#transient shadows au

[extant-exhaustion]

Can I ask your top 10 fav fics ever (from any fandom, if you don't mind)?

Also, just curious, is there a story behind your name "extant-exhaustion "?

Well, first of all, thank you so much for your patience! I know it took me seven weeks to reply to this Ask! I agonized over my list (also, the holidays happened, which kept me busy). But I finally narrowed it down, so here we go, in no particular order:

My Top 10 Favorite Fanfics

In Another Life by LittleLuxray Haikyuu!! | T+ | 23k | Bokuto/Akaashi | angst, sickfic | It's famous for a reason. Truly one of the best pieces of writing I've ever read, including published works—I've rarely cried so hard or been moved so much.

died in my dreams by MTrash Haikyuu!! | T+ | 10k | Ushijima/Tendou | futuristic/cyberpunk AU, opposites attract, reluctant work partners to friends to lovers | fantastic characterization, really cool conceptually, a story about trauma and healing and finding your person

the weight of water by wordstruck/@redluxite Haikyuu!! | M | 6k | Iwaizumi/Oikawa | angst | Painful, soul-crushing heartbreak, but so, so beautiful. As someone who's experienced loss and grief, this story is visceral and the accompanying art haunts me.

Come and get lost with us by boxofwonder Haikyuu!! | M | 150k | Hinata/Kageyama, Daichi/Sugawara | action/adventure, Medieval AU(?) | unlike anything I've ever read before or since; a really masterful integration of an enormous cast and a plot that unravels with absolutely zero fluff or filler

shimmer in your shine by zenelly/@zenellyraen Hunter x Hunter | T+ | 91k | Leorio/Kurapika, Killua/Gon | American roadtrip AU | This story made me cry over a fist fight between Leorio and Illumi in the parking lot of a Red Lobster in Arkansas.

The Myth of Mankind by MistressEast/@mistresseast Promare | T+ | 63k | Galo/Lio | action/adventure, romance | masterful worldbuilding, kickass fight scenes, intrigue galore, falling in love while preventing mass murder? yes, please

A Second Chance To Say by KazimaKuwabara/@kazimakuwabara Yu Yu Hakusho | M | 92k | Yusuke/Kuwabara, Youko Kurama/Kuronue | action/adventure, hurt/comfort | ft. Kuronue's eternal sass and unwavering friendship, the slow burn of reincarnated already-in-love KuwaMeshi (because Kuwabara doesn't remember it), somewhat menacing levels of intrigue, and Hiei finally winning MVP of emotions on Team Urameshi

Don't Blink or You'll Miss It (Lift Up Your Head) by umisabaku/@umisabaku Kuroko no Basuke | M | 81k | Kagami/Kuroko, Kasamatsu/Kise, Midorima/Takao, Himuro/Murasakibara, Aomine/Momoi | super powers | This story and its accompanying series are so cool and so unique. The characterization is amazing and the worldbuilding is stellar.

neither fish, flesh, nor foam by twoif interactive on Twine Kuroko no Basuke | Kagami/Kuroko | angst, Little Mermaid–esque, interactive storytelling | incredible, but also devastating; a story about how sometimes our doubts can destroy not only ourselves but the good things we build; one of the coolest things I've ever interacted with as a story, a true tour de force

Transient Shadow, True Light by seafoamist/@seafoamist Kuroko no Basuke | M | 322k, WIP | Kagami/Kuroko | angst, hurt/comfort, time travel, historical (Edo Period) | If you talk to me about this story, I will go absolutely feral, because it is my current obsession and the only WIP that is on this list. I'm straight-up insane about its quality and depth. I can't even put this story into words. It knocks the wind out of me.

And lastly, my URL doesn't actually have a story behind it! It's basically just my life, haha. “Extant” is an adjective meaning “ongoing/still in existence” and “exhaustion” is pretty obvious. Essentially, I like alliteration and thought it sounded better than "tired 100% of the time."

[midnightstargazer]

Fic Recs: Regulus Black

So I've been working on this for a while now, and I think I'm finally ready to share it. These are some of my favorite Regulus fics that I've read.

This is based on my personal preferences, which means you'll find mostly gen and rare pair fics, canon universe (but not necessarily canon compliant), with morally gray characterizations of Regulus

I grouped them by length and topic and included what the main ships are, if any. There may be other background pairings, past relationships, etc. Some do have M/E ratings, archive warnings, etc., so be sure to check the tags!

under the cut because it's pretty long

Long Multi-Chapters & Series

through a glass, blackly by wheresmejumper

Renascentia series by kuchikopi & tonberrys - Regulus/Emmeline

Blackpool by TheDivineComedian

Power the Dark Lord Knows Not by Fantismal & Jormandugr - Wolfstar

The Horcrux Hunt by lostmy_keys - Wolfstar

No Longer Will You Be Forsaken by JulisCaesar

A Means to a Triumph by Naodrith - Moonwater

A Study in Choices and Second Chances by queerofthedagger - Regulus/Harry

Spitfire series by LimeOfMagicLimo

rewrite my heart (let the future in) by secretpersona - Regulus/Pandora

Shorter fics (under 50K words)

Childhood & teenage years (ending before his death if it's canon compliant or while he's still a Hogwarts student if it's canon divergence)

my past has tasted bitter for years now (so I wield an iron fist), by kuchikopi & tonberrys

the silver-forked sky lit you up like a star by tonberrys - Bartylus

Out of the Shadows (Into the Abyss) by missvega - Bartylus

it's cold on the floor by dracure - Bartylus

soft speak, with a mean streak by krystian - Rosewater

A Boy and his Cat, by aCanadianMuggle

How The Dangerous Thing Is To Love by Vivi_ZzZ

Remembrance by Vivi_ZzZ

history forgets the moderates by cleopatroclus

What's So Special About Christmas? by AmethystHeart2421

Caged Bird by GertrudeCC - Moonwater

Ancient Runes series by Soupy_George - Moonwater

The locket & the cave (all dealing with his death in some way - either it's shown on page, or it's not explicitly shown but it's is a major plot point)

Wormwood by acari

The Cruel History and Most Lamentable Tragedy of Regulus, Scion of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black by aCanadianMuggle

I'm going home to see my mother by TheSharkGuy - Bartylus

monster, moongazer by electricnectar - Moonwater

The Three Soulmates of Pandora Lovegood by AmethystHeart2421 - Pandora/Xenophilius

a soul like silver (tarnished) by rachel614

Parting Words by Dear_Theadosia

And He Drank by Grey_Kenaz

Memento Mori by Trex_Patronus

On Royalty by booksandreadingismylife - Rosewater

Ghost Regulus

He Can't Hurt You if You're Already Dead by unspeakable3

A Transient and Embarrassed Phantom by unspeakable3

Haunted by pennygalleon

Unfinished RABusiness by withasideofangst

in our bedroom, after the war by krystian

Hiraeth by The_Seismic

Hogwarts Professor Regulus

Out of the Lake series by BennieLee

this is family by xslytherclawx

Disconnected Connection by dottie_magic

regulus is dumbledore's spy au (the smiths' version) series by pottersxredheads

Ex-Death Eater Regulus (where he's not also a ghost or a Hogwarts professor)

no answers for no questions asked by tonberrys

Hope by Grey_Kenaz

sanctuary by unspeakable3

Beneath the Ocean Waves by aron_kristina

First Footings by wheresmejumper - Jily or Jegulily

living in the red by griddlebones - Regulily

Flowers Sleep in the Winter by daydreamerdisease - Regulus/OC

someday by justwhatialwayswanted - Rosewater

The Wolf at the Door by lusilly - Moonwater

and if it's all over, I'm taking this moment with me by underburningstars - Moonwater

All the Ashes in My Wake by Antologia_Mil - Moonwater

[izvmimi]

cw: hospital au. radiologist!reader. cardiothoracic surgeon!tsukasa. fluff. medical language.

Late nights on emergency call are the bane of your existence. You’d think that after a decade of postgraduate training, you’d at least have more of your evenings to yourself, but here you are cross-legged and wrapped up in a blanket in the radiology call room, pouring over the appearance of an aneurysmal sac in a patient with chest pain in the setting of prior aortic grafting. It’s nearing midnight and you’ve stopped looking at the clock, knowing that you have hours to go, hyperpop music attempting to fuel you better than your empty mug of coffee can. 

Light footsteps pad in from behind you, but you’re too focused on the zoomed in image in front of you to even hear it. You scroll slowly, leaning in, lips moving wordlessly as you talk to yourself, and it’s only when you catch his arm setting down a cup of coffee on your left side, do you realize you’ve been paid a visit.

“... compatible with a type 4 endoleak, although attention on follow-up is recommended,” you say quickly into the dictaphone, before turning to look at the man standing next to you. He’s tall, and you have to crane your neck more than typical to catch him in the dim light of the reading room, but Tsukasa has his OR cap on, and his own matching cup of coffee in his right hand, and sips as he looks at your screen.

“Is it one of the older grafts?” Tsukasa asks. He’s not testing your judgment, but you have to admit, those types of endoleaks are rare. You twist your mouth to the side. 

“I need to clear the rest of this list and then check the history.” 

You put your report in draft quickly, then move to another chest CT that pops up on your list.

“Weren’t you just in bypass surgery?” you ask him, whispering ‘new line’ into the dictaphone as he answers.

Tsukasa’s hand rests gently on the top of your head, which would faze you if coming from anyone else, but you’ve learned to accept from him as a form of self-soothing. He sighs. 

“Yeah. Tough case but not as bad as it could have been.”

You look up at him, and you can see the dark circles beneath his eyes, fighting the impulse to rub them gently with your thumbs.

“You should be sleeping instead of bringing me coffee.”

He smiles. 

“I wanted to see you,” is his simple reply.

“No relevant comparison is available in our PACS system.” You pause, then take his free hand from atop your head and press the back of it against your cheek.

“Go sleep before someone else calls you for an emergency,” you insist. Tsukasa pauses, then leans in to kiss you on the cheek instead.

“Can’t a man let his partner recharge him? What do I need sleep for?”

You roll your eyes as you accept the kiss, which makes him chuckle, but you turn off your dictaphone, and turn in your chair completely to focus on him. Even in the fluorescent shadow, he can see your concern for him written on your features.  

“Let me know if you need me to pick you up. Don’t drive if you’re tired,” you remind him. Your own shift will end far earlier than his. After all, his call chains him to the hospital far more than yours does even if he uses his few free moments to spend time with you. 

“I will.” He smiles, resisting the urge to kiss you again before he leaves. As he steps away, you remember that this busy time is transient and the work is rewarding, and are happy that both you and your love are able to do good work.

[kiliinstinct]

One-Shot Master List

┈➤ Table of Contents ◬Mature ✮Featured

◘ Fairy Tail

➸ One Shots

Primal: ◬

Soft Caress: ◬

Dancing Flames: ◬

Tease: ◬

The Mood: Rekindled: ◬

What Doesn’t Submit:

Progression of Attraction:

Don’t Think About It:

Under The Starlight: ◬

None The Wiser: ◬

Under The Table: ◬

Wash Away My Tears:

The Matching Scale: ◬

Settling With Insecurity: ◬

The Morning After: ◬

Then It All Flips:

A Moment In Time:

Mindsplitting:

Mistletoe Claim:

Sun In The Rain:

Difference In Opinion: ◬

All In: ◬

Fire Sprite No. 5:

The Concept of Ready:

M.U.T.B:

Warm Comforts:

Untitled Guardian Angel AU:

Have You Missed Me?: ◬

Brother’s Wingman:

In The Garden:

Stood Up:

EOTW:

Refinement:

Transient -

The Secret -

A Slushie a Day

The Forbidden Temple

Taste Test -

In The Closet ◬

His Sun and Stars

Hand of Sorrow

Hyper Focus

Side-Lines

Closure

Snowflakes on Shadows ✮

A Celestial Promise ✮

◘ Genshin Impact

➸ One Shots

Of Rumors And Almond Tofu

Magnetism ✮

◘ Misc.

➸ One Shots

Our Hearts Talk On The Ice - Yuri on Ice 

A Realization From Ice Cream - Yu Yu Hakusho

Before The Storm - Legend of Zelda

➨Return to Master List ➨To Multi-Chapter List

[rabbitenn]

Kamisama kiss au with Kitsune!Tenn, I’ll leave this one up to you, my darling 🫶

AS LONG AS YOU REMAIN WHERE I CAN SEE YOU.

“Could I make a contract as your familiar? This one’s from my heart.”

ft. Kitsune Kujo Tenn x gn! reader.

cw/genre: kamisama kiss au, fantasy au, kitsune Tenn, romance, fluff, some angst. I tried to be vague about the plot of Kamisama Kiss so that I don’t spoil it.

Thank you for this request, my love ! I hope you like it and I’m very sorry it’s taken so long… Thank you too for always sending ideas that are self indulgent to me hehe, enjoy <3

Aureate skies hang over the shrine, fleeting hues of ochre and rust transient in the form of fallen leaves.

The afternoon settles in a gentle breeze, the temperature descending with the last birdsong of the day.

The fox spirit pauses his movements.

The weather is nice today.

And this place, this home is bustling with life now; much more than it was a few months ago, at least.

His gaze, that doesn’t differ that much from the cotton candy clouds drifting peacefully above, sets skywards.

It now seems by design, that you ended up here, by his side.

Perhaps the stars peeking from behind the faraway mountains already had your fate written in their afterglow.

The kitsune lets out a sigh, moondust lashes brushing his cheeks as he closes his eyes momentarily.

He is aware the feelings he harbors for you are akin to wishing for the impossible.

You are a human, turned into the divinity of the earth.

He is only your familiar, and a youkai at that.

And yet…

“Tenn.”

The gentle call of his name puts a smile on his lips.

Not the devious one he offers his enemies when he protects you from their curses, but a soft and sincere one.

Tenn turns around, his white fluffy tails swaying with his movement, his clothes mirroring the momentum.

There you stand, bunched up in your coat as the wind ruffles your hair.

The smile you offer him is wide, unadulterated; so pure, making the sun that’s close to the start of a gilded sunset pale in comparison.

Tenn wishes he could wake up next to that sight every dawn; he wishes when his hand touches yours it weren’t just to steer you to safety as demons give chase.

He has an eternity before him, but he’d happily trade all of it for the memory of one yesterday with your hands in his hair and his lips on yours.

You step closer to him, with your hands behind your back.

A strong gust of wind blows by, a whirlwind of autumn and dusk that makes you flinch.

You sneeze.

So cute. The fox spirit thinks, with a soft chuckle.

Meeting you halfway, he removes his fur scarf, wrapping it around your shoulders instead.

“You’ll catch a cold like this, [Y/n].” He tells you, flicking your forehead.

A pout forms on your lips, hand rubbing at the spot he touched.

Your cheeks warm up, due to the comforting fabric of his muffler or his proximity, you are not certain.

“I’m wearing my coat, I’ll be fine.” You tell him, your brow furrowed in fake annoyance. “I actually was going to give you something, but since you insist that it’s cold…” You take a step backwards, a smirk playing on your lips.

Tenn’s eyes widen, a shadow of disappointment passing over his perfect features at the possibility of this precious moment being shattered.

He closes the distance between you, taking a lock of your hair in between his slender fingers, bringing it to his lips for a delicate kiss.

You stare at the beautiful kitsune, breathless, without any difficulty now in discerning the cause for your heated face.

The early evening sun casts him in an ethereal halo. Strands of star-threaded hair sway in the breeze, caressing his spotless skin in the way you’ve endlessly yearned to do. His lips are like peony petals on your hair.

And maybe you’d like them on your own more than it’s safe to admit.

Then, Tenn pulls away, one of his hands cradling your cheek.

His eyes lock with yours, pupils dilated, a beautiful eclipse of early twilight and the euphoria of rose wine in your veins.

“Are you sure it’s still cold?” He asks you, the pad of his thumb tracing your lower lip, careful not to hurt you with his long nails.

You take in a breath.

Clearing your throat, you present him with the bag you had been concealing.

“For you.” You stammer, shoving the gift into his hands.

Tenn’s fluffy ears twitch at your action, as he curiously takes a look at the contents.

“You tried them before…” You begin, avoiding his gaze. “You said you liked these human snacks…”

From inside the bag, Tenn produces a rosy donut.

His eyes soften; you have no idea how sweet you are, do you?

His free hand finds one of yours, fingers intertwining as he guides you towards the house’s porch.

You two sit together.

“Let’s share, shall we?” He suggests, as his fluffy tails wrap around you, shielding you from the cold night air.

With a shy smile, you accept half of the soft pink donut.

Leaning against Tenn’s side, your free arm laces with his.

Periwinkle speckled with dots of starlight reigns over the heavens.

The moon shines in the middle of it, akin to a stage light focused on the couple starring in tonight’s idyll.

The fox spirit’s head rests gently on top of yours, the proximity to each other making you forget all about the mid autumn chill.

There will be other moments to think about how to tackle this forbidden romance.

Maybe the night will hear his prayers.

For now, though, having you so close like this is all the youkai wants.

Tenn’s soft ears flatten against his head as you play with his fluffy tails.

Your hearts dance together in the moonlight.

And right now, that’s more than enough.

[ariparri]

Peregrine Pearce - The Puppeteer

The Hogwarts Mystery Cardverse is an AU that takes place in a fantasy land called Cinderhaven. There are five regions, four of them representing a suit of cards; Spades, Clubs, Hearts, Diamonds. The final region representing the Jokers.

Cardverse Masterlist

We finally introduce Peregrine in the AU! He will be known as Peregrine Pearce because we gotta give him a last name. He’s also not related to the McQuaids so his connection with them is strictly through Veruca where he helps her come to terms with everything going on in the country. Also thanks to @carewyncromwell for helping me figure out Peregrine's character!

Note: Sorry there hasn’t been much content for Cardverse or just HP in general. After dealing with someone, and I now no longer associate with them, I lost the motivation to work on any HP related content for a while. I’ll still be making HP content but it won’t be as much as my other fandom stuff. Also sorry there’s no illustration for this man, but I currently got other wips I really need to finish 😖

Peregrine Pearce is a master of duality, seamlessly blending charm and darkness in his role for the Cardverse AU. At first glance, he presents himself as a profound connoisseur, relishing in the intricate style of the trade market and its instruments. With an air of sophistication and class, he holds himself in high regard, showcasing a talent that extends beyond the financial realm.

Having served in the war and enduring the loss of his closest companions, Peregrine Pearce shares a resonance with Rakepick regarding the injustices embedded within the Spades system. His past includes a stint in the military, a chapter he left behind, disillusioned by the pain it wrought. The harsh reality of his experiences, coupled with societal judgment on his poverty and lack of formal education, fueled his departure and entrance into the trades market.

Peregrine embodies the archetype of a puppet master, adept at manipulating emotions and situations to his advantage, yet not devoid of empathy. His emotional detachment, cultivated to shield himself from past mistakes and betrayals, aligns with his pragmatic approach to navigating the complexities of power. The tragedy of his manipulative tendencies manifests in the loss of his friend, a casualty of Peregrine's pursuit of personal glory. Rather than confront the role his actions played, he deflects blame onto the military and the system, reinforcing his emotional distance and manipulation tactics.

As a master of the trade market, Peregrine relishes in the complexities of commerce and finance, wielding his knowledge like a weapon to gain influence and power. He is a connoisseur of strategy, always several steps ahead of his adversaries, and unafraid to play both sides of the board to achieve his goals.

Beneath this polished exterior, however, lies a complex and cunning individual. Peregrine is a dark-minded manipulator who takes pleasure in playing with the lives of others. Peregrine's vanity is evident in his calculated manipulation of others, using flattery and charm to mask his true intentions and bend them to his will. Yet, despite his smarmy demeanor, there is a hint of playfulness in his interactions, a subtle wit that shines through even in the darkest of moments.

His alliances, transient and transactional, serve as shields against vulnerability, enabling him to sever ties when necessary. His allegiance shifts from aiding Rakepick to assisting the rebels, exploiting the chaos for his gain while protecting his involvement. He is a man who thrives in the shadows, pulling strings from behind the scenes to shape the destiny of nations and individuals alike. But beneath the layers of deception lies a man with a heart, however tarnished it may be, and a lingering sense of morality that occasionally peeks through the cracks in his carefully constructed facade. In absolving himself of responsibility for his manipulations, Peregrine perpetuates a cycle of self-preservation and exploitation, masking his own culpability.

Operating in the shadows, he orchestrated a series of recent events that transpired in the Country of Spades to achieve his hidden agenda. His involvement in helping Duncan Ashe persuade Coby McQuaid to run for a pivotal role in the country showcases his strategic mind, setting off a chain reaction that disrupts the country's stability. Peregrine's role as the architect behind the shutdown of the railroad system and the closure of borders, basically ‘throwing out ideas’ for Rakepick to take, highlights his willingness to plunge the region into chaos for his own gain. Manipulating circumstances, Peregrine reveals his prowess as a puppet master capable of influencing key figures which have also led to Rakepick’s downfall.

Despite his darker inclinations, Peregrine displays a unique sympathy toward Veruca and the rebels, particularly in light of the fate of her brother. As a result, his assistance to her, both during and after the war, paints him as a confidant and ally, even as suspicions linger among others. Mostly as he covertly orchestrates numerous schemes against both sides of the civil war.

[gemmahale]

Horizon Mirages - Western AU WIP

I also never posted about this one other than having it in my WIP list and tagging some inspo pictures.

With an increase in bandit activity in the area around the small town of Whisperdale, recently elected Sheriff John Price and his deputies - Simon Riley, Johnny MacTavish, and Kyle Garrick - are pressured to ease tensions between cattlemen, homesteaders and townsfolk alike. After the initial quashing of the bandits with help from the cattlemen on the Shadow and Vaquero ranches, life sets into a comfortable routine. Newly established patrols, and the responsibility of settling low-stakes disputes at the saloon, the Sheriff and his Deputies would call this life almost idyllic in comparison to the chaos previously. But when bandits strike anew at the Vaquero’s herd en route to the annual auction and tensions escalate, the safety of Whisperdale is again under threat. Will the Sheriff and his Deputies be able to restore peace to the region, or will it shatter and leave a ghost town behind?

Town seamstress - observational, quiet but knows everyone’s business, widowed city girl moved west by late husband, lives above the general store (Knows Price by first name because he keeps blowin' out his shirt seams - really he does it so he can see her roll her eyes in teasing annoyance at him.)

Shepherdess - firecracker, takes no shit, will swing if someone offers her help unbidden, always looking for a fight, transient in a regular rotation with sheep (Soap's got his eye on her after she decked him on accident during a brawl.)

General Store Keeper - always soft and sweet until someone tries to take advantage of her, jane of all trades (Always has those sweets Ghost likes on hand, just in case he happens to stop by to check that no one's been a menace)

Saloon Co-Owner - owns with brother, manages the brothel girls, sassy, flirty, “the face” of the operation (Gaz has been trying to woo her, much to her brother's annoyance. She keeps thinking he just wants a discount.)

[skye-cady]

Blog #17/Jan 21. Au Revoir & Adios, Mediterranean! What was your favorite structure in the south of France or Spain, and why? What was you favorite city, and why? Finally, look back on your personal goals for the trip. Did you meet them in this phase of trip? Be specific with your evidence & anecdotes.

My favorite structure in Spain was the Matadero Complex. At the time of construction, the complex was intended to be a slaughterhouse. It was built in the Mudejar style, and features a number of large buildings and courtyards. Today, it serves primarily as a cultural center. The complex itself is divided up into several purposes- there is a theater and media laboratory, a library, several spaces for artists in residence and art showings, and one for design and designers. A cantina serves visitors food, and the open plazas can be used by the public for games and sports. There is a greenhouse, featuring a fountain and several different climate rooms. I was particularly excited to see a dance school in one of the naves. The complex has become a wonderful home for culture and the arts, allowing for many different disciplines to converge and mix to create something new. I am particularly passionate about leading a multi-artistic life- it would be incredibly valuable for me to so close to other artists who could influence my work. I often look for inspiration for ceramics in metalwork and plants, and I love to draw things from movies and TV shows that I watch. This whole space was the ideal melting pot for so many kinds of art and that I am both interested in and take inspiration from, and I am happy to have experienced it.

My favorite city was Barcelona, for several reasons. First, it was a lot warmer! The weather change was nice, especially after being so sick and cold in Montpellier. I am also a little biased, since my structure was located there. La Sagrada Familia was very beautiful to see in person, especially after researching and writing about it. Gaudi's work in general was wonderful, especially since I really enjoy the Art Nouveau style (I have several prints in my room here at Elon from that era). Casa Mila, Casa Batllo, and Park Guell were exeptional, and I remember thinking that these houses were the type I dreamed of living in when I was a child.

As for my goals, I believe I did meet the one on modern architecture in Barcelona. I was particularly struck by the thoughtful simplicity of the Barcelona Pavilion. At first, I did think it looked like a marble pancake. It is not easy to understand from the outside. Once I got inside, I realized that it was a really good example of modern architecture. The marble and glass planes intersected with each other in a way that was particularly reminiscent of linear algebra (one of my favorite types of math), and I really enjoyed the sculpture and pool within the structure. All the flat planes extending out around me contrasted well with the woman standing in the water. Her natural shapes were emphasized by all the unnatural flatness around her. Enclosing the pool were large slabs of green marble, which had been set such that the pattern in each stone was mirrored by the one above it. It was a beautiful, unnerving effect- reminding me of a Rorschach pattern or the mirror image created in a pond surrounded by a forest. With the water and the sunlight coming from above, it gave the suggestion that se was standing from a pool of water, surrounded by trees. Outside was the larger pool. I struggled with this a little, until I found myself staring at the roof. When the sun is at the right angle, the light bounces off the water and creates a moving, shifting shadow on the white plaster. The shape of the shadow is square-cut, so it meshes with the shape its cast onto, but the texture of the shadow reflected the patterns in the marble. It was a really odd, fulfilling moment for me. I would like to think it was an intentional detail, and if it was, its so small and transient that it speaks to the thought and effort of this structure. I don't often like modern architecture, but here I think I saw the genius of Mies van der Rohe.

[enigmaticxbee]

S2 Rewatch - Fic Recs

Need something angsty and cathartic to read while you will your comatose partner back to life? Here are some season 2 fics that actually address Scully’s abduction arc trauma:

Right Hand Return by humphreywrites - AU in which Scully is returned from her abduction with a baby and serious PTSD

Only the Light by @scullydubois - AU in which Melissa moves in with Scully post abduction arc as she recovers, WIP.

Time Can Heal by @scullysexual - AU in which Scully doesn’t return to the X-Files post abduction arc, WIP.

Will-o’-the-wisp by breakfastsandwich - post-One Breath, the first night home from the hospital.

Transient Luminous Events by @seek-its-opposite - post Irresistible stakeout conversation, so good.

Hunters never hide for long by @catarinquar - Scully works through the compounding traumas of season 2

Feeling Better by @agirlcallednarelle - post One Breath, Mulder drives Scully home from a meeting to determine her return to work.

Empty Spaces by @lokisgame - Scully’s nightmares wake them both during their Firewalker quarantine.

Episode-related fics:

At Sea, At Anchor by Apostrophic - pre Little Green Men, fish tank origin story

One Moment in Arecibo by @scullysexual - Little Green Men missing scene, NSFW

High Stakes by Apostrophic - early season 2 post The Host poker game with the Lone Gunmen, fun times with a little emotional heft snuck in there

Hemaphobia by @spookydarlablack - Blood missing scene, just fun flirty banter and smut in an unlikely episode, NSFW.

False Dawn by emmbright - Mulder’s state of mind between 3 and One Breath, really good.

The Cold Shoulder by agoodwoman - post One Breath first time, NSFW.

Stolen Time by @dreamingofscully - post Firewalker, Scully struggles with unpartnerly thoughts during quarantine with a bored Mulder, NSFW.

Day After Tomorrow by skuls - post Firewalker. She almost died a few weeks ago. But she is here, alive. And her partner has kissed her.

Seeds of Synchronicity by Mountainphile - great casefile follow up to Aubrey set 6 years later when Mulder and Scully are in a pre-established relationship and dealing with Scully’s infertility and grief over Emily.

Untitled by @o6666666 - post Irresistible AU, Scully needs something Ethan can’t give her

Lapse of Reason by @baronessblixen - post Die Hand Die Verletzt make out session, I love it.

Strange Relations by @mldrgrl - rewrite of the Colony scene where Mulder goes home and sees Samantha, Scully goes with him.

If I had to perish twice by @seek-its-opposite - Dod Kalm post ep, but jumps around in time. He thinks maybe they’re working backwards to something like new love.

no night but shadows by @dreamingofscully - post F.Emasculata, a worried mulder shows up at scully's apartment late at night, NSFW.

Darts by @soft-thrills - sweet little early seasons getting to know each other fic

[wannabe-cartoonist-blog]

If you’re into reincarnation AUs, historical dramas, and kagakuro (and more!) then do definitely check out “transient shadow, true light” by seafoamist over on ao3.

Every time there’s a new chapter, I get the strong urge to draw the characters as they are in the AU since the author is so detailed and descriptive. So I asked them for permission + they provided me with some super detailed notes! They were super thorough and as detailed as always.

Clothing (and story concept) is based off of the Korean drama Scarlet Heart Ryeo, so if their outfits look more Korean than they do Japanese, that’s why!

I tried to give them semi-accurate hair to what the author provided, but in some cases I deviated a bit for the sake of character recognizability...I usually struggle trying to capture someone’s characteristics normally, so this was a fun challenge to do when some characters’ features are so different!

[achizuto]

@hana-akari  • [ plotted starter: Modern AU ]

                    Thundering bass and stiflingy thick air mists the sweaty drunk skipping on the floor like bouncing balls. Deidara elbows his way through the dancing mass heading to the improvised bar that is crowned by a line of customers. Since he lost sight of his initial entourage, the four druggies who were too out of it to hold an enjoyable conversation, the artist grabbed chance by the collar and sought more pleasant company. An intoxicated afternoon rave is not the worst place to pick out a blithely pick-up. Or being a pick-up. Shielding his vision from the blazing sun, he scans the queue.

                    A head of hair, the striking color of cherry blossoms lures him in. However, what truly catches cyan eye are buff biceps, defined back muscles outlining the fabric of her shirt and hints of tatooed skin peeking out from underneath. She stands out like a sequoia from the woods and Deidara is drawn to the the bold and unapologetic. Without hesitation, he joins her where she stands, curious to taste her energy. “Hey.” Deidara keeps it lowkey but genuine with not more than a shadow of a smirk on his lips. Even if he won’t have her, clothes off and on all fours, by tonight, he’s eager for that high of creating a fleeting connection, a transient tie.  “Do you mind if I piggy-back on your post in the line? You’re further ahead and I really need something to drink.“

[yongiefilms]

EVANESCENCE.

pairing: mark lee x reader (female)

genre: fluff; angst; hints of humor; best friends!au; high school!au; college!au; unrequited love!au

warnings: language, heartbreak, indirect mentions of depression, crying is involved, mentions of death and loss, complex feelings, if you have a weak heart this may be hard to bear, you are literally in for a ride with a lot of ups and downs (i don’t know this is hard to put warnings on for some reason just beware with angsty teen feels aka angsty teen mark)

word count: 6.4k (how did i write this much? it is surely a mystery)

summary: distance is hard for anyone. it’s especially hard for couples, and maybe even more so best friends. with hundreds of thousands of miles separating you and mark lee, it’s impossible not to note the countless possibilities of what could go so wrong by being away from each other for an unknown amount of time. to cope with that longing mark lee writes to you, and he can only hope the feelings he pours out to you on paper are enough to keep that one thread you both are hanging by, unwavering and simply together.

author’s note: this fic is dedicated to our favorite giggly, watermelon loving, and adorably awkward social boy—mark lee. it’s officially his birthday in the states so happy 21st birthday, my precious and sweet boy. thank you for always brightening up our world and putting a smile on our faces. also, huge shoutout to my proofreaders/beta readers ( @wooqzi​ and @mjlkau​ ). you both were literally lifesavers and i can’t thank you enough for enduring through this semi-long fic with me, but i love you my renjun enthusiasts, you’re amazing.

THE CONTENTS OF THIS LETTER IS CONFIDENTIAL AND SHOULD NOT BE READ BY ANYONE OTHER THAN Y/N L/N. PROCEED WITH CAUTION.

march 16, 20XX

my dearest y/n,

i remember the first time i saw you. i remember it so vividly that it seems like it was just yesterday, a fleeting instant in time that managed to stand still, being permanently engraved in my brain. it was november 15th, 20XX—our sophomore year of high school. i recall walking into our school’s library at around 3:25pm because i had to return a book from my literature and composition class. at that point i was also still waiting for my ride to come pick me up so i thought why not kill two birds with one stone? however, i wasn’t prepared for what i would see. (call me cheesy, though i already know you did once you saw the first couple of sentences).

when i strode in i saw you as if we were in the movies, where the male lead is stunned into awe at the gorgeous girl he comes across. you were sitting at a table by yourself in the center of the room with your back to me and the infamous large window that covered nearly the entire wall behind you. for some reason that same day was exceptionally beautiful. the sky was a vibrant blue shade with a few remains of scattered clouds, dotting the sky in white freckles. the sun shone a little brighter than usual, its warmth felt like a blanket wrapped around the body and it reflected across your face at the heaven-sent angle when you turned your head the tiniest bit, adoring you in a pleasant glow. i strolled in right at that moment when the sun decided to showcase you in its beauty and i couldn’t help but be astonished. you looked so ethereal and virtuous. i simply couldn’t look away. your arms were rested on the table, on either side of the book you had opened and when the sun was covered by a transient cloud, casting you in its shadow, is when you became more real, more like someone who was attainable. you then suddenly groaned and put your head down rather harshly on top of the book, emitting a loud sigh. i was quite surprised that no one called you out due to the noise you were making, you were in a library after all. (just know i can picture you rolling your eyes just about now).

yet i perceived it was odd that from merely hearing your sound of distress, i wanted to protect you. i wanted to shield you from future harm and future inapt doings. you made my heart clench so tightly i wondered what was wrong with me and how i could feel so deeply. i didn’t even know you. i hadn’t even seen you around school before. you were a stranger to me so why did i feel a certain way? i questioned myself and even still, to this day, i can’t bring myself to give you answers for that query nor can i find them. i suppose that is where i put the blame for what happened next.

i was so caught up in my head that i didn’t notice my feet had moved on their own accord right next to your table, where your head still rested. i know i must have looked insane and i don’t inculpate you for your reaction in the slightest. i was brought back to reality when the sun shone in my eyes just allowing me to turn my head to see you in your empyrean grandeur. the timing was appropriate too, because that was when you snapped your head up to meet my eyes. i was as startled as you, but it showed more clearly in your eyes rather than mine, considering i was so disoriented from reality. your eyes were wide, allowing me to clearly see the stunning color that was full of curiosity. you tilted your head to the right like a lost puppy kicked to the curb, waiting for someone to finally claim them. nevertheless, your own surprise didn’t last long since mere seconds after you scoffed loudly and turned away from me to bring your attention back to your assignment. your next words were the ones that sealed the deal and i seriously must have been crazy to be attracted by mere words that offended me above all, but they didn’t. if anything my heart clenched in my chest even more. (i must have been so out of it…i know you are laughing your ass off right now because of the dilemma i had. cruel). but you said, “what the hell are you looking at? you weirdo.” i knew then that would be the start of a glorious friendship and it was. i never happen to be wrong and that was one time i was thankful, even if it isn’t my most fondest memory (shut up) it still sparked the start of something much greater. something that i felt could last a lifetime.

so yes, we became the best of friends ever since that day and what a wild ride it was to get to that point. i knew you considered me too weird, too quiet, and too awkward for your taste, but we made the friendship work. we became inseparable even in our differences and for the rest of the years to come in high school, we were joined by the hip. there wasn’t you without me and there wasn’t me without you. you always had mark lee with y/n l/n and vice versa. i guess you could say you had me marked in your heart as you were in mine. (cue another eye roll and a laugh. i know you laughed). we were known for being that inseparable duo of best friends. you couldn’t have one without the other. some thought it was peculiar to see the once lonely boy and spirited girl befriend one another and be so compatible. it was unexpected, but they got used to it like all the other things that come and go. they came to accept it and even if their opinions didn’t matter to you, those things did to me because i wasn’t like you. i couldn’t brush off dislike or unacceptance. i didn’t have the power to do so, but don’t worry anymore, my love, i have come a long way and perhaps it is all due to you.

i’ve always wondered how we balanced each other out since everyone said we just didn’t quite fit the picture. you were dauntless and confident, knowing exactly what you wanted and you weren’t afraid to go out to get it. while i was embarrassing and closed off, not knowing the path to follow for my life and too scared to make mistakes when i knew i couldn’t fix them. although through our own struggles we were able to help each other grow and find ourselves. we became comfortable in our own skin and accepted who we were with all our faults, failures, and imperfections. you were someone who guided me and i only hoped that i was able to guide you the same way you did during this absurd journey of teenage life.

i suppose that is why i am afraid to tell you these next few words, these next few paragraphs that place my heart out for everyone to see and hear—but i don’t care about them, i only have ever cared for you and i always will. you may have assumed this from the start of this letter or it may have gone over your head as something that is normal for everyone to experience with another attractive soul at first glance. or you may have known throughout our years of knowing each other. you could have picked up the signs of things that weren’t so platonic—the gazes, the touches, or the words that meant something more than just friendly. you could have noticed, but refused to acknowledge the deeper undertones for your sake and most certainly my own. i know you and i know the last thing you would want for me is to be hurt or disappointed. to feel like you failed me when in reality if you knew that wouldn’t have mattered, since to me our friendship is worth more than any romance, if there would have been one at all. so you know, i am certain now, but it still scares me to write it down, to have it on permanent record for you to read whenever you want.

so here it goes.

over that time, over the course of us getting to know each other and becoming who we are today, the best of friends, i slowly started to fall for you—the person you were, someone i couldn’t be even if i tried. someone so raw, beautiful, and most of all real, both on the inside and out. you know i never was shallow, i never cared about someone’s appearance as what held significance to me the most was the heart. if your heart was good and wholesome and filled with love. that is what matters and the only thing that should. so while you are gorgeous (don’t let that get to your head now), you had a golden soul that i fell for ever so intensely.

i guess that’s why i decided to be daring that day—our senior graduation. you may be confused on what i mean since nothing was out of the ordinary that day, well for you at least. for me it was a different story. you see i had decided to do something, something out of my comfort zone and i honestly don’t know what came over me to do it in the slightest. you know how i am, i never like to be put into an uncomfortable situation since i don’t know how to deal with them. my social awkwardness just gets the best of me, but in that spur of a tick, realizing this was a huge milestone in our lives that we were overcoming, a milestone that would release us into the real world, i mused there was no harm. i really didn’t have anything to lose, except you that is. i could lose you, but i guess i knew deep within my heart that was a slim possibility because nothing could tear us apart, not even stupid teenage feelings. so you could say i finally gained enough confidence after spending so much time with you to do something out of the ordinary—to be bold like you. to just confess the truth and not worry about the consequences after. to just speak my mind and not surrender to fear. you helped me get to that point and while it did take some time, i was happy with who i came to be. someone proud with who they are, even for split second and i knew i had to do it before i turned back into a coward—before it was too late.

i had the ideal moment planned prior to it happening. i was going to tell you after we finished taking our graduation photos. there wasn’t a better time than that, when we were trying to capture the last moments of our high school career together. taking pictures with those we grew closer to over the years, those that made everything a little more sane, a little more fun. so when we look back we can reminisce about those times, no matter how many ups and downs there were because we finally reached the end goal. we made it.

after searching for you amongst the growing crowd for several long minutes after we proceeded off the stage, i saw you come towards me first, with your blue gown flowing in the wind. you literally ran full speed ahead and when you were a few inches away, you crashed into me. i had stumbled from the impact, taking several steps back so we both wouldn’t fall, as my arms came to rest around your own. you maneuvered your arms around my chest to give me a bear hug, stripping the oxygen away from me. when you let go after being in my embrace for what felt like eternity, i could clearly see your face. you were in a great mood—a beam on your face, your cheeks flushed from the sun’s heat, your eyes wide open with stars that filled the void, and your skin left in a brilliant glow. happiness surrounded you and a grin made its way onto my face at how in your element you finally looked. i knew it was then or never again, for your encouraging grin left me weak, yet strong. the perfect moment. yet, no moment is perfect. no one moment ever seems perfect for me. it doesn’t work out because fate wasn’t on my side—nor would it be for a long time.

you must have wanted to tell me something too that fateful day, since i could feel your excitement in my own bones and spot it a mile away, as right when i was about to confess, right when i opened my mouth to say those three dreaded words, you cut me off. you told me you had news, exciting and life changing news. news that would shatter me and wither my confidence away till what was left was speck of dust. you told me you were leaving to go to the states. that was the first pain i felt in my body. your admission letter had come in the mail earlier that morning when you were about to leave the house, on your way to the graduation ceremony. you were too anxious when your father relayed the news that you had gotten mail as your foot was almost out the door. you couldn’t wait to open it as your eagerness didn’t allow you to, so when you were handed that one large envelope addressed with your name from your dream college, your hands didn’t stop from ripping it open.

you got in.

you got into harvard university, the one college you told me since sophomore year that you wanted to go to, if it was the last thing you could do. i was so estatic for you, i was, because i knew how much the acceptance meant to you. you were working hard ever since you could talk and your passion was a huge part of that dedication to excelling in your academics. you deserved it more than anyone i knew, but my heart couldn’t help but crumble out of that exuberance.

you were rambling on about how thrilled you were and what you would do at college, all the classes you would take, the extracurricular activities, how you would have your own dorm or apartment and decorate it the way you wished. you just looked exactly how you did that day i took you out on a picnic to watch the sunset on that hill that overlooked the town—without a care in the world and so very content. so i couldn’t confess now, when you were going places, the places you dreamed of and when your life would take off for the better. you were just getting started, yet i couldn’t say what i so desperately wanted to say when you simply told me you were leaving, and so soon at that. i didn’t want to hold you back and i just know you are telling me i wouldn’t have, but i know the truth as do you. you would have stayed behind because you care too enormously with your heart to ever let me go, to ever have me sorrowful. so i didn’t say anything when you backtracked and asked me what i wanted to say before you spilled the news. i was thinking more with my head rather than my heart at that juncture. you gazing at me with your star-filled eyes and dazzling smile, i couldn’t do it, no matter how much energy coursed through my veins. i kept my mouth shut and told you it was nothing. you accepted the excuse though i know you knew it was a lie. we could always tell when the other lied and i was just glad you believed it at that point. i held back my feelings and my wants for your feelings and wants—for your needs. your life, your wishes, and your desires always meant more to me than my own. so we took those graduation photos and laughed with the rest of our friends. we were joyful then even if the future remained imbalanced and unsure.

you left later that month since you had to settle into a new country, a new state, a new culture, and a new life. in that time it wouldn’t be us if we didn’t spend every minute side by side and we did since you wanted to cherish our time together—our last time together. you would be on one end of the world and i would be on the other, thousands of miles separating us and a wide expanding sea. it was surreal and it still is. so we treasured all of it, even the little moments of going to each other’s houses in the wee hours of the morning to just watch the sunrise or late at night to watch the stars, to go get ice-cream when we felt like it, to watch movies in your bedroom with the lights down low—to just bask in each other’s presence. we made even more memories, granted that we had plenty to go around. those last weeks with you were the best of my life, even if it felt like nothing was changing, even if it was our normal routine before the shift. even so it still made me fall deeper as i saw your true colors in an even brighter light as if i never truly saw you before. there was so much about you that just made me curious even if i knew every part of you, every aspect of your being, from the simple things like your favorite color to your hatred for pineapple on pizza, and to the deep things like your fear of being forgotten or not being good enough. even if i knew so much, there was still more to unravel and discover as you were so complex. there isn’t another person like you in the world. there can’t be since you are one of a kind. they may have your face or outward appearance, but they can’t have your fair heart or pure soul.

i shouldn’t have been dazed that these emotions i had for you would solely blossom beyond belief. i couldn’t protest either because i knew they would grow more fervent since it is so hard to control myself around you. i sound like a giddy schoolboy, but with you i can’t help but let everything run wild and free. i put my entire heart and being out onto a silver platter just for you and i knew you would only ever take good care of it. after all if anything they would be yours to either tear or mend.

so when that dreadful day arrived i wasn’t ready for the whirlwind of storm to be released and let loose. you were leaving and wouldn’t come back.

i had been in the car with you that day as well as with your parents since they were flying over with you in order to help you maneuver around a new territory and get you settled in before the start of your semester. i couldn’t bear to say goodbye to you before so i tagged along. we all strolled up to the gate and your parents passed through, leaving you with me so we could have some privacy to say everything we needed to say. albeit there weren't enough words in the world to tell you how i felt at that stage, enough words for the both of us. therefore, we let our actions speak louder. you latched onto me, putting your arms around my neck and hugged me so closed till i was sure there was no room between our bodies in that suffocating airport.

you know you told me a hundred times, maybe even a thousand times during those last weeks before you left, how much you loved me. how much i meant to you and how much you cared for me. i don’t even think the amount of times i heard that from other people could compare to how many times you said it. while they may have meant it, i know you truly did and that was the deepest sorrow to know, which broke me a little further. regardless, i did tell you them right back, how could i not when it was you? i told you those three words and eight letters every time in response, twenty-four hours and seven days a week, but when you said them there, in the midst of the crowd in the airport, it felt different. it felt more meaningful, like there was an underlying tone i couldn’t decipher and it broke me the furthest i could go.

tears came from me and you, flowing between our clashed bodies. they made their way down your face and stained my own, out of jubilation and utter devastation. when you said it in between your sobs, repeating the words like a mantra against my neck and pulled me in even closer, i told you those words back. i whispered them against your temple, kissing the side of your head every time i repeated them and i meant them with all my heart because i truly did love you, so much, just in a way you didn’t love me, and never could.

i was sure i couldn’t recover from your departure once i saw you walk through those gates and let go of me. i wondered if i could ever hold you back again like i did at that moment. it felt like a part of me was being left behind. we were two halves of a whole and with you going, there would always be a missing puzzle piece. a piece of me would always be incomplete and i didn’t know how to feel, nor do i now. there is a hole in my chest of where you belong and i think there always will be until we connect in person again.

looking back i still smile at that memory—at all our recollections together. the woeful ones and the euphoric ones because they help me burden the pain, the heartbreak at your withdrawal from my life. it may sound dramatic considering we are still part of each other’s lives, just not in the way we were before. for distance separates us and threatens to split us apart.

you may think it doesn’t, but we both know the actuality. distance is the cause of these things—friendships, relationships, and love breaking beyond a point that is impossible to fix. where all those things are left in the dust and are fragments of what once was. now distance endangers our own foundations, our own very little things, so it’s illogical not to think about how it might destroy us. i never was a pessimistic person, but now being miles away from you, it’s hard not to think this way. i try to block it out. i try so hard, but sometimes i can’t help but allow negativity to take over, for without you here to shed light, the darkness swallows me whole.

i already know how you look reading this letter, in fact i knew from the very start what it would result in. i knew your emotions would get the best of you as they overwhelm you and you can’t hold them in like you desire to. maybe it happened from the very start or maybe it started now, but i want you to stop the tears that are already cascading down your face. don’t cry reading this. this piece of paper is not worth your tears, even if you think the opposite way and maybe those words i just wrote don’t mean anything because you are already sobbing, but stop them before they consume you. i am not worthy of those tears nor is it my intention to ever make you weep.

you know you always said you couldn’t cry, your body wouldn’t let you wail even if you begged it to. you told me that the day your grandmother died and you came over to me after the funeral. you told me no matter how glum you were and how much pain you felt, you couldn’t mourn for your grandmother. that you pushed your body to release tears but it wouldn’t so you looked unmoving and without emotion during the service. while that may have been the truth just that once, i knew well enough that was a lie. you were numb to feeling since you lost someone, but you body did want to grieve since you were just holding yourself back from looking weak. nonetheless you never are so-called frail because you are the toughest person i know and tears don’t dictate that strength regardless.

so in the deepest part of your room, at the latest times of the night when you thought no one was looking or knew, you cried your heart out. you whimpered too often and i was able to tell even if i never voiced it, but somehow you knew that i knew and you were okay with it. you were okay with letting me know you were and are human. so every time when you would cry i told you that you were too beautiful for it, in order to give you a piece of how i saw you in my head. to allow you to understand it was okay and normal above all. even now, though i can’t see your tear stricken face, you are stunning. so don’t bawl, but rather smile for me.

good.

your smile was always one of my favorite characteristics of yours. the most blinding beam that could light up a room and make anyone forget their worries.

you know even if it may seem gloomy, blame the mood in which this letter took a turn, i still am grateful we keep in contact even if you are so many miles away, because that’s the only thing i ever wanted, to keep in touch with you—to remain best friends. a factor that we still are…(for now).

so yes, it may be six months since i last saw you face-to-face, six months since you left, six months since we managed to stay in contact, but i can just feel you slipping away, becoming someone without me by your side through it all. yes, i know you and i are still who we are since those months ago, since sophomore year, but it’s just something that i can’t help but feel.

in fact i already sense it, it is near, but yet far. you know how i know? when we were on call the other day. it was last wednesday i believe and we were chatting about how our day went, the usual things in our routine, that is until you casually mentioned someone asked you out on a date last week. the mere fact that you didn’t tell me the day of or the day after it happened hurt more than your following words, albeit they equally packed a punch. you told me it was that one boy from your history of psychology class, the boy you did countless assignments with before, the boy you befriended nearly the first day your classes started. the boy i felt would take my spot from your life, if not as your lover, then as your best friend. i forgot his name, but i recollect you said he had that incorrupt look on his face that you perceived him to be pure the first day you laid eyes on him, although after learning more about him, he was far from being innocent. you told me in explicit detail what he looked like and the personality he had. i recall bits and pieces, even if i desperately tried to forget. delicate hands, an artistic gift, a slightly short stature, a cute grin, and a savage attitude to contradict the façade. exactly like you, exactly like the day i met you with your sharp tongue and doe eyes in the library, the complete opposite of each other. while i know i reach far in many regards calling him a soon to be lover or best friend, he still has potential even if he may not have any of those labels. i know he might not be the one—the one you’ll end up marrying in a few years down the road when you have a doctor’s degree in one hand and a ring on the other, but he might as well be. he might as well be that man because the future is unimaginable to foretell, but he can still be that shell of someone you want, he can still fill the void until the time comes. so yes, he very much will have your heart for a while, if you deem him worthy enough, if you pursue him the way he wants to pursue you. the way you were talking about him with your tone and the smile i could hear it in your voice gave it away. i knew something was there and you would give it a shot. he might be one of many before you find the ideal one over the years and he very well might be the one, but even if he was not, he would be your first in more ways than i was. he’ll be someone i wish i could have been. someone i wish would allow me to shoot my shot, but i didn’t since with all my talk i still, deep down, was a coward.

you can’t say i am wrong anyways since sometime, someday, some when it will happen. however, what still remains, in this bit, right now, as you read, is that we are still y/n and mark. mark and y/n. we are still us, but why does it feel like we aren’t at the same time?

it’s a deep question i must admit, it is what keeps me up some nights as i search for the answer and ponder for the meaning. i still don’t know the full answer, but i know enough. we are growing up. we are growing up y/n. we aren’t 15 anymore. we aren’t those sophomore kids that had no idea what the real world had in store and were gullible in every way, shape, and form. we simply aren’t high schoolers who only cared about our grades or appearance or the plans we had after school. we aren’t those kids. we are slowly becoming adults. we are slowing steering away from our teenage years and in that comes this question of self-identity.

who are we?

that is what we are trying to look for. we are finding who we are through everything we do—through our daily lives. we are finding ourselves…without the other. we have been so close for so long and grew into that space in an unhealthy amount of time. we grew accustomed to each other’s presence so now it is almost unbearable being apart for so long. we became so attached we don’t know what to do with ourselves and it’s the cold hard reality. it’s the truth that we don’t know ourselves individually, only together and that’s why it hurts more than ever that we have to be led astray, sometime soon. to know that soon enough that time will come. to know that yes, we still contact each other every day, we still have our weekly face times or calls and what you deem our “online friend dates” during the weekends, but as often as they are, they will change. we will no longer have the time to do that as college gets crazier for both of us, as we become more involved in a college life full of parties, friends, clubs, and whatever else it may be as we move out of being freshmen and get closer to our real life careers. you and i will know when that happens as our calls will become less frequent, our check-ins almost nonexistent with the other being left in the dust for days to weeks to months on end. we merely won’t be in contact anymore and i am sorry when that comes, my love. we’ll forget each other, its expected especially as we grow older, as we date, as we find love, as we befriend new people, as we move in the direction we are meant to be going and with that the worst part follows because i know sooner or later we will have to let each other go, if we don’t neglect. we can’t hold each other back and we will dwindle to a memory of what once was, of a simpler time before. i will be the forgotten one, the one in the background of your most prominent memories, someone you can’t help but look back on.

although we aren’t there yet, but we will be.

soon.

even if at this point you hate how many times i have written that word and so do i, but don’t you dare take the high road since we all know at some point all marvelous friendships die for an unexplainable reason or reasons. ours would just have to be because of life. that’s what makes life well...life. it is all part of the journey, the road to an unforeseeable future, but there can still be hope, it doesn’t just diminish like a candle flame put out by a gust of wind. no, hope still exists, you just have to grasp it when it comes around.

if. i always hated the word if, but if it’s meant to be then we will find each other, we will come around full circle at some point. have hope for both of us when i have none.

still, when you get this, it may be too late. maybe you will have unremembered about me in the seconds of time in between the unwavering silence. only then would we have both moved on, since there is no point in reaching out for something that isn’t worth saving when it all faded away before. only then will i be just a memory and reading this will spark those thought of i knew him once before during a ephemeral moment in my life when i was a teen in high school rather than a college student, but i know i am not late.

it is one thing i am sure of.

until then, until that foreboding time arrives i’ll hold dear what we have. i will try to preserve this friendship for both of our sakes until it’s time to say goodbye or more accurately a see you later if you want to be hopeful.

whenever that may be.

i know you hate goodbyes more than anything, the word itself rattles in your bones. so y/n, see you soon, in person—someday if it’s what’s right.

it has to be right doesn’t it?

fate has to be on our side because it knows us, it knows that there isn’t me without you and there isn’t you without me. when that time arrives of us seeing each other or withering away like every flower does at the end of its life, i hope, i pray that you won’t forget me as i most certainly won’t forget you.

so just call to mind in everything you do, in everything you say, dwell on the time before college—of a time when you were a child, someone lost, someone finding themselves and in it all remember there was someone who loved you before. someone who loved you at your worst as well as at your best, before you became who you were truly meant to be, and he loved you with all his heart.

he promises he always will.

that he is me.

i love you, y/n l/n. always and forever.

never forget it.

yours truly,

mark lee  

on march 16th, 20XX at approximately 8:02pm mark lee sealed his letter to y/n and put it in his coat pocket. on march 17th, 20XX at approximately 10:32am mark lee made his way to the postal office to drop off his letter and at 10:36am the letter dropped into the box on its way to the united states. on march 20th at approximately 11:42am mark lee’s letter arrived at the massachuesetts postal office and was separated upon arrival to be delivered sometime within the week. on march 22nd at 2:07pm, mark lee’s letter arrived at y/n’s apartment complex and was dropped in the inboxes of the residents. on march 24th at approximately 7:02am y/n went to pick up the mail, but what wasn’t in the pile was the letter from mark lee. sometime between when the letter arrived in the states to the mailman driving to the complex, his letter had gotten lost. the truck’s windows were open and mark lee’s letter was at the top of the pile when the truck was parked. an unsettling breeze was felt against the mailman’s face as he gripped the entire pile of mail, though mere seconds before the letter was picked up by the wind and whooshed onto the ground several feet away. the mailman did not take note and continued on, not noticing something was missing. y/n never received mark lee’s letter and neither of them would have known how things would have ended up differently if she had. for from that point on they would be a fading memory to each other and their friendship would wane away. y/n would begin to forget the calls with mark. mark would no longer reach out after months of silence from both parties. y/n would date the boy she told mark about, his name was huang renjun and they would fall in love, but mark would never know his name or know what came to be. they would become strangers and not best friends. lost to the tragic distance that separated them across the sea. if only y/n received the letter. if only mark lee confessed. if only he had know y/n felt the same. if only their friendship hadn’t evanescenced into nonexistence…like all unrequited love stories do.

[hitheryon]

I definitely would love to hear more details about all your spinoffs, especially that katsucrew vigilante one!!

Awe, Anon, you’re so kind! Okay, so since you specifically asked for the Vigilante AU, I’m going to expand most on that one, if that’s cool with you!! <33

So, I’ve talked about this AU like, once or twice on Bunny’s server, and it actually originally started as just an idea for Kariage to be a vigilante, but the longer I thought about it, the more possibilities arose. Thus, Vigilante Katsucrew was born.

Hifue is behind-the-scenes, the one who determines and locates targets; obtains and organizes information gathered from police reports, kariage’s info brokering, and the Hero Network; and sets up patrol routes and times for the Katsucrew so they can cover as much of Musutafu as they can. Mito is their support: she designs and builds gear, tools, and weapons from scrap material she secretly collects from the Support classes. She’s also acts as a briefer and runs interference when one of the crew needs to pull away from a situation or needs backup.

The both of them still attend UA, and keep their vigilante work on the downlow to keep from being caught.

Seika is the only one between Kariage, Henshuu, and herself that still goes to Moushou Academy. As a result, her patrols are closer to home and last a shorter amount of time than the others’ do. To make up for this, she does a lot of research and investigative work in her spare time, helping to tracks down villains with Hifue and looking for loopholes in Hero law that’d keep her friends safe.

Yasushi, while he doesn’t necessarily do vigilante work, mentions a lot of what he hears on the streets and in the places he works to the crew. He also helps coordinate patrol routes when he knows certain people (targets) are going to be at a specific place. He’s also the one to check in with the crew alongside Seika to make sure they’re not overworking themselves.

Kariage and Henshuu are the ones most involved in hands-on vigilante work. Kariage prefers to work in the shadows, gathering information by spying, bartering, and blackmailing; sneaking around villain and criminal hotspots to scope out targets; and building up connections and collecting favors that’d help the crew in the long run.

In contrast, Henshuu is their most out-there member. She acts as the bruiser of the group, and her patrols are often dangerous, which is why Kariage sometimes joins her. On her patrols, she does what her unofficial role implies, and has a reputation of beating up murderers, abusers, pedophiles and assaulters before dropping them off in front of police stations.

All in all, the group is doing so much good. People hail them as heroes, and refuse to give information to detectives because what’re the police going to do? Arrest the entire population of Musutafu? Fat chance. And, the funny thing is, they think they’re being so secretive, but Katsuki 100% knows what his crew of dumbasses are up to. And, hey, if he purposefully drops little bits of info here and there, things he’s heard in passing and knows would help his band of idiots, then no one has to know.

Eventually, it all comes to a head when Katsuki invites Kariage and the Katsucrew to the dorms to hang out. Aizawa, being one of the few to know the faces of three of the crew (Smoke Screen, Kadou, Transient) is immediately on guard. However, as time goes on and he sees Katsuki be so happy, he puts aside his worries. After all, if these kids (God, they’re so young) can make Katsuki act like an actual teenager, make him smile and laugh without reservations, then how bad can they truly be?

He doesn’t mention the kids at the next meeting about Musutafu’s own vigilantes.

-

As for the other AUs, they’re a bit less detailed! The fantasy AU is a oneshot I’m hoping to finish by next week as somewhat of a test drive to practice writing the crew.

The Cop Kariage AU is, personally, one of the ones I’m looking forward to writing the most. It’s a future fic set in Katsuki’s third year at UA with him and detective-in-training Kariage meeting in the middle of a crime scene. And, honestly? It features Katsuki being the Gay Disaster he is at heart, so if you wanna ask for more info about this one, please do, because I can and will scream about this idea for hours on end <33

[kaichan24]

Favorite historical AUs

Blackbird. The year is 1942, and Europe is at war. Captain Victor Nikiforov, an intelligence operative for the NKVD, has been trapped in Berlin by the German invasion of the USSR. Posing as a Nazi industrialist, his days are spent charming information out of Axis diplomats to try and keep the Red Army fighting another day. 

Yuuri Katsuki, a foreign-educated bureaucrat in the Japanese Embassy, has secrets of his own concealed beneath his unremarkable demeanour. When he uncovers Victor’s real identity, it will alter the course of both of their lives forever.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/9651944/chapters/21806939

Love in Exile.  Once a well know ballet dancer in St. Petersburg, Victor Nikiforov finds himself exiled to Sakhalin Island as a political convict in 1881. As a man sentenced to katorga he will never return to European Russia or his life on the stage. Known as the "Edge of the World," his life on Sakhalin could not be further from the life he once knew. Strange circumstances lead his path to cross that of a young Japanese man, one of the very few still living on the island. Katsuki Yuuri leads a life of exile of a different kind, one that is largely self-imposed. Drawn to each other, despite their differences, something slowly begins to grow between them. When a narrowly avoided tragedy leaves them stranded together for a long, cold Sakhalin winter, they are challenged to face what their relationship really means, and what future it could possibly have.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/9327392/chapters/21135641

the fall of this empire will be loud.  In 1991, the Soviet Union collapses. In 1989, the Berlin wall falls. In 1987, Viktor Nikiforov, iconic figure skater and darling of the USSR, defects to the United States. In 1986, Yuuri Katsuki falls in love.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/10450485/chapters/23069037

The Stars, the Moon, and a Soul to Guide Us. When Yuuri was born, the priestess was struck with a vision, a picture they could not explain. As he comes of age, they realise what he is - the carrier of a gift, admired by some, but feared and mistrusted by most.

But when his future is decided for him and his life put in the hands of a stranger through marriage, Yuuri knows that he has no choice. That whatever the gods have planned for him must come true.

As it was foretold.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/21300893/chapters/50723870?view_adult=true

moods, states of grace, & elegies. Victor Nikiforov has traveled far and wide in the company of trader Christophe Giacometti on the silk roads to arrive at Hasetsu, capital of the Great Nihon Empire. He expects to stay a winter, until the seasons change again, and fairer weather and the changing of seasons can return him to his wanderlust.He does not expect to fall in love with the Crown Prince.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/14632119/chapters/33817776#workskin

Zanka.  Aoyagi's lips parted in a sigh, and for a brief second, Viktor saw a wistful expression beneath the fine-edged veneer – fleeting and transient as a cherry blossom in bloom. There was so much unspoken that Viktor wanted, now more than ever, to take the man with him. Bring him home and far away from this glittering world of luxury and waste.

Victuuri historical AU in 1800s, Edo, Japan. Yuuri is Aoyagi, a high-ranking male courtesan, and Viktor falls hopelessly in love.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/11542329/chapters/25917123

The Lily of Kasagiya.  Yuuri, following his love of beautiful things, would have gone to any lengths to become the finest geisha in the world. Then he met Victor Nikiforov.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/11467587

croisés, écartés, entrelacés.  St. Petersburg, the early 1900s. Yuuri has left everything behind to follow his dream and Victor is the city’s darling. Both danseurs at Mariinsky theatre, their paths continually intertwine as they are fated to meet again and again. However, as love blooms, looming shadows of war lie in wait.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12534796/chapters/28544700

Interpersonal Diplomacy. For the sake of ending a centennial war and protecting the lives of his family and people, Prince Imperial Yuuri of Shanjia makes an unexpected sacrifice, placing his life in the hands of King Viktor of Nova. For the survival of their nations' fledgling peace, Yuuri must live on Novan soil alone, surrounded by people his nation just recently considered enemies, and tied to their monarch by the bonds of diplomacy.

However, Yuuri will also find allies, individuals willing to welcome the peace-loving regardless of past history. If Yuuri is to carve a home in this foreign nation, he must earn the trust of the war-weary Novan people.

And in time, Yuuri may find himself drawing closer to the sympathetic but enigmatic King Viktor.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/16072742/chapters/37529747

in my head, in my heart, in my soul.  Drawn into a conflict outside of his responsibility, Victor Nikiforov, the greatest general of the age, appears to have met his match in the shy Prince of Japan who surrenders on the fields of Goryeo.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/15994100

for your sake I hope heaven and hell.  Mr. Nikiforov, Duke of Cumberland, first meets Mr. Katsuki, assistant steward to the Giacometti Estate, in Kent.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/23587234

Chorus in Aurorae. When Minako, the sightseer of the Elk clan, tells Yuuri of her vision, he doesn't know what to make of it. But he knows it must be important.

Once she returns from her travels, he learns that another seer from another great clan has shared her vision, and that this can only mean one thing: their clans are to be united, and Yuuri is to be part of it.

He is to bond with a hunter of the Bear clan.

While frustrated that he is being thrust onto a path so very different from the life he had envisioned for himself, Yuuri is made to accept that this union is the will of the spirits. He will go through with it for the sake of the people he loves, even if it means giving up every last part of himself.

To make matters worse, his mate-to-be is the most renowned hunter the winter lands have ever seen, and someone Yuuri has admired for a long time.However, from the moment they meet, Yuuri slowly realises that there is much more to Victor than he has imagined, and that perhaps the will of the spirits is more closely aligned with his own than he previously thought...

https://archiveofourown.org/works/13707318/chapters/31487046

Victor the Great.  At the age of nine Victor became the Tsar of all the Russias with Lilia as regent. One day he will be the sole ruler of Russia, the man who makes all the decisions and gets to do what he wants, with one exception: he has to marry a woman from a Russian aristocratic family. Except that he falls in love with a boy who is a foreign commoner. Will he risk the throne to be able to marry the one he loves?

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12740541/chapters/29055912

Pulses that beat double.  Katsuki Yuuri traveled all the way from Japan to study medicine in London, but finds himself very short on funds. He's long had a fascination with the scandalous Baron Viktor Nikiforov, so he's shocked when the baron takes an interest in him. So shocked he runs away as quickly as possible. But Viktor Nikiforov is a persistent man when he sees something he wants.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12210117/chapters/27730044

Gore and Glory.  It is the year 1903. In an attempt of de-escalating matters with Imperial Russia, translator Yuuri Katsuki accompanies his father to St. Petersburg in a diplomatic mission. However, he certainly did not expect to meet a man as stunning and peculiar as tsarevich Yuri Georgieviech's bodyguard, Polkovnik Viktor Ivanovich Nikiforov - and even less he expected to fall in love when war is threatening the country.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/10485105/chapters/23131323

[worryinglyinnocent]

Fic: Storybrooke Noir

AU-gust Day Twenty-Four: Private Detectives AU Fandom: Once Upon A Time Pairing: None (with rumbelle in the background)

Rated: T

Summary: In Prohibition Era Storybrooke, private investigator Graham Humbert receives an interesting new case. 

Note: This is one of the first ideas I ever had for OUAT fanfic. Small parts of the story are told in noir-detective-style first person from Graham’s POV, most of it is third person.

Storybrooke Noir

As soon as I saw the identity of my visitor, I knew that my next case was going to be an interesting one. Regina Mills, it’s safe to say, runs Storybrooke. Nothing happens here without her say. If she was coming to me for help, then I knew that the situation was very delicate indeed. 

Graham could see that Regina Mills was the person behind his office door. Her outline was very distinctive. She was a fan of interestingly-shaped hats, and this one was definitely the most interesting that he had seen.

He opened the door and ushered her inside.

“What can I do for you, Miss Mills?”

“I need your skills, Mr Humbert.” She placed the brown envelope that she was carrying down onto the desk. “I have a case for you, and if you solve it to my satisfaction then I can promise you a very lucrative reward.”

“I have a standard rate, Miss Mills.”

“I know.” Regina’s smile was hungry and leonine, and it made Graham want to take a step back. Whilst he didn’t know what was in the envelope, he received the distinct impression that Regina was on the hunt, and whoever her target was, she was going to employ Graham to do the hunting. “But I’m certain that I can make any extra effort that you go to worth your while.”

Graham raised an eyebrow. Regina must be desperate if she was coming to him for help in the first place, and even more so if she was trying to sweet talk him like this.

“That won’t be necessary, Miss Mills. What’s the nature of the job?” He took the envelope and opened it. A grainy photograph fell out; he recognised it as the work of Sidney Glass, Storybrooke’s local newshound. The picture showed a young woman with light hair standing on Storybrooke’s main street.

“I don’t like it when new people arrive in Storybrooke unannounced and start snooping around,” Regina said. “Her name is Emma Swan and she arrived in furtive circumstances in the middle of the night. I want to know who she is, where she’s from, why she’s here and what she intends to do now she’s got here. More importantly, I want to know when she’s leaving. If she can leave any sooner than that, then again, I’m sure I can make it worth your while.”

Graham nodded. Whilst he was not usually in the business of scaring people out of town – Regina had more than enough people at her beck and call to be able to do that herself – he would certainly look into the case. He wasn’t picky when it came to his earnings and who he took them from.

With his fee negotiated, Graham sat back, looking at the photograph that Regina had left with him and beginning to make notes.

It was time for a trip to the Spinning Wheel.

The Spinning Wheel Speakeasy is a good place to come for information. It’s owned, as most places in Storybrooke are, by Mr Gold. No-one knows his first name, and some people have speculated that he doesn’t actually have one. Gold knows everything that happens in the town, including the things that Regina doesn’t know about, and he’s always willing to share - for a price, of course. He’s the only person in town who can go toe to toe with Regina and be confident of victory, and I’m glad I’m on the right side of him.

If he couldn’t be persuaded to part with his knowledge of Emma Swan, maybe his girl Belle could help.

The Spinning Wheel was located in the basement of Storybrooke library, and Graham had to admit that being surrounded by old books and dusty periodicals gave the place an air of class that most establishments of its ilk couldn’t boast. 

Belle was sitting behind the library issue desk when Graham entered, although he knew full well that she was not expecting any patrons to be checking out books at this hour. She had been Gold’s doorkeeper for as long as anyone could remember, preferring the quiet of the library to the noise down below. They made for an odd couple, the bookish librarian and the menacing landlord and moonshiner of the shadows, but no-one who saw them together could deny that Gold was completely devoted to her and vice versa. Woe betide anyone who tried to use Belle as leverage to get to Gold. He could be very creative with that cane of his when he wanted to be, and Graham had seen him in action more than once. Keith Nottingham had learned to stay away after that beating.

“Hello Mr Humbert.” Belle greeted him with a smile as he came into the dimly lit building. “Are you here for business or pleasure tonight?”

“Business, I’m afraid. Is Gold in tonight? I’m hoping that he can help me with my latest case.”

Belle nodded, coming out from behind the issue desk and going over to unlock the rickety elevator in the corner. Graham followed her. 

“He’s in, but I don’t know that he’s feeling all that altruistic. You’d better be prepared to dig deep.”

“I’m sure he’ll be interested when I tell him it’s an opportunity to get one over on Her Majesty.”

Belle raised an eyebrow. “Things must be serious if she’s seeking independent help. I’d noticed that she seemed a little jumpier these past few days. What’s got into her?”

“Scared of losing her crown as always.” Graham thought it would be best to play his cards close to his chest for the moment. If this Swan character was dangerous, then it really wouldn’t do to be putting Belle in harm’s way. 

She came down the elevator with him, and the doors opened onto the Spinning Wheel. It was doing good trade tonight, with most of its small tables occupied. Graham recognised David Nolan by the little stage, gazing moon-eyed at the singer. His soft spot for Mary Margaret Blanchard was an open secret in the town - much to Mrs Nolan’s chagrin.

Belle led the way across the smoky room to where Gold was sitting with one of his associates. Jefferson Milliner was considered eccentric at best and downright insane at worst, but he and Gold got on like a house on fire. Graham wasn’t sure what the implications were for Gold’s own mental state as a result. 

Gold smiled warmly as Belle approached, his entire demeanour softening with her mere presence. He held out a hand to her and kissed her knuckles when she took it. 

“Who have we here, sweetheart? I see that the great detective has decided to pay us a visit.”

“Evening Mr Gold, Mr Milliner. I’m looking for some information about a recent new arrival in Storybrooke. I know that nothing in town goes unnoticed here.”

Gold grinned. “Let me guess. Her Majesty wants you to dig up any dirt you can on her so that she can be safe in the knowledge that she’s under no threat from Bostonian interlopers on secret missions.”

Graham laughed. “So, you know she’s from Boston and she’s here on a secret mission, which is more than me.”

“Aye. Any more will cost you.”

“How much?”

Gold gave the matter some thought. 

“I’m feeling generous tonight with the news of Regina’s discomfiture. Get yourself a drink and sit down with us, and I’ll tell you what I know. Will you join us, my dear?”

Belle declined, returning to the library above, and with liquor procured, Graham took a seat. He had to admit, Gold sold the good stuff; there was none of your bathtub rotgut at the Spinning Wheel. 

“So,” Gold began. “What do you already know?”

“Her name is Emma Swan and she arrived two days ago in the small hours. That’s as much as Regina knows and as much as I know.”

“She’s boarding at Widow Lucas’s and she’s intending to stay a week. She seems the transient type. Looking for something, I would imagine, although I can’t say what just yet. She was in here last night; it seems that Ruby Lucas clued her in. Belle judged her to be safe, and I trust Belle’s judgement.” Gold paused. “If I didn’t know better I’d say that she was one of your lot. Private eye.”

Graham shrugged. “It’s possible.”

He drained his drink and thanked Gold, going back over to the elevator. It was time to start digging. 

Gold had given me a good lead, and what he had said about Swan possibly being a PI like myself was interesting. I wondered what she could be investigating here in Storybrooke; we don’t get many people coming in and out. 

Widow Lucas was my next point of call. She takes in the few boarders who come to Storybrooke, some of whom stay permanently. It’s not exactly a vacation destination. She’s known to most as Granny, and she takes no nonsense from anyone.

“I know why you’re here.” Graham had barely got through the door of the inn before Granny had sized him up. He wasn’t exactly surprised. She had a sixth sense for things like that. 

“I’m sure that you do, Widow Lucas.” 

“She’s in the parlour,” Granny continued. “I think she’s expecting you as much as I am.”

Graham made his way through to the parlour, and sure enough, Miss Swan was sitting there. 

“Evening, Miss.”

“Good evening. Widow Lucas told me to expect you. Apparently Miss Mills isn’t too keen on outsiders coming into her domain.”

Graham had to laugh at the succinct summation of the situation. “Indeed not.” 

Miss Swan indicated for him to take a seat opposite her as Granny bustled in with some coffee. 

“It’s all right, Mr Humbert. I’m not staying long. My interest in Storybrooke is purely professional. In much the same way as yours, in fact.”

“Yes. Mr Gold thought that it might be.” 

“He’s a shrewd man. I wouldn’t trust him as far as I could throw him, but he’s definitely clever, I’ll give him that much, and he’s got good liquor.”

They drank their coffee in silence for a while, and Graham studied Miss Swan, pondering her reasons and motives, and what a private investigator was doing coming to Storybrooke.

“What brings you to our town, then, Miss Swan?” he asked, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.

Miss Swan just laughed. “Well, I think that’s for me to know and you to find out, Mr Humbert. That’s what you’re being paid to do, after all.”

Graham couldn’t fault her logic, and he smiled. The next few days whilst Miss Swan was in town were going to be very interesting indeed…

[songsandsorcery]

Basics ———

full name. Fizridge Flimflam nicknames. Fiz, Fizzy, Rizzy, Ridge, Fizdick, Fizbitch, "Boss" age. 132 race. Gnome gender. Cis Male sexuality. Pansexual, Male Pref marital status. Taken birthplace. Unknown. Discovered in Darkmoon’s woods as an infant. residence. Transient. The Finest’s caravans are usually found stationed within Stormwind’s walls at the Wollerton Stead. profession. Ringleader of Darkmoon’s Finest; Bard and entertainer.

About ———

height. 2′10″ hair color. Forest Green eye color. Pale Pink skin tone. Pale peach; sun-starved. body type. Stocky, fat. Functional muscle in his legs. Disarmingly quick on his feet. tattoos. Twin Darkmoon eyes on his shoulders. One large Darkmoon eye on his back. A large X on the back of his left palm, always hidden. common accessories. A lute on his back, carved of Darkmoon oak and humming with latent magical energy. A performer’s collar that holds his head up with a pseudo heretic’s fork that resembles Darkmoon’s iconography. A short dagger with a Darkmoon eye on its pommel. A headband that just-barely keeps his wild hair out of his eyes. A necklace of Dwarven design, bearing a valknut and tucked under his clothing. Never seen without gloves of any kind. familiars. A Darkmoon Eye that follows him everywhere he goes. A forest strider affectionately named “Plum” that serves as his mount.

Hooks ———

- The Darkmoon Devil: Fizridge has made quite the name for himself over the years. As a lifelong carnie, he is quite the common face around the fairegrounds and adores soaking up the limelight whenever it's in town. He is a common staple in juggling, fire-breathing, instrumental, vocal, and choreographed performances. Once headlined under the name The Darkmoon Devil, where he wove pyrotechnics into burlesque performances not for the faint of heart. Presently he is the ringleader Darkmoon’s Finest, a splinter troupe of the Faire that is a common staple at markets and the like. Has the following accolades under his belt: World’s Faire Carnival Pet Show Champion, World’s Faire Carnival Twerk-Off Champion, Beach Bomb Surf Champion. - Town Flirt: Once upon a time Fizridge was a notorious town flirt that was known to sleep around and tug on stranger's heartstrings for little more than his own amusement. Now with a troupe to take care of and a reputation to uphold, the gnome is far more content to take things slowly. It'd be no surprise if one night found your character in his company. - Troublemaker: Fizridge matches the description of a gnome that was once prosecuted for petty theft in a rather barbaric human settlement. This wouldn't be so interesting, if not for the fact that his tormentors mysteriously went missing a week later. Rumors abound regarding Silas Darkmoon’s participation in this act of carnie justice. After all: the Faire protects its own.

- Family Resemblance:  If your gnome is a Gnomeregan native they might notice that Fizridge bears a striking resemblance to a pair of extremists that were well-known on the political scene for attempting to rig the Thermaplugg-Mekkatorque election. This couple was banished for their acts against the Gnomish government and the whole ordeal was something of a scandal. The nature of Gnomeregan’s political climate was that acts against the norm were treated with an air of sensationalism, primarily due to a gnome’s predisposition to act amicably along with the rather small population in comparison to other races.

Seeking ———

- Friends of the Faire: There’s been many a carnie, seasonal hire, client, and guest that Fizridge has made a friend with due to his tenure at the Faire! The nature of his job demands that he meet a lot of people, so it’d be no stretch of imagination for your character to be among them!

- Reconnecting With One’s Roots: Fizridge has never quite connected with his Gnomish roots. As far as he’s concerned, he’s more goblin than gnome! The bard can come off as rather combative to most gnomish cultural norms and doesn’t seem fit on budging on his opinions. Maybe your character can change his mind?

- Bad Blood: You don’t live a hundred years without making a few enemies! Spurned exes, performing partners, rival troupes ... ask me about starting a tiff between our characters!

- Alternate Continuities: I entertain quite a few continuities to allow myself the chance to write a wide variety of interactions! Want to ship in another continuity? I’m down! Want to write with my character in a different setting? You got it! Just PM me! ( AUs I have include: Defias / Westfall, shadow priest, Gnomeregan native. )

Art by Anzka Nguyen and Boz-Potatoz, respectively.