#those two tags are Different only in principle

[omegalerc]

the messed up hair and flush in this pic.

[elexuscal]

Welcome to the Murderbot Diaries Fandom!

Hello, hello! Our favorite anxious half robot, half-human security construct has made it to streaming, introducing it to a whole new audience! While that leaves the temptation to put on our helmets and hide in the corner, I'm putting my best foot forward to mimic Dr. Mensah and welcome you all to our hab!

My intention with this post is to give a little bit of a guide to newcomers to get them situated, and generally just say hi.

What's Murderbot?

Murderbot is the titular character of The Murderbot Diaries, a book series by Martha Wells. Book 1, All Systems Red, is currently being adapted by a new streaming series on Apple TV. The (two) series follow a rogue ‘SecurityUnit’ as it befriends humans and robots alike, steals its freedom, and does what it can against the hyper-capitalist companies that rule much of the galaxy.

Spoilers Abound!

As far as we can tell, the (presumed first) season of the Murderbot show will cover only book 1 of what is currently a six-book series (with two additional short stories, and two more entries planned).

As such, there will be spoilers lurking in the tags! This includes future events, reveals, and characters.

If you're new and don't want to be spoiled, stick to the tags #Murderbot Show and #Murderbot TV. It's also a courtesy of fans of the book series to keep TV show discussion in that tag as opposed to the book tags #Murderbot Diaries and #TMBD. (Though I'm going to be honest, there's like a bazillion tags at this point so this might be a losing battle. Oh well, we try!)

Sharing Spaces

The fundamental themes are Murderbot are about the power of kindness and compassion, and the importance of respecting those different from you. Those are ideals I hope we can continue to foster as our little fandom grows.

What does that mean?

Primarily, it means recognizing that there are going to be different perspectives, and that's okay! Some people are really excited by an adaptation of the books they love; some are skeptical. Plus, of course a whole bunch of folks who have only just been introduced to MB via TV! All are valid! Let's not be rude to those who disagree with our own perspective.

It also means respecting different interpretations of the character and stories. We don't know how much the story of books and show are going to diverge; certainly, even faithful adaptations need to make changes to take advantage of a new medium. And indeed, even when you're reading the same text, people can come away with very different perspectives. We need to make room for all those perspectives to hang out together.

Identity and Representation

The Murderbot of the books is nonbinary, using it/its pronouns. There’s heavy emphasis in the text that Murderbot is wholly uninterested in both sex and romance, and it is therefore very commonly interpreted as asexual and aromantic, not to mention touch-averse and neurodivergent. As such, you'll find many folks from these communities within the fandom. Please try to be kind and respectful of these groups!

As always, the fandom principles of 'Ship and Let Ship' and 'Your Kink Is Not My Kink (And That's Okay)' applies. That said, it's a two way street, and there are ways to approach shipping that recognises why many other fans won't share your interests. Write shippy fic, draw shippy art, just tag appropriately and be respectful of ace and aro-spec identities as you do.

Respecting representation also extends to visual depictions of the characters! With a new show out, it of course follows that many people will be making fanart reflecting its cast! However, the books themselves are often very scant on physical descriptions, reflecting Murderbot's often laconic style. This leaves a bit of a blank canvas for fanart. While we're definitely going to be seeing a lot of fanart representing Skarsgard's Murderbot (as well as the rest of the show's cast), you’re also going to be seeing pieces  taking inspiration from other places, such the official book cover art by Tommy Arnold,  the voice actor of the audiobooks, Kevin R. Free, and artists’ own imagination! This means other interpretations of the characters in terms of racial background, build, and gender presentation. That's awesome! Let's keep enthusiasm for all ways of depicting this awesome universe going!

Fandom Is Fun

Above all, fandom is a place of joy, connection, and creativity. Be kind to others; block those who are bringing you down; share and emphasize the things you love!

If this is your first time finding Murderbot; welcome! I think you've got a real treat ahead of you. I'm glad you're here. 👋

[cheriladycl01]

Could you do SMAU for Toto Wolff with wife fashion designer!reader? He always goes to her events even though he's busy and she vice versa. Bonus : appearance by their son, Jack Wolff. Just something fluff and romantic. Add something else to it if you want to. Thanks!! :))

Dolce and Gabana vs Wolff vs Versace - Toto Wolff x FashionDesignerWife! Reader

Plot: It's coming to the annual Met Gala and you've got a list of celebrities you are set to dress in your brand, however there's one celebrity your all fighting for. Things are getting busy with that and being not even halfway through the F1 season!

Credit to 44lh for the GIF

"Baby? Can you ask Lewis round for dinner!" you call and he comes trotting round the stairs your son in his arms.

“Mumma” your son cries opening his arms up for you to take him and you frown not being able to hold him anymore so you walk over to the sofa so he can lay down with you.

“Hello baby” you grin nuzzling his nose with yours making him burst out laughing and hold both sides of your cheeks.

“So, Lewis for dinner?” You grin.

“Yes let me message him darling” he says pulling you in for a kiss before tapping away at his phone.

iMessage:

Toto: Hello Lewis, Y/N wants you to come over for dinner. I suspect it’s to ask you about the Met Gala.

Lewis: Ah, yes when should I come over?

Toto: Anytime that pleases you!

“Lewis!” You squeal in excitement as he walks through the door to your home. You pull him in for a hug. You were currently very pregnant with yours and Totos second child, only a few weeks away from your due date. But you never stopped working as, to you it wasn’t really work, it was a hobby that you got payed very kindly to do.

“Hello beautiful” Lewis smiles kissing your cheek before looking you over.

“God look how big she’s getting!” He smiles looking at your stomach making you smile at hold it happily.

“She’s been kicking a lot, she’s ready to come out and meet her uncle” you grin elbowing him a little before your son comes running in.

“LEW LEW” he screams wrapping himself around his uncles leg. Lewis laughs before picking him up.

“So, will you let me style you for the met gala?” You ask, and he laughs a little.

“Mmm I’ve already had a few people reach out to me…” he says cheekily and you gasp in mock horror.

“WHO! Tell me now!” You demand and he laughs.

“Dolce and Gabana and Donatella Versace” he admits and you gasp even more.

“Oh Lord, I can’t fight for you when I’m pregnant” you sigh knowing it would be hard work considering that Lewis had a brand deal with Dolce and Gabana.

“Y/N, chill i was always going to go with you anyway. I trust no one more than i trust you” he grins and you pull him into a bigger hug, regardless of the struggle.

“I promise your going to look amazing!” You grin and he nods knowing you’d keep that up!

y/user

Liked by themetgalaofficial zendaya and others

y/user: preparing for the met gala. Such an exciting theme for 2024! Got some of my faves on board already…

Tagged 12 people

View all 453 comments

fan1: she’s tagged Lewis, does that mean he’s attending and she’s styling him?

-> fan2: I’m sure of it! She’s married to his team principle so she has those connections!

toto.wolff: I’m so proud of everything you’ve done this year!

-> y/user: thank you my love!

fan3: shes such an icon, everyone and their mum is wearing her right now

lewishamilton: I’m excited to work with you again!

You’d worked hard for the last few months, after you’d given birth you got straight to working on your new summer line of clothing which you decided on two different themes.

You’d been a little more stressed, trying to keep up with work while looking after both the kids. But it was getting too much with Toto often away. You’d asked him many times to come home and help but he was so busy with Mercedes and how rubbish their car was this year.

It took a whole breakdown of you sobbing to Lewis on the phone saying you were thinking you’d have to stop out of the Met Gala because of the stress to get Toto’s attention.

He came home straight away, pulling you into a hug and giving you the time off you needed. You spent time at a spa, relaxing and spending evenings with your husband which you felt like you hadn’t done for months now.

Of course you didn’t end up dropping out of the Gala, and you’d turned down all the rumours that you were. The rumours being that Versase and Dolce and Gabana were going to take on all your celebrity clients.

“I’m sorry I haven’t been here for you more” Toto sighs and he cuddles into you and kisses all over your face and down your jaw and onto your neck.

“It’s okay, I love you so much baby” you sigh into him and the feeling of him being present.

y/userfanpage

Liked by y/user and others

y/userfanpage: some of Y/N Y/L/N most iconic met gala styles. I saw a thread that was similar on Twitter and thought I’d share my opinion!

Tagged 4 People

View all 97 comments

fan1: she is the icon, she is the moment

fan2: we gonna get loads of cool stuff this year, I can feel it!

“Can I have some design input” Toto says as he feeds your son while you feed your daughter.

“What do you mean design input?” You ask suspiciously.

Every time that he’d asked for this it had somehow been a ploy to incorpórate the Mercedes logo into something.

“Well I was thinking if you were styling Lewis you could …” he starts but you immediately shake your head and glare.

“No, no toto I - im not putting a Mercedes Logo on Lewis suit!” You cry with a laugh looking at him.

But Toto knew he had a few months to convince you.

iMessage

Lewis: Is Mercedes plan a go?

Toto: I’m working in it, I’ll get her to cave in soon.

Lewis: it’s gotta look slick okay?

y/user

Liked by lewishamilton and zendaya

y/user: I loved this years theme! Made some beautiful pieces on some beautiful people!

Tagged 12 People

View all 675 comments

lewishamilton: thank you for putting the merc symbols on the white lace, it made myself and toto very happy! ❤️

-> y/user: it took lots of convincing but I’m happy with the results! You looked fab Lewis!

fan1: y/n slayed

zendaya: my beauty, it will never get old getting styled by you - a true legend 🫶🏼❤️

-> y/user: STOP! You rocked it! 🍒

You walked along the red carpet Toto on your arm as you smiled for the cameras.

“Y/N who are you wearing tonight?” One of the paps cheekily calls making you grin in their direction as they snap a picture.

“Myself of course!” You shot back with a massive smile on your face that had Toto’s heart soaring. It was a rare day in which you and Toto were free of the little monsters you guys called your children and you were both lapping up the time with one another.

“Looking fabulous Y/N” another shouts and you are walking down the carpet, greeting everyone who you had dressed before you meet up with Lewis.

“Hello” you smile and he pulls you into a hug.

“Looking radiant as ever” he says spinning you round making you chuckle. Lewis was quite literally a part of yours and Toto’s family at this point and so you always were acting like this.

“Now it’s time to face the crowd!” You smile before entering in for a night at the mets.

y/user

Liked by toto.wolff and themetgalaofficial

y/user: never felt so close to my family than designing this one of a kind suit for my husband… and having my dress represent me as a person. What a wonderful night!

Tagged 3 people

View all 457 comments

fan1: the fact she literally made his a suit to wear … I’m crying 😢

fan2: they are my fav couple fr

toto.wolff: it was an honour to wear you my love ❤️

-> y/user: I love you so much! ❤️

Taglist:

@littlesatanicassholebitch @hockey-racing-fubol @laura-naruto-fan1998 @22yuki @simxican @sinofwriting @lewisroscoelove @cmleitora @daemyratwst @lauralarsen @the-untamed-soul l @thewulf @itsjustkhaos @purplephantomwolf @chasing-liberosis @summissss @gulphulp @starfusionsworld @jspitwall @sierruhhhh @georgeparisole @youcannotcancelquidditch @tallbrownhairsarcastic @ourteenagetragedy @peachiicherries @formulas-bitch @cherry-piee @spilled-coffee-cup @mehrmonga @bigsimperika @blueberry64857959 @eiraethh @curseofhecate @alliwantisadonut @dark-night-sky-99 @i-wish-this-was-me @tallrock35 @butterfly-lover @barnestatic @landossainz @darleneslane @barcelonaloverf1life @r0nnsblog @ilove-tswizzle @laneyspaulding19 @malynn @viennakarma @landosgirlxoxo @marie0v @yourbane @teamnovalak @nikfigueiredo @fionaschicken @0picels0 @seomako @urdad-hot @tinydeskwriter @ironmaiden1313 @splaterparty0-0 @formula1mount @styl1shl1v

[animeyanderelover]

Anon: Nsfw Hc’s for Sukuna?

Tw: Yandere themes, possessive behavior, obsession, sadism, isolation, abduction, afab reader, Sukuna is a heavy trigger warning, Nsfw, non-con, blood kink, public sex, bondage, blindfold sex, humiliation, blowjobs, gagging, degradation, dacryphilia, breath play, period sex, breeding, branding, murder

Tags: @lovley-valentine7

Nsfw Hc’s

🗾There’s one principle that has always applied to Sukuna and that will always apply to him. That he will always take everything he wants. Throughout his entire existence Sukuna has always indulged in his hedonistic desires, has killed and devoured humans all in the name of his own entertainment and pleasure. Reborn in a new era with new rules and morals, none of that changes. This all spills only disaster for you when you suffer the worst fate of all by becoming the object of Sukuna’s desire and obsession. In his eyes you are no equal. No, you are an object that he will solely use for his own pleasure and it takes no Einstein to realise what this means. To state it simply and painless, Sukuna couldn’t care less about your own consent. He takes you whenever he wants however he wants and the more you scream, cry or suffer the more he will revel in it all. A sadist to the marrow of his bones, there’s nothing but a pleasant tingling that scratches his brain when you are squished beneath his body, snot and tears running down your face as his thick cock rams into you, rearranging your insides. Everything Sukuna does, he does for his own pleasure and your suffering is his pleasure.

🗾You have to be prepared to be available for Sukuna all the time. It doesn’t matter what time it is, if the King of Curses wants to fuck you, you will let yourself be fucked. Spread your legs for him and let him pound into you like the fuck doll that you are. Go down on your knees and worship his cock with your hands and your mouth. Suck him off until he splashes his cum into the cave of your mouth and swallow everything obediently to not waste even a single drop. All you have to focus on is his own pleasure, your own needs and feelings are of no worth. After all isn’t the entire purpose of your existence now to entertain and serve him? To Sukuna it doesn’t matter that he fucks into your mouth so hard that your throat hurts for hours afterwards and you start gagging and heaving. No, if at all your pathetic display of humanity only brings him more sadistic joy and only pushes him on to keep tormenting you. He thrives on humiliation and degradation, often refers to you as his “fuck doll” or “whore” whenever you are forced to suck him off. Don’t deny him those tears of fear and humiliation or he will fuck you raw until you are nothing but a blubbering mess pleading him to stop.

🗾Literally doesn’t matter where the two of you are. Sukuna will pound into your pussy whenever he feels like it and nothing and no one can stop him. As with all things in regard to him it is best to try to never speak of your uncomfortableness too much as this is but an open invitation for Sukuna to inflict more suffering upon you. After all what better way to show the world how big of a slut you are than to have you bend over and loudly moaning whilst he hammers his cock into your soaked cunt? There’s nothing quite like it as he forces everyone through a traumatising experience. The one suffering more than anyone else though is always going to be you as you are the main star of everything. After all those people are nothing but a temporary audience for him until he has fucked you stupid and decides that he wants a small snack. All you can do is watch helplessly with cum-stained thighs as he slaughters all those innocent people before he returns between your legs, the ecstasy of death and fresh flesh aiding his arousal as he’s rock hard once more. Cry, give up or even pass out and it won’t make a difference. Sukuna will only stop once he is fully satisfied.

🗾Everything that will only add to his dominance will be used. However, no toys will be put inside of you. The only thing that will be stuck in any of your holes is his dick and nothing else. Everything else is only ever going to be garnish and never more. Sukuna still makes frequently use of it all. From bondage where he gets his hands on purpose on rough ropes that burn your skin and rub it raw so that he can watch the growing discomfort on your face to blindfolds that he forces you to walk around with before he even rips your clothes away, encouraging you to entertain him in a little game of the blind and helpless mouse and the predatory and superior cat. It only adds to your terror as one of your major senses is taken away, only his haunting cackles in your ears as you stumble and fall around only to eventually feel the cool air on your skin as your clothes are torn apart and one pair of hands pulling you closer by the hips, spearing you onto his erect cock with no warning nor preparation. Your neck is a common target as you look far too pretty with one of his hands wrapped around it, chocking and coughing as he slowly cuts your airways off.

🗾There’s no rationality to any of his cruelties aside from the sadistic kick of dopamine that the King of Curses receives every single time. It is all the motivation that you need. Especially during your period there is never a day where you aren’t fucked as you drive Sukuna crazy with a bodily phenomenon that you can’t even do anything about. He loves the taste of blood, especially your blood so if your body can’t help but be a free feeding station for him who is he to deny it? Your period week is the only time where it won’t be his dick but instead his tongue mercilessly thrusting into you, his face buried in the curly locks of your pussy. Your cramps are completely forgotten as instead you experience the pain of overstimulation over and over again until you’re shaking and sobbing, your whole body trembling. At times Sukuna doesn’t even let you wear anything to cover your lower body as he considers it to be a waste of material that will ultimately be torn apart by him anyways. It’s uncomfortable, especially when you have your menstruation and the blood stains your thighs but it is this sight that Sukuna finds all too arousing, the taste of you already lingering on his tongue.

🗾There is going to be a point in time where he will brand you, using his fire to burn his name onto your body whilst continuing to slam his hips against yours, the force and speed of his thrusts increasing as you start trashing and screaming around the moment the pain invaded your senses. You should worship him for it is only through his mercy that you are still even alive, should be honored that he chooses you as his cockwarmer and cumdumpster. In fact it is a special case that there are no other women he keeps as bedwarmers but even if they were, they wouldn’t last long. You’re always left in a rough shape after Sukuna is done with you and in multiple cases you are left unconscious as well. Deep scratches from not two but four hands, aching parts of your body where he squeezed too hard and bite marks all over you, ruining your skin. Often you aren’t even able to walk the next morning, the sharp and hot pain not enabling you to walk on shaky legs. Uraume tends to look after you whenever Sukuna has had his way with you. He knows that his servant is much more talented with such things than he could ever be so he leaves you in more capable hands.

[siryouarebeingmocked]

That list.

This just sounds like a dude who's kinda feminine. I've noticed that a lot of people seem to think being gender-non-confirming is the same as being enby.

Which seems kinda sexist, actually.

Given how most of these are from non-European cultures, gotta wonder if this particular thing is related to the revived Noble Savage idea.

...Ancient Greek Mythology? Really?

This just sounds like extremist Christianity. Like conversion therapy.

Ironic that the list Tena linked to included a Christian sect.

Assigned gender at birth = bad, assigned gender at some indeterminate later point = good?

I'm sorry, isn't this what pro-trans people are supposed to be against?

If you're claiming all of those identities are valid, then you're also endorsing multiple contradicting religious beliefs. And saying mutilating people's bodies in the name of the belief their bodies are inherently wrong is inherently okay.

You're endorsing Christians so extreme they make the actual Puritans look like National Baptists.

This is not logically consistent. In fact, it's awfully close to certain stereotypes of trans supporters.

When those total strangers want society, law, and government to validate their self-identity, it becomes everyone’s business.

And those are, naturally, very important to trans people. Explicitly, for many of them. 

For obvious reasons!*

Also, I love how this is coming from someone with an entirely ideological objection to Trump’s actions, who can’t explain how this will allegedly actually affect people.

Seriously, she threw her toys out of the pram.

renardtrickster tried (archive), and he had to use someone else’s line-by-line analysis, which is clearly not the one line point Tenafly made.

And that’s putting it generously.

Tena was implying that believing in only two genders and not non-binaries is the same as being anti-trans. Which it isn't.

A detailed analysis of Trump's Executive Order is trying to motte-and-bailey the argument. And Tena's own childish tantrums.

This is not the way to make an actual argument if you want to convince people.

Irony is, it's this exact same sort of disconnect from what normal people believe - maybe even normal liberals and progressives - that helped the Dems lose.

I also like how Renard's tags imply he's "arguing with pigs", when this whole thread was started by someone who was angry and confrontational and kept engaging with blatant bait and did nothing constructive.

The meanings of words are determined by usage. And  everyone I've seen who claims gender and sex are two different things is a pro-trans progressive person. And I'm not sure it's a majority belief even among that group.

Which suggests that they formed this belief out of ideological convenience, not working from first principles.

At the very least you can't act like it's a universally accepted fact.

*This is not the first time I’ve seen people imply that LGBT stuff should just be ignored, even though there’s a great deal of effort being spent by LGBT advocates on making it part of international, everyday discourse.

Same with a lot of Diversity™ stuff. They don’t want to address the criticism, so they say you’re wrong for even caring in the first place, even though that also applies to the supporters.

Though these folks are rarely so silly as to talk about apparent anti-LGBT discrimination at the highest level of American government and then insist LGBT stuff is a private matter. 

Which makes it extra ironic when Renard’s goalpost-moving defense includes talking about lack of government support for trans people as a negative.

[a-dragons-journal]

Genuine question, does our system need to label ourselves as ‘endo-neutral’? (Mostly because we just really, really cannot bring ourselves to care. Also people are people and we can’t care (low empathy))

I ask asking because I (and the system) are not involved in syscourse, and I’m not sure what to put in the tags to prevent people from being upset.

Ignore this ask if it is rude in any way (genuinely)

(This was written by the co-host)

If you want my opinion, if you want to say “we don’t want to be actively involved in syscourse,” that exact sentence is the only way to say it.

Personally, I’m kind of of the opinion that “endo-neutral” isn’t a real thing unless you’re “neutral” in the sense that you haven’t done enough research on it yet to have formed an opinion (which, that’s valid but a different thing than true neutrality). You can’t really be neutral on whether people are allowed to exist or not. Either you’re okay with people fakeclaiming other people, or you’re not. “Endo-neutral” just tells me you are okay with it, you’re just not actively doing it yourself - which is a little like this comic:

Y’feel?

This is not me saying you have to involve yourself actively in syscourse. As a matter of fact, I recommend you don’t actively seek that out, in most cases - it’s not really good for you, generally speaking. Not wanting people to drop syscourse on your doorstep is perfectly reasonable. But unfortunately, if you interact with other systems much, it’s probably going to come up eventually, whether you like it or not. Eventually you are going to be in a space where someone starts talking about how endogenic systems aren’t real, and you’re going to have to decide how to respond to that and whether you’re willing to tolerate it.

Ultimately, I don’t think you have to be emotionally invested to decide whether you think something is right or wrong. I know there’s probably some extra energy investment required for that for you, but unfortunately I think that’s just something you’re going to have to deal with, as harsh as that might sound. I don’t really see a way around it. Which, it’s as good a time as any to ask yourself - where do your morals lie? What basic principles do you build your morality on? Are they internally consistent, and if not, what needs to change to make it so? And if you follow those principles to their natural conclusion, what does that tell you about the situation you’ve been given?

(Also, entirely pragmatically, if your goal is to avoid people getting mad at you, “endo-neutral” in my experience kind of just gets both sides upset anyway - endo supporters because of everything I just said, anti-endos because anyone who tolerates endos is the enemy according to them. You’re probably better off just stating you don’t want to argue about syscourse to achieve that goal.)

But that’s just my two cents’ worth. Hopefully it’s good food for thought at least.

[kalaidekalou]

WIP WEEKEND

Thanks for the Tag, @nivasichakano !

I'm tagging with no pressure: @cweepa @captainlilyuniverseworld @nyxueaurelia

I've been sitting on MANY WIPs. But here's one that has been my little fun project in between my long fics WIPs.

It's a random bonus chapter I'm planning for A Pleasant Surprise:

Two sleek shopping bags swung from Gale’s fingers, though neither had been his idea. And that wasn’t including the other myriad of purchases Astarion had made for him earlier. He’d said he liked the color of a jacket. It was now being tailored. He’d mentioned the pattern of a scarf. They were having three boxed up. He’d lost track of how many things had been carted away to be shipped to the house later.

“You do far too much for me... You’re aware that you aren’t under any obligation or expectation to buy every single item I like, right?” Gale said mildly, as they passed a row of mannequins wearing designer clothing.

“I don’t have to—I want to,” Astarion replied, not even looking up from his phone. “You deserve only the best, my love. And anyway, I rather like seeing you dressed up and spoiled, my pet.”

It was hard to argue with that. Sometimes Gale hardly recognized how soft and precious he’d become under the care of his boyfriend. Jen often teased him about turning into a human version of one of those early-2000s pocket-sized Chihuahuas, being carried everywhere, wanting for nothing, and convinced they were the center of their person’s universe.

Which wasn’t entirely untrue, he supposed.

As they headed back to their car—walking, because Gale had refused the valet on principle—he noticed something at the corner of his eye.

epiKuriousity.

It was his Achilles’ heel... an upscale kitchen gadget and appliance store he’d only ever dreamed of entering before Astarion. Usually, he liked to think of himself as calm, collected, and above petty material temptations. But this place was different. This was the one store that made him into the diva Astarion so shamelessly encouraged. He tried to look away, but it was already too late.

“I saw that, my precious treasure!” Astarion grinned, grabbing Gale by both shoulders from behind. He pivoted them smoothly toward the entrance.

There was a feeble attempt on Gale’s part to act like he couldn’t possibly—

“You’ve… done too much for me today…”

“Tut-tut! What my baby wants, my baby gets.” Astarion pocketed his phone in his back pocket and took a few steps forward.

“Besides… you’re always slaving away over the stove for me... and all the while still solving the world’s energy crisis in your spare time,” Astarion puffed, tugging at Gale. “The least I can do is make sure your cookware is just as perfect as you are, my love.”

[minimalsizeconspiracy]

No-Google (fan)fic writing, Part 5: Obsidian

Storytime

In terms of how long I’ve been using Obsidian, well. Currently, a little more than a week ^^ And I’ll be honest, I’ll probably only use it for writing fic sporadically, because it’s proprietary software and I prefer Open Source (and I also love LaTeX too much, but that’s a different question).

The reason why I decided to give it a try in terms of writing fic was that I’ve been talking with others about moving to Markdown, Obsidian is Markdown-based and I’d been playing around with it in a different context for a while already. So, out of curiosity, I decided I’d try to write a story in Obsidian and see if it could live up to my demands.

Word/Google docs versus Obsidian

Again, Word and Obsidian do not work in the same way. If anything else I have described here so far can be compared to the way Obsidian works, it’s Zettelkasten. The same principle of “one note for one idea/scene/thought” also applies to Obsidian. Also like Zettelkasten, Obsidian relies heavily on connecting these notes by way of links, using tags to categorise/find specific notes and it also has the same feature of using folders for collecting “sub-notes”, which can be used for structuring in the same way the virtual desk is used in Zettelkasten. Actually, I would say that the main difference between those two is that Obsidian uses Markdown and a folder-with-subfolders structure, whereas Zettelkasten has its own file format and relies on XML behind the scenes.

Cost

The personal use version of Obsidian is free, so technically +1 for that. However, Obsidian is not Open Source. It is not free in the same way Writer, LaTeX, Zettelkasten and Markdown (= many MD editors) are free, the code behind it is proprietary. This does not have any impact on the cost, at least not at present, but there is a chance that at some point, the developers might choose to charge for private use of it. I think it’s unlikely, but. Just so you know.

File formats

Unlike Word, however, Obsidian relies on Markdown as its file format and stores every “note” as a separate .md-file in a folder. The “notebook” where all notes are collected is called a “vault” and it’s just one big folder with lots of subfolders. In other words, even if the software is proprietary, the files can be read and used without needing Obsidian itself. Which is really great, because again, it means you have plain text .md-files with your ideas, scenes and stories, and they wil be readable even if Obsidian as an app disappears.

+1 for that!

Features

What you need Obsidian for is the features. And of those, there are many. I’ll save words and say, read about Markdown features like bold, italics etc. here, but I really do want to talk about other features Obsidian offers that plain Markdown with an editor does not.

Firstly, an important feature that I talk about a lot is the export function. AO3 needs either HTML or RTF, fanfiction.net ODT or DOC(X). Obsidian can export to all of these, provided you install the Pandoc plugin. This is not the same as installing Pandoc on your computer; you need to install the plugin in Obsidian itself to use it. But as long as you do, you can export to whatever you like.

+1

Another feature very important for me when I tried Obsidian was whether outcommenting would work (again, I’ve talked about this here). Basically, what that means is that parts of the text are not exported when you export the rest of the note – such as comments to yourself, notes on what you still need to write in a scene or simply – as I use it frequently – stuff you wrote and don’t want to delete, even it doesn’t fit anymore. Much to my delight, it works in Obsidian as well, again because it’s Markdown and it works in Markdown. [text you want outcommented]: # will do the trick.

+1

Lastly, another plugin I would recommend is Smart Typography. It “[c]onverts quotes to curly quotes, dashes to em dashes and periods to ellipses”, as the description says, and that’s really useful if you use a regular keyboard layout to write, where you get the standard ' and ".

+1

Installing both the Pandoc and Smart Typography plugins is easy. Open the Obsidian vault settings (the little wheel you can see in the left lower corner, to the right of “example”, which is the name of the vault), Third-party plugins (which you need to enable) and then browse Community plugins by name and install and enable them. Done.

Now for the most important part: putting together a story.

If you want one big vault containing all of your stories, you need to create “folders” for every story and then store the single notes for that story in that folder. Personally, I prefer to have one vault per story, because I find it a lot easier to focus on working on one story at a time if I don’t have several other stories in the same vault. This, I want to note, is different to how I used Zettelkasten, where I generally had one big Zettelkasten containing all of my stories for a specific fandom. I don’t know why that’s different with Obsidian, it’s just that way.

In any case, the following examples are for when you have one story per vault. In this case, I’ve decided that I’m going to write a story involving the POVs of three different characters. I’m going to keep their respective pieces sorted by character, so I always know who’s talking right now. Every scene where that character is the main narrator gets its own note within the respective character folder.

This, in theory, is no different than what I do with regular Markdown. What is very useful in Obsidian, however, is that Obsidian offers the possibility to “embed” notes in other notes.

And that, in turn, means that just like with Zettelkasten, you can use one note to put together the whole story and move around scenes without ever having to worry that you’ll accidentally delete and lose texts while copypasting.

It works like this: [[name of note]] establishes a link from one note to another (useful if you want to connect different ideas). If you add ! before the brackets, like so: ![[name of note]], it means that the whole text of the linked note will now be embedded in the note with the link. Which will give you this:

And, because you’ve installed the Pandoc plugin, this will now allow you to export the note named “complete story” to HTML, ODT or whatever, and all of the linked notes will be exported into that file. You need to change the order of scenes or move one scene from chapter 1 to chapter 2? Just delete ![[name of note]] in chapter 1 and put it in chapter 2. You can also insert horizontal rules, by the way, which I have done here. These will also be exported.

If you need your story structured in chapters rather than as a whole, the process is analogue: one note per chapter, where you !-link all the scenes that belong to the chapter in question. Then, if you want it as a whole, create a note where you !-link the notes for the single chapters, done. Export at your leisure.

Embeds are hands down in my opinion the best feature Obsidian has. They offer a distinct benefit over other Markdown editors like Ghostwriter, KATE or Notepad++, because Markdown, other than LaTeX, does not come with a feature that would make it easy to include “child files” in a “parent Markdown” file that only includes the header and the child files in the order in which they should appear in the final output document. Thus, none of the three editors I like to use for Markdown can show me the whole story if I decide to create a separate file for each of the scenes, and that is really annoying, because it means that I’m back to cutting and pasting pieces of text from one part of my Markdown document to another. Which in turn increases the probability that I will lose something, and well. See Zettelkasten as to how I feel about that.

So that is definitely an extremely useful feature deserving a big +1 because like with Zettelkasten, it means you can move the order of your chapters and scenes around without running the risk of losing the actual text.

Interface

Something I find quite enjoyable is that there are a lot of “skins” made by the community that can be applied to Obsidian. This is important to me because, as the previous instalments have probably shown, I’m a big fan of simple, clean, customisable interfaces. I’ve tried several of the community-made skins already, and my current favourite is Cyber Glow – but there are also others I’ve found quite nice.

Again, skins can be installed via the wheel/settings button, and just to show it, the below is the vault from above with Cyber Glow enabled.

Syncing

One of the big benefits of Obsidian is that it comes with a syncing service. Yes, you don’t need anything else, you can just create an Obsidian account and your notes will be synced across your devices, even on mobile devices. And file versioning is an option (I’ll get to that in due time). And that is really great, because it’s a one-in-all solution.

If you don’t need or want that, you don’t have to sign up for it. You can also continue syncing your Obsidian vaults with your preferred service (Dropbox, OneDrive, GIT, USB etc.). But you can and it’s at least nice to have the option. Downside: sync is a paid-for service, starting at 4$/month for 1GB of storage. Which isn’t a lot generally, except you’re writing plain-text/Markdown, so your files are Kb-tiny in most cases, and it takes a lot of Kb-sized files to fill up 1GB.

Personally, I will say that I’d much rather pay 4$ a month and know that my stories are not going to be scraped for AI, but it’s really a decision everyone has to make for themselves. Just remember – if you aren’t paying for the product, you are the product.

Ease of use for Word/Google doc-users

It’s not intuitive in the same way as moving from Word to LibreOffice Writer is. At least having a look at some Markdown guides (linked over there) is important if you are going to use Obsidian. But as I wrote there already, Markdown takes you about half an hour to learn, if you don’t know it already. And yes, you’ll have to wrap your brain around the concept of “one note = one thought/scene/idea” as well, but honestly? In terms of cost-benefit ratio, Obsidian is probably one of the most rewarding transitions you could make if you’re looking to get away from Word/Google docs. My only gripe with it is really that it’s proprietary software, but otherwise? Definitely recommended.

Read No-Google (fan)fic writing, Part 1: LibreOffice Writer

Read No-Google (fan)fic writing, Part 2: Zettelkasten

Read No-Google (fan)fic writing, Part 3: LaTeχ

Read No-Google (fan)fic writing, Part 4: Markdown

[bloopitynoot]

What I Read This Week: 01/20/25

I am a librarian, and unrelated to stereotypes about my profession, I do read a metric shit-ton in a week. Most of it is fanfiction but hey, I thought maybe it's time I share my reads?

This is what I read this week:

1. A different kind of bun in the oven by jiejieaini (13,338)

Summary: The timer on his oven chimed and he hurried over to pull the bread out.

This is where Wei Wuxian’s day went awry.

Alongside the 5 perfectly baked loaves on the top shelf there was something he had never seen before.

A large egg.

The egg was too big to be a chicken egg, and he certainly wouldn’t have put one of those into the oven. It was nestled between two loaves, their crusts pressing against the shimmering shell which had a slight reddish hint to it.

“What the…what on earth lays an egg this big?” Wei Wuxian muttered to himself as he reached out his gloved hand to pick it up. “And where did it come from?”

He didn’t have time to contemplate this further. A moment later the shell started to crack. The sound was surprisingly loud, loud enough to make his fox ears flatten against his head.

----

Wei Wuxian accidentally becomes the father to a baby dragon. Thankfully his best friend Lan Wangji is there to help.  

This was a short little guy (for me) but so fluffy and domestic :'3

It was a perfect little cute vibe I needed before going into some heavy fics I have bookmarked.

I love wangxian as parents and this one was doubly blessed.

2. Heaven Official's Blessing by MXTX Chapter 19-23

Summary: Born the crown prince of a prosperous kingdom, Xie Lian was renowned for his beauty, strength, and purity. His years of dedication and noble deeds allowed him to ascend to godhood. But those who rise, can also fall…and fall he does, cast from the Heavens again and again and banished to the mortal realm.

Eight hundred years after his mortal life, Xie Lian has ascended to godhood for the third time. Now only a lowly scrap collector, he is dispatched to wander the earthly realm to take on tasks appointed by the heavens to pay back debts and maintain his divinity. Aided by old friends and foes alike, and graced with the company of a mysterious young man with whom he feels an instant connection, Xie Lian must confront the horrors of his past in order to dispel the curse of his present.

I've finished book 1 and am just over halfway into book 2. I'm reading about a chapter a day and live blogging the experience. you can follow along on the Bloopitynoot reads TGCF tag

NO SPOILERS PLS.

So far I am loving it!

3. The Weight of Honor by BillyBabear (7,325)

Summary: Wei Wuxian is a whirlwind of chaos in the disciplined halls of the Cloud Recesses, a constant thorn in Lan Qiren's side. Loud, unruly, and utterly infuriating, the boy seems determined to disrupt every principle the Lan Sect holds dear.

But when a Sect Elder crosses a line, Lan Qiren is forced to investigate. What he uncovers challenges not only his perception of Wei Wuxian, but also his unwavering belief in the fairness and integrity of the Lan Sect itself.

So listen, I am weak for Lan Qiren fics; specifically, Good Uncle Lan Qiren fics. I don't even think it's because of actually reading MDZS, but more so from fanon version of Lan Qiren; I just love this man.

This fic does such a good job of exploring Lan Qiren and his shift from assumptions to questioning himself and uuugh it is so good to see that growth.

A solid palate cleanser fic. Honestly if this premise was a long from I would be eating it up.

4. And Time Is But a Paper Moon by sami (139,032)

Summary: "Zewu-Jun. You once told me about a house surrounded by gentians, where you visited once a month, and how Lan Zhan still waited there, even when the door no longer opened."

Xichen feels light-headed. He feels shocked, and angry. He has never told anyone such a thing, but Lan Zhan is giving Xichen a look of utter betrayal.

"You told him?" Lan Zhan whispers. "When?"

Wei Wuxian takes Lan Zhan's hand. "About twenty years from now."

Wei Wuxian starts again from the beginning.

This won my poll on what I should read next! I have read it before but it truly is a comfort read. I would read this over and over again.

I recommend this series to literally everyone. Sami is such a solid writer

A solid soothing read before I get into the next fic which is bound to ruin my life.

5. Authorised Personnel Only by sami (1,407)

Summary: Mod Post: we are not responsible for your poor life choices and will not give them a platform

While I was reading the first in this very long series; there was an update for an interlude part from sami!

This will make absolutely 0 sense if you dont read the rest of the series.

It was fun though- I love the little social media conspiracy interludes.

6. This Is Not A Courtship (Said the Bridesgroom to the Suitor) by midnightsnapdragon (132,165)

Summary:

“Why doesn’t Hanguang-jun just ask his brother if he’s all right? Write him a note, or something?” Wei Wuxian winces. “You’re not technically supposed to do that when someone is in seclusion.” “So? This is his brother. Shouldn’t that be more important than Lan Clan’s three thousand rules?” “Aw, Jiang Cheng, would you write me notes if I were in seclusion?” “Yeah, to tell you to stay there.” “Jiang Cheng!” “Well, so what? It seems like Zewu-jun just wants to be left alone.” And Jiang Cheng can’t blame him. Sometimes it takes every ounce of self-control he has not to wade into the lily fronds and join the frogs in their screaming chorus at dusk. “What am I supposed to do about it?”

In which Jiang Cheng proves to be a questionable grief counselor but a faithful correspondent, and no one has seen Lan Xichen since his little brother's wedding.

This fic was so good

I am weak for a xichen healing fic- bonus if Jiang Cheng heals too and this had both

The romance was so slow burn, the tags do not lie. the miscommunication was incredibly written

7. Stepping Up by Tossawary

Summary: Shang Qinghua accidentally brings Luo Binghe in as a disciple of An Ding Peak instead of Qing Jing Peak. Thankfully, there don't seem to be any requirements that he step up and become the new villainous mentor figure, so he decides to ignore the problem until further notice.

Luo Binghe looking up to him is a dangerous sign. But as long as he keeps young Luo Binghe and Mobei-Jun away from each other, everything should be fine, right?

I am so soft for fics where the protagonist (who had a shitty life) gets a chance to have a better one- and this is very much that.

It was truly so wholesome :'3

The only thing that could have made it better is a part two LOL

Such a cozy low angst read

8. a candle blown out by RoseThorne (1548)

Summary: Gusu Lan takes in Wei Wuxian after Yu Ziyuan nearly kills him punishing him.

Very short fic but part one in the series rain falls and soaks into the earth

this is deeply upsetting- Wei Wuxian goes through something truly awful and does not cope well- so take a look at the tags before proceeding.

by itself this is a super depressing read

9. a ghost in the mirror by RoseThorne (1,497)

Summary: Lan Wangji is losing hope as Wei Ying withers away, but he keeps trying.

Part two of the rain falls and soaks into the earth series.

I am now 2/2 for crying with this series.

the ending is hopeful I swear, but man it was a ride.

10. this body yet survives by RoseThorne (57,250)

Summary: Wei Wuxian continues to recover from his traumatic near-death experience, and the cultivation world slowly reacts to the event as well.

3/3 I guess on the tears train. this is the last part of the rain falls and soaks into the earth series.

Still so much pain, but had a good ending

Yumeng siblings love in this fic! Also everyone taking care of wei ying

That's what I read this week :)

[nekoannie-chan]

Forced Encounter

Title: Forced Encounter.

Fandom: Marvel, Captain America.

Ship: Steve Rogers & Red Guardian.

Word count: 672 words.

Square: B1 & G1 “Alexi Shostakov/Red Guardian” & “Steve Rogers”.

Rating: Teen.

Summary: Two enemies, one same mission.

Major Tags: Work together.

Additional tags: My entry for @steverogersbingo Steve Rogers Bingo Round 4 (Card SB4004) and @marvelrarepairbingo Marvel Rare Pair Bingo Round 4 (Card MRP-066).

Links: Wattpad, Ao3, Spanish version.

@saiyanprincessswanie

My native language is Spanish, so I wanna improve my writing skills in English. Please let me know if you notice any mistakes, and I will correct them.

I don’t grant permission for my fics to be posted on other platforms or in other languages (I translate my work) or for the use of my graphics (my dividers are included in this). I created them exclusively for my fics; please respect my work and refrain from stealing it. Some people here make dividers that anyone can use; mine is not this type, so please look for the other people's dividers. The only exceptions are those I gifted 'cuz now belong to someone else. Please let me know if you find any of my works on a different platform and are not one of my accounts. Reblogs and comments are always welcome.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Marvel's characters (unfortunately), except for the original characters and the story.

Add yourself to my taglist here.

My other media where I publish:  Ao3, Wattpad, ffnet, TikTok, Instagram, Twitter. 

If you like it, please vote, comment, and give me feedback to improve my skills and reblog.

Tags: @sinceimetyou @unnuevosoltransformalarealidad @navybrat817 @real-fbi @caplanbuckybarnes @hallecarey1 @nana1000night @talia-rumlow @alexxavicry @azulatodoryuga @endlesstwanted @patzammit @kmc1989

It was a cold winter morning; snow fell on the city streets. Steve Rogers reviewed reports on an operation to be executed the next day.

Steve was sitting at his desk. Suddenly, the office door burst open, interrupting his concentration. Steve looked up, and although he was expecting this visit, he could not help but frown when he recognized the man in front of him.

“Red Guardian...” Steve said with a mixture of disdain and caution.

The man who had just entered was Alexei Shostakov. The two came from different worlds, with ideals and loyalties that not only opposed but clashed.

Alexei watched Steve from the doorway, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Rogers,” Alexei said in a low, heavy tone, as if every word had to be spoken with effort. “I hope S.H.I.E.L.D. is prepared for what's coming. And that, despite your... differences, we can work together on this mission.”

Steve slowly rose from his chair, watching his old rival with a mixture of distrust and disinterest. He knew the two did not get along, but they had to work together.

“Make no mistake, Shostakov,” Steve said, his voice ringing with a hint of irritation. “This is not a collaboration. This is a necessary evil. I do not trust you, and you do not trust me. But if we are going to stop these guys, we are going to have to do it together, for now.”

Alexei let out a heavy, mocking laugh, approaching the table.

“Ah, Rogers…” he said, almost as if he was enjoying the tension in the air. “Always so moralistic. As if your principles were not full of holes. But I know S.H.I.E.L.D. needs you. Otherwise, you would not have called me.”

“Stop talking and listen, Shostakov," Steve became serious as he picked up a map of the mission they would both have to carry out. “These guys are dangerous. They have nuclear weapons. And if we do not manage to stop them in time, this will turn into a disaster for everyone.”

Alexei walked over to the map, glancing at it before looking at it again, maintaining a defiant look.

“Do you really think I am afraid of your mission, Rogers?“ said Alexei, moving even closer to the map and pointing to a specific spot with his finger. “This is the place. But make no mistake: I am not your teammate. I am not your shadow. I am the Red Guardian. And if the plan fails, you won't blame me.”

“I know," Steve replied, his tone lower now but equally defiant. “But right now, there's no room for egos. We're going to have to trust each other, at least for this mission.”

The mission was long, difficult, and exhausting.

The bitter cold of the Siberian outpost seeped into their bones as they made their approach under the cover of darkness. The terrain was rough, and the snowstorm only made navigation harder. Despite the tension, they worked in sync when the time came—each one watching the other’s back while never lowering their guard completely.

At one point, they found themselves pinned down behind steel containers, gunfire echoing around them. Steve’s shield deflected bullets while Alexei launched himself with brute force at their attackers, clearing a path.

“Try not to get yourself killed, Captain,” Alexei shouted over the noise, panting, covered in blood and snow.

Steve grunted in response, “Worry about yourself, Guardian.”

Inside the facility, alarms blared. They had only minutes to find the warheads and deactivate them. Steve handled the codes, his hands steady despite the tension. Alexei stood over him, rifle aimed at the corridor.

When the final warhead was deactivated, silence fell. Heavy, stunned silence.

They looked at each other, chests heaving.

“That’s it,” Steve muttered. “It’s over.”

“For now,” Alexei replied. Then, after a long pause, he added, “You’re not as insufferable in the field as I expected.”

Steve allowed the faintest smile. “You’re still insufferable.”

They left the facility in silence, the snow falling heavier now, erasing their footprints behind them.

[vibratingskull]

Hello! I was thinking you said you didn't master Thrass yet how about you start "small" with him not been exactly the main character?

How about a F!reader she was in relationship with Thrass and by the time he died she is pregnant and she leaves to the empire.

Thrawn finds her in his exile. You could focus more on her relationship with Thrawn if it's easier.(?)

Obviously, this is just a suggestion not a request. You can totally ignore this if you like.

Art by @jorrmund

Thrawn and in laws... That sounds interesting

Thrawn & Chiss!F!reader

Tags : Hurt and little comfort

You apply the final touches with your brushes on your blue skin, finishing to perfect your traditional make up for the day. You check your coiffure one last time and rise on your feet to enter the salon and take your place. 

You’re alone at the tea house today, your two apprentices have their day off but that’s not a problem for you. Your first family was in the tea business for generation and educated you in its ways. You later trained your husband at this art when you entered the Mitth for your wedding. 

Now that you are in the human Empire, this traditionnal Chiss tea house that you built for yourself is the last bound you have to your former life. When Mitth’raw’nuruodo came back from his mission, distraught, his first action was to come to you and warn you about Thrass disapearance. Without thinking twice you prepared a bag and with Thrawn complicity you stealed a ship to fly after Thrass while pregnant.  

You were not letting your husband disappear when you had a baby on the way! 

You searched for him for a months, visiting numerous planets, meeting nuemrous species. 

To no avail. 

At some point you got lost in the chaos and end up in lesser space, the term was really close and you needed an hospital or a maternity to give birth to your baby safely. You had to give birth alone, without any familiar faces and surrounded by aliens. 

A chance there was a near-Chiss species, humans, who helped you in this trial. But traveling with a week old baby without any concrete destination and on unsafe routes was simply impossible and you had to stop. The danger was simply too great.  

So you worked different jobs to make ends meet, hiding your skin color or your shiny red eyes, you traveled across this city planet called Coruscant, changing apartments, sometimes running away from creditors and hiding somewhere  until things settles down. You saw the end of the Republic and lived through the first days of the Empire, keeping a low profile... 

Things could have gotten a lot worse if you didn’t hold on to your principles and bared your teeth to adversity. But you managed to gain some money, bought that building for next to nothing, renovating it yourself into a proper establishement worthy of Chiss standards, and now you have two trainees to train. They are nice girls, diligent and hard working with the will to do great and by the rules but they are still far from the Chiss excellence in the ways of the tea. 

You check your questi... datapad to know your shedules of the day. Lately you have more than 25 clients per day. It forces you to rush some aspects of the ceremony but it is still manageable. 

... 

Only one client? 

Weird. 

Your apprentice who took the reservation left a note. 

“Navy Officer who specifically requested the entire day to himself.” 

You sigh, annoyed. You are a tea house, not a pleasure house. You don’t stay an entire day here! What was she thinking when she took the reservation? You cannot permit yourself to dedicate a full day to a single client! 

A Navy Officer no less.  

You sniff with disdain. Another one of those men who thinks because he has money and rank everything is due to him! 

But what’s done is done now. You’ll conduct the ceremony as always and push him to the door and took the rest of the day to yourself. You will be able to come back home earlier and spend some time with your son. 

You lay down the pad and aligns all your ustensils on the clothe on the floor, seating heels on the little mattress dedicated to this effect. That’s when you hear the door of the salon open and steps entering the room. 

At least this Grand Admiral respects the schedule. 

You also notes he had the presence of mind to take off his shoes to walk on the tatami. Not all clients knows that. You begrugingly give him another point as you lay down the last utensil and turns towards your client, eyes closed as you bow down to him respectfully. 

“Welcome to the Primordial Tea house.” 

“I thank you Mitth’(Y/n)’(F/n).” 

You froze, opening your eyes in a shock. 

Before you, impeccably seated on his heels, raising from his bow and in a perfectly neat green uniform, stands another chiss. 

And not any Chiss! 

“Mitth’raw’ nuruodo...” You say with a white voice, barely audible. 

His expression is serene and aloof, but his gleaming red eyes shine with tenderness and a controlled joy. You are utterly speechless. Why is he here? What is he doing in this parts of the Galaxy? Why... 

“I rejoice seeing you thriving in this Empire, my sister.” He finally says before your resonnating silence, “You must have a lot of questions.” 

You look at him up and down, not believing your sight. 

But that’s him! Older by a decade but it is unmistikably him! Your husband’s little brother! 

Your own little brother now. 

“I... How?” You utter. 

“I was sent in a mission by the Ascendancy to find new allies and study this Empire.” 

You look at him with round eyes, feeling your hands starting to tremble on your knees. 

“I was terrified for you when you stopped sending me news years ago, but I heard rumors about a woman with blue skin and red eyes in this part of Coruscant. I had to verify it for myself.” He continues before your disarray, “I hoped with all my heart it was you, and I was not mistaken.” 

“Mitth... raw...” 

“Call me Thrawn, my sister. As you used to do back in the day.” 

“Thrawn...” You breath, heart clenching painfully, “Did you get any news? Anything?” 

His shoulders lower and he shakes his head slightly. 

“No. Nothing.”  

Your heart starts to bleed and a sob rises in your throat. 

“He will never come back...” You manage to say with a shaky voice, a tear rolling on your cheek. 

“I am affraid.” He concedes gravely. “Hope gets thiner by each passing day.” 

And you burst out in tears. You hide your face behind your hands, sobbing as you are forced to face your most horrifying fear. Thrawn remains silent, repectful of your pain. He lets you cry with compassion in his eyes. 

“I am truly sorry (Y/n).” He murmures. 

“Oh my warrior... What will I say to Thabim?” Your entire body shakes between sobs. 

Thrawn tilts his head. 

“Thabim?” 

You sniff unelegantly, going against the reserve and modesty of your role as a tea master, but frankly you don’t care at that moment. 

“Thrass’ son... Our child...” You gasp, trying to breath. 

Thrawn’s eyes round up slightly, clearly taken by surprise. 

“You had a child?” 

You nod as tears fall down from your cheeks to your folded legs, soiling your precious traditional attire for tea ceremony. 

“We didn’t want to announce it to the family just yet... It was supposed to be a surprise...” You pull on your collar to open your attire and take out a medallion that you open, revealing an old picture of you and Thrass together. 

Smiling. 

Carefree. 

Simply happy to be together. 

You still remember vividly the day you announced your pregnancy to your dear Ch’acah. Thrass was checking files on his questis when you agitated the test under his gaze. Surprised, he threw his head backward, hitting the back of his skull against the bedrame. You chuckled as he massaged his painfull head, turning his gaze to you, wondering what you wanted to tell him. You showed him the test again with a big smile and saw the shimmer of his red gaze intensify by ten fold. He jumped out of the bed, seized your hips and made you spin in the air, laughing loudly, before embracing you, pulling you into a deep kiss, happy and hopefull. 

Now he is lost... 

You press the medallion against your heart, forgetting Thrawn’s presence because of the pain. Thrass hide the same pendant under his sydyc tunic. You fold your body in two in a soothing gesture. You feel Thrawn’s hand seize your shoulder gently, squeezing it softly. 

“I am sorry (Y/n).” He repeats  

“It is so painful...” You cry. “It feels like I’m hoing to die!” 

“Yes.” He agrees, “It is the most terrible pain. But you are not alone anymore, I am with you now. I will help you and Thabim.” 

You raise you gaze to him, full of pain and pleadings. 

And you throw yourself in his arms, all etiquette be damned!  He frozes under your touch, taken by surprise once more. You squeeze him tight, burying your face in the crook of his neck, soiling his uniform with your tears. You feel him responding to your hug after an hesitation, caressing your back comfortingly and circling your shoulders. 

“I am here now, sister. And I will remain.” 

You hiss in your pain, breathing with difficulty with your lungs so tight. 

“Thank you brother... Thank you...” 

@bluechiss @thrawnalani @justanothersadperson93 @al-astakbar@thrawnspetgoose @readinglistfics @elise2174 @debonaire-princess @twilekchiss @pencil-urchin @ineedazeezee @mssbridgerton @dance-like-russia-isnt-watching @Cortisolcosplay @obbicrystaleo @germie2037

[reinanova]

so you're new to ao3

and want to learn how to find and filter fics. then boy oh boy is this post for you

(this is going to be a Long post so I'm adding a read more break now)

but where to begin? i personally like to search by fandom or by ship. there are two ways to go about this:

search the fandom, then click on the first link for the fandom you find:

2. click on fandoms in the upper left corner and find your fandom in the giant list of fandoms

(Same concept applies for searching for a specific ship)

Great! now you're in the search results of all the works in that fandom! I'm now going to introduce you to your new favorite button: Filters

When you click on the filters button, the filters menu pops up. There are two main ways to filter works: including tags and excluding tags.

the Include Filter

before we begin: keep in mind that ao3 shows you the most popular tags under each filter. if what you're looking for isn't listed, you can use the search boxes under each filter category to find what you want

Ratings and Warnings

If you want to read a fic with a specific rating or a specific warning, this is where you select that. I personally prefer to use the exclude filter to filter out the ratings/warnings I don't want, but that's up to you. (Notice how you can only pick one rating: if you want to only read one rating, this is great for you. if you want to read anything except a certain rating, that's when exclude is your friend)

Categories and Fandoms

This is great if you want to read a specific slash or a crossover with a specific fandom. (I personally don't use these filters)

Characters and Relationships

this is the good stuff. here is where you can pick the relationship(s) you want to see. If you select more than one, you will only see results that include all of the selected options. The relationships filter is my favorite include filter--utilize it!!

Additional Tags and Other tags to include

want to read fluff? hurt/comfort? this is where you go. If the tag you're looking for isn't on the list under Additional Tags, you can search for the tag you want. ao3 will start to suggest tags, so you can select what you want from that list.

we have now reached my favorite part of the ao3 filtering system:

the Exclude Filter

ao3 operates on a don't like, don't read principle. the exclude filters exist for a reason: USE THEM!!!! i love the exclude filters and use them for every single search

Ratings, Warnings, Categories, and Fandoms

This seems pretty self-explanatory. Let's say you don't want to read fics that are not rated and fics that are tagged as major character death, but every other rating or warning is fair game. Boom, you've excluded them from the search results.

Characters and Relationships

Don't want to read a fic with a certain character or ship? You can get rid of all of them from the search results. For example, if you don't want to read any /Reader fics, you can filter those out here

Additional Tags and Other tags to exclude

Anything else you don't want to read about? maybe it's something that is a trigger for you, or something you just aren't into. Maybe there are specific relationships not listed under the relationship filter that you want to exclude. you can exclude those tags here. The exclude tag search feature is great for this.

More Options

there are some more ways to filter fics, including crossover status, completion status, word count, date updated, and language. Let's say you don't want any crossovers and you want to read a work in progress. you would select Exclude crossovers and Works in progress only here.

One last thing before you hit sort and filter!

You can sort the results by a variety of different features, like date updated, hits, and kudos. Be careful tho--sometimes some of the best fics you'll read will be the ones that don't have the same number of hits and kudos as the "popular fics" so don't judge a fic by it's numbers

That's it!! Now you're ready to sort and filter the results to your heart's content! This button is at the top and bottom of the filter tab for your convenience :)

Based on the filtering, your new search results will appear. Now you can read what you want and ignore the rest!

In summary:

Including: will show you only the results that have ALL of the included tags

Excluding: will show you results that have NONE of the excluded tags

Don't like, don't read! ao3 is an archive, not an algorithm--you have to search out the content you want yourself. hit the back tab if you don't like the fic you're reading

Remember to leave comments and kudos to make an author's day!!

[seanwinchester]

20 Fanfic Author Questions

oh boy, thank you @quietwingsinthesky for the tag <3 this ought to be quick (and unentertaining) as I've only ever written a handful of fic, but here we go

1. How many works on AO3?

only 2 for now. I've got a couple more drabbles on my tumblr but that's it

2. Total AO3 Word Count?

1,843 (maybe one day I'll manage to write sth longer than 1,5k... dare I say even reach 5k? one can only hope)

3. Top 5 2 fics by Kudos

Brother? Brother. has more kudos than you're an angel, i'm a dog for less hits, which I suspect has something to do with the difference in filthiness level (lol)

4. What fandoms do you write for?

Spn/spn rpf only (though I've had ideas for other media, I've just never been passionate enough about those to write them)

5. Do you respond to comments?

I do! (it's not like I get thousands of them lol)

6. Angstiest Ending?

well between the two, definitely you're an angel, i'm a dog

7. Fic with the Happiest Ending?

... the other one. though both of these are one shots/single scenes and not full stories, so there's no real beginning nor end

8. Do you get hate?

not famous enough to <3

9. Do you write smut?

yep, one if not both of these are smut, and I've got a couple more smutty wips on the stove

10. Do you write crossovers?

I haven't yet but I've thought about it. I told @liamgallaghermpreg about a spn x shameless crossover idea once, and a couple years ago I wanted to write a spn x twilight crack fic but I never got around to finish it. I'm rewatching gilmore girls currently though, so that might be something fun to explore :)

11. Ever had a fic stolen?

not that I know of

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

No, but as I am a translator myself, I did think about translating my own fics. The only problem is... that writing smut in french feels awkward af lmao. I can't do it Also spn is just so American™ in my head that I can't think of them speaking french. It's too weird

13. Have you ever co-written a fic?

I haven't, but I'm open to try it if the opportunity arises

14. All time favourite ship?

you already know it, wincest my beloved <3. j2 is a very close second though

15. WIPs you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I have plenty of doomed wips on my phone and laptop but I've only ever posted finished stuff for now, so no publicly available ones

16. Writing strengths?

I think my dialogue is alright, or at least it's getting there (it really depends from fic to fic)

17. Writing Weaknesses?

intricate descriptions and emotions in english. It's like I always forget every word I know and suddenly I'm googling shit like "expressions for sad", "words to describe light", "how do you say [insert french word] in english" (> and I end up not liking how the equivalent sounds so I have to find another way to say the thing). a nightmare I'm telling u

18. Thoughts on mixed language dialogue?

not against it on principle, but it has to be done right. I probably wouldn't try to pull it off in a language I can't speak. I only remember reading one fic with mixed french and english dialogue and it felt weird and unatural bc the author clearly didn't speak french, and the words they chose to translate wouldn't necessarily be the kind of words french people would say in their native language when speaking english.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Spn, my one and only <3

20. Favourite fic you’ve ever written?

I was pretty proud of you're an angel, i'm a dog when I posted it, I think some lines in it are great, and it features a kink I've wanted to explore for a long time. Though I think my best fic is one I haven't finished yet

I really don't know who to tag for this lol. let's go with @liamgallaghermpreg, @according2thelore, @hellhoundlair, @allthebestcowboyshavedaddyissues, @spnyuri, @schizosamwincester and as usual whoever else wants to! took me so long to answer all these questions but it was fun and i'm curious to see what the mutuals have to say hehe

[the-clara-dolls]

OMG I saw your tags on that one post, and I would die to hear your Homura thoughts! I love all the Homura art you reblog! What things do the fandom do that mischaracterize her so much that you can tell in 3 words that they see her differently?

Oh dear oh dear, I've opened my thoughts up for examination.

I have a lot of thoughts about Homura, and I'm a lot better at expressing those through fiction than I am just talking about her. I'm also hesitant to actually point out what sort of attitudes I hold in contempt because I'm a fan blog, but there's definitely some things I can share. Keep in mind that nothing I say here is intended to be a sincere criticism, but simply a matter of how I, personally, interface with fan media surrounding PMMM (and Homura in specific):

There's a whole genre of post that basically starts with "OMG PMMM is sooo crazy like imagine that..." and then roughly recounts the plot from Homura's perspective: of being trapped in a never-ending labyrinth of suffering to save your crush, only for her to turn into a metaphysical principle / god. The reasons I just instantly scroll past things like that are twofold:

One, I think simultaneously adopting a hyper-literal "imagine all of these events as things that happened to you" perspective and a "this is so buckwild and weird" perspective at the same time distorts what it's trying to represent - that is, Homura's perspective. Rather than directing the reader to actually imagine Homura's perspective, it says "imagine Homura's story as it would look to me, the viewer." If you want to imagine things from a character's perspective, you need to also imagine how they think and feel, and how that's different from you, the viewer.

Two, these sorts of posts almost always frame Madoka as Homura's crush, or her girlfriend, and not the thing that actually makes Homura's wish meaningful: Madoka is the person who saved her life. Not only did Madoka literally slay the witch that would have caused Homura to kill herself, Madoka also instilled her with a will and purpose to continue living. Up until near the end of Rebellion, I think that Homura's romantic feelings for Madoka are always secondary to the fact that Madoka saved Homura from her own emptiness.

2. Basically anything that's got a comedic tone with a punchline about how Homura's feelings towards Madoka are unrequited. This stuff bothers me less, because I mostly see it as an easy misinterpretation of the text that is downright valid if you haven't watched or don't like to think about Rebellion. I just don't like it because it makes for a less interesting dynamic (and a less-interesting Madoka, IMO).

3. I think this is a pretty common attitude among Homura enjoyers, but anything that tries to paint Homura as either totally selfless or totally selfish makes my eyes glaze over.

4. Homura "would sacrifice the world for Madoka" or similar type stuff about how Homura is completely ruthless in pursuit of saving Madoka. Like. C'mon. You're the viewer, isn't it a little pathetic to fall for the facade she puts up? Think about how hard she tries to talk Mami into cooperation, how she tries to prevent Sayaka and Kyoko's feuding, how she is the literal last one to resort to violence among the magical girls in the TV show loop. Even her threat to kill Sayaka only comes when Sayaka is on the verge of transformation, and only after Sayaka refuses all help to avoid her own death in the first place.

I guess all I'm trying to get at with this one is like... Homura isn't ruthless. She's not even particularly violent. She cares about her friends. She doesn't want to hurt them. And, unlike Madoka, I'm not sure she even has the stomach to truly hurt them if it came down to it.

I've got plenty more homura thoughts, of course, and if you're a fan of that sort of thing, I've got quite a few fics with her as the PoV or love interest on Ao3. She's a fun gal.

[enkisstories]

Hux: "Something's off. Different from when I left you in here. Can't put my finger on what ex... Hey! What are you wearing!!!"

Rose: "Casual *gulp* wear."

Poe: "I bet you weren't aware that your printer can do t-shirts! Like the designs?"

Hux: "You'll pay for those dyes! I'll sell you to the absolute worst mining company on Jakku!"

Finn: "I thought you wanted to execute us after the race?"

Hux: "On principle, yes. But not before I have my money back!"

Rose: "So you'll sneak into the mine trying to assassinate company property. Sounds like a Hux plan alright."

The General rises wordlessly. He walks a couple of steps and puts his empty glass down on the desk. The silent "clank" sounds like a bell strike in the quiet room.

There hasn't been a single of his plans that hadn't worked, Hux thinks. The General had suffered defeats, but only ever due to the human factor, or unexpectedly changing circumstances, never for a flaw in his strategies!

But despite this it's far from the first time the man has to listen to slander, be it to his face or whispered just loud enough for him to overhear. Hux is in the habit of taking names and getting even (sometimes two decades after the fact).

What's wrong with me, the General wonders. These are vermin, stains on the world order. Nothing they say should hold weight. And yet it feels as if a cherished pet had bitten me.

Poe: "Rose? I think you just hurt the feelings of the butcher of Hosnia."

Finn: "I wasn't aware he had feelings, soooo..."

Rose stiffens on the couch. The killer of Hosnia... Of course Hux is that, too. But to her this man will always first and foremost be the one who had destroyed her homeworld's ecosphere by means of the bombers he had modified to function as incredibly efficient strip mining devices. Before the First Order had used Hays minor a weapons testing ground, General Hux had already stolen the sky from Rose Tico.

---

Notes:

Originally the t-shirt Rose is wearing was made for her by Hux in Emperor's Return. EmperorsReturn!Hux had a full year of disillusionment with his First Order behind him than Walkerchallenge!Hux, of course.

If you came here via the gingerrose tag, here is the link to read the Walkerchallenge chronologically.

[uyuartik]

othello ch.3| anakin skywalker x reader

tags: othello au mini series, no major character death (just want to make that clear), borderline dark fic, aND NOW DEAR READERS WE GET TO SEE THAT DARKNESS, FILTHY SMUT, kinda hate s*x, jealous ani, reader is in her discovery era, BUT I SWEAR IT'S ALL CONSENSUAL, oral sex(fem receiving), piv sex, bondage but not really, restriction? is it called that?,

summary: The celebrations end, but the night doesn't.

a/n: welcome back! this is *the* chapter we've all been expecting, i think. i'm still shocked that i wrote this, it is so different from my usual style. but the parasites in me wanted this on paper, so here we are! i hope you like it!!!

don't forget to leave likes, reblogs and comments! it means a lot!

also crossposted on ao3!

word count: 3168

prologue | ch.1 | ch.2 | ch.3 | ch.4 | ch.5 | finale

chapter 3

That was not the only acknowledgment he gave you that night.

Days of hate and yearning; love and lust came over him after that sentence, and he found his way to your room again, well past midnight. You were brushing your hair with an absentminded frown littering your pretty face, but the moment you saw him enter, it transformed into the loveliest smile he’s ever seen, then quickly disappeared for a variety of reasons. Fuck, he hated to see it fade away, see you abandoning out of your chair yet standing next to it, not reaching out to him like you always do. A little afraid, a little too angry to do so… You were the more contained one of the two of you, as always, yet he always had the ability to see those emotions behind bars, and held the spare keys.

“My Lord.” Your voice couldn’t contain the excitation of having him in your chambers, though. “Can I help you in any way?”

“Yes, yes you can.”

And he was grabbing you, stealing a deep, dirty kiss.

For a second, your shocked whimper which was successfully muffled by his lips was your sole reaction, but then the wanting overcame you- your hands cupping his face, raising on your tiptoes to be closer, trying to keep up with this strange rhythm. Anakin was the only man you’ve ever kissed in your entire life, and he was always sweet, treating you like you were a flower he was afraid to crush. Even when things got heated (and it did), he would always try to keep things where you could function too. But now, he seemed to have forgotten that principle, just drinking in your soul. That’s how it felt like, the breath stolen from your lungs, all voices drowned, the need for an explanation never a priority. He sucked on your lips ‘til they were swollen and numb, and occupied your mouth with his tongue, a challenge you didn’t fight to win anyway. The grip on your chin was borderline painful, and your weak point, your puppet string which he mastered. The wetness of your messes threatened to spill from the corners of your mouth. Filthy, so filthy.

He held your waist, pulling you to himself so tight that your balance was entirely maintained by him, but there was something different about this proximity, this way of touch. It was as if he didn’t hold you to be closer, seeking your warmth, but more like he groped you, conquering every inch of your skin again, declaring that it was his.

The man in front of you was somebody else, you could’ve sworn. It would have scared you.

But all in your questions and dead protests, you came to realize that you enjoyed it, perhaps not as much as when he was adoring you, but you did. There was no explanation you could make about it. You saw the storm in his eyes, but that blue was still thecolor of the sky you had memorized.

Thus, when the two of you eventually parted, you didn’t push him, or take a step back. You stood there with your mouth agape, trembling with each shallow breath, and that glimmer in your eyes telling a different story than just a stupor. Your cheeks reddened under his piercing stare, but you still didn’t want to let him go, clutching to his shoulders.

“You liked it, didn’t you?” The scorn was obvious. Did other men treat you like this too? Did you let them?

“I-“ You stuttered, not able to find the right words, not able to utter them out of shyness.

“You little whore.”

You flinched and shrieked, taken aback by the insult. How could he ever use that word against you?

“I’m not-“

“Let’s see, shall we?”

It took you a couple of seconds to understand what he meant as you were tossed to the bed, the soft material bouncing under you a few times. He was over you in a blink, knees planted on the sides of yours, haphazardly trapping your night between him and the bed, the fabric of your nightgown taut over your body. He found your lips again, ready for his taking, but you were not as trapped as you looked, and you were beating him on his own game with those hands, prompting him to devour you further, reaching for his neck, clinging, pulling him closer, touching him the way he likes to be touched, (that was nothing special actually, because, he liked your touch, each and every way your fingers traced him).

How could he hate you?

How could you hate him?

It was about the trust you had in him, knowing all his aversions are reserved for the battlefield and nowhere else, knowing he’d never hurt you deliberately, knowing a word from you and he would stop, anytime. Even with all the plots and mystery, you still held onto each other, desperate for the other. You didn’t shut down his advances, defying his tests by being your authentic self, and he couldn’t stay away from you, even while the accusations still dwelled in his mind.

“Ani, what’s going on?” You whined.

“I think you know what’s going on.”

The answer was so appalling that you were left mute.

You remained stuck as he traveled downwards, a path that would’ve taken him so much longer before. But now, he trashed the fabric up up up your body, the big fat lumps of white stacked on top of your belly, revealing just enough for what he had planned.

He was craving your taste for so long.

You cried out when he parted your legs, and delved right between them. At first, you winced when the cold air hit your core, but the more shocking thing was his very audible sniff, brushing his nose up your skin like he wanted to fill the entirety of his lungs with your scent.

Yes, that was how much he has been craving you.

Gasping, your hands flew up to his hair, albeit with a little difficulty. Your craving for him was not any different. Even in this intimate position, you needed to hold onto him further. He would try to hold your hand while he did this, it had always been the case for the two of you. He adored how your relatively tiny fingers grasped his so tight that they could actually bruise or even break, he liked how you tugged on his hair, that little short yanks as you lost control for a second, and regained it, afraid to hurt him. God, you missed his chuckles when he stopped to reassure you about it. But now, there were only groans, animalistic sounds as he seized you with his tongue, burrowing into your hole while he drank your essence to the last bit. You grasped his tresses a few times like before, short yanks before you came to your senses, and he couldn’t stand it.

Actually, he couldn’t stand the way you were the same.

If you were not as innocent as before, why couldn’t he sense it in your touches? How could it exist, and not have a trace in the twinkle of your eyes? How could your voice waver most naturally, most randomly as you were subjected to unimaginable accusations if you were truly guilty of them?

With more questions muddying his mind, he reemerged from his position, ripping your hand away. you opened your eyes, rising- til he stopped you, and with a flip you found yourself in a completely different position, on your hands and knees. For the first time, ever.

“Ani!”

You’ve pleaded his name before, but this time it was different- and he froze, waiting for your intervention.

But it didn’t come. It wasn’t a warning. You were starving too. Involuntarily arching your back, falling onto your elbows as if presenting yourself, urging him to keep touching you. His hold on the back of your thighs traveled up, ‘til his right thumb was pressing on your clit. That alone was enough to steal a sigh from your lips, an indicator of your willingness. Poor you, just needed a second…

“Cat got your tongue, my poor wife?” He tried, one last time. “Tell me what you need, I am not as cruel as them.”

Them? “I- I need you. Only you.” You whispered, burning with the exposure, and lust. Of course, the change was abrupt, but you were not opposed to it, especially when you were with him.

Thus, he got to revel in your essence once more, the fabric of your nightgown draped over his hair, essentially covering his head, and he was engulfed in you, your taste, your softness, your perfume… He basically pushed his nose right through your folds, stimulating you in the strangest way, while his tongue worked over your clit, chasing that pearl as you failed to contain your hips. While the two of you never kept things chaste behind the doors of your bedroom, this was about the most scandalous position you two ever shared. Your heart donned its wings and flew out of you just at the thought of it, knowing this wouldn’t be the last time you’d think about it, knowing one day you might ask for it again.

You lasted so short, for it was impossible to keep your every neuron from firing with these new sensations. You shook and shook, your legs only kept up with his support, leaking all across his face. Your sounds were half-muffled by the pillow you’ve buried yourself into, and you stood like that some time, just trying to process it all and he watched you, caressing your inner thighs. When he retracted his hands to undo his trousers, you whimpered, and fell to your side- or you would’ve fallen, if he didn’t catch you. The firmness of his hold was a clear warning, and you whimpered again, now knowing what he intended to do, besides the ache in you to reach out to him growing unbearable.

You heard the clothes fall to the floor, and your chest panged with how handsome he looked in the moonlight. Of course, you could only see half of him as your neck could only rotate that much. You didn’t even realize you held your breath, watching him locate himself between your legs once more, goosebumps rising on your skin with the anticipation of his next touch. Still, the expectation never lived up to the real sensation, dragging his cock through your wet folds with a loud squelch that reverberated in the silent room. You pushed back without a thought, and one of your hands reached backward, begging for him to take it, like he wasn’t already touching you. He took it- though it was your wrist he held, and he pressed it against the low arch of your back, your elbow bending.

“Are you going to behave?” He hissed, “Are you still my good wife?”

You nodded, your hair rubbing against the sheets in an unflattering way, one last flex of your fingers. He dragged his length across your entire pussy again, for he couldn’t contain himself nevertheless, his desire for you so great-

“Say it.” He reminded.

But, your answer was not what he expected. “I love you.” You said, breathlessly. “I love you. I want you- I’m trying to be good for you.”

What a shame, for the words “you already are” traveled all the way to his tongue, but wasn’t let out. Instead, he decided he was covered in your slick enough, and pushed the tip of his cock in. He could feel every hitch in your breath, every small sound of pleasure you let out, the sinful furrow of your brows challenged him greatly, with your words still echoing in his ears. He never wanted to hurt you, so he took great care in going slow, agonizingly slow, despite the wish of his primitive self. There was always the fact that he never took you in this position, and you were already on edge because of it.

You shuddered when the tops of his thighs met yours, going mad with how deep was in you like this, how good it felt, even though you couldn’t see or touch him properly. “Please move, my love.” Your plea came after a few seconds, and when he got the permission, he used it.

The first roll of his hips elicited a moan from you, your voice split in two by the thrust. Then, another. Even the barrier of expensive sheets wasn’t enough to mute them as you squirmed in pleasure, the yearning of the week before dissolving in a way that made you more delirious, and you felt like the world was showing you another layer of life, how love could be manifested without gentleness, and still feel this good, this pleasurable.

Anakin didn’t prefer this arrangement, not on most days. He favored seeing your face; your shy gaze turning hungry, the giddy eye rolls when he taunted you with “See something you like?”, your eyelids closing with tiredness- he’d die for every single detail his eyes could capture. But seeing you writhing with bliss unlocked something in him at that moment. He snapped his hips harder, burying himself deeper, a bulge prominent in your lower belly that he could feel with his fingertips, and abusing that sweet spot in you. You were dizzy with the inability to fill your lungs with oxygen- but then again, you were convinced you needed him more than you needed oxygen. His touch, the fact that he was touching you, being with you… Right now those were the matters that kept you alive.

The way your pussy gripped him, almost making it impossible for him to pull back- the struggle was evident in his rugged exhales, deep groans leaving his mouth louder than he intended to. With each sound he produced, you quivered against him. The desperation you had for him never failed to make him surprised. You hadheld him in every way before, wrapping your arms around his shoulders, holding onto his biceps, burying yourself in the crook of his neck… But now, you had no such chance, yet, you held onto his voice. It only fueled him further ‘til-

“Anakin.” He stopped at once. “Please, I want to touch you.” It was more than a wish, like a necessity.

He obeyed.

“You want to touch me?” He teased, still gripping your hand. You expected him to release you at any second, and pull out, that dreaded empty feeling disturbing you, but he did none of those things. With his free hand, he pulled your middle flush with his chest, letting your head rest on his shoulder. A few stray pieces of hair fell to the middle of your face, but your deep exhale blew them away. He watched it happen, your lips opening up, slightly shaky with the air leaving. This was surely one of the moments that would come back to haunt him as he died, one of the memories that flashed in front of his eyes.

Your free hand held onto his, meeting below your ribs, and your gaze consumed him. Without delay, you held your end of the bargain and reached for his mouth. You felt him twitch inside you, and continued to kiss him with greater need, your thumb brushing his arm repeatedly. He was proud of the way you did the most of it, even with one hand behind you, plucking the control out of him with such gentleness that he didn’t mind at all. He almost lost track of the situation, solely focused on the movements above your waists. Honoring the instinct to follow the curve of your body, his hand traced the underside of your tit, then your nipple, all with your hand glued to his arm. The thin fabric provided no obstacles for you to feel every catch of his callouses.

It was only when you fell to his shoulder again, breathless, that he was reminded of your previous activities. Maintaining eye contact, he captured your free hand, watching your eyes widen, and brought it back with the other, properly restraining you. Alas, you had no objections, and you only sighed when he lowered you back. Still, you were so needy for him, and you propped your hips even higher.

Of course, with both of your needs met, you were not far from the peak, and your warning, “Ani, I’m- oh” came in minutes, interrupted by a particular thrust.

“You’re what?” He knew exactly what, repeating the movement already.

“Just like that, please.”

Please. You were trying to break his mind, for sure.

With a cry and your back arching impossibly, you came, squeezing around him even tighter and painting him with your leak. The pulsation of your walls was too much for him to bear too, prompting his release. Throwing his head back, a beautiful moan left his throat and he pulled out at the last second, covering the small of your back with his cum.

The hot droplets hitting your skin impossibly scorched you. Did he not want to start a family with you anymore? During your first months, he did it on purpose, claiming he wanted you to himself for a while, and you thought the same. Besides, a shameless part of you guessed they would be scurrying around soon with the rate you were going at it. What had happened to sever him from that dream?

Your knees gave out when he moved to get a clean rag, a coldness seeping into your bones as he cleaned you, methodically and quickly. He handed you a new nightgown, and your muscles ached trying to take the old one off. Then, you watched him tidy himself too, much harsher than he treated you, filling you with the desire to kiss that patches of skin better.

Alas, you were too tired to do that when he laid beside you. You were too tired to even smile, but surely, the frown that occupied your forehead was gone that night, despite the new questions forming in your mind, as his scent filled your nostrils. Unlike the previous nights that kept him awake with gnawing doubt, he too found it easy to fall into the pits of sleep, in contrast to his will to do otherwise. How could he not, when it was the sight of you that brought him peace, the immortal old habit? Together for an hour, and with ten words top, the vision of your face he looked upon for merely minutes- yet there he was, stiffness of his muscles relaxing, the anxiety that chewed on his spirit lessened, his weary eyes meeting with sleep once again.  He had a feeling, a hope, that these emotions would last ‘til the morning, for he had not the cruelty to wake you up and speak about what troubled him.

Unfortunately, that was not the case.