#this was totally a self indulgent project and that is totally okay right

[mjj-nostalgia]

This is for those of you lovely people who have read The Way The Wind Blows - I finally had time to finish this digital drawing of Michael and Marren from the scene of their first official date 🥹

Very happy with how Michael turned out and Marren more or less looks like how I have pictured her in my head.

Some things aren't perfect (like the fingers because hands are the bane of my existence) but I'm only in the beginning of my digital art journey so please be kind lol

Hope everyone is doing well! <3

-T

[chuluoyi]

✎ to my beloved

- gojo satoru x reader

bad days don't mean the end of the world, and your husband is making sure you know that

genre: hurt/comfort, fluff, fluff, fluff—just gojo pampering you

note: my job has been so hard for me this week :') so yeah it's very self indulgent as i need a lil hurt/comfort and i think you should too~

a part of gojo's love entries

general masterlist

This week... has been a total dumpster fire.

You were utterly exhausted, covered in grime and blood, a persisting headache made you almost black out, all while sitting in the hospital waiting room as survivor's guilt slowly consumed you.

Grueling paperwork, a new project, facing the higher-ups, being substituted to Kyoto for days, and then a sudden attack of a curse user on the loose.

In times of need, you were supposed to protect others— you are a jujutsu sorcerer.

And yet, what happened? Megumi suddenly bathed in his own blood. You barely managed to save him in time, and now you were waiting for the news that he would be okay.

Why couldn't it be you instead? You wanted to break down each time you replayed the scene that took Megumi out. It was so eerily similar to how Haibara was—

"Are you okay!?"

You whipped your head, surprised to find your husband pounding down the hall. Satoru looked unlike himself—he was disheveled, and when he saw you, he immediately dashed towards where you were.

"Satoru..." you voice came out in a croak, feeling the lump in your throat closing in. When he dropped to his knee, put both hands on the sides of your face, and then your body, feeling you over to check if you had any injuries—

You finally burst into tears.

"Sweets, hey..." Satoru immediately pulled you close, trying to soothe you. You were shaking in his arms and he tightened his arms around you. "What happened to you?"

"I-I was... w-with him..." you sobbed, burying your face in his shoulder. "S-Satoru... I-I'm sorry...! M-Megumi—"

Your husband immediately shushed you. "Shh... it's alright, yeah? He'll be okay—"

You were still inconsolable even as he held you in his embrace. He hadn't seen you like this... not ever since tragedies during your high school years ago. And he struggled to reconcile this sight of you with how you were back then.

"I-I s-should've stood in his way— t-that way, he won't be hit—" you hiccupped as you poured your heart out and clutched at his shirt. "I-It would be f-fine if it... was me—"

But all thoughts flew when he heard your words, and suddenly he felt so angry—

"What do you mean?" his voice was so low and sharp that it startled you. "How will it be fine if it was you?"

You stiffened, and Satoru gripped your shoulder, pulling away to look you right in the eyes.

"If something bad happened to you... how is it fine?" he emphasized with gritted teeth. "Where do you get that kind of bullshit from?"

Your lips were wobbling as you sniffled. "At least... i-it isn't him—"

"If you got hurt, how do you think it'll make me feel?" Satoru posed the burning question on you next, his cerulean eyes glinting with silent fury, and you almost recoiled.

"T-that's...!"

"I'll wreak havoc if anything ever happens to you." His tone was harsh and forceful. "So if you think you can just—"

"I'm tired!" you screamed then, and he was stunned, wide-eyed as he took in your outburst. "I-I'm just... I've had enough of this— this shit! I want to quit!"

You were openly weeping, and this time, Satoru felt his heart lurch. You looked so heartbroken and utterly inconsolable that his first instinct to protect you took over.

"Then quit." He rose and took a seat next to you, before cradling you closer and pressed your head against his chest. "Even if you quit, I'm still here. I can protect you well enough. I don't like you being a sorcerer anyway."

You were his beloved wife and he hated seeing you like this. You were supposed to be happy and smiling.

He let out a disgruntled grunt. "Did you know how I was when I heard from Ichiji that you were at the hospital? I thought I might go mad thinking something had happened to you."

You sobbed harder at his words.

"It's perfectly okay if you're tired," he affirmed, patting your back gently. "If you're fine with giving up everything, then I'm on board too. Whatever makes you happy, sweets. Just... don't think of anything that might hurt yourself. Don't think of anything that might make you leave me."

You didn't know you needed to hear it. Right at that moment, your heart swelled with warmth. All your feelings were validated, and even if you chose to let go of everything, Satoru would accept you as you are.

You felt safe, so incredibly and irrevocably secure.

"Whatever happened this time..." he breathed out, feeling the dampness in his chest, his fingers gently combing through your hair. "It's not your fault. No one will blame you. I don't blame you, and Megumi won't too."

Your sniffles quieted down a bit at his words, and your throat still felt tight, clogged with tears.

"H-he... looked s-so much like Haibara... w-when—"

"Shush, he does not. Megumi will be okay. You will too, hmm?"

And just like that, you let go of everything and surrendered your entire being into his arms.

Clinging to him, you finally believed, in whatever shape or form it might take, you would be okay.

A week later, Megumi was discharged after being cleared by the hospital. His wounds were thankfully shallow, and you cried in relief when he woke up.

And after escorting him back, later that night, you laid on top your husband...

Your weight on him felt like a comforting reassurance as he gently patted your back. Satoru couldn't help but smile when he saw how peaceful you looked, like a baby about to fall asleep.

He couldn't resist and planted a firm kiss on the crown of your head.

"Mmm?" you looked up at him, eyes fluttering open, and he cracked a grin.

"What?"

"What?"

"Can't I kiss my own wife? When she's adorable as heck too."

"You..." your lips curved into a bashful, yet exasperated smile, poking his chest in the process.

"Heh."

You drew circles on his broad and sturdy chest, noting how his arms extended and feeling how your toenails only reached a little past his knees. "Your arms and legs are ridiculously long. You are like an oversized plushie."

Satoru snickered. "Well, isn't that good? You don't have to buy them anymore. I can be your personal talking plushie."

"Ew." You hit his chest playfully, and he pushed your bum forward until you were face-to-face with him. He smooched you on the lips, and you giggled afterward.

His eyes shone as he stared at you, breaking to a smile himself. "Finally smiling. Pretty."

"Satoru..." your eyes found his, and you marveled at how sparkling they were. Seeing him so close, even after being married to him for more than a year, made your heart skip a beat. "I..."

"Hmm?"

"I want to keep being jujutsu sorcerer..." You had thought about it ever since, and you still arrived at the same conclusion. "It's true if I give up on it, you'll still keep me safe and all, but..."

Your husband waited for you to continue, still smiling, blinking expectantly.

"...this is something I have to do. I know there will be more hard days ahead, but believe it or not, I... found purpose in doing this," you said, shifting your gaze away from him. "It makes me feel... I can be useful. Even if I'm not special like you, I can still contribute in my own small way..."

How you pressed up against him, the way you looked hesitant and yet convinced at the same time... Satoru thought you were the most precious thing there was.

"Then keep going. I'll still be here too." He hugged you tight then, surprising you. "Just let me know when you feel like you need a long leave, and I'll definitely give you the solution."

"Eh? How?"

"Easy... I can just put a baby in you~ They won't deny you maternity leave or put you in missions~"

"...Satoru, you're—" You shot him a look so unamused, before resigning with a sigh. "Never mind... alright, sure, whatever you say."

"Ooh! So does this mean you want to try now?!"

"—? No, not now yet—!"

"When? We have to try one of these days before some meddlesome aunties ask us when we will have kids!"

Being sillies like this made you so glad that you had him in your life, and that you married him. And if he felt the same way as you... then you really thanked the stars for it.

You huffed, yet wrapping your arms around him in return. "Satoru, you're a clown."

"Your personal clown, you mean. Right~"

[sidekick-hero]

A Leash, a Van, and a Christmas Plan

steddie | rated teen | 3.7k | tags: Christmas fluff, Nurse Steve, meet-cute, Bear the dog | Read on AO3

Steve had always wanted a dog—ever since he could remember. As a kid, he would beg his parents endlessly, swearing up and down that he’d take care of it. He’d walk it, feed it, clean up after it.

Despite all his promises, a dog remained one of the few things he didn’t get as a child, right alongside the attention and affection he truly craved.

So, the moment he could afford his own flat, he knew exactly what to do. Together with his best friend Robin, he made his way to the local shelter in search of a furry companion. Robin, a self-proclaimed cat person, indulged him in this quest to fulfill his childhood dream.

They wandered the shelter for what felt like hours. Even Robin started to joke that they should just take all the dogs home. Steve, however, found the decision nearly impossible. How could he pick just one? They all deserved to feel safe and loved.

Steve was not projecting. Okay?

Anyway, just as they were about to give up, they passed what looked like an empty kennel. A faint growl stopped Steve in his tracks. Curious, he stepped closer and found a small black bundle cowering in the far corner. The dog was young, terrified, and yet somehow still looked like it was ready to take on the entire world.

“Robin!” Steve called over his shoulder. His friend was busy fussing over a golden retriever a few kennels ahead. “Can you get someone from the staff?”

A week later, after passing all the background checks and paperwork, Steve brought Cerberus home.

The name wasn’t his idea. That credit went to Dustin, one of the kids who worked at the shelter. Dustin had taken one look at the little dog and declared that it would grow into a huge, black monster, making “Cerberus” the perfect name. Steve hated it—but he liked the kid enough to keep it.

Besides, they ended up calling him Bear anyway.

That had been three years ago. Since then, Bear had grown into the huge, black monster Dustin had predicted—well, minus the monster part. Unless, of course, you counted being a total cuddle monster.

Still, Bear was a big guy, and his size alone was enough to make most people wary. It didn’t help that he was fiercely protective of Steve, growling at anyone who dared to come too close. He always needed time to warm up to new people, but once you were accepted as part of his pack, you had a loyal friend for life.

Steve didn’t mind Bear’s intimidating presence, though. If anything, it made him feel safer. As a nurse at the local hospital, his unpredictable shifts meant late-night walks were a regular part of their routine. Bear’s size and low, rumbling growl made it easy for Steve to wander through quiet streets at night without a second thought.

It was on one of those walks—a bitterly cold December night, just two days before Christmas—that everything changed.

Months of working with Chrissy, his dog trainer, had paid off in more ways than one. Steve ended up with a kind-of-well-behaved-but-stubborn dog willing to (mostly) cooperate, and Robin got herself a girlfriend who was every bit as amazing as she deserved. Even if it meant that Steve would have to spend Christmas alone this year, while Robin took Chrissy home to her parents for the first time.

Usually, walking Bear was uneventful—a blessing, considering Steve, despite being fit and regularly working out at the hospital gym, was no match for 145 pounds of determined dog. Bear stayed close to Steve’s side, happy to keep watch, growling menacingly at any perceived threats but always trusting Steve to handle things.

That’s why Steve wasn’t gripping the leash as tightly as he should have been. His thoughts were far away, preoccupied with a little boy he’d been tending to—a boy stuck in the hospital over Christmas and heartbreakingly sad about it. Steve was busy planning ways to make the holiday festive for the kids in his ward when it happened: a sudden, sharp tug on the leash.

The leash slipped from his fingers before he could react.

“Bear!” Steve shouted, his voice cracking with shock and just a little more panic than he’d like. “Come!”

Bear, however, had other ideas. He bolted, disappearing into the dense trees at the edge of the park.

“Shit. Shit. Shit.” Steve swore as he took off after him, already regretting not listening to Robin when she suggested a cat. A cat, after all, wouldn’t have him tripping through brambles and stumbling over undergrowth, with only his runner’s light bouncing wildly to guide him.

Finding a black dog in the pitch-dark night was like looking for a needle in a haystack. Impossible.

“Bear!” Steve called again, cupping his hands around his mouth to carry his voice further. “Come here, buddy!”

He stopped, straining to hear anything—a rustle, a bark, a clue—but all he got in return was the sound of his own heavy breathing and the distant hoot of an owl. The silence felt louder somehow, now that one of his senses was compromised.

The realization crept in slowly, chilling him even more than the night air: he was alone, in the dark, with his dog gone and no one else around.

His breath came in visible puffs, clouds of mist dissipating into the cold. A shiver ran through him, though he couldn’t quite tell if it was from the cold or the unsettling weight of his surroundings. The trees loomed, their shadows stretching longer than they should, and everything felt just a little off.

He was on the verge of giving up—tears prickling at the corners of his eyes, frustration mixing with fear—when a loud snap echoed through the stillness.

Steve flinched, his heart leaping into his throat.

Then, a deep, rumbling growl broke through the stillness, followed by a sharp bark.

“Bear!” Steve shouted, bolting toward the sound. More barks followed, their tone higher and lighter—not aggressive, but curious.

“Good boy,” a voice called out, shaky but trying for calm. “Or—uh—good girl? I don’t want to assume, man. Or… woman. Shit. Please don’t eat me?”

The voice sounded young, male and unmistakably terrified. Steve couldn’t blame him. Anyone would panic if they were cornered by 145 pounds of black fur and sharp teeth.

Forcing his legs to move faster and silently praying he wouldn’t trip over a stray root or branch, Steve barreled toward the commotion, his heart pounding in his chest. Bear was obviously holding someone hostage, and Steve had no idea what he was about to find.

He burst through the trees and stumbled into a clearing. There, parked at the edge, was an old van—and standing on top of it was a man.

The guy had his hands raised in a desperate, placating gesture, his voice trembling as he pleaded with Steve’s dog.

“Easy, big guy. Good boy. Or girl. Seriously, no need for violence here—”

Steve couldn’t tell you why, but the whole thing was so absurd, so completely surreal. Bear, massive and proud, sitting at the base of the van like some four-legged guardian, and the poor guy perched on the roof like he’d been treed by a bear. The adrenaline coursing through Steve’s veins, paired with the overwhelming relief that Bear was safe—and that no one appeared to be bleeding—hit him all at once.

Steve doubled over, hands on his knees, laughing in near hysteria.

Both Bear and the guy turned toward Steve’s laughter. Bear let out a low whuff, the canine equivalent of “Look what I found!” Meanwhile, the guy, clearly panicked, shouted at him.

“Run! There’s a wild beast—it’ll tear you apart if you don’t move! Hurry! I can try to distract it, but I don’t know if it’ll work.”

Another wave of laughter threatened to bubble up, but Steve managed to swallow it down. The poor guy was terrified, and yet he was still trying to save Steve. It was kind of adorable, in a completely ridiculous way.

Instead of laughing more, Steve decided to end the guy’s suffering. He walked toward them, shaking his head.

“What the fuck are you doing, man?” the guy yelled, eyes wide. “Don’t come closer! I—I don’t think I can stop it!”

Steve smiled up at him, though in the dim light—provided by the van’s headlights and his bouncing runner’s light—he doubted the guy could see it. He kept walking until he was right beside Bear, the dog’s massive head level with his waist.

Calmly, he reached down to scratch behind Bear’s ears and said, loud enough for the guy to hear, “What do you think you’re doing, huh? We talked about this. No running away, and definitely no hunting down poor, innocent people.”

Bear responded with another satisfied whuff, his tail wagging furiously despite the fact that he was still sitting.

“What. The. Actual. Fuck.” The voice from above sounded incredulous. “Are you some kind of dog whisperer or that your beast?”

Steve looked up at Bear’s hostage, and upon realizing that his runner’s light was blinding him, turned it off. He could still see well enough with the headlights casting a warm light close by after his eyes had adjusted. The first thing he noticed were the guy’s eyes. They were huge and almost black in the low light, sitting atop full lips on a pale face framed by dark curls. He was adorable and hot.

“Sorry,” Steve began, running a hand through his hair. “Not a dog whisperer, or this big guy wouldn’t have bolted the second I got distracted and loosened my grip on the leash. In my defense, though, he’s never done that before. You must smell pretty incredible for him to chase you all the way down here.”

The moment the words left his mouth, Steve wanted to slap himself. Once upon a time, he had game. Real game. But apparently, those days were long gone, and now he was reduced to this—word vomiting as soon as he came face-to-face with a hot guy.

The guy—whom Steve had silently dubbed Bambi because of those wide, enchanting doe eyes—blinked at him, utterly speechless. Steve dared to hope he was overwhelmed by Steve’s suave charm, but that hope was dashed by the guy’s next words.

“Are you for real? You’re telling me it’s my fault for smelling like dog food that your… your beast chased me down?”

Something about the incredulous tone, coupled with the faint tremor in his voice that betrayed more lingering embarrassment than true anger, lit a spark of mischief in Steve. He wanted to make the guy laugh, to banish the last traces of fear, and—let’s be honest—to see how those full lips would look wrapped around a smile.

“Not dog food, no,” Steve said, tilting his head thoughtfully. “Bear here is a professionally trained drug detection dog. So he must’ve picked up something really interesting to go off the rails like that.”

It was meant as a joke—obviously, Bear was no such thing as a professionally trained anything. But at Steve’s words, Bambi’s eyes widened to cartoonish proportions. Before Steve could assure him he was kidding, the guy scrambled to climb down the other side of the van, his movements jerky with panic.

“Whoa, hey—wait!” Steve called out, stepping forward, but it was too late.

There was a sharp slip, followed by a dull thud and a pained groan.

Steve hurried toward the spot where Bambi had hit the ground with an alarming thud, but Bear was faster.

“Please make it quick, big guy. Haven’t I suffered enough already?” came a slightly wheezing voice, followed by another soft whuff.

When Steve rounded the corner of the van, he stopped dead in his tracks, the scene before him equal parts surreal and hilarious.

Bambi was sprawled on the ground, spread-eagled, his head tilted to one side. Bear sat beside him, their faces mere inches apart. Bear’s loose fur and skin hung comically, his head tilted in a way that screamed curiosity, as if he were silently asking, “What are you doing down there?”

Steve considered taking a picture. Robin and Chrissy would never believe this otherwise. But a low groan from Bambi snapped him out of it.

“Shit. Are you okay?” Steve asked, quickly crossing the remaining distance. He dropped to his knees on Bambi’s other side, mirroring Bear’s concerned expression as he leaned over him.

“This is hell,” Bambi muttered, his voice heavy with dramatic despair. “The hellhound Cerberus has chased me to my demise, and now Charon’s coming to ferry my soul to Tartarus.”

Steve blinked. Was this guy serious? A concussion seemed likely at this point. But it was hard to ignore the weird coincidence that Bambi knew Bear’s namesake.

“I’m so sorry, man,” Steve said, raking a hand through his hair. “It was just a joke—I didn’t think you’d believe me. Robin’s right. I’m hopeless.” He let out a frustrated groan. “I mean, who almost gets someone killed trying to make them laugh?”

To Steve’s surprise, a hand reached out and found his, squeezing it once.

“You wanted to make me laugh?” Bambi asked, his voice soft.

“That’s what you’re focusing on? Not the ‘almost got you killed’ part?” Steve sighed, but a faint smile tugged at his lips. “Yeah. You looked so scared and embarrassed. I just wanted to see you smile. So I made a dumb joke… and ended up getting you hurt instead.”

Bambi—he needed to find out the guy’s name, Steve reminded himself—hummed softly, his lips quirking into a teasing smile. “So, just to be clear: You’re not a cop, and he—” he gestured toward Bear, still sitting like this was all a casual hangout in the park—“is not a drug detection dog?”

Steve let out a rueful laugh, one hand rubbing the back of his neck as warmth crept up his cheeks. “Nope. Not a cop. Not a drug detection dog. Just a pediatric nurse with a terrible sense of humor and a dog who’s usually better behaved.”

Bambi’s tentative smile grew into something full and radiant, so dazzling that Steve momentarily lost track of everything else. It was the kind of smile that made you think cheesy things, like comparing it to the sunrise—hopeful and brilliant, warming something deep in Steve’s chest.

“What’s your name?” Steve asked, shaking himself back to reality. “I keep calling you Bambi in my head, and I’m pretty sure that’s not it.”

That did it. The man on the ground burst into surprised laughter, his head tipping back as his eyes crinkled at the corners, the sound bright and unrestrained. It sent a wave of smug satisfaction through Steve, though it didn’t last long. The laughter soon faded into a low groan, Bambi wincing as the movement jostled whatever injury he’d sustained.

“Shit, sorry,” Steve blurted, words tumbling out as his concern surged. “Are you okay? God, I didn’t mean—”

The guy’s hand found Steve’s again, squeezing it firmly. “Shhh,” he soothed, his voice low and warm. “Hey, it’s okay, sweetheart. I mean, your sense of humor might be the death of me, but what a way to go, huh?”

Steve barked a startled laugh at that, though it quickly gave way to a more serious tone. “I’d really prefer you don’t die on me,” he said, pausing deliberately for the guy to fill in the gap.

“Eddie,” came the soft reply.

Steve smiled, relief and something else he couldn’t quite name washing over him. “I’d rather you don’t die on me, Eddie.”

They were both smiling at each other, the night cold and silent around them, as if the world had paused just for this moment. And then, as if the universe wanted to underscore how surreal and cinematic everything felt, it started to snow.

Big, soft flakes drifted down, landing on Eddie’s long eyelashes and melting on his nose and cheeks. Eddie’s smile widened, his expression pure delight as he laughed softly, tilting his face up to the sky. Without hesitation, he stuck out his tongue to catch a few flakes, his laughter bubbling up again at the absurdity of it.

In that instant, Steve felt very much like one of those snowflakes—falling, utterly and irrevocably.

“So, Nurse—” Eddie’s voice broke through the quiet, pulling Steve from his rose-tinted thoughts.

“Huh?” Steve blinked, realizing he’d been staring.

Eddie grinned, a hint of mischief lighting his face. “I was being sneaky, trying to find out your name,” he explained, “while also asking for a little help here. As much as I’m enjoying the view, it’s getting kind of cold down here.” He shifted slightly, wincing before adding with a smirk, “I thought I’d be clever and ask Nurse Prince Charming—that’s what I’ve been calling you in my head since we cleared up the Charon situation—to help his patient off the ground.”

Steve threw his head back and laughed, the sound warm and unrestrained. He couldn’t help but feel charmed by Eddie’s offbeat but endearing mannerisms. In all his life, he couldn’t remember meeting anyone quite like him—and they’d only known each other for a few minutes.

“It’s Steve,” he said finally, his smile lingering. “And I’d prefer to check you out real quick—” he paused, realizing how that sounded, and tried to recover, “—to make sure you didn’t hurt yourself too badly before helping you up. That okay?”

Eddie’s grin turned sly. “Oh, darling, you can check me out as much as you want,” he replied, tongue-in-cheek.

Heat flooded Steve’s cheeks at the innuendo, even as he tried to stay professional. “I didn’t mean it like that,” he muttered, though he couldn’t deny that having an excuse to touch Eddie wasn’t exactly the worst thing in the world.

“I think it’s safe to say it’s nothing life-threatening if you can joke around like that,” Steve said, shaking his head but unable to hide his fond smile.

Eddie snorted—a sound that shouldn’t have been cute but somehow was—while Steve carefully began to palpate his ribs.

“My uncle always said my last words would be a joke,” Eddie mused, wincing slightly as Steve pressed on a tender spot. “Probably after my big mouth got me into trouble.”

Steve chuckled softly, trying to keep the mood light as he continued his examination. “Well, I’m not letting you test that theory tonight, so sit tight.”

Eddie’s ribs were bruised, and he’d probably be sore for a few days, but thankfully, there was no serious injury. Steve helped him up carefully, Bear trailing close, unusually subdued but steadfast. The dog stuck by their sides as Steve walked Eddie around the van to its rear. Following Eddie’s quiet instructions, Steve opened the door and helped him settle inside.

The interior was cramped but functional. A mattress with a thick sleeping bag was tucked in the back, surrounded by scattered clothes, empty bottles, a bong, a pizza box, and an acoustic guitar propped against the passenger seat. The van had the unmistakable feel of a makeshift home, and Steve’s heart sank.

Eddie caught him staring, and a nervous laugh bubbled out as he rushed to explain. “It’s not what it looks like... God, I can’t believe I just said that. Jeez—” He cut himself off with a sharp breath, grimacing from the strain. After a moment, he added, quieter, “I know it looks bad, okay? But it’s just for a few days. Until I get back on my feet. It’s fine. Just a hiccup.”

The words were defensive, but the shame lurking beneath them hit Steve like a punch to the gut. Eddie was trying to downplay it, but the tightness in his voice gave him away. Steve wanted to say something, anything, but before he could, Bear whined softly, breaking the silence. The big dog nudged Eddie’s thigh with his muzzle, his soulful brown eyes a perfect mirror of Eddie’s own.

Eddie, who’d been so terrified of Bear earlier, now reached out instinctively, stroking the thick fur of his head and neck. His fingers found the sweet spot behind Bear’s ears, and the dog leaned into the touch, letting out a contented huff.

“You were planning to sleep here tonight?” Steve asked softly, the question heavy with concern.

Eddie didn’t look up. He just nodded, his hand still moving absently through Bear’s fur.

Steve cursed silently. The thought of Eddie spending the night in this van, in freezing temperatures, sent a chill down his spine. Even if he kept the engine running, the risks—carbon monoxide poisoning, frostbite, worse—were too high. Steve couldn’t stomach the idea.

“Come home with us,” he said, the words tumbling out before the thought had fully formed. He just knew he couldn’t leave Eddie here.

“What?” Eddie blinked, his hand pausing mid-stroke. Bear, displeased by the interruption, let out a soft, insistent whuff and nudged Eddie’s hand again.

Steve forced a smile, trying to sound casual. “Bear and I both want you to come home with us. I can bandage your ribs properly, and you can keep petting Bear. Clearly, he’s touch-starved and desperately needs some affection.”

Once again, Steve was not projecting. Okay?

Eddie raised an eyebrow, scanning his face carefully. "Oh, so Bear needs some affection, huh?”

Steve rolled his eyes, his cheeks heating. “Look, are you coming or not? Because I’m not leaving until you agree, and I’ll have you know Bear can be very persuasive.”

At that, Bear whuffed again, his tail thumping lightly against the van floor, as if to second Steve’s statement.

Eddie’s lips twitched, and for a moment, Steve thought he might actually laugh. “You’re not giving me much of a choice, are you?”

“Not really,” Steve admitted, his tone softening. “But seriously, Eddie. Let us take care of you. Just for tonight.”

Eddie hesitated, his gaze dropping to Bear, who was still gazing up at him with unrelenting devotion. Finally, he sighed, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Fine. But only because your dog’s giving me the eyes.”

Steve grinned, relief flooding through him. “Smart choice. Bear’s impossible to say no to.”

Bear, as if understanding, let out a low, approving bark.

As Eddie took the hand Steve offered, his fingers cold but steady, Steve felt a warmth spread through him that had nothing to do with the touch itself. It was the kind of warmth that came with hope—the quiet, surprising hope that maybe neither of them would have to spend Christmas alone this year.

[rileythelonelyalien]

Late night groove

A/N: okay so this post may or may not be self-indulgent... but oh well, it just came to mind as I was scrolling through Tik Tok and I was like 'why not' lol. AnyWAYS i hope you enjoy, the other characters are still a work in progress but ill post them when I find the motivation and ideas for their scenarios.

charaters in this post: Caleb, Zayne

T/W: None, unless its maybe second-hand embarrassment lol.

word count: 888, all under the cut enjoy :D

Who hasn't accidentally stayed up too late doom scrolling on their phone only to have a mini concert with all the sounds you’ve saved and favorited on the app you've been scrolling? Well once again you've found yourself in the same situation. Alas… you forget that you no longer live completely on your own and that your partner could possibly catch you in your groove… surely not… they're asleep at this time anyways. 

Right?

CALEB:

Caleb was having some difficulty staying asleep, as per usual… an irritated grunt leaving his lips as he tosses in his bed for what felt like the hundredth time in the span of ten minutes. 

Reluctantly accepting that he wasn't going to sleep anytime soon he would drag himself out of the warm confines of his bed, if he couldn't sleep then he might as well at least do something productive in this time. Tweak some project he was working on or something…

What he did not expect to see was you. Sat on the couch, laptop that was left forgotten at their side with a new presentation from the hunters association about the updated policy and regulations that you were supposed to be reading up on… in favour for your phone that you had been scrolling on for a good hour or two now… perhaps even more, you weren't counting.

Oblivious you come across some sort of edit of a well known actor that had recently starred in a popular show, of course you were less so interested in the edit more so to the song that was playing. It's been trending recently and it has had a lot of edits under it.

You couldn't help but hum along as your upper body moves in time to the beat of the song, it was the type of song you could simply just feel yourself in. Your little impromptu dance, which you were under the impression was not going to be seen by anyone, is interrupted when a poorly stifled laugh cuts through the air.

You freeze absolutely horrid that you've been caught, slowly turning around feeling your face heat up in embarrassment knowing that you were caught doing something you weren't expecting to be seen doing. Of course Caleb could only stare back at you with a wide smug grin stretching across his face.

Oh yeah he was totally going to use this against you someday you just know it…

ZAYNE:

You’ve been trying to limit your screen time recently, after your partner had recently talked to you over his concerns about you losing sleep due to the blue light from screens as well as the potential for eye strain. Admittedly you have actually done quite well this week… granted that was also due to the fact that your job was keeping you busy enough to not give you the time to spend that much time on your phone.

Alas… you couldn't resist, it was your day off. What's some evening social media scrolling going to do anyway, right? Oh how naive you were…

Hours go by like minutes as you get sucked into the endless scroll of post after post. A brain rot video, a shopping haul, some pointless drama. Post after post, you don't notice how long you've been scrolling for…

Eventually you start to come across some fan edits of different actors from a show both you and Zayne have been watching recently scrolling through the comments and such. You come across a particular catchy song that's been trending recently. You hum along to it quietly before eventually before you realise it you're scrolling through edits lip syncing to the songs as if you were the one in these edits.

Meanwhile, Zayne has just arrived home after a particularly gruelling shift at the hospital, having to take much longer on a surgery to endure that it was a success. He was under the impression that given how late he had arrived home you would already be asleep.

Much to his surprise when he enters the bedroom there he sees you, lip syncing your heart out, your face being illuminated by the short flashes of an edit playing… It was a rather amusing sigh he had to admit but that didn't do much to stop him from frowning slightly with an exhausted sigh.

Hearing the sigh you pause, the edit is still quietly playing in the background but you're no longer lip syncing… you could feel the weight of embarrassment weighing heavily on your shoulders when you realise you've just been caught, not only staying up late on your phone once again… but lip syncing… oh the cringe was quiet strong with this as the silence wore on between you two.

Without another word Zayne would simply shed off his clothes, setting his glasses on the nightstand before reaching for your phone and setting it to charge. Then he would carefully wrap his arms around you snuggling up in bed, his nose pressed against the top of your head as he tiredly mumbles “It's late my darling, how about you sleep before you continue your performance?” 

You knew for a fact that this moment would now forever be locked in the vault of embarrassing moments that would play in your head when you try to go to sleep for sure…

[immortalbutterflycos]

I've come to realize something important in writing. (specifically in my personal experience)

(TLDR; I have ADHD and writing is hard even though I'm still doing it every single day. Make it make sense.)

If you have a story in your head that means a lot to you, and you need to take more time to develop and fully flesh it out before posting it, that's totally okay! In fact, in my experience, it has the potential to make the story better over time, really forming it into what you imagine it to be.

Here's an example because I just typed a lot of words and right now I can't seem to process whether they make sense or not.

I have a fanfic that I've been working on for a year now. (For the Marauders fandom if y'all are curious)

It's one that I haven't talked about much because every time I do, I end up losing the motivation to write. This is what happened to another one of my fics for the Haikyuu fandom. (well that and the Marauders.. yeah they fucked me up in the best way and Freckles and Constellations has really suffered because of it smh)

So the reason why this fic is taking so long is because it is such a specific AU that I'm out here trying to meld magic systems, and I've got like EIGHT MAIN CHARACTERS to write backstories for to fit this AU while also being true to them and even though I know the basic plot, there are just so many little details and aspects that will make this fic what I desperately need it to be.

And no one knows just how intricate it is or how important it is to me. Which is totally fine. I don't even know if people are going to read it when I finally manage to post it. This fic is purely self-indulgent.

let me just break down for you what I have prepared for this already:

countless drabbles and scenes and plans written on the backs of receipts and on bits of scrap paper

a 3" 3-ring binder that I've been trying to organize it all in

a google doc titled "TAoRfOL Doc Masterlist" that has links to every single doc I have for this one fic. (it's dated back to March of last year and as of this month has 93 total links. Only 5 of those are reference links.)

notes and ideas i have written in my phone to transfer into docs so I can add them to the masterlist

Hero Forge digital models of those 8 main characters because I wanted to see what their group would look like outside of my imagination

Multiple Spotify playlists dedicated to this fic and the characters which I listen to every single day. (currently @ 494 songs)

And you know what? I just recently, at 6 am this morning, finally figured out the solution to a fucking plot hole I could not work around.

Basically what I'm saying is that I needed all of this time. Every single day I see things and get inspiration. Every day I learn new things and fix errors in my own plans.

As much as I crave the validation and recognition for all of my hard work on this project, I know that If I had just bit the bullet and posted the first chapter without having done all of this research and all of this planning, then it would not have lived up to the story I have in my head.

I admire people who can just write without all of the added steps and in some cases, I can do that. I haven't been able to in a while (which is why that Valentine's Day microfic was actually really big for me to have posted) but that's just how my brain works.

I needed all of my experiences and all of my daily thoughts and all of my collective playlists for this fic to be able to write the story I intended and that is exactly what I'm going to do.

(though if I'm being honest, this timeline is rough. I really want to just write and post this first chapter so so so bad. ToT)

[nagichi-boop]

I’m not sure if this is something anyone else has picked up on, but after watching reactions to Itsuomi’s confession to Yuki, a lot of people got confused as to why she kept asking why Itsuomi even wanted to date her. I want to offer my two cents, but please note that there’s a degree of projection in my opinion, so maybe y'all will have a different viewpoint. As another disclaimer, I haven’t read the manga (yet!!), so my assessment of the characters is based on episodes 1-9 of the anime.

Yuki, for the most part, is a somewhat self-assured character. She’s a little insecure, but she also isn’t afraid to take chances on developing her relationship with Itsuomi. But she has also never experienced a romantic relationship with anyone. On top of that, she has grown up only being able to talk to very few people. One of the only people she could talk to, Oushi, has only used sign language to be mean to her. Sure, maybe on the outside it doesn’t get to her. But if you hear negative thoughts over and over throughout your life, it can influence you subtly.

If you’ll indulge me for a moment, I’d like to share my experiences briefly so that hopefully my viewpoints on Yuki’s behaviour makes sense. I myself am disabled. I’m not deaf, but I am mentally and physically disabled. As it stands right now, I feel I am growing to accept myself more and I’m working on treating myself with more kindness. However, when I think about someone liking me romantically, my biggest fear is that they won’t be able to tolerate my disabilities. It affects my communication, my independence, my tolerance for activity, among other things. In my mind, there are so many better and easier options than me. Even before I watched this anime, I always imagined that if someone I liked confessed to me, I’d be compelled to ask them why, not because I doubted the person being genuine, but because I am clouded by my own negative self-perception.

Going back to Yuki, I can totally see her having a similar line of thought. She views Itsuomi as someone who is popular; she even makes a comment about how anyone would fall for him if they were treated the way he treated her, since she assumed his treatment of her wasn’t special. She also, multiple times, becomes insecure about his relationship with Emma, despite being assured by multiple people (including Itsuomi) that they aren’t romantically involved. And despite doing so much that would indicate his affection for Yuki - the gentle way he talks to her, the fact he repeatedly wraps his arm around her, pats her head, smiles at her (despite being an otherwise inexpressive person) and literally kisses her hand - she still doesn’t realise that maybe her feelings are reciprocated. Why? Because of her own self-doubt.

When she asks Itsuomi why he wants to date her, I don’t think she is confused by what he means. I think there’s a part of her that can’t believe why, out of everyone he has met, he would choose her specifically. She needed Itsuomi to convince her that he genuinely wanted to be with her. Even after they start dating, she still needs to clarify with Rin that it’s okay for her to call him her boyfriend. These things are perhaps givens, but she is an anxious person by nature, so of course she struggles a little to understand the ‘rules’ of being in a relationship are.

Anyways uhh, thanks for reading this ramble! Let me know what y'all think. There’s a chance this won’t be the last post about A Sign of Affection that I make. I want to talk about my thoughts on Itsuomi (and maybe Oushi) in more depth at some point, but I’d like to catch up on the manga first.

[professional-benaddict]

totally not a self indulgent/projecting ask but Peter being sick while his boyfriends are at work. he’s taking care of himself alright for the most part but after another round of sickness, he starts a hot bath and almost immediately falls asleep in it, which is where his two lovers find him a few hours later, the water gone lukewarm.

(this is totally not based on what happened to me today except i only slept for like one hour and my sister wome me up knocking on the door because she had ro use the bathroom lmao)

within just a few days sydney has made me worry like a tiger mom for her tWice sksks i wanna strangle you and just make sure youre okay and give you kisses and popsicles sksks💗💗💗

Tony and Stephen usually go to work way before Peter even wakes up, so of course they have no way of knowing that Peter woke up feeling pretty sick. And neither does Peter tell them by phone…

Peter wants to be brave about it, knowing Tony has many meetings and Stephen has at least three surgeries. And he is brave about it, but then he also gets a lot worse and ends up passing out in the bath.

Tony finds him first and nearly has a heart attack, thinking something terrible happened. He curses at Peter when he wakes up, saying how scared he was. Peter would probably burst into tears. He feels bad for scaring Tony, plus being dehydrated and sick and hungry and just overall very sick.

Tony apologises and shushes Peter while grabbing a towel and helping the poor boy out of the now cold water. He also helps Peter find some comfy and warm clothes, and then crash onto the sofa.

Stephen comes home then, just as Peter is recovering a bit with a tall glass of juice, but still looking very miserable. Tony is cooking dinner in the meantime. Stephen goes into doctor-mode right away when he spots the state Peter is in. Peter fusses a bit and tries to bat Stephen away, but secretly he loves it.

The three of them end up eating on the sofa that night, and Peter gets head scratches and a foot massage from both his loving boyfriends. He still feels pretty bad, but at least he is taken care of now.

[plus-i-miss-you]

"𝑑𝑜 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑡𝘩𝑖𝑛𝑘 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤 𝑤𝘩𝑎𝑡 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑖𝑠?"

(layout by @/ameyumez!)

hi hi!! welcome to my milgram x reader blog!! ik milgram is probably not the best media for x reader content but eh i'm doing this for fun 👍

🧡 about me:

♡ lina

♡ 21 y/o

♡ demigirl + any pronouns

♡ my other fandoms are twisted wonderland, project sekai, vocaloid, honkai star rail, genshin impact, fragaria memories and many others

♡ my favorite characters are yuno, mahiru and amane + i also like haruka and muu

♡ i prefer to use lowercase letters most of the time because uh.. i hate capitalism

♡ i also have some other blogs you can check out below!

please read this before you request:

🧡 rules:

♡ because of the nature of the project, please remember that literally anything can easily get confirmed or turn out to be wrong, so i can't say that my writing will be 100% in character.

♡ please specify whether you want the reader to be the guard or the prisoner and their gender, otherwise i'll go with gn!reader.

♡ same goes for the setting, if your request doesn't mention it, please specify whether you want it to take place in a prison or a non-prison au/casual setting.

♡ my character limit is four characters per request, but i can write more when it comes to self-indulgent stuff or events (if there will be any djkdlssld).

♡ mentioning whether you want it to be the t1/t2 version of the prisoner would also help a lot!

♡ i'm a system myself, so i'll try my best to write mikosys as accurately as possible, but i'm a newly discovered system, so i can still make some mistakes.

♡ speaking of mikosys, if you're requesting something for them and your request doesn't mention it, please specify if you're asking for mikoto or john/orekoto.

♡ also, i prefer to see john as a part of mikoto, but also a separate character, so if you're requesting something for both mikoto and john, i will count them as two characters, so please keep that in mind when you request something!

🧡 what i will write:

♡ all main project prisoners + es

♡ both romantic and platonic headcanons (everything i write for amane will be strictly platonic)

♡ fluff, angst, comedy, etc

♡ guard!reader and prisoner!reader

♡ both t1 and t2 prisoners (+ maybe some t3 headcanons/theories?..)

♡ gn!reader, male!reader, fem!reader (a note: because of how popular the theory about kazui being gay is and because of the possibility of it being confirmed, i'd prefer to write only gn!reader and male!reader when it comes to him)

♡ both mikoto and john/orekoto

♡ non-prison au

♡ i prefer to write headcanons rather than scenarios simply because headcanons are easier to write jdkldsjssk

♡ i also may post general/non-x reader writing here (like crimeswap au, alternate verdicts au, etc) if y'all are interested :)

🧡 depends on the request:

♡ because of the nature of the project, i'm totally okay with writing dark content, including yandere, but i have a right not to wriite something if it makes me uncomfortable for one reason or another.

♡ as mentioned below, i don't write nsfw, but i'm okay with suggestive stuff, but again, i may be uncomfortable with some of it. also, i will write content like this only for the adult characters, meaning everyone except es, haruka, muu and amane.

🧡 what i won't write:

♡ novel characters (i don't think there's enough canon stuff to write anything about them tbh..)

♡ side characters and victims (as much as i would love to write something for rei, hinako, shidou's wife, etc, again, we know even less when it comes to them)

♡ nsfw (again, suggestive/light nsfw is okay, but only with adult characters)

♡ even though i like the threekoto theory a lot, i won't write for midokoto/greenkoto/doe, since it's not confirmed and there's not much i can do when it comes to his character.

🧡 my other blogs:

@linabirb (my main/personal blog)

@linawritestwst (my twst writing blog)

@linalilia (my old personal blog)

@linawritesocs (my twst ocs blog)

@linagram (my milgram ocs blog)

@008-edits (my edits blog)

🧡 masterlist

[kaykat666]

20 questions for fic writers

Thanks @superlc529 for the tag!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

32 published on AO3. If I include unpublished and/or unfinished stories that I have on my laptop I’d say I have a total of around maybe 45?

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

729,333. Definitely over 1 mil if I count anything unpublished. I didn’t even realise it was that much before this moment.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Lucifer. I may have dabbled in other fandoms in my teenage years but we’re not going to talk about that right now.

4. Top 5 fics by kudos?

Joyriding with the devil - 2,051 kudos

Project Deviant - 1,079

Never to Me - 874

And I Would Do It Again - 854

Supernova - 853

5. Do you respond to comments?

I try to! Sometimes I forget though :( I absolutely read and cherish every single comment I receive though!

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Never to Me. It was unintentional really, as it was meant to be the first part of a 1 part story. Certain circumstances lead to me completely losing the desire to continue writing the second part (it’s over half finished!) and so I never posted it. That was like… at least 3 years ago. What is time? I hope to finish it at some point but I’m just too busy these days with work. This is really the only story I’ve left on an angsty note.

7. What the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Like I just said, I don’t do many angsty endings. I love to play with it in the middle of the story, and orchestrate killer cliffhangers between chapters but I like to make everything work out in the end. I always liked the John Lennon quote, “Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.” So yeah, a lot of my stories have endings that I think are happy. I’m not sure I could say which one is the happiest.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Unfortunately I’ve had a few horrible comments. I try not to think about them for too long though. It’s a drop in the ocean compared to the amount of lovely, thoughtful comments that I get 😊

9. Do you write smut?

No. Far too British for that.

10. Craziest crossover?

Lucifer and Loki. My only crossover really. Also on do regretfully have not finished but it’s definitely out there in terms of craziness.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Yes, but I feel that it was more of a misunderstanding than anything and the person who did it took it down (along with a lot of others they had posted) fairly quickly.

12. Have you ever had fic translated?

Yes! A reader of mine translated Project Deviant into Russian.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Also yes! Project Deviant was co-written by myself, @oh-mylordy, and @self-indulgent-sapphism. I also started writing one with my beta @notonelineff but we never have gotten around to finishing it. Co-writing is hard. Especially if you’re writing a long project.

14. All time favourite ship?

Deckerstar I guess. The amount of fic I’ve written should be enough evidence of that.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Hm. Not sure on this one. There’s a few I want to finish but I’m still hoping to get around to them like I’ve said.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Uhhh. I feel like I’m decent at descriptions. I try my best anyway. I try to keep things fluid and set the scene in a way that feel natural and not just stick you with a whole block if description at once. I’ve definitely improved at plotting long fics as well I think. I personally think I’m good at writing suspense when it is called for.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I definitely get stuck on words or phrase and will waaaay over use them until my beta tells me off. I’m really not great at keeping things short either. And it’s not even like my one shots keep turning into long fics, but more that I can definitely over describe and draw things out more than is necessary. I don’t really know what else. I’m sure I have many things that I could improve but I do write for fun and so I try not to get myself too down about what I could be doing better. As long as I can convey the story/scene/emotions that I want to it happy.

18. Thoughts on dialogue in another language?

I’ve tried it a couple of times. Never more than a like or too, just to convey the purpose that I want it to. For example I would love to show Lucifer being omni-lingual more because it was something I did love about his character in the show but it’s so hard to do in writing without making it overly complicated for the reader. Therefore I settle for throwing in a line here or there and leaving it at that. Also, my knowledge of language really doesn’t extend past Google translate so I don’t want to end up saying the wrong thing.

19. First Fandom you wrote in?

Doctor Who when I was about… 15 or so. They are no longer on the internet. It’s probably for the best.

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

Ahhh asking me to pick a favourite fic is like asking me to pick a favourite child. I really do love the universe we built in Project Deviant though, and the sequel A Glitch in the System. I thoroughly enjoyed every part of plotting and writing those fics, and dabbling in the universe of one of my favourite games. It also allowed me to write a lot of things that I’d wanted to for a while so that was nice.

However, I also really do have a soft spot for All That Remains. Writing that fic emotionally wrecked me but I still love it.

Also I’m pretty proud of Resistance is Futile writing and plot wise. It was just a fun thing that I wanted to write but I was pleased with the case part more than anything. I wanted it to kinda feel like an episode of Lucifer and I personally think it does.

I did a top 3 instead of 1. Like I said, you can’t make me pick. It’s just not fair.

Anyway! I don’t know who to tag really but if anyone writes fic and wants to do this please feel free!

[dirtyoldmanhole]

SURPRISINGLY not about gunter. or fates. somehow this blog became 'fire emblem blorbo blog: speedwing* boogaloo' :P (*for those of you who are not like, ancient, "speedwing' used to be my old tellius-based sideblog.)

anyway

(very very very self indulgent ramblin / workshopping about future FE projects ahead)

next year's FE9's 20th anniversary and i am dead set on doing a zihark doujin for it. i got halfway through with one with tons of drawings that are still badass, lord knows that my fondness for him eclipses everything else i've ever drawn, i feel like i can finally do him justice, etc. this is The Moment tween krad has been waiting for all her life.

thing is i've been quietly debating to myself for a year or so if i want to do a strictly canon based doujin or one with selfshipper Stuff.

see, i thought i was going for more of a fanservice angle to sidestep that a little (still totally sliding that in whenever possible) but my brain unfortunately needs like a Modicum of Characterization :D; (as i am finding out with this gunter doujin). i need little plot hanger hooks even if it's gag strips or one off doodles.

and. i like. okay.

quick pros/con of canon-based doujin: wider audience, i don't have certian hangups over it

quick pros/cons of selfshipper doujin: it would probably heal certian parts of my soul if i wasn't being so chickenshit about it. it'd still be pretty? but it'd be harder to draw. i don't know if it would have a meaning to other than literally one (1) alive person and at some point i do have to kinda weigh the 'is the time sink worth it'

anyway

there's, very literally 20 years of inside jokes and shit with the selfshipper thing. i cannot stress to you zi literally got me to start drawing seriously. i don't know why i'm saying this other than 'this verse might be a bit self referential and i don't know if people would Get It compared to just canon (which i 10000% love on its own rights, it's not like i'm secretly dying to just do the selfshipper thing - ideally i would do a doujin of both because just what's in the games proper is so, so cool. he's such a weirdo. :D and tellius is the kind of cast i could stick him with literally anyone and wrangle up a cool scene.

- but. but?

the obvious answer is (do a doujin with both krad, like duh, people are gonna love the pretty pix no matter what ur overthinking it) but it just feels weird...? mixing the streams, if only in a pure technical/storytelling sense, and even above Personal Stuff i want to respect this on a pure craft level. ( i 100% love and go feral over the current wave of the selfshipper revival and would protect them with my life but with me it still feels inexplicably private and... i'm of elder internet, man. for me it still feels ... like it did in the 00's. very fringe-y vulnerable, you know? if you were there you know. idk. i'm still working through some of that.

feelings, god i hate feelings. just give me gorgeous dudes to draw to shut my brain up :D;;; )

[justphilia]

Hello everynyan :3 I wrote somethang :]

Fandom: SPY x FAMILY (Anime) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Becky Blackbell & Anya Forger, Anya Forger & Loid Forger | Twilight & Yor Briar Forger | Thorn Princess, Damian Desmond & Anya Forger, Damian Desmond/Anya Forger, Loid Forger | Twilight/Yor Briar Forger | Thorn Princess Characters: Anya Forger, Becky Blackbell, Damian Desmond, Emile Elman, Ewen Egeburg, Loid Forger | Twilight, Yor Briar Forger | Thorn Princess, Original Characters Additional Tags: Canon Compliant, Background Relationships, (as in just like in canon, romance is not the focus), Theatre, Cinderella references (not disney), Comedy, Fluff, reads like an episode basically, Not Beta Read, Self-Indulgent

Preview:

As per yearly tradition, Eden Academy once again opens up auditions for every cohort to try and earn a spot on their respective theater plays. Scripts are predetermined, so all they really have to do is display their ability to act and memorize their scripts, and hence…

“You’ll get a Stella for landing a leading role?” her father raises his brows in surprise, definitely brimming with interest behind his wilting newspaper.

“Ye,” she nods once firmly, fists clenched up to her chest.

Anya wasn’t really interested in the theater play from the start, but Becky, with her fair share of interest towards drama and all things romantic, heard the storyline they picked for their cohort is going to be Cinderella—a classic among all ages—and so wouldn’t stop talking about it.

Overhearing this, Damian ended up revealing the Stella bit between his ramblings of, “I’m totally gonna land the prince’s role.” and “You’re gonna watch my wonderful performance on stage soon!”, which then prompted Anya to boldly declare that she’ll audition too.

It’s two birds one stone, she thought to herself as her father mulls it over. If she lands any lead roles, she’ll get a Stella and spend more time with Damian, boosting their friendship status.

“Oh, Anya,” he would say—she can already imagine it. “Acting with you was so fun! Let’s do more acting at my house and also bring your dad to meet my dad!”

“Okay dokey,” she would answer, very cooly but also surprised so he wouldn’t think she planned this.

“Hurray, you have achieved world peace, Anya!” her father would then say, right after. “Good job! Millions of peanuts for you!”

“Did you bring the script?” her real, non-fantasy father asks, snapping her out of her daydream. She nods once again, running to her bag to pull out a relatively thick script—about the width of her clenched fist, but still lighter than all her textbooks combined.

He does not say it, but she clearly hears him go, Oh dear. 

She lets him take a look, knowing it won’t take long because she’s seen how fast he can read, and makes her way over to her mother, who has busied herself with doing the laundry right next to her husband on the couch.

“Is mama any good at acting?” she asks, resting her cheek on one of her mother’s legs.

“Oh, I don’t really think so,” her mother laughs in reply, shaking her head. “I’ve never been an actor, and I’ve never tried.”

“What about you, papa?” Anya turns to her father, despite knowing fully well what his true answer will be. As bad of a liar he is, his ability to alter his expressions at will is definitely awesome. If Anya didn’t have the ability to read minds, she would’ve thought his feelings could change just as easily. 

“I’m not sure about stage performances, but I suppose I have to act a little in front of my patients,” he answers. She thought he would’ve said no flat out. “Otherwise, showing my true feelings may disrupt the trust between us.”

“Maybe I can become a star!” Anya says cheerfully, clasping her hands together as she dreams of herself on the red carpet. 

Her father’s smile strains, “Perhaps.”

[spaceorphan18]

Weekend WiP Game

Thanks @bitbybitwrites for thinking of me <3 This is great, because I've been kind of looking over my projects and where I'm at with them today. So, this is a nice refresher. :)

1. WIP List

Okay, I'm kind of ignoring the MCU ones, because I don't think I'll ever get back to those. My current Glee WiPs...

Head Over Feet

The Spaces In-Between

In the City That We Love

The Smut Challenge

Changed for the Better (Not sure if i'll get back to this but you never know.)

The CrossRhodes Saga (this I do want to go back to)

2. Which of your WIPs is currently the longest?

Head Over Feet

3. Which WIP do you expect will end up the longest?

The Smut Challenge. I mean, there's 365 total chapters, how is that not the longest??

4. Which WIP is your favourite to write/the most enjoyable to write? Why?

I'm really focused on Head Over Feet more than the others at the moment. This is a story that, really, I wanted to write when I got into fandom -- a story about them finding each other again after their break up. I realize there are so many versions of this fic, but it's also a rite of passage I think to do it.

5. Which WIP do you find the most intimidating to write? Why?

Oh god The Smut Challenge. There are only so many ways you can write smut. One reason I stopped is that it was getting redundant.

6. Which WIP do you experience the most self-doubt about. Why?

Maybe Spaces In-Between. A complete canon compliant fic is something I always wanted to do - but it's been hard to come up with ideas for Season 1, and it hasn't gotten that much attention. Plus, I really found the first chapter really great - but then it's the only feedback that I got some negativity on, and have been unsure ever since.

7. Which of your WIPs will you seek out a beta/sensitivity reader for? Why?

I'll ask my lovely @snarkyhag for help with Head Over Feet and In The City That We Love -- because they're bigger stories, and room for more mistakes.

8. Have any of your WIPs been struck by the curse of writer's block?

All of them at some point. I feel like I'm just getting back into it after being out of it for at least six months to almost a year.

9. Which WIP has your favourite OC? Tell us about them?

I don't know that I have any? Not for the wips anyway.

10. Which WIP is the sexiest?

I mean, I guess Smut Challenge by default? They're all gonna have smut in it.

11. Which WIP is the angstiest?

Head Over Feet is pretty angsty. But if I'm guessing overall, Spaces In Between will end up being more so.

12. Which WIP has the best characterisation (in your humble opinion)? Right now - Head Over Feet, but I think I'm pretty consistent at keeping them all kind of the same.

13. Which WIP has the best scene setting (in your humble opinion)?

Hmmm, I'm terrible at scene description, so I'll leave that up to you.

14. Which WIP have you worked the hardest on?

Right now, Head Over Feet. but I'll end up working pretty hard on all of them. Though Smut Challenge will continue to be a little tongue and cheek if I get back to it.

15. Which WIP do you have the highest expectations for? Why?

I hope that, overall, you guys end up really enjoying Head Over Feet and In The City That We Love. I'm hoping that once Blaine enters the picture, Spaces In Between will pick up a bit. And I'm hoping that I do get back to the Smut Challenge, because self indulgently, I'd like it to get a ton of hits and make its way up the most read Klaine fic list.

16. Do you dream about any of your WIPs?

No. I think about them enough during the day - my brain has other things to contend with at night lol.

17. Do any of your WIPs have particular complexities that your other fics don't? I'd really liked to go back to the CrossRhodes saga once I'm done with a few of the others -- but it's a historical mystery, and that just adds a level of difficulty to it. I also think keeping the smut challenge new and refreshing is the tricky part there.

18. Which WIP is the funniest or has the most humour?

Probably In The City That We Love

19. Do any of your WIPs contain outside POVs or a deep dive on a character other than the main ship? How are you finding that process? Nope. Though, there are a couple of chapters of In The City That We Love that I may branch out a little because the original sketch had a fascinating character study of the full group.

20. Tell us one thing we don't know about one or more of your WIPs.

Honestly - maybe not necessarily about WIPs, but the fact that we're now so far away from the show ending, sometimes I wonder why I'm still writing. I mean - I'm writing for me and because I enjoy it. But I do wish the audience pool was a little bigger. Though I do appreciate that there still is an audience pool here. Idk, maybe I'll write an Ed/Stede oneshot to sooth my ego or something, lol.

Also, maybe semi-related, I have original fiction that I'd like to really settle down and write some day. I've been working on world building for twenty years, the problem is, who knows if it'd ever get published, or if I had an audience outside my family, which is why I continue to go back to fanfic. :P

[misc-obeyme]

I have so many things running through my head right now (all about Barbatos 🫶) but I feel weird sending multiple asks so I hope you don't mind if I put them all in one!

Firstly, owl Barbatos has been flying around my thoughts for DAYS. As a long-time bird lover, I can wholeheartedly say that he's very owl like in general! But this is less about him being a cutie patootie little bird and more about his onesie thing. I NEED TO HUG HIM. He looks so soft and comfy and squeezable EEEEE! I just need to spot him from across the room and then rush up to him and envelope him in the biggest embrace ever! Place several little kisses all over his beautiful face before he's had enough and just kisses me... 🙏 He actually looks like a dream to cuddle with in his onesie I cannot stand it.

Next, I am terrified of butterflies. This current even had me thinking all about how Barbayos would deal with this. Like, I am so scared of them that when I was a child, I was kicked out of the butterfly sanctuary for screaming and crying and scaring the other kids. Anyways, LMAO, I think he'd think I'm silly (I am) but still never make fun of me. That's what's so wonderful about him, he'll never judge!

I just realized these are all completely self-indulgent, and I apologize for that, but I have one more djmsjdwnwkow. So, I had left over chain from a previous DIY project, so I made Barbatos' collar chain that he has in his demon form!! I think it's super cool, and I think he'd think it is, too. I wouldn't even tell him about it, I'd just wear it one random day and see if he notices. (He will. He notices everything. More evidence towards owl Barbatos propaganda.) But, yeah, we'd match. I was wondering if you had any silly things you'd like to match Barbatos with! Personally, matching pajamas and keychains are SO cute.

Final thought, Barbatos would make you his home screen. Anyone can see a lockscreen if you look at their phone, but only he gets to see your face on his home screen <3

Listen, I always have Barbatos brain so I totally understand. You're free to send in one long ask or several smaller asks, it's whatever you're most comfortable with! I don't mind either way 💕

Ahh, owl!Barb is truly excellent. Like I definitely think that's a good choice for him. Owls have a reputation for being wise, right? And while I think in reality they're probably just as dumb as any other animal, I still like the association of wisdom for Barb, you know?

I actually have an owl that lives behind my house. I've never seen it because it gets dark here at night, but I've heard it hooting. It's actually pretty loud lol. But wouldn't it be cute if that was something Barbatos could do to like check in on MC in the human world? I think something similar whenever I see the crow gang that lives across the street from me, except I imagine it's Mammon. That's probably pretty silly, but I can't help but think about them, you know?

I think there are a lot of bird associations with the characters, I mean we also got peacocks for Luci. Though I have never seen or heard a peacock around my house lol. If I ever see a cow in the street, I'll blame Belphie.

Anyway, getting off topic here, which is that Barbatos in his onesie is absolutely adorable and I love him. He would be a delight to cuddle with.

OH suffering from lepidopterophobia?? LOL yes okay I looked that up because I was curious. I was like there has be a word for being afraid of butterflies. Anyway, I don't think Barbatos would judge you at all. The fact is, most phobias like this are irrational, it doesn't matter if they don't make sense. For you the fear is real and Barb cares a lot more about your comfort than anything else. He wouldn't want you to be scared or anxious about it!

Yo, no worries about self indulgence. I have so many self indulgent fics it's not even funny, this is what we're here for. I think Barbatos would be flattered that you would want to match with him. I especially like that it's something from his demon form, which he isn't in all the time, so it's like you're matching with him in a subtle sort of way. As for me, I don't know if I'd want something that's exactly matching, but I like the idea of something that's like clearly about him, you know? Like wearing a ring with a teal stone or something like that. I initially thought about wearing a teal septum ring, but then I realized I would like to be able to see it without a mirror so a regular ring would probably be my choice. I do like matching pajamas, though, that sounds adorable!

Oh yes, I like him being possessive. He's like, only I get to see this picture of MC, so it must be home screen. We'd kinda match that, too because this man is already on both my lock screen and my home screen yes I have a problem.

[dangerous-disposition]

WIP Wednesday Thursday

It’s WIP Wednesday Thursday, time for a little accountability, sharing your work, and getting a kick in the pants.

I was tagged by @pizzaqueen (thank youuuu)

Here’s how it works:

In a reblog (or new post w/ rules attached), post up to five (5) filenames of your WIPs; not titles, file names.

Post a snippet from one of them. Snippet must be words you wrote in the last 7 days. We’re posting progress here. If you haven’t made any, go make some and come back to post!

After you’ve posted, people can send you an ask with one of your file names. You must then write 3 sentences in that file. If the filename is one you can’t share from (for example, an event fic), write 3 sentences on it anyway, and then 3 more on another to share.

That’s it! You can invite others to join in, or just post.

OKAY now full disclosure, since I use scrivener, the file names are shit like "fanfiction" and they're all in one singular project, and i've titled each individual part of the "project" already except the one thing so y'all are getting titles.

WIPs:

i'll burn that bridge when i get to it

because no one can break my heart like i can

i can't tell where you end and where i start

spent all winter waiting for the sun to arise

the one about dio

Snippet (from spent all winter waiting for the sun to arise, my super self-indulgent modern au fic where Steve has my IRL job and Eddie is a rockstar):

“She has you so whipped, Steve.”

Steve sat on the staging table in one of the banquets storage rooms and eating a plate of leftover food from a buffet they just cleared. They affectionately called this storage room Dustin’s “office” since the banquet server was most often working events and using that staging and storage area.

He gave Robin a baleful glare as he shoveled another scoop of ravioli into his mouth.

“Yeah, dude, why are you even letting her boss you around? Just tell my mom,” Dustin said, popping open a can of soda.

“I’m not gonna tattle to your mom, Dustin,” Steve sighed heavily.

“Yeah, because Nancy Wheeler has you whipped,” Robin repeated, rolling her eyes. “She’s totally taking advantage because she knows you’re still not over her—”

“Okay, first of all, I am totally over her, like one-thousand percent over her,” Steve said quickly, pointing at Robin. “And she said she doesn’t trust the event managers to handle bands or film crews, and honestly? Valid.”

“I don’t know enough about rooms to dispute your expertise in them,” Robin admitted sadly, grabbing another fancy little brownie bite.

“You don’t know anything about rooms,” Steve agreed, smirking at her. “Anyway, it’s one group, and they’ll probably cancel anyway.”

“Why do you think that?” Robin asked.

Steve heaved a big sigh as he settled in to explain as simply as he could. “Half the time bands will cancel, usually because their tour got all fucked up for one reason or another. Anyway, this group is booking their rooms three months in advance. There’s no way they’ll actually come.”

“But you said they’re traveling with a film crew, right? Wouldn’t they have a pretty strict filming schedule?” Dustin asked, and Steve shrugged.

“No idea,” he replied.

“Who’s the band?” Robin asked, and Steve shrugged again. Robin scoffed. “Seriously? You don’t know?”

“I know they’re a metal band. None of the paperwork says the band’s name, and the rooming list has fake names already,” Steve replied. “Typical procedure for higher profile bands, so they might be a big deal. I don’t really care, honestly.”

Just as he finished saying that Steve’s phone started ringing.

“Hey, this is Steve,” he answered without actually looking at the screen.

“Hey, I know you’re on your lunch, but the tour manager called asking about the rooming list,” Nancy said, her tone apologetic.

“Revisit the first half of that sentence, Nance,” Steve said, but he was already putting his plate aside to hop down from the table.

Robin made a whip-cracking noise with her mouth and rolled her eyes.

“I know, just— the tour manager seems really high-strung about it,” Nancy pressed, and she did sound genuinely sorry for calling on his break.

“I’m. On. My. Lunch,” Steve said slowly and deliberately as he waved goodbye to Robin and Dustin, slipping out of Dustin’s office.

“Fine, fine, just make sure you get it done before the end of the day,” Nancy sighed and hung up.

Steve let out a slow breath as he walked back to his office ten minutes before the end of his lunch break.

Tagging......

I know WIP Wednesday is over, but still, I wanna share the love a little bc i love y'all's writing, and absolutely NO PRESSURE: @patchworkgargoyle, @scarcrossdlvrs, @scoops-stevie, @steddieas-shegoes, @afewproblems (if I am adding u belatedly it is ultimately bc last night I was like "I'm missing ppl who am I missing" and my bitch ass was too tired after a long day being Steve From My Fic and getting my hair cut)

[prettyboykatsuki]

I really hope this doesn’t sound awful and if it does I truly apologize, but maybe you could write the fic for yourself? Like, if it’s a story that’s near and dear to your heart, and you don’t want people to react in a (unjustifiably) negative way because of the specifics of the reader, I totally think you could write it as a story for you first and foremost and kind of keep it as your passion project of sorts? Does that make sense? I really don’t mean to sound dismissive of it or act like you absolutely shouldn’t publish it, but I do think that that’s a valid option and you could do whatever you want that way without worrying about having to worry about catering to an audience, if that makes sense.

Again, I really hope this doesn’t sound like I don’t think you should publish the fic at all, because I promise that wasn’t my intention! I just think that it’s totally valid if you want to write the story your way, stress-free, and just not end up sharing it publicly. I really hope that makes sense!!! /pos

no no actually this is a really great point!! it doesn't sound dismissive to me and u are right. i do think i write most things for me but its also a lot harder for me to justify writing things completely for myself because the writing process is very difficult and im like (?) unreliable. idk how to explain but i always feel like. SO weirdly guilty writing self-indulgent things

prince todoroki would be a HUGE passion project and there was a point in writing it where i really did completely intend to keep it to myself but then i took a long hiatus from writing it. now that ive steeled myself (kinda) to write it all the way and give it the love it deserves - i do want to share it with people but because of how much i poured into it. BUT any negative feedback i think will kill me dead. im way more okay with it on other fics but not this one for some reason

i do think i will take this advice and at least pretend that this fic will never see the light of day. this was a really good reminder for me actually and i genuinely from the bottom of my heart really appreciate it. and everyones patience with this public breakdown i have semi-anually about this fic in particular KJFDHKJS. i know it can get annoying but this is my Writing Blog where i talk about Writing so i hope ppl can put up w it. i promise a quality fic in return and thanks for not jumping ship on me when i inevitably change my mind on things.

I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!

[seasonal-writes]

GET ASKED!! :D 7. How do you choose which POV to write from? (I have this problem a Lot so I'm v curious 👀) 40. If someone were to make fanart of your work, what fic or scene would you hope to see? (For totally innocuous reasons why do you ask) 56. What’s something about your writing that you pride yourself on? 72. What order do you write in? front of book to back? chronological? favorite scenes first? something else? <3!

i have been ASKED BACK by sir theo oh golly oh boy who could've seen this coming- 7. How do you choose which POV to write from? oohh i like this question! um, in all honesty,, if it's not for Golden Rings, it just depends on who's POV i think fits it best. But for GR, i try to switch back and forth in a pattern, unless i have a scene planned that would fit a certain character REALLY well, y'know? but generally, it's just whoever i think could experience/"tell" the story in the best way possible! :D 40. If someone were to make fanart of your work, what fic or scene would you hope to see? (For totally innocuous reasons why do you ask) OHHHHH. this is a VERY good one. umm.. honestly like i'd be so grateful to see ANY scenes/fics of mine depicted in fanart. because as we've seen, i literally lose my mind and cry and scream whenever i get tagged in fanart. but if i had to choose... okay, so, fic-wise, i feel like i'd love to see art of "i ain't ever liked sweets (til you sugar coated my teeth)" because.. god. that fic was so cute and fun to write. more specifically scene-wise, though, i'd probably die if someone did the Impulse Scene in chapter 7. OR the breakfast scene in chapter 3. OR. i also really loved the image of them hiding behind the bathtub, that was a good scene too. WELL.. okay, i'd probably be ridiculously happy with ANY of the scenes. but those are a few of my favorites and i think if anyone did more art for this fic i'd just have to die blissfully right on the spot. p.s. "innocuous" is a GREAT word, holy cow. i forget about that one.

56. What’s something about your writing that you pride yourself on?

hmm..i actually don't really know! i like to think my overall attention to detail is something i go out of the way to include, so, maybe that? which isn't to say i'm not proud of my writing overall, i totally am. but it's like.. picking little things?? i have no idea. 72. What order do you write in? front of book to back? chronological? favorite scenes first? something else?

Like, for longer projects? Chronologically unless I am DESPERATE to get a scene/chapter out of my system. But recently, if talking by chapter specifically, i write whatever scene i'm the most excited for first and work around that! Because I am self-indulgent and a writer with awful memory, so if i don't get it onto paper, i will likely forget!

thank you for the ask, my friend<3!!