#loverofcake

Ok so this one is kind of the opposite of listanwar au asdfghjkl, the backstory of it is sauron/maeglin arranged marriage and sauron catches feelings and becomes less evil because maeglin gets upset when sauron hurts people, and eventually the feelings are reciprocated

The actual fic is told from the perspective of an elf oc who's been brought from angband to work at tol-in-gaurhoth, ostensibly because the werewolves just keep eating people but actually because sauron makes escaping REALLY easy

However in order to not get killed by morgoth, sauron can't let anybody know he's not all that evil anymore, so he basically larps being evil by menacing his husband and making the orcs do theater tech (if he doesn't have morticia addams lighting he will be Upset)

However our pov character, hencír, does not know it's fake

A preview:

The lieutenant sat upon a throne, high above the place where the thralls huddled, but his gaze seemed to pierce them all. There was a subtle glow about him, his rich red robes shining and gold jewelry glinting, and a shaft of light (somehow, even in the night) fell upon his fiery eyes. But this was not the most striking thing about the scene.

Upon his lap sat an elf.

I wish you a very, very happy birthday, my dearest Clara! This year’s gift is not quite as long as last year’s, but it is the longest thing I’ve written this year and also profoundly fluffy and we all know that too much sugar causes belly aches, so perhaps shorter is better in this case! Either way, I hope you enjoy your sweet morsel!

set aflame

Merlin’s magic is a horrible traitor and wants to see him dead.

Ever since that thing with Arthur started, his magic has been acting up.

The thing with Arthur is supposed to be a secret, which obviously means that everyone seems to know about it. At least Gaius’ eyebrows, Gwen’s loving, but awkward questions, and Morgana’s pointed comments that never fail to make Merlin blush furiously say as much. The only one who doesn’t seem to be in the know yet is Uther, and his magic is determined to change that too and get Merlin killed at the same time.

Arthur kissed Merlin for the first time five days ago and ever since every single candle in Merlin’s vicinity has suddenly burst into flame. When Arthur gets near him, the candles don’t just burst into flame, but start to hover just above their candlesticks. It’s a true miracle that no one has noticed anything yet! At least Merlin’s proficiency at dousing flames has much improved - should Kilgharrah ever decide to escape his prison by burning down the castle above him, Merlin will be well prepared.

Merlin has tried to figure out both the cause of this anomaly - A hex? A spell? A curse? - and any possible cure, but nothing had worked - not fennel harvested under the light of the last full moon, nor dandelions grown on a grave, nor even mint for a fresher breath. Well, that had gotten Arthur to notice and comment at least, but in response not just the candles in Arthur’s chambers had burst into flame, but also the fireplace, which one of the tapestries had almost fallen victim to.

Merlin is honestly at his wit’s end.

Ultimately it’s Arthur who saves him from an untimely death at the stake.

Saturday: most exciting part of writing

you know how we say there’s That Scene you started this fic for and the rest is just plodding along until you get there? That Scene is, like, 80% of the excitement. 

but that estimate is soggy, because there can be, like, 3 or more of That Scene(s). some of them show up while you’re actually writing. and if we wrote fic for That Scene(s), I mean, lbr, we’d just write the one scene and get away with one-shots. 

the other “20%” of the excitement is unexpected stuff happening until you get to really fill in That Scene(s) with location details, character history. character history and developing relationships throughout the story arc? yes pls. a character cracking jokes is almost never something I’ve actually planned to write. sometimes a weird but loveable oc falls out of the cupboard. 

(but also lbr most of that 20% right there is making your betas scream.) 

*honourable mention goes to research, screaming at canon, and occasional artistic urges. 

November: writing rituals

not... exactly? there are Things that just Happen, tho. like, say you have a prompt, or a really good idea attached to all of 5 words. you think, I can’t do anything with this right now, so you go about your business. a week or a month or a year or five years later you’re watching a movie or you’re reading a new fic and you think to yourself, hey, what about that idea, and now you’re theoretically getting somewhere.

I’m not getting anywhere until I sit down and write it out with a pen on paper at least once. I guess, you could call this part a ritual—because it has to be a nice (very specific, though not necessarily fancy) pen and a fancy journal that my friends gave me for New Years’ or Christmas. (I’ve only finished one of them, so I guess we’ll find out what notebooks I’ll be using when it’s not my friends’ gifts anymore.)

and it’s not like I don’t start typing until I’ve written shit down on paper, no, not at all. but it’s easier to figure out chapters with pen and paper in hand. also sometimes there’s some kinda weird witchy feedback going on because the pen or the paper seem to give me ideas idek man what works works and we don’t question it

💗 Thanks! 

I used to do that Thing everyone does where you hedge and hem and haw and say things like “well they’re not perfect, and I can truly understand why everyone hates [whatever], BUT...” and then after years of this, I was just like, WHO THE HELL CARES? 

Yes, it’s scandalously true: I enjoyed a movie! Maybe someone else didn’t! The world will find a way to carry on somehow! I just got so tired of having to qualify every single opinion I had about these films with some sort of preamble about how I was Well Aware of the Many Criticisms in order to be allowed to say I liked any part of them. I don’t care anymore if someone thinks my taste in something that does not really matter at all sucks. 

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Characters: Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, CT-27-5555 | Fives | ARC-5555, CT-6116 | Kix, Leia Organa, Ahsoka Tano, Asajj Ventress, Force Ghost Qui-Gon Jinn - Character, Dooku | Darth Tyranus, Sheev Palpatine | Darth Sidious, Padmé Amidala

Additional Tags: Time Travel, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Angst with a Happy Ending, Family Drama, BAMF Leia Organa

Summary: Coruscant Bound. 

Oooh! Lovely prompt! I presume you are referring to this.

 Have something short and sweet, because man, you guys have given me some EXCELLENT prompts, some of which might take a little while, but this little bit just jumped out at me ;)

~~~

0BBY, Tatooine

“One more season”

The phase echoes over and over again in Luke’s head as he flops onto his bed. Every time. Every time he mentions leaving Uncle Owen has a reason to delay. He’s never getting off this rock!

He barely thinks before reaching for the model on the shelf. Running his fingers over the smooth wood, the finely crafted wings flowing smoothly into the engine turbines. Instantly he can feel some of his anger flow away.

The ships are something he has known for as long as he can remember. Each year, on his birthday, there’s a new one waiting - perfectly proportioned and looking like something straight out of the holomagazines he covets so carefully.

They are full of love.

In his younger years he assumed that they were a special gift from his Aunt and Uncle, the kind of present saved only for the most important occasions. But... no matter how he asked Aunt Beru would never tell him where they came from, who crafted them and how he could find them to thank them. Uncle Owen’s jaw would tighten every time, and at some point during his early teens Luke realised that there was no way his Uncle, who discouraged his interest in space flight, would commission such a thing. 

Especially not when money was so tight.

That was perhaps the most perplexing part. The models were WOOD. Not flimsy plastic, reused metal or crude ceramic but wood - a scarce commodity on a desert world. Even without the clearly high level of craftsmanship, or the obvious care taken to mimic his latest interests, these were an impressive gift!

And they were Luke’s.

He smiles. Just handling them he can feel the warmth and determination flow through him. 

One day, he’s going to fly. He knows it.

 And once he comes back he’s going to track down his mysterious benefactor and thank them.

***

1 ABY, Tatooine

The ruins of the homestead look almost the same as the day he left. The smoke is long gone, but the harsh winds and scouring sands have barely touched the blackened remnants of the place he called home.

And yet it feels different.

He does not turn to look at the place he knows holds the final resting place of the couple who raised him as their own. 

Luke doesn’t know what brought him here. He came back to this planet to find answers, to his past, to his future, but he finds himself dwelling on his current, lonely present.

He shakes his head in an effort to shake the thought. He has Han, and Wedge and the rest of his squadron. He has Leia, and honestly who ever thought a farmboy like him would one day be calling a princess friend? He’s not alone. And yet...

 Something’s missing.

He has a suspicion he knows what. 

In Ben’s cave, before the bounty hunter came, he had almost felt it. For a moment he was sure Ben would come around the corner to tell him to go home before Uncle Owen sent out search parties, but the moment faded and all he was left with was a box with his name on it and the sinking feeling of reality reasserting itself. 

It’s all gone. His childhood is gone. Uncle Owen, Aunt Beru, Old Ben... They say you can never go back, but it still hurts to KNOW it in the depths of your bones.

He needs to go. The Rebellion needs him, and there’s nothing for him here.

Luke turns, but a brief tug from the Force draws his attention to something poking out of the sand to his left, half covered by the rubble from the house.

It’s a model.

The last one, he idly notes, the paint peeling, once graceful wings half charred, but it is definitely the ship he received that last birthday and for an instant he can hear Uncle Owen muttering that he was too old to be messing about with toys, and...

His knees touch the sand before he realises. With frantic movements he deftly  sweeps the sand away and expose the fragile wood. Carefully he picks it up, pulling off one glove to gently run his fingertip over the fuselage.

Oh.

When he left this planet he was a novice, and had barely touched the power of the Force. Now, scarcely older yet infinitely wiser, he UNDERSTANDS.

Ben.

Ben had made them.

Ben had loved him.

And he can still feel his presence lingering in the wood touching his skin.

It is warm, comforting and if there is a hint of wetness on Luke’s cheek it is only because of the wind.

He stands, cradling the broken toy to his chest with one hand, the other patting the bag that contains the books and other objects Ben left for him.

He smiles.

 No matter what the Empire throws at him, he’s going to make it. He knows it.

Oh yeah, they did!! So while I appreciate the offer, there’s no need to use the Power Of the Internet!! to ruin an entire office’s reputation (I considered it on my own behalf ----- although thinking about it, I’m conflict avoidant, I could never)

Apparently 20/20 vision is a lot worse than how I remember it being (and I’m not the only one to think so, @/likealeafonthewind and @/sailorcrazypinklady agree with me). Specifically signs are the problem. I still see a lot of doubling where letters are concerned, which I had previously attributed to an poor prescription. I had spent about 10 years or so on a very outdated prescription, so the confusion is understandable, I think.

My right eye was about a quarter off, though! There was a definite improvement, so the doctor corrected it and ordered a new lens for me. The whole exam took less than five minutes, and they fit in the new lens about seven or so days later pretty quick. None of it cost me any money at all, which is a huge relief, since the most crushing part about it was having paid the $417 out of pocket for glasses that weren’t really cutting it.