#Intrigue and suspense

[latest-info]

The Lantern of Kaamos

Chapter 1: The Mysterious Encounter The bustling streets of Los Angeles hummed with life as Jonna, a spirited adventurer with a penchant for unraveling mysteries, stood at the edge of the bustling pier. The salty breeze tousled her auburn hair as she gazed out at the vast expanse of the ocean, her heart filled with a sense of anticipation. It was there, amidst the chaotic beauty of the city,…

[aventurineswife]

Hello Rinnie! (⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠)

Technically this idea has been around for quite a while but I didn't get around to writing it in the request folder, but now I've done it! (⁠＾⁠∇⁠＾⁠)⁠ﾉ⁠♪

This request is set in a "modern" universe and a post-apocalyptic world. Basically a world dominated by vampires, these vampires have a "father" a primordial vampire, clearly there are also some special vampires which are called: Nobles, there are currently 6 vampires that have this title.

The reader is one of said vampires, being the second among the nobles.Continuing with the request: One night one of the five nobles invited the reader to a "blood moon¹" party which they accepted out of courtesy and because they knew the "fifth" of them. Everything was going well at the party, even boring, the other guests were chatting and drinking "wine". While they were going down the fifth stairs they heard some of the guests causing trouble and the reader made a comment about it: "It seems that you have very unruly guests..." When they went to see the problem between the guests, the readers noticed a blond boy with striking eyes (Aventurine)

I didn't know how to finish it up to here, so that's why I didn't want to write it, you can continue it.

-💤🩵 anon

“Fools Rush In”

Summary: At a lavish "blood moon" party attended by vampires, you, one of the five noble vampires, encounter a striking figure among the chaos—Aventurine. As a master strategist and risk-taker, Aventurine's presence commands attention. Amid a heated quarrel between guests, he stands calm and composed, captivating you with his dangerous charm and confidence. A subtle challenge is issued between the two of you, and you realize that this night may be far more thrilling than expected.

Tags: Aventurine x Reader, Vampire!Reader, Blood Moon Party, Intrigue, Suspense, Complex Characters, Slow Burn, Emotional Tension.

Warnings: Mild Violence (?), Manipulation, Psychological Tension, Dangerous Behavior, Light Flirting.

The party was draped in an atmosphere of polished grandeur, the soft glow of blood-red lanterns casting long shadows over the grand hall. It was a night for nobles, a night where nothing felt more important than social positioning, feigned smiles, and elegant conversation. Yet, amidst the mundane pleasantries, the undercurrent of tension buzzed quietly.

You, one of the five noble vampires, had accepted the invitation out of a sense of duty and, more so, because you knew the "fifth" of the nobles—the one who had been in the background, often left to his own devices in the dim corners of the aristocracy. You weren't necessarily fond of these gatherings, but you understood their weight. It was a game of politics, appearances, and survival. Tonight, it seemed, would be no different.

You observed the crowd with a practiced eye—each noble immersed in their own self-importance, sipping wine from delicate crystal glasses, their faces painted with that familiar mask of polite indifference. Nothing of interest. Nothing out of the ordinary.

That was until you found yourself walking down a long, spiraling staircase leading to a private section of the estate. The stairs creaked beneath your feet, the stone echoing into the silence. Your companion, the "fifth," walked beside you, the sound of your steps the only noise in the otherwise serene space.

It was at that very moment you caught the low hum of voices. Not the polite chatter of the party above, but something more... aggressive, unsettling. Faint laughter mixed with shouting, a discordant sound that grated against the otherwise pristine ambiance.

The "fifth" paused, eyes flicking toward the sounds. You followed his gaze, narrowing your eyes as your senses sharpened.

"It seems that you have very unruly guests..." you commented dryly, your voice calm, a hint of amusement threading through your words.

"Indeed," he replied, though there was no lightness in his tone. He sounded a touch concerned, his gaze drifting toward the corridor where the noise seemed to be originating.

With little hesitation, you moved toward the source of the commotion, your companion trailing behind. The sound grew louder as you approached a small room off to the side—a private gathering space. The door was slightly ajar, and you could make out muffled voices within, heated and growing more irate by the second.

You pushed the door open gently, stepping into the room with a grace that seemed almost deliberate, your gaze immediately flicking over the scene.

A group of guests—noblemen and women—stood in a tight circle, their voices overlapping, each one trying to outshine the other in an argument. Their faces were flushed, their movements jerky with agitation. But it wasn’t the quarrel that caught your attention.

It was him.

A young man with sandy blond hair, tousled as if by a carefree breeze. He stood near the center of the group, his striking eyes gleaming with something… almost dangerous. He was too composed amidst the chaos, his posture relaxed, yet his gaze swept over the room with a sharpness that hinted at his calculating mind.

You watched him for a moment, noting the black slitted pupils of his eyes and the aura of confidence that enveloped him. There was something deeply unsettling about the way he stood there, as if the tension in the room had been invited, not merely tolerated.

The man caught your gaze, his lips curling into a slow, knowing smile. There was something unnerving about the way his eyes lingered on you. He seemed to see right through you, as if he already knew everything about you without the need for a single word.

His voice, when it came, was calm and deliberate, almost too smooth for someone embroiled in the middle of such an argument.

“Well, well, it seems our little soirée has gotten quite… lively, hasn’t it?” he said, his tone light and teasing, though there was an edge to his words that belied the casualness.

Your eyes narrowed imperceptibly as you took a step closer, the other guests falling silent at your arrival. His gaze never left yours.

“I take it you’re the cause of this delightful ruckus?” you asked, your voice dripping with sarcasm. It was an intentional jab, yet your curiosity about this figure was undeniable.

He smirked, a glimmer of something darker flickering behind his eyes. “Cause? No. I simply saw an opportunity and decided to take it. Risk is what makes life interesting, after all. Wouldn’t you agree?”

There was something about his confidence, his words, that made you pause. This wasn’t just a random noble with a flair for drama. No, this man—this boy—was different. His demeanor was far too calm, far too calculating for the chaotic scene he was standing in the middle of.

His expression softened, though it didn’t reach his eyes, as he gave you a half-bow.

“I’m Aventurine,” he said, as if the name itself carried weight—power, intrigue, and perhaps something more. “And you are?”

Your eyes never left his as you replied, your mind racing with possibilities. There was something about him that pulled you in, a dangerous magnetism wrapped in a polished exterior.

“I’m [Name],” you said, your voice steady, though a flicker of intrigue danced behind your eyes. “It seems, Mr. Aventurine, you’ve mastered the art of disruption.”

Aventurine chuckled softly, a low, rich sound that sent a shiver down your spine. “Disruption, manipulation, strategy... It’s all part of the game, isn’t it? The question is, are you playing, or are you merely watching?”

The room around you seemed to fall away as you locked eyes with him, something unspoken passing between the two of you. It was a challenge—one that felt like a game he was playing, and you had been pulled into it whether you liked it or not.

“I’m never just a spectator,” you said coolly, the challenge in your tone evident.

Aventurine’s smile widened, a gleam of amusement in his eyes.

“Good,” he replied, the word hanging in the air like a promise. “Let’s see what happens next.”

And as the party continued around you, the world seemed to tilt slightly off-kilter, the thrill of the game beginning to take hold in ways you hadn’t expected.

The night had only just begun, and you knew one thing for certain—Aventurine was not a man to underestimate. And somehow, you found yourself intrigued by the danger he embodied.

[asclexe]

*getting extremely lightheaded at random intervals of the day* this is so alec hardy coded

[lavender-moon-milk]

RAW EXPOSURE | CHAPTER ONE | MAIN CHARACTER BIO

(Rated M for Mature Audiences. Enemies to Lovers Romance.)

Summary:

Sephiroth doesn’t do press. He doesn’t do propaganda. And he certainly doesn’t do publicity.

After six marketing specialists quit in rapid succession—Shinra’s PR Department is out of options. Under mounting pressure from the President, they place one last bet on a wildcard: Thatcher, an enigmatic cinematographer known for filming the unfilmable—creatures so dangerous, most people never live to tell the tale.

She’s not there to curate his legend. She’s there to see him. Frame by frame. And that makes her more dangerous than anything he’s faced.

Sephiroth expects another wide-eyed media pawn. What he gets is someone who doesn’t flinch when he looks her way. Someone who keeps calm when things get real. Someone who watches him like he’s the rarest subject she’s ever studied—and the most human.

Stranded together during a mission gone wrong, trust takes root in the cracks neither of them want to admit exist. Between hostile terrain, broken comms, and danger on all sides, the space between them only gets smaller.

He’s spent years avoiding the lens. She’s the first one who makes him want to be seen.

Meet The Cast:

🎥Harlowe Thatcher, Cinematographer

👁Brinley Yuzuki, Personal Assistant

🪭Emris, The Shadow Tailor of Trade Row

📈Evelyn Rochford, Director of PR Department

♟Wren Tavers, Senior Brand Strategist

🚨Marigold Santoro, Brand Compliance Officer

🍰Debbie MacCrae, Marketing Specialist

🦂Asra, Enigmatic Desert Shadow

Author's Note:

Hi guys! You might recognize me from my other Sephiroth story, The Art of Misdirection, which is nearing its long-awaited conclusion. (Don’t worry—I’m still finishing it!) But this idea came out of nowhere, wrapped itself around my brain, and refused to let go. After a week of internal screaming and plotboarding, I’ve officially decided to dive into Raw Exposure.

Sephiroth continues to be one of the most compelling characters to write—equal parts myth and man, menace and mystery. And coming up with bold, unpredictable love interests for him has become my newest obsession. 😅

Raw Exposure is my take on a corporate-meets-combat slow burn romance, laced with action, unresolved tension, and a healthy dose of mutual observation. Inspired by The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Agatha Christie, and a bit of Indiana Jones for good measure, this story explores what happens when a reclusive cinematographer is tasked with capturing Shinra’s most elusive war asset on film—and ends up seeing far more than she bargained for.

I’m so excited to tell Thatcher’s story and her reluctant, magnetic connection with the PR Department’s worst nightmare: the Wraith of Wutai himself. 🖤

Thank you for reading—I hope you enjoy this ride. (And yes, updates for The Art of Misdirection will continue alongside this one!)

lavendermoonmilk 🎥✨

[little-fandom-dump]

hoes when every other character on the podcast is being subjected to The Horrors but their blorbo is doing just fine

[bookwyrminspiration]

experiencing a hurdle in reading the inheritance games which is that I hate billionaires and they should not exist. which conflicts with the inheriting a mysterious billionaires fortune plot quite a bit

[kurokid1412]

This was when I became a little bit braver, actually attempting to draw, in digital, these AFKJ stuffs.

Something about Thoran’s voice line has stuck with me and still is to this day.

I keep thinking about how Merlin and Thoran have also met in the past, and something may have happened… But even as of this post, there isn’t much if at all to figure out anything.

Thoran doesn’t have any Mystical House interaction with anyone else, and Bantus has been heavily hinted on for quite some time throughout Waves of Intrigue. I have a gist they’re keeping this quiet until the time is right and we can finally go there and see it all for ourselves.

But for now, this is all I have.

[curemoonliite]

funny that ppl think neo putting the plot on pause is weird

i mean, i get that it's unprecedented for neo, but negotiating with agents irl is just "the first 30 pages have been submitted for general edits," followed by "the first 30 pages have been submitted for character edits," followed by "the first 50 pages have been submitted for worldbuilding edits" and so on

to be clear: that last one is not new content that advances the plot, but rather the first 30 pages with an extra 20 pages of worldbuilding interspersed due to an immense lack of it in the initial draft

patching writing is just as time-consuming as patching a game and that worldbuilding patch took me about 2 months i.e. about what tvw will likely take

imo, seeing this type of time being taken to listen to feedback about the plot is a good sign if anything

[inopinatus-ea]

No one is safe in the house of Branoc, especially not his sons. As Emory works to clear his name against slander, his proposed engagement to Adelia hangs in the balance. Her guard, Drach, may be his best defense and the only hope for salvaging it. But there is malfeasance of foot, and everyone may not make it through the night.

[jerreeeeeee]

time travel for the fanfic tropes :3? -ise

C but its an opinionated neutrality. time travel can be really really good and fun if its a unique or interesting idea and written well and the author has a good grasp on the characters but if its anything less than that its boring as fuck unfortunately

[lavender-moon-milk]

Character Profile: Tori Sutton

📎 executive assistant | 🧭 order-seeker | 🥀 quietly unbreakable

HIDDEN MACHINERY

(Original Character X Sephiroth Romance Fanfiction)

An overqualified desk tactician with a bullet journal and a backbone, Tori Sutton wasn’t hired to fix SOLDIER’s director—but she’s doing it anyway. After seven executive assistants flamed out in record time, she’s become the eighth to inherit the chaos of Director Lazard’s suite… only she doesn’t plan on burning.

Polished, perceptive, and deceptively plain, Tori comes armed with color-coded systems, quiet grit, and the kind of interpersonal radar usually reserved for intelligence agencies. As she rewires the department from the inside out, she finds herself caught in something larger: a secret initiative, a legacy worth saving, and a General whose gaze feels less like scrutiny… and more like gravity.

Officially: Lazard’s new assistant, brought in to stabilize the department.

Unofficially: a former Service Center strategist executing a multi-phase administrative coup—with great hair and better instincts.

📂 drinks espresso through crisis

🧰 wears a leather holster filled with breath mints, fountain pens, and classified ambition

🗺 learning to navigate SOLDIER like enemy territory—with clipboard diplomacy

🩷 dangerously good at her job—and starting to like someone she shouldn’t

Author's Note:

Torianne "Tori" Sutton, in my head at least, is a doe-eyed girl with a pouty face and sharp look. She's gutsy, intuitive, and deceptively naive-looking. The perfect recipe for someone who is about to turn Shinra upside down.

[womenusingwords]

Baking Ice Cubes

The details… Title ‏ : ‎ Baking Ice Cubes Author ‏ : ‎ Alexi Venice Publisher ‏ : ‎ Palmer Publishing  Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 1, 2025 Available formats ‏ : ‎ ebook, paperback  Print length ‏ : ‎ Genre ‏ : ‎ legal thriller/mystery/suspense Themes ‏ : ‎ women loving women, romantic tension, courtroom drama, family, friendship, grief, mystery, suspense, intrigue, ethical dilemmas,…

[casperiusandmartenique]

Casperius recognizes that his brother is absolutely correct. He has significant changes to make in his life if he wants Martinique to be a permanent part of it. The priority now is to address everything before she uncovers the truth about the life he’s been living, not the facade he has presented. With Cormoran poised to intervene at a moment's notice, there’s no time to waste. The fact that another brother, Matty, is lurking in the shadows adds even greater urgency to the situation.

[magical-mistakes-vm]

Balor can't remember the last time he was close to his brother, Vollrath. However, he has come to realize that the prophecy his grandmother frequently spoke of has now been fulfilled. With a threat looming over the coven and his brother's safety at stake, it’s time to set aside old rivalries and unite. Already, events are unfolding that are influenced by forces from beyond our realm, and all magical abilities will be necessary to confront the enemies of this world and the next.

[thatgirl4815]

If YinWar's new series does not have any tonal similarities to Partners in Crime, that would be the biggest missed opportunity ever.

[tapperhet-em]

12

Everyone is together, but tension between them is building....

"Dude, can you maybe NOT try to antagonize Einar?" Elio had barely waited till they were outside of the cabin to address Tieran.  "And don't you dare try and play stupid.  You have been hot and cold with Meeri for years, and you know something went down back at the garrison with Einar, so you poke the bear by flirting with her right in front of him?"

Lorcan hung back a bit, ready to back Elio up if needed.  He had the same thoughts.  Something felt off about the whole interaction back in the cabin.  They were all too close of friends for this to be going down now.  In the coming days they would need to be a team, not at each other's throats.  However, if they were all going to function as one, they had to get this one thing that had been hanging over them all for years out in the open.  When things between Einar and Meeri had been more obscure, it had not been such a big deal, but now it was becoming more of one.  He would have Meeri’s back before anyone else’s, which meant having Einar’s. 

"Maybe you don't know all you think you do E." Tieran raised the tailgate and tried to reign in his irritation.  Turning around, he sat on the back deck of the SUV and saw Lorcan’s jaw grinding.  That was one man he didn’t want to fuck with, not that making Elio pissed was top of his list to do either.  "You two want to know why it's been hot and cold?  Because I have been trying to respect the fact that me and one of my best friends are in love with the same woman.  A woman, might I add, that looks at him like her hero every damn time that he steps in the room.  You two might as well be blooded brothers to her, she took a harsh punishment for E, even.  Don’t tell me she wouldn’t do the same for you, Lo.  I don't know where I fit in here, I haven’t for a long time.  I don’t know where I fit in with you guys anymore, and not with the woman that has my heart and I can’t confess it to.  I try to play it off as cool, and I fuck it up.  I try to get closer to her, and I feel like I’ve got Einar’s crosshairs on my forehead."  He sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair, knowing he probably made things even more awkward but he'd felt like he had to clear the air.

"Tier, bro, you're our brother, and always have been.  You're Einar’s brother.  And it is up to you if you want to be close to Meeri as a brother or just a friend.  But, what we can't have, is you and Einar at each other’s throats, or Meeri upset because you're hostile again to her, and her not understanding why.  All we have are each other now."  Lorcan leaned his hip against one side of the rear of the SUV, and looked towards Tieran.  He understood his friend’s feelings, but they had to get things settled; or they'd turn on one another at some point. Tieran was the weak link in their chain, a chain they needed to be strong as titanium. Damn, he hated that he was now thinking of his friend like they were soldiers on a battlefield; but Lorcan could not ignore that they had a shit ton of Royal Forces looking for Meeri, and by hiding her they were signing their own death warrants too.

"Lo's right, T.  You’ve got to get this settled with Meeri and with Einar.  We can’t have constant upset and people on unstable footing.  If you don’t think you can, and want to leave and go back to your family, I'll give you my keys.  No judgment.   If you stay, you've got to get this worked out." Elio hated this.  He didn't know if Tieran or Lorcan had noticed the ring on Meeri’s finger back at the garrison, but he had.  It didn't take a genius to figure out its meaning; another reason Tieran needed to figure his shit out.

"I'm not walking away, guys.  Give me more credit than that.  Fuck!  I love her, I am IN love with her.  I don't know how to change that, but I can at least try to not piss off Einar, or be an ass to her.  I’ll figure something out, don’t ask me what.  I don't want one of you shooting me, or her." Tieran shrugged and pushed off of the rear of the vehicle to standing.  "I guess we need to get this stuff inside, huh?"  He didn’t want to talk anymore.  At least unpacking the SUV would keep them all moving, and give him something other than the situation for him to think on.

"Damn, you guys are slow." Einar chuckled as he walked up.  Then he caught sight of the full postures of his three friends.  Something was off, he’d known them all too long not to see the signs.  "What did I miss?  And do not lie to me and say nothing.  I'm too tired to deal with bullshit tonight." His gaze alternated between the three of them as his head tipped back, feeling very uneasy.

“Uh…” Elio stuttered as he tried to think how to handle this without there being an actual fight.  Things could even out from here on out, or they could go straight to shit; but it was the watershed moment for the group.   It might be a good thing that Meeri was inside, because one member of the group upset at a time was more than enough for him.  If she came out, and heard what he was sure Tieran was about to say, then both she AND Einar would be pissed.  If she got upset, Lorcan wouldn’t be far behind.  Elio’s eyes met Lorcan’s, who also looked unsure how to progress given the current situation.

Tieran held up a hand to his friend.  “It’s okay, E, I got it.”  Here went nothing.  He squared his shoulders as he faced Einar, a man he’d been friends with since they were just kids.  A man he respected highly, and loved like a brother. “The guys called me out on something that I should have been called out on a long time ago.  I need to stop being an ass to Meeri.  I’ve been handling a situation with her wrong, and it is just cuz I have an issue with the fact that she loves you and not me, even though I’m in love with her too.”  There he’d said it and the slight look of shock on Einar’s face meant that he might have suspected it, but not really known for sure.  For sure it was not what he had expected to hear from any of them.

Feeling like an ass from the way that Einar was looking, Tieran licked his lips, pursed them together, then continued.  “Lo and E are like real brothers to her, you’re her hero that she has obviously loved as much as you love her.  So where do I fit in, Einar?  What is my place when it comes to the group here?  Ya know?”  He swallowed, looked down, and kicked at the dirt a little with his boot.  It was so fucked up that it had gone on so long, and that it was coming out now.  “It’s not her fault.” He looked back up.  “She loves you, I love her, and I fuck up handling it.  The guys are right, I’ve got to stop fucking it up because the stakes are a lot higher now than just some hurt feelings or a quarrel in the group.  We all have prices on our heads and we can’t be hurting one another over this shit.”  Tieran’s head dropped again and he once more let out a heavy sigh, his hands fisting and relaxing as he fought his feelings.  He couldn’t walk away, he couldn’t leave his friends to handle all of this without trying to help them, there was no way he could leave HER, but right now having to be around them, with no escape, felt heavy on him; only his love for all his friends and Meeri kept him rooted in that spot.

For over a full minute Einar stood there trying to come up with something to say, but kept coming up empty.  He looked over to Elio and Lorcan in turn, who looked rather grim and they didn’t know what to say either.  This was heavy, heavier than he’d anticipated, when he’d demanded an answer.  He’d wanted to know, so here it was.  “We’ll figure it out, T.  We’ll handle it.”  His words were stilted.  It was clear that he had no idea what to do now, but was trying.  His brain was just not absorbing it all at the moment.

Taking a deep breath, “for now we need to get everything inside and get this SUV hidden.  This place may not be on the top of everyone’s list, but it will be on a list somewhere.  We have to be prepared.  We’ll figure the rest out later.   It can all be worked out, T.  You’re still my brother.”  Einar swallowed and still felt a little shell shocked.  He was reverting back to handling things as a soldier and nothing more.  If he thought on things too much right now, he would lose focus on what was important.

Lorcan clapped Einar on the shoulder.  Clearly, this was going over about as well as he expected, and was going to keep going over that way, so they needed to get moving.  Using his command voice, he had honed well as an MP and Sargent, he started giving directions in clipped tones that got the others moving.  They got the SUV unloaded quickly and everything into what seemed to be the appropriate rooms in the cabin.  Once the SUV was clean of everything, Lorcan got the keys from Elio to take it down to the same turnout as the Jeep, only to park it on the other side and throw a ghillie tarp over it that he’d found while he and Meeri had been waiting for the others.  He took another one for the Jeep.  It wouldn’t pass a close inspection, but would at least help it blend from the air or if they were just driving by and didn’t stop.  Thankfully Tieran’s uncle had that damn cabin stocked with anything you’d need to hunt.