#I definitely recommend this fic

[k0k1ch1111]

Death puzzles !!!!

quote log from a fic I rlly am obsessed with rn

“Yeah, I lied! My parents are actually in Russia,” Kokichi told him gleefully, his eyes narrowed at the block he was very carefully wiggling free from the tower. “I haven’t seen them in years since I’m actually forbidden from entering Russia.”That was probably a lie, but Shuichi was curious how far this story went. “...why?”“I ran for president,” his classmate sighed mournfully. “Now I can never reunite with my family.”

If you’re neither, then congratulations, I think.

"Hmm, yeah… that’s too sweet,” Kokichi hummed thoughtfully, seeming to see an entirely different problem than he did. “How about babygirl?” “And I am stopping this conversation here,” Shuichi decided, rolling onto his side away from his classmate. “Goodnight, Kokichi.”

he had always had a bit of a soft spot for physical comfort. Maybe his parents didn’t hug him enough or something.

Shuichi got to have a full night of sleep full of peace and ignorance while Kokichi got to die of heatstroke in the night. Overall, it was a pretty fair deal in his books.

The second grave he dug up was also incorrect, he noted in despair. Also, he almost got whiplash seeing what looked like a girl in the coffin, and he didn’t even want to think about the implications of what the gravestone meant if this kid was what he thought they were. That was an absolute nightmare scenario for Shuichi himself, and he couldn’t imagine being killed over it…

Our bathroom’s gonna look like a crime scene,” Kokichi groaned, throwing his head back and letting it droop to the side. “Once my hands are cleaned up, I’m dealing with yours. You look like you’re about to cry.”I am about to cry, he thought depressingly.

This guy had bounced from borderline manic to the childish, game-loving prankster he had come to know in the Objective Room.

What's there to talk about?” asked Kokichi, thankfully lowering the gun. “It’s like Monokuma said! It’s a puzzle of luck. Either I die and permanently traumatize you for the rest of your probably very short life, or I’m totally fine. Seems like pretty even odds to me.

”I’m glad you asked!” A list appeared on the screen next to Monokuma, which he read out. “Shooting yourself with just one dummy bullet will earn you entertainment for the Objective Room. Watching you two argue about the earth being flat killed some of my brain cells, so I figured that you could do with some books or board games or something.”

"I didn’t know I was that still of a sleeper…” Shuichi admitted sheepishly. “Do I really look that bad…?” “Yes,” replied Kokichi without hesitation. “Yes, you do. Watching you sleep makes me want to spontaneously buy a coffin for you, flowers and everything.” “You watch me sleep?”The room went deathly quiet as the two of them stared blankly at each other.

“Not sure.” Kokichi shrugged, sitting on the pulled out chair and crossing one leg over the other. “You were sleeping for a reaaaally long time though. Why do you sleep like you’re a child from the 1300s dying of the plague?”

He decided that it was better to just let Kokichi get all of the Kokichi-isms out of his system before asking about the puzzles.

I haven't updated this in like. Many chapters oopsiesss

I won’t be able to do it myself… s-so please, Kokichi. Let’s survive this together.”“...we are so fucked up,” Kokichi whispered with a drastic shudder.

Maybe they had left for a vacation? That was okay, he supposed– they worked hard enough. Even organs deserved a vacation… little hard workers. So noble.

He briefly wondered why his hand wasn’t closing around anything.And that’s when he finally remembered, oh, right. That’s gone.

“So you have synesthesia,” Maki concluded.The minute those words left her mouth, Himiko broke out into a sweat, casting her eyes downward. “N-No… it’s my magic.”

It’s not that bad,” he choked out. “K-Kokichi took most of the beatings, even when he didn’t have to. I’m fine…”He didn’t even have to look up to see Hajime’s skeptical expression. “Shuichi, your hand is missing.”

“Where’s the others?”

“Saving the ecosystem,” Shuichi told him in barely a mumble.“Supposedly,” added Maki. Somehow, Hajime managed to look even more tired. He massaged his temples with two fingers each, squeezing his eyes shut.

Why would she put us through the trouble of putting it on if she’s just going to take it off!? he thought in outrage, fighting to get the stupid thing off of his head. It was so liberating to have his jaw entirely free once again– it felt like he was human again. Did she just want to humiliate me…?

Y-You really shouldn’t be walking around on a fractured ankle…” the woman continued stammering, her hands on her head. “I-If malalignment develops, then H-H-Hajime’s the only one who’d be able to fix it! You should r-really lay back down!”

“You should try ketamine,” he retorted dryly. “You sound like you’d benefit from it.”

You thought I was gonna die?” Kokichi scoffed, disguising his teary voice underneath a snicker. “Yeah, right. Like I’d die in a stupid locker.”

So apparently. The world ended.

And yes, he knew he shouldn’t be walking around yet. That was something Mikan, Shuichi and Hajime all reminded him of daily. Was that going to stop him, though? No. No it wasn’t.)

The rules were stupid,” Himiko insisted fiercely. “I’m glad you guys are okay now. I was casting all kinds of protection charms for you, but I wasn’t sure if they ever reached you.”Protection charms.Kokichi had nearly forgotten about it after what happened in the Seating Puzzle, but with that reminder, he could feel his body heating up.

“Or we can just… have a nice picnic somewhere,” Shuichi suggested hurriedly. “No one needs to slit open their stomachs.”Kokichi pouted. “Not even a little bit?” “What does a little bit even mean…?”

Maki made it… for Kokichi? Shuichi cast a surprised look back at his partner, who had stood out of his wheelchair and limped into the room. He gave Shuichi a similarly confused look, seeming to lack any form of an answer too.. Well, she was the one who found us. I was really aggressive over him when that happened…

Ah, barns. Shuichi didn’t imagine that he was going to be visiting that place anytime soon. Big animals were nice, and he always found horses a little fascinating, but up close? They were a little terrifying.

Hajime rubbed the side of his head, exasperation flicking across his face. “I wish I knew which god to curse, but no, I brought this upon myself. Let’s move on to our next topic: a recovery plan.”

He’s definitely going to run away from our sessions,” Hajime muttered under his breath as he closed the door.“A broken ankle will definitely not stop him,” Shuichi agreed fondly. “When are his sessions, anyway?”Hajime put on a small smile. “I’ll keep it a surprise, at least for now. He’ll be easier to catch if he doesn’t know when to flee.” “That– um, that sounds terrifying.”

You’re… feeling dysphoric?” Kokichi somehow found the bravery to ask.“What’s dysphoric?” Kaito whispered.

Obviously, that’s a lie. Vampires don’t exist, silly goose,” Kokichi declared. “Clearly he’s a ghost.”

“Also, even if you were high, why would you two be kissing each other? How bored do you gotta be?” “I can think of an emotion other than boredom that’d lead to it,” Kokichi snickered. Kaito paused, thinking deeply. “...curiosity?”Clearly, that wasn’t the answer Kokichi was thinking of. The only reaction he gave was a deadpan stare.

ONE CHAPTER LEFTTRR AGAHWHSJJD

Invisible paint brushes streaked lines of orange and yellow across the darkening sky, and he thought for only a moment, Angie must love her new canvas.

Every drop of color drained from his face and his head snapped forward, facing the sunset as he coughed awkwardly. Kokichi, probably curious, sat up and looked back at their apparent audience, forming an ‘o’ with his mouth when he saw them.“Busteddd,” Kokichi whispered, not sounding bothered in the slightest.

“I’m not jealous!” Kaito defensively shouted. “I’m just… really freakin’ confused!”

“What’s so hard to understand? Is it ‘cause we’re both boys?” Kokichi guessed, his voice layered with something akin to amusement. “Have you never seen two boys kiss before, Kaito?”

“That’s… that’s not the problem! I’m confused ‘cause I wasn’t expecting…” Kaito gestured wildly at them, his mouth open helplessly before he managed to spit out, “you two, yknow!?”

I wasn’t moping,” Shuichi protested at the same time K1-B0 exclaimed, “jetpack shoes!?”

As expected, K1-B0 looked even more surprised. “What? Kokichi and Shuichi are dating!? When did this happen?”

“This cannot get any worse,” Shuichi mumbled into his hand.“Nyeh!? What are all you guys doing here?”He stood corrected.

“The stars look great tonight, don’t you guys think?” Kaito spoke up, lifting a finger skyward.“You say that every night,” Maki pointed out.“That’s ‘cause the stars are freakin’ awesome!” Kaito shot back with an enthusiastic grin

Hell yeah, Keeboy! Embrace the robot!” Kokichi cheered, clapping his hands together excitedly.

"Whoopee! Keeboy, you’re flower girl.”

“What!? Why am I the flower girl?” K1-B0 demanded, visibly frazzled.“It’s like when you have your dog bring you the rings. You’re perfect for the role!” Kokichi exclaimed, practically having stars in his eyes as he excitedly pumped his fists up and down. “Himiko’s my maid of honor.”

“Nyeh!?”

TGE ENDDDD AUGH ILOVED DEATH PUZZLES SO DEARLY THANK YIU TO THE AUTHOR FOR WRITUNG IT.

[nana-mizu-shiki]

Constantine pulled a box of cigarettes out of his pocket and immediately put it back when he felt the force of Batman's glare, scowling before he continued.

I LOVED this one, Definitely recommend!!

[kordyceps]

OK I mean obviously I'm reading your steter stuff on AO3 but I'd love to know if you have an all time favourite? Either your fave of your own work, or fave of another author's that you rec/reread/still think about a million years later (or both lol)

Oh man, okay, sorry for taking so long to reply to this ask! But it's such a good one and I unfortunately have the memory of a gold fish, so I needed to do Research™ (aka reread all my favs again lmao) so I could answer it properly. 😂

I only have one Steter fic of my own atm, so I guess that's my de facto personal fav for now…

But as for other folks' work, god, there are sooooo many great Steter fics out there!! So these are just a handful of my top favs, and definitely not a comprehensive list!

Five Times Peter and Stiles Troll the Pack by taylorpotato Rating: M | 2.5k | requires an AO3 account to read Stiles and Peter yell at each other in Polish, misleading the pack into think they're fighting, when in reality it's all just like completely fuckin' filthy dirty talk lmao. Short, but very funny, and such a perfect capture of their mischievous dynamic. 10/10, would recommend!

The Devil You Know by Twisted_Mind Rating: E | 11.6k Peter is there for Stiles when no one else is, and uses that to slowly manipulate his way into earning Stiles' explicit trust. And ooooh boy, is it so delicious and spicy. God damn! Cards on the table: this fic definitely won't be for everyone since it wades into some darker waters. But oh my god do I love love LOVE Peter's characterization in it. God, I feel like I could write a whole damn essay about this fic, but then I'd just end up spoiling the whole thing LOL. Just--if you like darker, manipulative Peter and enjoy your sweetness just a wee bit twisted, then 10/10 would recommend!

The Prince and the Pease by luulapants Rating: E | 47k | requires an AO3 account to read Medieval/Royalty AU where Peter is forced to cede his claim to the throne and become a "guest" of King Deucalion's as part of a peace treaty between the two kingdoms. Stiles, who is suspiciously far too mouthy for your average servant, is gifted to Peter as a bedwarmer. This one does such an incredible, masterful job at translating the characters into its setting and time period. The sass, the wit, the wordplay! You can definitely tell the author knows their shit, and my god is it fantastic. The plot itself is also so satisfying -- lots of great ups and downs, and, ugh, just so good! (Be sure to read p2 for the full ending btw!) Needless to say, 10/10, would recommend!

Keeping him (It's all about intent) by sittinginmytincan Rating: M (& E for oneshot sequel) | 121k Stiles winds up slingshotted into his own future, where it turns out he's married to Peter Hale of all people. His only way back is with Lydia's help, but she's gone mysteriously missing somewhere on the east coast while investigating some strange disappearances. Man, this fic….. I feel like the writer for this one must have received a checklist of things I'm into and decided to mark nearly every single one of them lol. Time travel, woke up married, magical theory, an enthralling af plotline -- and it's so thorough. Like, everything is so incredibly well thought out, the characterization is on point, and the development of Stiles and Peter's relationship is just chef kiss. Definitely 10/10, would recommend!

The Striking Complication by aurevell Rating: T | 118k I don't even want to write a summary up for this one because the mystery of it all and peeling back what's happening piece by piece is, imo, the best way to experience it. This story is intense as fuck, near relentlessly oppressive, and impossible to put down. It keeps you constantly at the edge of your seat as you try to figure out what is going on and how Peter and Stiles will survive it, with these heart-wrenchingly sweet breather moments sprinkled throughout. If you enjoy time loop stories, this one is an absolute must read! 10/10, would recommend!

build-a-beau by veterization Rating: E | 41.5k Tired of his dad always worrying about him being single, Stiles decides to pay for a fake boyfriend service so he can finally get his pops off his back about it. It goes about as well as one can expect a fake texting boyfriend you accidentally catch real feelings for can go lmao. This fic is wonderfully witty, with really fantastic banter between the two of them, and it's just so very fun getting to watch the pretend part of their exchanges slip more and more into something genuine. 10/10, would recommend!

Under the Songbird's Wing by mia6363 Raing: E | 87k Stiles is captured and held in captivity alongside Peter, Deucalion, and Satomi Ito. To survive, Stiles runs through lacrosse drills and tells stories, eventually persuading his fellow cellmates out of their shells and establishing a profound, unbreakable bond between them. This one is HEAVY, folks. Like, heavy heavy. But, god, it's also such a beautiful exploration of the characters and the bonds they develop through shared captivity. I don't even know what more to say, really, it's just haunting and lovely and awful and wonderful all at once. In the mood for something that hurts? Then 10/10, would recommend!

[raynetheinsane]

me scrolling through the “blind tim drake” “deaf tim drake” and “mute tim drake” tags for the 50th time hoping and praying that theres something new

[undertale-fic-librarby]

Howdy! In honor of Let Papyrus Say Fuck Day, I've decided to put together a little collection of fics that should be more Papyrus focused!

What Are Friends For by IchikiWindGryphon (Teen And Up, Incomplete)

Undyne and Papyrus are the best of friends. But when Undyne learns Papyrus's greatest secret, it pushes their relationship to the brink. Things only get worse as she learns of the skeleton brothers' traumatic past, and the horrors of Dr. W.D. Gaster.

We Need to Talk by batter_sempai (General Audiences, Incomplete)

Something is bothering Frisk. Because of a deal they made in the past, a familiar voice keeps haunting them, telling them to murder those close to them and threatening to take over their body. For a while, only Flowey knows what is happening to them, but their struggle to keep in control is noticed by Papyrus, who offers to help them. All three of them soon find themselves isolated, as Papyrus attempts to communicate to the Fallen Child possessing Frisk, in order to protect his brother and to prevent another genocide run from occurring.

Flowey Is Not a Good Life Coach by unrestedjade (Mature, Complete)

Flowey gets bored and decides to change up one of his runs. Papyrus presents an interesting project, for the moment.

You Can't Make An Emotionally-Developed Papyrus Omelette Without Breaking A Few Limit-Eggs by KachiggaTHUNDER (Teen And Up, Complete)

Papyrus faces everything with a positive attitude, and never gives up once he's been asked to do something. As nice as that is in theory, it can lead to problems in practice. Problems such as strained friendships, personal doubts and damage to one's personal possessions. Still, no problem can make the Great Papyrus give up! ...Probably.

Two Sides of the Same Coin by AceFace98 (Teen And Up, Complete)

Papyrus lived his whole life in a single room, with only the “Mental Evaluation” days to look forward to (he called them “Long Boring Test” days, which was much more accurate). He never really minded his life, he didn’t know anything else. The doctors were all really nice to him, and he had everything he could possibly want. Expect, maybe, he wished he wasn’t so lonely. But when his wish comes true, everything else comes crashing down around him. Another skeleton child breaks into his room, carrying a backpack full of supplies and plans of escape. Papyrus tags along with him, mostly not to loose the closest thing he’s ever had to a friend, and he finds out quickly that he’s grossly unprepared for the outside world. But friends stick together, especially when they might be...brothers?

The Deep End Yessica (Teen And Up, Complete)

There must have been a mistake. He doesn’t belong here. Life is great. Monsters are free, the surface is wonderful and things couldn’t be better. So the fact that Papyrus still wants to die, isn’t really a problem, is it?

Blue Heart by Rogue_Mutt (Teen And Up, Incomplete)

In the Underfell Universe, Papyrus continues to uphold his duties as a member of the Royal Guard Militia alongside his brother Sans. When he accepts an assignment from Undyne to collect taxes from Snowdin, he is then ambushed before he can make the delivery. After being brutally attacked, he gains the respect from king Asgore Dreemurr himself, who offers Papyrus to become an official member of his grim guard. Papyrus will come to understand the rules of this Kill or be killed world as he comes to question exactly what he is willing to do to keep he and his brother alive and well.

Forgettable by Peepasaurus (Teen And Up, Complete)

After the world went dark, everyone lost a few memories. But some forgot more than others. Papyrus couldn't decipher what was real or an illusion. What was a nightmare or a memory. What it meant to keep hearing the words, 'I am here'.

Oh, Brother by peachyelixer (Teen And Up, Complete)

Papyrus had always seen himself as the stronger brother. Of course - why wouldn’t he when his lazy brother, Sans, spends 90% of the day sleeping in his room and the other 10% doing god-knows-what? But when the secrets of time-lines and what Sans has been keeping on his shoulders are revealed, Papyrus makes a promise both to himself and to his brother that Sans wouldn’t fight this battle on his own anymore. Papyrus was going to help his older brother, no matter what.

How To Be A Big Brother by kaliawai512 (General Audiences, Complete)

Frisk is upset. Papyrus doesn't know why. They're on the surface, everyone is safe and they all have a brand new life together. But Frisk has been sitting in the corner during the day and waking up screaming in the middle of the night. They are very, very upset, and Papyrus wants to help. He just doesn't know how. But he does know how someone helped him when he was young, and maybe, just maybe, he can do the same thing himself. Maybe he can be as great a big brother as his own was to him. (Secret Santa gift for Peanutable - happy holidays!!)

[gentil-minou]

so if I put Free Palestine in the title of my fic will OTW censor that too?

Where do they draw the line? Or does the line only exist when it comes to BIPOC?

[crescentfool]

What are your ryomina headcanons? I've loved these two since I played P3 FES, and I'm so excited to get back into the fandom^^

hi!! thank you so much for the ask, welcome back to the p3 fandom, it's always a delight to see new and old ryomina fans alike! 🥺💛💙

as for headcanons, here's a "few" i that i tend to come back to a lot! my interpretations of them are influenced from both the source material and other's fanworks, so i've linked to them as i saw fit! hcs in no particular order under the cut because oops this got long (900 word bullet point list, mentions of reload content up to 1/1)

minato's hair is dyed blue (hair originally brown, you can see it in his roots!) and he has a beauty mark on under his left eye. i like mirror imagery and there's definitely a few arts i've rb'd that portray them this way :) (e.g. this one by feliichu and this one by marasschino)

as far as i'm concerned the bathhouse scene from the manga where ryoji's hair down = similar shape to minato? that is canon to me. this art from xierru is a fun depiction of hair down ryoji :D

ryoji is homeless. everyone say thank you foxmulder_whereartthou for this awesome fic it's why i have the headcanon! but like seriously. we have no idea where ryoji lives and i could believe this.

minato dying at the end of the game is sad to an outsider's POV BUT!!! ryomina gets to be together in death for the rest of their lives (this illustration from mafuwara is a gorgeous representation of them as nyx avatar + the seal)!

speaking of the seal, they are like telepathically communicating to me in the great seal together. (mymp3 had a comic wip with this. give it a looksie :D)

ryoji likes cuddling with minato because he's warm :) (something something orpheus has fire affinity, minato is warm by extension and ryoji is cold because he's death)

ryoji's camera roll is filled with pictures of minato! ryoji... loves life, to me. and i feel that photography and journaling are perfect ways of expressing gratitude and capturing the moments in life that are most important to you :3

my other favorite activity for these two is stargazing- i feel like it's something they could appreciate either in life or death (looking at the stars from the great seal...)! they do a bit of this in the fic eurydice's vow by crescentmoontea (P5R spoilers, takes place in third sem it's a very fun fic concept).

between ryoji and minato i feel like ryoji was the one who fell in love first- and it doesn't really click in place for minato that he loves ryoji until december hits (appriser reveal + ryoji transforming into thanatos). its about the realization that ryoji was with him for his whole life and that he gets him like no one else does.

ryoji is like a sad and wet puppy who is so scared minato won't like him back. he is so scared of being rejected by minato to me like. this boy straight up deflates after he does his "i know i said i wanted us to be friends, but... i actually want to be something more." / "what about you?" on 12/1 ???

AND SPEAKING of wet puppy ryoji. ryoji is like. every animal in the world to me. he's a bird. he's a cat. etc. and also ryoji knows every language in the world ever and uses it to express his love for minato. see this fic from superheroics to see what i mean.

both of them are lactose intolerant. "this isn't lactose, it's milk!" i definitely think ryoji would make himself sick eating ice cream and milk he doesn't know what lactose is. (i made a silly poll about this once and the tags were very entertaining.)

i see minato as transmasc or nonbinary depending on the day (schrodinger's headcanons babey they're simultaneously true and not true at the same time!!). either way he's not cis to me and ryoji is like. His Gender. anyway go read this fic by nail_gun for t4t ryomina :D !

ryomina are WEIRD GUYS TO ME!!! they are so strange and they understand each other better than anyone else because of the circumstances of their relationship!!! if you asked them to do the "i wonder what i taste like" meme i think they'd start biting each other (affectionate) tbh but that's just me.

after ryoji gives minato the music box in 12/31 on reload, minato listens to the music box every night in january. this boy has insomnia and also chronic illness to me (things that housing death does to you). but i think he finds comfort in the melody and memories he made with ryoji.

in general, i think it's fun to imagine minato taking ryoji to places and show him things he's interested in! i feel that ryoji takes a lot of interest in minato's life, this isn't really a hc because in reload, minato DOES give ryoji a tour of the school (11/9) and possibly port island (11/12). but ITS CUTE OK! (tangentially related fanwork: this series of doodles from vinnigami: 1, 2, and 3)

not a hc but minato's kindness is like the backbone of their relationship and i think we would not have the ryomina we know and love today if minato wasn't such a kind soul. oh minato.... we can learn so much from you... like ryoji did!

anyway! that's all the hcs that i could think of, thank you for the ask! i had a lot of fun answering this, these two mean a lot to me 💛💙

i hope you don't mind the links to the fanart and fanfic as well, the fanwork people have made for ryomina have really made an imprint on me! if you want to see more of them, i definitely recommend looking through my tag for them because oh. i got a lot of them reblogged alright 😂 (<- SOOO NORMAL)

[crazylittlejester]

Pretty sure it was your fic: https://archiveofourown.org/works/53258788

OH MY GOD HOLY SHIT IS IT?? THAT LINK YOU SENT IS MY FIC, I DID WRITE THAT. I MIGHT SCREAM IF THE ANON ACTUALLY MEANT MY FIC BECAUSE THAT’S SO COOL WHAT

(here is the art being talked about)

[mingmingbats]

Barbarian-class/Steve Harrington.

[destiny-in-the-universe]

kind of need a little help, guys.

if anyone could give me like, song recommendations for either randy or like- BATTLE SCENES; just anything, please, i'm so desperate right now it's insane. i can't focus

i'm just a horrible writer, i can't do this right now. so just a couple song recs might spur me back into action

i apologize with how weird i'm getting but my disability is acting up, and i just can't concentrate everything hurts

[jtl07]

like a boat

[also on ao3 - note: Spoilers for Stray Gods]

(also shoutout to @sango-blep whose fanart of Stray Gods got me to play it!)

Beatrice starts her own file on Stray Gods after Ava gushes for five days straight to her and their sisters about the “amazing music,” the “super hot characters,” and how it had “such a cool vibe.” (Beatrice agrees immediately to Ava’s first and last points, grudgingly to the second - though she stands by her opinion of Apollo needing to learn how to button his shirt.)

She finds herself terribly torn when deciding her personality traits and again at the first major decision point. ‘It’s just a game,’ she tries to remind herself. She can always redo, she can always play through it again, she has time - they all do.  

Her decisions from then on are made on her own instincts, tries not to engage her “strategy brain” (Ava’s words) too much, even though she’d figured out the killer early in the first act. But she finds herself enthralled enough with the characters, the world, with the music that she can accept that small imperfection. (‘Life isn’t about perfection,’ she repeats in her mind as she plays the game, when her eggs turn out a bit too soft, when her run takes a bit too long; as she trails her fingers along the jagged scars that cross Ava’s skin, as Ava looks up at her and grins, laughs, and tucks her head underneath Beatrice’s chin.) 

Music hadn’t played a big presence in Beatrice’s life growing up. The exception, of course, being church music, though that had been relegated to Sunday mass. There was no jazz to keep them company at home, no pop music while they were being shuttled to and fro - as a family, they’d hardly spent time together as it is, much less to develop any sort of unifying soundtrack. 

Beatrice knew the mechanics of the piano and the violin, could sightread most sheet music placed in front of her but she doesn’t have the same joy Camila has whenever she sees an instrument, doesn’t have the glee Ava has when she plays the electronic drumset she’d been gifted anonymously (they all knew it was really from Lilith). Spending time with Camila and Ava together meant becoming accustomed to conversations peppered with random bursts of song - it never took much, a mere word or phrase could get either of them going - and Beatrice learns to just smile along, fond, content with being an audience to their impromptu mini-musicals. 

And it’s because of this lack of experience, this lack of passion, that Beatrice doesn’t expect to like the game as much as she does. Finds herself answering emails quicker than usual, starting up the game whenever she has an hour to spare. Ava will sometimes perch on the arm of her chair and watch her play but is careful not to give anything away, always gives Beatrice space when it comes to decision points in the game. 

Ava’s out running errands when Beatrice gets to the end, which is just as well: She sits there, watching the credits roll by, sits there with a bittersweet feeling heavy in her chest. Finished in what seemed like no time at all - ‘The good things are always quick,’ she thinks, and she sees the image of Freddie’s hat overlaid atop Ava’s baseball cap, held tight between her hands. 

Ava finds her in the dark, notes what’s in her hands, gives a sad smile. “Finished the game, huh?” she murmurs, brushing a lock of hair behind Beatrice’s ear. Beatrice nods, leans into Ava’s palm. Ava coaxes her out into the living room, keeps the lights low as they order pizza and watch a couple TV shows that Beatrice hardly pays attention to. Ava, however, of course, is paying attention, knows to keep close for the rest of the evening, just hums into Beatrice’s hair when she clings to Ava after they make love in their bed, shuddering and mouthing silently at the space on her chest above her heart. 

Beatrice wakes up before her alarm the next morning, a dream of lost boats and ancient pillars whispering at the edges of her consciousness. She goes for her run, per usual, makes her protein shake and sets up Ava’s coffee, per usual, takes a shower, per usual. It’s still early, however, earlier than usual, and Beatrice finds herself turning on her computer, starting up Stray Gods. She opens her file and scrolls back to the beginning of act three. She hesitates briefly at the warning prompt, realizes this is the first choice: keep her saved data or attempt to save Freddie? 

‘It’s just a game’ chimes through her mind as she hovers over the ‘Cancel’ button. ‘It is,’ Beatrice thinks, ‘So just play.’ 

She clicks ‘Ok,’ and lets her decision play out. It’s strange, a part of her brain acknowledges, to make the choices that she normally wouldn’t allow herself to make. To choose selfishness, to give in to her wants. It’s not honorable, it’s not responsible - ‘It’s just a game’ repeats in her head - but Freddie comes back. And it’s not perfect, it’s not all sunshine, but they’re together and Beatrice can’t help but wonder, can’t help but be jealous, can’t help what’s already been done. 

‘It’s just a game,’ she reminds herself, numb as she watches the credits roll a second time. When it finishes, it’s well past sunrise and Beatrice knows she should get up to wake up Ava, that they need to leave for the farmers market soon so they can get that cheese Ava wanted but had run out last week, but she stays fixed to her seat, afflicted by a sense of detachment: adrift.    

Ava finds her, again, as she always does - as Beatrice never did, and her guilt spills out over her hands in the form of tears. It comes in waves, feels like an ocean, like a ship crashing against a cliff. There’s no music here, no songs, no lyrics; their game has already been played.

But they’re still here, at the end of it all. Ava had come back, against the odds. 

‘It was just a game,’ Beatrice reminds herself as she breathes Ava in.

Reminds herself two more truths: That Ava’s here, and they have time. 

They’re late to the farmers market but when they arrive at the cheesemonger, they find a wedge saved with Ava’s name on it, much to Ava’s loud delight. They find some vegetables, some fruit, they find plenty of cute dogs to pet; they walk back home hand in hand, laden with bags. 

They’re cooking up some of the vegetables when there’s a knock at the door - a package. Beatrice thinks nothing of it until they’ve cleared the dinner plates and Ava’s pulling her onto the couch, pushing the package into her hands. 

“It’s a lamp,” Ava explains, a careful, hopeful look on her face as Beatrice studies the small lighthouse. A melody, unbidden, remembered, rings from the back of her mind - lost at sea - and she lets her hand slide to the back of Ava’s neck, pulls her in; uses her lips to map a path from Ava’s mouth to her temple to her forehead.

As if to say, ‘thank you,’ as if to say, ‘yes, I know what it means,’ as if to say, ‘yes, it’s what you mean to me; yes, it’s what I wish to mean for you, if you let me; will you let me?’ 

And the answer Ava gives is the same choice Beatrice has made, will always make: “Yes,” Ava says as she pulls her in - to shore, to her arms, to her joy of life - “Always.”

[ao3-shenanigans]

What's your favorite fanfiction? Like which one made you want to stay up for days on end just so you could read it?

This is such a hard question honestly; I think I go through phases of reading long fics

I do remember the fic: Leaves too high to touch (roots too strong to fall) by OllieoftheBeholder

It was one that I binged and actually had a stress dream about because I was so invested in the characters and worried that their plan would fail. It’s a Magnus Archives fic and so beautifully done, I recommend anyone to read it, even if they aren’t TMA fans. It’s a phenomenal work <3

The other one I remember being absolutely gripped by is Hell to Pay by NonTimereTenbrous. It’s a Good Omens fic with lots of whump, hurt/comfort, golden girls and BAMF Aziracrow true forms to round it out

Absolutely stunning, I remember being sat in utter shock then triumph at many different parts of the work- absolutely stunning 10/10 recommend

One last one:

Risking Attachment by Mischievous_Oddity is a Steve Harrington stranger things fic like no other- all the found family angst-hurt/comfort you can stomach. I have multiple screenshots from that fic.

Links:

[ofbardsandmen]

greetings fellow genshin enthusiasts and fanatics!! once again, i'm generously presenting and offering my most beloved mondstadt character spotify playlists, free of charge and yours to consume, if you will.

[cacodaemonia]

5. what made you start your blog?

6. what’s the best and worst part of being online/a creator?

Hiii!

Well, according to this post (which should show you the date you joined Tumblr if you click on it - idk some coding magic), I joined Tumblr on March 20, 2007, so I don't actually have any memory of that XD My guess was going to be that I joined because I wanted to use the site as an art portfolio to promote my stuff, but I was still living in Japan at that point, so I'm not sure if that's accurate (iirc, I didn't start really freelancing until 2008). Lost to the sands of time XD

Hm, I think the best part is just interacting with people about the things I love, but that's totally possible without being a creator, so it's not really exclusive, haha. So I'll go with... it's really nice when people have thoughtful things to say about what I make! :D AO3 comments and anything nice that friends say about my stuff really do make my day! <3

The worst part for me is probably due to how some people see me as a BNF (hurrk🤢) even though I'm just a hermit goblin sitting at my desk writing and drawing stuff 🤡 But I've noticed that any time people perceive others as having some power or status (whether or not they actually have it), they tend to dehumanize the person. It's common to see people on the internet feeling entitled to what online creators do or say, and they get mad when the person doesn't make what they like or doesn't 100% conform to their notions of what is correct/moral/whatever. At the same time, many people put these creators on a pedestal and treat them like they're some kind of aspirational celebrities who can do no wrong—which is just as uncomfortable and dehumanizing to me as the behavior of the angry, entitled people. 😅 This is why I would never, for any amount of money, become actually famous. I literally cannot imagine anything worse XD

Thanks for the ask! These were interesting questions!

[undertale-fic-librarby]

Featured Fic Friday!

Welcome to Featured Fic Friday! A day where I, or someone who suggests one, tell you about a fanfic that I really enjoy! Spoiler's under the cut! Today's featured fic is...

Errors in perception by ReikoNatsume (Teen And Up, Complete)

My brain went "What if Goth looked at Error and went mommy and Error cried" and this is the effect Enjoy

Although a bit of a shorter story, it's very cute & tugs at your feelings! The concept is one that I don't see often, & I am in love with it!

The characters don't feel too out of character, & I enjoy the way the author writes the relationships between them!

Spoilers ahead!

I really like the concept of Error being Geno previously & reconnecting with Reaper & Goth, so obviously I like this story as well! I like how the author makes it obvious that no one is seriously enemies with one another without saying so.

The relationships between the characters also seem like they would be fun to think about, & although they do seem to stray a bit from canon, that's to be expected with any fan work.

[epersonae]

There has to be a Blackbonnet fic where Ed fully thinks he and stede are dating or a couple but stede is completely oblivious and hilarity ensues, there HAS to be I could’ve sworn I’ve read one but I wanted to ask you since your fic recs are the only ones that fully align with what I read. Please help!!

You may be thinking of Different Names for the Same Thing by @oatmilktruther, which I absolutely adore and have read many times.

The summary:

Their first anniversary is just around the corner and Ed has never been happier in a relationship. Stede, on the other hand, could be happier, if he knew he was in the relationship in the first place.

It's sweet and charming and funny, and even if it's not the fic you're thinking of I highly recommend it!

(And also I'm blushing a bit at "your fic recs are the only ones that fully align with what I read", thank you so much anon)