sapphiresterreart

[sapphiresterreart]

From @whisker-biscuit's fic To Gag a Gagster which completely destroyed me

[sapphiresterreart]

The hairs on the back of Scanlan’s neck prickle and he barely starts to scream the first syllable to Scanlan’s Hand when a sickly familiar muffling smacks into his entire body.

To Gag a Gagster, by @whisker-biscuit

do you like scanlan shorthalt? do you like angst? go read this fic <3

[sapphiresterreart]

Hey :o) I don't know if you remember, but way back in April you were kind enough to send me asks about my Vox Machina WIPs, including a Vaxlan smut titled Something To Be Said For Curiosity. And I finally finished it! It's on AO3 if you're curious and haven't read it, user name Belphegor, the latest in the Vax/Scanlan ship tag ^^

I do indeed remember!!! Devoured and bookmarked it the day you posted it, in fact! Floppy Scanlan was my favorite part; he was so cuuuute.

Thanks for reminding me tho – I always enjoy re-reading such tasty treats!!!

[sapphiresterreart]

Movie Magic: KaiShin Idea

Stumbled across a KaiShin idea where there’s a Kaitou KID movie in production and poor Shinichi winds up portraying KID. Partially inspired by @dcmk-baka-ask​ response to an ask where Kaito Kuroba winds up casted as the love interest. Just tweaked their idea a bit and rolled with it before losing steam fast.

Summary: Shinichi thought himself a decent actor. He was more detective than anything else, really. So why was he being forced to play the one criminal he couldn’t catch: Kaitou KID? Because his friends hated him, that’s why.

Movie Magic

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[sapphiresterreart]

Misery Loves Company: KaiShin Idea

KaiShin would’ve happen eventually in this idea, but I lost steam towards the end, so. Conan might seem a bit…OOC? But well, I was aiming for angst so, anyway. This is all I got.

Summary: An almost-kidnapping. A heartbreak. And a little bit of magic.

Misery Loves Company

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[sapphiresterreart]

Start, Stop, and Rewind: KaiShin Idea

Yet again, KaiShin was the end goal but meh. Liked the potential of the idea but since it was taking forever to get anywhere, I got bored and stopped. Mostly just tried to write something rather than nothing at all. 

Summary: Magic isn’t real. But, after KID targets a supposedly ‘cursed’ pearl, Conan finds his reality shattered. Now ‘cursed’ with the ability to stop or rewind time at will, he finds himself dodging magical cults and magical beasts alike. After all, controlling time is like controlling life itself and many hunger for that sort of power. Pandora’s Box has been opened. He just needs to close it before all hope is lost. Maybe one Kaitou KID could help him figure out how.

Start, Stop, and Rewind

“Winter’s Teardrop?” Conan peeked at the jewelry in the case atop the coffee table. He kicked his legs against the couch. “Why would KID-san want that?”

Conan side-eyed the deformed, black pearl. If he squinted, it almost mimicked the shape of a cartoon-y heart. It was encased in the center of an intricately woven metal sphere affixed to a simple chain necklace and cushioned by red silk. Admittedly, the black of the pearl blended nicely with the gold but, really, other than looking like a symbolic heart, what would the thief want with a pearl? It wasn’t a gem.

“Stupid,” Kogoro reached across the table to swat at him but Ran shifted beside Conan, presumably with a glare. Kogoro settled. “He left a heist note. That’s reason enough.”

“But–”

“Because of its legacy.” The owner wrung her gloved wrists from where she sat beside Kogoro. “Should you touch this…thing then time itself will freeze like rain in winter.”

He scrunched his face while Ran gasped. “So…it’s cursed?”

Conan couldn’t stop a snort. “Curses aren’t real, Ran-neechan.”

“Best take caution,” the owner shook her head. “Always wear gloves if you need to touch it. Otherwise, I fear you will be frozen in time.”

He rolled his eyes. Yeah, right. There was no such thing as magic. Whoever came up with the rumor clearly did it to cause a stir and gather attention. After all, pearls formed within oysters due to sand catching inside and causing friction. There was nothing magical about the process. Just simple science. The wearing gloves bit made sense only because the oil from skin could erode the pearl over time. Ridiculous.

Conan chirped. “So where’s the heist notice?”

If the heist was in Beika, then he had a chance to go. Matching wits with that damn thief was one of his favorite past-times. It was nice to unravel mysteries without the threat of murder or dead bodies was always nice. Just a chance to let loose and unwind. Just wait, KID, he grinned. I’ll catch you soon.

The owner rifled through her purse and presented a copy of the notice. Eagerly, Conan snatched the paper and skimmed it before Kogoro swiped it out of his hands. Rude. He scowled and jumped off the couch to clamber up and behind the one where Kogoro sat. He peered over the man’s shoulder and quickly set to memorizing the words.

Once satisfied, he hurried out the agency and up into the living area. He grabbed his notebook from Kogoro’s room, flung himself onto the bed, and jotted ideas. It wasn’t until Ran appeared to get him for dinner did he realize hours had passed. Ah, well, at least he had finished the code. A phone call to Nakamori-keibu and an embarrassing amount of begging Ran to let him attend it later, he tucked himself into bed.

Days passed until finally the heist arrived. KID danced around the task force and Conan dodged his pranks, weaving through the crowd of flustered adults and up to the rooftop. True to ritual, KID checked the pearl against the full moon with his gloved hands.

Conan tucked fists into his pockets, leisurely approaching with a lazy smile. “Careful. Don’t want to be cursed, do you?”

“Aw, concerned?” A wide smirk stretched the thief’s cheeks. “Don’t worry, I’ve got gloves on.

“Concerned? Honestly!” He scoffed. “Curses aren’t real.” His scowl shifted into a smirk of his own as he aimed his watch. “But prison is.”

KID laughed and dodged as Conan fired. He pulled out his cardgun as Conan brought out his soccerballs. Cards and balls whizzed across the rooftop as they raced around. Faint yells followed and KID shot one last card at Conan’s feet.

“It’s been fun, Tantei-kun,” the card expanded. “But every game must end. Bye!”

The card imploded. Conan leapt backwards as a smoke bomb erupted, blinding him. He coughed, covered his face, and blinked against the white smog. He sped out of the cloud only to find the rest of the rooftop empty. He sighed.

“Annoying thief.” He tucked his hand into his pockets and his fingers touched cool metal. He pulled it out to reveal that night’s target. He huffed a laugh. “Annoying bastard thief.”

Absently, he rolled the golden sphere between his fingers before he plucked a handkerchief out of his other pocket. A quick wipe cleaned the surface and he trotted towards the rooftop exit just as Nakamori-keibu emerged. Soon enough, he returned the jewelry and reunited with Ran and returned home.

It was an overall normal day and a normal heist. The morning rolled by and nothing was amiss…until the day he was chasing after a murderer. Then reality flipped itself right out of sensical and straight into dream-like.

“Wait!” He called, sprinting after the woman as she ran across the street. “Stop!”

And she did. In fact, everything stopped. The cars rolling along the pavement stopped, engines cut off. The people walking on the sidewalk stopped, their chatter silenced. Bird soaring above them all stopped mid-flight. Only Conan was able to move.

“What…?” He slowed, gaping. “What just–?”

It was if the world had frozen in time.

[sapphiresterreart]

Transitions and Time: KaiShin Idea

KaiShin end goal, as usual. Guess who lost steam? Also as usual: me. Mostly just scribbled this to try and write something rather than nothing.

Summary: Letting go is never easy. Neither is moving on. For Conan, he has to do both. It’s a world of gray until a colorful little book lights the start to one unlikely friendship.

Transitions and Time

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[sapphiresterreart]

Phantom Faces Part 2: KaiShin Idea WIP

I’m trying to kick writer’s block and actually write after so long. It’s hard. Haven’t been able to focus lately what with the wildfires on the west coast and the pandemic making me stir-crazy. Good news, the air quality is clearing slowly but surely. Now if the pandemic could end, that’d be great.

This is a continuation of the old thing that I’d written long ago but posted recently. Not edited. Might tweak it later before possibly posting to Archive of Our Own. Dunno.

Phantom Faces Part 1

Phantom Faces Part 2

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[sapphiresterreart]

The title is triple whammy of references!? That’s awesome! Love me some intricacy and layers. Also, Scanlan having story titles that start with 'S' is both a funny coincidence and matches him so well.

OooOOH! Switching btwn the thick of the action and the moments leading up to it all sounds so exciting! A solid Structure. 

The WIP! Asd;klfjas;ldkfj AHHHHHH!!! They’re in the dark and Vax doesn’t know poor Scanlan is hanging on for dear life and secretly trying so hard to keep himself together and not panic. And of course Vax angrily assumes he’s not being serious only to realize Something’s Wrong. And there’s not much physical description of the space and it works so well because they’re in the DARK and Vax can’t really see so of course he’s relying on sound alone and paying extra attention to Scanlan’s voice to navigate. 

And it’s tense and exciting and the description of Scanlan’s voice getting higher and tighter in contrast to seemingly silly dialogue working to keep himself calm and also findable. But also steadily showing more and more of his nerves via the stammering. And the fact every sentence lilts up in a question which is a clue that he’s been nervous the entire time. He sounds so SMALL. And the cutting himself off and the SQUEAKING of Vax’s name.

And Vax picking up on the urgency and picking up speed to save him only to end up yeeting them both over the edge and into the darkness instead and if that isn’t a great metaphor for their relationship I dunno what is ahhHHHHHHhh as;ldkfjas;lkdfja;lsdkfj *keels over and dies*

Will the potential sore throat become relevant later? Will Scanlan lose his voice to a cold? Possibly made worse by dust and grime or mold in the gross mines? Is it a long drop? Do they get injured? Or could it be a short drop and Scanlan didn’t know bc he’s fuqin tiny?

ok so I went a lil feral but what u have so far made me really happy. I hope you continue but it’s okay if you don’t. I’m just thrilled you wrote and shared it. Thank you so much!!!!

(No need to respond if it’s a lot or if ur busy! Totes understand)

HEY WAITAMINUTE IS "underture" a reference to the music term "overture"? Mayhaps a Scanlan WIP?!?!

srryok bai now

Yup, kind of! It's the first CR I got an idea for - in March last year, for TLOVM, as I hadn't even watched most of the first campaign yet - and, incidentally, the only one out of five fics (/comics, if you count Scar Tissue) and 2 WIPs that doesn't begin with the letter S :P (not even on purpose, it just happened!)

Okay, so this fic exists because of three reasons:

• "Underture" is a title on the Who's concept album Tommy (and yes, a play on "overture"!) because the titular lad is Going Through It (and being made to taste drugs iirc). I discovered that album around 2002 and love the word.

• One of my favourite fics overall (like, all fandoms) is @plothooksinc's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003) "Underdark", which has Leo and Mikey fall under the city in complete darkness and try to make their way back to their brothers (and the surface), with Mikey as the 1st person narrator. It is hilarious and super tense and glorious and one of the great classics in the entire franchise's fandom, imo (or should be). Since I read it in the mid-to-late 2000s I had no idea that "Underdark" was actually a D&D term and was gobsmacked when I learned! The more you know :D

• And the main reason this WIP exists is because I essentially went "wait, what if "Underdark", but make it Vax and Scanlan". Of course, now it took a life of its own and there's going to be a Structure to it (start in media res, and then alternate "how we got there" chapters and "so what's happening in the creepy dark in the present" chapters). With a healthy dose of getting to know each other and going from essentially work colleagues to friends 💜

Here's a little excerpt from page 2, so literally the start of the fic (for context, Vax got washed down a mine and wakes up alone in a tunnel):

And, somewhere in the distance, a familiar voice.

“…help?”

Vax scrambled up, finding purchase on the slippery rock wall nearby, chasing sound rather than sight. The world in front of him was little more than blobs in varying shades of black. His ears were more reliable than his eyes right now.

“Where are you?” he called. “Are you okay?”

“Define ‘okay’?”

Vax bit back a tart comment. Damn Scanlan and his utter and complete inability to be serious.

“Like, not hurt? Can you move? What’s your position?”

“Not… great.”

“What do you mean?” Vax asked sharply, still half-feeling his way along the wall. Scanlan’s voice was getting clearer, or at least closer; it also sounded breathless, strained, small in a way it rarely did. Vax could only hope most of that could be chalked up to the sore throat he’d been complaining about for the last couple of days.

There was a scrabble and a gasp. When Scanlan spoke again his pitch had climbed a few notes.

“I mean I’m kinda hanging off a cliff? Or some kind of ledge, anyway. And uh, my fingers are getting real tired, if you know what I mean.” A short, nervous laugh. “I really really don’t want to lose fingernails. It hurts like a mother and it makes playing the lute really difficult.”

“Hang on and keep talking,” said Vax, straining his ears and trying to ignore his pounding heart. “I’m on my way.”

“Okay. Usually, not really a problem, but uh… Aw, crap.” There was a strangled sound, like he’d choked up on a cough, and some more scratching. “You know me, I talk – I talk real good. B—big fan of talking. I’m a great talker, too. Talker, singer, player – give me any instrument and it is on, baby. I mean I’ve never tried the double bass, you know, those big-ass cellos. Got curious but the bow alone is almost bigger than me, so that sucks. Plus they’re really expensive. Vax?”

“Yes?”

“Hurry?”

Vax practically ran around a corner and stared into the dark as hard as he could. The tunnel in front of him kept going in a downward slope, the ceiling gradually getting lower; there was a pathway of sorts along the wall, but most of the rocky ground seemed to disappear, as though erased from existence, into the starkest black Vax had ever seen. Rivulets of water trickled into it from the walls and the ground, slithering between protruding rocks, the only movement he could discern.

Wait… Not quite the only movement.

Vax bolted towards the fingers he could see grasping at a small rocky ridge a foot or so below the edge.

“Shitshitshitshit,” he could hear Scanlan chanting, his breathing now frantic and his voice gone beyond squeaky. “Vax…!”

Three things happened almost instantaneously:

Vax reached down and grabbed one of Scanlan’s arms just as his fingers lost their grip on the ledge.

In a last-ditch attempt to find a hold of something, Scanlan’s other hand shot up and closed around the clasp of Vax’s cloak.

Vax belatedly realised he’d miscalculated as Scanlan’s weight and his own momentum carried him past the edge and into the black.

(welp, they're dead :P no they're not but they certainly think so for a hot second)

[sapphiresterreart]

I guess you could say the title made me… curious... if u deviated from ur norm ;) Lol! 

Love Vaxlan! Can totally see “friends w/h benefits.” Mutual trust plus fun sexy times w/o strings or extra expectations attached.

I’m a sucker for Scanlan x anyone, tbh. Pike, Grog, Vax, random NPC? I’ll take it all! Maybe that means I’m not picky. Maybe it means I’m just desperate for Scanlan focused stuff sa;lkdfjas;lkdfj The dearth is real.

“Only one bed” is a popular trope for a reason! Cackled at the imagery of the tiny gnome bickering with the tall half elf over who’s hogging more of the bed. It makes me wonder how it could play out. 

Does Scanlan refuse to be relegated to the foot the bed bc ‘there’s more room down there’ is not a good enough excuse to have him stuck near Vax’s stinky feet? Does Scanlan sprawl like a starfish in his sleep and Vax refuses to get smacked in the face by a flailing limb in the middle of the night? Ahhhhhh!!

What could the serious convo be about? How do they transition from serious business to the lighthearted ‘what the hell, why not’ spicy times? 

So many questions!!! So many possibilities!!! Love the concept either way. Would love to see how you might tackle it.

Even if you don't finish it, you've given me food for thought to chew on. Delicious!

WIP Game ask! Something to be Said For Curiosity 👀

I saw your eyes emoji and I thought, "oh shit, busted" 😁 Because um. My forever ship in CR is Pikelan, hands down, best ever, but there's a sad dearth of Vaxlan fics out there, especially of the spicier variety. I loathe the "there is no [non asexual] explanation for this" thing and the "oh I like these characters' chemistry - they must have fucked at some point or will" but also I just. Love the idea of these two together in some way or another 💜 My favourite version of them is probably "very good friends who love each other a lot, give each other shit and have strangely meaningful conversations, but also don't get each other sometimes and also probably tumbled into bed at some point early on if only to try." (a Mouthful, I know.)

Sooo Something to be Said For Curiosity is set pre-stream, pretty early on, and makes absolutely shameless use of the "and there was only one bed" trope. Our boys bicker over who's taking the most room in the (single) bed, have a surprisingly serious conversation which then turns into something a lot less serious, and then make each other feel good just for the hell of it 🥰 Basically some "friends with benefits" with actual friends and zero pining or angsting! But I gotta finish it first 😅

[sapphiresterreart]

Hi! I wanted yto know that I got your asks about my WIPs (thank you so much!! 💜) and that I absolutely will reply to them as soon as I have time ^^

kasldjf;alksdfj It's totes ok!!!! There's no rush. It's also ok if you can't/don't answer them either! Life happens and that's okie with me

[sapphiresterreart]

Trouble by Avicii feels like a Scanlan song. Can picture him trucking along a dirt-packed road and plucking the beat with a jaunty grin. Reflecting on past adventures.

I've been a beggar and I've been a king. I've been a loner and I've won the ring. Losing myself just to find me again. I'm a million miles smarter but I ain't learnt a thing.

And I've been a teacher and a student of hurt. I've kept my word for whatever that's worth. Never been last. But I've never been first. Oh I may not be the best but I’m far from the worst. 

[sapphiresterreart]

Presenting: A Loaf of Bred.

Itty bitty handful. Teeny tiny mouthful. Put 'im in your pocket.

[sapphiresterreart]

Prompt: “If I'm going down then I'm taking you with me."

Opening: They set the stage for the finale of this shitshow.

Middle: “Do me a kindness,” they smile as black crowds their vision, “and call be by my name.”

Ending: They go out with a bang.

Potential title: When Kindness Calls

[sapphiresterreart]

Here's a snacc.

There's a snacc.

Everywhere a snacc, snacc.

Dragon lost the snacc.

But cat got him bacc.

So now the snacc snacks...

…on a snackity snack!

Bonus:

[sapphiresterreart]

Realized both TLoVM Season 1 and 2 kickstart the plot with the group escaping certain doom (usually dragon) via portal. Scanlan is the last one through both times.

S1 ep2 – after killing Brimscythe, everyone has to escape the collapsing lair. Vax and Keyleth are almost through the portal to safety and stop when Scanlan, the last of their group, calls out a "wait!"

Like an idiot, his little legs are slowed down by an entire box of heavy loot. He trips then nearly gets creamed in the face by a massive falling rock. 

Keyleth saves him and that very important troll dick (and those actually important potions) with the yoink of a vine. Chucks him through the portal before she and Vax go thru.

S2 ep1 – after the Chroma Conclave decimates the city of Emon and Vorugal tracks the survivors to the Keep, the group escapes via Keyleth opening a portal through a tree. 

Scanlan is the last one, yet again, to pass through the portal.

...technically wasn't last in Brimscythe's cave but he would've been if Keyleth hadn't saved him!

(Hmm. Green portals and Keyleth's green-powers and somethin' 'bout saving Scanlan. A subtle motif, mayhaps? Chew on later)

Vorugal attacks a pair of children running for the portal but Pike shields them. She's knocked down. Scanlan's little legs finally catch up but they're the last of the group. He half-carries her to safety.

Fun fact, along the way he says. "Portal's closing. We gotta go."

They narrowly make it through. It closes behind them less than a second before Vorugal can gobble them up.

All that is to say; it'd be awesome if the 3rd season starts with yet another escape-by-portal except Scanlan doesn't make it through. 

[sapphiresterreart]

Hey.

Hey what if we just.

Turned off the lights?

Don't worry it'll be fun! He'll make a good friend while he's alone in the dark, promise.

See? He'll even receive the highest of compliments!

Wisest sage 5evah. This guy is as old as time so surely he'd know a thing or two. How delightful for Scanlan's self-esteem.

As a bonus, he'll get a meaningful gift. He earned it first, of course, passed the Never-Been-Wounded Sphinx' Trial through the power of friendship music laced with emotional damage. But it's still from a trusted, friendly face. Isn't that nice? What a boost to his confidence!

What a boost it is, indeed. You go tiny man! You fight that mean ole dragon with your new BFF! Look at him hyping himself up and inviting the gang to tag along. He's gonna have so much fun!

Whuh–

Now hold on–

Hey wait just a minute here.