#Dryaded's Fan Fics

[fangbangerghoul]

✨Writing Interview Tag Game✨

Tagged the other day by @roguishcat Sorry this is so late I turned off my notifications at the start of my semester. I've been really stressed lately.

When did you start writing?

Kindergarten. Jk. Um...fanfiction? 2007/08? It was personal writing with a friend in a bunch of notebooks. Didn't start posting till 2022 when The Batman came out. (dont look into this fact)

Are there different themes or genres you enjoy reading than what you write?

I almost exclusively read Vampire/fantasy Romance. So, there is a difference. There have been a few books outside of that category I tackle but its normally related to my college work. I do think those horror/goth themes seep into my writing.

Is there a writer you want to emulate or get compared to often?

I do not think my writing has been compared to any other writing, at least not to me directly. I do really love the world building Charlaine Harris created. It is so lovely and to be able to write such an addicting 13 book series is something I hope to achieve as well.

Can you tell me a bit about your writing space?

I'm lazy so here's a picture:

What's your most effective way to muster up a muse?

It used to be absorbing other content by other artists but lately I couldn't tell you. I've been considering quitting writing for some time because I just don't enjoy it as much as I was.

Are there any recurring themes in your writing? Do they surprise you?

Yes, angry violent woman. No it does not surprise me. There have been some themes of sexual assault and abandonment. Also doesn't surprise me.

What is your reason for writing?

Community. When I started writing in 2007/08 it was with a friend and the comradery filled a need I didn't have. I started again last year and found some community. It was great for the time being. Now I am not sure. I know most people say you should write for yourself but being a depressed person since the age of 9 it hard to center yourself like that. Another reason I am thinking about just quitting for some time at least till I find that spark again or reason.

Is there any specific comment or type of comment you find particularly motivating?

When the parts I had the most fun writing get complimented. I also appreciate the comments that pull favorite quotes. They are really wholesome and make me feel like my writing is appreciated.

How do you want to be thought about by your readers?

I am okay with being the writer of the story that lives rent free in the back of your mind because it had such a mind-blowing event. Or maybe just a story that is thought of fondly occasionally.

What do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer?

Perhaps character psychology?

How do you feel about your own writing?

Right now, I am not my biggest fan but that's okay. I really wish I had a more poetic approach to writing or at least better with descriptions. I worry sometimes my writing is all events and no emotion.

When you write, are you influenced by what others might enjoy reading, or do you write purely for yourself, or a mix of both?

Though my reason for writing is community at the end of the day when I can write I try to focus on stories I will enjoy or need to get off my chest. There have been a few fics in the past I wrote solely for mutuals, and I do not mind doing that because it brings me a lot of joy to create for others.

(I know some of the answers may have sounded a little sad. I want to clarify I am not looking for sympathy this is just truly how I feel at the time being and that is okay. I am okay with it.)

Tagging with no obligation:

@bearlytolerant @interplanet--janet @staticpallour @lisa-and-shadow @therealgchu

@soloavengers @arisenreborn @dryad-of-the-dogwood @eridanidreams @kimberbohwrites

[francines-pages]

lingering doubts (susan pevensie x wife!reader)

a/n: requested by @fairy-geek-ackerman!!

warnings: not proofread (many of my fics arent proofread😭)

GIF by theaskywalker

How you were able to earn the heart of the most beautiful woman, or rather queen in Narnia, you didn't know.

This morning, Susan had pulled you along to your first council. You tried arguing with her, but she kissed you on the cheek reassuringly. "You can handle anything, my dear," she said.

"All the lords and ladies dislike me," you protested. The more you spent time with Susan, the more others looked at you. You wanted to fade into the background, not up high on a throne. You loved Susan very much, but you particularly didn't enjoy the attention you were getting. The love of your life shook her head. "They only dislike you because I chose to marry you." She took your hands in hers. "Others marry for power or wealth, but I truly believe in love."

Your cheeks pinked at her words. "What will I contribute to the council anyway? I'm a nobody. You're a queen."

"You're not a nobody," said Susan firmly. "My siblings love you. I know all you need is trust in yourself. Now come on!"

You couldn't help but laugh as Susan dragged you to the main hall, where everyone was waiting. Instantly your jitters came back, seeing everyone's eyes pressed on you. They were whispering amongst themselves, though thankfully Peter managed to silence them. Your hands gripped the arms of your chair nervously.

"Greetings," Peter announced, "lords, ladies, and my fellow kings and queens," he added, acknowledging his siblings' presence and not forgetting to incline his head toward you. Surprisingly, the council wasn't as dragging as you thought. With Susan by your side, you relaxed slightly and none of the guests questioned you, unlike at your wedding. You tried not to grimace at the thought. They ambushed you once Susan went away to find a drink, and pestered you with a dozen questions. Of course, you couldn't understand a thing in the council, only the dryad populations were declining. Suddenly, a lord spoke up.

"Perhaps...the Queen Susan's wife would like to suggest a solution?" he asked and looked pointedly at you.

That's how you were addressed. Queen Susan's wife, not even given a title. You noticed the Pevensies were gazing at you intently, Susan especially. She nodded slightly. "Yes...my lord," you said uncomfortably. "Perhaps, we could...encourage Narnians to grow trees?"

You immediately wished you hadn't said it. Most of the ladies were stifling a laugh, and fanning their faces. The lord who questioned you merely tilted his head. Lucy, Susan's youngest sister, interjected, "Well, that's a wonderful suggestion, if I may. Another may be..."

You silently thanked Lucy for saving you. The youngest Pevensie was so brave and kind. Yet they still looked at you. Embarrassed, you stared at your lap. Susan's hand grasped yours, drawing circles on your wrist to calm you. But you pulled away, feeling that you weren't enough for the Gentle Queen of Narnia.

"The council is adjourned," Peter said at last. Already on your feet, you involuntarily hurried away from Susan, scrambled up the staircase to the chambers you two shared and sighed. As newlyweds you felt uncomfortable sharing a room, much less a bed, so Susan had two beds separated, but close enough.

Sitting down on the your side of the room, you glanced up to see the door open and Susan stepped through it, looking troubled. You immediately knew you worried her and sprang to your feet. "I didn't mean to walk off like that," you stumbled on your words. "I'm completely new to this, I'm sorry--"

"Please don't be sorry, darling." Susan gently took your hands in hers. "It's always hard to start. Believe me," she laughed, "I wasn't so composed in the beginning."

You both sat down next to each other on Susan's bed, and you listened intently to her story, when she doubted Lucy's tale about the wardrobe that had a whole new world in it, namely, Narnia, and trying to warn her siblings against going. Even the most logical person you knew had doubts about herself. You rested your head on her shoulder, letting the anxiety and fear disappear as Susan finished, "And so, it will not be easy, darling. I hardly got used to the paperwork I received after our coronation."

You smiled. "I don't know why I didn't ask you sooner. I just..."

You trailed off, unable to describe in words how you felt about getting involved in royalty. Abruptly, Susan stood and held out her hands, a twinkle in her eyes. Instantly you got the message, letting Susan pull you to your feet. You wrapped an arm around Susan's waist, the other on her shoulder. Slowly but surely, the two of you waltzed in the afternoon light, gliding on the oak floor.

Dancing was how you met, after all. You weren't as timid as before, focusing on enjoying the dance. Although there was no music, you both waltzed to a slow tune in your head, smiling and blushing at each other like young girls.

Being married to a queen does have its benefits.

[iridisentry]

Re: Merlin and the 1000+ yrs later AU

When I read this kind of fic, the general idea is that Merlin has spent a 1000 years as a complete loner pining for Arthur(platonically or romantically) and as a result is a complete cynic and completely broken and when Arthur (+gang depending on fic) returns, they find him as a shell of who he was and heal him and everyone returns to the same dynamic they occupied before-- the great respected prince and his devoted, loyal but slightly (perceived) idiotic servant.

Which is... fine. I like those fics too, I'm a big fan of whump in general.

But... I think we're missing out on Merlin achieving his sheer potential as the token wise chaotic old man like Gandalf or Dumbledore or even the different versions of Merlin himself.

The man has lived for over a millenium. A whole fucking millenium.

Sure maybe he chose to spend it by the lakeside waiting for Arthur, never straying, ever a devoted servant/friend/lover but that's soooo boooooring. Sure, he can be a complete virgin, not getting into relationships at all because he's waiting for his soulmate but it's sooo frankly unbelievable. Merlin is the kind of character that thrives on loving ppl--his mom, Gwen, Morgana, Arthur, all the round table knights. Every person in Camelot falls in love with him at one point or another, he makes friends like honey attracting flies.

It's so much more interesting to make him heal after all that trauma and grief. He can even experience the Big Sad for a century if you like but after that... let him stray.

Let him find a friend.

Let him learn to live.

Let him fall in love again

and again

and again

with people he meets,

the sunrises and sunsets,

the way the wind whistles through the trees,

the new innovations, the leaps and bounds of science, the food, the clothes, the culture.

Let him leave Avalon, let him leave Albion, let him explore the world. He's named after a literal bird, you can't shackle a bird to one place, it's cruel.

Let the most powerful warlock ever meet others. See the way magic is used in different lands. The snake charmers of India for eg. We all know he has the most raw power but let's be honest, his education in Camelot is from ONE (1) spell-book and a man who wouldn't even perform magic unless in literal live or die situations. He can learn so much MORE. From druids, from the Catha, from wandering traders who use it to dye cloth, polish and cut gems, keep their produce fresh. From warriors who use it to fight and physiciams who use it to heal.

Merlin has lived for a millenium. Whether he wanted to or not.

He has seen shit. He needs a different outlook on life than "I hate everything and I wanna die" which is typical of us high schoolers. Give my baby the character growth he deserves.

When Arthur and gang trip out of the lake, I want them to meet Merlin who arrives a week late because he was helping dryads caught in the Californian forest fires. Merlin who speaks approximately 60 different languages and is involved in NGOs all over the world. He is overjoyed to see them of course and his contacts help him fake birth certificates etc for his friends.

He goes to protests and drags them to his immortal friends get-together which happens every half a century or so (dragons are canon, fight me if you think vampires or fallen angels can't exist) all the while working as .....well they can't exactly figure out what he works as. He says he is going to work every morning and he tells them funny anecdotes about his co-workers all the time but they can never place it-

"Jeremy has a headache from all the uncooperative patients"

"Amita is trying introduce an improved filing system, I love it but the oldies at the office think she's crazy-""Merlin, you're older than all of them put together" "Yes, and in my old age I know the importance of change unlike those toddlers. Amita is a genius, they should make her HOD, we'd all benefit really"

Gwen and Lancelot keep worrying about Merlin because goddamn this man has been alive for so long until Merlin casually mentions, "Oh yeah, I have a therapist. Petyr is great, I love him so much for keeping my sanity intact."

A Merlin who is the cheerful bubbly man Arthur remembers from their first few months and simultaneously knows so much, has experienced so much-- multiple wars and the destruction they cause, so many sweethearts who lived and died, the girl battling cancer who was his patient and such beautiful brave people changing the world for better.

A Merlin who is kind and caring and a chaotic little shit with zero fucks- "Merlin, hurry up we need to find <insert important world saving thing> or <insert certain doom> will happen!" "Chill guys, the future will unfold as the future does. Focus on the important things-like this cute caterpillar" *screams of frustration from all the knights* "Oh and by the way I had a guy take care of <world saving thing>. Do you wanna help me makea home for this caterpillar? *more frustrated screaming*

Anyway that's all I have. I just want to see Merlin unlock his true Overpowered Wise Old Guy Who Knows Everyone And Everything potential, is that so bad?

[numinousmysteries]

Fanfic ask time! :DDD 10, 25, 30~

Thanks for the ask @randomfoggytiger. Here you go:

10. shortest wip of the year: Hmm I really only have one WIP going right now that's somewhat long (or at least long for me) but I did start another shorter piece that's within the same universe as the longer WIP and might become part of it at some point, so I guess that?

25. a fic you read this year you would recommend everyone read: I've read (and re-read) so much fantastic fic that I know I'll forget some. I only just started using the bookmark feature on Ao3 to save my favorites so there are dozens that have slipped through the cracks, as well as others on Gossamer and other places, of course. Here's what comes to mind immediately:

I re-read Isometry by @syntax6 which is just perfect, and that led to reading Universal Invariants for the first time and it's equally fantastic.

I am a 20+ year prufrock's love stan but I actually never read A Moment in the Sun until this year and I adored it. I'm not the biggest AU fan but I will trust prufrock's love to translate Mulder and Scully to any world in any century. I also re-read Promises to Keep which is super angsty but worth it.

I re-read Blinded by the White Light by @dashakay at least once a year and it never fails to make me cry.

Times Colliding by OnlyTheInevitable. So well-done and I'd love another chapter!

The entire Unfinished Business series by aka_Jake. I like to pretend MSIV never happened (along with like, everything post-Existence) but aka_Jake makes it right.

How have I never read Dryad by @aloysiavirgata before? I adore everything she writes and this is no exception.

Hour of Lead by Darla Black hurts so good.

And like everyone else in the fandom, Gaslight by @sisterspooky1013 kept me on the edge of my seat for weeks.

30. favorite fandom to read fic from this year This is an easy one. The X-Files always and forever.

[letraspal]

⚜️THE WAYWARD HEIR⚜️

Keep reading this chapter on AO3

Part one: tumblr | AO3 full chapter

[alias-levi]

flash fic friday (#3)

Today we have something centering another one of my pairings. This one is part of a fanfic I might or might not write. 

Charis (my oc, a dryad) and Mad Sweeney (from American Gods) are some kind of couple, I guess. It would take too long to explain what they are so let me just say, there’s a lot of caring.

Please let me know what you think!

prompt post here, prompt by @givethispromptatry​ written on 06/26/2020, published on 07/03/2020  word count: 834 , warnings: mention of blood, a lil’ swearing

The souls of the forests and the ones of the wind had forwarded his message. Eventually it had reached the the dryad. But the souls are secretive. Barely giving away anything.

Sending messages this way is not the most ideal. They were faster once, more reliable. That was centuries ago. But they are determined and will always find a way. No matter how much time will be needed. Beings like the dryad, Charis, usually had plenty of that. The leprechaun she’s waiting for should be no exception. 

Though today he is.

Charis drumms impatiently on her steering wheel. He barely ever asks anything of her. On most days he’d show up in a random car or truck. Whatever he’d be able to find. On more seldom days he’d materialize out of nothing but the air. Travelling through the hoard of the sun.

For quite a while the dryad has been waiting at the edge of the forest already. Five cigarettes to be exact. A few breaks in between. Every now and then Charis would throw a glance through the passenger window. Scanning the treeline. Shooting them hard glances when they called out to her. The trees. 

Charis can hear them. Feel their spirit. Know their state. Feel their pain and agony. Casual stuff for a dryad.

Today she’s angry with them. Angry for that they didn’t give her enough information to work with. She knows who the message is from. She knows where she has to be. But no one told her anything about the time. Or the date. The Charis is left with her gut feeling telling her that something has to be wrong. He usually doesn’t send messages. He usually just shows up whenever.

A whisper arises within the forest. Hundreds of voices. Though they don’t exactly use words. It’s more similar to feeling and emotions. Those who are not of nature themselves have a hard time trying to understand. 

The dryad listens.

A tall man. Broad shouldered. Hunched over. Fiery hair and pale skin. Buile Shuibhne, then. Mad Sweeney, now. A Leprechaun. His aura unmistakable.

They had watched him ever since he had entered the forest. Covering their eyes whenever he looks at them. He knows they’re there. He is of nature himself. His aura ancient and powerful. A king. A god.

Charis feels the description resonating deep within her. Her own power being called by his.

They had watched him ever since he had left the clearing again. Limping, but upright. His aura had changed. The power still there. But uncontrolled and capricious. Madness.

Frowning, Charis steers the attention onto different aspects. They don’t like obeying.

The leprechaun pauses, shivers. He feeds from the power of nature. Using them just enough so he doesn’t pass out. They don’t like it. He feels their restraint. The swim had gone worse than expected. A lucky coin should have been in his pocket.

Sweeney walks again. His eyes are locked onto the treeline. A silver lining before him. So close. One arm is wrapped around his middle. Big hand pressing onto his side. Blood oozing out. Dripping from his body. Bleeding on their precious soil. Poisoning it with iron.

Enough. 

The whispers had turned cold. Almost like a sneer. Charis sends a wave of energy into the forest. Strong and bold. A warning shot. 

The whispers stop.

Charis can now see the figure nearing the edge of the forest. She gets out of the car. The cigarette in her hand forgotten. 

“Oh, no, no, no.” Her words are whispered. She stands to look over her car. Her heart races. Her aura glimmers. He stumbles.

“Oh shit, oh fuck.” Sweeney barely catches his stance. The forest had not lied. His side is covered in an unpleasant amount of blood.

“What the hell did you get yourself into this time?” Charis gestures wildly as she approaches him. He doesn’t speak. Breathing hard. Charis catches his heavy body as he stumbles again. One arm around her shoulder, she pulls him to her car. Drops him on the passenger seat.

Charis kneels down next to him. Worriedly checking his aura for any hints at proper damage except for the blood loss. She can feel him feed off her power to remain conscious. Accepts it. Allows him. His hand presses hers. 

“Get me out of here.”

Charis nods and walks around the car. The forest soon shrinks small in the rear view mirror. “Sweeney, what happened?”

He grunts. “Thought I’d go for a nice lil’ swim in that faerie pool. Godforsaken wee kelpie didn’t have it.”

Charis stays quiet. Her lips pressed into a thin line. “For real? That’s it?”

“Aye.”

Charis can’t help it. She snorts. Then laughs. Loud and carefree. A ridiculous story to hear from a god-king. No matter how long ago these titles applied. Charis keeps smiling to herself for the rest of the drive. She feels his aura strengthen. 

By the time they’re home the self-healing has done most of the job.

[asweetprologue]

Nili’s Benchmark Geraskier Fic Rec List

hey yall! I officially hit 750 followers (a few days ago, I blew past the benchmark without even realizing!), which is... insane. I truly can’t believe that so many people over the last year have enjoyed my presence in this fandom enough to continue to follow my work. you guys are so great and I love you all so much, so I decided to put together a gift for you!

this is a list of my favorite geraskier fics from the fandom, which I have been putting together over the last year or so. a few of these are big in the fandom, but a lot of them are smaller pieces that I feel deserve more attention! I have provided ao3 and tumblr links where I could find them, as well as ratings and summaries. Most of these are canon!verse because I’m not personally a big fan of modern au’s, but there will be a few of those scattered throughout as well. I’ve divided the fics into two sections: oneshots and multichapter. See the list below the cut!

Being in this fandom truly has gotten me through the pandemic in a big way and I have made so many good friends while here. thank you all for validating my weird obsession with these characters and enabling me in these trying times <3

Oneshots

all that was good, all that was fair (all that was me is gone) | M | 7517 | WARNING: Graphic Depictions Of Violence | @xdandelionxbloomx

Somewhere, deep in a forest, a man drags himself from his grave by sheer power of will. He lies gasping on the forest floor and does not know who or what he is. The world is wide and wonderful, though, and there is so much to see.

Or, Jaskier is so stubborn that he literally comes back from the dead.

Another fascinating addition to the mythology of the Witcher. Jaskier’s slow rediscovery of himself is so well done here. One I’ve come back to again and again. 

As Fast As Love Can Go | T | 9628 | @bygodstillam

There are Faeries in the Wood.

That's what everyone said, at least, not that there was any solid proof. Jaskier had tried, more than once, to find some. Just a hint somewhere, of a real story, of real magic. But all anyone seemed to have was stories.

Jaskier was determined to find proof. He wasn't expecting to find a witcher in the process.

Fascinating fic with some really interesting worldbuilding, and a fresh new take on True Love’s Kiss. Also with some great art by @hehearse!

beautiful, he stirs up still things | T | 2575 | @alittlebitmaybe

“You’re not asking me to dance,” says Geralt.

Jaskier turns his palm up on his knee, offering it. “I think you’ll find I am.”

Just them dancing. This is a lovely sort of pre-relationship dynamic. So soft.

Dialogue Prompt | NR | 2932 | @reinvent-and-believe

Dialogue Prompt 48: “You make me want things I can’t have.” Wordless I-love-you 50: buying them a special treat when you go out shopping

Geralt gets Jaskier a gift, which prompts some confessions.

Even a small love | E | 22,272 | WARNING: Rape/Non-Con 

“Well,” Jaskier replies distractedly. “Lots of things want to strangle you.”

“You don’t.”

It isn’t a particularly troublesome accusation, or even necessarily an accusation at all.

This is one I read early on in the fandom, and it really stuck with me. The dynamic between Jaskier and Geralt is perfect, and the misunderstandings between them feel so realistic. The non-con is not extreme, but do mind the warnings. 

For the Space of a Heartbeat | T | 2021 | @drowningbydegrees

As it turns out, falling into bed with your very best friend who you are privately very much in love with isn't nearly so nerve wracking as waking up with them the morning after.

Just sweet, morning after discussions. I love to see them talking for once.

Greensleeves | T | 10,414 | @rebrandedbard

When Geralt crosses paths with Jaskier in the spring, the world is dressed in green. Quite literally. Everyone everywhere is wearing green, and it all comes down to a song Jaskier has written that, to his mortification, has become popular throughout the Continent. It's torment, being forced to preform the song over and over again and have his heart broken anew. But who is this Lady Greensleeves the people say Jaskier is so maddeningly, heartbrokenly in love with? At the baron's wedding party, Geralt is determined to find out.

This is one of my personal faves - there’s just something about Jaskier’s feelings being put on blast while Geralt remains totally oblivious that I think is so very them. And the resolution at the end is delightful.

I Don’t Wanna Fall (If It’s Not In Love) | E | 13,902 | @writinglizards

The first time it's out of desperation. Things get rapidly out of hand from there.

OR the building of a relationship through mutual wank sessions.

I love everything Ashley writes, but this one was the first fic I read by her and it still has a warm place in my heart. I also highly recommend It’s Been A While (makes me cry every time) and Tell Me Honestly

Like a Storm, Like a Flood | T | 1065 | @valdomarx

Jaskier is leaving for the winter, and Geralt can't bear the thought of not seeing him for months.

It was soooo hard to pick only one fic by George, but this one is so soft and sweet and yearning I just had to go with it. This is really just about Geralt finally hitting a breaking point and saying enough is enough.

one flesh | E | 10,763 | WARNING: MCD 

“Well, then. I’m a ghost.” Jaskier spread his arms grandly. Geralt held his gaze for a moment, then dropped his head and laughed. Jaskier put his hands on his hips. “Do fill me in on what’s so funny.” It wasn’t funny. It was just so - ridiculous, the things Geralt’s fucked up brain would invent. This had to be the last nail in the sanity coffin, it just had to be.

Or: Jaskier is a ghost, and Geralt is a mess.

Jaskier dies and comes back as a ghost to haunt Geralt into taking care of himself. Geralt does not handle this gracefully. This fic is so sad and heartbreaking, but the ending is so sweet.

to render it transparent | E | 23,901

Geralt wakes up warm, peaceful, and utterly content, which is how he knows that something is severely wrong.

Sigh. This fic. This is a time travel fic - Geralt ends up in the future living with Jaskier on the coast, just after the mountain. It’s slow and beautiful and extremely bittersweet, all about how we choose to love people despite how much it can hurt us.

With All the Continent A Stage | M | 4745 | @greyduckgreygoose

Later, Geralt learned that the play was four hours long. Four hours long. It didn’t feel like it. Most of it passed by in a fever dream of ominous music, dance-fighting and dryads in gossamer leaves, swinging from hoops attached to the ceiling. Yennefer made an appearance, played by Priscilla in a glittering negligee. She sang a song to Geralt about putting him “Under Her Spell”, and they had a sensual dance number which was made a little strange by a sickened Jaskier (played by Jaskier) coughing loudly in the background.

(Jaskier invites Geralt to a musical production inspired by his own life.)

Jaskier basically writes Geralt a love letter in the form of a four hour long play. Geralt is an idiot about it.

Multi-Chapter Fics

A Lover’s Lament | M | 25,364 | @somedrunkpirate

So,” Jaskier begins, as casually as he can, “you are telling me, that in theory, if I were to be in love with someone — anyone — that person could well be in terrible danger?”

Of all terrible and ridiculous things that have threatened Geralt’s safety, Jaskier’d never thought that loving him might be what will get him killed.

I honestly can’t count the number of times I’ve read this fic. The monster is so interesting, and the mythos of it fits seamlessly into the world of the Witcher in my mind. Jaskier being so afraid that his feelings are going to put Geralt at risk, clearly unable to see that Geralt is going through the exact same thing. I think about the scene with them looking at each other almost daily. 

A Pair of Gloves, the Scent of Roses | M | 24,134 | WARNING: Graphic Depictions of Violence

In the bustling days before the Midsummer festival, Geralt is sent into the countryside to deal with a monster - with Jaskier once again by his side. But the bard has not forgiven him, and while he's not hiding his contempt for the Witcher, he is recalcitrant about revealing his true motives for joining him. As the hunt turns into a desperate mission to save an innocent man and the monster is not what is seems to be, Geralt learns a few new things about his old friend and decides to finally attempt to mend the rift between them...

This is one of my favorite’s in the fandom - it feels so believable, the world is so rich and the oc’s are convincing and charming. Geralt and Jaskier feel so honest here, stumbling around each other but still drawn together. Beautiful beautiful beautiful

Bearing the will of the flower | NR | 11,449 

The way Jaskier sees it, his hobby of following a witcher around was always pretty likely to get him killed.

The fact that it's happening now because the witcher in question doesn't love him, he thinks as he coughs up crumpled flowers, hardly makes a difference.

My favorite hanahaki fic in the fandom. I’m such a sucker for these, and these two idiots being so incapable of talking about their feelings really makes them prime candidates. 

Food of Love | T | 22,488 | @wallatile-qvibbler

I brought a dead princess back to life through the power of song is the kind of thing that would have got an eyebrow raise even from the stone-faced Geralt of Rivia, so it's a good thing he and Geralt will probably never see each other again.

(or: the one where Jaskier channels magic through his songs, and it almost never goes as expected.)

This is a Jaskier and Renfri centric fic, which wasn’t something I knew I wanted until I read this. Jaskier is a bard which in this AU comes with magical powers, but it feels so well integrated into the universe that I wish it was just... how the Witcher is. Renfri is so good here, and even though Jaskier and Geralt barely even interact you can feel the tension and love between them. Cannot recommend highly enough.

friends and allies of the witcher | T | 10,312 | @theamazingbard

Yennefer crawls over to her newest cellmate. They’re curled up on their side. Breathing, but only just. She’s not sure what she’s hoping for when she turns them over. Still isn’t when she sees that it is indeed Jaskier.

“Shit."

Yennefer and Jaskier each suffer in more ways than one at the hands of Nilfgaard.

Yennefer and Jaskier get capture by Nilfgaard and tossed into a cell together. Exactly what I want out of season 2 honestly. Their interactions are gold.

I’d Be the Choiceless Hope | E | 45,188 | WARNING: Rape/Non-Con | @lesdemonium

As a baby, Jaskier was visited by a fae, who gifted Jaskier's mother with Jaskier's obedience. As Jaskier grew older, the "gift" became more of a curse.

You know I’m not gonna make a rec list without listing Zoe’s Ella Enchanted au. Need I say more?

Silver and Copper | M | 56,139 | WARNING: Graphic Depictions of Violence | @kaer-cuan

Geralt is just supposed to pass through the quiet Lettenhove area. He's not anticipating being begged by its people to help save their viscount from a curse that keeps him from daylight. Lord Jaskier, they call him, and he's likely dying.

As Geralt struggles to untangle the ugly web of history that has lead to the increasingly complicated curse, he finds himself spending more and more time with the strange young viscount and wondering just what he might have been before the curse, and who he might be after. But things are not always as they seem, and as the curse tightens its grip on Jaskier, Geralt is forced to face the fear of failing yet another person whose choices were stolen from them.

Or-

Jaskier is kept from becoming a bard. Geralt finds him anyway.

This is a fic that haunts me. It’s very scary in parts, and mind the tags - there are some very heavy themes here. But it’s beautiful and touching, and Jaskier feels very true to himself even though his origin is so different.

we could be married (and then we'd be happy) | E | 50,222 | @a-kind-of-merry-war

Jaskier reached into his pocket, fingers grasping around the little box. He pulled it out with what he hoped was a romantic flourish, flipping it open to reveal the simple gold band inside. “Geralt,” he said, confidently, cooly, like this wasn’t terrifying, “Will you marry me?”

Geralt and Jaskier fake marriage proposals to get free deserts and shit but it goes tits up when Vesemir catches them in the act. Not knowing how to fess up, they go along with it for a while, which is hell because they’re both pining like mad. As I said, I don’t love modern au’s, but it’s merry so of course this one had to end up on my list.

~

And that’s it! 20 fics for you, and hopefully you can all find one or two you haven’t read before. There are a lot of people and fics that I didn’t include in this list only because I was trying to not put a million down (which I could). I highly recommend anything by @wherethewordsare, @julek, @contemplativepancakes, @witcher-and-his-bard, and @inber, as well as those linked to fics above, and I’m sure there are others I forgot to mention. Yall have truly made being in this fandom worthwhile <3

[luvliesl]

Ok but like what if the Simon Snow Series had a prequel?

I recently read Rainbow Rowell's interview with Vanity Fair (which I would link if I weren't technologically inept, but I am so anyone interested will just have to look it up sorry) But one of the questions talks about the possibility of Rainbow writing another Simon and Baz related book and part of her answer got me thinking.

“But I would never say I'm never going to write about them again. I think it's likely that I might revisit them someday. But this story is over. If I were to come back to them, it won't pick up the next day.” 

Honestly I tend to get annoyed with people who sit around begging for more books in a series (or a film adaptation for that matter) when it just clearly is not going to happen. Especially since I think AWTWB ended in a good place and I don't think their story needs adding to so I am in no way holding out for a 4th Simon Snow book.

But it did get me thinking, what about a prequel? I know they tend to be pretty hit or miss and a lot of people tend to find them boring or just straight up not like them but in this case I feel like it could be really interesting. 

Just Imagine: 

all of the adventures we know Simon had explained in more depth (chimera, Baz trying to steal his voice, why the goblins want him dead, ALL of the things the humdrum sent) 

But also even more stories and adventures we don't know about or have short little mentions (Simon killing a were dog, him saving Agatha from a well)

All of Simon and Baz’s fights (we need a full pushing down the stairs scene)

Seeing more of Simons magic 

Along with some other non-Watford things like Simons experience in the care homes 

Baz learning about his vampirism and also how to deal with it 

Baz and Agatha's whole thing in the wavering woods 

But mostly the slow descend into Baz falling in love with Simon AS ITS HAPPENING

But also being able to flush out some more of the relationships. 

- Simon and the mage (I know we all hate him but really seeing all the ways he hurt Simon could be both sad and interesting) 

-Simon and Ebb 

-Simon and Agatha (seeing their relationship in full swing would be kinda weird though)

-Simon and that one random nurse who I don't remember her name off the top of my head but it was a great scene 

-Its mentioned in Carry On that Simon is like acquaintances with a lot of students so seeing him interact with outside people

-Baz and his whole family really (Fiona, Malcom, Daphne, his siblings) (also this is the stupidest little tid bit but for some reason I have always been curious about how his family found out he was gay and just how all of that went down)

-Baz and Dev/Niall (the one Dev scene is AWTWB was gold and I need more of Baz having interactions with people beside his family and Simon) 

-Penny and Micah? (I know he is old news now but still) 

-Ebb and Mara the dryad??? 

Literally the possibilities are endless  

In addition we can get the sense from Carry On that their eighth year isn't a very normal year for them. (Baz is gone for a long time, the mage tries to get Simon to leave, Simon and Agatha are on weird terms and then of course winter break and forward everything changes for them in multiple aspects) 

So we never really get to see what being at Watford is really like for them normally or what their personalities were like before since they do so much growing in Carry on. 

I would be lying if I didn't mention that part of the reason I want this is because of the fan fic Rebel Rebel by basic-banshee (which if you somehow haven't read yet go do that like right now) (once again would link if I knew how) Because I loved seeing Baz grow up and the experience of seeing him go through things as they were happening like his father marrying Daphne and then having children or him figuring about about his vampirism. And getting a canon version of that would just be amazing. 

Anyways this was a super long post and I doubt anyone will actually make it to the end but obviously this whole post is just hypothetical and an idea I had, but I felt like it needed to be shared because it would be great. 

[raibebe]

Neo CreaTures

Hello and welcome to my first ever collab call to celebrate me hitting a huge follower milestone! This is dedicated to everyone who loves the supernatural – like me – and enjoys writing a little more interesting creatures than just vampires and werewolves – which of course are still lovely. Under the cut you’ll find a list of awesome creatures to turn our favorite boys into – or even the reader if that’s the route you want to go. Our main theme is it to have some fun and post a variety of different spooky or not so spooky fics throughout October to spread our love for the supernatural. To claim a spot, simply dm me @raibebe your member and creature of choice and I’ll add you to this post as long as the spot is still up for claim.

Reblogs are appreciated even if you chose to not enter the collab to reach a wider audience!

rules

As always: First come, first serve

The fic has to be about the chosen member, meaning he is supposed to be the main character, you’re of course allowed to add in as many of the others as you want

You can bend the lore/appearance of your creature of choice how you may seem fit. Just don’t start telling me dwarfs turn into wolves every full moon.

Deadline is October 31st 2021

Minimum word count is 2k. This should be doable, it’s a lot of time until October. If you choose to write it in multiple parts, just send me the part you want to have linked on the masterlist.

No timestamps/drabbles, bullet points, social media AUs or reactions. Fics. That’s it.

Open to all genres, it doesn’t have to be horror or gory but I would love to read some darker pieces that are perfect for the season

If you want to include smut in your work, you have to be of age. No exceptions.

Even though all NCT members are of age, please refrain from writing smut for Jisung, Chenle and Sungchang, since otherwise Jisung will call the police on us.

Tag your work accordingly if you have potentially triggering stuff in it. When in doubt – you should probably tag it. But you can always ask which brings me to the next point:

Joining the discord is not mandatory but I’d encourage you to because it’s a great way to get to know your fellow writers and maybe ask for advice or just to chat about our boys.

That’s also where I’ll post announcements and stuff

Please tell me if you’re changing URLs or want to step out of the collab or can’t meet the deadline, which is both fine and can be negotiated

Please reblog this post after getting accepted so we can reach a wider audience.

For further questions just dm me!

Members

Taeil - @fan-but-no-art  | Angel

Johnny - 

Taeyong – @ncteaxhoe | Fairy

Yuta – @sly-merlin | Naga

Kun - @moonctzeny  | Succubus

Doyoung - @just-come-baek | Mermaid

Ten - @jaesqueso | Werecat

Jaehyun - @127-mile | Ghoul

Winwin - 

Jungwoo - @heejinnien | Elf

Lucas - @justonedaywithmysunshine  | Genie

Mark -  @alreadyblondenow  | Zombie

Xiaojun - @key201303 | Guardian Angel

Hendery - @soliverse | Witch

Renjun - @moondustaeil | Kitsune

Jeno - @sparklysung  | Incubus

Haechan – 

Jaemin - @raibebe | Demon

Yangyang - @yangyanghater | Yokai

Shotaro - @chittapornswife | Nale Ba/Nishi Dak

Sungchan - @sichengscult | Warlock

Chenle - @flowerboykun​ | Merman

Jisung - @armysantiny | Shapeshifter

List of creatures to choose from. 

Some creatures are fairly similar but I wanted to give you as many choices as I could come up with without having to choose absolutely crazy creatures. As said before you’re free to bend the lore of the creatures, this is just a guide – mostly off of Wikipedia – to some of the lesser known creatures. Warning: Some creatures are darker and more gore-y than others. The descriptions are as ungraphic as possible.

Vampire: A living corpse that feeds on the blood of the living to survive

Werewolf: A human with the ability to shapeshift into the form of a wolf

Werecat: A human with the ability to shapeshift into the form of a feline

Angel: A pure, benevolent intermediary between humans and god, protectors and guiders for humans, servants of god

Guardian angel: Godsend protector and guider for humans

Fallen angel: Angel that has become tainted by sin and fell from heaven

Devil: Ruler of the underworld, personification of evil and temptation

Demon: Supernatural creature usually associated with evil and sin

Incubus: Male demon that gains his energy from engaging in sexual activity

Succubus: Female demon that gains her energy from engaging in sexual activity

Yokai: Spirits and monsters in Japanese folklore, ranging from mischievous and malevolent creatures believed to cause misfortune and harm to some that are considered to bring good fortune

Ghost: Soul or spirit of a dead person that can appear to the living

Poltergeist: Type of ghost responsible for physical disturbance, often bound to the places the soul died in

Warlock: Male practitioner of witchcraft

Witch: Female practitioner of witchcraft

Necromancer: Practitioner of magic involving communication with the dead

Genie/Jinn: Neither innately evil or good spirit

Shapeshifter: A human possessing the ability to physically transform their body

Ghoul: Demon-like creature associated with graveyards and consuming human flesh

Zombie: Undead revenant

Siren: Creature half bird and half woman who lures sailors by the sweetness of her song

Mermaid/Merman: Aquatic creature with an upper body in human form and the tail of a fish

Nymph: Minor nature deity, generally regarded as personifications of nature, tied to a specific place or landform

Dryad: Tree nymph

Fairy: Magical creature with human appearance, magical powers and a penchant for trickery

Elf: Beings with magical powers and supernatural beauty, ambivalent to humans, capable of either helping or hindering them

Gnome: Diminutive spirit that typically lives underground

Dwarf: Entity hat dwells in mountains and in the earth, associated with wisdom, smithing, mining and crafting

Satyr: Bawdy male nature spirit with horse/goat like legs, ears and horns

Centaur: Creature with the upper body of a human and the lower body of a horse

Naga: Creature with the upper body of a human and the lower body of a snake

Harpy: Half human, half bird personification of storm winds

Dragon: Large, serpentine creature that breathes fire

Kitsune: In Yōkai folklore, all foxes have the ability to shapeshift into human form they have the ability to trick others but are also portrayed as faithful guardians, friends, lovers, and wives

Phoenix: Long-lived bird that cyclically regenerates or is otherwise born again, often through burning his body and being reborn from the ashes

Basilisk: Legendary reptile reputed to be a serpent king, who can cause death with a single glance

Unicorn: Beast with a single large, pointed, spiraling horn projecting from its forehead, often portrayed as horse-like

[yunho0o0o0o]

my fic recs: a masterlist

note: most of these have been reblogged on my account, but here’s a list for convenience, author’s summary is copy and pasted here if there is one, if it’s the first in a series I recommend the whole series, I’ll probably add to this as I read more, yes i know some people are missing i just somehow didn’t have any fics in my stache that included them

A- angst, S- smut, F- fluff

Includes BTS and Ateez

BTS:

OT7:

Lost & Found (F, 1.7k) - @namjoontunes - In a world where mythical creatures like dryads and vampires are commonplace, how will a household of supernatural humanoids react to their new kitten being a shapeshifting girl?

Lilies of the Valley (A) - @girlmeetsliv3 - includes ABO, yandere themes

Sunlight (F, A, 16,5k) - @floralsuga - A soulmate. That was all you had wished for. Someone to come home to, someone to be there for you, to build a life together with. And yet you were cursed with having seven. Seven soulmates that you could not allow yourself to have.

Fading Legacies (A, 3k) - @mindays - BTS achieved everything they’d ever dreamed of, becoming world wide idols. But then the zombie apocalypse hits and it’s all they can do to survive. And they’re going to need Y/N to do it.

The Gentlemen (M, A, F, 5.2k) - @honeymoonjin - Sick of unsatisfying hookups, boring relationships or the company of your own hand? Apply today for the chance to be on bangasm.com’s very first reality show! Seven attractive young gentlemen will be vying for your choice of who is best in bed. All from different backgrounds, these men claim they’ll be able to rock your world, so don’t hesitate! Apply now! 

Ethereal Orbit (A, F, S, 1.1k) - @miamorjoon - somehow you’ve landed on this strange planet named Utepnia and you have to save their race from extinction.

Taehyung:

Chism (S, A, F, 19.9k) - @kpopfanfictrash - The entirety of your life, you have never fit in. A woman soldier. A passive power, wielded in the land of the bold. Despite this, you have followed your father’s advice and striven to blend into the crowd. You feel you have succeeded, until your Queen calls you before her with an arduous task. Guard the darkest cell in the lowest dungeon. Do not listen to what the prisoner has to say and above all else, keep your head. The old gods may be dead, but the humans are living.

Beastly Gods (M, A?, F, 8k) - @lemonjoonah - ‘Don’t leave the forest,’ a rule that you've been forced to follow since birth, but you are tired of living in this wooden cage. Out of desperation you cut a deal with Taehyung, who claims to be the only one who can get you out safely, even though he might be just as dangerous as the god you’re trying to escape.

Teach Me Dirty (S, 2.9k) - @forgottenpasta - Taehyung has a lot to teach his English teacher. Fortunately for him, you’re an eager and willing pupil.

Hoseok:

World of Pride (A, F?, 5.2k) - @an-ambivalent - artificial intelligence hoseok, includes yandere themes, your father created an AI to protect you when he’s gone

Yoongi:

Make Me (S, F, 4.4k) - @ppersonna - an ordinary sleepover with your best friend turns into anything but ordinary, thanks to your ridiculously loud neighbors above you.

Lineage (M, S, 6.7k) - @kosmosguk - When an engagement locks you, the 8th and forgotten princess, to the duke infamous for his cruelty, you find yourself counting the days until your inevitable death. It’s terrifying to think of your end, but when you arrive at his territory, you realize there’s a more morbid reason behind your marriage, and that the duke is much worse than the rumors have painted him out to be.

Switching Places (F, 1.7k) - @ijungkooki - soulmate au where you switch places with your soulmate at random times

Jin:

Scopophilic Affection (M, F, 7.8k) - @bibbykins - Scopophilia is a more dignified way to define voyeurism, something Seokjin had no intention of partaking in until he came across your live stream. Seokjin is a dignified man, but never in his life had he felt so depraved watching you smile and work like it was his profession, unable to reach through the screen and make you his. Unable to tell you how much he loves to watch you because you have no idea you’re live stream even exists. He can’t tell you how hypnotizing you are without the glaring controversy of him watching your hacked-into webcam, both as a human and director in the computer science division of the company he is a board member of. Nevertheless, you were his very guilty utmost pleasure. 

Jungkook:

Shadow (2.2k) - @yoonologue - Shadow has been on the run her whole life. Her survival depended on her keeping her mouth shut and staying hidden. If she didn't then she would be captured and used as a pawn to do their bidding. But it seemed that her heart did not seem to understand that. She had never been able to ignore a person in need. She never had a problem before, but it seems that her luck had run out. Now she was left with scraped hands and unconscious boy that was too nosy for his own good.

Asterismos (A, F, S, 7.1k) - @hobiance - As far as you’re concerned, things like magic, prophecies, and fate are nothing more than fairytales. But when you accidentally bind your soul to a mysterious amulet you found at an antique shop, a group of seven warriors from a magical world inform you that you now hold the key to saving them all. The fate of the realm Elodia now rests in your hands, and you realize that you couldn’t have been more wrong.

Sweets (F, 4.2k) - @worldwidemochiguy - in which jungkook steals your lip balm and perfume instead of talking to you, you leave a post-it note with your number on it for the strange thief who only seems to take the most inexplicable items and has a strange sense of responsibility for your wellbeing, and the cute boy in your photography class with the fluffy hair and the oversized sweater keeps getting more and more endearing… , includes yandere themes

Pen Pal (A, 5.3k) - @chinkbihh - As a lonely person, the idea of exchanging letters with someone apart from society was actually quite appealing to you.  In a random act of charity and desperation, you sign up for a pen pal and get paired up with an inmate named Jungkook.  The letters were meant to help him cope with prison life, but little did anyone know it was actually driving him more mad., includes yandere themes

Quarter Quell (11.2k) - @chinkbihh - includes yandere themes, you are selected as a tribute for the next quarter quell (hunger games au), the volunteer from district two seems to have an unhealthy obsession with you

Haunted (A, S, 14.1k) - @mint-yooxgi - you move into a new house without knowing it’s already occupied, includes yandere themes, ghost! jungkook

ATEEZ:

OT8:

All Eyes On Me (S, A, F, 3.5k) - @atiny-piratequeen - member x member, not an x reader, yeosang focused, Yeosang is a very shy man. Everyone knows this.But he’s fed up of his shyness and insecurities being the reason he’s left out of sexual activities from the others. He wants them to look at him like they look at each other

Mingi:

Two is Better Than One (ft. Yunho) (S, F, 4.2k) - @mingishoe - a threesome with your boyfriend sub! Yunho and dom! Mingi

Yunho:

Two is Better Than One (ft. Mingi) (S, F, 4.2k) - @mingishoe - a threesome with your boyfriend sub! Yunho and dom! Mingi

Bassists Do It Deeper (S, 6.3k) - @luvteez - while using what you thought was your brother’s laptop you find a search history full of exhibitionism, only to find out you’ve been using one belonging to Yunho, the newest bandmate and your childhood enemy

Shower Sex (ft. Seonghwa) (S) - @atothetiny - after a long day at work you decide to join your boyfriend in the shower

San:

First Time With San (S, F, 3.5k) - @call-me-bha -  Choi San, recognized as sex on legs among fans, was exactly-if not more- truthful to his reputation, and you quickly discovered that from the beginning of your relationship with him. In fact, you were about to find out about how much that name was made for him.

Seonghwa:

Truth or Dare (ft. Jaehyun and Johnny from NCT) (S, 6.2k) - @domjaehyun - playing truth or dare with your boyfriend and two guys you’ve hooked up with in the past when they propose a different kind of game

Focus (S) - @yeosangs-horizon - you and seonghwa try cockwarming in the study room, includes a little size kink

Shower Sex (ft. Yunho) (S) - @atothetiny - after a long day at work, you decide to join. your boyfriend in the shower

Yeosang:

Listen (F, 3k) - @mingishoe - You can hear every song your soulmate does, yours just happens to listen to the same song on repeat… for days.

Wooyoung:

Talkative (S) - @needyateez - when your car dies you’re forced to accept help from your enemy, Wooyoung, however things turn a different way than either of you were expecting

Hongjoong:

Miss (S) - @mingi-baby - sub hongjoong calling you miss

[dreamingofscully]

Bated Breath

Rating: G Length: 2198 words Classification: M/S UST

Summary: Mulder drives Scully home from the hospital after the events of “Milagro”

Thank you to my wonderful betas @suitablyaggrieved, @starbuckthirteen, J_A_Hunnings/AO3, and Princess 20-Sided Die. This is my first fic and I’m so nervous.

Read this on AO3.

*****

On the short drive from the hospital to Scully's apartment, Mulder feels like the air between them is almost tangible, heavy with their unspoken words. He glances over at Scully every few minutes and he can't help but notice the small imperfections that tell the story of what she's been through - the smudged makeup, the spot of dried blood she missed below her ear.

His hands tremble. He tightly grips the steering wheel when he thinks about how he almost lost her. He takes a deep breath, and reaches his hand out between them, touching the side of her leg with the backs of his fingers. Her fingers grasp his wrist - briefly, gently - and she leaves them there, skin against skin. Barely a handhold, but enough to know he's not unwelcome.

When they arrive, Mulder walks her up to her apartment and unlocks the door for her. He's reluctant to let her out of his sight but he's not sure how much she'll let him hover. She isn’t pulling away from him - her usual strategy after experiencing any sort of trauma. He keeps silent, afraid that if he said something wrong, she’d snap back into the Scully he knew and that she’d insist she was fine and tell him to leave.

She enters in front of him, the space barely big enough for her to fit but she slips through effortlessly, like she takes up no space. Her hand reaches towards him, inviting him in.

Mulder shuts the door behind them and stands there awkwardly. He's not sure what she's thinking, not sure how long he’ll be wanted or needed. 

He thinks back to that moment he found her in his apartment, covered in her own blood and so quiet and still on the floor. His relief upon her awakening shattered by her fear and desperation. Her desperate need to be reassured and held. Images flash through his head of her hand seeking his when the police questioned her, her shoulder leaning towards him when he insisted on taking her to the hospital, her forehead pressing against his chest while they waited for a doctor to check her over.

It’s just a lingering need for comfort, he concludes, she just needs to know she's alive. Soon she'll go back to keeping her distance. He hopes that this uncharacteristic mood will stick around for awhile though, because he doesn't want to stop being close to her. He offers to make them tea, a hopeful waver in his voice.

Scully smiles warmly, her eyes finally connecting with his. He sees a strange calmness there.

"I'm just going to have a quick shower and get changed. Make the chamomile." Her first words are soft and scratchy, just barely loud enough in her silent apartment. She places her hand on his arm, brushes it down to his hand, where she squeezes their fingers together briefly before walking towards her bedroom.

He doesn't know if she needs him, but he needs her.

Mulder heads to the kitchen, fills the kettle and places it on the stove. There are three boxes of chamomile, and he can't tell which one he should use. He walks to her bedroom, thinking he'll just tap on her door to ask which one she'd prefer; instead, he finds the door wide open and Scully's pale, slim back visible just inside, the dim light from her bathroom illuminating her from behind. She's pulling on her robe and for a moment Mulder swears that time slows down. He watches the glow of her skin disappear under the blue silk of her robe, and as his gaze travels upwards he sees her watching him over her shoulder. The fan of her hair covers half of her face, but he can see her mouth turned up faintly in another smile.

She ties the sash on her robe, walks over and taps one of the boxes of tea in his hands. “This one,” she says, still smiling. He tries to respond, but finds himself unable to come up with just the right sort of joke to hide behind and regain some measure of control. He’s floundering, frozen in place, unsure and speechless. Her smile widens and she walks towards her bathroom, closing the door with a soft click.

Normally, Mulder would have felt like an intruder after having witnessed such an intimate moment, but her warm expression seemed to welcome him, or was that simply wishful thinking? Either way, he takes a few minutes to recover before heading back to the kitchen. 

On the way, he absentmindedly picks up something hard and smooth from a table in her living room - a shell. He pauses, rotates it in his hands, wondering what this item means to her. Is it something that represents a significant memory, that she smiles at every time she notices it? Or was it a gift, equally precious because of its reminder of a special person? Maybe it caught her eye in a shop, and she simply admired its appearance. 

He is suddenly and desperately filled with the desire to know, and saddened by the fact that he has never bothered to simply ask her these things. So much of her past is shrouded in mystery, only because he’s been so selfish and obsessed with his damn quest. He demands so much, and she gives of herself always and without hesitation. If something were to happen to her or she finally decided to leave, what memories would he have to hold onto? How much of her would he actually have?

Mulder’s depressing, rambling thoughts are broken by the tell-tale rattling of pipes that signals the end of Scully’s shower - he hadn’t realized how long he’d been standing there beating himself up. He places the shell back on the table and rushes to finish the preparations for the tea. His fingers tap restlessly on the countertop as he waits for the kettle and he shakes his head to try to clear his thoughts, not wanting to bring any more darkness into their time together tonight.

The kettle whistles and he pours the hot water into two mugs - an elegant cup for her that he knows she favors and the “Albert Einstein was an alien'' mug for him, a gift he got her several years ago that he always uses when he’s here. Just as he's carefully fishing out the label that dropped inside, he feels a small hand on his lower back.

Scully. 

She inserts herself beside him and underneath his arm, her small form surprising him with its graceful agility. Her hand grazes from his back to his waist, wrapping around him with ease and strange familiarity. She looks up at him and smiles, her face scrubbed clean and hair curled and towel-dried from her shower. Her glance moves from his eyes to his mouth, where he's sucking on his burned finger.

"Thank you." she murmurs. She tugs on his shirt and pulls him towards her living room, grasping her cup of tea in the other hand. He follows, feeling oafish and gangly compared to her sudden transformation into some sort of ethereal sylph.

They sit close together on her couch, sipping their tea. It's not something he would normally drink, but he sips slowly, tolerating the smooth, slightly bitter flavor for as long as it lets him stay. He fidgets and can't quite figure out how to sit next to her, discomforted by his awareness of her physicality and his inability to define this shift that has taken place within her.

Scully rests one of her hands, warm from the tea, on his thigh. Her calm seeps into him and he feels content to just sit and be. A few minutes pass, and Mulder finds his voice. He begins to tell a rambling tale of a dryad who loved a mortal, trailing off when he nears the inevitable tragic ending. She finishes the story for him, a dimple forming in her cheek, that she should finish his tale for him.

“Keep talking.” she urges. He obliges, talking of nothing and everything, until their tea cools and they seem to relax into each other.

He turns to look at her, shifting away slightly so he can study her face. Such a contrast to her panic and fear from earlier today - she seems to have recovered remarkably quickly. Maybe it's not the quickness he's noticing but the distance she's come, the complete turnaround from before. He's not sure what it is but she's... still touching him. Smiling frequently. It's definitely good - great, even - but he feels like he’s in a dream. This version of Scully leaves him disoriented and self-conscious.

She turns to face him as well, the corner of her mouth quirking up in a half-smile. The mug of tea makes a muffled click as she sets it on a coaster.

"Like what you see?" her voice is amused, teasing. He realises he's been staring.

Mulder continues to look at her. Impulsively, he reaches out a hand and runs his knuckles delicately over her cheek. 

"Very much." His voice is tender and sweet, and he’s not sure what possessed him to diverge from their usual playful banter.

Scully's eyes flicker, her pupils dilate slightly, and they lower briefly to his lips. Her tongue slides out and wets her upper lip and she seems, somehow, to be closer without moving an inch. Mulder feels a spark travel from his chest to his groin. An overwhelming feeling of intense anticipation rises within him - like he's at the top of a roller coaster about to take the first fall.

The silence stretches between them for too long. Scully's eyes shift away and sudden shyness and insecurity seems to take hold of her. Him too - what is he thinking?

They both turn away with a sigh, chuckling at their synchronized stumbling. The moment lost, they lean back against the couch, still joined from shoulder to thigh.

Mulder breaks the silence by clearing his throat. "You seem really OK - more than me, Scully." Mulder tilts his head in her direction. Scully seems to be watching the ceiling; her damp, wavy hair fanning out around her, the ends tickling his arm.

"Yeah. I'm... OK." Scully's mouth lifts slightly, but doesn't quite reach a smile this time. "I don't think I've ever been that scared before but... after my, uh, outburst I felt..." her hands wave as she searches for the right words. "I don't know, I felt peaceful. Like some sort of darkness I've been holding on to for a long, long time just melted away." Her eyebrows are slightly knitted together, the way they do when she's deep in thought.

"This case made me realize something, Mulder, something we've been trying to avoid for a very long time." She turns her head to look at him, still lying back on the couch. They’re sitting even closer than usual, and Mulder can feel the warm puffs of each breath as she thinks about what she’s trying to say.

"I... " She drops her gaze. He can see the war within her, the arguments taking place, a decision being made. She meets his eyes with a steely determination, and utters a single word.

"Us." Staring at him directly. There is no mistaking her meaning. There is no room to hide from the implications. Mulder is knocked sideways, his mouth dry. It's not strange that Scully is the one confounding him, but he's definitely unaccustomed to feeling like she has all the answers and he's left behind, trying to catch up.

And with that she pats his leg, smiles again and rises from the couch, taking their cups to the kitchen.

"You can sleep on the couch. I know you probably want to stay and make sure I'm alright." She returns with a pillow and blankets, all business and common sense now, a familiar Scully that comforts him but makes him feel as if he's squandered something special.

"I know you're really tired. Please don't leave. I don't want to worry about you driving." She ruffles his hair as she passes behind him, not waiting for an answer. "Good night, Mulder."

With that, she's gone, her slippered feet making only the barest of whispers on the carpet as she shuffles towards her bedroom.

He needs to think, to finally allow himself to contemplate what happened between them tonight. It’s something he’s pushed aside and didn’t allow himself to seriously consider because he always paired relationships with their painful and inevitable end, and that absolutely couldn’t happen with him and Scully. She seemed so sure though, and if there was one thing he learned over these years, it was that she never made a decision without weighing all of the possible consequences. Maybe he should trust her with this as well.

Not knowing what else to do, Mulder makes his bed on the couch, strips to his t-shirt and boxers and lies down. Exhaustion pulls at him as the last pulses of adrenaline fade from his bloodstream. 

As he closes his eyes, he can almost pretend she’s still here beside him, her scent lingering on the cushions. He smiles and thinks, Soon.

[readyplayerhobi]

Player of the Week - Gimmesumsuga

; Player: @gimmesumsuga​

; Player Profile:

Now, I think you all know that I obviously love Steph’s writing. Besides from being one of my favourite authors, over the last two years she’s also become a very close friend! There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t talk to her and I treasure that so much! You may not understand my mind sometimes Steph, but I think you sometimes remain the calm in the chaos that is Jo and I!

In terms of writing though, I truly adore Steph’s writing so much. I’ve remained a fan since the beginning and I’m still mind boggled as to how long Sweeter Than Sweet is! It’s a testament to your stubborn Taurus personality that you’ve kept going for so long, and you FINALLY FINISHED. I’m so proud of you and getting to work on new things.

I know you worry about your writing but everything you write is so smooth and effortless. The world’s you build are simple but are so much richer because of it. It lets you delve so deeply into the characters until you almost feel like you know them, feel so fond of them and so happy to have read them and been involved in their lives even if only momentarily. I love to read your work and know that you’ve enjoyed writing it, because the dialogue you write is so beautiful and emotive.

Whether it’s writing a one shot, working on a series or on some reactions, every story Steph does feels so unique and yet it has that same gimmesumsuga flare in every one. They’re easy stories to read and even easier to love.

Now that the masterpiece of Sweeter Than Sweet is (nearly) done, I can’t wait to see what’s in store afterwards!

; High Scores:

Sweeter Than Sweet - OT7 x Reader

This remains the OG OT7 story in my opinion. If you want high quality vampire fics, enjoy poly fics or just want to read some good smut then this is definitely the fic for you. It’s incredibly long and so well written, with the character popping to life due to the length. They all get a good amount of screentime as it were and we get to see smut scenes with every one of them.

Steph does an exceptional job at making each smut scene different, not only with the MC’s main lovers but with each member. Taehyung is nothing like Jungkook and nothing like Hoseok. But Jimin and Yoongi remain perfect with her and you can truly feel the love between the three of them. She may sleep with the other guys occasionally, but those are her two men that she loves.

And then you have the menace of Namjoon in the fic (he’s still not okay Steph, soz :P) and the whole underlying story arc with him. So you come for the vampires and the sex but then you end up staying for the storyline and the characters. You really root for the MC in this fic, hoping that she does okay and that she ends up well along with the other members.

See You - Taehyung x Reader

This fic sprung to life after the Wembley BTS concert, which I also went to. It was the first time I met Steph and here’s an amusing story for you all...my mum met Steph first because I’m socially awkward and anxious lol. But this story is such a wonderful look at Taehyung as an idol and what it might be like for him to have a one night stand with a fan. Unrealistic? Obviously, but it’s exceptionally sweet and I really loved it

It’s sweet and Taehyung doesn’t magically speak English, nor does the MC understand perfect Korean. They struggle a little, get interrupted by Jimin but it’s overall just...sweet and delightful. A lovely little two part series!

Beneath The Boughs - Namjoon x Reader

This was part of our Halloween collaboration last year and it’s such a wonderfully sweet and adorable fic. Dryad Namjoon is so...unassuming and gentle, it’s a delight to read him. You really get a sense of the real Namjoon in how gentle and attentive he is, how thoughtful and kind he comes across in real life along with his innocent thirst for knowledge.

His journey to becoming human is so sweet to read, all in the knowledge that he’s fully aware of what’s happening and what he’s doing. Because he loves her, the woman who defended him when she was younger and he was just a tree. I just loved how welcoming and...protective he feels, a true source of stability in troubled times I guess. It was a great addition to the collab and the ideal read for anyone wanting some soft and fluffy Namjoon!

Orectic - Hoseok x Reader

Okay but this fic REMAINS one of my favourites because it’s so rare to see Hoseok in a hybrid fic, but it’s even rarer to find one with a hybrid MC. I love how Hoseok took on the MC in this as a favour to his sister but she was still given plenty of agency. I don’t like hybrid fics that feel too much like ‘ownership’, it makes me feel a little weird. So I enjoyed that I felt like the MC was more his sister’s best friend and Hoseok was just looking after instead of anything weird.

But then you can tell that he evidently has some feelings for her and she obviously has some for him. The little dance they did around each other was cute, but then when she went into heat...hoo boy. I loved that all she wanted was Hoseok, even though he could have found another hybrid for her to have sex with. And that he tried to keep up with her. Obviousyl he’s gonna be pretty sore once it’s all done with given he’s...you know...human, but he’s obviously going to give it the good ol’ college try. And I loved as well that his sister was obviously openly happy that her brother and best friend had found love with each other, even if she was a little bemused at first!

By Its Cover - Jungkook x Reader

Look at that, I’ve done five rec’s and not one had the same main couple ha. I could’ve chosen any of Steph’s Jungkook fics but By Its Cover stands out the most to me. Anyone who knows Steph knows that she adores Jungkook and will fight to the death for him I reckon. And you can feel it in this fic. What’s better than tattooed, biker Jungkook falling for the MC at the place he works?

The misunderstanding between them both obviously works as the primary angst and you can see the MCs annoyance towards him, but the way she softens is so lovely to see. How she realises he’s not what she initially thought and comes round to him slowly, seeing that he’s a good guy. And finding out what he does! The rain is our friend in this story as it leads to that wonderful smut scene where we finally get the joining of the coouple we’ve wanted to see throughout the fic haha!

-

Gimmesumsuga is my Player of the Week!

Make sure to follow her and read her stories! Not only the ones I’ve recommended here but everything else on her masterlist. Please reblog, like and send her comments and feedback if you enjoy her work!

[echo-inthevoid]

Season 2 q&a and overall reaction

Jonny stealing everyone's names XD 

Is martin going to be ok!? I also need to know! 

He said no;-; 

ok ya, no one's gonna be ok. 

Ya, he must do sooo much research. 

Ya, except for "fatigue" lol.

Eyyy the mechanisms!! 

What's the red string brigade? Ok, I guess a group of fans theorizing about stuff. 

Oh ok so someone else did martins poetry. Ooh, there's more martin poetry out there! *grabby hands*

Ok ya, Alex clarifying that Jon isn't stupid he just makes poor decisions. Probably if he'd paused and thought about it (like I did lol, I had to go do some stuff in the middle of that ep and thought about it a whole bunch lol) instead of immediately going out and buying an axe and further isolating himself and panicking immediately he probably would have figured it out. This is why it's bad to panic in a crisis guys. 

Eyyy! Jonny's parents voiced Gertrude and Leitner! That's so cool. 

XD Jonny grumbling about having to work with his parents. 

Hmm, I hadn't really thought of Gertrude being like a mother figure in the story? She just seems very cut-throat I guess from what Leitner said. Idk so far I've been very suspicious of her. Especially since that one statement where her photo burned a whole bunch of people or something. She just seems very shady... 

Alex chortling over Jonny's pain. XD

Side note, Every time there's a q&a I just can't stop noticing Jonny's voice going in and out of archivist range? Like most of the time I'm just listening along and then he'll say a sentence a bit grumblier and my brains immediately like "ARCHIVIST! That's THE ARCHIVIST!!" 

Martin would be the last one alive in Friday the 13th! It's official! 

(Is it bad that this gives me hope)

Jon likes Nonfiction, documentaries, and probably collects something just a little bit weird. *writes down for use in potential fics* 

also while im at it I remember jon saying he dislikes coffee at one point,  and so many people have him liking coffee in their fics! This has been your daily reminder of that fact because ever since then it keeps bugging me lol. (But also do whatever u want.)

Alex's spluttering sounds so much like Martin.

Yes!! I want to hear jon sing!! Yes! Musical Episode When!!?

Ah yes yes yes! All the characters are so unique!!? How does he do it!! 

Ya, it being in audio format sometimes makes it hard to understand what's happening in the live-action bits. (Live-action is the wrong word but u know what I mean.)

Oh ok ya, how he mentioned he got a pipe was quite clever I didn't realize that that's why he mentioned it at all. 

Ooh, there's a manga where there's something similar to Michael? I'll have to look that up later...

XD Alex and Jonny arguing about apples. 

Ok, so all the statements we're hearing ARE for reals. I kinda assumed but good to have it confirmed.

They used to hang out together!!? Work function curry nights!! ;-; 

Ya Ya! Who made the leitners!?

"You are assuming a book needs to be written" ...ok then. (but it has to have been created somehow??? Did they just spring fully formed from the powers? why? And why take the form of books?)

Alex's mischievous laugh about whether jon has friends *trembles in fear*

Yes!! Micheal is so good! I'm so happy they love him too! Yesyes! His laugh! 

Ah Yes!! Mary kaey was so creepy! 

XD yes yes yes fatigue was written on zero sleep, I knew it! 

Akskdjdkd I love them so much. Also, I've looked up Michaels voice actor luke booys and he does some other horrory type sketches n stuff and I kiiinda want to do a little animatic with some of those but it's Michael like annoying some poor soul lost in his halls... I think that'd be fun. I wonder if anyone's done that yet? If so someone send me the links I neeeed iiitt :3

Season 2 summary:

Uuuuu ya so this season was really good. I kinda listened to it in bursts of about ten episodes every couple weeks and then have been saving up the reactions to post later so these are usually going up about a week or so after I actually listened to the episode just FYI. 

I also do have a lot of spoilers cause I can't keep myself away from fanfic and people don't always tag for spoilers and I kiiinda wana know what's coming beforehand anyway? Idk it's hard man I get very stressed about what might happen and then also listening to too much at a time is too spooky for my poor little heart so I gotta read the less spooky fanfic to fulfill the hyperfixation you see. (If anyone has fanfic with spoilers only up to season 2 that'd be great btw) 

Anyway, I try not to take spoiler type stuff into account unless I'm just so sure of it I can't really not acknowledge that I know about it. 

Also, can I just talk about Michael for a minute?? Cause he's such a unique character? And I guess maybe there are other characters like him but I haven't ever seen one -tho to be fair tma is only like the third horror thing I've ever really got into (the other two are the SCP Foundation in its various forms and Little Nightmares. Hence why I keep making reference to SCP it's really the only thing I know similar to this.) But he's such a cool concept!!? Like someTHING that still has a personality? He's so not human? Like I get what he says but also I don't really? Idk im pretty sure he's an avatar right? Right?? Idk if that means he was a person at some point? But all this to say that he is probably the most inhuman character I've come across so far and I'm trying to figure out what it is about him that's so "other" to me? Like... I don't really know what Micheal's deal is? he seems to want to be sort of a neutral mischief-maker but also it seems like he keeps getting invested. But also I just love the way he talks about himself. Like he's a monster that has a personality and is fully intelligent but isn't just evil but isn't neutral either and certainly isn't benevolent. Like he's so complex and just,,,, the idea of a "thing" that's got a personality?? I love it? Kind of like dryads or spirits of things? Like the idea that after a long time things gain personality just by existing? Not that that's what Michael is necessarily? but that same sort of concept applies to him I think. Like the way he IS the maze and wants to help but wants to just watch but wants to kill them all. He's just so interestinggggggg. (And another vision of what jon could become?)

 also "es Mentiras" is a beautiful name 💕

So are him and not-Sasha avatars? Not-Sasha also seems completely inhuman and I was under the impression that avatars were (or used to be) human? Or are they like personifications of their power? Do all the powers have personifications of themselves. not-Sasha seems even less human than Michael? Like she seems to just really genuinely enjoy causing fear? Tho I guess we didn't really get to hear a lot of her. She just seemed kinda gleefully angry most of the time we heard from her. Was she... Human once!???

Anyway. Also, can I just talk about leitners line about jon belonging to the eye!!? Just..*chefs kiss* hnnnngg I need more jon grappling with that. I just need more everyone dealing with the fallout post all of the finallies ok? I still need more of jon angsting over his worms scars and stuff and now I also need jon freaking out about belonging to a fear god power thing. 

Also Martin! Is Martin ok? He sure did a lot of yelling which he doesn't usually? Look I love him and he actually thinks before he acts (unlike SOME people *looks at jon*) and he writes poetry and it is pretty good poetry ok!! And he cares about everyone and just wants a happy ending and aaaaa😭

Petition to get some statements from Martin's pov tho? I mean that's not gonna happen cause Jon's the archivist but I want more martin pov!! Maybe we can get some of his poem tapes??? Pls????? 

I feel so bad for Tim. It sounds like he's kinda fallen into despair.

Also Elias!!? Is showing his spooky side!!? He can control cameras and beat a man to death with a pipe!!? This is his "place of powerr"!!? I am afeared!!? At least jon knows he shouldn't trust him now. Oh jeez, I wonder if jon will listen back to the tape and know what happened. Thhhatsss rough. Oh dear, I hope he doesn't feel guilty cause Leitner did keep trying to hurry him and now everyone thinks it was him. Even martin thinks he did it? Wich like I kinda want to hear more of his thoughts on that? How much does he believe that jon did it? Tim certainly seems pretty certain but he's a bit biased and cynical right now so. 

And they were in the maze for DAYS? 

Now I need martin recovering from being stuck with Tim in Michaels maze for days being angry and worried and hungry etc... Dksjdksa knowing jon could be dying RIGHT NOW and there's nothing he can do. Please someone give me the fic links if this exists!! I've already written like 5 drabbles based entirely on spoilers/other fics (which I'll probably post (w/ links to their inspirations) once I'm caught up and can make sure I'm not just completely demolishing cannon lol. 

Leitner didn't even scream or yell or anything when he was murdered. Literally the chillest dude ever. F

Overall super great, Elias is terrifying, let's dive into the next season!!! I've got 2 seasons to finish in like, less than 2 or so weeks(?) if I wana be caught up by season 5 hhhh,,,

Better get started I guess. 

[firelaurel]

thistledown, my darling (makoharu flash bang 2018!)

Title: thistledown, my darling (on ao3 here)

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: None

Summary: “Such is the thrall of the fae, my son. I never so much as touched your father with a spell, and still on the very morning we met he swore his life to me.”  In which a half-mortal dryad prince meets a human boy.

I wrote this fic for the @makoharubigbang in collaboration with the wonderful @daikimine, who drew the breathtaking illustration! Find it over here <3

Long ago in the Forest Ailsa (or so the woodmen said) a blacksmith’s son had wandered far from his home in search of kindling for his father’s forge. He came when twigs and boughs alike were damp and green to the bark, and so he went further than he was obliged to do in autumn. It was thus that he came to the heart of the wood, and weary with his burden he lay against an aspen-tree and fell into heavy slumber.

In the village they never knew what befell him there, only that he did not return for many days, and when he did they found him greatly changed. He fled back into the forest whenever he had a morning to himself, vanishing for hours at a time before running back with his mouth turned up in a grin. His parents knew naught of his doings there, but the townsfolk guessed that he had run across some fey creature in the woods: a sprite in the shape of a woman, whom some of the villagers claimed to have seen in the trees by twilight.

At last the youth took his leave from the settlement and never returned again, gone to make his home in the green with whatever it was that so bespelled him. His family made nothing of his departure, and the townsfolk grew ever surer that he had met a faerie girl and taken her to wife―and by her had a son, quitting his kin to raise the child where it might be protected. It was true, if they had but known it; but by and by the boy was wholly forgotten, and now a bustling city stood where his settlement used to lie. But the forest was hale and living still, and so was the halfblood fairy-child in the thriving heart of the wood.

His mother called him Haruka, for the sweet breath of spring on the day she first laid eyes on his father. He had his father’s hair, thick and black like water by night, and his eyes were his mother’s: sweet and fair and blue as the heavens from the centuries he had passed beneath them. When he grew to manhood he found his human shape better suited for his power, and so he took the form of a mortal boy. None of his amai’s folk could follow in his footsteps, and so Haru was left to himself with birds and beasts for company. They spoke to him as they would to their own, but he took his greatest happiness healing the aged trees of their hurts whenever they called for aid.

At first he had gone through the forest unclothed, but at his mother’s urging he fashioned himself a shift from a bed of fallen oak-leaves. It covered him now from knees to shoulders, bound by a belt of blackberry brambles stripped of their needling thorns; his mother had laughed at the sight of it, certain that he would bewitch any maiden who happened to cross his path. But pleasing though he was to look upon no maiden had caught his eye; he wore his tresses loose and unbound to see them tangle in the breeze, and not to pay court to the dryad-girls whose friendship he held so dear. Of late his apai’s human blood had grown ever stronger in his limbs, and now he thought if love should come it might return him to the bustling realm his father once called home.

But beyond the Forest Ailsa the world of men was changed, and it was this that startled Haru so when he found himself drawn out to the edge of the wood one night, for his mother’s dryads stood watch by the cedars there and kept them green and firm. As he looked about he found nothing amiss, and yet the fragrance of wounded leaves beckoned him down the gully to the sparkling city below.

“Do you wish to go out, Haru-chan?”

He turned and saw a slender osier fanning her limbs in the wind, laughing as he pointed to a little house that glowed from within like the moon. Mortals could not see in the dark, or so his father had said, and since his apai’s death Haru had dearly missed the warm golden light he made with sticks in the underbrush to ease his work in the evenings.

“Go, then,” smiled the osier, lifting the veil to let him slip out beneath it. For a while he stood and wondered at the scent of the late spring air, finding it sharper than what he was used to in the wood, but then he rose and made his way to the cottage he saw from the Ailsa’s border. Though the air was chill he felt nothing, and careless of the breeze on his arms he walked down the lane until he came to a garden filled with roses growing unchecked and ivy lining the walls.

“You do not need my care, I think,” he chuckled, kissing a crimson bloom as he passed. “Where am I called for, then?”

The rose directed him to the nearest window, where the sun-colored warmth lay fair and unfaltering before a pane of glass. Set against the sill was a row of earthen pots, painted in cheery colors by a careful and loving hand; some bore the portraits of stars and planets, while others were pink and scarlet like a cherry tree in blossom.

“Mortals keep seedlings indoors,” laughed Haru, pressing his nose to the window-frame. “How funny! I have never seen shrubs like these, with thorns on their petals and silken-smooth at the stems. They are black, too―are they meant to be so?”

Foolish little halfling, said the ivy kindly. Our keeper minds us faithfully, but for the life of him he cannot manage those plants within. They come from a barren wasteland, and he waters them far too often to keep them well.

“How curious,” he mused, standing on his toes to undo the latch. Once it was open he pushed back the glass and passed his gaze from wall to wall, searching the place for flowers until―

“Oh,” he gasped, clutching at his breast as he glimpsed a bed draped in white. Upon it a boy lay slumbering with his long hands folded on his chest, breathing at ease as he dreamed like a child in its mother’s arms. His skin was the hue of light made solid, as if it were colored by the fiery lamp or by the heavens at sunrise, and the locks on his head were the color of rain-damp sand: soft and brown like sugarcane made into drinking-syrup. At the sight of him a ruddy flush crept into Haru’s neck, and forgetting the plants entirely he pulled himself nearer to brush the gentle face. The young man woke at the touch and smiled, unveiling a pair of eyes as fair as any fae’s; it seemed he still thought himself sleeping, for he did not move at all as Haru slipped away and passed his hands over the shrubs near the windowsill. They flushed and brightened at once, and finished with his work the half-dryad fell back to the grass below. At the sound of the ivy’s snorting he turned and fled like the wind, only daring to look back when he came to the lane by the gate. The boy had risen from his bed, and now he sat staring into the night with a puzzled frown on his brow. He bent down and looked at his desert-plants renewed, breaking the hush with a cry of joy as he saw them living again.

“Thank you,” he called, leaning out over the open frame with his emerald eyes alight. At the sound of his voice Haru stilled and pressed his lips together, fighting a sudden smile as the lad withdrew and shut the window behind him.

But eager though he was to depart Haruka saw that the pane had been left unlatched as if to give him the promise that it would remain so, and as he flew back to the Ailsa he thought of the name he had read in the mortal’s dreams and the laughing roses in the garden. It was a goodly name, he thought, and fitting for one who loved all things fresh and growing though he had no power of his own. Truth, the ivy had called him, and cradling the word between his palms like a lily’s bud he lifted the forest veil and vanished back into the gloom. In the city below Truth’s cottage was lighted still, though nothing this side of the wood could sway the half-faerie to forget where it lay. Perhaps some night the plants by the window would call to Haru again, and perhaps when he returned Truth would wish to see him.

With that he smiled and went to lie beneath his mother’s aspen-tree, taking his rest in a starlit vision of roses and leaf-green laughter.

[weeklymtgflashfanfic]

Mtg Flash Fan Fiction Prompt (Week 9)

Hello everyone! I apologize for yet another error in the upload schedule, but such is life I suppose! In order for you all to minimize the chances of missing new prompts, I suggest turning on notifications for this blog’s posts (since I really only post new prompts, reblog submissions or post PSAs) or checking in every now and then every week. That aside, we are back with a new submission! A good friend of mine, @silvermoonmists , who used to play/read mtg a good amount but has since fallen out a bit of the circle, recently got to draft GRN with friends and she happened to find a character she already knew, only in this expansion this character isn’t exactly doing so well. Concerned, she asked me if I could tell her anything about them, but sadly, since so far we’ve only gotten a few side stories, I could not answer her satisfactorily. If you haven’t already figured out who this is based on the (admittedly vague) description and the limited cast of recurring characters in GRN, my good guys, gals, and nb pals, this week we’re talking about Trostani Discordant!

Trostani, as you all know, is an important and known character in Ravnica. This week we’re deviating from the norm a little bit, as the main focus of this blog is generally to bring lesser-known and somewhat undefined characters to your attention. But oh well! For those of you who do not know Trostani, the short story is that she is/are a single entity borne out of the fusion of three dryads: Oba, Ses, and Cim. These three dryads attempted to reach out to Mat’Selesnya at a time when her absence had left the guild in disarray, and in response the parun fused them with the World Tree. You can glean some more info about them in the wiki or you can just straight up read their Uncharted Realms. Here’s the card art!

Oh my, that is some incredibly beautiful art (seriously, check out the full sized version on Chase Stone’s site)! Anyways, despite knowing who Trostani is and why she is both one and three (wait, where have I heard that before...?), we... don’t really know what’s happened to her here. Why are the dryads in discord? What are they reacting to? Bolas? Lazav? Isperia? What kind of action are they thinking of taking? For as long as we do not have the official answer, we’re free to speculate and write as we wish!

To clarify, even though I’m showing you Trostani Discordant as the prompt, if you want to write a story that has pre-grn Trostani in it, please do!

Reblog this post with your submission and tag it as #mtg flash fan fic so it can be found easily, and remember that this is flash fiction, so your story can’t have more than 1000 words in it! Also, remember to include this note at the beginning or end of your work: “[Title of your Fan Content] is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.”

Please reblog so we can reach as many people as possible!

[lavvyan]

Writing meme: 7, 9, 16, and 31 😄

I’m so glad you asked me something, @mf-luder-xf! I hate shoutinginto the void. :D

(Which will probably never stop me from shouting intothe void, but there you go.)

ANYWAY.

7. Share a snippet from one of your favoritepieces of prose you’ve written and explain why you’re proud ofit.

This is going to make me sound incredibly conceited,but every story I’ve ever posted contains at least somethingI’m proud of. That something is highly unlikely to be part of theprose, though. I value images and ideas over stylised writing anyday.

I mean, I’ve been known to rewrite a paragraph adozen plus times before I was happy with the wording, but it’s stillnot prose I’d brag about. It’s just… story-bones, you know? There’ssome truly beautiful and elegant writing out there, fannish andotherwise, but it ain’t mine. I’m a brick-layer, not a stonemason.

9. Which fic has been the hardest to write?

Anything involving smut.

Okay, no, but I had to go through my list on LJ tofind my personal challenges and man, turns out I wrote a LOT ofstuff, half of which I’d completely forgotten about. *facepalms*

There are two stories I remember finding very hard towrite, for entirely different reasons.

The first is Eighty Days Give Or Take, a Stargate:Atlantis story that I, uh, kinda forgot I had a deadline for so Iwrote it in a hotel lobby in Egypt while waiting for the bus to theairport. I had to wait for several hours and wasn’t in the mood forthe pool, so that was kind of okay, but when I got home again mysister hated what I’d written. She made me redo the entirething and it turned out better for it, but when I look back I mostlyremember struggling through a whole new level of tired becausemy holiday hadn’t exactly been relaxing.

The second is Theory of Evolution, another Stargate:Atlantis story (baby’s first real fandom). It was my first time doinga big bang and the minimum word count was 40K. I’m very much a writerof short stories (anything over 7K is uncharacteristically long forme) and I’m still amazed I finished that one. It’s the second-longeststory I’ve ever written iirc, and it was so fucking hard. Ithas it’s flaws, but I’m proud of it.

16. If you only could write one pairing for therest of your life, which pairing would it be?

Oh no, don’t make me choose! For the past few yearsI’ve been deeply in love with Hawaii Five-0’s Steve/Danny, but Idon’t know if I’d want to write them for the rest of my life. I’mstill incredibly fond of John/Rodney and the possibilities foroutlandish plots are more varied (thank you, random Ancient gadgets),so I’d probably have to pick them. But I’m really not the kind of fanwho picks one OTP above all others, so honestly, please, don’t makeme choose.

31. Do you take liberties with canon or are youvery strict about your fic being canon compliant?

I, uh. Ahem. Let’s see.I’ve written my favourite SGA characters as: flowers, pea andketchup, birds of paradise, dinosaurs (Tyrononsaurus Dex still cracksme up), protons/neutrons, amoebae, elemental sprites, X-Men,werewolves, vampires, mermaids, robots, aliens, novelists, angels,demons, assorted fairy-tale characters, a sheikh and his harem boy, alumberjack and a not-quite-dryad, cat and raven, firemen, genies,penguins, Discworld characters, the Phantom of the Opera, hosting onthe home-shopping channel, professors, alchemists. and othershenanigans I’ve forgotten about. Then there were the canon!AUs,steampunk!AUs, historical!AUs, science-fiction!AUs,ordinary-guys!AUs… I think it’s fair to say that canon isn’t somuch law as vague reference point.

That said, if I do writefic that’s set within the framework of the actual show, I do try tostay canon compliant. It’s the obsessive fact-checker in me.

(This got so long, sorry! But I love talking about writing.)

You can ask me if you wanna!