#wip: til death do us part

[sarahlizziewrites]

OC Kiss Week 2025 - Day 1 - “Desperate”

In which Wills has to restrain himself. (398 words) WIP: Til Death Do Us Part Characters: Williamson Jones, Navraj Choudhury  taglist: @vacantgodling, @imsoveryveryconfusedatlife @mrbexwrites, @glbettwrites, @writingrosesonneptune (+/-)

I wanted to kiss you when it began to rain, and you held up the umbrella for us both; just right for me, and a fraction too low for you. It would have been so easy just to lean in and meet you, and dip in for a kiss - instead, I had to settle for a friendly, distanced, ‘Cheers ever so’. And when you got doughnut sugar on your fingers and licked it off, I badly wanted to grab a hold of your face and taste your tongue, right there in public, chasing the sweetness.

When you cocked your hat and winked one eye shut at the shooting gallery, I wanted to take the BB gun from your hands and pin you against the fairground stand, just to kiss you silly in front of all the other fairgoers.

I didn’t, of course. But once - just once - I wanted to ignore the laws and the society that forced us to hide in any place that wasn’t our home. I wanted to show the world the love that threatened to choke me at times; wanted to pull your hand from the armour of its glove and hold it to mine, palm to palm. 

I waited, instead. Waited until the door had closed behind us, key in a deadbolt, traffic and rain dimming outside. Waited until we were alone, and the world didn’t see us as two men - one English, one dark-skinned and foreign - and we were allowed to be only what we were to each other.

I pressed close when I kissed you in the hallway, stray raindrops dripping from my nose. Your lips were cold, but the inside of your mouth was warm, and there was still a hint of that doughnut-sugar sweetness - though that may have been my imagination. Once you realised what was going on, one of your arms slid beneath my coat, battling for yet more closeness, and a hum of satisfaction formed in your chest.

“What’s this all about?” you asked when our lips parted, your words quiet and damp across my mouth as the rain began to evaporate from our clothes. You smiled, and I stroked a thumb across your brow before a stray raindrop slid into your eye.

“Oh, nothing,” I replied, breezy but breathless, drugged on the warmth of your body pressed close. “I’ve just been desperate to kiss you all day.”

[momimf1ne]

please have this everything in-between sequel fic snippet <3

Oscar can almost taste the question reverberating inside Lando’s mind. He’s brushing his fingers through Lando’s curls that damply stick to his forehead. Lando has his eyes closed, head resting on Oscar’s chest and he’s absentmindedly toying with the blankets seam, rolling it between his fingers, his nails catching on the zipper sometimes. His skin is hot where it’s sticky against Oscar’s own. “How did. I mean- When did you get bitten?” Lando asks into the hollow of Oscar’s bedroom, voice quiet, almost a whisper. He’s not looking at him, which Oscar understands. It’s a delicate thing and truly, they might not know each other well enough to go there just yet. Though Oscar feels like he has known Lando for an eternity already. Being a Vampire is lonely, agonizingly so. Holding Lando’s naked body in his arms, knowing he’s probably listening to Oscar’s heart beating futilely inside his chest, doesn't feel lonely though. It’s the opposite in fact. Oscar can’t remember ever feeling so connected, maybe even before he turned.

[ennn]

More Agatha x Rio Fic Recs

For my previous fic recs: 1, 2 <- a few canon-compatible fics in Part 2 have completed so check 'em out if you haven't!

Alrighty, I know some of y'all don't enjoy AU fics so I've put those in a separate category. Usual YMMV disclaimer. I make no claims that this list is comprehensive, there are other well-written fics out there.

· · ──── Canon Compatible / Divergent ─── · ·

For You To Be Still – by @momentary-ecstasy

Pre-canon. In a desperate bid to save Rio from the fallout of the Snap, Agatha binds them together. If that wasn't complicated enough, there's the end of days to deal with. Sounds like a job for a coven.

blood, sweat & tears – by clarkestrife

WIP. Pre-canon. Rio encounters Agatha for the first time since Nicky's death. It goes as well as you'd expect.

you'll sanctify me when i'm dead – by @majorlysapphic

WIP. Pre-canon. Stricken with Hanahaki Disease, Rio seeks to retire permanently but she needs to finish a final mission... and she can only do it with Agatha's help.

death comes for us all – by uniqueusernamegenerator

Pre-canon. A beautiful series of scenes through the years where they come together and fall apart. Well, mostly fall apart.

WAR Stories – by simplysapient

Wanda/Agatha/Rio. Technically canon-divergent? A series that's very very cracky and silly but also contains heartfelt character moments. I especially enjoyed Parts 6 and 12.

· · ──────── Entirely AU ──────── · ·

honey come put your lips on mine (and shut me up) – by tinyteamug

WIP. Retired hockey pro-turned-publicist Agatha is tasked with managing the most unmanageable feral hotshot player that is Rio.

 I lay my heart down with the rest at her feet – by xnodustollens

WIP. Detective Agatha meets her new partner Rio as they investigate a serial killer. An intriguing murder mystery with these two engaging in highly unprofessional behaviour.

a new terror – by obsetress

WIP. The Mr and Mrs Smith AU fic. Enough said.

someday we will all be lying on our backs (free at last from income tax) – by @paddingtonfan69

Rio is the bad boy of the IRS. Agatha is an infamous tax evader. Perhaps the most crazy hilarious and well-written AU concept that fits with canon?

To Hate Her is to Love Her – by @justasimplelesbiansfanfic

WIP. Agatha gets her estranged wife Rio to pretend they're still together for the holidays. A long, angsty slow burn with an unfolding plot involving crime, the justice system, and the FBI. Not your fun holiday season fic!

 'til storm breaks loose – by Palmarion

WIP. Agatha's a top music producer and Rio's the only assistant who's managed to deal with her. Whoops, they're stuck at a hotel in a room with only one bed.

[urfavrib]

KINDA random (there's a decent chance you've answered this before) What songs do you associate with Coalecroux? I always think of Tongues and Teeth by The Crane Wives, its so "Kremy hates being loved and can only love in a way he thinks is bad" core, and it really reminds me of The Baron Provides (if u know that fic READ IT IF U DONT SOMEHOW).

LIKE, "I will love you like the ashes of my cigarette box" COME ONNNNNNNNNNNNNN

I haven’t actually gotten to answer this! I’m working on a playlist but ya know too many WIPs to focus anyway here’s some of my collection and the special quotes that draw me.

Femme Fatale - Coyote Kid

“We placed a gamble with our hands on our hearts, Made a blood-pact deal 'til death do us part”

Love Myself - Cameron Whitcomb

“I love you like I wish I loved myself, Trust is a word I won’t use”

The Fire - Vincent Lima

“So I ran through the fire and I held out my hand, I'm not here to save you, I don't have a plan, You see, love isn't rescue, it's someone to lose, My feet burn, but dear, now I'm in this with you”

Bridges - Ike Dweck

“I had one foot out our picture ready to rip it apart, I was taught that all that's given becomes something you grieve, So I'd rather drop your hand then have you pull away from me, Wasn't man enough to break the chain, So I loosened up our links, Does a boat that's filled with holes, Really care what made it sink?”

I’m the Sinner - Jared Benjamin

“If I ain't clean, you're the vice, I'm the sinner, When you leave, blood is ice, it's the winter, There's no sleep, there's no dreams, When you're gone, there's no me”

[dramioneasks]

Christmas Fics (2024) (Part 7):

A Warm Drink by Catmint and Thyme (Languish_Locked_in_L) - E, one-shot - Hermione long ago learned that the only way to take care of a problem is to deal with it herself. That's why she's determined to hunt down the vampire assaulting students at Hogwarts. Or, what's 8th year without a bit of blood drinking for Christmas? A Vampire Draco AU

Operation: Yuletide Cheer by sad_millennial - T, one-shot - When Hermione Granger—a firm opponent of Yuletide and all things related—volunteers to cover every shift the week of Christmas, Draco Malfoy—her partner and firm supporter of Yuletide and holiday cheer—is in disbelief. Determined to garner her participation in the festivities, Draco volunteers himself to work alongside Hermione and immerses her in his favorite holiday traditions. [[Featuring Auror partners Dramione, silly holiday antics, and sickeningly sweet gift exchanges.]]

Ho, Ho, Fucking Ho! by Always_Slytherin - E, one-shot - What happens when everything Hermione Granger knew had been a lie? Her best friend had lied to her for years, her now ex-boyfriend had cheated on her for years... now, it was time for her revenge. And what a better time to do it, than Christmas fucking Eve. Ho, Ho, Fucking Ho! [WARNINGS: CHARACTER DEATH]

'Til the Sleep Simply Melts Them All Away by ifyouwereamelody - T, 2 chapters - Draco Malfoy wakes up dressed in yesterday’s clothes, standing in the middle of the Ministry of Magic’s atrium. Which is distressing, to say the least, because it’s neither how nor where he remembers going to sleep. Something is very, very wrong with him this Christmas Eve. And he can't fix it alone.

Something Selfish by VanillaSage - E, one-shot - Opting to spend Christmas alone rather than be subjected to Ron and his new girlfriend and the pitying looks from all the people convinced she was heartbroken, Hermione has a couple of glasses of wine and uses the wishing orb Luna gifted her for Christmas to wish for the one thing she secretly really wants. Things don't go quite to plan, but have rather delicious results.

'Tis the Season of Love (and all that) by MyDelphi - G, WIP - A small glimpse of the Malfoy family's future. Besotted Malfoy Men (a hereditary trait), an enemies-to-lovers romance (putting their parents' Hogwarts rivalry to shame) and the tender tendrils of courtship. But 'tis the season of love after all. (Set post To Woo a Witch. Shouldn't be read on its own.)

We'll Take a Cup of Kindness Yet by kaycares - M, one-shot - To avoid suspension after an incident involving a student, Draco Malfoy is forced to spend his holidays at Hogwarts, babysitting the students who are holding over. The only thing that could make this worse is Hermione Granger.

I'm dreaming of by chaosophia - T, one-shot - Dobby knits a present for Draco every Christmas. And he always will. [WARNINGS: CHARACTER DEATH]

An Improbable Gift by TapeBadger - M, WIP - 'Not a moment later, she flung him out of her way, wand out and magnificent. And, as he battled with the disorienting way the world swirled around him as he attempted to find his feet, he considered the idea that there was nothing quite so arousing as watching a competent witch save you from being eaten by a dozen hags, as if it were nothing.' Draco Malfoy has worked alongside Hermione Granger at the Ministry for years, cracking curses and disarming dangerous magical artifacts, while he marvels at her brilliance from a strictly platonic distance. Nothing is likely to change that any time soon, now, is it?

All I Want For Christmas is (To Defeat) You by Sanichka - T, one-shot - Hermione Granger built a surprising bond with one of her professors when she returned to Hogwarts for her eighth year. But when she wants to surprise that professor with the perfect Christmas present, a certain someone gets in her way

[tj-dragonblade]

TJ Dragonblade's Dreamling Bingo 2024 Masterpost

Extremely pleased to have reached a blackout on my first time participating in a bingo, even if two of them are snippets rather than full fics. Did not get the movement I was hoping for on old WIPs but I got new things and recent wips finished and I got started on a fic I've been wanting to write for awhile. So I am satisfied overall.

A1 Trapped in the Frequency: Until We Meet Again (rated G) A2 Creature: Veela swapped for Identity Reveal: Past the Wit of Man (or, Bottom's Dream) (rated M) A3 Crossover swapped for Monster Fucking: Adoration (rated E) B1 Hurt/Comfort + Forehead Kisses: Til Death Do Us Part (rated T) B2 Free Space: Loyalty Rewards Program (rated E) B3 Roleplay: Hot For Teacher (snippet) (rated E) C1 Sugar Baby: With Every Nerve Alive (rated E) C2 Almost Caught + Injury Recovery: Good Luck Charm (rated G) C3 Creature: Selkie: (untitled snippets) (rated G)

Links go to Tumblr posts; posts contain AO3 links, tags, wordcounts, summaries, etc (snippets may lack some of this info)

Many many thanks to the @dreamlingbingo mods for organizing this event and making it run so smoothly!

[suzy-queued]

Fic Writers Year-End Wrap-Up

Thank you for the tag, @energievie @sam-loves-seb and @mybrainismelted

1. How many words have you written this year? About 135,000

2. How many works did you publish this year? 6, not counting Out of Nowhere which was complete in January. (That's a 2023 story)

3. What work are you most proud of (regardless of kudos/hits)? Workhouse Rock, my multi-chap prison/work camp story.

4. What work of yours has the most hits? From 2024? Workhouse Rock.

5. What work of yours got more feedback than you expected? A Song Only You Can Hear. I figured this AUgust series would get a few eyes on it (I know it's hard as a reader to stick with 31 days of consecutive installments). But a lot of people read it!

6. Favorite title you used. No Sleep 'Til Nashville

7. If you use song lyrics, which artist's songs did you pull from the most? I usually use song lyrics, but I got away from that in 2024. So I guess Beastie Boys is the winner.

8. Pairing you wrote the most for this year? Ian and Mickey, although I did branch out and do some Stede/Ed art from Our Flag Means Death.

9. Favorite pairing you wrote for this year? Ian and Mickey.

10. What work was the quickest to write? Coming Attraction, for the Gallavich Gift Exchange.

11. What work took you the longest to write? Workhouse Rock. It's still in progress.

12. How many WIPs do you have in your docs for next year? The Big Bang story and Big Bang art.

13. What's your longest work of the year? Workhouse Rock, 61,041 words

14. What's your shortest work of the year? Coming Attraction, 3052 words

15. What WIP are you taking into next year with you? Workhouse Rock, plus my drabble series The Lord and the Footman.

16. What's your most common "Additional Tags" tag? Alternate Universe (which is a surprise to no one)

17. Your favorite character to write this year? Mickey. Always Mickey.

18. The character who gave you the most trouble writing this year? Maybe Marco from Workhouse Rock, because I wanted to take care to write him just right. OCs are hard to make three-dimensional and interesting.

19. What's one pairing you want to explore next year? More Gallavich, I'm sure!

20. Which work of yours have you reread the most? From this year? Probably A Song Only You Can Hear, because I re-read the entire story every day for the whole month.

21. How many kudos in total did you get this year? 946, plus I'm sure there were works from past years that got kudos in 2024.

22. Which work has the most comments? A Song Only You Can Hear

23. Did you do any collaborative works this year? Yes! I wrote Scary Sweet with @francesrose3 and Then and Now with @sam-loves-seb.

24. Did you write any gifts this year? Yes! Coming Attraction was a gift for @blue-disco-lights

25. Did you receive any gifts this year? I received Heat of the moment from @sickness-health-all-that-shit as part of the Gallavich Gift Exchange. I also got the story fruit by GrandSelfMythology, which was a gift for @deathclassic, but I am claiming it, too.

26. What's your most common category/trope? Enemies to lovers (or annoying co-workers to lovers)

27. What do you listen to while writing? Either nothing or classical music.

28. Favorite work you wrote this year? Workhouse Rock, but I'm also really excited about my Masquerade story.

29. Favorite line/passage you wrote this year? The most recent lines in WR: "Please accept my care. My rebellion. My body. These are the only gifts I can offer you in here. They have to be enough. Please let them be enough."

30. Biggest surprise while writing this year? How much fun it is to write shorter works. I still love the multi-chap format, but smaller works have their place, too. I want to do more of each.

Tagging (or just saying hi!): @gallawitchxx @crossmydna @andthatisnotfake @blue-disco-lights

Happy New Year, everyone!

[angelwithwingsoffire]

your angst is some of my favorite, can I ask about whichever 911 wip is the most painful?

Aw thank you! I love making readers cry, it brings me a large amount of joy and I love hearing when readers also love crying.

For the WIPs listed, 'My Cross' and 'Til Death Do Us Part' are the Angsty ones, although angsty in different ways. The first one is very focused on the parent-related trauma Eddie experienced as a kid and as a parent. It was actually inspired by the song My Cross by Jelly Roll, if that gives any context. The other is essentially a 'will they won't they' except instead of it being about falling in love, it's about them being injured and almost dying! I think they're both going to be painful in different ways, which has been a lot of fun to write.

Thanks for the ask, here's a little snippet of 'Til Death Do Us Part' as a gift to you and my other angst loving readers!

~~~

“Buck!” Eddie shouted, voice tight. “It’s okay.” Buck smiled shakily, raising his arm further. “I’m okay.” “You’re going to kill yourself.” Eddie cried. Buck shook his head, smiling as he ignored the tears on his face and the pain shooting through his body. He knew what he was doing. He knew exactly what he was doing. “I’m going to save you.” “Please.” Eddie begged. “Don’t do this.” “Only one of us is making it out of here.” Buck didn’t bother beating around the bush. They both knew it was the truth. “And Chris needs his dad.” “We need you.” Eddie’s voice broke, tears making fresh tracks through the soot on his face. “Don’t make me lose you.” Buck grimaced, and he knew he didn’t have long left. Between the pain and the blood loss, his vision was growing dark around the edges. He didn’t have time to argue with Eddie anymore. He just had to do it, he had to save Eddie's life.

Ask me about my WIPs

[theprinceandagcd]

six seven sentence sunday

hi i'm sorry it's been so long since I've participated in one of these fjdkslajfd thank you for the tags today @orchidscript @suseagull04 and @sophie1973 <3

Using this as 1) a plug for the fic I posted yesterday and the last work i used to participate in a wip game and 2) a snippet on the next fic which is currently being referred to as "hurricane truth or dare" in my head and wip folder

aNYWAY happy sunday hope y'all have a good week

“Thank you!” Alex exclaims, shifting toward Henry to give Nora room. “I knew someone would have my back.”  Henry moves his shoulder in Alex's direction until they touch, subtly melting into Alex's warmth while he has the opportunity.  “I have your back,” Henry tells him, smiling when Alex leans his weight into Henry's side.  Alex smiles. “You always do, sweetheart.”  “And it'll be the fucking end of you, probably,” June says, narrowing her eyes in Henry's direction as if she sees right through him.  “Til death do us fucking part,” Alex muses with a faux salute, completely unaware that his words have rendered Henry's heart incapable of beating. 

tags under the cut :)

@adreamareads @agostobuwan @anincompletelist @blueeyedgrlwrites @dragonflylady77

@dreamtigress @everwitch-magiks @fckngyrs @firenati0n @fullsunsets

@henryspearl @heysweetheart-writes @hgejfmw-hgejhsf @inexplicablymine @itsmaybitheway

@jmagnabo92 @kj-bee @milowren29 @myheartalivewrites @ninzied

@nocoastposts @nontoxic-writes @onthewaytosomewhere @porcelainmortal @priincebutt

@read-and-write- @softboynick @stellarmeadow @thesleepyskipper @thinkof-england

@tinyarmedtrex @wordsofhoneydew

[erikraven]

Get to know your mutuals!

Tagged by @serpercival!

what’s the origin of your blog title? I am, in fact, the bird. Caw.

otp(s) + shipname(s): Within MASH, Hawkahy. I absolutely adore the dynamic I’ve found for them, which I like to call heaven and earth: Francis, taught to stay separate from the world and work within it while staying pure, and Hawkeye, who is incredibly bound to the earth, humanity, life and death. A large-scale example is in The Haunted 4077th, but I’m working on a shorter, more concise poetic piece called “of the flesh”, focused on all the meanings of the word carnal.

Favorite color: blue!

Song stuck in your head: I’ve listened to the entire Interdimensional Act III album by Seven about five times and it’s only been out for three days. My favorite from it is probably “Last Signal From The Collider”. Seven and Crywolf are good writing music for the kind of introspective, metaphysical writing I’ve been doing lately.

Weirdest habit/trait: I trill, hum, purr, and chirp as a substantial part of my verbal language when I’m around people that understand what the sounds mean.

Hobbies: writing, Minecraft, video editing, photobashing. Creative work, mostly.

If you could have any job you wish, what would it be? Data entry/records management. My brain puts everything into little boxes. My fanfic collection on Calibre has twelve custom columns.

Something you’re good at: Writing very visceral, sensory-heavy scenes. One of my wips has a scene of a spinal tap and my partner couldn’t finish reading in one shot.

Something you hate: Noise, eye contact, finger paints.

Something you collect: Fanfic, music. I used to collect web series, but then my laptop got stolen with five terabytes of data on external drives, and that kind of killed my interest in doing it. Still get twitchy whenever I see those “this video will be deleted in 24 hours” gimmicks.

Something you forget: I have no sense of time whatsoever. If I do not have a clock in front of me, time does not exist. (Except on very small scales, in which case I can tell if audio is one frame out of sync with video.)

What’s your love language? I genuinely don’t know, I don’t do ‘love’ stuff all that often. Spending time together?

Favorite movie/show: John Wick (any of em) and either MASH or Battlestar Galactica

Favorite food: salmon! Fry it til the skin crackles, singe the meat side, spritz with a little lemon juice, and eat.

Favorite animal: Birds! Birds, birds, birds. Special interest, hyperfixation, past life, whatever you wanna call it. My original species is part bird, and the avian side carries substantial traits into the human side. Learning about new species of birds fuels the OC factory.

What were you like as a child: Did not have a childhood. Have no awareness of myself ever being under the age of 14.

Favorite subject at school: Math! Especially geometry. Let me rotate the shapes in my head.

Least favorite subject: History.

What’s your best character trait? Creativity

What’s your worst character trait? Lack of strong sense of self. I have never formed an independent opinion in my life.

If you could change any detail of your life right now, what would it be? I would like to stop living in a car.

If you could travel in time, who would you like to meet? If I can talk to them and try to change how things went, my uncle (check out Napalm Sticks To Kids if you’re wondering why). If it’s just an interaction in a vacuum… hmm, I dunno. I’d like to talk to CS Lewis about his whole “the male sex is something given masculine gender, gender is more real than sex” thing.

Tagging @tuttle-did-it @quordleona03 @awholehoststan @nootnzoot cause apparently I only have four mutuals lol

[sarahlizziewrites]

Story Base Idea

I got tagged by @writingamongther0ses - thank you!

Rules: Share the original base ideas for your WIPs.

Gonna go in the order they appear in my writing folder:

The Accomplice - this is a reboot of a dark romance story I started when I was 16, inspired by a trip to Berlin in 2009, and as homage I'm setting it in a cyberpunk-lite alternative 00s Berlin

Til Death Do Us Part (crime fighting husbands series) - I had made a few playable murder mysteries for my friends, and I found an abandoned file on my OneDrive of an unfinished one. I realised that one character (Williamson Jones) was much more of a protagonist than a player character in a game. Now I've sent Wills on two murder mysteries and I'm planning a third!

Brazen Sparrow - someone said those two words, and I said it'd be a good name for a pirate ship, I said SAPPHIC ENEMIES TO LOVERS PIRATES and the rest is history

Grey-Sky Lark - this started as 'Hebridean vampire' and I went from there. The first short story is set in the 9th century on the Faroe Islands

Chrissie's of London series - a description of Silas, Loretta and Jacques was in the notes app on my phone, after a dream I had about them in 2017. In 2022 I was looking through my notes and decided I could do something with the premise. In the original note, Silas had shoulder-length hair that was always dyed a different colour - and he was originally called 'Christie'.

The Adventures of Sitora Lux - Sitora was a character in a D&D game that I played during lockdown. The game ended a little prematurely, and I decided I liked the character enough to give her backstory its own novel. What came of it was the first novel I completed, as well as an expanded homebrew world of Mithlonde (since I had to rip Sitora out of Faerûn lmao).

I'm going to tag @mrbexwrites, @vacantgodling and @writernopal - no pressure, of course - but gimme that deep lore :>

[a-very-sparkly-nerd]

bday present: Don't Leave Me 'Til My Sorry Life Has Ceased

Happy birthday, @m4rs-ex3! Headcanons weren't headcanoning, so I'm dedicating a snippet of a Rayllum Daedalus AU wip to you! Enjoy the angst!

Callum stumbled forward, catching the cool iron bars in his palms before crashing into them, shoved forward by a member of the crew, a muscly Earthblood elf with maroon face markings and sad eyes. He stood guard by the door, watching as Callum slumped to the ground, Rayla's hand reaching through the bars to rest on his knee.

"Callum." She breathed his name like a prayer, stroking her thumb over the suddenly-stifling cloth.

"I'm okay," he told her, setting one hand on top of hers and reaching the other to cup her gaunt face. "How are you?"

"I'm fine. How-" She could only reach so far through the bars separating them, biting a quivering lip as she ran a hand through the shocks of white at the front of his hairline. "What is he making you do?"

"His dirty work." Callum attempted a broken, strangled laugh, and took that hand to press his lips to. To comfort her, even though his black heart was the worst thing to show love, his stained skin the worst to offer affection.

"I'll come up with something." Rayla shifted to sit on her knees, as close to him as she could get, hands taking his face and making him look at her. "We can get out of this."

“I know,” Callum said, none of his heart in it. Like she’d said; sometimes, a person had to lie to protect the people they loved. Even if it tore his own apart in the process. “I’ll- I’m thinking, too.”

Rayla shifted. “Are- have you been in contact with Ezran or anyone? Is anyone…” Is anyone coming for us?

No. Not to Callum’s knowledge, at least. No letters yet. And it was better that way. If Finnegrin got even the slightest inkling that he or Rayla were planning to revolt, he’d make sure she’d die a slow, agonizing death. And Callum would be forced to watch the entire thing– not that he’d be able to make himself look away.

“No,” he said truthfully, glad he could give her a truth that wouldn’t break her own heart worse than the cell was already doing to her body. “I’m- I’m sure something will happen, though.”

Rayla glanced around, biting her lip to prevent any more tears making their way down her cheeks. “Callum, I’m scared,” she breathed for only his ears.

Callum held her tighter. She scarcely ever let herself feel fear, much less admitted to it, so the fact that she was here and presenting that trembling part of her heart… He evidently hadn’t been doing a good job of keeping the true gravity of their situation under wraps.

“I know,” he said. “But I’ve- I’ve got it under control.” Another lie. ‘Under control’ was simply keeping her alive, as far as he was concerned, and the list of reasons why could wrap around the continent.

Ezran and Soren and the rest of Katolis, and whatever they were planning, had to stay far away from the Sea Legs. His brother and the Crownguard, plus Villads, had been unceremoniously shoved into a tiny rowboat and pushed far away the second Finnegrin realized he only needed one thing to have his very own personal Dark Mage to do his bidding: the elf sitting before Callum in a cage, thin, paler than usual, and scratched and bloody.

He stroked her chin, tilting it up to meet her eyes. “Hey. Are…” Dumb question. Of course she wasn’t okay. He rerouted. “Talk to me. Please?”

They dropped down, pools of violet becoming literal pools made of tears. "Full moon's in a week," she whispered shakily, as if he didn't already know. He'd begun to keep track of things like that a long time ago.

"Yeah," he said, gazing at her. That's when she'd be in the most danger, the crew likely afraid of her heightened abilities and suspecting she'd try something.

She always would. Rayla's spirit could never be broken.

Callum's had. He couldn't let her- she couldn't try anything. She'd die, and she wouldn't care.

It was selfish, but she had to stay here, hating him for it in her cell but at least alive (even if this was by no means living), because he couldn't live without her.

Gods only knew what he'd do if something happened to her.

“We’ll get out of this,” Callum repeated, a stone calling him a liar sinking into the pit of his stomach and dragging his heart down with it.

Rayla bit her lip as she nodded, clearly not believing him, and he leaned in to kiss her awkwardly through the bars.

“I’m going to keep you safe,” he swore, just as she had in the letter still sitting over his heart even now.

No matter what he had to do for it.

[hyperfocusthusly]

I have so many WIPs it’s genuinely overwhelming 🥲 I want to do some writing today,

Tagging some beloveds because I need help 🥲

@leashybebes @livelaughlou @dark-alice-lilith @mmso-notlikethat @laundryandtaxesworld @hippolotamus @evansbuck-ley

@moonydanny @bi-bi-buckleys @rubydaiquiri @hellion-child @aringofsalt @sweaters-and-silly @theotherbuckley @comfortingevanbuckley @epiphainie @wikiangela @bidisasterevankinard

@sunnywithachanceofbi @blitzynatural @big-urchin-energy @honeyloulou @buckleyskinards @owlgirl495 @setmeatopthepyre @salty-autistic-writer

[actual-changeling]

I'd like to hear about 'til death do us part!

This one was born out of my One Breath obsession, and it's supposed to have two chapters/parts.

One about Mulder signing Scully's living will as her witness (insane. like fucking insane. they've known each other for like a year-ish at MOST, depending on when you wanna put the signing), the other about Mulder having... thoughts about doing the same.

The thing is, though, that I don't think Mulder is the kind of person to have a living will. It requires doing a lot of informed decisions upfront, and he's not exactly known for being passionate about staying alive.

cough. mr. suicidality. cough

Which then made me think about Scully being his doctor and how many times she simply gets to make medical decisions for him without it being majorly challenged.

Sure, you could just suspend your disbelief and pretend it's not Mulder's doctors committing gross medical negligence OR you could do what I did.

Which is fixate on the idea that he didn't have her sign his living will as his witness but instead gave her complete power of attorney in regards to any and all medical decisions. She's a doctor, she's his partner, he trusts her more than anyone else in the world, and he knows that if he's hurt, she WILL be there.

There's the fake marriage option for visitation rights etc. but I think this is exactly the kind of insane, fucked-up idea Mulder would have early on in their partnership that Scully would agree to.

At the latest, she'd immediately sign that document after hearing more about Mulder's parents, cause do you really think she'd let Mr. and Mrs. severe childhood neglect make life-or-death decisions for the son they don't give a shit about?

Yeah, no. Literally over her dead body.

ask me about my wips

[astra-aeterna]

thank you for the tag @deaiquiri <3

WIP GAME

Make a new post! Share a list of names from your wip folder in no particular order! once you do, people can send you asks about one of the names on the list and you have to either share a snippet or just say something about it c: then tag the same amount of people as there is in your wip list - GOOOO

coffee shop au

damage control

hold me 'til it burns

sex work au

sperm donor au

not even death could do us part

dd/lg time

i don't think i can tag 7 people who haven't been tagged before so i'll just tag a few - apologies if you've already been tagged by someone else! @starfall-spirit @lady-bluebird-luv @toporecall @corruptedclarity

[ruejayhamilton]

✧*̥˚ Lights Down Low *̥˚✧

A preview of a WIP

- Paint ••●•• Me -

----- Like One -------- Of Your ---------- French ------------- Girls -----

[--------------- BY: --------------- DOVE ------ CAMERON -------------]

“We’re alone,” I breathed, my voice barely above a whisper as I released him, heat swirling in my thoughts. I drew myself up, brushing the delicate fabric of my dress, which flowed like water around me, as the golden-painted, rope-like belt that cinched my waist swayed rhythmically from side to side.

A sigh escaped my lips, a mixture of relief and anxiety, as I gazed down at Jared. He raised one eyebrow, his expression questioning yet intrigued. “Is there something wrong with that?” he asked, his eyes locked onto mine, swimming with deep emotion and longing that sent butterflies fluttering in my stomach.

“Your mom…” I began hesitantly. Jared’s steady gaze remained fixed on me, filled with that same profound yearning. Perhaps it stemmed from one of those cheesy romance movies he loved— the ones he claimed where eyes could convey entire stories. My focus drifted to his lips, where the left corner twitched as if he struggled to suppress a smile. “What is it?” I urged, curiosity igniting within me.

“I cannot be apart from you,” he declared, grounding me as he gently took my hands, standing to match my height. “Every day we’re apart is torture, Dua. It’s excruciating.” His grip tightened around my knuckles, his touch soft yet insistent. “It truly is.” He stepped closer, the electric tension between us palpable, brushing against my skin like a gentle caress. “I always think about you; I imagine your smile when you’re away.”

At that moment, with our hearts bared in the stillness, the world faded, leaving just the two of us entwined in an unbreakable bond of love and longing.

My cheeks began to sizzle with a warm, intoxicating flush, a blaze of fire igniting beneath the surface—such a delightful sensation. Was this moment indeed unfolding as I dared to imagine? Was this… love?

“I just can’t believe it’s only 2027,” I murmured, inching closer to Jared. His gaze was mesmerizing, pulling me in like a tidal wave! “What about your mother? Won’t she disapprove of us being… well, you know?” My voice trailed off, my heart pounding as I searched for the right words, but I found myself at a loss.

“Never mind what my mom thinks,” Jared replied confidently, placing his warm hand over my chest. At that moment, I became acutely aware of the thundering rhythm of my heart, the pulse echoing in my ears: ba-bum, ba-bum, ba-bum. “It’s you whom I want. You and me, together forever.”

Tears welled in my eyes, and I quickly brushed them away, one by one, but a radiant smile broke across my face in response to the fervor in his gaze. “Oh, my…” I attempted to articulate the swirl of emotions within me, but Jared silenced me with a quiet intensity before I could confront him about his vagueness. Yes, he had always voiced his desire for a future with me, yet never had it felt so intimate, so profound.

He released my right hand and reached into the pocket of his sharp black slacks, clearing his throat with anticipation. Suddenly, he knelt before me, his eyes sparkling with purpose. “Dua Swanaj Hoti—” he said my name like a sacred incantation, a prayer of devotion, and my breath caught in my throat as he continued, “Through hell and high water, I promise to love and cherish you ‘til death do us part. Will you do me the honor of becoming my bride?” As he spoke, he opened a velvet box, unveiling a breathtaking ring, its diamonds shimmering like stars caught in a tranquil lighting.

Click to read Lights Down Low