#idk if anyone has already made this as a fic but I've been thinking about it

[eggcats]

Bowuigi fic where the entire reason Bowser spends all his time kidnapping Princess Peach to marry her is because the first time he kidnapped "Princess Peach" it was actually Luigi and they had an actual connection.

Like, the first time Bowser does his whole "kidnap the princess" scheme, he's intending it more as a show of force to take over another kingdom or negotiate terms of trade or something. (Not saying he's Right, but hey he was trying as a new monarch.)

So he shows up, and is like "Surrender to me the Princess, or I deploy my troops and destroy your toads!" Like an ultimatum or something.

So! In a panic, Luigi and Peach swap outfits and they go into disguise as each other. (This ultimatum gives them the time to pull this off.) Peach so she can escape and rally help to rescue Luigi, and Luigi because they don't know what Bowser intends and they don't want Peach to be in any legitimate danger. (They've literally never met Bowser before this, who knows what he's going to do!!!)

Except! Peach!Luigi and Bowser never get to determining terms of trade or anything, because they start talking and hit it off. Peach!Luigi meets Jr and Bowser sees how good "she" is with his youngest kid, and now suddenly Bowser IS thinking of marrying her and making her Jr's mama.

Bowser even says a cringe-corny pickup line to Peach!Luigi and while Kamek is facepalming in the background, "Peach" is blushing and laughing at it, enjoying their banter.

By the time Mario shows up to rescue "Peach" all "her" and Bowser have done so far is have dinner, say cringe flirts to each other, and play house with Jr. Literally nothing was accomplished except Bowser thinking he has a girlfriend now.

(Luigi might have forgotten that he probably shouldn't flirt with the dude kidnapping him, especially not dressed as someone else. Listen, he's under a lot of pressure and Bowser made him dinner and introduced him to his son, sue him.)

Luigi then assures Peach that Bowser wasn't doing anything mean or cruel to "her" and that he's actually pretty decent, all things considered (he did still kidnap her, after all.) So now they know that the next time Peach is captured (for real this time) they still, obviously, need to rescue her but it's not a critical life or death situation.

Except the next time Bowser shows up, he just tries to talk to Peach. But she won't even listen to him or give him the time of day! So! He kidnaps her, hoping that doing the same thing as last time will reignite their chemistry, but nothing he does works! She's not even that interested in talking to Jr this time around!!

Obviously Mario did something to make his Peach no longer like him! How dare he!

And so, the "kidnap the princess and marry her" schemes arise, because Bowser KNOWS somewhere in there Peach still likes him, he just has to remind her! If she spends enough time with him she'll come around!

More drama is that sometimes Bowser will kidnap Peach!Luigi again and they hit it off fine, so Bowser KNOWS his plans are working!! Peach does actually like him, he's just not trying hard enough.

Luigi doesn't even think HE'S the cause of all this Bowser drama because, like, of COURSE Bowser would want the princess? She's a princess? He doesn't realize that the ONLY reason Bowser wants the princess is because of him. (Luigi in no way thinks he's special enough to have caused all this. This could be in part because he doesn't know that "marry the princess" was never even Bowser's original scheme.)

Maybe one time during a kidnapping Bowser will lament to the real Peach about what changed since the first time he kidnapped her? They had such a connection! And Peach has to reveal to Luigi after the fact that, hey, I think I'm getting kidnapped because Bowser has a crush on you? What did you SAY to him???

Who knows what turn of events will eventually reveal the truth on who he actually connected with, or how he handles it.

[wonustars]

𝘋𝘰 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘙𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦 ? (Teaser)

𖦹 pairing: yoon jeonghan x reader 𖦹 wordcount: 15k+ (this teaser: 643 words)

𖦹 genre: enemies to roommates to lovers, slowburn, angst, fluff, smut (mdni 18+) (none in this teaser though)

𖦹 summary: your first day at your new university you spill coffee on an unsympathetic asshole. unfortunately for you that unsympathetic asshole becomes your roommate. 𖦹 in other words: you and jeonghan get off on the wrong foot, but through forced proximity and a snow day in due to a storm, you learn that your roommate is more than just the campus playboy.

𖦹 tags: non-idol!au, uni!au, e2l!jeonghanxreader, campusplayboy!jeonghan, roommate!jeonghan, afab!reader, bestfriend!booseoksoon, joshua is jeonghan's accomplice in everything, reader is the only one who knows how to cook, jeonghan is king of the sassy man apocolypse. (more will be added in the full fic) 𖦹 smut tags/warnings will be added in the full post.

𖦹 taglist form. you can also comment or send an ask but the form is preffered! :) thank u

𖦹 note: this jeonghan fic idea has been cooking in my head for a longgggg while now. idk when it'll be out but cosidering i'll have more down time, i'd say by the end of this month? but it really depends so sorry in advance if i take longer than that lol. i've also decided to make a google form for anyone who wants to be added to the tag list (you must be 18+ though, and i will check if your age is in your bio), as well as a permanent one if you'd like! anyways see you all soon! mwah - anna.

Read More Here.

You hate Yoon Jeonghan. The moment you met him, you hated him.

It had taken you about ten seconds to get on his bad side. All it took was a cup of iced coffee and a random bump in the sidewalk. In the blink of an eye, your freshly made latte had become a wet coffee-coloured stain on Jeonghan’s bright white shirt. Mortified, you apologized profusely, not knowing what else to do.

Everything happened so fast, that you didn’t even realize you were tripping and then spilling your drink onto him. 

“What the fuck is your problem?” He spits at you, his eyes cold as ice. 

Your cheeks heat up fast, and you’re stuttering your words all over the place. To say the least, you felt bad, you haven’t even been here for more than 24 hours and you were already fucking up badly. Just a few hours ago you were ready to start fresh, starting a new semester at the University you transferred to from your hometown. 

Looking back up at the man who was currently staring you down, you begin to take napkins out of your bag to wipe his shirt. A yelp escapes your lips once you feel him slap your hand away from his chest. 

“I said what the fuck is your problem?” He repeats himself, the fire in his eyes flaming against the light of the afternoon sun. 

“I’m sorry, I tripped and-” You begin to explain yourself but he cuts you off, not wanting to hear your sorry excuse of an explanation. 

“I don’t care that you tripped, you spilt your drink on me.” He seethes, clenching his jaw as he talks. 

Now you’re equally as pissed as him, you stare at him for a second trying to see if he’s joking because he couldn’t be serious right now. Quickly, you realize that he is indeed not joking, if anything he’s more serious than you were when you told your parents you were moving away. 

“I’m sorry I spilt my drink but it was an honest mistake. It’s a stain, you can wash your shirt.” You scoff at him, unbelievable, you thought. As you roll your eyes, you watch him get red in the face with anger. 

Jeonghan is a lot more frustrated now that you’re giving him attitude, after the fact that you were the one to stain his clothes.  His fists begin to ball at his sides, who does this girl think she is, he asks himself.

“You’ve got a lot of nerve. You can’t just talk to me that way.” It was his turn to scoff at you, this petty fight between the two of you not going anywhere. 

You look him up and down, you could take him in a fight if it came down to it, or at least that's what you like to tell yourself. His body is a lot on the slimmer side, his looks seem to be his only redeeming quality. Long-haired, with long eyelashes, he was a pretty boy, you’ll admit that much. Yet his personality is not in harmony with his looks, and you found it to be quite surprising. How can someone so good-looking be so spiteful? 

“Too bad, I’ve already apologized and tried to make up for my actions. Didn’t Mommy tell you life isn’t always fair?” You mockingly pout up at him as he towers over you. Before Jeonghan could come up with a rebuttal, you walk past him, purposefully knocking your shoulder with his.

“Hey! I wasn’t done with you! You’ll regret this day!” He shouts at your figure as you walk away from the scene. As you walk away you pray to the gods that this is the last you’ll see of the long-haired pretty boy. 

Little did you know, your prayers had done the opposite of what you asked.

© wonustars

𝄒𓏲࣪ . ⩇⩇ 𝄒 𖥻 a/n: my bad all, ik it's another uni au please dont hate me T-T. i promise i'll do something different next time BUTTTT i'm literally only about 1.5k words in but i'm already excited to share it with you all! please look forward to it :)))

[fearandhatred]

what are your favorite good omens fics??

WOO REC TIME thank u for asking!! you may want to ask again after i've finished my resolution of reading all my mutuals' fics though because i've barely had the time to read anything these past few months... so i don't have much bookmarked lol but here are a few anyway! (from earliest read to most recent)

-----

mourning doves by sleepyimpulse (Words: 22,686 Chapters: 7/7)

“I’m sorry,” he registered himself saying between heaving sobs. “I’m so sorry, Crowley, I’m so sorry. Forgive me, please, please forgive me.” He hadn’t meant to say it like that, he knew the words were all wrong (he would never find the right ones). But the pain was coming at him in every direction and something, something had to give, and so he clung to Crowley like a life preserver. Crowley bent his body over Aziraphale’s and slowly, surely, pressed a kiss to his bloodied forehead. “I can’t,” he whispered, and Aziraphale went unconscious. (Aziraphale falls, post season 2)

this was one of the very first good omens fics i read and one thing about me is i LOVE this type of angst. so so good and such a nice exploration of crowley's struggle with what forgiveness is. gorgeous and so angsty. have i said that already. angst galore

say yes to me (i've got my eye on you) by thehappyyears (Words: 11,983 Chapters: 1/1)

It’s a pleasant evening much like many pleasant evenings this month, so Crowley doesn’t expect anything unusual when he makes himself comfortable on his side of the couch and lets Aziraphale select the wine. Which is why he’s resolutely caught off guard when Aziraphale disappears into a backroom, which Crowley always assumed was a wine cellar, and then turns around, darkness behind him and low, warm light gilding his hair and making his eyes bright. He’s breathtaking, he’s so beautiful, his eyes are so dark. “Crowley,” he breathes. Or, Crowley and Aziraphale have sex.

this is THE epitome of service top crowley. all hail service top crowley. also it's just so well-written and seamless. also i don't want this list to be too long so if smut is your thing then i recommend literally anything by focusfixated or zehwulf or Ineffably_Yours

Zmija by Himitsu_no (Words: 3,185 Chapters: 4/4)

He'd sigh in annoyance and hide his face in the angel's chest. "Said if they lived longer they'd have more time to become nasty and corrupted little shits, do all sorts of evil deeds and the likes. They never questioned it and went as far as warn me in advance of all the bigger natural disasters." Aziraphale would laugh and his fingers find their way into the red locks with practiced ease, and he'd bend to kiss the top of his head. "Did they do that, though? The evil deeds." Crowley would smile despite himself, eyes closed and leaning into the caress. "About a dozen, maybe. The rest were just... ordinary humans doing ordinary stuff." There'd be a long pause in which the angel would take it all in, and the demon would replay many of it in his mind with unease. Then Aziraphale would speak again, voice barely a whisper, "How long were you in Mesopotamia after the flood, my love?"

yeah i have this in my bookmarks but i have not touched it ever since i read it the first time because. it hurts me :) idk if it's because of my mommy and daddy issues but the whole crowley being good with kids tropes makes me so sad. and also this fic is just. devastating to me. i really should leave a comment but i don't want to read it again fr

when i knew love’s perfect ache by sugarskulled (Words: 1,834 Chapters: 1/1)

A demon can't touch that which has been made holy by God. Crowley knows this well as anyone. And Aziraphale? Aziraphale is so holy it burns.

this is definitely one of my favourite good omens fics of all time. angst again and so bittersweet i think about it so often

better to read and eat cake in a Soho bookshop than to reign in Hell by Kaesa (Words: 35,717 Chapters: 5/8)

When Aziraphale flees Heaven with the Book of Life, he's planned for it -- he's alerted other angels stationed on Earth to Heaven's plans, and asked them to take steps so that humans won't get caught up in the inevitable battle he faces with the other archangels. But Crowley shows up too, and he doesn't know the plan, and in the chaos Aziraphale leaps in front of a terrible blow meant for Crowley. And so, still very angry with him, Crowley must get him back to the bookshop (which is full of annoying angels) and help him heal, and try to figure out how to move past their previous fight, because, sure, he's mad at Aziraphale, but he doesn't want him to die. But soon enough it becomes clear that Aziraphale isn't necessarily dying. He is changing, and no one quite knows what to expect, because this situation has only happened once before, when Supreme Archangel Lucifer Fell and became Satan.

this fic has everything tbh and it's one i keep coming back to. the smut is great AND well-written and besides that the plot itself is so good??? the writing overall is just gorgeous tbh. slight body horror too :) the moment this updates i will be all over it like a rabid dog

Dear Angel by crowleys_bentley_and_plants (Words: 3,379 Chapters: 13/?)

A collection of emails addressed to a certain Aziraphale, found on the computer of a lonely demon.

poetic and hard-hitting and interconnected and also tells a story. through emails!! also the last lines of every chapter always knock me out lmaoo

to hold you like a bouquet by gravitron (Words: 10,676 Chapters: 1/1)

Crowley and Aziraphale, as told by history’s flowers.

can y'all read this fic oh my god i'm gonna fight everyone. so so beautifully written and well-structured. you know what i'm just gonna copy and paste part of my comment on here because yeah: i love your writing it's just. The Way Yo uWrite. The Words. your way with words. etc. and some of your sentences have a directness to them that's so effective. and the way you incorporated the flowers into every part of the story is like... so tastefully done I'm obsessed

[fiercynn]

bad buddy fandom getting-to-know-you meme!

since there are both recent newcomers to bbs fandom and people like me who are new to bbs tumblr, i thought i'd create a getting-to-know-you meme for people to introduce themselves if they want! all questions are optional

note: i consider "fanworks" to pretty much everything people create related to a fandom, including but not limited to meta/analysis/discussion, gifs, fanvids/edits/fancams, filk, fanart, fanfic, fan food, fan crafts, etc. please include this note with the meme unless you have a different definition!

name and whatever you want to share about yourself

hi i'm deepa! i'm indian-american, in my 30s, queer, and agender – please use my name (either deepa or fiercynn is fine) instead of pronouns when referring to me!

when did you watch bad buddy/join the fandom?

i watched the whole show in the course of about 36 hours just about two weeks after the finale had aired, in february 2022! i joined bbs fandom on twitter soon after and have been there ever since, but i’ve only really been interacting on tumblr in the last few months

favorite ship(s)

patpran and inkpa…i'm a traditionalist ig lol

favorite character(s)

it’s so hard to choose but i think it has to be pran! i love his pining and his cockiness and his anxiety and his kindness and his grumpy faces. really channeling pat right now aren’t i

favorite episode(s)

episode 5 for obvious reasons; my second-favorite is a tie between episode 3 and episode 8 i think

favorite scene(s)

rooftop kiss, episode 3 bus stop scene, episode 8 backstage apology scene, and episode 9 picnic bench hand-holding scene

one thing you would change about the show if you could

LET INKPA KISS GDI

what are your some of your favorite fanworks made by other people?

ughhhhhh SO HARD TO CHOOSE and i think i'll do a longer rec list sometime but here are some of the earliest fanworks i engaged with that really set the stage for how i think about bbs

dynamic (fic, patpran) by riddles2 on ao3: one of the first fics i read in the fandom, it’s pat’s pov through episode 5 and it’s absolutely seminal imo

international love song (fanart/animation, patpran) by @architectxengineer: science is one of those incredibly multitalented people who writes, makes fanart, and animates?? among other things??? and this animation is sooooooo gorgeous and makes my heart absolutely melt

same page (vid, patpran) by dkyth73 on youtube: such a good fanvid of the show that p’aof himself tweeted about it!!!!

(if you create fanworks) what are your favorite fanworks that you’ve made?

traffic was slow for the crash years (fic, patpran): gotta plug my baby, right? this is my patpran fake dating au which is 80k words and was so fun to create!

we both know you’re my only dream (fic, patpran): on the other end of the length spectrum, this 1k fic is one of my favorite things i've written ever

just being friendly (vid, patpran) co-vidded with @scribescribe: yes i know this is an msp song but we made the vid before msp aired!! i think it’s very cute hehe

a song that makes you think of bbs (the ones in the show don’t count lol)

since “just being friendly” is already obvious from me and scribe making a vid to it lol, i'm going to say “keeping tabs” by niki, which is extremely pran-coded. like. look at the lyrics. doesn't it seem like it was written to be about pran’s feelings at boarding school, where he misses pat desperately and hopes pat’s thinking of him but is also trying to convince himself that pat’s forgotten him and that everything pran wanted from him was just a delusion on his part. PRAN 😭 😭 😭

idk anything else you want us to know?

i have opinions about pran’s sweaters

okay i'm literally going to tag all of my tumblr mutuals that i think are still in the fandom (if i missed anyone sorry!!), but also if you want to do the meme consider yourself tagged! please don’t let this flop lol 🤞🏽

@citystoryscapes @nicolasechs @architectxengineer @mahuhumaling @manogirl @galauvant @miscellar @monamay @dancing-out-in-space @melto @incandescentflower @loveongsa @dimplesandfierceeyes @geonbaeeee @faillen @cinnamonseadragon @inkpaa @yourunwiththewolves @prany @pranpats @teesemomma @iathefurrr @inventedfangirling @sharingfandoms @lamonnaie @maychild @thegayneurodivergentagenda @mistergreaves @dudeyuri @nyttvera @thecriers @threezoz @wontbotherrn @not0nmain

[corruptimles]

Are you ever going to make team silly vision Stuff again?? It's ok if you're not I'm just interested if you are

It's a difficult question to answer..!

See, I've never completely lost interest in tsv, I still occasionally draw and try to remotivate myself into updating my fic, but I definitely declined in how often I draw/write batim ).m <- my budgie wrote that

And one of the reasons why things have slowed down is actually something I've been thinking about lately. Ppl on Tumblr have been less interactive over the years; a mix of ppl leaving and also ppl joining that don't reblog+tag, reply, ask, etc as often anymore. This has progressing for years now, even back then. And then less art gives even less reason for interaction; an awful cycle. (And idk anyone has an answer for this but on twt whenever I interact with people that comment on my stuff first, they delete their comment entirely. I don't get it. But it definitely made me demotivated)

I also probably fell out of view with not keeping up with batdr and such, so I kind of understand if people haven't been talking to me for those lol

I won't never draw tsv again, I've thought of so much stuff I want to get out there, but sometimes I think about stuff that requires context from years ago because I started it in 2018. And then reintroducing stuff feels like beating a dead horse ;; I am glad some ppl are still interested so don't be afraid to ask about tsv! It'd really help get the creativity going again and also help my problem of not knowing what people get

At the very least, between a lot of non-batim comics and AUs I've been playing with, I want to finish Team Sillyvision, The First Part since I've already started that fic

[suspendingtime]

20 Questions for Fic Writers!

I've been tagged by @stars-of-kyber and @andthebubbles. 😁 So although I feel barely qualified, I guess I best do this...

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

7. 🤗

I started about 2 months ago, so... and yes, they're all Kanthony. Initially just started as a way of contributing to Anthony Week 2023, and I didn't even expect that I'd actually do all 7 days.

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

13,370.

Currently ranging at 661 to 3,779 per fic. Rookie numbers!

3. What fandoms do you write for?

So far, just my beloved Bridgerton.

But there have been a couple other shows that have tempted me...

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Astride  - 166

Nursery  - 118

Hunt - 105

Yours - 94

Temptation - 88

Having published a handful with various ratings, it's quite interesting to see the kudos, bookmarks (private vs public), and subs ratios! Much to think about.

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Yes.

Why... I sort of have a need? Idk, when I see a comment it's hard to just leave it hanging there and not to reply. Like irl if someone looked at something I made and verbally commented on it... and I just stared back blankly not saying anything. 😐 This is how it feels to me on the receiving end at least haha. And my replies saying various forms of 'Thank you!' is probably quite repetitive, but hey ho.

Plus comments give you that lil hit of dopamine; from both povs as a writer or reader. Being on the reader side for most of my Ao3 activities I tend to comment on most of fics I read, I can't help it - I must tell you what I loved about it and why, and there's a pleasure in reciprocating that back too. Look, now I've written half an essay on the subject, gaaah. (I've not been on Ao3 as much as I'd like to recently, and because I opened it to scoop out the stats for some of the questions above I can now see that I have some unreads... and the need is happening.)

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Hmmm *thinking really hard*, I don't think any of them have an ending that is all that angsty. If I had to choose, maybe Temptation?

The pattern I've shown so far in my posted works is that it's gonna be 90% fluff. Though that is liable to change. 😆

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Probably Nursery?

I'm not sure, cause they've all ended on a pretty optimistic note so far. But that one has Kate and Anthony with a few of their kids, so it's the furthest on the Kanthony HEA timeline.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Not yet...

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Ummm 👀 I may have dabbled in some smut.

What kind... hm, the kind where both people are panting for each other, and end up caving because they literally can't hold their horniness in anymore (this totally explains why I went feral for Bridgerton S2, ha). Another pattern I seem to have is making Anthony a submissive man puddle.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

Not yet, but I do have some crack ideas I may explore.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of, I very much doubt it.

How often does this happen to people?

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

No. I'd certainly be all for it if anyone ever wanted to translate any works of mine. 😊

If I was proficient enough to write in other languages, then I would probably try publishing the different versions from the get go.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Kinda?

Nothing formal, but there was a lengthy comment thread on Reddit some months ago where myself and another user went back and forth re-writing the script for that stormy library scene 😅 (not so much re-writing what was already there, bar the last few lines, more of a continuation in a universe where Kate hadn't fled).

14. What’s your all-time favourite ship?

Must I even answer this? Kanthony, c'mon now.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

There's only 1 work that I have, where I've actually started a chapter 2. And I have all the faith that I will finish it. ✍️🤓

Other potential WIPs, that are currently just posted as one shots, only exist in my head... who knows if they will see the light of day.

16. What are your writing strengths?

This question feels illegal to be asked.

I have no idea, I'm very new to this whole writing thing. At least in terms of fiction, so I'm not sure what I'd consider my strengths to be. I feel like I need some more practice before I can get a real sense of this?

I would say that dialogue usually comes very quickly to me, and it's having to fill in the bits around it that takes more brain muscles. So that might indicate something.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Everything apart from the answer to the question above.

But really I think it's remembering that there is a world outside of the main couple happening, and trying to describe the details there. Also other general 'setting the scene' stuff like clothing, weather etc etc. I usually just want to jump straight in with some random dialogue.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

On writing it... no thoughts; not done it yet!

If I needed to for some unknown fic reason in the future, I'm sure I'll be apologising profusely in the author notes for trusting Google translate and probably butchering whatever language it is.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Still just the one so far, Bridgerton. 😌

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

Hunt 🥺🥹 I was a lot of feels, and just very indulgent tbh.

I also really enjoyed my shortest one, Obedient, which was in 2nd person (hadn't done that before). The writing of that one was just really fun and I idky but I've reread it quite a bit!

__________________________________________________

I'm woefully looking at my Ao3 bookmarks (which has grown exponentially since joining Tumblr), full of things that I've not got round to reading yet. So I'm tagging partly based on stuff hanging out on top of that pile: @islemeadow, @ladykettlechips, @hydriotaphia, @eleanor-bradstreet, and the smut aunties @colettebronte & @fayes-fics 😋 (if y'all wanna do it, ofc. I tried to find those who hadn't been tagged/done it yet, sorry if you've actually already done this and I've just not found it).

[dotster001]

A Real Fairytale

Summary: Yan! Rook x gn!reader. Fairytales have a grain of truth in them.

MDNI 18+ for violence and dark depictions normally I'm a 16+ blog but this one got dark so just skip it

CW: Major character death, like, lots of it, Yan! Themes, unhealthy mindsets, injury, beheading, depictions of bodies, blood, supernatural allusions, survivors guilt, ptsd, probably more but idk what else

A/N:I was thinking about old fashioned fairytales, and started writing one in my head, and thus this fic was born. this is a dark one, but I really like how it came out, so even if this has a smaller audience, I don't mind

"Just one more story, mama!"

"Okay, but it has to be a short one."

"I want the one where the hunter falls in love and becomes king!"

"Alright then, Once upon a time…"

In the kingdom of Pomefiore there lived a fair and just king. Beloved by all his subjects, he was blessed with three children. The third born was strong and smart, so he was destined to lead the king's armies. The second born was blessed with empathy and wisdom, and was destined to be the king's adviser. But the firstborn was gifted with all these things, as well as fairness and beauty, and thus was called "the Fairest treasure of the king's court", throughout the land.They were destined to rule the kingdom in a peaceful prosperous reign.

"Well fuck that."

"Epel! Language!"

"Geeze, Neige, you're starting to sound like father," Epel rolled his eyes as you snickered.

"Epel, you've been spending too much time with the stable boy," you said.

"It's not my fault Deuce is more interesting than you two," Epel said, pinching you and Neige in the side for good measure.

"If I swore like you father would have my hyde," you said, attempting to pinch Epel back.

"Well I'm not the court's greatest treasure," Epel mocked in a fancy voice. Before you could smack the back of his head, a large shadow flew overhead.

"Run," Epel said.

One day, a terrifying creature invaded their lands, and filled the people with terror. The king made a proclamation that anyone who slew the creature could choose from any of his treasures. Many a knight tried and failed to slay the monster.

Everyday the same argument. While you and Neige helped settle and feed the displaced villagers, Epel would argue with your father.

"Just let me take a group and try to kill it! You've said yourself, my strategy is better than anyone's!"

"I've lost too many lives, I can't lose you too. Not now when our people need the three of you so they have hope in the future," your father said sternly.

"This shit would be over if-"

"Language, Epel."

One day, a young hunter approached the king.

"Your majesty, I will slay the monster for you."

"So it shall be done. And what shall be your prize if you succeed?"

"I have been told your firstborn is the fairest treasure of your court. I will receive their hand in marriage."

Now the king did not wish to relinquish his firstborn to a peasant, but considering his most powerful knights had been vanquished, he had no fear the hunter would fall as well.

"Pardon?" A lyrical voice said behind you.

You stood up from the woman you were bandaging up to greet the newcomer. He was clearly a hunter, his bow slung across his back, his vivid green eyes observing you intently.

"A new batch already?" You asked tiredly.

It was your duty to look out for your people who sought safety in the castle, but taking care of all these people, many injured beyond saving, was taking its toll on your spirits.

"Non, non, I am here to speak with your father."

You looked at him for a minute, then nodded.

"Alright, Neige, can you finish bandaging her up?"

Neige quickly took your place as you lead the way to your father. Unsurprisingly, he was having another fight with your brother. But the both of them ceased fighting when the hunter cleared his throat.

"My most fair King Vil, my name is Rook Hunt. I am a simple hunter who seeks to take up your challenge."

Epel groaned, and flopped into the seat next to his father.

Vil raised a single eyebrow.

"I mean no offense, especially since hunters are a vital part of our economy, but how do you intend to slay a beast that armies of my most trained men have failed to best?"

"I am a very good hunter."

Epel snorted, but Vil sent him a nasty glare.

"And should you succeed, what would be your chosen prize?"

Rook's green eyes flicked to you, and he smiled sweetly.

"Their royal Highness, Y/N, firstborn to his Majesty Vil Schoenheit, and greatest jewel in Pomefiore's crown."

Your jaw dropped, and Epel bolted upright.

"Absolutely not!"

"Epel-"

"He's crazy! Y/N's not a prize! I won't stand for him speaking about my sibling this way!"

"Epel!" Vil snapped, shutting him up. "Should he be as good a Hunter as he says, then it would be a fair prize."

Your father was angry. He wanted this man to die. And you couldn't say you blamed him. The hunter was asking for a kingdom.

"Then we are agreed. I shall see you in the morning to claim my prize," Rook gracefully took your hand, and pressed a kiss to your knuckles, making eye contact the entire time, before leaving with a bow.

"I hope he dies slowly," Epel muttered under his breath, before hugging you tightly.

Your father, a diplomat as ever, simply nodded before hugging you tightly.

What the king did not know was that the hunter had been abandoned in the forest as a babe, and raised by the goddess of the hunt herself. Her final gift to him was a bow that always struck it's mark.

With a single shot, the hunter slayed the monster, and the people rejoiced. He returned to the king to claim his prize.

"Your majesty! You should have seen it!"

A crowd had come to the castle, surrounding the hunter as he nonchalantly carried the head of the beast.

"He slew the monster with a single shot!"

"Our kingdom is saved!"

Whilst the people were singing his praise, Rook dropped the head and made a beeline towards you, face giving away nothing.

Your father stepped directly in front of him, halting his progress.

"You have my thanks, dear hunter. Please, join us for a celebratory dinner."

The hunter looked over at you and smiled, before nodding to your father.

"Gladly. I am quite hungry."

"Please wait outside, so a father can bid a final farewell to his child."

The hunter obeyed. The second born turned to his father and said,

"Father, I look very much like my sibling. Allow me to go in their stead so as to spare you the heartbreak."

Your father kept the hunter away from you the entire banquet. It clearly wasn't easy but you managed to reach nighttime without speaking to him once. You watched Neige talking Rook's ear off, probably trying to persuade him out of it, and your father came and whispered in your ear. 

"Go up to bed. Do not leave your room until I tell you."

You nodded, before turning to leave the room. You felt his eyes on your back the entire way. 

An hour later, Vil spoke to Rook. 

"I have sent Y/N to pack their things, if you are willing to wait here, we wish to say a private goodbye."

"I'm not a cruel man. I wouldn't be so horrible as to deprive your family of a beautiful heartbreaking farewell."

Vil left the room with his sons. Once out of earshot, Neige pulled them to the side.

"Father, I think I can convince him how terrible this is, I just need more time."

"I don't know if we have more time, something's wrong in his eyes. And I think he's out of patience," Epel muttered.

"Give me a glamor potion. Make me look like Y/N. I've trained to reason and advise people my entire life. If I can get one day with him, I'm certain I can change his mind."

Vil stared into Neige's eyes, before slowly nodding.

"I believe you."

With the glamour potion taken, and Neige taking on the guise of Y/N, the hunter bade farewell to Epel and Vil.

The king gave the secondborn a heavy cloak, and escorted him to the gate. But the hunter was not easily fooled.

"Your eyes do not shine as brightly as the firstborn. You are not the true betrothed."

He returned the second born, and promised to return in the morning to retrieve his prize.

You felt eyes on you in your sleep. You must have been imagining it. But you still pretended you were unconscious. Just in case.

Your father picked you up as promised, and told you the plan. The three of you took your breakfast, when a guard entered, his face deathly pale.

"Your highnesses, I bring terrible tidings."

Epel, who had been on edge since the night before shouted, "Spit it out."

The knight shivered, then nodded, before gesturing to the guards who had remained by the door.

You couldn't help the scream that was wrenched from your soul.

For there was your brother, an arrow through his chest, his skin a sickly, chalky, green.

"My god!" Vil stood up and rushed to his son.

"We found him face down in the moat this morning," the knight said, now sobbing.

You were shaking, sobbing, screaming, and everything in between as you tried to rush to your brother.

"Y/N, no," Epel cried, holding you back from the corpse.

"Take Y/N to their room," the king said through sobs, and Epel dragged you out, and away from your beloved brother.

When he arrived, the king spoke again.

"Please wait outside, so a father can bid a final farewell to his child."

The hunter obeyed. The third born turned to his father, saying,

"Father, I look very much like my sibling. Allow me to go in their stead so as to spare you the heartbreak."

After locking you in your room, and placing guards outside your door and window, Epel found his father and slumped into the seat next to him.

"I'm gonna fucking kill him."

"Language, Epel," Vil muttered half heartedly.

"Fuck language! I'm not giving Y/N to that psycho! You know he'll be back. Give me a glamor potion, and I'll finish him off."

"Epel…" 

"You've trained me for this! My job is to protect this kingdom and its future. That future is Y/N. And if that monster gets them, he gets the kingdom."

The king continued staring into the distance.

"You know I'm right," Epel said breathlessly. "I swore an oath to protect Pomefiore, with my life if it came to it. I'm a failure if I don't at least try. Besides…"

He pulled something out of his pocket, and closed his father's hand around it.

"Neige gave this to me before he left. He said you'd know how to use it. If I fail…it'll be time to make a deal."

The king slowly nodded.

The king gave the third born a heavy cloak, and escorted him to the gate. But the hunter was not easily fooled.

"Your laugh does not sing as lightly as the firstborn. You are not the true betrothed."

He returned the third born, and promised to return in the morning to retrieve his prize.

You awoke to what felt like a featherlight kiss to your forehead, so light you could mistake it for the wind. It was still pitch black in your room, but you searched anyway to make sure no one was there. Satisfied that you were truly alone, you fell back into fitful sleep.

The king awoke the next morning to your scream. 

He ran to your room, hearing more screams and shouts on his way. He shoved through the crowd around your door, and saw you staring and screaming at Epel's severed head, sitting on your vanity.

The king, knowing he could not fool the hunter, and being unable to part with his beloved firstborn, lost his mind in grief, and poisoned his child. Not wishing for their beauty to ever fade, he laid them in a coffin of ice.

You and the king stood in the throne room, staring at the item he held in his hand.

"Remember three years ago, when Niege was invited to the Octavinelle King's banquet?"

You nodded.

"The king gave him this. He told him should we have a moment of great need, to blow into it, and help will arrive. But it will come at a cost." His eyes flickered up to you, hollow and broken. "I'm willing to pay it."

He blew into the conch shell, and two shimmering golden shadows slowly solidified in front of you.

"Your majesty. This is a surprise…"

"We were expecting little angelfish," the other blue haired twin finished.

The king filled them in up to this point.

"I have already found a caravan traveling to the Heartslaybul border. I want you to take Y/N with you to the Octavinelle kingdom. You can blend in with the caravan until you reach Heartslaybul, but from there I pray you won't need to stay as hidden."

"Wait," you interrupted, "I thought the Octavinelle kingdom was frozen over this time of year-"

"Yes, but we have a portal that we can use in case of emergencies. We get three uses out of it, and luckily we have one use left for the season," the calmer of the twins explained.

"And for extra protection, I have this," your father handed you a shimmering silver potion. "Drink this and you will be unrecognizable to even your own father."

You looked at him in alarm, and he offered a sad smile.

"It is only for a little while. By the time the ice thaws the Octavinelle King and I will have hopefully come to a way to end this, and I can retrieve you and remove the potion."

Your eyes watered at the thought of leaving your only remaining relative, but you were quickly interrupted by the one you were referring to as "the wild twin" in your head.

"And as to price, Betta Fish…"

"When the time comes I'll pay anything."

The twins nodded in seeming satisfaction, and you downed the silver potion.

When the hunter heard this, he wept with despair. The goddess of love heard his cries, and took pity on him, giving him her blessing.

You stood at the edge of the forest staring at the frozen ocean ahead of you.

"Floyd…"

"I hear him," Floyd whispered in response to his twin. "Go ahead, I'll catch up." 

Floyd turned towards the trees, materializing a staff from the air. You'd learned that combat under the ocean consisted mainly of magic. And Floyd was one of the best.

Jade gave your shoulder a gentle nudge and you both began running across the frozen ocean. The cold air nipped at your skin bitterly, your eyes wanted to freeze shut. But Jade was by your side.

Then he tripped, clutching his chest.

"Floyd," he groaned breathlessly.

He looked up at you, eye's filled with pain.

"Jade," you whispered, your voice choking up.

Jade removed his necklace, and placed it around your neck, before cupping your face.

"When you go through the portal, show that to Azul."

"No, Jade, no," you whimpered.

He turned your face towards a rock formation, before turning it back to him.

"The portal is in the cave by those rocks. Run straight there, and go through, don't look back."

"Jade, the portal will close."

He brushed a tear from your cheek before softly kissing you.

"I'll see you when the ice melts, my love," he gave you a soft smile, summoning his staff.

"Run."

And with a final gentle nudge, you ran.

The hunter kissed the lips of the frozen firstborn, and their eyes fluttered open. 

The cave was freezing, but too quiet. At least compared to the blistering winds outside. You ran through the cave, desperately looking for the portal, when you caught a soft blue glow.

You approached the portal. Your hesitation was just for a moment. And in that moment, you heard a single footstep echo through the cave.

"Jade?" You whispered.

It was a prayer. A plea. A lament.

You were whipped around, and held tightly against a body. Lips were pressed to yours, a knife pressed to your back. Your eyes widened in shock, and you tried to squirm away, only for Rook to press the blade further into your back.

A liquid tasting of apples filled your mouth, and with no other choice you swallowed it down, hoping he would allow you to breathe.

But he didn't. He kissed you harder. Held you tighter. Until a wave of pain shuddered through your body, and you cried out against his mouth.

He released you and you collapsed, writhing on the ground as something was changed inside you. Something wrong…

"There's my Y/N," he hummed, a sweet smile on his face that didn't match the moment.

He yanked the necklace from your throat, and you sobbed as he threw it through the portal, closing it.

"While I do enjoy the chase, it was very naughty of you to try and run from your intended. Thus, I have to punish you, Mon Trickster. Immortality is a fitting burden for your crimes, is it not?"

You cried out as another wave of pain rushed through your bones, your fingertips beginning to go numb with pain.

Meeting his gaze, they fell in love with him instantly.

"You're a monster," you cried through gritted teeth. "Do you truly want to be a king so badly that you had to stoop to murdering everyone Iove?"

His eyes widened, and he gasped, reaching out to stroke your feverish cheek with his pleasantly cool hand.

"That is what you think? Perhaps I've been too hard on you…I do not wish to rule. I would be a poor king in comparison to your highness. Non, non, Mon Trickster! J'taime…"

"What?" You groaned, choking on your own breath, your body now unable to move on its own, no matter how hard you tried.

"I love you. From the moment I laid eyes on the jewel of the court, I knew we were destined by the goddess of love herself to be together."

He pressed another kiss to your lips, this one much softer, much more tender, than the one prior. Once he parted from you, he intertwined his fingers with yours and gave you a lovesick smile.

"And now you're all mine."

The hunter exclaimed, "At last! The true first born! Come my beloved, let us return to your kingdom and be wed!"

He scooped you up in his arms, and all you could do was whimper. 

He walked you out of the cave, and back onto the ice. Now the wind felt good as your flesh burned with the immortality potion he had given you. He walked halfway across the ice, before stopping. You shut your eyes, knowing what you'd see, but refusing to look.

"It's a shame. I would have loved to have had the opportunity to study such magnificent creatures. Mers are so difficult to come by, even in the ocean."

Your eyes burned with tears, but you refused to open them.

"Don't you want to see what you did to him?" Rook hissed in your ear, and you screwed your eyes even tighter.

He gave a disappointed hum, and set you down on the ice. You heard a crack, and rushing water, and by the time you opened your eyes, all you could see was Jade's chalky hand slipping below the surface as the ice refroze over his body.

Rook picked you back up, and nuzzled his cheek against yours, seemingly pleased again. 

"We've wasted enough time here, let's go home."

The world vaporized around you, and before you knew it, Rook was holding you in your father's throne room.

The firstborn joyously agreed, and the people, seeing how happy they both were, punished the wicked king for his crimes. 

"Call for him."

"Huh?"

"Call for him."

After a moment, you knew what he meant. The throne room was currently empty, but if you called for your father…

"No."

He gave you a disappointed look, before standing you up, ensuring he had a firm grip on you, and pulling his knife out. He pulled one of your arms up, pressed a soft kiss to it, then cut a deep wound into your arm.

You released a choked scream, and he pressed another kiss to the wound, laying you down.

The door slammed open as your father ran towards you.

His eyes met Rook's, rage filling his violet gaze.

"You get away from my child!" He shouted, drawing a sword from his robe.

Rook simply held a hand up, and your father rose a foot above the ground. He curled his hand into a fist, and you heard a series of sickening cracks, before your father collapsed to the ground in a lifeless unnatural heap.

The hunter and the first born ruled side by side until the end of their days.

You swore you saw them sometimes.

You swore you could see a flash of lilac hair as the guards passed in the halls.

Or hear a lyrical laugh when his favorite birds started to chirp come springtime. 

You'd see your father standing by the door every time an apple pie was served, and you'd see Floyd in the faces of your younger citizens, who would come and seek your advice on how to ease their burdens.

You'd see Jade everywhere. In the mirror as Rook brushed your hair in the mornings, and whispered how much he loved you. Standing next to you as you sat in your throne and Rook knelt adoringly at your feet.  In the shadows when Rook held you at night.  

Rook saw your phantoms too. And he would simply smile at you and press another kiss along your neck.

and they both lived happily ever after.

Immortality is a fitting burden for your crimes, is it not?

[happilychaengs]

nayeon - love foolish

a/n: this is my longest fic and one of the fics that i've put too much effort into that i'm not so proud but it'd be a big waste of time to not post it. this was an attempt at something new but if anyone doesn't like it or something to improve let me know

Pairing: coworker nayeon x gender neutral reader

Word Count: 4,027

angst? fluff? idk how to describe it

It's Monday, the start of a new week, and as you looked out the window, onlooking onto the people below, you stop to think that you should not have to work extra hours especially when it was the month of Christmas where everyone's taken December off. Though with the shortage of new workers coming in, you quickly realized you should've quit when you had the chance. Tugging at your scarf, your almost frost-bitten fingers fiddled with your ID card as you scanned it and quickly made your way through the foggy glass doors.

Making your way through the office, the only sound you could hear was the clacking of your shoes against the tile floor but not long after, you heard... humming. As you stuck your head around the corner, you saw your cubicle buddy, Nayeon, bobbing her head up and down, humming along to the... office music.

You let out a sigh of disappointment as you figure out you weren't the only one working extra hours and the fact that it was her that was here with you made it even worse. She was infuriatingly annoying. Always pestering you for you to help her finish her assignments and to go drink with her whenever you had the free time. (Which you haven't once accepted) How she hasn't been fired yet is a miracle to you.

(Sadly) she heard you as she turned around on her swivel chair and spotted you, quickly waving and smiling at you. "Good morning Y/N!"

"Morning." you dryly replied before making your way to your desk and turning your monitor on.

"Did you finish that assignment that HR gave last week?" She whispered to you, her lips pursed as she leaned over to look at your screen.

Humming in response, you took out your earbuds and stuck them in your ears which she didn't take kindly to. You could hear her distasteful groan as you felt your earbuds being pulled right out.

"Come on! It's just the two of us in the office today, why'd you put your earbuds in?"

Did you really want to answer that? "Because..." You thought about it. You should break the bad news to her, "you're annoying Nayeon."

Her lips parted as she scoffed, quickly putting her hand on her chest, "Me? Annoying? As if!"

You raised your eyebrows at her and let out a small chuckle, "You don't think so?"

"I know so! If you went out to drink with me once, you'd know that I'm like the most perfect person to exist in the world!"

"Mmm... I don't think so." Putting your earbuds back in, you cheekily smiled at her before you faced your screen again. Thankfully, all that she did was roll her eyes as she also went back to work.

As the hours passed and your eyes started straining to look at your computer screen all morning, you realized that this job would be the death of you. All your eyesight and back problems were solely because of this. Leaning back in your chair, you looked up at the ceiling, your earbuds falling out of your ears as you let out a long sigh. Nayeon glanced over at you, with a small smile on her face.

"Already tired?"

Groaning in response, you just waved her away but in classic Nayeon fashion, she completely ignores you as she starts talking again.

"Why do you think I'm annoying?"

You let out a lowly laugh as you sat upright again. "Is that what you've been thinking about this whole time?"

"Yes because no one in my life has ever called me annoying!"

Your eyes widened, "No way... You're lying."

She let out another scoff as she frowned, "I'm telling the truth here! You're the first person to think I'm annoying!"

"Maybe... you just don't talk to anyone," you shrugged, "Just a thought."

Her face scrunched up as she glared at you, "Are you seriously saying I have no friends?"

"I didn't say that... but with the way you keep pestering me to hang out with you, I don't know anymore."

"I only ask you because I li- never mind." She shook her head as she let out a breathy sigh.

"You what?" You asked as you put your hand up to your ear, "What were you going to say?"

She huffed as she turned away from you and went back to looking at her screen which was filled with only cat pictures, "Whatever. Stupid..." she mumbled.

You let out a small laugh as you did feel a little bad for talking to her like that. You watched her scroll through even more cat photos for a while before thinking of something to say. Normally you weren't such an asshole so you wanted to make it up to her even if it was just a little teasing. "Do you want to hang out after work?"

And you swore you've never seen someone react the way she did. Her entire body whipped around, her swivel chair almost completely toppling over as she stared at you with the stars in her eyes. "Seriously?"

"Just once." You stuck out your finger, "I'll go out drinking with you."

As the hours quickly passed, and your time was up in the office, Nayeon quickly grabbed your hand, catching you off guard, and dragged you out of the building running straight to a nearby karaoke bar.

"Slow down!" You shouted as your feet almost got caught up in the snow on the sidewalk. She just let out a hearty laugh and somehow ran even faster, showing no sign of slowing down. Maybe this was her punishment to you for teasing her earlier.

The surrounding bright Christmas lights practically flied past you from how fast she was running, your breaths quickly turning into small puffs of air floating behind you. By the time you reached the front door, she was practically jumping up and down while you were almost on the floor with your hands on your knees., panting and gasping for air.

"You... are... a psycho." You choked out in-between your gasps.

"What was that?" She teasingly asked as she cupped her ear with her hand, "I can't hear you down there!"

You glared back at her before breathing out, "Whatever... Just go in."

She had a victorious smirk as she dragged you inside the building where she quickly made her way into one of the rooms under the pretense that she had already booked one, "knowing" that you'd go out with her today. As if she wasn't going to come here with or without you. You two made your way in and closed the door behind you as she made her way onto the somewhat hard couch.

"Wooh! It's hot in here!" She exclaimed as she undid a button of her blouse and took off her overcoat. You looked at her in astonishment. She truly has no fear.

She tilted her head at you, confused for a moment, before shrugging her shoulders and ordering ten bottles of soju. It took a while for you to process that amount.

"Wait. ten bottles? What are you doing?"

"What? Are you not drinking with me?"

"I am but... ten? You seem like a lightweight."

"Huh? Me a lightweight? I'll show you!"

And she sure did show you. After the ten bottles came in and her immediately chugging down two, she was piss faced drunk.

Normally you wouldn't care. You were supposed to have fun in these kinds of places. But she was extremely handsy. So handsy in fact that whenever you'd go to take a sip, she'd slap your back insanely hard with her massive hands over some random joke she made that she was laughing at hysterically and the way you glared at her made her cackle even more.

"Why-why are you looking at me like that? It's so funny! Your eyes are like... never mind! I forgot!"

Even if you were annoyed you looked at her with a smile tugging at the corners of your mouth. At least one person was having fun.

You saw her glide towards the mic as she concentrated on the list of songs, nitpicking some of them and scrolling down. She chose a wide variety of songs ranging from Blackpink to even some classic Christmas songs. Honestly, you thought it was somewhat weird that she chose "All I Want For Christmas Is You" and explicitly looked your way the entire time but you just shrugged it off as her being too drunk. Some memories were made and you had fun. Somewhat. Then came the aftermath.

You absolutely needed to pay attention to the amount you were drinking. Especially when you were going to need to take care of the drunk girl on the couch. She seemed almost completely out of it as she laid there. Mumbling nonsense while shaking her head left and right.

You buttoned up her blouse and draped her coat back over her before trying to leverage her weight onto your shoulders and Jesus Christ was she heavy. As you made your way out the building and trudged along the pavement through the snow and with her weighing you down, a realization hit you.

You didn't know where she lived.

And she was knocked out drunk.

Shit.

You let out a loud groan as you practically kicked down your own apartment door. Making your way to the couch, you laid her down as gently as you could, not trying to wake her up and fished your phone out of your pocket, dialing a number in and clutching it tight to your ear.

"Come on... pick up! Pick up!"

After a few rings, they picked up.

"Hello...?" a feminine voice mumbled.

"Jihyo what the fuck do I do?" You shouted in a whisper, not trying to wake Nayeon.

You heard rustling in the background, presumably her getting up out of bed. "About what?"

"Nayeon is in my apartment."

"What? Why?"

"Well, we went out and she got crazy dru-"

"Hold on." She interupted, "You two went out? What's happening Y/N? I thought you were done with all that."

"It's not like that. I... just went out drinking with her this one time."

A hum stretched on the other side of the call, "Whatever you say... Anyways, if she's at your apartment then just take care of her alright? It's not really my problem. Bye Y/N!"

"Wait wha-" The call ended.

"Fuck." you muttered under your breath until a pair of arms made it's way around your stomach.

"Hey there cutie... what's a person like you doing here at the club?" she slurred.

Sighing, you peeled her hands off before guiding her back to the couch. "It's my apartment."

"Oh." She rocked her head back and forth before her eyes widened, "Did... did I get into your pants? Why am I-why am I in your apartment?"

Your eyebrows came together in confusion, "Why would you say that?"

"Didn't I tell you...? I like you Y/N... Really really like you... like-" She spread out her arms wide, "like this much!"

You just looked at her almost as if she had just spoken the worst imaginable words known to man. This wasn't right. What have you done to even be remotely close to being likable by anyone? Quickly getting up, you tossed a blanket onto Nayeon, resulting in a couple of whines from her but you ignored it and sped to your room, shutting the door behind you and leaning on it.

"Fuck."

From the little sleep you got that night with all the tossing and turning, you couldn't help but want to die when you were awoken by the sounds of someone groaning and a wide range of other disgusting noises as you got out from bed. You could probably guess she woke up with a nasty hangover.

Going out to the living room, you peered through the bathroom door to see her there crouched over the toilet bowl throwing up her guts. You were nervous from what you heard last night but you weren't a demon. Walking in slowly to not try and startle her, you let out a small "it's just me" before you held her hair up to not let it get in the way.

She mumbled a small thanks before immediately hanging her head over the toilet and throwing up again. It took her a few minutes to stop completely as she took a few deep breaths before slightly turning her head over to you. "How much did I drink? I don't remember last night and my head is pounding..."

"You had two bottles of soju in you before anything else." You let out a small laugh as you continued, "When we got in there, you downed two thinking you could show off."

She let out a small disappointed groan before getting up and quickly brushing her teeth using your toothbrush. You just looked at her disgustedly before muttering, "You can have that one."

"What?" She said before looking down at the toothbrush in her hand. "Oh god! I'm so sorry! I'll get you a new one!"

You just waved her off before making your way out the bathroom, "Just get ready for work."

"Y/N." Jihyo, your supervisor and best friend who for some reason decided to work today, called out.

"What is it?" You asked as you peeked around the cubicle, meeting her gaze.

"There's a company party this weekend. To celebrate the holidays."

"Okay?" Your eyes stitched together in confusion as you always knew she doesn't bother to tell you these things, mostly because you always say no. "And why are you telling me this?"

"Because it's required." She said nonchalantly.

"What? Since when is a company party required?"

"It's only required of you from me. There'll be people from other branches as well. Have fun. Meet someone new. Just because that... girl ruined one Christmas for you doesn't mean the rest of your Christmases should suck Y/N."

You let out a small laugh in disbelief. "What'll you do if I don't go?"

"I'll report to Mina about what you talk about behind her back." Jihyo said knowing all the gossip you partake in about your CEO, especially since she joins in on the fun sometimes too.

"I-" You wanted to say something more. Probably things better left unsaid. "Fine."

Her eyes widened in surprise as she skeptically looked at you. "That was surprisingly easy. How do I know you're not lying?"

Nayeon then somehow snaked her way into the conversation as she exclaimed from beside you, "I'll go with Y/N!"

Jihyo seemed surprised again as she looked at the two of you knowingly with a smug look on her face, "Oh really? Then I guess I won't have to worry about you Y/N."

"There's nothing between us Jihyo." You said with a hint of underlying venom. You barely caught a glimpse of Nayeon's expression as you said that. She had almost a look of disappointment as the light in her eyes seemed to dim.

Jihyo just shrugged as she laughed, "Maybe there will be after the party! Who knows?"

The rest of the week seemingly passed in one quick blur of random assignments given to you as you were now standing side by side with Nayeon, arms linked, looking up at the company building from the parking lot below. Nayeon was dressed in a simple black dress with a white overcoat, matched with a pair of black heels. Honestly if you didn't find her so annoying, you'd find her almost... attractive.

You nudged her arm slightly, "Come on. Let's go in."

As you were about to walk in, she pulled you back by your arm. "Are we really not going to talk about it?"

You stopped in your tracks as you glanced back at her. "Talk about what?"

Her gaze met the asphalt floor as she played with the hem of her dress. "I remember now Y/N. What I said to you that night."

Your eyes faltered, "And what? What do you want me to say? I just don't... do that anymore Nayeon."

"Is it because of what Jihyo said?" She asked, eyes still locked on the floor. "Who was that girl to you?"

You tried to keep a blank expression on your face as she brought her up. You didn't want to get into this with her. Especially since you knew how she felt about you. "It's nothing Nayeon. Get off the topic."

"No." Her eyes finally met yours, her demeanor being very different from the usual playful girl you knew. She unhooks her arm from yours and continues to stare at you, determined and with her arms crossed. "I want to know. At least let me try to understand."

She seemed adamant enough to not even let you go in if you didn't tell her. You let out a tired sigh as you sat on the short wall behind you, head tilted down to not meet her gaze any longer. "Her name was Jisoo." You saw Nayeon in your peripheral vision sitting down next to you with her hands close together on her lap. "She was... perfect. She was everything I could've asked for. She was the girl I was going to marry."

You let out a sad chuckle, "Hell, I still even have the ring but then she just... wasn't. I planned on proposing when we were watching the snow together. I came home early on Christmas and that's when I caught her..." you cleared your throat, "in bed with another person."

"Oh... I'm so sorry." Nayeon whispered softly.

"Don't be sorry. It's not your fault. It happened a long time ago but..." You muttered as you blinked away the pool building up in your eyes. "I doubt you'll still like me after this."

You closed your eyes briefly before opening them again to realize a hand was on of yours, lightly tracing lines on top. Your eyes filled with tears threatening to fall, glanced up at Nayeon's, hers being almost the exact same.

"You're so wrong..." She said as she gave you a tight-lipped smile, probably to stop herself from letting out a cry. "I think you-"

Your phone rang loudly in your pocket as Nayeon jumped a little. "I'm sorry." You mumbled as you took your phone out and put the caller on speaker, clearing your throat again.

"What is it Jihyo?"

"Where are you? I've been looking around for you."

"We're just outside and about to go inside."

"Hurry up your lazy butt and get in here! I wanted to take some pictures of you and Nayeon! You two look good together!"

"..."

"Y/N?"

"Nothing. I'm going to hang up now."

You let out the nth sigh tonight as you got up and brushed yourself off, "Let's go in now."

And as Nayeon loops her arm around yours, you could feel the pit in your stomach growing. Almost an instinctual feeling that this party was going to go south.

"Are you okay?"

Nayeon glances up at you as you reach the door. Her eyes travel all around your face as she notices the awfully obvious discomfort you have. Your eyes were somewhat red, maybe because of the tears you were shedding with her back down at the parking lot. But you were probably mostly uncomfortable from being linked arm to arm with the girl you just unloaded your baggage on.

"As okay as I'll ever be." You joked.

She let out a small chuckle as you opened the door for her, seemingly ignoring whatever was above the two of you. Jihyo finally sees the two of you but immediately glares at you. "Come on Y/N! Have some Christmas spirit! You'll be single for the next year if you don't do it!"

You couldn't have been more confused before asking, "What? What do you-" You stopped talking as you felt Nayeon tap your shoulder, making you glance at where she was staring.

"Hey look... "She chuckled as she looked up at the ceiling behind you, "It's a mistletoe."

You turned back to Jihyo and gave her an 'are you serious?' look. She just mouthed 'Remember Mina!' as she gave you a quick thumbs up and a mischievous smile.

Nayeon glanced back at you worriedly, "We don't have to if you don't want-"

"No. It's fine." And before Nayeon could process what you just said, she felt a pair of lips on hers. Almost immediately she finally understood the position she was in, not backing down one bit.

Her hands slipped around your head, pulling you in deeper, lips locking together as if they were pieces of a puzzle made specifically for one another. At this point, even if you wanted to pull away, you couldn't. Her lips were warm. Soft. You could feel the soft tickle of her breath beneath your nose as her fingers flowed through your hair. The smell of her lavender perfume was dizzying as butterflies danced in your stomach.

You're almost disappointed as she pulls away, a string of saliva still connecting the two of you as you both glanced at one another, eyes glassy and glazed with want. Before either one of you could go any further, you heard Jihyo to your left squealing and looking at her phone.

"Oh. My. God. This is a god send!"

Your lips are left with a certain feeling as you quickly passed Jihyo and go to the "punch" bowl and poured yourself a couple of cups, quickly chugging them down.

"What was that Y/N?" Nayeon quickly asked from behind you, a new found form of confidence filling her up as you felt a warm breath on your left ear and a quiet whisper. "It seemed to me that you like me."

You felt a chill on your spine as you whipped around to face her and glare at her, "Don't do that. That was just a one time thing." And you swear you could not see this devil in Nayeon before in the parking lot as she just gave you a quick smirk and walked even closer to you. Now you were uncomfortable for a whole different reason. "Well... you're stuck with me for the rest of the party so maybe you'll feel different. We got hours to go Y/N to make you admit you fell for me."

"That won't work Nayeon." You said unsure. Maybe it would.

She smirked again, "It will. I'm sure."

And normally you don't think Nayeon's flirting would get to you but along with the poison you were chugging down, she was really going crazy with the amount of flattery she'd give you and the amount of physical contact she would have with you. She was practically glued to your hip as she would rattle on and on about the great characteristics you have and how you'd work so well with her.

"Do you admit that you like me? I'd say it's pretty easy to."

You let out a small chuckle as you took another sip of your cup, "No Nayeon, it just won't happen. I thought you heard me back in the parking lot. I'm not doing the whole relationship thing anymore."

"It's because you love too hard and you get nothing in return, right? Because I'm sure I can give you back your love tenfold."

You raised your eyebrows, "That's a bold claim to make Nayeon. I love hard."

She leaned in closer to your face as she looked you directly in the eyes, "Oh? Are you saying you're willing to take me up on that?"

Maybe you shouldn't have drank so much of whatever that punch was laced with. Maybe you shouldn't have come at all. Maybe you shouldn't have told Nayeon anything. Because now all those questionably bad decisions have led up to the last thing you clearly remember. Your lips on hers again melding together, hands on each other's waist and a simple nod from you. You were truly a fool for love.

"Yes I am."

[vineofroses]

WIP Wednesday

Thanks for the tag @liminalmemories21 @carlos-in-glasses and @welcometololaland !! I wasn't gonna post anything but I decided it might be cool to post an edited version of something I've already posted.

From the untitled Carlos fic that started this whole thing. I've started writing it in a word doc instead of the notes app on my phone and in the transfer I've rewritten bits of it and I like it a lot better. Enjoy.

--

Carlos awakes from a restless sleep to his mother singing in the kitchen. Her soft melodies are comforting, a remnant from his childhood when they sang and cooked breakfast together. 

The memories dance across the ceiling. He follows their movements, trying to capture their essence in a bottle so he can keep them forever. When the kind of silence that followed his confession last night threatens to drown him again, he can pull that bottle out and swallow it whole. Everything ends. This ending just came faster than he thought it would. 

Highlights of last night’s Astros game turn on in the living room. His father is awake, too. 

[CARLOS WALKS DOWNSTAIRS AND JOINS HIS FAMILY FOR BREAKFAST. THEY DO NOT MENTION HIS COMING OUT. GABRIEL ONLY TALKS ABOUT THE ASTROS BULLPEN]

–

There’s a buzzing in his room. Carlos tracks movement out of the corner of his eye. It’s a fly. With every crash into the wall, the buzzing gets interrupted. A stacctico annoyance he needs to kill. 

That’s it. The fly dies tonight.

Carlos slips from his bed and pries open the door. It’s late; he doesn’t want to wake anyone up so he avoids the squeaky areas of the floor and starts down the stairs. He’s only made it a few steps down when he hears voices in the kitchen. He pauses.

“I’m just saying, he spends so much time at Iris’ place, it’s not inconceivable to think there’s something going on between them,” his father says.

His mother huffs. “Boys and girls can be friends, Gabriel. I would have thought you were more progressive than that,” she teases. 

Gabriel laughs. “See what I mean? Our ‘friendship’ didn’t last very long.”

“Dear, that’s because we were never just friends. Besides, if Carlos has something he wants to tell us, he will.”

Carlos swallows, his hand gripping the rail tighter the more he hears. Carefully, he makes his way back to his room. He collapses onto his bed. A hollowness seeps into his body, his mind a wasteland where his one single truth echoes for miles. There it stays, cemented in the dirt and the sand. I’m gay. He told them that, didn’t he? 

A buzzing sound echoes back at him. At the window, a fly fights uselessly to be free. 

--

I haven't been paying much attention to Tumblr today so idk who's been tagged or not so sorry if you ve already done this. @rmd-writes @paperstorm @phoebenpiperx @strandnreyes @reyesstrand

[epersonae]

The cooking project - Crêpes

If yesterday's post was probably one of my most-made recipe cards, this might be my most-made recipe in my binder, which is sort of a Binder of Theseus. My sister made me a binder full of typed-out recipes as a gift when I was a sophomore in college, and I still have the section separators, which were collages of images cut from magazines, and I have some (most? all?) of those typed recipes, though the binder itself has been replaced. And of course I've added many more recipes, printed from the internet or sent to me by email or clipped from magazines. (I had a subscription to Sunset for a while in the late 00s!)

This recipe, though, was copied from a webpage into probably a Word document and then printed out, and dates from March 15 2003. The URL in the image no longer works, but the contents can be found in the Wayback Machine (ctrl+f, "crepes"). It was posted as part of the author's "French Week" as sort of an oblique protest of the impending Iraq War. In any case, I have been making it since then.

Because this can be found in the Wayback Machine, and because the instructions are hilariously long, I am not going to retype the whole thing here.

My only personal notations are combining "whole wheat flour" and "white flour" into a single line (I've literally never made these as savory crepes in 20 years), and a note that 1 egg approximately equals 3 crepes.

Making the batter

One of the things I love about this recipe is that it scales really well: one egg to 1/4 cup flour. The sugar ratio is weird and I usually have to do a rough approximation, because 1/4 cup sugar is 4 tablespoons, but also it's a very forgiving recipe that way.

I have learned over the years to beat the eggs first and THEN add the flour/sugar/salt, much less lumps that way. (ironically, 20 years and I just noticed he never says when to add the salt, altho clearly it's with the flour)

I have literally no idea how much milk I use. I mix in a bit at a time until it looks like the right texture/color. It's all vibes, baby.

I don't think I've ever let it sit two whole hours but it definitely does change texture a bit, for the better, if left to sit at least a half an hour. (I have also never drunk a glass of red wine while waiting for the batter.)

Below is: just after mixing in the flour/sugar/salt, then after some milk, all the milk, and after sitting for idk half an hour? 45 minutes?

Jam! Eating while making!

As I said, I've literally never made them savory, altho the last time I had them with a little bit of local whipped goat cheese and strawberry jam, and that was FUCKING TIGHT.

My usual is to take out whatever jams I have (today: strawberry and raspberry freezer jam that I made in 2020 and 2021 respectively, quince jam that a friend made, and marmalade) and just alternate flavors as I make them. I usually end up eating some while I'm making them. (As the guy says, bachelor mode™️.)

Two eggs' worth did in fact make about six crepes, I think, which is kind of a lot for dessert but I guess I had dessert for dinner, it's fine.

(Oh, and I think I've tried flipping them without a spatula exactly once, I am just not that bold.)

In any case, this continues to be one of my favorite recipes of all time, I will make it for anyone at any time for any reason. (The longest stretch I ever went without making it was after Ryn died, and I finally had eggs and milk and enough energy...and found BUGS IN MY FLOUR and about lost my damn mind. But I have made them a couple of times since then.)

Fanfiction bonus content!

So if you are reading my fic for the benefit of all the broken hearts, and you have already read chapter 16, then you know why I posted this today. If you are reading it and have not yet read the new chapter, consider this a teaser.

If you are not reading it: for the benefit of all the broken hearts is a fix-it fic for Water Flowing Underground, a very strange beautiful fic that blurs the line between Actor AU and RPF, that plays with questions of identity and choice and intention and also what we are even doing with fanfiction. My fic picks up from the end of that fic, from the point of view of a character who is dismissed by the narrative of the original, and who finds a way out of the wreckage. (it's the weirdest goddamn thing I've ever written, and yes, I think that includes the Bigfoot fic, and also I think my best writing ever. Certainly the most work I've ever put into any writing in any medium.)

And also there are crepes.

[fonulyn]

In your fanfictions, How would you describe Chris/Leon relationship?

lmao idk, read and find out? :'D

nah but the thing that personally attracted me to the pairing was how they're so equal. they've both been in the whole BOW-mess pretty much from the beginning, they've both been fighting the same fight for so long, and there's something so compelling in how they have that shared experience to bond over. especially since they're both so similar and yet so different.

like, excluding re1, Chris has pretty much had more freedom and more leeway to what he's doing, he works with teams and partners, wherein Leon has been on a pretty tight leash and mostly sent in solo. that already creates a difference in circumstance, even though they are both on the same side in the fight, technically.

at the same time, their personalities are very different. they're both good guys, they both wanna help, but how they do so is very different. Chris is more act-before-thinking while Leon bides his time and collects info until he acts (and because someone will purposefully misinterpret this, I'm gonna add; No, I'm not saying Chris is stupid, I'm saying he's impulsive, he needs to get rid of the big bad as fast as possible so he does). and Chris is very single-minded (again, not stupid) and he focuses on the big goal (end the big bad ASAP, to eradicate the threat and save people) not seeing anything else, while Leon gets distracted by every single living soul in need of help on his way to do the same thing. is one of them better than the other? of course not. they're just different personalities.

and I think that's so interesting about them, how they're on the same side, how they're fighting the same fight, but at the same time how their personalities show in how they do it. and not only personalities, but also Chris's militaristic background and Leon's more ...solo-approach (do whatever works :'D). there's such a good dynamic there, how they clearly respect each other and trust each other despite those differences in how they take action. and in fic, that translates to so many things, how Chris is so direct while Leon seems to need to withdraw and mull things over before anything else, if he can (he is also quick on his feet to make decisions if he has to, but it doesn't seem to be how he prefers to do things).

also, not gonna lie, that scene in RE6 where Chris immediately recognizes Leon while he hasn't recognized literally anyone else in his amnesia-riddled mind?? how can you not be moved by that?

of course, you've got to keep in mind that I'm just some random person who likes the pairing. the Chris/Leon fandom is not a monolith, and a lot of other people see the appeal in them differently than I do. if I've learned anything in my time in fandom, then it's that people have very, very different views to how their dynamic works and how their personalities are. to the point i sometimes question if we saw the same source material at all :'D there are a lot of prevalent tropes in the fandom that are not for me, at all, and a lot of characterizations I can't vibe with. there's a reason I feel like I'm outside looking in more often than not lmao.

so. what I'm trying to say, find the thing that works for you. there's a lot of fic out there, find the ones that you like, find the people who make your fandom experience the best possible one, and have fun!

I do hope this ramble at least made sense and helped some, I just woke up so no guarantees on coherency :'D

if anyone wants to add their own thoughts on Chris/Leon to this for anon, feel free to chime in.

[accidentalslayer]

🎃 Some changes coming to this blog 🎃

TL;DR Summary: You might notice me branching out into new topics or areas of interest now that I'm no longer writing TVD fanfiction. The overall vibe of this blog might alter a little. Although, I'll still be fall & autumn posting until the day I die and well into the afterlife if there is one. Things leaving: TVD fanfiction, my personal fanfiction, vampire stuff unless I feel like talking about them. Things possibly being introduced: More shitposting, mental illness related posts about my feelings on stuff, art maybe??? A journal on my adventures in lucid dreaming, shifting, and astral projection????* *That might turn into a whole new blog tbh. I don't know if any of my followers would enjoy listening to me babble about weird dream crap.

Read below for an expanded discourse about my ideas on what will change.

So! I've kind of run out of steam when it comes to writing fanfiction for TVD. Netflix eradicating the show from their streaming services kind of slammed down the final coffin nail on my muse, so to speak, & I was really bummed when I found out yesterday. This blog started out as a TVD/Originals sanctuary for me, after all... But it's grown into something more now. It's become a place where I can express feelings & thoughts that I've had hiding inside me but never felt safe enough to say out loud. And I've had so much fun with Autumn aesthetics; turning this blog into a Fall paradise has improved my mood in so many ways! Whenever I'm depressed, I just look at my blog and imagine that I'm relaxing in my pumpkin patch, far away from the noise and troubles of the world. & I've also made a couple of friends along the way here! Looking at you guys: @king-yandere and @margueritetheduchess05💖

The question remains, however. If I won't be writing about vampires anymore, then where do I go from here? What should I do? It's a solid fact that I go insane if I'm not actively engaging with my creativity in some way. Last night, the only thing I did was brainstorm, and stress myself out trying to think of SOMETHING. Today, I think I finally have a game plan. so lemme lay it out for you. Or rather, me. I don't know if anyone is actually reading this LOL. 🎃 "Accidentalslayer" name will still remain along with blog title. My autumn & spooky aesthetics are here to stay. I might reblog people's fanfics from time to time but I think I'm moving away from writing fic myself. Besides, it didn't feel very rewarding if I'm honest. I got very little engagement on my chapters. So, if I ever DO write another story on this blog again, it'll be definitely be an original fiction. My pumpkin hat off to fanfiction writers everywhere, though! A LOT of effort, time, and research goes into fanfic that readers will never know about... 🎃 It's already been there on the periphery but I think this blog might just turn into my main shitposting/journal outlet for talking about my mundane experiences. Mental illness, funny thoughts, & feelings that visit my brain every day. If I can somehow get my "art brain" to work again, I might post art here, idk. 🎃 I'm a spiritual hoe. I love talking about witchcraft, tarot, and lucid dreaming but I'm not really sure this blog is where I should talk about that stuff. I have @flowercrone for all my tarot/PAC readings but I've really REALLY started to take an interest in astral projection, shifting, and lucid dreaming. I even started a journal recently to document all my experiences. I should probably start another blog that's dedicated JUST to shifting and astral projection, idk. If you've gotten this far in the post, you're loved beyond belief right now. 💖 Please feel free to send suggestions to me in my asks if you have any ideas about anything I've written in this post.

[negative-speedforce]

Writers Truth or Dare:

🍓🛼🥑

🍄❄️🍦

🦴🪲🧩

(I know it's a lot but they were all good)

🍓 ⇢ how did you get into writing fanfiction? 

I've been writing fanfiction since before I even knew what fanfiction was- since I was like, 8 or so. My first fanfic is in some notebook somewhere and it's a My Little Pony: Equestria Girls fanfic starring what was probably the first OC I ever made. Eventually, I found out about fanfic and I was like "OMG other people do that too? I thought I was just a weirdo."

🛼 ⇢ describe your latest wip with five emojis

🏳‍🌈⚡👻🗡😈

🥑 ⇢ you accidentally killed somebody, which mutual(s) do you text for help?

@practically-an-x-man @hellonoblesky (idk you guys just seem like the least likely to rat me out to the cops)

🍄 ⇢ share a head canon for one of your favourite ships or pairings

Raffi likes to kiss Seven's Borg implants to make her feel better about them.

❄️ ⇢ what's your dream theme/plot for a fic, and who would write it best?

I want to continue my Sith!Ar'alani AU. No offense to anyone else, but I'm picky af with my fanfic so I think I would write it best.

🍦 ⇢ name three good things about a character you hate

(somewhat controversial choice) Ralph Dibney has a great redemption arc, he's funny when he's not being obnoxious, and his powers are very useful.

🦴 ⇢ is there a piece of media that inspires your writing? 

Not specifically, I draw inspiration from everything from Megan Thee Stallion's songs to Miraculous Ladybug. If it exists, it's becoming fic inspo.

🪲 ⇢ add 50 words to your current wip and share the paragraph here

slightly more than 50 words but here you go-

"Please, keep your shoes in your room." Wells sighed, then leaned over, picking up one of Siv's sneakers. "This is already worn out. I thought I just got these for you a few months ago." 

"You know, just doing a lot of..." Siv thought of an excuse. "...running around." 

"Hm." Wells frowned. "Well, we'll have to get you some new ones soon. Have you thought about what I said?"

"That you want to get me back into those ass-beating classes?" 

Wells gave Sivonne a look. "Muay Thai. And yes, I would like you to continue with that. You need to know how to defend yourself if something goes wrong."

🧩 ⇢ what will make you click away from a fanfiction immediately?

"This was generated by AI" or "Someone doesn't know that paragraphs exist". Also, untagged and unrated sexual content.

[yoursummerfrost]

what do you think xander and spike think of each other? idk why it's not even like i ship it, there just seems to be something so sad about xander to me and i think spike has a way of seeing these things. maybe i've just been having too many feelings about final season xander lately...

Hmm, if we're talking strictly canon, I don't think Spike gives Xander much consideration other than finding him annoying and an obstacle towards being accepted by the rest of the Scoobies. Xander is the most hostile towards Spike out of all the gang and my vamp's already fighting for his life to be taken seriously by anyone. I think Spike generally considers any kind of relationship with Xander to be a lost cause and less important than, say, winning over Joyce and Dawn, who are much kinder/more receptive to him. Spike generally lives up (or down) to expectations and Xander doesn't give him much benefit of the doubt.

Conversely, Xander's opinion of Spike is textually complicated and fraught. Which makes sense given his status as Buffy's metaphorical heart. It's definitely my head canon (and frankly subtextual) that Xander has repressed attraction towards Spike that fuels a lot of his animosity (me thinks the lady doth protest too much, etc; the same argument can be made for Buffy herself). Of course, Xander is also one of the most staunchly anti-vampire characters, tracing all the way back to the pilot.

Similarly to how I argue that Buffy must refuse to see Spike as capable of loving her without a soul lest she face an uncomfortable truth about Angel (if Spike doesn't need a soul to love her, why didn't Angel love her anymore when he lost his?)*, Xander needs to maintain a staunch anti-vampire stance to avoid facing the possibility that vampire!Jesse could have been saved in some way.

If we're veering a little more into fanon territory, I definitely think there's the potential for Spike to see that woundedness in Xander and change his perception a little bit. I actually have like 2k of a spander fic set in s4 written that expands their basement roomies arc and explores how their relationship might develop if 1) Xander were forced to have more potentially humanizing conversations with Spike and 2) Spike saw what Xander's home life with an abusive family was like. The fic would also explore Xander's repressed bisexuality and relationship to masculinity, and how Spike threatens both of those things. Maybe I'll actually write it one day!

Edit: literally forgot to add my *footnote lmao. Basically it's my interpretation that Angel did still feel love for Buffy without his soul, but he was so disgusted by and ashamed of that feeling--because being capable of love is antithetical to everything he wanted to be, which was the Perfect Monster--that he does everything in his power to sublimate that love into hatred. We see this culminate in I Only Have Eyes for You, where he's so disgusted by his lingering feelings for Buffy that he scrubs himself "clean" and decides the only solution is to uhhhh burn down the entire world!