#i need to know can i put this in chapter 1 as a cover image/art (w/credit and a link obvs)
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tanjaded · 1 year ago
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RIMUUUUUUUU
Aaaaaahhh I got out of the AMC and got flashbanged by a "Rimupon mentioned you in their post!" And it's awesome! Exquisite!
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go for it visha!! <3
it took a while, but I've finally finished the fanart idea that's been floating around in my head for a while now
fanart for Crushing on a Devil by @tanjaded, based on the Go For It cover
the outfits/appearances are based on how they appeared in their little movie date ;v;
+bonus i thought might be a little interesting to see the process gif so have this too
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meetinginsamarra · 6 months ago
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mayprompts2024, #27 jealousy
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Chapters 1 to 3 here on AO3
If you like the tattoo AU give it some love on my AO3, please. It would mean a lot to me. TYSM!
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White Pony Tattoo - Part Seven (jealousy)
When both of them had calmed down from all the laughter, Sherlock clapped his hands on his thighs and leant forward in his chair.
“Let’s talk about your cover-up.”
“Please, do.” John fixed all of his attention on Sherlock.
“First of all, whose idea was it to get a tattoo?”
“Oh, that was me. I wanted something of her to last. Something to show how serious it was for me, our marriage. You know, til death do us part, kind of.”
Sherlock hummed but was clearly not impressed by this reason.
“And whose idea was it to put her face on a Virgin Mary image? She has not actually been a virgin when you’ve met, right?”
“Well, no.” John blushed. “It was her idea. Because, you know, her first name was Mary and she thought it was a great...” John trailed off, sighing then looking at Sherlock who thankfully kept his mouth shut but was slowly turning his head in an unmistakable “no”.
Defensively, John added, “It wasn’t, in hindsight, okay?”
“It’s never been right from the start.”
John rolled his eyes. “You just needed to say it out loud, didn’t you?”
“She proposed that you tattoo her face on your arm to make a statement. A clear mark that you’ve been taken, by her. She wanted that the other women and men,” Sherlock winked knowingly at John who merely snorted, “become jealous of her. Look at my prize! It’s mine and mine alone! Possessive behaviour at its best.”
Again, in hindsight, that makes so much sense. John thought ruefully.
Sherlock continued, ignoring the distressed expression on John’s face.
“At least, your tattooist has done quite a good job, technically. No blurring, no wonky lines, no blotchy shading. Good placement of the design, too. Matching the natural contours of your upper arm. Which makes a cover-up much easier.”
“Good. I really want to get rid of this.”
Sherlock stood up. “Come on, John. I’ll explain my process to you.” He opened the purple curtain, holding it open for John to pass through into the room behind.
It housed the actual tattoo studio. The first thing John noticed was that everything in this room was high-end.
The recliner seat for the clients, the worktable with Sherlock’s tools, shelves with bottles of ink, needles and at least five different tattoo guns. Everything was also clinically clean. One corner of the room was occupied by a tiny but professional photo studio, including spotlights and an expensive looking camera on a tripod. There was another worktable with a state-of-the-art computer setup.
“Take off your jumper and stand in front of the camera. This is a special camera with a 3D software. It’ll scan your arm and every line of the tattoo in high-res and send the data to an image generating software on my computer. This way, I can design the perfect phoenix for you, one that will match and cover or even use the lines you already have without any optical distortion.”
“Wow, that’s, Jesus, that is quite elaborate.” John gaped. “All this for a cover-up?”
“No, it’s what I do with all of my clients. It’s the only way to achieve the perfection I desire.”
“Brilliant.” John looked at Sherlock, full of awe. “Extraordinary.”
Sherlock blinked. “Really?”
“Of course, all the effort you put into this!”
Sherlock ruffled his curls, obviously abashed. He turned his head to hide the pinkish blush that had started to spread on his sharp cheekbones and mumbled something unintelligible while he rummaged uselessly around in a drawer.
But John had already seen it.
For all of his aggressive seductive behaviour, could it be that he gets shy when someone genuinely praises and appreciates his process? John mused. A bit ‘all bark but no bite’ under this self-assured demeanour and abrasive personality? I’d really like to to have a photo of this blushing Sherlock, it’s adorable.
The next ten minutes went by in silence, only interrupted when Sherlock told John how to turn and place his arm in front of the camera.
“How long will it take until you’ve got the final design?”
“At least a week. The next days are packed with clients. Also, there’s something else to my process, about creating the perfect ink which takes some time as well.”
John was struck by another question. One that John had not yet thought to ask which might possibly come across as pretty stupid now.
“Erm, we haven’t talked about what you charge for all of this.” Can I even afford this? Him?
“Oh, silly me!” Sherlock exclaimed theatrically. “I forgot to mention that you have to sign a contract in blood and sell your soul.”
“Dork!” John playfully punched Sherlock against the shoulder. “Don’t pull my leg.”
“Ah, don’t look so frightened, John. You can afford my services. I charge my clients depending on their wealth, you know? I helped a disfigured young man for the price of a bottle of ink and I had a rich investment banker pay me 600 pounds an hour. I’m not going to rob you blind.”
“Ta.” Relief flooded John, then he remembered Sherlock’s last remark. “What’s that about the ink?”
“Yes, right.” Sherlock’s voice got excited. “Do you want to see something really special? A secret?”
“Oh, God, yes.”
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tagging some people @totallysilvergirl @peageetibbs @lisbeth-kk  @raina-at  @calaisreno
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someone-always-cares · 3 months ago
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Progress update
Edit: laptop broke (hard drive issue), so thing will either be delayed a week or A Lot depending if my shit is recoverable. Back up your files regularly yall
Realised I should probably update yall on how things are going! Things are almost ready, just need to stich the book together together and finish a couple things, then I can order a sample of the book. I don't want to start the kickstarter until I have a book sample in hand that I'm happy with.
Admittedly looking like my original timeline isn't quite going to fit but such is life. its a close enough timeline so im not too annoyed just not in time to advertise it this weekend
to thank yall for your patience with this, here a sneak peek of the stickersheets made because I'm very happy with them and also because I just approved the proofs the manu sent me for those samples:
disclaimer: colours may vary depending on how the samples turn out (converting rgb to cmyk, my beloathed).
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[id: two stickersheets, one of characters from chapter 1, and the other chapter two: chapter 1 sheets has: rami (civilian clothes), his whole team, tsunami, inkmaster, swarm, sound flood, and mori. as well as some smaller stickers: a sparkling wave, rami's logo, two diamond shaped sparkles, a small fireball, swarm's butterly, and three hearts with the ace, trans, and rainbow pride flags. chapter 2 sheet has: lewis and sound flood (both in civilian clothes), iris, faete, mindforce, and omen (super costumes). also several smaller stickers: mindforce's eye, a yellow and pink rose, a snowdrop, faete's sword, iris's notebook (with the words "stay safe"), a starry sky with city view, rami's hand holding a rose, and 5 blue pink and white hearts. end id]
also here's the cover (minus the blurb)
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[id: image of the cover design, layed flat. aka the front cover is on the right side, back on the left, and the spin inbetween. designed to look like a corkboard with photos pinned to it, and red sring connecting things. on the back there are photos that are from various panels in chapter 1 and 2 (redrawn, specifically faete after transforming, cam readying her forcefield, lewis on the roof, and tsunami riding his wave. the back also contains enamel pins: a trans flag, an ace flag, and mindforce's eye. as well as the corner of a missing persons poster, a business card for "cullen's bowls 'n' bowls", and a blank sheet of notebook paper where the blurb should be. the spine has some starry washi tape with the title written on. the front has a piece of blue paper torn off at the end with the title on it, and stickers of a silver star and rami's logo. below is a large image of rami sitting in the water staring intestly at the viewer, light emerging behind him. around him, hands all strech out towards him, hands belonging to the significant character significant in chapters 1 and 2 of sac. end id]
so specifically what is left (no particular order):
spellchecking
adding page numbers to the bottom
finishing the rest of the not comic pages (aka the thank you note, about the author, deciation and the bit where im going to add names of people who pledged to the kickstarter) 75% done
character bios (admittedly optional i just want to do them)
bonus pages for art and sketches (i have collected all the art and sketches, its just deciding which ones to ue and which ones to save for next time because it makes more sense to put them with the more spoilery chapters 3-5 specific arts)
assembling these and sending a sample off to print
actually starting the kickstarter (once i have decived book sample back and am happy. i am not starting it without knowing 100% that i can fufill it right then and there)
(in the intrest of transperency: while these are all easy and mostly quick (aside from character bios. havent started that one yet), i also have some upcomign events that will have to take priority. that being a convention this weekend, next weekend, and my sisters wedding the weekend after (and the wedding gift, which is custom artwork of my sister and future brother in law. like a wedding painted but not on the day and also digital. so that will take up a bit of time after [another reason i wanted to get this done before then but ah well])
for real though one day i hope to be able to do art stuff full time because i am. so tired of doing a day job
also also there are versions of lewis and rami stickers in super outfits, they'll be seperate stickers
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[id: drawings of lewis and rami, same as the stickers in the sheets, just seperate and in different outfits, the drawings have been placed close together, so it looks like thye're holding hands. end id]
you can make them hold hands :)
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fountainpenguin · 1 year ago
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Can you share some of what your planning process for long fics is like? What kind of outlines do you do or what prep do you do to get in the zone?
Thanks for the ask! [Tagging #ridspoilers for minor plot outline, birthday, and alien planet calendar spoilers for Origin of the Pixies, Frayed Knots, and Factor It In]
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I write on Google Docs; it might not be for everyone but it's what I've found to work well for me after a lifetime of writing (Ex: When I was a kid, I used WordPerfect and Dropbox and it would take hours to sync my documents before a long road trip... I travel between two locations a lot, so these days I just pop open the Google Docs app on my phone or use the Edit Offline extension on my laptop and it's always up to date, which works great for me!)
I also like Google Docs because I can link between documents and have lots of open tabs [along the top of the browser] in "one tab" [along the bottom bar], which isn't something I was able to do as a kid or with Microsoft Word, and it just helps me feel clean.
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Masterlist Doc [1 per fandom]
I keep all my Fairly OddParents 'fics in a doc titled FOP 'Fic Masterlist. I have my most important resources at the top and they're all broken down with clear labels and doc links.
This way, even if I haven't accessed a doc in a while [meaning it doesn't come up when I type its name in the URL search bar], I always know where I can find it. Also, thanks to my edit offline extension, all I need is this one link and I know I'll be able to open any doc I need.
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I have a lot of 'fics, so this doc is several pages. If you've ever read my FFN or AO3 bios and saw that note about how I keep a queued Tumblr post containing links to my unfinished 'fics in case I unexpectedly die, that queued post links to this doc!
You'll also notice that I have distinct scrap docs for Origin, Knots, and the 130 Prompts. I change or cut a lot of stuff and it's nice to keep the old WIPs in case I ever want to look back on them (each of those docs is 25k words just of scraps). Sometimes those scenes get recycled, but usually they just sit there. It's a lot easier to cut things from a story when you have a place to put them and you're not deleting them forever.
[Cnt'd under the cut]
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Table of Contents Doc [1 per long 'fic]
All my long 'fics have a table of contents doc, which I highly recommend for anyone doing a large multi-chapter project. I always slap the cover image, a height chart, or a character reference on top to make it pretty, then the doc will contain some notes I might need. For example, Origin's doc has two height charts:
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and this-
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Makes it easy to know where to find things. Also, you don't have to draw your own height charts, but I recommend keeping a list of heights on hand. Even if you don't tell the reader someone's exact measurements, it's always nice to get a feel for how characters compare to others and whether they should be looking up or down.
Come What May's doc has this screenshot comparison on it, which I put together by measuring different characters who appear next to each other as carefully as I could, and it works too:
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Obviously Kevin and Molly never appear in the same episode, but since they're about to become step-siblings in Come What May, it was important to me that I knew how tall they were, so I measured Molly against Timmy and then Timmy against Kevin. Same for Mrs. Crocker, who I measured against Timmy to get a feel for how tall Kevin is compared to his grandma.
I know it's a fanfic so it doesn't really matter, but you have to do self-indulgent things sometimes :)
Frayed Knots also has Sunnie's character reference [i.e. Anti-Cosmo's patron nature spirit, the water dude], which I just want to show off because this is still really good art for something I drew in 2017:
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Other things I keep in my table of contents docs are lists of episodes where certain characters appear, random notes that I need to keep track of (like any canonized character addresses or allergies), and chapter title ideas. I also keep track of the starlight levels [i.e. which season it's bright outside vs. dark], school year reminders, and Anti-Fairy migration season.
I keep my Vatajasa name chart in Knots too:
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Factor It In's table doc contains a list of villains who appear in the 'fic (Red for ones who don't appear, green for those who do). It also links to the Wiki page for the Evil Villains Association so I can remember which villains are and aren't in it. It also has my timeline details:
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Timeline Notes
Factor It In is set in 1998, and my table doc has all the notes I used to narrow down to that date (ex: I originally planned to set it in 1987 because I felt that the late 80s fit the technology level we see in the show before I re-watched the episode "There's No V In Team," which specifically refers to the year 1987 as having happened in the past).
One of the reasons I liked using 1987 originally was because Factor It In is a story about Kid Math training under WordGirl, and it takes place shortly after the Kid Math episode, which aired in 2014. Factor It In opens in early January, so I like the Easter egg that the 2015 calendar would be the same even if we took its airdate literally. 1998 was the only year in the 90s that also matched the calendar, so that's what I ended up with.
I like keeping my timeline notes around so if I take a hiatus, I can always come back and remind myself why I picked stuff. Also it's way easier to expand your worldbuilding if you kept your notes... it's awful if you threw your math away and have to start over (I once redid an entire timeline because someone said I'd messed up the dates on my chart, and I believed them and redid it all, only to realize several months later when I ran into a timeline problem that my math had actually been right all along :') Don't be like me. Record your work and leave notes explaining why.)
[I always use THIS calendar website when I'm planning timelines. It tracks moon phases, which was important when @zachbrightside and I were working on the FOP timeline and heavily relying on moon phases as a guide, and you can easily type any year and month into the URL bar so it's super easy to navigate.]
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Birthday Notes
I also kept all my notes on determining birthdays (very important for long 'fics with lots of characters that take place over several months! One of my FOP resource docs is specifically for birthdays and annual events, ranging from parades to anniversaries to carnivals).
My headcanon for Becky Botsford's birthday is July 28th. We know she starts the series at age 9 and has a birthday in Season 1 episode 4, meaning she's 10 for much of the series. There are at least two episodes where she cites her ages as "10 and a half," and we saw that in her next birthday episode ("A World Without WordGirl"), her cake had 11 candles on it.
Show canon implies that time IS passing and that the show doesn't exist in a timeless void (see also, Timmy Turner wishing to freeze time for 50 years), so it was important to me that I nail down her birthday. I knew I wanted it to take place after Rhyme and Reason if possible since there are no more birthday episodes, though I would also be fine with having "Rhyme and Reason" shortly after her birthday [to ensure she stays 10 and 11 for the majority of show canon].
Here are some of my notes on her birthday for anyone interested (Hopefully they're not too squished):
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^ Like I said, I switched 1987 to 1998, but yeah. Rex's birthday comes out to June 13th, 1989 and Becky's is July 28th, 1986.
Clickable links for Rex and Becky on the age calculator if you're curious... Important for me since one of Rex's math powers is to always know how old someone is to the day.
Fun Fact - I deliberately gave Rex June 13th as a birthday so he would share a birthday with Foop, who is also a Season 7 Episode 1 debut kid over in Fairly OddParents :)
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Having birthdays planned is also nice for when I want to write multiple 'fics in the same world, even if they're not the same 'fic. In my story "Flypaper," which takes place in early June, Rex is eagerly awaiting his 17th birthday and Becky muses on how she'll be turning 20 at the end of the summer... Just a nice detail not only to set the scene, but also to help the story feel grounded and realistic since one of the themes of "Flypaper" was that Becky felt time was slipping away from her.
It's also important to note that Rex and Becky are always among the youngest in their school years since they have summer birthdays. Tobey is 12 for most of the time Becky is 11... Little details that don't take a long time to plan for, but can really help a story feel like the author put effort into the world.
Again, I highly recommend leaving clear notes to yourself about why you're doing certain timeline things. I much prefer having the breakdown of the episodes I looked at over simply leaving a note to myself that Becky's birthday is July 28th!
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Character Arc Notes
Before planning the events of the story, it helps to get an idea for what themes and character traits you want to focus on. Frayed Knots is about love and betrayal- it's about Anti-Cosmo pushing for what he wants even though it hurts his loved ones (appropriate theme for a villain backstory 'fic).
I want to show some notes I have for Factor It In because I think they're interesting. Factor It In is my first attempt at doing a story that deliberately focuses around two protagonists and their separate but equally important character arcs, and I'm excited :)
Everything that's in my doc is the "tell" part of "show don't tell." The story tries to show what I have in my notes:
Rex arc - Lack of Stability / Lack of Control - Failing, getting tricked, being unwanted, not good enough, not understanding things. Being in foster care is scary. Unfamiliar planet is scary Show Kid Math always being super inquisitive. He always wants to learn. He knows the most, he is the best, he gets upset when he's fooled or when he fails. He was 2nd best in school. He feels lost when he doesn't know what's happening in his future. Gets upset when WordGirl doubts his decisions. In the opening scene of Factor, he's mind controlled by Mr. Big. Literally has no control Kid Math clings to his superhero certification / Hexagonian education. He was raised by his aunts and has basically no relationship with his parents (though he tries to hide the fact that this hurts him). He feels like a burden; he feels like his mom considered him "too much work" and that his father considers him "not worth bothering to visit." Rex constantly struggles under this fear that he's a burden. He wants to prove himself a good superhero so that his education (and life) aren't "a waste." Conflict: Kid Math has already spent his entire life feeling like he's no one's first choice; that he's only "second best" (because he was second to top of his class in school). He understands that he and WordGirl are sharing the city, but it's important to him that he's considered an equal. He wants people to like him. It hurts when WordGirl comes on too strong and makes it obvious she lacks faith in him, because he feels like a burden: his worst nightmare. Throughout the story, Rex internalizes his successes and failures. He cannot separate his superhero identity from his civilian identity. He always sees himself as "Rex, who trained to become a superhero." He calls himself Rex and has no distinction in his mind. His secrets slip, he uses his powers when he's Rex, and he expects people to attribute KM's failures to Rex (Ex: school kids laugh at how he falls for tricks as Kid Math and it upsets him as Rex). Rex values control, and will do all he can to avoid losing control. His deadly sin is Wrath, but he has a lot of emotional control and will try to remove himself from the situation. As long as he has his safe space and his comfort things, he's okay. We get several scenes of him wanting to break stuff when he's upset but he holds back... with the underlying tension of wondering how long he'll last before he snaps (pitting his nightmare of losing control against Becky's nightmare of losing his friendship).
I want to highlight the part about how Rex cannot separate his two identities. This is something I showed even back in "AlgoRhythm" - Rex always calls himself "Rex" inside his head, even when he's dressed as Kid Math. However, when I write from Becky's POV, the third-person writing swaps between calling her "Becky" or "WordGirl" depending on how she's dressed.
I also have notes about how Rex's character arc relates to the story's finale, but that's spoilers. Since Rex's character arc is about how he hates not having control, then the worst thing that could happen to him is not having a say in things: hence why the plot about bouncing between foster families is such a hard thing for him to go through. Eventually, he'll also be put in a position where he needs to think about who he is as Rex vs. who he is as Kid Math, and we'll see that in the story climax.
Becky has a fun arc too:
Becky arc - Loss / Change - People being hurt, losing her friends, hurting or losing her family. Fear of change. Show WordGirl being upset when relationships fracture, even with people who aren't super close to her. She struggles with the idea of Kid Math befriending her villains or losing her position as a hero and getting replaced by Kid Math. Put simply, WordGirl is a control freak who refuses to admit this to herself. WordGirl struggles to relinquish control to Kid Math (which is where they come in conflict since he ALSO feels stressed when he doesn't have control). WordGirl is a bit of a helicopter mentor; she hovers around Rex, interferes with his work, and just generally gets in his way (which is pretty funny imo since Rex never got in her way during "Kid Math"- he's capable, he just causes problems with social interaction and not with the actual fighting... WordGirl gets the social interaction part but definitely gets in the way). Conflict: WordGirl doesn't enjoy having Rex around, but she can't tell him that because it might hurt his feelings and that would cause her "loss and change" pain. She would feel guilty and sad. Rex being Exposition Guy's foster kid is a big source of conflict between them, as Rex believes he should "get dibs" on info EG shares. WordGirl stresses when Rex doesn't do things "her way" and Rex gets frustrated that she doesn't trust him. Tensions keep rising because WordGirl starts seeing "the bad" in Rex; she keeps seeing Miss Power traits in him and she worries that Miss Power might have been his teacher back on Hexagon. Her nosiness strains Rex's trust in her and he starts pulling away emotionally... sending her into a spiral about change and loss (especially as more and more villains and civilians grow familiar with Kid Math and start to think he's cool). Lots of resentment towards Kid Math for "replacing her" even though she NEVER admits that to herself; she still has trace amounts of jealousy towards him in later stories like "Flypaper..." WordGirl doesn't mean to be jealous or greedy, but it's always been one of her flaws (i.e. someone else getting a key to the city, or when she snapped during Miss Power special about Chuck getting a collectible unicorn, wanting to show off a bit during "Invisible Hand"). She's a very nice person but Envy is absolutely her deadly sin.
So yeah! Fun times ahead; I'm excited.
We've already started seeing cracks form between her and Chuck... In Chapter 4, Chuck confronts her, asking if WordGirl is retiring and if he'll still get to see her. Chuck has his own little character arc in the background, which is that he broke his foot a few days before the story starts- he has to sit on the sidelines watching the other villains get "WordGirl time" while he has to watch Kid Math go through hero training.
A lot of other characters have small arcs too, though Chuck's and Victor Best's are probably the most notable-- Chuck and Victor are both characters who struggle with being "the second best" compared to a more successful sibling, so they resonate heavily with Rex's character arc.
WordGirl's arc is about control, so Mr. Big and Tobey (mind control and robots) are pretty obvious choices for her, along with Dr. Two-Brains... but actually, Granny May and Eileen are two villains I really wanted to look at in Factor It In. Granny May's life hinges around being a "people person" (to the point that she had an episode about how she could be way more successful with a different schtick; she just likes talking to people too much to trade that for success).
Granny May is super calculating and manipulative and she also struggles with little losses of control in her daily life (getting on in years, mobility issues, and the episode "Granny's Book Club" where the Evil Villains Association tried to force her to retire). I like Granny May because she looks like this sweet old lady but she also, like. can fly and has a robot suit, which is SO funny.
With her cold, calculating patience and her manipulative ways, Granny May represents the worst of Rex AND Becky at the same time, which is great. I'm excited to get to her chapters. Eileen is also a fun villain to juxtapose Becky because she's the embodiment of envy, which Becky struggles with, so I'm looking forward to that too.
A lot of characters are also working on school projects, so they always have "something to do" or "something that is causing them stress." Mapping out the background character arcs and conflicts can help the story feel more alive, and I think that's a useful part of outlining :)
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Once you know your character arcs ["What is my character's biggest fear, what is something my character will do wrong, what event forces them to face their fear, and how do they resolve this situation in a way that shows them growing as a person?"] then the story sort of writes itself :)
Make sure you have a goal or a problem and make sure there's a reason they can't achieve the goal or solve their problem in the first chapter. Here are some examples from 3 of my long 'fics:
Origin of the Pixies - Fergus (i.e. H.P.) fears being responsible for others... His father wants him to study psychology and take over the family therapy business (Wish Fixers) even though carrying the weight of others' emotional problems sounds like the worst fate imaginable... so Fergus cuts ties with Dad, drops out of the Fairy Academy and runs away from home. Now he only looks out for himself, can start his own business if he wants to, and he can drink and party all the time. What could be better than that?
Fergus's nightmare of being responsible becomes unavoidable when he (a pixie) starts reproducing asexually... during a time when no one really knows what pixies are and Fairy World has a baby ban in place. Fergus pursues a life of business and money-making, fighting to provide for Sanderson and the rest of his clone offspring (some of whom are predisposed by their genetics to kill him when they come of age, which is fun). Things get even worse when Fairy World and Anti-Fairy World go to war... Being responsible for kids during a time of peace was hard enough, but war? Forget it.
After successfully navigating the chaos of war, Fergus is ready to settle back into a peaceful life, but tumultuous politics keep him on his toes. His best friend - the leader of Anti-Fairy World - gets overthrown by hotshot Anti-Cosmo, and Fergus is forced to re-evaluate his friendships, priorities, political alignments, and personal needs if he wants to maintain political piece between the Pixies and Anti-Fairies.
While raising his pixie clones, Fergus has always kept them at arm's length and called them "interns" or "employees" or even "nephews" to avoid calling them his sons. The older he gets, the less he's able to do the things he liked to do in his younger years - goof off, wrestle, attend parties - and the more he needs to think about putting his pixies first. As death looms nearer and nearer, Fergus grows increasingly desperate to ensure his pixies will still thrive without him... and he'll do anything, regardless of who it hurts or how badly he endangers the magical world, to ensure they do.
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Frayed Knots - Anti-Cosmo fears being unloved; his father isn't in the picture, his older brother is aloof, and his mother isn't kind to him. He's desperate to not grow old without a soulmate by his side. When he fails to match with a partner during a betrothal ceremony, he lies his way through it and tricks his peers into believing Anti-Saffron is his fated match.
As the centuries pass, it becomes more difficult to maintain the lie and Anti-Cosmo begins questioning whether maintaining his relationship with Anti-Saffron is even worth it. Breaking things off in a society that believes in luck and fate, however, is incredibly risky and could get him labeled as an outcast for the rest of his life.
Anti-Cosmo struggles to balance his dying feelings for Anti-Saffron with his growing feelings for Anti-Wanda, and things get trickier and trickier as his friends realize he's been lying all his life and start pushing him away. Finally, Anti-Cosmo has to choose between his comfy lies and his betrothed or else throw away everything so he can chase after Anti-Wanda... who might abandon him too, just like his friends did, and leave him alone and unloved.
Anti-Cosmo maintains his lies as long as he can, hurting his loved ones in the process, and struggles to pick up the pieces left behind. Even if no one else forgives him, he can't keep living in the past; he has to learn to forgive himself if he hopes to be approachable and trustworthy again. Being an evil villain, though, I guess whether or not he grows as a person is up for some debate...
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Factor It In (Rex) - Rex values his personal achievements; he finds joy in superhero work and regularly brags about himself, his schooling, and his home planet Hexagon in general (right down to the fact that his planet has "the tastiest raisins in the universe.") Unfortunately, he's stuck in a cycle of giving his all but never feeling satisfied with his achievements because he's "never the best." One of his greatest fears is being confronted with evidence that he really is a burden and a failure, which would absolutely crush his spirit.
Rex doesn't love the way that Becky pushes him around; she's not mean, she just tries to guide him towards foster care even though he doesn't want to go. He doesn't speak up about it because he wants to put his faith in her and believe that he can learn from her and become a better person (since "being a good person" is the one thing he values above personal pride). He still feels inexperienced and overwhelmed in the early chapters, so he's hesitant to speak up and explain why he doesn't like what Becky's doing... up until she starts crossing his boundaries and then he has to draw the line.
Rex's desire for independence leads him to trust very easily. He puts his faith in Victor, Tobey, Chuck, and Granny May, who steer him down a wobbly path of moral grays. Becky keeps pushing him further away, so Rex continues bonding with the villains because he feels safe with them. Obviously this doesn't end well and he has to face the consequences of choosing the villains over his friendship with WordGirl.
In his determination to mend things with WordGirl, Rex accidentally lands both of them in a terrible situation and puts them (and therefore the rest of the city) in danger. In order to fix this, he has to push through his personal pride (Ow), accept his mistake (Double ow), and go against his training (which became useless while Bad Situation is in effect) so he can find a new way to save the day.
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Factor It In (Becky) - Becky values her identity as a superhero and how much work she puts into protecting the city. She fears that Kid Math will be a worse hero than her (endangering people) but also fears Kid Math will be a better hero than her (blow to her self-confidence).
She can't resolve this problem in Chapter 1 because she's scared of hurting his feelings and would rather try other options to avoid direct confrontation; instead, she deals with her concerns by trying to "fix" Kid Math. She trains him and pushes him towards foster care. As long as she feels like she's helping him, she's assuaging both fears: she's proving she's "better" and she's helping him not be worse. Ergo, she "no longer has a problem."
Becky's already on a path that puts her in conflict with Rex, who desires control over his own life and has to deal with her pushing him around until he can't take it any more. Conflict arises when Becky oversteps boundaries and breaks Rex's trust in her. Things get worse when she makes a mistake that sours the city's attitude towards her. Her worst nightmare is coming true: she's "not as good as Kid Math" and people might get hurt without her.
As things keep getting worse for the city and Rex is struggling, it's obvious that she and Kid Math need to team up again. That means repairing their friendship... which she can only do if she proves that she really does trust Rex to do things by himself. Therein lies the pickle...
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Anyway, I really rambled on there, but... Point being, a lot of fun stuff goes in my table docs, and this is the type of outlining I like to do for characters and story plots.
I highly recommend having a table of contents doc for long 'fics. You don't need to bog it down with all your worldbuilding notes (Hopefully you have a separate place you can put those, like a Tumblr blog or other docs), but for things that you know you'll definitely need and are worried you might not be able to find again, I highly recommend keeping them in the table doc.
You shouldn't normally be editing your table doc after you've done your outlining, which means you're less likely to accidentally delete important notes (compared to keeping them in a story doc) and you won't bog your story doc down with stuff you need to scroll past.
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Chapter Docs [1 per chapter]
I have links to all my individual chapter docs (important to me since my chapters are normally 10k+ words... Can't fit everything in one doc or it would be a pain to navigate and take an age to load).
Here are some snippets of my outlines. As you can see, the descriptions I have in my table docs are loose and vague:
This is from Come What May:
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Come What May is special because it takes place over just a few days (while my long 'fics span months or even thousands of years). It's based around Kevin's appearances in Fairly OddParents Season 10.
I wanted to share this because even though my notes for "Cold Shadow" are basically nothing, it still gives the info that's actually important for me to know when returning to this project after a hiatus: "Here's exactly what day it is in the timeline. This episodes shows kids turning in a homework assignment on the founding fathers, which means we need to see Kevin doing this homework assignment (or at least acknowledging it) in prior chapters.
Regardless of the weird supernatural stuff Kevin is dealing with in this 'fic, it's still intended to be canon compliant, and I know that's a detail Future Me could easily forget but would want to know. It's like what I said earlier about birthdays and timelines: leave yourself clear notes. You'll never regret having too many notes, especially if you intend to return to a project after a long hiatus.
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Origin - I unfortunately scrapped my descriptions for all previous chapters of Origin and Knots so forgive the "spoilers," ha ha
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Origin was originally drafted in a single document, which I later split into separate chapter docs. That's why I have notes like "Hawkins hand scene." I know exactly what that's referring to and my table of contents doc helps me remember which chapter it got moved to.
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Knots - I wanted to show these to emphasize how vague some of these are:
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Even though they're vague, you can get a good sense of the direction the story is going. Outlining doesn't have to be a painful, in-depth process. You can knock out the basics in a single afternoon if you just sit down and do it.
I picked one chapter and opened it at random ("Fox's Folly") and it has 8k words in its draft right now. "Tipping Scales" has 15k. At the time of making this post, Frayed Knots only has 34 chapters posted in public, so we're at least 1 or 2 years away from getting to this point, yet there's already a lot of draft info I can go back to. I've added a lot of bits and pieces to these chapters over the years and sometimes I just open them when I'm in the mood for reading something fun.
Having the documents already set up in advance brings you one step closer to opening them and throwing stuff in them and I highly recommend that.
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Factor - These chapter outlines are more detailed (minus the early ones... the first 3 chapters were drafted as 1 chapter originally). If you've actually read Factor thus far, however, you'll notice that the scenes in my outline don't match perfectly with the finally chapters. And that's okay! The outlines are just guidelines and the final chapter can be different:
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Lots of screenshots but I feel like my Factor doc is the most authentic look at my outline process (since it's recent while Origin and Knots were outlined like 7 years ago). I use black on my initial draft and red for things I change on a later sweep.
There are little notes to myself and sometimes I switch the order of things around. Also, "Torus" was written from scratch (no outline) since I came up with ideas for it later, and the nice thing is that I felt comfortable doing that without feeling like I'll write myself into a corner or wreck the pacing.
Having a story outline and all these separate docs means I already know where the story is going and I can jump in and write from anywhere in the timeline when the mood strikes. I think having a lot of options on what to write is the best way to fight writer's block, so this system works well for me.
Origin was drafted in 2016 and Knots in 2017. I create new scenes all the time (and scrap others), but a lot of the early story beats are still the same.
That about covers what I do in my outline process :) Thanks for asking and hopefully this was a fun and interesting read!
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nemirutami · 2 years ago
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hi i was curious what fic you were refering to in your minato/akechi art :>??
It's a fic i've been writing on and off for a year now but i havent posted it anywhere yet haha.... unless?
In summary: It's about Akechi finding new work at a company called R.E.I (reliable, experienced, innovative) where Minato is the CEO (and widower) with a child Akechi comes to know as Rei (yep Minato named the company after his daughter). The fic focuses on all 3 influencing each other and helping each other cope/grow from their traumas but is also my biggest excuse to write cute scenes where Akechi gets to have an adopted daughter and be the dad he never got to be (he's terrible at it). If you're wondering "why would Minato hire Akechi" then don't worry. He has a very good reason. Minato hired Akechi because Akechi gave him shitty customer service and Minato took one look at him and said "I can adjust his attitude." now Akechi works for Minato bc he's an idiot. Most the fic is also me writing them comedically stupid and sad and very stupid. Oh, and I guess they kiss maybe. But really it's about broken people building a family w/o knowing. I made the fic as a joke and that's why it can't be named anything other than "Is it wrong to hit on my boss?" I've made a ton of art for it (some which I guess i've already posted alluding to the fic). I did make a cover sketch for it tho! There's a bunch of foreshadowing in the items on display (but it's too sketchy to make out I'm sure).
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The 100k part of this fic is already up on patreon but I'm writing/editing the other 100K. So like, uh... 200+ pages of text and 29 chapters so far. In theory, the fic is already finished/has an ending, but I just need to fill in the gaps and tie plot points together.
If you're interested, I'll add the prelude/first chapter below the cut lmfao. It pretty much sets up the premise as tightly as possible in under 2K words. It has not been edited at all so take this abhorrently constructed first draft with no shame. You can judge my noodle words all you want but remember if you say a mean thing I will die.
Title: Is it wrong to hit on my boss?
Pair: Minake
Ch 1: That's not how this was supposed to go.
10 AM on the dot, to no one's surprise, he was flawlessly punctual as usual. Today was too important for missteps, and Akechi had carefully calculated each and every word he was going to use to land this job opportunity with one of Japan's biggest corporations in web development and online advertisement. Having worked at a low paying job for the most part (one with a boss that relentlessly attacked him and tried to convince him that he would amount to nothing, no less) didn’t prepare him for the call he received from R.E.I's founder about a new job opportunity. 
Cocky with confidence, he quit his job before the interview. 
After all, if this founder somehow went out of his way to request him, he must have done so with good reason.
With his hair tied back neatly into a ponytail and his shirt tucked beneath a more-than-a-little expensive looking business suit, he walked into the lobby, checked in, and got told to take the elevator up to the 3rd floor. He cocked his head curiously at the attendant before turning his gaze towards the elevator. Next to the elevator was a fire extinguisher for emergencies, and a metal plate outlining over 100 floors for the building. Naturally, there had to be some mistake. Floor 1 was considered the lobby, floor 2 was a storage for supplies and spare parts, and floor 3 was where their call center started. Their web developers were a fair bit higher up in the company, which made his directions only more confusing. What was a web developer supposed to do at a call center? While the thought of not having to fake a smile over the phone was comforting, the very image of having to do customer support 7 hours a day for the rest of his life put the fear of God in him.
"Pardon my rudeness, but there m-" Must be some mistake. The old lady at the counter was one step ahead of him and delivered her message with a sharp tone that left Akechi speechless.
"The founder's office is on the third floor," she interrupted her sentence with a huff, "-treat yourself to the coffee upstairs, you're gonna need it." and punctuated it with a dismissive wave of her hand. If more people hadn't entered the building and tried to take care of their own business, Akechi would have asked her to elaborate. But since he now for sure knew he was going to meet the founder, he decided not to make a scene.
"I… see. Thank you for the offer, but I must decline. I'm sure everything will go smoothly." But if they put him in a call center to provide customer support around the clock he was prepared to personally wire that black coffee maker into a homemade bomb and take down the whole building with him. While that thought crossed his mind, he smiled politely at the woman and took the elevator ride up.
Never in his life had he been so confused by a layout. He was aware of the building's size, but this was beyond ridiculous. The hallways almost looked like a maze, with paintings scribbled from wall to wall. Upon closer inspection, they looked like kids drawings. Either this was part of some PR stunt, or the founder was really into bright neon colors. If Akechi didn't hear the man on the other line himself and came here looking for a job, he'd expect to find a kindergarten at the other side of the many doors down the hall. His confidence was dwindling more and more with each step.
Once he reached the door he assumed would take him into the workplace where the founder was seated, he grasped at the handle only to find it locked. He blinked, and twisted the doorknob again, hoping it would open the door. When it didn't, he pulled a little harder until he heard a click from the other side, and noticed that the plate beneath the handle had the word "push" written in caps. Without thinking, he put far too much swing into his movement, and ended up smacking the poor sap on the other side that kindly unlocked the door for him, and the man's coffee poured right onto his suit and onto the floor in a loud mess.
"Ah, sorry!" He would have stayed and apologized properly if he wasn't at risk of running late. "If you give me a minute, I'll be right back and help you clean up!" and he was gone. He could have stayed and helped but chose to prioritize the meeting. In the end, that guy was out one cup of coffee and still had a stable income, whereas missing out on this interview might cost Akechi not only his career, but his livelihood. If this went south, he could wind up homeless. Unless he begged for his old job back.
No, the chill of winter would be less humiliating than going back on his hands and knees to the boss that not only demeaned him, but continuously plagiarized his work for his own benefit.
"Hewoo," In the midst of his early mid-twenties crisis, a soft voice spoke to him, but the only people he spotted were already head-deep in work. Another faint cry, this one, a bit more shy.
"Heo…" he turned his head down, and spotted a tiny girl hiding beneath a desk with her fist against her lips and her knees up to her chest. She looked about four years old, short curly hair with a clip-on to keep her bangs out of her eyes. Really, if she hadn't called out to him, he never would have spotted her in those shadows. He stared at her stupidly before turning his head up and asking if anyone brought their daughter to work. The girl shushed him, and got his attention once again.
"M, hidin…" 
"Ah," It was too early for a break, but he supposed someone might have taken some time off to call a responsible adult to come pick up their child from work. Still, he couldn't help but smile and crouch next to her, putting one finger over his lips with a whisper. "It's ok, I won't tell anyone." The little girl smiled so wide she was practically squinting. 
"Who r u…" He cocked his head slightly. Did she know most of the people on this floor? She spoke as if she knew he was a stranger. He shrugged it off. That can't be right. Must have been childish curiosity. 
"I'm Akechi Goro, and you?"
"Ake...ak...e...Aket…" She struggled and fumbled over her words, before she furrowed her brows with confidence and looked upset she couldn't yet pronounce his name.
"Gowo." He couldn't hold back a smile, and the little girl, now forgetting she's supposed to be hiding, shouts at him.
"Don't laff! That's mean!"
"Sorry!" His words said sorry, but his smile told her differently. At least, until his phone began beeping. It was now exactly 10 am.
"Sh-!" Too much in a hurry, he rushed to stand up quickly, and banged the back of his head against the table. He fell to his knees again, pushed down by the tabletop, and grabbed the back of his neck. The little girl, to no fault of her own, laughed at him without a shred of sympathy. Before he could get up on his feet, an arm patted him on the back.
"Hey, you ok?" He couldn't tell with his eyes closed, but the little girl mimicked the man's movements and reached her tiny hand out to pat Akechi's knee as if to comfort him. Before he could respond, he heard the man say "There you are!" followed by a tiny high pitched scream that honest to God was only giving Akechi a headache.
Still better than his old job, despite the abuse and trauma he's had to endure thus far.
When he opened his eyes, he saw the man that he accidentally slammed into squishing the little girl's cheeks, possibly as punishment.
"What did I tell you? You can't win."
"Mmmrmmmrrrr"
"Do you give up?" The child stubbornly stared him in the eye and only repeated her mumbling louder. The man sighed, but with the hint of a smile.
"Alright, go hide again." The joy in that little girl's eyes could part the skies on a cloudy day. She beamed and quickly ran off to hide elsewhere while the man covered his eyes and began counting. As soon as she was gone and he no longer heard the tip tap of feet, he got up and extended his hand towards Akechi.
"You look lost. Do you need any help?" This was humiliating. A kid laughing at him, he could handle, but a future coworker extending him his aid this early in their partnership was shameful. Especially since this was the same guy he left high and dry just moments ago.
"No, no, I'll be alr-" His voice was now much less sympathetic.
"Just take my hand." So much for debate. He didn't appreciate how everyone in this company cut him off mid-sentence, but took the other man's hand to get back up on his feet. As soon as he did, he got looked over rather thoroughly, a little too intensely to his liking.
"Doesn't look like you're bleeding, but if you're feeling dizzy, there's a nurse just two doors down to the left. She can examine you in case you've suffered any severe damage." His concern was flattering but unnecessary and sadly a waste of time.
"Haha, no worries. Actually... I need to get to the founder's office. Do you know where that is?" 
"Yes, but I wouldn't worry about t- Rei, don't climb the bookshelf! Junpei, will you-" 
"Aye, aye, boss! Come here you trouble bunny! How about you hop hop into bed and take a long looong nap? Man, uncle Junpei could use one too. I'll show you how it's done, like a pro!"
"Iori, sleep on the job and you're fired."
"Come on Philei, your dad is scary when he's talking to people that are not you!"
So much happened in the span of just a couple of seconds.
"...Rei?" He felt his blood run cold. "Her name is… Rei?" The man, somewhat confused that he was still standing there with a dumb look on his face, spoke as if this was basic knowledge Akechi should have known before stepping into the building.
"Of course, that's my daughter," he holds out his hand again, this time, expecting Akechi to shake it. "-and I'm the founder, Minato Arisato. And you are?"
Absolutely screwed.
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margotw10 · 2 years ago
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Crashing on Crush. JJK (m)
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Pairing : crush!Jungkook x Female Reader
Synopsis : Your first official encounter with your crush, Jungkook, was not what you was expecting: the first thing he saw was your ass.
Words : 2.3k
Warnings : explicit language; alcohol consumption; underwear situation; cursing; sexual tension; (not so much in this chapter)
A/n : Hi! This is my first fanfiction so please be kind :) Don't hesitate to comment. There will be other parts of the story, spicier ;) Please keep in mind that English is not my first language. And a huge thanks to my friend Mathilde who fixed a lot of grammar mistakes &lt;3
Ch. 1---- Ch. 2---- Ch. 3---- Ch. 4---- Ch. 5---- Ch. 6---- Ch. 7---- Ch. 8---- Ch. 9----
Your first encounter with Jungkook was… embarrassing. The truth is that timing isn’t really your friend and you had another proof of that. 
Your hand digging through your purse to find your goddamn phone that was ringing - you were waiting for a very important phone call after a job interview -, Jungkook, suddenly opening the front door of your best friend’s apartment, was welcomed with a very vivid image: your ass and your pussy barely covered by your baby blue thong, up in the air while you were bend over since your bag was on the floor. Maybe a little context is needed here to explain how you could possibly end up in this situation. 
Suzi, your best friend you met few years ago on your first day of college, has been begging you to go clubbing. She knows you don’t really like it: you don’t like loud music, annoying guys trying to hit on every women and dancing in the middle of a hot and sweaty crowd. At the end, you’re always bored in the club. But Suzi loves it. She even met her boyfriend in one. 
Taehyung and her have been dating for almost ten months now and they just recently moved in together. You can really see how happy Suzi is when she talks about him. She is madly in love with him. And you have seen Taehyung enough to say the same thing about him, even if you’re not as close to him as you are to Suzi. 
Anyway, let’s go back to the most embarrassing moment of your existence. 
After hours of Suzi bawling in your ears to go to the club, you’ve surrendered. She invited you to spend the afternoon at her place after school so you could talk and then get ready together. You were at the very beginning of it: you only had time to put on make-up and your matching baby blue lace bra and thong after your shower when you heard your phone. You knew it was the call you were waiting for. A few days earlier, you had a job interview for an art gallery of Seoul. So, when the first ringtones started, you just ran to your handbag you had left in the entrance. 
And there you are. Jungkook facing your pretty ass as he has just passed the door. You gasp when you hear the door and turn around as fast as you can. However, not fast enough to have spare him the show. This is officially the most embarrassing, awkward moment of your life. Especially when you have a huge crush on Jungkook. You haven’t met the guy yet but you know he’s Taehyung’s best friend. And since Suzi and him start dating, you have been following Tae on Instagram. When you saw a pic of the two guys together, you couldn’t help yourself and you clicked on Jungkook’s profile. By now, you know all his posts by heart and you get so excited when he posts a new photo of him. He is so handsome, so hot. His long black hair, his right arm covered in ink, his lip piercing… Everything in him screams ‘I know I made your panties wet’. 
But now, while you were looking forward to your first encounter with him tonight - other than the hundred scenarios you’ve made up in your mind at night dreaming about him -, you’ve just ruined the tiny, little chances you could have had with him. 
You blush so hard that you’re sure your whole face is red. Your open mouth doesn’t even know what to say and he looks just as surprised as you. You feel so… humiliated that you just grab you bag and escape to Suzi’s bedroom. Your heart beats so fast and loud from the embarrassment. How can you face him now? 
You vainly try to calm down before answering to the phone. Even the great news of your hiring doesn’t warm up your heart. All you can think about is that you met your crush and the first thing he saw was your ass. 
What you don’t know is that, beside the surprise, Jungkook is kind of satisfied with the view that welcomed him. How can he not be happy to see such a beautiful butt? The baby blue of your thong is such a flattering color for your skin. You looked so sexy. Not so much because of your foxy underwear but because of your body. A perfect body he’d dare to say. At the same time, when he saw the embarrassment on your face, Jungkook also thought that you were cute. He knows who you are: his best friend couldn’t shut up about his girlfriend and showed him so many photos of her. In some of them, you were there. Your beautiful smile caught his eyes. And Tae also told him that you were in his apartment before inviting Jungkook to go on without him because he had some  stuff to grab in his car. The mere annoyance of being left out by this best buddy instantly vanished when he opened the door. Even now, without the sight of your body, his cock is hard, a pleasant memory of your first encounter. 
Suzi looks at you with a questioning look.
"I just had the worse moment of my life!" You tell her
"Stop dramatizing"
"Jungkook is here. And he saw my ass!" You are almost crying but your best friend bursts into laughing. "Suzi, this is not funny! How can I face him now?"
"Well, I think he would thank you, you gave him one kind of a show!" She teases
You gently slap her arm to make her stop mocking you.
"Relax! I’m sure this is not the first time he’s seeing a butt. And yours is pretty hot. I’m sure he won’t be mad at you. Maybe, it’ll even make him interested in you"
What a lucky girl you are! Your crush will only care about you because you showed him your bum…
"Look, Y/N" Suzi says more seriously "You can’t hide here. So get ready, and let’s go. If you feel too embarrassed, get drunk, you won’t think about it"
You wince. Suzi doesn’t have the best idea but she’s right about one thing: you can’t stay here forever. So you pull yourself together and try to gather all the courage you have. 
———
After thirty minutes in the club, the loud and unpleasant music slaughtering your ears, you’ve decided to keep on with your strategy: avoiding Jungkook at all costs. You don’t look at him, you stay away from him and you try hard to forget what happened. The only problem is that he makes it so damn hard. He is so attractive in his black shirt and black slacks. The outfit compliments so well his fit body. You get even more annoyed that you force yourself to not enjoy it while a beautiful blond girl is flirting with him at the other side of your group’s booth. You can’t help thinking "it was supposed to be me!". You’ve waited so long to finally meet Jungkook and this… incident ruined everything. It’s so unfair. You’ve been crushing on him for months and it’s this blond girl who’s known him for five minutes who is laughing seductively by his side. 
And your best friend is nowhere to be seen. She is probably dancing with Taehyung. 
You are so, so mad right now. With you for letting your fucking phone in the fucking entrance when you fucking knew you were waiting for a phone call. With Jungkook who couldn’t arrive one minute later. With the whole universe for the legendary bad luck of yours. 
You grab your glass while you sigh, and drink up one shot the rest of your cosmo. And it’s not a good one. Yep, you really don’t like clubs. You really don’t like to dance either. More than that: you hate it. But you hate even more seeing this girl flirting with Jungkook so you get up and walk to the dance floor. Thanks to the two glasses of the vodka based cocktail you’ve drank before, you feel less reticent to move - shyly - your body. Your tight and short navy dress goes up a little when you lift your arms to ‘dance’. You are not really seductive at the moment since your moves are not smooth - which your uncomfortable high heels don’t help either. But you allow your head to empty. You don’t think about anything, especially not about Jungkook’s eyes on your ass.
Well…
Maybe you do think a little about that and the alcohol shifts the memory into something arousing. You are wearing the sexier underwear you own. And let’s get honest: you chose it because of Jungkook. You were kind of wishing to finish the night with him. You were wishing him to see your ass in this thong. And he did. The simple thought of his gaze on you makes your pussy clench. You’ve seen his face a hundred time on Instagram and you are still surprised by his handsomeness. He is way hotter in real life. You can’t argue his ‘I know I make your panties wet’ look because you are wet because of him. For him. Your brain full of this horniness, you forget everything, you forget the world around you. 
You even forget that Jungkook, the man who is responsible for your condition, is in the same club. And you don’t know that he is looking at you. Since you left to join the crowd of dancing people, Jungkook has been observing you. Your slow moves and above all your dress getting higher on your thighs turn him on. Especially when he knows what is underneath your tight dress. He more or less managed to control his erection until now. He stays seated to hide his stretched crotch. But he can’t resist anymore. He doesn’t even listen to the blond girl next to him. She is hot, for sure, but he doesn’t care. She is not as hot as you. He hesitates to join you because he is afraid to make you uncomfortable: you haven’t even looked at him since you all arrived here. 
But when he sees a random dude looking at you with greed and approaching you, he jumps out of his seat and virtually runs to you. 
You feel a strong body behind you. At first, you think it’s just a guy trying to hit on you by rubbing himself on you. But then you realize that the person in your back doesn’t move. Intrigued, you turn around and gasp by surprise when you see Jungkook. You want to say something but your brain can’t make something out. Jungkook notices it and saves you from - another - embarrassing moment:
"Can I have a dance?"
Your heart skips a beat. Thanks to the colored spot, he can’t see you blushing, hard. You just manage to nod and he puts his big and warm hands on your waist. It feels so soft, so right that you rant about the barrier of the dress between your bare skins. The feeling is so good, you almost moan. Your hands rest chastely on his large shoulder, too shy to touch him more than that even if you die to do so. His black shirt doesn’t prevent you from catching how buff he is. 
"This outfit suits you so well" he tells you with a playful smile. You don’t get that Jungkook is actually not talking about your dress but about your underwear. Nevertheless, the compliment makes you wet and you press your tights together to avoid any leak. It doesn’t go unnoticed by Jungkook who smirks. He loves to see the effects he has on women but he loves it even more on you. 
You feel fogged. You don’t know if it’s because of the alcohol, because of the heat due to the dance and the crowd around you, or because of Jungkook. Your moves are getting messier and sloppier, you barely stand on your legs. Jungkook notices it and he frowns, immediately worried about you. 
"Y/N, are you okay?" He asks
"I need some air" you manage to say so low you’re not sure if he has heard you or if he has guessed the words on your lips
Jungkook grabs you closer to him to support you and leads you to the door. You wish you could enjoy more the sensation of his body pressed against yours. 
The cold air slapping your face, your arms and your exposed thighs makes you jolt. It’s not much that the breeze is freezing because it’s not - Seoul’s June is actually quite hot -, but it’s the difference between the suffocating heat of the club and the pure air of the outside. You can’t tell if you’re feeling better or worse. 
"Are you okay?" Jungkook asks once again. He gently cups your face with his large and warm hands. It’s so heartening you want to close your eyes and press your cheeks deeper into them. He looks at you straight in the eyes, trying to scan your face. His big doe eyes are so pretty, even with furrowed brows. 
"I don’t feel too well. I think I’m going to head home. You can go back inside"
"I’m coming with you"
You can’t help but feeling two contradictory emotions: your heart warming by Jungkook’s kindness and guilt of ruining his night. 
"No, you don’t have to, I can call a cab"
But he doesn’t listen to you, you can see it by the determination in his dark eyes. 
"I’m coming with you" His words validating your assumptions. 
"My bag is inside"
"Let’s go grab it and then I’ll take you home"
Well, it was certainly not the way you thought spending the night with your crush…
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casspurrjoybell-27 · 1 year ago
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Claimed by the Beast - Chapter 3a
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*Warning Adult Content*
Alpha Energy - Part 1
- Knox -
It's said that God created man in his own image.
Everett calls bullshit on that.
No way is God responsible for someone like Knox.
A man who probably prefers chaos over tranquility.
His entire aura reeks of mayhem, savagery and death.
The vivid images of Shaun bleeding out on the floor of Club Inferno tumble out from the dark corners of Everett's mind whenever he tries to give his abductor the benefit of the doubt.
God didn't create Knox.
The devil did.
"You're out of your damn mind if you think I'm getting into that filthy bed with you," Everett slaps Knox's hand away from his face before turning around to snatch all the covers off the bed, including a pillow. "How often do you wash these sheets?"
"Once a week. Sometimes twice if I had company over."
"Ew. People willingly sleep with you?"
"Contrary to what you think of me, I'm not some dirty unhinged animal," Knox says. "As you can see, my bedroom is spotless. Not a single beer bottle, soda can or empty pizza box in sight. I value cleanliness despite my messy line of work."
Everett raises a judgmental brow.
"And if I were to look under your bed right now?"
"You'd find nothing but a shoebox full of mementos."
"Lies. It's probably where you keep souvenirs from all your victims... a tattered old shoebox stuffed full of teeth, fingernails and locks of hair. I know a psychopath when I see one."
Knox's laughter fills the room, something close to amusement twinkling in his eyes as he watches Everett get settled on the floor at the foot of the bed.
"You're serious right now?"
"As the heart attack I wish you'd have, yes I am."
"Fine. If your stubborn ass wants to sleep on this rock-hard floor, then by all means, be my fucking guest. I won't beg you to reconsider."
Everett curses under his breath after Knox stomps his way into the bathroom.
Everett hears the faint sound of clothes hitting the floor, then the shower turns on a few minutes later.
He doesn't think twice about taking advantage of being unsupervised.
He tiptoes to the bathroom and peers inside.
Knox didn't shut the shower door all the way, so Everett can see every inch of him from behind.
A massive tattoo covers his entire back. It's of an angel wearing a broken crown, a few feathers falling from its enormous black wings.
The amount of detail put into the elegant work of art would've brought a tear to Everett's eyes if he cared.
Too bad he doesn't.
More important matters are at stake, and getting his cell phone back takes priority over everything else.
'Pull it together, Everett. Don't get distracted.'
Glossing over Knox's plump ass and muscular thighs the size of a tree trunk, Everett spots Knox's jeans lying on the floor by the toilet.
Everett's cell phone is hanging out of the left back pocket, just begging for someone to snatch it up.
'This is such a stupid move but I have to try something.'
Everett crouches low to the ground and takes two steps forward, his right arm extended as he reaches for the jeans.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, kitten."
"Ah," Everett shrieks and staggers backward, landing on his ass. "What the hell, man? Do you have eyes in the back of your fat head or what?"
Knox turns around slowly, his grey eyes blazing.
He's dripping wet and covered in suds of soap, unashamedly flashing all that the devil blessed him with.
Everett can't help but lower his gaze.
How can he not look?
Apart from Knox's fat head, his fat cock is the second biggest thing on his body.
It's intimidating even while flaccid, long and thick, slightly curved.
Overall impossible for any normal human being to take inside themselves.
"Unless you need my help with something, I suggest you get up and leave."
Knox snaps his fingers when Everett doesn't immediately respond.
"Hey. Eyes up here."
He gestures toward his face, smirking while Everett picks his jaw up from the floor.
"I'm starting to remember how you called me a pervert earlier..."
Everett scowls and stands on wobbly legs, his hands balled into fists at his sides.
"I want my cell phone."
"You'll get it back when I decide to give it to you."
"Why are you being so damn difficult? I just want to check on my friends and let my parents know I'm still alive. If you won't kill me, then at least let me have this one thing."
Knox shakes his head and returns to showering.
"Not right now."
Everett yells every curse word he can think of as he grabs the closet thing beside him, a bottle of air freshener sitting on the bathroom sink.
He chucks it at Knox, who narrowly avoids getting his head split open by the metal can.
"I can't wait to kill you in your sleep tonight."
"Would fucking love for you to try it, kitten. All the more reason for me to tie you up and never let you go."
Knox winks at Everett and it does nothing but get under his flushed skin.
"I hope you slip and fall in there."
Everett flips Knox the bird before spinning around and marching straight for the bedroom door, opening it and slamming it shut behind him.
The chances of him finding the exit before getting caught are high, but it beats sitting around doing nothing.
Anything is better than succumbing to the dark thoughts presently bouncing off the walls of his mind.
The amount of therapy he'll need after this will surely end up costing him triple of what he currently owes in student loans. Jeez Louise, how big is this place?
The Fallen Angels live in a large three-story house that feels never-ending and is way too tidy, considering it's home to a group of rowdy bikers.
Everett walks past bedroom after bedroom, and the few people that he crosses paths with don't look at him twice.
Do they already know that he's here because of Knox, and not by choice?
Is it pointless to ask someone for help?
'This is what I get for messing with bad boys.I swear I'm only dating librarians after tonight... if I'm lucky enough to make it to tomorrow.'
Everett sniffles his way onto the first floor.
He slows to a stop a few feet away from the spacious kitchen, which is where he finds a group of scantily clad women.
They're sitting at the kitchen table talking and laughing.
When a short blonde dressed in nothing but a pair of lacy panties locks eyes with Everett, she points and makes him the center of attention.
"Look. There's the kid who fucked Cole up. Scrawny little thing, isn't he?"
"Yeah. Not Knox's type at all, but he's already been in his bedroom." Another woman whispers, though not low enough.
"Why is he keeping him around?"
"I've asked myself the same thing about a thousand times," Everett interjects, boldly staring ahead.
The woman talking shit swiftly blushes from embarrassment.
"Well, this just got awkward..."
"Not at all! Come on over and have a seat, sugar. I heard you're stuck with us for the night. Or several."
The pregnant redhead smiles and waves him over.
She has kind green eyes and is the only one at the table sporting a gigantic rock on her left ring finger. 
"Don't be shy. We don't bite."
"Oh, I definitely bite," the blonde laughs and then stands to offer her seat up.
"But my man isn't one for sharing, so you have nothing to worry about around me."
"Yeah, no... I don't swing that way anyway, so I guess I can say the same to you," Everett replies, making most of the women crack up laughing.
He takes the blonde's seat after she leaves.
"Does anyone have a phone I can borrow? Mine is presently being hijacked by the asshole you all call Knox."
"Hey, now. Watch how you're talking about my best friend."
The redhead teases, lightly bumping shoulders with him.
"None of us are stupid enough to go against Knox, so I'm afraid we can't help you there. But if you're hungry or whatever, there's a pot of lasagna in the oven and tons of snacks in the cupboards. Make yourself at home."
"No," Everett shouts, slamming his hands down on the table as his frustration boils over the edge.
"This isn't my home. How are you people okay with me being kidnapped? Does this happen often around here? I could literally die tonight and you'd all be accomplices to my murder. Are none of you fucking bothered by this?"
"Ladies, can you please give us the room?" the redhead softly announces, showcasing she has some sort of power around here apart from the men.
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buckyismybicycle · 2 years ago
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CHAPTER 1
Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Steve Rogers Rating: Explicit (later) Tags/Warnings: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Insecurities, Body Image Issues, References to Depression/Anxiety/Eating Disorders/Alcohol Abuse, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Alternate Universe - No Powers/Hockey, Team Bonding, Slow Burn (sexy tags include Service Top Bucky Barnes, Hair-pulling and who knows what else)  Summary:  Boston Bruins trade notorious party animal/human disaster Bucky Barnes to the Dallas Stars, and captain Steve Rogers is not impressed when Fury puts him on babysitting duties. But, as he gets to know Bucky - really gets to know Bucky - he wonders if maybe the media has got it all wrong - very, very wrong. [Read on AO3 here] A/N: I’ve been posting this to AO3 but honestly it’s beloved so it’s coming here too. This is the second of my two fics for WIP Big Bang, so updates will be heavy until September 22, 2022! My lovely artist, kingstoken made me cover art, which can be seen below the cut and in my masterlist! 
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Steve
When Steve hears that they’ve traded for James “Bucky” Barnes, he can’t believe it’s true. He has to bite back the spike of frustration towards management — so instead of calling Fury, he calls his James – Rhodey – instead, telling him how garbage the move is.
“It’s all good, Cap,” Rhodey chuckles all too cheerfully. “I only got a year left on my contract and the wife’s been buggin’ me. I didn’t think I was going to get much longer anyway.”
“Aw, come on Rhodes, that’s horse shit. Your age ain’t ever held you back.”
“Well it sure as shit makes things harder, don’t it?” Rhodey fires back. “Look… Wife’s expecting again.”
“Shit,” Steve blurts out before he saves himself. “Congrats man, that’s amazing.”
“Yeah! Yeah, it is. She’s just a few weeks so we haven’t told anyone. Anyway, I want to experience it this time. Not always on the road… I’ve got a fair share of diapers to change to catch up.”
“You’re retiring,” Steve states blankly.
“Yeah, I’m probably gonna make it my last year,” Rhodey confirms.
It’s a lot for Steve, to hear that not only is he losing his alternate captain to another team, but that he’ll soon be out of the sport entirely.
“I’m happy for you,” Steve settles on, trying to summon the enthusiasm for his friend. It’s the truth; he is happy for Rhodey, it’s just not the life he ever saw for himself. He loves the sport too much to leave it. “We should get together before you go.”
“Yeah, for sure.”
The phone call had put him in an even worse mood.
When he gets a call two hours later from the GM, he picks it up with gritted teeth.
“This is Rogers.”
“I know you’ve heard the news.”
“I have.”
“Good,” Fury says with a breeze, either not sensing or simply not caring about Steve’s inner turmoil. “Then you know I have a special assignment for you.”
“Are you serious?” Steve doesn’t bother to try and hide the disdain.
“He needs a role model, Rogers.”
“He needs his parents,” Steve retorts.
“Yeah, we’ll he doesn’t have any, so, you’re going to have to do. I’m not asking.”
That’s the kind of finality that makes Steve take a breath. He’s a professional, he’s a team captain, he can handle a rowdy kid.
“Right.”
“We’re putting him up in the same building, he’s 514. His flight lands this weekend. I’ll send you the details. Just show him the ropes, move the kid in, and make sure he gets his ass to the intro meeting on Monday morning.”
“Right,” he repeats.
He spends the next two days cleaning and re-cleaning even though his apartment is pretty tidy already, a perk of living alone. He doesn’t even know why he does it, it’s not like he needs to show off to some wild child that he’s babysitting.
James B. Barnes was notorious for his partying — hell, it’s probably why he’s being booted out of Boston. Steve remembers a tiny feeling of resentment when Bucky had been drafted first overall to Boston Bruins, Steve’s hometown.
And while Steve played for Dallas, a part of him will always be the ten-year-old scrawny kid in his Boston Bruins bedsheets, with posters of Bobby Orr and Raymond Bourque on his walls and the Stanley Cup in his dreams.
So yes, he had been bitter about not winning the cup, like he is every year. But he had watched Boston go on, living the playoffs through them vicariously. He had watched the team push into the finals, and battle it out, keeping an eye on all the players. Barnes was good — fast, and a hard shot to boot, even as he danced around the ice. His skating was beautiful, and Steve would never admit it, but he envied it.
And then they won the Stanley cup, and Steve watched a baby-faced, nineteen-year-old Barnes lift the Stanley Cup in his fucking rookie year.
Then, he had watched Barnes absolutely tank his second year in Boston. How the internet blew up with pictures of Barnes dancing on table tops shirtless, his smile drunk and dopey and headlines that read “out of control”. After that, all Steve could think about was what an idiot this kid was, drinking his opportunity away when he’d only just gotten into the league. A dream for most, and he was throwing it away.
Seriously, why is he cleaning his place?
He stops himself, forces himself to send a captain-ly message to the phone number attached to introduce him and welcome him to the team. It sounds like a cookie cutter message even to him, but then again, so is the reply.
“Thanks, looking forward to meeting you and the rest of the team.”
True to his word, he reads the email that’s forwarded to him with Barnes’ itinerary. The greeting email he’s copied on from management, though? That one, Steve skips. He’s not in the mood to read the fake, sugary welcome.
On Saturday morning, he hops in his truck, and leaves for the airport, fifteen minutes early, in a simple pair of jeans and a light grey shirt to combat the Dallas heat. The windows are rolled down, the radio playing softly, and when it’s time for the flight to land, he hops out of the truck and leans against it to wait.
He sends a message to the number he was given, with a description of his truck and what he’s wearing. It’s another twenty minutes of Steve dicking around on his phone until a tall brunette, wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses, walks towards him with a duffel bag.
Steve has to resist the urge to roll his eyes at the obnoxious display incoming – black skinny jeans and a shirt that’s too tight on top of the cap and sunglasses? Yeah, Steve can already tell he’s not going to like this kid.
Bucky
It’s a new start for him, that’s what Bucky keeps telling himself because it’s all he can do to make it feel better, make it feel less like rejection. Less like he’s being thrown out like last week's trash. It hurts — it cuts deep in a way that he never expected, the words burrowing into his heart and making its rotten nest there.
“You’re going to Dallas.”
He understands that it’s hockey, that trades will happen and it feels like only 1% of the entire league will stay playing for the same team their whole careers, but he hadn’t expected to be picked first overall, to win the Stanley Cup in his first year, and have it mean nothing. Every drill he’s ever run and every 5am workout seem like a slap in the face now. Why had he so desperately pushed himself to be the perfect star, if they were just going to give him away? And that’s the thing – they traded him for James Rhodey, who’s near the end of his career, and 4th round pick, which means shit all.
Because that’s what Bucky’s worth. Shit all.
He’s staring at the suitcase that he’s packing, sees the white, black and yellow jersey that he had kept as a momento and he simultaneously wants to cry and set it on fire.
Pierce comes in then, it’s just the two of them since his wife is at work, and gives him a look, one that screams disappointment. Bucky can feel his eyes sting.
“We’ll have to get you to the airport first thing in the morning,” Pierce says. “So make sure you don’t leave anything.”
Maybe it’s meant in a way to gently remind Bucky not to forget anything he needs, but what Bucky hears is “don’t leave a single trace of you in my house.”
He nods.
“I’m sorry, James, but it was merely business.”
Bucky didn’t expect any favouritism, of course, but he had hoped that his billet family would have considered him more than just another player. But Pierce, who had been his coach, his father-figure, his keeper, didn’t even look back. Bucky packs up the last few things that were his and closes the suitcase, laying back down on the bed that he would sleep in for the last time.
The thing about airports is that there’s always an ocean of people — something that Bucky is still nervous about. He doesn’t mind flying with the team for away games, he doesn’t mind flying with his friends, but now he’s on a commercial flight all by himself, after his face has been plastered on every sports magazine and online article possible. He is very much aware that he had been trending on Twitter, even though he was instructed by PR not to look at anything. But Bucky’s curious by nature, how could he not look?
He hadn’t gotten out of bed at all that day.
Bucky shoves a baseball cap on, low and right over his eyes, even though he put sunglasses on as an extra safety measure. Hoping that his clothes were pretty nondescript, he spent the whole flight with his head down and his headphones in, praying that the next few hours pass without any recognition.
At least the flight is smooth, with no delays, and he finds himself looking out the window at a whole lot of land. He’s played Dallas and watched their footage at practice, so he knows they’re a decent team, they just don’t have the same energy as the Bruins. The welcome text he had received from the captain seemed pretty standard, so he had replied in kind because he was raised with manners, and now the same phone number texted him again.
“I’ll be waiting with a blue Ford truck. F150. Jeans and a grey T-shirt.”
As if Bucky wouldn’t remember what the captain of the Dallas stars looked like, the goddamn brickhouse that he is, with a wicked slapshot and baby blue eyes.
There weren’t a lot of people on the flight, which tells Bucky a whole lot about Dallas as a vacation spot, so he’s able to get through bag check quickly. He regrets the hoodie, because even inside the airport – with air-conditioning – he can already tell that it’ll be a hot mess outside. Tying the hoodie around his waist instead, he follows the signs with his duffle slung over his shoulder and his suitcase rolling behind him, trying to find salvation.
When he does get outside, he’s thankful for his thin white shirt because it is balls hot. He doesn’t even need to scan for that long before he finds a giant pick up truck with a giant man leaning against it.
Something about the way that Steve Rogers stands commands a certain respect. It reminds Bucky of Rumlow, who stands at 6’1” with his arms crossed at all times and a stance that suggests you were in trouble. So even though Steve is leaning against his truck, it’s almost like Bucky is about to get scolded already. Steve looks up at him as he approaches and Bucky can’t read his face, but it looks annoyed. Hell, Bucky supposes he’d be annoyed too if his Saturday morning was spent picking up baggage. The anxiety makes Bucky heat up even worse than the Texas sun.
“Hi, Steve,” Bucky greets as best he can, keeping the tremor out of his voice and offering his hand.
“James.” Steve takes the other hand with a firm grip. “If nothing’s going to melt in there, feel free to throw them in the back.”
Steve
James nods, then chucks his duffle into the bed of the truck with a little effort and then picks up his suitcase and does the same. Steve looks away from where the white shirt has risen up, because he doesn’t need to know that James Barnes wears Calvin Klein and can’t afford to get distracted by the beautiful, intricate lines of his tattoo running up Bucky’s arm.
Steve doesn’t say all the things in his head like “do you know how hard some people have to work to be here” or “you’re wasting your talent” because he’s not even that much older than James, and also: it’s none of his damn business. When James hops in the car, he closes the door surprisingly gently, which earns some points from Steve, he supposes. Even with both their windows rolled down, Steve can make out some sort of rich cologne underneath a fresh spring smell and it… It‘s nice. James takes his sunglasses off and Steve’s caught off guard for a moment when the most brilliant sapphire eyes turn to look at him.
“Thanks again for this,” James says. His voice is softer than Steve remembers.
“S’not a problem,” Steve replies cordially, looking over. The moment their eyes meet, James turns to look out the front and something doesn’t sit quite right in Steve. James is — because Steve had done his research immediately — 6’1” and 200 pounds. It’s only an inch shorter and fifteen pounds less than Steve, but at their height it's a nearly indiscernible difference, and yet James looks small. His head practically rests on his chest, looking down at his hands, which are empty, but fidgety. The lines in his shoulders are tense, since they’re up to his damn ears which makes Steve take a step back in his head.
And immediately makes him feel like a dick.
James had just packed up his life and moved a good six hours a way with no friends and no family. Steve remembers that feeling, of starting in a new place. Granted, he didn’t have any family and had stayed with the owner of the team, Tony Stark, who spared no expense. James had just won a Stanley Cup and then been traded. And Twitter (and SportsNet and TSN and Instagram and —) had put him through the wringer.
The more Steve thinks about all the things that he’s sure makes James hunch in on himself, the guiltier he feels. He clears his throat.
“You hungry?”
James’ head snaps to him, like he’d been lost in thought, and opens his mouth to speak. It takes a moment, as if he were trying to think of the words carefully.
“Um, I was planning on exploring, after, maybe,” he fumbles anyway.
“There’s a great diner on the way,” Steve offers, watching James weigh his options. After a beat, he adds, “I could use it too.”
“If you’re sure,” James replies, like he’s still not convinced what the right answer is.
“I’m sure.” At that, he watches James’ shoulders drop, just a fraction, and maybe, just maybe, his face loses some of its tension too. Steve’s distracted by the way the soft strands of James’ hair whip around him as they drive, when he leans on his elbow, resting half outside the window.
And the road. He’s obviously watching the road.
Bucky
When Steve pulls into the diner, the sign is a neon red and reads “Maximumoff Effort” with a soft glow of fluorescent lighting. There’s other cars in the parking lots – mostly trucks and a shiny blood red Jeep Wrangler that Bucky admires. The outside looks quirky, with a deer head hanging over the door and the wooden exterior reminds Bucky of a cabin.
He can smell the food before they even enter the doors – like fried goodness and an artery clog. Still, he follows Steve diligently into the restaurant and the inside is, for lack of a better word, whacky. Honestly, Bucky kind of falls in love. The diner’s filled with red seats and silver barstools, and there’s more of that neon lighting inside, such as a huge “BAR” sign with an arrow pointing to the back in a matching red as the sign outside. There’s one for “DINING” and “WELCOME”, some exit signs and one that simply says “JACKASS”. Bucky likes the Jackass one a lot, because it’s green and white, the Dallas Stars colours, and it’s hanging over a jukebox. There is a jukebox.
Aside from that, the restaurant is actually dimly lit, and there are people seated all over the place. A man, who has his back turned to Bucky, mans the bar and he can spot a woman with long, red hair bustling from table to table.
Bucky takes a look at all the decorations, misplaced but artfully so, rugged and homey in a kick your shoes off anywhere sort of way. It’s already so different from Boston, and Bucky doesn’t want to jinx himself, but he already likes it here. Steve nods at the redheaded waitress, and goes to take a seat at a booth, closer to the back, and Bucky follows his lead. It seems like Steve comes here frequently enough, especially when a server comes by with a “the usual?”
“Actually, I think I might take a look at the menu today,” Steve responds, clearly surprising the server. His name tag says Pietro, and his light hair is tousled atop his head, his facial hair trimmed.
“Well, well, aren’t we full of surprises!” Pietro dutifully grabs them two menus, and asks if they want to start with something to drink. So it’s water to start, and Bucky finally opens his menu. They’ve hit lunch time so the lighter breakfast options are off the table, much to his dismay. The burgers though – the burgers look amazing, and he knows that’s what he can smell in the air, and shit, it’s been so long since he’s had a burger. He’s practically salivating at the thought, what is wrong with him?
He forcibly tears his eyes away to the salads and other entrees, but every few lines, his eyes jump back to the Stars Burger. It’s funny, and even if their hockey team wasn’t the Dallas Stars, Bucky would still be drawn to it, because barbecue sauce on a double patty? It sounds like heaven.
“See anything?” Steve asks, interrupting Bucky’s internal dilemma.
“Um –” Bucky pauses, because he doesn’t want to make a bad impression in front of his new captain. “Uh, everything kinda looks good?”
“Hm.”
Bucky squirms inside, because it’s a flat-sounding hum, and Bucky feels like he hadn’t given the right answer. “The, uh, the Stars Burger, they didn’t name that after you, did they?”
That, apparently, is a better answer because Steve throws his head back in a laugh. “No, otherwise it’d be the Rogers Burger.”
Oh, alright, so Rogers can joke now, huh?
The smile stays on Steve’s face when he continues, “but it is named after the team, yes. It’s actually my usual.”
Bucky’s eyebrows raise in surprise, but before he can say anything, Steve closes his menu and says, “try it.”
Don’t tempt me.
“Er – I –” Bucky stops, then thinks about his past week. Had he had a cheat day? Not that he can recall… So maybe the burger wouldn’t be so bad? He looks up to Steve, who’s looking back expectantly. “Yeah, okay.”
Steve offers him a small smile, and a warm feeling of something akin to acceptance bubbles in his chest.
When Pietro comes back, Steve sheepishly orders. “The usual,” he admits, and Pietro rolls his eyes.
“How did I know we would come back to this, hm?” He hasn’t bothered to take his notepad out.
“Same for you?” Pietro asks Bucky, not realizing that Bucky has no idea what The Usual even entails.
“Ah, my usual is the burger with a side of fries and a vanilla milkshake.”
“Oh my god,” Bucky blurts out, the sheer amount of calories shocking the words out of his mouth. “Um, I mean – just the burger for me.”
“You sure? We got the best fries on this side of town,” Pietro waggles his eyebrows.
“It’s true,” Steve confirms. “Trust me.”
“Okay, the fries too, then,” Bucky caves, secretly thrilled. “But water’s fine, thanks.”
“Comin’ right up,” Pietro promises, and floats away to the other tables. Even though the restaurant is pretty full, the two of them don’t seem to need any help at all.
“That’s his sister, Wanda,” Steve explains, watching Bucky’s eyes. “The restaurant’s been in their family a while.”
Bucky nods, because it makes sense why they’re so comfortable. “It’s nice.”
“It’s a team favourite, you’ll be back a few times.”
It’s something in the way he says it, with a certainty — you will be back, not you might be back. The smallest grain of something settles in Bucky.
“Lookin’ forward to it,” he says, smiling genuinely for the first time since he landed in this sweltering place.
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Series Masterpost | Overall Masterpost | Next Chapter >>
💕Stucky Tag List: @moonlightreader649 @moviequeen51 @ohtobehappy @fluffyunicorn-96 @goldylions @angryknightstatesmantrash @rookthorne @buckybarnesau
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meltwonu · 4 years ago
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| 𝔲𝔫𝔱𝔦𝔩 𝔦 𝔪𝔢𝔱 𝔶𝔬𝔲 |     [CHAPTER 4]
pairing; fratboy!wonwoo x reader
this chapter’s notes; fratboy!wonwoo, fingering, littlest bit of dirty talk, praise!kink, soft soft soft FLUFF hours, a bit of a filler chapter before the last chapter!! 😭 I can’t believe it’s almost ‘over’... This chapter has the least amount of smut yall will ever see with fratboy!wonwoo so don’t get used to it ☠️ LMAO 🤣🤣 also... it’s been a garbage week(boring work drama) for me so I’ll answer inbox msgs and stuff on sunday, I need to get away from the internet(and people) for a day dkfjhskh 😭💕 Ya’ll thank you for so much love and support with Caffeine and Until I Met You! It means so much to me and I appreciate every like, reblog and comment I get on it 🥺💕 No I will never be ending my fratboy!wonwoo au so don’t worry about that hehe 💕 For now, enjoy this soft ch 4 and I will see yall on Sunday! I love you, have a great weekend! 💕
[mood for this chapter: more than enough - alina baraz]
chapters; 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - x
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“So…”
Wonwoo sighs - re-shelving another Edgar Allen Poe book. “So, what?”
Mingyu tilts his sunglasses down, eyebrows raised at the older male that continues to do his job instead of give him the time of day. “What’s going on with you, hyung? You’ve been… weird.”
“Okay, define weird.”
The younger male pouts as he takes his sunglasses off, pocketing them as he leans up against the bookshelf that Wonwoo is currently still shelving.
It only takes one utterance of your name for Wonwoo to stop in his tracks - fingertips on the spine of another book as he turns to Mingyu. “What about her? Did she say something to you?”
“No, but do you like her? I mean, ‘like’ like her.”
“Is it not… obvious? That I do? Did we not all collectively have that conversation about me giving her a set of keys to our house?”
Mingyu grimaces slightly as he mentally goes through all the times he’d even seen the two of you together and he’s only able to conjure up a few select memories - none of which were anything necessarily romantic. “Well… I wouldn’t say ‘obvious’, I guess. The two of you aren’t exactly the ‘kiss and hold hands in public’ kind of... people. More like the, ‘sneak off to fuck in a public restroom’ kind... Which, uh, isn’t really... romantic.”
This time, Wonwoo crosses his arms and leans up against the opposite bookshelf as he sighs.
It’d been a few days since he’d seen you and you’d been swamped in so much class work that you didn’t even have the time to come by the library or the frat house. And even while Wonwoo stood in between the bookshelves having a conversation with Mingyu, you were finishing an art project with Minghao that was due by the end of the day.
“I know. I told her it’d be kind of a slow crawl for me.” He plucks another book from the cart, staring at the glossy text as he simmers in his thoughts. “Mingyu, am I awkward?”
“Erm, well, I wouldn’t say that necessarily.”
Mingyu steps forward, patting Wonwoo on the shoulder as he smiles.
“You like her and you’re trying even if you’re not used to it. You gotta start somewhere, hyung. Even if you’re a fish out of water. But that’s okay, you can ask me for help if you want!”
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“When are you gonna put a ring on Wonwoo-hyung?”
You snort at Minghao’s question - reaching for a clean paintbrush as he stands across from you in the large, empty studio. “First of all, can you not say it like that? I’m not gonna marry him, okay.”
The male rolls his eyes as he steps closer to you; his own hands and clothes covered in a colorful array of paints. “So you’re saying you never imagined hyung in a suit, hair slicked back and his buff arms carrying you off into your honeymoon?”
“W--wh--n--no! No, I haven’t!” You avoid his piercing stare as you focus on your end of the large canvas instead.
No, but I dreamt about it once.
“‘Hao, would you hurry! We’re supposed to be collaborating on this and it looks… like it’s 5 different art styles.”
“Don’t change the subject on me. And anyway, I like what you’re doing to hyung. Breaking him out of his shell, y’know? He’s just shy, that’s all. Needs a little work in the bold department.”
You bite down the urge to laugh because to you, Wonwoo was everything but shy when it came to the bedroom. Although, Minghao was right with everything else. “Yeah, I know. We went for breakfast together after I, um, stayed over a few nights ago and he kinda just sat there zoned out, picking at his waffles. He’s really cute when he wakes up in the morning though. Pouty and whiny.”
Grinning at Minghao, he pretends to gag in response before taking a seat next to you.
“Disgusting. Tell me more.”
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Wonwoo makes an effort to check in with you throughout the day before he heads back to his room - asking you if you’d had your meals and if you’d finished your project on time.
You’d answered sporadically as you and Minghao raced to finish.
‘I’ll eat late probably… rly gotta finish or else my ass is failing lol’
‘Just don’t forget, okay? It’s not good for you to skip.’
Wonwoo lays down in his bed; yawning as he sets his phone onto the nightstand next to himself.
His eyelids feel heavy and he’s quick to give in to the tiredness that takes over him once he gets comfortable.
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When Wonwoo finally decides to shift during his nap, he finds it difficult and extra warm.
“Mmh…”
His bleary eyes adjust to the, now,  slightly darkened room as he makes out your figure tucked underneath his arm. He calls your name softly - waking you up from the nap that you’d apparently joined him in.
“Mmh… Wonwoo…” You snuggle in deeper, voice still laced with sleep. “You didn’t even budge when I came in…”
He chuckles softly as he readjusts to spoon you from behind instead; his strong arm wrapped around your waist to keep your body flush against his own.
“I’m surprised you came by, sweetheart. I would’ve just stayed awake had I known you were coming over.” His voice is groggy and laced with sleep as you sigh softly in return as you blink away the sleepiness.
“How was your day at the library? Miss me yet?” Wonwoo smiles into your shoulder before he tilts his head up to kiss the shell of your ear.
“Always, sweetheart. Although, Mingyu decided to keep me busy today.”
“Oh? Anything fun?”
He plays with the hem of your shirt, “Well… Fun isn’t the word I’d use to describe what that was. Nosy was more like it.”
This time you can’t help but snort in response. “You too? I think some people were being ‘lil moles today.”
“Wouldn’t doubt it. Did you end up just coming back here with Minghao from the studio?”
“Wasn’t planning on it, to be honest but… S’been a rough day.” Placing your hand over his arm, you squeeze slightly as you pull his arm around you tighter. “Our professor came by while we were working in the studio and said our project wasn’t up to par with what Minghao and I usually submit for projects. She didn’t fail us on the spot but she said we need to redo it for less credit or take the failing grade.”
Wonwoo nuzzles your neck; peppering small kisses on your clothed shoulder. “I take it the two of you are going to redo it?”
“Mm… We spent so long coming up with a concept and now we’re both stressed about coming up with something new. I walked over here with ‘Hao and he locked himself up in his room as soon as we got here. Figured I’d come hang out with you and found you napping… With your glasses on, no less.”
The two of you share a laugh; Wonwoo’s embrace making you feel more at ease.
“Can I help you de-stress a little, sweetheart?”
You stare at the opposite wall, nodding gently as Wonwoo’s hand leaves the hem of your shirt in favour of the waistband of your shorts.
“Just want you to feel good,” he whispers. “You deserve it. You’ve been working so hard, baby.”
He teases you softly; fingertips ghosting across your skin as you shiver. “Ah, Wonwoo…”
“You worked extra hard today too, didn’t you? I’m so proud of you for what you accomplished today.”
Your body heats up at his praise and you can’t deny that his deep, soft voice sends thrums of arousal pouring over your body just as he dips his hand into your lounge shorts. He touches you over your panties - fingertips ghosting against your mound as you moan his name shakily in return.
“I know your new idea is going to be great, baby. I believe in you.”
Soft whines threaten to spill as Wonwoo strokes you over your panties - slowly working you up as you find yourself trying to grind against his hand. “Y-yeah… ‘m p-pretty sure ‘Hao’s already working on it…”
Your voice is barely above a whisper as Wonwoo continues to stroke you gently; making no efforts to rush or add pressure to his feather-light touches.
A disappointed noise falls from your lips when he starts to pull his hand out of your shorts but it quickly turns into a content sigh when he starts teasing your chest instead.
“Mm, so soft…” Muttering against your shoulder, his eyes stare off into the dark room as he massages your body. “And all mine~”
You hum in response, “We should go on a date sometime…”
“You want to? We can go this weekend. After you’ve redone some of your project. I’ll take you somewhere nice for a job well done.”
You giggle softly; images of a wedding day’s Wonwoo dancing in your mind after the conversation you’d had with Minghao earlier. “I’d like that. We should do something for the whole day.”
“Whatever you’d like, baby.”
Wonwoo’s hand flits down your body again - snaking into your shorts and, this time, into your panties as you whine. “Do you wanna cum or go back to sleep, hmm?” 
You ponder it for a second as the drowsiness equates the urge to cum on his fingers. 
“Both? I wanna cum and then sleep a little more... If that’s okay?” 
Wonwoo hums in agreement as his fingertips drag through your folds - collecting the wetness on them before he teases your soaked hole. “Only a little teasing gets you this wet, hmm? So cute.” 
“Ah, f-feels good when you go slow t-too...” 
He stores that away in his head for later; chuckling against your shoulder as he slowly starts to dip his middle finger into your cunt. 
You feel warm and content when he starts a slow pace - thumb on your clit rubbing soft, slow circles while he pumps his finger into you. 
“O-oh, Wonwoo...” 
“You’re always good for me, baby. Always such a good girl.” 
“Ah, Wonwoo...”
“You can cum whenever you want. You deserve it.” 
He adds his index finger - thrusting both fingers into you as you mewl and arch away from his warm chest. Your toes curl and your thighs clamp and trap his hand between your legs as you start to grind down onto his nimble fingers.
“...W--Wonwoo...” 
“That’s right, baby. Call my name, let me hear your pretty voice when your cumming for me.” 
You turn your head - cries muffled into his pillow because despite his slower than usual pace, you find yourself already on the brink of cumming with his fingers knuckle deep inside of you and his thumb on your clit. 
“Mmh... Ah... Feels s-so warm... and g-good...” You mutter, eyes blinking drowsily. “Gonna c-cum...” 
He doesn’t say anything in return as he focuses on you and your pleasure; fingers scissoring and curling right into your g-spot as you clamp down onto them in a vice grip. 
Wonwoo knows when you’re about to cum when he feels your hand coming down on his forearm, holding onto him for dear life when your orgasm still hits you just as hard. 
“Ngh, Wo---Wonwoo!” 
Your walls flutter around his fingers and make it harder for him to thrust them in and out with how tight you get. 
“That’s my good girl. Cum for me, baby~” 
His deep voice makes you whine - nails digging into his arm and body trembling as the pleasure steadily washes over you. 
“Ah, bet your face is so pretty right now too~” 
“Mmh, s-stop...” Your cheeks burn in slight embarrassment from his constant praise but you can’t deny the way it goes straight to your core and only prolongs your orgasm. 
“Don’t be so shy, baby. It’s only you and me here.” 
Wonwoo leans away slightly to kiss the crown of your head - still working you through your orgasm as you sigh contentedly in his arms. 
Various thoughts run through his head in the moment, but the one that sits at the forefront of his mind is definitely how to make sure he kept treating you right. 
Starting with your date that he would spend time meticulously planning.
‘Ah, I should ask Mingyu for some advice.’ 
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noodledesk · 5 years ago
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a lot of you have asked how I actually use notion in my day to day life, so I’ve broken down my task manager for all of you! hope this helps :) happy notion-ing! 💖
my other posts on notion: goal setting 📚
edit: i’ve made my template available for everyone to duplicate here! happy notion-ing!
entire post below!
how I use notion to time manage, prioritize, & get shit done
how it works
all tasks (and I mean ALL!) are sorted into 12 categories in a 4 x 3 matrix. this method was adapted from @howtomusicmajor’s post, how to handle having too much to do, which i’ve linked in the post below. i’ve changed things slightly to fit my own personal preferences.
every row is how long a task takes. I’ve got the following: 5 min 30 min hours future
every column is when they are due. i have the following: today tomorrow later
future refers to my tasks that are more abstract, fit are kind of like goals, and aren’t as tangible as ‘Chapter 1 homework’. this allows me to write down everything I have the intention of doing in the near future without trying to quantify them right away. examples of tasks that go in future include:
create new portfolio website (takes a while, not a priority, but I’d LIKE to do it) submit to poetry journals (not pressing, but I want to do it in the near future and having it on my to do reminds me to make time for it) learn cinema 4d (again, kind of abstract, relatively large undertaking that I want to remind myself of)
what are these numbers?
the numbers refer to what order I do the tasks in. 1 is first, 2 is second, and under future, which are more abstract/ long term, the order goes from later, even later, and one day. the core of my tasks are in 1 to 5 for each day, and I move around the rest of the tasks as I see fit.
example of where these tasks go:
chapter 11 stats questions → 30 min & today or tomorrow
water plants → 5 min & today
make portfolio website → future & later
why sort it this way? why notion?
i use this method for 3 reasons:
prioritization: a grid allows me to discern from a glance what I have to do at any given moment, whats important, and what’s not. I also need to be able to move things around, so using a digital resource is better for me.
scheduling: I find that I work better when I can see all the tasks that I have to do in the next few days vs. one day only. I also don’t typically schedule out my days because I find it really difficult to estimate how long tasks take, so I will put tasks I think I can focus on for one day and move them around as needed. it allows for more flexibility in my days!
breaking up tasks: I’ll usually break up my ‘hours’ tasks into pieces, which I then put under 30 min, which allows me to avoid procrastinating. I only need to follow one rule: the numbers! always knowing what to do next with a way to break up tasks makes it a lot easier to tackle things.
how to actually build yourself a grid in notion
sometimes it’s a little hard to build your own customized page in notion, so I started off with a template that would let me speed up my process. I used the weekly agenda template under the Personal category, but any page similar will be fine for you. from there, I just moved around each block until I got a 3 X 4 rectangle.
make it something you WANT to use
some ways that I make my task manager cute and enjoyable to use (you have to like your system or you won’t use it!)
cute cover photos every few days (change things up to keep your tracker fresh!)
recent excerpts from poems I read (inspiration!)
emojis that follow a theme & fit my current mood (tip: you can also use any image or transparent art that you want, so it’s super customizeable!)
and that's it!
finally, what’s most important is that you customize the manager so that it works well for you. if you notice that a process works better a different way, definitely change it! this works remarkably well for me because I alter it as I encounter better solutions. that being said, I hope this post was helpful! changing to this tracker has helped me much better manage school, being vice president of two clubs, my hobbies (like this blog!), sleeping enough, and making time for what’s important to me :)
references: 
adapted from: https://howtomusicmajor.tumblr.com/post/130098710517/how-to-handle-having-too-much-to-do
art: https://hugolemonnier.tumblr.com/post/189172150081
poem by yang chia-hsien: https://aaww.org/summer-of-many-smokes/
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dp-marvel94 · 3 years ago
Text
I am you (and you are me)
For Invisobang 2021. Art by @bibliophilea
On AO3 and Fanfiction.net
Summary: Set post Kindred Spirits. Something has been different since Danny came back from Vlad's and it started when the older half ghost had the tiny clone overshadow him. The half ghost remembers: His own screams. A pain in his inmost being, in his core. A tug back and forth. Being squeezed. A crash, a collision. And then... the blackness of death.
Danny comes back from the experience changed, with the memories of two lives stuffed in his head and new powers. The fire powers are pretty cool but shrinking, often involuntarily, makes him feel weak and vulnerable. All of it, the powers and memories, terrify him as he learns what they mean. And the thought of telling his loved ones...How can the half ghost hope that Jazz, Sam, and Tucker will understand and accept him now when he himself cannot?
Warnings and Tags: Self harm, Identity confusion, Self-Hatred, Ectoplasm and melting clones related gore, Clone Angst, Nightmares, Memory Issues, Involuntary Shrinking. Panic Attacks, Frostbite is Danny’s Icedad.  Evil Vlad Masters, Bad Parent Vlad Masters, Split Danny, Ghost Catcher, Hurt/Comfort, Eventual acceptance (by Danny and by his loved ones). Sibling Bonding, Friendship, Danny finally gets a hug.
Note: Welcome to my Invisobang fic! This is a semi-sequel to my story "Nothing and Everything." It's set directly after that story, though assuming an alternative ending. It is not necessary to read the older story to understand this one. All you need to know is, it deals with the aftermath of Danny being overshadowed by one of the clone's in Kindred Spirits and the emotional impact of the experience.
All that being said, big thanks to my amazing artist @bibliophilea for the amazing comic, and for beta reading! Thanks to @welcome-tothe-mystery-shack  for your comments and feedback on this story. And finally, a huge thanks to my dearest sister @nervousdragonrebelpie for looking over chapters and listening to me ramble about this story for the past few months. I wouldn’t have been able to finish this without you.
Preview Below:
Chapter 1:
“No! I’m a person. People have names! I have to have a name. I’m not….” A sob tried to break free from his throat.
A knock suddenly rattled the door. “Danny!” Mom called.
Both boy’s heads popped up, focusing on the door. They turned to face each other. “Don’t do this.” The real Danny begged.
“What?” The being asked.
“Every time you get close to the truth, you dream up a distraction.” His eyes widened in desperate panic. “Please don’t-”
Danny’s eyes popped open, a dream swirling in his mind. His heart raced, the sheets sticking to his sweaty body. His brow wrinkled, one shaking hand moving up to rub his aching head. Aching…. He still had that damn headache.
The boy closed his eyes, trying to push the pain away, to coax his heart rate down. He breathed. In and out. In and out. Slowly, so slowly, the throb in his head dimmed, his heart calming. But still, anxiety ate up his insides. 
Blearily, the boy opened his eyes to stare at the ceiling. Dissatisfied, he groaned and rolled onto his side. He clenched and unclenched his fists, balling up the fabric on his bed. His bed. Yes, this was his bed…. Sleeping in a bed was so nice and comfortable but at the same time... something about it felt…. off.
The boy pinched his eyes closed, trying to make sense of the feeling. His stomach flopped. Something was off. Something was different. After today, after he’d come back from Vlad’s, after the man kidnapped him, after the man clo-
Danny cut off the cursed word, his mind refusing. He buried his face in his pillow. Vlad’s. Something had happened, something had.. had changed at Vlad’s but he couldn’t... quite... remember.
It flashed in images. Being locked in a pod. Electrocution. His own screams. Pain. A pain in his inmost being, in his core…. On the bed, Danny’s core throbbed at the thought… A tug back and forth. Then being squeezed. A crash, a collision. And then... blackness.
He’d passed out. Danny knew that much. And he’d woken up at some point later but everything between that and when he had arrived home was a blur.
Confusion. His head swimming. Danielle.. sister… frowning in worry. The hiss of the pod being released. A sigh of relief. An ectoblast. Twisted metal and glass. Ectoplasm. Ectoplasm on his hands, on the floor. Oh god, oh god. He hadn’t meant to do that. He wasn’t... the others weren’t supposed to…. weren't supposed to...
Vlad... Master... Vlad... glaring in pure hatred. “Get behind me.” His ears ringing with a scream. The older halfa being knocked into his shelves. His knees wobbling. He fell and turned human. (Human... why did the fact that he could do that make him so happy?) But then horror. Vlad was still up and moving.
Then Sam and Tucker crashed through, hitting the older man. Locking Vlad (Master) in a pod. He needs... he needs to find Danielle. He needs to find his baby sister. But she’s gone. She’s gone.
His friends’ worried faces. “Danny, you’re not making any sense.” “Hey! Hey! Stay with us!” He wobbled…. where was Danielle?..... falling forward….. Sam and Tucker caught him.
At some point later, he’d woken up on his bed with worried friends and sister who he couldn’t adequately comfort. His head had been pounding and he couldn’t remember what happened to him… and what he did remember made little sense. Sam had checked his eyes; he didn’t have a concussion or any other injuries. With his head throbbing, he’d dismissed the confusion as being from the stress of the kidnapping and electrocution. His friends believed him, though anxiety was plain on their faces. But after a few minutes, his friends had said their goodbyes, leaving him to get some much needed sleep.
But now, the night after, Danny laid on his bed. His headache was gone, his mind clearer. He should feel better yet... his heart was sinking like a stone in his chest. That dream. That dream. That was familiar. So familiar. Like it had really happened. Like... it meant something. And yet…. Danny yawned, sudden tiredness overtaking him. He closed his eyes.
Maybe this was the ramblings of a sleep deprived brain. Yeah, maybe he was just tired. Maybe he’d wake up in the morning and everything would be okay. The boy pulled his covers more tightly around himself and fell asleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
The next morning, after quickly getting ready for school and rushing off, found Danny at his locker. The boy frowned, wracking his brain. What was his locker combination again? He spun the lock, landing on 25. That was the first number, right? Then….56. And finally….12? The lock clicked and he pulled the door open.
Danny sighed. Why was that so hard to remember? He’d had to open his locker just yesterday. He should remember… but why did that feel like a lifetime ago?
“Hey! Danny!” Tucker’s voice cut through his thoughts.
Danny gasped in surprise. In his chest, his core swelled and his body reflexively flickered invisible. A second later, he reappeared, rubbing his chest.
The next thing he knew, Sam was at his side. “What was that?”
“Yeah.” His technogeek friend took a step forward, voice quieting. “Your powers haven’t slipped up like that in months.”
Danny frowned, shaking his head. “I guess... I guess I’m still kinda shook up after….” He wrapped his arms around himself.
Sam’s face softened, seeming to understand. “Do you feel any better?” She asked kindly.
The halfa’s brow wrinkled. “Well, my headache’s gone.”
“You do look better.” The goth commented, her brow furrowing with worry. “You looked rough last night.”
“Yeah, you were really out of it too.” Tucker frowned. “You kept asking where someone called Danielle was? And for your sister?” Clear confusion rang out in his voice and just a hint of teasing…. “We kept telling you Jazz was at home, covering for us.” as if the idea that he was worried about his older sister, when she wasn’t even involved, was funny.
But something in the recollection made Danny shiver. He remembered worrying about Danielle. But…. sister... he hadn’t been talking about Jazz. He’d been asking about another girl, with blue eyes and-
“Then you passed out.” Sam continued. “And we took you home.”
For a too long moment, his friends looked at him questioningly. Finally, Danny bit his lip. “I think I remember that.”
The confirmation seemed to encourage his friends. “That’s good.” Said Tucker.
Danny wasn’t sure it was. But he had no more time to think on it before the bell rang and they were walking to their first class.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
During lunch period, Danny sat down at their familiar table, the same one as yesterday and every day since the start of freshman year. He placed down his tray and looked over the tables, waiting for Sam and Tucker to join him.
The boy’s brow furrowed. The cafeteria looked the same as every day. The same as yesterday when…. Danielle phasing through the table, a tiny green speck racing passed him…. At the lunch table, Danny’s core pulsed anxiously. Yes, that had happened but at the same time…. Looking back at the two chasing him. Laughing without sound at their fun game.
Danny shivered, feeling cold. He rubbed his chest, nervously.
“Danny?” Someone was waving a hand in front of his face. “Danny? You with us man?”
The halfa blinked and turned, meeting Tucker’s eyes. “Yeah. What’s up?”
“What’s with the spaciness?” Sam said bluntly. She stabbed at her salad. “You were like that all during English too.”
“Was I?” The boy questioned. He shook his head. “Sorry. Just... thinking about stuff.”
His friends gave him worried looks but didn’t question him. Frankly, it was to Danny’s relief. He couldn’t seem to put his thoughts in order. He couldn’t explain this... weird feeling. 
The friends chatted for most of the lunch period, Sam and Tucker dominating the conversation with a debate about the newest Doomed update.
All the while Danny idly rubbed at his chest with one hand. He picked at his cheese fries. Normally they were pretty good, but he wasn’t feeling it today. He shivered again, flinching as his fork fell through his intangible hand.
“Again?” Tucker questioned with a raised brow.
Danny didn’t respond, instead picking up his fork only for his core to flare and the utensil to fall through his fingers again. With an annoyed grumble, the boy rubbed his chest again.
“Do you think something’s up with your powers?” Sam quietly asked.
The halfa looked up, frowning. “No... I mean…”
The goth pointed. “Danny, you keep rubbing your chest.”
Danny looked down, brow furrowing. Below his palm, his core pulsed. There was something… strange about the rhythm and…. he adjusted the position, pressing just the smallest bit harder. Normally, it fit comfortably under his palm but now... “It’s... bigger?” He muttered.
“What?” Tucker asked.
Danny lowered his hand. “My core?” He shook his head. “No... I’m imagining it.” His core pulsed unhappily, even as he rubbed his forehead. “I’m just tired, I guess.”
Sam and Tucker again looked like they wanted to argue, but the bell rang and they split up, each hurrying to their next class.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The rest of the school day was surprisingly normal. Just his typical classes, without even a ghost fight to interrupt his day. Danny should have felt relieved for such a chill day after what happened last night but yet…. The boy tapped his pencil on his desk. He felt anxious. He must still be shook up, like he told his friends this morning. 
Danny bit his lip, shaking the writing instrument in his hand again. It went flying out of his grip and clattered onto the floor. The boy huffed as he bent down to grab it. His hand hadn’t even turned intangible this time.
With that, the boy straightened in his seat. He glanced at the clock. 20 more minutes left in class. Just 20 minutes. Then he could go home and take a nap. He rubbed his eyes. He was still tired after getting back so late. Maybe some sleep would help him feel better.
Soon enough, the bell rang. Danny stood and walked to his locker. This time, he remembered the combination without wracking his brain. He pulled out his books and turned to his friends, who were collecting their own belongings.
“I’ll see you guys tomorrow.” Danny said.
“Yeah, see you later.” Tucker replied.
“Call us if something comes up with the ghosts.” Sam frowned. “I’m grounded but…. I’ll sneak out if you need me.”
The technogeek groaned. “Don’t remind me. I’m grounded too.”
The halfa looked down guiltily. “Sorry.” He bit his lip. “You guys shouldn’t be grounded because you had to save my sorry butt.”
“It’s fine.” Sam comforted. “We weren’t not going to save you. We’re your friends.”
“Yeah.” Tucker agreed. “It’s just the price to pay for being superheroes.”
Danny half-smiled, though he didn’t much feel like it. He wasn’t much of a hero. Guilt still choked his heart. He hated getting his friends in trouble. But still…. “Thanks for having my back.”
“No problem.” Tucker confirmed.
Then down the hall, someone called his name. “Danny?”
The boy turned. It was his sister, Jazz. He frowned. Oh right, he hadn’t talked to her since he’d been half out of it last night.
The girl quickly approached. “There you are. Come on. I’m driving you home.”
Jazz didn’t give him a choice as she started leading him towards the entrance. Danny waved at his friends, watching their worried faces until he turned the corner. 
Less than two minutes later, the pair were seated in Jazz’s car. The girl didn’t start the vehicle, instead turning to face her brother. “Are you going to tell me what happened yesterday?”
“I... Uh…” Danny stuttered, trying to collect his thoughts.
“You disappeared during the middle of school. Sam and Tucker said some weird ghost girl showed up. You went off to fight some ghost and the next thing they knew, Vlad was carrying you away.”
The boy crossed his arms. “It sounds like you already know what happened.” He muttered.
Jazz pinned a serious look. “I know Vlad kidnapped you but…. what did he do to you?”
Danny paled. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“Something happened. You were unconscious when Sam and Tucker got back. And you were super out of it when you woke up. But you weren’t physically hurt. What did Vlad do to you?” His sister pushed.
Danny swallowed, his stomach flopping. “I... I don’t…. It’s fuzzy….” 
Jazz rose a brow, her tone suggesting she knew there was more to it. “Danny.”
The boy flinched. “I... he... Vlad electrocuted me?” He remembered. Being locked in a pod, electricity running through him. The creepy hologram of his mom. But... but... there was more.
His sister paled. “Oh... I’m so sorry.” Her voice softened and she didn’t say anything for a while, then… “Do you know why he did that?”
Danny stiffened, looking up. The reason sparked in his mind, with the image. Vlad hissing in front of him, boasting his plan. The man had explained but…. the words stayed just out of reach. Danny's face set in a pointed frown. He shook his head.
Jazz’s own frown deepened. “That little girl…. Sam and Tucker said she looked just like you in ghost form. What does she have to do with all this?”
The boy avoided her eyes, heart fluttering nervously. The little girl.... her face snapped into focus in his mind. Danielle, that was her name. But... there was another word. Started with an S or…. a C. She was like him; she was a clo-
Danny shook his head. No, that wasn’t right. Well…. part of it was right. Danielle had been there. She’d been helping Vlad. She helped the man hurt him; painful betrayal stabbed at him from the thought. But at the same time…
“She helped me. She helped me fight Vlad.” The half ghost said quietly, awed realization sparking as he remembered.
“But… who was she?” Jazz asked, equally quietly.
Just like that, the boy paled again. The word, the cursed word, formed in his mind without his permission. Clone. She was a clone of…. him?... No... that didn’t sound right... he was the same as her but... it had to be true. His frown deepened.
“Who was she?” His older sister asked again.
The boy shivered. “I... I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Danny.” Her voice softened. “You can tell me. It’s-”
“I... I can’t... I don’t wanna talk about it.” He focused on his hands in his lap, trying to keep them from shaking.
“Clearly, whatever happened is bothering you. You can tell me.”
“No. I-” Danny bit his lip, reaching for the door. He couldn’t stay in here with her, couldn’t deal with the questions he had no answers for or rather... questions he couldn’t bear to answer. The… the c word... he couldn’t say it, could barely think it. How could he explain how everything felt wrong, like he wasn’t actually-
“Wait.” Jazz cut off his thoughts. “You don’t have to talk until you’re ready. Just... let me drive you home.”
The boy lowered his hand and slumped back in his seat. “You... you promise? You won’t press?”
His sister’s brow furrowed. Her face was tight, like she didn’t want to agree; but after a long moment, she sighed. “Alright. I promise.”
Danny nodded. “Let’s go then.”
Jazz turned the car on, put it into drive, and pulled out of the parking lot. They drove home in silence. Once they arrived, the boy went straight up to his room. He rubbed his head, flopping down onto his bed. He needed... he needed a nap. Yeah…. That was it. He was still tired.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sister smiled down at him. “Look at this!” The black haired girl held up her crayon drawing. “This is me.” She pointed. “And Muscles. And Bones. And Daniel.” Her smile widened as she tapped at the last figure. “And this is you.”
The being tilted his head. He floated up, placing small hands on the green figure on the paper. He blinked owlishly up at the girl.
The corner of the girl's mouth turned down. She placed down the paper and offered him a crayon. “Come on. You try.”
The tiny being hovered forward, reaching out to touch the crayon. It was so big, almost half as tall as he was. He frowned, trying to understand.
“Make yourself a little bigger and you’ll be able to hold it.” She encouraged. “Come on. You can do it.”
The being scrunched his brow and he stretched. He was about the size of a toddler, maybe two and a half feet tall. He reached out, grabbing the crayon with his slightly larger hands.
“Great.” Sister said. She pushed a fresh piece of paper in front of him. “Now you draw. Like this.” She demonstrated, rubbing the crayon against the paper so color transferred onto it.
The being flopped down, sitting on the floor. Slowly, so slowly, he copied the girl. He traced his drawing instrument over the paper. He scribbled, creating a mess of lines and shapes without meaning or purpose.
Sister smiled proudly anyway. “You’re doing it. Good job, Tiny.”
He beamed, something in him sparking at the praise. He continued scribbling but the image changed into something more purposeful. A house took shape, stick figures. A large man and slimmer woman. A little girl and a little boy.
The little boy giggled at his drawing. His hands were chubbier than before. A toddler’s, instead of the miniaturized version of a teen’s. 
“Jazzy!” He looked up, showing off his drawing to the little redhead girl.
His older sister looked up. “That looks great, Danny!” She put her own crayons down, rubbing her sweaty forehead. “It’s so hot.”
The boy suddenly dropped his crayons and drawing. “Outside! Let’s go outside!”
“But it’s hot.” The girl repeated.
The boy was already running off. “Mommy! Mommy! Can we play in the sprinklers?! Please! Please!”
Mommy turned around from where she was making lunch. “After we eat, okay?”
“Okay!” The four year old beamed, already running up the stairs to get his swim trunks.
The next thing he knew, he was outside. Mommy set up the sprinkler. He and Jazzy ran around it, giggling. Daddy came outside with water balloons and Danny let out a happy scream. “Water balloons!”
The little boy grabbed one and threw it at his sister.
Danny blinked awake to bright light on his face. His nose wrinkled. It was still light out? Oh wait, he had been taking a nap. He sat up, yawning and rubbing his forehead. He’d been dreaming again, this time about…. He shivered, remembering. He’d been playing in the back yard with Jazz when he was four. And... he’d been with Danielle. She’d been showing him how to draw. 
The boy’s stomach flopped. That didn’t make sense. That hadn’t happened. Maybe... maybe he was thinking about her because Jazz had asked, earlier, when they’d been in the car but... that had felt like a memory.
Dread balled in his gut. He’d been small, smaller than her hand. And then he’d stretched and he was bigger, about the size of a toddler. Danny looked down at his hands, his human, properly sized hands. That, changing his size, wasn’t something he could do but…. In the dream, Danielle had called him Tiny. It didn’t make sense and yet….
He remembered. One of the other clones. The small green one. Danny shivered. That one, that one could shrink. That clone had overshadowed him.
The knowledge hit Danny like a ton of bricks. The tiny clone had overshadowed him. How... how didn’t he remember that until just now? How hadn’t he realized? Danny grimaced, a sickening feeling squeezing his insides. He’d been possessed. Someone else had been in his body, controlling his actions, messing with his mind. The boy wrapped his arms around himself. He felt violated at the thought. That was so wrong. Vlad had ordered one of his clones to overshadow him. And…. more memories of the experience pressed into his mind.
Danny had been semi-aware of the other presence. There had been a fight for control, another core so close to his and…. Memories, thoughts that weren’t his. Flashes of the tiny clone’s memories. And the feeling of tiny hands rifling through his own mind.
Danny pulled his knees to his chest. That must be why he’s felt so off. It was the aftereffects of being possessed. And that dream, the flashes of memory…. he must be remembering what he’d seen and felt from the tiny clone while it had been possessing him.
The boy sighed. But... the feeling would go away eventually, right? It would. He’d felt off after Sidney had overshadowed him as well. It had taken a bit to get used to being in his own body again. And Sidney was more experienced with overshadowing than his clone had been. The ghostly nerd knew how to push Danny’s spirit out of his body, instead of forcing both ghosts to cohabitate. That was why there were strange memories now, unlike last time.
But it didn’t matter. He’d get back to normal soon enough and his friends and sister would have nothing to worry about. Everything would be okay, right?
Danny stood up, rolling his shoulders to stretch. He had homework to do. He sat down at his desk, trying to ignore the way his stomach still flopped.
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papers4me · 3 years ago
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Fruits Basket Manga Review , ch 110
The writer doesn’t need to rush to akito (antagonist) & give us quick background exposition & escalate her mentality to the exploding moment, simply cuz tohru (the protagonist) isn’t emotionally in her most vulnerable moment yet. Tohru’s issues will be presented deeper  with each pov chapter she’ll have. So what should the writer do now?
This is a connected plot, meaning the emotions belonging to the previous chapter are still lingering & needs to be dealt with. There is no stupid laughing & cooking or even dumber momentarily amnesia. Nope! There is this:
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-The Art of Writing Slow-Burns: (Lingering Emotions:)
Last time kyo hugged tohru thro the sheets. sth he wouldn’t do if it weren’t for the heartbreaking moment of tohru’s tears & the reason behind them. Why wouldn he do it? cuz he believes he’s the reason of her pain & is setting his mind on leaving her & being imprisoned as a punishment. He  wouldn’t do it cuz he loves her but he did it cuz he loves her. why? cuz love is illogical. Kyo’s heart moved him effortlessly to embrace her & “ his tenderness covered her pain” as the writer put it at the end of ch109.
Last time tohru hugged kyo thro the sheets, sth she wouldn’t do if it weren’t for the comfort of his warmth enveloping her loneliness & providing safety & a home. A home can a person. Why wouldn she do it? cuz Tohru is someone who hides pain behind a smile, someone who thinks she’s ugly & unlovable cuz she’s grieving still after all this time. She’s thinks she’s a burden. But here she confessed to kyo unprompted or advised by anybody. He only asked a fleeting question. but tohru cant hide who she is friom him anymore. Still, he accepted her & tenderly held her thro the sheets & she threw her body at him, she initiated the hug.
The sheet hig is the biggest emotional moment between kyo/tohru yet. It altered how they feel for each other cuz in that moment tohru’s mask fell & kyo was the most honest with himself emotionally. That’s not sth you move from with the stupid ED song. They both try to carry out normally afterwards cuz they live together after all. The slightest touch brings..... sexual tension!!!  it was so bad poor yuki left the house running!!!!!!!!
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The writer cleverly escalates the sexual tension as they awkwardly try to find a talking topic, then dissolves it a bit when kto asks if tohru wants to go out together & where, then escalates it when tohru suggests buying eggs cuz she’s awkward, then dissolves it when kyo grumpily agrees but this is just grocery shopping” not a fun going out”, the escalates it when tohru said she’s happy for just bring together with him regardless of the location & kyo looses it! sexual tension explodes!
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The target of the slow-burn isn’t the characters... the target is the audience! the writer plays with their emotions & cleverly puts the audience in a place where they desperately want these two idiots together but still remember why they aren’t! that’s very important. Having the readers cheer for a romantic relationship includes the readers understanding the obstacles ahead & how big they are & still cheer. If the obstacles are meh~ the readers will find the couple unrealistic, if the obstacles are so big & the couples emotions aren't buildup properly, then the couple themselves will feel meh~. Glad kyoru survived such writing mistakes both manga & anime ( anime hurt their characters more than their relationship).
-Yuki wants to move on from the unofficial son third wheeling his mom & her man:
The writer jokes abt yuki admitting he felt as a son watching his mon & her bf. I love tha this joke becuz it cleverly addresses the following points:
it is cleverly weaved in with the kyoru incident from last chapter. Sth happen & yuki doesn't know what is & doesn't want to! Yuki represents the audience I talked abt in the slow-burn point above. He is us. He’ll cheer for them to be together & will be so frustrated when they can’t. It adds to yuki confronting kyo at the climax!!! You see in the anime kyo/yuki stopped interacting much in se03. Then tada~~ big fight when it’s a must! & can’t be escaped... Here we still have kyo/yuki moments despite each boy moving away from his issues being the fault of the other. Basically better writing.....
The writer cleverly used this to address that yuki still feels like tohru’s son sometimes despite being more independent now, which is natural as you cant switch ur feelings with a button. But also the writer doesnt stay in this moment long & use it to build the next moment.. yuki/Aya , yuki/machi & aya/mine.... sadly all there dynamics are shortened in the anime like kyoru’s.
-I don’t think yuki/Aya  moment suffered much from the cuts, the entire school parents meeting ep us enough to reconcile the brothers. Aya defended yuki that day & so did yuki. He completely accepted him & stood up to him in front of the mom.
- More aya/mine would’ve been good to see & I would’ve preferred it to yuki/motoko moments in the anime that served nothing. but aya/mine too are stand alone story. They’re the most alike couple in a healthy way. Aya is the guy who protected his woman the most. simply cuz he’s the snake. snakes are secretive. he kept her to himself, even from yuki!!! impressive.
- What I lament from the cut of this mini yuki adventure?
1- This: ( yuki’s facial expressions) This is sth the anime fears, either cuz (a) pretty yuki is 100% pretty all the time, so no expressiveness cuz it leads to showing eyebrows & hiding them under layers of hair is the A.B.C of pretty characters... (b) Yuki in the anime is a prince 98% of the time, except with kyo (they got rid of this in se03 & give them one honest/ugly moment together) & with kakeru (one tiny moment in se03 in match’’s focus ep & then quickly back to prince yuki!)..., ugh!!!!!! I hate how yuki is prince thro & thro in the anime!!that’s why they couldn’t get rid of any motoko content!!! he’s a prince there... heck! school girls float after him the graduation ceremony... what’s up with that!! lol.
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2-. This: ( machi with the toy that tohru/kisa/kagura/momiji & kiro like! so cute!!! also, foreshadowing yuki’s future chosen extended family! (his bro & his wife), (yuki & his wife) & best friend/his brother in law! Also, yuki is so himself! no glitters, no bubbles & no pretending anger! <3
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Side Notes:
The lovely @mizzraynelly​ made notice kto’s speech in ch109 abt not vising his mom’s grave! Even tho it’s such a minor line, it’s one of the biggest cuts that foreshadow the accumulation of kyo’s guilt towards his mom. Kyo’s thing is guilt towards ppl he loves & fear of hurting them, by keeping this feeling alive in readers’ minds, the writer is making sure that the climax will hurt like sharp knives cuz the readers are on the same wave liength as kyo!!! epic buildup consists of tiny subtle pieces!
 Luckily, kyoru as a ship felt so strong in both manga & anime despite the later cutting half of their moments. Why? cuz the chosen cuts didnt affects the romantic relationship...no... the cuts affects the characters’ own personal struggle... most precisely tohru. Kyo’s own character struggles had better luck in the anime despite the cuts, simply cuz (a) was drawn with very expressive emotions & the anime team lingered on them in his scenes. (b) His character design as a whole was very expressive, the anime team didnt give him constant wide eyes like tohru & didn’t fear expr4essivness will affect for his “beauty “ like yuki. (c) kyo was given one ep per season for his issues which altho not much but way better than tohru (d) most important: kyo’s issues are very universal & very relatable” feeling guilt, mistakes & choosing wrong. That’s sth we all do!!! Tohru’s thing is grieve: this is very personal & most ppl experience it differently. 
I love kyo’s oufit!!! we have a hint of this moment in se03, ep 10 when yuki was fighting kyo... but they made yuki see them shopping as opposed of him seeing them being sexually charged!
I’m so mad this kyoru moment is cut!!!!!! tohru as a woman with pending sexual emotions is so refreshing & underrated in the trope of “ girl saves guys”. Also, it contradicts the pure mom image that’s been suffocating her since se01 ep 1!!!!! oh now i know why it’s cut... That’s why! momma tohru is so pure for such things & only when it’s the last two eps, then will allow her to be a woman choosing to live away with her man by her own desire! Why the anime only allow things ti happen when there’s no escape!!! I’ve always felt tohru/kyo is the type of couple to be expressive emotionally & sexually with each other based on seeing that ALL of their romantic interaction involves body language & I’m so happy there’s a canon proof so early before the future glimpse in finale!!!!!! 
I liked the aya-story, but it felt like the typical “ lesson of the day” formula, so I didnt analyze it much, but I enjoyed the brotherly interaction so much!! It had a gold mine of yuki being himself & so nit a prince! Im so happy I saw it! <3.
Every time yuki looked expressive is a happy moment for me!
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valley0fstorms · 4 years ago
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The Vil Essay(tm)
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Vil Schoenheit, the dorm leader of Pomefiore and a 3rd year at Night Raven College. He is a character that people seem to mischaracterize often, which is a shame. People like to write him off as narcissistic and vain and that’s about it, but these people miss every other aspect about him and only focus on the parts openly apparent due to his association with Snow White’s Evil Queen. He is such an interesting character, and it is a shame people dumb him down to his want to be beautiful as his only personality. 
Throughout the 19 character stories he appears in (at the time of writing this), he is shown to be a much deeper and thoughtful character than some people make him out to be. Out of the 57 notes made from every story he appears in, Vil has only shown the stereotypical nature that fanon has given him in 9 of them. So yes, while the traits are there, they are simply a small part of a greater, more complex personality. 
His strictness and attention to his appearance aren’t out of narcissism though, he is in no way narcissistic. The definition of a Narcissist is, according to Merriam-Webster definition A of Entry 1, “an extremely self-centered person who has an exaggerated sense of self-importance,” and yeah, if you take Vil at face value, you could assume this is true of him, but if you look more into him and read the stories he appears in, you would quickly see that this is not the case. Another thing is that Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD), according to Oxford, is “a personality disorder characterized by an exaggerated sense of self-importance, a need for admiration, and a lack of empathy for other people.” That last part, “lack of empathy,” is a big thing, as it is seen that Vil does have empathy. He knows that he is strict, and he knows that the routines that he makes the students of Pomefiore go through can be hard and stressful for them, and he understands that not everyone can keep up with it, which is why he looks for effort overall. If the students he looks after put at least some effort into trying to keep up with the skin and hair routines Vil puts in place, he will be happy. 
Moving on from that, it is seen that Vil is rather observant. For example: In his lab SR story, he is able to tell the slight difference in the color of the potion he and Rook were trying to create, and in Jamil’s Fairy Gala SR story, it is seen that he can accurately pick out the issues in 3 separate people that he was coaching at the same time, telling Leona, Kalim, and Jamil the flaws in their practice. To elaborate on this, he was able to tell Leona wasn’t motivated just by watching him practice, he noticed all of Kalim’s mistakes in his dancing, and how Jamil’s dancing fails in being able to captivate an audience. He watched the 3 of them practice at the exact same time and picked all of these out, informing them of their shortcomings. 
Now, for the idea that Vil is self-centered and doesn’t care about anyone but himself… There is much evidence that shows this is not the case. One of the biggest is the entirety of his Ceremonial Robe SR story. The story is focused on him and Jack for the most part, to the point he makes a cameo in the Groovy art for the card.
If you haven’t read the story, the basic summary of it is this: At the Entrance Ceremony at the start of the school year, Jack, a 1st year, sees Vil in the crowd and calls out to him. Vil responds, remembering Jack from their home is the Land of Pyroxene. He comments that Jack was one of the few people who weren’t prejudiced against Vil because of his choice of career and expression, and they spoke for a while, Vil noticing that Jack’s robes were messy but deciding to not comment on it. Later they ran into each other once more. Jack makes an offhand comment about how his ears make the robe’s hood uncomfortable, and Vil questions him on it, commenting on how the entire Robe was put on sloppily, making Jack let him fix the uniform for him so that he wears it correctly, commenting on how Jack’s build and how he should wear the robes for it to be most comfortable all while looking nice, giving him a small lesson about how the Ceremonial Robes are the most formal uniform they have.
With this story in mind, it is clear that Vil cares quite a bit for the appearance of others, and not just himself. And if his entire Robe story wasn’t enough, Leona’s uniform R card story also shows this, where Vil comments on how one or two of Leona’s buttons are loose, though he doesn’t fix it for him, given that Leona is a 20-year-old man who should know how to fix a button, until Leona annoys him enough that he just does it for him. Vil will take note of other people’s appearances, telling them the issue with their appearance and possibly how to fix it, though he has no intention of fixing it himself most of the time. And how could I forget Vil’s strict beauty regimen that he wants his entire dorm to do? He says it is in place simply to keep up Pomefiore’s beautiful image, but in reality, he wants his dorm members to become better. One of Pomefiore’s biggest things is becoming comfortable in your own body, which is, in all honesty, probably why Epel, the small, feminine-looking boy who wants to become physically strong and more like Jack, was placed there. 
And speaking of Epel, one of the reasons people seem to dislike Vil is his treatment of Epel in Epel’s robe SR story, where Vil almost crushes Epel’s head in his hand and forces Epel into speaking “properly,” having good table manners and posture, and generally not letting him act like a “mud-covered potato” as Vil so lovingly referred to Epel. While yes, this behavior from Vil is a valid reason to dislike him, he has his reasons for this. Epel is considered to be extremely beautiful by nature, with his small frame and feminine appearance, and Vil knows this, which is exactly why he is so strict with Epel. Vil knows Epel hates his body for being small and frail, he knows Epel wants to be stronger, and while the way he is going about it certainly isn’t the best, Vil does want Epel to become comfortable with himself, and looking at the Ghost Marriage event, which is set after the Pomefiore chapter coming this September, it can be assumed that, during the events of Chapter 5, Vil does become laxer with how he treats Epel, given that he seems to ignore some remarks made by Epel towards him getting slapped by Eliza for not owning a large dog.
To go on a small tangent, speaking of Ghost Marriage (GM), In this event, we saw a new side to Vil, one probably coming out after he Overblots in chapter 5. He seems less forceful than he has been shown to be, especially with Epel, but for sake of not repeating information, let’s look at another detail; Vil’s use of personal pronouns. In Japanese, the terms used to refer to oneself are gendered, and Vil uses Atashi (あたし), which is a more feminine term, as opposed to using Boku (ぼく), which is generally more masculine, and for the first time in GM, we heard Vil use boku to refer to himself, specifically when he had to act like the perfect prince for Eliza, the ghost bride. Leona had specifically made a remark about Vil while he was in his act, basically saying that he knew Vil was uncomfortable referring to himself using such language and that he should stop, but for the sake of the act, he kept it up, until he got slapped that is. What can be taken from this is that Vil prefers to use feminine terms for himself, but over all he is still a man and refers to himself as such, even if he uses feminine personal pronouns
Vil is a character who is and does many things. Vil is strict. Vil is punctual. Vil critiques others. Vil points out their strengths and weaknesses. Vil helps others, in his own roundabout way. But above all, Vil cares about other people’s opinions. In most of the stories he appears in, he listens to what the person he is speaking to has to say, albeit with varying levels of patience depending on the person. He may seem forceful, yes, especially with how in Leona’s Gala SSR he ran to Savanaclaw and banged on Leona’s door demanding he came out after Leona ditched practice for the Fairy Gala, but as explained earlier, Vil has good intentions with this and he knows how Leona can get sometimes, and as such he knows that some force is needed, though there are times he can get too forceful and cause an issue. 
There are so many aspects about Vil that can be taken just from his personal stories, and the way people normally portray him is definitely there, but those traits are just a few of many that create Vil’s personality. As a character he is complex, and until Pomefiore’s chapter comes out, we cannot be sure as to his true motives for wanting to achieve true beauty, but even without that, we can still look at his character and make speculation. Before the release of Chapter 5 mid September, it should be said that, whatever happens and whatever Vil does in it is going to be him at his worst, as is the trend with the Overblots. It is perfectly fine to dislike him for his actions and criticize him for them, but ultimately he is just a character. Don’t berate someone just because he is their favorite, even if you yourself don’t like him; this can be said for any character in any series, not just Vil. 
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patchies · 3 years ago
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Shadows
Pairing: Dream x Reader x ???
Summary: An apocalyptic world where creatures of the night roam all around it. Searching for living beings to satisfy their hunger. Vicious creatures they are. It’s said that one person called upon their wrath in revenge. You awake in this place with another human being at your side. No memories whatsoever of the life you’ve had prior to coming here. In search of a way out, and your memories, you stumble upon multiple people with many personalities. Some can’t wait to meet you. If you take it the friendly or hostile way is up to you, but worry not… Nothing can hurt you. Or can it, now?
Warnings: none that I can think of
Word Count: 2.8+k
Author's note: hi, hi, hi! I bring you a new chapter after what... 1 and a half months of not uploading anything? My apologies are probably not enough, but I have been working on chapters, I promise! And, drum roll, please, I might have some art in store for this series. It isn't done, yet, but I'm trying to work on it, guys!
Wattpad link: here
story masterlist - main masterlist
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Chapter 4: Forming Friendship
As the sun starts off the next day, you and Nick depart from your home in search of more resources. He throws in a suggestion that you should spread out, so you could cover more ground, and you agree- not like you have anything else to do for the meantime. Unless you want to be stuck at home playing some card games Nick had found while searching for the paint buckets.
You search the places south, just outside the town. All the buildings look the same to your wondering eyes, nothing valuable piquing your interest that much, so you rather opt for wandering further. Through the greenery until a clearing reveals itself before you.
A beautiful and elegant meadow stretches across the horizon. As if a page was torn from a fairy-tale book, and rightfully so. The only thing missing is a royal castle or fairies' houses. Pollen flies in the air and swirls around you enchantingly and a surge of calmness goes through your being. An accommodation in your body along with the feeling of delight.
The nature has truly taken over most of the world.
It's not like you can complain, really. Colours, textures and elements flow with each other in a beautiful harmony, creating an almost painting-like picture that you can marvel at.
Deep down, you were always a fan of the quietness Mother nature has offered you at times in need. Whenever you felt down, really.
You slightly remember how it helped you with your anxiety, shyness and depression when you used to be socially awkward and unwilling to do something about it. It felt peaceful compared to the continuous pressure many people used to put on you. Not many people were harsh on you, but your social battery could take so much until all you were ready to do was just lie down, put on a playlist of your favourite songs and chill. They denied your want to be left alone when the only thing you needed was space and your own time. Their faces are now blurry images of faces you once used to know, but you don't know if you'll ever get back to your life or how long it might take.
I should throw away my pessimistic thoughts…
That was a part of the old you, though. You'd like to think that you're better now, but your pessimism has stayed with you nonetheless. It's about time you started working on it and who knows? You might get to form plenty friendships here who will be willing to help you.
With a shake of your messy hair, you focus back to the beauty in front of you, pushing the vines away and walking towards the flowery meadow.
Yellow grains contrast gorgeously with the sparse greenery the field has to offer here and there.
You bent down and pluck one of the many Dahlias near your feet, putting the pistil close to your nose.
Sniff, sniff, sniff
The flower alone doesn't smell alluring or sweet, like anything. The stem and leaves, on another note, smell bitter with a slight flowery undertone. It strikes a sense of serenity in you as you inspect the innocent white petals be carried away from you by the wind, flying off to the clear sky to join the fine powdery substance.
You let go of the stem and watch it be snatched, following its trace until it falls between the loads of flowers.
Just then, a gentler breeze begins and takes a handful of leaves of the ground, aiming just below a small hill to your left as if it had a mind of its own. You realize that it might actually do as it points you to a lone building sitting at the base, overflown with the finest flora you've ever faced.
A mere bookshop from what you can see from the distance. The walls are built from brick and it still seems in a decent shape, except the nature, but that gives it a special charm. A great place to get away from all this chaotic and death-threating events for even a while.
You carefully move through the grass and blossoms, trekking your way up to it.
• • •
Meanwhile, somewhere far away from you, a deer curiously, yet cautiously, examines you from a cliffside looking over the whole meadow. Its doe eyes flick from you to a small fawn by its side.
It huffs, shakes its head and turns, departing into the forest.
• • •
The inside is wondrous, despite your expectations of it being completely trashed.
Bookshelves line the walls and are all filed with all styles of literature. Slightly used, torn and unkept. It gives you an idea how no one surely visits this place. The place looks great, so it doesn't make much sense to you. You cannot help but be a little happy over the fact at that despite the telling signs of its abandonment.
Your hand automatically lifts up to slide over the spines of the books, keeping your touch light as you advance further inside. The rough, yet extremely soothing, texture extracts a small smile from you and you close your eyes. You begin dragging your other appendage across the parallel shelf until a thud makes you shoot your eyes open in alert, whipping your head behind you, but finding nothing out of ordinary.
With your now unsure footsteps, you slowly walk to the end of the aisle in front of you, peeking around the corner.
You catch sight of a short boy sitting in front of a shelf, or rather a stand, with comic books. He's sat down near the middle where the wooden stand is, flipping through each comic with haste.
A messy brown nest of hair sits atop his head while a flower crown with some scarce plastic bees thrown in reasts atop and a long green scarf messily wrapped around his neck. It strangely compliments his look that is styled with green, golden and black and despite the apocalyptic surroundings and lack of proper resources, you're surprised he's styled it very prettily.
A black stylish coat with golden accents is thrown on the floor near him along with his messenger bag, its contents peeking out. Especially the thick book with a pack of pencils. You wonder what the book contains, but maybe you'll get a chance to see it sometime.
You cautiously and carefully lean against a counter near you, observing the young boy as he shuffles through numerous comics. He huffs out a long sigh, throwing another book aside. It comes tumbling down back to him due to the amount he has already piled on top of each other. His nimble fingers pick up another one, swiping through it with precision.
He mumbles something quietly, softly putting the comic onto another pile beside him that is neat compared to the other one.
This demeanour continues for a long minute, basically choosing a book in a ratio that one is kept and twelve are thrown away. He never seems too happy with his decision, frowning at some in sadness despite having to give up on them. You don't understand why he doesn't put them onto the obvious piles of his favourites, but you stand in your place.
Having enough of watching, you whistle too loudly to get his attention.
Only to see the guy jump up in the air and slip on a paper he has previously abandoned on the ground. He pointlessly flails his arms around until his elbow hits the ground first, followed by his hip and the rest of his body.
You wince.
As if caught in the headlights, he spins his head to you. The previously left out paper now present on his head. You see confusion, fear and surprise fight against who will persevere on his face, so you lower your shoulders back down and give him an awkward smile, “Uh, sorry?”
He unsurely stumbles to his feet and dusts his clothes off, tightening the scarf around his neck with tense movement. His eyes widen and he makes a quick, though awkward, show of pulling out a stick?
He fumbles around with it for a bit before it extends into a normal looking sword, posing heroically, “I'll- uh, stab you! Yeah! I'll use this sword to stab you.”
You quirk an eyebrow at his choice of words, and at the adorable stutter he did, “Do you even know how to wield a sword?”
“Of course, I do! Wait- do I? No, no, no, you're just trying to make me look silly. I do know-”
Cue an uncoordinated swing of the sharpened weapon at his own leg, but at least his reaction time seems to be fast and he slides his foot out of harm's way just in time. One he created, and he watches as the sword penetrates the wooden boards and he struggles to pull it out.
His action makes you doubt his abilities further and a you can't help the small giggle that escapes you, raising your arms in mock defence when he sends you a defensive glare, “You- you cannot be serious. Quit the child's play, I'm not here to hurt you.”
He stays quiet, still pulling on the handle of the sword with unfortunate outcomes. It slips out of his fists multiple times and he sighs before flopping down onto the floor, defeated, “I guess I really don't know.”
You choose not to retort any sassy comeback to his gloomy self, rather analysing his figure and approaching the weapon. Arms still held above your head to show you don't plan on attacking, your features soft, “Mind me getting the weapon for you? I won't use it against you, I promise.”
“Go ahead,” he gives you an absent wave of his hand and only stares as you grip the handle.
At first, you tug and nothing happens, so you try holding it at a specific place and are delighted when you feel a small button press against your palm, giving it one more tug along with a squeeze of the switch.
An imaginary lightbulb blinks above his head as he sees the sword retract from the ground and you're left gripping the stick in your hand, “See? It isn't as hard, is it now?”
“I admit, you're right,” he accepts the handle from your outstretched hand, storing it into his hoodie pocket.
No wonder you didn't notice it before. He's had it hidden there and he had to have pulled it out when you whistled. Although you personally wouldn't own a weapon like that, it probably comes in handy for situations like these. You aren't sure if it'd be beneficial in an actual fight against a stronger and better crafted weapon, though.
A switchblade would do a better job, surely. From what you've seen, they're a lighter object, more portable and friendlier to beginners. Might even suit his style of fighting better, even if you haven't seen it in action yet, to be truthful, “I do believe I'm right.”
“I would beat you if I had my hatchet!”
You chuckle, “Well, we can always engage in hand-to-hand combat, if you're that confident in getting me. Why use weapons?”
His eyes widen and all his courage dissipates, waving his hands crazily and shaking his head, “When you say it like that, I'll pass you on that offer, thank you. Why didn't you attack me, by the way? Oh, and also, I'm Tubbo, since we seem to be okay with each other.”
Refraining from telling him your name back, you swing your arm at his head and watch him yelp, shut his eyes and flinch from you in humorous satisfaction. You stop it inches from his face, lowering it and stepping away from him, “You should've seen your face, Mr. Tubbo. I'd say we are okay, but I had to pull that on you and to answer your question of my peace towards you… You just seemed harmless.”
He stands up and looks at you in feign anger, jabbing an accusing finger into your chest “You're so cruel, what? I can't trust you now.”
Tubbo crosses his arms, turning away from you. You turn away from him and spot his collection of comics. His previous actions coming to the forefront of your mind, “Hey, why were you browsing through so many comics?”
“I was looking for something,” he shrugs, walking past you and picking up quite a big amount of comic books. He catches the incredulous glance you give the items in his hands and nods his head at them, “They aren't for me.”
“You looked quite sad when you couldn't grab one for yourself, why can't you?”
He's surprised you picked up on that, but he just shrugs, “I would. If my bag allowed me to carry so much at once and I just want to surprise my friends.”
You give a small 'aww', making his ears flush pink and cower away, “I could help you carry them. Where is your camp?”
“I don't think I should be revealing that to strangers, but I've never been the smartest with decisions and I'm sure you'd notice either way,” Tubbo stuffs the books inside his bag, barely closing it, “I could just act like I abducted you.”
“Won't that be suspicious? You actually seem like a person who's too nice to do that.”
The bee boy lightly grins at that while putting his coat on, throwing the messenger bag on his shoulder, “I'm bad at acting, too, so they'd surely notice.”
“Are any of them keeping guard on this place, by the way?”
“No,” his answer is straight-forward, without any hesitation, “It might be very shocking, but none of my friends know about this place. Although I visit quite often than not. It gets quite harsh out there, y'know?”
You hum, choosing to drop the subject and return back to an airier topic, “Which ones do you like?”
Tubbo's quick to light up at the change, dropping to his knees and shuffling through the messy mountain of comics once again. He carelessly throws ten of them at you in happiness and leaves you grasping them to your chest. You laugh at his enthusiasm, reading off few of the titles and shaking your head as he keeps on searching for more.
This was probably a crazy idea, but whatever. Tubbo seems like an adorable person to be around.
Not long after you get ready to leave, keeping the conversation loose and it's almost effortless how you get along. The themes get intertwined between you with ease, pointing to some aspects around you if you want to make a point.
He is a strange guy to get a hold of, but you can say that you like how easy-going talking is with him. The male has visibly suffered some of his own stuff, but he still has this bubbly personality around him that you can't wrap your mind around. Though, you enjoy that little perk he has.
At one point, you lose sight of the boy, looking around you in confusion only to have him appear behind you and throw a freshly made flower crown on top of your head. The question of where he got it from is lost to his ears as he babbles on how he needs to teach you the crafting of one, so you could be 'flower crown buddies'. His own words. Your reaction is to bump your shoulder with his, joking how he is too goofy for you to even want to learn. A look of betrayal is thrown at you and you chuckle.
He proceeds to skip at certain intervals during your trek through the forest, too, visibly being excited to earn a new friend who is close to his wave-length. You don't even notice when you get close, having too much fun getting to know each other and goof around, but Tubbo increasingly slows his steps near an old-looking house.
He turns to you, “Well, this is my stop. I shouldn't take you further or I'll get spanked for not listening to my peers.”
“Uh, I won't respond to that, though I hope everything's alright back at your base. You shouldn't go through child abuse anywhere,” you awkwardly scratch at your neck, handing him the comic books meant for him.
Tubbo light-heartedly laughs at your perplexed self, a jokester-like glint appearing in his eyes as he accepts the papers, “I hope we can meet again.”
“I do, too, and hey. The library can be our place, if you're comfortable enough to call it that,” you heartily smile at him, ruffling his hair and receiving a pouty 'hey! my hair, not yours!'.
He shakes his head to fix your doings, throwing a lop-sided grin, “I can allow that.”
“Well, I should go,” you look up to the sky, seeing the sun brightly shining more to the west side now. It shouldn't be that long before you'll have to get ready for the night and report your findings with Nick. Not like you have much to say to him, but there are some things worth mentioning to him, “I have a friend possibly waiting for me already. It was incredible meeting you, Tubbo!”
“Likewise.”
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darkpoisonouslove · 4 years ago
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Winx Club Rewrite Is a Go
I don’t know how I ended up here because I’ve always maintained that rewrites aren’t my thing (and I still kinda do) because it feels a lot like reading the same thing over and over again and to me it can be annoying. Yet, here I am with my very own Winx Club rewrite.
I started writing the first episode today but I have A LOT planned out already. Seasons 1 and 3 are pretty solid already even if there is still a lot of character work to be done and logistics to be figured out. I also have some structure for seasons 2 and 4 and I figured out the backstory of the Wizards of the Black Circle yesterday and that gave me an indescribable feeling which is pretty much what I took as a sign that it’s time to talk about this project.
To explain what I am doing - I am taking everything and changing it while keeping it the same. If that doesn’t make sense, then imagine that I am keeping the major plot points and most of the episodes (I have removed some because they are just irrelevant) have the same starting and ending point as they do on the show but there are big changes between those. Seasons 5, 6 and - you’ll find out in a sec - are going to have a lot more changes. I have removed transformations and switched around some of the transformations so that they are earned at a different point than in canon. I have picked a place to end this already and I have arcs for each season.
Now when it comes to the seasons, I have removed season 7 which will be done as a “movie” and will have additional plot still because there really is THAT little to season 7. Season 8 becomes season 7 in my rewrite and is the last and final season. It is the end of Winx’ journey and I think it is a satisfying end to a pretty long story. I am keeping the movies but:
1) There will probably be “movies” after seasons 1 and 2 as well just to make the structure make sense and because I feel like there is enough to be talked about between the seasons.
2) SotLK is majorly different from canon because there was no sense to that movie and only plot holes instead. I’ve saved what was salvageable from it and mostly put it in season 3 to free the whole movie for more interesting and logical stuff to happen. The end goal is the same, though - bringing Marion and Oritel (and Domino) back.
3) Magical Adventure is the least changed but there will be several changes here as well. The plan is to make the movie relevant on a wider level than just to Winx and the Specialists but I still don’t have that clear a vision of it. Just some things that I want to see but need piecing together.
3) The “movie” after season 5 will deal with the season 7 plot instead. I have switched them around. There will be Kalshara and Griffin and Faragonda and some major Bloom drama as well. I need to make these pieces connect, too, but this one feels almost coherent at the current time.
4) Politea is saved for the last movie that is after season 6. You’ll see why. Anyway, major Daphne and Bloom feelings are planned for that movie... and I don’t know what else yet. We’ll see.
I am currently working on all of the seasons and all of the movies at once so it is a bit of a mess. I write down and rewrite ideas. Everything is one big map in my head that isn’t completely translatable to someone else. Anyway, you can find everything I have posted about this in the “wc rewrite” tag. You can ask me questions if you have them and I’ll see how much I’ll share while trying to resist the urge to spoil everything because I have been at this for about 5 months now and I have so many ideas that I adore and want to talk about. Despite that I have no idea how quickly I can work on it. This is bound to take years which was the hardest part of this project for me to reconcile with but I really want to do it. So let’s see how that goes.
I want to say that I am planning on doing one episode a chapter but because I have decided to both develop the characters and be self-indulgent, that will make the chapters long. I don’t think that they are devoid of tension or action, however, because this thing is packed with so much stuff happening. Here’s a little sneak peak from the first episode:
“Bloom, honey, wake up,“ Vanessa’s mellow voice reached her through the colorful explosion into which her dream was retreating.
“Just five more minutes, mom,” Bloom mumbled as she wormed her head under the pillow to block out the interruption. She reached for the fairy princess in her dream with hair of liquid light and a touch like sinking through the reflective surface of a mirror that showed none of Bloom’s own features to her. She’d lose not just the way but her own self if she let go of the figure in front of her.
“You’ll be late for school, sleepy head.”
The woman evaporated in a heap of steam with a nasty hissing sound that rattled Bloom’s bones as she jumped into bed. Vanessa’s apologetic smile came into focus to draw a groan out of Bloom’s parched throat as she threw her head back.
“Not funny, mom,” Bloom grabbed her fallen pillow from the floor and plopped herself back down on her mattress, eyes wide open as the image of the fairy burned in her mind. “I wanted to see where she’d lead me!”
“Who?” Vanessa sat down on the edge of the bed.
“The fairy from my dream,” Bloom covered her eyes with her free hand to narrow her focus to the woman. “I’ve seen her before, I just...” she threw the pillow next to her on the mattress. “I can’t remember where.”
“Well, I’m not surprised. You’ve read every book on fairies that you could get your hands on. It’s only natural that they’ve started blurring together,” Vanessa chuckled.
“Yeah, but it’s not that.” Bloom shot up once again, her vision spinning for a moment from the sudden action. “She’s not a character. She’s something... someone else.” She twisted a strand of hair around her finger looking for the warmth enveloping her at the presence of the mystery fairy. It couldn’t be the first time she’d dreamed about her but she couldn’t recall more than that. “Grandma always said that dreams are important.” Another reason not to let go of the fleeting imagery in her head.
“I’m pretty sure she meant the other kind of dreams,” Vanessa’s amusement was more of a ghost itself now that Bloom had mentioned the newest loss in their family. It was her who had to stay open and talk to Bloom about Mike’s mother when he froze every time the topic was brought up until Bloom could no longer bear to cause him that. “Did you finish your art project last night? I sure hope it was inspiration that kept you up so late and not the lack of it.”
Bloom beamed despite the deflection. “I did!” She jumped out of bed as her mom made space for her to launch herself at her desk where her masterpiece was covered by stray sheets to keep her parents from peeking without her there to see the reactions. Finals had really inserted themselves in all areas of her life–including dreams–to throw a wrench in her works. Finishing a drawing she’d been sitting on for over a month had let her breathe fresh air again. “Here it is.” She pulled two sheets from the pile. “This is the sketch I did during spring break.” She’d spent a whole day wandering Gardenia looking for the building to put her vision into. “And here is the one I’ve reimagined.”
Vanessa gasped, hands flying to her mouth as her eyes gleamed with unformed tears. Not unlike her response to Bloom’s first steps in art back when she’d been three but, somehow, her reactions had developed to match Bloom’s growing skillset without giving undue credit.
Bloom’s heart swelled in her chest with pride boosted by the trust she had in her mom. Her work was almost complete now that it’d accomplished the desired effect with one parent. She’d been in awe herself by the alterations she’d made to Earth architecture to make it elaborate and alien enough for a fantasy... something. She still couldn’t decide what format she wanted to create her world in. Comics were a handy option but a vision of an elusive deal for a TV show still reared its head every time she reached for a pencil and a blank sheet of paper. And there was, of course, the popularity of video games accompanied by her lack of skills or contacts when it came to coding. There was always one more step to the door of her fairy utopia but she had to focus on the art for now.
“I hope that keeping this up will be easier after school is done stifling my inspiration,” Bloom chewed on her lip as she waited for her mom to collect herself enough to give the verdict of whether a summer job was about to take over that function now.
“Uninspired? You?” Vanessa shook her head in disbelief. “Honey, you have the imagination to create worlds and I am sure that one day you will,” Vanessa reached out cautiously towards the museum Bloom had created for her fantasy world. Her fingers barely brushed the paper to leave no traces of their presence and the bittersweet look on her face was too much for Bloom to stand. Her art was not meant to be an untouchable monument. It was supposed to be a temple, a home. Maybe her yearning had come through too well.
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4aloysius-porteu · 4 years ago
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i really wish i hated you || tsukishima kei
masterlist | 1 | 2 | chapter 3
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pairing: tsukishima kei x f! reader
sypnosis: It was an accident that (Y/N) met a certain tall, blonde male; a memory she isn't fond of remembering, but it is where it all started. And ever since, she magically makes her to his path. The image of the bespectacled man dwelled in her mind more than she thought. Tsukishima pushed away his softer emotions and denied their existence, or at least that's what he told himself. But then, he couldn't believe that this girl he labeled as a clumsy, unlucky creature who smashed his glasses is slowly bringing these strange emotions back to him. She might be irritating and dumb sometimes, but he couldn't get himself to completely hate her. Either that destiny was stupid, or he was blessed or cursed.
genre: fanfiction, fluff
wc: 2.6k
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She has met the tall, blonde, and bespectacled male yet again.
"Oh, the midget stalker is here."
"You again?! Seriously, I think it's you who's following me!"
"Hah, what do I get from following an extremely short person like you?" He said, borrowing her words from yesterday.
(Y/N)'s eyebrows creased further in irritation. "Why do you keep mentioning my height?!"
"It was you who started it. Anyways, can you shut up? Do you know that you're in a library?"
She didn't retort back and simply sat on the chair with her arms crossed. It was a fine day then —BOOM— this giant decided to appear out of nowhere. She was trying to forget this person who's associated with some of her embarrassing moments but those just got smashed back to her mind. (Y/N) sighed and pulled a book at the bottom of the stack to start reading, but noticed that the blondie is still standing near the edge of the table, hesitating to sit down while glancing somewhere and back to her.
"What?" (Y/N) frowned.
"Why am I unnecessarily stuck with you on this table?" He sighed, pulling out the chair.
"Because all of the tables here are taken? If you're worried about your glasses being knocked off, don't worry, I won't do anything reckless anymore."
"That's a nice reassurance," He settled down and brought out his studying materials.
Both of them shared the table in the crowded library. Ignoring the people, between them was a silent atmosphere. No one was talking as they both minded their own studies; he was reading quietly and turning pages of a huge book while (Y/N) wrote key points from the printed work and highlighting her notes. Sometimes, the other would leave to return books to their shelves and came back with new stacks. This went on for a few hours until her pen ran out of ink. She scribbled at the back of her notebook in hopes that the ink just got stuck, to no avail. She sighed, resting her head on the notebook. But she really needed to take down notes for her upcoming entrance exam.
"Hey." (Y/N) reluctantly said.
The blonde male looked at her, confirming if he's being called, "What?"
"I'm sorry to interrupt your business but... do you have a spare pen?"
He stared at her with a straight face and placed his chin on the top of his knuckles, implying his refusal to lend one.
(Y/N)'s mentally gritted her teeth. I'm just going to borrow a pen and he's making it hard for me?!
Swallowing her pride, she said, "Look, I need to finish my notes. I'll return it to you right away when I'm done. I promise. Please?"
He scoffed as brought out a pen, "An inkless pen is all it takes for you to become a less lively puppy? You better keep your promise."
A puppy?! "You didn't need to compare me to a puppy but, thanks."
She continued her work but her focus was a bit shaken. This happens whenever she's interrupted or took a break away from writing. Soon, her focus vanished and boredom took over. She tried to read a book to review ideas but her brain won't cooperate. She groaned, her head and arms fell to the table again. The blonde saw but chose to ignore her.
She closed her eyes for a second, however, her gaze fell to the blank paper in front of her face. Her hands are itching to do something other than reviewing and writing, so she put down the pen she borrowed and took a pencil out of her pocket. She placed a pile of books near her notebook so that the male won't notice what she's doing. There, she started to sketch the base of the figure.
She would observe the four-eyed guy who's busy reading some sort of article while taking notes. He has a calm expression on his face rather than an irritated scowl or a mocking grin he usually has. He wears a long blazer and probably a long-sleeved shirt inside. His blonde hair is short yet the edges are a bit curly and his upper eyelashes are prominently long. This was the first time she stared at the jerk's face who she kept bumping into random places that irked the hell out of her, but for some reason, she felt that she had seen this person before the accident in the park, albeit she doesn't know where. (Y/N) came to a conclusion; he was a little good-looking.
The girl looked back to her drawing and shook her head at her own ideas. I can't believe I actually thought that this guy is handsome. How can such a mean creature be blessed with such looks?! Ugh, don't mind, (Y/N). I'm only drawing him because he seems like a great canvas subject, it's not like I haven't done this to other people before...
She went on drawing and drew details to the sketch similar to the boy in front of her. To make the drawing more accurate, she stole small glances at him. She kept things low key because it'll be another embarrassing event if he found out what she's doing. She made the lines smoother in one swift move. The hair and clothes' folds are already well-drawn while she focuses on the detail of his eyes and glasses. She was about to shade when the male finally caught her.
"What is it?" He questioned, closing his book with a low voice and creased eyebrows.
(Y/N) froze on the spot. As much as she doesn't like it, she maintained eye contact with him, thinking of the best alibi that he couldn't argue with. Then, she remembered that she doesn't know his name.
"Uhm... nothing. I was just wondering if you have a name." While talking, her finger subtly moved to grab the nearest object it could get to cover her drawing.
"I have, but why would I mention it to you?" He cooly replied.
"It's alright. I'm not asking you to. Unless you want to be referred to as he/him or the tall, blonde glasses guy all the time?" (Y/N) countered.
He silently turned a page before answering, "Well, it's not like we'll meet every day."
"Oh," was her only reply. Looks like he will stay a nameless guy in her head for a long time. She was about to get back to her business when he spoke.
"Tsukishima Kei."
(Y/N) looked at him in surprise. "I'm not going to repeat it." He added.
She smiled, having clearly heard it right away. "Can you tell me how it is written?"
He looked at her to check for ill intentions but found nothing in her eyes. He hesitantly wrote the characters of his name on a piece of paper.
"I'm (L/N) (Y/N), nice to meet you again, Tsukishima-san." She'd like to initiate a handshake for peacemaking, but she knows how he'd only decline it. She wrote her name for him to see as well.
Tsukishima Kei. She repeated in her mind. What a nice name.
With a notebook covering the upper portion of the paper where she had drawn his portrait, she wrote his name at the bottom. She proceeded to the shading and background features. Backgrounds are one of the things she hates in art because it takes too long to draw one compared to the subject itself. Luckily it's only a sketch so she won't have to suffer. Although she doesn't know if Tsukishima had seen whatever she's doing so she's still cautious. She peered at him for the nth time so she could distract his peripheral vision. Maybe to test the social initiative skills she hasn't used for a long time too.
"Uhh, can I ask something?" She started.
"Hm?" He responded without taking his eyes off the page.
"What school are you from?"
"Amemaru Middle School."
(Y/N) hummed, thinking of another question, "Then, what school are you enrolling to? It must be an upper class one since you had to read those large books and all."
"Not really," Tsukishima closed the book, "I plan to go to Karasuno High School. They may not have a difficult entrance exam, but these readings are for decent grades and some stock knowledge."
"Decent grades, huh... you look like you could achieve more though. I'm pretty sure you'll ace it." She answered, "I was from Kitagawa Dai Ichi. I'm taking an exam in Shiratorizawa soon."
"You're going to that high-class academy? I see, I failed to notice that because you don't look like one. Have fun clashing with other elites there."
"Elites? What are you talking about, you still believe there's such a hierarchy?" (Y/N) chuckled.
"There is though. A gap between them and mere humans in terms of skills and power."
"In the end, they're still humans though. Be it numbers, hard work, or some unique strategy, those 'mere humans' you say will always struggle to step on equal levels with those on the highest rank."
Tsukishima only hummed and stared down at her, "Perhaps I was wrong on assuming you're an elite. You're clearly not."
"Are you underestimating me?" She challenged.
"No, I was just saying. Can I ask something though?"
"What?"
"Why are you suddenly talkative?"
She was caught off guard but tried not to stutter, "Me? Talkative? I'm always like this."
"Really?" He raised his brows, totally not buying it.
"Ugh, fine! I'm tired of studying!" She sighed, "I was scribbling some doodles on my notebook because I'm bored so I thought it wouldn't hurt to talk to Mr. Beanpole in front of me. Forgive me and my awkward social skills."
"Your social skills are not bad. I'm just thankful you aren't using the precious ink of my pen for drawing." He said, stacking the books he used.
She gasped, panicked inside, "You aren't looking at my drawing, are you?"
He got up to return the books,"Don't worry, it's none of my business."
She exhaled in relief, spared from another memory of embarrassment. Her eyes followed his walking figure and watched his movements. She looked at her drawing to compare and used her fingers to define lighting. When Tsukishima got back and placed new reviewers on the table, (Y/N) asked him once more.
"Do you ever get tired of studying?"
"Sometimes I take a break, but I can only do that if I have finished everything."
"What a diligent student you are."
"I hardly see any benefit in being dumb and slacking off all the time."
"Eh, I hardly see any benefit in studying Algebra and Calculus. I have a lot of questions. Do you use derivatives in counting money or salary? Do you use trigonometry in dividing pizzas or corn chips? Why do I need to find the limit of a function if numbers are infinite? Why do I need to get the formula of a certain point in each line or curve I draw on the graphing paper? What is the correct answer for?" (Y/N) complained.
Tsukishima looked at her blankly, doubting her chances of passing the Shiratorizawa's board exam. "I couldn't argue with that, I'd rather read a book composed of words than formulas, but you don't have a choice. Although, if you plan to be an engineer or something, that'll be a different perspective."
"No, thanks, I won't eat math books for breakfast. Other subjects are interesting enough to keep me awake in class, but numbers don't really entertain me."
"Then, what do you do?" He asked, writing on his notes.
"Not much. I just draw, paint, listen to music, and watch anime."
He let out an amused hum, "How about you? What do you do other than to study?" (Y/N) asked.
"I play volleyball, listen to music, and read narrative books."
"Volleyball? So that's what your height is for! I thought it's just for cleaning and reaching high places."
"That's rude."
"If I am, what do you call yourself? Besides, I don't want to make wrong assumptions."
"You just did."
"...right. I'm sorry."
The sense of familiarity took over (Y/N)'s brain, telling her that she definitely had met this Tsukishima guy before. Her face scrunched a little, trying to search her memories and connect the dots. Her eyes found his face again.
"Why do you keep looking at me?" His eyes narrowed, his annoyance towards the girl slowly rising.
"I HAD met you somewhere... before that accident, where did I see you?"
He was about to say something when (Y/N) stopped him, "Shh, I'm thinking."
He crossed his arms and frowned at her. Volleyball, Amemaru MS... She was about to say it but Tsukishima spoke first.
"Were you one of the audience who watched the middle school volleyball inter-high a year ago?"
"I was! Wait, you remember?"
"That was the only place where I could find someone from Kitagawa Dai Ichi." He confirmed.
"Correct. I was a part of the school paper where I was assigned in the sports category. I took a picture of you when my senior was interviewing you! You were the tallest middle blocker in the games! How could I forget that! So that's why whenever you irk me, it was familiar!"
"How am I annoying you? Aren't you the one who kept on talking right now?"
"I've figured out that there's no kind bone in you. And the way you keep on stuffing the spikes from the opposite team. It was never-ending that they didn't have a chance to score properly." She pouted.
"What do you expect from a middle blocker? It was my job to block spikes."
"You could've gone easy on them."
"The game would lose it's sense if that's the case."
"Fine. You're not wrong." Their conversation was cut short after she ceased talking. At least she found out where she first met Tsukishima. She finished the portrait sketch. Grinning, she believed that she captured his features accurately in her drawing. She'd like to hold it near him and compare to make sure though. Satisfied with her work, she went back on turning pages.
"So, you've finally decided to continue to study?" Tsukishima prodded.
She smiled, "I guess. Thank you for talking to me. That was a great stop."
Both of them worked quietly, but now, the irritation they felt towards each other lessened. After some time, a person in the speaker announced that the library will be closing before 6 pm. Tsukishima returned all the books he borrowed and packed his things.
"You're going home?"
"I don't want to come home late. You aren't finished with your notes yet?"
"Yeah, maybe I'll leave five minutes before six."
"Alright. I'll get going now." He swung his bag over his shoulder.
"Hey, wait! Your pen!" (Y/N) abruptly remembered seconds after.
"I don't need it anymore. It was useful, apart from its close on running out of ink."
"But it's yours and you told me to keep my promise!"
"Whatever. Keep it or throw it." He walked out and wore his headphones, having no intention to listen to anyone.
She sighed and checked the ink. More than half of it is gone, but she can use it again if she wishes. (Y/N) placed her fist to her cheek while writing.
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Random Tsukishima Kei facts:
In the second prototype chapter (unserialized, one shot, the first idea of the author on how haikyuu will go) Tsukishima was a second-year, which was changed in the serialized version where he's a first-year. His initial height in the prototype chapter is 184cm, a little shorter than his official height (190.1cm). In an extra sketch, Furudate commented, "Tsukki and Tanaka being in the same year would spell chaos!
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