#LIKE THEY'RE ENEMIES THERE NEEDS TO BE VIOLENT INTIMACY

[reanimatedgh0ul]

me @ gray ghost fanon: ENOUGH BANTER EITHER HAVE THEM FIGHT EACH OTHER TO A BLOODY PULP LIKE THEIR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT OR I DON'T BOTHER💥💥💥

[fridayincarnate]

8, 18, 27 for kylux? 👀

(from this otp ask game)

8. What’s one way their personalities compliment one another?

Ah, but how can I pick just one when they are so many! Kylo and Hux are great narrative foils of each other. (Or at least they were set up to be in TFA; it deviated a bit after that.) The order/chaos dichotomy is pretty obvious, so I'll point to a different one.

Emotions wash through Kylo like a wave - a stormy, violent wave, but a wave nonetheless. He experiences them in the moment and reacts immediately, impulsively, without processing them or thinking them through. Hux is the opposite: he quietly files his emotions away, hoarding them under him like a sleeping dragon. They are very much still there, and he doesn't really "process" them in any healthy way. It's more like rumination, festering more and more resentment the longer he goes without releasing them. At first glance you might think of Kylo and Hux as a hot/cold dichotomy, but Hux is not actually cold - he only pretends to be. Kylo is powerful enough in a direct confrontation that he doesn't need to hide his intentions. But Hux can't usually attack his enemies directly, either because of First Order politics or because his attacks against the Resistance/New Republic require careful strategy (think of how poorly it goes for him in TLJ when he doesn't employ these tactics). He's every bit as fiery as Kylo, he just hides his fury behind a cold affect until the right situation wakes the dragon. By the time you remember that it breathes fire, it's too late.

18. What song fits them perfectly?

Nonnie, I have so many. (cracks knuckles, opens Kylux playlist)

No Children by the Mountain Goats and The Boy Who Blocked His Own Shot by Brand New are both giving classic Kylux to me. So is Kiss With a Fist by Florence + the Machine. (So much so that I used its lyrics to name one of my fics!)

i did this all for you! by Xana feels like a really bitter Hux turning against Kylo after TLJ.

Lemon Boy by Cavetown (also covered by The Orion Experience) reads to me as Ben/Kylo being corrupted to the Dark Side by his attachment to Hux, which is a favorite trope of mine.

27. What random everyday object/activity makes them think of each other?

This is a fun and unique question! For Kylo, I think he thinks of Hux every time he has a tantrum and slashes up part of the ship, which counts as an everyday activity for him. He knows it will rile Hux up and he enjoys the attention. He also probably thinks about Hux when he's putting on or taking off his gloves, because Hux is so rarely seen without his. Before they become involved, Kylo is determined to get Hux to remove his gloves because even that tiny glimpse of vulnerability and intimacy is so rare from Hux. They're both so touch starved, lol.

Hux thinks of Kylo whenever he sees pen and paper or physical books because he knows about Kylo's calligraphy hobby and the ancient Jedi/Sith tomes he keeps. Hux finds physical media hopelessly archaic and impractical, and he's both annoyed by Kylo's interest and intrigued in spite of himself. Such objects would likely be a rare curiosity that he hasn't encountered often in his life aboard First Order ships.

[gamebird]

Murderathin Rec List

As compiled by the denizens of the New Tideland MB/G channel! The greatest hits of TMBD's most popular frenemy ship - the fics that got us into it, and the fics we made because of it. "PR" are quotes from us as we talked back and forth about what was awesome about the fic, or from AO3 comments. All works are complete except Enemies, Closer.

The Long Emergency by murderbot Words: 56,866 Rating: Teen and Up Summary: Trapped on the survey planet when the last emergency beacon fails, Murderbot and the PreservationAux team scramble to survive deadly fauna, cruel weather, scarce resources, and GrayCris's armed hunting parties. In a grueling ordeal spanning two planetary years, Murderbot becomes closer to its humans than it ever thought possible. PR: “the absolute ur-Murderathin fic”, “an absolute stunner”, “that’s the one that got me into the ship”, "This fic is amazing! Murderbot's voice and everyone's characterizations were so on-point, and all of the details of their survival on this planet and the action scenes were so well-fleshed out.", "The first MB/G fic on AO3!"

Recollection by murderbot Words: 30,753 Rating: Teen and Up Summary: SecUnit and Gurathin agree to be married, temporarily, for ease of travel during an assignment. After a violent encounter and a bad wormhole jump, they crash land on a habitable planet and discover their entire ship is suffering from amnesia. Nobody remembers anything from their past. The ship's records are badly scrambled. The planet is too far for anyone to reach safely. When Gurathin and SecUnit find the record that indicates they are married, they build a life together as marital partners, not knowing their union is based on a lie. PR: “I love pain”, “It absolutely broke me”, “still haunts me”, “wonderful”, " I'm so full of bittersweet emotions", "I was this close to crying for a few chapters, and the ending was perfect."

Enemies, Closer by Abacura, Gamebird, IHopedTheredBeStars, opalescent_potato, Rosewind2007, theAsh0 Words: 104,478 (WIP) Rating: Teen and Up Summary: When a Combat SecUnit with identical genetics to Murderbot is sent to Preservation Station to commit a massacre, the delicate balance between Murderbot, ART, and Dr. Gurathin shifts, putting all four of them on a collision course. PR: “a wonder and a delight”, “my favorite one”, "Rock-Paper-Scissors dom dynamics in which ART is the secret fourth option, Dynamite", "Can't wait for more!", "A monumental collaboration!"

Boots by opalescent_potato Words: 5,762 Rating: General Audiences Summary: Murderbot learns a little more than it wanted to about Gurathin's mysterious past. PR: “such a great, quiet study in emotional intimacy and shared trauma. Also has an absolutely amazing Oh. Oh no moment.”, "this feels like the realest depiction of poverty trauma I've ever seen in fanfic", "Info dumping as a love language. Learning self care from the most particular human."

Boots by gnomeskillet Words: 2,797 Rating: General Audiences Summary: "I'm going to fix your boots," he explained, talking to me like I was a small human child that didn't know anything. At least he kept his eyes on the floor while he did it. "They're a mess and if you want them to last longer, then you need to take care of them." PR: “this entire fic got me", "Omg who knew shoe shines could be so full of tension??", "This was sort of in kink no man's land, in between the barbed wire embankments of desire and fulfillment."

No Peace/No Rest by IHopedTheredBeStars Words: 4,363 Rating: Teen and Up Summary: Though Dr Gurathin eventually accepts the addition of SecUnit a.k.a. Murderbot to PreservationAux, and even assists in its recovery & rehabilitation after the corporate gunship debacle, he never warms up to it like the others do—at least according to our unreliable narrator, Murderbot itself! Let’s assume Murderbot is right this time. So what’s up with that?? This story takes place (chronologically) after Fugitive Telemetry and just before Network Effect. PR: “an excellent MB&G fic”, "So many fantastic ideas in here", "This is such a great look at grappling with the guilt of having taken a life, and being stripped of that comforting denial that it wasn't a person."

Mutually Trusted Network Affiliates by Gamebird Words: 16,517 Rating: Explicit Summary: Murderbot finds itself in a dilemma. It has discovered Gurathin likes it and decides it has to do something about this. This one's for the shippers. PR: “a cornerstone Murderathin fic, but it low-key requires reading pretty much the entirety of the Gamebird cinematic universe”, "MB a chapter ago: Ew, no! We didn't have sex! MB now, gazing derisively at Gurathin's sex toy suggestions: What is this shit? Are we fucking or are we fucking?", "using these characters to explore alternate modes of sexuality and explore what intimacy means, as itself, when divorced from the usual biological drives and cultural frameworks is brilliant"

Gurathin’s Side of the Story by Gamebird Words: 51,849 Rating: Teen and Up Summary: A retelling of The Murderbot Diaries from Gurathin's point of view. PR: “An incredible character study that adds so much depth to Gurathin. The reader falls in love with him every step of the way (and Murderbot does too)”, "There are so many moments where this story just drop-kicks me with how real it is.", "a lovely view into Gurathin‘s CR background, augments, and his soft belly under that armadillo shell."

It Was Only A Kiss by Gnomeskillet Words: 2,102 Rating: Teen and Up Summary: Frustrated and desperate, Murderbot hauls Gurathin into an alleyway and makes out with him in order to avoid Station Security. Hey, it has a 100% success rate in media! PR: “excellent”, “Incredibly sexy and very sweet.”, "Dom Murderbot absolutely wrecking Gurathin while not really knowing what the hell it's doing is my favorite flavor"

Pressing Down On Me, Pressing Down On You by Gnomeskillet Words: 1,061 Rating: Not Rated Summary: I was just thinking about MB pressing down on Gurathin's augments like how ART presses down on MB in the feed, and I like thinking about MB being tsundere about taking care of its least favorite augmented human. It doesn't LIKE Gurathin, he's just less annoying this way. PR: “ahhh yes this one was absolutely one of the ones that made me go OHHHH. It made me so invested in their relationship”, "Poor Gurathin doesn't know what he's getting into, good thing Murderbot is so nice XD", "I love the idea of cuddling in the feed."

Just to Suffer the Pressure by Chyoatas Words: 2,113 Rating: Explicit Summary: He was already out of breath when he let his hand press to his throat. (That hadn’t been in the original plan. This was already too close- too fraught. It was already embarrassing enough (and hotter for it, but he wouldn’t admit it.)) PR: “Okay we were all thinking it. There are not nearly enough fics where Murderbot erotically asphyxiates Gurathin.”, "this is insanely good holy shit", "unhinged screaming I can't form words, this is everything I want it to be"

Murderathin NSFW Zine Comic by Chyoatas Words: 1,069 Rating: Explicit Summary: My NSFW comic from the Murderbot Diaries NSFW Zine! Alternative text description of the comic is embedded in the images. PR: "So hot!", "sweet, naughty, and snarky", "So much thought went into this. The closer I look, the more details pop out at me!"

Purr by Rosewind2007 Words: 3,448 Rating: Teen and Up Summary: I saw a post by someone saying: “Wouldn’t it be nice if humans could just purr, like cats. You could let people know you were happy without talking about your feelings or anything...” And I thought: it’d be nice if Murderbot could purr. So, here you are. PR: “Ah yes, my favorite trope. Murderbot purring when it's happy!”, "MB your friends care about you!", "This was adorable and I loved it"

Sex Pollen by Rosewind2007 Words: 7,240 Rating: Teen and Up Summary: Atypical human and para-human courtship behaviors and coitus triggered by xeno-floral microgameteophytes Abstract: Twenty four (24) subjects were exposed to xeno-floral microgameteophytes (XFM). Atypical behaviors were recorded by all but two (2). PR: “the yearning”, “I love watching Murderbot and Gurathin dance around each other in this. Both trying so hard to be normal and just internally yearning to be close to each other. The longing is so palpable!”

Bundling by Rosewind2007 Words: 18,348 Rating: Teen and Up Summary: It was a stupid accident. We’d identified the presence of space debris in this sector, including pieces large enough to deflect the course of a small transport; but my Risk Assessment Module was happily burbling in the low teens (it really needs replacing, but I’m quite fond of its optimism now) and ART had calculated the risk of an actual collision as approximately 1 in 159,753. But of course we were that one. And of course the client I was with would be that one.  PR: "And thereby, Murderbot, SecUnit, discovered it loved itself.", " A wonderful story", "That last line is just so perfect"

The Corporate and the Construct by beeayy Words: 87,919 Rating: Teen and Up Summary: Bots and constructs have taken over the Corporate Rim. When PreservationAux is captured sneaking into AI-controlled space, someone must stay behind with the sophisticated bot-pilot that remembers a lot less than it thinks it does, and the rogue SecUnit with more anxiety and depression than anyone knows. PR: “my favorite AU”, “fantastic”, “An amazing AU. Great marriage of Fairy Tale elements with Robot Overlords.”, "This fic was such an amazing ride", "I had emotions and cried at the last chapter. Good job!"

I Hate The Way I Don’t Hate You by beeayy Words: 53,345 Rating: Teen and Up Summary: Murderbot hates Gurathin, though the reason changes on a daily basis. PR: "I love this whole thing", "These two ridiculous assholes *always* end up meeting in the middle", "I love fake marriage fics  especially when it's enemies to lovers."

Maintenance Protocol by Abacura Words: 5,762 Rating: Explicit Summary: I’m worried about SecUnit. This isn’t the first time I’ve caught it making a face that looks like it's in pain. I worry that it isn’t taking care of itself, that without a cubicle, it needs maintenance that it isn’t telling us about. I wish it would tell me. I wish it would let me take care of it. I could take such good care of it. PR: “smoking hot, I wholeheartedly recommend”, "The maintenance was so perfect and then it was done and I figured so was the fic but holy fuck (literally)", "This is the good stuff. This is perfect."

Fuckboy Strategy by The_Onion Words: 6,203 Rating: Not Rated Summary: 'Can you know you don’t like something without trying it?' I'd texted Ratthi. He responded, 'Sure! But trying things out is always a good idea :D' which I am sure he would not have said if he’d known what I was talking about. // Murderbot explores idioms, the ethics of ghosting, and its own sexuality. PR: “Ah yes, my favorite trope. Murderbot being an absolute bull in the china shop of Gurathin’s heart.”, "so good and so funny i am beside myself", "made me laugh out loud"

Construct, Social by kiwisson Words: 1,852 Rating: General Audiences Summary: Late-night human behavior discussions with your favorite deadly weapon. PR: “the vibes are really good”, “Perfect tag is perfect: You Jerks Talk A Lot For People Who Hate Each Other”, “a fascinating example of the first tagged MB&G which shows many themes already emerging!”

Imperfect Reactions by xianvar Words: 1,324 Rating: Teen and Up Summary: It’s a normal evening with friends – easy laughter, Bharadwaj stopping by to chat, Gurathin and Murderbot sniping at each other, Murderbot letting Gurathin tease it… wait, what? PR: “exterior POVs are always SO good”, "there's so many little characterizations in this fic and its really delightful!", "Adorable!"

[gumbaigumbai]

Durgetash hcs involving my Durge; What if it's not love but some fucked up thing that's the closest they can plausibly get to the word. Would Moloch kill for him? Yes. Would they ever whisper sweet words to each other? Never sincerely, but they both understand that and gain amusement from going through the motions of what they believe love is "supposed to be like".

A factor that plays into it is they both enjoy being hurt and hurting back, though this doesn't have to inherently be sexual. I like to imagine Gortash enjoys how Moloch can get into the grit of murder but remain elegant while doing it, as if it's her personal art. Up until their meeting, killing to him was something he only did out of necessity (at first to survive but afterward to climb up the social latter), though he saw appeal in how they performed their sacrifices for Bhaal. And considering he's Bane's chosen I think he gets a kick out of how they should be enemies (and how it's way more enforced by Bhaal than Bane) yet he's the only force able to sway Moloch from her father's control. Meanwhile in Moloch's corner she enjoys having someone that gets close to being her equal (never sees him as truly on her level but he thinks they are). Feels constant dishonor for disappointing Bhaal by indulging both the Banite and herself but doesn't try to fix it. Takes it out on herself and doesn't blame Gortash, not out of respect for him but because it would be shameful to her if he was deterring her by himself. Enjoys his presence and intelligence, they're impressed by how he was able to bring himself up in the world. During meetings (before they "got together" -- it was never officially declared the boundary was simply crossed one day) she sits next to him but only silently observes. Likes to examine how both he and the people he's talking with operate, picking up on subtle changes in attitudes. After they do get together they worry less about intricacies of meetings, if it's with someone Gortash is above of in the hierarchy Moloch's allowed to sit on his lap while they wait for the yap session to end. During this they like examining the details of their clothes, as they're often gifted new ones by him due to only wearing white and constantly being stained by blood and in need of replacements (had a lot in mind regarding clothes actually but I'll explain it in a Moloch exclusive post). Intimacy, aside from sex, is in form of acts of comfort and is never verbally expressed. Gortash helps them bathe, they like running their claws through his hair. He gives them clothes and fancy meals, they let him watch their fresh wounds heal and inflict new ones. What's spoken is desire for more; she explains how they will be the only two remaining before their inevitable end, he tells her his grandiose plans of achieving tyranny. "Sweet" whispers are only violent thoughts expressed out loud, how she wishes to peel his arms and his eagerness hid by nonchalance. They're aware of his mortality however and never truly get to act out their promises, which is in part why Gortash enjoys them as well, they definitely do hurt him but it's never fatal or irreparable. Anyway that's all I have for now thank you for reading if anyone actually did so !! I know I wrote a lot and it's all very self-indulgent >_<

[castielista]

Threats of a Different Kind

Cherik Fantasy AU

Lord Erik Lehnsherr of Genosha likes to sneak at night to visit Charles, the leader of the Army of the Free Ones, and his dearest prisoner.

Words: 1527

Note: Well, this was supposed to be part of the AU-gust writing challenge (if you want to see that done well, check @gerec​, who’s doing a wonderful job) which had Fantasy AU as its first prompt. BUT, I began writing, couldn't organize August, had a breakdown, and decided to post this ficlet anyway. Bon appétit.

(Thank you so much to everyone who read my first fic, and to you, yes you, reading this one, you always manage to put a smile on my face, and I already love you <3)

Read it on Ao3

Erik woke up startled in the middle of the night.

His room looked as peaceful as it always was, nothing seemed out of place. Moonlight bathed walls, bed sheets and his own body, and a soft winter wind howled on the outside.

The room wasn't the source of his restlessness, Erik knew.

He got up and sat on the edge of the bed, for a moment. There was something else. An underlying sense of familiarity, an echoing voice flooding everything around him, silent, insistent and increasingly urgent. As if he was being controled, he got out of bed, lit a candle, wrapped himself in a silk blanket and began moving towards the hall, still half asleep, but somehow perfectly aware of where he wanted to go.

As he walked through the dark halls of the castle, the various metals humming around him became almost unnoticeable, his mind only focused on the sharp pull of one particular piece of metal, and perhaps, on the subtle mental nudge reinforcing it.

He arrived to the first floor without being noticed, and the metallic chant became more and more intense. Finally, he stopped in front of the door of the prison cell, and before opening it, he looked through the small window.

There he was.

Sitting on the floor, laying his back against the wall, wearing metal handcuffs around his wrists. He looked paler, weaker, maybe thinner, too. It was clear that his stay in Genoshan prison was starting to leave marks. But even looking so damaged, there was something about Charles Xavier. Some sort of aura, a bittersweet reminder that he was still Erik's most dangerous threat.

Erik walked into the room. The coldness of the atmosphere and the distinct warmth of Charles’ presence hit him all at once.

"Lord Lehnsherr." the telepath lifted his head up and smiled. He barely moved, Erik realized, he probably didn't have energy left for much movement.

Erik stayed close to the door, guarded, staring down at him, and tried to maintain a dignified attitude. The attitude a Lord of his status should have towards his prisoner and fiercest enemy. "I told you to stop addressing me in that manner."  He never kept that facade for a long time. "Father is Lord Lehnsherr. Until he's gone, I am only Lord Erik. Or Erik, for you."

It was odd. Not long ago Erik would have felt proud beyond measure to be compared to his father.

"Have I earned such an immense honor? Well, then," Charles laughed weakly, "Erik." The sole sound of his name in Charles' voice made him shiver. They had personally known each other for less than a month, and yet, no one deserved the right to call him Erik more than Charles.

Erik began moving quietly around the cell. He felt Charles’ eyes following him, sensations from their previous encounters still lingering in the air.

"Couldn't sleep?" he asked, curious.

Charles nodded. They had made a habit of reaching out for the other when one of them couldn't sleep. "It's a bit colder than yesterday."

A bit colder.

It was more than cold. It was freezing. And it was, of course, intentional. When his army captured Charles, it had been Erik himself who had chosen to confine him there, in the coldest room of the castle, to debilitate him, to have him half-dead, because that way he would be easier to control.

He sat on the floor beside Charles and covered him in his blanket. Charles closed his eyes briefly at the touch of Erik’s hands, and seemed to welcome it. Erik felt suddenly furious. Charles always welcomed him, in every possible way. Why, he couldn't comprehend. It was absurd showing so vulnerable to his captor. It meant weakness, and Erik had been taught to punish weakness.

They didn't say anything for a while. Not out loud. But their silences were electrifying, as they held everything they preferred to be left unsaid.

"They're still coming, you know that, right?" Charles smiled, but his voice sounded a bit off. "I can sense them," he said, signaling his right temple.

He projected an image, Charles’ army making its way towards the lands of Genosha. It was one of those little reminders of who they both were, one of those moments of realization that brought them violently back into reality. They always hurt, but by now, for Erik, they were almost unbearable. "They won't stop because I'm not there. Don't think me that important, my dear."

Erik didn't reply.

He remembered the first time he saw Charles. He had heard of him before; the telepath that had assembled a mutant army and started the Rebellion of the Free Ones, the one that intended to end the Lehnsherr family's reign over Genosha. And Erik always thought of him as an enemy that he - probably the wealthiest and most powerful Lord in the East - could easily get rid of. But then his soldiers brought this man into the castle, wounded, tied at his hands and feet, and yet looking so determined, and Erik felt immediately drawn to him.

Charles was a natural leader, and an intelligent one, someone that genuinely helped others be the best version of themselves, Erik had soon understood that about him. But what confused and fascinated Erik was that Charles had helped him. He had showed him that his mutation wasn't a violent weapon to keep his subjects loyal, that he wasn't a useful monster, as his father always told him. Charles had seen in him the gift to create beauty.

Erik had interpreted that as a sign of Charles's naivety, but he couldn't help thinking that for the first time, maybe since his dear mother's death, he had felt accepted, he had felt loved. And as their mutual attraction grew stronger, to the point of becoming lovers, so did the awareness that Charles was to be feared, because he had been able to disarm Erik in the most gentle of ways.

"I think you're much more important than you know, Charles." Erik murmured in Charles ear.

The telepath turned his face towards him, and Erik had to curse at the Ancient Gods for making such a beautiful creature. He moved his hand up to Charles' cheek and put his other arm around his waist, hoping that maybe that way he could protect him. Without missing a beat Charles moved a few inches closer and pressed his lips over Erik's. He was always a bit impatient, Erik thought.

They kissed slowly, and Erik savored every little detail of Charles' mouth, so familiar to his own by now. Then, they split apart still keeping each other as close as they could, and locked eyes.

"I will fight by their side, Erik," Charles said, in a whisper.

"And my father's soldiers will be prepared to face your attack." Erik lowered his voice too, and left a kiss on Charles' neck, trying to end that conversation.

"Your father is on his deathbed," reluctantly, Charles moved Erik a bit backwards, so they were nose to nose again. "You command that army. It is you who I will fight against."

"Then you will have to kill me." Erik wanted, needed Charles to agree to that. To give up on him.

"Not if I can help it."

How could he still...?

That was enough.

Erik felt suddenly overwhelmed and instinctively, he moved away from Charles. "I better go before dawn, right?"

Charles seemed suddenly confused, and to Erik's surprise, hurt too, but he nodded. Erik never stayed until dawn, after all.

Before standing up, Erik took a couple of seconds to simply look at him, and as he was still close enough, he put his hand on Charles', still cold as ice.

"..." Erik stopped himself, terrified.

No.

Not that. Not now. Not Charles. He could afford offering Charles sex, intimacy, and it was, in fact, being delightful to do so, but he could never afford that. Erik couldn't let Charles have absolute control over him. Or, at least he couldn't let him know that he already had it.

It would be an act of surrender, letting him know that he was desperately in love with him.

He got up and turned around as quickly as he could. He managed to repress what he had wanted to say, but the emotion attached to those words was excruciatingly clear, and he'd rather not to know whether or not Charles had felt it. So without waiting for a reaction he proceeded to open the door.

Stay.

Charles' voice echoed in Erik's mind. Though it was not only Charles', it was his own voice too. Neither of them moved.

That word still resonated when Erik turned around and slowly walked towards Charles, not daring to look him in the eye. He put out the candle and sat down again, and felt Charles moving closer and curling up until they were both quite poorly covered by the same blanket. At the warm caress of Charles' mind and the light touch of locks of hair on his face, Erik closed his eyes.

When he opened them again, Charles was still asleep, covered by morning sunlight.

Thank you so much for reading <3