#garbria answer

[caparrucia]

For the prompt meme, Cor and Nyx reunite after time apart, if it strikes you? Congrats on finishing your fic!

Thank you! Have some Witch!Nyx, because I haven't played with that verse in an age!

They meet again in the Nebulawood, exactly two years after the fall of Insomnia.

Rumor has it there’s a witch hiding in the woods, that she trades potions and elixirs for basic supplies. With the King dead and the Prince AWOL, the remnants of the Crownsguard and the mutinous forces from the Kingsglaive do not have the steady access to such things they once did. All the stashes remaining are carefully inventoried and painstakingly dosed out. But still, the rumors remain.

A witch in the woods, who cannot be found on command but who, if actually encountered, will trade a crate of potions for a week’s worth of water.

Once, a fledging recruit from Lestallum’s stronghold comes back with a crateful of elixirs and insists the witch asked for nothing at all.

It the rumor is true, Cor reckons it’s the elusive Witch of the Thicket, who’s been missing ever since Caem went up in flames. But it’s just as likely the rumors are false and it’s just a trap waiting for idiots to fall for it. Well, no bigger idiot than him around.

After a somewhat harrowing hunt – really, a series of increasingly annoying hunts, including what appeared to be a corrupted behemoth – Cor determines the following: the witch is no witch at all, and he is no she at all.

“You put on the ring, didn’t you?” Cor asks, watching Nyx sit back after their initial scuffle, which might have devolved into some playful sparring if not for the fact Nyx ran out of stamina halfway through.

Nyx grins, overgrown hair giving some credence to the misguided rumors, as it hides the bits of his face the obligatory witch-like cloak and hood doesn’t. His skin is charred and scarred, but not healed, glowing still like embers at the back of the fireplace.

“You know I’m a sucker for a bad deal,” Nyx replies, and beneath the ruin of his appearance, his eyes glint with the same stubborn, monstrous light they always did.

“I thought that was my line,” Cor says, offering a hand, trying to reach out.

“You shouldn’t get too close,” Nyx rebuked, but gentle, the way he always did whenever Cor tried to take a bunch of bad habits, some recurrent dates and their insistence to orbit one another, and make it into something approaching a relationship. “I’m due combusting any time now.”

“Combusting,” Cor says, deadpan.

Nyx grins, wide and wild and more than a little bit mad.

“They keep trying to smite me,” he says, eyes bright, “and I keep stealing their magic when they do.”

“Which you then turn into the supplies you’ve been distributing out of this shithole,” Cor surmises, impressed nonetheless at the sheer viciousness of it.

Nyx laughs.

“Hey, my shithole,” he shakes his head. “Fuck, it’s downright homey at this point.”

“You live in the skull of a dead behemoth,” Cor points out, because he can never resist the urge to quip back at Nyx and the reflex is there, like no time has passed at all.

Nyx laughs, a clattering noise, like a magpie but worse.

“I wouldn’t be a very good witch if I didn’t, right?”

Cor knows better than to nurse something as poisonous as hope in his heart. He knows better.

But of course, that has never stopped him before.

[awlwren-writes]

For Amani: 🖊🎄🤓

*Amani is a semi-retired glaive and Pelna’s wife*

🖊️  — does your oc have any tattoos? do they want any (more) tattoos?

I hadn’t thought about it before, but I’m pretty sure she does. The culture of the north coast of Cleigne does have some overlap with Galahd, so it makes sense. I’m going to say she got one for coming of age, one for leaving to join the Glaive, and one for each kid.

Comrades says “indigenous” tattoos for Cleigne are sort of flowing lines and swirls, which sure. We can go with that. But I think she might mix and match some from Insomnian and Galahdan styles as she likes. What’s important is what they mean to her and how she tells it. On that note, they tend to all be in places she has more control over showing off, because she doesn’t want people to see them without her being able to tell the story of their meaning herself.

🎄 — what is your oc's favorite holiday?

I can’t say if I’m excited or annoyed at the worldbuilding this is going to take and spark in me. :p

I’m going to say there is a festival when Leviathan’s constellation first rises that is often associated with monsoons/heavy storms, depending on where you are on the continent. It involves a lot of dancing and gathering together with the whole village or neighborhood or, in Insomnia, clan to share food.

Amani loves getting dressed up in the swirling paint designs and flowing cloth and spinning around in a mix of individual improvised dances and precisely memorized partner and group dancing. Because it is a large party, she gets to bring her assigned food and then is free to party with everyone else. Let the elders who don’t want to dance much be in charge for once.

Amani loves to dance, and Leviathan’s Rise is the perfect time for it. Dance because you got your work done before the storms forced you inside! Dance because the storms haven’t come yet and you are pleading for their arrival and the turning of the year! Each year has a different flavor and mix of partners, and she gets to let loose in a way she finds actually fun.

🤓  — is your oc chatty or quiet? are they at ease in social situations, or are they more shy?

She is confident in herself and doesn’t mind being the one to start conversations or ask questions. She is genuinely good with people, for the most part (she can err on the side of too frank, though at work she’s mindful of consequences most of the time).

That said, she doesn’t need to chat to fill the silence. If she thinks she’ll be seeing a lot of someone or is aware of their influence, she prefers to quietly observe them before making her move. Her favorite evenings at home can be equally chatty game nights or working/playing in silence together.

[ertrunkenerwassergeist]

Your writing and worldbuilding is always amazing, but I wanted to tell you how greatly appreciated and desperately needed all of your lovely holiday fluff has been! I can't tell you how many times I've reread the last chapter of Heart of Thunder. It warms my little Cornyx heart! Your fics always brighten my day, thank you so much for sharing them!

Oh my gosh, thank you! <3

I'm really glad Nyx kidnapped that chapter and ran away with it. And, tbh, I didn't feel like writing something dryy and serious over the holidays.

Cornyx is best ship. No, I'm not biased. Nuhu.

Thank you for reading!

[glaivewaffle]

1, 4, 12, 21, 29 for Maeve and the ask meme

Thank you for the ask ❤️❤️

How do they feel about people shorter/taller than them? Maeve is quite short at 1.55 m / ~5'1" so she's very much used to people being taller than her. Tall people get on her shit list when they try to be funny and use her as an armrest, but other than that she doesn't mind them (and is, to some extent, fascinated those that are Really Tall for no reason she wonders what it would be like to see the world from that angle all the time). People shorter than her (excluding children) are instantly considered friend-material, and one of the first questions she'll ask is their height.

4. Preferred weather? Maeve likes sunny weather. When she was a child, the sunny days were the ones where she could spend time outside in the park with others. She grew up poor so she didn't have all that much to entertain her at home, so she liked being able to get out.

On the other hand, she really also loves storms, specifically thunder storms. There's something about them that makes her feel both giddy and safe. She loves lying on her bed or sitting by a window and just listening to the reverberating rumbles and the rain pelting the roof.

12. Something small that they enjoy?

Reading books. She loves fantasy books the most, a love that was born when she was a child, and it was an affordable hobby since she can just go to the library to loan books. It's a great way for her to relax.

She also loves tiny signs and acts of affection (and larger ones, too).

21. Do they get lost easily? Will they ask for directions if they are?

It depends. I imagine her initial reaction would be not to ask for help, at least. She's very shy and the thought of approaching strangers for directions seems intimidating. If they can ask someone they know for help, then it's no problem. Other than that, she'll want to exhaust all the other options before resorting to asking strangers.

29. Any past injuries?

Nothing major. From the Comrades DLC pictures some might have seen, she does have a scar that runs across her nose and cheek, but she only gets than when she's older and in the KG. I'm not including that or the story behind it on this, because I've not gotten that far 😂Her worst past injury would most likely be a broken arm, but that happened when she was very young (3-4) and she doesn't remember it.

[oftincturedwords]

🌹

WIP MEME ( Accepting ! )

↳ for every “🌹” received in my inbox i’ll post one random sentence of a random WIP i’m currently writing

Thank you so much for sending in a rose ! I appreciate it greatly !! I gave three paragraphs rather than sentences though ^^’’

Whilst Nyx’s frame held muscle and a fitness born from taking up the mantle of a hunter back in Galahd, today’s PT training had been gruelling. Probably to weed out the ones that couldn’t put up with not only the physical demands, but those lacking the determination and drive to keep going even when exhaustion had seeped into their limbs and excursion had stolen their breath. And it was only the first day.

Sweat still dripped down the back of Nyx’s neck and down from his temples, his body overheated and craving both respite and rehydration, as the air outside the Citadel held no breeze to allay the heat of an Insomnia summer. Libertus was in much the same state, although he remained flushed and a touch winded. Luche wasn’t any better off than either of them.

But they had made it, they all had met the markers for the day and were feeling proud in spite of the exhaustion tugging at their limbs. It’d been exhausting, yes, but the sense of accomplishment overwhelmed the fatigue. This was the first step towards their goal of helping Lucis defeat Niflheim so they could return to their homes with peace, as well as the returning of the debt owed to the King. Or so Nyx viewed it.

This isn't an active WIP at the moment , but I do like what I had until I lost muse for it , so I went back into my FFXV Kingsglaive wips to find this one because I know you like Nyx , this one is about Nyx’s first week as a new recruit. It's not easy in nearly every way possible.

I really need to step back into writing for kingsglaive , I have so many WIPs for it that need finishing.

[calling4glaives]

Kingsglaive Legends 2023 Master List

Thank you to everyone who participated in KGLegends23! Thanks to you, we now have 15 new images and over 25k more words featuring the Kingsglaive characters. If you have any works you’d like to add, please do! We’ll update this as we become aware of them.

Thank you also to all those who liked, reblogged, and commented on these works – your support is always appreciated! Please continue to support the fabulous writers and artists in this community.

Participants

Writers

Awlwren (Tumblr, Ao3)

Blossom Adventures (Tumblr)

Dablotte (Twitter)

Firechocobros (Tumblr, Ao3)

Loki_chan / Garbria (Tumblr, Ao3)

StarJunco (Tumblr, Ao3)

The master list itself will be below the cut, along with the badge for using all the canon glaives across the week's fills!

Not an icon this year, but instead a "signed" poster of the glaives by the lovely @starjunco. If you wondered what they glaives were up to in their various poses this week, now you know. Of course they couldn't even behave long enough for a good picture. On the other hand, who put Tredd next to Libertus? Drautos doesn't get to look exasperated by the shenanigans when he indirectly caused them.

Day 1

Art

Title: Sacrifice Artist: dablotte Link: Twitter Glaives: Nyx Ulric, Crowe Altius Relationship: Crowe Altius & Nyx Ulric

Title: Day 1 Artist: StarJunco Link: Tumblr Glaives: Luche Lazarus Relationship: N/A

Fics

Title: Exhaustion (ft. Drautos) Author: Blossom Adventures Link: Tumblr Glaives: Titus Drautos Relationships: Titus / Cor Summary/Excerpt:

Cor woke up to an empty bed, he’s probably already up, he thought as he realised what had actually woke him, his phone was ringing, it was Clarus, he looked at the time in his phone screen, 5:15am. The Marshal let out a groan and answered the call.

Title: Call and Response - Chapter 2 Author: Awlwren Link: Tumblr, Ao3 Glaives: Axis Arra, Tredd Furia Relationships: N/A Summary/Excerpt:

Axis has seen how useful Oracle Sign is. Now to get everyone else to.

Ugh. This means actually socializing with people.

Title: Holding Out for a Hero Author: Garbria aka Loki_chan Link: Tumblr, Ao3 Glaives: Pelna Khara Relationships: N/A Summary/Excerpt:

Pelna knows he’s not the Hero of the Kingsglaive but when he runs into trouble on his own, he rises to the occasion.

Title: Love, War, and Sacrifice Author: Firechocobros Link: Tumblr, Ao3 Glaives: Titus Drautos, Nyx Ulric, Sonitus Bellum, Luche Lazarus, Axis Arra, Crowe Altius, Pelna Khara, Tredd Furia, Relationships: Polyglaive, DrauCor Summary/Excerpt:

“If it will end this fucking meeting,” Titus started with a heavy sigh. “I will sacrifice the stupid fucking closet to the Guard.”

There were head nods, and they all moved on to the next thing on the agenda. Little did they know that Titus was not giving his closet up without a fight.

Featuring Titus being a petty king and using his Glaive to the best of his abilities.

Day 2

Art

Title: Day 2 Artist: StarJunco Link: Tumblr Glaives: Crowe Altius Relationship: N/A

Title: Sleeping in the Clouds Artist: dablotte Link: Twitter Glaives: Libertus Ostium, Nyx Ulric, Crowe Altius Relationship: N/A

Fics

Title: AU & Life After (ft. Luche) Author: Blossom Adventures Link: Tumblr Glaives: Luche Lazarus, Nyx Ulric Relationships: Nyx / OC Summary/Excerpt:

at the start of The Long Night, Cor and Titus buy a penthouse apartment in Lestallum and they get bunk beds to accommodate their close friends and “family” so that they all have a safe place to live and don’t have to worry about accommodation themselves… also there’s a little teaser to Violet and Nyx’s relationship ☺️🥰

Title: Lichtenberg Figures Author: Firechocobros Link: Tumblr, Ao3 Glaives: Nyx Ulric, Sonitus Bellum, Luche Lazarus, Axis Arra, Crowe Altius, Pelna Khara, Tredd Furia, Relationships: Polyglaive Summary/Excerpt:

It had been storming all week, and Nyx’s parents had warned him to stay inside, but he was getting restless. Something kept telling him to go outside; the voice was getting stronger, and Nyx was about to listen to it out of pure boredom. 

How the Glaives found out who their Clustermates were and what their Asteral Event was.

Title: Delta Blues - Chapter 2 Author: Awlwren Link: Tumblr, Ao3 Glaives: Libertus Ostium, Nyx Ulric Relationships: Cor / Nyx Summary/Excerpt:

He whirled, sole remaining kukri at the ready as the Princess spread her feet and crouched slightly, ready to run or attack. A car pulled up behind them and jerked to a stop. Libertus rolled down the window and beckoned them over.

“C’mon, get in! They set up a trap in the square, I heard it on the radio,” Libertus yelled in that tone that he was convinced was quiet.

Continuing my Nyx Lives AU where Libertus finds Nyx before he gets shot, and so he never puts on the ring. And things go from there.

Libertus PoV this chapter!

Title: Not All Who Wander Are Lost Author: Garbria aka Loki_chan Link: Tumblr, Ao3 Glaives: Luche Lazarus, Nyx Ulric, Libertus Ostium Relationships: Luche & Nyx, Libertus & Nyx Summary/Excerpt:

The Lazarus clan has been responsible for protecting the royal family of Galahd for centuries, and Luche takes his duty seriously. It's a shame the only surviving member hates him.

Day 3

Art

Title: Day 3 Artist: StarJunco Link: Tumblr Glaives: Pelna Khara Relationship: N/A

Title: Pelna!!! On a fishing (?) adventure Artist: dablotte Link: Twitter Glaives: Pelna Khara, Titus Drautos, Nyx Ulric, Luche Lazarus, Libertus Ostium, Tredd Furia Relationship: N/A

Fics

Title: Tredditions Author: Awlwren Link: Tumblr, Ao3 Glaives: Tredd Furia, Nyx Ulric, Pelna Khara, Libertus Ostium, Luche Lazarus Relationships: N/A Summary/Excerpt:

Tredd hazes the rookies educates the new class of Glaives on Important Glaive Traditions. And then celebrates some more somber ones with the rest of his own recruiting class. Fill for Kingsglaive Legends 2023: Day 3 - Tradition

Title: Training (ft. Nyx & Drautos) Author: Blossom Adventures Link: Tumblr Glaives: Nyx Ulric, Titus Drautos Relationships: Nyx / OC Summary/Excerpt:

It was the hottest day of the year, the height of summer, the training grounds in the Citadel were exposed to the full sun at this time of day. Captain Drautos had called off training when he saw how the Glaive were struggling, he let them go home, and they did just that, all but one.

Title: All That Is Gold Does Not Glitter Author: Garbria aka Loki_chan Link: Tumblr, Ao3 Glaives: Libertus Ostium, Nyx Ulric, Luche Lazarus, Crowe Altius Relationships: Libertus & Nyx Summary/Excerpt:

On their way to Insomnia after the attack on Galahd, Libertus decides Nyx needs some time away and invites him on a hunt. Unfortunately, he should have realized that nothing is simple when traveling with an Ulric.

Day 4

Art

Title: Day 4 Artist: StarJunco Link: Tumblr Glaives: Sonitus Bellum Relationship: N/A

Title: Family Fix-it Home Artist: dablotte Link: Twitter Glaives: Nyx Ulric, Libertus Ostium, Luche Lazarus, Pelna Khara, Crowe Altius Relationship: N/A

Fics

Title: Shifting Sand - Chapter 2 Author: Awlwren Link: Tumblr, Ao3 Glaives: Crowe Altius Relationships: N/A Summary/Excerpt:

Crowe’s not quite sure what’s going on, or who this lady is, or why people are trying to kill her, but she’s determined she’s not going to die first. Crowe’s POV of the last section of Solid Ground.

Day 5

Art

Title: Day 5 Artist: StarJunco Link: TumblrGlaives: Tredd Furia Relationship: N/A

Title: Slice of Life/Love(?) Artist: dablotte Link: Twitter Glaives: Nyx Ulric Relationship: Nyx / Noct (possible)

Fics

Title: All Through the Night Author: Awlwren Link: Tumblr, Ao3 Glaives: Luche Lazarus, Sonitus Bellum Relationships: Luche & Sonitus Summary/Excerpt:

Luche is working late on the Night Shift, and struggling with the weight of responsibilities.

Day 6

Art

Title: Day 6 Artist: StarJunco Link: Tumblr Glaives: Axis Arra Relationship: N/A

Title: Titus...more like TiSUS Artist: dablotte Link: Twitter Glaives: Titus Drautos Relationship: N/A

Fics

Title: Hide and Sneak - Chapter 2 Author: Awlwren Link: Tumblr, Ao3 Glaives: Pelna Khara, Nyx Ulric Relationships: N/A Summary/Excerpt:

Pelna loved figuring out secrets. It was one of the best things about being a scout – putting together puzzles and learning the crucial pieces of information that could save his fellow glaives, or the Crownsguard holding the lines, or the people just trying to live their lives as the tides of war swept over them. He might not be able to liberate whole towns himself, or smash through the enemy lines to allow advances and retreats, but he could find things no one else could, and that saved lives, too.

Pelna is clever, and sneaky, and learns a lot, maybe even more than he wanted to.

Chapter 2/2! Pelna heads home.

Title: Today's Gonna Be My Day Author: Garbria aka Loki_chan Link: Tumblr, Ao3 Glaives: Titus Drautos Relationships: Titus Drautos & Cor Leonis Summary/Excerpt:

Crownsguard Titus Drautos is determined to make a place for himself in the Crownsguard, despite the hostility of his fellow recruits. If only he could stop running into the same smug bastard every time he tried to train. ​

Day 7

Art

Title: Day 7 Artist: StarJunco Link: Tumblr Glaives: Libertus Ostium Relationship: N/A

Title: Day 7 Artist: StarJunco Link: TumblrGlaives: Nyx Ulric Relationship: N/A

Title: Live Libertus Reaction Artist: dablotte Link: Twitter Glaives: Nyx Ulric, Crowe Altius, Libertus Ostium Relationship: N/A

Fics

Title: Where Angels Fear to Tread Author: Awlwren Link: Tumblr, Ao3 Glaives: Nyx Ulric, Titus Drautos Relationships: pre- Cor / Nyx Summary/Excerpt:

When he’d turned back enough to have a clearer shot of where Drautos had been standing guard over the glaive wounded, Cor had a moment of confusion when he didn’t see the man. A quick survey of the field showed the lone glaive who’d reinforced the western flank holding back a wall of gunfire with an impressively sturdy shield, one that surely couldn’t last, but no sign of their Captain.

As he got close enough, Cor finally realized that the hunched figure in the middle of the courtyard he’d previously missed was not wearing the red of blood but the darker shade of Drautos’s uniform.

Somehow, while he’d been being cautious, Titus Drautos had fallen.

Cor goes to meet the Kingsglaive returning from their latest raid and helps them out of an ambush, and meets someone who might be worth keeping an eye on.

Title: Fools Rush In Author: Garbria aka Loki_chan Link: Tumblr, Ao3 Glaives: Nyx Ulric, Titus Drautos Relationships: pre - Cor / Nyx Summary/Excerpt:

Things go badly when Nyx’s unit gets ambushed on the way back from a mission. Then Cor shows up.

[meissashush]

Ro, the beloved, of course: 🎮🚫🎄🐷🐉🍃

🎮 VIDEO GAME CONTROLLER — what are three of your oc's favorite hobbies?

Ro is one of those people who would probably benefit from having a hobby, but instead she mostly just wanders around (*cough cough* trespasses *cough cough*) or hangs out with the chocobros. She's turned homework into something like a hobby... one with an income attached haha. She definitely struggles to keep herself focused on anything for long enough to consider it a real passion.

🚫 PROHIBITED — does your oc drink/smoke? do they do it regularly, or is it more on occasion or for special events?

Ro does not drink, but she did smoke in her early teens. She and Ignis made a filthy habit of it, but he cut cold turkey when his Crownsguard training picked up, and she stopped mostly because it was a social thing to her. She doesn't drink until she's of age (18 in Insomnia)

🎄 CHRISTMAS TREE — what is your oc's favorite holiday?

Ro likes any holiday that gets her out of school. She doesn't really get to celebrate them the way most people do, so she just sees them as a long weekend.

🐷 PIG FACE — what is your oc's favorite animal?

Zus. Big fuck off birds, what's not to like?

Dragon answered on garbria's ask

🍃 LEAVES FLUTTERING IN WIND — what is/was your oc's favorite subject in school?

The word favorite is tentious, but her BEST subject was government studies... for obvious reasons. She would have liked chemistry a fair bit more if they let her set things on fire. And math if they let her use calculators.

[whostarlockeda03]

Fair enough! I ran into the same problem with garbria’s ask. Hmmm…. Tattoo, then? ♥️

So this is from.. checks notes.. January last year

Yeah. I'd say sorry about that but a) You should know by now I'm hopeless at answering asks in a timely manner and b) if I'd answered this last year this sentence would not have existed for you XD

ANyways! Here ya go:

The boy laughed, his eyes sparkling in the low evening sun when he tipped his head back for a moment. When his eyes fell back to her, his smirk had grown into a proper grin that made tiny little flecks of tattoo ink stand out on his cheekbones.

[awlwren]

I posted 3,146 times in 2022

That's 2,181 more posts than 2021!

8 posts created (0%)

3,138 posts reblogged (100%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@possiblythreefourthspeahen

@tanoraqui

@exlibrisfangirl

@garbria

@uenaina

I tagged 3,146 of my posts in 2022

#funny - 606 posts

#art - 505 posts

#indeed - 459 posts

#everyday life - 434 posts

#animals - 380 posts

#accurate - 358 posts

#speculative fiction - 350 posts

#second time’s the charm - 334 posts

#ffxv - 314 posts

#nature - 267 posts

Longest Tag: 137 characters

#like what is your relationship like with your parent/uncle/whatever when you’re a a couple centuries younger but you’re all millennia old

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

5 Most Recent Songs Ask Meme

I was tagged by @exlibrisfangirl Thanks! Sorry it’s taken so long.

In the Shadows by Beyond the Black

The Chain by Fleetwood Mac

Mama Tried by Merle Haggard

Breathe/2 a.m. by Anna Nalick

Bones in the Ocean by The Longest Johns (performed by Paul from LLR/Desert Bus)

Tagging… @exlibrisfangirl again, @shieldmaidenofsherwood, @garbria, @whumpwriterforlife, @meissashush, @starjunco, @whostarlockeda03, @noirbriar and anyone else who would like to try.

2 notes - Posted December 3, 2022

#4

Fandom: Final Fantasy XV Rating: Teen & Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationship: Titus Drautos | Glauca & Nyx Ulric Characters: Titus Drautos | General Glauca, Nyx Ulric, Original Niflheim Character(s) Additional Tags: Screams from Across the Hall, Medical Torture, Science Experiments, Starscourge, Implied/Referenced Sexual Harassment, Scheming

Summary:

Titus was annoyed. Annoyed with this whole situation, with the rattle of the airships, with the buzzing under his skin pushing him to do something. Fight. Unfortunately, he hadn't found a good opening just yet. In which Titus gets to learn a bit more about who organized the "rescue" and what they want. It's just about as fun as he expected and all too familiar in the worst ways. And some new ones. Drautos PoV for Whumpwriterforlife's "Starving for Truth" Whumptober Day 6: Screams from Across the Hall

5 notes - Posted October 7, 2022

#3

Song URL Tag Game

Rules: Spell your URL with songs, and then tag as many people as there are letters in your URL.

I was tagged by @exlibrisfangirl - thanks! It was fun. ^_^ I hope your pain continues to abate.

A - All God’s Critters (A Place in the Choir) written by Bill Staines

W - Who Needs Sleep by Barenaked Ladies

L - Lullabye (Goodnight, my Angel) by Billy Joel

W - What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong

R - (Rice in the Microwave) It’s a Great Day to Be Alive* by Travis Tritt

E - Edelwiess from Sound of Music by Rogers & Hammerstein

N - Northwest Passage by Stan Rogers

*this would seem to be cheating, but this song is exclusively referred to as the Rice in the Microwave Song among my household (we call/text each other whenever we hear it) and I actively have to look up what the actual name is so I say it counts.

Tagging: @garbria, @shieldmaidenofsherwood, @glaivewaffle (see the pity I took on you?), @whostarlockeda03, @starjunco, @newlyorange, and, at your convenience, @sanzochan.

5 notes - Posted January 4, 2022

#2

Poor little meow meow and eeby deeby for FFXV for the ask meme?

*squints* You’re fishing for a specific answer here, I can feel it.

Eeby Deeby: Once this would have been Drautos, but having to write him so much has reluctantly made me slightly more sympathetic to him and move him out of this category. I’ll go with Verstael Besithia instead. Man chose evil scientist as his personality and went all in. Each one of those clones deserve to get their satisfaction from him, and all the citizens of Niflheim that fell to the “vanishing disease” and all the citizens of Lucis to MTs. And probably more.

Poor Little Meow Meow: Drautos has not quite earned this spot yet either, despite your hopes. :P He is in limbo. This one was much harder; I’m not as familiar with the whole cast as I should be. Maybe the astrals? I like pondering blue/orange morality, and where they might have come from, I guess. But I don’t care enough to write about them specifically yet. Let’s go with the Lucii. Yes, they are assholes, and cause a hell of a lot of collateral damage, but it’s interesting to think about how much they are slaves of destiny as well, a destiny they knew they wouldn’t live to see, and what it must be like to be stuck inside the ring/statues of the old wall for so long. They can be my “faves” in that I‘d probably enjoy writing about them, even if I think they need some perspective. (And maybe freedom)

6 notes - Posted February 16, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Favorite Character from 10 Fandoms

I was tagged by @shieldmaidenofsherwood and @exlibrisfangirl. Thanks for thinking of me! No thanks for making me make decisions. :(

Rules: List your favorite character from 10 different fandoms and then tag 10 people.

Rather than try to actually chose, I'm just going to do the last 10 characters I used their tag to find fic for on Ao3, from most recent to least.

Nyx Ulric from Kingsglaive/Final Fantasy XV. RIP to your feeds; this man has captured my attention for almost a full year now. Wow. He is trying so hard to save his friends in spite of everything, but also isn't afraid to chew people out who need to hear it. There are so many blanks to fill in, too.

Elrond Peredhil from the Hobbit/LotR/Silmarillion. A very old, but enduring fave from back when my dad read the Hobbit to me when I was eight or so and started my love for Tolkien. He was wise and smart and helpful, and gave people shelter. Instant fave. Nice to see him getting some more love lately!

Cordelia Naismith Vorkosigan from the Vorkosigan Saga. All you people here on tumblr made me decide to start the series and I adored her and her husband and so was very disappointed to see less of them as the series shifted to their son, not that he isn't fantastic! But I've always had a weakness for the previous generation, so this is nothing new.

Luke Skywalker from Star Wars, my original blorbo, as the children say. I got introduced to Star Wars when I was six and it has been an obsession ever since. What can I say, I am basic and weak for main characters. I was heavy into the EU and so I started to draw away when Episode II came out and I could see it killing itself trying to cope with contradictions, but Luke, with such a burden always trying will always be a favorite. 4b. Mara Jade also has gotten a character tag search, but she is in the same fandom so she doesn't get her own number. But don't neglect her!

Jason Todd from Batman comics. I fell sideways into this fandom through an old mutual who loved him, and since that's how I came into the fandom I have stuck with him. I tend to latch onto a character and stay loyal, so here I am, through some very bizarre characterization and storyline choices, having learned from this man and fandom how to pick and chose fanon and canon very harshly. Definitely a character that when written well is very very good, and when written badly (or how I don't like) is horrid. 5b. This is basically a (hopefully more mature) carbon copy of how I got into BtVS through a friend obsessed with Spike.

Clark Kent from Superman comics/shows (yes this counts as separate fandoms). Another oldie. My grandparents had the 1940s cartoons as some of the few brother-approved VHS tapes they had, so I watched a lot of it, and then STAS came out and I was hooked. What can I say, I love characters who always try so hard to be the best they can be, and the reminder that even the Man of Tomorrow, for all his powers, can't do everything.

Meliara Astiar and Vidanric Renselaus from Crown & Court Duel by Sherwood Smith. Yes, both of them, shut up. I got on a nostalgia kick and they have a few excellent fics on Ao3. Ultimate culture clash, all the tropes and they make it work.

Trafalgar Law from One Piece. (No, I am not caught up and will not be until Wano is done.) He...he also tries so hard but in a different way. He tries to be serious in Luffy's world and it never works and it's great. Trash man trying to be creepy and trying so hard. And he's genuinely badass, he just cares too much and it cracks me up. And then his backstory breaks my heart.

Eve Baird from The Librarians (tv show). Mama Baird knows what she wants and knows her skills and is doing all she can to protect her idiot Librarian and equally chaotic LITs, but isn't afraid to admit when she needs to learn from them as well.

Alberich from Valdemar by Mercedes Lackey. Another nostalgia lookup, with even less fic. I like mentors, okay? I like older people learning and teaching and I always have, even when I was young. I actually haven't read much of this series, but I got his two books and enjoyed them, and didn't do much with the rest.

I'm going to chose to interpret the lack of women on this list as a critique of the books I read and not solely of me myself. But it's a good trend to see as I try to figure out what to procrastinate by reading next. (as is the appalling lack of explicit POC. Ouch.)

Again, these are the most recent character tag searches I've done on Ao3, not my top 10 characters, because this took less decisions, honestly.

Absolutely no-pressure tagging of @garbria, @whumpwriterforlife, @starjunco, @sanzochan, @whostarlockeda03, @noirbriar, @newlyorange, and @maychorian, along with anyone else who wants to go. I would love to get more character reccs, honestly. It's gotten me started on two series that I've enjoyed but haven't gotten far enough in to seek out fic yet for risk of spoilers. ^_^

10 notes - Posted April 10, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[whumpwriterforlife]

Could you do 11 and/or 29, please? Thanks!

#29 "I thought you were dead."

Cor found Nyx on the roof. He took a deep breath and straightened his jacket. It had been six weeks since they had last seen each other, since Cor had been sent on his mission. He had missed Nyx. Still, he knew this wasn’t going to be the fun kind of reunion. Not after what had happened on his mission.

After one last deep breath, Cor walked across the roof.

Nyx’s first words made him wince. “I thought you were dead.”

Cor sighed heavily as he sat down next to Nyx. He left room between them, not even their shoulders were touching. It made his heart ache. He missed the contact. “You weren’t the only one.”

“What happened?” Nyx asked. He wasn’t meeting Cor’s eyes.

“I’m not allowed to share any information regarding the mission,” Cor told him quietly.

Nyx bristled, his lips drawn in a grimace. Cor licked his lips, hesitating for a moment before reaching out and putting his hand on Nyx’s knee.

Nyx moved further away, and Cor’s hand fell back to his side.

“You know I would tell you if I could,” Cor told him, unable to stop his voice from having a stern edge to it. “The mission was classified, and only a handful of people are aware of the details. Need-to-know basis, Nyx.”

“I know!” Nyx snapped. “I know and I get it. You don’t need to explain that to me.”

“Then what is it?” Cor asked, a hint of defensive irritation leaking into his voice.

Nyx huffed and crossed his arms. “I received one update about your mission. Any idea what that was?”

Cor’s eyes widened a fraction. “Nyx—”

“I had to keep going like nothing was wrong! Like my husband wasn’t out there held captive, being tortured or quite possibly dead!” Nyx shouted. “I wasn’t allowed to tell anyone, in case the information ended up in the wrong hands! Four weeks! For four weeks, I had to fear the worst and pretend everything was just fine! And now you’re back like nothing ever happened!”

Cor flinched. “They didn’t tell you?”

“Tell me what?”

Cor felt himself deflate, anger bleeding out with the tension. “Nyx, I let myself get captured. They roughed me up, yes, but I escaped within hours and took down the base.”

This time it was Nyx who flinched. He shook his head. His eyes were shiny with tears as he looked at Cor. “They didn’t— that’s the only thing they told me. Then Monica reached out to me today to say you were scheduled to be back.”

Cor pushed himself up and walked over to Nyx to wrap him in a tight embrace. He kissed the top of his head, fingers sinking into his hair to hold his head against his chest, his beating heart. “Fuck, Nyx, that should have never happened. I promise I’ll look into that. Who told you about my capture?”

One of Nyx’s hands caught a fistful of his shirt, and the other snaked around his back as he cried against Cor’s chest. Cor closed his eyes and ran his fingers across Nyx’s scalp in a calming manner. He couldn’t even imagine what Nyx had gone through in the past weeks. Nyx must have kept everything bottled up inside until this point. Ifrit’s fiery blaze.

Something must have gone wrong. Nyx should either never have been told of his capture, or whoever told him should have updated him on the situation. It was downright cruel to keep him in the dark for so long. Cor was going to find out who had fucked up and make sure they were removed from their position. This was unacceptable.

“I thought you were dead,” Nyx gasped. “I thought— I thought I had lost you.”

Cor tilted his head back, eyes towards the sky as he fought back tears himself. “I’m still here, Nyx. I’m not going anywhere, I promise.”

Nyx’s response was muffled as he buried his face further into Cor’s jacket. Cor slowly lowered himself onto the ground and pulled Nyx with him. They stayed like that until the moon was high in the sky and Nyx’s sniffles had died down. Cor still couldn’t bring himself to move, wanting to hold Nyx close. Their separation hadn’t been hard only on Nyx.

“I’m sorry I shouted at you,” Nyx said quietly after a few minutes, shifting to look Cor in the eye.

“You had every reason to do that,” Cor told him with a shake of his head. “This should have never happened, something must have gone wrong with communication. I’m sorry you had to go through that alone.”

“You didn’t know,” Nyx murmured. “I should have brought it up with Drautos, asked him. He’s the one that told me in the first place.”

Cor frowned and held Nyx just a bit tighter. He made a mental note to talk to Drautos about it, maybe with the King as well. Drautos should’ve known better than that. He had never liked the man but he would have expected him to be more professional than that. Drautos, with his rank, would have been kept updated and there was no way he would have missed or forgotten the tiny fact about his escape. Cor clenched his jaw. He was going to get to the bottom of this. He wasn’t going to let Drautos get away with doing something so cruel to Nyx.

“It’s okay,” Cor said and craned his neck to kiss Nyx. “I’m here, and we’re together again. That’s all that matters.”

[caparrucia]

12, 13, and 17 for the fic writer asks, please?

12. Are there any tropes you used to dislike but have grown on you?

I still don't read it widely, because most of it hits my "but what's the point then?" pickiness for AUs, but a friend recently explained her time travel fix-it AU as a version of an isekai and that sort of made the appeal of it click in my head in a way it'd never had before. I still think the trope itself is not something I'd go as my first choice, because my vibe is more either miscommunication or mystery, and having a POV character that knows everything - and very often has no reason to not share/use that knowledge - makes it very conflict-free for me. The thing that clicked for me is the same way that my favorite isekai stories are ones that either the OP protagonist doesn't know they're OP or their OPness is gated behind world knowledge that they have to acquire first before making use of said OPness. So I think I like time travel fic in theory now, I just haven't read one that hits the spot because it's not a trope I seek out often. But I kinda get it now! I think!

13. Are there any tropes you used to like but don’t anymore?

Modern renditions of enemies-to-lovers are so fucking exhausting in how hard people are trying to sand down any bit of objectionable, problematic aspect of that kind of relationship. I love me a good, brutal actual!enemies to actual!lovers story that wrestles with the history and baggage of that kind of thing. But post!Reylo fandom is more worried about "not romanticizing abuse" than telling a good, compelling story. E2L are supposed to be messy, problematic, dark romance stories full of questionable tropes. That's what makes it fun! But the way any whiff of conflict is constantly smothered away because "We Do Not Condone That Here" messaging is more important than a coherent, IC story is just. Blah. One day, my favorite toxic love trope will come home from the war. One day.

17. What highly specific AU do you want to read or write even though you might be the only person to appreciate it?

Witcher 3 fusion AUs are my personal catnip. I specify Witcher 3 because I understand the Netflix trainwreck was the entry point for a lot of the fandom and that's great, but the writing of the Netflix show is infinitely subpar to the actual books and even the Witcher 3 version of the characters. The Witcher 3 softens a lot of the harsher edges of characters in the books (hi Emhyr, my forever problematique baby girl, how are you today, your imperial colonialist dipshit incestuous majesty?) but it still maintains the tone in a way that makes it so the harsher, more shocking aspects of it don't read like "for shock value" and have actual consequences. It's a rough world with rough edges and it's a setting rife for stories of all sorts, to scratch that nice medieval pseudo-realistic fantasy setting itch, while still allowing space for some hilarious comedy and nuanced politics.

However, somehow, people who played the game somehow come out with the urge to write unironic, mindless colonialism apologia - we all know why - or quirky funny romance because Netflix!Jaskier is so memeable.

Look, I have almost 3K hours in the Witcher 3, I understand I am not the target audience for Witcher fandom which is why I don't really wade into it often, but I want people to write more Witcher 3 fusion stories because it's a fantastic setting to grab your favorite characters and plop them into and see what they do. It's great.

[awlwren-writes]

For Alexander: 📚🔺️🍎

Alexander (first name pending) is Cor’s secretary, the poor man.

📚 - what level of education has your oc most recently completed/is currently in (GED, undergraduate, grad school, phd, etc)?

Alexander probably has a two-year degree from a secretary school, originally, but I think did night classes to get a bachelor’s in management while he worked. If he doesn’t have the actual degree, he has the equivalent in classes here and there.

He did an internship at the Citadel either concurrently to or immediately after his original degree, and earned a position of trust and, with time, a fair amount of clearance.

🔺 — does your oc know how to use any weapons?

I still tend to think Lucis retains a fair amount of martial culture, so most people learn one or two weapons at least to a basic level. A coming of age event is binding your (first) weapon. The standard, if you’re not that talented and/or from a wealthy background, is a pike, with everyone doing like some minor formation drilling during gym classes growing up. The theory is it teaches discipline and teamwork. Perhaps there is a slower, meditative version as well, that those less interested in the battle side of things do during their scheduled practice mornings on Mutsday and the like. Who doesn’t enjoy swinging sticks around (with adequate spacing)?

So technically he can use a spear. He has a fairly nice one after all these years working with the Guard, but he uses it more for fitness training than any actual attempt at prowess.

A persistent rumor around the Citadel (fanned much higher after his “duel” with Cor) is that his bonded weapon is a stapler. Alexander alternately encourages it and denies it, but no one wiling to admit to it has honestly seen him summon either item.

🍎 - where was your oc born? do they still live in/around their place of birth or do they live somewhere else? how do they feel about their birthplace?

He was born in Insomnia, probably one of the outer edges that got swallowed up as the city grew. He always thought it was basically the city growing up, but it’s become even more urban since. It’s all high rises there, now, and he hardly can navigate it because many of the familiar landmarks are gone or too run down.

Most of his family is gone or not particularly close, though he does occasionally visit his sister’s family for holidays and the like. She has moved to the opposite side of the city, though, so it doesn’t bring him back there, and he is more than fine with that.

[ertrunkenerwassergeist]

6, 17, and/or 22 for fanfic ask meme, please?

6. Are there any fics from others you reread all the time?

Not from the FFXV fandom. There's many talented authors in this fandom, but when I read FFXV fanfic, it makes me lose the will to write my own. It's weird and buggs me, because I want to read all those amazing works.

Outside of the FFXV fandom, I love the fic New Genesis by deanine, it's from FFXVI, and Loading and Aspect Ratio by JUBE514 which is a Batman fic.

17. What’s something you’ve learned about while doing research for a fic?

I learned that I hate participles. XD (Language creation is hard)

The most recent thing would be that I learned about Arabian architecture thanks to @raven-6-10. Which is really fun!

And the thing before that was the layout of Ancient Roman kitchens and what kinds of food they te back then. (It's fascinating to learn what spices they had access to, because it implies how widespread trade was back then. It's really cool.) (I learned that for my Times Immemorial au fics)

22. Do you know how your fic will end before you start writing?

Roughly.

I know who lives and who is dead by the end and if it's a happy ending. That's about it. The details come when I actually get to writing it.

[starjunco]

Cor Leonis, for the character ask meme?

Cor! This turned out longer than I meant it to be >.> But then that usually happens.

Aspect about them I love: His personality. Not only am I a bit of a sucker for the gruff samurai-type (my favorite in FFX was Auron by a landslide) but I find the personality shift he went through to be fascinating. How did an impulsive, cocky teen develop into such a disciplined and reserved man? I haven't see enough media to know for sure, but I suspect this type of change is a trope with the samurai characters. As with the rest of FFXV, the way it's just hinted at with so few details just makes you want to know and explore it more.

Aspect I wish more people understood about them:

Hmm...I haven't exactly read widely in the fanon but most the stories I've read about him have been good when it comes to understanding. I would love for SquareEnix to understand that Cor needs his very own DLC about his journeys with the OG Chocobros. But I know that's not going to happen.

Headcanon(s) I have about them:

This is the long part because it requires explanation. I have two separate headcanons about Cor's past. One follows the widespread fanon one where he's a commoner that was in an abusive situation, hence the personality problems. The other was sparked by the opening line of a bio from Episode Gladio: "Son of a less-than-affluent household, Cor enlisted in the Crownsguard in the tender age of 13."

'Less-than-affluent' could mean poor, but the way the game uses 'house' for noble families has always made me wonder if it's suggesting that he came from a lower or disreputable noble house. To me, him being noble fits in with managing to get into the Crownsguard so young. We see Gladio, as the next shield, working in the Citadel -- having also joined at 13 -- and the emphasis of 'youngest' for Cor isn't when he joined, but when he became a bodyguard to the king. So here's that headcanon:

There are two types of nobility in Lucis, one being nobility of land (what you'd traditionally think of as nobles) and another being nobility of service. The latter can almost be thought of as commissions for various professions, to ensure necessary jobs were filled and, at least in theory, that the people would be well-trained experts since they would learn from the rest of their family from a young age. House Scientia and House Amicitia fall under this type, but there are other ones besides the advisers and the shield: ones that commission families to be judges, doctors, experts in other fields, and of course, for officers in the Crownsguard as well as other military in the past.

This type of family receives a generous stipend, but only if they are fulfilling their duty toward the Crown. In the case of Cor's family, his father died in service when he was young (it's from his father, who was well-traveled, that he inherited the exotic katana.) The family hadn't been well-off at the time due to multi-generational mismanagement, and his mother fell into depression and other problems, leaving a young Cor (and siblings) to fend for themselves. Cor inherited the noble title from his father, but, should a person be unwilling or unable to fulfil their duty, it can be transferred to another member of the family. This is not done simply for youth under the same idea of regency.

In Cor's case, he didn't have anyone that could serve in his stead until he was old enough. He did have an uncle who failed to pass the tests for the Crownsguard and was hoping to use the title as a way to get in (because there was a bad habit of granting some leniency and tolerance in such cases) or pass it on to his own children or even just sell it. This uncle made a deal with Cor: I'll train you and take care of things with your family, but if you can't get in at your first chance, you'll hand the title over. This did not go well, for anyone involved. The 'training' was brutal, but Cor needed some outside support for his family to survive and was manipulated because of this. To his uncle's frustration, Cor was very determined and very talented and that just made things worse.

So his 13th birthday comes around and he ends up succeeding. Instead of an apprenticeship, which was normal for that age, the title allowed him to train and become a full-fledged member. Which was great, because now he had the stipend...but his uncle wasn't that easily dissuaded and while Cor was training, the rest of his family had to still deal with the man, only worse for them because now his focus wasn't on Cor. Things came to a head later and things got violent to the point that the man realized he was out of his league, but that didn't solve all the problems; his relationship with his mother had been unsteady at best and impossible at worse since she made her downturn and he essentially had to abandon his siblings to preform his duties, straining those relationships to the limit. Later, when Regis and Clarus found out about the whole situation, they helped him find a steward to take care of everything at home, but the relationships were already bad (and worse in his head) so he continued to be estranged from them well into the future.

One character I love seeing them interact with:

Choices...Nyx and the OG Chocobros, of course, but besides them it'd have to be Prompto. Love dad!Cor stories.

One character I wish they would interact with more:

Titus, with Monica being a close second just because she needs to be in more. I like the old war buddy relationship and them commiserating together now that they're both COs.

Headcanons(s) I have about them and another character:

Monica is older than she looks (who can tell with the graphics?) and, though not as old as Cor, has been working with him for a long time and knows him well (too well for his tastes sometimes). When Cor took over the Crownsguard, this made her a shoe-in for his second-in-command.

[oftincturedwords]

1 and 3 for the Behind the Scenes ask game?

ASK MEME ( accepting ! )

Behind the Scenes of Fic Writing: 30 Questions for Authors

thank you for taking the time to send in an ask ! i appreciate it ! <3 these are excellent questions !

1. What was the first fandom and/or pairing that you wrote fic for?

the first ever fandom that i wrote for was star wars , i was round nine or ten i think & had just been allow to watch star wars episode iii : revenge of the sith ( i had protective parents ; we couldn't watch certain films until we showed we'd were mature enough to handle them ) so it completed the whole series for me , & i , in all the innocent confidence of a child , decided i was going to write an episode vii to the franchise xD agdkflg i had my parents read it & everything … i wish i had half the confidence i did back then ahdkflfl

3. Do you write fics from start or finish, or jump around?

i jump around :||| i do outline thus i know how the fic will begin & end , as well a majority of the middle bits , but i tend to write the scenes i am most excited for or have the muse for first , then connect them all together at the end

[agent-jaselin]

Could I ask for Cor in A4, please? I love your art!

Cor and baby prompto, just hanging out.