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ngame989 · 5 years ago

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“Enough” - TGG SVTFOE Fanfic Collection Ch. 11

Writing: @ngame989

Art: @toxicpsychox

Musical Arrangement: @ubercelloczar

Editing: @ubercelloczar, @seddm

Alternate fic links - FFnet, AO3

Summary: Star, Marco, Tom, and Janna reflect on their pasts, arrive at a crossroads in the present, and make decisions about their futures when Echo Creek Academy hosts a dance with an uncannily familiar theme.

Comic Page

Masterpost

Merry Christmas, happy holidays, happy New Year! This is a very special chapter, slightly breaking the tradition of having its poster be a Polaroid photo (though one of those will be coming soon lol). Also, this was inspired by an actual real life event, Google the date for yourself. MASSIVE thanks to my friend @ubercelloczar for the musical arrangement - I can’t embed it partway through so I’ll just link it when the time comes. Hope you enjoy!

Red. All these years, and she was just now realizing how little red there was in her expansive collection of outfits. Star could probably count on one hand the number of times she’d worn anything in that color besides Marco’s oversized hoodies. Though for all intents and purposes she’d moved into Marco’s room over a year ago, most of her clothes were still kept in her old room at Angie’s insistence. You leave pajamas in the mailbox ONE TIME and suddenly everyone’s all “please use a closet, Star.” Her fingers fondly brushed over the fabrics of dozens of dresses and skirts she owned. The turquoise with the narwhal? Timeless classic, though a bit worse for wear after so many life or death incidents on Mewni. Purple with suspenders? Eh, not so much… for whatever reason she just hadn’t felt like wearing that in a while. Her sleeveless sky blue dress, on the other hand, had made its way back into her rotation after the dimensions cleaved. Why, she couldn’t say, though she tended to skip the leg warmers these days. The pink overalls with the cute skirt were one of her favorite buys on Earthni - the perfect blend of dimensional fashions.

Minutes passed as she reminisced, her wardrobe a library unveiling its stories as her eyes roved its contents. One random winter night came to mind at the sight of her rarely used fuzzy yellow jammies. The heater had been on the fritz, so she and Marco had cuddled up even closer than normal. Her brain had been too frozen to think straight at the time, but in hindsight it was one of her favorite memories - spending all night watching movies with family, hot cocoa by the gallon, and holding Marco tight did more to warm her soul than any heater ever could. Some more notable memories were captured in the attire too, like the lavender dress she’d planned to wear to her first school dance before ditching it to resurrect a clown; the Love Sentence concert tee she’d made; her green dinosaur dress, captured forever on that fateful photo strip.

Experiences shared with Marco stood out among the rest - they usually did anyway, but tonight perhaps more than most, and for good reason. She’d once obsessed over a tattered, stinky hoodie of his as a source of calm and stability for some of the harshest weeks in her life, but tonight she felt like she was at her highest point. When her eyes finally spotted her target, the reason she had even been rummaging around an old closet and choking on enough dust to fell an adult warnicorn, her small, nostalgic smile stretched into a wide grin laden with too many emotions to count. If there’s any night to wear red, this is it, Star thought as she slipped into the silky dress awaiting her.

After all, she and Marco were once again going to a Blood Moon Ball.

Six Weeks Earlier

“Not sure if we’ll be able to pull this off, Diaz. They’ve got us surrounded.” Steam rolled out of Star’s mouth with the words, threatening to give away their location. She shivered despite the warm pink fleece she wore; the wind today was so chilly that even Marco had donned a winter jacket over his hoodie. They were in the midst of a battle, nay, an all-out war. We’ve got one, maybe two dozen? We’re doomed.

Where Star faltered, Marco’s resolve was firm. “Our only option is a last stand. I can lead a strong forward assault and draw fire long enough for you to flank their offense.” They’d found a secure location with solid cover, but it severely limited their scouting ability. Marco lowered his hood and stole a glance above the metal behind them, ducking back down instantly. Snow had already accumulated on his lashes and glittered softly in the sunlight, but Star couldn’t afford to linger on that image. It was do or die.

He took her hands and pulled her close, almost touching their noses. “If I don’t make it, Star, I want you to take care of Nachos for me, OK?” He scooped up his armful of snowballs and moved into position.

She theatrically reached out a hand towards him right as he got to the threshold of safety. “I’ll never forget you Marcoooo…” she whispered loudly. The pair giggled as Star grabbed her ammunition. “Alright, enough of that. Ready?”

“Ready.”

Marco dashed around the playground slide and into the fray. Right as Star followed, she heard him yelp and fall into the soft snow coating the playground, three enemy combatants hovering over him and pelting him mercilessly. “Marco!” Star yelled and trudged over with the gleeful cheers of their enemy ringing in her ears. “Speak to me, Marco! Don’t leave me!”

“Star… Remember me...” He grunted and let his head drop into the snow.

“Noooooooooo!” With one final breath, she flopped on top of him and accepted death by a thousand snowballs.

One extra large hunk of snow, far too large to have been thrown by any of the kids, exploded on Star’s back and coated her entirely in soft white fluff. Star heard the warm rumble of Antonio’s hearty chuckles at his successful finishing blow. “Alright, kiddos, your families are here. Have a happy break!” His beefy hand grabbed Star’s own and easily hefted her to her feet before doing the same for Marco. How the heck he was OK in the cold with just an ear-flappy-hat and his usual flannel shirt, she’d never know.

Star dusted herself off and watched the children skip through the snow - a much smaller group than usual, since it was the last evening shift before Christumpmasday break. Most were eager to return to their families, though Star had to help two little girls finish building their snowlizard and take a few pictures before they were willing to leave without bursting into tears; in their defense, it was a ridiculously cute and fun snowlizard. And with that, it was finally holiday break time!

As they walked back to the Center with Antonio, Star took in the sight of the campus covered in fresh snow. The sparkling white planes draped across the pristine Earth architecture contrasted with the raw, natural aesthetic of snow and ice intermingled with remnants of a once-thriving Mewman village, but it all blended together into something unique and beautiful. She caught Marco transfixed with a goofy smile on his face, in awe of her as much as she was with the world, and her cheeks flushed a tiny bit more than they’d already done in the cold. The crunch of snow underfoot and the gentle whooshing of the wind as they swung their joined hands back and forth were the only sounds disturbing this peaceful, perfect moment.

“Merry Christumpmasday, Antonio!” Star shouted as she gave her boss-slash-friend a big hug, and he laughed and returned the gesture with enough strength to lift both Star and Marco off the ground a little.

“Same to you two. Thanks again for staying late, I feel bad about keeping anyone here like this. My husband’s still out of town until tomorrow so home, work, it’s all the same to me, personally. Wish your whole family the best for me.” After saying their goodbyes, Star and Marco walked back out into the cold where their ride was waiting.

“Hey, girl” Marco’s voice was tender as he adjusted Nachos’ cute winter cap and stroked her back. As he was testing his foothold to make sure he wouldn’t slip and faceplant while trying to hop on, Antonio peeked his head out the door.

“Wait, before you go… an elderly lady gave me this flier for some kinda dance.” He scratched his chin through his beard. “Dunno why she brought it here of all places, but since I had it, I thought I might as well pass it along.”

“Oh, is it for that big dance the high school is throwing for all the teens in town?” Marco asked.

“Seems so. Maybe she just got confused about what kinds of kids it was for,” Antonio said, lightly chuckling. “January 30, it says, and it’s an all-nighter; that’s quite the shindig. If Earthni parties are anything like my high school days, it’s probably best I give you the whole next day off,” he said with a wink and a smirk.

All night dance? Even the Bounce Lounge was rarely that crazy - what was so special about this? Antonio handed the flier to Star and Marco who took hold of the other side of it, moving it between them as they gaped in shock at its contents.

“No way, there’s no way, what the-” she and Marco muttered in perfect unison. “Are you- seeing this? It can’t- how did-” They started and stopped as their attempts to stop copying each other canceled each other out.

Marco blinked a few more times to finally pry his eyes away from the page. “Well, eclipses do happen pretty often on Earth, I guess...” They both glanced incredulously back and forth between each other and the flier before the tension in their shoulders finally dropped. An unspoken agreement had been made: they might as well give this dance a shot. Star took one last look at the flier before hopping on Nachos, stuffing it into her jacket and wrapping her arms around Marco’s midriff for the ride home, its words emblazoned in her mind.

January 30-31, 2018. Super Blue Blood Moon Eclipse Extravaganza at Echo Creek Academy! Come dance under the red light of the lunar eclipse!

***

Present Day

“OK, Diaz, let’s see what you’ve got. Sweat prevention, check,” he noted with a quick whiff of his armpits. “Outfit, check.” Bright red dress shirt, sharp black jacket, sleek black tie. Marco posed in the bathroom mirror a few times, getting everything in order for a night he’d been looking forward to for months. “Hair, check.” It was just his usual style, but it never hurt to make sure it was ready to go. Looking good, Diaz.

His stare lingered in their bedroom mirror for a moment too long as thoughts began racing through his mind. Was he nervous? Marco Diaz, nervous for a big night with the girl he loved? More often than not Star was his reason not to be nervous about anything, but this was their first big formal dance as a couple and he did have a pretty dicey history with those. And what were the odds that it was on the night of the Blood Moon again? He wasn’t exactly worried about the curse, per se - there was some caveat or another in demon lore that the Blood Moon could only impart its curse when shining through a special Underworld crystal, the very same one embedded in the roof of the Lucitor ballroom years ago, Relicor had assured them. And it’s not like it even did anything bad to them in the first place, right? Marco still stood by his own words - it was all baloney. Still though, it did leave him with a decision to make. He experimentally put on his Día de Los Muertos mask and turned his head a bit. Should he?

“I don’t think I ever told you how cute you look in that mask.” He’d gotten pretty good about anticipating Star’s sudden appearances but had been caught up in his own mind enough that he still jumped a bit, much to her amusement. “Buuuuuuuut…” she drawled as she swiftly stepped forward and snatched it off his head. “I like your face more.” She grinned and pinched his cheek before they both stopped to truly look at each other. They hadn’t seen each other’s outfits ahead of time but as always they’d been on the same page. “I like the rest of you, too,” she muttered, biting her lip. Marco felt his cheeks turn the same color as his shirt at the comment, but also at her own appearance. Two wavy strands of hair in front of her ears framed her adorable face, though her hair had otherwise been left down as normal. Her red dress had a lone heart clasp on one shoulder, a pattern of moons and stars on a dark band circling the waist, a knee-length wavy skirt that gently swished as she rocked back and forth, and black high heels.

“Wow,” he uttered.

“You like it?” Star asked hopefully. “I thought, well, I didn’t want to go too over-the-top and wear the old Blood Moon Ball outfit but I still wanted to fit the theme so-”

“You’re beautiful,” Marco stated. Not that she’d needed to be wearing an incredible evening dress for him to think that, and he knew she knew that too, but she was still making him a bit dizzy right now. “Wait-” he stopped her when she tried to move in for a kiss, leaning back to their nightstand. He grabbed her horns and gently placed them on her head, brushing a wayward strand of hair back into place. “Perfect.” He leaned forward to kiss her, seeing her doing the same as his eyelids closed, and-

“Mijos!” Star and Marco’s eyes opened, freezing in place so close together that her breath tickled his lips, staring at each other for a second before turning towards the door. Daaaaad. “Oh, sorry, did we interrupt a moment?” We? Rafael stepped aside to reveal all their parents, plus Eclipsa and Globgor, crammed into the hallway. Star took Marco’s hand as they separated.

“Eeeee!” Eclipsa squealed in delight. “You two are absolutely precious. Come downstairs, loves, we must take your picture.”

“I’ve got two backup rolls of film!” Angie chimed in as Moon herded them all down the stairs and out of the way.

Marco looked at Star, who was goofily smiling at him as she squeezed his hand. It wasn’t that he minded being affectionate with Star around friends and family - heck, his own parents were still the most overtly lovey-dovey couple in the house - but he couldn’t help a bit of embarrassment when they were the center of attention like that. After double checking to make sure they had everything they needed, the pair headed out and walked down the stairs together to the oohs and aahs of their families. Star’s parents merely watched while Marco’s both wielded cameras, snapping pictures fervently. Nachos wasn’t due for another few minutes, so they decided to just endure the gauntlet.

“Didn’t think a sort-of-school dance was such a big deal,” Star murmured. Eclipsa sat down on the arm of the couch next to Globgor while Moon daintily folded her hands in her lap on the opposite side with River squished between her and the size-shifter.

“Well, when Marco left for Mewni, we were worried he’d never get to have a prom,” Angie cheerily responded, having evidently heard Star’s comment. “This is basically the same thing, though. Raf, honey, remember our prom?”

“Oh, yes, it was delightful,” he said, finally lowering the camera and turning to address the others on the couch. “We had actually just broken up that morning and went separately, but your mother just happened to walk directly into me as the slow music started and we ended up waltzing the night away. That was the last time we had to get back together.” How many details about my parents have I missed? Marco wondered to himself, before realizing he likely didn’t want to know quite a few of them and shuddering a bit. Still, it was better than being endlessly fawned over, so Marco stood perfectly still and shut his mouth.

Eclipsa set a hand on Globgor’s shoulder, smiling fondly. “Globgor and I met at a dance too! Well, not quite a ‘dance’, I suppose... he twirled me out of the way of an assassin’s arrow, and I swept him off his feet, but the principle seems about the same to me.”

“I was about to eat a guard until she blasted me to the ground. She cast a spell on me in more ways than one.” Globgor laughed. “Though the literal one was very painful,” he added seriously.

“Well, River and I had been to our share of Silver Bell Balls and other royal festivities,” Moon chimed in. “Though when I was Star’s age we weren’t together yet, and I was very focused on the kingdom by the time things were calm enough to enjoy them properly…”

“And now our little girl is going to big fancy galas with a handsome young man. Next thing you know she’ll be setting out on her own, never needing her parents again!” River wailed, clutching Moon’s arm. Well, the diversion was good while it lasted.

“River, please,” Moon gently chided. “You two are quite the adorable couple, though. Though I never wished to interfere in your personal affairs on Mewni, I am certainly glad things eventually worked out as well as they did.”

Eclipsa strolled over and enveloped both of them in a hug. “You two look positively astonishing together,” she cooed before releasing them to take them in one at a time. “Star, darling, you’re as stunning as I’ve ever seen you. And Marco...” She paused, placing her hands on his shoulders. Her purple eyes were laden with unbridled affection as they looked him up and down, her lips turning upward in as sincere a smile as he’d seen her display. “Marco, you sweet young man… You’re quite lucky to have each other, you know. Perhaps it’s not my place to say, but I’m so proud of how you’ve grown these past few years. Now have fun tonight, this is great practice for a certain other first dance I see in your future,” she finished with a wink, causing his blush to return with a vengeance.

“Picture time!” Rafael singsonged, getting up close and flashing a camera near Marco’s face. “Do some fun poses! Give the people what they want! We are not going to miss any more of our son’s major life moments!” His voice was filled with determination to the point of sounding angry, and Marco’s eyes widened in part sympathy, part stark terror. Minutes flew by as Star and Marco supplied their families’ demands, exhausting both the traditional prom shots and their signature poses: back-to-back, too cool for school, Star pinching his cheeks, drowning in a monster’s stomach acid… the list seemed endless, and though goofing around with Star was always fun, he’d been anticipating the dance so long that every second of delay felt like torture. Finally, Marco breathed a sigh of relief when his dad moaned in dismay at the camera clicking without anything happening; he was out of film.

“Oh dear, only one left,” Angie echoed. “Let’s get a nice one of a kiss. Don’t be shy.”

“Well, Marco? Shall we?” Star threw him a flirtatious grin, wrapping her arms around his neck.

He opened his mouth to respond with a quip of his own when he heard wheels screeching to a stop outside. Sweet freedom. “Well, that’s our ride!” Marco stated a bit too forcefully, breaking away from Star and heading towards the door to greet Nachos. Flying in on a dragoncycle would be a major departure from whatever prom fantasies about picking up Jackie in a limo he’d had as a kid, but he still wanted to do something special with a traditional flair. She snorted and cackled when the door opened and revealed his grand prom surprise: Nachos with a top hat and bow tie.

“Marco, what did you do to her?”

“Well, it’s prom, so our ride needs to be the fanciest it can be,” he giggled as she rolled her eyes. “Only the best for you, m’la-”

When Star’s lips cut him off sweetly as she tugged him closer, suddenly Marco didn’t mind staying a little bit longer, and the snap of his mother’s camera seemed to agree.

***

Chaos. Compared to any dance Star had been to before, this was the best kind of chaos. The energetic beat of the electronic music thrummed in her ears as her hips swayed and arms waved in the air. She wasn’t sure exactly how many people had shown up, but the gymnasium of Echo Creek Academy was more packed than she’d ever seen it. Still, it wasn’t so cramped that she had no room to get her groove on; when her butt bumped into Marco beside her, it was by choice as she slyly grinned at her boyfriend in his red shirt, now sans jacket. He smirked back at her and set his feet in place, slicing his hands wildly through the air. “I thought you didn’t like the sword-hand dance,” Star loudly spoke into his ear, though it was a whisper relative to the volume of the music and crowd.

“Yeah, but if everyone else is gonna do it anyway, I might as well own it.” They locked eyes as she began to mirror him, mimicking his karate poses in time with the music. He abruptly grabbed both her hands and swung them up and down, laughing as they just shook everything they had without a care in the world. She yanked him towards her and spun them both around, their backs flush against each other as they kept bouncing to the rhythm.

“Woop, woop! Starco in da HOUSE!” Ponyhead stuck her horn between them, forcing them apart as she floated up and down.

Tom also made his way beside them, drink in hand. “Anyone else want punch?” He lowered the plastic cups he’d been levitating over the crowd into Star and Marco’s hands, and Pony’s tongue. “Gotta say, this is pretty good punch. What kind of blood is it? Centaur? Unicorn? Oooooh, I’ve heard that giraffigator blood is hot these days.”

Marco eyed his cup warily. “What the heck is a giraffigat-”

“WHAT’S THIS ‘BOUT UNICORN BLOOD?” Pony screamed, getting up in Tom’s face.

Star quickly separated them, holding her hands up to try and ease her friends. “Guys, guys, there’s no actual blood in it, I think it’s just citrus.” Well, she was fairly sure. She took one trial sip, tasting the sweet flavor of- “Wait, yep, this is blood,” she said disgustedly after she spit it back into the cup.

“More for me, then,” Tom said nonchalantly, as he snatched Marco’s cup and took another swig while Pony floated in circles grumbling. It seemed like the DJ was taking a break from the upbeat dancing music for now, so the group made their way to the outskirts of the gymnasium where they’d left their belongings. Star laid down on the bleachers, resting her head on Marco’s lap after he’d put his jacket back on and sat down. He stroked her hair with his thumb as they relaxed after an intense hour of dancing. It struck her that this was actually the first time she’d ever truly had carefree fun at a formal dance. The original Blood Moon Ball left her with very mixed feelings to say the least, and her one experience with an Earth dance had been a bit of a disaster even though she didn’t actually go. Time had largely expunged the lingering venom she’d directed at herself for her relationship mistakes after returning to Mewni, leaving some life lessons and fond memories; but even some enjoyable fiery dances with Tom didn’t change the fact that the Silver Bell Balls were stuffy political dramafests. She reached up and intertwined her fingers with Marco’s, squeezing his hand and beaming at him - this was more like it.

“You know, I will say, this DJ is killing it tonight,” Pony said as she returned. “I was kinda expectin’ something lame but this is the best party I’ve been to since the Bounce Lounge closed.” Star nodded in agreement.

Tom leaned back and crossed his legs a few rows below them, taking a sip from his second cup so far. “Oh, yeah, I know him, he’s actually the cousin of my old anger management coach. His name’s Kim H. Brian.”

“I thought your coach’s name was Brian,” Marco responded.

“Yeah, Brian Brian.”

“Get outta t- wait, the Kim H. Brian?” Star bolted up at Marco’s words and they stared at each other incredulously.

“The producer of Love Sentence’s most controversial album, Prison Breakup?” Star and Marco said simultaneously.

“That’s the one,” Tom said, chuckling a bit. “Only you two could still say entire sentences at the same time without a demonic curse.” He stared into his drink for a few seconds, his visage suddenly becoming completely somber. All three eyes closed as he took a deep breath before floating up and sitting next to the couple. “Look, about the whole Blood Moon thing-”

Hold on, was he still in a twist about this? “Tom, it’s fine!” Star said, putting a hand on his shoulder. “We broke the Curse, you apologized, it’s all good.”

“I know, but it’s not that- after we went to the Severing Stone, deep down I knew that the Curse wasn’t why you two had those feelings, but I just kept pretending because I still liked you, Star. If I hadn’t been so caught up in that, maybe it wouldn’t have taken so damn long to sort our mess out. I know it doesn’t matter anymore, but… I guess the dance just got me thinking again about friendship and love and stuff. So if you’re OK with it, I actually asked Kim to do a little something special for you two later, to help give you the Blood Moon Ball you deserve,” he finished with a toothy smile.

Star’s eyes started to mist up; Tom had always been supportive of Star and Marco since they’d all sorted themselves out, but it never failed to move her. Star lunged forward, wrapping herself around him in a bear hug, and Marco followed suit. “Toooooom, that’s so sweet!”

“Yeah, man, that’s really-” Marco was stopped by the sudden intrusion of Ponyhead into their little moment.

“Hey, Lucitor, do you know where Janna went? I’ve been TRYING to ask her for the hot deets on totally eligible bachelors here. You know, name, height, bank account balance: the usual business. So anyway she hasn’t been, like, responding at all and I’m starting to worry I might not be able to score a good enough rebound to make Seahorse see that he made the biggest mistake of his life letting me dump him!”

Marco nodded toward the still-in-progress group hug. “Little busy?”

“Yeah, whatever, save your huggy feeltime for later, this is im-por-tant.”

“OK, fine,” Tom said, extricating himself from the embrace. “I haven’t seen her for a while but I can help look. It’s Janna, so she’s probably just splicing some gargoyle DNA to a class hamster or something.”

“Last I saw, she was by the old photobooth.”

Wait, that had survived? Star and Marco exchanged shocked glances at the thought of the site of their first kiss having survived the whole way to Earthni.

“You thinking what I’m thinking?” Marco asked. Star grinned and nodded, grabbing his hand to run off and make even more memories.

***

Janna Ordonia had never been more scared in her entire life. Okay, maybe that time a monster guy exploded into dust a few feet in front of her was more viscerally terrifying, but Janna was used to freakiness and death even before she’d spent so much time in the literal Underworld. Tonight, though? The pit in her stomach that left her unable to speak, unable to think, was something almost alien to her. She had so much unique expertise in dealing with all things mystical and macabre that it took something completely and utterly human to faze her, and now she found herself staring in a mirror struggling to cope.

Janna Ordonia had caught feelings.

She’d always known she had a thing for the spooky and supernatural, so an attraction to a half-demon with two horns, three eyes, and purple skin was basically inevitable. It hadn’t bothered her like this when she’d had a casual fling with a talking skeleton years ago, either. The only logical conclusion she could draw was that whatever she was feeling now was a different beast altogether. The night had started out so pleasantly: the Lucitors had invited her over for a casual dinner beforehand - whatever meat the Underworld used for burgers was damn good - and they’d taken the carriage together to the dance afterwards.

It just made practical sense, it didn’t mean anything, I don’t WANT it to mean anything. Some variant of this refrain had been repeating in her mind a lot lately, but staring at her own reflection, it felt thinner with every passing second. If it was true, she probably wouldn’t even be here now; she could be doing way cooler things with the night of an ultra-rare eclipse than drinking cheap punch and shuffling awkwardly on the dance floor to chart-topping pop trash. But Tom had seemed excited at the prospect, and the next thing she knew she had picked out a simple black dress with pink highlights - hell, it was even Tom’s nonjudgmental support that had given her the confidence to wear her secret favorite color more in the first place. One way or another, everything seemed to circle back to one simple fact. Each day spent learning about the Underworld and adventuring in its depths was obviously worthwhile on its own merits, but it was always better with him. If she couldn’t stop this storm brewing inside, then the only thing left was to take control of it on her own terms. Well, this is it, Janna. You have a serious crush on Tom Lucitor.

By the time her mind had finished processing its own confession, she’d already made her way back to the gym and meandered to a vacant corner to watch idly by herself, not unlike how she’d spent most of the dance so far. They’d arrived from the Underworld fashionably late and it had only taken a few minutes for Janna to ditch her friends and hide while she moped about her feelings, but of course as soon as she wanted company again there was none to be found. She huffed and pulled out her phone, switching between a few games to occupy the time.

“Hey.” She looked up to find Tom holding two glasses. “Anything fun going on in this empty corner?”

“Yeah, it’s pretty intense over here. Some dust bunnies got in a street fight.” She smirked and stole one of his glasses, raising it to her lips for a sip.

“Wait, don’t, that’s-” It tasted funny, fruity and sweet but with a metallic tang. “Blood.” Ah. She considered it for a moment before deciding to take another sip. She’d had worse. “Anyway, where have you been? We basically haven’t seen you since we got here.”

“Oh, you know, nowhere and everywhere. It’s what I do,” she deflected. “Where’re the others?” Star and Ponyhead were forces of nature when it came to stealing the spotlight, so Janna figured they were her best shot at getting through the night with minimal awkwardness.

“We were taking a break and then they ran off to a photobooth. I still don’t really get the hype, but you know how it is with them.”

“Yeah, it’s gross.”

“Yep…” They both fell silent, continuing to drink what was supposedly some kind of real blood punch as the dance droned on in the background. “Hey, so, uh, can we talk for a sec? About… us?”

She tried her damnedest to suppress the unexpected surge of conflicting emotions, burying her face in her cup until she thought she could reliably answer. One time, when they were in elementary school, she’d poured milk down Marco’s shirt at lunch and a few other girls had teased her, insisting that meant Janna had a crush on him. She never really understood that connection - she just kinda liked pranking Marco - but the taunts had gotten to her. There was a sort of pride she felt in being inscrutable, an enigma that could only be unraveled on her own terms. Had he figured her out so easily when she herself had been in denial? A mumbled “uh, sure” was the best she could as she ran through the last few months in her head trying to figure out if she’d betrayed her feelings.

“It’s pretty loud in here, can we head outside?” Janna only nodded in response, her own racing thoughts drowning out her surroundings. The DJ was announcing some kind of special song request as the gym doors closed behind them and they stepped out into the chilly winter air. “Oh, right, um-” Tom quickly took his jacket off, handing it to her. “Since it’s cold, and I can make my own fire, and-”

“Thanks,” she gruffly said, putting her arms through it. Damn him. She was cold, and he was being thoughtful and helpful, but it only made the upcoming conversation even more difficult for her to have. One hand idly pawed through the enchanted storage compartment she’d fitted in her dress (even in formalwear, she considered function most important). Damnit, she’d left her entire arsenal at home, save for a prototype glass bottle that would harmlessly evaporate on impact, which was filled with some leftover antigravity potion - no easy way out of this, then.

“No problemo,” he drawled, pointing finger guns at her before jamming both hands into his pockets and staring at the ground. “Since Star and I broke up, I’ve been trying really hard to just be my own person. Heck, you’re the one that showed me that’s what I needed to focus on. I had no clue what I was doing.... Honestly, I still don’t.” He paused again, turning back towards the school. “Being here, it just makes it hard to ignore how things have been kinda, you know, weird lately, between…” A little fireball coming off his finger zigzagged back and forth between them.

Why was he so insistent on bringing this up? “Look, Tom, we don’t have to-”

He turned back towards her “Yes, Janna, I think we do! If we don’t deal with it now it’s only going to get worse, and I don’t- I can’t-”

“Dude, drop it, OK? Let’s just go back inside so we can-”

“NO!” A puff of flame shot out of his head but quickly dissipated, leaving only a lingering sizzle and water in his eyes. “I can’t do this anymore! I like you, Janna. I really like you, and it’s screwing everything up.” ...wha? There were a few hundred possible ways Janna thought to respond, but none even made it beyond a guttural yelp in her throat, so Tom continued unabated. “I know you’re you, and you can stay really chill about stuff even when you care a lot, but I can’t, OK? You’re clever and fearless and everything’s more fun with you. You’re one of my best friends and that’s why I couldn’t keep doing this without telling you even if I’m probably making a complete idiot of myself right now.” Every second that Janna remained utterly paralyzed on the spot left Tom’s eyeliner even more streaked as his tears rained down, each tiny splash hissing on the cold pavement and melting the nearby snow and ice. “Yeah, OK, I get it. Look, forget I said anything, I just want to still be friends, OK? I- I totally get if you want some space for a while, so I’ll just- alright, bye.” He wiped off his face with his sleeve and turned around, floating off the ground and flying back into the building, leaving Janna alone on the sidewalk.

The oncoming shivers in Janna’s spine provided the final push to lift the dense fog clouding her mind. He’d just confessed to her, he had a crush on her, and she’d basically just snapped his heart in two. Pangs of guilt and sorrow and joy all ganged up on her; was this how bad things had been for Star and Marco? She almost felt sorry for ribbing them about their romantic struggles now. At this point the only thing left to do was to find Tom, so she sprinted into the building after him, braving the fray of the dance floor once more.

Can’t be that hard to spot a tall set of horns with three eyes. Even though there were all sorts of monsters in attendance, there were very few demons, but that didn’t seem to help her locate him. He wasn’t responding to her texts either, ugh! As Janna kept looking around, she realized she didn’t recognize anyone here. She’d left Echo Creek Academy at the same time as Marco but didn’t go to college, nor had she spent a ton of time with Mewni’s teenage population before the Cleaving. The Underworld was what she knew best; it was where she’d felt most at home, even with two whole dimensions merged together, and that realization spurred her to keep searching. Janna barged through another door into the hallway and rounded a corner, instantly colliding with someone.

“Ex-CUSE me! Watch your freaking face before I pulv-” Ponyhead shouted, shaking her hair back into place after being bumped into the locker. “Oh, it’s you, girl! Where you been? And is that Tom’s jac-”

“Tom. Have you seen him?”

“Oh, I see how it is, first Starco gets their own flipping song and runs outside to go boink under the moonlight or whatever, then my boyfriend runs off to sell a toaster or whatever, then Tom comes in here all moody and doesn’t want to talk to me, and now you’re abandoning me too? I feel like I’ve barely been around you guys lately, why does no one want to spend time with Ponyhead?”

“Wait, didn’t you dump- never mind, Pony, this is important, OK? I seriously blew it, I need to talk to him-”

“Hey, woah, is there some drama going on here? Shoot, why didn’t you say so? OK, so, he was floating around in circles out here for a bit. I came out here to do my bi-hourly makeup check just a minute ago and I do believe he was going back into the gym, mmhm, yes, that is where he was. Go do whatchu gotta do and give me the juicy deets after, mmkay?” Ponyhead winked and whacked Janna on the back with her horn.

Janna ran back into the gym and finally spotted Tom standing in the center of the floor, uninterestedly swaying back and forth to the beat of some crooning couple’s ballad. When his eyes met hers, his gaze became visibly pained as he turned to walk away. “Tom!” Her pleading shout was emphatic enough to keep him from running, but it also attracted an audience and left her standing there, too uncomfortable to speak.

Janna put one foot forward, then another, then another, willing herself forward against her better judgment. She’d frankly had enough: enough talking about her feelings, enough uncertainty about her own relationships, enough giving a single damn about “what-if”s. There’d be plenty of time later to tell him he was her best friend too, to assuage his doubts, and to put more meaningful words to her own feelings, but for now, she had settled on a course of action that began with reaching into her pocket to pull out the lone potion bottle within.

“Uh, Janna, what-” Tom stammered, a different kind of concern than the one he’d been stewing in all night bubbling up in his expression as the crowd backed up slightly. Some tiny voice in the back of her mind registered that they seemed nervous to the point of being frightened, and that comforting feeling pushed her to do the one last thing she needed to do. Before he could react, she slammed the bottle to the ground at her feet and felt the weak antigravity effect take hold. Janna closed the last few steps of distance to Tom, firmly grabbed both his shoulders, and kicked off the ground, crashing her lips into his as she hovered a few inches off the dance floor. Tom unconsciously did the same, letting her momentum carry both of them into the air until the confused, but cheering, audience was beneath them.

As he started to return the kiss, he hesitantly placed one arm on her waist and another behind her back to keep them from drifting apart, and Janna wasn’t sure she’d ever felt so secure.

***

Alright, that’s the last of them. Marco finished carefully stacking the photo strips in Star’s bag while he waited for her to return from the restroom. The photobooth had thankfully been a much more fun and much less emotionally exhausting experience this time around, though a very smug Ben Photino had still greeted them when they were done, $650 richer than before.

Now’s my chance, Star thought as she snuck up and affectionately pounced on Marco from behind. Nearly everything about tonight had been perfect so far - just her, Marco, and their friends getting a night of dancing and partying she wasn’t sure she’d ever forget. For so much of her life, it had seemed like nothing important could ever happen without a sizable dose of drama and conflict; by comparison, this all seemed like a dream, and she didn’t want to wake up anytime soon. Speaking of her friends, though… “Hey, where are the others?” She felt a bit guilty over ditching everyone else to go back to the booth for corn knows how much time, but she was certain they wouldn’t have gone too far.

“Not sure,” Marco responded, craning his neck and spotting a tuft of pink spiky hair and two brown horns across the gym. Why was he heading for the exit?

Marco started to lead the way across the gym floor when the sound system screeched with audio feedback and boomed with the sound of tapping a microphone. “Echo Creek, are we having fun tonight?” the DJ, Kim H. Brian, asked the cheering crowd. “We’re gonna keep this party flowing, but right now we have a very special song for all the soulmates out there, so get ready to twist and twirl your special guy or girl.” Star and Marco tentatively stopped in their tracks.

“Is that-” Marco started.

“What Tom was talking about?” Star finished. “We have to get him before he misses it!” What did you do this time, Tom?

(LINK TO AUDIO)

They had made it to the center of the dance floor when the lights dimmed and tinted red. It was obviously from a stage light, but the effect still flooded them with the same hopes and wants and fears from their run-ins with the Blood Moon. Marco gently smiled and took the lead, keeping one hand in hers and tugging her closer with the other on her waist. Piano chords opened the piece - a slow waltz - and Star and Marco were taking their first steps when the cello started to play a hauntingly familiar melody. It struck them both at the same time - this was the same tune that had played when they danced under the light of the Blood Moon only a few months into her friendship. Their moves grew more daring and flashy as the song went on, spinning and swaying to the rhythm.

“I always forget how good a dancer you are, Marco” Star dreamily sighed when he spun her around and dipped her down.

“My grandma taught me. She says that the only right way to dance is the fun way,” Marco laughed, lingering for half a second too long as the music swelled around them. Somewhere in those blue eyes sparkling with only love for him, he’d lost track of the world around them. Only after he noticed how the blonde curls in front of her ears shimmered in the red light did he snap back to reality and continue the dance, much to Star’s amusement.

“That’s good, because it’s always fun with you.” They stepped in harmony, slowly rotating as they box stepped to the same waltz that had once been a source of apprehension. Star took her hand off his shoulder and lifted it to his face, rubbing her thumb over his cheek. She knew the contours of his face inside and out, could describe every last detail of all the facial hairs that he’d given silly names, could picture every last one of the warm and loving ways his soothing chocolate gaze could pierce her soul, yet it didn’t stop her from being completely enraptured by it now. That intimate knowledge informed her when even the most trivial thing was out of place, which is why she decided to flick a spot just under his mole. “You had a fleck of corn.”

“In my defense, your dad’s cooking is really messy.”

“Yeah… it was cute, though. Like you had a second mole.” Something had changed in the waltz from what they remembered, a different theme slowly building until it led into a refrain that was entirely new yet somehow familiar in a way neither could place. It was a vibrant, comforting melody that felt right for them. Star shifted her hands to the back of his neck as the distance closed between them. Though Marco had grown noticeably taller than her, in her heels she found herself at nearly eye level with him as she rested her forehead on his.

Marco’s arms slithered around her waist, holding her tight as their lively waltz morphed into intimate, formless swaying. “This- this is really nice.”

“Yeah… I love it. I love you, Marco.” She paused a moment, leaning back to get a clear view of as much of him as she could; even after a year and a half of being together and years of friendship before that, she was still giddy over how much she truly loved every bit of him. “Nothing’s ever going to change that.”

“I love you too, Star. I’m not going anywhere.” Their hands joined once more as they resumed their spirited dance, their devotion to one another vaulting their joy to new heights. Neither cared about elegance or form anymore; their steps and spins and lifts came from the deepest places within, as if their very souls were mingling in the air above. Plucked strings accentuated the song as it grew calmer and entered what Marco was fairly sure was its final verse. A bittersweet sensation bubbled up from within his chest; he’d had plenty of moments with Star that he’d never wanted to end, but this one seemed to have an extra significance attached. The final chord of the waltz rung out, the pair both freezing in place in their final waltz pose, stunned at the beauty of what had just transpired.

The crowd’s clapping broke finally them out of their trance. “Woah,” they breathed out in unison. In her breathless state, Star idly wondered if the applause was for them, but she realized how silly that was as the full breadth of the outside world slowly trickled back into her senses. Shortly after, the dance went back to normal; had it been a dream? No, of course not, it had literally just happened mere seconds ago, but the impact it had on them felt otherworldly.

Returning from the daze, Marco finally recalled their goal of finding Tom, and the extent to which Marco wanted to crush Tom in a thankful hug and blubber into his shoulder gave it an additional sense of urgency. He turned to her with a determined look, and had it returned. “We should find Tom.” They went to the gym exit, but it was blocked by... Miss Skullnick.

“Oh, it’s you. Nice to see you, Star,” she saccharinely sneered. “Don’t be trying anything funny, you hear me? We’ve already had four couples’ ‘incidents’.”

A shiver ran through Star at the involuntary thought of Miss Skullnick catching her and Marco in a more... private moment, but she quickly brushed it aside for her own sanity. “Skullzy, we’re just trying to find our friend,” she whined.

“Well, too bad, you can’t use this door. The sidewalk somehow melted and completely iced over, and I don’t wanna be sued for liability!”

“C’mon, Star,” Marco said. “We can just go out the front door.” She was still indignant, but acquiesced and followed Marco into the main building and through a hallway. They rounded the corner to the main entrance and stopped dead in their tracks at the sight of Ponyhead passionately making out with Seahorse.

“Pony?!?” Star shouted.

“Oh, um, why hello Star and Earth Turd!”

“Greetings!” Seahorse added in his usual monotone chipper voice.

Star slapped her hand to her forehead. “I thought you broke up ‘for really-realz’ this time, Pony?”

“Well, yes, mmhmm, I do believe that is how I described the sequence of events that occurred. But then, well, you know how it is with him… we made up while y’all went off to take a bazillion pictures or whatever. That weird old human lady that kinda looks like a troll caught us while we were-”

“Pony!” Star yelled, cutting her off in shock. Really, though, the most surprising part was that Ponyhead had been responsible for only one of the so-called “couple’s incidents.”

“Lilacia gave a very high satisfaction rating to the Reflectacorp™ line of vibrating-”

Marco stepped in and clamping Seahorse’s mouth shut before they could be traumatized any further. Star rolled her eyes and took Marco’s hand once more, heading past the other couple towards the front door.

“Fine, I see how it is. C’mon, Seahorse, let’s go get freak-ay on the dance floor!”

“Reflectacorp™ disco technology allows you to boogie and/or woogie risk-free, guarantee-!”

The double doors shut behind Star and Marco as they stepped out into the cold. They walked around the building towards the gym and saw that Miss Skullnick had been telling the truth; but there was no one else in sight, only the snowflakes gently drifting through the air and a full moon above in the night sky. Star still wanted to get back to her friends, but the tranquil scene gave her pause as she stood beside him. Something had been subtly gnawing at her all night - though it’d been on her mind longer than that, if she was honest with herself. “Hey Marco?”

“Yeah?”

“When Eclipsa said earlier about ‘another dance’...” She swallowed, letting the implication hang between them. “Do you think that’s something that will happen?”

He glanced at her quizzically until the meaning sank in and his heart skipped a beat. Was she- did she- is she asking… His eyes blinked rapidly once, twice, three times while he processed the gravity of the question. But his surprise quickly dissolved; after all, he’d been thinking about it too. Maybe he hadn’t drawn that specific connection, but how many times tonight alone had he beheld the wonderful girl beside him and remarked to himself that he’d be happy with her for the rest of his life? He swiveled around to stand in front of her, taking both of her hands into his own. “If you want it to, then I know it will, someday.”

She sighed happily, lacing her fingers through his. It wasn’t even the first time they’d declared their love with permanence, but no matter how far they went, they couldn’t help but be concerned about how the other felt about the next step. “Didn’t a lot of people usually wait until they’re, like, 30 to get married on Earth?”

“A lot of them, yeah,” he admitted, “but, I dunno, I don’t really care about that.”

“Me neither,” she asserted, happily beaming at him.

“So we just… let it happen when we’re ready, I guess.”

“Mmhmm,” Star hummed, feeling a warmth deep inside that combated the chill prickling her skin. One of her hands left his and tangled itself in his hair, as her gaze fondly roved the face she hoped to see as long as she lived before finally settling on his lips. He had the same idea, leaning forward and sweetly kissing her. Their lips were a bit chapped from the cold, but it didn’t bother either of them; this signified something far more than physical gratification. She pressed them closer together until there was no distance left between them, the dual friction of his soft, inviting lips moving against hers and her silky dress rubbing on the coarse fabric of his jacket thrummed through her entire body.

When they separated, his eyes scanned the sky for a moment before sheepishly turning back downwards. “Huh,” he murmured.

“What?”

“Nothing, it’s stupid.” Star raised an eyebrow insistently, the pair still in each other’s arms. “It’s just, I thought that maybe- maybe the Blood Moon would be shining, or our cheekmarks would glow or something. It’s dumb, I know-”

“Well, that does happen to us a lot,” she conceded. “But I’m pretty sure the eclipse isn’t supposed to start until, like, 3 AM.” “Have you ever thought about when we broke the Curse?”

“What do you mean?”

Star stepped away from their embrace, folding her arms and stuffing her frigid hands under her armpits as she frustratedly tried to piece together her complicated thoughts. “Like, when we were in the Severing Stone, I remember it took us back to the Blood Moon Ball and we started dancing… what happened after that? If it never changed how we feel, what was even the point?”

Marco shrugged; when he’d finally accepted his feelings once and for all, he’d dismissed the entire concept of the Curse as bogus, but since then he had considered it in some new lights. “If it was actually a curse, I’m glad we got rid of it, but… looking back, I’m kinda glad that the Blood Moon Ball went like it did. That was one of the first times I saw how special you are to me.”

“Same. Plus, that��s where I learned you dance good,” she growled with a smirk. “But still… sometimes I wonder if I told you I loved you while we were in there. Because I did love you then, you know. Even if I was trying to push it away.”

“Maybe we’ll never know.”

“I guess I’ll just have to tell you every chance I get from now on, then, because you’re stuck with me, Diaz.”

“So long as we both shall live. Do you accept?” He asked with a cheeky grin.

Her laughter, bubbly and playful and sincere all at once, was answer enough for Marco. Not one to be outdone, though, Star carefully lowered herself onto one knee, lowering her head and closing her eyes solemnly before looking back up at him. “I dooOOOH-” She shrieked as the icy sidewalk took its toll and sent her toppling sideways. Marco reacted quickly, stopping her from hitting the ground and helping her to her feet. “Maaaaybe we should go inside now.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right,” he responded, draping his jacket over both their shoulders like a cape. “Still have to thank Tom.” She clung to him as they hurried back around the school and into its shelter from the cold - even shared body heat and emotional warmth could only do so much. Although they’d removed whatever eternal supernatural soul-binding curse the Blood Moon may have bestowed, Marco mused, they’d still shared a tender first dance and grown as partners under its light, once upon a time. Perhaps, in a roundabout way, it had always been a blessing, too. In a sense, they’d just cleaved their own souls together again with only a simple promise. No magic, no curses, just Star Butterfly and Marco Diaz... and that was more than enough.

They stepped back into the gym, ready for the hours of partying ahead of them, and were greeted by the sight of Janna and Tom floating in the air locked in a passionate kiss. Star and Marco’s eyeballs both nearly bugged out of their heads as their eyes whipped back and forth between each other and the spectacle in front of them, leaving them with only one possible response.

“WHAT THE-”

#starco #svtfoe #star vs the forces of evil #jantom #tgg svtfoe #fanfic

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chimerickat · 5 years ago

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In the spirit of love... a Kaiba / Reader extravaganza.

I wanted to do this on Valentine’s Day, but I honestly didn’t have time and haven’t had the chance since. If I were smart, I would have saved a draft and then posted or scheduled it, but I’m garbage at that.

Anyway, every now and then I’ve done recs, but I figured I’d do one big one in the spirit of this holiday! DRAGONSILK RECOMMENDS KAIBA FIC FOR EVERYONE~ GET SOME SETO KAIBA/READER LOVING~

Do you want completed fic? Then perhaps Blackmail Battlefield by always a dreamer is to your taste? Hosted on Lunaescence, this fic is a little over 33,000 words long, and completed. always a dreamer writes some of the most marvelous lengthy one shots for Seto Kaiba, and this fic is well worth your time.

Do you like comedy? Then maybe No, Happy Birthday to YOU by veroreos would be up your alley. This funny and enjoyable one shot features Kaiba and the reader trying to one-up each other.

I want something cute! Let me preface this with the fact that this one is incomplete, but may I recommend Hello Heartbreaker by Alastair? Hosted on Lunaescence, this one is a Seto Kaiba/Reader/Joey Wheeler fic, but even I loved it, and I think Joey is a moron. It’s absolutely one of the cutest Seto Kaiba/Reader fanfics I’ve ever read and just amazing. It may never be completed but what’s posted is a nice sweet treat to read.

Dragonsilk, I’m looking for nsfw... ;) Ahem, may I recommend Turnabout by NamineMixi? (It goes without saying the rating is Explicit.) This one even comes with AMAZING artwork. (Actually NamineMixi is my favorite writer for Kaiba smut. I SAID IT. I’M NOT ASHAMED.)

I need a reader character that I can like. Well then, I find the reader in Pardon my French by Stellalana quite delightful. I’ve long recommended this reader to those who enjoy my troll!reader in Art of Living as they have a very similar vibe and would either be besties or troll each other. I liked the reader character and this fic.

Look. I can’t with writers who half-ass it. I need Kaiba to be just right. May I point you to In Keeping With Kaiba by SilverMalkin? I’m sure many if not all of you have read it, but what you probably don’t know is that I first read this fic on DeviantArt and her Kaiba was SO GOOD in only two chapters that I selfishly asked her to post it on a better platform for reading. So yes, I was never being polite when I said I love her Kaiba.

Hopefully with those categories, you can find something new to read and love! <3 (And shower with comments and reviews because Dragonsilk said so. ;D )

But also, I’d like to mention a few honorable mention fics.

Conflict of Interest by thevillageofbree. It’s early days for this relatively new fic, but it’s cute and I’m interested in seeing where it goes. A Birthday to Remember by ScarletBelle87. A one shot to celebrate Kaiba’s birthday. In Kaiba fashion, the best gift is one that Kaiba gets for himself. the prince of the playground, with all your alphabet toys by cakecakecake. Sad to say this story appears to be discontinued, but if you’re ever looking for Seto Kaiba as a womanizer, this is the fic for that. (This also has an explicit rating fyi.)

#Seto Kaiba #Kaiba Seto #Seto Kaiba/Reader #Seto Kaibaxreader #Kaibaxreader #Kaiba/Reader #reader insert

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themagiciansreccenter · 5 years ago

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Author Spotlight: AlexxAplin

Every week we interview a writer from The Magicians fandom. If you would like to be interviewed or you want to nominate a writer, get in touch via our ask box.

First things first, tell us a little about yourself.

I am a gay, 25 year old who loves most things entertainment related, from gaming, to TV and Film. I'm an Entertainment Journalist by trade, and I write (and roleplay) in my spare time as well, mostly because my creative energy can't be contained by just articles alone.

How long have you been writing for?

That is quite a hard question. Technically I've been writing various things since I was 13, but I didn't really get into Roleplaying or Fandom writing until I was about 16, so...almost 10 years?

What inspired you to start writing for The Magicians?

That is a tough question, but I think I can answer it fairly concisely by saying that Prior to 4x13, I had written mostly with a few people that weren't REALLY fans, but were humoring me lol. After the finale, I was very upset and aimless, until I met a group of like-minded people on Discord, who not only encouraged me and supported my ideas, but also decided to write with me too (a few of them anyhow :) )

Who is/are your favourite character(s) to write? What it is about them that makes them your favourite?

I absolutely LOVE writing Q. I identify him pretty well, and I enjoy playing him a little more...sensual than he is allowed to be in the show or in the books. I think my second favorite (not counting a character i've created and haven't ACTUALLY shared yet) would have to be Eliot, because he is just so much fun in general.

Do you have a preference for a particular season/point in time to write about?

It really depends on my mood honestly. I love doing Fix-its, Canon-Divergent AUs, and anything involving reworking things, or adding new ideas to make things even crazier. My favorite season is Season 3 though, so I need to write more in that timeline context.

Are you working on anything right now? Care to give us an idea about it?

Oh boy, do you have all week? Lol. Uh, right now i'm in the process of editing a fic I wrote with a friend of mine, and I have another collaborative fic (that I worked on with the same Author) that i've got to find time to post.

I also have a fic for the MHHE (Magicians Hallmark Holiday Extravaganza) I'm working on with a friend, and a DOZEN and one other projects that are in progress.

How long is your “to do list”?

Too long to name to be honest, and it keeps growing! I swear my brain is housing these ideas in some flubbery substance.

What is your favourite fic that you’ve written for The Magicians? Why?

I only have two fics up right now, but my favorite fic is one I hope to actually put up on Ao3 either today or tomorrow, called Eau De Spicy Nerd. It is a cheeky little play on a few things, and I can't wait for people to see it.

Many writers have a fic that they are passionate about that doesn’t get the reception from the fandom that they hoped for. Do you have a fic you would like more people to read and appreciate?

I'll be honest, most of my favorite fics are from other people. However, I think of my fics, my "Is that Alright?" Fic (which is currently two standalone chapters but will be expanded soon for a full cohesive story) is an emotional feelings train that I hope more people see and resonate with. Fair warning I have been told it will make you cry.

What is your writing process like? Do you have any traditions or superstitions that you like to stick to when you’re writing?

My writing process is very instinctual. I'm terrible at writing by myself in most cases, because I thrive on interaction, bouncing ideas back and forth, and then just letting things go where they go. As stupid as it may sound, sometimes I feel like the characters are more in control of what lands on the page than I am. I just...feel it. Sometimes I lay awake with scenes playing in my head, that i have to write down or I just can't sleep at all.

I usually write a fic (with a friend usually, minus Is That Alright? and its first two chapters) and then afterward I compile it all in a doc (usually pasted from Discord) and work my way through, adding things that come to mind. I pass it off to any other authors collaborating, then once it is polished it goes on to a Beta.

Do you write while the seasons are airing or do you prefer to wait for hiatus? How does the ongoing development of the canon influence and inspire your writing process?

I am quite literally ALWAYS writing. It keeps me sane, especially when work is hectic. Unless work is taking too much of my focus, i'm always working on things. Canon ACTUALLY has helped me finish things before, or has given me ideas to start new things. Sometimes even the smallest plot thread will spark a full idea for me, for example I had the idea for a full AU verse I haven't started yet, just from a conversation about Fillorian marriage and Polyamory.

What has been the most challenging fic for you to write?

Well, I can't REALLY talk too heavily about it because it is my MHHE fic, but the hardest part for me has been sticking to the prompt and not deviating. Sometimes I have ideas for things that stray too far, and i'm having to learn to NOT do that, since it is for a challenge and not my own enjoyment.

Are there any themes or tropes that you like particularly like to explore in your writing?

I love writing smutty things. I think our society should be more sex positive, and so I often try to make my fics the "NC17" version if possible. Some plots aren't conducive for that, which is fine, but anything with smut, or fluff, is A++ in my book. I also love soulmate AU's, Soul bonding, and lots and lots of cheesy things.

Are there any writers that inspire your work? Fanfiction or otherwise?

Oh goodness, I'm not sure I should call out individual folks here, but I am totally inspired by SO MANY Fanfic writers. I also love Neil Gaiman and Lev Grossman as artists and people. To be honest though I am most inspired by fanfic writers these days, because the world is a scary place and fanfic gives me a break. I've learned so many great techniques from fanfic writers too.

What are you currently reading? Fanfiction or otherwise?

I gobble up as much Magicians fic as I can, usually the fluffy or smutty stuff unless i'm in the mood for tears lol. I also keep up with a few different authors, but these days I don't have as much time to read novels as i'd like.

What is the most valuable piece of writing advice you’ve ever been given?

The best advice I've ever been given is actually two pieces of advice. 1. Never force yourself to finish something your heart isn't in. If you do, you won't be satisfied with the end result. 2. Do not set out to tell the story you planned. Set out to tell a GOOD story you and your readers will love. If you love it, other people will too.

Are there any words or phrases you worry about over using in your work?

Oh there are plenty, most are descriptors for facial expressions. I sometimes find it hard to balance too much detail with not enough detail.

What was the first fanfic that you wrote? Do you still have access to it?

I actually don't remember what my first Fanfic was. I don't think I've posted most of my beginning work. I think the first one was a Queer as Folk fanfic that got lost on an old, dead hard-drive lol.

Rapidfire Round!

Self-edit or Beta?

Both, a good author knows their flaws and also seeks critique.

Comments or Kudos/Reblogs or Likes?

Give it all to me, or whatever makes you feel most comfortable. I'm not fussy, I just want people to enjoy what I write.

Smut, Fluff or Angst?

Smut or Fluff. Angst is reserved for if i'm in the right headspace, i've had...bad experiences.

Quick & Dirty or Slow Burn?

Depends on my mood, some days I don't have the attention span for a slow burn fic, especially if it is incomplete.

Favourite Season?

Season Three

Favourite Episode?

The Musical Episode with Under Pressure. So much of that was AMAZINGLY done.

Favourite Book?

Haven’t read them.

Three favourite words?

Love, Fuck (it fits so many purposes) and Symphony

Want to be interviewed for our author spotlight? Get in touch here.

#the magicians rec center #author spotlight #author spotlight: alexxaplin

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words-and-fangirling-wonder · 7 years ago

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(Definitely Not) A Double Date

Fandom: One Piece

Rating: General Audiences

Pairing: Law/Lu

Prompt From @fitgirlfaith24: Luffy drags Law on an outing to a Cider Mill was the original prompt, but I talked to her and she was okay with changing it to a surprise! Double Date with Zoro, Sanji, Luffy and Law at a cider mill, bless her heart.

Author: Fangirl Wonder (WordsandWonder on AO3)

As the car pulled to a jerky stop in the unpaved cider mill parking lot, Law couldn’t help but wonder what the record was for amount of times regretting a decision in a half hour period. Because throughout that car-ride, he had regretted his decision to accompany Sanji on what was “totally not a double date!” about five thousand times. He’d known, he’d known, damnit, that this was a double date. He knew when Sanji first asked him to come and tried to stealthily add that the guy he liked was bringing a friend, hoping Law wouldn’t catch it before he agreed. He knew when after he adamantly refused, Sanji pulled out the puppy dog eyes and bribed him with promises of home cooked meals twice a week for a month. He knew when the whole group showed up at his apartment that morning and Zoro’s mysterious friend turned out to be none other than Luffy.

Luffy, who was constantly blowing up Law’s phone with excited text messages Law could barely read between the grammar mistakes and exclamation points. Luffy, who sometimes showed up at Law’s work with food for them both and wouldn’t leave until Law caved and ate. Luffy, who dragged Law to the movies every other week because “otherwise Torao would never have any fun.” Luffy, who Law may or may not have drunkenly made out with last weekend. A lot. Luffy, who insisted it was okay (when Law apologized for his behavior), because they were boyfriends, so it was bound to happen eventually. Which had been news to Law, but of course Luffy had been unfazed by his insistence that they were, under no uncertain terms, not in a relationship.

So yeah, really, he had no one to blame for his situation but himself, because he had fucking known. But that didn’t stop him from shooting his blonde friend a murderous glare as they exited the car.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Sanji muttered as he watched Law slam the door.

“For which part, exactly? The “Oh no, Law, it’s not a double date, come on, I wouldn’t do that to you” bullshit? Or for having me sit in back with him so you could hold hands with Zoro in the front seat?” the raven-haired man snapped.

“Well, it’s not like you hate him, though!” the chef defended in a hushed whisper. “You’re kinda dating, aren’t you? You hang out with him all the time!”

“We are not kinda dating!” Except they kinda were, if you squinted. Or, you know, just looked at the situation normally, because fucking goddamnit, they were, weren’t they? When the fuck did that happen? But that did not mean Law was ready to admit it. “And even if we were, you still conned me into going on a double date and you know I hate double dates.”

“Yeah, but I’m going to make you all your favorite food twice … three times a week! For the next month!” Sanji reminded. “I really am sorry, though. I know you don’t like this kinda thing, but I just … I really like him and I wanted my best friend here for emotional support the first time I went out with him, is that so bad?”

Well, damnit, how was Law supposed to be mad at him after that? “Yeah, yeah, whatever. Three times a week. And no-”

“No bread, I know. Jeeze, Trafalgar, how long have I been feeding you? I know your thing about bread.”

Law smirked at the blonde and tilted his head, indicating where Zoro and Luffy were whispering together a short distance away. “I guess we better join them, huh? What do you think they’re whispering about over there?”

“Probably something similar to what we were,” Sanji shrugged. “Zoro had to beg Luffy to come today too. He kept saying he didn’t want to join because you’d be mad.”

Law definitely did not blush at that. “That’s a good sign, then, right? That Zoro wanted to hang out with you enough that he was willing to beg Luffy?”

Sanji tried to hide a smile behind his hand under the guise of rubbing his nose. “I guess. Hey guys, wait up!”

Zoro and Luffy turned around and waited for the other men to catch up, Luffy with a brilliant smile and cheerful wave, and Zoro with a slightly happier-looking scowl than usual. As soon as Sanji and Law caught up, Zoro nudged the blonde with his shoulder playfully.

“You girls have a nice chat?” he teased.

“Shut up, Marimo. Let’s go look at some pumpkins or something.”

Luffy appeared suddenly at Law’s side and laced his fingers with the surgeon’s tattooed ones. “I want doughnuts! Do you eat doughnuts, Torao? Or are they too much like bread?”

“Huh?” Law glanced up when he realized Luffy was waiting for a response. He’d been too distracted by the sudden warmth of having his hand held. “Uh, too much like bread. I like cider, though.”

Luffy beamed. “Cool! Then let’s go get some cider! And I’ll get doughnuts, but you don’t have to. Or, you could get some and I could eat them for you. I’m willing to do that for you, cuz I’m just that good a boyfriend.”

"Damnit, Luffy, I've told you a hundred times, I'm not your boyfriend." Despite Law's obvious irritation, Luffy only snuggled closer to his side and grinned up at him. "Shishishi! Sure you are, Torao! Otherwise why would we be holding hands?" "Because you won't let go," the man spit back, bringing their linked fingers up to Luffy's face as proof. "Well," Luffy said slowly, "I will if you want me to. Do you really want me to?" "..." When Law didn't agree or pull his hand away Luffy's energetic grin returned full force, so bright and sudden the doctor almost felt blinded by it. "Oh, whatever, just ... C'mon. We're falling behind." Catching up apparently wasn’t on Luffy’s to-do list, as he began practically dragging Law to each thing they passed, becoming more and more excited at each new cider mill activity. Law tolerated this with a decent amount of patience, and even found himself smiling a little at the younger man’s enthusiasm. He did balk, however, when Luffy found one of those wooden cut-out things that usually made an appearance at carnivals and such.

“Don’t even think about it, I am not sticking my head in th-”

“Hey! Could you take a picture of me and my boyfriend in this thing?” the boy interrupted to ask a passerby, pointing hopefully at the wooden painting of a farmer and his wife with holes where their faces should be. To Law’s horror, the woman agreed and accepted Luffy’s phone without complaint. “Hurry up, Torao, they’re waiting!”

“Ugh, fine! But I’m not being the wife, Luffy, you move over right now,” the taller man grumbled, taking his place behind the cut-out and sticking his face in the hole.

“Very nice,” the stranger complimented as she handed the phone back after taking a few pictures. “You two are cute together!”

“We’re not - oh whatever. Where the hell are Zoro and Sanji?”

“Don’t worry, Torao, we found you two just in time to see that. So precious,” Zoro commented from behind them.

Law smirked at the green-haired man. “Yeah, it’s a lot of fun. I’ll take the picture if you and Sanji want to do it too.”

The wicked grin fell off Zoro’s face comically fast. “No wa-”

“Oh come on, Marimo, it’s fun! Please?” Sanji pleaded.

The doctor honestly expected Zoro to refuse, but instead got to watch as the man looked between the absurd novelty board and the chef. He was obviously having an internal battle with his want to please Sanji and his want to not look like an idiot, and Law thought that was just adorable.

“Fine,” he finally consented. “But if you post this on the facebook I’m gonna be pissed.”

“Aw, don’t be a spoilsport!” Sanji booed. “Besides, how would you even know? You don’t have a facebook.”

“I’ll get one just to make sure.”

Watching them bicker back and forth as they took their places, Law really couldn’t see why Sanji was so worried. It was blatantly apparent that Zoro was totally into him. If the way he looked at the cook wasn’t enough to prove that, the fact that he was actually trying not to look completely miserable as he stuck his head though the face hole of the farmer’s wife certainly did. And while that made Law really happy for his friend, it absolutely did not mean he wouldn’t still mess with the bulkier man.

“Say cheese!” he called in an overly cheerful voice meant to irk Zoro.

“Cheese!” the blonde replied.

“Fuck you,” the other grumbled.

Law snapped the picture and gave Sanji his phone back. “Did you guys already get your cider and stuff?” he asked. “Luffy got distracted.”

“Nah, we got distracted too,” Sanji admitted.

“Yeah, distracted by making out against that big ‘ole tree, there,” Luffy interjected.

Arching an eyebrow, Law enjoyed watching both men light up a brilliant shade of red. “Oh really? Well then, should we stick together or split up so you two can get back to your debauchery?”

“Split up,” Zoro responded confidently, even as his partner firmly asserted that they should stay together.

“Shishishi, you guys are funny. I think we should split up and then Torao and I can do some bauchery too.”

It took a great deal of willpower for Law not to facepalm at that. “Luffy, there’s no such thing as bau-”

“No point, man,” Zoro interrupted, pointing to where Luffy and Sanji were inspecting an apple tree together. “He’s not even listening anymore.”

Law shook his head as he watched Luffy animatedly tell Sanji about something. “How do you do it?” he asked.

“Do what?” Zoro questioned. “Deal with Luffy?” Law nodded. “Dude, I don’t know why you’re asking me that. You handle him better than anyone I’ve ever seen. Even Shanks can’t get him to focus as much as you can. Which reminds me.” Zoro suddenly turned to face the doctor with a very serious look on his face. “What’s this shit about you telling him you’re not his boyfriend?”

“I … what do you mean? It’s not shit, it’s true. I’m not his boyfriend.”

“Bullshit.”

“I’m not! Jesus, why do I have to keep repeating this?”

Zoro glared at him like he was the dumbest creature on the planet. “Because it’s bullshit. I see the way you look at him. You’re doing it right now! No one looks at someone like that if they don’t at least have some feelings for them. And let’s face it, Trafalgar. You’re not the kind of guy to waste a bunch of time with someone you aren’t interested in, but you spend a ton of time with Luffy. Plus, Sanji always talks about how you’re not much of a texter, but Luffy is constantly grinning like an idiot at his phone, and he only does that when it’s you he’s talking to. Oh, and you eat his shitty food when he visits you at work and I know how gross his cooking is.”

“He brings take-out sometimes,” Law argued lamely.

“And that’s something right there. He drives from the restaurant to your hospital with delicious, tempting take-out and he doesn’t eat it.”

Law did have to admit, he’d been impressed when Luffy started doing that. He knew how much the man liked to eat.

“Yeah, but … you can’t be in a relationship just because someone decides that you are. Without consulting you, by the way.”

Zoro rolled his eyes. “Sure you can. See, you can hem and haw all you want about the details of it, but Luffy is just gonna call it as he sees it. He and I have that in common. So when you’re doing all the things that boyfriends do, Luffy’s gonna call you his boyfriend, and so will anyone else that ever watches you two together. You might as well stop trying to deny what literally everyone can plainly see.”

Watching Luffy climb the tree, with Sanji yelling at him to get down, Law heaved a sigh. Goddamnit. Goddamnit all to hell, because seeing a grown man act that way should annoy the hell out of him, but as he watched Luffy do it he was unconsciously smiling. He found it fucking endearing. Ever since they met, Luffy had been blasting through each and every one of the walls Law had so carefully built around himself, and now, seeing the other so happy and carefree … he wanted to be his boyfriend. He didn’t exactly know how, but he knew he had fallen for Luffy a long time ago, and that somehow that exuberant man, who on the surface appeared to be Law’s opposite in every way, made him happy. So maybe Zoro was right. Maybe it was time to stop denying it and for once just … let himself be happy.

“You do realize you’re staring at him like a lovesick moron?” Zoro inquired dryly. “But hey, you’re probably right. That’s not your boyfriend. I’m sure you look at all your friends like that.” The man paused for a moment before adding, “Just don’t … you better not look at the cook like that.”

Defenseless against the first part of Zoro’s statement, Law chose to focus on the end of it and rolled his eyes. “Don’t worry, Marimo. He’s all yours.”

“Hey assholes! Neither of you could have helped me get the monkey out of that tree?” Sanji huffed as he stomped up to them, dragging Luffy along behind him.

“Aw, Sanji’s no fun. If they didn’t want people to climb the trees they shoulda put up a sign,” Luffy protested.

Law glanced at the sign posted a few feet away that politely asked patrons not to climb the trees, but said nothing.

“Can we get some damn cider now? I’m thirsty,” Sanji griped.

“Sure thing,” Zoro agreed, wrapping an arm around Sanji’s shoulders and steering him in the wrong direction to get to the cider barn.

“Uh, Zoro, the press is the other way,” Law pointed out.

The green-haired man smirked over his shoulder. “Yeah, but the orchard is this way.”

Luffy pressed against Law’s side and stood on his tiptoes to whisper, “They’re gonna go make out some more.”

“Oh.” Well okay then. So much for sticking together. But then again, since he was admitting Luffy and he were dating now, and they were all alone … “Hey Luffy?”

“Yeah?”

“You wanna go to the orchard?”

Luffy grinned. “Yeah! But a different part from where Zoro and Sanji are, because that’s weird even if this is a double date, you know?”

Law couldn’t help returning Luffy’s bright smile. “Definitely.”

“Cool! Let’s go make out!” Luffy cried, pulling Law insistently toward the line of trees in the distance.

Shaking his head and chuckling once again at something he should have found tasteless and annoying, Law allowed himself to be towed along. He had to admit, it felt kinda good to not deny what was going on with them. It felt right. He could definitely get used to this feeling.

“Oooh, look Torao! Let’s ride the train!”

“What? No! That’s for kids! Damnit, Luffy, I said stop! I am not getting on that thing!”

… It was a pretty fun train ride.

#Holiday fanfic extravaganza #trafalgar law #monkey d luffy #sanji #roronoa zoro #Law/Lu #law x luffy #zosan #zoro x sanji #cider mill #fluffy?

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kyloren · 7 years ago

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Mileven post-S2 fanfiction recommendation list: PART V

For past rec lists please see instalments I, II, III, and IV. If your fanfic isn’t featured, apologies. Message me and we’ll amend that grievance in the next rec list instalment.

* marks the ongoing stories.

canon:

for laughs, for luck, for the unknown by ArtemisRae: “Mike goes away to college. El goes with him. Within a year she gains a new set of grandparents, a pet, a job, and enforces party rules.”

+ its sequel the monkey in the wrench by ArtemisRae: “Mike ends up in the hospital, El has to face her insecurities, and they turn the corner with Mike’s parents.” [ArtemisRae’s works are so beautiful, I can’t breathe.]

a wonderful awful idea by ArtemisRae: “Mike wants to recapture the Christmas magic of his childhood, but mostly he accidentally makes his girlfriend cry.”

the last picture show by ArtemisRae: “Hopper catches Mike and El at the local drive in after being led to think that they were at the Hawk with their friends.”

six weeks* by bananannabeth: “There are six weeks between the night El comes home and the night of the Snow Ball, which leaves not a lot of time to deal with a whole lot of shit. Somehow, she and Mike ride it out.”

can’t argue with that by bananannabeth: “Karen is well aware of how stubborn her only son can be, but as much as he tries to pretend he has to do everything on his own, Mike isn’t alone anymore. So if he’s insisting on running to El’s rescue at the cabin in the middle of the woods at two in the morning, you can bet his mom is not letting him go alone.”

+ its prequel with background Mileven: alone by bananannabeth: “Karen left Joyce alone when she so obviously needed support, and now she’s trying to make amends. Casserole and coffee seems as good a place as any to start.” God, I love bananannabeth’s You Can Talk To Me (aka. Karen Wheeler is a Good Mom™) series so, so much.

just another sleepy sunday by suchastart: “Game night, a few years into the future.”

promises by blacktreeswhitesky: “For Jane Ives, it’s always been like this. She was always searching for something, for someone.” [I’M NOT CRYING. YOU ARE CRYING.]

how we sleep by zombiecupcake: “The gate is closed, and the gang finds themselves getting the much deserved rest they all needed.”

love you like that* by ohanae: “Snippets out of Mike and El’s life after she closed the gate to the Upside Down. They learn things together, go to school together, grow up together.”

operation christmas for el* by Booklover1217: “When the party discovers that El has never experienced a Christmas before they are horrified. That is until Mike comes up with the plan to give El the most amazing first Christmas imaginable and so Operation Christmas for El is born. The next days that follow are filled with gingerbread, mistletoe, snow, and the magic of Christmas which just may change El’s life forever.”

home by lesbeatlesbunch: “Mike gets his license.”

pretty by hma1313: “Sometimes he thinks he sees her standing at the end of the street in that ratty dress of his sister’s, the fabric torn and stained, but he’ll blink and then she’s gone and he’s half convinced he imagined it all.”

scrap my knees, whatever; i’m gonna let them bleed by ceruleanstorm: “How many compliments can Mike and El yell at each other over a card game?”

close the door by g00denough: “Because we are just waiting for when someone walks in on El and Mike kissing.”

things you said* by Brown Eyes Parker: “a collection of one-shots revolving around Mike & Eleven and things they say to each other.”

+ its sort of sequel, sort of outtakes things you said, alternate stories* by Brown Eyes Parker: “Original and alternate or continuations of stories in my “things you said” series.”

heartbeats in the quiet by screamingintosilence: “It was usually just a cold, but this felt like the flu.”

perfect summer day by AR357: “It was a sunny summer day in 1984. Mike had been looking forward to this day for a while. With each breath of crisp summer air, he felt more and more invigorated. With each hill he crested, he felt his heart thumping away. But then again, maybe he was just thinking about what the day’s events would hold.”

flutterby, butterfly* by foreverinthe_eighties: “What would happen if, years after the events that took place in 1984, Kali seeks Eleven out herself. And gives her the opportunity to change her mind.”

the name game by Strange_Archivist: “El and Mike have their first real fight, and it’s a doozy.”

eleven things* by Socalledfriend: “Eleven returns, but things don’t just go back to the way they were. It’s not clear how she managed to get home, and meanwhile Will’s sickness is only getting worse. Some things never change though, and while she’s back, Mike manages to teach her at least eleven things about the outside world.”

raspberry breeze by urdearestmom: “Sometimes she stays up with him, and she calls him ridiculous. How don't you fall over when you get up in the morning? She asks. Pfft, I don’t need sleep! Who do you think I am? He says, but then he smiles and her heart melts, she's never been able to be angry at this boy for more than a few minutes.”

promises* by Vontar: “Sometimes, it’s the little things in life that matter. Scenes of life from Eleven and Mike, as they face the future together.”

stranger things holiday extravaganza* by Commernator: “Mike, Hopper, and the rest of the party help Eleven experience holidays for the first time.”

alternative universe:

the boy with freckles like constellations in the night sky* by got credits (Poly_Grumps): “It had been a quiet night in the town of Hawkins Indiana when Will Byers disappeared seemingly out of thin air. Jane Ellie Ives could still recall her last moments with him, the last words she had spoken with him before she watched him bike off into the night. It had started like any other day in fact, with the curly-haired girl and her gang of friends all sitting around in her basement gathered around a rather intense game of dungeons and dragons!” Reverse AU. [guys, guys, guys. I’m screaming. It’s so good.]

(all i wanna be is) somebody to you* by sinclairsmax: “Elle Hopper never thought that she’d win American Idol. Then again, she also never thought Mike Wheeler would fall in love with her. Behind the cameras, everything is turned upside down.” YouTube AU. [this is everything I didn’t know I wanted.]

we could be heroes* by ValBirch: “A series of connected vignettes about our favourite characters—but with superpowers.” Superhuman AU. I repeat, SUPERHUMAN AU. [Plus, the author has a whole set of moodboards/aesthetics for characters and I’m dying.]

the artist & the dancer* by JavaCat26: “Her warm honey-brown eyes were fixated on him. Emotion washed over him like warm bath water. He wouldn’t let her down. Ever. He took a deep breath, steadied his hand, and pressed his pencil to the canvas. “I can do this…”” College AU.

upside down and back again* by Crataeis: “When a new threat begins to emerge from the ashes of the Upside Down, an unlikely group of four of our six main protagonists band together to try and stop it.” Alternative Reality? Time Travel AU? I can’t quite tell, but although this fic is in its early stages, it’s really good and worth a look.

a rose by any other name by serendipitous_rambles: “The Montague and Capulet high schools never got along. There was bitter rivalry between the two schools, nothing good could come from associating with each other. But what happens when two fall in love?” Romeo & Juliet-style High-School AU.

+ bonus: wherein The Party is featured prominently…again:

in a dream where the air is soft by a simple space nerd: “El has hair slicked back behind her ears, darkly ringed eyes, and somewhat bedraggled clothes, and Max would normally steer clear of people looking like her, but she’s heard so much about El, and God, why is this group of friends so unlike everyone else Max has ever met? Max never used to care about what random people thought of her. “Curse you, stalker,” she mutters half-heartedly.” [I love Mike and Max in this one. This has to be my favourite interpretation of both characters, hands down. This fic is so in tune with characterisation, it can be considered canon.]

more than one best friend by topangamatthews: “El’s first best friend is Mike, but he’s not her last.”

after the gate closed* by insomniacwriter17: “Just one shots about all the little head canons I have.”

el’s word book* by Noth_lit_9: “El is frustrated that her vocabulary lags behind those of her friends, so Hopper wants to provide her with a way to see her growth.”

it’s okay to not be okay by talesfromthesnogbox: “Jim Hopper knew it was a real emergency when he was woken in the night by a phone call from his son-in-law Mike from the hospital. All was not well, but Jim reminds Mike that sometimes it’s okay to not be okay.”

teenage girls by EvieSmallwood: “El & Max hang out at the arcade. They talk about the present and the future.”

a is for alphabet* by urdearestmom: “Each chapter is a letter of the alphabet, lots of fluff and laughs ensue.”

so i could kill them for you by valancysnaith: “Max deserves so much better. The party is there for her.”

okay, so I had a lot more, but my Cloud messed the fuck up and deleted half of the bookmarks I made. now, I gotta go and track down the fics I lost…

UPDATE: part VI is out.

#mileven #mileven fanfiction #mileven fanfiction recommendation list #mileven fanfiction recommendation #character: mike wheeler #character: eleven #pairing: mike x eleven #tv: stranger things #fanfiction recommendations #in this tag resides fanfiction #♔: victrix #*

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ao3feed-tododeku · 7 years ago

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The Babysitter

read it on AO3 at http://ift.tt/2CHGYGs by WordsandWonder

by WordsandWonder

I mean ... would you let Bakugou babysit *your* kid?

Formerly Chapter 11 of WordsandWonder's Holiday Fanfic Extravaganza!

Words: 1817, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Series: Part 11 of WordsandWonder's Holiday Fanfic Extravaganza!

Fandoms: 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Characters: Bakugou Katsuki, Midoriya Izuku, Todoroki Shouto, Kirishima Eijirou, Child OC - Character, Uraraka Ochako (mentioned)

Relationships: Midoriya Izuku/Todoroki Shouto

Additional Tags: Babysitting, Unlikely babysitter, Aged-Up Character(s), It's Gen audiences but fair warning there is a lot of swearing, Because it's Bakugo

read it on AO3 at http://ift.tt/2CHGYGs

#AO3Feed #FanFics #AO3Feed Tododeku #💚#💙#Tododeku #My Hero Academia #Boku no Hero Academia

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sassyshoulderangel319 · 7 years ago

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Happy New Year!!!

FanFic Trade with @saviorsong

Author’s Note: This is exactly 2018 words. I’m so proud of my unintentional accomplishment.

^^^~~~~~^^^

Even though you can see Times Square and the ball drop from the top floor of Avengers Tower, the team that was left after the disaster the Accords caused chose to spend New Year’s out of the way at the facility upstate.

Including you.

Given the small amount of people attending Tony’s New Year’s party, it’s not the wild extravaganza he’s hosted in the past. There’s you, Thor, Loki—who is awkwardly sulking in the corner—Bruce, Rhodey, Tony, Pepper, Vision, and even T’Challa. He’d graciously accepted Tony’s invitation even though he had a country to run on the other side of the planet.

The little Spiderling boy is there too.

The TV is on, displaying the countdown to 2018. For the moment, no one is really paying it any attention. Champagne flutes are half-full and bubbling in the dusty gold light from the bulbs hanging from the ceiling. Blankets and pillows are strewn everywhere. Some of them are being worn as capes, others are being sat on like a pleasant Central Park picnic in July—not the dead of winter inside—but you’re cuddled up under Thor’s cape, snuggled next to him on the sofa.

He’s not even in his armor. He’s wearing a nice burgundy blazer and a gray V-neck with slacks. You just stole his cape because it’s soft and warm.

Not that the facility is cold or anything, but there’s something to be said for snuggling on New Year’s Eve under a blanket—or cape—curled up against a loved one.

Thor throws his free arm casually around your shoulders as he laughs at young Peter’s complaint that he is literally the only one stone-cold sober since he’s too young to drink alcohol. “Fear not, Boy of Spiders. Your days will come soon enough,” Thor says, completely draining his champagne flute in one long gulp.

Peter mumbles something about being, “The Man of Spiders,” but Thor doesn’t hear him. You just smirk.

Absentmindedly, Thor kisses your head. “So, why is this particular month-to-month transition considered the beginning of a new year?” he asks curiously. “You’re in the middle of a single season. Wouldn’t it make more sense to call spring the New Year?”

Everyone glances around at each other. No one appears to know the answer for sure. Tony, who has been tipsily hiccupping for hours, pulls out his phone to look it up while Pepper rolls her eyes. “Yes it would make more sense,” Tony mutters as he types on his phone. He blinks furiously—if you have to guess, he’s probably drunk enough that his vision is getting blurry.

“I don’t know, Thor,” you reply. “Because humans are random and arbitrary. There’s no reason for the English alphabet to be in the order it’s in. Some months have thirty days, others thirty-one, and one of ‘em has twenty-eight. Who knows and who cares? Humans don’t need reasons.”

He chuckles deep in his chest—a sensation you feel more than hear—and kisses your head again. “Alright,” he remarks.

Loki glances at the TV. “For anyone who cares, midnight is in five minutes in case anyone wants to toast to the New Year,” he comments blandly.

Everyone whirls to look at the timer on the TV. The countdown has indeed reached five minutes. New Year’s is on it’s way.

The bottle of champagne is passed around, with everyone filling up their glasses in anticipation of the event.

Thor pulls you closer to his side, wrapping you more snugly in his cape. “So, do you have one of those, er, what are they called… resolutions?” he asks.

You smile. “Do you?”

He chuckles and buries his face in your curly hair. You can feel his eyepatch against your scalp. “I have many. The first is to spend my first proper year as King of Asgard serving my people to the best of my ability. The second is to spend as much time as possible with you while ruling. The third is to be the best man I can be for my people and the individuals I love the most.” He kisses your hair again. You tilt your head back and steal a kiss of your own. “I do love you, Mel,” he murmurs into your skin.

“I love you too,” you whisper.

Peter Parker, the high school kid, fakes a retch over Thor’s shoulder. You shoot him a glare. He goes still and turns his attention to the TV where the anchors are still recapping the year, prattling on about stuff no one in the room particularly cares about. It was, all things considered, a difficult year for the heroes. None of you care about celebrity marriages and breakups or any boring gossip like that.

It’s hard to find movie stars interesting when you spend a good portion of your lives fighting for the fate of the world.

The countdown to midnight ticks ever nearer. Pepper and Tony are holding hands on the sofa, Tony’s free hand still trying to figure out the origin of New Year’s being in January on his phone. Pepper is trying to talk him out of it so he’ll pay attention to the rest of the party. Peter by this point has crawled onto the ceiling and is holding his mug of hot chocolate on his stomach so he can sip at it without spilling it on someone’s head. T’Challa seems rather disinterested in the whole party, placidly gazing at the TV screen without actually watching it. Rhodey and Bruce are chatting quietly over the tops of their glasses—you catch snippets of their conversation. They seem to be discussing the fate of Sokovia after the Ultron incident two years ago.

Thor pulls you closer to his side, stroking your hair with one hand and holding his champagne flute in his other hand.

You ruffle his short, spiky hair with your free hand. He laughs and leans down, pausing a few inches from your lips. He’s asking for a kiss but waiting for your answer.

You grin and press your lips to his.

When one minute beeps on the countdown, everyone stands up. Tony sways dangerously on his feet.

Everyone in the room waits quietly. Loki sulks in his corner in complete silence. The glass of alcohol in his hand has been untouched the entire evening.

So of course, Thor drags him over to stand on his other side. “Holidays are times to be around the people you love, brother,” he tells Loki matter-of-factly. You grin and wrap your arm around his waist.

“It’s going to be a better year,” you promise Thor, hoping beyond hope that you’re right.

“Of course,” he agrees.

The camera on the TV has turned to Times Square, packed to bursting with people who are waiting for the ball to drop.

“When the clock strikes midnight, may I share a New Year’s kiss with you?” Thor asks you, squeezing his grip around your shoulders tighter. “That is a Midgardian tradition, right?”

You grin. “It is,” you say. “And just because you asked so nicely, you definitely can.”

“Aw,” Tony groans, voice thick with alcohol. “I was hoping he’d ask me if you refused.”

Loki snorts so loudly that Bruce jumps. Rhodey smiles, looking entertained. Peter, from his spot on the ceiling, looks amused. T’Challa is still quietly indifferent to everyone else in the room.

After a few more chuckles, everyone starts counting down.

“Ten…”

Goodbye, 2017.

“Nine…”

Goodbye all the fiascos that happened this year.

“Eight…”

Goodbye to all the unpleasant memories. May they fade away for good.

“Seven…”

Goodbye Asgard’s destruction.

“Six…”

Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye 2017—the year that was the smoldering embers of the raging dumpster fire left by 2016.

“Five…”

Hello, 2018. May you be prosperous and better.

“Four…”

Hello to Thor’s rule over what is left of the Asgardian people.

“Three…”

Hello to a year of love and care for the man you’re holding and who is holding you.

“Two…”

Hello to a fresh start—to better living and happiness.

“One…”

Hello, 2018, the baby that has not yet grown into a disaster like the years before it.

“HAPPY NEW YEAR!”

Thor leans down and you tilt up onto your tiptoes to meet him.

Your lips press against his gently. His fingers find your hair and end up tangled in the curls. You tilt your head to the side to get a better angle.

Pressed against you, his body is firm and warm. It’s comforting and familiar. Whenever Thor is around there’s a sense of safety that drifts over you. A promise of well-being and protection. You don’t particularly need his protection because you’re more than capable of handling yourself, but it’s a pleasant sensation nonetheless.

Once your kiss is over, everyone toasts to the new year and drains their flutes.

Tony perks up. “C’mon everyone! Outside!” he slurs before stumbling toward the door. Loki follows first, looking mischievous and altogether untrustworthy. Pepper and everyone else joins next with you and Thor taking up the rear. Thor wraps his red cape tighter around you to make sure you’re going to be warm enough.

Outside, standing on the shoveled path lined by a thick blanket of snow on either side, everyone waits. Tony plunks a few commands into his fancy watch and turns his face to the sky.

After a moment, something bright streaks overhead. For a moment, you think it’s a shooting star.

That thought quickly vanishes as a burst of red light washes over your face and colors the snow in blood, quickly followed by a thunderous Boom!

“Fireworks!” Peter exclaims with a huge smile.

A whole show follows. Colors of every kind explode high above the facility and rain sparks down that fade before they reach the ground. Smoke mingles with clouds and the loud Booms that accompany the lights echo in the empty fields that surround the facility on all sides.

Some of them are shaped like hearts or smiley faces. One of them falls like a weeping willow with long strands of glittering gold. The noises vibrate in your ribcage.

Thor holds you to his side, absorbing his warmth that he radiates like a furnace. He watches with wonder and smiles, occasionally glancing down at you to make sure you’re not missing the show. “It’s beautiful!” he says quietly.

“Yeah,” you agree with a grin.

“You know what else is beautiful?” he asks.

“The snow?” you suggest. There was something magical and ethereal about snow.

“Well, yes I suppose,” Thor agrees. “But I was talking about you.”

He leans down and steals a kiss. Your cheekbones and ears grow warm.

You grab the back of his head as he kisses you. “C’mere you big softie,” you mumble.

He chuckles against your lips.

“I love you,” you say.

“I love you too.”

The fireworks show lasts a good fifteen minutes, during which time everyone starts to feel the effects of winter creeping into their bones. Goosebumps run rampant over skin and shivers cause everyone not dressed properly for the cold to shudder.

Everyone’s faces are washed with rainbow colors as five or six fireworks go off at once, culminating in a one-after-another boom-boom-boom-boom-boom finale that makes your heart pound in your ears. You smile up at Thor and the expression on his face. You know he’s seen fireworks before, but there’s something endearing about never losing the sense of magical wonder they bring. You love him.

Once it’s over, the party disbands. Mostly because Pepper forces Tony to go to bed to sleep off all the alcohol he’s consumed.

You yourself are feeling a little tipsy but not too drunk all things considered, so Thor leads you gently back to your shared room to keep you from walking into anything. You reach it without incident. You both get into your pajamas and snuggle close to each other.

“Happy New Year, Thor,” you whisper as he runs the backs of his fingers down your face and through your hair.

“Happy New Year, my dearest love Mel,” he replies with a soft smile.

Maybe 2018 won’t be so bad.

#Happy New Year #HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!#saviorsong #Mel #fanfic trade #I could have put this on my writing blog but I didn't want to #seemed more like a main blog thing #Thor #Thor Imagine #Thor FanFiction

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