#and I didn’t start on my b-day exchange fic UNTIL THE DAY IT WAS DUE

[mello-when-hi]

Man I love my brain <- finally decided which dnf week day prompt I’d like to write for. (It needs to be posted tomorrow)

[ichigopanhpff]

Mitsuya x Fem!Reader: Begin Again Ch. 2

Thanks so much for the likes on the first chapter. I'm not a big writer, so I appreciate any amount of support I get <3 Why is Wakui-sensei such a god with the story and character development. I'm actually obsessed.

Lately, I've been thinking of posting up the rest of my MHA fic, "Blink!" since I've written all those chapters a while ago. I stopped it due to writer's block and seemingly the lack of interest in it.

Tagging @netzukochannn in this because they requested it ^_^ b

[Previous Chapter] -- [Masterlist] -- [Next Chapter]

---

It’s been three days since (Y/N) last spoke with Mitsuya. After their run in with Black Dragons, they exchanged mobile phone numbers to stay in touch.

She, however, felt like he’d been keeping his distance to protect her. No, ‘protection’ was an excuse; he’s practically avoiding her.

“That damn purple haired punk…” she muttered to herself and clicked her tongue in annoyance.

It was pointless holing up at home and spinning her wheels on something with no answer; and it was distracting her from finishing assignments. In the end, she decided to go shoot some photos around the neighborhood to decompress. That always helped her gain perspective on things she was stuck on.

Wandering around Shibuya, she took her digital camera out and took a few shots of the ever changing commercial buildings and the fashionable, nameless people who roamed these streets.

Checking her photos on the small display screen, (Y/N) frowned at the quality compared to the D-SLR she had at home. That much was obvious since she can’t rig a macro or a wide angle lens on a point and shoot. And the zoom function could only do so much without making the shot grainy and blurry. The most she can do right now is work within the hardware constraints to make something cool to show the club.

After wandering the crowded streets for few hours, she ducked into a cafe to warm up and eat. Carefully studying the menu, she inwardly grimaced at all the prices; a simple hot chocolate with marshmallows was 650 yen! Her wallet suddenly missed all the cheaper eats around Sendai and ended up ordering a small meal set for 1,000 yen. Looking out the window to people watch, she let her mind wander a bit.

“Don’t go stirrin’ up trouble, (Y/N). We can’t be there to help you like before. We’re not kids anymore.”

Those were the last words she exchanged with her half-brother’s friends. She was angry at them for abandoning her after Hisa-nii died.

But at the end of the day, she was alone and always had been. That is, until a certain boy from her past showed up in her life again. Why didn’t she say yes on the spot to Mitsuya?

She could’ve found out more about what’s been going on with the Black Dragons. It felt like the twisted threads of fate led her into the world of delinquents more and more.

She still owed him a response, but what then? Should she tell him the burden she’s been shouldering? He already had so much going on. Would it be fair to him? At the edge of frustration from over-thinking and an empty stomach, her order came right on time. (Y/N) practically inhaled the food she ordered.

With her stomach half full and bill paid, she headed back out into the cold night of this trendy city of neon lights and whimsical dreams. Deciding against wandering around any more, she tucked herself into her leather jacket and scarf before slowly making her way back home via train. The last thing she wanted to do was get stranded with delinquents crawling around to start fights or to get hit on.

“What’s a cute girl like you doin’ all by yourself?”

And there it was like clockwork.

Inwardly rolling her eyes, she found herself surrounded by three wannabe delinquents from behind. Judging by their school uniforms, they looked to be first year high schoolers. Passersby glanced over her way and immediately walk the opposite direction, not wanting to get involved.

"Just great…" she thought to herself.

Not wanting to encourage any sort of interaction, she ignored them and looked straight at the crosswalk light to change.

“Want us to accompany you?” the boy with a host-like haircut asked and slung his lengthy arm around her shoulder, only to be shrugged off instantly. He smelled of hair product mixed with stale cigarettes.

“Oh, she’s feisty. I like that,” another with short spiky hair commented with a toothy grin and licked his lips. “C’mon sweetheart. The four of us can go get a karaoke room n’ get to know each other better.”

“Piss off.”

“Don’t be so cold, cutie.”

The same boy who put his arm on her before did it again and leaned in close to the side of her face.

“Lose the arm or I’ll lose it for you,” she threatened in a low voice, not making eye contact with the degenerate.

“You?” he sneered and laughed. “You’re half my--”

The boy suddenly found himself spinning around, feeling an immense pressure on his wrist that shot up to his shoulder. The amount of force (Y/N) put into it was more than enough to bring him to his knees.

“Owowowowow!!!”

“I warned you.”

When she saw one of his lackeys run at her from her peripheral, she harshly released her grip to dodge and pushed the other boy onto the pavement. (Y/N) grabbed the other boy’s reached out arm, wrapped it around his back and abruptly shoved his face into a street pole with a resounding clank. The host look alike gathered himself and scurried back onto his feet angrily; he lunged at her again, only to be intercepted by someone’s fist to his cheek.

Looking to her right, she saw a tall, lanky blond boy with the sides of his head shaved to the skin, where a dragon tattoo could be seen etched onto his left temple. He wore a full black gang uniform, with the left sleeve reading “First Generation Vice Commander.”

“Have you no fuckin’ shame attackin’ a girl, assholes?!” he shouted with a furious roar and threw a right hook at the guy’s face, promptly knocking him out.

She turned to her left and saw a familiar head of lilac hair in the same uniform with the characters “Tokyo Manji Gang” embroidered on the back, dodging and weaving his opponent’s punches. The fight ended with a right hook and a knee to the stomach from Mitsuya.

“Now get the fuck outta here before you really piss me off,” he growled out, glaring menacingly with a vein protruding from his right temple. The remaining boy standing ran with his tail between his legs, leaving his friends behind.

“You okay?” the tall blond asked (Y/N), to which she nodded slowly. “Yo, Mitsuya. You didn’t tell me she could throw down like that.”

“Eh?”

“Told you I’d be here when you’re in a pinch,” Mitsuya said from behind with a boyish smirk.

“How did you even--”

“I saw you when we were on our bikes coming back from a meeting,” he revealed.

All she could do was stare confoundedly at her friend's choice of clothing. He wasn’t lying; he really is a gang member. And a captain nonetheless.

“Phew, I’m cold. Let’s go warm up somewhere. I’m starvin’,” the tall boy suggested and walked a few steps ahead while rubbing his arms to warm up. As they made their way to a family restaurant, Mitsuya introduced her to Draken.

“So you’re the (Y/N) Mitsuya talked about,” the blond boy remarked.

“You… talked about me?” she asked with raised eyebrows.

“I told the other captains what happened the other night with our run-in,” the lilac haired boy explained.

“We’re really sorry you got involved with that,” the tall boy apologized solemnly and lightly bowed his head at her. “Those heartless bastards…”

“It’s fine, really,” she replied with a sympathetic gaze and held out a neutral hand gesture. “Things worked out and none of us really got hurt.”

“True. But damn.” After raising his head, Draken chuckled with a wide, toothy grin in her direction. “Didn’t think you could fight like that.”

“That was self-defense, not fighting,” (Y/N) clarified and sipped her milk tea. “A simple joint lock will disengage anyone immediately. Though, I could’ve snapped it had I placed more pressure.”

“Glad we got there on time before you did,” Mitsuya replied with a tone of relief. “That would’ve been troublesome.”

“For them, you mean,” she lightly shot back and sipped her drink some more. Draken couldn’t help but snicker aloud.

“I like her. She’s cool, Mitsuya.”

“Don’t let Emma-chan hear that,” he teased. “She’ll be super jealous.”

“Whatever,” the tall boy coolly replied with a tone of disregard and sipped his hot coffee.

“Who’s this ‘Emma-chan’? His girlfriend?” (Y/N) innocently asked, making Draken to choke and spit out his drink while blushing madly. “… Or not?”

Mitsuya leaned into his friend’s ear and audibly whispered loud enough for the vice commander to hear. “That guy over there can take down 50 dudes alone, but he can’t even confess to the girl he likes.”

“Shaddap!” Draken retorted with the tips of his ears and the apples of his cheeks gradating to shades of pink and red. “What do you know?! It ain’t like that!”

She let out a light sputter and laughed.

“Draken-kun, if you ever need advice…” she suggested between chuckles.

“Don’t,” he grunted in annoyance and clicked his tongue. “I don’t need any help.”

“If you say so…”

The three basked in the warmth of the restaurant, engaging in mindless banter and laughter, something they needed having to deal with any Black Dragons business.

“So what were you doin’ ‘round here?” Draken asked before taking a bite of his food.

“Takin’ pictures.”

“For club?” Mitsuya chimed in.

“Somethin’ like that.” She took out her small digital camera from her pocket and frowned while scrolling through the pictures. “Couldn’t get any good shots with this though.”

“Don’t you have a fancier one at home?” the purple haired boy asked.

“I don’t wanna lug that around Shibuya. The lens alone are pretty heavy. Besides...” (Y/N) held down the power button to turn it on. “I rather take photos of interesting things.”

Making sure the flash was off, she indiscriminately clicked the shutter button with the lens on Draken at random angles before turning to Mitsuya.

“(Y/N) stop. That’s embarrassing,” the division captain huffed and held his hand out in an attempt to cover the lens and viewer. “Delete ‘em. I don’t want those seen ‘round school.”

“Don’t wanna,” she retorted and stuck the tip of her tongue out. “And this is going in my personal collection. Relax.”

“Mind if I get a copy of those too?” Draken asked after finishing the last bite of his food.

“I’ll give ‘em to Mi-tan to give to you.”

“Then, I’ll be waitin’ for ‘em, Mi-tan,” the dragon tattooed boy teased, only to be met with an eye roll from the second division captain.

With their bodies warmed and tummies full, the three said their farewells for the night.

“Make sure (Y/N)-chan gets home okay,” Draken casually chided. “Drive safe.”

With a wave, the two hit the clearing traffic of Shibuya and toward home.

“I secured a truce with the Black Dragons today,” Mitsuya said out of the blue. “Taiju… That guy has some crazy strength.”

He glanced at his left arm from his peripheral, still feeling a dull throbbing sensation radiate on his forearm from blocking his right straight punch earlier in the day. That’s definitely bruised, he thought to himself. Had he taken that head on, he would most definitely not be here and a war would’ve started.

“Taiju? Shiba Taiju?”

“The one and only…” he confirmed. “It’s a bit of a mess, honestly.”

She vaguely remember the Shiba siblings from her youth. The only thing that stood out in her mind were the neighborhood rumors of the eldest sibling being super violent to anyone who even breathed his way. The other two siblings, she recalled, got along well with Mitsuya, especially the youngest brother.

“Mi-tan… Fill me in,” (Y/N) answered and tightened her grip around his torso. “I wanna know what’s goin’ on.”

“… You sure?”

“What kinda friend would I be if I can’t help when you’re in a pinch?”

Kicking Impulse to fourth gear, they sped down the widening road toward (Y/N)’s place so they could properly talk.

And there was a lot.

[local-spoon-does-a-thing]

Stress

[(Platonic) TFP! Optimus Prime x Reader]

A/N: So this was just a little vent fic I needed to do since school is going to start up tomorrow and I am not ready for it. Sorry if it's bad, but then again, it's a vent fic. Also I finally decided to watch Transformers Prime and I really like it.

Ah yes, it was back to school day. Winter break had unfortunately passed by way too quickly for anyone’s liking, but what else could they do? For you, the first day was always so dreadful. At least you only have one more year left before you enter college. Until then, you were stuck with kids you didn’t want to be around, dreadful school lunch, and assignment anxiety. Luckily, you got to go to school with Jack and Miko. You never really knew them at first but after getting caught up in an incident between the Decepticons and Autobots, you got to meet Raf and soon, your bonds with them grew (the Fearsome Foursome as Miko would call you guys). 

It was your last period before school ended. You were absolutely waiting for the moment when you got to ride with Optimus, as he was your guardian. Sure, he was a busy ‘Bot, but he always managed to make time with you. You stared out the window at the driveway, feeling excited with which shenanigan was going to take place today. But you were suddenly pulled out of your thoughts when you hear your name get called by the teacher.

“[Y/N], do you have your assignment?” The teacher questioned as she had a stack of papers resting in her arms. Oh, son of a- you’ve forgotten to do your assignment throughout the break since you were too caught up in having fun with your friends. Then again, who the hell assigns homework on winter break? It’s called a break for a reason. Twiddling your thumbs guiltily, you shook your head no and swallowed a lump in your throat. Please don’t get detention, please don’t get detention, please-

“[Y/N] you had all of winter break to finish your assignment. You’re a 12th grader, please be more responsible. You have detention after class.” She said as she went to her desk and put the sheets of paper down. You could feel your cheeks burn with embarrassment as you heard the teacher resume the class and lesson. Oh great, you lost homework credit and got detention. That assignment had 50 points and it went down the drain! Welp, guess it was time to say goodbye to your grade. You felt a cloud of pessimism shadow over your head as you did your best to pay attention to what was on the whiteboard. Time slowly passed by and finally, the school bell rang. As the students rushed out of the classroom, you slowly made your way out of the room as well and instead of walking out of school, you walked to the detention room. You gave a quick message to  Jack to tell the others that you were in detention. Once the text had been sent, you entered the detention classroom and sat all the way in the back row, next to the big window. 

For some reason, time seemed to drag on even more slowly. There were a few students in the room, but they were either asleep or doing their homework. You might as well do your homework as well since there was nothing else to do. As you fetched your utensils and the sheet of work, in the corner of your eye you saw a blue and red semi-truck waiting on the driveway. You couldn’t tell, but you could feel the old leader’s gaze resting on you through the window. You prayed with all your might to not get lectured tonight since you weren’t in the mood for it. You know that he means well, but it was still irritating. Clicking your pen, you looked back down at your paper and tried to solve an equation. Unfortunately, with the heavy gaze still on you and the worry of his lecture and disappointment, you got little to nothing done on your work.

Once you were able to leave, you packed all of your stuff and quickly left the building, soon making your way towards the semi-truck. You kept your eyes on the ground as the door flung open and you entered the passengers side. As soon as the door slammed shut, the engine came to life and you two made your way back to the base. The ride was pretty quiet as your hands rested on your lap. You refused to look away from your lap and continued to brace yourself for the lecture.

“[Y/N]...” Ah, there it was. After a moment passed by, you looked up at the radio and waited for him to continue. “Jack told me that you had detention. Care to explain why?”

Ah scrap, here we go again. You sunk into your seat and crossed your arms before answering his question. “Um, I forgot to do my assignment. That’s it, I swear.”

You could hear a faint sigh coming from his radio, though you couldn’t tell if it was a sigh of relief or a sigh of disappointment. No other words were exchanged as the ride continued on. After some more time passed by, you two were back at the base. You grabbed your backpack and got out as Optimus transformed out of his vehicle mode. You looked up at him as he looked down at you, his expression unreadable. You then went on to make your way towards the couch upstairs, but you were stopped once you heard Optimus’ voice once again.

“[Y/N], please take caution on when your assignments are due. I worry that you won’t be able to graduate at this rate.”

There wasn’t much to say at that statement. You just gave him another guilty look and nod before continuing to make your way towards the couch. You could hear Miko tease about you getting attention while Jack told her off. Raf offered help for your homework, but you politely declined. As the trio went down to hang out with the other bots, you stayed at the couch and twirled the pen in between your fingers as you tried to complete your homework. Okay, maybe you did need help. Though,  it was too late to ask for any just as you went on to decline it. Your pride got in your way once more. Plus, Raf was having fun with the others and you didn’t want to spoil that. The dark cloud that loomed over your head had yet to disappear but instead, it continued to grow as each second passed by. You furrowed your eyebrows and glared intensely at the equation you were stuck on. If it were possible, there would’ve been a hole going straight through your homework as your stare was that intense. For some goddamn reason, you couldn’t concentrate on anything. Your mind and thoughts kept jumping from the time you got detention to the time you had your ride with Optimus. It was honestly very frustrating and you could blow up with anger at any given second. The sounds of the ‘Bots and your friends having fun at the other side of base didn’t help you either. 

Eventually, you tossed the pen on the table and leaned back into the couch. You stared up at the ceiling above you and let out a deep sigh. Ratchet took notice of your sigh and took a brief moment to look at you. You looked utterly exhausted while your eyebrows were still knitted together. The medic raised an optic and questioned you.

“Is there something wrong, [Y/N]? You look like you’re about to fall apart at any second.”

Lazily, you moved your head to the side and looked at him. By now, you were too tired to even give him a weak, reassuring smile. You just had to hope that Ratchet trusted your word. “No worries, everything is under control.” He didn’t believe you.

“Doesn’t look like it. Are you having problems with your homework? Optimus told me about  what happened earlier.”

Of course he would know. You were embarrassed once more and looked back up at the ceiling. You sighed once more and nodded your head, telling him that you were having problems. Ratchet let out a small hum and called for Raf. After you heard the mention of the little boy’s name, your body snapped straight up and you looked at Ratchet with panic. Before you could protest, Raf was with you. You meant no ill intent or offense towards the boy, but you couldn’t believe that you were getting help from a 12 year old.

“[Y/N] needs help with their homework.” Ratchet simply says before going back to work.

Raf nods and sits down next to you. “So, what do you need help with?”

Grabbing the sheet of paper in front of you, you showed him what you needed help on. You then stop him before you could begin solving the equation. “It’s not that I don’t know how to solve it. It’s just...it’s kinda hard to concentrate, y’know? I think I’m having one of those days.”

And Raf did understand. Everyone had one of those days where they couldn’t focus. But that didn’t make you stupid. All you wanted to do was spend time with the others, especially Optimus since one, he was your guardian. And two, Decepticon activity has been exceptionally high lately and even though he picks you up from school almost every single day, you still wanted to be with him.

“I understand, but maybe you should take a break before getting back to work. It helps a lot.” Raf suggested but you politely declined. You explained how you wanted to just get everything over with so you could hang out with the others as soon as possible. He wanted to insist, yet he respected your decision. As some time went on, you still couldn’t focus on what was happening. The young boy continued to try to explain to you the equation, but in the end you gave up. Optimus had just finished his duties and returned to the base. He laid his optics upon you and made his way towards you. Now, he could fully see the frustration and irritation written on your face as you aggressively clicked your pen.

“Is something the matter, [Y/N]?” The old Bot asked.

“[Y/N]’s having a hard time concentrating. We haven’t even finished a single problem yet.” Raf answered for you.

“Hmm, I see. [Y/N], get ready. We’re going for a drive.”

You stopped clicking your pen and looked over to Optimus, who was already in his vehicle form. Your shoulders dropped and you tossed the pen back on the table before standing up and stretching your body. You then looked back at the young boy and gave a weak but kind smile. “I’ll be back soon. Just make sure Miko doesn’t spill anything on my homework.” You tell him before waving and making your way back down.

Once you entered the vehicle, he drove his way out of the base and went outside. It was starting to become night time and there was a lovely sunset on the horizon. The gloomy cloud that was now a storm started to drift away from your head and you could feel yourself relax. It was quiet, but you liked it. One of the many things you could appreciate from Optimus was that you two would just have comfortable silences together and you loved it. You tapped on the window and signalled for him to roll it down and once he did, you stuck your head out and rested your chin on top of the door. The breeze nicely hit your face and ran through your hair. Everything was instantly better now. It was quiet for a while, but Optimus finally decided to talk to you after seeing how relaxed you are now.

“It seems that you are calm now. I’m glad that I could be of some use.” He chuckled. “Is there anything on your mind? Anything you want to...vent, as you call it?”

It took a moment for you to reply. You were contemplating on whether to tell him or not. You didn’t want to bring him down with your problems yet then again, you could really vent out right now. And so you did.

“I- um, I don’t know why, but it’s just so difficult for me to focus. I can’t focus in class, on my homework, and I couldn’t even finish a single problem. I’m always so forgetful and even when I set up reminders on my phone and what not, I always forget. I don’t get or understand why. Is there something wrong with me? Am I just dumb?”

At this question, Optimus slowed down and came to a full stop. Thankfully, the two of you were in the middle of nowhere. If he could, he would place you on his shoulder while stargaze under the night sky. Unfortunately, he would be at risk of getting his cover blown.

“You are not dumb. Having trouble focusing or remembering does not make you dumb. But if you truly feel that there is something wrong with you, I highly recommend that you either see Ratchet or another professional. Just know that the Autobots and the other children will be here to support you. I know that things may seem tough right now, but you must trudge through. Things will get better soon, I promise you.”

Just like that, your worries melted away. Optimus has never broken a promise and he doesn’t plan on breaking one any time soon. You know that you can trust him and you’ve taken every one of his words to heart. Nothing else needed to be said as a relieved smile entered your face. You leaned back into the seat and rested the temple of your head against the door before shutting your eyes.

“Thank you, Optimus. Thank you for being here for me.”

“Always, [Y/N].”

[peachyproserpina]

Wickedly Domestic - Roommates and Puppies

Now that I am back on tumblr I figured I might as well upload my John Wick x Fat!OC fic here as well. Maybe I'll find the motivation to write it as well.

TW: Alternate Universe Canon Diverence, Mutual Pining, Slowburn, Sex

If I miss anything please let me know!

There is a consistent thunk, thunk, thunk of her roommates bed hitting the wall. Despite a whole floor separating them she could still hear the sounds of her roommate getting fucked into next week, literally. Usually Maria wouldn’t care that her roommates late at night shenanigans would run into the next morning but, there was more at stake on the agenda today than usual. Maria pressed her pillow over her ears and looked at her phone; it was almost 4 am Monday morning.

There was a meeting in downtown New York that she had to attend, which the commute was a little more intense then she usually had to deal with. Living and working in a suburb outside of New York City allowed for a stress and traffic free drive to work, usually 15 minutes or less, but driving into the city always was a hassle, that drive tends to be close to an hour. Maria rubbed at her eyes and unlocked her phone, she still had 3 hours before she had to be downtown. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up, this meeting was with the CEO. Those kinds of meetings either ended up in promotion or termination, she buried her face into her pillow. She could still hear the thunk and a few giggles from her roommate and company. Considering she was already up and too anxious to go back to bed she might as well get her workout in now instead of later.

Heaving herself up and out of bed with a groan she let out a yawn before looking around for her workout clothes. Pulling on her leggings and finding a clean shirt she fished around her room for her headphones. Despite living in New York state for a little over 3 months now she still hasn’t completely unpacked. Moving boxes were still stacked around the room and there was a stack of art needing to be hung up.

She wasn’t planning on moving when she did, the roommate who was busy getting fucked, offered her a place to stay. All she had to do was pay utilities and cook for the house once a week. The home had been a surprise to her roommate Cooper. An estranged great Aunt had willed it over to her, Cooper was already living in New York, and the full ride she received was barely enough to cover the dorm she had to split with 2 other people. When she was contacted by lawyers telling her she is now a proud homeowner and didn’t have to worry about student loans for the rest of her life.

One of the first things she did was reach out to Maria. Cooper was well aware of the tension at home, brewing in Maria’s family since they met in high-school. Unfortunately she had first hand seen more tear stained faces and frustration that Maria was put through. They spoke often and were close, promising to push each other to do amazing things. Sometimes amazing things means moving across the country but their love and friendship didn’t diminish over the distance. So offering the room

All Maria had to do was fund the move and drive 30 hours across the country. Dying to get out of the town she has spent her whole life, as well as always loving the east coast, she packed up, put in her two weeks at her current job and submitted an application to anywhere within a 10 mile radius of her new address. She thanked the stars when a local bank picked up her application and allowed for Skype and phone interviews, giving her the job before she even moved out there. She was introduced to her coworkers through a group chat and she fell into her role easily before she even met them in person.

The hardest part had been leaving old friends, leaving her family on the other hand had been a blessing. Her father and his side of the family had always been hard to please and any relationship with them over the last couple of years had been more of a formality than anything else. Her mother was a different story, tears were shed and a few fights were had due to this hasty decision on moving across the country. Maria’s mother had always wanted more for her daughter than what she currently had but packing up and leaving across the country in less than a month gave her mother bad feelings. Her mother backed off and gave Maria her blessing once she got her job, knowing how stubborn her daughter is once she puts her mind to something.

Her siblings had felt the same way, constant calls and texts were exchanged during the long drive while everyone was proud and knew she would be better for the move. It still hurt, promising to visit during holidays and letting them stay over if they ever visited. But it was like ripping off a bandaid. It had to be done or else it festers and could lead to infection, staying stagnant had been driving her crazy.

Once changed and headphones found under some papers she had been reviewing at her desk, she slid them over her ears and made her way upstairs, closing the door and making sure it was locked behind her. Her cat had the habit of running outside and getting lost or turning up at the local shelter and the last thing she needed was to also be worrying about her cat while she was working in the city.

She jogged down to the gate and opened it before she got into her car and made her way to the nature preserve just a few minutes away from her home. She could have ran there but she wasn’t quite ready to commit to the workout while the air was so chilly. By the time she has parked and started her stretches the world had started to wake up around her, birds chirping and the distant sounds of honking while she tried to figure out what playlist she wanted to run to. Deciding on something beat heavy she started down the trail that would lead over the swamp, it had been a while since she had run outside, usually opting to do her cardio in a class setting or on a treadmill while she binges whatever series she is watching on Netflix at the moment.

She was only half a mile in the trail before she had to stop for a moment. Her “ultra support” sports bra did not help as much as she hoped, having big tits was a blessing and a curse. They made working out hell on earth but it got her more free drinks at the bar then she would like to admit. But it also kept her from being able to run as much as she would like to before she has to stop and readjust.

She pulled out her phone and checked the time, quarter past 5 am, she still had time. She could do a mile before she went home and showered and get ready for a grueling day. She paused her music, taking deep breaths before she started up again, she thought she heard rustling behind her. Which despite being close to the city the swamp held more wildlife than she thought it would. She sat and listened, chancing a glance behind her. The sun was nearly up but running by herself in public always put her on edge. There was always the chance of someone grabbing her and doing whatever they would like to her, she shuddered and unlocked her phone, sending her location and a text as to when she would be back to the roommate group chat. Just in case she were to get snatched up at least her roommates would know where she was last.

She started up again, turning her music up all the way to drown out her heavy breathing and the sound of her feet hitting the trail. It wasn’t until she was almost across one of the many bridges in the nature preserve stretching her calf muscles when she felt something warm and slimy against the skin of her leg. She screamed and pulled her head phones off, looking down to see if she had unknowingly picked up a slug or if some creep had managed to sneak up on her. Letting out a sigh when she saw it was a small Beagle, whining and licking at her leg. She crouched down pet the dog who was whining at her feet.

“Hey baby, where are your parents?” She picked up the dog and looked it over, she saw a name tag, “Daisy- that’s a cute name. Matches my tattoo,” she flipped over the name tag and saw an address, thankful she wouldn't have to drop the dog off at home and try to find her owners later. Daisy fell asleep in her arms while she walked the pup back to her car, the thought on finishing her run gone from her mind. Once the dog was rested safely in her front seat and plugged the address into her phone. It was a quick drive back to the owners house thankfully, it was getting dangerously close to 6 am but she couldn’t not take the sleepy baby home.

She knew if her cat went missing longer than usual or her roommates dog she would be worried sick. No parent should be worried about their baby, that was the biggest motivator for her as she snaked through the neighborhood following her GPS until she pulled up to one of the biggest houses she had ever seen. She knew she lived in affluent part of the state but pulling up the gravel driveway of what was basically a mansion she started to sweat. The bouncing of her car woke the puppy up, who was happily wagging her tail, grateful to be home after wandering away in the early morning. Maria smiled, happy that the pup was glad to be home.

“Lets go baby, let's get you back home.” Daisy ran up the door and pawed at it. Maria knocked and waited a moment, when she didn’t hear any movement in the house she rang the doorbell. Daisy was sitting by her feet waiting patiently for the door to open, it felt like hours while she stood in the massive door hoping someone was home to take the pup in. In reality It had probably been only 5 or so minutes, she chanced a glance around the driveway and didn’t see a car. Figuring that whoever would have been home was gone she turned and started walking back to her car, calling for Daisy, she could take her home and try again after work. Knowing her roommates would be sympathetic to the lost puppy and take care of her until she could try again. It was then she heard the large door open. She turned and nearly lost her balance when she caught a glance at the man who opened the door.

[jeks-tgs]

For what it's worth I'd love to read anything you write for ur A/B/O AU! I really agree w ur view on it and finding fics that have that concept that world-build rather than JUST being raunchy & fetish-y is so rare.

I'm finally answering this it's been so long I'm so sorry BUT!! Firstly, thank you, it means alot to me! Secondly, would some backstory exposition count as writing for my ABO AU? /j

Content Warning: Discussions of non-con, trafficking, dog-fighting (but with humans), abuse (physical and sexual), child abuse, and pedophilia. This is a very dark AU that tackles alot of heavy topics, with the main themes being about trauma, mental health, discrimination, and consent. Please don't read anything under the tags 'Jeks ABO AU' or 'Two Makes A Mischief AU' if darker stories could possibly harm you. Stay safe.

So, for my AU I wanted to tackle a lot of heavier topics, and part of that is shown in Jekyll and Hyde's backstory. See, having Jekyll have so many secrets in this AU already, throwing Hyde on top of it all seemed too much. Instead, I made them close friends with a shared traumatic childhood. They were both born in a brothel/fighting ring in Glasgow, belonging to the company The Red Rat. Part of the business revolves around the trafficking and breeding of Omegas, for pleasure, and Betas, for entertainment.

Hyde was bred in the fighting litters, born to a Beta mother and Beta father. He was the runt of his litter, and surprisingly an Omega, but his rough characteristics and personality kept him in the rings rather than being brought to the brothel segment of the building. He quickly gained infamy amongst those who bet on the fights for his temper and ability to survive in the rings. He was referred to as 'Red' due to how bloodied his throat often got during matches.

Jekyll was born to an Omega mother and Alpha father, one of the rich men from London who frequently visited the brothel and paid extra in order to actually sire a litter. Jekyll was the only Omega in the litter, and was seperated from his mother shortly after, being cared for by the Spider's, the owner of the Red Rat, Beta staff. Most often, the Red Rat held the policy that an Omega was off limits until their first heat, but Spider saw Henry as 'the perfect Omega' since he matched Spider's personal prefences, and Spider abused him when he was very young. He was given the derogatory name 'Easy' because he 'didn't put up much of a fight'.

The two met when Hyde managed to sneak into the brothel in an attempt to get actual food rather than moldy scraps, and ran into Jekyll, trying to get some food as well. The two continued to meet in secret, becoming close friends. One day, during one of their meetings, a rival brothel company/gang broke in. During the chaos that ensued, Hyde grabbed Jekyll and made a break for it. The two proceeded to live as street urchins for a long time, stealing to survive and hiding their scents as best they could. Hyde managed to pass himself off as a Beta due to his scent being rather earthy, not common in Omegas, but Jekyll's peppermint scent made it so he had to spend most of his time hiding, relying on Hyde to bring him food.

As time went on, Hyde set up a bit of a barter system with some local school children around their age, giving them stolen goodies or fighting their bullies in exchange for learning what they were taught and textbooks, which he then taught to Jekyll. This continued until the school teacher learnt from her students about the odd little boy, and she followed him to where he and Jekyll lived in a broken down pub. She started leaving food and clothes for them, and eventually set a trap feral kitten style to get both boys to her home to take care of them.

She, being an Omega herself, understood how hard it was for both of them, and helped as best she could to cover Jekyll's scent better, actually using a peppermint cologne to make his scent seem false. While Jekyll took her last name eventually, Hyde chose his own last name, partially because he didn't want the Omega who'd raised them to be connected to him legally in case he got arrested, but also because he and Jekyll had a pretty strong 'we're not dating but yeah we are' kinda relationship at that point and neither wanted to be adopted siblings because gross. (Though both did accept the first names she gave them to replace their Rat-given names.)

Hyde's time in the rings had left him not knowing how to interact with others, being more prone to lashing out when feeling threatened. Hyde suffers from reactive aggression, which is an actual diagnosis in humans, as I've recently found out, though more commonly you might hear it being used for reactive dogs. Jekyll, on the other hand, has a made up disorder called Feral Omega Disorder, as well as Sporatic Heat Syndrome. His years of physical and sexual abuse, especially before his first heat, has left his 'Omega state' (one's Status-driven mindset, influenced by instinct over logic) more 'feral' and animalistic in nature, and his body suffers from sporatic, intense heats spaced farther apart rather than regular, normal heats.

Jekyll and Hyde both went to the same college in London under the guise of being Betas, though much to their distress Jekyll was roomed with an Alpha, Robert Lanyon. The two became close friends though, and after graduating formed the Society, with Hyde working alongside Jekyll as his personal assistant. Sadly, during college Jekyll had become involved an abusive Alpha named Morcant, would one day vanish on a 'business trip', only to return nine months later at Hyde's house in the dead of night, shaking and terrified and holding four little pups in his arms, which is where the actual story begins.

[xserpentlife]

Problems

Requested: Anon -  may I request a sweet pea x reader where the reader is a good girl north sider and has to tutor him and at first he finds her annoying but the more they spend time together he ends up falling for her (maybe they could have a moment where they talk about their life's and her life isn't as perfect as she leads on)

A/N: here’s a fic for y’all. Hope you enjoy it. I may do a drabble because I have a feeling @wayward-river​ my beta is going to request one haha

Warnings: Talk of drug addict parents

Word Count: About 1840

You were about to leave class when the teacher called you and Sweet Pea up to his desk. You were told to stay behind as the rest of the students left and you really didn’t understand why, especially not with the southsider.

“Yes Mr. Eric”

“Ah Ms. Y/N, I need to ask a big favor of you” You looked over to see Sweet Pea looking down at his feet as he leaned against the desk

“Yes?”

“You see I’m the basketball coach here as well as the science teacher, and Pea here is not doing very good in Chem like you are. I would like you to tutor him”

“Mr. Eric, I would but I don’t think that is such a good idea…”

“Ms. Y/N please, I’ll even throw in a few extra credit points for you, and I’ll be able to add this to your letter of recommendation”

“Okay… I’ll help

“Thank you, please once you both leave, make a plan to meet up as soon as possible” You turned picking up your books and leaving the room, waiting outside the door for Sweet Pea.

“Sorry I’m such an inconvenience for you, I know you don’t want to be seen around with a Southsider”

“That isn’t what I said…”

“Doesn’t matter”

“Whatever Sweet Pea, meet me in the library tomorrow right after school”

“Fine” He walked off without another word, You really didn’t know Sweet Pea all that well. You knew he was from the southside, and you knew he was part of the Serpents, but that was about it. You had no problem with him being in the Serpents, you were just extremely busy and having to tutor him on top of it, was not helping you at all.

You went through your day as normal. You worked through the night at your bartending job in Greendale, picked up your brothers from your house, and then got to school with minutes to spare. You were dead tired. The nice northside girl that everyone knew you as was starting to slowly fade away. You got through school fairly well, completely forgetting about having to tutor Sweet Pea, until you saw him sitting in the library as you were leaving. You walked in sitting down slowly at the table.

“Sorry I was late”

“Look at that the goody Northsider wasn’t on time”

“I already apologized”

“I know…”

“Are you ready to study…?”

“I mean you're the tutor, aren't you supposed to tell me?”

“I’m really not in the mood today Sweet Pea”

“Aww what? Perfect little Northsider had a tough day?”

‘You know what... here are your study guides and guided notes, study yourself, oh and check your attitude and maybe we’ll try this again in a few days…  meet me here on Thursday” You walked out after that, rushing to Pop’s because you were going to be late for your afterschool shift.

The past few days have been fine with Sweet Pea, and his tutoring sessions. He came learned and left, not many words were exchanged between the two of you.

You missed school yesterday due to the fact you had to work all day meaning you missed the study session you had planned with Sweet Pea. At School today you had to act like you weren’t tired, and act as peppy as possible because Cheryl was using you for a campaign for the school news and her presidency. You were smiles all day, forcing them upon your face. You finally gave up when you went to the library to wait for Sweet Pea. He was late, five minutes past, then ten, you lost track at twenty falling asleep at the table. You didn’t need to be here, but he needed you and you weren’t one to give up on people.

Sweet pea was about to leave the school, basketball practice ran late, but as he looked into the library he saw you asleep at the table. In the past few weeks the more he has gotten to know you the more you have grown to annoy him. Constantly badgering about his grades, assignments and everything in between. He just wanted to be a normal teenager, but living on the southside he was behind on his work and to play basketball he just couldn't be. He actually felt bad when he saw you sleeping at that table, he walked in tapping you on the shoulder.

“I’m sorry”

“Really… that’s surprising”

“Sit down so we can get started at least, I only have 20 minutes”

“You know you don’t have to be a bitch. I shouldn't even be here”

“Really because it kinda is your fault you're here, you're the one that needs to be tutored not me, so do you want the help or not?” He shuts up after that, taking the papers, and responding to your questions. The timer on your phone went off signaling you had to leave to go work your shift.

“I'll see you Wednesday after school for our session right?”

“Actually no Pea, I’m going to be at work… but uh you can come there if you need the help”

“Alright I’ll be there, we have our test the next day so I really need the extra help” He realized that he needed the help, that you were important to him, and you had become important in the few weeks he had spent with you. He didn’t mean to be rude to you, it was just the way he was raised.  People never helped you for the sake of you, but only ever for the sake of themselves. He was wary of new people and at the time you were new. He realized quickly he wanted to make that up, but that didn’t make up for the fact that he was still trying to decode you, still trying to understand if you truly cared or not”

“Yeah that’ll be fine”

A few days later was your study night at Pop's. Usually, it is slower during the week so you thought you would have time, but work that night was non-stop. You watched Pea come through the door taking a seat at one of the booths. You walked over quickly.

“I’m sorry Pea I’m just slammed right now, give me a few minutes” A few minutes turned to ten and it felt like you were becoming him, that night that he left you there. You sat with him for the ten-minute break you had. You expect to be done after working another twenty after that, but Pop offered you to stay later and you had to take it, you couldn’t deny you needed the money more than anything.

Pea was getting angrier. He knew you were working, but you kept promising you would be done, and it felt like he was getting disappointed like he had a hundred times in his life. Memories flooding back of the people that left and lied. He barely knew you but he felt something with you like he hadn’t felt with a lot of people. He wanted you to keep your promises and he knew you were working, but you not helping was making him more and more upset so he got up about to leave before you walked up to him.

“I’m so sorry Sweet Pea, it’s been crazy in here…”

“Save it, I get it I’m not that important…”

“You just love being a dick huh” Pop Tate looked at you “sorry Pop Tate, we'll go outside” You drug Sweet Pea by his sleeve, Pop giving you a nod that your shift was over.

“Why do you have to be such an asshole I’m sorry I haven't been as available for you tonight, I never meant for that to happen. Usually, this is our slow night. I figured I could get two things done at once, but then Pop Tate mentioned more hours and I had to take it”

“Why? You probably don’t even have to work with your rich northside parents”

“You don’t know me at all…”

“I’m sure someone like you has loads of problems.”

“You really want to know my problems, Sweet Pea, I’ll lay it out straight for you. I come from the northside that’s true, but my parents are nobodies, no money, no jobs. Oh and you wanna know the worst part, we are broke. I’ve lived on the street, but I now pay for a small apartment for me and my brothers. My parents are nowhere to be found, they are drug addicts, probably dealers by now. I try to keep us hidden as best I can. I work three jobs. Sometimes my job in Greendale is all night and then I come to school like that day you found me sleeping when I was late. My life isn’t rainbows and unicorns Sweet Pea, and I do have to work. I need money to take care of my brothers by myself. So yeah, I’m so sorry that I chose work while I was helping you study, but I needed the money, okay, and I hate to admit it but I'm tired so fucking tired of people thinking my life is so fucking perfect” You sat down on the bench outside of Pop’s head in your hands, and you felt Sweet Pea’s weight sit beside you. He pulled you into him, you felt comfortable around him, he made you so mad but instantly you felt a wave of calmness.

“Let me help… I know people we can get you a small trailer, help you out with money, you’re basically like a single mom”

“I don’t need a payout, I'm fine on my…”

“What on your own? Y/N you’ve been doing this for so long by yourself, and I can damn well see that you are capable but I want to be there like you were there for me. I want to help you. Let me help you and we can get this all sorted out for you…

“There is no “we” Sweet Pea”

“But what if I want there to be we… I know we don’t know each other that well but in the past few weeks, I’ve fallen for you. You are so fucking annoying and naggy but it's so fucking cute and I can’t control how I feel, and I’m sorry I was such a dick at first but I was scared, but I like you…” he leaned in kissing your lips and you leaned back looking him in the eyes feeling the exact way he did.

You were sitting outside the classroom legs bouncing as you waited for him to come out the door and you saw his boots enter the hallway as he stared at you test in hand

“What did you get?!”

“I got a B+” He came towards you lifting you off your head tilting his head down and connecting your lips. Maybe tutoring the Serpent wasn’t so bad after all.

[shnuggletea]

Update: Fairy Tale Writers

Not to be confused with Fairy Tail writers, although you’re welcome to use that fandom for this. Due to the fantastic amount of interest, I’m going to make this an event. Don’t worry if any of you missed this before, sign-ups will begin AFTER the gif exchange since at least half of the people are involved in both lol! 

Schedule (So far):

The official sign up: May 1st

Due Date: Starting June 15th (There will be spacing based on numbers and similar fairy tales. Plus some I’m sure will do multi-chapter.)

Yes, that is a month and a half BUT you are getting a heads up now so that means you can start your fic now! I have mine started!! So what rules are there, for those wanting to get started?

Rules

Length requirement: None (that’s what she said)

Fandom: Any

Pairing: Any

Rating: I’m not going to force one on anyone but I would recommend T. I do understand there may be violence and language especially if you do a modern interpretation. No one will be ‘disqualified’ if it’s rated M but make sure we know WHY it’s rated that way, please.

Fairy Tale Selection: So here’s the deal. We are all talented writers so even if you write beauty and the beast along with someone else, it’s still going to be a completely different fic. So don’t worry about who is doing what. At sign-ups, I will ask that you tell me your fairy tale and chosen pairing but that’s in case there are five people doing the same thing. If that does happen, I’ll inform you but only so you know. I still think the five that might write the same fairy tale and pairing will still give COMPLETELY different stories, so I’m not worried. Again, fairy tales and folklore/fables ONLY! No legends. We’ll save legends for another time.

Interpretations: Any interpretation is allowed. Modern or classic, Disney or original story, some even have multiple versions across different cultures in which you may take your pick! MASHUPS ARE ALLOWED!!!!

Additional challenge!!: Because...why the heck not! Your fic MUST INCLUDE something from this list! Found it the other day and well...I’m in love with it so let’s use it!! And I know that you are all talented enough to make one of these work!

fake dating

an omniscient narrator who immediately contradicts the characters (“This is fine,” she said. It was, in no way, shape, or form, fine.)

deadpan jokes while sword fighting

the “I FUCKING LOVE MY WIFE” guy

oblivious pining that slowly escalates until A is going on page rants about how pretty B’s eyes are but still doesn’t seem to recognize they’re in love

Strong Leader Type having to physically fall down in order for the other characters to see how exhausted they are

funny villains who talk and make jokes with their heroes while they’re fighting them

the villains presented as the protagonists

*increasingly pulls out bigger and bigger weapons from more unlikely places*

“I said all of your weapons” *pulls out more*

“ALL OF THEM” *pulls out one last tiny dagger*

a traumatized character using humor to cover up PTSD

characters going out for a break at a restaurant/movie/whatever and something bad happening

using the “*gasp* what’s that over there???” trick to avert the enemy’s attention and it working

a villain’s weakness being something totally random and nonsensical

a hero duo arguing over who’s the sidekick while fighting a villain

“don’t be silly, we don’t need [important thing]”  “you lost it, didn’t you?”  “yeah”

“what’s the one thing I told you not to do tonight?”  “raise the dead”   “and what did you do?”  “raised the dead”

“I think that went pretty well” *explosion in the distance*

Any questions or concerns, please shoot me an ask. That way it’s posted for all to see. You may ask the same question others had!

[curioussubjects]

come be a season 12 truther, baby, with me

In honor of tonight’s Berens/Glynn episode (!!!!), I’d like to take y’all on a magical journey in which I share why I think Dean and Cas got together in season 12. 

Keep in mind that this post takes for granted that Dean and Cas are in love with each other and that their relationship has been increasingly coded as romantic with each passing season. Consequently, what this post does is point out some key moments in their relationship and argue why they don't get together before 12. I'll also go briefly over 13 and 14 for reasons I'll explain later in the post. First, though, let me go over seasons 4 through 11, with some pit stops along the way:

Seasons 4 & 5: this isn’t the destiel you are looking for. the ust is delicious, yes, and i, too, got sucked in posthaste immediately groped by an angel lj community style. At this point Cas is still too alien for anything beyond the development we see on screen happen. HOWEVER, season 5 is the first time we get to see Cas being human (The End) and Cas being less connected to heaven and how that affects his behavior. This will matter. 

Seasons 6 & 7: the pining omg the pining. The notable things I want to point out with these seasons is a. this is the beginning of Cas doing things to spare Dean and it not ending well (Cas dies #1, soulless!Sam); b. Dean is v. sad; and c. we also start noticing the emotional toll of Cas’s divided loyalties and how human he has actually become since s4. Hurty feels all around.  

Season 8: purgaytory babes aw yeah! Still lots of terrible awful pining. This is a turning point with the addition of the bunker as tfw hq: we have a home in play now, a static emotional center. Cas is still off doing his own thing, Dean still wishes Cas would just let him (+ Sam) help out. Cas going off on his own leads to disaster #2 (Angels fall, Cas loses his Grace). For all deliciously angsty get together purgatory fics and spec, there’s too much of a gap between Dean and Cas on Cas’s part due to his guilt over betraying the Winchesters in s6 & slaughtering angels & leviathan. On the other hand, we do see Dean being more emotionally open, but to no avail. Bad timing. This is a trend. [oop also worth noting we get Dean being kinda done with the one night stand thing because always with the adios and ahem also hint hint Cas refusing to stay put]

Seasons 9 & 10: aka Dean and Cas make bad decisions, but mostly Dean. The biggest turning point here is Cas being human for an extended period of time. There is still plenty of spec over the effects of being human on Cas’s Grace and his Soul. What we can say for sure, though, is that Cas is much more human once he becomes an angel again. In contrast to s8, s9 sees Cas being vulnerable and Dean pushing him away (first because of Gadreel, which he didn’t want to do really and that’s even sadder kdjfgksdfj & later because he was pushing everyone away due to the mark).  

9.06 Heaven Can’t Wait: there’s been so much amazing fic and spec about this episode with its fanfiction gap, but I can’t see a deancas get together here, folks. I know, it’s terrible. The lying from Dean and the hurt from Cas, imo, make the distance between them quite insurmountable at this point. While the episode is amazing (Bobo’s debut, too! So ♥) and has some notorious subtext throughout, I just can’t see the character bridging that gap into anything physical, much less emotional. Nevertheless, this episode does show perhaps the first intentional romantic tableaux with Dean and Cas, and that’s not nothing. 

10.16 Paint it Black: from the point Dean gets the mark of cain until the end of season 10, anything between him and Cas is quite impossible. But one of the reasons I’m bringing up this episode in particular is because of the confession scene. For one, it’s a rare bit of emotional honesty from Dean and for two, it tells me that while he and Cas may be well aware of the thing between them, it’s still uncharted waters. Makes sense, too, there’s been A LOT going on since s6.  Anyway, he’s the full confession, so we can put a pin on it:

You know, the life I live, the work I do…I pretty much just figured that that was all there was to me, you know? Tear around and jam the key in the ignition and haul ass until I ran out of gas. I guess I just thought sooner or later, I’d go out the same way that I live – pedal to the metal, and that would be it. [...]  Now, um… recent events, uh… make me think I might be closer to that than I really thought. And…I don’t know. I mean, you know, there’s – there’s things, there’s…people, feelings that I-I-I want to experience differently than I have before, or maybe even for the first time. [...]  Yeah, I’m just starting to think that… maybe there’s more to it all than I thought.

Do you ever see a character having an epiphany and find yourself wanting to cry because this is it right here. Dean is just blatantly admitting he wants more, which all culminates in season 11, so...

Season 11: The pining is still here, but it’s worse now since it’s the whole plot? It’s been *checks calendar* 5 years of this. How are any of us still kicking I don’t know. Your slow burns could never. Cool worth noting points: Cas says yes to Luci (bad decision #2.5, lots of mitigating effects_I don’t actually hold it against him that much but Dean is another story & not entirely rational at this point); for the first time since the early days, Dean and Cas are on equal grounds: they’ve both fucked up a lot and have hurt each other. The issues this season are outside their dynamic. Amara and Lucifer here serve as externalizing forces for Dean and Cas’s problems and by the end of the season we’re getting a clean slate. We’re also getting a new showrunner, so. No wonder. What this season does that is also super important is that it sets up the stage for the possibility of an actual relationship between Dean and Cas, something that has, up until this point, been pretty much impossible. 

11.04 Baby: Y’all know what I’m about to quote here, right? The convo between Dean and Sam about having something with someone who understands the life. Here we still have Dean reverting to the idea that it’s impossible, which is a direct contrast to the openness in 10.16. It’s understandable, though, considering there’s been little reason to think anything like that would be possible (see all the mess and poor timing from seasons past). The quote in question, though, marks a continuing development in on of the things Dean is struggling with this season:

DEAN: Piper? That's awesome. Heather. One-night wonders, man. Shoot, we're lucky we still get that at all.  SAM: Really? You don't . . . Ever want something more? DEAN: I'm sorry, have you met us? We're batting a whopping zero in domestic life, man. Goose eggs. SAM: You don't ever think about something? Not marriage or whatever. But . . . Something? You know, with a hunter? Somebody who understands the life?

Compare this exchange with what we get from 11.11 and 11.19:

11.11 Into the Mystic: I’m bringing this episode as a crossreference to 10.16 and to show again that for all the closeness between Dean and Cas there’s still a marked distance they haven’t yet bridged. Thanks Mildred for the delicious exposition:

Darlin'...If there's one thing I've learned in all my years on the road, it's when somebody's pining for somebody else. [...]  Oh, don't try and hide it now. Follow your heart. Remember?

11.19 The Chitters: Continuing our trek regarding Dean wanting certain things we have this gift of an episode with Jesse and Cesar, and this exchange:

Dean: [with realization] Oh, so … [points back and forth to Jesse and Cesar] Cesar: Yeah. Dean: Okay, that’s… Cesar puts his beer bottle on the table and looks at Dean, while Jesse is being silent. Dean: What’s it like, settling down with a hunter? Cesar: Smelly, dirty. [turns to Jesse] Twice the worrying about getting ganked.

I’d like to point out, too that the fear of getting ganked is thematic when it comes to the tension between Dean and Cas. More on this when we hit s13. 

Alright, now having said that, let’s take a look at season 12. Bear in mind, this is the official start of Dabb’s era, even if he kinda began taking over in 11, and the change in vibes is obvious. In fact, 12 jumped out at me as a turning point in retrospect, after getting smacked by the domesticity of 13 and 14. Under the cut because I can’t shut up, and things are long enough as is. 

Season 12:  Finally, the promise land, y’all. So, what s11 was for Dean in terms of setting up the relationship stage, s12 was for Cas. In its initial beats, any way. Important to keep in mind that until the Kelly debacle, this was the longest Cas has been around the bunker. Things seem remarkably chill. Of course, we’ll notice that there’s still a lot of baggage hanging around because despite Dean and Cas being in a more stable place, they haven’t actually dealt with their interpersonal problems. I didn’t single out directly this episode, but do keep in mind Cas’s declaration in 12.09 First Blood as far as how much the Winchesters matter to Cas & how we also see Dean and Cas be particularly singled out with them seating together in the backseat of the Impala. 

12.10 Lily Sunder Has Some Regrets: This episode, oh my god, the goodness. In the wake of 12.09 we have Dean and Cas in a tiff because Cas mistake #3 (killing Billie and “cosmic consequences”), this is a pattern. Twice the worry of getting ganked, etc etc. But where this episode really shines is through the contrast between Ishim’s obsession with Lily and Cas & Dean’s mutual affection for each other. Ishim sees no difference here and, to him, Cas’s feelings for Dean are a human weakness. Returning to my point about human!Cas, this episode underscores that Cas’s increasing humanity is what puts him in the place where he can want what Dean wants instead of either being too alien to get it (see s4 & 5) or unable to experience it properly (Ishim). 

12.12 Stuck in the Middle (With You): Cas’s trajectory culminates here with the whole I love you (@ Dean), I love all of you (@ Winchesters). Let’s note too that Cas is dying here, in a way that is much more human than going up in light. This declaration of different types of love is entirely human. It’s also a definitive step wrt to Cas and Dean’s relationship because of what happens in 12.19. This. is. it.

Offscreen happenings: Mixtape, how Cas knows the Colt is under Dean’s pillow. This is hella suspicious. 

12.19 The Future: This episode changes everything, y’all (bobo and meredith, folks, bobo and meredith ksjdhfakjshlfksd). Consider watching this episode again and pay attention to some weird things: 1. Dean’s reaction to Cas going awol. Compare it to Sam’s, who is like whoa Dean chill. Now, thought experiment, imagine something happened between Dean and Cas, and then just radio silence from Cas. Imagine how Dean would react with getting ghosted by Cas specifically after something happened between them.  2. Cas comes back to the bunker with the specific goal of stealing the Colt, which he already knew was under Dean’s pillow -- something Sam didn’t even know.  3. “He came into my room and he played me.” So, this quote right there, makes it seem like some seduction for personal gain, right? But Cas clearly knew where the Colt was already, which means something happened before  Cas came back to the bunker. Cas played Dean in seeming to have reconsidered not working with Sam and Dean wrt Kelly. This is still a point of drama, but it leads somewhere else (see s13 & s15). 4. WHEN DID DEAN GIVE CAS THAT MIXTAPE OMG 5. Dean and Cas’s brief convo in Dean’s room is clearly Dean just wanting Cas to stay, so they can work (and be) together -- because they’re better that way. Which, yeah, truth. 

Sequence of events: Cas tells Dean he loves him -- Dean is clearly shook by it -- Dean gives Cas a mixtape (romantic gesture, often a declaration of feelings; in true Dean speak too lolsobs) -- Cas somehow knows the Colt is under Dean’s pillow -- ???? -- Cas goes awol -- Dean acts like he got ghosted by his partner.

Like. Y’all realize they probably had some emotionally constipated getting together moment, right? Something that Dean clearly initially thought meant things were gonna change, now. Something that Cas couldn’t allow to happen until he could give Dean a win. Y’all are seeing this, yeah? I’m not saying they slept together and were full of feelings, except that’s kind of what I’m saying. But ymmv, there are other possibilities beyond sex. The full of feelings isn’t up for debate, though, even if the whole thing is informed by ridiculous amounts of miscommunication. 

Ok, maybe the narrative is still too subtle (?????), but as I said before, looking at 12 with the knowledge of 13 and 14 does offer a new perspective because of the difference in dynamic between Dean and Cas. I know lots of people look at 14, mainly, as having dialed back on the destiel side of things, but I always thought that was a strange take. Largely because they’re so domestic and their dynamic, ie, the lack of tension, reads like an established relationship. It’s a different kind of beast than we have been used to so far, so it does look alien on screen, especially since we “skipped” the conventional getting together cue that would let us change gears. Let’s take a look at 13 and 14, then.

Season 13: Ah, yes, the season of shit gets domestic. The pining? Gone? What? Deancas now reading like an established couple? It’s more likely than you think.

13.1-13.5: Dean’s grief mini-arc. Dude’s acting like a widower. We all know this. I want to gesture towards the reunion moment though with “it’s never too late to start all over again.” To. Start. All. Over. Again. I’m just saying. 

13.6 Tombstone: hi this episode is pure love and Dean is so happy his sweetheart is back from the dead? He’s even ok being Jack’s third dad now? What a time to be alive. Also? apparently Dean and Cas were just having movie night together? Dates? Mutual Pining dates prior to shit going to hell in 12? Do you ever cry? What else are they getting up to offscreen? What else will they get up to off screen? MUCH TO THINK ABOUT. 

Season 14: MORE DOMESTICITY. With some pining because Michael. But...heart eyes when Dean comes back? Watch that scene again with Dean going off to shower. Suspicious. But then shit hits the fan and we’re all sad again. boo. 

14.15 Peace of Mind: Look me in the eye and tell me Dean and Cas talking in the kitchen about Jack doesn’t read like husbands talking about their child. Look me in the eye and tell me Cas just texting Dean to gossip about Sam isn’t coupley asf. 

14.18-14.20: Ah, yes, the divorce arc. Awful. Terrible. The culmination of Dean’s problem in all this: he lashes out, he pushes Cas away, his anger is alienating. Cue all of us suffering. But while Dean is clearly in the wrong in how the deals with his feelings, let’s not pretend some of his anger doesn’t come from a long established issue between him and Cas, which had its last traumatic turn when Cas died in s12. Dean isn’t being rational here; he saw Cas doing something on his own, and he saw that his mother is dead. What else could happen? Why won’t Cas just trust they can work as a team? Divorce arc was entirely too literal. 

But what about what we’re building up in 15? That seems like it could be a getting together plot, too, right? Well, yeah. It could very well be. But I’d argue the tension we’re seeing isn’t a will they or won’t they because they already have. The tension is instead will they or won’t they use their words to talk about the baggage that has kept them from truly being confident about their relationship. There’s a crucial step in their togetherness that they’re still missing, which is also the bedrock of the divorce arc that spanned TWELVE FRIGGIN’ EPISODES. Y’all. Y’all that’s half a season. And we’re not even entirely done with it yet because Dean was cut short in purgatory, and they haven’t dealt with Cas’s side of blame in this mess yet either -- that Cas keeps going off on his own and getting hurt (and getting other people hurt), and Dean has to deal with the fallout. The deep emotional understanding, the truly being on the same page is what we’re on the edge of our seats for. And, you know, that’s a whole lot more exciting than witnessing their for realsies first kiss. I’m also confident Dabb & co will deliver the conclusion to this emotional arc and it will be a whole mess of feelings on all our parts. 

For the moment, though, it’s looking a lot like Dean and Cas had a rocky start to their ~involvement, then DEATH, then they got together feat. sweet sweet domestic fluff, then DIVORCE. So, yeah. Season 12, guys; it’s where it’s at. 

As for the more performative aspect of Dean and Cas’s relationship…that’s a whole other thing and all I can say is they got the green light for something, but I don’t know what it is and it’s driving me bananas, but it’s definitely something and we can talk about that, too. Place your bets, etc.  I’m clowning on the “I love you” pay off because it’s a glaring missing piece in this whole story. See also: holding hands? Carving Cas’s initials on the table? Saileen endgame parallels? All supported by the narrative. Like a lot. So. *finger guns*

[floof-reppu]

okay, so I’m really excited to be sharing this with you guys: my first fully fleshed out smut piece. since it’s Kinktober I thought it would be nice if I contributed by writing at least ONE smutty fic, and oh boy is this long, at least for my writing. I really, really hope you guys like it, it took me over a day to write just because I wanted to make it as perfect as possible.

i wrote for Kendo because there just seems to be an under appreciation for her in terms of Kinktober and smut in general, so why the hell not? 

Object of Affections - Itsuka Kendo x Fem!Reader (Word Count: 3.2k)

HUGE WARNING: SMUT AHEAD

Being a pro hero isn’t always as glorified as they make it seem when you were younger. Now going on two years since your original debut, nothing but work seemed to cross your mind mind nowadays. Graduating from U.A. with well-known rookies such as Red Riot and Ground Zero, it was no wonder you were able to get recognized so quickly. Although, you weren’t in their class; rather, you were in the second class of the hero course, Class B. 

Being friends with all of your former classmates, you tried to keep up with as many of them as possible, especially your best friend and crush Itsuka Kendo. Whether it was her caring persona or her willingness to do the right thing, you couldn’t differentiate didn’t between which trait was more attractive in your eyes. 

You didn’t expect to be playing a game of truth or dare with the former Class A girls and Kendo (since you didn’t want it to just be them) at your apartment that particular evening. It started off as the usual gossip; the slew of them talking about their current boyfriends, if they had one to begin with, until Mina thought it would be a good idea to play a… party game of sorts.

“Truth or Dare, but with this bad boy!” As if appearing out of thin air, the pinkette brandished a bottle of alcohol in front of everyone, setting down in the middle of the circle that was formed. “If you refuse to answer, you gotta drink from the bottle!”

“I don’t know if this is such a good idea… I mean, who knows what could happen?” Momo tried to weigh all of the options in front of her, ultimately giving in and shaking her head. “I can’t say I agree with what we’re doing, but… I’ll participate.”

“Hell yeah! What about the rest of you? This will be a great opportunity to ask some pretty risque questions…” Mina grinned from ear to ear, eager to get started with the game.

“Yeah, um… sure, I’ll give it a try! It can’t be all that bad, right?” Ochako’s words were laced with a tad of innocence, making her smile seem all that and more. 

Soon, the only ones who hadn’t agreed yet were you and Kendo, who seemed to be taking the game into too much consideration. You, on the other hand, wanted nothing more than to get up immediately. Part of you begged to stay just for shits and giggles, but the other part wanted to leave in fear of your discreet crush on the woman sitting beside you.

“I’ll play if Y/N plays,” Kendo glanced over at you, face hiding no emotions as she spoke with a smile that grace her lips, “Do you want to play?”

“I… I’ll play, I guess…” You knew all you would feel is guilt if you refused, plus how could you refuse her? “So, who starts first?”

“We can just go in a circle, starting with myself so you guys can think of some questions!” Mina stared right at Tsuyu first, which thankfully meant you had a grace period to figure out who and what you wanted to ask. Questions went around the entire room, innocent dares being asked along with the frequent… questionable truths.

“Alright! Kendo, truth or dare?” Hagakure was usually the unpredictable one who caught everyone off-guard most of them a time, given that her head wasn’t visible when she moved… Kendo was only chosen due to the risque nature of the game, which honestly terrified you.

“I’ll pick truth, only because I’m not sure if I trust your dares…” The ginger giggled sheepishly, her hands folded neatly on her lap. Her calm demeanor in these types of situations was something that you adored, being one of her strong traits.

“Okay, so! Do you like anyone in this room as more than just a friend?” Hagakure was probably grinning under her cloak of invisibility. Even while she got one of the easier questions, the calm and collected expression on Kendo’s face sunk, and a small blush crept onto her cheeks, only visible to those sitting right beside her. 

“I guess I have to answer this, huh? Technically… yeah, I do like someone in this room,” Her voice was more or less a glorified whisper, embarrassment taking over her being. “but you didn’t ask who, so at least that much is a mystery."

All eyes fell on her, some with a look of curiosity and others with a look of confusion. Your eyes, however, didn't convey either; rather, your irises were shrouded, no emotion being shown. There was no possible way that she was talking about you, so why get your hopes up? It wasn't until Kendo looked directly at you and her piercing voice rang that your trance was broken.

"I don't think you've gone yet, Y/N, so I think I'll ask you… truth or dare?" 

There was no ill will directed towards you, but you couldn’t help but tense up because of your nerves. Taking the easy way out, your lips muttered out a dull truth, Kendo placing her hand on your leg as if she knew you were nervous. 

“Okay, so I’ll ask you the same question Hagakure asked me just because I was put on the spot… do you like anyone in this room more than just a friend?” Directly gazing into your eyes, Kendo’s teal irises figuratively emanated an aura that helped your nerves settle. Worried after you hadn’t responded back, she spoke so that only you could hear, “If you have to think for a-”

“No, I… just needed to calm down,” You smiled, masking any sort of negative feelings. “I do like someone, a lot.” 

An awkward yet peaceful silence filled the occupied space. It wasn’t an understatement to say that the rest of the room already had suspicions; the subtle looks that the two of you shared couldn’t help but be interpreted as romantic by onlookers. Whether Kendo herself had caught on was a mystery, but by god you hoped that she hadn’t. 

“So, Y/N, who are you going to ask?” Kyoka had broken the silence, the sly grin that her mouth created sending your nerves back into a frenzy. So far, the only ones who had taken a sip of alcohol were Mina, Ochako, and Kyoka herself, all because of the same ‘Are you a virgin?’ question that was continually asked around the room when truth was picked. “If you’re gonna ask a question, it has to be spicy, or else you’re just wimping out.”

“Then I’m wimping out… I’ll just take a shot, thanks.” Eyes watched you from all spaces in the circle as you poured yourself a shot and downed it in no time flat, still looking at Kyoka, “and since I wimped out, you should ask the next question.” 

Her reaction time was slow, being that she had no idea how to respond for a solid minute. She cleared her throat before staring directly at you.

"I already know you're going to pick truth, so I'll just go ahead and ask my question… are you-"

"Actually, I… think I’ll pick dare.” A sudden wave of confidence flooded you, and you stood up straight. “Hit me, Kyoka.”

“I dare you to kiss the person in this room that you like. On the lips.” 

Suddenly you didn’t feel so good anymore. That meant you had to kiss Kendo, right in front of everyone else. Your alcohol tolerance was shit; you didn’t really have any other choice unless you wanted to become intoxicated. 

Looking straight at Kendo, there was no denying the blush that dusted your cheeks as you whispered I’m sorry right before your lips collided with hers. Tasting the faint flavor of her lips just barely, you separated not even a few seconds after. The hand that still rested on your leg balled up into a fist, but didn’t leave its spot, either because of the heat of the moment, or Kendo didn’t want to move it. 

By this time, the game had been going on for at least an hour, but it felt like days were going by the more that the two of you stayed silent. It took a nudge from Tsuyu to snap you back to reality, “I think we’re going to head out, Y/N. We’ll come over and hang out some other time.”

“Yeah, but you can keep the alcohol as a thank you gift for letting us come over!” Mina stood up, along with everyone else, including yourself. She walked over to you and whispered in your ear, “Tell me how it goes; I’ll be disappointed if nothing more happens.” 

The girls all exchanged goodbyes with each other before leaving one by one, Kendo walking through the doorway before you stopped her, hand grabbing onto her wrist. 

“Wait, don’t go yet. I need to talk to you,” you started, the ginger looking back at you and turning around, “about what happened a few minutes ago… if you want to forget about it, we can just do that-”

“That’s the problem, Y/N. I don’t want to forget about it.” Kendo walked back inside, shutting the door and locking it behind her. “I didn’t know that you… felt that way about me. It’s funny actually, since I feel the same about you. I just didn’t want to ruin our friendship in case you didn’t like me, you know?”

“Nothing is going to ruin our friendship, Itsuka.” 

Kendo’s eyes widened when you called her by her given name, even though she was used to it by now. There was just something about the way it rolled off your tongue this time that enamored her. She slid her wrist out of your grip, her hands reaching over and grabbing your waist before kissing you with intense passion.

The feeling of her lips against yours was intoxicating to say the least, and the fight for dominance began when she pinned you against the wall with her body, all the right parts pressing against each other in bliss. Your hands moved up to caress her face, the texture of her smooth skin fueling your overwhelming lust, your desire to explore every inch of her body. 

It wasn’t long before the two of you separated, Kendo panting quietly from lack of air. Dropping your hand down to meet her own, you beckoned her to your bedroom. Instantly, your hands found their way to Kendo’s top, waiting for her permission to take it off before proceeding. Once she gave you a subtle nod, you helped her to undress, eyes surveying each unfamiliar sight. Her stomach was toned, a given due to her physical capabilities as a hero, and you couldn’t help but stare at her covered breasts, still supported by her teal bra that complimented her features. 

It wasn’t until you felt her gaze that you proceeded to the next article: her skirt. Removing her skirt was the easiest part; unzipping it and letting it drop to the floor right next to her shirt, revealing a matching teal bikini bottom that accentuated the curve of her hips. Kendo’s hand reached out and stopped you from taking anything else off. 

“Shouldn’t you get undressed, too?” You were so caught up with your own desires that you nearly forgot about her, the object of your affections. Letting go of your arm, she began to return the favor and helped you strip. Each article from the clothing Kendo removed for you was tossed to the side with distaste, wanting nothing more than to see your naked body in its glory. “It’s not fair if I’m the only one who has to get stripped.” 

Soon, the two of your were clad in nothing but your undergarments, yours a nice set of black lace that contrasted with your complexion. Leading you to your bed, she gently but firmly pushed you onto it, climbing on top of you and kissing you yet again. The hot, wet feeling you felt down there helped tremendously to intensify the passion the two of you shared, suppressed moans vibrating at the back of your throat. 

Then, it hit you all at once. Kendo had pulled down your bottoms and exposed your wet sex to the air, dripping fluids lubricating your womanhood as her fingers teased you in ways you could only imagine before. She had separated from you by now, a grin plastered on her face as her stimulation created a small moan from your vocal chords. 

“God, you’re so wet, Y/N… all because of me.” Her thumb teased your clit as two of her fingers slid into your slick cunt; the feeling excited you to no end. Each forward and back motion of her fingers was made that more pleasurable as you moved your hips in time to each thrust she made of her hand, but still not hitting the places that gave you the most pleasure. Kendo’s hand ceased all motion when she realized you weren’t feeling all that pleasurable and her fingers exited you, a small whimper escaping your lips.

“I want to try something, but you have to tell me if it hurts, Y/N… or else I might not be able to stop.” Her expression turned blank as she used her quirk, enlarging her right hand to its enormous size and moving back on the bed, spreading your legs out farther apart. “Brace yourself.”

Giving you little time to react, the tip of her massive index finger prodded at your entrance, and she grabbed onto your leg in order to make the penetration precise. You had never felt anything this… big before wanting access to your most sacred part, but you grit your teeth and watched as Kendo’s extremity began its journey inside of you, slowly but surely. Each centimeter more than she pushed inside, the more the tears began to form at the corner of your eyes. 

“I’m in, Y/N…” Getting as far as she could, Kendo stopped right at the first bend of her finger, looking at the hurt expression on your face. Your walls clamped down tightly around her, making it almost impossible for her to pull out, but also causing her a small amount of pain. “Y/N, you’re going to have to loosen up your grip so I can move…”

Listening to Kendo, you slowly relaxed the tension of your nerves and calmed down, your grip loose enough for her finger to slip back out and in again repeatedly like clockwork. Your walls stretched to an unfathomable length as you felt the length of her finger, the size of a massive dildo, continually thrusting and filling you up entirely. A moan finally escaped your lips, your hands gripping the comforter of your bed as your core was overwhelmed with ecstasy. 

Kendo bent her finger and twisted it around, finding your g-spot and causing your core to tighten, the pinnacle of your pleasure coming closer as you begged her to continue with a mewl. “Fuck! Keep going, Itsuka…” She was getting just as much gratification from watching you squirm as you were with the physical stimulation. The tip of her finger stimulating your sweet spot perfectly, you knew you were coming extremely close. This was it. Your felt all of your pleasure release at once with a gasp, back arching and your juices flowing out. Kendo took her finger out as soon as she felt the warm, sticky sensation touch her finger, deactivating her quirk and watching the end result flow out of you like a waterfall. 

“God, you were amazing…” You looked up at Kendo, who had yet again positioned herself above you. 

“I bet you didn’t expect that, did you?” She sounded over-confident in herself, which betrayed the concerned look she gave you. “Are you sure it didn’t hurt that bad?”

“Promise.” Your hands let go of the sheets and back to the clasps on her bra, unhooking them and letting her breasts free. Her nipples were hard, sticking out like a sore thumb. Your toe managed to pull down on her panties, pulling them down and revealing her soaking pussy. 

“I want you to make me feel good, Y/N. Extremely good.” Kendo’s sex hovered over your mouth, her legs pinning you on either side. She wanted you to eat her out like a full course meal, every last drop of her juices to be consumed by you. Slowly, she lowered herself down, your tongue sliding over every single inch of skin you could reach and lapping up the secretion, salty if anything. 

Her moans were quiet but frequent as your thumb rubbed at her clit, your tongue managing to at least run over the start of her opening multiple times as you used your forefingers to move her labia away. Kendo’s hands held on to the head of the bed, unable to keep her body up straight from the sheer pleasure she felt. “Oh, damn, Y/N… your tongue feels so good…”

Her praises drove you to continue, but at a faster pace than before. Soon, a few of your own fingers slid into her entrance, curling and practically begging to find her sweet spot. Her moans climbed in both volume and intensity, her lower body grinding against your fingers in an attempt to help pleasure her. Finally, the sign you had been waiting for came about; Kendo’s body began to quiver uncontrollably at your touch, the attacks on her body driving her mad. Her limit was close, but you wanted her to verbally beg for her release, so you took your fingers out. 

“Ughhh, just let me cum, dammit! Y/N…” Kendo tried to lift her own hand from the bed to finish herself off, but you refused, grabbing her arm and keeping it there. 

“I want you to beg for release like the slut you are, Itsuka. Beg me to finish you off.” 

“I…” She started, lips trembling, “I want to cum for you! I want you to finish me off so I can fucking cum for you!” 

“Good.” You forced your fingers back into her wet cunt, feeling her walls clench as you found her g-spot yet again. Almost immediately, her orgasm came on strong, her final moan nearly a scream as she released. Your fingers quickly exited and you consumed every last drop of her hot, sticky secretion. 

Kendo’s body fell right beside yours a few minutes later as she tried to cool off, heat radiating off her body like a sauna. The two of you were definitely done for the night, and she clearly wasn’t going to leave your side.

“That was the most amazing experience of my life, Y/N… I’m glad I got to share it with you.” Kendo smiled, turned towards you as she spoke.

“That doesn’t mean it’ll be the last, you know…” You threw the blankets over the two of you, snuggling into the crook of Kendo’s neck, “because I don’t want this to be just a one time thing.”

“Of course not… this is a forever commitment that I want to make with you. I love you so much, Y/N.”

“I love you too, Itsuka.”

[studiopoprocks]

Secret Santa Christmas Fic!

This is dedicated to my wounderful secret Santa @new-noveltea I hope you enjoy this, and I hope it’s not to late. Let me know if you don’t like it so then I can re write it! It’s pretty rushed. Thank you so much for participating in this with me! And I hope you have a wonderful Christmas❤️

Word count: 4.7k

Ship: Kirishima Eijirou x Reader

You could see the beautiful snow falling outside your window, a sign of what was to come. December 24 Christmas Eve. To many, this night was to celebrate family and togetherness, drinking delicious warm apple cider or hot chocolate while sitting by the beautifully decorated Christmas tree. At least that’s what you have read in books. Although you did have quite a few Christmas trees around the palace, it wasn’t you who got to decorate them. Put in place for the Christmas ball the king and queen put on every year.

“Um excuse me miss.” You turned your attention from the decorated pines outside over to your maid Uraraka, “you’re going to need to change into your dress soon, your majesty.”

You let out a small laugh at her pleasantries, “No one is around, you can drop the ‘miss’” it was hard to miss the sparkle that appeared in the brunettes eyes.

She made a b-line to the rooms walk in closet, excitedly talking about tonight, “Okay, we have to pick out the most extravagant dress you own. People must remember that you were there!” Although you loved your friend, as she practically grew up with you, her words were starting to bug you. Just like your parents, this ball was to kick off you becoming old enough to finally be wed. Now of course you wouldn’t be forced into an arranged marriage, but the pressure was still there.

Somehow while being wrapped up in choosing your evening gown, Ochako had noticed the change in your mood, “What’s wrong hun?” Sometimes she was just too perceptive. However, you knew she really cared about you and wouldn’t let it drop until you told her. “Do you not want to do the plan anymore?” She asked with concern.

“What plan?” Dumbfounded, your interest peaked.

“Didn’t Deku tell you?” She gasped when you shook your head, “of course he didn’t… anyways our Christmas gift to you this year is letting you leave the castle and explore the town on Christmas. We’ve been planning this for months! I can’t believe him!” You could only sit and stare. You had been let out of the castle many times, but never near Christmas as you always have so many duties to attend to.

“Now hurry up, we need you out and about so it doesn’t look suspicious when you-“ Ochaco added air quotes, “retire to your room” you could almost scream you were so excited, but instead settled in giving her the world's biggest hugs.

“Thank you so much! You’re the best friend any princess could ask for!” You shout into her ear. Although you wished you could hug her till the party, it would make putting on a dress rather difficult.

Of course she had chosen the most extravagant one you owned, a cream white dress, one that had so many rhinestones on it, that it looked identical to the freshly fallen snow on the ground. A magnificent dress to say the least, although it did itch a little in the back due to the lace detailing. You would definitely stick out in a gown like this.

“Okay so I’m meeting you where at 10:45?” You questioned.

“No, not me. You’ll be meeting Deku at the doors so he can accompany you to your room.” She explained, as she guided your form to the vanity. “I’ll meet you both there once your parents are informed of your absence. Remember to mention earlier to them that you are feeling tired.”

“Then you’ll tell me how you’re going to get a well known princess into town?” You asked as she started brushing the knots out of your hair, nodding her head at your question. Flinching at a rough knot, you continued to listen to what you would have to do.

The excitement kept bubbling up every few minutes. You were finally going to do it, sneak out on the most wonderful day of the year, and experience a real Christmas. You’re heart felt like it was growing three sizes like the grinch, and it was a delightful feeling. The constant chatter between you and your maid almost made you late for the ball. But hey, it’s called fashionably late for a reason, unless that wasn’t a thing in medieval times…

Thankfully to Ochaco and your parents, you were far from being late. Already waiting for your knight Midoriya to escort you to the ballroom, which you could hear all the way from your chambers. Makeup that made your face feel heavy, hair that if you left too long up, would give you a headache, and a dress that itched in the worst places. However you did look stunning, or at least that’s what Izuku said. So what’s beauty without a tad bit of pain? Plus you’d be in and out of it within 5 hours. Then you would be free.

“Ready to go?” You cheerfully asked your knight as you saw him approaching.

“Always ready m’lady.” You laughed at the last part, no matter how hard you tried, he always had to refer to you as upper class.

“Thank you so much, both of you.” You smiled as you hugged Uraraka before allowing Deku to lead the way. Even though you likely knew more about the castle and how to get around then he did. The ball room wasn’t hard to find, down the hall, turn left, then turn right at the kitchen and keep going until you hit the grand staircase. After that take the closest left hall and it’s just down there. But anyone could find their way if they just listened for the music.

It was beautiful, likely the best band in the village. But they definitely were loud, you could probably use a headache as an excuse if the plan goes astray. But for now, you would have to push those thoughts of escape down, and socialize at the Christmas part of the year.

10:13 pm

The adrenaline was rushing through you as you waited in your chambers. The reality of this whole situation was finally hitting you, and it felt like a brick wall. Yes you were excited to leave the castle, but there were so many what ifs. What if you were caught? What if your parents found out and forced you to marry due to your disobedience? What if- A beautiful red dress snagged your eye. It was simplistic, as there wasn’t any diamonds or other precious gems littering it. It wasn’t even a gown, as it looked as if it only came up to just above the knees. Simplistic yet an elegant design.

Seeing the note Ochaco had left about putting it on, you made fast work of the itchy glitter bomb you were currently wearing. Proving to be a much more difficult task without any maids. Yet you still did it, and thankfully the new red dress was much easier to put on. Along with the addition of some very cute matching black knee high boots to keep you warm.

So there you were standing in your room, waiting for the people who would help you escape for the night. Unbeknownst to you the adventure you were about to begin.

11:27 pm

wrapped up in a cloak, you felt the slight cold nip at your nose as your two best friends opened up the door that led to your freedom. You had traveled all through the catacombs, only getting lost once or twice just to get here. The cold making the small tears in the corners of your eyes become chilled.

“I can’t believe this, this means the world to me, and I’m so thankful to have you both! I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you, but I’ll do my best!” You smiled as you bid your farewell to Izuku and Ochaco, for the next day would be yours to do as you please.

Hugs were exchanged as you made your way towards the village. The darkness and the slow falling snow, giving off an eerie yet mystical experience. Within about three minutes you were in the town square, practically alone, aside from the few people who had stayed up to enjoy the night. There was a swelling feeling in your heart as you looked around at all the lanterns and lights, they rocked in the slight breeze, but their glow was never disturbed. There were beautiful tall pine trees, no inch left uncovered. Fresh bread and peppermint followed you as you made your way around the village.

However lost in your own thoughts and wounder, you had forgotten to watch were you were going, and bumped into someone carrying about three expertly wrapped boxes. The sudden noise they made as they hit the snow covered ground brought you out of your dream like stage, and quickly you bowed your head.

“My apologies! I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going, it’s just the scenery is so gorgeous that I didn’t realize I was going to bump into someone.” A small chuckle could be heard beneath your bowing form.

“You’re right, it is quite beautiful tonight, but it’s really no biggie, no harm done.” The man smiled up at you as he continued to pick up his boxes. Quickly you sank to your knees, helping with one that had fallen nearer to you. The man looked young, probably somewhere between Izukus and your age. He was handsome, a symmetrical smiling face, framed by spikes red hair, and piercing but soft red eyes. What really drew your attention however was his strangely sharp teeth, and how they looked so harmless as he smiled at you.

With two presents, the man stood up, brushing off the excess snow from his legs. Looking around for the ministry girl he had just met, he realized you were still on the ground looking up at him. He could see the childlike wonder in your eyes, as they sparked around your breathtaking form. Snapping out of it, he offered you his hand. Surprisingly, you placed the last package into it instead. With a slight laugh, he put the presents neatly down and tried to help you up again. This time you finally accepted, and he pulled you up with ease. His strength not unnoticed by you. After brushing off the residual snow, you bowed again.

“Thank you for helping me up.” Standing back up straight to see a curious look in the strangers eyes.

“You’re not from around here are you? Do you need help finding your way back to the castle? I don’t mind-“

“NO!” You rudely cut him off, “I mean… I’m not from around here, but that’s because I wanted to see what the town is like on Christmas.”

The man in front of you could tell something was up, although he wasn’t sure who you were, you didn’t exactly scream threat. You had the same predicament, without much outside knowledge you could be naive and possibly used if the wrong person came around. But whether it was the spirit of Christmas, or some other outside force, the two of you felt no unease from the other. Even so, it was still shocking to hear what he said next.

“Well it’s not Christmas yet, and it’s getting late. If you don’t have a place to stay you’re welcome to come with me, I have a few friends who I’m with at the moment and I’m sure they would understand.” He offered, “Oh! And my name is Kirishima, Eijiro Kirishima.”

You knew it was a dumb idea to follow a stranger you had just met. What if he saw through you, and found out you were the princess, or kidnapped you! Yet the kind offer and smile on his face pushed all those thoughts away. You may have been a princess, but you could handle yourself if it came to it. As long as you kept the knife your guard gave you, your training should let you get enough time to escape.

“I happily accepted Mr. Kirishima! However, I’m afraid I won’t be able to tell you my name… for security reasons.” It wasn’t exactly lying, but it didn’t feel good either way.

“I understand.” The smile on his face never once leaving, “also just call be Kirishima, Mr. is was too formal.” You agreed as titles were something you disliked as well. They often felt overpowering, which is why you would ask your staff to never address you as princess, unless you were around company.

“I have to get two more gifts before we leave, Kay?” You nodded, unsure of where he would get them as many of the stores were closed. Nonetheless you followed him through the streets, basking in the Christmas decorations as you passed. Some houses even having snowmen in front, half melted from how warm the past week had been. If only it was that warm now, your hands had always been on the cold side, but they were starting to feel numb. Subconsciously you rubbed them together, bringing them up to place them inside your cloak. Crimson eyes watched your movements, regretting the fact he didn’t bring gloves of his own to lend you.

Instead he decided that he would do the next best thing to warm you up, “You looked cold, and my hands tend to be very warm.” He said as he grabbed your hand, noticing how soft and cute it felt within his own.

“Oh, umm thanks.” You mumbled, a little flustered at the redhead, who’s skin matched his hair. It definitely wasn’t unwelcomed as you could feel your fingers again, plus you couldn’t deny that he was cute.

It was nice walking beside Kirishima. Although the conversation stayed on more trivial things, like what was the best Christmas gift the two of you had gotten, you felt comfortable. Deeper and more personal questions played like a movie in your mind, but it seemed unfair as you couldn’t answer then if he had been the one to ask. So you kept quiet, and continued on with a question about Christmas traditions. That’s what the presents were for, Kirishima did something called a gift exchange with the other members of his group.

“Speaking of gifts, this should be it!” Pointing to a tiny house on the corner, you could make out a small bread symbol in the window. “Sero loves this place!” He smiled as you walked closer to the cute little house. You could smell the fresh pastries and ingredients even before you made it inside. Although it did pack a bigger punch the closer you got to it. Once inside you felt like you were in the gingerbread house from Hansel and Greatel, except the house was made from bread and other starchy foods. Every breath felt like you were eating something new and delicious.

You excused yourself to browse the shelves, as your companion talked to the elderly woman who seemed to own this wonderful place. Donuts to cinnamon buns, to cream puffs, to bagels, to… and that’s when you saw something. Although you never had any big Christmas traditions with your family, there was one thing you always loved from when you were a small child. The store provided little brown bags as to put your sweets in, so picking up a rather large one, you placed the baked good inside.

“Oh you’re buying something?” Kiri asked as you made your way to the front to pay.

“It’s just something I eat every Christmas morning with my family. I usually make it, but seeing as I’m spending Christmas away, I thought I would get it now.” You smiled, still keeping the pastry a secret from the man.

The woman just smiled at your exchange. It was a comforting feeling to see such young kids being respectful and enjoying themselves, “will that be everything dearie?” She asked, snapping the two of you away from each others eyes.

“Oh yes thank you.” You smiled, giving her double of what it cost. Refusing to take it back after the transaction, even though it was hard to say no to such a soft eyed woman.

“My heavens. Thank you so much hun, I hope you and your fiance have a lovely Christmas together.” Surprisingly, neither of you decided to correct the woman on her assumption. The unnoticed glint in her eye showed she knew you two weren’t together, but it would still be fun to joke around a bit. “Merry Christmas! And tell your mother that Ms. Collins says hello.”

the little bell above the door rang as the two of you exited, “Do you know her?” The red head asked.

You shook your head, “no idea, but I would be surprised if she knew who I was.” To any normal person your comment would have seemed weird, but the man beside you just brushed it off and continued to the local book store. You didn’t even know you had one of those in town. Heck you didn’t even know if they actually existed as you tended to read from the royal library, or your personal collection. You thanked your lucky stars that Ochaco told you to bring some money on your excapapaid, because you were about to blow it all on books.

If you have ever seen the part in beauty and the beast where Belle is given the castle library, then you could probably imagine exactly how the little town girl felt, as this was the exact feeling. Although it wasn’t as big as the palaces library, it was comfier and cosier than anywhere you had ever been. There was even a little postal office attached at the right hand corner, which is where Kirishima went as he left you to look around. You skimmed each book, seeing if you had it, and locating your favourites just to see if they had them in stock. Books about daring princes and slaying dragons, about horror and romance.

It was a hard decision whether you liked the bakery or the library more. This small bit of freedom from outside the castle was already some of the most fun you’ve ever had, even though you were starting to get a tad sleepy.

“Ready to go?” You felt a small tap on your shoulder.

“Already?”

“Sorry, but if we want to make it to my camp with enough time to sleep then we better start moving.” You could tell he seemed tired too.

“Alright fine, so how do we get there?” The poor boy visibly tensed at your question, glancing around frantically until his eyes landed on a man out in the street. “Oh hey! Mr. Gum, do you mind letting me buy something from your shop quickly?”

The blond just stared back, taking a second to remember who this random kid yelling at him was, “OH Kiri, how are you? Merry Christmas!” The large man smiled, “and I see you got yourself a partner! Nice to meet you!” He said tuning his attention to you, “I’ve seen you before, don’t you work in the castle?”

“Umm well not exactly…” You definitely recognized the man, he was one of the guards who would sometimes patrol the gardens of the palace, or stay at the walls to fight off any mythical beasts that wanted to kill the royal family. But he retired soon after failing to kill a horrendous dragon, or at least that was what the rumours said.

“Oh well, I figure it out soon enough.” Oh how you wished he wouldn’t, “So what was it that you needed so bad?” He questioned, pulling out the keys to his store.

“One of Mei’s inventions, the feet sword things.” Okay maybe you were hanging out with a crazy person. “Those! I need two.” He said pointing at some sort of shoe with a horizontal sword at the bottom. They looked strange, but the man agreed to it anyways. They did look pretty cool though, but the price was a bit much even for you. You could sense the boy next to you cringe, so in the heat of the Christmas moment, you

Pulled out your coins and paid for the two of them in full.

Kirishima tried stopping you, even asking the man behind the counter to not take your money, but you just simply explained, “think of this as my payment for taking me around the town for the first time in many years.” Smiling as the blond handed Kiri the shoes.

“That’s where I know you from!” He suddenly shouted. You’re smile instantly flipped, as your heart crept its way into your throat. Your eyes held a silent beg, asking the man in front of you to not reveal who you really were.

“You’re the-“ he started but surprisingly you were not the one to cut him off.

“Sorry Mr. Gum but I think I’d rather hear about my companions past and life from her. But thank you for the skates!” He quickly rambled on, grabbing your hand and signaling that you two should probably be leaving.

“Oh I didn’t mean anything like that, I simply meant that she was the little girl who once gave me a flower, long long ago when I wasn’t feeling so cheerful. Trust me, she’s a good one son.” He winked at the boy beside you, laughing as he saw his face reddened. The joking continued as the gentleman ushered the two of you outside and directed you to the frozen river. “Merry Christmas you two!” And with that he left.

It was silent as Kirishima helped you put on the strange sharp shoes, trying his best to figure them out. He had kinda figured out his own, but he insisted on helping you as it was the manly thing to do, but he still had trouble.

“(Y/n)” you whispered. The boy at your feet raised his head, tilting it to the side as if to ask what you had just said.

“It’s my name, I thought I should finally tell you.” You smiled down at him as he tried saying it a few times to commit it to memory. It felt nice to hear him call you by your name, especially since many just addressed you by some sort of title. You felt comfortable, or at least as comfortable as you could be as he stood you up on the frozen ice.

Almost falling forward, a strong pair of arms steadied you. Reaching his hand out to both help the two of you, and to continue to keep your hands warm. But mostly because you needed each other to make it like 2 feet without falling. Honestly, it didn’t take you too long to get your balance, as you’ve had to learn many new things quite quickly as a child. But poor Kiri seemed to be getting worse, especially since he had to carry the presents he had gotten for his friends. It was still pretty cute watching him try his best to stay up, even if he wasn’t very graceful.

“How are you good at this already!?” He asked as you gave him your hand to steady his form.

“I don’t know, but how did you even get to the village, and why didn’t we just take that way?” You questioned. Sadly he stiffened again, becoming ridged and losing his balance. With his hand already interlocked with yours, he pulled you down with him, and basically on top of him. It was a shock, as you stared down at the boy Beneath you in a strange position. “I guess you fell for me.” You started laughing.

“Fell hard is more like it.” He joined in, rubbing his hip that had hit the ice hard. The two of you continued to laugh, Kiri even complaining that he couldn’t breathe. But the boy beneath you stopped suddenly, fear in his eyes as he looked towards the trees on the side. Tilting your head you attempted to follow his gaze, but he quickly turned your attention back to him as he shouted “NO!”

That’s when it lunged. A huge scaly beast with piercing yellow eyes, focused on your figure. Within seconds it was millimeters from your face, yellow electric sparks emitting from the dragons form. Never in your life had you been that scared, and so of course you froze. The wind was knocked out of your lungs, but not because of the beast, but because of the boy who had flipped your positions and placed himself in harm's way instead of you. He glared at the beast, baring his sharp teeth as a warning, and somehow it worked. You could see the yellow beast returning back to the forest, but only in a blurry haze as you felt yourself drifting out of consciousness.

7:07 am

“Hey are you okay” a strange voice was talking to you. It was weird, the only person aloud in your chambers was your maid/friend Ochaco, and unless she had a terrible throat cold.

Slowly you opened your eyes, coming face to face with an attractive redhead, relief flooding his features. He pulled you into a hug, muttering something about being glad you were okay, and that he was worried. You hadn’t realized how cold you were till his body heat started to warm you up. So when he started pulling away, it’s no surprise that you didn’t let him go. But this position remained you of something that happened last night…

“What happened?” You said worried.

“A dragon showed up.” He started blatantly.

“Yes but how, how did you get it to leave us alone! It was huge and terrifying! Dragons could kill you without a second thought.” You explained, subconsciously checking over him for any wounds the beast may have left.

A sad smile crossed his face, “Do you really believe all dragons are merciless killers?”

“Well, I mean that’s like saying all humans are nasty and evil. But I have yet to meet a friendly dragon…” You stop talking noticing how each word made the man in front of you sadder, “but hey, I could be totally wrong! You probably know something that I don’t, and I’ve never had much contact with them besides from last night. But I trust you.” You took a deep breath looking into the red ones across from you, before noticing your bag. The one with your Christmas traditions.

“Let’s get to know each other over some coffee cake.” You smiled as you brought out the treat for the two of you to share. It was calm and you complimented the tree you could see outside of the tent. Decorated with what looked to be homemade ornaments, different colours, sizes and shapes, all holding a special meaning to the ones who made them.

“My name is princess (Y/n) (L/n).” And you explained why you had snuck out of the castle, why you wanted Christmas to be special, and why you valued spending time with Kirishima. “It was a magical night, something nothing could ruin. You’re the first person in my life who hasn’t been paid to be by my side!” You could feel the tears coming to your eyes, and Kiri could see them. Brushing them away, he led you outside his tent.

“Just don’t freak out please.” Now when people say that, your first reaction is usually to freak out. Yet as the man's skin turned into red scales, and his pupils became slits. Two magnificent wings sprouted from his back, as horns and a tail accompanied them. Eijirou Kirishima was a dragon, or more specifically the imaginary creatures known as shifters. The surprising thing was you never felt a hint of fear, not even when you noticed the other dragons circling around you.

Slowly you walked up to the shifter boy, placing your hand along the beautiful scales. The uneasiness on both your faces melting into an understanding comfort. “Merry Christmas Eijiro.” You smiled, as a large leathery wing came to swoop you up to his face. Holding you there as he shifted back to his human form, hugging you tightly. “Merry Christmas (Y/n), oh and Kaminari apologizes about last night, he thought you were hurting me.” He laughed and you two continued to enjoy the others embrace, as the snow fell around you. It truly was a wonderful Christmas.

[toxicpineapple]

my (personal favourite) writings from 2019

I don’t have anything for January because I guess I didn’t write/didn’t post anything then? At any rate, here are my favourite writings from every month of 2019.

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February:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/17764769/chapters/41916899 : “To Give Life Meaning”, a 5+1 things Hinanami fic I wrote over the course of several days, mostly at night. The honourific situation with this one is messy and there are the beginnings of a lot of good lines? Like I know what I was trying to say. But it’s not the kind of thing that I would be happy posting nowadays. (Ignore the fact that it says it was completed in September of this year; I went through nine months later and separated the different sections into chapters so that it would be easier to read. I wrote and published all of it back in February.) This was the second Danganronpa fic I ever wrote.

Content warnings: Contains talk of suicide, and mentions of being suicidal. Generally in the past tense. Nobody is proactive in this fic.

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March:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/18232343 : “Hold his hand”, the very first Amasai one-shot I ever wrote. I got the idea for this one late at night thinking about how Shuichi would react if his mom died. I was actually going to write this with Ryoma comforting him, or Kiyo maybe, but I ended up doing Rantaro because I watched all of his FTEs with Shuichi and was like… I do like this green man. Anyway, I’m glad I did, because if I hadn’t I don’t know if the Amasai series would… even exist. That’s really weird to think about.

Content warnings: Minor character death on the part of Shuichi’s mother. The focus of the piece isn’t her dying (as it is in fact from Rantaro’s perspective) so much as it is the conflicting emotions that it stirs up for Shuichi, but it’s still, y’know, someone’s mother dying. Anyway, read with caution.

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April:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/18468478 : “Does it matter?”, a late-night fic where Aoi is conflicted about her sexuality and calls Makoto to talk about it. I wrote a lot of one-shots in April (I actually surprised myself going through them haha) but this one is my favourite because it touches on things that I don’t see addressed a lot. Makoto and Aoi are good friends. 10/10.

Content warnings: Internalised homophobia. It hasn’t triggered anybody that I know of because it’s mostly just Makoto giving advice and Aoi coming to the conclusion that she really likes Sakura in a not-so-platonic way, but y’know.

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May:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/18776947 : “Shuichi thinks too much”, another installment in the Amasai drabbles series, and… wow. I literally only posted Amasai in the month of May. This one is my favourite (of the ones I posted in May, obviously) because it’s the one where Shuichi realises that Rantaro is claustrophobic and then they have a messy first kiss in the wake of Rantaro’s panic attack. I like fics where Character A kisses Character B and B has to be like… slow down partner… ur panicking. I also just like milking Rantaro angst so it’s a win-win. I go back and read this one periodically :)

Content warnings: Panic attacks, claustrophobia. Shuichi is exhausted in this fic haha but at least he has his shit together enough to know exactly what he’s feeling through the whole thing.

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June:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/19210423 : “Quiet Moments”, an introspective drabble/character study in which Peko thinks about how much she loves Ibuki. Damn, I love Pekobuki. I haven’t written nearly enough for them. I wrote a lot of things in June (including an Undertale one-shot which was a strong contender for this spot just because this list is dominated by Danganronpa stuff) but this one is my favourite because it was just me… rambling about how much I love Ibuki… and projecting onto Peko. Which I do every time I write this pairing, but I didn’t make this list to call myself out, so yeah I’m just going to move on.

Content warnings: Peko briefly mentions that Fuyuhiko had to get an appendectomy within the piece, but it’s nothing intense.

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July:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/19974424 : “Take his soul with a kiss”, a Grim Reaper AU in which Maki is Death and Kaito is a guy with the audacity to tell her to wait a week before grabbing her soul. I’ve finally hit the part of this summer where I was eating one meal a day and spending the rest of my time on my laptop writing fic. 14k words a day, babey! I wrote all my favourite pieces in July (Shuichi’s love hotel, the one where Rantaro pierces Shuichi’s ears, the domestic Hinanami, the one where Shuichi has a breakdown and everyone comforts him, that one where Shuichi is mean to Kokichi and then apologises) but this one definitely deserves to be here because it’s my favourite. I like Momoharu/Kaimaki/Harukaito (idk what y’all call it man) so, uh. Yeah.

Content warnings: Death is talked about a lot but I don’t want to spoil anything about the ending by saying shit so I’ll just??? It’s a Grim Reaper AU, procede with caution. Oh, and Kaito has a lung disease.

---

August:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/20442290/chapters/48499868 : “Causation and Correlation”, another 5+1 things fic (I have a good chunk of them) where Kyoko can hear death and so she goes around saving people. Also, in the end of the fic, someone saves her. It’s a cute fic and I love writing Kyoko so obviously this one is my favourite. (The one where Kokichi has parents and the Kaemugi fic I wrote that month are ones I really like too… this isn’t easy for me gamers ;w;) This is one of those fics where I was feeling extremely confident about my writing abilities the whole time I wrote it, and I’m still really proud of it.

Content warnings: Again, uh, death? Attempted murder, near-drowning, sickness, head injuries, and also attempted suicide. (Nobody dies in this fic, though.) Kyoko has her work cut out for her in this one.

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September:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/20577251 : “Cigarette smoke”, a vaguely nonsensical Saimota piece I wrote where Kaito breaks down and Shuichi comforts him. I’ve only written Saimota twice and both times it’s been Kaito angst because you guys, you just, you don’t address his sadness at all unless it’s in Oumota (and we all know how I feel about Oumota). I should start referring to September as “the month of angst fics I wrote in the middle of the night” because that’s exactly what all of it was. This one wasn’t a vent fic, but there were a lot of them. September is also the month I started doing Amami week, so there’s a lot of that, too.

Content warnings: Kaito really… berates himself in this one. His internal dialogue is hard for me to read in this one because he’s super hard on himself. He also has a meltdown and starts hyperventilating at one point (and the way I write breakdowns is always super descriptive) so please make sure you’re happy and healthy before reading.

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October:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/21195527 : “In the forever sense of the term”, what is probably my favourite Amasai fic at this moment, where Shuichi and Rantaro are forced to address Shuichi’s abandonment issues, and also there’s crying. A lot of it. From Shuichi mainly but a little bit from Rantaro too. I was surprised at how many fics I wrote in October because I was mostly focusing on Inktober I should think? I wrote a lot of original works in Inktober (though I ended up falling off the wagon at the end due to burnout) and it was a really fun experience! I think it strengthened my skills as a writer. Anyway this one is cathartic as hell.

Content warnings: The self loathing is strong with this one. It’s one of many mental breakdown fics that I’ve written this year. And there’s obviously the abandonment issues thing. Yikes.

---

November:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/21399748 : “One hundred and twenty six tiles on the ceiling”, where Himiko ends up bailing on plans she made with everyone to hang out and instead stays at home, stewing in self deprecation, until Ryoma shows up, and then everyone else comes to take care of her. Another one of those ones where everyone is there for someone after a breakdown. I like this one because Himiko is my baby and most of the angst the fandom puts out for her is centered around Tenko and Angie, which sucks because I headcanon her as having depression. Like, depression that is entirely unrelated to the people she knows kind of depression. I didn’t write a lot in November because I had a relapse, but I like this one anyway.

Content warnings: Depressive episode, disassociating, suicidal ideation, all the ugly things that come with depression. This isn’t a pretty fic. I don’t write depression as something that’s pretty or poetic because it’s not. It fucking sucks and that’s just how things are going to be.

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December:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/21976864/chapters/52442179 : “An Ode to Yellow Carnations”, a 5+1 things fic where Tsumugi is a florist and Kaede takes different people to her shop until eventually she goes by herself. Is anyone surprised to see this one here? I wrote it for Tumblr’s Danganronpa Secret Santa Gift Exchange 2019 and went waaaay overboard with it. Which is probably why I like it so much. It took me ten days to actually complete, and I’ll frame it like I was diligently writing the whole time, but anyone who knows me knows that I never do things in that way. In truth I switched ideas for the fic four different times and then wrote half of it all in one night when I was hit with a surge of inspiration. I was really nervous that the person I wrote it for would hate it since it’s so long, lol. (Hi Alerane, I love you.) Anyway, I’m gonna think of December of this year as the month where I spent a really long time on a bunch of fics and then posted them all at once.

Content warnings: Very minor character death, mentions of alcohol use (nothing egregious, just recreational use on an outing with friends and all the characters are of age), also Kaede doesn’t go outside in this fic.

---

I’m going to try and get out one more fic before the year ends. To be honest I wasn’t expecting to have updated Search by now so I’ve been kind of sitting around wondering what I should write. Maybe I should just start on the Aki chapter, but I’m kind of putting that off because writing those chapters takes a lot of energy and Aki’s is probably going to double Tsubaki’s in length. (Which is great, since Tsubaki’s was already a monster of a chapter on its own.) I’ve had a really great year for writing, y’all. I’ve made lots of friends and learned a whole lot about myself, and my writing style, and the characters I’m trying to portray.

I didn’t include any long-term multi-chapters in this list, like The Best Lies or my Fanganronpa (rip… I swear I’ll pick it back up again soon, I love those characters) but if you want to track my progress as a writer without reading eleven different fics, I’d really recommend reading one of those, because you can see it happening as the chapters go on. There’s so much that I’d probably write differently from where I am now as a writer, because that’s just how things work. Life is like that. You do things a certain way in the moment, and then later, you wish you could’ve done them differently. It’s impossible to live your life without regrets, or things that you’d like to do over again.

But for what it’s worth, I’m really happy that I don’t have to. Thank you guys so much for sticking with me this year. It hasn’t been the best, but it’s been all that it’s been capable of being.

Here’s to a new decade.

[kwritersworld]

CHRISTMAS PROMPT EVENT’19

KWRITERSWORLD's first Christmas Event will be a prompt claim - Fic Event centered around the most wonderful time of the year! Are you ready? 

Claiming is first come, first serve! You can view the list of prompts under the read more at the end of this post. Prompt Claiming will be opened on the 23rd of November, at 6PM CET, until the 30th. We will post a link to the document where you can simply write your name next to the prompt you want to claim. 

After you claimed your prompt don’t forget to apply through the separate application (that will be linked then) as well to verify your claiming! Once you did all that, you’ll receive a confirmation message from the admins and you can start writing!

Who is allowed to participate? Every member of @kwritersworld​, @bangtanarmynet​ @btswriterscollective​ @btsbookclub​ @bangtansmutcentral​ are allowed to participate. 

And the rules are? Simple! Your story has to be at least 500 words long, everything over that word count is up to you. You can also write a chaptered-story, but the first chapter needs to be posted until the due date.

Make sure to follow the rules of the KWRITERSWORLD network as always or else we won’t be reblogging your work or add it onto the event’s masterlist. 

Don’t forget to tag your fanfic-exchange related work with the official tag #kwchristmasevent & #kwritersworldnet (as far as you’re a member of this network). If you’re not a member of Kwritersworld however but are participating through an affiliated network, please only use the tag #kwchristmasevent and the tag of your network so they can reblog your work as well.

You can start posting your stories on the 1st until the 31st of December which is the due date!

If you have any more questions before or need help while working on your fics don’t hesitate to send the network an ask. We only would ask of you to do so off anon, so we can reply to you privately!

- Your KwritersworldTeam

You can find all prompts to look at under the cut. 

Scenarios:

A made B a Christmas playlist but it’s just Mariah Care’ys “All I want for Christmas is you.” B can’t tell if they are hitting on them or if it’s a joke.

A & B are both stuck at the airport for Christmas eve.

A & B are neighbors and A just got locked out of their apartment. A was baking cookies that will burn if they don’t get in there quick.

A is robbing the bank on Christmas eve and B is a hostage but A is actually really nice - wait what?

A & B hate each other, but they are standing under the mistletoe and their friends won’t let them leave until they kiss

A & B were too busy thinking about the Christmas dinner that they forgot about the decoration and quick! Their family will be there in a couple of hours!

A & B gets trapped in a shopping mall after hours doing last-minute Christmas shopping.

A was having a snowball fight with a friend in the park and accidentally hit B instead.

A slipped on ice on Christmas and guess who their doctor is...

A & B cuddling in the bathtub together, because it’s cold outside

A & B are avoiding the mistletoe at all costs, while everyone else is trying to get them under it

A did that annoying thing where they put loads of smaller boxes inside one big box and B is getting really mad but they have no idea what’s in the smallest box and A can’t wait to see their face.

How did A & B get chosen to help Santa at the mall? These elf costumes look ridiculous - although B looks kinda cute.

Person A gets super drunk during a Christmas party with their family and Person B has to try and keep them under control. 

A sudden snowstorm forces A and B to cancel all their plans and spend the whole day at home together. 

Person A trying to set up the tree for Christmas but Person B has to pick Person A up for them to put ornaments on the tree because they’re so short.

Person A and B decorating their house/apartment together and when Person A goes to another room to grab some more ornaments they hear Person B yell. When they rush back into the room they see Person B has somehow tangled themself into the Christmas lights and fell over.

Character A overhears Character B’s Christmas wish and decides to fulfill it.

A & B go to the Christmas market together.

A is waking up hungover after an office party and not remembering what happened.

A gets a Secret Santa gift from a secret admirer and tries to discover their identity.

Person A makes hot chocolate for Person B but when they hand them their mug, Person A drops it spilling the piping hot drink on Person B. Person A then helps Person B clean themself up and treat any burns they might have.

A and B are meeting their friends at a family cabin to spend Christmas, only to find that their friends aren’t coming - it was a set up.

Person A and Person B were supposed to go out for a date but a snowstorm hits and they get snowed in. Person A is really sad about it so Person B builds them a blanket fort so they can spend the evening snuggling and watching Christmas movies together.

A and B are Christmas shopping together, A finds the perfect present for B and has to buy it without them noticing. 

A and B getting into a fight while decorating the Christmas tree because A wants to throw everything on and get it done, but B is invested in making it aesthetically pleasing.

A and B get caught in a snowstorm and have to share body heat until they can get somewhere warm. 

Person A being sad when they weren’t able to buy a real tree to decorate for Christmas so Person B buys a little bonsai tree for them to decorate, even though it’s only a foot tall.

Quotes:

“You’re making a mess.” // “Shut up and pass me the tape.” // “There’s more tape on that present than wrapping paper.”

“You didn’t really think I’d let you spend Christmas alone, did you?”

“Exactly how much more hinting do I have to do?”

“Fuck it let’s just get drunk”

“Can we please watch something else? This is the 4th time today we’ve watched elf. And it’s November 1st.”

“Did you break into my house??” // “You refused to put up any Christmas decorations! What choice did I have?” 

“Don’t feel bad… you didn’t COMPLETELY ruin Christmas dinner. There’s still this… jello stuff.“

“Who walks on an ice-covered pond anymore? Don’t you know how stupid that is? You should’ve died in that pond. Natural selection.”

“Everyone shut up and pretend to be happy.”

“It’s not what’s under the tree that matters, it’s those who are gathered around it.” // “Shut up and give me my present.”

“So, still no boyfriend this year, huh?” // “Still no job, huh?”

“Are you seriously making a gingerbread house at midnight?” 

“Is that a candy-cane in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?”

“You can’t just disappear off the face of this earth, make a reappearance for the holidays and think everything will be okay.”

“See? None of this would have happened if we had just stopped and asked for directions when I told you to.”

“Oh, I know exactly what you’re trying to do. But you will not ruin my Christmas. Not again. Not this year.”

“Wow. You’ve got some nerve inviting them here.”

“What do you mean your parents are coming over?”

“Can’t I just give you $20 and you can buy something for yourself?”

“Merry Christmas, you little shit.”

“You know, you remind me a lot of the Grinch. The only difference is in the end, his heart grows three sizes, but you stay an asshole.”

“Merry Christmas to all and to all-wait, not you, I don’t like you”

“What do you mean you’ve never been ice-skating?”

“I can’t believe you did all this for me.” // “It’s Christmas.”

“You didn’t really think I’d let you spend Christmas alone, did you?”

AU’s

Fake!Boyfriend/Fake!Girlfriend AU

Snowqueen!AU

Elf!AU

Neighbour!AU in which one gets drunk on mulled wine and ends up knocking at the other’s door, drunkenly trying to seduce the other and- instead- passing out in their living room.

IceSkater!AU

Christmas lights rivalry!AU

Baking Cookies/ Contest rivalry!AU

Getting Snowed in!AU

Christmas Ghosts!AU

Grinch!AU (A is not fond of the Holidays but B is making it their life goal to give them a wonderful Christmas!)

Drunk Christmas Caroling!AU

Eggnog and chill!AU

Frozen!AU

The Nutcracker!AU

sources: x, x, x, x, x, x

[jtrbluv]

perfect harmony | jjk

pairing: jungkook x reader (again oml)

genre: fluff, implied smut ahadhjndkd

warnings: implication of sex

word count: 2.4k

summary: one-night-stand. which according to the trusty urban dictionary means, “hooking up with someone for one night of sex with no strings attached and hoping to never see them again.” you and partner of choice for the night, Jeon Jungkook, have had a handful of one-night-stands. why did this one stand out much more than the rest? college!au

A/N: i didn’t intend on writing another jungkook fic but i had gotten this request and shoot this was for sure a challenge to write hahaha. this is definitely the closest i will get to a ‘smut’. tbh i’m not really satisfied with this but like i’m never satisfied lmao. anyways, enjoy! thank you so much for this request anon!

47) “I thought it was a one-night-stand... and now we’re married.”

♫ ♫ ♫

It’s a rather cliche story. Jungkook was the handsome, seemingly perfect music major that girls of all ages would coo and awe over. You, on the other hand, majored in music as well, and happen to run into the young fellow every day. The two of you were both known to be very well-rounded and talented students, being at the top of the class and both exceeding in the same field. The odds always seemed to be in your favor as you two had never been paired up for any assignments or projects.

While the two of you were at the top of the class, you both had usually gotten paired up with students on the other side of the spectrum that happened to be struggling and failing. You, in particular, had grown accustomed to that, and you had hoped it never changed.

College parties and college boys had led you to have your own fair share of sexual experiences. Most of them being absolutely platonic and lasting for a single night, also known as, a one-night-stand. It happens, and along with Jungkook having the reputation of a seemingly perfect music major with the good grades and teachers following his beck and call, there was another side of him that everyone was aware of as well. That Jungkook with the chiseled body and the washboard abs, known to be good in bed, and also known to be a player. In regards to that information, you avoided him as much as you possibly could outside of school premises. You didn’t want to be the next person on his smash list.

“Miss Y/L/N and Mister Jeon, may I please speak to the two of you at the end of class?” your teacher Mrs. Lam questions the two of you one day as the hem of her skirt brushes along the side of your desk.

You turn around as Jungkook exchange confused stares before looking back at your teacher as you suddenly respond to clear the silence, “Yeah, of course.” She nods in agreement as she travels back to her desk. Your brows furrow in confusion, trying to think of what she was possibly going to talk to you two about. Jungkook taps you on the shoulder as you lean back in your seat to hear what he has to say, “Do you think we did something wrong?” he asks you. You pause for a moment, but not being able to think of any sort of time in this class where you two could’ve possibly caused any trouble. You two have always done the complete opposite in retrospect. You whisper back to him, “Not that I know of. Can you think of anything?” He scrunches his face, trying to possibly recall anything, “Nope, nothing.” You try to think of something, anything,

“I mean, we’re all doing our final projects, but it’s all individual, so it can’t be that,” you suggest.

“Yeah, it can’t be,” he replied. The final project was to compose your own song and it would count for 15% of our grade. Ms. Lam had made it an individual final to the dismay of many students who wished to get the guidance and help from the two of you.

“I guess we’ll just have to find out.”

“Yeah, well, it’s most likely not something bad, if it wasn’t for us, half the class would be failing.”

“You’re right.” you chuckle, turning back to face the front of the classroom.

Twenty-minutes quickly went by as the bell rang and signaled the end of class. Music happened to be your last period which is why she had the time to talk to the two of you. You packed up your belongings as you and Jungkook stood up from your seats. You looked back at him as you nodded at one another and walked up to the front of the classroom.

Ms. Lam looked up from her desk, “Oh, hello. You two aren’t in trouble of any sort, I was just wondering if you were willing to do something extra for the class. You see, the rest of the music department teachers and I are picking the top two students for each class to compose a song together,” she began to clarify.

Together? Oh god.

“It won’t count for your grade at all though. It’s just for us music teachers to see the true potential our top students hold.”

I mean, that’s sort of a relief.

“It also is optional of course too, but almost all the classes are deciding to participate.”

Well, that doesn’t mean we have to.

“After all, the winning duo does win $500,”

WHAT? $500?!

“I know for a fact that if I had an opportunity like this in college, I would snatch it.” she finishes off with a smug smile.

“I’ll do it.” Jungkook quickly replies, looking back at you, waiting for a response. You couldn’t just say no, and you weren’t going to. This is $500 we’re talking about, and you were going to win it.

“Me too,” you hesitantly answer back, a smile spreading onto your teacher’s face.

“The deadline is in exactly 3 weeks! I wish the best of luck to both of you. I believe that you two have a very good chance of winning.” your teacher finishes, as you two exchange ‘thanks’ and head out.

“So, when do you wanna start?” Jungkook asks, looking back at you as he shoved his hands into his pockets.

“I’m basically free whenever. Just text me, and we can figure out times.”

“Will do. We can work at my place if you want, my roommate is usually out until really late, but I’ll let you know,” he suggests.

“Alright, that’s cool, I’ll see you around then.”

“Okay, see you around Y/N.” he responded with his signature smile, heading the opposite direction. This was going to be interesting.

-

The next 3 weeks had gone by extremely quickly. Almost like a blur. Most of your nights were spent in Jungkook’s dorm; exchanging ideas, making beats, writing lyrics, and recording. You two would frequently sneak out just to get some food, and to be honest, you had both gotten comfortable with another fairly quickly. So quickly, it scared you.

There were several nights that you had accidentally fallen asleep in his dorm, and instead of waking you up and having him feel your wrath, he would carry you to his own bed and tuck you in while he slept on the floor. You felt really bad every time it happened, but you seriously couldn’t help it sometimes. You’d wake up to a set of his clothes to wear and walk out to see him stumbling around in the kitchen, hair ruffled and sticking out everywhere, attempting to make you breakfast. It had soon started to become one of the best things you could possibly wake up to in the morning.

You undeniably began to see him in a different light and wanting to be much more than just project partners, but you tried to put those feelings aside. You thought of him differently, and he wasn’t just what everyone thought he was. He was so much more. He was a sucker for love songs. He liked spending most of his free time playing video games and composing songs on his own. He even let you into his private folder of songs that he’s never let anyone listen to and all you can say is, wow. They were all so amazing, it left you speechless every time you listened to some of his works. His compositions were just so timeless and reminded you of all the R&B songs you know and love. His voice. It’s almost as if you’re put in a trance every time you hear him sing. His voice held so much emotion and control, it’s almost as if he truly meant those lyrics and was singing it to someone, and you wished that someone could be you.

You truly did hate the fact that you were falling for the boy. Almost every girl in school has fallen for him, and you didn’t want to be next up on his list. You didn’t really know what to think at this point, he didn’t really seem like that type of person the more you got to know him, and when you truly thought about it, you’re not that innocent either, and sometimes resorting to sex is what you did to take your mind off of things. It is college anyway.

-

You two had met up for your final day before the due date, making minor tweaks and going over everything. Not to be biased, but you really did think that the song you two made was pretty good. You loved the beat and its harmony and you and Jungkook did a pretty good job of displaying the emotions of the song. Bonus points for your voices blending very well together.

It was 1:30 in the morning and you two had finally agreed that you were done,

“Let’s listen to our Grammy Award-Winning single shall we?” Jungkook teased in a voice mimicking a host of an award show.

“Yes, you dumbass.” you chuckled, shaking your head as he gave you one side of his headphones.

You both sat in silence for 4 minutes, assessing the song and basking in the creation that you two made together. Everything worked out just the way you two wanted, and both artistic flavors were shown in the song itself. The song was amazing, and so was his voice, as always.

The song ended as Jungkook slowly put the headphones down before slowly looking back at you. You looked back at him and into his eyes, you hated the fact that you were falling for him and falling for him fast, but how could you not. Everything about him was just so ethereal and beautiful, to the way his eyes glimmered to the way he smiled.

You two sat side by side, staring into each other’s eyes not knowing what to say. You couldn’t take it anymore so you broke the stare, a deep flush of pink rushing to your cheeks. He gently takes your chin and turns your face to meet his once again. Your breath hitches and your eyes go wide at his actions as he starts to lean in. You could see all his features at this point. You had gotten so close that you could probably even count his eyelashes too. You close your eyes lean in as well as your lips meet. The lavender scent of his cologne was dizzying as well as his cherry-flavored lip balm. His lips were soft and pillow-like as they gently massaged your own. The kiss had started off slow but had soon escalated as you both crashed against his sheets and the rhythm of your kisses had started to become faster and faster. Parted lips had allowed access for tongue as he soon started to travel and explore the rest of your body that would later on leave visible marks the next day. Your bodies were pressed against another as you both fumbled with each other’s clothes, quickly throwing them off to the side. You both relished in the indescribable sensation that was each other. The rest of the night was filled with roaming hands and dancing fingers, gentle touches and rough ones too, lustful eyes and moans of pleasure. It was everything you both wanted and needed and more. Fuck, what did you just get yourself into?

You wake up to the sight of his muscular chest in front of your face, reminding you of the chain of events that had occurred the previous night. A twinge of guilt as well as regret rose within you for what you were about to do. Never speak a word to Jungkook again. If you win, you split the money and part ways, and if you don’t, even better. His arms were wrapped tightly around you in a warm embrace, his hair messily hanging in front of his eyes while his lips were slightly parted open. You blindly grab your phone on his nightstand and check the time, it was 4:45 in the morning. More than enough time to slip away and go back to your dorm unnoticed, he was a heavy sleeper anyway. You figured it was better to try to dismiss your feelings for the boy and make an attempt to go on with your life. College was coming to an end and you figured you didn’t want to spend your last weeks drowning in the seas of unrequited love. You’ve had enough of it.

You slowly and carefully try to slip out of his tight hold, resulting in a tiny whimper on his part. Your eyes widen until you see him begin to fall back into his deep slumber. You quietly put your sweats back on, rubbing your eyes in an attempt to actually see. You shove your phone back into your pocket and look back at the sleeping boy. He really was so beautiful and you know a part of yourself would hate the fact that you’re doing this. You step closer to the bed as you lean down towards him, holding your hair back, placing a chaste kiss on his cheek. You took a big, deep sigh, beginning to take in what you were about to do. Goodbye, Jungkook.

-

“Damn, I thought it was a one-night-stand… and now we’re married” you mused, lying down on top of your bed, your husband Jungkook right by your side.

“Yeah, but hey, that song we made together was pretty good, wasn’t it?” he questions you, propping his body up on the bed with his elbow, looking down at you.

“It did win after all,” you nod in agreement, a small grin spreading across your face, reminiscing in the project that brought the two of you together in the first place.

“Soooo,” he chimed, brushing his hair back, “you up for round 2?”

You gasp while your brows furrow in utter shock as you throw a pillow at him and push him off the bed.

I guess some things just end up working together in perfect harmony.

-

-

-

MASTERLIST

[someobscurereference]

Graceless Heart Fic (Spoiler) Notes

These are notes for my 80K Fire Emblem fic “Graceless Heart.” These notes are full of SPOILERS! Please read the fic first! Beware at your own risk!

The notes will be under a Read More. Mobile users, if it doesn’t work for you, I’m so sorry.

SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS BELOW:

GENERAL NOTES:

Sumeragi was at work while Corrin was saying goodbye to the Hoshido family. He already said goodbye to Corrin that morning. That’s why he doesn’t appear here.

Xander texting Inigo back a heart emoji: I don’t see Xander as an emoji person, but I think Inigo is definitely the type to use a lot of hearts and whatnot when texting. Xander would not do that on his own, but if you look at his phone, you’ll see his most used (and only) emojis are the heart ones that Inigo sends him. Because Xander is willing to mimic how Inigo shows his affection for the sake of mutual reciprocation. Plus he got made fun of for being so stiff and formal when he writes.

Dock Fight with the Trio: Owain is genuinely embarrassed and Inigo really is going to tease him with those memes, but they’re all friends. This is not a serious fight. Severa and Inigo are not being deliberate assholes here. They’re all having fun.

The book Leo is reading when Owain asks is The Gift of Fear by Gavin de Becker.

Everyone’s swimsuits are based on what they wear in FE Heroes as summer units or their outfits in the Beach Brawl DLC, minus Corrin, who wears a swim t-shirt on top of whatever bathing suit you imagine for them.

In a real situation where someone is drowning, you should probably not grab them the way Corrin grabs Inigo. A drowning person is very likely to harm or hinder their rescuer due to panic. I just wrote that scene a little less realistically in the fic because I didn’t want to deal with that and, like I say in the notes, I’m functioning on action movie logic. Action movies aren’t realistic.

When Corrin tells Inigo that they’ll keep his almost drowning a secret so long as he lets them know if he has health problems later and Elise tells Inigo to let them know if he has bad dreams, what Elise is actually saying is “Hey, if you start to get PTSD over this, let us know so we can help you.” But she doesn’t want to be so blunt, making this be the type of thing Inigo keeps to himself and suffers through alone, so she says “bad dreams” instead to phrase it with less stigma.

You’ll notice after Inigo’s near drowning that I mention how exhausted he feels when he’s having a freakout on the floor of his cabin, how tired he is the next morning before, during, and after the shopping trip, how he leans heavily on stuff and people, etc. His fatigue can be explained by stress and other normal things. However, it is also a result of the lake water being genuinely bad for people! Most people who go to the lake naturally get this vibe and don’t swim too far out into it/tend to visit the lake in groups or pairs so the chances of drowning decrease. (I almost wrote some of this into Anankos’s dialogue but it felt wonky and didn’t fit.). Corrin also feels this same exhaustion in subsequent scenes, although it’s emphasized less.

Likewise, when Owain and Corrin are stranded in the middle of the water, they also grow quite exhausted rather quickly because (a) the closer to the center of the lake, the more powerful the Bad Vibes that drain your energy and (b) there’s so much rain and water everywhere that as they swallow, they’re also growing more and more tired. Also, fear takes a lot out of a person in general.

Similarly, when Corrin’s foot gets grabbed on the docks, I mention a few times that their legs feel heavy, etc. This is all related to Evil Lake Energy. Severa’s almost drowning is the same deal as Inigo. Everyone who gets in the water (especially if they swallow any) experience this same lack of energy. It’s worse if you actually swallow some water right out there in the middle of the lake and you’re just more susceptible to that kind of bad magic like Anankos unfortunately was. Corrin has been through the wringer at the end of this fic because of constant exposure. They’re on nothing but bedrest for a good number of days after the end of this fic. Lots and lots of sleep for them. Owain is only mildly better in that he doesn’t have to be admitted to the hospital but does need A Lot of sleep. Rest assured that they do eventually recover though.

Elise “lying to Xander and Camilla about stuff all the time” — A reference to in-game canon about how Elise regularly ditches her retainers and goes around to the poorer parts of the city where she is explicitly forbidden to go. She’s surprisingly sneaky and has no problems not telling her siblings about this.

I paraphrased some dialogue from in-game between Leo, Niles and Owain when the latter are trying to convince Leo to swim because it mimicked a Beach Brawl DLC scene.

“Pot, kettle” = a reference to Niles canonically reminiscing about the past in his and Leo’s support. He likely does that in this AU on occasion as well.

Camilla’s SUV has 3 rows of seats because she loves the extra room for bags/extra passenger space.

Some of Camilla and Xander’s interactions and some of Xander’s narration referencing her is also a direct reference to their Supports in Fates also. In this fic, Camilla’s jab at being surprised Xander would ever notice how she felt about Severa because he’s always so busy is more a jab to get him to back off than a pride thing like in canon, but the pride is probably still there too.

Severa lives! She lived because I wanted her too (and because I cannot stand any character death in fics that isn’t like “The Villain Died Forever Ago And Maybe There’s Danger But Everyone Else Is Fine”), but it is a sort of miracle. Camilla did not do proper drowning rescue procedure here. Nobody did. I’m sure you picked up on that from the panic and flashbacks and whatnot. Everyone did their best at handling that rescue, but it wasn’t great. There is too much Panic™ to remain calm, although in real life that’s absolutely what you should try to do in an emergency. Camilla’s one (1) exchange of air is not usually going to save the life of somebody who is really in danger. The only reason it worked is because (a) Severa wasn’t really dead, although she sure looked like it and (b) this is fantasy fiction. Please call emergency services in a situation like this irl or immediately drive to the nearest hospital if there is no cell service and it’s safe to do so.

Xander’s last conversation with Inigo in this fic directly stem from his fear of (a) not being in control and (b) not being strong enough to protect those he cares about.

Originally Elise was going to be the one who figured out Anankos drowned, but somehow while writing it just didn’t work that way, mostly because she ended up stuck by the cars. Whoops. You’re the real hero in my heart, Elise.

 CHARACTER NOTES:

Owain’s insecurities stem from his Felicia and Severa supports where Owain reacts very negatively to being called weird. Also from the hc that growing up in modern AU with public school would probably emphasize that insecurity too, since kids can be real bullies. I very much picture him as the “Weird Kid” in class who was in his own little world and other kids whispered about him for it. Which is unfair, because he’s really just having fun :( By middle school/high school, he’s likely learned to tone this down a little, but only after a series of Bad Memories that make him develop a fear that everyone is just barely tolerating him or is making fun of him behind his back. It’s an infrequent insecurity because Owain is pretty good at not really caring what others think, but it’s one that exists all the same. He’s known Niles and Leo for a year or maybe two at this point, but when Leo admits (like in canon) to hating Owain when they first met, it triggers those insecurities again and sets back the progress the three of them had made in working up to a relationship together.

Corrin has a peacemaker type personality in Fates and always wants to believe the best in everyone to the point where they only seem to learn their lesson of “trust but have a backup plan” near the end of the Revelations route. I think I was mostly true to that character of Corrin in my other horror fic Dark Things Grew. And I think I was mostly true to that version of canon here until the part where Corrin and Owain are stuck in the middle of the lake together. (If you think Corrin was 100% what you expected all the way through, yay! But if not: ) Perhaps Corrin is a little more freaked out or snappier than some of you might have expected. However, I am taking some liberties with the fact this is a modern world AU here. In Fates, magic is real. Dragons are real. Ogre monsters that you can summon out of thin air to do your fighting for you (i.e. Faceless) are real. Some things are less likely than others, but there’s a whole realm of magical possibility that doesn’t exist in our reality. So when you find out that the lake your mom used to visit all the time is possessed (huh????) by a demon (?????) whose voice you are hearing in your head (???????) and also who is not a demon but actually your ghost dad (????????) who is trying to kill you and all your friends you guess (????????) but you’re not really sure what’s going on still except for the fact that oh, Ariana, we’re really in it now, aaaahhhhhhhHHHHH—

Well, you, too, would probably be a little upset. Corrin is the same at their core. They’re just allowed to go “Yo, what the heck” now. (I almost had Corrin say the F word in just their narration once and I couldn’t do it :/) They go through a lot of feelings in the climax of this fic, actually, and I hope they felt at least somewhat reasonable reactions to you, the reader, since the situation Corrin finds themselves in is so unprecedented, stressful, and wack.

Also, this is true for all characters! They’ve been mildly adapted into modern counterparts. This means some experiences that shaped them in Awakening/Fates didn’t happen here or were adapted into modern equivalents. (For example, Inigo is a little less able to run face first into battle than in Awakening/Fates bc he didn’t experience the terror and necessity of having to fight the Risen as a young kid. He still grew up shy and is a (self-admitted in Supports) crybaby who tries to hide those facets of himself, however. Hence why he feels the need to put on a brave face after Bad Things Happen. He still feels like he needs to be a pillar of support for people, although he’s a less steady than his more hardened counterpart. Similar extractions can be applied to other characters throughout this fic.

I often write Severa/Camilla as a very doting, established relationship. A lot of the time the conflict in my stories comes from some outside factor—a dragon, a war, magic, etc. I don’t write a lot of interpersonal conflict, and it’s something I thought I should try my hand at least once. Camilla and Severa’s dynamic here specifically draws from Camilla’s habit of keeping her true feelings close to her chest in her supports. In canon with Selena, she very obviously gives noncommittal answers to Selena’s demands that Camilla praise her for being the best. With Xander, Camilla lies by omission—when he guesses her favorite food wrong, she pretends he’s right for the sake of (presumably) not embarrassing him and proving he doesn’t actually know his siblings better than she does. I’m sure there are other incidents where Camilla hides her true feelings too. I’ve always wondered about these events. Emotionally, Camilla is a very interesting character to me. She has a lot of thoughts and feelings, but she seems to keep a lot of them to herself. I wish that was explored more in-game.

Here, I combined Camilla’s natural tendency to keep her true feelings to herself with her canonical childhood loneliness. She canonically felt bereft of maternal love as a child, and that’s why she tries to shower so much on Corrin. In this fic, Camilla is afraid of opening herself up to love from others. She can dole it out because she doesn’t want to deprive anyone (specifically Corrin, who was isolated a lot via Garon) of that same love, but in turn she never wants to actually be vulnerable with anyone. Family gets special privileges, but even her siblings don’t get to see everything. She has romantic feelings for Severa, but she’s afraid of opening herself up to potential hurt and having that love thrown back in her face later. So Camilla does herself the favor of not allowing herself to be vulnerable in the first place. There’s some part of her that really does want to openly love and be loved by Severa, however. So that’s the yo-yo affect Severa is dealing with throughout this fic.

Camilla knows, factually, that Severa likes her too. But she also has this defense mechanism she’s used her whole life. She wants the best of both worlds; she wants to teeter on the edge of romance/intimacy she and Severa both crave while still keeping Severa at arm’s length so she never actually has to face the danger of being potentially vulnerable with Severa and therefore hurt. Which, you know. Is shitty. (Sometimes the people you love can do shitty things. Sometimes you can do shitty things. I think Camilla’s character is more complex, realistic, and interesting here because of it. I hope you think the same.)

And Camilla keeps it up until she realizes losing Severa is still a very real possibility whether or not she admits her feelings. It’s too late to pretend otherwise. She’s already vulnerable to that hurt she wanted to avoid. The shock of that revelation, the fear of losing Severa, and also McFreaking Water Ghost is enough to get her to admit her feelings and change her behavior. It’s not all peaches and cherries from here on out for them, but it’s a start. They’re taking it slow.

Camilla isn’t a villain here, which I say because I worry some people may think I wrote her to be villainous. Sometimes the people you love have baggage. Severa has it too. So does everyone else in this fic and in your actual real life. That’s natural. Sometimes we do shit things because of that baggage. It happens. Does that mean you get an excuse for your actions? Absolutely not. Apologize. Do better. Camilla is trying. They’ll go from here.

I was trying for a lot more nuanced, complex approach to these two this time around rather than the zero interpersonal problems approach. It was new for me too. I hope it payed off.

Anyway, love wins.

A VERY BAD OUTLINE OF THE CABINS THAT I MADE IN PAINT 3D AND A FLOOR PLAN I STOLE FROM GOOGLE IMAGES 2 YEARS AGO:

 I am so sorry for the quality of this, lmao

[itsmyusualphannie]

something wrong in the village

Chapter 1/5: genesis Beta: @candanandphilnot Rating: T Warnings: None Read on ao3

Summary: Fiona Lester has a secret. Dan Howell thinks they hate each other. Dan meets an online friend and comes to realize something important about himself while juggling a changing relationship with his parents, friends, and Fiona.

Author’s notes: this was written for the phandom writer discord server’s gift fic exchange! happy holidays @sudden-sky you’d better enjoy your present

~~~ next chapter ~~~

"Mr Howell, are you with us today?"

The voice broke through Dan's concentration on his sketchbook and he glanced up, meeting the cool gaze of his English teacher. "Uh," he said. He didn't set down the pencil gripped in one hand. "Yeah."

His seat juddered as the person sitting behind him kicked it. Dan's pencil, the tip still set to the sketchbook, skidded across the paper and left an angry scrawl across his rough sketch of a drum set. Dan could feel the smirk of the person sitting behind him. He fumed, but had to do so silently as his teacher cast him one last glance before turning back toward the board.

"As I mentioned, Dan, we're reviewing parenthetical citation today, since everyone's essay is due next week. Can anyone tell me how in-text citation for MLA format is used in research essays…?" Her voice faded into the background as Dan focused back onto his sketchbook.

He scribbled ineffectively with his eraser at the deep gash carved into the paper for a few long moments, then pursed his lips and stared down at the ruined sketch. Finally, he let out a slow breath and reached for the corner of the page. This barely-begun sketch was completely ruined now. His fingers rustled against the edge of the paper and he lifted it, trying his best to avoid any more attention from his teacher, but his chair was kicked again, and Dan almost ripped the paper as he jumped. He hastily flipped the paper over to a new page and hissed over his shoulder, "Stop it, you dick."

There was no response, but it was a smug silence. Dan was almost at the back of the classroom, so the person sitting behind him was in the very back and had little regard for the teacher, anyway.

Dan held still for a good minute, but no other kicks jarred him. Cautiously, he lowered his pencil to the blank, full-of-potential paper, and outlined a swift cylinder. He had just begun to add a matching cylinder, the next drum in the set, when another kick, the most ferocious all day, shook his seat. Dan dropped his pencil and clenched a fist. "Cut it out," he snarled.

This time, the person just laughed, a quiet, mocking thing.

Dan considered his options. He could, a) Raise his hand, politely tell the teacher, politely be told off because Dan was disturbing the class, and be sent to the principal when he inevitably snapped at the teacher; or he could, b) Very carefully place his sketchbook, pencil, and various class materials into his backpack so he wouldn't get them mussed, very carefully slide out of his seat, and then very carefully place a well-aimed punch to the cheek of the asshole behind him, and then be sent to the principal, but with a much more fulfilled feeling in his chest.

Dan did take his time weighing these options, but the second option was ultimately decided for him when said asshole's shoe thudded into his chair again. Dan very carefully collected his materials and slipped them into his backpack, and then he very carefully slid out of his seat, and then he very carefully aimed a punch at the cheek of the asshole behind him.

Well, that last part didn't end so well. The asshole had evidently been expecting this, as Dan's fist was neatly avoided and Dan was instead caught by the elbow and slammed face-first into the hardwood floor.

Thud, went Dan's body.

Thud, went the asshole's body only a second later when Dan grabbed the nearest ankle and yanked.

“DANIEL HOWELL,” went the teacher, which Dan found quite unfair, as he was clearly not the only one sprawled across the floor at the moment.

~~~

They were both sent to the principal's office. 

Dan had miscalculated feeling any fulfilment in his chest, as the only feeling he had right now was a dull ache where his breastbone had cracked unceremoniously into his desk leg upon a furious kick from the asshole. Their flailing on the floor had taken a full two minutes for the teacher to break up, and Dan had gained his share of throbbing injuries. He'd done his fair share, though, as the other was nursing a tender eye that was sure to bloom into a beautiful black eye.

They glared at each other in the secretary's area until the principal called them in.

"Why am I not surprised to see you two again?" was all she said upon seeing them. She rubbed the space between her perfectly-plucked eyebrows and then raised both eyebrows at them. "What happened now?"

A mutinous silence reigned.

"Sit down," she sighed.

They sat mutinously.

"Daniel Howell," she began.

"Louise," started Dan, in the same tone.

"It's Dr Pentland," she continued in the exact same intonation, "and I'd like to know what, exactly, persuaded you to attack the lovely Miss Fiona Lester?"

The asshole seated beside Dan cringed back into the seat. Dan refused to look over, just stared at the principal with a carefully bored expression plastered across his face.

Dr Pentland kept his gaze for a moment, and then she sighed deeply and turned to Fiona. "And you? You're both troublemakers. You’re constantly on your phone in class and Dan is always drawing and not paying attention to his teachers. I'm sure that Dan didn't decide, out of the kindness of his heart, to paint your face instead of his sketchbook."

As if she hadn't remembered until just then, Fiona touched careful fingertips to the bruise slowly blooming beneath her eye. She winced, then tossed a long, wavy lock of dark hair over her shoulder and stared ahead with uncanny amusement. A deliberate shrug, then a sly glance sideways at Dan.

Dan ripped his gaze away from her and glowered at the floor. He definitely had not been watching her.

"What did I do to deserve this?" Dr Pentland buried her face in her hands. The words were almost indecipherable, muffled. "Oh, god. Are my kids going to be like this when they get to sixth form?"

Dan and Fiona took the chance while she wasn't looking to exchange mutual sneers. Fiona's was considerably more impressive, Dan noted, but that didn't damper his resolve. They hastily looked back at Dr Pentland when she lifted her head.

"Alright," she said, and then nodded, firmly. "Alright. I've had enough of this. Ever since you two began this year, you've been at each others' throats. It's quite time for this to end."

Incorrect, Dan thought with glee. He and Fiona had been at each others' throats since they were twelve and thirteen, respectively. They just hadn't physically tussled in school until sixth form. It was a perfect, mutual hatred. Dan didn't think many other 16-year-olds could say that they had a real-life, mortal enemy.

At least Dr Pentland was one of the few who didn't insist that it was just sexual tension and that they would get over it soon enough. She took their mortal hatred seriously. Well, if her almost-weekly exasperation was serious.

Besides, Dan would never be attracted to someone like Fiona. He may only be sixteen, but he knew what he liked, and that was not Fiona. Well, Dan maybe knew what he liked. He thought he knew what he liked. He didn't know what he liked, but it was not Fiona.

" - and you're going to take a note to your parents, too," finished Dr Pentland, which was just about where Dan tuned back in, having heard nothing she had said in the past two minutes. She regarded them both sternly. "Understand?"

Fiona nodded. Dan nodded more apathetically, never one to be outdone even if he definitely did not understand.

"Great. Get your notes from the secretary. I expect you both to behave once you come back to school. I hope your time off will give you some time to think about your actions."

There was a pause, wherein Dr Pentland traded suspicious stares with both Dan and Fiona. "You're dismissed," she said finally.

Dan scrambled to his feet and for the door, but Fiona beat him. She yanked it open and waved him through with a wide, obnoxious smile. "Ladies first," she said, teeth bared. Her eyes were ferociously beautiful.

Dan threw himself through the door with aplomb and snapped back at her, "I'm a fucking queen, thanks."

~~~

They were suspended.

Dan wasn't exactly surprised when the secretary had scribbled something onto a note and handed it to him. "I already emailed it to your parents," she told him with a too-smug expression as if to tell him that Yeah you can't get out of talking to them. Dan had just yanked the paper from her hand and shoved it in his pocket with no regard for its carefully-folded lines. 

Fiona had elbowed him aside and the secretary had begun to rise from her seat, alarmed at the prospect of another fight, but Dan just scoffed and turned his back, grabbing his backpack from the seat he'd been waiting in earlier. He'd left much less dramatically than he'd hoped, as the door slid shut with a quiet hush instead of slamming.

He'd stood defiantly on the kerb for a good ten minutes before giving in and dialling his mum. Fiona had passed him with an air of disinterest, but when she'd peeled out of the parking lot in her old, rumbling car, she'd waved two very specific fingers out of the window at him and just laughed when he returned them. Dan had only been left with the superimposed image of her open, crooked grin and sleek hair whipping around her face. He hated her.

"Dan?" said his mum when she answered, but it was more resigned than anything else. She already knew why he would be calling at nine in the morning on a school day.

"I'm suspended," he said, voice still brittle from the hoarse memory of screeching when Fiona had yanked on his hair during the fight.

She sighed. "I'll call your dad. He'll get there sooner."

"Thanks," he said reluctantly. He kicked the kerb with the tip of his worn Vans. They scuffed a little more than they already were.

"We'll talk when I get home from work," she promised, "just...do your homework, okay? Don't let it be like last time."

Last time meant the one-day suspension a few months ago. Dan had walked the three miles from his house to Fiona's and hurled tiny rocks at her bedroom window until she'd yanked it open. He'd generously exchanged the rocks for eggs, gratified immediately by her shrill screams.

No one seemed to remember that Fiona had returned the favour when she slipped a rotten egg in Dan's bag a few days later. No one remembered her part of anything.

Dan hung up without saying good-bye to his mum. His phone chimed a moment later with a text from her. Stay out front & text me when yr dad gets there.

Fine, he texted back, then shoved the phone deep into his pocket and glared at the empty parking space that Fiona's car had vacated until his dad arrived.

~~~

"Homework," his dad reminded him one more time before rolling up his window and peeling away from the kerb in front of their house, on his way back to work. Dan glowered after him and whirled to make his way into the house. Their front door slammed, at least, which left Dan with a burning fragment of pleasure as he stormed toward his room. He hurled his backpack onto his bed, then made his way back to the front room and into the kitchen. Raiding the pantry and the fridge yielded a chunk of cheese, a bag of crackers, and a chilled half-bottle of Ribena.

Dan had mostly calmed down by the time he'd eaten most of the cheese and crackers and the Ribena bottle was empty. He'd sprawled on the chair in his room, slumped over the spoils he laid out across his desk. Brushing the crumbs off his open laptop, he apathetically watched them bounce to the floor and nestle between the curls of carpet. Future Dan could deal with it.

Sometimes, Dan wished he had even one real friend. He didn't think a gaggle of casual acquaintances who didn't even really know him counted as friends. His self-named mortal enemy certainly didn't, although sometimes it felt like she knew him better than his friends did.

A good two hours passed as Dan lazily scrolled through his Tumblr dashboard, occasionally reblogging or liking a post. He briefly considered doing his homework, but he had three full days to do that now. He briefly considered collecting some eggs and going for a walk but decided he was in enough trouble as it was. Fiona might not even be home, too.

It was only when the clock above Dan's desk clicked as it hit noon that Dan glanced up and noticed how much time had passed. He scowled at the clock and rebelliously continued scrolling through Tumblr.

Need Freinds? 

Dan stopped scrolling.

He didn't know if it was the typo, the horrific bouncing image of two generic white girls smiling brightly at each other, or even the advertisement itself that made him do a double-take.

"Who the hell wants to make friends?" he said aloud. "And especially on Tumblr. These advertisers should know better."

He rolled his eyes and resolutely continued scrolling.

Two minutes and twelve posts passed, and then Dan scrolled back up to the advertisement. The two girls were still grinning at each other, their falsely-white teeth gleaming. One was curling her hands in the shape of a heart.

It was disgusting, Dan resolved, and he clicked on the ad. It was purely for the irony of such a decision, of course.

The ad popped open a new tab, which rapidly cycled through a few sponsored links and subsequently, briefly panicking Dan as he thought frantically that it must have been a virus and oh, he'd fucked up now. Finally, the link settled on the homepage of a website that declared 'FRIENDS on Fleek - Find the FRIEND For You!' It was suitably themed, with overly bright colours and cheerful anecdotes from people who had supposedly used the website and found 'friend' matches.

We're location-based! declared the 'About' section about halfway down the homepage. We guarantee that your BFF won't be halfway across the world, so you can eventually meet them in person with no problems! Find your FRIEND match now!'

Definitely disgusting, Dan decided.

He clicked on the 'Sign Up' button in the top right corner. Just for the irony, of course.

He filled out the forum that asked for a username and password, his name, which he simply put as 'Bear,' age, gender options - She/Her, Him/His, They/Theirs, and a personalized option made some small part of Dan a little more interested in the website - and a brief biography. Dan put "lol rawr xD" in the biography and laughed for a solid two minutes before clicking to the next page. This one asked for his favourite songs and bands, favourite foods, and about fifty other random questions that Dan mostly skimmed. This probably-a-scam website had a considerable amount of effort put into it. Dan wasn't sure whether to be worried or impressed at the detail they'd invested.

The last page asked him for a profile picture and to reveal his location.

This information is secure, promised the website, as any scam website would likely promise, but to make sure no one lies about their location, you must activate the location tracker on your device. This is similar to location-based dating apps such as Tinder but is much vaguer. Your location will be in a general 50-mile area. 

However, continued the cheerful, almost blindingly-bright font a few lines down, you do not need to share a profile picture if you do not feel comfortable! Please check 'Decline' to decline this option.

Dan considered the warnings his parents had given him for the past sixteen years of his life about revealing his location and picture to strangers. He considered the talking to he was going to get tonight about his suspension, and decided to - ironically, he insisted to himself - only obey half of the warnings.

He revealed his location, but he clicked the Decline button for the profile picture.

Congratulations! chimed a message as soon as the screen had finished loading, absorbing his personal information into the Matrix, probably. You're in our system to find a FRIEND! Please be safe when meeting all new FRIENDS.

"Gross," said Dan. 

The new personalized page showed his profile and a few options in the website page bar to 'Upgrade' his account. There was a notification bar in the upper-right corner and a tiny envelope icon, which Dan assumed was for messages from "FRIENDS," he announced, loud in the silent house.

0 New Matches, said the notification bar when he clicked on it.

Dan scoffed. Of course there were zero matches. Even a scam website couldn't find a fake friend for Dan. Then again, it probably wanted him to 'Upgrade' his account.

"Nice try," Dan told the website. "I have exactly enough money for the music festival in three weeks, and I doubt I'll be getting anymore for another month or two because my parents are mad at me now. I'm not upgrading shit."

The website automatically refreshed.

Dan just blinked at it. "The fuck? Are you trying to communicate with me?"

The website unhelpfully did not do anything else. Dan squinted at it and slowly moused over to click on the notification bar.

1 New Matches, announced the notification bar.

"Sure," said Dan. He flicked the mouse, ready to exit out of the entire website, but his gaze caught on the notification again.

It taunted him.

"Fuck you," said Dan, and he clicked on it.

The page reloaded again, revealing a profile that was fully-fleshed out other than the profile picture, just like Dan's.

85% FRIEND match! declared the banner above the profile.

Dan rolled his eyes generously and skimmed it. Hi my name's Phil, said the biography, and since you're probably a creepy stalker I'm not putting personal information in this, other than my favourite TV show because you need to watch it. Stranger Things is the best and oh I'm running out of space ok. 

Name: Phil. Age: 17. Gender: Male (He/Him). Location: Within 25 miles. Inbox: Open to matches. Message "Phil"!

Dan scoffed, but he could feel interest stirring in his chest. He ruthlessly attempted to squash it, but the interest had no plans of letting go anytime soon. It persistently clung to the edges of his heart. He ignored the tiny envelope icon next to Phil's name which prompted him to initiate a conversation, and scrolled further down the page, taking note of the areas where they had 'Matched' up.

Mutual favourite bands? Muse was the only band they had both listed, but Phil's list also said Like 500 more I'm not naming them all.

Mutual favourite TV shows? Great British Bake-Off Show, Breaking Bad, Sherlock, Queer Eye, Bojack Horseman.

Mutual books? None. Phil had listed a few but Dan hadn't put down any of his. At this point where he'd been answering the questions, he'd just been trying to finish the form.

Mutual favourite foods? Pizza. Dan's had also said Pizza dips, but he figured he'd let that one slide. Phil's also said Sweets, in general, at which Dan crinkled his nose.

Mutual…

Phil had apparently given up on the other fifty or so various questions, as all of these were blank. Dan had filled out only a few of them, but he was disgruntled suddenly, that his lack of effort had been beaten by this guy.

Ah, Dan reminded himself, this bot, probably.

He stared at the screen for another few minutes. He was waiting, although he didn't want to admit it to himself, for a message - even if it was automated - from the match. The minutes passed, and none came. The page stubbornly did not auto-refresh, so Dan did it himself a few times, eyeing the little envelope icon each time.

Finally, he heaved a deep sigh. Irony, he reminded himself. "Do I have to do everything myself?" he muttered at the computer, and then he clicked on the envelope icon next to Phil's name.

A new page loaded. An inbox this time, apparently. It was empty, but a new message opened, automatically addressed to 'amazingphil' and titled "To my new FRIEND match Phil!"

Ask your new match about one of your shared interests! prompted faded text inside the message box. Or tell a funny joke!

"Gross," Dan said again. He deleted the message title and replaced it with "wtf is stranger things?" A few moments of rapid tapping against the keys, and he had 'lol wtf is stranger things & why is it your favourite TV show? & whose fave food is just sweets and pizza?' in the body of the message.

"There," Dan decided. It was just rude enough to put off any actual humans that might be on the other end but random enough that a computer response would find it difficult to decipher. He hoped, at least.

He clicked the send button. Immediately, another prompt from the website popped up, glaring neon colours as it informed him that Once your new FRIEND match responds, you can open the chat and talk with more ease! Until then, you are restricted to one message a day.

Dan scowled heavily at it. This website was obnoxious and far, far too extra. He'd probably been ironic for long enough. It was time to shut this down...unless...well, surely it wouldn't hurt to ironically get a reply from a bot?

As if summoned, his inbox chimed with a new message. Dan stared wide-eyed for a long moment, but then he opened it, fingers trembling subconsciously as he clicked.

'Stranger Things is the best TV show ever!!' declared the message, sender listed as 'amazingphil.' Dan blinked widely. 'tbh you're missing out if you haven't seen it. And sweets are a perfectly normal food! whose favourite foods are just pizza and pizza dips? I'm concerned for your safety'

Dan heaved in a breath. He heaved another. He reached for the keyboard, but his hands disobeyed him and instead yanked the laptop screen down. It thudded shut with a resounding bang!

"I'm going to get murdered," he announced to the empty room.

~~~ next chapter ~~~

[raridashdoodles]

📖 Twilight have read and graded all your stories! 📖 

However, since she's a fictional character we'll discard her opinions! I'm the one with the money, so naturally my opinions are the only one that matters.

These are ranked from best to worst and I've scored all entries based on how entertaining (or infuriating) I found them to be. If you got a good score, be very proud! I am not easy to please. If you got a bad score, then it is time for you to go sit in the corner and think about your sins. 👻

First off, the winner and best of the show:

Fic: Love, And Other Felonies Author: PatchworkPoltergeist​ Grade: A+++ Review: This is pretty much a raridash masterpiece. In my humble opinion, it far surpasses all of the fanfics the raridash community considers its cream of the crop. It has everything from great structure, wonderful characterizations and is an overall fun, creative take on the NMM-verse timeline. The world-building and lore is an added plus and a surprise (didn't expect that due to time and theme restrictions). This is an excellent romance fanfic with Raridash at the heart of its story. The two of them share close to every moment together and have to lean on each other as there is no one else to trust in this harsh dystopian world. Watching these two walk on eggshells in a society where freewill and independent thinking is punishable by death is just as entertaining as it sounds!

If I had to critic this, I'd say the story's epilogue threw me off. I feel that too much character development were lost in amnesia world and the romance aspect just didn't fit the bill anymore. Felt forced and awkward.

Runner-ups:

Fic: My Little Confession Author: Pixel Berry Grade: B Review: Very plain and simple, but it works! Story is very brief and the characters barely has any time to be introduced, but it covers the bare minimum and the characters struggles and exchanges are both endearing, cute and wholesome. Equis High seemed like an interesting place and it would've been great if you could've expand upon it. The prompt lean near the end was way too on the nose and really ruined the flow of narration! You should've kept up your integrity and make up your own ending. An epilogue for this wouldn't hurt either since the story doesn't fade out, it just kind of ends... 

Style of narration was very odd and there were several pacing issues, but I feel the creativity makes up for it! These were the kind of stories I was hoping to get out of this competition. ❤️

Fic: Zero-Sun Game Author: Undome Tinwe Grade: C+ Review: This story had some good moments, but the genres stumble over each other constantly. This isn't goofy enough to make it a good comedy and it definitely isn't serious enough to work as a good drama. There aren't any real struggles and Rainbow Dash's character is practically flawless. She knows exactly what say and how to behave in order to get Rarity under her thumb and she can predict events with 100% accuracy, averting every single conflict thrown at her with ease. The more you read, the less intrigued you become. Everything becomes dull up until the ending where everything gets weird. In a story that has references to sex, vice and regicide, giving this story such a cheesy, awkward ending just didn't feel right at all.

You should've gone full comedy and have Rainbow Dash under investigation for being a potential super villain, only for it to be revealed her actions were not a result of amorality but stupidity. Drama could’ve work too, but you'd have to lose the virtual-reality shtick as it sucks away all the tension.

Fic: The Finale Author: Mymysteriox Grade: F Review: This story is called The Finale and as promised by the title, you are indeed dropped into the climax of a big dramatic story, having no clue as to what events has lead up to that moment. Ponies are yelling and crying and then the stage play end. The main characters are real pleased with themselves for performing this amazing play, we weren't allowed to see! The problem with this fanfic is that it is barely anything but a transcript to its prompt. There's no depth, backstory or even introductions. It's an empty shell.

Fic: Every One After Author: AJtheRaven Grade: F Review: This story's attempt at entertainment revolves itself around Rarity and Rainbow Dash being as petty and shallow as possible. In short, Rainbow Dash want a trophy wife and Rarity want an obedient little pupper. These aspirations are forced to the point you wonder why the two of them are an item in the first place. Romance stories who’s conflict are the characters hating each other with the resolution of them kissing and making up in the end are by far the cheapest, dirtiest things in the world. To add on that, it completely fails to utilize the prompt in any creative manner, making this already dull story that much duller. None of the interactions carried any sincerity and every setup was predictable. 

If you had plans to write a story out of pure spite then you might as well have gone full out and write a story where Rainbow Dash struggles to dispose of Rarity's lifeless body after having strangled her to death in a fit of rage. At least that way you could’ve gotten a passing score for creativity.

Fic: The Experimental RariDash Crackfic Author: Mystic Mind Grade: F Review: Every single joke in this are like nails on a chalk board. Rarity and Rainbow Dash serves no purpose to this story and could've been replaced by literally anyone. The narrator/Pinkie Pie is obnoxious to the point you want to bludgeon her to death and the story from beginning to end is nothing but meme characters stumbling around and bumping into each other. I was surprised you didn't include a scene where Discord popped in and start twerking in front of the audience, all while promoting his fortnite centered twitch channel. There isn’t a single redeeming factor in this story... Everything is just nauseating.

This might have been a decent story if it was a straight faced drama, but with what I’ve seen from this story I kind of doubt your ability to write romance stories at all.

Fic: A Marvelous Day Author: ModdieFox Grade: F- Review: This fanfic is a big empty template that someone put a raridash sticker onto. Any character could be switched out and it wouldn't make a difference. There's no story, no build-up and nothing in this carries any weight or consequence. Everything feels hollow and manufactured. A loveless, soulless entry.

This needed to be longer (less exposition, more anticipation) and the narration should've followed either Rarity's or Rainbow's internal monologue about the ups and downs in their relationship that eventually lead them to getting married. Big pay-offs like weddings aren't satisfying if we don’t know the struggle.

Fic: Those Wedding Belle Rainbows Author: Tangerine Blast Grade: G Review: I'm at a loss for words... This is a story that relies itself on the stupidity of its characters to push itself forward. Usually I don't mind stupid characters if it's there to make them cute, but in this fanfic it exist for no other reason than to create unnecessary conflicts. The lack of common sense makes every character insufferable and every action taken and every piece of dialogue spoken are annoying and borders on infuriating. The story has no direction and spirals itself into meandering filler. The author couldn't even be bother to write an ending for this clustergack and instead he just copy&pastes a scene from Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean and calls it a day (no, I'm not joking). 

I have nothing else to say other than this is the worst raridash fanfic I've ever read in my life. This isn't your everyday kind of failure... This is advanced failure! This deserves a grade lower than F so I hereby award it with the special rating of G (standing for garbage). Kudos.

Disqualified entires:

Fic: Guiding Light Author: Gesstalt Grade: Disqualified (Doesn't follow a prompt) Review: This story tries way too hard to be poetic and mysterious, but due to its brief length it just comes off as unnecessary filler. It feels like someone opened up a book, ripped out a single page from it and presented it as a full story. Everything is vague and cryptic and you can't make sense of anything. Elements are presented with the implications that they have greater meaning but it never amounts to anything and everything just feels pointless.

Fic: Love Eternal Author: RDFan27 Grade: Disqualified (Doesn't follow a prompt) Review: In this story Rainbow Dash enters Rarity's boutique and stands still. It's a pretty ingenious concept, I gotta say! Think about it, Rainbow Dash likes sports so naturally she likes to move around, but because she likes Rarity so much she's willing to go against her nature and stand still!! It's the peak of romance!!! 

Sarcasm aside, this fanfic fails to be creative at every turn. Stories with this premise have been written over 300+ times, going back as far as 2011. I didn't like them back then and I don't like them now. This story's only redeeming factor is its ending which threw me into a laughing fit, though that wasn't a feat of writing as much as it was timing.

🌟 Those were all the stories! 🌟

Thanks to everyone who participated, hope you all had fun! Sorry if you didn't win, but not everybody have what it takes to be the best. I hope you found my critic helpful and that it'll go a long way to help improve your future stories!

If you found some of these ratings were unfair, tough cookie! This is a contest and it's not my job to hold your hand. If you don't understand the mechanics of basic story telling or just can't be bothered to write a sincere story, then you only have your own incompetence to blame. Get good or get bent, loser! 🎷

Let’s hear another round of applauses for @patchworkpoltergeist​ amazing story! 👏👏👏 Wooooo~