#this grouchy prince owns my heart

[bittersqxtch]

WIP WEDNESDAY

so i hope that you beans remember me complaining about there not being enough Trumpet Creeper era fics for "Extraordinary You" because i may have something cooking in the drafts 👀

and in light of WIP Wednesday, here's a little sneak peak for those who are interested! (it's just a snippet from the beginning so don't get too excited yet haha)

Most days they were Second Prince and Loyal Guard, just as they were supposed to be. One was never seen without the other—wherever the brooding royal ventured, his esteemed attendant would follow without question. They were mutually trusting and loyal, content with silence most days. Words were unnecessary when it came to understanding one another, after all. They spent enough time together to recognise the meaning of looks or gestures with a single glance in the other's direction.

For as long as Kyung could remember, Haru had been his guard, advisor, shield, and sword. He was always a few paces behind, following closely like a shadow and never hesitating to put himself in the way of imminent danger in the prince's stead. The two had grown up together and their inseparable childhood bond had effortlessly bled into their adult lives, growing stronger with every passing year.

Unbeknownst to the rest of the world, there were times when their titles disappeared into the backdrop. These occasions were rare, but each thought them to be the most treasured of memories. On nights like these, when the moon was shrouded in clouds and the liquor was particularly bitter, they were simply two friends sitting together beneath the stars.

“His condition has worsened,” Kyung was the first to break the silence one particularly dark evening. While absentmindedly playing with his almost-empty jade cup, he added, “The royal physician said he may not make it.”

Haru’s gaze trailed along the embroidery on the tablecloth, invested in the beautiful needlework. He took his time looking for the right words to say as his eyes traced the outline of a flower, not wanting to accidentally offend the Second Prince or come across as insensitive by saying the wrong thing.

“I had thought that I would be saddened by the news of his life slipping away,” Kyung continued when the silence stretched on for too long, “But I feel oddly empty. Not even that—I feel...” he paused, poked the inside of his cheek with his tongue, then quietly admitted, “Nothing. I feel nothing.”

“Nothing, Sire?”

A small nod. “Nothing at all.”

There was another pause as Haru thought this revelation over. Then, he reached for the teapot standing on the table between them and re-filled their cups while carefully saying, “His Majesty is the nation’s King first and foremost, and then your father second to that.”

Kyung tipped his head back, downing the alcohol in one swift movement and then scowling at the burning sensation in his throat. It was nothing compared to the suffering he had endured in his lifetime—what with him being the estranged illegitimate prince and all—but still. It stung. 

He almost laughed at the realisation that alcohol was able to invoke more emotion in him now than the news of his father wasting away had earlier.

While watching Haru fill his cup again, he grumbled, “That man is King first, the Crown Prince’s father second, the Dowager’s husband third, and the leader of the Council next. Only after all of that is he my father. And he does not care as much for the fifth responsibility as he does for the four that come before it.”

“Though it may not have been his intention, he has made the gaps between his responsibilities large enough for them to become impossible not to notice,” the guard chipped in solemnly. “His Majesty may be your father, but...”

“No need to hesitate. Speak your mind, Haru—I do not care for the man much. He was a lousy father and a terrible mentor—you know it just as well as I do.”

Haru neither agreed nor denied the prince’s words. He downed the liquor in his cup and then studied the man sitting across from him for a moment, tracing the frown lines that had become imprinted in tan skin after years of excessive scowling. They made the young prince seem older—weary.

“You should not blame yourself for the way that you feel now.” Lowering his voice in case someone was eavesdropping from the bushes surrounding the pavilion, Haru added, “With all that you have had to endure, your resentment for the man is justified.”

“I do not resent him. What gave you that idea?”

“I—no—Sire, please forgi—”

Raising a hand to silence Haru’s horrified apologies, Kyung twirled his jade cup between his thumb and forefinger. “I did before,” he said, brows furrowing in thought. His reflection scowled back at him from the surface of his drink, tiny and distorted. He looked away. “Resent him, I mean. With quite an alarming intensity and for a rather long time, too. But then I realised that there was no point—it didn’t change anything. My hatred neither made him any worse nor pushed him toward being better. It simply ate away at me, and I grew tired of carrying that heavy feeling with me everywhere. Now, I do not resent him. I simply feel nothing.”

After some thought, the guard quietly reassured his master, “That is not a crime, Sire.”

“No,” Kyung agreed, “But it is an inconvenience. In the coming days, I will be expected to visit him and care for him. It is tiresome for me to even think about the ordeal—I cannot imagine how foul the actual experience will be.”

“You will get through it,” Haru reassured him. “Think of all that you have overcome—this cannot compare to any of your past battles.”

Forcing out a deep exhale, the prince downed his last shot and set the cup down. “You are right,” he said. Something akin to a smile ghosted over his features, but it was too light and too brief to be spotted under the cover of night. “You are always right, Haru.”

The guard bowed his head in silent gratitude, and the two spoke no more.

[seraphicghost]

Talk about mhastuck, I beg of you. 🙏

the god tiers and why i picked em kind of a long post so im putting it under the cut

Deku - Heir of Hope

Heir: Passive manipulation class. One who is changed by their aspect or inspires change in their aspect.

Hope: Control over positive emotions and hope itself. Metaphorically it represents belief.

well its obv. He is the one who inherits hope. He bends it to his will and inspires those around him. hes the leader because of the faith he has and wants to everyone to feel like that too! its not too difficult to find his classpect. In terms of character, i think deku would naturally want to motivate his friends throughout the game and when he eventually goes grimdark, hes just VERY firmly having faith but in a pissed off way. Hes just a good lil guy C:

Bakugou - Prince of Time

Prince: Active destruction class. One who destroys their aspect or one who destroys with their aspect.

Time: Control over time itself and the purity of the timeline. Metaphorically it represents patience.

i think most people jump the gun to give bakugou the aspect of rage but thats not really who he is. Bakugou is not built on hate, hes just grouchy and super impatient. As a Prince of time, he'd be the one who destroys time. to me, itmimics the damage explosions can do but more so in a grander scheme of things. His ability can straight up fucking destroy time as he he'd like but i think as bakugou, he'd know exactly how to use it over time but it'd take learning given his impatience. Princes are also bossy mfs and thats him! Destruction and regret are riddled inside him! he'd be wishing he could go back and leave everyone with doomed timelines until he gets a grip. Bakugou destroying time also just sounds fuckin cool.

Shoto - Knight of Heart

Knight: Active exploitation class. One who makes use of the aspect given to them.

Heart: Control over emotions and the soul itself. Metaphorically it represents one’s inner self

i was told he'd be a better blood player but to me that doesnt make any sense. The whole point of shoto is to break blood bones (as my bestie put so well). His entire character is built on becoming his own person and making his power his own. Hes emotional and wants to understand his inner self. He's empathetic (i.e the "hes just like me" scene) , hes understanding. as a knight of heart, he makes use of that. He would struggle with it as first but overtime become amazing at it. He'd be able to provide stability to his friends emotionally and create bonds with them. His understanding of his friend's emotions would help him know how to get them to act in just the way they'd need to survive.

Ochako - Maid of Space

Maid: Active creation class. One who creates their aspect or one who creates through their aspect.

Space: Control over size, speed, and placement within space. Metaphorically it represents creativity.

From what i know, Maids tends to struggle with their role as a person. I think Ochako would be in the shadow of others until she's able to understand her own worth. she has insecurities will struggle with that until later. And Space because 1. gravity duh. 2. its a creative aspect. Its the inverse of time (BASICALLY i want her to scruff bakugou when hes being an idiot). She'd be tasked with fixing things. She'd had to get bakugou to get a grip, she'd have to be the one who shakes the grimdark out of deku, she'd create paths for them and herself and just go apeshit! I think deku would be the lead of the team, bakugou the strategy, shoto would be support and ochako would be the rock. she'd keeping them all together while also paving her own.

idk the other four yet but also from my understanding, a game cannot be truly successful without a time and space player so two of them had to be it and deku was already hope and i got attached to knight of heart shoto. also sorry if this is DUMB lol i just love writing about godtiers even if im a lil wrong :L

[what-if-queen-camilla]

Chapter 45

14th December 1997

“Mummy look!”, Thea giggled, proudly holding up a gingerbread man she had decorated particularly funny. “He looks like grandpa!”, she chuckled and Camilla frowned her forehead. She couldn’t really see much resemblance between the biscuit and her father.”not grandpa Bruce!”, Thea explained. “Grandpa Philip…” Camilla took a closer look and burst out into laughter. There was, indeed, a certain resemblance to The Duke of Edinburgh, especially the grouchy expression on his face. She had always had very much respect and admiration for Charles’ father but she hadn’t forgotten the way he had treated them all, especially the children, on that one, heartbreaking day at Balmoral. Thank goodness, however, he had not, as Charles had expected, been behind the missing letters. As her Prince had told her, his mother had eventually found out that her Lady-in-Waiting had been acting on her own and stopped the letters between Thea and her brothers out of her own loyalty to the late Diana. Apparently, she had apologised but much to both their surprise, The Queen had for once been relentless and fired her Lady-in-Waiting. Camilla felt almost sorry for the old lady but Charles was than grateful that, for the first time in his life, his mother was on his side and defended his children from that evil. Obviously, they wouldn't be able to spend Christmas together, Charles and his sons would be at Sandringham with the rest of the Royal Family and she and Thea would celebrate with her family; on Christmas Day, the four of them, Tom, Laura, Thea and herself, would be at Ray Mill before going down to Dorset the next day, where the entire Shand family was going to meet up at Annabel and Simon’s place which was surely going to be a blast. The 27th was Andrew’s birthday so they’d all meet up at Rose and his place for another party and The Queen Mother had invited the two of them for New Year's at Birkhall again and that was something they were very much looking forward to. 

They almost didn’t hear  the ringing phone between making gingerbread men (and women!) and happily singing along to some Christmas songs, but Camilla noticed at the last minute and rushed over to pick up the receiver. “Good afternoon, Mrs Parker Bowles, Robert Fellows speaking…”, The Queen's Private Secretary greeted her and she winced. Goodness, what could he want from her? “Good afternoon, Robert, and a very happy third of advent to you!”, she managed to reply, trying to cover up her nervousness. “Thank you, Ma’am, and the same to you.”, Robert replied, and for a moment, Camilla wasn’t sure whether he had seriously just called her “Ma’am” or whether it had just been in her head. Robert on the other end of the line seemed  a bit nervous as well, as he repeatedly cleared his throat before finally revealing: “Her Majesty has asked me to get in touch and discuss the opportunity for Miss Theodora and you to join members of the extended Royal Family at the traditional pre-Christmas luncheon hosted by The Queen at Buckingham Palace on this coming Wednesday.” Camilla gulped heavily and sank down on the floor next to the phone. “Oh…”, was all that she could bring herself to respond, before adding: “That is… very kind. It’s just… a bit unexpected. And… I… have to discuss it with my daughter.” “Of course.”, Robert said. “Her Majesty would be delighted to welcome you both.” “When, um, would we have to be there?”, Camilla asked, almost automatically. “10am would be excellent.”, Robert said. “That’s a bit early for a luncheon, isn’t it?”, Camilla chuckled and, seconds later, bit her tongue. What a silly remark. Once again, Robert cleared his throat. “Her Majesty would like to have a quick hello with you before the others arrive.”, he added and Camilla felt as if somebody was squashing her heart. At this point, it was clear that under no circumstances she could turn down the very noble and generous invitation from Charles’ mother - and her daughter’s grandmother, no matter how surreal it all felt. “Yes, thank you Robert. We will be there. And please forward my very best regards to Her Majesty. I am beyond touched and very much look forward to Wednesday.” “I will, Ma’am.”, Robert promised, before adding: “Oh, and one more thing… Please do not mention any of this to Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales or the Princes William and Harry. It is supposed to be a surprise.” “I see…”, Camilla agreed, before formally saying goodbye to The Queen’s Private Secretary and eventually hanging up the phone. She needed a moment to grasp what had just happened and realise what this incredibly kind gesture from Her Majesty meant for both of them. She shed a few tears but eventually got up again and returned to the kitchen, where Thea was still busy making gingerbread figures. “Darling?”, Camilla asked and her little daughter looked up at her. “Your grandmother has invited us both to her pre-Christmas luncheon at the Palace on Wednesday…”

Buckingham Palace, London, 17th December 1997

Though this wasn’t her first time at Buckingham Palace, Camilla had never felt more nervous as when the car drove her and Thea through the side gate and eventually stopped at the entrance. A servant opened the door first for her and then for Thea and greeted them both formally, before motioning them to follow him inside. “Have you been here before?”, Thea bubbled as they walked through several corridors, and Camilla nodded. “How many times have you been here?”, she then wanted to know. “I don’t quite remember…”, Camillas replied honestly. “A few times I suppose. The first time was when my grandmother Sonia She was appointed Officer, Order of the British Empire in 1959. Grandma took Auntie Annabel and me to accompany our grandmother as she was officially invested by… well, your grandmother.”, she said and couldn’t help smiling in amusement about the fateful connection between the two families. There had been relationships, affairs and true friendships between the women of her family and the Windsors for generations and now there was her sweet little angel, the “result” not only of her and Charles’ great love, but somehow of an almost a century old twist of fate. They were guided into a rather small and not too formal reception room. “Her Majesty will be here in a minute.”, the servant explained and motioned for them both to sit down on a chaise lounge. 

* Side notes:  1) The character of Lady Sarah Humphrey as a Lady-in-Waiting to the late Queen is completely made-up by me. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. 2) Camilla’s grandmother Sonia was, indeed appointed Officer, Order of the British Empire in 1959, however I failed to find out anything about her investiture so that part is also a work of fiction, though I very much like to imagine something like that.

[saturrnss]

YOUNG, DUMB, AND RICH (chapter 1)

Shuri x poc!fem!royalty!reader

(please repost)

Summary: It's 1625, Your from the powerful nation of Avalon (ave-a-lawn). Your nation made an alliance with the nation of wakanda, you and one of your brothers need to marry somebody within the wakandan royal court to solidify the alliance, most people think that you will get with prince t’challa, but somebody else keeps your eye

The aesthetic of avalon:

(Basically Marie Antoinette by Sofia Coppola mixed with a bunch of irl p.o.c tribes)

Warnings: swearing, drug use, worrying for a little bit, corny writing

a/n: I was working on my royal dr script and watching that movie and I got an idea, if you see historical inaccuracies, no you don't!

Avalon is 100 percent a poc nation. no white people, no race wars or diaspora fights, just peace between the different people.

.

.

you wake up to the light tapping of one of your servants. "Princess y/n, the queen would like you to join thee rest of the family in breakfast please" "5 more mintues" of say grouchy, putting a pillow over your face

"I don't really think the queen would accept that answer, princess y/n" "but i want to sleeeeep" you groan as you lazily get out of bed. More servants come into the room to help you with your daily routine

Taking a bath, brushing your teeth, doing your hair, over dressing because you can. they assist you down to the dining hall, you could smell the food from a mile away. when you finally get there all you see is the most Delicious, mouth watering, heart bursting food you've ever seen (it was like this every morning but it was always something new)

your mother, Queen Felix- sitting there stone faced, lost in her own thought. and your 2 annoying brothers, prince mali and power were already half-way done with it (mostly your brothers inhaling their food and surprisingly not choking).

All of them were there except your Buba, King Amari. The last time you saw he was going on a trip but he didn't tell you where, you pestered him about it but he was being stubborn, telling you to wait till he gets back to see where he had gone

You sit down on your designated seat with a plate of already prepared food, it has a little coolness to it but that hasn't stopped you before. There was a band of live music playing for entertainment In the back of you all,

It was vibrant, something to wake you up in the morning. Your younger brother Mali tried to steal a bit of your food but you fought him for it back. "Give it back to me it's mine!" "It's literally just food I'll get you more!" Mali says.

You start to pull on his lips as he pulls on your hair which made you even more angry. "Come on now break it up" Power says slightly irritated

and when the both of you don't listen to him, he tries to pull the both of you apart, the people playing the live music look concerned to say the least, Felix tried to ignore it at first, hoping that it wouldn't go further but eventually she just snapped.

"ENOUGH" all you immediately quiet down and quickly look at your mother. she didn't get mad often but when she did--- oh dear.

"We have people who took time out of their day to come here and entertain us, I ask you one simple thing, TO BEHAVE, and YOU CAN'T EVEN DO THAT!?! GO TO YOUR ROOM AND COME BACK AND YOU CAN ACT LIKE YOU WEREN'T RAISED IN A BARN" all of you can't even look at your mother without overwhelming shame

"UNDERSTOOD?" "understood" you all say simultaneously and scurry to your bedroom. on your way back, mali flicks your ear "butthead" "fartface" you say back "don't. even. start you two" power says as he gets to his room and slams the door.

When you get too your room and belly-flop on your bed, you feel angry that you're the one that got in trouble when it should have been only mali, but you also why your mother was a little more harsher that usual.

Your dad had been gone for almost a month and she had to take care of all the political and social issues that were happening, we've only gotten two letters from him, we don't even know if he's still alive of not.

You hear something outside your window, you ignore it at first. you hear it again, and again. you go to your window to see that your two best friends Jennie and Maddy were outside, throwing rocks outside the window.

You open the window to a light spring breeze filling your room, "I thought the both of you were in India what are you doing here?!' you said quietly so no one would hear you. "catch!" Jennie says throwing you a bag a white powder, and a box of cupcakes, you almost drop it on the ground but by grace, it falls into your room

"Help us get up!" Maddy whisper yells. You run to get your unusually long ladder from one of your walk in closets and chuck it out the window for them to get in. First was Maddy and then Jennie, Jennie flops on a one that one random couch on the side, Maddy sits on your bed.

"y'all body guards are scary as hell" She says

"What's this?" you say looking at the strange green stuff. "I got It in western China, This is the most I could get cuz my parents would flip the fuck out if they ever saw." She walks over and takes the bag. "We still got enough to share." she says while smiling.

She walks over to your vanity your grandmother gifted you, and empties the bag. "do you have a cigar wrap?" "I have some" Jennie brings some out of her dress pocket, tosses them to maddy and she rolls up 3 individual blunts for each of you.

"You took one, still a little bit weary because you have never tried it before. "Any side effects?" "Don't know" You took one, still a little bit weary because you have never tried it before. "Any side effects?" "Don't know, guy just said that it would "relax you" or some shit like that" She lit a match and lit her's up

Lit two more matches up and lit you and Jennie's. 20 minutes later it felt like you were in a whole different world. a pleasant sense of relaxation and euphoria over took your body, all you 3 could do was just sit and talk about whatever came to you.

"You know what we should do?" you said to both of them. "what?" Jennie said. "We should go horseback riding" you said. "Do dragons exist??" said Maddy. You hear a knock on your door, turns out that knock is your mothers. "y/n?" you all sit up.

"what was that?" Jennie said as she tries to listen again

"can you open the door for me??" you all get up and both of them look for somewhere to hide. "are there people there?!" "NO MOM I JUST NEED A MINUTE" you open one of your closet doors and signal them to get in.

You run to the door and open it like nothing happened. "Yes mommy?" she looks you up and down to find something wrong but she can't seem to find anything. "I've been thinking, and I decided that you are lifted from punishment, you better not act like that again." "I'm sorry mom."

That was the best thing about your mom, When you actually wronged her you WRONGED her, but she doesn't really hold grudges or punishments for that long

she comes in for a quick hug but gets an overwhelming smell of weed instead "What's that smell?"

"Uhhhh...." you look around for any ideas. "my Cinnamon candle!" you say enthusiastically. "Cinnamon...Candle...?" "Yeah! I got it from....england!" you nod your head while closing your eyes, trying to convince yourself that that's a good alibi. "well if it was just a candle you wouldn't mind me going into the room-"

"Na!" you put your hand firmly at the room door. "I-I. Have an awfully dirty room You would trip." She stops trying to get into the door and takes a good long look at you.

"Why are your eyes red?" She says with suspicion. "I was sleeping until you got here" "sleeping....." she slowly turns around and walks away all while looking at you.

A big sigh of relief escapes your mouth as you close and slide down the door. "Can we come out now??" Jennie says quietly "yeah" they both come out and spray the room with a random perfume they found.

"We should do this more often"

maddy says with an ignorant smile as you look at her with bewilderment.

A/N: I have to write chapter 2 and 3 now 😖 I'm gonna make a wattpad so i could put my stories there too.

[florencetypemaniacs]

Tai looks so cool! I can't wait for you to post when the demo is coming out 😍 Here is a fun little Question

What Disney character is most like the ROs?

I can't wait either! I am still on Chapter 3 but when that is done it will be posted on Twine. I will make an announcement. But as for your ask...

Here you go!

💛 Marcel

I have to go with Nani from "Leo & Stitch." Like Nani, Marcel is a caretaker, which is a really big part of his character, but he also makes sacrifices for the ones he loves, even if it costs him, just like Nani.

🧡 Margaret

Olaf. Do I need to say more? While Margaret isn't made of snow, she is obsessed with warm hugs that will soften anyone's heart. She is also very naive when it comes to certain things, which I see a lot of in Olaf's character.

❤️ Owen

This one was hard. I kept going back and forth in my head, but I decided that Beast from "Beauty and the Beast" is just that he is very intimidating up close and can get angry when things don't go his way, but under all that bravado is just a lonely soul wanting to be loved.

💙 Rosie

This one was also quite easy. Meg from "Hercules" because both Meg and Rosie are very beautiful, seductive, smart, but also broken young women who just need someone to love them.

🩵 Tai

I have to go with Doc Hudson from "Cars" on this one. Tai and Doc are both super grouchy mature, and both have hidden soft hearts that just want the best for everyone. (I know "Cars" is technically Pixiar, but Disney owns Pixiar, so I am still counting it.)

💚 Zane

For Zane, I have to go with Prince Naveen from "Princess and the Frog." Zane is a flirt and usually thinks about himself, much like the prince. Once he starts to fall in love with you, you will be all he can think about.

[checkoutmybookshelf]

History, Characters, and Just a Little Bit of Magic

I discovered Juliet Marillier when I was in high school and was looking for literally *ANY* alternative to Twilight, because while I have nothing against vampires, I was not a Twilight girl. No shade to anyone who loved those books, they just weren't my cup of tea. I first found Wildwood Dancing with it's night people, frog prince, and dancing princesses (and we'll talk about that book someday), but today I want to talk about one of Marillier's adult trilogies. This trilogy follows Blackthorn and Grim as they work through life-changing trauma and find their way back to humanity--their own and others'.

First thing's first: This is an adult trilogy, and a few tirgger warnings appy. First and foremost, there is discussion of and recovery from sexual assault across all three books. I'm not going to get into it here, but take care of yourselves when choosing books to read and maybe steer clear from this trilogy if that topic is not a healthy thing for you to engage in just now. There is also some sacking-of-monastery-level graphic violence, and some absolutely screwey medieval dictatorial power dynamics that lead to gendered violence.

I loved these books, but I include trigger warnings because I would like y'all to be safe and healthy in choosing what to add to your TBR lists. The world is *a lot* right now, so anything that we can do to add some softness and gentleness and joy is important, and trigger warnings facilitate that.

With that bit of business out of the way, let me tell you about Blackthorn and Grimm.

Blackthorn reads a lot older than she actually is; by the time we catch up with her at the beginning of Dreamer's Pool, she's roughly early thirties, but we don't get that temporal marker until quite a ways in, and I'm not going to lie, I was FULLY a decade off in where I initially estimated her age. Blackthorne had her start as a healer who's abilities are greased with, perhaps, just a bit of magic. However, when we meet Blackthorn, she is in the deepest bowels of a men's prison and is, entirely reasonably, extremely cranky about it. Blackthorn has sharp, wounded edges, and watching those edges heal and lose some of their sharpness--although not all, never all, part of what you grow to love about her is the grouchiness that covers a startlingly soft heart--is one of the most compelling parts of the trilogy. Blackthorn is a protagonist who is allowed to be cranky, allowed to be nontraditional in so many ways, and has a certain je ne sais quoi that brought her and her story close to my heart.

If I were to describe Grim in one word...I wouldn't. I just quite simply wouldn't, because reductive, nuance-less pop descriptions do not and will never be appropriate for this trilogy. Grim is a man who is terrified of himself, and deeply ashamed of his past for reasons that do not become clear until the second book. Grim's emotional journey and his dealing with his own PTSD was incredibly compelling to watch, and even in the first book when we don't have the information to understand Grim's self-assessment, all you want to do is hug this man. In a world that is hard, unforgiving, and often unspeakably cruel, Grim is soft and kind in the best ways. Watching these characters interact and influence each other is a masterclass in recovery and rediscovering humanity.

For fully 95% of this trilogy, Blackthorn insists that there is no word for what she and Grim are to each other, and not going to lie, I fully spent 90% of the trilogy (and if you read the books you'll understand why that number should have been 65% absolutely maximum) thinking "Oh this is going to be an emotionally intimate but completely platonic relationship and I love this so much!" Reader, I was wrong. In hindsight, I would call this the slowest of slow-burn romances, but that feels like a woefully inadequate description of the relationship journey these characters go on. Literally, the first book starts with a fae-assisted jailbreak and the final book ends with a corruption trial. The trail from point A to point B is wild, wonderful, and a joy to read.

I picked up this trilogy during my recovery after grad school (the PhD killed my love of reading guys, and rekindling that was a JOURNEY) and publication, and I am so, so glad I did. It was a better fit than I could have ever imagined, and going and finding the rest of Marillier's back catalog really helped jumpstart my love of fun reading again.

[ducknotinarow]

"I'm not a damsel in distress. I don't need you fussing over me!" ( because of reasons - Octavia @ Blitz uwu )

|Muse interaction

“Jeez what is is with all you royal fucker’s and not under standing the fucking target you got? You may as well be begging to go and shot at missy!” The began with annoyed most as he went on lecture out to the princess? That made sense if her dad was a prince after all right? Fuck what would that damn bird say if he knew she was out here wandering around like this?

Eyeing the teen girl as she didn’t seem to care for what he said. Pfft figures. Either cause she was a teenager or cause she was of royalty. Well joke was on her because he deals with her privilege ass father quite a lot and Loona. Actually she kind of had a bit of a similar demeanor to his own daughter grouchy and grumpy all doom and gloom as a young goth girl tends to have after all. So he knew very well how to deal with her…forgetting that he often buckles and gives his Loonie pretty much anything she wants. That was different Loona is his daughter after all. He tried t go and justify to himself more than anything.

Moving to set his hands on her back and start to usher her out of the streets, looking around and over his shoulders making sure no one had noticed her yet. “Why are you even in imp city?! You looking to get your shit stole or stabbed today? Or even both?!” Full blown lecturing the young owl demon as he was making way to his trashed van when she started to make a fuss on her on end. Blitz stepping back as he went to food his arms over his chest for a moment letting the girl speak her pierce.

"I'm not a damsel in distress. I don't need you fussing over me!"

Unimpressed with the tone in her voice not surprised, least she wasn’t out right trying to mural him like Loona would be or snarling in the least. He just rolled his eyes and huffed out.

“Yeah, yeah listened Sweet heart I can get you don’t have a sense for how things are since you live up in an ivory tower.” No exactly but it was more of point he was going for than a factual statement on her home. Taking hold of her arm as he pulled the door of the van open letting it slide with a loud ‘thunk’ he could just feel as imps and more were eyeing her by now thanks to his stupid loud clunky van. Once again pushing against her back trying to get her t hustle and inside. Once he seemed to managed to get her in to the van despite all the piles of trash that littered all over the floor of it. Wrappers and such had fallen out on to the street but he didn’t care as he was fast to pull the door shut now. Hoping through the window and he climbed into the driver seat now he could just feel that damn scowl on him as he looked over e to her still annoyed himself.

“Look you think I want to be driving your ass back home? I don’t I was on my way to get stoned coffee they put up a brand new flavor too that I was finally gonna get to give a try.” He grumbled under his breath before he put the key in and got the engine going. “Go ahead a pout all you want or throw that dang fit all you moody ass teens got. it ain’t gonna work on me the sooner I get you out of here the better.” He smirked a bit aware him not caring was likely to just annoy her more as foot pressed the gas pedal.

[giveemhales]

One of the few bright spots of 2020 for me was that it allowed me the chance to read more fanfic than ever before, and I was able to join the Sterek fandom!

I have read literally hundreds of Sterek fics and met many wonderful people! So I figured i should celebrate!

I’ve compiled a list of my favorite Sterek fics that were published in 2020. There were over 5000 sterek fics published on ao3 this year, so obviously there are many great stories not being included, and all of this is based on my own preferences. Still, I think there’s something on here for everyone, so I suggest y’all check some of these out! (I personally recommend all of these, but please heed the tags and warnings as always)

So without further ado...

My top 30 Sterek fics of 2020 (sorted by length):

Much Ado About You Two by @clotpolesonly (2k, professor!stiles, professor!derek, POV outsider, pure fluff)

The Animal Inside by @churkey (3k, canon divergence, feral derek (with a twist), crack and fluff)

I’m a Hell of a Night by @spaceprincessem (5k, werewolves of the pack are kidnapped, stiles and the ladies save them, BAMF!stiles, established relationship, mates, angst with a happy ending)

isn’t all about what you see, (how do i look to you?) by @oinkoikawas (5k, canon compliant, character study, stiles has adhd, derek is kind of an asshole for a bit, this one really hurt me, angst with a happy ending)

Poetry in the Raw by @jmeelee (5k, 5 times stiles didn’t know derek’s middle name + 1 time he did, (light) angst and fluff and humor and smut)

Like a Good Neighbor by Saphire308 (state farm agent!derek, magic stiles, oblivious stiles, mutual pining, alive hale family, (light) angst and fluff and humor)

You Were Built On Ashes by wanderingeyre and art by @deancebra-art (12k, canon divergent, feral derek, full wolf!derek, pack feels, hurt/comfort, angst and fluff)

Blush by ahhhhh_linguine (12k, future fic, established relationship, praise kink, light dom/sub, fluff and smut)

Call a Richard’s Nickname by @isthatbloodonhisshirt (14k, human AU, construction worker!derek, phone operater (or something like that)!stiles, derek likes stiles’ voices, stackson bro-tp, fluff and humor)

For The Love of Tom Nook! by @nightshine629 (aka one of my fav ppl!) (17k, just two boys playing animal crossing and falling in love, angst and fluff and humor)

On my Way by Gia279 (17k, snow storms, stuck in a cabin together, dogs, writer/artist!stiles, writer/artist!derek, snuggling, (very light) angst and (lots of) fluff)

Birds Eye View by @happyjuicyfruit (20k, please heed the warnings, kidnapped and tortured stiles, magical stiles, bad friend!scott, recovery, hurt/comfort, angst with a happy ending)

Don’t know how to reach you when you get like this (waiting for you to come home) by @dearericbittle (21k, feral derek, magic stiles, alive hale family, senator!talia, curses, mates, angst and fluff)

Deep into the Woods by @paxterhobber (23k, feral derek, homeless stiles, hale house, first time, angst and fluff)

Catching Your Breath (in seven simple steps) by @onibaloney (29k, future fic/canon-divergent, falling in love, college student!stiles, alpha!derek, angst and fluff and smut)

Break Me Into Halves by @swlfangirl (30k, Pretty Woman AU, rich stiles, sex worker!derek, mutual pining, angst and fluff and smut)

Watch as the waves, fall back into place. by DropsOfAddiction (32k, future fic, mutual pining, (literal) found family, FBI agent!stiles, (light) angst and fluff and smut)

How to Chain Your Dragon by LessonsFromMoths (34k, how to train your dragon AU, dragon!stiles, hurt stiles, derek is still a werewolf, angst and fluff)

The Key to Your Heart by @halehathnofury (35k, a/b/o dynamics, alpha!stiles, omega!derek, journalist!stiles, alive hale family, courting, grouchy derek, (slight) angst and fluff and smut)

All the King’s Horses by @dexterous-sinistrous (44k, royalty AU, historical AU, prince!derek, courtesan!stiles, mpreg, hurt/comfort, angst with a happy ending and smut)

Rejection Sucks by Witchgirl (Unosarta) (44k, canon divergent, stiles is pushed out of the pack, scott tries to be a good friend, derek is bad at feelings and kind of a dick at first, magical stiles, stiles has a familiar and its a duck, angst and fluff and humor and smut)

I’d Do Anything (for you) by @everything-a-wolf-could-want (46k, future fic, mates, magical stiles, BAMF!stiles, post-nogitsune stiles, resurrections, angst and fluff and smut)

Sex Therapy by @livinginfictions (51k, friends with benefits to lovers, werewolf reveal, stiles deserves better so derek gives him better, angst and fluff and smut)

It’s (Not) a Cult by lhr111 (56k, Stiles is new in town, the pack loves stiles, mates, hate to love, spark!stiles, alpha!Derek, angst and fluff and humor)

The Werewolf Companion by @mothdustmouth (64k, touch starved derek, stiles is his “companion,” werewolves are known, misunderstandings, angst and fluff and smut)

Pretty Little Wolf by @super-wolf-sterek (84k, soulmates, BAMF!stiles, spark!stiles, stiles is no longer pack, stiles saves derek, tattooed and pierced stiles, angst and fluff and smut)

Puzzle Pieces by @isthatbloodonhisshirt (resort AU, winter fling, mates, college student!stiles, resort worker!derek, alive hale family, idiots in love, angst and fluff and humor and smut)

Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc by @crushing83 (100k, pre-sterek, stiles has a twin, BAMF!stiles, spark!stiles, stiles is pushed out of the pack, the whole pack just really sucks, secret identity, flashbacks, angst with a happy ending)

When the Universe Comes Knocking (It’s Polite to Open the Door) by @isthatbloodonhisshirt (135k, idiot boys in love, boss!derek, assistant!stiles, werewolves are known, mates, miscommunication, stackson brotp, angst and fluff and humor and smut)

Manipulated by DearDaisy (Sunsetdaydreams) (221k, stiles is pushed out of the pack, BAMF!stiles, slow burn, bad friend!scott, miscommunication, so much happens tbh, angst with a happy ending)

+6 WIPs I can’t wait to (hopefully) see more of in 2021:

The Black Wolf of Beacon Hills by @when-she-writes-stuff (17k, canon divergence (alternate meeting), feral derek, full wolf derek, hurt derek, BAMF!stiles, angst and fluff and humor) (in general am excited to see anything she comes up with for 2021 ;))

for a good time, call... by @evanesdust (30k, a/b/o dynamics, alpha!derek, omega!stiles, meet weird, werewolves are known, misunderstandings, stiles is oblivious and insecure, fake/pretend relationship, angst and fluff and humor and smut)

The Beast of Gevaudan by @halehathnofury (37k, historical AU, mage!stiles, wolf!derek, hunting, dark magic, angst with a happy ending (... I assume))

Somewhere To Rest Your Bones by @the-daughter-of-swords (52k, werewolves are slaves, post-nogitsune stiles, both boys have lots of trauma, both are doing their best, the sheriff is a good dad, angst and fluff) (please heed the tags- this fic is very dark and I have already cried, it’s a wonderful fic but mental health should always come first!)

Same Old Song and Dance by @halevetica (59k, hunter!stiles, stiles was raised by argents, enemies to friends to lovers, angst with a happy ending (... I assume))

Superheroes by @dream-mancer (70k, MCU crossover, also features stucky, focus on PTSD and recovery, BAMF!stiles, angst and fluff and humor)

+3 author’s collections to check out:

A Collection of One-Shots and Tumblr Prompts by @when-she-writes-stuff (100 works, mostly sterek, all great)

Spreading Positivity 2020 by @isthatbloodonhisshirt (50 works, all sterek, all great)

Full Moon Fic(let) by @darkjediqueen (30 works, mostly sterek, all great)

I hope everyone finds something they enjoy! And to all the content creators out there: thank you!

Happy New Year! Hope everyone has a good 2021!

[soranis-sunshadow]

Entrapta deserved better

My posts are usually either detailed analysis or memes and shitposts.

I’ve re-watched the show and this will be an angry rant…  

With every viewing of the show, Entrapta’s arc makes me progressively angrier because I empathize with her so much.

She is introduced to the show as being a reclusive scientist, known throughout the Maker’s guild for her genius. Even her staff is weary of her. She spends all her time alone with her robot friends in her lab within her isolated castle.

The alliance interacts with her with the explicit purpose of recruiting her into their war effort. They want her for her ability to build weapons for them. That’s as deep as the relationship goes this far.

Entrapta has no stakes in the war, the Horde hadn’t attacked Dryl. She joins them because she wants to be their friend; she wants to help them in the only way she knows how, using her technological prowess to their benefit. Due to her isolation (and her being autistic), Entratpa struggles to understand interpersonal dynamics. Human interaction is a skill she has had little practical experience with. She understands the concepts, the rules of the game, so to speak, but she has seen it in play only as a third party rarely ever practicing it herself.

She’s invited to the Princess prom due to her princes status but she’s an outsider there too. No “friendly” princess seeks her out to hang out with her as a friend would. The only person who does so is Catra, and she does it for her own reasons…

With Glimmer abducted, the alliance mounts a half-baked rescue operation. Everything Entrapta did in this episode had a purpose, it looked like she kept getting distracted when in actuality, she was studying horde tech, rescuing Seahawk and furthering their mission and she had no time to explain herself (it also occurs to me that Entrapta might not explain herself because no one asked and no one ever understands her reasoning anyway) The princesses try to control her because she’s being “difficult”. They don’t care why she’s being difficult, they want her to conform.

Once they rescued Glimmer, they don’t even come back to check if Entrapta’s actually dead, or to get her remains and put them to rest respectfully. They allready have the princess they came for.  

Entrapta is all alone with her new robot friend Emily in the Frightzone vents, expecting that she’d get rescued because “no princess left behind” but rescue never actually comes.

Catra uses this new abandonment to convince her to switch sides. Entrapta didn’t jump ship because of her tech hyperfixation, she switched sides because Catra used her skill at pinpointing someone’s weak-spot and poking at it. 

Catra may not have been Shadow Weaver’s favorite ward (she was her scapegoat and punching bag, the poor girl) but she did learn from her and repeatedly put those skills to “good” use.

Once they find out she’s alive, the alliance wants to rescue her but she’s made new friends in the Horde and she think that they understand her fascination with science, friends that actually interact with her directly. She actually feels included here and as such, she’s not eager to return to the alliance’s side.

Entrapta befriends Catra and Scorpia but even in this trio, she is the third wheel. Catra is focused on herself, her ascension in The Horde and on her missing Adora. Scorpia is focused on Catra and on pinning for her.

Once Entrapta and Hordak start growing closer together, Catra stops talking to her. Perhaps she was hurt because Entrapta “broke her promise” to not go in Hordak’s sanctum, perhaps she was envious of her closeness to the Horde leader, or perhaps both, either way, the friendship is broken from Catra’s side. Entrapta still sees her as a friend and fights Hordak over the decision to send her to Beast Island. Despite his grouchiness, he considers her request and grants it.

As recompense for saving her life, Catra backstabs Entrapta when she tried to stop Catra from triggering a potentially world ending event and then sends her to the fate Entrapta saved her from: exile on Beast Island.

When faced with the choice between Catra and Entrapta, Scorpia choses Catra. Hordak is lied to so he doesn’t know to look for her, he believed she used him and is heartbroken about it.

You can actually pinpoint the moment his little heart breaks in this scene:

 Even so, he spends most of season 4 wanting to face her; he’d rather see her as an enemy than not see her at all.

After Catra proves herself a bad friend, (after months) Scorpia finally decides to rescue Entrapta and goes looking for help, deserting to the alliance. She has this little realization:

Adora is the only person that actually wants to go right away and rescue her. Bow wants to rescue her because they need her tech savvy and Glimmer says that they can rescue her after the war or something… (the Island she’s on is a death trap, she might not live that long for all they know)

she said this 

then this

She knows that this is a time sensitive issue but she wants to put it off  despite the urgency, if that doesn’t sound like friendship to you, then what does?  *sarcasm intensifies*

Contrast this with how the villain of the show reacted to the news of her being sent to Beast Island:

On Beast Island Bow gives her a longwinded speech about how she’s supposed to work harder at friendship. I know he’s projecting his own issues here but it still makes me so damn angry. Entrapta’s trying; she’s trying so hard, no one ever tries back! No one makes the effort to understand her (except that one clone but we’re not talking about him), she has to conform to their expectations, the reverse is never applicable.

Anyway, stuff happens and Glimmer is abducted again, by Horde Prime this time.

Then that whole “Lauch” episode happened. Entrapta is distrusted by the alliance more than Scorpia is. She is seen and cold and interested only in tech, she has to explain and redeem herself in their eyes after they treat her like rubbish. They don’t connect the fact that helping them with tech is how she shows her friendship. 

It’s the only thing she thinks she’s worth to them. She wants to be accepted by them so badly.

 Entrapta gets emotional over rescuing Glimmer! 

The person who when faced with the same prospect, said she’d do it later…

Even Catra’s apology to Entrapta for trying to kill her is a blank “I’m sorry”. Pls say what exactly you are sorry for Catra. Entrapta deserves that much. Bow received a better apology for far less of an offense.

All she ever does in the show is work towards furthering someone else’s goals, her own are always a second thought. As @cruelfeline​ pointed out, even a small scene with her discussing what happened with Hordak, her reaction to it and the gang focusing on Entrapta’s troubles for ONCE , even if it’s just offering her emotional support, would have meant so much.

Why is the show trying to tell me that Entrapta should work on being a better friend?

That's a terrible message!

She doesn't need to work harder on her friends, she NEEDS BETTER FRIENDS.

So many of us ND people end up being third wheels at best and we blame that on ourselves, we internalize the reasoning that our friendship fail because we’re weird and we’re not doing it right. That we’re the ones that have to try harder to be understood and that our concerns should come second.  That is a terrible thing to internalize, we are blaming ourselves constantly because we try to understand others and they never try to understand us back. 

With age, I’ve grown out of trying and being different so that other people would like me. They’d end up liking the mask I project, not me anyway. I’ve found people that understand me and that like me for who I am, but only after I’ve stopped trying to be “better” for others to accept me. With being honestly “weird” with those around me, I’ve been accepted far more than for trying to fit in. And I’ve realized that people that shun my otherness are not worth the effort to try and befriend in the first pace .

 That is what young autistics need to hear, not “git gud” at friendship.  You are not wrong, you are not defective or broken, you are you and you’re beautiful just the way you are. If other people don’t see that, then the failing is theirs. Don’t change, just look for people that see you. 

[mermaidsirennikita]

Top 5 favorite grouchy heroes?

Derek Craven--Dreaming of You, Lisa Kleypas. Obviously. He is an important man, and he is very busy, and he doesn't have time to be followed around by a curious author, especially if he wants to kiss her all the time, and frankly, she's causing him a lot of trouble, so--there!!!

Marcus Marsden, Earl of Westcliff--It Happened One Autumn, Lisa Kleypas. The NERVE!!!! Of tHAT GIRL!!! Playing rounders in her UNDERWEAR on hIS PROPERTY. (Bitch.)

James Blackmore, Duke of Valkirk--After Dark with The Duke, Julie Anne Long. A man who is very judgmental of the Hot Young Opera Singer staying at the same boarding house as him. Until he hurts her feelings and she's actually very sad and he guesses he'll make it up to her by teaching her Italian. Except... she is hot. And asks him to translate things like "I want to fuck you" (totally innocently, not a joke). HOW SHALL HE MANAGE???

Carlton "Cutter" Morley--Seducing A Stranger/A Dark and Stormy Knight, Kerrigan Byrne. This bitch ran around in everyone else's book in a whole fucking series being like "wow, propriety" and "YOU NEED A PERMIT FOR THAT" and then suuuuuuddenly he gets horny during one of his masked vigilante outings (as you do) and fucks some girl in a pleasure garden, and whoops he gets called to a crime scene a couple months later and it's her fiance's murder and she's holding the knife. But no worries, dude, she can't be hanged because she's PREGNANT WITH YOUR CHILD. This makes him very embarrassed and grouchy. All the criminals he's tried to arrest in the past (heroes of past books, friends of his now) laugh at him. He is a Sad And Grouchy Man and I love him with all my heart.

Edward de Raaf--The Raven Prince, Elizabeth Hoyt. Lmao this guy. He's so big and ugly~ and Mr. Rochester-shaped, a sad earl who is but a recluse and very grouchy and snappy until he hires a pretty widow to be his secretary. But he's so horned up over she, a woman he could never marry (because she is barren, again I must laugh) that he goes to a brothel to relieve his urges. Who is this woman in the mask who reminds him of the widow he's in love with? Let's dismiss the obvious physical similarities, he's too backed up and grouchy. DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT.

Honorable mentions: Simon Pearson, the Duke of Leighton (Eleven Scandals to Start to Win A Duke's Heart by Sarah MacLean, a classic grouchy duke who must sit here consumed with lust for the rest of the evening), Rhys Winterborne (Marrying Winterborne by Lisa Kleypas, HE COULD BE YOUR BIT O' ROUGH LADIES, DON'T FUCK WITH HIM), Alexander Moncrieffe, Duke of Falconbridge (What I Did For A Duke by Julie Anne Long, I just don't think he's grouchy enough with his heroine to count, but he is very grouchy), Maximus Batten, Duke of Wakefield (Duke of Midnight by Elizabeth Hoyt, he's the grouchiest asshole ever in everyone else's book but in his own book he's frankly just insane so Edward got the jump), Dorian Blackwell (The Highwayman, Kerrigan Byrne, honestly very grouchy about his boner but mostly Full of Secret Pain and Trying To Seem Like A Smooth Criminal), Kev Merripen (Seduce Me At Sunrise, Lisa Kleypas, full of boner-hatred and self loathing).

[hiddendreamer67]

Chasing the Captain

Here’s a piece set in the mer au au (or reverse mer au) made by the talented @voidsides. Roman is a merman prince who has fallen desperately in love with pirate captain Virgil, who he follows around constantly trying to woo his grumpy human crush. 

Read more of my work at @hiddendreamerwriting!

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Captain Virgil stood aboard his ship, gazing out at the waves as the vessel continued to cross the sea. Such a vast, unforgiving landscape, the ocean- Virgil could stare into its depths for ages, knowing that a single storm could bring him plummeting into its unforgiving murky secrets. It gave him a strange sort of chill, bringing his life up to the edge and spitting in destiny’s face instead, riding along the waves like a tamed wild steed. Sometimes it felt as though he could speak to the sea itself, whispering for him to jump in and the horrible consequences that would befall him below…

And sometimes, the sea did more than whisper.

“Cap’n, it’s back.” A crew member jutted his thumb towards the hull of the ship. Virgil groaned, already hearing that melodious voice as he approached.

“Oh Captain my captain, your ship may be steady in her course but I am more so!” 

Virgil huffed, rolling his eyes as he stepped up to peer over the rail. There, following the ship diligently was that same dreaded mer folk. Ruby red scales sparkling in the setting sun, the creature looked almost out of breath but was attempting to hide this with a dazzling smile.

“I thought we lost you in the storm.” Virgil drawled, sounding almost disappointed. It had been a blessed few days of silence. 

“Captain, a pleasure it is to see you as well!” The mer lit up at the sight of Virgil, completely ignoring the captain’s statement. “Don’t you look ravishing this fine evening, care for a dip?”

Virgil flipped him off.

“Ah, I see your manners are as lovely as ever.” The creature appeared a bit peeved, but a simple hand gesture wouldn’t deter him. If it would, Virgil would have seen the beast off a hundred times over. “Perhaps a song will lighten your spirits~”

“Fuck off, siren.” Virgil called out to him. Once upon a time, Virgil believed this creature to truly be a siren, a being of the sea that enchanted sailors to sink to their doom. Now Virgil wasn’t so sure, as to be around a siren for this long should’ve meant the death of his entire crew; either this was a very incompetent siren, or a very stubborn and foolish mer folk. 

And given Virgil has had the pleasure of hearing the creature sing, he knew it was the latter.

Just as promised, the mer began to hum, easily picking a tune out of the air. Virgil grimaced, turning away from the rail and heading towards his quarters before the song could lure him into a false sense of security. 

“Oh, ‘tis the pearl one.” One deckhand commented. “That’s me favorite, tha’ is.” 

“Bet he’d love if you told it so.” The other teased. 

Virgil groaned, turning to the pair with a scowl. “Don’t encourage it. I forbid you.”

“Oh Cap’n, wouldn’t matter if we said nothin’.” The first assured him. “Tha’ creature has eyes only for yourself.”

Virgil flushed, steadfastly ignoring how the man’s implications made him feel a strange hum in his chest. “Ridiculous.” He scoffed, slamming his door shut before he could be hackled further.

Unfortunately, there was some truth to his men’s words. For whatever reason, this beast had chosen Virgil and would accept no other. Virgil had tried every trick in the book to avoid the mer, short of retiring to land. He boarded a new ship. He sailed new waters. He holed up in his quarters. No matter what maneuvers Virgil tried, within a matter of time the mer would always, always return, and not leave until Virgil had interacted with it. 

In the beginning, the very idea of such a curse terrified Virgil. What could the siren possibly want? How long until Virgil was inevitably drowned like all the countless tales? Why was Virgil singled out above all others? But as time passed… for whatever reason, Virgil’s fears morphed into a more quiet curiosity. For whatever reason, the creature seemed to mean him no harm.

So what did it want with him?

Virgil sighed, once again looking out his porthole window at the dark frothy waves. The sun had set some time ago, giving the waters an even more ominous ambience. The singing, now that Virgil was focusing on it, had ended some time ago. Virgil paused, surprised to see the mer was not pressed up against the glass as he was wont to do. Perhaps the last time Virgil had scolded him about “freaking PRIVACY-” had finally gotten through his thick skull. 

(It had been rather alarming to find eyes peering in from the murky depths when he was changing. At least the creature had the decency to be sheepish as well.)

Virgil hummed for a moment, drumming his fingers on the desk. Begrudgingly realizing he wouldn’t be able to sleep without knowing if the mer was truly gone, Virgil grabbed a tankard and headed up to the deck. 

The captain headed back to the hull of the ship, peering into the path they carved in the ocean. No eyes peered back at him. He took a swig of his rum, slowly circling the length of the ship and examining the waves. No sign of his mer anywhere.

Why was he disappointed?

Virgil sighed, nursing his drink as he attempted to sort out his thoughts. What did he care if the sea serpent wanted to leave? He didn’t care.

Virgil winced, knowing his words were both harsh and pathetic. It wasn’t right to call him a serpent, not when he had done nothing but try to earn Virgil’s trust. Not when he had a name. 

Virgil sighed again, placing his head in his hand. “Oh, Roman…”

“You remembered!”

The captain jolted, so lost in his thoughts (and his drink) that he had failed to notice the mer slinking up in the waves. And now Roman was properly grinning, his teeth on full display as he was clearly delighted both at Virgil’s statement and catching the captain unawares.

Virgil huffed, immediately sinking back into his grouchy demeanor and pushing the warm feeling from Roman’s arrival deep down. Deeper than all the oceans combined. “How could I forget? You won’t stop singing your own praises.” 

“Well, I would sing yours.” Roman assured him, leaning his arms on the rail a few paces away. He had learned at sword point to give Virgil personal space. “But you’ve refused to give me your name.”

“Hmm.” Virgil just shrugged, taking another sip of his drink.

Roman rolled his eyes, pushing his dripping locks out of his face. “So mysterious. Dark and brooding only keeps a man’s interest for so long, you know. However I am becoming increasingly interested in why you chose to call out to me- does the heart grow fonder, I sense?”

“In your dreams, princey.” Virgil chuckled. Despite his thoughts dwindling on the mer beside him, his gaze was fixed solely on the sea in an almost unfocused trance. 

“A sand dollar for your thoughts?” Roman tilted his head.

Virgil paused, debating whether he should tell Roman what was truly on his mind. It was a dangerous game, one that would admit to Roman’s slow siren games working.

“What would…” Virgil paused, refusing to meet Roman’s gaze. He almost didn’t want to know the answer if the darker truths were correct. What would happen if I joined you? Virgil shuddered, watching the waters churn a bit more dangerously. The sea, dangerous mistress she was, would not be so kind to a landlubber like himself. 

“What do you want with me?” Virgil murmured. “You’re always going on about how you’re so enamored with me, and you keep trying to get me to jump overboard but- but why?! What could you hope to gain? Stringing me along for the ride, playing your twisted games-”

“What?!” Out of the corner of his eye, Virgil saw Roman’s eyes go wide as saucers. “My captain, my tempter, my beautiful anxious two-legged fool… do you really think so lowly of me? Are my affections all some ploy to you?”

Virgil winced, turning to face Roman fully. He expected the mer to look outraged, insulted even. What he didn’t expect was the pained pleading expression he got in return. 

“It’s not so difficult a notion.” Virgil shrugged, hiding his shame behind the lip of his mug. “You have been hunting me for ages.”

Roman let out an offended gasp. “Hunting- how barbaric a notion! Courting, I’ve been courting you, my insufferable flame.”

Virgil all but choked on his drink. 

“Or trying, at the very least.” Despite his bold words, Roman had gone rather red in the face as well. “A-and you should count yourself lucky that I continue to try! You haven’t exactly made yourself easy to woo.”

Virgil coughed down some more liquor, needing the liquid courage to get through this conversation. He coughed again, trying to regain his composure. “So- I ask again, why? Why keep ‘courting’ me-” Virgil found a sour taste on his tongue at such an outdated phrase- “if all I do is push you away? Why don’t you leave me alone?”

Roman’s tail agitated the water, a sign Virgil had learned meant the mer was feeling uncertain. It was a more common sight than the mer would ever admit. “I… surely you don’t mean that, do you?”

Virgil just raised an eyebrow, challenging him.

“I think of this as a game, I suppose, it’s true.” Roman admitted, his fingers trailing down into the water with an outstretched hand. “But I thought you were playing along. I guess a part of me always suspected that was just my wild fantasies, though.”

“Oh?” Virgil frowned.

“Why, you must think me terribly annoying.” Roman’s ear flaps flattened to his head as the mer sunk further down. “Perhaps I was the only one who… I wanted to be wanted. Is that so terrible? To imagine a smirk upon your features every time I surfaced? I know you slow the boat down when I’ve been missing, giving me the chance to catch up.”

“I do no such thing.” Virgil lied through his teeth. 

Roman sunk further, clearly too stuck in his own gloomy thoughts to catch wind of Virgil’s terrible lie. He met the captain’s gaze, looking pitifully pathetic.

“If you truly want me to go, I’ll go.” Roman spoke softly. Virgil sucked in a breath. “I won’t chase you down any longer. You’ll be free of me. Is that what you wish?”

Virgil stared at him for a very long time, gazing deep into those beautiful brown eyes. He only found sincerity in their depths. Now was his chance to get rid of this mer once and for all; if he told Roman to go, he would never see the mer again.

“...no.” Virgil sighed. “That’s not what I want.”

It was quiet for a moment, only the rippling of the waves to be heard. And then, Roman leaned over and punched Virgil in the arm.

“Ow!” Virgil looked at him aghast, surprised by Roman’s strength. “What’s that about?”

“You jerk!” Roman hissed. “You rotten fiend-”

“What happened to oh captain, my captain-?”

“How dare you play with my heart like that!” Roman’s lip went out in the most adorable pout. “You made me actually doubt for a moment, thinking I had been nothing more than a burden to you all this time, wasting my best years on someone who didn’t care.”

Virgil had been teasing at first, wanting to rile up the fish to see what happened; he never meant to make Roman truly upset. “You’re right, that was cruel of me.”

“Hmph.” Roman turned away from him. 

Virgil smirked, feeling more than a little emboldened by his booze. “Can I make it up to you with a gift?”

Roman’s ear flaps twitched, the mer sending him a glance. He gave Virgil a coy smile, poorly hiding his genuine excitement. “For moi?”

“Yup.” Virgil leaned closer, dropping his voice to a near whisper. “Virgil.” He leaned back, letting out a loud laugh at Roman’s befuddled expression. He took another swig of his drink, turning to head in for the night. “Wha- what does ‘Virgil’ mean?” Roman desperately asked.

“It’s my name, dumbass!” Virgil laughed over his shoulder. He turned back just long enough to drink in the look on Roman’s face, giving the shocked mer a hearty salute before closing his door.

The next morning, Virgil awoke with a pounding headache. He groaned, trying to stave off his hangover with some water as he headed to the deck. It didn’t help that every crew member he passed kept giving him a knowing smirk.

“Have a pleasant eve, Cap’n?” The deckhand asked, Virgil’s head tilted to take in the melody rising from the ocean. He groaned when he heard the words. 

~ Arise my sweet Virgil,the pearl of the sea~ 

~Oh Virgil, my Virgil, forever we’ll be~

All variations of his usual songs, inserting Virgil’s name in as many places as possible. Clearly Roman had enjoyed his gift, no matter how much Virgil was beginning to regret it.

“And this is why you don’t talk to sirens, lads.” Virgil shook his head, muttering under his breath and refusing to head to that side of the ship as his cheeks turned scarlet. “Feed scraps to a hound and it will follow you to the end of your days.”

“Aye, and what a pup you’ve fed.” The lookout chuckled, gazing through an eyeglass back at the mer.

[samwpmarleau]

aegon’s attitude towards maekar in the latter two dunk and egg books will never not be hilarious (and heartwarming) to me

what we see of his relationship with his dad in the first novella is quite contentious and maekar is notoriously grouchy and uncompromising. yet afterwards, the minute some rando says something even mildly disrespectful about him, this tiny little 10-year-old is all, “SAY THAT AGAIN, ASSHOLE. I’LL BREAK YOUR FUCKIN ARM”

i mean:

“[...] King Aerys hides amongst his books, Prince Rhaegel prances naked through the Red Keep’s halls, and Prince Maekar broods at Summerhall.”

Egg was prodding at the fire with a stick, to send sparks floating up into the night. Dunk was pleased to see him ignoring the mention of his father’s name. Perhaps he’s finally learned to hold that tongue of his.

———

“Rhaegel is feeble-minded. Why, I bear him no ill will, but the man is good as dead, and those twins of his as well, though whether they will die of Maekar’s mace or Bloodraven’s spells …”

Seven save us, Dunk thought as Egg spoke up shrill and loud. “Prince Maekar is Prince Rhaegel’s brother. He loves him well. He’d never do harm to him or his.”

———

Dunk was about to tell Egg about the men he’d overheard when he noticed his face. “What happened to your lip?”

“A fight, ser.” [...]

“Who were you fighting?”

“Some other squires. They said —”

“Never mind what they said. What did I tell you?”

“To hold my tongue and make no trouble.” The boy touched his broken lip. “They called my father a kinslayer, though.”

He is, lad, though I do not think he meant it. Dunk had told Egg half a hundred times not to take such words to heart. [...] “What did you tell these other squires, instead of holding your tongue?”

Egg looked abashed. “That Prince Baelor’s death was just a mishap. Only when I said Prince Maekar loved his brother Baelor, Ser Addam’s squire said he loved him to death, and Ser Mallor’s squire said he meant to love his brother Aerys the same way. That was when I hit him. I hit him good.”

even with dunk he’s ready to throw down:

“When the king named Lord Bloodraven his Hand, your lord father refused to be part of his council and departed King’s Landing for his own seat,” [Dunk] reminded Egg. “He has been at Summerhall for a year, and half of another. What do you call that, if not sulking?”

“I call it being wroth,” Egg declared loftily. “His Grace should have made my father Hand. He’s his brother, and the finest battle commander in the realm since Uncle Baelor died. Lord Bloodraven’s not even a real lord, that's just some stupid courtesy. He's a sorcerer, and baseborn besides.”

[lovelypotato111]

What Could Have Been

This is a short fanfic of about 2.5k words of trans Armin in a *kinda* murder mystery in the 1900s

This is my first fanfic here so plz plz plz let me know what you think

______________________________________________________________

The last time I stayed up long enough to see the sunrise was before I killed Mother.

She would bounce into my bed and tickle my chest and neck in the dark hours of the morning. It was very effective in waking up a child from the midst of her sugar-filled dreams. Father says I get grouchy when I don’t wake of my own accord, but that never happened with Mother. I was happy to see her beautiful face and hear her hushed giggles regardless of when or how or whatever discomfort I was feeling.

“Come with me, my darling,” she would say. “I have a surprise for you.”

I followed her like a blind duckling out the bedroom window and through the grass. It was a game of how far I could run after her without calling for her to pause. Every time she said she had a surprise, I would know exactly where we were going. We scurried past the chicken coop and climbed onto the isolated deck.

Mother stored all her supplies under the floorboards there. In the blackness of the night, she would set up her easel, and I would watch, transfixed at how effortless she made it all seem. She moved like a fairy, holding her magic wand to the canvas and dipping it into the spells she squeezed from her bottles with nothing but starlight to guide her. It was hard to see my own hand in front of me, but Mother didn’t need anything as insignificant as vision.

“What you see with your eyes isn’t always what is, my darling,” she told me. “When you learn to see with your heart, that’s when the real magic happens and you see what is beyond.”

I never understood what she meant until after her death.

I was going through her things again, and found the set of paintings she would only ever make in the dead of night. The colors were always a little bit off, and understandably so, except for one specific piece.

Mother’s best work.

Neither of us wanted to go back inside that day. I sat quietly by her side, and she told me stories of princes and dragons and everything we will never know outside of the pictures in our minds.

“All the plants and animals around us want to be born as humans in their next life. They look at us and think, ‘Wow I would like to be sitting there at that easel’ or ‘I wish I had such delicious food and such a warm home.’ Finally, after many trials and many failures, a soul is able to reincarnate as a person. This is your story and your gift. Don’t waste this priceless opportunity, and live however you wish and do whatever makes you happy,” she once said.

But she never really believed in that story. She mustn’t have, or she would still be alive.

That day, we sat there next to each other until small wisps of orange and pink spilled out over the trees. Mother gasped softly and shook my leg.

“The night is beautiful, my darling, but it only makes you appreciate the candy-like sunrise even more. And the same is true for the opposite. The mix of colors in the sky and life waking up all around us teaches us to appreciate the expanse of black and peaceful silence of the night.”

I had never looked at that painting before, even when Mother was making it. I was too busy gazing at her. In the light, she didn’t look like a fairy anymore.

She was a child of the early morning sky. Golden yellow rays illuminated her cheeks when she sat by her easel. Her skin shimmered like powdered pearls, and I thought she looked so, so beautiful. I wanted to look just like her when I was grown.

A piece of curly dark blonde hair escaped from her bun, and the frazzled bits seemed to glimmer. Her entire being seemed to phase into the air, or perhaps she was an extension of the dawn.

She put her brush down and closed her eyes as she inhaled the pastel colors around us, painting her lungs the same as her canvas. It was a picture forever etched in her soul. A reminder of the unfiltered euphoria from the smallest things the world has to offer in a place only she can see.

I copied her to make my own souvenir, but I carved an iridescent glass statue of Mother in my heart instead. The sunrise isn’t what made the moment so beautiful after all.

I was already in my day clothes by the time Father came to collect me. Mother’s painting was tucked behind the laundry since he never goes where “women and servants belong.” Her hair was still in a bun, and there was a small yellow stain on her left ring finger, which she kept behind my back. I was ushered out of the room, and I could see him grabbing her arm and forcing her fist from behind her own back through the crack in the door. Lillian came to fetch me as she always does before starting her chores. She cleans the windows as I study arithmetic and history, the way Father says it should be.

Words drifted on the morning breeze in Father’s voice, like “only concern yourself with the boy and the household” and “will not tolerate this waste of money for unladylike behavior anymore.”

Father didn’t show up to dinner even though it was well past noon. Mother said it was because he was busy, but the guilty expression on her face proved otherwise. I knew it had something to do with this morning, but I also knew better than to ask. Mother’s brain is made of eyes, however, and she knew what I knew.

“You know, my ocean, the people who shame you for being who you are are screaming from behind their own chains. This includes your father. And me too.”

Only Mother calls me “my ocean”. And “darling.” Father calls me “the boy” or “Armin” if there’s company. I like hearing the name “Armin” from Mother’s mouth, however, even if it isn’t mine.

“Why does Father disapprove of your paintings?”

A shadow of exhaustion from a lifetime of war darted across her face.

“He doesn’t see the world the same way we do, darling. I capture our world on that canvas, and he doesn’t understand it from inside his box. But his approval means nothing. I control what I make, not what others interpret.”

I get dressed for the day and head out to town for breakfast and a cup of tea. There are no lessons today. Father needs to keep up appearances of grievance, so as not to add more fuel to the overspreading wildfire of gossip. I sit in a lone booth in the darkest corner of the teahouse for the security of its isolation. I clutch Mother’s brooch and turn it over in my hands without the slightest bit of pressure lest I break it like I broke her.

Her brooch is not delicate in the least. It survived everything Mother didn’t, after all. Even her death. They retrieved it from her blouse when they found her body and Father had no use for it, so it was passed down to me. Table scraps absentmindedly tossed to a dog. One of the petals, a hushed baby pink color, was chipped but the brooch was otherwise intact. The diamond center of the flower and the rose-gold swirling stems were dulled with time and love, the luster and sparkle slowly fading over its lifetime like its owner.

Mother was wearing this brooch when she painted that sunrise, when she ate with me when Father didn’t show up, and when she handed me her art supplies to dispose of discreetly.

I never did. Even to a murderer like myself that seemed heartless. I tucked it away somewhere and forgot all about its existence.

Mother never came into my room for an early morning adventure under the constellations after that day. I dared question her about it once, and she turned her head and buried her thoughts and words in her breakfast. The light in her eyes dimmed slightly with each passing day, but I was seeing her through gold-tinted crystal lenses and didn’t notice. There used to be a pump in her heart that would release little sugar-plums and Ulysses butterflies that resembled the bejeweled sea with each push. As her eyes darkened, so did her heart, and the pain started to clog that pump until all the plums and butterflies were trapped and couldn’t escape. It was unfair, but life picks and chooses whom it favors, whom it neglects, and whom it spites.

A new crack appeared in my marble mind every time her pump buffered, but a man who lives in a desert can’t feel the heat after a while. Mother’s unhappiness became routine, and her blossoming cruelty became commonplace.

The hushed voices of the teahouse drag me by the throat to the present.

“Is that the child?”

“How could that happen?”

“The poor husband.”

Their words are like mer-creatures above land. Insufferable screeching with no end.

Eyes cut into me from all corners of the room. They emerge from the ground and furniture in tumors until they’re all I can see. They squeeze around my legs and my arms as cancerous tentacles and drag me into their quicksand portal to shame.

Before they can swallow me whole, I leave my coat, fee, and half-finished tea in that booth and flee from the impending misery.

I take refuge in a park nearby. The velvet treetops are a barrier from the needle-toothed foxes in pretty gowns and expensive watches.

“You must never show weakness. The world is like a moat and people are like hungry crocodiles desperately awaiting their next meal. If you lose your footing on the rocks, you’ll fall into the moat and be devoured. You must always be perfect,” Mother said once.

Peals of soft laughter like belled anklets waft through the butterweeds. I heard something like this once when Father had me visit the boarding schools before Mother’s death. I had gotten lost on my way to the library and ended up on the womens’ floor. Their giggles and gossip were a siren’s call beckoning me to join in their innocent mischief and harmless schemes.

“You’re so talented. I wish I was unique like you,” they said to each other.

But they didn’t realize that being ordinary is a luxury taken for granted by those who don’t suffer the same.

The eyes start coming out of the snowdrops as the laughter in the park fades to red. My sanctuary is no longer safe. I escape once more until I can finally breathe again. There are too many people on this street to notice the black mark on my conscience.

I draw a deep breath in and stroll down the street, mixing into the crowd of ants until I am invisible and insignificant. My legs walk themselves and the body attached to them follows absentmindedly.

Mother’s favorite boutique. That’s where I end up.

A chiffon gown the color of the midday summer ocean is displayed in the window, the same color as my eyes. If I could only go inside and float into it like a Mountain Bluebird. Feel the fabric twist and jump with every movement I make. Perhaps in another life I won’t be Armin anymore. I will be Marina, like I call myself in the dark hours of the morning with nothing but the walls as my witness. Perhaps Mother might even have called me that on our surprise adventures as another of our secrets. But it is futile to think too much on what could have been. I look at the dress once more, and my body is ice.

She is dead because of a gown just like this.

I believed she was in town, so I felt innocuous in visiting her room. Nights alone with only my name for company made my heart ache, and I was foolish enough to try and claim a slice of the life I wished for. I pulled the cursed dress out of her closet and held it up to my body. Oh, the exultation I felt. The sound it made when I turned. The ripples, like rain on a silver lake, when I walked. I rejoiced in just how right it was, but triumph seldom differentiates itself from defeat.

I was too distracted by my own jubilation to notice those dreaded footsteps. It was only when Mother’s head was in view that I threw the dress back into the closet and hid behind the door. Mother’s footsteps stopped for a few moments in the deafening silence throttling my lungs before she turned and went back from where she came.

Her body was found the next morning.

She had climbed the roof the same way I had seen her do with the grace and effortless strength of a kelpie. She had worn the brooch I loved so much and dove like a wingless swan, meeting her end on the ugly steps of our porch.

“It’s not your fault,” they said. “Don’t blame yourself.”

They thought blame was all that mattered and no one would burn if they didn’t feel guilt.

“It’ll be alright,” they said. “You’ll be fine.”

But you can’t make a rainy day sunny by changing your perspective.

Perhaps she hadn’t seen me. Perhaps she didn’t care that I was there to begin with.

But if I wasn’t reason enough to live, it’s the same as taking her life with my own hands.

All I could think about when I saw her shell twisted and demented was how beautiful she used to be. Her and the paintings she loved so much. But if they were beautiful, then all the most beautiful things are born from the ugliest pits.

“How could this happen?” they asked. “How could she do this to herself, her family?”

People can shove you closer and closer to a cliff but still act surprised when you lose your footing and fall to your death.

She tried to touch the world with her bare hands, but she realized the world burns even when it’s not on fire. So she stopped touching anything. Because once you’ve been burned you can heal, but the skin will be tighter and more wrinkled, and you can only touch the world so many times before you can’t touch anything at all.

It is night now, and I am watching the white light from the moon purify the blackness of the lake.

I can see Mother’s face in the image of the moon, a pure heart tainted by the blackness of the world. Everyone, including me, saw her in a way that can be described with a few words: beautiful, heartless, pitiful. But there are many sides to every story and many faces to every person. You never know enough.

I should know to focus on the happiest moments we shared, but regret is far stronger than gratitude.

If there is one thing I do know, however, it is that I am not to blame for who I am. The gods may judge me, but I fear their sins are far greater and graver than my own.

All that is left now is to take Mother’s advice and make the most of this precious gift we call life, even if she didn’t know how to do the same.

After all, the fastest way to kill is through a sad heart.

[destieltropecollection]

Destiel Trope Collection 2020 Day 10: Enemies to Lovers

It's a Match! | @suckerfordeansfreckles

Rating: Teen & Up Word Count: 2015 Main Tags/Warnings: pining, online dating, getting together Summary: Dean has seen the guy a handful of times, mostly at Charlie’s parties or when out and about with her — it’s only been six times that Dean is aware of, actually. Not that he counted. Well. He did, maybe, count a little. But that’s only because the guy is seriously gorgeous, and also seems to seriously hate Dean. Like, frowns and dark stares and leaving the room when Dean enters it. And that is most definitely the only reason why Dean keeps track of their meetings. It has nothing to do with the fact that, for whatever stupid reason, Dean feels all fuzzy and happy and warm around this stupid, scruffy, handsome, dark-haired and blue-eyed Cas-guy. Something about him just… does things to Dean’s head.

In The Ballroom | @gii-heylittleangel

Rating: General Word Count: 2594 Main Tags/Warnings: lovers to enemies to lovers, broken relationship, getting back together, false mentions of cheating Summary: The high school dance was useless in Castiel's opinion; there was nothing to do, people were incredibly annoying, and he would be alone. But, having Charlie Bradbury as his best friend, he had no choice but to go; after all, there was a tiny chance he would get tacos after the party. Castiel did not get tacos but he got something a lot better.

Ring a Bell for the Righteous Man | @pray4jensen

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 3003 Main Tags/Warnings: Enemies to Lovers, Royalty/Fantasy AU, Soul Bond, Marriage, Angst with a Happy Ending, Dubious Consent Summary: An hour passes and the prince doesn't bed him. Dean thinks that maybe the prince doesn't have any intention of doing it at all, and if that's the case, it'll be Dean who'll face the consequences. So, thumbing a finger down the length of Cas' wings, Dean taunts, ""I thought you promised Lord Alastair that I wouldn't be able to walk, your highness."" Dean pauses. ""Are you doubting yourself, my lord?""

Addicted | @verobatto-angelxhunter

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 3671 Main Tags/Warnings: Season 4/5 canon divergent, Destiel, slow burn, Badass! Castiel, first kiss, first time, explicit sexual content, canon typical violence. Summary: Dean can't get Castiel out of his mind. Everytime the angel is in front of him, is hypnotizing. He needs to know what is going on with him. Why Castiel is so irresistible? And why he feels that empty everytime the angel isn't near him.

the light of falling stars | @procasdeanating

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 4980 Main Tags/Warnings: Alien!Cas, wing fic, inspired by a movie (enemy mine) Summary: … when Lieutenant Dean Winchester and the two ships under his command engaged in combat with a Seraph squadron. Two army ships were destroyed, while one fighter, presumably Lt. Winchester’s, made a forced landing on a nearby uninhabited class D planet after triggering the emergency protocol. The ongoing search has not produced conclusive results. Lt. Winchester is classified as missing in action…

First Impressions | @suckerfordeansfreckles

Rating: Teen & Up Word Count: 7254 Main Tags/Warnings: hospital AU, ftm trans Cas, top surgery, mentions of medical stuff, sharing a room Summary: When Cas wakes for the first time after his surgery, there’s sunlight tentatively streaming through the window to his right. It takes him a while of uncoordinated blinking and thinking until he realizes where he is, why he’s here. And then the giddiness comes, sudden and overwhelming, when he looks down at his chest and there is none. The reality is almost too much to grasp and his hands shake a little when he tries to raise them to touch. He's happy, and giddy, and so thankful. And then a nurse wheels in his new roommate, one very obnoxious and flirty Mr. Winchester. Cas just... cannot wait to watch all of this play out.

The Galaxy's Most Wanted | @saltnhalo

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 10160 Main Tags/Warnings: Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Space Pirates, Enemies to Lovers, Blow Jobs, Frottage, Angry Sex, Sexual Tension Summary: Dean had been the one always up to mischief, running around with his father’s broken laser pistol and constantly getting into places he shouldn’t have been. Sam, in comparison, always seemed to be the smart, studious one – until he reprogrammed the AI in their neighbours’ house to play ‘Happy Birthday’ at the loudest possible volume while keeping all the doors and windows firmly locked. It had taken two experts seven hours to undo the coding that Sam had managed to integrate into the house’s programming. So, yes. They had been exceptional even from the beginning. And when John Winchester crossed one too many people, his sons inherited his beloved ship, and took to the cosmos doing what they knew best: stealing. And they were damn good at it too. Almost unrivalled, across their own galaxy and even those neighbouring. Almost.

Love Thy Enemy | @gii-heylittleangel

Rating: Teen & Up Word Count: 11887 Main Tags/Warnings: revenge planning, use of guns, major characters injury Summary: After being betrayed by the Men of Letters, Dean makes the most stupid, idiotic, and best decision of his life: ask Castiel Novak, his long time enemy, for help.

The Quest for the Demon King's Heart | @cr-noble-writes

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 12500 Main Tags/Warnings: fantasy au, demon king!dean, wood elf!cas, enemies to lovers, mutual pining, minor character death, major character injury, angry sex, angst with a happy ending Summary: In a fantasy land, Dean, the Demon King, goes to a distant guild to take a break from evil, where he meets a young adventurer, Castiel, on a quest to slay the Demon King. For fun, Dean helps and protects the adventurer, and affection grows between them. Then, they arrive at the gates of his castle.

A Virgin to Redeem the Billionaire | @notfunnydean

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 16660 Main Tags/Warnings: Manipulation, Emotional Manipulation, blackmailing someone into a relationship, Mentions of drug selling (not Destiel), Mentions of cheating (not Destiel), virgin!cas Summary: When Castiel meets Dean Winchester, the other man seems to be a real asshole. So it doesn’t surprise him, when Dean shows up again and this time blackmails Castiel in a horrible way. Castiel agrees to be his boyfriend, only to protect his family, but along the way he actually falls for Dean.

The Bakery | @dates-with-cas

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 41075 Main Tags/Warnings: angst with a happy ending, offscreen character death, enemies to lovers, workplace sex, semi-public sex, attempted rape/non-con, mentions of past sexual abuse, alcohol as a coping mechanism, sex as a coping mechanism, sex in a kitchen, unresolved past trauma, top!Cas, bottom!Dean Summary: Dean Winchester loves his job, and he's thrilled to have his boss' brother coming in to work over the holidays, that is until he meets Castiel Novak for himself. The man is picky, grouchy, and absolutely fucking gorgeous.

The Path Between the Stars | zaphodsgirl (AO3)

Rating: Mature Word Count: 53111 Main Tags/Warnings: AU - Labyrinth Fusion, Angst with a Happy Ending, Minor Character Death Summary: It's been almost fifteen years since Dean met the enigmatic goblin king, Castiel. After failing to complete the labyrinth with Sam to save baby Adam, Dean is forced to make a deal to secure their freedom. Five years ago he finally gave in to the feelings he’d been keeping at bay for some time, only for Castiel to disappear from his life completely without a word. When Dean relays the story of the labyrinth to Sam's girlfriend Eileen, an opportunity presents itself for him to get some answers...and maybe have a second chance at something he hadn't dared to believe was real.

Of Twists and Turns | @kitmistry

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 75080 Main Tags/Warnings: Graphic Depictions of Violence, Pirate AU, Implied Drug Use, Minor Character Death, Amputation, Sea Monsters, Hunter Dean Summary: When naval surgeon Castiel Novak is captured by the Black Impala pirates, he has no choice but to agree to their terms: He is to serve on their ship for a whole year before they release him. That doesn’t mean he is going to like it, though. Especially when their captain is the embodiment of everything Castiel despises. Determined to earn his freedom, Castiel settles into the life of an outlaw. When the pirates’ true goal is revealed, though, he can no longer deny that things are not as black and white as he thought they were. And he can’t deny how drawn he is to Captain Winchester either.

Sovereign | @pomegranatedaffodil

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 87974 Main Tags/Warnings: Arranged Marriage, Hate to Love, Fantasy AU, Royalty AU, Virgin Castiel, Switching, Slow Burn, Minor Injuries Summary: When his brother embarks on a risky venture, Prince Dean of Pellia’s only choice is to enter into a marriage with the king of Arxelle in order to save Sam’s life as well as his own. King Castiel is severe, aloof, and no more happy about their hasty wedding than Dean. Marital bliss is the last state either of them expects to reach, but as Dean spends more time in his new home, he and Castiel slowly begin to settle into a partnership that allows them to put the needs of their kingdom before their own feelings. The longer they spend together, though, the more those feelings develop, daring them both to wonder if they might ever be husbands in more than just name.

Shot Through The Heart | @peanutbutterjelly-pie

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 156327 Main Tags/Warnings: Alternate Universe, Men of Letters, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn, Humor, Case Fic, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Bottom Dean Summary: As a hunter Dean finds himself more often than not relying on the help of the Men of Letters. Most of the time that's not much of a problem - if it wasn't for Castiel, the smartass bookworm with the piercing blue eyes, the messy hair and the rude attitude. He's been an annoying thorn in Dean's side since day one - and the hunter doesn't see that change anytime soon.

[zesty-jesty]

You could give me like a rundown on if you have one main story or if the characters just exist in a void? Or are there multiple stories

Ah alrighty! Sorry for the late reply, was a busy week,,, But! I do have a main story going on with the OCs I usually draw. I refer to it as Rosenverse, but the actual name of the world they reside in, is called Amouria! There are a variety of different humanoid creatures that reside within this world. I don’t have proper names for each species, but the ones I have are rabbit demons, hare demons, cat demons, jester demons, and clown demons,cyclops demons, as well as various types of saytrs. ((Note: the animal based ones are mostly inspired off of real life species of rabbits, hares, cats, etc)) Meanwhile my friend @eye-candi has their own species within the world, called spring demons! Now by demons, I don’t mean hellish types. They were called “demons” by the humans many many decades ago when they wound up in Amouria by accident, not quite understanding what they were.  Currently in the storyline, it follows a group of characters, who my friend and I like to call the “Tea party squad” The main ones being Maverick Rosenbaum, a sweet himbo and father, with an obsessions with tea, and works as a security guard at the circus. He is a European hare demon. Then there is his husband, Slinkie Rosenbaum (Eye-Candi’s OC), the goofy, doofus with a big heart, who is the lead clown of the circus they all work at. He is a spring demon. Lucy Broughton, a motherly, kind hearted, and rather cheerful woman who is the ringmaster at the circus called “Lucy’s wonderland”. She is a cyclops demon.  Chester Felinus, a musical, sometimes mischievous, yet level minded cat demon, who works as part of the clean up crew during after hours. He is known as the voice of reason of the group. And lastly, Arledge Liddall, a rather snooty, grouchy, uptight prince ((in the future becomes king of the kingdom of Amourus)) , but with a kind heart deep down. He does not work at the circus, but will sometimes volunteer to help when he has the time. He is a albino rabbit demon!  There are a list of other characters too, but that would be a loooooong list to write all of them, but, I’ve implemented old Poptropica OCs into this world, giving them new backstories and lore, two of which being Alice Rosenbaum (Once known as “Happy Sun”), who is the adopted, eldest daughter of Maverick and Slinkie, and Eleanor Liddall  (Once known as “Friendly Sun”) who is Arledge’s niece! Sorry that was long, I get ultra excited to share lore on a world my friend and I are working on! We even have notes on some of each species, and I have quite a lot on jester demons! 

[bunnylouisegrimes]

Okay so prompt for Charlie and Rosie: “please don’t shut me out”

“Charlie?” She spoke up softly.

Charlie continued to wash the dishes and face away from her, staring out into the cold and drizzly weather outside. The snow melted and turned to muddy mush. It looked more akin to late February or early March than December. How ironic for the first day of winter to melt snow rather than bring it.

“Charlie?” She tried again, stepping closer. He still ignored her. The only response she received was the ice showering down the roof from outside, the soapy water running and filling his sink, the sweet Palmolive wafting the kitchen, and Antiques Roadshow blabbing about the worth of random, old and often beautiful objects in the living room. She could understand why Charlie enjoyed that show. He liked old things. She liked old things too, hence why she got into it when he exposed it to her and why she liked him in the first place. His old fashioned and vintage appearance ignited something inside of her that drew her to him. She knew she had found her prince, her gentleman, her lover...

But if he’s all of those things, why did I treat him the way I did?

“Charlie, please talk to me...” Her voice creaked again. Warm tears filled her eyes for what felt like the millionth time. Her cheeks and face felt hot from all of her crying upstairs. Her stomach and heart felt tight and heavy. She hadn’t meant to be so rude to him... she was grouchy and took it out on him...

Just like Cassie did to him... no wonder he feels this way... he put up with it already for so long from her... and I don’t normally act this way... she damaged him, so he’s hurt in a different and deeper way than most couples normally would feel in this situation... how could I be such a stupid and selfish bitch?

She tugged on his navy blue chauffeur coat, streams of tears pouring down her rosy cheeks and reflecting in the light above the sink. He paused, turned the sink off, wrung his hands, and proceeded to dry them, finally turning to look at her with a cold look, yet one could tell there was a softness to it, like he hated she was feeling this way and he hated this was even an ordeal in the first place. She looked like a child who had been scolded and sent to bed early, and the child came downstairs to apologize for their actions to their parent who was too mad to even look at them. The difference was, they were not father and daughter, but lovers. The vampire had this experience with his own daughters on the rare occasions they misbehaved, but he never had this experience with a woman. Cassie would never back down from a fight or admit she was wrong, and she would especially never look as remorseful or sad as Rose did.

“Charlie... please don’t shut me out...” she burst into tears and all at once wrapped her arms around his waist, sobbing into his fuzzy back.

Surprisingly, he pulled her close to him, and she wept into his chest now. He rested his chin on the top of her head and stroked her back. Finally, he spoke up.

“Do you think I liked yelling at you like that, Mignon?” He said sternly. “Do you think I liked making you cry like that? I didn’t want to make you cry like this. I never wanted for us to divulge into this fight and bring it to this level. I hate it when you cry. It makes me sick to my heart.”

“I hate making you cry and making you feel hurt,” she sputtered. “Especially after what she did to you... I never, as long as I live, want to ever be her. I would rather die than ever become a monster like her and hurt you. I should’ve considered your feelings and how she made you feel, and how that in turn makes you feel and what feelings it brings back on top of that. Please, baby, I love you so much and I’d never hurt you intentionally like she did. I worship the ground you walk on, and I... I’m so sorry, okay? Please, forgive me. I was acting like a grouchy brat, you came home, I thought you were being a dick to me, you actually weren’t, and it got out of hand. Please...” She wiped the tears from her eyes and cheeks with the sleeves of her nightgown.

He sighed through his nose and kissed her on her warm, wet cheek. “And I’m sorry I yelled at you and made you cry too. I’d never want to hurt you intentionally either. I will always love you, even when I’m hurt and furious with you. That’s why if you ever became just like Cassie or if you cheated on me... I would be destroyed. I forgive you and understand. Let’s move past this. I feel better now that we’ve made up and I’ve had time to deal with my feelings alone.”

She smiled and buried her face in his embrace. “I feel better now that we’ve made up too and we could talk again. I should be more sensitive of your feelings, I always really try to be because it’s the right thing to do, but especially since you’ve been hurt in a way years ago that you really shouldn’t experience ever again. You’ve been through that pain enough. You’re like a brave soldier who’s been through so many wars, and he doesn’t need to fight again because if he did, it could damage him in a way that would be catastrophic. You’re strong, Charlie, and you’re really brave. You deserve every good thing that could ever come to you, not the same horrible shit, but on a different day. I don’t want to be your mom or Cassie.”

“Oh, Rosie...” He kisssed her forehead. “You could never be Cassie, or my mother... don’t you ever think of yourself that way. I know in my heart you’re not. Let’s just move past this, okay? Let’s snuggle on the couch, watch people show us their beautiful objects, drink some eggnog, and eat some cookies.”

She giggled as he picked her up and carried her into the living room.

“I love you, Charlie-Chip.”

“I love you too, Rosie-Posie.”