#before I started writing this AU I hadn't written much for the boy

[saltynsassy31]

Full disclaimer, I have to read any of the fics written for Shockwave and the kids yet as I've been busy and off Tumblr for a bit for my own mental health lol

But I recently saw a photo of an abandoned carousel in some underground area filled with puddles and it reminded me of that one deleted scene from Detroit: Become Human where the Jerry's make a broken carousel work again for Alice and they all just watched her happily play on it as the world around them crumbled.

And, with that thought, it also reminded me of Shockwave and the kids and I simply HAD to write a small drabble fic of it. Sorry if it isn't accurate for the characters or the story already made, but I hope it's enjoyed regardless :3

And, I hope, with all the angst going on, this fluffy story will satisfy yall a bit XD

[This is the post I saw that inspired me to write this, if anyone wants a visual of the place: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DGog_W_vDiR/?igsh=b3FsYm50enJhM3ln ]

AU belongs to @keferon

Carousel

~☆~

As the days went by, the situation they all found themselves in was slowly starting to get far too real. It was fun, at first, running around abandoned buildings and scavenging for whatever they could find, spending time with their newly acquired aquatic dad friend who kept them safe and well fed.

But then things started to show up and it scared them. Shockwave tried to avoid the areas with the most floating bodies, the children having seen enough of that (and he hoped they hadn't seen any they would recognise), but every now and then something would float up and startle them. Other times they'd run into bigger problems while scavenging and they had far too many close calls for Shockwave's liking.

They tend to keep themselves entertained, for the most part. Shockwave only occasionally indulged. But, usually, he could simply gently float on the surface of the water and let the kids tire themselves out. However, they've become more quiet lately.

It was hard to tell what caused it. Could be a myriad of things, as listed before, maybe it was finally starting to dawn on them how the situation was far from ideal. Maybe it was the conversation they had with that Orca - Jazz, was it? Shockwave couldn't tell, and it bothered him.

He missed their lively chatter (it still happened, but few and far between). A part of him was starting to wonder if the humans who called him out on the fact that this wasn't normal behaviour for human children were right, a small pang of regret reaching the back of his mind.

But he shook those thoughts away. Now wasn't the time. Nothing about their situation was normal anyway, he was already providing more than enough for them to survive this cruel world.

Shockwave was aggressively pulled out of his drifting thoughts by an ear piercing screech that immediately put him on high alert.

“Guys! Guys! Look!” He heard Skids say. Turning to look at him, he followed where the boy was pointing at.

It looked to be some kind of fair or theme part, it was a little hard to tell. Half of it was submerged, but there were some areas in which the water had receded. Shockwave relaxed once he deemed the situation safe, but still gave a small scrutinising glare at Skids for causing unnecessary concern - which went, of course, completely ignored.

“Oh wow, it looks pretty banged up, huh?” Tc noted, crawling closer to the edge of Shockwave's back to get a better look.

“But there might still be some things left over. You know how much they tend to sell in these places? And now we can just snag them!” Warp argued, already getting excited at the thought.

“Do we really need more useless things to carry around?” Trailbreaker argued, the bag he carried strangely heavier on his back.

“There are other things we could do there.” Skids quickly chimed in. “We could check out some of the games they have.”

“Would there be any still working?”

“Carnival games easy to fix, Soundwave up to the task.”

They all turned to look at Soundwave, seemingly to silently fall into an agreement.

Warp turned to face Shockwave, clasping his hands together as he pleaded. “Can we go there? Pretty pleaaaase?” Before he could even answer, the others had joined them.

He wasn't going to say no. This was the exact type of fun distraction they needed, maybe it would help them go back to their usual, energetic selves. So the theatrics were unnecessary. Still, he couldn't help the small amusement it brought him. He pretended to think it over, as if he didn't already have their answer.

“Hmm, I don't know…”

Those simple words were enough to make them all Start to plead harder, making their eyes as big as possible, throwing promises he knew they'd never actually follow through.

That broke the façade he was trying to play up, causing him to laugh. “Alright, alright. We can go.” The kids erupted into celebratory cheers, hugging each other and jumping on Shockwave's back. “But don't stray so far where I can't reach you, okay?”

They all nodded, but he only had trust in some of them to actually obey his orders.

Regardless, he swam over to the abandoned park and waited until they had slid off of him before crawling over onto land. The ground was still pretty wet, so it made it easier for him to slide around and follow them, keeping himself to the more deeper puddles when possible.

He watched as they all went to different directions with their own, small group. Tc and Warp, always tied to the hip, ran over to some of the stands that still had some prizes hanging. Windcharger and Trailbreaker followed Damus as he ran to play some of the games that didn't require power to work. And Skids and Soundwave went…

Where did they go?

Panic immediately followed the realisation. Shockwave stood up straighter and began to spin his head around in search of the two missing kids. The others didn't seem to have noticed their absence, too enthralled in their own activity.

He was about to start calling when he heard a familiar boisterous voice call from not too far. “Guys! Over here! Come see what me and Soundwave just discovered!”

Immediately, all of the attention was on Skids who had a smile so wide Shockwave was worried he'd hurt himself with it. The others looked at each other briefly before making their way over, Damus hesitating a bit before putting down the fishing rod he held and following the rest.

Shockwave did so as well, to the best of his abilities anyway. The further they went, the tighter the space became and less water reached the surface for him to easily slide around. He wanted to voice his complaint of them going too far, like he had explicitly told them not to before coming here (and really, he thought Warp would have disobeyed first before Soundwave. Skids made sense, but him?) But before he could even think of what to say, Skids noticed his struggle and seemed to remember something.

“Oh, right! Almost forgot.” He jogged over to the mer shark and gently grabbed at one of his fingers to guide him elsewhere. “There's an opening that takes you directly to the area we found. You have to swim underneath some rubble, but it should fit you.”

The boy took him to some dilapidated attraction of the park, it was too broken to tell what it used to be, but it did create an opening that allowed Shockwave to fit through perfectly fine. “Just swim straight ahead and it should take you to the area, we'll meet you there.”

Immediately, Shockwave didn't like that idea, and he didn't need to voice his thoughts for the teen to catch on, his glare doing the job just fine. “It'll be fine, don't worry! It's not that far. Less than a minute, probably less than a second for you since you're so big you'll just have to slide in and out. Besides, there's nothing here, the place is completely barren.”

Shockwave was still unconvinced.

Skids took to pleading. “Please! It'll be quick, I promise you. And worth it too! It's the exact thing we've been needing, and Soundwave put a lot of work on it. I know you don't like leaving us alone for even a second, but give it a chance?”

They stared at each other for a moment, Skids making his eyes as wide and innocent as possible and Shockwave hoping the stubborn teen would dispel this idea with his glare alone.

In the end, Skids guppy eyes were far too powerful even for a great shak such as Shockwave. And the kid was right, wasn't this what he wanted for them to begin with?

He let out a heavy sigh of defeat and reluctantly agreed to it. “Fine. I trust you, but if anything shows up–”

“We don't engage with it and call for you, yes, I know. Now go! Soundwave is waiting!” Skids ushered Shockwave to submerge himself into the large opening with the wave of his hands and only joined back with the others once he could no longer see the large mer.

One relief Shockwave had was that the tunnel formed was large enough that he could easily turn around and pop back out if he heard any of the kids in danger, though it also lacked any proper escape for him as it only had one direction for him to go. Straight ahead or backwards. 

But Skids was right in saying the trip was short, he could already hear the muffled voices of his children. Soon enough, he found himself resurfacing, the lively chatter being the first thing his senses picked up on.

When the children heard the splash of water, they all turned to look towards the source of the noise, their excitement almost blindingly radiat in contrast to the dark, murky room they found themselves in.

The place was closed off by fallen buildings that created a sort of cave around them, plenty of fauna already making its home here. It was fairly empty as well, save for the large, round attraction in the middle of the room. It had horses stuck to poles inside it, a dim pink and gold decorating the whole thing, the paintings that littered it had long since faded and it was hard to tell what it once was.

“Okay, you're here, good.” Skids turned to Soundwave, who was standing next to what looked to be a control panel. “Soundwave, would you do us the honours?”

The other teen nodded, bending down to start pulling at some wires in place of pressing the buttons offered. Warp scoffed, crossing his arms and looking skeptically at his friend. “There's no power here, how in the world are you going to get it to work? I swear, if you brought us all the way here for nothing I–”

Before he could finish his sentence, a blast of music and light echoed loudly around the empty space, causing everyone to flinch back and cover their ears. Shockwave nervously looked around, worried that the loud noise might have attracted some unwanted attention. Once the shock faded, Skids ran up to Soundwave and gestured proudly at the now working carousel.

“Ta-da!”

“Wh…how is this possible!?” Warp questioned, looking at Soundwave for answers, to not only be ignored, but shoved around by the other kids who ran towards the attraction. “Seriously?! Is no one else even a little bit concerned on how this is possible?”

Tc placed a hand over his shoulder, bringing his attention to him. “Warp, just enjoy the miracle. When are we going to get another chance like this?”

Warp could only grumble. Tc was right, they wouldn't, not for a long time. That didn't mean he had to accept it though.

Shockwave watched as they all walked over and picked their favourite horse, Tc and Skids fighting over the same blue one before Trailbreaker broke their fight up and offered his to Tc, walking up to help Damus up and sit with him instead. Shockwave observed the way Soundwave continued to pick at the control panel and looked up at the other children, waiting for their confirmation that they were ready before clicking something and closing the panel. As soon as he did that, the carousel began to slowly move, the horses bobbing up and down in gentle motions, causing the kids to excitedly cheer.

Soundwave stepped on the moving platform while it was still picking up speed and sat on a random horse near Windcharger. Although not as vocal as the others, he was clearly enjoying it.

Shockwave couldn't quite get what was so entertaining about the thing. It was slow, even after it picked up some speed, and the music was painful to the ears. But that didn't quite matter, did it? They were happy, and they were having fun.

It clearly was something they knew about before the tsunami, before their civilization fell apart. A simple joy of life that they missed.

And, in a world dimmed by tragedy and destruction, where at every corner something threatens their very existence, isn't that all they could ask for?

So, in a small moment of peace, Shockwave let himself relax. He bent forward and rested his chin over his crossed arms and watched as his children sang along with the screechy music, bouncing on their fake horses and pretending they were in some high chase in their little imaginary world.

In this dreary reality, even the artificial light of a broken past could make it all worth it. 

[lilac-hecox]

lilac-hecox Fic Rec List

I wanted to share the love for other authors today on Valentine's Day! I shared in the Smoshblr 2025 discord that I wanted fic recs and they suggested we rec fics we love thus this list was born!

This is from the bookmarks of my AO3 account and what I've loved. I don't always remember to bookmark everything I read, so if for any reason you're not on here please don't be hurt, it just means I have time to read your work and come to love it!

--

Ian/Anthony ~

Need - by @agentstovring - explicit but oh so, so good. I commented on this that it was a love letter to the pairing and truly it is.

And there's no other place I'd ever wanna go by @chu-tea - Based off the prompt of 'stockholm syndrome' from the OTP event for January. This is so, so interesting and well-done and Chu is masterful at darker themes.

tell me baby, do you recognise me? (well, it's been a year, it doesn't surprise me) by @dinosauring130 - Written for me for our Secret Santa event! A lovely little hurt/comfort ianthony set around Christmas!

(My Love) Mine, Mine, Mine by @xxmoonch1ldxx - explicit and jealous Ian!!!

savor this with everything i have inside of me by Orphaned Account - this is explicit and transmac Ian and wow it's so good

The Kintsugi Kid by Kyliekao - super interesting canon divergence where Defy killed Smosh and Ian and company end up reuniting 10 years later under Pressalike and Anthony's financial backing. This is angsty BUT MAN IT'S GOOD.

This Memory of You I Cannot Erase by sandrene09 - Anthony is in a coma and Ian is a part of life that takes people's memories. He falls in love with Anthony during this time. Angst. MADE ME CRY.

Take Your Time, All We Have Is Eternity by @xxmoonch1ldxx - domestic slice of life fluff where Ian and Anthony are married and it is so, so cute and sweet.

Driven Batty by @chu-tea - An au set around Smosh Summer Games and Anthony is a vampire! GOD IT'S SO GOOD.

bury my heart underneath these trees by @sheisaquarius-blog - Anthony's funeral verse. This fic has me in a death grip. I think about it all the time. I wrote an accompanying piece to it and I love this universe so, so much.

Good Boy by @sheisaquarius-blog - some collaring between Ian and Anthony and a kinky little symbolic and literal sense of ownership. BARK BARK.

I Can Feel The Flames On My Skin (Crimson Red Paint On My Lips) by @xxmoonch1ldxx - explicit and written for my birthday and Anthony dresses up like Harley Quinn for Halloween and it has a certain effect on Ian!

love is stored in the soup by shaynetopps (eightpackeddie) - fluff about the soup!!!!

(Quand Il Me Parle Tout Bas) Je Vois La Vie En Rose by @xxmoonch1ldxx - sweet where Anthony speaks french to Ian to help him sleep!

I'll Tell You My Sins (So You Can Sharpen Your Knife) by @xxmoonch1ldxx - funeral verse AND WOW AMAZING. I LOVE FUNERAL VERSE.

Come Over (Again) by @punk-gremlin - Ian is trans and has a child with Anthony and drama, angst, and hurt/comfort ensue.

i miss you more this time of year by MythicalHotDogOfFresno - God, this was one of the first fics I read when I started reading ian/anthony and it's so good but it is unfinished and ends I think on a cliffhanger but this fic hits so good to me.

this must be my dream by @wienersmosh - Another fic I read before even having a smoshblr. This is so good. It made me want to also write fan fic so if you've enjoyed my ianthony fics read this one as thanks!

Sun by unknownliterate (orphan_account) - THIS IS LITERALLY SO FUCKING GOOD. IT IS ANGSTY BUT REALISTIC AND IT ENDS BITTERSWEET BUT THIS IS SO, SO WORTH IT.

like a secret (or a sin) by Sandrene09 - Oh my God this is so good. It made me cry. It hurt me. It made me sit in the hurt. It feels better now knowing that they reunited I read this when they hadn't yet. BUT OH MAN THIS IS GOOD. SET IN NEW YORK PRE-DIVORCE.

Some Kind of Proof by Sandrene09 -ALSO SO GOOD. ALSO MADE ME CRY. HAPPY ENDING BUT IT'S ROUGH GOING FOR A LIL BIT. Anthony marries Kalel but is in love with Ian.

Instinct by deutschshepard - explicit and werewolf Anthony but oh my god this is so good and I've re-read this a million times especially when I first found the fandom.

bb*o$/yung gravy - babygravy~

Drain Me by Anonymous - this anon author writes an on-going series of Alex/Yung Gravy and GOD IT'S SO GOOD. The way they write smut is exquisite and they write subby Alex so well. Really, read the whole series, it's worth it.

Tommy/Chanse~

The Benefits of Herbal Tea by LoverTheClown - explicit and sex pollen and WOW IT'S AMAZING!!

Ian/Link (GMM)~

malt liquor on your breath, my my by silverandstar - explicit. I'm a bitch that loves some angst and this is some angst where Ian and Link sort of end up in a situations hip that is toxic.

Amanda/Angela~

Oil Burns by @ghoulishhgayy (if this isn't the author let me know and I will fix it!) but this is slice of life of Amanda and Angela meeting as they work at Wingstop.

[mingismoralloyalty]

The sweetest scent

pairing: Idol! Mingi x succubus! reader (species implies that the reader is fem bodied)

genre: smut

au: fantasy au, demon au

trope: magical invocation

word count: 3.6k

rating: 18+, Minors do not interact!

summary: Mingi is down bad for way to long now. Good thing his daydreams leading him into your open arms, when you not so randomly appear on the other side of the road, driven by a spell and the delicious smell of his despair...

warnings: smut, pwp, cnc somnophilia (Mingi is informed that it's in the nature of a succubus to feast on sleeping men in form of having sex with them, before he decides to invoke her), cum eating, unprotected sex (don't!), nicknames (honey, sweetheart, baby, pretty boy, princess, baby boy), soft dom!reader, subby Mingi, demon fucking, praise kink, nipple kink, breast play, cumming inside, kinda getting caught, did I forget something?

authors note: Heyy, this is my first fanfic in a long long while and I've never written something like this in english, so please bear with me. If you find mistakes, let me know, so I can improve myself 🩷 I'm so glad this is now out here. Please let me know what you think. Critique is welcome. And yes, I had to edit some things, I hope you like this version too. Okay that's it for now ✨

songs: BM - bad intentions

~😈🖤😈~

It was a warm friday evening in Seoul, the streets were full of people enjoying their free time, visiting bars with their friends or going out on dates with their partners. This city was full of couples much to the distress of a certain young man. Mingi was sick of this sight. It wasn't like he was envious, but he was just so done that he wasn't able to date, let alone have a one night stand. Dating would even be the safest option for him to blow off some steam, even though that wouldn't be the only reason a girlfriend would be great. Don't get him wrong, he's not an ass, but sometimes there was just something missing in his life.

Having one night stands had the potential to ruin his reputation in just a few days, so this was off the table. But to be honest he had no time to date. He had tried it and it went awful. A week long relationship wasn't even a relationship, it was just something. In the end he even had to be scared that his "ex girlfriend" - or whatever she was - would use pictures of them together as leverage against him.

Sometimes he dreamt of living a normal live, moving freely in public and having a girlfriend. But then again he loved his life like it was right now and he wouldn't trade it for anything else. Just a little adventure here or there would just be a nice addition.

That's why he decided to make the step and - even if it sounds crazy - summon a succubus.

But let's start at the beginning. It all started when he had stumbled across this link to an online forum a few days ago, where people were sharing stories about their encounters with magical beings. Guardian angels, demons, doppelgangers... you name it.

Mingi himself was sure he had seen a fairy in his parents garden multiple times when he was a little kid. He would never forget these images, this extraordinary experience. It would always live inside his head. The magical world was there, he was sure.

It was so interesting to read all of these encounters people had with these other worldly beings, that he couldn't stop reading.

Today at work it was no exception, because these thoughts of being lonely at night reminded him, that he hadn't finished one specific story he had found on that site, where a guy was writing about meeting a succubus. Well, he claimed to have summoned her. What an exciting story! Mingi read and read. Maybe this was a solution he could try for himself? The ritual for the invocation seemed easy enough to do in his little studio. He just needed four black candles (surely it didn't matter if they were scented) and a spell. So he did it.

And now he walked home, full of anticipation. Hopefully he did everything right and it would work tonight. He knew a succubus would only appear when he fell asleep (well, he thought so). How would it feel to be touched in his sleep? Probably pretty hot, he imagined. And hopefully he would wake up? Would it make sense to set an alarm? Surely he would wake up anyways.

As he was walking away from the masses of people to a more quiet area of the city, where the dorm was located, he was dwelling on this thought not paying much attention to his surrounding.

And that's where you came into play. Already from afar you could smell this man's need and desperation. Musky and sweet. Oh so sweet. He smelled like a dessert to you and you would make sure to eat him like one tonight. It was so intense, that you didn't have to look for too long for him. Feeding on humans energy could be tough sometimes, but today seemed an easy feast. But before that, you always loved to take a closer look at your prey and play a little with their mind.

It was a simple tactic but efficient, just looking cute and seemingly absemindedly walking in his way. Him playing into your cards by not looking where he went himself was downright nice of him and... boom! You felt his toned chest muscles on your bare upper arm as you dramatically stumbled sideways, letting out a soft "Oh!" and dropping your handbag to the floor.

"Ah! I'm sorry!", he blurted out instantly grabbing your shoulder so you wouldn't fall aswell. "Oh no, it was my bad, I wasn't looking myself.", you exclaimed, looking up to him with doe eyes. For a second time stood still. He froze, looking at you mesmerised, his mouth slightly agape. He smelled even better up close, like seasalt and sage. This was his cologne, not only his pheromones but the combination smelled even better. You too, were struck for a moment, before he quickly blinked and let go of you. "Sorry. ", he mumbled, before hastily grabbing your bag from the concrete to offer it to you.

"Here... uh, your bandhag...I - I mean handbag!", you grabbed the bag with a sweet smile and he awkwardly laughed while scratching the back of his head. "Thank you and thanks for catching me.", you said softly and put the strap of your bag over your shoulder.

"Sorry again, and sorry I have to go. Have a good evening.", he kind of cutely waved you goodbye and went in the direction of the dorm a bit faster and focused this time.

Your eyes follow him with a bemused face. He would be so fun to play with.

Mingi went home in a hurry, trying not to crash into another person or thing until he was able to close the door of his safe home behind him, before he could cringe in peace.

"Fuck, that was so awkward!", he grunted pulling his sneakers from his feet.

"Hm?", a curious face appeared in his sight when he came back up to step into the appartment. Typical nosey San looked expectantly with raised eyebrows at his flatmate. Mingi sighed. "There was this cute girl I ran into. Nearly knocked her over.", he explained and San snickered. "Daydreaming again, man? What's up with you these days?", he asked, but Mingi just waved it off. "What's for dinner?", he asked instead before he paused in his movement. Was his hand smelling funny? He held it up to his nose to smell it and indeed it smelled fruity, flowery and insanely feminine. It almost made him a little dizzy...

That night Mingi was almost too excited to sleep, hadn't he been so exhausted from work that he fell asleep sooner than he thought.

He had a great sleep. Forgotton was his awkward behaviour and he was only thinking about your beautiful eyes, that somehow found a way into his dream...

You giggled quietly doing a little happy dance on your tip toes, when you materialized in a dark corner of his Bedroom. It was just so easy, but you loved these games every time, before visiting.

Full of anticipation you looked over to Mingi. Black filled your eyes, instantly reflecting some of the moonlight that shined through the window, while also your beautiful black horns came twisting up through your shiny Hair. Unlike on the street today you were now wearing some black lingerie which honestly left nearly nothing to the imagination. Easy excess was important for you so this seemed appropriate.

There he layed on his bed all sprawled out, stripped of his heavy blanked in this hot weather softly snoring. He was deep in his slumber with a raging hard on visibly poking up in his pyjama shorts. You really left an imprint on that poor boy that evening.

Slowly you made your way to his bed eyeing his sleepy form up and down. He looked so cute and peaceful and you were sure the expression of pure bliss on his face would look even cuter... or maybe desperation when you would deny him of his orgasm?

"Hmm, we will see...", you mumbled to yourself, before climbing over your yet clueless prey to straddle him.

Carefully you grabbed his pants on each side and slowly pulled it down. With a little flop his not so little dick slapped against his toned torso creating a small puddle of precum below his bellybutton. A reliefed sound escaped his soft lips, when you freed his boner in the act, which made you smile widely. "My god, he's so big!", you whispered with wide eyes.

The cum looked delicious on his skin dripping from his tip and you wanted to taste it so badly. So you wasted no time and dipped your index finger into the clear fluid and brought it between your lips. Kind of sweet you'd say. Surprisingly. Sadly this wasn't often the case. But this cutie was a special one, you could feel it. You two would definitely have a lot of fun tonight.

With quick motions you opened his pyjama shirt and exposed his bare chest. Now it was your turn to release a content sigh when you viewed his seemingly flawless figure, your gaze cought by his beautiful pink nipples. You loved nipples! Another part of the human body that made so many people squirm when you touched them the right way. They looked so delicate and vulnerable, it was wonderful. Biting your lower lip you softly touched the rosy buds and earned another pleased sound of this strikingly handsome young man under you.

Mesmerised by your view your hands started to wander downwards on his body, still nibbling on your own soft lips you started to stroke his thick cock up and down where his precum smeared tip was subtly glistening in the moonlight. It felt so heavy in your comparibly small hand and you loved it. Apparently he loved your touch too, because he quietly started to moan. You looked at his face to see the slightly scrunched eyebrows. He was really a sight to see.

His whole appearance made you throb for more and you wondered who was the demon here. Even in his sleep it seemed like he actively tried to seduce you. You were dripping for him. You needed him inside desperately. His sexual energy would last a long time for you to feist on, you were sure.

Still on your knees you propped yourself up on one hand to hover over the sleeping man to rub your wet folds angainst the underside of his shaft. His body felt so hot it send a tingling sensation through your whole body as your core touched it. Your slick arousal gathering on his dick more and more before you finally pushed it inside your hole with a high pitched moan leaving your lungs while earning a surprised but undeniably aroused gasp by your sleeping cutie.

He stretched you out so good that you held still for a moment to adjust your body to his before starting to grind against his hips. Moving in circular motions while rubbing your clit on his pubic area created an appatizing sound to you not to mention a wonderfully energising feeling. And in the magic of the moment you needed to taste his lips. His oh so full and pink lips. So you did and they tasted immaculate. It seemed that there was nothing he couldn't offer you. Maybe he would give you a chance to come back a few times you thought to yourself, absentmindedly stroking one of his nipples with the thumb of your free hand, never loosing your sensual rhythm.

And you knew the most interesting part would begin now, because all of this different stimulations were waking the deepest sleeper. So you curiously hovered over his face after the kiss and you saw how he struggled to lift his heavy eyelids, his body fighting against the deep sleep.

"Wakey, wakey.", you giggled, still letting you hips circle over his. "Honey, you feel heavenly, you know that?", you sighed and continued to toy with his pretty perky nipples.

"What?", he responded confused and drowsy still trying to get his body awake.

Deep sleep was so heavy on him after such a long day and it took him a little while to get conscious, but finally he opend his eyes and realised that this was not his dream anymore, even though there was the same person in front of him, just slightly different looking.

"What the fuck?!", he gasped and crossed his arms in front of his face.

"Already forgot that you called for me, sweetheart?", you smiled. You were right. Mingi rubbed his eyes and blinked at you.

He swallowed down the initial shock your demonic appearance had caused him and lowered his arms next to him.

"No, I... I just wasn't expecting...", he tried to finish his sentence, but it ended miserably in a guttural moan, when you moved your hips again. You nodded. "That's it, baby. Give in to me.", you said lowly, before you slowed down your movements and took his hand in yours, guiding it to your horns.

"Didn't expect me to look like this, hm?", you asked with a cheeky grin.

Mingi's hand shrugged away for a second when he felt the rough texture of the horn.

"I summoned you.", he simply stated, recalling his memories from the day, his mind now much clearer.

"You did, pretty boy.", you confirmed enthusiastically.

"It really worked.", he whispered fascinated.

"And you know there is only one reason why why you would do that, right?", you asked, trying to get him out of his shell now.

"Yeah.", he nodded, a slight red tint creeping on to his cheeks, before his eyes suddenly got bigger.

"It's you! We- we met on the streets today."

You laughed.

"Yes, we did, sweetheart. And when I found you today ...", you started painting invisible patterns on his chest with your fingers, "you where smelling so delicious with all your pheromones and your nearly dripping desperation. I smelled you from miles away. Haven't smelled this intensity in a while I must say.", thinking about this you put a finger on your chin, pursing your lips.

"You... You could smell my...", Mingi's cheeks changed into an even deeper red now.

"All of your desire and despair, yes.", you, smiled and stroked his cheek with your thumb.

"I knew I had to taste you, pretty boy.", you batted your eyelashes at him.

"I'm sure you're having a rough time, where you can't make room for sex. I couldn't imagine.", you pouted like you genuinely felt sorry for him and you did a bit, just because he was so extra cute.

Slowly you found it was enough of all the talking. You wanted to start the action again and you were sure Mingi agreed.

"So... how about we just fuck now, princess?", you asked him massaging his shoulders a little and you suddenly felt him twitch inside of you.

"Oh, you like that, huh?", a triumphant expression was creeping on your face.

Mingi's body felt hot. This was all he was hoping for. He looked you up and down. From your dark eyes and your horns to your sensual lips, your bare tits, just in reach for him, down to your core where he still was nestled inside of you. This insanely hot woman was already on top of him, calling him by his favourite nickname, when he was now down bad for months. Finally!

"Sure, let's continue.", he smiled back at you and let his hands glide up your thighs to grip your hips.

"Alright, baby boy, show me what you got.", you said with a wicked smile and let your hands wander from his shoulders to his upper arms where you held tight.

Mingi now began to actively push upwards to meet your hips. Oh, how he missed this feeling! It just felt so good. Oh, sooo good. After such a long time, he really needed it. Your pussy felt so hot and tight around him and you were already so wet for him. The slick sounds between you both accompanied an animalistic series of grunts he let out wich made you victoriously puff your chest. Of course this motion didn't go unnoticed by the attractive man underneath you, who took his chance to grab a handful of one of your boobs, squishing and massaging it in his big palm, making you moan appreciatively.

"Ah, fuck me good, pretty boy!", you panted as his movements got faster. You leaned down to get another taste of his plump lips, that felt so soft against yours, you could have done this all night long, but Mingi wanted more. His tongue darted out to catch yours, so you opened your mouth and welcomed him with some soft licks to it, before sucking on it a little. All the while his fingers were playing with your nipples and his hot breath echoed inside your open mouth when you release his tongue again. He made you feel so good, it was incredible.

Finally you grabbed his right hand from your tit to move it down further between your bodies and let his fingers touch your clit. He instantly understood the assignment and started rubbing rough circles on it. You were a mess by now, you really didn't have this much fun in a long time. "Fuck you're so good at this, sweetheart.", you praised him while Mingi gave you half a smirk, already broken asweat. This was extatic. You felt your high coming closer and closer to the point where it was just seconds away. "Oh, I'm coming~!", you whimpered, rutting against Mingi's movements that where going at a rapid pace now. You had completely blown his mind away. He was panting and grunting, pulling your body against his with so much force it made you tip over the edge and come so hard like you haven't in a long while. A stretched downright pornographic moan left your open mouth, everything inside your body contracted hard in waves, your pussy pulsing around Mingi's dick and this incredibly energising and relieving feeling spreading through your veins. Hungryly you looked down at Mingi, eager to see his orgasm face.

His eyes where scrunched up in pleasure, brows knitted, his mouth shaped like an O. He was so close. "Come for me, princess.", you whispered against his lips whilst contracting and relieving your pelvic muscles a few times on purpose. This was it. All this built-up frustration that couldn't be satisfied with his own hands released in one go. A moan left him so heartbreaking you weren't sure if he would literally fall apart under you. You lived for this extasy. All these big feelings releasing from one moment to another.

You could feel the amount of cum getting pumped inside your heat and it was truly the cherry on top for you. This whole act was the essence of your life and you wouldn't have it any other way.

"Fuck, I feel so good.", you sighed, every part of your body tingling while you layed your head on Mingi's shoulder.

"Oh, shit!", he laughed, bringing his hands to his face. "This was crazy.", he mumbled and you snickered. "I can't deny it: I really needed this.", he carefully put an arm on your back, looking at you from the corner of his eyes. In this moment it was absolutely weired to see and he didn't know if he could trust his senses, but your eyes turned back to the color he saw this evening and your horns retrieved back between your silky locks.

"What is happening?", he asked confused, looking deep in your eyes. "This is my human form.", you simply stated, "I only have to let it go when I charche my energy.", you shrugged your shoulders and smiled.

"Oh, so you can normally walk around like this.", he nodded. "Right, I-...", rumbling was heard outside his room. Muffled voices. "Mingi?", it was Seonghwa.

"Everything okay with you?", San's voice following.

Panic widened in Mingi's eyes.

"Uh, yeah... Everything's s all right! Don't come in!", quickly he pushed himself up on his elbows. Normally there were no visitors in the dorm and if that was the case, they swore that they would tell each other.

"What happened?", San asked and Seonghwa instantly commented: "You really wanna know, if he says 'don't come in' after those sounds leaving his room?"

"Oh, shush!", San said annoyed.

"You're shushing me?!", Seonghwa retorted and the bickering began outside the door.

"Who are they?!", you giggled, sitting up again. Mingi taking the chance to lift his upper body with you, but also pressing a hand over your mouth in a hurry with a pleading look on his face.

Silence.

"Is there a woman with you?", San's voice sounded confused.

"Uh, no...", great, he sounded way to unsure.

"Can't you just vanish, like you came in here? Or how did even you come in here anyways?", Mingi hissed at you.

"Oh no, this is too much fun.", you laughed when his fingers left your lips.

"Come on in guys!", you chimed happily, you were so curious to see who was living with your little cutie.

Silence again.

Slowly the door handle dipped, the door opened and revealed two very handsome young men.

Hastily Mingi tried to cover your still connected bodies with his blanket. This was even more embarrassing than the incident on the streets with you today.

"Oh my god!", San exclaimed, trying to hide his and Seonghwa's eyes at the same time.

"Mingi what the fuck, why is there a stranger in here? ", Seonghwa tried to say while San's hand accidentally hit his face.

"It's not what you think!", Mingi whined, unsure how to solve this situation without looking like a complete maniac. So you took it in your hands to say something.

You smiled at the two guys who pointedly tried to cover their eyes and exclaimed with glee: "Oh, I didn't know there were more handsome treats living in this household!"

~😈🖤😈~

© mingismoralloyalty

This is my own work of fiction. Do not copy, translate, feed to ai or report.

[myblissfulignorance]

Gonna post some of my writing here on tumblr, heres chapter 1 of my Batman/MAWS space au

You can find me at SoulsGenesis on Ao3

Edit: forgot to post the title of the fic lol

Space Oddity

~~~

Dick knew he was an asshole. He wasn't as blind to his faults as Bruce. Yeah, it was shitty to be jealous of a thirteen year old boy for being more lovable than you, but he was trying ok?

Life in Bludhaven was calmer than usual and he's been entertaining the idea of becoming a gymnastics teacher. Last time he visited Jason at the manor he decided to give him some pointers on Robin and Dick really enjoyed the experience. It opened his eyes about the amazing kid Bruce took in and was the first big step in getting to know his new little brother.

So yeah, he was jealous, but he couldn't hate the poor kid. It didn't help that Jason was able to make Alfred laugh for the first time in ages.

When he left, he gave Jason his number and a promise to keep his door open anytime he needed it. Which was a good thing, because not two weeks later, he found Jason soaked to the bone like a stray kitten outside his apartment.

Dick blinked at the shivering boy in front of him and ushered him inside, grabbing another pair of baggy clothes and a towel for him to use. As Jason took a shower, Dick set to making some hot chocolate on the stove for them. They both sat in comfortable silence before Dick broke it.

“What'd Bruce do this time Little Wing?”

He huffed a sigh of air that lifted his bangs, his curls turning frizzy as they dried.

“He grounded me! Says I don't listen well enough in the field and left me to go on some stupid mission with the Justice League. How am I supposed to listen to him when he never listens to me? I heard what those robbers were gonna do and I stopped them before they did it. How am I in the wrong?” Jason slouched and took another sip of his coco.

Dick let out a breath and set his drink on the table. “Well Jay, you can't put someone in jail before they commit a crime.” - “I knew you were gonna agree with him!” - “But, I hate to break it to you, Bruce wouldn't let you patrol without him regardless. He probably used this as an excuse.”

Jason groaned and melted further into the couch. Dick silently wondered if he was like that at Jason's age.

“Well since you're here, it'd be a shame to waste the opportunity, so can patrol with me until Bruce is back.” He said.

Dick picked up their cups and felt joy writhe in his chest at Jason's happy cheer.

~~~

Though he knew it was the calm before the storm, Dick soaked in the relative peacefulness of his city. Jason was chatting at his side, rambling about the different books he'd read recently. Dick never really got immersed in reading, but became interested in the different intricacies and themes Jason spoke about. He'd apparently started a pseudo book club with Alfred.

“-and Agent A told me that Poe was the pioneer of detective novels! If he hadn't written Tell-Tale Heart then stories like Sherlock Holmes might not even exist today.”

Dick threw in another appropriate, oh wow, as he ate more ice cream. He was captivated less by the knowledge itself and more that Jason knew so much about this at his age.

“It's not fair that he was unacknowledged until way after he died.” Jason said as he took another bite out of his cone. Dick nodded as he looked over the city.

“It's like that for many artists, scientists too. Van Gough's paintings didn't sell while he was alive, and now they're worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.” he said.

“You don't appreciate something until it's gone.” Jason said solemnly.

They sat in silence as they finished their ice cream, looking over the glittering lights of the city and the sounds of night traffic.

“Hey Dick..?” Jason's voice was tentative, almost a whisper in the wind.

“Yeah Little Wing?” He said. Jason was twisting the paper wrapper of his cone between his hands, the sticky treat finished and forgotten.

“So.. in school we're learning about cells and DNA and stuff, and our teacher wants us to make a family tree..” Jason chewed on his lip.

I found out that Catherine wasn't my birth mom.” He twisted the paper harder. “I didn't wanna bring it up to B because I don't want him to think I'm not grateful or that he's not my dad because he is my dad but I wanna find her and her names not even on my birth certificate-”

“Jay, breathe, it's ok. I'm sure B would love to help you out, it's great that you have family, the more the merrier.” Dick put his hand on his shoulder. “If you wanna keep him out, that's ok too, I'm as much of a detective as he is. With us together we could find her in no time.”

Dick wasn't sure what to do about the expression on Jason's face, so he pulled him into a hug. And if there was a wet patch on his suit later, no there wasn't.

~~~

The next few days of patrol passed with little incident, and Dick and Jason were able to narrow down the list of possible ‘Mama Todds’ some. Robin was a few blocks away, he'd gotten more confident running around Bludhaven in this past week. It was one of his last nights in the city because Bruce was  almost done wrapping up his League business. 

Dick accepted the call that pinged on his com as he landed on a high rise. He smiled at Alfred's voice over the radio.

“Nightwing. It seems there are rumors Joker is going to be up to something in the near future. I doubt anything will happen before Batman is back in Gotham, but I wanted to give you a warning.” He said.

“ ‘Course, i'll keep a lookout. Thanks A.”

Alfred said goodbye and cut the connection. Dick headed out again as he called Jason.

“Hey Robin, just got a heads up from Agent A that the clown has been active recently, we should meet back up for now.” He said.

“Copy that ‘Wing, I'm gonna check up on this kid then head your way, he seems lost.”

Dick hummed as he flew towards his general direction. He heard murmurs of a conversation as Jason spoke to the kid, it sounded like they were lost. Dick was startled as he heard a pained grunt on the other side of the comm.

“Robin what-” there was a loud scramble and he heard Jason's voice faintly.

“ ‘Wing! It's a trap! Don't-” static.

“Jay!” Dick shot out like a bullet pulling up his last location.

He found the alley empty save for the unconscious kid, Jason's belt, and a single card.

The Joker had Robin.

~~~

Dick didn't know why the Joker was in Blud. His obsession was with the Bat, not with his sons. Joker usually waited for a Bat sighting before starting his plans. The fact that he's coming out now, when it's well known that Batman is halfway across the world, does not bode well for Robin.

And also the very obvious trail left in the wake of his kidnapping. Definitely a trap.

Joker had about a twenty minute head start after Dick left the kid in the capable hands of paramedics. The van itself wasn't hard to track with the many reports and traffic violations reported over the police scanner. It was left crashed out near an abandoned factory at the edge of the harbor.

Dick snuck inside through a broken window. He danced silently through empty offices and neglected machinery looking for signs of movement, a flash of red, anything.

He found two shot dead and thrown to the side, presumably having lived out their usefulness. Dick ground his teeth but kept searching, the Joker is too dramatic to not end this with a bang.

Dick slipped into a storage area on the second floor to find Jason dangling from a hoist by his cuffed hands. He made a strangled noise and swept the room before lowering the hoist and rubbing the soreness out of Jason's shoulders.

“Bomb, ‘Wing he said there was a bomb, we need to leave.” His voice was raspy, Dick was going to beat the Joker for strangling his baby brother.

“Come on Jay-baby, let's get you outta here.” He lifted Jason into a fireman's carry and ran like a bat outta hell.

Dick had run all the way to the entrance hall when there was a flash and a bang that knocked him clear off his feet. He managed to keep from landing on Jason and was able to hear a faint thump, thump through the ringing of his ears. He crawled over to Jason's limp body, his head was throbbing and he couldn't get enough air in his lungs.

He hears the chilling laughter of the Joker as he passes out.

~~~

Dick woke up with a throbbing head and aching wrists. His mouth was dry, must have been drugged.

“Nice of you to join the party, Boy Wonder.”

Dick tried to jump to his feet but lost his balance. His arms were tied forearm to forearm behind his back. There was a weight on his ankle that clanked as he stumbled to his knees.

Chained too. This is not good.

“Me and little Robin were getting lonely over here.” Joker laughed, he held Jason's limp body with one hand.

Dick tried to cover his sneer with a grin. “I’d hate to be left out.”

The clown sighed. “If you insist. I was done with this broken toy anyways.” He tossed Jay down with a wet plop.

“It really is a shame, we haven't played together in so long. Bats hasn't been the same since you moved to Bludhaven.” He said while twirling a crowbar in his hands.

Alfred knew that Jason went missing. Their best bet was to wait for Bruce, and that meant distracting the Joker for as long as possible. Easy.

Joker threw an arm over his forehead in a ‘woe is me’ pose. “I've been left with him and it's just not the same..”

“Aw, I didn't know you enjoyed my company so much. I'm touched, really.” Dick smiled and tried to assess Jason.

“You’re so much more fun to rile up.” He tapped his chin with hsi spindly fingers. Was Jason still breathing? 

“I wonder..” Joker said. “Which would you hate more, me beating you?” He slammed his foot into Jason's stomach and Dick yelped, pulling against his bonds to try and pull him close.

“Or your brother.”

“Get the fuck away from him!!” Dick thrashed against his bonds.

Joker laughed and laughed and laughed, wiping a tear from his eye.

“Oh you’re just too much.” he said.

Dick couldn’t believe this was happening. It was his worst nightmare come to life. No matter what he did, how much he pulled and tugged at his bindings, Dick couldn’t protect his little brother. Jason tried to put up some resistance, but he had been beaten then drugged and beaten again, he wasn’t getting out of this without help. Except there was no help, because Dick was supposed to be there and he can’t even get out of these ropes-

Dick didn’t know when he started crying. All he knew was that it wouldn’t stop.

~~~

When Joker was done, Jason was a crumpled heap on the floor. Joker stretched and sighed, tossing the crowbar on the floor with a ringing clang.

“Well little birdies, this was fun, but mommy has to go to work now. Can’t have ole’ Batsy catching up just yet.

You’ll love this, see the Government has been dipping its hands in the world of teleporter technology, and I just couldn’t resist taking it for myself. Because let's be honest, as much as I did miss you Boy Wonder, what I really want is Batman how he was in the good old days. With no pesky brats to get in the way of our little game.

And what better way to get you out of the way than to send you off to the cold emptiness of deep space!” he cackled.

He walked towards the door. It was heavy duty with cranks and seals, similar to a submarine.

“Gotham really has its charms. I mean, just look at this time capsule for the university! It’s practically a bomb shelter, so I thought what the heck, if anything could survive space it would be this.

Now kiddies, I left you just enough morphine for one overdose, so use it wisely big brother.” he mocked.

The door opened with a resounding clang. “That is, if you even survive that long. You might just blow up, lucky you!”

Joker twiddled his fingers and snickered as he sealed the room once more.

~~~

Link to Chapter 2:

[no-goodbyes-no-regrets]

2024 fic round up!

Thanks for the tags @carlos-in-glasses, @nisbanisba @nancys-braids

I wrote 20 fics this year, which (for me) isn't all that much - despite starting and partially writing at least twice that. I've had the year from hell in more ways than one (especially the last 6 months) but fandom has and always will be a nice escapism!

Thanks to everyone that's commented on my fics in some way, I promise I'm going to try be less awkward and actually reply to your comments instead of just keeping the notification emails in my inbox like a dragon hoarding gold.

I mostly wrote bucktommy/911 this year (what can I say, that fingers under the chin kiss really did it for me) and if TPTB @ abc have any sense they'll bring Lou/Tommy back in the second half of the season!

Though the tarlos secret santa did sort of reawaken my love for Tarlos, so let's see if I can actually finish some of the fics I started for them in the new year.

I'll put the actual fic links under the cut so it doesn't clog up everyone's dash

Bucktommy: (all rated G unless stated otherwise)

Date night Bathena spot Buck and Tommy out on a date together

Buck's Bisexual Speedrun Buck going from 0 to 1000 in 0.03 seconds with coming out, accepting his sexuality, and his relationship with Tommy. Taking it slow? We don't know her.

Cake Time Buck and Jee baking to cheer Tommy up after a rough shift. Written back when we thought Oliver talking about Buck and Jee baking together would be a good thing.

It's not over Break up? What break up? Episode 8x06 fix it

Uncle Buck Post break up Buck and Jee baking, with Tommy accidentally crashing their time together. Bucktommy getting back together.

118 group chat Evan♥ has added you to 118 Fam. Tommy gets added to the group chat.

Wake up Another break up? What break up?? 8x06 fix it.

Being a good friend is hard Eddie is going Through It, but unfortunately he's going through it on Buck and Tommy's sofa when they want some alone time.

Family dinner the first 118 family dinner at Bobby and Athena's new house - featuring a sleepy Tommy.

Nobody knows Nobody knows we're back together - But Chim is about to find out when he needs a babysitter.

Transfer a What if? for 8x04. What if everything hadn't been fixed in 42 minutes and the 118 had been closed and Buck ended up at the 217 with Tommy? (I promised to write a part two for this... and it's partially written in my drafts. I'll finish it eventually!)

But first, coffee A coffee shop AU that's technically a 911/lone star crossover that started in this little tarlos centric ficlet but you need to read that to understand the bucktommy centric one.

He's good for you Maddie and Tommy spend some time together while Buck is in surgery.

Moving in A little quiet moment before Buck and Tommy move in together.

The boy at the rock show A different first meeting AU where Buck meets a cute bass player in a bar - loosely based on Blink 182 - The Rock Show "Fell in love with the girl boy at the rock show"

Tarlos (rated G unless stated otherwise)

For Lire with love and lots of whump This was an epic collaboration project that was a lot of fun to work on! Lots of hurt/comfort goodness with Carlos being a Bad Patient - until he isn't. My part was chapter 6 but definitely give the whole thing a read!

Love online A different first meeting AU with a side of meddling sisters. Luisa gets her hands on Carlos' phone and decides to take matters into her own hands to fix her brother's love life.

View from the taco truck TK and Carlos' relationship through the eyes of their favourite food truck vendor.

Austin Pride Tarlos go to pride with their dads, Owen is ~completely normal~ about it obviously.

Strickland Holiday Special A different first meeting AU where TK is Paul's roommate - who just happens to be Carlos' best friend.

As usual I'm late to the party, and I think most of my Lone Star fam has done this by now... so I'm shifting it to my bucktommy fam.

@weewookinard @cjlouwho @loulou-land @jamieroyjamieroy @leashybebes

@mrhappyjavaman @blitzynatural @sad-girl-hours23 @mmso-notlikethat

+ open tag for anyone who wants to do it

[foundtherightwords]

This Is the Sound of Your Voice

Pairing: Hellcheer (College AU)

Summary: After breaking up with her high school boyfriend and moving away to the big city, Chrissy is still trying to find herself. When her roommate Nancy sets her up on a blind date, she accepts, even though the guy - someone called Eddie - sounds nothing like her type. But then she meets Eddie and realizes he's not what she thought he'd be like at all.

Warnings: implied eating disorder, stalking

Word count: 7.6k

A/N: Written for Day 1 of Hellcheer Week 2024, with the prompts "instalove", "vampire", and "kiss". To be honest, I had the idea before I saw the prompts, and this is the best I could do to fit the prompts into it. I've never written from word prompts before so I don't know if I succeeded here (and I think I'm incapable of writing instalove anyway), but I had fun trying.

It's a No Upside Down AU (obviously) but I kept the time setting, so it takes place around 1989-1990.

The title is a song by Snow Patrol.

Looking into the mirror, Chrissy fussed with her bangs for the thousandth time. Despite her efforts, they were still infuriatingly flat. With a frustrated huff, she gave up and pulled her hair into a ponytail. It would have to do. After all, this wasn't such a big important date that she had to dress up for it. Well, important, maybe. First dates often are important, aren't they? But definitely not big.

Or at least that was what she kept telling herself, to drown out the nervous feeling rising from the pit of her stomach and spreading through her limbs, making her cold and shaky. So pathetic. One would think she was some little girl going out with a boy for the first time ever. Admittedly, it had been such a long since she'd been on a date, so it might as well be the first time.

Chrissy didn't remember much of her first-ever date, only that it was at the mall with some gawky boy in middle school. She hadn't been serious about boys then, and her mother didn't want her to start dating so early, so Chrissy hadn't even realized it was a date until later.

Her first date with Jason, though... that Chrissy remembered very well. It was nothing special, just going to the movies—they'd wanted to see Fast Times at Ridgemont High, only they weren't allowed in, being high school freshmen, so Jason had suggested they settle for E.T. instead—but she remembered being so giddy about the idea of going on a date with the cutest boy in school, so pleased that he'd asked her out, that she'd hardly taken in the movie at all. Afterward, they had walked home together and he'd given her a goodnight kiss on the cheek, and she'd floated to her room on a cloud. How innocent she'd been then, thinking that this was it, and they would get married and live happily ever after...

Except it had been nothing but a childish dream, and when she'd gotten a chance to make that white-picket-fence dream come true, Chrissy had balked at it. When Jason got down on one knee during their anniversary dinner and pulled the velvet box out of his pocket, what had risen within Chrissy wasn't the giddiness and excitement she'd felt when he'd first asked her out. No, it had been surprise first, and then dread. In the five years they had been dating, she had changed so much, corroded by the pressure to be perfect from her mother, her teachers, her friends, and, yes, from Jason as well, until nothing remained of that bright-eyed fourteen-year-old. Perhaps that girl had never existed at all, and this was who she really was, someone who was afraid of everything, afraid of every cheer routine, of every report card, of every trip to the fitting room, of every bite of food, afraid of messing up and ruining her life.

Some of that dread must have shown on her face, because Jason had been quick to reassure her that this didn't mean they had to get married right away. No, the wedding could wait until they graduated from college, he'd said, as if that made it any better. When Chrissy tried to protest that it was still too soon and that they hadn't done anything with their lives, Jason had laughed and asked, rather dismissively, "What else is there to do?"

It was that laugh, so lighthearted, so condescending, that finally convinced Chrissy. Jason clearly didn't take her seriously. He couldn't fathom that she would want do anything other than get married and pop out babies. It was then that she realized there was no convincing him to wait a little longer, no explaining to him that she didn't want to end up like her mother, being a housewife with no control over her own life, so she tried to control her kids' instead.

Her whole life, Chrissy had been saying "yes". Yes when her mother told her to eat this and not that, to wear this and not that. Yes when her advisor told her to take this class and not that class, to focus on cheer practices rather than her academic performance. Yes when Jason told her they were going here and not there.

But that night, in that crowded restaurant, while people around them ooh-and-aahed at this display of young love, she had found her strength to say "no", for the first time in her life.

Jason hadn't taken that well.

As the people in the restaurant fell quiet and awkwardly turned away from the spectacle, Jason had laughed and insisted that she was joking, or perhaps it had been too sudden and she didn't know what to say. Then, when Chrissy assured him that she was serious, the smile had faded from his handsome face. A cold look of anger had come into his eyes, chilling Chrissy to the bones. It was gone in a second, to be replaced by a look of utter shock and heartbreak that nearly broke her own heart. She'd almost told him that perhaps they could wait a few more years, until they graduated perhaps, to see where they were, but deep down inside, she knew that there was no more waiting. Still, it was hard, seeing how much she'd hurt him.

Jason certainly had no intention of making the breakup easy for her. In the following weeks, he showed up at her classes—the simplest thing, when they went to the same college—and at her house, bearing flowers and gifts and tearful apologies, trying to get her to change her mind. He had almost convinced Chrissy that she was making the worst mistake of her life. But every time she came close to getting back with him, she would see that split-second look of rage again. In the end, it was the memory of her fear that had convinced Chrissy she was doing the right thing.

If it had been difficult facing Jason's heartbreak, then it was a thousand times more difficult facing her mother's wrath. Laura wasn't used to her daughter fighting back and voicing her own opinions. But after the breakup with Jason, something within Chrissy had snapped. It was as if Jason's proposal of their future life had pulled a veil from her eyes and shown her that it was definitely not what she wanted for herself.

And so, amidst her mother's shouts, her father's silences, and Jason's pleas, Chrissy had transferred to the University of Illinois in Chicago—she knew Jason wouldn't be able to follow her there without losing his basketball scholarship, plus it had the appeal of a big city where she didn't have to see the same faces every day. She had barely scraped by with her grades, but she'd managed it. Luckily, her father had put aside money for her tuition, in an account in Chrissy's own name—it was one of the few things he'd done right by her—so she hadn't been fazed by her mother's threats of cutting her off. She'd still had to get a job to pay for everything else, but Chrissy didn't mind. It was the first time she'd earned money for herself, instead of just getting allowances. It was the first time she'd lived with people other than her family—a very nice girl named Nancy, who was studying journalism at UIC. It was the first time she could eat without worrying about the calories. It was the first time she'd taken an active interest in schoolwork. It was the first time she could decide things for herself, instead of letting her mother or Jason decide for her.

She was doing a lot of things for the first time in her life, and she had never felt freer.

Of course, it wasn't always easy. It was never easy to shake off the habit of a lifetime, and Chrissy often woke up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat, thinking she'd thrown her life away. She wanted to apply for nursing school, but although her grades had improved a great deal, she wasn't sure she could make it through the program. What if she flunked out and had to come home with her tail between her legs? Her mother would never let her hear the end of it.

And then there was the matter of her love life.

Chrissy sighed as she put on her make-up. Perhaps she shouldn't have started this train of thought about Jason right before her first date—and a blind date at that!—in nearly two years. It only made her more nervous. Ever since she moved to Chicago, there had been plenty of guys interested in her, but Chrissy had never been confident enough to accept any of them. What if they turned out to be like Jason? About six months after she left, he had shown up on campus and proceeded to make a spectacle of himself in front of everyone as he begged Chrissy to come home. Chrissy had become frozen by shock and fear, and it was only thanks to Nancy, who had had the presence of mind to call security to escort Jason away, that Chrissy had found some peace. She hadn't seen Jason again after that, not even when she'd gone home for summer break.

But even though she was over Jason—which she was, truly and fully—Chrissy was still not ready for that kind of intimacy again. How could she let anyone know her, when she didn't even know herself?

It was why, when Nancy had suggested that Chrissy take the plunge, she had accepted it, albeit in a cautious way—even if the date went nowhere, at least it would make her more comfortable with dating again. Besides, Nancy had said Chrissy needed someone completely different from Jason, and from the sound of it, the guy Nancy set her up with, Eddie, was just that—he majored in English, he played guitar, and he was, by all accounts, something of a nerd. She couldn't get further from Mr. Popular Basketball Star than that.

"How do you even know this guy?" Chrissy had asked, when Nancy first told her about him. "Does he work at the newspaper too?"

"He runs the school's Dungeons and Dragons club," replied Nancy.

"Isn't that the—satanic game?" Chrissy said, her voice hushed.

"Don't let my brother Mike hear you say that," Nancy said, smiling. "He and his friends are really into it, but I know nothing about it, so I went to the club to ask about present ideas for Mike." Sometimes, when comparing herself to Nancy, who was juggling school, a job at the school's newspaper, an internship at the Chicago Tribune, a boyfriend, and still managed to have a good relationship with her family, Chrissy felt like a failure. "Anyway," Nancy continued, "that's how I met Eddie. Trust me, he's really nice."

Chrissy had spoken to Eddie on the phone once after that, to set up their date. He did sound nice—or his voice did, at any rate—but Chrissy hadn't let that fool her. Jason had been really nice too, until she'd done something that didn't fit with his image of a perfect girlfriend.

Chrissy finished her make-up and threw a cardigan over her simple blue dress. She looked into the mirror again, hoping to see a mature young woman of twenty-one, put-together, confident. What she saw was a girl, still looking like she had in high school, eyes wide, anxious, her naïveté showing all too clearly on her face. She thought about asking Nancy for advice, but Nancy was hunched over at her desk, frowning at her typewriter as though it wasn't typing fast enough for her liking, and Chrissy didn't want to bother her. At the last minute, she pulled off her scrunchie, letting her hair fall over her shoulders again. Not much of an improvement, but at least she no longer looked like a schoolgirl.

"Have fun!" Nancy said over her shoulder as Chrissy grabbed her bag. With a quick wave back, Chrissy left their room.

She took the L from the dorm to the South Side. Eddie worked at a music store there, and he didn't get off until six, nor did he drive, so Chrissy had insisted on meeting him at the store. He had offered to pick her up instead, but she'd claimed she didn't mind and wanted to save him the trip. The truth was that she wanted to check him out from afar, before they met face-to-face.

She arrived at the store with twenty minutes to go. The store was on a street corner, its front shaded by a maple tree whose leaves were turning brilliant shades of gold and crimson. Feeling a little ridiculous, Chrissy tried to peer in through the window to catch a glimpse of Eddie. There was no sign of him, or anyone for that matter, only rows and rows of musical instruments—guitars, keyboards, and drum sets further in the back. The place exuded the calm, peaceful air of a library, only with less quiet—despite its apparent emptiness, snatches of music and laughter floated from somewhere in the back of the store through the crisp October air, giving the quiet street outside a rather lively, festive feel. Chrissy was not very musical, but even her fingers itched to strum those gleaming guitars.

"Can I help you?" said a voice next to her, making her jump.

Chrissy turned around. A boy was standing next to her—she had been too busy admiring the guitars to notice him come out of a side door. He looked no more than seventeen or eighteen, with an impish, cheerful face, surrounded by wiry hair poking out from under a baseball cap bearing the store's logo.

"Sorry," Chrissy said automatically. "I'm looking for Eddie."

The boy's eyebrows went up. Probably not a lot of girls came by the store looking for Eddie then. Chrissy wasn't sure if that was a good sign or not. "Could you tell him that Chrissy's here, please?" she asked the boy.

"Ohhh!" the boy exclaimed as understanding dawned on his face. "You must be his date! Hang on a sec, I'll get him." He hesitated. "He may still be in his lesson though. Do you want to come inside?"

"Thanks, but I'll wait for him out here," said Chrissy, wondering what kind of lesson the boy meant.

The boy gave Chrissy an amicable grin, showing his braces, then he turned on his heel and went back in through the side door. "Eddie!" Chrissy heard him shout through the door left ajar, with all the tact of teenage boys. "Your date's here! You're right, she is pretty!"

Cheeks burning up, Chrissy backed away until she was partially hidden by the maple tree. Another agonizing five minutes passed, before the side door opened again and a young man emerged.

Chrissy stared at him.

From Nancy's description, Chrissy had pictured Eddie as someone rather similar to Nancy's boyfriend, Jonathan—a bit weedy, a bit dorky, whom Jason and his fellow jocks would've made fun of in high school, while Chrissy sat by, shame-faced but not having the courage to speak up.

The young man who came out of the store looked nothing like that. He was tall, yes, and lanky, but definitely not weedy, and definitely not a dork. At least not like any dork Chrissy knew. His long, dark hair, which flowed in soft waves down to his shoulders, the steel rings gleaming on his fingers, and his leather jacket, layered with a denim vest stuck full of patches and pins, made him look like a biker or a rocker. To complete the effect, he was wearing a pair of sunglasses. The sunglasses struck Chrissy as rather pretentious, considering that dusk was falling and they would only impede his vision. Her heart sank. This was the guy Nancy believed would be perfect for her? He looked rather... scary.

Chrissy drew further behind the tree. She began to wish she hadn't accepted Nancy's offer. Her only hope that this was not Eddie, but some other employee of the store.

The young man leaned against the door, keeping it open. Kids, all with guitars slung on their backs or hanging from their shoulders, streamed out past him. At least this answered Chrissy's question about the lesson.

"Bye, Eddie!" a little girl said as she ran through the door, dispersing any hope Chrissy might have about the young man's identity.

"Bye, Pippa," replied Eddie. "Don't run."

Chrissy could glimpse fangs behind his lips, and for a confused moment, she wondered if he was a vampire. Then she remembered, with a jolt, that it was almost Halloween. Now that she was paying more attention, she noticed a row of jack-o-lanterns in the shop's windows, and saw that most of the kids were dressed up, as ghosts and ghouls, princesses and superheroes. She amended her initial impression of Eddie's sunglasses, feeling ashamed that she had been so quick to judge. Maybe they were a part of his costume—maybe he was dressed up as Jason Patric from The Lost Boys. He certainly had the right look for it.

As Chrissy watched Eddie say goodbye to the kids, her apprehension gradually fell away. He was clearly well liked by the kids, and in turn, he seemed to like them as well—he called each of them by name and had something to say to each of them, a few words of praise, a gentle admonishment, or a joke. A boy, dressed as a werewolf, went through the door and growled at Eddie. Eddie hissed back. "Don't let the fleas catch you," he said and fist-bumped the boy, who giggled delightedly.

Chrissy couldn't help grinning herself. Now feeling a lot more at ease, she waited until the last kid had left and went up to Eddie. His face was turned away, so he didn't see her.

"Eddie?" she called.

He finally turned to face her, and Chrissy's heart skipped a beat. Despite the sunglasses, his face was open, friendly, and—yes, quite cute too, with a fine-shaped nose, a strong chin and jaw that somehow managed to still look soft, and full lips that broke out in a smile the moment he saw her. "Chrissy?" he said.

"Yes."

"Sorry to keep you waiting. Have you been here long?"

"No, not at all—"

They were interrupted by the boy with the baseball cap, who emerged from the door and pressed something flat and white into Eddie's hand. "Dude, don't forget this," the boy said. Turning to Chrissy, he added with a grin, "I swear, he meets a pretty girl and next thing you know, he's forgetting his own head."

"Thank you, Henderson," Eddie said loudly and pointedly, poking the boy with the white thing and pushing him back inside, before letting the door slam shut. "Sorry about that," he said to Chrissy with an apologetic smile, and started unfolding the white thing, section by section.

"What's that for?" Chrissy asked, pointing at the thing, which she now recognized as a cane.

"What's what for?"

She couldn't tell if he was being obtuse on purpose or not, but she was getting a little annoyed. "The cane," she said.

"Oh, just in case," Eddie said with a shrug. He still hadn't taken his sunglasses off.

"Just in case of what?"

An awkward silence stretched between them as Eddie leaned on the fully unfolded cane. He stared at her—or at least Chrissy thought he was staring at her.

"Chrissy, I'm blind," he said.

Chrissy thought she'd misheard. "What?" she asked blankly.

"You don't know that?"

"No!"

"Didn't Nancy tell you?"

"She didn't tell me anything, only that you run the Dungeons and Dragons club at UIC." Chrissy felt like she was living in some horrible sitcom. It all made sense now, the dark glasses in the evening, the fact that he didn't drive...

"You sure?" Eddie asked, a strain in his voice.

"Yes! I think I would've remembered if she told me you were blind!" And I would kill her for not telling me, she thought.

Eddie's full lips pressed together into a hard line. "Look, we don't have to do this," he said. "Just give me the word and I'll walk away, OK?" He turned to go.

Something made Chrissy reach out and grab his arm. "No! It's not that—I don't want you to go." She looked more closely at Eddie. He had been so nice to the kids. What is it that people say, about children and animals being the best judge of character...? And he was really cute, even when angry. "I'm sorry," she said. "It's just—I've never gone out with a blind guy before."

"Most girls don't want to," Eddie said, still looking sullen.

That was when Chrissy made her decision. "Well, I'm not most girls."

Eddie's face softened when he realized what she was saying. "But—a pretty girl like you—you must have guys hanging around you all the time—"

"I can assure you I don't," Chrissy said honestly. "And how do you know if I'm pretty or not?" she asked, a smile teasing the corner of her mouth despite herself.

"You sound pretty," he said simply, without any attempt at being flirtatious. How could she not be charmed by that?

"And to think, I put so much effort into my outfit too," she said.

Eddie grinned then, a quick, sudden smile that lit up his whole face like the sun coming out from behind the clouds, showing two dimples on his cheeks. "I'm sure you look great," he said. "So where are we going then?"

A sudden idea hit Chrissy. "Tell you what," she said. "If you can guess which hand I'm holding up, then you can pick where we go." She raised her right hand.

Eddie tilted his head, as if he was really trying to see. "... Left?" he guessed.

"How did you do that?!" Chrissy said, quickly putting her hand down. She hoped she sounded believably surprised.

"I didn't get it, did I?" said Eddie, laughing. "You're just saying that."

"I'm not! You really did get it!" Chrissy protested, but she laughed as well. She hadn't laughed like that with anyone in so long. Certainly not with Jason.

"OK," Eddie said. "I guess I won then. Have you been to Chinatown?"

"No."

"Perfect! So we're going to Chinatown."

"Um, Eddie?"

"Yes?"

Chrissy touched a finger to her lips. And then, remembering Eddie couldn't see her, she said, "Your fangs?"

"Oops." Those mischievous dimples dipped and rose again, making him look like an impish boy, as he pulled off the plastic fangs and slipped them into a pocket. "Let's go!"

***

Chinatown was only a few blocks from the store, so they walked. Eddie kept his glasses on and used the cane, though Chrissy could see that it was more for the benefits of others than himself—he walked confidently, his strides slow but steady, without hesitation at any turn or crossing. On the way, Eddie told her about his work at the store and the guitar lessons with the kids, about his band, Corroded Coffin—which he invited her to see—and about his studies at UIC and how he hoped to become a teacher one day. "Or become the Stevie Wonders of heavy metal, who knows," he added with a chuckle.

For her part, Chrissy said little. She simply enjoyed listening to Eddie, fascinated by how fun and interesting his life was. And a sense of shame crept over her, as it always did whenever she compared herself with someone else. Even Eddie could manage to lead such a full life with his disability, yet here she was, trembling at the simple thought of going out to eat, or meeting someone new...

Then they arrived, and the sights and sounds and smells of Chinatown drove the worries from her mind. They walked through the big, colorful gate, down the main street strung with red lanterns, past buildings with curved roofs and stone lions flanking their doors, past murals of Chinese warriors and dragons coiling in clouds or waves, before turning left and heading toward the big square. Chrissy could see why Eddie loved the place. Even if you can't see, there are plenty here to engage your other senses—from the lively music flowing out from every store front, to the cries of the street vendors hawking their wares, from the mouth-watering smell rising from the snack stalls to the presence of hundreds of other people surrounding them, all enjoying themselves.

"Do you want to eat in a restaurant, or do you want street food?" asked Eddie.

Chrissy had no idea what Chinese street food would be like, but she liked the atmosphere of the square too much to want to sit down in a restaurant away from it. "Street food, please," she said boldly.

So that was what they did, getting a to-go box of dim-sum—both steamed and fried, sweet and savory—and sharing it while ambling around. Chrissy found the idea of eating on the street strangely liberating. In a restaurant, she was always conscious of other people watching what she ate—or didn't eat—but here, almost everybody was eating while walking and shopping and talking, children clutching skewers of grilled meat, teenagers giggling over pork buns and egg tarts, elderly ladies slurping from bowls of noodle as they people-watched. It relaxed her so much that she even fed Eddie a few pieces of dim-sum, and let him feed her a few in return.

They continued to talk. Chrissy discovered that she and Eddie had more in common than she realized—he came from Indiana as well, though his hometown was even smaller than hers. She also learned that he went blind due to a rare genetic disorder, and that he got a scholarship to UIC.

"But I've been talking too much," Eddie said suddenly. "Tell me something about yourself."

"You don't want to hear about me," she said with an embarrassed laugh. "I'm boring."

"I'm sure you're not. Nancy told me you're a cheerleader."

"I was a cheerleader. In high school."

"That's really cool."

Chrissy was silent. How could she tell him that she didn't like that part of her and that she wished to leave it behind?

"And you're in health studies now?" Eddie prompted.

"Yes. I want to apply for nursing school, but—" Chrissy stopped herself.

"But what?"

Chrissy hesitated. She hadn't planned on telling Eddie about her fears, yet something about him calmed her and made her want to open up to him.

"I don't know. What if I'm not cut out for it?" she said. "I know the cliché, how would I know if I don't try and so on, but still." She sighed. "I must sound so lame, right?"

"Why would you say that?" Eddie asked, all serious.

"Well, here I am, worrying about a program I don't even have the courage to apply for, while you've done so much with your life..." Eddie was quiet, and she trailed off, wondering if she might have offended him.

After a while, he said, "I was terrified too, when I first moved here." He shrugged. "Heck, I'm still terrified now, sometimes. But I remember what my uncle told me, after I went blind."

"How old were you?" Chrissy asked, looking at him.

"I was six."

She went quiet, her heart aching in sympathy at the thought of Eddie losing his sight so young. How afraid and lost he must have felt! She also wondered why he mentioned his uncle instead of his mom or dad, but decided it was a question she could save for later.

"And what did your uncle say?"

"He told me to just put one foot in front of another and forget everything else." As if he could sense her gaze, Eddie turned and gave her a smile, making her stomach flip.

Chrissy was still running those simple words through her head when a drumroll at the end of the street drew her attention. Following the crowd, they came to a storefront festooned with red ribbons and blazing with lanterns. Three people wearing a half-lion, half-dragon costume were dancing to the drums, trying to reach a ball hanging over the store's front door, under a banner that proclaimed "Three Happiness Restaurant - GRAND OPENING" in English and Chinese.

"It's a grand opening of a restaurant," Chrissy explained to Eddie, over the deafening sound of drums and cymbals. "They're performing some sort of dance."

"I bet it's a lion dance."

"How do you know?"

"I've heard of them. Is there a bunch of guys dressed in a lion costume?"

"Yes, but it doesn't look much like a lion. Looks more like a dragon." She tried to describe to him how the lion's eyelids could actually move, and how the sequins and spangles on its head and body flashed and sparkled in time with the music, giving the impression that it was a real, living thing. She thought she was doing a terrible job of it, but Eddie seemed fascinated. He tilted his head toward the dancers and tapped his foot along with the drums.

"I've never seen a lion dance," he said. "I've always assumed that they looked like, you know, actual lions. Your description sounds much better."

Now the dancers were standing on each other's shoulder to catch the ball in the lion's mouth. The crowd surged forward. Chrissy found herself holding Eddie's elbow automatically, drawing him close to her, supporting him, so he wouldn't be jostled. A cheer went up as the lion caught the ball, and fireworks exploded over their heads.

Eddie lifted his face toward the sky, the colorful sparks reflected in his glasses.

"Can you—see it?" Chrissy asked. She almost bit her tongue off, realizing how idiotic she'd sounded. Of course he couldn't see.

Eddie didn't seem to notice her blunder. "I can feel it," he said.

Chrissy looked up as well, but she didn't watch the fireworks. She looked at Eddie, at the shape of his jawline, at his lips slightly opened, and wondered what it would feel like to kiss those lips. She thought about how afraid she'd been the past year, away from home, away from her family and friends, away from everything she'd ever known, how terrifying it all was. Now, standing here with this guy whom she'd only just met yet felt like she'd known for a long time, she started to realize how freeing it had all been, and would continue to be. And for the first time, she no longer felt ashamed when she compared herself to another. Instead, she felt—encouraged. If Eddie could do all he'd done and more, then what was holding her back?

***

Eddie insisted on walking her back to the dorm, since he lived only a few blocks away. Chrissy didn't protest. She didn't want the night to end, but if it had to end, then she wanted to spend as much of the remaining time with him as possible.

She had never felt like this about anyone, not even Jason. Her excitement after their first date had all been because of herself, her vanity, her naïve dream of the future. But this, with Eddie, was nothing like the headiness of that fourteen-year-old girl. There was a calm certainty in her feelings for him—she'd heard people say that when you meet the right person, you'd just know. Well, she knew now. She wouldn't call it love just yet, but he made her feel warm and safe, and she never wanted those feelings to go away.

Chrissy was almost sorry when they approached the dorm entrance. She was trying to come up with an excuse to invite Eddie inside—not to her room, where Nancy was no doubt still frowning over her article, but to the lounge, perhaps—when a figure stepped out of the shadow and blocked their way.

Chrissy's heart dropped like a lead weight.

It was Jason.

He still looked as she remembered him—clean-cut, handsome in a varsity jacket bearing his school's colors and his name on the chest, utterly charming. That was the terrible thing. After all this time, she'd expected him to look threatening or sinister, but even here, on this darkened street, he still looked like the boy she'd once thought she loved, and she knew, he only had to say the right thing, pushed the right button, and she'd come running back to him...

"Hi, Chris," Jason said, like they just happened to run into each other on the quad.

Chrissy stood stock still, frozen by fear and panic, her mouth clamped shut. She was afraid that if she responded to him, he would be able to draw her back, like in some twisted fairy tale.

"Listen, I just want to talk, OK?" Jason continued in a placating tone. "I may have been a little—hasty, but you're overreacting to a ridiculous degree! Leaving your family, leaving everything you know behind, and for what? This has gone on long enough. Come home, Chris."

His tone and the diminutive, dismissive "Chris" irritated Chrissy, and the irritation wiped away some of her fear. He'd always talked to her like that whenever she tried to tell him something made her uncomfortable or argue against his opinion, like he knew best and she knew nothing at all. He sounded just like her mother.

"Chrissy, you OK?" Eddie's voice broke through the haze, and his hand found hers, giving her strength. "Who is it?"

Jason hadn't even deigned to look at Eddie, as if he considered Eddie not worth his attention. Now he turned to Eddie and took in the cane, the glasses, their hands clasping each other tightly, and his lips curled up in an ugly sneer.

"Seriously, Chris?" he said to Chrissy. "You dumped me for a blind—freak?"

Eddie might not have recognized Jason's condescending tone toward Chrissy, but this he noticed. "Hey man," he said, stepping forward to shield Chrissy from Jason, "I don't know who you think you are, but I don't appreciate your tone—"

"Shut up," snapped Jason. "I'm here to talk to my girlfriend."

Finally, Chrissy found her voice. Walking out from behind Eddie, she looked straight at Jason and said, "No, Jason. You shut up. I'm not your girlfriend anymore. It's been a year. We have nothing to talk about. And if you don't leave me alone, leave us alone, if I ever see you around campus again, I'm going to call the police and file a restraining order against you. I don't think a stalking charge would look good on your record, do you? Now get the fuck out of my sight!"

Under the yellow streetlamp, Jason's face turned a peculiar shade of green. Chrissy's voice had drawn some attention. It was late, but this being Friday night, there were still plenty of students mingling around, and some were turning toward the three of them with curiosity and interest. Jason glanced at the onlookers and back to Chrissy again. He opened his mouth then closed it again several times, looking like a hooked fish. Finally, he backed away from them and took off running toward the train station. He soon disappeared into the dark.

Chrissy's heart, frozen in fear before, now started to beat wildly from relief and elation. Eddie gave her fingers a squeeze. His hand moved up her arm and her shoulder, and when he noticed how much she was trembling, he pulled her into a hug, wrapping his arms around her. With his other hand, he took off his denim vest and draped it over her quivering shoulders.

"You're OK," he said quietly. "It's OK now."

Chrissy clung to him, breathing in his scent of leather and smoke and a woody fragrance that he must have picked up from the store—it was what she imagined a new acoustic guitar would smell like—and felt her trembles subside. But even when she had quieted down, Eddie kept his arms around her.

"So that was your ex?" he asked.

Chrissy nodded. Then, remembering that Eddie couldn't see her, she said, "Yes," her voice muffled from under his leather jacket.

"A piece of work, isn't he?"

"I wasted five years of my life with him."

"At least you're free of him now."

She let out a shaky laugh. "I can't believe I swore at him like that."

"Maybe you're stronger than you think."

She lifted her head to look at Eddie. He was smiling, showing those dimples that she had come to love—yes, love—and she could feel calmness radiating from him like a warm fire, burning away the cold fear in her.

"Let me walk you home," she said. "I think I've scared Jason away for now, but who knows what he may do..."

Eddie's face turned serious. "You think he may be lying in wait for me?"

Chrissy didn't think Jason was capable of that. She wanted to believe that he loved his reputation and his image much more than he loved her, and he would not risk those for anything. But she would rather not find out.

"I want to make sure you're safe," she said.

A little smile hovered over Eddie's lips, shy and incredulous, quite different from the mischievous grin he'd just had. "I'll stick to the main streets, I'll be fine," he said. "But what about you? What if he's lying in wait for you?"

She was touched by his concern, but that didn't alleviate her concern. "Let me call you a cab at least," she insisted.

"Cabbie would say it's faster to walk. It's literally only ten minutes away."

Chrissy sighed. If she had the dorm room to herself, she would ask him to stay the night in a heartbeat. Besides, it was too late to sign him in now. And then she thought about the possibility of spending the night with Eddie and was almost glad he couldn't see the crimson blush creeping over her cheeks.

"Nancy has a car," she said finally. "I'll ask her to drive you home."

Eddie still looked hesitant. "Are you sure? I don't want to bother—"

"It's no bother. Come in for a minute while I get her."

Nancy was furious when Chrissy told her about Jason's latest antics. "What a creep!" she exploded. "I wish I'd called the police on him when he showed up last time. Good for you for kicking his ass though," she added to Chrissy with something like a maternal pride, which Chrissy had never gotten from her own mother.

Nancy readily agreed to drive them to Eddie's apartment—Chrissy suspected she wanted a distraction from her work. Chrissy sat in the back with Eddie, and several times, she caught Nancy watching them in the rearview mirror and smiling to herself from time to time. Chrissy glared at her. To her credit, Nancy never said a word except to ask Eddie for his address, and "Here we are!" when they arrived at Eddie's apartment building—an old brownstone just behind the South Campus—not more than five minutes later.

"Thanks for the ride, Wheeler," Eddie said, getting out and giving Nancy's shoulder a friendly pat, by way of saying goodbye.

Chrissy hesitated. Should she say goodbye here, or should she walk him to his door? The guy is usually the one walking the girl to her door, isn't he? What would the etiquette be in this case?

Thankfully, Nancy saw her wavering. "Go ahead," she said, nodding at Chrissy with that same knowing smile. "I'll wait in the car."

Chrissy ran after Eddie, who was halfway up the front steps.

"Eddie," she said. "Don't forget your jacket." She pressed the jean vest into his hand.

"You keep it," he said. "So I have an excuse to see you again." The grin was back, shy and playful at the same time, and Chrissy melted in its warmth.

"I'm so sorry our date was ruined," she said.

"It's not your fault. And nothing was ruined. I had a great time."

"Me too. Thank you." Chrissy was well aware that Nancy was waiting, but she didn't want to say goodbye, not yet. She went up a few steps until she could see her reflection in his glasses. "Eddie?"

"Yes?"

"Can I—do you mind taking off your glasses? I want to see your eyes." She wondered if she was being intrusive, but Eddie only said, "Oh, of course!" He lifted his glasses into his curls, and Chrissy fell quiet as she took in his eyes.

Eddie's eyes were dark brown, the largest, softest brown eyes she'd ever seen, fringed by enviably long lashes. They looked blank, as expected, and even though the expressiveness of the rest of his face more than made up for it, her heart still twisted when she imagined how wonderful he would've looked, how alive his face would've been, if those eyes could see.

"They're beautiful," she said.

"I'd rather that they were functional rather than beautiful, but hey, you have to take what you can get, right?"

Chrissy realized she'd misspoken again. "I'm so sorry," she said, feeling wretched. "I didn't mean—"

"No, no," Eddie quickly said, taking her hand to assure her that he wasn't offended. "I was just joking."

Chrissy took another step up. They were now so close that she could count the freckles across the bridge of his nose, even in the dim light over his front door. "Can I kiss you?" she asked, a little breathless.

Eddie's own breath caught. "No one's ever asked me that before," he said.

"I've never asked that of anyone before either."

Eddie smiled. "I guess that made this the first for both of us." Then he sobered, realizing the weight of this moment. "I'd love a kiss from you." He leaned closer and turned his head slightly, putting his cheek toward her.

It was then that Chrissy realized he was expecting a goodnight kiss on the cheek, a chaste kiss between friends. And she also realized she had no interest in being friendly or chaste.

Pressing a finger to his jaw, she turned him to face her and put a kiss on his lips.

A moment's hesitation as Eddie was caught by surprise, then his mouth parted, welcoming, responsive, and he was kissing her back, slowly but surely. His lips were just as soft as she'd imagined them, and when he lifted a hand to her face, caressing her jaw and cheek, as if trying to feel the kiss with all of his senses, she forgot everything else but him and those lips under hers.

"Are you smiling?" he said as they pulled apart to draw breath. His fingers still continued their gentle quest across her face, sending delicious shivers down her spine.

"I am." Her smile widened, and she saw it reflected on Eddie's face.

"That's a good sign, isn't it?"

"Very good." His fingertips grazed her lips. She kissed them, and because that wasn't enough, never enough, she leaned in for another lingering kiss on his mouth.

Even when they pulled apart, Eddie kept his arms around her. "Chrissy?" he whispered.

"Yes?"

"Can I see you—" Realizing what he was saying, Eddie chuckled sheepishly, and Chrissy grinned as well. "I mean," he corrected himself, "can we go on another—"

Chrissy didn't let him finish. "I'd love to," she said, and kissed him again for good measure.

She didn't know how long they stood there, arms and bodies and lips intertwined, until she remembered that Nancy was still waiting for her.

"I have to go," she said and reluctantly let go of Eddie.

"Sunday, then?" Eddie asked, as he walked slowly through the door, still holding on to her fingers.

"Sunday." She squeezed his hand to reassure him and watched until he was safely inside, before running down to the car.

"Thanks for waiting, Nancy," Chrissy said.

"No worries," said Nancy with the proud look of someone who knew they had done a good job. "I know what it's like."

"What was your first date with Jonathan like?" asked Chrissy. Nancy was so competent, so serious that Chrissy had always been slightly intimidated by her. Now she was glad to be able to have some girl talk with Nancy, as shallow as that made her.

"We didn't really have one," said Nancy, a wry smile twisting her mouth as she remembered. "We were on an assignment together, and it just—sort of happened. So when are you seeing Eddie again?"

"Sunday."

Nancy's eyebrows went up. "That soon?"

Usually, this would set Chrissy down another path of self-doubt, making her worry that she was moving too fast or being too easy. But now, still feeling Eddie's touches on her hands and her lips, still wrapped in his warmth from the denim vest draped around herself, and with his words still lingering in her mind, she no longer worried.

Put one foot in front of the other and forget everything else.

"Not soon enough for me," she said, and smiled at Nancy's astonished face.

So I got the inspiration for this from a viral video of a guy going on a blind date only to find out that his date was actually blind (I lifted some of the dialogue from the video.) Even though the video was apparently staged, it's quite cute and feels very Hellcheer. However, I decided to flip it around and make Eddie the blind one instead of Chrissy, because I like the idea of Eddie still being so full of life despite his disability that he manages to inspire Chrissy as well.

It's a one-shot for now, but I love writing Blind Eddie so there may be more stories for him in the future!

[musicfeedsmysoul12]

would you be interested in doing japanese myth quirk au living ghost? midoriya with his soul exiting his body because of strong emotions on the regular...how would he figure this out? because the ghost of himself curses bakugo? or because he loves all might so damn much his spirit astral projects cross country to watch him fight up close?

I have seen a fic about this before.... but my take:

Toshinori heard Izuku pick up the board before the boy started writing. Toshinori turned to see the floating board with a sad smile. "Bad day?"

YES was written on the board. HURTS REALLY BAD

"Do you need your pills?" Toshinori asked.

YES

"Alright," Toshinori nodded.

He hadn't expected to end up a foster dad for a kid who knew his identity. Nor did he admittedly expect to be a foster dad at all. But Izuku was like a burr in his own way. He latched onto people and didn't let go.

Not that Toshinori minded. Having an invisible boy follow him around for weeks and then having the boy ask for help had been shocking.

More so when he learned why the boy needed help.

Midoriya Izuku had been ten when he ended up in a coma. No one knew why he was in said coma, but his mother was heartbroken. She was comforted by her best friends.

Who were the reason Izuku was in his coma. Their obsession with Midoriya Inko led to the two adults jumping the young boy and beating him enough to put him in a coma to 'remove his influence from their Inko.'

At the same time, Izuku came into his Quirk, the ability to project himself out of his body. He thought he'd become a ghost for a long time until he saw his body during a visit Toshinori was making to the long-term care ward for children.

The boy told Toshinori what was happening after some experiments in trying to communicate, and the Bakugou adults were arrested. Careful coaching helped Izuku 'reposess' his body. Midoriya Inko gave up custody after a mental breakdown, and now Toshinori had custody.

That was a year ago, and it was still new.

But as Toshinori got out the pain pills, he found he quite enjoyed his new life then the one he had before.

[lolotr]

hi babes it's me, get ready to spill all your secrets ✨ I wanna know EVERYTHING but also I don't wanna be weird, so gimme 15 with some sweet sweet details about those WIPs, maybe, if you're down for it? Also 29 and 30 pls and thank you. 😘❤️💕

HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII BABES THANK YOU FOR SENDING THE ASKIES

15. What WIP are you taking into next year with you?

Which ones am I NOT taking into next year with me, jesus. so many. these are all DBD, as will be shocking to 0 of you. I have WIPs in other fandoms, but nothing I'm ACTIVELY working on

-Dead Boys Night: It would be nice if I could finish this before the year ends, but I'm not totally sure that will happen. I have ideas for the last chapter/epilogue, but I haven't been great about sitting down and actually working on it. Pray for me.

-Libraryverse: I will forever be obsessed with this little family I created. I currently have two fics that are actively in progress, nowhere near done, but they will continue to be written, as well as (hopefully) the 10+ other ideas I have for this verse. I kid you not. I am obsessed with the libraryverse.

-The Raven Cycle AU: This has been percolating for a few months, since I wrote the first chapter for payneland week. I want to develop it into a full story, and even have a couple chapters written, but I want to develop it more/get farther before posting them.

-Merthur AU: Weirdly, I also have an idea or two about the merthur vibes AU I wrote for payneland week. I've started working on the story of Edwin and Charles meeting in that verse, but I'm not sure if anything will come of it.

This is not to say these are the only ideas I have, but these are the ones with more than just vague vibes written down, lol.

29. Favorite line/passage you wrote this year?

Ugh, that's gonna be hard. I've written so much that I'm proud of this year, which is such a nice feeling. The first one that comes to mind is this, from my beach episode:

“I love you, Edwin,” he says, with the same conviction as, Let’s get you out of here. As, You’re my best mate, and you always will be. As, It looks like you’re stuck with me.  

That was one of my favorite confessions I've written.

30. Biggest surprise while writing this year?

Honestly? That I found the joy in it again. Before Dead Boy Detectives, I hadn't written much fic. I posted something here and there, usually for much smaller fandoms, but I haven't been gripped by a story in this way in YEARS. So the biggest surprise this year was that I got grabbed by the guts and wrote TENS OF THOUSANDS OF WORDS and am full of ideas and excitement. The initial rush has calmed a bit, both naturally and because I got a job and moved, but I am still having a great time writing and posting, so I'm not going anywhere.

ao3 wrapped [writers edition] (yes I'm using someone else's post bc I couldn't find my own shut up)

[things-arent-what-they-seem66]

Guardian Angel AU

Can you perhaps… Write their first Christmas together?

That day is so cute :<

Sure! Christmas in July. It's still June.

@dolce-tenebra-toscana I'm including Melody!!

Adam was jittery, Christmas time was always the time of year he was the most lonely and vulnerable. Sera would send $20 in a card that was pre-written, Alastor wouldn't come by until New Year's Eve, so that was a gift in itself.

Normally Adam would just spend it holed up in his apartment, drinking more than normal and taking even more pills to forget about what this time of year used to be for him.

No, this year he was spending Christmas with Lucifer and Melody at her place. Adam hadn't been there in nearly two years, even though she tried to coax him out he didn't even open the door when she came by.

Lucifer's therapy sessions have been helping him a lot. And since they've started dating Adam has felt even better.

A knock on his door got Adam out of his head, he answered and smiled when he saw it was Lucifer. "Hey! You ready to go?"

"Yeah, I'm ready." Adam had his normal hoodie on, it kept him nice and warm. Not to mention it kept his boys close to him. He locked up his apartment and him and Lucifer walked to Melody's hand in hand.

Something about just holding Lucifer's hand made Adam feel more safe and secure.

The walk didn't take too long, which was good cause it was cold out. "Oh my god, Adam! It's so good to see you!!" Melody cheered and brought the brunette in for a tight hug, he hugged her back. He missed her, Adam didn't realize how much until this very moment. "And Lucifer, glad you could make it come on in!"

Adam actually found the entire evening to be nice. They all talked as they ate and drank hot chocolate that Melody made herself, her cat Ziggy found his way to Adams lap for some much needed pets.

Adam and Lucifer took to looking at the decorations that Melody put up on her fireplace. "This has been really nice." Adam commented.

Lucifer nodded in agreement. "Yeah, Melody really knows how to make someone feel welcome."

They turned when they heard her giggling. "Oops, how'd that get there?"

Confused, Adam followed her gaze above their heads and......

Mistletoe.

Adam felt his heart race. This shouldn't be a difficult thing to do, they were dating after all. He must have had a panicked look on his face because Lucifer cupped his face in his hands.

"We don't have to if you want to." Intimacy has always been difficult for Adam, since Steve, since Valentino. Even just kissing can send him into a panic.

But Lucifer....... Not with Lucifer, he always makes Adam feel calm and his kisses always make Adam's heart race for a different reason.

Adam flushed, he wanted to do this. He never kissed someone under the mistletoe before. "I want to." He admitted shyly.

Adam and Lucifer closed the gap between them in a soft kiss. Adam held onto Lucifer as if he was going to float away to the heavens above. The kiss was deepened slightly and Adams head was spinning, all he could think, feel, and smell was Lucifer.

The scent of apples and cinnamon along with something that Adam could only describe as being purely Lucifer. He loved the way he smelled.

When they pulled apart they smiled at each other, Adams was less shy than before. Fuck, he really loved Lucifer. Maybe one day he'd tell him.

"Awww, you guys are just too cute." Melody said, she had watched them. She was so happy Adam found someone who was good to him, god knows the man deserved it.

When Adam and Lucifer left, they went back to Lucifer's place and watched classic Christmas movies curled up on the couch in their pajamas until they fell asleep.

That was Adams best Christmas ever.

[violet-moonstone]

fanfic tag

I was tagged by @thedragon-and-hisboy

How many works do you have on Ao3?

20

What's your Ao3 word count?

338,073

What fandoms do you write for?

Mostly HTTYD, but I've also written for My Chemical Romance, RossterTeeth/Achievement Hunter, and I have an Arcane fic in the works.

What are your top five fics by kudos?

Terms of Agreement

Fire at Will

Tell Me What I Want to Hear

HTTYD Relationship Headcanons

Love and War

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Yes, as much as I have the energy/ideas for. I like responding because I like interacting with people who enjoy the fandoms as me and who enjoy my writing. Also it makes me happy when writers respond to my comments, so I like to do the same.

What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

"Fire At Will," an MCR fic I wrote in high school in which (spoiler alert) literally everyone dies at the end.

What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Honest answer: "A Reminder of Home," a very short fic about Snotlout giving Eret a gift for Snoggletog.

Nasty answer: all my smut fics...they all have happy endings if you know what I mean...

Do you get hate on fics?

Not so far. Hopefully I won't but if it happens, I'll probably just delete the comment.

Do you write smut? If so what kind?

Oh boy, do I. To date I've only written gay smut, mostly between men. I've got one F/F smut chapter in the longfic I'm working on. Hoping to write more of a variety of pairings. My smut ranges from wholesome to freaky. Depends on my mood.

Do you write cross overs? What's the craziest one you've written?

I've written crossover headcanons, but I've yet to write any full fics. Unless my MCR fanfic counts, because it did include members of Fall Out Boy, Panic! at the Disco, and Mindless Self Indulgence...oh and they were all in magic covens and doing blood magic, so I get that's pretty crazy.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of and I hope it never happens.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

Again, not that I know of. It would be cool though. I can read and understand French but my writing is terrible. Maybe one day I could get good enough to translate my fics to French though.

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I tried co-writing a ROTG fic with my best friend in middle school. Never panned out.

What's your all time favorite ship?

I don't have an all-time OTP but at the moment I'm pretty in love with the following:

Dagur/Hiccup (HTTYD)

Viggo/Hiccup

Sevika/Mel (Arcane)

Jasper/Lapis (Steven Universe)

Morgana/Gwen (Merlin)

Any canon ship from Interview with the Vampire

In the past I was pretty obsessed with Hiccup/Jack Frost, although I'm much more into shipping Hiccup with other HTTYD characters these days.

Honestly though, my biggest ships often involve my (self-insert) OCs, and I don't talk as much about them, but I tend to think about them much more than I think about ships between canon characters. And a common thread with my canon-character ships tends to be shipping a character that reminds me of myself with a character I think is attractive.

A couple characters I like self-shipping with:

Dagur

Sevika

Brienne of Tarth (ASOIAF)

Karlach (BG3)

What's a WIP you'd like to finish but doubt you ever wilI?

I had an idea for a Criston Cole/Alicent Hightower fic that I never got around to writing, mostly because of my soured opinions of House of the Dragon. I may get around to it though simply because I think the fic would be really good.

I also never finished my HTTYD vampire AU "Maces and Talons," mostly because I realized that I hadn't thought through the plot structure or the themes of the story very well, and I was losing interest in fleshing out my rough drafts. The vibes were immaculate but the storytelling was not.

I also started writing a tragic fanfic about Loki several years ago that combined MCU, Marvel comic, and Norse mythology lore. Never finished it, but I think it would have been interesting if I did.

What are your writing strengths?

I think I'm really good at eliciting strong emotional reactions from readers and wording impactful passages eloquently. Oh and I love world building!

What are your writing weaknesses?

Describing combat, action, and scenes that take place outside. I also struggle to determine which small details to leave out to avoid passages sounding clunky or plot points getting bloated.

Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I'd love to if I get fluent enough.

First fandom you wrote for?

First fandom I wrote for: ROTG

First fandom I posted for: RoosterTeeth/Achievement Hunter

Favorite fic you've ever written?

My favourite completed fanfic is probably either "Alone Together" or "Terms of Agreement," however the longfic I'm working on now "The Wings of War" is my all time favourite. I can't wait for it to be complete. It's going to be the longest thing I've written when it's done, and I'm really proud of the character development and theme exploration I have planned.

Tags-In a new post answer all of these questions, then tag whoever else you want.

Tagging: @evilwriter37 and @thereweredragonshere

[another-clive-blog]

I voted to marry the boy, could you write him being incredibly smitten with one Emmy Altava? (I would take any Clemmy really, but Clive MUST be head over heels for her)

SORRY FOR THE DELAY !! My sincerest apologies, this week has been kicking my ass-

This was hard to write, because I'm bad at shipping and also I don't know the first thing about Emmy ? She works with Layton and is gorgeous, that's it :'D I did ask some friends who told me about a camera ?? So I tried to like. Work from there

ANYWAY !! AU where Emmy works at Clive's newspaper as a part-job on top of her adventures with Layton ! She is a photographer and 20-year-old Clive is a writer. Also this is Unwound Future Canon-compliant (kinda ? It works from Clive's perspective). This is teen, comfort no hurt, fluff, and entirely written from clive's POV

Emmy fans I apologize in advance if I didn't do your girl justice, she is gorgeous and I want to get to know her

Clive remembered that fateful day- not the day it had all started, of course, but the day his whole plan had been thrown off the rails.

It was a day just like the others- or rather, it would have been, had his article not been rejected. He had been working at the newspaper for two years now, ever since he'd graduated at age 18 : two years, and not once had one of his articles been refused. All of his work had always been met with approval at worst, congratulations at best- nothing less.

But not this time. The direction hadn't said much about this outrageous event, simply something about his article needing more work, apparently. This usually wouldn't bother Clive : failure was a part of life, and he forgave those poor souls for failing to perceive the greatness of his work.

And yet- this was a problem. Clive had asked to be granted access to informations about the Incident ever since he started working here, and his request had been denied every time. He had to prove his reliability first, they said, show them that he hadn't taken the job just to get his hands on classified files. It was annoying, truly : of course he had, but proving otherwise was tiresome.

But now, with this failure... Was his progress going to fade away ? Could he still hope to get these documents soon ? Or was this the faux pas that would cost him his prize entirely ?

Clive sighed, putting that traitorous piece of paper back on his desk : he leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes for a moment.

What should he do now ?

"Well, that's a sad face if I've ever seen one," a voice commented in an extremely helpful way. He didn't recognize it, mostly because he couldn't be bothered to learn his colleagues' voices or names- mostly because they kept coming to annoy him at the worst possible time. Which was all the time.

"Could you please leave me alone for once or is it really too much to ask ?" Clive knew that he didn't sound very pleasant or respectful, but that was literally the last of his problems. Besides, he had isolated his desk from the rest specifically because he didn't want others to come bother him.

"Pretty sure this is the first time we meet. At least, I don't remember seeing you before. Are you new too ?" She replied, and she really wasn't leaving, was she ? Then again, if she was new here, she probably didn't know that he wasn't here to make friends.

He opened his eyes.

The first thing to catch his gaze was the odd yellow dress, a strange outfit to wear in a place like this : she looked like an adventurer, not a journalist. There wasn't any dress code to meet in order to work here, but still...

Then again, she did have a bow tie.

"I've been here for two years," he deadpanned. She seemed nice and that was good for her, really, but he wasn't in the mood for chit-chat. "Welcome to the team, I suppose."

She smiled. It wasn't bright like a sun or sweet like chocolate, but it was rather something authentic, that she had worked hard to obtain and preserve. This was the kind of smile that would inspire tons of stories and articles- at least to someone really passionate about this job.

Clive wasn't. He wasn't here to change the world or make friends, he was here to get these classified files that would hopefully help him move on.

"Thank you," she said, before putting one hand on his desk and leaning forward : Clive pushed his chair back a little. "Say, since we're a team now, do you mind telling me why I've never seen you hang out with the others ?"

Oh wow. Alright, no little mind games- just straight to the point.

That really was new.

"Well," Clive muttered, looking away, "I have work to do."

She tilted her head slightly, his answer only making her more curious. "And they don't ?"

Was this some kind of test ? Clive couldn't perceive any ill intentions behind this question, but it didn't sound all that mundane either. What was she at ?

"Of course they do," he explained himself, "But this is important to me, and-" Actually- why was he even telling her that ? She probably didn't care, he didn't care, this whole discussion was useless : he had no reason to keep it going. "And my article just got refused, so I have even more work to do." He said abruptly, hoping to end the conversation.

She didn't go away. "Oh really ? That sucks. Want me to take a look ?" She offered, as if she wasn't new here.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but I'm not sure you can help much," Clive said coldly. He wasn't in the mood for this. "I mean, you're new, and a photographer, so this may not be your-"

"Nonsense !" She put her hands on her hips, the same smile on her face. She had listened to approximately none of his reasoning. Stubborn, Clive thought. Stubborn and very confident.

"I may not write the articles, but I know how they work," she said. "Also, I have learned a thing or two from Layton."

Clive froze. Layton. The professor Layton ? The one who had saved him as a kid, the man who was his model, his inspiration, his-

"Hey, this article is about him !" Quick as a fox, she had leaned over his desk and grabbed the piece of paper : her eyes were done scanning through the first few paragraphs before Clive could even react.

"Wh- where are your manners ?!" He yelled at her, blushing furiously. Alright, that was it-

Pushing his chair back, he quickly made his way around his desk, reaching for his sorry excuse of an article.

She dodged his poor attempt at taking back his sheet of paper with no effort whatsoever. "This is pretty good," she said, talking about the paper rather than his embarrassing fight.

Clive was a clever man- that's why he decided after yet another vain attempt that he couldn't win. Somewhere in his mind, he noted that she had to truly be an adventurer of some kind : she was surprisingly strong, agile and terribly efficient, unbothered by someone like him.

He reluctantly gave up his useless fight, taking a few steps back and crossing his arms instead. "Not good enough, apparently," he spat, glaring at her. She had no shame, no hesitation, no weakness- who even was she ?!

"Yeah, I can see why," she nodded, and Clive was once again baffled by her ability to say honest things without any hard feelings behind it.

"Your article is good, but you forgot the presentation," she explained, stepping closer to better show him : this proximity made Clive agitated, although he wasn't sure why. "You talk like everyone knows Layton, but that's just not true- especially since you're dealing with his first ever adventure. You have to keep everyone in mind, not just the readers who are as knowledgeable about this subject as you are."

Clive choked. "I-I'm not-"

"Hey, I could give you a good photo of Layton !" She interrupted him with a smile. "That way, everyone would know who we're talking about."

"Yeah, about that- do you actually know the professor ?" He narrowed his eyes at her, looking her up and down. She didn't seem like the kind of person the professor would frequent, bow tie or no bow tie.

"Of course !" She said, before her voice took a challenging intonation, "What, wanna bet ?"

Clive scoffed. She was being ridiculous- this was probably all an elaborate plan to make fun of him. He could absolutely picture his colleagues telling her to prank him as some sort of initiation ritual, actually. She certainly was almost as annoying as they all were.

But she may know the professor. "Sure," he finally said. "If you can take this photo and bring it to me, I'll buy you a coffee tomorrow."

"Wow, hey, don't ruin yourself for me Tiger," she sarcastically said. Tiger ??

"Wha-"

"Alright, I'll come tomorrow by your sad and isolated desk to give you the picture," she decided. "I love proving I'm right, almost as much as I love drinking terrible coffees with rude co-workers."

"Are you serious-"

"See you!" She cut him off with a provocative grin, again, and left without listening to another word he had to say, again.

Clive watched her go in silence, furious. Who did she think she was ?! She had been here for what, a couple hours, and she just came up to him like that ? He hoped she had annoyed everyone else too : that way, she'd get fired sooner rather than later.

The thought did make him feel better, and he sat back in his chair, enjoying the calm of the small room where stood his isolated desk. If he focused hard enough, he could hear her laugh with others in the next room- but he couldn't, because he didn't care enough to pay attention.

So since he wasn't listening to the sound of her voice, it was silent. And enjoyable. And lonely- which was good, because he hated having to deal with others. Especially her -what was her name again ? Not that it mattered-, because she was so rude and straight-forward and confident. Really confident.

Nevermind.

He picked up the article, looking at it thoughtfully. He needed this article to be accepted, and he needed it to be his best work yet : it was the only way to prove he was worthy of the reputation he had built for himself, and, most importantly- the only way to get what he wanted, the Truth.

...Presentation, uh ?

-_-_-_-

Surely enough, the very next day, Emmy came back to his desk with a brand new picture.

Professor Layton, sitting at a table, enjoying a nice cup of tea. He was smiling serenely, and his face held a bit of warmth, of comfort, of home.

"There you go !" Emmy said with a very satisfied smile, one that Clive wasn't ready to see this early in the morning.

He took the photo she was handing him. It felt recent and authentic : in fact, he could see yesterday's newspaper on the table, next to Layton's hand. It was crazy. There was no way they actually knew each other.

"Are you a paparazzi ?" He asked before he could stop himself. He shouldn't throw accusations her way in case she really was close to the professor, but what else could it be ?

"What ? No !" Emmy didn't seem to get offended- on the contrary, she stood proudly, hands on her hips. "I'm his associate !"

Oh.

Clive fell silent, his gaze wandering back to the picture. The professor was facing whoever had taken the photography : he was fully aware someone was here, taking this very picture. Had she asked him to smile ? Or was he just that happy to help his associate win a stupid bet and make a name for herself at her new job ?

Why would someone like the professor choose her as an associate ?

"That's odd," Emmy said with feigned naivety. "I recall you being a real Layton fan, and yet you didn't recognize the one and only Emmy Altava, associate of the great professor Layton ? Surely someone as knowledgeable as you should know this. I mean, it'd be pretty humiliating if you didn't, right ?"

He looked up, staring at her, and she stared him down with a provocative smirk, waiting for his answer.

Somehow, he... he wasn't mad. He didn't feel like angrily answering or starting a fight, which was relatively rare : maybe this was due to the fact that he knew she could easily destroy him.

Or maybe this was due to the fact that he really wanted to know what Layton had seen in her, now. "I'm not a Layton fan, and I didn't know he had an associate."

Emmy's smirk disappeared quickly at his admission, replaced with something that was almost disappointment. She hummed, looking at him strangely. "...This is really not as satisfying as you had me believe it would be. I was looking forward to crushing your little ego under my boot."

Alright- forget that. Clive scoffed. "Don't forget I have to buy you a disgusting coffee now, so we're stuck together for a few more painful minutes."

"Ah- I had indeed forgotten about that part," She admitted, scratching the top of her head. All of the antagonizing and taunting was gone, just like that, Clive noticed : how did she move on so quickly ? He never ever missed an opportunity to rightfully put people in their places. But she was already over it ??

Emmy -she did say her name was Emmy, right ? Emmy Altava- shrugged, coming to a decision. "Disgusting coffee is better than no coffee. Lead the way, Tiger."

He groaned. "Stop calling me that."

"Wait," she paused, and he stared at her while waiting for whatever nonsense she was about to spit. "...What is your name ?"

...You know what- that was fair. He hadn't told her, after all. "I'm Clive Dove."

She snapped her fingers, that same confident grin on her lips. "Great. Lead the way, Clivey."

Clive groaned before leaving the room without a word. Emmy followed him with a satisfied grin, very proud and amused by his pointless anger.

Clive walked faster, trying to hide the blush that crept on his face.

-_-_-_-

They didn't interact much after the coffee : in fact, they didn't talk at all for the next few days.

Clive would see her sometimes, or hear her. He heard her a lot : she had a booming voice, full of life and passion. Whenever she talked to another one of their colleagues, Clive would hear her contagious laugh, listen to her stories from the loneliness of his small isolated desk.

She was a great storyteller. Managing her effects, adding plenty of details, adapting to her audience- it felt real. Clive could picture her stories, her adventures at the professor's side.

This was exactly what gave him a new idea, bright like always.

He came across her in the corridor, while she was heading to get herself a coffee. "Oh- Clivey ! It's been some time, hasn't it ?"

He gritted his teeth. This was a bright idea. He only had bright ideas. "Ignoring that first part. I wanted to tell you something."

She didn't seem all that excited, merely eyeing him up and down like they were in a box ring. "What- you want me to prove you wrong again ? Cuz I can do that-"

"No, no," he groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. Why was she always so impulsive ? "I wanted to tell you that I submitted my article again, and the direction as well as the audience were really enthusiastic this time."

She seemed to relax, smiling instead. "That's great ! I'm happy for you."

"Also I added your name to it."

She... stopped smiling. In fact, she remained uncharacteristically silent, staring at him as if she was trying to see beyond his calm expression.

It was unsettling- deeply, extremely unsettling. It felt as though she could look at him and see everything he was hiding : his dead parents, his need for answers, his plan to get these files, his... his dead parents. There was nothing else he was hiding.

And yet, he felt his face go red under her scrutinizing gaze. Stupid, embarrassing shame.

"You helped me with the photography and the structure of the article, so it's only fair," he explained in a small voice, crossing his arms. He was not going to look at her. He was not going to meet her gaze and help her find whatever she was looking for. "And that's also why I'm here. I would like to offer you to- to work on a series of articles about the professor."

Clive still refused to watch her reaction, and it took another couple of seconds for Emmy to react : but when she did, she put her hands on her hips, leaning forward with a wide grin. Clive hated when she did that, it made him feel so small compared to her. She was also closer to him, which made him feel really... uncomfortable. And hot. "You want me to work on these ? With you, I suppose ?"

"Obviously," he scoffed, shrugging nonchalantly- or so he tried.

"...Why ?" She sounded concerned- curious too. There was something in her that wasn't sure about this project, and yet there was an even bigger part of her who wanted to get more out of this, to explore all the possibilities.

Clive couldn't care less about possibilities, or colleagues, or success : there was only one success that mattered to him, and it was getting these classified informations.

Which was exactly why he wanted to work with Emmy. Her proximity with Layton and, he'll admit it, her set of skills were perfect to help him reach his own goal. "Because you know a lot about the professor, and your stories are good material. Also, you could provide with pictures and- and presentation advices, I suppose. Probably," he muttered. She was still so close- should he step back ?

No, she would probably get offended. Oh well- he just had to keep standing inches from her, then.

She seemed amused. "I thought you weren't a Layton fan. Why are you asking me to tell you about him ?"

"He's a good inspiration for articles," he said, trying to sound professional- and why was he even trying ? This was professional. It was a professional setting. "Only an idiot would let this opportunity go."

"And you're not an idiot." She thought about it for a minute, before she shrugged : "Why not ! I'm here to create articles, after all. But first I need my coffee." She stretched her back before taking a few steps away, heading for her long-awaited beverage.

Clive felt... almost disappointed to see her leaving, but the unusual joy overcame it easily. She had accepted to work with him, they were gonna be a team- which meant that he was getting closer to achieving his goal. "Wait- want me to buy you a coffee ?"

She chuckled. "Don't ruin yourself for me, Clivey."

He didn't make any comment on the name.

-_-_-_-

Getting to work with Emmy was just delightful. She was as efficient as he was, both straight-forward in their criticism, always looking for ways to improve, listening to the other's suggestions before making up their minds. They made an exceptional team with perfect cohesion and excellent results.

Of course, the direction had noticed it too. Their articles were a hit among the newspaper's audience, even bringing in new customers : everyone was curious about this duo who wrote entertaining articles about some professor. It almost felt like fiction, and people liked to read these improbable stories that stood out from the rest of the usual news coverage.

The audience wanted more, the direction wanted more, and so Emmy and Clive logically decided to make more articles : day after day, week after week, they kept creating more and more stories, to the point that they would spend most of the day together- even the sacred coffee break.

"And that's how we found out that Descole really was behind all of this," Emmy finished her story, taking her cup of coffee in one hand. "I mean, I had my suspicions- but without the professor, I never would have guessed what was truly going on."

Clive nodded, absent-mindedly scribbling a few notes. His own cup had been left completely untouched, his coffee cold by now.

This detail didn't go unnoticed. "Cold coffee won't taste better, you know," Emmy joked.

Clive stopped writing, looking at his cup in silence.

Emmy frowned. "Hey, are you okay ?"

Clive looked at her, then at his notes. They were precise and neatly written at first, like always, before suddenly going... messy. Which was weird, because Clive hated messy.

"I just thought about something," he explained.

"Oh ?" She leaned forward on the table : her curious eyes were scanning Clive's face, waiting for any piece of information. Her coffee was left forgotten- it was disgusting anyway.

Clive brought his own cup to his lips, a poor attempt at hiding the blush on his face- because he was blushing, he knew that.

After all, this was exactly the something he had been thinking about.

It had taken him weeks to realize it. But surely enough, at some point, he had stopped listening to the stories and started listening solely to the voice telling them. He had stopped seeing work as a means to an end and started to look forward to seeing her in the morning, to sharing a coffee with her day after day.

He had even stopped caring about these stupid classified files. He would never stop being curious about the truth, wanting deep down to know what truly went down- but he could also portray his life in a world where he wouldn't get to know. Maybe he could never know, and still be okay, as long as he had another source of motivation.

Emmy. His work with her- scratch that. Just Emmy. He knew it was her and not these pointless articles : even the professor, his childhood hero, seemed to pale in comparison to her, recently.

He had wondered why the professor had made her his associate : now he knew, maybe even more than Layton himself.

"I was just- just thinking," he said, before taking a sip of coffee. It was cold, and bitter, and frankly disgusting : this newspaper should be able to afford better coffees, especially with all the records in sells recently. But this disgusting coffee allowed him to share a moment with Emmy, so maybe it was a bit okay. "About stuff."

"Very specific," Emmy mocked him, "Come on, spit it out !"

Oh, there was no way he was telling her. Admitting it -partly- to himself was already a big enough challenge. "I was- well, I was wondering if the professor was okay with us writing about his life."

Emmy rose an eyebrow, settling back in her chair. It really was just a game of getting closer and away, wasn't it ? "The professor doesn't mind. He is flattered someone is that invested in his adventures. He said he'd like to meet you, one day," Emmy simply answered, looking at him funny. There it was, that scrutinizing gaze that was looking for secrets, trying to uncover everything he wasn't saying- "But really, Clivey, we've been doing that for weeks. You only wonder about that now ?"

"I guess I didn't want this to stop, in case he was bothered," he simply said.

If Emmy noticed the way he passed up the opportunity to meet Layton himself, she didn't say a thing. "Ah, right. You're not an idiot, and you're not passing up any opportunities."

"Exactly," Clive said. He wasn't blushing anymore, so he put his coffee down- it was really too disgusting, anyway.

Emmy nodded. "We have enough for our next article. We should get back to work- you know, so you keep getting opportunities." She said this with a touch of humor, and Clive chuckled at it. It wasn't even that funny, but she had a way of making him happy that only worked with her : another colleague would have him rolling his eyes and spitting a distateful comment.

"Alright- I just need to go back to my desk first," he said, standing up and gathering his stuff.

In a fraction of second, Emmy was next to him. "Go get it, Tiger," she gently punched him in the shoulder. Uh, it'd been some time since she used that one.

"And Clive ?" She added. "I'm glad we took this opportunity. Together." And with that, she winked at him.

Clive stared dumbly at her, her words taking a minute to register : when they did however, he felt his whole face heating up in a way he couldn't possibly hide.

"I- uh- I mean-" He stuttered like an idiot, unable to form any thought. What did she mean by that ? Was this a friendly remark ? Or did she- did she also-

Was she also in love with him ? Because he was in love, madly. And maybe he hoped she was too.

He didn't know what miracle happened, but she left without any comments and he remained alone, his stuff in his hands and his heartbeat racing. He must look pathetic, being so red in the face and trembling because of a single remark. He was weak, weak for her, and what was left to be done ?

Luckily -a second miracle-, he didn't see any colleagues as he rushed back to his desk : if any of them had seen him like this, a trembling blushing mess, he probably would have no choice but to kill them.

Putting his stuff on one side of the desk, he himself dropped onto his chair, palms pressed against his face. Even now, even with his eyes closed, he could still see her beautiful smile, the way she winked at him-

No. No no no- he had to stop imagining stuff. There was no way she saw him as more than a colleague -a friend, maybe, emphasis on the maybe- and he would ruin everything if he couldn't respect her feelings on the matter. He didn't- he didn't actually need to- to date her- dating her, he was thinking about dating her and it sounded so wonderful, everything he could ask for, and-

No ! No, alright ? She wasn't interested, and he respected that. And he didn't need to date her, just getting to talk to her, to see her being so vibrant and passionate and confident, a real force of nature- just that was enough. He didn't need more.

He was happy with just getting to see her.

He dropped his hands, taking a deep breath. His heartbeat was still a bit fast, but it was returning to normal : even the red on his face was gone. It was alright. He would be alright, as long as he could keep things as they were.

And if he wasn't entirely satisfied with the way things were, if he kept longing for more, then it was his problem.

He opened his eyes, only to notice a white envelope on the middle of his desk. It... hadn't been there before. Who had put this here ?

Curious if not wary, he got closer and took the sheet of paper, turning it around in his hand.

On the front, he could read "Access to classified files granted"

[arsenalgbt]

Dudeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee that was amazing! Love the snippet into Ben's life with Ethan and I'm really glad that he started threapy pre-meeting Willo. Ethan's bond with Kieran and how much notice Ben takes of it made my heart shatter a little for him, thise Ethan and Tomás playdates probably mean so much to him. Also Willo's lead in being "cute baby' before saying he hadn't seen Ben around before is very fun. Willo wanted to get to know Ben regardless and Willo was probably one of the first people who Ben can remember wanting to get to know him (/flirt with him) after learning about the baby. Ben wasn't ready for anything with Willo but it was nice to feel wanted. God you're mind is so powerful and your writing is so good!

- 💙🤍 KT anon

You're timing for posting that is INSANE! I just sat down with tea to work on the uni au and now I'm going to read this and feel things and I'm so excited! I shall be back to yell about it in a few mins! - 💙🤍 KT Anon

yasss feed me with the uni au update soon~

was written in a whim, cuz I needed an outlet after a trying week lmao. ofc it's gonna be single mum generational wealth ben and his baby boy Ethan teeheeeeee. the therapy helps immensely, he still takes it even after he's letting willo in in his life. ben is rly determined to do his best!! THANK YOU. glad you enjoyed it! should have added when Ethan said his first word, which ofc would be mummy, despite everything 🥰🥰🥰

[georgieluz]

Hey

do you write any fan fictions? If so do you think you could give us a little overview of what you’re currently working on? No pressure.

hello! thanks for the ask, i do indeed write fic! ofc i can give you an overview of what i'm working on atm :) i tried to not make this too long as it's just an overview, but feel free to ask me to expand on any of these! i do actually wanna talk more about my fic but i just never know if people wanna read posts about it or just wait until i upload the fic itself. do people want extracts? information about aus? character stuff? idk??? lemme know if you wanna know more, i'm chucking in a read more too bc it got a bit long

a hbo war f1 au. [working title: you're crashing, but you're no wave]. okay, so this is probably the biggest scale thing i'm working on atm. it's multi-chaptered and atm i've been writing it in an almost serialised format, since it's got quite a few narrative strands and numerous characters from both band of brothers and the pacific. i probably would have included some gen kill characters too, but i hadn't watched the show when i was planning and starting to write this, and i don't wanna add too much more into it, so i've stopped myself. i've written a lot for this one and i'm considering posting a few chapters soon. if you wanna know about any character's role in this one feel free to send me another ask because i'd love to talk about them more!! some are drivers (we've got rookies, seasoned drivers, eight-time world champions, the lot!!), some are behind the pit wall in management and engineering roles, some are retired drivers, etc etc. but yeah, it's andy haldane's final season before he plans to retire and let's just say the racing world has decided it's going to be the most chaotic yet! i'll drop some clues about what it entails: snafu and liebgott scrapping their way into weekly dnfs until one of them is kicked from the team. rookie driver eugene sledge having to deal with the consequences. webster somehow making it into his dream team with his dream teammate, yet, his focus remains on beating one person and one person alone. eddie jones is the very successful (and very hot) team principal of andy's rival team. hoosier is there being his usual self. leckie is the f1 journo who somehow knows everything about everyone and boy, the fans love it. we also have the much-loved fan favourite george luz and his race day engineer carwood lipton! retired-world-champion-now-team-principal dick winters and his ex-teammate boyfriend lewis nixon! and i also have a fair few OCs for this au, they aren't written romantically with any of the boys though, but i love them a lot! i might do a post about them later.

next up, is my k-company space pirates au! [working title: one way trigger (step inside the sun)] ok so it probably won't sound very piratey right now, but stick with me, ok? this is actually the one i'm enjoying writing the most right now. i've drafted all the chapters (6-8 depending on whether i cut this one incident or not) and i've written a lot for this too, so i'll probably be posting this one first. very basic synopsis: eddie jones is an expert in data retrieval. eddie jones is also on the run, and a very, very wanted man. maybe the most wanted fugitive in the galaxy. through an unfortunate twist of fate, romus burgin has been dragged along for the ride. andy haldane was a highly respected intergalactic officer, a captain loved by his men and the authorities above them alike. he also risked it all to aid in their escape. now, he's harbouring them both on his grandfather's old and battered ship, picking up a small ragtag team along the way. whilst they're trying to lay low, a distress call, with a code embedded into the message, is sent directly to the ship. one of the team recognises the code and realises it could only have come from one other person in the whole universe, someone asking for his help, someone he could never say no to. it's the worst time, possibly ever, for them to go on a rescue mission but somehow that's what they're doing.

then we have, an early 2000s battle of the bands au. this is mostly band of brothers, but a few people from one company in the pacific does have a role in the narrative, i'll leave that as a surprise though. basically, george luz enters his newly formed garage band into the campus annual battle of the bands competition, certain that they have a decent enough chance at winning. his bandmates disagree. especially after they see who they're up against. this is actually my other favourite to write at the moment! maybe even more so than the k-company space pirates one. it's a chaptered fic, but i'm trying to keep it contained and not super super long. i'm hoping to keep it at around 6-8 chapters max, but i have a bad habit of not sticking to my drafts, so we'll see. but yeah, i'm having a lot of fun with this and feel free to ask me about who the band members are and other roles that other characters will have!

call it fate, call it karma. aka, my 'eddie jones made it home from the war, but andy haldane did not' oneshot. i'm almost finished writing it, i just have a fair bit of editing to finish up.

the ballroom extravaganza. my winnix spy au! the intelligence officer to secret agent pipeline is too real and lew must suffer the consequences, i'm afraid! i've got this drafted and partially written as a two-shot but it's begging to be expanded on, so i've got it waiting in limbo right now, whilst i decide what i'm gonna do. someone make the decision for me please?

i have two male OCs that i've written for liebgott and nixon, if you wanna know more about them then i'm happy to talk about them and introduce them, but i'm not sure how much people would wanna know so i'll wait.

i have another OC based off a friend that i'm almost finished writing a thing for, i just have to change some things to fit the overall series better.

i also have a silly little thing that i wrote up bc i got depressed and hyperfixated on the tv show bondi rescue for the last two weeks resulting in me basically planning a whole bondi rescue lifeguard au for the pacific boys. i have no idea if anyone other than me would be into that so it'll probably stay in my scrivener files lmao

then i just have some vague gen kill things partially planned but they need a lot more work before they see the light of day lmao. but yes, they're all fucking bradnate. apart from the one bradnatemike thing that my brain begged me to consider, which i promptly gave in to right away.

anyway, sorry i know that was supposed to be an overview but it turned into a very long overview. oops.

[solarsavoy]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love ❤

That's so hard, I've so many! But I think I've figured it out, my top 5.

Assassin Skills Required

By far my favorite fic I've written, even now. It was based off a dream and includes characters from Krystar while focusing on the AC characters. I didn't know where I was going with it until I was halfway done, so it was written and posted live, consistently. It went from Saturdays only to Saturdays and Wednesdays and somehow I kept up the whole time thru 3 works of it. As a debut for fanfiction, it's simply the best, and I haven't been able to recreate my experience with it since. Writing live was just so... I can't believe I did it. Not once did I miss an update and it wasn't even prewritten. In fact, I outpaced my posting schedule, even after starting to post a second day each week. I'd never been so inspired than when writing ASR. Picking the top 5 is hard, but picking number 1 is easy. Link to ASR teaser.

Kristmas Karma

This one wasn't quite written live, but it wasn't written that far ahead either, and it includes a ridiculous amount of art all drawn the week before it was posted. I can't believe it was more or less posted on time. It was also partially an experiment. While ASR included all the AC characters, I still didn't know them that well individually outside of Karmagisa. Kristmas Karma changed that. I was able to write and understand nearly every single student's POV convincingly, and still reference the fic to this day when trying to feel them out. It still makes me cry and Christmas Day, despite being the single most longest chapter I've ever written, so long it was split into 2 chapters (23k words btw), still flies right by every time I reread it. Link to KK prelude.

Magic Shuu

Speaking of getting to learn about the other characters in AC, this one focuses on Shuu and the five virtuosos. What I love most about this one is how fluidly I've crossed these boys into the Sailor Moon universe. I love how I turn this very minor character and his even more invisible friends into the main stars and make them relatable. In fact, my friend who has a similarly overbearing father relates to Shuu deeply. This story just has so much heart in it. Currently unfinished, but I'll finish it someday, even if it takes me years. Link to first chapter.

Ubisoft

A Karushuu one-shot. It's playful and fun and both of them are such loveable dorks in this. XD I've reread it so many times I've lost count. My favorite part for Karma is when he stumbles out the door in the morning, tripping and nearly breaking his phone on the way. My favorite part for Shuu is how awkward his attempt to be a better kisser is. I love them so much in this. Link to Ubisoft.

Cuddles and Kisses

A Karmagisa one-shot that I'd planned to write for the longest time. It was based on an idea that someone else had, but it's surprisingly sweet and wholesome despite it being about Karma summoning an incubus. XD My favorite part for Nagisa is when he attempts to "seduce" Karma. My favorite part for Karma is when he rushes home because he's worried about Nagisa disappearing, frantically searching the house until he calls out Nagisa's name, and then hugging him in relief when he appears before him. It's just so sweet for a one-shot, and I'm strongly considering writing more for this AU. Link to Cuddles and Kisses.

Honorable mention:

Gerit

An original story set in the Krystar universe but separate from the main story. It's actually my favorite of anything on AO3, but it's technically not a fanfiction. It centers around a neurodivergent named Gerit who was abused in many ways as a child while training to be an assassin. I wrote this in the midst of writing ASR as Gerit was in the story and I hadn't fleshed him out as a Krystar character yet. It's finished, but not all posted on AO3 as I've decided the tiny Krystar spoilers at the end aren't something I should spoil until at least after book 1 or 2 of the Fragment series is out. Still, feel free to check it out. Not for the faint of heart, rated MA. Link to Gerit.

Thank you Anon, for sending me this ask. I hope my favorite reads can get some views from this. 💙

[azikarue]

2023 Fic Recap

Little late with the recap this year, but it's still January, right? For now?

Going into 2023, my goals were to 1) update "Bliss", 2) participate in MayBlade, and 3) work on/finish some WIPs. Poor "Bliss" is still waiting for its chance, but two out of three isn't bad!

I'll ramble more at the end of the post, but here's a recap of everything I posted in 2023.

❖

A Kiss for Luck

Summary: Before his crucial battle against Mystel, Max takes a moment to center himself. He wasn't expecting company. Set in my Saint Shields in G-Rev AU. Pairing: Max/Mariam Chapters: 1/1 Words: 1,855 Rated: K+

This fic was the first of six short oneshots I wrote to commemorate Valentine's Day. I did something similar in 2021, where I wrote a handful of Max/Mariam kisses and published them during the week leading up to Valentine's Day. When I was planning my writing for 2023, it felt like something fun to tackle again, and it gave me a lighthearted and relaxed start to the year writing-wise. So, I ignored my entire list of goals and wrote this (plus the next five) based off of six kiss tropes. I chose a different pairing for each.

For this one, I indulged myself doubly by starting with Max/Mariam and by setting it in my Saint Shields in G-Rev AU. Ever since I started pondering this AU, the moment in this fic is one that I knew had to happen. I'm sure the Saint Shields would have a lot to say about BEGA. I'm also sure that Mariam would remember the lessons she learned from Max and would be happy to throw them back in his face when he needs it most. And I love the excuse to visit early Max/Mariam days, even if it's in an AU setting. I write so much about them as adults that it always feels refreshing to write a little closer to their roots. This one holds a special place in my heart.

❖

A Kiss on a Scar

Summary: Every mark on Tala's body has a story and Julia does her best not to ask questions. She doesn't always succeed. Pairing: Tala/Julia Chapters: 1/1 Words: 1,883 Rated: T

When I chose this trope, I knew exactly which ship I would write for it. I was glad to have more practice with these two after writing them for a couple of my MayBlade 2022 chapters. For some reason, I tend to shy away from any member of the Blitzkrieg Boys when I write. I think it's partially because they have such a strong fan base and I'm never sure how my personal image of them will rate. Honestly, I've spent so many years in the fandom focusing on more underrated characters that I'm not even sure I have fully developed ideas for the Blitzkrieg Boys. Tala/Julia feels more niche, though, like it's a safe place for me to play around in.

While writing this, I was a little unsure on characterization. Namely, how much Tala would share without prompting and how much Julia would prompt him. I think there's still some gaps in Tala's character arc between seasons that I need to fill in mentally. He's very open with Tyson when discussing BEGA and Boris. I can only assume that's some combo of righteous anger and maybe therapy? Or just figuring himself out now that he's free from Biovolt's clutches. Julia is a bit of a mystery, too. Mostly, I worry that I'll end up writing her too similarly to other female characters on accident. Reading this fic back, I don't dislike the way I wrote them. And it was a stage in their relationship that I hadn't written before this point, so I enjoyed it a lot!

❖

A Kiss with Red Lipstick

Summary: Usually Queen has more fun at Enrique's family parties. But she usually doesn't have to go out of her way for his company or spend the night stone cold sober either. Pairing: Enrique/Queen Chapters: 1/1 Words: 1,784 Rated: M

This chapter was just me writing for me. I was pleasantly surprised when it got more than a single note when I posted it on Tumblr, because I know this is such a random ship with an, arguably, even more random interpretation. These are the two I write about when I want messy drama and chaos. Red lipstick kisses feel very messy and chaotic, so here we are.

This falls into the same story line as the last Enrique/Queen fic I wrote. It was fun building upon that idea.

❖

A Kiss at the Beach

Summary: Salima gets caught staring. It lands her in deep water…so to speak. Pairing: Ray/Salima Chapters: 1/1 Words: 1,180 Rated: T

I'll never turn down the chance to write some cutesy Ray/Salima. I imagine the two of them traveling around together a lot, living an almost nomadic lifestyle between tournaments or stops home (to White Tiger Hills or Salima's apartment). It's always a treat to indulge in that line of thinking, especially for a sweet moment like this.

❖

A Kiss to Shut Her Up

Summary: Mariah has a talent for uncomfortable conversations. Rick's working on his strategy for getting out of them. Pairing: Rick/Mariah Chapters: 1/1 Words: 1,253 Rated: T

This was one of my favorites when I wrote this series, and I still love it a year later. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I love writing Rick and Mariah's dynamic, especially from Rick's in-denial, grumpy point of view. He's a fun character in general, and I love how Mariah is the perfect person to keep him on his toes. And I had the line about her climbing him like a tree in reserves for what feels like forever, so it was nice to finally give it a home.

❖

A Kiss for the Winner

Summary: Tyson wins another World Championship and Hilary needs a minute to process his reaction. Pairing: Tyson/Hilary Chapters: 1/1 Words: 1,987 Rated: K+

I remember agonizing over this fic because I didn't want Tyson or Hilary to feel out of character. I've written a fair bit of TyHil since then, so I think that worry has subsided somewhat, but it was VERY REAL when I wrote this. I think the fact that the fic centers around a disagreement added to that anxiety. Arguments can be tricky. I didn't want it to feel like they resolved things too quickly to be believable or that Hilary's feelings were dismissed. In the end, I'm very happy with how it turned out.

❖

Subtly Sweet

Summary: When Hilary's computer crashed, she hoped work would be a distraction. Instead, she has a run-in with a vending machine and finds an unlikely hero in Tyson. Now if only he wasn't such a royal pain. Pairing: Tyson/Hilary Chapters: 1/1 Words: 4,320 Rated: K

I have this fic to thank for being able to tick my "work on/finish some WIPs" box in 2023. Very grateful to it for the feeling of accomplishment it gave me. 😄

For a fic that was sitting as a WIP for a year, it cleaned up nice! As a WIP, it was mostly dialogue with some vague outlining that I'd started, then left hanging. Sometimes pinpointing the perfect dialogue to take a plot from Point A to Point B can be a struggle, so when I reread my notes, I knew I had to take advantage of a good thing while I had it. The phone call scene wasn't originally included, and I remember doing a healthy amount of tweaking to get it right, but once it was there I couldn't imagine the story without it.

Fun fact: The original spark of an idea for this fic came from a conversation with RedWheeler literal years ago. I can't remember if we were discussing TyHil specific songs, but "Tangled Up In Me" by Skye Sweetnam came up and I couldn't get the thought of Hilary kicking a vending machine out of my head. Also, how is that song 20 years-old already?

❖

Life in Color

Summary: A collection for MayBlade 2023. Pairing: Multiple Chapters: 31/31 Words: 65,225 Rated: Varies (everything from K to M)

The pièce de résistance of my year. 💎

I, once again, did not finish my MayBlade entries on time. Unlike my first try, I accepted the fact that I would fall behind ahead of time. I think it made me feel much less stressed overall, but it also might have contributed to me falling behind faster than before? It's a double-edged sword. I know that I was in a better place for this round than I was when writing "Just A Moment", though. Life was much more balanced and I gave myself time to rest and recoup in between chapters, as needed, rather than spending all hours writing, editing, and falling asleep on my keyboard.

I'm very proud of this collection. I love challenging myself to write about some of my favorite, underappreciated characters alongside some of the characters more typical to my fics. I think I said this last year, too, but I love to see which chapters people like best and how it can vary between FFN and Tumblr. Sometimes I'm surprised by how things play out. Like, I was very shocked that the first chapter was so well-received on Tumblr, seeing as it focused on the Saint Shields. I'm sure it was because it was Day 1 of the event, but it was nice to know that some of my favorite characters got their time to shine. That was the case for more than one chapter, and I'd write a slew of notes on them all if it wouldn't make this post way too long.

All in all, I saw more engagement on "Life in Color" versus "Just A Moment" and I'm so grateful to anyone who read or interacted with it in some way! 🤍

❖

As I reflect on 2023, I can acknowledge that I took some positive steps forward in my never-ending quest for balance.

I'm teaching myself every day that it is okay to let go of things without guilt and pick them back up later. I can't be everything or do it all 100% of the time, and that's all right. It doesn't have to be all or nothing, and I can start things without having any idea of when I'll finish them. I can take a break from things that aren't serving me or causing more stress than I can handle. I can choose myself first and follow my whims. I can log off and be present.

In 2024, I don't know what my fanfic uploads will look like. I'd like to update Bliss and work on more WIPs. MayBlade is up in the air. I love participating, but it always turns into a bigger production than I bargain for. I may just need to participate differently, if I choose to do so.

September thru December are notoriously busy months for me, with May and June getting honorable mention. I'm not saying I'll be totally absent those months. Just putting it out there for me, so I know to go easy on myself. If I do nothing but read and take day trips and spend quality time with the people (and animals!) I love during that time, then it will be a year well spent. 🤍

As always, thank you to everyone who has interacted with any of my uploads this year and to the people who cheer me on and feed my fandom fire. I appreciate this little circle of the internet so, so much, and I hope 2024 brings only the best to you all! 🥰

[starpiastri]

FIRSTLY i do not know how i hadn't seen your ao3 before now and i'm losing my MIND i'm about to read it all bc i just read casualty of you and now i'm SCREECHING secondly... the fic writer questions: 11, 4, 30, 49! x

FIRSTLY AWAHHHH THABK YOU SO SO MUCH!!!! i hope u enjoy <3333

secondly gonna stick these answers below the cut!!! just because i started rambling ehe

11- Are you partial to a certain character/pairing or are you more equal-opportunity? If you are partial to any character/pairing, why do you think that is?

oh absolutely pairing-wise it will always be sebmark for me… i think i am just entirely struck by the different phases of their relationship? 2009 is an entirely different vibe to 2013 who is an entirely different vibe to 2017 and that makes fic writing them sooo fun for me its never a chore to write sebmark. beyond this teammate rivalries are just absolutely compelling to me i think the dynamics and intricacies are so so interesting, especially gaining more insight on that from marks book was just eeeee i loved it (fuck u helmut marko for everything you ever do). personality wise too they both suit each other well in terms of rpf and they dynamics that i’ve always written and like writing.

character wise i love writing seb. i rlly hope i do him justice because i just love his voice and his humour and his mannerisms. he’s my love ever and i love him so any pairings with him in i am always heart eyes over.

4 - What detail in [insert fic] are you really proud of?

i’m gonna take this as any fic i’ve written so! i think anything in good men die too verse i am hugely proud of. i did a bit of research for crush about street racing (a lack of in thoroughfare which i often get annoyed about but oh well) and so i think i got the car types right. either way it sounds professional so shrug!

an unreleased fic i have a bit of detail on is my siren!seb fic, its entirely unfinished but i did some research about mythology surrounding mermaids and sirens and think it’s pretty good in that!!!

30 - Have you ever written something that was out of your comfort zone? If so, what was it, and how did it affect your approach to writing fic thereafter?

oh boy most of my ot3 fest fics (i have three fulfilled hopefully! haha 3) were quite a new experience. i won’t spoil a ton but writing threesomes is hard man. lots of limbs

49 - What are you currently working on? Share a few lines if you’re up for it!

ehehehe. its a another fucking sebmark au! heir to father’s business seb nearly gets assassinated and his driver mark (annoying, gets in the way, keeps making fun of him) saves his life and thus is made his bodyguard in order to protect him. he hates mark already but this really pisses seb off, a constant shadow. also it’s called bad for business yes like the sabrina carpenter song

it’s going to be my first multi chapter and i’m anxious as balls about it and i really kind of hate the tone at the minute so it needs reworking. first chap is basically done but want three written before i post anything just for my own sanity. but here’s a little snippet of them winding each other up

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Why has Britta put the medicine on the top shelf, for fuck’s sake, she knows he’s not that tall. He gets on his tiptoes, but the box is pushed further back by the tips of his fingers, rather than grabbing it.

“Let me, Mr Vettel.”

And then, the lean body of Sebastian’s driver against the back of him, reaching up to the shelf with zero effort. His fingers dash against Sebastian’s, and it’s a much more successful retrieval, bringing down the box of pills to his height.

Sebastian turns, putting his back to the countertop, the bare skin under his hoodie just brushing the cool marble. He’s close enough that he can smell Webber’s cologne - sharp. Masculine. Like the rest of him, ever predictable.

Webber takes a short step back, probably assessing how abnormally close they were. He puts the box into Sebastian’s open palm. The pills shake inside upon impact. He’s pleased, but through gritted teeth, like a dog finally being allowed a treat.

“Thank you.”

“No problem.”

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so yeah!!!! i rlly hope i do finish it and get it out because the idea has been brewing for months.

thank u so much for all the questions and ofc the love for casualty of you <33