#Troubleverse

[verdantvulpus]

Separation Anxiety has updated!

Chapter Summary: Aziraphale and Crowley have a disagreement over a potentially dangerous mission to acquire reagents.

Link to AO3.

[princesscolumbia]

Signal boost, and a reminder that Storyteller's Speakeasy is where I have most of my engagement with fans of my works. (Oh, and if you read Code of Ethics and weren't aware, it's Anne's work that convinced me that a main character with a song mechanic as part of the storytelling and narrative would work. She also let me borrow The Phoenix for one of the key moments in Part 2.)

Some Anne-ouncements Following Reignited Book I

In just a few moments, I'll be releasing Home, the final chapter of Phoenix Reignited Book I: Ashes. The end of a book is usually a great time to make some Anne-ouncements, and so, without further ado...

Phoenix Reignited Book II: Embers

There will be no gap between book postings for Reignited; this coming Tuesday you will see chapter one of Phoenix (re)Ignited Book II: Embers. The new book will continue in the existing work on AO3 and all the other platforms, so folks who are subscribed / following / whatever it's called on your platform of choice will continue to get alerts.

Reignited on Royal Road

We're finally ready to announce the release schedule for Royal Road! I've wanted Reignited on Royal Road for some time, but held off due to the unforgiving nature of their Rising Stars algorithm that all but requires posting chapters with a certain cadence I could not meet until I had built up some backlog.

Reignited will launch on Royal Road December 1, 2024, with ten chapters dropping on that day. It will then receive a chapter drop every day for the next thirty days, and as such, on December 31, 2024, Royal Road will "catch up" with the other platforms that have been getting updates all along. Beginning on January 2, 2025, Royal Road's Reignited release schedule will fall back to Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday alongside the other platforms.

Folks wishing to support the story's success on Royal Road can help by reading the new drops on the platform daily as they are released, and leaving advanced reviews. These things dramatically increase the story's ranking in the algorithm, especially in the early going.

A Reignited Reorganization on Wattpad

I had announced that all the platforms would get Reignited as one huge work, rather than breaking it up by book as I did with the original series on AO3 or by series as I did on Wattpad, QuoteV, Royal Road and Scribble Hub.

Unfortunately, I've learned that Wattpad has a 200-chapter maximum for a work, which means a Reignited series through book XIII would actually need three volumes to get through it. Rather than doing a Vol. 1, Vol. 2 which end at arbitrary places in the story when the 200th and 400th chapter is reached, I've decided to go ahead and just do it by series on Wattpad like I did the original. So, there will be a Phoenix Ignited: Reignited Edition, followed by a Phoenix Ascendant: Reignited Edition and Phoenix Odyssey: Reignited Edition. Sorry about the confusion.

Sunsetting Reignited on MediaMiner

I was - and remain - excited whenever I discover a new platform to expose Phoenix to, and when I found MediaMiner (which apparently came and largely went during my hiatus from the world of fandom) I immediately sought to post Phoenix there.

However, as I've now gotten through 24 chapters there, I'm noticing lots of problems. The interface is old and largely broken, leading to a convoluted solution where the only way to properly format even basic things like italics is to make a specially-formatted RTF file. It takes almost four times as long to post a chapter to MediaMiner as to any of the other 11 platforms Reignited is currently on. Additionally, all of the algorithmic things like trending lists are entirely broken; the top trending story on MediaMiner has not been updated since 2009.

These things I could have dealt with, but the dealbreaker for me is interaction notifications. When people comment on a chapter, I get no notification. There's no inbox, no emails, nothing; I have to literally click on every chapter and scroll to the bottom to see if there's comments waiting for me. I find it entirely unacceptable that people could comment on my work and not get an acknowledgement from me, and short of spending a half an hour checking, I have no way whatsoever to know if it's happened.

For this reason, I've decided to suspend posting to MediaMiner after this chapter. I'll add a "25th chapter" essentially explaining this decision and linking to the various and sundry other platforms on which Reignited will continue, and leave Book I on the platform as essentially a glorified trailer for the larger work.

I don't know if anyone is reading on MediaMiner - I have no way whatsoever to tell - and if someone is and this causes you great distress, please tell me. I'd be willing to reconsider if it's actually helping anybody to post there, but right now it seems to be all pain, and no benefit to anyone.

Book XIII progress

As I mentioned Thursday, I'm taking a brief (1-2 week) pause on Book XIII to focus on Reignited Book II and getting some "life stuff" dealt with. I have a bunch of time off from work over the next two weeks and expect to really be able to throw myself into this and make some good progress.

Open Invitation: The Storytellers' Speakeasy

As I've mentioned before, the inestimable @princesscolumbia and I have merged our fan Discord servers to create the Storytellers' Speakeasy, a community for fans and fandoms to converge. I'm shocked and pleased to report that in under two months, we've reached about 90 friends in our little group, including more than fifteen fellow Storytellers who share and collaborate on their own fanworks and original stories with us.

(Haunted Mansion voice) But, there's room for a thousand...

Whether you're a Storyteller in your own right, or just want to hang with us, see previews, beta read, kick it in a supportive community, and maybe - just maybe - hear me humiliate myself and sing Ranko's songs live on stream from time to time, we invite you to join our community.

The Speakeasy is a safe and supportive environment for all people, including and especially LGBTQIA+ folks of all stripes, and a sex-positive space. All NSFW content is separately moderated and hidden behind an opt-in role. We have active fandom discussions for Ranma 1/2, My Little Pony, Star Trek, Pokemon, Sailor Moon and several others, plus channels for gaming, writer support, trans/gender stuff, and more. We'd love to see you around the Speakeasy!

So that's it!

Thank you all so much for your time, attention and support. Reignited has been doing so much better than I could have hoped or dreamed, and it's thanks to each and every one of you.

From the bottom of my heart,

[inkstainsonmysheets]

darling resha how are u babyy??

i havent continued reading troubleverse cuz i havent the time ugh i really want too💔

i never know how to answer how are you’s-want the short answer or the long answer-short answer Im doing pretty mid yeah!

ughhh same with killerverse Im reading this book called love and gelato Im almost done 🥲 but ill def read the killerverse after Im done!!!

[lenscoat]

mmk i’ve got the answer locked in… luke castellan.

plz don’t kill me 😭 not really canon like but troubleverse luke yk from the partners in crime fanfic.

ALRIGHTY I'LL GET IT DONE BY THE END OF THE DAY TRUSTTT

[wlntrsldler]

i can’t breathe. i love them SO bad. i just want to keep them in this little happy moments forever (for my own sanity and because they deserve to be happy and in love forever and have their weirdly violent kids when they’re older)

also the three song combo was a dagger to the heart.

you’re always raising the bar!!!!!

now that we're older

a 'partners in crime' installment - luke castellan x dionysus!reader

words: 3.5k

summary: (established relationship) The one where he asks if you can stay the night even if all of cabin 11 makes fun of him. Luke is tired of the routine. He just needs his girl. (Luke Castellan x fem!Dionysus!reader)

a/n: its really something about me always posting at 4am.... listened to three songs on a loop while writing and they were all called ‘older’. 5sos-> gracie abrams-> lizzy mcalpine—this works for the trajectory of trouble & luke if you give it a listen; anyways you guys deserve the fluff. PLEASE TELL ME THIS IS HAPPY (ignore the...tinge of angst) BUT THIS IS HAPPY RIGHT? RIGHT? scream at me in the comments & enjoy <3

(posted 3/26/24, semi-edited)

—

Luke lets you love him in the nighttime. 

It’s not to say that you don’t love him every second of the day and then some, but he’s much softer at night, weathered down and stripped of the many roles he carries. Maybe it’s the weight from the responsibility of being an all-star cabin counselor or the bone-deep ache of being camp’s best swordsman, perhaps even the ailment of being Hermes’ favorite forgotten son—but he endures until the night where he can lay it all down and be nothing but yours. 

And you let him. 

The mask usually starts to fall apart during dinner when he comes to sit at your table— besides the extra space, Luke likes intentionally knocking his knees against yours, the hand not holding his fork squeezing the inside of your thigh. He’s more open and receptive to your doting by the time the sun sets, fiddling with the hem of your camp shirt on the walks to the bonfire, letting you hang off his arm as you sidestep each other’s feet, hip to hip in hushed giggles. Whether it be chatty campers running through attempts at kisses, Chiron and Mr. D accidentally interrupting your loving glances, or occasional interference from the gods above, there’s only so many ways to be together in the in-between.

Tonight he’s yawning as he places his head on yours from behind, the both of you watching all your campers file out towards the amphitheater. A gentle smile graces your face and he’s warm all over, arms caging around your chest as you lightly sway against the summer breeze.

“You okay, angelface?”

Humming in response, he lowers his cheek to yours and whispers a proposition.

“Wanna skip the bonfire? Like how we used to…”

Turning to face him, your nose bumps against the scar on his cheek, and he feels the teeth of your smile on his skin as you mumble, “That was before cabin 7 needed an understudy for special requests, babe.”

“You could still sing for me. I’ll even clap if you want,” he muses before warbling out a few off-key notes to your favorite song until you’re a mess of giggles under him, fingers reaching up to cover his lips.

“That’s terrible,” you say between fits of laughter, until your eyes meet Percy and Grover’s wandering ones, “Hey! You two ready for your quest tomorrow?” Luke’s hold on you falters into an afterthought, fingers playing with your belt loops as the boys walk to the center of the clearing to meet you two.

He thinks about his little sister going on a quest to prove herself to her mother, even if it’s not her own cross to bear. He thinks about the satyr risking his life to protect another demigod who follows in his footsteps, and finally his dark eyes land on the sandy-haired boy destined to get caught in the crossfire. Luke’s feet feel heavy as if they’re cemented to the ground, and when you step away to greet the boys, he stays where he is. You misinterpret it for his fatigue, which is only part of what’s weighing on his mind.

“Luke? Go on ahead, I’ll cover for you. Get some rest.” But he can’t sleep without you; the times he’s tried are met with a touch of darkness only you can will away. He wants to hold on to you for as long as he can— Luke’s always been more vulnerable in the nighttime, with or without you.

Later he finds himself staring at the ceiling of his cabin, thrashing in the twin bed against the back wall as he rests his eyes and tries to get comfortable. There are reminders of you wherever he looks, gauzy white curtains strung up around his bed like swirling clouds, pictures of the both of you pinned to the worn walls of Hermes’ refuge for the unclaimed, and though he’s always known his heritage—the way he can pick out your voice through the sound of all the others that file in reminds him who his heart belongs to. Luke shuts his eyes until he feels your lips on his forehead, balmy from your berry chapstick with a hint of your smile. He murmurs your name sleepily, but your hands tickle his torso as you lift the hem of his shirt up.

“Woah there, keep it PG. There are children here!” Travis says mockingly, and the sound of giggles and shuffling sheets fills the room as everyone gets ready for bed. There’s a resounding thud that follows and that makes him open his eyes.

“Mind out of the gutter, Stoll! You know your brother overheats at night,” you mutter, and his hands are already ghosting your hip in silent confirmation. Tearing your lavender gaze from Travis who’s spitting out feathers from across the way, you look down at him and mumble, “Sleepy, angelface? They’ll do cabin checks soon and then it’s lights out.” 

“Don’t wanna sleep without you. I can wait,” he slurs, saying your name slowly like he’s writing  it out. Luke looks at you blearily when he sits up, rubbing the drowsiness from his eyes as he pulls his shirt off from the nape of his neck. When the orange fibers lift from his vision, he sees you in sleepwear (all stolen from his closet, just the way he likes it) and your face shiny with skincare. 

“Was gonna get you ready for bed, babe. Got Lee to cover for me tonight and Beck and Katie are on morning shift. Wanna go to mine?”

He knows he should. The both of you never play hooky, not since taking up your counselor positions 3 years ago. Luke doesn’t remember the last time either of you were in bed before midnight and up before 6 the next morning. Never on purpose at least—the surprise jolts him awake a little as he cocks his head at you curiously. 

“Got off the hook, trouble?”

The question makes you bite your lip, “You’re acting surprised. Something told me you needed it.” He flops back down on the worn mattress, far too soft with age that his back tweaks a little when he moves over for you and pats the space you’ll take up. It’s his though—even if it doesn’t have his name on it, and for once he just wants to sleep in here with his girl like everything is right in the world (and ignore that he’s about to tear it all up). He thinks he might actually miss this cabin, the sound of his scuffling siblings, the way things quickly disappear and reappear at the change of hands in this community of outcasts, but most of all, he’s going to miss you and how you can settle them down with a single hush.

“Can we stay here tonight? Too comfy. Never get to admire the little setup you made for me here since we’re in 12 so often.”

“M’not going anywhere, my love,” you whisper as you push back the curtains, climbing into his bed to cuddle against him, but he shifts so that his head is on your chest. Luke’s hugging you like he’s a weighted blanket, and he strings a garland of kisses along your collarbone leading up to the space over your heart. Running your hands through his hair, you sing to him quietly until lights out, not even noticing the change while you’re looking at each other eye to eye. No one laughs at your lullaby, the sound of your voice tucking the rest of the cabin to sleep.

Almost losing consciousness again, his cheek shakes with the giggle that rises from your chest as you whisper, “Didn’t know you put our camp prom photo up on your wall. We look like we hate each other.”

“You were so mad because I kept stepping on the bottom of your dress. Had to get your attention somehow,” he chuckles, before tightening his hold on you, “I knew I liked you already by then, too. Wasted too much time trying to get Chiron in a prom dress with the boys that I didn’t get the chance to ask you to dance.”

“Ended up on a bead though. Is that what that memory tells you, angelface?”

“You’re my favorite memory, trouble,” he sighs, muscles relaxing at the feeling of your fingertips tracing stars into the planes of his back. Then hearts. A squiggle of something you tell him is obviously a centaur, which makes his brows furrow, before he kisses your chin when you spell out your name. Slowly, like you want him to remember it. He does.

“I’m still here, silly—pretty sure to be a memory, time has to take me away first. Not letting that happen. Me and you forever if I can help it,” you say breathily, voice tinged with sleep and so much love for him that feels like it chokes you, but that might just be the angle of your neck as you try to look down at him again. Dopamine lines your system at his words, and you let out a strained sigh—lovesick and heady with the feeling.

“I know but you’re in all my favorite ones too. When I think of you, everything’s better. Like I didn’t eternally fuck up my fate before I even turned 20,” he jokes, and like a lot of them, they fall flat. You hope that by wrapping your legs around him Luke will know how much you want to crawl into his skin and hold his heart to protect it. That with you, he won’t ever have to be alone. Words are never enough, after all. Even if you have nothing you need to prove, it won’t stop you from trying to show him.

“Still a few weeks off, so don’t try your luck. There are worse fates than falling in love with you, Luke Castellan.”

He turns from the wall at the sound of that, wanting to disagree, but you kiss him before he can protest.

“I’m the lucky one. Sometimes I think loving you was the only thing I did right,” he murmurs, before drifting off. You’re the last thing he looks at before he goes to sleep, the way he likes it—like a longstanding memory he gets to keep before he’s vulnerable again in his dreamstate. He’s the strongest when you’re with him, and his brain goes quiet. No one dares to break him when he’s with you like this. 

Not a dream, nor a titan.

You can't imagine sleeping another night without this crick in your neck with his name on it, the shape of him pressed into your body. With only the moon as your witness, you whisper words of devotion, sneak featherlight kisses wherever you can reach, and hope that they get to your love, wherever his mind is right now.

“I love you, I love you, I love you…”

—

You let him love you in the mornings.

Even unknowingly, it seems. On a normal day, your alarm would ring and you’d sleepily pat Luke (his face, chest, whatever part of him you could reach with your eyes closed) so he could shut it off. He’d let you sleep in a couple extra minutes (somewhere between 5-10) before pulling you from unconsciousness with a hug. 

This morning, with no alarms ringing in his ears Luke finds that he wakes up a little before you anyway. Down to his circadian rhythm, you’ve affected him, and he takes it with an upwards quirk of his lip as he squints at the sunlight through the sheer curtains that brush against your arms. He watches you delicately, even with the sounds of a lively morning filling the cabin—everyone up and ready for the day while you two are wrapped in your little bubble. It’s a stupid thought that crosses his mind, but a coherent one nonetheless; jealousy fills his chest at the sight of sunlight kissing every inch of your skin that he can only try to reach. He runs his hands from where they’re tucked underneath your waistband to the expanse of your back, and over your shoulders until you’re humming under your breath, midway out of a dream. 

Luke takes an extra moment to admire the way you latch onto him and he finds it almost frustrating how everyone from the gods above to the demigods at Camp Half-Blood down to the powers that damn him to Tartarus know you’re his biggest weakness. It’s almost unfair how you’re his strength too— the sheath that reminds him not to cut, the control behind his unbridled rage that heats up the back of his neck like a brand but instead of feeling fire, he feels sunlight.

You search for him in every sunrise, light refracting through your irises until a smile settles on your cheeks like you want to say, “Yes, I’m here with you. ” 

“Good morning, pretty girl.”

The both of you shifted during the night, almost as if in a dance of limbs and dreams, and somehow you’re nestled against his side and using his bicep as a pillow. It flexes as Luke raises his arm to brush the hair away from your face, when you kiss his scar and mumble, “Did we miss breakfast?”

“Almost over, but we can just grab something from the kitchens. Surprised everyone left us alone, actually,” he says thoughtfully, “the kids might’ve already left for their quest.” He likes watching you reorient yourself into the land of the living, before you step into your boots of being head counselor, before you put on the facade of being the perfect demigod—the protector and glue of Camp Half-Blood.

“Mmhm… was gonna offer my lighter to Percy and them last night for protection, but he was wearing your shoes. You gave them to him?”

Luke wipes drool from the side of your lip, watching you kiss his thumb in thanks with no thought as it was as easy as breathing. A half smile splits through the scar on his face as he says, “He’s gonna need them. For luck.” You lift your upper body up and look at him, hair forming a halo around your face and you sniff, “But you loved those shoes. Gift from your dad aside, I know they’re one of your prized possessions.”

He coaxes you back into his arms as he shifts up and leans against the wall. Prying eyes would think you’re hugging, sitting heart to heart on the small mattress.

“Annie didn’t take your lighter?”

He knows you’re rolling your eyes against his shoulder, feeling your fingers clutch at his curls to pull him away to look at you. You look at him knowingly and say, “Stop trying to change the subject. Anyways, Annie said if we help them anymore she’ll think we don’t trust them enough to come back alive.”  

“I mean it when I say you’re all I care about. Shoes…None of it matters.”

“What I care about is how you used to love flying around in those things. Even if you pissed me off a lot with them too,” you say, and the both of you laugh. They were a consolation from his dad after his quest, probably the closest thing to an apology (or even a “hello, glad you’re alive!”) he’d ever gotten from Hermes. Though the scar on his cheek was more than enough of a reminder of that—he didn’t touch the shoes until a few months after, when you taught him how to drive. Luke propositioned you promising to take you out on a spin once, and you thought he meant the car…

“You loved them more than I did,” he grins, and you recoil and slap his chest.

“You flung me onto the roof of the dining pavilion, Luke.”

“It was an accident! Plus it did make cabin checks go faster…Once I got the hang of them,” he snorts, deciding to pull you to stand. Batting away the curtain, he’s sliding into his slippers and Luke helps you step onto his feet and you groan into his chest, “What are you doing? M’gonna break your toes, Lu—”

“Shhh…I’m the strongest guy you know. Can handle anything for ya.”

He backs the both of you up to the center of the cabin, spinning you in slow circles to an imaginary beat. One hand around your waist and the other interlaced with yours as your smile feels like sun beaming through a window as you ask, “How did I ever get so lucky to fall in love with you, Luke Castellan?” 

You’ll never tell him, but that’s the only thing you’ll be ever grateful to Hermes for.

He shakes his head in astonishment as he whispers, “I love you, you know that?” It hurts his head if he thinks too hard—how does a love so intoxicating manifest as something so gentle? How can he be powered by your love but still fueled by hate? How can he be both damned and saved by you? Luke wonders if his thoughts even break the surface of how busy the mind of a daughter of Dionysus is—to know insanity in love, and still be able to welcome it with open arms.

“Beats prom, huh? Am I a good dance partner?” 

You tilt your head, tongue in cheek as you gaze at your boy like he’s said something stupid, and though it’s been a year and change, you hope the fluttery feeling Luke gives you will never go away. With him, you never have to pretend—never needing to mince your words or soften the blow. You’ve never felt more yourself than how you feel hand in hand with him.

“We’ve always been good partners, me and you.”

He sways you in the momentary quiet of cabin 11 as you step away and hold the bottom of your (his) shirt out like the frills of a skirt, and Luke raises your arm overhead and then you’re spinning, spinning, spinning…

The front door swivels open, and Chris peeks his head in.

“Hey lovebirds, sorry to interrupt but Sword and Shield is starting soon, and Clarisse still has your names on the roster…”

You both sigh.

“You signed up for offense?”

“And you signed up for defense, so don’t look at me like that, trouble…”

Instantly the two of you harden your stances, parrying at each other’s torsos with hands as your swords until you try to make a run for it and drag Chris behind you to use him as a human shield.

“Hey! Oof—”

Moving as quick as a bullet, Luke accidentally knocks the wind out of his brother who’s now hunched over as you laugh at him like a madwoman.

“You two are going to have weirdly violent children one day,” Chris huffs, before stepping back towards the door, “See ya in 30!”

Cheeks reddening at his brother’s comment, Luke crosses his arms and takes a good look at you, bathing in the light of the open doorway and looking like the rest of his life.

“Well, back to work. Bit too good to be true, huh babe?”

“For now,” he says thoughtfully, “Summer will be over soon though. Gonna get quieter around here for sure…”

You’re already stepping off the front porch walking backwards as you grin, throwing your arms up in the air as you make your way across the path to your cabin to get ready for the day. You’d hate to leave camp—it's as true as your love for performing, caring for others, and most especially, him. He knows it because he knows you, and unlike most things, that’s never going to change.

Not if he can help it.

“Summer doesn’t last forever. But we’ll still have the fall, the winter, and whatever’s next…me and you.”

You’re yelling to him over the railing of your porch and he nods his head at you, turning away before you speak again, “Maybe one day when we’re older!”

“What was that baby?”

Looking at Luke like you already have it all planned out in your head, you say softer, “Kids. If that’s what’s in the cards for us. Though I do like practicing…”

Instantly he cracks up but nods, because there’s no future he can conceive without you being in it. There’s a serious turn in his response and it makes your heart beat out of your chest.

“Anything you want. You know I don’t leave anything up to fate. Not glory, not you.”

Everything you touch turns into gold, and he hopes somehow he would too. Two sides of the same coin, striving for a good ending, one worth remembering—one to last forever.

You get to love each other in the in-between, when time can’t get in the way. The clock is always ticking though, rattling against his brain as a reminder. 

Luke just wants to make sure there’ll come a day where there’ll be no more interruptions.

—

“When is a monster not a monster? Oh, when you love it. Oh, when you used to sing it to sleep.” Caitlyn Siehl

 ½ luke taglist: @kissingyourgrl @dorcas4meadowes @lorarri @andrewgarfldsgf @noodlesketchbook @10ava01@poppysrin@ashisabitgay @timhalamet @liv1104 @leeknows-wife @mxtokko @bugcuti3 @luvvfromme @midmourn @2hiigh2cry @yuminako @niktwazny303  @lukecastellandefender @intergalactic-padawan @iliketopgun @annybah @dangelnleif @thegrinningghost @alyssajunelle @obxstiles @m00ng4z3r@visndcaitswhore @b0ok-lover @elegant-face-tree @this-barbie-is-having-breakdowns @amortencjja @idonevenknow1359 @maliaaaa @targaryenluvs @sakyira @dhdjdjjdhsjdiri

[junebugseason]

New mini review time! This time around I went through an old favourite of mine, Trouble With Horns by QuietValerie.

Following the journey of a trans girl named Tami, Trouble With Horns is the start of QuietValerie's Troubleverse, a connected universe of stories that take place primarily in UN City (built entirely on a giant coral reef) after a war the world waged against the American Republic. It's a refreshing take on transgender transformation, opting for the sci-fi route instead of a magical fantasy.

Most of the story happens in the full-immersion VRMMO Cauldron Of Realms Ascended (CORA), where Tami is faced with an identity crisis after being given a random character that just so happens to be a beautiful demon girl. After coming to terms with her own transness, she gets caught up in a political battleground focused on the rights of newly discovered Sentient AI's (SAI's), one of which she adopts as her younger sister.

There's a beautiful childhood friends-to-lovers romance plot mixed in, that includes a lot of "wow I've been getting railed by this girl in VR and had no idea she was my childhood best friend that I lost touch with because my dysphoria made me push everyone away" which I LOVE. Tami and Dawn make for an adorable couple, and the few sex scenes between them are phenomenally written. Just oozing with a mix of mushy love and raw need. The rest of the cast of characters are just as interesting and exciting, and QuietValerie's Troubleverse is just packed with them all the way through. This is one of my favourites for good reason, and I VERY strongly recommend you all give it a look if you're interested in sci-fi and lesbians :3

You can read it all here:

Next time, I'll be moving onto a different author before returning to the next Troubleverse book The Witch of Chains. Keep an eye out!

[verdantvulpus]

Separation Anxiety is ready to update!

Chapter six, The Trouble With Longevity.

Crowley was in Hell.  Crowley was actually at his desk, safe in his study, but he was in hell nonetheless.  The source of his torment stared at him judgmentally from his laptop screen. A growing list of various sins and temptations — some of which had been just for sport— that he had every intention of showing to Aziraphale if he could ever manage to actually complete the list. His head throbbed given the impossibility of the task.

Expect to see it up on AO3 next week, or read it now on Patreon.

[princesscolumbia]

Code of Ethics - Chapter 45 - Willful Miscommunication

That's right, Code of Ethics is back!

Diane has settled into a comfortable, pleasant existence on her station, her worries about being an agent for America tucked firmly in the "I don't have to think of it right now" part of her mind. She's enjoying spending time with her new girlfriend and her newfound notoriety on the galactic stage, and is enjoying the perks of being the commander of a space station on the way to being a successful waypoint for interstellar traffic.

As much as she doesn't want that comfortable existence to end, with her one IRL week in deep-dive about half over, her greatest challenges ever are on the horizon.

Preview below the cut:

“Do you really have to go?” asked Diane as she turned her chair to face her still-standing girlfriend, “You could just send the Arachne’s Web out. You said yourself that Joslyne is doing pretty well as a captain...”

“She’s doing well for milk runs, not for contract negotiations and logistical challenges,” explained Caitlynn as she straddled Diane’s lap in the chair, “The job is to help kick-start a colony, and that’s never a fast or easy thing.”

Diane returned a deliberate pout, “But what if Morvucks go into heat or something?” She found herself struggling to not giggle along with Caitlynn at this blatantly made-up reason to ignore Caitlynn’s in-game responsibilities, “I have needs, you don’t want to unleash a dangerous, biologically unhinged dragon-woman on an unsuspecting station, do you?”

Caitlynn kissed Diane on the forehead, “Didn’t we have the conversation about being exclusive? As in, we’re not?” The words were said with a smile, but the meaning was serious. “I know Norma is in a similar arrangement with Russe and she’s told us both she’s interested in you like that.”

Diane grimaced, “I mean, sure, they’re computer programs, I might as well be using a sex toy, but I still don’t get how you’re not...you know, jealous or something.”

In the wake of dealing with Hardy Coxand, the conversation about their relationship status had opened up an unexpected line of inquiry for Diane. After an extremely aerobic marathon session of lovemaking in Diane’s cabin on the way back to her station, Diane had finally broached the question, “Are we girlfriends?” Caitlynn had giggled and explained she did, indeed, want Diane to be one of her girlfriends.

Plural.

This completely failed to compute for Diane, nearly causing her to have a panic attack when she tried to figure out how such a nice, sweet woman like Caitlynn could be so awful as to cheat on anyone, and then nearly had a meltdown at the thought of being “the other woman.” She sure hoped that, on logging out in...however many IRL days was left, she would be able to look back on the incident and laugh at the notion that a guy was worried about being “the other woman.” As it was, recalling that moment was absolutely embarrassing.

[wlntrsldler]

jo there would literally be no poisoned mercury without you like who knew my silly shit post about camp rock would lead to this 😭

thank you for all ur kind words and for writing such incredible fics!! (whenever i get in a reading/writing slump i always read troubleverse bc im always in awe of how well you write)

thank u for reading my passion project/guilty pleasure series 🩷🩷

poisoned mercury | long way home

a/n: poisoned mercury is officially over :( but i will be adding small blurbs in between chapters and adding post-chb five star and luke to the masterlist because i'm not ready to say bye to them just yet. enjoy pm's sophomore album cover, optimism don't come easy (unless it's with you). also no tags for this one because tumblr has been super weird and the tags haven't been working for everyone.

x. long way home by 5sos

series masterlist | previous | next

“thank you all for your participation this summer at camp half blood,” mr. d said into the microphone. he was finishing up his end-of-the-year speech and there was no dry eye in the house. all the campers were sniffling as they reminisced on all the memories they made this summer. your dad cleared his throat, “if any of you tell anyone that i cried, i will never forgive you.” 

annabeth giggled, rubbing the tears from her eyes, “your dad makes that joke every year, i swear.” 

“oh, i’m sure,” you replied, laughing along with her. “above all, he is a dad and that means he recycles the same jokes over and over again.” 

“and they’re never funny,” percy added, though he was laughing at what mr. d was saying. “but i feel like i gotta laugh or else i won’t be accepted next year.” 

“you have my permission to not laugh, perce,” you nudged him. “he gotta get some new material.” 

“hey,” clarisse said from beside you. you turned to her, letting annabeth, percy, and grover fall into their own conversation. she was no longer adorned in her camp counselor outfit, opting to wear something from her own closet now that her duties for the summer were finished. “thanks for getting me this job, y/n. kinda changed my life with this one.” 

your eyes darted between clarisse and chris, who was waiting by the wings of the stage ready for his cue to close out the farewell celebration. you placed a hand on clarisse’s knee, giving it a squeeze, “thanks for always having my back, clar.” 

“always,” she nodded, “you’re my sister.” 

you were feeling a lot of things at once. there were a lot of emotions coursing through your veins. you always knew that there were people who cared about you. your parents had a funny way of showing it sometimes, but you never doubted that they loved you. your friends, clarisse, silena, charlie, were always there for you, even during the most stressful times of your life. the poisoned mercury boys who welcomed you with open arms like you were a part of their dysfunctional family the whole time. 

and luke. 

where do you even start with luke? luke castellan was the boy you had promised yourself never to fall for again. the heartbreaker, the player, the musician, and yet, here you were, completely eating your words. everything you thought you knew about him was wrong and since you let your guard down, your world was turned on its axis. he was so much more than what people made him out to be. he was so much more than you expected him to be. 

and you were lucky enough to have him. who knew a summer in montauk would lead to this? 

“to close out our incredible summer, welcome poisoned mercury!” your dad said, clapping wildly as the boys entered the stage. he placed the mic back on the stand, giving short hugs to the band as they walked up to him. luke was the last to hug your dad and their interaction lasted longer than the rest of the boys’. when they pulled away from their embrace, luke had a slight blush on his face and a goofy grin as his eyes scanned the crowd to find you. 

he sent you a shy wave from the stage as he adjusted the mic to his level. you blew him a kiss, which he returned and that made the crowd go wild. to them, luke was blowing a kiss into the ether, a message with no recipient, but you knew it was meant for you. something about it made your heart constrict in your chest. it was still hard to believe he chose you, but luke spent every waking moment making sure you believed it. 

“camp half blood,” luke said, eyes twinkling under the lights. travis picked up his drumsticks from the floor, giving the left one a twirl, as he got situated on his stool. connor and chris played their guitars experimentally, tweaking the strings to get the right key. “man, i don’t even think we can explain just how thankful we are to have spent the summer with you all.” 

luke turned around to face the boys who all nodded in agreement.luke faced the crowd again, sighing, “i learned a lot of things here. one being, there are a lot of talented people out there in the world. getting to work with y’all was such an amazing experience. many of you guys are aspiring musicians, and i’m here to tell you to keep going. i know it seems like sometimes your dreams aren’t worth chasing, but i promise you they are.” 

“some of you kids are so talented,” luke said, shaking his head in disbelief. “little beth, i’m talking about you when i say this. you’re brilliant and i know i’m gonna be seeing your name in the charts in a few years. you got more talent in your pinky finger than we four up here have combined.” 

the rest of the boys laughed, but agreed. luke narrowed his eyes, searching for a few more faces to give a shoutout to, “oh! and our boys percy and grover! we love you guys. keep in touch. you guys have to join us in the studio one day.” 

“did luke castellan just give us a shoutout?” grover asked, turning to percy with his eyes as wide as saucers. 

you laughed, patting him on the back, “i believe he did.” 

“holy shit,” percy mumbled. 

“language.” 

“come on, counselor clarisse,” the blond boy groaned, “camp is over.” 

clarisse huffed, smiling teasingly, “fine. i’ll give you a pass this one time.” 

“not many people know this, but i went to camp half blood when i was younger,” luke continued, looking down at his feet. “it was my favorite place in the world. some of my best memories involved me sitting right where many of you are sitting right now, but then life happened and things went sideways for me for a while. it took me a while to pick up a guitar again, but man, i’m so glad i did.” 

“if it wasn’t for music, i wouldn’t be here in front of you guys today,” he smiled, locking eyes with you, “and i wouldn’t have had the best summer of my life.” 

“holy shit,” clarisse said, mimicking percy. she turned to you with a wide grin, “castellan is talking about you up there.” 

“he is not.” 

as if he read your mind, luke leaned into the mic, “thanks, five star.” 

your heart swelled as memories of this summer flooded your mind; the smoke sessions in your secret spot that soon became luke’s as much as it was yours. hours sitting on the creaky bench as you both got lost in the fog of vices and genuine conversations. the bench where you learned about luke and he learned about you, something more than just introductions and superficial answers; the countless impromptu jam sessions in your cabin that started with you playing records on your speaker and ended with the boys playing their instruments as they screamed out lyrics to their favorite songs with you and clarisse. constant noise complaints from neighboring cabins because you were being too loud so late at night with melodies and laughter escaping through your open window. luke pulling you into his lap as he whispered cheesy love songs into your ear as you giggled; the days in your room, locked away with luke, enjoying his company. his lips always finding their way back to yours like a promise that he’ll always be around. luke. luke luke. 

you were glad the lights were focused on the stage so nobody could see your red cheeks. the boys cheered from behind luke, unabashedly voicing their approval of your relationship. the crowd cheered along, even if none of them knew what the situation was. luke rolled his eyes at his friends for the commotion they started, “the song we’re playing for you today is not yet released, but we decided that it’s the perfect song to end the perfect summer. this song is called long way home, we hope you like it.” 

–

“did you know you had a dimple on your back?” you asked, letting your finger linger in the crevice on luke’s skin. goosebumps raised on his tanned flesh as you lightly grazed his exposed back. “right here.” 

“mhm,” he replied, off-handedly. he didn’t really know what you were saying. he was too dazed by the feeling of your touch on him. you two were on the grass on the hill by the lake, a reprieve, a plead for time to stop even just for a few minutes. tomorrow summer would officially be over. tomorrow the two of you would be leaving camp half blood. tomorrow you would no longer have empty hours to fill with each other. 

luke didn’t want to think about it too much. he’d gotten too used to finding you lounging in your room or in the living room where he could join you to do nothing. to do everything. he didn’t know how he’d survive the next few months without you. your coach gave you the all-clear to resume practice once you were back on campus, which meant that visits during short breaks were no longer an option. luke was happy that things worked out for you, but he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t disappointed that you could no longer visit him during thanksgiving break. 

droplets of water from your hair trickled down his back. he was face down with his head facing you, eyes fluttered shut as a sign of peace, while you leaned over him, tracing shapes on his back. you’d both just emerged from the water, checking off items on your “summer goodbye bucket list.” that’s what you’ve been up to this last week, revisiting memories and places that you weren’t ready to leave yet. 

you chuckled softly, pressing a light kiss on luke’s spine. he smiled at the feeling of your lips, eyes hazily opening to meet yours. you took your place beside him, propping yourself up on an elbow as you watched luke come back to his senses, “are you even listening to me?” 

“of course,” he lied, grinning at you in the boyish and charming way that always had your knees buckling. he squinted as you moved your head, the heat of the sun hitting his face, “‘m always listening to you, five star.” 

“liar.” 

he laughed then, letting the sound echo into the air, “i try my best, at least. but i’m no multitasker. i can’t concentrate when you’re sitting here all pretty in front of me and touching me like this.” 

“you’re such a flirt,” you grimaced, though the smile on your face gave away your true feelings for the boy. luke looked pretty like this. there was no tension in his shoulders, like he was finally letting himself breathe. you wondered when you’d see him like this again. just last night after the celebration, you two had stayed up talking until deep into the night about how nervous he was to come back to the spotlight. he’d found solace in camp half blood, in not having to look over his shoulder every day in fear of the world. he didn’t know how the public would react to him being back again, especially since he knew he wouldn’t be able to keep up his facade now that it’s all crumbled since he met you. 

maybe it was his lack of sleep that was making him vulnerable and a little delirious, but he shared with you that he felt like he’s changed. the luke that walked into camp half blood who was too scared to be himself in fear of rejection and failure was no longer there. a few months ago, he wouldn’t be caught dead like this, all soft and gentle for a girl. he couldn’t remember the last time he wanted to see a girl more than once. but with you, he couldn’t help it. the luke that he truly was became his default state when he was with you. all he wanted to do was hold you in his arms and be with you for as long as you’d let him. 

“you say that like it’s a bad thing, baby,” he grumbled, raising a hand to shield his eyes from the sun. “you don’t like it when i flirt with you?” 

you rolled your eyes playfully, adjusting your head until you fully blocked the light from his face again. you laced your fingers with his, letting out a hum when he squeezed your hand. “i didn’t say that.” 

“so, let me flirt with you,” luke said. “i like flirting with you. you blush every time i do it and i think it’s fucking adorable.” 

“stop,” you whined knowing that the blush he was referring to was starting to show on your skin. maybe you could blame it on the heat, but you both knew that that would be a lie. it was because of him. it was always because of him. “you like teasing me, don’t you, castellan?” 

“a little bit,” he admitted, scrunching his face up in a way that brought out the creases between his eyebrows. his lips curved into a lopsided smile. his arms reached out to snake around your waist, pulling you on his body as he laid on his back. he placed his hands along the expanse of your bare thighs as you situated yourself on his abdomen. your fingers played with the silver chain around his neck. luke massaged your thighs, sighing out, “i like knowing i have that effect on you.” 

“me and half the female population,” you snorted, “as much as you act like you know just how amazing you are since you have a gigantic ego, i feel like you also don’t give yourself enough credit.” 

luke quirked an eyebrow, “was that a compliment, five star?” 

“don’t get used to it,” you smacked his shoulder lightly, making him let out a chuckle. his chest rumbled from under you as his hands made their way up your waist. luke’s hands were always warm. he had callouses on his fingers from playing guitar and bumps on his palms from lifting at the gym. there were characteristics about his hands that made you believe that you’d know his touch even if you were blindfolded. there was something different in the way he touched you, even in the most innocent ways, you knew when it was luke. there was a light in your brain that would go off every time he was around, like your body, mind, and heart knew when he was there. 

“i’ll take what i can get,” he conceded.

“does it bother you that i don’t compliment you as much as you compliment me?” 

“nah,” he replied, looking up at you. the sun was framing your face in a way that made his breath hitch. you looked ethereal like this. it was like you were a figment of his imagination. luke had to place his hand flat on your ribcage to feel you breathe just to convince himself that you were real. “makes these little moments even sweeter.” 

“but you know, right?” you questioned, eyes not once leaving his own. a shadow of doubt flashed across your irises. “you know what i think of you?” 

luke castellan had a way with words that left you speechless. perhaps it was because he was a songwriter, trained to string together words in a way that you could never achieve. he made a living by writing, by voicing how he felt, and turning it into art, into music. there were many moments where luke would say things so poetically that it made your head spin. he says things so casually, so easily like he didn’t just utter out the most romantic things you’ve ever heard in your life. 

you envied him for it, a little bit. you wished you could tell him how you felt about him as easily as he said it with you, but anything you tried to say felt like it would pale in comparison. luke didn’t mind. you had your own way of showing him how you felt. it was in your touch, taking your time to admire his imperfections. it was in the way you kissed him, smiling so wide like you couldn’t help it whenever he would press his lips to yours. it was in the way you paid attention to him, the little things that he didn’t even realize he did. 

“‘course, i do,” luke tucked a piece of your hair behind your ear. he took his time bringing his hand back to your waist. he liked seeing you nuzzle your face into his palm as you kissed his wrist. “but i wouldn’t be opposed to hearing you say it, either.” 

“i’m not good at saying how i feel,” you said, shoulder hunching as you spoke. it felt like you were letting him in on a secret that you’d never told anyone else. luke could feel his heartbeat in his chest. you dropped the poisoned mercury pendant back on his chest as you leaned down to bury your face in the crook of his neck. “i’m working on it, though. might just take me a while.” 

luke smiled at you. his voice was earnest as he placed a kiss on the top of your head, “we got all the time in the world, five star. there’s no rush.” 

you furrowed your eyebrows at his words, “we leave tomorrow, luke.” 

“mhm,” he repeated, thumb running across your lower back. it made you shiver, the realization of his words hitting you. “like i said, we got all the time in the world.” 

you pulled away from him, cradling his face in your hands as you placed a kiss on his lips, “yeah, we do.” 

[ma1dita]

this pic is so troubleverse!luke but it's trouble's leather jacket he's wearing do u get the vision

came back to say yes. the vision is clear 😖

i miss yall ive been consuming new media to get the creativity flowing again

[tell-me-no-again]

First off I want to tell you that your trouble series has been living rent free in my head for literally years. It's one of those ones that's just never left. The one where they go to wakanda to dance in the rains was amazing - to the point I had started reading it on the train into work and quite literally worked out how to sit with my phone on the desk throughout the morning in order to finish it.... it was that good! (Maybe shouldn't admit that tho).

I loved the introduction of Kevin and the boys and just all the dynamics. I've also had a thought about the characters in my mind that won't go. I don't mean it to be demanding or anything btw I just wanted to share and wondered if you had any thoughts around it?

I just always wondered if similar to the one where the boys were caught drinking during the gala and were punished in the side room all together, they were all in a situation - sans superhero suits etc - and Peter is in full sub mode, restrained someway by Tony so Tony has all the power, and the others are all observing. Perhaps it is another spanking like before.

However, in the middle of it - Peter whimpering, apologising to Tony, Tony reminding him whose in charge - Peter suddenly freezes, mutters the word "red" and jumps into action. There's an intruder or assassin or someone trying to hurt them outside the door. Before they even have a chance to attack, Tony being defenceless and the others not able to help, Peter manages to take them down and restrain them while Tony calls for back up. While waiting Peter is composing himself and getting presentable for the coming agents/police. Afterwards once they are all alone again, Peter apologises for ending his punishment early and asks Tony if he'd like to continue? While the others are just looking at them like ???

I know it seems kinda random and probably not what you'd be interested in but I think it must be easy for the others to forget quite how capable Peter is. Like Tony is human, do you think they sometimes forget that the difference between is so much? Like I know everyone in that sort of relationship is there because they allow themselves to submit (or at least they should be) but I just imagine everyone getting odd reminders like that, that Peter could literally snap Tony in half if he wanted, rather than him willingly submitted to allow himself to be spanked etc?

Anyway, sorry this was really rambley I just wanted to let you know that I loved your series (still do) and Tony, Pepper, Peter, Kevin and the boys continue to live in my mind whether I give them permission to or not...

I'd have to write it my way! But! I LOVE LOVE LOVE everything about the soul of this prompt. Peter IS in the relationship consensually. He totally is 100% capable of snapping Tony like a twig (sans suit) at any point- including when Tony's got him exactly where Tony wants him, in a headspace where he's ceding authority and control to Tony. That's the fun of a D/s relationship and you're right- I don't showcase that aspect of the dynamic in any earlier stories. Maybe I should write that for my next one! Although I'm halfway through the Rains 2.0 and the wedding and oh yeah, I promised @khalixascorner I'd get her the Mile High fic posted sometime soon... But I mean... even if I never get to this idea, please know- TOTALLY. YES. FITS RIGHT IN. If I can get the juice to write it, I will, but assume it happened if I don't. Yes. SPOT. ON. YES. (And it would be VERY fun to capture everyone's reactions to him jumping up to save the day and then shaking off all the heroics to go kneel for Tony. That is YUMMY.)

[jennifercodymm]

I wrote a description I was pretty proud of, and then I put that description into an art generator and this is the result. I have no regrets: “He looks like Mick Jagger had a love child with Idris Elba and gave him all the potential charisma of The Artist Formerly Known as Prince, but drowned him in the gin soaked bitterness of a former Las Vegas show girl.” #troubleverse #mmromanceauthor #romancebooks https://www.instagram.com/p/CoSoeHEv9pm/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[princesscolumbia]

It gets worse, I promise.

Sci-fi: Star Trek, Gatica, and Dune are not the same genre.

Superhero: Take your fucking kid to a Deadpool movie. Your child who wants to see a Spider-Man movie, Deadpool and Spidey are Best of Friends™️, right? Go on, take the kid to a Deadpool movie! I dare you!

I'm presently writing for a series given the name 'Troubleverse' by its fans. It's either:

Fun and adventure trans-yuri

LitRPG

Dungeons & Dragons if it were cooler

Dystopian Sci-fi

Cyberpunk

The Singularity

Survivalist

Smut

Drama

Found Family

Bad End

Toxic Family

Down with Capitalism

Hard Sci-Fi

Fantasy Sci-Fi

Apocalyptic Horror

...often more than one at a time, even the ones that contradict (especially the ones that contradict), depending on the author, and sometimes all in one chapter (if you're lucky and the author's really good).

By all means, show up for the Useless Lesbians Experiencing Gender...but for gods' sake, open your damn mind to what the CONTENT is, not based on your presupositions!

My Little Pony has had major character death. On screen. Transformers: Earthspark had one of the bad guys get torn apart from toxic energies from inside out by another bad guy, ON SCREEN! She-ra had a kiss between two women that saved the goddamn galaxy. Ever After High dropped a "true love's kiss" between two of the girl characters that the studio had to walk back because some asshole soccer moms pitched a fit.

You don't know what you're going to get from genre or medium or storytelling style. In many ways it's worse than judging a book by its cover because at least when you're looking at the cover you're actually seeing the book. If you take a look at the genre you haven't even gone down the aisle the book is shelved in!

animation being treated like a genre instead of a medium is something that actually makes me go insane. beauty and the beast is a romance. the emperor's new groove is a buddy comedy. big hero 6 is a superhero movie. moana is an adventure film. the lion king is a drama. treasure planet is sci-fi. if i was talking to someone who hadn't seen these movies before, and they weren't specifically interested in animation as a medium, then i wouldn't necessarily assume they'd enjoy all of these. and that's just disney movies! try telling an anime fan that fruits basket and fullmetal alchemist are the same genre and see how they react!

[princesscolumbia]

Code of Ethics - Ch. 57 - Toccata & Fugue in D-minor

I should be in my bed.

Diane helps the newly freed colony become self-sufficient in hopes of staving off a war.

Preview below the cut:

“…and if you can get D’hani the ETA on those ships, I think that will do it for what we need.”

The face on the screen was framed by the inside of one of the habs on her station, though it’d clearly been customized by the occupant. This was allowed, of course, so long as the mods didn’t pull too much power or cut into anything structural. Katrina was always part of the upgrades, though Diane hadn’t heard of this particular hab getting any mods. Not like she needed to know, she had over three thousand residents on her station and being informed of every small change would have driven her up the wall. The man himself was charcoal skinned, and not in the Earth definition. As in, his skin was the actual color of charcoal, which made his very white hair stand out all the more. He was clothed in what Diane could recognize as a rather nicely tailored shirt and, given what she knew of the man, was probably some pretty high-quality silk of some variety. Mister Acropolis was from a species that was similar to Humans in a lot of ways, but where Humanity had evolved on the surface of Earth, Acropolis’ people evolved underground. Their nearly night-black skin and white hair was a signature of the species that were in most other ways almost indistinguishable from Humans, at least on a purely visual level. Their digestive system was quite a bit different and could actually process metals that a Human system would just pass through. Their language was also hideously complex, which meant that names didn’t translate. They usually wound up picking simple names for other species to use, meaning that while Diane could try to pronounce his legal name, it was simply faster and easier to just go with the one he picked.

“Listen, Diane, babe,” he said with his playfully flirty tone, “I know you at least a little by now, what you need is about a week of uninterrupted sex with your girlfriend and a small army of massage therapists. You’re always so tense, so formal! Relax, have a drink!”

Diane rolled her eyes, “I will have a drink when we’ve secured this colony for these people.”

Acropolis snickered, “Maybe see if one of the locals will help you with the other two items. Heaven knows, you need to get laid.”

She did like Mister Acropolis. He was merciless at cards, had a creative wit, and once you got past his slightly smarmy exterior was a surprisingly nice person. But it was dealing with him while he had his ‘game face’ on that was often frustrating, if endearingly so, “You just want to watch.”

“A man has his hobbies,” he acknowledged, “But as for the protection, the Chroma Syndicate is more than happy to help. Do you have a local contact for us?”

She glanced around the table at the men and women watching the exchange. None seemed ready to step forward and self-identify as an official liaison with what was, technically, a criminal organization. She turned back to the display, “I’ll let your people know when they get here. I know this goes without saying by now, but just so it’s on the record for your new clients, Trephor’s cleaned house for all the ships that’ll be deployed here, right?”

Acropolis but a hand to his chest in a mock pearl-clutching gesture, “Of course! It’s like you don’t trust me!”

She snickered, “Caitlynn doesn’t trust you, and I trust Caitlynn. She said to treat you like a Ferengi, so that’s how it’ll be.”

He gave her a smokey look coupled with an attempt at a seductive grin. It was purely performative; he’d made a pass at her when he first arrived and when Diane had given him a firm ‘no’ he respected her boundaries. “I’ll have you know that from her that’s a compliment.”

Diane chuckled, “Get off the line, you womanizer.”

He gave her a mock salute and disconnected.

[princesscolumbia]

Coming at this a little late, but I can never stop telling people about The Trouble with Horns and its sequels.

Admittedly, the protags of those books aren't exactly 'thick shelled' eggs, it must be pointed out it takes most of 'em actually living as a woman to realize that they were trans all their lives.

But if you want a really dense egg in the Troubleverse...well, I'm going to have to boost my own work here. 😉

The main character is an egg that grew up in an environment that taught her that "Good Boys And Girls Don't Do That™️" and is surrounded by the type of people who voted for Trump this last USA Election. She doesn't even really know what 'transgender' actually is, let alone that she is a transwoman...even after living as one as an undercover agent in a deep dive VRMMO sci-fi game.

Reading some excellent original trans fiction by @zoestormwriting rn. Sometimes I think trans writers are in a competition to see who can write the densest egg known to man. Any denser and it's going to create a black hole.

[ma1dita]

diva how does it feel to predict silver linings laufey with troubleverse like,, “if u go to hell ill go with u too” ouuu we have a time traveler here!

💌 - myunvrse

me when chemistry by gigi perez came out bc i was like damn... i wrote about that alr

the witches in my bloodline are with me (for completely frivoulous reasons)