#Posting first fic of 2025!!!!

[huggieshalo]

There's a fear that if my cape is taken, what use am I then?

M | 3.1k | @huggieshalo

I'm a constant work in progress, and I can't keep fears at bay And my mind is like a record set up on auto-replay Replay, replay, replay, replay And my mind is like a record set up on auto-replay Replay - Cynthia Erivo Or Louis isn't taking care of himself and self-isolating. Harry tries to find out why. Chaos ensues.

Moodboard created by me!

Part 2 of Canon Divergent - Little Louis

[king-of-colors]

charles rowland to start the year with (meant to post this yesterday)

[whinlatter]

Of course, she’d seen it. How could she forget? Waking up on the Chamber floor and there it was, gripped in Harry’s bloody hand. She remembers now how it glittered, how it shone, with rubies the size of eggs, the long expanse of the blade, the handsome curve around its grip. Who else had even seen it that close? And if the sword was still at school - if it was in the office - I can get it for you, she tells them all, in her head. In her head, it’s an oath. I’ll do it. I won't let you down. [ beast, n.: a wild animal, not human; a violent person, inhumanly cruel; someone brutish, untamed, depraved ]

🪶 read the new chapter | read from the beginning 🪶

🪶 read the author’s note for this chapter (coming soon!)

🐾 listen to the playlist

🪺 watch the trailer 

🦉 thoughts & questions? ask me anything!

[fuumiku]

Day 21: Tavern

Pre-canon vs Post-canon 💖

Be careful guys it starts with your coworker asking "What's the name of your hometown?" and next thing you know it's "When is your daughter's wedding happening? Can I help get Flertom ready?" Love love love thinking about them meeting at taverns to think of plans to reconcile Chilchuck with his wife that somehow turn into her planning out a wedding. "Renewing of vows!! It's necessary trust me!!", Marcille argues. She's just having fun, and frankly who's not thinking it's kinda cute of her. He promised it to her alongside meeting his family & now she is claiming her rights

Which hey speaking of, this is kinda similar to the premise of the fic I posted (the first chapter of) the other day, meant for an early prompt in the month! Ten simple steps to not get your wife back! A romcom where Kabru sees their umpteenth efforts to make a plan to reconcile him with his wife, bound to once again go nowhere, and tries to help!... By matchmaking his friends together, because hey Marcille doesn't fake dating sound like the best way to achieve this? Hey Marcille it'll totally work, like in that romance political intrigue novel you read that other time, exactly yeah! Chilchuck is powerless to stop the menace of the two royal advisors working together

[lonely-night]

In which 40 year-old CEO Rio Vidal is named one of the most eligible bachelorettes, 26 year-old Agatha sees her in a bar, and Jennifer makes a bet that Agatha can’t possibly bed the seemingly straight CEO… Rio never stood a chance.

>>> immovable object, unstoppable force by 324b2fun

[myymi]

"So, let me get this straight," Shadow says, sighing as he grips the bridge of his nose, "A badnik latched itself onto the kid, exploded, and when the smoke cleared he was like this?" "Yep." Sonic nods, popping the 'p' as he looks down at his little brother. Tails is sitting in Knuckles' lap, playing with the echidna's communicator. "Sums that up pretty well." "And instead of just giving me that simple, brief explanation, you completely ignored me twice." The black hedgehog adds on with a frown, glaring at his rival. "In his defense," Rouge cuts in, glancing between the two hedgehogs, "Blue did have a baby to look after. And he promised an explanation eventually." "Exactly!" Sonic grins and leans back into the couch, his arms crossing over his chest, "Not my fault you're impatient, Shadow." "So what's your excuse, Rouge?" Shadow asks, turning away from Sonic so he could raise a brow at the bat. "I said I'd call you back." "Regardless," Amy cuts in then, sighing as she looks down at where Tails is sitting. He's currently watching a few different colored dots as they bounced around the screen of Knuckles' communicator. "We still need to figure out how we're going to get Tails back to normal." "Well I wouldn't trust G.U.N to handle it." Shadow grumbles, stepping backwards until he's close enough to lean against the wall behind him, "I doubt they're smart enough to invent an age reverse serum. There's only two people on this planet that could accomplish that." "And I'm guessing one of them is bit preoccupied with a few pretty colors." Rouge hums, glancing over at the small fox. "We don't have a choice other than the scientists." Amy says as she drops her face into her paws. "It's not like Eggman is going to tell us how to fix this."

[monbons]

Stitches and Sentences Roundup 2024

Thanks for the tags on your writing round ups @run-for-chamo-miles, @drowninginships, and @emeryhall! I just got back from a weeklong trip and instead of doing laundry, I'm joining in on the roundup fun.

FIC I moved from lurker to active fandom participant this year with a bang. I posted my first fic ever for EGF and have basically been writing or posting non-stop since then. I wrote/co-wrote 5 fics this year and clocked in at 101, 725 words.

Kill Em With Kindness - rated T, 6.5k, Watford-Era, getting together fic

When no one seems to care that Baz is sad, Simon steps in to help. The only reasonable explanation for all Simon's kindness is that he's trying to kill Baz, right? (My most popular fic as measured by kudos.)

Knock Your Socks Off - rated T, 4k, Watford-Era, 7th year fic

Baz steals Simon's socks. Simon blames the sock monster. Chaos ensues.

The Eternal Life of Baz Pitch - rated M, 42k, Addie LaRue AU, a truly epic romance

Told in two alternating timelines that span from 1700s Hampshire all the way to early 2000's Washington, DC, this fic follows Baz as he spends centuries searching for the love of all his lives. (This was the fic that convinced me I could write long and holds a very special place in my heart. Is it angsty? Yes. Is it some of the most beautiful prose I've ever written? Also yes.)

The Boy Next Door - rated M, 47k, and they were neighbors AU, a coming of age romance

When Simon moves in with his gran, he decides to befriend the mysterious boy next door. He changes both their lives in the process. (My most popular fic by literally every other measure.)

The Reason for The Season - rated T, 1.6k, text fic, co-written with @thewholelemon

Dev and Niall make a list. Holiday hijinks abound. (A bday gift for @mooncello)

ART I do not currently have a great way to track my dolls and searched my Instagram to do the math, only to realize I hadn't posted every doll I made either! (If anyone has a good art tracking system, I'm open to ideas.) If my count is correct, I clocked in at a grand total of 35 dolls this year, including:

10 Simons

15 Bazzes

2 Pennys

2 Nialls

2 Devs

1 Mage

1 Fiona

1 Agatha

1 Shep

The picture below shows my earliest dolls, where I was still experimenting with style and form. As you can see, many of them are quite flat. (Fun fact: All of these dolls--including their clothing--were made before I owned a sewing machine.)

Going 3D was actually an accident, but we have the Watford Baz and Simon below to thank for it! After committing to 3D dolls, I kept evolving my pattern---improving joints, proportions, and adding details like ears!---until we reached my most current iterations.

Now every doll has their own special pattern that takes into account their canon proportions, where available. Notice Baz is tall and slender where Simon is extra fluffy!

I did not include any of the dolls I created for COC 2024 since I assume everyone has seen them already, but I linked the master post in case you missed a day.

Finally, in addition to dolls, I also created 2 plushies (a merwolf and a bunbaz) plus 12 finger puppets this year.

It's hard to quantify dolls like fics, especially since almost every doll before COC did not have a dedicated tumblr post. However, here are some fun art stats:

Most Popular Art Post: The Watford Map

Most Popular Doll: FIONA!

Second Most Popular Doll: Felt Smut (Look @emeryhall! Dragonboy Simon is indeed the sexiest given that this is my duplicate of your doll!)

I also had three art collaborations this year:

Baz and The Prophecy - Doll and Tapestry, a COTTA collaboration with @iamamythologicalcreature

Ballet Baz and Disco Simon - a CORB collaboration with @melodysmash (Read the fic she wrote--Body Language. It is as adorable as these dolls!)

Watford Advent Map - a tapestry made for COC 2024 with help from @rimeswithpurple

While it has definitely been a fabulously productive year, I think my greatest achievement has been all the new friendships I've fostered because of fandom. Y'all bring me so much joy, and I am so happy I found this little corner of the internet.

I am currently drained of all creative energy (I can't imagine why!), so you may not hear from me for a while. However, I promise I am still around---likely catching up on all the fic and art I've missed while being a literal word and doll factory. With all that said, if you have an idea and wanna collab in the new year, I'm all ears and tons of fun!

Hellos and high-fives for the last time in 2024! @alexalexinii, @argumentativeantitheticalg, @aristocratic-otter, @arthurkko, @artsyunderstudy

@best--dress, @blackberrysummerblog, @brilla-brilla-estrellita, @bookish-bogwitch, @confused-bi-queer

@cutestkilla, @emeryhall, @facewithoutheart, @harrie-leithillustration, @hushed-chorus

@ic3que3n, @ileadacharmedlife, @katatsumuli, @larkral, @letraspal

@martsonmars, @messofthejess, @mooncello, @noblecorgi, @orange-peony

@raenestee, @rbkzz, @roomwithanopenfire, @shrekgogurt, @skeedelvee

@stitchyqueer, @supercutedinosaurs, @talentpiper11, @twinkle-twinkle-up-above, @theimpossibledemon

@valeffelees, @whatevertheweather, @you-remind-me-of-the-babe, @youarenevertooold

[foxglovevibes]

So.

I may be writing an angsty asf + yearning filled Remmick x Reader/OC fic.

And imma say this with my damn chest, most of my reader/oc characters either are or HEAVILY implied to be indigenous or at the very least mixed race so if that isn't your vibe, you can go find something else to read.

But before I actually post it, I wanted to give you all a sneak peek because I am genuinely shocked that I have managed to write something this good in such a short amount of time-

Sneak peek shall be included under the cut for those who wanna spoil the intro for themselves;

Should be posting the full version both here and AO3 very, very soon!

[losergender]

i hope i die first ('cause i don't wanna live without you)

for @sapphic-summer-riordanverse week 1 -> scars

“You should take off your shirt for that,” Silena speaks softly, blue eyes fixated on the big spot of blood coming out from Clarisse’s side and dampening her shirt.

“I’ll deal with it later, pretty thing,” she replies with gritted teeth. It isn’t often, but some Fridays, the Apollo kids will ask for volunteers to help them run the infirmary after Capture the Flag. Today is Friday —one of those Fridays— and Clarisse’s cabin just lost the flag to fuckass Cabin 7  and now she has Silena Beauregard of all people coming up to her with a first aid kit in hand. “I did a number on Yew back there, you can go see if he needs help.”

“Well, I did.” Silena smiles at her, talking with a tone that makes it clear Clarisse is not gonna be able to get rid of her that easily. “He’s got his siblings with him. You did do a number on him.”

Did I look good doing it? Clarisse refrains herself before she can ask, because she knows Silena and her are only friends and she knows it’s not Silena’s fault that her mind is blurring the line. Plus, there’s a high chance Silena, nice and impressionable (or at least always impressed by whatever Clarisse does) will tell her that yes, she looked really good uppercutting Michael Yew, and then she will have to go back to her cabin and think about Silena, nice and pretty and soft-spoken, telling her she looked good, and… And she can’t have that. That, and the fact Silena is right about her massive wound on the side and Clarisse probably should go home and stitch it.

“He’ll live,” she ends up replying. 

“Oh, I’m sure! Not so sure about you surviving that cut.”

“I’ve gotten so much worse than this.” It’s true, and she can see in the way the girl’s features soften that she is not making Silena any less worried. Clarisse takes a deep breath, turning to her and trying to invoke the voice she uses to tell her youngest siblings that they are gonna survive the paper cuts they got while reading. “Look, I can take care of it when I get to my cabin, promise. You should check someone else who needs actual help.”

“But I don’t think anyone’s bleeding as much…”

“Have you checked Mason? Saw him get an ugly hit earlier.”

“He’s all fixed up,” Silena tells her. She is looking at her sternly and Clarisse hates how good it looks on her, just like she hates that Silena is taller, just like she hates that there’s no way she’s getting her off. Just like how she hates that she is losing too much blood, enough for her sight to blur and get spotty and her knees to buckle. Silena catches her before she can fall.

“I promise I can…”

“Shirt up, now. You need stitches.”

“Silena, I can…”

“You’re bleeding out.”

She can’t deny it. Silena is right about the stitches, and she no longer feels like she can do it herself. Clarisse bites the inside of her mouth and looks up, hating how pathetic her voice feels when it leaves her mouth: “Not here?”

For a second, she’s afraid Silena is gonna take her as she trying to avoid the stitches further and deny her, but it doesn’t happen. Instead, Silena takes her hand (and she already knew this, but her hands are always so soft it never fails to amuse her) and walks her to the closest big rock, where no one can see, fast enough so Clarisse doesn’t lose too much blood while slowly enough for her not to faint with the effort. She still drops down against the rock as soon as she can.

Silena kneels beside her, popping her first aid kit open and getting everything she needs ready.

“Can you lift your shirt up, now?” Her voice is softer this time around. Clarisse looks away, ashamed, and makes no effort to lift it other than grabbing at the hem.

“I, uh… If it’s about your body or something, I know everyone assumes the Aphrodite kids are judgemental and superficial, but, really, that’s pretty much everything we go against and we would never judge someone’s body and…”

Clarisse looks up, wanting to ask her to promise and talking herself into not to. She’s almost an adult now and ready to go to war in some months, which is definitely too old and too mature to ask her to promise anything silly like that. She needs to woman up, she tells herself before lifting her shirt up all at once and having Silena take a look at the wound.

There’s a gasp, which she futilely hopes is about the cut Annabeth gave her while she was sprinting for their flag and not for the horrible scars all around her tummy. She hears Silena swallow and can only imagine how horrible the view is now that it’s bloody all over in addition to the usual burnt skin. She waits for the question. There’s no question.

“Tell me if it gets too much” is the only thing Silena says. Soft, and quiet, and non-judgemental, right before she feels the cut burning at the contact of a disinfecting cotton. Clarisse grits her teeth to suppress a groan. It hurts like hell, and it seems like it’s never gonna end. Eventually, though, it does. “Good girl.”

Silena’s words make her want to unclench her jaw and teeth just to gasp with surprise. The moment of respite she gets between Silena putting the cotton away and threading the needle is spent replaying it on her mind. Fuck, she thinks, that’s way worse than being told she looked good. She wants to run away for a moment, just to prevent herself from hearing any other words for Silena that could send her spiraling for the next week. It’s not Silena’s fault she likes girls. It’s not Silena’s fault she likes her. 

But, clearly, she can’t run. She’s stuck there, being stitched back up by the same soft hands that haunt her everyday —and her view’s spotty and blurry, but Clarisse is sure that Silena is wearing that one ugly as fuck friendship bracelet she did for her when the Aphrodite kids forced her to join their bracelet workshop—. She can barely feel anything in that area, except for the pain of the cut, but she can imagine how soft the touch would be.

“You can ask,” she ends up telling her. Not because she wants her to, necessarily, but because she needs to focus on anything other than her beauty, and her kindness, and her softness, and… “If you want to, you can ask.”

“It doesn’t hurt when I touch it, right?” Silena asks, almost shyly. Clarisse shakes her head no. “That’s good. I didn’t want to hurt you.”

“When have you ever hurt anyone?” Clarisse scoffs. Silena doesn’t reply. A quick look in her direction shows her a bitter expression, as if the girl could give a big list of victims. Clarisse doubts that’s the case. “Don’t look at me like that, you know it’s true.”

Silena looks away from her. This time, she asks the long question, almost as if she was copying Clarisse on her distracting topic strategy.

“How’d you get it?” she asks. “The burnt scar, how…?”

“My quest to the Sea of Monsters. My ship exploded and I got hit with some really hot iron.” 

“Did you not take anything…?” 

“Ambrosia supplies exploded with the ship, so…”

“How did you…? How could you survive that?”

Clarisse just shrugs. She doesn’t really know, doesn’t really remember how it happened. She has always assumed her father helped her while she was too in pain to notice.

“I couldn’t die on my first quest,” she tries to joke, attempting to make it look easier than it was. “Could you imagine it? Dying out there in an explosion at sea and having Percy out of all people come back with the news? Pfft…”

“Don’t joke about that, it’s…” Silena takes a deep breath as she presses the needle against her skin. “It’s too close.”

“I won’t, I won’t,” Clarisse promises. She knows what she means. Princess Andromeda is still there somewhere and she knows it’s a matter of time before they have Percy hijack it with someone else. She hopes it’s no one they know. She looks up to Silena, whose blue eyes are focused on the task at hand. The stitches hurt, but she’s somehow better at handling that. “You’re not scared, are you?”

“Of the war?” Clarisse nods. “Of course I am!” Her voice breaks, and Clarisse regrets asking. “Who wouldn’t be?” Before she can apologize, Silena scoffs and speaks again. “It makes sense you aren’t, I guess. You’re a natural at fighting, and have so much experience already. I’m terrified, though. I don’t want…”

She stops stitching for a moment. Her eyes are shiny, not in the way they are when they see each other during breakfast, not in the way they are when the bonfire from the evenings is reflecting on them. The bad kind of shiny.

“I’m sor…”

“I just don’t want anything to happen to you,” she speaks abruptly before resuming stitching, faster this time, as if getting it over with the wound would make the conversation end quicker. She rectifies soon, though. “Or, or to Charlie. Or to my siblings, and, you know, everyone, but…” She’s so close to crying that Clarisse can only hate herself for bringing it up. “I would hate it so much if something happened to you and I came back safe and had to live with it. To live without you.”

Clarisse can’t help it when she reaches out a hand to cup her cheek. She’s never touched her like that, and for a moment she thinks of putting her hand away and pretend it was a spasm, but Silena leans into the touch and she just can’t help it. She gulps, unsure of what to do now other than talk herself down for being like this. 

“That won’t happen,” she promises. “I swear on the Styx.”

“You can’t do that…” Silena tries to say. It’s barely audible over the thunder in the back, binding the oath.

“Too late.” Clarisse smiles at her, hoping it’s convincing. Silena manages to smile back. 

That’s enough for her.

- - -

ao3 link

[wangxianficrecs]

thought that I'd feel better, but now I got a bellyache by Buttercup_ghost

thought that I'd feel better, but now I got a bellyache

by Buttercup_ghost (@nonbinary-kaede)

Not rated, 3k, Jiang Yanli

Summary: The ghost fire flickered. Slow, faded flickering, as if it was dwindling. Indeed, it shouldn't be a thing, due to the soul calming rituals it experienced in its youth, but there is something that cultivators don't know, a secret that allows our humble ghost fire to persist after death: not all ghosts are formed out of resentment. No, some are formed from love. "A-Xian?" The ghost fires voice wavered. "A-Cheng?" But, no one answered it. The words were barely there, whispered into the wind and drowned out by it. The ghost fire trembled. Where were its brothers? Where was its son? Where, if it was indeed dead, was its husband, who it was sure was waiting for it in the afterlife? "A-Xuan?" It tries again, when none of the living answer. Perhaps the dead will, it thinks, if it—she—is dead as well. But it's no use. Her husband does not answer either. Jiang Yanli, ghost fire barely holding onto existence, is completely alone. Kay's comments: This story is tagged as Jiang Cheng bashing, but honestly, after reading it, I definitely wouldn't call it that. Still, if you're looking for a happy ending for his relationship with Jiang Yanli after her death... This story isn't for you. In this story, Jiang Yanli's spirit lingers and over time, she becomes stronger and eventually vows to dish out some revenge. Really loved her character journey in this story!

pov jiang yanli, canon divergence, thirteen years of wei wuxian's death, ghost jiang yanli, revenge, bamf jiang yanli, protective jiang yanli, canonical character death - wei wuxian, dead wei wuxian, jin ling needs a hug, scheming nie huaisang, post-first siege of the burial mounds

~*~

(Please REBLOG as a signal boost for this hard-working author if you like – or think others might like – this story.)

[arkhammaid]

all the emotions i've been feeling about landoscar boiled over and exploded into my face today

[itstimeforstarwars]

I have managed to finish a draft for the next chapter of Galidraan. Everyone please clap.

[owl-with-a-pen]

They could’ve been anywhere for New Year. Literally anywhere – no one was going to blink an eye if you turned up in The Bahamas thirty seconds before midnight with Supergirl as a best friend. In fact, Nia had lost count of the party invites she’d received from acquaintances at best just for being in Kara’s general social circle.

The first proper year since Kara’s identity reveal had gone global and, suffice to say, the dust hadn’t settled just yet.

But no invite came without expectation. In this case, that Supergirl would be a part of the package. Everyone wanted a spectacle. They wanted the suit, the show, the fanfare. Even CatCo’s office party felt a little too intense for Nia’s liking. While most of their co-workers had relaxed into the notion of having Supergirl as their boss, that didn’t stop journalists at rival news stations from practically clawing the doors down, all hungry for the latest scoop into the life of Kara Zor-El.

So, they didn’t spend New Year’s Eve on a beach or a yacht, the roof of a skyscraper or even at CatCo. There was only one place that would’ve felt right – the only place that mattered. Being with the people that mattered.

Which was why Nia found herself snuggled up with Brainy on the Tower’s couch by 5pm. Super suit officially retired for the evening, she lounged about with the rest of her friends in comfortable civilian clothes, wine glass in hand and like a zillion different party games strewn across the coffee table.

Lena and Brainy had both spent the better part of the afternoon poring over the game instructions with the same sort of life-or-death intensity usually reserved for their day jobs, but Nia wasn’t about to complain. Brainy was on her team, after all, which meant that whatever they got around to playing, they were totally going to kill it. She and Brainy were already sat at the champion spot on the game night board – really, the others didn’t stand a chance. Brainy didn’t get all the credit for that, either. Nia’s powers came with some added benefits – like dreaming up specific strategies or figuring out the rules to games they hadn’t even thought of playing yet. She’d gotten pretty good at it, in fact, and no matter what Alex said, it was not cheating.

So long as she didn’t get caught.

“So,” Alex said as she grabbed a beer from the cooler, clinking her bottle against Kara’s glass as she passed. “Your first year without a secret identity. Better or worse than you thought it’d be?”

Kara pulled a face, hiding behind her glass. “Can I answer that after midnight?”

“Staller,” Alex teased, settling down next to Kelly who had already claimed a spot around the coffee table.

“Hey—not fair,” Kara said, speeding over to join them. “I shouldn’t be the only one answering that question, anyway. A lot has happened this year. I mean, the DEO officially started up again, you and Kelly got that new house.” She pointed to Nia and Brainy emphatically. “And you two – you got engaged!”

Nia grinned, leaning forward. “Oh, you mean this?” she asked, brandishing her new Legion ring with pride.

Alex laughed. “We get it, already, your fiancé bestowed you with the power of flight.”

Brainy scoffed. “This ring offers more than just flight.” He scooped Nia’s hand into his as though to demonstrate, linking their fingers together. Nia’s grin widened. “It’s also a psychic blocker and comms device, as well as offering protection against extreme climates found at higher altitudes, otherwise compromising—”

“Show off,” Alex cut in, poking out her tongue.

“Well, I think our engagements rings were pretty perfect,” Kelly said, pecking her wife on the cheek.

“Yeah,” Alex pouted, “but flight.”

Kelly waved her off. “I get nauseous flying anyway.” She prodded the backpack stowed beneath the coffee table with her foot, giving some shape to the folded shield tucked inside. “Guardian stays grounded for a reason.”

“Yes.” Brainy eyed Kelly warmly, sitting upright. “Let me know if that ever changes.”

“I appreciate the suit upgrades, Brainy, really,” Kelly assured him. “But you couldn’t pay me to strap on a pair of wings, or a flight ring for that matter.”

“Understood,” Brainy said, although Nia could tell he hadn’t quite put his flight plans to bed just yet.

When he relaxed back against the sofa, she took the opportunity to claim his lap as her new headrest, making herself comfortable. Their hands remained entwined across her stomach, Brainy’s thumb working gentle circles over her knuckles.

Just before anyone could get too comfy, the elevator doors dinged from across the room and Lena stepped into the loft, her face obscured by an intimidatingly tall stack of pizza boxes. “Pizza’s here,” she announced, struggling to see around the veritable tower in her hands. “There’s more downstairs if anyone has an arm to spare.”

“Well timed, Lena,” J’onn said with a smile. He was already jogging forward, half-phased through the Tower’s floorboards. “I’ll get the rest.”

“Oh,” Lena called out before he could disappear, “I also had to leave the wine in your office.”

J’onn winked before melting through to the level below.

“Prioritising food over alcohol; who are you and what have you done with Lena Luthor?” Alex teased, rising to greet her at the same time as Kara.

“Oh relax, it wasn’t the good stuff,” Lena said as she assigned pizza boxes to the two sisters. “There should still be some of that left over in the pantry downstairs.”

Nia smiled, watching the interaction with absolutely zero intention of moving herself. Instead, she spread out even further across Brainy’s lap, stretching out her arms. “D’you think they ever fight over who gets to deliver here?”

“Why?” Alex asked. “Because we’re superheroes, or because of Lena’s tips?”

“Both.”

Brainy narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. “It is highly likely.”

“Oh, come on you two,” Lena called out in exasperation. “Pizza’s getting cold.”

Nia groaned, pushing herself up with a little help from her fiancé. “Fine, fine, we’re coming.”

----

The next few hours passed with ease. They ate and chatted and played way too many high-stakes card games. Brainy was officially banned from poker by 8 o’clock and Nia wasn’t allowed any more pre-game ‘warm up’ naps. She let it slide – she’d been meaning to practice her conscious dream-state, anyway. Besides, by the time the strong stuff came out of the pantry, everyone was playing with every super advantage they had at their disposal.

Nia wasn’t sure what time it was when she felt Brainy begin to grow restless at her side. Without saying anything, she lifted her head from his shoulder, giving him a little more room to work with. Not long after that, he broke away from the circle, heading out to the balcony for some fresh air.

She gave him some time at first, easing back into the conversation, but as the clock ticked closer towards midnight, she knew she needed to check in. After excusing herself, she creaked her way unsubtly up the stairs, finding Brainy exactly where she'd expected him to be – with his arms folded over the balcony’s edge, his chin tipped up towards the stars.

He always looked so peaceful when he was alone like that. His eyes may have been closed, but his mind was wide open. Right now, Nia imagined a million and one thoughts coursing seamlessly through Brainy’s head. To anyone else, the very notion of thinking to that extreme was a one-way ticket to migraine territory. But Brainy revelled in it. His twelve thought tracks were flourishing, broadened to new and exhilarating horizons ever since he’d first removed his inhibitors.

Sure, it had been rocky at first, but with the time to become reacquainted with his own potential, Brainy had only become more certain of himself for it. He’d once tried to explain it to Nia - how it felt for him without the restrictions that had once clouded his mind - and although there was no way she could ever put herself fully in his shoes, the way he had described it had sounded so profound, so freeing, that she’d found herself tearing up long before he’d even finished talking.

To be alone with one’s thoughts took on a whole new meaning for a Coluan, and it was the surest way to calm him whenever he became overwhelmed. Sometimes, especially after being around so many people for so long, Brainy needed to take a step back from it all and recharge his social metre. To find that connection between himself and the Big Brain and to truly nourish it.

It did mean that he often lost track of time. And so, as quietly as she could, Nia padded out to the balcony edge alongside her fiancé, brushing her arm up against his.

He stirred slowly, his lashes catching the starlight as he turned his head, acknowledging her without having to say a word.

Nia stood with him a while in that comfortable silence. The night air felt sobering against her cheeks, and the city below was so alive. Every brightly lit window was a doorway into another world, another person celebrating that step closer to a new year on planet Earth. Down on the ground, the bars were abuzz with people, whole groups spilling out onto the streets with drink in hand, enjoying the mild weather and fragrant breeze.

Nia took in a deep breath, letting it go slowly. “How long do we have?” she murmured.

“Eleven minutes, twenty-nine seconds.”

She grinned. Brainy’s response was as immediate as ever. She tipped her head against his shoulder, relaxing into his warmth. “Kara was right, y’know. This year has been pretty intense. In a good way.”

Brainy’s lips twitched into a faint smile. He lowered his head, pressing a kiss into her hair. “Indeed, it has.”

“Think we’ll top it next year?”

Brainy’s smiled widened. He turned his attention back towards the skyline, scanning it with new vigour. “You wanted a summer wedding, correct?”

“Spring or summer,” Nia said with a shrug, burying her nose firmer into his throat. “So long as the flowers are out. Mom would’ve wanted to see them in bloom.”

Brainy was still mapping the stars ahead, his dark eyes moving rapidly from left to right. There was a secretive edge to his smile, and a far-away look in his expression - one that told her he was already planning something special. He bit his lip, rising proudly where he stood. “Then the year to come will certainly exceed the last.”

Nia buzzed with anticipation; his excitement was infectious, igniting her own. Honestly, she would’ve married him right that second if it hadn’t been for all the hard work they’d put into the wedding plan already. Although, with an officiator in the other room and a bottle of wine already going to her head, she couldn’t deny it was a tempting thought.

She was thrown from that thought when a flash lit up the sky above their heads, followed by an explosive pop and bang a second later. Instinctively, Brainy clutched at her hand, holding her close. Nia tensed expectantly, but there was no fire to follow, no superhero emergency at all - just a stray firework set off by some kids down below.

“Little early,” Nia murmured, nudging Brainy’s arm. It was still beautiful, though, and she found that she couldn’t tear her eyes away.

The firework streamed across the sky in fine shimmers of red and gold, reminding her a little of the translucence of her own dream energy, before spilling downward, raining a mist of glowing embers just a few blocks away.

The sky was dark again by the time she realised that Brainy hadn’t been watching the firework with her. Instead, he was looking at her, his eyes bright with reverence, twinkling with a different kind of spark.

“Perhaps we should take advantage of the moment,” he suggested in a low voice, leaning forward.

Nia smiled when his lips brushed across her cheek, trailing towards her ear. She closed her eyes appreciatively, tipping her chin closer to his mouth, his lashes tickling her nose. “Aren’t we supposed to wait for midnight?” she murmured.

“Hm.” Brainy’s lips curved in contemplation. His thumb traced the line of her jaw slowly, catching a curl of her hair before stroking it back behind her ear. His fingers lingered there at the nape of her neck, digging fine crescents into her skin. “I think we’ve traversed time enough to allow for certain… deviations in that respect.”

Nia shivered. She didn’t need much convincing; in fact, she was already leaning in for the kiss, one hand still gripping the balcony wall, the other locked tightly around Brainy’s arm, pulling him closer until their lips finally met.

She was still a little heady from the wine, but the kiss felt like a firework of its own inside her chest, warming her from the inside out. Brainy’s hands were electric everywhere they touched - her face, her hair, her neck, each sensation enhanced by the alcohol roaring through her blood.

She could have believed they were flying.

Crap. Because they were flying.

Or at least, she was. Without even thinking, Nia had let her Legion ring tap into the psychic suggestion she’d been broadcasting a little too boldly, so much that it had begun to lift her off her feet.

When she gasped in surprise, Brainy grinned against her mouth. He held her steady, anchoring her to him until she found her footing again - on solid ground, this time.

“Thanks,” Nia mumbled against his chin, ducking her head into his shoulder, trying to assuage her own embarrassment. She could feel the rumble of laughter in Brainy’s chest and couldn’t help but smile along. “That’s definitely gonna take some getting used to.”

They held each other for a while longer, so comfortable in each other’s arms that Nia nearly lost track of time.

That was until voices started picking up back inside.

A moment later, Nia heard Kara calling: “Countdown’s starting!”

Already? Nia could hardly believe it. She grinned mischievously. “C’mon,” she said, tugging Brainy’s arm.

In the light of the Tower, he looked about as flushed as she felt, his blond hair frazzled against his jaw. He moved eagerly with her momentum, letting her drag him towards the balcony door.

By the time they were back inside, the countdown was nearly halfway through. They got as far as the top of the stairs before the final three seconds started ringing out.

Thinking fast, Nia made her decision. Spinning impulsively at the final second, she wrapped her arms around Brainy’s shoulders, pulling him in for another – official – kiss.

His lips were the warmest welcome she could hope for to usher in the new year.

They parted just as a bottle popped across the room. Brainy’s hands slipped around Nia’s waist, bumping his nose against hers before they both blinked back into reality, noticing for the first time the chaos that had erupted in just seconds below them.

“Ah,” Brainy said under his breath.

“Uh-huh,” Nia answered.

Over at the coffee table, Lena was pouring champagne flutes like her life depended on it from a bottle that’s neck was furiously frothing over courtesy of a certain over-eager Kryptonian. Kara was already making up for her mistake by super-speeding glasses under the bottle faster than they could spill over, placing them on every available surface she could find.

“Okay, you guys really need to start taking some of these,” Kara insisted.

“Way ahead of you,” Alex said, snatching two flutes from the table and handing one to Kelly. They clinked glasses, sharing another kiss.

J’onn laughed. “Here, let me help,” he said, angling the bottle in Lena’s hands so that it was a little less explosive on the next pour.

Lena let go of the bottle entirely, more than happy to let J’onn take over in exchange for a glass of her own.

“Us too,” Nia said, catching Brainy’s eye. “I could use another glass.”

Lena raised a brow expectantly. “Oh, I bet you do.”

Nia tried not to blush.

Once everyone had settled back around the table, flutes in hand, champagne mostly mopped up, Alex raised her glass, tapping it insistently with a fingernail. Instead of instigating a speech, she pointed her glass towards Kara. “So?” she asked. “Better or worse?”

Kara groaned aloud, muffling her voice with the rim of her glass. “I was hoping you’d forget.”

Alex winked. “Never.”

Kara rolled her eyes, lifting her free hand in surrender. “You know what? Fine. I’ll say it. Because, as a matter of fact, despite how freeing this year has been for me, I can’t deny that it’s also been hard. Really hard at times. In fact, for a while, I really did begin to wonder whether any of this was worth it.” She pursed her lips, knocking Alex’s arm. “But,” she countered, drawing out the word, “every time the media tried to beat me down, or the military pushed into my affairs, you were all there for me. You stood by me, supported this decision and supported me whenever I needed it. You reminded me why I wanted this in the first place.” Kara’s lips were already starting to tremble. She swiped quickly at her eyes, sniffing. “What I’m saying is, I really couldn’t have got through this year without you guys.”

“Kara,” Alex said softly.

“Stop, or I won’t finish,” Kara laughed. With a steadying breath, she hooked one arm around her sister’s shoulders, looping her other with Lena’s. “So, yes, this year could have been the worst, but it was the best because of all of you.” She raised her glass above Alex’s head, beaming proudly. “To family!”

“To family,” everyone echoed back.

Nia clinked her drink with everyone else, trying desperately to hold it together. She locked eyes with Brainy from across the table, seeing the happy tears that already stained his cheeks, the easy smile he wore now for no one’s benefit but his own, and realised just how lucky she was to be surrounded by so much love. Despite the hardships she’d faced in both her personal and hero life, she had a family here, one that may have come under its fair share of strain, sure, but had only grown stronger from what it had endured.

The Legion ring suddenly felt warmer around her finger, like a hug from a new friend. Maybe it was all in her head, or maybe it really was responding to her good mood.

Brainy had told her once that a Legion ring meant different things to different people, but at its heart, it represented the joined forces of the Legionnaires themselves. Their connection to one another, despite what made them so different.

For her, though, at its core, the ring was a promise. As certain as the one she and Brainy had made to each other on the training room floor. A promise shared by the echo of her friends right that second.

To family.

With the person she loved the most right there at her side, their devotion to each other worn as plainly as the rings on their fingers, she realised that promise was only just getting started.

Nia grinned, taking Brainy’s hand.

She couldn’t wait for the year ahead.

[qqueenofhades]

Chapters: 10/? Fandom: The Sandman (TV 2022) Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Dream of the Endless/Hob Gadling, Dream of the Endless | Morpheus/Hob Gadling Characters: Dream of the Endless | Morpheus, Dream of the Endless, Hob Gadling, Death of the Endless, Rose Walker Additional Tags: It's An AU Or Is It, There's a Complicated Relationship To Canon, A Murder Mystery But Not Like You Think, Academic Drama, Art History, Historical Mystery, Angst and Romance, Professor Hob Gadling, Modern Era, Dreams and Nightmares, Past Character Death, Possibly Unreliable Narrator, They’re Soulmates Your Honor

NOTE: If you want to read or catch up from the beginning, here’s chapter 1.

[ladeedade]

Desperately need an Everlark fic that embodies the Hozier cover of Do I wanna know. If anyone has recs pls pls leabe them here before I simply pass away

[alongtherubyford]

thinking about reyna proposing herself to percy because what if jason really doesn’t come home? this percy guy is something similar. maybe it’s awful of her, but she wants jason back.

thinking about reyna being so excited that jason is coming home, oh how will he react? will he kiss her, like he promised? has he remembered her like how percy remembered annabeth? oh, she hopes she has. she loves him with every piece of her.

thinking about reyna holding her heartbreak in her body as jason smiles at her while he holds another girl’s hand. her face is stony, but she wants to scream. why don’t you remember me? you told me it was us. why did you lie to me?

thinking about jason wishing piper’s hair was longer as he braids it, and maybe darker. he just can’t remember why- oh. reyna. his girl- no, piper is his girl. it’s what hera wants, and jason is nothing if not obedient.

thinking about jason staring at camp jupiter from the edge of the argo ii, hoping to see reyna in the crowd. he’d know her anywhere. piper comes up next to him and holds his hand. he smiles at her. he wouldn’t know her anywhere, but hera wants him to learn to.

thinking about jason watching as reyna collapses. not physically, of course, but he knows her. it’s in her eyes. he remembers his promise, that it was them. it’s always us, rey. it’s always you. piper squeezes his hand. it’s always piper now, but hera decreed it so. and jason is nothing if not obedient.