#wtf are you supposed to tag oc posts with

[buwheal]

Theyre both insufferable your honor

[casssmalefantasy]

some hurt/comfort reader isn't a public figure so they keep their relationship private but it gets leaked and reader start receiving hate comments, paige feels guilty but reader says it's okay and she knew the risks when they stated dating

WE KNEW THE RISK - PAIGE BUECKERS X OC

I synopsis: your relationship wasn’t supposed to be anyone else’s business. not yet. not like this. but when the internet finds out you’re dating paige, the comments start rolling in—loud, cruel, and impossible to ignore.

I warnings: emotional distress, social media harassment, anxiety, crying, soft angst with comfort, established relationship, private relationship leaked

I word count: 1.4k

l author's note: thank you for the request 😋😋

──────────────────────

the thing is—you knew this could happen.

from the moment paige leaned against that sticky bar counter on campus last fall and asked for your number, that small warning bell went off in your chest. a whisper.

you know who she is. do you really want to do this?

but then she smiled like she already liked you, like your name was a secret she wanted to keep. and she was funny, and gentle, and warm in a way you weren’t used to. so you said yes.

and now here you are, four and a half months in, wearing her oversized uconn hoodie with your knees tucked to your chest in her bed, scrolling through comments that feel like they’re being carved into your skin.

“she’s not even cute wtf”

“paige bueckers dating a nobody is the most unrealistic thing i’ve ever seen”

“she’s using her. just watch.”

“this is why i don’t stan athletes. one taste of clout and they fumble.”

you shouldn’t have kept looking. you told yourself you wouldn’t.

you made your account private. muted everything. turned your phone face down.

but it’s still there.

in your chest. under your skin. like a weight you can’t push out.

—

it started earlier that day. aubrey posted a harmless video on her story—a day off energy, loud and messy and chaotic. but in the corner, you and paige were on the couch, barely visible, her hand on your thigh, your head resting against her chest.

someone screen recorded. zoomed in. posted it to twitter with “wait a damn minute…”

from there, it spread like wildfire. tiktok comments, message requests, people dissecting your instagram, tagging you, talking about how you look, how you dress, how you don’t seem like paige’s type.

you stayed silent.

you tried to act fine.

but your hands started shaking around 3pm.

and by the time she got home from practice, you were already in her bed—hood up, eyes wet, trying not to sob too loud into the hoodie that still smelled like her.

you hear the door open.

“baby?”

her voice is tired. not distant—just worn out.

you stiffen. don’t answer. maybe if you stay still, she’ll think you’re asleep.

but she knows you. she always knows.

the door clicks shut. her footsteps cross the room.

“hey,” she says, gentler now. “you okay?”

you don’t move.

a second later, the mattress dips beside you.

her hand finds your back—faint pressure, slow circles. “talk to me.”

you inhale. then turn.

your eyes meet hers. hers widen the second she sees your face.

“oh.” her hand freezes. “oh, baby. what happened?”

your voice breaks. “i—i made it private. i tried to stop it. i thought—”

you can’t even finish the sentence. your jaw clenches and your shoulders start shaking again.

paige slides in closer, wrapping her arm around your waist and pulling you against her chest. “what happened?” she asks again, quieter this time. “who did this?”

you hesitate. then, reluctantly, you reach for your phone.

you don’t say anything. you just tilt the screen toward her and let it speak.

her eyes flick over the messages. the comments. the zoomed-in screenshots of you two. the circle drawn around your face like you’re something to dissect. a few tweets with thousands of likes. one with your name trending underneath it.

“what the fuck,” she says under her breath. “what the actual fuck.”

you pull your phone back. your hands are shaking again. “it’s not just twitter. it’s everywhere.”

paige is quiet.

you don’t look at her.

instead, you say it before she can.

“i should’ve expected this.”

she flinches.

“this was gonna happen eventually,” you add, voice thinner now. “we knew the risk.”

she doesn’t say anything. not right away. not until you finally lift your head and glance at her.

she’s staring down at the bed. her jaw’s tight. her brows pulled together.

“…you really think you deserved this?”

your throat stings. “no. i just…”

you exhale, shaky. “i didn’t think it would hurt this bad. and i didn’t think you would feel bad about it.”

her eyes snap to yours.

you regret saying it. you don’t mean it like that.

but the truth is—it’s been sitting in your chest all day. not just the pain of the comments, but the guilt of knowing paige was never supposed to feel responsible for any of it.

and now, looking at her face, you know she does.

“…you think this is your fault,” you whisper.

she swallows. “it is my fault. you didn’t ask for any of this. i should’ve been more careful, i should’ve—”

her voice cracks, and she looks away, blinking fast.

you hate that this is what’s breaking her.

“paige.”

she shakes her head. “they’re attacking you because of me. i brought you into this. and now people who don’t even know you, are acting like they get to pick apart your face and your life just because—what? you love me?”

you don’t even think. you just move.

climb into her lap, arms around her neck, tucking your face into the side of hers.

she exhales like she’s been holding her breath for hours.

“this isn’t your fault,” you whisper. “you didn’t post that video. you didn’t make them say those things. and i don’t regret being with you. i’d do it again. even if i knew it would end like this.”

she tightens her arms around you. presses her lips to your temple.

“you shouldn’t have to say that,” she murmurs. “you shouldn’t have to defend us.”

you nod against her shoulder. “i know.”

she breathes in. slow. then again. her hands slide under your hoodie and settle at your waist.

“i just hate that this is the first time people found out about us,” she says quietly. “not because i’m embarrassed. but because i wanted it to be us. on our terms. not some grainy screenshot of you on my lap.”

you let out a laugh. it’s small and watery and real.

she pulls back just enough to look at you. tucks a strand of hair behind your ear.

“i hate that this hurt you,” she whispers.

you kiss her shoulder. “you didn’t hurt me.”

“but i hate that they did. and i can’t stop it.”

you don’t have an answer to that.

so you just rest your head against her again and let the silence speak for both of you.

you fall asleep like that. curled up in her lap, your tears dried into her hoodie, her arms wrapped around you like a promise.

she waits until your breathing evens out. until your hands go still. until your body settles.

then, slowly, carefully, she reaches for her phone.

she scrolls past the noise. the chaos. the speculation.

and she opens her camera roll.

there’s a picture from last month. one she never posted.

you’re sitting at a restaurant, chin in your hand, smiling at her like she’s the only person in the world who matters. the lighting’s warm. your eyes are soft.

it’s one of her favorite pictures of you.

she makes a quick photo dump. nothing flashy. some food, game flicks, a selfie from a photo shoot.

and then, at the end, the photo of you.

she hits post. watches it go up. watches the comments roll in again.

some good. some bad. but none of them know you the way she does.

then she opens twitter. types slow. deletes. tries again.

“nobody who sends hate to the people i love is a fan of me. period.”

she stares at it for a second.

then hits send.

when she finally puts her phone down and turns the light off, she wraps herself around you again.

and in the dark, she whispers it into your hair like a prayer.

“we’ll be okay.”

[stars-and-the-min]

☆ the wrong way to hard launch (2) | OP81

summary : oscar's girlfriend is a walking pr problem for literally everyone (including herself) social media au

pairing : oscar piastri x zhou!fem!singer!oc

a/n more unserious behaviour

masterlist | last part | part 2 | next part

TWITTER

kayla @luna_apocolyse · 42m oomf... i fear you have girlbossed too close to the sun with this one

↳ MANIFESTED OSCALINA | LONDON N3 @12m0red4ys · 31m nothing comedic about it i was PRAYING actually

lila💚 @kasdanrights · 23m OOMF YOU SHOULD CHECK LINA'S STORY 😭😭😭 ↳ li(n)a @meliabelrose · 19m I ACTUALLY CAN'T WITH THIS UNSERIOUS WOMAN

INSTAGRAM

selinabui just posted to their story

TWITTER

MANIFESTED OSCALINA | LONDON N3 @12m0red4ys · 3m THAT'S SUCH A DEEPCUT TWEET ADFJSDF is she stalking me or smth AND THAT FUCKASS FONT PLS LINA I BEG YOU TO USE ANOTHER FONT and she tagged his ass as well ↳ abby <3 @devilvows · 3m thanks bestie we finally got the rest of the bday shoot bc of u 🫶

pookie piastri @op81ln4 · 12m ok i see the vision, she is the vision, wtf is in the zhou genes? modelling? ↳ pookie piastri @op81ln4 · 11m oscar, pookie, i think she's a bit out of ur league but good luck? ↳ pookie piastri @op81ln4 · 7m i heard her sing, she's definitely out of ur league, i'm rebranding

liv is SEEING EB LIVE!! @olivielina · 1h do you think lina saw the comments under that tweet bc if so 😭 ↳ liv is SEEING EB LIVE!! @olivielina · 1h this four-reply run SENDS me every time

↳ june @linafesting · 54m what was the context of this time period why are the comments so scattered? (new linami here) ↳ liv is SEEING EB LIVE!! @olivielina · 49m i think this was around the time t*mmy got engaged and the paps were hounding lina and everyone was telling her to fight back (get a bf)

INSTAGRAM

emptybottlos

liked by zhouguanyu24 and 9,421 others

emptybottlos THE only cousins to ever cousin tagged: selinabui and zhouguanyu24

selinabui DELETE PLS I DIDN'T NEED TO SEE THIS ↳ selinabui @ selinabui I PROMISE I'LL BE GOOD JUST PLS DELETE THIS I HATE THIS SO MUCH

zhouguanyu24 😂😂😂

selinabui

liked by lukaszhang, oscarpiastri and 118,023 others

selinabui the desperate image reversal post

stakef1team Kick Sauber green 💚 ↳ selinabui @stakef1team absolutely not but ok bestie stay delulu

pi4str1 oscar in the likes 😭 buddy ur supposed to be getting ready for qualifying???

pastry81 is lina gonna be at the race??? ↳ mickeyko @ pastry81 no :( the whole band flew out to jakarta this morning for the asian leg of the tour

TWITTER

↳ kay ♡ @ blackcatluna · 4h ok guys this has exited my little circle - just to clarify THIS IS A JOKE I'M NOT A KASLINA TRUTHER !!!

↳ kaslina on my mind ☁️ @kaslinatruther · 5h look at my babies 🥹

↳ oscalina real ?! @emptyginbottles · 4h IJBOL ARIANA (kaslina) WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE???

↳ liv is SEEING EB LIVE!! @olivielina · 4h certainties of the world: sun rising from east, kaslina resurgence every time one of them has a dating rumour ↳ liv is SEEING EB LIVE!! @olivielina · 4h LEAVE MY TWIN GUITARS ALONE ↳ liv is SEEING EB LIVE!! @olivielina · 4h and it's always when it's a DATING rumour, never when they break up

↳ emme @flowersforcami · 4h every baby empty bottles fan goes thru a massive kaslina phase after seeing them live i can't even blame anyone 🥸 ↳ piaa⁸¹ @papayaeightyone · 3h hi there, oscar fan, so what exactly is going on with lukas (?) and lina? ↳ emme @flowersforcami · 3h absolutely nothing, they grew up as neighbours who just have pretty spectacular tension on stage but this is them irl: youtube.com/watch?v=....

INSTAGRAM

oscarpiastri

liked by selinabui and 76,295 others

oscarpiastri Post qualifying, pretty happy with the effort 💪

emptybottlesbar 🔥🔥🔥 ↳ oliviafufu @emptybottlesbar admin are you doing ok there?

landonorris P6 verrrry nice ↳ oscarpiastri @ landonorris P4 verrrrrrry nice :)

izzy.piastri LET'S GAURRRRRR

amelia_belrose he's on the exact opposite side of the spectrum dfjnskjd i can't believe we're getting calm bf x hyper gf

amelia_belrose mr piastri, just curiously, what exactly do you see in our lina?

pastry81 oscar went ok hard launch over, back to regularly scheduled content (papaya)

selinabui

liked by zhouguanyu24 and 98,834 others

selinabui *sigh* kick sauber green 💚

pi4str1 SHE'S SO DEEPLY UNSERIOUS THE PAPAYA #1 VAN 😭😭😭 ↳ pastry81 @pi4str1 i love her so much she's just soooooo

zhouguanyu24 🤨 ↳ selinabui @ zhouguanyu24 爱你爱你 🫂🫂

landonorris Love where your loyalties lie #teampapaya

stakef1team We'll take it 💚💚💚

lukaszhang YO WHO'S DOG IS THAT???

courtneysong16 convinced she saw a random orange van and said “wait let me serve first”

emptybottlesbar

liked by cameliazzz and 108,274 others

emptybottlesbar The two people currently breaking the internet (who look pretty proud of themselves) tagged: selinabui, oscarpiastri, emptybottles_official and mclaren

eb_jonno WHICH ADMIN IS THIS, LET ME SEND YOU FLOWERS OR SMTH

lukaszhang not the 'held at gunpoint' reaction pic AHAHA

cameliazzz admin... sara is that you???

aidan_ebass 👍 ↳ selinabui @aidan_ebass you remembered your login??? ↳ lottie2418 @aidan_ebass omg grandpa hi hi

✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ:✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ:✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ:

taglist @ririyulife @ashy-kit

[thecrescentmind]

I have decided to use this blog for general SaSi content along with ocs because reasons, will tag accordingly (TCM au posts will use the tags they’ve been using) so uh sanders sides swap au that’s been rotating in my brain for a while

No one swaps what they represent but they swap roles in the story more or less

Patton swaps with Janus, Roman swaps with Remus, and Logan swaps with an orange side I made up. Virgil is now the protagonist instead of c!Thomas but Thomas doesn’t really take Virgil’s role, I will explain how that works. (Under the cut cause this got very long)

This takes place in a universe where c!Thomas’ life went differently in a variety of ways that led his perception of what parts of him are good and what parts are bad to change very rapidly. I’m not sure how everything ended up the way it did exactly and in case I do end up doing things with this au I’m not going to reveal what I do have decided just yet. (I will say Thomas was unable to pursue his passions here and has a corporate job he hates which is kind of relevant) But whatever happened differently led to the worse parts of the canon light sides being emphasized and the better parts of the canon dark sides being emphasized. Eventually leading them to trade places in terms of how Thomas viewed them.

Sel (Janus. short for self perseverance or selfishness), Ideas (Remus), and Defense (Orange, he’s anger in this au btw) are aware of this, they know they weren’t meant to be in the positions they are, at least not like this. All of them are secretly terrified of losing the positions they’re in. Feelings (Patton), Pride (Roman), and Logic (you know who this is) are also aware of this, and it infuriates them. They were supposed to help Thomas, they want to help Thomas. They just want what’s best for him but for some reason he can’t see that. If they have to push things farther to get things how they should be then so be it.

Caution (Virgil) is a new side, the first they’ve had since Thomas was a kid/teen, he just got here and knows nothing about how things got the way they did. He decides to record his journey to find his place as a part of Thomas, and these vlogs are (for the most part) the pov we would see from.

This au has a bigger emphasis on the mindscape, it’s bigger and more complicated cause I thought it would be cool idk. Specifically it’s part of how Janus keeps the sides he wants repressed hidden. There are parts of the mindscape said to be unsafe that no one’s supposed to go into, Thomas doesn’t know why and when Caution shows up, neither does he. Thomas decides to sneak in one day (he’s more reckless here plus the idea of the supposedly dangerous and scary part of the mindscape always intrigued him) with Caution tagging behind him because if he can’t stop Thomas from acting like a dumb horror movie protagonist he might as well go with him to keep him safe.

What they find is actually a lot calmer than what they expected, maybe even less chaotic than what the rest of the mindscape can be at times. It’s nice but it almost seems fake, too perfect to be real. They look around until they. hear. something. Virgil gets them out of there before either of them can see if the ominous voice in the allegedly unsafe part of the mind is actually dangerous and upon returning get lectured by Janus. Virgil asks wtf that voice might’ve been, Janus says (lying) that he isn’t sure, maybe a monster, an illusion, nothing good that’s for sure. They walk away but Virgil stays by the entrance just a second longer than Thomas and Janus, for a second he sees something try to exit before being forced back inside.

It didn’t look like a monster or an illusion or whatever Janus said was in there though, it looked like another side. Of course the embodiment of anxiety overthinks this so eventually he decides to sneak back in there alone.

And then nothing bad happened to any of them ever (lie)

[kittenintheden]

This isn’t a story request, just wanted to get a different person’s opinion on this brainworm—what would happen if Tav was abducted from Earth? I mean the Nautiloid was teleporting everywhere when fleeing from the dragons, so Tav could be unlucky enough to be the only modern Earthling they abduct.

Tav would have no magical powers. Maybe they can play an instrument and pretend to be a bard, retelling the Lord of the Rings as a true story to fool people? Maybe they harness the power of science like a mad scientist? How the heck would Astarion react to her ways of thinking?

Oh friend! Do I have a neat one for you to check out! I have a friend who's currently working on something along these same line with a slightly different premise. It also takes place post-game events. Shoutout to Bella!!

So, she's coming at it from the perspective of an "our world" person who knows BG3 exists and has played it and then gets transported into the world. Anyway! Your question.

This type of thing is so fun. This is why I love fic writing. Any weird little idea in your brain? MAKE IT A FIC. I love it.

You're suggesting something like while planejumping, the Nautilus grabbed someone from our universe. Which, in the multiverse theory of D&D, could theoretically happen! It's a fish-out-of-water plot with fun possibilities.

I suppose the first question to ask is how you're characterizing this new OC. What are their existing skills and interests? Even without magic, they could be a martial fighter, a bard, even a wizard. Artificer if they're good at tinkering. Maybe being shunted into a magical universe awakens magic within them and they're a surprise sorcerer and then you can play with person who's never had magic suddenly having magic and being WTF about it.

That's ultimately what's going to decide the story -- how the fish-out-of-water reacts. Everyone else is FROM this world, they get it, and it'd be very easy to be like "well that person has clearly had a mental break, on we go." Do they all speak the same language? I assume the Earthling will understand Common.

Lots of potential for headbutting. What is the Earthling offering in order to tag along? What turns of phrase are different? Do they have a functional electronic device on them?

How would YOU react if you were dropped into the world? What conflicts would come up for YOU?

As for how Astarion would respond, well, he's a chaos gremlin looking for any means of protective power he can find, at least in early game. He's already freaked out, so what's one more thing? Does this character offer some kind of protection or tactical alliance? He's probably on board. Are they weird and unusual [in context]? He's probably like lol nice.

"You're a bit of an... odd one, aren't you? I can work with that."

[prince-rowan-of-the-forest]

We'll Save You (1/4)

----

Janus finds himself stumbling into problems like one stumbles over rocks on the road, except some problems are a little worse than others.

But when he finally stumbles into someone who isn't like everyone else Janus' had met so far in this unforgiving world, he thinks that maybe there is some merit to the world after all.

----

| Ao3 | Next Chapter -> |

Fic Warnings: implied + referenced abuse/torture. trauma, an oc character generally being creepy. referenced past starvation

Pairings: pre-established prinxiety, pre-romantic anaroceit.

Word Count: 4054

Notes: Hellloooo @anaroceitweek day 1 here - yes I'm tagging myself and participating in my own event shut up.

Ao3 is down so I can't post on there just yet, but I will later! So! Yeah!

My plan is to continue this fic with a few of the other prompts from this week if I can get the writing done in time, but I might not lol, they may be late. I really want to draw Roman from this au after I described him-

Also I'm flying by the seat of my pants for this fic (wtf does this phrase actually mean lmao) so I have planned NOTHING lol

----

“Hello there little one,” said a whispering voice in the back of Janus’ mind that sent shivers down his spine. He ignored it, resolute, you weren’t supposed to talk to the voices in the forest, “My my, aren’t you far from home?”

Janus growled in the back of his throat, pushing forward. If he didn’t acknowledge the creepy voice speaking straight into his brain, then it would go away and leave him the hell alone. 

“What is such a little thing like you doing here in our woods anyway?” The voice sounded thoughtful, and Janus could almost picture a being putting a finger to their chin in curiosity with it.

He shook his head to get rid of the image and kept walking at his almost-too-quick pace, pushing back a branch, ducking under another one, stepping over the poisonous plant, keep going. 

“Careful where you step,” The voice crooned, almost mocking, Janus couldn’t resist the urge to glance around at the area. No one was there, he glared at the empty space anyway. 

“Why such a look, little one? I’m only trying to help,” The voice said, growing a little louder and slightly more persistent, the tone was almost a whine, but somehow Janus could tell that whatever was talking to him wasn’t genuinely upset.

“Shut up,” Janus muttered, pulling out a compass as he stopped for a moment, he groaned, finding he’d gone off course a little, turning and heading in the right direction.

“You shouldn’t be here,” The voice seemed to tease, “The woods are no place for a little mortal like you.”

“Yeah, well, don’t really have a choice do I,” Janus hissed at the empty forest around him, before slapping a hand over his mouth and sighing. Well, now he’d done it. 

“Oh how precious!” The voice seemed to laugh, “What are you running from, little one?”

“Nothing,” Janus snapped, “None of your business, whatever you are.”

“But it is my business, see,” They said voice punctuated with a cackle that had Janus paling, “Because you just stepped into my circle!”

“What,” Janus whispered, panicked now as he heard a whooshing breeze and suddenly the voice was gone. He looked around him, alarmed, to find that he was in fact standing in a circle - of pink and yellow flowers and mushrooms. He cursed, looking around again, this was a fairy circle, and he was stood in the centre of it. 

A strong, icy breeze whipped through the forest, tugging at his cloak and hair before settling again. Janus needed to get out of this circle before… but he couldnt’ seem to move his damn feet.

“What a surprise!” Someone said behind him, the voice sounded eerily similar to the one that had been speaking in his head, “Why, I haven’t had a visitor in years, welcome to my circle, little one.”

“Let me g-” Janus hissed, turning around only for his jaw to drop, the word he was speaking being cut off halfway through. 

Standing mere inches behind him was a person who could only possibly be fae. They smiled at him, the look on their face was something that might have been inviting, possibly even warm, if he took it at face value. 

Instead, he saw the undertones, something unnerving, and almost sinister. 

“Won’t you rest, little one, you’ve had such a long journey,” They said, cupping his face with their hand, he could already feel himself sinking to the ground, compelled by the siren-like melody of their words, “Yes that’s right, just rest, and tell me, what is your name, little one?”

Janus opened his mouth to reply, to answer, despite every part of him screaming no, to stay awake, to keep his name locked close to his chest. As his vision went black, he knew he wasn’t lucky enough to be so strong-willed. 

—-

Running. 

He was running. 

Where to? He didn’t know, where from? He shuddered to think.

His legs burned, the muscles screaming at him to stop, to rest, take a break, his mind whispered. He couldn’t take a break, if he stopped they would catch him and bring him back. His lungs burned too, every breath feeling like sandpaper in his throat, he kept going despite, kept pushing as he flew through the forest, the trees and the grass and plants barely able to hold him back for a second. 

It wasn’t the same forest he had been in all those years ago when he’d been escaping something that felt so far away from him now. So inconsequential and yet still able to shoot another bolt of adrenaline down his spine. He kept running.

No, this wasn’t the same forest. This one was luscious, almost too saturated - enough to hurt Janus’ eyes if he looked close for too long. This forest was filled with critters he didn’t know how to name, that he’d never seen before. It was filled with floating orbs of light that kept his path glowing ahead of him even as night began to fall. 

Janus ran until he crashed into something solid. His eyes were starting to blur from exhaustion at that point, and when he hit… whatever he had run into… his legs buckled and he simply sank to the floor, trying to pull air into his lungs. He didn’t know how far he had gotten, he only remembered the last stretch of the journey. But he felt like he had been running for hours. 

Someone was speaking, and Janus felt a dull stab of panic in his chest, someone was here, would they take him back? Had they come for him?

He tried to push himself up so he could run again but found he could barely even push himself up from the ground. When his arms gave out and he collapsed again, he was caught by an arm, a strong, warm arm, that pulled him into some kind of hold. His mind was too hazy and tired to really register what was happening as he was lifted into the air and carried away. 

—-

“What the fuck is that.” 

“A mortal!” Roman said, “I think.”

“You think?” Virgil hissed, pacing, “You just- You just brought in what you think is a mortal? To our house?”

“It ran into me!” Roman protested, “And then collapsed - and it looked so scared, I couldn’t just - leave it, Virge, you know that.”

“Well what are we supposed to do with it now?” Virgil said, gesturing widely to the mortal who lay sleeping in their shared bed. He wasn’t in the best shape, not by a long way. He was scrawny, with barely any meat on his bones. He wore clothes that covered his arms and legs, though they were ripped in places and too big. Knotted, messy blonde hair covered their still tense face. 

Roman took a deep breath, “I supposed we… look after it?”

“You’re serious?” Virgil said, groaning, “Why don’t we just drop it outside of the nearest fairy circle back into the mortal world?”

“Virge,” Roman said sternly, “First off, I think it’s a he? We’ll have to ask when it- he- wakes up, second, we don’t know where he came from, or how long he’s been here - we can’t just drop him off in the mortal world! He might be centuries and miles away from when he came in!”

“So?” Virgil said, crossing his arms, “Since when was that our problem?”

“Shush,” Roman hissed, raising a hand, “I think he’s waking up!”

“Ro- what-” Virgil hissed back as Roman rushed over to the bed, watching the mortal intently as he slowly blinked open his eyes. There was a moment of silence - so much so that even the room seemed to be holding it’s breath - before the human finally noticed Roman.

And Virgil felt such a strong bolt of fear surge through the room that he almost doubled over - a hand to his chest. The human scrambled from the bed, backing into the corner of the room on shaky legs and putting as much distance between himself and Roman as he could. 

Roman went to step closer, before Virgil intervened, grabbing the back of Roman’s blouse and dragging him back a few steps all while breathing heavily. 

Being able to feel other being’s fear was a useful power, but when it was so strong that it almost hurt it made Virgil wish he could turn it off. 

Virgil wondered what had happened to this human to make him so scared. 

“He’s terrified,” Virgil whispered to Roman, before letting him go. 

“Of what?” Roman asked, eyes wide. 

“You, I think,” Virgil said, “Maybe me too, not sure.”

“Stay away-” The human said raising a hand when Roman turned back to look at him, “What- do you want from me?”

Roman considered, for a second, before taking a deep breath, “Nothing.”

The mortal seemed shocked by that. Shocked enough to near collapse against the wall, ending up sitting on the plush carpet in the corner of the room. 

“...Nothing?” He asked, voice small.

“I didn’t bring you here to take from you,” Roman told him, trying to keep his voice soft but firm, Virgil remained silent, watching the exchange over Roman’s shoulder, “I brought you here so you could rest safely, that is all.”

“You’re not… you’re not with them?” The mortal asked.

“Who’s ‘them’, sweetie?” Roman asked gently, before sharing a worried glance with Virgil.

“The ones who gave me these,” The mortal said, sounding almost sad, though Virgil could still feel the fear radiating from him. Moments later he brushed his hair from his face, holding it back so that Virgil and Roman could see the marks imprinted there. 

Virgil gasped, covering his mouth with a hand. On the left side of the mortal’s face - from hairline to chin - was what looked like scales. Virgil knew better, though, the mark only looked like scales. 

“Vee,” Roman whispered, “You look pale.”

“That-” Virgil started, before looking at the mortal, who shrank back under his gaze and let the hair fall back into place, once again covering the mark, “That’s a brand, Ro.”

“What?” Roman yelped, “I thought those…”

“Weren’t a thing anymore? Yeah, so did I.” Virgil said, glaring at nothing, though the mortal shrunk back just a little more - probably because of his tone. 

Roman took a deep breath and nodded. “Of course, we need to… find out who did this-”

“A noble of the winter court,” Virgil answered, voice coming out a near hiss, “I recognise her mark.”

“Don’t send me back there,” The mortal spoke up, before slapping a hand over his mouth when both faeries turned to look at him, “Please.”

“No,” Roman shook his head, “I don’t think we will, right, Vee?”

“No, we won’t send you back there,” Virgil agreed, “whatever cruelty you have experienced under her will not follow you here.”

Roman hesitated, before tugging on Virgil’s sleeve to get his attention, before whispering, “You know we’ll be killed if she finds out we have him here, right?”

“You think I don’t know that?” Virgil sighed, “Buh… knowing that she had him- I can’t send him away knowing that.”

“Okay,” Roman nodded, “then we need to figure out what to do.”

“Of course,” Virgil said, looking back at the mortal, “Hey uh- is it okay with you if we ask a few questions?”

The mortal stared at him and Virgil could feel his fear strengthen the longer they looked at each other, eventually he concluded that he wasn’t going to respond. 

“Do you… not want to talk to me?” Virgil asked, frowning, the human nodded slowly, “Is it because… I’m winter?”

He stared at Virgil for a long moment, before whispering, “You- feel like she did…”

“Okay, yes, probably because I’m winter, then,” Virgil mumbled, “Would you rather talk to Ro?”

Virgil gestured to their partner who waved with a smile.

“Okay,” The mortal said eventually.

“Would you like me to leave?” Virgil asked.

“Please?” the mortal responded, Virgil nodded. He patted Roman’s arm before turning and leaving the room without another world.

—

“Okay,” ‘Ro’ said as soon as the other one left the room. All Janus’ attention was suddenly on the faerie in front of him. He was tall, with golden skin and hair like a bright bonfire. His eyes were like pools of liquid silver - not even mentioning the tawny wings on his back, similarly coloured feathers in place of ears too. He was… beautiful, and had a very different presence than the other faerie he was with, and… her. 

Janus tried to take a few breaths, he needed to answer the faerie’s questions if he wanted to get through this alive - and he had to answer them correctly if he wanted to get out of this without being hurt. 

“First,” He said, “Are you a uh- I don’t know mortal gender terms-?”

“A man,” Janus answered the question he was pretty sure Ro was asking, before continuing when the faerie tilted his head, blinking in confusion, “um, I use ‘he/him’ pronouns?”

“Wonderful, that’s what we assumed,” Ro nodded, Janus relaxed just a little, okay, that was the right answer then, “Now, do you have something you’d like to go by? Something we can call you?”

Janus tensed, he knew the question would come up, but that didn’t mean he liked it any more. Giving his name to a faerie was a mistake he’d made once, and he knew that as soon as he did it was all over. Ro would be able to control him, it would be just like before all over again. Of course, that was why they hadn’t hurt him yet - it all made sense, how nice they had been, they needed his name to use him. 

He must have hesitated for too long, though, because Ro frowned, “Just a nickname, sweetheart, I’m not asking for your true name.”

“You’re… not?” Janus asked hesitantly, he wasn’t sure if he was allowed to ask questions in return, but… he needed to know.

“I’m not,” Ro nodded, folding down to sit cross-legged on the plush carpet across the room from him, “Your true name is to be freely given to those you trust, and I know you don’t trust me yet.”

Janus didn’t say anything to that for a moment, he didn’t acknowledge that second statement at all, though he was sure Ro knew it was true, “...Deceit - you can call me, Deceit, or Dee if you want.”

“Okay Deceit,” Ro said, smiling, and oh how charming was that, “You can call me Ro, or Prince, my partner is Vee, or Anxiety, if you prefer a more formal nickname.”

Janus nodded, Prince and Anxiety, he could remember that. 

“Next question, how… old are you?” Prince asked, “No- that’s a useless question the numbers mortals use mean nothing to me, um, are you of maturity?”

“What uh- what do you mean?” Janus asked, frowning in confusion.

Prince sighed, “Are you - an adult? Or a youngling?”

“Oh,” Janus said, “An adult, I um - when I was - taken - I was 24 but… I don’t know how long it’s been.”

“That’s okay.” Prince nodded, “And good to know, next question, what’s your favourite colour?”

…Out of all the questions Prince had asked him so far, this was the one that surprised him the most. Why on earth would the faeries want to know what colours he enjoyed? Surely that information was useless?

“Yellow,” Deceit answered truthfully - he had learned quickly that lying to a faerie was one of the biggest mistakes a mortal could make, “And, um, I like black too.”

“Brillant,” Prince grinned, revealing teeth slightly sharper than average, “I’m partial to a nice red, myself, preferably crimson but I do like a lovely scarlette as well - Anxiety tends to be more drawn to purples, what’s your favourite animal?”

“...snakes?” Janus said slowly, his favourite animal was something he’d never particularly had to think about - especially not recently. 

Prince nodded, seeming… thoughtful. About what, Janus had no clue, but he seemed to be lost in whatever thoughts he was having. Eventually, he went to say something else before cutting himself off with a displeased hum and a frown. 

“Is everything… okay?” Janus asked, trying to work out what was going on. Prince had been all smiles almost the entire time since Anxiety had left, the abrupt change had his guard straight back up. 

Prince took a deep breath, the wings on his back shuddering and stretching out a little with it, Janus couldn’t help the way the feathers caught his eye - they looked incredibly soft. 

“She probably gave you faerie food, right?” Prince asked, Janus paled as hazy memories flooded his mind, a hunger that turned to sharp pain that turned to a hollow emptiness that had almost killed him. Right at the beginning before he lost whatever fight he had then he’d resisted, getting up after every kick or burn, She’d punish him every time he refused to eat, and eventually - when he’d been too weak from hunger and pain to even move - he’d given in and taken the apple she’d offered him. 

He still remembered how she had laughed when he’d bitten into it. He could almost hear it now, crisp as footsteps in snow but crackling like lightning. 

Janus couldn’t say anything around the lump in his throat those memories brought with them, instead he simply nodded sadly. Prince frowned in sympathy, his hand twitching as though he wanted to reach for Janus, though he didn’t move closer. 

“And you know what that means?”

Sucking in a deep breath, Janus recited what had been drilled into him a thousand times, “That I cannot leave this realm, I can never return home and that I belong now to the fae and the faerie realm.”

Prince sighed again, seeming sad, “You can leave.”

“What?” Janus asked, eyes wide.

“Theoretically, you’re not actually bound to this land, but… all it means is that mortal food won’t satisfy you anymore. You don’t have to stay here, but you do need faerie food, so… it’s an effective way to keep mortal trapped.”

Janus couldn’t do much but nod. He never knew that, but if he couldn’t survive without food from Faerie was there really point in escaping anyway?

“Was there anything in particular you liked?” Prince asked sadly, as if he actually cared that Janus was stuck here, which Janus couldn’t fathom being true, he knew faeries couldn’t lie, but he was sure they could fake emotions. Panic seeped in as he realised he didnt have an answer. The food she gave him was good, but he always felt dirty eating it, it always made him guilty and sick. He was never able to really enjoy any of it. 

“I don’t…” Janus started, trailing off, “I don’t know… I was never allowed to…”

Prince raised a hand to cut him off and Janus shrank back into the corner just a little, pulling his knees up closer to his chest, Prince sighed, “It’s okay, we can try things and figure it out, are you alright?”

Janus nodded, trying to relax just a little in his corner. 

“I will warn you now, neither I nor my partner know much about mortals, but we will- actually,” Prince paused, considering for a second, “Do you know about promises?”

“Fae promises?” Janus asked, Prince nodded, “Just that they’re binding- like deals- she tried to make me make them.”

“Did you?”

“No,” Janus said. Prince seemed to fully droop in relief. 

“I want to make a promise to you,” Prince said, slowly, clearly watching for Janus’ reaction, he just stayed still, staring right back, “I promise that I will not intentionally cause you harm, physically or emotionally, in any way. I promise to protect you to the best of my ability against anything or anyone who threatens you, and- I swear that you will be safe here, in my home, for as long as you wish to remain.”

Janus gasped as the feeling of magic washed over him, though it felt nothing like the magic he’d experienced before. This magic felt like a summer shower, warm and light. It wrapped around him, feeling almost comforting in it’s presence. When the sensation died down Janus thought he could smell woodsmoke. 

“How do you know I’m worth such a promise?” Janus asked quietly, unable to keep the astounded look off of his face. Roman had promised not to hurt him, and he knew how promises worked, did that mean he was safe? From Roman, at least, Anxiety hadn’t made such a promise. 

“Because you have been hurt,” Roman said, “By one of my own kind, you have suffered and you are scared and you deserve to be safe,  you should be allowed to heal, besides, you are a guest in my house, it would be horrifically rude if I let something bad happen to you.”

Roman’s wings flared out as he spoke, as though him being rude is the worst possible offence he could commit. Janus couldn’t help but smile, wondering if maybe this wasn’t going to end quite as horribly as he may have expected. Roman stood up, slowly taking a step closer to Janus, and when he didn’t flinch back he took another. Janus frowned when Roman extended a hand to him, but eventually reached up and took it, telling himself again that Prince had promised not to hurt him. 

With a gentle tug Janus was hoisted to his feet, though almost immediately he tripped - his legs still jelly-like and shaking from all the running. Instead of falling to the ground, though, Janus tripped forward into Roman’s chest. He yelped and pushed himself away as quickly as he could without falling straight to the ground. Prince was still holding his hand - and now was also stabalising him with a hand on his shoulder - and even despite what had just happened, the faerie was still smiling. He actually looked a little like he was trying not to laugh. 

“Lets get you somewhere you can rest, shall we?” Prince said, still actively trying not to chuckle as Janus frowned at him, “And we’ll get you some food while you do.”

“Okay,” Janus nodded eventually, feeling a yawn bubble up inside of him and repressing it as much as he could. He had become a master of hiding when he was tired, fatigue was never taken kindly. But Prince was telling him to rest, so maybe he could lie down for a short while…

The small part of the house Janus got to see as they travelled from the bedroom he had woken in to a second bedroom was immense. The ceilings were tall and vaulted, decorated with patterns and murals that looked hand-painted. The windows that adorned the hallway were open wide, letting in a cool, refreshing breeze scented with summer flowers while deep, floor length, maroon curtains swayed in the wind. The decor was a mix of reds and purples, with accents of silver and gold. Despite the size of the space, it almost felt… cozy. The carpet beneath their feet was clean but well trod, like this area of the house was frequented often. 

In comparison, the room he was led to was plain and felt spacious in a way that made Janus feel a little uncomfortable. Paranoia poking at the edges of his mind as he glanced around. There were a few doors, one that he could see lead to a balcony and the other that they’d come through, as well as two more that lead who knows where.

The room was decorated to the bare minimum, a plain white bedspread with a few decorative red cushions. The walls were still adorned with silver and gold, but the patterns seemed more simple and muted in here than they were outside. Prince lead him to the bed - where he found the sheets were wonderfully soft and felt lovely against his skin - and told him to rest. 

So rest he did, once Prince had left the room and the door clicked shut - he listened for a long moment and was surprised to hear no lock, he really wasn’t trapped here - Janus finally laid down, clutching one of the decorative pillows to his chest as he tried to fall back to sleep. 

----

General tags: @full-of-roman-angst-trash @reptilianrapscallion420 @your-local-random-dino @cutebisexualmess @glacierruler @roseianxiety @bella-bugatti-frogetti-baguetti (if anyone wants to be added, let me know!)

----

[melverie]

For the WIP ask game!

Starfall

MC as the wishful thinking vs Satan as the painful reminder

Satan, Avatar of...Love?

Satan, the Lord of Masks

Lucifer's view on love (after the Great Celestial War)

I had no idea you had so many WIPs. What else are you hiding from me? 👀

Yeah.. I actually have.....about 100 posts sitting in my drafts. And then there are a bunch more fanfic WIPs 🫠

Starfall (fanfic)

The Nightbringer season 1 & 2 rewrite I've already talked about a few times that's definitely not just an excuse for me to throw my OCs into the story ahaha don't worry about it..........

Not sure what else to say about this one so uhh... potential opening line:

"You should be more cautious of who you confide in, MC. After all, are you confident you can properly discern friend from foe?"

MC as the wishful thinking vs Satan as the painful reminder (character/relationship analysis)

Oh, the one that has been sitting in my drafts the longest!

This one was basically just the other brothers seeing Lilith in both MC and Satan, except that Satan was the reminder that she died, and MC the reminder that, in the end, she got to live

I never ended up posting it though because a) the bros never really draw the comparison between Satan & Lilith or MC & Lilith (other than Lucifer completely unprompted going "wow I'm holding your hand. I held Lilith's hand once 🤡" like wtf is wrong with him) and b) I didn't really want to risk starting some kind of drama because iirc there was a wave of posts claiming that the bros see MC as Lilith's "replacement" at the time I wrote this which people then started to complain about, and I didn't want to add fuel to the fire

Also, 'wishful thinking' for MC isn't really accurate, but I couldn't think of a better phrase when I wrote the post

Satan, Avatar of...Love? (character study)

Me gushing about why I love Satan so much

I feel like a lot of the core aspects about Satan are so heavily tied to love. Made this post to talk about that, but I never got around to finishing it

Satan, the Lord of Masks (character study)

Little reference to his TSL counterpart hehe >:)

Basically just a character study dissecting all the different masks Satan puts on and why he keeps putting up an act

I think that's what it was supposed to be, at least. Tbh this one has been sitting in my drafts ever since July, and the only thing I wrote for it so far is the title so uuuhhhhh....

Lucifer's view on love after the Great Celestial War (character analysis)

That one is actually almost done so I'm gonna finish it instead & then tag you in it

-> to the WIP ask game

[whimsymanaged]

Weekend WIP Game

Thank you, @myheartalivewrites, for the tag!

Rules: List your WIPs below (if you only write one fic at a time, feel free to include future WIPs/ideas!) then answer the following questions. Then, tag as many people as you have WIPs (or more).

1. WIP List:

Oh my GOD. This was a mistake.

Okay, so like. Is this only including WIPs I'm actively working on? Because if so, then I have one. Very proud of that fact. I'm super focused and have the willpower to write stuff.

If you mean, like, WIPs that I started posting on AO3 and then never touched again, then... I have 8.

They are:

Five-Drink Henry (RWRB, Alex/Henry, neighbors AU) - this is the one I'm actively working on. I am so fucking determined to finish it.

Change of Plan(t)s (HP, Draco/Hermione/Neville, sex pollen trope) - it's actually marked as 2/2 chapters, which is hilarious. There is definitely supposed to be at least one more chapter.

An Auction (HP, Draco/Hermione, omegaverse) - I miss writing this one, although I am fully on my RWRB bullshit right now with no signs of turning back, lol.

Not What This Is (HP, Draco/Hermione, bloody on your doorstep trope) - I left this one on a very angsty cliffhanger. Sorry.

Where There's Smoke (HP, Draco/Hermione, firefighter AU) - everyone died. The end.

Just Like Quidditch (HP, Draco/Hermione, based on the movie Friends with Benefits) - this was fun to write but I haven't updated it in like 18 months.

Beach Retreat (HP, Draco/Hermione, only one bed trope) - I literally got until they actually slept together and then bounced.

The War Rehabilitation Centre (HP, Draco/Hermione, post-war angst and trauma) - my first fic on AO3!

2. Which of your WIPs is currently the longest?

Five-Drink Henry at 8,348 words. I am obviously incredible at writing very long things. Actually, now that I'm looking at all my AO3 WIPs, I'm realizing nearly all of them have petered out between 6k to 8k words. Gulp.

3. Which WIP do you expect will end up the longest?

Five-Drink Henry, lol. Since it's the only one I'm writing.

4. Which WIP is your favourite to write/the most enjoyable to write? Why?

OMG ALL MY ANSWERS FOR THIS DAMN THING ARE GOING TO BE THE SAME FIC.

Anyway, the answer is Five-Drink Henry.

5. Which WIP do you find the most intimidating to write? Why?

Where There's Smoke. I knew nothing about firefighting. All I had was a computer and a dream, so I read articles, interviewed people I knew (not firefighters, but people in firefighter-adjacent work), scoured Quora answers, took notes from "Day in the Life" videos, watched Station 19, etc.

6. Which WIP do you experience the most self-doubt about. Why?

The War Rehab Centre. It was an idea that moved me so much that I HAD to post it? I made, like, my SISTERS and my best friends IRL read my first chapters for me because I was so nervous about getting exactly right. And then basically no one read it and now I'm too afraid to reread it so anyway yeah that one

7. Which of your WIPs will you seek out a beta/sensitivity reader for? Why?

I had betas for the first two chapters of Just Like Quidditch, and I had a beta for Not What This Is. For the latter, it was because I was experimenting with a non-linear style and was worried I was not pulling it off, lol. I think it turned out pretty well though although we never will know wtf happened to Draco.

8. Have any of your WIPs been struck by the curse of writer's block?

Yes, 7 of them.

9. Which WIP has your favourite OC? Tell us about them?

Five-Drink Henry has some random new people to round out Alex and Henry's friend group. I have a soft spot for Felicity, who Henry at first found intimidatingly attractive but is actually, like, his biggest fan and isn't afraid to give Alex shit.

10. Which WIP is the sexiest?

Besides War Rehab Centre, they're actually all rated E, lol.

An Auction is sexy because of the whole alpha/omega biologically induced desperation? Where There's Smoke has this laundry room scene that I've heard is pretty enjoyable.

11. Which WIP is the angstiest?

Not What This Is. Basically, Hermione hires Draco to sleep with her but then they catch feelings and it's all a mess but also he suddenly appears at her door quite obviously dying? There is no chapter 2.

12. Which WIP has the best characterisation (in your humble opinion)?

UGH DON'T ASK ME THIS. I pride myself on good characterization but also it feels weird to say I characterized anyone well, lol. Probably Five-Drink Henry. IDK.

13. Which WIP has the best scene setting (in your humble opinion)?

None of them. I hate describing places.

14. Which WIP have you worked the hardest on?

Where There's Smoke. It was the only one I did research for.

15. Which WIP do you have the highest expectations for? Why?

Five-Drink Henry, because it's going to be my FIRST COMPLETED MULTICHAP. YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST.

(I know What to Wear is complete but it's like 5 words long so it doesn't count.)

16. Do you dream about any of your WIPs?

No.

17. Do any of your WIPs have particular complexities that your other fics don't?

Yes. the complexity of being unfinished.

18. Which WIP is the funniest or has the most humour?

I made myself laugh a lot writing Just Like Quidditch.

19. Do any of your WIPs contain outside POVs or a deep dive on a character other than the main ship? How are you finding that process?

No, but now I want to write a David POV into Five-Drink Henry. Really get into his mind.

20. Tell us one thing we don't know about one or more of your WIPs.

The next chapter of Five-Drink Henry is chapter 4, so Henry will be drinking 4 drinks. Did you know that? I don't think you did.

Tagging: @hgejfmw-hgejhsf @beautyberrywrites @holygnocchi @sodamnradd @eveningstruggle @eggbagelsjr @caitybellfics @ellieauthor

[limoncats]

hi i’m limoncats

and i made this bullshit of a blog on the 26th of August, 2023

QUICK NOTE: you've most likely already noticed, but i swear very frequently. i sincerely apologise if that bothers you!!! ANOTHER QUICK NOTE: i do post a lot of Okegom but please know that i do NOT support funamusea.

my nicknames are Seren, limon or Eostra, i don't mind which you use.

okay so uhh before you go down and look at my kinda about me section pls look at my sona’s character sheet (no pressure btw)

(drawn April 4th, 2024) yeah, you can use that to reference my sona when drawing! if you do end up drawing me pls tag me i’d wanna see it 🥺🥺

also this comparison between heights of my sona and my OC Mayuu (real name: Rui Maikaze) is here so you can use it as a reference for my sona's height [height chart by MookieTheMonster on Deviantart]

DISCLAIMER: THIS BLOG AIN’T SPOILER-FREE FOLKS!!

okay here’s the long-awaited (← not really) about me section

hi, i’m limoncats (no shit) and i’m a multifandom artist who loves RPG Maker games! aaaaaaaaaaand the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness...god i love that series.

my birthday is January the 5th, i’ve basically drawn my entire life, purple is my favourite colour, green is my least favourite colour, i’m aroace, and vegetables taste ass to me

i was born and raised in England by Turkish parents!

i’m also a minor (under 18) so ye

as of now, i own 3 cats. (2 at home, 1 lost. i miss her [Luna] so much…praying she comes home)

disclaimer: if anything i say comes off as offensive to anyone i apologise in advance. i don’t want to offend anyone.

FAQ

“can i use your art as a profile picture/header?” yes, just credit me somewhere easy to see.

“can i repost your art?” yes, just credit me somewhere easy to see.

“can i dub one of your comics?” yes! ask me 1st and credit me in the description of your video, whether it’s a link to one of my socials (or multiple) or a direct link to the comic. (p.s. please give me the link to the comic dub i’d love to see it 🥺)

"can i use your art commercially?" ask me via discord (limoncats)

"how do you say your names?" limoncats is said "lee-mohn-cats", Seren is "suh-renn" (like the "seren" in "serenity", i think Seren is supposed to be a shorter version of "serenity"), Eostra is "ee-o-strah" (the o is said like the o in "impossible")

"why is one of your nicknames Eostra wtf she's like a horrible villain" listen. my school friends were assigning Soul-Eaters to each other and they assigned Eostra to me and i think it's funny asf

feel free to ask me stuff/request drawings via ask box!

my website (straw.page)

(there's additional info there too)

and that's basically it for my intro post! you're free to go look through my tumblr now :) (dw you weren't obligated to read this)

(p.s. if you like the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness, please talk to me. i'm begging you)

as of the 1st of July, 2024, i have hit 100 followers on tumblr! thank you all <3

and as of the 17th of August, i have hit 100 subscribers on YouTube!! thank you all so much!!!!!!!

userboxes + stamps below! (credits in alt text) flash/hueshift TW

if you want to see my art, go to the tag #my art on my blog!

p.s. feel free to ask me shit about Anaita

[orangepanic]

Adding some elements from @yellowsalt3's year-end tag game to this post:

Fic Writing Review 2023

Reflection

I guess I wrote a lot?

I think, on reflection, what stands out to me are that I pretty much write three kinds of fics: Good fics, bad fics, and weird fics. Probably the easiest to point out are the bad fics. I don't mean bad in that they're awful, but they're clearly just meh. Forgettable in a hey, that exists sort of way. And overwhelmingly these fics are "supposed-to" fics. They're fics I wrote for prompt challenges, holidays, event weeks I wasn't super into, etc. because I felt like I was supposed to or promised somebody that I would. Often they feel like only half an idea and are lacking any real point. "Fire on Ice" comes to mind. It's cute. Ice skating AU. But it's just kind of there?

What surprised me is that some of my very favorites are the weird fics. These are almost exclusively extreme rarepair fics written for events. I love extreme rarepair events because they push me to do some very strange things with new characters. "Memory Like Fine Sand" is one of the best things I wrote this year not in spite of but because it's fucking whack, and I love that. I'd like to write more weird fics.

Then there are the good fics. These aren't necessarily popular. "Beyond the Painted Hills" comes to mind, for example, with its five little kudos. But to me, these are fics that aren't just putting characters in scenarios, but where I'm trying to convey something. Love. Loss. Desperation. Humor. Hope. Fics like "Disgrace" are probably popular because they have Zuko in them, but also it's 1,400 words of raw teenage angst that pales in comparison to any emotion in "Fire and Ice." “It’s my hair,” said Iroh, “and you can’t make me.” GOD. As if we didn't all have that stage.

I'd like to write more good fics, too.

Words and Fics

16 published WIPs I'm currently working on (getting there I promise)

37 fics completed this year

Top 10 Fics by Kudos

10. Tis the Sea Sun for Love - Iroh II/Asami Sato 9. The Holiday Heist - Lin Beifong/Lightning Bolt Zolt 8. Whiskey Tango Foxcat - Iroh II/Asami Sato 7. Seventeen - Iroh II & Izumi, Iroh II & Izumi & Zuko 6. Hard Bargain - Iroh II, Eska, Prince Wu, Asami Sato, Mako in various combinations 5. Sorry, Right Number - Korra/Mako, Iroh II/Asami Sato 4. Iroh's Dragon - Iroh II/Asami Sato, Iroh II & OC dragon 3. Hotman - Iroh II/Asami Sato 2. Disgrace - Iroh II & Zuko 1. Starvation Paradise - Iroh II/Asami Sato

Fandom Events

Avatar Solstice Gift Exchange

The Holiday Heist (Lin/Zolt)

AU Roulette 2023

To the Brink (Gen, space AU)

ATLA Rare Pair Big Bang and YeeHawgust 2023

After the Uncommon Rains (Iroh II/Asami Sato)

ATLA Rare Pair May Day

Beyond the Painted Hills (June/Col. Mongke)

Avatar WTF Weekend

Kemurikage (Jet/Agni)

Memory Like Fine Sand (Azula/Joo Dee)

She Comes to Me (Bumi II/Yue)

I Don't Like Your Attitude (Korra/Ginger)

You Say You'd Like to See Me Closer (Iroh II/Amon/Asami Sato)

Korra's Christmas

Fire on Ice

Magic Moon Cake

Upcoming Plans for 2024

FINISH MY WIPS DAMMIT.

I mean, really.

I have so many fics that I love that just need one little push. After the Uncommon Rains. Smoke. I Don't Like Your Attitude. Girls' Night. Not if You Were the Last Man on Earth. I'm so close on all of these and I just need to get 'er done.

Then there are the other projects. The never-ending Firestorm rewrite. The Jet/Agni sequel. Yasuko Lives AU. Asami's high school years. Big things like my version of the Equalist trials and my 30-years post-canon AU that I'm too scared to start because I know they're 90k-word monsters waiting to be born. But I can't hold them back forever.

At the same time, I feel like fandom is a ticking clock. With each release of new Avatar content my own interpretations of characters and scenarios and relationships become more and more obscure. How long before there's a Korra movie that makes Korra sami a ship from the start instead of an afterthought? How long before there is a General Iroh spinoff that makes my writing so OOC it's laughable? Ships that ten years ago were fairly popular have already become "ew omg how could anyone ever think that?" Friends that were sharing their passions move on. Rarepair authors and artists with three kudos on something they poured their heart into are starting to say "what's the point?" And it's tiring.

But I'm gonna finish my WIPs dammit.

Fanfic End of Year Roundup 2023

Published words: 363,588 Longest and most popular fic: Starvation Paradise (Iroh II/Asami Sato, 82,965 words, complete) Shortest fic: Goodbye (Hiroshi Sato & Asami Sato, 353 words, complete) First (complete) fic of the year: The Holiday Heist (Lin/Zolt) Last (complete) fic of the year: Exes (Iroh II/Asami Sato) Fluffiest fic: A Day at the Office (Iroh II & his daughter) or Little Fish (Asami Sato & her daughter) Steamiest fic: Six Days in Ba Sing Se (Iroh II/Asami Sato) Angstiest fic: Starvation Paradise Saddest fic: Endgame (Asami Sato) Strangest fic: Uh... four-way tie between Eurydice (Hiroshi Sato/Yasuko Sato), Kemurikage (Jet/Agni), Whiskey Tango Foxcat (Iroh II/Asami Sato) and Memory Like Fine Sand (Azula/Joo Dee). It's been a weird year. Fic you probably didn't read but should: She Comes to Me (Bumi II/Yue) Fic I'm the proudest of for no particular reason: How I Always Loved You (Hiroshi Sato/Yasuko Sato)

Open tags for anyone else who wants to share their year!

[thiefkingyall]

.

[shadowshole]

So this post caused quite of a stir, so this is in answer to everyone asking themselves: “WTF?”

In my last year of High School, we were tasked with creating some designs for these two buildings in a park close to our school. Long story short, instead of choosing two sets of designs, they chose mine and later tasked me to create more, so it could all be cohesive. The general theme I had gone with is sort of like... “Magic creatures in a fantasy land”, since it was for kids. I had to go with things that could be done quickly (We had 2 months)

So I put some Merlin references. Sadly some ideas had to be simplified, so there are only two recognizable references in the walls...

On the little columns, however...

So I’ll show you the designs, keep in mind that I was working on a tight schedule... 

vs How it looked while being made

Fairies were a common fixture. If you look at him from up close you can see Merlin’s red scarf and his boots. So like... dragonlord Merlin with a dragon. (It can be Aithusa, OR it could be one of my favorite tropes, which is Arthur as a Dragon)

Another one is this design:

I think the lake Avalon, with the island and tower, is easier to recognize than the last one.

(The lighting sucks I know)

But the REAL deal are the little columns.

Top left was supposed to be white, but I was asked to turn her blue. But in my mind she’ll always be little Aithusa.

Next to it: The iconic blue butterflies from 5x12. 

THE NEXT ONE IS A REFERENCE TO FANFIC OF COURSE. The Dragon Rises from Footloose, the design is completely from Mushroomtale. We made no money from this, so I just put in the reference. Also, the finished product is always different from the original.

On the bottom left we have Merthur, but like... as dragons. I threw in even more references, like the COIN, Merlin’s scarf, Arthur’s pendant, the scales that look like a crown, the transition from red to blue...

And last, but not least, a bear (with a long tail because as I said, the theme is ‘fantastic beasts’) and a merlin (with 2 pairs of wings because as I said, the theme is ‘fantastic beasts’). For those of you who don’t know, Arthur actually means bear! Also for those of you who don’t know, Merlin actually means merlin! You learn something new every day. So a bear and a merlin.

I hope this was satisfactory and answered all your questions, I’ll tag the people who were curious in the comments.. There are more designs of course, but have nothing to do with Merlin, so I didn’t mention them, but just so you know, I also snuck my OC there because she’s been with me for 10 years and I love her.

If you... idk... live in Milan or ever visit Milan and want to take a peek, This is called ‘Giardino Bazlen e Foà’ and you can find it in ‘Corso di Porta Romana’ in a hidden nook between the houses. 

​

[nittroy]

In anticipation,, a bit about this blog

You might have seen my art and been wondering wtf is happening in it. Well, tbh sometimes I also have no idea. But most of the time it's my OCs from one of my stories!

This blog is like a larva… It's just been lying there but soon enough it will just stir and become the strange creature: a blog for both serious long posts about my story and some absolute shitposts.

I want to do this post to talk a little bit about the process behind the stories I'm planning to tell: how they were created at first, what are they called, and how I'm gonna try and organize this blog! :D

Below is a long post with me talking about my stories and what I plan to do with them!!

DOZENS OF ASPECTS

"Dozens of Aspects" (or DA) is the main story that I'm currently working on. It's a detective fantasy story set in space!! It's also got lots of fantasy science and cosmic ace lesbians.

The supposed form for it is an illustrated book. The stage I'm at — character designs & script preparation!

It takes place in the year of 3012 in the cosmoopera-like universe, and the main characters are scientists who work with anomalies. One of them, Eli makes a particularly strange acquaintance (well, tbh, they kinda randomly adopt a kid. He is called Kayleigh and he has a secret. A secret anomaly friend...)

That gets them on a trail of a pretty strange series of events…

It's a story about different societies, plants, flowers' memories, red skies, and many other strange things... There's a detective story that has a complicated plot and shows life inside some of the planets in this universe.

Funnily enough, originally it was supposed to be a prequel to the DLG (the next story this post tells about), but the plot grew so complicated this story became its own thing. I've been working on DA for like 4 or 5 years now, but I haven't done much, as a couple of years of work have been taken from me by depression and health complications… Right now I have finally started somewhat digging the vibes again and, hopefully, I'll be able to progress with it soon! :D

Main tag for this story: #da_nt

DOPPELGANGER

"Doppelganger" (or DLG) is the next in line after the DA story, it follows the life of one of the main characters - Kayleigh. In DA they were 12 yo, and DLG tells about their adulthood after the DA events.

Supposed form of the story — maybe a comic? Or also an illustrated book? Idk I need to write DA first. The stage I'm at — idk I just draw OCs from there sometimes :D

(No, the tattoo-ed person is not grown-up Kayleigh, that's Qiyong, she is just very hot so I love to draw them A LOT) The events take place at 3019, Kayleigh, now grown up, goes back to Alta-Costar, one of the cities where DA events took place, to dig up more info. He makes some new friends and meets some older frenemies… And btw also there's a revolution boiling up in Alta-Costar.

While DLG is kinda frozen at the moment, it has the coolest cast of characters and immense vibes, so I still feel like drawing it sometimes... ;w;

Main tag for this story: #dlg_nt

GREAT LIVES

"Great lives" (or GL) is a story (it is frozen for now) that happens in the other corner of the same universe as the other two stories. It's a series of cosmic road-movies following one spaceship captain and her new alien girlfriend. Just fun and gay stuff.

Supposed form - a comic? Also illustrated book? Idk!! I haven't been working on this story for a while but one day I will!!!!

Old art!!!!! Not finished art!!!!! ARRRRRrrrrrr

Fun fact: I've invented GL when I was like 12, and I felt that this story can be REALLY COOL, but I'm not cool enough to tell it yet. So yeah, about 7 years later, I'm still waiting to become cool enough. But the main characters already went from a messy triangle to an nb lesbians polycule, so I think we are getting somewhere-

Main tag for this story: #gl_nt

That's all for now, hopefully, I'll work out the tag system here and will be able to post some lore soon! Other tags I have for now: #my art / #my OCs- for art on acc, as usual #generallore_nt - info for all stories, a bit about their universe maybe #kbnq_nt - Kayleigh, Benji & Niquole, very specific part of DA and DLG + name tags for characters that will appear later!

[junkosblunt]

“junko blog trying to gaslight me” this is a joke, right? it has to be a joke because there is no fucking way you’re genuinely accusing me of GASLIGHTING you because i said mukuro ikusaba is a lesbian 😭

i also saw this gem of a post talking about why you “have to gatekeep” mukuro ikusaba from “unchecked” individuals who think she’s a lesbian and “don’t know [your] authority.” and i just wtf do you mean by your “authority” ?? LMAO.

like you started this when you vagued me in the mukuro tag which made me giggle with annoying ass tags like “i’ve just always known this but not everybody is aware i suppose” and “to this tag: ur all welcome for my insight” which all trigged my acid reflux just fyi.

it’s one thing if you’re joking but after looking at your blog i really genuinely don’t think you are. you deadass think you’re an authoritative voice on mukuro ikusaba which you aren’t btw. you didn’t create her. you don’t own the rights to her character. you don’t write for the danganronpa franchise. she isn’t your oc. she belongs to kodaka and the danganronpa writers room, not to you. your takes hold the same weight and the same merit as everybody else’s. sorry babe.

mukuro ikusaba is bisexual pass it on

[deistarr]

Tags I honestly appreciated on AO3 (various fandoms):

The Canon Did Not Spark Joy | So I Made It My Bitch

If The Canon Does Not Spark Joy Throw It Out

Scott McCall Can Have A Braincell. As A Treat.

Relationship Pairing: Albus Dumbledore/His Ginormous Ego

Lan Wangji's Canonical Inability To Tell The Difference Between Instant Hatred & Instant Attraction

LWJ Gets Sexually Aroused For The First Time | He Mistakes The Feeling For Murderous Rage | It's A Very Confusing Time For Him

Fix-It Via Accidental World Domination

Accidental Overlord Tony Stark

LWJ Can Punch JC In The Face. As A Treat.

JC's Canonical Torture Habit

Gender: Tired - Sexually Attracted To: Beds

Everyone Deserves Better | Except For JC | He Can Suffer

Fluffy Vore-Adjacent Behaviour

Please note that this list is by no means comprehensive. It just contains the ones I remember off the top of my head at this moment.

Some of my favourite tags that I have used:

(Not So) Secretly A Virgin

Tiny Time-Travel Hell-Child

LXC Has The Braincell | Oops | No He Doesn't

Now With A Hundred Percent More WangXian!

Albus Dumbledore Is Not Actually Evil | He's Just Very Bad At Being A Decent Person

OC Was Not Expecting Reincarnation | Again | She Wants To Know Why Fate Keeps On Giving Her A Penis

The Genitalia That Must Not Be Named

If You Didn't Want To Be Blackmailed | You Shouldn't Have Done It | Sounds Legit

Hello Alcoholism | My Old Friend

LWJ Tries To Be Good | He Fails | To Be Fair | WWX Is Terribly Tempting

For A Fic Without Any Sexual Content Some Of These Tags Sound Incredibly Inappropriate

Mostly Canon Compliant | Except That Lan Xichen Actually Got Laid

Lans Gone Wild(TM) | Featuring Nie Mingjue As: The Voice Of Reason

Body-Swap Gone Wrong | AKA | That Fic Where Wei Wuxian Pees Lan Zhan's Pants

It Doesn't Have To Be Biologically Possible They're Hybrids Karen

Lan Xichen Can Have A Little Harem. As A Treat.

Jin Zixuan The Beautiful Lan/Jiang Sect Concubine

Nie Huaisang Saves The Day | He's As Surprised As Anyone

I Wrote This Instead Of Sleeping | Then Fell Asleep Instead Of Posting It

LWJ Stabs His Father | Non-Lethally But Still | It's Surprisingly Cathartic

The Mortifying Ordeal Of Discussing Your Sex Life With Your Family

Trip To The ER With Something Stuck Inside Your Dick | Somehow Everyone You Know Shows Up | Thanks Huaisang | That Was Not Actually Helpful

That Moment When Everyone Learns TMI About Your Sex Life

Lan Xichen Accidentally Starts A Revolution In The Lan Sect | This Was Not Supposed To Happen | Rebel Leader!LWJ

Lan Wangji Needs Friends | Xichen Just Never Expected Him To Make Them This Way | This Is Not Going As Planned

Asexual Relationship | Where Neither Of Them Are Actually Asexual | This Is What We Call A Lack Of Communication

BAMF Nie Mingjue | Why Is That Not Already A Tag? | That's Basically His Entire Personality | I'm Feeling Very Insulted On His Behalf

Nie Mingjue Pretty Much Lives To Kick Ass & Take Names | If He Disapproves He Won't Hesitate To Let You Know | Loudly & At Length | He Practically Exists To Smite Evil-Doers & Fuck Their Shit Up | Anyone Who Says Nie Mingjue Is Not BAMF Is Lying | Or Else Really Not Paying Attention

NMJ Is Basically The Chinese Version Of A Spartan Warrior | Charging Onto The Battlefield With Baxia Held Aloft | Wearing The Blood Of His Enemies | "This! Is! Qinghe!!!" | When I Read The Novel My Brain Dubbed Him "Chinese Leonidas" | CQL Did Nothing To Dispell That Impression TBH

BAMF Uchiha Shisui | WTF Is That Not Already A Tag? | Danzou Only Beat Him Because Of Izanagi | With The Stolen Sharingan Shisui Didn't Know He Had | He Kicked Danzou's Ass | While Poisoned | And Fending Off ROOT As Well | He Won Until Danzou Got An Unexpected Do-Over | And Even Then He Still Got Away | He Might Have Been Dying But He Still Escaped | Uchiha Shisui Is A Total BAMF | This Is A Hill I Will Die On

Severus Snape Has Asperger's | No One's Ever Handled It Well | At All | Especially Not Dumbledore | It's Why He's So Bitter | Snape's Just So Done With Humanity | And With Human Interaction In General | He'd Like To Go Live Alone In A Nice Cave Somewhere | And Never Speak To Anyone Else Ever Again | Dumbledore Insists On Keeping Him In A School | Where He Was Bullied And Traumatized | Surrounded By Screaming Adolescents | Who He Can't Just Ignore | He Has To Teach | Interact With The Hellspawn | Be A Role Model | Severus Snape Regrets Everything

[thisweekingundamwing]

This Week in Gundam Wing (January 9-15, 2022)

Happy Sunday Gundam Wing family.  Here’s your weekly roll-up, so show your fellow fans some love!

--Mod LAM

Fanfiction

I Reincarnated as a MInor Villainess... (CH.41-42/84) by @thaiteaaddict​

Pairings:  Heero x Duo, Trowa x Quatre, Wufei x Meilan, Dorothy x Relena

Characters: full cast

Rating: Teen and Up

Tags / Warnings:  AU - Fantasy, AU - Isekai, POV First Person, Unreliable Narrator

Summary:  After being killed in a traffic accident, Duo wakes up in a medieval fantasy novel - except he's woken up as one of the novel's minor villains who was supposed to have died in a main character's backstory. Intent on righting the wrongs of his novel counterpart, Duo sets out to change his fate and just maybe improve the relationship between himself and his estranged husband, Duke Heero Yuy. (Duo is isekai'd into the body of a novel's villainess character and runs with it.)

Wild Tonic by @lifeaftermeteor​ for @deathscythehell​ (HGE)​

Pairings: Duo x Quatre, background Heero x Trowa

Characters: five pilots

Rating: Teen and Up

Tags / Warnings:  holidays, office christmas party, alcohol, friends to lovers, fluff, getting together, post-canon, post-endless waltz

Summary:  No one throws a holiday party like the Preventers.

Past, Present, Perfect by @gemstonecircles​ for @picimadar​ (HGE)

Pairings: Heero x Relena

Characters: Heero, Relena

Rating: MATURE

Tags / Warnings: established and long-distance relationship, reunion sex, PWP but with feelings

Summary: Bad weather threatens Heero and Relena’s holiday plans, but no blizzard is a match for Heero making it to an appointment.

The Gift Holiday by @duointherain​ for @seitou​ (HGE)

Pairings: Heero x Trowa, Duo x OC, Quatre x OFC, Wufei x OFC

Characters: 5 pilots + Relena, Zechs, Dorothy

Rating: General

Tags / Warnings: family feels

Summary:  Trowa and Heero have been married for years. The holidays get Trowa down a little bit, so this year Heero has a plan... it's a good plan... it's a this will work plan! And there are a couple dozen kids, Quatre and his wives, Wufei and his wives, Duo and his orphanage... all visiting in Trowa and Heero's home. It's just a dinner. Heero is still sure it's a great plan!

Even on the Darkest Night by @expewrites​ for @theboringbluecrayon​ (HGE)

Pairings: Trowa x Quatre

Characters: Trowa, Quatre

Rating: Teen and Up

Tags / Warnings: winter solstice, past relationship, reconciliation, hurt/comfort, implied sexual content

Summary: For the tenth anniversary of the armistice, the gundam pilots are set to reunite at a cabin Preventer has in the woods.But when Quatre and Trowa find themselves alone there together, the other three delayed by work and weather, they have to wonder if that wasn't the plan all along. And if maybe this is their chance to rekindle what was in danger of being lost.

Fanart

2021 Holiday Gift Exchange Art

Shower Time (2x5) by @lila-oh for @anaranesindanarie 

Double Team Surprise (1x2x5) by @seitou for @trickzill-art 

Relena by the Fire by @avaantares for @lifeaftermeteor 

Cathy and Dorothy by @helmistress for @feanaro07 

Quiet Evening (1x2) by @feanaro07 for @duointherain 

Pilot Group Shot by @gemstonecircles

WTF Zechs (Heero and Relena) by @gemstonecircles

Hair Twists (Wufei and Sally) by @gemstonecircles

New Duo Costume design by @ghost-proof with @incorrectgundamwingquotes and @bettertasting

Gundam Wing meets Sesame Street by @gundayum

2021 Zine “Deep Web” Easter Egg by @2pcbart

Real Recognizes Real (Duo on Heero) by @the-reanimated-bhg

“Do you come with the car?” (4xD) by @darksharinganz​

Other Fanwork

Gunpla and Cosplay

Tallgeese Fluegal by @weirdunclegamer​

Headcanons and Discussion

Masters Thesis + GW, a tempting idea by @kickeddownthestairs​

Other Fun Stuff

@janaverse continues to post screencaps of their GW Sims, so be sure to check them out!

@utamonogatari continues to share some awesome screenshots from the show. Be sure to check out their tag.

@incorrectgundamwingquotes brings us the laughs (Example A, Example B, Example C)

Memes by @the-reanimated-bhg​ continue with Une defenestrating people, Mariamaia being brutual, Wufei screaming into the void, and Quatre’s horoscope

Calendar Events

The 2021 Holiday Gift Exchange with @thisweekingundamevents wraps up today (January 16)!  Keep an eye out for a final roll-up post.

@gwcocktailfriday is welcoming the new year with this week’s prompt.  Post your responses on Friday (January 21) between 3-5PM EST!

The so-called “Big Gundam Server” is hosting the year’s first server meet-up on January 29-30.  Be sure to watch @lifeaftermeteor​ for more info. 

Church of Lemons 2022 has sign-ups open with @church-of-lemons​​! Sign up for a date between February 14 and March 6, so be on the lookout for a veritable avalanche of citrusy fics during that window.

Sign-Ups are open for the 2022 Lemony Shenanigans Event with @gwlemonyshenanigans​​.  Sign-ups will close on March 1, and then posting will begin DAILY May 1-31.