#Magi Modern AU

[m-rc2525]

現パロ龍炎おさんぽ絵日記

[wanderlustmagician]

Summary:

Not every day was a good day and some days you just needed a pick me up.

Notes:

Day 1: Acts of Kindness

Something that a coworker of mine and I at a past job used to do is leave each other silly post-it notes as a pick me up. It was something fun and goofy we did to help each other stay sane.

I’m doing the daily March fluff thing (find the prompt list here)

Here we go folks!

[rjsmiley]

the gift of the magi modern au...

[misuanonimasu]

[purplephloxpress]

Another year, another Fanfiction Writers Appreciation Day!!!! If you are a writer of fanfic, please know just how appreciated you are!! Fandom would be such a different space without your creativity and labors of love. 💜

Holidays are all about making traditions, and the bookbinding friends with @renegadeguild once again came together to bind copies of fics for their authors as a show of our appreciation. This year I had the absolute joy of binding Emergency Help Wanted by the wonderful @piyo-13 and even got to collaborate with her on some of the design elements! It's a Modern AU Jiang Cheng/Lan Xichen fic that starts with a "help wanted" ad.

EMERGENCY HELP WANTED

I lied when I got my job. I told them I had a kid so I could leave early from work to pick him up from daycare, take him to doctor's appointments, and occasionally miss a day when he's sick. Long story short, I'm in too deep. I didn't think it through. Looking to rent a kid for bring your child to work day. Must be a boy ages four to six, longish dark hair, likes soccer. Must also be artistic as the macaroni noodle paintings I made seem a little advanced for his age. Also, I will pay extra for someone willing to play the role of husband when dropping him off. He's a prosecuting attorney who often brings his work home. Message me for further details. Serious inquiries only.

Ok. So. I may have gone a little feral with this one. Online "help wanted" ad spiraled into loading wheel scene dividers, spiraled into fake Google search result headers, spiraled into FULLY committing to those authentic looking text messages. In full color. (There are so many. I typeset in MS Word. It was SO worth it, but god what a struggle at some points.) And don't forget the "recent searches" title page! Or the computer cutout on the cover! (It's bluescreening, just like Lan Xichen through this entire fic!) Also that cover/title page image that I just kept adding details to. (It's supposed to be Lan Xichen's desk, so it simply didn't feel right until it had sticky notes on the computer, #1 dad on the mug, scissors and measuring tape, scribbles on the sticky notes) Did I have a ton of fun designing this one? Perhaps. Couldn't say. Maybe just a tad. (This is a lie I had an ABSOLUTE BLAST!)

Historically, I've waited until I finish at least the typeset before reaching out to the author, but not so with this one! I got the idea for the fake google search results from Piyo's authors notes, teasing the contents of the next chapter. But! Those didn't start until about chapter 4! So I reached out and asked if we could collaborate and I'm forever glad I did! Not only does this have teasers for each chapter, I also got to bounce design ideas off of her, including what shade of blue and purple for the text messages. Because my friends, that is a serious matter and changed SEVERAL times throughout the process.

Also shoutout to all my Renegade friends who gave input and encouragement over the past year while I worked on this (what endpages to use? how to make this shade of green perfectly Nie Huaisang? how do we feel about this text message design? or how about this one?) - I love you all dearly and appreciate you so much for putting up with my nonsense at all times.

Binding details below the cut!

Fandom: The Untamed/Mo Dao Zu Shi

Pairing: Jiang Cheng | Jiang Wanyin / Lan Huan | Lan Xichen

Bookcloth: Aqua/Purple Dubletta from Colophon Book Arts

Endpapers: Craft Consortium Ink Drops - Ocean pack

Textblock paper: short grain cream from Church Paper

Titling: We R Memory Keepers foil quill

Endbands: leather cording core, DMC embroidery floss for the bands

Body Font: EB Garamond

Title Font: Berlin Sans FB

Text Messages: Roboto

Additional fonts: Times New Roman, Kunstler Script, Magis Authentic

Title page image from Rawpixel and designed in Canva

Various computer graphics from The Noun Project

Tumblr insists on eating and doubling text in this section at its own whim, so if there's something missing that you're curious about, feel free to DM me an ask!

[aurevoirmonty]

« La véritable équation est ‘démocratie’ = gouvernement par les financiers mondiaux.

« La principale caractéristique des gouvernements modernes est que nous ne savons pas qui gouverne, de facto pas plus que de jure. Nous voyons le politicien et non son souteneur ; encore moins le souteneur du souteneur ; ou, ce qui est le plus important de tout, le banquier du souteneur.

« Trônant au-dessus de tout, d'une manière sans précédent dans le passé, se trouve le prophète voilé de la finance, influençant tous les hommes vivants par une sorte de magie, et délivrant des oracles dans une langue incomprise du peuple. »

J.R.R. Tolkien, interview avec Cabdour Magazine, 13 juillet 1956

[0rah-s]

Sinbad (Magi) and his divorced wife (modern au please, or if you don't feel comfortable with that, you can do it in the regular world)

Reader divorced him because of how he viewed things and how close he would get with other women, she's kinda gay

And Sinbad is kind of sad because of the fact that the only woman he truly loved wants nothing to do with him.

Even add a gremlin, a kid to the mix if it entertains you!!

Pls 💛

You don't have to if you don't want too!!

Sinbad x ex-wife!reader

Cw: fem reader, written in second person, english isn't my first language, you have an adopted kid, disloyalty from him, idk.

A/n: thank you for requesting and im so sorry for taking so long to do your request, writer's block be hitting harder lately. Hope you enjoy it mwah!!

How many times had he entertained the young women who threw themselves at him in the middle of your dates, right in front of your eyes?

.

Never could you say anything about it as its not like he was really cheating on you, he was "just playing" as he loved to say. It drove you insane.

.

In addition to his borderline unfaithfulness, there was also his questionable morals and the things he did to get what he wanted. All of it always rubbed you the wrong way but you fought to love him anyway.

.

But as we all know, ine can only fight for so long.

.

All of it kept adding up and and you found yourself bothe sat at the kitchen table. You slide him a paper - a divorce settlement document.

.

He tried to give you excuses and promised he would change but you were set, there's no way you'd lock yourself in a toxic cycle of wrong-doing, excises, and forgivness forever.

.

After the divorce,

You went on with your life like nothing happend

Of course it still stung to part from the man you loved oh so much but you had to move on.

.

Weeks pass and he isn't the same anymore. He went out to different bars and surrounded himself with ladies, reminding himself that he didn't need you.

.

What a conman.

.

He desperately needed you. Being a man of his position there wasn't many he could trust, somehow he opened up to you and gave you his heart. He knew how precious your love was to him yet he ruined it - entirely by himself. He'll never experience somehing like this again.

.

Guilt hollowing him as he grieves the missing part of him and as he thinks of the sadness he caused you. He'd become a waste.

.

Fast forward, you grew as a person and became successful, no longer the women you used to be.

Things kept getting better and better for you as if taking the weed out of your life made place for a rich and flowery garden to bloom effervescently.

.

You could finally breath.

.

Long after, you adopted a gremlin a kid!

You gave them the ever best life they deserved and enjoy life as a successful mother and child. Life simply couldn't get better.

.

Then he saw you.

.

Then you saw him.

.

He couldn't belive it's, the then live of his life standing right in front of him after years of no contact.

.

"H-hi..." He uttered, trying his best to make himself sound more confident - it failed.

.

"Hello" you replied coldly.

.

A long awkward silence took over when you decide to walk away before he starts to question about your life or worst - enter it again.

.

"I should go" you sai as you walk past him but barely a couple step away and he grips your wrist.

.

Tho he was strong, his hold on you was gentle, almost pleading.

.

"Please wait? Can we talk?" He asks trying his best to think of ways to have you remain by him even for a little longer.

.

"What is there to talk about sinbad? We're over"

You say curtly, not wanting to go weak and give in to him in the way is face begged you to.

.

He notices the young child beside and questions flooded his mind. 'A child? Was it hers? Ours? Hasd she found someone new? How much of their lives have i missed?' Then guilt came back stronger than ever, not being made easy but the way the kid clutched on your trousers.

.

"Mom, who's that?" They ask innocently.

.

"An old friend, dear" you smile at your child lovingly.

.

An old friend, those words rung in his head like hell bells.

.

He let go of your wrist and she walked away.

.

You sufferd through him, why shouldn't he? Regardless of how he feels you have more to care about.

.

He'll find a way to heal, you wish him that much. But for now the only thoughts in your head is what you're going to do today to make this day unforgettable for your child and yourself.

[only-wonder]

A Magi server I'm in does monthly art prompts! This month is Modern AU so I'm bringin back my silly Mall AU

Kouha's subordinates but they're alt kids and run Kouha's (unnamed) alt fashion store.

[atamascolily]

pmmm oneshots by subject

Just for fun, I put together a guide for my Madoka Magica oneshots on A03, sorted roughly by subject matter/theme. All are 7K or less, most in the 1-3K range. This is not meant to be a comprehensive list and will probably be instantly out of date, but can still serve as a good general reference. Enjoy!

inspired by art

Curation - The Law of Cycles isn't a person. It's an institution.

No Exit (The Nighthawks Remix) - Based on Nighthawks by Edward Hopper.

Balancing Act - Kyouko and Madoka take an unusual route to find Sayaka's witch, unaware Homura is watching from the shadows.

Marked - Junko Kaname invites Homura on a family trip to a local hot springs resort. Intrigued by Homura's refusal, Junko investigates--revealing a secret of her own along the way.

HomuMado Bittersweet Angst

The Night Parade of One Hundred Witches - Once a year on the anniversary of Walpurgisnacht, the streets of Mitakihara are home to a most unusual parade.

Flying Home - Soulmate Goose AU.

Memento - Mami does her best to help when Homura's grief over Madoka manifests in bouts of coughed-up spider lilies, though it isn't enough.

surreal weirdness

Orrery - Homura's apartment is out of this world.

Return to Sender - The epic story of Homura vs. junk mail.

Projections - Homura redecorates her apartment.

Splice - There's someone else out there besides Homura with control over time. The question is, what does she want? Scene 0 AU from before Scene 0 was released.

Witches

Absentia - As Homura investigates the mystery of Walpurgisnacht, one question eludes her: where is the witch's grief seed?

Strange Loop - The Stage-Constructing Witch narrates a familiar story with an unfamiliar twist.

Junk - Mitakihara's new magical girl duo has their work cut out for them when the Hoarding Witch manifests on the Kazamino City border.

Sticky Fingers - Kyouko needs Mami's help to get out of a sticky situation when a routine witch-hunt goes awry.

Trompe-l'oeil - Mami plays a deadly game of hide and seek against an elusive witch inside a reality-bending art gallery.

tea and sympathy - An invitation to visit the Dress-Up Witch means you will never be lonely again.

Fun and Games

Loosely connected series of one shots in a modern AU where the characters are playing an RPG based on the original series.

Fun and Games - It's another eventful session of the Puella Magi: Magica RPG: Mami one-shots a witch with her Tiro Finale attack, a new player joins the party, and Sayaka fails an important roll with devastating consequences.

She Who Fights Monsters - Kyubey convinces the gang to reconvene for a new campaign of the Puella Magi: Magica RPG, but all bets are off when Homura realizes the GM is up to his old tricks.

What Goes Around - Things get weird after Homura ousts Kyubey as GM of the ongoing Puella Magi: Magica RPG. Well, weirder, anyway. Homura and Mami Roommate Shenanigans

Inspired by Mitakihara Anti-materials spinoff manga. Domestic fluff AUs.

Moving Day - Homura moves in with Mami.

Soba ni Iru (Soba Noodles By Your Side) - Homura's first night in Mami's apartment.

Partnership - "I figured we could both use some tea," Tomoe said by way of greeting. "You had difficulty sleeping again, didn't you?"

Dirty Laundry - Homura finds a creative use for the washing machine.

Mami Character Studies

Childish Things - Mami stumbles across a box of childhood memorabilia.

half-life - Mami wished to live, but she didn't give any thought to what that life might look like, and now she's paying the price.

Twenty Facts About Mami Tomoe - Fragments from a tragedy in slow motion.

Fireflies - While searching for witches, Mami has a wondrous experience at an isolated shrine.

Fluff and Crack

Wash Cycle - "I like it," Sayaka said honestly. "It's just not what I expected heaven to be like, that's all."

The Adventure of the Sapphire Soul Gem - "Huh?" Sayaka said, unable to believe what she had just witnessed. "Did that goose just eat my soul gem?" Kyouko was faster on the uptake. "Quick, grab it!"

Final Form - Madoka and her friends get an unexpected glimpse of the Incubator life cycle.

Mermaid in My Tub - Kyouko intervenes in time to save Sayaka from becoming a witch--sort of. Now Sayaka's stuck living in the bathtub in Mami's apartment with a mermaid tail, and Kyouko is determined to make the best of it.

Sayaka Miki and the Terrible Horrible No-Good Very Bad Day

out of order - This place is a dead end, but so is she, and it's not like Sayaka has anywhere else to go at the moment, so she might as well make the most of it.

descent - The witch is still out there calling for its next victim, though not for much longer now that Sayaka's here. She's close enough to transform into her true self and leave this crude matter behind.

tainted - Caught up in despair, Sayaka rapidly loses touch with reality.

Miscellaneous Crossovers

No knowledge of the other fandom is needed.

Death Comes for the Incubator (x Sandman). Kyubey confronts his own mortality at last.

Memories of Somebody (x Bleach). A chance meeting between Homura and Ichigo reveals unexpected connections. Post-series (PMMM) and post-Memories of Nobody and Fade to Black (Bleach).

Palimpsest (x Sandman). A garden, a maze, a mysterious hooded figure. A book of pages written and erased again and again. In between timelines, Homura Akemi comes face to face with Destiny.

The Immortal Dragon's Disciple (x The Way of the Househusband). Homura Akemi finds an unlikely mentor in ex-yakuza turned househusband Tatsu Kuroda.

Good Morning, Ms. Saotome (x Sayonara, Zetsubou-sensei).  Junko Kaname sets up Ms. Saotome on a date with an eccentric teacher. Madoka has a front-row seat for what comes next.

xxxHolic-inspired Fusion AUs

No prior knowledge of xxxHolic is required.

asynchronous - The Dimension Witch dwells in a shop specializing in the granting of wishes... for a price.

a butterfly dreaming - Mami's perfect life comes to an end....but is the person who wished for this really so bad?

life in fantasy (the butterfly dreaming remix) - Mami Tomoe never, ever listens. Once again, Homura is left to cleans up the mess. Whumptober 2021

Cui Bono? - Mami wakes up in Homura's apartment, surprised and grateful to have survived her disastrous encounter with the Dessert Witch. But her host's contradictory behavior raises an important question: what exactly is Homura getting out of this?

Careful What You Wish For - Trapped in the Box Witch's labyrinth and paralyzed with guilt over Mami's death, Madoka is rescued by the most unexpected person imaginable.

Rude Awakening - Homura's latest fight with Mami might be a dream, but what awaits her upon waking is all too real.

Sticks and Stones - After a fight between Sayaka and an unknown opponent ends with the former grievously injured, Mami reveals an unexpected connection between them. Null Magical Girl Weirdness

Unlikely to make sense if you're unfamiliar with the Null Magical Girl light novel.

Null and Void - Fourteen-year-old Kosane's attempt to contract with Kyubey unexpectedly fails.

null thoughts, head empty - While waiting for the space-time collapse, Kosane and Kyubey discuss Incubator biology and the nature of the human soul.

Schrodinger's Incubator - The only thing more impressive than solving the perfect locked-room murder mystery is preventing it from happening in the first place. Miscellaneous

Tracks - Madoka searches for Sayaka along the train tracks.

Inventory - Homura sorts through the contents of her shield.

Family Business - This time, Madoka and Sayaka are rescued from a witch's labyrinth by the Tomoe twins, a magical sibling duo gifted with a flair for the dramatic, deadly aim with rifles, and fabulous fashion sense. It still ends badly for everyone.

Gingerbread - Nagisa and Mami make gingerbread together.

Parallels - Despite everything they have in common, Mami and Homura never quite connect. Then again, parallel lines never meet, except maybe at infinity.

Power Sources - Madoka and Sayaka discuss the topics they chose for their science essays, unaware of the relevance to their future lives.

Five Things That Probably Never Happened in Any Timeline (And One That Definitely Did) - Visions of a kinder, gentler magical girl show that never was. [based on the opening credits]

[sunny-salamander]

Fanfic: Crafting Pandora's Box

Fandom: Danganronpa Series, Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc

Relationships: Makoto and Komaru Naegi’s Mother/Makoto and Komaru Naegi’s Father, Makoto Naegi & Makoto Naegi’s Mother, Komaru Naegi & Komaru Naegi’s Mother

Characters: Makoto Naegi, Komaru Naegi, Makoto and Komaru Naegi’s Mother, Makoto and Komaru Naegi’s Father, Original Characters, Original Family Characters

Further information under the cut:

Other Tags: Tags Beyond This Point Contain Spoilers. You Have Been Warned, Modern Day Magic AU, Magi AU, Magi!Hanako Naegi, Secret Magic Societies, Dying Magic Societies, Gen Naegi is A Patient Man, Makoto and Komaru Naegi’s Mother Has An Ultimate, Disclaimer: Author is Not a Parent and Has Minimal Contact With Children. She Tried Her Best, Tags Will Be Updated as the Story Updates, Rating May Change

Summary:

Fact 1: Unbeknownst to modern humans, there’s another species that’s been living in close quarters with them for several thousand years. 

Fact 2: Hanako Naegi is one of these creatures.

Fact 3: Hanako Naegi has never had children before in her three centuries of existence, but that’s not going to stop her from doing her best.

Or: The struggles of raising magical children in a world ignorant of and/or hostile to magic.

Notes: This is the thing I was referencing in my post about Makoto's parents, lol! I've given them personalities. And backgrounds. They're basically my OCs now.

Makoto and Komaru's parents? No. Our parents.

[m-rc2525]

🔥

[wanderlustmagician]

Welcome weary intergalactic tumblr travelers to my humble blog amongst space.

I am Wander (or Magi). A simple alien who enjoys writing, learning, and is in general a very excitable dog in a trench coat.

Fun Facts about me can be found at the tag -

#wander facts

I apologize if you came here for my writing and found a lot of shit posts and yelling about food crimes. I use the following tags for;

Shit posts/posts about life: #wandering thoughts

Food related: #food talk

I have several feral cats (mutuals) that I interact with a lot that have their own tags. I did absolutely steal the alliteration thing from Cheeto. No regrets. :D

hotcheetowastaken - #cheeky cheeto

somer-writes - #sassy somer

evablueblanket - #effervescent eva

estelian-01 - #effortless este

marcusdoodlesalot - #marvelous marcus

needfantasticstories - #super skip

There a probably a couple I’m missing but I’ll update this as we go.

I am always open to receiving asks.

Please do not be afraid to send me something. I will be very enthusiastic about answering any questions*. 💛

*unless the ask is rude, cruel, or mean in nature. This is a safe space for fun and silliness. Anything of the prior listed nature (rude, cruel, or mean) will be unanswered and deleted.

As I said before, I do write! I have an AO3 account under the same name -> wanderlustmagician

My current word count there is: 31,020

My goal word count for the end of Feb 2024: 45,000 (69% achieved)

Writing tags:

#wandering pen / #theres an au for that

I currently mostly write and post for Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda). Though I have written for HxH (some works still up under an old user), Tokyo Ghoul, D. Greyman, DC Comics/Batman/Young Justice, Voltron: Legendary Defender, and Akatsuki no Yona/Yona of the Dawn. Some are posted under a different user, some have been taken down due to personal reasons, and some will never see the light of day.

All tags will be listed in the tags on the post

Now that you’ve had a wandering glance me and who I am… Click the Read more to see my current posted works, ongoing writing projects, and future projects.

My Current Series:

Everything but Blood -> Linked Universe Modern AU

Posted Works Count: 2 // Status: Ongoing

Visions of a Calling (Complete)

Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop, Want to Stop (Complete)

[Stealing Clothes WIP]

[Adopting Imp WIP]

Tags: #lu modern au // #everything but blood

Cataclysmic -> Linked Universe Witch AU

Posted Works Count: 2 // Status: Ongoing

The Truth Begins (Ch 1/?)

Heretic (Complete)

Price of Ignorance (Complete)

Tags: #lu witch au // #cataclysmic

Skyloft Valley -> Linked Universe Stardew Valley AU

Posted Works Count: 1 // Status: Ongoing

Welcome to Korok Town (Complete)

Into the Valley (Year One) (Ch 2/3)

Tags: #lu stardew valley au // #skyloft valley

The Sages Journal -> Linked Universe Atlantis AU

Posted Works Count: 2 // Status: Complete

Lanaryu’s Blessing (Complete)

Path to Thriving (Complete)

Tags: #path to thriving // #lu atlantis au

My Other Posted Works:

Ongoing Works:

Lost & Found (Ch 5/?)

Also known as the big brother Time AU of my Modern AU setting.

Tags: #lost & found // #lu modern au

Potential Upcoming Projects:

A Links Meet series that I’m called Forged. It’s still in the planning stages and I’ve not decided the end of it yet.

All of these will be updated as I make and post content. I have over 300 notes of writing. So there is always something in the works! Drop me an ask or at @ if you’re ever curious.

Thanks for wandering through and sticking around for that bad joke!

Hope to see you wandering into my asks or comments soon! Gotta blast!

[stellar-spellbook]

I saw you posted for the WIP game and almost laughed out loud at No Bitches? You gotta elaborate on that one. 😂😂😂

Hahaha, yeah that's fair 😂

No Bitches? is the placeholder title for a fic I'm writing with my friend!! It's a modern AU for our fave Magi ship (Juhaku 🖤) and features Judar asking Hakuryuu out for like, 20 years before Hakuryuu finally realizes Judar actually means it for real. And then actually, Hakuryuu still doesn't realize, he just finally accepts that he's been in love with Judar for years & ends up asking him out but expecting to be turned down. After they're already living together. They're such disasters 😭😭😭

Snippet below the cut!

Hakuryuu laughed. He got up, picking up his plate and Judar’s pot.

“These could be contaminated with salmonella,” he said. “We’ll have to make something else.”

The kitchen smelled acrid, like day-old smoke, and there were at least five pots on the counter with various blackened substances left in them. An orange-red sauce was splattered on the backsplash. In a corner by the sink sat a single cactus plant that, by some miracle, looked like it was absolutely dying of thirst.

Hakuryuu put their food on the counter. He filled the sink with hot water and dropped the various charred pots in, adding a chopping block that looked more like a murder scene than a kitchen instrument. Then, ignoring Judar’s protests, he opened the fridge.

A single packet of McDonald’s ketchup stared back at him.

“What’s…?” he mumbled, picking it up and turning it over to find that it was expired by three full months. Hakuryuu looked at Judar blankly.

“It’s basically a smoothie?” Judar tried.

“How have you not died yet?”

“I’m way too sexy to die.”

Taking a slow, deep breath, Hakuryuu looked from the empty fridge to the full sink. He thought about the bleach in the living room, and the mahjong table, and the sock drawer, and came to what he assumed was the only logical conclusion. Replacing the ketchup in the fridge, Hakuryuu put both hands on Judar’s shoulders, looked into his eyes, and said:

“Move in with me.”

Judar blinked. “Huh?”

“Move in with me,” Hakuryuu repeated. “Please. Before you give yourself food poisoning and end up in the hospital.”

“So you won’t date me,” said Judar, “but you’ll jump straight to living together?”

“I’m not joking.”

For a second, Judar just looked at him. Hakuryuu would swear later that something vulnerable showed in Judar’s eyes, almost as if he thought Hakuryuu was joking and his request for them to live together was just some sort of cruel joke. Then Judar nodded.

“Yeah,” he said, “okay. I’ve always wanted you to be my housewife anyway.”

“Judar.”

[imbonewary]

So I Like Reading Fanfics...

... and now that I have Serif, I can't help but want to put him in LITERALLY EVERYTHING. So. Here are my current ideas about how Serif would interact with the world of Ebott's Wake if he had entered the universe at the same time Doctor Aster came back, though not quite at the same place.

Alternate Universes are eventually confirmed to exist within the narrative, so I have decided to rework how much Serif's presence is going to affect the story. I was concerned about how much I could/should change but what happens next (I've finally caught up to Legacy of the Magi chapter 132) and have fewer reservations now. Serif usually sticks around a new AU for about a month to recover anyways so he can try Hopping again, so it wouldn't be out of the ordinary for him to stay for the duration of the plot, especially if he thinks he can be useful. Things don't change much until after the State of the Kingdom Address and everything associated with it.

Thursday

Ch1 Aster wakes up alone and mildly panics

Aster scrounges in the CORE for a radio, bringing it to the mouth of the cave before realizing he needed a power source.

Cussing himself out, Aster finds a power source at the Dump, where Serif hears him talking to himself and follows him back to the cave entrance.

Ch2 Radio show

Serif hides just inside the cave while Aster listens to the radio show.

Upon hearing of a call-in section of the show, Aster scrounges for a phone in the CORE, nearly catching Serif watching him, but Aster is a bit too distracted to consciously notice.

Ch3 Frisk and Flowey talk

Ch4 Aster calls the radio show

Serrif witnesses the call but only hears Aster’s half of the conversation, since Aster had turned down the radio so the delay wouldn’t trip him up.

Ch5 what Aster was up to and reunion with Sans

Aster is grappling with reality for like half an hour until Sans shortcuts in.

Serif witnesses the reunion, assured that Aster is a beloved parent and not a threat, and considers following them down the mountain. Their conversation fades into the distance as Serif decides to stay behind for now; let them have their happy reunion first, then they can deal with Serif.

Serif pushes the two abandoned thrones together to make a small “bed”. He’s had worse nights.

Ch6 Aster meets Toriel

Ch7 Family dinner with the gang

Ch8 Aster digests the story of Undertale

Ch9 Dinner ends and Frisk acts weird about breaking a plate

-1 Thursday

Serif wakes up in an empty Snowdin.

“No dust in the air, so it’s not a felled AU. No dust piles on the ground, so the kid didn’t kill ‘em all. Buildings are too modern for them to have died off far enough back for the dust to settle. Buildings are also empty, so somebody must’ve taken everything somewhere. All evidence points to a pacifist run gone right and everyone’s on the surface and probably don’t need my kind o’ help. Which means I’ve got the whole Underground to myself. Greeeaaat.”

Serif wanders around, looking for somewhere comfortable enough to hunker down for a few days to recover; if this universe was as “average” as it seems at first glance, there isn’t much point in staying any longer than necessary. He then hears a voice, following it to the dump to find Gaster, talking to himself while scrounging for radio parts. Serif observes from a distance, not sure he should trust this Gaster, and thinking that maybe there’s a reason he’s here after all. Hiding just inside the cave, Serif witnesses “Aster’s” radio call and the reunion with the native Sans, decides this (G)Aster was a beloved parent and not a threat, then decides to bed down for the night in the overgrown throne room, pushing both abandoned thrones together to make a small bed. He’s had worse nights.  

The native Sans was his usual first contact, as Serif could infer a lot about an AU based on what Sans was like, but he figured he could find Sans later; let them all enjoy their happy reunion first, then they can deal with Serif.

-

Friday

Ch10 Radio show

There was a “protest” outside the Librarby but everyone was too drunk to do much and then scattered. This was before 9:30 am. Pre-protest for Das Boot reopening?

Ch11 Frisk thinks Sans was abused

Ch 12 Aster visits All Fine Labs

Ch 13 Radio show, Das Boot protest

Ch 14 Aster gets a job

Ch 15 Flowey isn’t Asriel, Frisk shows trauma

Ch 16 Flowey talks to Alphys

-2 Friday

The next day, Serif scrounges for something he can make edible and leaves the Underground by late morning, acting like he knew exactly where he was going; people are less likely to bother you if you look like you have somewhere to be. While wandering around town, Serif comes across a pair of crowds outside of some kind of restaurant with a small group between the two. He stays on the outskirts, cautiously curious, until a projectile flies from one crowd and hit one of the middle humans. Serif freezes, split between the urge to help and the need to remain hidden, until he sees the injured human screaming after the projectile thrower, apparently more-or-less fine. Serif decides this isn’t the best place to discretely gather intel and leaves for calmer pastures.

Finding a café with free wifi, he sets himself up to people-watch for the rest of the day, noting that this town was weird, and gets his phone connected to the grid with some minor hacking, keeping his eye out for any potential snacks he could liberate without drawing attention to himself. He stays the night at the Arboretum, finding a nice, dense tree to hide out in. Again, he’s had worse nights.

-

Saturday

Ch 17 Radio show, schedule

Ch 18 Frisk asks Alphys for SOUL help and stays til noon storm

Ch 19 the skeleboys go to lunch

Ch 20 Radio show, storm

Ch 21 Fisk and Alphys talk, slumber party begins

Ch 22 Skeleboys trapped in the rain

-3 Saturday

Resigning to dumpster dive for breakfast, Serif notices the starting of a storm but doesn’t realize just how bad it’s gonna get until it’s too late; he thought he might get I nice shower out of it, not end up in a flash flood! Annoyed at having been tripped up by surface weather, he ends up laying in a puddle of misery until Undyne literally stumbles upon him, assumes Serif is braving the elements like she is, and Serif indulges her competitiveness. This was as good an introduction to the group as any.

“Sure, why not? I’m already soaked to the bone so it’s not like I could get any wetter.”

Undyne is thrilled, they spar and race and probably some other stuff, until Undyne asks why Serif is really out in the storm and he lets slip he has no shelter to return to; he certainly can’t stay in a tree in this weather. At this, Undyne makes a snap decision and throws him over her shoulder, ignoring his protests, and takes him home to Alphys and Frisk, who just happened to be there when the storm hit and is kind of stuck. Once there, he hesitates before spilling exactly why he doesn’t have anywhere to go; while his usual first contact was the native Sans, he knew secrets would only hurt him in the long run. Being the anime nerds they are, the three quickly get the gist of Serif’s past and sudden arrival.

Sleepover hijinks ensue, including, but not limited to: get-to-know-you games like “Two Truths and a Lie” and “Truth or Dare”; make overs, where Serif gets Day of the Dead face paint; party games like Charades or other board games; Serif telling the three about alternate versions of themselves; and more. Eventually, jobs are brought up and Alphys mentions the souls research that Aster just agreed to take over; maybe Serif could help them get a head start on it, or at least find a good starting point. Serif hesitantly agrees.

“W-what do you know about souls? Or more specifically, human souls? We’re r-researching them right now and don’t really know where to start…” “Well, every universe is a little different, so I simultaneously know a lot about how souls could work and very little about how they work in this universe in particular.” “Well, w-would you consider consulting? E-even if you don’t t-tell us everything, maybe you can help us skip a few steps?” “Hmm… I suppose I do have to earn my keep somehow, right? If you think I can still be useful within my boundaries, than sure, I’ll consult on the project. Also keeping in mind that I’m not going to be staying here long term; I won’t just leave y’all high and dry but I have no intention of making this place my home.” “W-with the p-power out, we c-can’t call Toriel to tell her F-Frisk is here, or tell D-doctor Aster about you, Serif. He agreed to t-take over the soul research p-project for me.” “Oh joy. Guess I can work on my Gaster issues while I’m here, too.” “D-don’t call him Gaster, h-he hates it.” “Really? Huh, most of his counterparts embraced the name “Gaster”. Welp, thanks for telling me, otherwise it would’ve been a dis-aster.” ;)

-

Sunday

Ch 23 Radio show, t-shirts are promised

Ch 24 Sans has a memory

Ch 25 Sans looks for Frisk and they have a talk

-4 Sunday

Everyone had acknowledged that Serif can’t stay with Alphys and Undyne; there simply isn’t room, and Serif didn’t want to intrude anyways. Instead, they decide to ask Asgore if Serif could crash with him, which Serif half-heartedly tries to resist but gives in when they mention Asgore is alone a lot, which really isn’t good for him. Alphys calls Aster about the green light and the stray consultant Undyne found in the rain, then calls into the radio show to announce it to everyone. T-shirts are promised.

They point Serif in the general direction of All Fine Labs while they head over to ask Asgore if he would house Serif for a bit and drop off Frisk with their dad, then head over to Toriel’s to update her on the situation.   

Aster got to the Labs before Serif and happily picks up his “mystery assistant” from the lobby. Serif briefly explains his backstory and, while fascinated, Aster tries to prioritize the soul research, promising to unravel Serif’s everything on his down time. Once onboarding is complete, both are brought up to speed on what they know, what they know they don’t know, and the process for scanning tomorrow’s volunteers.

Once done for the day, Aster insists on walking Serif to Asgore’s, partially because Serif really had no idea where Asgore lived and partially so they can talk more before the inevitable insanity tomorrow would bring. Aster had picked up on Serif’s discomfort and Serif reluctantly explains that he’s had some… unfortunate experiences with Gasters of other AUs.

“Which reminds me, they all went by Gaster so it is kind of interesting that you hate it so much. So uh, sorry in advance when I inevitably mess up.”

Asgore happily shares some dinner with Serif and Toriel shows up sometime after Frisk’s bedtime, wanting to meet the “stranger” that Undyne and Alphys had invited to their impromptu slumber party. Both boss monsters try their best to understand Serif’s origins, with limited success. Tori is placated, as Serif seems to be a good person, but he does hide his LV from them; he really doesn’t wanna get into why the numbers are wrong or explain why some of them are right.

-

Monday

Ch 26 Radio show, soul scanning 101

Ch 27 Frisk gets scanned

-5 Monday

Bright and early Monday morning, Serif wakes with a start, blades out, ready for a fight, but is embarrassed when he realizes Asgore had simple dropped something while making breakfast. Serif has to explain that while living on the go, often in less than safe conditions, reflexes like that had saved his life more times than he cared to think about.

“Honestly? The fact that I didn’t wake up as soon as you came downstairs is a testament to either how tired I was, how comfortable I am here already, or how stealthy you are. So there’s that, I guess.”

At the Labs, Serif is basically just another gofer while the data is being gathered, his consultation only really needed for the bigger concepts, but he’s happy enough to be helping.

Once Frisk is scanned, and gives some “anomalous” readings, Serif is immediately grabbed and finally introduced to Sans. Sans is not thrilled with this development.

“w h o   t h e   f u c k   a r e   y o u ?” “I’m you; or rather, I’m who you might have been if circumstances had been different. But we can compare notes later, we’ve got bigger fish to fry right now.”

Having spent a slumber party with Frisk, and knowing what he did about other Frisks, Serif isn’t surprised at all that they have a high LV Cap. Caps are a measure of how violent a person could become, based on outside influences, negative experiences, exposure to violence… Again, it varies, but…

“Y’ever wonder why a kid would climb a mountain nobody returns from? No happy reasons, I can tell you that much. I may not know specifically what this kid has gone through, but from what I’ve seen they’re a good kid with all of the hallmarks of past abuse. That’s as far as I’m willing to speculate without more details and I don’t wanna push ‘em too far too fast.”

The skeletons keep all of this to themselves for now while they think about what to do. Alphys was too busy to think about Frisk’s scan until after work and Aster said he’d update her in the morning. Serif doesn’t tell Asgore that Frisk was scanned at all.

-

Tuesday

Ch 28 Asgore has a dream and does morning stuff

Ch 29 Big brains have a meeting

Ch 30 Frisk and Undyne talk

Ch 31 Radio show

CH 32 Frisk and Aster talk after the garden show

-6 Tuesday

A morning meeting is called and Alphys is brought up to speed on Frisk’s scan data, specifically their high LV Cap. Serif mostly observes while the native scientists try not to freak out too much; Aster is certain there’s some other explanation and wants more data before doing anything but Alphys refuses to live in secrets and lies again, storming off to the Garden Show to spill everything to Toriel. Sans goes after her to play damage control and the other scientists decide to get back to work and leave this decision to the monsters in charge. This leaves Serif with Aster in the meeting room.

Aster tells Serif to look at closer at Frisk’s scan, maybe they missed something that skewed the data, but Serif argues that it’d be a waste of time; he believes that the numbers are accurate, or at least accurate enough, and nothing more can be gleaned from this one scan. They can scan more if they want but Serif doesn’t think they’ll gain much other than confirmation. Aster relents and more volunteers are scanned. Aster tries to distract himself from thinking about Frisk by grilling Serif about AU stuff.

Hiving hit this roadblock with Frisk’s scans, Aster is frustrated and scans aren’t enough of a distraction on their own, so Aster starts prodding at Serif about AU stuff. He manages to bully Serif into going to the Skelebros’ house to talk more, under the guise of finally being introduced to Papyrus, who wasn’t even there. Frisk shows up, frustrated that they still haven’t gotten a direct answer from anyone about LV Caps, and had decided to seek out Aster or Serif for answers. Aster and Frisk go for a walk and Serif takes his chance to flee, thoroughly exhausted and very much DONE with everyone.

-

Wednesday

Ch 33 Radio show

Ch 34 First blood on the scanner

Ch 35 Undyne has a memory and talks to Frisk

Ch 36 Frisk is scanned again and revelations are had

Ch 37 Frisk and Flowey talk, then Sans drops off a book

Ch 38 AML meeting with Justin

-7 Wednesday

The next day at work, Serif was with Aster when he got the message about the first human with LV being scanned. Aster was initially worried until Serif pointed out that the human had willingly been scanned, knowing they had killed before and likely aware that the scan would reveal that. Aster was suddenly less worried and more curious about the psychology of someone who would do something like that and wanted to talk to the human alone; he’d previously wanted Serif to accompany him and watch his back.

While scanning continued, Serif was restocking the breakroom when Frisk entered for a snack, having left Sans and Toriel to have some hard realizations. Frisk had been wanting to talk to Serif again since the sleep over anyways but they hadn’t been able to find the time.

“Based on what I’ve seen from you, and what I know of other Frisks… I think the numbers are accurate. Meaning that you haven’t even hit puberty and you’ve already been through hell and back… For what it’s worth, I have a high LV Cap, too. Nobody seems to have clocked it yet, or at least I haven’t heard about it, but I probably understand you better than anyone else in town. With one notable exception that I’m sure you don’t need me to spell out for you.” “… how did… you get a high LV Cap?” “… I don’t think we have time to get into that today-” “Frisk! Just the person I was looking for! That star you mentioned yesterday, I can’t stop thinking about- oh uh, Serif,

Serif mentioned his own high LV Cap but they were interrupted by Aster before Serif could say much else. Aster mentioned the star Frisk had told him about on their walk before stopping short with a glance at Serif, who shrugged and started to excuse himself from the private conversation but Frisk stopped him, saying that maybe he could help figure out what’s going on.

Unfortunately, this time didn’t work either as Aster comes by and invites them both to another TED Talk about timespace and how it must have carried Aster into the future. Frisk and Toriel eventually return to school and Alphys returns with pizza and an epiphany which Serif gets roped into helping her with while Sans and Aster return to scanning volunteers.

After scans wrap up, Serif had been run ragged trying to keep up with Alphys and was told to get some rest while Sans and Aster take over. As he’s leaving, Serif runs into Papyrus who was on his way to try and pull Sans and Aster away from the labs and go to the Pancake thing. While disappointed with the update about their work status, Papyrus decides to use this opportunity to get to know Serif instead; Sans and Aster get to hang out with him all the time at work and Pap had been feeling a little left out.

They meet up with Undyne for Pancakes and she’s disappointed Alphys isn’t with them but proud of her passionate girlfriend. Serif gets roped into some contests between Papyrus and Undyne, allowing himself to show off a bit but keeping a very tight lid on his abilities. The two can tell Serif is holding back but he refuses to go all out with so many people around so they head to the school.

“Nobody’d be caught dead back at school if they could help it!” “Heh, good one.” “Good-? Oh shit! Ugh! I didn’t mean to make a pun!”

It takes a bit of coaxing but Serif lets himself indulge in his power.

“I’m always so afraid of it that I actually don’t really know where my limits are. I know I have them, I’ve reached them in… less than ideal circumstances, but… I’ve never felt comfortable enough with my powers to test them properly.”

-

Thursday

Ch 39 Papyrus has a memory and starts his day

Ch 40 Radio show

Ch 41 Second blood on the scanner

Ch 42 Radio show, schedule

Ch 43 Rehearsal

Ch 44 Aster and Frisk talk science

Ch 45 radio show, special bulletin

-8 Thursday

The next day, Joe Stanton tests out Alphys epiphany and scanning begins yet again. Aster was poking at Serif again when Sans came to grab Aster and Serif busied himself refilling the refreshments in the breakroom again. Jason Taylor is scanned and sent to the breakroom, where Serif immediately picks up on his LV; luckily, Serif has plenty of practice not reacting to potential threats while still keeping tabs on them.

Later that day, Aster is puzzling away with Serif about the CORE failure that sent him skipping through time when Frisk shows up after the Ad-dress rehearsal. Sans also enters, bantering with Frisk who sticks their tongue out at him.

“curses, the one human gesture i can't do.” “Wait, you can’t make magic flesh?” “make what now?”

Serif demonstrates by sticking out his own blue tongue, which freaks out the skeletons and amuses the human. Discussion is diverted to skeleton physiology for a bit but eventually gets back on track so Serif could help Frisk explain resets which triggers an epiphany for Aster.

“Did you already know all of this?!” “Kinda. *shrug* The exact physics work a little differently in each universe but the result is pretty consistent. The power to change fate… Frisk is right, it’s a curse that corrupts even those with the best of intentions. I’ve seen it happen, I’ve felt the allure myself; no one should be forced to live with so much power over the lives of those around them.”

Serif declines joining them at the Dank Memehaus and heads home to dinner with Asgore. Serif brings him up to speed on Frisk’s stats and both listen to the radio before turning in for the night.

This might be a good time for Serif to talk to Flowey, since Flowey has a dream that night and starts to feel feelings. Despite Flowey being certain he doesn’t have a soul, Serif can still feel things from him.

-

Friday

Ch 46 Tori has a memory and Frisk has some trauma

Ch 47 Flowey has a memory and talks to Frisk

Ch 48 Flowey feel feelings and talks to Alphys

Ch 49 Radio show, address starts and is interrupted

Ch 50 Frisk gets shot

Ch 51 Frisk stays determined, just barely

Ch 52 Radio show, war

Ch 53 Flowey enters Frisk’s mind, realizations are had

Ch 54 Cater gets dunked on

Ch 55 Frisk and Asriel have a heart to heart

Ch 56 Frisk wakes up

-9 Friday

Serif has to pick up Sans’ slack while he joins the Honor Guard at the Address. There have been protestors outside All Fine Labs every day since it opened and today was no different; however, what was different was a taught buzz of anxiety that Serif couldn’t quite account for. Almost like they’re waiting for something. He mentioned as much to Alphys and Aster, who brushed it off as a response to the Address going on today. Serif remained hyper vigilant about scanning the volunteers, even though it made the process a bit harder and longer, and was the first to realize there were weapons present and intent to use them.

After the lab was locked down and the mob seemed to be converging on the hospital Frisk is at, Serif agrees to stay behind and hold down the fort while Aster bridges Alphys over to help Flowey try to help Frisk. He considers accompanying Joe in the Blaster Mech but decides to stay put, just in case; it was possible this was some elaborate trick to infiltrate the lab, but mostly Serif just didn’t trust himself on the battlefield. Serif continued to be on high alert, even after the mob dispersed and the day was considered “won”.

-

Saturday

Ch 57 Radio show

Ch 58 Frisk and Pap hang out

Serif and Flowey hang out

Ch 59 Shop Class meets

-10 Saturday

Everyone takes the day off to recover physically, mentally, and emotionally from the riot and the others bring Serif up to speed on what happened at the hospital. Serif is kind of glad he decided to stay behind but also frustrated that he doesn’t know what to do with all of his nervous energy. Asgore does his best to distract Serif from his anxiety, with limited success. Serif tries to channel the energy into his remaining empty quartz crystals, which just leaves him tired and anxious; he’s just as riled up mentally but now, with less energy at his disposal, he feels the need to be even more alert to make up for the feeling of weakness. Serif doesn’t trust himself to spar and instead goes on a walk/run, hoping to bleed off the energy that way.

He doesn’t get far before he finds Flowey, who was waiting for Serif to leave the house so they could talk. Flowey says whatever Serif felt from him before must have been Frisk’s soul piece but Serif says he can still feel things from Flowey. If anything, Serif can feel more from Flowey now than he could last time they talked.

[devilrosola]

Book Bound

This was inspired from a scene of RP I've been doing with Ja'far from the Magi Madness discord server. When I got the prompt "Library" I thought of this cute scene of them reading a book together on a couch, so here's a bit of that Modern Day Corporation AU~

~*~

It was a chance meeting: a Gala raising funds for charities. His brother had instructed him to network while there, but Kouen didn’t imagine he’d find someone so appealing while attempting to mingle. Something about Ja’far caught his eye and the more he learned of him, the more interested he became. They met up after the event, grabbed a bite at a cafe, worked side by side on their laptops at the park in the dark, and eventually ended up with Ja’far taking Kouen to his home so they could spar for a bit.

After spending the night, he had woken up to a delicious breakfast. Things were so pleasant, he proposed they start dating, which Ja’far accepted. This was new territory for both and Kouen still had a few hours until he needed to be at the airport.

“Let’s do something fun before I go.” As they cleaned up breakfast, Kouen eagerly waited to learn what his new boyfriend considered fun.

But then the question was turned right back at him. “Fun? What did you have in mind?”

“Oh…um…read a book together?” Kouen fumbled as his mind raced over what he enjoyed, and the hours he could spend reading history was the first thing that popped into his head. “...or…we could hit a museum or any of your favorite local places. There’s also the workout room and pool back at my hotel…” the one he was originally going to stay in before meeting Ja’far. “Or we can stay here and spar some more…” He smiled at his perceived smooth recovery and even managed to end his sentence with a coy wink.

Ja’far stared at Kouen for a moment before a chuckle parted from his lips. “I wouldn’t mind enjoying a book together. That sounds rather nice.”

The visitor’s crimson eyes darted to where he recalled seeing the living room before in this quaint abode. He imagined a couch or recliner for them to get comfortable on. “A book it is then. Do you have any recommendations?”

“Kouen, first I just need to tell you something. The moments we have shared…it is unlike anything I’ve experienced. I appreciate that it was with you.” Ja’far smiled gently as he took Kouen’s hand to lead him to his personal collection of books.

It was reciprocated with a firm but gentle grasp by a man hoping the fluster wasn’t so visible on his face. Kouen was at a loss of words from this confession, even though he felt the same way. “T-th…I…ahem…” He curled the fingers of his free hand around his mouth as he cleared his throat with solemnly closed eyes. “To have many more such experiences with you in the future would bring me great joy.”

Arriving at the home library, Kouen opened his eyes to see the selection of books. Many various non-fiction filled the shelves, indicating someone who valued facts. There were also some historical fictions that Kouen’s eyes zeroed in on. Many familiar titles and renowned authors.

His finger rubbed along the top of one, tempted to pull it out. “Oh. I’ve been meaning to read this one…”

Ja’far gently pulled the book out as soon as he heard Kouen’s interest. Silver strands of the calligraphed title contrasted beautifully against the dark brown canvas cover.

“This one it is then. I’ve never had the pleasure to actually finish it.” 

“Try not to give any spoilers,” Kouen hummed.

Ja’far directed him to a comfortable two cushion sofa in the living room. “Is here okay?”

Kouen’s hand ran along the green plaid blanket draped over the couch before sitting down to test it. Then with a smirk, he grabbed Ja’far’s wrist and pulled him onto his lap. Sideways at first, but Ja’far opted to turn and lean his back against Kouen’s chest.

He sat the book on his lap and delicately fingered the edge of the cover, savoring the moment before starting an adventure together. It would be easy to lose track of the outside world once started, so Ja’far checked, “Did you leave anything at your hotel room last night? You have time to read, but did you want to check back at the hotel?”

He had only brought the essentials for this short trip, so it was easy to gather all his things the night before. He was pretty sure everything was accounted for. Confidently, Kouen rested a hand on the slender shoulder as the book opened to the preface. “If I forgot anything, I could just buy another.” He nuzzled his chin into Ja’far’s neck. “I’d rather spend this time holding you.”

This made Ja’far’s body quiver, the closeness and attentiveness was endearing. “Of course…” Subtly, he bit his lower lip as he turned the pages to the beginning of the story.

Their height difference was perfect to allow both of them a view of the pages in this position. Ja’far started reading out loud until Kouen cut him off after a few paragraphs, giving them alternating turns to read and listen to the dulcet tones of the other’s voice. Occasionally there were side comments, with them sharing their thoughts or knowledge together. They were swept away by the contents within this magical book. It was all so comfortable and at the same time, mentally stimulating.

Every brush of one’s fingers against the other’s while turning pages sent tingling sensations up their backs. Their breaths wavered at each little squeeze, wondering how things could have gone so right for them. How unexpectedly they found their perfect match and came together as cozily as two jigsaw puzzle pieces.

Surely there must be a way to prolong their time together? Maybe Kouen could get to the airport later and V.I.P. his way through security? Or maybe his plane would be delayed? His eyes scanned across the words as Ja’far read them aloud, but his mind kept going back to the earlier confession: A unique experience, and was glad it was with him. As he wanted more, less awkward words formulated in his mind. When Ja’far finished to allow Kouen a turn, the latter squeezed his arms around the former’s waist and rested his chin on the other’s shoulder.

“These past dozen or so hours have been incredible, Thank you,” Kouen purred sincerely.

The hairs on the back of Ja’far’s neck stood upon the words that graced his ears while his entire face went red. Trying to calm his own nerves of excitement, Ja’far cleared his throat and humbly stated, “You…need not thank me for anything…”

Kouen hummed encouragingly, insisting Ja’far was worth the praise. Still, he settled back into reading out loud: such dramatic authority in his voice to compliment the author’s tone in the current scene.

After some time, they arrived at the last page of the third chapter. Upon finishing the page, the way Kouen’s hand glided over Ja’far’s was more of a caress. Seeing as it was getting late and a convenient stopping point arrived, he gently pushed the book down.

His other hand slid up Ja’far’s arm as he teased amusingly into his ear, “You should fly back with me. If nothing else, so we can finish this story together.”

Ja’far’s breath hitches, those words nothing but enticing to him. He placed a mark in the book before closing it with the intention to keep his focus strictly on Kouen. “As…amazing as that would be…I am needed here…”

“Of course,” a disappointed sigh escaped Kouen’s lips, temporarily easing his hold on the other. “Your company is lucky to have such a dedicated employee.” His arm snaked up Ja’far’s side and fingers stroked under the pale chin, urging them to make eye contact.

“You think so, hm?” Ja’far’s gaze fixated on Kouen, his pale cheeks tinted crimson.

It would be a lie if he said he did not desire someone so dedicated. “I know so.” Kouen then urged Ja’far closer for a kiss.

Ja’far indulged by pressing his lips to Kouen’s. Setting the book on the empty cusion, he shifted to more fully embrace this affection as one kiss became two and then more.  The pale fingers started twirling the red locks around them. Kouen’s arms supported the body on his lap. Every caressing touch was electrifying.

Amid the pleasant smiles, Ja’far breathed, “Kouen…”

“Ja’far?” Kouen breathed as he pulled the other closer into him.

“We shouldn’t get carried away. I don’t want to be the reason you’re late…” His dark green eyes gazed at Kouen with a hint of sadness. “It’s time to go.”

Longingly, Kouen gave one last caress on that freckled cheek. “Of course.” Sad as it was, he couldn’t help but admire the other’s responsibility.

[youhideastar]

For the fic rec game, if you still feel like it: 😂🔁✨🛳️

😂 A fic that made you laugh out loud

Early Returns by rageprufrock, 15,500 words, Inception, Arthur/Eames, newsroom AU

This is the fic I rec to friends who have never read a fanfic, but it's also a fic I read like once a year because nothing, nothing has ever made me laugh this hard. The jokes are so good that I still laugh out loud, after reading them at least ten times. Bonus: you really do not need to know anything about Inception to read this fic. Still not convinced? The summary is:

Thinking that a reporter genuinely likes you is pretty much on par with feeling like you really are special to that stripper.

🔁 A fic you’ve re-read several times

i could bite my tongue by astrolesbian, 3000 words, modern AU wlw!Wangxian

I have lost count of the number of times I have re-read this fic, my beloved comfort object, in which Wei Ying confesses her love and then freezes up during foreplay because the stakes feel so high, and she and Lan Zhan talk it through so lovingly and carefully, and the last line is peak peak peak romance and waaaauggh I can't handle how soft and wonderful this fic makes me feel!!! Plus, there is an equally sweet sequel!!

✨ A fic you wish you could read again for the first time

If they caught you by @feyburner, 6000 words, Tian Guan Ci Fu/Heaven Official's Blessing

TGCF is hard to write fic for. The vibe is so specific. Most fics that try to match it fail; you're usually better off intentionally going for a different vibe than canon. This fic, however, gets it exactly right. This is Xie Lian. This is the humor, and the sorrow, hand-in-hand. I bawled. My chest hurt so bad. I was smiling through my tears. I needed a hug. I've re-read this fic and it's still damn good, but nothing will ever match the absolute wrecking ball of that first read.

🛳️ A fic that brought you aboard a new ship

Gift of the Magi by astolat, 4000 words, Person of Interest, Reese/Finch

This fic has a lot to answer for: before I read it, I knew nothing of this pairing, this fandom, this canon--and after it, I devoured all 5 seasons of the show and damn near all the fic this small fandom has to offer. I read this one on a whim because I love astolat's writing, of course, and then it was like a sickness, I needed more. 😂 So anyway, curses upon this perfectly constructed jewel box of a fic for what it did to me, and I now pass that curse along to you, O reader!

Fic rec ask game post!