#25daysnippetchallenge
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gewhana.bsky.social
#25daysnippetchallenge

Day 6- a description

From my #bloodweave fic Will You Please Stand:
archiveofourown.org/works/55519015
It wasn't until they'd reached the Ravengard manor and split up to go help their respective soon-to-be weds that Astarion found it. Nestled in one of the dozens of pockets Gale had hidden in these robes. A small, black velvet box. Astarion had never been one to ignore his curiosity. He opened it immediately. A brightly polished gold ring rested inside, tiny rubies embedded like stars in the band.
May 6, 2025 at 2:52 AM
gewhana.bsky.social
#25daysnippetchallenge

Day 7- a beloved NPC

Dalyria from chapter 34 of my #bloodweave long fic, Closer To Ghosts Than God:
archiveofourown.org/works/542021...
Laeral smiled and ushered her inside the open door before shutting it firmly behind them. Dalyria mourned her most direct escape, and tried to tell herself she wouldn’t need it. Not that she thought it mattered all that much. While the woman leading her silently down the hallway had been nothing short of kindly, she radiated power. A presence that demanded respect and had Dalyria straightening her spine without meaning to. For obvious reasons, she’d never been fond of powerful people, and certainly not wizards, but she was here with a purpose. If nothing else, Dalyria was a woman with enough wit and decorum both to survive a meeting with the most powerful woman in Waterdeep. The silence continued until Laeral led them to a sitting room of sorts, where a table with a tea set and an assortment of confections waited. A grand piano played itself in the corner, a tinkling melody she supposed was meant to be soothing. Dalyria followed Laeral’s lead, lowering herself stiffly into the other waiting chairs. The Open Lord appeared to be in no rush, taking her time pouring herself a cup of tea, and pouring dark liquid from a separate carafe into Dalyria’s teacup. She immediately recognized the scent of blood and fidgeted her seat. An old memory rose to the surface. Gnawing hunger in her stomach. Blood, richer than anything she would normally be allowed, served to her in fine china. Mockery poised as a gift. It was never worth the price.
May 7, 2025 at 2:35 AM
eternalscout.bsky.social
#25daysnippetchallenge
Day 15: A confession
Halsin shakes his head. “You underestimate your own kindness, your willingness to learn, your patience,” he replies. “I have lived a long time. Seen many things, many people. My heart does not stir lightly. But it does now.” Val’dran furrows his brows. “Your heart does what? Is it not functioning properly?”  Halsin laughs loudly at that, and Val’dran can’t fathom why it’s funny. Has he misinterpreted something? He’s good at common, but it still does trip him up at times. At least he hasn’t accidentally done insult, this time.  “No surprise a drow would not be so adept with metaphors of the heart,” Halsin chuckles. “Let me put it clearer; I want more than to fight side by side with you, or sit at the campfire. I want to lay with you under the stars and feel your skin against mine. Want to hold you close, and hear that charming laughter you so rarely deign to share. I want you, Val’dran. If you were to be amenable. If I’ve… misread the situation, we can let it rest, dismiss it, but I… must know if it can be something more between us.”  Val’dran stalls. This was not where he expected the conversation to go. He’s not sure what he expected, but not this. And Halsin says it’s clearer, but it’s not. He says he wishes companionship, but he also says he wants Val’dran, and that sentence is rarely meant in any platonic manner.  “I… you want sex? Or… something else? It’s… not clear to me what you want,” he admits, feeling uncharacteristically flustered about the fact.  “Heh, sorry, perhaps I am too poetic,” Halsin smiles. “I want a romantic relationship. With sex if and when wanted, but I appreciate your company and your wit just as much. I don’t think I’m wrong in saying you appreciate mine too.” 
May 8, 2025 at 7:28 AM
gewhana.bsky.social
#25daysnippetchallenge

Day 1- first line

"The first time is clearly an accident, but that doesn’t stop the devastatingly handsome stranger from glaring at him."

From my #bloodweave fic Holding My Breath (like I met someone)

archiveofourown.org/works/58867537
April 30, 2025 at 1:38 PM
eternalscout.bsky.social
#25daysnippetchallenge
Day 2: Description of the main character
It’s a drow. Sorn stalls for a moment, surprised, before he then immediately drinks in the sight with nothing short of curiosity. Male – fantastic – and diminutive at a few inches shorter than Sorn is, the other drow is… pretty. High cheekbones, plush lips, a plum undertone to his skin. His eyes are two different colours, the left deep red and the right blue with a faint yellow ring. And he’s scarred, too. Not terribly so, but… notably. Easily visible in such revealing clothes. Oh, but he's going to draw attention. There’s a bit of mystery to him, from the scars to the eyes to the almost wary expression accentuated by the way he peers through thick white lashes.
April 25, 2025 at 5:22 AM
maniikoi.bsky.social
A little late because I got busy and forgot, but better late than never!

Day 3: Something funny

This is an ongoing wip from my fic called, "The Secret Guest."

archiveofourown.org/works/59562391

#promptis #ffxv #25daysnippetchallenge
A snippet from my ffxv fanfiction called "The Secret Guest."
May 11, 2025 at 6:20 PM
maniikoi.bsky.social
Day 1: The opening line/paragraph of any fic.

This is from one of my wips called, "Marry Me."

#ffxv #promptis #25daysnippetchallenge
A snippet of a fic I'm writing
May 6, 2025 at 9:28 PM
maniikoi.bsky.social
Day 7: A beloved NPC

Nyx has got to be one of my all-time favorite side characters, and I don't write him nearly as much as I want to.

This is a scene from my "Soul Bound" fic where Nyx makes his first appearance.

#25daysnippetchallenge #ffxv

archiveofourown.org/works/53019424
A snippet from my ffxv fanfi tion called Soul Bound.
May 18, 2025 at 11:20 PM
maniikoi.bsky.social
Slowly working my way through the #25daysnippetchallenge since I keep forgetting about it, but here's day 9: blood/injury/sickness

⚠️Trigger warning for animal attack, injury, and blood

From my #ffxv #promptis fic, "Full Moon Rising."

archiveofourown.org/works/37337677
A snippet from my final fantasy xv fanfiction
May 25, 2025 at 10:07 PM
maniikoi.bsky.social
Day 6: Any Description

This is one of my favorite works. I'm a sucker for soulmate stuff, and it was so fun to write this for the Apricity: A Prompto Spring and Winter zine.

archiveofourown.org/works/41276958

#25daysnippetchallenge #ffxv #promptis
A snippet from one of my ffxv fics
May 16, 2025 at 3:04 AM
eternalscout.bsky.social
#25daysnippetchallenge
Day 11: A kiss!
“You must let me know how it feels to kiss you like this,” the other drow says. “Please?” “I don’t—I don’t understand,” Val’dran stammers. “What is there to understand?” Sorn replies. “Just feel. May I?” Val’dran swallows, but nods. Just feel? Fine. He’ll try that then, Sorn can assuage his curiosity and… and something. Sorn leans in without hesitation, making a pleased noise as their lips meet, never mind the oddness of Val’dran’s upper lip, the fur, the way his whiskers twitch. The way his whiskers give tiny sparks of knowledge to Val’dran’s brain about the closeness of Sorn’s face. That’s… oddly… nice? The whole kiss is oddly nice. Or maybe it’s not odd, because it’s Sorn.
May 4, 2025 at 7:23 AM
gewhana.bsky.social
#25daysnippetchallenge

Day 8- food

#bloodweave making moussaka together from my fic Love And Its Decisive Pain:
archiveofourown.org/works/54520618
Gale added tomatoes and broth to the sauce, covering it to let it simmer before sliding the eggplant into the oven to broil. By the time he turned back around, Astarion had poured them both a glass of red wine and was happily chowing down on cheese and crackers. “So we've got fancy sauce and eggplant slices. What's next?” he asked between bites. Gale leaned against the counter next to him and pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth where a few stray crumbs had gathered before taking a sip from his own glass. “We need to make a different fancy sauce,” he explained and Astarion groaned.
May 8, 2025 at 3:40 AM
maniikoi.bsky.social
Day 5: Something sad

I don't often write sad fics, but here's one from my fic called, "Dawn of Remembrance."

archiveofourown.org/works/59571805

#25daysnippetchallenge #ffxv #ff15 #finalfantasyxv #postworldofruin
A snippet from my fanfiction for final fantasy xv called "Dawn of Remembrance."
May 14, 2025 at 6:31 AM
eternalscout.bsky.social
#25daysnippetchallenge
Day 9: Blood, injury, sickness

Getting his eye taken out wasn't so nice, poor Val'dran 😔
Val’dran makes a noise more comparable to a gurgle than anything, and Volo pulls the ice pick out with a sharp motion. There’s a sharp, immediate, awful pain. Darkness. There’s blood running down his cheek, the sound of something falling, dropping in the mud. His—his eye— “Oh. Oh dear,” Volo says. “There’s… been some cosmetic damage.” Val’dran sits up, dizzy. Reaches up to touch, fingertips meeting blood and a hollow nothing. “I can’t… see,” he says. Inanely. Of course he can’t. There’s no eye to see with. No larva removed. No permanent solution. Only foolishness and loss. “Uh, um, well. It seems it’s time I move on,” Volo says. “But I do feel partially responsible, so – here! An upgrade from that useless piece of jelly!” He presses a false eye into Val’dran’s other hand, folding his fingers around it so he doesn’t lose it. Then quite hurriedly goes about packing. Fleeing. Val’dran supposes he should be angry. But he’s only numb. …He should… clean the eye socket. See if he still has a healing potion left. Why does he feel so… cold? 
May 2, 2025 at 8:18 AM
eternalscout.bsky.social
#25daysnippetchallenge
Day 5: Something sad
Val’dran whines brokenly as Halsin presses down on a bleeding wound. “It hurts,” he protests, tries to lift his hand to push Halsin away, but can’t even manage that. “It hurts, make it stop, make everything stop I don’t want to anymore—” Halsin shushes him. “Permanent solutions are a last resort,” he says. “Just keep breathing, Shadowheart and I will take care of this. We’ll have you right as rain. Don’t close your eyes—Val’dran. Val’dran. Stay awake, stay here. No—stay with me! Shadowheart, I need that potion, now!” Halsin’s voice is comfortably warm, even as it dissolves into cotton. As everything just… gently fades. Oh, is he… losing consciousness? That’s nice. He can’t feel the pain if he’s unconscious. If he’s…
April 28, 2025 at 5:37 AM
mistcontinent.bsky.social
gonna start doing the #25daysnippetchallenge today let's fucking gooo. this is the thread i'll use for all of it so mute as needed. the challenge:
May 7, 2025 at 12:21 AM
eternalscout.bsky.social
#25daysnippetchallenge
Day 3: Something funny
"We've gotten this far," Gale points out. "And we're all in — mostly — one piece." Val'dran gives him a deadpan look. "Shadowheart has forsaken her faith, Wyll is a devil, I've lost an eye, Karlach has been told she's going to burn up if she doesn't literally go to hell, Astarion is being hunted by some sort of monster hunter and you've been told by an old friend to blow yourself up." "Mostly! I said mostly!" Gale reiterates. "And besides I have not blown myself up. Thanks to you all. Which I am grateful for, I would have you know."
April 26, 2025 at 8:17 AM
eternalscout.bsky.social
#25daysnippetchallenge
Day 6: Any description
Regardless, they were a group of four to start with, and one remains. Or rather remained, because Val'dran has found him in pieces. He wrinkles his nose, shoving an arm aside with his boot to peer at the floorboards. The stain in the wood is deep enough to tell him he hasn't been moved, but that it's only a day old at most. And… dismembered while still alive, he suspects. At least to some degree. At least, while the man has clearly been brutally murdered, he's still recognisable. Human, possibly southern from the colouring of skin and hair, young adult. Has a tattoo on the neck — a snake. Unfamiliar, could be mere decoration
April 29, 2025 at 7:26 AM
eternalscout.bsky.social
#25daysnippetchallenge
Day 4: Flirting or pining
“Is that a knife in your pocket or am I piquing your interest?” Sorn purrs.  “...Both,” Val’dran says. 
April 27, 2025 at 6:31 AM
gewhana.bsky.social
#25daysnippetchallenge

Day 5- something sad

From chaoter 31 of my #bloodweave long fic, Closer To Ghosts Than God:

archiveofourown.org/works/542021...
No, he could already imagine the disappointed look in those pretty brown eyes. Gale might act earnest and unassuming, but he must want the same as everyone else. A pretty thing to keep on his arm and bolster his ego. Of course Gale would lie rather than risk upsetting him. He would probably lie when Astarion confronted him about it, too. Give him those ridiculous puppy dog eyes and come up with some excuse, hoping to trick Astarion back into believing what was obviously too good to be true. And if he’d lied about this—watched Astarion struggle and pretended to help him when he knew all along what had happened—what else had he lied about? Astarion should’ve seen it coming. People like Gale didn’t exist. No. No one was as kind as Gale for no reason. He was every bit as manipulative as everyone else Astarion had ever met, but worse for the fact that he thought he was better than the rest, by virtue of being less transparent in his selfishness. Astarion glared at the man who claimed to love him. Who he thought he might truly… Foolish. How achingly over sentimental he’d become at the smallest bit of affection. More than he was angry at Gale, he was disgusted with himself. With his weakness and how badly he wanted Gale to mean all the things he said. But it didn’t matter what he wanted. Fate had never been kind enough to grant him what he prayed for.
May 4, 2025 at 4:08 PM
eternalscout.bsky.social
#25daysnippetchallenge
Day 16: A heroic moment!

Sort of? xD
Val’dran, at one point, sees no other choice but to drag Isobel down into the shadows to avoid her getting knocked out and possibly taken hostage. It feels all sorts of wrong for both of them, he’s sure, but even as she gasps, grey in the face upon surfacing, she doesn’t shy away from him. Whether foolish or not, Val’dran can’t say. “Isobel!” Jaheira calls, bursting into the room and killing the last winged monstrosity with strangling roots. “Are you well?” “I’m alright, Jaheira!” Isobel affirms. “If only due to our new friends. But Marcus…” “He’s been here from the start,” Jaheira says grimly. “Ketheric has known our location all along.” Val’dran raises an eyebrow, a bit confused. Isn’t it obvious that they’re at the inn, with the massive moon shield? Or is that something only visible to his shadow-wreathed eyes? “Man, he hit hard,” Karlach says, cracking her back. “Mm, sorry for diverting his hit to you,” Val’dran apologises quietly. “Man, you kidding?” Karlach waves her hand. “Val’dran, he’d have broken all your ribs! It’s super cool that you can turn all ghost-like. Or demon-like, I guess. Besides, if you hadn’t done… whatever you did, Isobel would’ve gotten knocked right out.” “And that would’ve been the end of most of Last Light,” Isobel agrees. “I can’t say it was pleasant to be in the shadows, but thank you, Val’dran. Truly.”
May 9, 2025 at 7:52 AM
maniikoi.bsky.social
Day 10: Dialogue of my choice

This is a WIP from a reincarnation au that I started after re-reading The Song of Achilles and breaking my heart all over again 😭💔

#patroclus #tsoa #25daysnippetchallenge
A snippet from a WIP of mine about Patroclus and Achilles
May 27, 2025 at 1:05 AM
eternalscout.bsky.social
#25daysnippetchallenge
Day 14: An action/fight scene
“Let the drow go, or we see how well you can breathe with your airways sliced open,” Val’dran says. Quiet, soft, and deadly serious. “Shit, where the fuck did—?” “He’s bluffing!” the half-elf snaps. Val’dran gives the human a lazy, threatening smile. “Are you willing to bet your friend’s life on whether he’s correct or not?” “Uh—he seems real fuckin’ serious, man,” the human says uneasily. “That one’s a real under elf, like, the murderous kind. L—Listen, under elf, you cut his throat, I’m stabbin’ your friend.” “You do that, I’m going to murder the both of you instead of only one. And I’ve had a craving for surfacer flesh recently. Nothing like meat that tastes of fear,” Val’dran purrs. “You twisted fucker—!” the half-elf yells and tries to turn around to attack with his own blade. Like a fucking idiot. Val’dran’s daggers are routinely sharpened, and they slice through vulnerable flesh as if it were butter. The half-elf has the audacity to look surprised as he scrabbles at his throat, but Val’dran merely shoves him aside, using the stunned fright of the human to simply step forward and lash out with his blade. His throat also yields to steel without issue, a spray of blood splattering on cobblestone and dirty walls. And somewhat on Sorn, but frankly Val’dran thinks he can’t complain about a bit of blood when his actual life was in very real danger. He flicks blood off his blade, dispassionately shoving the dying human away with a foot. A glance back reveals that the half-elf is already dead, still with the look of surprise on his face.
May 7, 2025 at 6:34 PM
gewhana.bsky.social
#25daysnippetchallenge

Day 4- pining

Some Astarion pining from my #bloodweave fic Karma Is A Cat:

archiveofourown.org/works/62338696
Aatarion has always had a soft spot for the wizard. They bonded over books and wine. Worked together to sate and hide their peculiar hungers from the rest of their companions. Then, after the brain fell, Gale offered to go with Astarion to the Underdark. Even now Astarion can't fathom why Gale would go out of his way to help him when he had a home and family waiting for him in Waterdeep. All Astarion knows is he did, and that he worked patiently by Astarion's side until things were settled. That time together did something strange to Astarion. Softened him. Filled his heart with a warm fondness for Gale he doesn't quite know what to do with. Then Gale invited him back to Waterdeep when he very easily could've left him behind in the Underdark, and that only made things worse. Astarion wants… something more from Gale. At least he thinks he does. When they read by the fire, or he sits on the counter while Gale cooks, or they share a bottle of wine on the balcony, he wishes he could be closer. Wonders how warm Gale would feel if he pressed his hand to Gale’s chest, like he did months ago when Gale showed him the orb. Thinks about closing the distance between them and kissing clever lips. Feeling the scratch of Gale's beard against his cheeks.
May 3, 2025 at 9:48 PM