#it happened SEVERAL TIMES in one of my fics

[aylacavebear]

Soulmates? Yeah, right, pft. - Ch. 31

When you turn sixteen, and your soulmate's name doesn’t appear anywhere on your body that you can find, you figure you had to be the only person on the planet who didn’t have one. Most of the town shuns you, so you stick close to family. Your Aunt Ellen raised you after your parents died in a car crash when you were two, but what happens when the Winchesters return to town and buried secrets begin to come to light?

Pairing: Mechanic Dean Winchester x OC Reader/You

Word Count: 3380

A/N: This chapter is from several different perspectives.

Warnings: The Angst is back, Dean being Dean, navigating being an empath, suggestive thoughts, longing, Fluff, Premonition, Talk of Bonding (This is something specifically for this AU. I do not see this as a "requirement" to fully connect to someone, but for this story, it is needed).

A/N: This is my non-Supernatural fic I'm attempting. Please let me know what you think, as I always love hearing from my readers.

----------------------------------------- Chapter 31

Even though it had happened near four in the morning, neither of you could go back to sleep. The images that bombarded Dean’s mind had his nerves on edge just as badly as if he had had the nightmare himself. He must have held you for an hour before the both of you finally made your way to the kitchen for coffee, then lots of cuddles on the couch. Calling Crowley had gone far easier than you had pictured it. 

You explained the first nightmare, then the second one, adding what Pamela had told you. At first, you weren’t sure if Crowley was going to be of any help with as silent as he got on the other end of the line. Then, he said something that brought both hope and fear. “You’ve had two, both involving Cole. I’ll take care of it.” He didn’t give you more than that before he hung up.

With a sigh and a frown, you looked up at Dean, who placed a soft kiss on your forehead. “It’ll be alright,” he tried to reassure you, even with the knot in his stomach.

“It’s not fair. Why can’t they just leave me alone?” it was a question you both already knew the answer to, but neither of you wanted to speak it out loud. You were partially relieved that you didn’t know more of what was going on with Cole, but only partially.

Dean set your cup and his on the coffee table before he pulled you into full-on cuddles on the couch, something you both needed. There was so much he wanted to say, but none of the words that went through his head seemed right. The last thing he wanted to do was brush off what you were going through. —------------------------------

Crowley had spoken to Pamela the day you had visited her. Now, he was sitting in one of his studies, leaning back in the chair and sipping his drink. The computer in front of him was on, but his gaze was elsewhere. Cole had been released only a day ago. There wasn’t enough against him to hold or charge him with anything. Abaddon had made sure of that.

He was currently debating how he wanted to deal with this. It wasn’t like the authorities did anything in a timely manner, and Crowley hated red tape. “Sir, Mr. Winchester is here,” the butler stated, standing in the doorway.

“Show him in,” Crowley sighed. With Meg staying in Sioux Falls, he was down one of his best helpers. He knew Ketch could easily handle this job, but that was far riskier. Ketch had a tendency to enjoy his work far too… deeply.

After Dean’s phone call almost a week ago, Sam had been trying to help Crowley find a way to keep Cole locked up. That had led from one dead end to another. Since Cole hadn’t left any sort of paper trail, there was literally no evidence that he was anything more than a victim of what his father had started over twenty years ago.

“Alright, Crowley. What the hell is going on?” Sam demanded as he burst into the study past the butler, who hadn’t even had the opportunity to announce him.

“Nice to see you too, Moose,” Crowley muttered before sitting up. “She’s had another premonition, and Pamela confirmed it.” The bombshell hit Sam hard, causing him to sit in one of the chairs as his mind began racing. “Where’s Cole now?”

“According to my informants, he’s in Madison. His jeep is parked outside a Super Eight motel off Second Street. I’ve already confirmed that he’s there, room seven,” Crowley replied, still figuring out how he wanted to proceed and the repercussions of his options.

All Sam could do was stare at Crowley in utter disbelief. Cole’s location was only an hour from Sioux Falls. The silence stretched between the two, neither ready to speak the things circling their thoughts. “Coffee, Mr. Winchester?” the butler asked from the doorway, pulling Sam from his thoughts.

“Uh, yeah,” he answered absentmindedly, then turned back to Crowley. “So, what are you doing to stop him?”

Crowley looked over at Sam, debating just what information to share and what to keep to himself, then leaned back in his chair. “I’ve already alerted the main office here. They said they would take care of it, but I don’t trust them.” He paused, taking a sip of his drink, studying Sam. “I contacted a few other places, to speed things up. Ketch will be flying out in a few hours.” Sam didn’t have to ask who Crowley contacted. There was an intricate system in place for those who had premonitions, and Pamela was well-known within that system. Ketch had already packed, and he was waiting to board his flight. His assignment was simple: follow Cole and keep Y/N and Dean safe.

“Then why am I here? You could have told me all this over the phone,” Sam finally asked Crowley, quite bluntly as the butler returned with his coffee.

For a moment, Crowley let the silence stretch between them as the tension built in the small room. It was cases like this that got to him, even if he never let it show. He had a reputation to uphold. “Pamela wanted me to pass on a message. Don’t go to Sioux Falls till after your brother’s birthday.” With a sigh, Sam leaned back in the chair. He knew what that meant. Pamela had seen something, and had been cryptic on purpose. Running a hand down his face, he sighed, lost in thought. This was supposed to have been easy. Cole was supposed to go down with his father and grandfather, but Abaddon had found enough of a loophole and gotten him released. Now, you and Dean were in danger, again. “I’ll reschedule my flight,” Sam finally mumbled out before heading for the door. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go.

“It’ll be taken care of, one way or another,” Crowley muttered, causing Sam to pause for a brief moment before leaving. 

—-----------------------------------

When the plane touched down at the Sioux Falls airport, Ketch was attempting to stay patient. Flights always took far too long, but they were faster than driving, and right now, time was of the essence. He had wanted to follow Cole the moment he’d been released, but Crowley had forbidden it. 

Going through the airport, he paid no attention to the people passing by, living their lives in their own bubbles. Ketch was focused on his current assignment, bag slung over his shoulder. It was already early afternoon, and he still had driving to do. At least his contact was parked outside in a relatively inconspicuous black car. Ketch didn’t even bother noting its make or model as he placed his bag in the trunk and then slid into the passenger seat.

“Your rental is already at the motel, waiting,” Mick began before popping the glovebox and handing him several items. “That’s your new ID-” but Ketch cut him off.

“Just drive, Mick. I don’t have time for this. I know the drill,” Ketch’s words were pointed, taking the papers and giving them a quick once over before slipping them into the inner pocket of his suit.

Mick was more talkative than Ketch preferred, wanting to make small talk. Ketch’s focus was on his next ten moves, like in chess, letting his thoughts drown out Mick’s voice on the nearly forty-five-minute drive to his motel. He didn’t need anything fancy. He was there for an assignment, and the less conspicuous his accommodations were, the better.

A slight smirk formed when he saw the motorcycle parked in the lot outside the motel. It would serve his purpose perfectly, allowing him to go off-road if he needed to in order to follow Cole. Even as Ketch got out of the car, Mick was still talking, something about a tracking device on Cole’s Jeep. “I’m aware,” was all the reply he gave, closing the door and grabbing his bag out of the trunk. Mick sighed, then held out the key to Ketch’s room. “I think you’ll need this.”

Ketch gave him an annoyed look, grabbed the key from Mick’s hand, and went to his motel room, ignoring Mick’s amusement. The motel room was basic, but Ketch wasn’t concerned with creature comforts. He had a job to do. 

The sounds of engines came and went outside with the traffic, but his focus was on his laptop, now watching as the tracker made its way along a backroad toward Sioux Falls. With the roads Cole was choosing, Ketch made a projected route to your house. About two more hours. He glanced over at his bag as he leaned back in his chair. Time to go.

His focus was on his assignment as he made his way through town. The chill of January not bothering him through the layers of clothing he had adorned before heading out. Ketch didn’t go directly to your home. He pulled off the side of the road, heading into the forested area. This was a stealth mission. Once his bike was hidden well, he went back, covering his tracks, his tactical bag slung over his shoulder. It was well past noon, nearly evening, and the sun would be setting soon. Good. The night would be his friend. Ketch weaved through the forest toward your home, the only sound was the crunching of the leaves under his feet and the occasional bird. The trees had already lost their leaves, making the area look desolate. 

Ketch stopped just inside the treeline and pulled out his phone. Cole wasn’t far now. He turned off his phone after setting it to silent, then slipped it into one of his pockets and zipped it shut. This way, even a simple notification wouldn’t give him away. Ketch took in the area, needing to find not only a decent location to keep an eye on Cole but also a place he could easily slip inside your home if need be. 

The shed in the back was a no-go, as it was too far away from the front, and he wouldn’t have a clear line of site. The tree line was too far away, and it would take too long to get to one of the doors if Cole went inside. Ketch let his gaze fall on your home. The roof was typical for places with snow, and it clearly had an attic. Crossing the distance in quick strides, he listened carefully to the sounds that seemed to echo in the area. So far, though, no indication that Cole’s Jeep was nearby. Using your porch, he climbed up on the roof with ease, using skills he’d perfected over the years. Ketch carefully inspected the roof, finding two different ways inside if he needed to. One of those was your bedroom window, which he could easily slip down to.

Ketch crouched down, watching your driveway as the early moments of twilight set in. With you living outside the city, he could hear things for what felt like miles as they echoed off the sleeping forest. It wasn’t long after that when an engine rumbled in the distance. Ketch lifted his head slowly in the direction of the sound. It was coming from the opposite direction he had taken. Clever.

Setting his tactical bag down in front of him, he opened it, then went through the motions he’d done hundreds of times as he assembled the sniper rifle. It was only a precaution. His sidearm was what he knew he’d probably end up using. Ketch stowed the empty bag near the chimney before nestling himself behind it, watching the driveway that weaved through the forest.

—---------------------------------

Dean had heard the alarm go off, quickly making his way to the security room before you and sliding into the seat. Just as you were about to join him, having only made it to the doorway, he got right back up and blocked you from going further. “Let’s just go watch another movie,” he suggested, wanting to shield you from what was taking place outside.

You could feel that he was hiding something, his worry trickling through the connection between you. “What are you hiding from me?” It was a simple question, but your fears were creeping in again.

He sighed and pulled you into his arms. “Please, Sweetheart. Can we just go watch a movie and cuddle?” Dean asked again, and even though his tone was soft, you felt the plea within his words. 

Reluctantly, you gave in, even with that nagging fear, and let him guide you back into the living room. It had already been a long day after the nightmare you’d had, and now Ketch was here, on the roof. Dean knew that could only mean one thing- Cole was on his way. Trying to push his thoughts away, he focused on the movies, needing one that would completely distract you and him from everything. Batteries Not Included it is.

Dean steadied his emotions as he slipped the VHS into the player and joined you on the couch. You kept trying to feel what he was trying to hide, but he was doing a far better job of it than you cared to admit. Something was going on, and whatever it was, he knew. Even as the movie began playing and you snuggled against him with him holding you close, he felt… off. 

I wish you’d just tell me.

Please. Just be here with me, in this moment.

As those words whispered through your mind, that knot returned to your stomach, the fear that never seemed to truly leave you. Dean felt it, twisting his insides. Relax. We’re safe. There’s nothing to be afraid of. It took everything in him to calm his stomach, letting out several shaky breaths. You wanted to apologize but didn’t, remembering what he’d asked of you in the beginning. So, instead, you focused on the movie, on being in his arms, and how his heartbeat finally evened out in a steady rhythm. That finally allowed Dean to relax, just not all the way. He didn’t need to be in the loop to know what was going on. Cole was on his way there, for you, and Ketch had been sent to stop him. Which also meant that the authorities that were supposed to take care of this, hadn’t moved fast enough. Or, they simply hadn’t thought it was a high priority.

You allowed the movie to completely distract you, remembering how Pamela had told you that you let fear run your life. Even if it was hard, you’d been trying to push past it, to truly hope for a normal life with Dean. His presence steadied you. His embrace comforted you. And halfway through the movie, you were finally able to let go of the fear that had gripped you earlier. 

—--------------------------

Ketch watched as Cole parked twenty feet from your porch, then sat in his Jeep after turning everything off. Cole’s movements inside the Jeep were easy to watch with the overhead light on inside. He has a handgun. Ketch cocked the sniper rifle but knew he would need a damn good reason to use it. For now, neither of you were in direct harm. He watched Cole slip on a bulletproof vest, then a heavy jacket, and double-checked his gun, keeping it in hand.

Just as Cole stepped out of his Jeep, Ketch heard the sound of several vehicles in the near distance, pulling his attention to the darkness beyond the Jeep. Six sets of lights were rabidly approaching down your winding driveway. He quickly looked through the scope, keeping it trained on Cole. The moment Cole went to move back to his Jeep, Ketch fired a warning shot at the ground, effectively keeping him from going further.

Cole glared up toward the roof of your home, making Ketch smirk. He would have happily shot him, but now he wouldn’t have to. The six vehicles surrounded the Jeep and Cole before over a dozen people quickly got out with weapons drawn.

“Cole Vaught, put the gun down and put your hands behind your head,” one of the men barked the order at him. 

He did as they told him, knowing they’d shoot him without a second's hesitation. Ketch just smirked at Cole’s predicament but kept the sniper rifle trained over the man’s face. Four men rushed Cole while another retrieved his gun. With Cole in handcuffs, they hauled him toward one of the vehicles, and Ketch watched as he disappeared into the back seat. 

Ketch stayed there on your roof, even after they had driven away, one of them driving Cole’s Jeep. Silence had fallen on the area again before he disassembled his rifle and placed it back into his bag. With a disappointed sigh, he pulled out his phone, “Looks like they weren’t completely incompetent. Cole has been taken into custody.”

“Stay there for a few days, just in case. I don’t trust those people,” the voice on the other end replied before hanging up.

He had no plans of staying on your roof all night, so he made his way back to his bike and then back to the motel, already planning his next moves off of numerous possibilities. He had one job, to keep you and Dean safe.

—----------------------------

The following day, you woke to those beautiful green orbs watching you, pulling a smile to your lips. “Morning, beautiful,” he said softly, leaning down, placing a tender kiss to your forehead.

“Mmmm…” you hummed, snuggling a little closer to him. “How long have you been awake?” you asked sleepily, enjoying the warmth of his body and the comfort of his embrace.

“Not long,” he murmured, letting his hand slide down your back before finding your hip.

You tried not to let your mind wander, but his hands always felt so inviting, and he had always been so considerate that it was getting harder and harder not to let go. “Tease,” you mumbled, a bit playfully.

Dean loved mornings like this, when you were completely relaxed, and the weight of everything was far from your thoughts. You were playful, receptive, and the love in your eyes when they met his had his heart racing. That smirk tugged at the corner of his lips, tightening his grip on your hip just a little before he pulled you flush against him.

“And that’s all I’ll be, till you’re ready,” he teased before kissing you. 

When his lips met yours, you closed your eyes, getting lost in the way your emotions danced with his. You set your hand on his side, taking a deep breath through your nose, but allowed yourself to let go of everything but what you felt at that moment. His lips teased yours, occasionally letting his tongue taste you, and you didn’t pull away. He stifled a groan when you reciprocated his movements, and he shifted his body so he was lying more on his side as you let him lie you more on your back. The feeling of safety enveloped you like a warm blanket. These were the moments you wanted just to let go in, but the outside world always seemed to interfere as your phone began ringing on the nightstand.

You groaned, loudly at the interruption while Dean just sighed, lying back and staring at the ceiling, attempting to hide his frustration. It was a number you didn’t recognize but answered it anyway; it could be important.

“Hello?” you asked, sitting up in bed.

“Y/N, I know you’ve been told not to leave your home for at least four more days. Cole is in our holding facility. He’ll be transferred to the main security hold this afternoon. I’d like to meet with you today. Would it be okay if I came by?” the woman with a southern accent explained as your anxiety spiked.

“Who is this?” was all you could get out while Dean quickly shifted in the bed so he was now sitting up and as close to you as he could get.

The woman let out a sigh, “I’m Missouri. We need to meet. Pamela gave me your number.”

----------------------------------------- Chapter 32

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If I missed tagging, please let me know. I had a lot of requests for tags for this one. If you'd like to be tagged, drop me a comment.

[arthrobug]

Am I one of the only people who thinks that writers and artists who make Killer, Ink, or whoever the mom when there's a shipkid involved or even just a simple relationship really odd?

They just make one of them the mom and sometimes have them act completely different (I mean WAY different) from canon- I CAN'T BE THE ONLY ONE WHO THINKS THAT'S STRANGE, RIGHT??

If it's because they have the headcanon or in the story it's canon that, for example, Nightmare is a trans woman, or the character has clearly stated they prefer to be called mother beforehand, than valid! But if they are both regarded as dudes, prefer masculine pronouns and identification, but then they're the mother simply because they 'are the more submissive/nicer one' (sometimes it's just because that individual character carried the child if it's mpreg), THAT'S REALLY UNCOMFORTABLE, MAN.

It's a relationship between two men, there is no automatic woman role. It is a child with two men as their parents, there is no automatic mother role.

If I used weird English or something seems confusing, please don't yell at me, just reblog or comment with a question about it and I'll reword what I meant 👍

Too long;Didn't Read: I'm weirded out that some creators basically unconsciously or consciously enforce heteronormative roles on fictional skeletons in relationships of all kinds.

[courfee]

it's been exactly a year since the last chapter of Operation Walburga's Arbitrary No Kissing Ever Rule and I still miss it. This scene is probably one of my favourite things I've ever written and I've wanted to draw it for forever, so now seemed like an appropriate time

[ricky-mortis]

Curtwen Week Day 6: Happy Ending

[lil-lemon-snails]

"I can't ignore what's under dancefloor boards, The rhythm of my heart a dead-as-disco beat, But I still move my feet, to slip out of this groove, I'm free" ~ 2econd 2ight 2eer, Will Wood, The Normal Album

I have been plagued with visions of LDR Sun every time I listen to this song and I NEEDED to get this out of my system @spadillelicious when do we get to smooch the boy pLEASE

v textless version and close ups under cut!! v

[skitskatdacat63]

This is my personal crossover event of the century

[scarymonsters-andsupercreeps]

The Miracle We Need

Chapter 5

<-previous next->

With Kakyoin and Avdol in the hospital, Holly uses this time to regroup. However, her rest is cut short by an uncanny new enemy.

Read on AO3 here!

No warnings as far as I’m aware, only a minor nightmare mention

Chapter 5: Try My Best, Be a Real Individual

Outside of the hospital in Aswan, after dropping off Avdol and Kakyoin, the remainder of the group stood to discuss their plans.

“What do we do?” Polnareff said. He’d recovered from his blood loss, so the doctors had agreed to let him leave. His leg was bound tightly, having 10 stitches. He was to use a crutch to make sure he didn’t rip them. He wore a spare pair of baggy gray cargo pants until he could buy a new white pair.

“We can’t afford to wait around here for long. Even though Holly isn’t sick, there’s the threat of DIO becoming too strong. Every day we don’t reach him is another day he gets to grow stronger,” Joseph said, touching his chin.

“The doctors said Kakyoin’s eyes are doing well with the first aid we did, and they’re healing rapidly. Maybe we can give him a couple days?” Holly said. “Avdol will probably be ready to go in that time.”

Holly thought back to Kakyoin. The boy suffered for the whole car ride. She had felt awful about it, and tried to make him as comfortable as possible, but it was really no use. The pain he’d been in must have been unbearable. Now, however, he was already much better. Just being in the hospital had perked him up, as well as having been healed by Holly. Avdol had not been much better. He slipped in and out of consciousness, although his wounds were not as severe and had taken the Hamon better, probably because Joseph was the one who healed him. Seeing Holly do it had inspired the old man.

Joseph nodded. “That’s reasonable. We need the time to regroup anyways. We’ll stay here for two days or until Avdol is better, whichever comes first.”

“What do we do in the meantime?” Jotaro said. “Get supplies?”

“That, and rest. This will be a good chance for us to recuperate after so long without a good night’s sleep. I’ll even splurge on a good hotel!” Joseph said with a grin.

“Oh, I’ll buy some ingredients while we’re out. I’ll make everyone a big dinner to help stay strong. I’ll do dessert too,” Holly said. “Oh, and snacks for Kakyoin and Avdol!”

She saw Jotaro visibly perk up at the prospect of her making dinner. “Sure,” he said coolly. “I’ve got a few errands as well.” He adjusted his jacket, which was freshly mended from the fight yesterday. His shoulder was okay for now, but he wasn’t supposed to use it if he could help it.

Joseph checked his watch. “Alright, we’ll split up. We’ll go visit Avdol and Kakyoin around dinner whenever Holly finishes the food, so do whatever you want until then.”

Polnareff pouted. “What am I supposed to do? I have to use a crutch all day…”

“You could go book our rooms at the hotel and hang out there,” Holly said. “You should rest there if you can. Your leg will heal faster that way.”

“A nap does sound nice…” Polnareff said, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Joseph opened his wallet and pulled out a few bills. “This should cover it. Get your sleep and then meet us at the fountain in an hour or so.”

As Polnareff limped away, Holly turned to Joseph and Jotaro. “I’m gonna go buy stuff for dinner, do either of you want to come?”

Jotaro grabbed his hat. “Go ahead.” Before anyone could speak he turned and walked away, shoving his hands in his pockets.

Joseph blinked. “What’s got him in a bad mood?” He said to Holly.

She frowned. “I’m not sure. He probably need his space after that fight, though. It seemed like it was hard on him.”

Holly led Joseph down the sidewalk a ways, then realized something. “Where’s Iggy?”

Her dad shrugged. “I’m not sure, but it’s probably best to leave him be. He’ll probably follow Polnareff to the hotel so he can ruin his hair again.”

Holly cringed, recalling how many times Iggy had attacked Polnareff on the ride here. “Will we ever be able to clean up all the hair in the car? It’s everywhere.” She sighed and continued walking.

“Doubtful. How does Polnareff even have that much hair? Iggy’s been ripping it out in chunks and his goofy flat top is still untouched,” Joseph said, shaking his head.

Holly laughed. “Are you jealous, papa?”

Joseph stuck his chin up. “No! I still have a full head of hair, so there’s nothing for me to be jealous of.”

At the store, Holly pulled a list out of her pocket and studied it. The writing was tiny and covered the whole page. She took out her pen and crossed out a few items.

Joseph laughed. “You had that ready ahead of time?”

“Of course. What else was I supposed to do on that long car ride?” Holly smiled. “I was looking forward to making dinner for everyone, so I wrote down several ideas. We’ll buy whatever they have.”

“What did you cross out?” Joseph said curiously.

“Those were meals that Jotaro is neutral about. Now the only ones left are ones he likes. I’ll make one of his favorites so he’ll feel better.” She smiled, then her face immediately dropped. “Wait. Papa, does anyone have a food allergy? I didn’t even consider that!” She started to scribble more notes on the other side of the list.

“No, no! We’re all good. None that I know of. We’ve eaten tons of stuff.” Joseph waved his hands in a negative gesture.

Holly nodded. “Great!”

As Holly shopped, Joseph fidgeted. He felt antsy. It was a good thing to rest in Aswan for a few days, but whenever they were still he started to worry. The last time he’d felt like this consistently was back in his youth while training to fight the Pillar Men. He could barely even get a wink of sleep back then—the stress had been relentless. He hoped Jotaro wasn’t that way, the boy needed his rest.

One thing he’d always loved about Suzi was that she never fell for his tricks. She knew he was upset back then and was very gracious to him. He probably wouldn’t have made it if it weren’t for her constant support in combination with being pushed to the brink by his competitiveness against Caesar. He missed her. He’d call her as soon as he had time at the hotel.

“Okay,” Holly said, placing an item into her basket. “That’s the main course.” She crossed out a few more words on her list. She hoped everyone would like the dinner she chose, but there was always next time if she messed up.

After a small silence, Holly decided to ask Joseph something that had been bothering her for a long time. “Papa, do you have nightmares?” She said quietly, touching her necklace. The calming effect worked momentarily, but quickly dissipated as her anxiety grew.

“Sometimes, yeah…why do you ask? Have you been getting them?” His brows furrowed in concern.

“Pretty often, ever since I woke up. I’m wondering if it’s because I have a Stand now. I’m directly connected to Jonathan’s body, or just DIO at this point.” She pursed her lips.

“Wait, you’re having specific nightmares?” His eyes widened.

She paused, collecting herself so she wouldn’t cry. “I usually see DIO…and I see Jotaro as well. He’s always injured or worse.” Her voice caught. “It’s horrible…”

Joseph quickly hugged her. “I’m so sorry, sweetie. Have you been getting all the rest you need?”

“I think so…I’m not tired. I’m just…drained. I was so worried about Jotaro…”

“He’s fine, and he’ll be fine in the future. I promise you he’ll make it. He’s stronger than any of us could ever hope to be, and smarter too. Have faith in your son, Holly…he won’t die on you.” Joseph paused. “I know that won’t help the dreams, but I promise you they won’t come true.”

She nodded, her lip quivering. She held back her tears. She wasn’t about to cry in a public market. “Thank you, papa.” she touched her necklace again.

“Take it easy if you can…And tell me if your dreams ever change. I’m wondering if it’s an offshoot of my spirit photography.”

“If it’s that, doesn’t it mean the dreams will come true?” Holly said.

“Spirit photography can be misleading at times, and DIO has previously interfered with Hermit Purple. It’s very possible he’s doing something to you to try and break down your will. Don’t let him get to you, okay?” Joseph put a hand on her shoulder. She still felt like a little girl whenever he did that—his hands were so heavy, even the non-metal one.

“Okay,” Holly said, taking a breath to calm down. She wanted to believe him more than anything, but something about her dreams made her think they were real. She didn’t know when the time would come, but eventually she would need to save Jotaro’s life, and she had no idea if she’d be able to pull it off.

Holly trotted down the street. She was a touch late after dropping the groceries off at the hotel and making treats for Kakyoin and Avdol. Joseph had left early, saying something about going to a coffee shop with Polnareff and Jotaro. Holly was initially sad she didn’t have time to go, but on further reflection realized she didn’t really want coffee. She clutched the box of homemade sweets to her chest, putting on speed so she wouldn’t be any more late.

The buggy was parked to the side of the road, and three people stood around it. Joseph, Polnareff and…someone else. He was around Jotaro’s height, but it wasn’t him at all. The others were talking to him like they knew him. Holly assumed it was a friend they’d previously met while traveling and happened to run into again.

As she got closer, she caught a glimpse of the newcomer’s face. Her heart skipped a beat. This strange man’s face looked like Jotaro, but…wrong. Holly couldn’t quite place it, but this wasn’t her son. It was like someone had make one of those hyper-realistic wax figures of him. It was a perfect likeness, but definitely still wrong.

She didn’t know what to do. Joseph and Polnareff weren’t attacking him for now. They were probably going to try and catch him off guard and interrogate him about DIO. At the moment it meant playing along, she thought.

“Bonjour, Holly,” Polnareff said with a smile. “We were just about to leave, you’re just in time.”

“Everyone get in,” Joseph said, sliding into the driver’s seat.

“Oh, I’d rather walk,” not-Jotaro said, starting to sweat. That immediately raised Holly’s suspicions. If the enemy didn’t want to be in the car, that likely meant he’d tampered with it.

Holly decided to put some pressure on him. she grabbed his hand. “C’mon, sit with me!” The impostor’s hands were cold and clammy, unlike Jotaro’s, which were always warm from being in his pockets. Not-Jotaro also had none of the abrasions Jotaro had picked up yesterday, although he did have old scars from earlier in the journey. Holly was somewhat impressed.

“Oh, no…I’m okay…Holly…” not-Jotaro didn’t seem to realize he was supposed to be her son. She was a bit flattered he hadn’t noticed her age, but unsure what he’d thought of instead.

“Hey, don’t disrespect your mother like that!” Joseph snapped. “At least you didn’t call her a bitch, but calling her Holly is rude. You’re old enough to know better.”

“It’s okay,” Holly said cheerfully. “I don’t mind!” She smiled at him. If it was the real Jotaro, he would have looked away, but this person just stared at her like a deer in headlights.

Holly looked at Joseph, slightly panicked. She didn’t know what to do about the impostor. He winked at her. Oh, so he had a plan. She decided to mess with the impostor until Joseph dealt with him according to whatever he was plotting. He had to go along with whatever she said, right?

“Anyways, we don’t have time for you to walk. Get in the car, it’ll be easier.” Polnareff shoved not-Jotaro into the backseat.

Holly got in next to him as Polnareff sat in the front passenger seat. She noticed an orange on the seat that had escaped the bag of them on the floor. She went to pick it up, but not-Jotaro snatched it before she could.

He quickly tossed the orange out the window, pretending he’d dropped it.

Holly masked her suspicion with a laugh. “Jotaro, you butterfingers!” She said. The orange was probably significant in some way, she thought. She didn’t know how. She needed more time to observe.

Not-Jotaro gave a strained laugh. “Yeah…”

He could have at least tried with the laugh, Holly thought. Jotaro’s laugh was nothing like that, not that this person would have any way of knowing. It was almost offensive for her to see such a sloppy rendition of her beloved son.

Holly leaned back in her seat. She was just getting irritated now. She hoped the real Jotaro was safe, but on second thought, an enemy this clueless would never be able to get one over on him. She took a breath to stay calm. The best way to defeat this enemy is to wait him out, she thought.

Polnareff suddenly spotted something in the rear-view mirror. “Hey, Mr. Joestar…it’s Iggy! He’s trying to catch up to us.” He leaned towards the mirror so he could see better. “He’s got an orange in his mouth. Did he steal that?”

So Holly was right about the orange…unless Iggy was just feeling generous, which she highly doubted. Iggy probably knew something she didn’t. She had no idea what.

A moment later, the dog jumped up and squirmed in through the open window, dropping the stray orange right onto not-Jotaro’s lap before sitting down next to Holly.

“NO!” Not-Jotaro shouted.

Polnareff snatched the orange. “Jotaro, where’s your cool exterior? It’s not like you to scream that way.” He paused. “Or is it, Holly? I could be wrong.”

“Oh, it certainly isn’t…” Holly said. She grabbed not-Jotaro’s hand. “What’s got you worked up, pumpkin?”

He stared at her. “Uhh, I meant…did you no-tice that cow over there?” He pointed.

She turned and looked. “Oh, so cute! I love cows, thanks for pointing her out!” She smiled. Internally, though, her thoughts raced.

Firstly, Jotaro would have been annoyed if she called him “pumpkin.” That was irrelevant, however, compared to the orange mystery…not-Jotaro seemed to want nothing to do with that one specific orange. It wasn’t like he had a phobia…a bag of them was sitting right at his feet. It had certainly been tampered with. But in what way? It couldn’t have been poison or he wouldn’t be scared of its presence, only of eating it. Unless it was a poison that could kill by touch or smell? No, that didn’t work either. If it was a strong poison like that, Iggy and Polnareff would probably be dead, as well as the impostor since he was the one who planted it here.

“You’re acting peculiar today, Mon ami. Could it be…” Polnareff said, looking back at not-Jotaro over his seat. “…that you’re a fake?”

Not-Jotaro visibly stiffened. Holly wasn’t sure what Polnareff’s game was, but she was curious how it would unfold. Holly wouldn’t have thought to just directly confront him, or was it more of a mind game?

“Uhh, good grief.” Not-Jotaro grabbed the brim of his hat. “What’re you even talking about?”

Holly laughed. This one was actually genuine, mainly because of how bad the impression was. “He’s just kidding around, silly!” She was slightly nervous about the group’s safety if they were to let on that they saw through his disguise. She hated to interfere with whatever Polnareff was planning, but the more she thought about it, the more she wanted to play it safe.

Polnareff paused. “Ugh, I’m bored.” He lit up a cigarette and held out the box to not-Jotaro. “Do that trick you showed me, would you?”

“Trick?” The impostor said. He was sweating heavily at this point.

Polnareff pointed to his mouth as he flipped the cigarette backwards, catching it and holding it with the lit side in the back of his mouth. He puffed smoke out of his nose and grinned.

Joseph chuckled. “Hey, you’ve gotten way better! Good work.”

Polnareff successfully turned the cigarette back, snickering. Not-Jotaro cut in. “Yeah, I can do that. It’s easy.”

Holly raised an eyebrow. She remembered Lisa Lisa teaching her that trick as a child, back when Holly still thought of her as Grandma. Lisa Lisa said it came from her husband’s family.

Except, of course, Holly was taught using candy instead of cigarettes.

It had apparently become a Joestar heirloom…Joseph must have passed it down to Jotaro without Holly knowing. She had no idea how far back in the Joestar line the trick went. The thought of her ancestor Jonathan, who she’d only ever heard the highest praise of, doing such a funny thing…She couldn’t help but smile.

Although she did wish Jotaro didn’t feel the need to smoke. She couldn’t exactly blame him for that, however, with how stressful this journey had become.

“Great. Do the one with five cigarettes, then,” Polnareff said, pulling out a handful of cigarettes from the box and thrusting them into not-Jotaro’s hands.

It would be pretty funny to watch him struggle and maybe even bump into him so he’d burn himself, she thought…but she had a better idea.

Holly grabbed the cigarettes. “You shouldn’t smoke…it’s bad for you. You should know better, sweetie!”

Polnareff shrugged, sheepish. “I suppose he is a bit young to be smoking…my apologies, Holly.”

“It’s alright…it just makes me so sad as a mother!” Holly said. She pinched herself to bring tears to her eyes. “Oh, I’m sorry for getting emotional…” she faked a sob, burying her face in her hands.

Joseph glared at Polnareff, then not-Jotaro in the rearview mirror. “Apologize right now, both of you. No one makes my daughter cry and gets away with it,” he growled.

Holly rarely saw him this serious. That steely gaze was reserved for only the worst of offenses, and had only once been placed on Holly herself. She shuddered, recalling her teenage antics.

“I’m really sorry, Holly,” Polnareff said. “I wasn’t even thinking.” He put out his own cigarette. Holly felt bad. She had nothing against Polnareff…she hoped he realized she was only toying with the enemy and not actually upset with him. She’d make sure to mention it later.

Joseph shot a look at not-Jotaro that could have shredded him on the spot, or maybe melted him. “And what about you?”

The impostor froze for a moment, then turned to Holly, frantically rearranging his uncanny mannequin face into something vaguely apologetic. “I’m sorry…uh, mommy…” as soon as the last word escaped his mouth he realized his mistake.

Holly snorted, caught completely off guard. She held back a laugh, feigning more sobs. “Oh, it’s okay…I knew my little boy would understand…” she put her hands down. “I’m so proud of you…”

Not-Jotaro audibly sighed in relief when he received a positive reaction. Holly might cry from trying not to laugh. The real Jotaro would probably sell his soul before calling Holly “mommy,” especially in front of others. She could count on one hand the amount of times that happened once he was over the age of 10. She was shocked at the ignorance of this enemy. He might have had a chance of fooling her if he’d bothered to study Jotaro’s mannerisms and personality.

Polnareff slowly turned, exhaling from his nose. “Did I just hear you correctly?” He laughed. “‘Mommy?’” He laughed harder. “Are you buttering her up or what?”

“No,” not-Jotaro spat. “What’s your problem?”

“You really aren’t feeling well today, huh?” Polnareff said through a cackle. “You’re nearly 18, right? What 18-year-old still says ‘mommy?’”

“My 18-year-old!” Holly said dramatically, grabbing onto not-Jotaro’s arm. She was committed to making the most uncomfortable social situation possible. She snuggled against him. “Oh, I was so so worried you’d hate me after what happened between us…”

Not-Jotaro panicked again, as well as appearing to be very weirded out by her. “Oh, that? It was nothing…” he said uncertainly, trying to subtly shift and get out of her embrace. She didn’t want to be hugging this stranger, but it made her ruse funnier, so she’d commit. She tightened her arms.

By dismissing the intentionally ambiguous falling-out, he’d fallen right into her trap.

“Even though I got in a fight with your girlfriend back home and stabbed her with a kitchen knife?” Holly said the most outlandish thing that popped into her head, batting her eyelashes. “You finally forgive me? When we visited her grave you said you never wanted to see my face again!”

Not-Jotaro swallowed hard, probably starting to connect the dots in his head. She’d been trying to build up to him thinking she was completely overbearing and strange. “Uh…” he leaned further away from her.

“You really do?” She said, feigning a hopeful look. She hated to admit it, but she was having a lot of fun with this. She’d always wanted to be an actress when she was younger. Up front, Joseph and Polnareff shared a look, baffled.

Before the impostor could dig his own grave any deeper, Polnareff cut in. “Hey, Jotaro, how about we have an orange eating contest? Much safer than cigarettes.”

“I can allow that,” Holly said, sniffing theatrically and wiping a fake tear. “I’m so relieved you have such good friends, sweetie pie!” Yet another nickname Jotaro would hate.

Polnareff grabbed the orange Iggy brought back, tossing it upwards and snatching it out of the air. “Ugh, I hate peeling these…”

The blood drained from Not-Jotaro’s face and his mouth fell open. “Not that one!” He shouted frantically.

Holly racked her brain. What could he have possibly done to that orange to make him so scared of it? Why would he willingly be in the same car as it, in that case? Holly wasn’t familiar with the situation before she arrived, but something must have happened that he wasn’t planning on. Were they in immediate danger? She didn’t know whether to get serious.

What was Joseph planning?

“What now, Jotaro? What’s wrong with it?” Polnareff asked, arching an eyebrow.

“Uh, Iggy brought it back, right? Who knows where he found it?” Not-Jotaro gestured to the dog, who was politely sleeping on Holly’s lap.

Iggy probably brought it back because he realized he’d been tampered with. He was able to smell Geb, which meant that whatever this new enemy was up to was likely not going to escape his keen nose. Holly scratched his ears.

“It looks clean, but if it bothers you I’ll eat it. Grab another one from the bag,” Polnareff said.

Not-Jotaro froze for a split-second, paralyzed by panic. He suddenly howled in pain, clutching his stomach. “Stop the car! My stomach hurts!”

Holly’s suspicions were immediately raised. What was he getting at? “You have a tummy ache? Why didn’t you just say so?”

He folded in his seat, groaning loudly. “Ughh, I need to go now!” He fumbled with the door.

“We’re almost at the hospital, Jotaro…can’t you wait?” Joseph said.

“NO!” Not-Jotaro blurted. “No, it’s really bad! I’ll catch up later, I mean it!” He dove out of the car and stumbled to his feet.

“Hey, wait a sec!” Polnareff said, rummaging through the glovebox. “Take some toilet paper so you don’t ruin your underwear. At least be civilized.”

Not-Jotaro snatched the roll and took off running, barely remembering to thank him.

In the pause a moment ago, Holly had snuck the suspicious orange into the enemy’s pocket. She wondered what would become of him, but whatever happened, she couldn’t allow her friends to be harmed.

Holly watched him go, disappearing behind a rock in a cloud of dust. It was like something out of a cartoon.

Once he was out of earshot, Holly burst out laughing. She clutched at her sides, doubling over and wiping tears from her eyes.

Polnareff and Joseph glanced at each other as the old man parked the buggy in the hospital lot. “What’s so funny, Holly?” Joseph said.

“That was awful,” she said, barely able to speak from laughing so hard. She put a hand to her chest.

Suddenly, there was a loud blast that echoed across the horizon. It was shockingly close, and came from the same direction not-Jotaro had gone.

No way. She looked at Iggy. The orange…was it a bomb? She raised her eyebrows and the dog nodded, or at least he moved his head in a manner that could be interpreted as a nod. She didn’t know how to feel about this. On one hand she hoped the enemy wasn’t dead, but on the other hand he’d had every intention to kill them, so it was probably for the best.

“Are they doing construction over there?” Polnareff said, shading his eyes against the sun and leaning forward on his toes to try and see better.

Holly raised her eyebrows and opened her mouth to speak, but Joseph cut her off.

“Jotaro!” He called, grinning and waving at the boy, who was sauntering towards them on the sidewalk.

Holly whirled around. She was absolutely delighted to see the real Jotaro. He looked as annoyed as ever, his eyes half-lidded as he regarded them with a touch of confusion.

“Where’d you come from? Weren’t you just…?” Polnareff said, scratching his head. “Did you get over your sickness that fast?

“Good grief, what are you talking about?” Jotaro grumbled.

Holly laughed. “Hey, he doesn’t know what happened…at least explain before you joke about it.”

“Huh?” Joseph said. “Are you feeling bad again, sweetie?” He placed his prosthetic hand on her forehead absentmindedly, then realized what he was doing and switched. “You feel okay…”

“Do you have some sort of super speed ability you never told us about? I don’t know how you got from the spot we dropped you off to all the way over here in such a short time,” Polnareff said to Jotaro, raising an eyebrow.

Holly blinked. “Wait, you’re not joking?” She paused. He had fallen for the enemy’s disguise? She supposed that was understandable, he hadn’t known Jotaro for as long as Holly.

“Well, yeah…it’s a reasonable question,” Joseph said. “I have to admit I’m curious as well.”

Holly stiffened, turning to face him. “What? You too? You both thought that was actually Jotaro in the car with us?” She grabbed his shoulders. “You’re being 100% serious and not pulling my leg?”

They stared at her. “…yeah?” Polnareff said. “Who else would it be?”

Holly pursed her lips. “Jotaro, were you in the car with us just now?”

“No,” Jotaro said. He was bent over fishing an orange out of the bag in the buggy. “I walked here. No clue what any of you are on about.”

“Oh my god!” Joseph said. “Was it an impostor?”

“Yes!” Holly practically shouted. “I thought you knew…why did you wink at me?” She put her hands to her head.

“Oh, I meant it to show you I was kidding around…” Joseph swallowed. “I, uh…didn’t realize the guy in the car was a fake.”

“So, Holly, you’re saying everything you did in the car was an act?” Polnareff asked.

She gaped. “You thought it was real? I was messing with him because I thought Papa had a plan!”

“I wasn’t sure what to think!” Polnareff put his hands up defensively.

“Neither I nor Jotaro would ever do anything that just happened,” Holly said, pinching the bridge of her nose. “I don’t think we need to worry about the enemy, either. That explosion a second ago was the orange he was scared of.”

“It was a bomb?” Joseph exclaimed. “He was trying to blow us up…that’s…”

Holly sighed. She shook her head to try and get her thoughts together. She didn’t know whether to be mortified, angry, or just laugh until her lungs gave out.

Jotaro was leaning against the buggy eating an orange. Holly could tell he was enjoying watching Joseph and Polnareff make fools of themselves. “If the enemy’s out of commission there’s not a problem. Let’s go see how Avdol and Kakyoin are doing,” he said, pushing off the car and walking towards the hospital entrance.

Holly fell into step next to him. “Sorry about that. I guess I shouldn’t have betted on Papa. Polnareff I can understand, but Papa?”

“Doesn’t surprise me…They can be pretty dense,” Jotaro said. He was smiling ever-so-slightly. He offered her a portion of his orange and she quickly accepted.

“Yeah,” Holly said with a small laugh. As she opened the door, she heard a siren blaring in the distance. Turning, she noticed an ambulance racing down the road towards the ER.

As the paramedics unloaded the patient, Holly’s jaw dropped. It was the fake Jotaro as well as another small person. They were both mangled and bleeding, with some areas in temporary dressings. The two were rushed away on gurneys.

“H-his outfit—“ Holly said, completely in disbelief.

“It’s ugly as hell.” Jotaro crossed his arms, looking away disdainfully.

Holly cackled victoriously. “I knew it! That was the guy pretending to be you.”

Jotaro’s eyebrows shot up. “And they bought it?” He seemed to realize the extent of how bad the impostor’s disguise was. He looked embarrassed.

“And his acting was terrible on top of that,” Holly said. “It was a train wreck!”

Kakyoin perked up as he heard the door open, his pinkish hair swishing as he looked over. “Is someone there?”

“Yes!” Holly said, trotting over to the side of his bed. “We came to see you! How are you feeling?”

The boy beamed. “I’m doing a little better. Thank you for thinking of me.” He folded his hands on his lap, clearly trying not to touch the bandages over his eyes. “Did anyone else come with you, Miss Holly?”

“Yep, everyone’s here! Even Avdol. We brought him along since he was feeling up to a walk.” Holly grinned as the man carefully shuffled in, sitting down in a chair off to the side. He was fairly well recovered, in fact the doctors said he just needed a day or so.

“I’m glad to hear that.” Kakyoin said.

“I made you two some cookies,” Holly said, setting down the box. “They’re chocolate chip, would you like one?”

“Yes! Uh, I mean, if it’s not too much trouble…”

“Of course it isn’t! I made these just for you.” She fished out a cookie and gave it to him, lightly patting the top of his head. He stiffened at the touch. “Oh, sorry, I wasn’t thinking,” Holly said sheepishly.

“No, it’s okay…that just reminded me of my mom, is all…”

Holly turned around from giving Avdol a cookie, feeling a pang of sadness. “Aw, sweetie…” she put her hand on Kakyoin’s shoulder. “You’ll be back home before you know it. I promise.”

Holly frowned. She couldn’t imagine what the poor boy was going through. He probably hadn’t seen his parents properly in months. She doubted he’d gone back to them while under DIO’s control. Kakyoin’s resilience inspired her.

“Thank you. I hadn’t realized how homesick I was until now.” He took a bite of the cookie and chewed for a moment before completely freezing. He quickly swallowed. “Miss Holly, these are delicious!”

“Agreed!” Avdol chimed in.

Holly smiled. “I’m so happy you all like them. I wasn’t sure what to make, so I went with a classic.” She remembered something, and reached into her bag. “I brought cards. I thought we could play some games together. We’ll take turns being your eyes, Kakyoin, how about that?”

“That sounds fun,” he said. “I’d love to.”

“Perfect! How about we play Go Fish?” Holly suggested. “Uh, unless you’re too old for it,” she added sheepishly.

“No, let’s do it,” Polnareff said, sitting down next to Kakyoin on the edge of the bed. “I’m great at Go Fish. We’ll win for sure.”

Kakyoin chuckled. “I’m fairly certain it isn’t skill-based…”

“Then you haven’t seen a real expert play.” Polnareff cracked his knuckles as the rest of the group pulled up chairs around Kakyoin’s side table and Joseph dealt out cards.

After a few turns, Kakyoin spoke. “Did anything interesting happen to you guys today?”

Holly grinned deviously. “I’m so glad you asked. In fact, we encountered a Stand user.”

Joseph and Polnareff groaned in unison. Jotaro put down a pair of cards after receiving one from Avdol.

Kakyoin laughed. “What happened?”

“His ability was to shapeshift—oh, got any 6’s?—and he turned into Jotaro.”

“Go fish,” Joseph said, cringing from embarrassment as she spoke.

Holly drew a card. “His disguise was realistic but…off. I knew something was wrong right away, but I might have fallen for it if his impersonation wasn’t garbage.”

“In what way?” Avdol said, curious.

“In every way!” Holly said, smacking down a pair of cards for emphasis. “It was honestly ridiculous.”

She continued to tell Kakyoin and Avdol all about it, sparing no details. She was getting lots of laughs and embellishing the story in areas. Eventually, one round of Go Fish stretched into many, and the afternoon stretched into evening.

“I’m sorry to cut the party short, but we’ve gotta get back to the hotel, and you two need to rest,” Joseph said as he gathered up the cards after a round.

Kakyoin nodded. “I understand. Thank you again for coming.”

“See you,” Jotaro said, touching the brim of his hat as he left the room.

Joseph tipped his own hat. “Bye-bye!”

As Avdol left and Holly was about to say her own goodbyes, she looked at Kakyoin and noticed wet stains on his bandages. “Are you alright, Noriaki?”

“Yeah, I’m alright…” he said with a sniff. “Sometimes my wounds, uh…leak.”

“Oh, that’s unfortunate.” She crossed back to him and gently took his head in her hands, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. “We’ll be back first thing tomorrow.”

Kakyoin sniffed again, looking away. “Thank you, Miss Holly.”

“Of course, sweetie.” She smiled softly. She thought of the boy as another son and was glad she could be here to comfort him. She hoped to be able to get him back to his real mother unharmed, but for now she was happy to be a stand-in.

She patted his head again, and turned to leave.

Holly gently closed the door, and as she walked down the hall she heard him cry in earnest. She closed her eyes, suddenly noticing the wetness on her own cheeks.

Thank you for reading!

[waywardstation]

PHIONE AKARI!

A lot of people have commented on the phione that Akari is holding in this post, so I thought I’d share some of these sketches that I’d been holding onto! (It is why I drew her holding one in the first place haha)

Ever since I came up with this fic concept for this, I’ve had this thought on my mind. I’m suprised there’s not a PLA fic about manaphy yet, where it swaps bodies between people and Pokémon. There’s a lot of potential there!

The concept initially had Akari turn into a buizel, but I thought a phione would fit better; its head ribbon reminds me of the back of Akari’s hairstyle!

Just like in the linked fic concept, Akari would have to make her way back from the coastlands to Jubilife somehow, and try to get Ingo to understand that she is now a phione, and needs his help getting her body back.

I’d like to write this as a fic at some point, it’s been in my head for a while!

[pyrosomatic-metamorphosis]

genuine question but is there any fandom where a character is well written by the majority. im thinking about fandom culture and the spread of frustration when people dont write characters well but. honestly in all the fandoms ive been in there's only like, a Select number of authors who i trust to write Well, let alone write Well AND In Character. character analysis and writing and getting inside characters' heads are all separate skills (all of which are trained by roleplaying fyi can CONFIRM playing pretend with your friends is good for you). there's been more than once where I've disagreed with an interpretation that others agreed with, and then I turned out wrong. or i turned out right. like it doesnt matter WHO is right it just matters that differences in character analysis exist, so even if you DO write well AND write in character, your in character is still going to be someone else's out of character

there's this sort of. vibe. that to play in the sandbox you Need to be able to make a castle, and if you can't make a castle then you shouldn't bother, and it completely dismisses the idea that youre in that sandbox to PLAY in the first place. there's this Weight of disappointing someone if you can't build something that they like, but that forgets that you aren't there to build them a castle. like, be KIND. if you disagree with someone then please make an effort to do so kindly. i dont give a shit about fandom discourse but there is a reason kids get removed from sandboxes if they keep throwing sand in people's eyes. but if they don't like your misshapen sand pile, then youre not obligated to change it. even if you yourself end up hating that same sand pile later- youre not building a legacy. youre playing. and sometimes the result of that play is out of character drivel. theres a reason there are so many authors and so few who i like to consistently read and thats because everyone is Fucking Around in their hobby space. hash tag brag or whatever but i can build castles. ive built several that im v proud of. ive also dug holes in the sand for fun and then tripped on them when trying to get up. I often dug a hole and then got up and fucking- whoops, its a castle now, and i didn't realize i'd made something to be proud of until after the fact. the whole time while creating shit i was Convinced it was bullshit that didn't make sense. and then other times i was Convinced it was bullshit and then i was Right and i can look back and go. huh. ew. but it doesn't matter what the end result was, because i had fun playing in the sandbox

this wasn't meant to turn into a ramble but i have Feelings about bad art and art that's badly perceived and how public perception can screw with your head and how making art youre proud of is fucking. it's so difficult!!! it's hard!! it's really fun, which is why i try to make it, but i promise you it is Okay to not tryhard creativity. even if you CAN, it's okay not to do it all the time. or ever, even. fuck around find out have fun etc

[pyrriax]

6, 12, 30 for the writing asks ^_^

6. What’s the last line you wrote?

Shaking its head in what seems like disbelief before meeting his eyes again, almost like it wants to say something before it makes a noise like a growl, "oh, you're one of those seraphs, aren't you. A star-eater. No wonder you act like you've lost your mind."

(ignore that that's a couple sentences, the Thought is important)

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

Oh yes! I outline my fics thoroughly. Though, I do allowed myself to deviate as much from the outline as I feel like when things go off the rails. Some snippets of planning from a couple fics & concepts:

My outlines are very... One for one. With some exceptions. I tend to basically write a very brief version of the fic and try to get the feelings and words right before I actually write it. This is... Also why it can and will take me a month to write a oneshot. I try to get things Right.

30. How much do you edit your fics?  Do you edit as you write or wait until you finish the first draft?

So! I edit them a bit? I edit while I work, but often I don't really touch anything I've already written unless it's something longer that might be taking a few months to get through. I think the fic I've edited the most is the prologue of Artificial Stars, which was originally a quickly written 2k oneshot into about 5k of actually decent fic.

Usually I don't edit to make something shorter/more concise, since I tend to only come up with more ways to bridge concepts when I go back to it. Also to be fair... There's usually no difference between first draft and final product. I cannot be asked to edit my fics after I write them, I just release them to the birds and pray for the best. (Unless I actually decide to show it to my beta reader in full instead of just sharing snippets as I... usually do.)

Conclusion: Rarely, those thangs are being given to the world as-is unless something is horrifically wrong with them

[anonyanonymouse]

🙈

[novelconcepts]

i don't make resolutions, but if i did

it would be to finish this fic

(and to be kind to myself for however long it takes to actually do so)

[philsmeatylegss]

*Types into search bar*

“How to still be an active fan of a creator when previously being an obsessive fan for most of your teens because they were one of the few good things keeping you from killing yourself in middle school so now trying to become a more casual fan feels like a betrayal and I cannot get into new fandoms because the high I got in middle school from the extreme emotion switch cannot be replicated both because I’m literally twenty and I’m far from suicidal so now and I love these creators with my whole heart and still engage with all of their new content but I want to move on while also still being a fan but I just can’t?”

[journeythroughtherain]

Unpopular opinion about Evan Buck Buckley

That man is not blond.

[my-thoughts-and-junk]

my new thing is obsessing over a funny little guy for a few months before moving onto another funny little guy

[simcardiac-arrested]

Go go go cutscene cutscene cutscene!!!

been thinking about one of my favorite undertale fics lately, it’s like. the best undertale fic to me if not the best fic on ao3 period. i liek it so much. it’s the scientist series by talkingsoup and i will Never stop talking about like i Know i have mentioned it before but i am physically incapable of shutting up about it. it’s so good. i once tried to get my best friend to read it even though she doesn’t know english but i tried to convince her to read it with google translate (it didn’t last long but it was worth the effort). it’s So Good. i discovered it in like 2018 or 2019 and have reread it at least two times since it’s just like AUEHGGHHH. gaster’s downfall and then him haunting the narrative … the exploration of sans’ backstory …… the characterizations ………. it’s all very well written and also very dark and traumatic. They make Shit happen to these characters. but it gets better. i think ? i have never finished the series because iirc it only finished around a year ago and i haven’t reread it since. but i am Thinking about it. it’ll probably take me months because 1. i have to come to terms with the fact that one of my favorite stories will be Finished(tm) 2. i have to hype myself up to reread it because it’s a very long series with like 400k words or something AND the second installment is verrrry dark and heavy considering it explores the whole reset bullshit and flowey is putting sans through 29263937 meatgrinders