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justcourttee · 5 years ago

Note

I love your sibling Jasonette, so may I please have some more? *Raises gruel bowl*

A little angsty, a little sweet. I hope you love this one too :)

The Birthday Gift

Jason was having a shitty day.

Marinette was supposed to call him when her plane touched down at Gotham Airport, but that was hours ago and she had yet to return a single message. On top of that, stupid Bruce blindsided with yet another intervention with Batman Incorporated and how yes there are terrible villains out there, but we are not the judge, jury, and executioner. A load of hypocrites if you asked him. Finally, Roy stood him up for a drink at their favorite bar due to a meeting with Oliver.

So he could honestly say he was not surprised when a handful of Joker’s thugs dropped in on him on his self-pitying walk home.

“Look, guys, today is not my day. I’ll let you off easy if you leave now.”

The men’s painted smiles sent shivers down his back, reminding him just a little too much of the original. They said nothing as they circled him, waiting for him to make the first move, a mistake he had made many times with them.

“C’mon dudes, can’t you give a guy a break. It’s my birthday today and even my own sister stood me up.”

One of the men began to snicker as if he found the idea of Jason’s loneliness funny. Maybe it was, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to laugh with them. The sound of footsteps approaching caught his attention. He felt his whole body stiffen as the maniacal laughter reached his ears. No one else sounded so deranged, so crazy, but it couldn’t be. The world didn’t hate him this much right?

Wrong.

“Well, well, well, little Jason Todd. Oh my, it’s been so long, you’ve grown so much.”

Joker himself in all of his clown prince glory. His smile sickened Jason’s stomach to the core.

“What do you want, Joker?”

The clown’s face frowned in mock hurt as he placed a dramatic hand over his heart.

“Is that any way to talk to your favorite agent of chaos? Now now little bird, I’m not here as a threat, I’m here to offer you some birthday fun! After all, you always were my favorite little Robin. It’s why I treated you so much more tenderly than the rest.”

Joker reached up to wipe a fake tear from his face before allowing the grin to stretch it’s way back slowly. Jason’s mind was racing with possibilities, the number one being an exit strategy. Four men, all deranged, plus the Joker himself. It wasn’t looking great, but there was no way this clown was going to kill him twice in this lifetime.

“What’s this gift you mentioned? So kind of you to think of me on this day.” It took everything he had to hold back the sarcasm from dripping off his tongue. His hand moved in the slightest, trying to reach the gun he had tucked in his waistband.

“I’m glad you asked-”

Before he could finish his sentence, a figure dropped from the rooftops, landing on the nearest goon. The three remaining men all reached for their weapons, but could never touch them. Something shot out, gripping their guns and pulling them into the abyss of darkness. For a brief second, Jason allowed himself to feel hopeful.

Maybe the old man finally remembered his birthday, maybe he was here to help him. But as the figure stood, taking a step into the light, he felt his heart drop. A small girl stood in front of him dressed in a skintight black suit, small red dots lining her sides. Her hair was pulled into a tight bun on top of her head, her mask solid red matching the side of her suit.

“I’ll give you one chance Joker, let go of the boy and I’ll let you go.”

There was a tense silence for a moment before Joker laughter tore through the air.

“A child! Are you Batman's new birdy my girl?”

The small figure stiffened as Joker’s men began recovering their wits, some drawing pocket knives, others closing in with their bare hands.

“Do I look like a bird to you?”

Jason had to hand it to her. The kid had guts to stand before the Joker and insult his jokes, but he knew the clown’s patience was running thin. Sooner or later, he was going to give the order and the thugs would tear into her. He was so close to his gun, but any sudden movement could put her in danger now.

“Now now, it sounds like you need an attitude adjustment. Why don’t you ask Jason here how it feels?”

His smirk was sinister and with the flick of his hand, the thugs all jumped. They were fast, but she was faster. One by one she knocked them out, flipping and twirling with grace as she dodged each attempt on her life. Jason’s fingers finally wrapped around his gun, a sense of relief flooding through his body.

This was what he needed to shift the fight, but something stopped him. Numbness spread through his limbs as he lost his grip on the gun, the weapon clattering against the concrete. He vaguely recognized the hand on his back giving him a shove forward, but he couldn’t put his arms out to save himself.

“No!” The girl tried to rush forward, but she was distracted as one of the thugs landed a punch, knocking her off her balance. They managed to subdue her, holding her still as Joker moved forward to examine the new curiosity.

“Quite interesting. How do you know my Jason?”

The girl’s eyes clouded over as she mustered as much strength as she could, trying to pull her arms free. Joker raised his hand, a sickening smack coming from the girl’s face as a red mark began to form. Jason tried to move, he needed to protect her like she tried to do for him, but it was impossible.

“Now, I asked you a question. Show some respect for your elders!” His laughter only enraged the girl.

“Don’t you dare touch him.”

“Oh, you mean, like this?” Joker raised his leg, landing a kick right into Jason’s ribcage sending the clown into a fit of laughter. “Or this?”

“Stop it! No! Jason!”

He knew the voice sounded so familiar, but he couldn’t focus on it, not with the endless pain rolling in.

“All you have to do is answer the question! You have the power to stop this dear.”

Jason tried his best to raise his head to look at her properly, but the best he could do was land one eye on the girl. The face, mask or not, he knew that face. Joker raised his foot once more, stopping only a millimeter from Jason’s face.

“He’s my brother! I swear if you hurt him again I’ll kill you. I’ll kill all of you.”

Jason felt the realization flood through him as his heart dropped. She didn’t abandon him. She was right here. Marinette.

“I see, I didn’t know my dear Jason had a sister. Honestly, I wouldn’t expect him to be related to someone so weak.”

He reared back his foot again, delivering yet another blow. Jason heard Marinette yell in rage, but he couldn’t do anything to stop it.

“What the-”

Jason couldn’t see anything, he could barely move from the paralysis and the bruised rib cage. He heard the sounds of commotion sending panic through his body. These weren’t like the villains Marinette faced in Paris, these were rougher around the edge, their only goal to kill. Parsian villains killed, but almost always on accident, collateral damage. These men did it for fun.

He tested his fingers, a sense of urgency flooding through him as they twitched under his strained effort. Jason just about had his full hand in motion again when five shots rang through the air sucking the breath from his lungs.

“Bug? Bug are you alright?”

Jason couldn’t help the tears that fell down his face and trickled into his voice. She was the only family that mattered to him, the only one that ever cared for him. Using his good hand, he attempted to flip himself, only succeeding in straining his wrist.

“Bug!”

Two hands wrapped around his shoulders, pulling him into their lap, his head lolled backward before a soft touch helped him prop upwards. Two shining blue eyes stared down into his, a splatter of blood staining her mask.

“Bug what did you do? You don’t kill.”

She shook her head, dropping down to hug his numb body.

“I only wounded them. They crawled away carrying their stupid clown leader. Jason, I was so scared they were going to kill you.”

He felt a hot tear hit his face and then another. Soon her tears mixed with his own as the shock faded away. He almost let that asshole kill him again and in front of Marinette.

“Hey, hey, no tears on your birthday.”

Marinette wiped away his before she took care of her own, a shaky giggle escaping her lips.

“Mari, why didn’t you call back? I was so worried.”

The feeling had returned in both his arms as he tried his best to move his legs next.

“I was trying to finish your birthday gift, you know how I get when I’m sewing.”

It was Jason’s turn to laugh, still shaky as well as he tried to push what had happened out of his mind.

“What did you get me?”

“A new jacket. I know leather is your favorite and you always seem to ruin the ones I make you.”

They both shared a laugh as Marinette shook her head.

“Let me see if we’re lucky tonight.”

Marinette gently set him back on the ground as she called upon her lucky charm, only to throw it directly into the air with her signature phrase. Hundreds of small ladybugs circled his body, a warmth spreading throughout where they touched.

As they disappeared into the night sky, Jason tested his legs, a small smile tugging at his lips when they moved at his command.

“You know how much I love that thing right?”

Marinette shook her head as she called off her transformation catching a small, exhausted Tikki.

“You know how lucky you are that I transformed before they laid a hand on you right?”

Jason gently shoved her shoulder as she stuck her tongue out at him. As she finished caring for Tikki, she turned her full attention to him, slipping off the oversized jacket she was wearing.

“Here, this was your gift. It was the only way I could think to protect it without leaving it up on the rooftop.”

He slipped off his older jacket, a gift from his last day in Paris, and slipped on his new one, relishing in the perfect fit.

“You know, you’re a miracle worker Marinette. And since you’re in town, I think we can now use that phone of yours to contact Damian.”

“Don’t even think about it, after all, you don’t want to end up like those thugs.” Her tone was playful as she handed him back his fallen gun.

“I think I could take my chances.” He threw his arm over her shoulders as he guided her out of the alleyway. “Now, how about you buy me a birthday drink?”

“How about not? This is the States, my friend, I’m technically not legal here.”

Jason cursed under his breath earning a laugh from the smaller girl as they headed down the avenue. Jason felt his phone buzzing from his back pocket, most likely Bruce calling him about his Joker encounter (which he had no doubt he already found out about), but he didn’t have the energy for yet another lecture on his birthday. Not from him.

“Are you going to get that? It could be your family?”

Jason looked down to meet her concerned eyes, a sight that melted his heart. He shook his head, planting a small kiss on the top of her head.

“I’ve got the only family that matters right here and that’s the best birthday gift anyone could ask for.”

Permanent Tag List:

@damianette-is-life @rebecarojas07 @ash-amg

#jasonette #maribat #batfam

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iamdunn · 4 years ago

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Miraculous Flash Forward part 9: A New Dynamic

A Miraculous Fan-Fic

Written by

AJ Dunn

Adrien couldn’t wait to get back home and start making preparations. The trip to Paris hadn’t gone as badly as he was afraid it would. In fact, maybe he and Marinette could put their past behind them finally and start a life together. He had agreed to stay for the wedding since Marinette had gone through the trouble of making his Tux for him, and Nino wouldn’t have let him leave, he would have released Alya on him and that was frightening enough considering she had Trixx to back her up. Plus, Luka had Sass and he really didn’t need that kind of drama in his life. Honestly, he was happy he went. Even Nino saved a place for him after 5 years, in this case, the place of best man.

“I will.” She had said. The memory of her words played in his mind as they swayed around the dance floor. She had agreed to be his roommate in Shanghai. She swore she didn’t want him to leave her and that she truly did love him. Plus, losing her roommate meant she was looking for a new one. He was certain though that his studio condo wasn’t going to be sufficient for them. She would need her own room and considering how flustered he made her, he would need a private room so she didn’t lose herself whenever he walked around without a shirt on.

“Yeah, no more hanging out in the seating area in nothing but a towel,” Plagg said to him as they prepared to leave for the airport.

“Who knows, I might occasionally forget and well…”

“You’ll be quickly reminded when she walks through the walls to get away from you.” Plagg laughed. Adrien laughed too imagining her overdramatic reactions. Adrien’s phone rang.

“Are you sure about this Adrien?” Felix said. He had told his cousin he would need to upgrade his suite and asked for him to get him in touch with the management company.

“Absolutely,” Adrien smiled. “I wouldn’t want her getting a cheap apartment, that neighborhood is bad news, besides, she still doesn’t speak Mandarin and I can’t have her getting lost here again can I? OH, and I am going to tell her about us.” His words came out so quickly he hoped his cousin would agree and not snap at him.

“Do you trust her that much?” Felix sounded shocked. “Having her move in with you is one thing, but this affects us both.”

“Yes, I do. Besides, if this is going to work, her and I can’t have secrets between us.”

“It’s a shame she didn’t have a twin sister.” Felix scoffed.

“What?” Adrien teased.

“Nothing, never mind… shut up.” Felix snorted. “I’ll send them a message to call you.” He hung up.

The flight back was a sleepless one as Adrien reeled over the idea that Marinette was coming to live with him. This will change everything. He tried to sleep but, listening to music, even tried doing some reading. Sleep didn’t come until he was back home in his own bed. He wasn’t sure how long he had been asleep when his phone rang.

“Mr. Graham De Vanily?” the voice came over. “Ah, Mr. Graham De Vanily called and said you wanted to renegotiate your lease.” Adrien refrained from laughing.

“Adrien please.” he laughed, “And my cousin, he’s just Felix.” It is still funny when people see them together, and they have the same last name, but then call each other cousins. A thing that had always been fun. “Yes, I want a larger unit.”

“I’m afraid the only unit we have available larger than the one you are in, is our 3 bedroom two bath unit at the opposite end of your floor.”

“That’s perfect.” He refrained from using his cattish terminology with such a business call. Although the excitement in him wanted to so badly.

“Fine, I shall send the paperwork over immediately, I assume you want to make the transition before the end of the month? As that is when your lease is due to renew.”

“Yes of course.”

“Please get the paperwork back to us promptly.” A ding came through his phone the second he hung up. It was an email from the property management containing the digital documents that he needed to Esign and return. He made haste to finish the paperwork before heading out to see Cheng Sifu and check on the temple. The sky was clear as Adrien made his way home from Cheng Sifu’s restaurant with a sack of leftovers and a few grocery items he had bought on the way. By grocery items that meant cheese for Plagg. While Camembert wasn’t available here, Manchego had become his replacement.

They leaped from rooftop to rooftop not worried about remaining unseen as he had before the reunion. It felt freeing to just be himself and not hide anymore. His students already called him Laoshi Mao, though they didn’t know why it wasn’t Laushi Adrien. Well, Mao sounded a lot better. He slipped through the balcony door and wondered what their new apartment would look like. He was sure all of the units on this floor had a balcony. His phone ran just as he entered the apartment and before he transformed. It was a video call.

“Hello M’Lady,” he answered in his most cattish tone. She giggled then began swatting away at some unseen thing, most likely the Kwami’s.

“They’re all excited to be moving and they have been trying to pack for me.” She giggled again.

“Well, I am Pawsitively feeling clawssome about it too, M'Lady.”

“You dork.” She laughed. “Detransform and feed Plagg.” She said playfully.

“As you wish.” he let his transformation go as Plagg darted into the bag and began tearing at the plastic wrapper. “Hold on, this guy… “ he set the phone down and tried to wrestle the package from the nearly rabid creature. “Hold on, let me open the package at least, you’re going to kill yourself.” Marinette laughed at the ordeal. It was certainly going to be interesting having so many Kwami’s around.

Adrien reached over, picking up the phone again as Plagg stole away the now open package. “You’d think I starve him.”

“So, how was your day?” she said in a melodic tune.

“It would have been better if you were already here.” He said holding up a clear plastic container containing remnants of the Crab stew which had become one of his favorite dishes. The container had Cheng’s restaurant label on it.

“Did you tell him?” Her face went into a look of concern.

“I’ll have you know I am a cat of my word,” he said nonchalantly.

“Adrien?”

“Of course not.” A look of relief as she wanted to surprise him. She even insisted that her mother and father keep their tongue too. Threatening not to write or call for a week if they did. They were so happy for her to be moving to Shanghai, not to mention in with Adrien. Their faces lit up as they began discussing nicknames for grandkids. Adrien found the whole conversation unnerving at first but when he saw the looks on their faces, the pure joy, he felt grateful they were such wonderful people.

He still hadn’t talked to Emelie despite her condition improving. Amalie maintained the radio silence as well after Felix had threatened to cut her out of his life completely if she didn’t give Adrien space. Though, Adrien hadn’t told Marinette about all of that mess yet. He was afraid it would scare her off and he wanted her to enjoy her time here before bombing her with it.

Weeks had gone by as Adrien packed up his studio and shuffled all of his stuff into the new apartment. The Apartment opened up into the foyers, with a partial wall separating it from the living room. The kitchen to the right just like his old apartment had a counter divider with two bar stools on the living room side. The marble decor was the same as his old unit, taking into mind the carpeting in the living room stopped before the bar stools. The coat closet next to the front door was slightly deeper like a mini walk-in. There was a small dining table situated by the windowed wall in the kitchen. It was twice the size of his last kitchen.

He found the stairs to the loft in the same place however instead of an open bedroom area there were four doors. One was a bathroom and the other three bedrooms. The master bedroom, being nearly the size of his last unit, had its own bathroom with a walk-in shower and jet stream tub. The second and third bathrooms were on either side of the bathroom. Adrien decided to move his stuff into the smaller of the two rooms closest to the stairs so that Marinette could have the main room with her own bathroom.

It only took him a week to clean out the old unit and clean it even though professional cleaners would be in to clean it properly. The unit was unfurnished but the furniture from the old unit was bought by Amelie so he had a few bell boys help him move it into the new unit. He had only to buy a bed for Marinette before she got there. He had Sabine pick out some furniture online and he ordered it.

The two weeks flew by faster as he spent more time at the temple tutoring the youth. As well as his daily chores there.

A video call with Marinette came in very early in the morning, though it wasn’t that early where she was at. She had just arrived at the airport with her parents who were seeing her off. Her bags were checked and she was standing in front of the windows overlooking the runway.

“I can’t wait to see you, Princess.” He said enthusiastically as he lay in his bed. He tried to not let her see he was in bed or that he didn’t have a shirt on, she’d be a mess and end up missing her flight.

“Did I wake you?” She looked guilty

“I wouldn’t have missed this call for anything Princess, you better get on that plane you let me down now.” he winked at her.

“Don’t worry, that was her boarding call. We are putting her on the plane right now,” Tom said. Adrien chuckled as they hung up the phone.

“I’m just surprised you love birds are going to be in separate rooms.” Plagg teased. “How long is that going to last?”

“Hey, you have your own room now, what are you harassing me for?” Adrien teased him.

“Actually that is going to be Marinette’s sewing room, right?” Plagg had a point.

“I mean, when she gets here, you can start staying in the miracle box with the others.”

“Too cramped. I need to stretch my legs and be free.” Plagg folded his arms behind his head as he hovered over the bed. Adrien copied him as he lay in his bed. His phone ran again, this time it was Felix.

“I’ll be coming to Shanghai today, I am at the airport now.” He sounded rushed.

“To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?” Adrien asked. It meant he would be on the same plane with Marinette. His stomach balled up.

“A last minute showing of some new designs and they can’t seem to be able to agree on one.” Felix said something to the boarding clerk. “I need you to attend with me.”

“I have classes, I can’t cancel them, plus I am now tutoring some of my students.” Adrien complained. It made things worse that he wouldn’t be able to spend time with Marinette.

“I’m sure we can arrange the viewing for after your classes or before. What time is your fist class and last class….” He paused. “You know what, we can discuss that when I get there.” his voice had changed from rushed to pleasant and happy. Damn, did he see Marinette, is he sitting with her? Adrien’s anxiety tightened on his chest as he laid back against his pillow.

After a long and nerve wracking day, Adrien stood at the airport waiting for both his cousin and his...friend? He hadn’t bothered to change his clothes after he finished at the temple, so he was still dressed in his yi-fu. He decided to wait near the baggage claim so he could help grab her luggage. Felix would likely have one bag and it was probably a carry on. Adrien saw her bags first and grabbed up. She had a lot as he had expected, they were pink with darker pink polka dots, no surprise there. As he finished loading them on a luggage cart he heard Felix’s voice.

“Are you serious Marinette, that would be great.” Felix sounded excited, a tone he didn’t use very often. Adrien could feel the heat in his face as he tried to compose himself before turning around to greet them.

“Adrien.” Marinette exclaimed as he turned around to catch her as she leaped into his arms. He spun her around holding her tightly and making a big show of it. “Look who found me on the plane, he wants me to come with you two to the fashion showing this afternoon.” Adrien feigned a smile. While Marinette was the fashion expert between the three of them, he wasn’t sure if his cousin’s intentions were pure, or if he was competition.

“So, I hope you got that sare bedroom made up for me…” Felix leaned in to whisper. “Brother.” Adrien’s face burned even more now, said spare bedroom was right next to her room and well, was empty.

“Sure, if you don’t mind sleeping on the floor.” Adrien laughed as they loaded up in the car. Felix pulled out his phone and made a call.

“I need a spare bed set up in the Graham De Vanily room, you’ll know which room.” Adrien was amazed at how resourceful his cousin was. This is why he is the primary controlling party for the company. The ride back to the apartment in the Taxi was cramped with Marinette wedged between Adrien and Felix. Adrien, being clearly larger than his twin, though not too much. Marinette let out a loud yawn so Adrien threw his arm over her shoulder and pulled her head into his chest casting a possessive glance to Felix, who simply smirked back to him.

The Bus boys carried her bags to the suite.

“I don’t know about you two, but I am famished.’ Felix said, “Shall we step out for dinner?”

“That sounds great, we should go to Thousand Delights?” Adrien smiled at her excitement.

“Are you okay to go, Marinette,” Adrien asked “You were nearly falling asleep in the plane, you might need a nap.”

“Nonsense. She’s fine.” Felix swooped a hand over her shoulder and led her back to the curb. “Shall I call a driver to come get us, less cramped than a taxi.” Competition is then. Adrien scowled.

“If my accommodations aren’t sufficient for you, COUSIN,” Adrien slid his arm around her waist tugging her to his side and out of Felix’s hands. “You are welcome to make your own. Felix’s smile was one of mischief as he let his arm fall from her shoulders. Her face froze in a ‘what just happened’ expression. A few minutes later a mini black limo arrived and the driver moved quickly to open the door.

“Lady’s first.” Felix insisted then slid in after her. Adrien ran to the other side to let himself in next to her. Once again, Marinette was trapped between the two, though Adrien focuses on the fact, she would be staying with him when Felix returned to Paris.

“Where’s your ring?” Adrien finally asked, having noticed his hand free of it when his arm was around Marinette.

“I uh, Amalie,” he choked. “They want yours as well to get them refinished or something.” Adrien slipped the ring off his finger and handed it to Felix.

“I don’t know what Amalie and Emelie want with them, but they have no meaning to me.” Adrien turned to the window.

“Ooookay.” Marinette’s voice broke through the awkwardness. “Amalie? Emelie? Not mother?”

“It’s a long story.” Felix said, patting her knee.

“Well, tell me tonight, when we get back?” Marinette’s voice was so sweet. Adrien was glad didn’t didn’t stumble over her words like she did when they were younger, now he could have a real conversation with her and actually know the true intentions of her words.

“We will have plenty of time to talk about that Marinette,’ Adrien smiled at her as he put his arm around her shoulders again, “But let’s just have some fun first,” He kissed her forehead, casting a glance to Felix. The thought of telling her made his stomach clench and he could tell it was difficult for Felix too. Not exactly something that comes up in casual conversation.

Cheng Sifu was excited to see him, but his confusion over the “Cousin” kept him constantly glancing back and forth between them. Felix and Adrien smiled at him, then they both laughed.

“Cheng Sifu, we get that all of the time, our mothers are identical twins as well.” Adrien didn’t mean to add that, but it was too late.

“What he means is, we share the Graham De Vanily twin genes.” Felix to the rescue, casting a scowl at Adrien. “Which means.” smiling at Marinette, “When we have children, our wives will bear us twins.” Adrien caught the wink in his eye.

“Well, I don’t think we need to worry about you having any children any time soon Felix,” Adrien leaned back in his seat as his empty bowl sat in front of him. He wrapped an arm around Marinette, “You have to have a girlfriend first.” He gave Marinette a gentle squeeze and a smile.

“Oh.” Felix said, putting his napkin down on the table. “And you do? I thought she was just a friend?”

“Yeah, she is.” Adrien smiled at her. “A girlfriend.” He placed a quick kiss on her startled lips. Making a show of it before Felix could question if he even had a chance. Adrien knew Marinette had loved him since day one, even though she only knew the facade his father created, but he loved her for her.

“I see.” Felix’s tone seemed to have a playful melody to it. “I’m happy to hear that.” Cheng Sifu began to play his happiest of songs on his accordion.

“I always knew the two of you would be together someday.” A joyful tear fell down his cheek.

#miraculous fandom #miraculous chat noir #ladynoir #adrienette #miraculous ladybug #marichat #miraculous world #felix graham de vanily #Adrien Graham De Vanily #miraculous fanfic

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quillreflections · 5 years ago

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Title: Stadium Arcadium

Chapter: 4

Series: Yugioh Zexal

Pairing: Kite/reader

Stranger things have happened, both before and after noon.

"Stay close to me, Hart." Kite squeezed his little brother's hand as you all approached an intersection. When the pair halted, waiting for the crosswalk light to change, Hart reached out to you too; Kite scoffed quietly as you took Hart's tiny hand and smiled down at him.

"Is there anything else you want to do while we're out, Hart?" You casually swung your joined hands, the smile on your face growing as you noticed Kite gritting his teeth. Was he jealous-?

Just across the street was a small park- a spot of natural greenery among Heartland's unnatural fluorescence. You'd intended to walk past it, but something caught Hart's eye, and he slowed.

"I want. . . ice cream." He licked his lips as he stared off into the distance; still holding his hand, you crouched to follow his gaze. Kite remained towering over you both.

Set up near the park's decorative water fountain was a colorful pastel cart, the uniformed man scooping out sweets for a cheery family. You're suddenly overtly aware of the sun beating down on your neck; sweat, dripping down your back, making your shirt stick to your skin. You spared a glance at Kite- despite being dressed in his long black coat, he seemed completely unaffected by the weather, even smirking at your flushed face. Can you make a face at him without getting fired-?

"Anything you want, Hart." Kite's voice is surprisingly gentle as he leads his brother further into the park. You let go of Hart's hand, trailing behind the pair of boys a little ways; although this entire outing was your idea, you almost felt like a third wheel, imposing on a family time they never got to have.

Not wanting to overstay your welcome, you wandered off to one of the brightly-colored benches across from the fountain. It had been a long day already.

Hart had to stretch up on the tips of his toes to see the full spectrum of flavors in the cart. Kite couldn't help but smile at the serious look on his brother's face. Hart glanced over his shoulder to ask your opinion; he frowned a bit deeper when he noticed you weren't with them, but turned back to his decision-making when Kite tugged on his hand.

You looked up from your d-pad when shadows fell over the screen; although Hart's golden eyes are dull, he mimics a smile as he holds out a hand, offering you an ice cream cone. "We didn't know what flavor you'd want," he mutters, hoisting himself onto the bench next to you, "so we just got vanilla. . ."

"Well, thank you! That's so sweet!" You smile back at the two boys. Kite looks away from you.

"If you make a big deal of it, I'm taking it outta your next paycheck."

"Yessir, Mr. Tenjo."

Kite crouched down in front of Hart, who was digging into his ice cream as carefully as possible to avoid spilling any. "We've done a lot today, Hart; have you had fun?"

Hart just nods thoughtfully. His free hand finds its way to yours, resting on the bench- a flash of frustration crosses Kite's face, but he buries it quickly. Hart bites into his waffle cone. You watch the brothers carefully; while you certainly hadn't expected either of them to make a full 180, seeing them interact all day provided at least some insight into their dynamic and personalities. Kite ran aggressively hot-and-cold, only ever smiling at his brother; Hart was clearly trying his best to mimic the things he'd seen other children doing, and now you were sure today was his first time outside in quite awhile.

You finish your ice cream as the sun begins setting. Kite pulls himself back up to his full height, offering his hand to his brother. "Time to get going home, Hart."

The smaller boy nods and reaches out- but then he pauses, open hand hovering, and starts looking around blankly. The atmosphere seems to deflate instantly. Something hangs in the air, suffocating, sending anxiety pulsing through you in waves. Kite tenses, snatching Hart's hand and guiding his brother closer to you. He stares down at you with his eyes steeling over.

"Take him home, now." His voice is fierce, the air practically crackling around him. You nod and grab his brother's hand, trying to smile at Hart, who is clearly unnerved.

"Heya, let's go back to the tower, kiddo! You wanna go through all my cards when we get back?" You try to keep him engaged as you pull him along but you do spare one more glance at Kite, who is shadowed in the setting sun.

As soon as you and his brother are out of sight, Kite begins quietly stepping further into the park, hand resting on his deck box. The aura in the air is unmistakable. A shadow falls over his vision in the dying light; he looks up just as Orbital 7 transforms and drops out of the sky, landing awkwardly on the stone pathway. "Master Kite, a Number!"

"I know," Kite hissed. "Keep your voice down. Do you have a location?" Orbital whirs for a moment as he pulls up a map; Kite studies the projection closely, memorizing the location, and then takes off at a sprint. It's so nearby, using Orbital for transport would be a waste.

He slows as he rounds the corner into the gardens. A cacophony of voices is echoing over the decorative hedges, one clearly more manic than the others as the sounds of a duel come to a close. Kite nods at his robotic assistant. "Do it now, Orbital."

☆☆☆☆☆

You kept a tight grip on Hart as you pulled him back to the crosswalk. He was incredibly quiet; hopefully that strange feeling hadn't negated the fun day you'd had together. "So, Hart, what was your favorite part of today?"

He peers up at you. "I liked seeing all those dogs." His eyes widen at the memory. "They were really smart, watching them do tricks was cute."

You giggle too. "You're right! Have you and your brother ever owned a pet-?"

The world around you falters. A wave of electricity seems to slam into you, almost knocking you off your feet- you manage to catch yourself as you stumble, turning to catch Hart as he falls forward too.

"What- what was that, [Name]?!" The young boy wraps his arms around you tightly. You look around for the source of the impulse, only for a sense of dread to settle in the pit of your stomach.

Birds hover in midair. Traffic has completely frozen in the middle of the intersection. Pedestrians, frozen in mid-stride, coats and scarves flowing in a wind that wasn't there. The world was soundless.

You pull yourself from Hart's grasp. A rush of adrenaline pours into your veins. Something is horribly wrong. Hart presses himself up against you, curling his fingers through your belt loop, trembling. "I want my brother," he whispers, although it may as well be a shout into the world's silence.

"We need to get back to Kite," you agreed. Hart nods solemnly, taking your hand again as you turn back to the park. The walk back is terrifying- your footsteps on the pavement are the only sound for what seems like miles. When you step back through the gates, Kite is nowhere to be seen, and your stomach sinks further.

"Hart," you kneel down to be on his level, "I want to to stay right here, okay? I'm going to find your brother."

The little boy nods hesitantly. You watch him take a seat on the same bench you'd occupied earlier, and then you're off through the tall grass towards the hedge gardens in the distance.

The sunset had frozen in the sky, so you're delving into shadows as you step into the hedges. This is the only possible place Kite could've gotten to- god, what was going on? The crunching of grass and twigs under your foot is almost deafening. Your skin seems to tingle out of anxiety.

"Are you ready to repent?"

Kite's voice cuts through the silence, startling you, but also flooding you with a sense of relief. You round the corner into a small clearing in the middle of the hedge maze- just in time to see Kite delve his hands into a man's chest, withdrawing an orb of light that shatters in his grip.

Kite releases the man, who crumples to th ground, visibly aging several decades; his dark hair grayed instantly, his eyes growing dim as he collapsed.

You take a step backwards. "Mr. Tenjo-?!"

Kite and Orbital both whirl on you. "I told you to get back to the tower," Kite snarls. He strides closer, driving you back several steps. "Where's my brother, you're supposed to be watching him-"

You stumble backwards into the hedges. Your gaze jumped from the intense man in front of you to the unconscious man behind him.

"H-Hart is. . ." you almost winced at how your voice shook, "Hart is okay, he's back by the fountain. Something weird happened and we were worried about you." Shaking, you meet his stormy eyes. "What the hell was that, Mr. Tenjo?!"

Kite scoffs and turns to march back through the hedge path, Orbital rolling along with him, twisting his robotic self to stare. "You. . ." Kite doesn't look back at you. "Time has been distorted. You shouldn't be able to move so freely."

You blink up at him, not really understanding what that's supposed to mean- but with the thunderstorm practically brewing around him, now is definitely not the time to ask.

Hart looks up quickly as you step out of the hedges. His eyes widen; he scrambles off the bench and sprints over, wrapping his arms around his brother as Kite drops to his knees with open arms. "Brother! I was worried- I'm glad [Name] brought you back. . ."

Kite's grip instinctually tightened as he glared up at you. At his side, Orbital mutters something and lets off a small electric shock. Suddenly, the world fades back in; the flapping of wings as birds resume their flights, the roar of traffic and voices from beyond the park's fence. You looked away from Kite's intense stare, and he just squeezed his brother once more.

"Time to go, Hart."

☆☆☆☆☆

Understandably, you'd been sent home early. Hart had seemed mildly worried when Kite coldly dismissed you; you'd passed Dextra on the way out of the tower, and she'd given you a sympathetic look. You just held your head high, confident you'd done nothing wrong.

From the top of the tower, Kite watched you walk through the colorful streets, lit up by streetlamps fighting off the moonlight. A reflection in the window caught his eye; Hart, stumbling into the room, quietly chewing on the remains of the sandwich his brother had haphazardly thrown together.

"Why did she leave?" His voice was barely a whisper as he joined his brother in watching your retreating form.

Kite knelt down and spoke gently. "Her job is to take care of you- she left you alone, so she got in trouble."

Hart frowned, pressing his jelly-stained hands to the glass. "I'm not helpless. I wanted her to find you." He glances up at Kite's reflection out of the corner of his eye. "[Name] makes better sandwiches than you do. Will she be back?"

Kite had to look away from his brother's pleading eyes. Mr. Heartland's orders echoed in his mind, joined by one reverberating question. How had she done that? "Probably. We're supposed to keep her around for awhile."

"Supposed to? Does that mean you didn't want her?" Hart muses quietly, tracing constellations in the window, leaving streaks of jam on the glass. Kite didn't answer.

☆☆☆☆☆

The hospital elevator isn't nearly as smooth or quiet as those in the tower. You're sure you can feel every jolt and rattle in your bones. When the doors slide open, you step out into the clinically white hallway, nodding acknowledgement at the familiar women at the nurses station.

Your mother's room is in the corner of the floor. Although it's really not very late, the lights are out when you open the door; given that Heartland is keen on aesthetics- and the mayor himself seems personally apologetic about your family- this room has massive windows overlooking the city. The light from below work wonders that hospital lights never could.

". . . heya, Mama." You whisper as you approach the lone bed in the middle of the room.

Your mother lay there; pale, emaciated, bandaged, strung up to various machines like a fly caught in a spider's web. The steady beeps of her heart monitor are the only response to your voice. Looking at her makes your stomach churn- you step over to the window instead, your gaze flickering between your mother's reflection and Heartland tower in the distance.

The city below you almost feels alive. The tower itself is lit up like a miracle, rising in front of the moon like a proud rival, finally gaining the advantage. The cable cars in the distance have lights that blink in intervals. Further away is the familiar Ferris wheel that dominates the center of the ever-present carnival, the lights flashing in patterns and never repeating. Beyond all of that, though- the walls that separated you from everyone else loomed, reminding you that you don't belong this deep in the city. It's difficult to believe that any of today's events could happen in such an electric city like this.

"I'm working for Heartland now too, Mama. Did you ever know about the family living in the tower-? I was hired to watch the youngest kid." A memory of Hart writhing in pain flashes through your mind; you shut your eyes tightly and turn your back to the window, leaning against the glass.

"Mama. . ." You bite your lip. "If you ever. . . learned something that you don't know what to do with. How would you handle-?" You just watch her limp form, knowing that the years of turning to her for advice are far behind you.

At some point as the night wears on, you checked your d-pad for the time; since you'd stormed out of the tower, you'd received a message from the mayor himself, suggesting you take the following day off and resume work after that.

Anxiety gnawed at you, settling heavily in your stomach as you stepped into the hallway, gently closing your mother's door behind you. Since visiting hours are coming to an end, the ward is practically empty- still, you somehow find yourself turning the corner and slamming headfirst into someone with a thud. You both stumble backwards.

"Oh my gosh, are you okay?!" You reach out to steady the boy, who is grimacing and rubbing where your forehead had smacked into his collarbone.

"You don't look like you'd be so hardheaded," he mutters. He brushes his purple hair aside and tugs down his shirt collar, making sure he isn't bruising, and you have to resist the urge to roll your eyes.

"If you can be a smartass, you're fine." You cross your arms and look him up and down as he snickers.

The visitor's pass hanging around his neck is reminiscent of your own; the fading colors and chipped plastic betraying the fact that it was old and well-used. Even though he was playfully sneering down at you, there were bags under his deep blue eyes, and his general aura is one of exhaustion. You can feel your indignation melting away into solidarity.

"Hey. Whatever you're going through, best wishes."

His smarmy grin fades as he catches sight of your own personal visiting pass. His harsh face softens the tiniest bit. ". . . same to you."

He brushes past you, and for some reason you can't explain, you're compelled to watch him down the sterile hallway. His hair and clothing- dark shades of purples and grays- make him look like a wandering soul manifested amongst the stark white. He disappears into the room next to your mother's; once he was out of sight, you resume your journey to the elevator, uncomfortably aware that your tragedy isn't the only one.

[,,gentle reminder that I'm relegated to mobile for the foreseeable future, in addition to schoolwork and bad family leaving me with little safe time, so I apologize for any typos or general awkwardness]

#Stadium Arcadium #kite tenjo #yugioh #zexal #even my tag formatting is messed up...

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moonaft · 6 years ago

Text

The Winter Long - Reread

Rosemary and Rue

A Local Habitation

An Artificial Night

Late Eclipses

One Salt Sea

Ashes of Honor

Chimes At Midnight

Interlude : Full of Briers

As always, spoilers up to The Brightest Fell and October 2018 for the Patreon stories. No spoilers for Night and Silence, and at this point I think I’ll have finished the entire reread by the time I get my copy. Which is just as well.

First off, ‘the winter long’ is one line after ‘rosemary and rue’. Is the final book going to be ‘Grace and Remembrance’?

I really like TWL. This was a good book, filled with shifting allies and cameos by my favorite people. It’s probably my favorite after The Brightest Fell and not just because of Simon.

I am going to ignore the fact that the knowe is called ‘Muir Woods’ even before it was named that in 1908. Maybe? Maybe Arden took up the name really quickly. I can’t find a mention of it by name in Patrick’s first short story and I can’t dig up “In Little Stars” right now to check if it was called Muir Woods back then. Patreon’s search sucks.

Onto the ball! A good ball, in which no one gets poisoned or nearly assassinated and Toby doesn’t commit murder. Yeah, if I was her I also wouldn’t want to go to fancy balls. She takes after Sylvester in that regard.

Speaking of, hi Sylvester! Hi Li Quin!

Arden has social anxiety and needs more friends than Madden. I am surprised no noble Daoine Sidhe have come a-courting. At least she’ll get Walther and Cassandra to take jobs at court soon.

I love Arden subtly copying Quentin in table manners.

Are Raven-maids and -men the opposite of Selkies, born birds and need the feathers to transform? Jazz takes off her band to turn into a raven. Amandine doesn’t, but presumably her magic can force the transformation regardless. Though Amandine does imply that destroying the band will keep her as a human.

Yes, it’s time to put everyone to bed. Meanwhile, Toby gets to pull some all nighters.

Hello, Simon.

I love how no one has questioned where he was since Late Eclipses, and that only as a brief mention. He’s the tragic backstory, not meant to show up in the present. Oleander was that too, but now she’s dead and can’t hurt anyone anymore.

Yeah, she was really not expecting that. Why is it that the bad things only happen to Toby during the books? From the plot summaries, the time between the books is the only time she gets to relax.

Yes, that’s not Sylvester.

It’s sad how much Toby has internalized him as her personal boogeyman. Dugan, Riordan, Samson, the false Queen could all be fought. It wasn’t easy by any means, but here Toby’s given up without a fight which just doesn’t happen. She’s already determined this is a fight she can’t win.

I love that the first thing Simon does is praise her. He genuinely does not mean her ill-will.

So Simon has not seen Evening in years prior to TWL and did come to warn Toby about it. Or, turn her into a tree for a hundred years, but to him, that is helping. Evening didn’t send him so he must have gotten word somehow that she was returning. Where was he all those years?

Hello Jazz, you have great timing. Sorry that you are once again attacked in your own home.

Simon didn’t come in limping – Toby turning his spell back against him must have hurt him badly.

Why exactly does Simon have so many transformation spells? Is this his own flower-based transformation or something he got from Evening? It could be his own – he once transformed Patrick’s suit into something more modern and there’s no indication that eventually failed. And why fish? Could he have transformed Patrick into a fish so he and Dianda could spend time together in the Undersea without breathing spells? That would be so cute.

Good job on using your cats to warn Tybalt.

I think even May gets over her feelings by the time of TBF, or at least, she’s willing to let him try so they can save Jazz.

All in all, Simon’s going to get what he wants by the end of this book, namely, Toby’s safety. Sure, he’s elf-shot but so’s Evening. It’s TBF where he’s going to get his ass kicked repeatedly.

Same, Quentin – I too have an endless supply of songs about boats. Five bucks says you’re singing “The Mary Ellen Carter”.

Tybalt probably would still shred Simon to pieces given the change but he’s out of the picture for all of TBF.

Why do you think you can predict what Simon’s going to do, Toby? You know literally nothing about his objectives. He’s also willing to answer what he can of your questions and tell you things without being asked.

The knowe is willing to let Toby through, and she is family. Would the knowe have let Simon through because he helped build it? What about August?

Way to mess it up, Sylvester. You definitely should have told Toby about Simon before you sent her after him. But that’s in the past and doesn’t matter, does it, Sylvester? Just like September, just like August. It can’t hurt you anymore, right?

I do believe the twins were close once, and by 1840 that’s no longer the case, but it doesn’t matter until 1906. You didn’t help enough to find August, or you encouraged her too much, it doesn’t matter. Simon wanted you to hurt the way he hurt, and if you can’t see that, you have forgotten too much.

Yeah, I can’t imagine Simon hurting Amandine unless it was in direct defense of August or Toby. Sylvester, you should know Amandine’s not going to let him back into her life without August present. You should know this, why don’t you know this?

Tybalt, you told them to run, that is not the Torquills’ fault. Hey, remember that decree that says if you want to marry one of the three, that one can’t refuse?

“I need you to live long enough to be cannon fodder when Simon decides to attack.” Quentin loves you too, Toby.

You are missing a vital, vital piece of why Simon was running around with Oleander. He’s not doing it for shits and giggles, Toby.

Poor Luidaeg. It sucks having the answers and not being able to tell them. Toby’s doing better on the questions this time around.

“At least we know that Simon won’t be able to come after us there.” One small problem with that, Toby.

Does each Library have its own library card, or is it an all access pass?

Mags definitely wanted Toby to show up after Simon left. Whoops. And Toby, you still owe her your mother’s history.

Hi again, Simon. Maybe this time you can actually talk?

Yeah, the arrangement with Oleander is definitely non-con. Everyone is glad she’s dead except probably Evening.

Simon has three modes in this book: what he thinks will help Toby, what Toby thinks is helpful, and what he does as a servant of Evening. This is the middle interaction – useful information, no one is transformed or hurt.

Toby, remember you still owe Mags info on your mom.

Amandine definitely ruined your life, Toby, even if you don’t want to admit it.

Good job on raising the dead, Toby.

I guess Evening is a vampire? There’s at least one Snow White legend like that.

“Your lover was a Selkie; he told me quite a bit after he died.” How- What- Did the Luidaeg summon the night haunts to talk to Connor?

How long had Simon been sitting on Toby’s doorstep? He must have gotten straight to Shadowed Hills to get the roses and then back to her place. To the rose gardens at least, he couldn’t have gotten into the halls themselves.

This is the other thing – Toby stops again to ask her personal boogeyman for help. She trusts him enough to do that, which is something we don’t see anywhere else in the series. To be fair, Simon does keep insisting that he’s there to help, which is something no other villain does.

And Simon’s convinced she’s going to die.

May’s benched again, which is a recurring theme that she specifically acknowledges. Let this girl have a field trip with Toby.

Although not into the ocean because that’s where everyone ended up! Hi Dianda. Thanks for saving Toby from drowning.

I wonder what would have happened if Toby told Dianda that Simon gave her the warning. Probably nothing good – here’s yet another trusted authority figure who knew about that relationship and didn’t tell her.

Hello Evening. Hate to see you again. If only Dianda could punch you in the face.

Here her magic is roses and snow but I swear I’ve seen it described as roses and apples somewhere.

So where was she these past few years as she recovered? Does she have another knowe?

So why is Marcia not affected by Evening’s magic? Evening doesn’t recognize Marcia as anything other than changeling, I think. But Evening wouldn’t care that much. I really really want her to be Titania. Maeve would be cool too, but I want her to be Titania.

Good thing no one drowned in that little episode, including Tybalt and Quentin.

Hi Raj! Everything’s ok!

Props to Toby for being willing to burn the Library down to get it to close, and kudos to Mags for listening to her.

And Simon’s playing double agent on the phone. Toby couldn’t have gotten through this book without him.

Toby hasn’t actually slept since before the Yule ball. How many days and nights has it been since then?

So why did Evening get Quentin sent to Shadowed Hills directly after Luna and Raysel’s return? How did they break free?

Riordan was once in Alameda – how did she move down to Dreamer’s Glass?

And how did Sylvester know they were coming? Simon must have told Evening, or maybe Evening assumed Toby would show up.

Hi Etienne, Bridget and Chelsea!

Yes, leave the boys behind to play Xbox games. Good plan.

Luna does have several points about Evening, Raysel and Karen. Why, exactly, does Stacy have two Seer daughters? She is also smart enough to get her favor from Toby before telling Toby what’s going on.

Is Toby going to have to do a favor for every ally she has?

You can take the Daoine Sidhe out of the Torquill but you can’t take the fox-fur hair and golden eyes.

Poor Raysel. I hope this helps her.

Huzzah, Toby gets to sleep!

Hello again, Simon. OK, Toby doesn’t think he told Evening that she called Shadowed Hills. And he’s back at the house.

There’s something to be said for the image of Simon petting Toby’s rosebush-cat for hours.

Yes, everyone needs group therapy, which clearly doesn’t exist in Faerie.

Correction: there’s nothing in his blood now that she could change. If Toby knew enough to look, could she tell immediately? Maida told Toby that she was once a changeling, and now Toby can look at Quentin and see those watermarks. She has since looked at Sylvester and Simon and been unable to tell that they had human blood once, but Toby misses a lot.

Hmm, Toby is not this… intimate with anyone else. Mind walking while riding Simon’s blood? She’s never done this with living people before. I think if he can be saved in the end, it will involve something similar.

Yep, the non-con is strong here. Simon is a fascinating villain.

So what exactly was Simon planning here? Toby is not a tree. She’s out for several hours and up again. Was Simon buying her time?

Hi Luidaeg! Glad to see you up.

Titania also sounds like a shit mother.

Septiminus was Evening’s grandson. He certainly didn’t get his coloring from her.

“Most of her children died young.” But there were enough grandchildren to establish several Daoine Sidhe lines. Aethlin and Maida aren’t closely related to the Torquills or Dugan or Rhys or Riordan.

Maeve took what vengeance she could against Titania for the Luidaeg’s binding and we don’t know what that is, yet.

Ok, yes. This is where the Luidaeg says Evening’s signatures are apples and roses. Her own magic is brackish marshes and ocean air. Toby doesn’t ask about this.

Elizabeth Ryan would probably argue that the Luidaeg stole her heart but she isn’t here right now.

I am pretty sure Evening is older than the Luidaeg, but the Luidaeg implies Maeve could have had children before her, just not through Oberon. And none of them are living now.

The Luidaeg knows who Amandine’s mother is and can’t say.

Yes Evening, we know you don’t like Dianda and Patrick’s marriage. You can shut up about it now.

Is Dawn one of the things the Luidaeg can’t talk about? She is not mentioned at all in this book, least of all by Toby.

And Simon’s under Evening’s control again. Poor Tybalt.

And Toby’s covered in her own blood again.

Dammit, Sylvester, Simon’s better at giving Toby answers than you are.

Yes, which of the Queens owned that key? And what exactly is it?

Oh you still don’t know better by now, Toby. You are still somewhat blind to what’s going on around you.

Nice job breaking Evening’s spell, Toby.

Oh Simon, you were so close.

Being stabbed with Simon’s elf-shot laced blood is enough to take out a Firstborn but somehow drinking Nolan’s blood didn’t put Toby out.

Though being asleep isn’t going to stop her…

Naww, Tybalt and Toby are cute together.

Man, I really want to see Dianda and Patrick’s reactions on learning that Evening is the Daoine Sidhe Firstborn. And why does no one seem to recall Dawn? Is there a world-wide “don’t think about it” spell? If so, who could cast it?

#october daye

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swagyano · 7 years ago

Text

Casually dating a werewolf

Pairing: DiaRiko

Word count: 2,764

Hello so this is based on the diariko werewolf au in which dia is dating a big woof!riko I’ve mentioned a couple of times and spoke about a lot on twitter! This kind of like an experimental oneshot, I guess? I just wanted to write something really badly and it ended up being....really fluff. Anyways I’ve been thinking about writing somewhat(?) linear short stories for it and have this like an introduction or something, so ya! The au itself is still being polished. Big thanks to Michelle and Robin for taking time of their lives to proofread and help polish it up I owe u a lot

Anyways hope u guys like dia being a furry

The evening was especially peaceful for Dia Kurosawa, seeing as it was one of few rare occasions where she got to relax. Mixing between college classes, part time job at the pet store, and social life she miraculously has is more exhausting than she ever expected, and that’s not including the studying and work around home she did in between.

It felt like she finished high school only yesterday, excited about her independence and everything that came along with being an adult. If only she could turn back the clock and have at least one day where her biggest worry was finishing homework on time. Now she’s here at 20, living alone with her younger sister. Despite it all, there was nothing she could find to complain about. As messy as it could get, her life felt fine the way it was.

She was alone on this Saturday evening, phone ignored on the side whenever she’d see Mari’s name pop up with a new text message, assuming it was yet another on of her “ wish you were here with us :( “ selfies that she keeps sending in a poor attempt to still convince her to come out of her home. Dia however, decided hours ago to spend this time in silence with calming music and a good book in her hand.

Her moment of peace was broken by ruckus outside, loud enough to catch her attention. She gazed towards the small yard, brows furrowing. Ruby returned from her date about an hour ago, and it was easy to assume by now she was asleep in her room. Maybe she’d shrug it off, if the clanking on the trash bins didn’t happen again.

Of course, this was Dia, so going out there to check wasn’t happening without caution. In a rushed moment, she decided to grab a frying pan before making her way to the glass door that lead outside. Her eyes squinted by reflex so her vision could adjust to the pitch darkness, and when she heard rustling around the bushes she spent her free time tending to, she raised her pan higher. However a few steps was all it took for her to spot the familiar tuft of dark fur… yes, fur.

Her shoulders relaxed, and she released a relieved sigh.

“Riko-chan.”

As soon as she called out, a big wolf-like head perked up from the bush along with a pair of large round amber eyes shining with excitement. The game of hide and seek was over, and Riko pushed her way out of the bush and paced over to the one who cautiously found her.

They were now eye to eye, Riko tilting her head down in order to do so. Dia smiled warmly. It was almost like she wasn’t facing a furry, pointy-snouted, sharp toothed monster that was taller than her by almost a head; the sight of which would make any man run away in fear. Especially in the dark.

And why would she do so, when this was none other than her adorable, sweet girlfriend?

Dia herself wasn’t sure how it happened either. It was a while ago that she learned the truth about the shy, flustered girl that became a regular at the pet store she worked at is in fact a werewolf. It wasn't easy to take it in, but it wasn't as hard to accept as she thought it would be. Like anyone she was aware of monsters’ existence due to the town’s (sometimes) friendly attitude, but had only actually known one prior to meeting Riko.

There were many things she still didn't know. She didn't understand why it was when the moon was full that the transformation was unavoidable, or how she grew taller whenever it happened (though it did explain why she wore clothes a size or two bigger). But one thing she did know; somehow she had developed feelings for Riko over the course of the time they’d known each other.

She gingerly extended her hand, and Riko immediately buried her snout into the warm touch with a nuzzle. The brunette frowned upon realization she must've been lonely, as it was Riko’s own decision to isolate herself during the full moon for reasons she never spoke about. Although Dia was willing to bet it was due to her insecurities.

Pulling closer, she rested her own forehead against Riko’s fuzzy one, and the the amber orbs blinked in content as she nudged forward affectionately. This elicited a rare chuckle out of Dia that only Riko had the honors of hearing. In the corner of her eye she spotted the smallest tail wag.

“What were you thinking?” The question was scolding, but her voice calm and loving. “Worrying me like this…”

There was an apologetic huff followed by pointy ears flattening against her head.

“It’s fine, but next time at least call me. Even Yoshiko-san didn't have an answer to provide when I asked her if she’s seen you today. Alright?”

The solemn nod should be enough of an indication that Riko truly did feel bad for worrying her and that she plans to work on her mistakes. This whole relationship stuff was still new to both of them. And even in this monstrous wolf form, Dia could recognize the softness of Riko’s genuine smile. She returned it and grabbed the gigantic paw-like hand into her own, tugging her much stronger girlfriend back inside like it was nothing.

“Come, now! In we go before we get too cold. Don’t think that all that fur of yours will stop you from sneezing tomorrow if you're not careful.”

Riko of course happily obliged and followed, embracing the warmth of Dia’s home with a sharp inhale. As soon as they entered she took a crouching position and without giving Dia a moment to process what was about to happen, she took an inhuman leap across the living room and landed on the couch. It creaked and the brunette cringed both visibly and audibly at the thought of it breaking, but hey at least the carpet was untouched. And Riko had already made herself comfortable. You should feel lucky you're so cute.

While Riko was busy burying her snout into the cozy pillow, Dia headed to the kitchen. She shortly returned with a box of dog biscuits in her hands, something no person without a dog would own. In this case, she didn't mind spending extra money on them. It still felt weird seeing Riko eat them on daily basis. Even when she was told the reason she liked them was because they were like brownies to her (a comparison Dia had trouble wrapping her mind around but it did almost tempt her to try them), she had settled on treating Riko to her favorite snack. Only after a couple of failed attempts to satisfy her cravings with something more normal, like cookies.

At the sight of the brunette Riko scooted over, allowing her to sit back into her previous spot - only to flop on top of her, earning an ‘oof’ and disapproving look from fragile looking Dia.

“I don't think you're aware of your own weight.”

But Riko showed no care about it, finding enjoyment laying on top of her girlfriend and already preoccupied with crunching on the dog biscuits that were meant for her, leaving Dia to sigh helplessly. Not that she minded completely, because Riko was warm.

Now that she thought about it, it wasn't much different from when they'd cuddle when Riko wasn't in this form. It was silent, cozy, comforting.

With a smile Dia returned to her book, every now and then moving her free hand to stroke the top of Riko’s head. It wasn't long before the werewolf in question drifted off to sleep.

“So much for the creature of night, huh..?”

When she said she wouldn't change anything about her current life, she meant it. That included her odd looking relationship she never expected, nor planned to have. If a year ago someone told her she'd fall in love with a scary looking, soft natured werewolf she'd laugh in their face. It was strange but Dia was content, and friends of both parties had been nothing but wonderful and supportive. Riko seemed more happy as of late too, which truly mattered.

A single ear twitched when Dia placed a soft kiss on her snout.

The first thing she felt upon gaining consciousness was the horrible headache that could be easily described as having her head split open. Which was something one grew used to the morning after a full moon. The next were the rays of sunlight that were bothersome even through her closed eyelids, making her shut them even tighter as soon as she felt tears forming in the corner of her eyes. After releasing a big yawn, everything else slowly started coming to her.

Riko became aware of soft breathing beneath her, only then realizing that no, she was not laying on the soft mattress of her bed, but rather on a person. Blood rushed to her cheeks when she finally remembered that in a moment of loneliness she decided the best thing to do would be to show up at her girlfriend's place at such a late hour. Still in a haze and struggling to open her eyes, a tender feeling of fingers threading through her hair with caution prompted a whine out of her. She finally did after blinking a couple of times to adjust to the light, and she was met with emerald hues. Serene, yet in a way mischievous.

“D-Dia… good morning.”

Of course she'd be awake already. Dia had always been an early bird, at least as long as she’d known her. The older girl shifted underneath her, chuckling when Riko hid her face in the crook of her neck out of pure embarrassment. The comforting motion of fingers combing through her messy auburn hair did not stop.

“Are you always a heavy sleeper when you fall asleep like that, Riko-chan?” ‘That’ of course referring to her other form.

She pouted, glad that Dia could not catch a glimpse of her embarrassed expression right now. Being teased first thing in the morning wasn't the ideal way to wake up, but it worked.

“Sorry. I didn't mean to intrude like this. I just wanted to see you for a little, but then… ah, I kind of kept you on that couch all night, didn't I?”

“You're fine.”

So she said, but was Dia fine? Riko sometimes had weird habits of falling asleep anywhere, but even she imagined being stuck on the couch with someone a little heavier all night must be extremely uncomfortable. If she really did have any complaints, she didn't voice them. It was almost unbelievable how patient Dia was with her, and had been since day one.

The empty box of biscuits was nudged with a noise when she moved her hand that was hanging off of the couch to rub at her tired eyes. The headache was still present, and it must be obvious enough by the way Dia's brows furrowed in worry.

“I could go look for some painkillers if you’d like.”

“Mm, I’ll be fine.”

Dia still seemed skeptical, so Riko gave her a sleepy but reassuring smile. The first time Dia witnessed her like this she threw an entire fuss, and Riko found it hard to explain why exactly she ended up feeling this way every single time. The best way she could’ve really described it as being hangover. Not that she ever experienced one, but it sounded about the same when she was reading up the symptoms online once.

Moments of silence passed by as the two lay there. Dia was familiar enough with how long it took Riko to fully wake up in the mornings after such nights, and Riko was greatly appreciative of the time she’d give her. Especially knowing the brunette liked to stay on her schedule. Sometimes she couldn’t help but to worry she was a little bit of a burden because of it. Her arms wrapped around the other with a tight squeeze, earning a curious glance from Dia.

“I’m sorry for not telling you anything yesterday.” The sudden rubbing on her back caused her to shudder. Dia said nothing and allowed her to continue, “I wanted to pay you a visit at work but I wasn’t feeling too well. I didn’t want to cause any trouble for you when you already have your hands full.”

“Riko,” A little sternly, Dia tilted her head up so they could speak face to face.

“You should know by now that’s absolute nonsense, have I not told you so already?” Riko felt a pang of guilt strike as her girlfriend frowned. “I understand why you prefer to hide. But I want you to learn to trust me. I’m here for you.”

“I know.” Murmuring softly, Riko snuggled in closer. “You always have been… sorry.”

“No more of that, okay?” With that topic out of the way, Dia’s voice regained the softness that made Riko feel all fuzzy inside.

“I missed you.”

“I missed you too,” Guiltily, she pouted and cast her gaze aside. “It’s why I’m here now, after all…”

Dia chuckled and shuffled around more, now focusing on fixing up Riko’s blouse as it hung loosely, covering up her exposed shoulder while Riko let out another big yawn. She forgot to cover her mouth and left her sharp teeth out for the world to see. Luckily, only one person was here to witness it.

They were both in the sitting position now with Riko on her lap and cheeks cupped in those tender warm hands. Carefully, as if making sure she wouldn’t break something fragile, Dia placed a soft kiss on her forehead and the blood instantly came rushing to her cheeks again. For all she cared this was much better than any gross tasting medicine.

“Allow me to make you breakfast. Your stomach has been rumbling for an hour, it’s a surprise you haven’t woken up sooner.”

“No it hasn’t!” Right on cue Riko was exposed by a loud grumble coming from her own body. She ducked her head in embarrassment as soon as she caught a glance of the wry smirk. “Food sounds nice…”

“Wonderful. It’ll make up for not seeing each other yesterday, right?”

Amber eyes glowed as she nodded excitedly, shyness pushed away for the moment to lean in and steal the first morning kiss.

However, as soon as their lips connected, they got distracted by a click.

Riko’s head jerked up in a wary manner, Dia’s gaze following her’s across the room.

“Ehe... morning Sis, Riko-chan!”

Ruby, Dia’s little sister, stood at the doorstep. Phone decorated in cute keychains in her hand and a bright smile on her face. The two she addressed lacked the same enthusiasm she was showing in this moment, not finding time to even get embarrassed for getting caught.

“Hope you slept well! Ah, Riko-chan,”

The younger girl hummed with her gaze now focused on the phone. Riko broke eye contact as well, trying hard to ignore the blood boiling in her ears.

“Yoshiko-chan asked if you were here. I’m sure she will love to see for herself-”

“H-Hold on-”

“Ruby.”

It was Dia who interfered with their conversation. If there was one person Dia rarely spoke so sternly to, it was Ruby. Yet here, seeing her with that deadpan expression as Ruby did nothing but continued to smile innocently, even Riko felt a shiver run down her spine.

“Delete that.”

“I’m sorry sis, I’m afraid I can’t do that… not after all the dishes I’ve had to do last Friday. Sooo, did I overhear something about breakfast gathering?”

“Ruby!”

Like wind she was gone. Already chasing the twintailed girl out the window shouting something that quickly became inaudible when mixed with Ruby’s laughter, even to someone with great hearing like Riko.

Still feeling loopy, Riko finally got up with a groan that resembled a growl and stretching out her limbs. It was too early for a game of fetch, so she’d let Dia enjoy it on her own. She really probably should give her roommate a call and see if there was a way to blackmail her to never mention that image.

Why did it feel like days after the full moon were always the wildest ones? Humans must be affected in a way too. Riko shook her head with a pitiful smile at the thought. They still had it easier.

#love live sunshine #diariko #riko sakurauchi #dia kurosawa #werewolf au #i swear it wasnt supposed to be as fluffy as it is but also fluff is good so i mean #love dia and her furry gf #my writing stuff #i gotta add other fics to this tag LOL #this is supposed to be like insight on their relationship ig #woobys gf is yoshi btwwwwww

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take-pitioss-on-me · 8 years ago

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Starscourge (Prompto)

Hey guys, I don't have much to say today other than I’m back with some more starscourge angst with a Prompto one shot! If you have any asks to submit my ask box is open, and I would absolutely love to bring your prompts to life!! Anyways I hope y’all enjoy the story! (Another warning this one also gets pretty dark at the end)

Part 1 (”Prologue” + Noctis)

“Y/N, you’re bleeding!” The familiar voice was dripping with concern as a gloved hand reached for your face.

You intertwine your fingers with his in an effort to prevent him from making direct contact with your feverish skin. The boy’s hand reluctantly gave into yours, but not without you seeing the worried look within his purple eyes. Guilty flooded your body, and caused you turned your gaze towards the floor of the car.

“Really? it must be this cold...” You’d never been a good liar, especially in front of him.

Quickly you lift your free hand to wipe the cold liquid that was beginning to gush out of your nose. The back of your hand was covered in a deep red that’s been growing darker by the day. You couldn’t bare to tell the blond haired boy what had happened to you. The fear that the darkness buried deep within the wound that a daemon gouged into your shoulder would extinguish the last ray of sunshine that you were clinging onto. Not when you were this close to beating this illness.

“We’re here.” The relieved voice of the prince filled the air as the Regalia crawled to a stop.

The scene before your eyes was absolutely breath taking. Green grass sprawled across the top of the cliff which held a magnificent lighthouse, and a getaway home that belonged to the royal family. The salty air of the ocean filled your lungs while the waves beating against the rocks far below was music to your ears. Although the sight of a young woman wearing a bright yellow jacket was exactly what you were hoping to see.

“Howdy! It sure took y’all long enough to get here!” Her shrill chuckle cut through the calming sounds of the sea.

“Hey Cindy, how’s the boat lookin’?” The prince’s calm inquiry was the information that your life hinged upon.

This boat is what kept you going since you developed the scourge. This boat is your desperate attempt to prevent your transformation into a daemon. This boat is your one way ticket to Luna, the only known person who could heal the starscourge that’s taken root inside your body. This boat is the last shred of hope that you’ll get to spend your future with Prompto.

“Paw-paw’s tinkerin’ away. Reckon he’ll be tinkerin’ for some time. Seen her share, by the looks of her. Some parts we can fix, others need replacin’.” Cindy’s words hammered the final nails into your coffin.

You were already running on borrowed time. Each day you selfishly spend alongside the guys was another day that you risked their lives. Another day that you risked his life. Panic began to set in as you pictured the veins beneath Prompto’s skin turn as black as night. The vision on your ray of sunshine dissolving into a mass of darkness was haunting enough, but watching his purple eyes become engulfed in red sent you over the edge. No longer will you threaten the ones you care about.

As the sun hung low on the horizon it covered the land in a haze of orange.The sound of muffled laughter could be heard inside of the manor where everyone was eating dinner. You closed your eyes while inhaling one more large breath before marching off the porch. Nothing filled your mind other than your desire to keep those you love safe. It’s always lingered in the back of your mind, but ever since the fall of Insomnia it’s been impossible for you to forget. It’s the only thing that has crossed your mind since you met Prompto. Images flood your vision from that day, and you remember how you were a goner from the moment you laid eyes on him.

It started out like any other day in Duscae. The smell of chocobos filled the dewey morning air, and erased any trace of sleep left within your system. Wiz called you over to his side so that the two of you could begin the morning routine for each chocobo. Your hands mechanically went to work checking the harnesses, saddle, and lanterns ensuring that each rests securely upon the bird. Although you knew that there were no issues with the gear because it was fine yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that, and so on. The chocobo business had become stagnant due to the presence of the behemoth locals nicknamed Deadeye. Everything changed as a group of boys in a fancy car came along. You were too busy to look twice as their car pulled into the outpost, but you could hear every word they exchanged with Wiz. It was clear they weren’t hunters by trade, and this was painfully obvious due to their lack of knowledge of the area let alone their cluelessness about Deadeye. This only fueled the shock that filled your system once you heard Wiz assign the behemoth’s contract to the strangers. As you immediately turned on your heels to give Wiz a piece of you mind, you were stopped dead in your tracks. Purple eyes were instantly locked with Y/E/C for what felt like an eternity. The air between you seemed alive with an intensity that only the two of you could sense. From that moment on the two of you were inseparable, and the rest is history.

The crunching of rocks snapped you out of your thoughts. Your eyes traveled to the ground to find that it wasn't there. You were standing at the edge of the cliff gazing at the dark water far below, but you could still hear the sound of footsteps against the rocks.

“Y/N? What are you doing all the way out here?” Prompto’s voice was saturated in worry, and it shattered your heat to pieces.

“Prom, I’ve got something that I really need to show you...” The brave voice that you tried to put on failed miserably as you choked on your own words.

Slowly you let the leather jacket fall from your body which left your torso covered in nothing more than Prompto’s favorite red tank top, and an arm full of black veins. You could feel the light from the sunset burning the scourge that festered within your body. The tough facade that you’ve worn for so long finally cracked as you let out a heart shattering sob.

“it’s o- oka- okay. We’re g- gon- gonna fix this. We’re gonna get youtoLuna. Lunawilltakeitaway. Everythingwillbeoka-” Prompto’s world tumbled out of his mouth faster than his mind could process them, and then his brain processed words faster than his mouth could slur them together.

“No, Prompto, it’s not gonna be okay. The boat isn’t ready to travel, and I’m a ticking time bomb...” You finally turned around to face him, and you saw that your sunshine disappear along with the evening light.

Prompto was clutching his stomach as if he received a blow to his gut. His breaths were shallow, and ragged. The electricity that normally lit his eyes was completely drained. In his place was a broken boy who looked akin to that of a lost dog.

“Prom...” Your tortured voice called out his name as you took a step towards him.

If only you had heard the rocks begin to crumble under your feet a split second sooner, but maybe it was better this way. Time slowed down as you began fall. You watched a light spark behind Prompto’s eyes one last time as he shot out a hand for you to grab. Instinctively you body reached out for his, but he was too late. The tips of his fingers brushed against yours, and then there was nothing but air around you. After falling for what felt like an eternity your breath was knocked from your lungs as you crashed into the black water. The darkness slowly engulfed you as you sank deeper, and deeper.

Maybe it really is better this way...

Thank you for reading! I really really hope that you enjoyed it, and please feel free to send me some prompts!!

Part 2

#final fantasy xv #final fantasy xv one shot #prompto argentum #prompto one shot #ffxv #ffxv one shot

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williamlwolf89 · 4 years ago

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34 Journal Prompts & Ideas to Unlock Your Writing Creativity

Let me guess…

You’ve been asking Google to help you find journal prompts or journaling ideas, right?

You know that successful writers throughout history have kept a journal for creative writing, thinking, and self-discovery. It was a defining practice in the works and lives of Thoreau, Emerson, Wilde, and many others — and you think maybe, just maybe, it can do the same for you.

And you know what? You’re 100% correct.

All the creativity you need is already inside of you — you just have to tap into it.

And a great way to do it is with journal prompts.

29 Journal Writing Prompts to Spark Your Creativity

Like a fisherman’s fishing rod, the following journal writing prompts will help you fish out your best ideas from the depths of your mind. They will also help you:

Exercise your creative writing skills

Land more writing jobs (if you’re a freelancer)

Learn how to write better

Shift your perspective and access new points of view

Overcome writer’s block

Ready?

Grab a pen and a journal (or open a Google Doc, if you prefer), and let’s start writing.

1. New perspective

What is a topic about which you have changed your opinion recently, and why?

2. Metaphoric feelings

Come up with three metaphors to describe how you feel right now.

3. Answer your “why”

What makes writing such an important part of your life? Why do you want to write in the first place?

4. The big question

What question would you most like to know the answer to?

5. Self-editing

Read through one of your old journal entries or a story/article you wrote a long time ago. Pretend you’re an editor getting it ready for publishing and make it shine.

6. Funny stuff

When was the last time you laughed really hard? Write about that moment.

7. Guaranteed success

If you knew for sure that your next book or article would be successful, what topic would you write about?

8. Make me cry

Think about a sad moment from your past. Write a scene about it that would make anyone cry.

9. Hidden thoughts

What has been on your mind for a long time, but you never gave it the attention it needs?

10. Personal success

What is something at which you have succeeded greatly that others could benefit from learning about? Write a case study about it.

11. Dictionary

Open a dictionary at random and write down the first word that catches your eye. Repeat three times. Then, write a short story that includes those three words.

12. Old friends

Think about a problem you’re currently facing. Write a fake letter to your best friend from high school explaining the situation and asking for advice.

13. Domain name

If you were to start a blog on WordPress documenting your life so far, which domain name would you choose?

14. Life lessons

Think of the five important people in your life (family members, loved ones, role models, friends, etc.) and write a list of lessons you have directly or indirectly learned from each of them.

15. Bucket list

If you knew you were going to die today, what things would you regret the most not having done? Create a to-do list.

16. Happiness

When was the last time you felt truly happy? Describe it in the most sensory way possible.

17. Pitch yourself

Imagine you just wrote an autobiography and you’re trying to get it published, but your chances depend on a short email cold pitch. What would you write?

18. Keeping memories

Which parts of today (moments, ideas, thoughts) would your future self benefit from reading about? Write them down.

19. Embarrassing writing

Write down a really bad joke or a super cheesy poem.

20. Prioritizing

What is the one thing which, if you did it every day, would transform your current life into your best life? How can you start doing it?

21. Perfect day

If money was no object, what would an average ideal day in your life look like? How can you make that happen in your current circumstances?

22. Life chapters

If you were to divide the story of your life into chapters, what would be the titles?

23. 7 Prompts

Come up with a list of seven journaling prompts related to a topic you want to write about, and then complete one prompt for each day of the next week.

24. Eavesdropping

Sit in a coffee place and write down snippets of conversations you hear.

25. No E

Write a whole journal entry without using the letter ‘e’.

26. Literary devices

Describe your day using as many literary devices as possible.

27. Copycat

Choose a passage from one of your favorite books. Copy it into your journal. Then write your own journal entry inspired by the writing style of that author.

28. Favorite things

Make a list of your favorite things. Your favorite songs. Favorite movies. Write about why they’re your favorites.

29. New Year’s Resolutions (5 years from now)

Pretend it’s New Year’s Eve five years from now. What resolutions for the new year would you write?

Editor’s Note: Want a printable copy of these journal prompts you can print, display, and reference, as needed? Here’s a free Google Doc (no opt-in or email address required).

5 Journaling Ideas & Exercises for Writers

Journal prompts are a great way to exercise your writing skills, but if you want to utilize the full potential of journaling to unlock your creativity, the journaling ideas and exercises below will take you one level deeper.

Whereas before you had a fishing rod to bring new ideas to the surface, these journal ideas will give you a scuba diving oxygen tank so you can explore all the treasures that lie at the bottom of your creative mind.

Ready? Let’s dive in (pun intended).

1. “One-inch picture frame”

Let’s face it…

You have so many writing ideas that you don’t even know where to start.

That brilliant plot you came up with while taking a shower. That self-development article that will become viral. The book idea you’ve been dreaming of writing since you were a teenager.

All those pieces of advice, all those short stories, all those scripts that will never become real because…

Well, because you’re too overwhelmed with ideas to actually start writing.

In her book Bird by Bird (Amazon affiliate link), Anne Lamott introduces a framework called “one-inch picture frame” that helps her beat overwhelm and get to work by writing down only “as much as [she] can see through a one-inch frame”.

In other words, you don’t have to aim at writing your whole life story in one go, or putting together a whole “Ultimate Guide on How to Beat Anxiety” in one sitting.

You can start by simply describing that one afternoon from your childhood when your mom bought you your first ice cream and you felt like you were in heaven; or you can start by writing down the main cause of anxiety that your clients tell you about.

I use this trick to make myself journal every day: all I have to do is write about one thought, one idea, or one life event from that day.

Very often, this is enough to spark my motivation and I keep on writing. Other times I don’t, but that’s okay — one little paragraph is better than nothing.

If you’re struggling to get started because the job seems too big, you can always scale it down. What can you see through your one-inch picture frame?

2. Start a public online journal

Writing has been my main job for over three years now, but until recently I still struggled with practicing my craft consistently.

So a few weeks ago I did something that I thought I would never do: I started a public online journal where I publish a daily entry about my life, thoughts, struggles, and ideas.

At first, it felt scary and vulnerable as hell. In fact, it still does.

But it also changed my life.

How?

I only shared it with a few people, but the fact that someone expects to read my entries every morning keeps me accountable and makes me stick with my commitment. It’s the first time in my life that I have published something every single day for over a month.

Not only do I feel like I am writing my own life’s story, but I also use my old online journal entries for inspiration whenever I need ideas for a new piece of content for my blog. But the biggest benefit of journaling in public is that, unlike what happens with my offline journaling practice, I actually have to put some attention into my daily writing in order to make it readable and enjoyable for other people.

Plus, the daily routine lets me practice being vulnerable and sharing from the heart in front of an audience — a great skill to have as a blogger.

3. Brain dumps

Whenever I want to create a new piece of content, my default is to either begin with an outline or just start writing the whole thing straight away. Word after word, line after line, from beginning to end.

But the thing is, when I just do this, I often hit a wall and get stuck. There are only so many ideas that my brain can access by traditional direct association thinking.

That’s why I started doing brain dumps.

What is a brain dump?

A brain dump is a process of emptying your mind by transposing all your thoughts onto paper. When you hit a wall with your writing, brain dumping is like punching that wall really hard so send all the bricks flying and then get a good glimpse of what’s on the other side.

If you’re stuck or without ideas, stop for a moment. Take a step back and notice all the thoughts going through your mind. What are your worries? What’s taking up all your attention? Is there something you want to write but you feel ashamed because it’s not good enough?

Write it all down. Everything counts. Write it all over the page of your journal, without caring for keeping it organized. The point of brain dumps is not so much to get good ideas, but to relieve your mind of worries and blocks so that creativity can flow freely again.

4. Most Important Question

Sometimes, our best ideas are one night’s sleep away.

It’s true. In his book The Art of Thought (Amazon affiliate link), psychologist Graham Wallas proposes that the creative process happens in four stages:

Preparation (identifying the problem);

Incubation (processing the information on a subconscious level);

Illumination (when everything becomes clear);

Verification (testing if the idea really solves the problem).

Very often, we skip the second step, incubation. We obsess about the problem until we solve it, but what we should do is let it go, allow our subconscious mind to process it, and then come back to it with fresh eyes.

So, how can we start incubating our ideas more?

The technique I’ve been using for months (and it’s been working miracles) is something called Most Important Question (MIQ).

This technique was invented by Josh Waitzkin (he talks about it in this interview) and it goes like this:

In the evening, take some time to reflect and come up with your Most Important Question of the day. Once you’ve got your MIQ, write it down in your journal, and then…

Let it go.

Forget about it.

Take a moment to relax with a good book or a nice walk, and then go to sleep without it on your mind.

Then, in the morning, immediately after you wake up, open your journal, look at the question, and write down the answers you have on your mind.

I have been using this process to help me get ideas for new articles, fix writer’s block, and solve writing problems that I had struggled with for days.

It works like magic.

It’s been proven that our brains are at their most creative immediately after we wake up, and every time I do this I am in awe of the gems that my mind had been hiding.

5. Flip it around

We are so used to writing in a linear way that we fail to make use of the biggest advantage of a good old paper journal: its versatility as a tool for creating ideas.

The main reason why I always buy journals with plain pages is that there are no rules or boundaries for what my writing has to look like. That being said, the last journaling exercise I have for you today is extremely simple:

Flip your journal around.

Yep, that’s it. It’s that simple. Next time you’re in the middle of a journal entry, try rotating the notebook by 90 degrees (or any other number you fancy) and continue the entry at a different angle.

I know this exercise might sound silly or pointless, but it’s not.

Changing the visual representation of our ideas can completely shift the way we create. Rotating your journal in the middle of an entry brings your awareness to how you are using the space on the page, which will inevitably impact the words you choose. It can change your writing speed, the length of your sentences, and it can even inspire you to include a drawing here and there.

Small shifts in perception can make a huge difference to the final results. Don’t be afraid to look at things from a different angle. Spice things up. Open your mind to new ways of being creative.

Think differently.

And most of all, make it fun.

All it Takes is Five Minutes of Journal Prompts to Unlock Your Creativity

A journal is much more than just a few pieces of paper glued together.

It’s a free ticket to the depths of your creativity, and to the brilliant writer that exists inside of you. It’s also one of the best tools to get to know yourself and make sense of your life. Who doesn’t need that?

Whenever you feel stuck, or simply know that there’s something important you have to say but simply can’t find the words, use one of the journal prompts or journaling ideas above.

Sometimes, all it takes is five minutes to become a better writer, or to learn something important about yourself that will change the course of your life forever.

The post 34 Journal Prompts & Ideas to Unlock Your Writing Creativity appeared first on Smart Blogger.

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ronaldsmcrae86 · 4 years ago