#m33 arc

[artdecosupernova-writing]

WIP Acrostic Tag

Rules: You will be given a word, and you must share 1 sentence from your WIP(s) that starts with each letter in that word!

Tagged by @oh-no-another-idea, thank you! Tagging @drippingmoon, @pertinax--loculos, @kingragnarok-writes, @zmwrites, @space-writes, and anyone who wants to! Your word is FRUIT.

gonna bum everyone the fuck out with this one, apparently, because that's where my head's at and it just bled into this lmao

WRIST—

W — Warren took one of Thrive's hands and folded their fingers together, admiring the contrast in their skin tones. "I never wanted to be a dad before I met you. I never wanted to be married before I met you. And you're the only one I'd ever want to do any of that with. There's a lot going on right now, but the fact that you're here with me makes it bearable enough to get through it. There was a time in my life, a time I'm beginning to forget, when I couldn't say that. I would do it all over again to get to this point." Warren swallowed the sticky tears threatening to return. "But right now I just wanna let it consume me." (Meridian)

R — Rage bubbled up within Warren and he jabbed a finger in Thrive's direction. "I'm not gonna fucking answer that. You know why? Because it doesn't fucking matter. It doesn't matter anymore what I would or wouldn't have done, because it happened, and there's nothing any of us can do to get ——— back! They're dead, Thrive! They're dead!" (Meridian)

I — "Is this the legacy you wish to leave behind…?" Thrive murmured. "Would you be sated knowing that at every available opportunity, you decided on the morally righteous tine on the fork of fate surrounding the safety of the universe, even at the expense of those who live in it?" (Dark Matter)

S — Sussa sniffed and took another long sip of her tea, swallowing deliberately. She looked so small right then, and the dim light of the bridge brought out a melancholy that felt as out of place as her brown hair. "I don't think I can love anyone as much as I love Orthrive'poliea. I've... tried. And I can't say I've been all that successful in pretending it hasn't hurt me over time. But..." She avoided meeting Warren's eyes. "I'm so happy to know him. And I'm so happy to know you." A fragile smile curled across her lips. "...I'm so glad it's you." (Aurora)

T — Thrive's tone remained surprisingly level despite his rage. "You have used an unauthorized connection with a vital transportation hub eighty-four light-years from the Felir'ís Sector, in the protected space of the planet Tytiva. The brightest star in the upper left of the gate, at the forefront of the nebula, is Rūka, around which orbits the planet Zliyagi. You have effectively given an open invitation to any and all eliyi who wish to settle their score with me and everyone else in this galaxy, and you're facing significant criminal charges at the hands of the Tytivans, thus, forgive me if in future I am the first in line to testify against you." (Eternal)

[spacetimewraithwrites-archive]

The M33 Arc—

Books 6–10

"They're starting the proceedings," Warren panted.

Thrive whacked the sharp end of the pick into the rock and scooped up the torch, turning to face him. The fire sputtered with life, graciously warm light illuminating the planes of his jaw, his bared torso, the scaly texture of the reptilian skins he'd crafted himself and wore as breeches. He regarded Warren under a knitted brow and from thinned eyes, and stood unspeaking, chest heaving from his work as much as Warren’s did just from walking. The warped, metallic cracks of the cave settling zipped around them, daring them to guess where they originated.

Warren winced and squeezed a hand down his thigh, willing the pain to stop. "It's gonna take a lot of convincing for them to allow you back into the kingdom. And...we're probably giving up our titles while we're at it."

After a moment, Thrive's gaze flicked from Warren's face to his hand, which still gripped his thigh in pleading. His own knuckles turned white around the torch, and he spoke with surprising delicacy. "They never should have named me king in the first place."

"I think it's safe to say we agree on that at this point."

[artdecosupernova-writing]

WIP Acrostic Tag

Rules: You will be given a word, and you must share 1 sentence from your WIP(s) that starts with each letter in that word!

Tagged by @space-writes 800 years ago! Tagging, with no obligation, @drippingmoon, @zmwrites, @pertinax--loculos, and LITERALLY ANYONE WHO WANTS TO DO THIS! Your word is REGRET. I apologize for the aggression. (I don't.)

TRIAL—

T — "They're old enough," Warren continued, "that if they were run-of-the-mill obhelians they'd be elders, and yet they're scared of falling in love because they don't want to go through the pain of losing someone. Did you think of that before you went and had them? What about Corinto'poliea and Lohra'rahe? Did you think of it before you had them with Oruna'polae?" (Meridian)

R — Right on cue, dozens of [living] ships dropped out of FTL in clusters out of the viewscreen. They were massive things; dark and reflective with subtly illuminated faces, several eyes running down each side and calmly swiveling around independently of each other. Like prehistoric beasts giving their lives for their companions. (Aurora)

I — "I am just as invested in the safety of the universe as anyone else," Thrive said, scrolling through the Consortium's message. "Contrary to popular consensus, I, too, am a resident of it." (Aurora)

A — A sudden tsunami rushed in from the ocean, taller than the cliff, barreling toward them at an almost unfathomable speed. Thrive planted himself at the edge of the cliff and shook one hand out, casting it upward to encompass everyone and everything on it, quintupling the strength, and he used his other hand to spread the shield behind him, more of the city, more of the residents. (Eternal)

L — Lilori scrolled back and showed footage of a huge dig, uncovering what could only be described as a giant obsidian obelisk stretched toward the sky with a blue line running up the entire length. Some R'lisans took strange machines to it, dusting off the dirt. One individual tried to use a hand to wipe the impossibly sleek surface, and the line on the obelisk flashed blinding red, interfering with the recording for a moment as the picture split—almost shattered—into indecipherable pieces before realigning itself to reveal the R'lisan being rushed off-camera with a crowd around them. (Aurora)

[artdecosupernova-writing]

WIP Acrostic Tag

Rules: You will be given a word, and you must share 1 sentence from your WIP(s) that starts with each letter in that word!

tagged by @pertinax--loculos, you flatter me! 😭 tagging @drippingmoon, @space-writes, @oh-no-another-idea, @kingragnarok-writes, and anyone who wants to participate! Y'all's word is SMASH.

CRACK—

C — Corin's expression dropped somewhat and he placed a hand on the top of Thoeala's head, dwarfing her face, and gently rattled it to and fro. "Hey, brat," he said to her, his words laced with heavy affection. "So, um...okay, we don't know exactly what's going on, but whatever it is was enough to worry the Consortium, so they ordered an emergency evacuation of every planet for a test run." (Meridian)

R — "Ravishing," Guetry finished, appearing beside him with his hands in the pockets of his long leather coat. He smiled down at Warren with a slick wink. "Rock 'n' roll annihilation, baby boy." (Eternal)

A — An entire week went by with no sign or signal from Thrive. Warren, along with the kids, had made every conceivable call to every conceivable soul they could think of without spilling the beans to the Consortium, from Ulliara to Angelina to Varussa and Emnophene, neither of whom had kept in touch since Guetry's passing but jumped at the chance to help find Thrive. (Meridian)

C — Corin kneeled beside Thrive and demanded Ryst run to grab some medical equipment. "Fine time for Gouna to decide his talents are better spent being a fucking babysitter," he grunted. He hooked his fingers in Thrive's form suit collar and ripped it clean down to the middle of his torso with minimal effort. "He's all but melted the fabric." (Aurora)

K — Kyllan and Kelly danced with Varussa and Emnophene, and Sussa sipped a beverage at the edge of the dance floor, making conversation with Hondris. Calen splashed a mixed drink into Ryst's cup, getting a few drops on the floor, and Genni rocked out just as hard as everyone else, jumping around and whipping her long hair all over, shouting the lyrics along with Guetry. (Aurora)

[artdecosupernova-writing]

Out of Context Tag

Tagged by @space-writes, thank you!!

Tagging @drippingmoon, @zmwrites, @oh-no-another-idea, and anyone who wants to participate 😊

From Warpath—

╔═══━━━─── • ───━━━═══╗

"We need to talk to M'Sau."

The bouncer barely reacted. "Never heard of 'em."

Warren glanced at Scot, who met his eyes and gave a very subtle nod.

"I really didn't wanna have to pull rank on you," Warren muttered, "but you leave me no choice…"

Before the bouncer could run that through his brain, Scot disarmed him with a series of strategic and inhumanly fast blows to the chest, stomach, and forehead. The bouncer careened back, and Scot slammed him into the support pillar with an arm across his chest to pin him in place.

"Get me in to see M'Sau," Warren repeated, stepping closer. "Or you'll be violating a direct order from the crown."

"You're a long way from home, Prissy Prince," the bouncer spat. "The crown has no power here."

"Wanna bet, fuckhead?"

"If you want Tin Man here to keep all his limbs, I suggest you call him off of me, you little pissant—"

A hand slid onto the bouncer's shoulder from behind the pillar, gloved in black and lit up with LEDs. The figure attached to it stepped into view from the shadows, towering over the three of them as they stood on the top of the steps, and it was a bucket of cold water dumped onto the confrontation. The music and blinding advertisements in the walls in the venue changed, dark and throbbing through the floor, but the shift didn't seem out of the ordinary to any of the other patrons.

Warren gazed up, finding the person wearing an unsettling full face mask, also black, also lit up with LEDs that formed the shape of the FaiTh logo. It pulsed a chilling red in full power under their hoodie and seemed to take him and Scot in before slowly angling down at the arm across the bouncer's chest.

After a moment of staring stupidly at the most intimidating presence he'd seen in quite a long time, a shudder rolled through Warren's spine. Every fiber vibrating inside his being confirmed this was M'Sau.

Warren observed the moment in silence, then his throat moved with a thick swallow. He gestured to Scot, tempered. "...Let him go."

Scot released the bouncer without hesitation, as did M'Sau, who turned halfway into the cordoned area, mortally patient, expecting them to follow.

The mask continued to pulse deep, vibrant red.

╚═══━━━─── • ───━━━═══╝

[artdecosupernova-writing]

WIP Acrostic Tag

Rules: You will be given a word, and you must share 1 sentence from your WIP(s) that starts with each letter in that word!

Tagged by @space-writes! Tagging, with no obligation, @drippingmoon, @zmwrites, @oh-no-another-idea, @pertinax--loculos, and open tag! Your word is FUTILE. As per usual, I am playing fast and loose with the rules lol

AMOUNT—

A — And then Thrive looked rattled. Shaken to his core, possibly having never heard those words spoken to him before, definitely not expecting them from his antagonist of all people, especially not when he was fighting for his life on an unfamiliar planet. He stared, at a complete loss for words. When he did find one, it was quiet and an obviously conflicted attempt to disavow the current situation. (Eternal)

M — Mercury twirled his staff. "Warren's been tryna tell us we can't think like that or we're fucked. The Emmuli feed off of negativity and pessimism; that's how they got the obhelian in the first gat-damn place." (Aurora)

O — "Oh yeah?" Warren muttered, parking his fists on his hips and breaking into a sarcastic smile. "How much swearing is goin' on up here [in my head]? 'Cause I'm gonna give you a hint—it's a lot." (Eternal)

U — "Uh," Warren called over the roaring ocean, a hand poised over his eyes to block out the sun, "I know we're still kind of a rogue society here but can we maybe agree that patricide is against the law even now?" (Meridian)

N — "No laughing in this house," Warren called down the long main hallway. "I remember very clearly forbidding laughter and fun here." (Warpath)

T — Thrive aimed an uncharacteristically bitchy eye-roll at the comm panel and Warren covered a burst of laughter with a loud cough. (Aurora)

[artdecosupernova-writing]

WIP Acrostic Tag

Rules: You will be given a word, and you must share 1 sentence from your WIP(s) that starts with each letter in that word!

Taking an open tag from @sleepy-night-child, and tagging @space-writes, @pertinax--loculos, @celemee, and @drippingmoon 😁 Your word is FOLLOW.

MAGIC—

M — "Messier 33," Warren muttered, turning to Thrive. "...That's Triangulum." (Meridian)

A — A long pause. Thrive lifted a hand to chest-level and out of his fingertips rose particles of light, the veins beneath his skin taking on the same glow as the obelisk. The light came together, swirled over his palm to form a star map of unidentified origins. (Aurora)

G — "Gladly." Warren leaned his hands onto the table. "Thrive's had virtually no issue being king until Delegate Sinkship took office, or, more accurately, all of the pushback he's received has been solved with a conversation or a compromise. Interestingly, that leads me to a pretty fun question…" He lifted his gaze to her. "Why does the human delegate have such sway over the others?" (Warpath)

I — "It is," Thrive said, unaffected on the surface. "It's who I, as an obhelian Protector, have been this whole time. I've done unforgivable things in my pursuit of justice, some of which have given me great satisfaction. I have moral ambiguity at times, mostly to do with my oath. I am not a saint. You and I have been together for several hundred years…I'm not sure how that slipped by you." (Asylum)

C — Controlling the essence w̷i̶t̷h̴i̸n̴ ̸y̸o̵u̵, the Emmuli growled. Disrupting the t̴r̴u̶t̸h̶, arresting your given capacity, reshaping your intelligence into the pattern t̴h̷e̸y̶ ̴f̷i̷t̷ ̸y̷o̷u̷ ̵t̷o̴ ̷d̷e̴s̵e̷r̶v̸e̷. (Eternal)

[artdecosupernova-writing]

Last Line(s) Tag

tagged by @space-writes, thanks!

I'm tagging @drippingmoon, @oh-no-another-idea, @pertinax--loculos, @celemee, and open tag!

psst here are, as of now, the first lines of Thriving: Dark Matter (book 9)—

The first time ——— sojourned, he immediately experienced a torrential surge of intense euphoria. He emerged from the realm of reality and into a slipstream of time, of space, and his blood ignited and boiled, and a jolt of searing heat detonated in his core. When he could determine that he'd stopped his journey, he panted heavily and his knees buckled. He dropped to the ground and nearly shattered—he was brittle and weak, writhing in pain and ecstasy, and he pried his eyes open to find a familiar forest of thin trees encasing him…the dirt blanketed in snow. But the air was…old. A sensory phenomenon he'd experienced before, with that particular impression, though it was the first time he'd set foot here. His breath came out in rapid tufts of vapor, his flesh stopped burning and his heart rate fell back to normal, and he let himself rest on the frozen ground before he even thought about attempting to get back to his feet.