acesydneysage

[acesydneysage]

Also, I didn’t trust any guy who used more styling products than I did.

Sydney Sage, in Bloodlines. One more "Oh, honey" quote

[acesydneysage]

Adrian Ivashkov scaring Keith Darnell, a trilogy

Because fuck Keith, that's why:

"They're waiting for you. Go on in."

Adrian leaned close to Keith's ear and spoke in an ominous voice. "If. You. Dare." He poked Keith's shoulder and gave a "Muhahaha" kind of monster laugh.

Keith nearly leapt ten feet in the air.

Adrian chuckled and strolled off down a garden path, lighting his cigarette as he walked. I glared after him - though it had been kind of funny - and nudged Keith toward the door.

“If it makes you feel any better, you’re not as bad as Keith. He was here earlier today and was so nervous, he literally kept looking over his shoulder.”Lee paused thoughtfully. “I think it might have been because Adrian kept laughing like a mad scientist at those old black-and-white movies he was watching.”

Keith was just bringing the glass to his lips when Adrian said, “Mmm. O positive, my favorite.”

Keith sprayed out the wine he’d just drunk and promptly started coughing. I was relieved that none got on me. Jill burst into giggles, and Clarence stared at his glass wonderingly.

“Is it? I thought it was a cabernet sauvignon.”

“So it is,” said Adrian, straight-faced. “My mistake.”

Keith gave Adrian a tight smile, like he too thought it was a funny joke, but I wasn’t fooled. Keith was mad at having been mocked, and no matter how friendly he pretended to be with everyone, his views against vampires and dhampirs were as harsh as they’d ever been. Of course, Adrian probably wasn’t helping matters any. I thought it was pretty funny, honestly, and worked to hide my smile so that Keith wouldn’t get mad at me again. It was hard to do because shortly thereafter, Adrian flashed me a secret, knowing smile that seemed to say, That’s payback for earlier.

[acesydneysage]

@sydneysageivashkov

I know blood whore was already taken by the first va series, but vamp lover as an insult is just so ridiculous, I can't take it seriously. You'd think after centuries of institutionalized bigotry the Alchemists would come up with some slurs for vampire (and their sympathizers). Maybe leech.

[acesydneysage]

Richelle Mead is just ridiculously good at accidentally making her characters queer.

Sydney has someone magically see her aura and describe her with THE DEFINITION OF DEMISEXUAL word for word. I'm sure Richelle Mead never even heard the word demisexuality, she's just that good at writing accidental queerness.

She probably just tried to make her different from Rose's sexual assertiveness and immediate attraction, but here we are. Sydney's whole characterization was spot on the a-spec experience, I already wrote a whole "essay" about it, so I'll stop here.

Adrian's absurd bad reputation does not work at all, he's a young, attractive, rich, royal male, no amount of sex in the world would get him slutshamed. People are just being biphobic. Plus, he has impeccable chaotic bi vibes, he's clearly bi/pan.

And the amount of homoeroticism between Rose and Lissa? Look, I value friendship deeply, it's just as important and deep as romantic relationships. I'm not one to say "there's no heterosexual/platonic explanation for this" just because two characters love each other a lot. Hence the multiple posts gushing about how much Sydney and Eddie love each other.

When I say Rose and Lissa are in lesbians with each other it's because they were actively lusting for each other. Their very first scene has Rose saying that she's sure that being bitten by Lissa (the very well established erotic metaphor) is better than sex. She didn't have to do that!

The books are actually pretty heteronormative, and almost every character gets a designated opposite gender partner, but that just ends up making them bi. Although Mia is a pretty good candidate for "victim of comp het".

There are exactly 2 minor characters who Richelle actually intended to be canon lesbians, and yet almost every major character is queer. That's not even getting into the conversion therapy allegories.

[acesydneysage]

Reasons why The Indigo Spell is my favorite Bloodlines book:

Witchcraft! So much cool witchy stuff!

Sydney and Adrian aren't together yet, and there's resisting and pining and oh, but they give in and make out every 50 pages or so

HOPPER THE TINY DEMON DRAGON

How much of a goner Sydney is from page one, she thinks about Adrian constantly and misses him the second they're apart, while telling herself that the idea that she's "already halfway in love with him" is crazy

How insanely bad Adrian is at "loving from afar"

Adrian making heart eyes at Sydney while she throws fire balls

Sydney watching Adrian paint and going MINE

Crossword in the airplane scene, just how well Adrian knows her

Sydney actively going against the Alchemists, questioning what they tell her and being resentful of how they used her

"His face was the picture of perfect politeness and restraint, meaning something disastrous was probably about to happen."

THE DANCE

Oh no, I'm completely horrified at the idea of having to touch and dance with a vampire, I'm not thinking about when he kissed me at all

Sydney and Ms. Terwilliger actually developing a mentorship, Ms. T driving herself to the ground to protect Sydney and Sydney saving her

Talking about Ms. T: "He looks like he would do anything for you" She met him once! Captain of the ship! Well, Jill's first mate, anyway

Sydney and Adrian playing supernatural detectives!!!

The kiss at the college party

Adrian looks at Sydney's aura and almost explicitly states that she's demisexual

"I'm a quick study"

Alicia is a cool villain

Malachi Wolf is back and has a squirrel cookie jar, and Sydney can't wait to tell Adrian about it, momentarily forgetting she's supposedly leaving for Mexico

The whole melodramatic set up for their kiss and first date in the end is so, so Adrian, and he found a place Sydney would adore

If anyone wants to explain what their favorite book in the series is and why, please tag me :)

[acesydneysage]

I really wish Richelle had done more with Sydney and Eddie's cover as twins. I know every other character is a foil for Sydney, but they truly are so alike in a lot of ways and they love each other so much. I can't believe there isn't so much as a "Where's your twin?"

They should have faked twin telepathy. The younger kids should have come up with funny stories about them as children. Adrian could definitely do a lot with it. It's such a wasted opportunity

But I know in my heart they kept that as an excuse for him living with them post-canon

Also, let me know if you wanna join a Bloodlines fan community

[acesydneysage]

Sydney Sage + surely books can solve any problem

Rated for efficiency

The spellbooks Ms. T had Sydney unknowingly learn from for "research"

3/5, the fire amulet didn't stop the Strigoi, but it may have kept Adrian alive long enough for the calvary to arrive

The Amberwood Yearbook she threw at Lee so she and Adrian could make a run for it

For solving the mystery: 2/5, she solved it the second it didn't matter anymore

For throwing at a serial killer: 2.5/5, it did distract him, the Strigoi arrival was terrible timing

The books on kissing and dating she got when she went out with Brayden

"I’d feared dating for years but was again pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to talk to him. It was a lot like the Shakespearean outing: an endless source of topics that we both knew lots about. It was the rest of the experience that still left me unsettled—the “date” stuff. The dating books I’d read since our last outing mostly advised on when to have sex, which was completely useless since I had yet to figure out holding hands."

"None of the advice I’d gotten from the books or my friends really prepared me for how to handle discussions about alternative energy sources. One of the books—one I’d chosen not to finish—had a decidedly male-centric view that said women should always make men feel important on dates."

1/5, not very useful. (Maybe if she'd gotten a book on the asexuality spectrum and demisexuality)

The HR department book for teachers

For claiming Ms. T making her research spellbooks counts as inappropriate behavior: 0/5

For getting Angeline out of being expelled after she punched a motivational speaker who tried to physically pull her up to the stage and throwing a speaker at another: 4/5

The Invisible Dagger: Practical Spells for Offense and Defense

For self-defense: 5/5, heavily used to escape the vampire hunters

For Ms. T's goal of using Sydney's curiosity and interest in self-defense to tempt her into willingly study magic on her own: 83/5

"“We’re here for you if you do,” I said. I technically meant it, but if Jill came sobbing to me afterward, I wasn’t entirely sure what I should say. Maybe I could find a book on appropriate breakup counseling techniques before she did the deed."

?/5, unclear if bought or helpful

Elements of Battle

For distracting her from Adrian in a plane: 0/5, became the topic of conversation, got them to make up

For battling Alicia: 4/5, knocked herself out using spells that were too advanced, but won

Bad Boys and the Women Who Love Them

"My preferred theory was that I’d simply been caught up in how serious Adrian had been about his art, how the emotion and passion had seized hold of him. Girls liked artists just as much as bad boys, right? Even now, something stirred in my chest when I thought about the enraptured look on his face. I loved that he possessed something so powerful in him.

But, as I told myself constantly, that was no excuse for climbing all over him and letting him kiss me—on my neck. I’d bought and downloaded the “bad boy” book online, but it had been completely useless in advising me. I finally decided the best way—if not the healthiest one—was to act like the moment had never happened."

"My body doesn’t know any better. I’m as susceptible to lust as anyone else.” There was probably a book about that or at least an article in Cosmopolitan."

"Some part of me—nearly as snarky as Adrian—suggested I pick up a book on denial the next time I was in the self-help section."

-97/5, absolutely useless, irrelevant topic

Summonings and Conjurations

100/5, excellent for becoming the co-parent of a tiny protective dragon with the boy you're totally not in love with, very cute. HOPPER!!!

The baby name book

For stopping Adrian's heart: 5/5

For picking her new witchy coven name: 4/5, very reasonable, not sure if she actually chose from it

Inez's mechanics of charm making books

5/5, Sydney successfully broke and sealed Alchemist tattoos

Unspecified number of sex how-to books

12/5, got an impressed “Where did you learn that, Sage?” from Adrian Ivashkov, can't argue with results

An embellished book with metal corners used to unscrew a ventilation panel in her room in re-education

4/5, not as good as a screwdriver but did the job, successfully turned off the knock-out gas

Unnamed book of spells gifted by Ms. T after Sydney's rescue

5/5, aided their escape, terrified some Alchemists, should've killed them painfully but you can't have everything

"some parenting book she read about kids learning a second language"

4/5, Declan seems to be learning Spanish well

Happy birthday to my darling Sydney Sage Ivashkov, I may have gone overboard on this one

[acesydneysage]

so. hypothetically. what prompts would you like to see for a bloodlines appreciation week

[acesydneysage]

The most romantic things Adrian Ivashkov has ever done

1. Listening to Sydney's info dumps about random nerd topics, encouraging her to speak, paying attention and remembering stuff

2. Improving himself, going to therapy and dealing with his mental health issues and addiction, overcoming his serious case of affluenza, giving up spirit to take his meds

3. Leaving royal life behind to be with her with zero hesitation, then becoming a pre-school teacher, and being deliriously happy about it

4. Selling the cufflinks he had deep emotional connection to because it was gift from his now dead aunt, so Sydney could realize her dream when they're getting married in a rush for asylum

5. Learning to cook, which I'm completely sure he did for Sydney, not just that first time when he didn't have money for a birthday present, but because Sydney already had issues with food and certainly needed to be on a special diet to recover from re-education

He also has some pretty dreamy lines and some grand gestures but you know...

(I'm sure it's still valentine's day somewhere )

[acesydneysage]

Gathering my sydrian prompts in one post

Some of these were originally directed at people who asked for prompts, and others were AU ideas, so they go from extremely vague to way too detailed. I'm copying them all here for my own convenience, but if anybody is interested, please go ahead and use them, and let me know you did.

Any character's reaction to finding out about sydrian that we haven't seen. Specifically Abe, specially if they're present being adorable. Sydney sassing Abe is a bonus. I really wish we'd gotten more reactions.

Just Sydney and Adrian going around solving supernatural mysteries and being a cute couple

Bring Hopper back, somehow

Sydrian being good parents! I made one post in my sydrian tag about them adopting a bunch of kids and one about Adrian dressing Declan up as mini Adrian for events.

I know it's January August, but Halloween is a sydrian thing, so have them dress up as Gomez and Morticia (I also have a post about that lol). Maybe next Halloween they can be Westley and Buttercup

Adrian's pov on romantic scenes from the first books. The Golden Lily has so much angst potential, with how he's realizing he's falling for someone who was taught to believe he's evil, and The Indigo Spell has some amazing scenes.

People finding out about Sydney's magic. I think the existence of witches would probably be a bigger deal when Moroi found out about it.

Sydney's mom and Carly finding her, and discovering that she's married and everything else

Vow renewal ceremony with all the friends who couldn't be at the wedding. Maybe Declan carrying Hopper on a red pillow as he carries the rings.

Alt ending where they go to whatever escape plan of theirs is your favorite

Alt ending where they lead a rebellion against the alchemists, effect large scale change with the witches and ex-alchemists' help and liberate more reeducation centers

AU where Adrian is an architect who wants to do insane, impossible things and Sydney is an engineer who tries to make him be reasonable, or tries to make it work

Similarly, writer/editor AU

Childhood friends AU. I think his family could have an estate close to Sydney's house and they see each other every summer. They never mention their ties to the supernatural, and as Sydney gets older she's in denial about the fact that her friend is obviously a Moroi, and therefore she should stop being his friend. That interrogation scene in Last Sacrifice is the first time Adrian saw her in a few years, and that's how he finds out she's an Alchemist, and by them he knows about Alchemists' beliefs.

Childhood rivals AU

All human AU where he helps her dismantle the cult her dad leads

Trying to explain to her human friends from Palm Springs that she didn't marry her brother

Paint fights. I like them.

Neil comes back, and they get scared that he wants Declan back

Dealing with Sydney's PTSD and Adrian's mental health, preferably ending in hopeful note, with healthy coping mechanisms and communication

AU where Sydney is a mechanic working for her mom and Adrian finds excuses to come over, and let's her drive the Ivashkinator.

Regency fake marriage AU where they elope so Sydney won't have to marry a creep Jared tried to set her up with, and then they mutually pine

Art thieves au, either Sydney is the investigator, or they're a team, or one evolving into the other

AU where Sydney is living with her recently widowed sister Carly, after her husband Keith died suddenly, and she just happens to be an expert on poisons. The life expectancy of abusive husbands drops sharply. Adrian starts to figure it out, but he's moved tohelp her get away instead of turning her in.

That last one could be paired with a pen-pals AU, where they become close friends and develop feelings through letters but don't really know each others' identity. I think it could start with Sydney requesting a book she needs, and Adrian sends it to her with a quippy note, and in her thank you letter she can't stop herself from making a thinly veiled sarcastic reply. They keep up the back and forth because they find each other funny. I can maybe insert bi!Adrian into the narrative by not having him know she's a woman, and just trying to very subtly suss out if his pen pal might be into men. If they end up in the same city (like if you pair it with the one above) being convinced that she's a male researcher could justify why he doesn't figure out that she's his pen pal when it starts getting obvious.

Silver Shadows Fake marriage AU where Lissa is right and the wedding in Silver Shadows was just to protect her. I think I might have a longer post on that already. Sydney was sent to re-education for something else, and Adrian breaks her out. They love each other but aren't couple, and he doesn't wnt her to be with him out of gratitude, while she feels bad about how she rejected him,or for the things she said in re-education. When they leave court to find Jill they keep finding excuses for why they have to keep up the fake marriage.

Old Hollywood fake marriage AU where Adrian's reputation is in danger (maybe because he's bi and his break up with his last boyfrind got some attention, causing speculation), so the studio has him marry Sydney for good publicity. Maybe late 1940's, early 50's? I initially thought Sydney could be screenwriter struggling to get proper credit for her work as woman, but actually, it would be just like Sydney to start taking on a lot of jobs and managing everything, becoming a de facto producer who had to learn everything on the job and gets no credit.

Youtuber AU where Adrian watches Sydney's art history video to pass a test, and he keeps watching her talk about any nerd topic because he likes her, and her excitement about knowledge is cute. She watches Adrian and Rowena's art channel, and loves seeing him paint and how passionate he is about it. I just really like how they make heart eyes at each other whenever one of them is passionate about something in the books. Cassie can have a cooking channel, and teach Adrian how to cook for their first date.

[acesydneysage]

The contrast between Adrian's entitlement as he demands Sydney find him alternative accomodation in Bloodlines and Adrian sheepishly asking for her help so he can see his father in The Golden Lily!

“I need my own place, okay? You guys make things happen. Can’t you get me some swank bachelor’s pad like Keith has downtown so I can party with all the rich vacationers? Drinking alone is sad and pathetic. I need people. Even human people.” “No,” I said. “I’m not authorized to do that. You aren’t . . . well, you aren’t really my responsibility. We’re just taking care of Jill—and Eddie, since he’s her bodyguard.” Adrian scowled. “What about a car? Can you do that?” I shook my head. “What about your car? What if I drop you guys back off at the school and then borrow it for a while?” “No,” I said swiftly. That was probably the craziest suggestion he could’ve made. Latte was my baby. I certainly wasn’t about to lend it out to a heavy drinker—especially to one who also happened to be a vampire. If there was ever a vampire who seemed particularly irresponsible, it was Adrian Ivashkov. “You’re killing me here, Sage!” “I’m not doing anything.” “Exactly my point.”

Even when he apologizes later, while it's an improvement, it's still kind of the worst apology ever. She's terrified to be in a spirit dream, and he follows it with another request. He's just starting to take some responsibility. But in TGL...

“I was hoping you’d drive me.” I groaned. “Adrian, it takes two hours to get there.” “It’s pretty much a straight shot down the highway,” he pointed out. “And I figured you’d drive a four-hour round-trip before giving up your car to someone else.” I eyed him. “That’s true.” He took a step closer, a disconcertingly earnest expression all over his face. “Please, Sage. I know it’s a lot to ask, so I’m not even going to pretend you’d benefit. I mean, you can spend the day in San Diego doing whatever you want. It’s not the same as going to see solar panels or whatever with Brady, but I’d owe you—literally and figuratively. I’ll pay you gas money.”

He takes into account what her preference would be (driving herself instead of lending her car), acknowledges that it's an inconvenience and that she's under no obligation to do it, and cuts down on his vices so he can save the money to pay her back. It's a small moment, but I think it shows how much he's starting to grow.

[acesydneysage]

The most romantic things Adrian Ivashkov has ever done

1. Listening to Sydney's info dumps about random nerd topics, encouraging her to speak, paying attention and remembering stuff

2. Improving himself, going to therapy and dealing with his mental health issues and addiction, overcoming his serious case of affluenza, giving up spirit to take his meds

3. Leaving royal life behind to be with her with zero hesitation, then becoming a pre-school teacher, and being deliriously happy about it

4. Selling the cufflinks he had deep emotional connection to because it was gift from his now dead aunt, so Sydney could realize her dream when they're getting married in a rush for asylum

5. Learning to cook, which I'm completely sure he did for Sydney, not just that first time when he didn't have money for a birthday present, but because Sydney already had issues with food and certainly needed to be on a special diet to recover from re-education

He also has some pretty dreamy lines and some grand gestures but you know...

(I'm sure it's still valentine's day somewhere )

[acesydneysage]

I'm gonna start posting my nonsensical ideas for Sydrian aus because I miss them

Ridiculous youtuber au where Adrian watches Sydney's videos so he can pass his art history class and keepsnwatching every nerdy thing she posts because he has a crush on her. He eventually makes his own art channel and by the time they meet at a convention they're huge fans of each other

This idea brought to you by how much I love that he actually listens to her talk about stuff like ancient Greece and encourages her, and even remembers some big words sometimes

[acesydneysage]

Silly Sydrian AUs N° 2: Fake marriage AU

When they get married and go to Lissa for refuge and people assume they're faking it to help Sydney, they are correct.

Sydney got caught for one of the 5 other things she was doing against the Alchemists, like being in contact with Marcus, doing magic, stealing files or being too close to the whole gang, maybe she actually ran away in the the end of TIS but got caught. Adrian rescues her because he loves her, even though they weren't in a relationship.

Lots of mutual pining, Adrian doesn't want to take advantage of the situation she's in, or to think that she's only with him because she needs him or because she's grateful, Sydney thinks he doesn't want her after she rejected him much more forcefully than in canon.

I don't know if it's better to not have Daniella there so they're alone in the apartment or have her there and not knowing their marriage is fake, so they have to sleep in the same bed and act lovey dovey in front of her.

When they run away to rescue Jill they both wonder it the other is gonna want to end things now that they're not under the queen's protection anymore, but they keep finding excuses to keep up the act even though they aren't at court.

[acesydneysage]

The contrast between Adrian's entitlement as he demands Sydney find him alternative accomodation in Bloodlines and Adrian sheepishly asking for her help so he can see his father in The Golden Lily!

“I need my own place, okay? You guys make things happen. Can’t you get me some swank bachelor’s pad like Keith has downtown so I can party with all the rich vacationers? Drinking alone is sad and pathetic. I need people. Even human people.” “No,” I said. “I’m not authorized to do that. You aren’t . . . well, you aren’t really my responsibility. We’re just taking care of Jill—and Eddie, since he’s her bodyguard.” Adrian scowled. “What about a car? Can you do that?” I shook my head. “What about your car? What if I drop you guys back off at the school and then borrow it for a while?” “No,” I said swiftly. That was probably the craziest suggestion he could’ve made. Latte was my baby. I certainly wasn’t about to lend it out to a heavy drinker—especially to one who also happened to be a vampire. If there was ever a vampire who seemed particularly irresponsible, it was Adrian Ivashkov. “You’re killing me here, Sage!” “I’m not doing anything.” “Exactly my point.”

Even when he apologizes later, while it's an improvement, it's still kind of the worst apology ever. She's terrified to be in a spirit dream, and he follows it with another request. He's just starting to take some responsibility. But in TGL...

“I was hoping you’d drive me.” I groaned. “Adrian, it takes two hours to get there.” “It’s pretty much a straight shot down the highway,” he pointed out. “And I figured you’d drive a four-hour round-trip before giving up your car to someone else.” I eyed him. “That’s true.” He took a step closer, a disconcertingly earnest expression all over his face. “Please, Sage. I know it’s a lot to ask, so I’m not even going to pretend you’d benefit. I mean, you can spend the day in San Diego doing whatever you want. It’s not the same as going to see solar panels or whatever with Brady, but I’d owe you—literally and figuratively. I’ll pay you gas money.”

He takes into account what her preference would be (driving herself instead of lending her car), acknowledges that it's an inconvenience and that she's under no obligation to do it, and cuts down on his vices so he can save the money to pay her back. It's a small moment, but I think it shows how much he's starting to grow.

[acesydneysage]

Gathering my sydrian prompts in one post

Some of these were originally directed at people who asked for prompts, and others were AU ideas, so they go from extremely vague to way too detailed. I'm copying them all here for my own convenience, but if anybody is interested, please go ahead and use them, and let me know you did.

Any character's reaction to finding out about sydrian that we haven't seen. Specifically Abe, specially if they're present being adorable. Sydney sassing Abe is a bonus. I really wish we'd gotten more reactions.

Just Sydney and Adrian going around solving supernatural mysteries and being a cute couple

Bring Hopper back, somehow

Sydrian being good parents! I made one post in my sydrian tag about them adopting a bunch of kids and one about Adrian dressing Declan up as mini Adrian for events.

I know it's January August, but Halloween is a sydrian thing, so have them dress up as Gomez and Morticia (I also have a post about that lol). Maybe next Halloween they can be Westley and Buttercup

Adrian's pov on romantic scenes from the first books. The Golden Lily has so much angst potential, with how he's realizing he's falling for someone who was taught to believe he's evil, and The Indigo Spell has some amazing scenes.

People finding out about Sydney's magic. I think the existence of witches would probably be a bigger deal when Moroi found out about it.

Sydney's mom and Carly finding her, and discovering that she's married and everything else

Vow renewal ceremony with all the friends who couldn't be at the wedding. Maybe Declan carrying Hopper on a red pillow as he carries the rings.

Alt ending where they go to whatever escape plan of theirs is your favorite

Alt ending where they lead a rebellion against the alchemists, effect large scale change with the witches and ex-alchemists' help and liberate more reeducation centers

AU where Adrian is an architect who wants to do insane, impossible things and Sydney is an engineer who tries to make him be reasonable, or tries to make it work

Similarly, writer/editor AU

Childhood friends AU. I think his family could have an estate close to Sydney's house and they see each other every summer. They never mention their ties to the supernatural, and as Sydney gets older she's in denial about the fact that her friend is obviously a Moroi, and therefore she should stop being his friend. That interrogation scene in Last Sacrifice is the first time Adrian saw her in a few years, and that's how he finds out she's an Alchemist, and by them he knows about Alchemists' beliefs.

Childhood rivals AU

All human AU where he helps her dismantle the cult her dad leads

Trying to explain to her human friends from Palm Springs that she didn't marry her brother

Paint fights. I like them.

Neil comes back, and they get scared that he wants Declan back

Dealing with Sydney's PTSD and Adrian's mental health, preferably ending in hopeful note, with healthy coping mechanisms and communication

AU where Sydney is a mechanic working for her mom and Adrian finds excuses to come over, and let's her drive the Ivashkinator.

Regency fake marriage AU where they elope so Sydney won't have to marry a creep Jared tried to set her up with, and then they mutually pine

Art thieves au, either Sydney is the investigator, or they're a team, or one evolving into the other

AU where Sydney is living with her recently widowed sister Carly, after her husband Keith died suddenly, and she just happens to be an expert on poisons. The life expectancy of abusive husbands drops sharply. Adrian starts to figure it out, but he's moved tohelp her get away instead of turning her in.

That last one could be paired with a pen-pals AU, where they become close friends and develop feelings through letters but don't really know each others' identity. I think it could start with Sydney requesting a book she needs, and Adrian sends it to her with a quippy note, and in her thank you letter she can't stop herself from making a thinly veiled sarcastic reply. They keep up the back and forth because they find each other funny. I can maybe insert bi!Adrian into the narrative by not having him know she's a woman, and just trying to very subtly suss out if his pen pal might be into men. If they end up in the same city (like if you pair it with the one above) being convinced that she's a male researcher could justify why he doesn't figure out that she's his pen pal when it starts getting obvious.

Silver Shadows Fake marriage AU where Lissa is right and the wedding in Silver Shadows was just to protect her. I think I might have a longer post on that already. Sydney was sent to re-education for something else, and Adrian breaks her out. They love each other but aren't couple, and he doesn't wnt her to be with him out of gratitude, while she feels bad about how she rejected him,or for the things she said in re-education. When they leave court to find Jill they keep finding excuses for why they have to keep up the fake marriage.

Old Hollywood fake marriage AU where Adrian's reputation is in danger (maybe because he's bi and his break up with his last boyfrind got some attention, causing speculation), so the studio has him marry Sydney for good publicity. Maybe late 1940's, early 50's? I initially thought Sydney could be screenwriter struggling to get proper credit for her work as woman, but actually, it would be just like Sydney to start taking on a lot of jobs and managing everything, becoming a de facto producer who had to learn everything on the job and gets no credit.

Youtuber AU where Adrian watches Sydney's art history video to pass a test, and he keeps watching her talk about any nerd topic because he likes her, and her excitement about knowledge is cute. She watches Adrian and Rowena's art channel, and loves seeing him paint and how passionate he is about it. I just really like how they make heart eyes at each other whenever one of them is passionate about something in the books. Cassie can have a cooking channel, and teach Adrian how to cook for their first date.

[acesydneysage]

Adrian and Eddie will claim that "Literally everyone played this game as a kid, everyone knows the rules", but when it's time to actually explain the rules to Sydney they will start shouting contradicting rules over each other and arguing passionately about who's right

Sydney will get fed up and look up the rule book, and then they will enter a brief truce where they agree the official rules are the wrongest of all

"I don't care what the Uno rule book says, Sage, you can stack a +2 card on another +2 card and make the next person draw 4 cards"

"That's right. It has to be the same number, though. People stacking a +2 on a +4 are just cheating."

"Absolutely."

"And you're allowed to put down two identical cards at once. If you have two red 7s you're allowed to put them both down"

"No, you're not, Castile!"

The argument resumes. Sydney rolls her eyes. Rinse and repeat whenever they play a new game.