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phanfictioncatalogue · 11 months

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Cold Weather Masterlist

A Cold Winter Night (ao3) - Candy_Kittens

Summary: It’s a cold winter night with Dan and Phil.

As The Snowflakes Fall - irphanfic

Summary: Dan is late to his second date with Phil and is convinced he has ruined all of his chances of being with the blue eyed by slipping on ice and embarrassing himself in front of him.

baby, it's cold outside (ao3) - pasteldanhowells

Summary: Dan is traveling to his parent’s house for Christmas. There’s a blizzard expected to hit just as Dan’s leaving, but Dan doesn’t think anything of it, not until his car breaks down and he’s stranded. Kind stranger Phil steps in and offers to help Dan.

Bogies, blankets, and Bilbo Baggins (ao3) - ThePinkFizz

Summary: During a particularly frigid spell in January, Dan and Phil both wake to find that they've both inherited some kind of flu. Now, Dan is grumpier than ever and Phil just wants someone to make him tea. Can they both muddle through the sickness and take care of each other?

coldest winter (ao3) - lilactreesinwinter

Summary: The door swung open and Dan stumbled through. From night into day, from coldest winter into most tropical summer. His exposed fingers and cheeks immediately began to thaw painfully, and he started sweating under his layers as he blinked his eyes against the lights. He squinted and saw someone stood against the counter at the back of the shop, looking up at him from where they had been perusing their phone.

Fireplace Cuddles - jilliancares

Summary: Dan likes to join Phil in front of the fireplace on cold winter mornings, and they’re obviously only cuddling to conserve body heat.

First Snowfall (ao3) - Yiffandquiff (paradisobound)

Summary: Dan is a neko who has never seen snow before. The initial wetness and cold feeling of the snow leave him scared but Phil soon shows him how fun snow can actually be.

Frosty Mornings and Belated Realizations (ao3) - 500shadesofblue

Summary: They were beautiful together, in a way, with their matching haircuts and taste in music and love for each other. They slotted together like puzzle pieces. Dan of course, fucked it all up, like he did (and does) everything else.

Hardly Noticeable (ao3) - skittles106

Summary: Of course Dan and Phil cuddle and share blankets when they watch movies. Why wouldn't they? Obviously its totally normal for 2 men to be cuddling. They are totally not in love with each other but haven't told each other and their friends COMPLETELY don't suspect anything.

Keeping Warm (ao3) - orphan_account

Summary: Dan is always cold, especially when their car breaks down in the middle of winter.

Midnight Milkshakes (ao3) - thelandofphan

Summary: "Well, this is a different first date," Dan initiated as they began to follow the sodden pathway ahead, "I turned up late, looking like a tramp then we ditched the original plan and now I've stolen your beanie when we've only just met. Sorry." He concluded, sucking his lip nervously, peering towards Phil.

Phil's Hoodie (ao3) - cuddly_punk

Summary: Dan forgets his jacket on a cold day where he and Phil go OUTSIDE! and Phil gives him his jacket to keep him from freezing his butt off

Singing in the Rain (ao3) - orphan_account

Summary: Phil loves the rain. Dan doesn't.

Snow - fiction-phan

Summary: “You’re my new neighbour and we’ve never spoken but you saw me shovelling snow all day and I guess it must be pretty obvious how cold I am because you brought me a jacket and hot cocoa.“

Snow Fights and Warm Cuddles (ao3) - Misha_with_wings

Summary: Phil was just trying to take a selfie in the snow, it really just escalated from there.

Phil playfully locks Dan outside in the cold, resulting in him cuddling Dan to warm his grumpy little butt back up.

When the Weather Breaks (ao3) - sierraadeux

Summary: Sitting across from Phil on that worn out velvet Starbucks sofa, sharing sickeningly sweet coffees and what they would like to think were hushed giggles, was the first time Dan felt a glimpse at what real love could feel like.

or Perception checks, pining, and peppermint mochas.

Winter Wonderland (ao3) - drxpdead

Summary: It’s really fucking cold, and Dan is agitated already because all the shops are closed. He meets Phil, a complete stranger who asked him for directions because he wants to see some Christmas lights.

Wish For Snow - manchestereyes

Summary:It’s February. There’s snow. There’s Dan and Phil.

You Make Me Smile - cozyfoxy

Summary: Dan gets into a big fight with his parents and runs out of the house without thinking. He’s now outside in only a t-shirt and shorts in cold, rainy England alone. That is until, he runs into someone that he never expected to see.

#phanfictioncatalogue #phanfiction #phanfic #phan #masterlists #weather #coldweather #coldweather masterlist #winter

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kegareki · 5 years

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25, 33, 35, 36, 39, 52, 67, 39, 94 for you! ^u^ and for Luce, 5, 41, 42, 52, 85, 90, 91, 94, 95, 98. answer the ones you wanna answer :')

:D :D thank you for sending questions!

for me:

25) What color socks are you wearing?

i am not wearing socks because it is Too Hot For That, Currently

33) What do you typically have for breakfast?

... there was a period of three months in a row and then another month just now where i ate egg sandwiches and orange juice for breakfast, so i'm going to go with that

35) Have you ever tried archery?

I Have Not, Unfortunately

36) Favorite clean word?

... good question. uh. i like words for surprised, like flabbergasted and gobsmacked

39) Do you have any scars?

i have four dotted lines on the back of my right hand that i vaguely think of as having earned in a fishing incident, though i'm not sure if that was a dream or not. i have a thin scar on the bend of my left thumb from sanding it accidentally in eighth grade. i have a scar on my right shin from... possibly me scratching at a bug bite??

52) Favorite food?

beef and cheese quesadillas are so good

67) Can you name all 50 states of America?

I HATE THIS QUESTION BECAUSE IT MADE ME LITERALLY HAVE TO MAKE A NUMBERED LIST AND WRITE DOWN STATES THAT I COULD REMEMBER. no, i cannot name all 50 states. i got 39 of them.

94) What are your strengths?

i'm creative, probably?

JKGJFKD no but. i'm used sometimes as a voice of reason and to give perspective? one of my friends goes along with the currents of the group and doesn't have the best understanding of where the line is, because he's very petty and so are most of his friends, but i'm less... eager to exact revenge? especially in ways that are gratuitous and not "getting even" so much as it is being cruel for the sake of it.

for luce:

5) What is your favorite color?

purple! any shade of it, really, though i think they'd tend toward darker and/or greyer tones of it.

41) Are you a good liar?

ehhh...

a good liar as in "good at deliberately obfuscating the truth"? not really, no. luce is an honest sort of person, generally, and they don't lie often enough for them to get good at it.

but "obfuscating the truth incidentally and for enjoyment" is something they're more adept in. like arguing ardently in favor of leeches for half an hour before giving up and admitting that they don't even like leeches in the first place. as long as it's not thought of as lying, specifically, they're fine

42) Are you a good judge of character?

ehhh...

ghjfdldjsk no but. this is. hm. i'd say that they generally are, though they have certain prejudices that may prevent them from having a truly accurate reading.

for example: garp is their grandpa, right? he loves them and wants the best for them, despite the forms that these things take, and he would have gladly taught them things. but they hate him so much that they refuse to acknowledge these things about him and view him in just about the worst light possible

but when they're not powerfully predisposed towards Hating Someone, they're a lot more likely to actually take in what kind of person it is and form opinions based off of what they can tell

52) Favorite food?

egg sandwiches. just. egg sandwiches.

bonus: their least favorite food is mint chocolate, because it is the worst kind of chocolate and you can't change my mind

85) What color are your eyes?

their eyes are dark brown!

90) What makes you angry?

systemic inequality and injustice. (they and sabo have a lot of discussions about this.)

a society that demands the blood of its citizens and cares not for the staunching of wounds but for the continued gaping of them.

garp's existence. (they remember canon marineford, and they're never going to forgive him for it. this may not be the same man entirely, but--the fact that he has that capability--no. they want him far away from them and theirs.)

shanks. (they like him but they also feel like they shouldn't, which is aggravating.)

(they also get angry at themselves when they fuck up, but they're quieter about that.)

91) Do you like your own name?

they... don't mind it? names are weird things to have and it's pretty common to feel alienated from them, but luce is an okay one, and they get used to it. they kind of wish they had a name that allowed for nicknames, though. "lu" just makes both them and luffy look over.

94) What are your strengths?

they're good at improvisation--have to be, with ASL as their friends--and able to adapt to new situations, even if they don't like the development.

they're also good at listening--to other people, to corrections. if they've done something wrong, they want to know so that they can correct it and not do it again.

communication in general is probably their biggest strength? they're the most communicative by dint of being the one trying to teach the rest of ASLsquared to communicate, and that means that ASLsquared are all pretty open with each other, to varying degrees, and are at least peripherally aware of people's boundaries, even if they can't really articulate them.

on a lighter note: they can also wrangle ASL with pretty high reliability. (it helps that they won't pester ASL to do things that they genuinely do not want to ever do.)

95) What are your weaknesses?

they don't always think before acting, which is not great and results in awkward or outright bad situations sometimes.

they also don't always know when they've fucked up--some social etiquette and norms slip past their mind or don't register at all.

they're very selfish and self-oriented, and hate that ASLsquared have to part ways. they want to stay together! they don't want to have to give any of them up! as unrealistic as they know it is, it still hurts and makes them feel like they're the only one who doesn't want to leave, which makes them want to hold onto them harder.

... on a lighter note: ASL's smiles. ace's dimples. luffy's sparkling eyes. sabo focusing on them. and don't even get me started on ASL entreating luce with "i love you"s. luce is weak.

98) Do you have any scars?

luce has to continue the monkey d. trend of having something up with the left side of their face, so they're going to get a scar. can't tell you yet what that scar is going to be, though

they're getting various arm and leg scars from 1) Bug Bites, 2) The Regular Battles With Terrifying Megafauna, and 3) normal kid dumbassery

i'll have better answers for this question later on when i’ve. actually. thought about it gjksdfjsdklf

#keg wrecks #set sail verse #literally just the saddest thing is that finding a nickname for luce is /hard/.#i went 'lu-two' in my head and laughed #500shadesofblue

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taterdraws · 6 years

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I love your DBS art- the way you draw Connor in particular is amazing! It really looks like him while still retaining your style. ^_^ Like- you capture the essence of a face (the shapes, the patterns, etc.) while still keeping it simple. And that, imo, is the sign of a great artist! c:

ohhhh thank you so much!!!!!!! i have literally no idea what i’m doing!

#but im glad its working #500shadesofblue #answered

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detroitbecomehumanwritings · 6 years

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your writing is so, so good! everything is extremely well written, with wonderful attention paid to each word and loving detail in each scenario. everything is a pleasure to read- and I especially love everything you write with connor! he's definitely my favorite. :) I must ask- would you ever write something longer than a oneshot? I am in LOVE with your oneshots (they're amazing!) but I'm also quite partial to slow burn, so I have to ask ^_^

Thank you so much friendo, the words are extremely humbling to me! ;w;

Though I’m wary to write chaptered fics in general, simply due to my fear for never being able to finish them, I’m by far not opposed to letting a plot bunny start hopping around my head. For the most part, my worry is largely based in the idea that I’ll start a fic, jump fandom, and then leave whoever was reading it disappointing for it not being done.

It’s a largely old fear since I haven’t taken the time to write a chaptered fic in a while, and by god has this fandom been inspiring me already. If I ever got the right idea for a good slowburn fic, I would not be opposed in doing it c:

#ask #ask general #notwriting #ask writing #500shadesofblue

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dosbysilverqueen · 7 years

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Playlist on 8tracks: “Shadow of My Shadow” by @500shadesofblue

Pretty mellow, but emotionally charged and almost primal. The Nara family, like shadows, have hidden depths.

I’ll list the songs below, so if you want to be pleasantly surprised just ignore the read more.

Home II by Dotan

Elysium by Bear's Den

Cold Love by Rainbow Kitten Surprise

It Ain't Me (Cover) by Boyce Avenue

Save and Sound (Cover) by Me vs Gravity

I Bet My Life by Imagine Dragons

Always Gold by Radical Face

The Night We Met by Lord Huron

I'm Sending You Away by M83

#dreaming of sunshine #playlist #music #audio #links #shikako nara #shikamaru nara #nara twins #500shadesofblue #naruto

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bnheadcanons-scenarios · 7 years

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can I just rant @ you about fem!deku cause like... bnha is in /dire/ need of actual MAJOR female characters that kick ass. I mean, ochako and asui are so so awesome and I love them and I think they're fantastic, but it just feels like there's /no way/ they'd be allowed to get stronger than any of the boy characters. The Fantastic Four (deku, todoroki, bakugou, iida) seem like they get all the challenging fights/growth/action, while the girls have mini "I need to get stronger" arcs :/

AGREED!!

We saw a tiny bit of development with Yaoyorozu in the final exam, some with Uraraka, and very little with Tsuyu but we NEED MORE STRONG FEMALE CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT!!!

I’m hoping for a good Nejire arc to come soon cuz she’s supposed to be hella strong but we don’t know anything about her yet Hori whyyy

#not writing #500shadesofblue

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basicallyjustslashers · 3 years

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🔪🥀☕ Chapter Three of my Ghostface/Reader fic is out! 🔪🥀☕

Give it a read if you enjoy:

-slow burn -coffee shop au! -danny being cute (kind of) and increasingly murderous (definitely)

#dbd ghostface #ghostface x reader #danny johnson x reader #dbd ghostface ao3 #dbd ghostface fanfiction #dbd ghostface fanfic

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shokoraa · 4 years

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Watashi no Hero Academia

By: 500shadesofblue

Summary: Midoriya Izuku is born a girl. Nothing really changes... except for the things that do. Small shifts become fault lines, and Izuku's journey to be a hero swerves wildly off course.

(Izuku learns to fight. All Might, in his unwavering support, takes support too literally and develops an All Might™ series of sports bras for Izuku's training workouts. Izuku and Todoroki start a sparring club that gets wildly out of hand. Izuku and Uraraka are great friends that hold hands sometimes. It's fine.)

Status: Incomplete Updated: Dec. 7, 2018

Words: 117,192 Chapters: 35/?? Language: English

Fandom: 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence

Category: Multi, F/F, F/M, M/M

Characters: Midoriya Izuku, Yagi Toshinori | All Might, Midoriya Inko, Todoroki Shouto, Uraraka Ochako, Iida Tenya, Class 1-A (My Hero Academia), The Entire Boku No Hero Academia Cast, Original Female Character(s), Original Female Character(s) of Color

Relationship: Midoriya Izuku/Todoroki Shouto, Midoriya Izuku/Uraraka Ochako

Additional Tag: Cisswap, Female Midoriya Izuku, POV Female Character, girls who like girls, and guys, Bisexual Midoriya Izuku, this title is not original, so I won't be surprised if someone's done this title before, all might sports bras, Strong Female Characters, Slow Burn, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, BAMF Midoriya Izuku, copious occurrences of sparring, Friends to Lovers, Genderswap, honestly izuku doesn't have to be cis, if she's trans in your heart she's trans in the fic, only rule is that she's a girl so anything goes beyond that

#ao3 #mha fanfic #genderbend #tododeku #izuocha

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tackyink · 6 years

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Just FYI, I’m the person who’s been serially commenting on chapters (my extreme apologies if I’ve been increasing your stress levels! ^^;), and I just wanted to say that the song ‘the fear you won’t fall’ is such an extreme late game Soft law/saki song ty for attending my ted talk

Ooh, THANK YOU! It’s not stressing me at all, on the contrary, it’s very motivating! I hope you don’t mind me publishing this, because that song is fitting, to say the least, and I want other people to see. Also, I know what happens after the timeskip and “ψ(｀∇´)ψ

#tacky asks #500shadesofblue

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ao3feed-connor · 6 years

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Grief and Mourning

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2KSoZ7K

by 500shadesofblue

Connor helps you hold on after a loss.

This is a vent fic. For other people going through losses, I figured it might help you feel better to read something like this, so I decided to post it. It's quite short.

Words: 160, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)

Rating: Not Rated

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: F/M, M/M, Multi

Characters: Connor (Detroit: Become Human), Reader

Relationships: Connor (Detroit: Become Human)/Original Female Character(s), Connor (Detroit: Become Human)/Reader, Connor (Detroit: Become Human)/Original Male Character(s)

Additional Tags: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Grief/Mourning

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2KSoZ7K

#ao3feed #fanfic #dbh #dbh connor #detroit: become human

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phanfictioncatalogue · 6 years

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Omegaverse/Neko Heats Masterlist

Links Last Checked: September 11th, 2022

Bonded (fanfiction.net) - mrs-cookieeater

Summary: Dan is an Omega in heat, and his roommate, the Alpha Phil, just can’t help himself.

Bond With Me - your-precious-phan-blog

Summary: Omega!Dan goes into his first heat during school and Alpha!Phil looks after him.

From the Auction House to Love (ao3) - omgdatphantho

Summary: Phil’s an Omega sold at auction to Alpha!Dan. Slowly, they fall in love with each other.

Heat Wave - your-precious-phan-blog

Summary: Neko Dan in his first heat and doesn’t understand what is happening but is too scared to tell Phil.

Heat Wave (ao3) - 500shadesofblue

Summary: Dan’s in heat. Phil is his best friend. The fact that Dan was an Omega and Phil was an Alpha was never really addressed before they started living together. It even became helpful - most of the Alphas who smelled another Alphas scent all over Dan decided not to bother him. But when Dan forgets his suppressants and goes into heat, all hell breaks loose.

I’ll look after you (ao3) - JustALittleShipper

Summary: Phil’s heat hits him unexpectedly. Where is Dan?

I’m All Yours (I’ve Got No Control) (ao3) - Band_obsessed

Summary: Dan and Phil are in the middle of an argument when Dan goes into heat.

I’m Not Your Omega - your-precious-phan-blog

Summary: (tw) Dan’s in heat while Phil is at work. with no way to contact Phil with his forgotten phone another Alpha picks up Dan’s scent and walks into their home to claim Dan as his own. Will Phil get home in time to save his Omega? Does his Omega need saving at all?TW- Blood, non-con

Mr. Lester - your-precious-phan-blog

Summary: Omega!Student!Dan had his first heat in school and Alpha!Teacher!Phil gets him through it.

My Baby, My Pet - livingvicariouslythroughphan

Summary: Neko!Dan gets his first heat while he and Phil are away.

My Good Omega (ao3) - htmllost

Summary: Dan’s a good omega for his master, Phil. But after a stressful day at work, Phil yells at Dan. He says some pretty harsh stuff. And as if things couldn’t get any worse, Dan goes into heat. Dan hopes his alpha can get to him and take care of him before someone else.

Not Mine - flowers-and-colored-hair

Summary: Phil is an Alpha that has a crush on Dan, who’s an omega. Unfortunately, Dan’s mated to someone else, someone that isn’t there when Dan goes into heat. Phil, however, is.

Tending To (ao3) - scribblw

Summary: Dan’s generally a fail and his forgetfulness gets him into yet another bad situation when his heat comes around, but this time he just has to wait for his alpha to get home and take of him. (A/O smut)

The Beast Inside - your-precious-phan-blog

Summary: Phil ignores Dan’s heat.

Unfounded Trust (ao3) - maetaurus

Summary: Omega!Dan finds himself alone on the streets during his first heat but luckily, Alpha!Phil comes along and offers him safety.

Unusable - your-precious-phan-blog

Summary: Dan’s current Alpha doesn’t love him. In fact he sells Dan’s body for money. One day Dan goes into heat just before his next (and regular) client Alpha Phil. Dan ends up pregnant and when Alpha Chad finds out, he’s less then impressed.

Whatever You Say Kitty - your-precious-phan-blog

Summary: Neko!Dan and Punk!Phil. Dan has a secret crush on Phil. While sitting next to him in class, he gets his heat.

You Can Be My Full Time Daddy - livingvicariouslythroughphan

Summary: Neko!Dan goes into his 2nd heat and Owner!Phil fucks him through it.

#phanfictioncatalogue #phanfiction #phanfic #phan #masterlists #au #smut #sex tw #omegaverse #omegaverse masterlist #neko #neko masterlist

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ao3feed-tododeku · 6 years

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Watashi no Hero Academia

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/2JeAzq9 by 500shadesofblue

by 500shadesofblue

Midoriya Izuku is born a girl. Nothing really changes... except for the things that do. Small shifts become fault lines, and Izuku's journey to be a hero swerves wildly off course.

Words: 595, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence

Categories: Multi

Characters: Midoriya Izuku, Yagi Toshinori | All Might, Midoriya Inko, Todoroki Shouto, Uraraka Ochako, Iida Tenya, Class 1-A (My Hero Academia), The Entire Boku No Hero Academia Cast

Relationships: Midoriya Izuku/Todoroki Shouto, Midoriya Izuku/Uraraka Ochako

Additional Tags: Cisswap, Female Midoriya Izuku, POV Female Character, girls who like girls, and guys, Bisexual Midoriya Izuku, designated female at birth midoriya izuku, dfab midoriya izuku, this title is not original, so I won't be surprised if someone's done this title before, all might sports bras

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/2JeAzq9

#AO3Feed #FanFics #AO3Feed Tododeku #💚#💙#Tododeku #My Hero Academia #Boku no Hero Academia

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detroitbecomehumanwritings · 6 years

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Virtual Love (4/?)

Co-Writer: @500shadesofblue Pairing: Connor/DFAB!Reader (Gender is unspecified) Rating: T (Chapter), NC-17 (Entire Fic) Chapters: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 Summary: Virtual reality is becoming the next great evolution of technology: some say on-par with Elijah Kamski’s breakthrough design of the first modern-day android. It has immeasurable potential; to enhance, to assist, and to completely break the bounds of our reality.

You, as a member of the team spearheading the technology in a branch within Cyberlife, have developed a working prototype. It’s finally finished; all that’s left is a series of trials to check if it’s functioning properly.

On the first test run, however, you find an android named Connor standing in the middle of your virtual kitchen.

Several nights later, you’ve almost gotten into a routine.

The android you encounter in your prototype tests is an… intrigue. It’s far more advanced than any android you’ve ever encountered. Connor is interesting, and once your alarm at his presence wore off, his opinions, his questions, enthrall you. You’ve never spoken this way with an android before, talking just for talking’s sake, and making conversation actually gives you something to think about after a long day of industrial labor.

...Dammit. There you go again. Calling Connor a ‘he.’

“Hey, Connor,” you say lazily. You’re laying on your back, outside in the meadow again, drawn to its sunshine and splendor after a couple days in the real world with dreary rain. Connor, ever respectful, is a couple feet away, properly seated, cross-legged and presumably ramrod straight. You wouldn’t know- you’re staring up at the sky. It’s bright and clear, but you know that the sky in the real world is dark and strewn with stars.

Not that you can see any stars in Detroit.

“Yes?” he says. You exhale softly, feeling the warmth of the earth below, seeing the blue of the sky above. Today - or rather, tonight - it’s filled with puffy white clouds drifting across its expanse.

“Do you have a gender?”

The air is thick with tension, his hesitation almost audible. You keep your eyes on the clouds.

“...What does it matter?” He finally says, and alright, that definitely wasn’t the road you were expecting him to take.

“I…” You almost want to sit up, feel that the subject matter is serious enough that it’s warranted, but you want to hang onto the plausible deniability that staying still, staring up at the sky gives you. You let your thoughts percolate, brewing your ideas, arranging them into a picture you’re ready to present.

“I’m big on respecting what people want to be called, whatever that may be,” you finally say, rawly honest. And by this point… you’re not going to say it, but you’ve been talking with him for almost a week. The level of familiarity you’ve reached is beyond acquaintances, from coin tricks to twenty questions, suspicion to wariness to peaceful acceptance.

“And even if you’re an android, and not ‘people,’” you continue, a bit awkward, “to tell you the truth… it’s been pretty damn confusing in my head.”

“Oh?” he says. You can’t quite discern his tone.

You don’t know why you’re telling him the truth, but… it’s easier. Plus, who’s he going to tell? “I keep going back and forth in my head,” you confess, “between calling you ‘he’ and ‘it.’” It feels like an ugly confession, halfway-between perfectly acceptable and strange. “I thought it’d finally settle the matter if I asked you what you’d prefer. No harm in it, right? Either way, I can get it settled.” And I can stop agonizing about it.

“It’s kind of you to ask my opinion,” Connor says, and behind the soft tones of his voice, you can hear the grass and flowers rustling. “It’s very considerate.”

“It’s not… I’m not being considerate,” you say, oddly defensive, because you’re not . You’ve barely known this android for a week, and you’ve talked every night, but… “It’s not kind to ask what people prefer. It’s common decency, especially if you’re unsure. Just because you’re an android doesn’t mean you don’t…”

Have feelings.

“...doesn’t mean you don’t care about what you’re called,” you finish, lamely.

“Still,” Connor says, “it’s polite of you.”

Your social patterns, honed over decades of interacting with humans and trying to be mindful and respectful, get weirdly mixed up when you’re actually speaking with an android, interacting for a long period of time. Plus, you don’t know how to keep contradicting him without sounding both ungrateful and like an ass, so you just lay there, breathing slow, looking at the sky.

“Androids don’t have… don’t have natural gender, as such,” Connor finally says, breaking the silence, “at least not the way that human beings do.”

This is your cue to sit up.

You lift your arms up from your sides, reaching forwards, heaving yourself up from horizontality. You’re in a simple, loose tank top (can’t go braless while expecting company, even if the company is an android) and a ratty pair of knee-length shorts, loose and comfortable. With all your bare skin, the grass feels lovely, and the sunshine even lovelier.

You finally sit yourself in a comfortable position again, and when you look at Connor, his eyes are transfixed on your face in that odd way he does- unblinking, intent, absorbing information keenly.

“Go on,” you say, ignoring his staring, scooting to face him. You cross your legs, propping your elbows on your knees and your face on your hands. The way you’re sitting, now, you’re facing him, a little less than two feet away. This close, you can see all the subtle shifting expressions on his face, the yellow flickering of his LED made golden by the sunlight.

“Androids don’t have gender, as such,” he says eventually, looking away. You turn your gaze in the same direction, looking over the field of endless flowers. Among the kaleidoscope of color, you spy splotches of pale purple in clusters of green, heart-shaped leaves.

Dog-violets.

“Our preferences are… hardwired into us,” Connor continues, voice distant. “Gender makes humans comfortable. So, as such, I do prefer being called a ‘he’ over an it.”

There. There’s your answer.

“Plus,” Connor says, and you feel his gaze on the side of your face. “Being referred to with gendered pronouns facilitates integration, as it humanizes us in the eyes of others.”

Right.

“So you’re good with ‘he’?” You say, turning back to look at him. In another one of his typical expressions (which you recognize even in the short time you’ve known him), his eyebrows are slightly drawn together, mouth subtly downturned.

“Yes,” he says, a note of finality in his voice. “In fact, I’d even say that I prefer it.”

“Okay,” you say cheerfully. You pivot neatly, flopping back down in the grass. You can feel the smile blooming on your face.

You don’t know why, but you feel lighter.

“Does that answer your question?” he says, voice filtering down from above. He almost sounds amused.

“Yup,” you say, popping the p. “Perfectly, thanks.”

“Why did you want to know?” He says.

You don’t know why he’s pressing this.

“It doesn’t kill me to give common courtesy,” you say, a small frown on your face. “Even if it’s just to an android. When something has a face, when I’ve been talking to it for more than five hours cumulatively… when it has opinions, and questions…” you turn to look at him, and at this angle, you can only see his suit, the slope of his neck, and the hard cut of his jaw. And his mouth.

“It’s hard not to humanize something when things are like that.”

You look away, back at the sky.

“I think I understand,” he says.

After twenty minutes more peaceful silence, laying in the warm grass under the bright blue sky, you tell him see you tomorrow and you log out.

Work is boring.

You spent your life working towards this. Battling through high school, through college, through long hours of internships and grunt work and working your way up the ladder until finally you made it where you wanted to be.

Virtual reality development.

But now that it’s done, you just feel… well, you’re not sure.

You want to test it. Spend all your time inside VR, practicing manipulation, seeing what you can do. But you still have a job, technically, even if all you do is troubleshoot. It’s still not ready to be released to the public; guides need to be written, instructional manuals, tips and tricks and things to be aware of. It’s most of why your whole team is still troubleshooting the damn thing. Such a complex project coming together is bound to create gaps in awareness, blind spots as people focus on perfecting their own corner of the tech. Experiencing VR as a whole gives a fuller, better picture. So…

So, why can’t you test the tech at work?

Well, you left the damn headset at home on your coffee table, that’s why.

So you huff, turning your attention back towards the code you’re reading over for a friend. Mere formalities, at this point. You know it’s completely fine.

When did your nights become the highlight of your day?

You push the thought to the back of your mind and keep working.

That night, you phase into VR between one blink and the next.

Your eyes shoot open and you scan the room- ah. Connor’s on the other side of the couch, his ‘usual’ spot.

“Hey, Connor!” you greet, smiling.

“Hello,” he says, and gives you a slightly sad but evidently genuine attempt at a smile. It terminates somewhere between its command and execution, leaving him with an awkward twist of the lips, but you’re used to it by now.

“Hey, okay, idea,” you say, businesslike.

You see him perk up, attention sharpening.

“We should practice manipulating the virtual reality,” you say, gesturing around the room in a vague, sweeping generality. “It’s all I’ve been thinking about all day, honestly. And I bet you’d be good at it!”

You’re not sure if Connor has practiced conjuration in the time between your little coin trick and now, but if he has, you haven’t seen it.

“I have made several attempts,” he says, and you’re not even surprised that he’s managed to find the time. You’re not sure how you know, but Connor seems… crafty. You have a feeling he’s good at finding loopholes and ways to achieve his goals.

You raise an eyebrow. “How’d they go?”

He smiles at you, and this one almost looks genuine. “Very well, though the tests were simple.”

And, as you watch, holds a hand out in front of him. When your attention refocuses, he clenches his fist, and when it opens…

Slowly, his fingers unfurl, revealing a coin.

You laugh, bright, head bobbing and eyes scrunching shut as the laughter is startled out of you. When you open your eyes, still grinning, Connor’s almost smiling, too.

“Did you enjoy that?” he says.

“It was great!” you can’t help how your voice sounds, unduly enthused. This shit is so cool.

He starts fidgeting with it, but you turn your focus inward. What can you do? Theoretically, your only limits are your own imagination and willpower.

Can you change your appearance?

Whether or not it’s possible, you don’t want to do that, now. For one, you don’t want Connor asking questions. (Or considering doing the same.) You like Connor, you do, but… trust?

Trust is something different entirely.

So you close your eyes and clasp your hands together, holding them in front of you, arms parallel to the ground.

You hear Connor’s distant what are you doing? but you tune him out, focusing inwards. What can I summon? Start simple. How about…

Your mind flicks from object to object, ranging from the practical to the wildly impractical. A red rubber ball. Dancing flames. A glittering, gem-encrusted dragonfly. A purple blossom. An ornate, painted egg.

An egg…

You feel something building between your palms. Warm, and tingling, almost. Like a word, on the tip of your tongue, but you can’t quite…

And then there’s something between your hands, forcing them a few inches apart to make room, and your eyes fly open.

Your eyes dart to Connor’s face, his eyes transfixed on your hands. You can hear…

Peeping.

You open your cupped palms, slowly, supporting the chirping creature within. You keep looking back and forth, from Connor’s face to your own opening palms, a slow reveal.

You sigh as you take in the sight, settled between cupped palms: A fluffy yellow chick with shiny black button eyes, peeping and looking around. It looks- it looks real , feels warm and downy soft in your hands.

“You’ve created life,” Connor says. He sounds sincere.

“The facsimile of life,” you correct him, a warm smile stealing over your face, using a thumb to stroke the chick lightly along the side of its small, feathered body. You can feel it’s tweets reverberating through its chest, quieting as it settles into your hands, placated by touch.

“It’s very… small,” Connor says, voice quiet. He looks enthralled, more entranced than you’ve ever seen him.

“Do you want to hold it?” you say.

“Oh, I…” he looks almost… embarrassed? But surely, you’re imagining that. “If you want. There’s no purpose to doing so.”

“Here,” you say, soft, holding it out, keeping your palms together, careful not to jostle it. You stop stroking it and it starts cheeping again, but it settles as you stroke a fingertip across its chest.

Connor steps forward, reaching, and cups his hands together under yours, cradling them. Illogically, his hands are warm. Bigger than yours, large enough to easily encompass them. And those facts are… irrelevant. You push them to the back of your mind.

Unbidden, you feel a flush rising to your face as you part your hands, slowly withdrawing. The chick tweets, panicked, as your hands start to move away, and it staggers into the cradle of Connor’s palms. Connor’s fingertips drag against the back of your hand as you pull away- irrelevant . You take a step back: You need some space.

“I can’t scan it,” Connor says, and you can’t read his tone. His voice is soft. “I can only… feel it. I can sense its warmth, and its texture. I can hear it.”

As if called to action, the chick starts peeping furiously, feathers ruffling, looking around frantically.

“Pet it,” you suggest. Your eyes keep flicking back and forth between his hands and his expression. The chick looks even smaller in the cradle of his hands, and his face has a familiar expression on it: intensely focused. “It worked for me.”

“Comfort,” Connor muses, voice low. But he curls his pointer finger away from the rest, stroking along the chick’s feathers, and it quiets.

You want to say I wonder what’ll happen when we log out? But you know what’ll happen to the chick. It’ll stop existing, like everything does in VR. Unless you establish the server permanently… but that’s beyond beta testing, only available when the final version comes out. Your house, the meadow outside… it’s all default, generated every time you enter VR.

“Willpower,” Connor muses, snapping you out of your reverie. The chick is still in his hands- oh, it’s dozing off. It looks like a pile of golden fluff, soothed and quiet by Connor’s petting. “You summoned this… this facsimile of life through willpower. Did you foresee its behavior?”

“No,” you say. “I just pictured…” a baby bird. A chick. The color wasn’t planned, nor its need for… comfort.

“Yes?” Connor prompts.

“I just thought of a baby bird,” you say. “Hatching from an egg.”

When you go into the next session, Connor is absent, as is the chick. Your virtual-cat isn’t there, either.

You’ve never felt more alone.

The next session, Connor’s back.

Your cat - who’s gotten into the habit of settling on your lap for your long, nightly VR sessions - comes along for the ride, too. You know it’s not actually your cat, but it sure acts like your cat, affection, quirks and all. It’s comforting, at least.

So you practice summoning vibrant plumed feathers and scraps of colorful fabric for your cat to play with. Connor, expression colored with amusement, keeps to his side of the couch.

You’re dangling a vibrantly red strand of yarn for your cat (who’s batting at it playfully), jerking it back and forth, when-

A mouse goes flying past your face.

You shriek, jerking back- oh goddammit, Connor.

You shoot him a glare. The mouse - which your cat is racing over to investigate - is currently motionless and clearly mechanical, joints segmented and body hairless, skin a shiny chrome. You can hear whirrs and buzzes as your cat - overjoyed at the superior toy - sprints after it as it starts to scurry.

“Why are you like this,” you say, grumpily settling deeper into the couch.

“I figured I’d utilize my own expertise to contribute towards your goal,” he says smartly. You refuse to look at his face, but you have a feeling that he’s looking smug in his own self satisfied, android-y way.

You grumble, but you both spend the rest of the session chatting softly, watching your cat chase the mechanical mouse around your living room.

That night, as usual, you go to bed with a smile.

(You don’t know how or why, but somehow, Connor has become a part of your routine. Moreover, he’s become the highlight of your day.

Virtual reality and its manipulations are incredible, and you're becoming better and better at twisting reality. Connor, too.

Things were going so well.

It makes sense that something had to break.)

“What...are your thoughts on androids?”

The question catches you off-guard.

You had expected something along the lines of your background, maybe even your professional credentials--it is what most people tend to ask when getting to know someone else. College you graduated from, notable achievements in your career, that sort of thing.

You didn’t actually expect Connor--an android itself--to ask you about your opinions of them.

It’s a bit unnerving, actually. You feel your thoughts flutter for a moment, unable to come up with a response that wasn’t anything more than a jumble of confused noises.

Your thoughts on androids?

“I--well,” You sputter out an attempt of a sentence before coming back to yourself. “Could you clarify? That’s a….really general question.” Not to mention awkward. Odd. It left a slightly sour taste in your mouth.

Connor blinks. You can practically feel him processing your words, though it’s barely a moment of silence before he speaks again.

“Simply your general view on androids as a societal topic.” He speaks as if he’s discussing the weather. “I’ve met many people who think quite negatively of androids for their impact on the job market, among other things. I was wondering how you saw androids due to your position and background.”

His words are fluid, somewhere between sounding rehearsed and spur-of-the-moment that it leaves you feeling off-kilter. Surreal. You’re not sure why he’s asking- did he hear something in real life, during his job, on the topic? Is he coming to you for your opinion? You’re not sure why.

It’s a cold reminder that the being you are speaking to is simply not human.

“Well, I mean…” You can’t keep your eyes on his--they look a hair too intense, too focused. You save the moment by looking out, into the meadow, as if any number of the flowers in the distance caught your attention. “They’re...helpful?”

You hear Connor let out a cut-off hum. Is he asking your opinion for a purpose?

It takes a few seconds to collect your thoughts in a way that sounds professional, deserving of your background and education that should have given you a bit of worth to speak on the topic. You are no expert by any means, but androids were a part of everyday life for a lot of people--they aren’t something you can just choose to ignore. Plus, working for Cyberlife, you can't really afford to have an unprofessional opinion.

“I think that the discovery of androids were a great aid to humanity,” you say, words coming out slowly. You're not sure why you’re so cautious about the words you’re using--he's just an android, it's not like he's going to argue with you. He doesn’t have an opinion. “...I think that, despite the employment issues, androids have been a great tool--” The word sits awkwardly in your mouth. “--in many fields of expertise. Medical, technological, research and development, even childcare.”

Is there a purpose to what you’re even saying? You’re answering the question of an android, what purpose would Connor even want to know--he didn’t even have the capability to have desires.

With the way you talk with Connor, sometimes you forget. But you shouldn’t. No matter what he says, what information he shares… he’s an android.

He’s not human. Why am I even being careful? It’s no different than taking survey answers, right? Asking without a purpose, without a desire--without a soul?

But you answer the question as honestly as you can.

“I’ve met a lot of people who share a less positive outlook than you do for androids in society,” Connor says, tone immeasurable. “It’s interesting to hear the opinions of those around me as I continue with the missions I’ve given.”

Your internal tension breaks, and a huff of amusement comes from your mouth before you can stop it. Connor looks over to you just as your eyes move back to meet his gaze.

“I mean,” You offer him a shrug. “I never thought an android would ask me on my opinions on androids.”

“I am programmed to learn from my environment,” Connor starts. Does he sound defensive? “I am also equipped with a multitude of subroutines to help me incorporate myself in a variety of social situations. I felt it appropriate to ask since you say that you work within Cyberlife.”

“So, you’re curious,” Your words slip from your mouth before you can stop them, a moment of naive amusement against the forgotten truth.

Connor's gaze is hard and cold in return, a quick shift from the gentle look mere moments before. “I have already explained that I do not exhibit curiosity.” Connor definitely sounds defensive as he speaks and it, more than anything, seems surreal. “Seeking information is simply a byproduct of my programming to solve difficult cases that require complex thought processes to work through.”

Oh.

You swallow down a lump in your throat, cold reality settling into your thoughts. You try to save the moment between the two of you, scrabbling together the shredded pieces of the conversation with a half-genuine smile.

“That sounds like curiosity to me, however you want to explain it.”

Connor doesn’t seem to have a response to that. He doesn’t seem to meet your eyes at all after that, staring off instead into the distance, entrenched in his own thoughts. Is he angry at you?

Is it even possible for him to feel anger?

Ten minutes of tense silence later, you wish him curt farewell and log out of the program.

You’re not sure why, but you feel sad.

#dbh #detroit: become human #connor #readershot #virtual love #virtual love chapter #writing #connor readershot #readerinsert #reader insert #connor readerinsert #connor reader insert

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