#Frienduary

[pixelgrove]

Writing Event: Frienduary 2025✨

Everything you need to know

Pixel Grove is spotlighting the other kind of love: friendship! Whether it’s childhood companions, found families, or unlikely alliances, Frienduary is your chance to celebrate the beauty of platonic bonds through writing.

For the entire month of February, a daily prompt is available to inspire your creativity. Whether you write fanfiction, original fiction, poetry, or non-fiction, this event is open to all writers and fandoms.

How It Works

Daily Prompts: The prompts are available in text format below, as well as a graphic. But if you're a spontaneous writer, don't fret! This blog will post a prompt each day at 12 AM AEDT. Take the prompt and interpret it however you like—canon, AU, silly, serious, it’s up to you!

What to Write: Whatever the prompt inspires! There's no limit on how long or short a piece can be.

Where to Post: Share your work on your preferred platform (Tumblr, AO3, etc.) and tag it with #Frienduary2025 so others can find and enjoy your work!

If you’re uploading to Archive of Our Own, don’t forget to add it to the Frienduary collection.

Want your work shared further? Submit a link to us through our Tumblr ask box.

The prompts

First Impressions

If Only / Childhood Friends

Unlikely Allies

Found Family

Rivals to Friends

Animal Companion / Lost

Long-Distance

Shared Secrets

Protective Streak

Road Trip / Travelling

Festivals & Celebrations

Helping Hands

Reunions

The Letter

Invitation

Unbreakable Promises

Saving the Day

Bad Influence

A Plan

Shared Space

A Gift

Misunderstood

Dream Team

Unspoken Understanding

Healing Together

Saying Goodbye

Rebuilding Bridges

Laughter and Light

Want the graphic? Find it here.

FAQs

Do I have to participate every day? Nope! You’re welcome to join in for as many or as few days as you like. No pressure!

Can I interpret prompts my own way? Absolutely. There’s no right or wrong way to use a prompt. They’re just here to inspire you!

Can I write for multiple fandoms? Yes! You're free to write for whatever fandom for any prompt! You can also go with an original work or a non-fiction essay if you'd like! The aim is just to get you writing.

Will you share my work? Our ask box is open for you to submit links to your works. This blog will post those links. Additionally, if you join the Pixel Grove Discord server, there's a channel thread dedicated to posting links to what you write for this event in #what-you-writing.

Join the Grove

Come chat and connect with other writers on our Pixel Grove Discord server: https://discord.gg/BNk9eprags

TLDR

Frienduary officially begins: February 1, 2025

Tag your work: #Frienduary2025

We can’t wait to see what you create! 💕

[pixel-is-blooming]

Frienduary - If Only

"Your name is Khameleon."

A little girl, ghostly pale, looks up at the woman before her. Her new caretaker. The only face she has been introduced to since she was plucked from the nest.

Li Mei—her voice sharp with authority, yet not unkind—extends a short, slender rod toward her. It is unfamiliar, an extension of something she does not yet understand.

"By the will of Delia, your life is to serve your empire," Li Mei intones. "To protect our Emperor and Empress, and their family--with your life."

"My life?"

"Yes."

Khameleon, as she's now to be known, glances down at the rod. It feels heavy in her hands, despite its unassuming form.

Li Mei does not move, her patience as firm as steel. "You will be trained--extensively, comprehensively. You will grow into your Saurian heritage and skills. And this weapon," she gestures, "will allow you to be more than just yourself."

More than herself.

And so, Khameleon trains.

She learns alongside Princess Mileena. The rod Li Mei had presented her with is enchanted, transforming to mimic the weapon of whomever she chooses. And so, Khameleon and Mileena's sessions are filled with the clash of steel and the flash of twin sais. When they finish, she watches as Mileena and Tanya bump shoulders, but she does not comment. She merely observes.

Kitana has more charismatic flair than her older sister, and favours bladed fans. Khameleon studies her, mirroring the princess’s poise, her calculated grace. She absorbs the way Kitana moves, the way she commands attention without force--only presence.

She does not learn anything of Sindel’s techniques. The Empress, regal and distant, regards her with dark, unreadable eyes. When Sindel grants her a place among the Umgadi, it is without warmth, without acknowledgment beyond duty.

"Do not take it personally," Li Mei tells her. "Sindel does not grow close to her guards. Neither should you grow personal with her family."

And yet, Khameleon is trained to be more than a guard.

Khameleon becomes a decoy. A shadow cast in the shape of the royal daughters. She is trained to take on their posture, their mannerisms, their very presence. A reflection, prepared for the worst-case scenario. She would play their part in a battle if ever there was a need.

But the palace is secure. The need for a decoy never truly arises, and only ever occurs during drills.

Then the Emperor is murdered.

Li Mei is cast out of the Umgadi.

Khameleon does not react. Does not waver. She witnesses Mileena and Kitana break down, watches Sindel steel herself and become a single ruler of her people. Khameleon cannot provide support--and cannot even comment of it. She only steps forward--silent, watchful, ever-adaptable--and takes her place as Tanya’s second with pride.

Because she is more than herself.

She is Khameleon.

[zeldahime]

«6 | 8»

Frienduary 7: Long-Distance

My dearest Sofia,

I write to you in desperate hope that what we once had together is not marred by the way it ended. I had hoped that Italy would be my home, and that it cannot be saddens me more than I can say; but if you, my darling, could be home to me, wherever you may be, perhaps it would be better.

I cannot be your lover, but I beg to be considered one of your truest and dearest friends, as you are mine. What blood has been shed can be left behind us, as men insist that the shedding of it is their affair. The death of Goncharov has set me free. I may now fly, my final tether to Mother Russia severed. Argentina has treated me well; the United States would, I think, agree with you, if you settled in the right place. The women of New York do not deal in the same pretense that the rest of that country does; false smiles are the mark of the naïf. We could go anywhere you pleased, my dear. We could go to Antarctica itself if you liked. You always did so appreciate the penguins at the Neapolitan Zoo.

I will stay in Buenos Aires for some months, I think. I have enclosed in this letter my mailing address and the international phone which serves this quaint street. I pray, as much as any Russian can, that you think of me as much as I think of you. I think of our time together whenever I pass the basilica, the rosary you carried, the Hail Marys you once repeated in our most intimate moments. They bring me comfort. I hope that, if you think of them too, you will write to me to say so.

With what love remains in my heart,

Forever yours,

Katya Goncharova

[supermumsociety-blog]

Sending out some love to some amazing mummies, as part of Frienduary in partnership with the amazing app @mushmums #feelingmushy #mush #mumfriendsmakeitbetter (at London, United Kingdom)

[larrytheg]

#throwback When squad got interviewed before the BIG10 championship game #MSU #frienduary #SundayDelight (at Lucas Oil Stadium)

[pixelgrove]

In just two weeks, we begin Frienduary, 28 days of February writing prompts. More info will be coming soon -- this is a notice just to remind you to add it to your calendar!

How do prompts work?

Take the prompt, go ahead and write -- fiction, fanfiction (any fandom), poetry, or non-fiction!

A graphic of the whole month's prompts will be made available, and this Tumblr will publish the day's prompt at 12AM AEDT.

Any length is fine, and any rating is permitted (be sure to tag it, though!).

Just remember to post the prompt at the start of your work.

Do I have to participate every day?

Nope! Don't feel locked in by any writing prompts here with the Pixel Grove. But we sure would love to see your works! Be sure to link them to us, published on any platform, so we can share it outwards too!

More info coming next week.

But if you have questions, feel free to join our server, the Pixel Grove!

[pixelgrove]

Frienduary 2025 Writing Prompts

February is all about love, and this year, Pixel Grove is shining a light on the other kind of love: friendship! Whether it’s childhood companions, found families, or unexpected alliances, Frienduary is your chance to celebrate the beauty of platonic bonds through fanfiction.

Here are the month's prompts:

A prompt will also arrive daily!

Post your stories on your favourite platforms (Tumblr, AO3, etc.) and tag them with #Frienduary2025 so others can find and enjoy your work.

Feel free to interpret them however you like! Canon or AU, silly or serious, the choice is yours.

Can’t wait to see what you create!

[zeldahime]

Note: I spent the first five days of this event traveling, so I'm starting from 6 and will go back and fill the extra five if I have free time.

Frienduary 6: Animal Companion / Lost

Princess Zelda of Hyrule was many things. She was intelligent, a scholar among scholars. She was blonde, with golden hair that spoke to her ineffable connection with the goddess Hylia. She was occasionally rude, often lacking in self-awareness, and in a permanent state of cold war with her lord father.

She was also, in this particular instance, dreadfully lost.

This wasn't her fault. Mostly. She would certainly insist to King Roam that it wasn't until her tongue turned blue. She had gone out to Neculda with only Storm to accompany her, yes, but this was because she had no seriously-minded guards, none who understood the value of her research. She needed to investigate reports of mixed rhino beetle colonies because these colonies might contain a clue. They were being drawn together; it wasn't naturally occurring. It had to do with the ancient technology, she just knew it did, just as she knew that the ancient technology was, despite her best efforts at ceremony, the only way she might actually connect with Hylia.

She had left Storm to graze near Little Twin Bridge before walking on foot to where she had heard reports of the mixed colony, both bladed and energetic rhino beetles gathered in a place unlikely for any rhino beetles at all. Then everything had gone badly all at once. The Squabble River had overflowed its banks some weeks ago, and paths through Hickaly Woods were unusable; a great fog had rolled in, drastically reducing visibility. A startled buck had crashed into an old tree, which came down mere feet from Zelda's face. She picked her way over and around her obstacles, as carefully as she could.

As carefully as she could wasn't, it seemed, carefully enough. Zelda caught her foot in a root system and fell with a cry.

She did not swear; a failure she might be at channeling her goddess or upholding her duty to king and country, but she was a princess nonetheless, and princesses were beholden to some codes of propriety.

She badly wanted to swear, though. It might, she thought, make the pain easier, if she were allowed to name and release it.

Zelda didn't know how long she sat there on the forest floor, struggling not to cry and feeling immensely sorry for herself, her ankle throbbing as though she had taken a nasty flight down the palace stairs rather than tripping on solid ground. She had mud all over her clothes; her hair felt tangled and wet, pulling against her scalp unpleasantly.

She considered how she might signal for help. At a guess, Storm would be seen from the road, or might wander to Dueling Peaks Stable in search of oats and tending when she, Zelda, did not return. The Princess' horse showing up without her mistress would create something of a ruckus, although she wasn't sure that they would know to search Hicklay Woods, if that was indeed where Zelda still was. Her research pack had a single flare and a starter kindling kit, but it had gotten drenched in her fall and would not be able to dry out until the fog had entirely disappeared.

Worst come to worst, she thought, she could pick a direction and start walking, painful as it would be. She might not know exactly where she was, but Hicklay Woods was a triangle with rivers on two sides and a Breman Peak on the third. She would come to the Little Twin Bridge, and to rescue, eventually.

She was bracing herself to begin to stand, trembling and exhausted, when she heard hoof-beats. Deer, Zelda thought, but then came a quiet nickering, careful and sure, the same nickering that accompanied requests for apples and refusals to walk into even the shallowest of puddles.

Storm was coming for her.

Zelda wiped her hands off on her tunic as best she could, then raised them to her mouth to whistle. She heard Storm neigh, then grunt as she figured her way around the trees.

"That's right, Storm!" she called out. "Here I am, girl!"

Storm's appearance through the trees was nothing short of Malanya-sent. Her white coat and golden mane shone in the darkness, a beacon of hope that Zelda could only hope to emulate when it came to be her time.

Slowly, with Storm's sturdy support, Zelda stood, steadily raising herself up onto her one good leg. She mounted her true and loyal steed, and finally felt a bit more like herself, the situation now well in control.

"Thank you, Storm," she said to her best of friends. "There's an apple in it for you if you can get us to Dueling Peaks Stable."

Storm nickered softly, shaking her head. Then they were off, a horse and her girl, in pursuit of an apple now and, if they were lucky, perchance someone who knew more about the mysterious beetles.

[zeldahime]

«7 | 9»

Frienduary 8: Shared Secrets

It turns out that, if you tell people that you stepped into a blue police box and went on a journey through time and space, people don't tend to believe you.

Barbara Wright and Ian Chesterton did not know that they were the first to learn this (well, sort of: time can get a bit wibbly-wobbly when Time Lords muck about in it), but they instinctively understood it nevertheless. They were practical people, who knew that other practical people would not put much stock in the words of two schoolteachers who had disappeared for two years.

It was a bit lonely, knowing things that only one other person knew.

Barbara took to visiting Ian's on the weekends, inviting herself over for supper and a chat. They reminisced on their times exploring the Aztec and Roman empires, the Screaming Jungle and Skaro; they wondered about how Susan was faring alone in the future. They worried about Vicki, traveling with no home to return to, and hoped that the Doctor would find her one.

They talked about the Doctor, wondering over who he was and where he and Susan had come from. He'd never answered when they asked, and they thought they might never know.

They had their secrets, had Barbara Wright and Ian Chesterton. Things they rarely spoke of, and never in public.

That was why it was something of a shock when, one day in the late 1970s, a knock came at the door from a military officer.

The man introduced himself as Brigadier Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart, and he knew the Doctor.

Lethbridge-Stewart was never quite a fixture in Barbara's and Ian's lives, holding himself aloof as he did, but he was always welcome to tea and a chat. He never quite told them all he knew, but that was all right; they never told him all they knew, either. Susan's secrets were her own.

It was nice, though, to have someone else to speak to about what they'd been through. It was nice to be able to speak about Skaro, and Dido, and the Battle of Waterloo.

Some secrets are best shared.

[pixelgrove]

Frienduary Prompt: Protective Streak

When one goes to great lengths to protect the other.

[pixelgrove]

Frienduary Prompt: Shared Secrets

Trusting each other with the truth.

[pixelgrove]

Frienduary Prompt: Long-Distance

Keeping the connection alive from afar.

[pixelgrove]

Frienduary Prompt: Animal Companion / Lost

Friendship with a furry (or not-so-furry) friend.

[pixelgrove]

Frienduary 2025: Rivals to Friends

Turning competition into camaraderie.

[pixelgrove]

Frienduary Prompt: Found Family

Bonds stronger than blood.

[pixel-is-blooming]

Frienduary - Unlikely Allies

The tragic yet inevitable demise of Nix, the changeling druid almost-rogue.

It is with mild sorrow that we announce the untimely--though frankly, entirely foreseeable--death of Nix, the self-proclaimed "protector" of travellers, con artist extraordinaire. They stole exactly zero gold from the people of Phandalin, having not come across a single person during a stake-out with the party's rogue, and changed into just three people over the course of their short adventure.

Nix bravely entered the dungeon beneath Phandalin with their fellows, armed with only quick wit and a scimitar, a questionable sense of self-preservation, and the mistaken belief that they would somehow not die immediately. Unfortunately, a doppelganger's pets had other plans. While their adventuring party undoubtedly fought valiantly, Nix's role in this heroic battle can be summed up as follows:

Took on the appearance of Kane, confusing exactly no one.

Killed a single bullywug, an achievement that will surely be sung for minutes to come.

Was promptly and unceremoniously struck down, likely before finishing a quippy one-liner that wasn't even technically their own.

Their final moments, spent impersonating their goblin bard companion Kane, were as chaotic as they were utterly pointless. Especially since Kane had to waste a Cure Wounds--the recovery of which was three times that of Nix's total HP.

Survived by their fellow adventurers (who are likely still wondering why they let Nix come along in the first place), their legacy of deception and baffling overconfidence lives on.

May their next con in the afterlife be as ambitious as their last, and may their next character roll higher for more than three hit points.