#and i know there's probably also a lot of fluff + hurt/comfort in the fandom but i've been seeing more of this

[junkmailmusubi]

see i keep noticing this "rule" in a lot of fandom spaces that lighthearted fandoms tend to write edgy stuff abt the characters Going Through It and dark fandoms tend to write a lot of fluff. this makes the isat fandom a Very Funny exception to this rule because from what i've seen they all got to watch siffrin's deteriorating mental state in real time and said "hey what if it was Worse. what if we put him through More"

[giveemhales]

🦇 My 30 Favorite Batfam Fics of 2024 🦇

I’m continuing my annual tradition of sharing some of my favorite fics that came out in the past year (you can see last year’s list here). This is just a way for me to show my love and appreciation for the many amazing artists/writers who keep the fandom alive. If you read any of these fics, please make sure to leave some kudos and comments! And there are so many amazing fics I wasn’t able to include, so I encourage you to show some appreciation to your own favorites!

Please be sure to read all tags and warnings. I’ve provided warnings for the darkest fics.

All of these fics were completed in 2024. I only do one fic per author, but definitely check out all of these authors’ other works. Also, most of these feature tim, because he is my favorite. Now, without further ado…

Sparkles by @iselsis (2k, jason & bruce, fluff, a/b/o dynamics, batman finds an omega kid covered in cuddle pollen and going into heat)

until the bounds of death have been unwound by @vinelark (2.9k, tim & jason, fantasy and angst with a hopeful ending, tim is a demigod and he goes to save jason from the underworld) (the sequel is also great!)

Sacrificial Lamb by @kgraces (3.3k, tim & bruce, angst with a happy ending, bruce makes a deal with the devil to trade tim’s life for jason’s, his kids later find out) (this fic messed me up, i actually think about it all the time)

wouldn’t wish it by @green-eyedfirework (3.3k, jason & damian & tim, whump/angst with a hopeful ending, talia calls jason to save his brothers from the league of assassins) *READ THE TAGS

Lucky Number Three by @sohotthateveryonedied (3.4k, tim & bruce, angst and hurt/comfort, bruce has to deal with the consequences of his actions while he was under the influence of truth serum) (won’t make much sense unless you read this fic which honestly destroyed me)

Anything by @byrambles (3.5k, dick-centric, angst with a happy ending, bruce tells dick he wants to adopt his siblings, dick assumes this does not mean him)

possess by @envysparkler (4.6k, bruce-centric, angst with a happy ending, bruce is possessed by a demon that want, fortunately jason has magic swords)

The Guilt Never Really Left, You Know by @neuro-psyche (4.9k, dick & jason, angst with a happy ending, nightwing saves and then confronts red hood) *READ THE TAGS

Sacrifice by @onemuseleft (5.4k, bruce & his kids, light angst with a happy ending, the justice league is successfully negotiating with alien invaders until they request the sacrifice of one of Batman’s children)

you’ll be alright [or else] by @call-me-quill (5.9k, tim & jason, angst with a happy ending, tim takes a bullet meant for jason and doesn’t understand why jason is so upset)

the bed and breakfast by @adelfie (6.2k, dick-centric, fluff and angst with a happy ending, dick is stranded at a b&b during blizzard, things seem fine until he realizes he’s being held hostage)

with the exception of… by @dss1101 (6.4k, tim-centric, hurt/comfort, everyone realizes tim had a very different experience with his batman than all the other kids)

How to be a Little Brother by @die-erlkonigin6083 (7.4k, damian-centric, fluff and light angst, damian tries to learn how to be a good younger brother)

Reply ‘STOP’ to Unsubscribe by @motleyfam & @batmoniker (8.4k, jason & tim, angst with a happy ending, tim imagines his dad when he’s hit with fear gas at school) (this will probably make more sense if you read the rest of the series first, but I don’t think is strictly necessary (but you should read the series anyway bc it’s great))

Of A Genius’ Legacy by @sparkoflena (8.5k, tim-centric, fluff, tim graduates high school, a lot more people than he expected show up)

Flatline by @dragonpyre (8.9k, jason-centric, angst with a happy ending, jason is injected with a drug that basically shuts down his body, he has to watch his family’s reactions to finding his “dead” body)

Our Dead Drink the Sea by @ghost-bxrd (9.2k, jason-centric, angst with a happy ending, jason is a selkie and bruce kept his pelt when he died, the red hood takes the pelt and the batfam want it back)

In The Back Room by WhumpKing223 (9.9k, dick & jason & tim, heavy angst with a hopeful ending, batman discovers black mask is holding three boys captive, bruce wayne decides to take them in) (the rest of the series is about the boys’ time with bruce and it is great) *READ THE TAGS

Boom, Boom, Pow! by LilaVaporizer9000 (11.1k, tim-centric, absolute hilarity, kid tim steals the batmobile and wreaks havoc/ saves the day)

how to feed your local demon by @inkpotsprite (14.5k, tim & dick & bruce, fluff and humor and light angst, dick is an incubus and isn’t doing well after jason’s death, tim shows up to help)

the fire under your feet by @phneltwrites (17.8k, tim & jason & damian, angst with a happy ending, tim shows up to the league of assassins while jason is still there, they must team up to save damian from ra’s)

Perfect Storm by @banditywrites (25.1k, tim-centric, angst with a happy ending, tim is winning the game of not needing anything from his parents, but it starts getting harder and his neighbors are concerned)

you’re not defenseless, i’ll be your shelter by @fandomtrash-whataboutit (26.3k, tim-centric, angst with a hopeful ending, tim is lex luthor’s captive and is in charge of watching over the new captives- young justice) (the only batfam relationship in this is tim & dick, but the rest of the series has more batfam plus timkon and is so good)

Brother of the Fucking Year by @aceofdivinechlorophyll (26.4k, jason-centric, fluff and crack, jason makes plans to chaotically meet and bond with his siblings… as red hood) (will probably make more sense if you read the first part of the series first, which is also funny and great)

Join the Club by @cephalog0d (26.9k, jason & tim & dick, fluff and humor and light angst, where tim and jason meet at school, tim is dick’s biggest fan, and jason thinks it would be funny to make them meet) (this was filled for me for FTH but I would have included this fic regardless, it’s great)

What Christmas Means To Me by @taralaurel (29.9k, tim & dick & jason & bruce, fluff and angst, tim meets bruce when he is dressed as santa and asks for his parents to be home for Christmas, the batfam takes this as a challenge)

Screaming In The Dark (While We All Play Our Part) by @yourwakingnightmares (32.9k, dick & jason & tim & damian, heavy angst with a hopeful ending, the batboys are captives of a very evil batman, they escape and go to the justice league for help) (I also rec the sequel, which is ongoing and great) *READ THE TAGS

The Right Substitution is Key by @addictedapple (34.4k, jason-centric, fluff and crack and light angst, nightwing and batman go missing, robin asks red hood to fill in as batman)

the loneliness in worth by @yeeyee123 (56.1k, tim & damian, angst with a happy ending and humor, tim is supposed to be training in paris, he instead ends up with the league of assassins and decides he’s gonna help damian get to his father)

Northern Attitude (I Was Raised on Little Light) by @theskeptileptic (103.2k, tim-centric, heavy angst with a happy ending, tim is bruce’s biological son, jack drake has been punishing him his whole life for this, the batfam just want tim in their life) (technically not finished, but I didn’t put it in the WIP section as there is only one chapter left and it’s honestly at a satisfying stopping point) *READ THE TAGS, there is graphic child abuse

+5 WIPs I’d love to see more of in 2025!

[Refuge] by @raberbagirl (7.6k, tim & jason & dick, mostly fluff, the boys take refuge from the streets in the abandoned and supposedly haunted Wayne manor, the spirit of the manor is just happy to care for the kids)

a cuckoo in the nest by @antebunny (9.4k, tim-centric, angst and fluff, bruce makes a deal with the fae to get jason back, he has to take tim in in return, tim just wants to be loved)

Mine by @millytsworld (18k, jason & dick, angst with a happy ending, dick is the right hand man to an infamous mob boss (bruce) and decides jason is his new little brother, jason completely misunderstands dick’s intentions) *READ THE TAGS

Losing Time by hatlessmule (40.3k, tim-centric, angst (hopefully with a happy ending), tim finds himself in a universe where he doesn’t exist, the batfam want to know who this flighty kid is)

Care and Keeping and Kryptonite by @mild-and-hammered (96.9k, superbat ft. the bat kids, fluff and light angst, mild-mannered reporter clark is injured and has to stay with playboy bruce wayne and neither know the other’s secret identity, meanwhile bruce’s kids start meddling to bring the two closer together)

[tubbytarchia]

Thoughts on the dynamic between TIES Tango and BB Jimmy? Or even the silly rivalry they have in SL? There’s just so much adorable fluffy potential there and I’m just 💭

- 🧚🏼‍♀️

YOU'RE RIGHT THERE IS AND I LOVE THEM. SL ranchers are SO cute and precious its off the charts. Limited Life however...

Ok drawing that hurt a bit so I'm immediately following up with this

Limited Life is so carefree in general it's SO fun and probably the least angst material out of any of the Life series to me (of course there is still plenty, can't underestimate the traffic fandom's ability to find angst in everything) including Tango and Jimmy. They're so fun and you're right that it's a lot of fluff potential, mostly because Jimmy being a "bad boy" is so funny. BUT THE, MAN. TH The fact that this is the one after DL, after Jimmy so desperately wanted to apologize to Tango for how they went out and who knows if he got to do that or not. I love the idea of them reuniting in some temporary afterlife game or dark void following their deaths, but also what if they didn't get to talk... maybe it was only Tango's distant messages "you're still here? It's over. Go home. Go" that reached him and then he just didn't dare to talk about it other than the one time he instinctually called him "rancher" again. I can't help but be filled with angst when I think about LimL ranchers but I trust that where there is angst, hurt/comfort is sure to follow.... If not then I just die I guess

The bad boy sunglasses are very convenient to hide the look with which he gazes upon Tango from a distance... But then oop Tango hops through the nether portal on top of bad boy mansion and Jimmy decides to go for it, to try and harken back to how they used to be to gauge how Tango will react when he goes "The boogie's being chosen, you're here with us now, we have to look into each other's eyes!" (paraphrasing) and then he's like "oh Impulse is here too" lmao and then that's just kinda it. And then TIES blows up bread bridge and auughhghhh you know??? I'm so bad at expressing how I feel, sorry this is a ramble. But I love them so very dearly and I could absolutely imagine inconspicuous moments between them. Like whenever I think of potential LimL rancher fluff my mind goes to this one fanfic about Jimmy being sleep deprived and he just kinda ends up at TIES and Tango puts him to sleep. Stuff like that

And idk what more to say about Secret Life. Their little rivalry is so funny and literally idk if it's the fanart that has absolutely fucked with my head but every time I think about them I imagine them awkwardly flirting on complete accident and just being kind of weird but. very lovable. They had only two notable interactions and those two interactions left me permanently deranged

ANYWAY THANKS FOR THE ASK ANON

[kwamiwayzz]

Jeckole Fic Rec List Part II

(Art by emilu-enjuagas on Twitter)

I'm doing another one of these, but more for newer-ish fics. The more well-known ones are the most Kudos'ed fics you'll see on AO3 (for good reason), but I thought I'd give some love on some fics that probably aren't getting as much attention since the fandom isn't as active as it was last year.

Similar to the last rec list that I had, I'll mostly be sharing my thoughts that may or may not talk about the plot for each fic.

Candied Consideration by Kayleen756894 - This is by the same author who wrote Inscriptions (aka one of my favorite Jeckole fics), and while I haven't read it yet, I can always trust this author to deliver. It's a crossover fic, which may not be everyone's cup of tea--but, it's a crossover fic with Heathers (that one musical I haven't seen). I know nothing about Heathers, but based on some of the things I've been hearing about this fic, it's that one crossover that a lot of people didn't expect they needed. Both source material are pretty similar in terms of vibes which makes it fit pretty well for someone who's primarily a Class of '09 fic reader. I have yet to read this, but it's Kayleen, so...I'm sat.

Even When It's Quiet by mlpvsbojackhorseman - I didn't get a chance to read the old version when it was still running, but the author ended up revamping it and is currently on Chapter 2 with a darker tone. As someone who loves hurt/comfort Jeckole (especially fics that touch more on the darker aspect of mental health), this was that type of fic I was looking for to scratch that itch. I want to note that the tags include Dead Dove, but the author mentioned it's more for exploring really taboo subjects as Jecka and Nicole's relationship progresses.

God, I'm Very, Very Frightened I'll Overdo It by Fox_Is_Fandumb - I believe this fic has been around while the fandom was much more active, but it recently updated earlier this month and thought to put it on this list. I don't care if people say it's OOC for Nicole and Jecka because I'm vanilla and like seeing them happy. But what makes this not as "OOC" for me personally is that their core personality traits are still retained in some way despite being more mellowed out. It's meant to be a collection of oneshots during their (Jecka's) college years, most of which are pretty fluffy. If you're looking for some light-hearted fluff between the two that takes place after high school, you should give this a read.

Wanweird by AbsurdofOurs - I didn't think I'd find another fic that gave me the same feeling as Progman's Jeckole, but this was definitely the one. Nicole is peak loser in this one, and I love it. She's living in Emily's car and sells vapes to kids on the playground, all while still thinking about her situationship with Jecka back in high school. I say that this gives me the same feeling as Progman's Jeckole since their dynamic is largely inspired by Codepedent Philosopher's Guide to Staying Alive. And honestly, I eat that kind of codependent dynamic up so good. I love the interactions between Nicole and Jecka, and there were some scenes where I found myself laughing because of the comedic timing. I love the way that this author writes Jecka and Nicole's dialogue, and if you're looking for a specific codependent flavor of Jeckole, this is the fic for you.

Reflection by Kayleen756894 - Another Kayleen fic, but this time, it's a Halloween special. I read this when it came out and the pining on Nicole's end made me think I was witnessing her in a glass closet. Nicole is a vampire in this one, surprise, surprise, but she also craves Jecka's blood--the same friend who may or may not let her have a hit when she gets hungry. The part I love the most about this fic (aside from the prose) is the banter between the two. It was definitely needed after everyone's disappointment from the third game lol. If you're looking for a fluff(?) Halloween-themed fic, this is for you.

sweetgirl by jackdotcom - This was a really sweet fic I read (while I was bedridden from my Illness Part II) that takes place around Christmas. It's broken up into three chapters (though can easily be read in one go), and it has Nicole and Jecka having a shitty time but decide to spend the Christmas day together pretending that it's not Christmas.

Last Night in Town by bunmoder - I actually read this last night, and I believe they're a newer writer that came in, but I loved the way they wrote the overall mood of this fic. It's a more bittersweet Jeckole fic, but it's also very fluffy during the quiet moments.

I Was Never Complete Without You by MentalCrit09 - Also another post-Flipside fic, but for those people who hated the FYE Roadtrip route. It focuses more on Jecka's recovery back into normlacy after being rescued from that distasteful ending. It's not super angsty and has enough balance between the heavy subjects of what Jecka went through as well as the general fluff after reuniting with Nicole. For anyone who really wanted a fix-it fic/happy ending fic from arguably one of the worst endings from Flip Side, this fic is for you.

Laughter of a Faded Star by Progman - This actually isn't an old fic, and also a bit of a strange one. However, after my hesitation from reading a very AU-divergent fic, I thought this deserved to be on here. I've mentioned before that I tend to lean more towards Jeckole fics where they're adults, so that's most likely why this is here. I do want to mention that it feels very divorced from the original source material, but Progman explains it enough in both the writing and their author's notes to why Nicole and Jecka are the way they are here. Nicole isn't super fucked up here since her dad never shot himself, but because of that, she and Jecka never met in high school. This is more of an AU where they meet as adults, where Nicole is a part-time comedian while Jecka is a therapist/psychologist. It might not be up everyone's alley, but I enjoyed reading it and seeing how their meeting played out as their alternate selves.

And that's it, for now at least. I really wanted to try and focus more on newer/recently updated fics (post-Flipside) despite throwing in some older ones. It's not a very long list, but hopefully I can create a Jeckole masterlist one day (including Explicit works) that has fics stretching back from post-Re-Up.

I'll probably have a general Class of '09 rec list at some point because while I'm mostly a Jeckole monoshipper, there have been some fics for other pairings that I thought were well-written. But we'll see when I'm not too lazy to make that one lol.

[captainsophiestark]

Comfort

Dick Grayson x Reader

Masterlist - Join My Taglist!

Written for my personal fic writing challenge for 2024, Sophie's Year of Fic! Featuring a new fic being posted every Friday, all year long :)

Fandom: DC

Summary: The vigilante couple that takes care of each other after a bad patrol night stays together.

Word Count: 1,173

Category: Fluff, Comfort (after Hurt, but the hurt's not in the fic)

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

I winced as my boyfriend, Dick Grayson, dabbed antiseptic against the cut on my arm. It needed to be done, and I was glad I didn't have to do it myself, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt.

"Sorry," Dick said, his voice soft. I leaned into him.

"It's ok. Thank you for helping."

"You might not want to thank me until we're done stitching this up. I'll do my best to be gentle, but... it probably won't feel great no matter what."

I gave him a weak smile, then let my head drop to rest on his shoulder. He held my injured arm gently in his lap, taking care not to move it more than he had to.

"I think you get the thank you no matter what. Especially since I'd have to try to do this myself if I didn't have you here to help me."

Dick just hummed, and I tried to focus on him and his comforting warmth as he moved to start on the stitches. Being a vigilante was absolutely brutal sometimes, thanks to moments and injuries like this. Especially since we couldn't usually go get treated as our civilian identities, lest it lead to some very awkward questions. But we were doing good, important work, and we were doing it together. Despite the worst days, I wouldn't trade this life for anything, and I knew Dick felt the same.

I focused on taking deep breaths through my nose as Dick worked. I clenched the hand of my non-injured arm, working on keeping the injured one still. Between stitches, Dick muttered comforting words, the tone and timbre of his voice near my ear keeping me as calm as anything else. I lost track of time, zoning out of the moment to focus on breathing and the man beside me.

Finally, Dick let out a sigh and sat back, moving one arm from my wound to around my shoulders. I sighed, leaning further into his chest, finally able to move the arm he'd been working on now that it was all stitched and bandaged.

"You still feeling okay?" he asked, rubbing small circles with his thumb against my good arm. I sighed and nodded.

"As okay as I can feel, considering everything. Thanks again for patching me up."

"You know I'm always happy to take care of you. I'm just sorry you needed it in the first place."

"Eh." I shrugged. "Life of a vigilante."

"Yeah," Dick sighed, sounding a little more melancholy than I'd been expecting. We stayed like that for a few long moments, laying against each other and enjoying the peace after a sketchier-than-usual night of fighting crime.

Finally, Dick sighed again, more as a transition than a lament this time.

"Alright, we both need to eat something, and then get some rest. Anything sound particularly good to you?"

"...I don't know if my heart can take the adventure that is your attempt at cooking on top of the night we've already had."

"I was planning to order in, but it's nice to be reminded that you have no faith at all in my culinary ability."

I just smiled and leaned into him.

"You know I love you, but you also know Jason spilled about the time you managed to burn cereal. I don't think there's a lot of hope for coming back from that, babe."

Dick laughed, pulling me even closer to him, the slightly heavier mood now completely gone.

"I guess that's fair. But one of these days, I'm going to secretly take a cooking class, and then I'll prove you all wrong."

I just hummed. "Take me with you when you do it. A cooking class sounds fun."

Dick chuckled and leaned down to place a soft kiss on my forehead.

"It's a deal. Now come on, let's get you settled in on the couch so we can order something good."

I sighed, but shifted my weight off of Dick. I moved to push myself up to standing, but before I could get very far, Dick shot up next to me and swept me into his arms. I laughed, throwing my arms around his neck in surprise as he carried me towards the living room.

"You're too injured to walk," he said, a grin on his face despite his words. "Doctor's orders, you need to be carried."

"Pretty sure it was just my arm that got really hurt. Some bruises and other injuries on my torso. Legs ended up being pretty okay."

"Mmm, no, I'm pretty sure I'm right."

He set me down on the couch with a flourish, then sat and shifted me around so my legs laid across his lap. He sighed and picked up his phone, taking care of takeout while I got my arm in a comfortable position and stared at the angel of a man that I got to call my boyfriend.

"Alright, food should be here in about twenty minutes," he announced, setting his phone down in triumph. "I vote we watch a movie or something while we wait and eat, then go to bed."

"I have one suggested addition to the plan."

"Yeah?"

"I want to reserve the right for us to change the plan and fall asleep here instead of going to bed."

Dick raised an eyebrow and made a big show of looking me up and down, spending a little extra time evaulating my arm and its position. Then, finally, he met my eyes again.

"You sure your arm's gonna be okay if we stay here?"

I shrugged. "Pretty sure. I've put worse stitching through more strenuous and dangerous activities than a couch nap before."

Dick grinned, his blue eyes sparkling as he wrapped an arm over the top of my thighs and pulled me closer to him.

"I don't know. I've heard couch naps can be pretty perilous."

"As long as neither of us rolls off the thing, I feel pretty good about our chances."

He hummed, pulling me even further onto his lap. "We should probably cuddle pretty closely, then. To keep each other safe from falling off this thing."

"Makes sense to me," I said, grinning and turning to lean into Dick. "Safety precautions are important."

He huffed a laugh, then finally stretched out on the couch alongside me, shifting us both so I was half laying on his chest. I could hear the constant comforting beat of his heart through his shirt, and I swear, my blood pressure instantly dropped.

"What are we gonna do when the food gets here?" I groaned, already halfway asleep. The last of the adrenaline had finally faded now that I was here, happy, comfortable, and safe with my favorite person in the world, and I could feel how quickly I was losing the battle with sleep.

"Don't worry," Dick muttered, gently running his hand up and down my back. "I'lll take care of it. You just get some rest."

I hummed, intending to say something else to him, but the exhaustion rooted into my bones and I couldn't keep myself up. I drifted off on his chest, his arms wrapped tightly around me, perfectly safe and content with the love of my life.

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

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

DC Taglist: @gaychaosgremlin @v1ckycheesue @lavender-dinos @g0atmansbridge182

[cookiesforsigma]

✧Fyodor Centered Headcanons // dating✧

Fandom: Bungo Stray Dogs

Pairing: Fyodor Dostoevsky x Gn!Reader

Genre: Fluff, Comfort

Warnings: none

W/c: 1.5k

A/n: I actually did this in one sitting my body hurts from staying still for so long ahhh also this is my first post and im not a good writer ok. i rly hope Fyodor isn't ooc here

--Fyodor dating headcanons--

1. General + fluff

— I think we all know he's not the most romantic/affectionate lover (though he's so attractive, in your eyes, he's a gentleman).

— Even after you start dating him, Fyodor will still be (cold?) formal to you. He somehow still manages to show his affection towards you in this manner.

— He's softer around you than he is around anybody.

— He prefers giving you attention when you're alone rather than in public.

— He's a bit obsessed with you. Fyodor is so used to getting what he wants, so he has slight yandere tendencies.

— To him, his lover is most precious.

— He lets you wear his ushanka (his hat) and his coat, and he secretly thinks you look adorable dressed like him. He'd never outright admit it, of course.

— Fyodor probably will not make the first move. By that I mean he won’t kiss you unless you kiss him, but that only applies before your first kiss. He does see you staring though.

— He sometimes teases you and acts mean on purpose just to get a reaction out of you. Fyodor thinks you look so cute when you're mad at him and hug a pillow instead of hugging him, but he can't stand being ignored. He'll apologize soon.

— He's extremely observant. He is always able to read you like an open book.

— And don't think he doesn't notice anything you do. Whether it's a small act of affection like brushing your knuckles against his 'by accident', smiling more or less than usual or fidgeting, he notices all of it. Not in a creepy way though.

— Speaking of, he loves small acts of affection. He's almost always holding your hand, he gives you small kisses, and he strokes your hair sometimes.

- - - ♡ - - -

Holding your hand;

— Gosh, he's almost always holding your hand. He especially loves when you intertwine your fingers. He isn't big on physical touch, so this is a great way for him to feel closer to you.

— Sometimes, if he doesn't feel like it, he won't let go of your hand as it is 'such a bother'. Even after your hands become sweaty, you'll have to beg him to let go. Because he won't. (not willingly)

— Fyodor doesn't do a lot of pinky holding. He wants to feel your palms against his. Plus, his hands are always cold because of his anemia, and holding hands properly is the best way to keep him warm (outside of cuddle sessions).

- - - ♡ - - -

Kisses;

— He adores soft kisses. He's also not much of a lip kisser. His favorite places to kiss you are your cheek and forehead (and your hand, on rare occasions).

— He sometimes has bursts of affection, mostly after a long day at work, but they are very small and they don't last very long. It'd hurt his ego if he showed his desperation for your love.

— These small bursts of affection are the moments he gives you kiss attacks.

— Passionate kisses only happen during makeout sessions, which, of course, happen later in the relationship. I'd say it's worth the wait, given that he's an incredibly good kisser and his passionate kisses are so passionate. (obv they are im so stupid.)

— Don't expect him to kiss you first though. Fyodor rarely ever makes the first move.

— But he does notice you staring at his lips, expecting him to kiss you.

— He has a habbit of biting his nails, so it's difficult not to stare.

— And his lips are extremely soft. And warm. Any wait you have to go through, it's worth it.

- - - ♡ - - -

Playing with your hair;

— If you have long hair, he absolutely loves it. It's classic of him to prefer long hair, don't you think?

— If you have short hair, that's fine too. Your hair length does not determine how much he loves you by any means. He just thinks your hair is such a delicate thing about you.

— If you have long hair though, you can expect him to stare. A lot.

— Fyodor loves seeing you with your hair untied, or seeing the different hairstyles you try, even if you just put your hair up lazily, he thinks any hairstyle looks good on you.

— He's not always touching your hair, but it makes him happy when you let him brush it, play with it, or try new hairstyles on you.

— He'll only brush your hair after a shower or if you ask him to, play with it when he feels like it, braid it when he thinks it'll get tangled. He doesn't play with your hair 24/7, as I said, but he's always more than happy to if you ask him.

- - - ♡ - - -

Sitting/laying your head on his lap and vice versa;

— Fyodor doesn't mind if you sit on his lap or lay your head on his thigh while he works. In fact, he actually likes it.

— He'd be a little surprised as he's very touch starved and he'll find it difficult to relax, but he will for your comfort.

— These are the moments he'll run his fingers through your hair and pat your head gently (and awkwardly). But you love the feeling of his hands, there's no way you could ever complain.

— Fyodor will also brush your hair out of your face and maybe kiss your hand, but after you fall asleep.

— He never gets enough rest, which is why you'll just go to sleep on his lap most of the time. But you still get chances to sleep with him.

— He'll let you sleep peacefully if it's a short afternoon nap, but at night he'll snuggle with you after he finishes his work.

— He's too cocky to lay his head on your lap. Again, it'd hurt his ego. So you'd have to ask him to do that.

— Making him sit on your lap is out of the question.

— If you manage to get him to lay his head on your thigh and you want him to do it again sometime, you need to stroke his hair and maybe bend down to give him a kiss.

— Oh God he's definitely doing this again.

— He doesn't like being put in 'vulnerable' positions, but he can't help it when your fingers massage that one spot on his head.

— After the first time he falls asleep on your lap, he won't even bother asking. He'll just sit you down somewhere and tell you he's sleepy, and then wait to be taken care of.

— Of course, this is the kind of thing Fyodor would only do in private, and he'd appreciate it if you didn't try to do this in front of anyone either.

- - - ♡ - - -

Spending time together;

— Fyodor's quite introverted, so he'd prefer an introverted s/o. Even if you're not introverted, as long as you're not loud, he's fine with it.

— The reason I'm mentioning this is because he wants the two of you to be able to enjoy each other's company in silence sometimes.

— He can play his cello for you while you work on something, he can play with your hair while you read a book, or you could cuddle and take a nap.

— Fyodor doesn't always feel the need to hold a conversation to enjoy your presence. He knows you're next to him, and that's enough for him.

- - - ♡ - - - ♡ - - - ♡ - - -

2. Comfort

— Let's be honest now... He sucks at comforting people. (how am i going to write this..)

— He's never dealt with anyone crying before, let alone a person he cares about.

— The difference between a crying person and a crying person he cares about is that he's scared of hurting the feelings of the person he cares about. (makes sense? no.)

— Fyodor won't struggle to comfort you as long as you're not crying. He'll buy you food if you want, he'll play chess/card games with you, he'll play his cello for you, he'll give you his hat... He will just do this best to cheer you up.

— But he's aware that if you start crying, cheering you up is not the right solution. He's going to try to hold you and let you cry in his arms.

— He won't talk much. He really wouldn't know what to say in situations like these.

— There's a chance he'll complain about you getting his clothes wet...? I'm so sorry but it sounds like something he'd do. Not always though.

— He cares about you, but he doesn't feel the need to remind you, as it'd make him feel awkward and he knows you're aware of that already.

— Fyodor is still going to hold you for as long as you need.

— He'll ask you what the matter is, and he'll be fine with it if you don't want to answer. He'll probably make you a drink or try to cheer you up once you've stopped crying.

— He'll hold you some more if needed.

— If you do decide to tell him what's bothering you, he might think it's not worth crying over. Depends if it's an insecurity or someone's death.

— If it is an insecurity Fyodor will give you some praise and compliments, but again, 'it's a pathetic reason to cry'.

— He's not good at giving advice if that's what you need.

— But he'll listen and hold you, even if he doesn't openly admit he cares for you as much as he really does.

- - - ♡ - - - ♡ - - - ♡ - - -

[bluemoonsymphonies]

RotTMNT Fic Rec #1

Adventures in NYC by beanieable

Chapters: 6/6 Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Words: 12,294 Summary: What happens when the Hamato Clan gets their hands on some cloaking brooches and start to explore New York with them? The rumors about Lou Jitsus kids are just a coincidence. or 5 times their were recognised as Lou Jitsu and kids and the time they revealed it all.

I had to include this fic first because it is what pulled me into this fandom in the first place. It is hilarious in the best ways and everyone is in-character. I don't want to spoil it, but I can say that it includes a lot of nosy reporters, petty older twin Donnie, Medic Leo, Mikey getting first person experience in case of mistaken gender, and Raph being a sweetheart to an old lady.

Though there is Draxum/Splinter as a couple, but you can ignore it if you want. All and all, it is a great fic and totally worth the read.

✭✭✭

Donatello's Impromptu Method of (Literally) 'Winging It' by NighttimeWishes

Chapters: 1/1 Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Words: 6,045 Summary: Donnie just injected unknown mutagens into his bloodstream. It seemed a good idea at the time (approximately five minutes ago). He can’t remember his logic now, mostly because he didn’t write it down. It was probably something about reversing mutations. Whatever, it doesn’t matter anymore. He cannot tell a living soul about this incident. [A surprisingly fluffy story about Donatello accidentally mutating himself and realizing how much his family loves him.]

This one is so sweet and hilarious. It is a great fic a definitely worth the read, Donnie is super in-character. I can't think of anything else to say that wouldn't be spoiling it, so go check it out!

✭✭✭

Trinkets by SmilesRawesome

Chapters: 1/1 Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Words: 3,940 Summary: Based on a headcanon by @donatellosgogglelens on tiktok “Thanks, Donnie!” He said brightly, his other brothers chiming in with their own thanks after him. Donnie flapped his hands and giggled, making Leo clutch his new present tighter. Donnie did love them, and this was the proof.

I LOVE THIS ONE SO MUCH! It is literally one of my favorite fics ever! It's Disaster Twins fluff and angst (Hurt/Comfort), but it's still so sweet. Donnie's love language is 100% gift-giving (Me too, Donnie, me too) and this represents that perfectly.

This is worth ∞ reads. I cannot exaggerate how much I love this fic and think that everyone should read it.

✭✭✭

Operation Sleepy Slider by Artralic

Chapters: 1/1 Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Words: 5,196 Summary: “Trust me this is way more serious.” Raph tries to bring the younger turtles up to speed, only to be interrupted. “Booooo! No, you know the rules! No seriousness on Lazy Sundays!” Mikey is a big proprietor of lazy days and makes sure everyone follows the rules of having a stress free day. It works only because it guilts them all to rest, if only so Mikey isn’t stressing about them not resting. “It’s Thursday Micheal.” “Yeah but it has the spirit of Lazy Sunday” “Guys!” Raph’s outburst brings their attention back to him, but their deadpan stares show they still don’t appreciate the seriousness Raph is trying to infringe upon their relaxation. “Guys, we got a code Sleepy Slider on our hands.” Raph’s voice is grim, his face shadowed with the weight of the situation they find themselves in. With the code spoken, Donnie and Mikey sit at attention. ~ ~ ~ or Leo's insomnia strikes and his brothers help him get some rest.

I love this one, it's pure sibling fluff. I always read it when I can't sleep, and it almost always makes me fall asleep. Also, sleep-deprived Leo is extremely funny.

Raph is such a good big brother in this one (like usual, but extra in this), Donnie nearly gets mauled by Sleepy-Leo, Mikey almost goes full Doctor Delicate Touch on Sleepy-Leo, but it still remains super fluffy and sweet. Certainly worth the read!

✭✭✭

Sorry this fic rec is short, it took forever to find a format I liked and I wanted to get it out today. The next one should be out by next Friday, have a nice day!

Masterpost | Ko-Fi | Next>

[monstrous-femme]

So You Want to Write Poly Fic: A How-To from Your Favorite Poly Mutual

(i know for many of you I'm your only poly mutual so that works too)

This guide is going to rely heavily on Stranger Things pairings, because that's the fandom I'm currently writing in, but these concepts can apply to any fandom.

Expand your definition of Polyamory

Fandom loves the triad, and if this is what you want to write, there's no reason not to. However, three people all dating each other should not be the only thing you think of when you think of polyamory! Here are some other configurations for your consideration:

Jonathan is dating both Nancy and Argyle, but Nancy and Argyle are not dating each other

Chrissy is dating Robin, but sometimes makes out with Heather at parties.

Eddie, Steve, and Nancy are all dating each other, and Nancy has a separate relationship with Barb.

Steve and Robin have a queerplatonic relationship that they consider their primary partnership, but both date other people in a casual setting.

Chrissy is not ready to be in a relationship after breaking up with Jason, but has casual hookups with multiple people who are aware of and comfortable with the situation.

2. Pay attention to your dyads.

One of the most common mistakes I see in poly fics is trying to superimpose the same way you'd write monogamous pairings onto more people. The problem with this is that in a couple with only two people, you are only writing one relationship. In a poly ship, you're writing more, and probably a higher number than you think of. This is where the dyad comes in.

A dyad simply the relationship between two people. Say you're writing Nancy/Chrissy/Robin (as you should). You're not just writing the one relationship between the three of them. There are also three separate relationships to consider:

Chrissy/Nancy Robin/Chrissy Nancy/Robin

Each of these relationships will have its own dynamic, and just because they're all dating doesn't mean it will all be the same. This is why I often caution newer writers away from writing relationships with tons of characters off the bat. The jump from a triad to a quad moves you from 3 dyads to 6. Now, depending on your POV character, you may not have to focus much on every single dyad, but you do need to be aware of their existence.

3. Metamour Dynamics

A metamour is a person who your partner is dating and you are not dating. Metamour dynamics can be very complicated (but also very fun to play with when writing) because of the feelings that can come up seeing your partner with someone else.

Let's say both Steve and Robin are dating Nancy, but not each other. Are they thrilled to never have to be apart? Do they find it hilarious how much they share one brain? Or do they get sick of never having space away from each other? Does Robin resent that Steve's relationship with Nancy is more recognized by society because of heteronormativity? Does Steve resent that Robin's never had her heart broken by Nancy?

Metamours also may be awkward or choose not to interact. Let's say Nancy's dating both Barb and Eddie now. Do Barb and Eddie form an unlikely friendship? Are they consistently awkward and tense to a point where Nancy doesn't keep them near each other?

There are as many different metamour dynamics as there are people, and giving some life to these relationships will give a lot of texture and realism to your poly fic.

4. Let it be Messy

When we write monogamous pairings, most writers in a longer fic will include things not working out, miscommunication, hurt feelings, jealousy, anger, and angst. But there seems to be an anxiety around allowing any of these things to exist in polyamory, as if by admitting it's not always perfect, we're giving ammunition to polyphobia. (This same pressure is put on poly people in real life to be the Perfect Poly Partner and never experience difficult feelings around polyamory.)

The truth is, relationships are complicated. And while I love seeing poly pairings in fluff and smut, there seems at time to be real resistance to putting poly pairings into genres that are messier.

Mess is a part of life. Mess is especially a part of intimate, vulnerable relationships, and, on a personal note, I need the mess to exist in fiction because stories are how I understand myself. When poly people are allowed to be human, it helps me (and probably other poly people) give myself permission to be human too. You are not hurting the poly community if your characters mess up, especially if it's in real and human ways.

I hope this helps you feel more comfortable and confident writing poly characters! Feel free to shoot me an ask if you have any follow-up questions.

[spirkme915]

more spirk fics i've read recently and loved

The Promised Land by gunstreet @gunstreet (TOS) - buckle in and get ready for chapters and chapters of p-a-i-n. it's divorce era spirk (pre-TMP) and it hurts oh so good. have a desperate need to find out what spock was thinking when he chose kolinahr? you will wonder no more. also, there's sex. a lot of it and beautifully done. all around perfection

The Accidental Matchmaker by notboldly (AOS) - it's valentine's day on the enterprise and spock receives an unexpected note. this had me muttering "oh spock" (affectionate) under my breath as i read

emotionally compromised by thesorrowoflizards (AOS) - an extremely thoughtful and poignant rewrite of the bridge scene in the 2009 movie. gen not slash, but who needs sex when you get the vulnerability of tos spock in aos spock?

Between Me and You by Solid_Medical_Advice (TOS) - ONE BED! need i say more? well, i will anyway. this fic has a touch of angst but it's mostly fluff and feelings and is terribly soothing

home by Sir_Bedevere (TOS) - am i sucker for everything OMS? yes, yes i am. have another entry into the old married space husbands being adorably old and married (with a cat!)

Injury by iyokou (AOS) - F1 AND STAR TREK??? i love it when my fandoms collide. AND IT'S EXPLICIT HURT COMFORT??? *eternal sigh of happiness*

The Other Uniform by Bibarian (AOS) - jim wears an alternate uniform, spock loses his shit. spock & uhura bffs. then sex. how can you go wrong?

The way that we love at night (gave me life) by phlebotinxm (AOS) - obligatory PWP entry for this list and this one is established relationship so it's a completely different kind of good

(This and Every) Morning After by Solid_Medical_Advice (TOS/AOS) - are they friends with benefits? is it unrequited love? you probably already know those answers but this fic is still fun as hell to read. also, CONFIDENT SPOCK. i am here for all confident spock

Sweet dreams (of course I love you) by decidedlynotheterosexual @decidedly-not-heterosexual (TOS) - fluff, ALL fluff. need a happy read? this is it

and, for once, i don't have any non-spirk fics to rec, but there are two entries in the "aliens made them do it" trope for this list:

Lead Us to Our Own Bliss by gunstreet (TOS) - i'm hesitant to read this trope because it often involves non-con, but @gunstreet handled it perfectly. this fic definitely has voyeurism, but it's more about their awakening of their feelings for each other

Red Matter: Scents, Starfleet, and Kurage Sushi by CampySpaceSlime (TOS) - this was so. damn. creative. omg. unlike anything i could've expected and just as weird and alien as space should be

(you can find previous recs under fic rec and/or spirk fic recs)

reminder - please do send me recs and feel free to self-promo!

[hantii]

What up hoes, there is a criminal lack of Pentious fic in this fandom considering how popular he is so if anyone is looking for things to write about:

He is one of the oldest characters in the whole damn cast. How does that affect his relationships with the other characters? How has he survived so long without being exterminated?

He, Al and Vox have clear similarities in style of dress. While Al and Vox are both powerful overlords, Pentious isn’t, yet both Vox and Alastor know Sir Pentious and haven’t killed him. What is the relationship there? Did Pentious have more power in the past? (I like the idea of a fallen/disgraced overlord. He essentially went out of date and represents the danger that Vox’s technological progress poses to Alastor.) Sir Pentious saw the rise of most of the powerful overlords in the series. I feel like there is a lot of hidden knowledge and wisdom in that head of his.

The EGG BOIS. What are they? How were they created? It was said in an ancient stream that he had help in creating them - who?

What happened to make him so distrustful of other people? It seems like he has been backstabbed many times.

His and Cherri’s dynamic!! I could speak for hours about this. He is painfully genuine in his feelings. Cherri has a lot of trauma surrounding romance, and is implied to have had an abusive and/or bad relationship with her ex boyfriend. She leans on sex for intimacy because romance is a traumatic area. She probably thinks that anyone with an interest in her only wants her for her body, not for herself. There is such an interesting dynamic to explore and slow-burn pre-slash, because as much as we love to see them deep into romance territory, realistically this would be a slow and rocky start because of mutual trauma. Gimme.

Pentious, Angel, Husk and Niffty dynamic. Gimme fluff, gimme hurt/comfort, gimme bonding.

Human Sir Pentious, because his design is banging and we live for Victorian steampunk vibes.

There is likely a wealth more ideas that just can’t think of immediately. My other faves are Vox and Alastor, and I think their popularity comes from their charisma, but also the potential of their complex characters. They are both likeable villains, so of course there will be many intriguing things to write about. I just wish people explored Sir Pentious’ capacity for complexity more too. His endearing redemption is a blessing and a curse, because he is so widely adored by fans, but not with the same intensity as the intriguing villains. Before the show proper came out, there seemed to be more people actually taking the time to understand his character and its complexity - his capacity for really interesting narrative. New fans are missing out a lot with their shallow understanding. And there is only so much we long-term fans can create unfortunately :(

[azure-firecracker]

X-Files Masterpost

This post will be a central location where y’all can locate all of the X-Files content I make on this blog. Hopefully it makes it easier for things to be found! The goal is to update semi-regularly, but it will not always be 100% up to date. Also bear in mind that I am a first-time watcher, so please refer to my most recent posts if you want to know where I am in the show. I hope this is helpful!

My favorite thing about this fandom is how friendly y’all are, so please feel free to come to me with questions about any of my TXF stuff, fic or meta requests, random asks, or anything at all:)

My X-Files Fanfic

I have a general rule of not replying to comments for mental health reasons, but if you read these, know that I cherish every single comment and they often make my day, so please consider commenting if you enjoy:)

Beneath the Ice, Beneath My Skin (Teen and Up, 9,984 words): My first fic! An alternate version of Ice where Mulder is actually infected by the parasites. Paranoia and tension ensue!

Flight and Sanctuary (Teen and Up, 6,656 words): Scully and Mulder deal with the aftermath of Irresistible. Lots of angst, lots of worry, lots of hurt/comfort. As of the creation of this post, this is my most popular fic.

(And FANART! By @scullysmywife ! Yippee!)

Salvation (Teen and Up, 7,599 words): Mulder’s perspective during his missing scenes in The Erlenmeyer Flask, followed by how he and Scully cope with the trauma. Very angsty featuring some torture. 2 chapters: one during the episode, one after. The chapters can be read individually or together.

Save Me from the Fire (Teen and Up, 5,672 words): An alternate version of Our Town where Mulder and Scully switch places. Very tense, but also very heartfelt and tender (I hope). A personal favorite of mine.

And FANART❤️❤️❤️ by @scullysmywife

Piece Me Together (General Audiences, 3,147 words): Scully takes care of Mulder post-731. Introspection and moments of extreme proximity ensue. Probably the most introspection-heavy fic I’ve written.

Caught on Tape (Teen and Up, 4,044 words): Scully finds tapes that Mulder made for her while she was abducted. Very emotional, almost pure angst with a bittersweet ending.

I Hate All of My Habits, But I Happen to Love You (General Audiences, 5,066 Words): A series of vignettes depicting Mulder’s internal monologue throughout some pivotal/my favorite MSR moments, as he slowly realizes he’s falling in love. This fic was a birthday present to myself:)

Raise Your Voices (Teen and Up, WIP): My ongoing multi-chapter fic in which Mulder and Scully go undercover in a community choir. Set in Season 2, featuring lots of fluff, humor, angst, hurt/comfort, and little tidbits about folk music from all corners of the world.

(And FANART! By the amazing @scullysmywife !)

Fic Rec Roundup (Seasons 1-3): Favorite fics I’ve read.

My Season Reviews

Season 1

Season 2

Season 3

Season 4

Individual Episode Takes

Deep Throat

Ice

Beyond the Sea

Irresistible

End Game

Anasazi

Syzygy

Wetwired

Memento Mori

Small Potatoes

Demons

Meta

Mulder + Scully + Saving Each Other

Intelligence Comparison

Mulder + Scully + Needing Saving

Season 2 Abduction Arc

The Problem with Season 2

Conversation on the Rock

What they Need to Hear: Irresistible vs. Teliko

Bringing Him Back to Life

MSR + Truth and Lies

Playlists

Mulder

Scully

Me Ranting About The Mulder and Scully Playlists (Not a Playlist)

TXF x Songs

MSR x Gracie Abrams Songs

MSR x Billie Eilish

Miscellaneous

Mulder + Scully being lousy at their jobs ( +Addendum)

Acknowledging Scully + Mulder’s good agent-ing in Season 1

Fanfiction Writers Made TXF

Why I love MSR

X-Files Episode Locations Game

My Camp Roommate’s Reaction to TXF

Criticizing the Score (+ Accompanying Meme)

Scully the “Rational One”

X-Files Ask Game

Pet Headcanons!

Holiday Headcanons

[pikuna]

Missing Parts of Me - Chapter 2

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Category: F/M, Gen

Fandoms: Dandadan (Manga)

Relationships: Ayase Momo/Takakura “Okarun” Ken, Takakura “Okarun” Ken & Turbo-Granny

Characters: Ayase Momo, Takakura “Okarun” Ken, Turbo-Granny (Dandadan), Zuma Unji, Ayase Seiko, Shiratori Aira (Dandadan), Enjouji “Jiji” Jin, Vamola (Dandadan)

Additional Tags: Youkai Takakura “Okarun” Ken, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Insecure Takakura “Okarun” Ken, Takakura “Okarun” Ken Needs a Hug, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Dandadan Manga Spoilers, Post Danmara arc, Pre-Relationship, No Confession previously, Momo never shrunk, Events of Kozuka Knives Arc haven’t started yet, Found Family, Enemy To Family, Canon-Typical Violence, canon-typical cussing, Romantic Fluff, Eventual Relationships

Summary

Never would Okarun have thought that he would actually miss it to transform into his Yokai form. Or that he would ever miss Turbo Granny. Both things had changed his life forever and while it hard been a...troubled start to put it mildly, he had become accustomed to both and also relied a lot on his ability to fight. Lucky for him there is a chance for him to regain both things.

It was just bad timing. A Bloodmoon is always a very tricky time for young Yokai or those desperate souls. And Okarun was both young and desperate. Desperate to finally get his feelings for Momo straight. And so desperate for something akin to a family.

AO3 Link

Prev Chapter | Start | Next Chapter

"It's been a week cat. What? Did not find a new nice tunnel to hide in?" Seiko tapped her shoulder with the baseball.

"Probably just wants to freeload again, stupid hag!" Momo punched her fist into the palm of the other hand aggressively.

From Ayase to normal human translated: They were very happy to see Turbo Granny back, but didn't want to show it openly. Especially since they didn't know what her agenda was.

The doll just turned up her nose and sneered at them. "You lot should be more grateful that I grace you with my presence again!"

"Don't make me laugh, you little...-" Momo grumbled, but was interrupted by her grandmother who swung her bat from her shoulder to the ground and leant on it. "So, what is it? You hungry?"

"Tch. I came here because of him." Turbo Granny pointed at a surprised Okarun, before looking back at Seiko with a mischievous grin. "Wouldn't say no to a good meal tho."

The two grannies stared at each other for a moment, before the spirit medium sighed. "Go wash your dirty paws. The Kami knows where you've been." The cat doll let out a little yippee and immediately waggled towards the door of the house.

"Hah!?" Momo looked at her grandmother shocked, who also walked towards the door. "Just like that? Shouldn't we make sure she doesn't want to...I dunno, kill us or something?"

"Moron, if I'd wanted to kill you, you would be dead meat long ago." Turbo Granny shouted back at her, waiting impatiently for Seiko to open the door.

"As if we can take your words for that!"

Okarun let out an amused huff. It took less than five minutes, and everything seemed to be back like things were before Turbo Granny had left. He felt...relief at this familiarity. While he was curious what her return had to do with him, he just was happy that she was with them again.

"I'm sure we will be fine Ayase-san," he then tried to calm down a still agitated Momo. "I don't think she harbours any resentment towards us after all this time." His face split into a grin. "Besides, Turbo Granny is way too blunt to plot anything behind our backs." With an unusual chipper mood, he jogged towards the door to follow the two grannies inside.

Momo just looked after him a bit baffled. "Did you forget the time she cheated with the counting...?" she mumbled more to herself, but then just shrugged. With a slight spring in her step, she followed suit.

----------------------------------------------

Dinner had been the normal chaotic deal.

After Vamola returned home, she gave Turbo Granny a big hug in delight of her return, which the old Yokai grumblingly accepted.

As usual, Turbo Granny would attack anybody who would dare to take any of her favourite dishes. But the squabbling was short lived, and everyone relented more food to her than she would ask for. If she noticed it, she didn't say a word and just chomped down everything with a satisfied expression.

"Alright neko hag, spill the beans," Momo demanded as soon as dinner affairs had been dealt with. "Why are you back and what does it have to do with Okarun? You got all your powers back from him."

Everyone looked expectantly Turbo Granny, who cosied down on her favourite cushion, before her eyes wandered to Okarun.

"Say four-eyes. You feeling funny or something since my spiritual power left you?"

Okarun's eyes widened in surprise. How did she know that?

"Actually...yeah. I often drift off without realising and I have been...less excited?" He made a slightly annoyed noise, not feeling like he explained himself well enough. "It's hard to put into words. I...don't really feel like myself sometimes. As if...I'm drifting away...." He almost did in that moment, but was able to shake it off. It scared him a bit that it would now happen even while he talked himself. 

"Takakura strange in last days. Everyone is worried," Vamola chimed in.

"Yeah. You were really...out of it at times." A mix of worry and guilt appeared on Momo's face and she chewed her lip. "I didn't know it was that bad."

She had of course noticed it too but had dismissed it as him having trouble adjusting to being without powers again. Whenever she had asked him if he was fine, he had snapped back to his usual self and gave her a reassuring smile. That fiery enthusiasm of his when talking about aliens, that was always so infectious...it hadn't been there too. And she missed it. But she had been so busy with ravelling in her own bad mood about Turbo Granny leaving and how it had affected her grandmother that she had hoped he would just be back to normal again soon.

Momo felt like a horrible friend in that moment. "I'm sorry Okarun." She was not able to look into his eyes. "I should have paid more attention to you."

"Ayase-san..." Okarun wanted to hold her so badly, but he stopped himself. She already had to worry about him not being able to defend himself anymore. He didn't want to add to her worries, just because he felt a bit off. He didn't want to be more of a burden to her than he already was.

Meanwhile, Turbo Granny nodded, as if she had expected the answer from Okarun. She closed her eyes and leant back on her cushion. "Figures. Seems like the transfer of the spiritual power did not go down as smoothly as it should've been." She opened her eyes to shoot a smirk towards Seiko.

"Watch your mouth you little rotten tangerine," she warned her. The cat doll was very unimpressed by the empty threat.

"Anyway, apparently I accidentally took a small part of your soul with me. And it's bothering me like a pimple on my butt cheek that I can't reach."

Well, that got Momo out of her not so cheery mood for a moment. "Ewww, gross!" She shuddered. She was glad that they already had eaten.

"What do you mean, you took some of my soul? How is that possible?" Okarun asked, just ignoring the disgusting words.

"Not on purpose. Who would want that miserable piece of teenage angst?" she waved the implied accusation away. He deflated a bit at that. That was...really not nice. Why did he miss her again?

"Momo," Seiko spoke up. "Check their auras. If it's true what the cat says you should be able to see something."

"Okay!" Not wasting a second, Momo closed her eyes and concentrated on Okarun first. His aura was the usual blue, way calmer now that the Yokai powers have left him. It swirled around in a blue flame, confined to the form of his physical body. But...the flame had holes? Little pieces were missing in the centre of it. Well, that confirmed one part of the story. She shifted her focus to the cat doll, wincing at first. The spiritual powers were way more aggressive with her than they had been with Okarun. It was also not in the shape of the Maneki Neko doll, but her true form, the old woman. A swirling mass of red...dotted with a few blue pieces that clung to the spiritual power, turning it into a shade of purple.

"That's what we get for waiting so long," Turbo Granny spoke again, not waiting for Momo to confirm her claims. "It seems that a small fraction of four-eye's soul attached itself to my spiritual power. And even changed the parts it touched. The nerve!"

Momo opened her eyes and nodded towards the others who were looking at her. "She tells the truth." Her eyes went to Okarun. "That's the reason why you feel off. Because parts of you are missing!"

Stunned at that revelation, Okarun put his hand on his chest. It really would explain a lot. He did feel like something was missing from him aside the spiritual powers, but he hadn't expected it to be so literal.

"Well, I don't want it!" Turbo Granny jumped up from her cushion and walked over the table towards Okarun, poking his chest with her little paws. "It makes me feel antsy and I have this stupid feeling of second guessing myself. It's degrading!"

"Oh, I'm so very sorry about that." Okarun's voice was laced with sarcasm, glaring at her. It was not like he had wanted to give her his anxiety.

"Ungrateful brat," she scoffed. "You should be glad I am willing to give it back to you. Who knows what would happen to your little, fragile soul if it stays fractured?"

"Granny, be nice!" Vamola chided the cat doll and picked her up to get her away from Okarun.

"Getting a whole soul out of a body is one thing," Seiko chimed in. "But fragments? You have a plan how to do that?"

Freeing herself from Vamola's hold, the cat pointed now at Momo. "That will be her job."

"Me?" Momo asked perplexed, pointing at herself. Turbo Granny nodded. "Yep, you just have to pluck the soul parts of the little nerd out of my spiritual energy and put them back where they belong. Easy-peasy."

"Is that actually save to do?" the girl asked uncertain, looking at her grandmother, who could only shrug with a shoulder. "This is probably a first-time case, so who can say? But given the risks of a fractured soul, we don't have much choice." Seiko tried to sound casual about it, but Momo could tell by the way she furrowed her brow that she was hesitant.

"What..." Okarun gulped. "What would be the risk?"

Seiko gave him a side glance, before taking in a deep breath. "That you will lose more of yourself. And just be a husk of a person." The teenagers gasped. "There have been different occasion and different ways of a soul being damaged or completely shattered." she continued her explanation, not looking at them. "Never a pretty sight. Can also turn into a nasty, mindless Yokai."

Momo heard Okarun's breath hitch at that. One look at him told her that he was terrified of the prospect of either loosing himself or turning into an actual Yokai. And she was just as terrified of the thought of losing him. She looked at her physical hands, trying to imagine removing those soul fragments from the whirlwind that was Turbo Granny's power with her spectral ones. They were great to grab on things, to throw objects and being used as a shield. Even good for snuffing out unwanted auras. But something so fragile as handling small fragment parts that were important for Okarun?

Her hands started to shake in fear of what could go wrong. She hated how her usual confidence and bravado just crumbled away like this. But she couldn't help it. Okarun's soul was on the line here. The idea of him being any different than his sweet and shy but also energetic nerdy self made her heart ache painfully. Let alone the possibility of him loosing himself completely and turning into something she had to fight.

"But what if I can't manage to get all his pieces? Or if I squash one by accident, or-"

"Ayase-san."

Okarun took her hands in his own warm ones. They had a slight shake to them too, but when Momo looked him into the eyes, she only saw complete confidence in them. Confidence in her.

"If anyone can do it, it's you. You're amazing in handling your psychic abilities and dealing with new situations." He gave her hands a slight squeeze, his smile turning a tad shy. "I trust you."

"Okarun..." Momo looked at him with wide eyes, before her face relaxed. She took in a deep breath and squeezing his hand back. It grounded her, chasing away the initiate panic. "You're right, I can do this. Easy-peasy, just as Turbo Granny said." Her cheeks turned pink, eyes crinkling from the sweet smile she gave him. "Thank you."

His heart jumped up his throat at that sight. "D-don't mention it! If at all, I should thank you for helping me," he stammered and let go of her hands, before she could realise how sweaty his had gotten for no reason at all.

"We're friends dummy," Momo laughed at his reaction and gave him a gentle punch to the shoulder. It always put her in such a good mood when she saw him this flustered. "Of course I'll help you."

"If you two are done doing goo-goo eyes at each other, we should get started," Seiko interrupted their little moment. Naturally, both jumped in their seats and turned away from each other, heads steaming from embarrassment. They had totally forgotten they were not alone.

"Kids these days," Turbo Granny sighed annoyed, while Vamola giggled.

-----------------------------------------------------

They had gathered outside in the courtyard, the waxing moon and a few candles their only light. Okarun and Turbo Granny sat opposite of each other, Momo between them. Seiko had put on her shrine maiden outfit and prayed, together with Vamola. Never hurt to have some divine backup.

Momo took in a deep breath and closed her eyes. She inspected Okarun's fractured soul, trying to map where his holes were. Then she took a close look at Turbo Granny's spiritual energy. It was hard to locate all the soul fragments, the energy was a constant whirlwind.

As soon as she was confident enough, she stretched out her right physical arm towards Turbo Granny. The spectral arm formed around it, smaller than she would usually summon for battles.

"Here it goes," she said in a calm voice and reached into the spiritual energy.

It felt like reaching into a stream with a very strong current. Momo gave herself a moment to adjust to the resistance and started to tug at the first soul fragment. Gently at first, but it didn't budge so she had to pull harder. She tried her best to only remove the blue fragment, but the stronger she pulled, the more of the purple and even red parts of the spiritual power would also move. Before she ripped everything out, she stopped and let the soul fragment snatch back into place.

"Dammit...," Momo cursed under her breath.

"What's wrong?" Okarun asked worried. She opened her eyes to see him nervously looking at her. "I can't get your soul fragment without pulling a good chunk of Turbo Granny's spiritual power too!" she groaned frustrated. Maybe she should form a spectral scissor and try to cut the connection? But what would be too much and what too less?

"Had a feeling that would be bothersome," Turbo Granny sighed deeply annoyed. "Whatever. He can have some of it."

"I can have what?" Okarun asked, looking as confused as the others at the doll. She gave him the side-eye. "Some of my spiritual power. Your soul has infected it anyway and is of no use for me anymore." Now she looked at Momo. "So just pluck those pesky things out and what sticks goes to him."

"You would give up part of your powers voluntarily?" Seiko asked, having paused her prayers and looked at the other elder with a raised eyebrow. "This time you wouldn't be able to get them back." She got a scoff as answer: "Pah, my powers are boundless! What I would give up would be just mere breadcrumbs."

"Does that mean..." Okarun started hesitantly. "...could I transform again?"

"Sure thing. Would probably be even on pretty much the same power level as you were before, since you barely tapped into my potential." Turbo Granny's face stretched into a wide grin. "Am I not generous?"

"Hell no, that's way too suspicious!" Momo said, slamming her hands on the ground. "You wouldn't just give up your precious powers like that. You're planning to possess him or something again!"

"Oh, get it into your thick head, you moron!" the old Yokai hissed. "It won't be my power anymore. It would be his own. Wouldn't be any different than pinkie or 'brella boy."

"Really?" Okarun's face lit up at that. There was his chance to be able to protect his friends...Momo again and this time not with borrowed powers. They would belong to him, given by Turbo Granny.

Momo saw how happy the idea of getting the powers of a Yokai again made him. Any form of protest just fizzled out, not that she was distrusting Turbo Granny that much in the first place. She was just worried about Okarun. All she wanted was to protect him. And if she thought about it for a moment, this would be the best way.

She groaned, rolling her eyes and flailing her arms in an overdramatic fashion: "Fiiiine, if you really wanna turn back into your downer form so badly, who am I to deny you?"

He knew that she was just joking around, so he chuckled. "Thank you, Ayase-san."

"Dunno what the fuss is about," Seiko sighed. "Four-eyes needs his soul fragments back one way or another. So get going Momo. It's getting cold out here."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm on it now."

"Finally..." Turbo Granny muttered.

They went back to their previous positions and Momo started to tug at the soul fragment, less gentle this time. She pulled and pulled, until the fragment ripped out of the whirl of red spiritual energy, taking a small part of it with it. The blue soul fragment and red spirit powers danced between her spectral fingers, until the fragment seemingly absorbed the spiritual power. It pulsated and turned into a swirl of red energy.

"Okay, I removed the fragment. Will move it over to Okarun now," she informed the others.

The red swirl was passed from one spectral hand to the other and held towards Okarun's blue soul flame. For a moment she wondered in which fractured part she should put the swirl, but she didn't have to think long. As soon as her spectral hand was very close, the red energy practically jumped out of it and into Okarun's soul. She watched how it found a hole and slowly closed the gap.

"Woha!" she could hear Okarun exclaim. Immediately her eyes flew open to look at him. "Are you alright?" she asked.

The panic that he had gotten hurt or something was quickly squashed when she saw that he looked fine and he was marvelling his hands. "Just surprised, didn't expect this strong, tingling feeling all over my body," he assured her with a quick smile, rubbing his hands over his arms.

Momo breathed out in relief.

"Your soul is absorbing something that wasn't part of it before," Turbo Granny explained. She didn't seem fazed at all. "Something powerful. Of course you would feel that."

He nodded in understanding, before his eyes met Momo's with an excited smile that she hadn't seen in his eyes for a week now. "Let's continue. I'm prepared now."

After making extra sure that Okarun was alright, Momo continued to pluck the soul fragments from the spiritual power and put them back into his soul. True to Turbo Granny's words, her own storm of an aura didn't wane much after all fragments had been removed. For Okarun it was the opposite. It looked like his aura had become stronger, denser. The centre of his soul was now almost completely red. The color was less aggressive and bold than Turbo Granny's, calmer. It swirled in harmony with the blue of his soul, creating a transition of purple between them.

Momo remembered that before, the blue of Okarun and the red of Turbo Granny had clashed or one had overtaken the other. Seeing the colors now being in tune with each other eased a lot of her worries.

"All done," she proclaimed with an exhausted sigh and lowered her arms. Doing such a delicate act over and over took a lot of her concentration.

"Took you long enough," Turbo Granny grumbled and got up to stretch her doll limbs. Momo just huffed in slight annoyance and focused on Okarun. "How are you feeling?"

He had stood up, eyes focused on his hands and flexing fingers. "Honestly? I feel great!" The bright smile he gave her made her heart swell so much, she thought it would burst out her chest. "I wasn't even aware how out of it I was. My head feels so much clearer, and I could just...run!"

At his last word he started to take his shoes off. This was the moment of truth for him. Everyone waited with bated breath when Okarun closed his eyes and focused.

It took a few seconds, but soon the familiar ghostly shift in his clothes started, his limbs grew longer, his hair billowed into white, and his skin turned into the familiar undead color. The black maw appeared with it's typical krikkrak noise and the two red lines formed on his face. A pair of striking crimson eyes peered at his hands after opening them.

"Wicked..." he mumbled, voice in the deep tone of his Yokai form.

"It worked! Okarun, you really can transform again." Momo cheered. He looked from his hands up to her. "Momo-chan..." Her heart skipped a beat. God, she hadn't expected to actually miss him calling her that. He closed his eyes again and let out an amused huff. "Still feel bummed tho."

"Told ya it had nothing to do with me. All your own doing," Turbo Granny grumped and gave him a disapproving look. At that, Okarun slouched forward in a dramatic fashion. "Not cool at all, yo..."

Momo couldn't help herself and started laughing. She was just relived that Okarun's soul was patched up again with no immediate issues and that he was able to defend himself again. The side effect of his transforming making him gloomier was just a side effect they had adjusted to by now and the familiarity of it made her happy in a way.

"Takakura is back!" Vamola now cheered and walked over to give Okarun a comforting pat on his back. "Thanks, Vamola-chan." he sighed and straighten up again as much as he would in this form.

"Would you look at that," Seiko mused, fishing out a cigarette from the sleeve of her robe. "Wonder nerd is all patched up and back to normal. And no catch or mishaps at all. How unusual."

"The night is young. Something could still explode in our face," Momo said in jest, earning an amused noise from her grandmother. She then looked back at Okarun, who was flexing his toes, contemplating something. As soon as he felt her watching him, he looked up at her. It was amusing how listless he could be in this form, but she could clearly see in his eyes that he was asking for permission. Why, she didn't know, he really didn't need to ask her. But she appreciated it nonetheless that he didn't dash off without a warning.

"Go on Okarun, stretch those gangly legs of yours."

He let out a deep rumble of gratitude. And in a blink of an eye, he was gone.

------------------------------------

Okarun couldn't explain it. Before, the spiritual powers of Turbo Granny had not fitted within him, they had clashed many times in a fight for dominance. It felt like something that shouldn't be there, that wanted to overtake him. But now...it all clicked into place. Not only were the holes patched, it felt like his soul had become bigger. As if he had become more.

It was strange.

And so exhilarating.

The transformation hadn't been as awful as it used to be. The stretching of his body, the cracking of his bones...they still felt uncomfortable, but it didn't feel like someone was breaking his body into this shape, tearing him apart to make his limbs longer. It felt more deliberate, as if he was just stretching his arms and legs during warm-ups and they just happened to actually grow.

There was no nagging feeling of something else in the back of his mind. All he could hear and feel where his own thoughts and his Yokai instincts.

His own.

Not from someone else. He had full control over himself, aside from the lack of filter still being embarrassing.

He could draw out the powers easier, without relying on forcing them out with emotions. They obeyed him with no resistance, no fighting over who controlled the body.

Everything felt more like...him. As if it had always belonged.

And he enjoyed to just run.

The night blurred past him with its black and dark blue colors, the stars in the sky turning into lines that followed him everywhere. The earth beneath his feet and the cool wind rushing through his hair. This was his own enjoyment and not some lingering thing from Turbo Granny.

And he wanted more!

Without thinking about it, Okarun went All-Out, shooting like a rocket over the long stretch of path towards the Ayase house, absolutely relishing in the speed and surge of power it gave him.

Run. Run. RUN!

Faster. Faster. FASTER!

His mind single focused on running, zoning in on the speed.

The torii gate came into sight and he almost would have run past it, in his rush for speed. But then someone walked out on the path and waved at him.

Momo!

His mind and feet came to a screeching halt, stopping just right before her. Still in motion, his long arms wrapped around her to lift her up and spin around in circles.

"Momo-chan, I missed you!" he declared. She had yelled in surprise at first, but now laughed at the boy's silly antics, gripping his arms to keep her steady. "You dork, you were gone for like two minutes."

"That's long enough," he argued back and slowed down the spinning. All his instinct that had chanted to run now focused entirely on the girl in his arms.

Momo gave him a playful slap to the shoulder, now that she didn't need to cling to him anymore. She was still laughing and saw how his own eyes turned into a smile. Apparently, he was able to show some more emotions now in this form. A quick look into his soul revealed that the blue was now in the centre and the red swirling around it. But still in harmony. It really was all him, nothing gave her the impression that it was still Turbo Granny's influence. Her nerdy space otaku was completely back, together with his own powers now and he was happy. Which made her happy.

So happy in fact, that she grabbed his maw and planet a quick kiss on the side of it. She hadn't been thinking, it was an impulse action, spurred from relief and joy. The second she did it, she went rigid, realising what she had done. And she was not the only one.

Still holding her up, Okarun had come to a standstill, his wide red eyes directed at her. But after just a few seconds they grew so incredible soft, and she swore she could see how the skin on his cheeks that was not covered by the mask darkened.

"Momo-chan~" he hummed in an even deeper voice that sent a shudder down her spine. He placed his maw under her chin and started to nuzzle her.

"O-okarun, stop it!" she squeaked, face flushed and tried to shove his face away, with little result. His eyes got a mischievous glint to them. "You started it."

"You picked me up first!" she tried to argue, but it was a weak argument. Feeling his chuckle more than she heard it, she just accepted the nuzzles, albeit she did not look at him at all.

"Can you two stop with your canoodling on the open street? It's embarrassing."

Momo spluttered at Turbo Granny's sudden appearance, while Okarun wasn't fazed much. If at all, he sounded annoyed when he retorted: "Nobody out here to see us."

"I'm here and it's a damn eyesore," the doll sneered.

Just to rub it into her face, he would have liked to cuddle even more with Momo, but he could feel how the girl was struggling in his arms now. With a heavy sigh he put her down on the ground, noticing with a smile how she tried to hide her red face by quickly turning away. Deep down he knew that it would be his turn to be a blushing mess as soon as he turned back, apologising to her profoundly. But in the moment, he relished the flustered sight of her.

"You got it out of your system brat?"

Turbo Granny's question snapped him out of his musing, and he moved his eyes towards the doll. Knowing what she was referring to, he nodded: "Just feels a bit different than before."

"Like you getting carried away with what you are doing?"

Okarun thought about it for a moment. He definitely got carried away with wanting to just run as fast as possible. And there would be people who would say that he got carried away with picking Momo up out of nowhere and just spin her around like he hadn't seen her in months. But he couldn't agree with that.

Still, he made an affirmative hum at Turbo Granny, who clicked her tongue in slight annoyance. "Figures. You have made my powers your own, so you have better control over them. But your Yokai instincts lack my maturity. Wouldn't say they're like a newborn, otherwise you would go haywire. But try not to get lost in them."

"Easier said than done..." he grumbled. It made sense what she said, but he hadn't even been aware that he was so easily falling into his instincts back then. His frame dissolved into a slouch again.

"But Aira had no problems when she got all of Acro Silky's powers the first time," Momo countered, patting poor Okarun on the back, which cause him to get a bit more straight again.

"And that's the point," Turbo Granny replied. "She got everything from Acro Silky, knowledge how to use the powers and the control over the Yokai instincts. Her powers also don't compare to mine. Four-Eyes here had some time playing around with them and my matured instincts, otherwise he would be acting more like Evil Eye."

"Hmmm, would it be bad then if he lost himself in his instincts?" Absently Momo had started to stroke over Okarun's back, much to his joy. The low purr that was coming from him was not registered by her, as she was deep in thoughts.

"Most of the time it would just be mild nuisance I guess," the doll shrugged. "Would worry more about times when he feels the things he stakes a claim on are threatened." With a side-eye, she looked pointedly at Momo.

Confused, both teens blinked at her, but before they could ask what she meant by that, she stretched her doll limbs and turned around to walk back through the torii gate: "Well, can't be helped. Guess I'll have to teach him one or two things about being a proper Yokai."

That caught them by surprise. "You will stay?" Momo asked, stopping her strokes on Okarun, who just ever so slightly grumbled in disappointment. 

Turbo Granny stopped, but didn't turn around. "Sure, why not? Have nothing better to do and you turds can't get shit done without me."

The teens exchanged a knowing glance at that. "Whatever you say, hold hag," Momo chuckled and followed her inside, Okarun right behind her.

"Pah, ungrateful brats!" Turbo Granny spat, barely any venom in her words.

[lady-ashfade]

˖°𓇼🌊⋆🐚 Rules

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 🫧 ˚˖𓍢ִִ໋🌊˚˖🦈𓍢ִ✧˚. 🫧 𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝

𓇼- Do not copy my works and repost then on ANY site, including tumblr. Or, translate then and repost them. It’s annoying as fuck.

𓇼- Anon hating will be posted or blocked. Sometimes I don’t wanna give you the light or day, but others are just too funny not to post.

𓇼- Do NOT send me a request you sent to someone else. It causes drama, when when you wouldn’t think it would. Some of you mean well but that’s a big no no. I have seen too many people get bullied off this app…

𓇼- Fics take a while, even HC’s since I am busy all the time. I also don’t take every request. And they are usually short.

What is allowed?/What do I write for.

𓇼- Yandere content, Poly, Platonic. Angst, Fluff, Comfort. Character vs Character,

𓇼- Self harm, eating disorders, or any other mental or health, mostly. I wouldn’t go to much into detail since I don’t know a lot about some of them, but I will try my hardest.

𓇼- Any type of reader! Male, Female, Gn! Trans, anything mostly. chubby or body types are welcome!

𓇼- ONLY x readers.

𓇼- Three prompts per request.

What is NOT allowed/Don’t request

𓇼- NSFW, R@pe, Non-con, Really dark topics. [Yanderes never hurt the reader too much when I right, and barely at all]

Bridgerton rules

𓇼- Only writing for the girls at the moment. For the girls.

𓇼- Sadly only I right for F!readers romantically for this tv show. But platonic things are allowed for everyone.

𓇼- woman are allowed to marry high status women!

The Walking Dead rules.

𓇼- Seasons 1-6 requests. Up until Negan.

𓇼- Carl will be aged up! Since i still love the actor.

Percy Jackson rules

𓇼- Every character will be aged up.

𓇼- Pjo tv show actors are platonic versions only!! Not romantic.

𓇼- Romantic will be book versions, or fanart! Aged up.

Concepts rules

𓇼- only oc x reader

𓇼- This is for requests that want something that aren't apart of any fandom.

𓇼- Concept that like "Yandere!Best friend" "Yandere taxi driver" “Yandere family" or anything! Most of them will be oc like and I will probably give them names but I will try and keep it to your imagination.

[s-creations]

Fluctuates Chapter 1 - Confession

One-Shot entries for the #RadioStatic Week 2024.

Yep, I'm doing this again! I'm going to make sure that I can keep track with uploading this time. Also, I will be sticking with the Fluff path, because I need more Fluff with these two.

Fandom: Hazbin Hotel Rating: Teen and Up Audiences Relationships: Alastor/Vox (RadioStatic) Warnings/Additional Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Lots of Fluff because I want it, Rosie will be in this, Probably other characters not sure at the moment.

“This was a stupid idea.”

Vox felt the unease that had been bubbling inside his stomach for at least a week suddenly burn stronger. The Media Demon slinked down further into the cafe’s rather uncomfortable iron chairs as he checked his watch again. He had arrived at the closest thing to a French patisserie café that Hell had to offer about 30 minutes before the scheduled meeting time. The time he had set and told the other to arrive at. 

And for the past 25 of those minutes was spent looking like an idiot. Some passing sinners giving pitying looks as they passed. One even being stupid enough to try and offer comfort, believing that Vox had just been stood up. 

“Maybe it wasn’t meant to be.”

They are now a charred mark on the pavement. 

So now Vox had to contend with the fact that he looked like a love struck idiot while also fighting the nerves down. 

Why did he have to pick such a public place? Sure, he knew the café was the other demon’s favorite. Run by a citizen in Cannibal town that made strong black coffee, best combination. But this could end poorly, leaving a bad taste in both of their mouths. Plus, if Vox was gaining sympathy without anything actually happening to him, what would occur once his world fell apart? Would he be left alone to suffer? Would they never speak to each other again?

His attention snapped up hearing footsteps approaching the table. Shoulders rising in embarrassment when he just saw yet another random sinner passing. Said demon actually raised her hand to greet someone behind where Vox sat. Allowing Vox the decency to slide down once more in defeat. 

“Of course that’s not him. You know his habits. He’ll be right on time. Appearing out of nowhere, just to freak you out, like he always does. ‘Because you look so adorable when you’re startled’. Adorable…he called me adorable. That must mean something, right? Fuck, why is this so difficult. Am I reading too far into this? Does he have a preference? He’s never shown interest in anyone before, so why in the whole of Hell would he settle for me?”

“Goodness, you’re in deep thought there. What plan are you cooking up, old friend?”

Vox practically toppled out of the chair, startled by the sudden voice so close to him. Able to reach out to grab onto the table to stabilize himself and prevent anything hitting the ground. The chatter around them died down instantly, and not from the new arrival. Instead having all attention on the awkwardly angled Media Demon. 

On his part, Vox tried to slow his breathing as his eyes flicker up to Alastor. Who offered a gentle chuckle. 

“Are we a little on edge?” The Radio Demon asked, head tilting.

“Ah, kind of…” Vox replied back weakly. Screen turned a slight pink as he tried to straighten himself quickly. Missing the way Alastor turned to the unwanted audience. Face twisting dangerously as a silent warning, to which everyone understood immediately and they turned back to their business. 

Once standing, Vox straightened his jacket, cleared his throat, and gestured to the empty chair across the table with a, “Care to join me?”

“Well, you did invite me. It would be rude to refuse after getting here.” Propping his cane against the small table, Alastor easily flipped the end of his coat back as he sat down. Legs crossing as he fixed the other with a curious look. “Your letter seemed very adamant about us meeting. I’m so curious over what you’re wanting to talk about.”

The worry of how stupid he looked instantly disappeared. Original nerves returning to full force. Causing Vox to temporarily forget how speaking worked. His mouth opened and closed a few times with small noises falling out. Alastor just watched on with interest. Ears flickering as his smile softened. 

Finally able to collect himself to some degree, Vox practically blurted out, “How about we order something first, yeah? It’s been a while since we’ve shared a meal together.”

“I wouldn’t say it was that long, it was only a little over a week ago. But if you insist on the matter.”

Vox gave an internal cheer as he was able to avert the conversation that he asked to have a little longer. The server clearly nervous as she waited on them, more than happy to pass their orders to leave them alone as quickly as possible. 

“So,” Alastor started slowly as he finished his latest bite, “now would you feel comfortable with our discussion?”

“Uh…” Vox tapped his fork against the partially clear plate as his mind scrambled to figure out what to do. 

“You idiot, you ASKED HIM TO COME! If you just say it was to just share a meal, then you’re going to piss him off. Just fucking talk to him! Just…rip it off like a band aid, yeah? Just…Just do it. Get it over with… Would you fucking say something!?”

“I wanted to talk business!” Vox and those in close proximity winced as harsh feedback sound. The Media Demon wincing again seeing how upset Alastor looked. Clearing his throat, Vox started again.

“Um, what I meant to say was… We’ve known each other for a while now, yeah?”

“A few centuries at this point, I would say.”

“And we work well together, yeah?”

“I…suppose so. I don’t believe we’ve worked together that often.”

Vox pouted a bit at that. “We’ve taken down a few competitors together.”

“Oh Picture Box, I’ve taken down far more without you. However, I will admit, having you there has been not only helpful, but extremely fun. I never thought burnt sinner meat would be so fun to watch being created.” 

“But you…still like working with me.”

“Of course, never doubt that.”

Letting out a small cycle of relief, Vox nodded slightly. “Okay, so, since we work so well together-”

“As you’ve stated numerous times.” Alastor added as he took another bite.

“Right, just to emphasize my point really. Wouldn’t it make sense that we team up?”

The next bite was paused half way up to Alastor’s awaiting mouth. Hovering there for a few seconds before it was slowly lowered once more. While his smile never left, Vox could tell it wasn’t as ‘cheery’ as before. Appearing a bit tight now.

“Team…up… As in partners?”

“Yeah, partners!” Vox agreed quickly, heart hammering from fear. Because Alastor was not as calm as he had been when he’d arrived. Meaning the Radio Demon apparently did not like whatever Vox was selling and he had to make this work. 

“Partners, business partners I mean, not like- Anyway, doesn’t that make sense? We’re powerful, even more so when we’re together. And we represent the two biggest forms of delivering information. Radio and television! If you think downing sinners is fun now, wait until we have that edge of knowing everyone’s business! Blackmailing will be so easy, which will result in more contracts, which will result in more power! So…what do you think?”

For the bravado Vox was putting out, he was shaking. His own smile strained as tries to better gauge Alastor’s emotions. The other customers nearby seemed to know the tense atmosphere as they were leaning away from their table. Some outright fled as they threw money on the table. 

On his part, Alastor seemed unmoved. Smile small as he placed his utensils down and stared off into the distance. Hands clasped together as a finger tapped on the back of the other. As the minutes passed, the more hopeless Vox felt. Wanting to say something that could save this no doubt dying relationship, but didn’t know what he could say. Even worried that uttering a single noise would result in his head being popped off. 

The torturous time ended when Alastor picked his fork back up to take another bite. “Is this just a business meeting, Vox?”

Said demon was a little off put by the question, “What…do you mean? What else would I be talking about?”

“I’ve never held a possible business meeting at a café before. Even more so, not one that’s my favorite.”

“Maybe…I wanted you to feel more welcomed to the idea?” Even Vox knew that was a stupid excuse. One that Alastor did not take. 

“You’re also nervous in the wrong way.”

“There’s a right way to be nervous?”

“I’ve had offers before this,” Alastor continued, “Those individuals weren’t nervous, they were cocky. They held the same reasoning and logic as you brought up as to why I should join them. But they only became nervous when I said no. And then began to tear them and their workers apart. Still, nerves were not present on the forefront of the matter. You, however, have been a nervous wreck from before I even sat down.” 

“Well…I’m probably a smaller business owner than those previous to me.” 

“Do you think I would hurt you?”

“No… Yes? I-I can never tell with you, if I’m honest.”

“Nothing to be ashamed about. I do have that air of mystery about me. Will I kill you psychologically? Will I actually kill you? Who knows. But if I can calm your possible fears about that. No, I would never kill you.” 

Vox’s heart skipped a beat in happiness. “Really?”

“I wouldn’t lie about that. So, if I’m going to be honest with you, why don’t you be honest with me? What’s the purpose of this little meeting Vox?”

Knowing he’d beck talked into a corner, the slouched position returned. Vox uncomfortably aware they were the center of attention still. Nervously clawing at the tabletop, he whispered out, “Are you…interested in going steady?”

“Pardon? I couldn’t quite hear you.” Alastor said with his full smile back, chin resting on his hand. 

“Do you want to- Would you be interested in dating?” 

Whelp, Vox really wanted to throw up at this point. Unable to look up as he awaited for some kind of answer. Maybe if he’s killed, he’ll be taken out fast enough to be out of this situation. Even be given a chance to reform in a quiet area so he could lick his wounds in a different way alone. 

“I suppose if I were able to give anyone a chance, it should be you.”

Vox’s head snapped up at that. Wide eyes narrowed in on Alastor, who looked so at ease for what they were talking about. “Wait- really? You…You really want to… Really? But you’ve never shown interest in anything romantic to anyone, ever.”

“Because that would mean I found them interesting, and I don’t. Unlike you. You can hold my attention for hours, and I’ve not held that for another soul in years. If you’re wanting to pursue something of a relationship, then I’m more than happy to try.” 

“Um, yes, please! That would be great!” Nerves were now replaced with giddiness to the point where Vox was worried he’d be shorting out soon. Something that Alastor caught on to very quickly. 

“Try and breathe, my Picture Box, you’re going to make yourself faint.” Reaching over, Alastor gently took one of Vox’s hands. 

Instead of helping, Vox’s head jerked to the side before the screen flickered and turned dark. Alastor was quick to react with his shadow double popping up to keep the other demon in the chair. 

Laughing softly, Alastor turned to one of the cowering patrons. “He’s going to be the next Overlord. Such a charmer, this one.”

[steddieunderdogfics]

This week’s writer spotlight feature is: @estrellami-1! Most of their works are on tumblr, but they have three on Archive of Our Own in the Stranger Things fandom. You can find all of their tumblr works here.

@finntheehumaneater recommends the following works by @estrellami-1:

If I Should Stay

(Push Away the) Lonely Times

Soft Touch Baby

I’m nominating them because they are just a delight to talk to, and such a creative writer. Honestly, the way they describe things is beautiful and I can see it so clearly in my head. Any character they write is written to PERFECTION. They’re one of my favorite tumblr mutuals…ever :) - finnthehumaneater

Below the cut, @estrellami-1 answered some questions about their writing process and some of their recommended work!

Why do you write Steddie?

Short, funny answer? Hyperfixation. Longer answer… it just works in a way I don’t see many pairings work. Maybe I’ve just got blinders on, I don’t know, but nothing about their canonical personalities have to change in order for them to be together.

What’s your favorite trope to READ?

This is like asking who my favorite kid is… I like SO many, it honestly might be easier to ask what I don’t like! I tend to like the softer things, though; hurt/comfort (emphasis on the comfort), found family, fluff, things like that. I’m a sucker for anything soft and slow, which @ghosttotheparty does an AMAZING job at.

What’s your favorite trope to WRITE?

Again, anything soft and sweet! I tend to read what I write and vice versa… though I’m also an avid smut reader, and I’ve only felt brave enough to try writing it more recently. I think writing smut isn’t really my thing, but I am glad to have tried, just to say I’ve done it. But hey, never say never; it could happen one day!

What’s your favorite Steddie fic?

I can’t possibly pick just one!! @pukner has some AMAZING things, specifically the two series off-script and always burning, world keeps turning. I’m also obsessed with anything by @ghosttotheparty, as stated earlier, and anything by the amazing @steddieas-shegoes.

Is there a trope you’re excited to explore in a future work but haven’t yet?

Honestly, probably 70% of what I write never sees the light of day. Not for lack of want, but because I lose inspiration halfway through. So with that being said, I think I’ve written all the tropes I’d like to; I just haven’t published all of them. Fingers crossed, though; I still have all those docs, and I do go back to them sometimes, so hopefully inspiration will strike again!

What is your writing process like?

In all honesty, I don’t really have one. I tend to start at the beginning and let the characters take over, which means even I am surprised by some of the things I write! One such example is the relationship between Steve and El in If I Should Stay. I never thought they’d get that close, but here we are!

Do you have any writing quirks?

Unless it’s considered a quirk to write alone in my room at night, in complete darkness, with only my phone screen for light… then no. I don’t think so. Although I have definitely noticed I make the faces the characters do, to make sure I’m describing the right thing! 😂

Do you prefer posting when you’ve finished writing or on a schedule?

Since most things I write never get posted… I honestly don’t know! Probably on a schedule, considering I’m not finished writing If I Should Stay yet, but I’m not super picky; nothing else I post is on any sort of schedule, though that may be just because I mainly post one-shots.

Which fic are you most proud of?

Honestly, it’s a tie between If I Should Stay and Falling. If I Should Stay because I never expected to stick with it this long—I’m working on part 61 right now—and I’m exploring a lot of things I haven’t before. Falling because to this day, nothing I’ve done has come out like that. It was effortless in a way I never expected it to be, in a way I’ve never experienced before, and I think the results speak for themselves; it’s one of my most-liked fics, clocking in at just over 4k notes on Tumblr and 6.6k hits on ao3, most of which happened in the first week of it being posted!

How did you get the idea for (Push Away The) Lonely Times?

In all honesty… I don’t remember. Probably a combination of “what if Steve had Good Parents” and “what if Steve and Eddie were childhood friends” Tumblr posts!

When writing If I Should Stay, what was something you didn’t expect?

Like I said earlier, Steve and El’s relationship was a surprise. As was Alli, actually; I had no plans for a sister, but then I saw a “Steve has younger-brother-to-a-sister-energy” Tumblr post, said, “you right,” and proceeded to write her into that very next part.

What inspired Soft Touch Baby?

I swear I’ve got the worst memory… I honestly don’t remember. It was one of my firsts, and at that point in time I hadn’t even seen the show yet, so I wasn’t super confident in the fic, but damn if I didn’t have the balls! Looking back on it now, it isn’t my favorite, but I think it’s important to know where you came from, if only to see that it’s not all in vain, that even I can see how much better I’ve gotten.

What was your favorite part to write from (Push Away The) Lonely Times?

Probably the entirety of parts 3 and 4. I love Jim and Hopper’s banter, and I love Jim’s internal monologue in 4 as he’s taking care of Steve. I love exploring characterizations like this!!

How do/did you feel writing Soft Touch Baby?

As I said earlier, I don’t love it now, but I do like it for the starting block it is. I do remember, though, while I was writing it, I was feeling so smug; I thought I was writing the equivalent of the goddamn Mona Lisa. Laughable, really, which is another reason I don’t delete/orphan it. It helps keep me humble, to an extent.

What was the most difficult part of writing If I Should Stay?

Honestly? Posting the first part. I thought it was a throwaway thing, something that came a dime a dozen, something that everyone and their mother had already written. I posted it far too late at night (or was it far too early in the morning?) because I decided I didn’t give a shit, and woke up to an overwhelmingly positive response. To this day, I’m blown away by the attention it got! My taglists hit 100 people in just 4 days!

Do you have a favorite scene and/or line from any of your fics?

Honestly, pretty much the entirely of Falling, and to a lesser extent, Because of You. In the former, it’s the whole Apollo/Dionysus banter, the way Eddie says Steve’s eyes are hazel and his hair has gold, the way he calls Steve sunshine boy, and the not to me, not if it’s you line. In the latter, it’s Steve saying, “…Because I trust you. I feel safe with you. I believe you’ll take care of me, because you’ve already proven you will.” I imagined him almost upset when saying this; louder than normal, very emotional, just trying to get Eddie to understand. It’s a very raw line, Steve’s being very open, and in the context of the fic, it’s kinda groundbreaking for him, and Eddie knows it.

Do you have any upcoming projects or fics you’d like to share/promote?

I think I’ve shared something about most of the ones I’m excited about… all of this will be after I finish writing If I Should Stay, but I have a fae!Steve fic that I’m working on, one where Steve goes deaf (very heartbreaking and emotional and real and so, so much love and family), and I’ve got a lavender prom idea I’m working on, in which Steve and Robin are Platonic soulmates, Steve has an unfortunate crush on Eddie, and Robin’s got an equally unfortunate crush on Vickie. It’s a No Upside-Down AU in which Steve decides to host the first(?) lavender prom at his house. It’s not called a lavender prom, obviously, but I do have something of an idea for a nod to the name. Here’s a snippet, if you want, because I actually am really excited about this one:

  Robin dramatically drapes herself over the foot of Steve’s bed and sighs. Dramatically. He quirks a brow, but otherwise doesn’t react, just keeps trying to focus on the same page he’s been trying to read for what feels like the past ten minutes.      She sighs dramatically again. Somehow it’s even louder than before.      He drops the book and looks heavenward for a moment. “What’s wrong?”      “Prom’s coming up.”      Steve’s nose wrinkles. It’s all anyone’s been talking about. “I know.”      “I’ll have to dance with a guy.”      “You don’t have to.”      “There are rumors, Steven. Rumors,” she hisses, rolling over to stare at him.      “Okay, so dance with a guy.”      “And what happens if he tries to make a move?”       “You reject him? Politely?”      “Steve.” She says his name like he’s an idiot. He’s used to it. “The entire reason for a girl to dance with a guy is because she likes him. I’ll be back at square one.”      Steve sighs, thinking. Truthfully, he isn’t really looking forward to prom, either. After his fall from the social totem pole, he puts a lot less stock in what people think of him, but even he has some societal norms to adhere to still. Societal norms like dancing with a girl when there’s a certain guy who’s been circling his mind instead.      “Okay,” he says, thinking. “Do you know anyone else who has the same problem?”      “Besides you? I can think of a couple of people.” The way she looks at him makes him think they’re thinking of the same person, and he’s suddenly struck once again with gratitude that she’s his friend.      “If you talk to him, I’ll talk to Vickie.”      “I will kiss you. Very platonically. On the forehead.”      He laughs. “Okay. I’m thinking, what if I host something here, the same night as prom?”      “I’m thinking there are a few people who would be really grateful.”      They share a smile with each other before Robin grabs the book. “Okay, where are you, I’ll read, you listen.”      “I love you,” he tells her seriously, moving to lay next to her and look at the page she’s looking at. He points to a section and she nods, tracing her finger down the lines as she reads.

Outside of these questions, Is there anything YOU would like to add?

A VERY big thank you to whoever nominated me!! And a great big thank-you-I-love-you to anyone who’s stuck with me and my writing thus far. I appreciate each and every one of you! ❤️ And, if you’re someone who’s waiting on me to answer an ask, I swear I haven’t forgotten! I’ll get to them all… eventually!

Thank you to our author, @estrellami-1, and our nominator, @finntheehumaneater! See more of @finntheehumaneater’s works featured on our page throughout the day!

Writer’s Spotlight is every Wednesday! Want to nominate an author? You can nominate them here!

[captainsophiestark]

Rippah

Stefan Salvatore x Reader

Masterlist - Join My Taglist!

Written for Fictober 2024!

Fandom: The Vampire Diaries

Day Five Prompt: "It's a new day, let's go."

Summary: Stefan ended up in Ripper-mode last night. Thankfully, his SO's a powerful witch who managed to rein him in, but that doesn't mean Stefan's not beating himself up the next morning.

Word Count: 1,215

Category: Angst, Fluff

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

I sighed as I pulled the teabag out of my tea, then took a deep breath, letting the spices and hot steam wash over me as I held my mug up for a sip. Last night had been a long one, and most of the house was still an absolute disaster.

My eyes wandered from the shattered plates, past the overturned chairs, and across the scattered and shredded pillows to my boyfriend, Stefan. He was still passed out on the couch where I'd left him last night, and although he looked a little worse for wear, he also could've been a lot worse.

Thanks to some truly obnoxious Mystic Falls manipulating and scheming, Stef had been sent over the edge of his control last night. He hadn't turned off his humanity, but with a little help from another witch, Klaus had managed to get him to slip his leash anyway. Thankfully, he was dating me, and I was a better witch than whatever asshole the Mikaelsons had. I hadn't been able to snap Stefan out of the bloodlust, but I'd been able to keep him contained pretty well. Now he just had to sleep off the hangover.

I sighed again, taking a sip of my tea before returning to breakfast prep. I was hungry, and I knew Stef would probably need something warm and comforting when he woke up. He was hard enough on himself on an average day.

I'd just finished making some toast when I heard movement from the couch. I grabbed my tea and another mug for Stefan, then headed in his direction.

"Morning," I said, giving my boyfriend a soft smile as I rounded the couch. He'd been pushing himself up to sitting, but froze halfway when he saw me.

"You... you're still here."

"...Of course I'm still here. I never would've left you like this, and besides babe, you're in my house."

I cracked a smile, huffing a little laugh, but Stefan didn't react at all. He just kept staring at me like he'd seen a ghost. I raised an eyebrow at him, and I was about to offer him his mug of tea when his gaze wandered from me to the absolutely wrecked living room around us. The gray cloud hanging over his head darkened considerably.

"I did all this last night. I tore your house to shreds. I tried to kill you."

I rolled my eyes. "Oh please, Stefan. We live in Mystic Falls. You're not even on the podium of most dangerous people who have tried to kill me in the last month."

I expected a laugh from Stefan, but instead, he looked like he felt worse. When he finally brought his eyes up to meet mine, he'd maxed out the broody eyebrows and self-loathing looks.

"I lost control. I could've seriously hurt you. As it is, I competely trashed this place. And... I don't even remember it. I don't even know what else I did."

"You didn't do anything else. You're dating a badass witch, remember? Despite Klaus's best efforts, you didn't leave the property and you didn't hurt anyone. We're all good, babe."

He just shook his head. "There's nothing good about this. I remember... I remember trying to get out of here, to go rip into people we care about. I remember losing my mind when you stopped me. I remember rushing you, like I was going to kill you to get out of this house! There's nothing good about that!"

"Do you remember anything after that?"

"...No."

"That's because the minute the Ripper turned on me, I put you on your ass. Onto the couch, since I didn't want to hurt you. But even if I hadn't, I think you would've been able to pull yourself back. You probably don't remember, but you pulled up short before I used magic on you. Still, it seemed like the best course for both of us if you just took a nap until the spell wore off."

"You don't know that. I still could've hurt you. And even as it is, I absolutely ruined our night-"

"Stefan, for the love of god," I huffed. I set both our mugs of tea down on the low table in front of the couch, then flopped down next to him. He leaned backward like he worried about me getting too close, but I took his hands and looked him in the eyes before he could stop me. "I'm fine. My house is very fixable, especially with magic. Klaus compelled you to lose control, which you otherwise would've kept, and nobody got hurt. And even if they had, spending all your time beating yourself up over things you can't change isn't going to help, Stefan! All you can do is keep moving forward and try to do better next time. Sitting here all day in a haze of self-loathing isn't going to do anything but hurt you. And the people who love you."

Stefan sighed, dropping his gaze to his lap and shaking his head. I just squeezed his hands tighter.

"I'll always be here for you on days like this, Stef. You'll never have to deal with it alone. Just like when you were there for me when I had to deal with the spirits trying to pick a fight with me, or Klaus. We've got each other's backs, and we'll always be alright. Okay?"

Stefan looked up at me, eyebrows pinched together as he stared at me. I leaned into him, and after a moment, he did the same, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and pulling me closer to him.

We stayed like that for a few long, long moments, until I felt most of the tension ease out of Stefan. Finally, I took a deep breath and leaned back just enough to give him a smile.

"Alright, come on babe. I made us breakfast, and then we're going to drive to the coast and have a nice day just the two of us, enjoying life and visiting our favorite spots and remembering that the world is bigger than Klaus and his stupid games."

Stefan sighed, the corner of his mouth pulling up even as he dropped his head and shook it.

"I don't know... I don't know if I'm up for that, after last night."

"I know you are, Stef. You've lived too long to let this stuff completely sink you. Last night sucked, sure. But last night is over now. It's a new day, let's go. I'm taking the Lexi philosophy that the best medicine is going out and enjoying your life."

Stefan huffed a laugh and met my eyes.

"You know, I'm pretty sure it's cheating to bring up Lexi."

"It absolutely is not, since she's the one who told me to use her in my arguments whenever I needed to. Now come on, breakfast is getting cold. You've picked me up enough times, Stef, it's my turn."

He smiled, still looking a little worn down, but definitely more at peace than he had been when he woke up.

"Have I mentioned lately that I love you?"

"Yeah. But I could stand to hear it agian."

"Well then." He leaned in, placing a soft kiss on my lips, which I returned. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

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

Everything Taglist: @rosecentury @kmc1989 @space-helen

TVD/TO Taglist: @elenavampire21