#I did this instead of working on the projects I have to deliver...

[sakuravalenp]

Don't eat anything else - Part 4 - DP X DC

Previous part

Masterpost

Danny tried to ignore the black dots that were appearing in his vision, keeping all his concentration on making sure the duplicate in front of him remained stable. He was in his Phantom form, while the duplicate was in his human form, just standing there, the two of them looking at each other while keeping the fireballs in their hands burning. He didn’t need to look to his side to know that Vlad was observing him. 

They've been here in this position for hours now, or at least he was pretty sure that's the case with how exhausted he's feeling. The view must be underwhelming, and Danny himself would be bored if he weren't putting so much energy and concentration into keeping this up. But apparently, it's entertaining enough for Vlad. Obsessions are like that; Danny could also stare at the stars for hours, even if they remained the same throughout the night. 

Vlad had started the training the same day Danny had moved into the manor. He hadn't really listened to his instructions back then; he has learned better by now. Vlad had forced Danny to learn all his powers in the first weeks and has been constantly training him on them since. He's been “advancing well,” which pleases Vlad. What Vlad didn’t like as much was Danny having powers he didn’t have. He had prohibited Danny from using them, which lasted until Danny started freezing one morning. Now he had permission to release some ice every night. 

When Vlad had to accept that Danny had powers he didn't, he tried to do the opposite, develop Danny's powers himself, which didn't work. Vlad might insist they're the same, but they're not. They're both hybrids, but Danny's a true Halfa, while Vlad's only called a Halfa for simplicity. Vlad just got an explosion of ectoplasm in his face, he’s closer to being ⅓ ghost, just like Ellie is closer to being ⅓ human. 

That’s not the case for Danny, a portal opened over him, he’s the perfect balance between both realms. He has the potential of acquiring any and all ghost abilities in existence, if the opportunity presents itself. Danny had been terrified of the idea when Frostbite had first told him about it, but he was thankful for it now. Who knows how much torture Vlad would have put him through before accepting he was not going to be able to acquire his abilities?

“Well, that's enough for today.” Vlad finally says with a clap.

Danny's duplicate disappears with a pop, as he lets the fire in his hands extinguish as he stops giving it fuel. It's hard getting his eyes focused, but he can blurrily see the red tinge in his hands. They probably got burned again, but the exhaustion doesn't let him process the pain. Just because he can learn any ability doesn't mean they’re all easy or suited to him, and his body didn't really get along with fire.

“Now, drink your ectoplasm. You still need to work on your control. You're wasting too much ectoplasm on such a small fire.” Vlad extended a vial of ectoplasm.

Danny isn't sure when he got so close, but he's too exhausted to even flinch. Vlad hadn't given him permission to drop his Phantom form, so his mind was still preoccupied with that. He numbly received the vial.

“Thank you, Vlad.” Manners were something else Vlad made sure he got early on.

He started drinking the green liquid slowly. Just the sensation of ectoplasm going down his throat helped calm the exhaustion. It wasn't as big a portion as he would have liked, but he knows better than to complain. It'll be enough to at least take the dizziness away. He could get more in his bedroom anyway.

“You can drop your transformation.” Danny's light ring passed through him before Vlad could even finish his sentence. The man placed a hand on his head, and Danny is too used to it to even think about pushing it away. “You did well today. I'm proud of your advancement little badger!”

A tension that had been in Danny's chest from the beginning of the training session eased, and for a second the idea of leaning into the praise crossed Danny's mind. He shut it down fast, reminding himself that the sensation was just relief. That he's just relieved Vlad was happy with him today because it means there won't be any punishment soon.

This isn't love; this isn't affection. He remembers Jazz's rant about trauma bonding, and remembers not understanding how anyone could get attached to their abusers. He gets it now. He has to keep reminding himself that there's nothing affectionate about the way Vlad treats him. 

Vlad withdraws his hand from Danny’s head, “We'll start with three duplicates tomorrow! Now, go take a bath. I'll go collect the meat for the day.”

Danny pressed his hands to his eyes, trying to get the image of corpses out of his mind. He's already butchering a corpse in a couple of hours, he doesn't need the mental reminder of how they look, thank you, brain. By the time he takes his hands off, Vlad is long gone. So Danny starts walking to the training ground showers. 

Water is falling down his back, and Danny isn't sure at what point he actually got into the shower. His body must have gone in itself out of habit. 

It's honestly so Jarring. The day is going like any other. Like yesterday never happened. Like the Waynes never visited. Like Danny hadn't received a text from Sam and Tucker telling him not to worry, and that they would take care of everything. Like there was no plan to take Vlad down going on out there. 

Part of him is wondering if there actually wasn’t one. If his mind just made up everything that happened yesterday.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

When the bell rang, announcing it was time for recess, both Tucker and Sam hurried to the back of the school. The school had implemented a metal fence after one too many unannounced visits from the GIW, making it clear they were not welcomed on school grounds without a warrant. It had been a huge relief for the three of them back then, but also a huge obstacle when attending ghost attacks outside school property.

Danny was quick to make a hole in it behind a shrubbery set. It became basic practice to sneak out of school through it without anyone noticing.

Once on the street, Sam and Tucker only shared a passing glance before rushing in opposite directions. There was no need to talk about what they had to do, they had spent most of last night talking things out, and they only had the recess time to get it all done. They had no idea when the Justice league would show up, but hopefully it would be soon, so it was better to have everything prepared. 

The plan for this little escapade wasn’t anything elaborate. Not long after Danny’s death, when it became obvious that the ghosts were not leaving any time soon, they began planting emergency kits around the city. A precaution, so that if there was a ghost attack, they had everything they would need regardless of where the attack happened, from ecto-webs to ecto-dejecto.

Which was a good thing, since they had lost anything that had been in the lab at the moment of the explosion. They had split what they needed to collect between the two of them.

First things first, the anti-shadow equipment. Vlad depended a lot on his overshadowing abilities, and with superheroes, that was clearly what they had to tackle first. There were some bags with specter deflectors, but those were too obvious, so it was better to get the Phantom lucky charms.

It had taken a lot of practice, and help from Dora, but eventually, Danny was able to make small amulets with the anti-overshadowing properties but without any of the zapping. Danny had been delighted when he finally managed to protect them from being overshadowed while still being able to hug them. The advantages of having ecto-magic. Sam was taking care of getting those.

After that, well… Danny had been clear on what he deemed appropriate to give the heroes, but after checking the inventory log that Sam kept up to date, they found they didn’t have any individual ecto-shields in any of their emergency kits, and they weren’t willing to give them the zone ones.

Sure, they wanted them to be able to defeat Vlad, but they couldn’t let them have enough power to go against multiple ghosts; not when they could turn against the infinite realms at any moment. They decided to replace them with some Phantom brass knuckles to add some close combat options instead. Sam was taking care of getting those too.

Tucker was getting a small, modified ecto-gun. It wasn’t as small as Sam's lip balm laser, but it would go unnoticed. They had given a lot of thought on giving the heroes things that wouldn’t be obvious. Everyone knew the Justice League hadn’t taken any interest in the ghost issue, to the point of ignoring the distress calls sent during the first few months of attacks.

Vlad would assume they were unprepared to go against him, they wanted the Justice League to keep that misconception for as long as possible. But that was the full extent of the weapons they were willing to provide. These were heroes; it should be more than enough. They couldn’t risk more. 

It might seem that the balance of what they were collecting was off, but Tucker had something else to focus on, something more important than weapon retrieval: Making sure no ghost attacks could happen while the heroes were here. 

Tucker wanted to believe that the heroes he had grown looking up to would not ignore the obvious sentience of ghosts. That they would not look at his best friend’s ghost form and declared him undeserving of basic rights. That, at the very least, they would treat ghost rogues humanely, like they would with any other villain taken into custody.

But they couldn’t know that. There was no way to stop the heroes from getting their hands on a ghost once they were armed with ecto-weapons. If they decided ghosts needed to be taken into custody, there would be nothing they could do, and they couldn’t allow that. Not while the ecto-acts were still in place. A ghost attack simply could not happen.

Only problem? Ghost attacks were almost impossible to prevent, especially when they came from natural portals. Artificial portals were somewhat controlled entrances, even if the Fentons never bothered to control theirs. Natural portals, on the other hand, were completely unpredictable. Which left only one way to manage them, suppress natural portals entirely while the heroes were in town.

The ecto-EMP, created by the Fentons not long before they died, was able to disrupt ecto-signals in its radio of action. A genius but reckless invention, as it was usual from his best friend's parents. The machine's interference abilities made it impossible for natural portals to stabilize. But in a place like Amity Park, where everyone was at least a little liminal, it felt awful. 

Danny had, of course, been the worst affected the first time the fentons tried it out, well, the worst Amity Parker affected. He had felt completely out of energy, almost too tired to stay conscious. They had worried he had caught some ghost bug and rushed him to Frostbite, just for him to feel as good as new minutes after entering the Infinites realms.

It had been worse for full ghosts. They said it felt like being violently shaken over and over again. Many of them overshadowed objects in a desperate attempt to stay stable. Jazz had helped disable the machine quickly.

Later, Frostbite confirmed it didn’t leave any permanent effects. The worst it could do was push ghosts in a temporary hibernation while their cores stabilized. So Danny had decided to look closer at the mechanisms. The two of them had managed to expand its range while lowering the intensity. In theory, ghosts should be able to evacuate before feeling the need to overshadow anything. 

Unfortunately, they never got to properly test it. It was always meant to be a last-resort method anyway. And if anything qualified as a last resort, the Justice League visiting definitely did.

So that was what Tucker was focussing on. He had hidden the device in the gardens just a couple of blocks from his house. They had agreed never to keep any obvious ecto-weapons at home, for everyone's safety.

These were still experimental weapons, and no one really knew what could go wrong. The Fentons' gear exploding without warning was not unheard of, and as careful as he and Danny tried to be, even some of their own creations had done the same. Ectoplasm was not an easy material to work with. 

Ergo, Tucker made his way through the streets that had seen him grow up, knowing that the hoodie he had thrown on that morning would be enough for people to overlook him. Amity parkers didn’t question things too much, it was probably the only reason they had adapted so quickly to ghosts in the first place.

The streets were as empty as they usually were at this time of day. Kids were at school, adults were either at their jobs or in their homes, everyone busy with their own routines. He passed mostly older folks that were taking advantage of the quiet hours to run errands.

He ducked his head when he spotted Ms. Darlene, a regular at the restaurant where his mom worked. Hopefully, the woman didn’t recognize him. She was a lovely old lady, but she was absolutely the type to snitch to his mom. And if his mom found out he was skipping school, she would undoubtedly send him straight to the infinite realms. No ghost powers needed.

The thought left a tense weight in his limbs for the rest of the walk. Tucker had never been able to shake the anxiety that came with sneaking out, not like Danny and Sam did. Sam sometimes teased him for it, but he had real reason to worry. 

Sam's parents avoided getting involved with the general public for more than business, and nobody wanted to be anywhere near Danny’s parents if they could help it. But Tucker's parents? They were part of the community. His mom knew how half the town liked their meat cooked. His dad was the first to lend a hand whenever someone’s tech broke down. 

For Tucker, every pair of eyes on the street was a potential lead straight back to his parents.

He quickened his pace, avoiding eye contact with the growing number of people coming and going from local businesses. When a massive Eastern Redbud tree finally came into view, he let out a quiet sigh of relief. Half the job was done.

The tree had grown to be as large as a white oak after one of Undergrowth attacks, its roots pushing ever so slightly above the ground like those of a silver maple.

Sam had once ranted about how Amity Park would become a hot spot for botanists if they ever discovered all the bizarre flora that had sprung up here over time. Tucker didn’t doubt it. The research division that had been poking around Amity’s forest before Undergrowth, had surely grown permanent roots in the city after all the new flora.

Tucker didn’t get the appeal outside of the other worldly aesthetic, he wasn’t into botany like Sam, or biology like Danny, but the big trees were definitely useful for hiding things. 

Tucker had made a hole beneath one of the roots to stash the designated emergency kit. Just a couple of roots over sat the ecto-EMP (Phantom name still pending).

He circled around the three until he was facing a Pharaoh symbol he had carved into the tree, then counted two roots to the left. Sam always insisted he should be able to find them without the “stupid little markers” by now, but spatial awareness was never his strong suit.

They had a thousand hideouts scattered around the city, and having tellers that functioned like simple algorithms helped him remember where they were. So, he’ll keep using them, thanks.

Crouching beside the root, he brushed away the fallen flower petals and leaves, revealing what looked like a simple rock embedded on the ground. In reality, it was the lid to the emergency kit. He pushed it aside, the hidden mechanism engaging with a quiet click that let the rock slide easily to the side. 

Tucker reached in and pulled out a sturdy bag by its straps. Inside were three modified ecto-guns. He picked the smallest one and tucked it into his sling bag, securing it carefully before glancing around to make sure no one had spotted him.

The emergency bag was quickly placed back in its hiding spot, and the rock slid back into place over it. He moved to the roots on the right, finding the next rock.

The ecto-EMP was only a few centimeters bigger than a Rubik Cubik. For such a powerful device, it was remarkably compact, though Danny had unsuccessfully tried to make it even smaller. Who knows, maybe after he’s finally out from under Vlad’s grip, they could get back to refining it.

Tucker holds the cube carefully in his hands before slipping it inside his sling bag, checking it wouldn’t accidentally activate. 

They hadn’t yet decided when to activate the ecto-EMP. Sure, Team Phantom's version wasn’t as intense as the Fentons original versions, but there was still an effect. In theory, it could cover the entire city, and in theory, everyone even slightly liminal within its range would begin to feel an underlying fatigue. They didn’t want to leave it on for longer than absolutely necessary. 

Tucker’s PDA buzzed, letting him know he had 10 minutes to make it back to Casper High.

He cursed under his breath, shoving the rock back over the now empty hole and walking as fast as he could without seeming suspicious. The familiar faces on the street once again made him nervous, and he swore to himself to bring something to cover his face next time, even when he knew he wouldn't.

In Amity Park, trying to cover your face made people look harder. 

With his attention more on the clock than the sidewalk, the walk back felt shorter than the one to the tree. He reached the hole in the fence just as the bell rang. Sam was already on the other side of the fence, panting. 

“You look like you ran a marathon.” He commented, squishing his way through the bushes.

Sam glared at him, accommodating the coffin shaped backpack on her shoulders. “I might as well have. My things weren’t all neatly in the same place like yours.”

“Right… Did you get everything?”

“Of course I did. Now let’s hurry back to class. There would be no point in rushing back if we get in trouble anyway.”

Tucker groans but follows Sam into the halls regardless. He had never hated school as much as he did this past few months. It all felt insignificant with everything going on. 

Thank the Ancients that the Red Huntress was able to handle the few ghost attacks that were happening. If they’d had to deal with that on top of everything else, they would’ve burned out completely. 

They hadn’t seen Danny in months. Tucker had been tracking every bit of news, rumor, or glitch that might lead back to him. They’d known he was in danger even before he confirmed it last night. And now, with a visit from the Justice League on the horizon, they still had to sit in class and act normal?

They got to the classroom just before Mr. Falluca closed the door. The maths professor raised an eyebrow, but swung the door back open to let them in.

“You need to be more aware of the time, Miss Manson, Mr Foley. You should be back in the classroom no later than ten minutes after the bell,” he reminds them, before letting them go to their seats.

Tucker wanted to scream that math class was the least of his concerns. Instead, he mumbled an apology alongside Sam and shuffled to his seat. Sam took her usual spot, second row from the door. Tucker headed to his place beside the window.

Mr. Falluca had reorganized them by last names after one too many “disruptions;” the A-listers just had to ruin it for everyone. Danny would have been sitting right in front of him, but he didn’t get to start their sophomore year with them. Vlad had long taken him from them by then. 

Tucker hated that there wasn’t even an empty desk to acknowledge his existence anymore.

He rubbed his poor eyes, which ached from the days he had spent awake. Just a little longer. Soon, they would have Danny back.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

[flamingpudding]

Glitterbombs for rogues

A/N: I got sick over the holidays. So I did not do any of the writing I originally wanted to do. So instead of that Christmas Story you get this Mark Rober inspired little tidbit.

Tim had a new favorite Engineer Youtube. The boy was a bit younger than him but a genius Engineer judging by the hand full of videos Tim had marathoned through. According to the listed self-introduction part of the video, Danny was currently an engineering student in Gotham with the goal to work one day for NASA. (Tim held out some hopes that he maybe could snag the kid for WE if possible. He had already sent out an internship offer after the third video he had watched)

Either way, Danny had potential and ideas that borderlined on mad science. But made his videos of his little projects even more entertaining and interesting to watch. Tim's favorite so far was Danny's explanation on how he reconstructed his toaster so that it would launch itself into space after the third his roommate burned toast with it. He did buy his roommate a new toaster at the end of the video though.

Still Tim liked this guy and his videos. So with anticipation he clicked on one of the newer videos. The title having caught his attention: 'Why Glitter'.

Instead of the usual introduction bit with little highlights of Danny's previous project the video started out with a big fat warning in red letter to not attempt to replicate anything in the video. That had Tim very curious already, but then a little video clip following that had Tim spitting out the coffee he was just sipping from.

Thankfully he missed spitting on his phone, still he jumped out of his cozy bed where he had been watching YouTube on his phone and hurried over to his laptop. The video, meanwhile, was continuing playing. He could hear the usual music from the introduction part as well as Danny's voice explaining his reasosn -which were valid, Tim had to agree with some of them- once that part was done.

By now he had fired up his laptop and was researching. The video in the background was explaining how Danny had build his Glitterbombs similar to the once another youtuber had but slightly modified them since he was not going to use fart-spray. Tim eyes widened as he found the first correlating news articles, wondering how they hadn't seen them sooner, but a glance at the date revealed that they were only posted a couple of hours ago.

Danny in the video was no explaining about his fist chooses victim and Tim dived onto his bed from his desk to get his phone back in his hands. Wide eyed, he watched as Danny obviously with a GoPro strapped to his head, crawled through what looked like an air vent. Once he reached an opening he looked through the slits into what appeared to be Riddlers hide out. Danny took the Camara of his head so that he could grin into it making the sign for silence as he barely contained his own chuckles. The other then waited for a moment, the camera work now getting wonky and the video even glitching out but a second later Danny was back in focuse before pointing down and then directing the Camara to his view. There in Riddlers hideout now sat Danny's self engineered glitterbomb.

"No he didn't..." Tim muttered as the video cut to a different scene. Danny was now walking through the sewers, humming cheerfully while explaining why he chose who he choose.

Another cut and... Tim spluttered. How the hell did Danny manage to just walk into Arkam?! So he hadn't seen wrong at the beginning of the video.

Growing paller with every cut on how Danny delivered his self-engineered Glitter bombs, Tim started to fear for his new favorite youtubers safety. Thankfully he had already done his work on Danny's person when he sent the internship offer. Now he just needed to get Danny to freaking safty.

He dragged himself to his laptop still in disbelieve as various clips of the rogues getting glitterbombed from the bombs perspective started playing. And yep, he definitely didn't see wrong now in the beginning. The Joker was one of Danny's chooses victums. Aside from the fact that he was so going to download and save that video for eternity as well as share it with his brothers and friends, (because as funny as it was that most of them were Gotham rogues, Luther and another millionaire by the name of Masters had also been made victims.), he still had to figure out how to ensure this definitely insane youtubers safer from the warmth of 90% of their rogues now.

Great newly discovered favorite youtuber has just painted a big fat red target on himself.

Tim was just about to call everyone in when a bonus at the end of Danny's video started to play.

He recognized that safe house.

He recognizes the weapons displayed on the walls also.

Oh... that's...

Still laughing Tim still sent out a message to everyone. When asked why all he did was sent them the link to the video with to timestamps.

The first one of the Joker getting glitterbombed

The second one being Red Hood getting glitterbombed.

[deerspherestudios]

I finally got a chance to sit down and play Astronought and it was such a delight! Atom was very cute and silly but also just the right amount of sinister to give the game a fun flair of horror. Even though there is only one ending I still found myself going back to pick all the dialogue options so I could see everything the game had to offer and I’m very glad I did. I wasn’t expecting the reaction when you stay with the AI instead of going for a walk but it was soooooo cool!

I kind of have to gush about the back and forth when the player is in the escape pod and Atom is on the other side of the glass. The tension is DELICIOUS. The fear, the hope, the desperation. And then, finally, the realization that there was never even a chance to escape. Meanwhile, while the player character is grappling with having to accept that they have absolutely no power or control in the situation, Atom is effectively drawing hearts with your names in them on the glass.❤️❤️❤️

I can tell you put just as much thought and love into this project while you were working on it as you do with all your work. And, this might be a long shot, but if you ever felt like going back to add more endings I know myself and many like-minded individuals would be delighted to see it.

AaaAAAA thank you for the kind words ;;v;;!! I really wanted to give some variety so you can get more reactions out of Atom, despite the game being short and having only one ending. And waa knowing that scene delivered the tension I wanted means a lot!!

For now, I can't promise different endings or expansions to Astronought; I'm quite happy with it having an inevitable ending where you're stuck with it no matter what. Atom would never allow you to get a bad ending, and you can't exactly fight a whole ship of worms without taking yourself out too.

Maybe someday if inspiration strikes!

[hunieday]

Momo - 16PRODUCERS Rabbit Chat

Please note that I am not a professional translator and I'm only doing this to share the side materials to those who cannot access them, if you notice any mistakes please let me know nicely. Enjoy!

Yuki: Thanks for your hard work

Yuki: Anyone here?

Okazaki Rinto: You’re early, Yuki-kun!? I’m here!

Yuki: Okarin, you’re online. Yuki here

Okazaki Rinto: Yeah, I know. There’s still time before the interview though...

Yuki: That’s true, but today’s an important interview day and I finished composing, so I thought I’d camp here early.

Okazaki Rinto: How wonderful. Momo-kun will be thrilled when he reads this!

Yuki: Yeah, who’s the star of the show today after all? Are you at the recording booth with him?

Okazaki Rinto: Actually, the recording ran longer than scheduled so Momo-kun should be back to the dressing room right around the interview time!

Yuki: Is that so. So it’s just the two of us for now.

Yuki: So what should we talk about until he’s back. Shall we have a competition to list what we find the cutest about Momo?

Okazaki Rinto: There’s no way I’m winning that. Let’s talk about what we like about you instead!

Yuki: Are you doing a bit

Okazaki Rinto: Momo-kun himself actually suggested it. He said "There’s a chance I’m gonna be late, you two can just talk about how super handsome Yuki is!"

Yuki: We thought the same thing.

Okazaki Rinto: I’ll start with my opinion! You used to say you weren’t good with people, but now you’re so approachable it’s amazing!

Yuki: Thanks. Do I have to say something too?

Yuki: I can write music

Okazaki Rinto: Next! I also think you’re an incredible actor. I feel so proud seeing you soar even beyond the idol world!

Yuki: Thank you. More new rivals keep popping up, so I can’t slack off anymore.

Yuki: Now’s my turn

Yuki: Now I’m out

Okazaki Rinto: That’s it!?

Yuki: That’s it

Momo: You barely scratched the surface!?!?!?

Yuki: Here comes Momo

Momo: Here comes Momo-chan!! Sorry for making you two wait 🥺🥺 I couldn’t stop smiling reading all the rabbichat notifications 🥰

Momo: But really, just three or four points don’t even compare in the sea of Yuki’s charm!?!?!?!? Like, his beauty mark is beyond handsome, the way he looks at me with such intensity makes me fall in love all over again. He’s so beautiful from the tip of his fingers to every strand of his hair?!?!?!?

Momo: And the way he calls me his “precious partner” is just too handsome…!!!

Yuki: You type really fast, Momo.

Momo: Lightning fast!!!!!

Yuki: I appreciate you saying all that, but today is all about you, Momo.

Momo: That’s trueee~

Momo: You’re gonna share,,,, what feelings you poured into producing my project right,,,,,,,,

Momo: aaaaaaaaaghhh can my heart even handle this ‼ Yuki, Okarin, please take it easy on me ‼

Yuki: I’ll be gentle.

Okazaki Rinto: Let’s get started! As requested, we’re aiming for a casual, relaxed vibe for this interview, as if you’re not even working. So we decided to do it over rabbichat!

Okazaki Rinto: First off, Momo-kun! Please tell us how you felt when you found out Yuki-kun’s gonna produce your song!

Momo: Hmm...he usually composes for Re:vale as a whole, but he did it just for me this time. To think that he created not just the song but also the lyrics, costumes, and the whole concept...I feel so lucky it’s almost too much to believe.

Momo: The person I’ve admired for so long brings me so much happiness now. I want to take that a hundred, a thousand times and deliver it back to all my fans.

Momo: Wait a sec is this real? I’m not dreaming, right?

Okazaki Rinto: Don’t pinch your cheeks so hard, Momo-kun!

Yuki: It’s real, Momo.

Momo: It is...

Momo: This is so special to me that it always felt like a dream! I mean, just singing with Yuki already makes me so happy, but I didn’t know there was even a possibility to ascend to another level of happiness.

Yuki: I’m just as grateful for the opportunity to focus on a project entirely for you, Momo.

Momo: Yukiiiiii~

Momo: Wait a sec, how come my darling is the most handsome guy in the world !?!? 😭😭😭

Yuki: I know. So what did you think when you heard the song?

Momo: It was so cool... I thought it’d be more cutesy

Momo: But it was completely different! And it has this super stylish dance number, I could picture us dancing together the moment I listened to the airy melody.

Momo: Even though we sing in a high pitch, the deep bass was so powerful, I love it soooooooo much…

Yuki: I’m happy

Yuki: I wanted to capture all your different sides

Okazaki Rinto: Interesting…! I’d love to hear more about your creative process!

Yuki: You could say it’s about Momo’s “switches”, in a way. A switch for when he’s singing, when he’s performing.

Yuki: A switch for when he’s pressing close to my side, thinking about lyrics to write. Working earnestly and wholeheartedly.

Yuki: They’re all different switches within Momo. It all shifts. The gap between them all is intriguing.

Momo: My “switches” huh... So that’s how you see me. 

Momo: You’re right though, I do change depending on the person or situation without even realizing. The gap between the melody and the high pitch reflect that.

Momo: And the electronic sounds are supposed to represent little switches, right? That’s just like you, it’s fascinating!!!!

Yuki: Thank you. It was challenging since I wasn’t allowed to compose the entire thing myself, but it was worth it.

Momo: And the lyrics moved me deeply. I could feel your message of wanting to face the future together, and to keep singing for an eternity and beyond.

Yuki: That’s right. This song is for you, who pulled me forward and shone your light upon me that day.

Momo: That’s because

Momo: Yuki’s music gave me the push I needed back then

Momo: So that’s why I

Yuki: Momo. You always say you’re thankful to me but

Yuki: "Beneath the countless stars, I can reach anywhere as long as I’m with you." Being with you lets me sing anywhere, Momo.

Yuki: Just like that day we sang together on the sandy beach of a deserted island, the place where you and I sing, the place where Re:vale is, will always be the best stage ever. (1)

Okazaki Rinto: Momo-kun’s crying.

Yuki: Don’t shed tears when I can’t be with you to wipe them.

Momo: Wh

Momo: Whoa stop stop stop stop hold up wasn’t that way too smooth?!?! That line was so hot my tears stopped on their own!?

Yuki: Hello, it’s me, the handsome Yuki.

Momo: Kyaaaa!! Please look my wayyy!! 🤩✨

Yuki: Yep. I’m looking straight at my phone.

Momo: lolololol thanks! I totally feel your eyes on me 🤩✨

Okazaki Rinto: Alright, I’m sorry but let’s get back on track. I’d love to hear about the concept behind your outfits and promo shoots!

Momo: I’m so excited to hear about it! I was hyped the moment I walked into the room for the photoshoot! It looked exactly like a gaming room 🎮

Yuki: The song doesn’t fit an outdoor setting. I felt like even indoors would still be too bright, so I went for a moody, neon-lit setup the moment I found out something like that existed.

Yuki: It was perfect for Momo since he loves gaming, but the gentle neon light reflecting in the dark felt especially very Momo-like to me

Momo: I’m so happy!!!! I really do love those kinds of lights toooo~~ I see how it is, hehe~~~~

Okazaki Rinto: Yuki-kun, your idea of what “feels Momo-like” is always very diverse.

Yuki: Is it? I think it’s normal

Momo: And don’t forget the outfits, I loved them so much >u< Yuki doesn’t usually wear clothes in that style so I snapped a ton of photos of him!

Yuki: I thought we might as well embrace the Momo vibe for this shoot too. We even took tons of pictures together.

Momo: Yup! We were dressed like Player 1 and Player 2! 🪄

Yuki: It's been fun trying a style I don’t normally wear

Momo: You looked amazing!! 😍 💚 Why don’t you start wearing clothes like that more often?!

Yuki: Then how about we try some different combinations next time? (2) 

Momo: Huh?! W-w-ww-w-ww-we don’t have to go that far!!!!!!!!!???

Yuki: Why not? Matching outfits always have a wide variety

Momo: Huh!!!!!!!!!! Okarin !!!!!!!! What do I do !!!!!!!! Work is one thing, but a private setting is totally different?!?!?!?!?!

Okazaki Rinto: I find it funny that you��re typing what you’re muttering in real life, LOL.

Yuki: How nice. I wanna be there too

Momo: You have work after this right? so Momo-chan will wait for you to finish!!

Yuki: Yeah. Thank you

Okazaki Rinto: The request was to make this a more relaxed conversation, but you might be a bit too relaxed right now, or maybe you’re just acting like you always are….

Yuki: Is that a problem? It’s fine, right, Momo?

Momo: Right, Yuki! 🫶

Okazaki Rinto: That’s right! It’s totally fine! And finally, please share a message for the fans!

Yuki: This new direction may surprise some fans, but from where I stand, Momo is strong, gentle, and full of warmth. Just like a sunrise that blends the dark and light, he’s a mix of many wonderful qualities.

Yuki: That’s why the song plays tricks with a variety of rhythms, melodies and singing tones. They reflect Momo’s ever-changing expressions. I hope you enjoy “Get in the Groove.”

Momo: I always spend every day thinking about how happy I am ever since Yuki and I became Re:vale. Sometimes so much so that I wish time could stop.

Momo: But you know, listening to “Get in the Groove” made me feel even happier! I know this project was born all thanks to our fans’ unwavering support. Thank you so much!!! I feel like the happiest person alive right now!

Momo: And that’s why I want everyone who supports us to feel as happy as I do, always and forever! I hope that you never get your feelings hurt! And if sadness ever comes your way, I hope our songs will be able to heal you!

Momo: Re:vale will always be a warm light, shining on everyone like the sun that rises each morning. Now and forever, with Yuki by my side!

Momo: That’s all I got!

Okazaki Rinto: Thank you both! This was Re:vale in full force!

Momo: Yup! I feel Yuki’s love overflowing more than usual 🥹❤

Yuki: Really? I’m not really good with words

Momo: Well no, you’ve gotten dangerously much better at that recently!!??!!!

Okazaki Rinto: It’s hard to believe you once had to practice saying stuff like this.

Yuki: Yeah, that sure did happen.

Yuki: Momo, promise me you’ll keep smiling by my side now and forever

Momo: Yeah. I promise!!

For those who are confused, the sandy beach of a deserted island refers to a specific plot point in part 5 of the main story.

I. am frankly not entirely sure how to interpret this. Because judging by Momo’s reaction I believe Yuki was Most Definitely Not insinuating an actual change of color combinations but. A Different Kind of “combinations”. 

[deliciousangelfestival]

You're The One - 4

Summary: A daughter uncovers the wild, untold story of how her parents’ marriage began—and it’s way better than any romance movie she’s ever watched.

Character: Husband!Bucky Barnes x Female!Reader

Genre: Romance, Comedy

Words Count : 1,654

Chapter 1 , Chapter 2 , Chapter 3 , Chapter 4 , -

Main Masterlist || If you enjoy my work, please consider buying me a coffee on Ko-fi 🙏🏻

Thank you to everyone who has read this chapter. Leave a comment and Reblog, please. I'd love to hear your thoughts. ❤️

Present Day

“Nu-uh.” Bucky glanced at his watch. “She’ll be here any minute, and I need to get to the airport.”

“I’m coming with you!” Jade yelled, already bolting to her room to change.

“Why the sudden interest in coming along?” Bucky called after her.

“Because you won’t tell me the rest of the story, so I’ll ask Mom instead!” she shouted back.

Bucky froze for a moment, muttering under his breath, 'Well, shit.' Then he called out, “Her version will be way more dramatic!”

Jade popped her head out of her room, gasping with excitement. “I have to hear it from her now! Let’s go!”

After a long drive, the two finally arrived at the airport. Standing near the arrival gate, Bucky shifted impatiently while Jade scanned the crowd.

Finally, you appeared, wheeling your suitcase behind you.

“Mom!” Jade ran toward you, wrapping you in a tight hug.

You blinked, startled but touched. “Jade? I didn’t expect you to come along with your dad!”

Speaking of which, Bucky huffed quietly, clearly annoyed that he missed the chance to hug you first. Instead, he settled for a side hug, leaning in and murmuring, “Welcome home,” before grabbing your suitcase.

You smiled warmly and kissed his cheek. “Thanks.”

“I thought you’d be staying another week,” he said as the three of you began walking to the car.

“I wasn’t feeling great, and being sick abroad just made me more homesick,” you explained. As a game development director, you’d been away overseeing the final stages of a new project. It had been a long trip, and you were glad to be back.

Bucky asked, his voice laced with concern, "Are you alright, dear? Have you checked with the hospital? I'll call our doctor."

You shook your head gently, a soft smile playing on your lips. "No, babe. I've got the results, and everything's alright."

Relief washed over Bucky and Jade's faces. Bucky let out a sigh of relief, his shoulders relaxing. Jade, on the other hand, beamed with joy, her eyes sparkling with happiness.

“Mom,” Jade whispered conspiratorially in your ear. “Dad told me he kidnapped you from Clark Jordan.”

Your eyes widened in shock. “He did?” You turned to glare at Bucky, who rolled his eyes dramatically.

“Let’s just go home,” he grumbled, ignoring your laughter and Jade’s giggles.

On the way back, Jade couldn’t hold in her curiosity. “Mom, what happened next after Clark hit Dad?”

You smirked knowingly. “Oh, he told you about that part, huh?”

“Yup,” Jade said eagerly, leaning forward in her seat.

You shook your head, chuckling as the memory came back. “Well...”

🔔💍🔔💍

Flashback

Clark arrived at the location in a rush, his wedding suit slightly disheveled, the jacket discarded in his haste. His tie hung loose around his neck, and his face was etched with determination. He’d come as soon as he could after getting the tip-off about your whereabouts.

Bursting onto the scene, he froze when he saw you and Bucky. The two of you were arguing—your words sharp, your tone frustrated—but there was something unspoken between you. A connection Clark could sense but had never felt with you himself. It wasn’t just Bucky’s audacity that made him furious; it was the realization that something deeper existed between the two of you, something he would never have.

Without thinking, Clark lunged at Bucky, his fist connecting with his jaw. Bucky staggered back but quickly caught himself, his own eyes blazing with fury. He grabbed Clark by the shirt, stopping the second punch, and delivered one of his own in return.

“Stop it!” you yelled, stepping between them.

Both men froze, fists mid-air, their heavy breathing filling the tense silence. They glared at each other, neither saying a word, the tension crackling between them.

You felt a pang of fear—not for your physical safety, but for what might happen to Bucky. Clark wasn’t just a powerful man; his family had the connections to ruin someone’s life with a single phone call. You couldn’t let that happen.

“We should go back,” you said softly, your voice trembling.

Bucky flinched, his arm dropping to his side. He stared at you, stunned. “What?”

Clark took the opportunity to grab your arm gently, his grip firm but not harsh. “Let’s go.”

As he led you away, you couldn’t help but glance back over your shoulder. Bucky was still standing there, watching you. His expression was unreadable, but you couldn’t help the small flicker of disappointment in your chest. You’d hoped, even for a second, that he would stop you, but he didn’t move.

---

In the car, Clark broke the silence first. “Are you okay? Did he hurt you?” His voice was calm, but his worry was clear.

“No, he didn’t do anything,” you reassured him.

He let out a long sigh, relief washing over his face. “Thank God.”

You hesitated before speaking again. “Clark… about the wedding.”

He cut you off gently. “It’s alright.”

You blinked in surprise. Clark had always been kind and patient, but this… this was different. He seemed far too calm for someone whose fiancée had just been kidnapped.

“You must have been terrified,” he continued, his gaze focused on the road. “Out of the blue, someone takes you away. My heart nearly stopped.”

“I’m fine,” you said softly. “He wouldn’t hurt me.”

Clark’s knuckles tightened on the steering wheel. “I’m getting a restraining order. He won’t come near you again.”

“It’s not that simple,” you said quickly, but he cut you off again.

“He kidnapped you, and you’re still not mad at him?” His voice was quiet but filled with hurt.

You flinched at his words.

“I knew you're a brave woman,” he said after a long pause. “I heard you went into a store with him. You could’ve screamed for help, but you didn’t.” He glanced at you briefly, his tone full of disbelief. “It seems like you were willing to go with him.”

Silence fell between you, the weight of his words pressing down.

Finally, Clark spoke again, his voice soft but resolute. “The wedding’s canceled.”

“What?” you whispered, taken aback.

“I realized something today,” he said, his tone calm yet firm. “You’re not the one for me.”

You stared at him, struggling to find the words.

“I saw the way you looked at him,” he continued. “The way you argued, the fire in your eyes. It’s something I’ve never had with you. He’s the one for you, not me.”

You couldn’t deny it. “I’m sorry,” you said, your voice barely above a whisper.

“I am too,” he said with a sad smile. “I thought maybe there was a chance for us. But it seems like you’re meant to be with someone else.”

“You’ll find someone who’s right for you,” you said softly, genuinely.

Before either of you could say more, a loud whirring sound filled the air. You both looked up to see a helicopter hovering above the car.

“What the hell?” Clark exclaimed as you saw the door open.

There, standing boldly with a megaphone in hand, was Bucky. “Stop! In the name of love!” he shouted.

“What the fuck!” you and Clark said in unison.

Clark pulled the car over as the helicopter landed in the middle of the road.

You turned to Bucky as he stepped out. “Seriously?”

Bucky shrugged, a grin tugging at his lips. “I had to make a grand entrance.” He extended his hand toward you.

You glanced at Clark apologetically. “I’m sorry.”

Clark nodded, his face pained but understanding. “Go. Before you make my heart bleed even more.”

You stepped out of the car, your heart pounding as you took Bucky’s hand. He helped you into the helicopter, securing your seatbelt and placing a headset over your ears.

As Bucky climbed in, Clark called out, his curiosity getting the better of him. “What exactly did you do? How did you even afford this?”

Bucky smirked. “I’m the owner of Bitcoin.”

Clark's jaw dropped. "You?!" He had invested some money in crypto and knew a bit about the Bitcoin story, particularly the anonymous creator's preference for secrecy. Could Bucky be the creator of this coin?

Bucky shrugged. “Yeah. I like to keep it low-key.”

Clark muttered to himself, still stunned. “Unbelievable.”

Bucky offered a hand in truce. “Hey, man. I’m sorry I ruined your day.”

“And I’ll hate you for it,” Clark said honestly, shaking his hand. “But at least everything’s clear now.”

Bucky nodded. “You’re a good guy. I hope you find someone who’s perfect for you.”

With that, he climbed into the helicopter and shut the door.

You turned to him, raising an eyebrow. “So, what now?”

“We finish your bucket list,” he said with a grin.

You sighed. “No, we don’t.”

“Why not?”

“Because someone will definitely stop us,” you said knowingly.

“Who?”

“My dad,” you said flatly.

Bucky’s face fell. “Oh, fuck.”

Present Day

“I feel bad for Clark,” Jade sniffled from the backseat, dabbing her eyes dramatically with a tissue.

Bucky groaned, gripping the steering wheel tighter. “Oh, come on. He’s fine. Stop acting like this is some soap opera.”

Jade ignored him, her phone in hand as she scrolled through a quick search. “Wait a minute—oh! Clark got married two years after you two. To his childhood friend! And they have… five kids?! Woah!”

Bucky raised an eyebrow but said nothing, keeping his focus on the road.

“At least he got his happy ending,” Jade murmured, her tone softening. Then her eyes sparkled with realization. “What about Grandpapa? How did Dad win him over?”

Your lips curved into a sly smile as you glanced at Bucky, who suddenly looked tense. “Let’s just say Clark was a beginner level, but your grandfather? He was the Grandmaster level boss.”

“Oh, great. I hate this part,” Bucky muttered under his breath, his face a mix of annoyance and dread.

Jade leaned forward, her curiosity piqued even more by her father’s reaction. “Tell me everything!” she pressed, her eyes gleaming with excitement.

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[redfirefox-55]

Alright instead of doing my homework I will attempt to put my thoughts in a coherent order and explain my off the strings AU (which I’ve given the super long name the Picking up the Pieces AU)

Uhhh just wanna warn you that it’s not super well thought out and it’s purely for self indulgent fun and for me to play with character dynamics and personalities and relationships and such- try not to take it too seriously lol

The main story happens decently post Rivulet campaign and well before Saint’s campaign, but the AU really starts wayyy back right before Hunter’s campaign.

Basically No Significant Harassment had just sent Hunter off to deliver his care package to whatever is left of Moon, and he’s left losing his mind since after Pebbles closed access to his and Moon’s area NSH can’t send an overseer to make sure his messenger even arrives at all (feat some stupid doodles I did to go along with it lol)

And in his desperation, a frankly stupid idea pops into his head.

Obviously the very idea of removing a crucial piece of an iterator’s body and expecting it to be able to continue to function and even travel long distances is logistically shaky at best, and even if it did work would essentially lobotomies their intellectual capacity.. but as things were, if NSH had to choose between living out his days as he was, but without Moon, or live as a fractured version of himself with his best friend.. he had to at least see if it was possible.

If it was possible though, it would no doubt take ages to figure out and make all the necessary preparations, ages which NSH was worried Moon didn’t have.. so he decided he needed help. And who better to help him than the person who has already shown they would research radical and dangerous theories about iterator body alterations :)

I do plan on making a little comic of this conversation, but I’m too lazy right now-

At first Suns is absolutely NOT on board with this idea. They already feel like they’ve basically caused the death of two iterators already, they don’t want NSH of all people to be added to that, but NSH is not dissuaded by their words at all and basically tells them that they can either continue to mope about their previous mistakes or continue to work on fixing it, and if they don’t help him he’s still going to do it anyways. So eventually they fold and agree to help. Besides, it would give them a chance to right their wrong and apologize to Pebbles.

A very long time skip later, turns out even with help this project would take years.

(Also if anyone was hoping I would go into detail about how they even make it possible, I am currently not gonna do that. I feel like I’m not clever enough to really come up with a convincing way for an iterator to literally detach a vital part of themselves without triggering a taboo.. and it’s just a self indulgent little fix it story, not meant to be taken too seriously :P)

By the time Suns and Sig finally have everything prepared for their plan, the iterator population is in pretty bad disarray. The equipment to communicate with one another is eroding, and by this point many iterators are completely radio silent, and a few of the older unluckier ones have even begun collapsing.

This does make the choice of detaching your puppet from your structure easier, because it’s clear that only a matter of time and every iterator will just collapse and be left completely alone in the silence of their structure.

NSH decided that he would detach himself first, and walk all the way over to Suns’ structure, then they could both make the trek to Moon.

Before he does that, NSH broadcasted all the files of the project out, just in case anyone is still around to use them..

The journey doesn’t go as smoothly as he would have preferred.. traveling isn’t very easy it turns out since their puppets aren’t meant for standing let alone walking or running (they definitely end up making and using tools to make getting around easier. I plan on explaining their equipment and outfit changes and stuff later-) but he survived and then they both set off to Moon and Pebbles’ area.

Thankfully there aren’t many animals outside of the iterator areas due to how freezing cold the world is, so all they really need to worry about is the terrain and the weather.

Meanwhile the siblings are not doing very well. This is post Rivulet (rip Ruffles though.. unfortunately there are no slugcat companions in this au…), and Pebbles’ structure had just collapsed very recently by the time Suns and Sig make it to their area. The siblings had already made up by this point and were keeping in contact before the collapse.

Moon was planning on sending her overseers out to see what was left of him once the rubble settled a bit, but she was currently mourning her brother and didn’t notice the two rouge iterator puppets making their way through their facility grounds until they reached her chamber

I plan on making a little comic for this too but here’s a cute little thing I made-

(Iterators can’t actually cry but shhh it’s for dramatic effect let me do what I want-)

I just know their reunion is precious. NSH is so thankful that Moon is actually still functional, and working better than he expected even thanks to the rarefaction cell! Best friends reunited after years apart.. She probably thought she was going crazy at first though because how are these two just standing in her chamber-

So at this point NSH’s plan has worked almost perfectly and he has done everything he set out to do. He’s definitely not pointedly ignoring the existence of someone he has been slowly building resentment for over the past however many years. (They have a complicated dynamic which I will definitely get into later..)

Yeah anyway there’s no way Moon and Suns are leaving without Pebbles.

So whether NSH wanted to or not, as soon as Moon got the hang of walking around the three of them headed off to what remained of Pebbles’ structure. Probably the worst place anyone could go honestly, especially with the walking skill level of a toddler.

Somehow miraculously they survived the trip there, they got lucky idk but yay reunion time!

At that point Pebbles had already resigned himself to his fate, sitting in a pile of rubble with his broken chamber around him for eternity. He definitely thought he was losing his mind when the other three suddenly show up..

Anywayy this is the point where I don’t really have too much of a story planned out! The four of them will probably end up traveling a little before setting up a base somewhere as they get used to this new state of existence. I guess a lot of post apocalyptic slice of life stuff? lol if you wanna call it that maybe. Idk! Just a lot of getting used to living together, and getting over past issues. Lots of fix it stuff

It’s a WIP obviously- but this is at least the beginning main plot beats ^ ^

[writingwithciara]

birthday cake -quinn hughes-

summary: quinn believes everyone forgot his birthday in favor of thanksgiving. but that's simply not the case

word count: 2k

pairing: quinn hughes x reader

notes: in honor of the love of my life's birthday, i decided to cook up this little gem. hope everyone enjoys it. (should've been posted on his birthday but i got super busy because of thanksgiving & other projects i'm working on)

"hey quinn. do you have any plans for monday?"

"actually, yes." quinn looked up from his phone as brock entered the room. "why?"

"my sister wanted to invite you over to her place for thanksgiving. she said she gave you an invitation the other day but you just shoved it in your bag and that you haven't said anything to her since then."

"that's what that was? i thought she was just handing me some mail that was put in the wrong box."

"have you not seen her since tuesday? you live across the hall from each other."

"i know but our schedules haven't given us the time to chat. she's working when i'm home, and vice versa."

"you should text her and tell her you're going to be busy on monday. i think it would be best coming from you. maybe she won't be upset."

"i'll text her after practice." quinn set his phone in his bag and finished lacing up his skates.

during practice, everyone was talking about y/n's thanksgiving dinner. quinn was the only one who wouldn't be attending. and while he felt bad about it, seeing as she was one of his good friends, he also started to feel bad for himself.

monday was also his 25th birthday but it seemed like no one remembered.

practice went well. so when quinn walked to his car, he sent a text to y/n to let her know he wouldn't be able to show up to her dinner. he made up a lie and said he wouldn't be home.

his plan was to just stay home and watch game highlights while cooking his own meal.

when monday rolled around, y/n and brock were finishing up the food preparations when a thought occurred to y/n.

"oh my freaking god. it's the 14th today. how could i be so stupid?"

"i would love to object, or even agree, depending on what it's about." brock looked at his sister with a curious expression. he couldn't quite read her like he normally could. "care to let me know what you're talking about?"

"october 14th. quinn's birthday! how could i forget? i bake him a cake every year." y/n set her oven mitts back on the rack. "i am a terrible friend."

"i'm sure it's fine. quinn probably forgot about the cake anyway. pretty sure you're in the clear, y/n."

"brock, i've made the cake every single year since we've been friends. he loves it. you should see the way his face lights up when i deliver it to him."

"are you sure it's the cake he likes to see every year?" brock raised his eyebrow, earning a slap to the shoulder from his younger sister.

"brock, no."

"look, just bake him a cake today and give it to him tomorrow. i'm sure he won't mind."

"i don't have the time or oven space to bake a whole new cake." y/n shook her head. "i'm gonna run to the store and buy him one instead.

"people are going to be here any moment. i'm afraid it's gonna have to wait."

"can you please keep them company? i'll be back in 20 minutes."

"you're lucky you're my sister and i love you." brock smiled. "now go fix your friendship with your neighbor."

"love you, brocky." y/n kissed his forehead and went out to her car. she hated the idea of buying a cake from the store. it didn't have the personal touch that her homemade cake did and she knew it wouldn't live up to it either. but she was desperate.

when she got back to her apartment, brock was the only one there.

"nobody's here yet?"

"not yet. mom and steve are almost here. been getting location updates from steve."

"did he let mom drive?"

"yeah. that's probably why they're not here yet." brock chuckled and grabbed the cake from her hands. "this looks amazing. are you gonna try to pass it off as your own?"

"no. i could never lie to quinn." y/n smiled and took it back, setting it down in the fridge. "i'm just going to tell him the truth."

"that's new for you. are you that honest with everyone?"

"i don't think so. there's something different about quinn. he makes me want to be honest."

"have you ever lied to me?"

"no. of course not."

"okay. good." he looked at his sister. "i want you to answer a question then. i'm only gonna ask it once."

"alright. shoot."

"is there something going on between you quinn?"

"no, brock. that would be ridiculous."

"okay. i'm gonna ask it twice. is there something going on between you and quinn?"

"no. you told me he was off limits for dating, as well as the rest of your teammates. but i would be lying to you if i said i didn't think he was really good looking."

"you really think so?" brock's eyes widened at his sisters confession.

"mhm. i do. like, super insanely good looking."

"okay. well, thanks for the honesty." brock couldn't help but chuckle.

before y/n could respond, there was a knock at the door, followed by a few voices.

"sounds like your guests are here. i'll let them in." brock went to the door and opened it, letting their parents inside, along with a few other guests.

y/n spent the first half hour finishing up the meal before brock served it to everyone.

conversation flowed easily around the table, but y/n was stuck thinking about quinn. all his friends were with her and he was most likely alone.

when she stood up abruptly, it caught everyone's attention.

"are you okay?" brock asked.

"yeah. i just have something i really need to do." y/n walked over to the fridge and grabbed the cake. she left her apartment without another word and knocked on quinn's door.

"hey. what are you doing here?" quinn smiled when he answered the door.

"happy birthday." y/n handed him the cake and walked back towards her apartment.

quinn was left standing in his own doorway, staring at the cake. he was used to getting a cake from y/n every year. it was always homemade & this time, it was store bought. but he didn't care. someone actually remembered his birthday.

y/n walked back into her apartment and sat back down at the table. she ignored the looks everyone was giving her and continued eating. everyone went back to eating and talking with each other, quickly forgetting that y/n disappeared for a moment.

a few hours later, everyone was heading out. brock stayed behind to help y/n clean up.

"what did quinn say when you gave him the cake?"

"how did you know that's what i did?"

"you were beating yourself up over missing his birthday. and you left right after i told mom about quinn's goal the other night."

"i wasn't even paying attention to the conversations around me. all i could think about was how quinn's friends were here and nobody mentioned his birthday. i felt bad so i took the cake to him."

"and what did he say?"

"i have no idea. i came right back over here." y/n finished washing the last dish and handed it to brock so he could dry it.

"maybe you should go see him right now. i'm sure he would appreciate some company for the last little bit of his birthday. Oh, and take him some leftovers. dinner was delicious and i guarantee he'll love it." brock grabbed a plate and put all the food he could fit onto it. when he handed it to his sister, she hesitated. "take it to him, y/n. you can't keep beating yourself up over forgetting his birthday."

"you're right." she took the plate and walked to the door. "i'll be back."

"i'll be here." brock chuckled and started putting away the rest of the leftovers.

y/n knocked on quinn's door and waited patiently. when he opened it, she handed him the plate. he looked at her and smiled.

"what's this for?"

"thought you might like some leftovers from today."

"oh. well thank you. smells delicious." he set the plate on the table by the door. "would you like to come in? or do you still have company over there?"

"just brock." y/n smiled and walked into his apartment. "so, how was your birthday?"

"it was good. i got to have breakfast with my parents and then i went to the gym for a bit. then i got a cake delivered to me. it was amazing, by the way."

"really?" y/n smiled. "i'm sorry it wasn't homemade this year. i'm ashamed to admit that i briefly forgot about your birthday and i didn't have enough time to bake you a cake. but i can make up for it if you want."

"look, it doesn't matter to me whether it was homemade or store bought. all i care about is the company that comes with it each year." quinn smiled. "also, thank you for stopping by today. i thought everyone forgot my birthday."

"but quinn, i did forget."

"you remembered eventually. that's all that matters to me. things like that stand out and i appreciate it. more than you think." he sighed. "other than my parents, you're the only one who remembered. so, thank you."

"you're welcome. and i promise i'll make up for almost missing your 25th birthday."

"you don't have to. you're here now. and honestly, your company is the only thing i wanted this year."

"wait, really?"

"yeah. it's the one thing i look forward to for every birthday, no matter how brief it is."

"are you serious?"

"yes. very serious." quinn hesitantly reached for y/n's hand and when she didn't yank it away, he slowly intertwined his fingers with hers. "i'm not sure if you can tell but i like you. i've liked you since the first second i saw you move in across the hall. but unfortunately, i can't do anything about this."

"and why not?" y/n was confused. she liked quinn and it was becoming evident he liked her too. but she didn't understand why nothing could happen.

"you're brock's little sister. it wouldn't be right. it just-"

quinn was unable to finish his sentence. he was pulled forward and y/n's lips were placed on his, softly.

"what was that for?" he asked when y/n pulled away from the kiss.

"your birthday present, dummy." y/n smiled. "and because i like you, quinn."

"you....you do?"

"yes. i don't bake a cake for anyone else's birthday, you know."

"but what about brock?" quinn looked all over her face.

"i'm 24 years old, quinn. brock can't tell me who i can and can't have feelings for." y/n smiled and leaned closer. "besides, i think he actually wants us to be together."

"what makes you say that?"

"he kept encouraging me to come over here to see you. even gave me the plate so i'd have a reason to come over here." she glanced at quinn. "not that i didn't already have a really good reason to come and see you tonight anyway."

"i'm really glad you came over tonight. and kissed me." quinn smirked. "god, i sound like a freaking teenager when he gets his very first girlfriend."

"it's cute." y/n smiled and looked at where her leg touched his. "i think i know the answer to this, but are you enjoying your birthday?"

"i really am." he couldn't help the smile that came upon his face. "i'm still trying to get over the initial shock of you liking me back."

"it's the same for me. guess we can figure it out together, huh?"

"yeah. i guess we can." quinn held her hand and looked at her fingers. "is every part of you just perfect?"

"yes. i do believe every part of me is perfect. perfect in my own special way."

quinn chuckled at the girl he oh so admired. "would it be alright if i kissed you?"

"quinn, you know you don't have to ask." y/n smiled and gave quinn what he wanted. really, what they both wanted.

[velvet-cupcake-games]

Made Marion Development Update, May 2025

Hi everyone!  Thanks for you patience with our small gap in monthly updates. I'm back in business with the current state of the project and team.

State of John's Route

So chronic illnesses can be very frustrating, and this winter and early spring I ended up struggling a ton with mine. I'd been doing well in the fall, but I relapsed hard in Feb-Apr. The good news is that after three years I finally found a specialist who was willing to try medications on me, and the most common med being used on long Covid kicked in during late April after just a couple months! (It can take 3-4 months to fully feel the effects.)  For the first time since January 2022, I feel... normal. It's very exciting!

On top of the illness struggles, I was having difficulties with the way I'd planned the relationship development in John's route. It just wasn't working for me. After a lot of scribbled notes and cursing, it was a conversation with my first reader that helped me figure out my issue... I needed John to be more flawed and for the main pre-relationship confusion to be two-sided instead of one-sided. This avoids a formerly pivotal scene that I felt was too cliche and replaces it with some lovely angst and flailing. Having figured that out, I'm much happier with where things are going.

This leans into my route theme where Marion and John have a number of things in common as the "responsible one" in their families. Both of them are very hard on themselves and that can lead one to not realize that somebody else might actually be super into you. ;)

So never fear, production has been slow so far but in my new brain fogless state I'll be banging this sucker out over the summer and a fall release should be possible!  Wasn't able to speed up the production rate quite yet, but it will be out.

Team Status

While I'm doing the writing and coding, the rest of the team is on their usual tasks.

Sandra: As we've basically finished the backgrounds (I'm trying very hard not to need anymore!), Sandra has moved to assisting Lawri with cut-in production. Here's one that I particularly like from John's route. What did Roan do to deserve being scooped? It involved shenanigans. I gave Sandra reference pictures of angry cats being held. :D

Arrapso: Only one major NPC sprite left to do, so Arrapso is mostly on CGs now. She'll also be doing a more naked version of our male-identified love interest sprites so that they're not obviously wearing trousers during scenes where they're implied to be naked. They won't have visible genitals, you'll just see their lower bellies and maybe some nice muscular lines down there.

Lawrichai: With Sandra helping on cut-ins, Lawri is able to concentrate fully on the animated lore intro. She learned Live2D over the winter so she could take over the animation duties herself, making for a smoother experience than me using in-engine animation tools.

That's where we are, and I hope to be able to deliver much swifter production updates over the summer!

[gallapiech]

And that's the end of Highway of Hedonism... It's now fully finished!! So you can binge read it if you want 😌

[READ IT HERE] time to pull back the curtain

the huggerrr!!!

The direction of this one was pretty straight forward!

I don't have a sketch for this one since I simply painted over the original drawing, but I figured it could be interesting to see them side by side! It does feel kinda bad that my last few drawings were all so sad 😭 Since there isn't much art to show in this post I'll show a couple of cancelled drawings :3

I actually sketched out a little kiss for the ending where it shows the trucker hat with the updated tally! But I simply didn't have the time or energy to finish it 😪

I initially planned to make a drawing for the scene where Mickey undresses in the car. But Rory told me that the straddle scene would make way more sense. (which, true. sighhhh no undressing mickey 😪)

One of the first things I drew was thumbnails for our chapter art! We originally planned to give every chapter different art but decided to use that energy for the story art instead hehe. I had put the chapter art on the backburner for a while and when I looked back at what we had I just did not vibe with it. But I was also swamped with a bunch of other stuff so I asked Rory if she could make it instead. And I am SOOO glad that I did because SHE FUCKING DELIVERED!!!!!! The chapter art we have now might be one of my fav drawings of this entire fic!! - All the other unseen art has been made by @roryonic (I very much encourage her to show it! There's some beautiful pieces hidden from the world </3!!!!) Speaking of, once again thank you Rory for being overly ambitious on this project with me. LOL. I definitely had moments where I was scared that this would be a bust, or that I couldn't do it anymore. But your work ethic inspired me to keep going, and I am grateful for your support, both mentally and physically. Eternally grateful that you took on some of the art jobs ♥ Both thankful but sad that its over now!! 🤣 I think im gonna take a 200 hour nap now. Thanks for checking out our fic ♥

[angiethewitch]

things I did thinking I was being spiritual but it was actually a severe psychotic episode

to preface i am a pagan but let's be honest here this was straight up a mental health crisis

okay let's go

convinced myself there was a very angry poltergeist in my loft after I found out there was an old bed frame up there and it needed my help to move on but instead I threw salt up there and refused to let anyone walk underneath the loft opening

decided I had mastered the art of astral projection and I was travelling to astral planes and I could fly around the world while I was actually just lying there vividly hallucinating

straight up told people that my spiritual guides were gonna kill them like how did I expect them to do anything but laugh in my face

blood magic. like really dangerous stuff. thought I could bring my dead mother back to life by exchanging my life force for her own. hello?

vividly hallucinated my dead mother talking to me and fully believed she was a trapped spirit but nobody else could hear her and it was up to me to save her. all through her funeral she talked to me, she spoke to me for months. took me nearly a year to start dealing with her death and actually begin the grieving process

decided my husband was cursed and made him stand in the kitchen while I walked in a circle around him boiling herbs. poor bloke has dealt with so much

became convinced if I could just cast the right glamour spell at the right time I could breathe underwater and tested this out in the ocean like a very normal and sane individual

thought the wind was actually terrible forces speaking to me and delivering messages just for me so I became terrified of wind because I would have to sit outside and decipher the words that were clearly just for me

sewed a load of crystals onto a t shirt to protect myself from bad energies and called myself "the high priestess" and got very upset when people couldn't understand my power

understood that my cat was not actually a cat and was in fact the spirit of a 2500 year old druid priest sent to guide me in the form of a cat. Still called him Jinx though

started a journal where I detailed all the signs that the end of the world was coming

Read online that the colour red means angry so I desperately avoided the colour red because that meant the world was angry with me

tried to summon satan to terrorise my neighbour who was mean to me and fully believed it would work

decided I was immortal and imbued with the powers of ancient gods which led to some very risky and dangerous situations which I will obviously not detail here

there are many more examples but these are the most ridiculous ones

if you followed me for the witchcraft posts, im sorry. ive had to take a step back from it all for the sake of my own mental wellbeing. spirituality is a huge trigger for me. I tried practicing in moderation, I tried practicing just a little, but it is too much now. I had to unfollow a lot of witchcraft blogs because 1) they all seemed to collectively devolve into conspiracy theories and 2) i had to remove myself from the online witchcraft space. if you were wondering why I don't post about witchcraft anymore, this is why. I barely practice anymore, and when I do, I keep it private so im not encouraged by online validation.

please practice safely. always consider the mundane explanations first.

[guidaozongshi]

Just read your post "why sns and not ss" and you are 100% right. I would also say that for nh they also had to push Sasuke away and downplay Naruto emotional intelligence to make it work. The problem with those ships is that they dont seem natural. And I am not saying that because I am a sns shipper. I am part of other fandoms and there are some ships that I don't like but can admit they have chemistry and their romance feels natural.

I think a lot of people give NH a pass because its counterpart, SS, is not only worse in terms of romantic development but also has what might be the most toxic fandom imaginable. The issue with NH, however, is that it has almost negligible content in the manga, compounded by one of the most baffling writing decisions: Naruto not even acknowledging Hinata’s confession after she risked her life to make it. If Kishimoto had already decided that Naruto would end up with Hinata, why didn’t he integrate her into Naruto’s thoughts or development moving forward? The few moments we do get after her confession are sparse and underwhelming: Kiba teasing Naruto for apparently showing off his powers in front of Hinata after saving her, Naruto sensing Hinata’s self-doubt on the battlefield and cheering her up, Naruto and Hinata holding hands over Neji’s dead body... which is a choice, Hinata snapping Naruto out of a daze, and Naruto being drawn toward the Tsukuyomi-affected Hinata after she mentally calls out to him. These moments, while not inherently bad and even serving as a decent foundation for further development, are few and far between—you can count them on one hand. Under an author genuinely interested in exploring their relationship, these could have been the building blocks for a natural progression. Instead, we get The Last, which skips over any meaningful development and instead guilt-trips Naruto into reciprocating Hinata’s feelings. Kishimoto himself admitted he wasn’t emotionally invested in their relationship, and Studio Pierrot’s handling of the story pushed the most out-of-character version of Naruto to make it work. Naruto’s emotional intelligence, which is central to his character, are replaced with an oblivious, emotionally stunted version of himself who can’t perceive romantic love. It’s clear that much of this characterization was a projection or self-insertion by the SP writers, resulting in a Naruto who feels drained of his usual energy and charisma—barely recognizable as the character.

More under the cut-

On the other hand, SS fans often boast about Sasuke and Sakura having the "most moments" simply because they spent time together as teammates. To some extent, this is true—Sasuke did grow to care about Sakura, seeing her as part of Team 7 and someone worth protecting. However, many of the scenes hailed as "SasuSaku moments" are just standard teamwork interactions. The hug in the Forest of Death, which causes Sasuke to snap out of the curse mark’s influence, is frequently celebrated as the peak of their relationship development. Yet, this moment is never referenced again in the series, and it doesn’t hold exclusivity, as Sasuke later demonstrates the ability to control the curse mark simply by thinking of his concerned teammates. While the scene was undeniably significant in establishing that Sakura had become familiar and important to Sasuke, but for Sasuke, Sakura is never individuated from Team 7—unlike Naruto, who stands out as a distinct and irreplaceable bond. Then Part 2 happens, and their relationship takes a drastic nosedive. Sasuke severs his bonds with Sakura and Kakashi, and his interactions with Sakura become overwhelmingly negative. When he isn't outright ignoring her in favor of Naruto, he attempts to kill her without remorse as if she’s a mere obstacle in his path, he repeatedly insults her, delivers a brutal rejection, and, most damningly, shows no hesitation when her life is at risk during the war, treating her as expendable collateral. Despite the positive strides in their relationship during Part 1, Part 2 completely dismantles any sense of connection or mutual feelings, leaving their dynamic in shambles.

However, if I were to evaluate their relationships from an intra-narrative perspective, NH epitomizes writing that exists solely for fan wish-fulfillment, and in some ways, it’s worse than SS. Unlike Sakura, Hinata is barely a character in her own right—she functions more as a prop for Naruto. Her entire existence revolves around him; her thoughts begin and end with Naruto, and what little characterization she has outside of him, such as her involvement in clan politics, is sidelined. Her ideology is entirely shaped by Naruto, she’s beaten up so Naruto can champion her, and she’s nearly killed to serve as a breaking point that triggers Naruto’s rage. All of this feeds into the fantasy of the protagonist ending up with a demure, devoted, and busty girl who not only has no conflicts with him but also unconditionally validates him. It doesn’t matter that Naruto barely thinks about her or keeps forgetting her —what matters is that the audience projecting themselves onto Naruto get their wish fulfilled.

A lot of people accuse Kishimoto of being incapable of writing romance, but a look at the manga easily disproves this claim. Pairings like Dan/Tsunade, Konan/Nagato, Minato/Kushina, and even Shikamaru/Temari are examples of believable and naturally developed romantic relationships. The criticism surrounding SS and NH isn’t exclusive to SNS shippers—even non-shippers and casual readers often point out how poorly these relationships are written. The issues with SS and NH aren’t just a matter of personal preference; they’re objectively flawed in terms of development and consistency. While Kishimoto has proven he can write romance, SS and NH stand out as exceptions, feeling forced and driven more by fan service than by the story’s natural progression.

A few months ago, I came across a Reddit thread discussing why Minato and Kushina’s relationship in the one-shot is written so well, especially compared to the main pairings. The thread was filled with a lot of coping, with some responses suggesting that Kishimoto had "improved" at writing romance over the years or that Naruto isn’t a romance manga. These arguments conveniently ignore the fact that Minato and Kushina’s romance, along with others were already present in the original manga.

But there was one comment who truly hit the nail on the head.

[thefandomsfervent]

JayVik x Reader Personal Pigments (Part 23) - Transparent Earth Yellow

Gala chapter coming soooon <3

Find my imagine that inspired it here. Previous and next chapter will be linked at the bottom.

not that I'm losing steam with this fic, but it has inpsired so many other things that i want to write too. This fic may enter a hiatus after a few more chapters so I can start other projects. Stay tuned and Thank you for reading <3

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As Mel said, there was an invitation later that week. A rich blue envelope and a golden wax seal delivered on top of a series of letters and books when Jayce walked into the lab. Viktor was first to see it, peeling the wax open with a screwdriver. He huffed as he read it, tossing the paper to the side. 

“Ridiculous,” muttering under his breath. “We should not go Jayce, we have more important work to do than to flaunt our feathers.” Viktor speaks clearer there, his words sharp when he points to Jayce with the tool in his hand. Jayce doesn’t respond right away. Instead he goes to look at the invitation himself. 

“To Talis and Co.,” He winces at that, his lips curling to the side and his brow furrowing. 

“You have been invited to the Innovator’s Gala, an event centered around Piltover’s finest and brightest minds.” Jayce is reading it to you, as much disdain and sarcasm as that man could truly try to muster lacing his words. His finger pointed in the air like he is imitating some elderly man. 

“Yes Jayce, I read it.” Viktor’s back is to you both when he speaks. “Help me with this equation.” He doesn’t see the way Jayce’s finger droops down, shoulders dramatically slumping. You can’t hide your giggle at Jayce’s pout. Viktor turns around at the sound, just in time to see you covering your mouth. Shaking your head when Jayce starts mimicking his partner, opening and closing his hand. He turns around to see Viktor’s deadpan face, a raised brow, and a smirk that only grows when your laughter gets louder. 

“Mocking Jayce. How unbecoming. Truly, I am wounded.” He gestures for Jayce to give you the invitation with one hand, and tilts his head back to the board. Jayce hands you the paper, fingers grazing your own. He was so warm, and you can only hope that the burning of your cheeks could be chalked up to your laughing. He’s stifling his own when he joins Viktor, letting his partner jokingly shove the chalk into his chest. 

It’s a thick parchment, barely holding itself open at the creases where it had been folded to fit into the envelope. Golden filigree at the corners and the symbol of Piltover embossed directly in the center top. It was good paper, expensive like all things were here. Viktor’s chalky fingerprints glinting softly as raised swirls around the edges. Jayce’s own were left in some barely there soot from his time in the forge that day. And now yours, in colorful pressed oils. It clashed against the paper, was too loud, if you had intended to leave a mark you would have chosen something more subtle. Instead of focusing on that you look over the words scrawled over the letter. 

Your eyes quickly skim over text. It would be held in The Academy’s own event hall as a pre–cursor to the Young Innovator’s Competition that would be happening later on in the year for different inventors of Runterra to converge at. Despite what Mel had said, it seemed that it wouldn’t be where they would need to show off new inventions, but to mingle and talk and garner interest. The idea of them both in something nicer than mandated Academy outfits did sound promising. Imagining them in another environment than the lab, what would that be like? The closest you had been to seeing that was when Jayce had gotten drunk off the wine they chose to keep in a cabinet of the lab. You almost put down the letter to get back to your own work when something catches your eye. Thick golden letters in a different font, also embossed to make them stand out against the pale paper, gracing the bottom.

“This invitation is valid for three guests. Jayce Talis of House Talis, Assistant to the Dean of the Academy Viktor, and -” your name was there. The title they had given you was “Arts Institute Guest.” And something bubbles up in your chest. It was embarrassment and shock. It was anxiety and excitement. Mostly confusion. Their labels were so impressive, although you were sure they would both dislike the chosen words. Your own was so… plain. You were here as a guest after all, you knew that. But then why were you invited in the first place? Was this Mel’s doing? Would they want you to go? Did they even want to go? You brush a thumb over the words, silently questioning the characters as if they had any of the answers. All you get in reply is the printed date, the numbers defined in thin strokes. It was about three weeks out. The competition itself was several months away. The two men are talking amongst themselves. Drag of chalk along the board, the tapping on someone’s foot, gentle shuffling. Sounds that ground you. 

You turn to the painting, you had left it by an open window to speed up the drying process. Summer was chasing Spring. Telltale signs of the season showing in heat waves distorting the horizon line as you looked out over the city. You let yourself settle against the frame, back on the wall and legs stretched forward. You hold the paper in one hand up to the window, letting the sun shine through the fibers. Letting the rays backlight the golden embellishments, turning that brilliant yellow to a dull glowing brown. You can see where the paper is thicker in some spots. It was smooth and high quality, but you can tell. “This was hand-made.” Your voice is quiet, and you are too focused on the craftsmanship before you to notice how Viktor and Jayce stop working to watch you. Your fingers feel the edges of the paper, deckled and soft, barely there fraying. 

Viktor has talked with Jayce about it before, how it was not fair that there was no one to draw you. And in this particular moment it feels cruel. The moment felt intimate. Domestic. The edge of your face golden in the sunlight, eyes focused and calm, a rosy glow on your cheeks. Jayce has dabbled in sketching before. Shared his own small drawing of Viktor from their first encounters. It was crude, cute even. And Jayce would admit that he has tried to draw you too.  But he couldn’t show that to you or to Viktor. So he takes the moment in, watching your eyes dart over the paper in your hand. Your attention to detail was endearing to him. To both of them. His affection for Viktor was overwhelming in a lot of ways. Caused his heart to jump to his throat, to stutter over words. With you it was warm and soft, like a hug. What either of them would give to walk behind you wrap their arms around you, settling their heads in the crook of your neck. When you start moving it startles them both, Jayce jumping in his spot and Viktor choosing to look at the books on the table. 

Staring at the paper you hear Mel’s words, “Afraid of a challenge?” If she was the reason your name was on the invitation, you should go. Just to get out of this stuffy lab and do something new if nothing else. Certainly not to prove a point. That there was nothing you needed to be aware of. And that despite your nervousness, you do not back down from a challenge. Not as a Zaunite. Not as an artist. You set your shoulders, steel your breath, and turn to Jayce and Viktor. 

“I’d like to go.” 

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-------------.·͙*̩̩͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩̥͙　✩　*̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙-Part 22-.-Part 24.·͙*̩̩͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩̥͙　✩　*̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙ .--------------

------------‧̍̊·̊‧̥°̩̥˚̩̩̥͙°̩̥‧̥·̊‧̍̊ ♡ °̩̥˚̩̩̥͙°̩̥ ·͙*̩̩͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩̥͙· Master Fic List *̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙ °̩̥˚̩̩̥͙°̩̥ ♡ ‧̍̊·̊‧̥°̩̥˚̩̩̥͙°̩̥‧̥·̊‧̍̊--------------

[lovelynim]

End of the semester

Genshin Impact - Kaveh x Alhaitham

A/N: Hello from the past! I want to thank @xsezzie for sponsoring this one fic and for being extremely patient with me throughout the process - as you, who is reading this, may already imagine why!

It was a pleasure working with these two cuties, even more because I had to chance to write for baby alhaitham ehehe

Summary: Kaveh invites Alhaitham over his place to work on a project for some extra credits by the end of the semester. It can't be that hard to get to work with his junior, right?

Word count: 1891 words

Kaveh let out an unamused sigh, resting his chin on top of his knuckles. “Can you stop doing that?” He muttered, jabbing his junior’s side while furrowing his brows. Alhaitham squealed in surprise, nearly flipping the whole table before him, and Kaveh couldn’t help but to think that this was the first time he clearly heard Alhaitham’s voice during that afternoon.

It should have been about two or three hours since they started working on their project for the presentations of the end of the semester in the Akademiya and it annoyed Kaveh to the core that Alhaitham simply refused to speak.

At first, inviting his cute little junior to join him in his project didn’t sound like a bad idea. All his interactions with Alhaitham throughout the semester were limited to small talks at the hallways or at the library - and there was something about that quiet, shy guy that drew Kaveh’s attention to him. Maybe, this was the chance he was waiting for all this time, right?

Wrong.

Ever since Alhaitham arrived at Kaveh’s place, the guy seemed to get even more nervous than he usually was.

“How are you?”

“...Fine.”

“Would you like something to eat?”

“...No.”

“Do you want to take a break?”

“...No.”

Agh, that guy!

The short talk was driving Kaveh up the wall, no matter what he tried, he couldn’t initiate a conversation with his junior. Just like the talk, Kaveh’s patience was also running short. And to make matters worse, they were also having little to no progress in their project as well, with barely a page written after hours of work - or attempts of working, to be precise.

Kaveh, at some point, just leaned over his sketches, pressing his forehead on the wooden table and watching Alhaitham with the corner of his eye. What’s wrong with that guy, anyway?

Alhaitham was clearly tense about this whole setting as well, fidgeting with his pen and pretending to write over and over - did he even notice Kaveh had already figured him out by that time? Still, he insisted on feigning effort, in making up excuses to avoid talking to his senior.

Could it be, Kaveh wondered, that Alhaitham actually disliked him? And he was being a jerk instead of the nice, cool senior he dreamed to be?!

Well, the only way to figure this out was talking things through with Alhaitham, which would set him back to 0 progress - after all, this was the main issue: his inability to start a conversation with Alhaitham.

Out of ideas, running out of patience and tired of the same dry, meaningless answers, Kaveh channeled all his inner rage and bubbling insecurities to the tip of his fingers. Then, he delivered his blow: a precise, “lethal” poke, right in the middle of Alhaitham’s side - which brings us back to the present.

As that surprised, panicked squeal left Alhaitham’s lips, the junior student’s first reaction was to cover his lips with one hand, leaning away from Kaveh while widening his eyes in shock. 

“Can you stop doing that?” Kaveh groaned, unamused.

“D-doing what, senior?” Alhaitham mumbled from behind his hand, barely standing to make his eye contact with Kaveh last for more than 5 seconds. His cheeks slowly began to heat up, contrasting the color of his grayish hair. “I’m n-not doing anything, I swe-”

“And that’s the problem!” Kaveh quickly sat back up, slamming his hands flat against the table. “Why won’t you talk to me?!”

Alhaitham curled up slightly, holding his hands close to his chest while his body prepared itself to run away. He looked at Kaveh from head to toe, making his senior wonder what kind of thoughts could be passing through his head.

“I… I’m talking to you, thought,” he spoke sheepishly and Kaveh could literally feel something inside him snap after hearing that comment.

He poked Alhaitham again, this time on the middle of his chest, and began to tower over him. Alhaitham, his oh-so-cute junior, was really getting on his nerves today. “What. Is. Your. Problem?!” Kaveh groaned, making Alhaitham jolt slightly with each time his finger came into contact with his chest.

“S-senior, cahalm down!” Alhaitham’s eyes darted back and forth between his senior’s hand and face, his hands aimlessly trying to defend himself.

“I’ve been nothing but nice to you, why are you so tense all the ti-”

“Ah!

“...me.” Kaveh stopped - no, “froze” was a better way to describe it - in his tracks. “D-did you just laugh?”

“...No?” Alhaitham muttered, blinking a few times in confusion as that frustrated face suddenly softened, almost as if Kaveh forgot the reason he was getting angry in the first place. “C-can… we go back to the project, s-senior Kaveh?”

“Sure,” Kaveh muttered, that brief sound still resonating inside his head. As he pulled his hand back, coughing to clear up his throat, his mind drifted to somewhere else, trying to figure out what just happened.

The first, and most obvious hypothesis, came up seconds later and his eyes already began to spark with mischief. “So, have you found any good reference material so far?” Kaveh muttered, his hand sneaking under the table.

“N-not yet, sehEHE-” Alhaitham nearly jumped off his chair when Kaveh lightly pinched his side. The blushing on his cheeks worsened, but acknowledging it - that it tickled - sounded like a terrible idea at the point. “Ahem, not yet, seniohor…”

Kaveh narrowed his eyes. Yeah, he was definitely ticklish, though, but the type that would play tough? He didn’t expect that. Still, it was pretty cute to watch him try to act cool… 

“Hmm, maybe if we look a little more thoroughly, we might find something interesting…” Kaveh smiled, poking Alhaitham’s side again and, this time, tracing a little circle with his index finger just below his junior’s rib, “just like I did now.”

Alhaitham’s hands trembled on top of the table, the pen nearly breaking inside his grip that only grew tighter. Alhaitham could feel a drop of sweat sliding down his temper and Kaveh’s predatory gaze on him. This was bad. “S-senior, cohould you stop that?” He muttered, trying to gently push Kaveh’s hand away with his elbow.

“But aren’t you still nervous, ‘Haitham?” Kaveh cooed teasingly. “I thought we should take a little break to… ease the tension.”

“N-nohoh neehed, sehehenior,” Alhaitham gritted his teeth, battling against the urge to laugh while the corners of his lips were already pulling up. “I-I’m f-pfft… f-fihine.”

Kaveh grinned, this was probably the first time he has heard his junior… giggle. It was weird, now that he thought about it, how Alhaitham was always so quiet around him - short talks, avoiding eye contact, barely making any noise… What was his deal, after all? Still, he wasn’t going to let go of this chance, not when he was so close to breaking the ice between them. 

“Are you suuure you are fine, ‘Haitham? Look at how hard you’re clenching your hands… you are definitely way too tense. Your face will end up covered in wrinkles when you get older if you are always so nervous, don’t you know that?”

He could almost see how Alhaitham’s muscles contracted and tensed under the tip of his finger, how his skin was prickling with goosebumps and heard how his breathing hitched after each poke. “Sehenior, w-wehe need to fihihinish our projehect!”

“Not now, ‘Haitham’,” Kaveh grinned. Having collected enough data to support his “thesis”, it was time to put all that knowledge into practice. “We need to work on all this tension first.”

Those words sat inside Alhaitham’s mind like a rock thrown in the middle of a peaceful lake. It didn’t take Alhaitham more than seconds to realize the actual meaning behind that excuse and to understand what Kaveh planned to do - still, it was too late.

“N-no, sehenior, tha-aHAHA”, Alhaitham giggled, caught off guard by his own voice when Kaveh tickled both his sides at once. Before he could think of a way to defend himself, his senior already had him trapped against his own chair, with his hands palming and squeezing his sides and stomach.

“How did I not know you are ticklish, ‘Haitham?” Kaveh chuckled along, pinpointing one sensitive spot after the other, managing to avoid Alhaitham’s hands over and over, not allowing the other to stop him in his tracks. “Were you hiding such a cool detail from me? Why? Aren’t we friends?”

If he wasn’t busy laughing and trying to find a way out of this awful situation, Alhaitham would be cringing at those words. Of all the people inside the Akademiya, why did it have to be Kaveh the one to be messing with him?

His little heart beat faster and faster, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment caused by many different reasons at once. “S-sehehenior!! Stohohop it, this ihis not fuhuhunny!”

“Oh, but I’m having lots of fun, ‘Haitham, and aren’t you smiling just as much?” Kaveh teased, his hands clawing their way up from Alhaitham’s waist up to his ribs, making the junior’s laugh rise a pitch. “W-woah, you’re really ticklish here ~”

“W-wahAHAhait, plehehease!” Alhaitham whined, pressing his arms desperately tight against his body. He leaned forward, trying to to curl up in a vain attempt to stop that madding feeling. Alhaitham closed his eyes shut while a wide smile spreaded over his face. “I-it tihihickles too bahahad thehehere!!”

Gulp.

Kaveh wasn’t sure what kind of gear began to turn inside his head at that moment, but seeing Alhaitham smile and laugh - all because of him - made him feel… weird. Fuzzy and warm, as some would call it. 

He felt some faint heat reaching his own cheeks while pushing Alhaitham back into his seat, preventing his junior from falling to the ground. “Is that so? Maybe I just figured out how to… make you less tense, right?”

“N-NOHOhoh!! Thahat’s not ihihihit!” Alhaitham shook his head, throwing it back in a fit of laughter after Kaveh managed to sneak his hands under his arms. It tickled more than he expected it to - it was much, much worse! “SehHEHEnior- ahAHAH, stahAHAHap it!”

It took Kaveh a few seconds to process what Alhaitham was saying. All he could focus on was how cute he looked, how adorable the sound of his laughter was and how seeing him like that made him spin. Of course, that also meant it took him a while to actually stop the tickling.

Once he withdrew his hands, Alhaitham’s body went limp against the chair. His head hung on top of the back rest and Kaveh was thankful that they didn’t make eye contact at that moment - this should give him plenty of time to get rid of his own blushing.

“So, caham, are you still nervous, ‘Haitham?” Kaveh smiled, reaching out and nudging Alhaitham’s cheek, playfully poking near the corner of his lips.

The only answer that came from Alhaitham was a tired, embarrassed groan. He pushed Kaveh’s hand away from his face, sitting back up and crossing his arms, “you’re the worst, senior,” he mumbled, crossing his arms and looking away while his cheeks still beamed up in that adorable shade of pink.

“Heh,” Kaveh chuckled, “you’re so cute, ‘Haitham,” he added, making his junior puff out his cheeks slightly. “Well, let’s get back to work, then. You already made us waste enough time ~”

[thecoffeecorporal]

Art I made to promote my new fanfic, which is just a rewrite of the Vanilla Kingdom story.

<a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/62509321"><strong>The Timeless Castle in the sky</strong></a> (2501 words) by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/CoffeeCorporal"><strong>CoffeeCorporal</strong></a><br />Chapters: 1/1<br />Fandom: <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Cookie%20Run%20(Video%20Game)">Cookie Run (Video Game)</a><br />Rating: Not Rated<br />Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings<br />Characters: GingerBrave and Friends Ensemble (Cookie Run: Kingdom), Pure Vanilla Cookie (Cookie Run), Black Raisin Cookie (Cookie Run), Dark Enchantress Cookie (Cookie Run), Dark Choco Cookie (Cookie Run), Licorice Cookie (Cookie Run), Poison Mushroom Cookie (Cookie Run), Pomegranate Cookie (Cookie Run), Strawberry Crepe Cookie (Cookie Run), Choco Werehound Brute | Schwarzwälder<br />Additional Tags: Aged-Up Character(s), aged-down characters, Alternate Universe, Cookie Run Characters Have Jam Instead of Blood, and what is jam but weirdly iron smelling strawberry jam?, Yes this is a first draft how did you know?, Pure Vanilla sounds like The Medic from TF2 in this fanfic, I am going to ruin these fucking cookies, Blind Pure Vanilla Cookie (Cookie Run), Pure Vanilla Cookie Needs a Hug (Cookie Run), why does the light of truth sound weird bro?<br />Summary: <p>Rewrite of the Vanilla Kingdom Update.</p><p>The Five heroes of Earthbread traveled to the Vanilla Kingdom to deliver to new king, Custard the Third, to his new throne as they ran into a Raisin village with a suspiciously out of place healer with no remembrance of who he once was.</p>

[yanderes-galore]

I also saw that MHA is on your list, so can I request a Midoryia oneshot with a reader who keeps trying to escape him? Like the reader used to have a massive crush but after he kidnapped them they started to not want to be with him in fear for their safety. (If that makes any sense..)

Sure! This is a Pro-Hero AU, you two knew each other in school.

Faltering

Yandere! Izuku Midoriya Short

Pairing: Romantic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Stalking, Kidnapping, Manipulation, Delusional behavior, Overprotective behavior, Possessive behavior, Babying, Degrading behavior (He treats you like a misbehaving child), Forced relationship.

You knew Izuku Midoriya when you were both in school. Back then he was such a scrawny kid, going from quirkless to having a quirk. Despite the oddity of that you still managed to be attached.

You knew he was always so ambitious. Izuku always said he wanted to be like his idols and go Pro. His dreams were cute and you often wanted to support him.

So you made it such a goal when you both went to U.A. You called it your heart guiding you as you managed to land yourself in the Support Department. You forced yourself to learn how to create support gear with help from your upperclassmen.

Pretty soon you became skilled in the field... originally just to help your crush.

You tried not to let your feelings cloud your mindset when you trained in U.A. You saw him occasionally when you delivered gear and were always greeted with such a sweet smile. One that made your heart flutter whenever he looked at you.

Izuku would always give you a sweet 'Thank You' before offering to chat. With pink dusting your face, you'd indulge before being dragged off to work on another project. You're pretty sure Izuku never used any other equipment unless you helped make it.

You liked watching him grow stronger. He always worked out and was looking more and more like a Pro. You never acted on your crush as you knew he had a big role to fulfill.

You didn't wish to be in the way.

Izuku, however, had similar feelings. He wanted to be closer to you. He wanted to date you. Yet work often got in the way, leaving him unable to.

Even he could tell your crush was huge, though.

Izuku couldn't help but be infatuated with you. He often tried to visit your department or meet you at lunch. Although, your departments often had different schedules.

Instead Izuku resorted to... unsavory means of fulfilling his own crush. He noted down things he liked about you and what you did that day in a notebook dedicated to you. He even asked friends you had about you and how you were doing. He couldn't help but follow you as though he really was part of your life.

Izuku kept every piece of equipment you made for him. Every prototype, every version, he collected them. Safe to say your crush was mutual... but he was a worse lovesick fool.

Even once graduation rolled around you were surprised to see him on TV. Your blush only darkens when you watch the TV in your apartment, seeing how Izuku went from that small kid you used to know to a hulking Pro Hero that everyone adored on TV.

You couldn't help but grin when you noticed the outfit he begged you to make. The one with the cape and everything. Your crush felt unrelenting when it came to him.

It only seemed to get worse when you were both adults... for him.

You two drifted apart when you graduated from U.A. He focused on his Hero work and you focused on making better equipment. It was never just for him anymore.

You had other heroes to work with for equipment and your crush simmered down eventually. Now you primarily focused on your job and being paid. You still found yourself fawning over Izuku occasionally, but that was it.

Izuku, however, had only gotten worse since the last time you saw him....

You weren't sure what to think when Izuku started showing up at your lab. You had been tinkering on some new tech, only for one of your fellow engineers to squeal at you about how Deku was here. Were you hearing that right...?

You didn't have much time to question it when Izuku came into the room, eyes sparkling when he saw you and came over. The blush was back. Yet you couldn't believe he came over to see you.

This became a common occurrence. Even when he didn't have orders in, he'd stay by you to ask about your equipment and day. You didn't mind it.

In fact, you didn't mind it even more when he asked you to join him on little outings. You kept telling yourself it wasn't a date. Although, Izuku kept telling himself it was.

You had no idea he was that delusional... that your crush was downright crazy...

Until a villain had attacked your lab and Izuku was quick to respond.

By the time you woke up you saw Izuku by your side, features morphed into worry as he sat beside you. You were on a bed that wasn't your own. It took you a while to realize this might be his house.

According to him, he had been concerned for you when he saw you collapsed on the ground in your lap. So, in order to keep you hidden, he took you to his home. Too caught up in your haze of emotions... you accept it.

Only to slowly realize... Izuku may not be planning to let you go.

As time goes on you wonder if he planned this out. Perhaps Izuku wasn't the person you thought he was. He seems so... different.

You began to realize this when you got into an argument with the Pro Hero about leaving. It was after this your crush began to be replaced with concern and resentment. You needed to leave and get back to work.

But Izuku merely blocked you off with his built body, his green eyes glaring down.

"And let you go back to that apartment? You deserve so much better than that.... Come on, you can stay here with me! I'll take good care of you...."

The offer normally would've made your heart throb...

But now it was just... sinister.

It only got worse when Izuku preyed on your past crush on him. He'd manipulate you into staying in his home by flirting or telling you he's scared you'll get attacked again for a couple days. You try to put your foot down...

Only for him to drop a bomb on you.

"I know you love me... So won't you let me love you too?"

You realize that Izuku took you in not because he was concerned... he had darker intentions. Expertly the hero managed to manipulate you into his home. He kidnapped you and you didn't know.

Your old feelings were quickly smothered when Izuku began to treat you like a child. He gave you your own room and when you fought he'd just send you there. You were no child to be taken care of.

Which lead to your escape attempts.

They were never all that successful. Soon you learned Izuku had announced you were "dating" to the press. He often came up with excuses when he had to pick you up and carry you off like some misbehaving toddler. It was all over the news.

He never liked physical punishment all that much... but he locks you away again.

He often scolds you like you know no better. He tells you to sit in your room or make it up to him. It's cruel and degrading... but he plays it off as care.

"Escaping again? You should know better than that, baby... So mean to your boyfriend who's trying to care for you...!" Izuku would scold, yet his tone always playful.

You don't find it funny.

Ever since he kept you in his home, your crush had finally been smothered. You weren't in love anymore. No, instead you were scared.

You were scared to know your age-old crush was not the man you thought he was.

Your crush had faltered long ago... yet your fight was also leaving too. Izuku always managed to find you and drag you back. He never harmed you luckily, just squeezing you close to his chest as he whispers soft words to you.

Younger you would've loved this. You would've fantasized about it. Yet now it's a nightmare....

The doors are locked, the windows are shut tight, and your only companion is Deku. Izuku's face always looks so flushed when he sees you. You're his one and only...

Forever and ever in his eyes.

"Don't you love me too?" He asks you. Whenever you said 'No' he would just get more persistent. He never left you alone until you admitted you loved him.

You wonder if this was what you wanted. Didn't you always want him to love you? He loves you now, doesn't he?

Yet you crave freedom much more than the suffocating grip of his arms.

"I love you, baby..." He murmurs when he cuddles into you, his arms restraints in the cage you call a 'home' now. There's no escape, even if you wanted to. Your heart aches, conflicted.

"Love you..." You murmur, as though it was a trained phrase. Izuku grins, holding you tighter to kiss your soft lips.

"Mmm... Mine~" He purrs against your mouth as though he's been waiting for this moment. Perhaps he was... maybe even longer than you have.

The kiss he gives you doesn't even feel how you imagined it to be...

It's needy and possessive... a reminder of what you are to him.

His.

[k3nz1ekorn]

Jayvik actor au- "This isn't my bedroom?"

Shooting continues at the lot, production is finally ramping up and our beloved actors Vlad and Joel get to talk a bit more. Part 2 chronologically in the au.

Character cheat sheet: Vi-Viola, Cait-Cathrin, Mel-Miah, Savannah- Sevika, Sky- Skyler, Powder/Jinx-Piper, Ekko-Elijah

Disclaimer: I know nothing about professional acting or studios, lot setup, etc. I will not be looking things up while writing this so if you notice something is blatantly wrong leave a comment about it! This is purely self indulgent and fics will probably be posted out of chronological order in the timeline. (If I write enough I’ll make a timeline list of them tho)

It was obvious to anyone with eyes that Vlad had a busy schedule. Between shooting for arcane and his other projects he was on the production lot practically 24/7 this week. It was mostly other roles he’d booked that he was shooting this week since basically all of his scenes in Arcane involved Joel, who was turning out to be quite the busy man. They’d barely spoken since their first official meeting and none of it had even been to run lines! He was a bit worried about that specifically. They were both good actors, but that on screen chemistry didn’t always come naturally. It was always good to practice, he thought as he absently massaged a knot in his thigh. It was only in these early hours that he really had time to himself, time to just exist as he is, to not think about his lines or how to say them, and especially not to think about any of his co-stars. It wasn’t that he hated them, quite the opposite actually. The ones he’d met so far he gets along with very well, even joining them for lunch when his schedule allows it. They’re people he could actually see himself enjoying the company of outside of work. He makes a mental note to invite them all out for drinks this weekend, the ones that were going to be in town for it that is. The problem with his co-stars was actually a singular person, one with striking golden eyes and a face Vlad is sure was sculpted by the gods themselves with the explicit intent to taunt him. 

The brunette squeezed his eyes shut and brought his mug up off the table to take a long sip of his coffee, to distract his wandering mind. He wasn’t going to think about Joel right now. This was his me time, not fantasizing about his coworker time. He had found it too much of a hassle to make the drive back to his apartment the previous night and had opted to instead sleep in his trailer, meaning his clothing for the day were whatever he had supplied for himself when he packed the dressers before it was brought to the lot. A pair of black jeans  and a thick dark grey sweater seemed to be his best options that day, it didn’t matter too much anyways, he would be in and out of costume all day anyways, this outfit was just for his meal breaks. 

He was already showered and ready for the day, which he knew was going to be starting soon, it was already- Jesus 8AM? He had to get moving. He stood up as he chugged the rest of his half finished barely lukewarm coffee, rinsing the mug in the sink and moving to the table on the opposite side of his trailer to grab his script and water bottle before descending the steep ass ramp out of his trailer. Skyler should be here soon, he thought absently, should she not? It wasn’t like her to be late and call time was slowly approaching. He pulled his phone from his pocket as he let the door shut behind him, did she maybe text him and he just hadn’t seen it? 

Ah. He had a few missed texts it seemed.

Displayed brightly on his screen were three texts, the first from his aforementioned assistant, saying the line at their usual coffee shop had been longer than usual and she was running a bit late, delivered maybe 15 minutes ago. Second was from Viola, a picture he’d have to actually open the message to see and the words ‘did you get it yet?????????’ received about 3 minutes ago. He didn’t need to guess what she meant as yes, he had in fact gotten it. The third text is no doubt what she was referring to, and the one that had initially caught his attention. It was from an unknown number, a simple ‘this is joel we should meet to run lines over lunch,’ and he definitely wasn’t mentally scolding his clothing choice for the day. He didn’t have time to dwell on it though as he felt a hand on his shoulder and saw two coffees on a holder come into his line of vision.

“SO sorry for running late Vlad, the line was crazy, even mobile ordering ahead of time they were just slammed.” She sounded out of breath as she spoke to him, her other hand holding the coffee lowering a bit as the hand that had been on his shoulder moved to cover her chest. She looked as professional as ever in her black pantsuit and deep red button up. Her hair was up in a high puff today, a few pieces coming out to frame her face. She moved her free hand to grab her phone from her pocket to go over the itinerary she no doubt had open. “You have a few new faces for your scenes today, some old ones too I noticed! So we should probably get you there just a pinch ahead of time. Wanna head to the set now?” She finally looked up at him as she caught her breath. Vlad was already looking at her when he opened his mouth to speak. He hadn’t thought about a response yet. She’d given him plenty of time to refocus himself and yet here he was, still reeling over a text like some teenager. He raised his phone just a bit.

“Joel texted me.” The silence was deafening. Skylar blinked once. Then twice, before finally letting a smirk overtake her face.

“Oh did he? And why are you telling me this?” Truth be told he didn’t know. Most likely because he hadn’t had a coherent thought since she got there and he’d like to believe they are at least on friendly terms by now. 

“I should respond to it before we head over. It would be rude not to, no?” He turned back to his phone and unlocked it before clicking on the new number to respond, Skyler let out an amused laugh from beside him. He had to send something before he could overthink this, and fast. ‘Yes please omg’ seemed like too much, and a simple ‘Sure.’ was definitely too cold, he needed to be professional but enthusiastic about it. He settled on, ‘I’d actually been meaning to ask you the same, we will discuss further when I get to the set, yes?’ He quickly clicked out of their texts to stop himself from rereading it and opened the text from Viola instead. Texting back a quick ‘I did :3’ he looked over the photo she sent. The picture was quite cute to say the least. The camera was at a high angle, only showing her forehead and eyes at the bottom of the screen, the main focus of the photo being Cathrin and Joel a few feet away holding out their phones in front of one another. Was that a blush he saw? He quickly blinked the thought away and pocketed his phone before turning back to Skyler to let her know he was ready to go.

````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

Vlad had finished his second cup of coffee before they even stepped foot onto the set they’d be at for their first scene. He had to, after nearly spilling coffee on his Academy uniform earlier in the week he’d had to cut back on his on set coffee breaks. That’s actually why he was now drinking more water,.much to Skyler’s delight he may add. His cane gave gentle clicks as he moved into view of the set, a dark hallway and a door loomed in front of him, this was their scene breaking into the lab if he was not mistaken. The schedule had said all of their group scenes would be before lunch, which meant this one, the trial with the council, and the scene where they get to be hooked up to a bunch of wires. That one made him a bit uneasy if he was telling the truth, he never liked heights much, and having no experience with being hooked up like that he was unsure of how his leg would handle it. They had a fantastic team helping to make accommodations for him, but he’d had his fair share of bad experiences so it was natural to be cautious.

He was broken from his thoughts as he recognized a familiar face out of the corner of his eye. He adjusted himself to face the newcomer and gave a warm smile, “Miah! I was hoping we’d get a chance to chat before we were called to places. You look wonderful! That makeup was a great choice I must say.” His old friend only laughs in response, head tilting back in amusement before coming to embrace him in a small side hug. There was no lie, she was a vision really, in a beautiful all white dress with gold accents that perfectly matched the jewelry in her hair and makeup painting her face.

“Hey Vlad, can’t say I’ve seen the costume or makeup department make anyone look bad so far, yourself included. Did they make your moles bigger? And that vest, oh my god!” She circled him once, as if he didn’t already know how good he looked right now. “The lace up sides are a very nice touch, on both you and Mr. Torres over there.” She gestures somewhere behind him and he has to grip his cane a bit tighter to keep himself from shooting around to gawk at the new topic of their conversation. Instead he just gives a light chuckle and takes a breath to respond- “He’s on his way over.” She says glancing between him and who he can only imagine is the very man that had been capturing every other thought he’d had for the past week. His eyes crease at the corners every so slightly as he turns to look over a shoulder to greet the new addition to their conversation with a polite smile. 

“Joel, how good to see you again, have you met Miah yet? She’ll be playing Mel.” It would be rude to not introduce them, he thought, especially since they’d all be filming the next few scenes together. Joel gives him a glance and turns his attention towards Miah to extend a hand.

“Pleasure to meet you, you are Vladimir's friend?” A shiver definitely does not try to make its way down his spine upon hearing his full name, and gods does he hope he’s not blushing again. The handshake, he notes, is much slower and longer than the one he had received…he tries not to read into that. He looks up at the woman beside them as their hands part, she clasps hers together in front of herself and gives a polite nod.

“The pleasure’s all mine! I was very excited to hear I’d finally be getting a chance to work with you! And to work with Vlad again too, on the same project no less. We’ve been friends since filming that weird pumpkin themed horror movie a few years back. Have you two worked together before? Vlad didn’t mention it when we went over the cast list together.” She raised her eyebrow as she spoke, her eyes pointedly moving between the two of them, as if trying to hint at something almost. It was at that moment he realized Joel had stopped nearly directly behind him, just barely off to the side enough for them to see each other's faces actually. The cough that escapes him is definitely not nervous, just a tickle is what he tells himself as he brings his hand back down to readjust his cane. He reminds himself to ask Skyler where she’d had them put his chair.

“We haven’t. I met him filming a scene earlier in the week,” the taller man’s eyes move to Vlad again, “I’d like to have a word before we’re called to places. I’ll be in my chair.” He started to turn to leave, eyes moving back to Miah, “I look forward to working with you.” And with that he was walking away. He really didn’t like letting people respond did he? Two of their interactions now he’d ended by just walking away. With a small shake of the head he turns back to his friend, who is now trying to hide some very obvious amusement. She says her next words in a hushed tone, her wrist partially covering her mouth.

“Oh my god he’s so into you.” 

“He’s what now?”

Vlad’s jaw drops open and he gives the most incredulous look at the woman across from him. He turns away from her, only to look back at her completely aghast, “He barely looked at me when he was actively speaking to me just now. What about that indicates he’s into me? If anything I’d say he was checking you out!” He emphasizes his words with a flick of the wrist in her direction and tries to keep his voice hushed so nobody overhears their conversation. It is quite embarrassing to be having this conversation while at work actually, something he’d rather keep private.

“Are you kidding me? First of all,” she raises a finger up beside her head. Oh great, she’s making a list, “you didn’t see what his eyes were doing when your back was turned. Second,” another finger and a pointed tilt of the head, “he was staring me down. NOT the same as checking me out. Third,” hopefully the final finger in this conversation raises, “even if he had been we both know he’s nowhere near my type in men. Much too…stoic.” She finishes with a slight downward curl on her lips and a shake of the head before finally putting her hand down to cross her arms over each other. She glanced over his shoulder once more and her eyes just barely widened before she smirks, letting her eyes fall back to his once more. “You better get a move on with your conversation, your man keeps looking at us.” As she looks back again her eyes shift to a new area behind him and stop, her mouth forms a soft ‘o’ and a new look overtakes her and she seems to spot something else, something not Joel he decides. A hand is placed on his shoulder as she very quickly steps around him. Her next words come out quiet as he walks away. “Speaking of my type…I’ll see you on set.” He turns to watch her go with a mild curiosity, eyes following her direction of travel to the prosthetics tent where he could see a very muscular woman with a short ponytail getting pieces attached to her already augmented arm. He gives an impressed hum to himself and nods, he’d definitely have to invite them all out for drinks if for no other reason than to hear about how that develops.

He turns a bit more to face Joel’s direction and notices the other man’s eyes just barely darting down to the script he held in his hand. Vlad begins to make his way over when a very very small chuckle breaks through his lips, any previous tension about how the other perceived him already forgotten. Either he was trying to look nonchalant and failing miserably, or he could read upside down, seeing as that’s the way the script was being held. With a final few steps they’re next to each other and Vlad decides at the last minute he won’t mention the little continuity error in the other's facade.

“Eager to steal my attention eh? I already agreed to have lunch with you.” There’s a chuckle in the way he says it, something light. Joel lifts his eyes from the pages he’d definitely been pretending to read and gives a small hum. His unoccupied hand came up to smooth over his jaw and chin before he spoke, turning his head in his direction but still not fully looking at the man he’s addressing.

“We have a lot of scenes together. It seems our characters become…very good friends, by the end of the season. Over half of the dialogue I’ve read so far is either directed at or talking about your character in some way. We should discuss their dynamic.” With that he turns his head to rest it on his hand, and finally makes eye contact with the other. There’s no real identifiable emotion on his face aside from what seems to be sheer boredom. “I was told by my manager the production team wants them,” he raises his head to make air quotes with the hand he had been leaning on as he continues,”‘strictly platonic with no room for romantic interpretation,’ I assume you were told the same?” Vlad closes his eyes and he lets a little giggle slip at that, bringing the back of his hand up to cover it. He misses the way the other’s light up just a bit more at it.

“I was, yes, I assume you think we should take more creative liberties with it? You wouldn’t be talking to me about it otherwise, correct?” His hand comes back down to rest in his pocket, his posture relaxed, and he gives an inquisitive look. He really hopes he’s about to suggest what he thinks he is.

“Yes. Whether my character knows it or not, he will be in love with yours by the end of the season, and whether yours reciprocates or not is up to you.” He speaks with an air of certainty that leaves no room for discussion, luckily Vlad is already in agreement with him.

“He will. I’m very glad we had this chat actually, I had been planning on adding a level of…longing? I’m aware your character is romantically involved with Miah’s by the second half of the season, however I do love some good old fashioned, one sided, seemingly unrequited tension.” He lets his lip curl up into a mischievous grin as he looks down at the other. “It won’t be too obvious of course, just an underlying something or other to give a bit more depth to their relationship…though it does seem quite deep even without it. They become quite close, no? We should find some time outside of filming to talk, get into character a little as they say.” He’d already said he wanted to find ways to get to know him more, and he fully meant that shit. Whether the reasoning he was giving was the only reason was not important. Joel gives a hum of agreement and looks back down at his script, he’s silent for a second before- oh he’s blushing. He must have finally noticed his script was upside-down.

Credit where it’s due, Joel has a very good poker face aside from the light blush dusted across his cheeks. Vlad keeps his eyes on him as the other clears his throat and closes his script, looking back up as if nothing had even happened. The bell to signal a start rings and places are called, cutting the rest of their conversation short.

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“So far, so good.” He whispers, the glowstick just barely illuminating the lock enough for him to see it. Suddenly a bright light flows over them both, slightly startled he looks directly into it before bringing his hand up to try and deflect some of it. Blinking a few times to correct his eyes he hears a familiar voice in front of him.

“Hmm. Willing to risk exile for your endeavour. That’s quite the conviction.” It’s said with a hint of amusement. They’d filmed this scene a few times already and he felt his lack of lines right here kept making the whole exchange rather awkward. Time for a new strategy I guess.

“Councilor!” He hears from behind him. Quirking a brow up he barely listens to the continued flustered rambling, he feigns confusion and turns back to the keys still in the lock by his face.

“Wait a minute this isn’t my bedroom?” He mutters with mock embarrassment, “How could I have…” Their voices overlap for a second before silence engulfs them. He looks back up at the ‘Councilor’ and sees her fighting for her damn life to keep in the laugh that’s threatening to spill out. She’s come to expect this of him, he supposes, makes it easier to keep her composure. Joel seems as composed as ever, easily continuing on with his lines and it’s only a little disappointing he didn’t laugh. It’s almost too easy the way the rest of the scene flows from there, almost too easy the way Joel looks at Miah with such curiosity and wonder as she walks away with the security guard. Almost too easy how he doesn’t have to fake the way his lips pull up to his nose in distaste, or even the slightly annoyed huff he gives before turning back to the door, bending down to finish unlocking it as the director yells cut. They didn’t have to redo the scene again at least.

Authors note: This shit is 3.5k words and I edited without coffee. Thanks for the love so far! Glad to know yall are liking it. I'll definitely be branching out at some point to do more with Caitvi and Melvika. I'm not sorry about it.