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flightfoot · 10 months ago

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Best Lovesquare-centric Fics And Series That Completed In 2023

So the majority of fics I read include the Lovesquare in some capacity, but I figured people might appreciate a list of great fics that really center around them, particularly romantically.

As with the other lists like this, these fics all come from my previous reclists for ML fics I really liked that finished during 2023. So if you like these, you might want to look through the collection I set up for all these fics.

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home is where the fight is by @rosie-b

Nadja Chamack’s voice greeted Adrien as he sat up straight, wiping his clammy hands on his pants and ignoring the black kwami floating by his shoulder. “—shocked to see our heroine fall in battle today, taking a direct hit from the akuma just as she detransformed. Parisians are torn between blaming Hawk Moth and Cat Walker for their roles in this tragedy, which ultimately revealed the civilian identity of Ladybug, Marinette Dupain-Cheng.” Adrien turned off the TV and lowered his head as his vision blurred. Written for Ladrien June Day 7: Injured

I adore this fic! Which shouldn’t be a a surprise, it’s no secret that I love Sentiadrien Enemies AU. Adrien’s so worried about Marinette getting hurt, and wishes that he could help keep her safer, could tell her what’s really going on or get rid of the ring or something, but he can’t. Still, he IS able to find clever ways around some of his father’s more problematic orders. Loopholes for the win!

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Patrolling with a friend for Christmas by @seasofsilver

Adrien just wanted to gift his Lady some time off and hang out more with Marinette during the festive season - it didn’t exactly go to plan, but somehow ended up… better?

This was adorable! Chat Noir tries to give Ladybug a break by recruiting Multimouse to replace her on patrols for a bit, and Ladybug returns the favor by recruiting Aspik to replace Chat. Yep, it’s Snekmouse!

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Under the Umbrella by @fruitdragon1a

Almost everyone has a soulmate. What are Adrien and Marinette supposed to do when they meet theirs? ML Secret Santa gift for Mei! Merry Christmas! Thank you to Now Loading and Rewan Demontay for beta reading this fic!

So this is a version of soulmarks I haven’t seen before. Around age six, soulmates get a soulmark that shows what their soulmate is thinking when they first meet them. Though I guess it doesn’t register while transformed, since it only counts for this one when Adrien and Marinette meet as civilians, and not when they first meet as superheroes.

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you don’t even know me at all (but I was made for loving you) by @ladyofthenoodle

They didn’t remember each other. The hospital told them there’d been an accident—brain damage—but Alya had told them the truth, later. Who’d they’d been to each other. What they’d given up, and why. But even with their memories of each other gone, Adrien and Marinette are still inextricably tied together—by law, by their social circles, and by their hearts. And in the apartment they share, there’s only one bed.

Yep, it’s the “there was only one bed” trope XD! I especially love how it was used here, how Adrien and Marinette are strangers now but they had a whole life together, and they pine for each other even without remembering, and how Marinette just can’t believe how in love with her Adrien is even though he doesn’t remember her. I loved the emotional turmoil the two of them went through together in the fic, and the resolution, it’s great!

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Until I Found You by @linnieluna

Working their way up to a settled adulthood, Marinette and Adrien, now 23, gain a reason to believe that they are expecting—way earlier than they ever planned. Still unwed, it evokes a revelation on Adrien’s behalf. Was it time to take the next step forward?

I loved the emotions here, how Adrien and Marinette reacted to the results of the pregnancy test, how complicated their feelings about it were - and how it prompted Adrien to take action. It’s a really sweet fic!

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From school bells to wedding bells by @linnieluna

When the superhero duo takes on another exhausting fight against an akuma, Chat Noir does what he never hesitates to do and takes a hit for his partner. The problem being: neither of them knew what power the akuma possessed. That is… until he is transported into the future. More specifically, to his friend Marinette’s wedding.

Ah I love time travel fics! Older!Marinette’s surprised, Younger!Adrien’s bewildered, and Older!Adrien is off knowing exactly what happened and giving his younger self some subtle heads-up.

It gives Adrien something to look forward to, to cling onto, through bad days in the future at least!

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u + me = love by @xiueryn

Marinette has a massive crush on Adrien. He has a crush on the superhero, Ladybug. When he says the only person he’ll invite as his plus one to an event is Ladybug, Marinette takes her chance to romance him for the night. AU. (a fanboy and fangirl start to date.)

This is just a fun Ladrien story. Ladybug is happy to oblige in Adrien’s fantasies, and no one else believes that he’s actually dating Ladybug.

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Miracoffee by @pauliestorylover

Ever since the last Mr Pigeon attack over nine months ago, Hawkmoth has fallen off the face of the earth, seemingly for good. There’s never been a better chance for an identity reveal—but after keeping her identity a secret for so many years, Marinette feels incredibly nervous about one. When Chat Noir accidentally finds Ladybug working at a café, Alya comes up with a brilliant idea. If Ladybug and Chat Noir interact regularly in a civilian setting, surely they’ll move towards an identity reveal without outside interference?

Adrien Never Goes To Public School Coffee Shop AU here! It’s funny how he clocks Marinette as being Ladybug IMMEDIATELY. And then after discussing it for awhile, decide to make a bit of a game of the identity reveal, having Chat come in on pre-determined days and seeing whether Ladybug can figure out who she is, all while they get to know each other, even if in passing.

Love the other Miraculous heroes making cameos as well, Marinette seems annoyed that Nino cosplaying as Carapace actually doesn’t tip anyone off XD.

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For the Sake of a Ring by @rosie-b

An akuma that transfers people’s consciousnesses into other universes hits Ladybug, sending her into a world where everything is the same… but instead of earrings, she’s wearing a ring on one hand! She’s only just arrived in this universe, but already Plagg seems to have gone missing. It’s up to Marinette to figure out what happened before she’s sent back home! This fic takes place in the future, after Season 5, but it does not contain any leaks or major spoilers. Please keep the comment section spoiler-free, too!

This is really cute, Marinette gets transported into a world where she’s married to Adrien and is really confused as to why and how they got married at sixteen. Adrien’s just an adorable puppy who thinks his wife is the most amazing person in the world!

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His Princess and Her Knight by @seas-of-silver

Adrien, Marinette, Nino and Alya have a group assignment about how the past has shaped them into the people they are today, but they’ll make a discovery that’ll send them searching for answers.

This fic is adorable, Adrien, Marinette, and Nino uncover that they all went to the same preschool together, with Adrien and Marinette immediately latching onto each other, Adrien being the knight to Marinette’s princess, and also making friends with Nino. Sadly he was pulled after two weeks, but it made quite an impression on him.

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A Friendship Not Abandoned (Just Delayed) by @nomolosk

Marinette Dupain-Cheng and Adrien Agreste first met as tiny little kids, but then Adrien had to move away. When they finally meet again, will they even remember each other, much less become friends again?

Poor Adrien keeps on saying or doing just the wrong thing to give Marinette the impression that he’s a bully like Chloe when he’s not, and he keeps desperately trying to fix it. So a bit of an enemies au in that way, since Marinette doesn’t like him much. He does gradually manage to convince her that he’s a good person though.

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The Mer-Human Race by @rosie-b

Bringing her hand closer to his lips, Adrien tried to plant a kiss on it, but Marinette pulled away before his lips could touch her. “Save it for your girlfriend,” she said teasingly. “Or do you still not have one yet?” Adrien smirked and crossed his arms. “It’s a girl,” he said. “And I know her in real life. That’s all you get. Now, let’s get back to planning, shall we? We have a mermaid to beat.”

Lovely world-building here! Merfolk and humans have had a treaty for a long time, so there’s a tradition where merfolk can challenge humans to a race, and whoever wins gets to ask for a reasonable sort of reward (in Marinette’s case, she wants to be allowed to captain a ship at a younger age than is usually allowed). Alya, Nino, and Adrien are naturally very encouraging towards Marinette, and luckily for her, a nice merman going by the name of Chat Noir shows up and challenges her to a race…

Yeah you can see where this is going XD. It’s fun, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

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A Mousey guest by charliepoet13

Adrien Agreste has finally managed to break away from his father and make his way out into the world. One faithful night, after settling down in his new home, he spots a strange guest.

Adrien X Multimouse fic here! So this is inspired by the Borrowers, with little people the size of mice living amongst ordinary-sized humans, and Marinette got a little careless here XD. But soon finds that Adrien’s friendly and not a threat. It’s adorable and reminds me of the The Littles book series that I read when I was a kid!

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Caught In A Multimouse Trap by @a-flaming-idiot

Adrien was having a rather slow morning. That was until he discovered a tiny superhero trapped in his home and decides to be a bit of a hero even out of his suit.

This was adorable! Adrien does his best to care for the little miniature superhero caught in a mousetrap, bandaging her up as best as he can (thankfully only her tail got caught so it’s more of a phantom pain than an actual injury) and just… it’s really cute.

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do you think I have forgotten about you? by @roseinaugust

Based on the song ‘About You’ by The 1975. Memory Loss. Told in alternating time lines, one leading up to and one dealing with the aftermath of Marinette relinquishing the Miracle Box and the guardianship. Marinette struggles with her life after losing her memory, though there is a persistent voice that calls to her that always seems just out of reach in her memory.

Beautiful memory loss fic here, with seeing Ladybug’s and Chat Noir’s relationship before she gave up the Miracle box, juxtaposed with the present day, when Adrien is only a stranger to her. I could really feel how Marinette was struggling with navigating these new circumstances, with her friends seeming to expect her to remember, to be who she was to them, to Adrien especially, before, and her just… not knowing whether she can do that. It’s got a happy ending though, for those who are concerned about that.

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How Marinette Learned to Stop Worrying And Love The Ball by @rosie-b

Hidden from the crowds thronging around the busy fairy portal in Paris’s town square, a fae gate sits at the edge of the forest, locked, rusty, and full of ancient magic. Marinette thinks that this abandoned gate must not work anymore… but one day, a fairy disguised as a black cat steps through it.

Ah, Fantasy Soulmate AUs, my beloved XD. This ain’t the only one of this fic type I’m gonna be recommending. This is just a cute fluff fic without much strife. I love Marinette and Chat Noir being able to be childhood friends via his visits, even if he has to pretend to be her cat whenever he comes over, and I ESPECIALLY adore Alya being his chaperone and quickly becoming friends with Marinette in her own right. It ain’t a complicated plot, but it is a nice and warm fic.

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Stay Weird, Ladybug by @diadraws

Ladybug receives an invitation at the end of a patrol! Contains some of my own headcanons, most notably: MIRACULOUS HOLDERS ARE CREATURES!!! They get actual animal traits when transformed instead of just a costume. My tumblr is diadraws where I elaborate some more on my headcanons which may add some additional context to this fic if you are interested! CONTENT WARNINGS: *major* depictions of panic attacks, discussion of child neglect/abuse, and a minor emetophobia (vomiting) warning towards the end.

I’ve loved the comics and fanart I’ve seen dia create for this AU, with Ladybug’s and Chat Noir’s more animalistic designs, so reading a fic set in that AU was a real treat! It’s mostly just a Ladrien sleepover at Adrien’s house, but it’s very nice and cozy, with some good character development of Adrien helping Ladybug with panic attacks she keeps having.

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Our Tales Are Endless (That’s Why I Tell Them) by @joonapeach

Marinette lives a simple life - one surrounded by pretty dresses, fresh macaroons, and the calming view of Paris. It’s a life she thinks she has always fit in. And yet sometimes, when a certain boy comes by her shop with a flower and a new adventurous story, she can’t help but wonder if there’s something else she’s missing.

This was a truly gorgeous story. It’s the classic “Marinette gives up the Miracle Box and loses her memories” storyline, exploring her life two years later. Even though she’s had time to heal and recover, she still feels like she’s missing something, something big. At least Adrien’s stopping by regularly to tell her stories about Ladybug and Chat Noir, even if she doesn’t understand why they resonate with her so well.

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a winter so warm by @rosekasa

winters were hard for even the best of vampires, but at least adrien had marinette to keep him warm with her cuddles. december was going to suck without her. so it was only to be expected to get extra cuddles in before she left, right? (well, not really, considering those heating supplements he was taking, but she didn’t need to know about that).

This one’s mostly just cute cuddly adorableness! It’s basically like all those “Marinette gets the Ladybug trait of needing to cuddle up to someone for warmth”, but with Adrien instead. And of course featuring Marinette being a very talented witch who just wants to help Adrien stay warm when she isn’t there XD.

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The Power of Love by @nedjsmlfavs

In which Ladybug announces that she’s pregnant via her long term boyfriend and Chat Noir is a supportive partner. After all, he can hardly be upset when he’s been dating his Princess for years!

A different take on the show’s tagline (“The Power of Love Always so Strong”) written for Valentine’s day 2023.

This is just a sweet, fluffy fic about Ladybug and Chat Noir finding out they’re having a baby, revealing to each other, getting married, and becoming parents. Gabriel actually tries to do better here, as he does actually care about getting to know his grandchild, and realizes that he can’t undo this timeline without undoing his granddaughter’s existence as well.

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Villainous Matchmaking by @nedjsmlfavs

When Chat Noir is tragically unable to attend an event with Ladybug, the mayor calls in a favor from a designer ‘friend’. Now she’s attending in style, on the arm of the hottest male model in Paris. Which would be fine if it weren’t for one, tiny issue: Paris’ favorite domestic terrorist now knows how Ladybug feels about his son. This leads him to his greatest plan yet, using Ladybug’s extremely obvious crush on Adrien Agreste to akumatize Chat Noir.

A Ladrien/“platonic” Ladynoir fic

This is adorable and hilarious. Gabriel keeps on “accidentally” releasing things which makes it looks like Adrien and Ladybug are a couple in an effort to make Chat Noir jealous, while Adrien and Ladybug ae just over-the-moon about getting to spend time together and finding out that the other person loves them XD.

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Fate, Destiny... A Hamster by @mostmagical

After finally moving into his very first apartment per Ladybug’s suggestion, Adrien discovers something no movie or TV show could have ever prepared him for: someone else's hamster.

Marinette was so excited to have her first pet. If only it would stop escaping!

At least now there’s an excuse to talk to the new neighbor.

(Adrienette Never Met AU)

Funnily enough, this is based on a true story. Specifically, the author’s own experience of having her hamster run out and be found by a neighbor.

Anyway, this is adorable! Marinette and Adrien become smitten with each other extremely quickly, with Marinette’s hamster keeping giving them reasons to talk. Very effective wing-hamster, that one XD.

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Through the Looking Glass by @jheqiawrites

Adrien is a lonely child, cut off from the outside world by his parent's strict rules. But when he discovers a window in his closet and sees a young girl looking back at him like his reflection, maybe he has hope for friendship after all.

Poor Adrien here, he makes a long-time friend (who everyone thinks is an imaginary friend), and has several great years interacting with her as his parents grow more concerned with him not growing out of it... and then Emilie dies, Gabriel orders the window destroyed, Adrien’s put on medication to suppress his “hallucinations” (which also makes him forget Marinette) and he’s just kind of left like that for the next several years, until he’s an adult.

Luckily, while Adrien forgot Marinette, Marinette never forgot him, and he’s not too difficult to track down...

This is some really cute Adrienette, if you want a “forgotten childhood friends-to lovers” Adrienette story, you should check this out!

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Miraculous Conception series by @ladynoirfanao3

Summary of the first story, The Power Of Creation:

Everyone knows that Ladybug's cure fixes everything after the destruction wrought by Shadow Moth's akumatized villains. After an akuma with an unfortunate power leaves Ladybug and Adrien in an awkward position, Marinette has never been happier to simply forget. However, she soon discovers that her miraculous ladybugs have a limitation on their curing ability, a limitation that puts her in a situation she never expected to be in.

So basically, Ladybug and Adrien run into each other just as an akuma makes everyone in the vicinity extremely horny, and when they both start remembering things again, they’re in a pretty... compromising position. But it’s just an akuma so they put it out of their heads, until Marinette discovers she’s pregnant and has to decide what to do about it, whether to keep the pregnancy, tell Adrien she’s Ladybug and is having his baby, what to do with the earrings when she’s too pregnant to be Ladybug, etc.

I really enjoyed it! Just watching Ladybug and Adrien try and navigate the situation, especially with secret identities thrown into the mix.

The main fics in the series are basically the same story, it’s just that the first one is from Marinette’s perspective, while the second one is from Adrien’s. The Power of Creation is rated M while the Power of Destruction is rated E, but for both fics it’s just rated that for a single sex scene that occurs in the fic (with it being the same sex scene in both fics, just told from two different perspectives).

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you made me a hero - reverse crush short stories series by @non-fantasy

This series is just plain fun! Like the title says, it’s a reverse crush AU, so Adrien’s head-over-heels for Marinette, while Ladybug’s smitten with Chat Noir. Which means that Adrien’s constantly trying to woo Marinette while Ladybug’s attempting to have normal conversations with Chat Noir (and failing), and both of them are oblivious to each other’s feelings.

I love the way non-fantasy executes it, with Alya literally carrying around a spray bottle because of how eager Adrien is, and Ladybug being VERY SCARY if you ever lay a finger on Chat Noir (seriously akumas will literally beg for their akumatized object to be broken just to escape her wrath).

Oh, also, Ladybug regularly stops by Adrien’s room so they can both lament how difficult of a time they’re having wooing their crushes, and just have fun together.

There’s a lot of entries in this series - 29 of them in fact - but most of them are pretty short, making it great if you want to devour some quick, cute, hilarious romcom action!

Some stuff does actually change over the course of the series, it’s not just slice-of-life. Like identity reveals, dating, and even Hawkmoth’s defeat, so there’s clear progression and changes in circumstances as well.

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Dreams of You by @chocoluckchipz

Dreams had long been his only escape. Dreams of Ladybug, the girl who had always been there for him.

If only in his dreams. And only while she was also sleeping.

Because with the first rays of sunshine gliding over her skin, with the first fluttering of her eyelashes, from the moment she opened her eyes in the morning, memories of Adrien would vanish from her mind.

She would go on living her life.

He would always be the only one who remembered.

At least until they meet in the real world and fall in love all over again, something that would’ve been easier to do if Adrien wasn't a prisoner in his own home.

Chocoluckchipz has some of the most beautifully executed lovesquare fics I’ve read, and this is no exception. Most of the fic is dedicated to Adrien wooing Marinette, spending time with her, with her own dream self acting as his wingman, giving her tips on how to get her to fall for him, all the while frustrated that she can’t share memories with her waking self, and that she and Adrien can’t share as much information as they’d like while asleep, due to limitations of the “curse” that allows Adrien to share dreams with his soulmate.

It’s not all cute Adrienette fluff though. There’s a threat in the background waiting to erupt, as the weirdness of Gabriel’s ultimatum to Adrien about finding Ladybug or else being forced to marry Lila keeps on gnawing at him - and with good reason. This is a world with magic and kwamis still, and that fact makes itself very relevant in the last third of the story.

It’s a well-written tale and very much worth a read!

#miraculous ladybug #ml fanfic rec #marinette dupain cheng #adrien agreste #adrienette #marichat #ladynoir #ladrien

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cissyenthusiast010155 · 2 years ago

Note

If Morticia would be a bottom she would absolutely be the most fucking bratty bottom that there is and she would absolutely loved to be spanked, I mean...holy shit.

Could you do a BrattyBottom!Morticia x Top!Fem!Reader where Morticia has been a brat all day and finally gets punished with aftercare?

(Spanking, strap and daddy kink)

Heyyy anon! Thanks for the request! YES just YES. Hope you enjoy 😉 Disregarding majority of the canon plot for this one…

Hand on Your Neck ~BrattyBottom!Morticia xFem teacher!Reader

Mommy…Master List

Prompt-List

Warnings: NSFW, 18+!!, smut, bratty bottom, spanking, strap fucking, daddy kink, praise kink, degrading kink, overstimulation, implied chocking kink, etc.

Longer Fic

Enjoy (;

You and your wife, Morticia, both worked at Nevermore.

She taught witchcraft and divination and you taught outcast history.

And today…

She had been really testing you.

First off, Morticia’s outfit choice of the day was incredibly innapropriate for anyone else to see but you.

She kept making lingering touches and passes at you all day, in front of students.

Then, she had been whispering questionable and quite bratty things to you all day.

“Behave.” you had gritted out during lunch.

“Or what, you’ll spank me, Daddy?” Morticia had spat back into your ear.

“Oh just you wait…” you purred.

Later that evening, Morticia came into your shared quarters.

She loudly sighed.

“What is it, slut?” you purred out, while continuing to read your book.

The nickname sent chills throughout Morticia’s spine.

“Touch me?” Morticia asked you with a pouty look on her face.

You chuckled, “No. You’ve been too much of a brat today to have earned any release…”

She whined.

“Then I’ll just have to do it myself.” Morticia huffed.

“Don’t you dare, brat.” You sneered, looking up from your book, meeting her hungry, lustful, grinning face.

“You want my attention? Fine. Bend over. On my lap.” You ordered.

She giggled, “But what if I don’t want to… What if I just want to cum?”

“Tish…” you threatingly purred, “Bend the fuck over. Right the fuck now. And I’ll fuck you so hard through the night, you’ll be spasmying from the uncontrollable orgasms…”

Morticia gulped.

She complied and bent over your lap, on the edge of the bed.

You easily lifted her way to short dress to reveal her black lace thong and dripping wet core.

Impatiently, Morticia thrusted her ass up to meet anything to get friction.

You tutted her off.

“Count. Stop or lose track and I restart.”

“Yes, Daddy…” Morticia groaned.

A smack landed on Morticia’s ass, courtesy of your hand, eliciting a whimper from Morticia.

“One…”

“One, what slut?” You jeered into her ear.

“One, Daddy…” Morticia groaned.

You hummed in response.

Whack!

“Two, Daddy…”

Smack!

“Fuck three, Daddy…!”

Crack!

“Four…, Daddy!” Morticia groaned, her ass getting redder with each smack on her ass.

Slap!

“Five, fuck… Daddy!”

Thwack!

“Six, God please, Daddy!” She mewled, her pussy getting more dripping wet with each smack on her ass.

Swat!

“Seven… please, Daddy…!” Morticia cried.

Crack!

“Eight… Daddy…” Her voice quivering.

Whack!

“Nine! Daddy…!” She cried out.

“One more, baby… One more for Daddy, k?” You purred. She nodded lightly with a whimper.

Smack!

“Ten, Daddy!” Morticia screamed, with her red ass meeting your hand one last time.

You then soothed her red flesh with your hand, “You did so good for Daddy, baby…” you cooed.

“Fuck me…?” Morticia whimpered.

You hummed in reponse.

“Get on the bed and strip.” you told her.

She obediently followed, while you stripped your own clothes off and grabbed your favorite black strap. You fastened it onto yourself, as Morticia watched with growing, hungry eyes.

“You want Daddy to fuck you?” You tauntingly asked.

She eagerly nodded.

You came up over her on the bed.

“Then beg, sweet slut. Beg Daddy to fuck you into tomorrow…” you purred.

Morticia mewled.

“Please GOD Daddy! Fuck me! Fuck me so hard, please!!” Morticia begged.

You smirked.

“Turn over.”

Morticia’s face dropped.

“You want to me a brat?” You purred into her ear, “Brats get bitch fucked…”

Morticia’s eyes widened and she gulped again.

But she followed your instruction. Silently in fact.

She stuck her ass out to you and you aligned your plastic dick with her soaking hole.

Without warning, you thrusted into her from behind, elciting a cry from deep within Morticia’s throat.

You began to pound into her at a ruthless pace, making Morticia mewl, cry out, and moan curses, your name, and Daddy over and over and over…

It came to the point where her cries weren’t even coherent sentences anymore.

“Hmmm? What was that, slut?” You taunted.

Morticia cried out, “Fuck! Shit…! Please…!!”

You chuckled, “That’s it. Take Daddy’s strap like a good whore.”

Morticia’s eyes rolled back for her upteenth high of the night, her screams filling the rooms.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next morning you awoke with Morticia in your arms asleep.

You smirked at her peaceful form.

“Enjoy watching me sleep, do you?” She remarked.

You chuckled.

“Get dressed, will ya? We don’t want to be late for breakfast now do we?” You cooed.

Morticia hummed and went to get up, but her legs immediately collapsed with a wobble and she fell onto the ground.

You couldn’t contain you laughter.

“Haha, very funny.” Morticia mockingly grinned.

“Oh just look at your neck…” you got out through your laughs.

Morticia made her way to the mirror, only to notice a massive hand print on her neck, a reminder of last nights activities.

She almost moaned at the sight.

“Oh I’m not covering this up love… Everyone will get to see what Daddy did to me last night…” Morticia purred, with that bratty twinkle in her eye.

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book-of-baba-fett · 10 months ago

Text

Illicit Affairs - Chapter 22

Captain Rex x OC

Previous Chapter

Chapter Summary: In the final chapter, Talia reflects on how she's grown once receiving positive news from the war front that gives hope to the future.

Chapter Rating: M

Warnings: MAJOR angst, death, grief, alcohol,

A/N: Y'all it's finally here. More notes to come at the end, but thank you for your support in this wild ride. Firs though, a shoutout to @cyarbika for letting me use Kork in this fic, tbh defining how I view 79s, and for holding this plot in for what, a year now lol?? and the biggest love to @galacticgraffiti - you have been my guide for this entire fic, I wouldn't have made it here without your beta reads. ilysm 💜. also thanks for letting me borrow your OC, Eya!

Ao3 Link

Series Masterlist

21 BBY – Coruscant

Talia had been in bars probably from too young an age; her early missions with her Master often brought them to the seedy corners of the galaxy in search of information. What she lacked was the experience of going out and enjoying a bar, and 79’s was a much different atmosphere than the bars she had been in before. When the doors opened, she was slammed by the bright lights, the loud music, and the thrum of relief and energetic comradery bouncing off every surface.

There were holoscreens illuminating half the walls, clones engaging in drinking games or other friendly bets, beautiful men and women dressed in revealing outfits in the hopes of finding a partner for a night. It was a lot for Talia to take in: the lights, the noise, the energy a near concussive assault on her senses. But once she settled in the booth with the men she had only known a short amount of time yet had already grown to care for so much, it all calmed down somewhat.

Talia was surprised by how easily they welcomed her, but then again it had beenChurch’s insistence that had brought her out in the first place and Storm’s assurance that had swayed her. She didn’t want to be in the way, thinking that going out with the men she commanded would just burden their night off. But as she sat with them, and they tossed around jokes from the recent campaign, she saw it for what it was: a need to debrief and decompress after the stress. She felt honored that they included her, and even realized how much she needed something like this instead of going to the Temple or even hanging out with her civilian friends who just wouldn’t get it. Talia was still getting used to the title of General, still felt weirdly empty when her hands ran through her hair and she no longer felt her Padawan braid. So, it was nice to have a night where she didn’t have to think about any of it.

The downside to her inexperience in bars was she had no idea what to drink. She followed the boys lead and drank the awful free beer they were served, but decided she couldn’t stomach the stuff. When Storm noticed her displeasure he did her the favor of ordering her a gin and tonic, which he informed her was his usual drink. After she downed it and was already sporting a light buzz, she decided to treat her men to something a bit better than the standard beer, and ordered a round for all of them. She excused herself to a round of cheers, her cheeks warming in a flush from the alcohol. The bartender was more than happy to give her a recommendation for a better ale and recommended a cocktail for Talia to try.

The feeling of being out of place inched back in as she patiently waited for her round of drinks, tapping her fingers on the counter and trying to blend into the crowd when she was bumped from the side.

“Excuse me, I’m sorry ma’am, the crowd pushed a lot more than-“ a clone’s voice sincerely apologized, only to cut off as Talia turned to see Captain Rex’s face darkening from a flush as he recognized the Jedi next to him. “Oh, General Riva! I’m so sorry I didn’t see you there. And I’m sorry again for knocking into you-“

Talia chuckled at his flustered words, but shook her head, “It’s ok, Captain. It’s crowded in here; I had to fight my way to the bar.”

Rex’s face relaxed at that, a small grin even toying at his lips, “Well, you could just use the Force to part the crowd, be more efficient.”

Talia snorted, then blushed from the embarrassing noise that had escaped her, but Rex didn’t seem to notice. “The men already seem intimidated by a Jedi being here, I don’t need to draw more attention to it.”

“That reminds me, I should probably make sure my boys are on best behavior tonight then,” Rex grumbled, tossing a look over his shoulder at a booth filled with clones in the 501st blue armor. Talia hadn’t worked with them enough to know all their names yet, but she recognized a few from a recent mission. They seemed to be having fun, or maybe having an argument by the way some of them were pointing and shouting at each other. Maybe a bit of both, Talia supposed.

“Don’t dampen their fun on my account,” Talia said, “We all need a break.”

Rex huffed out a laugh and nodded at that, “You can say that again. And you wouldn’t dampen their fun at all; in fact, I’m worried it would be the other way around.”

“What do you mean?” Talia asked confusedly.

“Oh, nothing,” Rex answered quickly, as if he had gotten too close to admitting something he didn’t want to say. “Just that...I think my men wouldn’t leave you alone, that you wouldn’t be able to enjoy your night without them bothering you.”

“Oh, they wouldn’t bother me!” Talia insisted. “I liked working with you all on Taanab; Fives and Echo had me cracking up.”

Rex shrugged. “Echo can control himself, Fives on the other hand…”

“Oh yeah, he’s a flirt,” Talia cut in. Rex looked at her wide eyed then laughed. “You think I didn’t catch any of that? I can’t imagine what he’d be like with the influence of alcohol.”

“Again, why I hope they don’t bother you.” Rex muttered, once again casting a glance back at the booth, only to see some of the brothers, including the one in question, watching them at the bar.

Rex sighed and murmured something under his breath then glanced back at Talia. He straightened himself up, facing the bar again, “What are you drinking? Can I get you a round?”

“I already ordered,” Talia explained, nodding her head in the direction of the bartender, “and I wouldn’t let you get me a drink anyway. In fact, I’m getting you one.”

Rex shook his head, “I can’t let you do that.”

“I insist. You serve under Anakin; I know you must be in dire need of alcohol,” Talia said.

Rex laughed again, still shaking his head, “I’m fine with just the Kork.”

“Wow, you are a horrible liar,” Talia observed, smirking as the Captain attempted to deny it. She wasn’t even using the Force, but after experiencing the stuff herself she assumed you had to lack taste buds to enjoy it. “I don’t see how you guys can swallow the stuff.”

“The fact that it’s free helps,” Rex admitted, “But really General; I’m fine.”

“Nonsense,” Talia waved off as the bartender came back around with Talia’s drinks. She glanced at Rex, ready to take his order when Talia cut in, “Could you get another one of these ales for the Captain? And put it on my tab?”

The bartender was off before Rex could argue, “Thank you, but you don’t have to.”

“I know, but I want to,” Talia insisted. “It’s the least I can do.”

“Well, usually it’s the clone buying the girl a drink in here,” Rex offered, a slight smirk on his face. Talia’s face felt warm – a weird reaction, she thought.

“Guess you’ll just owe me a round the next time, Captain,” Talia replied. “I have to say it’s nice to see you on a night out, you seem a lot less... stressed.”

“In truth, this isn’t my usual thing. I was convinced to join,” Rex explained.

“Same here,” Talia added, “Sometimes, our men know what we need more than we ourselves do, I guess.”

“But we can’t admit that to them.” There was that smirk again. Talia tried to ignore the way it lit up his face, how it enhanced how handsome he was. It had to be the alcohol in her, making her warm and encouraging her eyes to linger on his face.

“And for what it’s worth, it’s “You kind of have,” Talia said, earning a confused look from Rex. “Naboo? The Gala?”

“Oh well… I don’t think that’s fair to count because I didn’t know you were a Jedi.” Rex offered, his hand reaching to scratch the back of his neck. “And you weren’t exactly off duty.”

“Fair, fair,” Talia shrugged. “But then I was much better dressed for a night out.”

“You look perfect,” Rex said it so simply but stopped himself suddenly, the skin on his neck and cheeks darkening slightly. Talia’s own cheeks burned once more, but she didn’t know what to say in return. Rex also seemed speechless at his own admission, and for a moment they lingered on it, silent but surrounded by the loud music and conversations echoing around them. Talia searched for a witty response, or even hoped some words of thanks would leave her tongue, but instead found herself horrendously lacking any reply. Not from embarrassment or discomfort, but almost because Rex’s words had caught her off guard. Talia felt she should say something to ease the blush creeping in on the Captain as he obviously seemed as surprised by the compliment he had paid her. She supposed she could offer the same reply back, but felt lame and she didn’t even know why she was at a rare loss for words, but she didn’t get a chance to salvage her own lapse.

“Captain!” They were interrupted as Fives pushed his way in beside Rex, wrapping his arm over Rex’s shoulder and admonishing his brother teasingly, “Stop flirting with Talia so we can get on with the game!”

Talia didn’t think it was possible, but Rex’s face darkened further as his jaw dropped. His eyes darted back to Talia as he sputtered out “I wasn’t-“

“Sure sure,” Fives waved off, his voice slurring a bit, “you’ll just deny it again. General, looking great as always, but I’m going to steal our captain for a bit.”

“Sorry for holding him up for so long,” Talia answered, her cheeks still aflame. She directed a small smile back at Rex, who looked torn between dying of embarrassment and like he had the temptation to kill his brother. “Have a fun night, hope to see more of you soon.”

“Thanks, you too, Talia,” Rex said as Fives dragged him off. Talia watched them go, her cheeks aching from the smile stuck on her face. It was weird, he had only ever referred to her as General. She liked the way her name sounded coming off his lips.

19 BBY – Coruscant

79’s hadn’t visibly changed much in the time since Talia had first walked through its doors, yet the way she knew it had evolved entirely. It wasn’t an unknown space; it was filled with memories. Its walls echoed with the joy of time spent away from war with friends who she would never forget, some who had grown to be like family… and Rex, who was so much more. Talia knew the workers, had collected bits and pieces of their lives through conversation and they felt as ingrained to the place as the clones who it was built for. As she walked in, Talia smiled in greeting at the large Nautolan bouncer, Eya. Those who didn’t know them would see them as imposing from their size, the tattoos decorating their violet skin, the spikes protruding from their knuckles and the cybernetic eye that contrasted to the deep black of their organic one, but Talia recognized there was a strange, comforting softness underneath the façade. They were also friends with Storm, who Talia had come to 79’s with that night, and he stayed back to chat with Eya while Talia grabbed a booth, seeking a private space for the conversation she wanted to have.

The 412th’s last campaign had been relatively easy work, but they had missed the battle on Coruscant, something that seemed to bother the men as they wanted the chance to defend the center of the Republic themselves, but sometimes other duties called first. They were granted leave as soon as the campaign had ended, and Talia felt relief when they approached the planet and she didn’t see much damage on the surface. Coruscant had been her home for as long as she could remember, the whole planet and the temple especially had always seemed so untouchable before the war. The bombing of the temple was a stark reminder of how war could always hit unexpectedly, and she was grateful the siege of the planet hadn’t lasted long.

As the Venator approached Coruscant, they received the news that was the cause for her and Storm’s meeting tonight. Master Kenobi had engaged Grievous in battle on the Utapau system. With Count Dooku dead, the Separatist leadership was fractured, and if Obi-Wan could defeat Grievous, they would crumble and the war would be over. It was strange to hope, considering how many times the General had evaded defeat before, but something felt different this time. He didn’t have Dooku to crawl back to for support, and Grievous didn’t garner the same level of following that the charismatic Sith had. Without Grievous and Dooku, there was no one to step in, no way the Separatists could still fight.

In other news from the war front, Talia had received word from Rex. Ahsoka’s mission on Mandalore had been a success, and they had captured Maul. Talia had never been more afraid for Rex than she was when she heard what his mission was; Maul had haunted her dreams for too long. She had taken that as a warning that something would happen to Rex on Mandalore, fighting against the former Sith. It would have been too cruel for Talia to lose Rex to Maul, to someone who had caused so much pain and suffering for her already. Especially when they were finally at the cusp of victory, on the brink of what they were fighting for.

Things with Rex weren’t fully back to what they had been, but that was what they had agreed upon. They needed to focus, be on their best without the distraction that they brought to each other. But it was better than the weeks they had spent apart, trying to act as if the other didn’t exist. They still sent each other messages, updating with what was going on in their respective corners of the galaxy, chatting if they had a free moment but truth be told, those were rare to come by. It wasn’t much, and it left a craving for more, but it also gave a promise for what they could have when this was all over. Somehow, Talia knew they would come out of this stronger than they had been before, that Rex and she could build something new off the foundation they had. And it felt like the will of the Force was suddenly on their side, like something would finally move to end this war, to end all the pain that had been inflicted on the galaxy. But to Talia, it would be a new beginning.

Storm joined her, with two gin and tonics in hand, and slowly slid into the booth. They had come here together a few times one on one. Sometimes they said a lot, like in the early days of the war when they took time to learn more about each other in ways they couldn’t just by being in proximity commanding together. Other times, they sat in silence, too weighed down by exhaustion or grief to thread words together. Storm had even confided some of his personal life to Talia, some nice stories about a handsome Pantoran man he would see sometimes on shore leave. Talia had never been able to divulge the same level of information – until today.

“Everything alright, General?” Storm asked as he watched Talia staring thoughtfully across the table, her mind distracted as she tried to ignore the apprehensive twist of her gut.

“Everything’s fine,” Talia said in a half truth. “And how many times do I have to tell you, when I’m here you can call me Talia.”

“Just as many times as I’ll have to remind you: as long as you’re my general, that’s what I’ll call you,” he said as simply as always.

Talia’s gut twisted further, “That’s actually why I wanted to come here today.”

Storm nodded but didn’t probe. Storm wasn’t the type to pry or push people beyond what they were ready to talk about. But he could always tell when someone needed to talk or would be there if they asked. Talia took a sip of her drink and took a deep breath before addressing what she invited him here to say.

“I’m going to be leaving the Jedi Order,” Talia blurted out, a bit more bluntly than she would have liked, but it felt easier to expel the news rather than to linger on it. “This campaign was my last with the 412th, unless something goes wrong with Grievous on Utapau and we still have a war to fight, but I don’t see that happening; all the signs are saying this is about to end.”

Storm’s face was unreadable, but he nodded. “Does the Council know? Does Master Plo know?”

Talia’s gut twisted again at the mention of Plo’s name, in all her thoughts of how this would go, she still had a hard time picturing how her master’s master would react to her defecting from The Order. “I wanted you to know first, I felt like I owed you that after all we’ve been through together.”

Storm nodded once again, but this time, his demeanor shifted. He seemed less tense, like the meaning behind Talia’s words struck a chord with him in a sentimental way. There was also a flicker of mourning in him, or maybe it was just the echoes of Talia’s own feelings for him – how she would miss working with him. Storm settled back in the booth, his eyes meeting Talia’s again as the curve of a rare, teasing smile toyed on his lips.

“Does this have anything to do with a certain blond captain of the 501st?”

Talia’s jaw dropped as her cheeks burned – there was no way… ”How long have you known?”

“Had my suspicions for a while; I knew you had a crush on him,” Storm teased as Talia sat mortified. “And it was obvious he had a soft spot for you. Then I saw him sneak into your tent on Turia, and that confirmed it.”

Talia shook her head in disbelief, “But you never said anything-“

“What would I say? It’s not my business what you do in your personal life,” Storm said simply. “I figured if you wanted to tell me, you would. Which is what you’re doing now. So I assume I’m right then, you’re leaving the Order for him?”

“Yes, well, partially,” Talia admitted. “The truth is, the path of the Jedi isn’t one I see myself walking anymore. At least, not in the confines of the Order. I want more, I need more from my life. And Rex gives me that.”

“What will you do? Without the Order?” Storm asked.

“I don’t know,” Talia answered, and for once those three words weren’t laced with fear or anxiety. They felt oddly freeing. “There’s so much out there. I could go to school, I could volunteer with shelters like the one we found on Turia. I could visit planets without having to fight a war on them. Hells, I could get a job here at 79’s if I felt like it. I could also just do nothing for a while. I’m not sure what I’ll wind up doing, but I feel like that’s a good thing.”

That seemed to be all Storm needed to hear, because he softly smiled at her in that reassuring way. “Then I’m happy for you, even if I’ll miss working with you, General.”

“I just said I’m leaving – you can say my name!” Talia laughed. Storm only shook his head.

“Technically you haven’t told the Council, so you haven’t relieved yourself of duty. Therefore, you’re still my General.” Storm took a sip of his drink, his eyes flashing as he teased.

“You have to be so literal?” Talia rolled her eyes but still giggled.

“Rex knows if he ever hurts you, he’s a dead man, right?” Storm said seriously, though a crack of a smirk lingered on his lips as he continued, “Though I guess I should give you a similar threat since he is my brother.”

“I can bet a few members of the 501st will beat you to it, maybe even Commander Cody,” Talia shrugged, earning a chuckle from Storm.

The doors to 79’s slid open, and a group of shock troopers marched in, heavily armed. Talia frowned; she didn’t recognize the patterns on their armor as being any of the Corrie Guard members she knew. She glanced a curious glance at Storm, and saw her look of inquisitiveness mirrored in his face.

She began to ask him what he thought was going on, when a sharp pain pierced her head.

It was an ache that seemed to shake her entire body, drenching her in a cold sweat. Images flashed in her mind of barrages of blaster fire, flashes of clone armor, piercing blue lightning, a Jedi fighter falling from the sky, and a menacing laughter mixed with cries of pain. She couldn’t focus on any of it, feeling too much and nothing all at once. She was vaguely aware of Storm attempting to check on her, his voice muffled by the others that echoed in her head crying out. A comm was going off, its shrill beep adding to the pain in her head. Every hair on her body stood on end, she was overwhelmed by the cold that had seeped into her, chilling her straight to the bone. She couldn’t make out anything, her visions were too blurred, but through all the chaos she could tell something was horribly wrong.She had to push through it, numb the visions and try and warn Storm that something had happened, even though she couldn’t make sense of it. Catching her breath, she looked up to Storm to explain what she had felt.

All she saw was his blaster pointed at her.

It was a beautiful night on Naboo, with the stars shining brightly over the navy sky. The full moon cast a glow over the gorge their spaceship was hidden in, its light reflecting over the river as it flowed through. Rex could see the outline of the palace in the distance, illuminated by lights in its windows and balconies, a symbol of the culture and beauty of the planet. It didn’t seem right that a place of such beauty was the setting for such mourning.

Everything seemed to be in a haze still. Rex couldn’t easily place how much time had passed in Galactic Standard time since the Order. Nothing felt real as he tried to process all that had happened, all that had changed. He never would have thought it possible that the Republic would fall, yet it happened in a matter of minutes with work completed by his own men. He still had blood and dirt caked on his armor from burying his brothers on the moon. He still winced when he moved from the shots that had hit him in his escape, his head still ached in the spot his chip had been removed. The chip that had been a part of him since he was created, the one Fives had discovered, exposed and tried to warn them about but instead was shot over. He had tried to look into it more after Fives died, but he could accomplish little without arousing suspicion. He knew Kix had his own questions too, then Kix disappeared. Rex should have questioned that more too, but he was too numb, too in denial over losing another brother. The idea of it all being connected was too much. Now he cursed himself for his own idiocy, seeing what should have been obvious. If Rex had pushed harder, if he had fought alongside Fives or continued the search after his death, would that have been enough to prevent this madness?

After their escape, finding out news while evading any attention had proved difficult. They knew the fighter they had would be flagged at any Imperial controlled port, but they needed fuel and to confirm how widespread the Order was. Ahsoka had held on to some small semblance of hope that it wasn’t as bad as she feared, but Rex knew better than to hope. He knew what it was like, to lose control of his mind and identity at a simple phrase. He saw how it instantly changed the brothers he was with and he knew there was no chance any clone could fight it. Once they had finally landed on some asteroid fueling station, the news was so much worse than they had feared.

Rex had never seen Ahsoka so broken as she was when they saw the news about Senator Amidala’s death. Ahsoka had been muted when they were burying the dead from the Venator, devoid of emotion in a stoicness that fit what Rex knew of the Jedi and how they dealt with grief. But when the report about Padmé played, it seemed to break the thread that had been holding Ahsoka together. She burst into tears, a wracking sob shaking her entire body, and Rex knew it was more than just from her closeness with the Senator, for he knew that if Padmé didn’t survive, that meant Anakin was gone too.

The final blow was the news broadcast they caught of the Jedi Temple, with smoke billowing from its great towers as the reports broke about the Jedi’s treason. Ahsoka had to watch her old home burn, and Rex watched in muted terror, keeping himself together so it wouldn’t be worse for the kid, but the only thing on his mind was Talia and praying to things he didn’t believe in that she had somehow made it out.

When Ahsoka asked if they could go to Naboo so she could see Padme’s funeral procession, he couldn’t find it in his heart to tell her no, even if every bit of reason in him was screaming that it could only be a bad choice. He cursed himself even more for letting her go alone, but as a clone he couldn’t blend in. So instead, he kept watch, left alone with his own thoughts as he tried to avoid glancing back up at the palace too often, because it reminded him of a night a lifetime ago, and the woman he met there.

Half the reason Rex was in such a haze was because his thoughts were filled with Talia. When he had been under control of the chip, he had not been Rex anymore - he was CT-7567. But there had been a small portion of his sense that tried to force its way through, a dull nagging in his head. He couldn’t make it out, it was like a rustle in the wind on the back of his mind. Through the haze of trying to accomplish his mission, to follow the order to execute the Jedi, images of Talia kept entering his mind. The second he woke up after Ahsoka had removed his chip, and he realized the implications of what had happened, those images were brought to the forefront as he feared for Talia. But he couldn’t dwell on it then, he had to focus on surviving. But she was in the back of his mind the whole time, that fear plaguing him whether she was fighting in the same way he was that very moment. Or had it been quick, had she not even noticed before anything happened?

No, he couldn’t think like that. Rex shoved those thoughts deep inside him, because if he dwelt on them too long then the air was too thick and he wouldn’t think of anything else. He would think of the images of the Temple burning, of the Emperor’s speech about how all Jedi would be hunted down, and he would think about how all the messages Rex had tried to send her had gone unanswered.

Ahsoka’s figure appeared out of the darkness, slowly walking back towards Rex and the ship. She didn’t say anything, and he wouldn’t probe her and ask about it. They had agreed it would be safer for the both of them if they separated soon, rather than risk attention by traveling together. Rex didn’t like thinking about the kid on her own in the Galaxy, but he already had plans in the works that he knew she didn’t want to be a part of and he didn’t blame her. She had fought enough. He had agreed to take her to Naboo, just to make sure she was OK on an Imperial controlled planet. He would drop her off after, but before he did, they had one more stop.

Waves crashing filled Rex’s ears, the thick smell of salt water lingering in his nose. It was hotter, more humid than when they had been here, something that would have been unbearable when they were stranded. In all honesty, at first it was hard to tell if this was the same island; Rex had charted the planet after they had been rescued, but its surface was littered with many similar atolls and sandbars that disappeared as they were covered by the tide. But as the fighter approached, Rex could see the shuttle still crashed on the shore, only in a further state of disrepair than what they had left.

Its durasteel floor creaked under Rex’s footsteps, the hull was weakened by rust and damaged from their original crash, plus the repeated bashing of waves. Barnacles and other traces of ocean life had left their mark in the shuttle, with a coat of sand and grime lingering over what was once a well-engineered shuttle in the Separatist army. Rex approached the cockpit, stopping as he examined the scorch marks still visible from when he had to cut the door open. The cockpit was in equal ruin to the rest of the shuttle, its controls long lifeless and stripped for the communicator they had made to call for help. He glanced at the wall where he and Talia had first kissed, where he had first lost control and plummeted headfirst into their reckless, beautiful, tragic love affair.

Rex exited the shuttle, trudging through the ankle-deep water back to shore. Ahsoka stood in the distance, giving Rex his moment. For what, he didn’t even know. He had avoided her gaze when they first arrived, and just like he didn’t probe her after the funeral, she asked no questions now. Rex supposed she had a feeling there was more to this visit than pure sentimentality, and he guessed a part of her had always known that his and Talia’s relationship went beyond a soldier and a general.

The beach held no signs of the camp they had set up, it had been washed away by weather and the sea, no memory of what had been. As Rex stood alone, he wondered if he was the only person left in the galaxy who this insignificant spot held any memory for.

As his vision fogged, he wondered why he had bothered to come here, as if he was expecting Talia to be waiting along the shoreline, ready to meet him like they had promised the last time they were together. But that was a promise for a different outcome, a different galaxy. He had hoped being here he could somehow feel her presence, and know she was out there, but he felt more blind than he ever had in his life. And the words ran through his thoughts, words he didn’t want to think but were becoming more and more real by the minute.

Was she gone? Was Talia dead?

He didn’t know whether to scream or cry. He kicked the sand at his feet, a fruitless attempt to get out the rage and frustration festering in him. He fell to his knees, eyes locked on the horizon as he watched the sea, swallowing thickly as he failed to hold in the tears that cascaded down his cheeks. He had done well, holding it all in through everything, but coming to the one place he associated so heavily with Talia, where the memory of her took over his mind, broke him. Half of him wanted to take on Palpatine himself, to seek revenge for Talia, his brothers and all the Jedi. But then another part of him wanted it all to be over, for his fighting to be done. He had done enough of it, and what good had come of it?

Rex wiped his face, and breathed in and out, placing his palm on the ground and clenching his fist around the sand. He had come all this way, for what? To be with the ghosts of his past, of Fives, Jesse and Talia, all whose deaths could have been prevented had he been a stronger man?

He reached into his belt, dug in the pocket of his pouch and pulled out the thin silver chain with the coin-like pendant, his thumb gliding over the raised bumps and lines etched into it. In his hand was the last thing left of her, the only tangible proof that she had been real. Rex considered burying it in the sand, the only memorial that she would get. But he couldn’t find the strength to let it go.

Should he wait? Spend the rest of his days on this beach, motionless as the galaxy spun on, just for the chance that she might arrive one day? Rex almost chuckled as he imagined how frustrated Talia would be at him if he did that, that she would roll her eyes and make a comment about his stubbornness. Then she would flash him that teasing smile, with that steely glint in her eye and say, “You can’t give up on me that easily, can you?”

The sound of the waves was rushing over him, a faint line of pink tinting the sky as the sun began to set. They had been so close to having it all, so close to finally starting a new life without the war and a hope for what they could really be without all the obstacles around them. Instead it was the end of everything. But as much as his muscles ached and urged him to rest and to grieve, that wasn’t in his nature. As Talia always liked to remind him, he was too stubborn for that.

Rex collected himself and pushed up from the ground, clasping the chain around his neck; now it wouldn’t matter if anyone saw him wearing it. Sitting in his grief wouldn’t bring back the brothers he had lost, but he could do something for those still out there. And Talia…the harshness of reality had already settled in his mind, but he had to still fight for her, had to believe she was out there. She had survived more hells than anyone should, but he knew she had more fight in her. If anyone could have made it out, it was her. That’s what Rex told himself as he approached the fighter. Rex still had some fight in him, and he would fight till the last breath to take back what the Empire had stolen from him.

Author's note - so how much do you hate me lol.

I know what you're probably thinking - 'wtf iris where's the rest of it' 'how dare you'' 'WHAT ABOUT THE MAUL SUBPLOT??" and to which I say - all will be answered in time. But I really wanted to thank you - because anyone reading this note is someone I basically owe my life to. When I was a kid, I used to write little flipbook pages and had a mini dream of being an author one day. That dream got kicked out of me quickly just through my own insecurities because I would try and write in middle school and hated every word. Then during covid, I was binge watching the clone wars and rebels and reading fic and thought "hey, what the hell why don't I give this a shot" and the ideas of Talia and Rex were the first I had, even before I was publishing any other fics. I posted other ones as a test, just to see if anyone would even bother to read and I was always so lucky from the beginning to have such fantastic support. Some of you have been here from the beginning, some have joined along the way, and you've all been so patient and understanding as I've dealt with blocks. It's cliche but I could not have finished it without having y'all around. I've cried reading some of your comments, and have been so touched when some of you have messaged talking about how much you've connected with Talia. She's so personal to me, I really have a part of my soul in her and I was terrfiied that people would hate her but the responses to her have been so positive and I can't express how much that means to me. I also got so much more love for Storm than I was expecting (but I guess I shouldn't be surprised because who doesn't love a good clone captain) but I also am so sorry to y'all. I won't leave y'all hanging long, in fact things have been in the works for awhile (in fact I was more hyperfixated on those things and that's why finishing this felt so long).

Taglist: @djarrex @justanothersadperson93 @paige6768 @saltywintersoldat @clonecyare @dinner-djarin @whore4rex @swlover2187 @collectoroffics @pinkiemme @twistedstitcher27 @frietiemeloen @a-c-lee @ashotofspotchka @galacticgraffiti @itsagrimm @rexandechosandwich @immortalhdx @queen--kenobi @stankferrik @aquaamethyst96 @mavendeb @alwayssnivellus @rain-on-kamino @staryskyforever @amyroswell @lucyysthings @manqoz @ilikemymendarkandfictional @punkpirate82 @paperplanes221 @saturnsokas @starstofillmydream @wild-karrde @purgetrooperfox @sleepingsun501 @burningfieldof-clover @seriowan @samspenandsword @sunshinesdaydream @ariadnes-red-thread @babygirlrex0504 @arctrooper69 @cw80831 @dhawerdaverd

#captain rex #captain rex x oc #star wars fanfiction #the clone wars #Captain rex x reader #star wars #captain rex fanfiction #illicit affairs fanfic #ia fanfic #oc fanfiction #original female character #star wars oc #talia riva #tcw fanfiction

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flagbridge · 11 months ago

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A Bunch of Underrated POTO Fics I Like

There are some really great Phantom fanfics on AO3 from @wheel-of-fics and @catcorsair and others getting a lot of traffic. But there are a few out there that I've read where I've though "holy Hera, why do these not have more hits?" Here are some of my favorite fics with 5,000 reads or less (and one that has more but it's honestly one of the best fics I've ever read). All are rated E or M. I also have a major pet peeve in the fandom which is character assassinating one of the boys so Christine can choose the other. Most of these do not do this.

A Deal with the Devil by Lunescape. Raoul and Erik have fallen into an enemies-with-benefits arrangement that, so far, has kept Erik from Christine. But when Raoul makes a bargain with Erik to stop him taking her, he finds that a deal with the devil is not so easily evaded. Complete.

Notes: This is the one on this list that blessedly has more than 5K hits, which is a very recent spike since it was completed in December. A friend and I were both reading this from when the author started first posting and were screaming pretty much every chapter. Gothic horror and smut, really well developed non-self-insert OCs who interact with the main trio (and Philippe) quite well.

2. A Little Menagerie series by Lunescape. Erik/Raoul/Christine throuple series. Well written dynamic on each of the pairings and all three of them. Complete.

Notes: Why on earth aren't there more trio throuple fics? Ive read these ones multiple times, I have no idea why they are so under-read.

3. L'Apparition Initiale by Xanadian_Sled. The Angel of Music reveals himself before Christine as a mortal man for the first time. This is the story of that initial appearance and the whirlwind of remarkable events that followed. WIP.

Notes: Leroux-accurate what-if-things-went-differently to pair E/C together. The only thing I don't like about this one is my personal pet peeve of character assassinating Raoul in order to have him not be viable, but it's at least sort of believable and E/C have a nice dynamic.

4. Etudes by @or-what-you-will. A series of "seriously how is there not more smut about these scenes from the ALW musical that are begging for a smut fic to be written?"

5. Just Enough Rope by @or-what-you-will. In which Raoul learns something about himself during the events of the final lair. Complete.

Notes: E/R breathplay fic.

6. Only if For a Night by @obliobla. It was only right that it happened here, now—the furious mob quelled, the gendarmes' search abandoned. Raoul, recovering from the punjab lasso, secure in his victory, in theirs. Tomorrow, she would be his before the world, in the full and pure splendor of day. But tonight…Complete (short, one-shot)

Notes: Superb mostly-Lucifer fic writer Obli's first foray into our POTO brainrot and she crushes it.

Also, please read my stuff.

#phantom of the opera #poto #fanficton #phanphic #ao3 #other people's work #phanfic #fic recs

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mir4inotes · 7 months ago

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if you could do it all again (this time with style) // mushiango fic

originally posted on 9th sep 2023

read on ao3! / 6.3k words

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It was already a bit too late when Ango realised that this was his first time in a bar in nearly four years.

Vague, watery memories of his time at the Bar Lupin floated behind his eyes as he slid onto a seat at the bar, memories he promptly shoved away. The action was as normal as blinking at that point, swallowing down images his mind conjured up as if they were a bitter medicine.

Thankfully, he had deliberately chosen a bar he had never gone to before, although it was certainly not as refined. The lacquered wooden surface of the bar had a certain stickiness to it, while the windows through which the dusk leaked through appeared as if they hadn’t been washed in weeks. A quick glance around the place revealed not very many patrons, either, the majority of the background noise being made up of a random soccer game that happened to be live. He wasn’t yet sure whether the emptiness was comforting or not.

Once Ango settled himself down, placing his damp umbrella on the floor and setting down his sudoku book with a light thwap, he dug his phone out of his pocket to check the time. 19:37. He had only arrived a few minutes late, miraculously enough.

A bartender eventually made her way over to Ango, where he ordered the first beer he saw on draught. He was never terribly picky when it came to beer, after all, and perhaps this run-down bar would have some of the best in Yokohama.

No, of course not. Ango grimaced at the taste, as if someone had filtered cat piss and called it a day. But it was still beer, and he still wanted to drink himself into oblivion, so he would put up with it.

About halfway through the first bout of sudoku Ango had started, the door to the bar swung open noisily, the little bell at the top dinging frantically, nearly about to fall to the floor. Ango jumped out of his trance and glanced up at the commotion, only to immediately understand the source of the noise.

Mushitaro huffed as he fought to close his black umbrella, which didn’t look terribly sturdy. His hair, normally slicked back and pristine, was beginning to frizz and stick up in places, making him look strangely out-of-character for once. The floorboards creaked under Mushitaro’s feet as he reached Ango’s side, accompanied by squeaking soles that sounded near-deafening in a bar as empty as this.

“No one told me it was going to rain,” Mushitaro grumbled as he took a seat, letting his umbrella clatter to the floor. “I had to use my cheap news stand umbrella I carry for emergencies.”

Ango watched him, slightly confused as he pulled out a pocket mirror and a comb within a few seconds of sitting down, putting his hair back into place strand by strand. Did Ango himself look messy? Should he have checked? The only thing he bothered to do in terms of upkeep since coming here was clean his glasses.

“Is… this not an emergency?” Ango asked, keeping his eyes on Mushitaro’s deft fingers as he took another sip of beer.

“Yes!” Mushitaro huffed, the tip of his tongue sticking out as he focused on one stubborn flyaway hair. “That doesn’t mean I’m happy about it.” He looked up from his grooming only to order a whiskey, the name of which Ango promptly forgot.

“Hm.” Ango turned away from him and returned his attention to his sudoku. The repetitive routine of cycling through numbers in his head was calming for him. It had been for a long time. Dazai would often make fun of him for playing a ‘game for old people’, to which (an often tipsy) Ango would repeatedly deny the accusation. They would sometimes go back and forth like that for a long while, with Oda sitting quietly at the side, occasionally helping Ango with any difficult numbers—

Ango’s breath caught at the memory. He was caught debating whether he should hold on to the moment, as fragile and delicate as a butterfly’s wing, or whether he should tuck it away and forget it along with another mouthful of beer. Given the circumstances, he knew it would be the latter.

Just as Ango took another swig of his drink, Mushitaro snapped his pocket mirror shut and took a long drink from his own glass, downing at least half of it in one go. He already seemed more relaxed then he had a few moments ago. “Anyway,” he said as he placed his glass down, “How are things in Ango town?” he settled his chin on his hand, his full attention now on Ango.

Ango’s stomach fluttered nervously as the spotlight turned towards him. He tilted his head to face Mushitaro yet refused eye contact, continuing to stare at the bar. “… I’m managing,” he mumbled before emptying his glass. He waved the bartender down for more, then asked “you?” rather quietly.

“Oh, you know…” Mushitaro made a few vague, swirly hand motions in the air as he returned to his drink, which was somehow nearly finished despite him only just receiving it. This, of course, conveyed absolutely nothing to Ango, but he reminded himself that he had also been deliberately unclear in his own response, so they were even.

“Oh, also,” Mushitaro continued, “you’re paying tonight. I know you’ve got that government money on you.”

Ango only nodded briefly at that. He had been planning to pay from the beginning, even though Mushitaro had been the one to invite him out. It was the least he could do since Mushitaro had to spend time around him, the man Dazai so often called a social recluse. But alas, if Mushitaro had decided to invite him out, then he’d surely learn soon enough how much of a mistake that was. Ango was surprised he himself had even agreed to the offer in the end.

Mushitaro downed a few mouthfuls from his newly filled glass (when had that happened?) and slid a few inches closer to Ango, looking over his shoulder. “What’s this? Sudoku?” His fingers reached out and tilted the puzzle book towards him so he could have a closer look.

Ango sat up slightly, the sudden closeness with the whiskey-stained breath tickling his cheek startling him a little. As Mushitaro’s eyes flicked over the boxes on the page, his chin had nearly begun to graze Ango’s shoulder.

Ango bristled. “You know it’s rude to look over someone’s shoulder, don’t you?” he said that, although his voice didn’t sound particularly stern. His eyes were still locked onto the paper in front of him; so were Mushitaro’s, apparently. Mushitaro only shuffled closer to Ango, now fully resting his head right next to Ango’s.

“It’s rude to ignore me. There.” Mushitaro nodded at the bartender to get him another whiskey before fully settling himself onto Ango rather stubbornly.

Sober Ango would have nudged him off, but this tipsy, emotionally-fragile Ango decided to let him stay. He’d be lying to himself if he said the warmth wasn’t comforting in some way, even with Mushitaro’s still-damp hair brushing against Ango’s neck. He held back a shiver.

Mushitaro’s hand reached across Ango’s body to point at a box. “Seven,” he mumbled. Ango was so focused on how close Mushitaro’s arm was to his chest he almost didn’t hear him.

“Hm? Oh… I see.” After his sluggish brain confirmed that Mushitaro was right he marked it down. The weight on his left shoulder disappeared for a moment as Mushitaro downed an impressive amount of whiskey in one go before immediately returning to his perch, if not a bit more comfortable than he had been earlier.

A few more minutes went by in silence as both of them stared at the tiny puzzle book. It really was small; it was no wonder Mushitaro needed to get so close to Ango to see. But really, that close? Ango swallowed down a meaner remark before opening his mouth. “…Do you like sudoku?” He then ordered another drink for himself, making a point to not choose beer.

“Like? Psh, no.” Mushitaro laughed in such a way it made Ango feel a bit silly for asking the question. “You just aren’t talking to me, so I’m seeing what you’re up to.”

Those words seemed to unfurl the anxiety in the pit of Ango’s stomach once again. Then leave, he nearly retorted, but he managed to stop himself, take a deep breath. An apology was on the very tip of his tongue, but he found he was too exhausted to say it.

“…No need to be so close to me.” Ango took a swig of his newly acquired drink, cider this time. Mushitaro’s head remained still. Ango’s mind had begun to wander slightly thanks to the alcohol as he mulled over all the different things he’d been wanting to ask Mushitaro about. He was a relatively private man, not really one for prying too much into people he didn’t need to be knowing about. Yet Mushitaro still seemed to be interested in him despite all the obvious red flags Ango had.

So, Ango found himself asking a question before he could stop himself. “What do you think of me?” His voice was hardly audible, as if to let Mushitaro know he didn’t have to answer the question by any means. It was silly. Mushitaro shouldn’t have to answer a question like that, it was bizarre.

Yet, Mushitaro made a humming noise as he thought. His voice was low and grainy against Ango’s ear; he couldn’t hold back a shudder this time. Mushitaro lifted his head from Ango’s shoulder yet again and took a sip of his drink thoughtfully, drumming his fingers against the wood.

“Well, you’re short.” He set his glass down clumsily, some of the whiskey sloshing out the sides.

Ango frowned at that, rolling his eyes. How typical. Mushitaro was still tapping his fingers on the bar as he continued speaking. “Kidding!” He smirked and leaned his head against his own hand again, as he did earlier. “You’re also smart, hardworking, and a total asshole.” He was beginning to slur his words together, however Ango paid no mind to that. He was more focused on the next question bubbling up through his mind.

“Do… you think of me as a friend?” Ango mumbled, sipping on his cider. He still opted to fix his gaze anywhere but Mushitaro’s direction.

Mushitaro was quiet for a moment before he spoke up, his voice sounding more genuine than it had previously. “Yeah, I’d say so.”

Ango risked a peek at the other man, only to see him looking not at Ango but past him. He had a faraway look in his eyes, as if his mind had floated off somewhere else. Somewhere else more exciting than here, I’d imagine, Ango thought to himself.

“Right!” Mushitaro sprang upright, startling Ango so that his pen jerked across the paper and left a mark. “Let’s see that sudoku again, shall we?” His chin came to rest against Ango again, leaving Ango praying that the heat pooling in his face was because of the drinking and not Mushitaro’s continued proximity.

Nonetheless, Ango still felt something akin to butterflies, and he did feel a bit lighter having heard Mushitaro acknowledge him as a friend. Ango was definitely beginning to feel tipsy now, as he cleared his throat to get Mushitaro’s attention once more. Question after question began to spring up in his mind unprompted, as if the floodgates had opened, completely disregarding his typical sense of privacy.

Another inquisitive hum sounded from Mushitaro as he traced the sudoku page with a finger. Then his head fell to the side, resting against Ango’s temple. Ango’s own head tipped to meet Mushitaro’s before he could stop himself. His entire body felt light and heavy simultaneously; the warmth Mushitaro’s body provided was eternally comforting, and he would take the physical proximity he was given.

Ango heard Mushitaro sigh quietly against him. It sounded rather dejected, but then again they were both quite tipsy at that point. Ango pushed it from his mind and asked another question.

“Why, um… would you choose to spend time with me over anyone else?” His voice was hesitant, as if he couldn’t entirely believe he had asked such a thing. “Please be honest,” he added quietly.

Mushitaro huffed again, still tracing the empty boxes that remained on the sudoku page. He pressed his head into Ango briefly before sitting up entirely (to Ango’s slight disappointment). Ango fully turned his head to look at Mushitaro for the first time in a while; he was still wearing that distant gaze, which was again strangely out-of-character.

He took a long drink before licking his lips and slumping his shoulders. “You remind me of someone,” he mumbled, his voice laced with fatigue. One of his fingers had started idly twirling a strand of hair at the nape of his neck.

Not expecting that to be the answer, Ango was about to open his mouth to apologise, but Mushitaro interrupted him. “Plus, I’d much rather be here with you than hanging around Ranpo and his weird American boyfriend,” he muttered, asking for another drink before swiveling his head back towards Ango.

I’d much rather be here with you. Ango felt as if those words had settled deep in his chest, thrumming and swelling until they filled him to the core. No one had ever told him that before; not Dazai, not even Oda.

The thought of Oda again was like a pinprick in his heart, but Ango was still so delighted by Mushitaro’s words he allowed himself a moment of reprieve. He couldn’t control the flush of heat that washed over his face.

More curiosity began simmering beneath his tongue. “May I ask who I remind you of?” Ango doubted he’d know this person, but he’d never had a very good grasp of himself. Being undercover for so long, putting on a multitude of different faces over the years, he’d started to lose track of his real self. Having someone to compare himself to would be useful. He took another sip of cider then asked for more.

“Three.”

Ango blinked. His friend was named Three? Then Mushitaro reached back across Ango’s chest to grab the pen from his hand. His fingers left tiny static shocks against Ango’s own. Mushitaro wrote a sloppy number ‘3’ in an empty box and let the pen fall flat against the bar. He didn’t spare Ango a single glance.

Ango decided against prying. Mushitaro had started to seem a little off; or perhaps that was just what happened when he drank. He turned back to the puzzle book, returning to the comforting whizz of numbers flying through his head. Mushitaro’s arm stayed splayed out as he rested his chin on it.

The two of them managed to fill in a few more numbers in what was mostly silence. They were nearing the end of the puzzle, so it was getting easier to solve as time went on. Mushitaro had also ended up removing his blazer and leaving it neatly folded in his lap. Both Mushitaro and Ango had also finished their respective drinks, but neither of them chose to order another one; Ango, at least, wasn’t planning on getting blackout drunk.

Mushitaro had been fiddling with Ango’s pen for a few seconds. He seemed like he was debating whether or not to say something else that wasn’t a number. Ango took the pen from his friend’s fingers to write down one of the final numbers when Mushitaro spoke again.

“…Yokomizo.” He spoke the word so softly Ango had to inch closer.

“Yokomizo?”

Mushitaro suppressed a hiccup before continuing. “That’s who you remind me of.” Oh.

“He, um… died a little bit ago. I helped him create the ultimate mystery before that. He wanted to be the victim, and for me to… kill him.” His voice began to shake. Ango stayed silent, although he raised an eyebrow at the word ‘kill’.

“I-I strangled him… and he thanked me.” Mushitaro sat straighter and sank his head into his hands miserably. “We never agreed on anything at all. He was the last person I drank like this with,” he rasped, waving a hand around the bar.

Ango stayed silent, not entirely sure how to respond to Mushitaro suddenly pouring his heart out. He was never good at comforting others, in fact he doubted he’d ever done so in his life. So he only stayed still and kept his eyes on his friend’s trembling figure, too tired to do anything else.

“He wanted me to kill him.” Mushitaro’s voice was muffled from burying his face in his hands. “He only had a year left to live anyway because of his cancer, but,” he hiccuped again, “I can’t… y’know, move on.” He sucked in a breath as he finished speaking.

The final words Mushitaro said resonated within Ango like a gong. He felt bad for his friend, but at the same time Ango didn’t think he’d heard his own thoughts echoed so accurately.

I can’t move on.

Mushitaro groaned and stretched his arms overhead, grabbing Ango’s attention again. His face was a deep shade of pink, Ango noticed. He also happened to notice the black lipstick that covered his upper lip and the subtle eye makeup he had on.

Ango really hadn’t taken the time to properly look at Mushitaro the entire evening, but now that he had, he felt his face heating up even further. His eyes trailed down Mushitaro’s frame before he could stop them. He took in the way Mushitaro’s dress shirt outlined his waist, how his thighs looked as he was sitting down, god, even his hands were slender and—

Mushitaro reached out and flicked Ango’s nose. “What?” he huffed.

Ango blinked again as he refocused his attention, hating the way another blush creeped onto his face as he realized what he’d been doing. “S-sorry.” he shifted around on the stool a bit. How unprofessional of him.

Mushitaro sighed, not moving away from Ango at all. “No, I’m sorry. I got carried away, it doesn’t matter.” He looked up to meet Ango’s gaze. Ango thought that was the first time they’d made actual eye contact throughout the entire night.

As if being manipulated by a puppet string, Ango lifted his hand up and brushed some of Mushitaro’s hair back into place; it had grown messy from having fingers knotted up in it. Mushitaro didn’t move. In fact, Ango thought he felt him lean into the touch, but it very well could have been his drunken mind playing tricks on him.

“…Well.” Ango cleared his throat nervously, continuing to groom Mushitaro’s hair. “The last time I drank with someone was also with a dead man.” The words tasted bitter on his tongue. It was difficult to suppress the memories that had floated to the surface.

Mushitaro’s eyes widened a little as he listened.

“We were, um… close.” There were many things he wished they could have been. ‘Close’ would have to do. “I never thought I’d be able to move on from his death either.” Ango let his fingers linger against Mushitaro’s cheek for a moment before he dropped them back to his side.

Mushitaro glanced down at Ango’s hand briefly. “Really?” he asked softly. You too? His face seemed to be questioning, his eyes glimmering with understanding.

Ango nodded. He was satisfied with how Mushitaro seemed to be in a somewhat better mood, although he still felt a dull sting from talking about Oda.

He could never truly let go of Oda, could he? His old friend felt like bags of sand tied to Ango’s ankles, constantly weighing him down and reminding him of everything. Oda was gone, but his influence, his voice, was not.

Then Mushitaro’s arm accidentally nudged Ango’s, coaxing him out of his reverie. He was dabbing at the sweat on his face with a handkerchief, although Ango noticed he was having trouble sitting up straight. He wasn’t sure what to do with his own hands, so he settled for wringing them in and out and cracking his knuckles, a nervous habit he had.

As he did, though, Mushitaro placed a hand on Ango’s arm, having finished whatever he was doing. His fingers curled around Ango’s wrist, holding him still.

Ango paused. “What are you doing?” He glanced towards his friend. His tongue felt like it was made out of lead as a sudden wave of exhaustion washed over him. His heart sped up a bit at the feeling of Mushitaro’s warm hand against his.

“I… don’t know,” Mushitaro muttered eventually. He rubbed his thumb over the back of Ango’s wrist twice before letting go and looking down at the floor. Despite that, the atmosphere was still oddly comfortable.

The legs of Ango’s chair scraped against the hardwood floor as he stood up, wobbling a little as he was reminded of how much he drank. “Let’s get out of here,” he murmured, taking out his wallet and flipping through a generous number of bills before leaving them on the bar.

Mushitaro hauled himself to his feet as well, humming in approval as he noticed the rain had stopped. He didn’t reply to Ango as he shrugged his blazer back on, though, as he thought about the proposal.

“I, um… don’t wanna be alone,” Mushitaro slurred finally, his voice taking on an odd trembling quality.

Ango pushed his glasses up his nose, and once again, he spoke without thinking. “Do you wanna come back to mine?” He blushed again as he turned the words over in his head. You sound like a creep.

“To… your place?”

Ango nodded and ran a clammy hand through his hair. “Yeah.”

A small smile spread across Mushitaro’s face as he heard Ango’s reply. “Sure… sounds good. Thanks.” He hiccuped again and clicked his tongue, seemingly at himself. “Ugh, I drank too much,” he muttered.

Ango nodded. He’d be lying if he wasn’t a little nervous about bringing someone to his flat. After all, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d hung out with a friend like this. He consoled himself by pointing out that Mushitaro seemed far too tipsy to be going home by himself. He was doing this as a courtesy. That was all.

After a quick bathroom trip they left the bar, only to be met with a blustery breeze that nipped at their noses. Mushitaro swore to himself and hunched his shoulders in an attempt to warm himself up, while Ango thanked god a taxi happened to be passing by.

The cab ride was uneventful. Ango’s eyelids were beginning to feel heavy, and he had to fight to keep his head from nodding forward. He blinked, and he had ended up leaning against Mushitaro, who was slumped against the side of the cab. We’re a mess.

Mushitaro’s arm was soft. And he smelled good. Must be cologne, something Ango had never bothered with. Being pressed up against something as warm as Mushitaro only made Ango feel sleepy (the alcohol wasn’t helping either).

“Can I stay the night?” Mushitaro mumbled. His words were heavily slurred now.

Ango made a vague sound of agreement and nodded. His limbs felt like they were being weighed down more with each breath he took. Mushitaro said something else, maybe a thank you, but Ango couldn’t make it out.

Then they arrived at Ango’s flat. Mushitaro had to pull Ango out of the cab and let his weight sag against him as they made the trek to their destination. Ango scared himself for a moment as he thought he’d forgotten his keys somewhere, but he’d decided to forget to check his inner breast pocket. Situation averted.

Ango had never been so glad to be home in his life.

Him and Mushitaro slipped their shoes and coats off at the entrance. (Ango became flustered as he stumbled over his own feet and careened into Mushitaro’s side, where he was promptly steadied with an arm around his waist.)

Ango knew they should head to his room without needing to ask. After squinting his eyes at his watch for a moment he figured out it was nearly 11 pm. Ango had been awake since 4:30 in the morning.

Mushitaro blindly followed Ango to his room and sat on the edge of his bed. Ango was then reminded of how his bed was hardly big enough for two people; it would be a squeeze. I’ll just sleep on the floor. He’d slept in far worse places than that, after all.

Ango flopped down on his bed, but he didn’t quite aim right as he once again found himself pressed against Mushitaro. Was he always this clumsy when drunk?

A comfortable silence diffused throughout the room as they both sat there. There was only a single lamp turned on, the one on Ango’s bedside table, and it cast a gentle yellowy light towards the bed. Ango could see the moon through the window, too. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d taken the effort to look at the moon.

“Thanks,” came Mushitaro’s voice, once again saving Ango from passing out into sleep.

To Ango’s surprise, Mushitaro’s eyes met his when he turned to face him. He was much closer than anticipated. Ango could easily smell the alcohol wafting off of him, but he was sure he smelled the same way.

Ango turned slightly, the moon catching his attention again. “What is there to thank me for?”

“Tonight… You’re fun to hang out with.” Ango stiffened and risked a quick glance at Mushitaro only to find he was smiling. He was looking at him. Smiling. It was a gentle smile, not big, but someone was smiling while talking about Ango.

Ango thought he’d died and went to heaven.

His breath stilled as they looked at each other, and everything around Ango felt as if it had come to a standstill.

Then Mushitaro giggled. He brought a hand to his mouth and laughed, looking down at the floor instead of Ango.

Oh.

He’s making fun of me.

Ango’s breath returned to him in a sigh as the evening caught up with him. Of course. This was probably a dare from those friends Mushitaro mentioned earlier. ‘Hang out with that weirdo special division guy, I bet he’s hilarious. Then we can all make fun of him. Get some pictures too!’

“Whasup?” Mushitaro cocked his head as his giggling fit died out.

Ango shook his head. “I’m sorry, I have work to do,” he muttered. He stumbled to his feet and headed for the door. He’d just sleep on the couch, this was a waste of time.

Then Ango felt something warm grip his wrist, holding him back. “Wait, hang on.” Ango glanced back and saw Mushitaro with a completely straight face. (A drunk straight face, but still.)

And before Ango could speak, he felt himself being tugged onto the bed again, Mushitaro keeping ahold of his wrist.

One moment Ango heard himself asking a question, and the next moment Mushitaro was kissing him.

Everything Ango had been holding back up until that point came rushing forward as he leaned into the kiss without needing to think. Mushitaro’s arm moved from Ango’s wrist to his waist in an attempt to bring them closer together, as they were still sitting on the edge of the bed.

Mushitaro pulled away after a few seconds, but instead of speaking he only pushed Ango onto his back while hovering above him, making him wince at the sheer speed that had happened at. He pulled his legs off of the end of the bed with some effort, then Mushitaro’s lips were pressed against his again.

A faint voice echoed at the back of Ango’s head, reminding him of how drunk they both were, but he didn’t care. Someone was paying attention to him, and he hadn’t realised how much he’d needed it until now; was that so wrong?

Is this so wrong? Ango thought to himself as Mushitaro loosened Ango’s tie before chucking it away. His mouth left Ango’s and began peppering messy kisses down his jawline, letting Ango suck in a few breaths. Clumsy fingers began undoing Ango’s shirt, with lips following right behind them as they trailed down his neck.

This is fine, Ango thought as he felt Mushitaro’s warm breath against his exposed collarbone. He was unable to hold back a tiny whimper from Mushitaro gently nipping and kissing his skin while a hand slid up his side to grip his soft waist. Ango’s face flushed even more as the other man’s fingers easily sank against his skin, reminding him of his body, but the embarrassment was quickly chased away by lips kissing further down his chest. Ango plucked his glasses off and let them fall to the floor.

Oda patting Ango on the back in a consoling manner, quietly asking Dazai not to squeeze Ango so much when hugging him.

Oda.

Ango shook it off, his attention returning to the sloppy kisses being left on his chest. He brought a shaky arm to Mushitaro’s own waist, feeling satisfaction well up at the low groan that resounded against his skin. Another whimper left Ango’s open mouth at the way Mushitaro was squeezing and rubbing his waist beneath his shirt while his lips traveled lower and lower down Ango’s torso.

“Everyone in the Port Mafia believes you’re a spy for Mimic, but they’re wrong.”

Another freight train of a memory rammed into Ango as he laid there while Mushitaro nibbled and kissed the soft, pliable skin around Ango’s stomach, giving that area particular amounts of attention. Ango gasped softly, echoes of the embarrassment from earlier returning, and not without the discomfort from memories of Oda.

He’s dead. You’re fine. Let go.

Ango’s breathing quickened as he subconsciously tightened his grasp on Mushitaro. Seemingly taking that as a sign, though, he left Ango’s midsection and came back up to messily mash their lips together again.

Is it fine? Really? He’s dead.

Ango needed air, but Mushitaro was still on top of him. He weakly tapped the other man on the side, but the only thing he felt was Mushitaro nipping his lower lip while drunken fingers fiddled with Ango’s belt.

Feel the guilt.

Oda is dead.

Ango clutched Mushitaro’s shoulders and pried him off as he gasped for air, nearly choking. He ignored the other’s confused expression as he jolted upright, the beginnings of nausea unraveling in his stomach. His head was pounding. Why did he drink so much?

Mushitaro calling Ango’s name fell on deaf ears. All Ango could hear was Oda’s low, rumbling voice comforting him, praising him, supporting him.

Suddenly Ango found himself sitting on the edge of the bed as he had earlier, but the moon was no longer as beautiful as it had been mere minutes ago. Now it was the spitting image of the moon on the night Oda had saved him.

Ango suppressed a gag.

“Ango, hey, hey…” Mushitaro’s hand came to the small of Ango’s back.

No, I can’t…

“Shit, I’m sorry… I should’ve asked you first.” Mushitaro hiccuped quietly between words, yet he still managed to sound concerned.

As much as Ango knew he needed to let Mushitaro know it wasn’t his fault, he couldn’t speak. He was terrified he’d throw up if he tried. All he could manage was shaking his head. It’s not your fault.

He couldn’t breathe. He heaved in mouthfuls of air but none of it stayed. I couldn’t stay with Oda.

“You gotta breathe,” Mushitaro told him, his voice sounding right next to Ango’s ear. No, no…

Ango gulped as he felt fingers grasping onto his hand. He shuffled away instinctively, bringing both hands up to frame his flushed face. His hair was starting to come loose from its usual slicked back style as small strands now rested against his forehead.

Mushitaro tried again. “Wanna talk?” he asked hesitantly. Ango shook his head once more.

Thoughts of betrayal were the only ones worming their way through the fog of Ango’s mind. How was he supposed to move on? He’d long ago resigned himself to the fact that if he couldn’t have Oda, he couldn’t have anyone. He knew he shouldn’t have gotten attached, he knew that from the start.

So why did he still go drinking with Oda and Dazai every night back then? He understood nothing good would come from it, that he’d only end up hurting people.

And Oda had believed him. Until the end. Not once did he doubt Ango’s genuity. And look where that got him.

I can’t move on.

“I can’t do this,” Ango muttered in a shaky voice. “I-it’s not you, I’m sorry…” he let out a sharp gasp. Mushitaro’s hand was a steady weight on his back, now rubbing small circles against him. “I just—“ Ango swallowed painfully around the growing lump in his throat.

Oda used to rub his back like that when he was sick from drinking too much.

“I just… can’t fucking move on. Not from him.” Ango grimaced as a sharp cramp hit his stomach that made the room spin, threatening him to throw up. “I should, it’s been four fucking years, but I—“ Bile rose in his throat to cut him off and he slumped further forward with a gag.

Mushitaro hummed nervously. “It’s okay, it’s okay… you’re gonna make yourself sick, calm down.” His thumb was still rubbing that pattern against Ango’s back. It felt like someone was scraping their nails across his skin.

Mushitaro shouldn’t have to see me like this. It’s not his fault I remember everything.

The guilt from putting his friend through needing to comfort him was like taking a wrecking ball to the side.

Mushitaro continued comforting Ango with slurred comforts but they only made him feel guiltier until he completely shattered.

A mangled sob tore itself from Ango’s throat as he curled himself into the tightest ball he could manage sitting up, which only aggravated his stomach pain more.

Strangely enough, Ango was used to crying, although it was usually more out of frustration than sadness. It was common for him to leave work with a wet face and swollen eyes these days, though he never really acknowledged it.

He hadn’t cried like this in a long time. The jittery, violent sobs that wracked his shivering body were foreign to him. All he could hear were his own labored gasps for breath, but they weren’t enough to drown out the oscillating shame that filled him to the brim. He didn’t even have room to feel embarrassed about making a scene.

Ango felt himself being pressed against something warm through the tears and figured it was Mushitaro. God, he needed to apologize.

“C’mon, Ango. Breathe.” The other man’s tired yet gentle voice somehow managed to cut through Ango’s sobbing like a butter knife.

A warm, tender hand grasped Ango’s chin, softly pulling him out of his tight ball. “Here, look at me.” Ango obeyed, although he could hardly see Mushitaro’s face through the tears welling in his eyes.

Ango hiccuped and choked on his own saliva. “I’m sorry.”

“None of that, c’mon. It’s okay. Let it out.” Mushitaro’s fingers moved from Ango’s chin to his forehead as he brushed back the stray hairs that had fallen in front of his face.

As much as Ango wanted to push Mushitaro away again, his limbs had grown to be exhausted. It was all he could do to hold himself upright.

I’m so pathetic, Oda.

So, instead of fighting it, Ango let himself droop against Mushitaro, nestling his head on top of the other man’s chest. Despite himself, despite everything, he felt cared for. And that was more than enough.

For a while the only thing coming from Ango’s mouth was a string of weary apologies. Mushitaro shushed every single one of them, holding the shorter man close. The thought that Ango might not like having his shirt still unbuttoned briefly crossed Mushitaro’s mind, but he didn’t think to do it back up.

A few more minutes went by of Ango sobbing painfully, his entire weight leaned against Mushitaro, wrapped in his arms. His tears must have started soaking Mushitaro’s shirt through by that point.

There were no more memories paining him; his mind seemed to have worn itself out on that front. Crying until he’d been sucked of all energy was the only thing left for him to do, it seemed.

Ango endured both his sobbing and nausea until all he had the effort to do was sniffle while clinging to Mushitaro, possibly to reassure himself he wasn’t going anywhere. His friend continued to press soothing circles into his back, murmuring soft words against his hair.

“…Are you okay?” Mushitaro whispered after a minute.

Ango coughed quietly, still hiding his face in Mushitaro’s chest. “Better,” he mumbled.

Mushitaro nodded and sat up a little more. “I think we should sleep.” He let Ango sit straight with another sniffle before shuffling as close to the wall as he could, lying down on his side while facing Ango.

He patted the (small) space in front of him. “C’mere.”

Ango knew if he retreated to the couch he’d only end up crying his eyes out again, so he swallowed down an excuse and crawled over to Mushitaro.

They laid facing each other; Ango quickly returned his head to Mushitaro’s chest, while Mushitaro held Ango against him with a hand slung over his waist.

Another brief wave of guilt washed over Ango, but a long, quiet sigh from Mushitaro brought him back to the present.

It wasn’t perfect, but it was certainly the best sleep Ango had gotten in a very long time.

#bsd #bungou stray dogs #mushiango #bsd mushitaro #mushitaro oguri #ango sakaguchi #bsd ango #hurt/comfort #文スト

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cupcakeinat0r · 7 months ago

Note

Do you have any tips on how to not make a hcs or drabble fics so long? I feel like I always go too crazy and don't know how to shorten anything. I want it to feel satisfying to read with out leaving out too much but it always ends up being like 4k words by the end. I'm trying to half that.

Your professor Miguel fics are what are inspiring me to write for Miguel again but I'm not ready to jump into anything super long winded.

Hi nonnie! <3

First, let me just say *sniff* MY fic inspired you?! 😭😭😭😭😭😭 🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹 pls, omg, what an honor!!! I’m so glad!!! Thank you for reading 🫶And please, take your time!!! Smart move if it’s been a while.

Advice down below! There’s a lot because I simply do not know how to shut up <3

Word counts, *sigh* what a debacle.

A majority of my work are drabbles or one-shots, and I’ve gotten comments/messages asking for “longer works!”, but then my first series that had long chapters didn’t do so hot. Its confusing! It’s really hard to gauge what’s too long or too short for the crowd, so in the end… I base it off of personal preference! Sometimes I feel like just writing out a quick lil blurb, and then there’s times when I sit down, take my time, be in the story, and write every little detail down. As a reader, I personally LOOOVE it when writers go into detail, but as a writer… I know it’s a workout to do! Easier read than done (see what I did there?).

And as for hcs, personally, EYE like it when people make em long, but to each their own!

Soooo If it’s a “short” work you’re after, than here are some quick lil tips I thought of.

1. Maybe cutting down on “excess dialogue”. What I mean is this:

They began with, “blah blah blah,” they said softly.

“Blah blah!” They responded.

All that extra stuff surrounding the actual thing that is said? You can do without it. Save word space by just doing this:

“Blah blah?”

“Blah.”

(But just make sure you hit enter on each line of dialogue so it’s easier for reader to keep track of who’s who!)

2. I would try instead of world building (describing the setting, colors, weather, etc.) to just stick to what’s happening between the characters. If you want it short, just focus on the characters and where they’re doing. Maybeeee include what they’re wearing if you really want to, but other than that, it helps keep it to the point when the “scene” is all about the exchange. For example:

X met up with y and they smiled. The greeted each other before going inside the cafe to catch up.

Rather than:

On a hot summer day, x walked along until they got to the cafe they were supposed to meet y in. They found them at the entrance, waving at them excitedly, “hey Y!” They began. “Hey X!” They responded. They both walked into the quaint, cozy cafe and ordered their usuals.

See what I mean? Instead of writing every single thing out, just trust that the reader will assume. Like… we know they said hi to each other… and ordered coffee… at a cafe… it’s the obvious things like this. There’s no need to type it out unless they’ve said/done something out of the ordinary OR if the extra thing you’re typing out actually adds to the plot/development. This simply helps with getting to the point (Again, this is if you’re wanting to do a short Drabble, one-shot, blurb, etc. . I, however, don’t do this when it comes to chapters or fics. I write every single detail out, idc!!!)

3. Don’t be afraid of time skipping. For instance (using my example from above), does the part where they talk in the cafe contribute anything to the intended plot? Any character development? Does it reveal anything new? No? Skip it. Go to the part where they go home and, idk, make out or something (if it’s a smut you’re writing lmao).

I know it’s easy to get distracted and start describing every little thing, from the color of that leaf that fell to the ground, to the twitch of the character’s eye or something, I do it all the time, which is okay! You don’t have to go back and hit delete! Just keep going, don’t break the flow. You’re writing it for a reason, so don’t let the worry of wanting to provide something “shorter” or “easier” for readers get in the way of your creativity. It’s not worth compromising. I know we writers say it to ourselves religiously, but there’s is no such thing as “too crazy”. That’s a myth.

But please also keep in mind that your wellness is priority. Do not try to force any writing for the sake of time or demand. I gave you some tips on shortening a teensy bit, but do not worry if your writing is ‘too much’, there’s no such thing in my opinion<3

Thank you so much for sending this in and I hope this was at least a little bit of help! And please, tag me if/when you post your work! I wanna support you!!!

Have a nice day/night, luv xoxo

#cupcake answers #answered asks #writing advice

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underforeversgrace · 1 year ago

Note

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

Beep boop, hewwo! (Also tagged in this @darthfrodophantom! I love getting asks like this!

In no particular order:

broken trust and the wounds hidden behind/where the wounds were hidden

Summary: Jack wasn't meaning to snoop in his son's room when he found a box of medical supplies and a USB with a tag that said IF I DON'T COME HOME. Danny’s secrets revealed, Jack is desperate to earn his son’s trust, to earn the right to this secret he stumbled across. After almost two years of unknowingly hunting his son, is Danny's trust too broken to heal?

Reason: this is easily my most popular fic to date, and one I routinely reread. I just really love the idea of Danny's parents figuring it out and trying to support him, and I just love really, really love Jack. Also this one is what "put me on the map" in the phandom, so to speak, and I'll always love it for that. I'm including the tag-along fic with it bc it's not a sequel/is a short addition.

Woken and Bound

Summary: Danny wakes up in chains, Clockwork and the Observants hovering above him. Knowing only one fate could bring them here, he didn’t even fight, just bows his head and waits.

Reason: This one was created off a discussion in the Danny Phantom Discord! It was one of the first real interactions I had with the phandom. The fic is just angsty enough, but the memory of writing it is still fun!

same memory (different perspective)

Summary: It’s just chores, just him cleaning the lab. It’s just a normal day and he’s definitely fine. His fight or flight instinct definitely isn’t screaming at every single atom in himself to run.

Reason: I don't really have an emotional reason tied to this one, surprisingly. It was just a dissec fic I wrote that I ended up really, really enjoying. It's short and to the point, and the point is agony.

Parental Responsiblility

Summary: After a night she’d rather forget, Jack and Maddie are missing, and Jazz has to face her new reality.

Reason: This was the first fic I ever tried to write where I used timeline jumping as a major storytelling method, it was also the first fic wherein I focused on one person's POV, instead of POV hopping. Also my first time writing Jazz POV at all! This is also the fic I consider my most fucked up.

we live our lives like we're ready to die

Summary: DP x Angel: the Series (BTVS) crossover! (Actual short summary because the real summary is long: Wesley and Sam get into a bidding war over an ancient text. Wes needs it for Angel, Sam needs it because Danny is inexplicably drawn to it. Shenanigans!)

Reason: This might just have some "woo-hoo new fic energy!" pushing it up on my faves, but I am genuinely enjoying reading and writing this fic. I never thought I'd do any type of crossover fic, but this is just a blast and a half! Trying to fit the lores together, figure out how these characters will play off of each other and react to each other is a blast! This is the single most self indulgent fic I've ever written and I love it for that.

#grace writes #Grace asks #Grace answers #Ask game #Tag game

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endlessthxxghts · 9 months ago

Note

Going anon because I don’t want you to focus on who sent you this (although I’m sure something I’ll say might give me away <3), but rather, I want you to focus in on your amazing self.

Something I like to do in my daily practice is write down a few things of what made me most happy that day… but for purposes of this, I’d like you to tell me which fic (can be multiple) that you wrote makes you the most happy!

Ignore the notes, ignore the traction — which fic of yours makes you the most happy and warm and all the good feelings, and give an explanation (however long you want) as to why❤️

A lot of times, especially in a world like this where the internet and other’s creativity is so accessible, we forget to give our own selves the credit we deserve. This is my way of sprinkling around that little bit of gratitude.

I hope you have a beautiful day wherever you are.

Never short on love for you😘

Heheheheh okay I’m gonna cackle and reveal a secret real quick. If anyone has gotten this message, it was actually me LOLOLOL & now that I’m getting it back from someone makes me laugh BUT I LOVE YOU SO MUCH WHOEVER DECIDED TO SEND THIS TO ME?!🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹

And for my answer (in no particular order!)🩶:

Routine. I don’t know how to explain why I’m so proud of this one. This one was in part of that secret santa event that @/pedrostories held, and so I think it was the fact that this was a story that I couldn’t just let die in my WIPs folder😭. And also because this was meant for someone and for a prompt that specific someone gave (@/alwaysbethewest much love!!!), I truly didn’t want to disappoint. I wanted to give my all. And in doing so, this pairing ended up latching themselves in my heart and in my soul in a way that I never want to get rid of. I love these two so much. The vulnerability they have with each other, the raw emotion and love. It just. It came out so beautifully. And sometimes I can’t believe my silly little brain had something to do with it.

Tell Me More. This fic in particular holds a really emotional place in my heart. It was written out of a headspace in which I was needing a bit of comfort in multiple aspects of life, but mainly I just wanted a little bit of comfort in having someone who truly accepts me for all that I am. So although this one was written purely out of self-indulgence, I also gain major comfort in the fact that those who have read this story can find some comfort in it as well — whether it’s because they relate personally or just find the beauty in unconditional love, it makes my heart full.

Solace. This one is my first Din fic, and honestly, I’m so so so proud of it because this is the first time I truly and wholeheartedly felt pride towards something I’ve written. And i know I’ve had a bunch of you always reassure me that what I do write is good, but this is the first story where I truly didn’t need anyone’s reassurance but my own. I’m so proud of this one. Also because Din has a really really special place in my heart, and being able to write this story so fluidly (I wrote this entire story in one sitting!) just fills me up with so much happiness.

To whoever sent this to me, I love you and I appreciate you <3

Also I’m still sending the message out to people because I love a cute gratitude moment <3 I’m sorry if I haven’t gotten to you yet ah😩. Whoever sent this to me, feel free to send it out to others as well!!! You are my official messenger 🫡 LMAOOO.

#💌: endless answers <3 #what are you proud of?#give yourself credit too!!

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chaptersonetoinfinity · 26 days ago

Note

Hi Sas!

For the writers' ask game how about 12, 34 and 68?

Hi Lola, thank you for the ask!

Fanfiction Writing Asks

12. Do you outline your fics? If yes, how detailed are your outlines? How far do you stray from them?

I think I’m one of the most detailed outliners I know! And I have a lot of writer friends, so that says a lot, LOL. I go as far as color-coding by POV per section, so it’s not even “this happens in this chapter”, it’s “this happens in this SECTION.”

But there are things I leave to the spur of the moment too. I write a lot of action sequences, and I try to leave the specifics of the fight for when I’m drafting because I have to get the “flow” of the action to see what outcomes naturally fall into place. Or if I need to know the outcome to outline the next part of the story, I “write” that whole sequence in a messy outline like a “draft 0.5”, and then make a concise version of that fight to put in my outline so I can get on with the rest of my plan.

I also love writing stories from multiple POVs, so sometimes I’ll plan out whose POV I want to incorporate in which section, but I’ll leave wiggle room for sections where I realize someone else’s POV works better, or if I realize I need to split them into two or add more scenes. Though I will say that none of these changes will make me stray from my outline, because I’ve usually worked out where I’m going with a story before I start drafting.

Fun fact: a lawyer friend once saw a screenshot of my notes for the climax of one of my fics, and she said they were as detailed as her court notes! I still brag about it from time to time. Like right now.

34. How much of your personal life/experience do you include in your fics?

A fair amount, although it’s more coincidental. I’m not specifically drawn to writing certain characters just because they’re “like me”, for instance. So if I know about something from my past that’ll help with my WIP, that’s cool. But if I don’t, that won’t put me off from writing the story—in those cases, instead of trying to “relate”, I would go about it intuitively and hypothetically, and defer to my research and/or my imagination.

Also, if I happen to have experiences that are similar to the backstories of certain characters, I will embrace them and try to reflect on them in order to to help me narrate the thought process or motivation that this character might have. But I try not to project myself into the whole story, so my character might respond to their situations differently from how I responded when I went through something similar, because I’m not them.

Bonus: I majored in psychology back in undergrad, which comes in handy. I definitely use a lot of knowledge from my degree to come up with solutions to the emotional aspects of my work or to figure out what a character would do given their circumstances.

68. Are there any fics that influenced you to write the way you do?

I would say no, because I started off writing original fiction when i was 15, and I didn’t get into fanfics until about 5 years after that, so by the time I was writing my first fic, I already sounded like ME (in terms of a “voice” and style).

While fanfics haven’t influenced the way I write, they’ve influenced my ideas and setups. For example, I’ve got an OC who is a ghost, who plays an active role in the plot. I won’t reveal too much right now, but the idea of having a ghost OC comes from the MHA fanfic “Yesterday Upon the Stair” on AO3 (highly recommend!). I also get ideas about magic systems from published fiction or even TV shows, and sometimes I might end up adapting certain fanons I see from other fics into my own fics with permission from the author.

Oh, I also started writing in present tense after reading some fics in my past fandoms where the author wrote in present tense, and I wanted to try it out. It turned out to work really well for my style, so I adapted that into my own writing. But that’s the most influence that any fics have had on me stylistically. Now I’m flexible and I can switch back to past tense if the story works better like that, and I’ve also got fics where I write flashback chapters in past tense, and “current storyline” chapters in present tense.

#ask game #kalolasfantasyworld #sas rambles

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mcsquared789 · 1 year ago

Text

SLATE / MASTERLIST

Banner by MrSteiners on DeviantArt

The slate for the planned canon rewrite, expansion and in-depth exploration of the ENTIRE Marvel Cinematic Universe.

This includes links to all the projects I've worked on thus far related to the MCU rewrite, as well as lists of what I'm planning on writing next (although, please note that this is always subject to change). And this goes beyond what already exists, as I plan to make high quality novel-length and novella-length fics diving into every corner I can of this big, beautiful universe — that are NOT always based on the movies.

INTRODUCTION

If you want to see the explanation for what and why this is, please check out this seperate post

There are four planned phases for this project:

ASSEMBLE

REASSEMBLE

INFINITY

ENDGAME

The first and second phases are the only ones where the fics in them have additional descriptions. The other phases have only their titles revealed. (See the series description for a rundown of all the major characters that will appear throughout these fics.)

1. All works that currently exist have links to them. If it does not have a link, I have not started writing it — and despite the order that everything is in, I might be skipping some works and circling back to them later for various reasons (mainly when it makes sense, I’m not going to write an Avengers fic until everything else beforehand is done).

2. This is the recommended order, but — unless it's specified — you can probably read any of them without spoiling any other work. There may be references or easter eggs, but unless it's substantial I will not list something as 'required reading' for another fic: start wherever YOU want.

3. If the work isn't bolded, it will most likely end up being the length of a novella (10-20k words). If it is in UPPERCASE, I expect it to be very, very VERY long. This is just an estimate however, and I just don’t know how far these things will go until I start writing it.

4. Lastly, EVERYTHING IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE.

PHASE 1: ASSEMBLE

Iron Man

Tony Stark has to reinvent himself after he witnesses firsthand the consequences of his company’s dealings from the hands of rogue nations. Part 1 of the Iron Man series. COMPLETE (preview)

The Incredible Hulk

Bruce Banner seeks a cure for his terrifying condition while being hunted down by the military forces that intend to contain him. Part 1 of the Incredible Hulk series. COMPLETE (preview)

Iron Man: War Machine

Tony Stark grapples with both the military and rising competition in weapons production, while being unable to find a solution to keep his heart from killing him. Part 2 of the Iron Man series. COMPLETE (preview)

Widowmaker

Clint Barton is sent by SHIELD to kill the elusive ‘Black Widow’, but pressing circumstances form an alliance between them that will change the trajectory of their lives. Part 1 of the Black Widow duology. A novella (~10 chapters). COMPLETE

Thor

Thor is forced to live without power when he causes a war between realms, by being sent to Earth where he will have to learn how to be worthy of Mjølnir. Part 1 of the Thor series. WIP

Captain America: The First Avenger

Steve Rogers enlists to become the first supersoldier to defend war-torn America from the Nazis, which leads him and the Howling Commandos to battle HYDRA in the quest for peace. Part 1 of the Captain America series.

THE AVENGERS

When Loki arrives on Earth with the intention to rule, Nick Fury of SHIELD has to finally assemble his team of heroes to protect the world against this intergalactic threat. Part 1 of the AVENGERS series. An epic (~50+ chapters).

ONE-SHOTS

The Consultant (Tumblr | AO3)

Jasper Sitwell and Phil Coulson sit down to discuss an unusual request from the higher-ups at SHIELD. (after The Incredible Hulk)

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor’s Hammer (Tumblr | AO3)

Phillip Coulson is taking a road trip down to New Mexico when he is interrupted. (before Thor)

Agent Carter

Peggy Carter is assigned to retrieve a special kind of serum, while in the middle of creating SHIELD. (after The First Avenger)

Sanctuary

Loki searches for newfound purpose, until he wanders upon a sacred place. (before The Avengers)

Item 47

Jasper Sitwell visits a couple who have scavenged and tried to hide alien technology. (after The Avengers)

PHASE 2: ASSEMBLE

These fics follow up immediately from The Avengers.

The Indestructible Hulk

Bruce Banner tries to live with the Hulk and remain a scientist, while experiencing pressure from Tony Stark, Thaddeus Ross, SHIELD… and a new hostile force that seeks to create more Hulks like him. Part 2 of the Incredible Hulk series.

Iron Man: Extremis

Tony Stark, while suffering with PTSD and crippled with doubt, must deal with a new terrorist threat that is also connected to a conspiracy to weaponize genetic manipulation. Part 3 of the Iron Man series.

Thor: The Dark World

Thor maintains order through the cosmos of various realms, until he learns of a new threat that seeks a dangerous power beyond comprehension — that happened to be accidentally found by Jane Foster. Part 2 of the Thor series.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Steve Rogers adjusts to the present day while wrestling with SHIELD’s Project Insight, until a terrible secret exposes the return of HYDRA. Part 2 of the Captain America series.

Secret Empire

A new alliance is formed with the Avengers and former agents of SHIELD, to begin a plan of attack to take down HYDRA. A novella.

These fics are standalone and mostly separated from The Avengers.

Guardians of the Galaxy

A series of events lead to the formation of a new intergalactic group within the corners of the wider galaxy — a scavenger, an assassin, a warrior, a gun-toting raccoon and a talking tree. Vol 1 of the Guardians of the Galaxy series.

Galaxy’s Most Wanted

An alliance is formed between Rocket and Groot, as they break out of prison and establish roots in the vast, intergalactic Hub. Prequel to the Guardians of the Galaxy series.

Doctor Strange

Stephen Strange seeks a new power beyond his knowledge after a terrible car accident… getting what he wants, but also far more than he bargained for. Part 1 of the Doctor Strange series.

Black Panther: T'Chaka

The King of Wakanda raises his children in the great Afrofuturistic nation, while attempting to maintain secrecy of their existence under the continued exploits of arms dealer Ulysses Klaue. Part 1 of the Black Panther/Wakanda series.

The Brotherhood

Due to increasing dissatisfaction within Sokovia, two twins decide to join HYDRA and participate in experiments that will fully reshape the fabric of their own reality. A novella.

AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON

After regaining a powerful item, Tony Stark receives a vision that terrifies him — leading him and Bruce Banner to create a sentient AI that leads to devastating repercussions for the world. Part 2 of the AVENGERS series. An epic (~80+ chapters).

Planet Hulk

Bruce Banner wakes up to find himself in outer space, with a couple of familiar faces. In a trip that takes him from his past to his horrible future, he eventually discovers a world that is suitable for the Hulk… but not for him. Part 3 of the Incredible Hulk series.

Ant-Man

When Scott Lang pulls a simple heist, he is sucked by the Hope family into a seemingly impossible task that requires him to think small… but not too small. Part 1 of the Ant-Man series.

Spider-Man: Freshman Year

When high school teenager Peter Parker is taken on a field trip, he gains unprecedented powers that will shape his life and his place in the world. Part 1 of the Spider-Man series.

Captain America: Civil War

The Avengers are presented with a constitution intended to keep them in check: but after the return of a dangerous ally, Steve Rogers will have to fight for his freedom at the risk of destroying the team. Part 3 of the Captain America series. An epic (~50+ chapters).

ONE-SHOTS

Domino Effect

Something is let loose in Bruce Banner’s lab, and he makes an attempt to contain it. (after The Indestructible Hulk)

All Hail the King

An interview with the Mandarin, the leader of the Ten Rings. (after Iron Man: Extremis)

Helter Skelter

Peter Quill and Drax both join Rocket on a fun ‘team-building exercise’. (after Guardians of the Galaxy)

Ultimo

Vision finds a remaining remnant of Ultron. (after Avengers: Age of Ultron)

The Daily Bugle

J. Jonah Jameson makes a report on the strange little creep that’s been swinging around New York. (after Spider-Man: Freshman Year)

Team Thor

Thor returns to Earth to find that a lot of things have changed… and he decides to lighten up the mood. (after Captain America: Civil War)

PHASE 3: INFINITY

Descriptions of fics to be posted at a much later date.

Captain Marvel

Framed around Civil War, but takes place before Iron Man. Costars Nick Fury and Phil Coulson. Part 1 of the Captain Marvel series.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Takes place a year after Vol 1. Vol 2 of the Guardians of the Galaxy series.

Doctor Strange and the Circle Sinister

Takes place after Civil War. Costars a new character, Clea. Part 2 of the Doctor Strange series.

Release the Flerken

Starring Carol Danvers and the Guardians of the Galaxy. A novella.

Black Panther: T'Challa

Takes place after Civil War. Features a character from the Captain America series. Part 2 of the Black Panther/Wakanda series.

Black Widow

Takes place straight after Civil War. Part 2 of the Black Widow duology.

Secret Avengers

Deals with the fallout of Civil War. Starring Captain America and Black Widow. A novella.

Spider-Man: Sophomore Year

Takes place after Civil War. Features Tony Stark. Part 2 of the Spider-Man series.

Team-Up

Starring Tony Stark and Peter Parker. Features Pepper Potts. A novella.

Ant-Man and the Wasp

Takes place after Civil War. An important scene is being saved for a later fic. Part 2 of the Ant-Man series.

Vision and the Scarlet Witch

Takes place after Secret Avengers. Features Jane Foster and Darcy Lewis. Part 1 of the WandaVision duology. A novella.

Thor: Ragnarok

Takes place after The Circle Sinister. Features Jane Foster. Part 3 of the Thor series.

Captain Marvel: Secret Invasion

Takes place before Iron Man, and also after Secret Avengers. Sets up in part the events of Infinity War. Part 2 of the Captain Marvel series.

The Gauntlet

Prelude to Infinity War, featuring the Black Order. Starring Nebula. A novella.

AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR

Part 3 of the AVENGERS series. An epic (~80+ chapters).

ONE-SHOTS

Luis Pays His Taxes

Howard the Duck

The White Wolf

The Uprising

Sanctum

Peter’s To-Do List

PHASE 4: ENDGAME

AVENGERS: ENDGAME

Part 4 of the AVENGERS series. An epic (~200 chapters). I’m not joking.

???

This will happen after Endgame. I will not reveal what it is until then.

Everything that follows is extremely vague and not in a strict order. I have some ideas for what this will become, but… I’ll be far too busy focusing on everything that comes before it to consider it in greater detail. Once phase 3 is done, I will have a better idea of where this will go: and let’s face it, it’s gonna take a while for me to even get there. Take everything here with a grain of salt.

WandaVision

Part 2 of the WandaVision duology.

Spider-Man: Junior Year

Part 3 of the Spider-Man series.

Falcon and the Winter Soldier

Features Captain America.

Hawkeye

Features Yelena Belova.

Armor Wars

Starring James Rhodes.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

Features a forgotten character.

Ms. Marvel

Starring Kamala Khan.

Spider-Man: Senior Year

Part 4 of the Spider-Man series.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Features multiple Avengers. Part 3 of the Black Panther/Wakanda series.

Thor: Love and Thunder

Costarring the Guardians of the Galaxy. Part 4 of the Thor series.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

Will not feature a major character. Features some Avengers. Part 3 of the Ant-Man series.

The Marvels

Costarring Monica Rambeau and Kamala Khan. Part 3 of the Captain Marvel series.

The Holiday Special

Starring Drax and Mantis. A novella.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

Costarring America Chavez and Wanda Maximoff. Features Clea. Part 3 of the Doctor Strange series.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Vol 3 of the Guardians of the Galaxy series.

Eternals

Features some Avengers.

Loki

Part 1 of a duology.

???

Part 2 of a duology. Features America Chavez.

ONE-SHOTS (titles only)

Ozymandias

FEAST

The Ship of Theseus

Don’t

Into the Forever

The One Who Remains

OTHER WORKS IDEAS

If everything here is subject to change, these works REALLY are: I don't know if any of them will happen.

Betty Ross

Spiderverse

Civil War 2

Fury + Coulson

You may have also noted that neither of the Defenders series, Agents of SHIELD or Agent Carter (the ABC series) are present in any capacity. I have no intention to bring them in as I have never watched them and I don't know enough about them to include them. I am considering bringing in a character from AoS, but if it happens their role is very likely to be minor. I posit an idea of bringing these particular franchises in at some point... but this is very unlikely to happen.

Thank you for reading! Again, if you have any questions about it please ask me anything and I'll do my best to respond. In the meantime, feel free to follow me if you want to stay updated on this project.

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tearitar · 5 months ago

Note

ask meme: G, J, N, Z!

G: Do you write your story from start to finish, or do you write the scenes out of order?

I write the fun scenes first!! then take 5 months to write the rest. Sometimes I will write the 'first paragraph' first because I have good intentions, and I like to set the table, and don't have a problem starting but then it quickly gets out of order. :/c

J: Write or describe an alternative ending to [insert fic].

Since it wasn't specified... for How Lucky [You Are], I was gonna have a POV switch where the ending reveal was gonna be.. like. Drifter was experimenting on Shin to take The Knife and become World's First Taken Guardian ! For why? I don't know. Which is why I didn't write that ending. The answer simply couldn't be "because Drifter is a scamp".

N: Is there a fic you wish someone else would write (or finish) for you?

(immediate crying into my hands)

Z: Major character death–do you ever write/read it? Is there a character whose death you can’t tolerate?

I can't say I ever seek character death out. If it's not canon, I don't really write it either. I have thus far tolerated every character death, I think.

Wait. Archie Kennedy, from Hornblower. And it wasn't even because I shipped him with anyone I was just kinda mad about it LMAO. He was so cute. I'M STILL MAD. (also sorry for spoilers for a 20 year old TV series and 70 year old books series)

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fairydares · 2 years ago

Text

fuck it, new fic. let's do this.

(there's a 'keep reading' line so don't worry, this isn't too long.)

Title: Chasing Tails (AO3 Link) (Chapter 2) (Chapter 3)

Fandom: Fairy Tail

Rating: E (Explicit) because I'm almost positive there will be eventual smut. I'll be clearer about this as I actually decide what I'm going to write lol. Overarching Warning for Graphic Depictions of Violence.

Categories: 2nd gen fic; adventure, humor, romance, fluff, and angst in approximately that order. i guess.

Pairings: Nalu, Gruvia, Gajevy, Jerza, Miraxus+Fried (don't know what that ship's called sorry), Chendy, Sting/Yukino, Baccana-- next gen has pairings, too, but I don't want to reveal those yet.

Tags/TW's: The first chapter contains UFC/MMA-esque violence as well as some implied street violence. There may be more TW's I need to add later, but I honestly haven't written the whole story or decided everything, so that's all I can give you for now. I'll do my best to tag appropriately as I go.

Summary: It’s been almost 12 years since 17-year-old Layla O'Neil was found living alone on the streets and put in foster care, and she likes to think she’s done a pretty good job of forgetting the past. She doesn’t remember her birth family, the name “Nashi [*1] Dragneel,” or where she heard the absurd stories she told the police who found her. Stories about Wizard Guilds, flying cats, and–most cringey of all–her self-proclaimed status as a “Fire Dragon Slayer.”

But the past becomes pretty impossible to ignore when it confronts her in the form of some middle-aged, pink-haired stalker who won’t stop calling her the ridiculous name she’d nearly forgotten, and trying to convince her to come back to “Fairy Tale.”

Oh, and claiming to be her dad.

Like Layla doesn’t have enough problems! The last thing she needs is some delusional freak following around. Especially one who’s starting to make her want to take his hand…

Yep, this is a Second Gen (and therefore post-canon) fic. The idea took root and just would not let go. I’ll warn you ahead of time that the premise is somewhat dark. That said, I’m the kind of writer who likes (and tries to write) stories with sad beginnings, hopeful middles, and triumphant ends. I don't want to give too much away, but you shouldn't expect major character deaths or anything like that, though their may be some forms of lightly implied abuse.

Feel free to reblog, make your own additions with commentary, whatever. I'm quite lax with stuff like that. Hope this was comprehensive enough, and that you enjoy!

Chapter 1: Dragon-Slaying Aliens

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“That’s correct…a world that exists independently from the one we know. And, unfortunately, a world that’s begun losing its Magic…unlike here, in Edolas, Magic is a finite resource. Without limits on its use, it will one day disappear forever.” -from Episode 78, “Edolas”, (English dub, ~00:09), Carla’s line [*1]

------------------------------------------------------------------------------To say this mission had gone sideways was a big-ass understatement, and even Natsu had to admit it.

It had started well enough. A relatively small mission. Not even S-Class! Puny wannabe Dark Guilds like the one Shirotsume needed dealt with–what was it called? Bony Jewel or something? Anyways, they were a dime a dozen, these days. Hell, Natsu was pretty sure he and Happy took out, like, a billion of them in the past seven years by pure accident. So how the hell was he supposed to know that this time, he’d get blasted to another world–one even Team Natsu hadn’t wound up in?

And he was positive they’d never been here. He may have had a bad memory (something he’d begrudgingly been forced to actively acknowledge as he grew into a man) but he was sure he’d have remembered somewhere that made him feel this bad. It wasn’t just that he couldn’t use his Magic. If it had just been that, this might have been fun. Hell, a lot of the worlds Team Natsu had visited–even Edolas–had been fun.

This one sucked.

If he hadn’t known better, he’d have thought he’d been transported to the future–one where FACE had been activated and all the Magic had been dissipated. Because it had felt, truly, like all the Magic was being sucked out of him. When he’d woken up on the forest floor, he’d felt as if he was dying. His lungs had burned with each breath (and not in the good way). His limbs had felt like lead when he tried to rise.

He’d quickly realized that couldn’t be the case, though. Even if the Dragons hadn’t destroyed FACE, if all the Magic had been sucked from Earthland he’d have Magical Deficiency Syndrome. He’d either be down or in forced into his END form.

He’d wandered around the small forest he’d woken up in alone, trying to focus through the stink and noise he was only capable of perceiving through what felt like about a hundred layers of thick blanket, and calling for his best friend as long as he could. It hadn’t been long before he gave up and left; Happy had never shouted back (something he considered fortunate, at this point; hopefully Happy was back in Earthland) his stomach was trying to eat itself, it was dark–and, worst of all–he still couldn’t use his Magic. At all.

Actually, scratch that: the absolute worst part was when a glance at his (as usual) bare shoulder showed him that his guild mark had vanished. It was just gone. So was his scarf, and so was his Mini Communication Lacrima. Obviously, his guild mark and scarf were bigger deals personally, but the Mini Comm was a bigger loss in immediate, practical terms. After That Day, seven years ago, Laxus–now Fairy Tail’s Master–had started putting Navigation Enchantments on everyone’s Comms so that anyone who went missing could be traced. There was a 3D map of Earthland and Edolas visually tracking everyone’s movements in the Master’s Office. It could even find them in Edolas.

Now, Natsu’s was nowhere to be found. No one would be able to find him, wherever he was, and any hopes of contacting them were obviously dead in the water, too.

He was gonna have to find his own way back, somehow. He only prayed his scarf was somehow back in Earthland, and that Happy had grabbed it for him.

As he hobbled down the weird, too-neat walkway he’d found, he had to believe that whatever was preventing him from using his Magic was what kept him from sensing anything beyond the general–the stink, the sound, the pain, the hunger. Normally, with his better-than-normal resilience and enhanced strength, his pain would have mostly taken care of itself by now. Usually, making himself move helped. Now, it seemed to be making things worse.

After finding the pathway, he’d kept shouting for his little buddy a whole bunch of times, but all he’d gotten were several loud verbal confrontations and one physical one. He’d expected to beat the massive brute towering next to the smaller woman beside him–and he had. But it hadn’t been as easy as he’d expected. His movements had been slower than normal. His limbs had felt like lead. His strength had been lesser. Every time he tried to call up his Magic, a wave of dizziness and lethargy had overcome him. It was like he’d feel the rushing up inside of him only to sputter to coldness at the last second; he hadn’t seen so much as a spark since he’d woken up.

In the end, it was only experience and determination which had allowed him to level the much larger man, and hard-earned wisdom which had seen him running from the screeching woman and the gun-wielding, uniform-wearing soldiers her screeching had drawn. Yet the punch he’d taken to the nose had made it bleed and the kick to the thigh had made him limp.

It wasn’t just that his Dragon senses had vanished, making him woozy, making it difficult to stand and excruciating to move. His strength was gone as well. Not even sealstone would have weakened him this much.

He’d wandered, now, for what felt like several hours. The number of Magical Vehicles around were astounding–astounding, and nauseating; just looking at them made Natsu want to vomit. The one good part of having an empty stomach was that he had nothing to give up. He meandered in a stupor, through unbelievably thick crowds, dodging Magic Vehicles and their honking, and glaring down anyone who yelled at him for not understanding something, occasionally barking back to scare them off.

He’d never been so disoriented, and the worst part was that deep down, he knew that there was no one to blame but himself.

Lucy and Happy had asked him, point-blank, if the Quest he’d chosen had anything to do with his search for their long-lost daughter and kitten.

It had. Of course it had.

However, Natsu had denied it. Because if he hadn’t, he and Happy wouldn’t have been able to leave right then. Lucy would have forced him to bring someone else along; she was busy taking care of their son, Luke; the Perve-sicle was already out on his own mission/search for Juvia, and Erza was away, which meant he’d have had to ask someone outside Team Natsu.

No thanks, he’d decided, covering up the fine print on the mission request with his fingers before holding it up to Lucy’s nose.

Now, as he snarled at yet another person yelling at him for being in the way, Natsu was starting to consider the possibility that he just maybe should’ve been more upfront, and even that he should–perhaps–have waited for the stripper to get back before taking on Bony Jewel or whatever alone.

But how the hell was he supposed to have known it would end up like this?! It had been going fine–in fact, it had been going great! A couple opponents had offered a real challenge before their Master had shown up. Natsu had been laying down brick in that fight, too. Yet when the guy had been on his last legs, he’d whipped some creepy, sparkly rainbow skull from nowhere (now that he thought about it…that might have been what the Guild was named for!) and shot one last attack. One so big, Natsu had been unable to dodge–though, of course, he’d made to both block and finish the fight with an enormously powerful Fire Dragon Wing Attack.

Based on his current predicament–he had to assume it hadn’t worked. Even though the skull had shattered in the heat of his flames at the last second, the blast had still hit him. His one consolation was that he was pretty sure his little buddy had heeded his final warning to get back. So he was almost definitely still back in Earthland.

It had taken Natsu several pathetic attempts to stand. Getting here felt like a blur. Now, he had no idea what he was doing. What he should do. Their money had been in Happy’s knapsack, and without his precious nose, finding food was basically impossible anway.

Man…Lucy’s gonna kill me, he grumbled internally, grunting at another group who shouted at him for bumping into him.

Okay, yeah, maybe he should’ve been honest. Maybe he should’ve waited. But how could he do that when the lead was so good? When there was even the smallest chance he might finally find Nashi [*]?

At the thought, his footsteps halted temporarily. He ducked his head, bangs shadowing his eyes. He balled his fists at his sides. The thought of the missing daughter he’d never stopped searching for never got easier to bear.

It was the worst thing that could happen to a parent, to lose their child. Something he wouldn’t have wished on Fairy Tail’s most vicious, evil enemy. He and Lucy understood that too intimately. Still, he didn’t let himself get bogged down, not when it might hold him back, not when it might keep him from finding her. Seven years, she’d been gone. Her, Wendy–so many of their nakama and allies. Time had neither hindered nor halted his search for any of his missing comrades, but especially his little girl. She’d be twelve, now. He’d gotten better with birthdays and anniversaries when he married Lucy. He’d woken up and started crying on April 14th this year, the same as his wife.

Still, even on that day, he’d spoken of her. When he was with Luke, Lucy, and Happy, he talked about it. He talked about how he’d find her and Harley–Happy and Carla’s kitten–how they’d be a family again. He spoke of the future to give it power, just like Igneel had taught him. Just like he’d taught his own kids. Wherever Nashi was, he was sure she must be doing the same; speaking of how she’d find them again, the same as he strove to find her.

But he couldn’t continue his search (covert or not) until he got home. So getting home was definitely at the top of the to-do list. Right after eating.

He kept walking.

Wherever he’d wound up was seedy, dark, yet strewn with lights that made paths across his newly-sucky eyes when he looked at them directly. Gross and smelly, too. The people he’d just bumped into started shouting back at him, something about bumping into someone’s girlfriend, and he huffed irritably. Normally, he’d never back down from a challenge like this, but believe it or not, he was too lost, confused, hungry, and tired to deal with another fight–not when the injuries he’d sustained from the previous one were still hurting this much.

It was humiliating. He’d always been the type of person who refused to back down from a fight, no matter how outmatched he was. These days, a lot of fights were honestly pretty boring for him. Erza would always be scary, and Gray was admittedly pretty strong (if not badass enough to stand up to him, or so he would always insist). He could proudly admit to having achieved (at least) Gildarts-level strength without the clumsiness to make him dangerous.

Now, he was balking out of fights with people who weren’t even using Magic.

There was something viscerally terrifying about how much his injuries were troubling him. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t limp without worsening whatever injury that asshole had doled out on his knee. His nose felt bigger than his head.

He stumbled on, brooding.

The guy whose girlfriend he’d bumped into got louder, closer. Obviously, the freak wasn’t gonna let it go. Cursing, he started hobbling more quickly, turning the next corner. To his relief and curiosity, bright lights, loud voices, and a huge crowd–littered with food stands he might be able to beg food from–appeared. He made his way into the thick of it, ignoring the shouts behind him, and ducked and wove between people. It took him several seconds to realize he was still trying to find food by his nose, which barely even freaking worked. Frustrated, he turned his attention to the source of the light, which seemed to focus down on whatever sat in the middle of the crowd.

Curiosity shoving past the numbness and hunger, Natsu pushed his way towards it.

“Ow!”

“Hey!”

“Watch it, freak!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Natsu grumbled. “Watch your damn selves!”

He still felt like shit, but the crowd was oddly invigorating. As he crashed through the thickest (front) lines of the crowd, more lights came on while the darkness behind him fell deeper. Natsu winced, blinking. It took him a few moments to register what he’d stumbled upon: a roundish sort of stage, elevated a few feet off the ground and bordered by some kind of chain-link cage thing. Two corners were open to be entered, but fended off by some big dudes in black suits, holding back the crowd.

“WELCOME, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!” boomed a voice that came from everywhere and nowhere at once, making Natsu flinch again and the crowd start chattering loudly.

Match? Natsu wondered despite his disorientation and exhaustion, thinking of the Grand Magic Games. He shoved aside every stranger who tried to take his place at the front of the audience, looking around with wide, curious eyes, shoving his gnawing stomach to the backburner.

“FIGHT FANS! ARE YOU REAAAADDDDYYYYY??!!! ”

Fight? Natsu thought, perking up, conveniently forgetting his injuries in a burst of excitement. Several people started chattering at the crack of the loud voice that was everywhere and nowhere, making Natsu look around even more fervently.

“BECAUSE THIS LONG-WAITED MATCH-UP IS… ABOUT…TO…BEGINNNN!!!”

The cheering got louder, the shoving got more aggressive, and Natsu got more aggressive right along with it. He’d be damned if he was going to miss a good fight. Besides. He needed to see what the Magic here was like. He was being smart. So ha! How about that, Lucy?!

“INTRODUCING: OUR FIRST FIGHTER!” the voice shouted while Natsu continued to elbow and shove, anticipation rising. Music rang out, a dude’s loud, snarly voice backed up by a bunch of deep bangs and booms which had Natsu trying to decide if what he was listening to was awesome or fucking awful–nope, definitely fucking awful. For the first time, he was glad he couldn’t hear properly since he got here.

A light flashed at one corner, drawing his eye. “UNLIKE HIS OPPONENT, THIS FIGHTER IS WELL-ESTABLISHED IN THE SEMI-UNDERGROUND OCTAGON! HAD HIS PERFORMANCES BEEN FORMALLY JUDGED WHILE THE UNDERGROUND WAS STILL ACTIVE, HE WOULD LIKELY HAVE LONG-BEEN PERMANENTLY DISQUALIFIED! YET, IN SPITE OF A CONTROVERSIAL CAREER, HE HAS REMAINED A STAPLE OF THE SEMI-OCTAGON FIGHTING WORLD FOR TWO YEARS!”

“Er, feels kinda harsh?” Natsu muttered to himself, sweating slightly. Though he didn’t really get what “controversial career” meant.

“WHILE THIS IS NOT FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE, DUE TO HIS HISTORY, MANY WILL NO DOUBT VIEW HIM AS REIGNING CHAMP AND DEFENDER! INNNNTTRRROOODUUUCCCINNNG… ‘MAD BULL’ MATTHEW BRON!”

A door Natsu hadn’t even seen was slammed open as if it had been kicked, and an enormous man–even bigger than the one that had managed to tag Natsu just a little bit ago, a man built like that potato head guy from Lamia Scale, and actually bearing a similar-shaped bald head–appeared, yanking off headphones and chucking them over his massive shoulder one of the lackeys who’d followed him out. The much shorter guy jumped, barely catching them and fumbling a lot once he had. “Mad Cow” or whatever grinned maniacally as he stormed for the ring, dark eyes wild.

The response from the crowd was mixed but mostly positive, Natsu quickly noticed as he glanced around. His eyes skated quickly over the group next to him (which was booing, unlike most of the crowd) then returned his focus to the stage-circle thing. He could see well enough, he was glad to note, even if his vision was nowhere near as sharp as it was back on Earthland. Big Guy took his place at the corner of the ring and immediately started pacing, lifting tree-like arms and roaring as he did so. Meanwhile his lackey scurried for the bit of protected corner behind him, trying to shout for his attention and getting nowhere as he continued to pace.

Natsu quickly decided he didn’t like the looks of this guy, intro aside. He was the type of asshole Natsu lived to knock down a peg, and despite his injuries and exhaustion, Natsu found himself appraising the big bastard, hands twitching. Sure, he wasn’t in the best shape, but since when had he been one to turn down the chance to kick some ass? It was more a reflex than anything. For about the billionth time since he’d landed here, he tried conjuring up some fire only to curse internally as all he got for his efforts was a wave of dizziness and a wash of helplessness.

“NOW FOR OUR CONTENDER,” the voice boomed. “SHE’D ONLY BARELY ENTERED THE UNDERGROUND BEFORE IT BECAME THE SEMI-UNDER, BUT WAS ALREADY MAKING WAVES! THIS FIGHTER HAS SPARKED INTENSE DEBATE ABOUT WHETHER WOMEN SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO FIGHT MEN–IN ANY OCTAGON!” More mixed din. Natsu frowned in confusion. Was it for the other fighters’ safety or something? Because someone should ban Erza from contributing to the guild hall violence. Oh, yes. That was a great idea. He’d have to bring the idea up to Gray when he got home.

“BUT IT’S DIFFICULT TO ARGUE WITH HER HANDY VICTORIES!” the voice boomed. “THANKS TO HER NEARLY-UNBROKEN STREAK OF INSANE WINS, SHE HAS BEEN NICKNAMED THE THE ‘PHOENIX’, ‘UNDERDOG’, ‘TENMEN’...AND HER PREFERRED NICKNAME…”

A new song started, and this one was undeniably cool, in Natsu’s opinion. Something hard, fast, and catchy, punctuated by an angry-sounding woman singing something about “not giving a damn” about something or other. The door at the opposite end of the ring swung open. A girl came swaggering out, and Natsu froze.

“THE DRAGONESS, LAYLAAAAA O'NEEEILLLLL!!!!”

It wasn’t his daughter. It couldn’t be. Her name wasn’t Layla. Her name was Nashi. His Nashi would be twelve, and this girl was in her late teens–maybe even her early twenties. The fact that her fighting nickname was “The Dragoness” was a nasty coincidence, but that’s all it was. This couldn’t be Earthland’s Nashi.

But it was this world’s Nashi. Of that, there was no doubt. And Natsu couldn’t make himself take his eyes off her, couldn’t even make himself blink as he stared, ignoring the cheering and booing all around him.

A couple strands of unruly pink hair at her bangs had broken free of their tight braids, as adorable and predictably unpredictable as his little girl’s. They clung to her forehead, bouncing as she strutted towards the monster still pacing, practically frothing at the mouth, and Natsu vaguely registered the sound of several peoples’ alarmed murmuring. If he hadn’t been so distracted, he’d have understood; she was about half the guy’s size and about -50% as insane-looking.

Not scared, though.

And…she looked like Lucy. She looked so much like Lucy that it hurt. He could still remember times when he’d call his little girl’s name, she’d turn around, and he’d gasp–because it really was like an adorable, wild little pink-haired Lucy turning to look up at him, her whole face lighting up like he was the greatest thing in Earthland. The memory choked him up, a feeling he’d gotten used to over the past seven years. He swallowed hard.

But that wasn’t Lucy’s smile. Natsu felt like he had seen that smile somewhere but he wasn’t particularly interested in thinking about it all that deeply, because what mattered was that it was her smile, his little girl’s, big and toothy and unmistakable–a little lopsided, the corners of her lips characteristically curling.

It hit his chest like a shot from Zeref, making him briefly clutch at his waistcoat’s dirtied fabric.

Natsu knew, firsthand, just how similar other worlds’ versions of his loved ones could be to his. Hell, Edolas Lucy had chopped off her hair to make it a little easier to distinguish herself from Earthland Lucy.

That didn’t make it hurt any less to suddenly see another world’s Nashi– Layla, this one was called. That was Nashi’s middle name. It made sense, when you thought about it. Names were one thing that seemed to sometimes differ slightly between worlds, as he’d learned on the 100-Year-Quest [*3]. Her canines were sorta sharp, maybe, but they weren’t Dragon Slayer sharp, like his and daughter’s. Besides. Edo Nashi and Fireball’s canines were a tiny bit sharper than normal, too.

It couldn’t be her. It couldn’t be. Looking at her still felt like being punched in the chest by Erza. Yet he couldn’t stop watching as the music, cheers, and boos faded, she stripped off her sweats (to much catcalling and whistling) to reveal a black sports bra/shorts getup sort of like “Mad Bull’s” shorts, revealing a body packed with much more muscle than any of Fairy Tail’s women would’ve allowed themselves to accumulate. She looked pretty badass, he decided.

The voice that was everywhere and nowhere boomed on:

“NOT ONLY A CHANCE AT THE UPCOMING TITLE ON THE LINE, BUT–POTENTIALLY–THE FUTURE OF MIXED SEMI-UNDERS. TWO CHALLENGERS, SQUARING OFF FOR A CHANCE AT THE SEMI-FINALS. THIS IS A GIGANTIC CULTURAL MOMENT IN THE HISTORY OF THIS SPORT… ‘MAD BULL’ MATTHEW BRON VS. THE ‘DRAGONESS’ LAYLA O'NEIL!”

“‘Dragoness’ is fucking right!” Mad Cow or whatever roared while he hugged one arm across his chest, grinning ferally at his much smaller opponent. “Here hoping some man will look at you, fugly?!”

Several people in the audience laughed. Even the announcer chuckled. Meanwhile, Natsu’s blood boiled. On some level, he knew he needed to separate himself from this. From this fight, from this “Nashi.” Especially when he was this powerless to do anything about any of it. But it was impossible to listen to someone say that to another version of his daughter and not have every protective instinct in his body flare, especially when the spectators apparently thought it was fucking hilarious.

However, her grin didn’t even flicker. “Like you’re one to talk!” she cackled. “You look like Popeye fucked Bigfoot!”

Natsu didn’t flinch at the language like many people in the audience seemed to. In fact, he found the disapproving murmurs confusing. The other guy hadn’t exactly been polite, but he hadn’t gotten the same reaction. Still, a solid number of people were laughing their asses off, including the group next to him which had booed Mad Cow.

He also had no clue what the hell she’d just said even meant, but the way Mad Cow’s smile dropped off his face, a handful of people started howling with laughter, and the commentator’s chuckles cut off abruptly was enough to make Natsu grin.

Some random guy in some sort of black, collared uniform entered the arena, signaling to the loud, annoying commentator. Unlike her opponent, no one had followed This Nashi into the arena; she was all alone. So she ran back to her own bit of protected yet empty corner and threw her clothes and a water bottle over the chainlink fence, then ran back towards the middle of the arena. There, she hopped up and down, shaking out her arms. Stretched them above her head.

“OUCH!” The commentator finally seemed to recover, though he sounded somewhat vexed. “WELL, ONE THING’S FOR SURE, THE CHALLENGER CAN TALK GAME…WHETHER SHE CAN LIVE UP TO IT IS ANOTHER QUESTION.”

“God, I fucking hate when Hansis commentates,” the guy next to Natsu muttered, his friends snorting in agreement. Then he glanced at Natsu–only to double take. “Oi, are you related to the Dragoness or something?!” he asked, eyes on his hair.

“Uhhh…” Natsu chuckled nervously, feeling himself start to sweat. He may have been what Erza would (and frequently did ) call an “impulsive idiot”, but he had no clue how to explain that he was the father of her other self. “Something like that.”

“Whoa, seriously?!” The guy’s friend leaned around him to look at Natsu with wide, shining eyes, then continued, “I won’t ask anymore, ‘cause obviously you’re trying to protect your identities or something, but that’s so cool! We’re huge fans!”

“Hmm…” Natsu said, scanning their apparel–t-shirts and hats emblazoned with her face and silhouette–and what looked like homemade signs of her name, written in fiery letters. “I can see that…what is this, exactly?” He asked this while looking around at the lights, spectators, an unfamiliar kind of money being exchanged and counted between several people.

Natsu tilted his head, blinking. “No?” he said.

“The semi-underground tournament?” the only girl in the group said, eyes almost as wide as her friend’s. When Natsu only continued to look confused, she said, “What, do you live under a rock?! You’ve at least heard of MMA, right? Mixed Martial Arts?”

He perked up at this. “Like a fight?! Hell, yeah! How do I get in on this?!” He grinned, cracking his knuckles, his earlier scuffles and empty stomach completely forgotten.

“YOU DON’T!” the entire group shouted, eyes bugging.

The dude who’d first started talking to him huffed, sweating slightly. “The ‘semi-underground’ octagon used to just be called ‘the underground fights,’” he explained loudly, Natsu still having to lean in to catch what he said with his new, bad ears over the increasingly excited din. “It was illegal, but, like, illegal in the ‘everyone knows but won’t squeal’ way, you know?”

Natsu nodded, fully getting this. After all, how many times had soldiers arrested him only for Queen Hisui to let him off with a finger-wag. Of course, his luck on that front had run out seven years ago…

“The feds finally cracked down on it,” the guy continued, “but didn’t prosecute any of the fighters. Now, it’s called the ‘Semi-Underground’...it’s got no weight-classes (which is why the Dragoness can fight big dudes like Mad Bull). All genders are free to compete and fight each other. It’s a bit more for entertainment than pure fighting prowess– that was different, before,” the guy added with a wistful tone. “But still! You can’t just go waltzing into the octagon, you know? Back in the basement where this used to happen, you could’ve gotten away with that, but now you’ve gotta work for it, you know? Seriously, do you live under a rock or something?”

Irritated, Natsu opened his mouth, but his response was cut off when a loud voice–not as loud as the announcer, but still–redrew all their attention to the ring. “Alright, fighters,” the black-collar guy said into a microphone which was smaller and not as loud as the commentator’s, quieting the audience. “We’ve been over the rules. Protect yourself at all times. Follow my instructions. We’re going to have a clean fight, you hear me?” He glared at Mad Bull, but This Nashi was the only one who dipped her chin in recognition. Natsu’s eyes narrowed along with hers when her opponent refused to acknowledge the guy’s words. “Now, touch gloves at this time, and come out ready to do this!”

Both fighters instantly danced away from each other. Black collar guy scowled. Both the commentator and the audience made sounds like “ OOOOOOOH!”

“NO TOUCH!” came the commentator’s gleeful voice, “I REPEAT, NEITHER FIGHTER TOUCHED GLOVES, AND SO FAR, NEITHER ARE REALLY MOVING FOR EACH OTHER–”

“SAY YOU’RE PRAYERS, BITCH!” Mad Cow roared. “YOU’RE DEAD MEAT!”

“BRING IT!” This Nashi roared back, and Mad Cow lunged, swinging in immediately with a big, dramatic overhand hook that would have knocked her out immediately if she hadn’t skated out of its way. It took about three similar exchanges for Natsu to sag in disappointment.

“Oi!” he shouted, utterly let down, “Where the hell’s the magic?!”

“Geez!” the guy next to him laughed. “The fight’s only just started: give them a minute to warm up! Then we’ll get to see the cool stuff.”

“What, they’re not allowed to use it at first or something?” Natsu asked, still staring as This Nashi fended off huge, devastating blows raining down from above and leapt back from the powerful kicks, eyes narrowed and expression tight.

“...Er, what?” the guy asked.

“Magic–duh!” Natsu huffed, flickering wide eyes between the guy and This Nashi, who was now darting backwards around the round-ish ring, still fending Mad Cow off, weaving and ducking with a speed few could hope to match. “You know?! Fire, Ice, Celestial Magic…?

The guy stared at him for a second along with his companions, all of whom were also sweating. It was then that Natsu knew:

Something more was going on here. Something he didn’t understand. This place…wherever he was, it was like Edolas. Not now, but back when he, Lucy, and the others had gone there. Magic didn’t just not exist, here; was some kind of… taboo on it.

“Oh, sorry,” he chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. Trying to keep his voice as quiet as he could over the crowd, he continued, “I didn’t mean to say something that would get you in trouble...”

The group’s only response was to sidle away from him surreptitiously, glancing at him and sharing looks with wide eyes. Natsu was thrown for a loop once more. Ooo- kay, talk about overly-suspicious. Were there guards listening in on their conversation or something? As discreetly as possible, with his hand still at the back of his head, he looked around, eyes narrowed.

Yet…he saw nothing to warrant their suspicion. An unruly crowd…and an astonishing lack of guards. At the Grand Magic Games, there’d always been a ton of guards. Way more than he wanted to be there, honestly. Did this have something to do with the whole “underground” thing?

He looked at the group again, then realized something important: it was him they were looking at nervously. Nervously, and like…he was crazy or something.

It had taken time, but the years had made Natsu wiser–cooler–about situations like this. Even as his stomach sank with the realization that getting home was going to be a much harder task than he’d initially realized, he acknowledged that he’d need to be careful about mentioning Magic here. Dropping his hand, he forced a small smile at them then turned his attention back to the arena, where Mad Cow continued to chase This Nashi around the edge of the arena. Meanwhile, his mind continued to reel, loud to himself and no one else.

“–IT’S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE SHE’S CAUGHT IN A CLINCH, HERE, AND THEN OUR NIGHT WILL BE OVER!” the commentator was blaring. It was sort of surprising, how easily he’d been able to tune out when Natsu’s ears were registering so little. “I HATE TO SAY IT–” (Based on the glee in his tone, Natsu doubted that.) “–BUT HOWEVER MUCH OF AN EXTRAORDINARY FIGHTER SHE IS, SHE’S STILL A FEMALE FIGHTER. HER OPPONENT HAS WELL OVER A HUNDRED POUNDS ON HER [*4]. AND, AGAIN, I HATE TO SAY THIS–BUT THERE ARE JUST PHYSICAL BARRIERS NO CHICK FIGHTER WILL EVER BE ABLE TO OVERCOME! RIGHT NOW, THIS IS A DOG FIGHT, AND NOT ONE SHE CAN KEEP SCRAPPING IN! SHE’S NOT GOING TO COME OUT AS THE ‘UNDERDOG,’ THIS TIME–”

“Man, she’s getting her ass beat!” someone from the group broke the awkward silence as This Nashi was swept aside by a blow that caught the guard at her ear.

“Maybe she’ll make a comeback!” another guy said, tremulous but hopeful, as a log-like shin crashed into her stomach.

“She definitely will!” the guy who’d first spoken to Natsu said, though there was a distant note of doubt in his voice as she barely reeled from an arrow-fast straight right.

Despite the awkwardness of their last interaction, Natsu couldn’t help appreciating these people, who were so devoted to this world’s Nashi. He decided to end their night more positively. “Is that what you think?” he asked in a somewhat bored tone, eyes on the girl still gliding backwards, dancing away from the hits and kicks or else blocking them. He felt, rather than saw, the group’s eyes jumping to him, some of them quickly leaping away only to dart back.

“What do you mean?” the first guy ventured when he said nothing else, edging a little closer once more.

Natsu crossed his arms over his broad chest, eyes thinning as Big Boy brought down a hailstorm of fists on This Nashi’s head. His eyes tracked the way a particularly big hit caught her forearm–but only barely, seeing as she’d slid out of the enormous range even as she blocked. Just like he’d thought…

His stomach churned uncomfortably. It was eerie and cruel, how much her movements and the memories aligned–

“OUCH! That hurt, Daddy!” After the exclamation, Nashi began grumbling, vigorously rubbing her forearm where his fist had just him.

“Woops!” Natsu chuckled sheepishly, “My bad!”

Despite the fact that she was still rubbing the arm he’d tapped with a light hit, the little girl who barely came up above his knees scowled.

It was midday, now. In their front lawn; his and Happy’s house, now much larger with the rooms he’d added for Lucy and their kids.

“But–” He grew serious. “–you think your enemies will take it easy on you, Nashi? You think they’ll give you a break because you say ‘ouch’?”

She dropped her arms to her sides and scowled–pouted, really. She was so cute, he couldn’t have kept his lips from quirking into a grin if he tried. Strutting forward, he planted a hand on top of her head, rubbing the unruly locks. He only grinned wider when she turned her scowl/pout up to him. “Sorry, kiddo, but they won’t!”

Lucy would have lost her mind, if she saw the interaction. Natsu could just hear her now: “NATSU, WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU?! SHE’S FIVE! BE CAREFUL, WOULD YOU? BLAH BLAH BLURGH BLAH– !”

He never really got Lucy, when she acted like that. Nashi was a Dragon Slayer, like him. She could take much more than a normal human, but would never learn that she could if he didn’t show her! Not to mention that Igneel had been way tougher on him, when he was five. Besides, he didn’t want his kid to be some weakling! What father did want that?

Not any good ones, that was for sure. Especially not when their kids had Nashi’s determination and drive.

“I’m sorry I hurt you,” he apologized again, still rubbing her head affectionately. “But you’ve got to understand…if I hurt you, it’s because I know your enemies will hurt you the same way…I don’t want it to surprise you. I want you to be able to fight back, still. You do still want to be a big-time Dragon Slayer, don’t you?”

She stared up at him dubiously, but the smile caught on quick. She’d never been able to resist smiling back at him.

“...Yeah,” she admitted finally, feigning reluctance.

He lifted his hand off her head, cupping it around his ear and leaning down towards her. “What was that?!” he shouted. “I couldn’t hear you…what was it you want?!”

“I–pfft–I WANT–” Her small smile turned to a grin–the big, corner-curled grin only his daughter ever could or would achieve. The one that always melted his heart.

“I WANNA BE A DRAGON SLAYER!” she managed to roar through her grin. “NO–I MEAN, I WANNA BE THE STRONGEST DRAGON SLAYER EVER!”

“HELL YEAH, YOU DO!” he roared back, the pride managing to make his chest burst even as he squared up again, preparing for more training. An adrenaline only teaching one’s prodigy could spark electrocuted his system. “IF THAT’S REALLY TRUE, THEN COME ON, NASHI! YOU’VE GOT MORE IN YOU! I KNOW YOU DO!”

“OH YEAH? WELL I DO! I GOT WAY MORE IN ME!” She dropped into the stance he’d taught her, grinning for everything she was worth. The sun illuminated her smile.

He somehow managed to grin even more widely. “Right, then listen up!” he commanded. “When Dragon Slayers fight, they got one big advantage: they can take a whole bunch of hits–then still get up. So that’s exactly what you’re gonna do.”

“...Huh?!” The little girl’s eyes bulged out of her head. “You’re sayin’ I’m gonna let myself get hit?!”

“Well, not too hard,” he elaborated. “And not too much…you’re just gonna play defense for a while, see?” He moved for her, throwing a fist much more slowly than he normally would have. Automatically, she wove away, eyes wide on his face. His right fist was followed by his left, then a kick–all too sluggish to be real. She easily moved around and blocked all of them. “This way,” he continued, throwing another kick. “You can learn the guy you’re fighting, how step, how they breathe…”

“How they step…how they breathe…” she repeated to herself in a murmur, eyes flickering all over his body as he continued to pantomime a real fight. Natsu couldn’t help but grin. Nashi was a distractible kid, but when it came to fighting, she was always on the ball.

Natsu didn’t mind one bit when Lucy blamed him for that.

“...how they fight,” he finished.

“...how they fight!” she whispered.

He started speeding up his movements. Let her orient before he lit up his fists. She mirrored him, flames igniting her much smaller fists. Their dance became even faster “That’s it, Nashi!” he praised as she leapt back from a kick, only letting it clip her shoulder. “Get into the flow of it! Read my movements! Remember, breathe, and–”

“She’s reading him,” he murmured, voice softer than he’d meant it to be. “Fending him off and waiting for the right moment; his hits are only clipping her.” His hunger was catching up with him again, as was his pain. He ached. He wanted to sleep. And…

…It hurt. It hurt too much. Knowing it wasn’t his Nashi…that just made it hurt more. Each hit, each block, each flash of those brown eyes…they felt like shards of glass piercing his heart.

I can’t stay here, he realized.

“What was that?” the girl in the group asked, venturing closer to him.

His heart was heavy, sinking as he watched the girl. Embarrassment washed over him as he realized that had been a stupid thing to say in the first place. This wasn’t his Nashi. She wasn’t using what he’d taught her because he hadn’t been the one to train her. Hell, she probably wasn’t even gauging her opponents’ movements; she was probably fighting for her life, here.

She would lose.

“Nothin’,” he replied thickly, dropping his arms even as he watched the girl roll away from a rather impressive and extremely long-ranged crescent kick, not even the man’s big toe catching her at all. “I was wrong…enjoy the rest of the fight, guys.” He used the ensuing beat of silence to stare–for just one more second–at the girl. This world’s version of his girl.

Without thinking, he went to heft up his backpack, only to sigh in quiet defeat–the exhale almost visible even in the warm air–as he remembered it wasn’t there; he was just a weakling in this world. That’s why his back (and whole body) felt so heavy.

“Oh, you’re leaving?” the first guy who’d spoken to him said as he turned away, pushing back through the crowd. His tone was an odd mixture of relieved and disappointed. Natsu said nothing, merely waving.

Overhead, the booming voice–which he’d tuned out during the competition–continued to sound off. “–AN ADMITTEDLY UNBELIEVABLE DODGE, BY ,” it said, clearly shocked, as Natsu pushed past a woman who was obviously excited to be moving closer to the arena. “BUT THE NEXT FLURRY OF BLOWS LANDS, ALTHOUGH IT APPEARS SHE’S BLOCKED MOST OF THEM–”

“YOU’RE DONE, BITCH!” roared Mad Cow, so loud that he managed to drown out the commentator–who went silent, anyway. This made Natsu pause, his brows knitting with fury.

It doesn’t matter, he reminded himself. She’s not your daughter. He refused to look back, forced himself to take another step, then another. She’s just some fighter from another world who’s, apparently, out of her league. She’s not–

A loud slam, like a body falling on a mat. “SHE’S DOWN! I REPEAT, ’S DOWN!”

Natsu smirked. “See, dumbass?” he murmured to himself.

“IT’S ALL OVER, FOLKS! SHE’S–”

All of a sudden, a fleshy CRACK rang through the air, followed by an enormous chorus of gasps and cries of surprise from the crowd. A deafening silence ensued.

“... HOLY– UNBELIEVABLE!” the commentator managed. “A KICK FROM THE GROUND–AND O’NEIL'S BACK ON HER FEET! THEY’VE GAINED GROUND FROM EACH OTHER, AND MAD BULL–MAD BULL IS NOW TRYING TO RECOVER!”

Despite himself, Natsu slowed even as he urged himself to keep walking. Even as he continued to force himself not to turn back. Looking back is only a distraction. It’s not Nashi. That is not Nashi. It’s not–

“Man, I really hate guys like you, you know that?”

The seething voice was what made him stop, closing his eyes. There was just…something about it. A growl. A fire. Something that punched right back into his memories:

“Remember, breathe, and keep your eyes on my chest! That way, you can see my whole body at the corners of your eyes!” A combo, one which he pumped more speed and power to than before–throwing her off on purpose.

“Oof!” she grunted as she landed on her butt.

“There, when you fall– that’s when you make your comeback! Now that you’ve watched your opponent, and tricked him into thinking you’re down– now is when you get back up and blow them away! That’s how a Dragon Slayer fights! That’s how a Fairy Tail Wizard fights!” She stared up at him with huge eyes, shining with admiration, and flushed cheeks.

He grinned.

“So?! Get up! Always get back up, Nashi! I’m not asking the impossible of you–you can do this! I know you can!”

“I–I will!” she scrambled to her feet, fists blazing with gold heat as she lunged for him. “I’ll always get back up! No matter what, I’ll–”

His chest seized. He clenched his jaw, knowing he needed to make himself keep walking, but unable to do it. Even as people churned around him, trying to push past him, he found himself shoving them off, refusing to move from exactly where he was. One foot planted in front of the other. Half-hovering. Eyes still closed.

Whatever just happened had quieted the crowd, an anticipatory sort of silence that made him clench his fists, eyes still closed.

And then, Natsu’s world flipped upside down:

“You didn’t even bother to study my previous fights, did you?” Her growl carried across the hushed crowd. “Tch, typical…if you had, you’d know: You’d know I always get back up!”

His eyes flew open.

He whirled back around and watched, wide-eyed and world rocking, as the pink haired girl rose. Rolled her shoulders against her ears, one at a time. The grin was gone, a heavy, intimidating scowl having taken its place as she recovered, getting her feet back underneath herself, her stance back in place. Her nose was wrinkled in fury. Her eyes burned.

Natsu’s lips parted on a gasp as he stared.

Mad Cow scoffed, hunched and rubbing his chin with a hand like a mitt. Natsu guessed that This Nashi must’ve caught him there–probably with a kick, given the size difference. That must have been what made the crowd react with shock. They were recovering now, though, getting louder.

“And why the fuck would I bother to do that?!” Mad Cow shouted, dropping his hand. “I don’t need to! Every guy you’ve faced could’ve beaten you easily if they’d quit acting like even more of a little bitch than you! You shouldn’t fucking be here anyway…fucking birds, knowing dudes will take it easy on you so you can take advantage of it and collect the reward…well I’M NOT ONE OF THEM!” He roared the last part. The bitter fury in his voice was a kind Natsu was familiar with.

“Studying what you can find of your opponent’s fighting style–that’s basic! And you wanna sit here and bitch about how I don’t deserve to be here, you lumpy-headed fuck?! ”

“The FUCK you just call me?!” McCow snarled back.

“YOU HEARD ME, SHITWIT!”

“THAT’S IT!” the man shouted. “I’ve had it! I was gonna take it easy on you, but–”

“THAT’S MY LINE!”

It seemed that was both their limit.

They flew at each other. But now, everything was different, and Natsu doubted that anyone without a trained eye and fighting experience like him could recognize it.

Apparently, the commentator was one such person: “THIS IS–THIS IS INCREDIBLE!” the voice boomed, full of disbelief, as the girl caught the fist rocketing towards her face with a hard elbow, making Mad Cow let out a roar of pain. She kicked away an arm flying towards her head, and launched a sidekick at his now-uncovered stomach–one that landed hard. She built on the damage, bearing down on him as he stumbled backwards, tripping over his own heels. A right roundhouse followed by a left to his head. Despite the fact he was obviously disorientated, he caught the first one– blocked it and tried, unsuccessfully to catch her foot–but not the second, which cracked into his ear and made him stagger, her chasing him and hammering him with surprisingly powerful blows. Each one of her hits accumulated speed and strength.

The commentator picked up again, saying something or other about “striking machines”, but Natsu didn’t hear. His eyes were wide, now, and glued to the girl cracking her shin into her opponent’s nose, teeth bared. The expression on her face…the fire in her eyes…the speed of her hits…her fighting style…it was like he’d begun watching the fight currently happening through one eye and a stream of memories through the other, his breath going still in his lungs–

“–No matter what, I’ll always get back up!” screamed the little girl, running forward and hammering him with fiery strikes, kicks, and even elbows. They’d only just started elbow work. Natsu staggered back with each good combo she landed. He put in the effort to make it look convincing, pride swelling within his chest.

“That’s it! Build on it! Faster…harder! C’mon!”

This Nashi slipped underneath and into one of Mad Cow’s big overhand hooks, the corrected trajectory of his fist barely skidding over her shoulder as her right fist tore up, slamming into his chin. Even as his eyes rolled and he staggered backwards, her expression was so mutinous it was almost funny.

But as good as the uppercut was, it turned out to be a set-up:

“LOOK AT THIS COMBO…CROSS, HOOK–WHOA! AN ABSOLUTELY DEVASTATING LEG KICK! CLASSIC MUAY THAI-INSPIRED COMBO FROM TURNING–”

“FUCKING BITCH–!” Mad Cow roared, but his opponent cut him off with a voice like thunder.

“I’M THE BADDEST BITCH YOU’VE EVER MET!”

“I’LL ALWAYS GET BACK UP! I WILL! I’M GONNA BE A GREAT DRAGON SLAYER, JUST LIKE YOU! NO–I’LL EVEN BEAT YOU, ONE DAY!” Nashi took a deep breath, and Natsu grinned, allowing the pause in the fight, because he knew what was coming. The catchphrase both like his and not. Inspired by him, but all her own.

Her fists blazed brighter than ever. The sun illuminated her grin.“JUST WATCH ME, DADDY! DON’T EVEN BLINK! BECAUSE I’VE–”

“–GOT A FIRE IN ME THAT YOU’LL NEVER PUT OUT!”

Mad Cow’s eyes were wild with fear as he desperately swung for another, big lead cross–one which spelled his downfall. The Dragoness leapt off her left leg–her back leg. Her right shin cracked into his already dipping head.

He fell forward and bounced off the mat, limp as a ragdoll, while the audience screamed all around him.

Even as the giant fell still, she made for his prone form, fist raised, but didn’t fight at all when the black-collared man appeared seemingly from nowhere, grabbed her around the waist, and practically threw her away. Instead, This Nashi– The Nashi skipped backwards, smirking, and raised a wrapped fist.

And that was the realization which thundered through Natsu, now gaping up at the victorious, pink-haired fighter stalking towards the edge of the cage: not This Nashi. The Nashi.

After seven, grief-filled years, Natsu Dragneel was absolutely sure he had just found his daughter.

*1. Yes, there will be quotes from the original series (the anime dub, sub, or the manga depending on whichever version I like best) at the beginning of each chapter. HOWEVER. The quotes are not spoilers and are often only tangentially related to my plotline. The one for this chapter, for instance, is specifically about Edolas, but is not actually true of the world where Natsu has landed.

*2. Yes, I know the canon Edolas Nalu child is “Nasha.” I decided on “Nashi”, instead, for reasons which will be explained later.

*3. Sorry in advance, but I pretty much kept what little I remembered/liked from 100YQ and ditched everything I didn’t. Same with the original story, but way more with 100YQ. Idk what it is but even though I’ve read the whole thing, 100YQ has this unique quality where a lot of what happens slips straight out of my mind as soon as I’ve read it. In one eye, out the other. So you’ll just have to roll with me, sorry.

*4. Real-life inspiration for Layla (/Nashi) comes mostly from Ronda Rousey, whose biography I read and happen to have on hand, along with Kaoklai Kaennorsing (especially his fighting style). Those are the two main ones. If you’ve read My Fight, Your Fight, you’ll understand how Layla (/Nashi’s) personality is inspired by her–especially as you go on. I highly recommend looking up the Thai kickboxer/Muay Thai fighter Kaoklai Kaennorsing. He has been called the Giant-Slayer because he did, in fact, defeat opponents who had over 100 pounds on him. Watching his fights is just an incredible experience. Other inspirations include Rose Namajunas, Connor McGregor, and some others. There are also several fictional inspirations including and outside Fairy Tail which I won’t bore you with (some of them I’m sure fellow anime fans will be able to guess lol).

#nalu #fairy tail #natsu dragneel #lucy heartfilia #nashi dragneel #nasha dragneel #gruvia #gajevy #jerza #fan fiction #fanfiction #2nd gen #post-canon #if this is wonky i'll fix it tomorrow. too tired now.#nalu fic

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