#hope this sets a nostalgic mood :>

[milk-and-cereal]

seeu’s bedroom ♡ ｜ id in alt

[satorhime]

. ･｡･ right where you left me ࿐gojo satoru.

── ◜ ⪩⪨ ◞ content : angst, fluff, dad!gojo (reader ‘n’ gojo have a daughter), set in 2018 and 2023, reunion, beach trips, established relationship ! f!reader. ･｡･ w.c. 3.7k & not proofread.

── ◜ ⪩⪨ ◞ synopsis : time remains the one enemy gojo can’t defeat. ໒꒰ྀི ´ ꒳ ` ꒱ྀིა notes: ik there’s a gazillion reunion fics but this has been sitting in my drafts since oct n i suddenly felt like finishing n sharing so i hope u enjoy <333 ‘m gna go cry over this fic now ;u;

satoru is having a damn good day.

it’s suspicious, it feels like a fever dream, and he can’t really pinpoint where the dubiousness comes from. maybe it’s because he feels as if he doesn’t deserve it, like if he allows himself to relax like this something terrible will happen while he slacks off. or maybe, it’s because he’s only ever had those truly good days in his youth when he was devil may care and his concerns for the wellbeing of the world slid off his shoulders weightlessly, like sheets of rain on a rooftop. a wild and selfish kind of happiness that begun in spring and ended too quickly in winter.

but today is a good day. he forgot to charge his phone last night, he is in the best mood he’s been in all year, and he can’t stop fucking smiling. gojo satoru is thriving, on top of the world, a little bit of that nostalgic, adolescent joy warming up his chest.

and it’s all because it’s a sunny day, the water is cool, and he’s on the beach with you and his baby girl.

the three of you decided to steal away on a spontaneous trip to okinawa that forced him out of his work uniform and into swim trunks with a bare chest, simply because you burst into his office with big droplets of tears in your eyes declaring yourself a terrible mother because you realized that your daughter was already three years old and she had never seen the ocean before.

it had taken him ten minutes to book three first class tickets and secure the private family villa for the weekend, fifteen to get packed, and twenty to board after hearing that.

he would do anything to please his girls, after all.

“‘anna go into the bathtub, mama!” your baby whines impatiently from the embrace of your arms, squirming and squiggling for you to let her down as she points towards the rolling ocean waves behind you. ever since she learned how to walk, she’s lost all patience for her doting parents carrying her around— especially when something catches the attention of those big, pretty blue eyes. it didn’t take long for her to become enamored with the sea, wanting nothing more than to get out of your hold and toddle towards the shallows.

“it’s called an ‘ocean’, cupcake,” you correct her, voice full of amusement and affection as you crane your head forward to kiss the soft skin of her chubby cheek, bouncing the toddler in your arms. “too bad we’re being held hostage by dada right now.”

“i heard that,” satoru mumbles with a pout, his third melon popsicle of the day hanging from one side of his mouth. droplets of green slush drips onto the broad planes of his chest in a sticky mess as it melts but he’s wholly focused on the two of you, one summer blue eye winked closed as the other peers through the lens of the polaroid camera looped around his neck. “but wait, just one more photo of my two favorite girls!”

“you’ve been taking photos for the last twenty minutes, satoru,” you huff. “we aren’t going anywhere, you know. you don’t have to take so many.”

“our baby needs to see what the three of us looked like in our prime, before we grow old and gray together.”

“you’re so ridiculous, gojo satoru.”

but despite your exasperation, you remain put. it’s hard not to feel the same way he does on a perfect day like this— contentment, light in the heart and full of love because of this little trip. the camera focuses in on you and your daughter before the shutter clicks, each snap immortalizing the sight of you and your baby girl illuminated by the lazy autumn sun.

“and done!” he cheers, catching the polaroid in his palm as it slides from the slot. it wobbles between two of his fingers as it develops, but he can already see that it’s a perfect picture. he feels his heart sink in his chest, melting into a syrupy sweet puddle of happiness that makes him lightheaded and anxious.

oh, you’ve never looked as pretty as you do right now. like a dream, a forever kind of love he never plans to let go of. wearing that cute little swimsuit he likes so much with his sunnies perched on top of your head and his baby propped up on your supple hip. the two of you are beaming, cheeks squished together, your daughter’s hand cupping your face fondly.

it’s the kind of picture that others would coo at and fawn over if he framed it in a museum, but satoru retrieves his wallet from the pocket of his swim trunks, tucking the polaroid safely in the trifold for his own selfish keeping.

“i think she really likes the beach,” you tell him, squatting to set your daughter on her feet. she waves to you and satoru before waddling toward the shallow surf, her little legs stumbling in the thick body of sand. “this was good of you, satoru.”

“what? you think i’d miss the opportunity to spend time with my best girls?” he asks you, a hand on his chest with an affronted look on his face. you resist the urge to snort as the two of you follow closely behind your stumbling toddler, rushing towards her every time she gets distracted and attempts to eat the sand or chase one of the seagulls.

“you’ve been busy lately, that’s all,” is how you respond, the accusation washed out of your tone for the gentle words instead. you don’t bring up how many milestones, how many little memories he’s already missed, just by being who he is— that no matter what, he’ll always belong to his duty first and his family second. no, you’ve always shown patience and understanding. never complaining when his side of the bed is empty before morning or your girl requests for her father to read a bedtime story in that animated, comical way you can never replicate for her. making her settle for your offkey, wobbly lullabies instead.

“i know,” he says quietly, suddenly serious— keeping one eye on your baby girl who is currently splashing her hands around in the sand and water. “one of my first year’s a vessel so the curses are getting more pesky. i don’t think that’s a coincidence.”

“you think something’s about to happen?” you ask, looking up at him, but he presses a kiss to your temple and you wrinkle your nose at the sticky feeling of his lips.

“nah,” he replies, and you almost roll your eyes because you know he’s lying. even though satoru has done his best to keep you hidden from his world, you’re no fool. you already know why he rarely comes home at night, why he was absent for christmas last year, why your daughter has never met her paternal grandparents. you know that with the reappearance of several ancient cursed objects, there is thunder crackling among the clouds. “don’t worry your pretty little head about that.”

satoru turns up the volume on the waterproof boombox half-buried in the sand next to your belongings. he can’t stand your choice of music, finds it noise most of the time, but it’s the distraction the atmosphere needs to throw off your questioning. he pulls you to sit down between his legs, your back pressed against his chest and his arms wrapped around your body.

ocean foam splashes against the tips of your toes as the two of you sit at the surf of the tide in peaceful silence, time getting away from you both in the warm sun as your baby girl plays, her energy endless— waddling around and squealing at the different curiosities and wonders the beach has to offer.

whatever will happen, satoru won’t allow it to be today.

“satoru,” you call after a long quiet, craning your neck to look up at him. “if you—”

“what, you think i’m gonna croak sometime soon?” he shoots back, already knowing where the conversation is heading. so he holds you tighter, his strong arms a protective cage around your body as his shades slide down the attractive slope of his nose. he cracks a grin at you, another obvious deflection because he knows you can’t resist when he looks at you that way. not with his hair mussed from humidity, a strip of sunscreen on his nose as he chews on that damn wooden stick from his ice pop earlier.

“i know what you’re doing,” you shake your head. “and it’s not working. i’m just worried, i’m allowed to, as your wife. you think you’re invincible but if something happens to you that’ll… it’ll—” it will break us.

satoru’s smile fades, but he thankfully doesn’t need to reply because your daughter is waddling up to the both of you now, her sand-caked hands full of seashells and stones that glimmer in the sunlight. he wants to scoff because if anyone understands the consequences of failing those you love, it’s him— it’s all he’s ever known.

“what ya got there, princess?”

“fish—!” she cries in her sweet, babyish voice. some of the shells tumble from her hands, and you watch as her expression switches from happiness to dismay to finally confusion. you have to bite your lip to hold back laughter when instead of picking them back up, she dumps the rest of the seashells in your lap. “now i don’t have any fish.”

“i think those are seashells, princess,” gojo says with a grin, picking up a shell that rests on top of your thigh and holding it up to the sunlight. “this shell looks like it belongs to a hermit crab, like your megumi-nii.”

“you’re a terrible influence on our daughter, you know.”

“i’m just setting up future dynamics, angel face,” he grins.

“look look look!” your daughter gasps, bringing your attentions back to her. “this swee-shell looks like dada—!” she squeals excitedly, her new finding held delicately in her little sand-covered palm. she stands up on your thighs to reach her father sitting behind you, holding an iridescent blue seashell next to gojo’s eyes, her tiny mind comparing the colors in wonder. meanwhile, satoru wears a smile that burns so wide it hurts his cheeks.

“it looks like you too, princess,” he boops her nose, gently taking the seashell and holding it to her eyes next. her answering giggles sound like a sweet bell calling him home to heaven, but he can’t answer it because there are two people on this earth who laugh and smile at him like he hung the moon and painted the stars. “if you put it in your pocket now, the ocean won’t call the cops on you for stealing it.”

“no, this one ‘s for dada,” she insists, shoving the pretty blue seashell back into his hand.

“thank you, my mini angel,” he ruffles her hair, and you smile softly at the little exchange because though she may be enamored with her new discoveries at the beach, her father will always be one of her favorite wonders of the world.

“i ‘anna go find one for mama now!” she announces, and you wonder how she hasn’t run out of energy yet, but you nod and stand to your feet, dusting the sand away from the bottom of your swimsuit. your baby’s entire hand curls around your pointer finger, and she pulls you along with great effort.

you glance back at satoru and find that he’s watching the two of you head closer to the water, that uncharacteristically genuine smile still on his face, and you part your lips to call him to your side— where he’s always supposed to be.

“you didn’t think we’d let you slack off, did you? finding seashells is serious business, satoru!” you tease, pretty eyes crinkling with unbridled happiness, haloed by the waning sun and the orange dreamsicle sky that holds it. “hurry up!”

“wait for me just a little while, i’m coming to you,” he calls back, a lopsided grin spreading across his mouth before he raises the polaroid camera to his face, snapping one last candid photo of the two of you before he jogs towards his little piece of heaven.

but he doesn’t think he’s imagining things when the distance between heaven and earth keeps growing further and further apart—

“satoru, you can’t stand outside forever,” your voice is gentle as it speaks behind him, your hand laid delicately on his back in comfort; breaking the sorcerer out of deep reverie, the edges of the old memory fading, replaced by the pink paint of his daughter’s bedroom door that he’s been standing in front of for the last thirty minutes. his thumb brushes over the polaroid in his hand, the one that had been his salvation and his undoing in the prison realm. he’d taken it out without knowing, his eyes reading over the date written in his handwriting.

october 30, 2018

the picture of you with your daughter on your hip that he took at the beach all those years ago— that had been the last time he’d seen her.

four, no, five years?

his feet are nailed to the floor because change makes satoru shut down, and everything has changed since then.

while time was immeasurable and immovable inside of the prison realm for him, the clock had ticked on outside of it and just like that, his little girl is no longer three years old, giving him seashells that matches his eyes or hitting the back of his ankles with her big wheel or—

“you can’t keep doing this to yourself,” you sigh. “you’ve been unsealed for months. you’re her father, no matter what.”

“i’m a stranger to her,” and to you, but he doesn’t say it. you had waited for him, in every aspect of the word. held out on hope and faith in his strength that he would return to your side, where he’s always supposed to be.

“you’re n—” but you’re cut off when the door opens to reveal your daughter standing on the other side. the child standing before him is almost unrecognizable. she’s much taller and older, wearing track pants underneath her school dress with ribbons in unruly waves of white hair. the last time he’d seen his daughter, she had been three years old and still learning things like colors and sight words and that feeding megumi’s demon dogs her vegetable purée was against the rules. now, gojo satoru was the father of an eight year old and he’d missed everything because of a mista—

“you can come in,” she says, blinking up at satoru with an expression void of emotion. “but i’m not finished with my homework so if you stay too long, you’ll bug me.”

“how did you know i was outside?” he whistles nonchalantly, unbothered by the attitude that she gives him. it fills him with bitter satisfaction that she isn’t excited to see him, that someone is angry that he failed, regardless if he won in the end. he can handle bratty children who hate him and only look at him as a tool for their success, he can’t handle a daughter who cried herself to sleep every night waiting for him while he was losing his sanity away in a cube.

or at least, that’s what he tells himself.

“i could see you and mama through the door, duh,” she replies, hip cocked to the side in an amount of sass she had to pick up from you. “mama says i have your eyesight. i don’t really get it, but it makes it easy to cheat on tests.”

he could see it in the bright blue of her eyes, even if she hadn’t confirmed it. plain as daylight, she’s exactly like he was at that age. easily irritable and bratty, cocky and spoiled rotten. suffering from the weight of being an uncontested heir to an ancient dynasty at the age of elementary.

“i used six eyes to cheat on tests too,” he relates with pride, and then he bends down to her height, waving his palm. “sooo you probably got some questions about where i was—”

“not really. grandfather said you were sealed because you’re foolish and let weakness distract you.”

“you shouldn’t say things like that,” you scold, “apologize.”

“why? i don’t want to.”

your daughter turns, disappearing back into her room after that and seeming like she doesn’t care if satoru follows or not. your hand travels up the long expanse of satoru’s back in a soothing circle as you step closer.

“huh, that’s new.”

“sorry, she’s… i don’t know if acting out is the right term,” you say, pain in your voice. “she doesn’t really understand why she’s so different, or why you were … gone for so long. i know you didn’t want her around your family so i kept her away as best i could, but she started to have crippling migraines because she didn’t know how to use her ability and well… they were the only ones who knew how to help. filled her head with foolishness every time she visited the estate, though and it’s changed her.”

“huh,” is all he says, a broken record, tongue running across his inner lip in thought.

“do you need me?”

“what, you think i can’t handle her?”

“well, you were outside the door for a half hour, ‘toru.”

he shoots you a lopsided grin before he’s stepping into his daughter’s bedroom, glancing around at the unfamiliarity of it all. you follow close behind, watching with a heavy heart as he takes in the difference eight years can make.

her tiny baby crib has been traded for a poster bed decorated with a sanrio duvet and various stuffed animals where a laptop and study papers lay scattered on top. the angel themed decorations, along with her first ultrasound photo you and satoru had hung up in her nursery had been replaced by pink paint and pictures of her with a group of friends from school and a photo of her on a volleyball team.

he has to rip his gaze away.

“so,” he starts, standing in the center of the room and trying not to feel like an intruder, desperate for something to say— something to relate to her with. “how many episodes did i miss? did aya-chan ever get married?”

“i’m too old to play with dolls now, father,” she huffs, scrunching up her nose, and though satoru expected that exact answer, it doesn’t stop his heart from shattering into a million pieces. he feels that familiar itch, anger welling in his body until it burns at his fingertips because this is no one’s fault but his own. “don’t you know anything about me?”

“my bad, you’re a big kid now,” he snorts, even as his chest aches. he sits on the edge of her bed, flipping up one edge of the coloring book laying next to her laptop. “maybe you should start paying taxes.”

“i’m also too young to pay taxes. you really don’t know anything about me anymore,” she snaps, and she’s right— he doesn’t and it burns like saltwater on a wound. now he knows why you asked if he needed you; he’d hide behind you if he could, but he settles for flickering his eyes up to you helplessly.

you realize that neither of you can be upset with her for being angry that one of her favorite people vanished out of thin air. that while he was sealed, his clan had taken advantage of his absence and your powerlessness against them, and had begun spoiling your child rotten, teaching her how to use her ability— plumping her up for the inevitable day that she becomes her father’s successor, turning her against him.

“i think,” you say softly, leaning against the frame of the door. “that your dada— your father— would like to learn, though. he’s missed a lot, baby.”

she considers this for a long while, then she heaves a great sigh, hackles lowering. she scoots off the bed and before satoru can feel the hurt of figuring she doesn’t want to be near him, she does something unexpected. she moves one of her trophies out of the way to open her closet door, rummaging around for the longest before she yanks out a cardboard box you had labeled ‘donate one day since my snotty kid is a hag now’— it’s a box full of old dolls, covered in dust. she sits on her knees in front of the box, peering inside.

“aya-chan didn’t get married, but hinata-chan did,” she explains with an exasperated sigh and a roll of her eyes, taking out the dolls one by one and setting them on the floor in front of satoru’s feet.

“to the mailman that lived in your ugliest dollhouse?”

“you remember,” her eyes widen a little in surprise before her expression shutters again, smoothing out the doll’s colorful polyester dress before reaching back into the box and retrieving a brush covered in synthetic hairs. she looks at it for a while before extending her arm and offering the brush to her father. “aya-chan decided to be independent and explore the world. she’s planning to go on a trip soon so she needs to get ready. do y’wanna brush her hair?”

satoru is sliding off the bed and sitting cross-legged on the floor before he knows it, barely wanting to breathe because he doesn’t want to shatter the fragility of the moment between them. he takes the brush, and seconds later she hands him one of the dolls that had once upon a time been her favorite one that no one was allowed to touch. you would giggle at the delicate way he brushes the doll’s hair with utmost care and precision if you weren’t about to cry at the scene instead. “oh, and where’s she headed?”

“okinawa.”

“ponytail or messy bun then?” you don’t think you’re imagining the wobble in his voice. “to compliment her swimsuit.”

a tiny, hopeful smile twinkles over your lips at the two of them on the floor, babbling away to each other about the outlandish stories they’ve created together with her dolls. how many times had you offered to play with her, only for her to burst into tears because it wasn’t the same? you know that this won’t bridge the gap between the years that have been lost, but it’s a start. just hearing the soft murmurs of their conversation, the sound of your little girl giggling for the first time in ages, makes your heart swell.

time may be an undefeated opponent, and with it comes change that no one can control, but something tells you that as long as the three of you are together— everything will be okay.

you tiptoe out of the room, because they need time to catch up and apologize and reconnect, to learn one another once more, but before you close the door, you don’t think you’re mistaken when you hear, “can we go back to the beach too, dada?”

[pinksugardollz]

Self Care Guide For Bad Mental Health Days

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨♡୧⋆ ˚｡⋆

♡ let yourself cry! feeling sad when you have bpd can feel like the world is ending, but it isn’t. feeling sad is normal, and it’s completely okay. don’t demonise your emotions. let it out

♡ cuddle with your pets! cats are absolutely amazing for this, dogs too. lil furry babies make me so happy and cheer me up so much when im feeling low

♡ take as many naps as you need without guilt. rest rest rest, even on your good days! stop overworking yourself

♡ shower, you don’t have to do your full routine, just make sure you wash yourself then apply your favourite lotion and sweet scented perfume

♡ cosy up and watch something that makes you happy. nostalgic tv shows are great, on my bad days i really love watching spongebob bratz or strawberry shortcake

♡ invest in a 2L water bottle and keep it by your bed for those low motivation days

♡ light your favourite bakery scented candle, sweet scents always uplift my mood

♡ do not isolate yourself, try to keep in contact with friends or family

♡ eat some chocolate or chips, whatever your favourite comfort food is. your happiness is more important than your diet

♡ if you’re struggling to get out of bed, try keeping everything you need on your bedside table so you can still do your skincare routines and take your daily vitamins from your bed

♡ run a nice relaxing bubble bath!!!

♡ put on some cosy pjs & grab a pink fluffy blanket and snuggle on the sofa instead of staying in bed all day

♡ set rules for yourself, write some things you that want to achieve in a day. such as keeping your skin moisturised, shower twice a day, drink enough water, getting out of bed. anything that applies to you. self care can become confusing and daunting, so write everything down to remind yourself to look after and cherish yourself

♡ make sure you’re eating enough. even if you’re not feeling hungry, if you don’t have the energy to cook, order takeout! it’s ok to eat takeout sometimes, just not all of the time as junk food can be highly addictive, and obviously isn’t very good for you

♡ try writing down your thoughts and feelings. i love journaling and covering the pages with pink stickers and making it look all pretty, it’s so therapeutic

♡ reach out to a mental health professional if things get too bad. this may feel hard, but if you need help desperately pls get it

♡ acknowledge that what you’re feeling is just temporary, whatever you’re feeling won’t last forever

♡ make sure you’re getting enough sleep. whenever i didn’t get enough sleep in the past, i would sometimes start seeing and hearing things, and would become very paranoid and disassociated, which is obviously not what anyone wants. so pls pls pls make sure you’re prioritising your sleep

♡ treat yourself, buy something pink and pretty just because you can

♡ take a day or 2 off work (if allowed)

tiny disclaimer: these tips may seem obvious to those of you without serious mental health problems, and they may be things you do everyday but when someone with mental health problems is in a really bad place, they can sometimes forget how to look after themselves properly, or in my case a few years ago i would just stop caring about myself. i love all of my pretty sugar dollies so much, look after yourselves and i really hope some of these tips help you 🎀🦢

[dangermousie]

2023 Kdramas I am excited for

We have only a bit over two months in the year left, but it looks like kdramas saved the best for last. Here is the list of kdramas I am excited for...

Boyhood/Once Upon a Boyhood (November 24) - Siwan hasn't done a bad drama and I am in the mood for a nostalgic 80s piece. I am a little amused that a 35 year old is gonna be playing a high schooler, but in a fond way.

Castaway Diva (October 28) - I am very fond of Park Eun Bin and if anyone can sell the whimsy of a tale about a woman who was a castaway and then becomes a pop star, she will. Not fond of the new trend for 12 eps but it is what it is.

Goryeo-Khitan War (November 11) - my most anticipated for the rest of the year. Every casting and crew choice, every promo makes it look like an old school politics and war heavy sageuk that does not cater in the least to youth or even fusion sageuk subgenres and I am here for it so so so MUCH!

Gyeongseong Creature (December) - not a big fan of netflix originals but I am there for the cast and the setting.

The Matchmakers (October 30) - looks like a wacky period romp with Rowoon and Cho Yi Hyun. I don't have high hopes for it because I like my period stuff angsty, but whatever else, it's gonna be pretty pretty pretty!

Moon In the Day (November 1) - except for GK War, my most anticipated for the rest of the year. Reincarnation/time travel story that flashes back between modern day and Silla - GOD YES!

My Demon (November 24) - sounds like shoujo crack about a demon who loses his powers and enters into a contract marriage (of course) with a human. Done many many times before but I am always a sucker for the trope.

Perfect Marriage Revenge (October 28) - first of all, I have a huge weak spot for Sung Hoon. He's a limited actor but between New Tales of the Gisaeng and his role in Faith, he won my heart forever. But also, this plot is so old school melo the way they don't make it nowadays. Our FL is betrayed by her sister and her husband and dies. But she wakes up before her marriage and decides to do things differently and get revenge. She gets married in a contract marriage to our ML, a chaebol (of course) played by sexy Sung Hoon and...doesn't it all sound like those delicious transmigration novels made flesh?

The Story of Park's Marriage Contract (November 24) - I love time travel/time slip stories and the fact that this is a woman who ends up in the modern day where she comes across the dead ringer of her deceased husband makes it high class Durian, plus Lee Se Young is a wonderful actress who rarely picks wrong.

Tell Me That You Love Me (November) - a remake of my favorite jdrama of all time, Aishteiru to Ittekure, this story about the relationship between a deaf painter and an aspiring younger actress is going to give me the adult love story I crave. The fact that the legend that is Jung Woo Sung is back in dramas, and is playing the ML, is just the perfect thing. (His last proper drama was Padam Padam in 2011!!! He is mainly a movie star.)

Vigilante (November 8) - I am just here to see Nam Joo Hyuk kick people in the face.

Welcome to Samdalri (December 2) - Shin Hye Sun and Ji Chang Wook in a romcom mmmmm. I don't have any pics so have:

[coralinnii]

Under a mistletoe with them feat: Idia, Sebek, Epel, Cater genre: fluff note: relationships is up to interpretation, no pronouns were used, I have no idea how mistletoe traditions actually work so that’s something to note,

“Grim, would you please help me with the decorations?” You pleaded, exasperated with the lazy monster laying on the couch while you hung up lights in the living space. 

“Why should I? This was your idea anyway” Grim grumbled which left you to sigh. 

You realize that Christmas doesn’t exist in this universe (or at least your version of it, anyway) but feeling nostalgic and a little homesick, you thought decorating the Ramshackle dorm would bring your mood up a little…if your dorm mate would be a little bit more cooperative. 

“Well, the faster we finish decorating the faster I can get started on making cookies and some hot drinks” 

“Myrah, why didn’t you say so? This place will be Crust-mas ready!” the young monster was quick to his feet at the mention of a sweet reward, yanking the decorations around to hang them in a haste.

“It’s Christmas” you chuckled but decided with Grim motivated well enough, you thought you could head into the kitchen to get a head start of the treats you promised. You already told the cat-like creature where things should be. 

To be fair, you should have expected for things to not go as planned when the mistletoe you made in good fun falls atop of your surprise guest

Ortho convinced his brother to give his thanks in person when you offered to take his place for in-person presentation (Crowley refused to let him do it through his tablet). Idia figured he could quickly give his thanks then run back to his dorm. That’s fine, right?

He was close to a heart attack when the mistletoe fell on his head, poorly attached by Grim and you kept yourself from laughing while you plucked the decor from Idia’s flames. 

You explained the mistletoe and its old tradition, which Idia just can’t believe the gall of your world.

“What crazy normies would ever think of this nonsense?! You’re jumping someone with this boss-level task without warning or prep! That's practically mission impossible!” 

Despite the complaints, you saw that he didn’t move from his spot. He wasn’t trapped as he said he was and he could have walked away after saying his thanks, as he planned. 

So, you took the chance. Hovering the mistletoe between the two of you, you gently place your lips onto his pale cheeks. A light feather-like touch but it set the senior’s heart racing and hair ablaze as he stumbled back onto the cold pavement. 

Idia’s felt his body burn along his fiery locks as he clutched the fabric atop his chest in poor hopes to calm his speeding heart. His senses are going into overdrive as his mind replays the sensation of your soft lips on his cheeks over and over. He’s seen animes with lucky protagonists who get the chance like this and he's ashamed to catch himself occasionally switching the fictional couple as the two of you in his mind. But dreaming about it is vastly different from the real deal.

“T-This is why I can’t understand you extroverts, doing this like it’s no big deal! Don’t you have any mercy for poor souls like me?”

“Hey,” Idia flinched at the way you crouched to his sitting level, leaning your close to him. “Aren’t you being a little harsh?” 

“H-Huh?” 

“I wouldn’t do that with just anyone, you know?” You pouted before half-hardheartedly glared at the blue-flamed man, who couldn’t look away from such a cute sight “I did it because it’s you”

It was a Christmas miracle Idia didn’t pass out on your front porch. 

Sebek was on his way to drop off some blankets and other warm materials to keep you from freezing in the dilapidated building you and Grim call home. Afterall, your weak human body can’t possibly withstand the cold unlike him (which is true, but he shouldn’t just say it). 

He was about to go on another rant when he caught the decorative plant before it could touch his hair, appalled by the crumbling state of your dorm before you explained that Grim probably didn’t hang it properly. 

He questioned the strange plant in his hand and you explained an old-fashioned tradition from your world, to which made the mixed fae to blush profusely. 

He’s flabbergasted by the audacity of your world, to give away kisses so freely. He grew up learning the legend of a princess who shared her first kiss with her true love that broke her curse and he secretly hoped the same for his future love. 

“You humans are so imprudent, so flippant with something that should be treasured!” 

“Well, we don’t have to do it” you frowned, a little disappointed “Though, I wouldn’t mind it if it’s with you” 

Now, Sebek was caught in a dilemma. Despite all his expressed displeasure, the chance to finally kiss you literally fell on him and you’ve given your consent to him. It may not fit the expectations of his first kiss with (not that he has ever thought about, of course!) but he wonders if another chance like this would ever come again.

Coughing into his fist to cover his nerves, he straightened his posture but his line of sight shifted to the side, avoiding your gaze which shook his confidence. “Since it is part of your tradition, I would be a disgrace to Lord Malleus’ name to disregard such a thing as his knight” 

You would still have to be the one to close the gap however as Sebek shifted closer to you but with his eyes screwed shut and slightly shaking, he doesn't realize that he was still too far to reach your lips. 

You took pity on the poor boy and closed the gap yourself, your lips gently on his shaking ones. You felt the green-haired student flinched but you said nothing about it, opting to lean your weight onto his built body. You could feel the green-haired fae relaxed under your touch, slowly leaning towards you himself to prolong the intimate moment.

When you separated, you saw that Sebek was slow to snap out from his daze, taking a while to open his bright green eyes and realize you already leaned away. 

Quickly correcting his posture, he gave you a short goodbye and a nod before turning to walk back to his own dorm, taking quick but stiff steps at a time. You wondered if Sebek remembered that he still had the mistletoe in his grasp. You smiled, hoping to yourself that he would come back to return it.

Epel was making his way to your dorm with a crate of treats from his hometown. He was excited to share his family’s apple jam, hearing that you were planning to make cookies with jam fillings. 

But imagine his surprise when he suddenly saw a strange plant land atop of his crate when you opened the door, with you softly cursing Grim for his lazy decorating. 

You explain your reasoning for decorating and the strange plant to Epel and he suddenly felt the heat in his cheeks. Growing up without too many kids his age around, the idea of such a lovey-dovey tradition would never cross his mind. 

“….Does it happen a lot to you?” He carefully asked as he placed the crate down to inspect the plant, hoping not to sound too jealous of the idea of you kissing other people. It may be a silly tradition but still, having the idea of others having such a chance with you rubs him the wrong way. 

“Ah no, never” you replied, feeling a little shy. Despite making the mistletoe yourself, putting it up and doing it are two separate experiences. You explained that not many people do it anymore because “only the boldest” would ever go through with it, and you’ve never had such a chance. 

Epel saw this as a chance to prove his confident, masculine side. Boldly, Epel picked the mistletoe and placed it as high as he could between you two. With a cocky grin, he asked you “Wanna give it a try, then?”

Perhaps a little too enthusiastic, Epel crashed his lips onto yours a bit too harshly, shocking you from the pressure of the kiss. After the shock however, you found a rhythm between you two and you closed your eyes to fully indulge in the touch. Be it his natural genetics or Vil's regime, you enjoyed the feel of Epel's lips on your own which felt soft to the touch despite the dizzying passion behind it.

Epel was the first to move away, breaking the spell. He’s brimming with pride looking at your dazed expression. He picked up the crate once more, bringing it into the kitchen.

“Come on, I’m curious about the cookies you told me. Could I stay and watch?” 

You didn’t notice how the lilac-haired boy pocketed the mistletoe, already planning a trick or two that night. 

The redhead ordered a few magicam-worthy pastries but since he doesn’t have much of a sweet tooth, he thought you would appreciate them more than he would (plus he wouldn’t mind taking a few pictures too). 

When you opened the door, he was intrigued over the decor you and Grim put up and he had to stick around for some good shots when he felt a soft weight landing on his head. He saw the cute decor and asked you about it. 

The more you explained the old tradition of the mistletoe, the more excited Cater was. How could he not with such a cute premise and the picture-worthy opportunity he could have with you. He had to try it, with your consent. 

Since it was his idea (even though it’s your mistletoe), he decided to take the role as the initiator of the kiss. You trusted Cater so you closed your eyes and nervously waited for his kiss. 

But Cater instead took the time to admire your face. He watched how your hair complimented the frame of your face, the pretty shade of your lips, the curve of your nose he would love to boop, and especially the plumpness of your cheeks. 

He also saw the slight shake from your nerves, perhaps he made you wait too long, he mused. 

Slowly, he captured your lips in his with a sense of gentleness you weren’t expecting. You could swoon with how soft Cater’s touch was, how careful he was with you to ensure your comfort. 

The two of you separated, both a little light-headed from the experience. You felt hot from the sensation of the kiss but you can’t say you hated it. 

“Ooops, my bad” you heard Cater, which you worriedly looked to. Cater himself looked a little embarrassed but not too upset. 

“I totally forgot about taking pictures” you also realized that you didn’t sense the flash of his phone. Cater did pull out his phone this time and smiled coyly at you. 

“Mind if we do another take?”

[alespov]

Anti-hero -.L.Kennedy 18+

Tw : Ada flirts with muse, no hate to Ada, I love her banter with Leon in this one . Leon just gets a bit jealous. Loved her separate ways <3 mentions of bar, Luis is alive!

A/N : hope you enjoy, feedback is appreciated! 🫶🏻Requests are open (for Leon and Wesker) also last call for Halloween themed requests!

You, Luis, Ashley, and your boyfriend Leon decided to explore a trendy new bar in town. The entire ambiance of the venue was a nostalgic nod to the early 2000s. Although bars were not typically your preferred hangout, this occasion merited a little celebration. Leon had triumphantly accomplished his daunting mission: rescuing Ashley from peril and even managing to secure Luis's safety as well. (It’s canon, I said so)

During a brief intermission from the dj, Luis ventured off to fetch some drinks, leaving you and Ashley to engage in a lively conversation. She emanated an effervescent demeanor, clearly elated to be back home, giving off the impression that she never met a stranger. Unwavering in his resolve, Leon sought to alter that perception; dedicating his weekends to coaching her in the art of self-defense. Which wasn’t going as smoothly as he thought it would.

Each of you had dressed impeccably to suit the special event, apart from Leon. He opted for a minimalist attire, as he occasionally did. You knew he was tired and wanted to relax, but you wanted to get him out of the house. So going out, to dinner was the originally plan. Until Luis and Ashley came trotting up your driveway, wanting to try out a new bar they found. You knew Leon wouldn’t be in the mood, but you pleaded and he finally agreed.

Moreover, he struggled to recover from his recent challenging mission. Therefore, you endeavored to support him in any way possible, a gesture he greatly cherished. You knew this mission had affected him differently. He ran into someone he used to know and it set in a terrible mood, you tried to pry. Hoping to ease his mind, but Leon wasn’t telling you anything yet.

“Hey sweetheart, I need to step into the bathroom for a moment," he expressed softly, planting a tender kiss upon your cheek. "Also, Ash, refrain from talking with strangers, please," Leon advised her firmly. She responded with a disapproving glare but ultimately acquiesced with a nod. She let out a huff and you giggled

“Who does he think he is?” She scoffed, then took a sip of her drink.

“The man who saved your life.” You butted in and she rolled her eyes.

“I guess he did, but still. I’m responsible.” She pouted and you nudged her arm.

“It’s alright ash, it happens to the best of us.” The both of you shared a look and saw Luis returning with drinks.

Luis triumphantly returned, carrying your beverages in hand. "Cheers ladies!" He bellowed, as the three of you raised your glasses for shots. Gently placing your glass back down, you couldn't help but release a light-hearted giggle. Engrossed in lively conversation with one another, you suddenly sensed an unrelenting gaze fixed upon you.

Your gaze swept across the colorful lit bar, landing on a captivating woman adorned with a chic ebony pixie cut, ensconced in a ravishing scarlet dress. As she caught your eye, she sent an enticing wave in your direction, to which you responded with a warm, reassuring grin. Anxiously, you yearned for Leon's swift return. You had a gut feeling, but tried to downplay your nerves, you were probably overthinking it.

Captivating your attention, Ashley humorously recounted a funny story. As your gaze returned to the mysterious woman, she had vanished without a trace. Confusion washed over you, yet you brushed aside the perplexing thoughts. That is, until her hand unexpectedly came to rest upon your shoulder.

As you shifted your gaze towards her, she beamed with the same radiant smile. Glancing subtly from the corner of your eye, you observed Luis wearing an expression of disdain on his visage. Even Ashley appeared less than enthusiastic.

“Hey sorry guys, there was a line at the bathr-“

Leon strode towards the table, briefly pausing before continuing. Relief washed over you upon his arrival; yet, his unenthusiastic demeanor dampened the mood.

“Why are you here? And get your hands off of her.” You could tell Leon was angry, you met the woman’s eye and they sparkled with mischief. “Oh leon calm down, I just wanted to get the pretty girls number.” She mocked him while faking a giggle.

"With a hint of pride, Leon shouted , "Well, that's MY GIRLFRIEND," as Luis gently placed a reassuring hand on Leon's shoulder to calm his rising temper. The provocative woman responded playfully, "Oh, really?Lucky boy.”With a flirtatious wink in your direction, she sensuously slid her phone number to you, adding enticingly, "In case you're ever in the mood to unwind for a bit." With that, she shifted her stance gracefully and sauntered toward the exit with an air of mystery lingering behind her.

Leon's fury had reached its peak. You swiftly slid off your stool and grasped his hand, gently pulling him along with you.

"Apologies, everyone, but it seems we must take our leave for the night."

Luis and Ashley had understood and you and Leon left. You walked to his motorcycle and were ready to hop on when he stopped.

“Listen… i made an ass of myself. Ada.. she’s know to do that. He began. “ I just wanted to tell you that I love and trust you.” You felt the blush rise and you caressed his cheek. “ I know hun. I love you too. Besides she’s not my type.” You replied with a playful wink. “

Leon smirked “well then who is your type?”

You thought for a moment before sliding your arms around his neck. “

You silly.”

[ihatealimore]

Moonlight

(word count: 1,751)

Sitting atop the hotel roof, Kurapika gazes above, immersed in the canopy of stars in the night sky. Despite the late hour, a sense of melancholy washes over him like cresting waves crashing against the shoreline. You and Kurapika had spent most of the day working together to recover a pair of scarlet eyes. Something he greatly appreciated, nonetheless, he was still feeling hollow. Empty.

The sound of the rooftop door opening doesn't even draw his attention. You sit down beside him, offering him a single red flower, "Rose for your thought? A guy was selling them in the lobby for Valentines Day."

"Thank you, (Y/N)," Kurapika takes the rose and brushes his fingers against its velvet petals. He lowers his eyes from the sky to inspect it closer before setting it down beside him. 

"The stars remind me of home," He admits without looking at you, a hint of longing in his voice, "Back when... The clan was still alive."

"I'm sure it must be difficult," You console him while hugging your knees to your chest, looking up at the sky.

"It is. You think you're accustomed to the pain, but then some days, it just hits harder than usual," He murmurs, leaning back on his palms, a constellation of stars reflecting in his grey eyes, "But I believe dwelling on past tragedies won't change anything. I'd rather focus on doing what I can to honor my clan's memory."

The mention of home stirs up old memories that are both sweet and painful. He can't help but appreciate your presence next to him as you had always been his pillar amidst the chaos. These conversations with you always left him feeling vulnerable, yet stronger somehow.

"That's a good way to look at it," You say softly, "I'm sure they'd be proud of you and all."

Kurapika lets out a dry chuckle, "I hope so," He turns to look at you, his eyes turning scarlet in the dim light of the moon. His voice drops lower as he holds your gaze, saying sincerely, "You're different from others, (Y/N). You understand what it's like for me. You've been there when no one else was. It... Means more than I can express."

The confession leaves his heart racing and cheeks warm with unspoken emotions, feelings that were always an undercurrent in your relationship but never acknowledged openly until now. Your presence has become something of a balm against old wounds, providing comfort where words often fail him.

You turn your head to look at him, surprise morphing your face before a soft smile dances on your lips, "Well, someone has to, huh?" You tease him in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"I suppose so," The Kurta responds matching your teasing tone. He chuckles quietly, feeling a lightness replace the heaviness in his chest, "Thank you for being that someone, (Y/N)."

Your joke managed to do what few could, draw genuine laughter from him amidst his sorrow. He feels a sudden surge of gratitude for this person seated next to me who has done more than simply understand his pain, who shares it with him and still finds reasons for them both to smile.

"Oh, look," You point toward the stars, tracing out a constellation into the intangible space above you both, "There's Orion."

Kurapika follows your line of sight, observing silently before a nostalgic smile touches his lips, "Pairo and I used to spend countless nights stargazing just like this. We had memorized every single constellation."

"Oh, so you must be more knowledgeable than me," You take his hand in yours, index fingers aligned as you point upward, "Show me some more."

His heart rate quickens, the warmth of your skin instantly spreading through him. He swallows hard but manages to keep his composure as he points your joined hands towards another starry formation.

"That's Cassiopeoia... And over there," He guides your fingers further right, "Is Ursa Major."

As you and him spot more constellations together under the night sky, Kurapika feels an indescribable sense of tranquility washing over him. A rare moment where he can forget about everything for a while and just live in the here and now. A simple act has never felt so intimate before, perhaps it's because he found himself longing for more moments that belong only to you and him.

After a lingering moment of silence, you hum in thought, musing aloud, "Guess we're pretty small in comparison."

"Indeed," Kurapika agrees, looking down at your intertwined hands, "In the grand scheme of things, we're just tiny moments in this vast universe."

Yet as he speaks these words, there's no trace of disappointment or despair, instead an acceptance and even a strange kind of peace. Their significance on the cosmic scale strikes him less terrifying when he's here with you, shining brightly in times when everything else had seemed dark.

"But that doesn't mean our existence is insignificant, (Y/N)," He turns to you with a knowing smile, "Just like these stars, each one of us has a unique light to offer and together we can create constellations."

"I like that. It's poetic," You say with a smile as Kurapika sets your hand back down, however, you keep your fingers intertwined with his.

"I must have picked it up from you."

Kurapika chuckles lightly, giving your hand a gentle squeeze. He couldn't deny how right this felt, the smooth play of your fingers against his. He lets a contented sigh escape from his lips as you and him fall into a comfortable silence once more, your eyes drawn to the mesmerizing dance of stars above.

A peaceful calm that he doesn't often feel wraps around him. It makes him realize how much he appreciates these calm moments with you amidst the calamity of his life. Simply existing together under millions of distant lights. 

When you lean your head against his shoulder gently, he stiffens for a moment, surprised by the sudden contact. But then he relaxes again, adjusting his position to accommodate you better.

"It's a beautiful night," Kurapika whispers, matching the tranquility of the evening with his voice, "Thank you, (Y/N). For being here with me."

"No need to thank me," You reassure him easily, "I like being around you, Kurapika."

Kurapika's heart skips a beat at your admission. He swallows, glancing down to see your head still rested against his shoulder.

"I... I like being around you too, (Y/N)," He confesses, the hushed words tumbling vulnerably from his lips.

Flickers of moonlight illuminate the features of your face, those gentle eyes reflecting the twinkling stars above, that soft smile warming him from within. Kurapika finds himself lost in this moment, watching you with a newfound awareness. The vast universe seems to dim into insignificance compared to the captivating constellation seated next to him.

To him, you are radiant and endlessly intriguing. Like a galaxy full of secrets waiting to be unraveled. You're beautiful and elusive like a shooting star that left him enthralled. As terrifying and new as all this may seem, it feels inherently right for him to acknowledge these feelings towards you tonight.

"(Y/N)," He starts softly without breaking his gaze, "I..."

The next hushed words calmly slip from your lips without hesitation, "The moon is beautiful tonight, isn't it?" 

His heart pounds loudly in his chest as he takes a moment to process your statement. The phrase was often used as a romantic and indirect way of saying 'I love you', something he had learned during his travels.

"Yes," He finally manages to breath out, meeting your eyes with resolute determination, "It truly is. As are you."

For the first time that night, Kurapika feels an edge of nervous anticipation creeping up, a surprising shiver running down his spine. 

Your expression softens further upon hearing his words, leaning more into his touch, "Think this is fate?"

"Fate, destiny," Kurapika muses gently, "I have never put much stock into such concepts before."

But as he watches your face illuminated by the moonlight and stars, so close yet somehow still feeling ethereal, he finds himself reconsidering.

He quietly confesses, "But with you. It feels less like chance and more like an inevitable collision of destinies that were always meant to intertwine."

This shared moment between them brings him closer than ever before to believing in something beyond facts or reason. That there might be some hidden threads tying them together despite the odds. 

You smile, one that is both his undoing and his salvation tonight, "That's... very sweet."

Kurapika feels a strange sense of satisfaction at your words, his heart beating erratically in his chest, "That's just how I feel."

"Kurapika?"

"Yes, (Y/N)?" He responds, his voice a low murmur in the serene quiet of their surroundings.

He moves closer to you, reducing the distance between you and him until he can count the number of breaths you take. He was ready for any question or request from you, acutely aware of every little detail, the way his name sounds when spoken by you softly into the calm night, how his heart flutters anxiously yet excitedly in his chest.

You lean in, your breath hot on his cheeks until your lips finally connect with his, soft and warm like a summer day. Taken aback for a moment, Kurapika freezes.

But then it all clicks into place, the way your breath had hitched before you leaned in, the subtle shift in your gaze. It was what he had been hoping for.

He cups your face gently with one hand and returns the kiss earnestly, an intimate dance between them under their curtain of stars. When his lips part from yours, he realizes he's never known true winter until now. You're peering at him with a gaze full of longing, something that's mirrored in his own eyes.

Kurapika takes a moment to gather his thoughts, still reeling from the intimate moment you and him shared. He pulls you closer, wrapping an arm around you securely as he looks back at you.

"I..." His breath catches in his throat and Kurapika finally admits it out loud, "I've never felt this way before."

The lingering taste of your lips feels like frost on a winter morning, cold yet indescribably beautiful, unforgettable. He feels strangely exposed yet safe under these glowing constellations. 

"Me either," You admit, your tone vulnerable, "But I'd like to explore this with you."

A sigh of relief falls from his lips at your reply. He wraps his arms around you a little tighter, pulling you close until your bodies are flush against each other.

"I'd like that too," He whispers back, leaning in to steal another kiss, slower this time, filled with promises of shared tomorrows and nights like these painted under the myriad colors of love.

[mncxbe]

could i request something with the superstition of “if you can tie a cherry’s stem, that means you’re a good kisser” and dazai? i feel like he’s the type of loser who’d believe that sentiment

This may be the cutest request I got and YES he would definitely fall for that and would struggle to master the technique. I hope you like it anon♡

Cheri Cheri lady🍒

𝑫𝒂𝒛𝒂𝒊 𝒙 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓

Was a kiss all it took to earn a date with you?

𝑮𝒆𝒏𝒓𝒆: fluff♡

It was the end of March and the cherry trees were almost in full bloom in Yokohama. The sweet, honey like scent of the flowers and the rosy petals, blown by a gentle breeze, were enough to make you feel like you were in another world.

Seeing the blossoms was all you could think about all day at work. Dazai noticed your aloof, almost nostalgic mood but didn't bring it up until the two of you left the office.

"Is everything alright? You seemed distant today"

"Yea, perfect actually. I was just really excited to see the cherry trees. Wanna join me?" you replied in a cheerful tone

The man could barely hide the look of surprise on his face. "Sure, I'd love to"

The two of you walked along the crowded streets of Yokohama until you reached Yamashita park. The trees bore a foliage of brilliant green and the air was fresh; it smelt like spring. As you strolled around the park Dazai noticed that pink and white petals covered the ground from place to place.

The cherry trees lined the wide alley next to the river.

"I used to come here with my parents when I was a kid" you began talking "We would sit next to the railing and look at the trees. My dad would often buy us cherries from a shop nearby and I remember they had this slightly sour taste, but nevertheless I loved them and~ oh sorry I'm kinda oversharing now"

"There's no need to aplogize. I like listening to you talk" replied your colleague. You took a seat on a bench under one of the blossomed trees and remained silent as you admired the scenery.

Dazai on the other hand only had eyes for you. He took in your features and couldn't help but marvel at how pretty, how serene you looked. You had a certain glimmer in your eyes, a longing of some sort but he couldn't quite place it. Occasional gusts of wind would blow the pink flowers off the branches; the petals delicately falling on your dark hair. He wanted to brush them off, to tuck a strand of your silky hair behind your ear and caress your face but he resisted the urge.

Instead, a caravan nearby caught is attention. The man was selling cherries. He swiftly got up and made his way to the merchant, buying a bag of cherries.

"Look what I just found" he said with a mischievous grin on his face as he dangled the bag in front of you.

"Thanks. I'm surprised they still sell them here." you replied, popping one of the fruits in your mouth. They had the same sour taste you so fondly remembered...

Half an hour later the sun began to set, painting the ink blue water of the river in a hue of red and orange.

"You know, Osamu. People say that if you can tie a cherry's stem with your tongue that means you're a good kisser."

"To tie? Really? How does it even work?"

He took one of the stems that had been discarded next to you and put it in his mouth. A smile rose to your lips as you watched the man next to you struggle to form the knot. After a few tries he finally got it.

"See, there's nothing I can't do. I'm a great kisser."

"I don't know about that. It's just a saying, it doesn't prove anything" you mocked playfully.

"Well then, how about I do something else to convince you"

His fingers slightly bruhed your cheek on their way to the nape of your neck and he pulled you closer to him, pressing his lips against yours. You softened in his embrace as his other arm went to the small of your back. The kiss was gentle and warm at first, but his tongue eventually slid past your lips earning a soft moan from you.

You felt Dazai smile. Being satisfied with your reaction he quickly pulled away, leaving you gasping for air.

"So, what do you think? I'm quite a good kisser, aren't I?"

You nodded slightly; your cheeks turning a pretty shade of pink. Dazai ate one more cherry before leaning in again, his lips ghosting over the shell of your ear.

"There's other things I can do with my tongue too, bella."

"Osamu!" you snapped at him, playfully slapping his arm. "Don't say that here"

He only laughed, eyes locked with yours. When the sun was almost down you got up and, grabbing the empty bag of cherries, motioned him to get up.

"We gotta go now"

"Why? The trees are beautiful under the moonlight too. We should stay a bit longer."

"That would ruin tomorrow's date, wouldn't it?" you said with a wink.

"A date? Was a kiss all it took to earn a date with you?" he teased but got up and followed you.

"What can I say, Osamu. You're a great kisser."

[crescencestudio]

2023: A Year of Connection

Hi everyone!

As I told you last month, this month's "devlog" will be more like an end-of-year recap. For those of you who have known me a while, you'll know that I get ~in my feels~ and Very Nostalgic at the end of the year. And this year is no exception to that.

Looking back on this year, I realize I did much more than I thought I did. The year was filled with so many waves of uncertainty, burnout, and ruts, that I felt like I wasn't accomplishing anything in the moment. Now that the year has actually wrapped up, I can see that was Once Again my imposter syndrome whispering words of sweet nothings into my ears.

In fact, this year, I find that I did Way More than what I did last year. Crazy, considering how busy I remember 2022 being. Let's take a walk down memory lane, shall we?

Writing

If there is one thing this bitch did, it's fucking write LFMASODIJ. For all my complaining this year of routes taking too long, getting creative ruts, etc., I still wrote (what I consider) a Very Good amount. While I may not have hit my writing goals that I had set out, I still ended up writing around 255k words in total this year. Most of this being for Alaris, and some of it being for my dissertation (LOL) and other side games, like Intertwine and Jam Games.

This number also doesn't include deleted passages, edited passages, etc., so the amount I've spent writing, reviewing, etc. was Significant this year. Here's to hoping that momentum continues into next year and finishing the rest of Alaris!

Side Games

Something completely unexpected, but that I'll forever be grateful for, was my decision(s) to join game jams this year. It all started with Otojam, a visual novel jam I'd wanted to join for a WHILE.

Intertwine was, without a doubt, one of my most memorable moments from this year. The friends I made/grew closer to during that jam. The people I connected with because of Intertwine. The people I got to work with. Everything about the experience surpassed my expectations, and Van and Summer 2023 will always hold a very special place in my heart because of it. Thank you to everyone who enjoyed that game. It was my first full game I ever released, and I couldn't have been more nervous about it (no literally. I wasn't sleeping and I was nauseous for a week before release).

Knowing there was no "revision" afterwards that I could hide behind or promise that there would be a "better"/"enhanced" version made the release terrifying. But the reception you all gave to it and support from so many friends made me feel so connected and grateful for the community.

The other three side projects were... well, Unexpected. LOL. Before these jams, I'd never wanted to work in team settings, mostly because I have Mad Imposter Syndrome, and I've always imagined I'd be dead weight in any given game dev team. My skills on writing, art, and/or coding alone aren't "exemplary" enough for me to think I, well, deserve to be on a team. But when a couple of short jams were being held by a friend, and teams were being made filled with other friends, I thought maybe I could help, even if it's just to QA/playtest. But I've walked away from each of these experiences learning so much from other talented people and with very dear friends.

Each of these side games truly tested my chops in terms of writing, narrative design, and coding. But I'm glad I challenged myself to take part in each of these experiences because I've walked away with so much more than I would've expected.

Alaris

My Heart. My Soul. And at times, My Worst Enemy.

As much as I may have talked about how I Wasn't making progress on this baby. I, in fact, made A LOT of progress:

Art: 15 CGs, Updated Sprites, Kickstarter Artwork

Commissions: 20 BGs, Complete GUI, Personality/Affection Indicators, Editing, Voice Acted Lines, Complete OST (8 Tracks!)

Writing: Three Finished Routes

Shipped Kickstarter Merchandise

I'm going to be Real with you all. I'm not in the mood to recap everything for Alaris in the way I did with everything else LAFKMSDFOIJWOEI. Main reason being, I do that Every Month, and at this point, I would feel like I'm repeating myself for no reason. But let me tell you, when the Enhanced Demo comes out, you will see what I'm talking about with progress made. And I'm excited for the next year when I start getting to show things off (read: Demo Release and Route Beta Releases) now that assets have really come together ^^

I will say, thank you for sticking with this project for so long. It's easy to get bogged down in development when a project like this is as big as it is. It's just as easy to think that no one will care about this by the time I release, or people will start losing their patience with me as development goes on. So I'm forever grateful for how kind, supportive, and patient you all are, especially this year <3

Connections: The True Theme of 2023

If you've made it this far, I'm extremely impressed with you. And to reward you, I'll give you a moment of honesty and vulnerability which, to be frank, I Don't Do as a person and especially with my dev persona LMFAOO ((Before I do, let it be known, CW: mention of death, grief, alcoholism, chronic illness, suicidal thoughts))

Something I don't talk about much is that for all of 2022 and most of 2023, I was not in a good place mentally. At the beginning of 2022, I lost three very important people in my life back-to-back (I'm not exaggerating when I say back-to-back it was within 2 weeks, three separate deaths lol). That, on its own, was hard to deal with. But on top of that, I soon found myself having to cope/help with a family member's chronic illness and another family member's mental health (read: alcoholism, suicidality).

While this isn't a particularly unique situation, it was one that I found myself struggling with pretty severely on top of a pretty demanding work life. And it was a situation I found myself in until about midway through this year. Things have lightened up. I navigate a new life with some pretty severe triggers, and without the presence of some of my most loved ones. But overall, I at least feel like I can breathe and function, which is a state I didn't feel like I could exist in for over a year (and started to believe I may never exist in again).

Because of this new room in my life, I was able to connect with people again, in a more genuine way. I've grown closer to a lot of dev friends, to the point I consider some of them genuine close friends. And IRL, I've been able to reconnect with some of my dearest loved ones. The main reason I bring all of this up is because this year, I felt unbelievably connected to people, whether that was dev friends in the community, people who support my games, and IRL people.

And sometimes, when you interact with people solely online, it's easy to think they don't care as much about you as you do for them. But this has been disproven to me time and time again this year. And I've found myself in a state of appreciation for so many of the people I've been blessed to meet and befriend <3 I felt this especially so during some of the game jams, with the Secret Santa gift exchange, and with my recent Holiday Tree.

So thank you for everyone who has let me take up some space in their life. You literally Do Not Know how much it means to me and impacts me. This year, while I started it in a state of slightly hopelessness and numbness, I find myself ending it with gratitude and connection.

I hope the rest of this year (the very few couple of days we have left LOL) treats everyone well. I'm excited for how we get to start 2024 and what we'll get to experience together <3 Thank you again for the memories and support, love you all very dearly ^^

[petricorah]

hi it’s snaildroid!!! Just wanted to say that I love your art so fricken much! Your comics make my day every time I see them I swear. I wanna know how you do your lighting, it’s always so pretty and soft <3

ahhh thank you! it makes my day that you like them :')

to be honest, my lighting style is pretty quick and dirty, and it's certainly nothing super original or groundbreaking, but here's the process under the cut:

So, the first picture is flats. I do those all on one layer (or putting them all into a folder) under the lineart.

Then, I use a clipping layer and fill bucket all one color. This color depends on the mood lighting, and it unifies the flats. If it's night, I tend to use a darker purple. If it's nostalgic, I use orange, etc etc.

Then I set the layer to multiply and lower the opacity for what works for the time of day. This is a low ~19%

Then, I'll add lighting, again on a clipping layer. I'll usually pick an orange/yellow color and do vague rim lighting with an opacity sensitive brush. I tend to be too lazy to render, and I like having it blend in some places but be hard, like cell shading, in others. I also do sort of "fake rim lighting" where it's rim lighting wherever the heck I want it instead of logically where light might go, but it depends on how realistic the piece is.

Recently, I've started to copy and paste that clipped layer and change the effect to Glow Dodge, and lower the opacity depending on how vibrant I want to be. This adds a little more vibrancy and color variation without a lot of extra work, like lining with pink across the edge boundaries like a lot of artists do. (Which I love, but I am. lazy.)

and viola! Quick and dirty lighting. Sometimes, I'll adjust the colors with tonal correction or add gradient maps (aka the "make colors good" button) but for the most part, this is how i shade for comics! I hope it helps. Let me know if you want anything more specific or to explain something else :)

[boxturret]

Captains Done!

I've now finished the Pikmin Captain figures I was working on! There's two different bodies, and a helmet and non-helmeted head, so effectively there's two complete sets of figures. The heads can be swapped around too!

I had to go with a solid helmet just due to the complexity involved in attempting to do a clear thing at this scale. Its something that's plagued me for years. Can't really find an off the shelf solution, and casting something in resin just has too high a cost of failure. I like this fine though, it gets the idea across, and I can swap out the fully detailed head whenever I feel like it. Its kind of nostalgic in a way, since its similar to how I handled the helmet on my very first attempt, well over a decade ago.

This guy's probably still a bit larger than the new ones, but he's so much smaller than the monstrosity I made most recently.

That helmet dome is the same ones I used for the cockpit canopies in the ship, to show how massive everything got lol. Really it was a ton of work to get that dome working for the helmet, and in the end it just looks so wrong being round, the real one is so squished and oddly shaped. I was really happy to be able to capture that with these.

Here's the seated bodies. They're meant to be able to fit in the cockpits, but when I tried it was a bit snug and I cracked Louie's hair a bit...so I don't think I'll be trying that again soon. I printed out the comfy chair model I made for the gold version of the ship too, just for something for Shachou to sit on.

I also printed off a little Olimar sprout from the bad end of Pikmin 1(the end I actually got the first time I played...I was not good at the game*) I'm really happy with the dirt.

He doesn't have a leaf yet, I want to start working on the Pikmin themselves soon, and I have ideas for how to handle the leaves, and I want everything to be consistent, so I'm not rushing it for now.

I'm also starting to really get in to a treasure hunting mood, I've got the marbles, I found the perfect shuttlecock just lying around our garage, and I've ordered some correct shoe polish, hanafuda cards, and a bunch of blank bottle caps, so that's probably going to be a thing going forward.

I spent so long this evening looking at globes, I think I'm just going to make my own lol.

*I didn't know about Pikmin drowning so I walked straight in to the lake in the Forest of Hope with a full complement of Reds and Yellows and didn't know about whistling to save them, there were no survivors.

[inkpot909]

Noriaki Kakyoin Celebrating the Reader’s Birthday on Short Notice Headcanons

↳ Reader is written as gender neutral. Not-so-subtly implied that the reader is insecure. Headcanon events take place during the trip to Egypt (slight canon divergence?).

A/n: As of today, I’m officially 19! For the occasion, I couldn’t resist writing some fluff. Stardust Crusaders is easily my comfort part, and Kakyoin has always been a favorite character of mine. Hope you all have a pleasant read, and a lovely day. <3

Warning(s): None.

The way you had mentioned it so casually… it put a strain on the redhead’s heart.

During the early morning after arriving to Egypt, the group was sitting together for a quick breakfast. More than that, everyone was in surprisingly good spirits. There’s little to no doubt that the trip proved to be arduous, but each member shared some joy over crossing the border all in one piece. Even Jotaro seemed to be in a good mood.

The time away from Avdol felt like an eternity as well, and individually, the crusaders savored the time spent relaxing with the entire crew in their own way.

You were certainly no different, to Kakyoin’s own astute observation. Sitting between him and Polnareff, you eagerly included yourself to what was the current conversation.

Polnareff himself made a rather redundant, yet still laughable remark (Which always seemed to be good enough for him). A smile playing at your lips only grew, covering the sight with your palm. But the grin noticeably reached the creases of your eyes, undeniable to any onlookers.

Hmm… cute, Kakyoin had thought to himself.

Just a month ago, he wouldn’t have foreseen himself ever thinking that way towards anyone so seriously. Not out of any rejection towards romance, but out of a long-held assumption that close relationships, in general, weren’t meant for him.

He thought his eyes had been opened before leaving Japan, but the journey thus far has proven otherwise. For him to say he’s grown fond of you in particular would be an understatement.

That’s why your words floored him.

The conversation itself gravitated towards the nostalgic. Avdol expressed thankfulness to be with everyone again, to which Mr. Joestar and Polnareff voiced their own agreement. Mr. Joestar shared an anecdote from earlier on in the trip, lightheartedly taking a dig at Jotaro.

It warmed Kakyoin’s heart. Regardless of the rough times, there’s been as much good as there’s been bad. Sweet, quieter moments throughout the journey. Such as finally getting Jotaro to hum along to a tune in a car. Kakyoin finding various sets of earrings to purchase with you at his side. As well as the entire group taking turns arguing seemingly over nothing important just for the sake of it.

You lowered your hand from your face, eyes turning soft. In a tone Kakyoin had happily gotten used hearing, you said, “To have everyone here again… it’s the perfect present.”

Present…? Does that mean-

“What? Like it’s your birthday, or something?” Polnareff teased you with a giggle, beating Kakyoin to the punch.

Your cheeks and ears visibly flushed. Fingers playing with the rim of your cup, you momentarily peered down at the liquid resting inside. Everyone waited for a reply, but received none. Sheepishly, you shrugged instead.

Oh.

It’s clear you didn’t want it to be a big deal. “Really, guys, we have other things to worry about,” you insisted with a wave of your hand.

And no one could blame you for thinking that way. In fact, Kakyoin was positive he picked up on a tiny sigh of relief from the stoic teen sitting next to him.

Regardless, it dropped Kakyoin’s shoulders in an instant.

You always think that way- it’s always about the betterment of others and never yourself. In the time he’s spent with you, it’s become obvious you hate being a burden (Or what you perceive as being such). Shifting the conversation away from you whenever possible, and attempting downplay your inclusion in fights even to your own detriment. It’s gotten to the point where he, especially a person as confident as Kakyoin, knew you could benefit from thinking of your own needs more. From your perspective, it can never be about you, but you are what’s grown to be important to him,

And frankly, Kakyoin’s had enough of it.

The others were fast in giving you happy birthday wishes, and voicing that you should’ve spoken up about the date sooner. Kakyoin, on the other hand, stayed silent. His eyes never left you, though, a fact you grew keen to.

His quietness alerted you. Swallowed by your own mind, you lamented that you probably made things awkward. You didn’t want anything, really… except for maybe acknowledgment. But your words still hold true; today wouldn’t have felt the same without everyone beside one another.

Leaving breakfast, you were whisked away by an eager Polnareff. He went on and on about window-shopping with you. Like the older brother he truly is, he promised you could pick out something that catches your eye. Hesitant, but in no position to argue with a man practically dragging you down the street, you ended up disappearing alongside him.

Normally, Kakyoin would have half a mind to become a little jealous the Frenchman was soaking up your time, but that moment was an exception. Instead, he prioritized taking advantage of your absence.

Kakyoin is an over-thinker when it comes to gifts. Buying for his parents always calls for meticulous planning that has, from time to time, lasted weeks. And outside of that… he really has no real experience. That fact alone is enough to cause pressure to settle within him.

Even more second-guessing adds to the pile the more he tries to force ideas out of himself. How’d you even react…? You didn’t want to make it a big deal, but a present from people who care isn’t given out of obligation. It’s far deeper than that, at least to Kakyoin.

Even more than that, simply going out of his way to find or do something just for you… the palms of his hands began sweating the moment his mind was made up. Just thinking of the, albeit limited, possibilities he could instigate in your honor gets his heart racing.

He found himself inside a jewelry store first (Do they even like wearing jewelry?). Then, got embarrassed simply approaching a clothing store (What is their size? What kind of person would I look like asking them about something like that?). Next, he barely gave a floral shop a passing glance (I’m not a hack).

It’s not that Kakyoin had anything against those places or the types of gifts they can offer. It’s just… you deserve better. That much he’s clearly certain of.

If it weren’t for the situation, Kakyoin would’ve thought out his gift for you just as thoroughly as he would anyone else he cares for. In his mind, a gift is a reflection of how much someone knows another. And by now, he can’t imagine himself without you.

Even with limited time and options, he won’t settle. Despite dealing with stand users on the regular, this may as well have been the most stressed he’d grown in weeks. It has to be special. Something he’s positive you’d appreciate. Not exactly perfect, but at least personal.

That’s when it hit him.

Moving intently, pace quickened with a newfound purpose, he does his best rushing towards the hotel the group stayed at the night before. It took some rummaging around, but once he found what he was looking for, a genuine smile spread across his face.

Later in the day, Avdol was the first to arrive at an arranged meeting place. Mr. Joestar and Jotaro were off doing who-knows-what while the rest were tasked finding the crew a new vehicle to get them past another daunting desert.

Kakyoin was next to show, trying to ignore a tiny box sitting inside his pant pocket. He does his best to endure casual conversation, internally growing antsy. A knowing look from Avdol proved he was acting obvious, however, he was too wrapped up inside his head to truly notice. He’s thankful for his long student coat, keeping the box completely hidden for the time being.

A booming voice from behind the two signaled the arrival of you and Polnareff. The frenchman’s eyes were beaming, while you quietly carried a little bag in your hand.

Some light investigating revealed you picked out a new scarf fit for traversing through desert terrain. Polnareff seemed proud, and you sheepishly humored your friend.

Eager to get back on track, Avdol dragged Polnareff along with him towards a car seller. Kakyoin blocked out a passing glance Avdol sent him, yet was still silently thankful for the opportunity he granted him.

Expect a full-on speech. The kind of statements that were definitively thought out beforehand, but didn’t exactly play out as expected. It’s awkward, sweet… and very much so Kakyoin. As he talked, you knew full-well what he was getting at, but still gleefully let him go on:

“I know you didn’t want us to dwell on it… but I couldn’t help myself. I want to show you my appreciation for what we have… I feel it for everyone of course, umm… but I- you deserve it. Today is your day, even if we have other pressing needs to attend to. Regardless of not having much time, I wanted to give you something meaningful. So…”

Reaching inside his pocket, keenly aware of your watchful eye, he finally pulled out the tiny box from within. Almost a little too forcefully, he pushes the present into your grasp. He would’ve fussed over it, if it weren’t for your soft giggle that followed.

Opening it up, there’s a small set of stud earrings Kakyoin bought himself back from Singapore. They’re not too flashy, yet still beautiful in design. The stones themselves are native to the region, and weaved around them is golden wiring to keep it all in place.

You’d been with him when he bought them, cementing a tradition between the two of you to always share your findings throughout the trip. The message he wanted to portray became clear: He wants you to know your relationship is valued and important to him. It’s enough to prompt you to reflect on your perspective of it as well.

Just a moment after you opened the gift, he stuttered on about how you don’t have to love them. He even admitted to not knowing if your ears were pierced or not. But as one of his first friends, he felt he bought them at a pivotal moment for the two of you. It was the first time the both of you hung out just the two of you.

He started to ramble, something that easily widened your grin. Leaning forward, you halted his words by planting a soft kiss to his cheek and by assuring him that you love it.

After a moment, needing to process your action, he returned your pleasant expression. Along with that, he offered a sincere omission that he would buy you something even better next year.

Just minutes later, he helps you put them on. The smile on your face is infectious. To Kakyoin’s glee, he provided you genuine joy on your birthday.

To him, someone who’s grown to care about you so much, it means more than he could begin to express.

[darthfrodophantom]

Family Traditions (We Are a Family...Right?)

Summary: Summary contains AGIT spoilers! Inspired by the Christmas season, Vlad takes his two charges Dan and Dani to select a Christmas tree for their first Christmas together. Dani is thrilled by the outing, Dan...not so much. And Vlad is left to ruminate on his nostalgic memories and the meaning of the word family.

Happy Holiday Truce @northerngrail! I'm your Secret Santa! I really hope you enjoy your gift this year! Thank you for the wonderful prompts! I decided to go with this one for your gift:

Prompt: The Masters family (Vlad, Dan, Dani) doing something incredibly stereotypically "family bonding" ie: fishing, road trip, etc. And suffering through it (happily)

AO3

CW: AGIT Spoilers!

Family Traditions (We Are a Family...Right?)

He didn’t know what drove him to think this idea would go well. Maybe he thought this living arrangement meant more than it actually did. Maybe he finally had some hope that something would change. Or maybe he was just getting soft and senile in his old age. Vlad realized with a sharp jab of annoyance mixed with pain that it was probably the latter. 

He couldn’t really put a name on what living situation he had now with the young Danielle and the redemption-seeking Dan. Parent? No, that felt far too familiar. Warden? In the case of Dan that sometimes felt appropriate. Caretaker? He certainly did watch out for them, but even that seemed a little distant for the paternal relationship he’d started to build. Guardian? That seemed to fit the best as a good mix of responsibility and affection. 

But would that make them a family? He felt loath to ascribe that much affection and companionship towards what they had. He could catch a glimpse of it sometimes, especially from Danielle, but he didn’t feel that quite met the criteria for family. Then again, he didn’t have the best example of that growing up, but when he looked at what the Fentons had…he didn’t see that in his current living situation. 

So if he didn’t see them as a family, then why did he think it wise to embark on something that most would consider a family tradition? He still couldn’t rationalize those competing principles in his mind, just like he still couldn’t explain the pull he felt towards this activity. He could say he got caught up in the infectious holiday spirit surrounding him, or the yearning for a family tradition, but in reality it had been a thought: a simple thought that pushed him to change his entire approach to the month of December. This was the first Christmas he would spend with children under his roof - and he painfully realized it would be the first Christmas he would spend with anyone under his roof since he was a teenager - and he needed to make that special for them. Whether he was their parent, warden, caretaker, or guardian, that meant he bore the responsibility of giving them a Christmas and rolling out all the stops. The decorations. The stockings. The presents. The Christmas meal. The Christmas movies. And that also meant…the Christmas tree.

Wrangling them into the car proved to be a challenge. Dan was a malevolent, violent ghost stuck in a teenager’s body, which proved to be a disastrous combination on the best of days, and Danielle was mischievous and far too inquisitive for her own good. Neither of them responded well to the idea of an unannounced drive to an undisclosed location for an activity. His suggestion was met with suspicion and questions, and even though he managed to convince them to join him in the car, the suspicious and inquisitive questions had not ceased. 

Christmas music crooned out of the stereo to set the mood as Vlad turned off the highway and onto a country road. Sure some people sold suitable trees in the city, but this was less about the tree and more about the experience, and he wanted to find a small local shop off the beaten path. As they pulled into the small dirt parking lot, Dan’s eyes focused on the large cars with cables and trailers and harnesses already equipped. He watched as a family walked out from under a white canopy strung up with warm Christmas lights as they pulled something heavy behind them.

Dan shook his head as he frowned. “No…no wait no. I see what you’re doing here. Are we–”

“Picking out a Christmas tree!” Dani interrupted in sheer joy as she pressed her face against the cold car window to look out at the selection of pine trees that covered the snowy ground. 

“Yes, that is what we are doing,” Vlad confirmed as he out-maneuvered someone to get a close parking space. They didn’t need a closer parking space - all of them were fit and able to walk and carry a tree a long distance - but this was about the principle and the status of managing to find and obtain a closer parking space.

Dan groaned as he slumped into his seat with his arms crossed over his chest. “Why can’t we just get a plastic tree from Target like everyone else? Or better yet, none at all.”

“Because that’s no fun,” Dani pouted as she turned around in her seat to face her…sibling? Herself? Her future? Vlad wasn’t quite sure how to quantify and label their relationship either. “This is so much better! I’ve seen this on TV. You run around and look at all the trees and pick the best one. Don’t you want to do that?”

“No,” Dan quickly retorted.

“Really?” Dani pressed. 

“I would rather be in the thermos.”

“We can arrange that,” Dani muttered under her breath as she turned to look back out the window.

Vlad took a moment to build his patience (a patience he’d been working incredibly hard to develop after finding himself a guardian) before he turned around to look in the back seat. “No one is being sucked into a thermos. Now we are going to look at some Christmas trees. Maybe we don’t need to look at all of the trees,” he conceded. Dani opened her mouth to protest but Vlad held a hand up. “We can find a perfectly good tree without looking at all of them. But we are going to look, understand?” 

Dan and Vlad locked eyes for what felt like minutes to Vlad, but he knew in reality it only lasted a few moments. He’d engaged in his fair share of these battles of wills with the malevolent ghost before (and he’d lost his fair share as well), but he had a purpose this time and the genuine hope this would do them all some good, and that pushed him to stand his ground. 

Finally Dan huffed out an annoyed breath and stepped out of the car. Vlad slumped in his seat in relief. He really didn’t want this argument to escalate further, but with Dan he never knew. He genuinely felt that the ghost was trying to make good on his second chance, especially since they both knew Clockwork kept his eye on them, but sometimes he acted out in anger and it turned violent. Vlad could take the abuse until he could calm him down, but he preferred not to cause a panic in public around so many families.

Dani seemed to sense their victory. The tension bled out of her and a smile returned to her face as she jumped eagerly out of the car. He had originally been wary of bringing Danielle into the house after he took charge of Dan’s rehabilitation, but she had actually proven to be a stabilizing force in the house. Maybe she served as a gentle reminder of Dan’s prior innocence, Vlad couldn’t quite say, but in the absence of Jazmine (who Dan surprisingly listened to), Danielle could hold quite a bit of sway. They still argued, but she could hold her own and put him in his place when needed. Sometimes they even teamed up, and while Vlad appreciated seeing them working together, that never bode well for him.

He followed his two charges out of the car and led them towards the first row of trees as the snow crunched underfoot. What a stereotypical sight they must make: the single parent leading a sullen teenager and a wide-eyed younger child to pick out a Christmas tree. It felt reminiscent of those horrible Hallmark channel movies that he absolutely did not hate-watch in secret, but how wrong anyone would be to think that their arrangement was anything close to that stereotypical display. 

“Don’t even look at the prices,” he instructed as they reached their first row of trees. Wafts of fresh pine scent assaulted them, and Vlad took a moment to breathe deep of the nostalgic smell. He couldn’t wait to have it spread through the living room once they installed the tree. “Just pick out a tree you both like.”

Dani clapped her hands happily and ran off down the row to look at trees further in, but stopped short as soon as Dan spoke up and pointed ominously at the very first tree. “This one.”

Dani stopped and turned around as she stomped her foot. “Ugh, you dummy! You didn’t even look at the rest of them!” Vlad raised an eyebrow because Danielle may very well be the only being in both the realm of the living and the realm of the dead who could get away with calling Dan a dummy.

“I didn’t need to. I like this one,” he said firmly.

Dani opened her mouth to argue again, but Vlad spoke first. “And why do you like this one?” Maybe he had a genuine reason for liking this tree, but he doubted it.

“Because it’s the first one.”

Both Vlad and Dani groaned. “We’ll keep your preference in mind, but we’ll keep looking at other trees,” Vlad decided. He didn’t want to dismiss Dan’s preference if he truly felt a connection to that tree, but he had a feeling the only positive quality that three possessed was being the first of the lot.

Dan retreated further into his sulk as he bowed his head lower, but he trudged after them as Dani ran through the trees. They had their work cut out for them, because all the trees were lovely. The recent snow dusted the branches with white powder and it looked like a perfect winter wonderland; he would be happy taking any of them home. Thankfully Dani seemed to have a vision and she inspected trees that caught her eye with an expert, critical gaze.

“What about this one?” Vlad suggested as he pointed at a well-shaped tree that Dani walked right past.

She turned to give it a second look as she placed a gloved hand to her chin, but she shook her head. “Nope. It’s too…piney.”

“Too…piney?” Vlad asked in confirmation.

“What the hell does that mean?” Dan asked as he raised an eyebrow.

She shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s more of a feeling. It’s just…too much pine.” And as if that statement cleared everything up, she dashed off to another tree.

“She’s drawing this out,” Dan complained.

Vlad sighed. “We’ve barely been here five minutes; this is hardly being drawn out.”

“There was nothing wrong with that tree,” Dan pointed out. “She shot it down because she doesn’t want to be done.”

“And what’s the harm in that?” Vlad probed. “Let her look at some of the trees, get a feel for what’s out there, and then we can press her into choosing one.”

Dan rolled his eyes and trudged after them as he scuffed his boots stubbornly through the snow. Occasionally he’d kick the trunk of a tree just to watch the snow shake and fall from the branches, but mostly he sulked behind them while Dani debated the features of different trees and the quality of their pine needles.

“Oh stop looking like you’re being tortured,” Vlad finally spoke up. “This is far from the worst thing you’ve ever had to endure.”

“Don’t you remember I hate Christmas?” Dan pointed out.

“Part of you may,” Vlad conceded. He remembered hearing Jack complain incessantly about how young Daniel could not get into the spirit of Christmas. He’d planned to use that at some point to his advantage in recruiting the young Daniel, but now…well he had enough versions of the boy that he didn’t need to add another under his roof. “But the other part of you secretly loves Christmas. I know because that part is me. So maybe you should listen to that other part.”

“I usually lean towards hatred,” Dan quipped sullenly.

Dani poked her head out from behind a nearby Christmas tree, her hat covered in snow. “Well, then maybe you shouldn’t.” She gave Dan a pointed look and a shrug before she disappeared back behind the foliage.

Vlad had to hide a chuckle behind a gloved hand at how simple the suggestion seemed. Danielle had a way of cutting through the attitude to find the cheery solution. He didn’t know where that quality came from, because while Daniel could be overly hopeful at times, he wouldn’t necessarily describe the boy as cheery. She hadn’t had a cheerful existence so far (he meant to change that) so he couldn’t say that positive outlook came from her prior experiences. Maybe she forced herself to adopt that perspective specifically to deal with her experiences? He’d have to ponder that a bit more. But whatever the explanation for her optimistic demeanor, he appreciated her view on the world and tried to adopt a little of it himself now and then.

Dan also seemed intrigued by her suggestion because he grew quiet and pensive. It wouldn’t last long, it never did, but maybe he took some of what she said to heart.

Suddenly a tree caught Vlad’s eye and he stopped in front of it. A wide base with a tapered point, taller than him, no patchy spots - it resembled the quintessential tree from any holiday catalog. “Danielle, what about this one?” Vlad suggested as he inspected the branches. He gave them a good shake and they seemed sturdy and capable of holding even his heaviest Packers ornaments.

Dani doubled back and gave the tree some serious consideration. She walked around it a couple times and even got down onto her knees to look up under the tree at its bones. She scooted out from under the branches and shook her head. “No, that’s not our tree.”

“Are you kidding me?” Dan snapped. “It’s perfect!”

“That’s the problem,” Dani stated as she lifted up one of the branches. “It’s too perfect. You want the tree to have some character.”

“I can’t believe this,” Dan groaned as he looked up at the sky like it held some kind of salvation.

“Well, then we’ll keep looking,” Vlad agreed, though it pained him to walk away from this picture-perfect tree.

“I still don’t understand why we’re doing this,” Dan spoke up.

Vlad took a moment to close his eyes and collect his patience before he spoke up again. “Because we need a Christmas tree,” he tried to say through a controlled, even tone.

“Okay, but why are we doing this?” Dan asked with added emphasis on his real question. ”Why not just send Skulker to grab one? You send him on all your other mundane errands.”

“Because he wouldn’t grab the right one. And he wouldn’t take the care needed to transport it back. And he’s on a date.” There, three practical reasons that should hopefully quell Dan’s query and avoided the true emotional reasons for the trip.

Dan stopped abruptly as he blinked a couple times. “He’s what?”

Vlad turned around and quickly noticed the shocked wide eyes and gaping mouth, and he took the slightest bit of delight that he could catch the ghost off guard like that. He actually greatly resembled Daniel in that moment in more than just appearance. He didn’t often see pieces of the Daniel he knew in Dan - he must have torn it all out when he rid himself of his emotions - but occasionally they would bleed through. It was refreshing to see. “Well, he didn’t call it a date. He’s off destroying the world with Technus. But it’s a date. We all know it’s a date.”

Dan shook his head minutely as a look of revulsion colored his shocked expression. “I don’t want to hear that.”

“What, do you have a problem with love?” Dani asked as she emerged from behind them. She had clearly been crawling around under trees because pine needles stuck out of her hat and jacket.

“No - I mean yes,” he countered quickly. “Yes. I hate love.”

“Riiiight,” Dani said as she rolled her eyes. She gave a slight wink to Vlad who hid a chuckle behind his glove. “Hey, shouldn’t we be worried about the ‘destroying the world’ part?”

Vlad waved a hand dismissively. “Oh, I wouldn’t be too worried. It’s Skulker and Technus after all: hardly a pair to be concerned about. Besides, I’m sure Daniel will find a way to ruin their fun.”

“First good thing that brat’s done,” Dan quipped.

Dani put her hands on her waist as she leaned in close to Dan’s face. “Why are you so against them dating?” she asked as she squinted to study his face.

He took a step back and lightly shoved her out of his space. “Because I’ve seen them in the future. Look, can we talk about anything else? Like what about this tree?” he asked as he tapped the tree next to them.

Vlad smiled that Dan seemed to be getting into the spirit enough that talking about a tree was an acceptable alternative. It also seemed to work because it completely distracted Dani who rushed over to examine the tree.

“Nah. This one sheds too many needles,” she decided as she pulled a handful of needles off.

“You can’t–every tree will lose its needles if you pull on them like that!” Dan argued in exasperation.

“Yeah, but this one lost more,” she countered. “So there. Not a good tree.” She scampered off before Dan could get another argument in.

He clenched a fist and breathed out a long, slow breath. Vlad hiked an eyebrow in interest because it looked like some of those anger management techniques were actually working. He’d have to thank Jazmine later. “She’s being unreasonable.”

“She’s just having fun,” Vlad sighed. “I promise, I’ll make her select one soon enough, just bear with her.”

“Oh I’m bearing with her alright,” Dan muttered through gritted teeth as he watched Dani dismiss another perfectly good tree. 

While Dan might be suffering watching her traipse through the rows of pine trees, Vlad actually found the whole event quite enjoyable. The whimsy of watching Danielle play around amongst the trees and inspect each one filled him with a paternal glow. Watching a Christmas tradition unfold through the eyes of a child filled him with a happiness he couldn’t really explain and renewed his Christmas spirit more than any other activity could. Now if only his other charge would find the tender happiness of the moment with them, then it could all be perfect. Alas, that seemed to be too much to ask for.

“If none of these trees are right, then why can’t we just get a plastic one? It would save us all a lot of time,” Dan pointed out.

“The plastic ones just don’t have the same feel to them,” Vlad explained as he stretched the limits of his very limited patience to stay civil. How he longed to turn around and brandish the ‘because I said so’ that all guardians use at some point, but he knew that would only end in conflict and would force Dan to pull away even further. But god would it be easier. “A real tree has a scent and a presence that the fake ones don’t have. And the experience of selecting a tree is far more thrilling.”

“I can’t say I agree with the ‘thrilling’ part of that statement,” Dan grumbled.

“Because you’re not letting yourself. But selecting a tree for Christmas…why it’s one of the few happy memories I have of Christmases past. My parents were usually too busy for their trophy child, but Christmas seemed to be the time when they remembered why they had a child in the first place. Every Christmas we would pick out a tree from some small lot like this one here. Mother would watch and smile as I picked out a tree. I could actually hold my father’s attention for a time. We had no distractions or anything else demanding their attention. It was us as a family picking out a Christmas tree.”

A soft smile settled on Vlad’s face as he thought of those happy, nostalgic memories. He didn’t have many happy memories of his childhood as they were mostly filled with loneliness and boredom, but the few he had of Christmas he held very dear to his heart. And being back amongst the trees, with the snow and the pine and the excited squeals of children pointing to trees brought him right back to the happiest of his memories.

Dani stopped her inspection of a tree’s branches, and when she turned to look at him, Vlad could see the sympathy creasing her slightly teary eyes. He wasn’t really trying to get that reaction from her, but he wanted to share how much the nostalgia of this trip meant to him. She reached a comforting hand out towards him, but stopped when Dan’s harsh voice cut through the silence left by Vlad’s story.

“You forget old man that I have those same memories too,” Dan growled with a slight edge to his voice. While Vlad clearly drew warm feelings from these memories, Dan’s reaction gave him the distinct impression that he was not as pleased to be reliving those old memories. “I don’t need the reminder. So I ask again why are we doing this? And I want a real answer this time.”

Vlad opened his mouth with a quick businessman answer full of bluster and smoke and mirrors, but faltered when he realized that this wasn’t a business meeting. This wasn’t some pitch that he needed to sell to a stranger whose feelings and opinions didn’t matter. This wasn’t some cut and dry business proposal that most people would forget about two days later. No, this was his ward and he owed him more than some superficial response. He deserved to hear the real reason, even if Vlad still didn’t know what that real reason could be. How was he supposed to explain to the ghost who tore out his own feelings a decade ago that he did it because he yearned to give his wards a warm memory to hold on to in the cold and lonely months that seemed to come for everyone in their later years, like he had of his own Christmas traditions. He couldn’t rationalize it or explain it in a logical way that would make sense to him, because all he had were feelings and a hope, and he could hardly find the words to explain that to himself, let alone to the other ghost.

Dani, however, seemed to have no problems putting that feeling into words. She stepped in between them and looked at them both with that infectious smile of hers. “Because it’s what family does.”

A silence fell about them as the word ‘family’ rang in their ears. Dan stared down at the snow-covered ground and refused to meet either of their eyes. He slid his foot in the snow just to make some kind of noise to fill the awkward silence. Vlad also shifted uncomfortably as he grabbed his other arm and ran his hand along his sleeve as he lost himself in thought.

Family. So Danielle somehow believed they were a family? Why was he so shocked to hear that? He’d thought it earlier that night and even multiple times before that as he planned this out. This was the sort of activity a family did together. He wanted to share this with them because he saw them as family. It all made sense in his head, and yet for some reason the word never felt right when he rolled it around in his head. He always felt it wasn’t quite right for what a family should be, but maybe that had been his problem. For Danielle to say it so plainly…well it made it all the more plain to him too. Maybe it wasn’t the family everyone else had, but it was the family the three of them got, and didn’t that make the word all the more meaningful? The fact that three outcasts who never really belonged to anyone had found each other (sometimes in very strange circumstances) and managed to make it work meant something to him, to Danielle, and hopefully to Dan based on his reaction.

Dani must have realized she said something poignant because she let the other two sit in their thoughts for a long, awkward moment before her eyes grew wide. She pointed into the distance as a huge grin spread across her face. “That’s it!” she cried out before she shot off down the row to the tree that caught her eye.

Dan glanced up from the ground and took a step forward to follow after her, but Vlad held a hand out to gently stop him. He knew Dan didn’t like being touched and he was putting his own safety in danger by doing so, but he had a feeling he would allow it this time. “Wait. You want to know why I’m doing this?” he asked, which turned Dan’s warning glare into a look of curiosity. “I’m doing it for her.” 

Vlad gestured towards Dani who jumped about her newly selected tree with excited hands clasped together. “Maybe you don’t care anymore, or maybe even can’t care anymore, and that’s fine. Maybe you don’t think we’re a family, and that’s fine too. But she does. And she has known very few Christmases since she…well since I brought her into this life. I wasn’t ready to make them good Christmases before…but I am now. And I want her to have a good memory of this, like we did.”

He gave Dan one last little nod before he met up with Dani at her chosen tree. Dan fell silent and stayed behind, but Vlad didn’t mind. Giving him a chance to think and ponder those thoughts seemed like it would be helpful in the long run. “Well now, let’s see this tree.” Like many of the others they’d pointed out, the tree had a good wide and full silhouette and was tall enough to fit the ceiling of its destined room. He nodded his head in approval as he circled the tree and studied it from all angles, but his inspection unfortunately uncovered a gap in the tree. And not just a gap, but it appeared all the branches below that gap seemed to be drooping, like something heavy had pulled them down. He grabbed those branches and tried to move them up to see if they were broken, but the branches still remained firm. So they were attached securely to the tree but had just been shaped improperly.

Vlad sighed as he released the branch and dusted his hands off on his jacket. “I’m sorry to tell you this Danielle, but your tree has some drooping branches on this side.” She would be crushed to hear the tree that captured her heart had such a noticeable imperfection.

“I know,” she said simply. “That’s why it’s perfect.”

“...I’m not following,” Vlad admitted. She’d dismissed so many other trees for the tiniest of details (some of which she made up) so how could she so easily ignore this one?

“Because it’s not made perfect. It’s not the perfect example of a tree, and maybe it’s not exactly what you expect or want when you think about a tree, but it’s still good. It’ll still make a good tree,” she pointed out as she held one of the branches and ran her gloved fingers over the pine needles. “And you can love the tree not just in spite of its flaws, but because of its flaws.”

Vlad quickly realized this had become far larger than just picking out a tree. Somehow she had turned this into a metaphor for herself. She wanted a tree that had its flaws just as she had, and knowing that tree could still be chosen and loved and desired was important to her. He realized he had caused that insecurity too. By chasing after a “better” clone, a clone more like Daniel, he had dismissed his other creations as failures without caring about how that made them feel. He had a lot to atone for, more than what he could do with a Christmas tradition, but he’d start that atonement by showing her that yes, she could still be chosen and loved because of who she was.

“Well, then it sounds like it’s the perfect tree for us,” Vlad agreed with a smile as he placed a hand on her shoulder. A slightly broken tree for the slightly broken family. It felt right.

Dani squealed in excitement and jumped up and down in place. “Yay! I can’t wait to put all kinds of garland and ornaments and lights and - ooh tinsel! We can put tinsel on it too!”

Vlad chuckled as he shook his head slightly. Tinsel sounded like a horribly messy thing, but if tinsel brought her some holiday cheer and joy, then he’d let her throw tinsel all over that tree. “Whatever you’d like. Now, let’s take this tree number to the–”

“Oh, sorry pal,” a voice spoke up from behind them. Vlad turned to see a middle-aged couple walk over to them. The bearded man gestured towards the tree. “We already paid for that one.”

“What?” Dani asked as she turned her wide, sad eyes onto Vlad, as if pleading for a different answer.

“For this tree?” Vlad asked in confirmation as he placed his hands on the branches of the tree.

“Yup, that exact tree. Number 251. Best bang for its buck on the whole lot. Managed to get a discount on account of the defect,” he crowed proudly.

“But…but…” Dani stammered as she looked back at her prized tree. “But I spent so long looking for this one…”

Vlad felt a frustration rise up within him, but he tamped it down as he put on his best businessman face. He didn’t need to let his temper get out of control here. He had to remind himself that this couple didn’t understand or know how much this tree meant to her, but surely they could be persuaded. And if the joy of a child couldn’t sway them, then he was sure money could.

“Any way I could persuade you to pick a different tree?” he cajoled as he took a step closer. “Pay the cost of the difference to another tree perhaps? My dau–young Danielle here, she really has her heart set on this tree.”

“It’s perfect,” she pouted as she held onto one of its branches like a young child held the hand of a beloved stuffed animal.

The couple looked between each other for a moment, but when he met Vlad’s gaze again he shook his head. “Sorry, but we worked hard for the deal we got for this tree, and as a point of pride we’d like to take it home.”

“Extra money then,” Vlad pressed. “The difference in price for another tree plus an extra hundred to spend on decorations or whatever you’d like.”

The man shook his head again. “Sorry pal, but we’d like this tree, and we did find it first.”

Vlad clenched a fist as his ectoplasm boiled in rage. Really they were just being unreasonable. The tree, while perfect for them, could not possibly be worth this much to the other couple. It seemed like the more he argued for it, the more value they found in their initial purchase. He normally believed everyone had a tipping point, but he feared that these individuals were too stubborn for their own good. Perhaps he could arrange a little…situation on the road, where the tree mysteriously fell through their car on the way home. He’d tried to handle this nicely, but he wasn’t above some ghostly trickery to get that tree. Yes, that could work. He would just need a duplicate to follow them and then–

“He made you a reasonable offer,” Dan growled out from behind them. Vlad turned to see Dan practically vibrating in his anger, like his skin could barely hold the rage building up inside him. His clenched fists shook from the effort it took to keep them at his side.

“Now Dan, we don’t need to–” Vlad tried to intervene, but Dan cut him short with a steely glare.

“I’m not talking to you, old man. I’m talking to these two,” he snarled as he focused his attention on the pig-headed couple as he took slow, controlled steps towards them, like a careful predator stalking his prey. “He made you a reasonable offer and you said no because of what? Your pride? So you can have a trophy and congratulate yourselves on how you got such a good deal at the expense of the dreams of a child? You’re pathetic.”

The man bristled and stepped in front of his wife. “We saw it first. We already paid for it. That means it’s ours.”

“Oh no it isn’t. No, this tree is ours now. You want to take this tree from her?” he asked slowly as he gestured towards Dani. “On her first real Christmas? Her first Christmas with her family? No…no you’re not going anywhere near this tree. I’ll make sure of that,” he promised as a sinister red light flared in his eyes.

“Brad,” his wife squeaked up from the back, but he shook his head and took a brave (and foolish) step forward. He took a moment to size the teenager up with his dark jacket and thick black boots. Vlad realized that the man probably thought he had this “teenage punk” all figured out - oh how wrong he would be.

“You think some teenager with a mouth will stop me?” Brad asked as he puffed up his chest with fake confidence. “I’ll call the cops and shut down your tough guy act.”

“The cops won’t save you from what I have in store,” Dan threatened as his eyes glowed a uniform red. A white ring of light formed around his waist, and as it split apart it revealed the massive, muscled form of Dan Phantom. Brad took a terrified step back on shaking legs as Dan advanced on him, towering over him. He grabbed the man’s shirt in his fist and easily suspended him in the air. The man grasped at the hand around his shirt and kicked his legs as he begged for mercy, but it only made Dan’s malicious smile grow wider. 

He flew the pleading man up into the air, higher and higher before he simply released his hold on the man and dropped him. He screamed as he plummeted quickly to the earth, but Dan swooped down to grab him again. He held him in the air and grinned at his screams for mercy. “If you think that was bad, you should see what else I have in store for you,” Dan threatened as he held up a fist wreathed with green ectoplasmic flame.

“Oh butter biscuits, we’d been doing so well for a public outing,” Vlad sighed from down on the ground. As much as he felt great pleasure (and maybe pride?) upon hearing the unreasonable man squeal in terror and fright, he didn’t actually want the trouble of having Dan hurt the man. As much as he wished for the man to suffer pain for his stubborn attitude and refusal to help secure Dani’s dream tree, as a guardian he couldn’t actually let Dan hurt the man.

“Are you going to stop him?” Dani asked with a slight tremble in her voice. She must still remember the last time he had to stop Dan and took quite a beating in the process.

“Eventually,” Vlad sighed as he kept his eyes focused closely on Dan. “If he does anything that’s actually harmful I will of course rush in.” For now though, it seemed like Dan found satisfaction enough in terrifying the man, and judging by Brad’s high pitched squeals of “You can have the tree! You can have the tree!” he had a feeling the tactic worked.

“But first, let us rescue that tree, hmm?” Vlad suggested as he smiled down at his young charge.

Dani’s smile lit up her face as she reached over to give Vlad a hug from the side. He stiffened slightly in surprise only because he didn’t expect such a physically affectionate reaction, but it melted his heart all the same in a way he’d never felt before. He placed a hand on her back and gave it a comforting pat.

He looked back over at Dan who had moved on to threatening the man by slowly sinking him intangibly into the ground and he noticed the gleeful yet sinister smile on his face. Dan reacted so strongly to the potential for Danielle’s dream to be dashed, and he had even used the word family in his threats. He admitted they were a family. 

Somehow, in their own strange way, this trip had brought them closer as a unit and…yes as a family. This off-the-cuff idea that he stitched together with a feeling and a hope had actually proven to be a happy outing that he knew generated some formative memories for all involved. Maybe he had done it. Maybe he had created a new Christmas tradition for all of them. For his family. 

Their own family tradition.

Notes: I just wanted to make a note that I don't actually have anything against plastic trees. I myself have 3 plastic trees and have never had a live tree (I'm too paranoid about the fire risks). So that was all Vlad. But I do have a romanticized idea of what selecting a live tree would be like!

Also @northerngrail I hope you noticed the little nod to one of your other prompts in there!

This is also a first for me on a lot of levels. First time including Dani in a story. First time writing from Vlad's POV. First time writing anything post-AGIT. So hopefully I did it all justice!

I hope you enjoyed your gif!

[shaunamilfman]

Speaking of Christmas, I’ve been in the holiday mood because, as I mentioned, me and my firehouse sell Christmas trees each year. So tonight while the Christmas music was bumping and we had some downtime between customers I wrote up some holiday HCs for Jackie/Shauna that I had off the top of my head.

- Jackie is the type of girl to start celebrating Christmas the day after (American) thanksgiving, blasting holiday music throughout the house, whereas Shauna will scream back at her “IT’S LEGITIMATELY STILL NOVEMBER, TURN IT OFF”

- Jackie absolutely has a checklist of things that she makes you all to do so she can have a good holiday. Baking cookies, decorating a gingerbread house, watching specific nostalgic Christmas movies and TV show episodes etc. Shauna will only barely tolerate this because it makes Jackie WILDLY happy.

- Jackie hangs mistletoe up around the house, and will run to meet you or Shauna under it when you’re passing by.

- Holidays aside the only thing that really makes Shauna happy during this time is when you guys take a walk while it’s snowing. She loves watching the snow come down and the relaxed down time with you because you don’t put as much of an emphasis on every moment leading up to the holiday as Jackie does. But you will always agree because seeing Shauna with a bunch of snowflakes caught in her eyelashes and hair makes your heart stop.

- Ms. Jackie Taylor CANNOT cook for the life of her, leaving the holiday dinner up to you and Shauna. Jackie decides to occupy her time with decorating because she was asked to leave the kitchen when something burned because she was left in charge to watch the stove while you and Shauna were trying to wash dishes and she’s j sat on the table texting while smoke billows out of the pot. When you and Shauna finally emerge from the kitchen you see the house is decorated so well it’s like the set of a hallmark movie and Jackie is just sat on the couch nonchalantly waiting for you both.

- Jackie will try to convince you and Shauna to take one of those “matching pajama, family pictures” to send out for holiday cards. Jackie is able to say very little of her plan however, before Shauna shuts her down.

- The holidays are probably really draining for Shauna as she has to split her time between her mom and dad, so she needs a lot more quiet time with you or Jackie. Just laying in bed, lights off, cuddled up to each other where no one talks, possibly watching a holiday movie.

- Shauna has to talk Jackie out of buying every holiday candle scent cause she can’t decide between “Walk in the Snow”, “Christmas Cookie”, or “Pine Wood Forest”

- On Christmas morning Jackie will act like an excited child, waking you and Shauna up at the ass crack of dawn because she’s so excited to give you both your gifts.

- Shauna I can see as a very sentimental gift giver without even knowing what she’s doing. Will give you like a book with information about all the dates you guys had been on with pictures, movie tickets, drawings etc and will be clueless as to why you burst into tears and hugged her.

- Jackie will get you very thoughtful gifts but they’re definitely more, materialistic things. Don’t get me wrong, by no means is it just any expensive thing she thinks you’ll like, she 100% clocked that you wanted something in like April and remembers to get it for you.

Sorry for flooding your inbox with Headcannons of these two, I have JackieShauna brainrot atm. Hope you’re doing well pookie, love ya <3

doesn't everyone start their christmas celebrations the day after american thanksgiving? thats when we always put up christmas lights and stuff. its when they start playing christmas music and shit i think shaunas just a hater on this one lmao

oh god jackie would want to fully celebrate every holiday im with shauna the hater on this one fr.

jackie purposely puts it up in your favorite areas of the house so she can kiss you and you're like "but you could just kiss me anyways?" and she'd just blush and shake her head

shauna loves that it gets dark so early during the holidays fr. she enjoys staring out the window as the snow comes down all broody and shit. i love being shaunas holiday escape omg that's so good. shauna looked so pretty in the snow scenes i cant imagine what she'd look like actually happy in the snow lmaooo

jackie burned water once but she runs the gingerbread house decorating like the navy. shes playing the sims with that icing bag fr fr. you walk out of the kitchen to see jackie standing on like a step ladder on top of a chair trying to put decorations up and both you and shauna are like "!!!!! jackie plssss"

jackie buys shauna the pjs and tells her they're for her. shauna reluctantly wears them and is like "oh hell no" when she sees you both wearing them and tries to run upstairs. yall get the picture but both you and jackie had to wrestle shauna to the ground. the pic is like you with your arm around shaunas neck while jackies pinning her legs down and strewn across her lap. you're both smiling but shauna looks fucking deadly. it's your favorite picture of shauna and you make it your pfp for months.

ugh jackie's ass would burn sugar cookie and pine forest at the same time and make the entire house smell awful. jackie walks in the living room to see you and shauna on the floor gagging while holding the blanket over your noses.

i absolutely do think jackie buys you super sentimental and meaningful gifts that show how well she knows you. shauna is so an experience/sentimental gift giver. she gets you tickets to do something you'd like with her or makes you super sentimental gifts for sure. i love the idea of shauna giving you like little poems shes written about you over the year.

absolutely flood my inbox bro i love talking jackieshauna. i'm doing very well, thank you!

[startrekfangirl2233-writes]

Shot through the Heart But You’re to Blame (You Give Love A Bad Name)

Chapter Fourteen of Sweet Home Alabama

Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin x OC (Linley Mitchell/Floyd), Bradley ‘Rooster’ Bradshaw x OC (Linley Mitchell/Floyd)

Description: Before you can believe it, it's your wedding day. If only you could bring yourself to be as happy as Natasha and Carole seem to be. Carole is in her element, bossing around everyone in the wedding party as well as the staff and the caterers. She seems wholly occupied at the thought of giving her son a picture perfect wedding. When a wrench gets thrown in the works, it's anyone's guess as to who loses their cool.

Meanwhile, Jake is prepping for a lightning storm. It seems like the world is ending. He's lost everything he's ever fought to get. Is there one last chance fated for these estranged lovers?

Themes: love, attraction, angst, sex, cheating, lying

Warnings: Carole being Carole. She’s a warning in and of herself!

Word Count: 3127

A/N: Well yall, we're at chapter fourteen. This is the beginning of the end for this story, and I'm so nostalgic to think of it ending. I've been working on this story since June or July of 2023. A little over 6 months of writing and just about 4 months of posting this story and here we are. I can't believe it. I want to take this time to thank everyone who has been reading this story. You've made me so thrilled and genuinely shocked with your love and support.

AO3: Cross-posted here!

Wattpad: Cross-posted here!

My Masterlist

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Floyd Plantation, Greeneville, Alabama - Wedding Day

The day of your wedding dawns bright and clear, with big creamy clouds floating across the sky. It’s hot and humid, static electricity making you jumpy - you wouldn’t be surprised if it rains tonight - though you hope it doesn’t rain during the ceremony. Carole would freak out if that happened. In any case, Floyd Plantation is resplendent, the grounds festooned in bunches of white, cream, and peach flowers, the chairs covered in white satin with big bows on the back. Standing in the master bedroom of Floyd Plantation you’re being poked and prodded with pins and makeup brushes. You feel rather like a doll as you stand there and let the makeup artists doll you up to Carole’s satisfaction. You can faintly hear the band setting up in the big tent for the reception and not for the first time, you wish that Carole would just shut up. She’s been drilling you about notable guests and on your answers for an interview with the press after the ceremony all day. You’re already frazzled, your nerves strung tight, and you’d really appreciate a few moments to yourself before you walk down the aisle.

“Alright, Linley, remember that Mr. Fulsom and his third wife will be here tonight. Her name is Marta,” She’s got her glasses on as she prepares to run through the list with you again.

You sigh, and continue the tirade. “I know, Carole. Don’t call her Donna or Leanne because those are ex-wives numbers one and two. That’ll cause her to start drinking, if she drinks, she’ll cause a scene, and we need Mr.Fulsom on the Bradshaw side because he is one of the best political supporters on the East Coast and he will be instrumental to Bradley’s career.”

“Well, it looks like you’re ready.” She turns to the poor beleaguered make-up artists hovering on either side of you. “Is there anything you can do with contouring? All of this time in Alabama and she looks tireder and flabbier than ever. It must be all the fried food you get around here. Anyone would think salads aren’t an item you can eat, looking at her.”

You can’t even summon up the energy for an eye roll as she waltzes back out of the suite, her heels clacking loudly against the tiles. The titters of the makeup artists as they attack your face with vigor again doesn’t help your mood or the way your stomach cramps with nerves.

Jake’s Yellow House, Pigeon Creek, Alabama - Wedding Day

In the years since his marriage fell apart, Jake’s been able to sniff out lightning storms like none other. It’s like he can taste the electricity in the air, and feel it in the summer breeze. At least the scent of electricity on the breeze diverts his thoughts from the event happening in Greeneville tonight. He’d been invited, sure, but Jake Seresin’s not sure he’ll be able to sit in the audience in a monkey suit and hear a preacher ask if anyone objects to the nuptials - not without screaming, “I object!” at the top of his lungs. It’s why he’s pacing back and forth in front of his house as the sun sinks languidly below the horizon.

Eventually, the nervous energy singing in his veins isn’t placated by pacing, so he pulls on his heavy work gloves and starts loading up his truck for a night out on the beach. If he can’t see the love of his life, if he can’t stop her from getting married to another man, he might as well make a few more lightning-glass sculptures. Jake’s just loaded up the first set of heavy metal beams into the bed of his truck when a pickup truck rolls up the driveway. Unsurprisingly, it’s his Mama stepping out of the truck. He hasn’t seen the look on his mom’s face in years, not since he decided to give up on his dreams for Linley and the baby they were expecting. The disappointment on her face, then and now, stings more than he ever expects it to. 

“Hi.” She’s wearing one of her fancy church dresses, like she’s heading up to Floyd Plantation to say goodbye to her daughter forever. Amelia’s lounging in the front seat looking positively miserable in a pink frock, and Jake would smile at her dismay if he didn’t feel just as miserable as his little sister. “There’s a wedding going on.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard mention of it a time or two.” He can’t look at his mom or his sister. He can’t bear to see the pity and righteous anger in their eyes. Though, it is a balm to his soul that the anger is on his behalf.

“I sure hope this weather cooperates.” A lick of cooler wind brushes across his face, damp as it rustles through the trees.

“It’s supposed to be a big one, tonight.” The lightning rods clank satisfyingly as he chucks them into the truck piece by piece.

“You know, Jake…” That tone of voice is something Jake’s been trained to pay attention to since he was very little. He grabs the last of the rods and his toolbox as his mama picks up his sleeping bag. “You're my only son and I love you, but sometimes, you are too much like your daddy.”

There’s naked pain in his voice as he finally responds. “She made her decision, Mama.”

“You know, for somebody who’s been holding on to something so hard, you’re pretty quick to let it go.” But has he been quick to let her go? Jake Seresin has been in love with Linley Mitchell since he was ten years old. He’s been holding out hope that she’ll come back from New York for the better part of seven years, taking the time to make something of himself so she’ll finally like the man she sees enough to stay. He’s been hoping and praying. But what can he do when the person he’s been praying for doesn’t want him at all? It feels like there is only one decision he can make. All he can do is step back and hope that she’ll be happy, even if its not with him.

“You know, I can't control her any more than I can control the weather.” So as he latches the tailgate back up and gets into the cab, he hopes that Linley is happy, incandescently unbelievably happy with Bradley Bradshaw. He leaves his Mama and sister in the dust as he pulls away, the sad look on his face mirroring the ones on theirs.

Floyd Plantation, Greeneville, Alabama - Minutes before the wedding

Natasha’s fingers are deft and gentle as she carefully buttons up each of the miniscule buttons at the back of your dress. Your hair and makeup are perfect, you’re wearing your new blue earrings and you should be ready to go. You’ve got the old, the new, the borrowed and the blue, but you can’t recognize the woman you see in the mirror.

“It’s just nerves, Linley.” Natasha’s quick to reassure you. “You’re doing the right thing.”

“Am I?” You turn your head back and forth, gaze caught on prisms of light cast by the blue glass earring you’re wearing. 

“He can give you the life we dreamed about when we were penniless and living in the dorms at FIT off of instant noodles and our dreams of success.” She’s resplendent in a periwinkle blue gown, her short bob styled into a sleek cap which makes her look effortlessly stylish and elegant. 

“And he adores you, doesn’t he?” You bend obligingly as she arranges your grandmother’s veil over your head, extra careful with the aged fabric as she pins it into place.

“He does, doesn’t he?” Your heart feels like it’s ripping itself into pieces and you’re not going to think about why. You made your choices. Bradley Bradshaw chose you and he adores you. He even says he loves you. You’re not sure you believe it, but affection should get you halfway there at least, right?

As the music plays out across the assembled guests in their finery, you feel electricity in the wind as you take your father’s arm. Natasha proceeds down the aisle in front of you, her pace stately even as thunder rumbles ominously over your head. The audience stands on cue as Wagner’s Bridal Chorus is tunefully played by the orchestra Carole and Bradley hired fpr your wedding. The sky is dark and the breeze is chilly enough to have goosebumps rise along your bare arms and a shiver trailing down your spine. The photographers are clicking away, and Bradley is looking gorgeous in his fitted black tuxedo at the end of the aisle. He’s got a fond, sweet smile on his face at the sight of you. To the audience members, he looks like a man in love. But to you, he looks just a little fake, just a little tired. There isn’t love in his eyes as he looks at you, but pride and satisfaction. What’s the likelihoods that your dad will block Bradley from running after you if you turn tail and book it to his truck?

But that thought comes too late. You’re just about to take Bradley’s hand in front of the minister when the shouting of your nom de plume rings out over the hushed audience. It’s a sharply dressed African American man, and you recognize him seconds before two of the guards Carole hired deck him. 

“Mr. Fitch?” You’re shocked as you tread back down the aisle as fast as your cumbersome dress and heels will allow you. 

“Get your hands off me!” He’s fighting off the guards as much as he’s able to.

You can feel Bradley coming up behind you as you finally find the words and demand, “Wait! Let him go!”

“Linley?” You can hear the confusion in Bradley’s voice as Mr. Fitch straightens his creased suit as much as he can and walks towards you. “Miss Floyd, you are one hard woman to get in touch with.” His voice rings commandingly through the crowd. 

“Mr. Fitch. He signed the papers. What are you doing here?” It seems like everyone is watching your every mood as you hiss the words out. You’re not sure why he’s here at all.

“He did … you didn’t.” At least Mr. Fitch finally seems to realize he has an audience too, because his voice is just as hushes as yours is. 

“What?” Sure enough when he pulls the papers out and shows you the signature tabs, Jake’s signature is in bold ink scrawled across the page, but the tab where you should have signed is empty. You could have sworn you’d signed at least one of the copies before you made your frenzied trip to the post office that morning. But you can’t remember. You’d been completely drugged by the scent of Jake on your skin, by the ghostly feeling of his hands and then also still hungover to boot. “You mean I’m still married?”

You just see the joy on Penny and Amelia’s faces as Mr. Fitch says, “Well, only if you want to be.”

“Oh, for God’s sakes, Linley! I thought you took care of this.” Just when you’re starting to finally feel joy in what should be one of the most joyful days of your life, it is your fiancé’s voice which plummets your mood. Bradley sounds disappointed, even if his face doesn’t reveal it.

“It was an honest mistake, Bradley.” You’re not sure he believes you.

“Well, then, can we fix it before we all get soaked?” Carole’s domineering and nasal voice rings out over the assembled company.

“Does anybody have a pen?” Your voice is thin as you ask that question, and it gratifies you that most of the audience so obligingly searches for a pen in their belongings. Bradley even tries to ask Carole, but her scoff makes your eyes roll just a little even as you search for a pen yourself.

It’s Penny Benjamin, the only mother you’ve ever know who pulls a pen out.

“Darling,” Her voice is soft and filled with as much love as you’ve ever heard. “These things don’t just happen, you know.”

With the pen in hand, you’re filled with so much confusion. All of a sudden you’re seeing Jake and Bradley side by side in front of your eyes. Mr. Fitch is looking at you with the same sympathy you can see in Penny’s face. Every glance you take of Bradley shows him silently urging you to sign the papers. But you can’t. At the moment, you’re not sure why you agreed to marry Bradley anymore. He’s gorgeous, sweet, funny and kind, but he’s so buttoned up all the time, so sure of what he needs to do to succeed. In comparison to him, you’re something of a mess. You couldn’t be organized if you try, and forget it if an idea sparks in your brain. You’d happily give up food, sleep, and hygiene if your ideas manage to make their way onto pages first and then fabric in turn shortly after. It’s a trait of yours Bradley has always hated. But he’s never realized how much of you that is. 

In contrast, you remember what Jake used to act like when you got in that mood. He never minded, carefully coaxing you to eat, to sleep, picking his moments to break your concentration. In truth, that’s probably why you and Jake are kindred spirits. He used to get the same way before big football games, practicing until his muscles gave out and he’d collapse. A part of you wonders if he is the same way with his glasswork. You have a sneaking suspicion he is, and if the bags under his eyes when you saw him at the opening for Deep South Glass, your suspicion would be correct. There was also the matter of how thin and sad he’d looked. Your hand with the pen hovers over the papers. You try to sign the papers the way Bradley and Carole so want you to. But each attempt at putting pen to paper is ultimately unsuccessful. There is something like resignation in Bradley’s face when you put the pen down for the final time and walk toward him.

“Bradley?” He looks oddly surprised that you’re talking to him right now. “You don’t want to marry me.”

“I don’t?” His voice is still light and polite.

“No.” You’re nearly besides yourself in comparison to the cool look in his eyes. “No, you don’t. Not really.” Your throat is tight and your head is spinning as you carefully try to think of words to tell Bradley the truth without breaking his heart. 

“You see, the truth is, I gave my heart away a long time ago.” There’s a sob building in your throat as you say the words because you can see Bradley’s heart break the more you say. You fell in love with Bradley Bradshaw a long time ago because of his big heart. “My whole heart and I never really got it back.”

“I don’t even know what else to say, but I’m sorry.” You sniffle as you hand the ring, the beautiful Tiffany ring back to him. “I can’t marry you, and you shouldn’t want to marry me.”

“Wow.” Of everything you’d expect the man you’re leaving at the altar to say, “Wow” is not something you’d have expected. “So this is what this feels like.”

You chuckle despite your tears, because something tells you that Bradley is going to be just fine after this botched wedding.

“That’s it?!” Carole’s screech nearly takes your eardrums out; it is that high pitched. “You’re just going to let her humiliate you with some bullshit about an old husband?” If there was a member of your collective friends and family who were unaware of what was happening, well, there isn’t a hope of that now.

“Yeah, mom. I think I am.” Bradley smiles softly at you, kisses your knuckles and walks away, murmuring ‘Excuse Me’ to the guests as he does. You think there is a pep to his step as he strides away, and he looks lighter, happier.

“Well, in my entire life, I have never met anyone so manipulative, so deceitful! And I’m in politics!” There’s something menacing in Carole Bradshaw’s voice and tone as she marches closer to you. 

“I -” You’re more than a little discomfitted. “I’m just trying to be honest, Carole. Your son deserves that.”

“I will not allow the future President of the United States to be dumped at the altar by some psycho Daisy Mae! You go after him now, you little bitch!” Well, at least she’s showing her true colors now. The guests gasp the moment she starts cursing you out, and surprisingly, Penny and your dad step up in front of you like a physical shield at your ex-fiancé’s mother’s vitriol.

“Wait just a minute. There’s no need for name-calling, now.” Penny is angry, her placid demeanor melting into the mien of a mama bear out for blood as she glares at the Mayor of New York like she’s an unruly bar patron.

“My daughter spoke her piece and that’s all there is to it, Carole.” That it’s your dad who defends you just seems to have made Carole angrier. But she seems to realize that she can’t attack Maverick Mitchell on his home turf. Instead she turns back to Penny in her simple black dress and growls, “Oh, go back to your double-wide and fry something!”

That’s about when you’ve had enough of the almighty righteousness of Carole Bradshaw. You take one step forward, square up your hips like your daddy taught you how to years ago and take one almighty swing. Your fist makes contact satisfyingly with the bridge of the nose she’s always proclaimed is perfect with a thwack and a very satisfying crunch. She looks dazed as she lands on the soft grass. Her nose may be bleeding just a little, and that makes you grin vindictively.

“Nobody talks to my mama like that!” Beau Simpson is there to help prop her up, but you could care less about the crazed Mayor of New York. Nat giggles as you hand her your bouquet and you smile softly at your dad as he hands you his truck keys. At the moment, the rain lets loose, deluging the pretty flowers and satin chairs and beautifully dressed people in moments.

“Hey y’all! If you're friends of the bride, stick around!” Your proclamation is filled with whoops of glee from all the people you love in Pigeon Creek. “I’m going to go find me a groom!”

I DO NOT CONSENT TO HAVE MY WORK POSTED, TRANSLATED, OR PUBLISHED ON ANY SITES OTHER THAN ON AO3, ON WATTPAD, OR ON TUMBLR BY ME. IF YOU SEE MY WORKS ANYWHERE OTHER THAN HERE, ON WATTPAD, OR TUMBLR, THEN THEY HAVE BEEN POSTED WITHOUT MY PERMISSION AND I WILL BE WORKING TO TAKE THEM DOWN.

Taglist:

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[shhh-secret-time]

Hello!

Two questions:

One: where do you get your inspiration for writing?

Two: who's you're favorite south park character?

I love you! Drink some water!

Hi! Thank you for reminding me! Twizzlers and a Coors Light Beer is not dinner, but it is a good intro to this answer haha!

For the first question that's a tough one so I'm going to warn you all, BIG RANT AHEAD!

My biggest inspiration for the reader inserts are you guys. There's a reason in my ao3 I leave those kind words and words of affirmation after every story. I need every single person who reads my things to know that I care about you guys.

You read it all the time that story tellers, artists, and musicians are nothing without their audience. And it's absolutely true. I cannot stress enough that even though you know nothing about me, and I know nothing about you, doesn't mean I don't care.

I love people so very much. I think we as humans have the greatest gift this universe could have ever given us.

We have the compacity to love so much. With so many different ways to love!

It could be romantic, platonic, familial, whatever! We have it. That's so fucking awesome!

So if I can express that love and make you feel better, just a little bit, by writing these situations where you are loved. Then I'm going to do it.

As for the scenes and settings, I usually carry a outrageous, over-the-top, bright pink notebook around with me. It is so ugly and atrocious, but I remember it because of that. I write down thoughts I have throughout the day and things I see.

Aside from that, I take in the works of others. I let it show me a different way of thinking and perceiving situations I wouldn't have otherwise. There are artists on this website that absolutely blow me away and keep me humble. I've got much to learn, and I'm so excited to do it!

Music honestly it the biggest source of this. I have so many Playlist of moods for scenes and emotions I need to tap into. (That's another thing that makes humans so fucking awesome)

Like. As an artist you need to invoke a feeling using colors and shapes. If you ever stop to think about that, that's so amazing. A little circle shaped and molded to make you feel happy. Melancholy. At peace. Nostalgic.

Like holy fuck dude.

A storyteller does the same with words and moments like this.

I think a thing a lot of creators, including myself, tend to do that keeps their work from their absolute best. Is the fact that we want so badly to take the image we have in our head and the feelings in our hearts and put it in our work and hope you get that exact feeling!

But I think letting the person enjoying our work and coming to their own feelings and conclusions at times is what puts the spice in a really good dish!

For my Pomegranates and Honey story, that's what I'm trying to do. I have experiences and emotions that I know other people have felt, or they need help feeling. You know when you listen to a sad song so you can cry and feel a little better, I want to capture that but with the pains of growing up.

People are going to move on. There are some that are going to change and grow with or without you. It sucks, it hurts, but you have to accept it. Grow at your own pace, find something that works for you. Things that get you through this frustrating world.

For me it's writing. For me it's love.

So yeah, that's my inspiration. Veeeeery long winded answer, short.

As for my favorite character?

It's a tie between Stan and Kyle. Kyle because I love that little dude, I love what the Fandom has let him grow into. The fact that this community took these circles and went, "Yeah this is awesome."

Kyle has character traits that I admire in a human being. The will to just go. That temper of his is funny don't get me wrong, but I admire that so much. What I would give to just feel anger like that, to express my frustration so freely. He's caring to those around him, and he had a strong sense of morals. He isn't afraid to stand up when those morals are put into question. He's not afraid to defend those he loves, even if they may not always be in the right!

Stan is my favorite because everything about him I feel. That fear of not being good enough for anyone, so you try to pull the spotlight on you. Real talk, I used to be a very self-absorbed person growing up. I would actively deny ever wanting it, but if I ever found out my friends did something without me, I'd feel hurt. The need to be wanted so very badly is still there, but I'm better about it. Stan struggles with depression, we all know that. But the feeling of watching everyone you know move on while you're stuck in this fucking pit, and sometimes it feels like it's too much. Yeah I feel that. I love Stan because I want to see him get better, I wanna see me get better.

So, thank you so very much for these questions. I love, love, love things like this! Please feel free to ask more. It's never a bother!