#things i tell people

[zombubble]

I know it's a lot of effort and commitment, but if you ever decide to release a physical copy of TNOT, I think I can just die happy. Your story is so good that I just want it to have a place on my bookshelf. No pressure though, just a small wish of mine. Hope you have a nice day!

Aaaaaaaaa I’m sorry for the late reply I’ve been. Hoarding this and admittedly a bit !!!!!!! about it because holy shit you want my fic on your shelf!!!!!?????!?!?!? 

I’m incredibly flattered!!!!!!

I’m actually in the middle of doing a massive TNOT edit (mostly phrasing, grammar, and punctuation/typos, but also adding some stuff here and there. Nothing big, though) and overall Improving Things, and when I’m done with this I wouldn’t be adverse to looking into things!!! I’d need to gauge interest to see if it’s feasible (as far as paying for books and shipping and I know some sites give volume discounts for even low numbers), but if I could put it into a book I’d absolutely love to!!!

Thank you so much for your kind words!!!! I’m so glad you love the fic as much as I do!!!

[socksolotl]

Zenyatta, D. VA, Sombra

Zenyatta:

1. Current Skin: Ascendant, because I like the color scheme2. Favorite Skin: Cultist, and I wish I’d had the time to be on more during the Halloween event  v(ಥ ̯ ಥ)v3. Highlight Intro: Perspective4. Favorite Emote: Tickled (laugh emote), mostly because he kicks his feet in the air and it’s kind of adorable?5. Favorite Voice Line: “Death is whimsical today.” As a healer who also discords, I think it’s a bit tongue-in-cheek.6. How Often I Use Him: Not often at all. Out of 324 hours of gameplay, he accounts for only 2 full hours (like, .006% of my gameplay). I’ve been trying to play more with him though.7. What I Hope to See: I’m not actually sure what improvements or anything I’d make? I don’t play him enough to actually have a lot of likes and dislikes.

D.Va:

1. Current Skin: LA Gladiators b/c Overwatch League is going on right now and I have a weakness for purple (also I grew up in LA so, Gladiators or Valiant, go go go!!)2. Favorite Skin: Palanquin3. Highlight Intro: Selfie! It’s absolutely amazing4. Favorite Emote: Heartbreaker, with Game On being a close runner-up.5. Favorite Voice Line: “Level up!”6. How Often I Use Her: My dude, D.Va is my main! I have the most hours on her in-game, clocking in at 104 hours out of 324 total (32% of my time has been playing D.Va). I absolutely adore her.7. What I Hope to See: I’m really happy with the rockets added to her mech!! I kind of wish there was more you could do when she’s out of her mech, but at the same time, I can see why they don’t give her a ton of abilities when she’s vulnerable. In all honesty, I want an animated short about her the most!!

Sombra:

1. Current Skin: Tulum2. Favorite Skin: Also Tulum, because it’s wonderful and I love it.3. Highlight Intro: Hacking4. Favorite Emote: Masterpiece, because Sombra definitely seems like the kind of person who’d manufacture an audience to prove a point.5. Favorite Voice Line: “Did you mean to do that?” with “Boop” being a very close runner-up.6. How Often I Use Her: Like Zen, I only have 2 hrs on her out of 324 (.006%). Though I’m starting to get better!7. What I Hope to See: So far, I like her how she is!!

Thanks for asking, Siggi!!!!!

From this post.

[hooba-dooba]

My sexuality is drunk Scourge.

[skeletonmoss]

when life give you lemons give them to someone else. fuck that shit i don't deal with lemons.

[till-the-world-drops]

The thing about depression people have yet to realize is that there is no magical cure date. You can yell at a person till your blue in the face or will them will all your might, but if a person doesn't feel right within, they won't be themselves. Time heals all but the same can be said in reverse.

[morningtequilas]

Yes, but do you have a cat in a little jumper?

[zombubble]

@themis-76

On the one hand, Yuuri knows full well that he’s drunk.

On the other, Yuuri’s good at lying when he’s drunk, which is what he’s going to do for the entirety of this godforsaken party if he’s asked any sort of personal question. He saunters across the room-- which in reality is more him just swaggering as best he can as he tries to keep his balance-- and grabs another beer, cracking the can and draining half of it.

Honestly, fuck school. Fuck final exams, fuck tests in general, fuck everything. It’s not Yuuri’s fault he couldn’t stay focused. No, he’d studied the material, he’d done his homework and made flash cards and set reminders and the whole shebang, but he hadn’t accounted for real life. He hadn’t accounted for his aging dog, and now his GPA is paying the price.

The rest of the beer is drained and Yuuri grabs another, chugging that one too. Normally he comes to these sorts of parties to get out of the house and talk to people who aren’t his figure skating competitors, the press, or his roommate but fuck that. Today, he’s here for the free booze and the surprisingly good homemade french fries, and that’s it. No friends, no titillating conversation, no one-night stands in an upstairs bedroom. No anything.

Setting down the empty can he grabs a third and tries to forget that if he counts previous drinks it’s somewhere near his tenth, draining half of it  before pouring the rest into a red solo cup. He grabs yet another beer and pours that one in too, and combined with the rest it almost fills the flimsy plastic cup to the brim. Taking a sip, he turns back to the party. People are dancing in the living room, clustered near the mediocre sound system. In the kitchen, someone’s doing a keg stand and that’s really not something Yuuri needs to get involved with. Not today, at least.

When Phichit beckons, though, he’s sorely tempted.

Very sorely tempted.

Throwing caution to the wind, Yuuri walks over and hands his plastic cup off to a hockey player he’s talked to a few times at parties like this before grabbing the handles and letting himself be lifted vertically. One person makes a comment about the muscle he has on him, another mentions that he’s Japan’s top figure skater, but the only person that matters is the third, who’s putting the tap in Yuuri’s mouth and getting things going.

Staggering away from the keg, Yuuri takes his cup and lets out a burp behind one hand, before wandering through the living room. He has no desire to dance, his ballet training useless for... whatever it is everyone is doing, so he walks through the crowd and out the sliding glass doors into the back yard. The crisp winter air hits him in a rush, and while he’s too drunk for it to sober him up entirely, it adds some clarity to the fuzz in his mind.

Not much, though, and he grabs a can of beer from the cooler before walking over to the pool and taking off his shoes and socks. Rolling up his pant legs, he puts his feet in the heated water, sighing happily. It’s not as good as the onsen back home, and homesickness tears through him and brings tears to his eyes as he chokes back a sob. He misses his family. He misses his dog. He hates that he fucked up at Sochi and he hates that he fucked up his exam and he hates America and being here and as he’s scrubbing at his face, he hears soft footsteps approaching.

“Everything okay?”

Dread coalesces in his stomach. The softness of the voice, the Russian accent... he can recognize his Russian TA’s voice anywhere given the amount of time he’s spent listening to the man speak and the last thing he wants is for the person who’d graded his failure of a midterm to see him drunk and crying at a frat party.

“No, everything fucking sucks right now,” he mutters. His eyes widen and his heart starts racing. He’s more drunk than he’d realized if he’s at the point of brutal honesty, and he takes a sip of his beer, staring intently at the water in front of him. There’s the sound of shuffling, and Viktor sits next to him with his jeans rolled up as well, dipping his feet in the warmth of the pool.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Viktor asks.

“No,” Yuuri mutters. 

Viktor sighs. “Fair enough. I just figured... Your exam wasn’t quite at the level I expected and I was worried.” There’s a hesitation in his voice that Yuuri can’t quite pick out, but he’s too drunk to care so he takes another sip from the red plastic cup.

“I’ll make it up somehow.” Sighing, Yuuri kicks his feet in the water. “Did the Professor ask you to check up on me?”

“No, I was concerned on my own.”

Yuuri would never have guessed Viktor was the type to be open like this. The man’s an expert at keeping people at arm’s length while still being friendly enough that a good two-thirds of the class called him a friend, but with circumstances being what they are Yuuri’s not going to fault him for some (unnecessary) concern for a student. 

“I’ll be fine after I drink myself stupid and manage to forget everything.” Wincing, Yuuri turns his face away, looks intently at the wooden fence surrounding the property. He’d only intended to say he was fine, but for some reason he’d felt the need to keep going, rubbing it in Viktor’s face just how badly he’s doing.

“I’m sure you will,” Viktor says, chuckling. “I... I watched the competition you said you were going to. The Grand Prix.”

“Oh, god, you saw that?” With one eyebrow raised, Yuuri looks at him. “Do you watch my competitions a lot?”

“Every one of them,” Viktor replies before looking away.

Is he a fan of some sort?

“How long have you been watching figure skating?” Yuuri asks.

“Since March of last year.”

That was about when Yuuri’d had to ask for his first assignment extension. Last semester hadn’t been as hard as this last one, but with Worlds Yuuri’d had to ask for an extension for an assignment. Explaining to his teacher and the TA that he was Japan’s top figure skater had taken a bit of convincing before he’d told them to google him, but once the professor had seen his skater profile on the Japanese Federation page he’d changed his tune and allowed him to turn in the assignment a week late.

It would stand to reason that Viktor had watched some of his routines but... why? And why is he being so obvious about only watching once he knew Yuuri skated? He frowns, looking back at Viktor and holy shit, Viktor’s beautiful. This isn’t anything Yuuri was unaware of, Viktor teaches enough that he’s had ample time to stare at him, but there’s just something about the openness of Viktor’s expression, the way his ocean-blue eyes flit back and forth as he looks at Yuuri that leaves Yuuri breathless. Clearing his throat, Viktor pops open a can of beer and takes a gulp.

“Whatever it was that happened,” he says, “if you need to talk...”

No. No. Yuuri’s not going to sit here and blather away about his dog and his skating and his grades. He’s going to tell Viktor he’s fine, convince him somehow that messing up in school and at the competition were some sort of coincidental fluke, and then he’s going to get drunk and make Phichit carry him back to their apartment.

“I’ll get over it,” he mutters.

“Get over what?”

Yuuri takes a deep breath. Get over his failures, get over the way he messed up, get over whatever quirk of his brain won’t let him just get past things. Viktor doesn’t need to know about any of this, so Yuuri steels himself and looks at his TA. “Get over the fact I never got a chance to say goodbye to my dog.”

No. What the fuck was he thinking, blurting his issues out like that?! He looks down at his beer, swaying gently.

“Your dog died?” Viktor asks. “I didn’t know you had a dog.”

“He lived with my parents, in Japan.” Yuuri mutters. “He got ill. Didn’t make it. I found out the day before I skated the free program.”

“No wonder. If you need to re-take the exam sometime I’m sure I could work something out with Nikolas.”

“Don’t bother, it won’t do any good.”

“I just don’t want--”

“Why is it you care?” Yuuri asks, on the verge of tears for some reason. “Why? You barely even know me!”

“I love you,” Viktor whispers before clapping his hands over his mouth. He mutters something in Russian, harsh and too fast for Yuuri to catch, before looking to the side. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have-- I don’t know why I said that.”

Yuuri frowns. “Are you fucking with me?”

“What? No!”

“You have to know, somehow.”

Viktor looks at him. “Know what?”

Frustrated, Yuuri looks at his hands. “That I have... that I’m... that I feel the same,” he finishes. 

“Well, of course,” Viktor says.

“What?”

“After... do you not remember? The social we had, for Russian, when the whole Russian department got together to hang out...”

“In all honesty,” Yuuri says, “I was kind of drunk after the fifth round of toasts.”

“I know, but... we danced, and you asked me to come to the hot springs your parents have and you said I should watch you compete sometime,” Viktor whispers. Clearing his throat, he leans back and looks at the stars. “I’m sorry, I don’t know why I made this about me, I just wanted to check in on you and see how you were doing.”

“You didn’t make it about you, you just answered--” Eyes wide, Yuuri looks at him. “You just answered my questions honestly,” he whispers.

Viktor frowns before his eyes widen and he meets Yuuri’s. “Lie to me,” he says. “Where was your last competition?”

As hard as he tries, Yuuri can’t tell anything but the truth. “Sochi, Russia,” he whispers. “What’s your dog’s name?”

After some straining, Viktor blurts, “Makkachin.”

The implications of what they’ve just discovered weigh heavily on Yuuri’s shoulders while somehow being uplifting. Everyone knows, from the time they’re young, that you can’t lie to your soulmate. With some cleverness, you can weave the truth in such a way that it gives the impression of a lie, but as far as blatant statements like these...

There’s no doubt in either of their minds that this is meant to be, that the honesty with which they’ve bared themselves is that which indicates a deeper bond. It’s not always people find their soulmates. It’s not even that common, but somehow Yuuri’s found his and it’s the Russian TA he’s been crushing on for going on a year now. Blushing, Viktor looks down before turning to Yuuri. 

“Well, then.”

“Well, then.” Draining the last of his beer, Yuuri looks at the empty cup. Honestly, he doesn’t know what to do at this point. Asking for a date seems too... much, but at the same time they both care about the other and both want this so he could probably get away with it, but then there’s ethics and he really doesn’t know how that would play out. Luckily, Viktor leans closer.

“I could help you study for the final,” he says softly. “We could go over the test, discuss what you messed up on, and I could help you study.”

“I don’t need an unfair advantage.”

“It wouldn’t be,” Viktor murmurs. “I’d be using the study guide Nikolas made, I wouldn’t give you the answers. I don’t even know what he’s putting on the test, yet, and I wouldn’t cover with you stuff that I wouldn’t cover with others.”

Yuuri looks at him. “You’re sure?”

Viktor nods. “We could... meet at a cafe. Have food. Study. You know. Stuff.”

“Stuff.”

Viktor nods again. “Stuff. Help take your mind off things.”

It sounds nice. It’s the human connection Yuuri’s been craving without the risk of a hangover the next morning (and he can already feel the edges of a headache) and he’ll be able to feel like he’s at least doing something to keep his life from unraveling at the seams.

“I’d like that,” he says softly.

Looking at him, Viktor smiles. “So would I.”

[socksolotl]

White (from the invade my privacy thing)

White: 3 facts about my personality -

1. I’m incredibly patient with people BUT with people I don’t know very well I get irritated very easily.  Still nice and patient, but rolling my eyes on the inside.

2. I’m pretty good with kids if I do say so myself.  I love being with kids, I really do.

3. I’m incredibly sarcastic and I will say almost any pun that comes to mind (usually with finger guns, a big smile, and “Ah? AAAHHHH?”)

Thanks for asking!!!

(From this post)

[zombubble]

A prompt? How about some Royalty Viktuuri fluff? Go crazy with it,just make it royalty and super fluffy and cute.

God did you mean TNOT epilogue? Asldkjf let’s go with a different style of Royalty AU, outside of Dragonflies!Verse.

Pulling his cloak around him, the Emperor of Japan shivers in the cold. He supposes he should have accounted for this, he’s long known he’d be visiting Russia’s imperial family in the winter and that Moscow would be bitterly cold, but he hadn’t braced himself for the weather and now he’s suffering for it. It’s alright, though-- soon enough, they’ll be at the Imperial Palace where he’s meeting the second son of the Empress of Russia. Soon enough, he’ll be warm again. Sighing, he stares at the snow-blanketed streets as the carriage he’s in pulls into the driveway for the large palace, taking its sweet time getting closer to the doors. 

Finally, it arrives, and he has to resist hopping out. He’s excited. He’s incredibly excited to be here, and the smile he sees on the Empress’s face says she knows. At last his door is opened and he’s able to step out, long robes of Japan’s traditional clothing flowing behind him as he walks up the steps. The Empress smiles and nods, holding her hand out and Yuuri shakes it before glancing at her children. Dutifully, they all bow to him and with the younger of the twins he shares a knowing glance. They won’t have time until later, but he’s counting the very seconds until the end of dinner.

Relieved of his cloak in the foyer, he shakes his shoulders, happy to have the weight off them, and once the servants have taken the cloaks of the Imperial Family as well, he walks at the Empress’ side down the hall.

“I appreciate your hospitality, Empress Alexandra,” he says.

She laughs softly. “Your Imperial Majesty is most welcome in our halls, your bond with my son notwithstanding.”

Cheeks slightly pink, Yuuri nods. The bond of which she speaks is an engagement, officially for political benefit to both families but unofficially, he’d been courting the tsarevich for months. Back then, before the assassination, both he and the tsarevich had been princes-- first and second in line for the throne in their respective countries-- and had, through correspondence, grown to love each other dearly. 

When a Russian assassin had elevated Yuuri from Crown Prince to Emperor, they’d scrambled to keep relations with Russia’s Imperial Family from dissolving into a war, and a marriage had been proposed. Prince Alexei was out of the question as Russia’s next Tsar, but his younger twin brother, Viktor was more than happy to step forward as a candidate for Akitsushima’s King Consort. Papers had been drawn up for this visit, and here is where they’ll confirm their engagement. Prince Viktor will return to Japan with Yuuri, the wedding will be in a year, and they’ll have the happily-ever-after they’d never dreamed could happen.

As the family’s guest, Yuuri sits at the head of the table, in between the Empress and the Crown Prince. The Empress’ wife sits next to her, and Viktor sits next to his brother, but both are too far for Yuuri to make conversation. Speeches are made, toasts are proposed, and the five-course meal goes slower than Yuuri’d anticipated, but once they’re done he’s free to retreat to his rooms.

He does so as soon as he politely can.

As he walks through the halls, escorted by a footman, he looks around. Though no more lavish than his palace at home, the palace here is decorated with gold and plaster relief and Yuuri finds it hard to take in as he moves. Approaching the hall to his wing, though, he hears quick footsteps behind him.

“I can handle this,” Prince Viktor says as he comes up next to Yuuri. “Vashe Imperatorskoye Velichestvo,” he says, bowing briefly as propriety dictates.

“Your Imperial Highness,” Yuuri says in return, nodding. The footman bows to both of them, before walking off.

They can’t embrace in the halls, it’s too familiar and Yuuri’s a visiting monarch being guided by a second prince, but the walk together is spent in comfortable silence. Approaching the doors to the rooms Yuuri will be using, they’re met by two footmen who bow and open the doors, holding them until Yuuri and Viktor are well through.

Once they’re in private, Yuuri feels himself pushed back against a bookcase as Viktor presses their lips together almost desperately. Hands slip under coats, fingers run through hair, and they relish the contact they have with each other as they kiss. Breathless and wanting, they don’t separate, not even when Yuuri pushes the prince briefly away in order to push him back against the shelves, running his fingers through his long locks.

“Tsarevich Viktor,” he says after a few moments.

“Yes, Your Imperial Majesty?”

For some reason, Yuuri forgets what he was going to say and merely smiles, kissing Viktor again. “You’ll be returning with me,” he says softly.

“I will,” Viktor replies. “My things are packed. I’ve said some goodbyes.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Huh?” Viktor looks down at him, meeting his eyes. “Yuuri, what are you sorry for?”

With one shoulder, Yuuri shrugs, and Viktor sighs. “I’m happy. I am. I love you, and... and we’ve wanted this for so long. Years we’ve been wanting to get married and now we are.”

“Somehow I didn’t realize I’d be taking you from everything you love.”

“Not everything,” Viktor says, leaning down to kiss him. “You’re not taking me from you. You’re giving yourself to me, I’ll have you for the rest of my life. It’s more than enough trade-off for staying here. I’ve always known that being with you would mean leaving Russia.”

“Always?”

Nodding, Viktor presses another kiss to Yuuri’s cheek. “Yes, of course. I’m the second son of the Empress, and my brother’s already expecting his first child. You were always first in line. You were always going to have to stay in Japan.”

“Glad to see one of us thought this through.” Sighing, Yuuri tugs at the fasteners on his haori, pulling it off and draping it over a nearby chair. His boots come next, set neatly next to the door and as he slips his socked feet into slippers he sighs.

“‘Thought this through’? Are... Your Imperial Majesty, are you having regrets?” Somehow Viktor looks more nervous than Yuuri would have expected and between that and the use of Yuuri’s title it’s clear he’s not just teasing. Almost childlike, Viktor seems to await his answer with trepidation and Yuuri jumps to ease his nerves.

“No, no! I’m... I just didn’t realize the implications, Vitya,” he says. “I... I didn’t mean to take you from your home.”

“Home is with you,” Viktor replies without hesitation. “I love my family, don’t get me wrong, but my status in Russia is falling and being called ‘the Spare’ by my people gets grating, on occasion.”

Yuuri knows it’s far more than ‘on occasion’, and every bit of correspondence Viktor has sent has only indicated his excitement at the upcoming move. It’s with this that Yuuri tries to console himself, to remind himself that Viktor had jumped at the chance rather than reluctantly agreement to the proposed marriage, and when Viktor cups his cheek in his palm, Yuuri nods.

“I love you,” he says, and it still sounds like a confession even though he’s said the words often enough that it isn’t.

“I love you, too,” Viktor replies. “I’ve liked you since we first met and I’ve loved you since you fell into that snowdrift.

Yuuri snorts. He’d still been Crown Prince at that point, and he’d been taking the time to explore the extensive gardens of the Imperial Palace. It wasn’t quite his fault that the far reaches of the gardens were more uneven and less cared-for than the areas closer to the palace, but it had been his fault that he’d been walking along the top of a low wall.

The Tsarevich had seen his unfortunate plunge into an adjacent snowdrift, and had fished him out while trying to stifle laughter. Once it was clear Yuuri was merely embarrassed rather than offended, they’d shared a laugh, and Viktor had put his coat over Yuuri’s now-soaked shoulders. It had been the start of Yuuri’s crush. Every time he’d seen the Imperial Family’s second prince, he’d fallen just a bit further. He’s not sure if it’s the way Viktor carries himself-- strong, authoritative, and somehow still friendly. He’s not sure if it’s the ease with which Viktor approaches court interactions or the way his smile seems to light up the room.

He’s not sure if it’s the Prince’s kind heart, love for his people, and determination to do right in what areas he can, though Yuuri suspects this is a large part of things.

Regardless, they’re in love-- very much so-- and Yuuri doesn’t regret their first kiss, shared in an alcove at the palace in Hasetsu on the occasion of Mari’s birthday. She hadn’t suspected anything at the time, but the palace staff had remarked on the large amount of correspondence from Yuuri to Russia’s Second Son in the weeks following. 

Crawling into bed together should feel more scandalous than it does, but the only reason Yuuri’s here in the first place is to formally confirm their engagement, which is well-known at this point. Soft, Viktor’s fingers brush across Yuuri’s cheek, through his hair, down his face until Viktor’s thumb brushes his lip.

“We’re getting married,” Yuuri whispers.

“For the good of Russia and Japan,” Viktor replies.

“For love,” Yuuri corrects. “I don’t know that I’d... if it was anyone else, I...”

Eyes shining, Viktor leans forward and presses a kiss to his lips. “I wouldn’t want it either,” he murmurs. 

[zombubble]

Can you tell me more about the au, are there any fics we could read?

Aaaaa I assume you’re talking about the nurse Viktor picture? I haven’t written anything for it, it’s just an idea I’ve been bouncing around with @jumpforjo, but Viktor’s an RN who works in a hospital, and Yuuri brings his dog (named Kuma, since in this AU there’s no reason for him to name his dog after Viktor) in to work as a therapy dog with the patients. Eventually, Viktor takes part in doggy therapy (nursing is hard and he’s tired and sometimes he has very bad days and he’s not going to turn down an offer to pet a cute dog) and he grows closer to Yuuri over time after that. 

Viktor is very good when Yuuri has a cold (to the point of being a bit overbearing at times but they sort that out) but is terrible at being sick. He’s either languishing and saying he’s dying, or trying to diagnose himself and then stubbornly take care of himself even if he’s like... feverish enough to be falling over. 

[zombubble]

Oooo! The Word Game is back! Hmm...how about "look"?

“Though they’d practiced in the few days since the testimony, Viktor’s never entered the room at Yuuri’s side in front of the public, under this sort of scrutiny and somehow he has to look comfortable doing so.” 

[zombubble]

,,, you should have expected nothing less from me at that prompt list i'm sorry for being a useless lizard mother, ilu

@cary-onmywaywardson i love you and i hope you love this.

(on AO3)

“As you can see,” Viktor says, “a lot of my research is based on observation of my own specimens, depending on what I need from them.” He stops in front of a door at the end of a long, wide hallway, smiling. “If you want to see the lizards themselves, I wouldn’t mind showing you.”

Blushing, Yuuri looks around the hall, eyes flitting across each of the doors. “Umm. Well, I—” He blushes further as he stammers himself to silence. Viktor’s never had someone happy to see even pictures of his lizards on the third date, much less the reptiles and their assorted habitats, even if he is one of the world’s most renowned herpetologists, and he feels himself fall a little bit more in love.

“I’d love to sometime, Dr. Nikiforov,” Yuuri says, smiling (and oh, Viktor’s heart skips a beat much like it had for the months their friendship took to shift into romance), “An afternoon with you and your lizards sounds great.”

Even in the low lighting he can see Yuuri blushing more, absentmindedly cleaning his glasses. “I wouldn’t mind at all,” Viktor says. “If you like, you could tell me about your ants.”

Chuckling, Yuuri looks up at him,. “Of course,” he says. “I wouldn’t have spent years studying them if I didn’t want to talk about them.”

With a radiant smile, Yuuri captures Viktor’s heart and promises nothing but happiness. “You’re adorable, Lovebug,” he says, and Yuuri blushes even more.

“Lovebug?”

“Do you mind?” Viktor asks.

Yuuri shakes his head, rolling his thick sweatshirt between his fingers. “N-no. It’s just. I— are you sure? It doesn’t sound a bit… boyfriend-ish?”

“Do you not want to be boyfriends?”

“No, I’d love to, it’s just—” Yuuri stops, making some sort of choked sound as he covers his mouth. “I— We still have to discuss that enclosure!”

Oh. Why that has any relevance right now, Viktor has no clue, but he blinks at the unexpected change in topic. “Uh. Yeah, okay, what sort of lizard did you need it for, again?”

“I’m not sure,” Yuuri says. “Uhh, my best guess is a common dwarf gecko.”

“Best guess? What does it look like?”

“That American car commercial? Sort of?”

Viktor raises an eyebrow. “Where’s it indigenous to?”

“Japan,” Yuuri responds quickly.

Too quickly.

“Yuuri, can I see this lizard?” There’s no use in planning for one enclosure when they’d need another, and Viktor wants to see this mysterious lizard before he goes making anything for it. Yuuri ought to be able to use the internet and research tools well enough to narrow down what sort of reptile he’s somehow acquired but he seems oddly clueless for someone who’s building a room-sized enclosure for a single lizard.

“Um…”

“Yuuuuri.”

“Uh, well. Not right now,” he says. “But. Maybe in a few days. I’ll be out of town but I’ll give you the key and leave a note on my counter telling you where to find it, just make sure you’re out of the house by dawn?”

Blinking, Viktor pulls back. “What?!”

“I can take pictures if you’d rather,” Yuuri says. “I can get those emailed to you in a few days.”

“Why… Where have you gotten this lizard? Where are you getting it? Are you dealing with traffickers?”

“What?! No!” Yuuri suddenly looks almost frantic. “No! Nothing like that, no, I just.” He takes a deep breath. “It’s me!”

“What?”

“It— It’s me,” Yuuri says, looking down. “I’m… You know werewolves, right?”

“What.”

“Werewolves, people who transform into wo—”

“I know who werewolves are,” Viktor says, “no one bothers pretending they’re mythical anymore, but what do they have to do with—”

“I’m the lizard. I turn into a lizard every full moon.”

“You can’t be serious.”

Crossing his arms, Yuuri sighs. “I am. It’s. I know it can be hard to acc—”

“So this entire time you’ve been wanting me to build you a little home? I’d love to!” Viktor exclaims, delighted to be able to help and honestly quite excited about this turn of events.

“I mean, it’s only for a night or two every month, I just needed something other than my bathtub or carpet to run across.” Yuuri blushes further, wringing his hands. “My claws always catch on carpet.”

Viktor nods. “And you said you had a room for this?” Yuuri nods in confirmation. “And you want me to design it for the whole room.” Yuuri nods. “Can I bring dinner while I look things over? Maybe have a date with my boyfriend?”

“B-boy… Of course,” Yuuri says. “Y-yeah, I’d like that. All of that. If you wanted to come while I was well, different, you could…”

“Sounds perfect,” Viktor says.

Three months later…

Viktor feels the minuscule tugs on his pajama pants before he sees tiny reptilian nose poking up over his knee. He smiles, reaching out and picking up the green striped gecko.

“Alright there, Yuuri?” He knows Yuuri can understand him, and they’ve worked out a system of basic responses, and the way Yuuri noses at his fingertips has Viktor cupping his hand underneath his currently-reptilian boyfriend. Yuuri just wants a warm place to sleep, at this point, and he curls up gratefully, licking his own eye just before Viktor slips the hand holding him into his hoodie. Viktor feels movement, the scratching of tiny claws, and then he can feel as Yuuri munches on a bit of lettuce for a bit, before he licks the tip of Viktor’s thumb and curls up again to go to sleep.

Changing channel with his free hand, Viktor glances out the window, happy to see the faint glow of dawn approaching. He’ll take Yuuri to bed, soon, crawl under the covers and let Yuuri curl up in the center of the other side of the bed. Even if Viktor ends up falling asleep, he’ll wake up next to his fiancé, and as is true no matter what form he’s in, Yuuri will be the most beautiful creature Viktor has ever seen.

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3, 4, 12, and 15 ^-^

3- favorite line/scene you wrote this yearCary I told you in dm that it was a crime to make me choose. I’ve had some great moments, I think, and there are a few that stand out? If I had to pick a favorite scene, though, I think it’s in TNOT when Yuuri arrived back in Hasetsu. I changed that one on the fly, rewrote most of the chapter from scratch a week before it was supposed to be posted, bu the result was something far more visceral and unsettling than it had been, and that was the desired outcome.

4- total number of words you wrote this yearSubtracting the 50k or so I had written of TNOT at the time of publishing I’ve written somewhere in the vicinity of.... 375,000 words, give or take a few thousand. Most of which was for TNOT (or the story I did for Royalty Week) but some of which were prompts and such. 

12- favorite character to write about this yearGeorgi!!! Interestingly enough. I’ve enjoyed writing Yuuri and Viktor but I found new fondness for Gosha. I love him and his plants.

15- something you learned this yearI need to figure out better plotting skills!! I had a good chunk of TNOT written, but most of it was in the first half. So, recently, I’ve been having to do a lot more plotting as the story evolved and is now finishing, including some more crucial elements, and I feel like if I can work out a plot and outline and stick to it a bit better, it’ll help. 

Thank you!!!!! Cary ily

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THE END — i’ll make up an ending, or post the ending if i’ve written it

I haven’t figured out exactly how I’m going to end TNOT so here’s a bit from the epilogue, when they’re visiting Viktor’s family (disclaimer: I wrote this ages ago so I can’t say for sure this is going to happen exactly in this way, and it may seem incongruous with some facets of their characterization):

Alexei throws his arm around Viktor’s shoulder. “Well, Your Excellency.”

“Majesty,” Yuuri says as he walks back in, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. “He’s King-Consort, now. It’s ‘Your Majesty.’”

“So if my brother’s King-Consort, what does that make me?”

Yuuri smiles sweetly. “Doctor Alexei Nikiforov, brother of His Royal Majesty the King-Consort, Viktor Alexandrovich Nikiforov of Akitsushima.”

It's weird, sometimes, when Viktor remembers he has a title now. Weirder still when he's in jeans and a sweater, dusting bookshelves in his childhood home. He's a king now, or at least the spouse of one, but ‘king’ is still an official part of his title. He wears a crown, he answers to ‘Your Majesty,’ and he's Yuuri’s equal in most non-political matters at court. He defers to none save Yuuri.He also has a page-long list of chores in his pocket in his Mamulya’s neat handwriting, with the promise of a disappointed look should he mess around. Viktor smiles. This level of familial normalcy is comforting, something he's missed since he was a teenager. 

Yuuri leans against him with a grin, pressing a kiss on his cheek. “Something on your mind, Vityusha?”

“It's just weird. Being home after so long.” Nodding sympathetically, Yuuri hugs him. “That, and having chores after living at the palace for a while…”

Yuuri snorts. “Imagine how I felt when Phichit taught me how to clean a bathroom. I was like, nineteen, had never scrubbed a toilet in my life.”

“Did he know at that point?”

Nodding, Yuuri lets out a chuckle. “He did, he wouldn't shut up about it. He thought it was hilarious.”

The attic is dusty, and Yuuri sneezes repeatedly despite the surgical mask he’s wearing. “What are we doing up here, again?” he asks, sniffling.

“My moms want me to find my great-grandparents’ seder plate,” Viktor says, “which is… somewhere.”

Yuuri snorts.

Viktor pulls a dusty newspaper out of a nearby box, smiling. “Yuuri,” he says softly, “come here for a second.”

Yuuri sets down the books he was moving, making his way over before crouching next to Viktor on the dusty floor. “What is it?” he asks.

Viktor holds up the newspaper. “My moms saved this, it’s a regional paper celebrating me making the podium at Junior Nationals that year. I was twelve, and it caused an uproar.” Yuuri smiles behind his mask, eyes twinkling. “This was the first time I’d been interviewed quite like this, when people started to figure out how… how good I’d get.”

“This was the moment you got launched into the public eye,” Yuuri says.Nodding, Viktor smiles. “Yeah.” His eyes trace over the other headlines on the paper, coming to rest on a lower corner as he gasps.

“What is it?” Yuuri sounds worried, concerned, eyes flicking between Viktor’s face and the Cyrillic lettering on the page.

Clearing his throat, Viktor translates the headline. “Crown… Crown Prince of Sachima Vanishes After Tension Escalates.” His stomach grows cold. “It goes on to say there’s no word about what happened, or where you were, just that you were gone all of a sudden, like you dropped off the face of the Earth.”

Yuuri sits heavily on the ground next to him. “What does it say?”

“You don’t know?”

Shaking his head, Yuuri says, “No, I don’t. Nee-chan was too busy trying to take care of me and helping me adapt to tell me what was going on. She wouldn’t have, anyway, I was too young to understand what was going on with me, much less the public side of the story.”

Viktor angles himself to catch more of the light against the newspaper, leaning against boxes as he reads. “After a lot of media… speculation about His Royal Highness Crown Prince Yuuri of Sachima’s a –“

“Vitya?” Yuuri interrupts.

“What is it, Lyubov?”

“Just… you don’t need to use my full title.”

“After much media speculation about Prince Yuuri’s absence, the Royal Family of Sachima has…” he purses his lips. “The Royal Family has come forward to confirm that after some problem… some troubling events, the young prince has been sent into hiding for safety reasons.”

Yuuri looks over his shoulder, eyes glancing over the article despite being unable to read it very well.

“It has a quote from your dad,” Viktor says softly. “Umm, ‘Prince Yuuri is with trusted… trustworthy people in safe location,’ His Majesty said in press conference - a press conference - this morning, voice shaking with unusual emotion.” Running his fingers through his hair, he continues to translate, “‘his absence is difficult, but an unfortunate necessity to… be sure of his continued safety. The Royal Family sincerely hopes this separation will be short, and are looking forward to welcoming the Crown Prince home again soon.’ He goes on to say they can’t say anything else, but you’re alive and well.” A small sniffle beside him pulls Viktor’s attention away, and when he looks over Yuuri's rubbing his eyes under his glasses. 

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אני אוהב ממש את הכתיבה שלך!!! ⁦♥️⁩⁦♥️⁩⁦♥️⁩⁦♥️⁩⁦♥️⁩⁦♥️⁩⁦♥️⁩⁦♥️⁩ (Translation from Hebrew: I really love your writing!!)

Thank you so much!! I’m glad to share it!!! ♥️⁩⁦♥️⁩⁦♥️⁩⁦♥️⁩⁦♥️

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Winds (I know it's boring as a fic title but it's the first thing that came to mind)

For this, I would write a tale set on the high seas, told in a series of coincidental meetings at different trade ports. I would talk about the glimpses between two merchant ship captains across pubs and inns turning into card games, card games turning into Viktor and Yuuri drinking alone on a hill overlooking the shimmering void of the ocean.

I would write about how they fall in love, how they share their next port of call with the other in hopes of receiving a letter. I would talk about the trinkets they buy, blank sketchbooks and hair ribbons for Viktor, sheet music and fascinating containers and games for Yuuri, and how these little exchanges become all-important whenever they see each other. I’d talk about how they start walking through marketplaces with the other in mind, how they carry something on their person at all times for that bit of comfort it offers. I would talk about the long stormy nights spent at sea, fondling a carved figurine or a piece of jewelry or just something that grounds them, reminds them of the other while the ship bucks and the waves roll and the thunder is too loud to sleep through.

I would talk about the sinking dread Yuuri has when he hears news of Viktor’s ship sailing under a new captain, how he diverts the course of his private trading ship to the last port of call Viktor’d been at. I’d talk about how he weighs anchor off an abandoned island near where other sailors heard a few members of Viktor’s former crew talking about “getting it over with.”

I would talk about their reunion, about Yuuri rowing a dinghy to the rocky shores of the island, pulling it up onto the pebbled beach as he looks around. I would talk about the hours he spends shouting at the top of his lungs as he walks, until his voice is hoarse and his lips are dry with dehydration. Then, I would tell you about the glow of a fire through the trees as dusk falls, about Yuuri rushing, stumbling through the jungle until he comes on a clearing where he finds his love, disheveled and with a full and strangely well-maintained beard.

I would talk about the way they whisper in the dark as Yuuri holds the man he loves, about how at first light they go back to the ship. Viktor sleeps in the captain’s quarters, and no one makes comment. They would take the time between reuniting and making port to relish the others’ presence, to figure out what Viktor’s going to do now that his ship is gone (and his dog in the hands of what he hopes are still-loyal and kind crew members).

Then, I would describe them chasing Viktor’s ship across the seas wearing a new pair of golden rings, getting closer at each port of call. I would show the moment Viktor, a tempest in his own right, finds his former first mate and, with Yuuri, brings a storm on the new Captain. I would tell you how loyalty only goes so far, how Makkachin runs to Viktor’s side and with her, a few of the most loyal members of Viktor’s crew, the few vocal dissenters who quieted themselves once the deed was done in order to find a solution.

You would see how Yuuri mentions off-hand that they have room for more crew, that their pay is fair and their work is reasonable. Then, you would see the expression on Viktor’s former first mate’s face as he watches most of his crew follow their former captain out of the seedy pub they were in, how they tell their former first mate that while he was good at keeping order with an iron fist, Viktor was both just and kind, and they much prefer their Captain without a cruel streak.

I would tell you about how they literally sail into the sunset, how they eventually get a much larger ship and much fuller crew, how they excel at what they do because they have people who follow and work for them because they want to, and then I would tell you that they retire to a seaside cottage with dogs and land and each other, more than content with continuing their life together in relative peace.