Title: incommunicable past [or read on ao3]

Fandom: The Outsiders

Pairing: Past Ponyboy Curtis/Cathy Carlson, Past Cathy Carlson/Bryon Douglas, Implied Mark Jennings/Bryon Douglas

Rating: Gen

Warning: None

Tags: Canon Compliant, Missing Scene, Conversations, Exes, Grief/Mourning, Comfort

Summary:

“Hi, Ponyboy. It’s Cathy,” she says, self-consciousness catching up to her only now. After a beat, she adds, “Cathy Carlson.”

『Or, Cathy calls Ponyboy after Mark’s funeral.』

Title: though i was a lot of things [or read on Ao3]

Fandom: Final Fantasy XIV

Pairing: Hades/Hythlodaeus

Rating: Mature

Series: beneath these same stars

Warning: None

Tags: pre-canon, canon compliant, the world unsundered, worldbuilding, arguments, foot fetish, masturbation, you can skip the sex at the end if you just want the lore/worldbuilding

Author's Note: I meant to finish this for the first anniversary of “the stars are ravenous.” Obviously, that did not happen.

This story occurs after “the stars are ravenous” but before Hades ascends to the Convocation. Unfortunately, this means that a different person is serving as Emet-Selch at this time, who is referred to throughout the story as Emet-Selch.

Summary:

Instead, he thinks about how Hades will be waiting at home for him. Ordinarily, they would arrive at approximately the same time, but today he knows Hades left early because Emet-Selch, Hades' superior, had told him so in the very office where Hades works.

This means Hythlodaeus has twenty minutes to figure out how to break the news.

『Or, Hythlodaeus recommends Hades to the Convocation—without Hades' knowledge.』

for love (and for adversity, too) [or read on ao3]

Fandom: The Outsiders

Pairing: Darry Curtis/Sodapop Curtis, Sodapop Curtis & Ponyboy Curtis

Rating: Mature

Warning: Underage Sex

Tags: Canon Compliant, Grief/Mourning, Sibling Incest, Brother/Brother Incest, First Kiss, First Time, Back Rubs/Massage, People-Pleaser Sodapop Curtis, Men Crying, Sodapop is 15, very light implied infidelity

Author’s Note: For my partner. May you have the happiest of birthdays this year, garnished with this bite-size incest offering.

The title references Proverbs 17:17.

Summary:

It hadn’t occurred to Soda that there was planning—costs—associated with burying their parents. Darry organized it all so seamlessly that all he and Pony had to do was bawl into each other’s shoulders, oblivious to everything Darry was doing for them.

Guilt twists in his gut, and he resolves to help Darry however he can.

『 Or, Soda does his best for his brothers. 』

Title: if we were in rome, we'd be someone else [or read on ao3]

Fandom: The Outsiders (musical, book, movie)

Pairing: Johnny/Dallas, mentioned Buck/Dallas, mentioned Dallas/Sylvia

Rating: Teen

Warning: None

Tags: pre-canon, conversations, implied/referenced domestic violence, hugs, hurt/comfort

Author’s Note: The title is adapted from a half-remembered line in Shannon Pufahl’s amazing On Swift Horses.

Summary:

“I got a better idea,” Dallas says. “Let’s get out of here, huh?”

“Where d’ya wanna go?”

“I dunno. Anywhere,” Dallas answers. He hasn’t thought that far, but the idea grips him now. Johnny’s parents don’t give a hang about him, and nothing is holding Dallas to Tulsa—not Sylvia, and not Buck either. “Pick a city. Any city.”

『 Or, after Dallas finds Johnny beat up again, he suggests they leave town together. 』

Title: as stars to a sky: the heartbeat of stars [or read on ao3]

Fandom: Final Fantasy XIV

Pairing: Hades/Hythlodaeus

Rating: Teen

Warning: None

Tags: Pre-Canon, Canon Compliant, Pre-Sundering, Non-Chronological, Bureau of the architect, Established Relationship, Worldbuilding, Ceremonies and Rituals, amaurotine masks, the third seat of the convocation, Kissing, Holding Hands, Getting Together, Dating, Seat of Emet-Selch

Author’s Note: “as stars to a sky” is a series of nonchronological and loosely related stories about Etheirys before the Sundering. The primary focus will be on Hythlodaeus and Hades. Each chapter is meant to be read as a separate, complete story.

I owe the series title to cosmodynes.

And, as usual, thanks to my partner for editing this and making it far better than it otherwise would have been.

Summary:

Vignettes about the Ancients and their world. Some serious—and some less so.

Title: restless spirits [or read on ao3]

Fandom: Final Fantasy VIII

Pairing: Seifer Almasy/Zell Dincht

Rating: Teen

Warning: None

Tags: Canon Compliant, Post-Canon, Ghost Hunters, Getting Together, First Kiss, Late Night Conversations, Pining, Friends to Lovers, Humor

Author’s Note: Happy Phoenix Down, kalika_999! I hope you enjoy this story. I ended up taking a few of your prompts, but primarily I worked with ghost hunting, pining, and friends to lovers.

Summary:

“What are we doing in an abandoned house anyway, Seif? This place reeks.”

“Ghost hunting,” Seifer says, entirely serious.