#Also it's an old stuff but i like it and forgot to post before so!! :)) | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

samwinchestersno1fan · 4 months ago

Text

Home (00:09)- Sam Winchester x Fem!Reader

cw: fem!reader, smut, fluff, a little angst, exes to lovers (kind of), vaginal fingering, p in v sex, couch sex, kinda (really) awkward (sorry), no protection (wrap it before you tap it pls), reader is shorter than sam, not proof read, cross posted on ao3, 18+

word count: 2.3k+

---

You were sitting on the old, worn out couch in your apartment, reading some shitty lifestyle magazine with a half empty glass of wine on the coffee table and some trashy tv show on the tv for background noise. It was dark outside, the lighting in the apartment was warm and dim. Your cat was sleeping on the window ledge, the room was quiet except for the tv. You sighed as you turned the page of the magazine, stupid celebrity gossip, makeup ads, diet plans, what's in fashion for autumn. The same as the last issue except it was summer fashion. But you were bored so you kept reading.

But you were pulled out of your trance when you heard a knock on the door.

Someone was at the door? This late at night? It creeped you out a little. Who would be knocking on your door at this time?

You sighed and dropped the magazine on the coffee table, slowly walking towards the door, a little weary of who it could be. Serial killer? Probably not.

Hopefully not.

You opened the door, you forgot to lock it earlier. Wow.

You looked up.

Oh God.

It was Sam. Sam Winchester. Your ex boyfriend.

You hadn’t seen him in a long time. You broke up not long after his brother came along. Something to do with his dad. He didn’t go into detail. You didn’t take it well. Obviously, you loved him. You still maybe loved him. You wouldn’t admit that though. You tried to date other guys but it just never worked out. They weren’t him.

But there he was. Standing right in front of you. Wow.

He had left some stuff at your apartment. You lived together before the break up. He left some shirts, a hoodie, CDs, books, and his cologne. You kept hold of it all, embarrassingly. You didn’t want to throw it all out. You felt a little embarrassed and shameful about the fact that you just couldn’t move on.

You looked up at him, he hadn’t changed much. Neither had you though. You just stared at him for a few seconds. Almost mesmerised.

“Sam…” Your voice was quiet, a little weak. You didn’t really know what to say, but the tension between you was palpable. There were a lot of unresolved feelings. A lot of things you wanted to say and do. You wanted to punch him really hard but you also wanted to kiss him. Maybe both. Who shows up at their exes place randomly this late at night?

“I… wanted to see you.”

You just stared up at him, a little dumbfounded. Did you want to let him in? Get mad at him? Kiss him? You couldn’t exactly think straight and it was really, really annoying you. Why couldn’t you just say something?

The tension was thick. You wanted to make a move. He wanted to make a move. Why did he have to show up?

You were doing fine.

You weren’t but you like to tell yourself that.

You finally managed to say something.

“Why do you want to see me?” You spoke without thinking, your tone was blunt and cold. You mentally beat yourself up for that. Way too standoffish and a bit too hostile. Not how you wanted this interaction to go. Wow.

“I missed you.” Oh.

He missed you. After all this time he still missed you. Of course, you missed him too. It’s not like you broke up because you didn’t love each other. He just didn’t want you involved in all the shit that was going on in his life. You didn’t think he would break things off because of it though. But it was nice to know he still missed you… and maybe still wanted you.

“Really?” You asked. You looked a little bewildered. But who wouldn’t?

He nodded.

“Yeah.” His voice was quiet.

Okay. What were you supposed to do now? Invite him in? Yeah. Probably.

“Do you, uh, wanna come in?” Wow. You sounded really awkward. Just what you wanted. Good job.

He stared at you for a few seconds before answering.

“Uh, yeah, sure…”

There was so much unresolved tension, it was eating away at you both. You moved to the side to let him in, his arm brushed yours. Oh God. It sent a shiver down your spine. It was an accident, he barely touched you but it sent sparks through you.

The apartment was small, he stood next to the couch, kind of awkwardly. As if he’d never been there. But he used to live there. And it wasn’t awkward like this. Obviously.

You walked over to Sam. You stood in front of him, you looked up into his eyes. He stared back. The Tension was killing you. Just do something. Kiss him. Punch him. Strangle him. Something.

“I really, really missed you. I’m sorry.” He had a look of regret on his face, it made you a little hopeful. Maybe, just maybe it could work out.

“Do… Do you still want to… like… be with me?” That sounded really awkward and somewhat desperate. Wow. You had a hopeful look in your eyes. He had regret in his.

He stayed quiet for a few seconds.

“Yeah…”

Right. Of course he did. But what now? Do you make a move?

Yeah.

You hesitantly reached out a little to hold his hands. He almost instantly reciprocated. He pulled you in closer. This is what you wanted. But you were almost too stunned to really do anything.

“You don’t mind if I… Uh…”

“Kiss me?” You said that maybe a little too quickly. You sounded desperate, which wasn’t how you wanted to sound but it came out that way anyway. Probably because you actually were at this point.

“Yeah.” He said, his voice was quiet and soft, almost a whisper.

You could feel your face heat up when he said that. You moved a little closer, your bodies were touching now, he leaned down, you stood on your toes, your lips finally met. The kiss was soft and sweet. It didn’t last long. You missed this. It was exactly what you wanted.

You both stared into each other's eyes before leaning in for another kiss, this time more passionate and deeper. Your hands let go of his hands, wrapping around his neck. Your bodies were pressed together, his arms moved around your waist.

You pulled away to catch your breath, you let go of him. He let go of you. You took his hand and led him to the couch, he complied without a word.

He was basically on top of you, your back was against the corner of the couch, he kissed you again, with the same passion as before. Your hands gripped his shoulders, one of his hands moved down to your hip.

Sam started to trail kisses along your jawline, down to your neck. He began to bite and suck on your neck, you let out a blissful sigh, tilting your head back a little to give him more access. He bit down harder where your neck met your shoulder, you gasped softly, your grip on his shoulders tightened, your eyes closed.

His hand slid down further, to the hem of the oversized shirt you were wearing. If you knew he was coming over you wouldn't have been wearing an old oversized shirt with nothing but your panties underneath but he didn’t care about that. He didn’t need you to be all dressed up for him.

His fingers lightly grazed your inner thigh, right up to your panties. His fingers pressed against your heat. Your panties were soaked already, thanks to Sam, of course. You gasped again at the feeling. You hadn’t felt like this in a long time now. None of the other guys you’d been with could get you this worked up as easily as Sam could. None of them were as good as Sam.

His long fingers rubbed your clit through the wet fabric, you moaned quietly. You tried not to be loud, the walls were thin. You both learned that pretty quickly when you first moved in.

As good as it felt, it wasn’t enough, you wanted more.

His fingers moved to the waistband of your panties. His movement stopped.

“Sam…” Your tone was whiny, you really, really wanted him.

He looked at you for a few seconds, like he was mesmerised by you. Then he suddenly spoke.

“You look really pretty.”

You could feel your face heating up again.

“Thanks…” You mumbled, your voice was quiet, but you managed to keep eye contact with him.

“You want this… right?”

Obviously.

“Yeah, of course.”

He kept eye contact with you, your face felt hot.

He leaned in to kiss you again, his fingers slipped under the waistband of your panties. Your moan was muffled by the kiss. Two of his long fingers traced up and down your folds, Sam could feel how wet you were. And it was all for him. He continued to kiss you, his thumb rubbed your clit. It felt so good. It felt so good to have him back with you, kissing you, touching you like this. You hadn’t felt like that in a long time. It was just like before. You didn’t want this to end.

He continued to kiss you, it was passionate but not hard or messy. It was perfect. One of his fingers dipped between your folds, into you. Another small noise you made was muffled by the kiss, after a moment, he dipped another finger in. Your eyes were closed, one of your hands moved up to the side of his face, holding him there. Making sure he wouldn’t disappear. Or leave again.

Sam's fingers curled inside you, your back arched, it felt so good.

So good.

He kept going, his thumb was still circling your clit, his fingers pumping inside you. He pulled away from the kiss to look at you. You were so close. You could feel that tight pressure and it was going to snap.

And then it did.

You threw your head back on the arm of the couch, your eyes were closed. You moaned, louder than before. Your breathing was heavy. He couldn’t stop staring at you.

You finally caught your breath again, you looked into his eyes.

You didn’t want to sound completely desperate but you couldn’t help it.

“I need you, Sam…” Not want. Need. God, that sounded desperate and you almost hated yourself for it but you couldn’t help it.

He nodded. Your hands moved to his shirt, your fingers began to unbutton it. He let you. When you were finished he pulled his shirt off, discarding it on the floor next to the couch. You ran your hands down his toned torso, all the way down to his belt. You could see just how much he wanted you. He was so hard. And it was because of you.

You looked up at him again, he nodded slightly, you could see in his eyes just how much he needed this. You unbuckled his belt and undid the button on his jeans. Your hand went underneath the denim and you palmed him through his boxers. His breathing got heavier and he made a few quiet noises before grabbing your wrist and pulling your hand away.

You were confused for a moment when he got off the couch, but he quickly began to pull his jeans off. You watched him and removed your shirt, throwing it on the floor so that you were in nothing but your panties. No bra. You stared at him, taking in his toned form.

He removed his boxers and moved back to the couch, over you again. His hands slid down your waist to your hips, his fingers curled under the waistband of your panties. You lifted your hips so he could pull them off. The apartment was cold, but it felt almost overwhelmingly warm at that moment, in the best way possible. Sam looked at you again, his pretty eyes staring right into yours. You knew what he wanted, you wanted it too. You nodded, your legs wrapped around his hips.

He slowly entered you, he always started off slow. Once he had bottomed out he stayed still for a few moments until you asked him to move.

He started off with slow thrusts, you gasped at the feeling. It was so good. He remembered exactly how you liked it.

He started to speed up after a short while, your arms wrapped around him, you buried your face between his neck and his shoulder. Your breathing got heavier, your moans were muffled and quiet. He groaned quietly, keeping a steady pace as he thrusted into you. You shut your eyes, all you could think about was him. How amazing this felt. How you desperately wanted things to go back to how they were before. You missed him.

He sped up a little more, one of his hands moved down to your clit, his fingers circling it. Your nails were digging into his back, your moans and whines got louder. You were close again. He knew that.

Sam kept going at that pace, his fingers continued to circle your clit. You could feel that familiar pressure inside you again, you were close to a release. He was too. He let out a quiet, breathy moan. And it sounded so amazing knowing it was because of you.

You finally felt that pressure inside you snap again, you moaned again, louder but it was still muffled because your face was buried between his neck and his shoulder. Your legs tightened around him, your nails were still digging into his back. His thrusts became less steady, he was close.

“Come inside… please…”

That’s all it took, your soft, quiet voice asking him to come inside you. You were starting to feel overstimulated, it was almost painful but in the most blissful way possible.

He stayed inside you, your head fell back to the arm of the couch, looking up at him with hazy eyes. He leaned down to kiss you again, it was soft and gentle.

It felt amazing to have him back here with you, in your apartment.

You never wanted the moment to end.

#sam winchester #sam winchester x reader #supernatural #sam winchester fic #sam winchester spn #sam winchester fanfiction #sam winchester supernatural #sam winchester x fem!reader #sam winchester x y/n #sam winchester x you #supernatural x reader #supernatural x you #fanfic

170 notes · View notes

creative-caramel-coffee · 5 months ago

Text

The Spiders Sister - Chapter 7

Summary: As the party dies down the avengers spend some time bonding and peter joins them for the team bonding.

TW: Alcohol (that’s it I think)

Words: 2196

A/n I finally found time to write again and so I present to you this band new chapter \(>u<)/. Enjoy. Also, I know I said I would post it as one long chapter but … ig I lied? We are getting to the secret reveal soon. Only about one or two more chapters until we find out what the Parker’s are hiding. I’m so mad cuz I wrote the next chapter, but it didn’t save so I have to rewrite it which is why I’m just posting what I have here and why it’s taken so long sorry guys.

After you were led around and introduced to some more people Wanda and Nat led you back to the small area from before with a couple couches. By now the party had begun to die down with most of the guests, or who peter referred to as Stark Industries NPC’s, leaving for the night.

As you settled on a couch with the others it was now just the team, most of which you had been introduced to by now. Some introductions had been rather short but yo were working with these people so you would defiantly have time to get to know them better. Some of them you would be even living with.

The night had been a success for the most part. Earlier Thor had arrived along with his promise of asgaurdian liquor. After consulting with JARVIS it was confirmed that your metabolism was a match to Steve’s meaning you could stomach the god’s alcohol without getting poisoned.

This had of course led to you getting properly drunk or at least on the way to it, for the first time since the bite. Unfortunately, Nat had caught onto your plan rather easily and cut you off much to your displeasure.

Now with the team spread out across the couches, most with a drink in had or some assortment of fruity cocktail the banter had picked up as the music had died down and the guests all left.

“So, spider-kid whats your story?” Bucky asked and you adjusted your position on the couch suddenly feeling a little nervous with all eyes now on you. You felt a hand squeeze yours as you looked over, seeing wanda giving you an encouraging nod from where she held your hand beside you on the couch.

“Not much different to Peter.” You said.

“But somewhat different, right?” Sam said.

“Well … yeah.” You shrugged. “Same old spider bite, different powers, different life choices.” You said with a vague noncommittal shrug.

“So, where you been all this time?” Steve asked in a kind way.

“Queens.” You shrugged. “Small apartment, big rent, crap job until I started my own business, then I was planning on moving but you guys decided to level my apartment block to save people.” You shrugged.

“Sorry about that.” Steve said.

“I’m sure you’ll make it up to me.” You grinned sipping the soft drink Nat had given you instead of alcohol.

“Hey, I let you live here, didn’t I?” Tony said with a grin.

“But you did kind of destroy all her stuff Mr stark.” Peter said from where he had snuck in and sat down unnoticed.

“Hey, you're not supposed to be at these.” Tony said. “And I bought her new stuff.”

“Its just the team Mr Stark nobody else is here. Can I stay please?” Peter begged looking at you to back him up and pouting when you threw your hands up.

“I don’t know May said no alcohol.” He begun and suddenly May piped up making stark jump.

“Its fine Tony, just don’t give him any and keep an eye on him.” She said from where she was sat with pepper.

“Jesus woman. I forgot you were here. Don’t scare me, I have a heart condition you know.” Tony said as somewhere in the background sam continued laughing at him.

“Pepper said I could stay the night, and we could have a girl's day tomorrow.” May said grinning.

“Sounds like some shenanigans I want nothing to do with. I assume it will be at my expense.” Tony said sounding amused.

“Of course.” Pepper said.

“Wouldn’t have it any other way.” May added.

“I’ll drink to that.” Nat said and raised her glass.

As everyone took a swig of their respective drinks you realised why peter liked it so much here. It was a family. A real family. Sure, May did her best and you would always have a special bond only blood could give but this was the goofy family you never had.

“Wait so I’m confused, is she an avenger or not?” Clint asked seemingly asking the question on everyone’s mind.

“Can I answer that one Mr Stark.” Peter piped up.

“Sure kid.” Tony said.

“Welcome to the team Y/n/n.” Peter said with a big grin.

“Really?” You asked feeling this was all very offical.

“Damn right kid. We’d be stupid to not add another spider to the team.” Steve said with a smile.

“Plus, I already made you a suit. Ai and all.” Tony said.

“Thanks, tony.” You said with a big smile plastered across your cheeks.

“I have just one question…” Sam said with a shit-eating grin.

“What is it Mr Falcon?” Peter asked missing the look on Sam’s face.

“Who’s stronger?” Sam finished looking curious. “We already know spider boy is stronger than capsicle. But what about the other spider?” A few nods went around the room before Bucky spoke up.

“Arm wrestle.” He posed and you looked over at peter, flashing him a grin as he slouched in his seat.

“Ok.” You said and peter nodded.

Everyone crowded around the coffee table as peter and you sat down on the floor face each other.

“Standard rules. Ready?” Steve said as both you and peter positioned your arms on the table. Steve placed his hand over your clasped fists.

“Don’t break the table this time.” May said loud enough for people to hear and peters cheeks heated up while you snickered.

“3… 2 … 1… go!” Steve let go of your hands and straight away it begun leaning towards a win for you. Peters arm was shaking as he tried to fight back. With barely an inch between peters hand and the table the position flipped.

You were sure people had placed bets by now. Nat and Sam were cheering you on while Bucky had yet to forget the incident at the airport and placed his bet on peter.

You were on the defence now, with peter bringing your hand almost back up to the midway point. As it began to tilt in a bad direction for you with a burst of strength you slammed peters hand down on the table winning the match. Sam cheered and Nat smirked.

Standing up and brushing off invisible dusty from your lap Nat came to your side and pressed a chaste kiss to your cheek.

“My victor. Thanks for the easy twenty I just made.” She said and your cheeks were blazing as you retreated to your seat from earlier as everyone went back to their places.

“But can the spider's sister also lift the hammer?” Thor boomed as he patted your brother's shoulder while peter smirked. Everyone knew peter could wield the magical asgaurdian hammer.

You looked at Thor with a mischievous glint in your eyes.

“Is that a dare big man?” You asked with a grin curling up the edges of your lips.

“And if it is lady Parker?” Thor asked with a challenging tone.

“Well, if it is I never back down from a dare.” You said the look on your face never faltering.

“Then it is a date lady Parker.” Thor said removing his hand from Peter’s shoulder and clapping them together and rubbing his hands in anticipation.

“Ready to look like an idiot spider boy?” You asked looking at Peter who was starting to loose his confident look. He knew you had a heart of gold.

By now all eyes were on you, Peter and Thor.

“Alright pointbreak I put two hundred on the girl spider.” Tony said.

His words catching you off guard as you took a sip of your drink making it go down the wrong way as you choked and coughed. Making a few people laugh.

“Dollars?” You exclaimed once you got your breath back.

“No, I meant seashells.” Tony sassed rolling his eyes.

“I’ll take that.” Bucky said. “I say she can’t get it to budge.”

Soon there was a chorus of voices as everyone places their bets. Tony had, at some point, gotten Jarvis to start taking notes of who bet what and how much.

Once all the bets were done all eyes turned back to you and Thor.

“Alright lord of lightning.” Tony began, “where’s the magic screwdriver.”

“One second.” Thor boomed. Holding out his hand the sound of breaking glass came from across the compound before the hammer smashed through the wall and slotted perfectly into Thor’s open fist.

“Thor! I told you to stop doing that.” Tony said as he dispatched the iron legion to fix the hammer shaped holes in the walls.

“Apologies Stark it appears I have forgot again.” Thor said looking sheepish and slightly tipsy from the alcohol he brought from his home realm.

Before anyone else could complain about the new holes in the wall Thor places the hammer down on the table. Peter’s smirk began to waver at the look of confidence on your face. Yet internally you were nervous. Were you about to make yourself look like an idiot in front of everyone?

Taking a deep breath you attempted to steady your nerves. Thor brandished a hand in the direction of the hammer, inviting you to pick it up.

Steeling your nerves and steaming the quake in your hands you reached out and brushed your hand over the cool leather that the handle was bound in.

Taking a breath, you wrapped your fingers around the hilt and gently began to tug. The hammer moved as if it weighed nothing more than a few feathers. A collective noise halfway between a cheer and an audible groan came from the spectators as people either made or lost money on the events of the past few seconds.

You tossed the hammer lightly in the air as it spun a full three-sixty before you caught it again by the hilt.

“Lady Parker congratulations are in order.” Thor said looking giddy as he found another person who could wield the hammer. You had a wide grin on your face feeling pretty special for once.

“Why exactly?” You asked not entirely aware of the legend that surrounded your actions.

“Oooo she don’t know.” Sam said before Bucky lightly slapped him to get him to shut up. Sam glared at Bucky as he rubbed his arm, Bucky however seemed unaffected as he shrugged unapologetically at Sam who poked his tongue out at Bucky who pretended not to see.

“Well, lady Parker, they say those who wield the hammer are fit to rule Asgard.” Thor said and you looked excited for a second before groaning.

“What is it?” Wanda asked feeling the slight annoyance and hesitation rolling off your psyche.

“Ew…” you muttered shivering dramatically.

“What?” Nat said reiterating Wanda’s earlier statement.

“I don’t wanna be eternally ruling alongside my little brother. He’d probably need to be babysat the whole time.” You whined making everyone chuckle while peter looked offended.

“I don’t need babysitting.” Peter piped up.

“Kid I had to put an AI in your suit to babysit you after a building fell on you. She’s not wrong.” Tony said and Peter frowned.

“Hey, you gave me one too.” You protested.

“That’s to help you, it doesn’t have snitch programs in it.” Tony said smirking at Peter.

“Yeah, plus I use Jarvis to babysit Tony.” Pepper said smirking over the rim of her wineglass as she took another sip.

“What?!” Tony spluttered. “Hey Jarvis! Is this true?”

“No boss.” Jarvis said not missing a beat.

“I programmed him to say that.” Pepper said adding her two cents.

“It that true j?” Tony asked again.

“No boss.” Jarvis said

“Liar.” Tony grumbled.

May and pepper giggled as they clinked glasses, those two always seemed to be causing trouble. They had gotten quite close after Tony had reduced peppers hours for stark industries, claiming she worked too much and needed more time to “have a life” as he put it.

Naturally Pepper had taken to spending more time with May whilst Tony mentored Peter which had resulted in their wine and cheese club that met whenever Peter came over for his mentorship with Tony. Natasha was known to join on occasion as she knew everything that happened in the tower and would never say no to expensive and more importantly free wine. Wanda joined but it was few and far between that she frequented the club. Often, she was busy doing her own thing and lately she had been too busy spending time with you.

Your only concern was May telling Pepper about … things and then pepper telling Tony who would no doubt end up telling everyone in the tower. For now, you just wanted things to be normal, or as normal as they could be right now.

@tia-thesimp @lizzielillvr @justarandomreaderxoxo @sycamorelibrary754 @dorabledewdroop @redwolfqueen19 @sadlesbeansstuff @sgm616 @queen-of-chaotic-surprises

Part 8

133 notes · View notes

dimonds456-art · 1 month ago

Text

I cannot believe I forgot to post this.

Chapter 3 is up! Also below the cut for anyone who doesn't have an AO3 (though the fic has been unprivated, so even guests should be able to see it now!)

Stanford awoke slowly to the sounds of gulls screeching, cars zooming, wind blowing, and kids laughing. Light was hitting his eyes, uncomfortably bright behind his closed eyelids, and he was quickly becoming aware of the sand that was coating his face.

He groaned, eyes opening without his consent. Sunlight blinded him, and he rolled over to avoid it. It wasn't his soft bed from home, though- this was far more rough, lumpy, and shifted beneath him as he moved. Sand, his mind supplied. He lowered his arms to push himself up, feeling it shift beneath his fingers. It was the rough kind of sand, too, not the soft stuff people said in the movies. At least this area wasn't littered in glass.

He sat up, taking stock. He was in the Stan O' War, laying in the middle of the floor of the broken boat. His backpack, bindle, and toolbelt leaned against the wall, right next to the box of nails.

Stanley wasn't there.

Stanford frowned. Shouldn't his brother have found his way here by now? They both knew where it was by heart, he should have been here!

And just like that, he was fully awake.

Ford sat up, scrubbing sand out of his hair and cringing as he felt it hitting the lenses of his glasses- he should have taken them off first, whoops. He'd fallen asleep wearing them, as he'd tried to stay awake for as long as he could to wait for his brother. His efforts were in vain, it seemed.

Anxiety started doing weird things to his chest. He'd felt anxious before- the churning that circled his guts when he was scared, the shakiness, all of it. The tightening of his chest was a much rarer one. Not his first time experiencing it, but enough that the feeling was still mostly foreign to him. Anxiety that made his breathing come out weird, like something was squeezing him from the inside.

He stood up, dusting off as much sand as he could. If Stanley hadn't come in the night, then something was wrong. Very, very wrong.

Stanford quickly ran outside, giving the whole boat a once-over. "Stanley?!" he called out. Maybe he fell asleep on deck? Or against the wall? Or nearby? "Stanley, where are you?"

No response.

Outside, he could see a couple of kids running down to the beach, mostly teenagers. It wasn't warm enough to warrant actually swimming just yet, but they weren't doing that anyway. Ford squinted, trying to spot his brother in the small crowd, but didn't see very many kids his age. The rest were accompanied either by a teen or a disgruntled adult.

Taking a deep breath, Stanford placed his hands on either side of his mouth. "STAAAAANLEYYYYYY!"

A few people looked toward him, but then went back to whatever it was teenagers did at the beach.

Nothing.

The anxiety twisted in his chest, starting to settle in his guts now, too. Not good. Not good at all.

He ran back inside, tearing open his backpack. Old Reliable tumbled out again, but he ignored it. Ballpoint pen and notebook paper. He needed to think. He flipped open to the first blank page he could find and started frantically taking notes.

Stanley ran away

Missing since yesterday morning

Not in any spot he usually would be

No signs as to where he could have gone

Ford moved to rub the back end of his pen through his hair, thinking. Stanley would either be at the Stan O' War or waiting for Stanford nearby, but since he wasn't doing that, then something else must have happened to him. And whatever it was, Ford had to find him. But, with no leads, how was he supposed to do that?

Went back to the Jersey Devil?

Found by Wood Dwarves?

Taken by The Big Red Eyes?

Eaten by Mantis Men?

Between each entry, Ford's anxiety rose. He knew about cryptids, of course, but actually finding them was difficult. He'd only found the Jersey Devil before, and that had been with Stanley's help (and technically the Sibling Brothers, if that even counted. They'd borrowed their clothes in the name of scientific pursuit, that barely counted for anything!).

Okay. Logic. Methodical. Where could Stanley be?

It probably wasn't the Devil because they'd both already met that one, and it wasn't exactly happy to see them. Unless he'd gone back for treasure or something? But they'd get plenty of that once they got out on the water.

Wood Dwarves were pranksters, and according to some, could turn invisible! It did seem like he'd just kinda vanished, so maybe they had something to do with it. But they usually lived in the forest- Stanley would have been heading for the beach, right?

Same problem with the Big Red Eyes theory. He lived far away from the ocean. Unless he'd been on vacation?

And the Mantis Man was usually seen around the river, which would be freshwater, not saltwater.

Ford slammed the notebook closed, feeling frustrated. It just didn't make any sense!

He hung his head, looking around the inside of the boat again. Well, clearly, Stanley wasn't by the ocean. He hadn't come here last night. Stanford would need to take his search elsewhere.

…But what if Stanley was heading here, and got caught up with something? What if he was still on the way?

Ford frowned, getting an idea. He grabbed Old Reliable and popped the cap. The Sharpie's thick tip was perfect for writing big, bold messages.

Ford circled around outside again, and went to the side of the boat that was facing the road. Then, he began to draw. A hashtag, then a boat, then an X, an exclamation mark- each letter of their alphabet came into being on the boards, clear black against medium-brown wood.

Stanford stepped back, making sure each symbol was legible. He didn't like that he had to do that- they'd already written on the side of the boat, and this felt something like vandalism- but he had to make sure Stanley got the message. But there was no way he was going to just give the Sibling Brothers any hints.

"Stay here, I will find you."

With that settled, he plugged the cap on Old Reliable, snuck it back in his bag, and started gathering his stuff.

He had to come up with a new plan- fast.

Maybe he could retrace his steps? But that would mean going back to Pines Pawns, and if he got caught now…

Nope. Too risky. But maybe there were other clues around town?

He needed to clear his head. There was one place he could always do that.

He pulled an apple out of his bindle and started walking.

Stanford made his way up the steps and into Glass Shard Beach's local library. It was run-down and not well taken care of, but it was quiet and safe. None of Ford's usual bullies frequented the library, and everyone was usually either too absorbed in their work or their reading to notice his hands. It was a good place to think. It was a good place to reorient and refocus.

He waved to the librarian, who barely gave him a nod in return. He appeared to be nose-deep in a political book. Stanford found himself grimacing internally. So many things to write about, and you pick politics? And then other people READ that? Dull. He didn't think he'd ever get why.

There was a specific table in the back that Stanford loved; right by the window, letting in some good natural light, while tucked out of the way from view. It was a good place to go if you wanted to be left alone.

He went there now, grinning as he saw no one else there before him. There were a couple of children's books sitting on the end, as well as a stack of blank, white paper, but he paid them no mind as he sat down in his favorite seat; back to the library entrance, window to his right. Perfect.

He pulled out his notebook again, scanning the details he'd written. Stanley hadn't been anywhere yesterday, and he hadn't been at the Stan O' War today. Ford doubted he'd be by the swingset, as the boat provided the best shelter, and he didn't see why he'd have a reason to go there.

So, that left the entire rest of Glass Shard Beach, or… outside of it.

Stanford frowned. Surely Stanley hadn't run away, run away, right? Wherever they went, they went together. It wouldn't make sense for him to leave town without his brother.

Then again, his mind hissed, it also doesn't make sense he'd run away without telling you, first. The Stanley you knew would make plans WITH you, not without you.

Stanford waived those thoughts away with a shake of his head. Clearly, that didn't matter, because that IS what happened, strange as it was.

He wasn't sure if any cryptid would seek his brother out and kidnap him, either. The only ones he knew of that would do that were Wood Elves, and they lived in. well. the woods. Not in the middle of a small town.

He picked up his ballpoint pen.

Things that could have happened to Stanley: - Ran away from town - Why would he do that? - Taken out of town (?) - By what? - Eaten by a monster - Would have been evidence of that somewhere, though, right? - Ran into the woods - Wildman Stanley? He's never told me he wanted that before - Aliens??

Stanford glared at that last option before scribbling it out. No, no, that would be dumb. Extraterrestrial beings descending from the heavens just to kidnap a lonely boy who had just run away and therefore would leave very few people to look for him, meaning they could get away with the crime essentially scott-free?

…Ford re-wrote the aliens point back in again.

He sighed, leaning his head in his hands. This was stupid and not helping. He needed to be out there looking for evidence! But he had no idea where to look…

He turned to look at the papers sitting next to him. Blank.

It's not defeat, Stanford thought to himself. If people know he's missing, they'll be helping the search. This will be a good thing.

He grabbed a paper and started sketching his brother, trying to capture him just right.

He'd made about twenty missing posters, as well as his original sketch page of his brother. He wasn't sure where or even how to put them up, but he wouldn't know until he tried. The day was still young, kinda (it was noon), and he had plenty of places to search.

He could try to put some up in different diners and restaurants, some down at the boardwalk, maybe one or two at school…

No, school was a bad idea. Crampelter was there. If Crampelter ever discovered that Stanley was missing…

Stanford shuddered, then stiffened, his walking speed slowing. Crampelter wasn't just at school, especially now that school was basically out for summer, with the addition of a couple extra curriculars (ug. sports). Crampelter could be anywhere, as well as his goons.

Uh oh.

Well, it's not like he could just not put the posters up. He'd made them, and he needed to find Stanley. Whatever Crampelter had in store for him was worth it if it meant he'd be able to find his brother.

As he walked past the front desk, the librarian noticed him. He raised his bushy eyebrows in surprise. "Working on a project, Pines?"

Stanford looked up at the man. "Kinda." He walked forward, handing him one of Stanley's missing posters. It featured his brother grinning at the "camera", little dots for eyes, messy hair, his striped shirt, and a backpack on his shoulders. (He'd also drawn a few posters with sticks in his hair or bugs on his arms, just in case that helped.) Down at the very bottom was another message written in their secret code, too- "Go to the ship".

Mr. Walker looked down at the parchment with scrutiny, pulling his glasses down a bit more to read the words.

"My brother went missing yesterday, and I don't know where he went," Stanford informed him, looking at the poster he'd handed him. "Do you want to keep that one? Maybe you could hang it up here in the library."

The bushy man turned his brown eyes back to the boy. "I suppose I could keep an eye out," he said, weirdly strained. "Stanley ain't exactly one to swing by the library, though."

"I… I know." Ford looked away. "I'm just worried about him."

Mr. Walker's gaze softened. "Sure. I can hold onto this one for ya, and if I see him, I'll tell him yer lookin' for him." He stood up, grabbing some tape from behind the counter.

Stanford lit up. "Oh, Mr. Walker, thank you!" He put his hands on the table and couldn't help the bounce in his feet. "Tell him to go to the boat. He'll know what I mean."

"Boat. Got it." Mr Walker finished taping it up, right next to a bunch of other fliers. "I'll tell him."

"Thank you!" Ford grinned. "I'll see you around!"

Mr. Walker waved at him. "Remember to be home before it gets too late," he called after the boy. Ford just smiled. Mr. Walker didn't need to know about that part.

Feeling rejuvenated, Stanford practically skipped out of the library. 19 posters and a sketch page. Finding where to hang up the rest would give him more excuses to turn his search outward, to more places Stanley was less likely to be. Which, paradoxically, meant he might be there.

As he pushed open the large, oak door, sunlight made him squint. But beyond that, he could hear laughing. Mocking laughter, specifically.

Ford gasped, shutting the door quickly. He had to hide the posters, fast.

He threw off his backpack, unzipped it, and began to rapidly stuff in papers. They were gonna be all folded and crumply later, but at least he'd have them. He just had to-

The door swung open with a BANG! against the opposing wall, and a large shadow fell over the entrance. Stanford hastily zipped up the bag and put it behind him right as none other than Crampelter himself waltzed into the library.

"Weeeell, look what the cat dragged in!" the bully himself grinned. Crampelter crossed his arms as his two yesmen circled around behind him. "Howzit feel not having your little guard dog around, hmm?"

"I-I…" Stanford looked up at him warily. Now the Sibling brothers were about the same age and build as the Pines twins, so confronting them was a bit easier than… this. Crampelter was a mountain, towering over Stanford and casting a long shadow. He grinned. The light from outside rimmed around him, casting the rest of him in shades of grey. The two behind him didn't look much friendlier (though the shorter one was all bark, no bite, Ford knew that).

Crampelter put his hands on his cheeks, creating a look of mocking fear. "I-I-" he stuttered out, before laughing loudly. "You what, dork? Scared?"

"Hey!"

All four heads turned to Mr Walker, who was quickly pacing towards them. He stopped in front of Crampelter, leveling him a knowing look. "This is a place of learning and leisure," he hissed. "Keep it down or get out, Crampelter. You know the rules, same as anyone else."

Crampelter let out a loud tch, rolling his eyes. "Whatever." He side-eyed Stanford, a mischievous grin crossing his lips. "Catch us outside, huh, nerd? We'll be waitin' for ya."

And with that, he and his posse turned on their heels and stormed out. As Crampelter's form left the building, he turned back around and cupped his mouth with his hands. "READING'S FOR NERDS!" he shouted. His voice bounced annoyingly off the peeling walls.

Before Mr Walker could react, the three of them had bolted, cackling, out the door.

The man sighed. "I worry about those three," he grumbled. "Shapin' up ta be no good, I tell ya."

"Umm, Mr. Walker, sir?" Stanford hated how much he was… unnerved by the three bullies. Not afraid- Pa said being afraid was stupid. "Don't be a sissy," he'd say. But Stanford certainly didn't feel comfortable around them.

The librarian turned to look at the boy questioningly. "Yes, Pines?"

"I…" He fidgeted with his hands, wringing them around each other. "I don't wanna go outside."

Understanding made its way across his features. Mr. Walker knelt down, putting a hand on Ford's shoulder. "Those three pick on you a lot, eh?"

Hesitantly, Ford nodded. "Stanley usually helps me with them," he mumbled.

Mr. Walker thought for a moment, then stood back up. "Here, I got an idea." He started to walk towards the back of the building, motioning with his hand for Ford to keep up. "Follow me."

Stanford grabbed his backpack and trotted after the librarian.

He wasn't too familiar with the man, but he had been nothing aside from friendly towards him. The first time they'd met, he'd made a comment about his hands, but that was forever ago now, and Mr. Walker didn't seem to mind them so much now. Just another reason Stanford saw the library as a sanctuary; a place to hide from bullies and to be able to get a clear head when things got tough. Peaceful.

He'd always hoped that, if Mr. Walker could learn to ignore his extra finger, maybe others could, too. Some of his teachers got used to it, but even then, he still saw the lingering looks sometimes. His classmates, too, just seemed to become adjusted to it rather than disregarding his hands like he'd hoped. It didn't feel like acceptance, it was more akin to tolerance. And Ford's tried his best to keep that tolerance for as long as he could, he did. He thought he was doing an okay job, but then Crampelter would show up just to remind him that tolerance and acceptance weren't really the same thing.

It was humiliating, to say the least.

Mr. Walker made his way through the halls of the library, walking in a relatively straight line. He finally came to a stop near the back wall, by one of the windows. He unlatched it, heaving it up. The early summer breeze entered the building, tickling Ford's cheeks and ruffling his hair.

"Here," the man said, "out this way. They won't expect you there."

Stanford looked up at Mr. Walker with a small, genuine smile. "Thank you, sir," he said.

Mr. Walker just nodded. "You're very welcome, Pines."

Sneaking out around the library was harder than Ford initially thought. Just a quick glance around the corner showed the bullies hanging around the entrance, pointing and laughing at anyone going in or out of the library.

Stanford frowned. What are they even DOING here? he wondered. Crampelter would rather get sick with the plague than willingly enter the library, and now that Stanford thought about it, it WAS odd that he'd decided to even come here at all.

Did this have to do with Stanley somehow?

That made Stanford pause. If Crampelter knew something about Stanley going missing, then it made sense that he'd come taunt Ford with that information. But there was no way to know until Stanford asked him, and he was not exactly in a hurry to do that.

He had to sneak past.

The library was surrounded by two other buildings on either side, but they were pretty far away. There was a yard in front of the building with lots of room to sit and read, including a tree with some okay-ish shade from the sun. If Stanford could just make it to one of the other buildings without getting caught, he could escape and start putting up posters. Clearly Crampelter knew already; no point in hiding it.

The bullies were gathered more on the right side of the building than the left, so Ford took in a deep breath, headed to the left, watched them for a moment, and…

No. No running was a bad idea. That'd draw their eyes. He had to go slow. Yeah. Yeah, niiiice and easy.

He let out the breath he'd taken awkwardly, and instead, hugged the wall. One foot in front of the other. He stayed close to the library, and no one saw him. Yet.

He was right at the corner now. He could hear Crampelter push someone off their bike. Though he felt bad, it also created a pretty good distraction. He peered over. Sure enough, some kid was currently adjusting their glasses, sitting on the pavement, while the three bullies yukked it up.

Now or never. Ford tentatively stepped out into the light, and when no one saw him immediately, he turned and began to speed walk away. He didn't know where he was going, just that he needed to get away from the library as fast as his feet could carry him.

He'd only made it a couple of sidewalk slabs down the road before a yell shattered his small sense of victory. "THERE HE IS!" one of the yesmen announced, and Stanford could feel the finger pointed in his direction. It only took a quick glance over his shoulder to see all three of them sprinting after him now.

Oh Moses.

Ford panicked, breaking into a sprint and zipping off down the road. He turned left at the corner, trying to hide from view, but those boys were still behind him- and gaining.

He had to hide. What's that thing they always do in movies? Duck into an alleyway?

There was one coming up. They hadn't rounded the corner yet. Ford had a chance.

He ducked left again, slipping into the slot between buildings, only to find nothing to hide behind. It was empty.

Their shouts and jeers were getting louder. There was nowhere to go.

Ford ducked down, facing away from the opening, and tried to make himself as small as possible. Maybe they'd just keep going, and leave him alone, and he could get out of this one by himself so he could keep looking for his brother-

"Found him!"

Something grabbed his backpack and lifted him up. Stanford cried out in surprise, then started swinging his arms frantically. He kicked, he punched, he tried to wriggle out of their grasp. His efforts were met with more jeers.

"Aw, look at him go!"

"He's worked up quite the kick, eh?"

"Like an angry kitten!"

Ford flushed. "I am not a-"

A fist to the back of the head silenced him. "Shut it," Crampelter snapped.

Ford lifted a hand to rub the spot. "Ow!"

"Eugh. Get your freaky hands away from me," Crampelter grumbled out. He let go of the backpack, sending Ford to the ground in a heap. His hands scraped against the pavement, and to his horror, he noticed more glass shards here than he'd originally thought. "We just wanna talk to you, nerd."

Stanford re-adjusted his glasses, finally turning to look at his tormentor more head-on. "About what? About how I'm a freak?" he snapped. "Go ahead, I've heard it all before!"

Crampelter tutted at him condescendingly. "No, dumbo, it's about your guard dog." He crossed his arms triumphantly. "Heard some talk down by the docks. Apparently some of the guys overheard you asking for him at the boardwalk."

Stupid! Stanford berated himself. Of course that's how he found out.

Crampelter's face was oddly neutral. "We just wanna know what happened."

Stanford blinked. "You… what?" That seemed… weirdly considerate of them. Something was wrong.

Shortie (he didn't know their names and didn't care) piped up. "Heard he ran off," he grinned.

Lanky nodded. "Did he finally learn he don't got a future?" he sneered.

Stanford glared at them each in turn. "What are you talking about?!" he exclaimed. "We have a future! We're gonna get out of here!"

"Hah!" Crampelter's eyes glinted. "Did he tell ya that?"

Something about the way Crampelter was looking at him was making Stanford uneasy, but he didn't have a good word to describe it. It was like he was dangling a carrot over his head- a carrot he knew Ford couldn't see. But Ford knew it was there. Something in him was getting riled up at that. His glare deepened.

"Yeah, he did. And Stanley wouldn't…" he trailed off for a second, looking away. "He wouldn't lie to me!"

That got all three of them laughing again.

"Good ol' sticky fingers?"

"All he ever does is lie!"

Ford's gaze burned holes in the bullies, but they didn't seem to notice or care. "Not to me!" Stanford shot back.

That just made them laugh harder.

Confusion and hurt was welling up within him. He moved to shove past Crampelter, but he was quick to swat Ford back into the alley again.

"Gonna go home?" Crampelter cooed, tilting his head knowingly. "Gonna go cry to Mommy and Daddy about how your brother somehow got smarter than you??"

Ford blinked. "What are you talking about?"

Lanky shrugged. "Sticky fingers ain't good for nuthin," he said casually. He leaned back against the opposing wall, lifting a leg to look cooler. "He knows he's just the stupid version of you. He must have finally figured out what he was and took off."

Shortie snickered. "About time."

Stanford wanted to glare at them, but something about their wording was throwing him off. "What do you mean? What is he?"

Crampelter's fists clenched. He tilted his chin up, looking down on Ford with a judging, condescending smile. "And here I thought you were the smart one, freak."

Ford stood up, moving to push past them. He had a brother to find, and clearly they didn't know anything, so this was just wasting his time. He had posters to put up and people to talk to and Siblings to avoid.

"Oh no ya don't!" A hand grabbed his arm and yanked him back. Ford yelped, stumbling, but managed to stay upright. Crampelter sneered at him. "Where d'ya think you're going, dork?"

"Away from you!" Stanford leveled a glare up at him. He didn't have to just stand there and take this.

Crampelter nodded to his two followers, who seemed to get it. Ford felt arms wrap around his, and no amount of wiggling around and throwing wild punches got them to let go. He felt them tugging at his backpack, pulling it off.

Stanford tried to get it back on, but the arms holding him twisted his wrists, making him try to curl in on himself on instinct. The straps were freed, and Crampelter held the red book bag in his hands.

Ford's eyes widened. "Hey! That's mine!"

Crampelter ignored him. He unzipped it and proceeded to dump the contents out, scattering papers, pencils, pens, his notebook, and- Ford watched in horror- the missing posters. He watched the cartoony face of his brother drift out, flapping gently down to the ground in a smiling heap of hope.

"Hah!" Crampelter barked out a laugh. "Were you gonna hang these up?"

Ford continued to try to writhe out of the other two boy's grip. "What's it to you?" he snapped.

Crampelter didn't say anything. Instead, he picked up a poster, holding it up. It was one of the ones Stanford had made that featured Stanley with sticks in his hair. It was one of the better ones, in his opinion.

Crampelter snorted. "Didja start doodling on this thing? What is that?"

He pointed to a line down at the bottom, the line reserved only for Stanley's eyes. To anyone else, it was just drawings. The Twins knew better.

Ford glared. "It's code. And I'm not telling you what it says!"

Shortie snorted. "Sticky understands codes?"

"You have too much faith in him," Lanky piped up. "He doesn't even know how to read."

That one got Stanford genuinely offended on his brother's behalf. "He does, too! He just, he told me that the letters get all scrambled sometimes, so it's-"

"So he can't read." Crampelter tutted, looking back at the pile. "Would be a shame if your guard dog realized just how much you relied on him," he mused to himself. "Not that he's good for much else."

Stanford glared. "Like you're any better, jerk!"

The bully's eyes snapped to him. He twitched, then his brows turned down into a glare. He looked back down at the pile of papers, then around the rest of the alleyway.

Water glistened off a nearby puddle.

Stanford froze. "No," he said softly, realizing where this was going. "No, Crampelter, you can't! I need those!"

That just seemed to make up the bully's mind. He stormed over to the puddle and stomped both feet in it. When he lifted one back out, it was covered in mud. He turned his gaze back to the pile of posters, Stanley's silly grin looking back at Ford.

The bully stomped closer.

Ford picked up the struggle again. "NO, STOP!"

All he could do was watch as Crampelter stomped down, smearing mud and dirty water all over the parchment. He made sure to cover every single one, crumpling and tearing the paper beneath his feet as he kicked and scraped and stomped.

Once every paper had been covered, he kicked them all towards the puddle. They dropped in, water soaking through and smearing the ink.

"STOP!" Stanford cried out. "STOP IT!"

"There!" The bully grinned down at the pile, satisfied. "How're you gonna call him home now?"

Rage boiled within him. He clenched his fists, trying to remember the things Stanley told him about fighting. Wide stance, fast fists, lots of yelling, there were teeth involved whenever you punched a jaw…

He went slack, waiting for the moment to strike. He felt himself breathing fast, breathing angry, and he just wanted to stomp Crampelter's stupid smile into the stupid ground and find his stupid brother and go back HOME.

He stopped listening. They were saying something. He didn't care what.

As soon as Lanky's grip faltered, Stanford broke free with a swing. He tore his arm free of his grip, hitting Shortie in the head. Shortie let go, and Stanford darted forward. He grabbed his notebook, clothes, pens and pencils, and stuffed them in the bag as fast as he could. He reached for the posters, but most were ruined by now. His hands grasped a single one; the sketch page he'd made for practice. It was wet, and crumpled, but it lived. He tucked it in there with the notebook and zipped it shut.

Crampelter watched him with a neutral face until the two made eye contact. Then, he grinned smugly.

"Good luck finding him now, freak," he jeered. "Not that it'll do ya much good."

That was it. Ford reached his hands out, shoving past Crampelter and darting back out into the streets. He could hear the bullies laughing behind him, but they didn't seem to be chasing him this time.

Whatever. He didn't care.

It didn't make any sense…

It doesn't make any sense!

Ford wasn't stupid. He'd heard the way people talk about his brother for a long time, like he was inferior to Stanford in some way (which was a weird paradox, considering everyone also thought that Stanford was a weirdo who could curse their family if they shook his hand or something). But he'd always made sure that Stan knew not to listen. He tried to humor his brother as much as he could, and listened to his wild ideas about superheroes and girls. He laughed at his brother's dumb jokes because they were funny and because Ford loved him.

Crampelter was just being mean again. Yeah. That's it.

Stanford ran and ran and ran until he found himself back at the street that led home. He slowed to a stop, looking down the familiar road. He could see the Pawn Shop. He knew his mom had found the note by now. He could picture her talking to Pa, asking him to call the police. He'd shake his head, insisting that Stanford would be home soon. And then he'd sit down and open his newspaper, waiting for him. Trusting him.

But Stanford couldn't go home yet. He had to find Stanley. Wherever they went, they went together. Stanley was the one who came up with their little mantra, and he really, truly believed it.

…Stanley wouldn't run away because of me, would he?

Did Ford do something wrong?

His heart lurched. He just wanted to talk to his ma about this. Surely she would know, right? She had those psychic powers! Stanley didn't think they were real, and even Ford was beginning to have his doubts, but it was better than nothing, right?

If nothing else, she'd tell him that Stanley didn't just get tired of him. Or she'd be able to help him figure out what he did to make Stan think that way.

Nope, Stanford scolded himself. That's the bullies talking. Stanley wouldn't do that. It's us, together forever. He's always said that.

It just didn't make any sense.

He needed something to get his brain going again. He had his apples- one he had for breakfast this morning, but he still had two more! They were right here, in his-

Oh no. He'd lost the bindle.

Stanford panicked for just a moment, before remembering he'd left it at the library. He hadn't been able to get it back because it was outside, right where Crampelter had been guarding the door. Shoot!

His stomach rumbled. Home was right there. He could just go there to eat. It was tempting, pulling him to go down the road and go back.

He glared. Pointedly, he turned around and began his march back to the library.

The sun was going down by the time he got back. And there it was, tossed onto the ground by the door by someone who didn't care, but otherwise untouched.

He ate both remaining apples, and something in him was still hungry.

He glared down at his notebook. He had two full days to look now, and nothing. Nothing, nothing, NOTHING!

His stomach grumbled.

If he was hungry, Stanley was also hungry. He HAD to find him.

But sleep was tugging at his eyelids, and the Stan O' War was cozy.

Maybe Stanley just got lost. Maybe a nice family was letting him stay the night. Maybe he was stargazing somewhere down the road. Maybe he was in the sky, looking down at Ford. C'mon, poindexter, he was saying, waving his hand in a "come here" motion, it's not that far!

Stanford curled in on himself, holding his notebook close, glaring down at the mess of leads and locations, and let himself drift off to a troubled sleep.

#gravity falls #gf au #gf fic #stanford pines #ford pines #runaway au #stanley pines #stan pines #young stan pines #young ford pines #dimonds art #dimonds writing #crampelter #gravity falls crampelter #i'm not gonna keep being mean to him for much longer I swear. at least not this much.

86 notes · View notes

steamberrystudio · 1 month ago

Text

2024 wrap-up and 2025 plans

It's been a really weird year for me and the last few months have been particularly challenging - so much so that I can't really remember much of the start of the year. There's been a lot that has happened and yet it feels like almost nothing has happened.

With a personal move in the works at the moment, and lots of lists and packing and cleaning, the last couple of weeks have felt like a blur of limbo as well.

But rather than just complaining let's jump into the wrap up and plans for 2025.

2024 Progress Wrap up

When looking back over a year of visual novel development, it can be really easy to forget progress and victories because it all smears together into an indistinct timeline.

You know stuff happened but you lose sight of the details of that stuff.

Even while writing this last night, I forgot that A Faerie's Tale was something completed and released this year. I remembered it just now while doing a final proofread of this post.

Development is such a long and repetitive process that you forget all the individual steps it took to get where you are. When I look back over 2024, I admit I feel like I somehow didn't do that much...that time slipped away while I did very little actual work.

And of course, that isn't true. (Or is it?? Self-doubt assures me that I didn't do anything noteworthy this year.)

When Stars Collide

At the start of 2024, When Stars Collide sat at 485,000 words. I was finishing up editing Asher's route but had portions of the other routes to draft. The UI was still the old design, most of the backgrounds were incomplete and none of the additional features like the flowcharts and affinity meters were set up.

I wanted to release an updated demo and the more new people told me they were playing the demo, the more I died inside because it was not at all reflective of the project any more. But I was missing critical backgrounds that I actually got only a few weeks before Episode 1 went to beta.

The point is that back at the start of 2024 the game was still very unfinished but I had big plans. My goal was originally to start releasing episodes in June of 2024 but editing and coding just took so much longer than expected that it just wasn't possible.

From a writing perspective, I learned that drafting and editing a game in this overlapping route style was hard. It was just genuinely so much more difficult than the separate route structure I'm used to. It really requires different processes and styles of planning than what I've done in the past. The burden of meticulously matching a timeline of events across 6 routes simultaneously is really tricky with the way I write and form the choices in my games.

You kind of have to either never refer back to anything that happens within a choice scenario or you have to remember and track a lot of variables and conversations and events. Additionally, writing one plot line from multiple relationship perspectives is actually quite tricky. Things have to align in very specific ways but you also kind of want to make sure that each play through is interesting. You don't want the conversations within the LI-specific content to be identical but they have to be similar enough you can manage the difference with a few key variables.

I honestly found it a really exhausting way to write. There's so much less complexity and so much more freedom when you are writing separate routes. And for that reason, the writing took a lot longer than I am used to.

One day I want to write up all my thoughts on route structure in visual novels but I haven't had time yet.

Ultimately I drafted about 172,000 words this year. The total word count of the game before I coded it was around 657,000 words - plus an additional 8-10k or so of bonus content. Of course, that shrinks when I code it but that was the total uncoded word count. So that is quite a jump from the 485,000 words I started with this year.

I always say that working on VNs really skews your view of what "a lot" of words is. To me, as weird as it is to say, 180k doesn't feel like that much writing, which is silly because it's like writing two YA novels.

But between the end of the Kickstarter for Gilded Shadows and the end of that year, I think I wrote about 250,000 words. That's 70,000 more words but in less time. I think it just shows how much more difficult writing WSC has been due to the structure of the routes.

I remember having a conversation with someone once where she told me that writing a game like Gilded Shadows is *definitely* harder and more work than writing a game like When Stars Collide. GS has multiple plots and a lot more words. In WSC, the routes share a plot, they share scenes and content, there's only one plot line and there are far fewer words.

I think it really underestimates the simplicity buff and the freedom buff that you get from having a single separate route in its own space time where you don't have to care as heavily about continuity across routes or a shared timeline of events or all of this other stuff that was such a burden to me when writing overlapping routes.

I maintain that I'm really glad I wrote When Stars Collide the way I did. I learned so much about game structure and choices and all this mechanical stuff about how visual novels work that I'd never really had to think about for. It was really, really enlightening.

But I will never do this game structure again. Lemme just say that.

Drafting aside, I had to also edit all that writing which was its own special layer of hell.

And then the art. The art has been enjoyable. I really love this game's aesthetic and the character designs. And the characters. I really enjoy them all so much. They are the most adorable crew of nerdy gremlins out there.

But the art has had is own challenges. I've done about 20 CGs for the game so far and a lot of them are easy enough but the colour slider MC is definitely a bit of a challenge for the CGs. With GS where I recoloured by hand, there were times that I had to slightly tweak Morgan's default colours to look good in CGs. For instance, one of her skin tones looked quite odd next to Magnus, who is very pink. And I had to just slightly tweak that skin tone in his CGs so they looked okay together side by side. It was easy to test that sort of thing before the CG even got into the game.

But I colour Wil in greyscale and I don't see them in colour until I test. And each colour available on the slider is represented by a number. And there are essentially 100 of them. So testing all of those isn't really viable. I do test multiple skin tones from my saves. But in some ways it's more cumbersome to make sure all of that looks good.

Wil also has 8 hairstyles…in two colours (which are recoloured manually because a couple of the hairstyles just don't really looks as good recoloured automatically (it's my art, not the dynamic colour slider tool).

It's a lot of work. Hair 5 usually puts my hand out of commission for the rest of the day (so I save it for last. Ha ha). I don't regret it and again, it's something I wanted to to do as an experiment. I knew that 5 hairstyles was probably manageable and 8 was definitely pushing and I was right so no hard lessons really learned there. It's sometimes valuable experience to push yourself right to that line and really see where the division between "feasible" and "too much" really is. Because then it's no longer hypothetical. You know where the line is.

A lot of how WSC is set up was me testing if the line was where I thought it was.

Beyond the art, I also got all the other new features set up and experimented with a few things I hadn't been planning on. Many of those features had the core elements set up and coded by wonderful programmer friends and colleagues (Feniks and Windchimes and Jeneara) but I still had to implement all those things in the code to make them function as part of the game.

Which, for things like the flowcharts - is time consuming. Flowcharts are like that.

The flowcharts in WSC use a different method than the ones in GS. It's a brand new tool and I'm still learning how to use it but there are also some kinks that rear their heads (not those kind, you guys! The annoying kind that break the game!)

I think the feature most people are most excited about would be the save screen. It's quite popular. Ha ha.

With all of that stuff done, I was able to finally….*finally* release the official version of Episode 1 to Patreon and on Itch.

And I released Episode 2 (minus two CGs that have been delayed by an abrupt move to a new place and me just not having time to draw right now) to Patrons in early access. (and the Itch version should go out mid-January. I hope).

So the point is…that is actually a fair amount of work that has taken place this year. And a lot of challenges that have been met and overcome.

A Faerie's Tale

Another thing I did this year was finish and release A Faerie's Tale as part of Amare Fest and with a team of friends to help out.

AFT is a concept I've had since about 2020 (prior to WSC actually). It was based on a dream I had as was always meant to be a cute little side project. But it kind of fell by the wayside in favour of my larger projects.

Being able to get it released was definitely fun. Jen and I definitely want to go back to it and release Lachan's route though - it was something we didn't have time for previously and it would be nice to get it truly complete.

Thornewood

And while I haven't specifically mentioned it anywhere outside of my server and Patreon...

The truth is...

I've secretly been planning my next project. But not really all that secretly since I have mentioned it a few times.

I've been torn, for a while, on two projects I'd like to tackle. One is called The Crown Wheel and the other is called (tentatively) Thornewood. I still go back and forth over which one I really want to do next.

Crown Wheel is the one I *really* want to get out there. It's another story that's close to my heart with some ancient characters of mine that I really love and would love to throw out there for other people to enjoy. But…

Thornewood is a bit more solid a project when it comes to planning and plot. Crown Wheel is a little more nebulous in terms of where the story would go. I'm getting side tracked…I'll get into this more in my 2025 plans.

I have not been working on any other project regularly or in any truly significant way. I've really been working on outlines and character profiles more than anything and I typically do it late at night when I can't sleep but can't draw any more because I'm resting for the day and while I just don't want to be working on WSC because I worked on it all day.

I think I have about 13000 words of outline. I did a rough summary of each route and have been trying to expand those and detail them out a little bit more. So technically that is work I've done this year too.

2024 still somehow feels like a weird year for development. I can't articulate why but it definitely was an odd year for sure.

So What are my 2025 Plans?

That's really the big question at this point. What is in store for Steamberry Studio?

First and foremost, the plan is to get When Stars Collide fully released. This isn't as straightforward as it seems though. With the writing complete, I'm focused on the coding and art, but...

Coding expressions is currently a bit tedious because there have been a ton of group scenes in this game so far. This is because it is somewhat of a 'closed set' so when you are not 1x1 with a love interest…you tend to be with a group. This will diminish in upcoming chapters as the plot kicks off more and you also get longer scenes with the love interests. But unfortunately it does come back in the last few chapters.

But for now I'm looking forward to heading into parts of the game that are more 1x1 or at least smaller groups at a time.

Additionally the CG situation has been somewhat up in the air for me. I was originally planning to do CGs in every chapter but I wasn't sure if that would a) be sustainable for me and b) make sense.

I suspected that there would be chapters coming up where there just weren't necessarily any good CG moments. So the "CGs in every chapter" thing was always going to be a bit squishy.

I know, for instance, that chapter 6 probably won't have any because there aren't any good moments for it to be honest?

Anyway. I am thinking that I may take a less formulaic approach to CGs and focus on making sure there are CGs in every episode if not every chapter. Maybe chapters 5, 8, 10...and then...Idk. One or two of the ending chapters.

Even if it's just four of the remaining chapters, that's still 24 more illustrations for the game. Which I feel like is a very reasonable amount considering there are already about 20.

Another thing I'm really going back and forth on is the nature of episodes moving forward.

Do I want to continue with 2 chapters per episode or do I want to drop to 1 chapter per episode? I battle myself on this all the time. It's such a hard call for me.

One challenge with moving into single chapter episodes is that I just feel the episodes would be less satisfying with only one chapter. Realistically the chapters aren't that small - even the short ones are more than 30,000 words each. That's...half a YA novel.

But, again, *realistically* when we reduce that to a play time, it's not that much.

People consume unvoiced visual novels at a rate of about 250 words per minute. That means 15,000 words per hour.

So 30k is just two hours of content. When you start dividing this up between "main plot" and "LI route content", you start whittling away at how much content *per character* there is. If there are 20,000 words of "LI content" - yeah, that's more than half the chapter. But that gets divided by 6 characters. And that means 13 minutes of playable content *including all the choices* for each character which isn't a lot. And most people are not going to play through every choice option.

Which means people could be getting through the unique content for their favourite character in less than 10 minutes.

By combining chapters, that means we get episodes that are 70,000 words or 90,000 words. It boosts the amount of content per character by a significant amount and that is really what I'm looking at when I consider episode layout.

I try to think about what is going to make for the most satisfying episode for players. The drawback of 2 chapters per episode is that it's…a lot. It's a lot of expressions. It's a lot of flowchart work.

It just takes more time.

Regardless of whether it's just 1 chapter at a time or whether it's 2 chapters at a time, I really want to move forward with steady releases and get the game fully released to players in 2025. That is obviously my primary focus going forward.

The story is finished. It's burning a hole in my laptop. (Not really). But I want to get it released.

Having the story already written but delivering it in smaller bites to players is doing a lot to save my drawing hand from inevitable doom but it's so hard for me mentally. I know the things coming up in future episodes and I'm so keen to release it and see reactions and talk to people about it. And it's just so difficult to not be able to do that as fast as I want.

I'm trying to be patient and I hope all of you are willing to be patient with me.

In other work…

I will likely continue to plan out my next game on the side, though I don't intend to start working on it or writing it until WSC completes. It's too hard to manage two projects like that - at least for me - most of the time.

When it comes to Thornewood (the most likely contender for 'next project'), it is a 'dark fantasy' in that the setting is gritty and grimy fantasy with an underlying darkness in the world. It's not really a dark romance though.

I always view dark fantasy as including settings where the darkness comes from outside the main character interactions. The setting is dark and the stories have danger and darkness....

But dark romance is when the relationships themselves are also dark. And I feel like I don't really write dark romance. I don't write perfect relationships either but I wouldn't describe them as 'dark' by any stretch.

Either way I'm looking forward to working on something more overtly fantasy again.

I've been dabbling in science fiction for a long time now (since 2019 - that's when I started Gilded Shadows!!) and I've been wanting to move back into fantasy settings for a while now.

Even just working on the profiles and outlines and world building for fantasy projects, it feels like the Fae and the magic are calling me back home. So I'm really eager to wrap up WSC and bury myself in a more fantasy themed setting again.

But I have a long journey to get to that point.

There's a lot to do in 2025 and I still have a lot of stories to tell.

I hope you will all be here with me for the journey.

#whenstarscollide #game development #indie otome game #amare game

72 notes · View notes