaten these last three months.”

“and nine days.”

“and nine days…” she’s blushing now, she can feel the heat rising up her neck, staining her cheeks. from the way his gaze drops to the neckline of her vest, inej knows he sees it too. “how’s business?”

if the shift in conversation surprises him, he doesn’t let on. “good,” he nods. “other than a few skirmishes, haskell’s been lying low and keeping out of trouble. the new shop on the lid is a veritable bread factory for the number of pigeons its bringing in, which bodes well for my other expansions in the neighbourhood.”

“other expansions?” inej brings an elbow up onto the back of the chaise, resting her temple against her closed fist.

it enters gradually, their rhythm, like early morning fog. talking about business, about hustles and scams, they settle into the chaise and into each other. kaz shifts slightly toward her and she toward him as he expounds on his plans to rule ketterdam. 

inej watches his hands, startled to realise they’re bare, ungloved, naked, as he mimes cracking a particularly challenging safe. those nimble, thief's fingers communicating all the excitement his rock salt voice doesn’t. 

it should be embarrassing, her fixation on his hands. the bone-white scar over his knuckle shifts with his movement and she can’t look away from it. she imagines him tracing the fine bones in her wrist with those fingers, over the flutter of her pulse and the soft skin at the inside of her elbow.

when kaz does a very passable impression of wylan drunk on kvas flirting with a lamppost he mistook for jesper, inej laughs like she hasn’t in ages. she leans forward, arm over her belly and hand over her mouth, as he slurs and simpers.

“you’re making me work awwfully hard, jesss,” kaz whimpers, eyes round and beseeching.

“he didn’t!” inej gasps, slouching forward. 

she thinks she might pull a muscle with how hard she’s laughing. jesper’s even looked over once or twice to see what the fuss is about but seems disinclined to interrupt.

she doesn’t notice right away, but as she takes a few deep, steadying breaths, inej realises she’s slipped forward on the chaise. her knee rests lightly against kaz’s thigh. it’s a slight pressure. barely noticeable. she looks up and kaz is still talking, a reluctant smile on his mouth.

for several seconds, the feeling of his thigh against her knee, the warmth of his body through their clothing, is all she can focus on.

whether its the rush of being reunited, the sweet, disorienting joy of being in each others company after months of absence, or the wine from the empty glass he’s put on the floor, that keeps kaz from noticing, inej doesn’t know. either way, she can’t bear even the thought of his shutting himself off at the realisation. so, summoning her not inconsiderable will power, she pulls her leg away.

or, at least, that was the plan.

quite unexpectedly and with a confidence she cannot begin to fathom, kaz closes his hand around her knee. the shape of his hand, even ungloved, is so familiar to her that she almost dismisses the dissonance of seeing it resting on her leg. almost.

she’s staring. 

she knows she’s staring but kaz—kaz—is touching her. deliberately. precisely.

the sensation is so jarring, so unbelievably wanted that she can’t help but smile. his thumb traces a line over the fabric of her trousers, heart-wrenchingly gentle and deliberate. 

she looks up to find him watching her.

inej is too caught up in the feeling of his palm, large and warm on the part of her thigh just before her knee, too caught up in the tick at the corner of his mouth and the colour of his eyes, to think about what it means that she is celebrating a victory so small. the voice that whispers about the boys who would kiss her without fear is entirely drowned out by the boy who faces his fears so that he might kiss her. one day.

“is this okay?” he asks.

“this is perfect,” she whispers.

#kanej #kaz brekker #inej ghafa #soc fanfic #crooked kingdom #six of crows #leigh bardugo #wesper #fluff #captain ghafa #canon compliant #this was very fun #i can't get enough of kanej and their baby steps

[hpkinktober]

Almost a month after HP Kinktober ended, I have finally created a complete masterlist of the wonderful Drarry works we were gifted with from this astoundingly creative community. Since I am only human, please let me know if anything is wrong with this post (broken link, mispelled author name, etc). 

Day 1: Foreplay 

Love Me Like Red Wine by @triggerlil​ (M, 290) 

Harry prepares a meal, but Draco can't focus on the food. It's not his fault that Harry's so damn attractive.

Foreplay by @ladderofyears​ (E, 100)

In which Draco wears sky-blue, lacy bikini knickers. 

Kiss Him All the Way Up by @chuckweasley​ (M, Digital Art) 

Is Harry into feet? Does he want to kiss Draco on every square inch of his body? Is he kissing a trail from his toes up? You decide!

Water Spirit by @laurisophi​ (E, 703) 

Harry wants to surprise Draco for their anniversary and show more of himself.

"You look like a lake spirit, bath by the moon, covered in green.” He kisses your shoulder and one hand slides over your back, your side, your hip.

A ficlet for the first day of HP Kinktober 2020: foreplay.

Day 2: Instant Darkness Powder 

Under the Cover of Darkness by @manixzen​ (M, 2k) 

Thanks to Pansy, Draco's stuck at a party with a whole bunch of drunk Gryffindors. And now they want to play party games. If only Draco can slip out unnoticed before this gets any worse.

Instant Darkness Powder by @ladderofyears​ (M, 116) 

Auror Partners Harry and Draco are trapped in the dark. Flirting ensues.

A Smoke Afterwards by @chuckweasley​ (M, Digital Art) 

I wonder who’s holding the lighter...

Day 3: Polyjuice 

Prompt: Polyjuice by blackswingsblackwords (T, 349) 

In which there is (supposed to be) roleplaying.

Polyjuice by @ladderofyears​ (E, 100) 

Harry takes Polyjuice Potion so Draco can fuck himself. 

Polyjuice by CuriousEmWanders (E, 985)

In which Draco lets his curiosity and obsession get the best of him. He just needs to know what Harry looks like. How else is he supposed to find out?

Day 4: Amortentia 

Occupational Hazard by @ladderofyears​ (E, 100)

Potions Master Draco has been brewing Amortentia. 

Prompt: Amortentia by blackwingsblackwords (T, 463)

In which there is a secret relationship. 

Smells Like You by CuriousEmWanders (E, 3.1k) 

Draco may not smell anything in his Amortentia, but that doesn't stop him from taking it to help him submit to his Dom de jour. 

Day 5: Spell Play 

A Magic Number of Orgasms @ladderofyears​ (E, 100) 

Harry and Draco experiment with a sex spell. 

Just Let Go by @manixzen​ (E, 3.4k) 

Draco struggles with letting go of his need for control, both at work and at home. Harry can help.

Prompt: Spell Play by blackwingsblackwords (T, 1.1k) 

In which an exhausted dad dates a smitten hero.

Day 6: Parseltongue 

Lucky Bloody Serpent by @ladderofyears​ (G, 100) 

When Harry gets a pet snake, Draco gets (a tiny bit) jealous.

a simple thank you can go a long way by @crimsonhead-ache​ (E, 2.7k)

The one where Draco needs to thank him and Harry allows him.

Also Parseltongue.

And dicks.

Draco’s Favorite Thing by CuriousEmWanders (E, 1.2k)

Draco has a thing for when Harry talks to him in parseltongue, and he's glad Harry doesn't know. Or does he?

The Hottest Parselmouth by @chuckweasley​ (T, Digital Art) 

Draco cannot handle how hot Harry is when he’s speaking parseltongue, even though he has no idea what Harry’s saying.

Day 7: Creature!Fic 

I’ll Huff, And I’ll Puff, And I’ll Blow Your House In... by @ladderofyears​ (M, 100)

There’s a Werewolf on the loose and he’s out to get Draco! 

Thirst by @fluxweeed​ (E, 4.4k) 

The path of Malfoy’s scent is obvious; Harry hasn’t fed for days, so his senses are sharp. Deadly.

And Malfoy smells so good.

Day 8: Imperius

Imperius by @ladderofyears​ (E, 100)

Harry and Draco are put under the Imperius Curse.

Non-con warning 

Day 9: Legilimency 

Legilimens by @ladderofyears​ (E, 100)

Draco shares his sexual fantasies with his lover Harry. 

Day 10: Dark Magic Ritual 

Reanimation Ritual by @ladderofyears​ (M, 100) 

Draco performs a Dark Magic ritual to bring his dead lover Harry back to him. 

A Moment of Intent by @manixzen​ (E, 4.6k) 

Auror Harry Potter and Curse Breaker Draco Malfoy are on another case, this time a Dark Arts Ritual gone wrong. Surely, they won’t botch up yet another crime scene.

Day 11: Invisibility Cloak

Tryst Behind The Tapestry by @ladderofyears​ (E, 1k)

It's Eighth Year and Harry and Draco enjoy some very sexy - and very invisible - fun after dark has fallen at Hogwarts.

Invisibly Arouse (E, Digital Art) by @chuckweasley​

The boys get frisky under the cloak!

Day 12: Duelling

Duel by @ladderofyears​ (M, 365) 

Harry and Draco practice duelling and things get a little heated.

Prompt: Dueling by blackwingsblackwords (T, 534)

In which a lesson is learned.

Cut Me Open (and use me) by @triggerlil​

Draco is the heir to the throne of England. Harry is a nobleman who wants to reclaim his honour. Somehow, these two things are intimately linked. Enter a sword, a dagger, and the hands of God, and you have a story about two men with tongues like knives, learning to lick love off sharp edges.

Day 13: Mirror

Deep Dark Truthful Mirror by @ladderofyears​ (E, 2k)

Draco shows Harry a very old, very powerful magical object: a mirror that will show his deepest, darkest sexual desires.

Getting Ready for Harry by @chuckweasley​ (G, Digital Art) 

Harry likes Draco in glitter and cozy sweaters...don’t we all?

Day 16: Magic Sex Toys 

hot damn, hot water, hot shower by @crimsonhead-ache​

Harry was more than ready for a long soak, a nice glass of firewhiskey, and twelve hours of sleep.

Too bad life never works out the way it's planned, or is it?

Colour, love?  by @choulatte​ (E, 7.7k) 

Holding Harry’s gaze, Draco took out the lube and let his fingers dance over the golden cockring he'd previously kept hidden, liberally coating it in the slippery substance. He watched how Harry’s eyes followed his movements, a desperate groan escaping the other man when he finally recognized his fate.

Draco merely smiled.

Both by @chuckweasley​ (E, Digital Art) 

Harry knows Draco likes to be filled.

Day 17: Room of Requirement 

No Fantasy Required by @manixzen​ (E, 4.1k) 

The Room of Requirement has never quite recovered from the war. It seems hell-bent on fulfilling every need of students and faculty alike, in or out of the room itself. Professors Potter and Malfoy really wish it would stop trying to do the students’ homework, though.

The Room Of Requirement Always Provides by @ladderofyears​ (E, 100)

Just a hundred words of Draco and Harry having some smutty fun in the Room of Requirement.

Day 18: Herbology 

Knowledge by @ladderofyears​ (E, 100)

Harry and Draco inhale sex pollen.

Day 19: Hair Pulling 

Yeah, Pull it Harder by @chuckweasley​ (E, Digital Art) 

The sex is very good. 

Day 20: Veritaserum 

Neither Of Us Have To Say A Single Word by @ladderofyears​ (T, 365) 

When Draco is being badly bullied, Harry steps in and looks after him. Pre-slash.

A Bit of Honesty by @manixzen​ (E, 3.6k) 

A Hogwarts ball, a spiked punch, Professor Potter and Professor Malfoy on chaperone duty… what could go wrong?

Day 21: Dragonhide 

Dressing Up by @ladderofyears​ (T, 333) 

The Potter-Malfoy family negotiate the tricky issue of Halloween costumes.

All Wrapped Up by @chuckweasley​ (E, Digital Art) 

The boys take care of each other the best they can. 

Day 22: Gillyweed 

The Shape Of Love by @ladderofyears​ (E, 200) 

Harry and Draco take Gillyweed and make love in The Black Lake. 

Day 25: Tattoos 

Tear it down piece by piece by moonstruckmuse (E, 7.8k) 

Draco just wants to get rid of this stupid Dark Mark. Why is this so complicated?

His to Adorn, to Cherish, & to Keep by @maesmora​ (E, 1.4k) 

Draco Malfoy is many things: calm, collected, in control. At least until Harry Potter gets his hands on him, and those aren't the only things Draco lets Harry put on his body...

Day 26: Exhibitionism 

how can anybody have you and lose you and not lose their mind too? by @crimsonhead-ache​ (E, 3.8k) 

As soon as he received that letter in the post last week from Potter’s boyfriend, he knew he would be in for it. 

Day 27: Formal Wear 

I guess that’s just me, honey, I guess that’s how I’m built by @crimsonhead-ache​ (E, 4k)

The way they adorned Potter’s body like they were made for him made him want to kiss his seamstresses’ feet. The lines, the colors, brought out his skin tone like nothing ever could.

Well, except perhaps the ropes Draco keeps in the bottom drawer of his bedside table.

Harry Potter and his Great Big Suit Kink by @swisstae​ (M, 2k)

Harry really doesn’t want to say it. Not because he thinks Draco will judge, mind you, but because it’s so embarrassing. Harry Potter—Saviour of the Wizarding World—turning into an incoherent mess at the sight of his boyfriend wearing a suit.

Waste Not, Want Not by @dragontamerdame​ (M, Art) 

Harry may have gone a bit too far. 

Day 28: Floo 

the rush I get touchin’ you is somethin’ else by @crimsonhead-ache​ (E, 3.1k)

Harry frowned though; instead of feeling his joggers that had adorned his lower-half, now he felt the air hit his bare legs.   He was going to murder Draco.

come through the fire my love by @triggerlil​ (T, 534) 

Harry prepares for date night with Draco... until the man calls him through the floo to tell him he'll be late. Draco's just lucky Harry has a thing for fire.

Day 29: Wandless Magic 

Without a touch by moonstruckmuse (M, 207) 

Learning to do wandless magic. 

#hpkinktober #hp kinktober #harry potter #draco malfoy #draco/harry #harry potter/draco malfoy #draco malfoy/harry potter #drarry #kinktober drarry #drarry master list #drarry fic post #fic recs #drarry fics #drarry fic list #drarry rec list #harry/draco

[salandition]

maybe something about getting your mail at the same time?? like you're apartment/house neighbors with Leon and/or Raihan & at first it's just coincidence, but then they start waiting for you to get your mail so they can come talk to you?? & then eventually you both always wait until the same time to get the mail each day to talk to each other?? idk just something cutesy and slice of life-y, i love your writing!!

A/N: Decided to make this a mini-ficlet for both. The idea is a bit hard to diversify so hopefully I’ve done a good job making the scenario unique for both of them! I put it under the cut for 5 seconds before I had to edit it on my phone, and doing that erases the link cut (hooray for our shitty app! Hate it), so now there’s no longer a cut! Hope you all don’t mind the long post for now, I’ll try to edit it in the morning !!

Leon ☆

He rolls on the balls of his feet as he waits, hands in his pockets and digging deep into the cloth.

It’s a bit embarrassing to wait for you- even more embarrassing to admit it, even if it’s just in his head. It’s shameful to admit the times he’s fastly raised his head, raised his shoulders in anticipation only to drop them when he sees the person who entered the building wasn’t who he was waiting for- and to pull his hat down further on his head as the apartment tenant just trying to get their mail notices him lurking around the corner and gives him a strange look. Add that one to the pile of looks he’s gotten today from waiting around for you.

But surely- surely you will be coming soon. So all this awkward flustering and waiting around will end and be worth it for- what- a brief conversation? Something that might barely last five minutes if Leon insists on it?

He starts to chew on his lip and doubt this silly thing that he’s doing. It’s kind of creepy- definitely weird. If you come to get mail today on Tuesday, just like you do every week- just like Leon does- then surely you’ll just want to pick up your mail and leave. Maybe you don’t even have any this week! That’s also possible. So maybe waiting around is possibly very stupid and he should just head up to his apartment now-

Then the door opens again, and Leon looks up one last time. And of course it’s you- of course it is. His heart jumps.

...He’s not sure what to do now. Hm.

Right as he’s starting to doubt this idea once again, your eyes meet his. And you smile at him- happy to see him- making Leon bless Arceus as he smiles back. Maybe a little too eagerly, but oh well.

“Mail?�� He asks lamely, and nearly curses himself out for such a dumb introduction, but you laugh anyway as you nod at him and head to your mailbox.

“How’d you know?” You tease lightly, opening your drawer and taking out the contents inside, tucking it under your arm. “It’s interesting how we check mail the same day. Why Tuesday for you?”

Leon hums, acting casual as he leans against the wall in a very cool way. “It’s the same day I do my laundry. You?”

You raise your eyebrows at his reply. “That’s a non-answer. First you’ll have to give me your reasoning for doing your laundry on Tuesday.”

“Ah, well that’s because it’s the same day I check my mail, of course.”

Your expression lights up as you bark out a laugh. “Alright, keep your secrets!” You snicker. “But I’m not telling you my reason, then.”

“Mm, you shouldn’t. It keeps you mysterious, and therefore alluring.”

“So I’m alluring to you?” Oops, perhaps he shouldn’t have said that. You look a bit smug now as Leon opens his mouth, fighting to find a different adjective, but none are coming to mind fast enough. You hum, “good to know that the great ex-Champion finds me alluring.”

He pouts. “Well now, you didn’t have to add the ex part.”

“I’m sorry, but it’s the truth. I’m a stickler for truths, as harsh as they may be,”

Leon straightens up his posture as he leans off the wall, taking in the new information about you and putting it in a little folder in his mind for later thought. “Good to know,” he says, and taps his own mail against his thigh. “I should be off now, but I appreciate the new information about my neighbor,” As he heads for the doors, you follow him out, and Leon tries not to skip at that.

“As do I. It’s always good to know I’ve got someone around that’s willing to give me a cup of sugar,” you smile, “or go for a late night skinny dip in the pool for pure adrenaline rush reasons, who knows,”

He spits, and you laugh at him.

“You shouldn’t tease like that!” Leon coughs, but he can’t help the laugh that escapes him either as he tries to rub the smile off his face, along with the blush that’s festering on his cheeks. “But you have my number. House number, that is. For sugar reasons only.”

“Well, that doesn’t exclude the skinny dipping then, because depending on your description of such events, it can be pretty sweet.”

“Stop!” Leon laughs and risks shoving you in a playful way, and thankfully you just giggle along and let him push you.

“Okay, I’m done, I promise,” you snort and slow your walk as a split comes in the sidewalk. Ah, yes, the dreadful split. Where Leon goes right and you go left, to your respective buildings. When you look up at him and smile again, Leon almost sighs- it’ll be a long week before he sees it again. “Unfortunately I have plenty of sugar at home, so I’ll most likely see you next Tuesday if fate allows it.”

“Yes, fate,” Leon agrees, and the two of you go your separate ways. Surely it was fate that had you both checking mail at the same time, Leon thinks... And he groans as he flusters at the thought, lowering his cap on his head again and letting the material rub harshly on his forehead. Of course it was fate, and not at all was it because Leon can’t stop thinking about you and how he waits for you every Tuesday on purpose. Definitely not.

Raihan ☆

The day you had moved into the house next to him was a day Raihan will remember- and usually he doesn’t remember such mundane, unimportant things- but you had left an impression that day. And you hate it, too, so that makes him remember it even more, grinning as he brings up the incident whenever he can.

It was a simple mistake, of course. And it was quite cute, as well, which Raihan also tells you, and it just makes you hit him on the arm, which is also very cute. You had moved in, several Corviknights out in your yard that carried your boxes. They hopped around in boredom, rolling around with each other and such as you unpacked, but otherwise not causing a disturbance of any sort. It was while you were packing that you had decided to introduce yourself to your neighbors- because you were definitely in need of a break from hauling everything around after a few hours. That’s what brought you to Raihan’s porch, which you had no idea was Raihan’s porch, and knocking three times on his door.

And that’s when Raihan had opened the door, surprising you not only with his mere presence but also because he was clad only in a towel that hung low around his lean hips. It was an image that had you at a loss for words-

“Holy hell-“

Well, at a loss for eloquent words, that is.

Raihan had raised his eyebrows at your statement, but otherwise said nothing- obviously waiting to see why you were on his property. And you, unfortunately, couldn’t even breathe, much less tell him that you were his new neighbor as you ogled at his wet and naked body.

“I’m. Next door. If you ever want me-“ no, that’s not right! “-need me.” That wasn’t better? “None of those things. You don’t- no- alright. I’ll be next door. I live there now. ...Farewell.”

And after that fucking mess, you quickly left, and you were quite positive in your decision to never speak or look at Raihan ever again. Even on the telly. But he had ruined it when sometime the next week, after you had finally gotten the post office to register your new address and stop sending all your mail to your poor old gran- you hopped over to your mailbox.

Only for Raihan to be there too. And boy, was he just staring at you, grinning and everything. You immediately froze when you saw him, and that just made him grin wider as he leaned on his mailbox.

“Pray tell, neighbor,” he said, “what’s your name? I want- no, I need to know, so I hope you’ll tell me.”

Never had your face gotten red so fast. Except maybe that one time- that you saw him half naked. Yeah. 

Since that awful, awful introduction- you were able to thankfully move past it and become good aquatintes of a sort with your neighbor Raihan. And he moved past it with you, but only to a certain extent. Because of course he brought it up every other time he saw you to tease you- but it’s becoming less frequent after you told him that the joke will lose it’s affect the more he uses it. So now he’s spread out the teasing quite a bit.

But whenever you go to get your mail, you see how he basically bursts out of his own home and skips down his steps to meet you there. He says he simply needs to get his own mail- which he does, and he’s always got loads of it (unsurprising), but you know it’s also because he’s just waiting for you to humiliate yourself again.

And eventually, you do just that.

You’re just trying to peacefully gather your mail again, and of course Raihan is there, chatting away before once again mentioning how you were so embarrassed by his body- and you finally snap. “What?” You ask him, abruptly. “Would you not be?”

“Not be what?” He asks, raising his eyebrows, and you gesture wildly with your arms.

“Embarrassed! Like, be honest- if I came down suddenly one day in a towel and I was wet and dripping and all that- I mean, that would be- kind of embarrassing... for you, probably?” You lose confidence the longer you talk, unfortunately, because you’re suddenly aware of what you’re saying.

Raihan’s eyebrows have successfully disappeared beneath his beanie as he stares wide eyed at you, and then he asks- “is that an offer?”

Because of course he asks that.

“Stop stalking me when I get mail!” You yell at him instead, face successfully red and hot- and Raihan explodes into a fit of laughter as he doubles over on his mailbox. “I mean it! You’re going to ruin me- I could testify to the police that it’s harassment!” Of course you don’t actually mean this, but you’ve had quite enough. You’re not sure how much more of a beating your poor heart and soul can take from this man.

Raihan just keeps laughing.

“For Arceus sake,” you curse under your breath and turn on your heel, heading back to your house in quick steps. You make it to the door when he finally calls out your name, and you consider ignoring him- but he pleads, even if it’s laced between giggles.

“Wait- wait! I mean it, you left this behind- come on!”

His voice gets closer, and when you look over your shoulder, he’s on the stairs of your porch with mirth in his eyes as he holds up a package. You purse your lips. “Come on now, take it and I’ll leave you alone.”

Quickly you swipe it out of his hands.

“For now.”

Of course. Shouldn’t have expected it’ll be so easy. “Goodbye, Raihan,” you tell him tiredly and he barely waves as he watches you disappear into your house. You’re already dreading the next time you get mail- maybe you’ll train your Pokemon to do it for you...

Pssh. Yeah, right.

#hooh hoo #this was fun #pokemon imagines #pokemon sword and shield imagines #pokemon sword and shield x reader #pokemon swsh x reader #pokemon x reader #pokemon swsh imagines #champion leon x reader #champion leon x you #imagines #leon x reader #leon x you #raihan x reader #raihan x you #gym leader raihan x reader #reader insert

[magioftheseas]

Year In Writing (DGRP Version)

2020 was a hell of a fucking year. But I still got several fics out. I’m gonna be splitting them up a little, and will start with the dgrp fics since there’s more of them. Won’t include any nsfw/m-rated stuff just to make things slightly easier on me.

About That Guy (Hope’s Peak Academy Arc-focused)

I guess technically this started in 2019, but it still was the first thing updated in 2020. Written for the Hinata Hajime Project, this fic is a collection of shorts all from other characters’ perspectives regarding...Hinata! And Kamukura. Also World Destroyer. Many characters get focus, including all the sdr2 survivors, so it was quite the experimental piece!

World Constants and Conditionals (sdr2.5)

Written for the Hinata Hajime Fanzine! I don’t actually remember if it was written in 2020, but I assume so? How old can it be, rip... Anyway! Hinata makes the World Destroyer. It’s a prologue, you can say, to the OVA. Comes with a beautiful illustration.

Take Me Back, Back, Back (sdr2/dr3-zhen rewrite)

This is a commission and set in a zhen rewrite by @gothitelle-goddess. It’s a fun time loop idea in which Komaeda tries to prevent Hinata from partaking in the Kamukura Project. Sometimes, it ends messily.

Bumblings of a Brainiac (dr0/Hope’s Peak Academy Arc-focused)

Written for the Matsuda Yasuke Fanweek I hosted. I decided it’d be a lot of fun to write various short fics in which Matsuda interacted with different characters. Includes an AU where he does not die. I like it a lot when he does not die.

The Recollection Of Ryouko (dr0)

Written for the Ryouko Otonashi Memory Week. These are all ficlets to be more manageable, but they’re also all first person. A fun experiment and some of these actually turned out rather well. I’m pleased with myself.

Budding (Hope’s Peak Academy-focused)

Matsuda gets along with not only Komaeda but also the Warriors of Hope. Has a sort of TDP-esque setting where everything is relatively happy. It was part of a trade but was a lot of fun. I love these terrible kids.

Held (sdr2/dr0)

Matsuda Lives Again! An introspective fic about Matsuda’s messy as hell relationship with Junko and with people in general but one that segways into his relationship with Komaeda. Just a lotta codependency with our resident brainiac. Written for the Bad Things Happen Bingo.

Scars To Burden (sdr2/dr0)

Ghost!Matsuda harasses Hinata post-canon. I’ve always wanted to write something like this. Hopefully I managed alright, considering this was for a trade in addition to the Bad Things Happen Bingo.

Far From Love (sdr2.5)

Komaeda is a bit more stubborn when it comes to staying in his fantasy world, much to the World Destroyer’s chagrin. Written for the Bad Things Happen Bingo.

Soul-Crushing (sdr2)

Soulmates AU. However, Komaeda and Hinata are not soulmates despite being the main relationship. Messiness ensues. An old-ass WIP that I randomly decided to complete for Komaeda’s birthday. I was just in a mega yearning mood. A lot of my wips from way back when involve yearning, some to think of it.

Please Take Good Care Of Me (sdr2)

Komaeda’s rendered almost mute after getting attacked by one of the other remnants. Kamukura takes care of him afterwards. Pretty straight-forward. Written for the Bad Things Happen Bingo.

Flights and Guilt (sdr2)

Komaeda deals with not just nightmares but also survivor’s guilt. Hinata helps him through this. Also straight-forward. Also written for the Bad Things Happen Bingo.

Soft Trauma (sdr2)

A really old WIP that’s a Post-Canon AU, but had been started way before Kodaka even dreamed dr3 up. It’s focused on recovery in which Komaeda struggles but Naegi’s there to help. It’s super messy. Super yearning. Please mind the tags.

You're The Woooorst~! (v3)

Sick fic. Kaito gets sick and who’s there to take care of him but the resident liar? Pretty simple premise. I love Oumota a lot.

Look Look Look (v3)

Saihara and Ouma are hanging out/dating but solely to get Momota’s attention. It doesn’t go well for Saihara, so he breaks things off. I also love Saioumota a lot and want more of that OT3 focusing on the space boy. This is a pretty bitter fic because Saihara is a bitter, bitter boy.

Can’t Even Trust (v3)

Technically Salmon Mode but is really just a non-killing game au. Ouma still exposes Maki as a killer. Kaito still takes Maki under his wing. Ouma is very annoyed by this.

KomaHina Exchange + Week Fics

Between The Sky’s Grasp (sdr2)

Idol!Kamukua and Fan!Komaeda, except Kamukura is going undercover. Written for the KomaHina Secret Exchange. I love idol stuff, especially more dubious idol stuff. So, I was excited to write this one.

For Fools Rush In (sdr2/dr3-zhen)

A Kamukura/Hinata Twins AU in which they split the talents. Kamukura is then assigned babysitting duty for Class 77-B. Also for the KomaHina Secret Exchange, which means there’s a bit of a sibling love triangle going on. A very weird AU, but still pretty fun.

Feelings To Write About (sdr2/udg)

Post-Canon. Komaeda and Hinata play a kids’ board game and then talk about the kids that Komaeda babysat once upon a time. Melancholy, morose, but a bit hopeful. Written for the exchange. I love the kids.

The Sun Sets (sdr2)

Despair!Hinata AU. Written for the exchange. Was definitely a favorite of mine because I love Hinata when he’s villainous. Characterizing him was a blast. It took some inspiration from the song Ready As I’ll Ever Be, which is a good fucking song. I love that song. I even love how this fic turned out.

Reserved (sdr2/dr3-zhen)

Childhood Friends KomaHina during HPA days. Probably one of my favorite things written. It’s angsty and emotional and I’m proud of it. This dynamic of affection and resentment on Hinata’s end was very fun. 

It’s Easier (sdr2)

Soulmates AU set during sdr2. A little self-explanatory. Unsurprisingly, a killing game is not the best setting for soulmates to meet.

Joyous Occasion (sdr2)

Cisswapped/Genderflipped. Hinata is pining for Komaeda while she’s getting married to her sister. Sometimes, you just gotta write gayngst. You just gotta. Gaygnsting Gals.

Twisted Branches Entwined (sdr2)

Talentswap AU. Swap!Hinata and Swap!Komaeda have a sit-down and talk in a post-sdr2 setting. Pretty simple. Kinda clumsy.

The Farce of Hope (sdr2/dr1)

Fantasy AU. Demon Lord Hinata is sent to target Hopeful Hero Naegi and gets distracted by Hapless Healer Komaeda! Definitely a fun idea. I’ve always wanted to write one like it since the Tropical Despair Carnival has a similar idea, I believe. It’s more set-up than a full fic, but I still hope you like it.

Sweet Poison (sdr2)

Chapter 5-focused. Sometimes you just gotta write Komaeda fantasizing about better things with Hinata as he lays on the floor dying. You just gotta.

I Hope Our Future Is Beautiful (sdr2/dr3)

Post-Canon fluff to make up for the largely angsty as hell week of stuff that came before it. Yep. Not much else to say here lol.

#Magi Fics #sdr2 #dr0 #KomaHina #KamuKoma #Oumota

[iffeelscouldkill]

Mission Log: REDACTED

A/N: Now that Yuletide reveals are revealed, I can go ahead and own this fic I wrote for the awesome Mousek for Yuletide! It’s quite long (14,999 words), so I’m not going to post the whole thing here, just enough to give people a flavour and lure them to AO3 for the rest.

This fic is written in an “audio narrative” format, in the same style as the From the Archives ficlets if you’ve read those. Slightly spoilery warning (skip over this to remain unspoiled but please read if you’re concerned about potential triggers): this fic features people’s memories being modified (though not completely irreversibly) without their consent.

Enjoy, friends!

Summary: Canon divergence AU from mid-episode 9. Instead of executing Plan B, the Rumor crew learns about a top-secret Regime project that is being carried out at ADVANCE Labs - and that the fate of the crew of the Iris is not what they thought it had been.Violet Liu goes in undercover, posing as a member of the lab team. But can she undo what the Regime has done to the crew and free them - without losing herself in the process?

Read on AO3!

---

“This is Agent McCabe. Two weeks have now passed since our last update. Based on the continued lack of audio input via this swarm of Strain H, we can assume that the crew of the Rumor have acted on the intel given to them by the insurgents, Thasia and Violet Liu, and successfully cured themselves of the VCN nanocloud infection.

 “As a result, pending further developments in this case, the Strange Case of Starship Iris is now considered closed. Footage from the case remains available in the archives and can be accessed on request by submitting form B7-081 with a superior’s signature.

 “My thanks to Major General Frederick, Agents Bauman and Cross, and the specialists at Procyon, as well as Junior Agent Goodman for their assistance in this case. Long live the Republic.”

*

SYSTEM: E.L.L.A.

USERNAME: EMILY CRADDOCK

ACCESSING RECENT DRAFTS... YOU HAVE ONE RECENT DRAFT. COMPOSED 26 JULY 2191.

REVIEWING DRAFT...

“Hey, it’s me. I just wanted to check in and say that I’m fine, I’m safe and I passed the background checks without any problems. I kept thinking the whole time that someone from the intake process would recognise me, but – none of them seemed familiar, and I guess I wasn’t either. Just a very small cog in the vast machine of the Reg- the Republic. God, I’ve got to get used to saying that again.

“I’m all settled in in my apartment – it’s twice the size of my room on the Rumor, but I can’t help thinking how much I miss that space.” Quiet laughter. “And you all. I… guess I’ll talk to you soon. I’ll have more to update you with tomorrow, after I start work at the lab. And I’ll be able to let you know whether our intel was good.

“Until then… Violet Liu out.”

*

“This is uh, lab report 05, week two? Analyst Brannon reporting on behalf of Gamma Team at ADVANCE.

“Over the past few days, our lab has continued work on synthesizing the NDMA proteins, and Specialists Chang and Yeboah report that they have made some positive advancements in this area. We have provisionally moved up the timeline for the first round of testing with this in mind, though Specialist Yeboah cautions that we need to monitor how the new proteins react with other molecules in the solution first, and then with the blood cell samples.

“A new member also joined our team today – specialist Huang. I wasn’t aware that we’d actually been hiring for our vacancy, but uh, she seems very qualified? A little over-qualified, even. In addition to her qualification from Brightwell she has extensive experience with this type of lab work, which makes us lucky to have her as part of the team. She’s joined Analyst Vázquez and Assistant Hudson in their work on the histone deacetylases.

“My specialism is in a completely different area, and I’m pretty sure our work histories have never overlapped, but – she seems familiar somehow. Except she said she was based on Mars up until six months ago, and I’ve been working on New Jupiter since… uh…

“Sorry – lost my train of thought for a minute there. I’ve been getting these persistent headaches… I think it’s all that poring over modelling data. Though I never get them while I’m working, so maybe they’re delayed-onset headaches? Heh. It could be the lab lighting; I might ask Supervisor Kaaka if we can swap out the bulbs for a lower wattage.

“Uh, anyway. This is Analyst Brannon signing off. Long live the Republic.”

*

ACCESSING RECENT DRAFTS... YOU HAVE ONE RECENT DRAFT. COMPOSED: 27 JULY 2191.

REVIEWING DRAFT...

“Hey, it’s me. Oh my god… oh my god, I can barely process what’s been happening. I was going to send this message as soon as I got back to my apartment, and instead I’ve just been sitting and staring into space because it’s just so… surreal…

“They’re alive. They’re all just… alive and working in a lab at ADVANCE on New Jupiter.

“I mean, we haven’t ruled out the possibility of highly advanced duplicates, but why would the Repub- the Reg- the IGR go to all that trouble? The simplest explanation - even if it still sounds pretty far-fetched - is that they're the same crew.

“Brian, if you’re listening to this – Alvy's alive. I know I didn’t work with him that long but I’m sure, I’m so sure it's really him. But it’s like Thasia and Other Violet said – none of them remember who they were, or their real names. Everyone here calls him Analyst Brannon – Michael Brannon.

“We’re not working very closely together, but I found an excuse to go over to his workstation and introduce myself, and – it seemed like he recognised me. I’m gonna try and find ways to talk to him – the real Alvy Connors is still in there, Brian, I’m sure of it.

“Is there anything you want me to… ask him? Maybe a question that only he would know the answer to?

“Sorry, I don’t have much more time – the IGR has listening devices planted throughout every Republic-issued apartment; everywhere except the bathroom. Even they have to draw the line somewhere. I scanned it, and it’s clean, but if I remember right there are still sensors that will activate if you go above a certain noise, light or heat, threshold – y’know, in case anyone takes it upon themselves to… build a bomb in here or something. And I don’t want the bugs outside to pick up what I’m saying, which is why I’m whispering.

“But I can’t stay in here too long, or they’ll get suspicious, so – I’m fine, and so far I haven’t messed up or called the Republic the Regime or anything in earshot of anyone. And no-one has recognised me. Well, except for Alvy, maybe.

“I’m still trying to figure out what exactly they’re working on, here. If you’re going to go to the trouble of staffing a lab with the crew of an… of an exploded space ship, it must be important, right? Or maybe not. Maybe it’s just a test, to see how well they assimilate.

“I’ll let you know when I know more. Until then… stay safe. I will too. Violet Liu out.”

*

ACCESSING RECENT DRAFTS... YOU HAVE ONE RECENT DRAFT. COMPOSED: 27 JULY 2191.

REVIEWING DRAFT...

“Hi, Liu. It’s me.

“I’ll keep this to the point, since I know you probably don’t have much time to spend playing back these messages. We’re all fine here. Kind of in a holding pattern, since there’s not much to do until we hear more from you or from Thasia and the other Violet, but it’s not too bad.

“Jeeter’s really happy, by the way, since he listened to your message. I mean, I think he’s still – processing – because he thought Connors was dead, he even wrote to his parents, and now we find out he’s alive, but not… y’know. Not Connors any more.

“But he’ll be fine. Krejjh is helping, which means the two of them are being even more nauseating then they usually are, and that’s saying something.

“Anyway. Listen, I know you want to try and get through to Connors, but… just be careful, okay? None of us, including Jeeter, wants you to get hurt or – worse – on the off chance that we might be able to bring him back. We always knew it was gonna be a long shot.

“Tripathi said to tell you the same, by the way. Well, she said it in a more… Tripathi… way, but the idea was the same. Find out what you can, but don’t get caught. We can’t afford to lo- to mess this up.

“Okay, I should go. Arkady Patel out.”

*

“This is lab report 06, week three. Analyst Brannon reporting on behalf of Gamma Team at ADVANCE.

“Since my last report, we have introduced the synthesized NDMA proteins to the solution and tested their interactions with samples representing different blood types. Six out of eight of the samples produced expected results, but two of the samples produced some unexpected interactions with the AB type blood cells, which warrants further testing and study.

“Specialist Huang, Analyst Vázquez and Assistant Hudson are progressing with their work on the histone deacetylases, which should be ready to introduce in the next phase of the solution, pending resolution of the AB blood cell issue.

“Okay, what else… Oh, Specialist Huang is integrating well with the team. She and I have had a couple of conversations, though our second one was unfortunately cut short when my headache started up again. Maybe I should bring it up with Dr. Starling…

“Damn it. Is that the time? I was supposed to go for my treatment a half hour ago – damn it, damn it.

“Uh… I should probably redact that from the final report. This is Analyst Brannon, signing off. Long live the Republic.”

*

ACCESSING RECENT DRAFTS... YOU HAVE ONE RECENT DRAFT. COMPOSED: 30 JULY 2191.

REVIEWING DRAFT...

“Hey guys, it’s me again. Violet. It feels kind of nice to use my own name for a change instead of being called ‘Specialist Huang’ all the time… I almost forgot to react to it once, though luckily Vázquez thought I was just focused on my work.

“Not a whole lot to report still – I’m still trying to figure out what it is the Regime is doing in these labs. It’s something to do with DNA methylation and synthesized NDMA proteins – well, I won’t bore you with the science, but why would the IGR be working on that? Could be they’re trying to develop a neural enhancer, but for what? I haven’t ruled out the possibility of there being some kind of link to the nanobots, but no-one here has mentioned nanites, and there are no nanotech specialists working in the lab.

“They keep us very siloed, too. I know what I’m working on, or at least what I have to do, but I don’t know why, and none of the people I work directly with seems to know what we’re developing here. Just something about a solution and blood cell samples. We might not even be the only lab working on this, which means I’ll have to find another way to get at the bigger picture.

“I spoke to Alvy a couple times – I was careful, Arkady, don’t worry. We didn’t manage to talk for long anyway – people don’t socialise much here. I’d kind of forgotten what it was like to work in this kind of environment, where no-one trusts anyone or lets their guard down, because people will backstab each other for the slightest thing. Maybe they had a professional disagreement, or don’t get along, or they wanted to get the credit for the other person’s work. It doesn’t take much of an insinuation to get someone transferred or – worse.

“Nothing’s happened, not yet, and it’s still nowhere near as bad as that student internship I did during the war. But it feels… tense, almost hair-trigger. I think I heard we’re having an inspection later on this week.

“Anyway, Alvy – I didn’t get to talk to him for very long, not just because of the environment, but because he had this headache come on the second time we talked. I’m not sure if it means anything – he said he gets them often. Brian, do you… remember him saying anything about that before?

“He seems a little different to the way I remember him on the Iris – a little more serious, less laid-back, though he’s still the friendliest person on the team. I didn’t… get to know him under the best circumstances, so I’m not sure if that’s due to the memory wipe or not.

“He also mentioned that he’s been seeing a doctor for these treatments – they all have. It could just be something to do with the away shuttle explosion, some kind of recovery program – there was an explosion, even if it didn’t really kill anyone, and Alvy’s got these – support struts in one of his legs, I think they’re carbon fibre. He walks with a slight limp sometimes.

“It could be nothing, but I feel like it might be worth digging into? Arkady, are you able to poke around in ADVANCE’s systems a bit, see if you can find anything that resembles medical reports?

“I’d better go. I brought my makeup bag in here as a cover for taking a bit longer – I don’t even know if the IGR has cameras in these apartments, but better to be safe than sorry – but there’s only so long you can take to put on the bare minimum I wear.

“Send me a message when you can. Violet Liu, out.”

*

ACCESSING RECENT DRAFTS... YOU HAVE ONE RECENT DRAFT. COMPOSED: 30 JULY 2191.

REVIEWING DRAFT...

“Hey, Liu. Good instincts on the medical treatment thing. I didn’t spot anything like that in my initial sweep of the system when I forged your interview and acceptance records, but I wasn’t on the lookout for it either.

“There’s a limit to what I can access without jacking directly into ADVANCE’s mainframe computer or piggybacking on their local network, but I’ll dig around as much as I can.” Jokingly: “ Worst comes to worst, we could always send Jeeter in with an earpiece and make him pose as a computer technician.

“Oh, also, Jeeter says he doesn’t remember Alvy ever mentioning any kind of migraines or head pain. Apparently he’d go on these all-night coding benders and then sleep for two hours and be completely fine the next morning. Maybe it caught up to him, but – well, I’m not gonna jump to any conclusions. I’ll see what I can find in the medical records.

“Also – be careful with the inspection, okay? Your ID will hold up, Campbell doesn’t skimp on the quality, and you look different enough from the physical description they have on file, but those Regime higher-ups will ask some weird shit to catch you out.

“You’ve got the comm if you need us for anything. Just… keep your head down.

“Arkady Patel, out.”

*

ACCESSING RECENT DRAFTS... YOU HAVE ONE RECENT DRAFT. COMPOSED: 31 JULY 2191.

REVIEWING DRAFT...

“Hey, Liu, listen. You were right. There’s something weird going on with these treatments.

“I managed to track down the medical records for the whole crew. Wasn’t easy, but I’ll save the tales of my security-defying exploits for another time. Anyway, I managed to hack into an account belonging to someone called Dr. Starling. They were brought onto ADVANCE’s payroll on June 1st – two days before the away shuttle exploded.

“There are files for all of them, and the scientific stuff doesn’t mean much to me, but from what I can tell, they’re monitoring them all for signs of what Starling calls ‘leakage’ – memories from their previous lives. Five of the other crew members have reported experiencing head pains, and it’s not a physical injury – Starling seems to think the pain is set off by them thinking back beyond a certain point, or being reminded of something from their past life. They upped the frequency of the ‘treatments’ to try and counter it, but so far it hasn’t worked.

“I think that’s what they’re for, the treatments – they’re keeping the crew’s memories suppressed. Which means, if they can be interfered with somehow…

“Bad news is, I can’t get into the scheduling system, not without access to the local network. But in Starling’s notes it says that Alvy was meant to come in for a treatment earlier today- well, yesterday technically, since it’s after 3am. But he didn’t show. So maybe you could get through to him.

“Obviously, don’t blow your cover, but if Alvy’s been getting these headaches a lot, it could mean he’s trying to remember? You said he got a headache when you guys talked – what were you talking about?”

A stifled yawn. “Shit, I’d better sleep, Sana wanted me to help encrypt some intel to send to Thasia and the other Violet Liu first thing in the morning. I’ll talk to you later. Arkady Patel out.”

*

ACCESSING RECENT DRAFTS... YOU HAVE ONE RECENT DRAFT. COMPOSED 31 JULY 2191.

REVIEWING DRAFT...

“Arkady, you’re a genius! Oh my god, I could kiss you.

“I’ve only skimmed the records you copied, but they make references to a solution that sounds a lot like the one we’re developing in the lab. What if that’s the answer? What if that’s what the IGR is having the crew develop, another version of the treatment – maybe one that’s more permanent…

“…Oh god, that’s so dark. They’re having the crew work on erasing their own memories. It’s so inhuman, so – exactly what the IGR would do.

“–I have to go, I’ve got work in half an hour, but – this really helps. And I’ll try to talk to Alvy today, see if he seems any different after his missed treatment. Violet Liu out.”

*

ACCESSING RECENT DRAFTS... YOU HAVE ONE RECENT DRAFT. COMPOSED: 31 JULY 2191.

REVIEWING DRAFT...

“You, uh—” The sound of awkward throat-clearing. “You are welcome. Yeah. Like I said, it’s uh, it’s what I do! So, no, uh thanks required. Though if you wanted to, I—

“Shit, I’ve gotta go, Sana needs me. Uh, Arkady Patel out.”

Read the rest here!

#fic #TSCOSI #The Strange Case of Starship Iris #Yuletide #Yuletide fic #mission fic #Violet Liu #Arkady Patel #Alvy Connors #RJ McCabe #Vikady #I really enjoyed writing the dorky Violet/Arkady interactions in this fic #I mean I really enjoyed writing all of this #but especially that aspect #also please ignore the sciencey jargon #though I've been told by someone who is more sciencey than I am that it is not bad jargon #it took me way too long to come up with 😂 I wanted it to be vaguely plausible #but it's not necessary to understand the fic

[lena-in-a-red-dress]

A Friendly Voice, a post 5x19 ficlet

When a once-familiar name buzzes unexpectedly on her lock screen, Lena answers out of surprise more than anything else. Of all the people to be reaching out, he's the last one she expects.

"James?" She opens with a question, her concern a welcome balm after so long mired in the harsh acidity of hate. "What's wrong?"

Calvintown is lorded by villains, but mortal ones. Even so, Lena's mind jumps to assassination attempts, legal bullying, and a plethora of other attacks that could have prompted a call for help.

Except it's not help he needs. He doesn't need anything.

"I'm calling for you, Lena," he says softly over the line. His voice is as gentle as an embrace. Tears spring to Lena's eyes at the sound of it, and her throat locks tight in an instant.

"Thought you could use a friendly voice right about now."

Lena nods, before realizing he couldn't see her. "You have no idea," she croaks finally.

"Oh, Lena..."

"It's not her fault, it's mine, I should never have-- just, don't blame Kara."

"I'm not choosing sides," James promises. "I care about both of you-- but Kara has more people to lean on than you do."

Nothing encapsulates the chill of her empty apartment quite like the softly-spoken observation of an ex-lover. Lena presses her eyes shut and screws her lips together.

"And I've been on the outs with Kara before. I know how much it sucks."

"She wouldn't even listen to me. I tried to explain... she didn't want to hear it."

"When Kara makes a decision about something, she sticks to it. Most of the time its for a good cause, but sometimes it can lead her to shut out things she needs to hear. Do you want to talk it through with me?"

Lena freezes, surprised by the offer.

In the silence, she can almost hear him smile.

"Sometimes it helps just to get it off your chest, even if its not to the person who needs to hear it."

"I just--" Lena's voice wobbles dangerously. She pauses, the tries again, forcing herself under control. "I killed Lex," she confesses. "I killed my brother, and it devastated me. And it all got wrapped up in my reaction about Kara's secret, and--- GOD."

A dry cough carves its way out of her, leaving her sniffling all the harder to blink the tears away.

After a moment, then another, she still can't continue, and James takes it upon himself to fill the quiet.

"It doesnt make you a bad person. Emotional trauma like that doesn't exist in a vacuum."

"Except I was. I let it turn me into someone I never, ever wanted to be--"

"And now you know better," James insisted. "It's just proof that you choose who you want to be. You chose to do those things, but you also chose to make it right. That says a lot about what kind of person you are, Lena."

"It doesn't feel like enough," she admits. "It certainly isn't for Kara--"

"Kara will come around. Trust me."

Lena shakes her head. He'd told her about how acting as Guardian had nearly destroyed his friendship with Kara. But even so...

"This is different--" she begins, but James cuts in again just as smoothly.

"But Kara isn't. Kara is still the same person who eventually came around to understanding where I was coming from. It took time, and more than a few arguments, but she finally understood, and made peace with it."

Hanging her head, Lena covers her face with one hand, as though to hide the defeat that fills her from the crown of her head to the soles of her feet. This isn't in any way similar, and she couldn't hope to expect Kara to make peace with her at all. Not when she wasn't even willing to entertain anything Lena said that wasn't about the mission.

Once again, James seems to sense her thoughts.

"She'll hear you eventually, Lena. She just has to do it on her own schedule, when she's ready to hear it. I promise."

Finally, the tears spill over. Lena blinks to clear her vision and suddenly her cheeks are damp, and her next breath sounds like winter branches quaking in a chill breeze.

"And until she does," James continues, "you can call me anytime. Okay?"

Lena nods. "Okay."

"I'll let you go. Just don't give up hope, Lena. Kara loves you. If she didn't, she wouldn't be so hurt. And that counts for a lot."

"Okay," Lena echoes again, sniffling pitifully. "Thank you, James. For calling. I really did need a friendly voice."

"Any time."

#a friendly voice #supercorp #guardiancorp #because lena needs someone in her corner right now #and we all know brainy tells james everything during their weekly brunch facetime #i miss james yall

[daringyounggrayson]

fic writer interview

thanks @renecdote for the tag!!

name: elizabeth

fandoms: batfam, or if we’re being honest, Dick Grayson

where you post: ao3 and here on tumblr

most popular one-shot: (by kudos)

overall: Overtime 

from this year: tie between like brothers on a hotel bed and to love is not to leave

most popular multi-chap: (also by kudos)

overall: hold me (i'm falling apart)

from this year: little soldier boy, come marching home 

favorite story you’ve written so far: great question! no idea. maybe like brothers on a hotel bed?

fic you were nervous to post: I feel like this is a trick question bc I’m always at least a little nervous to post fic, but I remember being especially nervous about posting watching the world go dark

how do you choose your titles: it is,, a struggle. I try to get at the mood or theme of the fic, and I usually use song lyrics

do you outline: depends. if it’s going to be a multi-chapter fic or part of a series, I usually outline. if it’s just a one-shot, I usually don’t but I have a couple of time. I have yet to outline for ficlets, those just sort of happen

complete: 43 on ao3, but not all of my ficlets are on there, so more than 43

in progress: posted? one. unposted? too many. like, 13 prompts and then maybe 7 other fics that I’m actively working on

coming soon/not yet started: more batman bingo prompts that I will hopefully finish before 2021 and a super secret gift exchange fic. basically, more angst featuring Dick

prompts?: I love getting prompts! I still have quite a few to go through right now, though

upcoming work you’re most excited about: probably my new series with the working title “Bruce gets the kids little au.” I know I’ve talked about it before, but to recap, Bruce basically gets the kids when they’re younger and has a “no vigilantism until you’re 18″ rule. the kids are also a little closer in age. I have seven major events planned right now, including a talon/court of owls event which I’ve already started writing even though it won’t be the first fic posted

I’ll tag @hood-ex, @fuyunoakegata, @dustorange, @ckbookish, @prismatic-et-al and anyone else who wants to do it!

#and no pressure! #tag game

[bigfrozenfan]

Frozen III plot / fanfic

I have read many opinions about Frozen II in the last half year, many of them very contradictory and almost dividing the Frozen fandom. So it took me a while to put everything together to form a personal overall picture. Many people know that I’m an F3 supporter and after a post from yesterday about Elsa’s humanity and how the makers of Frozen see her, an idea came to my mind. This idea would solve many problems and questions and finally bring Elsa back to Arendelle and to Anna. Furthermore, this idea holds a lot of fuel and possibilities for a full-length film with many flashbacks and plots for really every one of our beloved characters. Everyone would get their money’s worth without it getting boring at any time.

It’s been a long time since I tried writing and I’m not good at it. But the form of a ficlet seemed to me to be the most suitable to convey an F3 plot idea with much tension in it. Maybe one of my favourite writers or anyone who would like to dare to take up my idea and write a real fanfic with several chapters. I would be the first who would like to read it!

I hope you like my idea.

Big thanks to @fericita-s​ for beta reading and correcting my text and also for making me aware of a big logical problem that i had overseen! After one sleepy night i solved this issue and now my movie plot idea is even better than before :-)

The story takes place shortly after the events of the reunion and afterwards in the Enchanted Forest…

Of course it had taken a while until the people of Arendelle understood everything, until they accepted the new friends in the far north and the abdication of their queen. It has taken a while before Anna herself was ready to take on the mantle. 

In her new role as Fifth Spirit, accompanied by Gale and Nokk, Elsa was quickly accepted by the Arendellians. Most were grateful after witnessing the rescue of the castle. Some of them, however, were afraid of so much power in their midst. 

Elsa noticed this very quickly and decided to limit her future visits to what was necessary and to enter the castle without being seen.

The official coronation took place in the castle chapel, where all the kings and queens had been crowned. When the choir finished singing, the bishop carefully put the new crown on Anna and she received Arendelle’s insignia from the velvet cushion. Then she turned to her people with pride and dignity. 

Elsa was in exactly the same place where Anna had been during her own coronation. Anna was calm and composed during the whole ceremony. Fear had almost overwhelmed Elsa. She saw in her memory the ice that slowly formed on the scepter and orb as clearly as if it had been yesterday.

As the applause broke out she smiled at Anna. She was so proud of her little sister. Anna looked over at her for a moment and smiled back in relief. Then she carefully put the insignia back on the pillow. She had made it through. She was now Queen of Arendelle.

As they left the chapel in a royal recessional past an overjoyed looking Kristoff, the enthusiastically clapping people of Arendelle, the invited guests and dignitaries, Elsa involuntarily drew a comparison. There seemed to be far more people present than at her own coronation. Some representatives of the Northuldra were even present including Yelana and Honeymaren in their traditional colourful festive dress, now bowing to both of them. The people loved Anna. And Elsa was happy to have made the right decision for both of them and for the kingdom.  

The Coronation Ball in the evening was cheerful and exuberant. Every dignitary paid respects to the new queen. She was glad that the Duke of Weselton was not invited this time and that she did not have to dance with him. This time she could choose her own dance partner and she chose Kristoff. As a precaution she had arranged for Kristoff to get some dance lessons a few weeks before. She still remembered too well how Weselton stepped on her feet back then and Kristoff was a good deal bigger and heavier.

***

Anna, with Elsa’s help, had commissioned the royal sculptor to create a large bronze statue. She wanted to show her parents at a young age, as a monument and eternal symbol of the peace between Arendelle and the Northuldra. Elsa would not be able to be present in person, but she gave her promise to visit regularly. 

Anna’s second official act was to appoint Lt. Destin Mattias as General. He had been loyal to Arendelle all his life and was instrumental in helping her break the curse of the mist. Ultimately, it was Mattias who reached for her hand at the very last moment to save her from falling into the depths of the breaking dam, saving her life.  

Together with Kristoff, of course, and that brought Anna to her next thought. She had been overjoyed to accept Kristoff’s marriage proposal and that would be the next big event in Arendelle. Her own wedding. But first she wanted to unveil the monument. The sculptor had promised her that it would be finished very soon.

***

Peace had returned to the Enchanted Forest.  The Northuldra lived their lives as before, in harmony with the Spirits of Nature. The giants helped the inhabitants over abysses, Nokk helped a bit with fishing, Gale, playful as she was, helped to convert creative ideas into stone sculptures, and Bruni was content to help start cookfires and clear areas with fire as needed for growing food or reindeer herding. 

Elsa had her own kota in the village, but she spent most of her time in Ahtohallan to learn and find out more about the past and about herself and her magic. She even finds out more about Kristoff's past. The only thing she knew about him was that he has been raised by trolls and learned to be an ice harvester. But now she knows everything. About his parents and what happened to them, and also the circumstances around why Kristoff ended up among the trolls.

One balmy early summer evening she sat with Honeymaren and a few others around the campfire in the village and told them a little bit about Ahtohallan. Everyone was quite curious about it because not one of the Northuldra living today had ever seen it. 

At first she decided to reveal only a little of the deeper secrets there and limited herself to the description of the place itself. She wasn’t sure if this would anger the spirits but assumed that she would quickly notice when trouble was approaching. The Northuldra hung on her every word while she talked and now and then someone asked her for more details. But Elsa left out the pictures in the memory hall and the deeper levels of Ahtohallan with the living ice sculptures of her own past. That was a bit too private and perhaps risky. 

Now that she had accepted her ability and her new task as Fifth Spirit, she hardly thought back to her old life in Arendelle. In the beginning she was there every Friday and sometimes stayed over the weekend to be with Anna and help her with her new duties as Queen, but she had changed. Something had changed her. And it became rarer and rarer for Elsa to visit the castle.

Eventually it even became rare to find her in the forest.

The Spirits were appeased and there were no threats and no strangers in the forest. Everything was calm and in harmony. It was almost as if it had never been otherwise. Many peaceful weeks passed.

Until that one day in the early hours of the morning, when one of the Northuldra men was about to go fishing and he found a human lying at the beach motionless half in the water. The man ran back to the village to get help. 

A short time later he returned with Yelana, Honeymaren, and a healer.  They took in the sight before them and drew back in shock. In front of them lay Elsa, motionless and without any clothes. 

The healer was the first to kneel down next to her and check if she was still alive. She confirmed it to Yelena with a relieved nod and together they carried her back to the forest.

When they arrived in the village there was excitement and a small group discussed gesticulating and pointing towards the lichen meadows and other directions. The only thing they understood in the tangle of stories was, that the spirits had apparently all disappeared and were no longer helping anyone as they always did. 

Yelana immediately linked the two incidents and came up with the only possible explanation. Elsa was on her way back to them when all the Spirits suddenly disappeared, and so did Nokk. So Elsa must have swum almost all the way from Ahtohallan through the Dark Sea. A wonder she could survive that at all. If the magic disappeared, this could only mean one thing.

***

Meanwhile, Anna was seriously worried in Arendelle. It had been more than a month since Elsa’s last letter and since then Gale hadn’t shown up either. 

Even Olaf had been acting very strange lately, insisting they remove the ice embellishments from the castle and find more “Anna” decorations.  He was also uncharacteristically calm. He didn’t visit Sven as often anymore and his curiosity and jokes had become rare.  

Anna made a decision. If Elsa did not come to her, she would have to travel to the Enchanted Forest herself. She asked Kristoff to gather all the necessary material and asked General Mattias to accompany her. He agreed as long as he could bring Halima.

Anna agreed and the next day they all left very early in the morning for the north. Sven pulled the wagon, Kristoff sat in the front and Olaf sat in the back next to Anna. Mattias and Halima rode side by side on two of their own horses behind them. Since there was peace between the Northuldra and the Arendellians, they declined a retinue of guards. It was supposed to be a comfortable trip with a reunion of old friends in the Enchanted Forest.

Late in the evening they reached the four big monoliths at the edge of the forest and the sun was already setting. They got out of the wagon and Mattias helped Halima dismount. Everyone was in a good mood and grabbed the contents from the wagon. There were presents for the Northuldra and specialties from Arendelle for a small feast in the village. They had barely finished when a few Northuldra with serious expressions ran towards them and asked them to hurry. Something bad had happened. Anna held on to Kristoff in shock and said only one word. “Elsa!”

When they entered the village there was an oppressive silence and many lowered their eyes as they passed by. Honeymaren ran towards Anna, bowed briefly to the queen and took her hand.

Anna’s lips trembled as they looked into each other’s eyes for a brief moment. Finally Honeymaren pulled Anna gently behind her towards Elsa’s kota and said softly to her that Anna had to be strong now. They entered the low and gloomy dwelling. Then Anna saw her sister lying on a bed lined with furs, her eyes open. Anna rushed towards her, kneeled beside the bed and grabbed Elsa’s hand. She was unusually warm, but did not return her gentle grip. Elsa just looked up and did not react in the slightest. Anna laid both hands on Elsa’s cheeks and gently turned her head towards her. Their eyes met.

“Elsa! What has happened? What is the matter with you?”

Agonizing seconds went by.

Elsa blinked a few times and then tightened her eyebrows.

Her voice was weak and sounded fragile when she finally replied, “Who are you?”

*** 

—

Ok, there were or are some difficulties for me to bring some facts together and explain them conclusively. One of them is the loss of Elsa’s powers and what would happen to her creations. Olaf, the Snowgies and Marshmallow in particular. It was simple and easy to do with Elsa’s ice decorations at the castle (if it should be Elsa’s suggestion or Anna’s decision as new Queen i’m not sure about). Arendelle and especially Anna must not notice in the story too early that Elsa is now a “normal” person. But the other thing? That Ahtohallan is the reason should be clear, after all that was the source of Elsa’s power. But what happens when all the magic vanishes? Would Ahtohallan have a remaining residual magic to ensure the continued existence of Elsa’s living creations? Or would Elsa possess some kind of residual magic that she can no longer use willingly, but is still a deep part of herself? The other thing is how would it be possible to bring back the magic or to "heal" Ahtohallan? Would this be permanent? Would it be wanted? Questions over questions and this time Ahtohallan doesn't know (pun intended...LOL).

Well, the rest of the story remains to be determined…

#frozen2 #f3 plot idea #frozen3 #frozen au #ficlet #mine #fericita-s #fanfic #part 1 #prologue

[diamondcitydarlin]

okay quarantine’s got me with a lot of free time and inspo, it seems so here is part two of this growing ficlet that I think will need to be posted to A03 at some point yes? Part one is linked above, I’m not sure this little installment will make much sense without it.

probably goes without saying that this story will have nandor x guillermo endgame eventually, but there’s a lot of interpersonal shit that needs to be dealt with first methinks. A lot. A veritable laundry list of issues.

It’s early, early morning, still very dark outside and the time of ‘day’ when Nandor retires to his slumber. He and Guillermo are going through their usual bedtime ritual, which consists of (some amount of) disrobing, hair brushing, and now, of course, Guillermo’s occasional, quickly stolen glances at his phone. Nandor pretends he doesn’t see, at least for his familiar’s sake, but he does continue to send knowing sideways looks to the camera. The producers know, after all. 

And maybe if there hadn’t been that absolutely uncomfortable conversation with the other roommates he might have said something by now. Made it about Guillermo’s inability to stay focused and on-task or something. 

“Master, can I ask you something?” Guillermo says after a time, to which Nandor startles a bit. “I feel like the others have been...kind of strange lately. There’s a lot of weird staring. Glaring, maybe. I’m a little confused. Did I do something wrong…?” 

The producers are also aware that Guillermo has a secret of his own, and so he shares a look with the camera that suggests he might already have an idea of why he’s been on the wrong-end of so many dirty glances. 

“Staring…?” Nandor repeats, trying his damndest to seem like he has no idea what any of this could be about. “At you? I don’t know. Maybe you’ve misplaced some of their things while cleaning.”  

“Well...see, I considered that too, but they’ve never been afraid to point it out before. Usually in raised voices…” 

Nandor shrugs and insists, “Well, I don’t know, I’m not a mind reader!” 

Guillermo sends a doubtful look to the camera, and pushes with his newfound backbone, “Okay so...you really have no idea why they’ve been doing things like,...watching me from the upper landing while I clean the floor?”  

They both send a look to the all-knowing camera then, simultaneously unaware of each other’s respective panic. Nandor seems to be weighing the pros and cons of just coming out with it, or maybe some revised version of the truth. 

“Uhm...well, it’s just…” he stumbles, to which Guillermo backs away for a moment and watches him with narrowed eyes. Does he know? 

“There was a conversation the other day. It was all very ridiculous.” Nandor sighs, rolls his eyes. “I...noticed that you seem more distracted by your little computer-phone machine lately. I asked them about it. That’s all.” 

He kind of skips over his words as if it’s all of no real consequence, but Guillermo’s eyebrows have risen in surprise. Undoubtedly this isn’t what he was expecting. 

“You...could have just asked me,” Guillermo scoffs a little. “What did they say?” 

Nandor looks like a petulant child being forced to clean up his toys. 

“They...seem to think you’ve-...taken a lover.” But he scoffs too, willing the idea to be ridiculous. Maybe if he pretends enough that it is, it will be. “So, you see, it’s all rather silly. They get carried away sometimes, it-” 

“They think I have a boyfriend,” Guillermo clarifies, flatly. “Well. They are...right. I do.” 

He releases this knowledge as if it’s a bit agonizing to do so, but not nearly as much for him as it is for Nandor to hear it, as the camera so aptly captures. The latter of them turns on his heel, staring down his familiar, open-mouthed, and so he gapes for a moment before releasing a weak, “....oh….!” and one can see the process he goes through of shock, to feigning that this revelation is fine. No big deal, even. “That’s….nice…for you…!” 

Nandor’s fake smile is less than convincing, and this is cemented in the pause of awkward silence that follows. 

This might have been the point in things that Guillermo from before would’ve let it be, moved his master to retiring to sleep, but this is the Guillermo of now. The Guillermo that has been practicing often with his stake-loaded crossbow. The Guillermo that has been making out on the sly with the leader of a den of vampire hunters. He is not the same.

“Okay,” Guillermo sighs, impatience growing. “But none of this explains why Laslzo and Nadja keep watching me. Like they’re planning something. Or...know something I don’t. Why do they care if I have a boyfriend? I haven’t slacked on my job, I’m still...doing all of the things I’m supposed to do.” 

He says this with some amount of distaste and a look of uncomfortable self-awareness at the producers. Some of the things he’s ‘supposed’ to do would seem pretty god-awful to others in his life…

Either way, Guillermo is clearly backing Nandor into a corner. He didn’t need a stake-loaded crossbow to do that, it seems. 

When the silence continues as Nandor hems and haws for something reasonable to say, Guillermo suggests, “Do...you have a problem with me having a boyfriend?” 

“No!!!” Nandor quickly exclaims, having found his voice all of a sudden. “Why would that be of any consequence to me?? Everyone seems to think I give half a shit when all I care about is your constant distraction with that phone...computer…! Why does he need your attention every second of the day anyway??” 

As has been shown, time and time again, Nandor does not have a gift for knowing when to stop talking. 

Guillermo’s got a glare of his own now, as well as a clenched jaw. 

“Oh yea, I can’t even imagine someone needing my attention every second of the day, that would be insane.” 

Nandor does a double-take. “Are you being sarcastic with me? I don’t care for this tone!” 

“Well, I’m not too fond of this constant prying into the one aspect of my life that’s my own, after years upon fucking years of you demanding everything from me with little to nothing in return, let alone the agreement we made!” 

Both voices are definitely rising in volume now. 

“Agreement…” Nandor scoffs with a roll of his eyes. “More like the only thing I could do to get you stop following me around, begging me like a peasant on the street.” 

It’s possible the producers have never, to this point, captured Guillermo more angry than he is in this moment. They don’t waste the shot. 

“If I was so annoying why didn’t you just kill me?” he rallies back. “Might have saved us both the trouble of ten fucking wasted years!” 

The tenor in volume is now such that the sound guy is likely going to suffer some time of hearing loss, such that this ‘conversation’ will be heard to all corners of the house. 

Meanwhile, Nandor has paused, because...he realizes, perhaps, he’s never really considered why he didn’t just do that. Guillermo has a point. It would’ve been easier. Killing him any time along the spanse of his 10 years of supposed annoying service would have been easier- that is, if anything he’s said in that time had been the truth. 

“I-...!” he starts, then stops again, then settles on the stupidest thing anyone could have said in that moment. “This is a useless conversation. I’m not going to be yelled at by a servant with pathetic dreams of being something more. That’s all you’ll ever be! It’s a mercy that I never turned you! You would have been even more of an embarrassment to the house, to vampires everywhere, for that matter!”    

Something in Guillermo seems to have snapped. He’s working his jaw and trying to fight an urge inside of him that goes unspoken. It’s successful. He instead manages a forced, satisfied smile. 

“That’s fine. That’s all fine, because...I don’t...want to be a vampire anymore.” 

Despite all that Nandor’s just said, the look they capture from him is one of shock. Maybe something else. 

“And what’s more,” Guillermo continues, his words carefully chosen. “I don’t see a point in doing this anymore either.” 

And he throws the brush he’d been using on Nandor’s hair to the floor. 

“Brush your own hair,” he says, looking a bit delirious from all the things he’s holding back from saying, doing. “I quit.” 

And before anything  else can be said or done, Guillermo’s made a sharp turn out the door of Nandor’s room. 

For Nandor, it’s as if the cameras don’t exist anymore. He’s looking at the door like the world’s just caved in from underneath him. 

From outside the door, however, Colin is seen having listened in to the whole thing, and is now very much sated from the looks of it. 

“That...was amazing,” Colin tells the audience. “You ever find a piece of cake in the fridge everyone forgot about? That was a whole cake. Man, I hope he comes back. Let me know if they squabble again, yeah?” 

#wwdits #wwdits season 2 #nandor x guillermo #guillermo x nandor #guillermo de la cruz #nandor #what we do in the shadows tv show #what we do in the shadows

[secret-engima]

alyss-spazz-penedo

hey, @secret-engima​, hear me out: what if GILGAMESH became Glaucus' Shield? Like, after the two Murder Brats jumped into the Tempering Grounds and Glaucus has to fish them out, the man takes a moment to chew GIL out for endangering children like that, he SAW that last swing and it was aimed unacceptably close to a vital area, what even is he doing STILL haunting the damn Tempering Grounds anyway when the next worthwhile opponent won't be for literal decades (ie. Gladio)

alyss-spazz-penedo

So Gil is clubbed over the head with the idea that he doesn't actually have to follow 200 years of habit and, like. Ardyn's moved on, is living a life, and Gil KNOWS what's coming and that there's no value to holding his post, killing off idiots, once these people leave bc Cor was the only worthwhile opponent for literal decades. He can... he can take a VACATION.

alyss-spazz-penedo

....He has no idea what to do with a vacation, so he falls back on EVEN OLDER HABITS and is like well let's play Shield for a LC then. And maybe, MAYBE he'd pick Ardyn, but there's just. So much history there. That wouldn't... that wouldn't WORK, it would hurt them both just to try.

alyss-spazz-penedo

Which leaves just one LC available (arguably, bc Titus would absolutely fight him for the position but the brat's too young still. Maybe in a few years). And, Gilgamesh KNOWS what's up with Glaucus-once-Cor-Leonis, might be the only person in the world who DOES know, and that's//

alyss-spazz-penedo

*and that's... that's something I think Glaucus might really need. Just. Someone to help him remember who he WAS,

alyss-spazz-penedo

(Also, the thought of Ardyn and Gil wandering around being terrible at self-care and utter bemused by the world amuses me. Also Besithia would probably be an Utter Scientific Glee)

Me: *deep breath*

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS

BUCKLE UP RAMBLE FICLET INBOUND.

-It starts after the Murder Children are idiots and Glaucus has to come rescue them. Titus and Cor have never been more humbled, confused, and terrified than watching Glaucus snark at a 2k year old potential eldritch abomination and GET AWAY WITH IT. Glaucus actually makes Gilgamesh shuffle in shame when he lectures about how close he came to actually HURTING two of Glaucus’s kids. How dare.

-Then Glaucus takes a long, hard look at Gil and abruptly tells him to take a vacation. It’s not like the world is gonna end if he leaves the Tempering Grounds for a decade or so (Titus and Cor are a Fear™, don’t tell the monster to LEAVE it’s hideout and roam the world Glaucus!!). Gil stares at Glaucus in a stunned silence, Glaucus grunts and walks away, lecturing the two murder children.

-Gil thinks ... long and hard on Glaucus’s words.

-In the end decides it’s a moot point because when he was first cursed to this place he did try to leave a few times but he couldn’t. His curse wouldn’t let him. Pity though ... a vacation had sounded ... nice.

-That’s right around the time Ifrit shows up.

-Now, Ifrit doesn’t like humans, even after giving Glaucus his Blessing for the time-travel thing. He tolerates a few of them, even finds Glaucus and his group funny, but on the whole doesn’t like them. Know what he does like? Screwing over Bahamut. And when Glaucus mentioned Gilgamesh’s curse situation within Ifrit’s earshot (ie said it aloud at all because Ifrit tends to watch them from afar like his only tolerated cable tv channel), Ifrit got IDEAS.

-So Gilgamesh is in his Tempering Grounds, minding his own business and being broody bored when there’s a rush of fire and Ifrit the Infernian is standing there looking ... cunning.

-“Mortal.” Ifrit intones.

-“Not really,” Gilgamesh snarks because he’s a walking suit of armor cursed to live until the Chosen King comes, what’s Ifrit gonna do? Curse him again?

-Ifrit just grins “How would you like to change that?”

-Excuse him?

-Anyway after much smug talking from the Infernian, much sarcasm from Gilgamesh, and some severe bending of the rules of curses with a little shapeshifting magic thrown in for flavor, Gilgamesh kinda- blinks and finds himself outside the Tempering Grounds. In the sunlight.

-For the first time in 2k years.

-Yeah there might have been a panic attack or three. Especially because he now had lungs with which to HAVE a panic attack again. Ifrit had granted him a human form (one-armed and with a scar on his back just like the missing arm of his armor and the rend Titus had made) which technically Ifrit shouldn’t have been able to, except apparently he can just this once because he’s not bothering to use a human disguise and he was GOOD at this kind of magic while the rest of the Astrals were too busy being holier than thou to bother learning human-friendly enchantments.

-Gilgamesh sets off into the wilds, quickly figures out he has forgotten how to maintain an eating or sleeping schedule and he’s probably gonna go into a coma or something if he travels alone. So with a dry smile (that feels so good he HAS FACIAL EXPRESSIONS AGAIN. WOOT.) he sets off for where he can feel the magic of the time-traveling Sword.

-A week-ish after Ifrit shows up, so maybe 2-3 weeks after the Murder Children do their thing, Glaucus is having some “me time” out in the forest (happily murdering things to bring back to camp later without having a nattering crowd on his heels, he loves his idiots and Regis’s group, but sometimes they’re ... a bit much) when all the hairs on his neck prickle. He looks up and sees two red eyes glowing faintly in the shadows.

-The figure steps out wordlessly, hand away from his sword. One arm is missing and the man stands at a massive 7′6″, his eyes are a dark red that glints in the low lightning, his shaggy brown hair is pulled back into half-tail to keep it out of his face, which has scars on the right side from some old fight.

-Glaucus lowers his sword, but doesn’t ease from his stance, “I didn’t know you could look human, Gil,” he says almost flippantly.

-“Had a little help from your pet Astrals,” Gilgamesh retorts, his smile tugging at his scars. His posture is relaxed and non-threatening and almost ... uncertain. Like he isn’t sure what to say or how Glaucus will react.

-Glaucus just looks at him thoughtfully before snorting, “My gang of idiots is not the best place for a vacation.”

-Gilgamesh is blunt and open, “I��ve forgotten how to sleep when the moon rises, when to eat so I won’t pass out. I cannot die until the Chosen King comes into his own, but it is still unpleasant. I also...” he hesitates, “I do not remember how to function without a purpose. To fight. To guard the Grounds. To await the Last Shield. Without them ... I am lost.”

-“So you came to me.”

-“You are the only Lucis Caelum without a Shield.”

-Glaucus sneers “A Sword doesn’t need a Shield,” he scoffs, “and isn’t Ardyn more your speed?”

-Gilgamesh winces, “I have made my apologies,” and hadn’t that been a dramafest when Glaucus dragged the newly purified Ardyn to the Tempering Grounds for Gilgamesh to apologize to him, “but we will never stand united as a Shield and a King. I have broken his trust once, he does not give it a second time. Not in the way he would need for me to be his Shield. Besides,” and now Gilgamesh smiles ruefully, “For all his bite, the young Drautos is more a Shield than the Little Lion will ever be.”

-Glaucus flinches at the far off memory, of promising to be Regis’s second Shield, of protecting him no matter what only to fail. But Gilgamesh did not mean the words as an insult and the man makes a point. For all his recklessness and snark and fury, Titus is protective. His instinct is to kill on behalf of something rather than just to feel the adrenaline in his veins. He is protective of Ardyn, and Ardyn listens to the boy. Glaucus sheaths his sword and flexes his hands, “I don’t know how to have a Shield,” he admits softly, “you know I’m not ... natural.” Not a natural LC, not a born one, a time-traveler added to the line for the sake of the future and nothing more.

-“Neither am I,” Gilgamesh shrugs, “it is nothing to be ashamed of. You have the instincts to forge a Shield Bond imprinted in your very magic. I will swear fealty, and you will command me.”

-“Doesn’t that take trust?” Glaucus points out, “You’ve tried to kill me once before, and I know what you did to Ardyn.”

-A pause. A weighted reply of, “it takes trust. The trust that I will fight by your side and be strong enough to watch your back, that I will voice my opposition but obey your every command. The trust that there is no secret you can hold that will turn me away from you.” The last part is meaningful, pointed.

-They stand there in the increasing gloom of dusk for a long time. A former Leonine Sword and a Cursed Shield.

-Then Glaucus laughs, rough and wild and bloody. His eyes spark silver-bright as his magic reaches out and angrily, possessively tangles around Gilgamesh. It carves away the old, tattered, withered bond he once held with Somnus, a blade cutting away a rotted limb, then coils into place. A silent demand for loyalty, a silent acceptance of all Gilgamesh is and has done. Gilgamesh kneels and swears fealty to a new king, a old lion with glittering claws, and in the quiet of twilight, Glaucus names him Gildas, Gilgamesh’s old name from before he was the Mystic’s Shield, his current name of blood and trials and terror, both cast aside in favor of the new one. A new start.

-Gildas rises and follows Glaucus back to camp.

-While the rest of the groups stare in surprise at the massive, one-armed giant of a man Glaucus comes back with, Ardyn stills. Gildas and Ardyn stare at each other for some time, long enough for Titus to bristle protectively, not quite recognizing Gildas as the unarmored and once-more human Gilgamesh. Then Ardyn smiles, sad and understanding and ... forgiving, and pats the Haven in welcome, “Come, friend, introduce yourself to us and enjoy a meal.”

-Gildas dips his head, submission and gratitude all in one, “I am Gildas,” he rumbles, “and-”

-Glaucus interrupts, a slight, possessive lion’s growl in his voice, “He is my Shield.”

-The camp erupts into chatter and questions and shouting save Ardyn, who just smiles sadly and shuffles over to make room for an old once-friend. They will never be what they once were, will never trust each other like they once did, but Ardyn has always been too forgiving of a soul when the scourge did not turn him bitter, and he knows that Gilgamesh has been trapped in the Tempering Grounds for two thousand years with only the voices of the dead to keep him company as he awaited the Chosen King, just as Ardyn was trapped for two thousand years with only the screaming of the daemons to break the silence. In Ardyn’s mind, Gilgamesh has been punished enough.

-Better to forgive and move on in this new time, than to hold onto grudges two thousand years gone.

#Secret Engima Rambles #Melodies and Manuscripts #The Future's Blurry (the Past is Trap) verse #yesssss #gilgamesh (ffxv) #cor leonis #ffxv au