#(It’s always nice to return to Dare; even with all the other characters I write or play)

[dawncloudrising]

(Hey. Hi!)

(Poking my head in to say I’m not dead. Nor is Dare. Dude has so many versions of himself running around in my head it’s not funny- monk, disguised, demon hunter… Augh… Love him dearly, but he’s being such a pain!

But! On the front of updates! Darenis will likely be popping up more often on Moonguard (Dawncloud) versus on Wyrmrest (Darenis). His original WRA self is still there, but the MoP Remix made it so easy to level another one of him. Hopefully I don’t chicken out on plopping him somewhere to people watch like I used to. Once he’s freed… Otherwise, very rarely I will pop up on Felcrown (DH - WRA).

Onto life updates for the mun! I’m very thankful things turned out well for me. I did kind of forget about this blog due to having to move around a couple of times and college classes. Unsure if I will ever fully pick this blog back up, but it will be staying up! It’s still linked in his TRPs and gives some good background as to who the monk is- though perhaps not the DH or other AU spinoffs I create and play with close friends.

Hopefully, I will be able to see many of the people I have met and found on here again, or in the game. I’ll try not to be afraid to say hi!)

[multifandom-pleasures]

Hii i absolutely love how you write all the characters! Could I request sonic, shadow, and knuckles, and how they would react to reader trying to hide a chao they brought home from them? 🩷

A/N: I loved this request so much!! I love the little chaos. I do apologize for how long it took!! 4 am shifts are not for the weak. but I hope this is good enough!!

sonic

you couldn’t help it. you couldn’t help that you brought the little thing home. you were simply enjoying a nice day out while sonic was doing his duty around town, helping people and defeating robotnik’s robots. sat out in the park, under the shade of a nice tree with a book in hand, listening to the sound of chattering and squealing children. and then a little chao wormed itself onto your lap, making itself comfortable.

you thought it was someone’s pet, but as you looked up and waited for a moment, you didn’t see any distressed owners scrambling to retrieve it. you didn’t remove it, you simply scratched it’s little head as you continued reading, enjoying the new company as you wasted a couple of hours there. but then it was time to go home, and when you slid the chao off your lap and moved to stand; it quickly clung onto your leg, it’s eyes dropped sadly and sad little sounds leaving its mouth.

and how could you leave it alone after that? you folded up your blanket and tucked it under your arm before scooping up the chao in your other arm. it quickly snuggled into your neck and let out contented little ‘chao’ sounds, and it only made you melt further. you booked it back home before your rational side could tell you otherwise to keeping it.

that is what has led you to now, with the chao curled in a nest of blankets you put underneath your desk to hide her; a her, you had determined after some time on the internet as you also searched for chao care. it seemed simple enough, and she already seemed to like you, so it would only make it easier on your end. she was very pliant when you had cleaned her and gave her something to nibble on. the only issue was now she was very clingy. which, fair.

but when you had tried to walk off to try and make yourself seem normal for when sonic came home, it let out little distressed noises and scrambled from its spot under your desk to cling to your leg. you tried once more to leave her and it only resulted in the same thing. you tried to soothe her, stroke her little head and it only seemed to make her more fussy.

“ I’ll be back soon, I promise. “ you spoke softly, wrapping your hands around her and lifting her to eye level, “ you’re just.. a sudden thing, that’s all - but I promise, you’re not staying in here forever. now be a good girl, and stay, okay? “ she listened intently, as if processing your words, and reluctantly she shuffled back to her little nest when you set her down. you let out a huff of relief before stepping out of the room.

sonic returned only moments after, where you had yourself seated on your couch. he greeted you with his usual bright grin and a kiss to your head, which you leaned into. you stood to trail after him into the kitchen, as he moved to grab himself a snack.

“ so - what’d you do today, babe? “ he asked as he pulled pulled out of the fridge with an apple in hand, biting into it. you have a small shrug.

“ nothing much.. just went to the park to read for a little while. “ you replied, sounding as nonchalant as you could muster, “ it was nice out and I didn’t want to waste it inside. I actually managed to get far in the book - “ he hummed as he nodded, listening intently. he knew most of the things you did weren’t as daring and exciting as his own; but he always listened.

you rambled away about the current events in your book. you were so focused on explaining the details to him, recounting what you had told him about it before along with the new unfolded events, you didn’t even notice his focus had trailed away from you and to a the little creature scurrying it’s way towards you. a smile tugged at his lips at the sight, his head craning in curiosity at the little chao. you were about to scold him for not paying attention when you felt a grasp at your leg.

“ brought a friend home? “ you jumped and looked down, the chao looking up at you with wide eyes and a pout. clearly, she was displeased for being left along for more than 5 minutes. you couldn’t bother to be upset with her. she had just found a home, of course you should have known she would be clingy!

“ yes. “ you sighed defeatedly, lifting her into your arms and cradling her to your chest, soft sounds coming from her as she made herself comfy, “ she kinda.. joined me while I was reading today. and I tried to leave, but she wouldn’t let me go, and you should’ve seen her face I couldn’t leave her! and she’s been so sweet and cuddly and - “ he cut you off with a laugh, making his way over.

“ hey, hey! calm down, (y/n) I was only teasing. “ he looked down at the chao, taking a closer look at her. with the hand not holding his snack, he gently brushed the backs of has fingers against her head, and she cooed as she leaned into it, “ she is a cutie, isn’t she? “

“ I know I should’ve asked first but I couldn’t leave her behind.. “ sonic gave a small shake of his head.

“ nah, I always expected this sorta thing from you. surprised it didn’t happen sooner! “ he snickered, kissing your cheek, “ I’m not gonna make you take her back or something. we’ll take good care of her. “ his arm snaked around you and tugged you into his side, and you let out a sigh as you leaned into him. you should’ve expected him to be understanding.

“ we’ll be like parents! “ he exclaimed suddenly in revelation, and you elbowed him with a snort, “ c’mon, isn’t that a fun thought? she’s our little baby! “

“ sonic, shut up. “

shadow

you were much too easily persuaded, and one day it would be the death of you. you were having a little shopping day out in town, enjoying the sunlight and a day off of work; drink in hand and sunglasses over your it eyes. and then a quaint little pet shop caught your eye. it stopped you in your tracks and you peered inside to see little domesticated chaos in little pens, walking about and playing with one another. you would have simply cooed and continued on had it not been for the fact one certain one had caught your eye.

a black and red chao, sat on its lonesome in a corner. it had its little arms crossed over it’s chest and a grumpy look on it’s face; and by chaos it reminded you of shadow. you were walking into the shop before you could think twice. you asked if you could carry the chao, and after warning you he wasn’t kind to many; you insisted. they relented.

they scooped up the chao, who immediately squirmed around in an attempt to be released before handing him towards you. you gently soothed him and stroked your hand over his head, and he continued to squirm before slowing down at your movements. he seemed to want to hate it, but was quickly melting before he could convince himself otherwise.

you stayed for a good hour with the little guy, holding him close and murmuring little compliments and praises on how cute he was and how sweet he was being. you were sure he had dozed off but you didn’t want to check. the employees began to convince you to take him home since he seemed to like you, and it was rare for him to ever come across someone he liked. you tried to object, you couldn’t! not so suddenly, and not without shadow knowing!

then you were walking out with your wallet emptier than when you came in and the chao in one arm and a bag of necessities in your other. even when he was sleeping he looked grumpy, and you could cry with how cute he was.

but now you were stuck on how to tell shadow. you hadn’t been living together for too long; and now suddenly you were springing up a pet for you to care for together. what if he made you return him? what if they didn’t get along? you couldn’t bear to part with the chao now that you bonded with him!

you set the bag down by the couch and sat yourself down, holding the chao in your lap. he glared up at you; now that you think about it, it might’ve just been his resting face; and you looked down at him. his little hands were grasping onto your thumbs and you had to bite your lip to keep the grin off your face. both your heads jerked to the door as you heard the doorknob jingling as the lock turned.

you quickly moved to set the chao down on the other side of the couch, hidden out of you. you pressed your finger to your lip in a ‘hush’ motion, whispering to him, “ stay here, okay? don’t move. “ and you attempted to appear nonchalant as you turned on the tv, pretending to be intrigued by whatever was playing. you had barely made it as shadow stepped inside.

he stared at you for a moment as he took in your appearance, and his eyes flitted to the tv. he rose a brow.

“ I thought you didn’t like this show. “ you cursed yourself mentally as it was indeed a show you could care less for. you just shrugged and replied.

“ I’m giving it one more shot. how was work? “ you twisted to look his way, focusing on him now.

“ same as usual. “ he replied as monotone as ever, eyes trailing slowly around the living room, “ how was your day? “

“ more or less the same. I went out window shopping, mostly; bought a drink and a sweet from some new shop. we should go together sometime, I think you’d like it. “ you hummed, distracted by your own recollection of today’s events.

“ and nothing else? “ he responded, his arms crossing over his chest. you blinked as you looked up at him.

“ what do you mean? “ shadow sighed and his eyes drifted to the bag you’d forgotten by the couch, and as you peered over you could see the ‘how to care for a chao’ pamphlet peeking out. you cursed and slumped over, “ listen - it was a sporadic thing. when you see him you’ll understand. “

you shifted to the end of the couch and peeked over, only to see he was gone. you jumped up and looked around. shadow watched as you frantically looked behind the couch and under the coffee table.

“ you’ve already lost him? “ he scoffed, but joined you in looking around the living room. no way he already disappeared like that! you groaned and stood, taking another look around before pausing as shadow had bent down to peek into the cabinets of the your tv stand. there was the little chao, grasping onto shadow’s quills and looking rather proud of himself. you snorted and covered your mouth, gaining your boyfriend’s attention.

“ what? “ he huffed, “ what are you laughing at. “

“ don’t move. “ you laughed as you made your way over, and carefully worked the chao’s hands from his quills in order to not pluck any out of his head. shadow looked over as you held the chao in your hands, an amused smile on your lips and a mischievous one on the chao’s, “ looks like someone snuck up on you! “

he stared down at the chao, and you couldn’t determine his expression; it was slowly making you worried. did the little stunt upset him? oh surely he’d make you send him back now. you instinctively held the chao closer as you waited for his reaction.

he then let out a huff through his nose, a small smirk twitching at the corner of his lips.

“ not bad. “ he nodded, and with a finger he gently scratched the head of the chao, who leaned into it with a little wiggle, “ don’t try and keep secrets from me next time, (y/n). we both know it’s futile. “ you huffed and smiled, shrugging.

“ I was gonna tell you eventually. “

“ sure. “ he hummed, turning away to make his way to your shared room.

“ but don’t let him do that again. if he manages to sneak up behind me around company, I’ll never hear the end of it. “

knuckles

it truly was an accident. for the past week, you had a chao in your basement. not in a neglectful way, of course! but more so in a ‘at first it was a wild chao who accidentally wormed its way through your basement window and when you gave it a snack to eat it refused to leave’ sort of way. and so now, it was your pet that wasn’t your pet. you went down now and then to feed it and give it water and it would even let you pet it.

it really was warming up to you more than when it first arrived! at first it refused to get near you, but as you continued to give it food and spoke to it from several feet away, it would nudge closer and closer, until it finally allowed you to stroke it’s head, and only for a few minutes. then it would scurry away again.

knuckles certainly didn’t know. he didn’t care much for the basement. the garage was his area, where he would work out and do whatever it is he entertained himself with, and he never questioned how often you would visit the basement. he always gave you your freedom and space in the things you did. sometimes too much.

you had spent the day out getting more things for the chao, having did research and getting an understanding of what they needed. you returned with multiple bags in hand, and after peeking around to see if knuckles was around to see - he wasn’t - you crept over to the basement door and pulled it open. you made your way down almost too excitedly as you called for the chao, cooing to it.

and it quickly stopped as you saw knuckles seated in the middle of the basement, the chao curled in it’s lap and snoozing away. you gaped at the sight and knuckles looked up at you with a grin, waving.

“ (y/n)! “ he cheered, “ you’ve arrived! did you see the little chao? I assumed he was wild, though he is very well fed. and he is very affectionate! “ you set the bags down, slowly making your way over. the chao was woken up by knuckles’ shout, and squirmed out of his lap to make his way to you.

“ oh - he seems to enjoy your presence as well! “ you sat down as you cradled the chao close, stroking his head, “ much more than mine. what do you plan to do with him? “

“ keep him. “ you responded, shifting slightly, “ I um.. already kinda knew he was down here. for a week already. “ you admitted as you averted your eyes.

“ you did not tell me? “

“ I was going to! I just didn’t know how, yknow? and you care a lot about the nature of things so, I didn’t think you would let me keep him - but I really wanted to keep him, and he wanted to stay.. “ you sighed, motioning to the bags you set down with your head, “ I was out buying things for him, to take care of him properly. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. “

knuckles shifted closer to you until he was at your side, and he set his hand on your shoulder.

“ you should not have feared telling me. in fact, I’m very proud of you. “ you looked up and tilted your head.

“ you are? “

“ yes! you are correct, i do care for the way that nature already is, but it seems this chao has chosen you. and you did the proper research to take care of him! you put thought and care into this idea, even if it was unintended in the beginning. I’m proud of you. “ you blushed lightly and smiled, looking down.

“ you’re too sweet, knucks.. “ you mumbled, and leaned into his side, “ thanks.. I don’t know what I’d do without your support. “

“ you are a very intelligent person, (y/n). I have faith in the decisions you make. you always figure it out in the end. “ knuckles rose to his feet to fetch the bags, and began to make his way upstairs.

“ where are you going? “ you called out to him, still holding the chao as you stood at the foot of the steps

“ well, we are not keeping the chao down there! he will be sharing the room with us! come on! “

[pinkrifle]

Hello ml!<3 i was wondering if you could do yandere team stan and craig x reader platonic please! Like they see reader as a little sister!^^

hi lovely! i do not take SP requests anymore buttttf this seems really easy, so i should be able to do this !

saying this rn i’m so sorry if this is short #_# <\3 i’m sorry if i missed a character or two aswell!

only team stan right now as i can’t really think of much to do for team craig, sorry once more! D:

Stan Marsh -

a little careful not to bring you around his friends too much.. especially cartman AND COVERS UR EARS EVERYTIME ONE OF THEM SAYS A DIRTY JOKE LOL (no matter how old you are!1!1!)

would 100% go off on anyone who tries to mess with you (and Kyle would probably join him too) , ya don’t F with family, folks!

trades his lunch or snacks at lunch to give them to you!! loves seeing the look on your face when you get a snack size pack of skittles. Even if it’s super small your face always lightens up and he just laughs and feels very proud of himself after

he makes sure shelly isn’t too mean to you, let’s her rip on him instead if she gets a little aggressive with you (she wouldn’t really go that far dw <3)

Eric Cartman -

GETS YOU IN TROUBLE ALL THE TIMMEEEE

(don’t worry he always does something in return after. begrudgingly and hesitantly.) (he just feels bad)

brings you on all of his little dangerous adventures but makes sure you stay safe all the time,, if you get hurt EVER he’s SOOO dramatic. begging for a hospital!

if any of his friends (aka rest of team stan) dare to say anything to you (they don’t cuz they don’t care) he will 100% be dramatic ALLO OVER AGAIN, threatens to beat up his friends (he can’t rlly) and is nice to you for the rest of the day!!

steals cute stuff from other classmates and brings them to you, steals snacks from people and brings them to you!! probably stole some snacks from stan that he planned to give to his own little sibling

Kenny McCormick -

tones down his dirty jokes when with you, and also does not let you around his friends LMAO

loves hanging out with you, karen, and kevin! at first he was really hesitant on stuart and carol having you (like with karen) but loved you so much after your born!!

protects u FOR LIFE. is basically also your guardian angel when he’s in his mysterion costume! when your in the foster home thing(?) he’s visiting you like crazy and bringing you treats aswell. makes sure you never get beaten up in the basement by the parents

loves whenever you show him something you like. Anime? cartoons? etc? your not cringe to him at all! he likes weird shit too, trust. Watches and plays everything you show him <3

a video game MASTER! having any trouble with a boss fight? he’s got it. Cant find an item? he already has it and is gonna trade it to you!!

Kyle Broflovski -

takes care of you and Ike RELIGIOUSLY. love you two both to death!

plays dolls/action digs with you even if your in middle school or whatever (in the event he’s in HS or whatever) , he doesn’t want his little siblings to ever grow up! brings a tear to his eye.

every Hanukkah he makes sure you get the best presents and NEVER lets your presents break, always has them in pristine condition ! hates seeing you sad , it affects him more than he’d like to admit.. he also gives you his hat to wear when your a little down!

bakes and cooks with you, he’s pretty okay at cooking but if your bad it’s no problem! he’s willing to teach you the 3 dishes he knows how to make LMAO. If your better than him at cooking? EVEN BETTER, teach him! but he’ll be a little embarassed to learn stuff from his little sibling

having trouble with homework? he’s on it! he won’t let you cheat on anything, but he’ll help you and guide you to the right answer.

Never let’s people talk shit about you or make fun of you, he will fr fight his friends if they dare to do that.

heya! thanks for requesting, i haven’t been really willing to write lately but this got me off my booty!!! i really should open my tf2 and scp foundation reqs.

sorry again i couldn’t do team craig! i hope these were good enough, feel free to request this again some time if i’m ever active again! <3

[brightpinkspikes]

What is your opinion about Toad (Mortimer Toynbee)?

CONGRATULATIONS YOU'VE UNLOCKED A RANT

Mortimer is one of my favorite characters! With most popular characters from mainstream comics, there's so much content that you can basically interpret them as any kind of person you want. Yet, Toad only has two similar but distinct personalities given by the writers. At least, that's how I see it.

He's a vintage Evil Henchman™, a classic Igor type: Ugly, devious, intelligent, and loyal despite obvious mistreatment from the Big Bad. The two versions of him are commonly found in similar characters. He's either sold to us as a dangerous and cowardly pervert leeching off of brave and powerful Magneto despite secretly hating him, or he's a pitiable, perpetually abused sadsack, staying with the devil he knows and sort of loves until he has no other choice. Either way, most writers don't intend for us to like him.

These motherfuckers seem to have forgotten that they're writing for X-Men fans. Having him as an obvious villain in almost any other story would probably work! But our heroes are fighting oppression based on things out of their control, things that they were born with! And people are mean to Toad because he's ugly and tells people to fuck off when it happens! Like, Dude! You told me to think about my internalized prejudices and then did one yourself!? Y'all did not think this through!

When people actually bother to make him a little three-dimensional, he's always fascinating. His life is doomed from the start. He can build a rocket ship from bits and pieces he found in the garbage but can not have a reasonable conversation to save his life. He's so desperate for positive attention that anyone who's even a little nice to him becomes a Saint in his eyes, which always goes wrong because there’s nowhere to go but down when you put someone on a pedestal.

Needless to say, I find this deeply relatable in the absolute worst way.

Of course, readers' perceptions of him are based on how they're introduced to him. Many people who hate him on a visceral level know him from the worst evil pervert arcs. Think the time he kidnaps the Scarlet Witch, finds out she's pregnant, and goes on an incel rant that would make Red Pill Reddit proud. Or the alternate universe human trafficking storyline. Both are pretty heinous.

I was introduced to him in X-Men Evolution, and boy, he is a sadsack. We are NOT supposed to like him. He is supposed to be a creepy bad guy. He kind of is. He's also a fourteen-year-old who eats from dumpsters and gets beat up by the football team. He's down bad for Goth Scarlet Witch. He's mainly doing the villain thing because otherwise, Mystique will fuck him up and kick him out into the street. He makes bad choices, but I absolutely get it.

He has so much potential to grow, and he has in past comics, but it always gets retconned. Whether he's straight-up evil or just a guy with shit luck, he's having a bad time. That's Toad's comic baseline. When the storyline ends and the world returns to normal, Jean Grey lives, Uncle Ben dies, and Mortimer Toynbee is miserable. He could be a great antihero, or a good guy with a tragic backstory, or just a morally grey side character who's got his own life far away from the Brotherhood and the X-Men, but he's not allowed to be more than what he already is. I hate it, but Marvel ain't gonna hire me any time soon.

I live for the in-between moments where he gets a little braver, a little bolder, and tries to change. He makes friends on Krakoa, or he falls for Husk, or he joins Spiderman! I want desperately for him to escape the cycle and be happy! Because I want that for myself! I want it for every miserable asshole! Especially assholes for whom it makes complete sense to be an asshole! Toad deserves better! We all deserve better!

It happened for characters like Mystique (Even if I hate how they went about it.) or Blob (How dare you retcon him. Give him back his books and mustache. I hate it here.) I'm holding out hope, but not much. That's why I love the fandom! Fanfiction soothes my soul. In my heart, our favorite little freak is alive, going to therapy and leading a happy, healthy life. He reconciles with the people he's hurt, and he never ever ever has to see the people who abused him ever again. He also has an actual bed because I'm still not over that. What the fuck, guys. His life sucks so bad, at least give him a mattress. What the fuck.

Anyway, he's one of my recurring hyperfixations, so if you want more detail, feel free to ask. Please ask. I will be so normal about it, I promise.

[pinkgrapefloyd]

fic author q&a

tagged by @zannolin <3 tysm!

why do you write fanfic?

i love everything about it. i love how immediate it is. i can just click post and people can see it. i love when people tell me their favorite part in the comments. i love having 100% creative control. i love having no deadlines. i love shouting something i'm proud of into the void and then getting a reply from somewhere halfway across the world in a mutual second language. i love building community with strangers over things we both love. it's the best.

which of your posted stories do you think of the most even though the story is "finished"?

probably there's daggers in men's smiles because that one has the biggest piece of my soul in it. i also think of anti-hero a lot but i'm still working on the sequel so I don't count it as "finished".

if you could give yourself fic advice from when you first started writing fic, what would that advice be?

if it's a multi-chapter, get to the 90-95% mark before you start posting. not only does this increase the likelihood of you actually finishing it and ending up with a completed story you're proud of, you'll also end up with a better final product because you can go back and edit earlier chapters once the later chapters are taking form and make the themes more cohesive.

what's your relationship to fic stats?

i like em. i used to track them obsessively when I was younger but honestly i have neither the time nor the motivation for that anymore. but it's nice to see a number and picture actual people. 25 kudos is abstract to me, i don't care about that. but realizing that 25 people looked at a project and went "nice. thanks for letting me read it" is wild to me. makes me really happy.

is there a pairing or scenario or friendship that you miss writing? if so, why? if not, why not?

yes and no. i used to read so much fanfic and write almost none, and now it's pretty much the opposite. so there isn't really a lot of content i'm "no longer writing" because there wasn't much for me to abandon in the first place. steve/bucky was my bread and butter ten years ago (how is the winter soldier ten years old already? wtf?) and i don't really see myself returning there, but i keep finding similar vibes in my newer projects and i'm really happy about that.

what motivates you to write?

i don't know how to stop. it's how i deal with being a person. wish i had a smart inspirational answer but that's what it is. it just happens. if i'm bored or sad or happy or tired or nervous, i write.

why do you write for the fandom(s) you write for?

i haven't fully understood why i write for some of my fandoms but not others. there's a lot of media that i adore and have never written a single word for (hannibal, the x files, ofmd, discworld...). often it's specifically the idea of "this character trait / this dynamic feels underutilized, I want to explore it further". cobra kai is a yarn drawer of messy but compelling character arcs that often go nowhere, and i like untangling the potential of them. star trek is comforting and it's good soil for planting angst, hope and humor plus an ensemble cast.

if you're stuck writing a WIP, what do you do?

work on a different one. i have so many and i'm always obsessed with at least one of them. sooner or later i'll have an idea for one of the older ones and then that's back on the menu again. i never force myself to work on something specific.

what do you wish people knew about comments?

a long unhinged comment is the key to my heart (as @zannolin who tagged me in this knows all too well), but i love each and every one so much. i love comments that are just a chain of emojis, comments that say nothing except 'how dare you', comments that dive into themes and metaphors. i love comments that tell me my fic made them laugh out loud, made them stay up too late, made them tell a non-fandom friend about it. there are so many different types of comments that make up the tapestry of a fun community, so please don't assume that there's a right way to leave a comment and the author will be disappointed or upset if you do it "wrong". i'm always worried my comments are not as funny / intelligent / memorable / observant as other people's comments and i hope i can take that fear away from other readers!

(also i try my best to reply fast but sometimes it takes a bit and i'm sorry! it doesn't mean i don't love your comment!)

maybe there's a question you wish had been on here. what's that question (and answer)? -> what are some writing challenges you're personally looking forward to?

writing more funny miscommunication and seeing how far I can push it. scenes that are set in darkness so I don't rely too much on describing visuals. maybe a mystery one day when i feel up for doing something plot-heavy.

tagging @vimesbootstheory @dykesynthezoid @russolaw @ficusin and @blinkasaurus and anyone else who wants to participate <3

thank you @zannolin for tagging me! love that i can always count on you to be just as unhinged about tdims as i am

[tumblingxelian]

Storyteller Akuma: K, this thought wouldn’t leave me be, but I'm not sure how well it’s going to translate from brain to page, so bear with me.

I see part of Ladybug Not Being Affected . . . like, she is being influenced, it just SEEMS like she isn’t, because 1) as we discussed, she's the hero, & 2) 1 of the major influencers right now is CHAT NOIR, who knows Ladybug really damn well, so she's basically herself, right? Well one thing that just hit me-

Right now, Ladybug IS NOT Marinette.

Like, as much as people write about it, Ladybug & Marinette are not separate people. Ladybug is not an entire act Marinette is putting on, but rather an extension of herself. Ladybug makes choices that Marinette absolutely would, because THEY ARE THE SAME PERSON. BUT . . . No one knows who Ladybug is behind the mask. Not even Chat. So things DO go a little different, because Marinette's BIAS isn’t there.

Cause like. I think we all agree that Marinette is very "Black-White/What-Is-This-Grey-You-Speak-Of?" in her worldview. It's basically why, when Chloé DOES make efforts to change, they go either unacknowledged, or misinterpreted, because Marinette has several YEARS of Chloé being a rude, unrepentant, Rich Bitch Bully. & I'm not saying it’s wrong for Marinette to think that way, but it's what makes it all so hard for the girls to see where the other is coming from. It colours their every interaction, even when Chloé is trying her hardest to please Ladybug. But right now? Ladybug isn't - CAN'T - be Marinette. & her biggest influence is Chat Noir, who sees Ladybug as herself, yes, but also her BEST self. So that changes things.

Like, Ladybug is AWARE that she's really Marinette Dupain-Cheng. But if she focuses too hard on that, she starts slipping into whatever the Storytellers see Marinette as, & nope, can’t do that, so we are Ladybug right now! & none of the Storytellers know that Ladybug is Marinette, so they don’t think to apply Marinette actions to Ladybug. & what this really means, is that Ladybug finds it easy to be sympathetic to Chloé in particular. Because without the years of animosity between them, if Marinette had met Chloé as a teen, & seen first hand how her parents treat her? Oh, she'd be FURIOUS. How DARE they treat their daughter like that!? Can't they see how they're hurting her!? How hard she's trying to be what they want!? How miserable she is!?

Or what about Adrien? Without the crush blindness, what does she think of him? How does she see him? Like, yes, at the core Ladybug & Marinette are the same person, but - *inarticulate gestures cause my brain is failing me*

It basically lets her view the whole situation objectively, so when everything is over . . .

Ooh I am excited!

Yeees, yeah I can totally see this, I love exploring the distinction in identities and sense of self that come with the mask. (Ask me about Six-Teen-Heroes sometime XD) But yeah cos like, her magic, role in the Akuma's narrative and all three but especially Chat's dominant experience with her means Ladybug is gonna be pretty close to her professional hero self... While Marinette is sort of... Not quite there right now.

Also yeah Chat not knowing whose behind the mask plays heavily into things to, so true, he only as the Ladybug perception. & Marinette returning to the field will have been 'in character' as well.

You are also right I hadn't considered that but I love it! Cos yeah she's got several years of negative experience with Chloe & a rather simplistic world view where parents are good & loving, authority figures are generally reliable and being nice is natural and easy. Intellectually she may know bad parents exist but Chloe's life on the outside looking in, is not super obvious on that front unless coming at it from an adult or more neutral perspective. So to Marinette there's no real explanation save "Spoiled rotten". But for Ladybug, none of that stuff applies!

Let alone the fact that Chat probably wouldn't mind it if they got along, he always seemed amused by their interactions X3 Also true facts on her best/ideal self.

Yeah there's definitely be some dissonance there, and to avoid losing herself she probably leans harder on Ladybug but is maybe also a lil freaked out somewhere cos she doesn't want to not be herself either. Everyone's getting a messed up mind today!

so they don’t think to apply Marinette actions to Ladybug.

Action, feelings or history, so at most its like, oh the ever professional Ladybug can be a bit eh on the exuberant Chloe & that's at worst.

Also yeah I can see it, hell if they'd only met as heroes she'd possibly be full on fond of her even without seeing her trauma. Or at least able to go "OK that was rude but like, god damn what an over reaction." Let alone yeah Audrey at least would be something she could pick up on. Add in stuff like Maladikator and all the pieces would fall into place given Akuma are not meant to harm their loved one's and both her parents try to harm or use her as Akuma. So it'd be all red flags all the time, especially cos she's a hero in all their eyes.

Gosh yeah that'd be interesting, like does Adrien's perception of himself as Adrien VS Chat play into things as well? So many angles!

But yeah I love this so much.

Low key just imagining post purifications everyone just flops onto the floor unsure what to do with themselves. Probably feeling a bit eased up like in that original ask I sent you:

The rich kids have taken knives to each other. They've cut open their festering wounds. The rot is exposed, scrubbed raw. While they lie angry, bleeding, crying, and dying [inside], they have the opportunity to look upon themselves once more and apply new dressings.

Or maybe a little relieved, or hell jus confused. Marinette-Bug is not much better, but like if Chloe tries to flee, or put up an act, she might just get that hug she's been starving for all her life and just fucking breakdown sobbing.

[katherinecrighton]

Nuts and Bolts: Jump-Starting Stories

(Reposting a 2013 post from the Anna Katherine co-tumblr)

Because I just did this, here you go: Some simple ways to start a story, particularly if you don’t know what you want to write about, but you know you need to write something. (For money, for practice, for mental health, for whatever.)

Standard caveats apply. 1. The reason advice looks contradictory is because it literally is different for everyone — shit that works for one person won’t work for someone else. Just stick it in your toolbox and move along. 2. I will say obvious shit that you already know. Because it’s possible somebody else doesn’t. 3. You may totally disagree with anything/everything I say, oh my god, that’s fine.

::::

1. A line of dialogue. Particularly one that makes no sense, so you have to then have a second character explain it.

“You said what to the Queen?”

—Instantly you have to answer who said it, what was said, why it was scandalous, who the queen is, what she’s queen of, and who actually spoke the dialogue. Getting all that exposition in gracefully is at least 150 words right there.

2. (All of my points are going to boil down to variants of point 1, so, you know, grab a soda or something.)

3. A sudden burst of action. A nice explosion, maybe, or someone getting knocked unconscious unexpectedly. In medias res is always a pleasant place to start. You’ll want to start with a brief sentence that makes the reader empathize with whatever you’ve decided to blow up, and then destroy it in the second sentence, as that’s more fun.

"The Manor had been in the Candleford family for generations, a bit more curly-topped and hodge-podge than most stately noble homes. It burned for three days before anyone could put it out.”

—Now explain how that happened, or what happens next, or who’s affected, or who did it.

4. A vivid description. This one can be a bit tricky, as it can all too easily go on too long. I’d stay away from vivid descriptions of landscapes or weather or other (dare I say it) fairly boring things. Corpses — those are fun. Terrible kisses. A really interesting tentacle that maybe is touching something else that’s about to become interesting because, hey, tentacle.

“The running shoe was worn along the edges, and had a rubbed patch in the heel. It was pink and grey, and the laces were still tied, clearly toed off after a return to the house. The inspector stared at the shoe that lay on its side on the landing, and wondered where the other one was.”

Once you’ve got a couple of sentences of vivid description, stop and backfill with exposition — why are we seeing this thing? Who’s seeing it? What are they going to do with this information? As you can see, I couldn’t help but add in the inspector looking at the shoe — it just sort of starts to fill itself in.

5. A terrible secret that you don’t want anyone to know about yourself. Writing is frequently auto-cannibalism. You take parts of yourself and you write them into your stories to make them real. So if you need to write something, and you’re not sure what to write, dig out one of your secrets and give it to a character. 

I wrote a horror story (still haunting some editor’s slushpile [eta 2023: it was bought!]) about the weird urge I had when I’d had abdominal surgery to dig around in there afterward — I didn’t actually follow through in real life, but I decided to write a story about a character who did. Use first person POV if you have to, but it’ll definitely get something on the page.

.

+1. After you’ve got a story going, you can go back and delete whatever you started with. Nothing says you have to keep what got the motor running.

+2. If you’re interested, my sentence for this evening was: “It would be a bit much to say that the kiss was magical.”

[monsterkissed]

Interview with a Bureaucrat Knight

i haven't written anything in ages on account of, mental breakdown etc., but i did play a solo round of For The Queen, which is basically an incredibly stripped-down rp storytelling game with no character creation, no dice, frankly no Anything except drawing random questions that prompt you to build a narrative out of thin air until you get to the inevitable, final dilemma. it's a pretty fun game if you are chill with something rules-light every now and then, and a pretty neat writing tool.

anyway here's 2500 words of deeply unhealthy royal relations and becoming the monster you always hated/feared/loved

The land has been in turmoil for as long as you have been alive.

The Queen has decided to undertake a long and perilous journey to broker an alliance with a distant power.

The Queen has chosen you to be in her retinue and accompany her on this journey.

She chose you because she knows that you love her. 

What makes you want to abandon the retinue, and who, besides the Queen, makes you stay?

Fear. Ever since the Queen proposed this journey I have had a certainty that we’re walking to our deaths. It’s not the old fear of the war, we’ve all been living with that so long that it feels like an old, heavy coat. This is new. I can hear doom in every step and dread in every voice. The others won’t talk about it, but I know- they must feel it, too. Nobody dares to quake under the Queen’s gaze, of course, but there are little tells. I think. Glances. Sighs. 

I have to stay for them, naturally. There aren’t any other councillors; if I leave it’ll frighten them ten times worse. And the royal guard will never keep the knights in line once they’re spooked, and if they get ideas… Yes, I have to stay. When the nights start leaving- or maybe it will be the nobles first? Someone is going to leave first, or even raise the issue, and then I’ll try to make her see we should turn back. Once someone else… raises it. 

…it’s fear to both, then, isn’t it?

When was the last time the Queen embarrassed you?

Ha. As if everyone here doesn’t already know. The very last council she gathered before we left on this accursed journey, when she told us what she was going to do… What she was going to do, I should have seen that, she wasn’t asking for permission or advice, but I… Perhaps I’d seen her look at me and known she’d want me to come with her, I don’t remember. I remember my mouth moving (oh gods, did I interrupt her?) and I wasn’t mumbling, I didn’t stutter, all my well-trained diction was at hand as I asked if surely, we shouldn’t wait until at least winter has passed, or better yet, for the ambassador to return…

All my diplomacy, like blowing bubbles at a manticore. She gave me that look I’ve seen so many times. That look used to make empires cower, and evidently from our recent troubles it can’t manage that anymore, but it damn near dissolved me. In front of all of those over-bred sycophants, shaking their heads and smirking at me as she reminded us all that we are out of time, that inaction is not a blameless road to ruin. Oh, she had no intention to embarrass, that would be beneath her. She simply reiterated the facts. But they’ll remember. 

How can people tell, just by looking at you, that you serve the Queen? Do you mind it being so obvious?

Looking at me? On a clear day you can hear a councilman coming from two villages away, wrapped up in all this plate and mail. It’s not ceremonial, you know. I wish it was, they can make wonderfully light faux-armour these days. But she won’t have it. She took this throne with no one but a hundred armed and armoured fighters at her side, and she won’t hold it with anything less. A desk job isn’t an excuse for velvet, or worse, silk. 

I never used to mind it, in truth. It makes the wispy little nobles sweat, which is nice, but I did appreciate the… message of it. You really can tell a member of her government, her court, her closest confidants by the clinking of their armour, and for a while, when she was… winning, I suppose, there was this air about her. You knew why a hundred soldiers stood with her against a nation, why they won. And every moment sweating in this armour made me feel like a part of that, even if it was just barely before my time. 

But, well. We’re not winning anymore. 

The Queen has a pet name for you. Do you appreciate it?

No. And no. I mean, not- Next question, please. 

…

Look, it’s not even my pet name, for a start. My father was the “Wolf” of the original hundred, and I wasn’t even a twinkle in his eye at the time. I don’t know why she started calling me that; I barely pass my annual basic combat exams, and that’s with bribes. I’ve never run through a battlefield scattering legions by howling like a madman, or torn out an assassin’s throat with my teeth. I write her letters and speeches and try to explain economics to her, I’m barely a lapdog, frankly. Yes, I have heard the joke.

It’s better than “Little Wolf,” which was what I was before I actually started working on the council, but not much. I don’t know why she does it. Even with the armour on, I can’t possibly remind her of him. We both know that I’m never going to be her mighty, steadfast knight. If I was… I wouldn’t be thinking these things, would I?

When was the last time the Queen hurt you?

I did fail one of those exams, once. They gave me a month to shape up or be demoted. For, oh, two hours I decided I didn’t care, that a court that ran itself like a barracks was a waste of my education, that I would pack my things and head for the border of one of our allies (I miss when we had allies) and perhaps stop in a pub on the way. And then I was knocking on the door to her chambers. 

It’s a good thing father was dead by then. The shock would have killed him. I… explained to her that being part of her council had been my lifelong dream and greatest honour and I would throw myself on my sword if I were forced to leave it, and she said something very generous, I think it was “Oh, don’t lie to me, Wolf, it’s too early in the morning,” and I thought ah, so this is how I am to die, then. 

She told me to come in and sit down and have a drink (which did not improve matters) and over the course of writing my last will and testament in my head I explained… everything, really. Things I had not told anyone, certainly not my father or my poor mother. Some things I hadn’t realised were true until I said them. Many, many things that I had no business saying to a queen. I assume that at some point I must have passed out (from the alcohol or perhaps a sudden attack of common sense) and she, presumably in one of her peculiar moments of kindness, hauled me up and laid my sleeping body on her bed. I assume this because any other possibility is unthinkable. 

Well, regardless, when I awoke she was in her full plate mail, the one she lost during that incursion from the South, telling me to get into my regalia and earn the right to keep it. She spent every blasted day of that month running me through drills. I begged her to kill me more than once. At one point I fumbled a parry and her sword caught me in the hip, a “glancing” wound, I was told, though it felt like more of a furious stare to me. She didn’t apologise, but she stitched me up well enough. 

That was a long time ago. The scar has mostly faded. I find myself missing it, sometimes.

The Queen once expressed a desire you knew you couldn’t fulfil. What have you done about it?

Well. Back when we were organising the logistics of this… glorified death march (and if truth be told I was doing much of the logistics, she’s never been one for numbers) she suggested… implied, really… 

Skip this one too, please. It’s really not anything of much… Well, it’s a desire I can’t fulfil, isn’t it? What could be more irrelevant? Either this little diplomacy mission goes well, or… that will be the end of it. That’s what I keep trying to make her understand, that if we die here- if she dies here, in some desolate swamp or on the end of some assassin’s knife, that is the end. Nobody else is going to gather up a gaggle of knights and seize a throne overnight, least of all some… little bureaucrat in armour that barely fits. The time of fairytales has gone, these are the days of trade embargoes and blockades. No wolves, only lapdogs. 

When was the last time you had the Queen’s undivided attention? Do you hope to have it again?

I’m not sure I can even remember. When was the last time any of us could give anything our full attention? I don’t think I can remember a day when a part of my mind hasn’t been consumed with news from the borders, or the treasury. Praying every season that the crops don’t fail. Spending every ball or coronation wondering which of our neighbours will be next to crumble, or attack. I walk down the city streets and see people muttering to each other, glowering at me, are they planning to rebel? I see people laughing, drinking with their friends or playing with their children, if we fail to stay above water how many of them will die for our incompetence? 

I used to think she was above those kinds of anxieties. Now I wonder if she hears them louder than any of us. Loud enough to drive her to take any risk if it’ll make them stop. More than loud enough to drown out my voice. 

The Queen thinks more highly of you than you do of yourself. How do you know this?

The Queen… thinks more highly of a lot of us than we deserve, I think. She thinks that the world still bows to strong wills, and times of strife only sharpen those wills, instead of crushing them. She has never believed that this journey is doomed, I know that, because she refuses to live in a world where we would allow this mission to fail. When things go awry, and even she must know that they will… she will expect me at her side, baring teeth. 

You sometimes think you might be the Queen’s favourite. Why? And why does this worry you?

I… am not entirely lacking in common sense. I can complain, but how many others, even here, have been taught to fight by her, personally? How many would have survived questioning her choice to make this journey, sniggering or no? The nickname grates, but half of the court are nothing but family names or job titles to her, or simply “You.” I have colleagues more experienced with foreign affairs, none of them are here. She has a niece who used to win every tournament in her prime, she isn’t here. Her most decorated general isn’t here, though after that appalling siege debacle it’s a wonder anyone lets him out of the house anymore. By blood, rank and conquest, there are many better than me that I would gladly trade places with in an instant. But she wanted me here. 

She’s no fool. She watches the edges of the woods as much as any of us. I’ve seen her counting each cloud of breath in the frosty air, making sure we’re no more or less than we should be. Paying more attention to my inventory reports than she ever did the harvests. But always the same orders, no matter how dire the news: keep marching. Is it favouritism to be doomed to death? Is it favouritism to be asked to face the inevitable, and do the impossible? 

The Queen made you feel something you’d never felt before. Do you want it to happen again?

Two generations of my family died for this woman. Not that my grandfather had much choice, or any of the others who were found themselves on the wrong end of a revolution, and I doubt my father envisioned his own end would be as… ignoble as it was. For as long as I can remember, she was there. My first memory is of seeing her, being brought up towards her throne and looking up into that proud, fierce, beautiful face… Her eyes meeting mine. 

I was terrified of her. Ten years later studying our history in school I would understand why nobles and generals with armies that dwarfed hers would cower and surrender when she met them on the battlefield. They call it her grandeur or her righteousness or even her divinity. At the time the only word I knew for it was “monster,” and I screamed it. I owe a lot to my father’s war wounds; if they hadn’t slowed him down I think he would have proven he could still chew out a traitor’s throat that day. I think I would have let him, if it meant getting away from her. God’s, but even now I have never felt a terror like it since. 

…where is that terror when I need it now? When she looks at me with those eyes now, why don’t I run? I tell myself that this is madness, I want to scream it out, but the sound dies in my throat. She is leading me to my death, so why don’t I flinch when she takes my hand to readjust the grip on my sword, or lays hers on my shoulder so heavy I can feel it through layers of cold steel? If I beg her, will she cut me open again and this time let it bleed until my senses return to me and I can flee like the prey animal I am? 

Or will I only wake up again in a bed that is not mine? A fate I am not permitted to escape, only earn?

The Queen is under attack. Do you defend her?

Didn’t I say it? From the very start, didn’t I say that this journey would get us all killed? 

I don’t recognise their banner. We’re still too far out for it to be our would-be hosts, I think? But any number of the other kingdoms could have been informed. Perhaps these are even fellow countrymen, writing their own chapter in the story of a band of soldiers deposing a monarch at swordpoint. It’s too dark to tell anything, except that they must outnumber us almost ten to one. We had enough warning to throw together a barricade. Not even she can believe it’ll hold. 

Our line is ragged. Any moment now someone is going to bolt. I keep glancing at their faces, whatever I can make out through their helmets and hoods, trying to guess who it’ll be first. We’re so outnumbered that it won’t take many fleeing to leave our line in tatters. That’ll be all that it takes for the rest to scatter, while we still have time. I can see the fear on their faces. They all know that this is no story, no glorious miracle victory will save us. 

Hers is the only gaze I don’t meet. I know what I’ll see. But I see a few of them glance past me. Come on, all of you, any of you, one of you must want to live! That’s all it will take, just one to start running. I’ll be right behind you! 

Some of them are looking at me now. What do they want? They must know it can’t be me. They must see how she’s looking at me; I can see the way the fear deepens when they turn this way. The more often I scan the line, the fewer of them will meet my gaze. Cowards, every one. 

I can feel her hand on my shoulder, sliding down to check my grip. I wonder, when a man goes mad, running across the battlefield, howling and tearing apart anything in his way, does anyone stop to ask whether he was running to, or from? 

Any moment now. One of them will run. But they’re running out of time, I’m willing them to hurry, hilt digging into my hand as I glare at each timid face. Hurry, you fools, run! Don’t you know there’s a wolf at your heels?

[ciaossu-imagines]

KHR Romantic Match-Up for Peach

Hello there, my dear! Before we get into the match-up, I just wanted to say thank you for sending in an ask 😊 I hope you’ll enjoy the matchup, and please don’t worry about it being in multiple messages or all over the place! Your description was very well done and thorough and I really appreciated that! And thank you for the very sweet compliment – I’m so glad you enjoy my writing!

In my humble opinion, your ideal romantic match in Katekyo Hitman Reborn is HARU MIURA!

I do see you and Haru as being each other’s first partners. She has a very romantic soul and definitely isn’t the type to rush into relationships, so I see you being her first romance. It really does start off as the two of you building a friendship before a crush starts to grow on both sides. She’s the one who does confess and asks you on a date, and the relationship just sort of smoothly progresses from there.

Haru isn’t someone who is hugely empathetic, but she is sensitive in the fact that she doesn’t ever want to purposefully hurt anyone’s feelings, so she will always be as gentle with you as she can be. She loves your smile and wants to see it every day, so she tries to help keep your world as happy as it can be. While she can definitely have a temper, she makes sure she gets into arguments or draws her boundaries with people when you’re not around after she realizes how tense and uncomfortable even the slightest bit of arguing can make you. The only time this changes is if she feels someone is picking on you or being mean to you, when her very protective nature just can’t be shut off and she can’t help but to stand up and fight for you. This happens a lot with your parents, actually, as Haru really dislikes the way they treat you. She’ll do her best to respect your parents, because she hopes to be their daughter-in-law someday, but the second they say something really harsh or disrespectful to you, she just can’t keep her tongue in control, and she has to stand up for you. However, she can also sometimes, in an almost amusing way, do this to you as well. When your insecurities get the best of you and you say something that’s really down on yourself or self-deprecating, she has no problem telling you off. Don’t you dare say mean things about yourself in Haru’s presence because she will look at you, fire in her eyes and earnestness all over her face and tell you right off because you have no right to speak that way about her favourite person in the world and don’t you realize how wonderful you are. In case you don’t, she’s going to have no problem listing off all the wonderful things she loves about you.

You and Haru really bond over your creative passions. She’s really inventive and creative herself, with various artistic passions. She’s definitely going to encourage all of your projects and pursuits, though she definitely will expect your encouragement and support of her own projects in return. She’s going to attend every single one of your plays, applauding and yelling ‘bravo’ the loudest. When you do write your short, original skits and plays, she’s always going to be so eager to read them and will always have something nice to say about them. She’ll practically beg you to let her run lines with you, because although she’s a terrible actress, Haru has always imagined herself on a stage and this practice time with you is probably the closest she’ll ever come.

I definitely do see Haru having her own love of cosplay and it’s a hobby that she puts a lot of effort and time into. It’s something that connected the two of you as friends and when you start dating, she definitely wants to do couple’s cosplay together with you. It really makes her happy, working on the costumes together and discussing the different things you could do with the characters and photographs together and the time spent cosplaying with you will be absolute precious memories for her. Though you worry about cosplaying as part of a group, she will definitely encourage you to go for it, reminding you that she’ll always be by your side throughout it all, no matter what anyone else says.

Haru loves to sing and dance herself and impromptu karaoke sessions are something she’s definitely going to bring into your life, as well as proper karaoke dates followed by supper out together (and of course, dessert!). She’ll be so incredibly awestruck by you being able to play more than one instrument well and she compliments you every time you perform something for her.

Going along kind of with that theme, idol groups and idol media are another thing that really are a shared passion of both yours and Haru. She’s going to be right beside you learning the dance routines and the words to all the songs, both out of joy of doing the thing with someone she cares so much about and because to her, these are precious moments and memories the two of you will be creating.

However, there are interests that you have that Haru really won’t have the first clue about, as there are hobbies and interests of hers that you won’t have much interest in. Because she does expect and demand that you take her hobbies and the things she loves seriously and at least familiarize yourself with them, she’s really going to throw herself into learning about the things you do love. She’ll never have done an escape room before she met you, but it becomes one of her favourite date night activities for the two of you, or even for the two of you and a couple friends. She’s not the greatest at solving puzzles but she tries her best, so please be patient with her. She also doesn’t really know most sports anime, though she’ll want to know about the ones you love and will ask if the two of you can watch them together.

Haru does get scared rather easily, but she’s also someone who can fall into a well-built fantasy world pretty easily, so despite not even knowing there are horror-themed board games out there, she’s more than willing to give one a try, especially when you share with her that it sort of bums you out a little to never have anyone to play them with. She might struggle at times with some of the more complicated or rule-heavy games, but for more simple ones, she really loves being able to do something so out of her comfort zone, plus it gives her a chance to get extra hugs and cuddles from you whenever she gets scared.

Haru isn’t really allowed a pet at her family’s home, but she does enjoy animals. She’s going to make it a point to play with your dogs whenever she visits and soon starts bringing them treats and toys when she’s over, just to spoil them (mostly because you don’t know how to react and get a little flustered when she goes over the top spoiling you, as she’s likely to do at times). When she spoils the dogs, you still get so happy but not as flustered, so she can do that every week or every couple days.

Haru actually finds you being a kind of picky eater to be a fun challenge. Nothing makes her happier than to be able to cook and bake for her partner and she goes out of her way to try all these different recipes that she thinks you might enjoy, especially sweet treats. She’s really careful about not using any spice, given that your stomach can’t handle it, but will get really excited if you even try her cooking otherwise and the euphoria from you adoring one of the recipes she made for you? It’s enough to carry her through several days.

Haru is definitely going to be a very gentle, patient, and loyal partner. She wants you to be patient with her and to not rush her in any way, so she thinks it’s only fair if she’s patient with you as well. She’s going to be your biggest hype-woman. All those things that you feel insecure about, like your autism or being hard of hearing? They’re just unique little traits that are a part of who you are and who you are is someone she loves, as she likes to remind you whenever you seem down on yourself. She’s very verbally affectionate, though she does want to be proper and wait a while for any major physical affection. I do think for the first little bit, hugs and holding hands will be the furthest physical affection that Haru will be willing to have. However, hugs are definitely a huge love of hers that will continue to be frequent things even when further physical affection is allowed in the relationship. To Haru, your relationship with her and hers with you is something she wants to last a lifetime, so she really looks forward to growing as people alongside you. She learns from you and she always approaches you for your view on things or for advice and she thanks you genuinely and with her whole heart whenever she feels like you’ve helped make her a better person in some way, and she’ll do everything she can to return that favour.

Runners Up: Reborn, Adelheid, Dino, Bianchi

[arimiadev]

2023 Year in Review

2023 has come and gone—it feels like it was just a week ago that my grandma was complaining that Thanksgiving and Christmas were too close together, and now it’s January. I spent the last 2 weeks of 2023 sick (I still am), which made it go by like a blur.

2022 was a fresh slate for me, with a new job, a new home, and new projects. 2023 was a year of finding a new rhythm—figuring out how I work best and molding my work time around that rather than trying to make myself go against the flow.

Working from home is truly a blessing and a curse. I do think that it has more positives than negatives (especially right now as I’m able to work while being sick and don’t have to take time off), but navigating around the negatives is tricky. The main problem I’ve faced, aside from lack of interaction with non-family, is that it’s harder for me to focus on work when I end up spending almost all of my awake hours at my desk, either for my fulltime job or for VN development or for relaxing.

I’ve had to mix things up, usually taking my laptop to other parts of the house or even working outside of home some days. Even if it’s only for a few hours, it helps reset the fatigue of being at my desk all day every day. It doesn’t always work, and one problem I ran into for most of the year was being unable to focus on writing. Art and scripting are more “mindless” for me, I can do them with a video or voice call in the background, but writing is something I’ve always struggled to concentrate on.

This year was my first year attempting NaNoWriMo, though a more casual version of it. A few other devs were also entering NaNoWriMo to work on their projects so I hopped on too. I wanted to use the hype of the event to push myself to focus on writing, and it worked! My goal was to hit 30k total words in the month across multiple projects—which is about what I write in half a year—and I hit it.

Projects

Canvas Menagerie continued to be my main project in 2023. I was able to release several new demo builds for the project, mainly redoing and improving artwork for the game. My art has been improving a lot the past couple of years which is a good and a bad thing—it’s good because I’m improving and it’s bad because it means I have to redo or edit older game art!

I was also able to finish writing Act 2, meaning that Canvas Menagerie is 2/3rds written! A lot of good progress was made on it this year and I hope to continue (and maybe finish?) that this year.

I also got a trailer for it by Hatoge, a fellow BL developer! It came out so nice…

My other main project for 2023 was Lost Lune, a project I started in 2022. It was meant to be a small-ish project for Winter VN Jam 2022, but I ran into some issues with the story structure.

Lost Lune is a story I like but have had a hard time figuring out how to put the world and characters into words. I have an understanding on how the plot progresses, but due to a few different reasons it’s been hard to actually write it. One reason has been the unconventional format for the story, with it flipping between the past and present in a linear way. The other reason I’ve had a hard time with it is the character personalities—Weiss, the main character, is much more forward, blunt, and promiscuous than characters I’ve written before. It’s also the darkest setting I’ve ever written in as it’s set in a post apocalypse.

Thanks to NaNoWriMo I was able to get over 9k more written for the story, leading to about half of the story currently being written. I’d like for the project to be finished this year, but it’s hard to say when.

A small project I worked on for Ludum Dare & Otome Jam this year was a short game featuring some of my oldest OCs, where you play as a witch returning home and helping her father’s delivery service. I wanted to make something more experimental than what I usually make and something just for me.

I ended up adding some extra features to it but never released the updated build, so maybe sometime in the future…

My last project for this year was Asphodelium, my Winter VN Jam 2023 entry. I’ve had a hard time describing it, but basically it’s a dark slice of life romance about the members of a disbanded adventurer’s guild after stopping a doomsday cult at the cost of killing their former leader who betrayed them. Hazel, the one who dealt the final blow, has had the hardest time moving on—until one day he’s approached by a man with the same face as their dead leader.

This was a story I got the idea for sometime in September and began writing on a whim in the middle of October and ended up writing a majority of in November for NaNoWriMo. I didn’t expect the script to get far but here I am, 40k words later…

I finished the script and most of the art in December but was unable to completely finish the game because I got sick before Christmas. Just another WIP to finish this year…

Articles

This year I didn’t make as many articles as in years prior, a trend that will probably go forward. I do still want to write articles on marketing and visual novel dev, but I feel like it’s a waste of time to rehash old topics or talk about social media algorithms and such.

One thing I started this year for articles was interviews with fellow developers, starting with my friend ingthing. I don’t want my articles to be just my own opinions, so I want to get more voices out there. In 2024 I want to do more interviews with other devs to share their views on development.

With a record high amount of games we had to judge for Spooktober VN Jam this year, I wrote up a post about my takeaways from the jam with some commentary from my fellow judges. I was blown away by the response the article received, with it being one of my top 3 articles of all time now.

My last blog post—I hesitate to call it an article—that I wrote in one frantic day somehow was my favorite of the year. After months of radio silence from Aniplex US about Mahoyo, the first TYPE-MOON (pure) visual novel to be released officially in English on Steam, I did a deep dive into why they had forsaken such easy money by refusing to market it. The end result? Well, we’ll probably never know why, but it’s clear that someone at Aniplex made the decision to not give a budget to their marketing teams for Mahoyo and instead let the fans market it themselves.

Art

This year was a bit sparse for full artworks, with a majority of them being for Canvas Menagerie. I got a lot more comfortable drawing his hair!

I also got more into Holostars EN this year with the introduction of the second half of Holostars Tempus, the Vanguard unit (but mainly Gavis Bettel). I was following Tempus from the beginning and was a big fan of Magni and Vesper, but Bettel won as my kamioshi. He’s also the only one in the snapshot above (for August) that’s fanart, as the rest are OCs.

Goals

2023 Goals:

Fully write Act 2 of Canvas Menagerie: Canvas Menagerie is currently split up into 3 acts, around 50k words long for each act. I was able to finish the first draft for Act 2 in October! It ended up being much shorter than I estimated, but that’s how things go sometimes.

Release demo for Lost Lune: …Well, this kinda happened but not really. I wanted to release a longer demo for Lost Lune as the current playable build is more like a teaser—it’s very short and only features 2 out of an estimated 20~ days. I did however end up reprogramming the playable build, changing the main character from a side sprite to being on screen with several other visual changes. I’m much happier with this direction for the game.

Write more consistent devlogs: This also didn’t really happen as my intention was to write an article a month, but with our physicals Kickstarter earlier this year, other things took higher priority. I also realized pretty early on in the year that I’m tired of writing about social media algorithms and want to write about more interesting game dev and marketing topics, like case studies and such.

Open a merch shop: This was the first goal I accomplished this year! It was also the easiest since it was already mostly set up. You can see the merch shop for my games here—I think it’s pretty cute.

2024 Goals:

Fully write Act 3 of Canvas Menagerie: Self-explanatory. I want to get to a first draft state for all of CM. I doubt I’ll be able to finish the game next year unless I get a whirlwind of inspiration as it still needs around 40-50k words, 25+ CGs, 5+ character sprites and more, but we’ll see how far I get.

Write more of Lost Lune: I was able to write over 10k this year for Lost Lune while working on other stuff and in 2024 I want to get close to finishing the script if not finishing it.

Release the full version & an artbook for Asphodelium: Due to getting sick at the end of December, I wasn’t able to fully release Asphodelium. It’s pretty close to being done so it shouldn’t take long to finish it. I also want to release a (digital) artbook for it, as I have a lot of design notes for the LI. It’s also been quite a while since I released an artbook so I want to try making one again.

Go to an out-of-town convention: All my life, I’ve only ever attended the anime conventions in the Memphis area. Despite Memphis being a big city, the conventions here…aren’t really ran by people who want to expand it or even really change anything, so for the past decade it’s been in stagnation. At Studio Élan we’re boothing at more conventions this year, and I want to help! I’m hoping to go to Offkai Expo this summer.

Share more VNs I like: Thanks to rejoining Tumblr in late 2022, I’ve become more acquainted with visual novel players over there and I want to talk more about visual novels that I play. There’s a lot of great games out there that people just don’t hear about, so I want to talk about VNs more.

I feel like in 2023 I was starting to find my “thing”—I really like talking about VNs and I want to share unheard of and underrepresented developers to others! I’ve become bored of making generic marketing articles but I’ve found joy in making posts in collaboration with other devs or sharing other VNs.

2024 is a bit of a scary year and has me rather nervous, but I hope we’ll all make it through it. I want to finish some of the stuff I’ve began and I want to share more lesser known visual novels.

I hope this year will be better for us all. Until next time!

— Arimia

[fatuismooches]

hiii, if your requests are still open, can i request headcannons of dottore and reader in the sumeru academia (romantic)? Have a nice day 💕

♡ 𝐃𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐮 𝐀𝐤𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐲𝐚 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 ♡

synopsis: The prestigious Sumeru Akademiya was filled with interesting and unique characters. But none of them came close to the man shrouded in rumors and loneliness, Dottore.

includes: dottore w/ gn! reader

notes: Of course I can! This was very fun to write, as I love this idea so much. I hope you enjoy this!

Even though you had grown up in Sumeru amongst the greatest scholars and had access to knowledge, you never wanted to become a scholar and go to the Akademiya. You had seen people suffer for years over their research and take half of their lives to graduate. In no way did you want a strict and consuming life like that. You were quite content with being an adventurer for the Guild, as you were very strong and could hold your own easily. That was until you found out your parents had signed you up for the Akademiya without your knowledge, and all your items were moved to a dorm room there. You were highly upset and wanted to leave immediately, but something stopped you. Maybe it was because you were already here, and it’d be a pain to go back and face your parents immediately. And maybe some of those smart scholars could help you with some fighting techniques. So you decided to stay to test the waters, just to see what the Akademiya life was like.

You still didn’t try that hard though, and instead struck deals with other scholars. You found out that many of them weren’t very strong. They couldn’t test their devices, or go to old ruins or dangerous places for their research by themselves without paying a large fee to hire someone. So instead, you would do anything fighting-related for them, and they would help you with the work in return. It was really good actually, whenever you were partnered for some group project with some random person, you’d do all the fighting while they did the academics. This resulted in good results from their research, so the professors at least briefly knew of your existence out of the mass amount of students. It helped that you were patient and kind, so many people grew to like you. This is why many people ran to warn you about the man named Dottore you happened to be partnered with this time.

Apparently, he was a teal-haired man with red eyes who always donned a mask, so no one knew what his real face looked like. Rumors about his dubious experiments and malpractice always floated about but there was never any concrete evidence to convict him. Despite this, he was so incredibly smart that even the top professors acknowledged his intelligence. He rarely left his room, but when he did, the hundreds of students in the hallways would scamper to the side, leaving a clear-cut path for him to walk. No one would dare talk to him, and some were even scared to step close to his dorm room after Dottore’s only roommate left, saying they’d rather live on the streets than with that “madman.” While many people begged you to ask the professor for a change of partners, you were intrigued by this so-called freak and monster. Maybe since you’ve already seen all kinds of monsters in the wild so you weren’t that scared, but you wanted to meet this Dottore.

You walked down the hallway in which Dottore’s room was. It was a normal hallway, with normal rooms, and Dottore’s room all the way at the end of the hall was no different. It was a bit funny to know how people were scared to do such a mundane thing. And so, you raised your hand to knock but before you could, the door opened a crack and a distinct red eye peered at you. How’d he know you were there? You faltered a second but composed yourself, ready to make your introduction, but he sharply interrupted you.

“I already know who you are, and why you’re here. No need to waste time,” Dottore said dryly, noticing as you blinked awkwardly at his less than pleasant attitude. He didn’t say anything else as he eased the door open some more, letting you come in.

It was darker than normal because much of the curtains had been pulled shut. You gazed at your surroundings. His room was more of a workshop and lab than a living space. Different kinds of tools scattered about, clipboards and papers, oh, and he even had Ruin Guard parts?! Wait, was that a syringe? 

Dottore eyed you carefully, arms crossed. He was already secretly surprised at your boldness, as no one besides him had stepped foot in here in ages. In truth, he hoped to drive you off with his usual rudeness and questionable room, so you’d go and ask the professor to let you have another partner, so then he could work alone in peace. Oh, how wrong he was.

“Wow! Your room is so cool!”

A moment passed in silence as Dottore had to make sure he didn’t hear things. “What…?”

“I’ve never seen any other student’s room look like this!” You bounced over to a random desk and squinted at some papers. “And I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone research this kinda stuff before,” you hummed, trying to hold it up to the light to read.

It took Dottore another moment to process what you said, but he quickly grabbed the notes from your hand. “These aren’t for your eyes, idiot,” he scowled, for once not sure what to say because no one had ever said that to him. He became even more confused when all you did was laugh.

This was Dottore? You were prepared for a lot worse from the rumors, but definitely not this. And furthermore, he was quite attractive even though he had a smart mouth. You shook your head, feeling as though this would be quite interesting.

“Hey, why don’t we start that project already? I promise I’ll be of good help to you.” Thus began your days as Dottore’s assistant in Sumeru Akademiya.

Dottore was still internally shocked that you willingly volunteered yourself as his partner. Initially was super suspicious of you - you had to be lying, or playing a prank, or planning to leak all his work to outsiders. Barely said a word and brushed you off at first, but found it harder to keep up the act when you continued to be sweet and patient with him. Eventually gave up when you kept barging into his dorm for his company and beating the shit out of his tormentors in front of him.

After the two of you finished the first group project, his chest twinged a bit, a feeling he only felt long ago, when he was chased out of his town with pitchforks and his first few months of being shunned at the Akademiya. He questioned why. Oh - it was because now that the project was over, you’d never talk to him again. But this thought only flitted in his mind, as he refused to think about it any longer, quickly resuming his research. Oh, how he would be wrong again. A few days later, there was a familiar banging on his door, and he unconsciously moved quicker than usual to open it.

“Oh hey Dotty! Move over, I gotta move my stuff into your room?”

“What?” This conversation was starting to feel too similar to the first one he had with you.

“I’m your new roommate starting today, of course! Haha!” You laughed merrily as you handed him the transfer papers. He was too shocked to berate you.

“Hey, is your bed the top bunk bed or the bottom one? I can’t tell because all your science stuff is on both.”

You and your unusualness were going to be the death of him.

After Dottore warms up to you, it is impossible for him to let go. You will forever be with him. Unfortunately pre-relationship, he comes off like an asshole despite him trying his best since he actually likes you. When he tries to convey how he’s glad you’re his roommate now, he probably ends up saying something dumb and insulting, and then cringes in private later at his horrid social skills. Please tell him your feelings first, he keeps screwing it up and you’re probably tired of that. When you confess, he acts so confident but is questioning himself and you so badly - how can you really love someone like him? Buries these conflicting thoughts and is genuinely eager to finally someone who cares. He was one who has no one else in this world besides himself, but he now you too. 

Room dates!! This man doesn’t like leaving his room due to all the stares he gets, and he doesn’t like when you’re not with him, so a lot of dates are in the comfort of his room. Well, you’re the one who made it comfortable, after organizing all his messes and buying new decorations and soft blankets for cuddling. I don’t know how the Akademiya is structured, but imagine you and Dottore lying against each, looking out from your high-floor dorm room window out at the city at night <3. (Dottore is in no way a sap for this kind of stuff, but it makes you happy, so he can deal with it.) Dates where you help him tinker with stuff. The two of you buy something, dismantle it, and then rebuild it for fun. Dates where he rambles on for hours about his new theories and future experiments, and the plans that he will fulfill. I don’t know if you can consider experimenting in his room a date, but yeah. Also, you spoon feeding him food because if you don’t he’ll forget to eat.

Dates where he takes you to different locations and makes you fight enemies that he wants the material and drops of. You make him hide behind rocks so he doesn’t get hurt, but he secretly takes notes of all your fascinating moves. Would give you advice after on how to save the most stamina and energy, which moves would give you the most power. Honestly, he could make you a lot stronger with just his observations and words. Dates where he takes you to ancient domains and ruins. Dottore takes notes of all the ancient scribbles and puzzles for his research while you fight for both of your lives. Since he’s a student he still has more free time, he just chooses to spend it on research. Dates where you forcibly drag him out for picnics at night so no one can bother the two of you or stare. Tells you about how all the stars in the sky are lies, apparently. Thinks reciting complicated formulas and scientific facts is romantic.

Dottore carries you easily in the Akademiya. He could do two different reports on the same topic and make them completely different. If you ask him to do so, he’ll moan and groan but ultimately get it done quickly because he’s a genius, and also he loves you too much and would kill a man if you really wanted him to. You don’t need any other partner besides him, Dottore insists. No one can explain the concepts better than him, and no one would take hours to explain them to you either. But he is a bit competitive so if you happen to do better on a test or assignment, Dottore would get all pouty. He likes being the smarter one in the relationship. (You have to convince him that he definitely is and that you got this far with his help.) Also, you taking off his mask so you can kiss his face. This takes so much trust, and it probably happens first in the pitch darkness where you still can’t see his face yet.

Times where the two of you make fun of the people who bullied you. Dottore can be real nasty especially when people are mean to you. You have to calm him down. Study dates happen quite often as well. But you have trouble focusing on all of those hard things so you try to distract and bother Dottore by wrapping your arms around him and snuggling into his neck. He gets all grouchy but gives into cuddles after some persistence. Even though you still didn’t have much desire to graduate from the Akademiya, you vowed to remain Dottore’s loyal assistant for however long. You hoped these days would continue forever, but all you knew was that no matter where Dottore went, you’d follow after, much to his pleasure. Neither of you would have it any other way <3.

taglist: @heyhazelnut101, @peepopeepopeperoni

[charliedawn]

Lol I love the idea of two people liking each other but both being completaly oblivious to the fact other person likes them and everyone around them see it and are getting annoyed/irritated by the fact those two aren't together yet! It's hillarious 🤣! (Not necessaraly saying this is a request or anything, but my fav characters are slashers and Hannibal family, just in case you wanna write something)

Morgan found you annoying at first, because he didn't understand his own feelings and it turned into constant bickering.

Morgan : "STOP. Just stop."

You *clueless* : "STOP what ?"

Morgan : "You. In my head. Constantly. It's unnerving."

You *giggle and tease him* : "Well..If I didn't know any better, I would say that you've got a little crush on me."

Morgan shook his head at the absurd notion alone and walked away—ignoring you when you decided to follow him.

Morgan doesn't like when things don't go according to plan and he had a plan on finding the perfect soulmate based on very specific criteria.

And there you came, making a mess of his plans..

It started becoming a sort of competition of who would break first.

He would think you're doing it on purpose and get annoyed at the sight of you—or avoid you.

Unbeknownst to the both of you that if you were to dig deeper you would find the true reason behind your playful banter..

His brothers watching the both of you from the sidelines :

Kevin : "...I'm gonna tell them."

Peter : "Don't you dare !"

You met Kevin in art school and lucky for you, he always arrives late to everything. And, you kept unconsciously saving a seat for him next to you..

You *pretend to be annoyed as he sits next to you* : "Why do you always seat here ?"

Kevin *pretends to be thinking about it* : "Hum...Because it is the only empty seat ?"

You *bluntly* : "You are annoying."

Him *smiles and winks you* : "Sure. So, do we start working or...?"

He would tease you and follow you around—making it very difficult for people not to notice..

Soon enough, his hand would find yours and you would start walking hand-in-hand around school.

Morgan *noticing the dreamy expression on Kevin's face and arks a quizzical eyebrow* : "...Are you thinking of Y/N again ?"

Kevin : "WHA—?! NO ! EWW ! WE'RE JUST FRIENDS !"

Peter : "...Friends don't usually hold hands and go on dates.."

Kevin *process in motion* : "...OH MY GOSH ! I'VE GOT A CRUSH ON Y/N !"

Morgan *rolls his eyes with an amused smile* : "Took you long enough.."

Peter met you at school and as crushes go with him, it started normal—until it wasn't..

Peter started by being normal around you. He acted nice, sympathetic, funny..

He was perfect.

But, once you were out of sight or he would return home ? That's when things would change and slight developments could be noticed in his behavior.

He would shut himself off from the rest of the family, do extensive research on everything and everyone even remotely related to you and spend hours in deep concentration..

Now, it would be very difficult for Peter not to understand right away.

It usually doesn't take him long to fall in love and he is the first aware of that.

He usually passes through multiple stages : happiness overload, intense paranoïa, brief episode of depression, stalking and finally, unhealthy obsession..

The Hannibal Family all know how intense it can be for Peter when he has a crush, it is the very reason they don't like it when he has one.

Kevin *opens the door ajar* : "Erm..You're alright baby bro ?"

Peter *doesn't answer and keeps staring at the wall*

Kevin *closes the door* : "...Okay. Good to know."

Morgan *waiting outside* : "So ?"

Kevin : "...Yup. It's definitely a crush. Better warn Hannibal Sr."

Freddy didn't know you had a crush of him and he refused to acknowledge his, no matter what the other slashers or anyone else had to say..

Even Michael tried to knock some sense in the stubborn slasher, but Freddy didn't want to se it.

Freddy : "Me ? Y/N ? Nah. You got it all wrong, buddy.."

Michael *stays silent before grabbing his notebook and writing down* : "So..Does that mean I can try to ask her out ?"

Freddy *immediately punches him and hurts his wrist in the process* : "LIKE HELL YOU CAN ! BACK OFF ! THAT B*TCH IS MINE !"

Michael *chuckles*

Freddy *realizes* : "...Sh*t."

Freddy proceeded to avoid you for days after that, as he thought you didn't feel the same and whenever you would try to approach him, he would find a reason to leave or some other thing to take care of.

You : "Freddy ! We need to talk !"

Freddy : "Can't. I've got a doctor's appointment."

Y/N : "...YOU CAN'T GET SICK !"

Freddy *runs away*

It would take time for Freddy to accept his feelings and do the first step.

He is usually the confident one of the group, but when it comes to feelings ?

He becomes a mess.

Norman was the last one to notice his crush on you—even his mother persona caught your mutual attraction from the start and made sure you understand your place in that relationship..

Mother Bates : "I've got my eye on you, missy/mister. Don't think for a moment that I don't know what you are doing.."

You *oblivious* : "Hum...Okay ? And what am I supposed to not be doing exactly ?"

Mother Bates : "Stay away from my Norman. He doesn't need you."

She then left and you were surprised by her words, but didn't let them faze you. You had already faced her many times before and weren't afraid of her—even though she did creep you sometimes.

But, her warning did linger in your mind, a well as the very threatening tone she had used.

What could have made her feel so threatened that she would go as far as tell you to stay away ?

It did raise certain questions and when you finally had the opportunity to ask her, she seemed dumbfounded.

Mother Bates *leans forward to stare intently at you and finally smiles* : "You really are clueless, aren't you ?"

Mother Bates wouldn't dignify you with an answer, but she would find it amusing all the same.

She was used to Norman ignoring his own feelings, but would internally be very pleased of the fact that you don't know them yourself...until she wouldn't find it amusing any longer.

Mother Bates : "FOR GOODNESS SAKE ! CAN'T YOU SEE WHAT IS RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU ?!"

You : "...A very angry mother ?"

Mother Bates : "..Kids I swear...NORMAN IS IN LOVE WITH YOU !"

You : "..."

Her : "..."

You and Norman : "...WHAT ?!"

Pennywise would try to be oblivious at first—pretending your racing heart was fear or excitement. He would refuse seeing the truth and dismiss everything or everyone that would try to convince him.

Even if you were to tell him yourself, he would laugh it off or pretend not feeling anything for you.

Pennywise : "Sorry. Not happening."

Pennywise would be cash with you from the beginning. He would be able to tell that you like him, but would try to convince you otherwise.

He wouldn't want to hurt you by letting you believe he can feel the same.

Pennywise and Penny were told from the moment they became monsters that they wouldn't be able to fall in love. Ever.

He wouldn't acknowledge his feelings for you, because it would mean to go against everything he believes to be true.

Pennywise *sighs* : "...I really wish I could tell you that I can reciprocate your feelings but.." *retrieves his own heart and crumbles it to sand in his hand* "...I can't. I'm sorry."

It would take some time for him to acknowledge his own feelings for you and he would probably avoid you at the start—but would eventually come around.

Pennywise *scratches his throat nervously* : "I'm..sorry. I made a mistake. I..I like you too. I think."

Pennywise was never in love before, he never even had a crush..So, it might take time for him to get used to it—but the result would be worth the wait.

Penny feeds on fear and pain. It would confuse him to be affected by this irresistible pull some humans suffer from.

He would try to process it and put a name on it.

When he would finally be able to tell, he would end up even more confused..How could it be that you would both feel this need to be together ? How could love blossom between a human and a...a monster ?

He would remain the same around you at first—smiling and joking and laughing..

But inside, he would feel this pull tear his heart open and ask for Pennywise to help.

Pennywise : "...Tell them."

Penny *surprised* : "What ?! NO !"

Pennywise *sighs* : "Look, kid. We all know how you feel. It's obvious you like each other, so you just need to tell them."

Penny reluctantly agreed and after a long moment of consideration, he decided to tell you.

Penny : "...You feel warm. Safe. It's...It's not right."

You seemed to realize he was truly struggling with what he was feeling and decided to help him by declaring your feelings for him too.

When you did, his face lit up and all of his worries seemed to pop out of existence. He was just so happy you felt the same.

Nearby :

Pennywise felt a pang in his chest at the thought that he would probably never feel the same towards anyone, but still smiled proudly at his brother from the shadows.

"Heh. Good job, kid."

Brahms was acting really nervous around you, jolting every time he would see you and you couldn't help but tease him about it.

You *laugh* : "What ? Do I perhaps make you nervous, Brahms ?"

He would blush furiously and shake his head vividly before either running away or standing there with his face lowered in shame.

You would always laugh it off and it would only make Brahms more and more confused.

You *smile mischievously* : "Does your little heart beat faster whenever I'm around ?"

Another teasing. But, this time. He had an answer to give you.

Brahms : "What if it is ?"

When he looked up at you, you found hesitation and determination there.

Brahms : "What if I really like you ?"

Your smile immediately vanished once you realized he was being serious.

You : "Wait..What ?"

Brahms grunted in frustration before grabbing your hand and pressing it against his chest.

Brahms : "Here."

You could feel his heart beating wildly in his ribcage and for the first time, you didn't know what to say.

You glanced up at Brahms with widened eyes and lips slightly parted in shock before they returned to the fingers spread on his chest—above his heart.

You didn't think..It was your time to blush and when Brahms released your hand, you let it linger there for a few seconds before retrieving it.

You looked up at Brahms who didn't say a word and you smiled.

"I'm...glad."

Brahms smiled as well and nuzzled your face with his masked nose before the slashers all came in.

There was a long silence before Freddy finally shouted:

"F*CKING FINALLY ! WE THOUGHT YOU GUYS WOULD DIE VIRGINS !"

Michael *shakes his head disapprovingly before hitting the back of Freddy's head*

Myers felt it first. He had already felt this emotion before. He knew what it meant and the thought alone made him itch for a knife.

Myers' purpose was to prevent all affective relationships of Michael with anyone.

But, he didn't think he would meet any resistance this time around..

He was wrong.

In Michael's head :

Michael *grabs Myers' arm* : "Don't you dare. Not them. Not again."

Myers : "They will hurt you. They always do.."

Michael : "Not them. Please."

Myers *grabs him by the throat and seethes* : "I wasn't asking, Michael. You can't control me. You never had a choice."

Michael *grits his teeth and shoves Myers off him* : "I DON'T NEED YOU ! GET OUT OF MY LIFE !"

Myers : "THEY'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO SEPARATE US ! NEVER ! YOU'LL BE THE BOOGEYMAN FOREVER !"

Michael woke up in sweats and found you by his side—worry painted all over your face.

You : "Michael. Are you alright ?"

Michael felt this pang in his chest and he knew Myers wouldn't be far, lurking in the shadows and ready to cut you in half at any moment. So, he would deny.

He would write down he is alright.

He would tell you a lie.

He would break your heart or make sure you can't see him anymore—it would be better than to wake up one day with your blood on his hands.

Michael *smiles and nods*

You : "That's good. I was pretty worried for a sec'."

And you should be.

But, not about him.

Myers : "Soon. Soon. You will be all mine."

[reverie-starlight]

*sneezes* so uh, I saw you were willing to write for girlies in the fandoms too…. also don’t worry about my stalking, worry about the weather-

N e ways…. May I ask for a morsel, a crumb, a sliver of some ururaka x gf because she’s underrated and I love her and I, too, would love a gf (if you want to supply o b v i, no pressure) 🥹🥹💍💍

YES. YES. YES. YES. Y E S.

ABSOLUTELY 1 MILLION TIMES YES IM SO EXCITED TO WRITE FOR HER OMFG. also congrats emmy for being the first official request for a female character on my blog I’m SO HAPPY!!

also??? you can stalk me WHENEVER you’d like. i’m so serious rn. i’m definitely guilty of stalking your blog as well, dw abt it

fem!reader, but no physical description is given!! fluffyyyy, prohero!uravity, nonpro!reader, non-sexual nudity (they take a bath together), one maybe two if you squint suggestive jokes, lots of love. todoroki and uraraka are besties bc I say so.

first time writing for a girl kinda nervous, so if it feels slightly stiff in the beginning or slightly ooc dw abt it (but i pulled up her character wiki so i think it should be okay <3

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

OKAY OKAY OKAY OKAY

let me compose myself I’m too excited rn, she would be the S W E E T E S T gf ever you’re turning me into a full fledged simp for her with this-

pro hero uravity who got all of her paperwork done for the day AND brought in some wannabe villains, even if it meant cutting her lunch break with pro-hero shoto a bit short. she tells her interns and sidekicks to call her if anything serious comes up, but since things seem to be going smoothly, she’d be going home an hour early.

she’s so excited to get home, regardless of whether or not you’d be there- both are good options to her because on one hand, you’d be there, ready and willing to cuddle on the couch. on the other hand, if you weren’t there, it’d give her an opportunity to cook something nice for the two of you- she’d been wanting to try this one recipe for a while now.

opening the door to her condo, she took note of your shoes being absent from the front hall. you weren’t back from work yet. 

she wishes she could take care of more things around the house on a regular basis, it wasn’t in her nature to sit idly by when things needed to be done, but with her hours being so unstable most of the time, it meant leaving it to you more often than not. so when she had time to do something nice for you, like cook dinner, she took full advantage of it.

she just wanted to take care of you, someone who has stood by her since pretty much the beginning of her hero career. you always did such an amazing job at caring for her after her shifts, all she wanted was to return the favour. she had always had the motivation to spoil you, but now she had the means as well. 

after changing out of her hero attire, she headed straight for the kitchen and got out the recipe on her phone. soon enough, she was fully absorbed in what she was doing. so much so that she didn’t even hear the door open 20 minutes later.

“well this is a nice surprise,” you snuck an arm around her waist and kissed her cheek, causing her to squeak and almost drop the pan she was holding.

“baby, you’re home! I’m sorry I didn’t realize sooner, did you call for me?”

you shook your head and smiled at her. “saw your shoes by the door and wanted to scare you.”

she huffed out a laugh. “you menace.”

giggling, you stole a slice of the pepper she had been cutting up. “you love me for it.”

uraraka gasped. “and a thief! I should take you in for that, you know.”

“hmm, you wouldn’t dare, I make things interesting for you.”

“yeah, yeah, just don’t steal any more ingredients please, I’d like to have enough left for our ultra-romantic, super tasty meal later.”

your eyes lit up as if you just remembered something. “oh yeah! what are we making anyway?” 

“we are not making anything, you always handle dinner, let me do it this time. and I’m following that recipe I told you about a couple weeks ago.”

she put the peppers in the pan and turned the heat on low before turning to face you again. giving you a once over, she frowned slightly at how worn you looked, even behind your faux-peppy mask. “how was your day, baby?”

you shrugged. “not the best, kind of rough but nothing I can’t deal with.”

uraraka made a disapproving sound but let it be. you weren’t in need of a lecture about how much you could deal with on your own, she could tell you just needed to be taken care of. 

she pushed herself up onto the counter and held her arms open. you gladly took her invitation and nuzzled into her chest. “how was your day, ochaco?” 

“it was good, thank you for asking. things were running smoothly today so I figured I’d come home early. I’m glad I did, I get to make you feel better now.”

she felt you smile into her skin. “I’m glad you had a good day, my love.” 

“I’m sorry yours was shitty. anything I can do to make it better?”

you hummed. “just having you here is already making it better... but if you’re offering...” you looked up at her and she immediately identified the look in your eyes as mischievous. 

“what is it, my love?”

“maybe while you’re cooking our ultra-romantic meal, I could run us an ultra-romantic bath to relax in after we eat?” you were playfully running your nose up and down her neck as you spoke and she squealed a bit at the tingly sensation. 

“I like that idea a lot,” she giggled. “go get changed into something comfy, I’ll let you know when dinner is almost done so you can start the bath.”

she took your face in her hands and peppered kisses to your squished cheeks before sending you on your way.

an hour later, stuffed with food and dishes done, you were both sat in the bath together, basking in each other’s company. times likes these, when you were cuddled up close and whispering sweet nothings to each other, always made her reminiscent of a time when you hadn’t even started dating yet. 

you were both fresh out of high school, her just starting pro-hero work and you starting your own life, but you clicked so easily, it would have been criminal to not give it a shot. 

it was cute for her friends to see at first, when you happened to see her off duty in a small café with some of her old classmates. you were both stumbling over words- over each other, as she tried to get out of your way to accommodate what direction you wanted to go in.

but they soon grew tired of her pining for a girl who so obviously reciprocated her feelings. so an intervention was held.

“uraraka, I can see that this girl likes you, too. you’re just scared of making a move. don’t be.” said shoto.

“yeah, ochaco, if todoroki of all people can see that y/n likes you, then you know it’s true. you need to make a move!” prompted mina. 

“what’s that supposed to mean, ashido?”

and she was so incredibly glad she did. 

months into the relationship, the shyness finally went away and you quickly realized neither of you had ever felt more at home with another person. that’s not to say you two never got flustered anymore though. any bit of flirting from one of you could render the other speechless and panicked to no end.

for example, how uraraka could feel how warm her cheeks were. it was better now that you were submerged in the water with her, your back leaning against her front, but she was still calming down from before that. 

and of course you just had to tease her. 

“pretty girl, what’s the matter? you’re all red from that? you know we’ve had-”

your girlfriend hid her face in the crook of your neck and secured her arms around your waist. she whined. “stooooppp!”

you laughed and carded a damp hand through her hair. “I’m very sorry, sweetheart, I’m just teasing. you know I love it when you get like this.”

yeah, she smiled slightly into your skin, a new determination to fluster you back arising. I know exactly what you mean.

she raised her head from it’s hiding place and relished in the look on your face when you turned your head to the side and saw a familiar expression. 

she maintained eye contact and brought a hand up to brush her knuckles against your cheek so gently, her other hand still on your wait, thumb caressing your skin. “it’s okay, but... with the day you’ve had, I wonder if you’ll let me... take care... of you for the rest of the night, my pretty girl?” a kiss was placed behind your ear and you squeaked.

uraraka let out a loud laugh as you took in a deep, but very shaky, breath and promptly face-planted into the water. 

she loved you so much and absolutely nothing could ever change that.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

kind of a crap ending BUT. I DIDN’T WANT TO MAKE IT TOO LONG. IT WOULD HAVE WENT IN A TOTALLY DIFFERENT DIRECTION IF I CONTINUED. SHHH.

but anyway, I HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT!!! TY FOR REQUESTING, AND P L E A S E GO CHECK OUT EMMY, THE WRITING ON THAT BLOG IS TOP TIER. and I am so lucky that this fic got partially deleted when everything was still fresh in my mind BC. I WOULD HAVE CRIED IF I HAD ANOTHER KAGAMI TAIGA  INCIDENT. do you all remember how upset I was that day? that was heartbreaking and I still have not returned to it. it’s still in my drafts bc tumblr decided to be a bitch that day </3

[lorirwritesfanfic]

Niceness Test

Book: Desire & Decorum Pairing: Prince Hamid x MC (Daphne) Rating: T Word count: 9481 Reading time: ~38min (… 🫣) Summary: After receiving a box of childhood treasures, Daphne is challenged to prove she still would make it to Santa's nice list. Author’s notes:

Daphne Wang, Kyle and Stacy Evigan are creations of this author. The others characters are owned by Pixelberry Studios;

Yes, it's a Christmas fic. In May. I started writing this in December to answer @missameliep's ask and it became this monster of a fic with mini stories in it. Sorry not sorry;

No fictional kids nor fishes were harmed in this piece. Daphne and Briar just have a very "peculiar" sense of humor 😅

Warning: This piece contains brief mentions of adult material (alcohol abuse, solvent intoxication). Reader discretion is advised.

Ithaca (NY), first week of December 2022

Loud barks echoed from the lounge whilst Daphne set up the dining table for dinner. As she caught the sight of Maya running through the hallway, the front door opened. Once Hamid's laughter reverberated through the walls, it wasn't hard for her to guess what happened. Maya probably rushed to climb on him whilst Drake threw himself at Hamid's feet and his entire chubby body shook in excitement. Their pets were always happier when Hamid was home. A sentiment she wholeheartedly shared with them.

"Aşkım?"

"Just a second!" She answered and continued to fold the napkins.

But before she could finish it, she yelped as warm lips brushed against her neck.

"How dare you deny me my welcome home kiss, Miss Wang?" Hamid murmured against her skin.

"I wasn't denying you a kiss..." She spun around to give him a peck. "I was postponing it."

"And I hope you have a plausable reason for this."

"I do."

The lady pointed to the green napkins on the plates.

"You and the napkin foldings again..." He tsked.

"Hamidciğim, we're hosting our first Christmas Eve supper in three weeks! I have to prepare myself for it."

"By folding napkins into layered triangles?" He asked as he walked into the kitchen to wash his hands.

"It's a Christmas tree!" She protested.

"Is it?"

When Hamid returned to the dining room, she placed a small shiny star on top of every napkin folded into Christmas trees.

"Oh..." He nodded, admiring her handiwork. "I see it now. Nice touch."

"Thank you."

"But are we expecting guests or can we eat now? I smelled spicy chicken pad thai the minute I walked in." He pouted.

"You can eat, silly... I was just practicing folding the napkins while waiting for you."

"Thank you, my dove." He placed a kiss on her cheek and took a seat on the table. "You got a package from Mrs. Daly," he prompted.

"Finally!" She grinned and rushed to the lounge to search for the package. Daphne rarely could contain her curiosity about any mail they received, even if she didn't know the content. Once she found the package, the lady then opened a drawer to find anything sharp to cut the packaging open.

"Aşkım, can't you open it after dinner?"

"You know I can't wait," she replied as the letter opener cut through the brown sealing tape.

"But I'm starving!"

She giggled. Hamid never hid from her how much he disliked having meals by himself and she found it adorable that even their pets obliged to his request. Grabbing the package, she returned to the dining room, where Hamid and their pets had already started their meals.

"You didn't need me here." She pursed her lips.

"I beg to differ," he said with a wink. "What's in there?"

"I don't know. I just cut the tape. Give me a second."

Her lips curled upwards as she looked through the content of the package.

"Oh, man..." Her eyes gleamed as she picked up a rag doll wearing a traditional hanfu dress and hugged it. After unfolding a letter that was on top of the doll, she began to read it.

Edgewater, November 22, 2022.

Dear Daphne,

I hope all is well with you and Hamid. Do you remember that when we moved here, you accidentally ended up with my box of kitchen utensils and losing one of your boxes? Well, whilst cleaning the attic last week, I found this box among a few untouched ones that I believed it was Briar's old clothes and decided to send it to you. I'm happy to have found your missing box and, hopefully, its content will bring you as much joy as it used to when you were a kid.

Love, Pavarti Daly.

His brows shot up in surprise. "Is it the box you thought was lost for good when you moved to the UK?"

"Yeah..." Daphne croaked whilst she produced dusty sketchbooks and old opera playbills from inside of a pocket worn out Pucca backpack.

Hamid then sauntered over to her and wrapped his arms around her. "Are you okay?"

"Mmhmm..." She sighed, returning the hug. "I thought you were starving."

"I am, but I can wait."

"Thank you… I needed this," she murmured, pressing her head against his chest.

"I had a feeling you did," he said, kissing her temple before looking down at the box. "Is that a Hello Kitty cellphone?"

"Yeah..." She then reached for the mobile and opened one side of the cat shaped device to inspect it. "How did you know?"

"Malak had one of these. This thing has the most annoying ringtones..." He made a face.

"They weren't annoying."

"If you were raised with Edmund and Harry, they certainly would've sided with me."

She playfully elbowed him, making him chuckle.

"Just so you know, I'm very attached to it."

"Why?"

Her thumb brushed against the mobile buttons. "This was my first phone. It was the first Christmas gift dad gave me. Mum didn't approve of it in the beginning. 'What would a twelve year old do with a cellphone?'" Her nostrils flared and lips twisted in scowl as she mimicked Mary's voice. "But dad said he needed a special line so he could talk to his favourite girl in the world. I was over the moon when he said that. And though mum set a bunch of rules for me to use it, she let me keep it."

"Vay, vay, vay...¹" Hamid marvelled. "Convincing your mother into accepting the phone is one thing. But winning his daughter's and former wife's hearts with one single line? Lord Vincent never ceases to amaze me."

"I know, right?" Daphne beamed. "I used that phone for years until dad bought me the Sailor Moon smartphone."

"The one that came with a selfie stick as shaped as Princess Serenity's wand you still have."

"The very same. But when I inherited my father's title, Lady Grandmother gave me an iPhone and said an accomplished lady should leave these childish things behind." Daphne looked down at the box and fiddled with the glittery wings of a fairy Barbie.

"I wonder how Lady Dominique would feel about the fact that I often make video conferences in an office cramped with action figures we use as bookshelf holders."

She giggled.

"What else did you get in there?"

"Curious, aren't we?"

"How can I not be? Look at this!" He picked up a photograph of two year old Daphne beaming as she wore a traditional qipao dress for lunar new year.

"Oh, I remember this! I still lived in Shanghai when mum took it. I think we were at a temple fair…” She said, analyzing the picture more thoroughly. “I haven't seen this picture in years!"

"One more reason we should keep looking. By the way, this is mine now," he declared, taking the photo frame back.

"Hamid!"

"Consider it my Christmas gift this year."

"But I already bought you a gift!"

“My dove, you have to stop spoiling me on Christmas…” He joked.

“I don’t! You keep confiscating things from me and then saying it’s your Christmas gift!”

“Lies…”

Daphne shook her head and continued to rummage through the box.

"Anything interesting?"

"Not exactly..." she answered, glancing at worn out Coney Island souvenirs, old movie tickets and dusty sketchbooks. "I'll probably throw some of these out though."

"Why?"

"Because they're old and dirty."

"You never throw away sketchbooks."

"But I have to see if they're in good condition or not. "

She grabbed a dirty teddy bear with a paw and an ear missing.

Hamid immediately sneezed.

"I guess some of these aren't worth keeping. Gesundheit," she said, offering him a spare napkin.

"Thank you. Aşkım, you don't have to throw it out. We can get it cleaned."

"It has parts missing. If we throw it in the washing machine or send it somewhere to clean up, the remaining parts might fall off."

Hamid looked at the worn out and dirty teddy bear. "Are you sure? You've been missing the content of this box for so long."

"It's just an old toy. I'll survive without it."

As Daphne continued to see the content of the box, Hamid's eyes landed a small bundle of notes tied by a red string.

"What are those?"

Daphne reached for the small pile of notes when it suddenly hit her. "Old Christmas wish lists."

"Christmas wish lists?" Hamid's brows knitted together. "I thought kids could only ask for one gift."

"No, you can make a list with everything you want and put it in the letter. But mum never let me ask for more than three gifts. She used to say Santa can't carry a full bag just with gifts for me. Most grownups, including both of my grandmothers, praised mum for it. They used to say it was a smart way to teach me about thinking of others and not becoming selfish."

"I wouldn't have expected anything less from Mrs. Wang." Hamid smiled fondly. "So are these?"

"Draft lists. I made one every year and mum helped me choose three gifts and write the letters."

His brows shot up in surprise. "How old were you when you started doing wishlists?"

"Hm..." She squinted her eyes in deep thought. "Five or six, I think... I used to see mum making lists for everything we bought."

"Everything?"

"Yeah… She made these huge lists when we went shopping for clothes, or to buy the stuff she needed to customise any of her costumes or our clothes to make them cooler. It looked fun."

“Has anyone told you you’re adorable?”

"You do every time I do something you find funny or weird."

The couple shared a knowing smile.

"May I?" Hamid pointed to the bundles of notes.

“Sure.”

He then unfolded the paper and cleared his throat. "2003 list — Great year to start, by the way — Staedtler colour pastel pencils, Strathmore 400 Series watercolor pad, Powerpuff Girls dolls, Totally Spies board game... You were very thorough about this."

"Of course. I couldn’t learn how to use watercolour paint or markers if Santa got me the wrong kind of paper."

"Fair point." Hamid grinned and looked at another list. "Ohuhu Fine Line drawing pen, Barbie Fairytopia, Polaroid camera, Pucca backpack... It seems like you got a lot of those gifts," he commented, glancing at the box.

"Good kids usually do," she answered with a complacent grin.

"Oh, look who's being a smug..." He teased, nudging her playfully. "I doubt Santa would see it as a quality good kids must have."

"First of all, smugness won't make anyone end up on Santa's naughty list. And secondly, Santa isn't real, so—"

"What?!" Hamid mockingly gasped. "Santa isn't real?!"

She pursed her lips, trying to hide a smile.

"How could you let me believe in this nice old man that comes to our house all these years to bring gifts? Why do you insist on celebrating Christmas then?" He gesticulated profusely as he spoke, pretending to be offended.

The lady folded her arms. "Are you done?"

"Oh, the betrayal! The lies! You..." He made a dramatic pause, pointing his index finger to her, then placing a hand on his chest. "You lied to me, aşkım."

She slapped his arm playfully. "Get over yourself and go eat your chicken before Maya does."

Hamid then turned to the table, where their cat calmly approached his plate.

"Maya, no!"

He grabbed the cat as she yowled in protest.

"Allah, Allah… What's with you and spicy food, huh?"

Whilst Hamid and Maya seemed to be in a heated argument, Daphne giggled, petted her pug (who ate his food oblivious to everything else), and took a place on the table to make herself a plate.

Once the cat was back on the floor Hamid spoke again. "You didn't tell me how you found out Santa wasn't real."

"The flat we lived in when I was ten had central heating and no chimney. I got curious about how Santa would get in."

"Of course you did." He grinned. "What did Mrs. Wang say?"

"Mum said he'd just get in through the window. So I decided to hide behind the sofa and wait for Santa to open the window for him. Later that night, I saw mum placing the gifts under the tree and putting the cookies we left for Santa earlier back in the cookie jar."

"Aw... How upset were you?"

"On a scale of one to ten? I'd say nine."

"Yikes!"

"Once mum explained the history of Saint Nicholas, I was okay with it. And it started to make sense why she never let me ask for a unicorn."

Hamid cackled. "Well, it also explains why you were always on the nice list."

"Hey!" She frowned. "I deserved to be on the nice list. I was a good girl back then! I still am!"

"Is that so?" A corner of his mouth lifted. "Do you mind if I put your level of niceness to a test?"

"How do you plan to do that?"

"Oh, that's easy." Hamid reached for his phone on the side table, typed something then showed the screen to her.

"How to be on Santa's nice list?"

"There's no better way to figure out than using Santa's parameters of niceness."

"Very well." She squared her shoulders and lifted up her chin. "I'm positively sure I'll crush it, but if you insist."

Hamid arched an eyebrow and chuckled before turning his attention back to the list on the phone. "Number one: leave milk and cookies for Santa."

"That's the first one?"

"And you're already failing it since you don't do it anymore."

"Are you kidding me?!"

"I don't make the rules." He raised his hands in defence. "It's a tradition of your culture. And you're not starting off so well, aşkım."

She folded her arms. "That's just one item. Go on."

"Number two: give your friends and family presents — yes; number three: do your homework — always; number four: be a good friend — absolutely, you're the best."

"Aw... thank you!"

"Of course." He winked and continued. "number five: do good deeds for your neighbours and community — Hm..." He scratched his stubble pretending to be in deep thought.

"What? I am a good neighbor!"

"Do you think our building manager would agree with that?"

August 2022

"You've got to be kidding me..." Daphne's nostrils flared as she approached the refreshments tables.

"My dove, settle down..." Hamid wrapped an arm around her as he tried to reason. "Nothing is going to happen. It doesn't matter if the majority of the residents and tenants don't have or want pets. Our building was already pet friendly before Mrs. Evigan moved in and it's illegal to forbid any of us to have pets."

"Then what's the purpose of this poll anyway?"

"She wants to reduce the noise in the building at night to a minimum and wants to know how many residents have pets," the building concierge, Mr. Carson, said whilst he poured himself some coffee.

"But all pets here are neutered and most of them are well behaved," Briar mentioned.

"That little spawn of Satan she gave birth to is much louder and causes way more trouble in here than all the pets of the building combined." Daphne fumed.

Whilst the concierge, Briar and a few neighbors close to them chuckled, Hamid gave his partner a look.

"It's true and you know it," Daphne affirmed.

"I think it's because of Mrs. Tilbury's dog howling," their next neighbor Kyle mentioned.

"But it's so unfair. Mrs. Tilbury passed away a week ago. The poor dog missed his owner." Briar frowned.

"The dog is not even here anymore. Her relatives took him away when they came by to gather her things this morning," Mr. Carson, added between small sips of coffee. "Oh, this is good stuff! Is it Turkish coffee?"

"Yes, it is." Hamid smiled proudly.

"Oh, I've been craving a good dose of caffeine all afternoon! Thank you, Mr. Osmanoğlu." The man took another sip in delight.

"It's my pleasure, Mr. Carson. Please take one cup to yourself before you go back to the hall." Hamid grabbed the carafe to offer more coffee to the concierge.

"Okay, so what now?" Briar asked.

"Once we inform if and how many pets we have, we can come up with a counter offer to find solutions for the noise," Kyle, the neighbor, suggested.

"Our apartment has soundproof windows and thick drapes ever since Hamid moved in, but I don't know if everyone can afford it," Daphne acknowledged.

"Yeah, those aren't cheap. But it was very clever of the two of you to do it."

"I know my cat. If we didn't take care of it right away, lockdown would've been more chaotic than it already was," Hamid explained.

"How about calling a vet and pet trainer to help? Maybe a professional to give us tips on how to reduce stressful situations for pets, how to keep them distracted..." Briar suggested.

"That's a great idea, Briar! Maybe Luke can help or recommend someone who can," Daphne mentioned.

"Or we just buy duct tape and give it to Stacy. Maybe she'll take the hint and manage to control that little brat," Briar joked.

As the group chuckled, the new building manager approached the table.

"The ninth floor residents are always laughing, huh... I feel inclined to join you almost every time," The tall and ash blond haired woman scrutinized each resident and stood next to Hamid.

"You don't say... How sweet of you!" Kyle replied, pretending to be pleasantly surprised.

"Of course! You are all so cheerful. It's a true pleasure to have residents like you," The building manager said, grinning widely at Hamid.

"We know," Briar answered, then mumbled to herself. "You almost make me hate my bff's partner for being nice even to people who don't deserve it..."

"What?" Stacy asked.

"Oh, it's nothing! Just an inside joke." Hamid promptly answered.

"About what?" The building manager asked.

"Cat memes!" Kyle declared.

"Turkish cat memes," Daphne added.

"Yeah, we have a lot of those." Hamid commented.

"I'm not very fond of cats. Or dogs. Or any animals for that matter..." The woman said.

"Yeah, you've made that pretty clear, Stacy," Daphne commented, giving the woman a subtle glare.

"My dove, please. We can handle this situation without confrontation." Hamid murmured.

"Maybe you can..." Daphne folded her arms.

"I don't hate all animals, of course..." Stacy continued to babble.

"We know." Kyle answered, forcing a smile.

"Your son, for example..." Briar mumbled, making the neighbor almost spit out his coffee.

"My Trevor got some gold fishes from his grandmother last week..."

"Oh, those poor fishes..." Daphne muttered.

"I know... It's like the fish killer girl from Finding Nemo..." Briar added.

"...They're very soothing, you know." Stacy affirmed as she tried to touch Hamid's shoulder.

"So I've heard. But I prefer pets with more capability to interact with me," Hamid commented, moving away from the woman to pour himself coffee.

"Oh, you brought Turkish coffee! How nice!" Stacy marvelled.

"I did. Your tea, my love." Hamid offered his partner a cup of tea.

"I see you two have different tastes... That's too bad..." Stacy said with a suggestive smile.

"That's called having your own personality," Daphne taunted, sipping her tea.

As Briar and Kyle suppressed giggles, Hamid wrapped an arm around his partner and smiled.

"I believe what Daph meant to say is that after over three years of relationship and almost two years living together, we learned to compromise."

Daphne gave him a side eye, but didn't argue.

"Words to live by," Kyle agreed.

"I see..." The building manager scrutinized the couple for a second then continued. "Anyway, before we continue the resident council meeting, can you pour some of your delicious Turkish coffee?"

"We're almost out of coffee, but I can—" Before he could answer, his phone began to buzz. "Sorry. I have to take this. My dove?" He gestured to the nearly empty carafe.

"You know what? Nevermind..." Stacy waved dismissively with her hand.

"Oh, don't worry. Daphne can make a killer cup of coffee." Hamid smiled at his partner and walked away to answer the call.

And to everyone's surprise, the lady didn't oppose it. "I'll be happy to make you a cup right now."

"But I—"

"Go back to your seat, Stacy." She gently pushed the building manager away from the table. "I'll take a cup to you."

As the woman walked towards the desk in front of the conference room, Daphne waved to her and turned back to the table to prepare more coffee.

Briar eyed her friend suspiciously. "Daph?"

"Yes?"

"Are you really making that tyrant coffee?"

After a few extra spoons of coffee, Daphne grabbed salt and pepper shakers and added them to the mug. "I sure am."

First week of December 2022

"She had it coming," Daphne said before taking a bite of the chicken.

"Aşkım..."

"She wanted to ban pets from our building!"

"She has no power to do that and you know it."

"She was hitting on you!"

"Was she?" He feigned shock.

The lady pursed her lips.

"She's not my type."

"Because she's blond, petty, and hates pets?"

"Yes. And more importantly, I only have eyes for British ladies from Edgewater." Hamid said, reaching for her hand across the table.

"Is that so?"

"They must be the daughter of the earl, of course."

"That's a very specific type of woman, Mr. Osmanoğlu." Daphne lifted a glass of water to her lips, hiding a smile.

"The heart wants what the heart wants," he replied, plastering his best smile. "Anyway..." Hamid then looked back at his phone. "I guess being a good neighbour is one more requirement you failed to accomplish."

"Whatever... Two items isn't a big deal. Proceed with the list."

"Okay." He continued to read the list. "Number six: donate to charity."

"Done."

"True. Number seven: be on your best behaviour all year."

"Done."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure. What are you talking about?"

His grin widened.

January, 2022

Daphne winced as she walked out of the bedroom to join Hamid for lunch. Following her gynecologist orders, the lady decided to seek healthier choices to handle PMS. Yet, given how sore her legs were, she questioned herself how this could possibly be the healthier option.

"Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow!" She cried out. "Ugh! Why even sitting down is so goddamn hard?"

Taking pity on his partner, Hamid helped Daphne sit on one of the kitchen stools. "It'll get better with time, aşkım. Have you stretched a bit today?"

"I did. It still hurts! And I'm not putting ice packs on my legs. It's too fucking cold today."

He arched an eyebrow in amusement.

"What?" She narrowed her eyes.

"Nothing. How about an Advil and a glass of water before lunch?"

"Don't we have anything stronger?"

"Ibuprofen will do just fine until the pharmacy sends the OTC cream I asked for. Here you go." Calmly, he handed her a packet of the medication and a glass of water.

"Thank you."

Once she took the meds, Hamid placed the dishes on the kitchen island and whistled as he put down two bowls with cat and dog food for their pets.

Her mouth watered at the sight of grilled salmon with mustard yogurt sauce, brown rice with cauliflower and lentils salad.

"This looks nice! I'm a bit surprised you added cauliflower though."

"I can make an effort sometimes..." He gave his shoulders as he sat across from her.

"You don't have to eat it if you don't want to."

"I can survive a meal with stinky vegetables. Let's dig in."

Whilst the couple chatted between bites and small interactions with their pets, Daphne hummed savouring pieces of salmon with the sauce.

"Hamidciğim, this sauce is marvelous!"

"Really? Do you see yourself having another meal like this again?"

"Maybe..."

"Maybe?" He grinned.

"Hold your horses, mate. I'm not becoming a gym rat like you. I barely survived jogging with Annabelle."

"Healthy meals are always a good start to a healthier lifestyle. By the way, I have to ask... Why jogging?"

"You know I'm not a sports enthusiast. What else could I do? And jogging seemed easy enough... Ann said 'just put on some gym shoes, training clothes and bring a water bottle'."

"Just because something looks easy it doesn't mean it actually is."

She made a face.

"Aşkım, perhaps you could've chosen something you like to do. It'll be easier to stick to it in the long run."

"Like what?"

"You love dancing. Why didn't you take a dance class? Plus, there are other exercises you might like to try like pilates, yoga..."

Pilates? Yoga? What was he insinuating with that?

The lady narrowed her eyes. "Why? Because it's what girls usually do?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"You think I'm weak, don't you?"

"What?" His brows furrowed in confusion.

"You do. That's why you're telling me to start yoga and pilates instead of jogging."

"Daphne, it was just a suggestion. Why would you assume I think you're weak?"

"Because you just did!" She snapped.

"I don't know how you came to that conclusion, but if you keep assuming the worst from me, I'm not sure if I want to. Now, if you excuse me..."

Hamid stood up carrying his plate, threw the remaining food in the trashcan and disappeared into the hallway.

"Where are you going?!" She yelled.

Already wearing a black leather jacket and holding his car keys, Hamid returned to the kitchen.

"Out."

"Out?"

"I have plans for later."

Daphne closed her eyes as she inhaled sharply. It was infuriating how often he simply stood up and left in the middle of an argument, even though he wasn't the kind of person who walked out of a fight just like that. Did he do that to piss her off?

"Have a good meal, Daphne."

Once the front door was slammed shut, Daphne screamed in frustration, knowing no one could hear her. Yet, in response, Maya hissed at her whilst Drake barked in clear distress.

"Shut up!" She yelled once more, making her dog hide in a small corner in the kitchen and the cat hiss once more.

The lady frowned. She didn't yell at her pets. Why was she so explosive all of a sudden?

As she finally understood the reason behind her outburst, Daphne closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths. Now certainly was a good time to seek some more effective ways to handle her mood swings.

...

Daphne's fingers pressed against the clay as she tried to shape the lump with her hands. Sculpture was a form of art the viscountess rarely tried. Molding things wasn't her forte. It was too messy to her liking. But while looking for ways of managing her mood swings, she recalled the day one of her professors mentioned the benefits of sculpting clay to reduce stress and anxiety and decided to give it a shot. After what happened earlier, she was willing to try anything.

Just then, the faint sound of the door closing followed by Drake's barks reached her ears. She furrowed her brows and glanced at the clock on the wall. Hamid was supposed to be watching a football game with his friends. He wouldn't be back anytime soon. Maybe she was mistaken. But once she heard his voice talking to their pets, she knew. It wasn't just her imagination.

Joy and guilt grew within her as she stood quiet, waiting for any sound he'd make as he walked around the flat. Was he mad at her? No, anger wasn't an emotion he nurtured for long. But he could be upset. Or disappointed. She honestly didn't know which one was worse.

As the sound of the TV reached her ears, she went to the bathroom to wash her hands. Perhaps it wasn't the right time to walk out of the studio. But she couldn't wait. She needed to see him.

In the lounge, Hamid sat on the sofa, grumbling in Turkish at the players on the TV and taking a few swings of beer.

Hiding in a corner, Daphne gazed at him for a few seconds, chewing on a nail. She should say something. Preferably an apology. But what if she messed it up again? What if he didn't want to talk? He was watching the game after all. Ah, the guilt...

"I thought you said you'd stop chewing on your nails."

Her eyes went round in surprise. Wasn't he supposed to be watching TV?

"Are you lurking in the corner?"

"No! I— Um..." She looked down at her hands. "I thought you were going to watch the game with Yusuf, Bart and Vee."

"Annabelle had food poisoning, so Vee stayed with her."

"Oh... What about Yusuf and Bart?"

"Bart said I was too cranky today and Yusuf told me to go try to fix whatever was bothering me."

"Are you going to fix it?"

"I have to. I won't be able to sleep at night not knowing if you feel cramps and might need tea, a hot bag or a hug tonight. And I know you won't ask for help if we're still fighting."

The lady fiddled with the hem of her blouse as her eyes began to water. It was so annoying to realise how well he knew her.

"Can you come here and help me fix it?"

Daphne slowly walked to the sofa and took a seat beside him.

"I'm sorry for lashing out at you. I misunderstood what you said for something silly Ann used to say about Felicity Holloway back in A-Level years."

"What did she say?"

"Yoga and pilates are for people who can't handle a real sport."

"I don't know if I agree with that... Have you seen Alisha's and Sevim's videos doing yoga on Pictagram?"

"But I'm not going to be upside down in the first week of classes."

"Just like you're not going to be running one kilometre by the end of this week if you choose to jog again. You'll start slow with everything."

"Except dancing..."

"Well, isn't it a coincidence that dancing was the first exercise I suggested?" He gave a knowing look.

"Ugh, fine... I'm sorry I didn't listen to you. I'll go with you to the gym and ask the receptionist about the dance classes."

"You're forgiven, my dove."

As he leaned in for a kiss, Hamid pulled back and brushed a thumb on her chin. "Is it mud mask day again?"

"No... Why?"

"You have clay on your face."

"Oh!" The lady stood up and rushed to the nearest bathroom. "I was trying to make a clay sculpture. Touching clay keeps the person grounded and reduces mood swings. It's very soothing," she shouted whilst cleaning her chin and left cheek.

"Really? How's it going?"

"I couldn't do more than a weird ball and a lot of mess in the studio. But it's better than jogging."

He chortled. "Would you do it again?"

"Not without a few sculpting classes."

"No problem then." Hamid reached for his mobile on the coffee table and began to search for sculpture art classes.

...

Late May, 2022

"Yes. Absolutely! Yes, I can!"

Daphne's whole face lit up as the art curator who interviewed her for the internship spot in a famous art gallery in Ithaca gave her a few instructions before finishing the call. Getting any job at any art gallery was something the lady dreamed about for years. But working for one of her favourite contemporary artists was so much more than she could've asked for.

"Thank you! See you on Monday!"

Once she hung up the phone, Hamid abruptly stopped the car and turned to her.

"Monday? What happens on Monday?"

"Not much..." She answered, pretending to be calm. "Just my first day as a hostess/tour guide at State Of The Art Gallery."

"I knew it!" Hamid immediately unbuckled his seat belt and cupped Daphne's face with both hands to give her a tender kiss. "Congratulations, aşkım! I told you that spot belonged to you."

"Thank you," she answered with a timid smile.

"We have to celebrate it. How about lunch at that Italian restaurant you like?"

"But you just said we should eat something lighter because of all the junk food we had last night."

"Aşkım, you just got your first job at the most prestigious art gallery in Ithaca. We need pasta, good cheese and the best vintage we can find to celebrate!"

Daphne giggled in response. Over the years, Hamid became the first person she shared dreams and goals with. His enthusiasm and support for her accomplishments, no matter how big or small they were, were infectious.

As he started the car again and drove off, using a few voice commands, he continued. "You have to tell Lord Vincent about it. He'll be so proud of you."

Daphne smiled shyly. "I'll call him when we get home."

"Call the guys too. We have to go out for drinks later."

"I don't know... Maybe they already have plans."

"That they will cancel as soon as you tell them," he insisted. "Aşkım, this is your first job. The one that will help start your career! We have to celebrate now and the day you get your first payment. And you know the rules. All drinks will be on you that day."

"What?!" She glanced at her partner in horror. "No! Have you seen how much Ann, Vee and Bartie drink? I can't spend my entire first salary just on booze and snacks! Plus Edmund might come too! He's the worst!"

He chuckled. "It's fine. I can afford our monthly bills by myself. Besides, I doubt Lord Vincent will cut off your allowance until you get a higher paying job."

Daphne didn't say a word as she shifted uneasily in her seat. She knew the money wouldn't be an issue for them. She simply couldn't help wondering if she would manage to keep that job.

As soon as the couple arrived at the restaurant and took their seats, the lady grew quieter. She wanted to be happy. She got an amazing job opportunity. She'd be working with something she loves just a year before graduation. However...

"Daphne?"

"Huh?"

Whilst the waiter expectantly waited for her to drink some of the wine and give her opinion, Daphne noticed Hamid's gaze, studying her face intently. Why was it so easy for him to know something wasn't right? This was one of those moments when she wished Hamid wasn't so perceptive.

Once the waiter poured more wine and left, Hamid placed his glass on the table and gauged her expression one more time before speaking. "For someone who just achieved their first professional accomplishment, you don't seem happy."

"I am." She lifted her glass of Chardonnay to her lips, so glad they were big enough to hide most of her face. "I just think it's a bit soon to celebrate."

"Soon?! The job is yours! You start in three days and it's Friday. It's the perfect time!"

"Yeah, but what if I don't go that well there? What if they fire me in less than a month?"

His brows furrowed in confusion. "Why would they do that?"

Color drained from her face as she held her glass mid air. How could her tongue slip like that? She barely started drinking!

"Aşkım, is something wrong?"

As Hamid reached for her hand, his brows furrowed in worry. Perhaps, it was time to tell him the truth. If things turned as bad as she expected, he would find out anyway.

"I did something..."

"Okay..."

"Something that can compromise my job at SOTA Gallery."

So many emotions seemed to cloud Hamid's handsome features it was hard to tell what he was thinking.

"Isn't there a way to undo or fix what you did?"

"Maybe... But it's more complicated than I thought it would be."

Hamid moved closer to the table, looking more confused than before, lowering his voice. "Daphne, what did you do?"

"I..." She looked down at her hands. It was too embarrassing to admit it. "I fluffed up my resume and lied to the art curator who interviewed me."

"And...?"

"And?!" Daphne stared back at him in horror. "There's no 'and'! Things are bad enough as it is."

The diplomat let out a chuckle in relief. "Aşkım, tons of people fluff up their resumes and lie a little during the interview. I told you I only got the job at UK Parliament because they needed someone who could speak Korean fluently and I lied saying I could."

"But you learned enough to keep up a conversation with the ambassador of South Korea."

"No, I didn't. I was lucky Mr. Park has a good sense of humor and found my knowledge on K-dramas amusing," he corrected. "But back to you, what did you lie about?"

"Oil painting."

Hamid pressed his lips together, but the corners of his mouth were still lifted up.

"You're laughing."

"No," he said, doing his best to look serious.

"You are! I can see it. You're laughing at me." Daphne scowled.

"I can't help it... It brings back some interesting memories..." He smirked.

"Will you ever stop mocking me because of that night?" She grumbled and then forced a smile as the waiter returned with their entrees.

"My dove, it's okay," he said, pausing to take a bit of his entree. "You thought the studio had the proper ventilation for you to try oil painting. It was an honest mistake. Did I expect to find you dancing to Jefferson Airplane half naked in the lounge and saying you finally understood Sharknado? No. But it was—"

"Absolutely ridiculous? Embarrassing?" Something ludicrous that only an intoxicated person would do?"

"Perhaps for you. I'm still bummed my phone battery died before I recorded your speech about vampires being real," he teased.

"Hamid!" She hissed.

"I'd just record the audio. Your theory was too good to be forgotten."

Daphne heaved a tired sigh. She might lose the biggest opportunity of her career so far and her partner was mocking her for the night she accidentally got high on oil painting and Port wine.

"Why did you lie about that anyway? You have enough artistic skills and experience to boast about for days."

"The art curator, Ms. Giordano, has specialized studies in oil painting. I thought about impressing her with what I know about it."

"And you succeeded. You may not be an expert, but it isn't a subject you're completely illiterate about. You can keep up appearances whilst you learn more about it."

"But I told her I have a painting and she said she'd like to see it."

"That's not a lie. You have a painting."

"That thing I painted that night is rubbish! I shouldn't have let you keep it."

"But The Attack of Vampire Sirens is one of my favourite paintings nowadays! Annabelle liked it too. And it gives you something to show to one of your bosses."

"I'm not showing that thing to her!"

"You have to," he warned. "You have no other work in oil painting. And you have to keep up the lie. You shall never admit you lied just to get the job. Never!"

"I know! Everyone says Laura Giordano is mean, but she was kinda nice to me during the interview. If I say I lied, she might never look in the face again..." Daphne whined.

"Well, let's hope she didn't mean what she said or you'll have to paint again."

"No! Oil painting is evil!"

"It's summer... You can paint outdoors. Preferably in the balcony. Or anywhere windy. With no alcoholic beverages near you..." He suggested as his lips curled upwards again.

Her shoulders slumped.

"Aşkım, there's nothing to worry about. It was just a little lie you said so your mean boss would like you. If she's really that mean, she won't even remember what she said."

"Really?"

"No. But now you can finally share The Attack of Vampire Sirens on your social media." Hamid wiggled his brows.

"Ugh..." Daphne hid her eyes with one hand in frustration.

...

September, 2022

Daphne rubbed a few drops of oil between her hands and smoothened the length of her hair before pulling it into a ponytail. As she checked herself in the mirror, her nose twisted in annoyance as the dark tresses covered her sports bra. Has her hair ever been that long before?

She looked down at the long locks and moved her face from one side to another. Perhaps the issue wasn't the length. During her teenhood, she had time to change haircut and colours whenever she saw fit. Lately, however, she barely had enough time to braid her hair on her way to work or uni.

Staring at herself in the mirror again, her brows furrowed in concentration.

Do I really want to make any changes now?

She then walked back to her vanity dresser and grabbed her phone. Maybe Pinterest could help.

Among the many pictures on the search, a selfie in particular caught her attention. Sitting on a salon chair, Felicity Holloway smiled as the most popular hairstylist of Edgewater pressed his face next to hers. One could almost mistake them for being close friends. But Daphne knew better than that.

Initially recommended by Lady Dominique, Théo Cellier was a pleasant surprise to the viscountess when she moved to Edgewater. With his impressive skills on cutting and colouring hair, his knowledge about the latest trends in fashion and art and sharp sense of humor, Daphne grew fond of Mr. Cellier for a while.

Yet, their friendship didn't last long. Unfortunately, Mr. Cellier's beauty spa was popular among gentry folk for more reasons other than just a nice hair change due to his terrible habit of gossiping. Even this most innocent conversation a client of his had over the phone could be spread across the country within minutes. And much to her disappointment, the Foredales often were a common topic of the hairstylist's and his clients' malicious comments.

As she accidentally tapped on the picture instead of scrolling past it, it redirected to the hairstylist's Pictagram profile. Felicity's selfie was new, but with relatively low engagement, given the number of followers in the hairstylist's profile and the complexity of work done. She did look pretty with a cut that framed her face and a few light ash locks that brought more light to her sandy blond hair.

She snickered as her thumbs typed a message to DM Briar. But before she could hit send, she felt something gently falling over her feet. As she looked down, her dog whined, staring at her with pleading eyes whilst his walking harness and leash rested on her feet.

The lady smacked her forehead with one hand as she remembered why she was getting ready to leave in the first place.

"I'm sorry, sweetie! I got a little sidetracked here..."

She scratched his fur and put the harness on Drake.

"I'll put on a shirt and training shoes and we'll be out in a minute, okay?"

As the lady walked into the closet to finish getting dressed, the dog barked in excitement, she didn't mind to look. Drake was one of those extra friendly dogs who got easily excited about almost anything. He certainly found something in the room to play with. As long as he wasn't trying to eat her moisturizer again, it'd be fine.

"Ready to go? Oh hey, girl!" She smiled at Maya coming out from under the bed to rub her body against Daphne's legs. "I thought you'd sleep in the balcony all morning. You don't mind staying alone for a few minutes, right? Hamid will be back from the gym soon."

Whilst Maya stretched herself, one of her paws touched the screen of Daphne's phone and the cat laid on top of the device, the lady scanned the room, searching for it.

"Odd... I left it right here..." She said, approaching her vanity dresser.

Before she could search a bit more, the dog began to whine again.

"Oh well... I guess we'll enjoy the scenery together today, Drake," she said, bending down to scratch the cat's fur and picking up the leash to take the dog for a walk. A few minutes without her phone wouldn't do her any harm, right?

...

About one hour later

Daphne closed the door behind her to help Drake out the harness. Usually, the dog arrived home a bit calmer. But whenever he sensed the fragrance of Hamid's cologne in the air, it was harder to get him to settle down.

"I know what you want, but wait a minute! I can't take it off if you don't stay quiet."

"Stop torturing my dog and just let him come to me already," Hamid joked as he approached the entryway.

The dog began to shake his entire body, waggling his tail in joy.

"Great. Now it'll be impossible to get him out of the harness."

"I'll take it off when he's calmer." The diplomat then crouched down and beamed at the dog. "Gel, oğlum! Gel!²"

Daphne pursed her lips, but set Drake free to rush to his other pet parent.

"How was the walk?"

"Good. The weather was nice, Drake is getting stronger. We walked for twenty minutes today."

"Excellent! Well done, oğlum!" He then gazed at her with a curious look whilst still petting the dog. "Is everything okay, aşkım?"

"Yeah."

"You didn't bump into any unpleasant acquaintances today, did you?"

"Huh?"

"You know... People you dislike or who can easily make your blood boil such as your boss, Theresa Sutton... Felicity Holloway..."

Daphne made a face. "Good God, no! Mrs. Giordano is still in Italy being cruel in Italian to other Italians. Theresa and Felicity haven't returned to classes yet... Why?"

"Bartie and Briar just sent me a Pictagram post that made me wonder what could've happened so early in the morning for you to make such a nasty comment about anyone online."

"I did what?"

"Well, you are half British and you do have your grandmother's passive-aggressive sense of humor..." He rambled on, scratching his stubble in thought.

"Passive-aggressive?! But you always say I'm adorable!"

"Of course, you are, my dove." Hamid then stood up, pulled her into a hug and kissed her temple before he mumbled. "Most of the time..."

"Excuse me?!" She pulled away with a scowl. "Hamid, what on earth are you talking about?"

The diplomat fished his phone out of his trousers pocket to show it to Daphne.

Her eyes went round and jaw fell slack in horror. Among the comments on Felicity's selfie on Mr. Cellier's profile, the top comment was Daphne's.

"Too bad no amount of bleach and purple shampoo can make her soul as bright and shiny as her hair..."

"But I didn't post that!" She blurted.

"Are you sure? I've seen you say worse to her face..."

"I always try to be polite, even if she doesn’t deserve it. She is the one who starts with the insults. I wrote that to DM Briar!"

"Did you mistake the DM button for the enter a comment button again?"

"No! I didn't send it! I don't even know where my phone is!"

Hamid arched an eyebrow. "You don't know?"

"It's somewhere in the bedroom... I didn't have time to check properly. Drake started whining again, I didn't want to frustrate him now that he has more energy to walk."

"I'm not sure what happened, but we have to find your phone and a way out of this scandal because you're trending."

"What?!"

"Well, not you... #bleachgate is trending on Twitter NY and UK."

"Bleach gate?"

"Her classmates began to tweet about it, then our friends joined in telling how Felicity bullies anyone she might see as beneath her and the story spread. Gossip blogs here and UK tabloids are delighted with all the freely given content."

Daphne quickly read the tweets in horror. "Oh my god..."

"I gotta say that's quite an accomplishment to be trending right now. It's already noon in the UK and there's a Premier League match being aired right now."

Her shoulders slumped. "Hamidciğim, I don't want to be trending on anything. It was supposed to be just another dumb joke shared in a private chat with a friend."

"It's alright. We can fix this. Go look for your phone. I'll reach out to my contacts at The Sun and The Daily Mirror to see what can be done about this."

"Thank you."

After a quick search in the master bedroom, Daphne found the phone on the floor, under a very sleepy and grumpy Maya, who was clearly displeased to be woken up. Now in possession of her phone again, the lady read the news, tweets mentioning her and the tag and DMs from several people from her secondary school years, Felicity's classmates at Cornell, whilst Hamid worked from his phone and laptop.

"Oh... This is bad..." She commented, whilst scrolling through the tag search.

"It sure is..." Hamid added as he sat back on the sofa. "Three former members of Lochdale staff came forward to sue Felicity for racial profiling and harassment.

Daphne's head snapped to the side in shock. "Seriously?!"

"What? Didn't you expect the girl who bullied you and all of our closest friends for years to not be racist or not harass her parents' staff?" He gave her a knowing look.

"That's not what I meant... I just didn't know that accidentally commenting on Pictagram instead of DMing Briar could've caused this."

"I guess no one did..."

"What do I do now?"

"Not much. Mr. Cellier deleted the picture, but screen captures of the selfie and your comment are everywhere. You can come forward in your own profile and say your phone was hacked and apologise or you can leave it be?"

"Lying doesn't seem like a good idea..."

"I agree. Anyone who digs a bit on these British gossip blogs will figure out you two have a history and might see the 'hacked account' or the apology as a lie."

"But can I really leave it be?"

"Yes. You have no obligation to comment any further about it and your opinion about Felicity is the least of her problems right now. She can try to sue you for defamation, of course. But given that you won two lawsuits against her not so long ago and with all these new allegations against her, her lawyers will most likely advise her not to go through with it."

"Okay. I'm not going to say a word about it."

"Good choice." He nodded. "You owe me a kiss, by the way."

Daphne moved closer and wrapped her arms around his neck as she kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you again for doing this."

"No problem, aşkım."

Sighing in relief, she reached for her tea and continued to scroll through social media.

"You do know that not saying anything further also means not hitting likes on memes and other shitposts about it, don't you?"

"I'm not doing anything..."

"You just hit like on Annabelle's tweet of Bugs Bunny wishing you all a pleasant evening meme about the bleach gate."

"But—"

He stared at her and shook his head.

"Ugh... Fine..." she grumbled.

First week of December 2022

"That's so unfair! I was PMSing! I can't control my hormones," Daphne whined.

"Yes, you can. You have improved significantly since you chose to have healthier habits. But okay. Let's say Santa could excuse you for snapping at your loving life partner for no reason. Yelling at our fur babies though?" He tutted.

"But I apologised!" The lady pouted.

He chuckled.

"Okay, but you can't blame me for lying about my oil painting skills. You said it yourself it wasn't all a lie."

"You actually told your boss your favourite technique was impasto."

"But it's the truth!"

"You hadn't tried impasto until then. You just said it because you knew Mrs. Giordano is a Van Gogh fan. And don't even get me started on the bleach gate," he pointed out.

"It was an accident!"

"Posting as a comment was an accident. But what you said...."

"The woman made my life hell for years! What's a little dissing compared to what she did to me?" She insisted.

"I know. And I'm not judging you." He raised his hands in defence.

"Thank you."

"However..."

"Ugh..." She rolled her eyes.

"Aşkım, you are Christian. There are several Bible verses about loving and doing good for your enemies. I don't think a Christian entity known for doing good deeds to everybody would overlook that."

She folded her arms.

"You'll have to face that fact you'd be on the naughty list this year."

"All right!" Daphne scowled. "I don't mind if I only get coal for Christmas."

"Don't you?" Hamid raised an eyebrow.

"I'm an artist. I'd see it as an encouragement to make more coal sketches," she replied, doing her best not to look annoyed. It was just a silly test anyway. Besides, if she didn't want to be mocked for the rest of the month, admitting he was right would be for the best.

But before the subject died down, a sly grin played on his lips as he mumbled. "Hmm... Interesting..."

Something told her he wouldn't let go so easily.

County of Edgewater, December 25th 2022

Laughter echoed along Edgewater manor as The Foredales and closest friends ambled toward the lounge. Christmas mornings usually were the best part of the day for Daphne. Though they considered it an event, the family now was more inclined to skip formalities. Aside from everyone helping with the vast and delightful breakfast, they exchanged gifts and chatted until it was time to prepare for luncheon. She was more than happy to go back home and partake in this new family tradition.

As Lord Vincent, Lady Dominique, the Dalys and Veronica's mother chatted by the fire, the young ones gathered around the Christmas tree to exchange gifts.

"Darling, this is beautiful!" Bartholomew gushed over the glass bird house.

"Now the birds will always keep you company when I'm not around," Yusuf said, smiling fondly at his partner.

A unison "aww..." erupted among the women whilst Edmund looked somewhat confused.

"How will that attract birds?" Edmund mumbled in confusion.

"Put bird food and water on the little space in there and hang the house on a window or balcony for the birds to come," Daphne explained.

"Oh... that's cool." Edmund nodded.

"And really cute," Veronica added.

"And so romantic..." Briar swooned at the smiles Yusuf and Bart shared.

"I guess Bart got all his gifts. You can choose who's next now, my friend," Hamid suggested, sharing a secretive look with Bartholomew.

"Hm..." Bartholomew looked around the group and declared. "I say it's Daph's turn now."

"I'm cool with that," Daphne said with a grin.

"In this case, I'll go first." Hamid then reached for a large box under the tree and handed it to his partner.

The lady beamed at the sight of the pretty gift box and carefully undid the ribbon tying it. But as soon as she removed a few paper tissues, Daphne pursed her lips.

"That doesn't look like a 'aw... thank you, love' face," Veronica commented.

"I agree," Yusuf nodded.

"What is it?" Briar then grabbed the gift and glanced at the couple in confusion. "You gave her coal?"

"Me? Noooo..." He shook his head, pretending not to know about it. "Krampus dropped by last night and left this gift for her."

"So I guess Krampus also left a note saying 'Welcome to the naughty list, Daphne!'," Annabelle added, showing off the note that was inside the box.

"I bet he meant every word," Hamid said with a mischievous smile whilst his partner glared daggers at him.

"Is it me or does it look like a sex joke?" Veronica asked.

"What?!" Edmund blurted in horror.

"I thought so too," Bartholomew joked.

"If there wasn't a note allegedly from Krampus, I swear it'd be a sex joke," Yusuf teased.

"Maybe this is some sort of fetish related to the holidays," Annabelle surmised.

"Oh, for the love of God..." Edmund grimaced in discomfort.

"I don't know. I've seen fetish related to Santa, string lights, gifts. But Krampus?" Briar made a face.

"Oh, girl... If I got a nickel for every weird fetish and turn-on I've heard about..." Veronica taunted.

"And coming from these two, you never know..." Bart continued.

"Are my ears bleeding? I can feel them bleeding..." Edmund whinged as he shifted uneasily in his seat whilst the others (minus Daphne) laughed.

"All right, that's enough! Can we move on now?" Daphne cut off, still struggling to hide her annoyance.

"I know that face. You're in big trouble, Osmanoğlu," Annabelle whispered to Hamid, who simply chuckled.

"I think that's kind of the point." Yusuf tittered.

"Okay, let's move along. Here you go, Daph," Bartholomew then handed the lady a medium size box.

"Thank you, Bartie." The lady smiled in gratitude. But as she opened her gift, Daphne arched an eyebrow at her friend. "Bart?"

Bartholomew shared a glance with Hamid then pressed his lips together to stifle a laugh as his eyes met Daphne's.

"Ugh..." The lady rolled her eyes.

"What?" Briar asked as she peaked at the gift. "I don't get it... You like getting art supplies."

"This is different and both of them know why."

Bartholomew and Hamid chuckled.

The others then glanced at the gift box and found an art supplies kit for charcoal drawings.

"Well, at least now we know it's not a sex joke," Yusuf commented.

"Are you sure?" Veronica teased.

"Hey!" Yusuf whined.

The others doubled over.

"Can somebody go next? I don't feel like getting coal anymore," Daphne grumbled.

"My dove, you're not getting coal from everyone."

"Do you expect to believe you didn't tell everybody?"

"I didn't know." Annabelle raised her hands in defence.

"Me neither," Briar answered. "I would've joined the prank though..."

"Me too. You should've told us, mate..." Edmund joked.

"Sorry, eniştem³... Next time, I'll give you two a call," Hamid said with a playful grin.

"Excuse me?!" Daphne snapped.

"I'm joking... You're not mad at me, are you?" Hamid asked.

"Of course I am! You're mocking me, you got Bartie on board for this and I didn't get a single real gift until now."

"Hey, mine is a real gift!" Bartholomew protested.

"You're on thin ice, Bart. Very thin ice." Daphne hissed.

Hamid then wrapped his arms around Daphne, who didn't hug him back, but didn't pull away either.

"My dove, you are getting real gifts. Great ones, as far as I know. But when you said you wouldn't mind getting coal, I couldn't resist it. It's too much fun to tease you."

The others laughed.

"Will you forgive, aşkım?" Hamid murmured, kissing Daphne's shoulder to make his request more compelling.

"I don't know..." She said, pretending not to be affected by him. "Do I get a real gift from you?"

"Yes."

"How good is it?"

"It's very shiny, expensive, it has a colourless gemstone usually weighed in carats."

"Fine..." Daphne replied, doing her best not to smile. "I'll think about it..."

As Hamid kissed Daphne's cheek several times, Bartholomew prompted. "You know, diamonds chemical composition are quite similar to coal, so if you think about it—"

"Your thin ice is melting, Bart!" Daphne glared.

Laughter erupted in the group before they continued to share Christmas gifts.

______

¹ Vay, vay, vay: Turkish expression of surprise 

² "Gel, oğlum! Gel!" : "Come to me, son!"

³ Eniştem: my brother-in-law

[johnkrrasinski]

started from a call

full masterlist

Pairings: Bucky Barnes x female!reader

Word count: 3,610

Warning: angst with a happy ending! that's all.

Summary: written for @wkemeup's 9k writing challenge with the prompt "character a leaves an embarrassing, drunk message on character b’s voicemail and spends the rest of the night trying to discreetly delete it from [b]’s phone." inspired by a bit of ross and rachel from friends too. you found out from steve that bucky was in love with you in high school but after he returns home with a girl in his arm, you cancelled your plans to tell him how you feel. will you and bucky have your happy ending?

a/n: please like, reblog and leave a feedback. :) enjoy!

"Alright, I'll see you tonight. Bye." He leaned against the kitchen counter and hung up the phone with a grin on his face. "You hear that, Sam? We're going on our third date tonight." He threw his phone up into the air and caught it so casually without spilling a drop of his coffee sitting on his right hand. "Looks like I'm getting that 300 bucks soon."

"Hey, easy. You ain't going to that date yet, who knows? She could bail on you. It doesn't count if the date doesn't end well."

"Oh, but it will. I just gotta turn on my charm and next thing you know, we're already meeting the parents stage."

"Meeting the parents? That's a big step from you, Buck."

"Hey, I'm a man of my words. If I said that I'm going to change this year then I'm gonna stick to it."

"So Leah isn't just a one-time thing to get 300 bucks?"

"Maybe yes, maybe no. We'll see how tonight goes. But one thing's for sure is that I'm getting that 300 bucks."

Sam and Bucky made a bet as their New Year's resolution that Bucky would never go on a second date with any girl or remember to call her in the morning after a wild night. His commitment issues had given him a reputation as the player in the gang. It wasn't a new thing anymore to anyone that when they visited Bucky's place in the morning, they would see a girl with a dopey smile and slightly ruffled hair walking out of his apartment, giddy that Bucky just made a promise to call her later.

You, Natasha, Wanda, Sam and Steve were hanging out at Nat's place. The six of you had been friends since college. You, Nat, Bucky and Steve had known each other since high school and the four of you kept in touch despite going to separate universities. You met Wanda when you went to NYU and Steve met Sam while he was in Harvard. Long story short, after the four of you graduated, you and Wanda lived together as roommates and even started your own bakery business. Steve and Bucky lived in the same building as you and Natasha and Sam lived nearly alone. They were too independent for roommates. Don't even start on Natasha and how much she valued her personal space. That's how the six of you ended up here, gathered at your place on a Saturday afternoon.

"Are you gonna pick her up tonight?"

"Of course. Gonna clean up well, bring her some flowers and knock on her door at 7 pm precisely. Which girl isn't gonna fall for that?" Bucky walked over to the couch you and Nat were sitting on and leaned on the headrest, his arms caging both you and Natasha.

You didn't say anything nor did Natasha because she knew about your feelings for Bucky. Despite never feeling that way about Bucky in high school, your feelings changed a week ago after learning that Bucky used to be in love with you but never had the courage to tell you. That's why he never had a girlfriend during his high school years and he wanted to take you to prom and confess his feelings to you but he was too late. Another guy had already snooped in first.

You were his first love but it wasn't reciprocated until now. That's why in college, he learned how to get over you and slept with as many women as possible because he felt like he lost four years of his life of finding the one. He never intended to be a player and feed girls empty promises, it just kind of became his way of dating. He was too afraid that no one could live up to you yet he enjoyed being with women. Hence, the bet.

The day you found out from Steve about Bucky's past feelings for you while playing truth or dare, you immediately wanted to call him up but Bucky was out of town for a few days and as soon as he was back home, he had Leah in his arm. Your heart was crushed. Wanda told you that it would probably last for a few days and that he'd eventually be single again but you totally did not expect this thing to turn into something serious. You loved Sam with every fibre of your being, he was like the big brother you never had, but you wanted to curse him for making that bet.

So you just rolled your eyes and stayed silent throughout this entire conversation, even though your heart felt like it was being stabbed over and over again. "Alright, I gotta go. Got a big date tonight. I'll see you guys in a few hours." Just like that, Bucky walked out of the room without knowing the pain his words caused you.

The next day you were sitting in your bed watching The Notebook in your pyjamas because you were too heartbroken to do anything productive. It was Sunday so you could just have a whole day to yourself and do absolutely nothing but cry. Wanda knocked on your door bringing a plate of cookies and she had a pitiful look on her face. "y/n? Sweetie? I made you these cookies, they might make you feel better." Sometimes you thank the stars for bringing her into your life.

"Thank you, Wanda. You're so nice to me." You know you probably sound like a hormonal whiny kid but everything made you cry at the moment.

"Do you need anything else? I know how it feels to get your heartbroken, trust me. When me and Vision had a fight and we didn't talk for days all I wanted was to curl up and never leave my bed, so in case you need anything, I'm here." She offered you that warm smile of hers.

"No, all I want right now is to just eat these cookies and go back to my film, thanks Wan."

"Okay, I'll be outside." Your pity party was interrupted when Nat arrived in her leather jacket and burst into your room.

"Get up, you are taking a shower and you're getting that face beat."

"Natasha, what the hell? Leave me alone."

"Y/N, listen to me. I got a date for you. His name is Scott and he's a real nice guy, he's funny, he's a good friend of mine and he is really smart. He is so much better than Bucky, I promise you. Now c'mon, I already told him that you are meeting him tonight at Stark's restaurant at 7."

You whined, doing anything you can to get her to leave you alone with your tears and your cookies but you knew that once Natasha set her mind on something, there's no talking her way out of it. Damn that woman with her determination.

"Y/N, c'mon! Wallowing all day isn't you. I know you and what's good for you. That's why I found you a great guy who will charm you so good that you will forget Barnes even existed. You can't let him win, y/n. If he's going to be happy with someone else, then you better show him that you can be much happier with other people."

You stared at her, trying to absorb her words. There's some wisdom in that. You're not the type to cry over a guy, not even for even Bucky Barnes. So you let Natasha drag you to the shower and asked Wanda to do your hair when she does your makeup. She chose an outfit for you, a dress that was not too sexy but chic enough to leave a good first impression.

Scott was early to the restaurant and he looked elated to see you. He was wearing a grey suit with no tie and he had a really exuberant smile on his face, the type that drew people easily. You could see why Natasha called him a nice guy.

"Wow, sorry, I just- didn't expect you to be this beautiful."

"Ah, thank you, Scott. Have you been waiting long?"

"No, not at all. I just arrived here like five minutes ago."

The night went on and Scott did most of the asking and talking, you answered each question curtly with forced enthusiasm in your face and body language. You weren't even listening to half of the things he said because your mind kept playing images of Bucky with Leah and how you heard from Sam that the date went well so he lost 300 bucks. You kept thinking about Bucky and Leah and how they would probably get married and have kids and live in the suburbs with a golden retriever while you'd still be single and you'd compare every man you meet to Bucky. Maybe it was your karma for not reciprocating his feelings in high school.

Five glasses of wine and you spent more time nodding than talking. Honestly, all you wanted to do was to just go home and go back to The Notebook because their love story was much better than your love life. Scott woke you out of your daze, "Natasha told you that I was cuter than this, did she?" after you gulped your sixth glass of wine.

"Oh Scott, I'm so sorry. It's not you, it's me. I know it sounds cliche but it's just... I'm not in a place where I'm looking for a boyfriend. You are a really likeable guy and I swear, if we had met at another time, maybe I would be a better date but right now, I just- I have someone else in my mind." You sighed, it felt like a relief to get that off your chest.

"Is this guy... an ex-boyfriend?"

You chuckled, "no... He wishes."

Scott nodded, "look, I don't know what your situation is but I've been through a divorce and it's never easy. But eventually, you'll be fine. You can't see it now because you haven't had closure." Then it was as if the bulb above your head was turned on.

"That's it.  Closure, yeah. That's all I need. Okay, give me a minute. I'm gonna call him now and I'm going to get my closure."

Scott sat there watching you comically trying to find your phone in your purse and tapped on Bucky's contact number. The normal you would be sweating with every ring but intoxicated you had no worries in the world... For now.

"This is Bucky. Can't pick up right now, leave a message." Beep.

"Hello, yes, Bucky! Or James, should I call you James? I always thought Bucky was a weird name. Anyways, I'm just calling to tell you that I am fine and I am on a date with Scott. And speaking of dates, I just gotta tell you that I'm happy to hear that your date went well. And that, my friend, means that I am over you. That's right, I'm over you. Tell Leah I say hi." You said sarcastically.

You hung up the phone and threw your phone back into your purse. You felt like you just won a chess game.

The next morning you decided to sleep in because your heart was pounding and you could barely sit up without feeling like you might fall. You were supposed to be working at the bakery but since you owned the bakery, Wanda let you sleep it off until you recover. You couldn't remember anything from last night, how you got back to your apartment was a mystery. You tried to put the pictures together, from being forced to go on a date, meeting a guy named Sean? Simon? Sebastian? Scott! Yes, Scott. You ordered your meals and then... Nothing, it was all blurry. You weren't even sure if anything happened at all after eating your meals.

The apartment was empty because Wanda was working at the bakery and it was just you with your hangover pills. Bucky came to your apartment without knocking because Wanda told him on the phone that you were home. He greeted you with a smile and asked about your date.

"Uh, let's see. I think there was a restaurant, I know there was wine. And there's a guy, Scott and pretty much that's all I can recall."

Bucky made a yikes face. Seeing the state you were in, he could do the math (of the wine you had). You probably enjoyed the alcohol more than the guy. What a doofus, he thought. If he was the one going on a date with you, you'd definitely remember every detail from last night.

"Leah's downstairs and I'm taking her back to her place but I left my keys here last night. Have you seen it?"

"No, check the drawers. Maybe Wanda put 'em there."

"Ah, okay." He opened the drawers and found the keys to his bike.

"Did we... Speak on the phone last night?"

"Nope, my phone was dead and I didn't charge it all night so I haven't really checked it. Why?"

"Nothing, nothing. It's just... Never mind. My memories are a bit hazy right now. You should go, say hi to Leah for me."

Bucky nodded as you walked back to your room to go lie down. Your question reminded him that he should probably check his phone now because there could be work-related messages but the first thing he heard was a voicemail from you. "Oh, y/n. I got your message!"

That instantly stopped you in your tracks. Your eyes went wide and you froze. You immediately turned around and ran to grab his phone away from him. Bucky had a confused look on his face, "who's Scott?"

"Oh my God, no, Bucky, give me the phone. Give me the phone!" But it was already too late, he was already halfway through your voicemail and by the time you successfully snatched his phone out of his grasp, he had already heard every word.

Bucky stood there dumbfounded, he needed time to process everything you just said to him. "What do you- what do you mean you're over me?"

"Oh, God... Alright, um- lately, I've um- sort of, have... Feelings for you." You never had to chase a guy or confess your crush first so this felt new and my God, it was nerve-racking.

"You have feelings for me..." He said it as if he was convincing himself that his ears got it right. Bucky couldn't believe the words that just escaped through your lips, for years he had dreamed of this moment. Though never did he ever want you to make the first move but adolescent him wanted to hear you say what he'd been wanting to say to you too.

He didn't say anything for what felt like minutes and you couldn't decipher his thoughts from the look on his face. "I need to sit down," he pulled one of the dining chairs and leaned on his side in a defeated posture.

"Bucky... Please say something." You alerted him in a hushed tone, not wanting to startle him than you already did. But he didn't. He was lost at words. What the hell was he supposed to tell her?

"Look Bucky, I'm sorry for telling you this way but I had to. I just- I've been wanting to talk to you about it since you came back to New York, well- actually, since Steve told me but-"

"Whoa, Steve told you?!" He interrupted.

"Yeah, it just accidentally slipped when we were playing truth or dare..."

"Okay well," he stood up from his seat, yet he still couldn't look you in the eye. "I can't do this right now, Leah's waiting for me downstairs and I gotta go." He basically ran out of the room and slammed the door behind him, leaving you alone.

Once your hangover had begun dissipating, you decided to help Wanda at the bakery and took the night shift. She must've been exhausted from managing the bakery alone while also helping the employees in the kitchen so you told her to go home and leave it to you. The bakery's usually slower at night.

When it was nearing closing time and your employees had gone home, you decided to clean up and turned off the lights and checked everything one last time before locking the door. The bell above the door dinged and you were slightly annoyed because who the hell comes to the bakery at this hour?

"I'm sorry we're clo...sed." It was Bucky. He stood there in a black coat, with an expression you still couldn't figure out. "Bucky, what are you-"

"You have no right to tell me that you've got feelings for me." His tone was harsh, he never spoke that way to you or anyone... Ever.

"What?"

He walked closer to you, maintaining his gaze, "You can not tell me that you've got feelings for me now when I'm doing well with my life and Leah..."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"I was in love with you for years! Years, y/n! And you never said and did anything and now when everything's going well you're ruining it!"

"I am ruining it?" You repeated the question because you couldn't believe what you just heard. How dare he said those hurtful things to you.

"Yes! I was doing fine with Leah and now I don't know what's going to happen with me and her anymore..."

"Yeah, well, I was doing fine before I found out that YOU were in love with me and never had the balls to tell me!" You did everything you could to not cry, you hated crying in the middle of an argument.

"Hey, it's not like I didn't try. There were your ex-boyfriends and your dates and I had to move on. I couldn't wait forever! And now, now you're too late."

"Oh, so what? You're just gonna walk away and pretend that this never happened?"

"Yes, I'm going to do exactly that and I'm going to go see Leah." He turned around like he did earlier in your apartment and left you alone once again with your heartbreak.

"Fine! Go ahead and see Leah because I don't give a fuck about cowards like you or whoever you sleep with." You slammed the door and tried everything you could to not have a breakdown here because you really hated letting an argument hurt you. You sat on one of the chairs where the customers would sit and you hid your face with your hands and cried.

Not because you just lost an argument but because of what Bucky said and it felt like you had lost Bucky before you even had him. Now there was no hope left for you and Bucky, things were too complicated.

You didn't know how long you had cried there, alone, in the dimmed lighting of your shop but after you felt like the tears had dried, you wiped the traces of your tears from your cheeks with the back of your thumb. You stood from your seat and was ready to go home. You couldn't wait to eat some leftover pizzas, take a warm shower and cry into your pillows until you fall asleep.

But when you were about to leave, you saw Bucky standing on the other side of the door, watching you through the windows with a softer expression on his face. You opened the door and Bucky instantly grabbed your waist and kissed you as if his life depended on it.

You gave in to his kiss, letting him pour every desire and yearning into your lips for as long as he wanted. You grabbed his face because you wanted him impossibly closer and you shut your eyes, letting your guard down. Because it was Bucky, and you'd known him for as long as you could remember and you both deserved this moment.

Bucky eventually pulled away until both of you were running out of air. You were breathless from his kiss, you never knew he was such a good kisser. (It's Bucky and he's had a lot of women on his bed, of course, he was excellent at it. Who were you kidding?) But now that you've had your own front-row experience, you felt a tad of possessiveness at the thought of sharing those lips or any part of him with anyone else.

"I couldn't go back to her knowing you are here alone and I had thrown away what I've wanted for as long as I could remember."

"I'm glad you came back." You pressed your foreheads and you rested your hands on his chest. You could get used to this.

"I hope it's not too late to say this but, y/n y/l/n, will you let me take you to dinner and see a movie after maybe?"

"I wasn't the one who said it's too late," you halfheartedly teased him.

"Shut up, so is that a yes or a no?"

You bit your lip and nodded, "yes. Definitely a yes." You stared into his ocean blue eyes, so deep and beautiful, you could easily get lost in it.

"y/n y/ln, I'm going to put all of your ex-boyfriends to shame."

"Hm, we'll see about that." You put your arms around his neck. Then a thought crossed your mind and your smile faded away, "what are you gonna do about Leah though?"

"I'll talk to her in the morning. Let's take you home now, yeah? It's getting late."

You bit your lip and nodded, "okay."

Ninth grade you dreamed of popular jocks and athletic seniors, but little did you know that, sometimes, the one who sincerely loved you was the book nerd who loved The Hobbit a little too much.

[bakuhoes-dumbass]

Aberration - Chapter 2

MHA!Various x Fem!Reader

Thriller/Horror/Drama

Criminal!AU

Words: 1.5k

A/N: Yay, here’s the second chapter of my new AU! It’s a little shorter but I promise chapters will get longer as we go.

Warnings: Yandere Themes, Mentions of murder, blood, felonies, bullying, swearing.

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of MHA, just this story. In no way does this reflect the characters, writers or VAs of the show/manga. MINORS DNI.

~~~

Aberration Masterlist

~~~

"Now, on to your next subject. Inmate 04, Eijiro Kirishima." You flip the page of your inmate profiles to see a picture of a red-haired man. "He is of a higher danger level, so make sure to keep your guard up. And for the love of God, under any circumstances…

Do not touch him."

Only slightly acknowledging his warning, you look down at your notes, eyebrows shooting up in surprise at the words on the page. "He suffers from Erotomania? Interesting…"

Aizawa nods. "Ah, yes. A very rare condition indeed, especially in males. The affected person strongly believes that another individual is in love with them. This delusion develops and persists despite clear evidence to the contrary."

"That's a very exciting find. I can't wait to meet him." Your eyes light up, quite intrigued.

Aizawa sighs and gestures with his head. "Follow me."

Kirishima's room was only a few doors down from Tokoyami's. Once again, Aizawa presses his hand to a key code and you hear the door unlock, following a buzzer. You slowly make your way into the room. It mirrors Tokoyami's down to the last detail, the only difference being a redhead was currently doing pushups.

He barely acknowledges a person stepping into his room, eyes flitting to your form and back to the ground. It takes him a moment to realize it was someone new. As soon as he does, his eyes widen and he springs onto his feet, slightly startling you.

"Oh! Hello there! You're new!"

You nod your head and smile at the red-head. "That I am. My name is Y/N and I'm the newest scientist at this facility. My role here is to get to know and observe you all to help further our findings for a cure." You choose to leave out the 'friends' part, as something about him makes you weary. You don't need anything being misinterpreted.

"Hello there, Y/N! My name is Kirishima!" He takes a step towards you but is suddenly stopped by a lower force. You look down to see his ankles chained to the heavy-duty bed frame, connected to him by quirk-canceling cuffs. You look back up to see him looking at you intensely, with a shark-toothed smile. "Man, you're really pretty!"

You swallow thickly, but keep your smile. "That's very kind of you to say, Kirishima. Now, if I may." You take a seat at the desk like you did with Tokoyami. Kirishima follows suit and sits across from you on the bed. His smile never wavers, making you slightly uneasy. You ignore it and turn to a blank page in your notebook. "Now, if you could please state your full name, age and date of birth?"

He gives you a chuckle and points to himself proudly with his thumb. "I'M Eijiro Kirishima! I'm 22 years old and my Birthday is October 16th!"

You giggle softly at his extroverted personality. "Ahh, same birth month as Tokoyami." You mumble to yourself. His ears perked up and his smile faltered slightly.

"You met Tokoyami already?"

"Hm?" You look up and smile fondly. "Ah yes, I have. He was the first one. A very nice young man."

You look back down at your notes, failing to see Kirishima's eye twitch slightly. He returns to his signature smile as you look up at him again. "And what is your quirk?"

"Oh, it's so cool! I can harden my entire body to an extreme. I can make myself a shield or a weapon! Pretty manly, am I right?" Kirishima wiggles his eyebrows at you, causing you to chuckle.

"That is definitely a unique one, Kiri." You, once again, fail to notice the way his eyes light up at the nickname, too busy looking down at your notes. "Now I see here that you've been charged with Stalking and 2 counts of second degree murder. Is that correct?"

"Yup! Although I don't understand how it would be considered 'Stalking', when she always knew I was around. She was okay with it, too! I mean, we WERE in love, you know." He furrows his brows.

You raise a brow and write down everything he says. "Care to continue explaining what happened? Why were you brought into this facility?"

Kirishima sighs and rests his chin on his hand, a dazed look on his face. "Well, you see. There was this girl. We were totally, completely head over heels for each other. You've probably heard of her, Kim Hyuna?"

Your eyebrows shoot up. Yeah, you heard of her. She is one of the biggest idols around right now, extremely pretty and extremely talented. She has millions of fans from around the world. You already can see where the direction of this story is headed.

He continues with a wide smile. "We used to go out on dates everywhere. To the mall, the salon, even to her dorms. We were so in love." His dazed expression turns sour. "Then that stupid boy shows up outta nowhere. He took her from me. He dared to take something so precious from me. So, I couldn't take it anymore and, uh, kinda killed them."

You watched him rub the back of his neck sheepishly, like the situation was no more than a mere broken dish he dropped on accident. You nod your head carefully, writing the last bit of information down. Clicking your pen, you look up and give the young man a fake smile.

"Well, that's it for today, Kirishima. I must take my leave, but I'll be back to run some tests soon."

Kirishima frowns and quickly stands up. "W-Wait, already?"

You gather up your notes and clipboard. "Yes, unfortunately. I do have some other patients I need to get to before-" as you go to stand up, your foot gets caught under the chair leg and you trip. You accidentally fall forward and into something hard. Looking up, you realized you fell against Kirishima himself, your hands splayed out against his chest.

His eyes widen, staring down at your hands against his chest, something shifting in his eyes. Before you're able to pull your hands away, his own reach up and snatch your wrists, holding them in place. A blush appears on the apples of his cheeks.

"Y-Y/N. I-I had no idea you felt the same."

Your eyes widen in fear. You attempt to tug your hands away, but his iron grip tightens into a bruising force. "Kirishima, I would advise you to kindly let go of me. Please, don't misunderstand the situation."

His grin widens, showcasing his sharp teeth. Red eyes bore into yours with a wild look. You hear the door buzz behind you and a flood of voices coming in. You feel a pair of arms reach around you and hands grip your elbows. Two pairs of hands each grab Kirishima by the arms and force him to release his grip on you. You watched two of Aizawa's assistants hold down a struggling Kirishima as you were forcibly dragged out of his room.

Once safely outside, you were spun around to meet the eyes of a fuming and worried doctor. "Are you alright, Y/N?" Aizawa's eyes travel along your body, doing a quick examination to make sure nothing was injured.

You nod your head and rotate your slightly bruised wrists. "Y-Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little shaken up."

Aizawa sighs. "Didn't I say NOT to touch him? His obsession tends to solidify with physical contact."

You wince. "I know. This time it was an accident. I tripped and he just happened to, uh, be the 'wall' I fell against." You think back to the moment you fell against Kirishima. His chest felt almost rock solid, not like a normal human body would be. Now you're thinking that his quirk leaked through the cuffs and that thought scares you.

"Nobody said you were clumsy when you were hired," he sighs and runs a hand down his tired face. "There are still 9 other inmates you need to check with. And 6 out of the 9 are above Kirishima's danger level. Are you still up for it today?"

You shake out your hands and nod your head. "Yes! I am. A little scare never bothered me. This is my job."

Aizawa hummed in reply and flipped through his clipboard, stopping on a page. "Inmate 09, Keigo Takami. Mafia leader. He's a level 7 as well, but doesn't have delusions like Inmate 04 does. While he's very dangerous, he's a little more tolerable." Aizawa hesitates before continuing. "Er, minus the excessive flirting."

You sigh and flip through Keigo's information. "Oh goodie. Well, let's get this over with." You follow Aizawa to Keigo's door and once it buzzes, you enter the pristine, white room.

"Good afternoon Mr. Keigo, my name is Y/N and I'll-" You look up from your notes to see a half naked man with blonde hair and bright red bird wings lounging on his bed. Your jaw drops and you hold your clipboard up in front of your suddenly heated face.

Keigo looks over to you with his brows raised. "Well well, looks like we've got ourselves a new baby bird. How…" The handsome man's lips turn up into a cocky smirk.

"...interesting."

~~~

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