#I'd like to turn this into a series on ao3 to be honest

[stellisketches]

Jesus fuck tell me literally anything you want your Ro’Meave family tree got me foaming at the mouth

oh god I shouldn't be given free reign like this. I never know what the people want to hear about.

The only people/generations that I have some stuff written about that I haven't talked about as much would be Maela the Mad and her sister Kulza II, Garmund III and his brother, Simund and Calmund, and Esmund's two children, Astarse and Sion.

I probably have the most written for Maela the Mad, so I'll give what I have on her.

To quickly summarize, Maela the Mad is the person who was essentially the first domino for the great wyvern exodus from the overworld back to their own realm. (Content warning for brief mention of a suicide attempt at the very end. Skip the last two lines in the paragraph that mentions the northern tower)

Also, before I begin, I want to talk about the presence of wyverns in Ru'aun.

You see, before the War of Scales (the war that caused the wyverns to seal off travel to their realm entirely, which happened only like two generations after this btw) wyverns could travel between their realm and the human realm fairly easily as they could make small, temporary portals to travel with. Many wyverns made part-time homes in the Overworld, and a small amount even bonded with humans. Esmund's children and grandchildren had all bonded themselves to a wyvern. (I'm gonna list their names because I fucking love names but if you don't care about that feel free to skip. There was Krysoff, Bemeld, Xarxes, Rmora, Strygr, and Dhurga) However, all but two (Bemeld and Strygr) were adolescent/baby wyverns. Wyverns don't actually gain sentience until their around 300-350 years old. Meaning that before that their minds are more akin to that of an elephant or a dolphin. Intelligent, but not capable of speech and mostly bound to their instincts and (if they have one) their human counterpart.

To start from the beginning, Maela I was the younger twin sister to Kulza II, being born of a Caesarian-Section that left their mother permanently paralyzed from the waist down. Their mother, Astarse III, was pretty old when she had them, and passed away in their mid teenager years. During their adolescence, Kulza bonded to Krysoff and Maela to Xarxes. (Also, their adopted cousin Rahne bonded to Bemeld). Both of the twins were HIGHLY magicks sensitive, however Kulza and Maela were fairly different in their personalities; Kulza was a solid B/B+ when it came to politics, and had a more pragmatic/realist view of the world. She was a bit superstitous and didn't put a whole lot of trust into magick (she only used her magicks as a last resort essentially). Meanwhile, Maela was a scholar who held a deep interest in magicks and witchcraft. She is one of the only people ever recorded by history as being capable of practicing both forms of sorcery. Despite their differences, they got along well and were pretty close with each other. The two of them actually fought together in a war that took place in a northern region (in which they were BARELY twenty years old) where both of them proved to be absolute BEASTS on the battle field: what with their magicks and sick ass wyverns and such. During her time Maela USED to be referred to as Maela the Mage or (mostly by her enemies) Maela the Darkwing, This was partially due to the darker-color auras her magick had and partially due to Xarxes, who was a black wyvern.

Anyway, the war settled down and the both went back to O'Khasis. Kulza married a commander she had met in the war (Simon the Stormwielder, who was also pretty badass) and Maela went back to studying her magicks. Life was pretty alright.

A handful years down the line, Maela started getting even more deep into the witchcraft rabbit whole. She was trying to find ways of amplifying her power so she could better help O'Khasis and defend it if necessary.

Kulza tried to talk her out of it, saying that the deeper she went into magicks the more dangerous it was going to become for herself. Maela didn't really pay her much mind.

One night, at the O'Khasian Archive (The original one, this was several generations before the purge of pages) a great blinding light and the sound of an explosion emanated throughout all of O'Khasis.

Now, Maela had been studying in the archive, and while Maela never told a soul what happened that night, what caused the explosion, what she saw, and what she created, it was pretty safe to assume one of her spells had gone poorly.

While she was still functional and could hold normal conversations, Maela wasn't the same after that night. She reportedly would have instances where she would stare off into random corners of a room with fearful expressions, and instances where she would have a violent mood swing without any trigger. They never lasted more than a few minutes before she returned to her senses, apologized, and quickly withdrew herself from whatever situation she had been. There were also some reports that she had become silently paranoid, constantly looking over her shoulder and around every room she entered like someone was following her.

Kulza got really worried about her. She tried to tell her to take a break from all the magick studying and go off to live in the countryside for a bit to take a breather. Maela refused. She had begun to have dreams, you see. Dreams of realms being created and destroyed, merging and ripping apart. She saw strange and familiar lands burning, and blood spilling across snow.

These dreams were driving her even more insane, and she decided she was going to do a spell to try and figure out what exactly it was that she's seeing.

She cast a spell to see into the future. She saw what she had seen in her dreams, only in greater detail. Her worst fears were confirmed when she was told that that was to be the future. She asked what would cause it, and she was given the following description:

Ruler and Warrior, With bracelets of ink and blood and a face of many patterns, it is from this life which will be born a hatred and betrayal, one that will herald the destruction and rebirth of all that is true and and all that is false. For the herald's destruction must come those that they once loved and loved them in return.

Well, that's needlessly cryptic and foreboding. I mean, how is someone supposed to decipher that? Ink bracelets? Patterned face? Sounds pretty whack if you ask me.

On a completely unrelated note, did I mention that Kulza has vitiligo? And several arm tattoos she got in the war? Must of forgot, my bad.

So, quite a few things happen after that in an undecided amount of time (honestly this could have happened anywhere from a few days to a few years after the vision and I haven't fully planned out everything), but I'll skip to the part where Maela murders Kulza's husband and declared that Kulza needs to die for the safety of the realm. Now, just a little before this happens, Rahne (their cousin) takes off on Bemeld to try and find the one person they think can stop this whole debacle. But while that's happening, Maela has organized a small but loyal band of followers that attempt to storm the castle, while Maela herself flies Xarxes around O'Khasis in case her sister tries to escape. The castle is defended by Kulza's men although Kulza is nowhere to be found herself. On the third night of Maela's horde's attempt to break into the castle, Maela is perched on Xarxes atop the Juumel Katedraal, and hears a pained voice from behind her.

"I beg of you sister, let us end this now, so neither of us shall bear the scorned title of kinslayer."

Maela turns to Kulza, riding atop Krysoff.

"I will end this, dear sister, but only with your death."

And Xarxes takes to the skies.

The battle that took place between the two wyverns and the two sisters was so great and fierce that many of the O'Khasians below mistook the battle for an incoming storm. Lights danced across the sky, arrows flew from Kulza's bow, and the shrieks and roars of wyverns tore through the night like thunder and lightning. Maela threw all the magicks she possessed at her sister, and Kulza became so desperate she finally began to use her own magicks, a terrifying and destructive force that she had kept hidden away for very good reason.

It seemed Lord Luck could not decide which sister he favored. In a single moment, many things happened all at once

Xarxes sunk his teeth into Krysoff's wing, ripping it off in a single motion.

Kulza emitted a a spell that watchers on the city walls described as a dark and molten sun bursting and spreading as if the sky began to crack open.

Kulza fell from her wyvern, but not to her death. Instead, she landed in the lake of the Ro'Meave memorial gardens. She dragged herself into the giant glass mausoleum that held Ro'Mevia's tomb. Maela and Xarxes shattered through the wall, raining glass upon the whole crypt.

Maela was barely able to pick herself off the ground, but still she held a dagger in hand to kill her sister with. However before she got the chance to do anything with it, she felt her arm which held the dagger be pulled back by a large, firm hand.

Remember how I said Rahne was going to get someone's help?

That someone was Esmund the Mother Fucking Protector, who was very much still alive and well at that point in history.

"I return to the place that I built for my wife and our family, only to find her resting place desecrated and two of our wyverns, sworn to this family by blood, dead. What, in the name of all living gods, did you do?"

Maela is trying desperately to explain to him what happened, why Kulza needs to die, and Maela needs to be the one to do it in order to protect the realms from collapsing in on each other. She tells him the vision, the prophecy she was granted. Ruler and Warrior, bracelets of ink and a patterned face. But Esmund just looked at her with disappointment and sadness. He doesn't understand.

Now, this is where things get fuzzy cause I haven't written it all out yet, but essentially, immediately after what became known as the Twinfire Battle, all the wyverns of the realm (since they are telepathically linked) felt the pain and anguish of the two baby wyverns who slaughtered each other because their humans put them against one another. The night that it happened, thousands of wyverns took to the skies and through their combined efforts made several massive portals form throughout Ru'Aun that 95% of the wyverns left through. Bemeld (Rahne's wyvern, who was sentient) explained to Esmund that the wyverns were going into mourning, and they would not be back for a very long time. Only a few wyverns, who's bond with their human ran very deep, stayed behind. Bemeld said they would serve the rest of their life bond to Rahne before returning to the wyvern realm as well.

In the following days, after talking to Esmund and seeing him off as he returned to the Divine Warriors, Kulza makes a decision. Though, if we're being honest with ourselves, it wasn't really a decision as she knew in her heart she would've never picked the alternative.

Kulza did not have her sister executed. Despite the betrayal, despite her husband's needless death, despite the death of their wyverns, despite everything, Maela is still Kulza's sister.

And Kulza still loves her. She is all that she has left.

But what she does, out of love, is crueler some might argue than a quick end.

Maela was taken to the northern tower and kept there for the rest of her life. Her chambers were comfortable and filled with books, but the chambermaids and guards who looked after her said she had taken to muttering to herself and spent most of her time tracing the lines between the bricks of her holdfast rather than any reading. Many a times she would begin screaming about her dreams and what she saw, repeating the prophecy over and over again. One or two times she tried to fling herself off the tower, crying about how she didn't want to experience the hell of the collapsing realms.

Kulza even tried to visit every once in a while. They went about as well as you'd expect.

Kulza had also been pregnant during the original debacle, as she later found out, and gave birth to a son she named Stormund. She had a second son, Garath, several years later with an unrecorded father.

Maela died at the age of 38 from unknown causes, as Kulza refused to release any details about her sisters death, and all of the guards and chambermaids were sworn to secrecy. Kulza herself passed ten years later, on the evening before the anniversary of Maela's death.

[saintvainglorious]

My First Fanbind! A Black Sails Fic Anthology Series

It took me a year (and a lot of anxious research) before I worked up the courage to bookbind fanfiction, and after months of on-again-off-again work, my first fanbind is finally done!

I knew that if I was going to bookbind fic, I had to bind something from the Black Sails fandom, aka the fandom and show that have had the biggest impact on my life. Y'all, I almost went into academia to study slavery in the 17th-18th century Caribbean because of this show - when folks say this show rewires your brain chemistry, they are NOT kidding. THEE show of all time. Happy 10th anniversary to Black Sails! This fandom is small but mighty. May we continue to get our hearts and souls blasted to smithereens by this show for many years to come.

Ao3 abounds with magnificent Black Sails oneshots, so I decided to put together an anthology of my favorite Silverflint fics under 20k, which I split into two volumes. Included are works by @justlikeeddie, @vowel-in-thug, @balloonstand, @annevbonny, @francisthegreat, @nysscientia, and more! Thank you, thank you all, you brilliant wonderful people, for gracing the Internet with such amazing writing. When I read the fics in these anthologies I want to fling myself into the sun.

More on the design and binding process below the cut!

Vol. 1 Page Count: 270 (12 fics) Vol. 2 Page Count: 248 (11 fics) Body Font: Sabon Next LT (10.5 pt) Title Font: Goudy Old Style Other Fonts: IM Fell English, pirates pw

The typeset (which I did in Word) took a while, mainly because I'd never done it before. Manually adjusting the hyphenation line-by-line was especially tedious. After making these books, I abandoned Word in favor of InDesign, in large part because InDesign gives you way finer control over your justification and hyphenation settings.

Regarding my actual design choices, I'm happy with how the ocean motif on the title page turned out (it's not the same pattern as my endpapers, but they're complimentary) and I'm very fond of my divider dingbats, which are little swords! Goudy Old Style was a fun title font to use, since it's the font that Black Sails uses as its logo. The stories in Vol. 1 are divided into parts based on what Silver WAS at that point in the show (cook, quartermaster, or king), and Vol. 2 is split up into comedies, histories (AUs set in the canon universe) and tragedies - befitting Black Sails' Shakespearean ~vibes~.

I stuck to a flatback binding, as I wasn't feeling quite ambitious enough to try rounding and/or backing. I've learned that I ~Anakin Skywalker voice~ hate sanding, enjoy folding/sewing, and don't LIKE edge trimming but enjoy the results enough to make it worth it.

The real adventure was decorating the cover, which remained bare for months. After agonizing over Illustrator and experimenting unsuccessfully with HTV and lokta paper embossing, I ultimately turned to using stencil vinyl to paint on the designs. There was a bit of seepage under some of the stencils, but I was able to scrape off the excess with my Cricut weeding tool without damaging the coated surface of the bookcloth (probably Arrestox Blue Ribbon from Hollander's). Even though it was very time-consuming, I'm so happy with the end result of the stenciled paint job and I intend to stick with stencils for my foreseeable future binds.

Are there things I would change? Sure. It was humid out when I printed, so the pages have got a wave. There’s an extra two pages in Vol 2. that I have no idea how I missed, and I got a line of glue in the middle of one of my Vol. 2 endpapers. I’m pretty sure I didn’t case in quite right, since my endpapers pull away from the case at the spine. I think the inner margins are a bit too big, and despite going line-by-line there’s still some wacky justification spacing in the typeset. But man, am I proud of these books! It is so satisfying to learn a new skill - MANY new skills, if we’re being honest - and to make something both beautiful and practical. If I’m still binding in two years or so, I can see myself redoing the typeset in InDesign, cutting out the existing text block, and reusing the cases. I’m also already planning for Vol. 3, which will be Silverflint Modern AUs.

Thanks for reading!

[lazyfandombean]

Psst, you!

Hey, hey you! Yeah, you! I've got a question for ya. Do you feel normal about SCC (Sweet Cap'n Cakes)?

-> Yes -> No

[❤️Yes] [Ohhhh, I see. You're in denial, aren't you? ;)]

[❤️No] [Aha! Just as I projected- I mean suspected! Suspected. Yeah.]

Well, I've got some GREAT news for you! Have you ever felt saddened by the lack of SCC-centric fanfiction? Specifically the kind that depicts them as brothers instead of bandmates or partners (no shade to those depictions btw)?

No? Shut up yes you have /j

Yes? Fantastic! Well, no, sorry that you're sad :/ BUT! Be sad no longer! For I've come to save the day!

In the form of my newfound SCC hyperfixation!!!

That's right!! I've been going crazy about The Guys™️ for the past week or so, but to my absolute SHOCK, there are hardly ANY fanfics for them!!! And almost all them revolve around them as a SHIP! And no offense, but I just don't like reading about ships all that much, sorry!!! :(

SO!!! How am I going to fix this dilemma, I wondered? But THEN! I remembered something!! Something very, VERY important:

'Oh yeah I'm a fanfic author.'

Is this me implying that I'm now writing a bunch of SCC fanfiction in a very roundabout way? YES YES IT IS! :D

In fact, I've already posted one on Ao3 and have turned it into a 'series'! By that I just mean that the 'series' is really just a place for me to dump all of my SCC-centric fics. I'll link the series here, BUT I'll also be cross-posting most, if not all, of those fics from Ao3 to here on Tumblr!

Oh also link btw:

But why am I talking about it like this on Tumblr, you ask? Introducing it in such a way when I could have just started posting SCC content? For two reasons!

One: Idk I just felt like it

Two: Because!! It has come to my attention that hardly anybody on Ao3 even reads SCC fanfiction.

And no, this isn't me begging for like... kudos or subscriptions (or followers, I guess it is on Tumblr? Idk I don't use it much) or anything like that. What I AM asking for is for people to read it. Not because I want to get popular, but because...

I am very self-conscious about the way I write SCC.

Well, to be honest I'm just self-conscious about the way I write any fictional character. It's actually the thing I worry about the most when it comes to fanfiction; whether or not I'm getting the personalities right. And I'm aware that it's more about how you perceive the characters, and that headcanons are a thing (I have plenty of them myself), but in my opinion, there's a line between having a headcanon and writing something ooc. Headcanons are fine, yes, and I use them a lot (especially when it comes to Undertale and Deltarune characters), but I feel like it can get to the point where it's so ooc that it doesn't even feel like the same character. And that's something I definitely don't want to happen when I write about my three favorite guys EVER. So basically, I'm asking people to read my fics specifically so I can get feedback on how to write the characters.

Why didn't I ask my friends? Bold of you to assume I have any /hj

But no fr, none of my friends play Deltarune, and I'm not even sure if any of them have heard of it. My sister has played before, but she never really got into it, and it's been so long that I doubt she would even remember who SCC are if I asked.

So, I've taken it to random strangers on Tumblr!

There's only one work in the series right now, but I'm currently working on another and have many more ideas sitting in a doc, waiting to be written! I'll also take requests if anyone has any (which I doubt will happen but anything's possible I guess), but before I post any more, I'd really like to get some feedback from... someone, I guess. I dunno I just really want to do them justice 😭

Anyways, that's all! Sorry that this was so long and probably annoying to read, I just thought it'd be funny but now I don't even know aldkdsfljk- but I'm leaving it like this because why not I guess

[thefrogdalorian]

The Best of Both Worlds - Chapter Seven

Din Djarin x Female Reader Modern!AU

❁ Series Masterlist ❁ My Masterlist ❁ Read on AO3 ❁

Word Count:  9456 Rating: General Summary: Despite feeling certain that you'll never see the ridiculously handsome man you gave a tour of the museum to, a special delivery is about to change everything... Content Warnings: Brief description of anxiety, reader feels a bit anxious in a crowded area. Author's Note: Big thanks once again to my amazing beta @suresnips!! I appreciate your feedback so much 💕  The slow burn is certainly slow burning. When I started posting this I was wondering whether I should tag it as slowburn which is ridiculous because 54k words in and they're still like THIS AUGHBSGJD just KISS you idiots! Anyway, really hope you enjoyed this one. I had a blast writing it. This is the last chapter I'd edited while writing, so updates might slow down a bit to once (but hopefully twice) per week now. Thanks for reading, I'd love to know if you're enjoying it so far!!

6. You're The Sunflower [Reader's POV]

You were under no illusions that the odds of seeing Din again were slim to none, but no matter how hard you tried, you had not been able to stop thinking about him. Ever since you had given him a tour of the museum on Friday night, you had been unable to shake the memory of how incredible you had felt in his presence. Of course, you were instantly attracted to him and felt the spark when the two of you shook hands. Plus, there was that look on his face when he referred to the beauty of the exhibits as he gazed at you. You had been unable to get the way his eyes had softened as he looked at you from your mind, no matter how hard you tried.

Work brought you no relief. Everywhere you went, you were reminded of him. Any time you had to leave your office work behind to face the public, you were barely able to focus on giving the various groups that you had been entrusted with a proper tour. You kept looking out for the patient brown eyes and dark curls that had left an imprint on your mind after such a short amount of time. Several times your heart leapt when you thought you saw a man with just the right physique and height, with similar brown curls. But then his head would turn and your hopes would be dashed. Unfortunately, there were so many visitors to the museum each day that these moments were all too frequent, delivering a crushing blow each time. 

It was ridiculous, pining over Din and looking out for him like this. You were under no illusions to the fact that you would never see him again. The time you had spent together that evening as you gave him a tour of the museum was lovely. In another life, perhaps the two of you would have been able to explore the genuine connection. But in this life: this was it. Your paths were never going to cross again. It was utterly ridiculous to think otherwise, no matter how much you ached to see him again. You just had a little crush on an attractive older guy. You would forget about him before too long.

Fortunately, today you had no tours scheduled. You were tasked with cataloguing some of the museum’s extensive archival collection. Specifically, seventh-century Chinese pottery. Although sometimes you found such work dull, you appreciated that everything had an order to it and a system to be filed under. Once it was completed, it would be incredibly satisfying. So you had thrown yourself into such work, partly borne out of a desire to see it completed but mostly, if you were honest, to distract yourself from the kind brown eyes of a man you would never see again.

The task was going well and you were making storming progress, especially considering that it was only mid-morning. That was until the familiar presence of your manager, Julie, entered the office and disturbed your peace. The sound of a heavy object being placed on the desk with a thud, caused you to look up.

It was perhaps the biggest bunch of flowers you had ever seen, in an ornate vase with stunning patterns running the length of the glass. You could tell, just by looking at it, that it was a luxurious bouquet that had presumably set back whoever bought it several hundred pounds. Your heart skipped a beat. There was no way these could be for you.

When your racing mind finally focused on the flowers, your jaw dropped as you realised exactly what they were. With their tall, green stems and bright yellow petals, they were unmistakably sunflowers. 

As you sat there, aghast at the beautiful bouquet before you, Julie finally offered an explanation: “These came in from a flower shop this morning. The delivery guy said your name. I have no idea who they’re from and trust me, I had quite a battle to get them through security. Luckily a guy called Mo vouched for you. Maybe the card makes sense to you.” Julie said, winking at you as she walked away, leaving you sitting there at your desk, mouth hanging open.

Surely it couldn’t be… from him?

You noticed the little golden card nestled in amongst the sunflowers, with trembling hands you brought it towards your face so that you could see who the flowers were from. On it, the neat black handwriting read:

Let’s show the kid a real rhino. Meet me at the gates of London Zoo.

Saturday, 11:30 am.

– D 

When you saw the single letter at the bottom of the card, you almost fell backwards off your chair onto the hard wooden floor below. It was from him. You felt your skin warming furiously as you read the message. Then, you read it again to make sure that you weren't dreaming. This surely had to be a joke, right?! An elaborate scheme to poke fun at you. 

But that was ridiculous, apart from Ria, who was in a different country, and Mo, who had no idea of your affection for Din, no one had any idea that the two of you had interacted. Plus, given the evident expense of such flowers, it was unlikely someone would squander such an enormous sum on playing a prank. So with all possibilities of a prank ruled out… you finally allowed yourself to believe that this was real. That Din wanted to see you again as much as you wanted to see him. He had felt the spark too and now the two of you would meet again in just a few days. 

You were in complete and utter disbelief that this was real. That there was a possibility that Din felt the same way about you. That, he too, held that same curiosity towards you; that pull that made you want to get to know him better. How, though, could someone like him possibly feel this way about someone like… you?

Julie inched back into the room, clearly having kept her distance from you to allow you to process the flowers and the note. You suddenly panicked and wondered whether she had read the note, and was coming back here to reprimand you for using your job to potentially start a relationship with a visitor. You reasoned that even if she had read the note, Din had left it deliberately vague with just his initial. She would never guess it was the man you had shown around this very museum only a few days previously. 

“I won’t pry,” Julie said with a smile on her face. “But whoever sent those must really care about you.”

You let out a deep sigh of relief. Julie’s demeanour proved that she was anything but mad at you. Fortunately, you and Julie had always gotten along. Unlike some of the other managers at the museum who would have hit the roof if one of their employees had been delivered such a bouquet in the middle of the day, she had been nothing kind to you. She was a couple of decades older than you and she reminded you of a family friend from your childhood. You had leant on her for advice when you had first moved to the big city.

“I think so.” You squeaked, feeling your skin burning up in embarrassment.

“Well, I’m happy for you,” Julie said, placing a comforting hand on your shoulder. “I wish nothing but the best for you. If you want to take your lunch slightly earlier and head off now, you’re welcome to.”

“Thanks, Julie.” You said appreciatively.

Budget cuts and constraints meant that sometimes the museum was understaffed and you were overworked, but Julie was always firm yet fair on the staff. She was great at getting the best out of her employees, she knew who needed to be micromanaged and who could work just as productively while being left to their own devices. You fell firmly in the second category, much preferring to be left to your own thing. And now, Julie could sense that the arrival of a large bouquet and card would send your productivity levels plunging unless you got to take yourself off and have some time to process it.

Your phone was in your hand before you had even left the museum, you were rapidly firing off texts to Ria. It would be early morning for her, but you knew she should be awake for classes and you hoped she was there to help cease the trembling in your body that had overcome you since the arrival of the flowers on your desk.

[ilovemando] 11:37: RIAAAAA!!!!! remember din, the hot guy i showed around the museum with his son?? He fucking sent a bouquet of SUNFLOWERS to my work and said to meet him on saturday at the gates of the zoo i told him about and recommended him to visit with his kid???

[thisistheslay] 11:40: OMG WHAT!?!? FLOWERS TO YOUR DESK!!! THIS SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING FROM A FANFIC I CAN’T BREATHE????

[ilovemando] 11:42 I KNOW. i was sure it was just my colleague pranking me but no, my manager confirmed it was hand-delivered by a flower shop this morning. and not any flower shop either, this one is like insanely london fancy. i’m just a peasant. i can’t believe this….. this kind of thing doesn’t happen to me!!

[thisistheslay] 11:45: Well, looks like it is happening to you, bestie. I’m so happy for you. What were the flowers like?

[ilovemando] 11:47: he got me sunflowers :’) after i told him van gogh was my favourite painter and i loved that piece. i can’t fucking breathe, honestly. my manager let me get lunch early and i have no idea how i’m going to eat let alone FUNCTION until saturday omg help me

[ilovemando] 11:50: but the thing is idk if it’s a date bc his kid is coming??? ahhhhh i dont wanna assume too much, maybe he just wants to be friends

You placed your phone back in your pocket as you found a place to sit in the park. Since the amount of money you had splurged on Mando merch at ForceCon, you had been forcing yourself to bring packed lunches to work in a bid to save money. It had mostly worked and you found that as the weather was improving, there was no greater delight than sitting outside in the park next to the museum and enjoying your lunch as you watched the world go by.

Once you had found an available bench, conveniently located underneath the tall trees that lined the edge of the park which partially protected you from the sun that was beating down as midday approached, you took your phone out and were relieved to see Ria had immediately texted you back. Your head had been swimming with possibilities over whether Din also viewed this as a date and you were eager to get a rational, outsider’s perspective. 

[thisistheslay] 11:53: I mean, if a guy was sending a fancy bouquet of sunflowers to MY desk, I would absolutely take that romantically. Maybe he just can’t leave his kid with someone and that’s why he’s coming, I wouldn’t take that as a bad thing necessarily.

You read Ria’s message and felt your stomach flutter with butterflies once again as she reminded you of what had just happened. Din had sent you flowers. At your desk. Not just any flowers, either. Flowers that were in a piece of art you adored, that your favourite painter had created. Din had remembered that little detail about you, despite you only mentioning it in passing. 

You shook your head and placed your phone in your pocket. You’d reply to Ria later. For now, you needed to eat your lunch and collect your thoughts so you could regain your composure and make progress on the task that you needed to complete at work that afternoon. 

When you returned to work after your lunch break, however, you found that it was a struggle to focus on carrying out important archival research when an insanely hot older guy that you had an enormous crush on had indicated that he wanted to see you again. Not only did he want to see you again, but he had enlisted a fancy London florist to deliver your favourite flowers, a detail that he had remembered from a brief comment, no less. It was probably the most romantic thing anyone had done for you, which was not exactly difficult. There had been a sad lack of romance in your life over recent years, aside from the Mando fanfics you had consumed each night before bed. Traditional books had fallen somewhat by the wayside when you were at University, but you found that you still had a voracious appetite for reading. Especially when it came to consuming stories where you were the object of Mando’s affections.

Work kept you so busy that you found yourself quite content to be single as it meant that your downtime was yours and yours alone. Plus, adjusting to living in a new city – especially a city as massive as London – had already been difficult enough, without introducing romance into that. Yet it appeared that when you had least been looking for it, a potential love story had fallen right into your lap. It was quite remarkable timing.

Your state of mind did not improve over the next few days. It was a struggle to maintain your composure for the rest of the week and focus on your tasks. Luckily, you had been moved to have a less public-facing role as you stayed behind the scenes in the offices, working on the extensive archives. Luckily, Julie had known exactly how to deal with the situation and had understood, perhaps even before you, that you were in no position to face visitors when your thoughts lay firmly elsewhere. 

Mercifully, with the help of some colleagues and a little bit of overtime, you completed the project on Friday afternoon, as planned. The relief and sense of achievement were immense, it had been no small undertaking to catalogue seventh-century Chinese pottery pretty much all on your own. You practically galloped out of work, excited for the weekend that lay ahead and in particular, to see Din again.

Despite your eagerness to leave work, you still took your time heading home, stopping for noodles at your favourite noodle shop on the way. You timed it just right so that you missed the main rush of commuters who were leaving London to return home and everyone else who was coming into London for a night out. You had had your fun in clubs and bars in the past, but you always felt ancient watching people heading for their nights out in skimpy clothes. There were a few of them, swigging from cans on the platform and laughing and chattering so loudly that you turned your headphones up to their maximum volume.

You did not begrudge them having a good time, but to you, it all just looked so uncomfortable. Rather than wearing uncomfortable clothing and cramming into overpriced bars to listen to awful music, you wanted to go home and sloth out on the couch in front of an episode of Mando. Although you had barely finished your last rewatch, you had just started another one. Despite how occupied your mind had been recently, it felt wrong somehow to not have a Mandalorian rewatch ongoing.

Lounging around on the couch in front of The Mandalorian was precisely how you spent your Friday night. With your comfortable pyjamas and facemask on, you felt somewhat relaxed, despite the churning that would commence in your stomach every time you thought about the prospect of seeing Din again tomorrow.

Although you were excited, you were also incredibly nervous. You wanted to make a good impression and hoped that the chemistry that had been there during the tour carried over to your day out at the zoo. But there were so many things to consider, questions to ask yourself about the whole situation. You found yourself dwelling on whether he viewed this as a date. You knew that you certainly wanted it to be one and sending such an extravagent bouquet probably indicated that there was at least some romantic intention there. But perhaps Din viewed going to the zoo to show Grogu a rhino as a purely platonic outing. You remained unsure of how to take it.

In addition, you were agonising over what to wear. You had triple, no quadruple checked your outfit for the zoo day out with Din. You fretted over how to style your hair, sending several shots to the groupchat to ask for their advice. As much as the groupchat had been helpful, you wished they had been physically present. There was just something about having people close that you couldn’t replicate online. Facetime and voice chats were helpful but you wished you had Ria by your side on the couch, giggling over the stupid goo facemasks you were slapping on your faces as you watched another episode of Mando. But Ria, and the rest of your friends, were thousands of miles away. You were all alone. Well, except for Mando, of course.

After finishing a steaming cup of your favourite herbal tea, you eventually turned in before midnight as you wanted to get up early to give yourself plenty of time. You were probably going to end up being at the zoo ridiculously early, but under no circumstances did you want to leave Din hanging, especially considering that you did not have his number. All you had was a time and a place to be. You were going to be there.

Despite how exhausting your week had been, sleep did not come easily. You tossed and turned, thinking about what tomorrow would bring. It was quite a turnaround of events, to go from believing that you would never see someone again to being only hours from facing them again. Nerves and excitement bubbled away in your stomach as you lay there, picturing the kind brown eyes and that crooked smile that you knew you were only hours away from seeing again…

The familiar tones of The Mandalorian’s theme song roused you from sleep at eight the following morning. You were a bundle of nerves and excitement, feeling as though your skin was tingling all over. As you lay there and slowly blinked your tired eyes open, you found yourself grinning from ear to ear as you remembered that you were awake so early on the weekend because the man whom you were incredibly attracted to wanted to see you again.

You knew there had been an undeniable spark between you and Din that evening at the museum. But you had doubted yourself and eventually convinced yourself that you were being delusional. How could he ever be interested in you? Din was just a polite, kind man, nothing more. How wrong you had been. Now, you were getting yourself ready to see him again.

Well, getting ready was yet to happen. First, you had to watch an episode of Mando as you ate your breakfast. It was a crutch you leaned on during times of great stress. If there was a big life event taking place, chances were that you had watched an episode of The Mandalorian at some point in the build-up to it. People leaned on all kinds of things, it just happened that yours was a sci-fi show that brought you an immense amount of joy. You might have been a little embarrassed about relying on it so heavily but, ultimately, you weren’t hurting anyone else with your hobby. You were proud that Mando had helped you through so much.

With your episode and breakfast finished, it was time to get ready. You had already agonised over the outfit for hours last night. However, in the early morning light, you doubted whether you looked good enough. You wanted to be comfortable considering how much walking you were sure to do, while also making an effort to impress Din. You ended up swapping out the skirt you had planned to wear for a pair of black and white striped cotton pants that were wide-legged enough to be cool in the summer. As you left your flat and headed to the station to make your way into London, you were glad for your last-minute outfit change. The thought of getting onto a busy transport network with all the grime and dirt of fellow passengers while wearing a skirt felt disgusting, somehow.

It was Saturday morning on the tube and mercifully, it wasn’t too busy. You were well accustomed to most routes by now and could use the tube with your eyes closed, if necessary. Today, however, you were so nervous that you felt yourself second-guessing your every move. Doubting whether you were heading in the right direction or on the right line and whether your tube would arrive at the zoo in time.

Fortunately, you remembered to bring your headphones, so you at least had the Mando soundtrack to keep you company. For a few minutes on the tube, you weren’t on an underground system hurtling underneath the streets of London at all. No, you were on a hyperloop pod on Coruscant, zooming along with Mando like you had seen him do several times in the show in pursuit of his most recent bounty. 

As strange as it probably sounded to anyone who did not love the show as much as you did, when you listened to the music you felt as though some of Mando’s certainty in himself and the confident way he carried himself was somehow being transferred to you. You loved Mando for many reasons, but one of them was how much you looked up to him and admired him as a person. He had many characteristics that you only wished you could possess yourself. You truly felt as though he was someone you aspired to be, even if he was fictional. 

You were so caught up in your fantasies, that you almost missed your stop. But fortunately, you realised in time and scrambled for the door. You glanced down at your watch and realised that you were pretty early, it was not even eleven yet. So, you decided to grab a coffee just outside the tube station so you wouldn’t be standing there at the zoo, looking like a little lost puppy. Plus, weren’t you meant to be fashionably late to dates? Or whatever this was? Wasn’t that a thing people did? 

The coffee shop you selected was a bit pretentious and hipster for your taste. You had no desire to order an oat milk two pump caramel chai latte macchiato or whatever it was that people who used a lot of beard cream ordered. So you just settled on a regular cappuccino, which came with a slightly judgmental look from the barista. With your order in hand, you settled down on a comfortable seat by the window in the corner of the shop and took out your phone, firing off a message to Ria.

[ilovemando] 10:49 - ik ur probably asleep now but i’m about to go to the date with din and im so nervous aaah. he’s so hot and i feel like im going to make a massive idiot out of myself. currently drowning myself in coffee. not sure it’ll help my nerves. text me when you wake up!!

Of course, Ria didn’t respond straight away. It was not even six for her and you gathered she was asleep like any normal human would be on a Saturday. With no internet friend to calm your nerves, you instead decided to pass the time by watching the people of London pass by your window. Usually, on a Saturday morning like this, you would be nowhere near the centre of the city, preferring to keep to your quieter neighbourhood. It was a treat to sit and watch people going about their business, young and old, families and alone. You felt as though you were seeing a real slice of life outside that window.

You liked being a wallflower, a quiet observer. You used to spend more time out and about before the pandemic but after everything had locked down you realised you didn’t like people that much, as harsh as that may sound. No, since those times you much preferred to spend your time inside, watching Mando or talking to your friends. So it was strange to be out on a Saturday morning in this part of the city, watching the world go by. The longer you sat there, you found that you didn’t hate it as much as you thought you would. It was a nice change of scenery. 

After a few minutes and drinking half of your cappuccino, you turned your attention inside the coffee shop. You noticed that there were plenty of couples here in this coffee shop, staring at each other affectionately from across the table, their hands clasped around their steaming mugs. It made your heart soar a little in hope, wondering whether those looks and these lazy mornings lay in your future with Din. Maybe you should do this more often. Maybe you and Din could come for a coffee here sometime.

Din, you thought with a start.

Thinking of him made you realise that you had completely lost track of time. It was now twenty past eleven and the Zoo was around a fifteen-minute walk away. You cursed yourself under your breath, you were always prone to daydreaming and could get so easily distracted sometimes, lost inside your own head. You had intended to be on time, maybe even early, to avoid giving any kind of impression that you weren’t eager to see Din again. Yet, now, to ensure that you would have to arrive there a sweaty mess, you would have to speed-walk to the zoo. 

Fortunately, you still had your headphones on and you switched to an upbeat playlist, soon falling into step with the fast guitar and drumbeat as you headed to the zoo. The streets were beginning to get busier now and your earlier musings about enjoying being in the city for a change were long forgotten, replaced by a general disdain for the human race. But then you remembered where you were going and who you were meeting. You couldn't help but feel a smile creep across your face. A smile that only got wider when you approached the zoo gates and you saw a familiar figure standing there, waiting for you.

You felt yourself instantly lighten as you noticed him. A stupid, insecure part of your brain had worried that you had somehow misinterpreted things and he wasn’t going to be there. But sure enough, Din was standing right outside the gates with Grogu nestled in his arms. They were facing away from you but it allowed you to appreciate how broad Din’s shoulders looked from the back as you approached him. You were equally delighted to see the sweet little boy again as you were to see his father. After all, if Grogu had not been so drawn to Dürer’s rhino, perhaps the three of you would not be here together now.

As you approached him, you appraised Din’s outfit. He was dressed in a grey knitted cardigan with a dark turtleneck underneath it and a similar pair of dark brown trousers to those he had worn at the museum. You noticed Din was wearing his trusty brown boots once again. You thought he was a bit overdressed considering it was almost July, but British summer was typically not the warmest, so perhaps he had got it just right. Grogu was wearing a light green, short-sleeved t-shirt and a pair of brown trousers. His curly hair was sticking up at all ends and you thought he looked thoroughly adorable. 

You were only a few feet away from Din now, but he still hadn’t spotted you. You weren’t quite sure how to play it – should you tap him on the shoulder? But you decided against that, you didn’t want to startle him with Grogu in his arms.

“Hi, Din,” you said quietly. Din turned around abruptly to face you as if your presence had startled him.

“You came!” Din said, his face suddenly lighting up, eyes crinkling in joy. The wrinkles beside his eyes were suddenly visible, a visual reminder that he was slightly older than you. But the reminder of his age did not make him look any less attractive. Din looked distinguished and handsome.

“Of course I came! Thank you for the flowers and suggestion to meet here. I loved them, it was very thoughtful of you to remember that I mentioned loving Van Gogh’s sunflowers,” you replied, voice shaking slightly with nerves.

“I’m glad you liked the flowers and didn’t find it, uh, creepy,” Din said nervously, placing his hand on the back of his neck again like he had done the first time you had met him in the museum. It was an adorable, bashful, mannerism that you adored.

“Of course not,” you smiled. “It was incredibly thoughtful of you. I’m so happy that you found a way to stay in touch.”

“Me too,” Din whispered, his eyes shimmering with an emotion that you could not quite place. Then he shook his head slightly and remembered the child that he was holding in his arms. “I hope you don’t mind me bringing Grogu along. But, like I said, wherever I go… he goes. And I believe you originally suggested the zoo because of his love for animals, so it wouldn’t have felt right to come here without him.”

“Of course it’s fine, Din,” You smiled. “Hi Grogu!” You beamed, giving a little wave to the little boy with the big brown eyes.

Grogu returned the smile, you were pleased to see that he seemed a lot calmer than he had at the museum. You saw Din visibly relax as you were fine with his son’s presence.

“It’s so good to see you again,” Din breathed. “I was nervous that you weren’t going to show up,” he admitted shyly.

“How could I refuse an invitation to a Zoo?” You questioned with a smile. 

“Really, you don’t get sick of something like this after working at a museum all week?” Din said, raising one eyebrow at you.

“Absolutely not! Well, a zoo is a bit different to a museum but either way, I always loved them since I was Grogu’s age. I was always the straggler during any school trip to a zoo or museum when I was younger. I could have spent hours there,” You began, but shook your head, realising that you were probably rambling. “But enough about me, why don’t we head inside and find those rhinos that I promised were here and that this little one would love?” You beamed, suddenly self-conscious that you were oversharing again.

Din did not seem to mind though. He seemed to enjoy your tangential little rants. Of course, a few days ago he had been a paying customer for them. Now it was just the two of you, and you were painfully aware that they could be annoying to certain people. Not everyone shared the boundless enthusiasm you held for things that you were passionate about. Not everyone found it sweet and endearing. You had learnt the hard way that people could be profoundly annoyed by your enthusiasm and did not understand that you were not trying to make them feel bad. But those judgmental people were far in the past now. 

It had taken a lot of time and a lot of hurt, but you had learnt the hard way that hiding parts of yourself was incredibly draining and only caused you more heartache and pain in the long term. So, with Din, you determined that things would be different. You were going to be nothing but one hundred per cent honest with him. After all, he wouldn’t have gone to all the trouble of picking out the flowers that you had mentioned just in passing if he didn’t like you on some level. It was time to be yourself and let Din see you for who you truly were.

That time had apparently come sooner than you were anticipating. As you made your way inside the zoo, you were suddenly getting the same vibe you had gotten at ForceCon. Where too many people were crammed into an impossibly small space, making things incredibly crowded. It was slightly panic-inducing, but you resolved to try and remain calm. Unfortunately, you did not have a comforting internet friend and a convenient staircase to hide under. It was far busier than you were anticipating. You usually visited the zoo when you had a half day off or on a Sunday afternoon when it seemed to be quieter. Since the weather had improved and it was a Saturday, though, it should have come as no surprise to see the zoo this busy.

Although you did not have Ria at your side, you were not completely alone. You glanced over at Din and instantly felt a rush of adrenaline course through your body. He looked so handsome, his strong side profile and beautiful nose silhouetted against the crowds of busy people. With his broad shoulders and looming presence, a feeling of calmness and security washed over you. Maybe if you had had him to ogle when you had been making your way through the crowds at ForceCon, you would have handled it better, you thought with a smirk.

That momentary relief was fleeting, though. The crowds did not cease, you found that same sensation of being swept away gnawing away in your gut that you had at the convention. But, you reasoned, you had handled that then, just like you would handle this now.

“Are you alright?” Din said, suddenly noticing that you looked slightly uncomfortable. You momentarily cringed, feeling self-conscious that he had noticed how much you were struggling. 

“I’m fine, just not a huge fan of crowds,” you admitted with a slight grimace. “It’ll be fine once we clear out of the entrance though and get on the paths to one of the enclosures. Actually, I think the rhinos are right at the back where hopefully not many people will head straight away. Maybe we could go there first, work against the crowds?”

Din agreed with your suggestion and was content to let you lead the way. The three of you headed down a path that seemed to be in the correct direction of where the rhinos were. It seemed like you were walking the same way as the crowds for a little while. You feared for a second that perhaps, everyone had the same idea as you to head to the back of the zoo first.

Eventually, the tide seemed to turn and more people began heading down the narrow path towards you. You had to squeeze in and get close to Din. You inhaled sharply at the way your skin tingled as you brushed shoulders with him. It was ridiculous that such a light touch, through a shirt, could set your entire body on fire like that. 

Then something bizarre happened. As you moved in to let the latest family pass, you noticed that Grogu was pointing at a young boy. You wondered for a second if they were perhaps friends, but when you looked a little closer you noticed the boy was wearing a shirt with Mando’s helmet on it. What a coincidence! You wondered if perhaps Grogu was a fan of the show. After all, despite its violent elements, it was surprisingly popular with kids. The comment Din had made in the museum about Grogu liking armour came to mind, too. 

You were about to ask Din whether he and Grogu had watched The Mandalorian, but you noticed a strange look suddenly sweep across his features. It seemed to you as if he wanted this family to move past you as quickly as possible. Din sped up and hurriedly walked a few paces ahead of you further up the path, clearly eager to get away from the child as quickly as possible. You frowned slightly and followed him, wondering what precisely it was about the tiny interaction that had spooked him so much. You didn’t question Din on his actions or push for answers. You guessed that he was just a little nervous with Grogu in the crowd. After all, the kid had a habit of running off which you were all too familiar with following his antics in the museum the previous week.

Fortunately, you did not have too long to dwell on the interaction as the path came to an end and you soon found yourselves at the edge of the rhino enclosure. Din picked Grogu up, lifting the little boy so he could take in the sights of the animals over the wire fences that bordered the enclosure.

“See, Grogu?” Din said, pointing in the direction of the beasts. “It’s the same animal we saw in that artwork the other day at the museum, a rhinoceros!”

Grogu chirped in delight, bringing his hands together in glee. The child seemed happy to be here, to be spending time with both of you. He was delighted, as he took in the fact that the same animal that he had seen in picture form a few days ago, was now here before him. Grogu could not convey it in words, but you were sure that he was delighted that you and Din had gone to the trouble of bringing him here.

You looked over at Din too, finding that he was equally enthralled by the rhinos, his brown eyes wide in awe as he watched them pace throughout the enclosure. It was sweet to see whatever stress that Din had endured after Grogu had been so drawn towards that Mando shirt, slowly releasing as he gazed at the magnificent, otherworldly beasts. 

You were still curious about Din’s adverse reaction to a seemingly innocent t-shirt. Perhaps Din just really hated that show, you reasoned. Pop culture was a topic that you had not really broached with Din thus far. You were a little afraid that your references might draw blanks from him given your slight age gap. Din being slightly older than you didn’t bother you and you felt as though there was no real power imbalance between the two of you. Plus, you loved how respectful and caring he was, in a way that guys your age were not.

As you and Din stood there admiring the rhinos, you found yourself mesmerised by the power of the beasts; the way their firm, coarse skin rippled as they took steps through the mud. It broke your heart to think that these creatures were poached for their horns and that some species were now critically endangered. Seeing them before you, they did not look real somehow. It was as though they were not from this universe and had fallen to Earth by mistake, one day. The rhinos looked like they did not belong here. In a way, you sympathised with them. 

Despite the fact you were here with Din, you found that your mind inevitably drifted back to Mando. You thought it was amusing in a way that Grogu had been so drawn towards rhinoceroses. They reminded you of the fictional creature in Star Wars, the mudhorn, that Mando wore on his pauldron. He had managed to slay one against all odds to get its egg and keep a group of unruly Jawas at bay. You remembered watching in awe as Mando used his cunning and strength to outwit the helpless creature. The rhinoceros was probably the closest thing to a mudhorn on this earth. It was an amusing coincidence, especially with Grogu’s attraction to the Mando shirt. 

After a few more minutes of gazing upon these magnificent creatures, you decided to leave the rhinos behind and head elsewhere in the zoo. Din had told you that in addition to rhinos, Grogu also liked frogs, so you headed towards the building that housed them. It was a magnificent brick building, with an ornate arch over the doorway. There were also plenty of windows to ensure that the reptiles inside were bathed in natural light. Unfortunately, it was also incredibly hot and humid inside, another measure necessary to keep the little creatures safe. You felt yourself beginning to clam up, both at the temperature change and the number of people crammed into this building. But then you looked at Grogu, his little face full of wonder as the three of you came to a halt in front of a large tank containing frogs, and your heart soared at the sight of him so excited. 

You moved to continue walking further around the Reptile House, but the sound of Din calling your name stopped you in your tracks. Grogu had forced his father to stop in front of one of the tanks and was practically squirming out of Din’s arms. The mischievous little boy tapped his small chubby hands onto the glass insistently, looking at the frogs almost as though he wanted to eat them. The kid loved frogs just as much as he loved the carving of the rhino, it seemed. You watched them with a smirk on your face, admiring the sweet scene before you. Well, it was mostly sweet, Grogu was undeniably being a bit of a menace. No matter how much Din tried to tell him that he wasn’t going to be able to touch the frogs, it seemed that the little boy could not handle that fact. He was devastated by the reality that the frogs were going to remain on the other side of the glass, out of his hands. 

You usually disliked small children, their wailing and constant need for attention irked you. Despite your usual disdain for children, you found it was impossible not to like Grogu. He was a cute kid, a complete charmer and, for the most part, very well-behaved. He had listened patiently to you at the museum the other day and had been exceedingly well-behaved on this trip to the zoo thus far. But it seemed that the frogs had pushed him over the edge. His bottom lip jutted out, beginning to pout. And then the wailing began. It was a terrible sound, one that was almost painful to your ears. You looked over to Din in panic, he had already gathered his son up in his arms and was pressing him against his shoulder in an attempt to console him. But nothing was working; the kid would not stop crying. 

“Shhhh, Grogu, shhhhh,” Din said, pleading as the toddler’s temper tantrum began to turn more than a few heads. “Sorry about this… I think it might be best if we head outside.”

“It’s fine Din.” You nodded and let him lead the way. 

Despite how busy the exhibit was, when a person had a wailing toddler in their arms, the crowds just parted instantly, without question or hesitation. You smirked as Din made his way through the crowd, mumbling ‘sorry’ and ‘excuse me’ with a frequency that any Brit would be proud of. You finally made it outside, blinking in the light. Din swung Grogu off his shoulder and looked at his son, caressing his cheek with his thumb, wiping the tears that were staining his chubby cheeks. You were in awe at the calmness and speed with which Din had approached the situation, undaunted by a wailing toddler which was, to you, a terrifying prospect. He was a natural at fatherhood, that much was obvious. 

“Alright, pal. We’re out of there now. Please calm down, Grogu,” Din pleaded, looking nervously around at the nosy onlookers.

You could tell that he was embarrassed and you felt incredibly sorry for him. After all, there was nothing to be ashamed about. Grogu was just a little boy, he didn’t understand that he couldn’t hold the frogs. You decided to step towards them and hopefully offer some words of comfort.

“Hey little guy, what’s the matter?” you asked, concernedly. “I know you love frogs, I really do… but you can’t touch them, Grogu. They have to stay in their tanks so they’re nice and warm. It keeps them safe and protects them. Just like you feel protected when you’re in your dad’s arms,” you smiled, hoping that your words were cutting through to the tearful little boy. Grogu stopped wailing and titled his head to the side, as though he was trying to process the new information you had given him and make his mind up whether it was agreeable. 

“That’s right, we wouldn’t want anything to happen to the frogs, would we?” Din joined in, nodding at you appreciatively for your intervention.

Grogu was still for a few moments but then began furiously shaking his head. It seemed that yours and Din’s kind words had finally gotten through to him. 

“Good boy! That’s it, Grogu, well done for understanding why you can’t touch them,” Din said proudly. 

“Well, you can’t touch those frogs, Grogu. But perhaps we can head to the gift shop on the way out and there might be a frog toy there for you?” You offered with a smile, hoping that Din was okay with such an offer.

Din nodded, seemingly approving of your suggestion and you felt relieved that you had not overstepped your boundaries. Thanks to yours and Din’s soothing words, Grogu soon calmed down. Now that you did not have a crying toddler to contend with, you turned around and noticed that you were standing by a play area that was currently deserted of any children. You laid eyes upon the swingset that was currently empty, a mischievous idea forming in your head.

“Shall we go on the swings?” You questioned playfully.

“It would be rude not to,” Din said with a smirk.

You made your way over to the swings, taking a seat as Din sat at the one next to you, Grogu sitting in his lap. Din told him to hold on but you had already begun moving yourself in earnest, kicking your legs out, determined to swing higher and higher. Din looked at you, a wide smile on his face as Grogu giggled. It wasn’t long before you and Din were both laughing hysterically.

Only moments before, Grogu had been violently wailing, but that terrible scene was now a distant memory as the three of you swung on the swing set. You knew that you would feel self-conscious about unleashing your inner childish side like this with most people. But with Din, you truly felt as though you could be yourself. You felt too, that the more he saw you interact with Grogu, the more he was also beginning to lower some kind of guard that he had encircled himself in. You continued happily swinging on the playground for a few more minutes until two small boys ran up to it, their faces dropping when they saw it was occupied. You felt as though you couldn’t stay there any longer with them watching you like that, so you looked at Din and the three of you climbed off and allowed the kids to play.

After leaving the swings behind, the two of you headed to the penguin enclosure, keen to see the magnificent black and white birds swimming around with your own eyes. As you and Din leant on the railings, Grogu between you, mesmerised by the creatures, the conversation shifted towards your romantic lives.

“So… uh, I was thinking perhaps we could go for some lunch at the cafe over there. Is that alright? I mean, there’s no one waiting for you back at home?” Din asked, his deep voice trembling as his brown eyes remained firmly fixed on the penguins.

“No, Din,” you breathed. “There’s no one waiting for me at home.”

“Wizard!” Din exclaimed. “Oh uh… I mean good, I wanted to spend the entire day with you.”

“Me too, Din,” you smiled. “I take it from your reaction that there is no one waiting for you, either.”

“No, it’s uh… it’s just me and Grogu. Always has been since I found him,” Din divulged and you thought you saw him grimace slightly as he admitted that. “I adopted him, you know. Don’t know much about his early life, but I’m all he has, now.”

“I gathered you had adopted him, but blood doesn’t always matter. I think you’re an amazing father,” you smiled at Din encouragingly.

“Thank you,” Din whispered, his voice cracking and eyes shimmering at your compliment.

At that moment, the little boy you had just been discussing so fondly decided to hold out his arms to Din, an indication that he wanted to be picked up. Din leaned down to scoop him up and the moment passed, but the implications of the conversation you had just shared were clear. You were both single. There were no barriers to you exploring something together. Grogu then began rubbing his stomach, an indication that he was hungry and the three of you headed towards the cafe that Din had earlier spotted.

After a delicious lunch, the rest of the afternoon passed without incident. Mercifully, Grogu did not encounter anything else that upset him as much as the Reptile House had. You and Din strolled around the remainder of the zoo at a leisurely pace, chatting to each other a little bit about your pasts as you went along. There was nothing in particular that either of you wanted to see, happy to let the mood dictate your pace. There was no pressure, nowhere for either of you to be. You gathered from comments that he had made about how busy he had been at work that week, that this was a rare, calm moment in Din’s schedule, as it was yours. He seemed to be relishing it as much as you did.

You were enjoying every moment in his presence, relieved that the spark you had first felt at the museum had carried over to your day out today. However, it was difficult to have a real conversation with him over the constant noise and toddler that you were accompanied by. Much as you had enjoyed your day out, you longed to see Din again in a quieter environment, perhaps just the two of you. But you would not make any demands or push him. Although he had been deliberately vague about what exactly it was that he did for a job, it sounded hectic and stressful. You completely understood if he wanted to spend his downtime with Grogu. You would put no pressure on him, expecting nothing even though you were extremely keen to see him again.

Eventually, you realised that it was almost closing time for the zoo. It was time to make your way to the exits and leave the animals and lush scenery behind. Though not before your promised visit to the Gift Shop, of course. You had promised Grogu a frog, after all. Fortunately, Grogu laid eyes upon the perfect toy to offset the disappointment that he had earlier felt at not being able to touch any of the amphibians. It was a bright green frog plush that he had toddled over to as soon as he laid eyes upon, pointing to it with a chubby hand, his brown eyes looking up at you expectantly.

Despite Din’s protestations that he would pay for it, you insisted. You wanted to treat the precious little boy and reward him for how well-behaved he had been throughout the day, despite his momentary lapse. Plus, Din had bought your tickets and the lunch you had enjoyed by the penguin enclosure. You felt it was the least you could do. The child was overjoyed, hugging his new frog friend tightly in one hand as he toddled alongside the pair of you out of the shop, Din clasping his other hand. 

As you made your way out of the zoo, there was an ice cream van by the entrance, clearly aimed at the crowd exiting the zoo, complete with persuasive children in tow. Grogu had locked eyes on the van that was selling the sweet, sugary treats and of course, there was only going to be one outcome, his big brown eyes were too much for Din to resist. So the three of you ordered a British summertime staple: a classic 99 Flake. It was soft-serve ice cream on a cone with a crumbly, flakey chocolate bar stuck in the ice cream.

After walking away from the van, the three of you found an empty bench to sit on, to watch the world go by and enjoy your treat. Grogu was perched contentedly on Din’s lap, and you noticed, heart skipping a beat, how close you and Din had naturally found yourselves sitting on the bench. Your shoulders and arms resting against each other, your thighs touching too. It felt surprisingly comfortable and affectionate considering how little time you had spent together. But you were certain of one thing: it felt so, so right. Of course, there were probably limits to what public displays of affection Din felt comfortable with in front of Grogu. You felt certain that this was a sign of his intentions, one that set your pulse racing.

After you had all finished your ice creams –  Grogu had ended up wearing more of his ice cream, the sweet treat smeared all around his lips, on his cheeks and nose – the three of you sat there in companionable silence. You watched as the dregs of the crowd filtered through the ornate gates where you had started your day hours before. The silence was pleasant, you were enjoying the sensation of being close to Din, his warm strong body resting against yours. You wondered if he had enjoyed the day as much as you had, hoped he had, at least. You wondered whether Din would like to see you again or if that was it. As if he could read your racing thoughts, Din broke the silence that had settled between the pair of you.

“So, uh. I was thinking… I would love to see you again, perhaps sometime in the week, after you finish work?” Din offered. “I can leave Grogu with a friend and meet you at the museum. Just be the two of us.”

“That sounds wonderful, Din,” You breathed, a shy smile crossing your lips as you looked into his soulful brown eyes. “I would love to.”

“Great!” Din said, smiling widely, clearly relieved that you were both on the same page about wanting to see each other again. “Let me give you my number, I’ll be in touch.”

You took your phone out of your pocket and held it towards your chest, unlocking it with slightly shaky fingers, overcome with excitement and tremendous relief that he had enjoyed your company. You were careful to hold your phone close to your body as you unlocked it so that Din could not see the picture that was your lockscreen. You weren’t sure how to explain the photo of you standing next to the incredible Mandalorian cosplayer that you had taken a picture with at ForceCon to someone like Din. Especially considering the way he had earlier responded to the Mando helmet t-shirt. You weren’t ready to show Din what level of nerd you were just yet. Surprisingly, you hadn’t brought Mando up to him yet. It was partly due to his reaction but also because you knew by your nature, how hard it would be to hide your true enthusiasm for it and just act like a casual fan. It was best left until you had gotten to know Din a bit better.

The unfamiliarity and uncertainty that lingered, despite how sure you were that you wanted to see Din again, was a reminder that this was only the second time you had spent time together. It was hard to believe that you had just met, because when you spent time with Din, you felt, somehow, that you knew him already. You had felt instantly comfortable in his presence, as though you had known him for many years.

And in a way, you had. You just didn’t know it.

Next Chapter

Taglist: @toxic-seduction @survivingandenduring @readingiskeepingmegoing

[space-mermaid-writing]

Consort and King [IronStrange]

Summary: Anthony Stark, King of Midgard, needs a spouse. Whether he wants one or not. So he accepts an arranged marriage with the Prince of Kamar-Taj – a man he has never met in his life to the day they are standing in front of each other at the altar, speaking their vows. Is it possible that the feeling of duty grows into something more? Will their future be happy?

Relationship: Tony Stark / Stephen Strange

Tags: arranged marriage au, royal au, strangers to husbands, enemies to lovers, slow burn, idiots in love, fluff, hurt/comfort, miscommunication, all the good stuff

Author's Note: Peter is a cinnamon roll! Beta by @kvjjjjjj <3

Ko-fi | Read it on AO3 | Series Masterlist | Word count: 2.7k | Previous | Next

Chapter 3: The thing about Peter

Stephen walked through the stables. He had been living in Midgard for some time now, but had not yet chosen a horse of his own. He had been offered one. But to be honest, Stephen was happy if he never ever had to get onto another horseback again. Even though Stark had an excellent collection of horses.

Sorcerers had other means to travel. And Stephen preferred those. Even if Midgard wasn't very well-versed in magic. He had heard that the portals used for trading between Kamar-Taj and Midgard were treated with suspicion by the people of this country.

Stephen heard rumors about a witch who had been meddling with the king some years ago - he still had been a prince then. He asked Wong to do research on that matter.

Stephen wondered why Stark had nevertheless formed a bond with the kingdom best known for its magic.

He left the stables with the same uneasy feeling that came over him every time he thought about getting back in the saddle. There was this saying: When you fall off a horse, get right back on. And after his accident, Stephen had been on horses on a few occasions. But it had never been the same.

Portals were far more convenient anyway.

He spotted Stark at the fence of a nearby riding arena and stopped for a moment. The king was giving instructions to a boy on a horse. Stephen had seen the child several times since his arrival here. He couldn't have been older than twelve. He had short, tousled brown hair and seemed very familiar with Stark. More than was usual for a king and a simple boy. It had Stephen wondering.

At first, he thought that he was the son of one of the Lord's of the court and Stark was perhaps his godfather. But then he had seen the boy at the side of a maid, carrying a broom and wearing servant clothes a few days ago.

And now he was on a royal horse and under the watchful eye of Stephen's husband. Stephen had enough imagination to think of reasons why that was.

He was about to leave when Stark turned his head and spotted him. Their eyes met. Stark looked at him, one eyebrow raised daringly.

Stephen straightened his shoulders – unwilling to back down – and walked over to him.

"More footwork. Watch your posture, Pete," the king called to the boy as Stephen stood next to him. They both watched him for a moment as he tried to make the horse carry out a series of commands.

"You two seem close," Stephen finally broke the silence. Stark tensed but said nothing, waiting for the question that would inevitably follow, his lips tight. Stephen turned towards him and scrutinized him. "Is he yours?"

"Would it bother you?" Stark mirrored his movements, looking back defiantly. Neither of them paid any attention to Peter who was approaching them.

"I'd just like to know if I can expect any more bastard children running around the palace." It was a fair question, Stephen thought. He knew nothing of Stark's personal past. Whether he had had lovers – perhaps still did. Whether his affairs had resulted in children.

Stark did not react well to his words. He drew in his breath sharply, his eyes glaring like daggers. "You do not get to talk about Peter like that," he hissed angrily and took a step towards Stephen. His hands were clenched into fists. “For your interest, Peter is an orphan. His aunt is working in the palace and I’m tutoring him, because he is a good boy and he deserves better!”

Stephen felt bad about his words and took a step back. “I’m sorry, I-…”

“You shouldn’t talk about things you don’t know nothing about!”

Stephen burned with embarrassment. Not only because of Stark’s anger, but also because he now spotted Peter on his horse very close to them. His eyes big and his lip trembling dangerously.

Tony didn't say anything else, but the look on his face told him that Stephen was no longer wanted here.

So he turned around and fled.

Tony was furious. He had been protective of Peter ever since he met him. The boy had this effect on people. Stephen couldn't have known about Peter’s past… well, he could have, if he would talk to Tony. So it was kinda his own fault.

“Sir Stark?” A small voice snapped him out of his thoughts and his anger.

Shit, Tony hadn't realized that the boy had approached them. He turned towards him and instantly knew that he had overheard everything.

“I didn’t say you could stop your training.”

_____________

Stephen didn’t get it. He didn’t know what he should think about Stark. He had often seen Stark and the boy – Peter – together. They were familiar with each other. So it was clear that certain questions would arise. As his husband, Stephen wanted to know about such things. He could do without people talking behind his back about things that everyone knew but him.

By the Vishanti, if only he had stayed at the temples. There he had peace from all the issues that royal life entailed.

There had been a time he had loved this life. Back when he had been the crown prince of Kamar-Taj. Before he had crushed his hands.

Stephen stared out of the window in his study. At least he had his own place within the palace. Here he was mostly undisturbed, apart from a few servants going in and out.

From the window he could see neither the stables nor the riding arena but the front court. Some guards were walking by and a gardener was pushing a wheelbarrow. Nothing unusual.

The door opened and Stephen looked up as Wong entered, placing some papers on his desk.

"Lady Potts asks you to look through these reports."

Stephen nodded absently. "Thanks, Wong." Then an idea came to him and he stopped his friend before he could leave. "Do you know the aunt of a boy named Peter?"

Wong didn't have to think long. In the short time they had been here, he was already well informed about all the people in the palace. It was his secret how he managed to do that. “May Parker. She is working with the healers.”

Of course she was. It was a field of work that was close to Stephen's heart.

He had to talk to someone about Peter; someone from here. Not Stark, because Stephen was sure that the king didn’t want to talk to him right now.

And he certainly didn’t want to talk to Peter. Not after the boy had heard what he said. So his aunt was the next best option.

The healer's area was in the south wing of the palace. Stephen had not been there yet but had no trouble finding it.

It was a bright room, the sun shining in through the windows. A woman in beige clothing of the local healer's attire was winding bandages. She seemed surprised to see the consort of the king enter.

“Your Highness.” She bowed. “Are you alright? What can I do for you?”

“I need to speak to Lady Parker.”

The woman blinked, but didn’t question it. “Of course. I’ll fetch her right away.”

She disappeared into an adjoining room while Stephen took a closer look around, curiously.

There was a row of beds against the wall, but only one of them was occupied. Apparently someone with a fever if the wet cloth on their forehead was any indicator. There were shelves where medicines were stored and a table with pots and pans on which they were probably prepared. Everything was kept clean and tidy.

“Your Highness,” said another voice behind him. It was a slim woman with long, brown hair, braided in Midgardian fashion. “You asked for me?”

Stephen hesitated, not sure how to start the conversation. He was struck by the resemblance between the boy and his aunt. They had the same eyes. A quick glance around the room told him they were alone, but he kept his voice low to avoid eavesdroppers anyway. “This is about Peter.”

May furrowed her brows. “Did he get into trouble?” she asked. It would be a new record, only a week after the wedding. “I am very sorry. I always tell him not to-”

“No,” Stephen quickly interrupted her, wondering how to address his questions. What were even his questions? “I was just curious…”, he trailed off, suddenly feeling foolish for coming here.

“… why the king is using his time to tutor a peasant boy?”

He had to give it to this woman, she had a sharp mind. She didn’t sound upset either, but… understanding? Stephen nodded and she tilted her head. “To be honest, I’m not sure. I believe Peter just has this effect on people.”

“Was he raised in the palace?” the consort asked. It would make sense. It was not uncommon for children of people working for the royal family to receive special favors. That was simply the way it was when you were close to the source of power, influence and wealth. They often received a better education, better food and had better chances of promotion.

May's expression turned sad. “My sister and her husband lived in a village up in the north. They died when Peter was just a baby and we took Peter in since we were the only family he had left. After my husband died, I asked for work at the palace, to be able to feed Peter and myself. Fortunately, Lady Potts had a heart for a widow.” She tucked a loose strand back into her hair. “The first time Peter met the King, he accidentally made him trip. I was afraid Peter would be severely punished for it and we would be thrown out. But instead the King started to look out for Peter.”

That was not what Stephen had expected to hear. But then, he didn’t know what he had actually expected. Definitely not so much loss for a boy this young. His surprise must have been on his face, because she added, “The King is a very generous man. He cares deeply for his people.”

Stephen remembered the people’s reaction at the market and agreed silently.

He had a lot to think about. “Thank you for your honesty.”

May smiled and Stephen decided that he liked her. “Anytime, Your Highness.”

_____________

The next day Peter stood nervously in the study of Sir Stark's consort. He had been summoned and that news – delivered by a servant – had taken the boy by surprise.

While he was close to the king, he had nothing to do with his husband. He hadn’t even met him officially; besides hearing that argument between King Stark and Consort Strange.

In the time since his wedding, Stark had not spoken much about his new husband, which felt wrong. And Peter was observant. Whenever someone mentioned his consort, Stark’s lips became a thin line and his eyes seemed far away.

Peter didn't dare to ask and Stark tried to change the subject to something lighthearted in the boy's presence.

But Peter wasn’t dumb. He knew the risks of an arranged marriage. And it was not hard to guess what an unhappy marriage looked like.

Standing now in front of Strange he bowed, holding his fist over his heart. He wouldn’t give him another reason to dislike him. “Your Highness”, he greeted the consort, playing dumb as to why Strange wanted to see him. Although it wasn’t hard to guess.

He briefly wondered if Strange would question him about his relationship to the king, shout at him, maybe even forbid him to see Stark again. Could he actually do that? Did he hold that much power over him? Surely, Sir Stark as king outweighed him. And he had already reprimanded Strange once for his words.

Nevertheless, his heart was beating so loudly in his chest that he was sure the man in front of him must hear it. He was a sorcerer, right? Peter had heard they had incredible powers. Maybe he could even read his mind.

He was thinking so much that he almost didn’t hear when Strange spoke.

“We didn’t meet in the best way and I apologize for that.”

Peter looked at him, dumbly. He blinked, not sure if he heard correctly.

Strange stepped around his desk and leaned against it. "I didn't mean my words in any insulting way towards you."

A bastard son. Peter hardly remembered his parents. He had been small when they died. But he knew who they were. He remembered uncle Ben and aunt May raising him like their own son. And then there was King Stark, who was more than generous towards him.

Of course, it was all just a replacement for something he had lost; even though he didn’t know it differently.

And because he was the good kid that he was, not wanting to add more concern to Stark’s plate, he said, “It’s fine, your Highness.” And he felt the words were true, there was no grudge towards this foreign man he barely knew. Because Sir Stark had stood up for Peter and that weighed more than any false accusation.

Peter had been more shocked by the loud and harsh words that they had exchanged, and the fact that Sir Stark had fought with his own husband – his consort – about Peter – a simple boy.

It felt wrong. Peter didn’t want to be the reason the king and his consort stood apart.

Stephen watched the boy standing in front of him. He looked so young.

“From what I hear, your education is important to the king. And I understand that you two spend quite some time together. So you and I will run into each other inevitably. It is therefore my wish that there is no bad blood between us."

Peter just nodded. He noticed that Strange spoke very formally. It was a big contrast to Sir Stark, who was more often than not informal and warm with him.

Perhaps his cool manner was due to the harsh climate of the mountains from which Strange came.

Stephen was pleased with the boy's reaction and, above all, that the feared emotional outburst didn’t happen.

“Good.” Everything had been resolved, but he didn’t really dismiss Peter yet. He had said what he wanted to say, he should dismiss him, and he wasn’t sure why he did not. He still doesn't understand why Stark invested his time in the boy.

It felt like a riddle, that – if Stephen solved – would help him to understand Stark better.

Neither of them said anything and the silence became somewhat awkward.

Peter was just glad he hadn't gotten into trouble and wasn't sure what else he could say. He let his gaze wander, looking around curiously. The sorcerer's study was not unlike Sir Stark's. Strange had more books and some ancient looking objects, but mostly he saw regular writing tools: ink, quill, and parchment.

His gaze lingered on a chess set on the round table near them and he eyed the crafted pieces with interest.

“Do you play?” Strange asked, following his gaze.

“I do.” Peter hesitated before admitting. “I have never seen pieces as detailed as these.”

“That’s because this is a magical game of chess. My teacher gifted it to me, before I left Kamar-Taj.”

Peter’s head perked up. “It’s magical?” He leaned towards it and tried to figure out what was so magical about it. The pieces seemed more lifelike, the pawn as little men with spears in their hands, and the king and queen were a beautiful pair, delicately decorated with gold.

There was a smirk on Stephen's lips. “Knight to C3.”

The white horse and its knight moved on their own, riding to their designated square, before freezing again.

Peter’s eyes shone bright in excitement. His former shyness had disappeared. “This is awesome. Do they listen to everyone?”

Stephen pointed encouragingly to the board while stepping to it. “Try it.”

“Pawn to E6.”

The small black figure stepped forward, looking grim at his opponents on the other side of the board. Peter was in awe and Stephen smiled when he saw the childish wonder on his face. With a flick of his hand, two armchairs slid to the board game.

Stephen didn't even have to ask the boy to sit down and continue with the game.

_____________

Taglist: @goopierthenyou (tell me if you want to be added/removed)

[sweaterkittensahoy]

Hello! I have a bit of an embarrassing question to ask you, and you don't have to respond if it's too uncomfortable a topic to discuss. I've been struggling with my family's annual re-watch of Harry Potter this year (something I can’t avoid without upsetting and/or offending my parents), and it's made me think a lot about fandom and my place in it, though I haven’t been active with HP for many years. I had, recently, and briefly, considered doing a podfic of one of the fics I most loved when I was still in fandom, and have since concluded that no matter how far removed from the source material (as an early Marauders fic with M/M and significant deviations from the source material) it just isn’t appropriate anymore.

As to the other fics (written, not pod’ed) still existent on my account, I haven’t quite decided what to do about them yet. I guess my question is: how did you come to the decision to orphan your HP fics, rather than delete them; and would you still make the same decision now, as her tailspin into fascism has worsened?

I'd orphan again, no question.

We are deeply fucking unfortunate that the Rowling situation is one of the worst cases of "I don't think death of the author (the concept, not actual death) will fix this for me."

And, so, I had to decide for myself how I felt about being connected even tangentially to that fucking asshole. And I realized I wanted no connection at all.

But.

And this is the important part.

But. There are people who find comfort and enjoyment in MY stories from HER book series. Yeah, I'm using characters she created, but I'm putting them into different stories than she ever did. I wrote a series about Percy during the war where he was running a safehouse, and I wrote it because I was mad at how little actual war made it into the final book. And people like it BECAUSE it's a much more honest look at war (and that it's Percy/Oliver, but duh).

It turned out, for me, that the answer wasn't to delete everything I'd written and take stories away from people because the originator is a fucking asshole. The answer was to complete the death of the author. Me. By taking my name off my stories.

I assume my stories are still getting read and enjoyed. I hope so, at least. But more importantly to me, I didn't take away something I created to be shared because the original creator is a bad person.

I can't control what Rowling does. I can't control all the people who continue to justify why they continue to give her money while saying out of the other side of their mouth that they know she's a bad person, but Harry Potter means sooooo much to them, so they're just sort of stuck (no, you just want official merch).

I can control my own decision and be happy with it. If someone finds comfort in those stories I wrote, they'll be on AO3 whenever they need them. And setting them free from me and my complicated feelings on all of it was the right decision. I hope they're enjoyed, and I'm glad I left them to be found.

[minecraftrelatedrandomness]

u/SADZookeeper:

AITA for failing to protect my brother?

It's been about a week since everything happened and I'm still trying to process this myself, so please bear with me. Sorry for the long background context.

I (~27M) and my little brother Ac (22M) grew up on an island with really famous and influential parents. I knew since I was a child that our parents wanted me to carry on the family legacy on the island, and I did everything I could to do that (it was the lot I was handed in life; I'm just making do with what I could). At the same time, though, I knew our parents sidelined Ac, so I tried my best to look out for him and make sure he was okay, because that's what brothers are supposed to do.

About three years ago, Ac disappeared overnight without a note. I tried looking for him everywhere, but my parents didn't really seem to care that Ac had gone missing, and I don't know why. I assumed he was dead and grieved for him, until he turned back up on the island over a year later. I reconciled with him and was glad that he was alive and well, and swore I wasn't going to lose him again.

A lot happened since this: I found out that my home island was built on a lie, that we were all in grave danger, and one of my best friends fled the island in response. I wasn't in an emotionally good place, but from this point onward, it might have be where I started to become TA.

Weeks after that, I received a letter from Ac that he was going on a dangerous quest that he might not come back from, along with all his savings. I panicked and tracked down his location to go after him (he left behind some notes on where he was going); I was afraid I'd lose him again and lose more people that I cared about.

I found Ac alive, thankfully, but when we sat down for a heart-to-heart, he told me about how he never felt wanted at home, which was why he left, and lost someone extremely close to him when he was away. I didn't know what to say about this: I felt like Ac could have trusted me with this earlier. I thought I tried my best to be a good brother when we were children, but clearly, that wasn't enough to keep him from leaving.

The location we were in only had a one-way entrance, but when we found the exit, it said it required a sacrifice, that only one of us could leave alive. I don't know or care who designed the place, but at that point, I didn't know what else I could do to make up for how much I failed Ac.

I volunteered to die for him to escape.

I wanted it to be me. It should have been me.

He decided otherwise.

He pushed me out of the way and fell into the death trap.

I don't know how to convey to you how badly I failed: Ac already had a rough enough childhood as he did; I couldn't be there for him when he needed it the most (both at home and after he left), and couldn't even ensure he could escape and live a somewhat happy life, even if meant me gone. I couldn't even do that much for him.

I don't know how I never noticed the extent of how badly Ac was treated at home, I don't know how everything led to this, and I don't know how I'm supposed to tell his friends that he's gone because I wasn't quick enough.

I'm back on the island where we were born and raised. I feel like TA. Am I?

TL;DR: My little brother had a rough childhood that I couldn't protect him from and ran off on a reckless, life-threatening quest, I panicked and went after him, we got stuck in a death trap, and he shouldn't have been the one to die there but I couldn't fall fast enough to make sure he's the one who survived–

This post is Part 2 of the "Chronica Siderum" series. Technically speaking, this post is slightly over the character limit for the actual AITA subreddit, but let's be honest, we don't really care here.

[Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3]

Click here to read this on AO3 for bonus annotations.

[watchoutforthefanfics]

my series...

PROCESS TAGS:

⏹️ - discontinued

⏸️ - on a break

▶️ - in progress

⏪️ - being rewritten

✅️ - complete

CONTENT TAGS:

😳 - smut

🫣 - suggestive

💞 - fluff

⛈️ - angst

REDDIE (IT):

achievement unlocked || ▶️

Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20

epilogues:

Summary: Richie liked to play video games, and by some stroke of luck, it became his job. Being primarily known as Trashmouth on stream, he found his own little group of streamer friends and they became intertwined: The Losers Club. It never did feel quite complete, though. Well, until, he got his very own backseat gamer in chat.

AVAILABLE ON AO3

I could be your crush, crush, crush || ✅️

Part 1, 2

Summary: Eddie Kaspbrak was built for a strict schedule and precision arrival. Of all the days to fuck up, he does it on his first official day of college. But upon running into an old friend, there just may be a positive to this shitty day after all.

AVAILABLE ON AO3

Never Goodbye || ⏸️

Summary: "He paused, turning away from the black holes that were Eddie's eyes, and trying to think of the most passive way he could say something genuine. Without professing his love, or crying, or both. Richie settled down into his bed, tucked under the covers as much as he could and he spoke. A quiet tone that honest-to-god felt unfamiliar in his own mouth. "I…" There was silence, as he refocused. Just knowing Eddie was expecting something. And Richie was never one to let down Eddie, he hoped he never would be. "I don't think there's anywhere else I'd wanna be, Eds." Or Richie tries to get his shit together, so does Eddie, and they both are oblivious as fuck for way too long."

SPN:

CROSSOVERS:

Second Chances // Fandom: It, SPN + Reddie, Destiel ▶️

Summary: "Call me crazy," Dean continued, trailing his fingers on the counter, "-but doesn't this feel like it isn't… for us… to you?" "What do you mean?" "It's…" Dean began, but faltered, "-A completely uninhabited creepy inn? With flickering lights? What does that sound like to you?" "Dean-" Sam sighed. "A horror movie, Sammy," Dean spoke, with playful confidence, "-you can't tell me I'm wrong, because that bell has a spotlight shining on it. And when I touched it-" "You touched it?!" "-nothing happened!" Dean finished, "I think we're in a horror movie waiting around for the main characters." Sam opened his mouth to protest, but Dean interrupted, "No, no. Hear me out." Or where Sam and Dean are trapped in a horror movie.

ELEVENTH DOCTOR (Doctor Who):

Ticking Love Bomb || ▶️

Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8...

Summary: Your adventure with the Doctor and the Ponds takes a harsh turn when it seems you're targeted with a potion. A love potion, specifically the type where you fall in love with whoever's eyes you met first after "drinking" it. But what if you're already in love with him?

[lullabyes22-blog]

Mal de Mer - Swoony Swashbucklers

Mel's girlhood reading choices are sus...

Mal de Mer on AO3

She's about to backtrack, when Silco says, "In time."

"In time?"

"When the moment's right." He tucks her curls, damp and dripping, over her shoulder. "When you're less inclined to envision my younger self as vermin scuttling from a pile of refuse."

"That's not—"

"No? How, then, would you picture me?" A wryness creeps into his voice. "Be honest."

"Well," Mel hedges, "I know you were a smuggler. You ran the Black Lanes, with Vander. The two of you were a bit of a legend belowground. I've seen photographs of you in archived newsprints. Mugshots, too." A tiny grin flickers. "You looked quite the chancer. All hooded eyes and sharp cheekbones. But also a bit... boyish. It was the hair." Idly, she tugs a damp, dark strand. "Quite long."

"Like a drowned rat."

"Like a merman. Or a pirate." She bites her lip. "I've always been fond of pirates."

"Have you, now?"

"Oh, you should've seen me as a girl. I had an entire shelf devoted to piratical romances. The swoonier, the better." A soft laugh, and a shake of her head. "My favorite was called 'The Devil and the Sea Witch'. It was a series of swashbuckling adventures. I'd smuggle each volume out from under the Grand Matron's nose. Read it under my bed, with a lantern, until my toes went numb."

"What was it about?"

"A roguish sea captain. A smuggler, like you. Lean as a knife, and as deadly. He had a wicked right hook, a price on his head, and a penchant for seducing noblewomen. But the twist was, he was no scoundrel. Not really. He was a castaway, and the victim of a great, unspeakable tragedy. The only thing he had left was his ship, and the seas."

"And the women?"

"An escape, from the solitude." Mel's grin turns a bit rueful. "Then, of course, he meets his match."

"Melusine, the sea queen?"

"Not a queen. Just a girl who'd lost her whole family to a terrible storm. She'd washed up on the shore, the sole survivor of the shipwreck. The magistrate, a lustful beast, falsely accused her of witchcraft. He sentenced her to hang unless she yielded to his advances. She fled the gallows, and stowed aboard the Devil's ship." The grin deepens. "Naturally, they hate each other. But the more they fight, the more the attraction flares. The Captain tries his hardest to resist. He is an inveterate rogue. Master of the high seas. He has no business with a soft little chit from the gentry. But, alas, he succumbs to her charms."

"Her perky arse?" Silco guesses.

"Her spirit. Her fire. She challenges him at every turn. Never gives him a moment's rest." Mel's sigh is a playful flutter. "They are so much alike, the pair of them. Two kindred spirits, bound by circumstance. And the sea."

"So, of course, he falls in love."

"He does."

"With her perky arse."

"With everything." Her lips, curving, find his shoulder. "The story ends with a grand battle. The crew of the Devil's ship, outgunned and outmanned, is besieged by an armada from the merchant navy. But our heroine saves the day, with a potion in a bottle. Proof, that there is a bit of a witch to her, after all. The Devil declares his undying love, and they sail off to a new horizon. The rest, well... I won't spoil the ending."

"I don't need it spoiled. It's all written on your face."

"Is it?"

"Happily Ever After."

"I wouldn't know." Her lightness fades. "When Mother found my books, she ordered them burnt. It was her way. No frivolity; only cold pragmatism. I watched as, one by one, the stories went up in smoke. I stood, and I said nothing.  I was twelve years old. But I'd no tears left." Mel's throat works. "The rest of my years were spent in service to her ideals. Treatises on war. Texts on governance.  Blood, and coin, and conquest on every page. I read, and I learned, and I grew up."

"Grew up. Or gave in?"

"I couldn't give in. If I did, she'd win. And if she won, it meant the life she'd forged for me was all there was. So I learned to keep the rest—the things that brought me joy—locked up tight." She twists to meet his eyes. "Until, one day, I met a real Devil. And he opened a door. Then, another. And another. Each one, leading somewhere strange. Somewhere... I'd been before. Or maybe only dreamed about."

 His good eye, on hers, is a steady blue horizon. "So the story, in the end, was rewritten."

"Only if I write it for myself."  She lifts a quivering hand up to thread through his wet hair. "Only if I get to choose."

[broodybuck]

Slow Dancing in a Burning Room | Series Part 4

Series Summary: At a strip club, Steve figures out one of the dancers is homeless. He offers him the guest room in his home along with anything else he wants. He offers to take care of Bucky. Even though Bucky can't understand why.

Series Tags: Steve Rogers x Bucky Barnes | Rated E | Tags: 18+ explicit smut, sugar daddy Steve Rogers, stripper Bucky Barnes, age difference, no powers AU, daddy kink, dom Steve Rogers, sub Bucky Barnes

[Masterpost] // [ao3 link]

[PART 1] [PART 2] [PART 3]

Steve's hands are tangled in his hair. His fingers keep combing through strands until Bucky's eyes are falling closed.

He's on the verge of sleep when Steve speaks into his ear.

"Why don't we clean up, then go for a walk in the park?"

"The park?" Bucky echoes sleepily.

"It's a great park, right down the block. I enjoy sitting there with a coffee and newspaper. It's where I run in the mornings, I go all the time."

"Okay," Bucky mumbles, thinking they'll nap first. But Steve scoops him up and carries him to the bathroom.

At the park, Bucky's still not sure of the protocol. Does he hold Steve's hand, sit close to him?

Bucky awkwardly keeps his distance, sitting a few inches away from Steve on a bench until Steve pats the empty space between them.

"What are you doing way over there?" Steve croons.

Bucky shrugs. "Should we act like a couple in public?"

Steve loses his smile. "You can act however you want in public, there are no rules."

"No rules? We have a contract," Bucky whispers the last part.

"That contract is merely a safety net when we decided we wanted to be intimate. But we made that choice. If you didn't want that we could've just been here as acquaintances who live together. This arrangement and what we choose to do with our relationship doesn't dictate how you act in public or anywhere."

"Oh... alright," Bucky says, processing all of that.

"I'd like you to sit much closer to me, for instance, but that's just me." Steve smiles.

He leans back and crosses his leg like he's getting comfortable in his lonesome corner of the bench. Bucky slides over enough that their thighs touch.

Steve immediately swings an arm around him and cradles Bucky against him. Bucky lets out a tiny sigh, happy to be enveloped in Steve's warmth. He wraps an arm around Steve's midsection.

So, it's okay to be close and hold Steve's hand, Bucky decides. Thus, he's glued to Steve's side the rest of the afternoon.

By the time they get home, Bucky hasn't lost the sense of clinginess. He likes it. Being close, having Steve's attention. It's not like he has anything else to do. He doesn't have a job or any other responsibilities, thanks to Steve.

That thought probably would've horrified Bucky a week ago, but since this morning, well, Bucky is more than okay with Steve being his only focus now. And Bucky's been really focused on how good this morning felt.

Steve catches on to Bucky's restlessness when he's attempting to cook dinner. Bucky's swaying behind him, hanging onto his waist or arm — literally acting like a cat following him around.

Finally, Steve turns to Bucky and cups his face. He kisses him first which gives Bucky a little high. Like he's been fishing all afternoon and now his line caught something and he got himself a kiss.

"You bored, honey?" Steve asks.

The pet name is like another treat Bucky reels in.

"More like horny." Bucky bites his lip and blushes.

He hasn't flirted — genuinely — in too long. He's thrown a bunch of lines at the men he used to go home with, but he never meant them. He never put in any more effort than he had to. And to be honest, he never had to try that hard, those type of men wouldn't taken anyone up on that offer.

Steve smiles at the line and caresses Bucky's face.

"And hungry, I hope. We haven't eaten since this morning. Dinner's almost ready. You think you can keep it in your pants a little while longer?" Steve asks, his tone teasing.

Bucky feels like he should be embarrassed.

"Yeah... sorry," Bucky says and steps back to give Steve space.

This makes Steve frown. "I'm not mad."

"I know," Bucky says quickly and moves to the kitchen island where he plants himself on one of the barstools.

"What did I say?" Steve asks. He steps up to the counter, forgetting the pot on the stove.

"Nothing."

"Then where'd all the confidence go?"

"What?"

"Your confidence," Steve says.

He steps around the counter to turn Bucky to him and gets much too close again. Bucky feels his chest flutter.

"Your little flirty remarks, clingy touches. I liked it all, you know, I wasn't trying to shut you down. I just can't fuck you every hour," Steve grins.

Bucky's eyebrows raise high. "You sure you can't?"

Steve laughs and frames Bucky's face again.

"I just want to know what I said, Buck." Steve's tone turns serious again. "I've seen this happen before, you get distant... quiet."

Bucky's face falls, he swallows tensely.

"I don't mean to," Bucky says softly.

"So what did it?" Steve prompts gently.

"I just..." Bucky's gaze flickers down. "M'not used to trying... for real."

"Who says you're doing a bad job?" Steve asks, tilting Bucky's chin up.

Bucky shrugs. "It's just new, all of this and I wasn't expecting... this."

Steve smiles fondly. He leans forward and kisses Bucky.

"I wasn't sure how this was going to work out either, but I'm happy it did. And you know, nothing is ever required. You can change your mind about anything, any time."

"I don't wanna change my mind."

"I'm just reminding you," Steve says. "I don't want you to either."

With one last kiss, he lets Bucky go and returns to the pot to stir the food again.

"Well. If your needs aren't being met, that is certainly something we can discuss," Steve comments from the stove.

"What?" Bucky says surprised.

Steve turns back around to look at him.

"If you need me to fuck you more often, you can just say so."

A hard lump forms in Bucky's throat while his skin heats higher than the flame under the boiling pot.

He's been direct plenty of times in his life, especially about sex. He worked at a strip club for christ's sake and yet the idea of saying something so blatantly forward doesn't feel so easy suddenly.

Yes, he wants more. Since this morning, he's been desperately craving round two, wanting anything more than a few kisses, and he should say that. But his mouth won't form the words.

So he only nods. Steve simply accepts this and returns to cooking. Bucky just hopes Steve understood what the nod really meant.

Thankfully, that night Steve invites Bucky to his bedroom again. It's almost like a formal invitation delivered to him after dinner. Bucky has to verbally reply yes before Steve puts on that stern voice Bucky loves and instructs Bucky to wait for him on the bed.

By the next morning, Bucky's addicted. He wakes already itching to get Steve inside him again. And finally, he says something.

"I want you to fuck me more."

It's the first thing he says when they wake up, so it's understandable Steve is thrown for a moment. But he adapts quickly, kissing Bucky sensually before flipping Bucky over to open him up.

Steve continues to fulfill Bucky's request for more and it quite literally feels like a drug. Bucky never did drugs while he was stripping but he knew a bunch of guys who did. He finally understands it. The adrenaline, the constant need, the crash after. He'd do anything for it, anything for Steve to push inside of him and tell him what a good boy he is.

Bucky's quickly giving up the battle with himself that he doesn't like every damn thing Steve does. He wants Steve to talk to him any way he wants. God, the way he talks to him. Steve asks him how he wants it all the time now.

"You want more? You want it rougher, faster, honey? How much can you take?"

Then the game becomes Bucky has to pace himself. He's not sure why, but he also gets a thrill out of waiting. And suddenly, their routine becomes Steve deciding when Bucky deserves it.

Somehow, Bucky's skin buzzes from all of it. The permission, the reprimands. He loves it. He doesn't fully understand why, but he thinks it has something to do with never having a man in charge of him. Steve's in charge of everything — including Bucky's pleasure — and that pleasure equipped with the safety and security of Steve's home, everything is worth all the waiting and games.

Some days, Steve will decide he's only allowed oral. And if Bucky tries to get more, he's scolded. Even teasing Steve is off the table unless Steve instructs him to.

"You can suck me today," Steve will tell him one morning and Bucky will drop to his knees right in the kitchen.

If Bucky takes too long licking around the head, Steve will say, "you're not trying to tease me, are you pretty boy?"

Sometimes, Bucky does it just to hear him say that.

"Because I didn't tell you to tease me. I told you to suck me," Steve will command.

And Bucky will moan and stuff Steve's cock in his mouth.

The best part of it all is that when all the sex and games are done, Steve's still there. He doesn't leave. He stays and helps Bucky through the aftermath. When he's fading and too tired to eat or clean himself, Steve's right there helping him.

Most of the time, it feels like a dream. Some mornings, Bucky still wakes up thinking he's in some stranger's bed and needs to get to the club for his next shift. Other times it's so real, Bucky can't understand it at all. How can Steve fall for someone like him? A homeless stripper with nothing to his name.

And that's when it hits him. There could be others. There are plenty of broke, good-looking guys who need a place to stay who could easily take his place.

[acacia-may]

You asked me, now I asked you, 2, 9 and 22 💘

Thank you so much for the ask, friend, and for playing this writing ask game! I'd be thrilled to answer your ask and share some excerpts with you. 🥰

2. An excerpt of my writing that makes me laugh

I'll admit that I am always so nervous whenever I try to write anything humorous. I feel like I have an odd and often dry sense of humor so I really worry my jokes aren't going to land in my writing. That said, I really love dramatic irony used for comedic effect. For instance this joke from one of my Fairy Tail fics, "The Jam Problem," always makes me laugh:

“There’s nothing wrong with being smitten with Rita and wanting to go on a date, Yuri,” chimed in Mavis with a reassuring smile. “I’d like to go on a date too someday.” She paused and a somewhat dreamy sigh she had not been intending accidentally tumbled out of her mouth as she added, “With Zeref.”   Yuri’s brow furrowed at her, and he turned back to a somewhat concerned Precht and Warrod. “Are we ever going to do something about Mavis’s ‘Zeref Problem’?”  “I think it’s just a phase,” reassured Warrod with a thoughtful nod.  “She’ll probably grow out of it before anything bad happens," Precht agreed.

I also really love situational comedy, cheeky bantering, and snarky one-liners (which might be one of the reasons I love writing Charmy so much). Here's one of my favorite Charmy jokes from my Black Clover fic "Pancakes For Dinner"

“For you, Miss Charmy, I would do anything,” Rill said with a bright beaming smile before taking off to, Charmy was certain, conspicuously watch Finral. “Awww…” teased Vanessa draping her arm around Charmy’s shoulders causing her cheeks to flush a little. “He’s so cute!” “You say that, la,” sighed Charmy. “But he’s never painted a life-sized portrait of you as a ‘food goddess’…”

9. An excerpt of my writing with characters I love

Here's a snippet from one of my favorite fics from my Early Black Bulls series, "A Bird In The Rain" (which I apologize is only on AO3 but I'll still link it). The friendship between young Yami, Gordon, Finral, and Vanessa is one of my favorites in the whole series, and I don't think it's talked about nearly enough.

“I’m back,” declared Finral appearing in a portal beside Yami as the rain began to pour. “Great, now hurry up and get us out of here before we get soaked,” he huffed, but Finral wasn’t even looking at him. Yami’s brow furrowed, and he glared at him in irritation. With eyes that wide and that tint of pink in his cheeks, he knew exactly what—or rather who—Finral was staring at. “You wanna pick your jaw off the ground and get us out of here?” he quipped, but Finral didn’t respond. Yami rolled his eyes. “Damn it, Finral, will you stop staring at the poor girl already?” “She’s so…” Finral almost gasped quietly, but his voice trailed. Yami blustered but finally whipped towards Vanessa to see what all the fuss was about. If he was being honest, even he was rendered a little bit speechless. Vanessa had both arms flung out widely at her sides as if catching the rain that gushed down from the storm clouds above. Though she was getting completely soaked, she had tilted her head all the way back towards the sky, wearing the widest, brightest smile Yami had ever seen in his entire life. Now, he knew of course that Vanessa was a generally cheerful person who smiled more than most, and he had seen her excited over the most random and everyday things before—but he had never seen her this happy. Hell, he wasn’t sure if he had ever seen anyone this happy. There was something almost mesmerizing, almost beautiful, about her joy, and even Yami had to admit it was breathtaking. Vanessa must have sensed that they were all staring at her because she turned towards them and her face turned bright red. She sheepishly shuffled her feet. “I’m sorry. It’s just…I’ve never been caught in the rain before…” Her voice trailed, and something panged in Yami’s chest—a cross between a deep, almost aching sadness and a vindictive desire to rough up the Queen of Witches. “Were you waiting on me?” Vanessa added quickly, almost guiltily. “Uh…um…” Finral choked as his face flushed, but he seemed too awestruck for words—not that Yami could really blame him as he himself was having some trouble formulating a response. Not even Gordon was mumbling. Vanessa’s blush deepened. “And now you’re all soaked…”

22. An excerpt of my writing that is so blissfully self-indulgent

Thank you so much for this!! Please enjoy some Uncle Langris and Dad Finral from my "Birthday Buddies" fic 🥺💖

“Langris?” a voice whispered. His eyes fluttered open. How long had he been asleep? he wondered. “Langris?”  “What?” he mumbled. Groggily, he turned towards his brother who was positively beaming at him with tears of joy in his eyes. “Do you want to meet your nephew?”  This question shook Langris awake as he focused intently on the small bundle in Finral’s arms. Langris’ face softened, and he nodded as Finral handed him the baby and explained with the pride and excitement of new father, “This is Kalon.”  “Hi Kalon,” whispered Langris, trying and failing to keep a serious face as he stared down at his nephew. He looked so small wrapped in his quilt, but he wriggled and squirmed before nestling into Langris’ arms and smiling in his sleep—his button nose wrinkling and his arms stretching out from the blanket as his tiny fingers extended as if he was reaching out for him. Langris held out his own finger to the baby—letting him wrap his little hand around it. “He looks like you,” he whispered, and Finral nodded but smiled with pride, happy tears glistening in his eyes again. “So I’ve been told…” 

I just love when my boys get along with each other, okay? 💚💙

[mob-choir]

hi! just wondering if u have any mp100 fic recs particularly nonromantic ones? i read “A Breach of Trust” already and that one went straight to the Fics of All Time for me!!

hello! here's some stuff from my bookmarks that is non-romantic, or where if there is any romance, it's not the main focus:

Issho by @toastytoaster22: a canon divergence AU where teru meets shigeo and ritsu when he's 8 years old, and things go from there. this is THE go-to fic if you liked A Breach of Trust imo - not for the genre and tone, those are different (though admittedly it's been years since I reread Abot so my memory of it is a bit fuzzy - will need to reread it soon!), but the key aspects are the same: it's a very well-written, long fic, with a gripping plot, excellent characterisation and introspection (the pov is absolutely fantastic), and heart-warming familial bonds that will make you cry. this fic will break your heart and then lovingly put it back together.

Butterfly Effect by Frecklefrog: similar concept to the above, also a fantastic execution. reigen and mob meet teru while out on a job, when the kids are around 11, and the plot evolves from there. again this has great characterisation and the relationships are very well-written, especially teru and reigen's.

Hiding His Horns (an orphaned work): this one is listed in ao3 as terumob but in my opinion this fic is plot-heavy more than anything else, and gives equal weight to reigen and mob's and mob and ritsu's relationship (in addition to teru and mob's), so i wouldn't say it's about romance. but it IS written in teru's pov, and his feelings for mob are not exactly subtle, so if that's not your cup of tea, i'd skip this one. but if that doesn't bother you, then i really recommend it. it's a witches and demons AU where teru, a promising young witch/exorcist, really really wants reigen, an incredibly famous exorcist, to take him on as an apprentice. he's less than pleased when he discovers reigen in fact already has a student, and that student is a demon of all things.

The Joy of Cooking (for a Family You Didn't Know You Had) by pepperfield: a 5 + 1 collection about reigen treating the people in his life to meals. this one is just great if you're looking for something about reigen and the gaggle of kids he ended up pretty much adopting. very very heartwarming, and the crazy conversations the kids have always make me laugh. each of their voices is spot-on. this fic does have some serirei, especially one of the later chapters, but it's not the overall focus of the fic at all.

The Destiny of Those Around You by @fightmemogami: this one is a series containing two fics, both equally great. both are missing moments from s1, after the seventh division arc. one is about shigeo visiting kamuro, the student council president (as he mentions to ritsu in the last ep of s1), and the other is about a conversation that may have happened between mob and onigawara (based on that comment he gave ritsu about how "your brother was worried about you"). both these fics are very good, i especially enjoy the way shigeo is written.

Color in a Monochrome World by Sifl: i have to be honest, i haven't reread this collection yet since i first did back in 2016, but it's in my bookmarks and i remember really enjoying it. it's a collection of gen fics, about different characters and different relationships, and while they can be read as stand-alones, they are subtly interconnected. the details are a bit fuzzy in my memory but it's very well-written, so i do recommend it. i will be rereading it soon myself.

Port in a Storm by W3LTERW8: this is a short character study set right after the separation arc. contains some good angst, as well as a great conversation between reigen and mob in the aftermath of what was a turning point for both of them.

Signed Up For It by @turning-the-kaleidoscope: heart-warming fic that takes place both before and after canon, focused on reigen's pov of the sort of world shigeo, as a born esper, lives in, and how different that world is from reigen's own. and how despite all that, reigen still wants to stay. has some great dialogue that really stuck with me, and the hurt/comfort is fantastic.

tomorrow isn't always another day by suitablyskippy (tumblr won't let me @ them, but they're also on here with the same username, I believe): hilarious fic, made me laugh out loud multiple times with how clever and quick-witted the writing is. reigen is caught in a time loop, is apparently the only person to be aware of it, and can't seem to find the cause, no matter how many times he asks mob to check if he's got a curse on him. excellent writing that casually drops some of the best-written, funniest lines like it's nothing.

Pull Up The Weeds to Grow Back Stronger by @spiritusrex: we are now entering what I'm calling the Mogami section of this post. this one is a great fic about minori in mogamiland, and how she slowly but surely manages to rebel against the role she is being made to play. great depiction of the start of a redemption arc.

I know who I am when I'm alone by RedWritingHood: mogami arc fic where reigen is also stuck in mogamiland as another random inhabitant of this world. really really great fic about how your thoughts and feelings don't determine the sort of person you are, your actions do. you can still do good by someone no matter how many intrusive thoughts try to get you to be a horrible person.

Come Morning Light by NotHereForIt: this one deals with the fallout of the mogami arc. reigen finds himself in a dream that isn't his, where mob is being haunted by the six months that never happened. some darker themes, as expected from anything dealing with the mogami arc, but great hurt/comfort.

since you asked for non-romantic stuff particularly, I will put the following two recs on their own. they're both terumob, and the romance is pretty central in both (especially in the second one), so they may not be your cup of tea, but they both have some of the best redemption arcs i've ever read, both in this fandom and outside of it. if you don't mind the romance, i wholeheartedly recommend them, i've read both multiple times:

Tunnel Vision (orphaned): a canon divergence AU (set before the two of them meet) where mob's school is undergoing some renovations and he and his friends are temporarily relocated to teru's school. teru senses there's another esper at his school and does NOT take it well. he makes a lot of mistakes. roughly follows the events of season 1. written in teru's pov so his feelings for mob are always prominent as they slowly shift from animosity to something else, but i don't know if i would even call this a love story. it's about teru's redemption first and foremost. excellent writing and characterisation, and i have to give a special shoutout to tsubomi, i really loved the way she was written in this fic.

Sword of Damocles (also orphaned): cannot describe in words the impact this fic has had on me. it's a no powers AU set when the kids are 16. teru is, to put it bluntly, a complete asshole, and so are his friends. when he brags to them that he'd be able to charm anyone and get them to kiss him (without being the one to make the first move), they dare him to prove it, and point to a random guy walking by (shigeo) as his target. now teru just needs to charm him and get his kiss so he can go back to his life, but it may not be as easy as it seems. obviously this fic has a lot of romance in it since teru is trying to charm mob into going out with him since the start, but the slow burn is one of the best i've ever read. teru starts off as highly unlikable, and he's not very charitable (in his head) towards mob at all, but slowly, very slowly, he starts to change. it's incredibly well-written, and as the title implies, you spend the whole time reading it with a sense of anticipation and dread, wondering when things are gonna come crashing down and how bad the fallout will be. a really, really great fic, i wish i could reread it as if it was the first time.

that's all i've got for you! i hope at least some of these can pique your interest, and that you enjoy them. would love to hear your thoughts on the ones you do read, if you like! i'm always open to talk about great fics.

[omaticwriting]

art dumps from Twitter 3/? -Stuff I've made with fandoms I liked

HELLO! Time for another round of me dumping my art from Twitter and explaining stuff. I'll be honest, this was one I was very hesitant to do, but I'd be a bit of a disservice so let's get this over with and I hope you enjoy

This one was if my OC's were residents in the world of SAD-ist's animation, kuneho. I'll be honest seeing it again made me smile and watch the animation again.

This one was actual OC's set in that world, I had no name for them, however, I remembered their dynamic was of "you keep a monster with you since it seems friendly to you".

This was my attempt at drawing William Mason's armor, I'm surprised how well it turned out.

This was from a time I was bored and I wondered what some of my characters looked in clothes of series I enjoyed at the time, for Willa it was Anne while another, Eric was one of the submas bros, blame @far-from-official for introducing me to that area of the poke-fandom.

This holds a special place in my heart, During my more active time in the MW fandom, I made up an au where Michael was a detective and a demon hunter, I think I have a few of my fics floating around ao3 (you won't find them with mine though, this was when I didn't have any account there).

This was from a time when I still liked FnF, granted I still do, but it's more of an empty husk of what it used to be.

another thing MW related, but this was a crossover with my story group beacon, I even made a fic on this but it's been on hiatus for a while, might continue it once I start group beacon proper.

These two were both connected for a time, the bottom one was my Roblox avatar (with A LOT of creative liberties) and another being an OC for a game I used to play called "kaiju paradise", their name was "Roon" I believe they were a Hazzy(?). When thinking of my stories, primarily group, I had an idea where the two were close friends, and it was my first time making a character with animal features and drawing fur. It's safe to say I'm proud of how it turned out.

Anyway, expect more in the future.

[silent-silver-slip]

20 Questions for AO3 Writers

@librarylexicon Thanks for the tag!

How many fics on ao3 have you posted?

378! Because I am somewhat insane

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

2,070,160

3. What fandoms do you write for?

I actively write for Harry Potter, Naruto, Julie and the Phantoms, and Avatar: The Last Airbender.

I can, apparently, be convinced to write for BNHA, Howl's Moving Castle, Star Wars, Spiritfarer, Percy Jackson, and the Inheritance Cycle. There are probably others I'd be willing to explore too, but I've yet to actively write for them.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Sea Dreams - Probably unsurprising, actually. This is a Naruto fic and is the first one in the series. Complete AU beginning with a Uchiha surviving the massacre, who also turns out to be a reincarnated ninja. Uzushio all the way!

Relight These Embers - ATLA. This is a super fun one I got to write that explores Zuko and Azula in a world slightly to the left of canon.

Never Surrender - HP. What if Regulus was sorted into Gryffindor? (This now has a rewritten version! It's completed and updating weekly at the moment.)

Trust In Your Companions - ATLA. Zuko & various animals.

If you've got life, you've got fight - HP. Regulus Black is reincarnated as Draco Malfoy. Needless to say, this changes a lot. But also not much at all.

5. Do you respond to comments?

Yep! It might take a while, but I always do so. Well, aside from some awful ones that it's better off ignoring...

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Honestly, in terms of fanfiction, I don't really do angsty endings! I like my happy endings too much, or maybe my hopeful endings. The idea that, even if things aren't alright now, they might one day be okay.

I reckon the most angsty is probably 'If I could take us back, if I could just do that' (JATP), because there's no resolution at all there. That said, 'dancing on the tightrope (don't cut the wire)' (Naruto) is a little bit angsty too, because there's an element to hopelessness to it that definitely cuts to the quick. But there's also the idea of just... going on anyway, I guess. Then there's two HP fics that are technically angsty as well - 'there is always what comes after' and 'all you can do (is go on)'.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Happiest ending? God, I don't know. But I've narrowed it down to three that have endings I particularly like.

this band is back & it's been years - JATP. Less so for the ending itself, and more so for what the story means to me. There's something about friendships that kind of broke down, and also fell wayside, and reconnecting and finding some new, finding something better, finding something stronger, that appeals to me so very much. Writing this fic absolutely healed something broken within me, I think. And, sure, it'll break again, but I always have this to fall back to.

For similar reasons, though not the exact same, I must also mention 'Let's get the band back together'. (JATP) I think I really found myself realising how I'd grown as a writer while writing this, which was fun, and this is a much softer fic too. There's something about finding a home and finding your people that is just fucking fantastic.

Lastly - 'and then, suddenly, you hear the ocean' (Naruto). For a fic that is cemented in grief and death, the healing and recovery of this fic soothes something within me.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Got heaps back on ff.net back in the day! And I have gotten a fair few things on ao3 too, which sucks heaps. It's not the easiest thing to deal with, but I'm lucky that when it really hits me, I've got some people I can turn to and ask for a much more objective truth. It works, most of the time.

9. Do you write smut?

Nope

10. Do you write crossovers?

Eh, not really. It doesn't appeal to me that much, to be honest.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Less stolen as such, but definitely appeared on other websites before - you know the ones that access websites via another platform or whatever? They've probably been scraped or whatever before too, I imagine.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes, which is super exciting! @dragonsampersanddragons has done two fics ('Cover Your Eyes (The Devil Inside)' and 'The Sea Never Looked Back') into French, and 'on to war' (HP) has been translated into Russian.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Not anything that was ever finished or published!

14. What's your all-time favourite ship?

Lol, I don't have one. Definitely don't care for romance. Love me a good QPR, found family, or friendship though!

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you will?

Oooh, there's an old story idea I once had called Threads of Magic that I would love to explore. But it also has a lot of hurt associated with it now, so doubt it'll ever happen.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I think it's characterisation, probably! If only because I tend to try and always make my characters 3D, and I think that shows up. Sometimes I manage to do some awesome dialogue lines which is always nice, but not always.

(17????)

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I'd do it! Probably comes from the fact I've worked with other languages in the past, and also conlang (god, it's so hard, kudos to anyone who manages it). Occasionally, I might just go 'x said in y' or something. Otherwise (though I've never done it), I'd probably do that thing on ao3 where you can have the formatting so translation shows up when you click/hover over it. It's neat as hell.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

I think it was Harry Potter lol. Or maybe Percy Jackson? I wrote original work first, so that's what sticks more I think.

20. Favourite fic you've written?

I've already mentioned a few of them! That said, it tends to be what I've written more recently. Particular shout outs to:

Sea Dreams (and the entire series) (Naruto) - Toru, hope, and found family. Enough said.

this band is back & its been years (JATP) - As mentioned, it healed something in me

Let's get the band back together (JATP) - Friendships grown distant and making them anew

laughter so loud even the stars can hear (Naruto) - The vibes??? are so soft???

with them, i am home (and the love is a choice series) (ATLA) - Honestly, this rarepair was pretty fun to explore

how rare and beautiful it truly is that we exist (series; and more specifically i don't believe that love was made to break) - Urban fantasy!! Strange lake creatures!! fae!!

Trumpets 'verse - JATP. Still one of the funniest things I think I ever wrote

Here's To Us (Here's To Love) - Naruto. Found family/friendship of Team 7. Just them and their softness.

Okay this took way longer than I expected, so no idea who to tag. Anyone can pick it up - and I hope you have fun doing it!

[willowmckinley]

Twenty Questions for Fic Writers

@love-leah said it was a tag for anyone who wanted to join, and I did!

1. How many works do you have on ao3? 46! 34 for of which are for Justified-- that's 74%!

2. What's your total ao3 word count? 364,850... oh my god... girl... that's too many... I blame Justified completely... it's the brain worms........

3. What fandoms do you write for? Justified! I mean. Yeah. I also wrote for Succession and The Last of Us. I want to write more for The Last of Us, to be honest. I should do that, after I write my fic for @skelingtonsderek and my bingo board and and that other bingo board and..........

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos? 1) Falling in Love with Every You I Meet (The Last of Us), 2) Sweet as Honey, Sweet as Pie (The Last of Us), 3) Before Rome Burns (Succession), 4) Hotboxing Sex Smells (Succession), and 5) Like a Sleepy Blue Ocean (The Last of Us). I'm not surprised three of the five are The Last of Us, while the other 2 are Succession! My top five fics by Kudos for only Justified are 1) The Opposite of, 2) swiped the fire in you for myself, 3) The Raylan to English Dictionary: Translation Notes Included, 4) Two Drakes in a Pond, and 5) The Body of the Beast

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not? Yes! Every time, as long as they aren't rude, in which case I delete them. I just love reading what people say on my fic and answering and talking about the thing I love so much! I love this thing! I get to talk *more* about thing!? For free!?

6. What is a fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? I don't write a lot of angst! If anything, I write a lot more bittersweet. I think if I had to answer, I would say Like an Incendiary Device. While the ending is more bittersweet for Zach, who has his whole life ahead of him, who has his mom and best friend, who gets to move on, Raylan's ending is still so fucking devastating. Boyd is still gone. He has irrevocably ruined something for his daughter. He is still not processing his grief and still not confronting his life. I'm so fucking sad for him, even after writing him hurting the people he loves most in this one.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? I think I'd have to say The Opposite of. This is a Raylan and Boyd who have had 20+ years of working their horseshit out and having each other and making each other better and worse in turn in the oddest of ways. Nothing is ever really "resolved" since it's so difficult to really get over deeply ingrained insecurities, but it's a Raylan and Boyd who have each other to see it through them. I think it's happy to have someone who makes you happy, even when you're making each other the most annoyed you have ever been and will ever be in your life.

8. Do you get hate on fics? Ohhhh my god, no, but I did have one really weird commenter who said awful shit about the pairing I wrote for and then went a condescending, several paragraph long rant about how i personally am the reason their rare pair naruto fics don't get any comments and i just. blocked them.

9. Do you write smut? Yee :P Also, thank you bingo boards for my life, I write so much better now, fr fr.

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written? Yessssss :D I've written a few! Justifed x Over the Garden Wall, Justifed x Howl's Moving Castle, Justified x Cabin in the Woods. I'll give special mention to my Justified x Stardew Valley fic, It's Strange, but the Taste Reminds You of Vanilla Ice Cream

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? No, thank GOD. The person I'd become....

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? No, but anyone is welcome to, as long as they credit me!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? No, but @gaylanrivens invited me as a co-author for their series watch a few movies, take a few notes after allowing me to play in their sandbox :D

14. What's your all-time favorite ship? All time? All time, all time? How am I to choose??? I have RaylanBoyd, which I'm most obsessed with at the moment, but It's impossible to pick anything for all time.

15. What's a wip you want to finish, but doubt you ever will? Probably.... teeth fic? Man, I've written and rewritten and edited teeth fic over and over again. It started as its own fic, and then I tried reworking it for masqball, and then a bingo... It's got a lot of fun conceptual elements (*chanting* teeth teeth teeth teeth teeth!), but I started it before I really decided how I see Raylan, and now the characterization for him just doesn't make the fic seem feasible anymore

16. What are your writing strengths? I'm... not sure? I mean, I know I have some, but I feel on the spot. Um. I think, writing captivating and dark and intriguing romance? Can I say that? Does that make sense? Maybe??? Imagery????????

17. What are your writing weaknesses? I've answered this one before, in other asks!

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic? I can't speak much more than English, so I'm not writing in multiple languages. I might have it translated to English and then in italics to signify other languages. When I write for anime/manga or Chinese/Korean novels/comics, I try to match the, how do you put it, sentence structure? It was once said that a good translation doesn't sound like it was always in English, but it gives you a better idea of how another language flows. I try to match that.

19. First fandom you wrote for? Naruto when I was like. Ten. I shipped Naruto with Hinata, because I hadn't realized she was a lesbian yet.

20. Favorite fic you've written? Noooo, how could you ask me that!? Um, Cherry Compote! What's not to like about cannibalism and Stockholm syndrome!?

I'm tagging a bunch of people, but no one feel pressured, and if I missed you, I am adding you mentally: @itookyoudown, @skelingtonsderek, @dyinglikeastar, @gaylanrivens, @cheerupghost, @wildglitterwolf, @sublightsleeper, @empathieves

[crush3dmary]

20 questions writer meme

I stole this. Feel free to steal it too if you want.

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

37

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

364,141

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Yugioh DM and Tales of! Mostly Symphonia and formerly Crestoria (rip).

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Darling Lagomorph (crestoria) at 155 Weltschmerz (symphonia) at 133 Philosophy of a Knife (ygodm) at 94 Fear's Ascent (crestoria) at 83 Have You Seen Me? (crestoria) at 78

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I really struggle with this to be honest, if I get a really long comment or someone saying the fic was really impactful I try to respond but honestly I usually just leave it and reply elsewhere if I know the author unless someone is actually asking something/wants more info about something. This is basically just because I'm busy but also in part due to my old dA fame (bleh) getting me in the bad habit of never replying to anything.

6. What is a fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Probably In the arms of the heretic (ygodm) that fic really means a lot to me though and I think because of the premise it worked.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

I'd have to say Absurdities and Echoes (symphonia) poor Zelos deserves it after everything else I put him through in that series. Sorry about your ring finger.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I've gotten a couple rude comments but it's basically been curbed ever since I turned off guest comments on my works. You can say it with accountability or not at all. Most recently I got a moralizing comment from someone about Ryou being 16 in Philosophy because of the smut that kind of had implications I didn't like but that's about it.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I used to write a lot of crestoria smut on my alt account (IYKYK) but I will sometimes include it as a framing device to develop character relationships. There's quite a bit of smut in Philosophy for example because loneliness and isolation are such big themes for Ryou and Bakura, but generally if I post something with smut to my main account it's because it's relevant to the story or develops the character relationships.

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

I have a proper Symphonia/Crestoria crossover in the works that's a continuation of TOC game canon, but I've been at a standstill with my Tales works lately so it's pretty far off from being posted unfortunately. But I hope you guys give a chance once it's up, because the lore is SUPER cool.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

A certain someone who knows who they are has either plagiarized or bastardized lines from some of my popular crestoria works but other than that no.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Not yet but it would be cool!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yes! Charles and I did a collab PITY // PIETY earlier this year and it absolutely slaps! Luisa and I are also working on an art/fic collab right now that I hoe to have posted by the end of the year but we'll see... sometimes life has other plans.

14. What's your all-time favorite ship?

Zelloyd's gotta take the cake for this one sorry fam. When it's been your otp for 15 years nothing can ever top it. But for yugioh it's a tie between thief/tender/angst I like any combo of those three.

15. What's a wip you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

I try to finish everything I start, but I've got a couple Tales WIPs that I'm having trouble finding the spark for. It's not that I don't think they'll ever be finished, but it might be a while until they see the light of day.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I think I really succeed when it comes to imagery and descriptive prose, plus getting inside characters' heads. I want to make people feel things with my work. I think the reason Philosophy and Darling Lagomorph are some of my best and most popular is because they're an opportunity for me to show off those strengths where I excel most.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

World building. I hate doing infodumps but I really struggle to include lore in ways that don't come off that way. This is a big reason I've never made the dive into original fiction (for now, I'm in the planning stages for my first novel. Stay tuned.)

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

The only time I've ever done it is when writing Yuna from Crestoria because she includes random french in canon too. I also did a french title for the latest chapter of Philosophy which was kind of fun. I think it's something you can swing if you're prepared to do your research but if not, avoid avoid avoid.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Tales of Symphonia. The things I put Zelos through, man. If you think I'm bad now you should have seen me at 14.

20. Favorite fic you've written?

If I had to choose just one probably Philosophy of a Knife, because like I said earlier, I get to combine all of my strengths into something I feel really proud of. I think I picked the perfect time in my "writing career", so to speak, to work on it because I feel like the writing style is very cohesive and it seems to have resonated with a lot of people so far, which makes me very happy. I hope you guys continue to enjoy my work going forward!