#just wanted to know if there were more obscure ones or interesting reads anyone came across

[vaugarde]

anyways on a lighter note, im gonna go on the hunt for stonewall riot protestor and lgbtq rights movement memoirs, and lgbtq people who grew up around that time period in general because of a school project i want to propose (but still may do as a personal project later on anyways if it gets denied, which i don’t think it will considering what i’ve been told)

anyone have any recommendations?

[joequiinn]

The Dos & Don'ts of Fake Dating | E.M. x reader | pt. 10

[chap nine] | [all chapters here] | [chap eleven]

Story Summary: You propose a crazy idea to the resident freak of Hawkins, Eddie Munson. But maybe he was even crazier for agreeing to it…

notes & tropes: fem reader, slooow burn, faking dating, opposites attract, bratty rich bitch reader, super minor revenge plot, not-quite-enemies-to-lovers

a/n: I can't believe this fic is already at 10 chapters! I know these two idiots are taking their time to get together, but trust that things are getting more and more interesting! I hope everyone enjoys reading this just as much as I love writing it, and as always, the tag list is still open for new readers!

wc: 6.7k

Chapter Ten

As the fog of sleep began to lift from your head, you couldn’t help but moan smally,  rolling over and trying to resist consciousness. You realized you were beginning to feel particularly warm, which is most likely what prompted your body to awake so easily - you could sleep like a damn log, yet once you got hot enough, it was practically impossible to stay asleep. So, you tried to shove your blankets aside, kicking them away from your legs to avoid breaking out into a sweat. As you did so, you made contact with something solid, hearing a tired grunt just a split second later that caused you to pull a sleepy face of confusion.

That’s when you remembered that this bed didn’t feel like yours, that these pillows didn’t smell like yours, and the night before came back to you.

You were at Eddie’s. You opened your heavy eyes, realizing immediately that you were practically curled into Eddie’s back, which would explain why you felt so hot just a minute ago - evidently, you both ran a little hot in your sleep. With this small distance, you could feel his body heat radiating towards you, feel the tickle of his curls against your forehead, you could see his torso rise and fall with shallow breath. Sleepily, you shuffled away, yawning as you began to slowly look around his room, squinting at the bits of sunlight peeking through the sheets hanging over the windows.

Now that it was light out, this was exactly the kind of room you’d expect a teenage boy to have - the floor was littered with clothes and junk, the walls were covered with posters, and music equipment was in every direction you looked. You tiredly blinked your eyes a few times, attempting to find a clock as a yawn dared to escape your mouth; you finally spotted one after propping yourself up and looking over Eddie’s shoulder at the bedside table.

The two of you had been sleeping through first period; despite all your efforts to not care about shit like that anymore, you nonetheless felt a little jolt of panic because you were missing school again. Force of habit, you figured.

As you rubbed sleep from your eyes, you glanced down at Eddie, whose face was nearly obscured by his messy mane of hair - you found yourself briefly thinking that he’d probably benefit from pulling it back while he sleeps. Not that you were concerned with the cleanliness of his hair and skin - no, you just knew from experience that it would probably be helpful for him to keep hair off his face at night.

You slumped back against the pillow, closing your eyes as you debated whether or not you wanted to wake up or try falling asleep again. You already knew you’d be in deep shit with your parents, considering that you ran off last night without telling anyone where you were going, so what was the harm in resting a while longer? There couldn’t be anything wrong with missing second period, too, right?

Beside you, Eddie stirred a little, causing you to peek at him through your lashes. He settled back in easily enough, but that’s when you finally realized just how odd this whole situation was, how sharing a bed with him felt very nearly inappropriate. Evidently, you had no qualms with it last night, accepting his invitation with absolutely no debate, but it felt different now that you were waking up to a new day. Ideas one had in the late evening never seemed ridiculous or ill-advised until confronting them the following day. Despite yourself, you could feel your neck growing hot, and you rolled onto your side to face away from Eddie as if that would correct the situation. At the very least, it would help you think if you stopped watching him sleep.

Should you leave now that you’re awake? Or should you pretend to be asleep until Eddie also woke up? You couldn’t just linger around impatiently waiting for him, that would look ridiculous.

These are things you didn’t have to worry about before - sleepovers with girls were different, especially when you’d known those girls since you were five years old. And staying the night with Duncan or any other ex-boyfriend had little to no rules. But this? A sleepover with your fake boyfriend who you may or may not be friends with? This sort of thing didn’t have a rulebook for you to follow, so any option may well be the wrong one.

Deciding that you shouldn’t linger around as if you were some needy one night stand, you climbed out of the bed as carefully as possible, unsure just how light a sleeper Eddie was. The floor creaked under your feet despite your light steps, causing you to flinch and shoot a glance at Eddie; but he seemed undisturbed by it.

You stole a glance down at the t-shirt you’d borrowed from Eddie, tugging at the hem as if suddenly you were self-conscious - considering that you had no qualms with showing Eddie skin the night before, it felt nearly ridiculous to start worrying about it now. You rolled your eyes at how stupid you were being as you began to search for your discarded clothes amidst the piles of Eddie’s belongings.

Once you had your clothes in hand, you looked between Eddie and the bedroom door - you realized that his uncle had to still be sleeping, too, which caused you to nearly hiss at your luck. Now you had two people to worry about waking if you weren’t careful. You could sneak your way into the bathroom without waking them, but what if you stepped out of the bedroom and Eddie’s uncle happened to be awake? You didn’t need to be flashing skin to both Munsons.

So, sighing through your nose, you dropped your clothes atop Eddie’s cluttered desk and shook off your concerns - he probably wasn’t going to see anything, and if he did, who cared? You clearly didn’t last night.

Once you’d pulled off Eddie’s t-shirt, you paused as if intending to fold it, but laughed at yourself a second later - if his messy room was any evidence, he wasn’t all that concerned about the state of his clothes. You quickly started to pull your own clothes back on, briefly wishing you’d brought your gym bag inside since your outfit from yesterday was there. That was obviously more attractive than sweaty workout clothes, so you’d have to change into them later, once you were out of here.

As you tugged your shorts over the curve of your ass, you heard Eddie hiss out a small, surprised “shit,” causing you to startle and spin around to face him. Your skin felt hot as you met his tired expression with a surprised look of your own, realizing too late that you had yet to put your shirt on, although he didn’t appear to care or even notice given how heavy his eyes were. Despite suddenly feeling self-conscious, you couldn’t help but laugh at the situation, spinning back around to quickly grab your shirt; your skin still felt hot and your heart a little fast, but laughing made the awkward situation a little easier to bear.

“Fuck, you scared me.” Eddie grumbled in a gravelly voice as you quickly pulled your shirt over your head, turning to face him again. He lied back with his eyes closed, throwing an arm across his forehead as if he needed to compose himself - was his heart drumming as fast as yours? And was it because you actually startled him, or was it because he saw more than he needed to?

You took a deep breath to collect yourself, eyes darting across Eddie’s face and arms while you pushed your embarrassment down. God, you felt stupid being this nervous. So, you coolly rolled back your shoulders and straightened up, knowing that by faking confidence you’d inevitably feel confident in the next couple minutes.

“You tell every girl you sleep with that she scares you?” You teased foolishly, feeling your own nerves spike for a split second. Eddie’s mouth twisted in embarrassment, his cheeks growing red and a flustered sound leaving his lips as he removed his arm from over his eyes.

Now that your heart was slowing back to a reasonable pace, you realized that you must look gross right now - your hair had to be dirty, you could practically taste your morning breath, and you were certain your skin was shiny with oil. You couldn’t help the way your eyes widened in momentary panic, whipping around to face yourself in the mirror above the desk, thankful for the closed curtains in the room, as the darkness surely hid the worst of it. You leaned in close to your reflection, fussing with your hair so it didn’t look quite so awful, baring your teeth to see just how gross they probably were, rubbing your fingers across the bridge of your oily nose. God, being a teenager sucked sometimes.

In the reflection of the mirror, you paused your self assessment and flicked your gaze to watch Eddie for a few moments. He tiredly dragged his hands down his face then through his tangled hair, staring up at the ceiling with heavy eyes, as if he wasn’t fully awake yet. His cheeks were still pink from your little joke, although a very slight grin tugged at his lips, so perhaps he was coming around to it. You realized his chest was bare, although you couldn’t see anything below the neck thanks to the bedsheets; nonetheless, your eyes thoughtlessly trailed from his face to his collarbone to the rise and fall of his chest beneath the blanket.

When Eddie turned to look at you again, you quickly diverted your attention, hoping he didn’t realize you’d been studying him. It’s not as if you were doing anything wrong, but somehow it nonetheless felt like you shouldn’t have been watching him quite so closely, as if you were nearly caught doing something you weren’t supposed to.

“What, worried what I’ll think of your bed head?” Eddie’s tone was teasing yet still tired. You allowed yourself to glance at him in the reflection with slightly narrowed eyes, to which he smirked lazily. A large yawn escaped him, and he attempted to speak through it; you had to fight your smile at how silly he sounded, “You can shower, if you want.”

“I am not showering while your uncle’s here, that’s weird.”

“Why is it weird?” Eddie questioned while closing his eyes again. You shrugged despite knowing he couldn’t see it, trying to think of an explanation.

“It’s just… weird. I don’t know.” 

Eddie leaned back onto his arms, listless eyes looking you up and down for a few moments. Yet again, you felt self-conscious under his stare, so you glared back as if to challenge him. Rolling his eyes at your stubbornness, he flopped back down on the mattress with a heavy sigh.

“Whatever you say, princess.”

You both went quiet for a minute, as if the awkwardness was setting in all over again. You didn’t know each other nearly well enough to be around one another in the morning like this, you both knew that now. It felt far too intimate to be a part of someone else’s morning routine, and a small part of you was regretting the decision to stay here with Eddie last night - you wished you’d considered that before climbing into his bed as if it were your own.

This was a strange scenario for you to maneuver, but you couldn’t let Eddie know how weird it felt, couldn’t let on the nerves that kept jolting with each minute you were here. So, you put on your best game face and swallowed your discomfort, going back to fussing with your hair as if nothing in the world could break through your icy exterior.

“I should get going, Munson.” You said in your best cool, careless tone, “My parents are gonna kill me when I get home.”

Eddie huffed a slight laugh, brought down an octave or two thanks to his scratchy morning voice, “Well, at least we accomplished that, right?”

You gave him a puzzled look in the mirror before turning around to face him, leaning back against the edge of the desk. Eddie took in your expression for a moment before realizing that you were confused by what he said. Again, he yawned.

“Wasn’t that part of the plan - piss off your parents? I’d say we did an even better job killing your reputation than we expected to; I deserve a metal or something.”

“Oh,” you answered in a small voice. Eddie was right - you did already accomplish everything you’d set out to do when you asked him to pretend to be your boyfriend. Your reputation was in the mud, you obviously got under Duncan’s skin, and after last night you knew for a fact that your parents would be downright pissed. What else was there to do?

Despite yourself, you were… disappointed? No, you couldn’t be. Maybe the realization of it all was just jarring, maybe you needed time to comprehend that you were now officially an outcast. Or maybe what you felt was fear at the prospect that moving forward you were no longer the terrifying ice princess. Yeah, that must’ve been it.

You could feel Eddie’s stare as he inevitably tried to decipher the look on your face. You tried to relax the furrow of your brow as you continued to consider what was next for you as a newly appointed social pariah.

“So, I guess we’re… done?” Eddie questioned as if confused by the idea, as if he needed to hear the words leave your mouth, tilting his head while meeting your eyes. He was right, but that seemed strange to wrap your mind around.

“Technically.” You shrugged, looking down at your feet in thought. But after a quick moment, an idea crossed your mind and a faint smile spread across your lips; you looked back up at Eddie as if you were relieved, “Though… it’d be pretty lame to call it quits now - they’d all think we got scared because of the homecoming shit.”

Eddie’s brow went up curiously, surprised by your line of thought; you could see the cogs turning in his own head as he considered it, “You think so?”

“I know these people, Munson.” You crossed your arms and jutted your hip, suddenly finding amusement (and perhaps relief) in the knowledge that this scheme wasn’t over quite yet, “They’re gonna keep poking and prodding at me until they get what they want or they get bored - it’s the same shit I used to do. We can’t give them the satisfaction of thinking they broke us up after what they did; if anything, I think that should make us stronger.”

Eddie finally sat up, the sheets falling away from his chest as he met you with an eager, conspiratory smile; you tried to focus, ignoring the curious desire to study his newly exposed tattoos, “So, keep up the charade, make them hate how much of a happy couple we are?”

You nodded as your smile grew larger, “At least until all this shit blows over. Give them another month or two; they’ll get bored of us and set their sights on the next sorry loser that catches their attention.”

For a long beat, Eddie studied you keenly, his expression relaxing as he considered this new course of action. Again, you felt vaguely self-conscious at how closely he seemed to be looking at you, but you refrained from showing it. Eventually, Eddie shrugged.

“Well, no time like the present.” He swung his legs off the mattress and stretched his arms above his head, twisting his back to work out any kinks. You briefly glanced down at his bare legs, your eyes trailing up; but you quickly brought your attention back to his face, wondering why you were so damn interested in looking at Eddie all of a sudden, “You sure you don’t want to shower?”

You pressed your lips together at the question, “Somehow that feels like an insult.”

He teasingly rolled his eyes with a sleepy grin, “Despite your best efforts, I’m learning you, princess. You’re not the type to go to school without looking put together like a doll.”

Damn, he had you pegged. You sighed in defeat, causing his grin to grow into one of self satisfaction.

“Oh, don’t look so pleased with yourself.”

Eddie sighed, but the amusement on his face was still clear as day, “One of these days I’ll get you to admit I’m right about something, you know.”

You gave him a taunting smile while heading towards the door, yet again challenging him, “Well, today isn’t that day, Munson.”

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By the time you and Eddie had gotten yourselves cleaned up and made it to Hawkins High, third period was nearly over, so instead of wasting your time by heading in, the two of you shared a cigarette in the van, waiting around for the bell to ring. Even then, you took your time walking into the school building and through the halls.

Now that you were amongst your peers again, you couldn’t help but feel a bit tense - after all, prior to today you’d spent the week feeling like shit, feeling the pressure of everyone’s judgment weighing down on you. The icy armor you wore so well was back on as you and Eddie made your way down the hall, feeling far more confident with a cold look on your face and a small glare in your eyes. No one’s criticism could touch you so long as you appeared stony and unapproachable.

In contrast to your frosty demeanor, Eddie fell naturally back into the playful, cheeky boyfriend role he had established for himself - his arm was lax over your shoulder, his smile was charming as ever, and his words were more forward and suggestive. It was funny to observe following the past sixteen or so hours you’d spent together - alone, Eddie always seemed to pull back a little, to give you space as he still wasn’t entirely sure what to make of you. Alone, you ironically became the more forward and brash one. But so long as there may be an audience watching, Eddie was willing to perform, putting up his own mask of total confidence in this false relationship between you two.

Just like a dutiful and caring boyfriend would, Eddie walked you to fourth period, very intentionally pulling you into a hug and shooting a wink at Duncan after catching him watching the two of you. The hug was a total shock, since neither of you had done that before, and you hoped that your shoulders didn’t seem stiff or your arms didn’t seem awkward as they snaked around Eddie’s middle. You felt him laugh against your ear before pulling away, knowing that you were inevitably trying not to act affronted by the new display of affection.

Once fourth period was over, Eddie quickly met you en route to the cafeteria, almost as if he had run just to meet you outside the classroom door; it seemed like maybe he was trying to make up for the past two days of avoiding and ignoring you.

Thanks to Eddie’s effortless presence, you were far less aware of whether or not people were looking at you, whether or not they were whispering about you. Any anxieties you had about your place at the bottom wouldn’t bother you so long as you had him as a distraction from all the bullshit going on around you.

When you two entered the cafeteria, you were certainly aware of the eyes that followed you, of the way your former friends were surely whispering about you. But with your confidence restored, you didn’t even spare them a thought or a glance, guiding Eddie past fellow students with the gentle tug of your hand.

As you two entered the lunch line, you pulled your hand from Eddie’s so you could pick up a tray, which he promptly took from you. You shot him a look, but before you could say anything, he smirked playfully.

“I’ve got it, just stack it up with enough food for both of us.” You rolled your eyes, but acquiesced to the instruction, leading Eddie down the row of unappetizing food, “You’re gonna sit with us today.”

You pulled a bit of a face at him while picking up two bowls of shitty school spaghetti. As you set them on the tray, you hummed as if it were an answer, turning away from Eddie quickly as you continued to eye the limited food options.

Unsatisfied by your lack of response, Eddie continued, his tone perhaps mildly peeved that you made so little effort to engage with his friends, “You know at this point it would look ridiculous if you didn’t.”

You glanced up at him while biting the inside of your cheek, picking up more food for you both, “Something tells me your friends wouldn’t want me around, Munson.”

Eddie sighed, seeing that you were prepared to argue rather than admit he was right. He leaned in over your shoulder as if to make a point, keeping his voice a little low, “Considering that you want to keep up this hoax, all of you are gonna have to learn to tolerate each other.”

You turned your head to meet his eyes, the position reminding you of how closely you’d stood together back at the arcade - foreheads practically touching, Eddie hovering in your space in a way no one ever did. You gave him a mocking pout, catching the small glimmer of amusement in his eyes that he tried desperately to fight, “Oh, so it’s only me that wants to keep up this hoax?”

His brows rose with easy insistence, knowing you had little room to argue. Behind you two, someone coughed impatiently, reminding you to keep moving and not hold up the lunch line. You sighed and continued forward, grabbing a couple boxed milks that you discarded on the tray before leading Eddie out towards the lunch tables.

“Fine.” Your tone is stubborn even as you agree, “I’ll sit with you - if they’ll let me.”

As he came up alongside you, Eddie rolled his eyes while gently nudging you with his shoulder - you were never going to make even the most simple tasks easy. You could already see Eddie’s customary lunch table occupied by Gareth and the freshmen you’d met earlier in the week; you briefly wondered at how they could’ve possibly met, but didn’t entertain the idea further. Coming from the opposite direction was Jeff, who showed mild surprise on his face when he saw you and Eddie together again; you caught yourself wondering what the group thought of the past few days, wondering what Eddie did or didn’t say to them about it.

But before you could reach the lunch table, however, you caught Amelia in your line of sight, her long strides purposeful as she came in your direction. You did nothing to mask the way your eyes rolled into the back of your head, immediately annoyed at the prospect of talking to her; god, you didn’t want to deal with whatever shit she was about to lay at your feet. The smug little look on her face was one you knew quite well, the kind of expression she wore when she was about to be antagonistic just for the hell of it, so you mentally prepared for whatever bullshit was coming for you.

As she blocked your path to the lunch table, Amelia crossed her arms with a self-satisfied expression on her face; you tried to appear as disinterested in her as possible, staring past her shoulder at the nerds watching you before sharing a glance with Eddie. A mean smirk spread across Amelia’s lips as she looked you up and down with blatant criticism. Even without looking, you were certain that the rest of her friends were watching, waiting for whatever silly insults Amelia had planned for you. You could also feel the eyes of Eddie’s friends watching, too, along with anyone else who cared enough about trivial high school drama.

“Hm, yesterday’s outfit? That’s interesting.” Amelia started, looking between you and Eddie with a suggestive purse of her lips.

You responded with a bitchy smile of your own, “Paying enough attention to me to know what I’m wearing? That’s interesting.”

You don’t even give yourself time to enjoy Amelia’s galled look, grabbing Eddie’s sleeve and attempting to breeze past her as if she wasn’t even there. But you knew Amelia well and could feel her following just a step behind you, so once you’d reached your table you spun back around to face her. She stumbled back just a step as you caught her off guard, so you started talking before she could have the chance.

“Why are you so concerned with me? You can’t possibly still be jealous - after all, you got my sloppy seconds, doesn’t that make you the top of the food chain now?” You crossed your arms with a lax expression, knowing your casualness would get to her; Amelia always hated when you’d put on this emotionless front in the middle of a fight between you two. As she scowled, you simply raised your brow expectantly, which seemed to irritate her even more.

“Jealous of what, your trashy new boyfriend? Give me a break.”

You took a small step towards Amelia that wouldn’t normally have appeared threatening, calm as ever while you gave her a taunting grin. You briefly looked past her at your former lunch table, everyone there watching attentively. As you caught Duncan’s smug face, your eyes darkened a little, your need for retaliation these past few days coming back up. But you didn’t want to make yourself look like a fool again, so you took a composed breath while considering your plan of attack. Your gaze was calculated as you let your eyes travel over the nearby lunch tables, seeing the audience that had formed for the show that you and Amelia were putting on. Maybe you’d give them just a little something to talk about.

You bit your lip before grinning, giving Amelia a faux sorry expression as you spoke, “Well, considering that you settled for a pathetic two-pump chump and I’m getting such mind blowing dick that I’m missing school for it… I’d say you probably have a lot to be jealous of.”

The sound of surprise that left the people around you was like music to your ears; Eddie choking in shock behind you was so amusing that in other circumstances you would have laughed. But you were far more focused on Amelia than anyone else, taking glee in her affronted look and the disgusted scoff that left her throat. You gave her another condescending smile before turning back around, meeting Eddie’s surprised eyes as you settled into the seat at the head of the table. He was momentarily fixed where he stood, so you gave his arm a small, insistent tug; pulling himself together quickly, Eddie set down the tray and dragged a chair up alongside you.

You could feel the burn of Amelia’s eyes as she stared you down, undoubtedly trying to come up with some scathing remark. But you happily ignored her, playfully meeting Eddie’s eyes as he put on his own show of disinterest in your former friend. That’s one thing you could appreciate about Eddie - you were both good at quickly putting up your fronts and pretending. The rest of the table, however, seemed frozen with fear - you’d have to tell these boys to grow a pair.

“You’re disgusting.” Amelia spat with a shake of her head. Her tone was sickly sweet, “I can’t imagine that’ll get you many votes for homecoming queen.”

Despite your annoyance, you met her eyes again with a condescendingly kind look of your own, “We have better things to do than go to homecoming. So, when I win, the crown is yours - my gift to you.”

She rolled her eyes and flicked her hair over one shoulder with a snobby expression, “As if.”

“Well, remember to think about me while you’re slow dancing to Kenny fucking Loggins.” You mocked her with your best dazzling smile, pulling your attention away from her as if she’d been dismissed from your court.

As Eddie and the rest of the boys looked between you two, awaiting the next blow, you grabbed a milk carton from your tray, completely ignoring Amelia’s presence now. You were certain she made some frustrated face at you, but you wouldn’t dare give her the satisfaction of meeting her eyes again. You were done with this confrontation, and you just knew she loathed that you got the final word. With a huff, she eventually marched away, prompting you to look around the table with a self-satisfied smirk.

Jeff and Grant had both stood back during your confrontation with Amelia, waiting for it to end before they dared approach the table. As the lunch room returned to normal order, the boys awkwardly joined the rest of you. For a few long moments, none of them dared to speak as you opened your milk carton and took a long sip - was it fear or discomfort that held their tongues?

“You gotta warn a guy before you say shit like that.” Eddie broke the silence with a slightly droll tone, drawing your attention as your brow furrowed. Despite his cheeks being a little flushed, he otherwise looked like the cool leader his friends had come to expect.

“Say what?” You asked while setting one of the plates of spaghetti in front of you. Your gaze briefly traveled around the table - all of the nerds had varying degrees of amusement and trepidation on their faces as they looked back, none of them quite sure what to make of you yet. A short laugh escaped Eddie as he leaned back in his chair.

“I believe your exact words were ‘mind blowing dick.’” Although he wore a cocky smile for his friends, Eddie’s eyes suggested that the statement had flustered him a little. Around you, you boys snorted and held back laughs, which drew Eddie’s attention; he suppressed his own humored expression, “Oh, so now you guys think she’s funny?”

The freshmen looked a little unsure, clearly still unfamiliar with Eddie’s nuances; meanwhile, the older boys had come to know his antics well enough. Jeff quickly countered, although he couldn’t seem to look at you as he spoke, “Personally, I’d be flattered by the compliment.”

Grant nudged him as they laughed together. You couldn’t help your own grin as you looked back towards Eddie - maybe winning his friends over wouldn’t be as hard as you thought. And maybe they also wouldn’t be as insufferable as you’d predicted.

“See? It was a compliment.” Your ears felt a little hot as you recalled the conviction in your voice as you addressed Amelia - talking about Eddie that way felt wrong now that you considered it, but in the moment your one focus was getting under the other girl’s skin.

Eddie fondly shook his head at you, speaking with a confidence intended to mask his embarrassment from his friends, maintaining his usual unphased attitude, “Well, half the school heard you’re getting mind blowing dick, so I hope you’re happy.”

The boys snickered again as you coyly looked down at the table - the more Eddie kept talking about it, the more your own embarrassment set in. Maybe he was doing it on purpose.

“So, what are we doing on homecoming?” The freshman wearing a hat asked, causing the whole table to look at him questioningly. He elaborated as if the question was obvious, “She said we have better things to do - what are we doing?”

As you rolled your eyes, one of the other boys nudged him in the side, “We’re not doing anything, stupid, she was just saying that.”

“Jesus, keep your bony elbows away from me, Lucas.” The kid rubbed his ribs as if for emphasis. On his other side, the Wheeler boy made a face at his friends’ shenanigans, “Why would she just say that? We could do something, right?”

“Let it go, Dustin.” Wheeler said as if already exhausted by him.

You watched the freshmen as they began to bicker amongst themselves, your expression one of confused intrigue. They were like a bad car crash - you simply couldn’t look away. They talked over each other, their voices melding together while debating the validity of Dustin’s questions, the scene nearly to the point of being comical. As you continued to gape, you looked around the table at the older boys, who were already locked in a separate conversation, before your gaze settled on Eddie. You raised your brows as he met your eyes.

“So, what, are they the fucking three stooges?” Eddie snorted gleefully at the question.

“You get used to it.” He responded while poking at his food. You returned your attention to the boys as they continued; Eddie just let them go on like this? Although somehow amusing, it had also become exasperating.

So, with an irritated sigh, you planted your hands on the table as you spoke over them firmly, “Will you three shut up? Fucking freshmen…”

The last bit was muttered, but the table still heard it nonetheless. Everyone looked at you in various states of surprise. The one freshman - Dustin - however, looked the least taken aback by you, as if unaware of just how maddening his high energy was.

“Are we doing something for homecoming or not?” He questioned while meeting your eyes seriously; you raised your brow at his insistent need for an answer.

“You can do whatever you want, I don’t care.” You responded perfunctory before focusing on your food again, thinking that would be the end of it.

“I mean, we could do something.” Eddie chimed in, so you shot him a warning look as if to tell him not to get the freshmen’s hopes up. He willfully ignored it while continuing, “I know a guy who has kickbacks practically every weekend - might be fun to crash.”

You looked between Eddie’s eyes with a furrowed brow, to which he gave you an expectant look back. Who would Eddie know that wasn’t at this table right now, you wondered. Couldn’t be a high school kid, obviously, and given Eddie’s extracurriculars, there were only a handful of ways he could know someone else.

As if he was aware of your own curiosity, Gareth chimed in, “Who - Rick?”

“Who else?” Eddie gave his friend a cheeky grin.

“Man, Rick’s kinda weird even for us.” Gareth shook his head a little, although you could see he was nonetheless considering the idea; you figured none of these guys went to parties often, if ever, so even a shitty prospect was better than nothing.

“He’s not that bad.” Grant added eagerly, his grin suggestive as he added, “Maybe we’ll meet some college girls.”

You couldn’t help but sneer as the boys began talking amongst themselves at the possibility of a party with this Rick guy. You looked back at Eddie, who watched the group fondly before turning his attention to you, a pleased expression on his face as his grin spread a little wider.

“I’m not chaperoning a bunch of fourteen year olds at some stranger’s party.” You pointed towards the freshmen who began to protest spiritedly, so you leveled them with a harsh look, “You’re all still babies, you have no business going to parties yet.”

“Oh, come on,” Dustin, fearless as ever, tried to argue, “Didn’t you go to parties your freshman year?”

“Yeah, high school parties. Try finding one of those first.” You and Eddie met eyes, “This Rick guy isn’t some freak, is he?”

“Princess, everyone at this table’s a freak.”

You rolled your eyes, “You know what I mean. If we go to this guy’s party, will I regret it?”

Eddie shook his head almost too quickly for your liking, but his voice sounded sincere, “You’ll be fine. If you get worried, just stick with me.”

You studied Eddie’s warm eyes in search of a lie, and he stared back earnestly as if to prove his point. So, you mulled over the idea for a short while, trying to consider its pros and cons - you hadn’t been to a party in a couple months, and even now with your disinterest in high school shit, you still loved a good party. On the other hand, even Gareth thinks Rick is a little weird - that could possibly spell trouble. But, Eddie seemed relatively mindful about this sort of thing, so if he said you’d be fine, you were inclined to believe him.

So, you accepted the idea, giving Eddie a quick nod as the corner of your mouth pulled up, “I do love parties.”

The table celebrated your agreement, as if all of this was riding on you. Again, they could do whatever they wanted without you around, you didn’t care - but maybe they were seeking your approval because they knew Eddie wanted it, too. You quickly turned your gaze back on the freshmen, who were a little too eager.

“No, you are not invited.” They moaned and groaned about it, and briefly you felt like some kind of babysitter, “I’m looking out for you guys, you’ll thank me later.”

Dustin muttered a “yeah right” as Lucas and Wheeler scoffed in disappointment. It was nearly comical, but you refrained from smiling at them - it may have sounded silly, but in your way you were looking out for them, knowing that they were still just inexperienced kids. They couldn’t just jump into a party like this, they needed to at least attend a high school dance or get invited to a pool party first.

When you looked back at Eddie, he had something of a sweet smile on his face, which caused a mild skip in your heart - you almost didn’t like the look, it felt far too personal. Maybe he knew, too, that you were just looking out for the younger boys despite your cold exterior, maybe he wondered what things you’d seen or experienced at parties to make you so mindful of bringing a bunch of kids along with you. To distract yourself, you tore your gaze from him and looked at Gareth, who seemed a little nervous once he realized you were staring at him.

“Tell me honestly, how weird is this guy?” Gareth glanced between you and Eddie, unsure how to answer. You insistently pointed at him with your plastic fork, a sad piece of spaghetti falling from it back into the bowl, “Come on, don’t make me regret agreeing to this idea.”

Eddie started, “He’s fine--”

Gareth shrugged, “Dude’s just… used too much of his own supply.”

Ah, so he was a drug dealer. Considering that that’s how Eddie made his money, you couldn’t be too critical of that, it would make you a damn hypocrite. But that didn’t ease your hesitation any, since you knew nothing else about Rick, so you made a face at Gareth that insisted he continued.

“I don’t know, he’s not all there half the time. But I don’t think he means any harm.” Gareth, again, met Eddie’s eyes as if seeking approval.

“See? Nothing to worry about.” Eddie said in an easy tone, nudging your toe with his while grinning at you. You narrowed your eyes a little, but accepted the information Gareth gave you, wanting to believe him. Eddie slouched in his seat beside you, resting his arm over the back of your chair, “It’ll be fun, princess, I promise.”

You sighed a little, nudging Eddie’s foot back as you continued poking at your food, “And way better than a stupid homecoming dance, right?”

Eddie smiled back with a nod, “Way better.”

You hummed in response, unconsciously relaxing back against Eddie’s arm, looking towards the freshmen again as they tried to argue their case with the rest of the table.

.

.

additional a/n: idk if anyone else noticed, but one of Eddie's friends isn't actually credited with a name, so I've been using the actor's name to supplement :)

@3rd-conchord @a-queen-blr @avalon-wolf @cosmicdanielle @costellation-hunter

@daisy-munson @daisyridleyss @damon-loves-pie @damp4eddie @delilaaahhh

@eddiernunson @em0220 @frogtape @fromasgardandback @fckyeahlames

@graciehams @kthomps914 @lotrefcp @love-anonymous-writer @marrowfrog00

@maskofmirrors @mewchiili @miaajaade @mmmunson @moonisu

@munsonssweets @no-bueno-writer @nxrdamp @rach5ive @rcailleachcola

@sav12321 @sheneedsrocknroll92 @sokkasimp101 @steeldaisies @stormgrl19

[embersandlamplight]

Some Enchanted Evening

Characters - Alastor x Reader, Angel Dust

Summary – Angel Dust returns an item of particular significance to the Reader, prompting a nostalgic trip down memory lane of the Reader’s new relationship with a certain Radio Demon.  

Word Count – 2,616

Content/Warnings - Fluff, Alcohol-use, Profanity, Graphic descriptions of hypothetical violence.

A/N – Although while I was writing, I had imagined this as a fem!Reader insert fic, reading it back, I reckon it could be read as nb/gender neutral too.  I’d certainly be interested in knowing people’s views on this, as I’d like to get better at writing more inclusive content, and I know I’m not the most experienced in doing so. So if anyone wants to feedback from that side of things, that would be amazing, but please, no pressure!  Either way, I hope you enjoy the fic! 😊 

AO3 Link: For those who would prefer to read over on AO3, link is here

-------

Midnight had fallen over the hotel, and, as per usual, nobody was sleeping, least of all you.  The difference was that, right now, you really wanted to sleep!  You stared at the ceiling above your bed in frustration, watching as a sliver of light from under the door cast a golden ripple over the room. 

This really was infernally ridiculous, you cursed silently.  Nothing specifically was upsetting or worrying you, and, for once, you hadn’t been caught in the crosshairs of some disagreement or other between the hotel’s residents. 

You’d been on your best behaviour, aiming for an early night, even turning down another drink from a decidedly less than sober Angel, propping up the bar with Husk, turning the air a delicate shade of blue.  So, what in Hell’s circles was going on? 

Inhaling deeply, you shuffled upright in the bed, flipping the pillow to the cooler side, before plumping it up and flopping back down, cuddling in.  Perhaps you were trying too hard to sleep?  Perhaps if you just lay here, breathing in, trying to relax into it, sleep would finally claim you? 

As you lay there in the dark, the sounds outside the hotel rumbled on – the odd car horn, tinkling of breaking glass and the occasional murderous scream, but nothing particularly unusual.  Sometimes, it even felt very much like living in a big city, back ‘Upstairs’. 

After a while, even the alarming sounds, became almost soothing.  You were just on the verge of sleep, feeling yourself teetering on the edge of blissful oblivion, when there came a light, yet sharp knock at your bedroom door.

Your eyes shot open, feeling fury bolt through you, your heart quickening with unwelcome adrenaline.  Who in bloody Hell was that?  You considered responding, but your aching limbs protested any movement.

Perhaps if you ignored them, they would go away?  You narrowed your eyes, intently fixed on the light under the door, now mostly obscured by the shadow of whoever was standing outside.

‘Go…away,’ you muttered into your pillow, feeling grateful that your door was double locked, and willing your unwelcome visitor to evaporate into sulphur.   

Another knock, this one slightly louder.

‘Oh, for the love of fuck!’ you swore bitterly, sitting more upright, and blinking through the gloom, ‘Fine! Who’s there?’

‘[Y/N]? Baaabe? Ya in there?  Or asleep already?’  The slurred voice of a certain spider demon muffled against your door.

You relaxed against the pillow, safe at least in the knowledge that you weren’t about to have your door smashed in.  ‘Hold on, Angel,’ you replied, yawning and swinging your grumpy feet out of bed.  Padding across the carpet, you unlocked the door, finding yourself, once again, face to face with a spectacularly inebriated Angel Dust. 

‘Geeeez, toots,’ Angel looked into the pitch-dark room beyond, ‘ya weren’t kiddin’ about getting an early night, were ya?’  Returning his gaze to you, he looked you up and down in your nightwear.  ‘Nice jammies,’ he grinned.

‘Angel,’ you rubbed the space between your brows, feeling your patience already beginning to fray, ‘I really am far too tired.  What’s up?’

Leaning against the doorframe for support, the demon waved a hand casually, ‘Yeah, sorry t’wake ya, an’ all, but thought ya might be missin’ somethin’ ya know?’ he added with a knowing grin.

From inside a pocket, Angel produced a familiar looking necklace, swinging it between his fingers like a pendulum.  Instinctively, you clamped a hand to your neck, feeling it suddenly unusually bare.  You let out a small gasp, and reached out to Angel, who teasingly lifted the necklace higher out of your range with a chuckle.

‘Ohh, don’t be a dick, Angel, please just give me it back,’ you pleaded, silently chastising yourself for not even noticing its absence.

Although it may not have been your usual choice of adornment, the necklace had been a recent gift to you, from a certain Radio Demon, whom you’d grown quite attached to since moving into the hotel.  You’d been initially quite lost for words when he had presented it to you.  It had been over one of your cosier evenings/early mornings together, relaxing in one of the hotel’s lounges, in front of a crackling fireplace...... 

On the evening in question, it really had been extremely late.  Most everyone else had gone to bed, but you had stayed up, casually listening to Alastor’s radio broadcast, and waited up for him to return. 

As the grandfather clock ticked around, its brassy hands catching the firelight at a distance, Alastor sat upright in a wing-backed armchair, an antique book in one hand - its gilt cover faded, and an aged whisky in the other, silently reading, one foot bobbing lightly as he was absorbed by the pages.  You reclined on a nearby sofa, also nose deep in one of your favourite books, feet snuggled into a throw. 

You cherished moments like this.  Just…being with him, and him permitting your presence when his guard was down- particularly in such tranquil moments of (almost) solitude, was not something you ever took for granted. 

Suddenly, he had snapped the book shut, startling you from your reverie.  Your eyes flicked up instantly.  ‘Al?’ you ventured, concerned by his abrupt change, ‘something wrong?’

Crimson eyes darted up to meet yours, followed by a warm, but unusually guilty-looking smile.  ‘My dear, I do believe I am quite the absent-minded moose today,’ he announced, giving an airy chuckle.  ‘I quite forgot - I have a gift for you!’

Your brows knitted in surprise and curiosity, watching as he set his book down, taking a lingering sip of his drink, before crossing to your sofa, motioning for you to move your feet so he could sit comfortably beside you.  You sat up straight, swinging your legs back onto the floor, and shuffling a little closer, though habitually taking care to not intrude on his personal space without his express permission. 

Reaching into an inner pocket of his jacket, Alastor produced a truly exquisite pendant, suspended by an equally elegant chain, resting the jewel on his open palm for you to see.  For a moment, there was total silence, not even a prickle of radio static, as the demon studied your reaction intently.

‘Alastor…’ you gasped, stunned by this unexpected turn of events, ‘I…it’s beautiful!  Thank you!’ you lifted your gaze to meet his, and his smile broadened proudly, delighted to see you so pleased with his offering.    

‘I thought of you the instant I saw it, darling,’ Alastor explained softly, gesturing for you to turn around, before deftly fastening the clasp around your neck, and leaning closer, pressing a tender, ghost of a kiss to the nape of your neck, sending a quiver down your spine.  

‘It’s too much,’ you breathed in reply, gently touching your fingertips to the jewellery.  It really was a fine example of craftsmanship; of suchlike you’d not seen before in Hell.  The last time you’d seen a piece this refined had been behind glass in a museum!   The more you examined it, a niggling, frustrating doubt crept into your mind. 

Despite his manner as a classic gentleman, Alastor wasn’t exactly known for spontaneous or grand romantic gestures.  Indeed, romance of any kind was still an oceanic expanse for him to navigate, and it had taken him a long while to feel comfortable with any outward display of affection. 

The fact alone that Alastor had acknowledged and pursued his feelings towards you was something precious that you took great care of inside your heart.  So, when it came to gestures like this, you wanted to tread particularly carefully.   

‘Allaastoorr…’ you cooed, turning back to meet the overlord’s shining gaze and mile-wide smile, trying to fix your best poker-face expression in place, ‘wherever did you find it?’

You felt your breath catch in your throat.  This could be like shooting a puppy.  Or perhaps you were the puppy that would end up being shot.

The demon’s smile remained fixed, and he gestured vaguely in mid-air, ‘Oh, here and about, hither and thither, as they say!’ he replied offhandedly, ‘and I must say, it looks simply ravishing around your neck.’

‘‘Alastor,’ you repeated patiently, desperately not wanting to anger or insult the demon, but his reply having done nothing but increase the disquieting squirm in your stomach, ‘I really hate to ask, but please tell me you didn’t steal this?’

Silence fell once more, before the Radio Demon’s laugh cracked the atmosphere like a whip.

‘HaHAA!’ he exclaimed, static now fizzing in his tone, ‘Oh, how I do love your sense of humour, dear.  Me?  Steal?!’ he pressed a hand to his chest in mock indignation, ‘why the very idea is preposterously vulgar!’

You felt the tight knot in your stomach release and sighed out in relief.  The very last thing you wanted was to be seen around Hell wearing some hot-ticket item with a bounty on its return.

‘I don’t steal, [Y/N],’ he continued to clarify, ‘I merely…redistribute.’

The knot in your stomach returned.

‘”Redistribute?”’ you repeated slowly, ‘Alastor, what do you mean, “redistribute”?’

He rose to his feet, with a little hum of undisguised irritation, the sparkling static in the air growing a louder, as he retrieved his drink, swirling the amber liquid thoughtfully.  ‘Oh, nothing, nothing.  Merely a little fun I have from time to time, when such fortuitous opportunities present themselves,’ he bobbed a little on the balls of his feet. 

‘Trust me, my sweet,’ he continued, a jovial note returning to his tone, ‘you don’t have to worry a jot about a thing.  Its original owner is quite dead.  Dead as a doornail.  As a dodo!’    

Your brows shot up, deciding perhaps it would be best to just speak plainly.  ‘Ok, Al, believe me, I am very touched by your thoughtfulness and such a generous gift, but please, you’re going to have to be specific here,’ you beseeched him.  ‘I really don’t want some pissed off, aristocratic demon coming to hunt my ass for their family heirlooms.  This clearly didn’t come from just any regular shop, that’s obvious…’

He ceased moving instantly, the static in the air increasing sharply with a piercing, tuning squeal that made you wince.  The two of you stared at each other for a moment, and his smile twitched at the corners, before, with a relenting sigh, he returned to his seat next to you, closing the distance to clasp your hands tightly in his own. 

‘Do you really think,’ he began, his tone lower, clearer, the static suddenly echoingly absent, ‘that I would actually risk putting you in harm’s way, by fastening some kind of homing-beacon around your neck?  Perhaps you don’t know me at all, my sweet?’ he questioned, head tilting to the side, twitching quizzically. 

You felt your stomach twist at his rather hurt expression.  Here he was, trying to show you how much you meant to him, and all you could do was doubt his actions, and throw it back in his face? 

But still, you reasoned with yourself, the reality of what Alastor was capable of handling, and yourself, were vastly different.  He was a powerful Overlord.  You most assuredly were not – and it wasn’t like he could be there to protect you all the time.  You knew you were right to ask for the truth, but you hated that your doubt and concern had caused him grief.

‘I’m sorry,’ you said simply, giving his hands a reassuring squeeze, grateful that he hadn’t retracted them.  ‘But, I had to ask, Al.  You’ve been in Hell for many decades longer than me.  You know how it operates, to say the least, and you have infinitely more power in your right foot, than I will likely ever have in my entire eternity.  If someone dares to challenge you, they will always come off worse.  If someone decides that I’m fair game, well, I’ll probably end up looking like I lost a fight with Godzilla.’

Reaching up, he fondly tucked a stray hair back behind your ear, before his hand came to rest at your cheek.  You leaned into his touch, feeling the reassurance of the warmth of his skin against yours.

‘What’s a “Godzilla”?’ he enquired, his tone and expression softer, but genuinely puzzled.

You felt the tension in the atmosphere evaporate as you couldn’t help but burst into laughter at his perfectly reasonable, but telling, question.  Occasionally, you really had to remind yourself that this demon – indeed, this soul, came from an entirely different era to yourself. 

  ‘It’s…I…er, well it’s hard to explain but…oh, it doesn’t matter, I promise I’ll explain properly another time,’ you replied, managing to regain control of your composure.  ‘But I really am sorry,’ you repeated with earnest, ‘I know you’d never mean any harm to come to me.   It’s just…I’m dealing with a lot right now, and I can’t help but worry.’  

Seemingly satisfied with your answer, he pulled you closer with a tender hum, securing his hands around your lower back and resting his forehead on your own, eyes slipping closed for a moment.  When he spoke again, it was little more than a whisper. 

‘If anyone ever tried to hurt you, [Y/N], do you know precisely what I would do to them?’ he asked, giving your nose a gentle nuzzle, the danger in his tone palpable.

‘N-no?’ you replied.  ‘What?’

 ‘Well,’ he continued, tone measured and eerily calm, ‘Piece by little, tiny piece, I would peel their skin from their face,’ he explained, matter-of-factly, while stroking little circles on your lower spine.  ‘I would make them watch, as I devour each of their limbs, one by one, before I make them savour the meaty taste of their own viscera.  Only then, perhaps, I might grant them oblivion, and grind their face into the dirt, shattering their skull inwards and spilling their worthless brains.’

You noticed your breathing had become shallow, a tightness forming in your chest at his words.  Sometimes, in these treasured, reserved moments, you could find yourself forgetting that you were in a relationship with one of the most powerful demons in Hell –and a demon who had a particular taste for the bloody and macabre.  As such, he was always going to be more, well…creative, than a mere pistol duel, or even punch-up outside a pub, when leaping to your defence. 

Infact, the mere concept of Alastor - the Radio Demon, Alastor – the Overlord of Hell, getting into a bunch of fisticuffs outside a bloody pub, was enough to break the sudden tension in your body, and you let out a nervous giggle at the ridiculous mental image.

His eyes narrowed at that, and he retreated back from you a little.  ‘My dedication amuses you?’

 ‘No, no!’  you tried to assuage him, hurriedly, ‘I just – ‘ you paused, frowning.  Bloody hell, how could you even explain? 

‘Thank you.  That all sounds very…er…gallant,’ you grasped desperately at the first word you could think of, before you opened your arms invitingly to him. 

To your immense relief, he responded, curving his body against yours, the stiffness in his shoulders falling away, as you wrapped your arms around his neck, your fingers losing themselves in his soft hair.

The Radio Demon’s ears twitched contentedly, as he gently rubbed the side of his head affectionately against yours.  He enveloped you in his arms, peppering soft kisses along the side of your neck, before fully bridging the gap between you both, tilting your chin upwards towards him, between forefinger and thumb.

‘You are quite welcome, darling,’ he murmured, ruby eyes aglow, stroking your chin lovingly with the pad of his thumb, before finally, deftly capturing your lips in his own.

[strangelittlestories]

When Mila and the Prince went looking for a place to hide, what they found was the village of Grave.

This little hamlet sat apart from the larger, more industrial cities of Chorus. It did not pulse with percussion like the factories of Marching. It did not resonate to the hum of the Hymn-Furnace like the palace of Solo.

Instead, each hearth had its own songs and tunes that floated on the breeze and could not be pinned down to any regular schedule, or even a common key. It was a place of melody and counter-melody and counter-counter-melody, with lyrics ranging from recipe tips to weather predictions to the latest resurfacing of generational grievances.

Too many songs, too improvisational and fluctuating, for any one songbook or choir leader to keep track of.

But there was one woman who seemed to remember them all. Oh, not all at once or in their entirety - but if you asked Cadence for some obscure piece of village history, she would sing you a bar from two generations back. It might not answer your question, exactly, but it would be interesting.

After asking around for lodging, the Prince and Mila were promptly directed to Cadence.

"So Cadence has rooms to let, then?" asked the Prince, earnestly. "If she runs an inn or lodging house, we can certainly pay our way."

"Oh don't you worry about that." came the reply. "Just you speak to Cadence and she'll be sure to work out what you want and what you need."

To call the conversation that followed an interrogation would be inaccurate. It was a much gentler and more thoughtful exchange than that, all conducted over a pot of tea and a plate of wonky biscuits. Nonetheless, it left Mila and the Prince feeling somewhat ... wrung out.

At the end of the chat, with the Prince beginning to wilt under a gaze that read every note and quaver of him, Mila asked the woman flat out:

"Miss Cadence. Thank you for your hospitality and all, but ... what is it you are trying to get from us? I'd rather you say it outright, than wring it out like the last drops from your tea leaves."

"It's funny." said Cadence, smiling, "The people in this village like to joke that I'm this place's memory. I'm not the oldest one here. No, not my anymeans. But I listen, and I hear, and that's rarer than you might think. And when you listen well enough, a couple of things happen. First is that the music of a place sinks in, it thumps in your heart, chimes in your bones, wobbles your marrow. Eventually, you find you know even the tunes that haven't been sung out loud in generations - because all the ones we sing today, they've got their roots in the older ones. Every song that's sung implies the one before it; so I remember. Because I listen for the roots.

"The second thing is this: when you listen that well and that far back, you start to get an ear not just for the notes that *are* sung, but for the ones that aren't too. And I reckon, and I don't put any blame on you two for this mind, that there's a reason you've come here that you're too affrighted to tell me. So that's what I want from you, lovelies. I'd like very much if you sang the song that's in that scared silence for me."

The prince and Mila looked at one another. Mila nodded.

"People are looking for us." the Prince gulped, "It's, uh, it's possible that they shall follow and find us here. And if they do, be assured, we will flee. But, well, I suppose we cannot be certain that they will not wreak some harm here in the searching."

At this, Cadence sat back and took a deep breath. She began to hum, softly, under her breath.

"Well, I do say as that I thank you for your honesty. Eventual, though it may have been. And I dare say that should anyone come ferreting about for you two nice young folks, meaning you ill, that they will surely not enjoy what they uncover in the village of Grave."

Her hum grew a little louder and the air around her began to gently shake. The song resonated through Mila and the Prince. It was not like the bone-rumbling and heart-scorching feeling of the Engine-Song they were used to. Instead, it was like there was a morning mist in their lungs just beginning to burn up under the touch of morning sunlight.

And from Cadence's teacup, a shoot of fresh living tealeaf began to grow and turn towards the prince and Mila as if it were smiling...

---

With thanks to a Ko-Fi patron for the prompt of Cadence, the witch who is fierce, passionate and kind.

To become a member and suggest characters of your own, please check out https://ko-fi.com/strangelittlestories

[sethcertified]

「 SLOW DANCE ! 」 . . . 📂

supernatural : sam winchester

wrd count : 2.1k

⊹˚.⋆ synopsis . . . slow dancing was always a fantasy for you. that fantasy comes true when sam decides to confess his feelings

⊹˚.⋆ starring . . . sam winchester & male reader

Being a hopeless romantic was hard. Being a hopeless romantic in love with your best friend was harder.

You sat in the, surprisingly, comfortable hotel bed that you and the boys had rented for the night before you guys went back on the road; hunting the next monster that tainted the innocence left on the world. Your attention laid fixated on the book in hand; eyes scourging the words on the page, soaking in each and every detail. It was a romance book. In fact, a favorite of yours since high school.

The book was the perfect embodiment of what you desired in a relationship. The love interest was your ideal type of man; describing a certain man you knew to a T. He was tall, gentle, nerdy, and loving in the most comforting way. Was it really just a coincidence that he shared a striking semblance to Sam? For you, no.

You were in love with Sam Winchester. You had been for years. He was, in your mind, the perfect man. But he was also your best friend, and that was something you did not want to compromise. It hurt to hold in your feelings for someone you spent almost every hour with. Especially when you had been concealing those very same feelings for years.

As a way to cope with these feelings, you delved into the romance novel world even more than you already had been in the past; which was still quite a lot. It gave you an outlet for the feelings that had been building up for years. An outlet for you to imagine that maybe in a different world Sam would be yours. A world in which you could hold hands and kiss and cuddle with Sam.

Even your more abstract fantasies could come true in your head. Slow dancing with Sam was a particular favorite. A ditzy smile plastered against your face as the image took place in your mind. Your bodies just mere inches a part from each other; Sam’s breathing fanning your face, his hands engulfing yours in a firm but gentle hold, his eyes never straying away from yours as the two of you danced to the most beautiful of songs. It was a dream.

Sam knew of this dream, unbeknownst to you. He had “accidentally” read a page out of one of your journals that was dedicated to your fantasies that you left out. Journaling was a way for you to write out whatever scenario was plaguing your mind on the lines sheets of paper, and as much as you daydreamed about slow dancing with the love of your life; the more that dream came true on paper.

Sam bit his lip nervously as he tried his very hardest to remember the scene you had written about. He wanted to recreate it down to the most minuscule of details, and now that the hotel lobby was decorated, the minuscule details were all that was left. He wanted this to be perfect even it it meant the most obscure details were included. You deserved perfection.

Dean watched Sam with concerned eyes and crossed arms. Sam was an over thinker, and he was letting his head get the best of him once again. Dean knew this better than anyone. He was Sam’s older brother, after all.

“Don’t overthink it, man. He’s going to love it,” Dean patted Sam on the shoulder with a tight-lipped smile. Sam returned the smile with a wary look in his dark, chocolate eyes, “Yeah, yeah. You're right. It's just,” his eyes scanned the room with anxiety, “it has to be perfect for him.”

Dean shook his head in disbelief as chuckles poured out of his lips, “Look at this place! Any girl,” Dean coughed as he corrected himself, “In your case, guy, would fall for you in a second.” Sam nerves began to fall away at Dean’s word, “And how do you know? You have never put this much effort into a relationship; let alone asking someone out.”

“With my looks, I don’t have to,” Dean jested.

Sam pushed Dean with his shoulder as he left out a playful, “Shut up!” His mood had done a 360, and he was finally ready for you to come down from the room. Sam took a shaky inhale as he turned to Dean, gesturing to his clothes, “And I look good, right? I-I don’t usually dress like this.”

Sam had dawned a sleek, midnight black suit. It was virtually flawless with its lack of wrinkles and the way it fit snug around the giant of a man’s body. His hands dug into the pockets of the dress pants he wore paired with a smooth, leather belt. His black, button down shirt was tucked into his pants causing small cracks to form at the border between shirt and belt. The buttons along the shirt were white; the only aspect of his outfit that wasn’t black making them catch your eyes immediately. A blazer covered the shirt, making his broad shoulder even larger. It fit him perfectly as if it was almost tailored just for him. Bottom line, he looked good.

But what kind of brother tells you that? Dean shot Sam a snarky, “Couldn’t have laid a bit back on the all black?” before he elbowed Sam playfully, “I don’t know how many times I have to say it. You look good. Now, go get ‘em, tiger.”

Dean began to walk off with a light feeling in his chest. It hadn’t been long since Jessica’s death, and Sam probably still wasn’t completely over with his survivor’s guilt and all, but a beginning with someone new, someone good like you, it gave Dean peace of mind. Sam needed a good guy like you in his life, and Dean was happy to be apart of the effort into pushing you two together. His fist knocked on the door to the hotel room you guys had rented alerting you.

“Dean? You’re back!” You shot Dean a happy smile before your eyes scanned for his missing piece who practically stood by him like a shadow, “Where’s Sam?”

Dean set out his arm for you to grab, "C’mon."

You furrowed your brows at him as you apprehensively grabbed onto his arm, and he began leading you somewhere. Dean held a pleased smile as his eyes kept flickering to you.

“So, where are you taking me?”

“You’ll see.”

“I hate it when you’re so vague,” you whined.

Confusion clouded your mind until your eyes caught sight of the beautifully decorated lobby. It was straight out of your dreams with the man to match. Sam stood in the midst of it all with a book in hand. As much as you would’ve loved to stare at Sam for the entirety of the night, the scene has caught your eye.

The lighting was dim, but highlighted all the right spots. It gave the once blinding lighting that streamed out of the open windows a cosy and romantic environment. The tacky carpet that looked like it had taken its design from a The Shining knockoff was gone, and the dirty, wooden tiled floor was polished; reflecting the light and the silhouettes of the objects on it like a mirror.

As you sunk in the scene, your eyes drifted back to Sam who was obviously getting more nervous by the second. He had pulled the scene together, and was the cherry on the top of your cake. Your face heated up as you sized him up. He looked his absolute best. The perfect combination between sexy and stunning.

Dean removed your hand from his hold as he began to back away. The tension filling the room between you two was beginning to get suffocating for him, and he knew you two needed to be alone. And besides, a beer and trashy, hotel food awaited him upstairs back in the hotel room. His eyes lingered on the scene as you moved towards where Sam stood, and pride swelled up with him. His little brother was in love.

Your feet stopped short as Sam waltzed towards you. You felt out of place in the grandioses of it all in your pajama pants and sweater you stole from Sam. Especially with how eloquently Sam was dressed up. The two of you looked like Batman and the Joker standing by each other.

Sam opened his mouth first since an awkward silence was taking place, “[Name].”

“Sam,” you responded, eager to hear what the man in front of you had to say.

His fingers tapped against the cover of the book he held nervously, “Uh, you’re probably wondering what’s going on…”

“Yeah,” you chuckled, “It’s a bit extravagant.”

“Do you not like it?” Sam uttered, fear coursing through his veins.

Your eyes shot wide as you corrected him frantically, “No! No! No! I love it! It’s amazing.” You bit your lip as you checked out Sam, “And you look amazing too.”

“No, you’re the one who looks amazing here, really.”

“I’m dressed like a homeless guy, Sam. You look like a sexy, dark, dreamy professor who all the students bend over in front of. I mean, wow, look at yourself.”

Sam blushed a cute, faint red at your words. You thought he looked good. A shy smile spread across his face, “Thanks… I, uh, I wanted to look good for you.”

“Really?” Your expression brightened. Sam Winchester dressed up for you? Your brows furrowed in confusion, “Why?”

Sam took a deep breath as the unavoidable question came up, “I need to tell you something, but I, well, I got you this.” Sam extended his arms out and pressed the book into your hands. It was a hardcover edition of your favorite book, and a big, toothy grin covered your face, “Sam! I can’t even thank you enough for this. It’s like I’m dreaming.”

Sam worn a bashful expression as you moved to place the book on a nearby tabletop. His hand fiddled with the iPod in his pocket, trying to cue the music for you two to dance together with before you turned back towards him. Sweaty hands sleeked the device as he fumbled for the play button. Sam clicked the play button as he shoulders relaxed.

Your head tilted to the sound of notes of one of your favorite songs pouring out of the speakers Sam had set up. It was slow and soft but most of all; romantic. Sam had walked to where you stood and now shadowed over you. You felt his presence from behind you, and spun around to face him.

“Dance?” Sam asked, his hand extended towards you. You blinked as you placed your hand in his. Sam cupped your hand in his as he brought you to his chest, and led you to the middle of the lobby; where he had cleared out the most space for the two of you to dance in.

Your eyes were latched onto Sam’s face; admiring all of his features as the song faded away. His hair framed his face perfectly, calling attention to his high cheekbones and sharp jawline. His gentle, intelligent eyes. His perfectly shaped, cupid-bow lips. He was gorgeous.

And Sam was thinking the very same. He had lost sigh of anything else but you. Even in the homiest of clothes, you outshone everything and everyone. Sam couldn’t help the way his eyes kept falling to your lips; eager to entrap them with his own.

The silence between you two was comforting; especially with the gentle rhythm of the music guiding your bodies as if they were one. The eye contact between you two was electric and never ending.

“Sam,” you uttered breathlessly, still caught up in majesty of it all, “what did you need to say to me?” A part of you was holding your breath. Praying that it was those very three words you dreamed he would utter to you for years.

Sam’s eyes softened, “I-I love you.”

Tears erupted from your eyes at the words as a heartfelt smile spread across your face, “I love you too.”

Sam’s fears and anxieties were gone as the words he too had been longing for left your lips. He couldn’t help the sigh of relief that followed. You loved him.

Sam caressed the side of your face as he leaned in to to kiss you. His eyes fluttered shut as you tip-toed and connected your lips together. Sam’s lips flushed against yours, soft and addicting. Your fingers had crawled up to his neck and dug into the back of his hair; pulling him closer than you thought was humanly possible. Your bodies contorted together beautifully. You two were no longer two vessels intertwining, but rather two lovers coming together in a beautiful display of passion and yearning.

✎ notes . . . very much inspired by the dean & rory scene from gilmore girls. first time writing for sam so I apologize if it was out of character :( （ 𖦹◞◟） 🌠˖ ♪

©️ sethcertified 2023

[sardonic-the-writer]

—THE FILL IN

—Getting called up to be a stand in mic operator was something they were used to. Being a stand in that is. But working on the most popular show at Buzzfeed all about the supernatural proves for an interesting experience. In more ways than one.

—Word count: 2.7k

—Extra: tagging @beep-beep1

It would have been nice to get a heads up.

I mean, (Y/n) was used to random calls durring spotty times in the day. To come be a stand in for this that or the other was their job after all. The sole purpose of their jobs contract was to litteraly be a substitute for whatever called. They'd been on sets as things from a water boy to just a cam guy and still got paid the same.

But this was a little out of the blue. Being called up at four in the morning (read again: four in the goddamn morning) for an emergency job to some fucking—mental, obscure, supposedly haunted, insane assylum in the middle of the country? Just to film?

Still, who were they to deny working along side the most popular show at the office right now. Anyone would be lying if they didn't say that Buzzfeed Unsolved was carrying the corporation at this point. Aside from the Try Guys that is.

Personally (Y/n) saw why they, they being the fans and people who tuned in, thought that way. In fact, in one of the earlier instances of their start for working at Buzzfeed, they had been on one of the first ever filmings for that show and had met Ryan Bergara before—allowing them to see why such a large amount of people had taken a liking to him. Ryan was a kind fellow, if a bit of a wimp when it came to interacting or even thinking about interacting, with spirits—along with some other guy that would sit by his side. All they had remembered was that he had a beard and redish-brown hair. And that he had quit the show a few episodes in opting for a replacement, not finding it that much his style.

Of course, (Y/n) being (Y/n), had to try and remember all this on the drive towards the sets location. It had been a year or two since that initial interaction after all, and they tended to not do their reasearch. Classic.

Aching feet touched a gravely asphalt road as they stepped out of their car with an almost inaudible groan, still stretching the exhaustion out of their bones from this mornings quite litteral wake up call. They would have to either set their phone on silent next time, or be prepared to cuss out anyone who's not their boss on the other end. Emphasis on the not their boss part.

Still, they rubbed their eyes while walking up to a hotel in front of them. It was nothing they hadn't seen before when traveling for work. Just a small, cream colored thing that was probably on its last limb, jumping paycheck to paycheck just to tie up loose ends if they had to guess.

They had been given directions via email this morning to meet up with Ryan before any shooting had begun. The team had wanted (Y/n) to know what was going on before just diving headfirst into an episode riddled with spirits and dumbassery.

Yeah. Probably a good decision. It was too early in the morning for any dumbassery.

All the same, they found themself in front of two rooms with faux gold numbers on them, the sickly yellow paint chipping from some corners. Both presumably Ryan and another guys room, Shane, they belived, based on the message that had popped up in their inbox.

Jeez (Y/n) hoped they weren't secretly a pair of giant assholes.

A quick knock on the peeling doors gave way to one, then two, swinging open with their respective residents quickly assessing their summoner.

It took Ryan a second, standing bleary eyed and disheviled in his rooms doorway, but eventually his eyes lit up.

"Oh hey! I remember you! Corporate told me we'd be getting a stand in for Jake." A friendly smile blossomed on his face, bringing his almond shaped eyes into a squint with the effort.

(Y/n) just nodded at him with a slow grin, choosing to assume Jake was the mic guy they'd be standing in for durring filming. They took note of the way Ryan spoke with a mix of polite professionalism and genuine joy, finding it a nice change of pace from the dry orders and comments they normally received at work.

This guy on the other hand—

"Ohh so you're the jack of all trades!" Somebody else had entered the scene durring the brief exchange between Ryan and (Y/n). A very tall somebody, practically reaching the tippy top of his hotel doorframe.

From in his own private domicile, Ryan shot Shane a look of disbelief and disappointment. But (Y/n) had to resist the urge to snort out loud.

It was funny to say the least, to have this random guy that looked more like a homeless dude crossed with a stereotypical white dad, call them the Jack Of All Trades at eight in the morning with the stupidest smile they had ever seen from someone.

Goddamn he was one goofy motherfucker.

“Really, man? Everytime. I swear—” Ryan sighed, but his face lit up again when he looked back over at (Y/n).

“So! Basically I’ve heard that this place well be heading out to is pretty haunted. Have been doing a lot of research this past week about it, so I dragged my buddy Shane all the way out here to investigate with me!” He said, basically bouncing on his heels with far too much excitement for the early morning hour. The person across from him nodded, casually admiting they knew how the show worked from the snippets they had seen.

“You’ll be hanging out with us all night, er, day I guess, trying to get some sleep. So be prepared for a lot of headaches. Little miss ghost hunter got plenty of sleep on the way here so he's ready and rearing to go.” Shane sighed, motioning his head towards Ryan. Ryan pretended not to notice, opening his door up wider.

“Here, you can get your stuff set up in here!” Thanking him, they stepped in. It was a bit new to say the least, staying in another person's room less than five minutes after meeting them, but worse had happened to them. And besides, less than average budgets were often used on shows that required a lot of traveling, like this one.

Once entering the small hotel room (Y/n) realized there was a door connecting the two boy’s rooms. They also noticed a large pile of various mic stuff in the far side of the room, conveniently placed on top of what they assumed would be their bed. Suppose somebody had thought it was best to think ahead.

Whilst sitting on the ground in a kindergarden remanicent criss cross applesauce pose, their fingers would halt every now and then from untangling wires. A feeling of something pricking the back of their neck would alert then of an unsettling feeling. Almost like they were being watched.

Yet every time their neck straightened itself up to look around and search for the source, nothing was found. Ryan was just laying on the bed typing on his phone, assumedly working last minute on the script for the video.

It was unnerving to say the least.

Shane eventually came into the room through the shared door, and gave them the same carefree smile.

Something about it felt—off to say the least. But they wouldnt be able to describe why even if you asked them.

He sat next to Ryan, and they started quietly talking about the plans for the video. (Y/n) turned back to the mess of technology, finally getting everything untangled and set up; and eventually stood up to walk over to the boys.

They met Shane’s eyes, and the pair glowed a soft red. Like a cars backlights in an early morning fog.

(Y/n) inhaled sharply and paused. They itched to rub at their eyes as if cleaning them off to make sure what they had seen was correct. But by the time they had blinked, the light hue was gone as quick as it had came.

"You alright?" Their gaze flitted to Ryan, his question taking a second to penitrate their brain.

"Yeah. Yeah no I'm okay sorry."

"Alright." Ryan hesitated. "Hey, could you come proof read something for me? I need to make sure you're okay with it before shooting."

Even while (Y/n) walked over to the side of the bed, that feeling of being watched didn't go away.

They had the feeling it wouldn't for as long as they were on this trip.

"And cut!"

(Y/n) finally lifted the mic they had been so graciously lugging around for the last three hours off their shoulder, an ache flooding their arm—! sure sign of a big bruise to come tomorrow morning. Compared to how disheveled Ryan looked just then though, and how he had been looking throught the entirety of filming, they would be okay.

"Great job. Really everyone. Absolutely amazing. Now can we please get the fuck out of here?" Ryan was still pointing his flash light every which way despite the cameras being off. "I swore I saw something a couple minutes back and I'd rather not end up with my insides on the outside."

"Yeah yeah whatever you big baby." Shane teased his friend while walking towards the exit, Ryan in the lead with everyone following in the pairs footsteps.

The trip out to the assylum hadn't taken long. Apparently Buzzfeed had taken the courtesy of booking the place out for the night so that way it would be devoid of tours full of spirit obsessed family's. (Y/n) hadn't been able to decide if they felt like that was a good thing or not. One the one hand shooting was ten times easier without mics picking up screaming children in the back ground. But on the other hand as Ryan pointed out, if they died no one would find them for at least a day. Fun. But at least now all they had to do was make the treck back to the vans. Nothing more.

"So (Y/n), what'd you think of your first time on set with the infamous ghoul boys?" Shane asked only after flagging the mic operator over to his side. His eyes scowered their face with a curious look. Like he was expecting a certain response.

"Technically it was my second time filming." Ryan nervously backed up that statement with a nod, still on edge. Shane just outwardly laughed at that. "And it was okay. Honestly the prospect of ghosts and stuff doesn't scare me, but I'd rather not stick around any longer." They shrugged.

"And I wouldn't call you guys 'infamous'." They accentuated their words with air quotes and a playful smile. "I don't really see any other ghost hunters names being tossed around as much as I see you two's."

"Please don't call us that. I prefer to think of myself as someone who gets paid to deal with Ryans bullshit." Shane playfully groaned, fidgeting with his ridiculous looking camera vest. Ryan just shot a panicky glare at him out of the corner of his eye sarcastically laughing.

The rest of the walk through the winding hallways—had it been this tedious of a path on the way in? Certantly didn't seem like it—was filled with the idle conversation between (Y/n) and Shane, Ryan occasionally joining in to keep his mind off things.

"Yeah I just think tha—"

Darkness fell over everyone in one fatal swoop, words respectively dying in everyone ls throats for a moment. More suprise than anything.

"Fuck! Fuck fuck fuck!" Was what broke the silence. (Y/n) heard what they guessed to be Ryan cussing rapidly while hitting the side of his flashlight in hopes of turning it back on.

"Hey come on. It's not that big of a deal. We can find the rest of our way back with the go pros." (Y/n) attempted to soothe Ryan. When they turned to look at the big black blob next to them who they hoped was Shane, all they got in response was a simple claim that the cameras had fritzed out.

"Fuck!!"

"Calm down Ryan. If we die I'll give you my inheritance what about that."

"That not how that works dumbass!"

While Shane attempted to curb his shorter friends anxious shouts and groans, (Y/n) couldn't help but notice how relaxed he seemed. Yes, they knew that Shane didn't belive in spirits. Yes, they were well aware he had carelessly asked said spirits to muder him if they weren't too pussy multiple times. But they had to admit even they were a little spooked. And his attitude made no sense. It made them think of the weird thing that they had seen in his eyes back at the hotel. Or at least what they thought they saw.

"Come on. Let's bounce."

"Please don't say that." Ryan whined. Yet he still headed for the nearest exit, a pair of barely visible double doors.

(Y/n) went to silently follow before a small wisper made them freeze.

(Y/n).

Whipping around quickly, they had to resist the urge to hold the long mic out like a jousting weapon. Even in the pitch black it was better safe than sorry.

They hardly even heard the call of their name come.

"Hey. You coming?"

They snapped out of it to look at the source of the voice, seeing Shane a few yards down holding a pair of double doors open, the moon from the sky outside lighting up his lanky figure.

His shadow was even darker than the surroundings. Stretching across the barren hallway and consuming everything. Horns and wings protruded from his ba—

Wait. Horns and wings?

(Y/n) swallowed thickly and blinked. And it was gone.

"What planning on staying the night?" Shane goaded them again when they offered no reponse. But his smile held a silent message. An amused one. Granted none of any malicious intent, just like he knew something no one else did.

They mummbled a wide eyed no back in his direction. Shuffling down and out of the building and past Shane took a lot more nerves than they cared to admit, hairs standing up on the nape of their neck for seemingly no reason.

"Pretty fucking ceepy night."

Shane just grinned.

[sflow-er]

Some thoughts on writing and posting fic

In the last few days, there have been some lovely posts by fic writers, encouraging an anon who was thinking of posting their first fic but worried about readership. That kind of got me thinking as well, especially as my magnum opus just reached a bit of a milestone on ao3:

Those 50,000 hits (and 1,151 kudos) blow me away, and I'm forever grateful for each and every one of them - but this isn't a post about that. It's a post about how there is no point in comparing these stats to my latest fic, which will take a while to even break 500 hits (and hopefully 50 kudos). Or any of my other fics, for that matter.

Below are some of my personal thoughts on fic writing, the factors that I believe affect the popularity of a fic, and the motivational impact of engagement. My perspective is obviously that of a niche writer, but I think these observations could also be of interest to new writers or anyone struggling with such comparisons. I'll put a cut here because this got very long, but the TL:DR is this:

I write for myself, not for my readers. I post for my readers, not for the numbers.

A quick bit of background info: I have a pretty long history of sharing my writing. When I was little, I used to make comics & picture books for my younger brother, and in secondary school, I used to write stories in my English notebooks that only my teacher ever got to read. In my teens, I wrote fanfic in a couple of obscure fandoms and even a novel-length original story. The readership was just a handful of people, including my closest Internet and IRL friends, and I was very happy with that.

Before YR came along, I had not managed to write a creative text in over a decade. My studies and work had put out the spark, and I thought it was gone for good. So when YR reignited it, I very much started writing for myself. I'm sure every writer knows that feeling of something taking shape in your head and begging to be let out, as well as the satisfaction of seeing it all come together on your screen. At least I really hope they do.

Still, I knew right off the bat that I wanted to share the fic. I didn't care how many people read it, I just really hoped someone would. I missed the feeling of seeing people get joy out of something I created and connecting with them through it. Especially as I didn't have any other outlet for my YR thoughts and feels at the time. I also wanted to contribute something to the fandom that helped me regain this long-lost part of myself - and of course I could use some encouraging feedback too.

So that was how my magnum opus started out, and because of the timing, it became more popular than I imagined. The fandom was young (I started posting in August 2021, S2 wasn't even confirmed until September) and everyone was just really hungry for more. The vast majority of fics were focused on Wilmon from the start, but people were interested in pretty much anything exploring the rich and still largely undiscovered world of the show. My fic was niche and I had neither the guts nor the platform to promote it, but many people still found it.

I consider myself unbelievably lucky to have started posting at such an opportune time. The fandom has evolved in these 2+ years, and things are quite different for authors starting out now.

For one thing, the chorus of writers has expanded as more people have discovered the show and been inspired by it. As wonderful as that is, it does make it harder for any single voice to stand out. I think promoting one's work in fandom spheres such as tumblr and writing compelling tags and descriptions on ao3 has probably become more important, and of course it also helps if you've got some existing readers who follow your work.

Because for another thing, the readership has changed. Some fans have either left entirely or only follow their favourite writers now, while others have joined. New fans tend to start with the fandom classics, other wonderful recommendations, or the fics with the most kudos or comments. Which makes a lot of sense when there are thousands of fics to choose from, but it inevitably puts newer and more obscure writers at a disadvantage. Furthermore, it feels as if the number of readers who prefer completed fics may have increased, as people have seen some fics get abandoned along the way (and they now have more completed works to choose from). Again, that's very understandable, but it can feel discouraging to multi-chap writers.

I also can't help but wonder if there's been a shift in the fandom's interests, especially since S2. There's more canon to follow or disregard now, and people have had more time to develop fanon and their personal headcanons. All that affects what they want to read.

For example, the developments in S2 may have put some people off certain characters/ships/dynamics or made them fall in love with others. They may have started curating their reading to their hopes and expectations for S3. Some might even favour AUs to avoid speculation or guarantee Wilmon endgame, or they might long for fics solely focused on Wilmon and their love after they spent so much of S2 apart. There's nothing wrong with any of these approaches - but they do curb the already lower interest in fics focused on other characters, gen fics, rarepairs, unusual takes, and so on

To circle back to the example of my first fic, it would not get that kind of engagement if I started posting it now. It might be more popular than my other fics thanks to Wilmon featuring prominently as side characters, but it would still be outsider POV. In fact, even readers interested in the characters I focused on might be deterred by, say, the slow burn and lack of sexual content (now that those characters are a more established non-canon side ship and there's more fic available).

In a lot of ways, it's paradoxical to even speculate on this. If I started my first fic now, it would either be a totally different story (compliant with S2), or it might not be finished at all. What those 50,000 hits don't tell you is that a large portion of them were people checking for updates. The project completely took over my life for 10 months, and I doubt I would've got through some of the rough patches without the wonderful readers who were excited to follow it as a WIP, even when my updates got sparse from all the stress. My other fics would either not exist at all or have far less engagement if it wasn't for the loyal readers left over from that first fic, and the first fic wouldn't have as many reads without all the people who have reread it (as I know some have). And of course it is now also benefiting from the large number of existing kudos.

Anyway. My point is that comparing stats is neither fair nor useful, and that doesn't just apply to my own fics or niche fics in general. Every fic is published at a certain point in time or over a certain period of time, in a fandom that is always in flux. The things that inspire us as writers may not align with the interests of the readers - or even if they do, the readers might not notice or be aware of it.

So the question is, how to reconcile the need to share your work and connect with people with the ever-changing odds of those people finding your work?

I'm not going to lie, sometimes it is extremely hard. I often feel really low and doubt myself a lot after posting, but I think I've made it to a point where I don't get too caught up on it anymore.

One key thing is to draw a distinction between the writing and posting. The writing itself should always be primarily for me, because it's my creative energy, time, and effort that goes into it. I should be able to retain that feeling of satisfaction and pride in the story itself, because if I hang my hopes on the audience and they simply don't find the fic, I will just feel like it was all wasted. The value of the fic and especially my value as a writer cannot be tied to anyone else's reaction or lack of it.

Still, the two distinct parts of the process are never completely separate for me. I'm sure they can be for some writers, but I do need that feeling of connecting with people through my creations, and the extra motivation to stick with the effort (to get through longer projects, or to start new ones).

So the second thing I do is, I try to hold on to the mindset I used to have as a kid or teen writing for my brother, my teacher, or my friends. To internalise that my readers aren't numbers on a screen, but real, human people who have taken an interest in this thing I've created. They've allowed me to share it with them and had thoughts on it (whether they put those in a comment or not). Maybe it was just a moment's diversion for them, or maybe it actually moved them. Either way, we connected for a while.

Here, I must acknowledge again that I am incredibly privileged. I've got a handful of regulars who have been reading me since August 2021, and another handful who have jumped on board along the way. Many of them not only read but also comment on what I post. Even that latest two-parter I mentioned at the start has 19 comment threads, and I'm fully aware of how rare and precious that is.

But the fact remains that the contrast to my first fic has still been an adjustment, and I find that thinking about engagement in terms of people rather than numbers has helped me put it into perspective.

I could never find a room full of people to read my writing in real life, but there they are, reading it on their phones or computers and leaving twenty hits on my fic. Every person leaving kudos is basically equivalent to my teacher returning my notebook with that single check mark that meant "I read this and I enjoyed it." As for the individual comments, they aren't too different from my very small group of friends in high school telling me they loved something and couldn't wait for more. In a way, they're even more amazing, because these people don't even know me, but they are still investing their time and emotions into my fics!

Of course this mindset also has its pitfalls. I often feel like I'm letting people down by not writing faster, for example, but that's just one more thing I need to work on. All in all, I feel like I'm definitely on to something here, so thank you for letting me share these thoughts with you!

[noperopesaredope]

My Dumb New BNHA OC (Part 2)

(Read part 1 before reading this. This post will make no god damn sense otherwise)

I took one of my favorite fan OCs and paired him together with one of my least favorite characters in BNHA.

Usually, people ship their OCs with a character they like, or a side character who they don’t hate. Usually, people’s OCs hate Mineta. But Kaito, my nicest, most lovely OC, decided to get with Mineta of all people.

I mainly did it as a funny joke. At some point in time, I discovered the “Mineta Redemption” tag on AO3 and thought it was interesting. I read some of the fics, and they were pretty good. A few years before that, I accidentally read a fic with “Homophobic Mineta”, and despite loathing him at the time, I felt annoyed with it. It felt weirdly OOC. 

In my brain, Mineta wouldn’t be straight up homophobic. At most, he’d be mildly confused and uncomfortable at most. He might also be a little creepy around lesbians. But he didn’t seem like the type to call someone a slur or use hate speech. He would just be kinda ignorant. In fact, rewatching clips of him, I think he might be pretty supportive if one of his guy friends came out to him. He does have positive moments in canon, it’s just overshadowed by creepiness.

Then I found the “Bi Mineta” tag, and that changed the fucking game. Imagine Mineta straight up not knowing what gay people are, and then he learns and slowly realizes that he might like guys. He’s just in denial. Or even Mineta having extreme internalized homophobia. It sounded great.

Originally, some drafts of Kaito were going to have him be extremely charismatic and able to attract all sorts of people. He’s kinda like Alejandro from TD but with a different personality. At some point, I randomly thought to myself: “wouldn’t it be funny if Mineta of all people ended up crushing on Kaito and was confused as hell about it?” Then I thought, “oh god, wouldn’t it be even more hilarious if this sweet, low key perfect guy who could get with anyone he wanted ended up crushing on MINETA of all people?”

And thus, a ship was born. Kaito has changed and evolved overtime, but for the most part, he has remained Mineta’s love interest. It was supposed to be a joke, an ironic ship for shits and giggles. But once you start shipping something “ironically,” eventually you’re gonna end up shipping it unironically.

They first meet at an empty bus stop, where Mineta is waiting for the bus (for some reason). Kaito runs up to the bus stop and ends up standing next to him. Kaito mistakes Mineta for a kid and asks where Mineta’s parents are. Mineta tells him that he’s 16, and Kaito immediately becomes apologetic and rambles awkwardly for a minute before shutting up. Then, he kinda recognizes Mineta (though not fully) and asks if he goes to UA. Turns out, Kaito also goes to UA, but just the Support Course (you know, with Mai). He also just so happens to be the twin brother of one of Mineta’s classmates, Mika (another OC of mine who is important to this story). They talk for a few minutes and introduce themselves.

Then, Mineta notices a pin on Kaito's bag. It’s a pin for a (very obscure) harem anime that nobody else has ever heard of. But both Mineta and Kaito just so happen to love it. They start excitedly talking about it with each other, and end up exchanging numbers. They begin texting each other, growing closer and closer. Mineta thinks Kaito is the coolest guy in the world, and takes his opinion very seriously. At some point, Kaito invites Mineta over to his house to watch a movie/show with him. They end up having a great time, and it’s very friendship goals.

They hang out more and more frequently, since neither of them have many friends, and they like spending time together. Kaito starts to give Mineta a new perspective on the world and people, and Mineta slowly realizes that maybe he has a skewed view of not just girls, but relationships in general. He didn’t have the best view of himself, and that was affecting how he interacted with other people. I’ve always headcanoned Mineta as having dwarfism (which is why I low key hate it when people make him taller/have a growth spurt), and while he is far from perfect representation, I do think that it can give him a lot of extra depth and even explains elements of his behavior. Him being disabled could be interesting if explored correctly. 

As you may know from the previous post, Kaito also has a physical disability, but he doesn’t mind it all that much. Yes, it can be difficult, but he embraces his disability completely. Mineta is very insecure about his disability and how others perceive/treat him because of it. He has a lot of insecurities that shape his behaviors, and may have underlying concerns about whether or not he is lovable. 

And then here comes Kaito, a guy who embraces his own disability to the fullest. Even when facing discrimination, he doesn’t let it affect how he views himself or his disability. He is proud of himself, and he ends up introducing Mineta to a new perspective on disabilities. Kaito may even invite him into an online group chat of others with disabilities or a support group. Kaito inspires Mineta to accept himself as a person, and this causes growth.

But romantic relationships aren’t one sided. Kaito likes a lot of things about Mineta as well. Kaito admires the fact that Mineta wants to be a hero, and while obviously Mineta is a bit of a coward, he is really good at being a hero (found this video, and wow I forgot how much skill he actually has). He can also be pretty brave when it matters. Even though his reasons for becoming a hero weren't the best, Kaito still admires him for it.

Mineta doesn’t exactly have confidence in terms of liking himself, but he still throws himself out there and does things with very little shame. Maybe not enough shame. But the point still stands. He puts himself out there and tries. Kaito isn't always the type to try. He doesn't put himself out there in the same way. So seeing Mineta constantly speak his mind is admirable to Kaito.

Kaito also thinks that Mineta is just a generally funny and interesting person. When he’s not being a little piece of shit, Mineta actually has a surprisingly good sense of humor. He’s mainly good at making slightly snarky/sarcastic comments that can catch you off guard, but still make you laugh. That’s why Kaito loves watching certain kinds of shows with Mineta. You know, the ones you can watch with friends and make comments about while you’re watching it. They also like to rewatch their favorite shows together and actually talk about it while watching, pointing out certain details and what they find interesting. Kaito actually thinks that a lot of Mineta’s points can be pretty good, especially in regards to stylization and character design.

While it’s not exactly canon, I have seen multiple people headcanon Mineta as being good at drawing, and I like that headcanon a lot. Perhaps he’s particularly good at drawing the human figure (not for the best of reasons, but the point still stands), and is very particular about proportions and stuff. He’s very into anime, and thus his artstyle is very anime-esque, but he actually excels in realism. So Kaito frequently compliments Mineta on his drawing skills. Plus some of his other skills, like how he uses his quirk in really creative and versatile ways.

Mineta’s less favorable traits have not gone over Kaito’s head. He only bore witness to Mineta’s more creepy side after having known him for a decent amount of time, but he was already aware of Mineta’s insecurities and personal issues by that point. So Kaito was aware of why Mineta acted the way he did, and he wasn’t completely unaware of how horny his friend could get. Most people would have dropped Mineta after seeing how creepy he can be, but one of Kaito’s minor/major flaws is thinking “I can fix them” whenever he has a slightly shitty person in his life. Somehow, he actually succeeded in this with Mineta.

Overtime, Mineta starts to hit on the girls less and is generally less creepy. Eventually, he stops hitting on people altogether. He also starts smiling more often, like he’s legitimately more happy in general. He engages with people, and he’s still kinda socially awkward and tries a little too hard, but he’s better at it. It’s almost like he’s more “present,” talking not for the sake of social attention, but because he legitimately has something to add. It takes a little while for people to notice, but they do.

At a certain point, Mineta starts catching feelings for Kaito, but it takes a while for him to realize it.

Mineta’s crush on Kaito is actually kinda funny because despite feeling sexual attraction towards girls almost 24/7, Mineta hasn’t had very many (romantic) crushes. Even in canon, he doesn’t seem to actually have a specific crush on anyone, just generalized, desperate lust. So when he starts having a legit crush on a person, he acts very differently. It’s so fucking obvious, too. When he’s sexually attracted to someone, he acts the way he does in the show, and is much more upfront. But when he has a normal crush, Mineta is much more shy about it. He acts the way he usually does around Kaito, but when Kaito compliments him, Mineta’s suddenly blushing and turning into mush. When he talks about Kaito, it’s in such an adoring way, like “he’s so smart and cool and interesting and amazing and-”

And Kaito's not much different. As mentioned earlier, he frequently compliments Mineta, and things he is just amazing, even if he isn't perfect. They are still normal friends, and when they hang out, the tension isn't too high. They just enjoy each other's company. But there will still be the occasional moments where the

It's honestly really obvious that they like each other. While I might not do this, as I have funnier plans in mind, it would be funny if Mineta invited Kaito over to the dorms one day to watch a movie together and Kaito met the rest of Class 1A. Everyone sees how Mineta acts towards him (and hears him talk about him), and they immediately pick up on the fact that Mineta probably has a crush. They can even tell that Kaito feels the same way (again, this subplot might not happen, but it would be hilarious). But the pair are both fucking oblivious, and it’s almost infuriating. Like, just fucking kiss already.

And eventually, they do. It’s such a fun scene. While I was working on the two of them, I finally listened to “Loser Baby” from Hazbin Hotel, and it was like a lightning strike of inspiration. Not only did it help me flesh out their relationship and them as characters, but it made one of my best confession scenes. Basically, the two are watching a (completely original to the BNHA Universe) show that Kaito has seen before, but Mineta hasn’t. In the show, one of the characters ends up having a whole monologue that Mineta relates a little too hard to, and he starts crying.

Kaito asks him what’s wrong, and Mineta basically starts talking to him about how he feels like nobody really likes him all that much because he’s kind of a shitty person. Yes, his classmates no longer hate him, but few of them actually like him. He generally just has a lot of personal issues regarding self worth and stuff. Kaito admits that he struggles with that kinda stuff too sometimes, and they both go quiet for a moment, before Kaito has an idea. He presses play again on the remote, knowing what happens after the monologue in the show. It’s “Loser Baby” (though the context is a bit different). Kaito sings along to Husk’s part, directly to Mineta, and it’s kinda silly at first, specifically during the first chorus. But then, like in Hazbin Hotel, it actually gets really cute. 

There is one small difference in the song during this scene. At some point, before the part where Angel and Husk are under the umbrella together (timestamp 2:20 in the original), there is a small musical break. During this part, this little exchange happens:

Kaito: *Grabs Mineta’s hands in his* “Hey, what you said about nobody liking you? That’s not true.”

Mineta: *Not looking at him* “How do you know that?”

Kaito: “Because…I like you.”

Mineta: “Yeah, but nobody likes me, like, romantically.”

Kaito: “.......I do.”

Mineta: *Freezes in shock, then slowly looks up at Kaito* “Really?”

Kaito: *Blushing like crazy* “Yeah.”

Mineta: *Also blushing* “Me too.”

Kaito: “Really?”

Mineta: “Yeah.”

They look back to the TV again when they hear the final start of the song begin. The part with the umbrella. And the two sing along to the song together (there are subtitles). Then, as soon as the song ends, Mineta and Kaito do a deep kiss.

This isn’t where the story ends. This is more the end of part 1 of their romance. Once they start dating, things are both the same and completely different. And it’s a lot crazier. But I’ll talk about that in either another part, or create a fanfic like a normal person.

Stay tuned if you want to hear more about this chaos. I’m way too proud of it.

[hedgiwithapen]

Answer the Questions and Tag 5 Fanfic Authors

Tagged by @mosylufanfic

1. How did you get into writing fanfiction?

Daydreamed a LOT. hated writing. Made up stories in my brain, mostly about Digimon. then, was Chronically Unsupervised for a summer and found Fanfiction.net and went oh heck, I could do that? I could just. write one down??? people would maybe like it?? and then I Did That. at this point I had, you see, decided I Liked Writing Now. (active choice, the way I recently decided that I Like Celery.)

2. How many fandoms have you written in?

Uhhhh ok so there's Digimon (technically) and Fablehaven (again, only technically.) Big Hero 6 and then Flash, Young Justice, Supergirl, Stargirl, Avatar, the Librarians, Leverage, Blue Beetle(movie) My Adventures with Superman, Superman and Lois, Legends of Tomorrow, pokemon (game--sapphire) and Agents of Shield. And like. my various RPGs. but a lot of those are like.... just a couple dammit hedgi day ficlets so... shrug?

3. How many years have you been writing fanfiction? the first one I ever posted on the internet was in I want to say 2007. but the first one I guess I ever like. actively came up with was a little booklet about an oddish and a jigglypuff escaping team rocket (they were the only pokemon I could draw) and that was back in like. '99. it had aproximately ten words in it so that's more of a fan comic than fanfiction.

4. Do you read or write more fanfiction?

I write more than I read, I think, but I read more than I finish, excuding the month of september. DHD is an outleir adn should not be counted.

5. What is one way you’ve improved as a writer?

I can do action and fight scenes now!!!! Also I think I'm better at dialog. I used to be real bad at both those things.

6. What’s the weirdest topic you researched for a writing project?

hmmmmmmmmm. I mean. I feel like the deep diving into victorian flower language maybe? or like. How Trial By Combat worked in the Age Of Knights? How many calories a kitten with superspeed would need, perhaps. oh wait you know what, it's absolutely more obscure catholic patron saints, which I hardly even used in the fics i was researching them for, but man. did y'all know that St. Jude is also called Thaddeus and that he and St. Bartholomew are co-patron saints of Armenia? there's some kind of Barth Allen and Thaddeus Thawne Joke in there.

7. What’s your favorite type of comment to receive on your work?

I really like the key smashy "how dare you." ones. also a big fan of the ones where people leave their favorite line and a string of emojis. I love anything that lets me guess how emotional a person got.

8. What’s the most fringe trope/topic you write about?

uhhhhh idk. metakitties?

9. What is the hardest type of story for you to write?

Long fics that drastically diverge from canon or are big AUs... I run out of roadmap and then worry no one's really going to care. also, just. ship fic in general. So I do not. or I do so rarely and in smaller sections.

10. What is the easiest type?

present tense introspective fics. those just flow.

11. Where do you do your writing? What platform? When?

I mostly use google docs, and I also do a lot of hand writing in a notebook. usually sitting at my little computer desk on my bed, or in the back hall at work, and typically in the afternoon-evening.

12. What is something you’ve been too nervous/intimidated to write, but would love to write one day?

ehhhhhhhh I'm not really like. intimidated by anything that I'm interested in doing? I'm just lazy. lol.

13. What made you choose your username?

Assigned Hedgehog by cubscouts when I was a counselor at a summer camp. It Stuck.

uhhh I tag @windona @pennflinn @wrencatte @thenarator and @parvumautomaton but no pressure but also anyone else who wants to do this.

[thetechnicolorphase]

MICROBIAL MASTERPOST

Welcome to Tally, USA!

A small, obscure town that has everything you could need, but never had anything prestigous to boast about. However, almost all of the town’s citizens happily claim that Tally is the perect place to be! Which is odd, considering just a year ago, the town lost a chunk of the population due to many groups moving to bigger, better cities…

The town is home to the crash site of an alien organism, which is the source of small microbes that invade and alter people’s minds and bodies, though the extent has yet to be documented because of how recent this is. Despite this threatening concept, everyone in Tally is infected and totally okay with it. Even if they’re losing their touch on humanity. Even if they’re losing control of their own thoughts.

Meet the characters!

RELATIONSHIP CHART

Cameron is the only person in Tally who has resisted the microbes. Everyone else has accepted their new life; Cameron refuses to let her humanity get taken away. Of course, the hivemind that has formed (from a combination everyone in Tally and the instincts encoded into the microbes) don’t really like that. Cameron is fighting, quite literally, against the entire town for her own free will. She’s not giving in on her own accord, no matter how many times Garrett tries to convince her or Eve tries to force her. She knows that in a way she has lost— she did get infected, and the whole town is linked to the back of her mind, but she refuses to transform. She knows any sign of weakness will just make it easier for her to crack under the growing pressure. But she’s recently been learning how to use these newfound transformations to her advantage…

Garrett is just a normal fellow who has completely embraced the microbes and loves his new life, with an entire town of friends to make and hobbies to participate in. He’s living the dream, he thinks, and doesn’t see an issue with any of it— and he’s not afraid to spread the microbes to anyone else (whether they want it or not) all in the name of happiness. He also has a crush on Cameron. A huge one, at that. He mentions to her that they were, in fact, dating. The hivemind can second that, because they would not shut up about it. Unfortunately, Cameron doesn’t remember it. She never really liked him romantically like that… she misses when he was really just a normal guy.

Eve is a passionate scientist and the one leading the research into these microbes and their source. However, she also is very blatantly evil and more interested in unethical experimentation and transformations with these microbes for her own reasons instead of truly making advancements in otherworldly organisms. However, her research proves vital to Cameron’s secret plan to make a cure for the infection! …However, no one in the town wants to be cured. And Eve has it out for Cameron, after Eve tried to get Cameron infected during the microbe apocalypse (which backfired horribly). Eve won’t stop until Cameron gives in, and she isn’t afraid to attack and force her into temporarily letting the microbes take over. Cameron is always on the run from Eve— not only is Eve friends with Garrett (who is blissfully unaware of Eve’s malicious plans and villainy towards Cameron), Cameron is now neighbors with Eve. Worst neighbor ever. (Read more about Eve here!)

The Source

Crashed down in summer 202X, The Source of the microbes is a confusing thing to everyone in Tally, to say the least. Sure, they’ve all been infected by its microbes, and their minds are all linked through it. But otherwise… no one knows where it came from (other than outer space), its goals, how it survives, or if its part of a larger species. (These are all things Eve is trying to study.) It is able to kind of communicate using the hivemind made out of the town, and through instincts that the infected feel. But only Cameron knows its true nature and its personality— and boy, is it inconsistent. One minute, it helps Cameron make sense of how her body has changed, and then the next it is attempting to invade her mind and control her body. She hates it so much, and is determined to get rid of the source once and for all.

On the opposite end, Garrett has a strong connection to it; claiming that it is “cool”, and he blindly follows whatever it and the hivemind says to do. He even relocated it to an attic above a local bookstore, letting its spores spread into Tally’s sky through roof windows. He sits with it, talks to it, and has spruced up the attic into a ‘second home’ of sorts. Why he is so attached to it, he won’t say; he claims it is because it “needs enrichment”, but Cameron begs to differ.

Other Links

Playlists: Cameron, Garrett, Eve Pinterest Board Art Tag

[spikeinthepunch]

Repacking Games & Horses

You can also read this article on my website!

A bit ago, I was playing an old horse game when looking for others... and I ended up falling down a rabbit hole- discovering it had been a repackaged version of a game the year prior- nothing impressive from any of these games, sure. But I found lots of interest in why they did this, and how there were various technical differences between them too despite being the same game!

In this article I go into the story of Saddle Club: Willowbrook Stables, and its lesser known origins as Willowbrook Stables; Search for the Golden Horsehoes.

*this article does not go too much into my own experiences playing this, and there sure was some interesting stuff when exploring bugs etc! i can talk about that another time if anyone is curious.

For those who never grew up as a gamer girl in the early 2000s or more specifically, an animal loving gamer girl, its likely you didn't get the experience the slew of games directed at these kinds of kids. While no longer a girl, I was raised one, and I loved animals. But at that time, the most you could get in the way of animal games were usually... horse games. The horse girl crowd was big, and it was much more marketable than say, a game where you play as a dog or a cat. I remember always seeing loads of horse media- whether it was books, movie, or video games. I didn't want that, personally. But it was the best thing I could get in terms of being an animal in a game, so I ended up playing quite of few of these kinds of shovelware horse games.

While many have been lost to my memory, if you've followed my video game adventures before, specifically my speedruns- you'd know I have played a few of the Barbie horse adventure games. These were ones I grew up with, and reconnecting with them in the last years was mostly out of nostalgia and curiosity. While I may not be a horse girl, I love old media- especially video games. Even more, I love ones that arent widely covered online... obscure games that slip through the cracks. Surprisingly, Barbie games do fall into that category, perhaps out of the assumption they are a big name and must be documented, or just the fact that most gamers don't have interest in a brand like Barbie.

But this article isn't about the Barbie games. In fact, I found myself more and more intrigued by other horse games when I got into speedruning Barbie games. I love digging up information, and had fallen into bit of a rabbit hole with series like Star Stable, after finding out the developers of Barbie Horse Adventures Riding Camp made that series too- which becomes obvious with its many similarities to the non-MMO Star Stable games. Plus, with incredibly massive library of medicore horse games spawning in the early 2000s, I knew there must be more in there worth seeing. Even if the games were shitty, the history could bring something interesting. Plus, I had always had these memories of a horse game I played, and I had yet to find it. So it seemed like a great chance to go hunting for the mystery game in my memory.

While scouring the internet for videos and clips of the game that fit my description, I came across a youtube channel that is full of playthroughs for horse games. With hundreds of videos, I began to look through their playlists in hopes of finding a game I recognized, or just something interesting.

SADDLE CLUB

The Saddle Club: Willowbrook Stables came out in 2002, and is based around the tv show and book series also called The Saddle Club. The show was Australian-canadian and aired from 2001 to 2009. This is not a show I ever watched, but I recall the covers of the books in my elementary school library. The series follows three main characters also present at the start of the game, but the game takes place in a completely unique location from anything in the series. This is a point I'll come back to later...

As I stated, the game is a bit different from most horse games at the time- many horse games were heavily focused on caring for the horse and the stables, while focusing on competitions and other equestrian activities. Most times even the game if open world, doesn't have much to do outside of races and world is hardly the focus. Even a series like Star Stable still have a good amount of focus on typical equestrian lifestyle outside of its magical plotline. But Willowbrook stables is basically an open world with story.

The game starts with a opening cutscene, where the three main girls receive a letter to go off to a island horse stable. Only one can go, which means that you get to pick which girl you want to play as. You find out from the owner Agnes, that a property developer is going to buy the island and get rid of the stables. You learn that if you can raise enough money, you can save the stables from being bought. After exploring the islands, you learn from Agnes that there are rumors of 'golden horse shoes' that she read in a journal, and that finding them may be the way to get money to buy the land. From here, the game will lead you on a quest to find four golden horse shoes, by handing you hints through NPCs and needing to solve puzzles and riddles to find out where they are.

Aside from the story, the game takes place on a very large open world map where you can run into various landmarks, locations, and NPCs. The world has a subtle day-night cycle, in that it will become sunset and characters will start to go inside. You can then pass the day by sleeping in your bed, and this is sometimes required for progression. You do also get to care for your horse by putting on tack and cleaning the stables- but cleaning the stables seems optional. While you get notified when to do so, I never had an issue just ignoring it. There are 'points' given or lost for this (and various other things) but I don't recall it ever being an problem during the game, they don't do anything.

So with that described, lets step back and look at the game again. Its a pretty unique game for a game apparently based off a tv show. It has a pretty large open world, with a totally unique original setting and characters... but, a little extra digging would reveal that this game isn't really supposed to be for the Saddle Club. This game was made by IR Gurus Interactive, who had made a few other horse games before this one. Specifically, the far less talked of source of Saddle Club: Willowbrook Stables... Willowbrook Stables "Search for the golden horse shoes".

REPACKAGED

If you're familiar with horse games of the early 2000s or late 90s, you may be familiar with other works of IR Gurus without realizing it... this includes the well known Equestriad. In this case, The Saddle Club release of Willowbrook stables certainly out-shined its original version, and its not uncommon at all for games to be repackaged with a more well known brand name- for example, a series I grew up with became notorious for this after being acquired by Ubisoft, the Petz series. Many Petz titles that looked incredibly different were repackaged games from other countries, bought by Ubisoft and given the Petz title in other places in order to be recognized and thus sell better.

But this case is a bit more... weird to me, in the fact that IR Gurus released the original only a year prior, and it wasn't due to the game being released in a different country where said brand would have been more recognizable. They are an Australian company and have released horse games in the Australian horse scene- Saddle Club as mentioned is also an Australian show. So it seems that the re-release of Willowbrook as a Saddle Club title was more like a good money opportunity for IR Gurus and the owners of Saddle Club. Just fix up a game you already made, it'll be far cheaper, even thought it came out only a year ago! Everyone benefits and if anything, it probably did better than the original release anyways due to the Saddle Club name being slapped on so money spent on the re-release paid them back enough.

Aside from the listings that prove these are two separate games, there is loads of other evidence that this game just had Saddle Club slapped on top of an already existing game once you have the context. First off, the menus and start screen literally have flowery clip art that is pasted on top of an existing gritty mine themed layout. I didn't regard it much when I first played and thought it was just poor design... but knowing the game wasn't for Saddle Club, makes you realize just how out of place it looks. Additionally, the music in the game is totally different in Saddle Club's cute and upbeat tones, as the original's soundtrack a bit more mysterious and dark sounding- fitting its aesthetic.

Outside of the obvious aesthetics, there's even more that points to the drastic thematic difference between the two. The music changes the mood alone, but with the context that this game written for Saddle Club becomes more clear as you progress through the game and find things like... a graveyard, a gun in a church, the dark mines and traps, character death being the plot of the story, a strange abandoned castle, and so on.

There are some more unexpected additions to the Saddle Club version, however... and it actually extends to the point where you realize the Saddle Club version is almost like a big upgrade or patch to the original, even when many things don't fit. The obvious change would be the fact that three different players characters were added to the game- representing the main characters of the TV show. You only go to the island as one character because thats how the original was made- it was not written or built around 3 girls. The story wasn't made for it. Also for the Saddle Club version, the old lady who owns the stables exists as a character with a model and greets you to explain more of the story whereas in the original you simply arrive with a letter explaining things and that is it. Some changes don't make clear sense- like the boy at the stables says more or less in each version of the game, sometimes giving less information in Saddle Club than in the original. Why??

Overall, the Saddle Club version presents things in a more immersive way and forward way. Especially with the introduction given by Agnes, you get an idea of whats going on, and then you meet other characters in ways that just make more sense. In the original, you're just there already and it assumes your ability to solve things. Within the first two days you meet characters with incredibly stiff dialogue and awkward triggers to their meets, and its hard to know direction in that original version.

But that's not where the changes stop- and the deeper I dug the more I found in regards to patches for this game. First off, from the Wayback Machine I was able to find the old website which hosted patches for both games. Even though the patch got the original a bit more up to Saddle Club's standards, certain controls in the game still felt totally different. One thing my friend and I mess with HEAVILY was the "unstuck" button. This was something we read in the readme.txt file which contained loads of information we didn't know about the game (such as the fact that the game took 18 months to write!) This button is used to get unstuck, and in Saddle club it pushes you in a certain direction... through walls, and can be abused very very heavily. However, in the original game it doesn't exactly do that. It moves you differently and doesn't allow the same kind of clipping to occur. For some reason this changed between games, and clearly the devs went and altered some of the functions to work differently. Somehow though, it is less broken in the original version, and more broken in the later release...

The patch provided for the original adds a few functions already within Saddle Club- including the option to automatically gear up for a ride on your horse. Sadly the patch notes are basically nonexistent, so notes like "story related fixes" aren't explained in more detail to know what they really did unless we go through both step by step to compare. (This game is honestly horrible to play, its very strict in how you must solve things. No skipping around as far as I know. So it wouldn't be fun to play twice)

With covering all those technical changes to the game- theres a bit more, of course!

The original Willowbrook Stables game comes with a little more physically which makes it interesting as well. For one- the game was released without any kind of rating system applied, thus no logo in the right bottom corner.

It also came with a manual and a large map of the entire game's world- which can be downloaded from the old website's snapshot too.

The game's original box art and design show that strikingly different design and tone compared to the Saddle Club version, and I find it so interesting to see a game not built for Saddle Club at all getting rebranded into it. Most repackages of games don't tweak much (Petz games, as mentioned before), but Willowbrook was a story based game, things written for its own world stayed the same but other things had to change. Additionally, its always interesting to see the original ways of the devs trying to patch and fix games. Patches for games were not released like they are now- the fact they used a repackaged version like some kind of update, with no indication they were technically different, is odd!

All this is to say- Willowbrook Stables may be a crappy buggy horse game, no matter the version... But if I hadn't noticed various details in the readme.txt or the game itself I never would have realized this was the case because the original is hardly documented. IR Gurus is now Transmission Games, and the wikipedia page only lists the Saddle Club version of the game from 2002, not the original in 2001. There are a few web pages that list the original, but its certainly gotten buried under its repackaged form due to name and popularity. Despite the seeming obscurity they have gained traction for games unrelated to horses, you can even read an IGN article about the studio in 2006 here. Even so, the horse games are mentioned as some "off-beat, niche titles" compared to their other games regardless of it being their origins.

Its important to me to dig up some of this stuff- you never know where it may go, and the rabbit hole for obscure titles can go in places I never expected. Especially for titles such as these- the "girl games" - most find little value in them. But the history behind them, the people who made them, shouldn't be left to vanish forever. IR Gurus had an early part in the development of numerous horse games... good or bad, its interesting to find that there was an identical version of Saddle Club that was easily forgotten simply because it was labeled with a big name.

[douchebagbrainwaves]

EVERY FOUNDER SHOULD KNOW ABOUT SCHOOL

But I don't think this is true. Over and over, I've seen startups we've funded snatched by west coast investors are confident enough of their judgement to act boldly; east coast investors, not so much that it's fun to use, but that they're driven by more powerful motivations. I knew intellectually, but the boring stuff you do in school under the name mathematics is not at all like what mathematicians do. Here's a handy rule for startups: competitors are rarely as dangerous as they seem, because good people find good markets. I wasn't sure whether to include Jobs on this list because he makes me happy. Hardy said he didn't like math in high school the solution was the telephone. A user on Hacker News recently posted a comment that set me thinking: Something about hacker culture that never really set well with me was this—the nastiness. Of course, Internet startups are still only a fraction of the probability that they will succeed at all. Just that all other things being equal, the more stuff they seem to have been two ways of thinking about programming.1 It's hard for us to be up to our chins in failure all the time. Angel investors often syndicate deals, which means stock with extra rights like getting your money back first in a sale, or convertible debt, which means they join together to invest on the same terms. I'm not saying this is the route to well-deserved obscurity.2

As huge as their companies eventually became, they were all essentially mechanics and shopkeepers at first. You enjoy it more if you eat it occasionally than if you eat nothing but chocolate cake for every meal. For example, in my house in Cambridge, which was built in 1876, the bedrooms don't have closets. If you had to get over to start a new channel. The definition then spread to people who behaved like assholes in forums, whether intentionally or not. Everything that came to us through the mass media was a blandly uniform and b produced elsewhere. And so I let my need to be in a rush to choose your life's work. And you know why they're so happy? This is a list of the biggest regrets of the dying. And if I don't run for several days, I feel ill.3

It was surprising—slightly frightening even—how fast they learned. The eight men who left Shockley Semiconductor to found Fairchild Semiconductor, the original Silicon Valley startup, weren't even trying to start a new channel. I know how hard it is, because there is a lot of plot, but they want to start it. The reason this is news to anyone is that the Internet is the primary medium. That's not how you win at this game. The final contributing factor is the culture of the forum.4 Right now most of you feel your job in life is to be strategically indecisive: to string founders along while trying to gather more information about the startup's trajectory. Overall only about 10% of startups succeed, but that was enough to tell what I said that upset him: that startups would do better if they moved to Silicon Valley to succeed. It seems like a bad idea.

Notes

Giant tax loopholes are definitely not a VC who read a draft, Sam Altman points out that trying to figure this out. No one in a bug. It will require more than we can teach startups a lot like meaning. I got to the table.

An investor who says he's interested in x, and cook on lowish heat for at least should make a brief entry listing the gaps and anomalies. Oddly enough, a torture device so called because it depends on them, because they can't afford to.

I mean that if the value of understanding per se but from what the earnings turn out to be combined that never should have become direct marketers. But so many had been with us he would presumably have got more of the markets they serve, because what they're doing. Actually this sounds to me like a later investor trying to make peace with Spain, and I suspect. So far the only cause of accidents.

Stone, op. So instead of using special euphemisms for lies that seem promising can usually get enough money from good investors that they lived in a in the absence of objective tests. Median may be exaggerated by the government. 5 more I didn't realize it yet or not, bleeding out invites at a discount of 30% means when it converts you get nothing.

[soaringwide]

Hi there! Just wanted to put my name in for the reading giveaway! If I get picked, I would love a reading that focuses on what I can do while moving forward on my religious/magical path. It has been a long time since I've made any forward movement (my practice has stagnated), and as much as I would love to pick up where I have left off, I feel as though I am missing something within myself. Thank you!!

Hello @coyotegamer :)

First of all thank you for your question! I think I will try to first assess why things have stagnated, and then what you can understand and do to move forward.

For anyone else interested in a free reading, I currently have enough asks so they are closed, but I will open them again because I have 4 days off at the end of next week so I'll have some free time. Stay tuned!

Current situation

(The first two columns on the left where meant as signifiers for yourself in this situation, and the next three as why you experience this stagnation.)

So for you in your current situation, I see that regardless of how long you've been invested on your path, you show up as someone who is in the developing stage of their craft (the Page), working on learning as much as possible, which makes sense since magic/spirituality/esoterism requires a lot of ground work to get things started and is obscure unless you were raised in it. However, instead of moving onto the next stage you sort of remained stuck in this beginner phase, perhaps due to a lack of confidence or motivation, or because you lacked a clear way forward.

You may have experienced a lack a results or a poor harvest, not necessarily in a tangible way but perhaps you were expecting to get something from your practice on some level that you weren't getting, such as internal or emotional fulfillment or a feeling of completion and belonging. This made you feel like you were just going back and forth aimlessly, unable to direct your energy anywhere, like a lion in a cage.

As to why things have stagnated because I wanted a bit more info, the idea of being unsatisfied with your accomplishments came back again, with the idea that it might not be rooted in reality but rather in your own perception of the situation. Perhaps you think you haven't gained a whole lot from your practice but it's rooted in your expectations and pessimistic vision.

There is a wound here, and you got three cards talking about some type of pain and necessity to transmute it into strength. This deep dissatisfaction killed your drive and your sens of direction. You lost your sense of purpose, as in, why you do the things that you do, and for a while you were not able to persevere.

I also think you lost touch with the magical sense of wonder you felt at first because you got super comfortable in your routine, as the honeymoon phase faded, and you didn't know how to keep the spark alive.

What can you do to move forward

I think there is a message of reclaiming that part of you that you neglected during this stagnation phase in order to feel whole again. There is space for healing if you allow yourself to flow again and try to merge this fragmented parts of yourself once more.

In order to pick up steam again, you must face those internal blockages you feel. There is again the idea of transmuting something within yourself in order tor reclaim what you have lost (your enthusiasm; your bliss; your drive).

Perhaps you are resisting the deep call of divinity and magic within yourself. A breakthrough is needed and you are resisting it because you fear it might hurt you if you make a mistake. I get it those things can be scary af. But the Tower is not always this doom and gloom thing and can be a powerful force of change. I think there's the idea of taking a big leap of faith, of changing something drastically.

Really you need to wake up to the idea of going back home within yourself. To what truly matters to you. Not what others think is the right path, not the path someone tells you to take, but the one that feel natural and true to you, the one that feels like home.

Don't let your fear of not being enough or not knowing enough get in the way of exploring and doing, because I think you know enough to take the next step. You are human and despite the world we live in you belong to nature and its wisdom. It is yours and within you as well and you can reconnect with that and heal. You may be scared you need to be perfect in order to move forward but that's not true because nothing is ever perfect in the realm of nature. We are all imperfect little things running around on a floating space rock trying to make sense of the crushing beauty of the universe. You must do with what you have and let the world around you teach you.

Reconnect with the fresh energy of a new beginning, and go toward what speaks to your soul, what creates this feeling of going home I talked about earlier, and again don't listen to what other tell you you should be doing that make you feel like you are not advanced or knowledgeable enough to do, because you will learn on your path. One step at a time with optimism and joy in your heart.

With the last two cards of the Quareia deck I was hoping to get a more concrete idea of a path to take, but I don't think it's mine to tell you, but rather encourage you to explore and take a wide step forward.

The Weaver of Creation talks about building something long lasting, weaving it into existence so to speak. It will bring fruit but you must put in the work.

The Wheel of Fate Rx makes me think that rather than waiting for Destiny to move you, you must spin the wheel first and then the movement will carry you forward. Remember that you are always the one to decide what step you want to take. There is a lot of talk online about being chose by this or that, but ultimately you are free and that gives you immense power, and you'll be able to give your love and dedication to a path that you willingly stepped on, and then once you give you will be given back and be moved along.

I would advise you to be careful about reading too much what is online for the time being and rather refocus on yourself. Find the little spark within you that tells you where to go next. Maybe spend some time in nature and sit in silence, look around. Magic is everywhere, it doesn't have to be something you need to force yourself to do complicated things in order to see feel and practice. This process can be really eye opening about your own path. I have this image of the Excalibur sword in the rock, the rock being your heart. Once you drew it out you'll grow into your own power.

I hope this reading was useful to you! I also wanted to say that I highly empathize with you because I'm in the same situation so doing this reading also helped me motivate myself! I'll gladly read your feedback if you wish to share something! Wishing you good luck on your path!!

[aliencrystals]

Hello! I have some paranormal stories to add to your catalogue.

But first, for context, I am a firm skeptic. Of course, I'm still fascinated by the paranormal, but I tend to take everything I read and see with a huge grain of salt. As much as I'd like to believe that my sightings are concrete proof of paranormal phenomenon, I still believe that these were all likely tricks of the light, or misidentification. All of these stories occurred two or more years ago, so the details may have been obscured.

That being said, here are my stories:

Sighting one: The Ghost (?)

A few years ago, I went to a summer camp that took place on an old family farm. If I remember correctly, they used to have much more crops and livestock, but now only had smaller things like raspberries, carrots, and a few chickens. In the center of the farm, there was an old farmhouse. It used to belong to the farm's previous owner, and it was very clear that it had been loved over the years.

Along with the farm house, there was another small house that bordered the woods.

I only found out afterwards that people had seen a woman-shaped figure drift back and forth by the window.

One day, our camp group went out to the woods to play Eagle eye. (for context, Eagle eye is essentially stationary hide and seek. You take turns standing in place and finding people hiding in front of you). After a few rounds, it was my turn. I was finding people as usual, until I thought I had seen someone hiding behind a tree. One of the rules in our game was that if you'd found someone hiding and you didn't know who you were, you would simply say something like "Person in the red shirt!" and point in their general location. I thought I had maybe seen the sleeve of a black shirt, and possibly even a bit of dark black hair peeking out from behind a tree. I said "Person in the black shirt!" and pointed in the direction of the mystery person. Nobody responded, so the staff members checked behind the tree to make sure nobody was trying to cheat the game. But nope, nobody was there, the staff confirmed it. That was a bit odd to me, as the shape was fairly clear. It moved like a human, even shying away when I looked in it's direction. After the game, I came back to check behind the tree. I must've missed something, right? Maybe one of my friends was trying to prank me, I thought. But a thick blackberry bramble surrounded the back of the tree. If there was anyone hiding there, they would have had to stand knee-deep in a sharp cluster of blackberry vines. I would've just shrugged this encounter off as just my active imagination, but my friend described the exact same thing to me. Same figure, same black silhouette, same location, too.

Sighting two: The UFO/UAP

One time, I was in the Drive-thru of a local fast food place. Fairly anticlimactic, I know. But the thing that makes this event memorable is what I saw that day. While I was waiting in the car, I saw a little white tic-tac like shape in the sky. It was sleek & white, with no lights, wings, or visable tail fins. I watched it as it hovered for a moment, before quickly zooming upwards, and then downwards. It appeared much too fast to be a plane.

And that concludes my stories! I hope these were as entertaining for you to read as they were for me to witness them :]

OK BUT These are such cool stories IDK WHICH ONE IS MORE CREEPY. the fact your friend also saw the same apparition is just weird. You never know what kind of locations have some kind of spiritual energy!

The ufo story is even more interesting! I’ve always wanted to see one for myself. Ngl I occasionally look up into the sky hoping to see somethin crazy. 👁👁

I was so thrilled to get this ask n read your stories, thank you for sharing! 👽🍄🌈🛸

[subzeroiceskater]

Kinda depressing personally but Arc Weldy's sidestory got nearly three times the number of hits despite being a sidestory.Would anything "Passionate Moments" make any sense if you haven't read "Arc Weldy Falls in Love" first? I wouldn't think so... I can only interpret those hits as people coming from the tags, hitting read and then immediately backing out because who has time for that nonsense.

I know me posting these kinda stuff is depressing...embarrassing? For me because imagine comparing stuff that barely hit the 20-30 range. But it's still interesting to know what the audience responds to.

-Despite the Mege Man Killers appearing in both fics, the one that has Quint tagged got more hits, meaning obviously, there were more Quint fans checking out fics with him in it.

-Despite being a very minor character in the far more obscure MM series, the Hope Stelar fic got more hits than the fics with Classic characters. Was of the Torch Man tag? The weird "shitty" summary? All of them has Tundra Man tagged so he's the, uh, the control, I think.

-Despite a zine contingent on the main work, most of the hits just didn't want to check out the original, lol. Was it just Passionate Moments summary being more enticing than Arc Weldy's? Or was it the presence of more popular characters, mainly Fuse Man. (Noticed that my Fuse fancomics got more hits, see Bunny Umbrella.)

-Absolutely bizarre that "Arc Weldy Feels the Love" just got as much hits as the original, though. I honestly didn't think anyone was gonna read that one because it didn't feature any named/canon characters. It's also contingent on the original story and, honestly, I didn't notice ANY additional hits between my original posting of Arc Weldy (it was like 6 hits then) and it. So MORE people read "Feels" than the original story.

-Nobody likes my man Impact :(

-I actually "reset" most of my works, because social anxiety reasons, but not Arc Weldy. I figured it didn't have the bad stuff I wanted to get rid of and well, there was the comment. Arc Weldy is the very first MM digital long form comic and despite how really rough it was and it was obviously I didn't know what I was doing, it meant and still means a lot to me. When it came to it, I couldn't delete it and the reply. I know most people won't care, but for one moment, to one reader, it meant something. I wanted to keep that. If nothing else, I'd have that.

Every time I write something, story form at least, it seems I'm doomed to be misunderstood. It happened across a bunch of fandoms (most recently my Yuletide gift! Yeah! My recipient totally misinterpreted what I was going for! Got misunderstood big time LOL augh), over the years, so that's just saying about my skill as a storytelling, which is shit apparently.

But the comment just said it was sweet. Which is, yeah, it's sweet. You know, back in 2019 when I submitted it to Miyabi's contest, I was happy when he said it was a story, uh, friendship and compassion. I think. Because I was definitely going for the compassion part. So for that one moment, I hit the target.

[princettegil]

A love letter to the Genshin fandom

I want to say how thankful I am to the Genshin fandom. It definitely has its lot of assholes and issues (like most large fandoms) but this is the first time I’ve ever gotten to really participate in a large, active fandom!

Before, when I was younger, I was really into Sailor Moon, but I was the only person in my school/grade to like it (or anime in general.) Later, it was Tokyo Mew Mew but again, I was alone in it. I visited fan sites for it constantly but that’s the only connections I had. After that came several other obsessions but they were smaller and there was even less around for them. Things like Bleach and InuYasha and FMA were huge but the amount at my school for them or any other anime barely existed, and I was never obsessively into them. Just a simple fan who enjoyed them. After that came one of my biggest obsessions – Dragon Knights! That was the first time I got to join a forum for a fandom, but I was still so shy that I barely interacted. I just sat back and enjoyed reading everyone else’s conversations and asking a question every now and then. Then came Tumblr and I finally had a chance to reach out! But the DK fandom was just re-emerging from its long slumber thanks to the new platform. I met and talked to a few people, and it was enjoyable but since we were such a tiny fandom (I can count the number of ppl who were active in it on my hands!) there was never much going on and finding anyone irl that even knew it existed let alone was a fan was even more difficult.

I’ve hopped around several fandoms here and there, always a constant watcher of whatever interests me every anime season, I still occasionally draw fanart and read fanfiction and cosplay as them but there’s never a very large presence for most of them. Even when it is fairly popular at large, finding closer fans irl or even online is much harder. Even with Genshin, I must admit I only have a couple people I can talk about it with but since it’s a pretty easily accessible game, most people (even outside the anime fandom) know about it at least a little or, at least, accept it more than most anime. But it’s just knowing that there is SO MUCH out there for it! That it hasn’t died down yet like most of my fandoms, that even normies/non-weebs can get into it, and its so popular and accessible! I go to local (smaller) cons and still see LOTS of cosplay for it! And so far, all of the ppl I’ve seen are super nice! They even recognize who I’m cosplaying! Which has been rare for me. Even without many friends or people I can talk to about it, it’s just nice to see it flourishing and so many people enjoying it!

I was late to most of my fandoms or just didn’t have anyone nearby to talk to about them. I didn’t meet any fellow anime fans until high school! (Rural podunk town problems.) And even then, there were just a small handful, and we didn’t get to talk or hang out much. Now, anime is much more accepted, and I see tons of young people who like it, tons who will never be aware of how isolating fandom used to be or how obscure it used to be! But Genshin is still the biggest fandom I’ve gotten to take part in while it’s going on – and though I’m still lonely when it comes to joining in, it’s at least comforting to know there are so many out there who love the same thing! So many people who know about it, can talk about, who understand my love for it – it’s truly amazing! So, regardless of the ship wars and nonsense that rages in this fandom (I mostly just ignore it lol) I’m still glad it exists and I get to take part in it! Thanks everyone!