fictober-event

[fictober-event]

Fanfiction - Fire Emblem Heroes

Fictober Day 25 - “it consumes me”, a kinda sad little fic about Heiðr’s fate

[fictober-event]

fictober 2024 - day 20: i saw your eyes light up

summary:

ten knows better than to think that he's something more than a guardian to taemin. but every time the vampire picks up on the little things, ten can't help but hope.

rating: teen and up audiences; no archive warnings apply

relationship: lee taemin / ten chittaphon leechaiyapornkul

genre: magical realism, vignette

content warnings: none

miscellaneous tags:

vampires

guardians

pining?

[fictober-event]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: 逆転裁判 | Gyakuten Saiban | Ace Attorney Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Kidzuki Kokone | Athena Cykes & Yuugami Jin | Simon Blackquill, Kidzuki Mari | Metis Cykes/Yuugami Kaguya | Aura Blackquill Characters: Yuugami Jin | Simon Blackquill, Kidzuki Kokone | Athena Cykes, Yuugami Kaguya | Aura Blackquill, Kidzuki Mari | Metis Cykes Additional Tags: Fictober 2024, Pre-Gyakuten Saiban 5 | Dual Destinies, Autistic Athena Cykes, Hurt/Comfort, Family Fluff Series: Part 17 of Karen’s Fictober 2024, Part 1 of Karen’s Ace Attorney AU Summary:

A young Simon Blackquill has lost an even younger Athena Sykes in the Cosmos Space Center. He’s not sure where to finder her or why she ran away. . . . . . Part of Fictober 2024. Prompt list is from @fictober-event​ on Tumblr!

Sorry I went MIA halfway through Fictober. Unfortunately I got hit by the iconic fanfiction writer curse and got a minor concussion. I’m better but I wasn’t able to look at screens for a couple weeks. Fun fact, when your roller derby coach says to wear your helmet even when your just skating around, do it.

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Simon Blackquill had been put in charge of watching his young niece. Most nineteen year olds would dread having to babysit a nine year old but Simon rather enjoyed spending time with the young girl. She wasn’t like most kids. She was never super loud. She was clean. And she was a surprisingly good conversationalist. Unfortunately, she had a terrible habit of wandering off anytime she got distracted. It was surprising how easy it was to lose a child in one building. Admittedly, the Cosmos Space Center was a large building but that wouldn’t be a good excuse to tell her mother if she managed to get hurt.

He had been looking for her for what felt like forever. He had practically turned the space center upside down while searching for her. He was hoping to find her before her mother or his sister did. Not for her sake, but his. He was currently approaching the final place he hadn’t searched, the emergency shelter in the basement. He couldn’t think of a possible reason she would want to hide down there. In the short time he had known her, she had never purposefully run away. It was typically just her getting distracted. This had him worried. He opened the door to look in and noticed the light was already on. That was a good sign. He must have been on the right track.

“Athena! Are you in here?” He waited in silence for her response. He almost missed the small hint she gave when he was about to walk again. A door on a cabinet in the corner shifted open just slightly. He approached it quietly and squatted down in front of the door and knocked on it gently. The girl let out a small squeak and Simon sighed. “Hey Athena, are you alright?”

“Nuh-uh.” Athena whispered, barely audible. Simon was worried for her. One moment they were weaving through the crowd in the space center’s museum and the next he was searching for the girl who seemingly disappeared. He wasn’t sure what caused her to leave but he was starting to think something scared her.

“Well, can I open the door?” He sat in silence for a while, just staring at the door as if he could see through it. He was just hoping that she hadn’t hurt herself or anything. “I’d really like to make sure you’re okay. Do you think you can help me with that?”

He didn’t receive a verbal response. He waited in silence for another minute before the door slowly creaked open. Simon was relieved to see she didn’t seem physically hurt. He couldn’t say the same about her mental state. She had tears streaming from her eyes as she silently cried. She was sitting in the fetal position, showing no intentions of wanting to open up. Simon wasn’t sure what to do now. His short time apprenticing under Metis had not prepared him for this. Unfortunately what the woman had in book smarts was not equal in emotional intelligence. His own sister had definitely become the emotional core of the family unit she made with Athena and Metis, which was saying something since Aura helped make robots just to see what people were feeling.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Simon asked as Athena immediately shook her head. He figured that’s what she’d do. He sighed once again. He really wasn’t sure what to do now. He could tell she needed help. She was shaking so hard the cabinet door was tremoring. His phone buzzed with a text from Aura, presumably asking where they were. But he didn’t care about that, he had an idea. He reached in his pocket and pulled out a couple pairs of earbuds that were connected with an adapter and plugged them into his phone. “Hey Athena, do you want to listen to some music?”

Athena looked at the man’s hand and her eyes lit up. She was responding just as Simon predicted. The pair had made a habit of quietly listening to music whenever they had some quiet time when Athena didn’t feel comfortable doing anything else. She may not have always been predictable but she usually likes the same things. Music, orange juice, Clonco, and Ponco. He handed her a pair of earbuds as well as his phone. She scrolled through his playlist until she found a song she liked. She turned the volume down to the lowest setting as he put his earbuds in his own ears. He could hardly hear the music but he knew that it was just right for Athena. The two sat in silence for a while, occasionally scrolling to find different songs. After around ten songs Athena paused the music and removed her earbuds.

“I’m sorry Uncle Simon.” She whispered. Simon wouldn’t have heard it if he wasn’t already prepared for her quiet voice. He pulled out his own earbuds and looked towards her.

“Why’s that Athena?”

“Because I ran away!” She was much louder this time. Tears began to stream from her cheeks again. What Simon didn’t expect was for her to wrap her arms around his neck. “I just got so scared! It was so loud! There were so many people! I couldn’t do it! I’m not like you! You always have a plan! I’m just-”

“Athena, it’s alright!” Simon said, interrupting her before she could continue bringing herself down. She had just started to relax and now she was working herself up again. She always felt her emotions so strongly. There was very little in between her being relaxed or feeling everything all at once. He needed to try and get her to relax. He wrapped his own arms around her and gently rubbed her back. He quietly spoke to her. “You did nothing wrong. I was just worried about you.”

“I’m sorry…” Athena said. Simon could feel some snot from her nose bleed through his shirt. Any other day, he’d be grossed out. But right now he was more focused on comforting his niece.

“It’s really okay. Let’s go to your mom alright?” He asked her as she nodded into his shoulder, showing that she didn’t wish to let go of him. Simon sighed as he stood up and began to carry the girl up to her mother’s lab. Just as he approached the stairs she looked up at him, obviously wanting to say something.

“Uncle Simon, can I use your earbuds again?” She asked. Simon reached for his pocket, doing his best to hold her with his other hand. He gave her the earbuds and she immediately put them in her ears. She didn’t seem to need music, just the silence that they can provide. They continued their journey up the stairs to the lab. He set her down on the ground as he scanned his hand to get into the lab. Just as they stepped in they were met with the angry face of Aura, looking directly at Simon.

“Where have you been? You said you’d be in the lab over an hour ago!” She said as she stormed towards her brother. She had always been over protective. Simon would like to call her a helicopter parent but that’s not even the least of it. She was right though. If it weren’t for Simon searching for Athena, he would have been there to do some work for Metis. She didn’t seem to mind as she was typing away at her computer. Aura on the other hand, she was pissed. “Why didn’t you text me back?”

“I was a little preoccupied,” He said as he gestured down to Athena as she walked into the room and went directly to her mother, earbuds still in her ears. She hugged her mother’s leg and rested her head against her thigh. Metis stopped her typing and placed her hand on her daughter’s head. She looked down at her and smiled. “Athena and I had to take some quiet time for a bit.”

Simon chose to omit the fact he lost his niece before that but that at least seemed to satiate Aura’s curiosity. She made her way over to her partner and de facto daughter and placed a hand on both of their backs and she knelt down to Athena’s level. She took a look at the cord on the earbuds and smiled. The same smile she always had when she thought of a new invention.

[fictober-event]

fictober 2024 - day 19: this is getting ridiculous

summary:

potion making requires meticulousness. sometimes it requires even more than that.

rating: teen and up audiences; no archive warnings apply

relationship: n/a

genre: magical realism, vignette

content warnings: none

[fictober-event]

Sleight of Hand

Jimmy Woo x Reader

Masterlist - Join My Taglist!

Written for Fictober 2024!

Fandom: Marvel

Day Twenty-Four Prompt: "You didn't do anything wrong!"

Summary: Jimmy gets a little help from his spouse to master the card trick he saw Scott Lang do.

Word Count: 1,118

Category: Fluff

Putting work into an AI program without permission is illegal. You do not have my permission. Do not do it.

She cautiously stepped around the corner, coming face to face with...

I froze, my attention drifting from the book in my hands at a weird noise behind me. It sounded like some kind of fluttering, but when I didn't hear it again, I went back to my book.

...coming face to face with-

"Shoot!"

I set my book down. The noise had come again, along with something light hitting our hardwood floors before my husband, Jimmy Woo, huffed. I marked the page in my book, set it down, then turned around to look over the back of the couch.

I frowned when I saw Jimmy with one empty hand out in front of him, like he was waiting for a handshake from someone invisible. He hadn't noticed me watching him, and after a moment of intense concentration, he jerked his arm quickly like he was trying to shake something out of his sleeve. Lo and behold, a card fell out. He tried to catch it between his fingers, but he missed, and instead it fluttered to the floor.

"Argh!"

"Honey." Jimmy's head snapped up to look at me as soon as I spoke. "What are you doing?"

"It's this card trick thing... I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt your reading."

I shook my head, turning on the couch to face him more fully.

"It's okay. What card trick thing?"

"You remember that guy I told you about? Scott Lang?"

"The ant guy? Yeah."

"Well, the last time I checked in on him, he did this card trick where he just made a card appear in his hand, like out of nowhere. It was actually really cool, so... I've been trying to teach myself how to do it."

I stared at Jimmy for a minute, processing. He stared back. Finally, I smiled.

"Okay. Let me help."

"Really?"

"Yeah." I stood from the couch, strecthing a little before walking around to join my husband. "I need a break from all the bad decisions the main character's making in my book, anyway. Let's learn some couples closeup magic."

*****************

I'd assumed it would be a fairly easy trick to learn. Don't ask me why, but I just figured it would take us maybe an hour, tops, and we'd both be making cards appear and disappear like pros. That was very much not how it went.

A few hours after I'd first noticed Jimmy practicing, we were still watching videos and trying to do the trick slowly, quickly, and everything in between with no luck. Technically, we were doing a little better than when Jimmy had first started, but the trick was still escaping both of us.

I watched carefully as Jimmy tried to do it again, and to me, it looked perfect. But the card still dropped to the floor instead of sliding smoothly into his hand.

Jimmy sighed, shoulders slumping as he looked up at me.

"What did I do wrong?"

"You didn't do anything wrong! That should've worked! What the fuck is it with this trick?"

Jimmy laughed, shaking his head as he leaned over to pick up the card again.

"I'm glad you decided to help me. I was getting pretty frustrated, but seeing how much more frustrated it's making you is weirdly making me calm."

I huffed and crossed my arms. "Glad I could help. But seriously, I feel like you're doing everything right. I can't tell what's wrong, or why it's not working."

"It has to be the finger movement," he said, setting up the card again. "I'm fumbling it when I'm obviously not supposed to."

"Frankly, I'm not convinced it's possible to pull this trick off without fumbling the card. Are you sure that Lang guy wasn't messing with you?"

Jimmy laughed again. "Pretty sure, but I guess you never know."

I just sighed as Jimmy prepared to try the trick again. I watched, but not as carefully as before. I'd been looking for some clue as to where we were going wrong for hours now, and hadn't been able to find it. Maybe it was just going to take a lot more practice, no matter how we tried to do it.

Jimmy took a deep breath, then extended his hand. I didn't see the card move, but suddenly, it appeared in his hand. Nowhere near the floor. Exactly how the trick was supposed to work.

"OH MY GOD!" I shouted, jumping up in the air the moment the shock wore off. Jimmy grinned, laughing in disbelief as he stared at the card in his hand. I didn't give him much time to savor it before tackling him with a hug. "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU ACTUALLY DID IT!"

Jimmy laughed again, absolutely joyous, as he wrapped his arms around me. I pulled back a moment later, just enough to kiss him. After all that work and frustration over the past few hours, it felt amazing to see him pull off the trick perfectly.

After a moment, the two of us calmed down slightly, taking a step apart even though the gigantic grins were still on our faces. Jimmy's had more of a lopsided tilt to it, which made my heart race.

"...Do you think we're celebrating this a little too much?" he asked. I immediately shook my head.

"Hell no we're not. Do it again."

Jimmy took a deep breath, resetting the card and actually starting with his hand by his side this time. He lifted it, and in one smooth motion, the card appeared in his hand, extended towards me. I actually screamed, jumping up and down, and after a moment Jimmy joined me.

I pulled Jimmy in for another kiss, and when we finally broke apart, he was still giddy. He did the trick another few times in a row, and although he stumbled a little on one of the moves, the card still didn't hit the ground. He was getting smoother every time.

"This calls for a celebratory dinner," I decided. "I'll get something started, you grab some wine. We toast to the defeat of the magic trick that thought it could defeat us."

Jimmy laughed. "Sounds like a plan to me. Thanks for all your help. I can't wait to use that trick the next time I need to give somebody one of my cards."

"You know I'm always here for you, including and especially for stuff like this. No card trick, random guy you see at work, or Avengers-level threat can stop us."

"Damn right."

Jimmy grinned at me, and I leaned in for one last kiss before heading to the kitchen. Sometimes the smaller, less important victories felt the best, and one of my favorite things about my amazing husband was how willing he was to celebrate those moments with me.

Although, after all the time we'd spent today, this victory felt far from small.

****************

Everything Taglist: @rosecentury @kmc1989 @space-helen @misshale21

Marvel Taglist: @valkyriepirate @infinetlyforgotten @sagesmelts @gaychaosgremlin

[fictober-event]

Fictober 2024

Day 14 "Did you stick to the plan?"

Fandom: Major Crimes

Rating: General

Andy needs Rusty help to surprise Sharon

[fictober-event]

I celebrated Fictober this year (it was great, and I loved it, thank you for asking). And I made this fic out of all 31 days. And I told myself I'd post on AO3 and Tumblr every day. Then, at a certain point in the month, I forgot Tumblr existed. (My bad) I don't really feel like blasting everyone with, like, 10 posts at once (especially since I already did that once this month the OTHER time I forgot Tumblr existed for awhile). So! I'm just going to share the link to the entire story here, and if you're brave enough to venture onto AO3 you can read it.

A Fictober's Worth of Jayde

Fandom: Batman / Under the Red Hood

Warnings/Triggers: Some graphic stuff? Like gore? Uh ... sex scenes? Specific TW are mentioned above each chapter, and each chapter was written as a separate story, so just skip the ones you need to.

Rating: M

[fictober-event]

Fanfiction - Fire Emblem Heroes

Fictober Day 24 - “you didn’t do anything wrong, in which Veronica wonders why Bruno’s visits are short and infrequent…

[fictober-event]

Fictober day 31: "It's always been you"

You can check it out on ao3 here if you prefer.

Summary: Shadow starts to fall at the end of his fight with Black Doom. Sonic saves him.

Set in my Lost and Found AU

Warnings: None

Word Count: ~800 words

Shadow could feel his body shaking as he watched what was previously Black Doom fall down to earth. No doubt he wouldn't survive the fall but Shadow made a mental note to double check later. Right now he had a much more pressing concern. He could feel the power of the emeralds slipping away as a wave of exhaustion washed over him. Probably a side effect of having to take off his inhibitor rings during the fight.

Well, at least he'd protected everyone. He felt his eyes slipping shut no matter how much he fought it. As he began to fall he could feel a warm presence before something slammed into him. For a moment he thought he was under attack but then he recognized there were arms around him, preventing his fall. "You're lucky the fastest thing just happened to be around." There was a wobble in Sonic's voice.

Shadow managed to open his eyes enough to look at Sonic. The hedgehog was currently golden, his quills upturned. "Sonic?" Shadow internally flinched at how weak his own voice sounded.

"The one and only." There was a forced lightness in Sonic's voice. "Let's get you back." Shadow felt more than saw the sudden acceleration. It felt like one moment he was out in open space and the next he was back in the Black Comet. 

There were suddenly so many voices in his head. He squeezed his eyes shut in a futile attempt to block out the noise. "Quiet!" Eclipse's voice suddenly shouted. "Give him a moment!"

Sonic adjusted so he was between Shadow and the rest of the Black Arms and the voices stopped. The other hedgehog still held him in his arms. "How are you feeling?" Sonic's voice was low.

"Tired…" Shadow sighed and pressed himself further against Sonic.

"What happened?" Sonic pressed his forehead against Shadow's.

"Had to take my inhibitors off…" Shadow hummed. "Burned out quick… How did you know I was in trouble?"

"I came up to the comet cause I was getting restless on the ground." Sonic started. "When I saw you starting to get shaky out there I rushed out. Thankfully the emeralds listened to me."

"Lucky me…" Shadow mumbled.

"Just don't do that again." Sonic's grip tightened.

"I don't intend to." Shadow groaned. "How do you do this as often as you do?"

"Well I don't have inhibitor rings, so maybe that makes it easier on me." Sonic shrugged. "Using them a lot makes it easier." Shadow simply hummed. He was thankful that he seemed to be starting to feel better just relaxing in Sonic's presence. "Shadow?" Sonic's voice was soft. 

"Yes?" Shadow's voice was just as quiet.

"You know it's always been you right?" Sonic sucked on a breath. 

"What do you mean?" Shadow blinked. 

"Just… everything. You've made a lot of progress, but you've always been you. You're just brave enough to be yourself now." Sonic paused. "Also… for me. I think you were always meant to be the one. Before I met you I never thought I'd settle down with anyone. The closest to a relationship I ever got was Amy chasing me around when we were younger." He sighed. "I think how persistent she was sort of put me off of ever considering a relationship. Then I met you. The more I helped you, and learned about you the more I realized the feelings I was having. I don't think it could be anyone else but you." He pulled Shadow closer.

"I never took you for the type to give speeches like that." Shadow gave him a small smile.

"I seem to remember giving a sappy speech like that when I confessed." Sonic chuckled. "Just don't expect it to happen often."

"It would lose its potency if you did." Shadow tapped his arm in a silent signal to let him down.

Sonic nodded and gently sat him on his feet. He stepped back, spread out his arms, and the emeralds ejected from his body. His quills dropped and his fur turned back to blue. "Sonic." Eclipse approached. The darkling looked contemplative. He sighed. "Thank you." His voice was tight. "For saving Shadow. I said I'd watch his back but when it mattered I couldn't do anything. You have my respect for doing what I couldn't." He nodded his head respectfully. "Glad I was here to save him." Sonic nodded back. Shadow walked up and took Sonic's hand. He looked out over the sea of Black Arms. It was going to be tough, but things would work out. He had all the support he needed. He glanced up in the general direction of the Ark. "I did it Maria." He thought. "I found my family."

[fictober-event]

#fictober24 - day thirty-one

"I won't let you down."

fandom: 9-1-1

word count: 655

a/n: i said that if i caught up to 9-1-1 before the end of october i would write a bucktommy fic for my final entry and what am i but a woman of my word... i rarely pull the "please be nice to me this is my first time writing this ship" card but i am pulling it tonight

A dislocated shoulder wasn’t the worst injury Buck had gotten on the job, considering the number of near-death situations he’d been in. And that one time he actually had died. 

But when Tommy had offered to play nurse and come over for the night, he wasn’t going to say no. 

As Tommy shut the door behind him, Buck said, “Thanks for offering to stay over. I’m pretty sure my shoulder is gonna be fine, but…” He raised his eyebrows, hesitating to invoke his name in his own apartment. 

“I’m more concerned about you hurting yourself again than a cowboy curse, Evan.” 

“Hey, there’s no slipping hazards here.” Buck glanced around his apartment. “Unless Billy Boils has another trick up his sleeve.” 

Tommy crossed his arms with a laugh. “As far as I can tell, no pumpkin guts here.” 

“Yeah, there was a reason I left that part out.” 

He set a hand on his uninjured shoulder. “Just go get comfortable. I’ll order in. Pizza sound good?” 

“I can do pizza.”

Buck made his way to the living room and plopped down on the couch. The rough landing sent a twinge of pain through his shoulder, making him wince. Okay, yeah, maybe he’d busted it worse than he thought. 

He checked the group chat to see what was happening - thankfully, not roasting his slip. As he closed it, his finger hovered over the browser app on his phone. Maybe this was the perfect time to do more research. 

But before he could, he heard Tommy coming in from the kitchen. “Here’s an ice pack.” He stepped in front of him to press it into his shoulder, one hand holding his other arm. Any thoughts of Googling “how to break curses from spirits you pissed off on accident” evaporated as he watched him try to gauge the best place to rest it. “That good?” 

“Mm? Oh, yeah.” It took a moment for Buck to realize he ought to put his own hand there to hold in place, their fingers brushing for a moment. “Thanks.” 

“You’ll just have to hold it there for twenty minutes, and by then the pizza will be here.” Tommy joined him, sitting on his right side.

“Good.” He set his phone down on the coffee table. “This is not how I imagined spending the night before Halloween.” 

“Oh, really? What did you have in mind?” Tommy asked. 

“I don’t know.” Buck shrugged with his uninjured shoulder. “Maybe find a horror movie marathon to pass the time. Maybe even inviting my boyfriend over and pretending to be scared to have an excuse to hold onto him - because obviously I wouldn’t be scared by a silly horror movie.” 

“Right,” he said, voice full of amusement. “Says the man who believes he’s cursed.” 

“Curses are real, B-movie monsters are not,” he retorted. Gesturing to his shoulder, he added, “Proof.” 

“It’s proof of something, alright.”

Buck huffed. “Well, he’s taken his revenge on me for tonight. Hopefully, he’ll leave me alone now, especially since you’re here to protect me.” 

Raising his eyebrows, Tommy said, “I can do a lot of things, but I’m a firefighter, not a Ghostbuster.”

He grinned. “You don’t have to bust any ghosts. But I know Billy Boils won’t even try anything with you having my back.” 

“Well, I won’t let you down.” He leaned to kiss him, gently at first. 

But Buck deepened the kiss, letting himself get carried away. He attempted to cup his face, but moved his shoulder wrong and pulled away. 

Tommy’s face was full of concern as he looked over him. “Oh, God. You good?” 

“Yeah, yeah.” He moved the ice pack back into place. “There go our movie night plans.” 

“We can just be very careful. Though.” He stood up. “I’ll get you some ibuprofen.” 

“Alright.” 

As he walked away, Buck closed his eyes and leaned his head back. 

Yeah, he was a fan of Nurse Kinard.

[fictober-event]

Fictober 2024 Day 31

Category: Fanfiction

Fandom: Tales of Symphonia

Characters/Relationships: Kratos Aurion, Anna Irving, Kratos Aurion/Anna Irving, Kranna

Genre: Fluff/Light Angst/Romance

Rating: T

Warnings: Implied/Referenced Smut

Word Count: 1003

Prompt: “It's always been you.”

Author's Note: This one is sort of inspired by scenes from a couple of my past fics. If you recognize them, then kudos to you. Also, sorry this one was posted so late in the day. One of my most glaring weaknesses in my fics is coming up with a unique ending for them, and that's what I wanted to do with this one. I also didn't give myself enough time one day earlier this week to write more for this one, so that's another reason why this one is being posted later than I would like.

Anyway, this was fun, and I feel slightly more confident about writing and finishing the fics I have planned for November. I'll be posting these on AO3 and Pixiv sometime tomorrow.

“This seems familiar, doesn't it?” Anna asked rhetorically, leaning her head back against her husband's bare shoulder.

Kratos stopped kissing her neck and chuckled softly before kissing her on the cheek, “It does, my dear… Though our room this time doesn't need a fireplace to keep us warm. And this bed is more comfortable than that futon we used to travel with.”

“That's true, honey.” She agreed, turning her head to look at him while reaching a hand up to run through his spiky hair. “And it's September, so it's not as cold outside, either.”

He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her flush against him in his lap. The newly reunited couple had been spending the last few weeks getting reacquainted, much of it intimately, with each other. Sometimes they would stay in bed until the early afternoon just discussing anything and everything while in each other's arms, not wanting to part from each other when they eventually had to.

After softly kissing the side of her neck, Kratos finally spoke again.

“What are our plans for today, my dear? Are we just going to stay in bed this morning? Or do you have something else in mind for today?”

Anna tilted her head to look up at her husband, and placed her hands on his arms, which were currently still wrapped around her waist. “Oh, there was something I wanted to ask you about! Or rather, discuss with you, I suppose…”

He loosened his gentle hold on her so he could lay back down, and she turned around to face him, pulling the covers up around her shoulders. “What is it then, my dear?”

She hesitated a moment before she responded, “...Well, it's about your journey with Lloyd and the others… You traveled with a few female companions, right?”

Kratos gave her a puzzled look, “Yes, I did, my dear. Why do you ask?”

Anna averted her gaze and looked down at her husband's chest, “Um, well, you were under the assumption that I had been dead all those years before our reunion, right? So, with that in mind, did you fall for any of them, or become infatuated with any of them?”

When she finally looked down and into her husband's eyes again, she immediately noticed he was frowning at her.

“Oh, and I'm not asking this out of jealousy, or to question your loyalty!” She added, quickly becoming flustered, “I'm asking out of curiosity! Besides, I already know what your answer is going to be…”

His expression softened, and he looked up at his wife and sighed, “I'm not upset, my dear, and I apologize for my reaction. All that I want to know is, what is your reason for asking me this?”

Anna leaned down and kissed her husband's cheek. “I don't know, I've just been thinking the last few days about what would have happened if I had died on that terrible night all those years ago, or if you and I had never reunited. Would you have moved on? Not that I think you would've, but I suppose my curiosity got the better of me and I felt that I should ask you.”

Kratos reached up and cupped her cheek, “You're correct, my dear, I wouldn't have moved on under either of those circumstances. So, my answer to your other question is a firm no, I did not fall for or have any sort of romantic interest in either of the two women I traveled with.”

He then gestured for her to bring her head down so he could kiss her forehead. After softly kissing her forehead, he reached up to gently cup her face when their eyes met again, then continued with his answer.

“Because it's always been you. And only you, my dear. I couldn't imagine falling for and spending the rest of my life with any other woman, or any other person, for that matter. I'd rather be alone for the rest of my life if I couldn't be with you.”

Her eyes began to water and she threw her arms around her husband's neck. His arms wrapped around her in return, and one hand cradled the back of her head as she buried her face into the crook of his neck.

“Oh Kratos…” She cried in a muffled tone against his neck, “I'm so happy we got this second chance to be together.”

Kratos kissed the top of her head and hugged her tightly, then murmured, “Me too, Anna, my dear.”

Anna lifted her head up, then touched her forehead to his, her arms still loosely wrapped around his neck. “I love you, honey…”

He gave her a gentle smile. “I love you, too, my dear.”

She then closed the remaining distance and kissed him hard, her hands cupping his face while his hands and fingers tangled in her hair. The couple quickly lost themselves in the heat of the moment as he deepened their kiss.

_________

Hours later, long after the passionate turned intimate moment ended, Anna found herself waking up in her husband's arms and to the sound of his deep, yet gentle voice.

“Good afternoon, my dear.” Kratos greeted his wife after kissing the crown of her head, “We should probably get up and have some food soon. Did you sleep well?”

She snuggled up against his chest, “Yeah I did, especially since I woke up in your arms.”

He gave her a chaste kiss when she tilted her head to look up at him, then watched as she reluctantly and slowly crawled out of bed to get dressed for the day. While Anna was standing at their dresser searching for what she wanted to wear the rest of day, Kratos sat up and smiled to himself as he looked towards his wife.

He was both grateful and relieved that he was somehow allowed a second chance to spend the rest of his life with her. His love had always been reserved for her, and always would be.

[fictober-event]

Fictober Day 31 “it’s always been you”

Agatha/Rio (Agatha All Along)

For @fictober-event Day 31 prompt!

Type: Fanfiction | Fandom: Agatha All Along | Ship: Agatha Harkness/Rio Vidal | Warnings & Triggers: Mild Language.

---

The look of utter dismay makes Agatha cackle aloud--

"FINALLY! I am FINALLY free of your scary little bony ass!"

"You!" Rio growls, prowling up and lifting a hand high as if to slap her. "You BITC--!" She's interrupted by Agatha cackling and swooping down, passing through Rio's corporeal form, and reappearing again.

"Awh, sweetheart. Don't be get mad, get even."

Pretending to pat herself off, she watches Rio's expression darken. The edges of Rio's skull-face expose. Talk about a temper tantrum.

"I would if I could." Rio sneers softly. "I hate ghosts," she complains.

"Well--I have a newfound respect for them!" Agatha twirls her hand cheerfully. "You don't control me anymore and you don't matter!"

After a moment of thickening tension, Rio's eyes water.

(If Agatha had a beating heart, it would be skipping from the guilt.)

"Is that really what you thought about me... all of this time, Agatha?" she mumbles, and Agatha finds herself sighing heavily. Without the lung power. Returning as a ghost definitely its perks and its faults.

She hovers down, and Rio begrudgingly looks away from Agatha's gaze, wiping a knuckle under one of her eyes. "The only one I loved as much as Nicky was you. It's always been you... but I can't... do what I need to yet." Agatha shrugs. "So... I'm gonna stick around a while."

At the soft scoffing noise out of her ex, Agatha leers.

"You're gonna have to learn to... at the very least... like ghosts."

"Fiiiiiine."

[fictober-event]

Writing from a Dream

(An original fiction) [Prompt: That was good work]

As the writer started to wake, he found himself back in his office. The writer got up from the floor and went over to his desk to look over his work.

It’d been interesting, he’d been tossed about many worlds, seen so many things. And yet, he always found himself back at his desk. Though, it was always the times he was sleeping that the wildest stories came to be.

There was a lot of editing that needed to be done on the work. Some typos, some mismanaged continuity. A whole day of work ahead of him.

There was much inner conflict about how to divvy up the work. There were only so many hours in a day to sit and just edit the piece.

But the piece needed to be edited to his satisfaction.

So, he went in, chopped out some sentences, words, maybe even passages. Adding in some parts to patch certain things that couldn’t make sense. Though, some of the mistakes made the story interesting, and to those he either embellished or just left there.

And after an hour or so of work…

It was done.

Time for a second pair of eyes to look over it. Find the things he missed; ask to clarify what he was trying to get across. He sent the file to friends, family, and others that might be interested.

But as he read back what he had written, and as he leaned back in his chair, he could only say one thing about it.

“That was good work”

[fictober-event]

Prompt number: #31 ("It was always you")

Fandom: Men's Football RPF

Rating: General

Warnings/Tags: Fluff, Crack, Humor, Show Choirs

@millythegoat @liverpool-enjoyer @loverpool-chocolate-fishy

[fictober-event]

"It's always been you."

Fictober 24 challenge

Fandom: Downton Abbey

Fanfiction

The first time Tom sent Mary a Valentine’s card, it was 1923.

Although she’d come through the darkest days of her grief, there were still times when she seemed so sad, he thought she might never smile again. The card was a small gesture to remind her life was worth living.

He was careful to disguise his writing and send it to the office, not the house, mindful that any hint of an admirer – even one that didn’t exist – could set off a wave of interest in the house that she would not welcome.

So, on 14th February 1923, Tom sat at his desk and played it completely innocent when Mary opened an envelope containing a Valentine’s card.

‘What on earth?’ she muttered, looking puzzled.

‘What’s that?’ Tom asked, keeping his face completely straight.

‘Someone’s sent me a Valentine’s card,’ Mary said, looking up at him.

‘Really? Who?’

‘I’ve no idea. It isn’t signed.’

‘Does it say anything?’

‘It says, ‘Roses are red, violets are blue, the day is not complete without a smile from you’. Who could it possibly be from?’ she said, totally perplexed.

Tom shrugged. ‘Does it matter? Isn’t it just nice to know that someone thinks you have a nice smile?’

‘I suppose so, but it’s a bit of a puzzle, don’t you think? I have no clue who might have sent it. I don’t even recognise the writing.’

‘I would just take it as a compliment, Mary. And, for the record, you do have a nice smile,’ Tom replied, a happy feeling spreading through him when she beamed at him.

‘Thank you. But this is a mystery I would like to solve,’ she said, setting the card on her desk facing her.

‘Well, be sure to let me know when you do,’ Tom said, picking up his pen to get back to work.

‘I will.’

When Valentine’s Day 1924 rolled around, Tony Gillingham was on the scene and romancing Mary.

Tom watched this courtship from the sidelines, keeping his thoughts to himself. Mary seemed to enjoy the attention – as she often did from eligible men – but Tony himself seemed a little too intense for Tom’s liking.

From his perspective, he was concerned with how quickly the man had decided he was deeply in love with Mary and how relentlessly he was pursuing her. Added to that was the persistent rumour that perhaps Gillingham hadn’t quite finished his affair with Mabel Lane Fox even as he chased Mary.

With all that in mind, Tom decided to send Mary another anonymous Valentine’s card, if only to remind her that there were plenty more fish in the sea and she didn’t have to let herself be caught in Gillingham’s net.

In the office on the morning of Valentine’s Day, Mary paused as she rifled through the post, picking out the pale pink envelope addressed to her.

‘Goodness me, I think I have a Valentine’s Day card,’ she said, sinking into her chair.

‘Lucky you,’ Tom said genially from his chair. ‘That’s more than I have.’

‘I wonder who from, though?’ Mary mused, opening it. ‘It can’t be Tony. He’d send it to the house, not the office.’

‘Isn’t there a signature?’ Tom asked.

‘No, just a verse. Roses are red, violets are blue, don’t settle for one who may not be true.’ She raised an eyebrow. ‘I wonder what that means.’

‘I suppose it means a woman like you has many options,’ Tom said, diplomatically.

‘Do you think it’s a dig at Tony?’

‘I don’t know, but the advice is good.’

‘Yes, I suppose it is. Let me just…’ Mary trailed off, putting the card down and opening her desk drawer. She rummaged through it and pulled out the card she’d received last year, comparing the handwriting. ‘I thought so. I think it’s from the same person that sent me a card last year.’

Tom felt heat rush through him, surprised to find out she’d kept last year’s card all this time. ‘You kept it?’

‘Well, yes. It’s still a mystery, isn’t it? And it’s nice to think someone thought enough of me to send me a card. And I’m glad I did. It’s clearly from someone I must know.’

‘Obviously. It’s hardly going to be from a stranger, is it?’

‘No, I mean, they clearly have some knowledge of my life. I just can’t think who could be sending me cards.’

‘I’d just put it down to a well-meaning admirer, Mary.’

‘An admirer who doesn’t want to declare themselves.’

‘Maybe they just want to make you smile when you get a Valentine’s card.’

‘Maybe,’ she said, propping the card open on her desk. ‘But I do abhor a mystery, Tom. I shall be on the lookout for potential suspects.’

He smiled and picked up the telephone to make the first call of the day.

Getting a Valentine's card to Mary in 1925 was trickier than it had been for the past two years given that Tom was now in America.

He had thought about not sending one this year, but her letters painted a picture of a lonely woman, sitting by herself day after day in what had been their shared office. He simply couldn’t bear to think of her feeling alone and unloved and not receiving a card.

He couldn’t send it from Boston without giving the game away, so instead he enlisted his brother’s help. He put the sealed envelope in a letter to Kieran and asked him to post it. And then he sat back and waited to see if Mary would mention getting another card.

He didn’t have to wait long – her next letter to him was full of it.

I got another Valentine’s card from my mystery admirer again this year, she wrote.

Once more, there was no signature, but the writing is the same – printed letters rather than copperplate writing. And the verse this year said:

Roses are red

Violets are blue

My regard for you

Remains strong and true

I must confess that I sifted through the post looking to see if I had a card this year. That’s three years running. I still have no idea who it could be from, though.

Curiously, it was posted from the Liverpool area. I’m sure I don’t know anyone in Liverpool. And I’m fairly sure (although not completely) that the previous cards were posted locally. My secret admirer must have been on his travels.

It’s most perplexing, though. I have racked my brains trying to think who he could be, but I don't have the foggiest idea, Tom. Do you?

I can’t decide if I am flattered by his constancy or irritated by his insistence on staying anonymous. Perhaps this man could be a real suitor if only he would reveal himself.

Anyway, the card is currently brightening up my desk, and I will admit that I smile every time I look at it. I will put it with the other two eventually, but not quite yet. I will keep it out a while longer.

Tom smiled as he read her letter, pleased that his small gesture was bringing her happiness even if it also delivered a side order of frustration.

In 1926, Tom had thought he wouldn’t need to send the relatively newly-wed and pregnant Mary an anonymous Valentine’s card. However, shortly before Valentine’s Day, he had a conversation with Henry, who made it abundantly clear that he did not hold with such commercialised nonsense and had no intention of pandering to it.

And so, Tom found himself penning and posting another card to Mary.

On the day in question, she was grumpy and out of sorts when the post arrived, but he noticed that she seized the stack of letters from him when he returned to their shared office after relieving the postman of his burden.

‘Expecting something?’ he asked, trying not to smile.

‘Not expecting as such. It’s more of a hope than an expectation,’ she replied, flipping through the post, pausing when she saw the lavender envelope and pulling it out of the pile. ‘Aha, here it is.’

‘Here what is?’ Tom asked, playing along.

‘My card from my mysterious, secret and most loyal admirer,’ she said, a smile on her face instead of the frown of earlier. ‘I did wonder if he might not bother this year given that I’ve married again.’

‘Perhaps he’s not trying to pursue you, Mary,’ Tom said, mildly.

‘Clearly, he’s not,’ she agreed, opening up the envelope. ‘Otherwise, he would have declared himself before now.’

‘Still no signature?’

‘Not even an initial. But there is rather a sweet verse.’

‘Sweet?’

‘Roses are red, violets are blue, I wish you every happiness with the baby that’s due.’ She tapped her finger thoughtfully on her blotter. ‘So, he knows I’m pregnant, then.’

‘Along with most of the village and the surrounding area by now, I suppose.’

‘You don’t think it’s a villager, do you? Or a tenant?’

Tom shrugged. ‘Who knows? But it’s obviously someone who wants good things for you.’

‘Yes. I find that quite comforting. Like having a guardian angel,’ she said, more whimsical than Tom had ever thought she would be.

‘Do you?’ he said, warmth spreading in the pit of his stomach.

‘Yes, I do. I feel like he’s watching over me and wishing me well.’

‘Then enjoy that feeling.’

‘I will,’ Mary said, setting her card on her desk and stroking a fond finger over the winged cherub holding a heart on the front of it.

1927 was a repeat of 1926, except this year not only was Henry still firmly opposed to Valentine’s Day, but he was also out of the country attending a motor show in Italy, and Mary was quite clearly unimpressed with his now frequent absences from Downton.

Once again, in an effort to lift her mood, Tom sent her an anonymous Valentine’s card.

The look on her face when she spied the pastel envelope made him feel on top of the world

‘Oh, he’s sent another card,’ she said softly, smiling as she sank into her chair, gazing at the envelope in her hand.

‘Who has?’ Tom asked, feigning ignorance.

‘My secret admirer.’

‘Oh, he’s still around, is he?’

‘It looks like it,’ she said, opening the card and beaming as she read the message inked within it.

‘What does it say this year?’

‘Roses are red, violets are blue, every day is a gift knowing a woman like you. Goodness, that feels…’

‘What?’ Tom asked, his heart bumping with nerves as he worried that he’d over-egged the pudding this year.

‘Personal. It feels like he knows me,’ she said, thoughtfully.

Tom felt sweat begin to prickle in his hairline. Perhaps he’d blown it and she was going to guess it was him.

‘In a bad way?’ he asked, prepared to confess if he’d inadvertently made her feel uncomfortable.

‘No, in a good way. Especially now when Henry is…’ she paused, pressing her lips together.

Tom waited, giving her time to get herself under control.

‘…when Henry is away so often and it feels like I’m on my own again.’

‘You’re not alone, Mary,’ he said, softly. ‘You always have me.’

‘I know I do, and I am eternally grateful for that, Tom. But this card, it makes me feel… seen again.’

‘Then that is good,’ he replied. ‘Because a woman like you should always feel seen.’

‘He’s back in Yorkshire,’ she said, lifting the envelope. ‘The postmark is local.’

‘Oh, that’s right. Where did you say he was last year?’ Tom said, suppressing a smile.

‘Liverpool. But he’s clearly from around here.’ She pulled her lip between her teeth, studying the card again. ‘He’s so steadfast. This is the fifth year he’s sent me a card. I wish I knew who he was.’

Tom stood up, shrugging nonchalantly. ‘Maybe you’ll find out one day. Cup of tea?’

‘Yes, please,’ she said, her eyes still glued to her card.

In 1928, Tom slipped up.

Recently, he’d been focused on his relationship with Lucy and his decision to propose to her. So, when Valentine’s Day loomed into view, he was thinking about his soon-to-be fiancée, not his sister-in-law.  

That’s why it was only when he spent the day before Valentine's Day with Mary and noticed her low mood and long face because of yet another of Henry’s disappearing acts that he realised he needed to keep up his tradition of sending her an anonymous Valentine card.

With everything so last minute, he didn’t have time to write the card and post it in time for it to reach the office for the day itself. Instead, he found himself scribbling the card and addressing it in his bedroom before dinner, intending to sneak it into the post in the morning.

And he almost got away with it. Except when he got out of the car at the office, the envelope slipped out of his pocket, falling onto the car seat.

‘Oh, Tom, you’ve dropped some…’ Mary started to say, trailing off as she picked up the pink envelope and saw her name and the office address printed on the front of it.

He stared at her, wide-eyed, cursing himself for his carelessness.

‘What… what is this?’ she asked, wafting the envelope at him.

‘Let’s go inside, Mary. Please.’

She got out of the car and followed him into the office. ‘Is this what I think it is?’ she asked, looking bewildered.

He set his briefcase down and turned to face her, nodding.

‘You? All this time? The cards? It’s always been you?’ she asked, incredulously.

He took a deep breath and nodded again. ‘Yes.’

‘You’re my secret admirer?’

‘Well, I’m the one who's sent you those cards.’

‘But… but you’re…’ She stopped again, staring intently at him as if trying to look into his soul. ‘Are you… are you in love with me?’

‘No! No, of course, I’m not!’

She raised an eyebrow. ‘Well, you don’t have to be so emphatic about it.’

He huffed out a laugh. ‘I’m not in love with you, Mary. But I do love you. That’s why I started sending you the cards.’

‘I don’t… I don’t understand.’

‘You were so sad, Mary, that first year I sent you a card. I just wanted to make you smile.’

‘And you did. You really did. But why did you carry on?’

‘It wasn’t supposed to become a habit, but it just… did. Every year, there was a reason why I sent the card. That second year, I wanted you to know that Tony wasn’t your only option, that you didn’t need to settle for him. The year after that you sounded so lonely.’

‘You were in America. How did you…’

‘Kieran. I got him to post it.’

‘Liverpool. Of course. I should have thought of Kieran.’

‘Why would you? Why would you ever think it was me sending the cards?’

Mary gazed at him, thinking it through. ‘Maybe I should have. I've always thought of the person sending me these cards as a silent friend. And who has been a better friend to me than you, Tom?’

He pressed his lips together, feeling an unexpected wave of emotion wash through him.

‘Why did you keep sending them after I got married again?’ she asked, curious to know.

He hesitated, reluctant to say anything that might upset her.

‘Come on, Tom. Just say it,’ Mary said, giving him permission.

‘Henry doesn’t cherish you like he should. I wanted you to feel valued.’

Mary stared at him and then put the envelope down and walked over to him. Tom watched her coming, feeling more nervous than he cared to admit.

She halted in front of him, her eyes locked on his.

‘Thank you, Tom,’ she said, simply.

‘Really? You’re not cross with me?’

She shook her head. ‘No. You might have driven me mad with the mystery of who could be sending me these cards, but they have meant more to me than I could possibly tell you.

Touched, Tom held his arms open and she stepped forward into his embrace. For a moment, they simply stood there holding each other.

‘You’re the best friend I’ve ever had,’ she whispered.

‘Snap,’ he said, softly.

Finally, she released him and stepped back. ‘I’m going to open this year’s card now.’

‘Shall I make you a cup of tea while you do?’

She smiled. ‘Yes, please.’

Tom returned her smile and then walked towards the door. He stopped as she called his name.

‘Will you send me a card next year?’

‘Do you want me to?’

‘Yes, please.’

‘Then I will.’

Mary beamed at him, feeling loved and seen and valued.

Tom grinned back at her and went to make them a cup of tea.

[fictober-event]

sharing this again, now that i’ve completed the whole month :)

Chapters: 31/31 Fandom: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Kyle/Lonnie/Rogelio (She-Ra), Bow/Glimmer (She-Ra), Adora/Catra (She-Ra) Characters: Double Trouble (She-Ra), Catra (She-Ra), Glimmer (She-Ra), Adora (She-Ra), Bow (She-Ra), Scorpia (She-Ra), Lonnie (She-Ra), Kyle (She-Ra), Razz (She-Ra), Sea Hawk (She-Ra), Spinnerella (She-Ra) Additional Tags: Fictober, 2024, Theater - Freeform, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Improv, Canon Species, Getting Together, DT being themselves, Entrapta Being Entrapta (She-Ra), Team as Family, let Glimmer say fuck, Fictober2024 Summary:

Double Trouble and Glimmer are forced to work together after budgeting woes result in Theater and Improv being merged into one department.

[fictober-event]

fictober 2024 - day 18: you always have a plan

summary:

things can't always go perfectly. the team faces a close call.

rating: teen and up audiences; no archive warnings apply

relationship: n/a

genre: magical realism, vignette

content warnings: none