#Simultaneously the sweetest thing and the saddest thing

[meraki-yao]

I just thought of something: during the lake scene, while Henry was spiraling into a panic attack, Alex was tracing his back.

(When I first watched it I thought "if he's gonna kiss his neck, his shoulder, or any part of his back, I will fucking combust")

I suddenly remembered that I read a lot of Malec (from shadowhunters) fanfics where Alec traces runes on Magnus, a love confession from his own culture.

So back to RWRB, what if Alex, so damn in love and trying to tell Henry that, wasn't mindlessly doodling, but he was actually writing "I love you", "Te Amo" on Henry's back, already confessing before his mouth can say the words?

... Well shit I just made myself sad.

[kailoraurelius]

Am I talking about Swan and Mercy again? In another post? Because I am in love with their characters and the subtle things that define them individually and, therefore, together?? No, that's crazy talk.

So anyways, Swan is a bad ass. I said that in my last post, I'll say it again 📣📣 baddest bitch in the gang. Periodt. 💅

But MORE IMPORTANTLY, she's the most protective in the gang. My girl's first solo lines in the album are her worrying about them all going uptown unprepared. Like almost all the women, basically, are speaking against the idea, but they sound more annoyed or angry at the idea of not having weapons. But Swan is very clearly worried. She's thinking about how far it is and, if something goes down, how far they'll have to go to get home. She's worried about her ladies. Protective 👏👏👏

Then, she's the first one to start shouting "Stay down" to the Warriors in Derailed. Then, Woodlawn Cemetery, first thing she does is a head count. And in Orphan Town, it's her idea to approach the Orphans with a lighter touch, because they're outnumbered and she wants to protect her family so badly.

BUT she also chooses to protect Mercy in this song. Mercy, who she doesn't know, who has literally just tried to start a fight with her and her crew by demanding her vest. When Sully gets rough with her, Swan steps in and tells him to leave her alone. She was getting what she wanted before that!! Sully was backing off and allowing her through and even when Mercy tried to start shit, it's MERCY he got angry at. By all logic, if Swan hadn't spoken up, they could have still flirted their way through. But no. Swan sees a woman being treated wrong and she steps in.

And she's continues being protective of her crew for the rest of the album. But, let's skip to the end, then come back to talk about the three other major moments that I wanna talk about. So, The Finale. Swan sees this hearse, this dude calling out her crew, and without knowing a thing about him, she steps up to go fight his ass, telling the others "Stay behind me". She has, more than once in the album, put herself into danger to protect the others or done things out of her character to ensure their safety. And this is THE pivotal moment of that. It's why nobody listening can be surprised when she says, "Stay behind me". Because it's the defining characteristic of her.

It's simultaneously the saddest and sweetest thing about her. And that protectiveness is a super important aspect of her relationship with Mercy. Going back to the other moments I wanted to mention, it's most obvious to me in Park at Night and A Light or Somethin'.

Park at Night is a little more subtle, unless you're reading the lyrics. When Ajax gets cuffed and tells them to run, Swan immediately says, "Everyone go ahead". Sacrificing herself to lure the cops away so her family can escape. But, just as lightning quick, Mercy replies "no!" This girl who has known her a grand total of one (1) train ride SEES what she is doing. She's her once again putting herself into danger to protect someone. And she says no. She stays.

The other girls know the plan. Regroup in Union Square. But Mercy has just joined them and doesn't know this so it sounds to me like Swan's answering, "we'll regroup in Union Square" is her trying to tell Mercy to go, that she'd be okay.

But again, Mercy refuses. She says, "Swan, stick with me!" And then Swan seems to accept this woman isn't leaving her and she's switches to telling the others, "On the yellow line southbound platform, we'll meet you there". And she and Mercy, the one who wouldn't leave her alone, run. This moment, to me, is THE moment that made Swan/Mercy beautiful. Because nobody else argued the plan or even seemed to fully understand it.

In Cardigans, Cowgirl and Rembrandt are literally TALKING SMACK about Swan, saying she's "off canoodling with Mercy" and she "split off and left us". Like, y'all, she just put her life on the line to lead the cops away from you??? Rude.

Even Cochise, who stands up for Swan, doesn't say, "Hello, she just saved our lives at the risk of her own", she only defends the canoodling part by saying it's tactical.

Like, Mercy has been in your presence TWO SECONDS and she understands Swan better than y'all do, I'm crying. (Do not take this as me hating on any of the Warriors, I am in love with all of them and I know they're angry and scared in this moment and likely blinded by that and lashing out.)

And that brings us to the second of the three major things I wanna talk about. A Light or Somethin'. I know, everyone has talked about it. But there's something about it that I don't think I've seen anyone else mention. In that song, when Swan is rejecting Mercy, everyone is saying it's all because she has low self-esteem or doesn't trust her or is scared to feel her emotions. But I think the truth is that Swan is doing exactly what she's done this whole time. She's protecting someone else. She knows who she is, she knows she has lived a rough life and she's likely not going to be a very good partner because she's never learned how. So she's PROTECTING MERCY AGAIN by pushing her away. She says "be careful", "don't put your hope in me", "don't put your trust in me". Yes, this is definitely Swan thinking she isn't good enough, but it's also her protecting Mercy from HERSELF.

And Mercy, love of my life, is trying to tell her that she isn't scared. That Swan isn't something she needs protection from. SHE wants to protect Swan. She is in her corner, she stayed with her when the cops rolled up, she wants to fight by Swan's side. She says, "then WE'LL go" when Swan says she'll leave. Mercy has seen this amazing, protective woman, who cares so much for her family and for total strangers, and she wants to stay with her.

And that brings us to Same Train Home. When those rich assholes get on and are staring at the Warriors and Mercy is hurt by what she sees in their faces. And Swan, likely moved by Mercy still staying with them after her rejection and definitely moved by Fox's death and the loss of Ajax and Cleon, does it again. She puts aside her own fears and self-doubts to what?? Protect👏 Mercy 👏 She takes her hand and says, "Hold your head high. Let them stare in judgement" before she kisses her. Effectively telling Mercy "I heard you in the tunnel, I know you want to live bravely and boldly and I'm not going to let these pricks scare you into doing anything less. Fuck them and what they think."

And that's what's so beautiful about them, to me. They see each other so clearly.

Anyways, I'm gonna go cry now, thanks for listening to me ramble. 🤙

[xactodreams]

Supercorp Fic Recs

for the anon who asked me for fic recs—

first let me shamelessly self promote a fic a very dear friend of mine wrote, whom I collaborated with to format into an actual CatCo magazine. (that I totally printed out and got Katie to sign)

Her Brother's Keeper by ProfessorSpork

A CatCo Magazine exclusive by Kara Danvers Photos by James Olsen

Chapters:  3/3  Words:  7,910

(artwork is chapter 3)

Completed works I’ve read more than once

A Ribbon at a Time by abcooper After Lex Luthor defeated Superman, after the courts declared him innocent, after CADMUS rose to power, 16 year old Kara Danvers went into hiding. Five years later, a chance encounter with L-Corp CEO Lena Luthor throws her back into everything she's been running from.

Chapters: 5/5  Words: 27,929

We Need a New Song by uhpockuhlipz the ballet AU that's mostly not actually about ballet.

Chapters: 17/17  Words: 70,495

The Laws of Fate by sten06 A soulmate story with a twist. Lena has the ability to see the red string of fate, and the power to change it from one holder to another. She meets her match, after years of pining, but she's left having to make an agonizing decision.

Chapters: 7/7  Words: 85,760

Supergirl In Training by wtfoctagon Lena Luthor doesn't plan to have any kids. Or to get married, even, really. After the revelation that she is actually of Luthor blood after all, she's quite set on ending the family line with her and not taking the risk of any more drama.

Then Lorelai L. Danvers crashes into her life, claiming to be her seventeen year old daughter from the future.

Chapters: 19/19  Words: 71,381

listen closely and the stars will sing by celaenos Lena casts her mind around for the last time she felt this unmoored, this off-balance, by a woman, and can't come up with anything. Kara Danvers is unlike anybody that Lena has ever met; the sweetest, bubbliest person Lena’s yet to come across, and simultaneously one of the saddest, who is probably lying to everyone that she meets. It’s an impossible contradiction to wrap your head around, and Lena should probably stop hiding in this bathroom and trying.

(Or, Kara and Lena get parent-trapped into a relationship by a goofy little alien.)

Chapters: 14/14  Words: 118,667

The Fifth Wall by Black_Tea_and_Bones Kara goes to bed with Mon-El, and wakes up with Lena Luthor.

But it isn't Kara’s bed, and they’re not in Lena’s apartment, and that is definitely not their baby... Right?

Chapters: 29/29  Words: 109,273

Something Borrowed by janewithawhy Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. Three weddings and the two women who attend them.

Chapters: 3/3  Words: 49,473

An Ocean of Fire by IcarusAndHerSun Medieval AU

Kara Zor-El, princess of Krypton, was a prisoner – and she was scheduled to become a martyr.

Chapters: 47/47  Words: 139,568

leave tomorrow behind (series) by Jazzfordshire Kara is a sexless housewife in 1969, feeling trapped and not knowing why. But when mysterious, kind-hearted Lena Luthor moves in next door, hosting swinger’s parties but ignoring the men, Kara’s whole world shifts on its axis.

Works: 2  Words: 53,961

there's a big old moon shining down at night by Jazzfordshire Needing to get away from the stress of her job for a few months, Lena buys a summer lake house in the most remote town she can find. She fully intends on keeping to herself, resting, and interacting as little as possible with the local colour.

That is until her car breaks down, and the town mechanic happens to be the hottest woman she’s ever seen.

Chapters: 7/7  Words: 71,987

run the red out by searidings red daughter is dead, yes, but she's not gone. not really. kara (and lena) have to come to terms with what that means.

Chapters: 4/4  Words:  69,797

you and me (and you makes three) by searidings fourteen-year-old kara shows up in present-day lena's office. things go about as well as could be expected.

Chapters: 1/1  Words: 10,478

i'll be cleaning up bottles with you on new year's day by robie In which Kara is a whole entire idiot, Alex is a permanent mood, and Lena is just glad Kara is there for her, as her fake wife, while she recovers from another quarterly attempt on her life.

Chapters: 1/1  Words: 6,400

let all your damage damage me by searidings after the horror of the phantom zone, lena helps kara heal however she can.

Chapters: 1/1  Words: 25,169

WIPs I’m Currently Obsessed With

Evil by Marieke_things_dreams_and_stuff Following the 100th episode of Supergirl, Metallo Lena crosses universes and ends up at LuthorCorp, set on getting her revenge on Supergirl. Kara not only has to deal with someone trying to kill her again, she also has to explain to her best friend why and how her carbon-copy is walking around LuthorCorp, and has to keep her sister from actually killing the Other Lena.

And why is it easier to talk to the Other Lena who wants to kill her than it is to talk to her actual best friend?

Chapters: 14/15  Words: 168,305

Queen Of The Damned by JadedLover The medieval supercorp zombie AU

Chapters 9/10  Words: 51,236

Honorable Mentions

with the birds i'll share this lonely view by searidings something terrible happens at mount norquay. kara and lena have to try to pick up the pieces.

Chapters: 3/3  Words: 41,713

don't go slow 'cause you're gonna be someone by robie The Wedding Date AU, inspired by the movie

Chapters: 6/6  Words: 59,904

is it gravity (or are we fallin' in love?) by coffeeshib Kara isn’t dating. Lena isn’t dating. Kara and Lena try not dating each other. Even if the lines start to blur a little. Even if they do the most girlfriend things.

They won’t date.

They won’t.

Chapters: 13/13  Words: 151,305

The Power of Deliverance by sten06 Kara as Persephone and Lena as Hades ;)

Chapters: 12/12  Words: 178,370

pour me a drink by lunchables a celebrity/bartender au

Chapters: 24/24  Words: 277,261

[motherednature]

A fawn approaches slowly, tail down, ears relaxed. It bumps her hand with its head. and presses its wet nose it her cheek before giving a soft "beh!" (Idek if you're getting these tumblr has been eating all the asks I send to ppl xbnzbxnz)

            AS SHE EVER is, mother nature is alone. hidden among the dense pines of this snow-covered forest, the woman cloaked in seasonal white is hardly noticeable as she examines these trees firsthand,  running her fingers along their needles, taking samples of their bark, and at times, if she’s honest, getting distracted. fine motor skills are required for the delicacy of her work, where the difference between a successful experiment and a failing one comes down to the atom. and so on her breaks, though short, her mind wanders. it’s a foolish thing to do when her mind’s natural state in solitude is melancholy. 

           she has the fingers of her free hand pressed harshly into her eyes ( focus, focus, focus, pick yourself up, it has been eons, no one is going to do it for you ) when she feels soft and wet against her cheek. she does not jump. she does not yelp. mother nature is secure in the presence of animals, as they have been her only refuge for these long and lonely years. never mind that they are genetically predisposed to recognize her as mother. these precious babe still comes at the right time.

          ‘ hello, darling, ’ she coos with one of her rare smiles. she holds the fawn’s face between her winter-blackened hands and surveys it. the lilt that comes into her voice is rarer still. ‘ hello. you’ve come to comfort me, hmn? have you? that is very sweet of you. ’ sweeter than i deserve. ‘ yes it is. you needn’t worry. i’m alright. it is merely difficult to focus at times. ’

[feetoffire]

“in another life, i would have really liked just doing laundry and taxes with you” is simultaneously the sweetest and saddest thing you could ever say to someone

[stargirlfics]

y'know, the way frank castle is so gone for his wife, like so extremely whipped for her makes his whole story even sadder. like he was just so in love with her he constantly says "i was done for her" and it's simultaneously the sweetest and saddest thing I've ever heard

Yes yes yes and it makes me all 🥺 cause he really is such a “I love my wife” guy and ikr like it’s so beautiful but also so sad when you remember what happens I just 🥺

[lordoftermites]

To me, the simultaneously saddest and sweetest thing about Cardan and Jude is that by themselves, they are their own worst enemy. They spend so much time fighting their own shadows, thinking they have to be these monstrous things in order to get by and believing they aren't allowed to have something nice or good because they've never had it, not really.

But together, after they've stripped some of that armor, they bring out the absolute best in one another. Jude teaches Cardan he isn't some failed, ill-fated forgotten child undeserving of love. Cardan teaches Jude that her mortality and everything that comes with it has never been a weakness, it's power.

They are mirrors, each reflecting the heart of the other so they can finally see their truth.

And I just... really fucking love that.

[dsudis]

what's the going rate on Extra Thoughts™ in the Linens-verse setting? if you have more floating around the top of your head I'll happily eat them all up, but I understand that you may have more current (and unrelated) thoughts/interests. either way, thank you for my Eskel/Geralt life

oh man, am I allowed to barter Extra Thoughts for things? Usually it’s more of an effort toward, like, not unleashing them constantly all over everyone. I have a migraine but also don’t want to go to bed yet so I’ve got my green safety glasses on and I can look at my computer, LET’S SEE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I START WRITING DOWN A FEW LITTLE THOUGHTS

- The story I actually have on my list of things to write Next, someday, when my ability to write more than a thousand words a week returns from the war, is a fairly direct follow-up to The Trial of Lambert: it’s what happens when the rest of the wintering witchers find out that Geralt may still be up for getting fucked. (For a minute I was like, oh no, this will lead to a loss of status and they will all respect him less, and then I realized that no, that is not what they think, they will all just be like PLAY TIME WITH LITTLE WOLF REDUX??? YES PLEASE??? KAER MORHEN’S REIGNING CHAMPION MOST ENTHUSIASTIC BOTTOM IS BACK IN ACTION???) So, uh, yeah, that one is summarized on the list as “KM winter gangbang feat. Jens/Slava” which means that Jens and Slava are just sort of hanging out on the edge of the gangbang, enjoying the show--it’s a very pleasant party, everyone is having a good time even if Geralt is having the very best time--and once in a while Jens reaches over as-if-absently to pet Slava’s hair or shoulder or neck and Slava holds very, very still and pretends not to notice.

- Jens and Slava, incidentally, are not at Kaer Morhen during the massacre, although the other witchers also never heard from them again afterward. They just sort of... went away somewhere. Somewhere quiet. They have an orchard. You can do a lot with fruit trees when your natural lifespan is three hundred years and your other main project is spending several decades working on being able to snuggle. They are patient men.

- Their neighbors are fully aware of what they are and will vigorously deny it to anyone who asks. Those are THEIR nice neighbor fellas who grow peaches and incidentally Handle Other Problems that may arise in the vicinity, and they handle them very well (and grow very nice peaches) so the villagers aren’t having ANYBODY interfere with them. 

- Where was I.

- Oh yeah, uh, fairly mild video game spoilers (which are also possibly Netflix spoilers?) incoming!! read at your own risk!

- RIGHT so hey guess who had the actual undisputed #1 saddest and sweetest Trial of the Linens ever in the history of the Wolf School. LEO. (haha what you’ve never heard of Leo?? He’s a very important character in the first Witcher game for about half an hour or however long it takes you to get to the part where he dies in front of you, it’s very sad.) But like--Geralt’s gone, either trying to keep Ciri safe or dead, and Vesemir, feeling the empty nest with Ciri gone, somehow acquires this teenager who wants to train to be a witcher despite the fact that they can’t really MAKE witchers anymore, so he brings him to Kaer Morhen and starts training him, and Lambert and Eskel come home as much as they can manage to help out, and, well. There’s one old-fashioned Trial they can give him, and maybe it’s more important than ever, to get to know and love their new little brother, and to teach him to be one of them. It’s the first time Lambert ever takes a trainee to bed. And then he dies! So that works out great. Lambert is in no way traumatized by that. More than he already was. 

- Intergenerational witcher trauma: sometimes it flows both ways!!

- Of course before Leo there was ANOTHER little baby kinda-sorta trainee, and that was CIRI. And one day they’re talking to her about the Trials and kinda telling her how awful they all were and then all of a sudden Geralt and Lambert and Eskel all, simultaneously, remember The Other Trial and their brains short out thinking of it in the context of Ciri. She is very confused but accepts their explanation, once they boot back up, that they just have some really bad memories and don’t want to talk about it anymore today.

- The thing is, the actually logical person to give Ciri a Trial of the Linens, if she were to have one, would be Triss. Lambert works this out and it’s solidly 80% of why he’s an asshole to Triss for literally decades afterward, like holding a grudge against someone for something they did in a dream you had one time and never even told them about.

- One of the mercies of his amnesia is that Geralt forgets having had this set of realizations, except then his memory comes back and he HAS THEM ALL OVER AGAIN, which is probably worse.

[mile-long-tbr]

Poor, 12-year-old Alec trying to flirt with Raphael is simultaneously the sweetest thing, the saddest thing, and the weirdest thing

[bosstoaster]

New Year’s Wrap Up

It’s time again for the end of the year wrap up!

Make My Messes Matter (4937 words) 

Darkest Before the Dawn (3192 words) 

Dog Days are Over (991 words) 

In the Valley of Kings (831 words)

Unrelenting (6195 words)

Took Me Years to Write (5689 words)

For All The World (34261 words)

Birthday Cake (2361 words)

Got a Weak Heart (12044 words)

Repeat After Me (7512 words)

Gone with the Fallen Leaves (51577 words)

Feel Good Inc (35660 words)

Strike a Match (4938 words)

Only Human (4632 words)

Empty Night (10621 words)

Remember Me as Devout (8123 words)

The Price I Pay (21184 words)

Death of a Bachelor (7530 words)

Make me Sway (20664 words)

Another Day to Find You (5521 words)

Electric Feel (14043 words)

Opened Up the Doors (2898 words)

Shining Through (4175 words)

Face the Final Curtain (2212 words)

Good Vibrations (2595 words)

Two Street (I see you and me) (7186 words)

Ain't Never Caught a Rabbit (5421 words)

Sit Next To Me (12681 words)

Left it's Seeds While I was Sleeping (4588 words)

Break the Chain (13103 words)

Looking off on the Horizon (7151 words)

Wear No Disguise For Me (4576 words)

Love is a Battlefield (6969 words)

Coming Through The Noise (28004 words)

Drew a Line for You (28007 words)

Been Sleepless in my Head (18250 words)

Take Me Home (1979 words)

Want to Take You Higher (8065 words)

Shackles on my Wings (25572 words)

Where My Armor Ends (17713 words)

Hungry Like the Wolf (10747 words)

Digging for Gold (7014 words)

Here it Goes Again (33209 words)

Familiar Faces (72730 words)

Depend on You (30322 words)

All Comes Back To You (5564 words)

Total Fics: 46 Total Words:  623302

Ship/character breakdown: Ship breakdown:

Sheith - 14 Fics Shatt - 5 Fics Kurance - 4 Fics Shunk - 3 Fics Shiro/Atlas - 1 very notable fic

Also, several that were many pairings

Character breakdown:

45/46 fics are Shiro focused.  Are we really surprised?

Characters that had the main focus: :)

Specifics:

Best/worst title? Best title:  Where My Armor Ends. It’s indicative of the fic, as well as being a meta joke: the album name is Atlas, and the song name is Pluto. Worst title:  Shining Through, because it has, like, fuck all to do with anything

Best/worst first line?

Nope.  Nope nope nope.  I can’t.  That’s 600,000 words.  Besides, I didn’t even write the best Ryou lines of the year.  @velkynkarma did:

“Fine,” the first voice drawls, “rise and gloom, it’s who knows when in the Twilight Zone. We got stuff to do if we ever wanna get home, so let’s move it.”

Best/worst last line?

Who the hell knows?

General questions:

Looking back, did you write more fics than you thought you would this year, less than you thought, or about what you predicted?

Yeah, I thought I wrote less than I did.  There were quite a few periods where I was burnt out and not writing much.  But I was only about 200k less than last year, which is pretty good considering how it seemed.

What pairing/genre/fandom did you write that you would never have predicted last year? Atlas/Shiro, ahaha What’s your favorite story this year? Not the most popular, but the one that makes you the happiest.

Familiar Faces is by far my favorite of the year.  It was fun, it was kooky, it was funny, it was dramatic.  Structurally it was among the most challenging (Two chapters happen simultaneously and that had to be plotted out well).  Also, it was just super fun to work with Velkyn! 

Okay, NOW your most popular story.

By kudos, Coming Through the Noise.  Which is cool!  I’d never seen a Gen truth serum fic before, and it was extra fun for a very reserved character like Shiro. Story most underappreciated by the universe? Unrelenting, probably.  It’s all about the nature of being a Hufflepuff from Hunk’s POV, so I get why it doesn’t get a big audience.  But I love it.  Puffs need more love :( Story that could have been better? I like Shackles on my Wings, but it probably could have done with an extra polish (most things I write could tbh) Sexiest story?

Not yet posted ;) Saddest story? Face the Final Curtain, certainly.  The plot is the team finding a video Shiro left for him in the event of his death post S2.  Part of me wants to rewrite it to match S7′s revelations, but it still works as is. Most fun? Ain’t Never Caught a Rabbit is one of the strangest but funniest things I’ve written period, so it probably wins. Story with single sweetest moment? Continuing my streak of Smol fics:

There was a nudge in the back of his mind.   You are upset, Captain.

No, he wasn't.  Shiro was fine. Everything was fine.  Who cared what everyone around thought, right?  Atlas liked him, and that was all he needed.

....Atlas liked him, right?

I love you, Captain.

Shiro relaxed, but then froze around another bite of his sandwich.  Atlas loved the Captain, but did she love Shiro how he was now?

There was a long silence.   I do not understand the difference.  You are Captain. You are my bonded. I love you.

Yes, but they were different, weren't they?  Everyone else wanted back the adult-Shiro. If there wasn't something different between them, why not just let Shiro stay ten?

I am not bonded to your age, Atlas said.  I am bonded to your heart.  You are still you.

Hardest story to write?

Shackles on my Wings fought me.  Gone with the Fallen Leaves and Coming Through the Noise as well.

Easiest/most fun story to write?

Ain’t Never Caught a Rabbit basically wrote itself

Did any stories shift your perceptions of the characters?

Eh?  I mean, I had to develop a personality for Atlas, so I guess that

Most overdue story?

...3k follower special

Did you take any writing risks this year? What did you learn from them?

Honestly, not as much as I should have.  Familiar Faces was challenging in how well it needed to be plotted between two people, and Gone With the Fallen Leaves was fun for being so POV locked and the out of order story telling.

What are your fic writing goals for next year?

Now that we have the whole series (and I can ignore the ending without issue), I can dive into the weirder stuff, which I’m excited for.  Time travel!  It’s probably going to happen!  More GG on Earth!  Fun stuff like that.

As for tagging:

@velkynkarma @paladinpuppypile @demenior @littlewhitetie @apaladinagain @avoidingavoidance @stardropdream @letterblade @disloyalpunk @sleepyhunk @jamthedingus

[saltybane]

I totally believe Magnus is having a subconscious moment with Alec while he’s nearly practically dead. Like having a moment with the person he loves most. The rooms to empty and bright and Magnus looks too sad for it to be a real dance scene. Like while cat and Alec are trying to bring him back. Kinda like when Luke dreamed of Jocelyn he was passed out in 1.06

Magnus dreaming of him and Alec dancing in their living room while he’s on the brink of death is simultaneously the sweetest and most saddest thing ever. And it hurts my heart beyond belief. But it does line up with what Todd said about the dance scene “rocking us”. Fuck.

[thisdiscontentedwinter]

Halloween: After a few years of settled life, a couple of familiar faces appear when the veil lifts. Laura had found Erica wandering near in the space between the here and after, and they spent their 'time' together. They couldn't help during the bad times -- the joy of afterlife politics -- but once everything settled they knew they could at least say goodbye one last time. The next year the Pack find themselves with a line out the door -- helpful humans are hard to locate, (1/3)

and Stiles and the others help Lydia (who even the weakest spirits are able to talk to) take notes and record requests and generally get as much done as they can between dawn and dusk. It becomes a thing. They track down who they need to in between Halloweens and have a system in place for the next Oct 31st. After a few years, when everyone is settled and there is ‘trick or treating’ for the kids in the Pack (as well as 'Meet and Seekings’ for the adults), Claudia and Talia finally appear. (2/3)

They don’t line up with the other ghosts, just appear next to Stiles and Derek so they can meet their new grandbaby and give their boys their blessings. It’s a good year, even if Stiles ends up eating his own weight in candy after, and Derek sobs loud enough that all of the kids in the Pack puppy-pile him until the sun goes down on Nov 1. (3/3)

Aw, this is simultaneously the sweetest and the saddest thing! 

I love the idea of Claudia and Talia turning up to meet their grandchild, and the idea that Halloween night becomes an open door policy for ghosts with unfinished business is just wonderful! 

[sunnybimbo]

New Year’s Wrap Up

i was literally just thinking about this and surprise!! boss has got me covered 

weathered (887 words)

Blueberry and Dandelions (2614 words)

Candlelight (1811 words)

Pas de Deux, adagio (23369 words)

Greasy Kisses (1080 words)

Me First! (1563 words)

Howling Heart (2553 words)

Dearly Beloved (3671 words)

Silence is Golden (2153 words)

Molten Gold (2953 words)

Dreaming (5303 words)

Chrysalis (483 words)

Marks You Leave (1182 words)

The Heart Speaks In Whiskers (2612 words)

Refracted (973 words)

All We Need (15983 words)

Whipped (2823 words)

dusklight (2025 words)

left in the dust (2218 words)

Pull of My Hips (3448 words)

the notion of the idea of waiting for you (3242 words)

Fall In (2000 words)

catching your light in my palms (2891 words)

Total Fics: 23 (excluding spice fics which raise it to 31) Total Words: 93,128

(read more bc s u p e r l o n g p o s t)

Ship/character breakdown: Ship breakdown:

Heith - 8 Fics Shunk - 6 Fics Sheith - 2 Fics and the rest have less than one fic attached, or are gen <3

Character breakdown:

Hunk - 20 Shiro - 15 Keith - 14 (w/ Kosmo at a solid 4 appearances yeet) Lance - 7 Pidge - 5 Allura - 3 Lotor - 2 Coran - 2 and special shoutout to Kolivan @ 2 as well

Characters that had the main focus: u already know it,,,,,,, 💛

Specifics:

Best/worst title? Best title:  i really can’t decide between: ‘the heart speaks in whiskers’ vs ‘blueberry and dandelions’ so take both Worst title: Dearly Beloved,,,,,,, i could’ve gone WAY cheesy

Best/worst first line?

best (Dreaming)

“You don’t have to do this.” Pidge says to him, just as the dawn begins to settle. He’s surrounded by faceless people, or atleast it feels that way with how little they look at him, so he focuses on nothing but her. Heavy makeup is traced across his eyelids, golden lines echoing the whisper of sun beams that paint his skin.

i love,,,,, yellow imagery in my fics,,,,,,, sue me 

also hidge friendship! yeah!!!

worst (Molten Gold): 

Lotor falls for the boy in yellow before he realizes it even happens.

just because i Remember not being able to think of anything more interesting to start with so i just slapped that on

Best/worst last line?

i waver so much but FINAL ANSWER:

i have TWO best ones, though.

(Dreaming): 

And Shiro is a greedy god, a selfish god, a lonely god. But forever and always would he be a kind one.

(Pas de Deux, adagio)

It feels the exact same way about two months later, — sending a current of pleasant electricity thrumming through him, until his fingertips tingle and his heart soars— when Hunk proposes in the very pasture they'd met in. Keith, if it isn't obvious by the way he smooches Hunk silly, says yes.  

And they lived happily ever after.

everytime i think about this fic i always wanna write a million and one words about it

worst (weathered):

They didn’t say anymore words, but the love (not to mention, the unadulterated mitigation of their combined grief) still nestled its way to his heart. There would never be enough time to describe how happy he was to see them again. And he knew that (and maybe he always knew) despite everything, here in his mama’s arms with his brothers and the familiar smell of grass and ocean, would always be his home.

only because it’s s o l o n g and kinda confusing to read

General questions:

Looking back, did you write more fics than you thought you would this year, less than you thought, or about what you predicted?

I wrote a bunch less than last year, but this year was OOF so I didn’t do as much (93k vs last years 200+k ;w;)

although this IS disregarding my spice fics where i wrote almost 38k so,,, i didn’t do TOO terribly :D

What pairing/genre/fandom did you write that you would never have predicted last year? spice: hunk/sendak......

but other than that, i’ve really stuck to heith/shunk! What’s your favorite story this year? Not the most popular, but the one that makes you the happiest.

Familiar Faces is by far my favorite of the year.  It was fun, it was kooky, it was funny, it was dramatic.  Structurally it was among the most challenging (Two chapters happen simultaneously and that had to be plotted out well).  Also, it was just super fun to work with Velkyn!

Okay, NOW your most popular story.

By kudos, Coming Through the Noise.  Which is cool!  I’d never seen a Gen truth serum fic before, and it was extra fun for a very reserved character like Shiro. Story most underappreciated by the universe? Unrelenting, probably.  It’s all about the nature of being a Hufflepuff from Hunk’s POV, so I get why it doesn’t get a big audience.  But I love it.  Puffs need more love :( Story that could have been better? I like Shackles on my Wings, but it probably could have done with an extra polish (most things I write could tbh) Sexiest story?

DEFINITELY on my mind over @ my horni write write

Saddest story? god.... Silence is Golden for sure,,,,, (tw for torture/whump/i guess mild gore???)

Most fun? Pas de Deux, adagio,,,,,, i love myself some fairy tale (*cough* barbie* cough) crossovers.

Story with single sweetest moment?

i really gotta go with Pas de Deux again

"I'll be fine." Keith says as he pulls away. "Tonight isn't about this. Let's... let's dance. I've never danced before."

"Really?" Then, realizing that no, Keith probably would have never gotten the opportunity, Hunk stands and offers his elbow to him. "Well, I'm obligated to show you the best time of your life now."

They don't head towards the ballroom. Instead, they skirt around the edges of the castle until they find a window, left ajar just enough so that they can hear the music loud and clear.

Hunk offers his hand, and Keith lets his drop in his large palm. He's gathered up, then, with one arm around his waist, and it takes a bit of ushering from Hunk for him to catch the rhythm. Keith stumbles over his own feet more than once, caught between looking down at the motions and up at Hunk's face.

In the end, Hunk lifts him just a few inches up and lets him rest on the tip of his boots so that he can dance them around without having to worry about stepping on Keith's toes. He isn't wearing shoes, after all.

They dance until the song changes twice, and Keith finds himself pressing an ear against Hunk's heart, basking in the steady beat for as long as he's allowed. Every so often, Hunk will hum to the tune and the vibrations will course straight through Keith's body, like light through a rainbow prism.

Keith was right when he'd assumed that his dress would be fun to twirl in. The fabric is kind against his skin as it flips this way and that, but Hunk’s touch against his back is even kinder.

Hardest story to write?

All We Need, because i was at a r e a l l y bad place when i tried to tame that beast, but i’m so proud of how it turned out, and also i’d probably do anything for peach c’:

Easiest/most fun story to write?

left in the dust flowed out of me like water out of a spout,,,, it was Magical

Did any stories shift your perceptions of the characters?

mmmm i don’t think so? All We Need made me more conscientious of canon characterization, but by like maybe 10% asljhadl

Most overdue story?

dude..... All We Need, again. peachie was so patient and kind while it took me like 80 years ;w; 

Did you take any writing risks this year? What did you learn from them?

i tried to be more Flowy n Metaphorical in my writing because i love that shit, and i think it’s going pretty well. i lost my touch somewhere around the end of summer for a bit, bc again i was having some Fucky moments, but overall i think i’m doing alright!!!! 

What are your fic writing goals for next year?

i have a couple long fic ideas i want to do!!! which i totally don’t mind talking about if anyone happens to be a little curious. one is an arriety au (bc i’ve never read the borrowers) and the other is that one old west au i literally never shut up about. 

there’s another one i’m iffy about where it’s basically shunk in Therapy together yayyyyyy, but we’ll see if that one stays dead

but overall: my biggest goal is to write more longfics for rarepairs!!! also more things w/ women bc i’ve really been slacking on that end. 

also maybe something for she-ra? i wrote down a couple ideas the other day that i’d love to explore

✍️ wish me luck!!!

tagging: 

@grassepi @drdone @ironinkpen @darlingaces @tootsonnewts @oops-i-accidentally @dansantsouslalune @sakura-daydream @call-me-kaii @maternalcube @turtlelady17 

plus anyone else who sees this that wants to do this!!!! i always forget people for these things

[birbsong]

this show is simultaneously the saddest and sweetest thing ever

[cctinsleybaxter]

digrupert replied to your post “Mitts was my dad’s cat; rescued him as a stray kitten in Utah and used...”

i dont mean to intrude but "he's fine, he's dead" is simultaneously the saddest, sweetest, cutest and wisest thing ive ever read

not intruding at all! probably why my mom tells that little anecdote to strangers in the street

[supercorpbookmarks]

Completed fic recs?

we are what we pretend to be - C_AND_B

After the unrestricted office access, and the flowers, and the surprise visits to Catco, everyone just kinda starts to assume Kara and Lena are dating, and maybe they should let them. (AKA, Lena and Kara really just date whilst pretending they’re fake dating).

Giant - coeurastronaute

Kara and Lena meet in high school, but then life. (not a high school AU). Lena leaves and they meet up again, this time as Supergirl and Lena Luthor.

Swipe Right for a Super - eluigih

Lena Luthor matches with Supergirl on tinder and she’s convinced that she’s being catfished.

I Just Want to Love You in My Own Language - lynnearlington

“In the center of it all, on her desk, is a gorgeous glass vase full of over two dozen lavender roses. “Pretty,” she murmurs as she comes around to look at them. In the middle of the light purple flowers is a small card, thank you written in elegant script over the surface. There’s no name, but there doesn’t need to be.” A love story, told with flowers.

Whispers - gabs88

Lena was never supposed to be more than a friend. Kara isn’t ready for anything more than that–so maybe she should stop kissing her for a second. When Lillian Luthor is unleashed back on the world, suspicions fly and actions taken that could change everything.

Do not go gentle into that good night - Khrat9

Isn’t it weird, Lena thinks bitterly, how the odds keep on stacking against her She never asked to be a Luthor. She isn’t even a real one in the first place. And yet, here she is, dragged by the arms through cold, silent corridors, surrounded by a dozen guards in their polished armor. She is bound, bruised and dirty, escorted to be judged for crimes her brother committed. Lena chuckles derisively. Not Luthor enough in her family’s eyes but enough to be punished in their stead by everyone else. [Medieval AU]

listen closely and the stars will sing - celaenos

Lena casts her mind around for the last time she felt this unmoored, this off-balance, by a woman, and can’t come up with anything. Kara Danvers is unlike anybody that Lena has ever met; the sweetest, bubbliest person Lena’s yet to come across, and simultaneously one of the saddest, who is probably lying to everyone that she meets. It’s an impossible contradiction to wrap your head around, and Lena should probably stop hiding in this bathroom and trying. (Or, Kara and Lena get parent-trapped into a relationship by a goofy little alien.)

but i’m weak (and what’s wrong with that?) - exprsslyfrbidden

Lillian threatens to hurt Supergirl if Lena continues their friendship. Naturally, this means they should become friends with benefits.

Unavoidable Dreams - C_AND_B

“Kara had sex dreams. About Lena. Kara Danvers had extremely vivid sex dreams about Lena Luthor and she couldn’t stop thinking about it. It comes in snippets, and flashes, and visions and then it slams into her all at once, so fast she can barely breathe through the palpitations in her chest. Then it lingers. It’s there when she blinks, and when she sleeps, and every time she turns and finds Lena by her side (which seems to be increasing with every passing day).” Or, Kara has sex dreams and then just awkwardly fumbles through interactions with Lena.

certain dark things - seabiscuit

Lena Luthor knows it’s going to be a bad day when she wakes up to her star chart app notifying her that Mercury is officially in retrograde. Or, Lena Luthor almost gets killed, again, and winds up in witness protection for the first time.

in the sun - isawet

Lena needs a date and Kara needs a job. (fake dating supercorp)

Not Afraid to Fall - prettyaveragewhiteshark

Lena Luthor has a strictly sexual relationship with Supergirl, but when her feelings for amateur journalist Kara Danvers begin to grow, everything gets a lot more complicated. See inside for smut, feelings, rogue DEO agents, feelings, explosions, angst, and more feelings!

Secretaries Know Best - Rhino (RhinoMouse)

Jess has been Ms.Luthor’s assistant long enough to know that she has terrible taste in women. So when her boss finally starts crushing on newbie reporter and loyal beam of sunshine Kara Danvers, Jess rejoices. But there are vultures hovering, unworthy boys and a pesky caped wonder and Jess will damned before she lets them ruin things.

no one but you (got me feeling this way) -  AgentJoanneMills

It’s not like Kara deliberately sets out to make her life harder than it should be. It’s not her fault that she’s excitable, okay, and she forgets things sometimes and maybe those things should not be forgotten under any circumstances. Maybe those things include, well, housing forms, which as it turns out are super important to submit on time if she wants to not be homeless in her sophomore year of college. Her sister’s going to give her so much crap about this (Alternatively: in which Kara forgot to fill out the housing form and was left with no choice but to live in the most exclusive apartment on campus.)