#or change them in ways that feel unsupported and ooc

[punkascas]

aww, man, i'm hella bummed over the news of ofmd.

i wasn't even jonesing that hard for s3 — like i'd of course watch it when it came out, but s2 reiterated and reenforced for me why i'll always choose fandom and fanworks over canon — but i feel gutted for the writers and actors. i feel grieved and jaded. and i feel aggravated that it is a familiar, well-worn groove of jaded grief over how queer stories and stories centred on non-white cis characters with diverse casts don't get their chance to flourish and grow. they don't feed the capitalist beast, even though they absolutely fckin do you're just dumb media executives. those stories are not as easy to market; not the sure, quick buck. not the stories for 18 – 25 year old straight white boys you can peddle to advertisers and that look good in quarterly-projection presentations.

i'm sad because the cast really seemed to get on. really seemed to have one of those rare mixes of chemistry and off-screen friendship. and i want to see them hang out and be creative together and fall further in love with now they portray found family on screen with so much ease and sincerity and full of genuine joy.

i'll miss them. i'll miss watching them play their characters. they seem to love them as much as and for the same reasons that we love those characters.

and to a lesser extent i'm a little disappointed to never find out what the plan would've been for s3, where djenks originally had the characters end up, how and if the creative decisions in s2 would've been addressed. fandom will of course find answers to this, and i know i'll probably think those stories are better if i could compare because i always do, but there's still a part of me that wants to know what djenks and the writing team and the cast would've done.

that all said, a part of me finds it extremely awkwardly morbidly hilarious that the s2 ending is now the official end. the ending that i can only read as a fascinating-yet-distressing lovecraftian horror story waiting to happen. like, not great as a final note due to how much it upset and divided the fandom. i wish it had been an ending that sparked opportunities for community-building and excitement and creativity that comes from a place of wanting more rather than feelings of betrayal or discomfort or creativity that comes from the need to process or to fix or to ignore.

but also as someone who enjoys absurdist dark humour, it's kind of perfect to me. the ending is an amazing (accidental) representation of schrödinger's cat of a conclusion. and i love it.

like, you can read the ending as happy. the main couple is together; the crew has their freedom and found family and can continue a life of adventure without the drama ed or stede can cause. izzy… whatever, i guess. whatever people who are cool with izzy's fate wanted for him.

or you can read the ending as, like: stede, run! you just shacked up with a known mentally and emotionally unstable guy who just very traumatically (and violently) ended a longterm codependent relationship. with the fresh grave of your boyfriend's ex right out front. because both of them are dudes that literally hoard each other's corpses because the codependence and obsessive possession just runs that deep. and you made these life choices while on an isolated spit of land with no one else around but the sea and a rundown shack whose aesthetics are straight out of a horror film. and that's implied to smell like death in one of your last lines of dialogue ever. nothing good will come of this, my guy.

if you know me, you know which reading i'm taking and running with.

[jellyfishandry]

Kirishima + m!reader

Content: male reader, some mentions of homophobia, Bakugo, possibly ooc, Kirishima has two moms because I said so, (I'm not a gay man so things may be inaccurate!!)

A/N: This is a present for my favorite person in the world, @poly-yooperlite

For him it was very much a “I don’t want to ruin our friendship…” situation. But when you’re all in the changing rooms, he sometimes catches himself looking over at you. Then he scolds himself because it’s very “unmanly” of him. He really can’t help it though. He finds you very attractive. He talks about you to his moms and his friends a lot. Mina and Denki tease him, but Bakugo just wants him to shut up and confess. He’s very tired of seeing you two pine after each other. He has expressed doubt to them that you are even into guys. But Bakugo aggressively told him that it was pretty obvious you liked him back. When he does confess, he wants to make sure he does it the “manly” way. So he buys you flowers. Red roses to be exact. He’s got a rough idea in his head of what he’s going to say and do, but the moment he sees your face, that plan goes out the window. You’re so handsome he can’t help it. But he ends up giving you the flowers and expressing his feelings.  If you were to reject him, he would be very understanding about it, but of course, sad.  But you end up accepting his confession, and telling him how you feel.  He’s overjoyed, because he no longer has to hide his true feelings. He wants to give you a really big hug, but he asks first because he doesn’t want to overwhelm you. Your comfort is very important to him, and he doesn’t want to overstep your boundaries.  He asks for consent whenever he wants to touch you, especially early in your relationship.  Even if you tell him that he doesn’t have to ask, he’ll still make his intentions very clear, and if you don’t want to be touched at that moment, he’s very understanding of that. And especially when it comes to PDA. He’s well aware that not everyone is accepting of gay relationships. Personally he likes holding your hand any time, and he doesn’t care what other people think.  But he will not hesitate to call someone “unmanly” if they make a homophobic comment.  If your family is unsupportive, he will try to act as your exclusively platonic best friend, but he’s not the best actor… Especially considering he wants to be by your side 24/7. He might end up politely arguing with your family if they make a distasteful comment. If you’re out, that is. But if your family is supportive, he will be very chatty and enthusiastic when meeting them. Very much a “I’ll have your son home by eight!” situation.  He’s very polite, but also a bit nervous. He wants to make a good impression on your family.  But your family ends up loving him.  Very glad their son has found such a kind and supportive boyfriend. And his moms love you. They were very excited to finally meet you because of how much Kirishima talks about you. He gets very embarrassed when they tell you that- After first meeting them, they’re constantly wanting to know when you can come over for dinner. They’re very glad that Kirishima has found someone he truly loves.

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[hydesjackiespuddinpop]

One more ask! You’ve mentioned several times that you have complicated feelings towards Zaya, which makes sense since all the characters and ships on this show have more than their share of flaws and messy moments :) So I wanted to ask what you love about them AND what you wish you could change about them! Also, talk about why you prefer Camaya!!

Putting under read more just in case.

What I love about Zaya: Their chemistry. Like it's explosive yet also has a lot of comfort. I can buy how much they love each other and their development was beautiful to see.

What I wish I could change about Zaya: Well them kissing while ZIg was still with Tori was a little 'ugh' to me. Even moreso that there were those moments of Zig pestering Maya to go out with him. I HATE those types of relationships where one person goes after the other without taking 'no' for an answer. It's not cute, it's not sweet, it's romantic. It's DISGUSTING and ignoring the other person's agency. And while I don't blame him for Cam's death, even if Cam didn't end up committing suicide, he shouldn't be telling the girl he claims to love's boyfriend to get out of her life But he did feel bad about that and realizing his mistake. And also, Zig calling Maya his "sloppy seconds" is also never addressed? And I mean ZIg's attitude about Maya following her dream in NC is just idk...but I'm getting ahead of myself.

But what I would personally change about them to have them as endgame is that, they can still kiss and Zig would still have feelings for Maya except he'd back off a little more. Zig would be honest with Tori and break up with her. Maya would be upset at first but understand.

Idk if Cam would have still killed himself if Zig didn't talk to him. But if he does :(, I'd have Zaya have that same storyline. And in s13, Zig would be less of a dick about Matlingsworth but he'd still be into Maya. Wouldn't call Maya his "sloppy seconds" or any of that. Wouldn't be an asshole about Maya not being into like that and they'd stay friends and that same storyline.

In season 14, I'd have it be the same, except I'd give Matilngsworth and Zoemund closure. Zoe and Zig can go on a date, but realize they're better as friends (which a perfect lead in for Zoe realizing she's gay). Matlingsworth can be friends or have the same thing as Zoemund.

And everything else with Zaya in that season is still the same :)

For next class s1, even though I HATE the cheating and Zig being unsupportive of Maya's dream, it isn't ooc imo. But I would rather if Zig wasn't jealous of Maya and Jonah but still...

Early Season 2 can be the same except after #TurnItUp, Zig (and Grace) wouldn't try to insist for Maya to forgive him and she'd get some space. So Zig would be less of a dick and Grace would not have feelings for him. Like I don't even like Gracevas, but Grace having feelings for Zig of all people and defending him to Maya...Like she could tell Zoe that she thinks Zig is hot. They didn't HAVE to have Grae have feelings for the guy. While I don't think it came out of nowhere because Grace is a very private person and probably would have hid it through insults or smth or something could've developed, it's the way Grace kept defending him to Maya when ZIg completely fucked up.

Season 3 and Season 4 Zaya can still be the same and they'd get back together during their trip and talk things out :)

As for why I prefer Camaya, I just think they're very sweet and pure. They truly seemed to adore each other and I love how Cam liked Maya in the beginning and Maya started to feel the same way. I know it's unrealistic, but a Camaya endgame would have been adorable. They were definitely each other's first loves.

[bakamoonshine]

A Surprise Encounter

(reposting in a different format!)

Summary: Trans male reader is experiencing gender dysphoria, and Draco comforts them. (D/N is deadname in this fic)

Word Count: 1.9k

Warnings: Dysphoria, potential transphobia, a little slut-shaming?, OOC, swearing, a little bit of fluff at the end

A/N: I tried my best for you @vampirthedarkone, but as I am not a trans man, I don’t have exactly the right perspective for this one! I hope I did it justice and you enjoy this fic, even if it’s not 100% accurate. I’m sorry if anything I included is explicitly wrong! Xx 

 Y/N’s POV

           “Psst, Y/n,” Draco pokes me in the side, trying to get my attention in the middle of Transfiguration class. I shake my head and look at him, realizing I had been daydreaming.

           “What?” I respond, eyes wide in concern that something had happened while I wasn’t paying attention. Draco shrugs at me.

           “I saw that you weren’t paying attention, and I know that you struggle in this subject. Just wanted to make sure you get all the notes down,” he smiles at me, nodding his head toward my blank parchment. “Also, if you need some help, I’d be more than happy. Meet at the library after dinner?” Draco looked at me earnestly, his icy grey eyes looking bright with anticipation. My mouth went dry suddenly, nervous. I had never anticipated Draco Malfoy showing any interest in being friends with me, but now here he was offering to tutor me in Transfiguration.

           “Did McGonagall put you up to this?” I ask, raising one of my eyebrows. Draco just smirks and lets out a small chuckle.

           “No. Let’s just say I think we have a common interest in one another,” he winks at me, picking up his quill and directing his attention back to the front of the room. I find myself nodding, agreeing to meet him at the library that evening even though he wasn’t looking at me anymore. Nobody knew this, but Draco always had me transfixed – his beautiful white-blonde locks, his storm grey eyes, and the rings that adorned his fingers were just little details that I couldn’t help but notice every time my eyes passed over him. I had assumed he would never be interested in me because well…I’m a guy. Draco Malfoy has never struck me as anything other than strictly heterosexual – but maybe I’m wrong. The insinuation behind his words led me to believe that maybe he did want more.

           I start to pack up my supplies, have daydreamed the rest of class instead of paying attention, and accidentally drop my quill while packing. I reach to pick up the feathered pen, but before I can get to it, my quill is smashed to pieces by someone’s foot coming down on it, hard. I look up to see Pansy Parkinson, my ex-roommate, smiling down at me, the smile stretching across her face so taught that I couldn’t help but wonder if she was okay.

           “What do you want, Daffodil?” I sigh up at her, not in the mood for her games. I had moved out of our dorm when I transitioned and found her unsupportive nature loathsome and trite. I’d had enough of her treatment to know that although she didn’t bother me much anymore, words can still hurt. She smoothed down her shirt and shot me a glare.

           “Oh, D/N. I just wanted to make sure you weren’t planning on trying anything with Draco. We’re practically dating at this point, and I don’t want any half-blood sluts messing that up for me.” She smiled at me again, a sickly smile that made me want to vomit.

           “Pansy, everybody knows that Malfoy despises you. Also, my name is Y/N, and I’d appreciate it if you called me that like everybody else. You know the rules, Dumbledore bound you to secrecy so you can’t out me before I’m ready.” ‘Not like it’s some huge secret anymore, but it should still be my decision when I choose to explicitly tell everybody’ I think to myself. I smack her shin, making her move her foot off of my broken quill, and pick it up. I grab the rest of my supplies, and get up, leaving Pansy alone in the Transfiguration classroom, steam practically rising off her cheeks they were so red with anger.

           As I walk toward the Slytherin common room, I start to feel the familiar feeling just under my skin, like an un-scratchable itch coursing through my body – dysphoria. Pansy doesn’t get on my nerves like she used to when I first moved dorms, but she still has a way of making me feel low. I push the feelings down, determined to make it through the rest of the day, and drop my bag in my dormitory before going down to the Great Hall for some supper. I make my way through the aisles towards my friends sitting at the Slytherin table. I sit down and huff, starting to tell them about my encounters with Draco and Pansy, noticing while I talk that Draco’s eyes never leave me. I finish talking, digging into my food, and eventually finishing my dinner completely. I stand up to leave, waving goodbye to my friends, and start to walk out of the Great Hall and back towards the Slytherin common room. I just made it out of the Great Hall when I hear footsteps swiftly behind me. I turn my head to see who it is, a little surprised when I find Draco following me out of the hall.

           “Do you mind if I walk with you Y/N?” he asks, eyebrows knit together in a look of questioning hope. I nod my head, turning silently and starting to walk again. The blonde boy next to me sighs in content, seeming happy that I said yes. “You know…we don’t have to study tonight if you don’t want to.” I stop again, looking at him with wide eyes.

           “Do you not want to?” I ask him, internally cringing and waiting for his answer to be no. My anxiety is rising by the second, and I can feel my cheeks heating up.

           “Of course, I want to, Y/N, I just didn’t know if maybe you wanted to do something less…school related? We could go down to the kitchens and find some kind of dessert, or we could-” I cut him off with a swift wave of my hand.

           “Draco, are you asking me on a date?” His grey eyes snap to mine, mischief in them.

           “Would you say yes if I was?” He takes a step towards me, and I suck in a breath.

           “Maybe” I say devilishly, smirk playing across my lips. “But you do realize I paid absolutely no attention in Transfiguration and have no hope of passing the exam next week, right? I could actually use the help.” Draco laughed, gesturing towards the ever-changing staircases we were stood beside.

           “Well then lead the way to the dorm, I need to grab my stuff to teach you everything you need to know.” Before I can even take half a step towards the dorm, Pansy emerges from the corridor we had just left.

           “Dray, you promised me we’d study together tonight. Why are you with D/N?” I felt myself cringe at the use of my deadname, praying that Draco didn’t notice. He scoffed, obviously irritated by her intrusion.

           “You came up with that plan, and I immediately said no. Don’t pretend like you heard otherwise. I’m hanging out with Y/N tonight, he really needs help with Transfiguration. Go bother Blaise or something,” he waved his hand in the other direction, hoping Pansy would get the idea and just leave. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. Pansy looked at me with pure venom in her eyes. She continued to look directly at me while speaking to Draco.

“You realize that D/N is a girl right? If you’re looking to get with a guy, I’d look somewhere else.” My breath immediately stopped as I glare at Pansy.

“You bitch,” I throw the words her way before fast walking in the opposite direction, not staying to see Draco’s reaction. I didn’t realize I was crying as I almost sprint towards the dorms until I reach my hand up and feel moisture on my cheeks. ‘Damn it, I was so close to making it through the day.’ I think to myself, hurriedly making my way into the common room and up to my dorm. I sit down on my bed, pulling the curtains around me so if anybody comes in they won’t notice me crying. My heart rate picks up, my breathing ragged and uneven. It feels like my skin is on fire, and I feel myself descending into the endless depths of self-loathing. I hear the door open hastily and I stifle a sob, my breathing still extremely uneven. I wait for the door to open again, signaling someone leaving, but it doesn’t. My curtain is flung open, and there stands Draco Malfoy, the top button of his shirt undone and his tie loose around his neck. His hair, once neat and tidy, is now draped around his face, his cheeks flushed and breath coming in pants.

“Y/N…are you…okay?” he pants heavily, a look of intense concern on his face. I look up at Draco, taking in his entire being, from the hand pressed against his bedframe, to his foot tapping on the floor anxiously.

“Did you run here?” I ask, shocked enough to stop crying for a moment, though it didn’t last long.

“Well…yeah. I was worried about you. Pansy was being as ass and I had to make sure that you’re okay.”

“But…” Draco cuts me off, sitting down on the bed next to me.

“Y/N you think I didn’t know that you’re transgender? Pansy never leaves me alone and she mentioned you at least 20 times just today. You somehow really get under her skin. Anyway, why would I care? You are the most beautiful person I have ever laid eyes on. I don’t care what anybody else thinks, I want you all to myself. Pansy can go fuck herself if she thinks we were ever going to get together. My type is much more…you.” He pulls me in close, my breathing finally evening out, and places a soft kiss to the top of my head – he’s so tall, I fit right under his chin, at the perfect height to bury my head in his neck. I grab onto the sides of his robes, pulling him as close as he could possibly get to me, and his arms wrap around me, enveloping me in warmth. “So how about tonight we skip the library and go get some ice cream from the kitchens, and I will help you all day tomorrow with the Transfiguration homework? Does that sound okay, love?” I look up at him and nod my head, feeling incredibly grateful for the Slytherin prince. He nods his head back in my direction, places a kiss on my forehead, another kiss on the tip of my nose, and a soft kiss on my lips. He grabs my hand and leads me out of the dorm and toward the kitchens.

As Draco tickles the pear in the fruit painting, I look down at our hands intertwined. I can’t help but smile at the turn of events, knowing this wouldn’t have happened if I wasn’t so bad at Transfiguration, suddenly feeling extremely grateful that I had no idea how to turn a mouse into a teacup.

[rureadytosingstories]

To Be a Writer

Ten Years Later... AU (Set in the premise that Yahaba became a journalist and Watari became a doctor.)

“Long time no see!” Watari greets, but he casually sits down in front of Yahaba’s desk, crossing his legs like he owns the place.

“We literally met each other yesterday, because you couldn’t wait one day to tell me about your new boyfriend!” Yahaba complains, but smiles nostalgically.

“So, how are you and Kyoutani doing?”

“Okay.” Yahaba tries and fails to hide his blush.

“Just okay?” Watari raises his eyebrows.

“I’m supposed to be asking the questions today.”

“Yeah, you’re supposed to be, but are you really?” Watari uncrosses his legs, leaning forward a bit.

Yahaba sighs, but doesn’t argue. He ignores his friend’s question and asks, “Why do you write stories?”

“I thought this was about my job as a doctor?” Watari mutters, looking slightly nervous. How the hell do you know I write?

Yahaba gives him the ‘just-answer-the-damn-question’ look and Watari hesitates before nodding and going into professional mode.

“First and foremost, it’s a way to let out stress. It can be really stressful juggling doctor duties, social life, and family affairs. It’s a way to stay grounded while simultaneously being able to let your mind drift. It provides you with an escape so you can keep living normally the rest of the time,” the doctor replies.

“When did you start writing stories?” Yahaba asks while scribbling down the answer to his first question.

Watari chuckles before answering, “I was cleaning up my room the other day and found a story I wrote when I was in elementary school. It was called “The Tiny Little Bug.”

“What was it about?” Yahaba asks, unable to hide the laughter in his voice.

“I’m the main character and I basically save the day by catching a little bug that’s pestering my family.”

Yahaba is unable to muffle a laugh behind his hand.

“Shut up.”

Yahaba avoids Watari’s half-hearted slap to his arm and continues, “If you could make the same amount of money for each, would you continue your job as a doctor or become an author and publish a book? “Become an author.” Watari answers without any hesitation.

“Really? Why?” Yahaba hides his surprise behind a raised eyebrow.

“I have so many original stories I want to publish, but I never have time to write them and they'd probably never sell. So if I was guaranteed enough money to live an average life and have time to write my stories, I'd be so happy,” Watari’s face blooms with a soft smile. 

“But wasn’t becoming a doctor your dream job?” The journalist gives his friend a confused look.

“It was, and it still is. But writing as a hobby is also rewarding. It gives me a chance to view life from a different angle. And being a doctor is pretty stressful.”

Yahaba looks down at his list of questions, furrowing his brows. He crosses out a few before asking, “Why do you love writing so much?”

“Isn't it obvious? It's an escape from reality. It keeps me sane.”

“That doesn't make sense.” The interviewer whispers more to himself.

“I temporarily concentrate on characters in semi-fictional situations that are usually feeling or doing something that I'm currently going through. It helps to verify that I'm alive and when I receive feedback, it further encourages me that I'm needed and worthy of other’s time.” 

“But how’s that different from being a doctor?”

“You don’t always get positive feedback as a doctor. Sadly, some of it is negative.” Watari’s eyes stray to the ground.

“Hmm, but then what about comments with hate in them? Or people who are not supportive of your hobbies?”

“I usually ignore them.”

“Then I’m going to ask again, but how’s that different from being a doctor?”

“As a writer, you can ignore hateful comments or unsupportive people. As a doctor, ignoring the negative feedback could potentially be dangerous. Being a doctor means you literally have people’s lives in your hands. You need to constantly know the condition of your patients, the people you work with, the patients’ families, etc. There are so many more factors you have to consider and it’s not the best place to try to ‘escape from reality’,” Watari answers with a grim expression.

“So writing is a way of expressing yourself?”

Watari nods.

“Interesting...”

The doctor tilts his head to the side questioningly.

“You mentioned something about writing original stories earlier, but I heard somewhere that you write fanfictions?” Yahaba swiftly changes the subject.

“Where’d you hear that from?!” The doctor’s nervousness returns.

“Um... I might have found your blog by accident?” He gives his friend an apologetic look.

Watari sighs. “I knew it would happen sooner or later...”

“So, why fanfiction?” Yahaba asks tentatively.

“Who would want to let up on a chance to write good stories when you had so much material right in front of you?” Watari wags his eyebrows suggestively.

Yahaba replies with an annoyed stare.

“What? I was just joking!”

“Just answer the question.”

“I can’t lie; I had a lot of good material to write about during high school because of you guys.” Watari grins at his friend’s nervous splutter but continues, “oh yeah, I started writing fanfics when I was in middle school I think? Anyways, fanfictions are the best stories to write when you’re short on time, or feel really attached to a character/fandom. I think there’s many reasons, but there are three main reasons for me. First, the characters are already developed, or easy to develop. All you have to do is mention a name or characteristic and the reader already has an image of the person down. You don’t need to spend extra time explaining the characters. Second, the setting also doesn’t need to be explained unless it’s in an alternate universe. But still, it’s pretty simple since the basic canonic storyline is understood by the reader. And lastly, I genuinely enjoy writing about the characters and fandom. There are many feelings behind a story that includes your favorite characters and it’s a great way to connect with other people who have the same interests.”

“Woah, you’ve thought about this a lot, haven’t you?” Yahaba continues furiously scribbling on his notepad.

“I’m pretty sure every writer has?”

“I doubt it. A lot of writers just do it for fun and don’t think about it too deeply.”

“Hmm, I don’t know about that.” Watari watches Yahaba stop his pen for a second. “Hey, isn’t typing much faster than writing?”

“Do you type up your stories or write them out?” Yahaba answers with a question.

“I... I usually write them out,” Watari mutters sheepishly.

“I’m sure the reasoning is the same as mine,” Yahaba comments, adding a few bullet points to his notes.

“You sure about that? Interviewing and writing stories are pretty different.”

“Then why do you prefer writing your stories out, even though you’re going to have to type them up later?” Yahaba’s annoyance leaks into his voice.

“I like editing my stories a lot. I write it out with pen or pencil, use a read pen to correct, maybe use a different colored pen to edit some more and then type it up.”

“Ew. That sounds like writing an essay.”

“Says the journalist.” Watari grins, taking a pen from Yahaba’s collection and spinning it between his fingers.

“I don’t write essays. I write articles.”

“Same difference?”

“What’s the difference between stories and essays then?”

Watari gives him an ‘are-you-seriously-being-serious-right-now?’ look, but Yahaba only smirks in reply.  “Stories are usually fictional and based on the writer’s imagination. Essays are usually non-fiction and used to prove or explain a fact.”

“Thought so.”

“Hey, maybe you should’ve stuck with being a scientist instead of-”

“When did you start posting online?” Yahaba cuts his friend off with a warning glare.

Watari huffs, but seriously ponders over the question for a bit, his face contorting into a frown. “I was super hesitant at first. I was barely in high school and my mom was half-threatening me not to post online. I learned later that she thought I wasn’t going to post anonymously, so she was just looking out for me. Her words really got to me though, and I promised myself I wouldn’t post on major websites (AO3, fanfiction.net, etc) until I was 18. But I did make an anonymous account on a site that’s not very well known. It took me about a year to actually post something, so I think my first post was sometime during the end of freshman year.”

“It took that long?”

“Yeah.”

“So, what type of stories do you like to write?”

“Angst with a happy ending.” Watari answers with no hesitation.

“Angst?”

“Sad stories with reasonably happy endings. Hurt and comfort stories,” Watari attempts to explain. Yahaba continues to give him a confused look.

“I think only fanfiction writers and readers would understand.”

“Oh, about that, can you explain some of the fanfiction lingo to me?”

“Which ones?”

“What do ship, crackfic, OTP, OOC, and lemon mean?” Yahaba asks innocently.

Watari’s eyes widen at the last one, but he swiftly covers it with a chuckle. “Fans usually ship two people together as a pairing. A crackfic is a fanfic that’s really random and shouldn’t be taken too seriously. An OTP is a one true pair, or one of the fan’s favorite pairings. OOC means out of character. As for a lemon...” Watari trails off, cheeks reddening.

“Hey, you can’t stop there!” Yahaba is adamant in getting an answer.

“Why not?”

“I read a few summaries for the fanfics written about Ken- Kyoutani and I and some say ‘Warning: lemon.’”

“Did you check the rating?”

“The what?”

“Just don’t read any that say lemon. Or lime, for that matter.” Watari warns.

“What the hell does that mean?!”

“Some things are better left unsaid.”

“That’s not fair!!!” Yahaba pouts, glaring at his friend.  Watari zips his lips shut, throwing the ‘key’ out the open door. “Ugh, whatever.”

“You out of questions yet?” Watari puts the pen down and picks up a piece of paper.

“Nope. What’s the hardest thing about writing fanfics?”

“Probably making sure the characters stay in character? And getting through writer's block can be pretty tough.” The writer starts folding the paper into different shapes.

“How do you get motivation to write?”

“I write better when I’m stressed. But I can’t write if I’m too tired, so a good balance is needed.”

Yahaba stays silent for a few seconds before asking, “How do you even write then?”

“Oh, that’s a secret.”

“You don’t even write that much, do you?”

“I can’t help being such a popular doctor~” Watari sings. Yahaba rolls his eyes, being used to his friend’s random childish outbursts.

“What’s your favorite thing about writing?”

“Have I mentioned stress relief before?” Watari throws his paper plane across the room, snickering when it turns and hits Yahaba on the back of the head.

“Have I asked you how you were even able to become a doctor before?” Yahaba growls, before realizing his over-reaction and hiding his annoyance. Damn it, Kentarou’s rubbing off on me!

Watari grins. “I usually leave a hidden message in my stories by speaking through the characters.”

“Speaking through the characters?”

“Yeah. I honestly suck at talking about myself. So it's much easier to make the characters experience what I'm going through and have them speak my thoughts.” Watari peels a square post it off of Yahaba’s desk, folding it into a triangle. He frowns when the corners don’t match. A few seconds of silence follow before Watari looks up to meet Yahaba’s confused stare.

“For example, if I wanted to convey that I feel uncomfortable when people talk about my stories in front of other people, then I'd write a story where the main character accidentally reveals a secret to their friend. The main character makes their friend promise not to tell anyone. But said friend occasionally slips up and the main character gets increasingly stressed about it until they just shut down whenever that topic comes up,” Watari clarifies. 

“Isn't that a little too vague?”

“I told you; before anything, the reason why I write is to relieve stress. It's not always to convey a message. Sure, it'd be nice if people understood how I felt and changed because of it, but it's enough for me to vent and get out what I need to. 

And in no way am I saying I don't care about my readers' thoughts. I do care. I probably care a lot more than I should, because I try not to write based off of what the reader's want, but sometimes it naturally becomes like that. That's why I stopped posting on the first site I posted stories on. I felt like I was writing what the readers wanted and not what I wanted to write. Of course, writing stories goes both ways. But it needs to be balanced. If the writer feels stressed about writing a certain way, there's no point in writing. Writing should be fun, not stressful.”

“Okay, I think you’ve stressed the part about stress enough.”

“Oh my, Yahaba, was that a pun?”

“Pun? What the hell?!”

“How long is this mock interview? I thought this was supposed to be practice for your first one-on-one interview with that new actress tomorrow? And wasn’t it supposed to be about my job as a doctor?” Watari complains, ignoring his interviewer.

“I wanted to know more about how you became a writer. You were really secretive about it, so I naturally wanted to know more and...”

“Don’t tell me...” Watari covers his face with his hands. “You’ve read my stories on my blog?”

“Yeah.”

“Shit. Shit, Yahaba, I’m supposed to be anonymous!”

“You know, this interview would make a great first article for-”

“This goes against the law of patients’ privacy!”

“Dude, I’m a journalist, not a doctor.”

“Shigeru.” His friend’s tone makes said journalist meet eyes with the doctor. You better not to tell anyone. Yahaba is unable to turn away from the raw desperation in Watari’s eyes.

“I was just joking.” I would never betray you.

Watari’s eyes soften and release Yahaba from their spell.

“But why are you so secretive about it?” Yahaba asks, genuinely curious.

“It’s not something you’d brag about. And the stories I write wouldn’t really be accepted by the majority of the public.”

“I think you should be proud of it. But I won’t tell anyone if you don’t want me to,” Yahaba promises.

“Thanks bro.”

“Anytime.”

A comfortable silence sweeps over the room, before Yahaba mutters, “One last question.”

“Yeah?”

“How much of your stories is based on real life?” Despite Yahaba’s promise of not writing an article based off of their interview, he still has his pen ready to take notes.

“Maybe 20 percent or less? I try not to base too many of my stories on real life so that no one will figure out who I am. My goal was to stay completely anonymous, but you already know how that turned out...”

“It was kind of obvious though?” the interviewer finally puts down his notepad and pen, leaning back in his chair.

“Shoot.” Watari’s face blooms into a strawberry when he remembers a particular fanfic that he wrote not too long ago.

“I’m pretty sure most of the Seijou team knew.”

“Shit.”

“You okay Watari? You’re looking like a character from one of your lovely fanfictions,” Yahaba teases, sticking out his tongue.

“You sound like one of my salty ass characters who doesn’t realize he’s in love with his rival until his best friend spells it out for him,” Watari counters, grinning triumphantly at Yahaba’s red ears. Hmmm, is he angry or just embarrassed?

“Fuck off.”

He’s totally embarrassed. “Woah, Yahaba, I think your boyfriend isn’t a good influence on you.” Watari continues to banter.

It’s Yahaba’s turn to bloom into a strawberry. But instead of covering his face, he lunges towards his friend, trying to smack him across the chest.

“Oh my gosh, Yahaba, you’re just proving me more right!!!” Watari chuckles, avoiding each attack. However, the journalist is able to catch Watari’s arm and promptly proceeds to poke him in the ribs.

A high-pitched squeak comes out of the doctor. He pokes him again, this time a little harder. “Ahaha, Yahaba, that feels funny!”

Fingers dig into his sides, and both men are unable to hold in their crescendoing giggles. Loud peals of laughter echo through the door and across the hallway of the usually quiet magazine company.

“Yahaba, you better not be flirting with your boyfriend again!” A loud shout interrupts their laughter.

Yahaba’s face blooms again and Watari continues snickering quietly.

I know what my next fanfiction is going to be about.