#however. i will iron this one out eventually. someday. when i have more time and brainspace

[anghraine]

I don't know why, but I've been thinking about my f!Tarrlok fic this afternoon. It's very much more about Noatak and, iirc, told entirely from his POV.

One paragraph summation: it's about Noatak's evolution from sweet kid to Amon, mediated by his shifting dynamic with his sister Taraka over the years. The first fic is a version of their childhood influenced by Taraka's gender, but ending the same. The second skims over the years between Noatak leaving and his arrival in Republic City, then goes over his rise as Amon alongside Taraka's as councilwoman and his unwitting enemy. I drifted into other fandom obsessions shortly after he takes Taraka prisoner per the canon scenario.

It turned out quite differently than I'd planned originally, in fact.

[much longer rambles below the cut]

I meant the B1 storyline to go much further off the rails. But I couldn't really justify it with no other changes than Tarrlok -> Taraka. I mean, I definitely thought that Yakone's fury over Tarrlok's "weakness" as a son would be still worse with a daughter, esp in the Northern Water Tribe of 30+ years earlier. That's the premise of the fic, basically. Their dynamic as children is a bit different, because Yakone's amped-up hostility reinforces Noatak's view of himself as Taraka's only protector, even as bloodbending changes them and Noatak grows more remote and calculating.

I could see this Noatak being slower to turn his back on her after Yakone tries to make them bloodbend each other. Noatak might even try to convince Taraka to leave with him, which under pressure, I could actually see her doing. But that wasn't the story I wanted to tell, and I could see the canon separation happening just as easily. So he still ditches her in the end, and it fundamentally breaks his sense of himself as her protector; it breaks him on a level he can't really process.

And he spends over 20 years trying to get away from his past, but he's unable to ever really move on. He subconsciously tries to "make it right" by saving people the way he couldn't or didn't save Taraka. He does genuinely think non-benders are profoundly oppressed and he cares a lot about that. But part of the reason it's so important to be this outsized glamorized protector figure to them, while calling them his brothers and sisters, is that it (sort of) fills the "Taraka" space in his psyche with a narrative of heroism and self-glorification that distances him from the messier and nastier story of being abused.

That's one thing, but it gets far more emotionally complicated when the real Taraka shows up in the city and turns out to be—well, Tarrlok. My original idea was that the story would swerve here because the childhood dynamic was different, and protecting her was more essential to his self-image. I'd meant him to gradually maneuver things in order to recruit her as a stealth Equalist (a scenario I'd briefly written but never explored, and which I still really like the idea of).

But in this scenario, I couldn't believe it would happen, not without something else to push them. Even given the changes in their dynamic, I couldn't see him as self-aware enough to consciously try and make things right with her, much less to put in the work that would honestly be required to subvert Tarrlok of all people, especially after such a long separation.

Instead, his plan is what I assume his canon plan was—capture her, keep her safely imprisoned until the city is under control, talk at her until she sees the light of revolution, and then they can be a family again. This is basically what he advises Hiroshi to do with Asami, while holding Tarrlok captive, so... yeah, I've always headcanoned that it was his ideal (detached from reality) scenario for how things would go.

But I did not write that much (especially of the story following their somewhat altered childhood) to just kill them off at the end. So while the major chance for changing the narrative would have been to have them leave together and be on the same side all along, I also thought it possible that what he tells Taraka might not be identical to what he presumably has said to Tarrlok in canon.

Tarrlok is very sure that Noatak is a true believer in his cause, which has always inclined me to think that they've talked (or at least that Noatak has) since his capture. I could totally see Noatak doing Amon monologues at Tarrlok to justify what he's done, which would be all the more psychologically urgent IMO when faced directly with the real Tarrlok (the only person Noatak seems to regret de-bending, or indeed, to regret harming at all). And I could also see those monologues differing somewhat between Tarrlok and Taraka since the dynamic was that bit different—just enough that she doesn't ultimately conclude that they're hopeless cases and too dangerous to live.

But actually writing those monologues, well. >_>

[vampirzina]

Hello! I have an idea for a request, you can ignore it if you don't like it 😸

What is it like to be friends with benefits for bi-han and Tomas? nsfw or sfw, whatever you feel comfortable with.

thank you ♡

fwb!reader (w. Bi Han and Tomas) short hcs

tw: gn!reader, mdni, nsfw, not proofread

notes: hey! im so sorry this took so long to come out. accidentally got attached to other things and i havent had much writing motivation lately. but im writing this on a new pc and im eager to see how well it works!!!

masterlist

It's hard to say that Bi Han treats you any differently... If he's even interested in this kind of thing in the first place. But it's not that he completely brushes you off, either—if you don't pay attention, you'll miss the way he looks at you despite his icy exterior, or the subtle things like a little extra care and/or consideration he does that he wouldn't normally do for anyone else. It's just that he wants to keep things under wraps as much as possible due to the lack of a title further than 'friends-with-benefits' between you two. Jealousy? Yes. If you end up trying to date and abandon him (so he puts it), he'll be so upset that he'll confess. You two will end up in a relationship... Someday.

Tomas will make it look like you two are in a relationship. Of course, you two really aren't—just see each other in the confines of a bed. That doesn't stop Tomas from being doting, though, and it makes certain people question whether or not you two are dating or more. One cannot so simply just say 'we're fucking with no title on', so he just meekly denies that you two are dating. It seems like he has a crush at the very least. Jealousy, yes, but very silently—you wouldn't know until much much later. The type to ask 'what are we?' when you are innocently doting back.

Bi Han likes to think pretend he's laying claim to you whenever he's fucking you into the mattress, but he has to remind himself when he's done he's not actually yours. Ironically, however, he's the one to remind you that you two aren't in a relationship whenever he thinks you're moving or acting too much like you're in one [with him]—he won't admit it, but he kind of likes it. It spurs him on to make sure you can't walk later. He won't initiate cuddles or aftercare, but he's incredibly responsive when you do. You eventually catch on, and it becomes a necessity at that point. Bi Han gets sulky if you don't.

Tomas focuses more on you than himself, but he makes sure to satisfy himself at least once before the whole endeavor ends. He's gentle if you've had a bad day, and he's rough if you're feeling particularly pent up—either way, you're getting your worth and more in the end. And, he won't say it, but he also likes to pretend that you two are in a relationship. But unlike the former, it slips a 'few times' that the person he's shoving his dick in isn't actually his significant other. It gets to him sometimes and he lies awake contemplating if asking you to become permanently his is a mistake, while he draws delicate circles on the crux of your back.

@𝐕𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐈𝐑𝐙𝐈𝐍𝐀೨

info

[writingquestionsanswered]

hey, i love your blog, you’re so kind for doing all of this. kudos.

i was wondering if you have advice on how to not be terrified of sharing your work with the world? i write a lot of fanfiction (and someday hopefully some original stories) but i get so so anxious about ANYONE reading them so they usually end up rotting in my google docs, and eventually i stop writing them because i don’t get the motivation that comes from reader responses

but the issue is i’m not sure how to tackle this anxiety. as someone who has published works, do you have advice for this?

Tackling the Anxiety of Sharing Your Work

For my answer, I'm going to cobble together some bits from previous posts and add some new stuff. ♥

Sharing our fiction with others is one of the biggest steps we take as writers, and it can be scary no matter what you write. But, if you want to be published, it’s a necessary step. As with so many things in life, doing something that requires courage is often just a matter of taking a deep breath and doing it. "Ripping off the band-aid," as they say.

However, there are some things that might help ease the associated anxiety a bit:

1 - Try to Pin Down Your Specific Fears - One of the first things you may want to do is try to figure out what you're specifically afraid of or what's making you the most anxious about the prospect of sharing your work. If you can find the root cause, it might be easier to tackle the associated anxiety. Are you worried people:

will think your writing is bad?

won’t like your writing style?

won’t get your story/characters?

will judge you for what you write about?

will think less of you for writing at all or what you write about?

will blab about your writing to others?

will steal your ideas?

will see similarities between your story and others?

will make you feel tied to a project you might not complete?

I tackle some of these in the writing-related-fears portion of my Motivation master list.

2 - Don't Rush It - If you take the time to properly revise and edit your story, you can be confident in knowing you've put in the time and effort to make your story the best it possibly can be.

3 - Start Small - If you can, try sharing your story first with an "alpha reader," or in other words a trusted friend, family member, or community member who can appreciate your story. In this case, you might say you're not looking for specific feedback but just a general impression of what they liked about the story. This way, it's not about getting constructive criticism so much as getting over the hump of sharing it and getting the little boost of what they like about the story.

4 - Gradually Go Bigger - From there, you might try sending to a couple of beta readers and opening up to a bit more feedback. The great thing about this is not only are you conditioning yourself to sharing and getting the opinions of others, you can potentially use the feedback to iron out kinks in the story if there are any.

5 - Use a Pen Name - You might want to consider using a pen name for anonymity. Pen names have many different purposes, but much like wearing a mask at a party, they can decrease your inhibition a bit because it creates a bit of a buffer between the real you and your writing.

6 - Post and Let It Go - Many writers get around the issue by simply not engaging with reader feedback, and if you're someone who cares what other people think or are likely to be daunted by the prospect of criticism, this may be the best route for you to go. Now, I know that with fan-fiction in particular, reader feedback is often used for improvement. But the truth of the matter is, you shouldn't rely on reader feedback for improvement anyway. Alpha readers, beta readers, critique partners, and editors are a much better metric for where to improve. When you get your feedback elsewhere, you can post your story and let it fly on its own without worrying about what others are saying.

I hope that helps!

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

♦ Questions that violate my ask policies will be deleted! ♦ Please see my master list of top posts before asking ♦ Learn more about WQA here

[eydi-andrius]

Precarious (Aemond x Reader)

Warnings: aged-up aemond and reader, implied sexual content, dubcon, dark!aemond, possessiveness, explicit language (please tell me if I need to add more)

summary: He told you Lucerys has his eyes on you. You told him he did not. Not because you were naive but rather you know he was a very jealous man.

a/n: this is just a one-shot/drabble. I was highly inspired by @/darkficsyouneveraskedfor Clark Kent's series of drabbles. Ahem.

+

“My heart beats for only you, my lady.”

No.

“Have you truly lost your mind? How could you confess when you know you were betrothed?”

Not now, Lucerys. Please, no.

“I- I know. I know. I- You have been my friend for so long. My closest out of all. You have witnessed all of my worst and I- my heart can’t just quell each day and night not telling you my truest feelings. You are beautiful, intelligent and perfect. I have fallen for you for years now.”

His voice seems to echo on the quiet corridor he asked you to meet him. You never thought he would confess. It wasn’t that you hadn't seen the signs. His eyes were far softer, kinder and a truest gentleman whenever you were around but you played the fool and convinced yourself that it was just a love for a friend.

You can’t have this now or you were putting him in danger.

You closed your eyes and swallowed. With lips bitten you breathe in deeply and open your eyes with renewed anger.

“How could you do this to me? Your confession on this public corridor is putting me and you in danger. You know that right? If you truly cared about me, you should have kept your feelings for yourself. Tell me, how about Rhaena?”

A flash of hurt crossed his eyes but it was gone as fast as you saw his jaw thickened with vigor.

“She knew. And I can’t lie to myself about you. I-I want you to come and live with us in Driftmark. Staying in King’s Landing with just yourself worries me. Especially with my uncles here. Please come with me.”

His eyes were full of unshed tears. You knew how much courage it took him to confess and come here to offer you this chance of freedom.

It wasn’t really a surprise when he told you Rhaena knew. They were closed too and you have no doubt that with you not being by his side anymore, due to his betrothal with her, she will be his new confidant.

The offer was rather tempting. Oh! How you wish you can get away from this place. Away from your responsibilities and away from HIM.

But you know you can’t.

You are not your own anymore. A daughter has no choice.

And he is watching.

A shiver ran down your spine and you swallowed the fear bubbling inside of you. With great regret you hold Lucerys hand and stare at his eyes with sadness.

Oh, his hands were so cold.

“I can’t and you know it. I- I always admire the power your mother has as a lady who will sit on the iron throne someday and lead us all as our Queen. However, I can’t fool myself into thinking that we were the same. I have no choice about myself. A lady has no say about her life. I- I am truly thankful for your love and I am sorry that our lives became like this. Oh Lucerys!”

Tears ran down your eyes when he hugged you without letting you finish what you were saying.

This action had awakened a fear that always had its head out but never mentioned. Your heart knows that this will be a goodbye to what you two have.

A truest and innocent love for each other no matter what type of love it is.

Time seems to pass as you two hugged each other in the dark but you know eventually you have to let go. So you did.

Lucerys hugged you tighter when he felt your arms slowly move out of the hug. This farewell has been set out the moment you befriended the prince. You know that this will never last. The tension happening regarding the throne and the princess children's legitimacy will always hang above their crowns. There is no way that you can live happily and eventually love the young prince on your own terms and time.

It is impossible to even dream of it.

Only a fool would believe such fantasy.

“No matter what happens, I am still your friend. We might be apart and my feelings will probably be a bother but you know our friendship is far more a treasure to me than anything else’s in this place.” He is holding your arms now. Staring sadly, deeply at your eyes as he said his final words.

All you could give him was a nod though and a final hug.

His footfalls echo as he walks away. The sound leaves a hole into your heart. Shattering the final defense, the final strength you were holding onto throughout the days that you have to endure the one-eyed prince.

Your body went rigid when you felt his arms clasp you from behind. He put his chin on your shoulders tenderly, like a lover, like he always does these days when he caught you alone and unguarded.

He never ever makes a sound whenever he comes for you.

He fancy himself a predator catching his prey each time he meets you.

“Hmm.. I told you, he likes you.”

He said, rather fondly, as he plants kisses on your exposed neck.

You closed your eyes and removed his arms around you. You walk past him not knowing where exactly you wanted to go. This is all too much for a day and you just want a little bit of reprieve from these events.

“I do not understand what irks your ire. Many maidens will kill just to have a prince confess their love to them.”

You know why.

You bite your finger as you try to walk faster to get away from him. A habit you were doing lately as your life went down for worse than it's been.

Your mind never even register the pain as your teeth tore through the skin. The only moment you realize you were biting too much was when the coppery taste of blood touched your tongue.

A yelp went out of your mouth when he forcefully grabbed the finger you were biting into. You were so in your head that you didn’t notice that he was already ahead of you.

“I told you not to do this. It breaks my heart whenever you hurt yourself.”

“What exactly do you want from me?” You asked exasperatedly.

He frowned, as if offended. His eyes turned sharper and darker. Something was brewing behind those orbs. Something you were familiar with before he loses his control.

A whine left you as he held your hand tighter. All the efforts you try to retrieve your hands faltered when you recognized how this would go.

“I had paid the price for what I asked of you that night so you can’t haunt me still! Leave me for good!”

The heaves that wrack your body was inhuman as you fear for worse for talking back to him.

But it's too late now. So you put all of your strength on your arms and yanked his hold off you.

You tried to walk past him again when you successfully pulled out your hand. But this time, he grabbed your arm and bent down to look closely at your face.

You can feel his hot breath fanning your face as yours stopped from how close he was.

“Do you truly think a night was enough for what I did for you?”

“You became mine the moment you stepped foot in my chambers to ask for my help. You were mine the moment you removed your dress in front of me and put my cock inside your mouth. And all and everything of yours is mine the moment I left my seed inside of your womb. A lady with a stature as yours shouldn’t be oblivious. You may be carrying my child right now. Hmm.. I wonder what the bastard Luke will say if he finds out that his love gave up her honor to begged me on her knees on the night of his name day. That would be a wonderful story to tell. Don’t you think so?”

Fresh tears run down your eyes. The sadness you felt earlier for losing a friend changed into distress.

A daughter truly has no choice.

You felt his lips touch yours bruisingly. The precarious hope inside your mind is gone with the wind as you close your eyes and succumb to his power.

[dragons-and-magic]

(Please check out the close ups for less blurry images. Tumblr butchered the quality. Sorry.😭)

Anyways, the main cast of Dragons Of Sodor is here! These are their designs right now, but are subject to change. Also, here's some lore about each of them! I'll put it below the cut! (@hkpika07😁👋)

Edit: I've been tired all day and I just realized this has a ton of typos.🤣 Also, some info I meant to put down is not there. *Sighs* Oh well. I tried. Lol.

Note: The stories mentioned here actually have a LOT more going on than what is mentioned. This is just a more watered down version so it doesn't get too long of a post. Have fun reading!

Thomas: Out main man! The big hero! So what is Thomas's role in this story? Well, here's the thing. Notice how Thomas's eye are gold, like gold dust? That's because he's Lady's next champion. Aka, the chosen one. Lol, all jokes aside, Thomas has an incredible destiny of being the one to protect all of Sodor someday! And lead the clan! This comes with a number of challenges he must face as he grows and learns what it takes to be a hero. Another important part of Thomas's story or his relationship with his adopted Father Edward, and how they navigate the rapidly changing world, that is becoming less and less safe for all dragons.

Percy: Thomas's bestie and resident messenger from clan Gold Scale! Percy is a very curious dragon and enjoys writing his observations in journals. He also very empathetic and cares about everyone. No matter where they are from. Unfortunately, he's also a bit gullible. And this combined leads to some nasty trickery from the Gold Scales rivals (The Iron Hides), somewhere down the line. (Fun fact! He's also a bit deaf. Hence why he sometimes mixes up long complicated words. Him and Thomas will sometimes use sign language to communicate.)

James: Thomas and James have a complicated relationship. At first, they were on okay terms. But something very important happened. Gordon is James mentor. And since Gordon is the Clan's Patriarch, this lead James to thinking he may have a chance at becoming the next one. But when it was revealed Thomas was meant to become leader next, James became bitter and wasn't as friendly as before. However, this changed after he was caught up in a forest fire, (This Au's version of James crash) and Thomas saved him, despite being on bad terms with him. After that, he had a more brotherly relationship. Competitive, but still care about each other's well-being. (Fun fact! James is a rare hybrid between a Dragon and Wyvern. So he's got scales and fluff!)

Edward: Edward is the one of the clan's elders and a talented wizard. His dragon species, a Moon Moth Dragon, are known for being very close to Lady Arcana, and magic in general. He has quite a large library of spell books and general historical records. And plenty of old artifacts as well. Thomas was adopted by him at a very young age, and the two are inseparable. Edward made sure to teach him plenty of skills he would need as Lady's next champion. Especially since he was the last one. Edward also adopted Bill and Ben, two twin dragons that are Thomas's adopted brothers.

Gordon: Out of all the dragons, there is no denying that the most regale, fastest, and proudest dragon, is Gordon, Clan Gold Scales Patriarch. Gordon has a mysterious past that he seldom talks about. Edward and Henry know everything about it. But all everyone else knows is that he is pretty much the last of his kind, as all others were killed off by humans years ago. This trauma, he clearly doesn't talk about, has definitely effected his relationships. As he has a hard time opening up or showing any softness. It's not that doesn't care about them. It that he doesn't know how to show it. But that does change. Eventually. He also played an important role in James's life. James was found as a youngster by Gordon and Edward a long time ago. The patriarch saw potential in this rare dragon and wyvern hybrid. And took him under his wing. James looked up to him and wanted to be just like him.

Henry: Sodor's local tree hugger! Henry loves the forest and is pretty much their guardian in this story. He even lives beneath a large tree's roots in a cozy burrow. (The Wishing Tree to be exact!) He also has some sort of really rare plant magic? Nobody even knows why he even has it. Especially since Titan Class dragons don't have any sort of magical abilities. But regardless, he has it. And it's a good thing too, since he has a few health issues that his powers can help him with. For example, he uses his plant magic to form his prosthetic back leg whenever he needs it! Oh, and he can also talk to any nearby trees and connect into their communication system. Meaning he can pretty much find out what's happening in every part of the forest whenever he wants... It's pretty crazy. You may also notice he has a beak rather than fangs. That because he eat mostly plants. In short, Henry is the clan's lovable but slightly weird woods man that lives in a tree and has over a ten thousand squirrel friends.

Emily: In this story, Emily is an apprentice under Victor! I thought it would fit with her personality and how she's usually the one looking out for the groups health. And also rescuing them a lot. Her and Kevin both train under Victor as the clan's apprentice medicine dragons. Emily is the closest thing Thomas and Percy have to a sister. They love her to bits, and she's always looking out for them. She's also close with Henry. The two share a close bond, almost akin to a grandfather and granddaughter relationship. Henry will sometimes help he needs the herbs she and the other medicine dragons need for cures and stuff.(Fun fact! Since she's Scottish in this AU, I was inspired by the legend of Nessie and the Loch Ness. Hence the reason she's a sea dragon. I was also inspired by Leafy Dragons!)

Toby and Henrietta: Toby and Henrietta have been mates for many years. They are the clan's only wyvern couple and are also part of the clan's elders group. Toby and Henrietta love each other dearly, and have raised quite a few children of their own over the years. For now though, they are simply just enjoying each other's company on Sodor as the local retired couple. (I feel like I should put down more for them. Because they do have roles to play. But, I can't seem to get it all out of my head at the moment. Hopefully I'll solidify their roles better later! Also, Toby is based off of owls, and Henrietta is based off of robins and cardinals! They are heavily associated with birds, so it just fit.)

Bill and Ben: These two young dragon twins are a handful! Luckily, Edward (Their adoptive father,) is very skilled in the art of handling chaos and disorder, and can usually sort things out quickly. These two are the adopted siblings of Thomas, and they always seem to be getting into and/or making trouble. Even more so than Thomas!

And, that's it for now! Hope you all like this! I worked super hard on it! Bye!

[simlit]

5, 10, 13, 23 for you know, the usual two suspects!

How far is your OC willing to go to get what they want?

I'll answer for both at once since it's a similar answer. This comes as maybe no surprise in Taryn's case, but Yehl, I think, is just as equally driven, given the right circumstances. Once Yehl has the power not to take no for an answer, whether it be through his influence over Taryn, his eventual power as Celaedian, or his own growing self-confidence, he steadily starts to stand up for himself more and more. I think once he reaches full adulthood, one would be pretty foolish to try and stand in his way. To protect or keep what they love, these two would lie, steal, cheat or kill (depending on who needed killing), hands down lmao.

What's an AU that would be interesting to explore with your OC?

I've had this idea in my head for years now, but never the time to even kind of conceivably work on it, it's called Last Train Out. A pseudo-30s/40s AU based on this old photoset I did wherein Yehl is a successful jazz singer and Taryn is a seasoned soldier about to be shipped off to war and they have this sort of dreamlike whirlwind romance before the separation. I do also have some early drafts of their modern AU, which more closely resembles the actual events of AoA, called Forevermore, and actually have some sets built and plans to post that one (maybe someday). But LTO I'm sure will never see the light of day so we can be sentimental about the might have beens ;)

If you met your OC, would the two of you get along?

LOL. I'd love to say I'd get along with both of them, but given their high standards, I don' think they'd get along with me. At least they can both bond over their superiority complexes.

What emotion is the hardest for your OC to process? How about express?

Taryn - Empathy. Love being a close second, but I think he manages to bridge that gap as best he can. His "love" for Yehl might always be slightly different than your conventional idea of love, but is just as, if not more intense. Empathy, however, is not something he ever learns. He rarely feels remorse for others, though does feel guilt for the things he's done in the past that have directly caused pain or trouble for his own kin. But that comes more with his burden of responsibility as king, and if he was anyone else and not born to fill a role, I doubt he'd feel the same. He only outwardly protects the elves on Yehl's command, and later spares mankind out of sheer civility. Even with Yehl, he struggles to feel sympathy for his struggle, oftentimes using this knowledge as a means for manipulation, but he does have a fondness for Yehl's brokenness. Again, I don't think any of that is particularly healthy, but he is still a dragon and very much falls back into animalistic behaviors as a baseline nature. Yehl - Ah, this is so much harder. I'm going to say... isolation. Which is... he's not unaccustomed to loneliness, but he fears being entirely abandoned. This is a sentiment that expands rapidly upon meeting Taryn, but even when he was younger, he's always has someone to rely on. First his mother, then Nuuriel, Judine, and eventually Taryn himself. But because of what Taryn is, Yehl is constantly put in a position where he feels sort of... left out to dry, for lack of a better term. Taryn can only meet him halfway, and for most of act one, he doesn't even allow him that much. Ironic, considering I can safely say Taryn fell in love first, it's just that Yehl's emotions manifested faster and in a way Taryn couldn't understand or reciprocate. This breakdown in communication and behavioral differences causes them so much strife, and a lot of pain, mostly on Yehl's side. Just because he's literally standing next to the person he loves most and feels a thousand miles away.

[poussacha]

Fanfic Game Tag

No one tagged me in this, I just love doing these.

1. How many works do you have on AO3? 89

2. What’s your total AO3 word count? 380,184

3. What fandoms do you write for? I have A LOT because I used to take one off requests so I'm only going to name the ones I have more than one fic for.

JONAS

DC's Legends of Tomorrow

Iron Man/Doctor Who Crossover

Iron Man

Doctor Who

Loki

Danny Phantom

Life With Derek

Codename: Kids Next Door

Cody Lyoko

Fullmetal Alchemist

Marvel (Comics)

Mass Effect Triology

Monsters Inc/Frozen Crossover

The Avengers (MCU)

Zoey 101

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

every minute it makes me weaker (Loki (2021) | 9k | E | Lokius)

lightning in a bottle (Cars/Loki | 1k | M | LokiLightning)

coming out of my cage and i've been doing just fine (The Santa Clause/The Santa Clauses | 20k | M | CharlieBernard & CharlieMaria)

i am your shadow (Naruto | 2k | T | ShikaNaru)

As We Know It (Sonny With a Chance | 1k | T | ChadSonny)

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not? Typically I do. I love when people comment on my work, but sometimes I miss stuff! Sometimes I'll go back to update an old fic and I'll see there's like 5 comments I didn't even see and I'm like ???? I'm so sorry! Either that or you comment with a bunch of emojis and I'm like ..... I have no idea how to reply to this, but I love you.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? Probably The Way Life Is or one of the Kids Next Door fics, but tbh It COULD be Unfaithful from my JONAS fic days. Eventually, if I ever fucking finish it, it'll be coming out of my cage (sorry everyone who loves that fic and is hoping for a happy ending).

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? I guess it's burnin' like a firefly? Or maybe one of my million fics where it ends in a kiss and a love confession?

8. Do you get hate on fics? Yep.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? I'm kinda known for it, actually. Haha. I write all kinds of smut, but most of it is F/M with the second highest being MLM, but I think I'm mostly known for my BDSM stuff.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written? I write a bunch of crossovers. Most of them I don't post, but of the one's I've posted It's probably my Monster's Inc/Frozen or Loki/Cars that people perceive as the craziest, but in all honesty those are all D*sn*y properties, so that's not completely insane.

My Doctor Who/Iron Man one, however....

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? Yes, but this was like back in the DeviantART/FFN days. Nothing on AO3. That I know of.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? I think so? I'm not 100% sure. Someone asked if they could do it, but I never checked to see if they actually did it lol.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? Yeah.

14. What’s your all time favorite ship? I don't have an answer for you, but I DO have a spreadsheet where I've tracked all of my reading on AO3 from 2013 to 2022 and I have a graph of the ships I've read most. I'll post the top 5 most read ships from that.

Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson | Stranger Things

Tenth Doctor/Rose Tyler | Doctor Who (The closest thing to an OTP I could ever have because I've been reading this ship for YEARS, the only reason Steddie overtook it is because I've been obsessively reading 13/Rose and not 10/Rose for the past few years)

Casey McDonald/Derek Venturi | Life with Derek

Gen (I read a lot of Gen ok, full on friendship, full on familial love)

[Ship Redacted] | MCU

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? I've been trying to do a full Star vs. the Forces of Evil rewrite for like 7 fucking years and I cannot get this bitch off the ground. I'm fucking STRUGGLING. But SOMEDAY. SOMEDAY!!!!

16. What are your writing strengths? This was not a thing I was aware I could do.

17. What are your writing weaknesses? Never updating anything ever, never finishing anything, never being able to sit down and write, procrastination, bailing on scenes when I need to sit in it more, not being able to keep tense for more than a fucking page, not being able to keep someone in character to save my life

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? Considering I'm bilingual and read fic in both French and English, I'mma go with 100% yes. That and I read novels where a lot of the dialogue is in Spanish (and not translated, and I don't speak Spanish at all, I just adore the storytelling of hispanic & latinx authors) so. Why wouldn't I be on board for fanfiction doing that?

19. First fandom you wrote for? It was probably Codename: Kids Next Door (but there's a very real possibility it was Sailor Moon)

20. Favorite fic you’ve written? Probably coming out of my cage because that fic is so personal to my own queer journey, or what are you after (some kind of disaster) because it's personal to my trans identity.

I know more people probably think it's my Lokius fic (every minute it makes me weaker) because it's the one that has the most views/attention, but I wrote that fic because I had an idea for it. Some of the writing in there is the best I've ever done, but I don't have any real love for the work. It's good on paper, but I don't feel an emotional connection to it the same way I do coming out of my cage, what are you after, or even be kind and curious in all things.)

Or maybe you think it's the Doctor Who/Iron Man crossover I've been writing for going on...what 7 years now? I love that fic, but it isn't my favourite. It has a lot of flaws I should've fixed, but didn't. Even on the second upload. I took away voices from characters I should've given a bigger platform and I have to live with that.

You can always tell the stories I love the most because I drag my feet on finishing them. I don't have the ability to just write them and post them the same way I do works I don't have an emotional connection to.

coming out of my cage will always be that for me. When I finish it I'm going to be both relieved and ruined.

[theamberwizard]

i’ve been thinking about black widow and the red room recently, as one does, and i’ve got a lot of thoughts about the effects of the red room on widows who’ve escaped. couple things, just before i begin: i would recommend having watched black widow before this because there are implied (?) spoilers, i use way too fancy language while i write and i don’t have an editor cause this is mainly to catch her off guard, so, uh, whoops sorry

trigger warnings: TW: child abuse TW: restricted eating/starving yourself TW: dehumanization TW: death of a child

so yeah, enjoy my list of 10 personal headcanons about how the red room fucks you up on all the levels.

1) black widows cannot sleep in. like, they wake up at 5:00 am every day. it’s not a physical thing, at least not as far as they know, because they can negate that by just going to bed two hours or less before 5:00 am just from their lack of sleep. if, however, they go to sleep at a fairly normal hour they will, like clockwork, wake up at 5:00. this stems from them doing it every single day of their life since they got indoctrinated in the red room. if they didn’t wake up at 5:00 am ready for more training or missions, for any reason, they would be tortured. sometimes physically, sometimes mentally. eventually, all the widows would get that message. they still can’t shake it. because of that, natasha will often refuse to go to sleep at a normal hour, trying to force her body into submission, trying to rid herself of the painful memories that accompanied sleep and waking up afterwards. only clint knows why, because each day in that vent, natasha would snap up at 4:00 am. she had to explain to him that she just wasn’t accustomed to budapest time, and that actually, it was 5:00 am in russia.

2) for months after escaping the red room, widows practically cannot eat. in the red room, they were fed mushy messes of meals, filled with only the necessary nutrients that they absolutely had to have to survive. most widows can only get down one meal, maybe even a snack if they push it, until they throw it all up. they have to slowly eat slightly more each day for weeks until they can get down a normal intake of food. even then, it’s hard to push that, and every widow relapses into throwing up in those early stages. however, this isn’t normally a problem for most widows until a couple weeks into their life with freedom. that’s about the time that they make an acquaintance, who will eventually pluck up the courage to ask them why every time said friend will eat near the widow, the widow will lean over and whisper: “careful, that’s your whole ration today and i don’t want to do extra training.”

3) each “class” of widows had an extra mentor teacher in their early red room years. this was an older widow, someone who’d been falling behind in her recent missions, and with a look that the red room deemed “motherly”. their sole purpose was to be the person each widow got attached too, the parental figure. they were nice, they were helpful, they taught many different basic techniques. then, one day, the red room would have another older widow, (one already introduced to the children as the metaphorical “bad cop” of this scenario) come in and inform the mentor that she had failed her latest mission and proceed to, in front of thirty eleven year-olds, shoot the mentor. the mentor widow would not die that day- the red room refused to waste such a weapon- but the class of up incoming widows would be informed that she had. the official purpose of this exercise was to demonstrate to both the trainees and the trainer the consequences of failing a mission. the unofficial purpose? that would be the last psychological effects the mentor’s “death” would have upon the class, making them learn what happened to attachments in the red room. the day natasha’s class experienced this was the day she cut off all contact with her sister. the day yelena experiences this is the day she first another widow- because yelena killed that mentor with her own bare hands before the informant ever finished the announcement.

4) towards the start of the red room’s history, there were several attacks on the red room. the first ever attack was from a local police station who had been getting complaints of loud wailing, and, upon further investigation, realized what they were dealing with. they brought several other police and militia groups from nearby towns. the immediate action that was taken was to throw the littlest girls they had at the attackers. it stopped the police in their tracks, obviously, because you really don’t expect to come across thirty little girls while searching through a building of highly trained assassins. the red room then sent their fully trained widows and killed everyone. including the girls. the red room then found that footage from their cameras (because of fucking course they have cameras) and then showed it to the next batch of widows, just to show them how disposable they were.

5) yelena and natasha almost caused a whole fucking mutiny within the red room just because of their names. in the red room, you see, widows do not get names. they instead are bestowed with numbers, and even those are a twisted class ranking. they all wore little name tags with the numbers on them until came natasha and yelena came in. yelena, having just seen her mother get shot, complied almost immediately and was addressed as number 42. on the other side of that coin you have natasha, who had already been in the red room and remembered every gruesome detail, and went “fuck you my name is natalia.” upon hearing of this (word gets around fast in the red room. every girl must know they are being listened to at all times, and no secrets can be kept from the red room,) yelena too announced her name to the class.

6) this was met with blanching from every child in that class, because how on earth can you be called by a word? no, they thought, we are numbers, we are weapons, we are not people and we cannot have our own words, for we are not worthy. but secretly, internally, they wished for a name. slowly, they began piecing syllables together until they formed a coherent name, and for the first time in the red room’s long history, they didn’t have weapons. not anymore. they have two full classes of human little girls. the red room officials heard of this, obviously, and took to the only method they had now. violence. the classes were rid of the named girls, yet natasha and yelena were kept alive. they were kept alive to be ostracized, to be the girl the others pointed at and said “she’s the reason all my friends died.” they were kept alive so they could watch the carnage they had unwittingly caused just by saying their own names. and the worst part? well, the worst part was when the teachers accounted for those kills, and made them top of the class. yelena will never forget the day the teachers stood her and her sister up in front of all the widows-in-traning and told them what a good job they had done, how those tactics were sure to help them graduate. i mean, you’re practically a shoo-in if they rest of your class was killed by your school.

7) the red room could never fully stop the names, and so they decided to make a system, and the names would be the highest reward. they told the young, impressionable girls that while maybe outsiders such as natasha and yelena got names at birth, you had to earn them here. if you are to become a spy, you will take on the name of you very first official alias. if, instead, you become an assassin, you will take on the name of your very first official kill. of course, in reality, the widows couldn’t actually address each other with their new earned names, and instead used “team leader” or other such titles. but it became a small comfort for them, thinking of themselves in third person, with their very own names. in some small part they weren’t fully weapons anymore, no, they were people again. natasha took on the name natalia, because in her mind that life in ohio had been her first mission, even if she hadn’t known it. yelena took on yelena as well, but in her mind that little girl in ohio who was sitting in the backseat, caring only about which song they played, that girl had to have been yelena’s first true kill.

8) the names system worked well in the red room, but when you escaped it caused some serious problems. most would have to announce themselves to the russian government, saying they had been flying under the radar their whole life and never became registered. then, they’d give a non-russian name, and their whole ruse would fall apart. unfortunately, this was the least of their problems, because many a widow would someday meet a relative of their very first kill, and when they introduced themselves as the person they had killed all those years ago, the families and friends would often figure them out.

9) one of the biggest parts of the red room’s brainwashing was their little catchphrases they used. ironically, a lot of them were eerily close to boy scout mottos- “be prepared,” an iconic scout motto, versus “there is no safety, only preparedness,” the most frequently used phrase within the red room. when widows then escaped, the most small phrase could set them off. some unknowing widows even adopted little boys in their new lives, who often became boy scouts. the ensuing misery is something you can imagine yourself.

10) after clint helped natasha to escape, she immediately died her hair blond.  clint asked why, of course, and she didn’t tell him. (what, you thought i’d have another cute clintasha moment? never.) this was partly because she hadn’t admitted it to herself, though, because natasha couldn’t remember her sister without remembering all the suffering that came with her.

11) when the widows were smaller, more susceptible to the conditioning, the red room would stage infiltrations. older widows, ones who were closer to retirement, would come in in different uniforms, sometimes the uniforms of UN officers or local police, sometimes different organizations, all different types. the most recent uniforms made yelena sick looking at them, because each time the older widows would pretend to be the avengers there would also be one pretending to be her sister. each time she saw the fake natasha she wanted to break that widow’s neck because that’s not how my sister tilts her head, you’re doing it all wrong. you should be doing it like this, you shouldn’t be doing it at all, i should be doing this, i know my sister. each time those exact thoughts went into her head, and each time all she really wanted was for her sister to be there, for natasha to do her little head tilt upon seeing yelena and take her hand and say “you’re safe now, i promise,” and for natasha to be telling the truth. the only problem was that deep down inside herself yelena knew that this could never actually happen while yelena was still in the red room, because while yelena was still in the red room she knew that she would look at natasha telling her she was safe and tell her in return that there was no safety, only preparedness, and then murder her sister in cold blood.

[animeomegas]

Omega!Naruto Characters - Death from a broken heart.

Anon:  I don't know if you do, but some aus say that a person can't sruvive after their mate dies, like they die from a broken heart. Do you have that in yours, can you write who would be most likely to die mayeb please xx

(I love this headcanon! In my au, I think that if a person feels like they have nothing left to live for after their mate dies, they die with them. This is my ranking for how the boys would react when you had been mated for a while, but before having children. 

I wrote a Naruto one first, but I’m already half way through a BNHA version, so look out for that.)

Warnings: Suicide, major death, depression.

LEAST

1. Naruto – ALIVE – He is in mourning for a long time, but ultimately, he manages to turn your death into something meaningful. He memorialises you with a beautiful shrine in your home that he can’t bear to leave. He tries to ‘solve’ whatever it was that killed you. For example, if you died from sickness, he would assign lots more funds into the hospital and medicinal research. It’s not easy for him at all, but he could move on someday and take another mate, many years down the line. He has so much love to give and he wants to receive love in return, and he knows you would want him to be happy. However, he would never tolerate a new mate who was jealous of you or wanted him to get rid of your shrine. He could never do that to your memory. He picks a mate he knows you would love.

2. Iruka – ALIVE – He is deeply depressed when you die. He throws himself into his work as much as he can, distracting himself until he has a complete breakdown. He relies on his friends a lot during this time. Iruka eventually learns to distract himself in healthier ways, processing with your death in smaller increments rather than all at once. He might get another mate, but it would be very unlikely I think. It would be more likely that Iruka decides to adopt an orphan and throw himself into raising that child with as much love as he can. He would raise the child knowing you as their other parent, telling them stories about you, showing him pictures and visiting your grave with them.

3. Gaara – ALIVE – He is angry. It has been a long time since he was this angry. Gaara blames himself for a long time, which sends him down a dark path. Ultimately what saves him is his siblings. They keep him sane and happy to the best of their abilities and Gaara throws himself into his family as a result. It’s the only place where he can feel okay, if only for a little bit. If his siblings ever have pups, Gaara is committed to being the greatest uncle of all time and the pups love him. However, he can’t help but get lost in his thoughts sometimes, wondering what your children would have been like. He misses you every second of every day. He would be extremely unlikely to get mated again.

4. Shikamaru – ALIVE – He is furious. With the situation, with himself, and with you, for leaving him alone when you promised you wouldn’t. Another one who leans a lot on his friends and family to get him through the darkest time in his life. He lashes out at people and is very difficult to deal with after you die. I definitely see him as the kind of person to take on one of your hobbies to help him deal with your loss. Whatever it was you loved to do the most, he will start doing as a way to ensure that he will never forget you. He may get mated again, he may not, it depends a lot on if he meets someone he falls in love with again. But if the clan elders ever try and push him to mate again so that he can have an heir, he will flip his shit big time. He sees it as a direct attack on your memory.

5. Shino – ALIVE – He withdraws into himself. He speaks to no one other than his father for about a month after your death, refusing to go about his life as normal. Because it’s not normal and it will never be normal again. He takes a long hiatus from missions which he spends sorting through his thoughts and memories of you. The things he never said, the things he never got to do, the things he should have done. He tortures himself for a few weeks before his father pulls him out of his slump by force. They go for walks together, trying to find certain bugs, just like they did when he was a child. They cook together, Shibi closely monitoring Shino’s diet, knowing that hunger takes a big hit after the death of a mate. This is what saves Shino, but he will never mate again. He refuses. He couldn’t do that to your memory, but he also couldn’t do it to himself. Not again.

6. Neji – ALIVE – He gets so close to death. He stops eating, stops getting out of bed, stops working. He just lays there wasting away. He is convinced that he’s going to die and he feels weirdly happy about that. He doesn’t fight it at all, but instead embraces all his misery. It’s when his teammates come to visit him that everything changes. They find him close to death and panic. They rush him to the hospital, making sure that someone is with him at all times. They tell jokes, they organise games and read to him, anything to make him feel better. And it works enough that he can leave the hospital in a fortnight. Even after that, they keep up around the clock supervision for him, making sure that he is never alone with his dark thoughts for too long. Slowly, but surely, he recovers. But he never forgets. And he certainly never mates again.

7. Itachi – DEAD (kind of) -  Itachi shuts down, but he doesn’t die, at least not immediately. He hyper focuses on his plan, following the steps automatically. He’s happy with every step he completes, because he knows the final step is his death. He clings to the knowledge that he will die soon, which ironically is the only thing that keeps him alive. He is colder than ever. From an outsider’s perspective it might not seem that he is that affected, but when he’s alone he just sits in silence, sometimes tears run down his face. When he is finally an inch from death at the hands of his brother, he smiles. He doesn’t think he’ll see you again. He doesn’t think he deserves that kind of happiness. People like him don’t deserve that. But at least, he hopes, it might stop hurting.

8. Kakashi – DEAD – He’s been through so much, that he thinks he should be able to cope by now. He knew this was going to happen after all. He waited so long to get mated, because he was scared, because he knew that you would leave him or be taken from him like everyone else. He’s tired. He’s so tired. He’s probably at least nearly 40 at this point, he’s far older than he ever thought he’d be. You taught him what it meant to truly live, not just survive. He can’t go back to how he was, he can’t. He goes to your funeral and stands there in silence. He accepts every condolence and offer of help with a silent nod. He promises his friends that he will go to a specialist therapist first thing in the morning. When everybody leaves, he sits by your grave all night, asking you for forgiveness for everything. For not being quick enough to save you, for pushing you away so much at the beginning of your relationship, and finally, forgiveness for what he’s about to do. He knows you would tell him to fight and survive the heartbreak, but he can’t. He heads back to his apartment for the final time, breathing in the air and taking in the sights. He piles everything he has that smells like you onto his bed and lays down in it. He apologises one final time before closing his eyes, knowing that he won’t be waking up.

9.  Sasuke – DEAD – He should have known his would happen. Everything he loves gets ripped away from him, so why would you be any different? He’s furious when he hears the news. He destroys your house, throwing and smashing everything he can get his hands on. And when he’s destroyed everything, he just sits down in the middle of the living room floor and cries. He knows that people will show up soon. He knows that everyone knows he’s at risk for hurting himself, but he won’t let them take away his choice. He doesn’t want to do it anymore, he just wants to be with you. So he collects himself for a moment and then he runs. He doesn’t pick a place he just runs where he knows no one will think to look. He ends up sitting in between some trees on the floor of a training ground no one uses. He watches the stars for a few minutes, remembering every time he would do that together with you. He talks to you quietly, closing his eyes and convincing himself that you’re laying beside him. In the end, he doesn’t wait to die from his broken heart, he does it himself.

MOST

[music-of-dragons]

Here's part three!

Loose Key for organization:

● Summary ○ My thoughts

AGOT Dany III

● This chapter begins with Dany looking out over the Dothraki Sea with Jorah by her side, he is explaining the types of grass that grow. ~"Down in the Shadow Lands beyond Asshai, they say there are oceans of ghost grass, taller than a man on horseback with stalks as pale as milkglass. It murders all other grass and glows in the dark with the spirits of the damned. The Dothraki claim that someday ghost grass will cover the entire world, and then all life will end." That thought gave Dany the shivers.~

○ The description of the ghost grass and the Dothraki prophecy are very similar to that of the Others and the Long Night. Directly after this imagery Dany shivers, which is associated with being cold or frightened. I believe that the Stallion prophecy is the Dothraki version of Azor Ahai. 

● Dany is enjoying the beauty of the day when the rest of the Khalasar begin to approach, Viserys with them. Dany, slowly learning to embrace her own agency and power, tells Jorah to command the Khalasar to stop so that she could ride ahead and not hear Viserys's complaints.

 

● Dany reflects on her first days with the Khalasar and how tough they had been. Khal Drogo ignored her during sex and she would cry from the pain, she was racked with saddle sores and blistered hands. Dany decided that she would rather kill herself than continue on, until she had a dragon dream. Viserys is not in the dream this time, only her and the dragon. "It's scales were black as night, wet and slick with blood. Her blood, Dany sensed.~

○ Just as Dany's thighs were slick with blood in her first dragon dream, the dragon is now covered in her blood. This is more birth imagery! Babies are born covered in their mother's blood, so Dany will birth the dragons, and her blood/sacrifice will be needed for the ritual. Viserys disappearing from the first dream then not appearing in this dream is a sign that Viserys will have to be gone/die in order for Dany to become who she is meant to be and hatch the dragons. When the dragon breathes flame at her, she feels no pain. Her body is cleansed by the fire and it helps her feel stronger and more fierce, this bled into her reality.

● Dany noticeably changed after her dream, her handmaid even asked if she had gotten sick. ~"I was, she answered, standing over the dragon's eggs that Illyrio had given her when she wed. She touched one, the largest of the three, running her hand lightly over the shell. Black and scarlet, she thought, like the dragon in my dream."~ The egg felt warm to Dany, though she dismissed it. 

● Dany feels that her horse knows her moods and that they share a single mind, Irri may be teaching her Dothraki riding but the silver is her true teacher. 

○ This connection that Dany feels with her silver, I believe, has some magic involved. It may also be foreshadowing her warg-like connection with Drogon. Dany thinks to herself that she had never loved anything so much.

● Dany, still reflecting, thinks about how she began to appreciate the beauty of the world around her; her soreness after riding was welcomed, her nights with Drogo were more pleasurable, and every day she is eager to mount her silver and ride ahead.

○This is a direct result of her dragon dreams and coping mechanisms. She is slowly growing from a meek little girl to a strong young woman, she is handling the Dothraki lifestyle better than her "dragon" brother.

●Dany makes it to the bottom of the ridge and hears Viserys shrieking at Ser Jorah, so she plunges deeper into the grass. Dany feels a sudden urge to feel the soil between her toes because she feels happy and at peace in the grass. She dismounts and is removing her boots when Viserys is on her, rearing his horse, screaming. Viserys tells her to look at herself, dressed in Dothraki clothing and Viserys dressed in soiled city silks and ringmail. 

○ This difference between the two of them is important. Dany's ability to adapt to the culture around her is what allows her to survive, while Viserys separates himself from those he deems beneath him and it will eventually lead to his downfall. This is humility vs superiority at its finest. Dany is making the most of a situation her own brother placed her in, doing everything he commanded of her, yet he is enraged by her power as a Khaleesi. 

● Viserys makes a grab for Dany's chest and twists at her breasts but she pushes him away, this is the first time she has stuck up for herself, and she knows that Viserys will hurt her badly for it. Before Viserys can continue, Jhogo's whip coils around his neck and saves Dany from further harm. Despite all that he's done to her Dany refuses to have him harmed. She thinks to herself that he looks pitiful on the ground, sobbing and sucking in breath. ~He had always been a pitiful thing. Why had she never seen that before? There was a hollow place inside her where her fear had been.~

○ Dany is no longer taking Viserys's abuses lying down. She is finally coming to realize that Viserys was never truly a man to fear, his power over her was an illusion that he created by conditioning Dany with abuse and "waking the dragon". However, despite all this, Dany still loves her brother which will be demonstrated by her actions and thoughts later. 

○ Dany commands Jorah to take his horse, she has learned more of Dothraki ways and knew that taking his horse would shame him in the Khalasar. He would walk with the women and slaves instead of mounted. She literally gets him off his high horse! 

●Viserys commands Jorah to kill the Dothraki dogs and hurt Dany. He looks at her with her bare feet and oiled hair, then at Viserys in his soiled silks and ringmail, and decides ~"He shall walk, Khaleesi."~

● Dany and Jorah have an important conversation about Viserys and the Smallfolk. When she becomes afraid because of what she did to Viserys, he tells her Rhaegar was the last dragon and that Viserys was less than the shadow of a snake. The smallfolk don't care who sits the Iron Throne, they just want to be left in peace. Dany is shaken by his words, but she hears the truth in them. He even gets her to admit that Viserys would not be a good king. When asked about home, Dany envisions Westeros and Dragonstone, all with red doors. 

○That is what Dany desires most; a home with safety and comfort like the house Ser Willem raised her in. She believes that she will find that home in Westeros.

● She admits to Jorah that she knows Viserys would never take them home, even with an army. Later, Dany has a mini vision after seeing a dusty finger of light touch her eggs, a thousand droplets of scarlet flame, she blinks and they are gone.

○ This, again, is her subconscious leading her to the magic needed to hatch the eggs. Dany feels the eggs and they are warm, but she convinces herself they were warmed by the sun. She knows that the stone eggs shouldn't be alive with heat and is trying to rationalize it by continuously making excuses because she's not ready to hatch them, not just yet.

○ Irri hops in the bath with Dany, she has no problem bathing with her and is very close with her handmaids. She never treats them harshly even though they are slaves of the Khalasar.

○ In the next chapter, Dany is called "Moon of my Life'' by Drogo while she calls him "My Sun and Stars". The story that Doreah tells Dany while bathing consists of the moon wandering too close to the sun and cracking, pouring out dragons, then they drink the fire of the sun. I think this story is a hint that Dany, the moon, will hatch dragons herself, and they will be given life by Drogo, the sun. 

● Dany spends time with Doreah learning to pleasure Khal Drogo. She takes him beneath the stars for all to see ~For the Dothraki believed that all things of importance in a man's life must be done beneath the open sky.~ It is Dany's 14th nameday when Jhiqui tells her she is with child. ~"I know."~ Dany tells her.

○ Dany has finally completely adapted to the life of the Dothraki and is more comfortable, brave, and happy than she ever has been. She has agency and power so long as Drogo allows it, and her relationship with him has improved. She isn't suffering in the shadow of her brother any longer. 

Dany IV up next!

Art by Ted Nasmith

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

Could we get this time an Eduardo x Reader x Edd fighting for the reader during PowerEdd?

Funny how I saw this after I re-watched that Eddisode XD I went the platonic route bc I think it's more amusing to see them fight for Reader's friendship

.......

"Holy shi-"

As you swerved the car, narrowly missing the crashed vehicle in front of you, that's when you realized it was Tom's. You hit the brakes and got out to investigate why it was flipped over.

But you noticed Matt was inside, so you rushed over and knelt down by the broken window. "Matt! You okay?!"

Fortunately, he wasn't badly hurt as he opened his eyes, grinning upon seeing you. You were one of the friendlier neighbors, thank goodness.

"I'm alright, [y/n]!" He said as you helped wriggle him free from the car wreckage. "Is my face alright, though?"

"It is, don't worry. Now-"

"Oh look!!" He pointed to the sky, and you followed his gaze. You could see two men in green costumes fighting each other, throwing kicks, punches, and energy beams. It was like something straight out of an action film.

"Damn that's crazy. But where's Tom and Edd?" You looked back at Matt, confused.

"Ah..funny story." He began. "Edd got these crazy-awesome superpowers! But so did Eduardo...and he destroyed the bacon, cola, and cotton factories so Edd brought us here to fight him! Though he threw the car at Eduardo and then he punched Tom-"

"Wait, wait..you mean to tell me that's Edd and Eduardo in the sky?"

"Yeah!"

"And they're gonna kill each other..."

"It's cool, right?! Let's get a selfie-!!" But when Matt looked over, you had disappeared, instead running over to where the two men were still fighting.

Eduardo had slammed Edd into the concrete, shouting that he'll be "coming in second place" as he manifested a massive energy ball. But before he could throw it, you called out to him.

"Eduardo!! Stop!"

With a groan, Edd opened his eyes, surprised but relieved to see you arrive just in time. "[Y/n]! You made it-!"

"Oh no..don't even TRY it," Eduardo spat, scowling at his rival. "You always get everything you want!! I won't let you have them!!"

"Are you listening to me?! What's this all about?"

He turned to you, the energy ball in his hands shrinking significantly as he frowned. "You may hate me for this, and I'm sorry, but...I promised you I'd be numero uno someday!! I've had enough of being second place. The laughing stock!! I'm DONE!!"

At first you didn't know what "promise" he was talking about, but then....you remembered something from long ago:

~Flashback~

Despite your art project coming in third place, you weren't too upset. In fact, you were quite proud of it as you admired it on the easel.

Your other classmates left a few minutes ago, taking theirs home: Tord drew a giant red robot, Tom made a big purple monster, Matt painted a mirror with him in its reflection, and Edd hugged his sloppily-drawn superhero persona, grinning as he bragged about being "number one".

Hearing a sob, you turned around to see Eduardo crying in the corner of the classroom. As you walked over, you frowned upon seeing his duck painting on the floor and decided to put it back on the easel.

You're the only one who didn't taunt him for coming in second place, whereas everyone else did. It was wrong and mean; you didn't think it was fair for the teacher to suddenly give Edd first place, either.

"Hey, um.." You began, crouching down in front of the sobbing boy. "I got third place if it helps..you did better than me."

"B-But I wanted first!!" He looked up at you with a face full of snot and tears. "Edd always gets first! It's not fair! I just wanna be better than him.."

"Well...I liked your drawing best."

Eduardo sniffled in response, wiping his nose. "R-Really?"

You nodded and put your arms out, offering him a hug. "I'm sorry everyone teased you. You deserved first place."

However, he seemed wary of your intentions, as he just frowned and hugged his knees. "Wh-Why did you stay? You're always walking home with Edd."

"I couldn't leave knowing my best friend would be all alone and sad."

He blinked in astonishment. "I-I'm..your best friend?"

"Yeah! He's just a friend, so..you're first place in my friendships." You reassured him.

Now your words finally got through to him. He grinned from ear-to-ear and accepted your hug. "Thanks, mi amigo..I-I promise I'll be better than him someday!"

~Flashback End~

Eduardo seemed to remember as well, as he rubbed the tears from his eyes and growled. "And today's that day!" His hair became neon green.

"You helped me at my lowest point, [y/n]..and I never forgot that. So join me and we'll put that loser of a neighbor in his place--second place, that is!" He laughed evilly, levitating off the ground.

You looked past him and towards Edd, who was wiping the blood from his mouth. It was clear that his strength was waning, and you were merely giving him time to recharge.

But the realization hit you: the reason why they were always fighting, even before superpowers entered the picture.

It was because of you and the simple fact that you befriended them both. Maybe Edd was angrier at the destroyed factories that produced his favorite things, but Eduardo couldn't comprehend you being friends with his rival.

Only you could stop this from escalating into something catastrophic.

"You don't have to prove anything."

"..huh?" Eduardo's glowing hair faded back to normal as he stared down at you, confused.

"I know we kinda drifted apart over the years but..you're still my best friend. Edd hasn't taken your place at all." You smiled. "Honestly you're both pretty cool and it'd suck if I lost either of you."

Edd overheard your words, as he emerged from the crater and flew over to you. He bumped into his still-perplexed rival. "You really mean that, [y/n]?"

"I do. So c'mon guys, enough's enough. Killing each other just to get my attention isn't the way. There's nothing you gotta prove to me."

"I...." Eduardo lowered himself to the ground. "I'm still numero uno in your friendships? Even after all this time?"

"Yes, you're-"

However you were cut off by a loud roar, and you yelped in surprise as a giant one-eyed monster leaped down in front of you three. It seemed confused by the lack of fighting between Edd and Eduardo.

The two took your yelp as a scream of terror and looked at each other for a moment. Then together they manifested one giant beam that blasted the monster into the sky, far away from you.

But that was apparently the last of their energy reserves, as their costumes disappeared, switching back to normal civilian clothing.

Eduardo seemed dazed, and you let him lean on you for support. "Ugh..you okay?"

"Yeah." You chuckled, glad to see them both working together for once, before noticing Edd was still floating in the air.

He noticed Eduardo lost his powers and was about to laugh at him, though your scowl silenced him quickly. Eventually he lost his powers, too, as a bee startled him, sending him to the ground.

"I'll admit..you did deserve first place. My drawing sucked.." He told his neighbor, who looked at him in surprise.

You just smiled. How ironic that an ordinary person like you saved the day.

"Now..how about we settle this over some cola and diet cola?"

[addictedtomanga]

Classic shoujo mangas

1.       Skip Beat – ongoing

Sixteen-year-old Kyouko Mogami followed her childhood friend and love interest Shoutarou "Shou" Fuwa to Tokyo to support him while he works toward his dream of becoming a top idol in the entertainment industry. But after finding out that Shou considers her as little more than a mere housekeeper, she swears to enact revenge by entering the entertainment industry herself and beating him at his own game!

However, Kyouko's revenge plan suffers a setback almost immediately when she is rejected by the talent agency of her choice. Fortunately, the president of the agency gives her a second chance, and places her in the newly made "Love Me" section. Kyouko then begins her long journey to stardom, cultivating her skills as an actress and forming relationships with new friends along the way.

! I always loved this one, but it has really REALLY slow-pacing, and its ongoing, so if you haven’t started it yet, I’d wait ‘til it’s done.

2.       Ouran High School Host Club

At Ouran High School, an academy where only the children of the rich and powerful attend, there exists a club consisting of the most elite of the student body: the legendary Host Club. Within the club's room, six beautiful, bored boys spend their time entertaining equally beautiful and bored girls.

Haruhi Fujioka, a poor scholarship student, has no interest in the Host Club—until she breaks a valuable vase in their clubroom. After being mistaken for a boy, Haruhi is forced by Kyouya Ootori to work for the Host Club to repay her debt. Tamaki Suou, the princely leader of the club, eagerly takes her under his wing to teach her the ways of the host. Things, however, are never quite so simple with the Host Club around. Even the most mundane events can turn into huge spectacles with the likes of prankster twins Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin, stoic Takashi Morinozuka, and sweet Mitsukuni "Hunny" Haninozuka. The crazy adventures of the Host Club are just beginning, and Haruhi must learn how to survive in the glitzy world of the hosts.

3.       Kimi ni Todoke

Kuronuma Sawako is completely misunderstood by her classmates. Her timid and sweet demeanor is often mistaken for malicious behavior. This is due to her resemblance to the ghost girl from "The Ring," which has led her peers to give her the nickname Sadako. Longing to make friends and live a normal life, she is naturally drawn to Kazehaya Shouta, the most popular guy in class, whose "100% refreshing" personality earns him great admiration from Sawako. So when Kazehaya starts talking to her, maybe there is hope for the friendships Sawako has always longed for. Maybe...there is even a little hope for some romance in her future.

! A bit too long in my opinion, but its sweet.

4.       Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge

It's a gorgeous, spacious mansion, and four handsome, fifteen-year-old friends are allowed to live in it for free! There's only one condition—that within three years the guys must transform the owner's wallflower niece into a lady befitting the palace in which they all live! How hard can it be?

Enter Sunako Nakahara, the agoraphobic, horror-movie-loving, pockmark-faced, frizzy-haired, fashion-illiterate recluse who tends to break into explosive nosebleeds whenever she sees anyone attractive. This project is going to take more than our four heroes ever expected: it needs a miracle!

! This is super frustrating. I loved everything, except for the ending. Honestly, I don’t recommend reading it with great expectations, just enjoy the story. 

5.       Dengeki Daisy

Teru Kurebayashi is left all alone in the world after the death of her brother, Souichirou. Well, all alone except for "Daisy," someone that she can always talk to and who never hesitates to cheer her up. However, Teru has never met Daisy, she has no idea what he looks like, and her only means of contacting him is through a cell phone that her brother left for her.

In stark contrast to the kind words and encouragement Teru receives from Daisy, she gets nothing but grief from the rude school janitor, Tasuku Kurosaki, who forced Teru to work for him after she accidentally broke a window. But while Kurosaki seems like a lazy good-for-nothing who only enjoys making her miserable, is there more to him than meets the eye?

6.       Kaichou wa Maid-sama

Seika High School was an all-boys school, but it has since turned co-ed. Misaki Ayuzawa is the first female student council president of the school, eventually earning the nickname of the "Demon President" due to her mastery of Aikido and imposed iron rule.

However, Misaki harbors an embarrassing secret—she has to work at a maid café to support her family. If anybody from her school was to find out, her reputation would be utterly destroyed. And after Takumi Usui—the most popular boy at school—discovers her secret, that might just happen.

7.       Special A

Have you ever known someone who was better than you at everything you did? Hikari does. She's known Kei since they were both six years old and he's surpassed her at everything. Now they are the top two students in an extremely prestigious high school, with Kei holding firmly to that number one position, and Hikari is still determined to beat him, no matter what it takes.

8.       Black Bird

Misao Harada has been able to see demons since she was a child and has vague memories of a boy who protected her from these troublesome creatures, vowing to come back for her someday. Now in high school, Misao wishes she could be normal and have a boyfriend. As she returns home one day, she notices a gorgeous stranger has moved in next door. To her surprise, he introduces himself as Kyou, her long-lost childhood friend and first love.

The next day, on her 16th birthday, Misao is suddenly wounded by a classmate. Exposed as a demon, he plans to eat her in order to gain eternal youth. When all hope seems lost, Kyou saves her, revealing himself as the leader of a Tengu clan. Since making Misao his bride will bring prosperity to his clan, he offers her a choice: sleep with him and become his bride, or endure more attacks from other demons drawn to the power of her blood.

! A bit dramatic to my taste, but overall I really liked it

9.     Last Game

Nothing is beyond Naoto Yanagi, heir to the Yanagi business conglomerate. Idolized for his athletic and intellectual competence, looks and wealth, Naoto lived like a king during his elementary school days—then entered Mikoto Kujou, a plain, gloomy-looking transfer student.

Due to her low financial status, Naoto was initially apathetic towards Mikoto. But despite having just arrived at his school, she completely eclipsed him in everything by consistently scoring top marks in exams and placing first in athletic events. After a brief confrontation with her that left him shocked, Naoto vowed to outdo her no matter the cost.

Ten years later, they are now students attending the same college. Having failed to defeat Mikoto throughout middle and high school, Naoto decides they will have one last game: if he can make Mikoto fall in love with him and then break her heart, it will be his victory. However, he finds himself falling in love with her instead...

! One of my favorites! 

I love this one, but beware, its slow-paced

[wisteriashouse]

training.

pairing: rengoku kyoujurou x reader

genre: fluff

word count: 2213

“Remember our deal?”

Kyoujurou calls from the other side of the dojo with a bright grin as he points his bokken straight at you, stance firm and eyes unwavering. In response to his enthusiasm, you only let out an exhausted sigh as you grab your own wooden sword from beside you, wiping the sweat from your forehead with the sleeve of your kimono. In contrast, Kyoujurou still looks totally unruffled after two hours of sparring, not a strand of bright yellow hair out of place even as he smiles radiantly at you. 

The man before you is so annoying.

“I would like to remind you that I never agreed to this.” You counter loudly, but grip your practice sword tightly with both hands, shifting into a defensive stance. Not a second too soon, as the moment you do get into position, the Flame Hashira is already flying straight at you, so quick you see nothing more than a vibrant blur of orange across your vision.

Somehow, you manage to bring up your sword to parry the attack, the sheer force from his blow leaving your sore arms shaking. Ducking to the side, you swing at his legs, but he easily leaps over your sword, laughing the entire time.

“I decided it for both of us!” Kyoujurou’s laughter echoes through the dojo, and as much as you want to refute the fact, the sound of his happiness is one of the sweetest to your ears. “Whoever loses this match pays for dinner afterwards!”

“You eat far more than me, this isn’t fair!” You protest as the tip of Kyoujurou’s wooden sword nearly takes out one of your eyes, and would have if it weren’t for a quick dodge on your part. “And besides, it’s clear you’re going to win this match! You shouldn’t be using your friends as a means to free food, Kyo!”

The Flame Pillar lets loose a booming laugh at your accusation, twirling backwards out of the reach of your sword as you lunge forward. “You know I treasure you far too dearly to ever do that to you, my friend! Simply treat this as motivation to overcome your opponent, me!” 

At his words, you blink once and shake your head hard to get rid of the blood in your cheeks. A friend, you remind yourself sharply. As kind, as courageous, as honorable of a man Kyoujurou is, he is also a Pillar of the Demon Slayer Corps. His mind is set on one thing only, slaying demons to save other humans, and he doesn’t have the time to even think about relationships.

“Perhaps when all this fighting is over.” He had told you once over tea on his engawa, smiling thoughtfully as he whisked the matcha in your cup. “For now, I do not have time to find a lover, nor the energy to give them my all. But a loving family,” he’d stolen a glance behind him at the Rengoku Estate, where you knew his father Shinjuro was perhaps lurking. It was only for a short moment, but you had understood the emotions in his heart. “That is something I dearly wish to have, someday.”

His dedication to saving others was, and still is, an honorable goal. You’re already grateful enough that he takes time out of his meagre rest periods between missions to spend time with you. You would rather not burden him with your feelings.

You’re so lost in your thoughts for a moment that you don’t realise that Kyoujurou has already darted within striking distance, his bokken colliding with yours with a resounding clack. Unprepared for the force, you stumble backwards over your own feet and fall flat onto your back, wheezing when all the breath is knocked from your lungs. The tip of a wooden sword comes to a halt squarely between your eyes.

You look up along the line of the blade to see Kyoujurou grinning at you, looking thoroughly pleased at his victory.

“Seven to two!” He announces proudly, sword still pointed straight at you. You’re going a little cross eyed looking at it. “Why did you falter?”

At his words, your heart skips a beat and you shake your head, trying to rid your head of all thoughts. Stupid Kyoujurou and his stupid charming smile. “It’s nothing, I’m just tired out. You’re the one who’s too energetic.” You try to play it off, reaching for your sword. “That’s enough training for today, I think. I’ll pay for your roasted sweet potatoes later at dinner-”

“That’s not what I asked!” Kyoujurou moves the tip of his sword down to your sternum, preventing you from getting off the training mats. You stare up at him in surprise. “My question was, why did you falter! Concentration and focus is of utmost importance in a battle, and I would hate to think that you would get hurt because of a lapse in attention! So tell me, why?”

“Kyoujurou, really, it’s nothing.” You insist, grabbing your sword. Your friend peers at you from above with slightly narrowed eyes, but eventually relents, taking a step back and holding out a hand. You take it gratefully and he hauls you to your feet with a little too much strength, your nose colliding with the firm muscles of his chest. 

At the contact, you let out a small ‘eep’ and Kyoujurou grabs you by the shoulders to steady you. Even through your clothes, wherever he touches, fire burns at your skin in the most pleasant way possible. You can’t help the feeling.

“You are sure you’re alright?” You glance up to see Kyoujurou’s face mere inches from yours, golden eyes fixed on you in concern and so close that you can feel his warm breath on your cheek. You flush this time, unable to stop it, and quickly extricate yourself from his grasp before you spontaneously combust into flames.

“I’m fine!” You manage to get out, perhaps a little too high pitched to be believable. Kyoujurou stares at you for a moment more and you desperately hope that your face isn’t as red as you think it is.

Luckily for you, Kyoujurou seems to buy it, stepping back and thankfully allowing you to catch your breath. “One last match!” He tells you insistently. “We were supposed to go for the best out of ten for this bet!” You let out a pitiful groan at the thought of taking another beating, but at least he seems like he’s forgotten about what happened earlier.

“There’s no way I’m winning this.” You mumble under your breath as you ready your sword again, more than prepared to just get bonked over the head again with Kyoujurou’s bokken. The Flame Pillar hums thoughtfully, before his face brightens all of a sudden.

“If you win this one match, dinner will be on me tonight! As long as you get me onto my back, it’s your victory!” He suggests. You squint at him with narrowed eyes, but his offer has perked you up just a little more, even though your odds of winning are still close to none. 

“Alright.” You agree, raising your sword once more. Taking in a deep breath to calm yourself, you ready your stance and shout at him. “Come at me!”

“That’s the attitude I like to see in you!” Kyoujurou laughs, before he’s before you in an instant, bokken weaving about in a series of complicated strikes. Forcing yourself to focus, you parry every single one of them before going on the offensive, driving your blade straight towards his neck and putting all the power into your legs.

“Faster!” The Pillar cheers you on excitedly even as he sidesteps you, bringing his blade up to knock yours to the side. “You’re improving, surely! That’s a great thing!”

You can’t even find the time to retort with a smart ass comment, too busy blocking his barrage of strikes and trying to keep your sword from flying clean out of your hands with each blow. He isn’t even breaking a sweat! Completely exhausted, you decide to end this match with a last ditch effort on your part, flipping your sword in your hand and throwing it blade first at Kyoujurou with all the strength you can muster. His eyes go wide with surprise for a second at your unexpected gambit and he raises his sword to block it, but that leaves him unguarded for the briefest moment. With a shout, you launch yourself straight at him, wrapping both arms around his waist and knocking him down to the floor.

The two of you crash heavily onto the mats, your sword clattering to the ground next to you. For a moment, the dojo is silent except for the sound of your heavy pants as you attempt to catch your breath, sweat dripping down your forehead and neck.

“That was a very surprising move! You have gotten me onto my back.” 

You look down to see Kyoujurou pinned beneath you, your legs straddling either side of his waist. He’s strong enough to pull you off him easily, but he’s smiling up at you, and you’re not sure which would be more lethal to your heart.

“However, that wasn’t a very smart thing to when you’re fighting a demon.” His voice is firm, but a little quieter this time. You instantly wince when you think it through, throwing the only weapon you can decapitate a demon with is surely not a plausible battle strategy. 

“Sorry, I got desperate-” You begin to say, but suddenly an iron grip wraps around both your wrists and your field of vision flips. Yelping in shock, you glance upwards and Kyoujurou is the one looming over you this time, both your hands and your lower body pinned down by his.

And he isn’t smiling.

“Kyo?” You squeak out hesitantly. There’s a different sort of fire burning in his eyes, unrelenting even as you try to tug your wrists free of his grasp. “Kyoujurou? What are you doing?”

“Throwing away your sword could put you in danger. The nichirin blade is the only thing we humans can use to fight against demons.” Kyoujurou’s voice is perfectly calm, but you’ve never heard him talk like this before. For some reason, it makes you squirm a little under his gaze; its almost predatory. “If I were a demon, what would you do?”

“I-” You flounder for a moment, trying to think of a strategy, but before a thought can so much as cross your mind, Kyoujurou shakes his head. “Too slow.”

He leans down, dangerously close, until all you can see is a head of yellow and red hair, feel the stray strands that have fallen out of the ponytail he put it in earlier tickling your collarbone. Your heart is pounding so hard you wonder if Kyoujurou can hear it, like a war drum beating in your chest.

“If I were a demon...” his breath is warm against the skin of your neck, and you let out a startled cry when you feel his teeth latch at the sensitive spot there. A shudder runs down the full length of your body, and you freeze, mortified. “If I were a demon, I would eat you up in an instant. You’re completely defenseless against me right now.”

His face is buried in your neck, so you can’t see the expression on his face. Mildly panicking, you open your mouth, and the first words to leave it are a breathless whisper.

“If you were the demon, I don’t think I would mind.”

Kyoujurou doesn’t reply for a moment, and what you’ve just said hits you like a punch straight to the gut. Before you can get the pieces of your frazzled mind together to explain yourself, Kyoujurou suddenly releases you and sits up to grin brightly at you.

You don’t know whether you’re relieved or disappointed.

“Now that won’t do!” Kyoujurou scolds you affectionately, ruffling your hair with one hand. You let out a noise of protest and bat his hands away, patting down your hair frantically. The two of you rise to your feet, your battered body protesting with every movement. “Even if I’m the demon, you mustn’t hesitate at all to cut off my head! Understood?”

You let out a sigh at his words and nod your head, already feeling the beginning of an ache settling into your muscles. You’ll have to soak in the hot springs after dinner to loosen them up, you think to yourself. Kyoujurou laughs at the expression on your face.

“Since you did get me on my back, however, I shall take it as your win!” He says cheerfully, and you immediately look up at him with excited eyes. “I’ll wait here while you get your kit, then I’ll treat you to dinner tonight as a reward.”

“Yes!” You cheer, looking positively delighted. “Thanks, Kyo!” 

You wrap your arms around him for a quick hug, before running out of the dojo with a skip in your step. Kyoujurou watches you until you’re out of sight, before he lets out a long, drawn out sigh and squats on the ground, his face buried in his hands.

“So cute.” He murmurs to himself softly, and no one but the wind hears him.

[tosikoarts]

SFW Alphabet | Nikaidou Kouhei

I’m so sorry you had to wait for so long, boo, but if you see it I hope you’ll like it! Absolutely agreed on that Nikaidou deserves much love too! Please enjoy ♡  You can check tosikowrites tag for more.  Warning: there’s a lot under the cut.

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

Before the unfortunate incident with Ogata and the bear happened, Nikaidou was such a braggart both about himself and his amazing s/o. They are the best around. He is one lucky guy to have them as a partner.

His main love language was going overboard with praise and physical touch. Not a day went by without Nikaidou paying at least one sweet compliment to the subject of his adoration. In addition, his face lighted up when they praised him for anything, be it his soldier's courage or deep dark eyes. Sometimes their dialogue turned into a verbal duel over who will overcompliment whom and it could last for half of the hour until one of them just started spilling the dumbest figures of speech imaginable.

But after the incident, things changed. Now he is all distant and quiet and then in a blink of an eye manic one running around in a stupefying delirium. When the painful realization of the horrors he and his poor brother endured becomes too clear, too close, Nikaidou’s whole world shrinks to the neck of a morphine bottle.

Physical contact? Well... After another maim, it is better to refrain from touching his bare skin altogether. But when Nikaido calms down (with the help of morphine or on his own), you can try to hug him and pat him on the head. Nikaidou himself refrains from initiating anything physical since the absence of his hand leaves him feeling less of a man and makes full-fledged embrace impossible. It truly saddens him.

In general, without his wonderhat and prostheses, Nikaidou feels extremely vulnerable and any touch of the skin near the supposed location of the ear, a stump of an arm or leg burns him like a red-hot iron. It is enormously aching, but for their sake, he can ignore it for a while. Their care is a medicine that is always in abundance but he is not the most compliant patient.

Once in a blue moon, he decides to give them a gift. The last one was made by Edogai. His fancy gloves of dubious origin have no frills, but are very pleasant to the touch, solid and hard. He has a hat, they have gloves, they match perfectly!

B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

Quite literally friendship-emotional-rollercoaster. Becoming friends with Nikaidou is easy but maintaining this friendship requires effort. It most likely originated in cold soldiers' barracks from occasional small talk about the harshness of military life. As expected, Kouhei’s friend is Yuhei’s friend too, - find trouble, make it double, - making them a famous trio of rascals that brings nothing but distress to other soldiers.

Prior to the loss of the ear, scalp, arms, legs, brother, a good chunk of sanity Nikaidou would like to hang out almost every day, drinking, visiting geishas, sitting on the war department porch, and enjoying heated debate about the future attack. Picking on others is also one of their favorite activities. A little bit of gossiping? Yes, please. Do I need to mention they usually get to serve detention together as well.

After numerous injuries, he gets an unpleasant pulling sensation in the abdomen when the thought of losing them pops In his head. Nikaidou can afford one more limb being cut off thanks to confidence in Arisaka’s natural ingenuity but losing them? Not like they can be replaced by anyone. Moreover, they are dear to his heart because they are a living reminder of the deceased brother.

Lets them talk into the ear and translates whatever comes from it as a form of… conversation. Nikaidou looks like he is about to throw a tantrum when he once again has to work with Usami or Kikita instead of his dear friend. They are also the one Tsukishima can turn to when Lieutenant Tsurumi isn’t around and Nikaidou refuses to give up a bottle of morphine.

Friendship with him is like talking to a different person every time. He is an irrepressible optimist, a child in a crippled body, that shares frightening thoughts about capturing the Immortal Sugimoto. He is also an anxious tangle of nerves hiding from the daylight like it will burn him alive. He is also a serious veteran that will shot the enemy on the spot if they get too close to him or them.

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

Pick a wrong time and you’ll get to cuddle a wood log instead of a breathing human being. It is a matter of luck and good timing instead of a cute date idea with a loved one. Nikaidou, if in a playful mood, would tease his s/o pretending he has no idea what they want from him. Maybe, they want to shake his hand? Real one or a wood one? As soon as they make a move, he will crawl away with a wide snide smile on his pale face. Eventually, Nikaidou will surrender to their mercy and tight overwhelming embrace but before that happens, he will have some fun playing naïve dummy. Any other time when Nikaidou is obsessing over random idee fixe he will ignore any attempts to cuddle him and even may jump away from them like from the flame. His perception of the touch varies depending on the mood it seems.

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

To keep it short, no. Nothing and no one can convince Nikaidou that he has even the slightest chance of becoming a family man. The very thought of something like this makes him burst into hysterical laughter. He is not suitable for this, it is not worth trying so broken man Nikaidou has already joined Ogata’s little I’d Rather Kick A Bucket Than Settle Down club. Mediocre in both cleaning and cooking, doesn’t need constant persuasion to do either.

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

Endured torment reduced the potential emotional pain to almost non-existing so it won't be difficult for Nikaidou to just leave, to cut them off for their own good. The assumption that they need to end the relationship indicates a major shifting in Nikaidou’s life (maybe, he already knows that his life will end this evening) but at this point, the break-up doesn’t seem like a significant event anymore. Heavily sedated he mutters something unintelligible and then with Arisaka’s bayonet precision cuts the rubbish and announces that they are no longer a couple, they won’t see each other, they should not look for each other under any circumstances, and walks away. No hesitation, no doubts, only humility and disconnection.

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

Would love to get married someday, spend the rest of his life with a loved one far away from the horrors of war and the gold hunt. However, its possibility seems so elusive and unattainable that Nikaidou decided to put this thought on the back-burner. Now his mind is preoccupied with the desire to slit Sugimoto the Immortal open so even if there is a loved one by his side Nikaidou is highly unlikely to propose. Any hints and mentions of the wedding fly into one ear and fly out of the other.

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

Nikaidou began to appreciate moments of vulnerability and gentleness after life dumped the pile of shit on him. The tides of tenderness are always unexpected but most often they happen in the middle of the night when he jumps up drenched in a cold sweat from a nightmare. That’s when he snuggles closer to them like a child scared by dreadful thunderclaps and branched lightning. There are not so many things he needs to be happy: a gentle kiss on the top of the head would do just fine. Nikaidou also shows his soft side when the silly childish nature overcomes the bereaved byproduct of the war he has become. Then life seems a little more fun for him, and even more pleasant with their fingers squeezed in his hand. Otherwise, he is completely closed off both physically and emotionally and if confronted can’t even figure out what a person wants from him.

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

Each of their meetings awakens an irresistible desire in Nikaidou to embrace them in his arms and spin them around to the sound of their ringing laughter. However, as soon as he leans forward, slightly bends the knees so they can jump up for a hug, invisible threads pull him back. You can pinpoint an exact moment when it hits him that Nikaidou awkwardly straightens up and looks bewildered for where to put his hands.  In addition, he feels guilty either for the fact that he cannot give what they are asking for or for that he is so self-critical. If they still decide to take the initiative and hug him Nikaidou will not protest. So to say he never hugs them first but will return a hug half of the time.

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

It doesn’t take him long to confess, I’d say, time ranges from three to six months. Since Nikaidou quickly becomes comfortable with patient people who return his love, he will not miss the moment to mention how he feels. Each of his declarations of love is unique. Sometimes Nikaidou grabs them by the hand and runs away into the sunset to recite a verse in a secluded corner. Sometimes he spins around with puppy delight and chatters nonsense, mixing it with I love you. I really do. Did I tell you that I love you? Wait, did I? It’s impossible to get a serious confession from him even when Nikaidou gives the impression of a collected person. Absolutely ecstatic when his s/o whispers sweet nonsense and words of love into his ear. You can see it by the changes on his hat.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

Nikaidou is one of those people who can go batshit crazy in the blink of an eye because of one wrong word. Even silence in combination with an appraising gaze flares him up like a red rag does so on a bull and there is no going back from this point. He is laconic. No empty threats, no long prelude. Once Nikaidou draws out a knife it’s between his rival and God. This man doesn’t mind getting messy since every outrageous deed of his will be blamed either on painkillers or someone else. Tsurumi probably won’t want him to end up behind bars or on the scaffold.

Won’t ever accuse his s/o of being unfaithful and will turn blind eye to red flags because… Perhaps he is simply not ready to lose another loved one. Without realizing it, Nikaidou ignores veiled disparaging phrases and undisguised interest in someone else for the sake of peace of mind.

That doesn’t mean he won’t kick man’s ass to prevent subsequent misunderstandings.

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

Messy, greedy, and ingratiating. He was pretty popular among girls way back in time so you can call him an experienced one and it shows. When Nikaidou is struck by unexpected amorousness in public, he will occasionally plant a kiss on his s/o’s cheek or shoulder. No, social unacceptability does not matter at all in a face of his feelings. In private he is just uncontrollable: Nikaidou goes from kisses to bites back to nibbling exploring them from head to toes. Prefers to kiss his s/o behind the ears, on clavicles, grooves between the ribs, etc. Any place where there is almost nothing between the bone and the covering skin makes his neurons fire additional dopamine. At the same time, he can be wayward about being kissed so the safest options are kisses on the cheek or nose.

L = Little ones (How are they around children?)

I have reasonable doubts that any mother would want their kids to hand out around such a seasoned soldier as Nikaidou is but if it ever happened, they would have a fun time together. He turns into an absolute sweetheart when a little child grabs him by the hand and drag him along to show some sloppy hand-made craft. Even if Nikaidou tried to be harsh and unapproachable, his mask would fly off as soon as a high-pitched voice asked to play tag. Nevertheless, he prefers to stay away from kids to avoid scaring them with whatever frightening that could break through in his behavior. No need to give little one a recurring nightmare about limbs occasionally falling off to rumbling mirthless laughter. Never thought about having kids of his own but would definitely ponder if his s/o brought up this question. So, maybe, they and one or two cute little girls could make a perfect family?

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

They are erratic. To begin with, Nikaidou rarely spends nights with his loved one so catching him in the early hours is a tall tale. Much more often he visits them at lunchtime or even later in the afternoon having already fulfilled the plan to vex the top of the division. His mood has already dropped from a mania mark to ecstasy or normal level of excited agility making Nikaidou a skilled handyman, a voluble interlocutor, and an ardent lover three in one. While there is a free minute, he wants to mend creaking boards in the hallway right after describing the latest adventures in the smallest detail. May kiss them now and there between looking for the right tools and starring outside for a few sec. Overall Nikaidou endeavors to get the best of hours spent together.

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

Just like with mornings, staying over in his loved one’s place is a gemlike rarity. By the end of the day Nikaidou still in full swing and keeps the same attitude as earlier. When his battery finally dies, he turns into sluggish sessile mollusca Nikaidou homebodius that refuses to leave the secure shellhouse even if they beg him tearfully. Since outdoor activities are no longer an option, his s/o can try reading out loud, playing different board games, or chatting. Sleep quickly overpowers Nikaidou and he drags his loved one to bed or, if they don’t really want to sleep, tricks them into sitting next to him while he is peacefully dozing off.

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

Before the accident, he doesn’t feel the need to talk through every little event that happened to him during the conscious years of his life. If they ask specific questions, Nikaidou will still describe the past in general. The childhood did not differ from theirs, filled with small problems and big discoveries (as for a child). Teenage years? Well, nothing special, been there, done this… Neither he asks too much about his partner's past.

After all of the shit he endured, suspicion forces Nikaidou to always be alert and keep the banalest things to himself. You have to be a trusted person with a big T for him to open up at his own will.

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)

In a relatively safe environment and next to a loved one Nikaidou lowers his guard and allows himself to be amiable despite all irritants. He is too tired to worry, too tired to resort to passive aggression leave alone yell at them or show his anger in any other way so expect small sighs as a reaction to most stupid mistakes. Sometimes he just bursts out laughing instead of commenting on another misunderstanding. They may raise their voice in exasperation and Nikaidou would rather meekly look down than do the same in response. In a relationship, making him angry is not an easy task.

Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

Nikaidou has a very selective memory which requires a strong emotional outburst to remember a thing. No matter how important it is in the eyes of his loved one or even in his own without proper reinforcement he won’t memorize it. For example, hypothetically and forgetting how he feels about the idea of family and marriage, on his wedding day he is overflowing with real solid happiness so naturally, this significant date will be engraved in his memory for life. Yet an important statement thrown in the boring conversation is unlikely to catch his attention. He pays little attention to anniversaries, remembers their birthday 5 times out of 10, and honestly is ok if they are just as thoughtful.

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

The first moment of non-sexual intimacy like bathing together. It left Nikaidou speechless in unsuspected awkwardness of being perceived as he is, without the chance to hide or leave. For the first time in a while, he finds himself wondering what another person thinks of him, what sees in from of them, what feels toward him. Thanks to their love Nikaidou finds himself comfortable in his skin and a little more grounded. In a good way.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

Congratulations on acquiring the iron man of the century with a wide range of body modifications to make this life safer for you and your loved ones. He won’t think twice to use Arisaka’s creations, both mechanisms hidden in the limbs and simply rifles created by his design, to disintegrate the slightest threat to his dearest. Not everybody around is seen as an enemy even though Nikaidou is terrified of losing them especially taking into account the unfolding carnage. Won’t ever ask them to protect him, won’t let them do it under any circumstances and if they show willfulness, he will surely scold them after a scrape.

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

Thinking ahead is the fate of weaklings. He has thought out one or two dates before realizing how tedious they appear so after that Nikaidou decided to invest only in the form of spur-of-the-moment ideas. Remembers about the anniversary if his loved one hints at it coming but diligently picks up a classic gift for them under the supervision of Tsukishima or Tsurumi himself. Likes to do chores? Hell yeah. When in a good mood Nikaidou can replace a whole group of handymen.

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

Not particularly that ugly? This is a problem that seeps into everyday life slowly and imperceptibly but sooner or later his small misdemeanors in everyday social interactions start to show. He misses one social cue, makes the situation kind of uncomfortable but doesn’t notice it until someone cautiously points it out. He tends to interrupt mid-sentence, often gets lost in thoughts and it puzzles him if a person finds it rude. Nikaidou navigates in society more or less successfully but can inadvertently bring a little awkwardness to the group.

Well, he is prone to all sorts of addiction. Not only painkillers. Any stupefying substance is at risk of transitioning from I’ll try it once just to know what’s like to I’ll go commit multiple atrocities if I don’t find a bottle or two.

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

You probably don't expect to hear it, but outside the usual rush, Nikaidou prefers to keep himself neat and clean despite his style being on the weirder end of the style. He takes good care of his wooden limbs and repairs minor injuries himself. If the damage is done is beyond the limits of his capabilities, Nikaidou has no problem with asking Arisaka for a replacement. Definitely gets attached to clothes from his meager wardrobe easily.

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

One of those people who won’t have energy left to go on without them. It’s misery. The devastation. The finish line right before the steep cliff that you don't have a spare second to stop from flying out into the abyss. Thirst for revenge helped him get back on his feet after losing his twin brother, who knows if it works twice. Overpowering sorrow sends Nikaidou into a frenzied episode of weeping and sobbing, he screams and wails like a wounded animal. If their killer is still around, he’ll try to cut them open in a fit of blind rage.

May fall in short psychosis and spend days sitting by their lifeless body, caressing heavy cold hands and peering in their lifeless eyes. Irreversibility of what is done hits him hard leading to gradual burnout.

And if they decide to leave him Nikaidou will hold a grudge. Everything is far from being as bad as in the previous scenario though, he just wants some space and everybody to shut the hell up as he stabs random objects. Secretly hopes for them to change their mind and come back. Somehow feels guilty about not being good enough.

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

After 15 minutes of thinking, I came to the conclusion that I have none. Sorry!

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

It goes without saying changing Nikaidou is a waste of time like he is far from being a malleable clay and even further from mulling about adapt to someone's tastes. The thought is so bizarre that it fails to reach his subcortical structures and even if it did Nikaidou would rather flip a table and jump out of the window than agree to that idea.

The cold aloof type doesn’t get a pass either since without some effort on the part of the other person, they won’t pass the greeting milestone. Good luck in staring from afar as he evanesces with someone else's riffle running away from jaded Tsukishima.

People accustomed to planning every second of their lives with the scrupulousness of a busy businessman will have a hard time dealing with spontaneous shifts in Nikaidou’s mood and schedule. Half of the time he has a problem drawing a clock if you know what I mean.

Sugimoto’s relatives lmao, Nikaidou would definitely doesn’t like that in a partner.

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habit of theirs?)

Turns into an unmovable stone by ten and passes out with clenching on their hand using it as a pledge of good sleep. If he did not manage to fall asleep, it means that Nikaidou could not spend all his energy during the day and will have to do this in the middle of the night. Don’t be surprised if you wake up to a newly planted garden or Nikaidou stuck in the roof. No, I don’t know how.

Dreams mostly about his brother. Surprisingly, nightmares rarely bother him and Youhei appears in bright scenes, basically, in an alternative universe where they never have joined the army and stayed forever in the fondest hometown. After such dreams, Nikaidou wakes up with an unpleasant feeling of a lump in his throat but at the same time, even such an illusory meeting with his brother gives him the strength to keep going.

Indecisive whether he prefers to sleep with prostheses on or not. Prostheses on and Nikaidou is ready to protect and attack at any time but he would not want to make them uncomfortable

[doitwritenow]

IronStrange Starter Kit - Master Fic Rec List for all Y’all Because You’ve been Asking and I’ve been Avoiding

Hi! All you anons and askers, I made a list!!! Hopefully some of these are what you’ve been after. :D

(Please reblog this, lol, I spent too much time on it...) 

General rules: These are complete unless indicated otherwise, and end happily unless indicated otherwise. There’s a variety of ratings, as I have no qualms against smut, but I don’t usually read it outside of a larger plot. So I don’t think there’ll be many explicit stories on here. Word counts vary; I indicate general length but don’t go into specifics. What else, uh... Bold stuff is the headers and general subjects. I link the titles. Block quotes are author summaries. Enjoy!!

- 

Okay so first off, there are a couple of Fandom Staples who just have leagues worth of good short stories, and if you haven’t read them, then definitely treat yourself to the array:

A Thousand Futures of Me and You - VisionaryGalaxy (Vishanti, what a legend, ily so much). This is a series of unconnected one-shots, each their own and covering a variety of tropes and moments and themes and AUs. They’re so fun (and/or painful and/or thought-provoking and/or tense and/or sexy)! In-character and amazing, consistantly. 

Prompt Collection -  amethyst-noir (Arbonne). (Also a legendary human). This is exactly what it sounds like: a series of prompt fills in all sorts of tones. You’ll almost certainly find something here that feels like it was just made for you!

Alright, onto the individual stories and series!

Long fics/series:

The of overqualified hands and pi figures series - lantia4ever. (This was my first Ironstrange story, and it is no less magical now.)

A series of one-shots, all set in the same alternate verse in which Tony and Stephen first meet following the events of the first Avengers and then continue to meet after that throughout the canon up until Infinity War and eventually beyond it. Becoming friends - and more along the way.

Time After Time - fancylances. (I love love LOVE this one. Highly recommended.) 

Tony Stark is unstuck in time. Stephen Strange might just be the only person in the universe qualified enough to help.

Citizen Erased - Imagined. (This author. Just... such a wonderful, talented, stunning person who makes wonderful, talented, stunning works. This story is masterful.)

What do you do when no one in the world ever manages to remember you?

Anyone who sees Tony Stark promptly forgets he ever existed after mere seconds. When everyone he has ever cared about has lost their memories of him, he goes to Stephen Strange, possibly the only one who can help him lift the curse. But a terrifying danger is coming, and saving the world isn’t an easy job to do when no one can remember who you are.

if only the gods had mercy on us and it’s sequel a soul too deep - orphan_account. (Vishanti, this series...  It’s so beautiful and emotional and heart-breaking and heart-warming. And it has so few views for so many words! One of my absolute favorites, VERY highly recommended.) 

Tony Stark loved Stephen Strange. He loved him more than anyone could ever imagine. But then a terrorist group attacked the convoy. Then there was a car accident. In the middle of it all, there is tired, battered love. (And, maybe, a little bit of genius)

From the Top - lucifersfavoritechild. (Everyone reads this fic. Written by the blogger Monarch Of The Ironstrange Ship, it’s an MCU rewrite around the relationship. Very fun.) 

“Stephen, if you’re . . . there somewhere . . . when I drift off, I’ll be with you again. I can’t wait.”

|| Personally, I think the MCU would be much better as a love story between Stephen Strange and Tony Stark. Don't you?

Starting from Iron Man, and going all the way to Endgame, with all the appropriate stops in between. Let's take it from the top.

UNFINISHED: Skin Deep - Mystical_Magician. (Super cool premise, and super interesting to read! The dynamic here is very fun.)

A battle that should have finally killed Stephen instead launches him into a parallel universe. Exhausted from centuries as Sorcerer Supreme, he chooses instead to explore this new world in any animal form except human. Having hoped for peace at last, he can't stand to be looked up to, to be responsible for others, to have the world on his shoulders.

If he'd hoped to avoid excitement, however, he really should have stayed away when he noticed an enormous explosion and a falling metal suit of armor as he passed through Afghanistan.

UNFINISHED: The End of Infinity - FriendlyNeighborhoodFangirls. (Self rec. Very long, very slow-burn. Canon-compliant Endgame fix-it. I’m trying so hard, lol.)

In 2023, the battle for the universe has been won. At a cost no one can forget, the fight is over—for all but one. Stephen Strange has an idea. An impossible idea spanning dimensions and timelines, life and death, and the lines of good and evil. But he's played impossible odds before—perhaps he never stopped.

All that Loki wanted was to fight, one last time, for the fate of his universe. So when he finds himself fighting for another, crashing into the past, he has a few intended words for the wizard that forced him there. But not before he finds a boy. Or, more accurately, before the boy finds him.

Peter Parker had been waiting for the next mission. He just doesn't expect it to come from the future, armed with a ridiculous story demanding a ridiculous quest. And he doesn't expect not to be able to tell Mr. Stark.

Tony Stark is trying to rebuild from the Civil War, knowing that someday, something will come that he needs to be ready for. And he doesn't know it yet, but two universes are trying to rebuild around him, and that something is already here.

Seven Stones. Five dead. Two universes. And one impossible quest to tie it all back together.

UNFINISHED: Sunrise in Exile - Ragdoll (Keshka). (Another fandom favorite! And for good reason. This is really really good!) 

Tony does the math and realizes their best chance to save the universe is by... not confronting Thanos on his own turf.

So he steals a wizard and a spider and a space ship. And he runs.

(Three humans and an A.I in space, the alien friendships they make along the way, and discovering how science and magic might coexist in a universe where they can be one and the same.)

Shorter plotty ones: 

Out of Suffering - Mystical_Magician. (So this author??? THIS AUTHOR??? Very very good, much yes, very good.) 

Stephen Strange does not like people, but 14,000,605 lifetimes of fighting and dying alongside this small group have worn down his walls. He likes them, gods help him. He might even consider them friends. It’s really for the best that they all go their separate ways once Thanos has been defeated. In their eyes, he’s barely even an acquaintance.

Now if only Tony and Peter would stop surprising him.

moros - spookykingdomstarlight. (Almost got a spot in the angst section. Very good). 

There were fourteen million universes Stephen had birthed into existence and let die and, in far more than he cared to count, the visitor standing before him had become something… dear.

Shaking is Caring - mariadperiad20. (This is just STUNNING. Highly loved.)

5 times Stephen's hands would shake, +1 time they didn't.

It's Kinda Chalky - DestielsDestiny. (This one’s pretty short, but definitely worth it.) 

You can live an entire lifetime by looking into someone’s eyes. His sister used to say that all the time. Stephen never gave it much thought back then. These days, he can think of little else.

Something Magic - Imagined. (Beautiful!)

There is only ever one rule that matters:

do not fall in love with the enemy.

An Idiotic Theory - FriendlyNeighborhoodFangirls. (Self rec! I tried to be funny.)

His wizard has been cursed, again, and Tony's already used up his luck for the day.

(Stephen says it's not a curse. He says Tony's whole daily-allotted karma-based luck theory has minimal merit, citing the fact that Tony had come up with it while he was drunk.)

Tony really should have saved his miracle.

Love Through Time - babywarg (morphaileffect). (I love this one. It sticks with you.) 

Tony discovers an old drawing of, and finally remembers, his invisible friend Stephen from when he was a child.

Alternates - doobler. (Super cool!)

After being punked by a lowbrow magician, Stephen finds himself falling through doors to otherwordly dimensions. How will he ever get home?

132 - 28ghosts. (Soulmate AU! Very fun, incorporates Stephen’s time-loop with Dormammu.)

Ninety-nine point eight percent of humans have a soulmate mark that tells them the age their soulmate will be when they meet them. Tony Stark has a mark. It's just that his is...different than most people's.

(Or: six people who aren't Tony Stark's soulmate, and one who is.)

and when the world falls (I will fall with it) - HeavenChild. (Another multichap soulmate AU. Absolutely lovely.)

Tony will give anything to those he loves.

People will take everything he gives before leaving him in shambles.

Rhodhey, Pepper and Vision have had enough.

Or the five times Tony had his heart broken and the one time he didn't.

i saw the end of the world - JumpToConclusions. (Why has no one read this fic??? It’s so good!!! Stephen knows the future since he saw it on Titan, and things grow more complex from there.)

Tony and Strange are trying to make this work, this being remaking The Avengers. ...And maybe they'll stumble into something else along the way.

Tiresome heart, forever living and dying - Mystical_Magician. (R e a d  t h i s  p l e a s e. The mythology is so cool and the symbolism is so beautiful and the prose is so satisfying. One of my absolute faves.) 

As a fledgling crane, Stephen was too curious for his own good, and it was this curiosity that led to Eugene Strange finding and stealing away his feather robe. Trapped in human form, cruelly forged into the perfect son, not even his father's death freed him when his robe was so well hidden. He only managed to break his father's mold after breaking completely in the aftermath of his accident, and slowly gluing those broken pieces back together at Kamar-Taj, but not even magic could find what had been hidden. Enter Tony, after the defeat of Thanos.

Fluffy ones:

From The Outside - Live. (Hilarious.) 

Being a sentient life-form surrounded by humanity can be hard. Especially when said humans just can't admit their feelings for each other.

Sleeping Iron Man - Golden_Asp. (Another fun one. Perfect balance of ridiculousness with a touch of angst to make it interesting.) 

Stephen Strange stared at the Avengers on his doorstep, Tony Stark flung over Steve Rogers' shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "He touched something, didn't he?" "Yuup." or The one where Tony touches Sleeping Beauty's spindle, is put into an enchanted sleep, and everyone, even Rocket Raccoon, take their turn kissing him. But Tony only has one prince charming.

Doctor Ob(li)vious - lantia4ever. (One of my very favorites. So cute.) 

Stephen starts getting some weird looks from the Avengers, spanning across disturbed, confused and even scared all the way to curious. He dismisses it at first until weird turns into knowing.

And knowing turns into realizing...even if the scheming teenagers had to all but paint it on the walls for him to do so. Oh wait...

Applied Combinatorics in Two-Player Games - 28ghosts. (Short and fun and full of snark.)

After a battle, Tony Stark and Stephen Strange argue about games.

-

“Chess is not a solved problem.”

“Has been since ‘97, Kasparov versus Deep Blue. Kasparov, 1; Deep Blue, 2; three draws.”

“Chess is a game, not a problem.”

The Courtship of Peter Parker's Father (Figures) - flyingonfeatherlesswings. (Peter plays matchmaker! Adorable.)

Peter couldn't stand to sit by while Tony and Stephen danced around each other any longer. Something had to be done.

Speaking Eyes - Vrishchika. (Not Steve Friendly. Tony is amazing in this. And Stephen is so fantastically dramatic.)

Tony has always had expressive eyes.

The Signs of Sleep Deprivation - FriendlyNeighborhoodFangirls. (Another self-rec. <3)

"Tony said to put the potato in the dishwasher, so that's what I did."

Sometimes, Avengers just show up to say hi. Sometimes, they all show up at once, and Tony makes an party out of it. Sometimes, he invites the snarky, oblivious, somewhat insecure wizard because, and Peter quotes: "everyone else is coming".

Sometimes, something needs to be done.

Show Me Your Scars (And I'll Show You Mine) - Imagined. (Adorable. Lovely. Imagined does it again.)

The worst part is that Stephen keeps tucking his hands away, just as Tony wants to hold them. He keeps hiding them, surreptitiously, no matter what they’re doing. It’s only when Tony kisses Stephen, or hugs him, that he feels the hands settle on his back, uncertain, ready to pull back within seconds.

It only makes him want to cuddle up to Stephen even more, but he backs away, not sure if it’d be welcome.

Promise? Promise. - sharonscarters. (AU, kidfic, absolutely adorable.) 

A four year old Tony Stark runs away from home and finds his Guardian Angel.

What The Doctor Ordered - wakandan_wardog. (Post CW. Kind of not Rogues friendly? So fun, makes me smile. I re-read this one a lot.)

The Rogue Avengers are called back to New York because the heavy hitters are going to be needed against Thanos. Of course, there are some truths that Steve Rogers will need to accept sooner rather than later. Tony Stark has moved on and Stephen Strange will not suffer fools lightly.

Hurt/Comforty ones:

Among The Chaos of The Stars (You're My Safe Harbour) - ShootMeDead. (Oh my vishanti. OH MY VISHANTI. So so so so SO good.) 

Stephen has always been able to hear the stars. Tony is the only one who can silence them.

each night like a white noise frequency - Phierie. (I ADORE THIS FIC. OKAY. I LOVE IT. READ IT.)

Stephen is no stranger to making hard choices. He doesn’t regret his actions on Titan, but months later they weigh on his mind heavier than ever; the cracks begin to show.

Just An Accident - CucumbersInGold. (I really like fics with Stephen’s hands and the difficulties thereabout. Idk, just one of my favorite things. This is beautiful). 

Stephen's hands act up.

Learning, Unlearning - Caaaaaaas. (More character study than anything else. Really good.)

Whatever Stephen wanted with life, life just didn’t seem to know what to do with him.

In which Stephen learns and unlearns some very important lessons.

your eyes have their silence - doctortwelfth. (Oh look it’s another scars fic. I told you I liked them.) 

Tony is gentle with Stephen’s hands even when Stephen forgets to be.

Burning Lines Into The Snow - petroltogo. (Not very Steve friendly. Short and sweet.)

Post CW: It's not just the team that's so broken they are barely able to comprehend how many parts they're missing now, how many have been ripped and twisted and torn. It's Tony as well, right down to the core, the damage so far-reaching even he doesn't know how to fix it.

And then there's Strange, who has his own way of covering the cracks.

Old Bones - CJtheWeeb. (Owch. Dumb geniuses trying to be invulnerable.)

Sometimes Stephen Strange has great days, where he was nearly pain free and his hands still enough to where he could pick up a cup of water and barely spill a drop.

Today was not one of those days.

something taken, something new - meowrails. (So in-character. The premise was a little off to me, but I’m so glad I decided to read this one. I really really like this fic.)

The ChronicConnection implement and app allows a person that lives with chronic or illness-induced pain to transfer their burden temporarily to a willing loved one.

Tony and Stephen sign up as beta testers.

Angsty ones (happy ending unless otherwise mentioned):

day one - days4daisy. (THIS IS SO GOOD OKAY IF YOU READ NOTHING ELSE ON THIS LIST READ THIS).

Three days in Stark Tower. Stephen must be in bad shape if he just agreed to this.

His Merlin - babywarg (morphaileffect). (This author keeps showing up on this list because they are A LEGEND. A LEGEND I TELL YOU.) 

As a child, Tony imagined himself a Knight of the Round Table. Little did he know he would grow up to be a king. And that he would have a wizard by his side to lead him to either glory or destruction.

there is no heart for me like yours - turtle_abyss. (Soulmate AU! Wonderful. <3)

Being able to feel your soulmate - a phantom touch, a bone-deep awareness - is a divine torture. To know, but not see. To seek, but not find. To feel someone holding your hand and not be able to hold theirs.

Grace - StrangeMischief. (*cries in beautiful fic* Happy ending!)

“Pain’s an old friend.” 

Us...Me - StrangeMischief. (This will hurt you. So melancholy. Pepper and Tony live their life, and Tony remembers. Not a happy ending.) 

“I don’t believe in happily ever after.” 

One-Thousand Cranes - FriendlyNeighborhoodFangirls. (Self rec, sorry. Hopeful ending.) 

After it all, a man with shaking hands makes a wish.

courtesy - deathofglitter. (Dealing with the fourteen-million futures. So good.) 

Stark looked at him like he looked at the amulet that rested on his chest like a steady promise - dutiful, a bit burdened, and trying to hold a profound lack of personal emotion whatsoever, still personal enough to protect as anyone would a precious object.

La Douleur Exquise - BananasofThorns, StrangeMischief. (More pain. Pepper and Tony, and Stephen watching and trying not to wish. Very good, no happy ending.)

The before was easy. There were fewer boxes in their minds and no chains around their hearts. There was no hurt. No tears. No dreams.

But those days were long gone.

Stigmata - babywarg (morphaileffect). (AU! Soulmates again. Very interesting, beautifully done.)

Since Stephen was little, mysterious wounds have appeared and disappeared on his body, leaving mysterious scars. His mother says it's because he's one of a Pair, and he's absorbing pain meant for someone else.

*wipes brow* PHEW! That gotta a little more in-depth than I first intended... Have fun, my MysticIron friends. Happy quarantine. 

[blueporl]

29. Apple Cider

Warnings: Dungeon Meshi/Delicious in Dungeon spoilers, character briefly being drunk

a short, one-off Dungeon Meshi/Delicious in Dungeon fanfic i wrote! takes place pre-manga, back when the Golden Kingdom had just won the war and Thistle was only barely starting to lose his grip.

The prompt is from @creativepromptsforwriting‘s November prompt list

The Kingdom’s main square was quiet by the time Thistle had relaxed enough to partake in a drink, signs of the earlier celebration all but abandoned for a quick return to practicality.

A small tankard in one hand and candle in the other, he took the occasional sip as he stalked slowly through the streets. While most would feel lonely (or, if one were the particularly jumpy type, unnerved), seeing the items from the earlier feast scattered throughout the streets, the elf could only find relief in being alone after such a long day. He’d been subject to several questions throughout it, words tainted with either excitement, suspicion, or fear. Some had even wished to learn of his methods themselves, but the elf was well-aware of those who may very well betray him if the opportunity arose. Not even just him, but King Dergal as well by extension, and he wasn’t about to simply let another would-be assassin have their way with the Golden Kingdom.

Not as long as Thistle drew breath.

Monsters of various kinds drew his eye as they occasionally moved through the shadows. Most slipped between buildings with ease, and Thistle couldn't help but stare at the more powerful of his creations, watching them even as he raised the tankard to his lips again. Everything was coming together. Not only had he found the Winged Lion after what felt like a decade of sleepless nights tracing the source of its power, but it had enabled him to ensure the Kingdom’s prosperity- immortality, even. The smile widened, before eventually shifting into an outright grin.

He’d truly done something amazing, hadn’t he? It was the happiest he’d seen King Dergal since the death of his father. Not only that, but he was safe as well. Possibly forever.

Just thinking about it made the feeling contagious to the point that Thistle couldn’t help but laugh to himself, spinning around as if being twirled in a joyous waltz with his old friend. The bells on his clothes jangled at the movement, catching the attention of a few young wyverns, who flew loose circles around him in their own little dance, letting out the occasional chirp. He came to a stop only as he nearly stumbled. Perhaps it would be for the best to return to the castle.

“Having fun, are we?”

Thistle turned abruptly at the sound, the wyverns alighting on his shoulders protectively. Whoever it was was hidden by shadow. “We won the war, and the Kingdom has been saved.” He replied. “There’s no reason for me to not celebrate our victory, is there?” The stranger stepped forward, only for their identity to be covered further by a hood. He was not completely clueless, however, as he recognized the clothes they wore as belonging to King Dergal’s royal court. But this did little to ease the elf’s mind. Thistle wasn’t about to let another traitor come in right under his nose, royal court or not.

“Perhaps that is the case for now. I am one of King Dergal’s prophets, and I have come to inform you of a vision I had- one of terrible danger.” They recounted, tone serious. “I foresee that this path - awakening the Winged Lion, joining the kingdom with this underground place, immortalizing everyone - will someday spell out your doom. Not only yours, but-”

The abrupt sound of iron thrown hard against stone cut them off.

“That’s enough.” Thistle growled, the hand that had previously been holding the tankard clenched into a tight fist. “I followed the necessary course of action, and no amount of ominous muttering from the shadows will undo what has been done. I now have the power to save them. Do you really wish to take this away from those who need it?” He took an accusatory step forward. “Or are you a spy, hoping to unravel us from the inside?” This, possibly combined with the three other pairs of red eyes watching them from his shoulders, finally seemed to unnerve the self-proclaimed prophet, who widened the distance between them yet again.

“I-if you won’t listen, then at least withdraw your monsters. We’re almost overrun with them, and many are getting worried.”

He was quickly losing patience, which showed blatantly in the furrowing of his eyebrows. “They protect us. With the monsters on our side, the people of this kingdom no longer have anything to fear,” Thistle had come closer as he spoke, and the prophet suddenly found it hard to not be aware of the aforementioned monsters creeping closer out of the corners of his vision. “Be it thieves, armies, or even traitorous scum, King Dhergal is... safe. We... are all safe. Maybe you’ll even… even milk one someday.”

He stumbled. 

Whether it was over a monster, the prophet, or a mere misplaced stone, he was unable to process. Nothing much was reaching his brain anymore, only a single thought shining brilliantly in his mind: 

He desperately needed to sleep this off.

Thistle moved past the stranger with an awkward half-push and several careful steps, long legs struggling to cooperate with his slowed mind, only making a few steps before having to lean against a wall for support. They were speaking, but he hardly bothered to listen. A single thought brought a kelpie - a horse-like monster with kelp for its mane and tail - to his side. “Do you see?” He slurred as he dragged himself onto it, though it was unclear whether or not the question was intended to be heard, let alone answered. The triumphant tone it carried implied that the answer was a no.

“Helpful.”

They then departed into the night, leaving behind only a bewildered prophet, reckless promises of a better future, and a single empty tankard of apple cider.