#i know triumvirate love each other okay

[aenslem]

i don't see people talking about triumvirate when i make spirk gifset, but holy cow the amount of tags with adding kirk where he is not even present on my spones gifs...

[dustykneed]

OKAY YALL. jim totally has movie nights/show watching nights with bones and spock (jim's captain's quarters have this big retractable screen meant for conference calls or viewing ship logs but obviously it also effectively doubles as a giant tv screen!!) and it basically turns into sleepover night where they have fun doing the fun kiddy shit they deserve (after bones and jim nearly started brawling after jim wiped the floor at monopoly via "underhanded GODDAMN tactics" according to bones, spock has made a note never to attempt to bring up monopoly on movie nights EVER AGAIN)

but also consider: pre-slash spones watching a show and arguing about favourite characters ("Your parameters for selecting a 'favourite character' are most illogical, Doctor." "Favouritism is favouritism, Spock! I couldn't give a rat's ass about goddamned logic!") but agreeing that their favourite chars would make a great couple ("It would be illogical to deny the high compatibility of these characters. One might be inclined to infer that their opposing characteristics may in fact be complementary and hence conducive to an optimal relationship." "By God, just say that ya think they look good together, Spock!") EXCEPT THEIR FAVOURITE CHARACTERS ARE BASICALLY THEMSELVES RESPECTIVELY lmao

jim is sitting next to them on the couch watching them argue shaking his head like it is So obvious ya doofuses GET TOGETHER ALREADY

until this new character (extremely jim-coded) is introduced in the next season who has shockingly intense chemistry with each of the bones/spock coded chars individually. Which starts a whole ship war between bones and spock, who, ironically, ship the other's character with the new one, and go ham on trying to prove (quoting scenes, acting choices, prop choices, even theorising about behind-the-scenes agendas) that they're right about their ship. jim thinks it's absolutely fucking hilarious seeing his best friends come extremely close to duking it the fuck out on his couch over FICTIONAL CHARACTERS, GUYS, COME ON. all the while bones and spock are losing their fucking minds because occasionally their own favourite characters will have Moments and they'll go insane trying to figure out which ship is definitively endgame. they have a bet going that whoever has their ship sunk will have to hand over a quarter of their lab time to the victor and act as assistant while the other uses the time to work on their own experiments.

jim thinks it's the funniest thing he's ever seen- UNTIL ON THE LAST EPISODE OF THE SEASON ALL THREE CHARACTERS GET TOGETHER. jim (who has Known how much the character dynamics reflected the triumvirate themselves all along) is completely fucking speechless and has a huuuuge epiphany about his own feelings for spock and bones. meanwhile bones (speechless with pure unfettered rage both at the fact that technically he was wrong but also HOW COULD HE NOT HAVE SEEN THIS BEFORE???) and spock (kicking himself mentally for not having considered this possibility previously) are about to argue (all while jim is spiralling lmfao) when the bones-coded character says something like "huh. I guess we were so focused on trying to pair up that we forgot we worked best together as a trio." and bones starts to Get It, and then spock also starts to Get It, and they turn to jim, who gets that they Get It, and begins to giggle hysterically, and it is so contagious that bones starts to die of laughter and even spock cracks a chuckle.

Later, when they're all lying in jim's giant bed sleepy and happy and satisfied, cuddled together and cozy as hell, jim tells them that he's sorta known they (spones) would get together like in the show all along but he doesn't know how he didn't figure out where he came into the equation until now when it was so obvious!! and bones tells him he thinks he had always loved jim and spock but for some reason it took months and months of ship wars to see it (lol) which he's definitely glad for despite the high blood pressure every time he and spock would argue. and spock presses a kiss to the corner of jim's mouth and two fingers to bones' own, and whispers that for once, he agrees fully with leonard on the matters of their new favourite ship. jim doesn't think he's ever grinned that wide in his entire fucking life.

[unrequitedloveletter]

I think I might have fallen in love- realization fics! Fics with this prompt can be the realization of anything--a characters imminent death, the moment wherein someone realizes they've been betrayed, or they can be super fluffy and detail the moment a character realizes they're in love, the moment where they realize they can see a future with the reader--perhaps one that entails settling down or one that involves leaving the past behind--, the moment where they realize that they want to marry them! Anything goes with this prompt, and I'll write 1-5k words using it!

OKAY- what about nikolai x reader. and it's where he realizes he wants to marry her. maybe r thinks of a solution to some matter of state and he watches in awe how she handles the questions and gets the other's attention. and he's just like "yep. i'm gonna make her my bride" or something like that :)

Motion- N.L x fem! reader

okay, hi! This came out a bit later than I meant for it to--I decided a few weeks ago to plan out a duology to try to complete during NaNoWriMo and that took up a lot of my headspace, where trying to make sure my mental health was on track and I was breathing in something other than stale apartment air took up the rest of it. However, I am so sorry for how late this is coming out regardless!

On another note, my requests close next friday! They close at 11:30 pm AST (which is around 7:30 PST) and hopefully, what remains of my requests will be done by that point. Fall event requests are open until the second and my holiday event will come out sometime between the 24th of November and the 1st of December.

Fic type- fluff

Warnings- none

You and Nikolai were sitting in a meeting, debating with the Grisha triumvirate and several other relevant court members who sat in on Ravkas ever growing list of issues. You'd thrummed your way from matters of inter-palace discontent through matters of civilian discontent and you were up to matters of state.

Nikolai was getting bored watching everyone bicker, each of them trying to stop one another from getting a word in, but you looked as though you'd just gotten started. Nikolai could've sworn you were smirking slightly as you watched Zoya snap at a general, ready to throw a gust of wind at him--one so powerful that it knocked him through the meeting room wall--and barely managing to restrain herself. You looked as though, despite the fact that you weren't Grisha, you were ready to do the same thing.

Genya looked ready to tailor someone into a very ugly version of themself and David simply looked as though he wanted to go back to his work, like he was mad at the fact of his obligations as a member of the triumvirate for pulling him away from it.

"And before you start, Novikov," you started. Nikolai turned his attention to you, smile on his face. "Let me talk my way through this, yeah? You start talking and you might find yourself unable to fill your britches because you simply don't know enough. It's not a matter of the people--it's a matter of the funds we're able to allocate to the cities. If we can allocate enough to cities both big and small then we're setting ourselves up for an economic boom that starts at the big cities, moves to the small ones. It moves to the towns, and from the towns it moves back to us."

"How do you expect Ravka of all places to be able to do such a thing?" Novikov asks, bushy eyebrows furrowed at your suggestion.

"We can get tourists in," you said. "Ravka is broke--that is absolutely not a surprise to anyone in this room. However, to appeal to those who can only afford to take one vacation a year we advertise the cities. The ones with good-quality but still cheap hotels, honest working parents and saintstales as old as the country itself."

"And what of the rich folks?" David asked. "I mean--we can't advertise Ravka for tourism without aiming somewhere that will actually make a difference one trip on, can we?"

"Palace tours," you said. "The Grand Palace--we can make it a tourist spot Friday through Monday, twelve hours, with options for individual touring, group touring, or guided versions of the same. I'll be a bloody guide if I need to, but I know that there are people somewhere who are passionate about Ravkas history to be willing to volunteer their time."

'And how long is this going to take to pay off our debts?" Novikov asked. "I mean--nobody will go for it if it takes us longer than a decade."

"If it takes us longer than a decade, the youngest of us in the room have a chance at seeing it in the last year or two before we hit forty," Genya said. "Nikolai is twenty-four at the current, which means it would take sixteen years if it were to be such a strenuous plan."

"It's not," You said. "Tours of the palace will take two hours going at a slow pace if my walks of the Grand Palace are to have proved anything. If we get six volunteers, then that's one to cover every tour everyday. Ticket prices can be set at 20 coin for a general admission, 10 for children and fifteen for seniors. Max the group allowance at groups of ten and that ranges from 100-200 coin just off the gate. Take that and multiply it by six, and we have 600-1200 coin going back into the coffers of those to whom Ravka is indebted. It'll be volunteer based because the saints know we cannot afford to pay the guides but I would do a twelve hour workday just to prove that my idea is the right move."

"And what benefits could we offer in place of wages?"

"A hot meal when shifts are done, a room at the Little Palace and food by an irrefutable line of direction. We could also put them on palace staffing lists officially so they'd at least be making the minimum wage, but I think that such would constitute as fraudulent somewhere."

Nikolai was deep in thought when you brought up that last point, but with one squeeze from your hand he was back to reality.

"If they would be willing to take a room in the Little Palace for the duration of time during which tours take place, then it wouldn't violate any laws--they'd be working within the palaces, allowing their placement onto the palace staff."

"What is your estimate on how long it would take?" Novikov asked. "On how long the combination of marketing the cities and the palace tours would take to pay off our debts and refill the war treasury?"

Nikolai had been looking at you how he always did--like you were the love of his life. As he watched you answer what both of you had hoped tto be Novikovs last question, he came to a realization.

"A minimum of five years," you said. "And that is with the tours going all year round. If we could have the tours going daily it would probably still be the same such estimate--we're more than one million kruge in debt with Kerch, double that with Novyi Zem, Novikov. The process for clearing Ravka of it's debts is not something that will be instantaneous unless you're willing to sell your home and give the funds to the cause? According to reports I've seen, your home could have us reasonably jumped forward if you sell it for it's maximum monetary value?"

Nikolai could see it right in front of him--two years from then, a ceremony. Watching you walk down the isle, a coronation where you were crowned as queen. A life as your husband, a life with you as his wife.

He glanced at the ring finger on his left hand--it was looking awfully bare, but if you said yes when Nikolai proposed, which he decided he would do right then, it would not look bare for the rest of his life.

"All in favor?" Nikolai asks, giving your hand a squeeze as the thought solidifies itself fully in his mind.

I am going to make her my bride.

Everyone, including a rather embarrassed Novikov, said "I" and you grinned victoriously.

Your plan was barely in motion, but it was starting to gain traction still. As Nikolai pressed a kiss to your cheekbone and the two of you moved to leave the meeting room, the same could be said of his.

[huevokinder24]

Shadow and bone rant

Was shadow and bone S2 a good one? It was enjoyable. It was watchable. That's it.

For those of us who have read the books it was a huge mess.

Let's talk first about the grisha trilogy.

They joined book 2 and 3 (and crooked kingdom for some fucking reason, but I'll get to that later) and just rushed through the plot.

While I'm not the biggest fan of the trilogy and SOC is one of my favorite books ever, I still think the crows had no business being there. They just took too much screentime, something I usually wouldn't complain about but now I am. The sword subplot alone would have been okay. The rest? What the fuck was that??

Due to this, we didn't get to see the actual story of Sab. And don't get me wrong, I wasn't expecting a word by word adaptation, but this felt.... The characters weren't themselves.

Nikolai felt incredibly plain. He was just a nice guy. But where was his wit? His charm? His "my mother was an oyster, I'm the pearl". Where was his personality?

Also, he never loved Alina, and Alina didn't love him. Why would they push this narrative?

Everyone loves the darkling because he is charismatic and a master manipulator. This season he was just a dying guy. He didn't feel threatening. He didn't feel like the villain at all.

Zoya was completely sidelined for Alina. My girl had like 3 scenes and she didn't do much. In the book we saw rare moments of vulnerability, saw her friendship with Alina and genya grow. But she was still the cold bitch everyone loves because that's what makes Zoya Zoya.

They offed David just like that, and again, replaced him with Alina in the triumvirate. And I'm so mad about this. The triumvirate was made up of the three leaders that the orders chose to lead them during the war (except for genya). There are one of each order so the darkling's favoritism wouldn't repeat, so all the orders would stand on equal ground. Again, they were leaders. Political leaders. Now we have 2 summoners and a colporalki. What about the materialki? They lost their place in Nikolai's circle.

Also, the little reunion of Alina, genya and Zoya at the end was more like "uwu besties hanging out" than, "we have the responsibility to lead the orders and rebuild the country"

Mal just left. JUST LIKE THAT. we have a season full of Malina kissing and vowing they'll spend their lives together after they destroy the fold and kill the darkling, and the dude just leaves. Not just leaves, BECOMES STURMHOND. Do the writers know what sturmhond means to Nikolai? He would NEVER let any other person, least of all Mal take over the role.

And the twins left with him. The twins would never leave Nikolai.

Also Tolya, canonically ace, giving inej heart eyes????

And Alina. Where was her internal struggle? She kept her powers and is ready to become queen? And marry Nikolai??? She never wanted the crown. She never loved Nikolai. She only wanted to disappear into the sunset with mal and open an orphanage to help children like her. She literally told Nikolai that Zoya would make a better queen, hinting at zoyalai.

The whole point of Alina's character was that she was just a girl. She was just a girl turned saint, something she didn't want, with an enormous power she never asked for. She was just a girl who wanted a normal life but had to play the hero at 17. By the end of ruin and rising, she is exhausted, weary, drained. She faked her own death so people would leave her alone, so she could retire to the middle of nowhere with Mal and live a quiet life.

Now they're making her Nikolai's betrothed, future queen of Ravka, and... Evil? After she fought so hard to not become a monster like the darkling??

And where's the religion??? A huge part of the grishaverse revolves around religion, especially in the grisha trilogy. The manipulation of information and public image, twisting the narrative so it fits your goals, the zeal of the masses based on that exact narrative that those in power created.... There was none of that. Only inej called Alina "Sankta Alina" but they never showed what becoming Sankta was like for Alina.

This was just... Ugh. It was not BAD, but I'm so disappointed, especially for the crows, so part 2?

[calliethetrekkie]

Triumvirate Prompts: Day 9

#9. Favorite TOS Moment

I was going to save this for a later prompt, but I can probably think up something else for it. So we are going with an obvious one, but a good/feelsy one nonetheless. It's from The Empath. You all probably know what moment I'm talking about.

Our boys and the title empath are in a baaaad spot. Kirk just got tortured and because we clearly have to kick the poor guy while he's down, he's presented with his worst nightmare: deciding which of his two best friends he gets to send for an even worst torture session. If he sends McCoy, he'll die. If he sends Spock, he'll be driven to insanity. Spock and McCoy bicker over sacrificing themselves cause they're as bad as Jim before Kirk cuts them off as it's his decision. It's clear that Kirk is in pain and distressed. So McCoy, being the doctor that he is, hypos him to spare him of any further agony. A notiont hat Spock actually agrees with.

That leaves Spock in charge, however. Which means that by default, he gets to choose himself to go with the Vians. McCoy goes quiet and steps away as Spock tries to finish his work on the Vians device to give Kirk and McCoy the chance to escape. But he made one very, very critical miscalculation: McCoy is a stubborn ass who is NOT going to let anyone else suffer if he can help it. So Spock gets hypo-ed and McCoy allows the Vians to take him, knowing full well that he's likely never going to see his friends again alive.

I've talked about this moment before. How McCoy chose to do this with absolutely zero hesitation. I guess it's not surprising since this is the same guy who, when Khan held him by the throat with a scalpel in hand, didn't so much as flinch. But still... this is a man who knows full well that by doing this, he is going to die. It ain't gonna be a quick death, he's seen what condition Kirk was in, and it's going to be far, FAR worst. It's going to be a slow, painful, lonely death...

And he does not care.

All that mattered is that Kirk and Spock, the two people who mean the world to him, are safe. He even takes the time before leaving to tell Gem that his friends will take care of her because that's the kind of guy he is. He's about to die, and he'd rather reassure a young girl that she'll be okay. Even when finally taken and chained up, he just tells the Vians to get on with it already. Again, not so much as a flinch. His friends are safe. Gem is safe. That is all that matters. It shows a scary lack of self-preservation, but Dear God it shows why McCoy is such an amazing character.

it's not even going into Kirk and Spock throwing out their chance at escape to get to McCoy. How they see their dear doctor dying, helpless to do anything. Kirk is in deep denial, and watching Bones in pain is killing him. Seriously, when Spock tells him he's dying, I swear Kirk looked like he wanted to cry. Spock is more controlled, but barely. Seriously, when McCoy uses what may very well have been his last words to compliment his bedside manner? And Spock's face at those words? Your heart will break.

Obviously I was going to use this for the favorite McCoy moment, but as I tried to think of other moments for this one, it was clear to me that it had to go here. The Empath in general is an amazing episode showing the Triumvirate's love and care for each other. How far they're each willing to go to protect the other two and others relying on them, such as Gem. McCoy of course gets the biggest moment with his sacrifice, and Kirk and Spock's reactions are pure pain. But it shows just how much McCoy means to them and how much they mean to McCoy. Had it been either Jim or Spock in McCoy's place, it would have similar results. It's one of those scenes that makes you see how strong their bond is, and I love it~!

[tobiasdrake]

Speedballs are online. Let's go set the sky on fire.

After a minor pit stop because it's STORY TIME.

Oh wow, I hated that even more than being yeeted. Give me a moment, I need to find the most valuable-looking thing I could possibly throw up on.

Nuh nuh nuh don't talk like that's a secondary objective. I promised you a murder with extreme prejudice.

I promise you, the next time Aephorul glances at this place he'll be like, "What the hell is dangling from Sky Base?" and it will the Catalyst with a power cord wrapped around whatever passes for their neck.

Because that's what friends do for each other.

But first, it's Story Time. Teaks has a new fable to tell us about Estrid!

Wait, mind magic or wind magic? I thought the Triumvirate said wind magic but I might have misheard them. I do that sometimes. It's hard to pay attention when other people are talking.

I don't... think I saw them using any mind magic, though. Unless that weird bird squawk thing the Illuminator was doing was mind magic. Then again, we might still have the Fuck Out Of My Brain Elixirs in our system. Resh'an never said if the effects wear off.

Alright, so I think B'st is a Songster, then. Resh'an mentioned them using Songster magic, but I hadn't made the connection that Songsters are a race. Which is functionally different from an Ovate.

Confirmed that the ancient peoples of this timeline are a different group from the ancient peoples of our timeline, though the similarities are nonetheless evident: Giant statue, transit ball.

*gasp* B'st's bestie! I'm already not liking where this is going.

Yeah, I had my understanding of this totally backwards. I thought they built Estrid long ago, and then Aephorul just repurposed the statue as a fake god for the birdfolk to worship. Because B'st implied that the Songsters' era was long before Aephorul and Resh'an were ever a thing.

But no. Aephorul violently commissioned Estrid's creation as part of the arrangement to purchase the Great Eagle for Resh'an.

So I guess Resh'an and Aephorul were already immortal alchemists palling around, not yet in conflict, when the Songster civilization was a thing. That does make some sense, since they'd need to still be around for Aephorul to use them for soul experiments and stuff.

So. I don't know what B'st was on about, then, with all that "What, did you think YOU were the oldest one here LOL" stuff. I need to just stop trying to make sense of things without you, Teaks.

Glad to see the gift of prophecy was alive and well in this timeline too. Guessing he didn't like what he saw, though. I feel that. I'm pretty sure prophecies only give you information that you'll understand once it's too late to do anything with it.

Except Garl. Garl always got the best prophecies.

Did he look far enough to see us, though? It's very important to me that he knew we would one day arrive in his world.

He was B'st's bestie, and he died trapped in that one stasis tank in Aephorul's workshop. I need to know that he had this one light to hang onto, that he knew how strong and brilliant and beautiful I am.

YES JACKPOT HE KNEW

Okay, I feel better about his terrible, tragic fate. I think B'st might be giving me stink-eye, though.

Okay, so maybe prophecies aren't all bad. When B'st said the battery could be used to restart the speedball network, I took it to be the last surviving bit of the old speedball power network or whatever.

But no, T'kor built the battery into Estrid as a secret long-term machination to be used only once, for this exact purpose. That makes sense.

HOLD UP WHAT

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA WHAT

I thought that was, like... Some kind of advanced precursor technology that Estrid was holding. BUT IT WAS JUST A HUGE ROCK

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

WHY WOULDN'T HE, IT'S JUST A HUGE ROCK

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

T'KOR WAS A MAD FUCKING GENIUS HAHAHAHAHA WOW

And he knew how brightly I shine and did all this for me. <3 I'm really sad he's dead now. I would have loved to meet him.

That's so sad. I'm genuinely touched by how much ingenuity and planning he put into all of this. I... I think I actually have a little nugget of grief for him after hearing all of that. I hope he felt good about what he'd done in his final moments.

...I hope....

*shouting over edge* THANKS BESTIE! YOU'RE REALLY SMART AND CREATIVE AND PROBABLY HANDSOME, AND I HOPE YOU KNOW THAT WE'RE ALL BETTER OFF 'CAUSE YOU WERE THERE! I'M GONNA DO SO MUCH VIOLENCE TO THE PEOPLE WHO DID THIS TO YOU!!! *kiss blow*

There. If he's seeing the future right now then he probably saw that. At least, I hope he saw that instead of me vomiting on the speedball winch.

Have a good life with the time you have, whenever you are, T'kor.

[markcampbells]

002 | Give me a character & I will tell you: Spock

I also got this from an anon so I'm assuming everyone's like we know how she feels about McKirk, what about Spock?? 😂

How I feel about this character: Okay, so… it is not the character, it is the fanbase. Spock is awesome! All three actors do an absolutely fantastic job! But the fanbase is kind of… too much for me. I'm not speaking so much about the intense love for him as I am talking about projecting things onto him that have very little to do with the writers' initial intent and then getting angry when canonical portrayals don't match up. Like, people will absolutely INSIST that Spock is gay and then get angry when he's paired with women in new incarnations, despite the fact that (a) bisexual+ people exist, so him being with a woman does not automatically make him straight, and (b) Spock was never intended to be anything but heterosexual anyway. I won't deny that SNW in particular has made some choices where I understand the frustration--I absolutely understand why Jewish fans are upset by the bacon scene--but I think the preciousness over Spock and his fanon is what puts people like me off him a bit. He's a great character, excellently portrayed, but I could really do without the people who can't recognize where their fanon ends and canon begins.

All the people I ship romantically with this character: I understand the love for Spirk! But of the triumvirate and its satellite ships, it's kind of the least interesting to me. I like how Spock/Uhura works as a companion ship to McKirk! And I think SNW is doing really cool stuff with Spock/Christine and the idea that a young Spock would explore emotionality that way (especially after seeing his parents' marriage).

My non-romantic OTP for this character: The triumvirate, of course! Particularly in Star Trek V, I love the warmth and camaraderie of the camping scenes. I also really love his familial dynamics with Amanda and Michael (Sarek is… complicated…), and when it comes to Pike, the SNW S1 finale actually made me cry with how it portrayed their relationship and its impact on both of them.

My unpopular opinion about this character: I kinda accidentally got into that earlier, didn't I. Oops. I think something that strikes me about Spock and how I relate to fanon is I actually see him more as aro/ace, but I understand how complicated that gets as a headcanon because it might imply that aro/ace people are unemotional, etc. I sort of see him as a keen observer of relationship dynamics (in McKirk fics, I always appreciate a Spock who understands they're romantically involved but keeps quiet out of discretion), but someone who doesn't necessarily desire a romantic relationship for himself.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: I totally understand why the subsequent AOS movies past the first one used him sparingly--having him in the first movie at all is a base to bridge the universes on--but I would find more knowledge of what Spock did to rebuild Vulcan society and how he adjusted to a new universe fascinating!

my OTP: Secondary to McKirk, I really do see the appeal of Spones! I think they're an awesome ship and I want to write more for their dynamic (thus far I've written a friendship fic I'm still really proud of). I love both the silly memes people make about them as well as the serious meta people do about why these characters work as a pairing and their relationship to each other.

my cross over ship: I don't think about crossover ships that much! Although now that I'm thinking about it, I would find him having some sort of relationship with Garak fascinating. Garak lies and eludes constantly, and Spock is held to not lie but actually does, and I think they could play off each other in an interesting way. Plus Garak is so lively and jovial whereas Spock is more serious but also has a dry wit I think Garak would love.

a headcanon fact: In my fic I linked above, I tried to build more on the idea of Spock having a dyslexia-like condition that Discovery established. I thought it was pretty cool that Discovery gave a character who's well-known for his intellect a learning disability! I like the idea that it gives him a lot of empathy for those in similar situations and that he's able to use his past struggles to help those on ship crews or in academic settings who need it.

[owlbearwrites]

The Writeblr Garden's Pumpkin Pitch

Thank you @writeblrgarden for the event!

Fate is Just the Half of It

Two hundred years after Earth was engulfed in nuclear fire, Rowan Woods wakes up from cryogenic sleep in the wreckage of his Orbital Ark. As he stumbles through the brave new (and still somewhat irradiated) world, he learns that the man he loved pre-apocalypse may be, impossibly, alive today. The man in question, genius industrialist Jack Howard, has been given a new life as a self-aware android by the mysterious scientific collective known as the Agency. Earning his keep as the chief engineer of the Agency's moon base, Jack has no reason to think that Rowan is alive and looking for him. But his obliviousness has never stopped Rowan before.

This is the story of two people who found each other after the end of the world.

Planned as a serialized novel starting in 2024, Fate is Just the Half of It is a post-apocalyptic sci-fi story with a queer romance at the center. The story will be told in several threads: both of the main characters' POVs in present day, a flashback timeline of their pre-apocalypse relationship, and an account of the first few years after the end of the world, told through selected excerpts of the diary Jack kept in his days as an apocalypse survivor.

Inspirations: Fallout, Tales from the Borderlands.

Content Warnings: Apocalypse, Death, Violence (non-graphic), Language, Sexual Situations (non-graphic)

WIP tag (currently includes snippets and worldbuilding notes)

Excerpt under the cut.

To whoever finds this: hope humans still know how to read

October 23, 2077 (wait, is it 24th already? hard to keep track of time here; nah, couldn’t have been here more than ten hours)

Personal panic room of the Triumvirate Inc. CEO (wow, no, that’s so douchey)

ground zero, day one

Are you fucking kidding me?

Yeah, how’s that for a first line? Well, it was gonna be my last. Not bad as famous last words go, but there wasn’t anyone nearby to take it down, so I figured I’d stick around. Shame to die without an audience and let a good line go to waste. 

The mushroom cloud in my window made for one hell of a backdrop, though. The oranges and the blacks, all swirling together, like a sunrise, but more badass. Except, you know, sunrises usually signify beginnings, whereas this one… yeah. Still pretty, though. And you thought there were no upsides to being in the office at 6 a.m. 

It wasn’t a total surprise. Like, I couldn’t actually believe it till I saw it—hell, I don’t think I believe it now, even. But I knew it was coming. Got a 30-minute warning like the rest of the city. Didn’t run for the hills like the rest of the city, though. ‘Cause there weren’t any hills I cared to run for. None I could reach in half an hour, anyway.

Okay, whoever’s reading this, I don’t expect you’ll ever get a say in designing a nuclear strike early warning system, but I’m gonna tell you this anyway. 30 minutes is a really, really shitty warning period. Not enough time to get anywhere you might wanna get to, and way too much time to think. To wish you were somewhere else. Like, say, a suburban two-bedroom with a Vac-Evac link. 30 minutes to really appreciate what an idiot you were to stay at the office, stay in the city, stay optimistic, stay hopeful, stay invested in the idea that there was a shred of reason left in the collective humanity ‘cause c’mon, it’s all just talk, they’re not actually gonna do it, humans have scraps, always have done, always will have, but they’re NOT actually gonna blow up the fucking world, c’mon, what kind of FUCKING IDIOTS would actually, ACTUALLY do something like that??

Anyway. 30-minute warning is bullshit. Put that into your feedback form and smoke it.

still day one, probably

When the alarm went off, I knew that was it. Almost ran to the parking garage before it hit me that every other sad bastard in Boston was doing the same thing. I’d never make it to Havenford. I’d never make it out of the city. The best I could do out there was die in traffic. No, thanks.

I still tried to make a call, though. No luck. All lines jammed. Network access barred: emergency services only. Told myself it’s for the best. Didn’t wanna lie to him, didn’t want our last talk to turn into a fight. Least of all didn’t want him to try and do something stupid like coming to get me. Not that he’d ever make it. He’d just miss his evac and die for nothing. Wouldn’t stop him trying, though. Man has no quit in him.

Funny thing: normally, I don’t either. But knowing your whole world is gonna go to hell in, oh, twenty-five minutes now, and everything you’ve built is gonna go to pieces, and once the dust has settled, no-one will even remember your name… yeah, that’ll get you down a skosh.

So, yeah, the bit where I said that swearing at the mushroom cloud was gonna be the last thing I ever did? I meant it at the time. I wasn’t gonna run and die out there. But I wasn’t gonna hide and try to survive it, either. ‘Cause like I said, my world was about to get wiped out. And the only bit of it that stood a chance of making it through the next hour was gonna be out of my reach for good. Assuming he didn’t do something real fucking stupid.

Please tell me you didn’t. Please tell me you went to the evac as planned. For fuck’s sake, please tell me you took the train, and the lift and the whatever. Please be up there now. 

So I waited. Smoked a cigarette. Yeah, yeah, I know, those things’ll kill ya. Made a real good cup of coffee with which to watch the show.

And then it happened. Right on time. And I just stared out of my window. Couldn’t bring myself to believe it.

And then I ran. So much for hanging on to hubris to the end. So much for going down with the ship. Call it animal instinct, call it good old-fashioned cowardice, call it whatever. Point is, I ran straight for the panic room. Didn’t even spill the coffee.

Good thing, too. The supply kits in here only have instant. In case you want proof that I never really believed it was gonna start raining nukes.

[enjolraspermettendo]

Hello!🤗 For the character ask, Grantaire and Enjolras?

HELLO DEAR!!!!!

GRANTAIRE

Favourite thing about them: he just loves his friends so so much. He died in a revolution he didn't believe in, at least not fully, becaus he loved them. It hurts him but he still loves them and doesn't leave them

Least favourite thing about them: he's an asshole, there's no way to put it. Also, he might be obsessed with Enjolras but he's also so self centered at the same time

Favourite line: "I only understand love and liberty" I have it tattooed on my arm :)

BrOTP: The chaotic trio that is Grantaire, Joly and Bossuet. I also find it a VERY interesting dynamic in fics were he is closer to Combeferre or they have a deep respect for each other (I just love Combeferre so much I sprinkle him everywhere)

OTP: Enjoltaire and Enjolras/Grantaire/Combeferre.

NOTP: Uh I haven't really seen any other ships for him around, this fandom is very set on Enjoltaire, I guess I haven't really seen anything that made me go HELL NO

Random Headcanon: if you follow me you know I Headcanon Grantaire as Italian and I will die on this hill. If that doesn't count then I also Headcanon him as an opera singer (connected to him being sent to the church choir as a little boy in Italy)

Unpopular opinion: guys, I love him, but he's an asshole. Y'all are apologists and need to stop to blame Enjolras for everything.

Song I associate them with: JUST ONE? ugh okay

Favourite picture of them: I can't find it right now but it's that still from the movie (IT WAS MY FIRST LES MIS ADAPTATION SUE ME) where he's sprawled on the barricade and he starts to sing drink with me

ENJOLRAS:

Favourite thing about them: He's so sure of his ideals, he's ready to sacrifice his own conscience, and yet he also cares so deeply about his friends

Least favourite thing about them: jesus dude, relax

Favourite line: "Brothers, he who dies here dies in the radiance of the future, and we are entering a tomb all flooded with the dawn." Or "Here the day embraces the night, and says: I will die with you and you will be born again with me." I can't pick

BrOTP: while I love the Triumvirate I also think that the fandom doesn't actually talk about his relationship with Feuilly despite joking on Enjolras having a "crush" on him. I would like to see more of it.

OTP: Enjoltaire and Enjolras/Grantaire/Combeferre

NOTP: Enjonine. Seriously, where did that come from????

Random Headcanon: he's a mama's boy. Also a daddy's boy. I don't know, I like to imagine him having a loving family

Unpopular opinion: that he doesn't *not* understand art, he fucking loves art

Song I associate with them:

Favourite picture of them: I don't have one tbh

[calliecat93]

desperate measures! Desperate Measures! DESPerate MEASures! DESPERATE MEASURES!

Okay!

As this was for McSpirk Month, this is a McSpirk fic. So you know Sleeping Beauty, right? Well a few years ago I made a silly post comparing McCoy to Sleeping Beauty when he was knocked out cause... well, LOOK AT HIM! So I thought that it would be funt o take the concept and make a ST fic in the regular ST verse out of it~

So I'm still working out details, but essentially the Triumvirate go to a planet and help cure the queen's partner of an illness. Kirk and Spock are already together in this one, McCoy not yet part of it but he wants to be. After he's cured her partner, the queen can sense the longing that McCoy feels and out of gratitude, wishes to help him resolve his feelings and see that he is very much loved... by pricking his finger on a spike-like object and placing a sleeping curse on him.

Needless to say, Kirk and Spock don't take it well. There is a cure of course, but they have to go to the tower on the other side of the land to get it. THey also only have three days to get it and break the curse, otherwise, McCoy will be like this permanently. This is a ritual on the planet to test lovers' devotion to one another and one that she and her partner undertook to prove their love, so in her mind this was the perfect way to repay the doctor by having these two prove that they love him. Because Star Trek, am I right?

I'm still working out what happens after that, but long story short: Kirk and Spock have to take this dangerous trek while trying to protect Bones' prone state. They struggle without his presence and begin to realize that as much as they love each other, there may be another that they feel equally as strongly about. And of course we all know how Sleeping Beauty has to be awakened by true love's kiss, so... well, guess they'll have to resort to desperate measures~

[lyssq]

Sorry about Shadow and Bone S3 getting canceled. Heard the show was not really aligned with the book plot and the views don’t meet the numbers to break even point to the production cost. That true? 

David was assumed dead at the end of season 2 series, so I’m truly disappointed about it, I like that guy :( I also like that Wylan guy. I haven’t read the books but the show made me like nikolai with mal, and nikolai with alina, so like a trouple…. Um nevermind XD 

How did Nikolai and Zoya’s story start and build? Tell us what makes you ship them? :3 

Hi RJ!

Yeah, s2 was kinda okay on the sab end (my beloved Nikolai on screen) but on the crows end it definitely felt like the writers knew they were going to get cancelled and just shoved so many emotional beats way earlier than they should’ve been. And then it got cancelled so yeah!!

They didn’t find David’s body which usually means not dead but I guess we’ll never know now! And also yeah for the show I absolutely ship Mal Alina and Nikolai as a throuple like the compass? All three of you are dating

Okay now ZOYALAI! In the books Mal and Alina fake their deaths and retire at the end of the first trilogy, then there’s King of Scars that picks up a few years later following Nikolai as king of Ravka and Zoya (plus Genya and David who are happily married… for now) as the Grisha Triumvirate. Now Nikolai and Zoya weren’t really together much in the trilogy (though rip “Zoya? I make it a policy never to seduce anyone prettier than I am” Alina should have dumped Nikolai just so I could hear him say that line when she suggests he go for Zoya instead) but in KoS they’re a power couple who aren’t dating. The king and the general, they just have the best banter and Nikolai is always thinking about how pretty Zoya is (that damn blue ribbon) but of course they can’t be together for political reasons. Doesn’t stop them from going on a road trip together to exorcise a demon from Nikolai, a trip on which Zoya would chain Nikolai to his bed every night so the demon wouldn’t escape and she was the first thing he saw every morning. The demon would break out to save Zoya when she was in danger and Nikolai’s like hmm it’s probably because this is the Darkling’s magic and the Darkling favoured Zoya… nothing to do with my feelings that’s for sure.

They’re also grumpy x sunshine… Nikolai’s full of humour while Zoya’s cold and scary and they complete each other. Also when Nikolai was told that Zoya as a powerful grisha would outlive him he went “Then I will love her from my grave” like get you a man like that

[fratboykate]

Yelena babe stop running away from everything. God I love the drama 👌 also out of curiosity who proposed to who?

Six-year-old Ereka is perched on Yelena’s shoulders as they prance around the Whitney Museum Of Art, fleeing from the sweltering New York summer heat. Ereka anchors herself by wrapping her arms around Yelena's head and planting her small hands firmly on the woman’s forehead. When Yelena isn't using her right hand to point at artwork around the room, she instinctively brings it to Ereka's back to add an extra layer of protection. Yelena's other hand holds Kate's. Kate lazily walks next to the spirited duo in silence, an exuberant smile painting her face as she processes their interaction.

The trio transitions from one of the museum’s rooms to the next.

“Painting, photograph, or drawing?”

For the past ten minutes, Yelena has been quizzing Ereka on the type of art they've come across. This time she points to a prismatic, new-age modernist portrait on the wall. 

“These are too easy. I’m not five. That’s a painting.”

“What do you like about it then?”

“I think the artist did a good job bringing out the realism of the man’s face and I like how it contrasts with the colors of the background too. It looks nice.”

Kate and Yelena trade glances. No way this kid is real.

One of the ushers in this showroom speed walks over to them.

“Excuse me, ma’am. You can’t have the child on your shoulders. You’re going to have to put her down.”

“Sure. Sorry about that.”

Yelena promptly swings Ereka off her shoulders and gently places the girl on the floor. Ereka looks up at Yelena and protests.

“No, mommy! I liked being there! I got to see the paintings better.”

Kate and Yelena swing their heads in unison to gawk at each other, aghast. Ereka has never called Yelena ‘mom’ before. It has never even been something that has been discussed, yet it just rolled right off her tongue. Like it was nothing. Like she’s been saying it her whole life. They come to a speedy, unspoken consensus not to address it now. Or...ever?

"Sorry, Ri. But it's museum rules. If there's anything you need to look at closely, I can hold you up and then put you back down, okay?"

"No. I liked where I was."

"That's unfortunate because you can't be where you were."

Yelena holds the little girl's hand and scurries off, too afraid that if she allows even a second of lingering, a conversation will need to happen. 

Emotional conversations are one of Yelena’s least favorite things. Emotional conversations in public are even higher on her list of disliked things; therefore, if she can avoid both, Yelena will consider this outing a success.

---

Post museum, the triumvirate sits at another prime spot to hide from the heatwave: a pretentious artisanal ice cream shop inside the Chelsea Market.

"...but I think the one I liked the most was Katherine Shimi."

Yelena cracks up with a mouth full of ice cream and spits half of it on the table. Kate shakes her head and wipes the mess down with the napkins she holds to clean Ereka's face continuously.

"Sorry." Yelena turns to Ereka. "Schmidt. Not Shimi, Ri. Schmidt."

"Right. That."

"Say it. Repetition is good for memory. That way, you know next time." Yelena caringly nudges.

"Katherine Schmidt. I really liked her work."

"There you go."

Ereka smiles at Yelena then turns to Kate.

"Can I have another one, mommy? Pwetty pweasssseeeeeeeee. Choccy chips with fudge?"

Ereka calculatingly turns on the baby accent and the puppy dog charm. It is often hard to remember that Ereka is just that, a six-year-old, but it becomes undeniable when she can so quickly flip the switch as she has just done.

"You talked me into a double scoop sundae. You won't eat a third. You're gonna take two bites and I'm gonna have to end up eating the rest. Besides, you already had enough sugar to power ten kids. We don't need more." Ereka is getting ready to pivot toward Yelena and smooth talk her into it, but Kate gets ahead of her. "And don't even try to ask her because the answer will be the same."

"Will it? I'm much more pliable and susceptible to her methods."

Yelena retorts, only half joking. Kate chuckles.

"It will."

"Sorry, kiddo. I tried."

"I can't live in these inhumane conditions. I'm going to emancipate myself one of these days. You'll see."

"Good luck getting a lease at six."

"I'll manage."

"I'm sure you will." Kate leans in and kisses Ereka's forehead. "Finish your ice cream, Lincoln. It's melting because you two talk too much."

"We don't talk too much." Ereka retorts.

"Hardly talk at all." Yelena agrees and they kick off into one of their usual back-and-forth banters.

"Just the right amount."

"Only enough."

"BARELY enough."

"The day I move out, you two are gonna miss me." Kate interrupts.

"She would never." Yelena looks at Ereka and tells her with conviction.

"You would never, mommy."

"Oh, so you're allowed to leave, but I'm not?"

Ereka takes a mouthful of ice cream, nods vigorously, and speaks with her mouth full.

"Yeah. Pretty much."

"You know you should be on my team, right?" Kate asks, playfully irked.

Ereka takes another bite and shrugs.

"My loyalty can't be bought."

"Not bought. Literally birthed you...speaking of..."

Kate looks surreptitiously at Yelena.

"Kate..."

"...You said something earlier..."

"...Don't..."

"...And we'd love to talk to you about it..."

"...No, we wouldn't." Yelena retorts, initially looking directly at Kate, then turning to look at Ereka, more pleading this time. "We wouldn't. It's all good."

"We would. Because it's important."

"It's really not. Casual slip of the tongue. We don't need to make it a big deal."

"You called Yelena 'mom' when we were at the museum."

Yelena grunts under her breath and her head hangs in defeat. It seems like they are having this conversation after all. In public. Fantastic.

"Yeah."

Ereka responds nonchalantly, looking back and forth between the two women.

"Is that...is that something you want to do?" Kate presses further.

"Sure."

"You don't have to. I don't want to force you." Yelena attempts to placate a child that shows zero signs of needing to be coddled. 

"You're not forcing me. I don't feel forced. I can do it if you don't mind, but if it makes one of you uncomfortable, I can stop. Miss Johnson says acknowledging people's feelings when addressing them as something is important."

"It doesn't make me uncomfortable." Yelena coyly responds.

"Me neither," Kate adds with a genuine smile.

"Cool...So is that a definite no on another scoop with fudge or..."

Kate chortles, digs into her purse, and hands the kid a loose twenty-dollar bill.

"ONE SCOOP EREKA SHEPHERD. I mean it." Ereka instantly runs off to the stand a few feet away. "If you come back with any more than that, we're eating it."

Yelena looks at Kate blankly for a moment, then...

"Does that mean she's going to call me 'mom' from now on?"

Kate cracks up and leans in.

"I have no idea."

Their lips meet for a quick peck.

"I don’t know either. That conversation had no clear conclusion.”

“But you look weirdly sexy when you're deeply uncomfortable."

Yelena rolls her eyes but steals a kiss regardless.

"You're unbearable."

"Am I?" Yelena nods and Kate kisses her. "You still kissed me back tho."

"Being unbearable doesn't mean you're not REALLY hot. It's a shitty combination. It makes you dangerous."

"Uhm...so..."

Kate and Yelena separate to find Ereka holding a three-scoop banana split.

"Are you kidding me right now?!"

Kate scowls and Ereka flashes her toothy grin, the one missing a single front tooth, back at her disgruntled mother.

"See, the thing is, the guy said this is the best deal they have, so when you think about it, I got the best bang for your buck."

"She's a businesswoman making business moves, Kate."

"Sit your little booty down." Kate grits through her teeth.

"Three scoops, three spoons."

Ereka states with pride as she distributes spoons around the table.

"You're so grounded. No iPad tonight."

"That seems hardly fair. Right, momma?"

Ereka looks at Yelena.

"Nu-uh. You're not about to weaponize that. Nope. Keep me out of it."

Ereka shoves a spoonful into her mouth, staring directly at Yelena.

"Traitor."

"You interested in making it two nights?" Kate threatens.

"There has to be something about this in the constitution. I'm going to check which amendment you're violating when I get my iPad back."

"Yeah, I'm certain the founding fathers were very concerned with your screen time."

Ereka takes a second bite of the barely touched banana split, sits back on her chair, and runs her hands over her distended stomach.

"I'm full, ma."

"Oh...SHOCKER! Who could've ever seen this coming?!" Kate utters, playing up her fake vexation. "Eat up, champ. You supported this 'business move', you help me finish it."

"I'm kinda full to..."

Yelena starts to admit with a guilty grin.

"EAT."

"Yes, boss."

---

After deciding to skip the train and taking the long way home to walk off the insane amounts of cream, sugar, and chocolate they consumed, Ereka arrives home fatigued. Following a quick shower, an early bedtime is a no-brainer.

The little girl lies sideways in bed between Kate and Yelena. Her face is nuzzled into Yelena’s chest while Kate caresses her back.

"What book are you in the mood for tonight?"

Yelena inquires before kissing the top of the little girl's head and starts running her fingers through her still-damp hair.

"No book. Tired. Won't remember."

"Okay. What do you want to do then?"

"Nothing, momma. Just be here with you and mommy."

Kate slides further down the bed, cuddling tighter into her daughter.

"We can do that," Kate replies.

"When do I get my little sister, momma?"

Kate sighs.

"We've had this conversation a million times, Ri."

"I don't like the answer."

"The answer hasn't changed."

"When will it change?"

"The answer to that hasn't changed either."

"I don't like it."

"You've made that clear and your complaints have been taken up directly to management."

"The management here sucks." Ereka quips without missing a beat and Yelena snickers.

"You need to go to sleep." Kate nudges the tiny blonde while kissing the back of her head.

"I need a sister. That's what I need."

"If you go to sleep, maybe you'll wake up with one." Kate attempts to bargain.

"I won't."

"But you could. Anything is possible." Ereka lets out a tiny, peeved grunt. "Unreal. You two are the same person."

"No, we're not." Ereka and Yelena argue simultaneously.

"Right."

"She packs a lot more stubbornness in a way smaller body. You should be concerned. Imagine when she's my size. Trouble."

"Okay. Bye. Shhhhh. Night."

"Are you kicking us out of your room?" Kate stares at her daughter, perplexed.

"It's supposed to be bedtime and you're talking."

"For someone who loooooves to talk about dictators, you sure act like a pint-sized one."

"You can stay if you're quiet."

"You're being very rude right now, Ereka." Kate admonished her. The little girl doesn't respond.

The room falls into perfect stillness for a while until, without warning, Ereka swiftly flips in bed to face Kate. The girl cups her mother’s face with her tiny hands and kisses her cheeks.

"I'm sorry. That was a little mean. I didn't mean to be. I love you and I like you being here for bedtime with me a lot, mommy. You can talk if you want to. It's okay."

Just as hastily as she turns to Kate, Ereka pivots to the opposite side to face Yelena. She also cups Yelena's face with her hands and kisses her cheek.

"I didn't want to be rude. I was upset for a little bit and got frustrated and didn't know how to say it, so I was mean." She quickly throws a glance at Kate over her shoulder. "I'm not trying to hurt your feelings, mommy..." Then turns back to Yelena. "...but bedtime with you is my favorite because you always pick the best books and do the best story times, momma. So I'm happy you're here and if you want to talk with mommy, it's okay. I won't be frustrated. I'm really sorry I was rude about it before."

Yelena surveys Ereka's face and is pummeled by the earnestness and vulnerability staring back at her. She's overcome by the need to wrap her arms around the little girl, so she does. They embrace tightly. 

"Apology accepted...Thank you."

"You're welcome, momma."

Ereka feels safe and cozy being held by Yelena. As a direct result, she rapidly starts to fade. Ereka yawns into Yelena’s neck and her eyes close.

"You're so tired, Ri."

Kate whispers behind them while bringing her hand to rub soothing circles on Ereka's back. Ereka nods and slowly lies on the mattress, facing Kate this time. She buries her face into Kate's neck while Yelena sits on the opposite edge of the bed, beholding what she is now certain are the two loves of her life.

Within seconds Ereka is sound asleep. Not long after, Kate and Yelena manage to tiptoe out.

---

Kate and Yelena go through their own bedtime routine without much fanfare. Teeth are brushed, faces are cleansed, and hair is braided. There is nothing special about this night or the t-shirt and shorts combinations they decided to wear, nothing that triggered an unusual reaction in Yelena. But as Kate is slipping into bed, holding whatever random book she pulled from the perennially growing stack on her nightstand, Yelena blurts out words from where she stood, unceremoniously digging through her sock drawer, picking socks for the following day.

“Marry me.”

Yelena turns, still holding green socks with pizza slices on them.

“What?”

"I want you to marry me."

"Uh..."

Kate is nonplussed, not because she's hesitant but perplexed by the entire visual she's looking at. Her girlfriend is in a braid, wearing striped boxers that are so oversized it's a miracle they stay on Yelena's body half the time, a lobster t-shirt from Yelena's old college job at a lobster shack, holding pizza socks that have a hole on the heel but that Yelena refuses to throw away because an old friend gifted them to her, and asking Kate to marry her.

“She called me mom. I don’t ever want to let that kid down again. I already did once and I hate myself every time I remember...I don’t have a ring, which might be better because you’re picky and I’d be able to tell if you hated the one I got. As far as poker faces go, you have the worst one. I’m not going anywhere. Not again. Not unless you want me to. So marry me. I want her to know her calling me that means something.”

“So you’re only asking because of Ri?”

“No...NO...I...” That’s when Kate cracks a smile. “You’re an asshole.”

Kate closes the distance from the bed to their dresser and wraps her arms around Yelena's neck, pinning the shorter woman against the piece of furniture.

“It means more that she’s the reason you’re doing it.”

“She’s not. You are. I mean...she’s part of the reason, but I want to marry YOU. I do get that it’s a package deal. I’ll happily take the combo meal. Supersize it.”

"I love how much you love her. Makes me love you even more."

"I do love her. I wish she was my kid all the time. She deserves a better dad anyway."

"Shhh...let's not talk about him right now."

"You're right. Sorry. Maybe we can give her that little sister she wants...we can start trying right now."

Yelena inverts their positions, pinning Kate against the dresser, then lifting her and setting her on it.

"I don't think you got the birds and bees conversation right, love. We got two queen bees here. We're kinda missing the bird bit."

"Maybe if we try really, REALLY hard. I like hard."

"I know you do...I'm not ready. For a baby. Not yet."

"Okay. We can wait."

"Okay."

"But you are ready to be Kate Belova then?"

Yelena detects the shift in Kate's face.

"What? What did I say?"

"I felt like I lost a piece of myself when I changed my last name to Tom's. I don't think I fully realized it while we were married, but I noticed it when I got my name back. It sounds silly, but I love being Kate Bishop."

"I shouldn’t have assumed. That was arrogant and shitty of me. I’m really sorry."

"Stop...I do want everyone to know I locked down the hottest, sexiest, smartest lawyer in New York. How do you feel about hyphenating?"

"I love a good hyphen."

"Bishop-Belova. The B-B fam. Kind of epic."

"You've been thinking about this for a while, haven't you? You know exactly what ring you want and you have pictures somewhere. I just know it."

"No. No. Noooo...A lot. All the time. Been dying to be your wife since about week three. The ring is bookmarked under 'full birth chart breakdown'. It's the one thing I knew you'd never click."

"Woooow. I'm THAT charming. Okay, Mrs. Bishop-Belova."

"Don't let it go to your head. It's big enough as it is."

"It's as big as it needs to be."

They close the distance and kiss. The intensity grows almost instantly. Yelena pulls back unexpectedly.

"You haven't said 'yes'."

"Huh?"

"You never said you'll marry me."

"I think it was more than implied."

"You have to say yes."

Kate sighs and rolls her eyes.

"You're such a pain in my ass. Ask me again. Which...if I remember correctly...you didn't even ask to begin with. You made a statement, so...present it as a question I can actually answer this time."

"And I'm the pain in the ass?"

They exchange smiles.

"Katherine Elizabeth Bishop, will you make me the happiest person alive right this second and marry me?"

"Naaaah, I don't think so. I'm flattered tho." Yelena grunts, miffed. Kate yanks her in for a searing kiss. "Of course, I will. And before you complain, try to lawyer me, or do one of your adorable, non-verbal, cavewoman grunt things at me...yes. That is a resounding, indisputable, nonrefundable yes to being your wife from me."

"Good."

Their lips meet and they get lost in each other's mouths and bodies for longer than they'd like to admit. As clothes start flying off, Kate interrupts with a vital question.

"So when are you buying me this ring again?"

Yelena chuckles into her fiancee's mouth, refusing to let words derail their current situation.

"First thing Monday."

"Right answer."

Seconds later, Kate is under Yelena, her face pressed by the blonde's hands into the duvet, ensuring the brunette's moans are muffled, so their daughter sleeps peacefully through the night.

[ichayalovesyou]

I'm a mcspirk enjoyer with a particular enjoyment for the spones of things, like you, n i was just curious on if you've shared your thoughts on how the relationships develop? like, in my mind, after maybe a week of panic after bones arrives at the understanding he wants to be with spock, and after trying to flirt with him n getting nowhere comes clean bc he's an old man and doesn't really have the time nor emotional energy to go dancing around with things, while i think kirk would take absolute years to come to terms with any of his feelings. i don't think people give bones enough credit in his relationships, he's been married twice n got at least one crew member to date him so like . i dunno. don't see him spending months pining, he might not be logical like Spock but he's not inefficient either.

but most people seem to think spirk would develop first n i personally don't see it. I dunno, I feel like kirk would feel too conflicted in his role as a captain to really persue anything til years later, very possibly after the third st movie. and spones r a package deal so now he's with both of them and they have a three member Vulcan wedding or whatever.

anyway those r just my thoughts n i wanted to hear yours too!

Okay, I wanna preface this with the fact that we have super different perceptions of Spones even though we both ship it. I just want you to like, mentally and emotionally prepare for that before I get into it. Also sidenote, Bones isn’t an old man he’s just crotchety lmao. He’s only a couple years older than Spock and 3-4 years older than Jim, he’s just Like That, an old man in spirit I suppose.

Bones may have been married twice before but hey, Jim was married once, and Spock was almost married and hooooo BOY those marriages all failed. And I really don’t think it’s because they’re all gay or that they’re all soulmates, but rather because they definitely got some personal issues to work out!! Issues they’re each uniquely suited for each other to stabilize.

The short answer is this

Spones (and McKirk, and even Spirk) Cannot Exist Outside of The Triumvirate Dynamic Until Post TMP (and even then, they refuse to separate)

The fundamental thing from which the entirety of TOS is built upon is that Jim and Bones and Spock all each need each other, and destabilize when they’re apart. When Spock breaks the Triumvirate to leave for Kohlinar in the time between TAS & TMP, Jim becomes emotionally unstable and bitter, and Bones retires, he can’t help Jim on his own. McKirk cannot exist without Spock’s logic to stabilize their individual emotional volatility. Although of the three pairings, its l the easiest for them to stay on good terms because they were friends before Spock and at the very least don’t hate each other after he parts ways with them.

Bones is a primary driving force that keeps Jim & Spock’s relationship stable because he’s incredibly emotionally intelligent. He’s the one who encourages (or in Spock’s case, goads) them to be honest with their feelings. He knows that they need each other, even if he probably highly underestimates how much Jim and Spock need him because Spirk is the one that gets all the soulmate clout. He is the quietest, strongest proponent of the two of them staying together of all. Spirk almost completely falls apart when Spock finally chooses logic so vehemently, that Bones cannot stop him.

Then Bones and Spock… oof, talk about volatile. They are some incredibly acrid, petty, vindictive bitches (affectionate) without Jim to stabilize them. They’re like, two flavors that taste nasty together without the main ingredient, their relationship curdles without Jim’s influence. Although they’re AMAZING for each other when he’s there as an intermediate. They are the absolute worst to each other when Jim’s not around, and both (especially Spock) would be too stubborn to apologize without their mutual affection for Kirk to heal them. Even if they’d still care about each other, there’s too much contrast and resentment for a stable friendship. Jim helps Spock & Bones “kiss and makeup” just purely with the love he has for them both, and the affection they both have for him. It saves their relationship time and time and time again in TOS.

None of these relationships are sustainable in a romantic sense without the third person involved in the relationship, whether you only ship one of these, or all of them individually, or McSpirk wholesale. McKirk wouldn’t get and stay together without Spock, Spirk wouldn’t get and stay together without Bones, and Spones would be totally unsustainable without Jim. At least until they figure out this one, simple truth. Something they only really discover through their getting back together as a trio in The Motion Picture.

They all need each other.

I don’t think, of the three ships that compose it, Spones could happen first, McKirk probably, Spirk maybe, but not Spones. Even then, if McSpirk is the endgame, I don’t think the other confessions would be too far behind the first pair if you get what I mean.

[citrusreadstoa]

Reading The Dark Prophecy: Chapter 17 (SPOILERS)

Thinking back on it, I'm really disappointed Lit died so fast. Then again, we assumed he was retrieved by Thanatos offscreen in The Lost Hero and we were wrong then, so maybe he's still alive? Idk, those ostriches seemed pretty menacing. Anyway, I should start referring to death as "being retrieved by Thanatos."

"Meg McCaffrey eats my bread / I cry godly tears" I like how it's not out of the question that these tears may be shed over the bread. Like, that might not be how it's meant to be interpreted, but with Apollo's character, it's possible.

"the sorceress snored like a razorback sow." See below. "'She's a blown circuit,' Josephine announced." That does not tell us non-mechanics whether she'll be okay or not, Jo.

"I was no griffin midwife" But Will might be! He's delivered one baby before; we can traumatize him again!

"she could check their Facebook status updates." Facebook is so last decade. Apollo must really have lost his sense of time as a god. /j

"To clear the air. Stop me if I say something wrong, but I think it's obvious we still need each other." OH. MY. GOLLY GEE. They're about to talk things out. These two characters are about to have a conversation to avoid miscommunication and awkward tension. THIS NEVER HAPPENS IN STORIES. Guys, guys, come over here! It's a once-in-a-blue-moon event!

"Perhaps I could put my feelings into a song." "Stop." . . . "A short riff on my ukulele?" "Stop." I love how she immediately shuts down the musical suggestions.

"Few children of Demeter had ever had such abilities." Yes, Meg is uncannily powerful, but other children of Demeter should be more powerful than they're written as. She's literally one of the OG six children of Kronos. Her kids should be on par with the Big Three. She's literally nature incarnate. I don't get why her kids are one of the common examples of weak demigods when they should be a force to be reckoned with.

"I sat." I would have just stayed standing at that point. Better to stand than risk my life on one of Britomartis's impostor sofa cushions. "I stared miserably at the bowl of lettuce and cucumbers." You just almost got slice 'n diced by Lit and the griffins. Just eat the dang acceptable bread anyway.

"I may have jump-started her power a bit." Oh, that explains it. Britomartis basically defibrillated Calypso's powers. "But you could've killer her!" Leo, you really think she cares?

"Jo here, she told me that with enough time and training she could probably help Calypso get her magic back all the way." I keep forgetting that Jo's Hecate's kid. "Did you know she was a gangster?" No...? That came out of the blue. Jo was a gangster with a secret identity at such a young age? I guess it's not much different than Meg working for the Triumvirate. Crazy stuff happens to demigods.

"I wondered if demigods ever felt the need to restrain themselves when facing ungrateful gods like this." Oh, Apollo, you have no idea. "No. Surely not. I was special and different." Aaaaand he really has no idea.

[calliethetrekkie]

Triumvirate Prompts: Day 1

(Prompts Link)

#1. All-Time Favorite Moment

So I absolutely suck at picking one specific thing. So I'm just going to list a couple of episodes/films off the top of my head

The Enemy Within

It's the earliest we see the Triumvirate together, and it's great. We have Kirk, split apart and unable to make any decisions. Spock, acting as his logical/commanding half and reminding him or the reality of the situation as well as of his duty as the Captain. McCoy, acting as Kirk's emotional half, easing his fears and unwilling to recklessly risk his life. It's a great preview of what we can expect from these three.

The City on the Edge of Forever

It's minor, I know. But their reunion at the end of the episode before the Bad Thing happens is freakin' adorable. Kirk and Spock last saw McCoy in a crazed state, and have only been able to wait for him to show up in the 20th Century. And when he does show up, that means that Kirk is going to have to let Edith die for the same of the timeline. McCoy, meanwhile, is recovering from his accidental drugging and is unaware if any help is coming. The second that McCoy walks out of the Mission? How overjoyed that Kirk and, yes, even Spock are to see him safe? Kirk and McCoy hugging and Spock aggressively shaking his hand? Beautiful.

Amok TIme

Again minor, but Spock asking both Kirk and McCoy to accompany him to Vulcan. It really shows how much he trusts and values both of them, and they're both more than happy to go along. Yeah, things get out of hand because of it, but it's the thought that counts~

The Tholian Web

Technically, it's a Spock and McCoy moment, but it involves Jim still. After having been at each other's throats for most of the episode, the two finally watch Kirk's will. Where Kirk encourages them to work together and rely on each other. It's pretty much his way of saying 'I'm gone but you still have each other, don't forget that." It humbles them both immediately as they both get a moment to actually mourn their friend (okay he's not dead, but they don't know that yet) and realize that they need to work together to save the ship. It says so much about how much Kirk trusts them and how much they care for him.

The Final Frontier

I really didn't like the movie at first, but I've been coming around to it more. It's nice to just see the Triumvirate, after everything int he three films prior, just get to be together. The camping scenes are so much fun, and it's nice to see them all at ease and away from the Enterprise and space and all that stuff. Even when things get bad, nothing breaks their loyalty to one another, not even Sybok's mental abilities. Say what you want about the film, but in terms of the Triumvirate's bond, they 100% got it right.

And there's plenty more, but I don't want to make this too long or try to remember them all. But yeah, I love these three idiots so much~

[tobiasdrake]

I guess we're at war now. Sure, I can take a detour.

So we have two plates that both need to be held down and five people in our group. I feel like we could probably solve this without climbing any further in the tower....

But maybe there's something worth stealing further up. Let's keep going.

My persistence has been rewarded with more work.

That's on me. I should have known better. *sigh*

Genuinely unsure what to make of these statues. Decapitated figures holding a helmet in one hand and a staff with a bird skull in the other. Given that these are birdfolk, I assume the skull on the staff is meant to be their own?

They're all over the place, too. The Triumvirate seems to be super fond of this art. I bet you a one of them (or a relative) made the original, so now they're being distributed everywhere even though nobody's really sure what the artistic intent was supposed to be.

Good news, we found Estrid. Bad news, we're embroiled in a political conflict and will have to come back to this. See you soon, Estrid. I have a cult to destabilize out of spite.

Okay, team. The sign on the wall clearly labeled this place "Seat of the Triumvirate" so we should be getting close to...

...to, uh....

...

Are you guys having a meeting without me? ._. That's hurtful.

Pay attention to me

I don't even remember what I was going to say now. Thanks, everyone. Just... expect to have to fight them all at once but don't stress over it because it's five against three and we are, each of us, worth ten.

This is going to be an easy in-and-out and then we're back to doing god stuff.

Also, the statues up here are even uglier. I don't know why that was important to bring up. But they are, and I hate them for it.

Hey, Wabbit Season over there declared war on us so now my crew and I have to turn you guys into a human centipede of regret. No hard feelings, nothing personal.

Fine, we can try diplomacy again. But if I see buttons pushed or switches pulled, I'm gonna start swinging. I don't know when I'll stop.

Well, this is going well. There's nothing religious people love more than having outsiders trample all over their sacred territories.

I'm sorry, were you saying something? We were too busy being way above your pay grade.

Come on, team. We're done he--

You know this dipshit, Resh'an?

Yeah, I'm both confused and alarmed too. You keep saying you've never been to this world. Is this something that happened pre-fracturing of the timelines?

Hold up, Aephorul pulled off a seemingly impossible feat of magic to give you that form, didn't explain how, and you've just... never questioned it? To this day? Even after everything with Aephorul went so horribly sour?

I've been wondering this for a while but, Resh'an? Do we have a conflict of interest? Because we're here to commit a murder. I made that very clear in my Statement of Intent speech. Are you too emotionally invested in Aephorul to carry that out?

I just. I need to be sure you're committed to this, man. And I'm not.

Shit, I want to try that. You've been with us for how long now and never even brought it up? Not even one "check out this cool drink I can make"?

Now my feelings are hurt. ._.

"I'm going to kill countless members of your population for a powerful enchantment and in exchange, you can have some neat elevators and I'll let you worship this rock with a face on it."

I don't see the bargain there. Pretty sure you were just being used. This sounds like revisionist dogma to try and whitewash over a historic catastrophe by pretending it was secretly good actually.

In any case, I need to go visit a rock with a face on it, if we're done here. We are done here, right?

...Resh'an?