#snippet summary

[scalpho]

bill wants fabian to be just like him, but the problem is that bill is aggressively self-centred, and fabian cannot emulate him (by prioritising himself) without putting bill's wishes on the backburner. and bill, being as self-centred as he is, can't stand the fact that him and his wants are not fabian's number 1 priority. family in flames gives us a great example of this: bill yells at fabian for not defending himself against bill's insults specifically because it's not how bill would react ("i would never let any man speak to me the way i’m speaking to you right now"), and in the same minute also yells at him for defending himself ("you'll raise your voice at me now, will you?"). fabian can't emulate bill without disrespecting him, but he's expected to figure out some impossible way to balance these two conflicting expectations!

the trick is that this contradiction doesn't exist as long as fabian's wants are synonymous with bill's, which is why shit only hits the fan after fabian starts spending time away from his family and discovers the magic of independent thinking. the cracks in the formula are still super easy to see early on, though - bill killed his own father, but threatens to kill fabian if he ever attempts the same move. kudos to him for managing to say something both hypocritical and, in hindsight, incredibly ironic

[splish--splash--avertedeyes]

something new

"Say, Grian," Scar starts as he runs a couple of fingers along Grian's cunt again, easily parting his lips and finding his hole, which he ignores in favor of rubbing his fingers around his clit. "Mmf...What?"  Scar moves his hand away, ignoring Grian's whine at the loss, and instead strokes his ass before lightly pressing a wet finger at his rim. Grian gasps. "Have you ever been fucked in the ass before?" "Wh-what -" Grian sucks in a breath as the tip of Scar's finger slips in. "Nnno, I've - fuck - I've got a perfectly good hole right there already." Scar hums. "Sure, but this one's good too. Don't you want to try it?"

That thing I posted about a few days ago is finally done <3 pls enjoy, this was a lot of fun to write

[the-freezer-truck]

VOLTA HEADCANNONS

Random bits and bobs regarding my interpretation and portrayal of Volta plus a summary of my headcannon backstory for their life before Electra!

- Volta is Bisexual, Biromantic and Poly. - Uses They/She/He pronouns, really has no preference when it comes to what other folks use for them. - As far as I know this was cannon in earlier iterations of the show but I wanted to include it here anyway; she works as Electra’s personal assistant and is very close to their boss, doing anything they require of him! - Highly organised, she is the one to ensure every thing runs smoothly, keeping track of both Electra and the other components. - The fine details of my headcannon backstory still need some fleshing out but here's a summary . Volta hasn’t always worked for Electra; in fact, they were originally built for the sole purpose of working for a different engine, a high-profile superstar racer. Loyal and hardworking, they were essentially working multiple jobs for this engine, including racing as their partner. After years of working like this, Volta was overworked to the point he started experiencing system glitches, often manifesting in the form of pain flair ups and parts of her physically shutting down.  - Though they did their best to push through this whenever it did happen, it got to the point in which she starting breaking down during races. This infuriated her boss, who, instead of caring for their loyal companion, was quick to toss him aside and deem him useless despite years of service. With some proper care Volta was able to recover, though she still suffers from sporadic pain flair ups and has to go to Wrench for regular checkups. After their recovery Volta ended up being hired by Electra; initially they were extremely guarded and untrusting but very much came to care deeply for Electra and her fellow components, who are now extremely important to her. - Prefers to handle issues herself, very much refuses to reach out for help even if they need it. Also has a habit of overworking themself and hates admitting she needs a break, often resulting in the other components having to force them to take breaks. -  Is cold and aloof to most others around them, however if Electra trusts or takes a liking to someone, she forces herself to give them a chance; for better or for worse they trust Electra’s judgement. - If you somehow manage to gain their trust, he will go to the ends of the Earth for you and will quietly start to seek out your company more and more. - Very good at masking her true emotions should she want to; it's often difficult to gauge what they're truly thinking or feeling. Though this mask is often dropped when just around Electra and the other components as those are the folks he trusts wholeheartedly. (The most talkative he gets is around them; enjoys gossiping with their fellow components.) - Naturally low body temperature, often cold to touch.

[jerrsterrr]

ansonansonansoanson

you ever like get adopt a character design for funsies,, to support a mutual,,,,,,,,, and then go crazy with the design and lore and personality and how their existence could affect your oc world that youve had for many many years

no? yeah okay fair. ANYWAYS THIS IS ANSON he is a girl and i love him even though he was just supposed to be a side character

fanboying below

he has a hamster named One-Mouth (named by @mainmoenmomentmaybe !!) and he writes for a small newspaper and doesnt talk to anyone,, HEHE

the toyhouse code i filled in for him was like one day before redoing the lore but i like the simple feel to it lolol

i still need to redesign the main protags of the oc world he is in but until then!!! im really excited about this guy, i have the most fun talking and rambling about lore with friends :33 it makes em feel more special

also also he is on artfight now!!!!!! awesomesauce

[definitelynotshouting]

dance au you say 👀👀👀 is it like Grian and Scar typically do different styles of dance but are for some reason partnered together or do they dance the same style and gotta choreograph a routine together but kinda buttheads with how they choreograph

Not quite, although thats a super cool idea!!! :D my au is about Grian asking Scar for dance lessons while preparing for an event he's been invited to-- he's expected to dance, and has never really applied himself to learn more than the very basics until now.

Scar, however, is an excellent dancer and offers to teach him, builds them an intricate gazebo to learn in, shows up to their first lesson in an immaculate new suit, and proceeds to unintentionally but enthusiastically seduce Grian-- who's had a crush for a long time, but hasn't yet gotten up the courage to do anything about it.

The penultimate scene goes a little something like this:

Grian asks Scar for one last practice session before the event. He doesn't even need to feign nervousness-- he's practically sweating bullets. But practicing isnt really his motivation here; in all honesty, he just wants to spend one more time in Scar's arms.

It's evening, golden and sticky with summer, and they're dancing as the sun slowly begins to set. Scar's complimenting, hyping him up, telling him he's a natural now, he'll do so great. He'll be rooting for him at the event the ENTIRE time. The jukebox's music fades, and the dance ends with a flourish, and Grian finds himself nose to nose with a Scar who is gazing at him like he's everything.

Then Scar seems to shake himself, disengages, and gently tells him he'll do great. Amazing, even. The envy of the dance floor. They both step back at the same time.

But the sun is hitting Scar's face just right, and he's gorgeous, and Grian just had him in his arms, and-- and-- and--

Grian impulsively darts forward and kisses the life out of him, fast and a little messy, with his heart beating right out of his chest. And then in true Grian fashion, he freaks out about his own impulsivity and flies away without addressing ANY of this bc he Cant Be Normal Ever, leaving poor Scar to stare off into the sunset with his hand pressed absently against his lips.

What follows after that is some very strained event participation on Grian's part, and Scar trying desperately to talk to him while Grian dodges him like his life depends on it. Eventually, Grian gets exhausted by it all and takes a moment to recoup by wandering outside for some fresh air.

This is where Scar finds him; a little cold, a bit shivery, feeling VERY sorry for himself, and finally Grian doesn't have the patience or energy to run any longer. I actually wrote out a tiny snippet of this scene:

"You know, you're, uh, awful slippery when you want to be." Scar's voice is deceptively casual. "You've gotta teach me that vanishing trick sometime." "Grow wings," Grian suggests wryly, then sobers, pulling Scar's jacket a little tighter around his shoulders. "Sorry. For— that. Yesterday. Yeah." "Sorry you did it? Or sorry it happened?" "Scar," Grian says, pained, "you just said the exact same thing twice." "Not really." Scar's voice is quiet, contemplative. He still isn't looking at Grian when he speaks. "'Cause, y'know, there's— I mean, dancing is pretty intimate, right? Plenty of opportunity for things to just... happen, without them meaning to. It's pretty common, really." He's giving Grian an out, he realizes. An escape hatch left wide open, a gaping crevice Grian can slip through without snagging his feathers. He could lie, right here and right now, and Scar is telling him that would be okay. Everything could go back to normal. Maybe its the atmosphere. Maybe it's the night air, a cool caress on his face, and the moon rising high and bright in the sky above them. A waxing growth that limns them both in pretty silver, catching on the edges of Scar's profile. He's beautiful, as always, and as much as Grian's stomach trembles, he can't tear his eyes from the sight of him. "More like I'm sorry for ruining a perfectly good friendship," Grian croaks at last. Scar blinks, lips parting briefly, throat bobbing as he swallows. His gaze lowers slowly, until his lashes paint dark lines against his cheeks. "Who says it got ruined?" he finally asks. "Scar, I kissed you," Grian says miserably, huddling further into himself. "Yeah, that was kinda hard not to notice." "Scar." "What? It's true! I was there, I saw it!" Oddly, there's the hint of a smile threading into Scar's voice; when he turns to pin Grian's gaze, it reflects on his lips, tilted up the tiniest fraction. In the moonlight, his eyes almost glow. "But sure, lets assume you've ruined a friendship. Which you have not, by the way— in case you were wondering." All the air leaves Grian's lungs at once. He's paralyzed, tipping over the knife's edge of something only Scar can see. "I didn't?" "Nah." Scar's voice is achingly warm now. "Not even close. Actually, my only question right now is: do you wanna do it again?"

Anyway they smooch again and get catcalled by their friends and Grian dips Scar bc Scar deserves to get dipped and its very sweet bc sometimes u rlly do just need some low stakes pining THEE END❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[hidey-writes]

"He’s awake! Gu-laoshi, how are you feeling? Isn’t it great for the first thing you see when you open your eyes to be the flower of the police bureau?” “My god,” says a familiar voice, “Clearly the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was the ceiling, Yaoyao. He’s been unconscious in a hospital bed for two days. Do you really think he cares about the bureau flower when he’s in that state?” Gu Yiran’s mouth goes dry. He turns his head to look to his left.

Or: After his rescue from Qin Yi, Gu Yiran wakes in the hospital with Zheng Bei at his bedside, and neither of them have their respective epiphanies.

read chapter 1 of the distance that i run to you | 我朝你奔跑的距离 on ao3

[4lbon]

quick question are ao3 summaries structured like this corny or no? lmk

[its-all-papaya]

🌈🌀

from here

🌈 Share something soft/fluffy from your wip.

i never ever ever give you guys any actual landoscar from dad lando, so uh..... here.......

Lando folds the blanket back a bit to rub his palm across Oscar’s chest and up to his shoulder, where he can squeeze and give him a little shake, “Oscar, wake up, babe.” Oscar’s whole face scrunches up this time and he turns to shove it more fully into Lando’s thigh. At the same time, his body tenses in an every-limb stretch. Everything relaxes at once after that – arms, legs, face, breath out of his chest – and Oscar’s eyes flutter open to gaze blearily up at him. It catches in Lando’s lungs for a second. “Babe,” Oscar echoes, smile languid and lazy as it slips across his face. His voice is scratchy and distant, half in a dream. And Lando refuses to be embarrassed about it. He smiles, too, instead, and takes Oscar’s hand when the fingers nudge up against his own. “Babe,” he repeats as he thumbs over the bumps of Oscar’s knuckles, “it’s time to wake up.”

🌀 Post the fic summary for a fic you haven't written/published yet. It can be hypothetical or something you really plan on releasing...

again, everybody rllllllllyyyyyy knows at this point what dad lando is about. i feel like i'm at a disadvantage for this question because i chronically yap about EVERYTHING i'm working on, so if you spend time reading my blog, you're pretty woke on most of my wips... i think i've posted summaries in varying degrees of detail for all but like two of them.

i'm giving you what i think is going to be the ao3 summary for meet the piastris ig, mainly bc i don't just want to tell y'all about a wip you already know of.

Oscar's aware he sounds a little put-on, and he’s aware that it’s ridiculous that he does when it’s his house and Lando looking absolutely at ease in the foyer, but it’ll have to do as his brain fights to draw the necessary connections. In the mean time, Lando’s smile spreads across his whole face, and he gives Oscar a little shove to the shoulder, “Relax, you muppet, it’s just me. This isn’t like a real ‘meet the parents’ thing, there’s nobody here to impress.” Right, Oscar thinks, something heavy settling in his stomach, and wrong.

[slowandsteddie]

It’s three am and I just had the most wonderful idea because I am Awake and missing my grandma something fierce. Aka, woke up crying because I had a dream about her… Anyway.

I’m gonna write a Steddie thing based on my grandparents love story. Because, honestly, it’s a great fucking story and more people need to know it but like… I would feel weird writing about my grandparents.

But, like, imagine if you will, Steve and Eddie taking each other to their respective dates just to make sure that they get there safely. Steve and Eddie picking the other one up to save them from bad dates, whether it’s just boring or they’re actually scared. Steve and Eddie being best friends who grew up next to each other, spending so much time together that people think that they should just date themselves. Steve’s mom commenting, “he always walks you to the door, but never kisses you goodnight. Steve whining, “I know.” A few days later, Eddie saying “we should just cut out the other people, and try going on a date ourselves,” and Steve laughing because he can’t picture them together. No matter how much he wants it. But a few months later, Steve shows up at the garage where Eddie works looking his absolute best, and saying “I’m ready for that date now, big boy.” And Eddie is just covered in grease and oil, an engine spread out on the work bench, asking “Can I shower first?” Only Steve is grinning like a little shit, “nope. Right now, Edward Munson. Or you’ll miss your chance.” And Eddie looks to his boss who tells him, “just this once, love gets to win in my shop. Get the fuck out of here.” Then Steve takes Eddie to the fanciest place that they have in that small town and they get so many dirty looks but neither of them care, they’re having so much fun and falling so in love and both are wondering why it took them so long to get here. That night, Steve finally letting Eddie into his room for the first time in months because he doesn’t have to be ashamed anymore. Tommy had written “Eddie Munson” all over Steve’s ceiling and they have similar handwriting. Eddie noticing and grinning, “so you have liked me this whole time, huh?” And Steve just blushing so pretty while smacking him with a pillow like “Hagen has a crush on you. He brainwashed me into having one, too, because I’ve had to stare at your name for months.” And Eddie just “I should send him flowers,” only to be tackled to the bed where they finally, Finally, fucking kiss.

Anyway, let me know if you wanna read the extended version pls and thanks.

[tortoise-teapot]

WIP wednesday, tagged by @queenaeducan! I haven't written any prose I'm happy enough with to be my debut writing post, but here are some working chapter titles for the giggles/little sneak peek ☺️

As for tags i'm going to say the boring ole 'whoever is looking for an excuse to post a wip' (i mean it ill edit this post.)

[evedaser]

Something about how Merlin picks Arthur every time reminded me of OneShot.

Merlin is the player, Arthur is Niko. The choice between him or the world was never a choice for Merlin. He could play it a hundred times on a hundred different computers and his choice would never waver. Merlin would always pick Niko, the world was never half as important as the boy in front of him.

[azems-familiar]

"Long long time ago, after the original technological boom, a mix of brutal technology and magic used for a world war between the nations devastated large portions of the planet and stripped the atmosphere. Without its inbuilt protection, the survivors quickly began falling prey to the sun’s radiation, which killed them via evil sunburns, basically. Mutually-assured destruction and the planet turning against them led to a scramble for resources, and the nations retreated into magic-tech atmospheric domes, the area within terraformed to use for resource gathering. The Sisterhood, the remnants of an ancient order of nuns revering a mother-goddess of unity, was turned into an organization of spies and assassins, handed the knowledge and means to produce magical technology, and charged with maintaining the world’s unity/peace."

-

"Average lifespan around a thousand years. Redundant systems and extraordinarily resistant to physical damage; highly weak to magical damage/radiation. Civilization-wide fear of burns due to the past, and due to lethal weapons being basically magic flamethrowers. Fear of bright lights and open flames. Fangs, apparently. Pointed ears and claws."

-

"Formerly a member of the Sisterhood, when he was around a hundred years old, Tam uncovered one of the Sisterhood’s ancient secrets: the truth of what happened to their planet, and the fact that the sun was slowly expanding, strengthening magic all across the planet but also making it work less well, as well as increasing surface temperatures. Caught knowing things he shouldn’t, Tam escaped the Sisterhood’s internal discipline by declaring himself a man; by their own rules, they were forced to ship him off to the nearest nation, and he took advantage of that to steal crystals, a few magic-tech prototypes, and some other secrets, then vanish as soon as he was sent back down to the planet. He gathered a few people to himself and had his heart replaced with a prosthetic made from crystal, which ended up causing his body to mutate slightly.

Calling himself the Lord of Suns, with a cult-like following among many of the younger generation, Tam lives by one phrase: adapt or die, the very thing he was forced into when he was much younger. Determined to force his people to survive their deadly sun no matter what, he's contracted the head of the Sisterhood to help him force thousands of years of bad blood and soft warfare into open daylight, in the hopes that the chaos of shattering society will let him force them to unite under his leadership, where he can convince the survivors to agree to leave their dying planet behind."

-

so. the sun is magic. magic, like electricity, is dangerous; magic, like electricity, can be channeled through the use of technology based around naturally-grown crystals that emanate it. it's been thousands of years since the war that devastated the world; no one left alive remembers it, nor the secrets of magical technology that were once so widespread. the Sisterhood controls the crystals, the knowledge of how magic works, and most of its assorted technology, and doles it out as necessary. the Sisterhood functions as a peacekeeping force because it, by necessity, does not have agency; it has no loyalties save the ones it is contracted to have, and it cannot break its own rules. it is an utterly neutral force that holds society together. the handmaidens that make up its numbers do not have names, they have numbers, which correlate specifically to their position in its ranks and change as they age and improve and complete contracts.

this is a society of a few surviving nations locked in an endless soft war for resources. due to the damage caused to the planet - not that many people remember that history anymore - lethal weapons are illegal, as is open warfare; the only people allowed to carry energy weapons (aka magic weapons) are the handmaidens of the Sisterhood. that leaves everyone focused on committing warfare through politics, espionage, and assassination, done via proxy - by hiring handmaidens to infiltrate their enemies, assassinate people, or even act as bodyguards. due to this, the central node of society itself isn't the individual dome-cities that make up the nations, but a neutral meeting ground run by automatons maintained by the Sisterhood: the Garden.

the Garden can only be accessed by teleporters, and its location is kept secret. it takes the form of, essentially, a massive hedge maze of sorts, filled with individual rooms and nooks and crannies, and it is governed by a single Rule: there is no form of espionage allowed inside the Garden. it is where people come to make deals, to have unwise dalliances, to exchange information, and as one of the rare spaces filled with actual plant life, it is about the closest thing to sacred that exists. attached to the Garden is an event center of sorts where the majority of court intrigue and maneuvering takes place, during specific times of the year.

what no one realizes is that the Garden isn't actually on the planet - it's on the dark side of the moon. and all those lovely little lights in its ceiling are stars, seen through a bubble atmosphere.

[wedriftlikelonelyplanets]

snippet or summary for i'm so lonely and you're the only one who knows me?

The spike of light beaming through the curtains wakes him up before his alarm does, painstakingly set before Lando came and took him to pieces, because he has an early flight back to Monaco. It takes him a minute to untangle the haze in his brain, he’s too hot, skin sticky with it, and Lando’s pressed against his back like a space heater, arm wrapped around his waist, keeping him close, close, close. The rush of last night comes back to him all at once, his cock and nerves feel rubbed raw, his body aches, his abs burn as he shifts in the cocoon of Lando’s arms, trying to find some space between the two of them.

YOU GET A SUMMARY TOO: Lando and Oscar having been dancing around these discussions for too long, what they are, what they want to be, what Oscar actually wants, and what Lando's willing to give. But Oscar hates being seen, being perceived, hates being known. Sometimes he just needs a little help to get out of his head so he can talk about it. (Lando and Oscar have done a little too much without negotiation, before they push it further they actually have to have a discussion about it, before feelings get hurt, before someone pushes too far, before one of them makes a mistake)

[jonathanbiers]

sen’s fic rec!

i was going to write an introduction to this but i couldn't think of anything. i just want to show appreciation for a few fics i absolutely loved which in my opinion, haven't got the recognition they deserve. reblogs are encouraged, that's kind of the whole point of this! go and appreciate a writer you love rn.

Hands in your Heart, and Hearts in your Hallway by @sharpbutsoft

stonathan teen & up 3,220 words Jonathan knows, with an aching certainty, that there’s another version of events, another timeline, Will might have said, where this could go differently. Where the first time he straddles another boy, and is forced to face the fact that he likes it more than any boy should, is a tender moment.

my comments: i fully acknowledge that there might be a bias here, as this fic was gifted to me and i got to see it through the various stages of completion, but it’s really something so special. please give it a read if you miss s1 stonathan as much as i do, it does their characters justice in a way that feels so realistic yet hopeful.

how the light gets in by @fastcardotmp3 (series, still in progress)

wheelingham some parts rated m, some rated e 29,427 words Chrissy looks at Nancy Wheeler every day and she knows that this is the good, this girl is the good, with her offerings of sustenance (no matter how limited) and her promises to come back tomorrow again and again and again, never breaking and never missing. And Chrissy would die twice before she hurt the good. That’s the difference, because Chrissy sees blood on her face and in her hair, sees the knots in it and the lack of washing, and all she wants is to create her own pocket of good here.

my comments: the kas!chrissy au i didn't know i needed until it happened, this series is everything. i'm feral about it in a way i can't articulate here without sullying you guys' good image of me (lmfao as if) or getting very, very tmi

Let’s Get Out of This Country by @walkingsaladshooter

surfcheer (argyle/chrissy) teen & up 2,579 words They drive until they find a field of wildflowers. They pick them and weave them into crowns, place them on each other’s heads. The sun is warm and Chrissy asks him if he’s ever read A Wrinkle in Time and he gasps like he just won the lottery. They lie in the sun until her cheeks burn pink and talk about tesseracts and gentle beasts until she nearly feels hoarse.

my comments: this fic was so soft and i still think about it. it captures the vibe i envision them sharing so well. healing to read fr

What Water Gives, It Takes Away by @bitchsteve (saintmares on ao3)

nancy-centric teen & up 3,224 words It’s a strange feeling, the sinking. It’s almost serene, and nothing at all like she had imagined it would be. Not that she had imagined it all that much. Still, as she descends down further and further toward the very bottom of the pool, slipping into a somewhat suspended sitting position, all she feels is calm as all the peace that she had been searching for since they left the Upside Down finally finds her.

my comments: i'm not getting over this fic any time soon. such a spot-on characterization of nancy and all she's been through. getting to see her start down the path of healing and being surrounded by the people she loves (and who love her) it's just...so good.

[heartofspells]

Last Line Tag

Thanks for the tag, @theresthesnitch! 😘

(this is more than a line, but shh)

Sirius can't uncarve something etched into his heart, can't unbind someone from his soul. He can't erase James from his life or his memories or his body no more than he can eradicate who he is himself. James is on him, in him, part of him, pieces of them flaked off and mixed up in the resorting of who they are, attached to the wrong person, incurable. James is a disease masking itself as a blessing, like the sweet call of cyanide, rich on the tongue like dewdrops in a peaceful meadow hiding thorns from sight.

And Sirius has always been a masochist for those pricks to skin, for the poison filling veins, for fevers so strong they make a person feel godly.

And while James might be a king, in his hands, Sirius feels like a god. It might crush him one day to nothing but dust, but Sirius thrives under the pressure, just as he always has.

James might be a king, and Sirius might well be a god when he's with him, and maybe that will crush them both, but Sirius knows they'll crush the world with them when they go.

Tagging: @pinklume @spikybanana @beautitudes @in-flvx

[mirrors-writing]

WIP Fanfic snippet - spoilers for The House in the Cerulean Sea and also spoilers for the fanfic itself, because I like to write backward. Oh and the angst warning here is palpable (this is one of the most melancholy moments in the fic, though i do try to match the tone of the books) ---

“Curiously, no one else got sick,” Arthur said, “and while Theodore recovered in a matter of days, your health only continued to decline.”

“And that’s why I’m here,” Linus noted.

Arthur nodded. “Yes…” He trailed off, averting his gaze to the closed door, then back to Linus. Something in Arthur’s tone terrified Linus in an existential way. It was a fear he’d only felt once in his life, mere inches away from a vehicle that had come to a sudden stop before him. He’d been nine, and was crossing the street after getting off school. He must have failed to look both ways. He thought of that hook from his dream, that dream which was still ringing vivid in his head, and how desperately that creature he’d made rampaged, destroying the tether with the desperation of a dying animal. “Do you want to know what it was?” Arthur asked, breaking Linus out of his thoughts. Arthur was leaned back, head cocked and arms crossed. He was staring with that intellectual expression he wore when he was deliberately guiding their children to an answer they’d had yet to consider. He hadn’t seen that look in a while, and was surprised to find it directed at him. Beyond the surprise, a deep, boundless curiosity, for it was clear to Linus then that Arthur knew something he didn’t.

“What was it?” Linus asked.

“A flu,” Arthur responded simply. “I’ve not memorized the exact string of numbers and letters, but that’s neither here nor there. What is important is that this flu is only symptomatic for specific beings.” Arthur gave him a moment for the information to settle. Linus considered his choice of word. ‘Beings’. Had he and Theodore been ill with the same flu? That was odd, given their biological inconsistencies.

“Humans… and wyverns…?” Linus asked, trying to piece together the connection.

“One of those is correct.”

This only proved to further Linus’s confusion.

Arthur began to list the ‘beings,’ then, starting with Theodore, and holding a finger up for each one, counting them off. “Wyverns, wyrms, serpents, drakes, amphipteres, salamanders, select reptilian shifters and descendents of specific deities,” and finally, with a significant and purposeful pause, “dragons.” Again, Arthur waited a moment, studying Linus.

“But,” Linus said, a curious pang radiating through his body, “I’m not any of those things.”

Arthur released a long breath, eyes closed. “I’m afraid, my dear, that you’ve been misled.” His voice was so utterly sad, and so, so gentle, like he was grieving something on his behalf that Linus couldn’t quite grasp yet. It broke Linus’s heart to hear such a tone from his husband, regardless of what for, and he found he was struggling not to cry.