#fic: mostly ghostly

[stars-obsession-pit]

Following an accident, Danny wakes up in Gotham City in a DC universe. Lacking any forms of ID or possessions beyond the clothes on his back, he’s forced to commit some crimes to survive. Minor crimes, but still.

And then he gets caught.

During the court proceedings, they come to the mistaken conclusion that he’s a Meta suffering from some psychiatric issues such as Cotard’s Syndrome (a real rare condition where a person holds the delusional belief that they’re dead/don’t exist/etc).

Thus, between his “need for mental treatment” and the concerns about housing someone with his unique physical traits, he is sentenced to spend time in Arkham Asylum. He’s under pretty low security aside from the anti-Meta stuff and has more freedoms than some other inmates, but it’s still not a great experience. Even at the best of times, Arkham is hardly a nice place.

Some of his fellow residents are decently chill all things considered, but lots very much aren’t.

[booklover223]

Okay but Danny would TOTALLY have a praise kink because of his obsession specifically I’m talking about “good boy” “hero” “protector” etc it could be sexual or not

Non sexually he could get super happy if like an old granny calls him a good boy and pats his head when he saves her from a ghost attack (or rogue attack if dcxdp) and no one’s every called him that like omg he blushes bright red/green and his core sings because he’s helping and actually being appreciated I just want my boy happy😭 (this whole post also applies to Jason Todd)

[splendidsupernova]

MOSTLY GHOSTLY — ISAAC LAHEY

She turns to Isaac and examines his appearance to make sure he's okay. His face is still flushed, but the chaotic winds have already dried the sweat on his skin, and his hair is getting fluffier as well.

"Good job," she says. Isaac had held the humongous chunk of ceiling for longer than she'd expected, and some of it with the loss of his supernatural abilities. It's impressive.

"Was that a compliment?" he jokes, raising an amused brow.

Vera narrows her eyes into a glare. "Don't push your luck."

Isaac grins and wraps his arms around her in a hug. She sits in stunned silence for a moment before returning the gesture, placing her hand over his and leaning her weight into his chest. She's beyond grateful that he'd survived this mess so far. After the losses of Boyd and Erica, she couldn't imagine having someone else in her pack die.

read it here!

[bee-temporary-garbage]

Son Of The Hood Series

hey fic finders

looking for one of those "Jason is suddenly trusted with a small child and becomes a father" fics. Jason has a panic attack and calls bruce, who is busy being held hostage by the joker. The Joker allows the call to go through and the moment Bruce hears his son crying for help, he beats the joker half to death with a chair and destroys a car in an attempt to get to jason faster.

i'm like 90% sure this is dc x dp, but i could be wrong

[im-so-normal-i-swear]

Ok so I had an idea about Ody’s eventual death

Hermes’s smile was tinged with sadness, something unusual for the god. “Hello, old friend.”

“Hello, Hermes.” Odysseus pulled his gaze from his body, wrapped in the funeral shroud lovingly made by Penelope, to the bag in his hands. His fingers clutched it tighter, and he looked up at the messenger god. “Do you think they’ll hate me?”

“They will be angry, but they could never hate their captain.” Hermes took Odysseus’s hand. “It’s time to go.”

Hermes’s hand tightened, so much that Odysseus’s spectral hand would have felt crushed under his godly strength. His feet left the ground, going faster and faster and faster, trailing behind Hermes like the trail of a shooting star. Maybe that’s what he looked like when he delivered souls, Odysseus didn’t know.

His feet touched down on the bank of the river Styx, where over six hundred familiar faces currently waited. Odysseus’s feet hit the ground soundlessly a moment later. This would take some getting used to.

“Goodbye, Odysseus of Ithaca. I’ll… I’ll miss fighting by your side.”

That may have been one of the most genuine things Hermes had ever said. Odysseus smiled and fiddled with his bag. “Hermes? Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me, friend, you died,” he said. “Good luck.”

He vanished with a blur of orange light.

Odysseus took a deep breath. It was time.

He walked—slowly, so slowly—towards his old crew. One by one, they turned to face him. Their eyes fell on his bag, and his old, wizened face, proof of a long life. Odysseus wanted to hide it, but he knew he must remain confident in his decisions from all those years ago.

“Comrades.” His eyes fell on two faces he longed to see- one tall, clean-shaven man with dark skin, and one man with a red cloth headband and a mess of curly hair. “Friends. I come after years of keeping you waiting, and for that I beg your forgiveness.” His eyes fell upon Eurylochus. “But I hope that this can sate your desires to leave this place.”

His hands tugged at the string keeping his bag together, and it came undone, almost as if it were waiting for this moment. Six hundred men saw it open, and a murmur went through them. It contained gold—so much gold that they could all get across the river.

Whispers turned to murmurs, but nobody moved forwards to come get a coin. A huge gap remained between Odysseus and the six hundred men he outlived. His shoulders drooped.

One man stepped forwards. Eurylochus of Same, his second in command. He picked out a coin from the bag, then held it up in the air. “Let’s hear it for Odysseus, our captain.”

The murmurs started up again, until the sound of clapping came from the middle of the crowd. Polites.

Ghostly tears flowed down Odysseus’s face as more and more men joined in. They all started to move towards him, cheering for him. Cheering for the life he got to have. Cheering for the chance to finally be together as a crew again.

Thanks for reading! I’d just like to say that my Hermes transportation scene was mostly based on @witless-winion1 ‘s Ctimene fic.

[onlyhereforthestories]

What's Spooky Season Without Jump Scares (Alexia Putellas x Reader)

Happy Halloween guys! I hope you enjoy this little fic, I'm sad spooky season is over for another year. Next up for me is Chica 👀 stay tuned.

Alexia was used to the calm, steady version of you. The one that only spoke when necessary, who focused intensely on training and barely cracked a smile, except for when you were alone together or with your families. You were always a little softer then. So, when the calendar flipped to October, she wasn’t expecting the sudden shift. It wasn’t like it was your first Halloween season together, no you had been together for 3 years now, but this was the first one in your now shared apartment. Something that had you buzzing with excitement for what the month might bring.

The apartment was still mostly quiet, but a new energy had settled in, you were planning something.

Alexia was chopping vegetables for dinner, humming a tune under her breath, completely unaware of the fact that you had been sneaking around the apartment, plotting your first Halloween scare. You moved silently, pulling a black hoodie over your head, the hood obscuring your face. You’d painted your face hastily with white and black makeup, mimicking the look of a ghostly skeleton, but the effect was more comedic than terrifying.

As Alexia diced the carrots, you crept up behind her. You didn’t say a word at first, just let the eerie silence do the work for you. Then, in your deepest, most unnatural voice, you whispered, “Alexiaaaa...”

Her shoulders stiffened, and for a split second, you saw her pause. Then she turned, knife still in hand, her eyes wide and alert.

You stood there, hands raised in a mock zombie pose, and shouted, “BOO!”

She flinched, but the startled look in her eyes quickly melted into annoyance. “¡Joder! What the hell are you doing?” she exclaimed, her face flushed with surprise, though there was the tiniest hint of a smile playing at her lips.

You dropped the act, giggling like a child, completely unlike your usual self. “Come on, admit it. I got you!”

She stared at you, shaking her head with mock disapproval and rolling her eyes as she spoke. “You're ridiculous. And I could have hurt you, I have a knife in my hand idiota.”

You stepped closer, pressing a quick kiss to her cheek. “Ridiculously good at jump scaring, you mean.”

Alexia gave a long drown out sigh, but you could see the amusement in her eyes. “I don’t know how I’m going to survive the rest of October with you.”

“Oh, I’ve got plenty more planned,” you teased, winking at her. “Just you wait.”

---

It was a crisp autumn morning, and the Barcelona girls were gathered on the training pitch, doing their usual warm-ups. You and Alexia had arrived together, but everyone was focused on their stretches and drills. What they didn’t know was that you had a new prank up your sleeve, and Alexia, although playing innocent, was completely aware.

You had spent the night before gathering the perfect prank materials: fake spiders, a small wireless speaker, and a creepy mask that you knew would send a few hearts racing.

As the team gathered for tactical drills, you casually slipped the speaker into one of the benches near where Patri and Mapi were chatting, adjusting their socks and discussing their latest match. You gave Alexia a sly nod as she jogged by, and she gave you a quick wink, pretending not to know what was coming.

You crouched behind one of the equipment carts, pressing play on your phone. From the speaker came a low, eerie growl followed by a ghostly moan.

Mapi immediately looked up, frowning. “Did you hear that?”

Patri turned her head, puzzled. “What the…?”

Suddenly, you popped out from behind the cart, wearing the creepy mask, a grotesque, zombie-like face. You lunged toward them with a guttural scream, arms flailing wildly.

Patri yelped, practically jumping out of her boots, while Mapi’s eyes widened in shock. “¡Dios mío!” Mapi shouted, stumbling backward and tripping over her own feet.

The rest of the team erupted into laughter, even Alexia couldn’t hold back, bending over as she chuckled at her teammates’ reactions.

Patri’s face flushed with a mixture of fear and embarrassment. “¡No tienes vergüenza! I’m going to kill you!”

You laughed, pulling the mask off and shaking your head. “It’s Halloween! Lighten up!”

Mapi, still catching her breath, pointed at you accusingly. “You’re going to pay for that one.”

Just as the girls were recovering, you reached into your pocket and threw a handful of fake spiders at them, causing a fresh wave of screams. Even Pina, who was nearby, shrieked as one of the rubber spiders landed on her shoulder.

Alexia jogged over, still laughing. “I think you’re going to get banned from training at this rate.”

You grinned at her. “Oh, come on. You have to admit, it’s kind of fun.”

Alexia shook her head, but her smile gave her away. “Alright, alright. But if you scare me again...”

You raised an eyebrow. “If?”

Alexia shot you a playful glare. “*When* you scare me again, I’m getting revenge.”

---

As October marched on, your love for Halloween grew more intense. Decorations appeared in every corner of your shared apartment. There were fake cobwebs draped over the shelves, plastic skeletons hanging from the bathroom door, and pumpkins placed strategically on the window ledges. Alexia, though amused by your enthusiasm, was also slightly wary. Every room had become a potential jump-scare zone.

One night, after a long day of training and some light teasing from the girls, Alexia entered the apartment, her guard up. She flipped on the lights and scanned the hallway, expecting you to pop out from behind the door at any moment. You had been home for about an hour due to her having a captains meeting after training. But there was nothing. Just an eerie silence and the usual orange glow from the Halloween lights. Maybe you were finally giving her a break after the almost daily small jump scares she had been having this month.

She walked toward the bedroom, her body slowly relaxing as she reached for the door handle. Suddenly, the door creaked open just a crack, on its own.

Alexia froze. “You’re not getting me this time.”

The hallway light flickered for a split second, and that’s when she saw it, a dark figure standing just inside the door, its eyes glowing red.

“¡Por el amor de Dios!” she shouted, stumbling back as you emerged from the shadows, your glowing-eyed ghoul costume in full effect.

You burst into laughter, the fake eyes you’d attached to your mask bouncing slightly as you doubled over. “I can’t believe I actually got you again!”

Alexia glared at you, though a smile was fighting to break through. “I thought you were done with the scares.”

You shrugged, removing the mask and setting it down on the table. “Halloween’s not over yet.”

She sighed dramatically. “One more. One more scare, and I’m hiding your costumes.”

You smirked, leaning in closer. “You love it.”

Alexia’s eyes softened, and she pulled you into a hug, your body warm against hers. “Maybe just a little.”

---

Halloween finally arrived, and the apartment looked like something straight out of a haunted house. You had decorated every inch of the place, from flickering candles to eerie sound effects playing on a loop. Alexia, though initially resistant, had gradually started to enjoy the spooky atmosphere. She even helped carve the pumpkin that sat proudly on the kitchen counter, though she complained the entire time about how messy it was.

That night, the two of you settled in on the couch, surrounded by snacks and the soft glow of your spooky décor. The jump scares had eased up, well mostly. You promised to go easy on her tonight, she had suffered through pretty much a whole month of your antics.  

As you cuddled under a blanket, Alexia leaned back against you, her fingers tracing absent patterns on your arm.

“You know,” she said softly, “I wasn’t sure I was going to survive your Halloween obsession this month.”

You chuckled, squeezing her a little tighter. “I know I went a little overboard.”

“A little?” she teased, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

“Okay, maybe a lot.” You leaned down to press a kiss to her temple. “But you survived. And look at you now, I have you enjoying Halloween like a pro.”

Alexia smiled, her eyes glancing around the decorated room. “I guess I did. Maybe next year, we can make it even bigger.”

You raised an eyebrow. “Bigger?”

Alexia’s smile turned wicked. “Oh, yeah. But next year, *I’m* planning the scares.”

You laughed, but there was a flicker of nervousness in your voice. “I think I’ve created a monster.”

She just grinned, settling back into your arms as the Halloween movie played in the background. Whatever the future held, you knew that this spooky tradition was now something the two of you would share, year after year. The girls better watch out next spooky season that was for sure.

[clockwayswrites]

Rumors of a Prince - p1

“You could always ask Jason to pay her a visit,” Dick said from where he was lounging, mostly upside down, on the couch in Bruce’s study.

Bruce frowned at him. “I am not going to have Jason kill Vickie Vale.”

“Hey, you’re the one who said kill!” Dick held his hands up or, rather, given his position, down. “I just meant puts some fear into her. Maybe kidnap her for a few days so that she can’t write any more libel.”

Bruce found himself smiling, slightly and against his better judgment. It faded away when he looked back at his laptop. “At least in this case, it wouldn’t do much good. The stories is already out there and unfortunately, Vale’s take on it has captured the public’s attention.”

“Tim knows… and Babs.”

“Undoubtedly.”

“And if those two know, Steph knows. If Steph knows, she’s ranted to Cass.”

“Yes.” This family was impossible to keep things secret in.

“Welp,” Dick said and swung himself to be sitting up normally— or as normally as Dick ever sat. “Then I guess we better tell the others. How do you want to divide this?”

Bruce was grateful that Dick was willing to be his partner in this. “You would be best to take Jason. I’ll speak with Damian. Either of us can catch Duke when he returns from his patrol.”

Dick nodded. “And Thomas?”

“I think perhaps it would be best to have as much of the family in the manor as possible,” Bruce said after a moment. “If he destabilizes, I want him to know that we are around and that he is still safe.”

“Alright.” Dick slapped his knees once and stood. “I’ll drag Jason back then. You know he’ll come if it’s for Tom.”

“Make sure he reads the article before he comes over.”

Dick grimaced. “Yeah. Yeah, that would be best. I’m going to bring some food too. Good luck convincing Dami that he can’t go and stab Vickie Vale.”

Bruce pinched the bridge of his nose. “Right. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Dick chirped as he left for his task.

Bruce dropped his hand.

‘Gotham’s Pale Prince’ stared back at him from the screen.

---

AN: I'm actually surprised this one won the poll! But here we are. I don't expect this will be long.

For those who haven't read 'Shadow of a Bat' well, 1- do, I think it's my best fic. 2- Danny = Thomas and he's more ghostly than not.

Stay delightful darlings!

[sakura-chan-25]

Bottle Feeding

Pairing: Cg!Sylus & regressed!MC

Request by @ghostly-fox-pawz: ok so I keep having this lil thought [may or may not have stemmed from the bottle feeding post of sylis you made] of it being like a storm or something and his little one panicking so, he scoops them up and bottle feeds them to sleep. Or it's the first time of them being regressed for him and their worried about being to heavy, and he just scoops them up like :] bottle

Word Count: ~530

Warning(s): MC basically regressed to an infant I guess (like me ha), thunderstorm and MC being uncomfortable with/scared of loud noises, pet names (darling, little one)

Sylus immediately snapped his head up to look at MC on his couch, quietly observing as they curled into themselves after a low rumble of thunder was heard outside. He couldn’t help but sigh silently under his breath, instantly seeing why they behaved the way they did.

“Come here, darling. It’s alright.”, he tried to soothe them with a soft voice but all he got was a whine in return as they curled into themselves even more. They almost looked like a cozy cat. Almost. If it weren’t for their occasional shivers whenever the sky cried out. Seeing MC absolutely refusing to move Sylus sighed and walked over to the couch, crouching down on the floor in front of them.

“How about a warm glass of milk, hm? Would that help?”, he asked gently, trying to look into their eyes but they were hidden by the sleeves of MC’s hoodie; his hoodie technically, but they said they like how soft it is, so he doesn’t mind them wearing it. If it calms them, he’ll throw them into a pile of his clothes, as long as they’re happy.

Since MC didn’t answer him and focused more on the sounds outside, he decided enough was enough and scooped them into his arms as if they were nothing more than a sack of potatoes. Obviously, they screeched in terror, not having expected his sudden touch. And since they were only regressing younger and younger as time passed, the tears were harder to hold back. But even if they had attempted to hold them back, Sylus’ red eyes escapes nothing, so it was no wonder when he immediately adjusted his grip on their body and quietly hushed them as he rocked them back and forth while he made his way over to the kitchen, quickly preparing a bottle of warm milk with a bit of honey in it as his entire focus was still mostly on the scared little one in his arm right now.

“Shh, shh, it’s okay, just drink, little one.”, Sylus’ put the teat swiftly into MC’s mouth, not even giving them the time to get all fussy and silently smirked in victory once they started drinking quietly in his arms as they relaxed. He also didn’t mind them slowly falling asleep in his arms. It was better for them anyway. That way they didn’t have to listen to the ongoing storm outside.

Once he was absolutely sure they would stay asleep for now, he slowly removed the bottle and put it on the sink, walking up the stairs with MC in his arms and put them to bed. He went back downstairs once he tucked them in, but not for long, only to wash the bottle and turn off any electronic devices/lights/etc. that wouldn’t be needed anymore. After all he couldn’t leave them all alone, what if they woke up? Scared once again because maybe the storm hasn’t passed by then. No, no, he couldn’t do that to them, so Sylus went upstairs again and got comfortable next to them, quietly occupying himself with something. Although he couldn’t help but watch his tiny one sleep so peacefully next to him once or twice.

A/n: First lads agere fic whooo! Hope you enjoyed and have a good day/night! :D

Dividers by @/thecutestgrotto

[reticent-writer]

Hii is it alright if you do headcanons on what Alastor would be like as a father with the reader as his teen daughter?^^

◡̈⋆ʜᴇʟʟᴏ(●’◡’●)ﾉ

✿✼:*ﾟ:.｡..｡.:*･ﾟﾟ･**･ﾟﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*ﾟ:*:✼✿　

bro idk why but I imagine Alastor having a moody child (most fics I've written with him are projecting this)

like you hardly ever smile

he tolerates your attitude because he cares for you like his own child but if he ever asks you to do something you better do it

I feel like Alastor would own your soul but just for power

he wouldn't hold it over your head like he does husk

He doesn't mind you hugging him

If you aren't his actual child then you'd had to have known him for a long time to get this close

mostly likely while he was still alive

He makes mental notes of your likes and dislikes

any time your feeling down he will notice and try to make you feel better by either talking or giving small gifts

✿✼:*ﾟ:.｡..｡.:*･ﾟﾟ･**･ﾟﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*ﾟ:*:✼✿　

art by @ghostly-one

[minlahzz]

amethio, silver x hex maniac reader.

requested

amethio and silver! oreo and jalapeño duo (this is separated.) sorry for the big wait, school is biting my toes. uhh silvers is very short, because I feel like ive mentioned most of the things silver would do in other fics. I don't wanna seem repetitive or uncreative!

— AMETHIO

amethio would initially be unsure what to make of you. your eerie aura and cryptic way of speaking would intrigue him, but he’d be cautious. he’s logical, so he’d view what you do as something he needs to understand rather than dismiss, because every person is different why judge them. he’d probably think, "are they like this all the time?" when you casually mention something spooky like the “ghosts watching over” him.

amethio’s edgy demeanor and your crazy words would balance each other out. he’d act as the grounded counterpart to your whimsical nature, often giving you a deadpan look when you go off on a supernatural tangent.

“amethio, the spirit (random gengar) says this battle will be tough.”

“the spirit is stating the obvious.”

your comments often catch him off guard, not because he gets scared of it. it's just becuse you just say it so randomly it's kind of concerning, leading to some amusing exchanges.

“The ghosts approve of you, amethio.”

“good to know. now, tell them to get out out of my way.”

your unpredictability often throws him off balance. whether it’s your cryptic compliments (“the spirits find you quite handsome today”) or your sudden affection, he finds himself flustered more often than he’d like to admit.

your spooky vibe complements his calm and calculated style perfectly. he’d use your unnerving presence to throw off opponents while he plans a precise attack. he might even ask you for “spiritual advice” during critical missions, though you’re never quite sure if he’s joking or went insane.

he isn't really phased from ghosts, neither is his pokemon. ceruledge is one of the few pokémon that isn’t fazed by your team. it often stands protectively between amethio and your more mischievous Pokémon like (for example) misdreavus, who enjoys pranking people by floating off with their belongings. ceruledge gets really paranoid and assumes all your ghosts are evil at first.

amethio never disregards your interests, and tries his best help you enjoy them, even if he's not a fan of it himself.

— SILVER

silver is honestly pretty game with whatever crazy stuff you do, he didn't stop loving you after you did questionable things in order to see ghosts (he'd be apart of it anyway.)

first time meeting you silver already felt discomfort/concern. (not negative) he’d wonder if you had some hidden agenda, but over time, he’d notice how kind and sincere you are, even with your random outbursts, which would ease his initial distrust.

silver reluctantly tags along when you explore spooky ruins or abandoned buildings to “connect with spirits.” he’d grumble about how impractical it is, but goes anyway. (his honchkrow becomes your flashlight during these adventures.)

your spooky jokes and ghostly references catch him off guard, but he grows to enjoy your sense of humor. he won’t laugh out loud, but the corner of his mouth quirks up when you say something particularly clever. silver might even use them too, but to an extent. gold never understand the jokes...

when travelling on a mission sent by professor oak by the dex holders (gold, and crys mostly) he makes sure to find and pick up eerie trinkets and paranormal items to give to you on his return. he'd just silently sneak them in his pocket without the other two knowing, sometimes what he does though leads to a bigger problem.

"hey silver what are you doing! this place is completely abandoned don't touch that!" crys silently yelled (if you get it) in the corner.

silver unresponsive, shrugs and picks it up... suddenly a locked door opens "WHAT DID YOU DO?" gold yelled from the other room, echoing through the entire building.

"silver you pay for my life insurance."

"it's just another room, there might be something important we could give to professor oak there. you guys are just overreacting."

"GHOST!"

silver knows alot of paranormal information because of you, and it definitely saved the 3 idiots lifes maybe twice. lesson learned: don't go to abandoned haunted building, (unless you're a hex maniac the ghosts are pretty cool with you.)

it's not just him that gives the other trinkets, it's also vice-versa! you gift silver supposedly "haunted" charms, he's skeptical but carries it around anyway. when he wins a tough match, you proudly point at the many trinkets you gave him.

"the spirits were with you, horray!" you say celebrating.

"or maybe it was my training, but you know that works too."

silver has a beef with your pokemon, doesn't matter which he hates them and they hate him. (don't worry though) your pokemon like taunting him and whenever he complains, you brush it off as them bonding together.

“tell your pokémon to stop stealing my items,” he says, holding up a poké ball with a stone faced expression.

“it’s just trying to bond with you!” you reply.

“...bond less.”

[splendidsupernova]

dominic: what are you arguing about this time?

vera: he keeps using common phrases incorrectly!

stiles: cry me a table, vera

[bloopitynoot]

What I Read This Week: 06/01/2025

I am a librarian, and unrelated to stereotypes about my profession, I do read a metric shit-ton in a week. Most of it is fanfiction but hey, I thought maybe it's time I share my reads?

This is what I read this week:

1 This time, together! by danny16doc (157, 858)

Summary: Wei Wuxian thought he had finally found peace—apparently not. The world just couldn’t leave him be. Once again, they came after him for the same ignorant, foolish reasons: he was too powerful, too arrogant, too uncontrollable.

They had pushed him to the edge once more—but this time, he wasn’t alone. If they couldn’t adapt to the new world, so be it. He would tear down their reality and rebuild it anew. But this time, things would be different.

Time travel fic! SO GOOD!

My heart weeps for a character I didn't expect to cry about

this was absolutely so heartwarming. I love the way the time travel mechanic worked, and I adored the ending our boys got.

10/10

2. not every haunting is for horror by Cinaed (32, 884)

Summary: When Shang Qinghua and Shen Yuan, popular online ghost hunters, decide to break away from their corporate overlords and start their own small company, they reach out to Shen Yuan’s old teacher who’s renting out his basement at a suspiciously low price. The reason for the cheap rent quickly becomes clear: Shen Qingqiu’s house is haunted by a ghostly presence he refuses to admit exists....

I went into this expecting it to be a good old haunting ghost busting team; what it did do was make me cry! What the heck!

Shen Jiu and Yue Qi will never not be a sad story and this one was worse than canon.

The ending is happy (but a little weird- affectionately) and I adored it

I almost wish this was a longer fic so I could get more into the universe! good read

3 afraid of changing (i've built my life around you) by TheGreatSwordSwallower (39, 251)

Summary:

Now, Wei Wuxian will never admit to this, but Old Man Lan tends to be right one way or another whenever he points out Wei Wuxian’s mistakes. Terrifyingly accurate.

So when he claims Wei Wuxian’s regular wet dreams and morning woods have managed to spawn a baby from the stars above — based on the many cautionary tales he’s somehow perused before — Lan Qiren is, unfortunately, correct.

“Congratulations, Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji! Here goes your baby! Fresh out of the oven. Please water and feed regularly. Do not forget to pray. Best wishes! :)”

Wei Wuxian goes still.

or: A baby arrives in a basket in the middle of Wei Wuxian's dorm room in the middle of the night, addressed to one Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji and they...try and live with it.

Omg the first fic that ruined me emotionally this week what the fuck. (I loved it)

So much happens, my HEART

Written beautifully

Happy ending I promise.

4Think of the Children by SingingInTheRaiin (34, 428)

Summary: Shen Qingqiu was not the one who pushed Luo Binghe into the Endless Abyss, and in fact would have been willing to follow him down if he had not been stopped by Without-A-Cure. He would do anything to get Luo Binghe back... and yet suddenly chooses to disappear from the cultivation world instead.

When Luo Binghe finally emerges from the Abyss, his first goal is to track down his wayward shizun. If he accidentally implies that he has children in need of a teacher, then he'll just have to roll with it until he can figure out what caused his shizun to flee, and how to convince him to stay.

Shen Qingqiu is so smart, but so stupid

This is such a mess LOL Luo Binghe is also an idiot

it works out- but damn so much melancholy and yearning

5 An Old Cardboard Produce Box for a Cradle by julomaiboulomai, mischiefseven (25,755)

Summary: "Wei Ying sits back from his labour and looks at the product of his work with satisfaction. She could use a face and some clothing, but her proportions aren’t too bad. All in all she’s a convincingly sweet doll. Mostly, anyway. He smiles, a little wry, down at the little figure resting on his worktable; she’s as uncanny as anything else that came out of the soil of the Burial Mounds, really. That just means she’ll fit right in."

Wei Ying makes a meimei for A-Yuan. Things progress differently from there.

I adore fix-its fueled by Wei Wuxian's child/ren. This is the fastest fix it ahaha I loved it, it was incredible sweet

Lan Wangji said- this is my husband, fight me - and I love that for him

Wei Wuxian said- ahahaha for sure- wait shit, we are actually married though???

Cute, adorable, loved it.

6 in a dream, i was home by thelastdboy (25, 250)

Summary: After he learned of Wei Wuxian's death, Lan Wangji dragged his broken body to Yiling. Deep inside Luanzanggang, he encountered the ghosts of the Wen Remnants. They revealed that someone had been trapped inside Luanzanggang and that Wei Wuxian had worked to save this person. Having nothing left to lose, Lan Wangji poured his remaining spiritual energy into an array Wei Wuxian had drawn before his death.

When he passed out from exhaustion, Lan Wangji hadn't expected to wake again, but he did. However, he wasn't in Luanzanggang anymore. Instead, he was back in Gusu. He was also a teenager again.

Cute little time travel fix it. BONUS! Wei Wuxian's parents live!

I wish this was so much longer because I desperately wanted the domesticity of wangxian - they are the cutest.

Solid little (for me) fic!

7 Baba and babo by runrecord (66,749)

This was such a wholesome story!

Summary: One day, Wei Ying is worried sick how he will pay bills and feed his son.

The next day, he finds himself as Lan Zhan’s housewife. Is this something their little group of three can work out and go ahead with? But what seems like a crack idea at the start with an unspecified future might, in the end, completely turn their world upside down in the most wonderful ways.

Or: The exact flavor of Wei Ying Lan Zhan goes for in this fic is sexy yet troubled single father Wei Ying. A story of love and found family in five parts.

You can tell the author might have been younger or maybe newer to writing when they did this, but as the story progresses they really grew into themselves!

did I cry- yes, was it worth it, also yes

I love an accidental sugar daddy- husband pipeline and we got it

8 Wei Ying's Knight on Call by dragontrappedinhumanskin (20, 818)

Summary: When Wei Ying unknowingly drunk dials a stranger to come pick him up from a party, he doesn't expect the guy to actually show, much less be this beautiful.

“. . .Do you know anyone else there?”

__

“I’m at—” Pause for a hiccup, “At that party I told you about, and ‘m suuuuper drunk, so,” Another hiccup, Wei Ying leaning more heavily against the wall, “I’m being a very good adult and asking for a ride. Please!”

Wei Ying barely made out the words, and wow did Wen Ning sound different when Wei Ying was wasted. “Nope!” He answered cheerily, “Just some of ‘em, like a little bit, not real friends but like—Ac-quain-tan-ces. That’s the word, right? Jiang Cheng and your sister say to be extra careful when—” Another hiccup, followed by Wei Ying having to close his eyes and lean his head against the wall to make everything stop spinning, “—When drunk. Ya know? Of course you know.”

Another silence, and Wei Ying let it drag out longer as he swallowed down the sudden rise of nausea, taking deep breaths through his nose.

“What’s the address?”

This was so fun!! The premise is absolutely whack LMAO but I live for it

1000% I agree with Jiang Cheng- if this happened to any of my pals I would be quite concerned HOWEVER because it's wangxian it's fine

what a wild meet cute!! So good!

9 Undoing Regrets by YumichanHamano (34, 834)

Summary: Was Cangse Sanren overjoyed to learn that her baby was already so smart at only two years of age? Absolutely! It was supposed to be a secret between her and her husband that her A-Ying was able to sense danger before his golden core even began to form. However, after seeing her four-year-old child inconsolable after they stepped foot in Yiling, they had no choice but to seek help.

Who better to bother than Lan Qiren? The Lans may be stuffy but they are scholars with a vast wealth of knowledge. If anyone could figure out what is going on with Wei Ying, it was them.

Not that they could know that Lan Qiren, along with his two nephews, came from the same future their son once lived.

--

When investigating a mysterious array set in the forest, six people were sent back to the past where they would relive their lives and make changes to change their future. They all retained their memory, except one.

This was such a sweet and wholesome fix it!

The boys get to have their parents and actually be kids

adorable adorable adorable!

:'3 only soft things here

10. Heaven Official's Blessing by MXTX Chapter 121-125

Summary: Born the crown prince of a prosperous kingdom, Xie Lian was renowned for his beauty, strength, and purity. His years of dedication and noble deeds allowed him to ascend to godhood. But those who rise, can also fall…and fall he does, cast from the Heavens again and again and banished to the mortal realm.

Eight hundred years after his mortal life, Xie Lian has ascended to godhood for the third time. Now only a lowly scrap collector, he is dispatched to wander the earthly realm to take on tasks appointed by the heavens to pay back debts and maintain his divinity. Aided by old friends and foes alike, and graced with the company of a mysterious young man with whom he feels an instant connection, Xie Lian must confront the horrors of his past in order to dispel the curse of his present.

I've finished book 7 and have started book 8; things are wrapping up!

I'm reading about a chapter a day and live blogging the experience. you can follow along on the Bloopitynoot reads TGCF tag

NO SPOILERS PLS.

I am so soft for Hualian

That's what I read this week!

You can tell this week was mostly wangxian heavy- I did a HUGE sweep of the tags and I've got a solid bunch to work through now. Which is absolutely solid, because I did almost run out of fics :'3

As usual I will gladly accept any recs you have happily and gratefully- though it may take me some time to get to them; MDZS (wangxian - but also most other pairings) or SVSSS (shen yuan et al pairings - or others tbh I am not picky!)

If you want a personalized fic list I am offering lists for Wangxian (some other MDZS pairings) and bingqiu (and some other SVSSS pairings) -just send me a dm with your theme and criteria! If I have fics that I have read that fit the vibe, I will happily rec a list <3

Until next week!

[writing-through-the-snow]

Fic idea where it's like a 5 +1 where it's "everytime Ash died and became a little less human, and one time he was too human."

So like, everytime Ash dies he comes back a little wrong? Like it starts a little simple, he was crushed by a chandelier and suddenly his eyes glow blue in the dark. The OG trio shrugs it off, maybe Ash could always do that and they didn't notice.

Then when Ash is turned to stone for the first time he's suddenly a lot less effected by Pikachu's thundershocks, Pikachu has to hit him a lot harder to shock him the same amount. Again the trio (who can't remember Ash died) shrugs it off, maybe Ash just started growing immune to Pikachu's thundeshocks from over exposure.

In Mystery of Mew Ash can float for a few seconds at a time. Almost unnoticeably, he just falters for a few seconds when he falls, it means he takes a bit less damage when he falls from high heights. Brock is starting to notice, but he doesn't want to bring it up, even as he tries. Ash brushes him off. And it's mostly forgotten about.

Then when ash drowns and suddenly Ash almost seems transparent sometimes, especially at nights on the full moons. He starts sleeping less, and not feeling tired. He just says that that's more time to train. This time Brock actually confronts Ash, but Ash refuses to acknowledge it. He can't be turning more ghostly and non human as the days go by. That's crazy talk Brock.

When Ash gets sent into space in that castle and dies suddenly he's a lot colder then should be normal for most humans. Just slightly enough that people only really think he's slightly cold, like touching someone's cold hands but that's ash all of the time. Iris hates it, avoiding even accidental contact with Ash because she hates the cold. Cilan cant for the life of him figure out why Ash is like that, he was normally a pretty warm person before the castle, why had that changed? Ash doesn't answer their questions, even though he knows why. He knows Brock is right, and that every death he's becoming less and less human. He fears the time when he'll finally reach his limit, and will be more ghost then human.

Than the Kalos crisis happens, and suddenly Ash actually has to confront his balled up emotions. And he's just a little too human, he has all of these emotions that aren't always pretty, and more emotional deep thinking that Ash doesn't do. Before ending with Ash going to Alola, the warmness of the region feeling good on his always cold skin, his feet firmly planted on the ground, his skin solid. Human.

I've got this fic half written for like a year now but I never have time to write it :/

[four-crows-in-a-trenchcoat]

WIP: tit 4 tat

Once again cursed by @crownpastelyellow and digging up the WIP of the second part of the dyejobblowjob fic I started a bit ago

Gonna WIP Curse @invis-here < 3

TLDR Joel & Etho are quarenteening and go on a date

{Just over 4k WIP: reference to them hooking up but it's mostly fluffy and flirty}

Etho's a problem.

Not in the way he usually is: hiding the remote so they have to watch his obscure foreign serials, or putting a lock on his ramen cupboard so Joel has to try and pick it before breaking into his emergency supply of pilfered ramen, or hogging the good spot on the sofa and leaving him with a feeble cushion.

No.

Etho's a problem in the way that it's been two days since he was on his knees sucking his dick and he can't get him out of his head. He's the last thing he thinks about at night and the first thing he thinks about in the morning - those cool relaxed eyes so wet and hazy, lips stretching so pretty around his cock, and the whines and moans that still catch his breath and echo through his mind...

It's unbearable - he's got so much perfectly good porn collecting dust because as soon as he starts pumping his cock all he can think about is Etho riding him, Etho folded over himself, coming over Etho's face, throat fucking Etho, fucking Etho in every room of their shitty little flat. And he makes him cum so much harder than any video of artificial moaning and squirting ever could.

Hates him. Joel hates him so much.

But it got so much worse. When he rolls on to his side, slowly emerging from the haze of sleep, the haunting thought of simply ploughing his roommate into the sheets sobbing and screaming in pleasure is replaced by something more sinister. This morning, as his eyes adjusted to the light, for a moment, Etho was in bed next to him. A mirage, ghostly and faint, but it was him and the mere thought of that made something uncomfortably warm to swell in Joel's heart.

The blowjob was nowhere near good enough to have him pinning after Etho... and yet, he found himself wishing Etho had snuck into his bed in the night so he could wake up holding his hand.

Joel groans, palms against his eyes - trying to push the thought out of his head - with little luck. Even absently scrolling socials in bed was doing little to take his mind of things - oh Etho would find this funny; Etho would look cute in that; Etho Etho Etho - he can already hear Etho's voice, like he's leaning over him breath warm on his ear "geez Joel, obsessed much?"

"I am so not obsessed!" Joel growls, flopping back onto his bed with a huff and grumble. 

As he's marinating in his annoyance, he hears the boards beyond his door creak - that very distinctive creak like a old ship at sea groaning beneath the weight of a storm - and looking beyond the hills and valleys of his hips and legs he spots his actual roommate standing in his doorway like he's auditioning for one of the shining girls. He looks... rough - the dark rings under his eyes more like trenches of blackish purple, his freshly dyed hair a dishevelled mess, the same joggers and hoodie he was wearing two days ago still clinging to him.

Once they meet eyes, Etho potters in and all but flops on top of Joel with a deep exasperated sigh. Immediately, Joel is being smothered by the ambient chill clinging to Etho, the low musky scent of day old clothes, and whatever caffeinated beverage had been keeping him awake for... who knows how long - the actual weight of him, relatively light, nevertheless adding to the heavy feeling setting between his ribs like bubbling magma slowly calcifying.

"Hi Joel," Etho drones.

"Geez Etho! What the-" and before Joel can act too exasperated or annoyed by his roommate marching into his room and flopping atop him, Etho curls in him, tucks his head under Joel's chin and he feels like a live bomb has been tossed into his lap with the way his heart races.

“You’re totally normal about me sucking your dick… but a hug is where you draw the line… no wonder you're single.” That's different... so different. There's a little bite in Etho's voice, shorter than he's heard him in weeks even after being caught red handed pillaging his secret stash of snacks. Joel's arms are wrapping around Etho like he's some fragile thing, and he smells sweet, beneath the thick musky haze clinging to him - maple like, with some vanilla undertones, the kind of smell he could bury his face in... 

He quickly brushes off any thoughts about how soft and trusting Etho looks curling into him, along with his own horny machinations, as he feels his roommate deflate on top of him, a little warble reaching up from his throat, but quickly swallowed back. 

"Well that's rude. I could be in a relationship if I wanted, I just haven't found the one ya know." He digs a finger into Etho's side and his roommate just sighs against his neck, no bite back. Oh it's like that - low tolerance for tomfoolery. Joel grumbles to himself before sneaking a hand under Etho's hoodie and running it up and down his back, with a deliberate slowness, like each of his vertebrae is a mountain his fingers must climb and descend before venturing onwards. The little pleased noises and the fact Etho isn't rolling away is all Joel needs to travel the length of his spine and back again. 

He holds him for a while, feeling him warm under his touch, some of the colour coming back to his face - Etho just sinking further into him like he was some sort of life size teddy bear. Despite how nonchalant Joel was acting - so chill when Etho's hand starts lazily circling his belly, totally not feeling like a hot blade dragging through wax leaving his guts a mess of melted churred warmth - he was in fact, freaking out a little. Sure he and Etho had occasionally bumped shoulders, leaned on each other once or twice during a movie, but this was... intensely so much more. And Joel can't get enough. 

"Rough day?" As if Etho wordlessly flopping atop him wasn't already conformation enough.

"Something like that," Etho sighs, his other hand reaching up to twirly the ends of Joel's hair, absentmindedly twirling as he stares off at Joel's setup - no doubt silently critiquing it.

"Wanna talk about it?"

"Not really..." Etho's response is tired, like he's halfway to falling back to sleep - his hands slowing to a crawl against Joel, the little flames flickering to embers against his skin. 

Silence fills the lull, Joel unsure what to say, mouth flapping open a few times but nothing comes out - Etho more than happy to rot away atop him for the rest of the day. And part of Joel wants that, the two of them in bed, tucked away with one another watching some funny videos, letting another day as dull as dirt roll on by. 

"Wanna have sex?" is blurted out into the void: a horrendous crash of thunder portenting a storm rolling over a placid meadow. Joel can feel Etho's breath catch and his face burn against his neck.

"Wha-"

"You, Me, this bed, a lot less clothes... like last but a lot more-"

"Joel I-"

"-am a massive virgin I know. I can be gentle." There's a certain familiar taunting lightness to his voice but it's uncertain, tepid, even outright nervous. 

He wants Etho - REALLY wants to have sex with Etho - but there's no jokey trade for a dye job this time. Joel can hear his heart, thundering through his bones like war drums as Etho's fingers drag across the back of his head, tenderly scratching at his scalp while remaining locked in an introspective staring contest with his computer.

"The bin full of malformed ceramics disagrees," Etho deadpans, half tucking one of his legs under Joel's while the pleasant scritching through his hair remains - a hauntingly familiar dull warmth blooming down his spine.

"Well pottery is stupid!" Etho laughs, a dry wry sort of sound, burying himself against Joel's neck - like a needy kit seeking comfort and Joel's heart pangs so desperately against his ribs it threatens to bruise them.

"I'll take you out on a date first, we can go for dinner and I'll even take you to one of those cheesy romance films you always choose for movie night, and if that goes well," Joel runs a hand up to the summit of Etho's spine and gently curls around until he has Etho's jaw in his hand, "we can see where the rest of the night takes us." There's a soft look of yearning in Etho's eyes, although Joel is unsure if he's just reflecting his own longing back at him.

"And just how are you going to manage that?" They both knew the furthest Joel could go with current restrictions was the corner shop, but Joel has this incorrigible smirk on his face, the kind that lets Etho know he has already began scheming as soon as the idea pops out his mouth.

"Give me a couple hours, you'll see."

"A couple..." Etho purses his lips, annoyingly captivated by the way Joel's eyes sparkle down at him, "Okay, I'll talk to my secretary and see if I can squeeze you into my very busy schedule."

"Oh you will certainly squeeze me in alright - oh and put on something nice for me Etho, wanna show off my hot date."

"Is it too late to cancel?"

"Got something better to do?" He in fact, does not - unless staring at the wall or starting a fresh playthrough of a game he has 100%'d four times so far is something better, which Etho decides, it is not. "Guess not."

"I will see you at eight o'clock sharp then!" Joel bounces off his bed, Etho tumbling and falling into the little indent he has left in his mattress. Joel puts on some joggers and before he leaves to put his devious machinations he looks back at Etho nestling into the imprint. Stretching out like a cat before snuggling into the spot like he already owns the bed. Joel would perhaps be mildly offended if he didn't find himself beyond captivated by just how weird and cute his roommate is - weirdly cute & cutely weird, yeah that's Etho for ya.

#

When Joel knocks on Etho's bedroom door at eight o'clock sharp holding a bouquet of red and white flowers made by pilfering the community lot - they were for the community after all - weirdly nervous. 

It's the first time since Etho flopped on him before lunch that he's stopped, everything now laid in place. He did say he was going to make Etho's first time special after all.

But as he stands there listening to Etho's muffled fumbling, the bubbling heat that began when Etho flopped atop him has steadily been climbing through his body until he tastes the nerves on the back of his tongue, sour and acidic. It... it wasn't a real date - at most it was a hookup with extra steps, so why... Why did he feel like he was sixteen again picking up his date for the prom?

Etho opens the door and wow. 

Joel hasn't seen him in anything but baggy hoodies and joggers for the last half a year. Apparently, he has completely forgotten how good Etho's lithe body looks in a white shirt and some tight black slacks - he even polished his dress shoes. A simple black headband pulled his hair back, letting nothing obscure Joel from seeing him. A sharper dress can’t erase the dark trenches or general languidness of his features, but he looks a lot less like a deflated balloon, looks almost like he feels good about himself.

In comparison, Joel felt pretty underdressed: sure he busted out the nice corduroy and freshly ironed his nice seafoam green shirt... but he didn't even have shoes on, and next to Etho... Etho so handsome all cleaned up, eyes glittering with some life he hadn't seen since he was on his knees, so...

"Holy shit Etho, you're fucking gorgeous." It comes out quick, before he can think up some snarky teasing way to mask his genuine affections. "I mean! you clean up pretty good for a goblin," yeah, that sounds much better...

Ethos blushes, a light pink dusting his cheeks like snow atop mountain summits at Joel's blatant compliment. He almost looks a little breathless, surprised even, as Joel tries to hide beneath his usual teasing. Etho looks him up and down and stops on the bouquet held together by a harshly crinkled christmas bow. "Those for me?" 

Words fail him as he leans up against Etho’s door all sauve and relaxed even as his heart threatens to snap his sternum like a chicken bone, holding the bouquet out for him, "Of course beautiful, promised to make your first time special after all." Etho takes them and inspects the mismatched flowers only united by the dual tones of Etho's eye and hair, the damp smell of the community garden lingering on the occasional wilted petal - and yet, Etho smiles so genuinely at them before turning his attention to his 'date'.

"They're nice... you, you don't clean up half bad yourself sexy," Etho remarks with a smile, voice a little stilted as he awkwardly mimics Joel's cavalier charm. It's instantly endearing, makes Joel swoon like a lovesick puppy. He holds out his arm for Etho to take, which he gracefully does, flowers in the other.

"So where are you taking me tonight? You were certainly talking it up." Etho probes, as they walk arm and arm in their little lounge, lapping around the coffee table.

"Oh, only the best restaurant in town for such a special occasion!" Joel beams, clearly very proud of himself already, even more so when Etho leans on him slightly, a quietly appreciative look on his face - although Joel isn't sure if it's from someone being brave enough to ask Etho's goblin ass out on a date or for the effort of simply shaking up the monotony of their quarantined existence with this totally platonic date-foreplay: probably both.

Leading Etho out into the hallway, Joel ushers him into the kitchen with a little tap on the butt which earns him a pointed look that quickly softens. 

Their little kitchen is illuminated by the candles Joel usually saves for relaxing baths - lavender and eucalyptus, an old picnic blanket tossed over their breakfast bar as a tablecloth, an empty vase awaiting the flowers, and something bubbling away on the hob behind the bar. "Welcome to the Bean Bistro, may I take your jacket sir," Joel mimes taking Etho's jacket and turns one of the stools for him to sit at.

Etho sits himself down, placing the flowers in the vase, and turns back to Joel who already has a notepad. Etho looks down at the 'menu' Joel carved into a piece of cardboard and rolls his eyes with a sigh at the only item available to him. "I'll take... the chef's big balls special."

Joel giggles, little snorts of laughter as he spins to the otherside of the counter. The large pot that has been left to simmer fills the kitchen with a bizarrely aromatic smell, half way between a pasta and ramen, fresh and spice fill the kitchen and Etho tries to steal a peak over Joel's shoulder. He does not manage, despite his best efforts - Joel shuffling to block him off.

Giving his concoction a stir, Joel reaches over and tosses two bricks of ramen noodles into a pot of water boiling away.

It takes all of five minutes for Joel to present his concoction to Etho with the biggest smile and jazz hands. 

They hadn't done a shop in... well, a while... so he was working with the bones picked clean in their pantry. He ended up throwing together a half fusion between spaghetti meatballs and ramen: noodles with the remnants of the pasta sauce he made a few days prior, accented with the flavour sachets, and meatballs of the odd little scraps of frozen meats pulled from the freezer and the deli meats about to go bad. 

Etho's face lifts as the bowl is set before him and pokes at it with a fork, as if expecting something to jump out of the sauce or for a pie to splat against his face. Joel's a little worried at first, he's not an amazing cook but the way Etho was picking at it had worry heavy in his throat. As he opens his mouth to speak, Etho chuckles "honestly... was half expecting you to just slap your cock on a plate in front of me."

"I still can if you want-" Joel purrs, bumping shoulders with Etho as he sits back down, in that reassuringly comfortable way, almost leaning on him. It was nice.

Etho rubs his shoulder where Joel bumped with a little coy smile, looking at Joel with these quietly appreciative eyes that made his soul swoon. 

"Maybe later..." Etho's stomach roars. "I kind of forgot to eat lunch... and breakfast today and this looks... really good."

Leaning onto the counter, chin resting on one of his hands Joel finds himself transfixed on Etho, bleeding into his personal bubble - half expecting it to burst and for Etho to shuffle away still, but he just lets him in... almost welcomes him in. 

"Silly Etho, what am I gonna do with you?" The softness of his voice almost startles both of them - no faux cavelier charm or teasing prickling at the edge of his words: a genuine tenderness pulling the pink into their cheeks.

Etho leans towards Joel, a little stilted, but he turns to give him his full attention. Something about the way Etho's eyes relax as they look at him makes his heart race, even more so when he opens his mouth, "Eat dinner with me?"

"Not a bad place to start, handsome, need me to feed you?" that gets him an intimate reacquaintance with Etho's hand as he pushes him away with a pique little huff. They laugh, and turn back to their chef's big balls special and a familiar ease fills the space between them as they eat. Although this new found tenderness, unabashed and earnest continues to swim around them: rolling between them like they are standing in the sea, the ocean around their ankles.

Joel asks about Etho's job, as you do on first dates, - it's mostly data entry at the moment, nothing glamorous - and scoots closer, any recognition of the thump of the stool jumping off the scuffed wood flooring going undiscussed. By the time Etho is polishing off the fourth ball in his bowl and Joel accidentally mentions an obscure technical framework he saw in the news yesterday that gets Etho enthusiastically talking about the degrading ethics and increasing technological innovations, he might as well be sitting in Etho's lap with how close he is. Part of him really wants to be.

The little half-eaten bowl of fusion confusion grows colder and colder as Etho's continued rambling demands his attention - the growl of his stomach is a kitten before Etho's enthusiastic explanation of completely alien concepts to Joel that fill him just as heartedly as any stew fills a stomach. He doesn't say much, just lets Etho run through every thought that enters his brain, occasionally tossing in a little quip or remark where he can - even getting a little laugh and playful sigh from Etho when he does.

But as the information washes over him, flows through him as easy as flowing through a well cut river, Joel finds himself enraptured by Etho. Each little idiosyncrasy making his cheeks warm and his heart melt: the way Etho's remain steepled despite his wrists constant articulation, reminds him of a church in a hurricane; the way Etho's eyes sparkle, radiant like the rising sun; how he makes little half-jokes that makes him chuckle; how his face remains so subtly animated, so effortless and relaxed; occasionally fixing his slouch only to slip back into it's comfortable ease when he gets onto his new topic.

Joel just basks in his radiance. Something pangs against Joel's chest - a small satisfaction in seeing his own gloomy roommate trudging about the halls like a ghost now so full of life, with a little pasta sauce speckles against the corner of his lips. 

"Joel. Were you even paying attention?" His own name is like getting struck by lighting.

"I was just staring at you wasn't I?" The words are bluntly bashful, almost embarrassed at how engrossed he is in not listening to Etho's rambling about the latest coding framework. Etho offers him a reassuring smile.

"Mmhmm"

Joel quickly bounces to the sink, taking Etho's cleaned out bowl and his own before calling back to him, "Well sorry, I was just captivated by your sparkle," as he piles the dishes up.

"My sparkle?"

Hopping on to the end of the breakfast bar next to Etho, half turned towards him, Joel slowly scoots across the counter to be closer and closer. "The way you light up when you talk about crap you like, it's cute," Shuffling in front of Etho, Joel's legs resting either side of him sat swivelling in place.

Etho blushes, even more so when Joel reaches down and rubs the sauce stains caught on the edge of his lip. Audacious little creature he is. It’s meant to be teasing, it is quietly intimate. 

Something about the way Etho needs a moment to compose himself, to let the heat in his cheeks die, makes Joel's heart flutter. "Thank you. But just so you know... you would make a terrible student - clearly the type to be easily distracted by your professors." Something about the mental image of Etho at the head of a classroom with his big board, tweed jacket, glasses and fancy messenger bag is... well, it is already being logged into his spank bank.

Joel lets his hand linger on Etho's cheek, fingers tucking under his jaw to turn his gaze upwards - Etho will have plenty of time to gawk at his stomach and crotch later, "I can't help it if the professor is insanely handsome, it would be rude not to stare, surely."

For a moment they just sit there, in the cozy ambience of their kitchen that is threatening to fall apart for the umpteenth time that year. More preoccupied with reddening cheeks and soft eyes than the groan of the counter or patch of mould in the far corner - like a couple of besties, like a couple of roomies simply on a faux date preamble to Etho losing his virginity. Yep, nothing else here, all an act, totally.

Etho swallows, and something about feeling the mechanics of his body - the way his muscles tighten and his adam's apple bobs up to bump his fingers - has Joel wondering how he and Etho hadn't started fucking sooner.

"I would fail you, all I'm saying." Etho's voice is cool, like an autumnal breeze, almost cozy. He lifts his hands from the bar and his own lap and places them on Joel's thighs like they had every right to be there, like they had been doing this for years - perhaps he was wishing they had been: Joel certainly is. 

There's a quiet moment where Joel can see something like panic pluck at Etho's face, clearly thinking he's gone too far or too quick, but Joel ever one to one up, lifts his other hand to Etho's jaw and holds his face as if it had always been his. For a moment he thinks of tucking one of his legs in and pressing his sole against Etho's crotch - but he would hate to disturb the gentle squeeze of the hands on his thighs.

"Oh no, does that mean I would have to spend time with you, one-on-one after class, just-"

"Sitting on the teacher's desk, being a nuisance?" Joel pushes himself to the edge of the counter, eyes falling on Etho's lips.  

"Something like that, yeah..." And before Joel can lean down just that bit more to kiss him, Etho rises out of his seat and steals away the kiss first. Joel makes a small noise of surprise quickly buried in the tender locking of their lips but nevertheless gives as good as he gets once the initial haze wears off.

It suddenly hits him that this is their first kiss. 

Well not really, they kissed before Etho got sloppy on his cock, but the first time there's no pretense - no need to promise something beyond the kiss, at least not for now. It's just... Etho kissing him because he wants to. Wants him.

...

[ilysungho]

hear me out.. falling in love with ghost!sungho..

hi love! this actually reminded me of a fic i read a while ago! it’s by @memorabxlia and it’s called ghostly tutor! just a recc if you’re interested :] also this is sort of cliche, transparent flying ghost sungho LOL

ghost!sungho would… make his presence known by blowing past you. like a gust of wind of a colorless day. he’d fall for you first, lurking by your open window and watching you live your life. you’d find little presents for you at your windowsill at times, mostly little flowers, pretty leaves, sometimes birds that he guides to sit there. he’d be amused to see all sorts of new things that have come to be since he physically left the world, and he’d be wanting to learn about it all through you. but most of all, his favorite thing to do would be to listen to the songs you put on, learning the unfamiliarly new melodies as he reminisces about songs from his time. you’d catch him humming, but not know where the sounds are coming from, so when you make your way to the windowsill and catch a pretty boy… floating? transparent? the shriek you let out would have him so surprised he could’ve died a second time. but after letting the fear go and replacing it with curiosity, you too start to fall for the ghost as time passes. you'd talk about your days with him as he listens intently, and in exchange he would learn about the world now as he had been wanting to.

in the future when time comes where you both confess to each other, his touches would be like the very first time he met you: windy and cold. the touch of his lips onto yours wouldn't feel like any other that you've felt before. or maybe you haven't and he's your first. all you know is that whatever happens, after death will come a time where you can unite with your now lover to be by his side completely. but also, would your ghost boy continue to be trapped in the world, his soul having wandered aimlessly until he met you? neither of you know whether he's going to disappear now, but in the afterlife, you shall find each other once again, sharing the love you will always dream of until the end of your time comes.

[one-in-a-million-fishsticks]

I want to switch things up and write for something other than Shattered Innocence for a bit, what would you guys like to see?

A brief summary of each AU for the uninitiated:

Possession AU > Alucard is possessed by Dracula during the Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge timeline, bad things happen (mostly gameverse with Netflixvania elements).

The Belmonts Live AU > Trevor's family survives the church's attempts at eradicating them and leave Wallachia together in exile, this complicates things for Alucard and Sypha when Dracula decides to commit genocide (Netflixvania).

Familiar Lisa AU > Alucard arrives at his mother's pyre just in time to see her die, her soul somehow ends up inside of the floating sword (Netflixvania).

LoTS Isekai > Arikado Genya is yeeted into an alternate universe (Chapter 1 already out, gameverse and Netflixvania).

Memory Erasure AU > An unknown sorcerer wipes Alucard from the memory of everyone that has ever known him (A pretty even mix of gameverse and Netflixvania lore).

Resurrected Leon Belmont AU > Leon Belmont mysteriously awakens in a post-2036 world, shenanigans ensue (Gameverse and Netflixvania).

Ghostly Presence AU > Mathias Cronqvist is bound to Soma Cruz not as an extension of the younger man's soul, but as a ride-along ghost with no choice but to follow him around wherever he goes. The issue? Leon Belmont's ghost has suddenly appeared and won't stop following Alucard (Gameverse and Netflixvania).

Other/Non-Descript Answer/Bald > If you've been to my AO3, you know.

My AO3 btw: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wattpadqualitycontent