#enemies to lovers please. he is my small town mechanic

[coquettied]

✧           🎀       𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐍   𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐑   introducing 𝗦𝗔𝗠 ⋆ . ˚ ࿔

" listen, city girl, you've got two choices: either you accept my offer for a ride, or you sit tight in your car until i fetch the part needed to get your engine going —and that won't be here until morning. my offer is purely from the kindness of my heart. plus, you're not pretty enough for me to do something stupid that would cause me trouble. "

[bunnys-kisses]

Hii, I love your works so much, so after a while of reading I decided to make a request.<3

Can I please get a mushroom pie (so preferably EtL), pull-apart bread and a souffle, along with a side of sparkling water and dark hot chocolate? For Max Verstappen please!

bakery menu

want to request an order? then check out the menu! there are all kinds of items to choose from. thank you to everyone who has submitted orders over the past almost two months i've been writing these! they're a lot of fun and what ya'll come up with is amazing! so thank you! for this order in particular, i am liking what i'm seeing. i had to google that 'etl' was because i didn't know. and it's enemies-to-lovers! so perfect! i hope you enjoy!

mushroom pie ("if you don't shut up. i'm going to shut you up.") + pull-apart bread ("i love you") + souffle (i'll be gentle.") + sparkling water (gentle sex) + dark hot chocolate (sub!reader) served by max verstappen (formula one)!!

cw: smut/pwp, enemies-to-lovers, redbull mechanic!reader, gentle sex, sub!reader, dom/sub, praise kink, max's pace is gentle but his words are mean, car sex, misuse of an f1 car

max thought you ruined the car. and you thought max ruined the car. either way max ended the dutch grand prix in fifth. a sputtering mess of a car hauled back to the garage for you to tinker at. with horner in one ear, max in the other and the head mechanic in the back of your head. you often thought about jumping ship to anywhere else.

if you had to become a bike mechanic in some small town in southern france then so be it. because at least you wouldn't want to wrap your hands around max verstappen's thick throat.

the two of you had a tense relationship. ever since you got into the garage, he stopped winning. while it wasn't your fault, max had pinned it on you. which meant you often got a face full of his biting words.

"do you enjoy fucking me over?" he asked. it was late into the evening and the teams were gone for the night. but not you, never you. you worked yourself to the bone. so when max got into the garage and saw you bent over the car. he could only walk forward.

"if i did, i wouldn't be working for your team, huh?" you replied as you continued to tinker. your ass was sloped up as you were bent over the car, "how about you stop driving like an insane person and we'd actually win."

you could feel him behind you. your ass was enticing and soon max had himself up against you. you swallowed.

"i swear to god max-" you barked.

"if you don't shut up. i'm going to shut you up. you're supposed to make me a winner." he said, "i know you hate me, but.. one snap of my fingers." he leaned over you, pinning you further against his beloved formula one car.

"you'll have me killed."

max made a face with his chin against the back of your shoulder, "no. but, i'll send you back to the little town you grew up in and make sure you never step foot on a track ever again." it was domineering. max did hold a great deal of power. and while he was all smiles for the camera, you knew something deeper. something darker.

"then why keep me now?"

max took the leap and kissed the side of your neck, "i like things with promise. like an investment. i see a lot of potential in you. when you're not fucking me over. when you make me win." his breath was hot against your skin.

you squirmed a little bit, "max."

"shh, shh, shh. stay there. under me. let me fuck you." there was a tinge of tenderness buried underneath it all, "let me fuck you against me car and you can learn exactly how it works."

he knew that you liked him. or held some feelings for him other than malice. you blabbed about it to another mechanic over drinks. your voice loud enough the the likes of lewis hamilton and george russell heard you. which got its way back to max.

"i've never done this before."

he sighed, "of course you haven't." he felt the anger leave his chest. but what remained was a residue of how he felt about you. deep down he was still the immature teen who loved racing. so of course when he liked a girl, he was going to pull on her proverbial pigtails. he looked down at you, those blue eyes held a lot of power, " well then. i guess i'll be gentle." he said like a promise.

you nodded and started to get your coveralls off when max gave you the space. he was certain you weren't going to run off. you said, "everyone should be gone for the night. but just make sure the door is locked." it was the entrance for staff while the entrance for the car was already locked for the night. tomorrow everything would be hauled to the next location. team would pack up and it was onto the next race. max did as you asked, he wasn't a monster. at least not all the time.

as you stripped naked for him, words died on his tongue. oh. while he said you were an investment of a mechanic. seeing you out of those bulky clothes made something stir in his brain. the words that pushed forward but never came out were, "i love you". maybe a bit of a jump from words said earlier, but he admired you. when he pushed, you pushed back. when he bore teeth, you did the same.

and to have you soon naked over the hood of his stupid yet beloved race car excited him. he undid the fly of his pants and took his leather belt off. he admired your figure up against the car. there was a straight to you, but also a softness.

it was going to take a lot in him to be gentle with you.

"are you sure you're a virgin, mechanic?" he asked as he got his cock out. the sight of your slick cunt so close made him feel hot all over. he rubbed his cock up against you, "are you taking anything? or does your boss keep condoms in a drawer for special occasions."

you swallowed, pressed up against your mechanical pride and joy. about to be fucked by a man who bickering with you at every turn. you replied, "i am. i just didn't have the time to... fuck. and yes, i'm on the pill. can't trust half of your kind sometimes."

he rubbed his cock up against you, "my kind? those are harsh words there, little mechanic." he heard you groan a little at the feeling of his cock just prodding up against your pussy,

you held onto the car as much as you could, and bit your lip as he slowly pushed himself into you. you felt the air leave your lungs as you arched your back from the feeling of it all.

laid out naked on the hood of one of the most expensive pieces of machinery on the planet being fucked by the driver of said piece of machinery. you moaned a little bit as he took your virginity.

his hands on your hips as he fully sank into your sweet sex. he shuddered, he had slept with many people before, but you were different. there was something about you that scratched the right part of his brain. it was a stimulation that made him yearn for more.

you were in trouble there little one because now that max got a taste of your cunt, he was going to try and get it every chance he had. he curved over you and continued to move against you.

"kiss the hood." he said, "i want to see you kiss it. worship it like you would be." his tongue felt heavy and his words were loose as he continued to fuck you against the car. "maybe if you show it come love, you'll be less likely to abuse it."

you whimpered when he dragged against a particular spot. you tried to find your voice as you said, "maybe you should kiss it, since you use and abuse all my hard work."

"ah, ah, ah." he said as he laid a single slap across your ass cheek, "that's not how you talk to me, mechanic. you show some respect to your driver." a weird dom/sub dynamic with a glazing of car talk. it made you feel like you were burning. he leaned in closer to your ear once more, shoving every centimeter into your poor cunt, "next time

while his pace was gentle, his words were biting. he saw how you reacted to it. being treated as a little less than because you were only a faceless mechanic in the crowd while max was on every formula one poster in the world.

he kept an eye on you, for any noises of discomfort. he didn't want to brutalize you. but, your moans were so sweet that they lit up his brain like the fourth of july. and when you eventually gave two kissed to the hood of the car, he felt a tingle run up his spine.

you were just full of surprises weren't you.

you got into the rhythm of moving against him. your noises got a little louder as the two of you fucked on top of the hood of the car. you could feel its parts against your heated skin. the vehicle that you worked so hard on pressed against your bare tits as max verstappen fucked you heavily.

but it didn't last long, you didn't have much time. eventually you'd be locked in the track and have to awkwardly wait out till morning. you were the fist to finish, tensing up before you felt one last moan roll off your tongue. a sign of a good first time. max was close behind you, holding on a little tighter to you as he dragged his cock in and out of you. he kept an open ear for your soft moans and you gripped onto the car tighter.

you looked good.

he finished inside of you and prayed that the little pill you took every morning worked and there would be issues down the line. he could feel the heat in his cheeks and the sweat causing his t-shirt to cling to his back. he panted heavily over you, wanting to have more of you. but a few noises outside the garage made him pull back like you were on fire.

"we gotta-"

"go." you finished his sentence before you started to find your clothes. you thought this was a one night stand situation before max shoved his phone in your face and asked if you two could go out sometime.

your face went hotter as you tried to focus at the task at hand. you hastily put in your number and got your coveralls back on. when your were clothed once more, max leaned in and kissed you on the cheek.

he was almost tender as he said, "go back to your hotel, enough with the car. we'll fix whatever we need tomorrow." then got himself back into his jeans.

you scampered off back to your hotel, fleeing the scene before one of the janitors or whoever found the two of you. you hoped the smell of sex mixed with motor oil would be cleared out by tomorrow.

it wasn't until you got back to your hotel room to change for the night that you weren't wearing any underwear. the rush of getting dressed left the pretty cotton panties in the garage. you could picture the soft red material draped over someone's tools.

your eyes went wide. oh fuck. <3

[little-diable]

A bit of heat, a bit of anger - Aaron Hotchner (smut)

It's been a while, but this idea found its way to me and I simply had to write this. Please like and reblog if you enjoyed reading this, your comments keep us writers motivated! Enjoy my loves. xxx

Summary: Aaron has never treated her as kindly as he treats the rest of the team, but after a fight between them and a guy trying to chat the reader up, Aaron can't hold himself back any longer.

Warnings: 18+, smut, piv, car smut, somewhat enemies to lovers, clear power imbalance, jealous Aaron

Pairing: Aaron Hotchner x BAU!fem!reader (3k words)

The heat was burning down on them, letting the sun heat their bodies as the warmth travelled straight through their dark clothes which added an almost dangerous touch to their appearance. (Y/n) had her eyes focused on JJ, listening to her talk while they took in their surroundings.

It should be an easy case, allowing them to catch their unsub in a few days before they could fly home again to escape this heat. (Y/n) could barely believe that she had once grown up with temperatures this high, forced to accept the sweat pooling on her forehead, the thin clothing she’d wear for most parts of the year, things she now hated more than she could put into words. 

“(Y/n), Rossi and I will visit the families, Reid I need you for the geographic profile, JJ and Prentiss talk to the journalists again.” Aaron Hotchner’s voice rang in her ears. A sound so strong, so familiar, she didn’t understand how it still had that same effect on her. (Y/n) had joined the BAU a while ago, instantly drawn in by their friendliness and how they treated her like a member of their small family. She had found things to bond over with every single one of them, all but Aaron Hotchner.

The man was a confusing case to her, a case she struggled to solve. He was kind to her, treated her with just enough warmth to lead her on, and yet he was more distant with her than with the others, drawing a clear line between them. The others had tried to tell her about his cautious self, how he struggled to trust new people and that it would take him a while to warm up to her, but now, months later, he still hadn’t managed to give in to the friendly talks (y/n) tried to rope him into. 

“(Y/n), you should focus on the sister, she is about your age, so you should manage to bond with her, while we will talk to the parents.” Aaron’s dark eyes found hers in the rearview mirror while he spoke to (y/n). She knew better than to protest, knew better than to object – there was no use in going against Aaron Hotchner, at least not when they were on a case away from home. All she could do was nod her head, shooting him a tight smile before focusing on the files she was rereading. 

“I think, (y/n) should be the one to speak to the parents, she did better than we did last time.” Rossi’s voice filled the SUV, forcing their eyes towards him as his grin grew wider. There was something lingering in his gaze, something he and Aaron seemed to understand while (y/n) didn’t see through their wordless back and forth. 

“It’s alright, I will gladly speak to the sister.” She couldn’t bear an awkward atmosphere, couldn’t bear being roped into some useless bickering that would push Aaron Hotchner further away from her. His eyes snapped back towards hers, studying (y/n) for a few more moments before nodding his head at her. 

(Y/n) could only pray that this day would pass quickly enough, already set on visiting the bar Emily had picked for them on their way to this town, all too excited about riding a mechanical bull while putting on a show for whoever would dare to look at her for too long. 

……

To say the visit with the first family had been a bust would be an understatement. Within moments everything had escalated, forcing the three agents out of their home because the sister (y/n) had spoken to had flipped on her, screaming at the confused agent that had been pulled out of the room by a fuming Aaron Hotchner. 

No words had been shared on the ride back, leaving her stomach in knots while overthinking what had happened. It hadn’t been her fault, at least deep down she was aware of that, and yet she had instantly feared Hotchner's outlash, unable to live with the knowledge that she had disappointed him. 

“Do you have a moment, sir?” She was holding open the door to the room they had been offered at the local police station. The others had left for the bar minutes ago, leaving Aaron and (y/n) behind who were still working on new files they had picked up today. A nagging feeling deep inside of her had urged her on to search his closeness, to speak to him while the others were waiting for them. 

Aaron’s eyes flickered up from the file, studying her expression that dripped with too many emotions, a confusing mess she couldn’t fight through. He nodded his head at her, watching (y/n) take a step further into the room before closing the door behind herself. 

“I’m sorry for today, but I need you to know that I would never do something to escalate a situation. She wasn’t in a good mindset and was easily triggered. Disappointing you is something I don’t want to do.” Her hands were interlocked in front of her, tightly squeezed together while the words rolled off her tongue. 

“I shouldn’t have let you do this alone, I’ll make sure to supervise you the next time.” The words felt like a punch to her gut. He treated her as if she was a new agent, as if this was her first time out on the field and not like she had worked with other teams before joining the BAU. Anger began to simmer deep inside of her, an anger that threatened to take over her system. 

“Why are you treating me like this?” Her voice was small, quiet as if she was scared of his reaction. But this wasn’t about fear, no, she was trying to stop herself from spiralling, from getting lost in the rabbit hole he had just pushed her down. 

“Excuse me?” He leaned back in the chair, arms crossed in front of his chest. A fire was burning in both of their eyes, a similarity both shared and yet couldn’t focus on. 

“You treat me as if I’m a child, as if I came here straight from the academy and not like an agent with years of field experience. You know, people always told me all these stories about you, and how I should be grateful for the chance to work with you, but so far I don’t see what they all see. It’s quite disappointing, really.” She shook her head at him and turned from Aaron to flee from the room. But the call of her name forced her to a sudden halt. 

“I will let this pass, write it off as an exhausting day we all had. But the next time you speak to your supervisor like that, you will be asked to leave this team.” Angry tears welled up in her eyes, tears she blinked away while her feet carried her away from Aaron and the brooding expression nobody wore as well as he did. 

……

“It’s your turn, (y/n)!” Emily had her arm slung over (y/n)’s shoulder, dragging her through the bar towards the mechanical bull Emily had ridden minutes ago. It had been a while since (y/n) had left the station, making a quick stop at their hotel to trade her work clothes for a nicely fitting dress that allowed her to blend in with most people at the bar.

“You know, I’m only doing this because I love you, right?” Her laughter bubbled out of her, ringing in both their ears while Spencer, JJ and Derek came to a halt next to Emily. They watched (y/n) climb into the ring before swinging herself onto the bull. It had been years since she had last done this, and yet her body still seemed to remember the routine well enough, giving her the confidence she needed.

Her wandering eyes were instantly drawn to his, watching him sit down next to Rossi, who was also looking at her with a wide smile. Parts of her wanted to put on a show, wondering if any of this was getting to Hotchner, the man whose jaw muscles were clenched and whose arm muscles were stretching the fabric of the dark shirt he wore. But another part of her was convinced that no matter what she’d do, he wouldn’t care, not about her. 

Music filled the air, buzzing through (y/n) while her surroundings began to spin. The people around her cheered for her, letting her smile grow as the movements gained some speed. She tightened her grip, her thighs clamping down as she rode each motion with determination. Her hair flew around her face, but she kept her focus on him, her laughter ringing out above the noise.

She managed to hold on even as the machine made an almost violent lurch, set on throwing her off. With one final, spectacular buck, the bull tried to unseat her. (Y/n) held on for a heartbeat longer before she was finally thrown, landing in a heap of laughter and exhilaration. The crowd erupted in applause, and she looked up to see her friends leaning over the barrier, smiling down at her. 

A guy she hadn’t seen before reached his hand out for her to take, pulling (y/n) back to her feet and straight into his chest. The guy was cute, about her age with piercing eyes that wandered over her features, all while she felt the eyes of the others on her, still cheering for her. 

“You were good, seemed like a natural.” His words left (y/n) chuckling while running a hand through her hair. 

“Did lots of these things as a teenager.” She watched her friends back off, leaving her alone with the guy who still held onto her.

“Will you let me buy you a drink?” (Y/n) couldn’t stop her eyes from flickering back to Aaron who was still watching her with a darkening expression. Perhaps it was stupid of her to say yes to the guy, but the alcohol already buzzing through her system made her feel all too excited about the knowledge that whatever she was doing was clearly getting to Aaron. 

“What’s your name, sweetheart?” They were leaning against the bar, he had his hand placed on her waist, while she had her front turned towards him. She struggled to focus on him, struggled to think about anything but her fight with her supervisor and the desperate need to impress him she couldn’t shake. 

“It’s (y/n).” Her voice trembled slightly, something the guy seemed to misinterpret for attraction or nervousness. His hand moved down from her waist, coming to rest on the small of her back with his fingers spread out on her skin. It was time to put an end to this, to gently push him away while mumbling something about having to return to her friends, but (y/n) didn’t get far. Before she could even try to speak up, she felt a hand clamping down on her wrist, pulling her from the guy’s grasp against a broad chest. 

The scent of his cologne instantly forced its way into her system, making (y/n) shudder against his hold. She didn’t need to look up at him to know that it was Aaron, already feeling much more comfortable than she had seconds before. She barely paid the harsh words Aaron and the guy shared any mind, too focused on the way her heart skipped a few beats as his hand left her wrist only to sling his arm around her waist. 

She didn’t protest as Aaron pulled her out of the bar, past their grinning team mates who studied the two with curiosity. No words were spoken, nothing but silence settled between them, a silence she feared more than the fights she had grown used to over the past months. Aaron started driving away from the bar, dark eyes set straight ahead. 

“So, will you tell me what this was about?” (Y/n) angled her body towards him, studying her supervisor with furrowed eyebrows. For a second, his eyes snapped towards hers, threatening to get lost in her pupils and that overly innocent gaze she shot him. “First you treat me like trash and now you sweep in to rescue me from a guy? You’re confusing me, Aaron.”

It was the first time she used his first name, making his jaw muscles twitch. She kept watching him, every expression tugging on his handsome features while a grin began to grow on her lips. (Y/n) had the upper hand, she had lured him into a trap with his own confusing behaviour. 

“Careful, agent.” His voice was raspier than before, dripping with a dangerous warning she ignored.

“Why? We are no longer on the clock, I can say what the hell I want.” Her grin turned into a full smirk, leaving the man brooding while driving back to their hotel.

“Don’t be a brat, (y/n), I’d hate to punish you.” Aaron’s words shot heat straight down to her core. She clenched her thighs together – a sight that drew a raspy chuckle from the tall man. This seemed to play out exactly like one of her dreams, reminding her of the scenarios she’d come up with whenever she touched herself to the thought of Aaron Hotchner. 

“I think you only speak empty threats, you would never do such things like punishing me.” The words seemed to push him over the edge, forcing the SUV to a halt in the middle of nowhere, parked on the side of the empty road. Within seconds he had turned towards (y/n), pulling her in for a searing kiss with his palm pressed against the back of her neck. She forgot how to breathe, fully sinking into the kiss with her heart pounding in her chest and her hands finding the collar of his shirt. 

Without breaking the kiss, she climbed over the middle console, finding rest on his lap to deepen the kiss. Their tongues were tangled, fully focused on every single touch as she let her hands wander down his front to find his belt. Aaron’s big hands were resting on her thighs, palming her skin with an urgency that left her trembling. 

“Aaron,” she mumbled his name against his lips. For a moment, they broke apart, looking at one another with glassy eyes. She couldn’t stop her chuckle from rumbling through her, buzzing through (y/n) while Aaron tightened his grip on her. “Be honest with me, what is this all about?”

“I hate myself for looking at you differently, for having this selfish need to protect you and pull you away from tasks because I fear you getting hurt. It’s egotistical and stupid, but I can’t stop it. I tried not to get too close to you, because I knew from the first day you’d make me suffer. But seeing you with this guy, how he had his hands on you, it forced me to act.” She kissed him again with as much passion as her dazy self could muster. Aaron instantly responded to the kiss, allowing his hands to move once again while she shuffled closer, letting her clothed heat rub against his growing bulge. 

“I need to ride you like I was dreaming of me doing for the past months.” Aaron’s fingers danced up her thighs, pushing her damp panties aside to tease her pulsing bundle. Her moans were the sweetest sounds he had ever heard, Aaron was sure of it – sounds he’d forever remember. 

“I don’t have anything on me.” His mumbled words left her humming, drawing her away from the kiss to reach for her small bag and the condom she had been carrying around with herself. Aaron let her fumble with the package while freeing his cock, giving himself a few tugs before (y/n) rolled the condom down his length. 

With their lips pressed together once again, (y/n) sank down on his cock, groaning as he stretched her all too perfectly. Both held still for a second, letting her adjust with fluttering walls before slowly raising her hips to fuck herself on his cock. Aaron and (y/n) moaned in unison, high on the feeling of him buried inside of her and the way she could feel him oh so deep. 

“Fuck, baby.” Aaron’s head rolled back, while his hazy eyes kept watching her. His big hands supported her movements, placed on her ass to keep her close. She looked thoroughly fucked out, happy to feel him this close as they got to know one another’s body for the first time. 

(Y/n) had one of her hands pressed against the window, trying to support herself while her limbs began to quiver. Aaron seemed to pick up on her trembling, letting his hips jerk upwards to fuck into her, needing to feel her cum around his cock. Curses left them both over and over again, blending together as they lost themselves in the different sensations. 

“Feels so good, don’t ever stop, please.” She was begging for more than she could handle at that time, and yet (y/n) didn’t find it in herself to care. She didn’t mind the overstimulation she was begging for, didn’t mind the desperation dripping from her words, all she cared about was both of them cumming together. 

“I’m so close, fuck, please Aaron.” The smirk tugging on his lips made her see stars, pushing her even closer to the edge.

“Touch yourself, baby, make yourself cum for me.” That’s all she needed to hear, allowing her fingers to rub her pulsing bundle to give her the needed push. She struggled to keep her eyes open, struggled to focus on anything but her nearing orgasm, all while Aaron kept holding onto her. 

And with one last whimper, (y/n) let herself fall into her orgasm. Her walls clenched his cock, pulling him in further while he pushed himself over the edge with a few more thrusts. (Y/n) was trembling in his grasp, holding still with her forehead pressed against his broad shoulder. 

“I,” a shaky exhale left her. “I am happy this finally pushed you over, I wasn’t sure how much longer I could go on with my feelings for you.” Her words left Aaron smiling, pulling her in for another kiss that left her heart fluttering. 

“You won’t ever have to worry about that again, sweetheart. I’m sorry it took me this long to realise.”

[allwaswell16]

My favorite One Direction royal fics where one or both of the main pairing is part of a royal family as requested in this ask. You can find my other fic recs here. If you enjoy the fics, please leave kudos and comments for the writers! Happy reading!

-Larry-

👑 the unfinished game (series) by @bottomlinsons

(M, 240k, royal au, Prince Louis, Prince Harry, arranged marriage, letters, secrets, pining, betrayal, politics, war, violence, historical, slow burn, angst with a happy ending, alliances, engagement, historical fantasy)

With his crown and country at stake, Harry must decide who to trust in this strange new land. And the sly Crown Prince of Ryde doesn't seem inclined to make things easy.

👑 Wear It Like A Crown by @zarah5

(E, 141k, royal au, Prince Harry, fixer Louis, scandal, secrets, homophobia, angst with a happy ending, smut)

As part of a team of fixers hired to handle a gay scandal in Buckingham Palace, Louis expects Prince Harry to be a lot of things—most notably a royally spoilt brat. 

👑 Nothing But You On My Mind by nonsensedarling / @absoloutenonsense

(E, 83k, royal au, Prince Harry, PR maven Louis, bad boy Harry, enemies to lovers, secrets, plot twist, angst with a happy ending, smut)

Louis Tomlinson is a PR manager hired to improve the image of royal bad-boy Prince Harry Styles.

👑 Unveiled by phdmama / @phd-mama

(M, 65k, royal au, fantasy, a/b/o, omega Harry, magic, King Louis, Prince Harry, political alliances, falling in love)

There’s much here that looks almost familiar, but then so much that is new and strange to his eyes. 

👑 Just for Tonight (I can be yours) by @sadaveniren

(E, 42k, royal au, a/b/o, alpha Louis, omega Harry, Prince Harry, secret relationship, secret identity, secrets, first time, arranged marriage, mating bond, pining, coming of age, nesting, scenting, smut)

He'd accepted a loveless marriage as his duty to his country, until an accident threw him in the path of a gentle alpha

👑 Buried Like Treasure by QuickedWeen / @becomeawendybird

(E, 40k, royal au, Prince Harry, thief Louis, restraints, light dom/sub, Swiss Alps, avalanche, heist, strangers to lovers, light angst, smut)

Semi-retired thief Louis Tomlinson has been pulled in for one last job: steal a painting from an uninhabited mansion. 

👑 take my hand, wreck my plans by amomentoflove / @daggerandrose

(T, 38k, royal au, Cinderella au, a/b/o, alpha Louis, omega Harry, Prince Harry, minor character death, scenting, magic, scheming)

Mr. H beams and reaches for Louis’ hand. Sparks fly at the touch and a zing of excitement shoots through Louis’ body. 

👑 Only by @allwaswell16

(E, 33k, royal au, soulmates, small town, soul bond, Prince Harry, enemies to lovers, misunderstandings, first time, humor, smut)

the one where the electric touch of Louis’ soulmate isn’t enough to discount that he's a bit of a dickhead.

👑 my kingdom for a kiss (tonight you're on my mind) by leighbot

(E, 31k, royal au, accidental marriage, Las Vegas, vacation, Prince Louis, baker Harry, smut)

An accidentally married AU mixed with a splash of modern royalty.

👑 the sanctity of patience by @scrunchyharry

(T, 22k, royal au, King Louis, Bavaria, historical, arranged marriage, disabled Louis, hurt/comfort)

When young Lord Harry was chosen by King Louis of Bavaria to become his husband and prince consort, Harry thought all of his dreams had come through. 

👑 Like Gold by ishiplouis / @pocketsunshineharry

(E, 17k, royal au, Prince Louis, royal advisor Harry, enemies to lovers, jealousy, sexual tension, coming out, smut)

Royal AU where Harry is Prince Louis’ Adviser, and Louis is anything but helpful.

👑 Prince Harry and the Expert in Motorcycle Maintenance by @juliusschmidt

(E, 15k, royal au, a/b/o, alpha Louis, omega Harry, Prince Harry, motorcycles, mechanic Louis, Cinderella, fairy tale parody)

an abo cinderella au in which prince harry rides a motorcycle and louis, a simple mechanic, fixes it.

👑 Bentley Station, Now Arriving by LadyLondonderry / @londonfoginacup

(T, 13k, space au, royal, Prince Louis, a/b/o, alpha Louis, omega Harry, Cinderella elements, baker Harry)

Harry Styles, omega. Owns a bakery on a train station in the middle of nowhere.

👑 The Prince and The YouTuber by @haztobegood

(E, 12k, royal au, Prince Louis, youtuber Harry, cat cafe, gala, smut)

When a problem with the honorary foundation arises, Crown Prince Louis Tomlinson must pick a new worthy foundation on short notice. 

👑 caught up in your love affair by @disgruntledkittenface

(NR, 8k, royal au, Prince Harry, modern royalty, based on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, established relationship, engagement, interview, proposal, fluff, romance, no smut)

Prince Harry announces his engagement to Louis Tomlinson in an interview with longtime friend and BBC host Nick Grimshaw. 

👑 Your secret's safe with me by lightswoodmagic / @lightwoodsmagic

(M, 7k, friends to lovers, group chat, famous Zayn, secrets, pining, shy Harry, fluff)

when Louis' favourite singer comes back and announces he's performing again, him and the rest of his group chat decide to go.

👑 i know i've grown (but i can't wait to go home) by LiveLaughLoveLarry / @loveislarryislove

(T, 7k, royal au, time travel, historical, humor, songfic, assassination attempt, castle, Prince Harry)

When Louis falls down a hill behind an old castle, he wakes up and finds the castle new and full of life. It's confusing to say the least.

👑 A Silver Lining In A Storm (You Were Lightning, I Was Born) by @fallinglikethis

(E, 7k, royal au, a/b/o, alpha Louis, omega Harry, arranged marriage, Prince Louis, Prince Harry, historical, mpreg, nongraphic violence, murder, minor character death, hurt/comfort, angst, awkwardness)

Omega Prince Harry had always known that he was going to have an arranged marriage. 

-Rare Pairs-

👑 my crown is in my heart by carissima

(M, 30k, Liam/Harry, royal au, historical, medieval, minor character death, Prince Harry, knight Liam, mpreg)

After several attempts on the royal family’s lives, a knight’s tournament is held to find Prince Harry’s future husband to rule beside him when he becomes king.

👑 oh what a shame that you came here with someone by darlingjustdont

(T, 14k, Louis/Liam, royal au, modern royalty, Prince Louis, Prince Liam, arranged marriage, fluff, no smut)

Arranged marriages are traditional, but that doesn't make Louis happy about the fact that he's engaged. In 2015.

👑 darling just dive right in by we_are_the_same / @so-why-let-your-voice-be-tamed

(T, 5k, Zayn/Louis, royal au, royal Zayn, exes to lovers, childhood sweethearts, arranged marriage, pining, angst with a happy ending)

Louis can’t think of a worse place to be than at the Malik estate, attending his ex boyfriend's wedding.

[atruththatyoudeny]

Happy 28th! A new month - so new fics for you to find and enjoy! I can’t say it enough: all the authors in this fandom are truly amazing! Thank you so much for continuously sharing your hard work with us ♥ Here are the 14 fics I read and enjoyed this month:

A Hungry Heart | jacaranda_bloom | Great British Bake Off AU - famous/not famous - cliches - pining - angst - smut - 27k Harry Styles, florist and Great British Bake Off contestant, loves many things. He loves his flower shop, he loves baking, and there’s also that little crush he has on pop star Louis Tomlinson. But when Louis arrives on set as the surprise guest judge, Harry’s worlds collide. Throw in a cup of cuteness, a teaspoon of teasing, and a pinch of pining, and there’s all the ingredients for an epic love story, or absolute chaos. Or the one where the Bake Off tent has never been so hot, and it’s got nothing to do with what’s in the ovens.

Teenage Rebellion Never Worked Out So Well | panda_bear21 | arranged marriage - friends to lovers - 55k “I’m an adult!” He glanced down at Harry, who seemed anything but at the moment, where he was definitely on the brink of a temper tantrum. “We’re both adults!” Jay glanced to Anne again, before breathing out a heavy sigh. “Yes, but you’re both adults that do not have jobs and who live off of our money… Which means, you have to do what we say… or you’ll have to find a new place to live.” “You wouldn’t do that.” Louis dared, hoping his glare was enough to guilt trip his mother into calling the whole thing off. Or to tell them that it had all just been a huge joke and they weren’t actually being forced into marrying a complete stranger. “Oh, but we would.” Or the super cliché arranged marriage fic where things escalate way too quickly.

Heartbreak Hotel | noellehenry | time travel - 1950s - historical - pining - 29k British popstar Harry Styles is thrown back in time after an unfortunate accident on stage. He wakes up in a small town in the US in the 1950's, where life is slightly different from 2015. With help from Niall and Liam he tries to adjust to his new life; without mobile phones and a world wide web to keep up with the world and where showing interest in nice cute boys with bright blue eyes is a no-no. Time travel and 1950's AU where Liam is an English teacher, Niall owns the Best Song Ever record shop, James runs Corden's Diner, Elvis fan Louis is the cute boy with the blue eyes and Harry..... just tries to survive really.

Playdate | Larry_you_know | getting together - misunderstandings - kid fic - fluff - 7k When Harry’s sister asked him to pick up her son at a kids' birthday party he sure didn’t expect to be stunned by the blue-eyed brother of the birthday twins. Using his nephew to see Louis again, he falls hard and fast. But how does one turn a playdate into a real date?

tread lightly on my ground | fairytalelights | a/b/o - mpreg - touch-starved - miscommunication - friends to lovers - touch deprivation - smut - 21k No, that's the tragic part of this, the part that makes Harry feel like the universe is playing a cruel joke on him. The father of his baby is exactly right, exactly who he always imagined himself having kids with. He just imagined them married, bonded. Happy. He didn't imagine them barely talking, tip-toeing around each other because neither of them is brave enough to talk about what happened between them. He didn't imagine the father of his child not loving him back. or, the one where Harry is having Louis' baby, but Louis doesn't know it's his.

Not Ready for This | berzerkshires | kid fic - single parents - smut - 18k Prompt for HLSummerFest2021: Louis and Harry are both single fathers and their children decide to go out on a date. The dads insist on meeting one another before they agree to let their child go out on this date.

Secret's Safe With Me | alltheselights | boss/employee relationship - secret relationship - toxic relationship (not h/l) - slow burn - smut - 59k But here’s the thing about secrets that people tend to forget—they’re deeply personal things. Tiny pieces of information about someone that they keep locked inside and only let out at certain moments, or to certain people, or not at all. Secrets have value, you see, even if only to the person holding them inside. If those secrets were to be told, if those tiny jagged pieces of someone, the parts they hold most dear, the parts they hide out of shame or fear or regret—if those pieces were exposed to someone, it would have the potential to change everything. When bad turbulence and three glasses of wine have Louis spilling all of his secrets to the man sitting next to him on the plane, it's embarrassing, sure, but it's also easy enough to shrug off and block out of his memory forever. Or at least, it was until Louis went into work on Monday morning and realized that the man from the plane is the new CEO of his company.

Marks On My Baby | thinlines | a/b/o - college/university - friends to lovers - hurt/comfort - angst - fluff - smut - 32k “What’s that?” Harry hadn’t meant for his voice to sound so sharp and even he winced at his own outburst. It was more of a hiss than an actual question, but for now, he was too surprised to care. “What’s what?” The omega asked, eyebrows raised and lips pinched. Harry knew he was probably mad at him for interrupting his rant, but the alpha was too on edge to bother pleasing the boy. “On your neck… Your bondmark spot…” His voice had grown low and deep, almost a growl. Who knew a single love bite on his omega friend's neck would trigger Harry this much? Certainly not the alpha himself.

Rogue | Laventriloque | a/b/o - werewolves - minor character death - hurt/comfort - past abuse - past rape/non-con - soulmates - smut - 95k “No, Liam! How many times do I have to… before you finally… NO WAY … a rogue in our pack?… cannot trust him … don’t care to know him … have enough members to worry about.” He hears more indistinct shouts before he hears pretty clearly: “His own pack didn’t want him!” Sitting here, his precious bag between his feet and everyone in the room looking at him, some with pity, some with disdain, some with curiosity, Louis feels like someone squeezed his heart in their hands and isn’t letting it go. He wills his head to stay up high and his posture to stay confident. He will not flee the room. He will not let that stupid lump in his throat get the better of him. He will stay here until Liam returns. He will take the rejection in stride and move on. Like he’s been doing all his life." -- Louis is a rogue Omega who's suffered through rejection and abuse for the biggest part of his life. He stumbles onto the Styles pack, quite possibly the kindest one he's ever met.

indian summer | docklands | strangers to lovers - hurt/comfort - banter - smut - 30k Harry runs a smoothie shop, which also happens to be an ever-moving caravan. He spends one week in each location and drives straight to the next, always eager for adventure. It isn't until his van breaks down and he needs to call for a mechanic that he starts to ponder his life choices. Louis, the said mechanic, is an anchor in Harry's wild sea, but his hard metal might be too much for Harry's unpredictable antics.

A Silver Lining In A Storm (You Were Lightning, I Was Born) | FallingLikeThis | arranged marriage - royalty - a/b/o - mpreg - minor character death - murder - non-graphic violence - angst - hurt/comfort - 7k Omega Prince Harry had always known that he was going to have an arranged marriage. But after the death of his first fiancé, a man who turned out far worse than Harry thought possible, his subsequent marriage to the man's brother leaves Harry finding it difficult to trust that everything will work out. Especially considering the only responsibility he’s aware of is to give his husband, the future king, an heir.

A Twist of Fate | myfearlesslou | a/b/o - strangers to lovers - soulmates - angst - 35k Since the moment Harry presented as an omega, all he's ever wanted was to have a baby. Fate had another idea in mind for him. Giving up on trying to conceive, he decides to adopt a new born baby boy. After months of loving and caring for the boy, a strange man comes into his life, taking him by surprise. Not wanting to lose the child he's loved from the moment he laid eyes on him, Harry does whatever he can to keep the boy safe and in his arms. Even if that means following the handsome stranger to a part of the woods he's never seen before.

Trust Me Tonight | 28sunflowers | historical - royalty - regency - arranged marriage - first time - mpreg - pwp - 10k After Harry’s eighteenth birthday, his father calls him into a meeting to say that he is to be married to Prince Louis of France in just over a week. Harry is excited, of course. The arrangement is better than any he could’ve hoped for, with such a young, handsome and kind husband. There is just one issue: Harry doesn’t know what happens on his nuptials, or how to get pregnant to give Louis the heir that he needs.

i got a heart (but i don't got a soul) | tempolarriefics | mythical beings Á creatures - enemies to lovers - childhood friends - famous/not famous - soulmates - angel/demon relationship - demon/human relationship - 19k “We’re soulmates.” Louis’ eyes flick from the tattoo back to Harry’s face, where his eyes are shining with excitement. Louis wonders if he is supposed to feel excited, too. He’s supposed to feel something, surely, besides his usual bitterness for Harry. He thinks back to how Lottie had described meeting Sam, how she had known in her heart that he was meant for her even before he said his phrase. He can’t help but wonder if he would be feeling differently if he hadn’t gone and sold his soul. Or, the one where louis sells his soul before meeting his soulmate, harry is a popstar with a heart of gold, niall is inadvertently responsible for harry's boners, liam is a meddling angel, and zayn is a demon who made a mistake

[troped-fanfic-challenge]

Chopped: Holiday Trope Exchange 2020 Masterlist!

A huge thanks to every person who signed up for our fic exchange, we got 21 really wonderful fics! We’re sorry it took us so long to get this out to you all! For anyone who isn’t sure what this was all about, this was a double blind gift exchange where each of our twenty-one (21!!!) writers were assigned four tropes from an anonymous recipient, and were tasked with writing a fic that fit our holiday theme, and included all the tropes. The only guidance from their recipient were a couple of brief notes they included during the sign up, and both the writer and recipient were revealed when we shared all the fics! A big thanks to the Tropesters who stepped up to write a second fic when we needed them! These fics, as with all our TROPED fics, were creative and unique, and found ways to utilise tropes that may seem so simple but were transformed in really spectacular ways! Please enjoy these wonderful holiday fics!

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roots in my dreamland (my house of stone, your ivy grows) (Rated M) [Bellarke]

Written by @captaindaddykru for @thelittlefanpire. The four assigned tropes were 1) Doppelgängers, 2) one character is a dancer, 3) first snow, and 4) kissing to keep a cover/a secret.

Summary: Clarke really wants it to work out with Bellamy, but as an A-list Hollywood actress there’s a lot of contractual obligations she can hide behind instead of confronting her own insecurities and past mistakes. Luckily, this Christmas she’s lucked out, and her stand-in Josie is more than willing to (completely selflessly of course) take her place.

Now comes the hard part.

brighter than moonbeams (Rated T) [Memori]

Written by @the-most-beautiful-broom for @thedefinitionofendgame. The four assigned tropes were 1) The characters play a game,2) Secret Santa, 3) Exes to Lovers, and 4) Surprise kiss.

Summary: Murphy and Emori fall in love fast, and then talk themselves out of it. Years later, their paths will cross again, and they realize that their might be parts of their story that are yet to be written.

What a way to start the year (Rated T) [Bellarke]

Written by @bellarkeshoe for @bellamysgriffin. The four assigned tropes were 1) Law enforcement partners, 2) Character gets BADLY injured and they hide it somehow only to reveal later that they are mortally wounded, 3) Characters hugging after they’ve been through hell, and 4) Kissing in the snow.

Summary: It’s New Years Eve, and Bellamy and Clarke got stuck working.

It’s Alright, It’s Okay (Rated M) [Clurphy]

Written by @sailawaymayday for @wwjacksparrowd. The four assigned tropes were 1) Found Family, 2) Groundhog Day/timeloop, 3) Character gets shot/stabbed/BADLY injured and hides the wound somehow, only to accidentally (someone else touches them and their bleeding, they collapse, etc.) reveal later that they are mortally wounded, and 4) Hurt/Comfort.

Summary: Clarke makes it onto the Ring with the rest of Spacekru. What happens when New Years Eve keeps repeating itself? And what does Murphy have to do with it?

Dancing in Graveyards: An Arkadia Anthology (Rated T) [Gen Fic]

Written by @justbecauseyoubelievesomething for @kinetic-elaboration. The four assigned tropes were 1) Small town gothic, 2) Christmas Lights, 3) First snow, and 4) Sneaking someone in/out of your window.

Summary: Three small town gothic stories intertwine as old friends reunite and try to make the best out of their lives. Raven returns home after her foster father’s death and is pulled like a magnet to her enigmatic highschool sweetheart. Jasper seeks solace from a tragedy and desperately attempts to outrun the ghosts of the past. Bellamy battles his inner demons and prays not to tear himself and his loved ones apart in the process. And all of them come to realize that they belong together, even if the place they call home is shadowed by sorrow.

do or die, you’ll never make me (because the world will never take my heart) (Rated T) [Bellarke]

Written by @shen-gong-oops for @probably-voldemort. The four assigned tropes were 1) Fake dating, 2) Amnesia AU, 3) Enemies to Friends to Lovers, and 4) Superhero AU.

Summary: As the youngest member of the Guard and the daughter of the Guard former leader, there are high expectations set for Clarke. The Marketing and PR teams at Ark expecting her to be prim and proper during any conferences, while simultaneously performing their well-rehearsed fight choreography to a T.

But when four unknown supes challenge the juggernaut that is Ark Industries, Clarke wonders if herodom isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

Merry Christmas, Lovebirds (Rated G) [Murven]

Written by @kinetic-elaboration for @shen-gong-oops. The four assigned tropes were 1) One character cautiously says “i’m going to kiss you now, okay?” or some variation of that, 2) Mutual pining, 3) A misunderstanding, and 4) Tattoos.

Summary: There’s never snow for Christmas on the beach, Murphy is a culinary genius, Raven has a boyfriend, and other presumed facts, too obvious to mention.

Once Upon Our Story (Rated G) [Bellarke]

Written by @andthelightbulbclicks for @bellamythology. The four assigned tropes were 1) break-up/make-up, 2) Did they or didn’t they, 3) Extremely biased flashbacks of the same event, and 4) Bookstore or library AU.

Summary: Bellamy returns with as much fanfare as one can imagine when driving a school bus decorated as Santa Claus through town, leaving Clarke shocked and all of their friends confused given he hasn’t been home in months.

(Or: Six months ago, Bellamy left Arkadia.

Six months ago, Clarke didn’t.

Six months ago, their friends knew the relationship ended, even came up with their own versions of what really happened. But the question that they all want to know for certain– is why?)

Dream A Little Dream of Me (Rated T) [Clurphy]

Written by @queenemori for @vmreed. The four assigned tropes were 1) One character has a child, 2) Protectiveness, 3) Only one bed, and 4) Soulmates.

Summary: It was just Murphy’s luck that right as he was starting to enjoy Earth, he had to leave. But he’d rather that than succumb to a fiery death wave. He and the other residents of the Ring remembered Clarke every year during their New Year’s Eve celebration. But even when they weren’t celebrating Clarke, Murphy couldn’t seem to get her off his mind. He wished his brain would stop playing tricks on him by making him think she was alive. Clarke was dead. Wasn’t she?

i don’t wanna burn out, so wont you please set me on fire again? (Rated M) [Murven]

Written by @kuklash for @sparklyfairymira. The four assigned tropes were 1) Protectiveness, 2) Exes and Lovers, 3) Small Town AU, and 4) Characters fall on each other and have a moment.

Summary: The wind nipped at Murphy’s nose as he stood in the doorway of the gas station on the edge of town. Work was slow, as it always was after sundown, especially in the mid-December cold, but someone had to make sure the good townsfolk of Arkadia could get their milk and gas after the small general store closed. All 800 of them. He watched the cars drive by throughout the day, recognizing each and everyone of them. Bellamy’s beat up truck he worked all highschool to afford, Clarke’s clean new sedan, even that jerk Finn’s loud ass motorcycle. He watched them all pass one by one, his old classmates returning home after another semester of college at the University of Polis. The only sign that time was passing at all.

The phone inside rang, breaking him out of his melancholy, at least for now.

“Great,” he thought, sarcastically. “A phone call 10 minutes before we close.”

He walked back inside and put on the most cheerful customer service voice he could muster.

“Dropship Gas, this is Murphy. How can I he-”

A familiar female voice cut him off, leaving him cold.

“Murphy? Thank god!”

It was his ex.

Everybody wonders what it would be like to love you (Rated M) [Bellarke]

Written by @sparklyfairymira for @captaindaddykru. The four assigned tropes were 1) Celebrity AU, 2) Meet Ugly, 3) Characters must share something, and 4) Characters aren’t together but are mistaken to be.

Summary: Bellamy Blake and Clarke Griffin are household names thanks to their music. They belong to the same label so they often work together on duets—even though they can’t stand one another. Their first meeting is disastrous and six years later they still can’t get along.

toward brighter days (Rated T) [Sea Mechanic]

Written by @reggieshamster for @/ashplana. The four assigned tropes were 1) Apocalyptic Log, 2) bed sharing, 3) road trip au, and 4) mythical creatures.

Summary: Dear Harper,

I am ridiculously out of it this morning. Last night, when we reached the campsite, Luna suggested we give Echo her own bedroll, since she gave hers up the night before.

Which meant Luna was sleeping with me.

Beside me.

Excerpts from Raven’s journal as she travels to Polis for the Winter Solstice Festival

three words, two hearts, one maybe (Rated G) [Bellarke]

Written by @bellamysgriffin for @bellarkeshoe. The four assigned tropes were 1) Youtuber AU, 2) best friend’s sibling, 3) frikdreina, and 4) miscommunication.

Summary: After an accident blinds Clarke, Octavia’s been encouraging her best friend to keep up with her artwork. In order to inspire her, she recruits the help of her older brother, Bellamy, who’s recently launched a new exhibition at his museum, to feature her work. Bellamy likes Clarke’s work, and he’s more than happy to help. But when she doesn’t show on the big day, he takes matters into his own hands. With an old video camera, he records people’s reactions to Clarke’s artwork so that she’ll know just how talented she is. But when he sends it to his sister, he doesn’t expect her to upload it to YouTube. And he definitely doesn’t expect to go viral.

Something Beautiful, Simple, and Bright (Rated T) [Clurphy]

Written by @wwjacksparrowd for @queenemori. The four assigned tropes were 1) Friends with Benefits AU, 2) Prank war, 3) characters are not together but are mistaken for a couple, and 4) Based on a Song.

Summary: Six months after Wonkru and Eligius manage to establish peace and divide Eden between themselves (with a little slice shaved off for Spacekru, of course), Clarke has a mission: plan a New Year’s Eve party for fifteen hundred people within three weeks.

Murphy’s mission? Stop her from burning out in the process. Oh, and if he could just get Monty to quit it with the freaking noisemakers, that would be great, too.

(…Okay, yeah, he’d also like to date Clarke for real instead of just sleeping with her. But that’s a pipe dream, right?)

put your faith in the devil and the deep blue sea (Rated M) [Clurphy]

Written by @probably-voldemort for @kuklash. The four assigned tropes were 1) Time Loop AU, 2) Characters fall on top of one another and have a “moment”, 3) Enemies to Lovers, and 4) Superhero AU.

Summary: Twenty years ago, when the clocks changed from 11:59pm on December 31st, 1999, to 12:00am on January 1st, 2000, the world ended, exactly as the doomsdayers had predicted. Now, there are only a few livable months left on Earth, and the privileged are evacuating for a life in space, abandoning the planet.

But not everyone has given up.

Clarke was only three when the world ended, and she’s spent most of her life in her mother’s lab. Now, as the last space ships are preparing to leave, her mother’s machine is finally ready, and Clarke and her mother are heading back in time to try to stop the apocalypse from happening in the first place.

An attack on the lab leads to Clarke heading back to 1995 on her own, and the past isn’t quite how Clarke’s vague memories from the beginning of her life paint it. Clarke soon discovers that not only did the machine do more than just send her back in time, but she wasn’t, in fact, sent back alone.

Will she be able to stop the apocalypse before the clock strikes midnight? Or are some parts of history unchangeable?

All I Want For Christmas (Rated T) [Memori]

Written by @thedefinitionofendgame for @the-most-beautiful-broom. The four assigned tropes were 1) Fake dating, 2) Joke kiss turned real kiss, 3) One character is sleeping and the other character is watching them totally in love, and 4) Blanket fort.

Summary: Tired of being single, Murphy decides to take matters into his own hands and get himself a girlfriend before the annual Christmas Day dinner with his friends. Having had bad luck in the past with girls - all twenty four of them - Murphy is determined to make the twenty-fifth, the “Christmas Day” number, his forever.

Of course, this is easier said than done. When his fellow coworker, Emori, seems to be having similar problems and suggests them being each other’s “fake dates” to their Christmas parties in December, Murphy jumps at the chance. Fake dating is better than being totally alone, right? It appears that way, at least until Murphy starts to catch feelings; the ones that make you question everything you think you know. As their “fake feelings” start to become more real, Murphy realizes that Emori’s the one he wants for Christmas. But she’s got walls up and even though his heart doesn’t stand a chance, Murphy’s determined to break them down and show her what falling in love really means, maybe with the help of a little December magic thrown in.

As long as we’re together, no I can’t get much higher (Rated T) [Murven]

Written by @dylanobrienisbatman for @andthelightbulbclicks. The four assigned tropes were 1) Zookeeper AU, 2) Treasure Hunt, 3) secret places, and 4) Secret Santa.

Summary: Murphy has only known Raven for a little while, but the longer he spends getting to know her, the more he realises that there’s no hope of him not falling in love with her.

So when he gets her for Secret Santa, he makes it his mission to nail it.

before i knew you (Rated G) [Clexa]

Written by @dylanobrienisbatman for @sailawaymayday. The four assigned tropes were: (1) Pen Pals, (2) 3+1, 4+1, 5+1, etc., (3) surprise kiss, and (4) character meets another characters ex.

Summary: What do you do when your penpal, the person you know the best in the world, who you love, turns out to be the rather rude (if also rather pretty) sales girl from downstairs? Lexa is about to find out. or - 3 times lexa and clarke meet without knowing they’ve been penpals since childhood, and the 1 time Lexa figures it out.

when life gives you shit, you make kool-aid (Rated M) [Becho]

Written by @reggieshamster for @dylanobrienisbatman. The four assigned tropes were: (1) Bodyguard AU, (2) Bed Sharing, (3) Kissing to Keep Cover/a Secret, and (4) a Character gets shot/stabbed/badly injured and they collapse, being caught by their loved one.

Summary: Bellamy used to have it all, and then one screw-up cost him his career and his fancy life. Now, working as a bodyguard for alcoholic businessmen and their families, he gets a call from his sister for a job… escorting a hitwoman to testify against a man convicted of crimes against humanity. What could possibly go wrong?

and left the secret at the grave (Rated T) [Clurphy]

Written by @probably-voldemort for @justbecauseyoubelievesomething. The four assigned tropes were: (1) Murder Mystery, (2) Partners in Crime, (3) Exes to Lovers, and (4) Snowed In.

Summary: At 8:57 on the morning of December 23rd, eight year old Jordan Green discovered the body of Skybox Inn owner Vera Kane on the floor of the lobby. His screams woke up the other guests of the inn, as well as the live-in butler.

The discovery of the body was followed shortly by two more discoveries. The first was that the storm the night before had knocked out the phones and the internet, and the second was that the inn was completely snowed in with no hopes of escape anytime soon.

Thirteen people trapped in an inn.

Uncountable secrets.

One murderer.

One question.

Who killed Vera Kane?

what a tangled string of Christmas lights we weave (Rated T) [Linctavia]

Written by @thelittlefanpire for @reggieshamster. The four assigned tropes were: (1) Royalty AU, (2) Cyrano AU, (3) Characters fall and end up landing on top of each other and have a “moment”, and (4) Hair brushing and/or braiding.

Summary: When the royal family loses their beloved Prince Wells, the future king of Arkadia, all eyes are on them. The Queen remains as stoic as ever, the Spare grapples with his new responsibilities, the Princess drowns in her grief, and the King is threatening to abolish the monarchy forever.

At Christmastime, as tensions in the palace rise with the vicious tabloids outside, the royal family makes an escape to a castle in the mountains, hoping to find solace and reconcile with their loss.

Princess Octavia will try to mend her broken heart back together as she becomes entranced with the letters sent back and forth between herself and another. But when it’s revealed who the true penman is, will she rise above her sorrow or sink further into it?

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Take a read! Leave a kudos/comment! Our Tropesters worked so hard on creating some unique, festive fun fics from all the amazing tropes that were sent in. Thanks again!

[imbellarosa]

Hiii! I was wondering if you read fanfic?? And if so, what are your fav tropes/works??

Hi!!!! I read A LOT of fic from A LOT of fandoms! My fav tropes are either flat comedy or enemies to friends to lovers or friends to lovers or something like that! I only read happy endings, but I don’t mind some angst in the middle. Idk what fandom you’re looking for so I’m gonna give you a list of some of my all time favs from EVERY fandom, and I’ll add one that I’ve written!

Walk That Mile by purpledaisy- 150k words 1D enemies to friends to lovers road trip AU across the US for a fun, banter-y time with some real communication issues that really get resolved well. People always say that a rom com should have a good answer for “why can’t they be together NOW?” And this one does it really well! No real angst, and a lot of fun. 

Have Love, Will Travel by @kingsofeverything - 97k words 1D YouTubers on a roadtrip AU! If you liked the first one on this list, you’re gonna love this one too! Sweet and long and full of the memories you would make on a road trip. Lots of laughs with this one, and I wish I could see the “Have Road, Will Travel” video series irl! 

Tell Me Now, Tell Me Now by @vanillabeanniall - 55k words 1D Miraculous Ladybug AU but you don’t need to watch the show to ADORE it - I know that I sure do!! Funny and sweet and SUPER ironic, with superheroes and Paris mixed in and great characters! Who wouldn’t love it?

So Let’s Cross the Lines We’ve Lost by thecoloursneverfade - 165k words 1D friends to enemies to friends to lovers uni AU that was one of the first that I read in the fandom and really made me fall in love! Good friends, some angst, hard convos that lead to real growth, and lots of really great characters. This feels real, for a lack of a better word, and is always compelling. 

Ain’t That A Kick in the Head by keysmashlesbian, wreckingtomlinson (karasunonolibero) - 23k words 1D comedy AU ft. football player!Louis, Disaster gay!Harry, memes, frogs, head dives, Blue Coolattas (whatever those are), and a very sassy Red Robin waitress named Fiona. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve read it, and I always laugh, and I always find something new to fall in love with. 

Leave it To the Breeze by @hattalove - 82k words 1D GBBO AU. This one feels like a warm hug. It’s gentle, fun, has great characters, believable angst, has you rooting for more than one of the characters to win, and is also hilarious, somehow. I’ve read this fic over and over and over, and I especially do it when I have time before a new season of GBBO. Also, have snacks!! It makes me hungry

The Section by bananaheathen - 11k words 1D Uni AU with grad student TAs, sophomore undergrads, art classes, movie analysis, and final essays as methods of seduction. Also, nicknames, nude models, a Halloween party, and absolutely shameless flirting. I loved it, and laughed the whole way through. 

I’ve Heard it Both Ways by @adoredontour - 26k words 1D Psych AU. I love this one. I love the fic, I love psych, I love the author. I’ve read most of her works, but this one has such a special place in my heart. Go read it!! 

Play it All Night Long by janine_tangerine - 43k words SPN radio AU with DJ!Dean and bartender!Cas, with music, annoying coworkers, sassy siblings, and lots of love. WHOAH WHATS THIS A LIVEJOURNAL FIC??? I know but I read this ages ago, and it has music EMBEDDED WITHIN THE FIC! It was my first introduction to Bob Dylan, who remains one of my favorite artists of all time. 

Crossroads State by Mercy - 51k words SPN slice of life AU with Mechanic!Dean, Teacher!Cas, Law Student!Sam, and lovely lovely moments. All sweet, some tension, but no real angst. I read this forever ago, and still come back and back and back to it. 

Peace and Good Luck to All Men by KismetJeska - 31k words SPN College Au. DO YOU MEAN THE BEST CHRISTMAS FIC EVER OF ALL TIME??? I read this on the first day of December every year, and it makes me laugh every time. Cas falls in love with his sister’s boyfriend, Gabe and Luke are in a seduction competition, Michael is tired of everyone, and Dean doesn’t know what hit him. 

For All You Young Hockey Players, Pay Attention by @thursdaysfallenangel - 144k words SPN enemies to lovers hockey AU. Just. Please go read this. Gorgeous and still one of the best fics in the whole fandom, imo. Cas is the new transfer on Dean’s team, and Dean doesn’t like change. 

The Complete Works of Emmanuel Allen by @violue - 54k words SPN small town AU ft. writer!Cas and local business owner!Dean. Dean meets his favorite author, but does not know it’s him. Shenanigans ensue, with a lovely warm feel. Dean builds a mausoleum and owns cats and lives in the woods. Cas needs a change of scene. Sam thinks everyone needs some more company. 

The Mirror by cloudyjenn - 25k words SPN parallel universe AU. This was one of the first fics I ever read, and I still love it. Dean touches an enchanted mirror and travels through universes in search of an answer to a question he hasn’t asked. Full of love, family, and companionship. 

Asunder by rageprufrock - 24k words SPN AU with Social worker!Dean, Doctor!Cas, Sober!Sam, and RUBY!!! Ugh I love this fic for Ruby alone. This one is more bittersweet. Dean hasn’t spoken to Sam in years due to his struggles with addiction. Sam, now sober, is getting married, and has invited him. Dean can’t face his family alone. 

But It’s a Good Refrain by lady_ragnell - 23k words Merlin Radio AU! Merlin has an anonymous gossip radio show, and someone calls in to put Arthur on blast! Morgana is a fan, Arthur is not amused, and a sort of enemies to lovers thing occurs. Just lovely, and it makes me laugh every time. 

And Like the Cycle of the Year, We Begin Again by @katherynefromphilly - 208k words Merlin canon compliant. This is the Season 6 we should have had. If you’re at all into this fandom, go read it - it’s still an all time fav for me. Hundreds of years later, Arthur walks out of the lake. Merlin has been waiting. 

Give The Dragon a Chili by @supercalvin - 47k words Merlin magical AU based on the story in New Zealand of the cat stealing someone’s underwear. Merlin’s dragon is sort of a thief. 

Fundamental Imperfection by Starlingthefool - 12k words Merlin famous author AU. Arthur likes Dickens. Merlin does not. They get into it on a panel, and twitter stan wars ensue. And enemies to friends to lovers where literary arguments are an expression of love, and stories are magical. 

The Student Prince by FayJay - 145k words Merlin Uni AU. What a classic!! It’s a magical realism royal enemies to friends to lovers AU ft. a dragon in the walls, a lovely gay soc, Gwen as a Muggle, and some really great characters and moments. Do yourself a favor and go read this one. 

Call it Love by @dalek-in-heels - 30k words Merlin RPF. UGH THIS ONE!!! Okay 1.) the author is one of my best friends, and she’s amazing! 2.) lovely fic that takes place at the end of Merlin, and still has one of my all-time favorite misunderstandings in fic ever. “Yogurty Heart” is my favorite way to say I love you. 

If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things by @watsonshoneybee - 35k words Sherlock AU canon compliant through season 3. This one is sad, but the title is taken off of one of my favorite books, and the writing is gorgeous - as is the characterization. Happy ending, though! I promise! So the journey is all worth it! 

In All of the Lives We Are by @dalek-in-heels - 20k words The Magicians canon compliant through the first half of season 3. Sarah does it again and writes one of the best fics I’ve ever read. Art as therapy, a sweet love story in more than one universe, and finding the will to keep going through the worst days. The writers of the actual show should have read this fic and put it on the screen. This is my canon. 

A Happy Ending? Sure Enough by me (imbellarosa) - 8k words The Magicians canon compliant up to season 4. This is the only one of mine I’m putting on the list, because I still really like this one! You need some context, but not much? Idk, just if you want to see how *I* write! 

[austennerdita2533]

I'm so happy that you love Folklore too! It's not just my favorite Taylor Swift album, but easily one of by favorite albums, full stop :) Here's a fun challenge: which Folklore songs remind you of a certain ship? So is there a Folklore song that makes you think of literati? Another one that makes you think of a Grey's ship? A third that makes you think of Elizabeth/Darcy? A fourth that reminds you of Klaroline and - I'll shut up, you get the idea :) Pick any Folklore songs/ships you want!

Taylor Swift’s latest album is a masterclass of musical poetry and storytelling. Rarely do I download every song a musician puts out on a new album (I tend to pick and choose), but I can genuinely say I never hit DOWNLOAD so fast in my life before than I did with Folklore! I love all sixteen tracks! I’ve been listening to them on a loop for two days straight and I imagine that’s likely to continue for the foreseeable future.

Also, YASSS! That is a fun challenge! It’s also one I can manage because I’ve been thinking about how certain songs/lyrics apply to many of my ships since I first started listening anyway. Prepare yourself. This is gonna be long. 😁

Okay SO, for Literati... 

If I’m angling to lean into s3-s6 angst that was Rory and Jess at that point in the OG series, then I’d say the 1 is a good fit. That song has the same energy as someone who’s writing a goodbye letter to a loved one that will never be sent. It’s cleansing. Cathartic. An exorcism of feeling. It absolutely reeks of regret and longing with just a touch of look-back-over-your-shoulder-and-wish, just wish, that things could have been different:

“But we were something, don't you think so?”

“And if my wishes came true It would've been you“

“But it would've been fun If you would've been the one”

However, if I’m in more of a They’ll Come Back to Each Other mood with Literati then I think this is me trying screams Rory and Jess. That song emanates nostalgia! It’s haunting in tone (with the echoes, with some slight vibrato). The lyrics bleed with feeling, with emotion that should have rusted long ago but hasn’t. Love is still as red as it was at the beginning of everything only now...only now there’s realization and an attempt at atonement for past mistakes...

“I didn't know if you'd care if I came back I have a lot of regrets about that Pulled the car off the road to the lookout Could've followed my fears all the way down And maybe I don't quite know what to say But I'm here in your doorway“

It's hard to be anywhere these days When all I want is you You're a flashback in a film reel On the one screen in my town (the town, of course, made me think of Stars Hollow)

I just wanted you to know That this is me trying At least I'm trying

For Darcy and Elizabeth, I think seven works well for them in spots. If you listen to the song, there’s a little bit of an echoey timber to the way Taylor sings it and that gave me the sense of how classic love stories/literature kind of ripple across time, you know? How the pages may crinkle or yellow over the years, but they still leave their mark. Plus, there’s also the piano in the background. Almost feather light. It mixes with what sounds like violins in places. Idk, it has a slight P&P 2005 vibe about it to me:

“Please picture me in the weeds Before I learned civility” >> (Because did Darcy learn civility before or after Lizzie eviscerated him mid-proposal at Rosings? Did Lizzie learn to temper her prejudice before or after Lydia ran away with Wickham?)

“Passed down like folk songs Our love lasts so long“ >> (Elizabeth says herself she’s going to be happier than Jane because “[she] laughs; [her sister] only smiles.”)

I have a couple for Klaroline, too. hoax jumped out at me for them first because it’s layered with darkness and angst. The imagery pops. It’s all smoking guns and eclipsed suns and screaming on cliffsides; which, for a pair of supernaturals, and for an Original who has a history of leaving blood in his wake, I think some visuals of misery and violence are a fitting thing. I’m also obsessed with the piano in this. The way she strokes her fingers over the keys - quick tap, tap, taps then a slow one or two in places - gives you a sense of running. It’s a great parallel to her lyric about “sleepless nights.” Here are some other Klaroline-heavy lyrics in this song:

“You knew it still hurts underneath my scars From when they pulled me apart But what you did was just as dark Darling, this was just as hard As when they pulled me apart” >> (This whole section just booms with “I’ve shown kindness. Forgiveness. Pity. For you, Caroline It was all for you” energy.)

“Your faithless love's the only hoax I believe in Don't want no other shade of blue But you No other sadness in the world would do“

peace is the other song that had me crying in Klaroline. I like the softness of it, the vulnerability. I imagine it more from Klaus’s perspective, though, because it strikes me as more confessional in nature. Like it’s a revelation that’s being dragged across his teeth and he wants to scream. Almost as if these aren’t necessarily feelings he wants to share, or wants known, but there’s just no holding them back now. He’s thrown off the lid. Caroline needs to be able to walk toward him with her eyes wide open, so he only speaks truth, he only speaks honesty now. Similar to hoax, this song has darker imagery as well. There’s fire and fences and trenches and all that jazz:

“Your integrity makes me seem small You paint dreamscapes on the wall“ >> (Same energy as “you’re strong, beautiful, full of light.”)

“And you know that I'd Swing with you for the fences Sit with you in the trenches” >> (basically a promise that he’d fight FOR her and WITH her)

“But I'm a fire and I'll keep your brittle heart warm If your cascade ocean wave blues come All these people think love's for show But I would die for you in secret“ >> (THIS IS THE PART THAT HITS ME THE MOST BC so much of Klaus’s love is shown not spoken, so yeah, he dies for her in secret all. the. time. already. There are 5 other ways I could interpret that as well. But I will spare you haha)

“The devil's in the details

“Would it be enough If I could never give you peace?” >>With supernatural enemies everywhere, there won’t be much peace, will there?

I get walloped with Braime/Jaime and Brienne feels every time I listen to epiphany. Like, it’s actually rude how much this song makes me think of them. I can close my eyes and hear their swords clanging, taste the blood of their injuries on my tongue; feel the ash claw their throats, sting their eyes. Just--ah! The two of them serving, fighting back-to-back, two knights with an unspoken oath to protect a love they haven’t even voiced out loud yet...*cries*

“Only twenty minutes to sleep But you dream of some epiphany Just one single glimpse of relief To make some sense of what you've seen

“With you, I serve With you, I fall down Down Watch you breathin' Watch you breathin' out Out“

invisible strings makes me think of Shirbert/Anne and Gilbert. I love the pluck of guitar strings and how it has this air of innocence and sunshine and green grasses about it even though it’s being told/sung from a hilltop of experience. There’s so much imagery in this song, so much color and figurative language, that I can’t help but think it’s perfect for our imaginative dreamy-eyed girl and the boy who’s adored her since he first tugged her pigtails and called her Carrots in that schoolroom:

“Green was the color of the grass Where I used to read at Centennial Park >> (Can’t you just picture Anne lying in the grass, a book in her hand, flowers in her hair?) I used to think I would meet somebody there Teal was the color of your shirt When you were sixteen at the yogurt shop“

“Time, curious time Gave me no compasses, gave me no signs Were there clues I didn't see?“

“Wool to brave the seasons One single thread of gold Tied me to you“ >> (Love the warmth and vibrancy of this. The wool makes me think of Avonlea blanketed in snow; the gold has me drinking sunshine, smelling goldenrod in October)

“Time, wondrous time Gave me the blues and then purple-pink skies“

“And isn't it just so pretty to think All along there was some Invisible string Tying you to me?“ (Love the idea of the string representing their friendship, how it never snipped. How it only braided together, growing tauter, closer, all the time.)

august hits me with a waterfall of Darvey/Donna and Harvey feels. There’s a wistfulness about this song that settles in my gut, twisting it with longing, with musings of all those Almosts in relationships that were so close to coming to fruition then never did. It’s so incredibly reminiscent of how Donna and Harvey toe the lie between friends and almost lovers who-are-nearly-there-but-not-quite for 12 years. IT HURTS SO GOOD.

“Back when we were still changin' for the better >> (THIS IS SO EMOTIONALLY RESONANT IT HURTS) Wanting was enough For me, it was enough To live for the hope of it all Canceled plans just in case you'd call”

But I can see us lost in the memory August slipped away into a moment in time 'Cause it was never mine And I can see us twisted in bedsheets August sipped away like a bottle of wine 'Cause you were never mine >> (Obviously I’m swimming in the angst of this until my fingers get all pruny.) 

Finally there’s mirrorball which is Jisbon/Jane and Lisbon all the way! It’s funny because when I first listened to Folkore I thought that’d be one of the last songs I’d pair with a ship?? YET HERE I AM. Jane was in the carnival circuit growing up and I cannot, for the life of me, stop attaching him to all the descriptions of the circus/revelry. So much of his schtick throughout the show comes down to trickery and observation, which he uses to size people up, and sarcasm, which he often employs as a defense mechanism to keep people at an emotional distance. I like the theme of this song for him and Lisbon. As the mirrorball, he’s shining his true self only for her. She’s the only person who sees his “shattered edges”; she’s not distracted by all his “glistening.” Here are my favorite lyrics that are applicable to them:

“I'm a mirrorball I'll show you every version of yourself tonight

“I can change everything about me to fit in You are not like the regulars The masquerade revelers Drunk as they watch my shattered edges glisten” >> (Okay, so this makes me think Jane’s on camera confession to Erica Flynn: “I’m looking for someone who…uh, someone I can trust. Someone strong. Someone at peace with themselves. Someone better than me. Someone who knows the…worst side of me and still loves me.")

“And they called off the circus, burned the disco down When they sent home the horses and the rodeo clowns I'm still on that tightrope I'm still trying everything to get you laughing at me”

“I'm still on that trapeze I'm still trying everything to keep you looking at me“

I will stop there because otherwise I could sit here analyzing songs and ships for the rest of my life, boring you to tears haha. Thanks for this, lovely! (And obviously I’d love to hear some of your song/ship matchups as well!) xx

[song-of-storms162]

Love Beyond the Grave

For the Linked Universe Discord prompt: Flowers + 1497 words + Song by author (don’t try singing it) + a flower reminding a Link of something + flower language

Do you know what a Locust Tree means?

Love is amazing

For it can do wondrous things

“Hey Link, do you know what plant this is?”

Mipha’s scaled hand was pointing at a tree. Taller than the two with groups of pink and white flowers among the oval leaflets, Link squinted at the tree before turning to Mipha.

“It’s a Locust Tree,” he replies. “I didn’t know they grew around Zora domain.”

“They’ve always been around,” Mipha mused. “And yet, the books in the Zora domain don’t mention them a lot.”

Link’s eyes survey the lower groups of flower before moving closer to one nearby. With deft fingers, the knight plucks the group of flowers from the tree. Mipha stares at him curiously and Link smiles at her. “I hear you can cook with flowers in another country, I’ve been wanting to try out a new recipe.”

“Speaking of new recipes, I’ve brought a fish pie with me for you to try.” Mipha holds up the picnic basket as she says this and laughs when she sees Link salivate.

“I’m afraid you’ll have to wait till later. But the sooner we get to Vah Ruta, the sooner we can eat!”

Link takes Mipha’s hand, not seeing her face flood with color. The two race up the mountain, laughter mixing together. And to a stranger, it might’ve been odd. A Zora Princess hand in hand with a Hylian Knight, but for the Zora who had history and lives going more than centuries, it didn’t bother them. A Zora Princess in love with a Hylian Knight, it had happened before after all.

It is never ending

And always around

He wondered what the Zora King felt whenever he saw Mipha’s Zora armor. He felt guilty when he first wore it, when Muzu exclaimed Mipha had made it and saved it for her future husband who he believed to not be Link.

King Dorephan and Prince Sidon were the kind ones, they didn’t blame him, they shared his sorrow in losing Mipha.

100 years. The King had the armor for a hundred years, and Wild wondered what he felt when he saw the armor? Did he see the future Mipha might’ve had? The future they could’ve had?

Like a flower

It starts from the seed so small

Mipha was older than him, Zora lived to hundreds of years. And yet, Link made a friend in her. Children were supposed to play tag and play pranks, but Link had to sword fight and study enemies. He joined Mipha’s spear fighting class and the two bonded over that. He showed her how he executed a spin attack and she in turn learned how to do an attack with multiple stabbing for spears and tridents.

Then it grows

It makes its presence known to all

Even in the midst of destruction

The blossoms grow among the blood

For nothing can stop

The growth of love the flower

When he was old enough and stood height to height with Mipha, that was when it changed. Gone were childhood feelings of fondness. Link was an adult, the captain of the Royal Guard. He replaced love and time for relationships with more training. But Mipha was still there, a steady rock in the rushing river of life. He saw her constantly, while his eyes changed, the blue in them becoming honed chips of ice.

He was no longer a child but he would always retain a fondness for Mipha. And when the preparations for Calamity Ganon began, Mipha began to realize.

This was not the same Hylian child she met. Link was a grown man. But Mipha would see from time to time, the shards of the child she met, the innocence and vulnerability he retained.

And she saw that she was the few he felt safe enough with to do so. The few that knew what his expressions hid. She caressed his cheek when she saw a particular troubling expression and would always ask: ”Is everything alright?”

And he would go silent and mumble, “yes.”

She was pleased, happy he held her in such regard. She began growing nervous lately, wondering what jewelry to adorn, if she ought to wear perfume for him. And then she realized, she was in love.

That love grew to the point she began gathering materials for the Zora armor.

Like love a flower has potential for growth

But love has a friend who brings surprises

It’s name is Fate

The life changer

She watched them from Hyrule Castle, the Princess and the Knight, along with the King, Revali, Urbosa and Daruk. She no longer felt the jealousy she once harbored towards the Princess. She felt calm, at ease. That Link had a companion in this world.

She still loved him, but what could one do for a lover when they were gone?

So she let the contentment fill her soul as she whisked off to Zora Domain. To see Zelda and Link.

Love when grown and cultivated

Can go beyond the caress of Time

Beyond death’s hand

Beyond the grave

“Link! Link!” Princess Zelda and Link were shocked to see Sidon running towards them. “There’s been an event! You must come see!”

The Knight and the Princess were whisked to Vah Ruta, sitting in Lanayru Great Spring. The Zora had left a monument there for Mipha but it was not alone. The statue built in likeness to the one in town was shrouded in trees filled with pink and white flowers. Locust trees surrounded the mechanical beauty and with it, the statue. Pink and white flowers had fallen and drifted to the water, the green trees making Vah Ruta look like it was rising and trumpeting from a forest to the sky above.

“The trees just sprouted!” Sidon exclaims but Zelda and Link weren’t listen. “Out of the ground and growing faster than an Octorok shooting a target!”

Zelda cupped her hands over her mouth in surprise and Link...

Had tears rolling down his cheeks.

For love is eternal

And forever in the air

It’s blossoming invisible

Except for the fruits it bears

“Wild! Wild!” Wind exclaims to grab the older’s attention before accidentally ramming backwards into a tree, eliciting a shower of leaves, petals and flowers. And soon, the only sign of Wind’s form were the two eyes amidst a pile of green leaves and pink and white petals.

Legend’s laugh booms off the stone, along with other forms of amusement in their group. Sky and Twilight move to relieve the younger hero of his predicament while the others bound through the sea of Locust trees, curiosity in their heels.

Wild leaves them be, his hands move to his pack to bring out a wrapped package, a fish pie with smoke still wafting from it. He makes his way through the trees, the familiar sight and scent of them comforting. A stray branch brushes his ear but instead feeling startled, the branch nearly goes unnoticed.

But Wild feels it.

For it felt like the caress of a familiar pair of hands.

He finds the rest of the group in the middle of the forest, where Mipha’s statue stood, proud and beautiful. He saw there had been fresh fish and baskets of fruits left by the Zora at the foot of the statue and gifts his companions left ranging from fruit to flowers.

A smile quirked his face as he came closer to place the fish pie at the foot of the statue. When Wild turned to his companions, he found them all staring back.

“You know,” Legend quips. “If you had wanted to see her, you could have said so.”

“Oh shush, Legend,” says Warriors. “He said he wanted to take us somewhere beautiful and he’s done exactly that.”

“What are all these trees? They seem to only grow here, Wild.” Wind inquires.

“They’re Locust trees,” says Hyrule. “But Wind’s right. This is the only large group of Locust trees.”

“There’s a meaning behind it, isn’t there?”

Time’s eyes slice to Wild, but the former’s face is full of cheekiness.

Wild hums and he looks up to the statue’s face.

“Do any of you know what the Locust tree means?”

“Probably something with affection,” says Warriors who gets elbowed by Twilight.

“They don’t always mean affection, you can actually insult someone through flowers.”

“Really?” Wind’s eyes are wide. “But I wanted to send some to my sister!”

“Some flowers do that, but you can send your sisters these flowers if you’d like.”

Wild motions for Wind to follow him and leads him to trees with prettier blooms, Time and Sky following after deciding to send some to their own loves. As the four pick flowers, Wind decides glances at Wild.

“What do these flowers mean, Wild?”

Wild’s hands stop and a full smile tilts his lips.

“They mean love, love beyond the grave.”

Love is eternal

Love goes beyond

Limits and time

And death and it’s allies

For love is powerful

The most powerful of all

[goingknowherewastaken]

Divine Me A Masterpiece Challenge

♦ About

Welcome to my 1000 follower challenge!!! With there being a lot of seasonal challenges right now I thought I’d do something a little different. I thought that maybe we should get in touch with magic that’s in the air right now ;)

So for this challenge we are looking at tarot! First I’ll go over the rules and expectations, then gloss over tarot, and finally round out this post with the characters and prompts. So let’s get started :D

♦ Rules

To Enter

You must apply through my ask box so no anons. If you are using a side blog and don’t want your main shown to the world tell me so in the ask and I will not post it publicly. 

Every entry needs to be inspired by a Major Arcana card and must be focused on a character or ship I listed.

Each card is limited to one person!

Entries must be sent by ask and will be posted publicly!

I have bonus prompts listed at the bottom of this post; you need to use at least one (1) and you are limited to three (3) total! Sentence prompts are all first come, first serve! The majority of the AU prompts have a two person limit.

What your ask should include - the tarot card you wish to claim, the character or ship you wish to write for, and 1-3 of the prompts/AUs I have listed (You need to use at least one from the list).

All angst must have a happy ending and no cis-swapping.

I am accepting - fics, fan art, moodboards, edits, and playlists (you need to make a cover for it).

Note: I work second shift so please don’t panic if I don’t respond in the afternoon/evening hours.

November 24th, 2018 - I currently am just shy of 1000 followers and will not be posting a due date for these until I get 1000 followers. I will tag all who entered when that happens.

When Posting Your Work

All entries are due on February 22nd, 2019. Please do not post before then.

Make sure to list - the character/ship you wrote for, any warnings, and if it is nsfw.

Tell me how you interpreted the card for your work.

Make sure to tag me @goingknowherewastaken and @jiminthestreets-bonesinthesheets (Ashley is my assistant during this challenge)

Please use this tag within the first 5 tags - #DivineMeAMasterpieceChallenge

If your work contains nsfw content please make sure to tag it accordingly.

Please send me the link to your work through my ask box!

♦ About Tarot

We’ve all seen the decks of cards with beautiful designs used for helping find possible answers to questions we may have, but not everyone knows what’s going on with them. I will gloss over the bare minimum of info here, but I encourage you all to read up on tarot if you are unfamiliar with it.

Tarot cards are used for uncovering possible answers to questions we have about our lives - from love to career. Cards can be drawn and placed in a certain layout (spread) and are then read in a specific order. They are meant for enlightenment and what they tell in the spread is not set in stone - they are cards and you can ignore their take if you wish.

There are two ways to read the cards depending on how they appear in a spread - upright and reversed (upside down). If the card is revealed to be right-side up you are to read the card as is and if it is reversed then it’s meaning is reversed.

Depending on the deck, the description of the card can vary slightly, but overall they are similar. Also, the meaning behind the card is affected by the other cards in the spread. For this challenge you will only have to worry about the card you selected.

Because there are in total 78 cards in a standard deck (divided between the Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana), we will only be using the Major Arcana which totals 22 cards.

Please read up more on the card you select!!!!!

The Tarot Cards (the words listed are just brief overviews of the cards that I gathered from Biddy Tarot)

Fool - @haveyouseenmymind 

Upright - beginnings, innocence, spontaneity, a free spirit

Reversed - naivety, foolishness, recklessness, risk-taking

The Magician

Upright - power, skill, concentration, action, resourcefulness

Reversed - manipulation, poor planning, latent talents

High Priestess - @frostingsfics 

Upright - intuition, higher powers, mystery, subconscious mind

Reversed - hidden agendas, need to listen to inner voice

The Empress

Upright - fertility, femininity, beauty, nature, abundance

Reversed - creative block, dependence on others

The Emperor

Upright - authority, father-figure, structure, solid foundation

Reversed - domination, excessive control, rigidity, inflexibility

Hierophant - @bsotstory 

Upright - religion, group identification, conformity, tradition, beliefs

Reversed - restriction, challenging the status quo

Lovers - @the-goddamn-queen 

Upright - love, union, relationships, values alignment, choices

Reversed - disharmony, imbalance, misalignment of values

Chariot

Upright - control, will power, victory, assertion, determination

Reversed - lack of control and direction, aggression

Strength

Upright - strength, courage, patience, control, compassion

Reversed - weakness, self-doubt, lack of self-discipline

Hermit - @auduna-druitt 

Upright - soul-searching, introspection, being alone, inner guidance

Reversed - isolation, loneliness, withdrawal

Wheel of Fortune - @kjs-s

Upright - good luck, karma, life cycles, destiny, a turning point

Reversed - bad luck, negative external forces, out of control

Justice

Upright - justice, fairness, truth, cause and effect, law

Reversed - unfairness, lack of accountability, dishonesty

Hanged Man

Upright - suspension, restriction, letting go, sacrifice

Reversed - martyrdom, indecision, delay

Death - @captainsbabysitter-blog 

Upright - endings, beginnings, change, transformation, transition

Reversed - resistance to change, unable to move on

Temperance

Upright - balance, moderation, patience, purpose, meaning

Reversed - imbalance, excess, lack of long-term vision

Devil - @bookcaseninja

Upright - bondage, addiction, sexuality, materialism

Reversed - detachment, breaking free, power reclaimed

Tower - @haveyouseenmymind 

Upright - disaster, upheaval, sudden change, revelation

Reversed - avoidance of disaster, fear of change

Star - @filatarcangelus

Upright - hope, spirituality, renewal, inspiration, serenity

Reversed - lack of faith, despair, discouragement

Moon - @resistance-is-futile81

Upright - illusion, fear, anxiety, insecurity, subconscious

Reversed - release of fear, unhappiness, confusion

Sun - @and-i-cant-resurrect-you 

Upright - fun, warmth, success, positivity, vitality

Reversed - temporary depression, lack of success

Judgement 

Upright - judgement, rebirth, inner calling, absolution

Reversed - self-doubt, refusal of self examination

World  

Upright - completion, integration, accomplishment, travel

Reversed - lack of completion, lack of closure

♦ Characters And Ships

Characters (for reader inserts)

Jim Kirk (AOS)

Leonard McCoy (AOS)

Spock (AOS)

Scotty (AOS or TOS)

Steve Trevor

Steve Rogers

Bucky Barnes

Clint Barton

Bruce Banner

Thor

Peter Quill

Skurge

Owen Grady (Jurassic World)

Nicholas Devereaux (The Princess Diaries 2)

Cinderella’s Prince (Into The Woods)

Bernie Webber (The Finest Hours)

Jack Ryan (Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit)

Toby Howard (Hell Or High Water)

FDR Foster (This Means War)

Dr. Alex Murray (A Wrinkle In Time)

Robert the Bruce (Outlaw King)(I can’t help it he’s too precious with Elizabeth!!)

Eomer

Vaako (The Chronicles of Riddick)

Gavin (Pete’s Dragon)

William Cooper (RED)

John Kennex (Almost Human)

Vincent Stevens (The Loft)

Kirill (The Bourne movies)

Ships

McKirk

WonderTrev

Jim Kirk x Eomer

Jim Kirk x Vaako

Jim Kirk x Scotty (Scirk)

Owen Grady x Charlie Weasley (from Harry Potter)(I know no one will use this ship but I have to have hope ya know?)

WonderKirk

Napollya (Napoleon Solo x Illya Kuryakin from (T.M.F.U.)

Merthur

I have expressed interest in other crossfandom ships in the past that involve one (or some) of the characters listed above so if you have an ship in mind ask me about it and I may grant an exception to it (no sp*rk though so don’t even try that)

♦ Other Prompts

Sentence Prompts (gathered from around tumblr)

“I…think I’m in love?” - @the-goddamn-queen 

“Are you scared? Don’t be. ‘ll protect you from today onwards.” @haveyouseenmymind

“It’s crazy, isn’t it? Two complete strangers who know nothing about each other being brought together like this.”

your car slid into a snowbank and i’m the mechanic that comes to tow you

i hate the holidays more than anything in the world and you drive me nuts because you love the holidays more than anything in the world and this is why we aren’t friends (enemies to friends to lovers hello)

i’m constantly dragging all my friends to your hockey games because i think you’re so much fun to watch and i don’t think you’ll ever notice me

you knit me a sweater for christmas and i realize i am in love with you @bsotstory 

your birthday lands on christmas so no one ever remembers except this year i’ve asked everyone to delay their holidays to throw you a proper birthday bash

I build a fort in the college courtyard and have been throwing snowballs at people passing by and you are not impressed

our first date is spent walking around our small town holding hands and talking as soft snow falls around us @resistance-is-futile81 

I mean life is full of surprises. You could find the love of your life tomorrow, but you could also wake up bald. @the-goddamn-queen 

Will you press pause on your SHIT for 5 minutes? @the-goddamn-queen 

“Let’s not confuse healthy eating with a hot dog.”

“I’m gonna lay down and die for like a half hour okay?”  @auduna-druitt

“So MacGyvering this out of my tuckus right now.” @captainsbabysitter-blog 

“I just did some calculations, and I’ve been able to determine that you’re full of shit.” @frostingsfics 

“You screw with me, I’ll screw with you.”

“i’m pretty good at providing distractions.”

“Why is there a picture of Steve Buscemi in your bathroom?!”

“These stars are nothing compared to the ones I’ve seen in your eyes.”

“Are you ready to dance with the devil?” @bookcaseninja

hey i just moved into the house next door and i just wanted to let you know that your dog keeps getting into my yard an - wait what? what do you mean that’s a cat????? that’s not a cat it’s fucking huge!!!! (turns out it is a cat, it’s just really big and fat) @haveyouseenmymind 

The postal worker delivered your package to my place accidentally and I was expecting something so I totally didn’t look before I opened it and… wow that is um… quite an interesting thing you bought and I’m here to return it

our dogs are in love with each other and it’s making things awkward at the dog park AU

I injured myself doing something stupid at a holiday party and you’re the doctor at the emergency clinic AU

I just moved into a new apartment and went to buy groceries, but I bought more than I could carry back. I’ve stopped to catch my breath when I hear someone asking if I need help and I look up and the sun is literally making you glow like a damn angel. @and-i-cant-resurrect-you 

where one person is actually famous and sets up a dating account with their real picture and the other sees it and is like, oh dude you are not fooling anyone with that picture and when they actually meet the other is pissed because DUDE YOU’RE THAT FAMOUS PERSON and the other is like, yeah, i mean, i thought you knew…

i have a soft spot for cats so i always feed the fat one that’s always hanging out in the hall with treats and now it started hanging around me fuck i’m so sorry i didn’t mean to accidentally steal your pet @filatarcangelus

“ur just a random stranger and i’ve been ranting to you for like 20 minutes about how much i hate this one band but now several groups of people came up to you asking for pics and autographs, and oh shit it turns out you’re in the band i’ve been going on about” au

You’re a famous viner and I constantly witness you doing the weirdest things AU

“I went to see you live in concert and was front row and you went into the crowd and I grabbed your hand, but started freaking out so much that I was touching you that I couldn’t let go to the point where security had to physically tear me away from you and now you’ve invited me backstage literally what” AU

AU Prompts (each of these (baring the Soulmate AU) has a two person limit)

Soulmate AU (there will be no limitations on this prompt) - @frostingsfics 

A/B/O AU

Shop AU -

Book shop,

flower shop,

bakery,

coffee shop/cafe,

ice cream shop,

boutique/antique store

Professors/Teachers AU

Wings AU - @bookcaseninja 

Supernatural Creature(s) AU

vampires,

werewolves,

fey,

shapeshifters,

Ghosts,

demons,

Angels

merpeople

Magic/HP AU - @haveyouseenmymind 

Celebrity/Famous Face/Hollywood AU

Fake Relationship AU - @captainsbabysitter-blog 

Youtuber/Viner AU

Circus AU - @kjs-s 

Roommates AU - @auduna-druitt

Historical AU

Fairy Tail/Disney AU

Spy/Secret Agent AU

Royalty AU - @and-i-cant-resurrect-you 

Classic Novel Pride & Prejudice AU

Tagging those interested: @musicmandy1991 (tumblr won’t let me tag you????) @haveyouseenmymind @outside-the-government @tardisoftheshire @bookcaseninja @miraclesoflove @exiledtime @cynically-optomistic @frostedej

[iamtaekooked]

Vanilla Rules || Ch 13|| pjm

Genre: Enemies to Lovers! AU, badboy! au, college! au

Word count: 5.5k

Synopsis:

The hate saga between you and baddie of the town Park Jimin rests on two very simple rules: 1.) Hate each other for the rest of your lives and 2.)under no circumstances fall in love with each other. But what happens when the possibility of love threatens this dynamic?

A/N: This took me so long to write!!! and since people had been asking when I am updating I thought I would do it since I was struck with .Idk if this could have gone in a different direction, but please don’t get mad at me. Enjoy ;)

Ch 1 || Ch 2 || Ch 3 || Ch 4 || Ch 5 || Ch 6 || Ch 7|| Ch 8 || Ch 9 || Ch 10|| Ch 11 || Ch 12 || Ch 13 || Ch 14

The next few days passed by in a blur mostly because you hadn’t stepped foot outside your apartment. All you did was mope around, get drunk and fall asleep. It was a coping mechanism you were using to avoid having to think about a certain boy. It was your worst nightmare come true because you were inept at dealing with this new revelation.

To say you were confused would be an understatement. To you, it felt like having your whole world turned upside down. It was akin to existing in a living breathing hell which partly might have been of your own making. Maybe if you hadn’t let your guard down, or if you hadn’t forgone your dislike none of this would have happened.

The flood of mixed emotions that was painfully drowning you with each passing day was difficult to handle. Amongst everything you were feeling, frustration was a big perpetrator. You were constantly irritable and any time Taehyung brought up Jimin you physically felt the need to scream and break something. You couldn’t even hear the boy’s name without wanting to rip all your hair out.

But despite that, another emotion lingered in the depths of your heart: fear. The near constant anxiety had diminished your appetite, and sleep. You were clueless as to how to face him. It wasn’t like you had done anything wrong, but you couldn’t even find it in yourself to imagine being face to face with Jimin after what he had said. You often wondered at times whether he was just as affected as you were. Maybe he had told you that as a joke and maybe when you would see him next he would tell you the same. 

That would be the ideal scenario. However, a small inkling in the back of your mind told you otherwise. He looked far too serious to be joking. Unless he carried the talent of being a flawless actor in his repertoire. But that was unlikely as well. So basically you were utterly screwed.

You knew you would have to get out and face the music because one week of missed classes was enough to kick your scholarship to the curb. You couldn’t afford it so there was a choice to be made. Either you could go to college tomorrow and face your demons, or you could stay holed up in your apartment and risk your career. It should have been an easy choice had it not been for the confession that was sprung on you.

Lying around aimlessly with the bottle of wine in your hand the situation you were in right now was far too similar to the one you had experienced before. Jimin had threatened you into kissing him in the gym after the basketball game and you had done so. Even then you had hidden away, and now were doing the same. 

Even Taehyung did not know about it. You didn’t want to put him in an awkward spot so you had refrained from telling him about Hoseok, the fight, and now Jimin. He had questioned you multiple times about it, but you always managed to find an escape.

With a heavy sigh, you relinquished your moping to pour yourself another drink. You were in the midst of doing so when the door flung open to reveal-- Jimin?

You dropped the bottle of wine in your hand and the liquid sloshed on the beige carpet, coloring it red. A tight nauseating knot bound your stomach, and your heart skipped mercilessly in your chest. You looked at the door wide-eyed, the word leaving your mouth as a panicked whisper. “J-Jim-Jimin?”

“I wish I looked like Jimin” the voice was definitely not his. It was a tad bit deeper so you rubbed your eyes and instantly the image changed to reveal Yoongi.

“Yoongi!” you jumped from your seat but instantly fell back down because your motor functions were not optimal at the moment.

“Woah!” he approached you. “How much have you tortured your liver?”

“Ughhh. My liver is the least of my worries Yoong” you sighed once more and hoped that it would convey your helplessness accurately.

“Were you expecting Jimin?” Yoongi crouched down and took a bunch of tissues from the tissue box on the coffee table and began cleaning the spill. It wasn’t salvageable but you were grateful for his help.

“What!” you chuckled because of the irony of his statement. If only he knew, he wouldn’t have said that. “Noooo…. I am not expecting Jimin. In fact I am never going to”

“What happened now?” he stood up and strode towards the kitchen behind you.

You waited for him to be face to face with you again to answer. Once he was back you decided to reply. “Nothing and everything”

“Wow. That definitely answers all my questions” he shook his head as he took a seat next to you. You weren’t sure if you should reveal this to anyone because it would only involve more people in the unnecessary drama. But then again you had not talked with anyone about your worries and the stress was eating you away. Yoongi always had good advice so maybe he could suggest something to ease your growing pains. 

You turned your head to look at him and a second later he shifted his sideways to look at you as well. “Jimin didn’t tell you?”

“So something did happen then” he raised a curious eyebrow waiting for you to spill the beans.

But it felt like a betrayal if you told him first and not Taehyung so you decided you would wait until Taehyung was back to tell them both about the kind of mess you were in. You doubted they would be able to help but maybe you needed your friends to be able to figure all this out. 

///

To a third party, it might have looked like Taehyung and Yoongi were stoned and not you. They were staring at each other blankly as if neither of them possessed the brain power to comprehend your story. You were expecting a better reaction than the one you were getting. It was a little more “grandiose” in your head and there was a bit of an outburst as well.

But none of that came to fruition because both boys casually shook their heads at each other after a moment of silence.

“What?” you looked between the two of them.

“So he said he likes you?” Taehyung attempted cautiously as if he was scared of you going off on him or something.

“He said he might just like me more than he wants to. I mean he said might. So maybe after all he doesn’t like me. Right?” you looked at Taehyung and then at Yoongi.

“I can’t speak for him but it’s better if you talk it out amongst yourselves” Yoongi responded

“Tell me you don’t actually mean that” you deadpanned

“I do. Eventually, you have to talk about it” he shrugged like it was the most likely of occurrences.

“Not happening. I mean what would we even talk about?” you couldn’t help the frustration as you threw your hands in the air.

“Forget that. First, we need to get you out of the house” Taehyung slipped his hands into yours and helped you up.

“Where are we going?” you looked at him puzzled.

“Somewhere” he turned you around by the shoulders and pushed you in the direction of the washroom.

“Alright, you kids have fun. I gotta go to work” Yoongi stood up, ruffled your hair, high fived Taehyung and left.

///

“So your idea of getting me out of the house was the soccer game?” you looked at Taehyung accusingly.

“It’s better than you moping around in the apartment all day y/n. The world hasn’t come to an end so stop acting like it has” he shrugged and took a sip of his beer, waving wildly to some of his friends from the soccer team.

“Seriously?” your mouth hung open as a sign of your disbelief

“Yeah. But for now, Hoseok is coming here so you might wanna act like its A-okay. You don’t want to be the reason behind the captain of the soccer team not showing up for the game today” he smiled at you and quickly fixed his expression into a pleasant and welcoming one-- a bright smile and a ton of enthusiasm.

“Hey, guys! Thanks for coming” Hoseok greeted you and Taehyung with a bright smile.

“I wasn’t going to miss this game bro. Good luck out there today” Taehyung and Hoseok shared a high five.

“Good luck. I know you will win us this game. You’re the best we have Hoseok” you beamed at him and he nodded in return.

“Thank you y/n. I am going to try my best” the corners of his mouth lifted to return your smile. But then his gaze shifted behind you and his smile faltered. With a small frown, you turned around and felt the wind knocked out of you.

Jimin and Jeongguk were approaching the stands in all their glory. Your muscles stiffened, and heartbeat painfully fast. A feeling of crippling warmth spread through your body while your mouth dried up. Whipping your head back around you looked at Taehyung in panic. He didn’t understand the look of absolute horror on your face until Jimin was within his line of sight. His mouth opened in realization while his eyes shifted between you.

Jeongguk quickly skipped the few rows of bleachers and settled beside Taehyung. Your hand tightened around Taehyungs free hand, prompting his attention towards you.

“Relax. It ’s just Jimin” Taehyung whispered close to your ear in an attempt to calm you down but it wasn’t helping.

“Didn’t think you would show up” Hoseok motioned his head at Jimin

“I might not like you but I still have school spirit” the two men nodded at each other as Jimin finally halted to a stop next to you.

Your limbs stiffened, rendering your muscles incapable of functioning. You should have looked away but you couldn’t. You couldn’t even blink, or swallow and you practically forgot how to breathe. Jimin had never been one to induce such panic in you. But now he was the reason you were shaking in your spot, almost feverishly. 

His voice from the other day repeated the wretched words on a loop in your head. He triggered a hoard of memories you had been trying to suppress. Once again you felt the feeling of his lips on yours and your heart couldn’t decide whether to beat faster or to stop beating altogether. You would have preferred the latter because he had focused his gaze on you which only spelled your demise. A hiccuping fit ensued making both Hoseok turn his attention to you. It only served to make things worse.

Jimin looked at you with curiously raised eyebrows, causing you to blink away from him awkwardly. The cup of beer was almost meeting Taehyung’s lips when you snatched it from him and chugged the whole drink in one breath. That definitely did not help because a second later you were hiccuping endlessly-- worse than before.

You saw a water bottle extended in front of you and trailing up the arm you saw a sweet-faced Jeongguk. You took it from him with a nod and drank all of it feeling some relief as your chest stopped burning. You focused on the vast field to distract yourself from Jimin’s gaze which still rested on you. But it proved to be a futile because you hazarded a glance only to find him staring right back.

“Hey Jimin” Taehyung was a bit too late in his greeting but it came as a respite because he turned his focus onto Taehyung instead.

“Hey” Jimin responded.

“Are you going to watch the game with us ?” Taehyung questioned with a tone of surprise. But it was more like an invitation than anything else. You wanted to sock him but refrained from doing so with much difficulty. Jimin’s eyes shifted to you and simultaneously you looked at him too. You had no idea what made you try such a stupid move because he was already staring back. You made haste of averting your gaze and focusing to the side somewhere.

“Yeah” he responded after a moment as he occupied a spot on the row below in front of Taehyung.

“Anyway, I gotta go. Enjoy the game” Hoseok winked at you and you gave him a small smile accompanied with a nod.

Jimin looked over his shoulder at you and then at Hoseok. You caught his eye for a split second and managed to notice the scowl on his face. You were almost at the edge of your seat, ready to sprint when you remembered doing so would be giving into your-- whatever it was you were feeling. Even if it killed you by the end, you had no choice but to endure.

///

It was half-time and people began emptying the stands. You watched them leave just to try and distract yourself. Somehow in the midst of the game, Jimin had moved to your row and was sitting beside Jeongguk whilst staring affront with a vacant look in his eyes. After a quick glance at him, you did the same while fidgeting with your hands in the lap. It was becoming increasingly difficult to stay in his presence but you knew you had to stick it out. Otherwise, if you gave into your anxiety that would mean that his words and actions meant something to you. But they didn’t. Right?

It was incomprehensible the way your body reacted in his presence. You became hyper-aware of your bodily sensations like the stiff muscles and limbs, the hammering of your heartbeat, the shallow breaths, and the feeling of tight knots in your stomach. You could feel everything and it amplified ten times more when you focused on Jimin.

You weren’t even sure if you had processed your feelings about the matter. In fact, you didn’t even know if you had processed the situation itself, much less your thoughts about it. When he had told you he likes you more than he wants to, a moment later he had looked at you like he couldn’t believe it himself. Wordlessly he had sat in the car, just staring at the steering wheel, while you stood stunned at your spot.

You still remembered that you stood against the hood of his car alone and watched as the sun rose in the sky. He hadn’t interrupted you and neither did you disturb him while he sat in the driver’s seat with his head resting against the steering wheel. Maybe you had stayed like that for an hour or two, neither of you talking to the other as you both soaked in the peaceful glowing morning and possibly the tumultuous emotions both of you were feeling. When you finally gathered the courage, you went back inside the car. He drove you to your apartment, not a single word or look exchanged for the duration of the ride. The whole situation was so surreal you thought it better not to dwell on it at the moment.

That resolve carried over the next week as you drowned yourself in alcohol and sleep. Had it not been for Taehyung’s insistence you were sure it would have gone on longer. But it felt nice to be out-- except for Jimin being there too. That was something you would have to work on.

“I am gonna go get some food. Let's go Jeongguk” Taehyung stood up and winked at you while motioning his head very indiscreetly towards Jimin. You sprung to your feet in panic with wide eyes as you gaped at Taehyung in horror. You clasped his wrist in a tight grip while shaking your head rapidly. Taehyung gently uncurled your fingers from his wrist and ushered a clueless Jeongguk who made sounds of protestation.

You supposed you could follow them but Taehyung would send you back. Sometimes you really hated him. As you watched the two boys disappear into the distance, you also felt all sense of sanity and composure leave you. It’s not like you were calm and collected before, but there was at least a sense of relief having other people around which prevented any possibility of conversation. But now that seemed unlikely as you sat down on the bleacher with slumped shoulders. There was no barrier between you and Jimin this time so it was even more awkward.

You glanced at him from the corner of your eyes and quickly looked away before he could catch you. You realized you had your phone with you and took it out of your jean pocket. As luck would have it, your phone had run of out battery which meant you had no way of distracting yourself except by people watching.

“You look like shit” you jolted upon hearing Jimin’s voice.

All the dread was replaced by a sudden irritation at hearing those words. You weren’t expecting those to be his first words after he kissed you. You had no idea how you were meant to have a conversation with him after everything, but this wasn’t the start you could have imagined if you ever did. You realized in that instant that you did expect things from him and it made you all the more flustered. Because you knew you shouldn’t expect anything from him and the fact that you did scared you. It meant that somehow he mattered in your life since you only ever expect from the people you care for. But you didn’t care for Jimin. Right?

“I’ll take that as a compliment given that I can’t even say that for you since you are a shitty person” you turned to face him with a scowl.

He chuckled with a shake of his head, almost bitterly, almost disappointingly. Your heart sunk when you looked at him, because he looked a bit hurt .“It’s a better compliment than I expected given...” he shrugged a bit clearly referring to his confession. 

Did he have to bring it up? No. Yet there it was, the incomplete and grave reference that needed no saying. The unsaid words hung thick with tension more than ones that had been spoken. Usually such serious matters never needed to be directly addressed because of how grave and impactful they were to those involved. It would be like opening Pandora’s box and hoping all ends well, despite knowing it would not. 

This was like opening the Pandora’a box atleast in context of your situation,  because the box held dreaded feelings, emotions,  unsaid words that could potantially cause significant damage. Or ones that could create unparalleled fear in both of you. 

“Well... “ you started shakily, hating how weak and helpless it sounded. But before you could reply, you were saved  by Hoseok, who was walking up the bleachers towards you. Jimin looked completely taken aback as Hoseok slowly approached you. He scoffed audibly and for a split second, you looked at him in confusion before returning your attention to Hoseok. Instantly you stood up to greet the boy, more out of curiosity than anything else.

“Aren’t you supposed to be out in the field?” you questioned a bit too enthusiastically because relief flooded you as you did not have to carry on the conversation about what happened with Jimin. It was too soon. 

“I am but I needed a dose of luck”

“A dose of luck?” you frowned in confusion

You heard a scoff from your right and you knew it was Jimin. From your peripheral vision, you could tell he was shaking his head and rolling his eyes. Even if Hoseok heard it, he ignored it as he kept his focus on you.

“Yeah. You” a smile quivered at the corner of his lip. Then out of nowhere, he smashed his lips onto yours. It was a kiss full of passion which triggered the memory of Jimin's kiss. That rendered you a complete vegetable because the physical stimulation and the mental torture somehow ended up on the same page and managed to push you into defeat. You could feel his soft lips against yours and you knew your brain was registering it. But your motor reflexes had been fried due to the chaotic rush of memories and Jimin’s voice faintly lingering in your head telling you to back away. You felt so dizzy that your eyes closed of their own accord due to the heaviness settling in behind your eyelids.

Hoseok parted from your lips with a faint blush covering his cheeks and you couldn’t imagine yourself looking any different-- mostly because of shock. You just blinked at the boy in complete surprise. You wanted to say something, but you didn’t even know what. You stood in a daze, unable to move a single muscle. And then you remembered Jimin which managed to wash over you waves of guilt. Everything felt so wrong all of a sudden. Hoseok kissing you, Jimin witnessing it, you being unable to react-- all of it felt wrong.

“I’ll-- I will see you later” a small shy smile curved his lips as his eyes lingered on your face a little longer before he awkwardly scratched the nape of his neck. He turned around and jogged back to his teammates on the field as the second half began. You heard the whistle ring and you could faintly make out players on the field but you were too engrossed in your thoughts to fully be present at the moment.

Your knees felt so weak, you had to sit down. Your cheeks were burning mostly because Jimin was staring at you. You glanced at him only to find him glaring at you. It was the kind of look someone gives when they are silently accusing you of something-- like maybe he thought that somehow this was your fault. You wanted to tell him to stop looking at you like that because not only did it unnerve you, but it also made you feel guilty. You wanted to run away from everything, to never see Hoseok or Jimin again. But like before your body was frozen in place.

Jimin hadn’t said a word because his eyes-- the hatred in them said it all. Abruptly standing up, he stormed off and you could only watch him disappear into the distance. That is when you felt your heart sink. It affected you and you couldn’t understand why. It was unlike you to feel this way, especially where Jimin was concerned. Yet you desperately wanted to chase after him because you heard his voice from that day in your head: I think I might just like you more than I want to. It was like a sense of urgency had taken hold of you. Like if you didn’t go after him he would misunderstand and you didn’t want him to think bad of you. 

Biting your lip you stared at your lap while fidgeting with your hands, and feet tapping impatiently against the steel surface. You looked back in the direction he had left and found no sign of him. The urgent feeling within you was getting worse by the second and you found it hard to sit still anymore. Like a spell of some sort had been lifted, your once rigid body regained its ability to move. You sprung to your feet and while muttering apologies for stepping on people’s toes and disrupting their view of the game, you left the field and ran in the same direction he had left.

A part of you wanted to scream his name, however, that would be very lame. So you searched and searched the whole college and finally found him in the gym where he was shooting hoops. Your frantic heart calmed down when you saw his figure through the glass window in the gym door. It reminded you of the time you had been locked in the school and both of you had played ball through the night only to wake up cuddled next to each other the morning after.

The memory triggered the appearance of a small smile which quivered at the end of your lip. It vanished though because Jimin had caught you staring at him. Your breath caught in your throat and you gulped hard as your hand encircled around the handle. With a deep breath in, you flung the door open.

Jimin didn’t even acknowledge your presence even after he knew you were there, which somehow made you feel weird. You couldn’t describe the feeling but you almost felt bad that he didn’t look at you or address you. You knew the reason why and it scared you to even admit it to yourself. You walked in further with cautious steps and stood in front of him, watching as he shot one basket in after the other.

“Jimin I-”

“Just leave me alone” he dribbled the ball, took up his shooting stance and shot but missed the net. Cursing under his breath he took another ball and shot it at the net, missing once more. He was growing increasingly agitated and you could tell because his whole body language had changed. His expression was different, furious even with the way his eyes were cold and his lips were almost in a thin line.

“Look I just wanted to say-”

“I said leave me the hell alone. Just fuck off!” he yelled so loud that his voice reverberated across the empty gym. You looked at him wide-eyed in a dumbfounded state and stumbled back in shock. It wasn’t that noticeable but his chest was heaving. He was just glaring at you in the way he did before when the amount of hatred between you was on an equal footing. It was the familiar look of pure anger towards you,  he used to carry before, during the days when you couldn’t even look at him without wanting to slap him.  You felt tears prick your eyes but you would never let him see it. With one last lingering gaze you turned on your heels and proceeded out the gym.

You closed the doors, letting your hand slip from the handle and drop to your side. Standing with your back against the doors you let a few tears escape. You slid to the ground because you felt too weak to support yourself. It was finally too much. To make matters worse you heard Jimin yell something that sounded lot like “fuck’. Before you knew it you were crying, and inside the gym, he was laying on the cold floor staring at the ceiling, completely red in the face.

You didn’t know if you were crying because of what he said and how he said it, or if you were just startled out of your mind. But either way, you felt really bad. You felt bad because he yelled at you and it escaped your understanding why it affected you so much. Normally you wouldn’t have given a damn about him and yelled right back. But you found yourself incapable of looking at him the same way after he had kissed you. Since that day, something about him was changed. He was still the same guy, and you were still the same person but somehow everything was different.  

You didn’t know how but it was. You could feel it. Because knowing his feelings meant you had to be careful with him. Because if something happened it would be your fault. But a part of you felt different since the kiss. Special even, since Jimin wasn’t the kind of man to like someone. He would fuck girls, but in all the time you had known him he never had a single serious partner. So knowing that he possibly harboured feelings for you, made you feel like you meant something to someone. Because for someone like him to feel something, it took a lot. Because he made you feel like you were wanted. That you were worth it-- to him.

Maybe you just didn’t want to disappoint him. Or maybe something inside of you had changed after you shared a kiss with him. It would be expected. But that didn’t mean it didn’t scare you to death.

///

Jimin knew he shouldn’t have yelled at you. The moment he saw the shock in your eyes and your stuttering steps he knew he hadn’t done right. He knew it wasn’t your fault Hoseok kissed you but he was just so angry he couldn’t stop himself. As he lay on the floor, basketball clutched under his armpit, he heard your quiet sobs. The walls really were paper thin, he assumed. Either that or he really did manage to scare you out of your wits to make you cry that hard. His mind was a mess with the image of you kissing Hoseok while drunk, then of him kissing you, and then Hoseok kissing you at the game. It was like his personal tape of torture that replayed in his head on a loop.

A quiet ache settled somewhere in his chest in the form of a constricting feeling. If he could rip his heart out he would. Because that’s how bad it hurt him. If he was to admit it to himself, your frightened image hurt more than Hoseok kissing you simply because he was the one who had inflicted it upon you. He lost control which made him wonder if he would ever be able to stop himself around you. To add to it, he knew you didn’t reciprocate his feelings on the level he wanted. So was it really worth it?

He felt so helpless and frustrated that he desperately wished to talk with someone about it. But considering his only options were Jeongguk, Yoongi, or Taehyung, none of them were the right choice. Yoongi and Taehyung would tell him what they have always been telling him-- that he likes you and he should tell you. But he had done that already and he did not know what to do next. He knew how to be angry about things and how to run away from like when he couldn’t deal with it.

To him, it was the worst mistake he ever made. Maybe he was overrun with the disease of stupidity or maybe at the moment he felt so attracted to you he couldn’t help but kiss you. Yet, that could never have explained in a million years the impulsive confession that came after. It bordered on ‘maybe’ but it was as good of a confession one could expect from Park Jimin.

It wasn’t that he regretted it. No. He would have told you one way or another he felt something for you. But what he couldn’t comprehend was the unnerving effect it had on him after. He has experienced so many hookups and in his drunken state, he has professed his “love” for a lot of girls. He thought he could handle feelings, but maybe not. Nothing ever left him feeling so vulnerable and scared. He had been feeling on edge all week because of it. Every time he imagined an encounter with you it always ended with him embarrassing himself or with you two arguing. He had no idea how to deal with being around you anymore.

He sat up with a frustrated groan leaving his mouth and hand raking through his locks. He did not know how he was supposed to face you, and worse he had no idea what was going on between you and Hoseok. He knew you said you liked him yet everything you had done since contradicted it. He also knew you kissed Hoseok but he wasn’t sure how much of it meant anything since you were clearly drunk. But now that Hoseok had kissed you, sober, he did not know where that left you and your confession of sorts about liking him. Because he saw your eyes close when Hoseok kissed you, and that probably meant something. 

It was like he had lost himself only to find a new side to him. One which he couldn’t understand and which he never knew existed. He hated who he was now because of his feelings. He could not handle feeling so. vulnerable, almost naked and on display. He had given you the liscence to trample on his heart and he wasn't sure he could bear it. He has never experienced anything like it, he has never experienced rejection and that is what it came down to. 

Because a single simple truth remained: Park Jimin was terrified of love. 

Maybe if he just ignored the pangs of excitement in his heart every time he saw you, maybe if he pushed away thoughts of you, maybe if he went back to who he was before everything. Or maybe if he stopped caring about you and Hoseok, he would feel normal. Perhaps if he just ignored everything and became who he was before all of it, he could deal with it. Maybe that is what he would have to do. 

He was not the type of guy to vie for anyone’s attention. Yet he somehow always wanted yours. Maybe in retrospect, Yoongi was right-- he did do all the stupid shit just to get your attention, to keep your thoughts occupied with him even if it wasn’t in a good way. But it was exponentially worse now because he wasn’t bluffing. 

The questions was : were you all in? 

As usual! Let me know what you thought? Was Jimin right in he way he reacted? Should OC have told Hoseok off? I wanna know your thoughts so don’t hesitate :) Thank you for reading and don’t forget to like, or reblog (tags are validation! and I need it from you because I care what you think)

[tren-fraszka]

Chocolate Box Letter 2021

Dear creator,

Thank you for taking your time to check my requests. I know my requests can sound a bit tricky, but please don’t be discouraged. I wish you will have good time writing first and foremost!

My AO3 is Tren, if you wish to check it out.

Likes: comedy, casefics, canon compliants, AUs, time loops, bodyswaps, roleswaps, fantasy AU, urban fantasy AU, “being hoisted by your own petard” plotlines, snark, pettiness, rivals, enemies to friends to lovers, complicated relationship, violence, friendships, character bonding.

DNW: explicit sex (makeouts and fade to black is okay), A/B/O, mpreg, rape depicted as positive (so no “it’s okay, because the other person enjoyed it/it was what they truly wanted”), trans headcanons, soulmate AUs, stories ending with surrender to fate/destiny, fourth wall breaking in canons where that doesn’t occur, character has cancer or other real-life terminal disease AU, word “queerplatonic”.

Also, I included what ships I’m okay with in each fandom. Please do not include any ships that aren’t canon and I have not allowed in those sections (if you feel really strongly about a ship I haven’t mentioned, you can always ask through mods just in case).

Additionally, while I almost never request fanart as possible medium, because I prefer my main gift to be fic, I would be very okay with receiving fanart treats. On another note, feel free to use my old letters if you get your hands on them. I never stop being interested in fandoms, and if I requested something once I will still want it in the future.

                                           REQUESTS

FFF-CLASS TRASHERO| FFF급관심용사 (WEBCOMIC)

I’m caught to the current translation of webcomic. Feel free to include any new developments in webcomic, but please avoid spoilers for the original light novel.

Kang Han Soo/Nasus

Kang Han Soo is a terrible human being and I thrive on his sociopathy. I love the perfect mix of justification that we get for his action through his backstory and unrepentant self-serving attitude this webcomic has. I love that the elf prince is the only person Kang Han Soo seems to have any modicum of respect for and actually gets along with. At the same time Nasus is one of very few characters who seemingly saw through Kang Han Soo upon meeting, knowing exactly what to do to get him on his side. The way Nasus usurped throne with Kang Han Soo's help was great and I would love to see more of their teamwork. 

Maybe Kang Han Soo growing more and more fond of Nasus with each timeloop, because while the world is shit at least the overpowered elven prince seems to understand him a bit. I would love to see Kang Han Soo getting into compromising situations and being in utter denial about having a crush, because anything that doesn't fit his vision of the world can't be true. I can see him convincing himself that sharing long makeout sessions with elfish prince is totally a part of his strategy to get reputation points. He's just building a trust between the nations of elves and humans, okay?

On that note, I don't mind Kang Han Soo exhibiting internalized homophobia if you want to include it. I feel like it fits his character to be in denial about also being interested in men, but I'm also completely okay with different takes on that.

Feel free to abuse the reset mechanic to your hearts content. I love timeloops, so having one baked into the canon is just great. I would also love an AU where Nasus somehow becomes aware of the resets and also starts to retain his memories through them.

TALENTLESS NANA

I’m caught with manga up to chapter 56.

Hiiragi Nana/Tachibana Jin

I love that Jin is the first person on the island that actually has some understanding of Nana. I absolutely love their dynamic of Nana trying to kill him, but Jin always being one step ahead. There's just something fascinating in their back and forth, and constant mind games they have going on. Feel free to slip in any extra murder in between the canon to give them some extra opportunity to just be their terrible selves.

I would equally love some calmer moments between them. Maybe an AU where Nana starts to take care of cat!Jin and talks to him when no ones there to fight off the loneliness, since obviously a cat won't snitch on her. And well, he won't snitch, but not because he can't.

Or maybe Jin feels bored and promises to share some critical information with Nana if she goes on a date with him. And Nana is pretty sure he is just trolling her, but at the same time she has little to lose and everybody needs a day off from killing at some point. Bonus points for Jin constantly shapeshifting into Nana's classmates to hide his identity.

I would like to note that since we don't know Jin's true identity at this point, I'd prefer for it to be kept ambiguous for the purpose of this fic.

FATE/GRAND ORDER

I’m up to date with NA server. Please don’t include any spoilers for jp server.

Ryoma Sakamoto/Okada Izou

I love that the first we see of their relationship is Okada being absolutely pissed about Ryoma betraying him and leaving to die, and Ryoma being like "that's fair", and letting himself get stabbed because he has absolute confidence that Okada doesn't actually want to kill him. If that's not great ship material I don't know what is.

I love how thin the line between Ryoma caring about Okada and manipulating him into doing what he wants is. And that Okada is aware of it, but at same time he's completely unable to let go despite constantly proclaiming that he won't get tricked again. And yet he gets tricked. Every. Single. Time.

I would love both some shenanigans in Chaldea, as well as a look into their lives before they became Heroic Spirits. I'm not very versed in history of Japan though, so while I'd love a more history based story please assume you are telling it to someone who needs a quick history lesson at the same time. For Chaldea shenanigans I would enjoy Okada picking up fight with everyone who catches his attention and then inevitably getting his ass kicked, because he's used to being a big fish in small pond, while Ryoma tries to make sure he doesn't kill himself in the process. Or helps him get along with other Heroic Spirits. I would love to see Okada being pacified with some food. Maybe discovering liking for a dish he had never tried before.

Any mission gone wrong would also be fun. Maybe they Rayshift with Master (I'm fine with both male and female Master for this request) but end up stranded during the mission. Maybe they have to camp somewhere and it results in a lot of bickering. Or they very unsuccessfully try to stealth.

Inclusions of Oryou is welcome, and you are free to make it a threesome. Just please don't forget to include some flirty Ryoma and Okada interactions.

MAIRIMASHITA! IRUMA-KUN

I’m up to date with manga. Feel free to include any new developments.

Ami Kirio/Suzuki Iruma

There are many good ships with Iruma, but this one just has a lot things I like. I love enemy ships with both sides being way too emotionally invested into each other so this was inevitable. I love how this relationship starts as this really wholesome friendship and school festival preparation, except Kirio turns out to be a bit messed up and wants to blow up everyone. But then they both accept the outcome and go on with their lives still thinking about each other. Iruma goes through a lot of trouble to keep the club operating even though Kirio has been pretty much expelled. And then Kirio is now obsessed with Iruma as his anthitesis and perfect enemy. And probably wants to eat him. In which sense of the word is yet to be determined.

I’m okay with the potential story happening at any point in the canon. I would love both a story set before the festival while Kirio is still hiding his true colors or a story set after festival. Maybe Iruma runs into Kirio somewhere after he escapes prison and instead of calling an adult, he tries to stop Kirio from causing trouble on his own. Or maybe Iruma keeps accidentally preventing Kirio's terrorist plans without even realizing, while Kirio keeps pining and probably salivating from distance. As for pre-festival story. Maybe some upperclassmen steal important parts from the club and Iruma and Kirio set out to get them back.

I would definitely love an AU where rather than getting summoned to demon world, Iruma accidentally summons Kirio into the human world. Maybe Iruma’s parents try to use him as an offering, but instead he ends up bound to a demon. I would love to see Kirio excited to unleash suffering (even if his weak powers severely limit him in that regard) onto human world just to discover that he made contract with the biggest pacifist possible.

If you want to explore Kirio's hunger for Iruma I would prefer if it turned out to be that something got lost in translation through all those centuries and it's less about literal consumption and more about intense lust for humans.

TALES OF CRESTORIA

Velvet Crowe/Milla Maxwell

I thrive on the twisted codependency those two have in Crestoria. I will take both good, tragic and/or ambiguous ends for this relationship. Whether Velvet decides to forgive Milla or kill her it will be great. Give me all those twisted emotions, the hesitation, and pain both of them are carrying.

For straightforward approach, maybe the two of them stop in a town while chasing the last Incarnation and Milla decides to throw a party (because it's some sort of festival, or maybe she found out it's Velvet's or Laphicet's birthday and wants to make some amends however small). Or maybe one of them gets hurt during the fight with an Incarnation and the other ends up nursing them to health.

For some more levity, maybe Velvet and Milla ran out of money and pick up some side-job to have enough money for an inn. Maybe they work as waitresses and are both great and terrible at it at the same time. Or they have to take care of kids. Any other amusing job is also good.

Feel free to include other Tales characters. My faves are the cast of Xillia, Symphonia and Graces, but feel free to include others (I would appreciate proper introductions in that case, I still haven't played some of the games, so I might not recognize everyone just by their name).

[echoslammin]

Yuletide 2018 Letter

Dear Yuletide Author,

I’m Echoslam on AO3. Thank you very much for checking out this letter! 

General Information:

Likes: Any kind of AU, romance, friendship, introspection, worldbuilding, smut, canon-appropriate pop culture references, humor (all kinds - comedic situations, witty dialogue, running gags, memes, etc. Seriously, if you’ve ever wanted to experiment with bizarre crack, I’d be happy to be your guinea pig). I also *love* metafiction and nods to quirky game mechanics and canon in-jokes.

DNWs: Body waste kinks, poly, bestiality, non-canon incest

Most of my favorite works tend to be character studies and fluffy romance, but I definitely enjoy darker stuff as well, if that is your thing. Feel free to ignore my prompts and go with your own ideas! If there's a story you've always wanted to write, please have at it, and let me share your enthusiasm. I'm a huge fan of all of these games and am just so excited at the thought of reading fic for any of them.  

Links by Fandom:

Heroes of Might and Magic III Girls' Frontline The Secret World Liar! Uncover the Truth Liar! Office Deception Liar! Scheming Socialites

Heroes of Might and Magic III - Any Character 

I just about had a heart attack when I saw this in the tagset - I've loved HoMM since I was a kid, and III is my favorite in the series. Truly, the turn-based strategy game of my heart. I loved all flavor text in this game, especially the snippets of lore on the heroes and their backstories. If you're writing about any of them, I'd love all kinds of details - from their army composition to the spells and artifacts they have equipped.

Prompts:

Lorelei and Synca relationship development, whether as friends, enemies, or lovers. Since their specialties are harpies and manticores, respectively, how does that work out in combat? Technically, you couldn't have multiple heroes on your side of the battlefield until HoMMIV, but how would these two interact if they were fighting together?  

Anything based on the story campaigns. Maybe missing scenes from Dungeons & Devils or a "bad" ending for Long Live the Queen where the Nighon forces are victorious?

Detailed description of the siege and takeover of an enemy stronghold or the development of a new township.

One of the game mechanics that I always found interesting was how, when you open a treasure chest, you have the option of taking the gold or "distributing it to the peasants" for experience. Is that really how it works? What is the peasants' view of the heroes in this game?

少女前线 | Girls' Frontline - Any Character

Another wonderful surprise in the tagset! I just started playing GFL this year, and I've found it extremely fun and addicting. I actually found the plot very engaging, and the armory of T-Dolls is irresistibly cute.

Prompts:

I love the idea of a gift exchange between members of the Anti-Rain Squad. Maybe someone gives M16A1 a bottle of her beloved Jack Daniels?

Orchestra AU! Just...anything based on this picture would be amazing.

Anything focusing on team dynamics, especially if you want to incorporate references to game mechanics (different T-Dolls and their buffs/active skills, etc.) Or hurt/comfort after an intense firefight.

You know how T-Dolls are made of sugar, spice, and everything nice a combo of manpower, ammo, rations, and parts? How exactly does the factory utilize those resources? What do they even do with all those meals ready-to-eat?

Coffee shop AU starring Persica (the woman loves her caffeine).  

The Secret World - Any Character

One of the best MMO experiences of my life. TSW combined so many things I love into one game: an awesome modern setting, dark humor, and an incredible story with amazing characters. I play the Legends reboot from time-to-time, but I prefer the original version and still like to play on the vanilla server (kind of fun having an entire MMO to yourself, heh). I've also played the tie-in game, The Park, and really loved that as well.

I was fascinated by all the narrative details in this game, like the lore honeycombs and ambient story telling. If you could incorporate that into your writing, that would be fantastic.

Prompts:

Long ago, on the TSW forums, someone mocked the idea of a schmoopy Sonnac/Geary romance as a terrible idea for a fic - I want to read that story! Whether you want to make it complete crack or be serious about it, I would love to see something develop between these two. Maybe they go on a date for tacos at Dante's stall? Or maybe Geary tries to troll Sonnac somehow, and he plays along until the last minute...and then snark ensues.

Issue #5: The Vanishing of Tyler Freeborn is my favorite for a reason: filthy NPCs. I would love to know what filth-infected versions of Geary and Sonnac would be like.  

Anything Moose/Andy. This is the romance I was waiting to see blossom, but alas, it never did. What happens when Andy finally catches on to Moose's crush on him? How about rescue romance or rides on Moose's chopper? Pining on Moose's end, requited or unrequited, would be good, too.

I love the world of this game so much, especially the urban areas (the faction hubs, Fusang, Tokyo) and New England. Would love to read anything about a bee of any faction exploring and going on missions, their opinion of their handler, etc. Please do go into excruciating detail about your bee's gear and abilities, because I'm all about that. What are there primary/secondary/auxiliary weapons? Which NPCs are their besties? Tell me everything!  For the record, my main was a Lumie that chose not to side with the Dreamers, but I'd by happy to read about any faction/alignment.

I adore faction rivalries, and the ones in TSW were just awesome. Whether it's old school Templars vs. Illuminati or you get the Dragon involved somehow, I just love witnessing all the contention. Seriously, you could just write 1,000 words of back-and-forth trash talk, and I would absolutely adore it.  

ダウト～嘘つきオトコは誰？～ | Doubt ~Usotsuki Otoko wa Dare?~ | Liar! Uncover the Truth - Any Character

Since last year, I’ve become a huge fan of this mystery/romance app with its feisty heroine and the quirky Liars she has to unmask before finding her Mr. Right. If you’re interested, I maintain a sideblog dedicated to it over @whoistheliar​ as well as a random screenshots blog: @liarscreenshots. (Warning for spoilers at both links).

All of the characters in this game,"Mr. Right" included, have their own imperfections, and it feels like half the point of this game is giving you the opportunity to navigate your feelings about certain character flaws. I love how MC isn’t a blank slate and is very much her own character. She can be quite a mess at home and has a lot of insecurity about her humble background, seeing as she’s originally from a small country town (IIRC one of Joe’s side stories mentions that she’s from Akita prefecture).  

I definitely enjoyed the sequel stories, but I'm more fond of the main route of the game. Shipfic revolving around MC is something I would love to see, but I would be open to other pairings as well, especially between secondary characters. I would also welcome gen or friendship fic.

Prompts:

I loved the multiple endings you could unlock at the end of every chapter and the insight they gave into each Liar's backstory. Anything expanding on those would be great, especially the True or Love endings. I really enjoyed seeing POV from other characters besides MC.

Love triangles are my guilty pleasure, and I would definitely enjoy reading a situation where MC has to choose between two of the Liars and/or Mr. Right/Ayumi. Would love it if things got Very Emotional.

I always like marriage/honeymoon/married life stories, and MC's occupation as a wedding planner complements that wonderfully. How does she get her love interests or friends involved? Are there wedding crashers? Will she serve takoyaki at the wedding??

In the main story, MC found out each Liar's secret before things got too serious, but what if the emotional stakes had been much higher? For any of the Liars, would MC react differently if she didn't find out the truth until after falling in love over a longer period of time? Basically, I'd like to see your take on a "Bad Ending."

So, after following this game for a while, it seems that other players have very strong opinions about the various Liars, so in case it helps you, here's a summary of my take on them:

1st Liar: SQUICK. SQUICK. SQUICK. Honestly, they seems like a very nice guy in all their side stories, but stil...squick.

2nd Liar: I find their profession very interesting, so I'm a bit biased in their favor, despite their true nature. Could see them with MC after getting a ton of therapy. They also definitely have some chemistry with the 9th Liar, lol.

3rd Liar: I can't bring myself to hate them; they're just too ridiculous. Side note: I really like Nanyami as a character.

4th Liar: Never forget the fountain pen!! This guy is a bit of a tragedy, so I do have some sympathy, but imo that slap from MC was well-deserved.

5th Liar: I think the fandom unequivocally regards this one as complete garbage, and for very good reason. Still, I have to admit that their side stories appeal to my morbid side (it's like they're in a bizzarro world where MC's personality is completely erased). Also, I do find their character design very attractive - I'm not proud.

6th Liar: Umph. Definitely in my top tier along with 7th Liar. In terms of sheer chemistry with MC, I think this guy wins hands down. I'd be up for both seeing them walk away from the issue that makes them a Liar or embracing it.

7th Liar: They made me cry buckets. I love them with MC so much, and the way they're always smiling through their pain just makes my heart ache.

8th Liar: Out of all of the Liars, I felt that #8 was the most outright malicious. I just wasn’t convinced by the ending of his Lover’s Route. I know he's damn attractive, but wow, that attitude...

9th Liar: I really feel like the 9th Liar got the short end of the stick in the main story. His interactions with MC kept getting interrupted by unnecessary drama, and it felt like they never got the chance to really get to know each other. Also, LOVE Rumi!

"Mr. Right": It seems that people are really divided on this one. Some see him as the most precious cinnamon roll, but people have also told me that he comes off as a creepy stalker. (I've seen him  get called problematic more than once). I’m pretty sympathetic towards him myself, but I’d love to see your own take on him, whether romantic and sentimental or super dark.

ダウト～オフィスは男女の嘘だらけ～ | Doubt ~Ofisu wa Danjo no Uso Darake~ | Liar! Office Deception - Any Character

I love the Liar! sequel every bit as much as the original game. You can bet that I’m super hyped that Voltage is going to be releasing Lover’s Routes for it in the future. Office MC was very no-nonsense, and I would like to see what she would be like in the process of falling in love, or even just getting a chance to let her hair down and hang out with her coworkers.  

Prompts:

Post-game or redemption story revolving around any of the Liars, with the exception of the 2nd, 3rd and 5th. Ideally, this would end on a positive note with them being able to have a reciprocal friendship/romance with MC.

Office Battle! I was so amused by the Star Wars parody that kept popping up throughout the story and how everyone seemed to be totally into it except for MC, who’s just completely out of the loop. Maybe one of the Office Liars tries to teach her about the series or something like an Office Battle AU that’s basically Office Deception in space?

Narration of some part of the game from James’ POV. I loved MC’s cat and found it hilarious how she kept spoiling him at home while being so disciplined at the office.

Liar! Commentary:

1st Liar: Honestly, I thought they were super cute, and I wanted to see them make some more Cactaur cookies for MC.

2nd Liar: What a tool. I have to admit, I was amused by them sucking up to MC for the rest of the game after being found out.

3rd Liar: I thought they were going to be my 7th Liar 2.0, but N O P E. I found their backstory a little amusing, but they're just so slimy.

4th Liar: A real sweetheart. I love that they become MC's right-hand coworker after their chapter.

5th Liar: Not a fan of Rat Face McGee, tbh. Wtf, dude.

6th Liar: I have a weakness for "falling in love with the mark" scenarios and really wanted see it work out with this Liar. I also loved the idea of them going on to work for Uncover the Truth's 6th Liar, as was suggested in their Dumbass Ending and one of the sidestories.

7th Liar: DEEP SIGH. I love them despite their self-centered/obsessive actions. Will always be a fan of them pursuing MC, whether requited or not.

8th Liar: I like their kink, lol, and their accusation scene was hilarious. I really wish their behavior had been less invasive.

9th Liar: Just like with 6th Liar, I like to believe that they really cared for MC at the end. I think they were a perfect "Final Boss" for Office Deception especially compared to the more one-note villains. They did some horrible things to get what they wanted, even putting the 8th Liar in the hospital, but I’ve always wanted to see something that shows some of their inner conflict once they realize they’re hurting someone that has actually become a friend to them.

"Destined Partner": They've grown on me a bit, but one thing that definitely put me off was how they threw the 8th Liar under the bus during their route. (Sure, tell MC they've got a dirty secret and don't clarify at all as to what it is...) Seems like they're hiding a spiteful streak.

ダウト～セレブは華麗に嘘をつく～ | Doubt ~Serebu wa Karei ni Usowotsuku~ | Liar! Scheming Socialites - Any Character

I almost mistyped the title above as Liar! Screaming Socialites, but honestly that would be a pretty apt name for this game, because wow, does this cast go off the rails. The chapters are shorter than in previous routes, and MC is a bit more passive. I was worried this was going to be too "Gossip Girl" for my tastes, but I actually really enjoyed this one, even if my heart did get stomped on once again. (Loved the hyper Eurobeat accusation music - it was like something out of Initial D).  

Prompts:

Ship fic with MC and 8th or 9th Liar. Love triangle maybe? There's so much that was left unexplored at the end of the game. Would MC abandon her lifestyle or try win her parents over? Something based on one of the love endings would be great as well.

I also adore the potential Liar that turned out to be MC’s true BFF through thick and thin. I love how they're both anime fans and their favorite shows are clearly based on Touken Ranbu and Land of the Lustrous. Also, what exactly was BFF doing to test the 8th Liar during that awkward scene at the mountain resort in the 7th Liar chapter? I really wanted details on that, but it never got explained.

Okay headcanon: Given the similar detailing on their dresses, I think Kyoko and Reina shop at the same place. What would an interaction between them be like? Would they dish about their respective MCs?  

Liar! Commentary:

1st Liar: I have nothing but pity for this poor kid. Definitely see them still being friends with MC.

2nd Liar: Ick. One of my least favorite among all the Liars. Would like to see them get some comeuppance for their actions.

3rd Liar: This one hurt. Would really like to see them redeem themselves. Maybe they were secretly attracted to MC the whole time and just wanted to get her attention?

4th Liar: I enjoyed investigating their elaborate lie, but as a character they really fell flat for me.

5th Liar: WOW. That escalated quickly. I have to say, the 5th Liars in these games are probably the best fodder for something grim and disturbing. I think the implied rape in the bad ending was the darkest point in the entire series.

6th Liar: It felt like, with this Liar, Voltage was trying to have their cake and eat it too. Like, "Oh nooo, they're so kinky!" *wink wink* I actually really liked them despite their being the token kidnapper.  

7th Liar: I hated the way this Liar was presented. Their friendship with MC was really nice, but then it just had to get ruined.  

8th Liar: MC’s rejection of them was devastating to me. They really won me over despite the nature of their lie, and I really believed it when they claimed their feelings were sincere. For someone who was supposedly trying to con her, they did a hilariously bad job of it - like, they never tried to pressure her when she was vulnerable and even set up this really over-the-top charade just to make her happy, only for it to be what gets them exposed. It's almost like they were setting themselves up to fail. I really need a Lover's Route...

9th Liar: Surprise plot twist! This Liar was set up for some really interesting development which...did not happen. Would have loved to have seen more of their inner conflict. I ship them with MC the most after 8th Liar.

"Destined Partner": Definitely cute, but I found them to be rather pushy when they brought MC over to their place. Also, what ever happened to the pet rabbit?  

Thank you so much for your time! Hope you have a great rest of the year and a wonderful Yuletide.

[atruththatyoudeny]

Monthly Reads | August 2017

OMG! August was such a good month - I’ve read lots of amazing fics! Please make sure to also check out the fics under the cut! ❤ THANK YOU TO ALL WRITERS FOR YOUR HARD WORK AND FOR SHARING YOUR STORIES! ❤ Top 5 6 + 11 more under the cut:

Pray for some sweet simplicity

by delsicle | a/b/o | enemies to lovers | 237k Louis is the only omega to ever make it in the cut-throat world of competitive motorcycle racing—that is, he would be if anyone actually knew about his identity. Now, his sights are set towards competing in—and winning—the European Grand Prix, the biggest and most difficult race of the entire year, so he can disappear underground for good. He’s close enough, too, until an alpha sports journalist is assigned to follow Louis’s every move as he prepares for the event of his career. Or, an AU where motorcycle racing is the biggest sport in a heavily divided world, Louis is trying to take control of his own destiny, and Harry is in for more than he bargained for.

[*edited*]

Chasing Empty Spaces

by domesticharry | historical AU | 1930s | 79k The year is 1934 and Harry Styles was to inherent the largest tobacco firm in the south. His parents have picked out the “perfect” girl for him to marry and he has the privilege of receiving the highest education possible. The problem was, Harry hadn’t realized he didn’t actually want any part of that future until he met a mechanic named, Louis Tomlinson.

We’ll Be Seamless

by dinosaursmate for HL Fic Fest (2017) | Tumblr AU | pining | exhibitionism | voyeurism | 52k Green reblogged an old photo of himself. It was from back in October, a Halloween special. A pulse shot all the way through Louis because this photo was his absolute favourite, and it had taken the rest of the year for him to wean himself off of it. Green was on his knees, arms stretched out in front of him with his fingertips digging into the surface of his bed. He was wearing a pair of cat ears on his head, his curls falling forward. His back was arched, and in the foreground of the picture, Green’s bum was high in the air, a long, black cat tail sitting neatly between his cheeks. — Louis spends all his spare time scrolling arty nude blogs on Tumblr but amongst them all, Green is his favourite.

Given a Chance

by Fabby | Future Fic | canon compliant | slow burn | coming back together | anxiety attacks| 173k Five years after One Direction took their last tour, the last thing Louis Tomlinson ever expected to happen while on a tea run at the local Piggly Wiggly was to run into his ex-boyfriend and ex-bandmate Harry Styles. The odds of them ever running into each other again had to be super slim, right? Wrong. What happens when you mix ex-boyfriends with a large serving of Small Town America? Will Louis and Harry be able to set aside their differences, or will Louis be able to stay breezy as fuck in the wake of Harry’s arrival? (or, the one where Louis and Harry run into each other five years after One Direction ends and learn how to love each other again. Featuring: Reggie as the overweight labrador, Niall as Louis’ last grip on reality, and Nowheresville, North Carolina as the setting for Louis’ worst nightmare to come true.)

No sooner loved (series)

by benzos 1| As the winter to foul weather Trans character | mpreg | abortion | hurt/comfort | 45k AU. An unplanned pregnancy throws a spanner into Harry and Louis’ relationship. It wasn’t supposed to go like this. 2| You and you are sure together Trans character | eating disorder | hurt/comfort | 48k AU. The first day of fall term, Louis hits one of his residents in the face with a door. Later that day, said resident seeks refuge after a fight with his roommate. It becomes a thing. And then it becomes something else. 3| Baby, i’m speeding, and red lights are run pwp | 7k Louis really would’ve liked to just order the damn thing off the internet, but Harry insists that anything going inside your body ought to be thoroughly researched, which, apparently, mandates going to a sex shop. Knowing how ludicrously uncomfortable Louis is with the whole thing, Harry devises the ingenious solution of bringing Eleanor along and having her pose as Harry’s girlfriend who’s interested in trying out pegging, with Louis tagging along as a supportive best mate. It’s not Harry’s worst plan to date, but it’s somewhere in that range.

Under me, you

by hazzafrazza | friends to lovers | superheroes | 12 k You Won’t Believe Who Was Spotted Leaving Harry Styles’ Primrose Hill Pad! If Harry was being completely honest, it probably wasn’t the best idea to be a world-renowned popstar and an infamous vigilante. (Especially when all the comic books said never reveal your secret identity to keep your loved ones safe – which was all well and good, until Louis.) Or: Harry wants a lot of things – fame, glory, Louis – but that last one is particularly hard to get when everyone thinks you’re dating your secret superhero alter-ego and suddenly you’ve become your own worst cockblock.

Such Good Luck

by casuallyhl for HL Mpreg Fic Exchange | Historical AU | 1910s | mpreg | secret relationship | class difference | 66k Louis smiles at Harry’s words, leaning into his touch. “Tell me again.” Smiling, Harry takes Louis into his arms. Pressing gentle kisses to his face, Harry murmurs, “In six months’ time, I will have my twenty-fifth birthday. On that day, my portion of the inheritance will become legally mine. And I plan that very day to announce to my family that I have found love.” Harry chuckles as he runs his lips lightly along Louis’ cheekbone. “That, in fact, I found love when I was twenty-one years old, and that I have loved and been loved every day since.” Or, an Edwardian AU where Harry is a young aristocratic lord and Louis is a working class dairy farmer. Secrets are a necessary part of their relationship, but Louis has one that could topple their whole world.

What A Life I’d Have Missed

by harioandlouigi for HL Mpreg Fic Exchange | mpreg | established relationship | 27k It all started with a prank, tears, and guilt. Louis has been pranking Harry since the day they met. Now, seven years later, Harry has finally come up with the perfect plan to prank his husband back. He has a borrowed positive pregnancy test in front of him, he’s perfected his facial expression, and he’s dead sure Louis will fall for it. He doesn’t exactly get the panicked reaction he expected, though. As a matter of fact, nothing ever seems to turn out the way he expects it to, but that’s for the best, really. Or, the one where an insensitive joke soon becomes a very real, happy pregnancy.

Small Doses (Loving You It’s Explosive)

by Anonymous for HL Summer Exchange 2017 | personal trainer Harry | boxing | dom/sub undertones | 38k Louis Tomlinson finds himself at Vitality Fitness to try and turn his life around after having left his cheating boyfriend of four years. The gym’s owner, Liam, quickly becomes a good friend, but his right hand man is rude and dismissive from the get-go. Louis and Harry continue to clash all while Harry is trying to move his way up the ranks in Manchester’s amateur boxing circuit, but they can’t seem to stay away from each other.

Sound Like a Song

by allwaswell16 for HL Fic Fest (2017) | 14k In high school, Louis Tomlinson lit up Harry’s world like nobody else, even if Harry did most of his pining from the safety of his tightly knit circle of friends. Ten years later, Harry is ready to make some changes. He’s tired of having so many regrets and not taking charge of his life, and he still hasn’t forgotten how brightly Louis shines. He’s about to get a long awaited second chance. Or the one where Harry helps out at a farmer’s market and gives Louis free vegetables.

Take Me Back to Where We Started

by amory | exes to lovers | famous/non-famous | 27k Harry and Louis haven’t spoken since they broke up four years ago. As boarding school sweethearts they once spent every waking moment together, but now they can hardly stand to be in the same room. When their five year class reunion comes around, both boys decide against their better judgement to return and (hopefully) have a good time. The only problem is, they’re both still hopelessly in love. Starring Harry as the petty ex, Louis as the new James Bond, Niall as a boy genius and fake boyfriend extraordinaire, and Liam and Zayn as two friends just trying to make it out of this weekend alive.

Tightrope

by Anonymous for HL Mpreg Fic Exchange | mpreg | exes | friends to lovers | 33k Louis knows he and Harry are going to be together for the rest of their lives and one day they were going to get married and have three point five children, a dog, and two cats. But life hasn’t matched up perfectly yet and that time is not now. So they are both happy to be best friends and casually date other people until life decides they really should get their shit together. aka Louis gets pregnant from “one last time” sex and he and Harry somehow think they’ll be able co-parent without it being weird for anyone (most especially their new boyfriends).

Souls; Plural, Parallel

by Anonymous for HL Mpreg Fic Exchange | mpreg | soulmates | 19k Soulmates are rare, the sort of rare that means everyone has a story about a friend’s sister’s coworker or a brother’s roommate’s cousin. But the fact of the matter is that most people never meet theirs. It’s unfortunate then, that Louis finds out the hard way that he met his soulmate in a club, and the guy never texted him back.

Friend Request

by Anonymous for HL Summer Exchange 2017 | 11k This was written for Kassio as a pinch hit for the HL Summer Exchange, from the prompt: “ Louis is bored on Facebook and in the “People you may know” suggestions, he sees the name Harry Styles. The profile picture doesn’t show the person. He thinks it’s an old family friend who he misses – maybe a middle-aged or elderly former neighbor or babysitter who he was fond of as a child - and sends a friend request. Turns out it’s not old man Harry from their old neighborhood, it’s hot young Harry (who he’s never met before) who accepts his friend request…”

If the Surface Begs You Home

by Anonymous for HL Mpreg Fic Exchange | mpreg | mermaid!Harry | 17k Harry is a mermaid from the underwater kingdom of Mercadia who is a little too fascinated by life above the surface. He’s kicked out of his home after he winds up pregnant, and has to figure out how to make his way in the world. Louis is the darling of the small neighbouring seaside village who came home after university to take over their local library, and can’t seem to stay away from the mysterious pregnant mermaid his friends introduce him to.

Out of the blue corner

by fallingaway | boxing | slow burn 85k Louis is a boxer banned because of doping. Harry is a journalist following the story. * * * “It seemed like a normal morning, but he had a feeling it was the quiet before the storm. And by storm, he meant getting involved in Louis Tomlinson’s life.”

[momscookingthebooks]

Release Boost & Book Review

Title: Crank

Series: The Gibson Boys #1

Author: Adriana Locke

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: November 10, 2017

Cliff Hanger: No

4 Stars

*This story is for mature audiences only. Contains explicit scenes and language intended for adults 18+

Synopsis:

This is one mistake Sienna Landry can’t buy her way out of. 

As Walker Gibson looks at her, then at the damage to his precious truck (that she may or may not have accidentally inflicted), she knows she’s in trouble. It’s not the busted headlight and dented grill that’s sunk her though. It’s the downright sinful man in front of her that’s the problem. 

The small town mechanic is broody. Rough. Smells like engine grease and gasoline and Sienna isn’t sure why that’s so sexy, but it is. It so is. She’s ready to peel off her panties at the drop of his wrench. 

He wants her too. She can feel it when he brushes against her. Experience it as he presses her against the wall of the shop. It’s thinly veiled in his deep, brown eyes when he looks at her like she’s everything he’s ever wanted. So why won’t he give in? 

The damage to Walker’s truck is the first of many mistakes between the two of them, ending with truths that rock Sienna’s world. Nothing can fix her broken heart except the love of a man that won’t, maybe even can’t, love her back. 

Crank is a standalone romance in a new small town, blue-collar series from USA Today bestselling author Adriana Locke. Join readers everywhere as they fall in love with the delicious Gibson Boys. 

My Thoughts:

Way to start a new cross over series! You don’t need to read the Landry series to read this book. I haven’t read the Landry series and I didn’t have any problems at all. I will be sure and go back and read it now!

This a blue-collar vs silver spoon characters, enemies to lovers, opposites attract romance all staged in a small town. Walker Gibson is cranky, broody and incredibly sexy. He isn’t looking for a relationship or love. He fights the chemistry that is simmering below the surface every time he is near Sienna. He is running the garage that his father owned after the untimely death of his parents in a boating accident. He has issues and baggage. His brothers and cousin are a riot and I love his grandmother, Nana.

Sienna has moved to the small town to be near her friend and business partner to work on their business venture until her friend tells her that she has to back out of their business to help with her parents’ farm and their business. Sienna is undecided if she will move back home or stay in the small town, as she is the only Landry that doesn’t work for the family business. She has no desire to work for the family business, she has dreams of her own. Sienna is beautiful, sassy, and has a heart of gold. She feels the strong pull of the attraction between her and Walker and she doesn’t know what to do with him.

There is a lot of push and pull between the characters and Walker can be difficult at times. Sienna is so genuine and so positive. Walker is broody and intense, the interactions between the two of them is hilarious and their chemistry is undeniably HOT. Their banter and innuendo are very entertaining. I had a few times that I had the heart pangs. I was feeling all the feels. The secondary characters, especially Peck, provided much entertainment to the story. I really enjoyed everything about this story, and I can’t wait for more of the Gibson Boys!

ARC kindly provided for an honest review.

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35900943-crank

Purchase Links:

Amazon US: http://1click.bz/CrankAMZNUS

Amazon UK: http://1click.bz/CrankAMZNUK

Amazon CA: http://1click.bz/CrankAMZNCA

Amazon AU: http://1click.bz/CrankAMZNAU

Free in Kindle Unlimited

Author Bio:

USA Today and Amazon Top 10 Bestselling author Adriana Locke lives and breathes books. After years of slightly obsessive relationships with the flawed bad boys created by other authors, Adriana has created her own.

She resides in the Midwest with her husband, sons, and two dogs. She spends a large amount of time playing with her kids, drinking coffee, and cooking. You can find her outside if the weather's nice and there's always a piece of candy in her pocket.

Please contact Adriana at http://www.adrianalocke.com. She loves to hear from readers.

Author Links:

Facebook Group: http://bit.ly/BBALGroup

Goodreads Group: http://bit.ly/AllLockedUp

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorALocke

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authoradrianalocke

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authoradrianalocke

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/authoradrianalo

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/adrianalocke

Website: http://www.adrianalocke.com/

[characteresque]

“I really shouldn’t even trust myself.”

A little white-blonde haired girl looked up to her mother, her toy gun clacking in her clumsy hands. “Momma, when the baby gets here, will he go to boot camp with me?”

“No, Harley. You’ll be out of service by the time he goes to boot camp.” The woman continued scrubbing an old coil on their busted toaster, her swollen belly making the perfect crumb catcher below.

Harley seemed to chew on this knowledge for a moment before wiping her nose across her scratchy woolen sleeve. “But then how will I keep him safe? You said that’s gonna be my job!”

Angela considered this for a moment, her busy hands slowly receding to the table in front of her, toaster in tow. How do you answer this question to a five year old? She hated to admit it to herself, but her toddler’s constant barrage of questions wore thin on her nerves today. “Well, Harley, you’re just going to have to trust your people. They’ll keep us safe when you’re away, and then your little brother will keep us safe when you come back. It’s how it works.”

“So he’ll be okay?” Harley smiled, satisfied by the bullshit, her dangling left hand coming up to rest on the perfectly replicated handguard. She pulled her toy camouflage helmet down to her eyebrows in childlike determination before turning on her heel and bursting through the front door into the warm sunlight.

Harley opened her eyes, the warmth of the yellow sun fading back to her memories, right where it belonged. Instead, a bitter blue wind stole the breath from her mouth as needles of ice pelted her stinging cheeks. Because, of course, she had graduated from those cheap plastic toys to the real deal as the years marched on: cold, hard metal in her hands and a tight helmet she was too stubborn to turn back in to the border patrol.

Harley was a good student, all things considered. Her parents, a field medic and a retired grunt who made a decent living as a helicopter mechanic, raised Harley to be the perfect all-American girl. She was obsessed with gun collecting, going to the Graveyard to rummage through rusted metal in the hopes of finding some stray bullets here or a jagged remnant of some assembly there. She excelled in little’s training as a child and on to boot camp when she had graduated high school at 16 – not the top of her class of course (books were never her thing), but a killing machine had been made.

When Harley’s conscription came to mature, at around 17, she lovingly packed her family up wearing her stiff new fatigues, just for her. She hoped it’d break them in. Her 10 year old brother was sad to leave his friends, but moving from their dangerous civilian town to the hyper-protection of a Guarded City was a welcome relief to Harley: after all, she would go off to do her country a service, and in return, they would provide safety for her family. Her parents didn’t cry when it came time for her to ship out, after all, both of them had done their own conscription around her age: it was the mark of becoming an adult, the most important milestone of her life.

Harley wanted adventure, so she signed up for the thick of the action: she wanted to be in the newest Russian territories, hard-fought areas that had once been rural villages on the outskirts of Siberia. Her first raid, about a year and a half into her 6 year term, would set the stage for the disappointment that comes to be the major theme of Harley’s life: she wasn’t who she thought she was. She didn’t get the Target, that honor belonged to her bunkmate. But at her feet, a hostile cowered in fear, his gun thrown from his hands. He looked at her with furrowed eyebrows, hate seeping from the corners of his mouth as he spit some curses at her in Russian. Even in his state, ready to die for his country, he hated her – and she felt nothing. All she saw was a man without a way out, about to die, who bled red just like she did. When the man reached for his black-handled knife strapped to his calf and plunged it into Harley’s ankle, she did what she had to do: and she had lots of time to think about it as she sat in the infirmary, waiting for her damn tendon to heal.

There were slurs for people like her, too soft to kill, lover of the enemy. Harley heard them every day, hurled at one private or another, never herself though. Once or twice when a squad member would get a beating, she’d even join in, frenzied by the loud shouts and smuggled alcohol. She seemed hard enough, taking a kill when someone was looking: but more often than not, when her friends were up to their necks in dead Russians, there’d be Harley sneaking children out the back door. Helping women through the window. Even battle-aged men who would probably full well come back to bite her in the ass weren’t safe from her detested kindness, one of which she dug a small hole in the snow to deposit him inside, whispering words forbidden to her. “Подождите, пока мы не уйдем. Затем запустите.”

Harley was in hell. She didn’t feel too sorry for herself, because just like everyone else here, she suffered. It was terrible, but all the same. Just as it should be. Just like the others in her bunk, the only thing that kept her going were the occasional ration token to spend on cheap vodka and a letter from her family. But, about five years into her service, Harley’s work got sloppy as something weighed on her mind: the letters have stopped, and not a word had reached her in at least a week. Life was surely getting busy with Travis’ conscription nearing, and it didn’t concern her…yet.

It was a bright morning, calm as ever as Harley shot the shit with some girls outside of her bunk when the tell-tale crunching of tires sent a wave of silence through the throngs of people. Cars in this neck of the woods were pretty rare, unless they were the Black Dick of Death; a long and comically phallic shaped vehicle used to cart upper division people around. Nothing good ever came from this car; usually they came to gather up servicemen who weren’t up to snuff and re-locate them somewhere awful.

Other times, they came to alert a grunt about a death in the immediate family. Sometimes, they just popped by to have the squad stand outside in the fucking snow to salute them – just because they could. But today, when the stiff-jointed man from the back seat approached the squad leader at the gate, his hat in hand, the eyes of everyone within earshot flew back to Harley. She didn’t have to wait for Simone to trumpet over the speakers for her, she turned on her heel to grab her bag and get out.

Harley didn’t say a word as she approached that terrible car, the taste of metal flooding her mouth from the side of her cheek that she’d been chewing on. He was either here to gather Harley for execution as guilty of treason or re-locate her to a work camp in order to toughen her up. Neither of these things on Harley’s mental list pleased her, but nonetheless, she steeled her gut and approached. She clicked her heels together and saluted, her own body feeling alien under her control.

“Colonel.” She spoke the word with slow deliberation, hoping not to waver.

As if a recording had just been activated, the Colonel whirred to life. “Harley, I regret to inform you that your mother, father and brother have been reported dead in Columbus, Ohio at 2100 hours on January 6th. There was an attack on Guarded City, Ohio and there were no survivors. They were transferred to Heritage Grace hospital in Columbus, but all three of them were dead on arrival. They all have been buried in the Hero’s Memorial hospital with full acclaim afforded to them. On the behalf of the Secretary of Defense, I extend to you and your family my deepest sympathy in your great loss.”

Harley’s life took a sharp downward tumble as soon as her boots touched the ground in Guarded City, Ohio, where her home once stood. Discharge papers clutched in her fingers did very little to ground her as she shifted through the rubbish pile that had once been the “safest home in America”, a luxury afforded to her family from her people in exchange for her service to the United States. She had trusted her people, and just like so many times before, she realized she had put her faith in the wrong hands.

After she spent as many nights as she wanted lamenting her family’s death, drinking herself into a stupor to get some sleep, Harley made the rash decision to move to Eureka, Montana. It was a major base now that Russian troops had moved into Canada, and border patrol was always willing to hire young recruits with a deathwish. It’d be perfect.

Unfortunately for Harley, her story is just beginning after she’s settled in to her new job. Political tensions are rising, ration tokens are becoming harder to earn, and the opportunity to help one more sad, wayward Russian arises. If there’s one thing that ever rings true for the entirety of Harley’s difficult life, it’s that if a decision can be made at any point: she will choose the wrong one.

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